Consumer and advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer and advertising - Essay Example In advertising, the purpose of making claims is educating clients and raising their expectations (Best 20). A claim can be a statement of fact or merely an attempt to create hype. Some claims do not always reveal all the details. The Range Rover ad reveals a sleek car moving at a high speed in a road bend. The car appears majestic and lovely beyond words. Its wide body and red color make it appear regal and even wider. The smaller details in fine print further expounds on the virtues of the car and hidden benefits. The message is that the car is not only a powerful machine but also luxurious four-wheel drive road monster. While other cars may come close to the class of the Range Rover, the ad says that the car is still ahead even when placed head to head with similar cars. Therefore, the car deserves to be ranked first in a contest of equals. The Lamborghini ad states that the car is a raging bull. A red car, the car appears ready for action. A cursory glance at it reveals it is ready for contest. Like an enraged bull, the car is capable of reaching above average speeds. The image of a raging bull in the minds of people is strong bull hurtling at dangerous and even killer speed. That is the image the advertiser wants to communicate to the readers; that Lamborghini is a powerful car capable of attaining high speeds. As in the other ads, the Bentley ad says that the car is the best of the breed. A text box in the ad says that Bentley is more than a car. It is mysterious, magical, and majestic. The use of such words is designed to inspire awe in the mind of consumers. It is a claim that is hard to verify. However, for interested users, they have a choice of buying and testing the veracity of the claim. The claim also says that the car is mysterious. That is designed to arouse curiosity. People are naturally curious about things that are mysterious. They are also interested in learning about the secrets behind magic and what makes great things

DB 4 Management and Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

DB 4 Management and Leadership - Research Paper Example In the case of an internet retailer that involves a lot of inventive technology, and organizational flexibility, I would draw on the mission of the organization, as this would allow me work with what to expect in the future, and what the employees must strive to portray in the long run. Working on the mission statement allows the organization function outside the existing boundaries, and instill more creativity among the employees. I will also be very positive and inspiring to my employees, as this is the only way that the cycle of goals, objectives and strategies will be complete (Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2011: 121). Working with the sub-units in the retail organization would allow me devise a change process. Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols (2011: 121) argue that working with sub-sections allows for generation of emotional vigor, commitment, and clear direction of the ideal future of the internet retailer. Since an entry and consistency in the internet retail market requires that the change agents- leaders- dream big, I will endeavor to come up with exciting, concise and challenging visions. In this case, I will have energized and mobilized employees to undertake initiatives that will lead to the internet retailer one of the best shops in existence (Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2011: 121). My mission statement will be, ‘†¦by offering quality services, we motivate and encourage our employees to continually offer the best to our clients...’ With this, I will have created a dream on the ideal future of the organization; thus, dictate the same shape of ideas to the attainment of the organization’s aims and objectives. Vision, therefore, is the basis of a stronger, better and a unique organization (Cawsey, Deszca & Ingols, 2011: 121).A change leader must always come up with a vision and a team that will be useful in the implementation of the

Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care

Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care Unit 13: Managing human resources in health and social care Question 1 1.1 Factors to be considered when planning the recruitment of individuals to work in health and social care. The first factor to be considered when planning employment is the overall aim of the recruitment with a particular focus on what the organisation wants to achieve (Chen et al, 2004). For example, whilst some recruitment may be to replace an existing worker due to retirement or career advancement, other recruitment may be due to the creation of a new job role (Buchan and Dal Poz, 2002). In the latter case, the organisation needs to have a clear understanding of the skill set, competence, education and experience levels of the individual they want to recruit (Thornley, 2000). From this, the organisation then needs to consider the availability of workers, that fulfil the job requirements, that either already work for the organisation (internal recruitment) or who reside within the area (external recruitment) (Dussault and Franceschini, 2006). If such workers are not available, the organisation must then consider the financial implications associated with either training individuals to the required levels or offering remuneration and relocation incentives to encourage skilled workers in from other areas (Dussault and Franceschini, 2006). Once these decisions have been made, the organisation then needs to consider how to attract the right candidates for the available roles (O’Brien et al, 2009). Advertisement of jobs in areas where there are adequate skilled workers in the local area is commonly carried out in local newspapers and in the local Job Centre, however, where this local skilled workforce is not available, the organisation may consider utili sing the power of the internet, recruitment agencies or job fairs to ensure they attract suitably skilled workers (Compton et al, 2009). 1.2 Legislative and policy framework that influence the selection, recruitment and employment of individuals. There are a number of legislative Acts that control the selection and recruitment of individuals within the UK. These Acts include the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Equality Act 2010 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (Bewley, 2006). Each of these Acts is designed to minimise any discrimination of individuals on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion or beliefs within the selection, recruitment and employment process (Harcourt et al, 2005). These Acts are reinforced by a number of government employment and recruitment policies, such asImproving opportunities for older people (DWP, 2014), Making the labour market more flexible, efficient and fair (DWP, 2013) and Helping employers make safer recruiting decisions (Home Office, 2013). In addition to these government policies, the health and social care organisation will also have their own policy to control recruitment; these policies will often contain anti-discrimination elements. For example, the General Social Care Council (2010) issued a Code of Practice for employers of social care workers. This code of practice is designed to complement the legislative framework that has been developed by the Government and forms part of the wider package of requirements for the employment and recruitment of social care staff. Within this policy, employers are tasked with ensuring that individuals are suitable to enter the workforce and that written rules and procedures are in place to ensure that discrimination and exploitation are avoided within the workplace (GSCC, 2010). 1.3 Different approaches that may be used to ensure the selection and recruitment of the best individuals to work in health and social care. The selection process usually follows the submission of an application form and / or CV by the candidate (Miller and Bird, 2014). The prospective manager of the candidate will then review the applications and select those who display the correct skills, knowledge or level of training required for the job (MacFarlane et al, 2011). These individuals will then be invited for interview which can be carried out by an individual, a panel or a selection board (West et al, 2011). During this process, the candidate will be asked a number of questions and, in many cases; the quality of their answers is usually graded, thereby providing a score at the end of the interview (Harris et al, 2007). As such, the highest scoring candidate will be offered the job. However, this process may result in the more articulate individual being offered the job regardless of their actual ability to fulfil the role (Hendry, 2012). Another approach for recruitment is the assessment centre, where a number of exercises are utilised to mimic the available job role (Edgar and Geare, 2005). These can be in the form of group exercises, one to one role-plays, structured psychometric tests, behavioural tests or capability questions (Patterson et al, 2005). From these tests the assessor, or assessors, will observe the performance of the individual and thereby predict the aptitude of the individual for the available role (Gale et al, 2010). Question 2 2.1 How do individuals interact in groups? Make reference to relevant theories. The most famous theory of group working is Tuckman’s (1965) model. Tuckman (1965) divided the team’s interaction into four different phases; forming, storming, norming and performing. The first step, forming, is where all members are learning about the opportunities and challenges facing the team. There will be a high level of dependence on their manager for guidance and the team will be bonding together, sharing personal information and forming friendships and alliances (Armstrong, 2006). The second step, storming, is where different ideas to tackle problems or issues are developed. This step can cause conflict as each idea competes for consideration. Effective management of this step is vital to enable all members of the team to have their say and resolve any lasting conflicts (Armstrong, 2006). The third step, norming, is where the team members fall into agreement over the solutions for their team. In this step, the team members are able to talk openly about their opinions and have the ability to adjust their behaviour to avoid conflict. The team members agree on the team’s values, rules, professional behaviour and methods of work (Armstrong, 2006). The final step, performing, is where the team fully understands, co-operates and supports one another, thereby working as a single unit rather than individuals. Teams that have reached this step display high levels of motivation, knowledge, competence and autonomy (Armstrong, 2006). 2.2 Different types of teams in health and social care settings There are formal and informal teams within health and social care. The former of these is a structured team that has been formed with a specific purpose in mind (Taggar and Ellis, 2007). This team will have a definite leader and every individual within the team will have a distinct role (Taggar and Ellis, 2007). An example of this is a theatre team that is led by the surgeon, with the anaesthetist and other theatre staff supporting the surgeon during the operating procedure. Informal teams have no structure and every individual has an equal status (Farrell et al, 2001). Within the healthcare setting the formation of multi-disciplinary teams often follow this informal team description (Sheehan et al, 2007). A good example of an informal team can be given using a case study of a child in social care. This child may have special educational needs, may have behavioural or mental health problems or may require counselling. In such a situation, an informal team is developed between the foster carers, the education providers, a child psychiatrist and counselling services, who will all work together to ensure the best outcome for the child. 2.3 Factors that influence the effectiveness of teams working in health and social care The first and most significant factor is poor communication (Hambley et al, 2007). This may be in the form of poor discussion of ideas or solutions between the team members or may be as a result of conflict within the group preventing the effective flow of information between team members (Xyrichis and Lowton, 2008). However, both of these are a result of poor management, as the leader’s role is to encourage the development of relationships and to iron out conflicts within the group (Hambley et al, 2007). The second factor is that of poor understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each team member (Hall, 2005). This is more likely to be a problem within an informal, multidisciplinary team, who are not used to working together. As such, professional boundaries may be blurred, leading to confusion over who is responsible for certain aspects of the patient’s care (Xyrichis and Lowton, 2008). Another problem is that of information sharing (Mesmer-Magnus and DeChurch, 2009). Again this is more likely to affect the multidisciplinary team, however, it can also occur in the formal team, where one individual is reluctant to share information or knowledge as that knowledge is considered to be an aspect of power (Moye and Langfred, 2004). 2.4 Approaches that may be used to develop effective team working Many approaches exist to help develop effective team working. These include brainstorming and team building exercises (Borrils et al, 2000). However, it is the role of the leader to ensure that team harmony is maintained. This can be achieved by ensuring that all team members have ‘a turn’ at suggesting ideas or solutions, encourage an environment of listening through regular team meetings whilst ensuring that any problems, or solutions, are followed up and not ignored (Borrils et al, 2000). It is also vital to ensure that all feedback is constructive without being overly critical; negative feedback can restrict the flow of information and damage the morale of the team (Borrils et al, 2000). Finally, it is vital that the manager is able to keep all communication routes open to encourage the exchange of information (Leonard et al, 2004). This can be done through email, face-to-face, phone conversations or letter but it is necessary for each individual to be aware of their role in disseminating information to other team members (Leonard et al, 2004). Question 3 3.1 Different ways in which the performance of individuals may be monitored in health and social care. Monitoring of an individual’s performance can be done in several ways. The first step is to identify the current level of performance, identify where improvements can be made and form an agreement between manager and employee on how those improvements are going to be made (Bevan and Hood, 2006). In order for these improvements to be made, it is necessary for the manager to link them to the team’s aims and objectives. This enables the employee to understand their role within the team and have ownership over their own job (Bevan and Hood, 2006). Performance appraisal is the most frequently used tool to measure an individual’s performance. The appraisal has five key elements: measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement, exchange of views and agreement (Curtright et al, 2000). Another option is through the use of key performance indicators or the setting of team or individual targets (Bevan and Hood, 2006). 3.2 Identifying individuals training and development needs As previously mentioned, the performance appraisal is the most frequently used tool to measure an individual’s performance. However, this tool can also be used to identify areas of weakness which will highlight the training and development needs of the individual (Bevan and Hood, 2006). Non-achievement of team or individual targets also highlights a training need, however, the manager is required to keep a close eye on the performance of all the team members when team targets are used as some team members may be more efficient than others (Grigoroudis et al, 2012). Continued professional development (CPD) is another way in which a team member can ensure they have sufficient, ongoing training throughout their career. CPD includes formal courses, practice workshops, self-directed reading and attendance at conferences to ensure the level of skills is maintained or improved throughout the individual’s career (Legare et al, 2011). 3.3 Different strategies for promoting the continuing development of individuals in the health and social care workplace. The promotion of continuing development is achieved through a number of means. Torrington et al (2008) suggest that performance feedback (through the use of appraisals or targets) followed by an incentives package are the most effective way of ensuring continuous development. However, it is vital that the feedback is relevant, specific and credible and that it is done frequently to ensure that the employee remains focused on the team’s aims and targets (Torrington et al, 2008). Incentives are normally provided through an increase in salary, the provision of training or bonus rewards (Torrington et al, 2008). In addition, in some healthcare professions, CPD is an obligation to ensure that individuals maintain an adequate level of knowledge and expertise within their professional area (Legare et al, 2011). 3.4 Implementing an effective staff development program According to Gould et al (2007), there are a number of measures that need to be taken in order to implement an effective staff development program. Firstly, it is vital that all employees have a clearly written job description that is fit for purpose. This job description may include a set of skills or level of expertise to be worked towards, with development of the individual, through training and experience, being structured in accordance with their needs and level of knowledge upon commencement of the role (Gould et al, 2007). Another effective method of development is through the use of mentors (members of staff who are particularly good at their job) for new team members or for individuals who may be struggling with certain aspects of their work (Shah et al, 2011). Finally, it is vital that the manager implements regular performance appraisals to ensure that individual and team targets remain focused and relevant (Torrington et al, 2008). 3.5 The effectiveness of a specific staff development program Studies suggest that the most effective staff development programs are those which follow a structured approach (Poulton and West, 1999; Leatt and Porter, 2002; Forsetlund et al, 2009). As such, many promote the use of the performance appraisal as it focuses on the performance and the training and development needs of the individual (Gould et al, 2007; Torrington et al, 2008). This staff development program is also simple to implement and encourages conversation and the exchange of information between manager and employee. By tailoring the employee feedback and linking employee targets to the aims of the team, the manager can ensure that staff remain focused (Gould et al, 2007). In addition, the appraisal can highlight areas in which the employee has weaknesses or training needs, therefore effectively highlighting a logical development process for each employee (Gould et al, 2007). In these circumstances, specific training can be set as targets and can be achieved through self-study or through the attendance on specific courses. Question 4 4.1 Theories of leadership and applying them to management in a nursing home setting. There are four key theories of leadership that have recently replaced the traditional hierarchical-based leadership seen within the NHS. These four key domains of leadership are relational, personal, contextual and technical all of which can be applied to the nursing home setting. Relational leadership promotes organisational and individual change, encourages engagement and communication between staff and patients and focuses on the dynamics of working relationships and patient experiences (Bolden and Gosling, 2006). The personal leadership theory includes the promotion of reflective learning, personal resilience and self-awareness as a leader (Boaden, 2006). Contextual leadership utilises policy and strategy within the healthcare field to promote development by understanding the positions and strengths of various stakeholders and/or employees (Brazier, 2005). Technical leadership involves the improvement of methodologies, approaches and philosophies within the working environment. T his theory adopts the position of the leader changing things for the better while a manager maintains existing systems in good working order (Checkland, 2014). 4.2 The way of influencing individuals and teams by task allocation According to Dowding and Barr (1999), task allocation influences both individual and team performance. This is obvious when considering the role and skill set of each individual within the workplace. When considering a nursing home environment, a simplified task list may be used for the doctor to examine and diagnose the patient, the nurse to provide the correct medication and for the carer to feed or bathe the patient. As such, these tasks are allocated in accordance with the skill and expertise of the individual. Where tasks are not allocated effectively within the team and do not match the skill set of the individual, performance of both the individual and the team will obviously be impaired (Stewart and Barrick, 2000). However, if tasks are allocated effectively, team and individual performance will be enhanced. 4.3 Managing working relationships The most effective way of managing working relationships is by trusting your employees to carry out their role to a high standard (Williams, 2007). In addition, an effective leader should always respect their workforce, be honest, considerate and value their employees’ opinions and values (Williams, 2007). They should promote a culture of openness within their team and strive to understand the different backgrounds and perspectives of the team members. There should also be a great focus on communication both within the team and between the manager and team members (Barrick et al, 2007). This focus should be on utilising the most effective form of communication in each specific scenario. For example, when discussing weaknesses, a private meeting would be appropriate whilst for team targets, team meetings or group emails would be more effective. In addition, body language, listening skills, ability to maintain eye contact and attentiveness are all effective ways to develop and m aintain a working relationship. 4.4 Evaluating own development that has been influenced by management approaches My own development has been influenced through a number of leadership and management approaches. Firstly, through the use of personal performance appraisals, I have been encouraged to focus on areas of weakness as well as my strengths. By highlighting these weaknesses, I have then been able to concentrate on training or the gathering of information through self-directed reading, to improve my knowledge in these weak areas. Team-working has been improved through the promotion of working relationships between team members, through the use of team-building sessions and activity workshops. In addition, whilst it is acknowledged that everyone has a poor manager at some point in their career, these poor managers accentuate the skills of the effective leader and have helped me to develop good leadership skills. I have also been allowed to mentor new employees as I was very effective in my role. However, I consider the most effective management approach for me, to have been through the use o f task allocation and team target setting. Whilst I originally assumed that the task allocation was for an individual’s benefit, I can now see how this benefits the whole team. References Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 10th edition, London, Kogan Page. Barrick, M. R., Bradley, B. H., Kristof-Brown, A. L., Colbert, A. E. (2007). The moderating role of top management team interdependence: Implications for real teams and working groups. Academy of Management Journal, 50(3), 544-557. Bevan, G., Hood, C. (2006). What’s measured is what matters: targets and gaming in the English public health care system. Public Administration, 84(3), 517-538. Bewley, H. (2006). Raising the standard? The regulation of employment, and public sector employment policy. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 44(2), 351-372. Boaden, R. J. (2006). Leadership development: does it make a difference?. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 27(1), 5-27. Bolden, R., Gosling, J. (2006). Leadership competencies: time to change the tune? Leadership, 2(2), 147-163. Borrils, C., West, M., Shapiro, D., Rees, A. (2000). Team working and effectiveness in health care. British Journal of Health Care Management, 6(8), 364-371. Brazier, D. K. (2005). Influence of contextual factors on health-care leadership. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 26 (2), 128-140. Buchan, J., Dal Poz, M. R. (2002). Skill mix in the health care workforce: reviewing the evidence. Bulletin of the World health Organization , 80(7), 575-580. Checkland, K. (2014). Leadership in the NHS: does the Emperor have any clothes? Journal of Health Services Research Policy, ahead of print. Chen, L., Evans, T., Anand, S., Boufford, J. I., Brown, H., Chowdhury, M., Wibulpolprasert, S. (2004). Human resources for health: overcoming the crisis. The Lancet, 364(9449), 1984-1990. Compton, R. L., Morrissey, W. J., Nankervis, A. R., Morrissey, B. (2009). Effective recruitment and selection practices. North Ryde: CCH Australia Limited. Curtright, J. W., Stolp-Smith, S. C., Edell, E. S. (2000). Strategic performance management: development of a performance measurement system at the Mayo Clinic. Journal of Healthcare Management, 45, 58-68. Department of Work and Pensions. (2013). Making the labour market more flexible, efficient and fair. Available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-the-labour-market-more-flexible-efficient-and-fair accessed 14 October 2014. Department of Work and Pensions. (2014). I mproving opportunities for older people. Available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-opportunities-for-older-people accessed 14 October 2014. Dowding, L Barr, J. (1999). Managing in Health Care: A Guide For Nurses, Midwives Health Visitors, 5th edition, Prentice Hall. Dussault, G., Franceschini, M. C. (2006). Not enough there, too many here: understanding geographical imbalances in the distribution of the health workforce. Human Resources for Health, 4(1), 12-15. Edgar, F., Geare, A. (2005). HRM practice and employee attitudes: different measures–different results. Personnel Review, 34 (5), 534-549. Farrell, M. H., Schmitt, G. D., Heinemann, M. (2001). Informal roles and the stages of interdisciplinary team development. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 15(3), 281-295. Forsetlund, L., Bjà ¸rndal, A., Rashidian, A., Jamtvedt, G., O’Brien, M. A., Wolf, F., Oxman, A. D. (2009). Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2(2). Gale, T. C. E., Roberts, M. J., Sice, P. J., Langton, J. A., Patterson, F. C., Carr, A. S., Davies, P. R. F. (2010). Predictive validity of a selection centre testing non-technical skills for recruitment to training in anaesthesia. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 105(5), 603-609. General Social Care Council. (2010). Codes of practice for employers of social care workers. Available online at http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Document-library/Standards/codes-of-practice/Codesofpracticeforemployersofsocialcareworkers.pdf accessed 14 October 2014. Gould, D., Berridge, E. J., Kelly, D. (2007). The National Health Service Knowledge and Skills Framework and its implications for continuing professional development in nursing. Nurse Education Today, 27(1), 26-34. Hambley, L. A., O’Neill, T. A., Kline, T. J. (2007). Virtual team leadership: The effects of leadership style and communication medium on team interaction styles and outcomes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103(1), 1-20. Harcourt, M., Lam, H., Harcourt, S. (2005). Discriminatory practices in hiring: institutional and rational economic perspectives. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(11), 2113-2132. Harris, C., Cortvriend, P., Hyde, P. (2007). Human resource management and performance in healthcare organisations. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 21(4/5), 448-459. Hendry, C. (2012). Human Resource Management. Routledge. Home Office. (2013). Helping employers make safer recruiting decisions. Available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-employers-make-safer-recruiting-decisions accessed 14 October 2014. Leatt, P., Porter, J. (2002). Where are the healthcare leaders the need for investment in leadership development. Healthcare Papers, 4(1), 14-31. Là ©garà ©, F., Borduas, F., Jacques, A., Laprise, R., Voyer, G., Boucher, A., Godin, G. (2011). Developing a theory-based instrument to assess the impact of continuing professional development activities on clinical practice: a study protocol. Implementation Science, 6(1), 17-19. Leonard, M., Graham, S., Bonacum, D. (2004). The human factor: the critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 13(suppl 1), i85-i90. MacFarlane, F., Greenhalgh, T., Humphrey, C., Hughes, J., Butler, C., Pawson, R. (2011). A new workforce in the making?: A case study of strategic human resource management in a whole-system change effort in healthcare. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 25(1), 55-72. Mesmer-Magnus, J. R., DeChurch, L. A. (2009). Information sharing and team performance: a meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(2), 535. Miller, S., Bird, J. (2014). Assessment of practitioners’ and students’ values when recruiting: Sam Miller and Jim Bird explain how values-based recruitment is being used to create a workforce that is suitable to provide the care required by the NHS. Nursing Management, 21(5), 22-29. Moye, N. A., Langfred, C. W. (2004). Information sharing and group conflict: Going beyond decision making to understand the effects of information sharing on group performance. International Journal of Conflict Management, 15(4), 381-410. O’Brien, W., Soibelman, L., Elvin, G. (2003). Collaborative design processes: an active-and reflective-learning course in multidisciplinary collaboration. Journal of Construction Education, 8(2), 78-93. OBrien, M. J., Squires, A. P., Bixby, R. A., Larson, S. C. (2009). Role development of community health workers: an examination of selection and training processes in the intervention literature. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(6), S262-S269. Patterson, F., Ferguson, E., Norfolk, T., Lane, P. (2005). A new selection system to recruit general practice registrars: preliminary findings from a validation study. British Medical Journal, 330(7493), 711-714. Poulton, B. C., West, M. A. (1999). The determinants of effectiveness in primary health care teams. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 13(1), 7-18. Shah, S. K., Nodell, B., Montano, S. M., Behrens, C., Zunt, J. R. (2011). Clinical research and global health: mentoring the next generation of health care students. Global Public Health, 6(3), 234-246. Sheehan, D., Robertson, L., Ormond, T. (2007). Comparison of language used and patterns of communication in interprofessional and multidisciplinary teams. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 21(1), 17-30. Stewart, G. L., Barrick, M. R. (2000). Team structure and performance: Assessing the mediating role of intrateam process and the moderating role of task type. Academy of Management Journal, 43(2), 135-148. Taggar, S., Ellis, R. (2007). The role of leaders in shaping formal team norms. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(2), 105-120. Thornley, C. (2000). A question of competence? Re†evaluating the roles of the nursing auxiliary and health care assistant in the NHS. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 9(3), 451-458. Torrington, D, Hall, L Taylor, S. (2008). Human Resource Management, 7th edition, Prentice Hall. Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-385. West, M., Dawson, J., Admasachew, L., Topakas, A. (2011). NHS staff management and health service quality. London: Department of Health. Williams, M. (2007). Building genuine trust through interpersonal emotion management: A threat regulation model of trust and collaboration across boundaries. Academy of Management Review, 32(2), 595-621. Xyrichis, A., Lowton, K. (2008). What fosters or prevents interprofessional teamworking in primary and community care? A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45(1), 140-153. Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care 4.1 Explanation of theories of leadership that apply to the Health and Social Care workplace. There are four key theories of leadership that have recently replaced the traditional hierarchical-based leadership seen within the NHS. These four key domains of leadership are relational, personal, contextual and technical all of which can be applied to the nursing home setting. Relational leadership promotes organisational and individual change, encourages engagement and communication between staff and patients and focuses on the dynamics of working relationships and patient experiences. The personal leadership theory includes the promotion of reflective learning, personal resilience and self-awareness as a leader. Contextual leadership utilises policy and strategy within the healthcare field to promote development by understanding the positions and strengths of various stakeholders and/or employees. Technical leadership involves the improvement of methodologies, approaches and philosophies within the working environment. This theory adopts the position of the leader changing thin gs for the better while a manager maintains existing systems in good working orders. Definition[2CR2] of management: Management takes place within a structured organisational setting with prescribed roles. It is directed towards the achievement of aims and objectives through influencing the efforts of others. Classical management theory Emphasis on structure Prescriptive about what is good for the firm Practical manager (except Weber, sociologist) Henri Fayol (1841 1925), France 1.Division of work Reduces the span of attention or effort for any one person or group. Develops practice and familiarity 2. Authority The right to give an order. Should not be considered without reference to responsibility 3. Discipline Outward marks of respect in accordance with formal or informal agreements between firm and its employees 4. Unity of command Oneman superior 5. Unity of direction One head and one plan for a group of activities with the same objective 6. Subordination of individual interests to the general interest The interests of one individual or one group should not prevail over the general good. This is a difficult area of management 7. Remuneration Pay should be fair to both the employee and the firm 8. Centralisation Is always present to a greater or less extent, depending on the size of the company and quality of its managers 9. Scalar chain The line of authority from top to bottom of the organisation 10. Order A place for everything and everything in its place; the right man in the right place 11. Equity A combination of kindliness and justice towards the employees 12. Stability of tenure of personnel Employees need to be given time to settle into their jobs, even though this may be a lengthy period in the case of the managers 13. Initiative Within the limits of authority and discipline, all levels of staff should be encouraged to show initiative 14. Esprit de corps Harmony is a great strength to an organisation; teamwork should be encouraged Advantages Fayol was the first person to actually give a definition of management which is generally familiar today namely forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to control. Fayol also gave much of the basic terminology and concepts, which would be elaborated upon by future researchers, such as division of labour, scalar chain, unity of command and centralization. Disadvantages Fayol was describing the structure of formal organizations. Absence of attention to issues such as individual versus general interest, remuneration and equity suggest that Fayol saw the employer as paternalistic and by definition working in the employees interest. Fayol does mention the issues relating to the sensitivity of a patients needs, such as initiative and esprit de corps, he saw them as issues in the context of rational organisational structure and not in terms of adapting structures and changing peoples behaviour to achieve the best fit between the organisation and its customers. Many of these principles have been absorbed into modern day organisations, but they were not designed to cope with conditions of rapid change and issues of employee participation in the decision making process of organisations, such as are current today in the early 21st century. 4.2 Analyse how working relationships may be managed. The most effective way of managing working relationships is by trusting your employees to carry out their role to a high standard (Williams, 2007). In addition, an effective leader should always respect their workforce, be honest, considerate and value their employees opinions and values (Williams, 2007). They should promote a culture of openness within their team and strive to understand the different backgrounds and perspectives of the team members. There should also be a great focus on communication both within the team and between the manager and team members (Barrick et al, 2007). This focus should be on utilising the most effective form of communication in each specific scenario. For example, when discussing weaknesses, a private meeting would be appropriate whilst for team targets, team meetings or group emails would be more effective. In addition, body language, listening skills, ability to maintain eye contact and attentiveness are all effective ways to develop and maintain a working relationship. The way of influencing individuals and teams by task allocation According to Dowding and Barr (1999), task allocation influences both individual and team performance. This is obvious when considering the role and skill set of each individual within the workplace. When considering a nursing home environment, a simplified task list may be used for the doctor to examine and diagnose the patient, the nurse to provide the correct medication and for the carer to feed or bathe the patient. As such, these tasks are allocated in accordance with the skill and expertise of the individual. Where tasks are not allocated effectively within the team and do not match the skill set of the individual, performance of both the individual and the team will obviously be impaired (Stewart and Barrick, 2000). However, if tasks are allocated effectively, team and individual performance will be enhanced. 4.3 Evaluate[2CR4] how own development has been influenced by management approaches encountered in own experience. As a HR Manager for Smart Care Residential home my own development has been influenced through a number of leadership and management approaches. Firstly, through the use of personal performance appraisals, I have been encouraged to focus on areas of weakness as well as my strengths. By highlighting these weaknesses, I have then been able to concentrate on relevant training; the gathering of information through self-directed reading, to improve my knowledge in these weak areas. Team-working has been improved through the promotion of working relationships between team members, through the use of team-building sessions and activity workshops. In addition, whilst it is acknowledged that everyone has a poor manager at some point in their career, these poor managers accentuate the skills of the effective leadership and have helped me to develop good leadership skills. I have also been allowed to mentor new employees as I was very effective in my role. However, I consider the most effective management approach for me, to have been through the use of task allocation and team target setting. Whilst I originally assumed that the task allocation was for an individuals benefit, I can now see how this benefits the whole[2CR5] team. Management approaches Leadership style Motivation Mentoring Coaching Training Shadowing Task orientation Team orientation Individual orientation Own development Attributes Confidence Skill competency Knowledge Understanding Reference Urwick, L.F. (1968), Great Names in Management: Henri Fayol, 1841à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 1925, lecture presented at the University of New South Wales, 19 June, Urwick papers, Henley Management College, ref. 3/5, unpublished. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/ref/10.1108/00251740510634895 [2CR1]Explain the eight (8) leadership theories, such great man, trait, etc. [2CR2]Maslow may be good on working relationship or management approaches [2CR3]Review working relationship and analyse (break down and show relationship between each topic and the improved working relationship [2CR4]Answer this question in three parts (1) identify the management approaches (2) reflect on what your learn from management approaches (3) conclude how you can use your experience and skills acquired to manage other people [2CR5]How did these approaches make you a better manager to manage other people in future

Assessing Issues of Gender in Social Work Practice: An Overview of the

Assessing Issues of Gender in Social Work Practice: An Overview of the De-feminization of the Female A better question would be to ask what we as a society can do to ensure that gender equality is not just an issue about men and women, but also an issue about the quality of humanity. "Every woman is birth-defective, an imperfect male begotten because her father happened to be ill, weakened, or in a state of sin at the time of her conception." ~ St. Thomas Aquinas Simone de Beauvoir's influential work, entitled The Second Sex, made mainstream society aware of women's rejection of the theories upon which her development and socialization were based. Through de Beauvoir's eyes we are privy to her perceptions of the injustices facing women, especially as women attempt to make their way in a male-dominated world. Her social criticisms range from the effects of socialization on female stereotypes and social norms to the imbalance of gender roles and patriarchal psychological theories on female development. She takes particular issue with Sigmund Freud's classical, psychoanalytic theory about human development. Some of her strongest criticisms are of Freud's psychosexual stages of development in which he seems to minimize or devalue female development, thus suggesting that women are sexually and socially inferior to men. The importance of what de Beauvoir is saying is that women's existence has been minimized, devalued, and left out of the psychoana lytic equation altogether in terms of development. While de Beauvoir chooses to study women in an existential perspective - taking into account her complete existence and environment - Freud has minimized the female experience to nothing more than inherent envy for the male org... ...n authority, but also to answer those questions when in authority. References Benjamin, J. (1995). Sameness and Difference: The "Overinclusive" Model. Psychoanalytic Inquiry 15(1), 125-142. Davis, L. (1985). Female and Male Voices in Social Work. Social Work. March-April. 106-112. Gilligan, C. (1982). In A Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Goldman, E. (1917). The Traffic in Women and Other Essays on Feminism. New York, NY: Mother Earth Publishing Association. Horney, K. (1967). Feminine Psychology. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. Paglia, C. (1992). Sex, Art, and American Culture. New York, NY: Vintage Books. Paglia, C. (1994). Vamps and Tramps. New York, NY: Vintage Books. Schultz, D. (1990). Theories of Personality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Incorporated.

Napoleon And The Enlightenment Essay

The enlightenment was a time of great learning throughout Europe during the eighteenth century. Although the period is significant for scientific and other scholastic advancements, it is most important because it allowed for the opening of great minds–such as that of Napoleon Bonaparte. Shortly after this enlightenment made its way through Europe, revolution and civil war ripped through France between 1879 and 1899. The unrest of the time called for a strong ruler. A man/woman with an open mind and an enlightened soul. France needed a child of the enlightenment to sew its tattered flag. Napoleon Bonaparte was a child of the enlightenment. This was displayed in both his attitudes and policies as a result of enlightened religious ideas, political genius, and social reforms. Almost every ruler in history can be accused of having some kind of religious fanaticism. This religious fervor has led to persecution, civil war, unrest, instability, ignorance, and even genocide. The enligh tenment taught philosophes and scholars religious tolerance by lessening the importance of religion and God in everyday life. As a child of the enlightenment, Napoleon had a similar immunization to the devout and was able to use religion as a tool to accomplish his political ideas and goals. An example of this is the fact that whatever new land he conquered, he adopted the religion of that land in order to gain the acceptance of the general population. In France, he was Catholic. In Egypt, he was Muslim. But the only insight we have to his actual religious beliefs are that he said he followed his own star indicating that he pursued a somewhat mystical belief in destiny and fate. He completely regarded the church as a convenience to be taken advantage of by any enlightened despot. When he first came to power, the greatest force that could propel counterrevolution was the Catholic church, so ignoring the infuriated (and politically weak) Jacobeans, he signed a concordat with the Vatican. He said, Fifty . . . bishops paid by England lead the French clergy today. Their influence must be destroyed. For this we n eed the authority of the Pope. Through the concordat, the Catholic church was able to gain back authority that it had lost during the revolution, however, it was never allowed to recover its former autonomy or power. Napoleon kept the French church in his pocket. He paid the clergy directly, and he made them  financially dependent on his treasury. As a child of the enlightenment, Napoleon used cold authority and calculation to wield one of the most powerful weapons in the world–religion–and he did it successfully. It is hard to reconcile whether it was Napoleon’s political genius that made him enlightened or whether it was his enlightenment that made him a political genius. Regardless, he will always be recognized as a charismatic and remarkable enlightened despot. Everyone who encountered Napoleon Bonaparte were immediately impressed by his amazing wit and blunt intelligence. As a military figure he is unmatched and as a leader, he has been mimicked throughout history by other rulers hoping to eclipse his success. The element of Napoleon’s character that made him enigmatic to France at this time, however, was not eloquence or dazzle but crisp speech filled with reas on and calm assurance. He was, in a nutshell, exactly what France wanted after fifteen years of political upheaval. After coming to power, Napoleon immediately set up a pretend constitution and parliament, but he ruled with an iron fist. As far as voting was concerned, the population could accept his policies or not vote at all. (women, of course, could not vote no matter what) Though by today’s standards Napoleon may seem ignorant and unenlightened, during the 18th century an enlightened despot was an absolute ruler who was able to introduce rational reform and thought without considering the needs of the minority. As an example of this kind of enlightenment, Napoleon began to tax the upper classes. By taxing the nobility, Napoleon was taxing the richest two percent of the population that the former monarchy would not tax because they could yell the loudest. The former monarch was dead. The former monarch had been killed by that nasty ninety-eight percent in a very unpleasant way. Napoleon’s next step was to codify laws. For a child of the enlightenment, the codification of laws is definitely a requirement. But Napoleon did not only make law codes, he made law codes that surpassed the fame and glory of Roman law codes. Yes, Napoleon was a child of the enlightenment; this is clearly displayed by his policies and law codification that directly impacted the majority. Napoleons enlightened social reforms were often directly impacted by his religious agreements and political endeavors. The most interestingly enlightened social reform that Napoleon instituted was a law system that fell on the shoulders of every individual equally. There was no recognition of social  class in law. Military positions could no longer be bought or sold. A person was expected to make their way up in society on their own two feet, not riding the backs of their parents piggy-banks. Education became increasingly important because under this system, pedigree was dog food. Thus, the next most interesting enlightened social reform was a public system that has remained almost exactly as structured and rational today, as Napoleon himself instituted it nearly two-hundred years ago. Though the upper classes mainly benefited from them , scholarships were provided for youths who showed scholastic promise. (Of course this, once again, excludes girls–who by the way are good for nothing but breeding and prostitution) Yes, Napoleon did tamp down on any promise of a feminist movement that had glimmered during the French revolution. But this is expected from a male enlightened despot. A feminist movement could be almost as destructive as the church if properly instituted. One simply needs to peruse Aristophones’ Lysistrata for proof of that. So, by putting women back in their rightful and passive places and instituting social reform for the greater male population, Napoleon once again capitalizes on his enlightened mentality and proves that their is no grander child of the enlightenment than he. Napoleon instituted reforms in religion, policy, and society that clearly reflected an enlightened upbringing. Though these sentiment may seem slightly arrogant and assumed, Napoleon himself would have been happy to explain his enlightened magnificence if he weren’t dead. Has it been mentioned that he was short? (the writer could not help herself) Napoleon is a timeless example of an enlightene d despot. The bible still has not fully recovered from the rationality of his church. His codified law system is still active in France and the great state of Louisiana. Mankind today clutches desperately at his social ideologies. Though a modern thinker may say the only thing that keeps Napoleon from being enlightened is lack of democracy, the writer sitting in this chair thinks that the only thing that keeps democracy from being Napoleon is enlightenment. Had Napoleon been born merely fifty years earlier he may have been a trendsetter of the enlightenment. Or he might have been a fisherman. Regardless, Napoleon was a child of the enlightenment and not a parent. He followed the ideas presented by that period with such strategy and genius, people are still writing papers about it. (By choice?)

Internet security Essay

In the developed and developing world, the use of the internet has increased in popularity. The use of the internet has become the preferred mode of communication and resources for various players like industries, corporations, telecommunications, and governments and in business. In business, the internet has facilitated financial transactions that have greatly changed the face of business making it fast and simple and in conformation to the global village the technology has created. With the increased use of the internet, there has been a corresponding increase in cyber crime from criminals who are seeking either financial gains or other advantages for example military. The frequency of these attacks is very high and the levels of sophistication used are great . This makes it difficult for many organizations to determine new threats, their risk factors and ways of dealing with the menace (Cetron, et al, 2009). Many times it is difficult for the organizations to determine which attacks to deal with first and how to allocate resources to deal with them. In the commercial sector, attacks on electronic financial transactions have resulted in great financial losses and corresponding reductions in user confidence. Electronic transactions consist of funds transfers, data interchange, trade confirmations and benefits transfers. Many crimes that occur have plagued the industry for years like theft, service denial, extortion demands or fraud. Technology has however; greatly magnified the ability of major crimes to be committed in a matter of seconds. Electronic security is an industry that is growing and becoming globalised. This industry offers services in the categories of assessment, access and utilization. To demonstrate the severity of attacks on April, 2009, Chinese and Russian spies managed to infiltrate the United States of America electrical grid and inserted disruptive software into the system (Cetron, et al, 2009). An attack which occurred prior to this one on September 2008 would have caused the collapse of the global economy were it not for intervention. Unidentified hackers robbed the lucrative American financial market accounts a total of five hundred and fifty million dollars in a little less than two hours. If the accounts would not have been closed by the Treasury Department they would have lost almost six trillion dollars. This would have caused the global economy to collapse in approximately twenty four hours. One security threat is phishing. Phishing involves the acquisition of sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, usernames and pin numbers. It makes its presentation as being a legal entity. The unsuspecting victims are lured by receiving communications which purport to be from a popular website or payment processors. It is usually done through instant messaging services or emails (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). These communications directs the users to enter their details at a fraudulent website which bears a great semblance to the authentic one. Phishing attacks were observed on two popular brands which provide payment services for banks globally in the United States of America in February 2010. The fraudsters created phishing sites in English and other languages, the most popular being French. These websites targeted customers by sending spam mails with the subject proving the card number and claiming that there was a risk of fraudulent transactions taking place. This attack was created using two types of phishing websites. The first utilised Uniform Resource Locators which were created with domain names with many top level domain variants. The most popular domain which was utilised was . cz which represented the Czech Republic. Upon entering their sensitive information into a card holder page for the false verification, the page redirected to the real website. The second attack utilised Uniform Resource Locators with Internet Protocol domains which were hosted on servers based in the United States (Glaessner, 2002). The Uniform Resource Locators’ strings were very long, typically with more than seven hundred characters. The pages asked for sensitive data but had an auto signed debit card or credit card number. This auto signing was done by placing stolen numbers of cards obtained from earlier attacks on the form. Upon receipt of information the page was redirected to a blank page. Cross site scripting is a form of phishing that occurs in programs or websites that allow user input. If the input data is not properly sanitized the program may then process thee input or execute the codes which the original program was not to do. This has been used to redirect users to fake websites. Users are advised not to click on suspicious links in emails and to check the Uniform Resource Locator’s of the website to authenticate brands. It is also advised that one should type the brand domain name directly into the browser address instead of following links. The use of security software has also been recommended. Pharming involves redirecting the redirection of websites traffic and taking it to a false website. Pharming is done by either converting the hosts file on the victims’ computer or exploiting Domain Name Systems servers’ software (Basu, 2009). These Domain Names Systems servers main task is to convert internet names to their real addresses. A compromised server therefore does not direct traffic to legitimate websites. Highly vulnerable sites of compromised are near internet leaves. If wrong entries on a computer’s host file are made it results in circumvention of name lookup using its own name to Internet Protocol mapping, this makes it a popular target for malware. Once it is rewritten a user can be redirected to a fake copy. The better targets for pharming are desktop computers as they receive poor administration in comparison to most other internet services. Host file compromises can compromise the network router. Many routers specify Domain Name Systems to clients on the network and wrong information here spoils the entire local area network. A compromise in routers is very hard to detect. Pharming also occurs by infecting the victim’s computer with malware or a virus. This causes the redirection of a website to a fake one. An unsuspecting user may enter information site unaware. To avoid pharming, users are advised to search for details that prove that the website is authentic. Typing the sites address into the browser bar also offers some protection. Use of an antivirus to reduce virus infiltration into the computers is also recommended. Vigilance is important in warding off attacks. Trojan horses are also a great threat to internet security. Trojan horses present themselves as valuable software which is available for downloading on the internet. This fools many people into downloading the virus in the presumption that it is another application. A Trojan horse is usually separated into parts which are the client and the server. The client is usually disguised as important software and is situated in some sharing networks like peer to peer or uncertified websites for downloads. As soon as the client Trojan is executed in the computer, the attacker who is the person operating the server has great control over the computer and can destroy it depending on his purpose. The spread of the Trojan horse virus can occur through email attachments using various spamming techniques. Malware creators spread the virus through chat software like Skype and Yahoo Messenger. The virus may also infect other machines by distributing copies of itself to those in the address book of the infected computer. There are many types of Trojan horses. Remote access Trojans give attackers complete control of he victim’s computer and access to any information stored in the files. Password Trojans copy all passwords and look for passwords as they are keyed into a computer and send them to a certain email address. Key loggers log the keystrokes used by victims and send the log information to the attacker and can be configured to online and offline modes of recording. Destructive Trojans cause destructions to files and deletes them completely from infected computers. They are able to delete all system files of a computer (Basu, 2009). While there are other types of Trojans not mentioned here, it should be noted that a Trojan may work with a combination of some of the functionalities explained. To best avoid a Trojan hose virus attack, one should open email attachments or files received from strange senders. Installing and updating an antivirus program is also helpful. For secure electronic online transactions certain criteria have to be addressed and met. There must be secure access control which determines who has access to a system and be able to deny access to intruders. Proper authentication of users and message integrity must also be established. Privacy of the parties involved must also be safeguarded and maintained (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). Non-repudiation must be ensured where the sender cannot deny (falsely) sending a message. The use of online signatures has also been manipulated to commit fraud. Electronic signatures are a recognized electronic way of showing that a person has accepted the contents of a message sent electronically. These signatures are increasingly being used in electronic commerce and have evolved into digitized signatures which are encrypted and more secure than a simple electronic signature. While they are themselves subject to fraud the purpose of their creation was to combat fraud (Hansen, 1995). Electronic signatures are based on legal principles which have to be understood by the institutions which wish to use it. The use of digital signatures is a code that authenticates the origins of a document. A well done electronic signature causes the signer to be uniquely identified. It also causes the document to be locked using encryption technology and is electronically stamped throughout the process with time and date. It also stores the document for access without fear of being lost or its existence denied. The security of electronic financial transactions can also be enhanced by the use of digital certificates against phishing and pharming. To avoid manipulation of transactions in signature based online banking, utility of Class-3 electronic card readers should be explored. Virus scanners should be used to protect from Trojan horses. Care when downloading software should be exercised. With the mass adoption of technology, countries around the world are increasingly using technological based solutions to address their needs and carry out their functions. The use of the internet has created a highly competitive market. While cyber crime has not infiltrated or integrated itself equally in many countries it is an industry that is growing very fast and deserves much global attention (Shu-Min & Shann-Bin, 2006). As earlier discussed, it has the potential of destroying whole markets and creating great havoc. Attempts to control cyber crime have not been concerted. Many challenges have arisen in trying to control this threat. Technology is a fast changing and cyber crime has achieved very high levels of sophistication. Cyber criminals have designed malware which are virtually undetectable and are difficult to diagnose. It has proved challenging to design and keep up with these creations (Glaessner, 2002). Due to the high levels of vulnerability to cyber attacks there is an urgent need to formulate clear policies. These policies should include guidelines on how to cyber crime is to be dealt with. This should include coming up with laws that will outline prosecution of cyber criminals due to the potential of these criminals to create damage and go unpunished and detected. Users of the internet and the various services it offers should also assume personal responsibility for their own safety (Cetron, et al, 2009). Studies have shown that the ‘human factor’ is largely the cause of the success of cyber crime rather than advancements in technology. In the United States, despite various public campaigns on internet security, people continue to be reckless with their personal information. This leaves them very vulnerable to attacks by cyber criminals. Predictions have been made that incidences of cyber crime will continue to increase. Users should therefore be very vigilant in monitoring their information. Software to combat cyber crime is available and users should take the initiative to acquire this software to alert them of suspicious websites or claims. They should also regularly update their software like antivirus which is highly dynamic due to the creation of new viruses and malware that occurs at a very high rate (almost daily). In conclusion, electronic financial transactions have created great savings in terms of financial savings for both providers and users and reduced the wastage of time. The use of this technology has correspondingly exposed its users newer forms of crime and every effort must be made to combat cyber crime.