BCOM Syllabus

Other topics Include communication ethics, elaboration, Information utilization, critical thinking, and professional competence and values. Course Dates 35 days Faculty Information Not Available Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents (both located on your student website): Academic Policies university policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality n which you attend class.If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Get Ready for Class Familiarize yourself with the textbooks used In this course. Course Materials All electronic materials are available on your student website. Weekly Organizational Culture and Communication 7 days Tasks Review the Week One Student Guide 1. 1 Use the tools available to University o f Phoenix students. 1. 2 Explain the relationship between organization culture and organizational communication. 3 Explain how adapting the message to the audience affects business communication. Required Learning Activities Organizational Behavior, Chi. 17 Business Communication, Chi. 1 Business Communication, Chi. 2 Business Communication, Chi. 3 Business Communication, Chi. 4 Week One Electronic Reserve Readings See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week's concepts. Assignments Assignments will be provided by your faculty and displayed here when class starts weekGroup Communication Review the Week Two Student Guide Objectives/Competencies 2. 1 Describe barriers to group communication. 2. 2 Describe techniques to enhance group communication. 2. 3 Identify the role of? conflict in group communication. Communicating in Small Groups, Chi. 1 Communicating in Small Groups, Chi. 6 Communicating in Small Groups, Chi. 7 Busines s Communication, Chi. 5 Business Communication, Chi. 6 Business Communication, Chi. 7 Organizational Behavior, Chi. 11 Week Two Electronic Reserve Readings weekThe Influence of Leadership on Group Communication Review the Week Three Student Guide 3. 1 Explain the effects of leadership style on group communication. 3. 2 Compare the influence of different sources of power on group and organizational communication. Organizational Behavior, Chi. 13 Organizational Behavior, Chi. 14 Communicating in Small Groups, Chi. 12 Week Three Electronic Reserve Readings Week Information Utilization and Communication Week Four Student Guide 4. 1 Compare different forms of communication and their use in business immunization. . 2 Identify relevant information for communication with a specific audience. 4. 3 Create appropriate forms of communication to meet the needs of a specific audience. Business Communication, Chi. 10 11 Week Four Electronic Reserve Readings week Formal Communication Week Five Stud ent Guide 5. 1 Analyze the role of ethics in business communication. ? 5. 2 Evaluate the effectiveness of business communication. Business Communication, Chi. 16 Business Communication, Chi. 17 Business Communication, Chi.Appendix E Week Five Electronic Reserve Readings Trademark All trademarks are property of their respective owners. University of [email  protected] is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. In the United States and/or other countries. [email  protected], Window†, and [email  protected] are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation.

Legalizing same-sex marriage Essay

Eliyahu Stiefel Mr.Hong English 1A 02/02/2012 Legalizing same-sex marriage has been a debate going on for quite some time. The recognition of such marriages is a civil rights, political, social, moral, and religious issue in many nations. Since 2001, ten countries have begun allowing same-sex couples to marry nationwide. In the United States the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. Proposition 8 in November 2008 state elections, was a ballot proposition passed in California eliminating the right of same sex couples to marry. The measure added a new provision, Section 7.5 of the Declaration of Rights, to the California Constitution, which provides that â€Å"only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. I will argue that same-sex marriage should be legalized as it does nothing to impede on heterosexuals and that same-sex marriage can possibly have very positive effects on society. I will also suggest that perhaps decisions such as same-sex marriage should not be under government jurisdiction and perhaps marriage altogether should be privatized. Legalizing same-sex marriage according to some opinions can have a very positive effect on society. Jonathan Rauch an avid proponent of same-sex marriage and author of Gay Marriage writes, †For gay couples, it will bring the stability and healthiness and happiness that marriage uniquely provides. For straight people it will bring all of the benefits of social stability that goes with marriage.†(Rauch) According to Rauch legalizing same-sex marriage can bring great benefits to society. Marriage causes people stay in more committed relationships, and when people are in committed relationships there is less promiscuity. A culture of marriage for gay people might not have stopped the [AIDS] virus altogether, but it certainly would have slowed the virus down, and saved who knows how many lives and who knows how much money and agony. Aside from the benefits that same-sex marriage can have on our society, the benefits that will reach the children of same-sex couples is also an important factor. Rauch estimates the number of children being raised in gay households to be around half a million. If society cares about marriage only for the sake of children, this is a large enough number to mean that, it ought to care about the many thousands of children in gay households. Children now being raised in gay households, feel left out because they don’t feel like a family since their parents are not permitted to be married. This is why many people feel that legalizing same-sex marriage will have no negative effect on society, and can in fact have a very positive effect on society. A great solution to the same-sex marriage debate would be to privatize marriage. Marriage contracts should not be written by the government, rather they should be written and agreed upon by the parties involved, and they should be enforceable by law. Lawrence Stone a historian noted for his work on marriage writes: â€Å"In the early Middle Ages all that marriage implied in the eyes of the laity seems to have been a private contract between two families. †¦ For those without property, it was a private contract between two individuals, enforced by the community sense of what was right.† (qtd Boaz) According to Lawrence Stone, marriage was always a contract between two individuals or two families that was created by them and enforced by the community based on what they felt was right or wrong. Privatizing marriage would therefore bring us back to the traditional way of marriage and would allow people to make decisions based on what they feel is right or wrong. In our society where the dissolution of a marriage is treated in much the same way as the dissolution of a business partnership; why not make the creation of marriage similar to the creation of a business partnership; agreed upon by parties involved and enforceable by law. Colin P.A. Jones a U.S. lawyer and professor at Doshisha University Law School in Kyoto, Japan suggested an idea on privatizing marriage: â€Å"Even greater efficiencies might be achieved through the establishment of marital corporations (MCs), each having hundreds or thousands of couples as stockholders, all sharing common values about marriage. Couples getting married would subscribe to the shares of an existing MC, whose charter documents would set forth the terms of the type of marriage to which the subscribing couples agree.† With this system all types of marriages would be available based on what MC you decided fits your moral standards. For some it may be a corporation that accepts same-sex marriage and for some it may be a marriage without any divorce solution. Governments and corporations may limit the types of MCs that they recognize for benefits purposes; however these decisions of what corporations to accept for benefits, would be based solely on what would benefit the economy and society. Also in 2006, Jewish libertarian Michael R. Paley author of When Secularism Becomes a Religion advocates the privatization of marriage, saying that the expression â€Å"holy matrimony†, ought to place marriage in the sphere of community, not state† Judaism agrees with the separation of community and state, at least until the Messianic Era; religious matters such as marriage ought to be within the jurisdiction of private religious officials, not public, civil ones. According to these opinions the same-sex marriage debate can be easily solved by privatizing marriage. According to some, legalizing same-sex marriage can have longtime negative effects on society. In today’s society we already experience the negative effects from unhealthy heterosexual marriages and divorces. By legalizing same-sex marriage we will just add to the instability that already exists in marriages. Legalizing same sex-marriage would tell society that marriage in general is â€Å"optional.† Giving people the option of same-sex marriage would change the definition of marriage. Marriage used to mean two people getting together in order to create a family, marriage will no longer be the creation of a family, but simply a confirmation of a relationship, or a commitment ceremony, with little meaning, and that would therefore cause fewer people to marry. With fewer marriages, the number of children being raised by single parents would increase. Research shows that children tend to do better when being raised by their two biological parents. While gay marriage would encourage adoption of children by homosexual couples, which may be preferable to foster care, some lesbian couples want to have children through anonymous sperm donations; this means that some children will be created purposely without knowledge of one of their biological parents. According to these opinions, legalizing same-sex marriage can therefore possibly cause negative effects on society. According to many opinions marriage privatization will not solve the debate on same-sex marriage. Opponents of marriage privatization argue that such a policy will simply shift the current debate over same-sex marriage to what kind of marriages the government should accept for benefit related purposes. Religious opponents of same-sex marriage feel that privatizing marriage and allowing people to create their own marriage contracts would be an endorsement of what they consider to be immoral unions between homosexual couples. Thus many of the same religious arguments aimed against same-sex marriage will still be applied to marriage privatization as well. Even if marriage contract were exclusively agreed upon between consenting adults, the vast types of contracts and corporations that administer these contracts would be so enormous, that it would be impossible for government to enforce these many different types of marriage contracts that would come about. This is why many people would agree that marriage privatization would not be the solution for the same-sex marriage debate. I would argue that these people that say that gay marriage will have a bad effect on society are wrong. We find these days those children who grow up in homes where they weren’t raised by their biological parents still end up growing up just as normal as children who are raised by their non-biological parents. The number of children that would benefit from legalizing gay-marriage by far outweighs the hypothetical negative effects that some say legalizing same-sex marriage would do. In a study by various pediatricians in 2005 on the effect that gay parenting has on their children. â€Å"In a Specific Census 2000 there are findings that in 96% of counties across the U.S., gay couples are raising children†, (Pediatrics Vol. 118) children raised by homosexual parents typically develop in ways that cannot be distinguished from their peers raised by heterosexual parents. In the study’s own words, â€Å"in fact, growing up with parents who are lesbian or gay may confer some advantages to children. (Pediatrics Vol. 118) They are described as more tolerant of diversity and more nurturing towards younger children than children raised by parents that are heterosexual. The benefit to the children is of primary, and the benefits of coming from a stable, committed, loving home are incredible and un-doubtable. Other aspects reviewed include the effect on the economy, which are startlingly positive. By allowing same sex couples to marry, the federal government would receive an additional $400 million in federal income tax revenue. With this study we can see that those who try to say that legalizing same-sex marriage will have a negative effect on society are wrong. I would like to conclude with saying that as a Jewish religious person it would be very easy for me to point out that the Torah forbids homosexuality and therefore my opinion would be that gay marriage should be absolutely unacceptable. However in America where we have many cultures and many different types of people with different ways of thinking their needs to be room for more than one way of life. Ethnocentrism throughout time has caused many hateful wars and there needs to be a way for people to reach agreement on issues like same-sex marriage which is a very strong issue in America. I would therefore hold the opinion that legalizing same-sex marriage does nothing to interfere with the rest of society. Ultimately the best thing that could happen to solve the same-sex marriage debate would be government taking itself completely out of the marriage business, and handing it over to the private sector.

Communicating with your Teenager on Ready Basic Essay

Communicating with your Teenager on Ready Basic - Essay Example Some teens spend the lesser time to talk with their parents because they are busy going out with peers. Consequently, their relationship may deteriorate and turn disconnected. In this scenario, communication is needed to avoid relationship from being torn. Thus, communication is like a bridge that connects two separate ways into one. Communication is a tool for showing love and interest, resolving conflicts and issues and a means of building a close relationship. As supported by Norbeck and Fitzpatrick (125), they claimed that in a parent and adolescent relationship, communication is a commonplace where they meet and understand. Meanwhile, teens of today are more exposed to negative influences as factors like technology and peer pressure which destructing powers are increasing as time ages. Therefore, teens must be parented properly and should be treated and comforted like a pillow. Indeed, children are the most precious ones parents can ever have. When they grow up as teens, sometimes they tend to explore the world on their own--they love adventure, games, and hanging out. Parents must understand that their teens are growing and developing into an adult state. Some teens tend to disobey their parents because of many reasons like sometimes they want that their desires be granted. Parents especially those who are autocratic want their teens to follow every command and rule they imposed. Probably, what will happen if parents are too strict in the sense that they would not consider teens feelings, desires and opinions, conflict may arise. Parents must show love and compassion to their teens despite the disobedience. Teens love to be loved and cared by parents and see them as their protecting shield when it rains. There are many ways on how parents can show love and compassion to their teens according to Taylor (2005): First parents must teach what love and compassion are so that teens would  understand its essence.  

The proposal of Cheerios Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The proposal of Cheerios - Assignment Example Cheerios, originally named Cheerioats, is made totally from natural whole grain oats. The marquee cereal brand need not be cooked as it is ready-to-eat. This breakfast cereal has proven medicinal values as it helps to lower cholesterol in the human body. The company claims that three servings of Cheerios taken with low fat diet every day reduce the chances of contracting heart diseases. The crunchy, sumptuous and nourishing snack is thus an ideal first meal of the day for the entire family (Cheerios.com, 2014). Cheerios is manufactured and marketed in more than a dozen luscious varieties. Some of these are Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios Protein Cinnamon, Almond, Cheerios Protein Oats & Honey, Banana Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios and Yogurt Burst Cheerios. Cheerios believes in the philosophy of fostering the physical and mental faculties of the child. The company has successfully run its ‘Spoonful of Stories’ campaign for a more than decade. In 2013, the brand announced that it will bring the older kids within the ambit of this campaign and provide 8 million books inside Cheerios packets free of cost (Cheerios.com, 2014). Cheerios harnesses the power of social media to spread the message that a healthy breakfast makes a positive, meaningful difference in a child’s life. General Mills has set up online communities that not only help the company enable it achieve its mission but also assist in spreading a positive word-of-mouth for its brands (Generalmills.com, 2014). The company uses online social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube to engage in useful conversations with the customers. The purpose of this communication is to get insights into the consumers mind and uncover new ways in which the community as a whole can benefit. Cheerios also indulges in strategic corporate social responsibility. The brand, in association with the YMCA, organized the Healthy Kids day in April this year (Cheerios.com, 2014). The

People Resourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

People Resourcing - Essay Example With the stated objective of ‘protecting the rights of workers’, unions negotiate with the management of the company and other regulating bodies to extract the best possible solution for the problems arising from time to time. But the union will be able to negotiate the solution only if it is recognized the management and the regulatory bodies for the purpose. The first step towards recognition is to be acceptable amongst the workers. To seek recognition, the union has to be acceptable amongst the employees as well. This implies that the union will have to enrol good number of employees as its members. In general, the minimum number of employees to be enrolled by any union for recognition, is defined in the rulebook. It also needs to be emphasised that enrolment or affiliation of a member with union has to be purely voluntary and without any coercion. The recognition itself is a multistage process comprising of the following steps (OPSI, 2004);  Step-1: After ensuring support of the requisite minimum number of workers, the union writes to the employer/ management requesting recognition. For the request to be valid there must be at least 21 employees under the banner of the union. The management can grant the recognition on the basis of the request or it may wish to verify the claim or further negotiate it with the employees and the union. At times, the help of Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) is also sought in case of some disagreements.  Step-2: In case of persistence of some difference, the matter can be referred to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) by the union (s). The CAC is supposed to decide on the matter within a fixed time period by taking into account the merits of the case and the percentage of employees being represented by the union. Representation of at least 10 percent of the total workforce is once such criterion which helps in deciding in favour of the union. Step-4: Once the bargaining unit is formed the union is granted recognition either directly or by carrying out a referendum amongst the workers to ascertain the validity of the claims being made by the union.

Left brain vs right brain thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Left brain vs right brain thinking - Essay Example The left hemisphere is usually associated with symbolic processing as well as rational thinking while the right hemisphere is for art, intuition and creativity. Information from the Center for Educational Research and Innovation also points out that the left brain is verbal, logical and analytical, while the right brain is more emotional, holistic, synthesizing and visuo-spatial in its operations (Neuromyth 6, 2013). The proofs for the asymmetry of the human brain are not only scientific but also a result of a long period of study of biology and evolution. In fact, according to Hellige (1993), asymmetry in the human brain affects behavior, although, because of a lack of substantial evidence, this proof still sounds more like mere speculation. Moreover, he adds that other species of animals also have asymmetries too, thus there seems to be no reason why human beings should not exhibit the same quality. Another thing is that sometimes the theory of asymmetry is contradicted by others because it seems that differences in right and left brain functions are only pronounced in certain individuals but are weak in others. However, the fact is that individuals differ in their asymmetry or in the way the right and left hemispheres interact. Perhaps, for some it is more pronounced and for others it is not that obvious, especially among â€Å"whole-brained† people, or those with more or less balanced functioning of both brain hemispheres (Oflaz, 2011). Another reason why asymmetry is sometimes not obvious is that it gradually develops and evolves throughout one’s lifetime and throughout evolutionary history. Moreover, another reason why sometimes the differences between the two brain hemispheres are unnoticeable is that asymmetry is affected by several biological and environmental factors from the moment the brain forms in the fetal stage up to

Proposal finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Proposal finance - Essay Example e main objectives are, first, determine the cause the global financial crisis and secondly, the effect of the financial crisis on the developing country. The research will attempt to answer the following questions; what caused the financial crisis and what was its impact on the least developed nations. The results of the research will be of great importance to both governments and private sector in both developing and developed nations alike. It will enable the governments to come up with strategies for predicting and preventing future occurrences. The private sector will be able to cushion their businesses from a financial crisis and learn how business practices can cause a financial crisis. Many economists consider the 2008 to 2012 financial crisis as the worst since the great depression of the 1930’s. It led to the collapse of financial institutions, decline in consumer wealth (Muma, 2012, p. 6); the stock market dropped worldwide and mortgages default in the housing sector. What started as US mortgage crunch (Sun et al., 2011, p. 2), extended to the other nation especially the European Union. On September 14, 2008, the fate of Lehman Brothers was to be decided (Dolezalek, 2011, p. 7). The eventual fall of Lehman Brothers undermined the confidence and trust of the investors in the financial market. One year earlier, the Bank of England has bailed out Northern Rock, a large mortgage lender (Dolezalek, 2011, p. 7). The financial and banking crisis that started in the developed nation reached the least developed nation through at least three channels. First, the crisis led to sharp decline in world trade volume (Alabi et al., 2011, p. 3) and commodity prices (Alabi et al., 2011, p. 116). Secondly, the foreign direct investment started declining since 2007 and hurt most, the mineral and oil exporting nations (Nafziger, 2012, p. 546). Thirdly, it led to a reduction in the foreign remittances to the least develop countries. The research will extend the body of

Potassium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Potassium - Essay Example Hyperkalemia is the increased serum levels of potassium in excess of 5mg/100 ml. Potassium is critical for the functionality of the heart, muscles and nerves, thus an increased level of potassium would result in muscle weakness, oliguria, respiratory distress, decreased contractility of the heart and hyperreflexia or flaccidity of the skeletal muscles. Hyperkalemia is caused by dysfunction of the kidney, adrenal gland disease or cell shift of potassium, from cells to blood circulation. Hypokalemia is the low concentration of potassium in the blood; less than 3.5mg/100ml. Hypokalemia is caused by insufficient dietary consumption of potassium, gastrointestinal fluid loss and urinary loss especially when one is on diuretics. Hypokalemia presents with signs and symptoms of muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, tremor, flaccid paralysis hyporeflexia and constipation (Jung et al., 2009). A nurse must be very vigilant in monitoring for signs of hyperkalemia and hypokalemia to enhance early management of the condition. This would include the action of the nurse to periodically monitor vital signs, heart rhythm, cardiovascular status and the abdomen for signs of distention, bowel sounds and pain. The nurse would then notify the physician of the abnormal findings that are an indication of either hyperkalemia or hypokalemia. The physician would the order appropriate medication for the treatment of the condition. During the course of management, the nurse would engage the patient and the family on health education in relation to the condition as a means of preventing reoccurrence of the condition (Porth, 2011). Alderman, M. H., Piller, L. B., Ford, C. E., Probstfield, J. L., Oparil, S., Cushman, W. C., †¦ Davis, B. R. (2012). Clinical significance of incident hypokalemia and hyperkalemia in treated hypertensive patients in the antihypertensive and lipid-lowering treatment to prevent heart attack trial. Hypertension, 59,

Should women be allowed in combat(arguing against the issue) Research Paper

Should women be allowed in combat(arguing against the issue) - Research Paper Example The difference between men’s and women’s abilities comes from the difference in organization of their bodies. For example, female pelvis is arranged in a way so that women are able to bear children, and such an arrangement results in an off-angle of the legs making women about 10 percent slower runners than men. Also, women have less upper-body strength than men do. Therefore, they would not be able to carry an 80-pund backpack, drag a casualty, properly throw a grenade etc. Women are more easily injured compared to men because they have weaker muscle structure (Tips). In fact, in accordance with the research conducted within the British army, only 1 in 100 female soldiers had enough physical strength to function in military units (Browne). Overall, women are really the weaker sex and should not be allowed in the frontline combat roles. Secondly, women should not be allowed in combat because of the peculiarities of combat environment (Simons). Placing a scarce resource, such as women, in combat units comprised mostly of men may result in the creation of competition between the latter, and this may lead to conflicts within the unit. In addition, it is obvious that when young women and men work together for extended periods of time, couples form. At a certain point, their interaction can make lives of other soldiers uncomfortable. In this case, it is also important not to forget about pregnancy, which makes women be unable to discharge their duties. Finally, allowing women in combat is anti-survival of any society (Tips). The matter is that women play more important role in repopulation of the society. This does not mean that woman’s role is to give birth to children only. It means that woman’s role in giving birth is more important. Compared to men that can father several children during a year, women can give birth only to one (or two or three in case twins or triplets are born). Woman’s health, commitment and time are more essential to the

The British Prison System Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

The British Prison System - Case Study Example The logical assumptions in behind the construction of the multitude of prison facilities, everywhere in the world; have been the hope that they would somehow deter crime. This has worked at times and at others it has not. The belief that crime is something that can be easily done away with is wrong to assume and truthfully it takes a lot more than placing people in prison to correct the problematic behaviours. This is where the relative differences come in between British Prison Systems, Japanese Prison Systems, and many other prison institutions in the world. Although there is a lower percentile of incarceration in Japan and in other national areas as well, there are many reasons in behind this and they are not all associative with lower crime rates. British crime has been reduced in the past decade as well and this has been achieved through various alternatives, some that Japan uses, but a good percentage of which are solely utilized by Britain. This research will present the vario us differences among the British Prisons, Japanese Prisons, and other Intercontinental Prisons. There is already a well founded conception on how Japanese prisons treat inmates and foreign prisoners and also on what course of penal punishments are normally used. However, the comparison of Japanese Prisons in relation to British Prisons is rather vague and there is not sufficient information to base a fair contrast or comparison of the two. This is the intent of this research, to attempt to resolve the inadequate present information between these two penal systems and others, shedding some light on the exact differences, in a more truthful manner than has been relayed in the past. A number of issues will be discussed in order to do this; with one happening to be regarding how British prisoners have faired in International prisons compared to if they had been confined to a British Prison. The perception of how the treatment of foreign prisoners is carried out is very sporadic and base d on personal opinions but the relative differences between foreign treatments of prisoners compared to the British technique will be made quite obvious. There will be some similarities included along with the literary differences that will be discussed in this research. The main points that will be more fully investigated are how well the prison systems in either country actually deter crime and what measures are utilized by each to keep repetitive criminal actions from reoccurring. Another strong focus will be in the variations of the prison environments. Although prison should not be a place that someone would want to go too, neither should it be one making up an environment that is almost uninhabitable by humans if in fact any form of humane treatment is going to be considered. Prison is ultimately used as a last resort, especially in Japan and other foreign nations. It is the goal of this research to bring evidence that prison actually does work to decrease crime in any culture . Table of Contents I. Introduction: Common Differences Between Japanese and British Prisons II. Variations Found Within the Environment of Japanese and British Prisons III. British Prison System from Predeceasing Years to Modern Day, including UK IV. Historical Treatment of Female Prisoners in the British Prison System V. Portrayal of the Media and Television Broadcasting of British Prisons and International Prisons VI. How the Environment of a Prison Effects Inmates Behaviour and Reform VII. Prisoners Rights to Rehabilitation and Fair Treatment VIII. Penal Punishments and Treatment of Prisoners in the UK IX. Percentage of Crime Today Internationally X. Conclusion THE BRITISH PRISON SYSTEM Introduction: Common Differences between Japanese and British Prisons Prison systems of Britain and Japan have various sociological differences among them. The processes involving disciplinary actions

Transforming the Enterprise Essay Example for Free

Transforming the Enterprise Essay Introduction In the transformation of contemporary industrial world aspect of the introduction of business technology hay greatly contributed in the expansion of more sectors within the economies. Organizations have been striving hard to attain the goals due ton the highly competitive standards that have been seen. It is from this reason that the aspect of introducing information technology in the business world has manifested to effective performance on the organizations with the use of the technology (Henry, 1996). The strategic use of IT is now a fundamental issue for every business all around the globe. The successful and competent employment of Information Technology necessitate the arrangement of the IT tactics with the business strategies, an aspect   that was not completed productively in the ancient times with conventional approaches .Information Technology significantly have an effect on the competence of the entire   business. The important issue that evolves in this concept entails how the concept of Information Technology can facilitate the realization of aggressive and tactical benefit for the business. The world is currently undergoing thoughtful changes on political, environmental, and social events factors that suggest that stability is rare (Davis and Davidson, 1991). The one thing that will never change for sure is a change itself. These transformations to our globe transmit challenges and chances in that the changes demand dramatic business transformation in order to control those changes and take advantage of opportunities.    The resources for successive uploads in a more and more aggressive and competitive, global setting are frequently being look at by executives all around the world in order to attain the overall successive objectives and goals of their companies and organization. Conventional obstruction such as currencies, directive, state boundaries are relevant to be moved out perpetually. The disputes and prospect for companies are incredible and innovative changes have to be deployed to achieve these goals. To be able to participate in these surroundings demands the revolution of business such that it is able to meet the standards in the marked and lifting itself to apposition that will guarantee effective success. The implication of the business alteration are prolonged and linked to the placement of business strategies and IT tactics (Morton 1990). Dissimilarity is going down amid small and big businesses in the competitive aggressive sectors in that small organization are now successfully in the competition with big industrial successors. The increasingly alliances flanked by small and large companies are on the rise probably to effectively come yup with strategies that are able to facilitate fast development and attain the overall goals of meeting and satisfying the consumers of the products and services   that are being delivered. Strategic coalition and most of the association support the business through these transformations by the use of join ventures, holdings, and syndicates. Such preparations can create small companies to be perceived and also have a perception of acting as the other big companies (Henry, 1996). This can also make huge companies experience small and close to the market.   The innovative partnerships have greater than before been on the rice to sustain companies as they progress into worldwide markets. The â€Å"triad† realm (consisting of USA, the European group of people centred in Germany and Pacific Rim which based in Japan) identified that the most powerful based on their per capital gross general yield are structure the primary advertiser for each and every one foremost industries. Globalization of the activity shows that the most businesses will have to participate in a borderless environment. Success in global markets demands more flexible business structures and achievement of business and Information Technology alignment. The entire work force is changing from blue collar to knowledge workers an attribute that entails highly skilled, self-disciplined; highly specialized personnel’s who are able to generate massive input in the organization. These employees require more increase of edification hold up with the aptitude to contribute to information, acquaintance and understanding. The majority of business and organisations pay their workforce for what they are acquainted with rather than the total output and power they have invested , a factor that has to be changed in order to meet the overall goals of attaining [perfection. The capacity to change human intellectual capital into service is becoming essential. Management skills are changing the conventional function of a management from those in total control to a leader who encourages guides, enlarge and support the employees by setting goals, priorities, and standards (Davis and Davidson, 1991). The goal of serving the widest range of customers needs with the most cost –effectiveness and responsive way represents new competitive strategies within the business world. One new strategy transforms mass production to mass customization. The Companies that are involved in mass customization are flexible and responsive (Morton, 1991). The technology swiftness will amplify and be overblown by new system connections opportunities when they are able to ensure that each and every association is adhered to. Approaches of evaluating the value of investments using traditional measures such as revenues, breakeven analyses are no longer coping with environment demands. These measures were suitable when customers were less demanding and product change was infrequent however the contemporary customer’s satisfaction, quality, time reduction, and moral of employees, should be very much consider .The aptitude of Information Technology to offer the potential of improved invention diversity, decrease the time, support increasing transaction volume (New York Stock Exchange) are good examples of business values that should be consider (Morton 1990). The functions of IT in altering the business Information Technology encompasses the expand range of equipment (computers, data devices, network and communications devices) and services (help desk, application development) used by business to distribute information and knowledge. It therefore provides strategic value to the business. The all round Support of the managerial communications entailing the authorities of the enterprise, key business processes detailing how functions operates and operational skills enlisting daily support of the staff clearly signify three major areas that entail effective management. Information Technology improves product and service quality, improve customer’s service and bring all the communication patterns within the various partners within the organization into constant communication and agreements. The strategic use of IT makes a powerful impact on business nowadays. By the year 2020, 80 % of business profits will come from the enterprises that is builds the business of information (Davis Davidson).The pioneering submission of Information Technology present instant benefits over competitors in that the capability of having technology itself shift the companies and organizations effectiveness in service delivery to a higher standard. With information flowing freely between nations, citizens are open to the elements of innovative products when they turn out to be available all over. Competitors will become more aware and try to carry out similar, improved strategies. There is no industry or organization which is immune from the opportunity from IT, in that the management must always be familiar with successful and efficient tactical management which can be consequent and executed only in the course of the partnership of the production and IT. The association of IT with the business is vital to the concept of renovation this aspect ensures that organizations are able to adversely focus on how IT can strengthen the competitive performance of the company. Organization should think of competitive supremacy, not computing influence. The configuration of business and IT strategies    In its fundamental character, the IT can change the critical temperament of a business. IBM has sponsored the important investigation in revolutionary this insight, which emerged out as a work, started in mid-1980s. It used the results in that research as the basic matter for methods applied in its consultant group. The strategic framework entail that strategic alignment model reflects the view that business depends on the harmony of business policy, IT strategy, managerial communications and procedures. The consideration paid to the accord of IT and the company considerably has an effect on the effectiveness of the business. IT has altered the indispensable scenery of numerous industries. Business and IT policy are in alliance when the   business goals are stimulated by the same strategies. Creating strategies and competitive returns are not new concepts, but use of IT to create those rewards quickly is new. IT can be employed to sustain the business in attaining its goals. IT can also distribute aggressive benefit by being a practical supplier to critical task systems. It is important that the company is as fast in applying IT as its competitors. Strategic advantage and competitive advantage can become strategic necessity and competitive requirement when company lags behind its competitors. For example, the airlines which were unable to present fast act in response to the untimely use of on-line stipulation systems established a loosing ground in their business. This in itself entailed a vital challenge to them therefore improvements had to be made to ascertain the effective examination relief to the people on the ground. Innovative skill will maintain offering new chances for competitive advantage and strategic advantage. Strategic alliance is a constant passage of alteration. IT, itself, does not generate importance, but the business processes that utilize the equipment bring about the overall advantage. Strategic alignment is a method for constantly thinking about how to analyze and derive executive path. Even though most companies have a clear business strategy a certain percentage often lacks a rational skill strategy or path for communications and processes. Business objectives must be well supported and inspired by IT strategies and capabilities whether or not the company has applied IT to transform the company is understanding obscurity in construction of strategic use of IT. Methods for transformation In 1992, IBM created the IBM inquiry and consulting Group to bring its know-how to clients trying to change their business. IBM’s consulting performance has used tactical configuration as a fundamental point for creating techniques used in conducting client’s activities. The new systems have been combining the most brilliant of previous skill with innovative advancement. The effect has been managed by means of the symbiosis of current consulting knowledge with changes in the industry. IT strategy and planning methods    The methods that can be applied in order to effectively carry out the changes involve the use of UNIX which is a firs and effective software that enhances massive communication within the organizations. IT strategy and planning are key aspects for an enterprise to venture in the competitive environment. Business module and development tactic compel assessment that determine where and how the enterprise will compete. These pronouncements compel the IT policy and development to maintain the business. Companies should have developed a set of solution business strategies that will position their products or services in the markets in which they want to compete. In addition, they should have considered the managerial structure and all the processes that have to be tackled to carry out the business strategies efficiently. With the implementation of business tactics, business structure, and perceptive of process, the creation of an IT strategy will develop a set of IT program that will offer the venture with a hi-tech advantage in competing. Business transformation methods    Business alteration offers a detailed loom to alter an enterprise in the course of entirety eminence management and manufacturing progress manufacturing for business of all category and sizes. The majority of the businesses are under growing stress to improve business performance. Recuperating the old developments by merely applying IT pay no attention to organizational infrastructure, processes, and performance deficiencies (Morton, 1991). Organizational structure, processes, proficiency, that were generating in a very unusual aggressive surroundings should be assessed for occasions of redefinition prior to technology is practical. The competitive environment will continue to change radically. To keep ahead and handle change most of the businesses have no option but to change their business to advanced status hat will enable competitiveness. Business process re-structuring and total quality management provide methods to meet the challenges. Functional methods    Fast prototyping methods get better the ongoing business progression by capturing the business visualization and rapidly representing the significance of the relevance to the organization. The basic principle is to exploit the current IT communications by letting loose the electronic information that is present today on record and presenting the data as information to create serious business decisions. The IT task should turn out to be more important during the creation of business strategies. Relevance of the strategic configuration structure in categorizing a way of change    It is significant to identify that the assortment of an approach to increase tactic and plans over and over again enforce diverse point of view (Morton, 1991). The managerial team must guarantee that it has selected the right approach. Strategic supervision progression should be viewed as vibrant and uninterrupted. In addition, executives should regularly revise their planning process. The preparation process must constantly adapt to guarantee that over time an effective IT strategy, business strategy and communications process is attained. There entail 3 foremost steps concerned with the application of the strategic framework: categorizing the original field turn around and outlook, therefore fitting the technique to the viewing and establishing the approach to be embraced. Identifying the initial field revolve and outlook In   this concept, the competitive potential ,technology potential, service level and the strategy execution are focused upon in order to come up with a more concrete approach in the execution of this process. Competitive potential The approach focuses on how IT strategy view will be able to reflect how technology influences new business strategies, therefore creating new competitive advantage. This is a management process that considers how IT may be applied to enhance business strategy and that results in the transformation of the organizational infrastructure. Two well documented examples of companies that have exploited the use of IT for competitive advantage are American Hospital Supply (Automated System for Analytical Purchasing-ASAP, an electronic order entry, order tracking and supplies management) and American Airlines, INC. (computerized reservation system).This method is based on Porter’s concept of competitive strategy and value analysis. IT strategy methods are effective for competitive potential entailing a tight link to business transformation. Technology potential Here the focus is on establishing strategic fit for IT .Here IT is used to enable new business strategies. Executives must understand both the technology market as the strengths and weaknesses of their own internal IT infrastructure. Two familiar examples of companies that incorporate technology to assemble the business strategy are Otis Elevator, Inc. and Frito –Lay, Inc.(Product marketing and delivery).There is a tight link to business transformation here and rapid prototyping techniques are very effective (Henderson and Venkatraman 1993). Service level Strategic management is here a process of deciding how to respond to the wants and needs of a customer. Company decisions such as the one Eastman Kodak Company made to subcontract its data centre operations are well-documented results of an enterprise IT domination decision. There is a tight link to the formation of organization architectures and obtaining and putting into practice scientific plans for system management and network management Strategy execution The strategy recognizes the need to look down from the top and recognize the critical areas for the achievement of the business. Development is implementing to sustain those areas. There is not always IT influence the business strategies here. The move toward is smart for the reason that it recognizes that systems must be developed with strong link to the business strategy and that IT strategy is based on future needs. For example, Google search provider. Establishing the direction We must establish the direction for using our strategy. It should be continuously balance between internal and external factors, business, and IT organizations. Historically, IT has been considered a support function (Henderson and Venkatraman 1993).   The enterprise should recognize and exploit the capabilities of IT to positively affect business and competitive forces. Establishing harmony between IT and business policy should be incorporated as a key fraction of organization development for the enterprise. Without the managerial structure and position of interior progression that reveal the interdependence of the business with IT, the enterprise will not be able to apply innovative opportunities available from IT (Henry, 1996). The importance is to make IT an important constituent of the business and the course of action that sustain the business. It is up to every administrator to take advantage of the information and experience accessible as the business go on board towards being sustainable and highly competitive from improved technology. RESUME Leadership in Organizations    Gary YUKL of New York in Albany is a Professor of Management and Leadership at the State University .I would like to use a review of his book as reference for my resume of this study. His book Leadership the Organizations has a specific focus on managerial leadership in large organizations and it shows the importance of a leader for research methods within the company especially through its transformation process ( chapter 7 Gary Yuki†¦) The question of how the power is won or lost, and how much power a leader should have are shown in this book, as well as traits and skills approach. Here we can find the important five personality traits, such as: surgency delicacy agreeableness adjustment intelligence All these traits are very relevant to successful leadership and the most important would be: stress tolerance, self confidence, internal control orientation, emotional maturity and integrity. This shows to us that the human factor is one of the most important and relevant variables that are directly influencing the transition process of change in a company and its further growth. One of the most important and difficult responsibilities of a leader is leading change an aspect that is a major factor in its contribution. Yuki suggests in the end of his book that what is missing are mediating variables necessary to explains leadership functions for enhancing processes and organizational change and effectiveness (Gary 1981). Bibliography Davis and Davidson, (1991) 2020 Vision Transforms Your Business Today to Succeed in Tomorrow’s Economy,Simon Schuster: New York J.C. Gary Yuki, (1981) Leadership in Organizations,. 7: 10- 15 partly refereeing Henderson and Venkatraman V, (1993) Strategic Alignment : Leveraging Information Technology for Transforming Organizations, IBM System Journal 32, No: 1,4-16 ). Henry . P, (1996) Belongings and modernism in the worldwide Information communications network, 996 U. Chi. Legal F. 261 Morton S., (1991) The Business of the 1990’s in embracing I T and executive conversion: Oxford University Press,

Roma People And The European Union Politics Essay

Roma People And The European Union Politics Essay The term Roma refers to a variety of groups of people who describe themselves as Roma, Gypsies, Travellers, Manouches, Ashkali, Sinti, as well as other titles. For the purpose of this paper, we will use of the term Roma to describe the group in question. This is in no way intended to downplay the great diversity within the many different Romani groups and related communities, and it is not intended to promote stereotypes. Our basic question is what is the status of the Roma people today, within the context of the European Union? For millennia, the Roma have been an integral part of European civilisation. Today, with an estimated population of 10-12 million people, Roma are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe; Roma communities are present in all 27 EU Member States. And in contemporary times, most Roma are EU citizens. An issues is that their situation is characterised by persistent discrimination and social exclusion. Thus, Roma are very exposed to the risks of poverty, unemployment, stereotypes and social prejudice. Its vital to understand that the Roma population is heterogeneous. Following the elimination of traditional labor activities and of nomadic lifestyles in some Member States, urban migration, but also migration from Eastern Europe to the western EU states, there have been a lot of changes affecting the Roma people. However, there is a very big gap between the living conditions (in the fields of health, education, labor and housing) of the Roma and the majority population. And a concentrated effort toward EUs integrated policy towards the Roma is needed, preferably a multidisciplinary one, dealing with the problem from multiple angles, not just from an economic of sociological point of view, and also one whose results have to be quantifiable, state-wide but also centrally. This is our hypothesis. Legal Framework in the EU The European Union has established a strong legal anti-discrimination framework; the most important documents on the issue consist of Article 13 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Council Directive 2000/43/EC on Racial Equality and the Council Directive 2000/78/EC, that establishes a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. The European Union also has a strong legal framework dealing with Roma discrimination, that is based, among others, on article 13 of the Treaty of the European Community, the Directive 2000/43/EC on racial equality and the Directive 2000/78/EC concerning the prohibition of discrimination in employment and vocational training. Its important to note however that it is the duty of the Member States to translate these Directives into their own national legislations.   The European Commissions mandate also includes stimulating the use of EU Structural Funds by EU Member States for supporting Roma inclusion.  This process is supported by the EURoma network, composed of representatives from 12 Member States,  whose goal is to promote the use of Structural Funds in order to enhance the effectiveness of policies targeting the Roma and to promote their social inclusion.   Roma people in Romania According to official data, Roma population in Romania included, according to the 2002 census, 535,250 people, of which 325,000 people (60%) lived in rural areas. Roma population is, numerically speaking, the second ethnic minority group in Romania, after the Hungarians. However, these census numbers might or might not reflect reality, for there are probably more Roma who havent been accounted for because they refused to participate in the census or might have avoided stating their nationality. According to a study by the National Agency for Roma, the socio-economic situation of Roma ethnicity remains still quite difficult: Roma score on a high level of poverty. Roma communities are affected by various problems: high levels of unemployment (28%), low income, low educational and vocational training (with visible effects in the labor market participation), improper living conditions and limited access to public services. Many Roma are working as day laborers, thus without having a stable source of income. According to OSI (Open Society Institute) research conducted in 2007, 4.9 percent of Roma people in Romania lacked a birth certificate. Among nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœRoma citizens, less than 1 percent lacked a birth certificate. Similarly, surveys in 2007 and 2008 indicated that between 1.9 and 6 percent of Roma lacked identity cards, compared to 1.5 percent of nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœRoma. The lack of identity documents leads to exclusion from participating in elections, receiving social benefits, accessing health insurance, securing property documents, and participating in the labor market. Another survey, conducted by the ICCV (Institutul de Cercetare a Calitatii Vietii), points out that the proportion of illiterates among Roma is disturbing: more than one third of the Roma (38.6%) are functionally illiterate, 19% of men and 27% of mature women only attended one school year. 18% of Roma children aged between 7 and 16 years have never been to school. Among the conclusions of the study are the following: Roma population categorically refuse to be a part of the education system. The problem is that the Roma population lives, usually in secluded and / or notorious neighborhoods, and schools located in these areas, where Roma children might study, have inferior learning conditions. NGOs and the media report that discrimination by teachers and other students against Romani students served as an additional disincentive for Romani children to complete their studies. However, other Roma are largely or fully integrated into society. Scholarships in schools and universities were created for Roma by the state creating positive discrimination whose impact on improving integration in Romania remains to be seen. On the downside again, in schools where students are predominantly Roma, repeater rates reach 11.3%, almost three times higher than the national average. Because of the low quality level of the school, almost 20% of Roma students enrolled in the fourth grade are functionally illiterate, according to the ICCV. The EU, Romania included, has launched a program entitled Decade of Roma Inclusion to combat this and other problems. Roma situation differs from country to country, but integration problems remain in developed countries. A report by the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) emphasizes that, in 2005, the Roma in France for example, counting around 500,000 individuals are the target of dramatic levels of discrimination. The report notes that civil, political, social and economic community are frequently violated and concluded that the authorities fail integration of minorities in the Hexagon (France). The most important communities of Roma live in Central and Eastern Europe, but, similariy to Romanias case (where the official 2002 census claims numbers of 535,000, while a EU report dating from 2004 says there are 1.8 million Roma) their number varies between official censuses and unofficial estimates: Czech Republic has between 11,000- 200,000 Roma, Slovakia, between 95,000- 550,000, Hungary, between 200,000- 600,000, and European reports on this minority are often negative. In each of the three of the EU countries mentioned above, unemployment among Roma reaches 75% -80%; when they have access to education, most often the children study in special schools and the wider community is a victim of racial prejudice coming from the majority population, according to Amnesty International. EU Strategy for Roma integration The European Commission has set up a programme to tackle the main difficulties involved in the integration of Roma people. There are EU funds available to help, and countries are encouraged to make greater use of them on a national level. To this effect, one important tool is the European Social Fund, which currently stands at around 12 billion Euros and amounts to 10% of the EUs budget. The purpose of the fund is to provide support for projects that seek to improve social cohesion in the Union. The second European Roma summit, was being held at the beginning of April 2010- on the International Roma Day, and was set-up as a forum to discuss the Commissions new strategy and to renew commitments. Representatives of EU institutions, EU countries and civil society organisations, including Roma groups, have participated in the conference and also present were World Bank Director Theodore Ahlers and the investment banker and philanthropist George Soros. The direct involvement of Roma organisations and representatives was a key feature of the event. The agenda included the implementation of rules against discrimination and racism by member countries of EU. Concerning this, the Commission had taken legal action against 24 EU countries which have not fulfilled their obligations in this respect and for 12 of these cases, the proceedings are ongoing. The focus shifted in the EU in 2009 from an analysis of the problems to an exploration of how existing instruments could be made more effective and how the situation of the Roma could be addressed more explicitly across a broad range of policies, including employment, social inclusion, health, education, housing, youth and culture. But the enforcement and development of specific EU legislation in the areas of non-discrimination, freedom of movement and anti-racism has continued. The European Platform for Roma inclusion- composed of key players in Roma inclusion from EU institutions, international organisations, Member States governments and civil society, was launched in April 2009 to exchange good practice and experience and to stimulate cooperation among its participants, with a clearly stated objective: to increase the coherence and effectiveness of the parallel policy processes at national, European and international level with a view to creating synergies. Most Member States report a stronger focus on internal coordination and on involving the Roma communities. Some Member States have begun to use the opportunities of complex programming and combined cohesion policy instruments. Among the findings of the forum, it seems that Member States want to mainstream Roma issues and to use mutual learning in order to explore how to improve their current initiatives on desegregation and on access in the areas of education, employment and basic social services. Another new effort of The European Commission deals with the implementation of a pilot project on Roma inclusion (5 million Euros for 2010-2012), initiated by the European Parliament, addressing early childhood education, self-employment through micro-credit, and public awareness particularly in countries with high Roma populations. The pilot project will also explore methods for data collection and counterfactual evaluation to assess the impact of the interventions in these three fields. Specific problems concerning the workforce As a fact, working age Roma lack sufficient human capital. Apart from barriers such as labor market discrimination still affecting them, the vast majority of working age Roma lacks the necessary qualifications to participate effectively in the labor market. The next figures will portray the cases of 3 member states, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania, and also a non EU state, Serbia, in order to get a grasp of how serious the educational problems are among various European Roma communities. Note: Data included in figures 1, 2 ,3 and 4 comes from the World Bank. This is seen dramatically in Figure 1, which shows the proportion of working-age Roma that have completed at least some secondary education or more. Only 1 in 5 Roma of working age in the Czech Republic and as few as 1 in 8 in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are equipped with these necessary education skill levels. Working age members of the majority populations in these countries are 4 to 6 times more likely to have these educational qualifications. Figure 3 shows the average monthly net income that employed Roma earn compared to that of the majority population. Employed Roma earn 31% less in Bulgaria, 48% less in Serbia, 55% less in Romania, and 58% less in the Czech Republic. Specific problems concerning demographics and education The health situation of the Roma conditions their life expectancy and their demographics are different from the european average. The European Roma population is significantly younger than the overall population (an average of 25.1 years old in seven Member States, compared to 40.24 years in the whole EU; 62.38 percent of the Roma population is under 29 years old, compared to 34.98 percent in the EU-27). There is no official information on the average life expectancy of Roma, but this is expected to be significantly lower than the overall EU population (which is around 63 years old in Romania) The child dependency index is 57.77 compared to 23.33 in the EU, while the elderly dependency index reaches 4.11, much lower than the EU of 24.93. There is also a gradual decline in birth rates among Roma, however, the replacement index (reflecting the number of people with ages between 15 and 39 for every 100 people aged 40 to 64) remains significantly higher among Roma (231) than for the overall population (101). As we have seen from the figures above, Roma citizens in some Member States influence the demographic pyramid in a specific manner. Educational systems are selective and, despite efforts by Member States to overcome segregation, a great deal of the systems that have been ostensibly designed to combat segregation are often used in practice to increase disparities between social groups and disadvantage the poor profoundly, especially in the case of Roma. There is a constant need of specific educational policies to address Roma families and also policies that encourage active participation. Although the proportion of young Roma enrolled in education and higher education systems has largely increased in some Member States, their level of qualification is still below the EU average. However, in the absence of formal qualifications, the position of Roma in the labor market can be improved by creating a system of recognition of practical skills. Indeed, Figure 6 shows that among Roma who completed secondary education the average earnings are much higher than the average earnings among Roma who completed primary education: 83% higher in Bulgaria, 110% higher in the Czech Republic, 144% higher in Romania, and 52% higher in Serbia. Romanias efforts aimed towards the Roma through structural funds Surprisingly, there is a great deal of implication concerning this matter with the local, Romanian authorities, and a lot o projects concerning Roma and their social integration are on their way. Most projects are co-funded by the European Structural Funds, are managed centrally and focus primarily on education (including early childcare), vocational and professional training, labour market insertion and social inclusion. According to the information provided by the Romanian Managing Authority, a total of 11 projects are being or will be implemented multiregionally or statewide with an aggregate budget of 37,819,853 Euros and are planned to benefit 61,634 Roma men and women. Most projects are short-to-medium-term (2-3 years). We can note that 6 major projects (employment and early education) are directly managed by the National Roma Agency. Our hope it that perhaps these efforts will actually wield some quantifiable results. Figure 5 source: EURoma report- Roma and the Structural Funds There are currently several integrated projects that rank as highly important. First, a transnational pilot project, Together on the labour market, is managed by the National Roma Agency is being implemented in 8 cities, in partnership with the Fundacià ³n Secretariado Gitano from Spain as transnational partner during the period 2008-2010. In the following period, 2010-2013, the project aims to be expanded nationwide. At a cost of 4,908,749 Euros for a period of two years, the project has ambitious aims: to benefit 6,670 Roma women and men through personalised support for labour insertion, vocational training adapted to the demand of the Romanian labour market. With a budget of 4,770,000 Euros, another employment activation project, Strategic steps for improving access to education for Roma children, presents ambitious outcomes and outputs: to increase the qualification on the labour market of 2,000 persons, including 1,000 Roma, the development of social economy structures, the increase of job opportunities addressed to vulnerable groups, the establishment of 8 Regional Centres to supporting social economy structures, the creation of 8 Regional Partnerships, and the development of 80 social economy projects. Within the education field, the All in kindergarten, all in the first grade. Integrated programmes for increasing the access to education and the educational level of the children within under-privileged communities, mainly Roma, during 2008-2009 project, is managed by the central government with a budget of 5,000,000 Euros. Although no data is yet available on its results, it had some ambitious and specific targets. The general objective of the project is to prevent and correct early school leaving for children aged 5 to 8 within 420 disadvantaged communities (a high proportion of them being Roma children). It seeks to increase access to pre-school and school education for 8,000 children within disadvantaged communities, mainly Roma, trough participation in Summer kindergarten and School after school educational programmes. Its potential outputs are ambitious: A 75% decrease in school dropout rate for pupils in the first grade belonging to the 420 disadvantaged communities; 6,000 Ro ma children benefiting from the school-after-school programme and 10,000 Roma parents receiving counseling regarding child education. Three other projects target pre-school education. Two are managed respectively by the Amare Rromentza Roma Centre and the National Agency for the Roma, with more than 4,000 combined beneficiaries. The third, titled Strategic steps for improving access to education for Roma children is managed by Romani CRISS and will have as a general objective the reduction of early school leaving risk among Roma pupils. With a budget of 4,872,060 Euros, it will develop desegregation plans within 90 schools from 4 regions of the country -North-West, Centre, South-East and Bucharest-Ilfov over three years, including intercultural training for 150 teaching staff and awareness-raising initiatives regarding the benefits of education to 20,000 planned Roma beneficiaries. Finally, an integrated project, Education of Roma children- the way to a guaranteed employment, is being managed by the National Roma Agency and implemented for three years (no exact dates provided). It aims to increase of the educational level of the Roma children from rural and urban areas nationwide and the development of human resources. With a budget of 4,943,831 Euros and targeting 4,800 beneficiaries (50% women), it could help to find ways to articulate education and employment policies through effective local implementation of equal opportunity and desegregation measures, and if it demonstrates long-term sustainability. Economic costs of Roma Exclusion: As expected, the fact that Roma people sit on the margins of society leads to some macroeconomic consequences. These consequences have been thoroughly analized and documented in a recent, 2010 report by The World Bank. Note that some of the issues presented in the report have surfaced in the previous chapters of this paper. A summary of the findings is presented in the following table: Figure x: The economic costs of Roma Exclusion The vast majority of working-age Roma lack sufficient education to participate successfully in the labor market. As a result, European countries are losing hundreds of millions of Euros annually in productivity and in fiscal contributions to the governments. Lower bound estimates of annual productivity losses range from 367 million Euro in the Czech Republic, 526 million Euro in Bulgaria, to 887 million Euro in Romania. Lower bound annual fiscal losses range from 202 million Euro in Romania, 233 million Euro in the Czech Republic, and 370 million Euros in Bulgaria. Toward inclusive growth: bridging the education gap is also the economically smart choice to make Better educated Roma can expect much higher earnings. Compared to Roma with primary education, Roma who complete secondary education can expect to earn 83% more in Bulgaria, 110% more in the Czech Republic, 144% more in Romania. The annual fiscal gains from bridging the employment gap are much higher than the total cost of investing in public education for all Roma children; by a factor of 7.7 for Bulgaria, 7.4 times for the Czech Republic, 2.4 times in Romania. The share of Roma among the working-age populations will rise as majority populations in Eastern and Central Europe are aging rapidly. Equal labor participation among the Roma is essential to shoulder the nationally rising costs of pensions, health and other costs of aging. source: The economic costs of Roma exclusion, World Bank Report, April 2010. Conclusions We consider that Roma are mostly discriminated because of a certain lack of education, but also because they are sometimes perceived as social outcasts. And this is sometimes a matter of choice, even tradition, which makes this a very tough area to cover and improve. Education is a milestone to consider, and perhaps the key to solving a lot of Roma related problems. We have seen that there are trumendeos efforts on a local but also European level, which we believe is a positive sign. The use of structural funds could be a very powerful tool when used properly. While targeting Roma education might lead us to certain cultural barries, we have to do our best to understand these limitations and figure out a way to please both parties. There are a lot of opportunities and advantages what will come with a better integration of the Roma people, and some steps have been taken into this direction, both socially and economically. However, there is one problem that should be noted. The issue of results, and more specifically, how do we make the efforts quantifiable? We see a lot of projects through structural funds in Romania, but we should also bear in mind their specific results and goals. The centralisation of these results should be a priority, otherwise they risk getting by unnoticed. Have the goals been achieved? They the programmes succesful, but just how much? How can they be improved so they reach the broader audience rather than smaller groups? Bibliografie www.euractiv.ro www.ecursuri.ro 3. www.ec.europa.eu Home http://www.romadecade.org/ http://www.anr.gov.ro http://worldbank.org/

Health Essays Medical Errors Hospitals

Health Essays Medical Errors Hospitals Medical Errors Hospital Disclosure of Medical errors in every day clinical practice. Introduction Medical errors are very common in every day clinical practice. Even taking serious caution does not make the error free hospital any where in the world. According to British Medical Journal ( cited in Adams 2005), â€Å"about 850,000 medical errors occurs in National Health hospitals every year resulting in 40,000 deaths†¦. Adverse events occur in 10% of all hospital patients (p. 274). Today’s times 2004 ( cited in Adams 2005) claims a cost of 2 billion pounds per year due to medical errors. The data shows the magnitude and the significance of the problem. In fact medical errors are preventable in most of the cases. But the sad part of the story is these errors are not disclosed to the patients or the family. Disclosure of medical errors is a very big issue for the leadership and management of a hospital in terms of institutional ethics. This paper will discuss about medical errors, the issue of its disclosure , its outcomes, current trends regarding disclosure of errors , application of theories and implementation in our context. Medical Errors Albert , Cavanaugh, Mc Phee , Bernard , and Micco ( 1997) define medical error as â€Å"Commission or omission with potentially negative consequences for the patient that have been judged wrong by knowledgeable peers at the time it occurred , independent of whether there were any negative consequences† (p.770). In this regard understanding of the error and realization that it is an error is very important. The issue is if it is internalized that error has occurred, then should it be disclosed or not. Non disclosure of medical errors There is a very strong culture of a number of hospitals world wide and the hospital where I belong to that health care professionals hide and do not disclose medical errors to the patients or their families. Errors come on the picture if by any means the patient or their family comes to know about the error. Kaldijan ,Rosenthal, Reimer, and Hillis (2005) did literature review of 316 articles on medical errors and came up with four categories which include attitudinal barriers, helplessness from the institution, uncertainties about how to disclose and its outcomes, and fears and anxieties. In addition to it, risk of ruining person’s as well as the hospital’s reputation, legality issues, low self esteem in the profession, mistrust of the patient and the family, and hindrance in professional progress are also some of the very important barriers to disclosure. (Boyle, Connell, Platt, Albert 2006, Fischer et al 2006, Albert et al 1997). Besides organization’s culture, policy and the colleagues’ attitude also impacts error disclosure. Non disclosure of errors can have some beneficial effects for the patients as well as for the physician. Patients do not become emotionally upset on hearing the news of occurrence of unexpected event during the hospitalization. Boyle, Connell, Platt, and Albert (2006) have cited that American college of physicians has given the liberty of not disclosing the error if the disclosure can cause more harm than benefit as in the case of psychiatric or depressed patients. But the worse part of it is this concept of deception for the benefit of patient is misused in the name of the health care personnel own interests. Similarly risk benefit ratio of disclosure should be calculated or in ethical terms beneficence versus non maleficence should be judged. Furthermore health care personnel do not have to fear for legal issues and the reputation. However they suffer emotional distress if they do not disclose. Disclosure of Medical Errors Medical errors should be disclosed as an ethical and moral responsibility of the health care personnel and the institution as whole. JCIA and JCAHO has made it a standard in 2001 that disclosure of errors should be implemented in hospitals. (Connell, White, Platt 2003, Henry 2005, Gallagher, Studdert, Levinson 2007). In addition The code of ethics of American Medical Association, The American College of Physicians and the National Safety Foundation have also emphasized on disclosure of errors.( Boyle, Connell, Platt, and Albert 2006 ). The standardization of disclosure by so many international organizations particularly JCIA and JCAHO gives the message that the culture and the approach towards the issue of disclosure is changing. These bodies are international standardized bodies and the change in the approach must be evidenced based. If disclosure was not that important it would not have been the part of these quality improving bodies. Literature supports disclosure of errors. According to Connell, White, Platt (2003) , response of participants who attended the workshop about disclosure of medical errors was 90% affirmative . In a study done by Hobgood, Peck, Gilbert, Chappell ( 2002) on patients and their familys’ perspective of error disclosure gave interesting results. 258 surveys were filled in an emergency department and it revealed that 76% of patients wanted disclosure in case of any error, and 88% felt to its full extent. This clearly indicates the significance of disclosure as an issue and patients need regarding the issue. Disclosure of medical errors has many benefits. Initially the reaction of patients may be negative as error could never be expected from patients’ side. But later they get settled .Studies show positive outcomes from patient as well as the health care personnels’ angle because of disclosure. Error disclosure helps patients to get any compensation in the form of additional treatment or financial help. Most of health care personnel believe that disclosure can ruin their relationship with patients and can bring law suit as well as their image down among their collegues. However according to Witman ( cited in Boyle, Connell, Platt, and Albert 2006 ) patients felt to claim law suit if they were not disclosed about errors. In addition University of Michigan Health System reported that â€Å" the cost and frequency of litigation decreased substantially in 5 years after implementation of an open disclosure programme , with annual litigation †¦reduced from $3 million to $1 million and †¦ claims by more than 50%† ( Gallagher, Studdert, Levinson 2007 p. 2716). Error disclosure also brings a positive impact on learning for the person who did the error as well as for others in the organization. Hence mistakes done once may not be repeated next time , system improvement and therefore improvement in the quality of patient care. ( Albert 1997, Mazor 2005, Boyle, Connell, Platt, and Albert 2006 ). Moreover patient physician relationships do remain intact in most of the cases. Trends in application of disclosing errors and comparison in our context Disclosure of medical errors is gaining its significance in so many health care organizations because of the outcomes of it as well as the realization of doing disclosure. Gallaher, Studdert, and Levinson ( 2007), have stated that 2002 survey of institutional risk mangers showed that 36% of the institutions have adopted disclosure policy and the percentage increased to 69% in 2005. They further quoted that Austarlia and United Kingdom in 2003, National Quality Forum safe practices and Harvard in 2006 emphasized and provided guidelines for full disclosure of medical errors to patients. The trend shows that awareness for disclosing medical errors is gaining its popularity. If we compare the scenario in Pakistan, we have a culture of not disclosing errors in most of the hospitals. In addition to the reasons discussed in the literature regarding non disclosure of medical errors, most of the times it is taken as for granted by the health care professionals that the patients belong to low socio economic status, less educated, low level of understanding and therefore errors need not be disclosed. It has been observed in clinical practices that errors are considered most of the time as side effects and untoward result because of certain treatment and there is no internalization that it is an error. In addition there is also a misconception that since the error did not bring any harm to patient so need not to be reported to the hospital management team and therefore no disclosure to the patient. It is interesting to know that most of the hospitals in Pakistan do not have any policy for disclosing error. However in Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) the polic y for disclosure of errors exists and it is mentioned in the sentinel events policy that there should be disclosure of medical errors and it is mentioned in the patients’ bill of rights that patients have right to have all information .( Multi disciplinary policies and procedures sentinel events policy no: MDP-S-002). But the sad part of the story is there is no proper implementation of the policy as well as proper explanation of patients’ rights to them. In fact there is no such culture for the individual to share errors to their supervisors as an ethical and moral responsibility until the error is identified by someone else. Reviewing the issue in the light of Theories To support that medical errors should be disclosed, we will be utilizing the following theories of ethics as well as leadership and management. Kant’s Theory of Deontology Immanuel Kant a German philosopher has given the theory of deontology or duty based theory. According to Kant (cited in Bernstein and Brown 2004), act should be done on the basis of the duty or obligation regardless of the consequences. He also believed that the intention behind the act justifies the action done. If we try to understand the disclosure of medical errors from Kant’s perspective, disclosure should be done as it is the duty of the health care personnel. It is the right of the patient and duty of the personnel to share all information including the errors if occurred. Kant believes in telling the truth which is the duty in all conditions and deception is un tolerable. The debate that if truth telling causes harm should be told to patients or not , goes against Kant’s philosophy. If health care professional feels that deception of the truth will give more benefit than there should be a very strong rationale for it and should not be taken as for convenience. K ant (cited in Bernstein and Brown 2004) has discussed about one’s conscience which play a major role in making right decisions according to his duty and states, â€Å"consciousness is an internal court †¦before which a human being’s accuse or excuse one another†¦an internal judge, and this authority watching over the law in him is something that he himself makes, but †¦incorporated in his being† (p.172). Heifetz’s perspective on Ethical leadership Heifetz ( cited in Northouse 2007) explains that leaders help followers to help resolve conflicts by using their authority. He further explains that â€Å"Heifetz’s perspective is related to values of workers, organizations and communities in which they work† (p. 347). In the light of this perspective, leaders need to have a clear idea of what is the value of the organization which in all circumstances is the best quality care given to its customers and taking care of their wishes and doing what is right. Leaders need to persuade people to do the right thing and therefore the culture of disclosure of medical errors should be inculcated by the leaders. Burn’s perspective on Ethical leadership Burns gave the theory of transformational leadership in 1978. According to Burns (cited in Northouse 2007), leaders have an important role in motivating people to identify their values and to help them reach to a level where the principles of â€Å"justice, liberty and equality† should be incorporated in practice. This clearly indicates the moral aspect of leadership which leads that disclosure of errors should be done as moral obligation of the organization. Significance of medical error disclosure from leadership and management perspective The issue of medical errors disclosure is very important from leadership and management point of view because this issue is not confined to a particular institution but it is a global issue. As discussed above that leaders have a very important role in pursuing and motivating people to follow morality in practice. Ethics has a very important place in leadership and organization. Leaders give direction to the followers or subordinates. They have a very strong impact on their followers. Therefore if leaders will have strong value on creating an environment and culture whereby every individual gets rights and do their duties, then this gives rise to an organization following ethical principles. This is only possible if and only if the leader values that act. In the issue of medical errors disclosure, leaders should play their role to first get the issue internalized and get it inculcated in the organization’s culture. Implementation of disclosure of errors in our context In order to address the issue in our Pakistani and in particular AKUH the most important aspect is first internalizing that the error occurred and not getting defensive. Internalization can be done by leading seminars, discussions, conferences and bioethical grand rounds where issues of error disclosure can be discussed and health care professionals can clarify their misconception about errors. They should have a very clear understanding of what are medical errors. Once the understanding of error is there, the next step is reporting of errors in the organization through the in built system of error reporting. Unfortunately AKUH Karachi does not have a very good system of error reporting. Errors are reported when someone identifies it but the person involved rarely reports the error. On conversation with clinical affairs person of AKUH , centralization of errors reporting is under process. At present if errors are reported it is not centralized to one place. Centralization will assist in getting the picture of medical errors occurring in the hospital as a whole. There should be reinforcement at the academia level of medical and nursing education about errors and its disclosure .Adams ( 2005) has given a very practical approach towards identifying our own errors. He has shared his example how he started writing all the errors which he identified during his practice and it was interesting to see that the identified errors were between one to six per week for 29 weeks . This data was for those errors which he identified himself and may not have captured all the errors done. This practice will help us identify and internalize that how many errors are made by health care professionals. Besides , voluntary electronic reporting of medical errors can also be implemented . The results of one study where 92,547 reports from 26 hospitals were evaluated showed that 47% of the registered nurses did voluntary reporting of errors compared to intern doctors which was 1.4%.( Milch, et al 2006). Jones, Cochrane, Hicks and Mueller ( 2004) asserts that success of voluntary error reporting depends upon the organizational culture where confidentiality is maintained and a â€Å"non punitive culture† exists which promotes error reporting. Once the error is reported, the question comes for the disclosure of error. Henry (2005) asserts that there should be clear policy for disclosure and this helps in creating an open organizational culture for disclosure as well as promotes patients autonomy. He further adds that managerial support should be there and as leaders they should be promoting disclosure in their organization. Organization’s culture needs to be formulated which best supports the disclosure policies. Giganti( cited in Henry 2005) claims that â€Å" one must approach culture change with systems thinking†¦.organization’s culture is built up over time and is based on the assumptions , beliefs and values that drive the organization† (p. 132). Hence the cultural change involves evaluation of systems to see why there is hesitancy and reluctance in disclosing errors to patients and their families. Persons should not be blamed instead system should be analyzed .Cultural change at the institut ional level will lead the policy makers to consider it at the health ministry level because there needs to be law to address this issue. Disclosure is not an easy task keeping into considerations the so called consequences afterwards. There needs to be special trainings in this aspect. Hobgood, Hevia and Hinchey ( 2004) suggest for disclosure in terms of promoting safe environment to the patients and that there should be open conversation during disclosure expecting any reaction from the patient. Therefore communication plays a very important role. Furthermore Connell, White and Platt ( 2003) have given the steps for error disclosure which includes â€Å" apologize and take responsibility†, â€Å"determine who will be involved†, and â€Å"be proactive in addressing the patient’s financial needs† (p.27). However the concept of becoming proactive in identifying our system gaps and root cause analysis of the problem will promote a safety culture and hence less medical errors and therefore less issues of disclosure. Conclusion Medical errors cause huge number of deaths which can be prevented. Medical errors do occur every day in our clinical practices but there is under reporting of the errors. And if reported there is culture of non disclosure of errors until it comes to patient’s knowledge by any means or the outcomes of that error are such that it cannot be kept hidden. The reasons identified through experiences and literature are fear of destroying relationships with patients, loss of patients trust on heath care personnel, legal issues , loosing the credibility in the profession, shame , guilt and not realizing to disclose considering it better from patients perspective. However recent trend suggests that institutions who developed and implemented disclosure policy had very positive results . Patients felt that they were apologized for that and were brought into confidence. This led to less law suits and decrease in the cost given for legal issues. Besides patients were able to participate in t he compensation or adjustment for the loss due to error. Hence the above mentioned literature and practical experiences suggest that medical errors should be disclosed. Leaders need to help their subordinates or the followers to apply Kant theory of deontology but justify if they feel error should not be disclosed. Moreover it is the responsibility of the leader and each and every individual of the team to help creating an open environment of disclosure and to follow it. References Adams,H. (2005). â€Å"Why there is error, may we bring truth.† A misquote by Margaret Thatcher as she entered No 10, downing street in 1979. Anaesthesia, 60 , 274-277. Berstein, M. Brown, B.(2004). Doctors’ duty to disclose error: a deontological ethical analysis. The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences,31, 169-174. Boyle, D., O’Connell, D., Platt, F. W., Albert, R. K.(2006). Disclosing errors and adverse events in the intensive care unit. Critical Care Medicine,34 (5), 1532-1537. Connell, D. O., White, M. K., Platt, F. W. (2003). Disclosing unanticipated outcomes and medical errors. JCOM, 10(1), 25-29. Fischer,M. A., Mazor,K.M., Baril,J., Alper, E., Demarco,D., Pugnaire,M. ( 2006). Factors that influence how students and residents learn from medical errors. Journal of General Internal Medicine , 21, 419-423. Gallagher, T. H., Studdert, D., Levinson, W. (2007). Disclosing harmful medical errors to patients. The New England Journal Of Medicine,356, (26), 2713-9. Henry, L. L. (2005). Disclosure of medical errors: Ethical considerations for the development of a facility policy and organizational culture change. Policy, Politics, Nursing Practice, 6(2), 127-134. Hobgood, C., Hevia, A., Hinchey,P.(2004). Profiles in patient safety: when an error occurs.ACAD Emergency Medicine,11(7), 766-770. Hobgood, C., Peck, C. R., Gilbert, B., Chappel, K., Zou, B. (2002). Academic Emergency Medicine, 9(11), 1156-1161. Jones , K. J., Cochran, G., Hicks, R.W., Mueller, K.J.( 2004). Translating research into practice: voluntary reporting of medication errors in critical access hospitals. 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The Rise in Political Power of 17th Century England and France :: European Europe History

The Rise in Political Power of 17th Century England and France In the seventeenth century, the political power of the Parliament in England, and the Monarchy in France increased greatly. These conditions were inspired by three major changes: the aftermath of the reformation, the need for an increased governmental financing, and the reorganizing of central governments. These three points were each resolved in a different way in both England and in France. The first major point which eventually increased political power was the aftermath of the Protestant reformation. In England, after the establishment of the separate Anglican church of England there were many protestant groups left in England still in conflict. These groups all tried to push and pull parliament in their favor -- which ultimately made it so that nothing could be done. These conflicts even came to the point of bloody civil wars and suffering on both sides of the fighting. Parliament ultimately decided to stop these wars by creating religious Act of Toleration (1689) for the non-conformist protestants. For many people, this caused more unity in England and increased power. In France, the decision was made to unify the country through the establishment of a single religious authority, the Catholic Church. The king of France became the heart of this policy, which gave him control of religion when this went into effect. The next major point was the increase in need for governmental financing. In England, taxing had become under the control of Parliament. In addition to this, the cost of running a government in general had gone up and the country needed more money. Because the king didn't have as much power to tax as he pleases, the government could make a firm and accurate taxation of the people. In France, the price of government had also gone up. However, here the was a monarchy and a king with great control over the government. Using his control of the economy, a strong "Mercantilism" system was used aimed at maximizing foreign exports and reserves. The king became the center of this new power. The last major point which increased political power was the reorganizing of the central governments in both England and in France. The economic changes in this century required new relationships between the King and his subjects. In England, the parliament because of this need, grew to have power over the king and cause great toleration of people's