Thursday, November 28, 2019

Anthony Ng Architects Limited Essay Example

Anthony Ng Architects Limited Essay ANTHONY NG ARCHITECTS LIMITED: building towards a paperless future 2011 BSM920 Topics in Advanced Strategy Group D 8/6/2011 1. Introduction Since the 1970s, the architectural industry in Hong Kong enjoyed a brilliant growth as a result of real estate and stock market speculation. In 1996, the industry was very profit-oriented and time conscious, and heavy bureaucracy was one of the main characteristics of the market. The role of the government and others institutions such as the HKIA (Hong Kong Institute of Architects) are essential in the Hong Kong architectural industry. Anthony Ng is an architect from Hong Kong who started his own architectural practice in 1991 in Wan Chai. Thanks to his visionary and entrepreneurial leadership qualities, he succeeded in making Anthony Ng a practice able to deliver buildings on time while providing top designs. The firm has been selected for big projects such as the Verbana Heights and most recently the HK$ 12 billion new airport development project in Tung Chung. These big projects created new needs for the company in order to improve its performance. First the number of employees needed to be increased, but with that the management of information and communication also needed to be improved. Indeed, the number of persons involved in the project and so the number of documents needed to be forwarded, distributed and stored was consequent. A technological improvement of the communication system became a necessity; in 1997 Anthony Ng recognised the future potential of using a paperless system which would then improve the circulation of information and knowledge in the company. 2. Towards a paperless architectural practice We will write a custom essay sample on Anthony Ng Architects Limited specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Anthony Ng Architects Limited specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Anthony Ng Architects Limited specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Internal pressures Inhouse Transaction costs economics Physical storage of documents in the office of Anthony Ng was an important cost for the company. First of all, it was costing time as the tracking of the documents could take a certain amount of time depending on when they had been stored. Secondly, the storage space used for documents was big enough to fit 20 employees, and according on how the number of employees was growing throughout the years, the need for space will soon be a priority. Third, the documents filing required personal filing charges as well. Finally, the communication costs were not insignificant around 40 mails were getting in the office every day, documents needed to be photocopied too, and the communication between Anthony’s Ng employees and with clients were costing time and money. There were for Anthony Ng undeniable in-house transaction costs which needed to be reduced. The paperless strategy imagined by Anthony Ng implied a new document management system, which would then enable the firm to reduce the costs of personal filing. The room used by the central filing storage would disappear and allow the company to increase the number of employees. In the architectural industry and for Anthony Ng, the competitive advantage lie in the creativity and originality of the designs, but the main critical success factor is time. The market is very time conscious as mentioned before. A new document management system would enable Anthony Ng to save time on communication thanks to the use of emails, on documents tracking thanks to the web-browser. By improving their efficiency on the time delivery of project, the practice would avoid minor delays, granting Anthony Ng a competitive advantage, because in 1997 the technology was not widespread yet. External pressures Institutional Based View One of the external pressures was coming from the government which plays a huge role in the architectural industry of Hong Kong. The HKIA also plays a huge role as it is responsible for the governance of the professional conduct of architects by making them adhere to Code of Professional Conduct. These institutional pressures come with rules and norms (certification ISO 9000), so the organisations seek for legitimacy and survival by accommodating to institutional practices (Greenwood et al. 2008). In Anthony Ng case, the bases of the institutionalisation are both a coercive regulation and a cognitive internalization (Scott, 1995). The HKIA is an association which is using rewards and penalties to coerce architects into compliance with the standards they came up with = COERCIVE REGULATION On the other side the government is a national institution which encourage compliance as it is taken for granted as the way things are done (Oliver 1991, Shenkar 2002) = cognitive internalization To respond to these institutional pressures, Anthony Ng decides to use co-option strategies to cope with government pressures. Learning to deal with the Building department was an important aspect of the architectural industry, as it would help avoiding important delays and loss of contracts. Another aspect of the co-option strategies use by Anthony Ng was to adopt corporate social responsibility which is considered as a new institutional logic (Lee, 2008). In addition to standards building and attractive designs, Anthony Ng decided to work on eco friendly projects, which enabled the firm to won the highest honour from the HKIA. 3. Chaos The implementation of a paperless system was a change that would take place in a complex environment. When starting to use this new system Anthony Ng did not know the real outcome of this change, because there could have been many different effects that were largely unknown in advance. When the staff started using the paperless system, the organization could not assure that the change would increase the productivity of the company. Even though the costs of the company would reduce and the information was supposed to flow easily, what if the staff did not adapt to the new technologies or if the clients preferred face to face communication rather than emails? What if there was a problem with the system and the documents could not be sent? Anthony Ng adapted to the new change. This meant that also the agents (staff and clients) had to change their behavoiur and hence the behavior of the company changed as a whole. 4. Evolution The paperless system was an evolution for Anthony Ng. On one hand the nature of the change was incremental. They were already performing computer aided design and sharing peripherals. Moreover the use of internet and browser technology was becoming more usual. So at this point Anthony Ng decided to start planning a Intranet based document viewer and management system. On the other hand the extent of the change was a transformation, as the new system was going to change the way the company used to work, their communication system, their culture. This evolutionary change was necessary. Among the internal and external pressures mentioned before, we can find some pushing factors that motivated the change. One of these factors are the high inventory costs. With the implementation of the new system the physical storage of the documents was not longer be necessary, and this space could now be used for fitting more employees that would be necessary for working in future projects. Not only this personnel for taking care of the management of the physical document would not be necessary. Another factor is that with the new system the documents were going to be stored in an appropriate way. There would not be physical storage of the documents, instead the documents were going to be scanned, distributed and stored in the system and the hardcopy would be given a unique ID that cross-referenced the softcopy in the system. This way the retrieval and tracking of the documents would be much more systematic and efficient than the traditional paper-based filing. The need to share information internally was other of the pushing factors. Accessing Tung Chung, where Anthony Lg’s next project was taking place, was only possible by boat. Communicating with the staff working there and discussing necessary issues with them would be very time consuming. Therefore the intranet that was going to be implemented would enhance communication and make it more efficient. 5. Impact The implementation of the paperless system will have impact in many aspects of the organization. First of all there will be an impact in the communication patterns. From being paper based to online reliance. The possible good impact of this change is the enhancement of information’s delivery both internally externally and speeding up processes. A very probable bad impact would be avoiding face to face communication. There would also be a change in culture, in the way architecture was done. Now with all the electronic systems there was a fear that this could affect the way of working in a negative way, as there might be a lack of attention to details. There could also be a bad impact of resistance for the organization. As they might percieve this new systems as insecure, because they do not know it or maybe just because they preferred the traditional system. What is necessary to be done is to help adaptation with a good change manager, that maintains effective communication and involves employees in the change process. A good communication strategy, training programmes, and reward systems can help employees to adapt easier to the change and to be optimist and committed to it. Finally it should be necessary to improve security and follow the evolution process. 6. Conclusion Anthony Ng used an IT strategy in alignment with its business strategy. Indeed IT is very important in the knowledge based strategy of Anthony Ng. By using Henderson and Venkatraman’s strategic alignment model maps we can determine the relationship between the firm’s strategy and IT. Anthony Ng used technology transformation with the implementation of the new document management system to manage knowledge and communication inside the company. The change management became crucial to implement this new IT strategy because of the new organisational structure, new routines and new control structure that lead to a new paradigm thanks to the sharing of knowledge. References

Monday, November 25, 2019

Managing organizational culture The WritePass Journal

Managing organizational culture Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Managing organizational culture Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature review Organizational CultureConclusionRelated Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Culture doesn’t have any specific meanings or definition it has many different definition.   As (Borosky, 1994, Ortner, 1984) describe that even in Anthropology culture has not largely approved or rigid definition. Culture can be defined as a set of values and thoughts which are being followed by the group of people which resulted to the activities and behaviours of the people living in specific society. Although it is has been described as framework to understand primal societies.(Katter and Heskett, 1992).As societies have set of norm values and beliefs, every Organizations and every business has culture in shape of values, rules and framework to follow which make the Organization unique amongst the other Organizations. In many organizations culture seems to be very crucial and important and it receive a considerable concentration. Culture is as complex and important as it is hard to use and recognize in thoughtful way. According to (Alvesson and Karreman, 2001; McDermott, 1999) Culture is very important for the organizations and companies how they work from day to day leadership, strategic change, which way the knowledge is being shared, maintained and created as well as the relations and dealings of the employees and managers with the customers. Culture is very significant for the success, growth and organizational effectiveness. Organization has the survival because of sharing its system of meanings at different levels (Smircich, 1985). As different countries have different culture, organizations don’t have the same culture as well they all have different values and rites and rituals heroes and myths than each other. It is very easy to recognize the culture of any organizations like McDonalds all the outlets of McDonald’s looks same they all wear same uniform no matter which area of the world they are operating in everything will be at same standard everywhere and anywhere in the world.  Ã‚   In some companies is it is easy to reco gnize culture from their infrastructure, dress code language and customer services and in some organizations it is hard to see but it does not mean there is no culture in that organization in fact culture exist there but hard to judge or see because it is been fragmented sometimes. Any organizations which have strong organizational culture have success in the business. Organizations with strong culture have high degree of influence on the behaviour of the employees and the values of the organizations not only widely share but also held with high intensity. On the other hand company which have weak culture employee’s behaviour may not be consistent. Literature review Organizational Culture The literature on organizational culture is as significant to the management of the private sector as to the public science management. Organizations are assessing critically how they can achieve and describe their objectives and goals. After defining the goals of the organization it is vital to concentrate on the type of culture that is needed to achieve these targets and goals and making that sure that necessary change has been implemented. Edward B.Tylor used the term ‘’culture’’ in 1875 in English literature. After that the early development of the concept of the organizational Culture has been defined by many authors in different ways (Kilman et al, 1985) describe culture ‘‘something to do with the people and unique quality and style of organization’’ (Deal and Kennedy, 1982) has explained culture’’ the way we do things here’’ or the ‘’ expensive non rational qualities of an organization’’. Pettigrew (1979) started to talk about organizational culture’s concept. Anthropological perception of the culture was firstly used by him and he demonstrated how ritual, myths and symbolism can be interrelated in the analysis of organizations. Dandridge et al (1980) described that to reveal the deep structure of an organizational culture how significant and helpful is to study about these symbols and myths. When in early 1980s the concept of organizational culture was one of the favourite and emerging topics to talk and write about for that reason many scholars defined and give their prospective about organizational culture in different ways.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Van Maanen, 1979) defined organizational culture as behavioural rules in human interaction which can be observed. (Deal and Kennedy, 1982) argues about organizational culture the values which are prevailing in an organization. (Tcihy,1982) compare organizational culture with a glue he says organizational culture hold the organization in the same way the way glue hold the different objects together   and don’t let them apart. According to Forehand and Von Gilmer (1964) culture is a collection of qualities of any organization that differentiate and portray it from other organizations. (Titiev, 1959) suggests that culture can be shared and learnt. Organizatio nal culture can be illustrated through behaviours, notions, activities and analysis of associates of the organization (Hellett, 2003). Organizational culture also has been defined by the (Van Maanen, 1979) as a those rules of behaviour which can be visible in human relations. (Robbins, 1998) states organizational culture as a perception inside the organization which is consistent. Many of other authors describe that organizational culture is set of norms, mutual ethics and philosophy (Barney, 1986). As suggested by (Yanagi, 1994, p ii) organizational culture ‘’Philosophies and values shared by the members of organization and their behavioural patterns for translating them in to action’’ Schein (1989, 1992) has one of the best definitions of the organizational culture. Schein (1989) describe organizational culture ‘’ a pattern of basic assumptions- invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration- that has worked enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as well as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relations to those problems ‘’ (Schein, 1989, p. 9). Conclusion As (Graves, 1986, p, 11) states about organizational culture as a different ways to steady the performance of the employees. Organizational culture acts like a bonding agent which keep the organization together(Kramer , 19974 and Foy , 1974)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Final examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final examination - Essay Example The constitution, which was written by a group consisting various professionals ranging from teachers, lawyers, representatives, and other professionals, is the supreme law of the land that provides the country with a room to exercise a high sense of patriotism among US citizens with the constitution acting as an art of compromise (Vile 4). Importantly, the country has passed various legislation and ratified various treaties overtime that strengths the country’s governance structures and provide various rights to the citizens of the country. With regard to treaties, the most important treaty signed by the  US  is known as the Paris Treaty. In fact, this is the is the very document that ensured that we have the modern day USA since the treaty with the Great Britain, under the then leadership of King George III ended the Revolutionary War with the USA being recognized as an independent state by Europe and no longer a colony of the British (Ledson). Most importantly, the trea ty was achieved after various American statesmen - popularly known as the Founding Fathers - and included Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (USA's second president) engaged the British in the treaty some scholars describe as â€Å"exceedingly generous† to the USA with regard to the country’s territorial boundaries (Paterson, Clifford, and Maddock 20). Concerning the country’s political system, the country has experienced and continues to experience a vibrant political scene with various issues shaping policies adopted by various political parties. Most importantly, the two main political parties that control the direction of politics in the country are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Consequently, the country’s political support is almost divided down the middle with followers of the Republican Party known as Republicans while their Democratic Party counterparts are called the Democrats. Amongst the Republicans, Abraham Lincoln is the most r ecognized individual and party member due to the sweeping changes he brought to the country. As president, Lincoln adopted an abolitionists’ approach to ending slavery with his actions being against the Conservative wing of the Republican Party that adopted an anti-slavery stance (Foner, "The Fiery Trial" 86). This stance has endeared Lincoln to the American public making him one of the most revered leaders since he went against his party line. One of his major contributions was his opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1845 that sought to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that restricted slavery with the Act of 1845 providing powers to local settlers, instead of Congress, to determine the enactment of slavery in new states (Foner, "The Fiery Trial† 88). It is instructive to point out that President Lincoln set the agenda for abolishing slavery with his opposition to laws that entrenched slavery in the country, which highly contributed to his assassination. To d rive his anti-slavery agenda, Lincoln used the provision in the country’s constitution that provide for the equality of all men before the supreme law, which was against what the president defined as Republicanism Principles (Foner, "The Fiery Trial" 86). The culture of the United States is as diverse as its history and its people. In fact, the country draws its success from the diversity in the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Restoring the Force of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Restoring the Force of Life - Essay Example In this respect Magesa admits that to remediate various afflictions means to have a person mature in this area of expertise (Magesa 194). It is vital to have it with a leader of the tribe or within the larger community. In dealing with affliction, there should be much attention to the accuracy and focus so that to evade the hardships. The next step is to pray. Prayer lets various mystical forces to come into the life of a person with the goal of the release. However, African prayer is a bit different from that usually practiced in Christian churches. It is a manifestation of the unity as every member get involved into it. Mutuality is at stake: â€Å"Not to express oneself completely in prayer is dangerous, moreover, because it implies a further breach of trust between the visible and invisible worlds† (Magesa 197). Hence, the need for sacrifices and offerings is crucial to please the invisible powers and attract the mercy of spirits to the community instead. To have an idea of how African people evade the affliction through the curative medicine, there should a clear understanding of this medicine itself (Magesa 210). In this respect a special attention is grabbed to sà ©ances and dreams as the main sources for identifying the reason for the affliction. Each tribe has its spiritual advisor serving as a medium between two worlds (visible and invisible). In this case Magesa strictly notes that â€Å"their â€Å"spiritual† gifts render them capable of diagnosing what kind of spirit of â€Å"force substance† is causing what kind of affliction to the individual, the family, or the society† (214). Due to such persons the revelation comes easily. Furthermore, when talking about the force of life, it is necessary to have an idea of the methods of divination and reconciliation so as to keep the tribe and all its members in safety. Different objects are taken to perform the ritual of divination. Moreover it is

Monday, November 18, 2019

To what extent has the UKs Vocational Education and Training (VET) Essay

To what extent has the UKs Vocational Education and Training (VET) system contributed to a skills gap Discuss with reference to the UKs potential to learn from other countries VET systems - Essay Example 5). Despite that, UK still continues to suffer from a skills gap that has affected its high economy. 3 This paper provides arguments that establish the participation degree played by the UK national VET system in bridging the skills gap. The aim is not to provide a theoretical analysis of UK’s performance, but rather to reference performance frameworks to Australian and Germany VET systems by establishing what can be learnt. 3 The term Vocational education and training (VET) originates from the content and purpose of the training. International bodies define VET as the means of preparing occupation professional fields for effective participation in the labour market (Bosch and Charest 2010, p. 1). However, this definition may not fit the current educational dimension that is characterised by university education that also prepares individuals for the workforce under specific professions. Thus, while higher education is concerned with the preparation to the labour market, vocational training is more concerned with earlier specialization for an occupational field. For this paper, we shall adopt Brockmann’s (2008 p, 2). Definition of VET an integrated and comprehensive system aimed to offer learners the ability to act competently within an occupation. 6 VET helps to match individual skills with labour force and existing market needs, equips individuals with lower levels of education with developed skills that can enable them fit into the expanding global economy that has introduced competition among countries. Vocational training also empowers young and inexperienced employees with ‘job ready’ skills, and develops a high skilled labour force that encourages and country investments by increasing economic growth (OECD 2011, p.7). 6 The universal decisive shift from holistic to vocational training in recent years has induced the UK to seek initiatives that aim at addressing her

Friday, November 15, 2019

Critical Appraisal Of Fraser Et Al Nursing Essay

Critical Appraisal Of Fraser Et Al Nursing Essay This assignment will critically appraise the study conducted by Fraser et al (2006) Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: insiders perspectives. The study shows how very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects the persons life. This appraisal will critique the research process conducted by the authors. This will include the sampling methods, ethics, the data collection methods and the analysis of the data. The limitations of the study will be discussed along with the application to nursing practice. The qualification and credentials of the authors are cited within the article. According to Siviter (2008) the authors of this article are suitable as they are both experienced within clinical practice and academically. This reiterates the authors credibility. ABSTRACT AND LIT REVEIW The title appears to give a clear indication of the research aim and objectives. The article provides an insiders perspective of dealing with COPD. The abstract according to Parahoo (2006) is a short summary of the study which allows the reader to decide if this article is of any reference to them. The abstract should contain a short background, the aim of the study, the method in which the study was undertaken and the findings which the researchers found. This is clearly shown in the Fraser et al (2006) article. The abstract in which Fraser et al (2006) used was informative, kept the reader held by the information presented and was able to allow the reader to choose the article from the abstract. The literature reviewed by the authors shows in depth research to have an understanding of the topic and the literature used shows a broad timeline of articles used. The authors show how they used older studies but were backed up by more up to date studies. ETHICS In order to conduct the study Fraser et al (2006) had the research study approved by the sponsoring university and the hospital institutional review boards. Griffiths (2006) has shown that ethical committees are there to protect both the participant and the researcher. When the participants were contacted about taking part in the study consent was gained for interviews to take place by telephone. The article does not state whether written consent was obtained. Parahoo (2006) states that as much information must be given to participants to allow them to make the decision and within the article the researchers sates that information was given when the participants were first approached. Fraser et al (2006) state that anonymity was kept by using pseudonyms as interviews were transcribed verbatim ensured confidentiality was kept by the interview tapes and transcripts being anonymous and not having the participants name on them. By pseudonyms being used this kept in accordance to the conf identiality policies expressed by The Nursing Midwifery Council (2008). In accordance to ethical protocol all participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without having their treatment discontinued. METHODOLOGY The research perspective in which the authors used was a qualitative study which allowed the authors to gain a personal view from the participants. By using a qualitative appraoach this allows personal experiences and thoughts to be expressed, whereas a quantitative research approach is based on numbers and statistics to explain information (Brooker and Waugh 2007). By using Hermeneutic phenomenology the authors were able to gain an understanding of the human experiences. Moule and Goodman (2009) show that Hermeneutic phenomenology is an understanding of human experiences and it allows opinions and thoughts to be portrayed without being dismissed. Fraser et al (2006) express that having trust between the researcher and the participant is important and Moule and Goodman (2009) agree. SAMPLING The study population was drawn from caseload of patients attending the respiratory clinic. The target population was drawn from a purposive sample and this was 10 patients. The characteristics of the sample were similar. The participants were over the age of 55, English as their first language, living at home and able to openly talk about their experiences of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These participants were also categorised as these variables were the inclusion criteria. The category of very severe COPD was based on the Gold framework (2003). The group of participants were recruited by the involvement of being in the hospitals case management or by being in the pulmonary rehabilitation programme. The potential participants were telephoned and asked if they would like to take part in the study. Before the patients were approved the authors gained ethical approval from their local ethics committee. Although the sample size could be regarded as small this is acceptable in a qualitative study. Parahoo (2006) states that a large group of participants is not always needed as this research study is an in-depth approach trying to obtain rich data. Blackler et al (2004) states that b y using a small sample size, rich data would be obtained. DATA COLLECTION Fraser et al (2006) collected data in 2003 and interviews were completed. Reference PIS sheet. The interviews were semi-structured which allowed the participants to express their thoughts without having yes or no questions. The interviews were conducted within the participants home or at the hospitals pulmonary rehabilitation unit. The advantage of the interviews being conducted in the participants home allows the participant to relax and talk more freely. According to McDonald (2009) participants feel more in their own home and knowing their surroundings. The disadvantage of conducting the interviews in the participants own home includes people knocking on the door, the phone ringing and family or pets to look after. The advantage of conducting the interviews in the pulmonary rehabilitation unit allows the interview not to be disturbed. The disadvantage of the interviews being conducted in the pulmonary rehabilitation unit are, participants may have travel problems and may find it h ard to get to the unit. Another disadvantage may be that the interview taking place in a hospital setting is too formal for the participant. All the interviews were recorded on audiotape. Consent would have to of been obtained for this. It is clearly stated in the article that consent was obtained. Lanoe (2002) states that the interference of white noise could affect the recordings, and if the interviews took place in the hospital setting then the white noise would be reduced. Once the tapes have been transcribed per verbatim, both recordings and transcripts will be locked in a secure unit until they are to be analysed. After all the data has been analysed to maintain rigour they will be destroyed. (Data Protection Act 1998). DATA ANAYLIS The authors used Colaizzis (1978) method. This method involves 7 steps for the researchers to follow. The steps in order are 1. Reading the transcripts to gain an understanding of the participants experiences. 2. Using phrases to describe the experiences of living with severe COPD. 3. Deciphering meanings for phrases used. 4. Sorting meanings into themes. 5. Comparing themes with phrases. 6. Describing themes founds in the transcripts. 7. Showing the participants the results of the interviews. Since two independent researchers analysed the data, discussed the data and were then able to identify the themes present. Two out of the ten participants had their data shown to them to review the information and make sure it was correct. These two participants who reviewed their data showed there was no difference in the participants and researchers evaluation. Within the findings the authors together stated the three main themes and in the article participants quotes have been used. Fraser et al (2006) reported their findings and came to the conclusion that there were three main themes. These themes are Knowing What Works, Hanging On Barely and Losing Control Gaining Control. The article explains these themes and with the use of participants dialogue allows the reader to have an understanding of the situation. Fraser et al (2006) displayed the three themes vividly by having them as sub sections. These show the reader that the next piece of article is specifically about that theme and that it is going to be explained in detail. As the approach is qualitative Fraser et al (2006) have displayed the use narratives and quotes from the participants. Ryan et al (2007) state that the findings should relate to what has been already found. Within this article the findings have already been displayed and explained within the article. By showing quality throughout the article Astin (2002) says this can show trustworthiness and by using quotes from the participants allows t he readers to see the information taken. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The limitations within this study include having participants who are willing to talk about their experience of living with the disease, being conducted within the southern United States of America and participants had to be diagnosed with Very Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Fraser et al (2006) stated these limitations within the article along with participants having no cognitive impairment. The researchers also state how this is a very small sample of the overall population who suffer with the disease. It is also stated that a general population of sufferers of the disease in the United States of America is unknown. Fraser et al (2006) have shown throughout this study that nursing staff are able to give a better standard of care to patients who suffer with this disease. This is due to nursing staff being able to have a better understanding of the impact this disease has on patients. By the nursing staff and patients working together the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be reduced and this in turn can lead to patients having a better quality of life. As stated by Fraser et al (2006) the effect that the nurse and the patient can work through together include dyspnoea. The nurse can help manage this symptom with the patient by using inhalers to help relieve stress or by preparing the oxygen for the patient. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) state that it is the nurses responsibility to uphold and deliver the best care to the patient with best practice and evidence which is available. To conclude this article has expressed the need to have an understanding of a participant who suffers from the disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease which not only can reduce the life span of a participant but one which can reduce the quality of life. This is a problem which will one day be reduced to give the participant a better life with a better understanding of the disease.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Female Juvenile Delinquency in Canada Essay -- Criminal Justice Essays

Female Juvenile Delinquency in Canada   The punishment for girls was much more harsh in the early days of Canada’s history when crime was seen as an intolerable part of town life.   Young girls of age thirteen and fourteen were often hanged for theft in the mid to late 17th century Quebec or put in detention centres (usually a hospital) for as much as six years at a time (Carrigan 8).   Age was sometimes taken into consideration for serious crimes and so whipping and branding was used instead of execution.   The practise in Halifax in 1815 was to whip a girl thirty-nine times at the community whipping post (Carrigan 37).   The most common problem among girls during this time and in the following years was prostitution and theft among young girls (Carrigan 23). Moving into more modern times, crime rates among young girls continue to increase.   From 1974 to 1993, crime went up about 6% among girls for all offences (Carrigan 203).   Prostitution, again, is a huge concern with girls as young as eleven years old participating and statistics such as 5,000 to 10,000 girls across Canada engaging in this form of deviance (Carrigan 186). Crimes that have been classed as particularly â€Å"male† crimes are now being committed more and more by females.   These crimes include drug abuse, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and murder.   Girls also resort to punching, kicking, cutting off another girl’s hair, and burning with a cigarette as forms of assault (Carrigan 186-188).   The 1990’s has also seen the rise of female gangs, especially in the Toronto area.   Girls are seen as just as violent as boys and showing as little remorse.   Membership attitude is less rigid since members can come and go as they please, and often include bored, wealt... ... therapy session.   Individual counselling was also available.   Group homes turned out to be a more successful rehabilitation device than training schools.   The coming of the Young Offenders Act brought about the building of new facilities called detention centres in Canada.   The goals of these centres are to increase the offenders’ understanding of his/her behaviour, to improve their ability to control their behaviour, to promote interpersonal skills, and to provide for academic and vocational skills to build self-esteem and to provide access to employment once released (Carrigan 245).   The Nova Scotia Youth Centre in Waterville is the closest detention centre in the area and it can house 120 males and females.   It opened in July of 1988. Reference Carrigan, D. Owen.   Juvenile Delinquency in Canada: A History. Irwin Publishing, Concord, Ontario, 1998.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Impact on children in the bilingual education programme

Stung Treng, one of the distant northeasterly states of the Kingdom of Cambodia, is inhabited by different cultural minority groups in add-on to the bulk Khmers, such as â€Å" Brao, Kaveth, Lun, Phnong, Khmer Khe, and Kuy † ( Center for Advanced Study, 2009, p. 285 ) . Without schooling, these groups have high hazards of being exploited and exposed to bad behaviours such as drug maltreatment and unprotected sex. With low degrees of literacy they can be more prone to infection by common diseases in their community like malaria and dandy fever febrility, which farther depletes their minimum incomes necessitating outgo on medical specialties and medical expertness. Furthermore, their full potencies to develop themselves every bit good as their community have non been realized due to miss of chances. There are many benefits associated with female parent lingua based bilingual instruction: higher registration rates in formal system ; lower dropout rates ( a common ground for dropout in the early old ages of instruction is linguistic communication ; there are high dropout rates for kids talking a different female parent lingua to the linguistic communication of direction ) ; lower repeat rates, for kids necessitating to reiterate peculiar classs of their schooling ; higher rates of success for misss remaining in instruction ; higher rates of parental and community engagement in kids ‘s instruction ; it can better the relationship between political leaders and a multilingual population ; it leads to greater proficiency and eloquence in national linguistic communication ( and besides so international linguistic communications if these are pursued ) if initial direction is done in female parent longue ; and community engagement in instruction is really of import – affecti ng parents, community and instructors in instruction helps kids learn. Greater engagement is found when initial direction is in the female parent lingua. Over recent old ages the United Nations Children ‘s Fund ( UNICEF ) , in coaction with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport ( MoEYS ) , has piloted a bilingual instruction programme in Siem Pang territory, Stung Treng state, where most Kaveth cultural group members are concentrated. This has been done in order to supply primary instruction to kids of this group by utilizing a bilingual theoretical account of larning implemented by CARE Cambodia, portion of CARE International, in Rattanakiri state. The programme focused on a minority population in three small towns of Siem Pang territory straight profiting about 225 kids. For confidentiality purposes the small towns will be known as small town K, small town O and small town T. 1.2 Problem Statement The bilingual method of learning adopted in the plan has been the agencies of supplying primary instruction to kids of cultural minorities in this state and its impact has non been studied therefore far, so the research worker has great involvement in researching this. 1.3 Purpose and Significance It is anticipated that the informations collected and analyzed in this survey will be used as a strong foundation to reason for an enlargement of the plan to other minority communities which are presently underserved by the Kampuchean instruction system. This has deductions for an addition in instruction entree for the-hard-to-reach kids of the state ‘s minority groups. The scope of possible impacts include the person ‘s future work chances, their attitudes towards and value for instruction, and the development of positive behaviours towards effectual wellness and hygiene patterns within the minority communities. Hopefully, the research findings will show the positive results and impact of the bilingual instruction programme. It may besides bring out issues or jobs that can be addressed. The positive impact will function as an protagonism message to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport â€Å" for bilingual instruction to be portion of national instruction policy programs, and the programs must be implemented in pattern with sufficient resources in the signifier of allocated financess, decently trained forces and other necessary resources † ( UNESCO, 2005, p. 3 ) . 1.2 Research Questions This research proposal intends to research the inquiry â€Å" What are the self-reported impacts of attending at the bilingual instruction programme on kids, their households and communities? † with the following purposes: To document the impact on take parting pupils of their attendance/involvement in the bilingual instruction programme in Stung Treng ; To document the impact on the households of pupils who attend the bilingual instruction programme in Stung Treng ; and To document the impact on the local communities in which pupils and their households attend bilingual instruction programme in Stung Treng.2. MethodsDiscussed in this subdivision will be the sampling technique, informations aggregation procedures and the method for informations analysis. Ethical issues and the stairss taken to turn to them will besides be considered here. 2.1 Sampling The proposed research will concentrate on the impact of bilingual instruction on the minority communities in Siem Pang territory, Stung Treng state. In each of these communities there is one school supplying bilingual instruction from classs one to three, and this research will utilize a convenience sample to choose one school with ready entree for the research worker. Two pupils from each of the three classs ( n = 6 ) from the selected school will be invited to take part in an interview. A parent of each of the invited pupils will be invited to take part in a focal point group treatment plus two members of the school support commission based on their handiness ( n=8 ) . A list of male and female pupils from the selected school will be sought from the school principal by the research worker. Simple random sampling will be used to choose two pupils from each of the three classs. The research worker will compose each single pupil ‘s name on a separate faux pas of paper, topographic point all the faux pass in a container, agitate the container, and choice faux pass from the container until the coveted figure of participants is selected. This procedure will be repeated by class and gender with misss in one container and male childs in the other in order to hold gender balance. It is of import to hold gender balance in this survey so that every bit representative voices can be heard. An Information Form and an Informed Consent signifier and missive from the school principal developed by the research worker will be sent to parents by the instructor through the selected pupils to seek their parental blessing. If parents of the selected pupils do non O.K. of their kids take parting in this research, the same procedure will be repeated with other pupils of the selected school until the coveted sample has been achieved. There are restrictions deducing from both clip restraints and geographical conditions for carry oning this research, so the sample size will non be big plenty to generalise the results of this survey. This trying attack besides has some restrictions. It can non vouch a good representation of the whole population in the small town or the category, cut downing the generalizability of the consequences. However, the impact of bilingual instruction in this minority community can still be measured through a carefully structured research tool. 2.2 Data aggregation 2.2.1 Interviewing Data will be collected through single interviews with the pupils of each of the three classs who have received parental consent to take part, and with two grownup focal point groups of four each group dwelling of the parents of three pupils and a member of school support commission in each group. Student interviews will be done by class degree, three interviews with the 2 kids from the same class degree. Due to clip restraints, carry oning pair interviews with pupils is a preferred option to the research worker. To cut down the possibility of male childs ruling the interview, the interviewer will deliberately direct the inquiries to girl pupils in an attempt to promote female engagement. The possible grownup participants in focal point group treatments will be provided with an Information Sheet in their ain linguistic communication, explicating the research intent and a Consent Form ( see Appendix A ) . Potential kid participants will be provided with an Information Form and Consent Form in their ain linguistic communication that requires parental every bit good as child consent, in an effort to turn to ethical concerns about questioning kids who are under the legal age of consent. Interviews with pupils will be conducted at their school on Thursday forenoon because Thursday is no-class twenty-four hours whilst focal point group treatments will be conducted in the afternoon of the same twenty-four hours and at the same topographic point. The interviews and concentrate group treatments will be audio-recorded for ulterior written text and analysis The interviews and concentrate groups ( draft inquiries in Appendix E ) will be conducted by the research worker and facilitated by a bilingual instructor, who can talk the local linguistic communication good, to assist smooth the procedure and to avoid any possible misinterpretation during interviews and concentrate group treatments. The instructor will non be the kid ‘s instructor to forestall any concerns of the kid in the event they make a critical remark. An instruction functionary each from the provincial and territory offices will be approached to set up communicating flow between the research worker and survey participants in footings of doing assignments for the interviews and concentrate group treatments. An interview protocol and inquiries will be developed for usage in the interviews and concentrate group treatments ( see Appendix B ) . Students will be asked semi-structured inquiries by the research worker, with interlingual rendition by a bilingual instructor. Possibly examining inquiries will besides be developed to utilize when new subjects come up during interviews and concentrate group treatments. The research worker will discourse the inquiries beforehand with the transcriber to clear up the content and purpose of the inquiries with the purpose of thereby cut downing confusion during the times of questioning and treatment. All interviews and treatments will be audio-recorded so that the procedure can be conducted swimmingly without breaks for note pickings. The recordings will subsequently be transcribed for thorough analysis, and will be translated into English. The recordings, the written texts every bit good as the interlingual renditions will be stored and watchword protected in the research worker ‘s personal computing machine for confidentiality and will be destroyed after the research study has been completed. There are some restrictions to the usage of interviews and concentrate group treatments. Students, their parents and community leaders of the minority group do non hold much exposure to the universe outside their immediate community, and this may take to narrow positions in their responses and treatments and limit the profusion of data/information aggregation. All the research participants are new to interviews and concentrate group treatments, and this may keep them from talking openly and honestly. The usage of a transcriber could besides perplex the procedure and add an unintended confusion to participants. Focus groups can non vouch confidentiality hence single respondents may be restrained in their responses if they believe person in the group might state others about peculiar remarks, particularly any perceived as critical. 2.3 Data analysis The analysis will be done first by transcribing the recorded responses from the interviews and focal point groups. Similar phrases from each transcript are put together under descriptive labels. By making so, informations are pooled and a form or subject will emerge. Give the little figure of participants in both interviews and concentrate group treatments, informations analysis will be done utilizing excel spreadsheet. 2.4 Ethical considerations The true intent of this survey will be obviously explained to all participants in this research and the general benefits deducing from this research for their community will besides be explained in order to derive their full engagement. It will be explained that engagement is voluntary and anon. . By making so the research participants understand they are non compelled to prosecute against their will and may retreat from take parting at any clip. The research worker pays great attending to ethical issues that might be concerned with the survey in footings of coercion and power imposed on the participants. Therefore, the research worker has designed an Information Sheet and Consent Form in the cultural linguistic communication explicating the intent and the procedure of the survey every bit good as their right to decline to take part before the survey can get down. An informal attack to the behavior of the interviews and focal point groups will be pursued in order to set all the participants at easiness and to arouse as rich and varied information as possible.3. Literature Reappraisal3.1 International context Surveies have shown that direction in the female parent lingua is good to achievement in other capable countries and 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. In parts where the linguistic communication of the scholar is non the national linguistic communication of the state, bilingual instruction can do female parent lingua direction possible while supplying acquisition of the national linguistic communication at the same clip ( UNCESCO, 2003 ) . International research shows that at least five old ages of direction in the first linguistic communication -but sooner throughout the instruction system – is required to supply a solid foundation for farther surveies. A strong foundation in the female parent lingua is besides needed for 2nd linguistic communication acquisition and successful transportation of the literacy accomplishments from the first to the 2nd linguistic communication ( UNESCO, 2006 ) . Teaching basic accomplishments to hapless kids through linguistic communication submergence may be damaging, but bilingual instruction is a much more effectual option. Students in the United States of America having direction in a native linguistic communication and English at different times of the twenty-four hours were found to do the most dramatic additions in reading public presentation compared to their English-only equals. This research is pertinent to multilingual low-income states ( World Bank, 2006 ) . The figure of old ages of direction in the first linguistic communication is the most of import forecaster of reading public presentation in a 2nd linguistic communication. It is non of import what the first linguistic communication is, but instead how much cognitive and academic development the pupil has experienced in it. The higher the pupils ‘ accomplishment in the primary linguistic communication, the faster they will come on in the 2nd linguistic communication ( World Bank, 2006 ) . 3.2 Kampuchean context The footings â€Å" cultural minorities, † â€Å" autochthonal peoples, † â€Å" hill folks † and â€Å" Highlanders † are non synonymous. They are used interchangeably to depict the population groups who reside in remote, difficult-to-access countries within Cambodia. They make a life largely by subsistence agriculture and from forest merchandises, and do non talk Khmer, the national linguistic communication, as a female parent lingua ( UNCESCO, 2005 ) . With the publicity of Education For All ( EFA ) , the Royal Government of Cambodia ( RGC ) is cognizant of the demand to do instruction accessible to all. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport is get downing to acknowledge that bilingual instruction may be an effectual manner of run intoing the educational demands of Cambodia ‘s cultural minorities while enabling them to take part more to the full in Khmer society ( UNESCO, 2007 ) . To accomplish Education For All in minority communities, particular schemes such as bilingual instruction can be used ( UNESCO, 2006 ) . Bilingual instruction encompasses more than the female parent lingua as the linguistic communication of direction. Curriculum, stuffs, instructors and, learner-centered methodological analysiss are all elements of the educational procedure related to the autochthonal people ‘s civilization in a wide sense. Furthermore the attack has promoted the acceptance of inclusive instruction with scholars from upland autochthonal groups have long been marginalized and deprived of any chance for formal instruction ( UNCESCO, 2005 ) . Cultural minority communities have maintained their cultural, lingual and traditional differences through their farness from the bulk cultural communities. Given this farness, there has non been the chance to back up substructure and the development and/or renovation of school edifices, conveyance and administrative substructure that instruction may necessitate ( UNCESCO, 2005 ) . This compounds the disadvantage of the minority groups even further. There have been few educational chances for autochthonal peoples and, accordingly, there are few trained forces who are fluid in cultural minority linguistic communications and Khmer. As Khmer is non the first linguistic communication of the different upland groups, kids are placed at a disadvantage when it is used as the lone linguistic communication of direction ( UNESCO, 2005 ) .Find some figures that describe the engagement rates of cultural minority groups in higher instruction in Cambodia – it will beef up this point every bit good as the Significance of the research Given that there have been few undertakings that catered to the specific educational demands of cultural minorities, there is besides a deficiency of stuffs that are culturally relevant or readily adaptable for usage in footings of linguistic communication and content ( UNESCO, 2005 ) . Indeed, small town support for schooling has been missing, most likely due to the fact that formal school services did non run into the demands of the community, and conflicted with socio-cultural norms in upland small towns. Besides, learning methodological analysis and inflexible time-tabling were non suited. Curriculum and stuff developed for the cultural minorities needs to be appropriate to accommodate the demands of the autochthonal communities. If an instruction undertaking is non based on existent, identified demands in the targeted communities, the scholars will hold it inappropriate and non utile for their demands ( UNESCO, 2005 ) with subsequent low engagement and success rates. Education for misss faces particularly tough obstructions within Cambodia and can be observed frequently in the signifier of negative attitudes – by parents, instructors and community members. Discrimination is apparent in societal norms, linguistic communication, and submissive stereotypes. Socio-cultural influences work against misss ‘ entree to instruction in the signifier of early matrimonies, a heavy domestic work load and low educational outlooks ( UNESCO, 2005 ) . This is particularly true in a traditional society like Cambodia, in which miss ‘ instruction is less valued than male childs ‘ and misss are confined to household jobs, allow entirely misss from the state ‘s minority groups.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The United States and the Articles of Confederation essays

The United States and the Articles of Confederation essays From 1781 to 1789, the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an ineffective government. However, there were some strong steps taken in the articles to try and make the United States a better country. The Articles created a simple confederation of independent states that gave limited powers to a central government. But in the end, the Articles of Confederation didn't help the United States manage. The Articles of Confederation arranged a national government that would consist of a single house of Congress, where each state would have one vote. Congress had the power to set up a postal department that estimates the costs of the government and request donations from the states and to raise armed forces. Congress could also borrow money to declare war or enter into treaties and alliances with foreign nations. With this power, Congress was able to make the Articles of Confederation look good by signing the Treaty of Paris in 1783. This treaty, signed along with Great Britain, concluded the American Revolution. Great Britain recognized the thirteen colonies as the free and independent United States of America. However, the most important power was that Congress had the right to obtain territory and control development of the western territories, which was previously controlled by Great Britain. (Doc D) With the Articles of Confederation, the United States was able to break away f rom Great Britain and become a free nation, setting up their government. Although the articles set the United States free, it was unable to provide them with a solid government. People like John Jay and James Madison question the Articles of Confederation because of the weak government. (Doc G) There were several problems between the states and the central government. For example, sometimes the states refused to give the government the money it needed. The government could not pay off the debts it had made during the revolution, includin...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Special Weapons And Tactics essays

Special Weapons And Tactics essays Alright boys were goin in. John you take out the guard on the right. Mike, take out the guard on the left. Me? I got the two in the center, and remember, dont shoot any of the big shots (businessmen) Greg said. We were just three guys looking for an easy way to make money. The plan was perfect, so perfect that it had to work. We decided to hold up the VISA (credit card) Tower. Just go in there, take the money and leave, but something went wrong. We entered the room with our guns loaded and ready. BOOM BOOM BOOM, three guards hit the floor before we knew it. But there was one more, the one we forgot about. We told them our demands, but they werent co-operating very well, so we showed them what happens to people who dont co-operate. We shot one of their executives in the head. Everything was perfect, until somehow they got the call. Yo you guys we got the call, some three terrorist are holding up the VISA building and we are going after them! Phil exclaimed with excitement. Jerry, Jake and Nick were ready for anything; they loaded up into the SWAT helicopter and were off to the building. The helicopter dropped them off at the 113th floor (helipad/roof). Apparently they didnt know which floor we were on so it took them a while to get to us. The time was 3:05 am and the Vice President of Income was transferring the money to each of our bank accounts. We would get our money, leave and pretend like nothing happened at all. Somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00 am, the guard that we forgot about, walked into the room. He ended up getting shot about three or four times. The bullets were loud enough to hear from the very top floor, so it gave our position away. The transaction to the bank accounts had been completed and we were just about ready to walk out when one of the executives pulled out a gun and shot John in the ribs. ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Contsrains, Risks, and Ways Mitigating Them Essay

Contsrains, Risks, and Ways Mitigating Them - Essay Example Adoption of the I.T structures will lead to another setback due to the need to train the present employees on ways to handle the new technology. Notably, there will be the loss of time and funds. However, the setback can be relieved by adopting in-shift training sessions that will ensure that employees do not miss their allocated roles. Additionally, the strategy will also reduce the finances incurred in the procedure. Another constraint will include the employee response to the training sessions. Workers have different behavioral perceptions; hence, creating a difference in the rate of adoption of the training sessions. Nevertheless, the hinder can be reduced by having strategic approach styles in the training sessions. Risks include having less output despite inputs in training. Employees may not increase their output even after the training sessions. However, the risk can be mitigated by first employing a positive employee culture and increase the rate of employee satisfaction. Recruiting 50 new graduates for Autokinto. The process may face constraints such as costs in the hiring process due to salaries and other motivating approaches. The constraint can be reduced by ensuring the recruiting of producing graduates that will ensure more maximization of profits to cater for the salary costs. Additionally, establishing graduates with relevant qualities may also be a pending risk. The chance that the risk can be reduced by ensuring a vibrant recruiting panel that will identify specific qualities.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Operations Management of Z Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management of Z Mart - Essay Example Due to financial constraints, hiring extra staff to man counters is not possible. This case study will try to highlight potential areas of improvement in the management and organization of Z Mart to avoid late handling and bad customer experiences. Â  It is easier to visualize the problem if one considers the layout of the shop. The main entrance and exit have counters that bill customers for all their merchandise before they exit the shop. The billing section for electronic goods is at a distance from where the (Customer Service Managers) CSMs are stationed which partly accounts for the delay in handling customers payments. Â  On the basis of the manager’s notes, the current situation can be described as a busy discount store with a steady flow of customers and with 14 counters from where billing can be done. The electronics department is removed from the billing counters at the main entrance and has a couple of counters to bill goods bought at the electronics section. There are two customer service managers per shift. Any checks above $100 need to be cleared by them. This causes a problem as the process of checking out the customers is slow and there is an unnecessary glut of impatient customers queuing at the electronics counters. Â  The situation analysis needs to consider the current scenario and how the store manager and his team of sales representatives can add value to the Z Mart business and how the manager can make a good impression during his review. In this case study, the manager needs to first identify his areas of concern and plan strategically so that he can enhance efficiency without incurring additional overheads expenditure.