The Need to Disobey

The Need to Disobey Both Antigone by Sophocles and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† (â€Å"LBJ†) by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) are stories which portray the theme of civil disobedience. Antigone is a play written by Sophocles that takes place in Thebes, Greece. Antigone arrives in Thebes and learns that both of her brothers died in war. Her brother Etocles has been given a proper burial while Creon, the King of Thebes, refuses to bury her other brother Polynices because he was a traitor. Antigone chooses to break the law and buries her brother, and gets caught.Despite the pleas of Antigone and Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiance, Creon sentences Antigone to death by live burial and starvation. Feeling that it is a better option than taking the sentence, Antigone hangs herself, and when Haemon finds her, he kills himself out of despair. Queen Eurydice, Haemon’s mother and Creon’s wife, kills herself with a sharp knife. Creon is l eft in sorrow and distress when he too late finds that he has made a fatal mistake. On the other hand, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is an essay written by MLK that he wrote in the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama.He had been arrested for parading without a permit during his non-violent protest against racial segregation. His letter is addressed to the â€Å"fellow clergymen† who criticized his work. Both writings have a character who defies the civil law because it breaks the moral law. However, the writings are also different in many ways. Overall, MLK’s â€Å"LBJ† is better than Sophocles’ Antigone. Firstly, â€Å"LBJ† is better than Antigone because the theme is portrayed in a more positive and successful way.In Antigone, it is clear that civil disobedience brought Antigone to an untimely death as Creon finds out, â€Å"Too late, too late you see what justice means† (p. 124, l. 1400-1401). Though Antigone fully disobeys Creon ’s law by burying her brother, her actions are not successful and lead to her death instead of her triumph. Only after she dies, Creon realizes that she did it for a just cause, but he is unable to turn back time and is left in despair. However, MLK is more successful in addressing the problem before it is too late, â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere† (pp. , p. 1). MLK explains that the injustice of racial prejudice he sees in the South cannot be ignored because, even if one is not part of it, it is morally wrong and unacceptable. MLK makes a more direct point that civil disobedience is necessary, and he is more effective in directly influencing the people around him, while in the play Antigone, Antigone is unable to influence Creon. â€Å"LBJ† is not only more successful in carrying out the theme, but is also more credible than Antigone. Since it is more credible, â€Å"LBJ† is better than Antigone.Antigone is a play that takes pl ace in Ancient Greece, â€Å"Land of Thebes, city of all my fathers –† (p. 107, l. 1027). Though Antigone has had a tremendous impact on society, the play itself is undeniably fictional and the events in it did not actually take place. The main character, Antigone, is also fictional and was made up by Sophocles to show his point on civil disobedience. On the other hand, â€Å"LBJ† is an essay written about true events by someone who was experiencing the injustice firsthand, â€Å"I am in Birmingham because injustice is here† (pp. 3, p. ). MLK’s â€Å"LBJ† is clearly a nonfictional writing and is therefore much more credible and can be referenced to as a primary source in history. MLK himself is still known to be one of the most important figures in American history and his writings are a very credible source as to why he took part in civil disobedience. â€Å"LBJ† is not only more credible, but is also does a better job in persuading the reader. The writing style of â€Å"LBJ† makes it easier to understand and therefore better than Antigone because it uses more logos rather than pathos arguments.When Antigone appeals to Creon, she uses the argument â€Å"I was born to join in love, not hate – that is my nature† (p. 86, l. 590 – 591). Though this argument is not completely invalid, it is weak because it cannot help Antigone when it comes to the law, which does not change because of people’s emotional natures. Her pathos arguments did not appeal to Creon, who insists she disobeyed the law and should receive just punishment. Another factor of the play is that it is written in dialogue which is sometimes difficult to understand and follow Antigone and Haemon’s arguments.However, MLK is much more logical in his approach to the issue he is dealing with, â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 2, p. 2). By explaining the steps to his camp aign, MLK shows that the actions he took were perfectly necessary and logical. After going into detail about each of the four steps, MLK proves that what he did was justified by logos arguments. Additionally, the writing style of MLK’s essay is very methodical and is written in modern English. However, when examining the impact of each of these works, another very important point puts â€Å"LBJ† above Antigone. LBJ† is more relatable to modern society than Antigone, which makes it better. Some of the ideas used in Antigone are no longer relevant to modern society, which is evident when Antigone speaks about her brother’s burial rites, â€Å"Hasn’t Creon graced one with all the rites, disgraced the other? † (p. 60, l. 27). Though burial is still important in modern times, it had a bigger significance in Ancient Greece because they believed that not being buried meant that the person would be in eternal unrest instead of being allowed into Hade s.Therefore, the reason for Antigone’s disobedience is more difficult to understand for modern people. However, MLK says, â€Å"Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 4, p. 12). The reason for MLK’s disobedience is much easier to understand as the issue of racial segregation is still present in modern society. It is easier to see MLK’s direct impact on modern society than Sophocles’ indirect way of impacting society.This is evident as MLK writes about a â€Å"not too distant tomorrow†, which is now because the essay was written in 1963. In these ways, â€Å"LBJ† is more relatable to modern society. Therefore, since it portrays the theme better, is more credible, is easier to understand, and more relatable in modern times, MLK’s â€Å"LBJ† is better than Sophocle’s Antigone. Another example of civil disobedience in history was in Mahatma Gandhi. Just like Antigone and King, he used nonviolent protest in an attempt to liberate the Indian people from British control.He first led peaceful protests against excessive land taxes and reached out to including all religious groups. Later, his success was evident after he assumed leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921 and led nationwide campaigns for many national issues. Above all, his main goal and reason for his peaceful protest was to achieve independence of India from British domination, which was against the law and a great example of civil disobedience. His actions resemble those of MLK and Antigone, and he was even looked up to by MLK as a role model in peaceful protest, making him the prime example of civil disobedience.

Role of Students in the Purification of the Society

TOPIC: Role of students in the purification of the society. TABLE OF CONTENTS TOPIC: Role of students in the purification of the society * Purpose of education. * Students and their role in the society. * Current situation of the society. * Students' reformers in the past. * Students' role in the purification of the society. * Conclusion * Refrences ‘’IN THE NAME OF ALLAH ALMIGHTY WHO IS THE MOST GRACIOUS AND MERCIFULL’’ TOPIC: Role of students in the purification of the society â€Å"Those who know cannot be like the ones who do not know.Of course, knowledge and ignorance are like light and darkness which can never be alike. †(Holy QURAN) There are a vast no of students who are studying in thousands of schools, colleges & universities. These students can plays a very significant role in the re-building and reconstruction of our nation. This can only happen if their energies are properly channelized. The students had also played in a very important r ole in the constructive growth of society. The students possess immense youth power. The role of student in a society entails various things.They must should concentrate on studies so that they develop into well-educated individuals that make significant contributions to the society in the future. They must pass on whatever knowledge they have to others. This can take on many forms ranging from helping your siblings to creating awareness about environmental issues such as global warming. They should act as responsible individuals which means to steer clear of any unlawful activities. Students should try and refrain themselves from all such activities for their benefit as well as the society.They must should do their best what they can to protect their environment and society. Students should avoid littering places and should try to invest a few hours into community services if possible so that it could help them to play a constructive part of Their selves in the society so that they are able to face the challenges of life in positive manner. Students should also behave respectfully to the elders of the society and take care of their needs i. e. help an elder to cross a road; stand up and make space for an elder to sit if there is none.By doing little deeds of kindness students could bring reforms in the whole society. The history is full of such examples that whenever a group of students take an initiative then it became the voice of whole nation. Our youth is very much capable and enthusiastic of doing so and by using their mental approach they can convert impossible to possible but for the purification of society students must should be channelized in such a way so that they could be able to play their part for the constructiveness and betterment of society. PURPOSE OF EDUCATION:Education has a great social importance specially in the modern, complex industrialized societies. Philosophers of all periods, beginning with ancient stages, devoted to it a great d eal of attention. Some of the significant functions of role of education in society are 1. To complete the socialization process. 2. To transmit the central heritage 3. The formation of social personality. 4. Reformation of attitude. 5. It encourages the spirit of competition. 6. Acts as integrative force that unites different sections of society. 7. Enhances civic sense and rational approach in an individual. . Improve the quality and efficiency of provision and outcomes 9. Promote equity and active citizenship 10. Enhance innovation and creativity at all levels of education and training. Students and their role in society: Every individual has an obligation towards the society. Students is particular can do a lot in this regard. The role of students in a society includes various things. Firstly concentrate on studies so that they develop into well-educated individual. The next step is to pass on whatever knowledge they have to other & creating awareness.A student plays a vital rol e in the development of society. They developed the society by improving their skills in knowledge of the country. Current situation of the society: Young people are often viewed as lacking the skills needed to become part of the political process. These perceptions are often backed by popular theories on childhood development, many of which define youth as social group that is in the ‘stage of becoming adults’. Young people are not afforded the opportunities to share power with adults in part because they are viewed as lacking the requisite skills.Consequently, they are not invited to the table. The very idea of â€Å"youth citizenship† – young people participating as equals – is a stretch for many adults. The irony is, however, that once at the table, young people are often viewed as a threat to adult power. Rather than work with young people to build the skills, adults either abdicate power or work to control it. This tendency to exclude young pe ople has been well-substantiated in international Therefore ‘youthfulness’ has become a major justification for excluding young people from decision making.It is also important to emphasize that these ideas are also present all major social institutions; from the family, the school, the community; religious institutions etc. It is not a surprise that there are not expectations and processes that facilitate the political participation of young people within their communities as well as at the national level. As now the youth has given a chance to show their constructive abilities in many ways they are also provided with different mediums such as social networking sites, print and electronic media so that they can express their selves in much better way but at a larger medium and at better extent.Student reforms in the past: Students are actually the spine and the base of nation. They are the actual representatives of youth. The history had also proven it that whenever a student moment takes place then it became the voice of each and every person. In the separation of subcontinent and the foundation of Pakistan students had played their vital role. Students played a major role in the Pakistan Movement. This was of great historical significance, for the Muslim students of the subcontinent had never participated in such great numbers in a political movement.It was a befitting culmination of the reformist movements of the late nineteenth century for the emancipation and education of Muslim youth. The Quaid Muhammad Ali Jinnah can be seen as source of inspiration for their emergence as players on the political scene. The recent biggest reform by students emerges in England because of the increasing fee structure in UK, and just because of the reaction of students the government had to take a backward step on this decision. It is very much clear that whenever students put their efforts in any matter then it had its own significance on them.Students' role in the purification of the society: Students are the future of the country. Through their energy, ability and potential they can bring radical changes not only to the society but also to the country as a whole. They can participate in creating awareness among the people about several issues and can help them in contributing efficiently for the society. They have the power to change the face of the society and hence play a pivotal role in the development of the society.They can purify the society by assessing knowledge and improving personalization skills, motivation ; practices for the formation of a good society and reforming of a civilized nation in to well beings. The synthesis research on achievement motivation, school engagement, and student voice, concluding that the more educators use student-centered approaches to reinforce student agency, the more motivation and engagement are likely to rise. I think this is the only way which makes students more productive so that they ca n play their part more efficiently and usefully for the society.CONCLUSION: Education is a compulsory factor a nation should have as to make progress in any field of life. In other words Education matters. In is a need of now as to get it as it helps in making a society peaceful, happy, prosperous and helps in many other ways. Children’s gain it as to make their future as also to play a vital role for the development of their nation. Now a days the society has no moral values due to which the students have to play a vital role as to play their part in society. Many institutes are made as for the people to gain knowledge and play a vital role.Our religion also gives stress on the gain of education and by gaining education a man can play a very vital role. In the end I can only say that â€Å"EDUCATION Matters†. REFRENCES: * Purpose of education written by Kim Jones. * Elementary education ; motivation in Islam written by DR. Eeqbal Hassim * Students role in history writ ten by Urwah ibn Zubayr * Possitive youth development written by Micheal J. Nakkula * www. students. com * The social role of university student written by Florian Znaniecki. * Social rights ; duties written by Leslie Stephen.

CERA - Performance Measurement Case Study Free Sample

This assignment is intended to demonstrate the individual performance measurement scheme of the CERA, which is one of the consulting companies that provide their consultation regarding the civil construction. As stated by Sanchez et al. (2015), performance management mainly includes different types of activities that ensure that the organizational goals can be consistently addressed in most efficient and appropriate manner. It is seen that CERA has achieved the competitive advantage for their qualified as well as skilled consultants who are useful in their field. Some of the senior level managers of the company are well convinced regarding their effective HR practices, but some of the managers still think that their organization do not have the effective HR practices to measure the individual performances of their employee. Therefore along with showing the limitation in the individual performance at the CERA, this assignment also provides a recommendation regarding the performance me asurement approaches by applying which the company can get an extensive and more efficient human resource. To manage performance most effectively in CERA, it is imperative to measure the employee performance with more effectiveness by facilitating the close monitoring. As per the viewpoint of Ferreira & Otley (2013), performance measurement can be defined as the process of the collection, analysis and report the evidence related to the fulfilment of the group, individual, system or the organization. Mainly an effective performance management system has five different parts such as defining the expectation regarding the performances, facilitating the performances, encouraging the employees to achieve the optimum level of performances, performance measurements and proving feedback to the employees regarding their performance. However, it is that CERA set some objective for their employees and asks them to achieve this. Therefore, they measure the employee performance by reviewing how many objectives they are achieving with quality. For example, to assess the performance level of the junior consultants they facilitate the performance appraisal by following the management by objective strategy. As per the viewpoint of Tseng (2014), management by objective is one of the model regarding management that mainly improves the performance of any organization by defining several objectives, which are agreed by both the employees as well as management. Moreover, to achieve those objectives they treat their employees like a school student because here the involvement of the senior level management is very high. They provide a brief and sufficient knowledge to their employee regarding how they can achieve those objectives, but by following this strategy, they do not get any sufficient knowledge regarding individual employee performance (Mayer& Davis, 2012). However, this strategy of them makes their organization to achieve more and effective output, but this strategy is not sufficient to produce highly effective and experienced employee. Along with that, this strategy suppressed the innovation capability and individual performances of the employee. CERA facilitates the performance management in their company to encourage the employees. The senior level managers have observed that the CERA is effective to achieve a good level of productivity, but they do not have any effective motivation technique by which they can retain their experi enced employees. Therefore, there are high levels of possibility that after sometimes depression can be generated among employees. To reduce the chances of that, they need to involve an effective level of performance management system. Moreover, after measuring the performance, they apply a wrong strategy to provide employees with a reward (Boland& Fowler, 2011). They provide more facilities or more financial reward to their senior level employees rather than their junior level employees. Therefore, this creates tremendous dissatisfaction among the employees. Therefore, it can be said that there is a misalignment among their organizational objective and their actual performances. CERA advertise their organization as one of the specialist's companies who has excellence compensation strategy for their employees. However, it has been observed in the present situation; CERA do not have any excellence in the compensation strategy, and they do not provide compensation based on the perform ances of the employees. This is because; they think that they can get more effective output from their senior level employees. Their ineffectiveness to provide preferences to their lower level employee may create a sense of de-motivation among the employee so that there is a high level of possibility that affords of the employee can be decreased gradually (Brignall & Modell, 2010). Additionally, it is also observed that CERA does not have any active feedback strategy that any company provides to their employee so that their employees can correct their performance and assists their company to achieve their pre-determined level of returns. In the case of CERA, it has been observed that they do not have any active feedback strategy. As stated by Kaplan& Norton (2013), feedback can be provided in oral or written mode and offers different advantages to both the employees as well as the company. The main benefits of effective feedback are it helps both the company and employee to improve the performances. Along with that it boosts the employee retentions and decreases employee turnover. Therefore, employee loyalty can be increased by following a feedback strategy (Folger, Konovsky & Cropanzano, 2011). Moreover, effective feedback reduces the cost due to fewer requirements of the training and development and increases the sales of a company. From the case of CERA, it is seen that they have very few employees; therefore, if they do not follow an effective strategy to handle their performances then they may face huge problems regarding employee turnover in their near future. One of the effective rationales regarding the re-bo oting of the performance management scheme of the CERA is identification and elimination of weaknesses in the traditional approaches that they mainly follow. Their performance management system must be effective to provide a timely as well as meaningful feedback to their staffs (Yahya & Goh, 2012). Another limitation in the CERA is the higher level management does not take feedback from the lower level employees because they do not have any believe that the lower level employee can provide an effective feedback that can support their company to achieve a better level of output. However, taking feedback from different sources such as customers, subordinates, and peers can develop the innovativeness of any company. It is seen that CERA only follow the management by the objective approach. Therefore, it is highly imperative for them to follow more efficient performance appraisal process by which they can judge the employee performance with more effectiveness and can provide them with the effective feedback by which they can lower their weaknesses. As the senior level management are very much effective to monitor their employees closely so that they can implement the 360-degree performance appraisal process. As stated by Levy & Williams (2014), 360-degree performance appraisal feedback is one of the processes that is utilized by any company to collect information regarding their employees from different sources to assess the work related behaviour of the employee. I order to facilitate the 360-degree feedback in the business; CERA can take the feedback from the immediate boss, supervisor and the peers. CERA can also solicit the feedback from different external sources that regularly interact with their employees. After the implementation of the 360-degree feedback in the company, CERA can assess the actual behaviour of their employees. After that, it is highly important to provide feedback to the employee regarding their performance so that their strength can boost and weaknesses can decrease. As opined by Alimo?Metcalfe (2012), the 360-degree appraisal can help the CERA to measure several things such as it helps to measure the competencies as well as the behaviour of employees. Moreover, it focuses on several areas such as character, leadership and teamwork. Along with that, it helps the upper-level management to conduct the planning and set their business related goals. As per the viewpoint of Bohl (2013), 360-degree performance appraisal also helps the employees as well as management to identify the business related objectives by improving the communication among the employee and employer. Additionally, 360-degree performance appraisal helps the organisation to focuses o n their core competencies. However, there are several issues involved in 360-degree feedback that is this tool is not customised according to the requirement of the company. It is imperative to take information from different stakeholders of the enterprise because it enriches any business with the different innovative idea that helps them to facilitate more growth. However, there is one of the disadvantages of the multisource information because it may generate the conflict in the company (Carless, Mann& Wearing, 2015). Therefore, before taking the multi-source feedback, CERA must be careful regarding that. Therefore, to make this tool more useful, it is important for CERA to customize the tool according to the need of the company. Moreover, manipulation of the employee to provide a rating to the employee may lead some biases because this process can be partial in some cases. There are enormous possibilities here that higher level manager can provide more efficient feedback regardin g those employees with whom they have the practical relationship (Brutus, Fleenor & London, 2016). Along with the 360-degree performance appraisal method, it is also important for CERA to follow the behaviourally anchored rating scale. As per the viewpoint of Murphy & Constans (2014), behaviourally anchored rating scales rate the performance of any employees based on some specific criteria. This performance appraisal process is mainly presented in the vertical mode by involving the point in the scales up to 9 from 5.As opined by Saal, Downey & Lahey (2012), this performance appraisal procedure merges the benefits of critical incidents, narratives as well as the quantified rating in the company to assess the employee performance against different criteria such as poor, good and moderate. Rather than graphically anchored rating scales, behaviourally anchored rating scales are more efficient because it helps the organization to eliminate some of the rater error. There are several advantages for which CERA must follow the behaviourally anchored rating scales which is it reduces the po tential for the biased responses in the company. Along with that, this performance appraisal process only measures the observable as well as specific behaviours. Moreover, it is effective to provide the standard as well as specific comments regarding the fulfilment of the job. As a contrast to different traditionally rating scales, this rating scale provides more accurate evaluation regarding the performances as well as the behaviour of the target persons. This effective tool also has some disadvantages that may create some problem for the managers of the CERA.As mentioned by Bernardin & Smith (2011), the main drawback is this performance appraisal process requires only effective and skilled staff. Moreover, the performance measurements tool require huge time alongside it is very complicated too. BARS are mainly dependent upon the aptness and the precision of different anchored statements. Moreover, the frequent update is mandatory along with the change of the job requirements. During designing the performance appraisal process, the HR manager of CERA must consider different types of error that are mainly occurred in any company. Rater errors are the error that took place during the performance measurement procedures. As stated by Bernardin & Walter (2013), rater error can be described as the credibility as well as the accuracy regarding the measurements of the performances. Rater errors are the human error which is very much common in any performance appraisal process because anyone cannot tell that any performance appraisal will be effective shortly. Different types of rater errors are a halo effect, leniency error, recency error, similar to me error, central tendency error etcetera. After implementing the proposed performance appraisal process, CERA may face problems due to below mentioned the reason. Halo effect error may occur in the CERA if the HR managers rate the dimensions of the performances either based on the positive or the negative rating. Thi s is one of the errors because in this method there are not any rating criteria to judge the performance of employees who have scored the middle-level performances. Due to leniency error, the manager of the CERA may give the low end of the scale if they have achieved the middle position on the range, which called the negative leniency. The manager may also provide high end of the scale to the employees whose performances is in the middle position of the scale that is called the positive leniency. Along with that, recency error in the performance appraisal process of the CERA may occur if the HR manager rates any employee based on the recent incidents regarding any employees. As opined by Borman, Hough & Dunnette (2012), central tendency error may be happened in the CERA, if the HR manager may rate the employee with higher performance by the average performance. HR manager may do an entirely wrong judgment to the subordinate employees if they can judge the lower level of employees ba sed on perspectives of other employees, which is called similar to me an error. The above facts can conclude that for achieving adequate performance, an effective performance management system is necessary. This is because effective performance management system always generates a productive organisation with efficient, skilled and motivated employees. The above fact also concludes that remuneration must be provided based on the performance so that the involvement of effective performance appraisal process in necessary. Performance appraisal process not only helps the organization to understand the capability of their employee but it also helps the employees to eliminate their present weaknesses and develops their strength. It has also becomes clear that as an innovative company, they are suppressing the innovative capability of the lower level staff. Moreover, they do not take feedback from the customers to provide consultation to them, which creates problem to understand the actual needs of the customer. In this context, performance measurement approaches beco mes evitable. The analysis in the report clears the fact that before implementing 360 degree appraisal system in their company, CERA must arrange a meeting with their employee where they should instruct their employees how they should provide feedback to a particular employee. On the other hand, it becomes clear that at present, there is not any rater error that is happening in the CERA because of the absent of their effective performance appraisal method, but it can be generated in the later time if the HR manager takes the performance appraisal process too casually. Further, it is found out that It is seen all of the modern organization provides feedback on the performances by facilitating an efficient performance appraisal method so that their employees can get a chance to understand and correct their weaknesses. Therefore, using error detection strategies might be effective in improving the overall performance of the organisation. Alimo?Metcalfe, B. (2012). 360 degree feedback and leadership development.  International Journal of Selection and Assessment,  6(1), 35-44. Bernardin, H. J., & Smith, P. C. (2011). A clarification of some issues regarding the development and use of behaviorally anchored ratings scales (BARS).  Journal of Applied Psychology,  66(4), 458. Bernardin, H. J., & Walter, C. (2013).Effects of rater training and diary-keeping on psychometric error in ratings.  Journal of Applied Psychology,  62(1), 64. Bohl, D. L. (2013).Minisurvey: 360-Degree Appraisals Yield Superior Results, Survey Stows.  Compensation & Benefits Review,  28(5), 16-19. Boland, T., & Fowler, A. (2011).A systems perspective of performance management in public sector organisations.  International Journal of Public Sector Management,  13(5), 417-446. Borman, W. C., Hough, L. M., &Dunnette, M. D. (2012).  Performance ratings: An investigation of reliability, accuracy, and relationships between individual differences and rater error. PERSONNEL DECISIONS RESEARCH INST MINNEAPOLIS MN. Brignall, S., & Modell, S. (2010).An institutional perspective on performance measurement and management in the ‘new public sector’.  Management accounting research,  11(3), 281-306. Brutus, S., Fleenor, J. W., & London, M. (2016). Does 360-degree feedback work in different industries? A between-industry comparison of the reliability and validity of multi-source performance ratings.  Journal of Management Development,  17(3), 177-190. Carless, S. A., Mann, L., & Wearing, A. J. (2015).Leadership, Managerial Performance and 360?Degree Feedback.  Applied Psychology,  47(4), 481-496. Ferreira, A., &Otley, D. (2013). The design and use of performance management systems: An extended framework for analysis.  Management accounting research,  20(4), 263-282. Folger, R., Konovsky, M. A., &Cropanzano, R. (2011).A due process metaphor for performance appraisal.  Research in organizational behavior,  14, 129-129. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2013).Transforming the balanced scorecard from performance measurement to strategic management: Part II.  Accounting Horizons,  15(2), 147-160. Keaveny, T. J., &McGann, A. F. (2013).A comparison of behavioral expectation scales and graphic rating scales.  Journal of Applied Psychology,  60(6), 695. Levy, P. E., & Williams, J. R. (2014). The social context of performance appraisal: A review and framework for the future.  Journal of management,  30(6), 881-905. Mayer, R. C., & Davis, J. H. (2012). The effect of the performance appraisal system on trust for management: A field quasi-experiment.  Journal of applied psychology,  84(1), 123. Murphy, K. R., &Constans, J. I. (2014).Behavioral anchors as a source of bias in rating.  Journal of Applied Psychology,  72(4), 573. Saal, F. E., Downey, R. G., &Lahey, M. A. (2012).Rating the ratings: Assessing the psychometric quality of rating data.  Psychological Bulletin,  88(2), 413. Sanchez, H., Kuttanna, B., Olson, T., Alexander, M., Gerosa, G., Philip, R., & Alvarez, J. (2015, February).Thermal management system for high performance PowerPC/sup TM/microprocessors.In  Compcon'97. Proceedings, IEEE  (pp. 325-330). IEEE. Tseng, S. M. (2014). Knowledge management system performance measure index.  Expert Systems with Applications,  34(1), 734-745. Yahya, S., &Goh, W. K. (2012).Managing human resources toward achieving knowledge management.  Journal of knowledge management,  6(5), 457-468.

Lieutenant Nun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lieutenant Nun - Essay Example Her change of look was so profound that neither her father, nor her mother and uncle could recognize her. After turning into a man, Catalina did a lot of jobs, and other activities that no woman could be expected to do in her time. The second turning point in Catalina’s life came when she had signed up for selection in army and was hired as her own brother’s soldier. Like her mother, father and uncle, her brother also did not realize it was his sister serving him as a soldier. Particularly, Catalina regretted having killed her own brother as a result of her commitment to her friend who had asked her to kill his second. She personally viewed the funeral of her brother and seeked refuge in the church for months after that. As a soldier, she happened to learn fighting skills which she would later use in the bloody battle. The third turning point in the life of Catalina came when she was declared not only a woman, but essentially a virgin woman as a result of the medical ex amination she goes through to clarify the doubts of the bishop when she made the confession of being a woman to the bishop. The bishop promised to assist her. Therefore, she was sent to the nunnery, and the church, meanwhile, studied her history to know if she had ever considered becoming a nun in the future. Two years after that, when it was found out that she had never taken vows, Catalina was granted the status of a Spanish celebrity.

ANALYSIS OF HEALTH NEEDS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ANALYSIS OF HEALTH NEEDS - Essay Example The Aging Network is an informal term used to describe the array of federal, state, and local government agencies established by the Older American’s Act (OAA) and the community based agencies that affiliate with them in serving older adults. The OAA contains titles of relevance to long term care. â€Å"Aging Network Services can provide direction and hope, even in the most difficult of circumstances† (Aging Network Services). â€Å"The Older Americans Act focuses on improving the lives of older people in areas of income, housing, health, employment, retirement and community services† (Older Americans Act). Due to the ever increasing number of elderly people, the focus has elaborated from community-based to long term treatment methodologies. Through the Older Americans Act, the Administration on Aging (AoA) was created. AoA is a sublet of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, which is governed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging. This can only be done if correct assessment of health care needs is there. The Administration on Aging (AoA) is connected with its nationwide network on aging composed of regional offices, to help coordinate and develop community-level systems of services that meet the unique needs of older persons and their caregivers. â€Å"[There is a] need for rethinking criteria for hospital discharge planning, more effective communication between service providers and patients, and community focus of attention on elders coming home from the hospital† (Jones, et al, 1989). Most supportive services fall under three broad categories: Access Services, which deals with transportation and outreach, In-home Services, that concerns homemaker services, and Community Services, which is connected to dealing with adult day care and legal assistance. â€Å"A disease-specific approach to geriatric preventive health care will not suffice; measures to enhance or maintain

Management information system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management information system - Assignment Example This has direct impacts on the business by touching on such aspects as finance, sales, marketing, accounting, customer service as well as the human resource aspects. It is the postulation of this paper that the adoption of e-commerce strategies is an effective tool towards reforming the cafà © especially in the modern day era of technological advancement. The Broadway cafà © would be more suited in adoption of electronic marketing strategies, computerized information management as well as adoption of an online system of ordering and correspondences. These are among other emerging features especially within the food industry such as in which the Broadway cafà © operates in. e-marketing strategies are not only convenient and efficient in saving costs of marketing but they increase the capacity of the advert to reach large number of target audiences easily (Baltzan, 2012). The internet has eased the mechanisms of advertisement and as such, the Broadway cafà © would have itself to blame in the event of failure to exploit the great opportunities brought about by internet and technological advancement in general. Information management as well as data handling is poorly done in the cafà © hence necessitating the adoption of the more improved systems of data/information management through computerized systems. Though the initial costs o f installing computers systems in the cafà © may be considered high, the efficiency realized through the system by far outweighs the costs incurred in installation. This would equally enable the management of the cafà © to adopt advanced services of data handling such as cloud computing. Moreover, this system would enable easy correspondences with customers through social media platforms among other improvements. This would be effective in business transactions of ordering and reservation placements as well as

An Examination of Marketing Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

An Examination of Marketing Ethics - Essay Example The teleological, or consequences driven ethics, involve the utilitarian principle. Essentially, this means the ends justify the means. It also means someone must determine what is best for the most people, and what hurt tolerance is acceptable for the remainder. The individual perspective drives these utility decisions and perspectives more than a central decision maker can determine.  So, how do researchers use these various rules and theories to study ethics? The first controversy regards whether the ethical application is a framework or a theory. (Laczniak, 1983) There is no real consensus among marketers, so Laczniak opts to deal with these issues as framework: â€Å"a skeletal structure designed to support a perspective.† (1983) Supportive of this framework structure is a lack of empirical evidence to theorize about ethical behavior. The framework discussed will not derive ethical rules or laws, but will help marketing managers deal with decisions that have ethical imp lications. (ibid)   The consequences based ethic framework, that is, teleological, concerns four data points: perceived consequences for considered actions; probability that consequences will affect the stakeholder group; the good or bad of each consequence; and the relative importance of each group. (Hunt, 2006)  The subjective nature of these data is striking. The perceived consequences of any action are likely to be an incomplete list at best and in polar opposition to reality at worst.   Intent.  ... The Ten Commandments are largely codified in modern society. A review of ethics requires a review of certain principles and rules. The following list from Laczniak (1983): 1. The Golden Rule states ethical behavior treatment is based on how the actor would want to be treated. 2. The utilitarian principle implies ethical behavior is a result of the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and by extension, the least amount of bad. 3. Kant’s categorical imperative demands to act so that the action, under the circumstances, could be a universal ethical law or standard of behavior. 4. The professional ethic requires action that would be viewed as proper by a peer review process. 5. The TV test relies on management reflecting on a TV interview and asking â€Å"Would I be comfortable explaining to a national TV audience why I took this action?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The utilitarian principle implies the end is more important than the means in ethical behavior. The other rules or th eories consider behavior to be moral or immoral, and results to be less controllable by the actor. Behavior based ethics are referred to as deontological while the results or consequence theories are teleological. (Hunt & Vitell, 1986) The teleological, or consequences driven ethics, involve the utilitarian principle. Essentially, this means the ends justify the means. It also means someone must determine what is best for the most people, and what hurt tolerance is acceptable for the remainder. The individual perspective drives these utility decisions and perspectives more than a central decision maker can determine. So, how do researchers use these various rules and theories to study ethics? The first controversy regards whether the ethical application is a framework or a

The brand strategies which Toyota May Adopt to improve tarnished brand Essay - 2

The brand strategies which Toyota May Adopt to improve tarnished brand image - Essay Example The domestic markets have turned into global markets that heightened competition rivalry among existing domestic and new multinational enterprises. Since last two decades, the society has been experiencing a rapid technological improvement. The technological advancements have led to change the structure of entire trade and business. The management tasks and operational process are now backed with technology like e-commerce and e-business. A better grip of technological advancement helps a business organisation to gain an upper hand position. Finally, enhancing economic condition of consumers and increasing their disposable income have strengthened their purchasing power. This has also changed their consumer buying behaviours and they have developed their specific brand preferences (Vashisht, 2005, p.68). In the modern and competitive business world, business organisations always try to position itself in market for avoiding unnecessary competitions. In this process they aim to achiev e strong competitive advantages and core competencies that enable them to gain upper hand position in the market. ... her explains that the objective of branding is not just to protect yourself as being better than your competitors, but branding seeks to position your brand so uniquely in the minds of your consumers so that they perceive your product as the only possible solution to your problem or need (Morita, 2010). The objectives of good branding are as follows: Deliver message clearly Confirm credibility Connect target prospects emotionally Motivates buyers Concretes User Loyalty The increasing demands of brand development is due to two primary factors i.e. urge for acquiring higher market share and increasing concern towards consumer value (Verma, 2009). The modern management style and thought process of decision makers have transformed. The modern management concept focuses more on long term benefits by creating a sustainable businesses environment where stakeholders’ wealth and value creation is the first priority. When a company is able to meet these responsibilities towards stakehol ders, society, community and environment, it is able to create a high brand image in the market. Managements in modern organisation culture follow management theories and models which are very effective in achieving common organisational goal. In this respect, they concentrate on two-way communicational system within cross-functional teams and with their consumers. For example, the existing management system deliberately tries to implement integrated marketing communication that focuses on better marketing strategy for enhancing consumer values. These efforts made by the modern managements are very helpful in brand development and hence, they try to draft specific plans for branding strategies (Hitt et al 2009). Recently in 2010, Toyota faced a great deal of tarnishing of its brand image because

Figurative Language versus Literal Language Essay - 11

Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example As an example, a person using an idiom would describe that another hung their head, which indicates a sadness or shame rather than the literal description of actually bowing a head downward. Misunderstanding might occur when a person unfamiliar with the common cultural meaning of a language is misconstrued, leaving them to believe a person is actually bending their head. The amphiboly is a type of fallacy, used to mislead the receiver. It is often used in political sciences as a means to persuade individuals of an intention while never actually providing clarity. As an example, this function in figurative language might be illustrated by a politician who indicates their goal is to argue with the Senate to provide changes. In reality, there is no argument occurring, rather following legitimate methods already in place to assist the constituency. Misunderstanding occurs when the receiver believes that there will be a verbal argument. The analogy occurs when comparisons are made, either in process or ideas, to something else entirely. As an example, the analogy would be used to suggest that a dirty animal stable has â€Å"enough work to kill a horse†. In this case, the converser or the writer is attempting to illustrate that it is difficult work, not to actually destroy a horse through the process of labor. An individual not acquainted with the familiar of culture and social lifestyle might believe that a horse will be slaughtered. A flame word is intended to prompt emotional response from the receiver to create an emotional response or retaliation against a principle or thought. The speaker or writer might indicate that a woman is â€Å"stubborn as a mule† to describe a poor disposition. Misunderstanding would not likely occur much when using flame words since the goal is to enflame the reader to respond accordingly. The metaphor occurs when comparisons are made to two objects or ideas that are actually similar in nature. To say that love

Transurban Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transurban Group - Essay Example The name of the company is Transurban Group and its ASX code is TCL.The main office is located at 505 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The reporting period of the company starts from 1st July and ends on 30th June of subsequent year The article â€Å"Transurban rejects Canadian takeover bids† appeared on May 12, 2010 and outlines the refusal of the group to accept two takeover bids on different grounds. (The Sunday Morning Herlad, 2010). The new article discusses about the two new takeover bids by the two pension funds from Canada and one from Australia and why Transurban Group has actually refused to accept the bids based on the value offered owing to its past performance and future prospects. Article however, mentions that the firm is willing to work with these firms in terms of due diligence and may also consider the options if the right price is offered. The article has also mentions the capital raising efforts of the firm to expand the business and ho w same may have an impact on the overall price offered by the acquiring firms. This article is interesting in the sense that it provides a concise picture of the details about the potential deals in which Transurban Group may be involved in near future. 4) The stock price on 5th April 2011 was $5.340 per share whereas the price on 8th April 2011 was $5.350 per share. The net change in the share price was $0.10 per share during the period. 5) The net profit as on 30th June 2010 was $59.605 M whereas the same was ($16.134m) during 2009. (Transurban, 2010, 51). Considering the above figures, it is evident that the firm was incurring losses during 2009 and it recorded an overall net profit of more than $59M during 2010. Net profit margin in 2010 therefore is 7.93% showing impressive performance considering the fact that the firm has incurred losses during 2009. It is also important to understand that the improvement in the profitability of the firm has become possible owing to the cost control. Firm has been able to reduce its key costs such as business development costs and corporate costs in order to improve the profitability of the firm. It could therefore be concluded that the firm has been able to achieve increase in profitability with better management of its costs and expenses. 6) The largest liability of the firm is borrowings which is to tune of $4.005 B and it is non-current liability. Note 16 of the notes to accounts indicates that these liabilities include infrastructure facilities, term loans, capital markets debt, US Private placement as well as the syndicated facilities. The infrastructure loans have been taken for the purpose of building and expanding the existing infrastructure base whereas other facilities have been taken for various purposes over the period of time. Borrowings also included working capital facilities having expiry of more than one year therefore they are reported in the non-current liabilities.(Transurban, 2010, 52) 7) There are four different streams of revenue reported in the annual accounts of the firm and each stream of revenue is recognized in the books based on different criteria. The revenue generated from the toll and fee is recognized when the actual charge is made by the user whereas other road revenues include advertising, rental and other associated revenue which is recognized as per the normal criteria. Construction revenue is recorded by the firm when the intangible asset is its construction phase whereas the development assets are recognized in sales when they are sold to third parties. Business development revenue is based on the provision of business support services and revenue is recognized accordingly. (Transurban, 2010, 74) 8) PriceWaterhouseCoopers is the auditor of the firm and based on the Independence of External Auditors Policy of the firm, the external auditors are not involved in any other activity on behalf of the firm. During the year, auditors have been paid to the

Baring Bank Case Essay Example for Free

Baring Bank Case Essay The Fall of sanngs sank The story of Barings Bank shows how overconfidence, coupled with poor internal control, can even bring down an historic financial institution. Below we provide a few teaching points. Nick Leeson seemed to have all the characteristics of an overconfident trader. As described in the chapter, excessive trading, lack of diversification, and too much risk were obviously present. Self-attribution bias seemed to play a major role. One commentator notes that Leeson got overconfident after initial trades were successful and] when he started to lose money, got way too aggressive trying to make it up. When Leeson was asked about his actions, he explained that l was determined to win back the losses [ ] I was well down, but increasingly sure that my doubling up and doubling up would pay off , thereby overestimating his abilities by thinking he could outperform the market even after severe losses. A case study into the affair concluded that it was overconfidence that led Nick Leeson to bet his reputation. But, as Saul Hansell of The New York Times stated, It isnt Just rogue traders loose annons stretching internal rules on trading desks who have destroyed their investors wealth. Money managers who play by the rules can get caught up short, too, when they fall to overconfidence about their mastery of the markets. He further wrote that, It is no secret that traders, as a class, are a young, independent and cocky bunch. The sheer size of the money they are Juggling can lead toa master-of-the- universe attitude. The Fall of Barings sank Barings Bank was founded in 1762 as the John and Francis Baring Company by Sir Francis Baring. This bank was the oldest merchant bank in London, financed the Napoleonic Wars, and was the Queen of Englands own bank. In 1996, one man, Nick Leeson, managed to bring down Barings Bank, one of the oldest and most conservative financial institutions in the world, through his illicit trading activity. In 1989, Leeson Joined Barings Bank. After being transferred to Jakarta, Indonesia to sort through a back-office mess involving EIOO million of share certificates, Leeson solidified his reputation within Barings when he successfully rectified the situation in 0 months. Lesson also knew how to account for derivatives, even if he did not fully understand the complexities of their pricing. Therefore, in 1992, when Barings opened a new office in Singapore to trade on the expanding Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SIMEX), Leeson became an obvious candidate to manage it. Senior management at Barings Bank assumed that Leeson would turn the Singapore office into a highly profitable endeavor and therefore gave him extensive responsibility. As eliminated the necessary checks and balances usually found within trading rganizations. Soon he was Barings Banks star Singapore trader, bringing in substantial profits from trading on the Singapore exchange. By 1993, Leeson had made more than Elo million, about 10% of Baringss total profit for that year. In 1994, he delivered over half of the E52. 9 million in revenue for his division on his own, making many proclaim him as the miracle worker. In his autobiography Rogue Trader, Leeson said the culture at Barings was simple: We were all driven to make profits, profits, and more profits I was the rising star. Aided by his lack of upervision, the 28-year-old Nick Lesson promptly started unauthorized speculation in futures on the Nikkei 225 stock index and Japanese government bonds. SIMEX regulators were aware of Leesons cross-trading activities, and his breach of their exchange regulations, but did not act decisively to stop him. Leesons large trading volumes were quickly becoming important for the exchange, and being a lightly regulated market was central to SIMEXs stra tegy to woo trade from neighboring Osaka. Using futures contracts, Leeson speculated that the Nikkei would rise.

Case study of patient care in radiography

Case study of patient care in radiography This investigation will consider the needs of a 24-year-old female patient who has been referred for an abdominal X-ray. The patient arrived from the emergency department on a trolley with suspected perforation. She appears to be in a lot of pain, is on oxygen and has been vomiting. She speaks Bengali with little English. She is accompanied by a nurse and her older brother who speaks English. This report aims to identify needs and requirements to form the most suitable plan of care for the patient, whilst in the radiography department. The following objectives will be taken into consideration; the needs of the patient, legal requirements and the role as a healthcare professional. Areas that will be considered in this investigation are communication, consent, patient dignity, health and safety, patient management and inter-professional collaboration. Patients beliefs, ethical issues and confidentiality need to be taken into account when planning patient care, as care needs to be tailo red for each individual person who uses hospital services. In this investigation all the issues mentioned will be addressed and a care plan will be made for this patient. Communication: Communication is vital with patients as the procedure needs to be explained and understood before the patient gives consent. The 3-point-check, checking the patients name, date of birth and address could help show how much English the patient understands as well as identifying the patient. Last menstrual period also needs to be checked before an x-ray as it could damage the growth of a foetus. The nurse may have already performed a pregnancy test or made arrangements for communication as the patient speaks little English. Communication with the patients brother could also be beneficial as he speaks English and could be used as an interpreter if no professional interpreter is available. Interpreters can also be used to convey non-verbal communication such as body movements and gestures. It is normally preferred that relatives are not used as interpreters due the unknown reliability of translation (Fraser and Cooper, 2009). Consent from the patient is required for anyone to be present in the room. In 2004 the British Red Cross and Department of Health issued multilingual phrasebooks to every UK hospital, which covers 36 languages, including Bengali. The intention was to provide translations of common medical terms and questions that can be used for basic communication with patients. Another issue, which could effect communication, is that the patient is nervous, in pain, on oxygen and is vomiting. This could make it difficult for the patient to talk and cause misunderstanding about what is being said. To ease this the patient will need to be kept calm and comfortable by using simple language to explain the procedure and respecting the patients individual beliefs and needs (Department of Health, 2003). Patient Dignity: Patient dignity is an important part of health care. This includes patient privacy and patients religious, social and ethical beliefs. Privacy can be maintained by providing private areas the patient to undress and discuss treatment. This may not be necessary for this patient as she may already be in a gown or could be unable to undress herself. Once communication with the patient has been organised, her beliefs need to be made clear as it may make a difference to the way that care is provided. The main religious beliefs that may have an effect in a radiography department are a requirement to be treated by a radiographer of the same sex and prohibition to undress in company of others (Department of Health, 2009). For an abdominal X-ray, any material, like metal, which may affect the image, will need to be removed from the area. This may not be appropriate for the patient. Issues with the sex of radiographers can be overcome if other staffs are available. In circumstances where an ima ge cannot be taken due to patients needs and requirements, the patient must be informed of the risks involved and be offered other forms of treatment. As researched by Field and Smith (2008) it may not be appropriate for the brother to be with the patient. The patients dignity may be lost if information about delicate issues, such as last menstrual period (LMP), is known by family members. Consent: Before the abdomen x-ray can be taken the patients consent is needed. Consent is also needed for the patients brother or an interpreter to be in the room and for the radiographer to touch the patient for positioning. For consent to be valid the patient has to be correctly informed and must have the capacity to give consent for the procedure in question (Department of Health, 2009). The patient must not be influenced or pressured into either giving consent or not giving consent. Being pressured or influenced can come from healthcare professionals, family members or friends. This is why the patients brother is an unreliable source for translation as he could give false translations if he doesnt agree with the female patients decision. In this case it will be vitally important that good communication is made, as the patient may not understand what is said because she speaks little English. The level of understanding may be impaired due to the patient being nervous, vomiting and on oxyge n. Due to this it may not be possible to gain written consent so other forms of consent can be used. Consent can be written or verbal. Written consent is normally preferred as it can be used as evidence if necessary. Informed consent is signalled by the actions and behaviour of an informed patient (Department of Health, 2009). For example if the patient positively responds to requests then it can count as consent. The nurse who has accompanied the patient to the radiography department could be a witness to verbal or informed consent. Health and Safety: Health and safety is essential in the NHS. This includes health and safety of workers, patients, visitors and anyone who enters the hospital. As the female patient has suspected perforation, is on oxygen and has been vomiting, it is likely that she is a trauma patient. Anger or aggression is a common way to react to trauma. The communication barriers could worsen this. Anger is a reaction to fear and uncertainty and if not controlled can cause danger to workers and carers in the hospital (Easton, 2009). Control methods include talking to the patient, making sure that she understands what is happening and considering body language, as this could worry the patient or the patients brother. Also as the patient is on oxygen and has been vomiting its necessary to ensure that the oxygen tank is functional throughout the procedure and that back-up supplies are available if needed. The patient has been transferred on a trolley so will need to be moved to the table for the abdomen x-ray. As th e patient may not be able to move herself, a team of trained staff will be required for manual handling to move the patient. The movement can be done in many ways including log rolling and the use of a slip mat. The team should include about 6 members of staff to ensure that no injury is caused to the staff; i.e. back injury, and to ensure that the patient is supported well. Health and safety standards should be maintained at all times. Patient Management: The patient will need to be monitored at all times through the x-ray procedure as any changes in her condition could be life threatening. She has suspect perforation. As defined by Oxford (2010), perforation is the creation of a hole in an organ, a tissue or a tube inside the body. A disease, allowing the contents of the intestine to penetrate the peritoneal cavity, can cause this. Basic observation that need to be made while in an x-ray department are pulse, respiration and temperature, as these are easy observations which can be the first signs of changing conditions. The patient is also in a lot of pain. Pain can be assessed by talking to the patient and by watching the way the patient behaves. (Field and Smith, 2008). As the patient has come with a nurse from another hospital department she may have been given pain management such as morphine or paracetamol, and the radiographer should ask the nurse this when the patient first arrives. Other methods of pain management, which incl ude no drugs and can be easily implemented in an x-ray department, include keeping the patient calm, relaxed and distracting the patient from the pain. This can be done by talking to the patient, either with or without the use of an interpreter depending on the needs. If the patients condition worsened when in the radiography department the scan may not be possible and emergency action may be necessary. This would involve calling in emergency nurses and doctors to help. The patient would need to be transferred to the relevant part of the hospital for care. Inter-professional Collaboration: Inter-professional collaboration is an essential component in healthcare. The College of Nurses of Ontario (2008) believe it means working together with other members of the healthcare team who each make an individual contribution to achieving a common goal or purpose. A number of professions have already been included in the care of the female patient; the nurse who is accompanying her, the doctor who referred her to the x-ray department, porters and possibly many more such as paramedics and triage nurses. The radiographer will need to work with the nurse and the brother to help the patient and possibly with an interpreter to help with translations and communicating with the patient. The referral card will have a doctors name and signature, which needs to be checked before the x-ray can be taken. This requires inter-professional collaboration as only certain qualified staff can refer patients to the x-ray department. As the patient is on a trolley and in pain she may not be able to move herself onto the x-ray table. Extra staff will then be required to help with manual handling when moving the patient from the trolley to the table. Porters will be needed to transport the patient after the x-ray has been taken. The x-ray image will need to be sent to colleagues who can then make a plan of care. If surgery is needed then information will need to be supplied to them. Inter-professional collaboration makes healthcare efficient and as radiographers work with every department in a hospital, it is vital that inter-professional collaboration is enforced. Conclusion: In summary, it is not only a radiographers duty to take x-ray images of every patient who walks into the department, but also to ensure that their experience is beneficial and satisfactory to their needs. This can take many forms as with the female patient, who speaks little English, her needs required special measurements for communication with possible use of an interpreter, pain control, other forms of consent and precautions about giving details to the patients brother. She also requires care as she is wearing an oxygen mask. For this patient, all of her needs and beliefs have to be taken into account, but still whilst working within the law. The radiographer is also obliged to make sure that each patient will be receive the correct care after their visit to the radiography department. For example, information needs to be passed on to relevant professions after the female patients abdomen scan is taken. The patient should be able to leave the radiography department feeling that s he was welcome in the department and knowing that the hospital staff all cared about her well being. This type of care, which has been tailored to suit the patients needs, is not just for patients who cannot speak English or patients who are in pain. Each patient that comes in for a scan needs to be treated individually as everyone has preferences and it is the job of the radiographer to guarantee patient satisfaction on both a healthcare and social level. The patient should always be the priority to anyone in healthcare.

Stages of the Purchasing Decision Process

Stages of the Purchasing Decision Process P-1: Describe the main stages of the purchasing decision making process Business buying decision process Business buying decision process consists of the following steps. Problem recognition General need description Product specification Supplier search Proposal solicitation Supplier selection Order routine specification Performance review (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) Problem recognition: It will occur when an organization recognizes a problem or need that can be meet by buying a product or service. General need description: Lets assume that an organization wants to improve its services or products soin this step characteristics of the services and products needed are explicitly expressed. Product specification: After the pervious step an organization will express the specification of the product or services which will be of course done with the consultation of the engineering or technical team. Supplier search: In this step an organization will search for the supplier of the goods needed this can be done by reviewing trade directories or by doing computer search. It will obviously short list those one who has good reputation and offers best deals. Proposal solicitation: Once the search is complete then an organization will invite suppliers to submit their proposal, in this case presentation by the supplier might be needed. Supplier selection: In this step the organization will finalize the supplier. Factors like competitive prices, honest communication, quality products and services etc are of great importance in this regard. Order routine specification: At this stage the organization management will prepare an order-routine specification. It will also incorporate final order with selected supplier and list of other elements technical services after sales required, date of delivery return polices and warranties etc. Performance review: After order-routine specification in this step organization will assess the performance of the suppliers products or services. This may lead organization to keep on, change, of drop the arrangement with the supplier. Consumer buying decision process Consumer buying decision process consists of the following steps Need recognition Information search Evaluation of alternatives Purchase decision Post Purchase behavior (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) Need recognition: The process starts with need recognition the buyer feels that he should have the specific products or services in order to fulfill his need. The reason behind this can be internal stimuli i.e. need to fulfill and external stimuli i.e. products or services ads. Information search: An interested prospect intending to buy products or services will search for information regarding various companies offering those products or services. He will use sources like internet, friends etc. Evaluation of alternatives:The marketing people of companies need to know about how various consumers evaluate products or services well the process is not easy to understand. Here the consumers might keep the following points of evaluation criteria prices, quality, and brand. Purchase decision: Normally the consumer is suppose to buy that product or service which up to highest level fulfill his evaluation criteria but even at this stage same factor might alter consumers decisions. Post Purchase behavior: Consumers buying decision process does not end with the purchase of the product or service it engages itself in post-purchase process. This determines whether the buyer is satisfied with product or service bought or not. If satisfied then good word mouth will happen and vice versa. Consumers satisfaction, dissatisfaction or delightedness depends upon buyer expectations and the product or service quality perceived performance. P-2: Identify approaches and theories of buyer behavior in terms of individuals and markets The basic purpose of marketing is to affect how customers think about the organization and about its products. To affect whats, whens, and hows of the buying behavior, marketing managers should first understand the whys. Buying behavior is very hard to understand yet it is extremely important task that marketer need to perform. If a marketer can identify buying behavior of its target audience, he or she will be in a better position to target products and services at them. Buyer behavior is focused upon the needs of individuals, groups and organizations. Talking about buyer fundamentally there are two types of buyers recognized the first is the Ultimate consumers and the second one is business buyers (in this outcome markets refers to business buyers). Ultimate Consumers: Those individuals and households who buy good and services for personal consumption. Business buyer: Those firms that buy goods and services for the use in the production of their products and services or for the purpose of reselling and renting them to others at a profit. Approaches used to alter target audience buying behavior Model for Consumer behavior For companies the buying decision is the most crucial element for their entire organization. The most prominent question in the regard is that: how do consumers respond to different marketing activities that a firm might use? The first step in finding the solution to this important question can be stimulus response model of consumer buying behavior. This model suggests that marketing efforts and other stimuli enter the consumers â€Å"black box† and produce certain responses. Marketers must understand what is their in that black box. Marketing stimuli consists of four Ps and includes other major environmental forces and actors like economic, technological etc. All these inputs go in the black box, where these efforts are converted into various responses like product choice, dealer choice, purchase timing etc. The important thing that marketers need to figure out is that what is there in black box. It has twp parts first buyers characteristics influence how he or she perceives and reacts to the stimuli. Secondly the buyers decision itself affects the buyer behavior. (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) Model for business buyers This model helps the marketers to understand that how business buyers will respond to various marketing stimuli. The marketing and the other stimuli which are carved in order to affect buyer behavior are similar to the consumer model. How ever the expected responses are little bit different which include Product or service choice, supplier choice, order quantity etc. the biggest difference between consumer and business model is the difference between the factors and people which alter and perform buying process. With in the organization purchasing those goods consists two major parts: the buying center i.e. the people who make the ultimate decision and buying process. This approach suggests four questions about business buyer behavior. What buying decisions do business buyers make? Who participates in the buying process? What are the major factors that influence buying process? How does an organization make its buying decision? (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) Types of individual and business buying behavior situation Types of individual buying behavior situations Complex buying behavior: in this type of buying the situation the consumer is highly involved in the purchase process and there is a clear perceived different among various brands. For example if someone intends to buy an insurance policy in this case he is highly involved in the process along with having significant information about various companies. Dissonance- reducing buying behavior: when the consumer is highly involved in the purchase process but he knew very little about companies offering that particular good i.e. he cannot differentiate brands for example in Pakistan if someone intend to buy a dry cleaner in this case he or she may deeply involve in the buying but having very less information about the brands. Habitual buying behavior: this type of buying process incurs when there is low involvement of consumer and the buyer has few significant perceived differences about brands. Variety seeking buyer behavior: It occurs under the condition of low consumer involvement in the purchasing process but having significant knowledge about different brand. For example buying a cold drink. Types of Business buying behavior situations Straight re-buy: an organization buying things in a routine order without any modification. For example if a car company buys tires on routine basis without any medication. Modified re-buy: in this buying situation the buyer reorders something but along with instructions of some modification. For example if Car Company reorders tires but with some modifications lets say with good quality rubber. New-Task: when a business buys any product or service for the first time this type of buying situation is called new task. For example if a Car company diversify and buy machine for tire manufacturing. System selling: Purchasing a packaged solution to some problem for single seller as a result ignoring all the separate decision involved in a complex buying situation. This is often a key marketing strategy for availing and retaining business accounts. (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) Theories regarding individual and business buying behavior Maslows theory of Motivation Abraham Maslows through his famous theory explained that how human beings are motivated by particular needs at particular times. He argued that all behaviors start with a need: physical needs social acceptances are examples of needs. Why does a person spend so much of money and time on personal security and on gaining social status? His answer to this is that human needs are arranged in hierarchy from the most compelling one in the start and the least compelling one at the end. These needs include physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self actualization needs. An individual tires to attain such means through the most pressing (physiological needs) needs can be satisfied once one levels needs are sufficiently enough satisfied then an individual will endeavor to satisfy the next levels needs like for example any body physical and security needs should be satisfied sufficient enough in order to get telecom services as this services can be related to belongings level because many people buy this service in order to communicate. (Maslow, Blogger, 1954) Freud was psychologist he believed that people are largely unaware about the actual psychological forces shaping their behavior. He observed that people while growing up keep inside many urges which are never eliminated or under full control: they are expressed in dreams, slips of tongue etc, or some times in psychoses. His theory suggested that human beings buying decisions are influenced by subconscious motives that the purchaser may not fully understand. For example if any person buys a Mercedes might say that I have bought it because its very comfortable and make status statement. At a deeper level the actual reason might be to eliminate the feel of inferiority. (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008) P-3: Explain the factors that affect buyer behavior As explained earlier that there are two types of buyer who are the ultimate consumer and second one is business buyer here factors that influence there buying behavior is explained separately for both. Factors that affect final consumers buying behavior Consumer behavior is deeply affected by cultural, social, personal, and psychological characteristics these factors at most of the time are uncontrollable. These factors are explained in detail which is as follows: Cultural factors Culture: Culture is basic reason behind any person wants and behavior. Human beings behavior is mostly learned. As time passes our culture is becoming more materialistic which implies that people will buy more electronic and other technological goods so changing culture is a bit difficult for those firms which are not advanced technologically. Subculture: Each culture has smaller subcultures. It is basically a group of people who have same value system based on ordinary life experience and conditions. Social class: Social classes are a society‘s permanent and arranged sections whose members beliefs in common values, interests and ways of doing things. It is not determined by keeping on element in mind like income rather factors like occupation, income, education, wealth, and other variables are kept in mind. Social factors Groups: A persons way of doing things is also altered by the group to which he belongs. Group can affect firms target audience in some way or other. Reference group: Reference group for a person is that group to which he admires. It serve wither in straight (face to face) or indirect point of judgment or reference in forming a persons attitude or behavior. People most of times are influenced by reference group to which they do not belong. Family: It is the most significant consumer buying unit in a society and it has been researched widely. Marketing managers must pay a great deal of attention to the roles of consumers which deeply influence the purchase decision while buying products or services to themselves. Roles and status: A person at the same time belongs to different groups- family, organization, clubs, etc. A role consists of actions that one is suppose to execute according to environment around him or her. Very role contain a status representing the general esteem given to it by society. Personal factors Age and life cycle stage: Choices of food, clothes, etc are often age related. People change their buying habits with changes in their age. Purchasing is also influenced by the stage of the family life cycle- the stages through which families might. Occupation: An individual occupation influence the choice of goods and services bought. Economic situation: A persons buying pattern is affected by economic situation in a very significant manner. For example economy of Pakistan is in a worst shape so people will have less money to spend which they will buy products or services too so this factor is really important for firms. Life styles: life style is a person way of living presented in this or her psychographics. Individuals which belong to same culture, subculture, social class and occupation may have different life style. Life style portrays something more than on persons social class or personality. Personality and self concept: Personality means the distinct psychological attributes that lead to comparatively consistent and lasting responses to ones own world. Each person distinct personality put and effect on his or her buying pattern. It is usually described in term traits like self confidence, autonomy, adaptability and aggressiveness. Many marketers utilize a notion related to personality i.e. â€Å"self concept†. The idea which self concept convey is that people possessions contribute to and reflect their identities; that is we are what we have. Hence to understand your target audience psyche first you must understand the relationship between self concept and possessions. Psychological factors Motivation: Human beings at the same time have many needs. Some are biological such as hunger, thirst or discomfort others are physiological, arising from the need of recognition, esteem, or belonging. A need transformed into a motive when its deficiency is experienced up to an intense level thus compelling a person to satisfy it. Two famous theory regarding motivation were proposed by Sigmund friend and Abraham Maslow. Perception: It is the procedure by which human being select, organize, and interpret information to form meaningful picture of the world. If for example people perceive a firm as a good company so more and more people will buy its products or services as its existing customers will suggest it to others. Learning: When people take action they learn. Learning is basically changes in the individuals behavior as a consequence of experience. It incurs when on interacts with stimuli, cues, responses and reinforcement. When one buy firms products or services and or respond to its advertisements and if he/she found the sayings of firm correct so consumers will learn about its products and services in a positive manner and vice versa. Beliefs and attitude: A belief is an expressive thought that a person has about something. It may be based upon real knowledge, opinion, or faith and it also may or may not have an emotional factor. It is of great importance to any firm marketers because it shapes its brand image that alters purchasing decision. Attitudes are comparatively consistent evaluations, feeling, and tendencies toward object or idea. It structures people liking and disliking patterns. Changing someone attitudes is a very hard task to perform. P-4: Evaluate the relationship between brand loyalty, corporate image, and repeat purchase Before explaining the relationship between these three elements first its definition one should understand its definitions. Brand loyalty: brands that consumer generally buy from the same manufacturer repeatedly over time rather that buying it from multiple suppliers within the category. It also refers to the degree to which consumers consistently purchase the same brand within the product class. (12manage) Corporate image: The perceptions and impressions of an organization by the public as a result of interaction with the organization and the way the organization presents itself. Organizations have traditionally focused on the design of communication and advertising materials, using logos, symbols, text, and color to create a favorable impression on target groups, but a variety of additional activities contribute to a positive corporate image these include PR programs. (CBS Interactive Business Network) Positioning (the way the consumer perceive you or in simple words corporate image) of a company is affected by Performance of an organization Features of products or services Shape of firms offering Distribution channel used Location of a company offices and outlets Countries of origin i.e. the country where organizations headquarter are located. For example France is famous for perfumes so some company office is there so it is obvious that people will perceive it in a positive manner. This factor has been discussed deeply by famous Harvard professor Michael E Porter in his book â€Å"Competitive Advantage of Nations†. A company that mismanages or ignores its image is likely to encounter a variety of problems. Reputation problems grow like weed in a garden, Davis Young wrote in his book â€Å"Building Your Companys Good Name. Four types of positioning error can occur Under positioning: in this condition firm is not able to portray full benefits of its offerings. Over Positioning: in such status quo company narrow its image in the mind of consumers. Confused Positioning: consumers are confused that what does this company really offers and to whom. Doubtful Positioning: in this situation buyers are skeptical that whether whatever the company is saying is true or not. Repeat purchase: This term is referred to the notion when customer buys the same brand purchased by him on the previous occasion; also called repurchase. Brand loyalty can be calculated by a pattern of repeat purchases. For retaining (repeat purchasing) so that consumers buy your product again and again the business should produce better product then their competitors. P-5: Review and evaluate different type of market research techniques? Marketing research is a systematic design of collection, analysis and reporting of data in order to improve management decision by providing relevant, accurate, and timely (RAT) information. (Aaker, Kumar and Day, 2005 p.no.1) Marketing researchers employ different kinds of research techniques in order to meet their research objective. The following are different kinds of marketing research techniques which are discussed and evaluated in detail below: Qualitative marketing research techniques Observational marketing research technique Different surveys techniques (Quantitative methods) Experimentation Qualitative marketing research techniques: These methods are less structures and more flexible. Data gathered from these kind of marketing research techniques is very rich and deep because of the longer and flexible relationship with the respondents which implies more chances of new insights and perspectives. There are three main areas where these techniques can be employed. Exploratory: defining the problem, suggesting hypothesis etc. Orientation: learning more about consumer real motives; the way the think. Clinical: having and insight in to such issues that otherwise is might not be possible to know with structured research methods. So for the following qualitative marketing research techniques have been identified and employed by researchers. Individual in-depth interviews Focus group session Projective techniques Individual in-depth interviews: These types of interviews are employed by having a face to face contact with the respondents in which an issue is discussed in great details. There are two basic types of individual in depth interviews which are nondirective and semi structured. In nondirective interviews the interviewee is given full freedom to respond within the limits of issue under discussion, such sessions are one to two hour long. In semi structured interviews the researcher attempt to explore only those area which are on his list. The time and exact wording are pre decided for each question to be discussed. Advantages Studies can be conducted in remote area through telephone in depth interview. Data gathered is rich and deep because of the time consumed. Focus on research issue. More value: it helps the researcher to find unconscious motivational factors. Semi structured interviews are very flexible to interview busy executive because time and wording is pre decided. Disadvantages Time consuming because most of time these sessions are conducted for 1 to 2 hours. Difficulty regarding record keeping most of people especially executives dont like tape recorders. As very few people are considered for the research so it means a poor representative of the whole population This type of techniques requires very skilled researcher which might become a problem in some situations. Focus group sessions: It is the process of attaining possible idea or solutions to a marketing issue from a group of people by discussing it. The basic elements which makes a focus group session successful or flop is group interaction on a chain of topics introduced by a moderator. The group included consists of five to nine members who are encouraged to express their opinion on the issue, and to further explain or react with the views of other respondents. The main aim is similar to unstructured interview but the moderator plays a more inactive role in the discussion. Advantages It provides more encouragement than an in depth interview which results in new perspectives. People speak out in these sessions because of a sense of security by being in a crowd (group behavior). More depth: as it names explains that these session are focused on one issue which means more value and deepness in the data. Sparking: some time one person views sparks a new idea in another respondents mind which is unlikely to happen in depth interviews. Disadvantages Time consuming: as these sessions are conducted for 2 to 3 hours. Again the respondents selected might not a better representation of the population. Poorly conducted session leads towards wrong results which mean waste of time and money Its cost is very high. Analysis and interpretation of the data collected is very complex because of dispersion in the respondents opinions. Projective techniques: This technique is employed by presenting an ambiguous, unstructured object, activity, or person that a respondent is asked to explain. Respondents involvement is directly proportional to level of ambiguity which will result in hidden motives and feeling. This technique become a part of whole research design when it is expected that a populations sample will not or cannot respond expressively to a direct questions about the reason for certain behavior and about the motives behind buying certain products. It has different kinds for example word association, picture interpretation, case studies etc. Advantages It is used by researchers where other techniques cannot be used to obtain the research objective i.e. it helps to identify hidden consumer motives. By using this technique a marketer can identify opportunities for really new functions in any product category. The word association technique has been very useful for obtaining responses to potential brand names. Strong control on research information as it is a simulation test so it wholly depends upon the researcher that where he want to take the research. Disadvantages Very difficult to employ because of its complexities and skill requirement for the researcher. It might be very hard find the right persons for these tests. It might not be possible to employ this research method in some parts of the world because of the technology requirement for these tests. Idea taken from (Aaker, Kumar and Day, marketing research, 2005) Observational marketing research technique: Observational research or field research is research technique that involves the direct observation of people in their natural setting. There are many types of observational methods which have been identified and implemented by researchers. These methods have yielded very good results. Some organization believe very much in observational methods for example Swedish home appliances maker Electrolux. These techniques are widely used in retail store audits, shelf space audit etc. its different kinds are direct observation, contrived observation, Content analysis, Physical trace methods, etc. These methods are limited to providing information on current behavior. Due to this strong argument many researchers do not use these methods. However there are some strong reasons that why observational research should be used in overall research design. Some of the reasons are as follow; Causal observation is an important exploratory research technique. Organization managers constantly observe factors such as competitive prices and advertising activities the length of lines of buyer waiting to buy products of that particular company and read trade journal in order identify threats and opportunities. Systematic observation can be fruitful addition to other research methods. For example during a personal interview if a researcher observe the respondents race, his neighborhood, and other conditions under which he lives so it this data can supplement his analysis . It can be some time the most effect way to check the effectiveness of some activities. For example it can help a researcher to observe in store traffic pattern, check the effectiveness of in store advertising etc. Advantages It is probably the less expensive if compared with other research methods. The data achieved through this method is most accurate because the consumers is un-aware that he is been observed so every action is original. Some time the observation is the only method that can employed. This is the case with infant children they are not able to clearly identify their choices so observing them is the only choice. Physical trace method tough used very rarely is also sometimes the only option left. For example if someone want to measure the amount of Alcohol consumed in Peshawar so it can only measured by counting the bottles in carbides because officially Alcohol is not allowed for sale in Peshawar. Disadvantages Observational methods only observe current behavior they cannot observe human motives, attitudes, or indentations. It may be sometimes very costly and time consuming if there is a sample problems of the research is supposed to highly subjective. It cannot be used to study cognitive or affective variables. Idea taken from (Aaker, Kumar and Day, marketing research, 2005) Different surveys techniques (Quantitative methods): Following are the different kinds of survey techniques Personal interviewing Telephone interviewing Mail surveys Web surveys Personal interviewing: It is characterized by the interaction of the four elements the researchers, the interviewers, the interviewee and the interview environment. While a personal interview the interviewer interact with interviewee and at the same time affect on another in an interview environment. Door to door interviews, executives interviews, Mall intercept surveys; self- administrated questionnaires, etc are the types of this kind of techniques. Advantages Interest can created in the start through face to face interaction with respondents which will increase the participation rate. This mode of research can very useful when respondents are asked complex questions. This problem can be eliminated by showing him pictorial aids. It is the most feasible option when large amount of data is required and the questionnaires contain complex questions. This type of method has got more flexibility. Some questions can be skipped by the researcher in order to save time if needed. Disadvantages Personal interviews are time consuming. It cost a lot as it is administrated for large samples. Because of time and cost expenditures per person it cost more than mail or telephone surveys. Telephone interviewing: It is generally more like personal interviewing expect some elements are unique. Its process includes selecting the telephone numbers, the call outcomes, the introduction, when to call and call reports. This is gradually becoming the widespread method for obtaining information from large sample. Advantages It has got more operational flexibility as it can administrated from central place in appropriate hours or from the examiner home. It less time consuming as more interviews can be conducted in less time. Time can be better utilized for example if the survey is based on teenagers so one can call on that time on which they are expected to be at home. It is more efficient than other metho