Healthy Work Environment

A Healthy Work Environment: Essential in Providing Quality Health Care Kimberly Lett DeVry University ENGL135: Advanced Composition Fall term 2010 A Healthy Work Environment: Essential in Providing Quality Health Care The delivery of healthcare has evolved and changed over the years and with the advances in science and technology, the ability to provide safe, quality care to all patients has been impacted by the changes. With the rising healthcare costs and decrease in reimbursement for care provided, organizations must look for ways of cost containment to maintain viability for the future. Fabre (2005) noted that administrators are struggling to maintain financial stability and retain competent nurses during these difficult financial times. Organizations are being evaluated and reimbursed based on their patient care outcomes; as such the nurse’s role is critical in helping to identify potential safety risks to patients and the prevention of medical errors. As hospitals have responded to financial pressure from Medicare, managed care , and other private payers, registered nurses have become increasingly dissatisfied with the working conditions in hospitals† (Fabre, 2005, p. 20). One of the many challenges in healthcare today, is the need for organizations to recognize and facilitate the improvement of the work environment. The need for competent, qualified nurses in any organization is i mperative for providing safe, quality care to the clients. For this reason the critical role that nurses have in providing patient safety should not be underestimated. The Institute of Medicine (2004) reported â€Å" research is now beginning to document what physicians, patients, other healthcare providers, and nurses themselves have long known: how well we are cared for by nurses affects our health, and sometimes can be a matter of life or death† (p. 2). The importance of a healthy work environment has been recognized as a key component in maximizing organizational performance, contributing to a decrease in the nursing shortage within an organization and is vital in providing quality care to the clients they serve. The growing concern for the nursing shortage continues to be a major issue affecting the profession and attention is being given to the stressful nature of the work environment. Several national surveys were completed in 2002 and 2004, identifying reasons for the ongoing nursing shortage, one of the major concerns centered on the work environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Organizations are looking at ways of restructuring the work environment, enabling staff nurses the opportunity to participate in decisions that impact their ability to practice. McDonald, Tullai-McGuinness, Madigan, and Shively (2010) remarked that workplaces that have a supportive work environment have noted success in recruitment and retention of their work force, citing an increase in job satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. With nurses making up the largest percentage of professionals working in a hospital setting, organizations now recognize the importance of the nurses’ role and measures to improve the workplace are being developed. Lowe (2002) noted â€Å" diagnosing the extent of work environment problems in healthcare is the first step in designing strategies to improve the quality of healthcare workplaces† (p. 49). Hospitals looking to improve on the work environment must first have an understanding of the nurses’ perception of their workplace environment. Kramer and Schmalenberg (2008) noted â€Å"the perspective of clinical nurses at the front line as to what constitutes a healthy work environment is essential if interventions to improve practice environments in hospitals are to be implemented† (p. 57). Once an organization is able to identify distinctive characteristics that have an impact on staff and their environment, they are then able to proceed in developing strategies to improve the work culture. All members of the healthcare team, including staff, management, and administrators, must be committed to the development of a healthy work environment as well as sustaining the culture through modeled behavior. Practical techniques to assist in the development of staff friendly cultures are clearly identified, with long term strategies implemented rather than short term fixes, for all members of the organization. To help facilitate and guide organizations, professional groups have designed several programs available for their use in fostering a healthy work environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ACNN) sponsors the Magnet Recognition Program, which focuses on the development of nursing practices and evaluates the environment where nursing is practiced. This program is well recognized by organizations throughout the country, as the Magnet Journey and is considered to be one of the highest achievements that organizations can obtain (Broom, & Tilbury, 2007). Organizations that strive to achieve the Magnet designation, acknowledge the link between a healthy work environment and the development of an organization of nursing excellence. Hospitals utilizing the Magnet concept demonstrate the following characteristics; (a) authentic leadership, (b) skilled communication, (c) effective decision making, (d) quality patient care processes, (e) collaboration and teamwork among all healthcare workers, (f) professional growth and accountability, (g) clinically competent staff and (h) adequate staffing levels (Shirey, 2006). All the above components are essential and linked to the effectiveness of a quality work culture. An online survey of clinical nurses, conducted by the AACN, were asked to identify factors that had an impact on their satisfaction with nursing as well as potential reasons that might cause them to leave the profession ( Ulrich et al. , 2006). Leadership style was identified as a key component affecting nurses’ satisfaction with their job. Nursing leadership is a crucial element to the work environment of nurses, as it is the leaders who can bring about positive changes to the environment (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). The importance of effective leadership from all levels of management in any organization is essential in developing and promoting collaboration with their employees. A manager’s ability to foster leadership growth, and recognize the importance and expertise of the nursing staff will have a major advantage in retention of competent nurses in their units. In essence, leaders who can motivate and provide opportunities for their staff, and demonstrate a high level of role model behavior, have higher levels of staff participation and commitment to the organization. Authentic leadership is characterized as one that establishes relationships which are based on trust, respect, and can be considered genuine and believable (Shirey, 2006). Leaders that demonstrate excellent management styles are participatory, coaching and mentoring, they encourage and value staff members and support staff involvement in decision making that has an impact on their work environment (Tomey, 2008). The importance of effective leadership, with staff and management working together, is noted by their ability to create a shared vision for the organization through collaboration and continuous improvement of the work environment. Shirey (2006) noted â€Å"authentic leadership was described as the glue needed to hold together a healthy work environment† (p. 256). Another influential factor in the workplace is skilled communication among all levels of the healthcare team. Key components when utilizing one’s communication skills include verbal and nonverbal interactions and enhanced listening skills, all are vital in ensuring effective communication. Because communication happens continuously in the workplace between employees, managers and customers, it plays a vital role in the development of healthy relationships. Fabre (2005) noted that nursing staff expect sincerity, trust and good communication from all levels of leadership within the organization. Communicating openly and honestly allows for individuals to deal with one another in a respectful manner, build trust and have an appreciation for each other. A healthy relationship among co-workers enhances the communication process, allowing collaboration and teamwork, which in turn leads to a decrease in medical errors and fosters a safe environment for patient care. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) remarked that the 80% of medication errors and 70% of sentinel events that occurred in delivery of patient care were directly related to ineffective communication among the care providers (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Interactions among nurses, physicians, patients and managers, all have a direct impact on the quality of care delivered. In order to provide optimal patient care, it becomes crucial for all members of the healthcare team to communicate effectively with one another. Interpersonal relationships and collaborative teamwork among nurses, physicians and other members of the healthcare team are crucial to the delivery of quality care to the patients (Parsons, & Cornett, 2005). Another important aspect of a healthy work environment is one where nurses are supported and feel empowered to participate in decision making. Ulrich et al. (2006) reported the Institute of Medicine advocates for frontline staff to be involved and entrusted in the decision making and delivery of the patient care provided. When nurses are given the opportunity to participate in clinical and organizational decisions and receive support for their efforts, it fosters personal accountability and autonomy for all staff involved. Empowerment of the nursing staff establishes the groundwork for a positive workplace with collaboration and meaningful communication, enabling professional development and growth within the organization (Parsons, & Cornett, 2005). Organizations that promote staff involvement in the development of policies and procedures, fosters support for the nurses’ ability to use their critical thinking skills in determining what is the best plan of care for their patients. Nurses need to feel safe and secure in their work environment to be effective in utilizing their critical thinking skills. Kouzes (as cited by Fabre, 2005) remarked â€Å"the key to unleashing the organization’s potential to excel is putting that power in the hands of the people who perform the work (p. 7). When staff members are engaged and feel valued as member of the team, a true sense of autonomy is present in their daily care of patients. Fabre (2005) remarked it is extremely important for nurses to be autonomous, allowing them the ability to make decisions about direct patient care in their daily practice. One such method for getting staff members involved is through the use of shared governance committees within their units. Direct care nurses participating on these councils, are involved with decision making regarding positive patient care models as well as nursing satisfaction and retention (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006). Nurses working in positive work environments demonstrate mutual respect for one another, show consistent professional collaboration among all team members and function as high performance team members in their organizations. Vollers, Hill, Roberts, Dambaugh, and Brenner (2009) noted â€Å"nurses affect patients’ outcomes by their direct actions and their influence over the actions of other† (p. 24). It becomes easier for employees to recognize and accept the need for change, problem solve and decrease stress in their workplace. Another important aspect relating to nursing satisfaction is the importance of professional development. Organizations that are recognized for their high standard of patient care acknowledge the importance of their nursing staff and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. Successful organizations offer various learning avenues for their employees. Emphasis is placed on orientation for new staff members, in-service education, continuing education as well as formal education and career development (Tomey, 2008). Nurses recognize that continuing education and competency go hand and hand and is imperative for professional development as well as patient safety. Individuals, who are given the opportunity to grow and develop their skills and abilities within an organization, will be happier and more productive at work. Another avenue of development for nursing is certification in their specialty. A certified nurse provides a level of expertise at the bedside when caring for his/her patients. Ulrich et al. (2006) noted the correlation between certified nurses and improved patient care; nurses were able to quickly identify the problem and intervene appropriately to the issue at hand. Nurses who embrace the idea of lifelong learning are able to adjust to the ever changing needs in healthcare and are much more satisfied in their job roles. Personal and professional growth is valued in organizations, where managers are committed to providing time and resources for staff learning and educational opportunities (Institute of Medicine, 2004). A shift in management thinking, from controlling to guiding staff, becomes an important step for staff development which in turn improves quality of nursing care. A common concern that nurses have with their current work environment is one of inadequate staffing levels. Hospitals that employ the concepts of magnet empower their nurses to make decisions about appropriate staffing levels. Management and staff nurses work together to build safe staffing strategies to meet the needs of the individual units. This collaboration between staff and management, builds trust, empowers the nursing staff and enables nurses to feel they have personal accountability for the success of their organization (Fabre, 2005). Organizations have struggled with trying to determine the number of nurses needed to provide safe, quality patient care and do so in a cost effective manner. The Institute of Medicine (2004) remarked that experts have recognized that healthcare organizations need to be aware, that overemphasis on efficiency and productivity may have a negative impact on patient safety. With the added stress of providing care for sicker patients with fewer nurses at the bedside, less time is available for nurses to meet all the physical, mental and psychosocial needs of the patients. Morgan and Lynn (2009) remarked â€Å"being pressed for time and energy, nurses describe their work in terms of survival; the luxuries of meaningful care interactions with patients are forgone† (p. 07). Often nurses feel they have time to only perform the minimum amount of basic care; and patient education, basic comforting and advocating for the patient is omitted. The lack of resources in staffing as well as a poor working environment is extremely dissatisfying to the nursing staff and impacts patient outcomes. â€Å"Research indicates that nurse staffing has a defin ite and measurable impact on patient outcomes, medical errors, length of stay, nurse turnover, and organizational outcomes† (Florida Center of Nursing, 2006, p. 5). There is no single action that guarantees a foolproof solution to patient safety during one’s hospitalization, but consideration of staffing levels has played a critical role in providing that safe care. Buchan and Aiken (2008) noted an association between higher nurse staffing ratios and a decrease in medical complications and patient mortality. Staff nurses recognize high risk situations and patient safety concerns, when understaffed they are often times unable to prevent these catastrophic incidents. Safety is a patient’s right and they deserve the nurse’s best efforts. Fabre (2005) noted that the success of nurses as well the healthcare organization is dependent on a positive healthy work environment. Patient safety needs to be the most important goal for any organization. Culture does matters and a healthy work environment makes the difference in an organization’s performance. The importance of promoting health, through the use of wellness programs, as well as prevention of illness for employees in an organization should not be overlooked. Staff should be supported and encouraged to participate in their own health management. Burton (2008) remarked â€Å"it is intuitively obvious that unhealthy, stressed employees will cost a company something in terms of absenteeism and decreased productivity† (p. 3). A positive work environment fosters healthy lifestyles, behaviors and enables individuals to develop coping skills to deal with stress on a daily basis. The financial benefits versus the cost of creating a healthy work environment can be cost neutral. Many of the magnet concepts, if developed in the workplace, are done with no direct costs to the hospitals. Changes in leadership styles, supportive and respectful behavior towards staff and empowering nurses in the decision making does not cost the organization money (Burton, 2008). All these factors will have a significant impact on the work environment; improving the physical and mental wellbeing of staff members. Patients trust and recommend hospitals because of the nursing care they receive. Fabre (2005) noted an important reminder to hospitals; patients tell their family, friends and neighbors about the care, good or bad, they received while a patient in their organization. Excellent patient care coupled with patient satisfaction is what attracts people to an organization. Healthcare organizations that demonstrate and promote healthy work environments will become the employer of choice in their communities. Burton (2008) noted that administrators of an organization cannot argue the fact that their reputation is extremely important in the community in relation to the success of their facility. Patients do notice the difference and when hospitals are able to recruit and retain the best nurses in the community; this nursing excellence has the ability to drive the success of the organization. Whether an organization chooses to seek Magnet designation or not, the concepts can still be utilized in any organization towards the development of a healthy work environment. It is important that organizations recognize the need for development of strategies that foster a healthy work environment, where staff are valued and acknowledged for their contributions and have a desire to work in their facilities. The association between a healthy work environment and the health and wellbeing of the nursing staff correlates to the impact on the quality of care provided to the patients they serve. It is evident that the continuity of patient care, recruitment and retention of competent nursing staff and organizational viability are all greatly impacted by the nurses’ work environment. Maintaining a healthy workplace remains a challenge in healthcare and must be seen as an ongoing process. Healthcare organizations that are able to develop and sustain quality workplaces will be able to meet the demands of healthcare in the future by retaining competent nursing staff and meeting the health needs of their communities. . References Broom, C. , & Tilbury, M. S. (2007). Magnet Status: A journey, not a destination. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 22(2), 113-118 Buchan, J. , & Aiken, L. (2008). Solving nursing shortages: a common priority. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17, 3262-3268. Burton, J. (2008). The business case for a healthy workplace. Retrieved January 24, 2011 from: http://www. iapa. ca/pdf/fd_business_case_healthy_workplace. pdf Fabre, J. (2005). Smart nursing: How to create a positive work environment that empowers and retains nurses. New York, New York: Springer Publishing Company, Inc. Florida Center of Nursing. (2006). The value of a healthy work environment. 1-20. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from http://www. flcenterfornursing. org/files/healthworkenv. pdf Institute of Medicine of the Nation Academies. (2004). Keeping patients safe: Transforming the work environment. Washington, D. C. : The National Academies Press. Kramer, M. , & Schmalenberg, C. (2008). Confirmation of a healthy work environment. Critical Care Nurse, 28(2), 56-64. Lowe, G. S. (2002). High-Quality Healthcare Workplaces: A vision and action plan. Hospital Quarterly Summer, 49-56. McDonald, S. F. , Tullai-McGuinness, S. , Madigan, E. A. , & Shively, M. (2010). Relationships between staff nurse involvement in organizational structures and perception of empowerment. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 33(2), 148-162. Morgan, J. C. , & Lynn, M. R. (2007). Satisfaction in nursing in the context of shortage. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 401-410. References Parsons, M. L. , & Cornett, P. A. (2005). A healthy emergency department workplace; the staff describe it. Topics in Emergency Medicine, 27(3), 198-205. Shirey, M. R. (2006). Authentic leaders creating healthy work environments for nursing practice. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(3), 256-267. Tomey, A. M. (2009). Nursing leadership and management effects work environments. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 15-25. Ulrich, B. T. , Lavandero, R. , Hart, K. A. , Woods, D. , Leggett, J. , & Taylor, D. (2006). Critical care nurses’ work environments: a baseline status report. Critical Care Nurse, 26(5), 46-57. Vollers, D. , Hill, E. , Roberts, C. , Dambaugh, L. , & Brenner, Z. R. (2009). AACN’s healthy work environment standards and empowering nurse advancement system. Critical Care Nurse, 26(6), 20-27.

Fundamental Causes, Inequity and Public Health

Social injustice particularly that of [public] health, has been a constant pariah to the common society. Various ‘theories’ were posited as to the root cause of public health inequity; Phelan and Link (2005) directly associated the ‘fundamental’ causes of public health inequity with the ‘socioeconomic statuses (SES)’, the ‘social conditions’, the ‘gradients’ that existed therein. The fundamental cause lies on the material/ resources imbalance as the authors Phelan and Link (2005), Farmer (1999), and Lynch et al (2000) demonstrated. The fundamental causes of morbidity and mortality consist of: (1) influences to multiple disease outcomes, (2) operation through multiple risk factors, (3) intervening mechanism reproduce the association, and (4) finally, the most important feature of ‘fundamental causes’, it involves accession to resources that can be used to avoid risks or minimize the consequences of the disease involved. Health accession is shaped by extent of socio-economic resources (Phelan and Link, 2005). Here it is noted that the cognitive ability or intelligence cannot explain the relation between resource and health. SES, is, admittedly a ‘constant’ and persistent state of the general society (Phelan and Link, 2005). Not even the introduction of knowledge or the epidemiology of the disease was able to completely eradicate the health maladies present; instead, it seems to encourage health inequity. The US, a supra-economic world engine, has a systematic health care delivery system yet a relatively large proportion of their population—American Indians, Blacks and Hispanic and Asian immigrants—do not enjoy the benefits of the health care system as much as their rich counter parts. Localization of public health inequity is fed by the health biased terms like ‘Third World’, ‘Blacks’, ‘the poor’, and other terms that denote social stigma and racism . The aggravation of health inequity is destined to worsen with the current trend on ‘commodifying’ medicine and health and their ‘money-making’ participation in the market industry. Health inequity, as a result of multi-faceted elements of the society, is, as much as a disease as the feared bacillus ‘tubercle’, the causal agent of tuberculosis; Farmer (1999) illustrated the consumption of the disease agent ‘consuming the lives of the lower strata that existed in the late twentieth century. Farmer illustrates the case of societal ‘infection’ with different experiences of three stereotype tubercle patients—Jean Dubussoin (Haitian rural peasant), Corina Valdivia (Latin American with a multi-resistant drug strain of bacillus tubercle) and Calvin Loach (Afro-American and injection drug user). It was ‘social factors’ that determined the fate of these three-infected persons. Their struggle against their disease demonstrates the common obstacles they faced during health accession. Jean’s very low income and the long distance from the hospital dilapidated her chance at having a good accession to medical services offered. Corina’s case was exactly the same except that it demonstrated that of improper treatment of her disease and medical wariness. Calvin’s case was psychosocial wherein there was suggested wariness between him and the medical practitioner due to ‘[racial] wariness’ and late detection. Health inequity of tubercle bacillary patients does not stem from medical mismanagement, from physician-directed errors, as the three ‘stereotypes demonstrate, but more on the conglomeration of factors like race, income, economic policies, ease of health accession and fear of being apprehended or ignored by the medical staffs (Farmer, 1999). According to Lynch et al (2000), health inequity may also be associated with neomaterial interpretation —differential accumulation of exposures and experiences that have their sources in the material world—and differences in individual income. Health inequity, then, in general, is highly dependent on the resources of the individual. This is in opposition of the psychosocial theory which precludes that inequity is, more or less, a result of hierarchy stress or the combination of maladaptive behaviours as a reaction to the SES. The association between the standard of living and health cannot be easily dismantled, yet, on the face of such social health injustice, what actions are available for the State to remedy this particular problem? Lynch et al’s (2000) on solubilizing the problem was vague and inconclusive: .. trategic investments in neo-material conditions via more equitable distribution of public and private resources that are likely to have the most impact on reducing health inequalities and improving public health in both rich and poor countries in the 21st century†¦ (p. 1203) Farmer’s (1999) ultimate solution is pragmatic solidarity. The term was rather vague and inconclusive with no proper defin itum; Pragmatic solidarity was loosely defined as something that would mean ‘increased funding for control and treatment [of diseases]’, ‘making therapy available in a systematic way’ and preventing ‘emergence [of diseases]. Farmer’s primary intent is to target the health anathema at the specific level. On the other hand, Link and Phelan’s approach was different. Link and Phelan (2005) posited a barrage of solutions which capitalizes on policy consideration as macro-level approach to the problem— creating intervention that benefit state members irregardless of their own resources and actions, monitoring the dissemination of health enhancing information and interventions and creating policies that would distribute resources to the poor. A good solution to the problem would be targeting health inequity using combinatorial methods on the macro and micro-level approach. Interventions created at the larger scale such as policy consideration is a good approach and finding out the etiology of various diseases obviously have positive outcomes for ‘curing’. Such interventions are necessary to preserve not only the health of the general public but also to maintain a relatively pure, socially just and a healthy environment.

Modern marketing techniques or strategies are responses to how Essay

Modern marketing techniques or strategies are responses to how consumers try to satisfy their needs and wants - Essay Example Through these marketing strategies, we are able to learn the emotional feeling of the consumer about the products and know the exact reason why they have chosen the product since the approaches captures both the experience of the customer and the response thereof. The modern marketing techniques also have a way of connecting the brands of the product to the consumers as they sell plainly to the consumers the product. They give test on products to the consumers to smell, touch, apply or taste without demanding that they purchase the product first (Harris 2009). The modern techniques in marketing may be costly yet very effective; this is because the benefits in terms of increased sales are likely to outweigh the initial investment. The other reason that this form of marketing strategy is better that the traditional approach is that they are less risky. Customers normally love testing before buying and one can be sure that once a customer has had a taste of the product and it fits their taste and preferences they will surely notice the brand existence and go right for that product (Rainey & Salaris 2004). It is a proven fact that products which are available for consumers to test first before buying record the highest sales as opposed to those requiring purchase before testing. This is because customer interactions will normally intensify as they test the product giving them a more memorable brand experience (Harris 2009). Modern marketing is therefore responsible for increasing sales by ensuring that customers go along with the company in terms of their goals and objectives (Sturm, 2004). This they do through engagements and fostered...This media has helped the banks to reach so many customers since the customers are able to interact with their products and brands through the media used. The banks have well grounded plans for social marketing campaigns which are In line with the goals of the banks. These have enabled the banks to have a well laid down plan to ach ieve their goals with very clear marketing plans (Sturm 2004). The marketing plans through the social media have helped the businesses through a number of goals such as website traffic, conversions, creation of brand awareness, creation of brand identity and positivity in brand associations and finally, the enabled communication and interaction with the key stakeholders in the market (Merrett 2002). The banking industry is quite volatile and the social media marketing is as well quite unpredictable when not planned well. This has ensured that the planning departments of the banks are quite endowed with resources to enable them act with precision when it comes to social media marketing (Merrett 2002). The social media marketing tools used by the banks apart from being well planned are endowed with content together with conspicuous brand image which has enabled the banks extend their influence in the market. These have in the long run enabled the bank track competition of fellow competitors in the banking industry. In addition, the banks through its analytics have been in the position of determining its success (Sturm 2004).

Principles of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Principles of Finance - Essay Example The effective annual rate computations below show that issue 7.375s19 has generated an effective annual rate of twenty one and 852/100 percent. The issue that generated the lowest effective annual rate is issue 7.375s20 which generated a very low seven and 37.5/100 effective annual rate. Thee lowest annual percentage yield, this is similar to Effective Annual Rate, comes from issue 7.375s20 with the annual percentage yield of only seven and 37.5/100. he yield to call resulted to the following computations. There are many mathematical business tools that finance uses to help us in our decision making processes. Some of the tools used are the Annual Percentage, the Period Rate and the Effective Annual Rate. The many computations below will show how they are made useful. The annual percentage rate is computed by multiplying the periodic rate by the number of periods. For example 10% quarterly is really equal to 40%. The annual rate is stated as the yearly cost of a mortgage that includes interest, Mortgage insurance, and the origination fees which is shown in percentages. Based on the above computation, issue 7.375s20 has annual percentage rate of 7.375 percent. The issue 7.375s19 was computed to generate annual percentage rate of 14.75 percent. The next issue, 8.250s28, when computed had generated the annual percentage rate of 8.25 percent. The next issue, 6.730s17 when also computed generated annual percentage Periodic rate rate of 13.46 percent. The last issue, 6.850s32 generated an annual percentage rate of 13.70 percent. PERIODIC RATE: 7.375s20 7.375 % x 1 = 7.375 % 7.375s19 7.375 % x 2 = 14.75 % 8.250s28 8.25 % x 1 = 8.25 % 6.730s17 6.73 % x 2 = 13.46 % 6.850s32 6.85 % x 2 = 13.70 % Periodic rate is the effective interest rate. To explain further, when the periodic rate on a credit card is 2.5% per month on the outstanding balance, the annual periodic rate is 2.5% x twelve months which is equal to thirty percent. When computing

Nursing theory Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing theory - Annotated Bibliography Example During her times, nursing was merely for the impecunious and hopeless women of society. Florence Nightingale challenged this stigma when she defied the expectations and entered nursing. She did humanitarian acts and responded to greater causes by exceeding her limitations. One example of this is the image of her making rounds at night while carrying her lamp, to which she has been always portrayed. The article also puts emphasis on the timeless relevance of Nightingale’s works. Her works, at first glance, may seem like inapplicable at present times. But if analyzed in an elaborative manner, Nightingale’s notes, theories and works can still befittingly applied. The paper also pointed out that today’s nurses need not to force themselves into becoming strictly akin to what Nightingale did. What is more important is for modern-day nurses to be able to apply Nightingale’s vision and mission by contributing to their own practice in their own unique and personal

Women in the Workplace and the US Economy Essay

Women in the Workplace and the US Economy - Essay Example The number of female CEOs, leaders and entrepreneurs has increased several times1. It does not mean that women have become more man-like or that their abilities have improved. The cause of this change is that women have been finally noticed by man-ruled world. According to statistics, women's share in administrative and managerial positions (year 2000) was approximately 30 percent. Moreover, United States has the highest share of women in decision making related to national economy. The gap between men and women work participation fell from 50 percent in 1950 to only 15 percent in 1998. As it was noted at the International Women's Policy Research Conference, "without dramatic infusion of women into the workforce, the economic expansion of the last 50 years would not have been possible; the economy would have been plagued by a shortage of workers.2" In addition, the labor costs would have add to the inflation - the fewer workers would lead to the decreased family incomes and federal revenues. Further, the production level would drop and lead to the economic deficit. Women participation in workforce has the same positive impact on the American economy today as it had in 1950s. In few years the baby boomers will start to retire, working wome n will become the foundation of economic expansion. Even if the workforce will grow at 1 percent per year, the ... Nevertheless, these dramatic projections can be avoided, as economists note, if women participation in workforce is encouraged and supported. Looking back on the historical role of women, they have increased the workforce by 30 percent after the WW II and have laid the foundation for the sustained employment gains during that time3. In addition to the general contribution of working women to American economy, there are also numerous advantages women bring to the success of national companies. Today more and more companies are recruiting and promoting women into senior positions. Women succeed not only in positions and industries historically considered appropriate for them, but in the areas which were always male dominated - manufacturing, engineers and especially financial services. Half of the Fortune 500 companies have women on their corporate board of directors4. There are several reasons why women are being sought for leading positions. First, they represent the previously unnoticed pool of talents. Second, they bring the new dimension to the management of group. Third, women bring alternative perspectives to the table. As the result, the increased number of women in the workplace creates the competitive advantage because 80 percent of all consumers spending in American is done by women. Thus female leader s understand better the needs of customers. Increased spending is good not only for the company's revenues, but for the whole economy as well. In addition to being successful leaders of corporations, women have proved to be highly skilled in operating small firms. The majority women-owned firms are growing at the rate twice the American average. These firms contribute $1.1 trillion in revenues to

Project Management Organazing a Sports Day Assignment - 1

Project Management Organazing a Sports Day - Assignment Example Effective leadership is the main factor in overall effective project management and its handling. In case of managing projects through effective leadership, we can attain high project success. In case of managing University of Greenwich sports days, we need to pay more attention towards the enhancement of the overall project capabilities and potentials. In this scenario a project manager needs to process following qualities and professional skills regarding effective management and handling of the overall project: In this part, I will present the detailed Stakeholder Analysis overall organizing a sports day at the University of Greenwich. Here in the section below, I have outlined the main team structure of the overall. In this part, I will present the detailed Stakeholder Analysis overall organizing a sports day at the University of Greenwich. Here in the section below, I have outlined the main team structure of the overall project. University of Greenwich Administration  University of Greenwich sports days will have major stakeholder that will be the university administration.  Ã‚  Project Manager -1 Person  Will be responsible for the management and handling of the overall project  Ã‚  Project Analyzer -1 Person  In the main person responsible for the overall handling of the main project needs and requirements and needs and also assess main areas of organizing a sports day at the University of Greenwich.  Grounds Manager -1 Person  Is the main person who is responsible for overall development and designing of organizing grounds a sports day at University of Greenwich sports site  Ground Site Workers -2 Person  Will be responsible for the overall establishment of the sports and games and handling overall activities.

Defending the Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defending the Purpose - Essay Example Other law enforcement agencies focus more on the analysis of data derived from police reports, suspect information, and other collected data to aid the investigation process (Osborne and Wernicke, 2003). Many law enforcement authorities and agencies are seeking the services of crime analysts so as to help them carry out a wide range of analysis thereby enabling them to follow up crimes, investigate cases, and identify criminals. The aim of every crime analyst is to find useful information embedded within the various forms of evidences including data and reports in order to facilitate effective investigation. As such, crime analysis is an important component of law enforcement that works to aid the process through analysis of various crime data. The crime analysis process is essentially information-driven and involves collection, collation, analysis, data modification, dissemination, and feedback (Boba-Santos, 56). Collection of data is a crucial step towards gathering all the required information. This allows an in-depth analysis of the matter in the light of the available information. The different matters are examined and collated so as to draw up a meaningful image of the scenario. Data modification involves a change in data collection and analysis based on the process of crime analysis (Boba-Santos, 58). Next, the analysts disseminate the information in a quite detailed manner such that only the most germane information is presented. With the advent of technological softwares the crime analysis process is aided by various analytical programs that allow deep analysis of the available data in electronic form. This is complemented by further developments that allow useful analytics and statistical variables for examining the data from a critical perspective. However, it must be noted that analysis and statistical reporting is just one aspect of crime analysis. Hence, crime analysis is aided by both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The

Individual and Collective Responsibility in the Society Assignment

Individual and Collective Responsibility in the Society - Assignment Example In developing his society, Alexie uses the ordinary people in any other society such as fathers, sons, husbands, laborers, and artists among many others. He develops a perilous poise between external responsibility and self-preservation through family, art and the entire world through by extrapolation. â€Å"Yes the kid was a decent athlete, yet the kid was a descent yes the kid was a decent person. But he had broken into my house† Alexie 14. The adults interact with the children effectively and in a bid to create a peaceful and cohesive society, they must maintain a sense of order by addressing such social vices and deterrence to peace as theft, which the author portrays here. He develops a good child who epitomizes the desirable qualities, but due to lack in the society and poor upbringing, the child breaks into other people’s houses and steal. The society must develop ways of punishing and rectifying such. Relations and interactions exist at different levels in society. In their relations, the characters maintain the decorum that is mandatory in the development of a cohesive society. In portraying the relationship among the character, Alexie develops the balance between self-portrayal and external responsibility by defining the specific individual and communal role. At family levels, the characters maintain a level of intimacy required of couples by sharing fundamental information that sustains such relationships, â€Å"My wife paused before answering, and in the pause, I heard all the doubt and fear. So I got out of bed, dressed and left the house† (Alexie 15). Alexis develops communal responsibility as that which everyone must maintain in order to achieve a desirable and society in which people observed laws and maintained the social order â€Å"But this time when those black people walked in slow motion in front of mei did not smile or laugh.  

Resource Concerns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Resource Concerns - Research Paper Example Resources as a Concern in Global Strategy Customers expect value for money when purchasing a product. The manufacturer has to ensure that the customer is delivered the greatest value for money while keeping base costs as low as possible. Globally, consumers tend to behave differently as per their geographical, cultural or other tastes. In certain cases, it is possible to substitute local solutions for customers but in other situations it is imperative to use original resources. The custom furniture manufacturing business under consideration is able to sell its products given their novel form. Such a form can only be maintained when using resources that were being used by the parent manufacturing plants located in the United States. However, it must be considered that importing such resources from the United States would cost heavily and carries the additional risk of making the products uncompetitive in an already competitive market. Resources of Concern in China China is a large buy ing and selling paradise for both consumers and manufacturers. Given that China produces a large number of manufactured products, it is highly likely that a number of critical resources might be available in China. However, certain specialized resources might not be available and might have to be outsourced from the United States before they can be manufactured locally in China. The custom furniture business relies in large part on the use of wood (Han, Wen, & Kant, 2009) as well as other construction materials such as wrought iron, stainless steel and novelty plastics. As far as materials such as wrought iron and stainless steel are concerned, China has an ample cheap supply of these materials. However, when the issue of woods and novelty plastics is considered, the situation is altogether different. Although China has an ample supply of wood but Chinese woods such as mahogany, oak wood or birch cannot be expected to provide the same output as local woods (Chunquan, Taylor, & Guoqi ang, 2004). Chinese focus lies more towards the production of synthetic boards to create furniture while custom furniture requires original wood for the exquisite feel and taste (Lee, 2011). The issue with novelty plastics is similar since they would have to be outsourced from the United States. In turn these imports would cost the company heavily and there may even be certain trade barriers for novelty plastics. On another note, China would provide a number of different textiles and fabrics for use in furniture manufacturing. However, in order to keep the look and feel of the original furniture, it would be necessary to import specialized fabrics. In the longer run, it may be possible to manufacture these textiles inside China but initially it would cost the company heavily. Impact on Decision to Expand in China Even though the Chinese market may hold some entry barriers such as the need to import certain resources but a competitive business can still be afforded given that Chinese imports of furniture originating from the United States totals some 8.8% of overall furniture imports (Aspin 2000, 2009). If the concerned company begins business in China by importing certain resources from the United States, the cost of the produced furniture would be lower than that of imported furniture. The lower cost of other base inputs such as electricity and labor would help to offset the cost of imports. Moreover, in the longer

Fast Food Popularity in China Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Popularity in China Essay Examine the reasons for the popularity of fast food restaurants in your country. When, why, and how have these restaurants become so popular? (Cause) Demonstrate the impact of this popularity on your country’s culture, i. e. , food, health, economy, lifestyle. (Effect) You will need to do some research on the fast food chains growth, menus, nutritional background, business models, and perhaps more. Your research should include more than one fast food restaurant. Recently, McDonald’s announced their plan to expand outlets from 1300 to 2000 by the end of 2013 in China. It is reported that the main purpose is to compete with KFC, which is the largest quick service restaurant brand in China with over 4,200 restaurants in more than 850 cities across China. The growing huge market and politic strategies taken by restaurants make fast food popular in China; this in turn has a great influence on China’s economy, culture and health. There are several of causes for fast food popular in China. On the first place, the growing market and industry attract plenty of fast food restaurants. Chinas fast food market worth over 700 billion yuan in the last year and had a rapid speedabout 12 percent in the past several years. Furthermore, the market is estimated to grow to 1400 billion yuan by 2015. The second main cause of this popularity is some strategies taken by fast food brands especially localization. Take KFC for example, the brand adds many localized product like Beijing Chicken Roll, tomato egg soup and corn salad to meet Chinese consumers demand. The popularity also brings some effects especially for Chinese culture. First, the change reflects on food consumption habits. For example, Yum! China’s menu is dominated by meat-rich food except for breakfast. Furthermore, fast foods are becoming affordable by most people so that the brand opens almost one third of its restaurants in countryside. Second, traditional wedding has been influenced with wedding services provided by some fast food brands. Nowadays, to compare with Chinese traditional, extravagant and tawdry weddings, more and more young people in China prefer smaller, easier and cheaper weddings. Many fast food restaurants contribute to this tendency like McWedding offered by McDonald’s, which is held by restaurant assistants with a more intimate and less costly way. In short, fast food popularity has an effect on Chinese eating habit and wedding tradition. Also, the popularity has an effect on economy. For one thing, it increases the revenues for economy. The revenue of fast food industry in 2011 is $74. 8 billion which benefits the economy in turn. More important thing is that the revenue will keep growing at the rate of 14. -15. 0% in the next five years. For another thing, it influences the agriculture. With the explosive development of fast food industry, many grain farms are out of use. In 2011, there are roughly 700 thousand hectares of arable land are reconstructed to raise livestock or fowl instead of growing grains. As a result, China needs to rely more on importation and increase grain imports. In 2010, China imported 927 (1000 MT) wheat, while in 2012, nearly 3200 (1000 MT) wheat were imported. It is obvious that the popularity benefits China’s revenue while harming the agriculture foundation. Finally, the popularity also carries two problems for people’s health: obesity and diabetes. The number of overweight people has grown from 18 to 100 million in the last 5 years with the rapid development of fast food industry. As a result, many complications like high blood pressure and diabetes become more common in China. Take diabetes for example, there are over 92 million adults suffer from diabetes and the costs of diabetes make up nearly 1. % of GDP. It is undeniable that fast food restaurants make Chinese people cost a lot on their health especially on the treatment of diabetes. In conclusion, the pursue towards maximum profits and proper strategies contribute to the popularity of fast food in China, as a result, China’s culture, economy and Chinese health. In the foreseeable future, the popularity of fast food will last for a lone time and will have long-term effects in china.

LED TV Technology Overview Engineering Essay

LED TV Technology Overview Engineering Essay This paper discusses the Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology and the impact it shall have on television applications. The paper highlights the advantages and challenges for these applications and explore the specific advantages that LED technology has for DLP (Digital Light Processing) product applications. Introduction With a wide variety of applications, the LED has become a pivotal illumination technology.Since their initial invention, LEDs have been used in many diverse applications such as watches, calculators, remote controls, indicator lights, and backlights for many common gadgets and household devices. The technology is advancing at a rapid pace and as the brightness and efficiency of LEDs increases, new applications continue to emerge. From the early 1900s, scientists have been discovering ways to generate light from various materials. In 1907, Henry Joseph Round discovered that light could be generated from a sample of Silicon Carbide (SiC). For the next 50 years, scientists continued to discover the light emitting properties that exist with some compounds. In the 1950s, studies around the properties of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) paved the way for the first official LED discoveries that soon followed.1 LED research began in the early 1960s, primarily at Bell Labs, Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM, Monsanto, and RCA. Gallium-Aresenide-Phosphide (GaAsP) provided the basis for the first commercially available red LEDs in 1968 by HP and Monsanto. In the early 1970s, the use of LEDs exploded with new applications such as calculators and watches by companies like Texas Instruments (TI), HP, and Sinclair. Other applications such as indicator lights and alphanumeric displays soon became the mainstream use for LEDs and continued to be so for many years.2 LED Technology Background As the name implies, an LED is a diode that emits light. The diode is the most basic semiconductor whose purpose is to conduct electrical current with some form of controlled variability. The diode in its simplest form is comprised of poor conducting materials that have been modified (or doped) to increase the amount of free electrons that are available. High electron materials (referred to as N-type materials) are combined with low electron materials (referred to as P-type materials) to form a junction for these free electrons to flow. This junction is often referred to as the PN junction. An LED is a PN junction diode semiconductor that emits photons when voltage is applied. This process of photon emission is called injection electroluminescence and occurs when electrons move from the N-type material to fill the lower energy holes that exist in 2 the P-type material. When the high energy electrons fall into these holes, they lose some of their energy which results in the generation of photons. The materials used for the P-type and N-type layers along with the size of the gap between them determine the wavelength and overall energy level of the light that is produced. Many materials have been developed for manufacturing LEDs. Aluminum-Gallium-Arsenide (AlGaAs), Aluminum- Indium-Gallium-Phosphide (AlInGaP), and Indium-Gallium-Nitride (InGaN) are commonly used for present LED architectures. AlInGaP is typically used for Red and Yellow dies while InGaN is used for Blue and Green. These materials efficiently produce photons that have wavelengths in the visible spectrum. These materials in combination with new manufacturing architectures have enabled the production of very bright LEDs that are beginning to find their way into general lighting and automotive applications. Some architectures have begun utilizing additional phosphor compounds to generate white light and are now beginning to compete with common incandescent and fluorescent lighting with much lower power and much longer lifetimes. The worldwide production of LEDs has risen to about 4 billion units per month. Manufacturing in Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S. comprises the most significant volumes with Taiwan leading with about one half of that volume overall. Much of the manufacturing involves the packaging of the LED die with a limited number of manufacturers creating the actual LED die material. Figure 1 illustrates the market size for low brightness and high brightness LEDs as a function of the total LED market.3 Low Brightness 36% High Brightness 64% ** Total LED Market: $5.74 Billion Figure 1 LED Market Segments LED Technology Breakthroughs Recent innovations in the manufacturing of the die material and packaging have resulted in ultra high brightness capabilities. The use of new materials for the substrate have allowed for improved thermal conductivity which allows for higher power consumption and net light output. This increase in light output has enabled new applications for LEDs such as automotive lighting, traffic signals, and more recently, television displays. An example of these new structures is illustrated in Figure 2. Al2O3 N Layer Quantum Wells Reflective Layer P Layer GaN Thermally Conductive Substrate Figure 2 Basic LED Structure Significant improvements in the production of Aluminum-Indium-Gallium-Phosphide (AlInGaP) and Indium- Gallium-Nitride structures have allowed for improved brightness in green and blue specifically. Additional colors such as amber and cyan are also 3 being developed at a rapid pace. These improvements enable system designs that can produce better color fidelity at near equivalent brightness to common lamp-based technologies with longer lifetimes. Additional performance enhancements include system level features like instant on, no mercury, no color refresh artifacts, dynamically adjustable brightness, and improved color gamuts. Figure 3 illustrates the gamut area for LED illumination as compared to the common reference standard (Rec. 709). LED Rec. 709 0 0 Figure 3 LED Color Gamut LED illumination provides a much larger color gamut (as much as 40% or more than the HDTV color standard [Rec. 709]), providing more accurate color fidelity. These performance attributes can be quite appealing for television applications where long life and excellent color fidelity are required. As LEDs continue to advance, their impact on television applications could be significant. Figure 4 illustrates the evolution of LEDs and their potential brightness efficiency in the coming years.4 200 Incandescent Lamps 180 W) 160 Flourescent Lamps / 140 (Lm High Pressure Arc 120 Lamps 100 Efficiency Light Emitting 80 Diodes 60 40 20 0 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Year Figure 4 Lighting Technology Evolution LED Technology Challenges Controlling the thermal stability of the LED die is critical to the performance and stability of LED illumination and reliability. The LED architecture inherently produces light from all sides and surfaces of the PN structure in a lambertian distribution (uniform distribution into a 180 degree hemisphere). While this might seem efficient, most of this light is actually absorbed into adjacent die, the mounting substrate, or other surfaces of the LED assembly. This absorption results in an increased thermal loading of the entire LED assembly. This heat must be addressed to obtain maximum light output and reliability. Additionally, for applications that require imaging of the light energy to a small display device (e.g. DLP ® HDTV), any light that is emitted outside of the system etendue is not useable and only adds to the heat and overall power loading. Controlling this absorption, shaping the light to match the system etendue, and maximizing the thermal efficiency to extract heat fr om the die are all critical to increasing the light output and usability of the LEDs. For traditional applications, LEDs are commonly driven in CW (continuous wave 100% duty cycle) mode. For high brightness applications, however, this is not as desirable. Since the average temperature of the PN junction 4 determines both the light output and lifetime of the LED, it is often more efficient to drive the LEDs with a smaller duty cycle. With a smaller duty cycle, the LEDs can potentially be driven to higher current loads to increase the overall light output while maintaining a lower average temperature of the PN junction. The challenge with this, however, is that the driver circuitry must be able to generate fast switching waveforms, switching large currents in as short a time as only a few microseconds. This certainly presents some challenges for the design of the LED power driver. But, solutions have already been developed with performance that easily meets these requirements. Another challenge that results from higher thermal loading is that of color shift. As the PN junction changes temperature, the output wavelength of the light can shift by as much as 10nm or more. This color shift obviously impacts the color point for that color, but also impacts the white point for the system since each of the colors are mixed to create white. Fundamentally, to stabilize this color shift, the LEDs must either be run at a lower power or maintain extreme thermal stability. However, with the implementation of some form of system feedback and proper power control algorithms, the stability of the white could be preserved while maintaining high brightness efficiency. DLP ® TV with LED Illumination TI has developed a DLP ® HDTV system to take advantage of LED illumination with brightness performance that is nearly equivalent to lamp based systems. By utilizing the latest generation of high brightness LEDs and implementing a unique feedback system, it is now possible for DLP ® HDTV designs to enjoy the benefits of LED illumination. Figure 5 illustrates the basic optical configuration of this system. Collimating Lenses Dichroic Filters Optical Integrator DMD TIR Prism Blue Array Green Array Red Array Condenser Lens Projection Lens  ® Figure 5 DLPP HDTV LED Optical Architecture Utilizing a unique feedback algorithm, TI has demonstrated that any color shift variations that affect the white point can be controlled to a tolerance beyond what the eye can detect. The current DLP ® products implementation with LED technology utilizes a TI DSP component to process system information in real time, offering superior stability over a wide range of operating temperatures while maximizing brightness and reliability. DLP ® Products Performance Advantages The rapid switching capabilities of LED technology match perfectly with the fast switching properties of DLP ® technology. By taking advantage of the high speed capabilities of the DMD and LEDs, it is now possible to utilize color refresh rates that are much higher than what exists with todays designs. It is also possible to randomize the color order. Ultimately, images can be created with higher bit depth, better motion fidelity, and higher brightness. By increasing the switching frequency of the LEDs, it is possible to drive them with increased power while minimizing the thermal loading of the PN junction. These fast switching capabilities of 5 DLP ® technology take advantage of the new LED colors that are becoming available, providing much more flexibility for multiple color configurations using a single DMD device. With a DLP ® system, the LEDs do not require polarization, reflecting the light precisely off of the DMD mirror surface. The light is used efficiently, only when it is needed. This maximizes brightness and system efficiency while reducing heat. The net result is a lower system cost with higher brightness and larger color gamuts that far exceed those possible by traditional systems utilizing other common illumination sources. Conclusion As LED technology developments continue to improve brightness and reliability, LED illumination may become more of a mainstream light source for many future applications. Future developments will be able to take further advantage of the fast LED switching time to improve video performance, enhance contrast without opto-mechanical components, and create adjustable color gamuts that far exceed the possibilities of traditional illumination sources. New products will soon benefit from these fundamental capabilities providing new, unique designs that offer instant on, better colors, and overall better picture using the speed of DLP ® micromirror arrays. With the advantages of LED and DLP ® technologies working together, it is expected that DLP ® HDTVs will provide even better performance with better reliability far exceeding any existing DLP ® HDTV product.

Human Resource Management Strategy Business Essay

Human Resource Management Strategy Business Essay Strategic Human resource management is a plan that facilitates the way an organization is being ran. The Human Resource Management strategy and the business strategy must be totally integrated. (Kearns, 2008). In today ¿Ã‚ ½s modern world, they are different ways in which HRM within an organization operates but then they focus their attention on three main areas of management which are; staffing, employee compensation and defining or designing work. The target of every HRM departments in any organization will be to optimize the effectiveness of its employee in order to maximize productivity and increase profit. According to Edward L. Gubman as observed in the journal of business strategy,  ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The basic mission of human resources will always be to acquire, develop and retain talent; align the work force with the business; and be an excellent contributor to the business. Those three challenges will never change. ¿Ã‚ ½ The back bone of any successful company is the HR de partment. The HR department must provide executive management with fundamental ideas that will help to not only gain market share, but entice and retain talent. Once the HR strategy of an organization is in place then its management ¿Ã‚ ½s responsibility sees that company goals are embraced and there are several ways they can do this which includes; communication, input, feedback, positive reinforcement, values etc. In recent year, observers have cited a decided trend towards a fundamental reassessment of HR structures and positions.  ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½A cascade of changing business conditions, changing organizational structures, and changing leadership have been forcing human resource departments to alter their perspective on their role and functions almost-overnight, ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ wrote John Johnston in Business Quarterly. Figure 1 Strategy Implementation in an HR Environment Emergent strategies The SHRM functions can be known of having six (6) menus of HRM practices, from which organizations can choose the ones that is most appropriate for implementing their strategy. The Strategies of organizations varies depending on the level and structure of that organization and there is no know strategy which is the best suitable. The company I will be looking at to see how its HRM operates in the Organization is Barclays Group PLC. 1.2. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN BARCLAYS GROUP PLC Brief history of Barclays Barclays plc is a major global multinational financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking. Barclays has two geographical concentrations in the financial industry: global retail banking and corporate investment banking wealth management with operations in more than fifty countries with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Barclays has got approximately fifteen thousand six hundreds colleagues internationally and it moves, lends, invests and protects money for over forty-eight million customers and clients. Barclays plc has a global network of more than one hundred and fifty-five thousand people working across a range of businesses thus makes the HR team of Barclays face a unique challenges. In such a diverse and internationally spread company, HR experts work with every business unit to help Barclays stay ahead of the competition by attracting and retaining the best people available and make sure that they are all in the right jobs and do the best work that will create sustainable benefits for the works, customers and shareholders, all over the world. But it ¿Ã‚ ½s not all about new recruit that the HR management team of Barclays focuses on. It is also committed to nurturing its established colleague and the HR team play a vital role in monitoring performances and monitoring a host of training programmes. The HRM of Barclays Group is divided into different professional Job titles that deal with the Human resource related issues and plays an important part in every business unit of co mpany. The purpose of SHRM in Barclays The purpose or importance of SHRM in Barclays cannot be over emphasized, the success and failure of any organization depends solely on its HR management. The Primary purpose associated with human resource management in Barclays includes Job analysis and staffing (recruitment), organization and utilization of workforce, measurement and appraisal of workforce performance, implementation of reward systems for employees, professional development of workers and maintenance of workforce. I. Job analysis and recruitment: The HRM in Barclays has the responsibility of recruiting people for various employment positions in the company; they determine the skills, and experience necessary to adequately perform in a position, identification of job and industry trends and anticipation of future employments. They provide valid information about jobs that is used to hire and promote people, determine wages, determine training needs, and manage the flow of personnel into and out of Barclays. II. Organization, maintenance and utilization: The HRM dept of Barclays maintains the workforce of the company. The duty here involves designing an organizational framework that makes maximum use of an enterprises human resources and establishing systems of communication that helps the organization to operate in a unified manner. Other responsibilities in this area include health and safety and worker management relations. Maintenance task related to worker-management relations primarily entails: working with labor union; handling grievances related to misconduct, such as theft or sexual harassment; and devising communication systems to foster cooperation and shared sense of mission among the employees. III. Performance appraisal: The HRM of Barclays assesses employees ¿Ã‚ ½ job performance and provides feedbacks to the employees on both their positive and negative performance. The performance appraisal is important because it is used to determine the salary increase and promotions and in the case of a negative performance, dismissal might follow. IV. Reward systems: This system is managed by the HRM in Barclays. This aspect of management is important because it provides the mechanism by which company provide their worker with a reward for past achievements and incentives for high performance in the future. They also use this system to address a problem within the work force through institution of disciplinary measures. V. Employee development and training: The HR is responsible for identifying the training needs of Barclay ¿Ã‚ ½s employee and initiates and evaluates developments programmes designed to address those needs. These training programs ranges from orientation programmes, which are designed to acclimate new hire of the company, to ambitious education programmes indented to familiarize workers with a new software systems. 1.3 Contributions of SHRM to achievements of Barclay ¿Ã‚ ½s objectives Meaningful contributions to the business processes of Barclays processes are increasingly recognized as within the purview of active human resource management practices. The HRM of Barclays disseminates guideline for and monitoring employee ¿Ã‚ ½s behaviors and ensuring that the company is obeying worker-related regulatory guidelines. The HRM professional are aware of the fundamentals of learning and motivations and carefully design and monitor training and development programmes that has helped in achieving the aim and objectives of the company by increasing the quality of products and services delivered and increased growth and profit that benefits the whole organization. The HRM of Barclays has been deeply involved in reshaping of the company ¿Ã‚ ½s structure under increased external and internal complexity and in managing other aspect of strategic change in Barclays Group. The role and importance of SHRM in Barclays cannot be over emphasized, the success and failure of the company depends solely on its HRM and they can only succeed when the right strategy is applied. Having the company ¿Ã‚ ½s mission in mind at all time has been a driving force to the achievements of HR team of Barclays Group and technological changes with the help of SAP (enterprise resource planning tool) helps Barclays to succeed in today ¿Ã‚ ½s tough business climate. Figure 1.2 This table below show how the SHRM add value to an Organization. Source: CIPD, The case for good people management, 2001. 2.1. The business factor that underpin the HR planning in Barclays Strength of the company Barclay ¿Ã‚ ½s group has a widespread of global presence allowing it to spread its risk and enjoy economic of scale. The Barclays brand is well-established historically and has become ingrained in the psyche of the consumers and continually promoted, for example, through sponsorship of Premier league football. Barclays is particularly associated with innovation, it brought out the first debit and credit card and most recently the one plus card combining Oyster, cashless and credit functions for London-based customers. The opening of new flagship branches along with a refurbishment programme can be seen as an attempt to refocus on customers demand for a strong presence on the high street. The opening of new flagship branches along with a refurbishment programme can be seen as an attempt to refocus on customers demand for a strong presence on the high street. There is an increased online growth and online security to combat fraud and they enjoy a robust financial performance. The business growth Barclay ¿Ã‚ ½s business strategy is to achieve good growth through time by diversifying its business base and increasing its presence in markets and segments that are growing rapidly. This is driven by the Group ¿Ã‚ ½s ambition to become one of a handful of universal banks leading the global financial services industry, helping customers and clients throughout the world achieve their goals. The strategy is based on the principles of earn, invest and grow. Supporting this are four strategic priorities; Build the best bank in the UK, Accelerate the growth of global businesses, Develop retail and commercial banking activities in selected countries outside the UK, Enhance operational excellence. Barclay ¿Ã‚ ½s five guiding principles are key to the way the business operates:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Winning together: Achieving collective and individual success  ¿Ã‚ ½ Best people: Developing talented colleagues to reach their full potential, to ensure Barclays retains a leading position in the global financial services industry  ¿Ã‚ ½ Customer and client focus: Understanding customers and serving them brilliantly.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Pioneering: Driving new ideas, adding diverse skills and improving operational excellence.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Trusted: Acting with the highest integrity to retain the trust of customers, external stakeholders and colleagues. To continually compete internationally, Barclays must strive to perform customer service at an utmost level of excellence which will promote the company worldwide as a organization that can be relied upon time after time for small individual accounts as well as huge corporate accounts. To accomplish this, Barclays must identify their customer groups and the needs associated with each particular group and develop products and services that will be of great value to their customers. The practices that have worked in the past must be reconfigured to work for years to come and keep Barclays updated with the high changing IT world. This will call for new investments into new levels of technology that can help offer higher levels of service to its customers. Along with the apparent increase in speed that IT will allow Barclays to accomplish routine tasks, technology will also reduce risk of errors and fraud. (www.thebanker.com). IT will allow up to date information to be at the fingertips of Barclays managers, giving managers a huge advantage when it comes to making decisions and in pin pointing groups of customers that can have a high added value to Barclays. The fine-tuning of IT will also eliminate weaknesses within Barclays practices, preventing failures that effect customers and thus reducing excessive and unnecessary costs. In recent years, Barclays has been very successful in carrying out its desired tactics. Huge investment strategies that have led to this increase in profits include the acquirements within its Barclaycard card business. With growth on its mind, Barclays has set out to create an international business that if forecasted correctly, the income generated in its Barclaycard division will be of equal value internationally as well as domestically by 2013. Barclays has also placed strategic action in growing throughout Europe up to sixty percent in the near feature. 2.2. Human resource requirement to open new technology center in Johannesburg, South Africa In order to successfully open a new technological center in South Africa, Barclays will require having a structure (accommodation), the need the right number of staff, at the right place and the right time and equipped with the right technical skills to design, implement, manage projects and be able to develop new technological innovation. To assess the capacity required to do this research has to be carried out to derive the quantitative and qualitative data about the human requirement in this sector. The operations and activities in this center will range from upgrading ATMs, hosts the applications for the regions markets, credit card transfer, looking after all the net work and infrastructure applications and re-plat forming a country ¿Ã‚ ½s banks. The HR also needs to put in place a career development programmes for the staffs that will be working in this center and rewards and benefit packages. 2.3. The human resource plan in Barclays Resourcing Manager: The resourcing managers partners with each of the business unit of Barclays in order to help them attract and retain the best people for every job. They produce a schedule that deals the recruitment programme for the various types and levels of services. HR Operations Advisor: The HR operation advisor of Barclays supports the internal and external clients to ensure that the logistic affecting new starters, movers within the business and people leaving the company are dealt with smoothly and efficiently. Benefits Administrator/ Pension Administrator: The duty of the people here is to assist a pension administration Team Leader, the Benefits Administrator reconcile pension calculations, answer members ¿Ã‚ ½ queries and help with correspondence. HR Business Partner: HR Business Partners work alongside business leaders in a specific area of the Group to improve performance, advertising on recruitment, retention and development issues for that sector. Compensation and Benefits Analyst: Compensation and Benefits Analyst will set salaries for job roles to ensure that proposed compensation and reward packages are benchmarked and competitive. 2.4. Contribution of human resources to Barclays objectives HR professional take a strategic approach to human resource management. Human resource management seeks to proactively provide a competitive advantage through the company ¿Ã‚ ½s most important asset: its human resources. Human resources has a great impact on the implementation of plan by developing and aligning HRM practices that ensure the company has a motivated employee with the necessary skills. Human resource management in Barclays interacts between people, technology and the task to be performed in context with the objectives, goals and strategic plan of the company. HR plays a central role in such key area activities like attracting, selection and recruitment, employee orientations, retaining talent, promotions and termination process, and performance management including individual assessments, measuring and improving work performances, all these have significant impact on the employee turnover. The HR in Barclays sees to employee and the organizational development programm e to maintain and improve skills as well as reward systems, benefits and compliance available for staffs also laws, policies, health and safety. The HR of Barclays gives a detailed job description and hires the right skills for a particular job and draws up programme for the professional development of the employee for e.g. learning to operate a new technology, this makes Barclays a leader in terms of new innovation thus providing a competitive advantage. They also plan effectively ahead with the number of staffs required to reduce cost to an optimum and ensure working processes are running smooth, this provides effective performance, thus increasing financial performance as indexed by productivity and market share value. The HR of Barclays also uses system such as incentives to achieve a specific goal. The reward system affects the company ¿Ã‚ ½s performance through increasing the quality of products and services. The company ¿Ã‚ ½s HR cares about the need and well being of the ir employees and provides a comfortable working environment; this increases the employee ¿Ã‚ ½s motivation and enhanced productivity performance. 3.1. The purpose of human resource policies in Barclays The Human Resource Policy is simply a set of documents that describes an organization ¿Ã‚ ½s policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the practices for its managerial, supervisory staff, and all employees. This documents sets out the policy for all the human resource related issues in the company including some policies from the government that relates to the company business activities. The purpose of this policy is to help the organization to maximize return on investment in the organization ¿Ã‚ ½s human capital and maximize financial risk. The policy sets the standards of operations compliance, effective internal management control systems compliant with regulation standards and processes of all the business unit of Barclays. The HR policy provides a clear guidance to the employees as to what their responsibilities and obligations are, and their behavior that last beyond the residency of a particular business unit or executive. An HR policy also helps Bar clays to avoid liability for their employees ¿Ã‚ ½ actions and helps protect against legal claims. HR policies promote consistency approach to meet their needs as they develop continuity with regards to flexible working and general understanding of the management strategy within the Barclays business environment. An HR policy also helps Barclays to keep up with competitors: e.g. policies are may be review in order to attract or retain employee. Policies are set in line with the company ¿Ã‚ ½s strategy and planned to suit the culture, circumstances and size of the company. HR policies need to be reviewed with changes to the environment and growth with the company. So without these policies there will be no sense of direction within the company and it will be difficult for such an organization to achieve it aims and objectives. 3.2 The impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in Barclays. The regulatory requirements are the licenses, restrictions and laws that are applicable to a business product or services, imposed by the government. The regulations go a long way from protecting the environment to ensuring work place safety. Such regulations includes; legal and regulatory requirement related to pay, equality, employment rights and responsibilities, data protection, discrimination, etc. The cumulative burden of the regulation requirements by the law can have a positive or a negative impact on a company ¿Ã‚ ½s aims and objectives and can easily overwhelm businesses. The Employment Act 2008 sets out the laws on employment rights and welfare of the employee. The HR managers must now plan the employment package under this employment Act which is very expensive to implement. For e.g. the law makes provision about the procedure for the resolution of employment disputes; to provide for compensation for financial loss on cases of unlawful underpayment or non-payment, to make provision about the enforcement of minimum wages legislation. Barclays manages health and safety at a local level under the requirement and any mistake done can cause the company thousands of pounds on compensation. There is continuing political and regulatory scrutiny of the operations of the retail banking and consumer credit industries in the UK, EU, US, South Africa and elsewhere. For example, in the United States, Barclays Bank PLC and certain US subsidiaries and branches of the bank are subjected to a comprehensive regulatory structure, involving numerous statutes, ruling and regulations, including the International Banking Act of 1978, the Banking Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, the foreign Bank Supervision Enhancement Act of 1991 and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. Such laws and regulations impose limitation on the type of businesses, and the ways in which they may be conducted, in the United States and on the location expansion of banking business there. Non compliance to these regulations could lead to fines, public reprimands, damage to reputations, enforced suspension of operations or, in extreme case, withdrawal of authorization to operate. The new government has taken up deci sions to step up regulatory pressures on banks; it introduced a bank tax and is appointing a commission on banking to decide whether or not the banks should be broken up. Barclays has hinted it may move its operations overseas if the commission decides to force it to separate its retail and investment banking sectors. 4.1 The impact of organizational structure on the management of human resources in J Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s In an organization where different people works together, they need a defined system through which they relate to each other and through which there can be a coordination of their efforts. The defined relationships among the elements of an organization, namely people, tasks, structure, and information and control processes that characterize all organizations is referred to as organizational structure. Brief Business review of J Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s J. Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s plc is the parent company of Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s Supermarket Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s or Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s and JS, the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.6%. The group head office is in the Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s Store Support Center in Holborn, city of London. J Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s plc was founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s and his wife Mary Ann, in London, and grew rapidly during the Victorian era and today operates a total of 872 stores comprising 537 supermarkets and 355 convenience stores. It jointly owns Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s bank with Lloyds Banking Group and has two property joint ventures with Land Securities Group and The British Land Company PLC. The Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food. Quality and fair prices go hand-in-hand with a responsible approach to business. The store employs over 150,000 colleagues that serve over 19million customers a week and their largest store offers around 30,000 products. Read full story, available on jsainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s.co.uk/businessreview [assessed 27 Jan 2011]. 4.1.1 Organization structure of J. Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s 4.1.2 The operation mechanism 1. David Tyler (Chairman): He joined the Board on Oct 1 2009 and became the Chairman on Nov 1 2009. He is non executive chairman of Logica plc and a Non-Executive Director of Experian plc and Burberry Group plc, where he also chairs the Remuneration Committee. He was previously Group Finance Director of GUS plc (1997-2006) and has held senior ?nancial and general management roles with Christie ¿Ã‚ ½s International plc (1989-96), County NatWest Limited (1986-89) and Unilever PLC (1974-86). He was also Chairman of 3i Quoted Private Equity plc (2007-09) and a Non-Executive Director of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc over the same period. 2. Justin King (Chief Executive): Appointed Chief Executive Officer on 29 March 2004 and is also Chairman of the Operating Board. He has been a NonExecutive Director of Staples, Inc. since September 2007 and was appointed to the board of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympics Games in January 2009. He was formerly Director of Food at Marks Spencer plc and from 1994 to 2001 he held a number of senior positions at ASDA/WalMart in Trading, HR and Retail. Justin was previously Managing Director of H ¿Ã‚ ½agen Dazs UK and spent much of his early career with Mars Confectionery and Pepsi International. 3. Darren Shapland (Chief Financial Officer): Appointed Chief Financial Officer on 1 August 2005 and is also Chairman of Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s Bank plc. Darren was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Ladbrokes plc in November 2009. He was formerly Group Finance Director of Carpet-right plc (2002-05) and Finance Director of Superdrug Stores plc (2000-02). Between 1988 and 2000, Darren held a number of financial and operational management roles at Arcadia plc including Joint Managing Director, Arcadia Home Shopping; Finance Director of Arcadia brands; Finance Director, Top Shop/Top Man (Burton Group); and Director of Supply Chain Programme (Burton Group). 4. Mike Coupe (Trading Director): Appointed an Executive Director on 1 August 2007 and has been a member of the Operating Board since October 2004. He joined Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s from Big Food Group where he was a Board Director of Big Food Group plc and Managing Director of Iceland Food Stores. Mike previously worked for both ASDA and Tesco, where he served in a variety of senior management roles. He is also a member of the supervisory board of GSI UK. 5. John McAdam (Senior Independent Director): Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 1 September 2005. He is Chairman of Rentokil Initial plc and United Utilities plc. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Rolls-Royce Group plc and Sara Lee Corporation. John joined Unilever PLC as a management trainee in 1974 and went on to hold a number of senior positions in Birds Eye Walls, Quest and Unichema, before the sale of the Specialty Chemical Businesses to ICI in 1997. He was Chief Executive of ICI plc, until its sale to Akzo Nobel, and was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Severn Trent plc (2000-2005). 6. Anna Ford (Non-Executive Director): Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 2 May 2006. She retired from the BBC in 2006, after 32 years in News and Current Affairs. Anna is a Non-Executive Director of N Brown Group plc and has been a Trustee of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London; a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; a Trustee of Forum for the Future; Chancellor of Manchester University; and an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple. 7. Mary Harris (Non-Executive Director): Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 1 August 2007. She is a member of the supervisory boards of TNT NV and Unibail Rodamco S.E. Mary previously spent much of her career with McKinsey Company, most recently as a partner, and her previous work experience included working for PepsiCo in Greece and the UK as a sales and marketing executive. 8. Bob Stack (Non-Executive Director): Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2005. He was a Director of Cadbury plc until December 2008. He joined Cadbury Beverages in the US in 1990 and was first appointed to the Board of Cadbury Schweppes plc in May 1996 as Group Human Resources Director. In March 2000 he was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer and took on responsibility for communication and an external affair in addition to HR. Bob is Trustee and Non-Executive Director of Earth watch International and also a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee of IMI plc. 9. Gary Hughes (Non-Executive Director): -Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2005. Gary is Chief Financial Officer of the Gala Coral Group and a Director of the Scottish Exhibition Centre Limited. Formerly he was Chief Executive of CMP Information Limited, a division of United Business Media plc (2006-08), Group Finance Director of Emap plc (2000-05), Group Finance Director of SMG plc (1996 ¿Ã‚ ½2000), and Deputy Finance Director of Forte plc (1994-96). Prior to this Gary held a number of senior management positions with Guinness plc in the UK and in North America. 10. Val Gooding (Non-Executive Director): -Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 11 January 2007. She was formerly Chief Executive of BUPA (1998-2008), which she joined from British Airways, and is a Non-Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank plc. Val is a member of the BBC ¿Ã‚ ½s Executive Board and the Advisory Board of the Warwick Business School. She is a Trustee of the British Museum and a Non-Executive Director of the Lawn Tennis Association. She was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Compass Group plc and BAA plc. 11. Neil Sachdev (Commercial Director): Joined Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s in March 2007 as Commercial Director following 28 years at Tesco, where he worked in a range of different business areas including: Stores Board Director UK Property/Operations (2000-06); Supply Chain Director (1999 ¿Ã‚ ½2000); Director, Competition Commission (1998-99); Support Director (February 1998-September 1998); and Retail Director (1994-98). Neil is Non-Executive Director and a member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees of Capital Shopping Centers Group PLC. 12. Matt Brittin (Non-Executive Director): Appointed a Non-Executive Director on 27 January 2011. Matt is Managing Director of Google in the UK Ireland. Before joining Google at the start of 2007, Matt spent much of his career in media and marketing, with particular interests in strategy, commercial development and sales performance. This included Commercial and Digital leadership roles in UK media. Matt has an MBA from London Business School and an MA from Cambridge. In 2010 he was voted wired magazine ¿Ã‚ ½s  ¿Ã‚ ½Most Influential Person in the Digital World ¿Ã‚ ½. The organizational structure of Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s is fit with the imperatives defined by needs to keep costs down, provide operational excellence and help to develop the potential of the human capital inside the organization. The organizational structures of the company allows the human resource department to smooth co-operation among employees, create effective communication among the employees, provide a clear defined roles, responsibility and processes. Organization structure is used for choosing the plan that utilizes minimal resources and achieve maximum returns. From Human Resource perspectives, it is the organizational structure that drives the employees to their full capacities and capabilities. The organizational structure will enable the Human Resource department to classify all the employees of the organization into achievers and non-achievers. 4.2 The impact of organizational culture on the management of human resources The cultures of an organization are thought of as those that evolve in conversation and is influx, constantly changing. It is the culture of an organization that defines what things mean, whether they are valued as good or bad, right or wrong, and how things are to be done when answers can ¿Ã‚ ½t be fixed by formal structure, policy or procedures. There are two aspect of organizational culture: the culture within an organization and the culture outside and organization especially hen company operates its business globally, it has to adapt to local cultures. Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s have their strong organizational culture along with their corporate strategies. Sainsbury ¿Ã‚ ½s introduced the self checkout system in 2002; this helped the organization to save cost on s

Feminist and Dialogic Approaches in The Fatal Sisters :: The Fatal Sisters

Feminist and Dialogic Approaches in The Fatal Sisters  Ã‚     Ã‚   Thomas Gray's method of transforming monological poems into intense psyche films is fascinating. While reading The Fatal Sisters, readers can actually engage in a mind performance because of the choices of words, vivid actions, social aspects, and mythology that Gray displays here. The feminist and dialogic approaches, applied together, help shape the realm of this poem into a complex event in history that still takes place today. The feminist approach reveals many things about this poem that would otherwise be overlooked. To start, Gray presents us with Norse mythology. The twelve women in this poem are acknowledging the maidens of Oden who conduct the souls of heroes slain in the battle of Vahalla. This poem is their song. It sounds as a prayer that they are reciting to the war maidens Mista, Sangrida, and Hilda. "It is well-documented that in many cultures, when matriarchal societies were replaced with patriarchal ones, the previously venerated goddesses were turned by the new culture into witches, seductresses, or fools."(Guerin 207) These women's matriarch society was turned into a patriarch society. This is why the battle is going on. Supreme classes of men are combating for more power. The power that men took away from old matriarchal archetypes. Another approach helpful in analyzing this poem is Marxist feminism. Marxist feminism points out the social class that these women are in and leads us further to determine their fate. The women in The Fatal Sisters belong to the working class. They constitute a union and are bonded by sisterhood. The writers of the 1970's movie, Norma Rae, had this poem in mind when making this film. The Fatal sisters know their job. The fate of the men's lives are in the sisters hands. "Glitt'ring lances are the loom, where the dusky warp we strain, weaving many a soldier's doom, Orkney's woe, and Randver's bane."(5-8) The sisters are not affected by the war that is taking place. Their only focus is their duties, which are to finish making war flags and aid in killing. The biological and liguistical models also shape the feminine approach. The preface draws a detailed abstract to what these women look like. "Till looking through an opening in the rocks he saw twelve gigantic figures resembling women."(Gray 38) This is very offensive. He could have called them sturdy women, or large women.

Changing Roles of Women Essay -- Sociology

Since the beginning of the 1800's, women had been fighting for the rights that they wanted. Women should be able to vote, control their own property and income, and they should have access to higher education and professional jobs. Women also had many roles in society. Women had very important parts in jobs as they took up more responsibilities. Girls, young ladies, and women of all ages were working harder to bring home income. Most women thought the pay and the conditions were unfair. These arguments grew as women fought more and more for social equality. Women found jobs wherever they could. Women's work on farms and at home was essential but the younger women moved from rural areas to cities to work in factories. Immigrant women also turned to the factories for work. While some women were working hard in factories, other women were building volunteer organizations that took roles in rapidly reforming education, labor relations, public health, and other areas of society. Women that did neither of these jobs still worked in the home cleaning. More urban women made their own brea...