Starbucks’ Mission: Aligned with Its Strategies

Is Starbucks' Mission (vision, goals, objectives) aligned with its strategies? Analyze Starbucks based on the strategic process outline and write a five page paper answering the preceding question. As I drove to work this morning, I decided to make a slight detour from my normal route to get a cup of morning goodness in the form of fresh coffee. I could have stopped off at the corner convenience store, smelt gasoline being pumped and the ring-a-ding-ding of the slot machines that frequent just about every Las Vegas establishment, but I was looking for a little more something. I decided to drive an extra 30 seconds out of my way to go to an establishment that I knew would provide outstanding quality coffee, serve it with a smile, and provide an environment that was classy and warm. I decided to go to Starbucks. As I walked in, I smelt the fresh coffee grounds and heard a catchy song on the stereo. When the gal behind the counter greeted me with a big smile and asked, â€Å"What can I get started for you? † I knew I had made the right decision. The Starbucks corporation has done an outstanding job since 1970 with the execution of it's strategicprocess resulting in it currently owning 40% of the specialty coffee market and boosting annual sales exceeding $7 billion according to an article published by Burt Helm. Figure 1. Strategic Management Tasks According to the courseware there are five steps to be accomplished in the Strategic Management Process. See Figure 1 above. The one essential area that this graph excludes however is analysis. I will include this step in the following discussion. Mission Statement From the Starbucks website we find that the Starbucks' mission statement is, â€Å"Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow†. The website goes on to say â€Å"the mission is more than words on a piece of paper but rather a philosophy that guides how we do business every day. † While the later half appears to be fluff and corporate jargon, it is actually relevant in the way the Starbucks conducts business daily. With this mission statement they have determined who they are and what they intend to do. Breaking it down further we find that the key market is the coffee market, the contribution is to be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee, and that the distinction is doing all of this while maintaining their uncompromising principles. I will state the uncompromising principles as part of the objective area to follow. Analysis Starbucks knows that it is not in this market alone. In fact in some areas of the world it is already slightly behind. According to caterersearch. com, â€Å"in the UK Starbucks has been usurped by Costa Coffee as the UK's largest coffee shop operator, with 24. % (540 stores) compared to 24. 7% (555) for the Whitbread-owned chain†. The article went on to say that the market continues to have huge growth, exceeding 15% per year. The courseware introduced one method of analyzing the market known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). It was interesting to find the following chart, Figure 2, located in the Datamonitor Starbucks Co rporation Company Profile. Figure 2. Starbucks SWOT Analysis This SWOT analysis invariably helped Starbucks with the next phase of the strategy process, that of objective setting. Setting Objectives As mentioned earlier, Starbucks mission statement eludes to uncompromising principles. According to the Starbucks. com, these principles include: 1. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. 2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. 3. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. 4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. 5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment. 6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. While the Corporation calls these principles, and they are principles indeed, they also use these principles as a set of objectives from which they conduct their daily operations. A final objective that has recently come about from the Corporate Chairman Howard Schultz, is to ensure that the company does not forget its roots as it attempts to continue to grow. Schultz is aggressive. According to a Business Week article by Burt Helm, he would like to triple annual sales up to $23 billion by the year 2012, and almost quadruple the number ofStarbucks stores globally. This is smart. He sees the strengths and opportunities of the SWOT analysis above and wants to expound on his global presence and take advantage of the continual 14-15% annual growth of the market. Schultz also knows that there are slowing US retail sales however. To counteract this he intends to preserve the old world feel of a coffee bistro. In order to keep up with the demand, Starbucks has had to modernize some of its procedures. Helm states that the company has had to sacrifice some of the old world feel and incorporate the use of automatic espresso machines, vacuum sealed bags of coffee, CDs, and so on. Schultz wants to minimize the watering down of what he calls â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. This is difficult in today's society in which most businesses attempt to get consumers in and out as quickly as possible and customers expect and demand the same, a phenomena known as â€Å"The McDonaldization of Society†. Implementation and Execution of the Strategy Starbucks has implemented the principles and goals into daily operations. Looking through page after page of the Starbucks website, it is evident that the corporation has internalized these principles and uses them as guidelines. Providing a great work environment hashappened in a number of ways. Starbucks provides employees with training and education. One program listed on the Starbucks website is called, â€Å"Learning to Lead†. In this program employees learn effective management practices. Another employee programis â€Å"Business and Communication† in which workers are offered a variety of classes to aid in their management skills. These programs allow for advancement and a sense of accomplishment by employees. They added together with company benefits are attempts by Starbucks to foster a friendly work environment. Diversity is accomplished through the hiring process. Starbucks knows that it is important that every voice is heard, and in which employees strive to learn about one another. In doing this, the company ensures that no group of potential customers are alienated. Starbucks applies the highest standards in freshly delivered coffee in a couple of ways. According to the company home page, Starbucks works with suppliers and farmers daily in an attempt to sustain high quality coffee production. In addition to this, a program known as â€Å"Coffee Education† was put into effect in which employees learn the finer nuances of coffee, from aroma to taste, and as a result are better able to speak to customers about the gourmet products. The intent of this according to Helm, is to share Starbucks' passion for coffee and to make the coffee industry more like the wine industry. If Starbucks is able to make its customers connoisseurs of coffee, it can then stock and sellhigh end coffee for up to $28 per pound. Starbucks knows that competitors such as McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, or even the corner convenience store can't compete in this niche of the market. Starbucks has had success with ensuring that coffee drinking is an experience. According to Jeneanne Rae, â€Å"80% of Starbucks' revenues come from customers who visit their stores an average of 18 times a month†. This statistic alone tells us that the company is keeping its customers happy. The nice lighting, the plush furniture, the smooth music all aid in this endeavor. Rae goes on to say, â€Å"people will gladly pay more for an experience that is not only functional but also emotionally rewarding†. Simply put, I could go to the corner store and get a cup of coffee for $. 5 and get my caffeine shot for the day. In this process however I may feel like I'm missing out on the finer things in life, â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. As a result, I will go out of my way, pay $2 for a cup of coffee, and feel more satisfied. Starbucks also strives to contribute positively to its communities and surrounding environments. It strives to be a friendly gathering place for locals. According to its website, Starbucks supports local organizations with cash and contributions as well as promotes art, culture, education, and environmental awareness. The final goal of Starbucks is to be profitable and promote future success. It does this through taking care of its stakeholders. The Starbucks Code of Ethics for CEO and Finance Leaders states, â€Å"I am charged with ensuring that stake holders interests are appropriately balanced, protected and preserved†. All corporate decisions are made with the preceding oath in mind. Starbucks will continue to have success in the coffee market due to its strongstrategy. From vision statement, through SWOT, to implementation, and finally the execution of daily operations, it has been a synergistic effort. This process has culminated in what has been coined, â€Å"The Starbucks Experience†. Customers will take a five minute detour, just as I did this morning, to be greeted with a warm smile, receive a piping hot cup of java, all in a clean quant old world feel environment. Howard Schultz and his crew are well on their way to achieving their goals of 40,000 stores and $23. 2 billion in sales by the year 2012. REFERENCES Datamonitor Starbucks Corporations Company Profile, 25 Jan 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from, http://www. investor. reuters. om/data/files/Company%20Profile%20Sample%20for%20Reuters. pdf Helm, Burt. 9 Apr 2007. SAVING STARBUCKS' SOUL; Chairman Howard Schultz is on a mission to take his company back to its roots. Oh, yeah-he also wants to triple sales in five years. Business Week. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=44=1252343951=3=1=3=PROD=PQD=309=PQD=1184944744=29440=1 Keel, Robert. 10 July 2007. The McDonaldization of Society. Ret rieved on 20 July 2007 from, http://www. umsl. du/~keelr/010/mcdonsoc. html McDonald's to open coffee chain in Japan, 12 July 2007. Retrieved on 20 July 2007 from, http://www. topix. com/drink/2007/07/mcdonalds-to-open-coffee-chain-in-japan Rae, Jeneanne. 27 Nov 2006. The Importance Of Great Customer Experiences? Business Week. Retrieved 20 July 2007 from http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? index=60&did=1166573331&SrchMode=3&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1184944933&clientId=29440&aid=1 UK coffee market set to double over the next 10 years, 23 May 2007, Retrieved on 20 July 07 from,

Health Insurance And Women Health And Social Care Essay

Globalization, economic growing in developing states, migration, outgrowth of pandemics and millenary development ends has shifted focal point towards wellness as ne'er before. ‘Health ‘ has now become one of the most debated dockets. Health as a ‘capital stock ‘ and ‘asset ‘ has been good established. Concentration on accomplishing a certain degree of wellness in the population which cohesively promotes national involvements and ends has lead many states to reform their Health systems consequently. Governments and Multi sidelong giver bureaus working for wellness are invariably seeking to run into the demands of quickly altering populations and their disease forms. â€Å" Health systems are complex establishments, profoundly influenced by cultural thoughts about wellness and unwellness, by historical experience and by societal construction. Health sector reform ( HSR ) theoretical accounts are themselves non without internal contradictions, and contain premises that may be debatable † . ( Maureen.M and Paula.T, 2004 ) â€Å" Health sector reform is an umbrella construct and refers to the procedures of institutional alteration that have swept through wellness systems and an analytical and practical model of proposals for institutional redesign of wellness attention proviso and public wellness † , ( Maureen.M and Paula.T, 2004 ) with an connotation to increase wellness systems efficiency in resource allotment, organisation and bringing of services, cost-effectiveness and equity. Community based wellness funding is portion of such wellness sector reforms which has promises of transforming the funding of wellness for the hapless. The induction towards Community funding strategies was based on community engagement techniques. This scheme for funding health care has been adapted in hapless communities of low /middle income states of Africa, Asia and Latin America. ( Christine Onyango, 2001, PAHO ) The chief docket of community funding is balanced on the impression that â€Å" the control of resources generated by the community, and the possibility that fiscal and nonfinancial resources generated by the strategy can be used to upgrade wellness services, supplement wellness worker wages, and guarantee a support watercourse to refill drugs and medical services – all which will oblige community members to utilize wellness services † . ( Christine Onyango, 2001, PAHO ) In the past decennaries it has caught up really good in in-between and low income states. Chiefly because this funding mechanism reaches the population groups that are in most demand of wellness attention and where the usual ways of market and public wellness funding are unable to make. This phenomenon has now evolved into assorted wellness funding instruments ( Hsiao 2001, Dror 1999 ) like micro insurance, community wellness financess, community based wellness insurance, common wellness organisations, rural wellness insurance, go arounding drug financess, community engagement in user fee direction etc. In this paper, we would merely refer to community organized voluntary wellness insurance, or community based wellness insurance ( CHI ) . â€Å" The term community-based wellness insurance refers to any not-for-profit insurance strategy that is aimed chiefly at the informal sector and formed on the footing of an moral principle of common assistance and the corporate pooling of wellness hazards, and in which the members participate in its direction. † ( Musau 1999 )[ 1 ] Though it has had its success in making its aims globally, it has its ain portion of restrictions refering to issues of socio economic and gender equity. This paper will turn to issues covering with gender sensitiveness and affects of such community wellness insurance strategies particularly on adult females. Methods: The paper is strictly descriptive in nature and is an result of secondary research based on assorted research and policy documents on community based funding mechanisms and gender equity. The literature has been studied to understand the mechanism of community based wellness insurance and critically analyse how it affected adult females ‘s lives after such insurance strategies came into image.Discussion:The paper would first show the context for growing of community wellness insurances and their present signifier of being. Then it would discourse about the impact of CHI ‘s on adult females.The context:Scarce economic resources for wellness in add-on to moo or modest economic growing which can non back up the of all time turning populations with basic criterions of life, present a menace to wellness of a state. Though the province attempts to supply basic wellness services for the hapless, the organizational capacity, inefficiency, deficiency of cognition on wellness among people makes it difficult for such systems to be adequately financed. This may give rise to a immense non governmental sector which tries to cover the spreads. The population that can pay signifiers a fertile land for the private markets ( without proper province ordinance ) which creates immense inequalities in entree and handiness in proviso of attention. The issues of low human resources in wellness, affordability, huge geographics, illiteracy, social unfairnesss lead to farther impairment of wellness attention seeking cognition and attitude. Economic inequality entirely increases the load of accessing wellness attention at the right clip and as stated â€Å" poorest 20 % of the population is 6 times less likely to seek inmate attention than the wealthiest † . ( M.Kent Ranson, 2006 ) Health funding mechanisms like decentralization, debut of market ordinances, user fees, and capitations played an of import function to make fiscal and proficient efficiency of wellness systems but could non increase entree and use of the system to full capacity. There was a famine of mechanisms which could make the basic wellness demands of population and still be expeditiously run without making a complex organizational bunch. Financing methods which would besiege organizational troubles of pooling, buying and proviso of services on a big graduated table were explored, including the direct engagement of communities in wellness funding foremost by little NGO ‘s and other charitable administrations. This was the beginning of CHI strategies.Community wellness insuranceCHI strategies are based on the payment of minimum premiums and pooling them to cover wellness attention costs of the payees. They are normally working in low-income populations, which may come from diverse communities covering nearby by small towns, towns, peculiar professions, microfinance organisations, adult females ‘s ego aid groups. They can be organized by NGO ‘s, Charitable trusts, professional organisations, community centres, wellness attention organis ations, or even by infirmaries which target the occupants environing their mark countries.These are voluntary insurance groups like the private voluntary insurance in a little graduated table but unlike the societal insurances or revenue enhancement based insurances which are compulsory. The plans that we see now are branched out of the common thought to supply wellness attention to the hapless in this high and ruinous wellness attention cost scenario. The failure of the authorities to supply quality wellness attention at low-cost monetary value is besides a cause and an drift for such inceptions to spouse with the authoritiess. Harmonizing to N. Devadasan et Al, in India, there are three basic theoretical accounts of forming a community based wellness insurance depending on who is the insurance company. The Type 1 or HMO design is organized by a infirmary, where it runs the insurance company and besides acts as the supplier of wellness services. In Type 2 or Insurer design, the CHI insurance company is a voluntary organisation and it purchases care from independent suppliers ( public or private ) . Type 3 takes a in-between way and is called â€Å" Intermediate design † , the voluntary organisation Acts of the Apostless like an agent and purchases insurance from the insurance company and attention from the suppliers. Most of the CHI ‘s usage this theoretical account. ( N Devadasan, Kent Ranson, Wim Van Damme, Bart Criel, 2004 ) .Similar theoretical accounts can be seen all over the universe with merely minor structural accommodations. The chief thought behind the organisational apparatus of any such strategy is to do better buying of wellness attention from the suppliers and guarantee fiscal security in wellness of the payees as proposed by the universe wellness study 2000, where strategic buying is defined as â€Å" a uninterrupted hunt for the best ways to maximise wellness system public presentation by make up one's minding which intercessions should be purchased, how, and from whom ‘ to assist turn to issues of equity and quality. â€Å" ( M.Kent Ranson, et al 2006 ) The impact of pre-payment strategies on equity and efficiency is related to use. These strategies tend to besides absorb solidarity, equity and efficiency through ( Tamara Braam, 2005 ) 1. Cross subsidisation from rich to hapless 2. They increase the entree to good quality attention ; 3. They are good suited to poorer, seasonal and freelance husbandmans 4. Prepayment and decentralized control over resources by communities additions efficiency and helps to right geographical unfairnesss in public outgos for wellnessWomans in CHI ‘sAs mentioned above community based wellness insurances have transformed lives in poorer subdivisions of society and brought about an of import institutional alteration. When it comes to adult females in peculiar, it is of import to determine that though their functions have been enhanced in societies, CHI ‘s have been gender insensitive and have n't catered to adult females ‘s wellness demands to a big extent. This subdivision would seek to set far ward both the benefits and restrictions of CHI ‘s every bit far as adult females are concerned. Understanding that poorness, gender, deficiency of societal and economic entitlements are interlinked ( Harcourt, 2000 ) to wellness of the population, many writers proposed gender function in community as an of import property of development and poorness decrease. Addressing the gender issues in community would convey about a sustainable alteration in all other development related facets. Authorization of adult females through community engagement, literacy, capacity edifice was emphasized to hold sustainable and healthy communities. Women ‘s function in CHI reached paramount importance particularly after the Community based plans succeeded to be the stepping rocks to heighten adult females ‘s function in the society. Through ego aid groups and micro recognition financing systems, concentration has shifted towards adult females as they were projected as more trust worthy and reliable. This proved to be a better chance for adult females to move in a new ambiance flexing the bing gender functions in the community to an extent. At this occasion it is of import to analyze that Gender is an of import factor which determines the public-service corporation of the wellness attention services, â€Å" in peculiar, the ability to exert their right to wellness † ( Tamara Braam, 2005 ) .It depends on assorted factors that arise due to Woman ‘s attributed gender function in the society from fiscal dependance, socio cultural marginalisation, bing determination doing powers in society to how they interact with the present wellness attention system ( functions of wellness forces, services provided, consideration of their wellness demands and demands, wellness literacy ) . Supporting this impression is grounds signifier from BI financing mechanism proposes that gender functions in societies play a really of import function and have deductions for just engagement particularly vulnerable groups like adult females due to existence of local hierarchies. ( Hissock 1990 ; WHO/UNICEF 1999 ) CHI ‘s involve adult females in two different ways harmonizing to their organisational design If the CHI is organized as portion of Micro -credit or adult females self help groups adult female is entitled as the authorised payee and participates in organisation of services and direction of the financess where she along with her household are covered. If CHI is organized on lines of professional groups/workers guild's/ family as a unit: Normally in hapless and patriarchal communities, work forces are workers and professionals and besides regarded as caput of the family and therefore authorized payee for the whole household. Womans of the family merely go a beneficiary. A adult female becomes an authorised payee if she is a professional, member of group or if she is the lone caput of the household. It is of import to observe that the impact of community wellness insurance differs as to which function adult female plays in the CHI. When Community based wellness insurance uses prevailing establishments such as adult females self help groups and microcredit funding organisations as a mark for their intercessions they empower adult females respects to their wellness and do a batch more good for adult females empowerment, promoting them to convey about a singular alteration in their lives, doing them self reliant and knowing in heightening their abilities to grok, analyze and implement programs. Puting an illustration for promoting adult females to take part in community wellness enterprises is SEWA an NGO in India. It proved that CHI can be organized expeditiously by the hapless themselves and largely led by adult females. Womans from brotherhoods, co-ops, self-help groups ( SHGs ) and their associations, mahila mandals, recognition societies, female parents ‘ groups, young person nines, community-based organisations and others were successful in making so in 14 old ages of SEWA ‘s experience. Today â€Å" Lok Swasthya † a flagship community wellness insurance strategy of SEWA has 500 podium ( female wellness workers ) , wellness workers and public wellness professionals as its stockholders. With a turnover of over one crore rupees, it is a little but autonomous attempt, covering all its costs including a squad of 50 full-time staff and 200 parttime wellness workers. Mirai chaterjee ( sewa ) It is the function of adult females who are portion CHI to do all facets of the strategy gender sensitive and convey about a difference to adult females ‘s wellness particularly as it has been neglected for long. This would be wholly true if ideally all these adult females participate and make usage of their determination doing power to heighten their wellness services. But adult females ‘s playing a cardinal and meaningful function in CHI is non unvarying all over. Harmonizing to WEDO ( 1998 ) study â€Å" though many community wellness commissions had been formed in Mali since the Cairo conference, few adult females participated actively and on these – merely 12.9 % of commission members were adult females in 1996, and about bulk had minor functions and/or few cardinal duties † . Sometimes we tend to overlook that these adult females may be bound to their social gender functions and hierarchies and tend to move in a manner which marginalizes their wellness demands for their households. Deciding on stripling preventive services, can be one slippery state of affairs where adult females would n't see it portion of the benefit bundle due to social norms. Besides the premise that adult females are financially independent and transform their bing gender functions as they become wealth generators when community wellness insurance is provided based on micro recognition plans or self help groups is problematic. How far this wealth coevals decreases the gender hierarchy in the household is overlooked. A adult female can still prolong the hierarchy due to beliefs and civilization or social force per unit area. It may besides be a instance that merely â€Å" adult females ‘s hard currency incomes rise, duty for paying instruction and wellness fees shifts off from work forces to adult females † ( CEEWA, 1995 ) .Taking a note from Dwyer and Bruce, 1985 and speak uping that non much has changed in male laterality in families in determination devising power about monthly outgos no affair who earns, it is profound that this deeply-entrenched job can non do adult females independent by simple proviso of relevant services. It can besid es be observed that a rise in hard currency employment for adult females brought greater liberty within the household but at the cost increasing their loads, at place and besides in the community go forthing them with no proper attention of their ain wellness. On the other manus, for the adult females who are merely donees of the community wellness insurances, CHI ‘s can be credited to hold brought about acknowledgment of synergic impact between wellness and economic activities and distributing consciousness about ways of making chances to assist themselves. They have tried to absorb a cognition seeking behaviour, addition in wellness literacy, engagement in wellness publicity and disease bar, altering attitudes and beliefs about most of the diseases and consciousness about civil society and their function in socio-political establishments etc. It can non be stated that these alterations reach all the adult females ; it is fundamentally dependent on execution and use of these plans within the bing social gender model. The use of Health services depends on entree, affordability and acceptableness. CHI ‘s have dealt with all the three at one go more significantly when adult females ‘s wellness is concerned. Many Empirical surveies concluded in a positive note that creative activity of community insurance strategies increased the usage of medical services which reduced the ailment wellness, disease and mortality among adult females. Keeping in head the nature of gender functions and their impact on ingestion of services, Arhin ( 1994 ) opines that community wellness insurance strategies, which were prepayment based are more helpful for adult females. Her survey in Burundi, found that adult females enrolled in such strategies had more entree to wellness attention than the uninsured. The chief ground was the prepayment strategy provided cashless intervention installations which co-relate with the findings that adult females have less entree to hard currency in the family. Criel et Al ( 1999 ) studied the Bwamanda infirmary insurance strategy which was working from 1980 ‘s in Congo. They found that obstetric infirmary services were utilized more among the insured than the uninsured adult females. There was a immense spread between the Caesarean subdivisions among the insured and the uninsured which strongly correlated with their determination that the ascertained shortage in Caesarean subdivisions has led to a figure of obstetrical catastrophes in the noninsured population.Another illustration is a survey by Diop et Al ( 1995 ) who studied an experimental undertaking to present â€Å" cost recovery mechanisms † in three wellness territories of Niger. It was noticed that the territory with community financing + fee-per-illness episode theoretical account, showed a important addition in use of wellness services among adult females from 15.5 % to 20.3 % , whereas it decreased somewhat but non significantly in the fee-per episode territory ( from 14.4 % to 13. 4 % ) and decreased significantly in the control territory ( from 10.5 % to 6.2 % ) Engagement in some sort of community funding strategy has deductions for wellness services use for generative wellness. Noterman et Al ‘s ( 1995 ) experiment affecting the debut of a prepayment strategy in Masisi territory where subscription units every bit good as fee degrees were varied found that adult females enrolled in the prepayment program were about 5 times every bit likely to give birth in the infirmary as non-subscribers. However, when the unit of subscription was changed to the household instead than the single, there was less discriminatory choice and there was small difference between the adult females and work forces in footings of use. ( paho ) Women addition well by cashless payments in prepayment strategies. Many writers take a stance that this allows adult females non to trust on their spouses for fiscal resources in wellness. It is accepted to an extent, as it may Increase o utpatient section visits of adult females, the first degree of attention seeking, but the sarcasm is some of the community based wellness attention plans do non cover these outpatient services or have a capping to restrict figure of visits. This becomes once more an added hindrance to adult females if the gender hierarchy in family gives work forces more penchant. There is besides another interesting facet to increased visits of adult females to wellness centres if they are involved with CHI ‘s. Hillary standing found that among the insured adult females bulk of them came to seek wellness attention for kids than for themselves which demystifies that every visit of a adult females for wellness attention use may non be for her ain wellness jobs. ( Hillary standing ) Among scheme members, execution jobs are likely to disproportionately affect adult females members. Normally the determination shapers are work forces in CHI ‘s non based on adult females self help groups due t o their attributed gender function, taking to a patriarchal influence in determination devising and marginalisation of adult females ‘s wellness services. Exceptionally if adult females are involved, there are more opportunities that they besides continue to suggest determinations in line with the sensed gender hierarchy in the community. A recent appraisal of one CHF in Tanzania showed that members were incognizant of some of the benefits they were entitled to such as referral to a infirmary. This could hold black effects for illustration in instances of adult females with complicated gestations in demand of hospital degree attention but with no out of pocket hard currency. â€Å" . ( Maureen Mackintosh & A ; Paula Tibandebage, UNRISD 2004 ) The credibleness of community-based strategies continues to be arguable in many stances, particularly their really low rates of engagement. For illustration, in Tanzania a strategy started in 1998 had merely, a engagement rate of merely about three per centum by November 2003. Other studies besides show similar strategies in other territories with engagement rates of less than 10 per centum ( Tibandebage, 2004 ) . Similar forms are seen in other developing states ( Stick outing and Tine, 2000 ) . In India by 2005, 51 micro insurance strategies covered 5.1 million people and among them merely 60 % offered community wellness insurance which is comparatively meagre when compared the hapless in India.One of the chief grounds for low engagement has been the degree of poorness and the inability to pay to back up wellness services. Sing that community based wellness insurance run on a prepayment footing as discussed already, the most vulnerable do n't come in to the image at all if they can non pay. Womans in such families are still unaccessible for any sort of wellness intercessions. In Bangladesh, during the execution of Women ‘s authorization through employment and wellness ( WEEH ) undertaking it was hard to make the poorer pockets of hapless adult females and autochthonal people as some of them were non even in a place to purchase a policy card. In such fortunes, the challenge is the â€Å" inclusion of exclusion † . ( Dil Prasad and Lisa wong,2005 ) â€Å" From the gender equity point of position, really low rank Numberss in community-based strategies is likely to disproportionately affect adult females. This is both in footings of being less able than work forces to afford out of pocket payments at the clip of unwellness, and besides because adult females are likely to hold more wellness demands † . ( Maureen Mackintosh & A ; Paula Tibandebage, UNRISD 2004 ) . CHI ‘s are based in the community and instead reflect than attempt to turn to the bing inequalities present in the community. Sing the definition of equity in wellness as â€Å" the absence of systematic disparities in wellness ( or in the major societal determiners of wellness ) between groups with different degrees of underlying societal advantage/disadvantage-that is, wealth, power, or prestigiousness † ( P Braveman, S Gruskin,2003 ) , community wellness insurances fail to turn to the specific issues of the socio-economically disadvantaged and adult females. Rights based attack in wellness takes into consideration the already bing gender inequalities in the societies and how any intercessions in wellness attention affect these dealingss.

Total quality management in apple

Contents Introduction Total quality management is globally recognized system to review and control the overall quality of any organization. It can also be called as a philosophy which supports the quality management procedure of organizations including such benefits as improving overall customer satisfaction, enhancing employee motivation, reducing wastage of resources, developing the service and product quality and maintain a growing performance of the organization.TTS generally is considered as a problem solving technique that specially focuses on the continuous improvement of the laity of product and service provided by a certain company. In this approach the management and employee can work together for the overall improvement by using quality and management tool aimed at increasing business and reducing losses in the extended track.Several key concepts that are the basis often are such as customer's requirements define the quality, quality improvement is a direct obligation to t he top management, systematic analysis and development of work process brings the result of enhanced quality, the effort is somewhat incessant in nature and is lead all the way through the organization. Functions of TTS There are several tasks that are maintained worldwide to proper manage the TTS process.The following functions are mentionable of them all- Promise of employees and management Gratifying consumer predilections Bargain of development time Just In time production and manufacturing Lessening of product and service cost Expedite system development Possession of line management Employee involvement and empowerment Benchmarking and stimulating goals Upgrading plans Incorporation of strategic planning Company summary Apple Inc. Is basically an American multinational corporation which designs, develops ND sells consumer electronics and software.It is recognized as world's second largest electronics company considering the revenue earned. The company was established on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Waking and Ronald Wayne. This company belongs to computer hardware, computer software, consumer electronics and digital distribution industry. Nowadays there are 408 retail stores for Apple and the overall functions of TTS is maintained by the following workers- Display Calibration & Instrumentation Engineer Mechanical Design Engineer Program Manager Video Code Architect Regulatory RFC Systems EngineerHardware Systems Engineer Java Software Architect Data Analyst Firmware / SW Engineering Program Manager Engineering Project Manager Quality Assurance Engineer Facilities Manager Visual Designer Market Researcher These are Just a few of the total recruits who manage the TTS. There are many more who maintain the system to serve the consumers. Reasons for adopting TTS for Apple Apple already has created great customer loyalty over the years. But there is an obligation of holding the position that they tend to possess.The direct reasons why Apple should adopt TTS to their system is even clear. The following improvements re obvious in case- Defining the weaknesses: Apple lacks the variation in product that is very much important in this era of business. This is Just a simple weakness that can be pointed out very easily. But several weaknesses are such that cannot be assessed or controlled. TTS would be of great use in defining that feebleness at instance. Identify priorities and actions: Information regarding the cores that are to be performed by the employees is very much important.There is a function of TTS that emphasizes on the information system. The collected information would help Apple to direct their concentration awards important functions. TTS keeps track of data related to importance of any job which is a helping hand to prioritize the things that are to be performed first by the company employees. Selection of proper actions regarding the object is also is a feature of TTS. Development of communication system: TTS emphasizes on the overall communication system which ultimately results in an efficient communication model.The supervisors and subordinates are allocated with authority to control their workers. Whereas Apple is considered as a large company, distribution of responsibility and authority is necessary to improve the company reference. Direct comprehension: The use of TTS would serve uninterrupted insight into the company and personnel data by eradicating the barriers between staff areas and maintaining supportable relationship with acquaintances. This type of initiative is always helpful to companies like Apple which is bound to remain updated about their current situation.Perfection of productivity and competence: Keeping track of the overall production cost and controlling the material costs is one important function of TTS. Well produced products generally help to increase the demand of the total service as well as product. This opens the opportunity to produce more and leads to lower averag e cost of production facility. On the other hand, consumer loyalty increases over time and helps to gain efficiency over production. Though Apple has a huge production capacity at present, it can be utilized better with the help of TTS and enhance customer loyalty.Adoption of quality driven strategy: Whereas every other company is trying to snatch the overall market share from Apple in various segments, it is time for Apple to gain competitive advantage based on quality products. TTS development would certainly result in higher customer distraction and serve as a competitive edge over the competitors. Proper stuff management: In the context of Apple, TTS will help the company staffs to work more vigorously to accomplish the consistent actions related to the explicit objectives of the organization as the process eliminates the measure that obstructs the devotion of personnel.Total Quality Management principles of Apple Apple has accepted the importance of TTS long ago. But there is a lways difference in the application of TTS in different organizations. There are certain philosophies obtained by Apple Inc. ND employees oblige by these principles if any confusion appears in making quality related decisions. The principles are as stated- There is no obligation to hold the current quality management procedure if adoption of new procedure bring about good to the company. Adoption of new technique should be subject to reducing overall cost or enhance value of product or service.The TTS procedure must support the concept of relentless improvement. Training is essential to develop the performance of the employees and necessary measures to train employees are type of investment. Friendly working environment is directly elated to employee service quality and ensure settlement of non-performance related problems. Authority is not certain to be held by the top level management. Rather, apt allocation of power inclines to lessen the workload as well as improves the overall speed of work.Cross-functional effort is deliberated as the most apposite solution to reduce quality erosion. There is compulsion to improve planning, enhance production capability and serve on a constant basis. Every eligible employee is a suggestion provider in Apple Inc. And has right to speak about problems in any system that needs to be persisted. Moreover, the solutions given by other employees have importance to the top management all together. Integration between suppliers and organization is equally important as serving the customers according to their needs.Apple ensures the integration through contractual relationship. Application of Total Quality Management Principles in Apple Total quality management mainly a method which continuously concentrate on the development of quality of all the separations of a company with a view to providing quality service to the clients beyond their potentials. It enlarges its functionality from upper to lowest level of a firm. To make a fr uitful total quality management a company must have expert employees who can make qualitative decisions in any situations.The total quality management principles can be greatly applied to Apple Corporation in different conditions. They are given below- Customer centric approach The main purpose of a business is to manufacture goods & services for the customers. Whatever Apple does like appointing expert employees, installing high- tech machines for production, or incorporating technologies for high quality management; if the ultimate customers do not like the products or services all approaches will be failed. So the main strategy of Apple is that it develops all its plans keeping customers in highest priority.For example- Apple does not compromise with quality It has strong supplier partnership It has strong customer driven strategy It also maintains good customer relationship for future marketing. Employee involvement In Apple all employees should work to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. It is strictly maintained by Apple to motivate the employees and to bring out what it needs from employees. Apple has a reputation for appointing talented pools in its employee lists. After Job's return Apple has concentrated on employee's best performance.For this they developed Apple fellow program, awarding the employees who made extraordinary contribution to the organizational growth. Active participation of stuffs can be achieved by making more workspace for the employees. Apple has followed some rules for employee involvement. They are- Apple develops employees with training It also has suggestion arrangement It measures the performance It offers employee acknowledgment It develops exceptional group Process approach Process approach is the initial part of the TTS process.Process can be explained as converting raw materials & raw suppliers into processed items or final items that can be delivered to the customers. All parts of production need expertise to complete the process properly. In Apple, processing of resources is important to accomplish a project efficiently & effectively. Apple managers are very proactive decision makers about the needs & wants of the customers. As a result it is helpful for them to the path of continuous improvement in the company. So apple takes some initiatives to accomplish the project perfectly.Apple develops well-informed staffs for processing parts Apple builds proactive decision making process It always measures the performance of the employees After measuring it monitors constantly the overall works process of the organization. Integrated system Every business has its own functionality to perform which divide into different department. These functionalities are interrelated with various sources or horizontal processes which help to increase the continuous business improvement process. So every employee should have the knowledge of the company's policies, standard, procedure, objectives etc.In Apple it is strictly maintained by the staffs to be aware f their goals & vision. Without having all sorts of knowledge about their work they cannot be dedicated to their work. Mainly Apple is famous for its strictly enforcing accountability. Each project of their company has a directly responsible individual. So apple tries to maintain integration through some strict rules & regulation. As integration increases more, the type of competitive advantage also increases. Small processes add with larger process and it makes an integrated process.So every employee in the apple should understand the overall mission of the company as well s the quality process to develop a successful project. Suppose if Apple maintains continuous monitoring process for continuous improvement then it integration of employees can be achieved. Apple has its own business culture & environment. If the integrated approach integrates all the elements of TTS then Apple can achieve the continuous improvement process with an effort that exceeds the customer expectation. Strategic & systematic approach Strategic & systematic part of the TTS is one of the most critical parts of TTS.The main element of this process is to continuously improving the functionality of the many. Accepting quality control as the main element of any business can be the core success of any kind of business. So Apple must adopt systematic plan or approach to reach the ultimate goal of the corporation. After analyzing the overall working process of Apple, it can be said that it has a strong systematic plan to reach its goal. Moreover realizing, understanding, & managing the business objective can be effective for systematic approach.All this activities create an integrated process which contributes the effectiveness & efficiency of the company. Apple has following methods for strategic approach- Apple advances tactical development It Interrelates all the elements of business method of the company Fact-based decision making In an y organization, performance measurement plays an important role for having a clear idea about the current improvement of the company. For effective TTS a company must collect information & evaluate them perfectly to have a clear understanding of the performance measurement, making effective decision & forecast.But every decision must be develop according to the situation & statistical analysis. Any kind of emotional based decision should be evaded. In Apple monitoring & evaluation of performance is strictly maintained. Suppose if Apple wants apply fact based decision making process for continuous improvement then the corporation has to measure the performance effectively & efficiently in every phase of projects. Apple should maintain statistical control method Team focused on problem solving can be another solution for fact based decision making process.Continual improvement Continual improvement is the basic aspects of total quality management. A continuous improvement process help s to continuously thinking about creative & innovative ideas for any kind of projects which eventually help to grow more competitive advantage against other competitors. In Apple if the managers follow the step by step solution of any problem rather than focusing or making rebellion on any specific site, it would be better to continuously improve on that sector. And from top to bottom level all the employees should be motivated to gain the ultimate craving result.In summary Apple can follow the following rules for improvement- Apple can systematically measures the performance of any project It can develop active cooperation It can also accomplish cross functional process Communication Communication is one of the important parts often because it develops the motivational stimulus during the daily operational activities. In Apple after analyzing the working process we can say that the manager continuously involve employees in operational activities for better communication. It also gi ves them the feel of empowerment in the organization which is very helpful. It creates unity among the Apple's employees.And it is the leading criteria for the ultimate success of the organization. So it is true that a communication process in apple leads to better quality improvement of the company. Evaluation of Apple's TTS on the basis of philosophies TTS generally is done through different approaches by different companies. But few techniques have been stated by specialists which ensure success to some extent if applied carefully. Amongst those techniques the popular ones are- Six sigma procedure Deeming 14 principles Concept of continuous improvement Six Sigma procedure Six sigma is a measurement of quality in an organization which is near to perfection.Six sigma is a disciplined data driven process which eliminate any kind of errors or defects in an organization or any process, from manufacturing to transaction & to reduce and service. The I-J department of trade & industry sa ys- ‘Six sigma is a data driven method for achieving near perfect quality. Six sigma can focuses on any elements of product or services and has strong emphasis on statistical in design, manufacturing & customer oriented activities. ‘ None 2005) Both six sigma & total quality management have one common aspects and that is continuous improvement of the organization.While total quality management works for different departments in an organization, the six sigma has the capability of delivering even sharper result than the TTS. Six sigma DYNAMIC process elements D- define opportunity M- measure performance A- analysis opportunity l- improvement performance C- control performance Figure: Six sigma Six sigma in Apple Inc. Six sigma is mainly based on pre-planned project charter that mainly forms the basic scale of the project, financial budget of the project, benefits of the project etc. A company which follows the total quality management system may not be aware of the financ ial gains in the future.But company uses six sigma which based on MIMIC can be helpful for making measurement, identifying problems & providing exact solution at the right time. Apple is a corporation where it is very important to have continuous innovation of new products with hi-tech technology, upgrade features etc. In this situation it very challenging for them to continuously innovating new features products. Application of six sigma may helpful for Apple organization to measure what improvement they are making & what will be the consequences after marketing the product to the market.Six sigma basically give us a core road map for understanding the improvement process of an organization. Applying six sigma in Apple can have following benefits: 1. Leadership commitment: Six sigma plays an important role in deployment cycle. In Apple managers can apply Six Sigma for leadership commitment. Managers of Apple can arrange training program to leaders of the organization through the pr inciples and tools to develop their managerial infrastructure. The main advantage of this training program is that it will reduce the managerial hierarchy & procedural barriers of Apple Inc. 2.Customer focus : In six sigma organizational work process is developed in such a way that organization will have close communication with all the customers, suppliers, vendors, internal & external parties etc. After applying this theory Apple will be able to eliminate the scope of defects from the organization. 3. Strategic deployment: Six sigma mainly concentrate on the organizational principals like right people, right customers, project, tools, improvement tools etc. That are relate to bottom line principles. In Apple organization strategic deployment can be applied to achieve the bottom line success. 4.Integrated infrastructure: In this process the leadership team explains & reviews the overall process of the organization. So Apple may use this approach to remove barriers. The leaders of A pple Inc. 5. Disciplined framework: Six sigma follows the roadman of measure, analysis, improve & control. This disciplined framework helps to build up a clear communication way for the members of the organization. In Apple six sigma outlines can play a vital role for the development of communication process between internal & external elements. This disciplined element helps to build up continuous improvement in Apple Inc. 6.Education & training: Six sigma believes that true success can be attained by true understanding in the firm. So Six sigma uses its superiority & gears to transform the real problem to a real solution. In Apple, managers can try to maintain this superiority & gears to transform the practical problem into practical solution. Eight steps to build successful Six Sigma in Apple 1. Burning platform & shared vision First of all for applying six sigma Apple's needs to identify the burning platform like Apple is suffering from huge quality loses & it reasons 45% of the ir cost or Apple's competitors are gaining market share of every quarter by 12%.Without having these types of burning problem Apple won't be going for any six sigma solution. Finally, Apple's need to take act to achieve their vision; it safeguards that they gain credibility and strong provision from leadership. Leadership patrons safeguard will meet Apple's vision, thereby reaching superiority. 2. Resources The main core of this part is that do not hesitate to hire right resources for the right place or people. It is true that resources alone cannot bring success in Apple. It should deploy them as a team & this team will work as a change agent.It is also necessary that the team will carry out the resources and make a success by using them. Apple's need to take care of their resources both in terms of pays and also the source appropriate and obligation to applying the common vision. 3. Teach For six sigma the success can be achieved by teaching the employees. Apple needs to teach or give training the team for successful & powerful change agent. This can be achieved by assuring that the team is 100% trained & well performed their duties at the right time. 4.Arrange As Apple has gathered resources, well rained team then the next part is to make the people aware from the top level of the firm to the bottom level. For this Apple needs to learn what to manage and where to take threat, and the query here is how good Apple's service is in terms of risk modification and anticipation organization in terms of meeting the key anticipation of organization's objectives. 5. Ownership With ownership we can understand pride & power. Here Apple can make integrity by assuring team accountability, engagement & commitment.The key for success relies on these rules of accountability, engagement & commitment. 6. Measurement Creating a proper measurement system may ensure proper baseline. To achieve a targeted goal, Apple must have a measurement system. The key for measurement is to g et the cost for quality right. But having lots of measures on Apple's record may shift devotion away from the serious few. So they need to classify and amount the key important pointers instead of evaluating the many cover pointers. 7. Governance The key to success of any project can be attained by proper governance.Improper governance may lead to destruction of the project. So Apple can create a business quality council at the upper level of the group can level and clear all hurdles; this would generate interaction and also clear ways for following to timeliness. Proper governance would create best practices in the organization. . Recognition Reward or recognition plays an important role in the organization which creates energy in the team for their effort & also motivates them for further work. Proper recognition in Apple can create excellence in the performance & also create consistency.Deeming 14 principles The statistician Dry. W. Edwards Deeming stated the model of 14 principl es which basically explained the philosophies and development procedure through total quality management. These principles are certainly capable of maintaining the overall TTS of Apple. Constantly improving product and service: Apple should be planning considering the long term effects of any decision regarding quality management. It would be helpful to predict and prepare for the upcoming challenges in the long run which would have adverse effect on the business.On the other hand, the decisions should be focused on the intention of improving the products and services. Adopting new philosophies: The current philosophies should always be subject to change according to the business requirement. The customer need has to be emphasized mostly as well as the competitive pressure and Apple is aware of it. Avoiding inspection to achieve and ensure quality: Inspection is in fact done at Apple to maintain proper quality. As a result the additional price is paid by the customers at the consume r level. There is no intention to avoid the inspection program at present.But today or tomorrow a better option must be found by Apple to deduct the overall cost of production as the competition is getting more intense nowadays. Using single supplier for any one time: This is not the case always because Apple has contract with different producers to provide raw materials in case of some items. However, most of the materials are supplied from one supplier at a time. This is important to keep a decent and viable relationship with suppliers and encourage them to evaluate Apple based on the quality but not the price.The use of single supplier will ensure the trustworthiness of Apple. Improved planning, production and service constantly: This is one sector where there is no scope of complaining against Apple. The employees are constantly working to improve the development innovative products and please the customers with enhanced service factors. More and more employees are being engaged to cultivate strategic planning for quality control measurements. Training employees to achieve success: Tons of resources are being spent in Apple to train their workers.The promise of highly technical and consistent service urges for the need of trained employees. There are several programs that are in operation to proper train the workers and maintain not only the caliber of employees but also the overall company image. Implementation of leadership: The proper allocation of authority serves as the injection as the cure of many complexities regarding decision making. Apple has been successful to achieve this function to an extent. Driving out fear: Employees should always feel safe from any unexpected behavior from their superiors if any mistake is committed by them.Apple has been successful to create a friendly environment amongst the superiors and subordinates where mistakes are not a subject to direct action. Rather, immediate measures are taken but to solve the mistaken funct ions. Elimination of barriers amongst stuffs: Cross-functional teamwork is the major concern of this philosophy. Apple at large uses this method to best utilize the capability of their workers. It is known to the top management that spiritually pleased employee provides the best possible output for

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Picture Archiving Computer Systems - Essay Example The PACS system has at the base the modalities, which are the imaging equipment. A Radiologic Information System manages the data and processes requests for information, billing, and scheduling of appointments. High-resolution monitors are located at workstations to view the images, or the data is transmitted to mobile devices over wireless transmission. PACS has many advantages over the traditional method of film reproduction, viewing, and storage. Digital archiving takes far less physical space and can be located offsite. The digital images can be transmitted to any area with the restrictions of geography and time. In addition, PACS allows multiple specialists to consult on a problem or offer a second opinion. The specialists can be available around the clock at any remote location. The cost savings can be significant. Staff can be restructured to reduce redundant tasks and capital equipment can be more fully utilized. While PACS has considerable advantages over the traditional film storage, it is also prone to problems. There can be hidden costs in the conversion of existing data. Infrastructure, such as transmission lines, needs to be upgraded to handle the increased data flow. The move towards an enterprise PACS solution can be daunting when making compromises of standardization against the best available technology on a departmental basis. In addition, staff will need to be retrained and skills upgraded to work in the PACS computerized environment. The concerns of data storage are considerable. As more examinations are performed and more departments begin to utilize PACS, the capabilities of the hospital or medical center may be overwhelmed. Outside application service providers will need to be hired to manage the storage, retrieval, and transmission of the data. In implementing PACS, it becomes necessary to make the data available to many individuals that may or may not require it. HIPAA has mandated requirements for the storage and transmission of this data. In addition, personal privacy of medical records has become ever more important. Security will be one of the paramount issues concerning the implementation of PACS. PACS is here to stay and will continue to grow and evolve. Hospital and PACS administrators will need to be multi-skilled to manage the flowering new opportunities. PACS has the opportunity to be a cost effective enhancement to patient care, but runs the risk of being a high-cost failure if implemented incorrectly or without prudent planning. 1.0 Introduction Daniel Federman, the Associate Dean of Harvard Medical School, once commented that, "We in medicine love progress...but we don't like change" (qtd. in Sandow and Hogben 59). Federman's comment illustrates the love-hate relationship that medicine has with the

What is Knowledge Empirical And Logical Reasons Why I Believe That My Essay

What is Knowledge Empirical And Logical Reasons Why I Believe That My Mother Loves Me - Essay Example Thus, knowledge is described as the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. The difference between the two concepts is quite obvious but it requires a deeper insight to notice it. Cline (2003) believes that knowledge is mainly based on empiricism, which is, knowledge that comes from experiencing the physical world as well reason which is knowledge that comes from logic. Both concepts are applicable in as far as the concept of knowledge is concerned. As such, this paper is going to reflect on my personal understanding of the concept of knowledge. The paper mainly draws from my personal experience I have gained from my mother whom I believe loves me so much. The paper will outline three empirical reasons as well as three logical reasons why I believe that my mother loves me. I strongly believe that my mother loves me because she always shows concern about my life. My mother always tells me to be careful to avoid hurting myself. From a very tender age, my mother would tell me to avoid playing with certain things since I could get injured from that practice. For instance, she would tell me to avoid playing with sharp objects or fire since I could be injured. ... Indeed, I have witnessed some of these changes and that did not surprise me since I had already gained valuable knowledge about such things from my mother. A person who tells you the truth about different aspects of life shows that he or she loves you. The other reason why I believe that my mother loves me is that she is always there for me and she shows this affection which has helped to form a strong bond between the two of us. Different philosophical studies have shown that the closeness between the child and the mother is very important for the social, emotional and psychological growth of the child. I can safely say that my mother has been my mentor, provider and companion whom I feel very free to confide in. I can discuss any subject of concern to me with my mother and I feel very free to open up my views and opinions to my mother. She is also accommodative to my views and this is the reason why I believe that she loves me. There are different logical reasons that make me belie ve that my mother loves me. For instance, she always emphasises on the aspect of social behaviour. She told me that it is important to socialise with others in a positive manner in order to gain their respect and recognition in society. The power of logic comes into play in this case where an individual is compelled to behave in a certain manner in order to fit in well in the society. By virtue of using logical reasoning, I have realised that you can make many friends who can give you meaningful advice in society. It is also easy to gain other people’s respect if one uses logical reasoning that is based on mutual understanding. We have different perceptions about the world around us so I have realised that it is important to accommodate

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Confirmation Names vs. Carpathia - Essay Example Vicky chooses the name Barbara after letting a boy read her palm; St Barbara is described as the "patron saint of those in danger of sudden death." The legend of Saint Barbara begins when her faith in Christianity strengthens; her father becomes furious and beheads her. Soon after, a lightning bolt strikes down her father. This event led to her being canonized a saint, who grants protection in time of danger from thunderstorms, fires, and sudden death. Saint Barbara is commonly characterized as standing by a tower with three windows, carrying the palm of a martyr in her hand. Lippo's choice of saints' names for each of his characters is a symbol of their personalities. In Kercheval's "Carpathia", there is an ironic reference in relation to the Titanic ship. The icy water symbolizes the relationship between the father and the mother in reversed roles. The first note of this reversal is observed when the survivors are mostly women and children, and "only 2 sailors for each boat." In the second paragraph, it is glaring how the father feels, as he "stood looking at the icy water where, if he had been on the other ship, he would be." The father then proceeds to exclaim his choice of what he would have done if he were on the boat, as he exclaims, "They should have put the men in the lifeboats." The mother, disturbed, "was the one drowning." Both short stories reflect internal conflicts. At first in Lippo's "Confirmation", the characters reflect themselves with the saints on the outside. However, the internal workings go much deeper. The woods represent the things "off-limits" to the nuns, but to the characters (both the saints and children) to them it is their own sanctuary. The Saints had all suffered martyrdom. Carpathia's the internal conflict presented in the relationship with the mother and father. Both of them are disgusted with their choices and the events that had taken place. However, if the roles were to be reversed, according to the wish of the father, mother and her unborn child would not have survived, for "She was pregnant" and it felt like "she was the one drowning." The father would rather have them be in the icy waters and he be saved. The conflicts are resolved. This is because in Lippo's, the conflict is resolved in the lasting closing paragraph about Magdalene, who was the secret patron whose spirit, they believed, watches over them from the trees. The characters involvement with the saints and the church, the forest and themselves, provides them a sanctuary. From the very beginning, the nuns had made the woods "off-limits" and "Magdalene, the whore." Nevertheless, the characters went into the woods, even before mass because "She was the saint who turned the flesh Divine." The confirmation was not a mere event to give names but a sacramental event in both the woods and the church, which both "studied the saints." The conflict is not resolved in Carpathia. There are many emotional events taking place at the same time. The father had openly expressed his choice that the mother should have drowned. "Confirmation Names," and "Carpathia" seem to be stories of two extreme opposites; they are closely linked to unearth a similar central conflict. Confirmation signify's new beginning, a life of prospects and adventure whilst Carpathia

An overview of Mobile Commerce and Mobile Banking solution for the Essay

An overview of Mobile Commerce and Mobile Banking solution for the Unbanked in Sub Saharan Africa - Essay Example One of the cornerstone Internet technologies that have emerged in recent years is electronic commerce. Electronic commerce does not simply provide convenience to merchants and retailers, but has revolutionized many aspects of banking and even social life. One of the prominent sub-elements of electronic is mobile commerce. This is the combination of electronic commerce with mobile handset technology. This thesis specifically provides an overview of electronic commerce and the means by which it has been integrated with mobile technology. The thesis implements literature sources and industrial and practical articles from the telecommunications and mobile industries. The research is categorized in three main sections: the history of electronic commerce, GSM network elements, and finally the implementation of mobile commerce banking solutions in Sub Saharan Africa. In terms of the history of electronic commerce, background elements examine the way electronic commerce is implemented in con temporary contexts as compared to historical contexts. This section also examines the means of past and future growth of electronic commerce. ... The final section considers the implementation of mobile commerce banking solutions in sub Saharan Africa, with particular emphasis on Kenya. This section recognizes that there are a variety of mobile banking solutions that have gained widespread popularity in the region. This popularity is partially motived by the large-scale need for banking solutions for individuals with non-traditional incomes. The two major banking solutions considered in these regards are the M-PESA Banking solution and the Gemalto Mobile Banking solution. The technological aspects are examined, as well as the means of security they provide. Acknowledgements This thesis owes its existence to the help, support, and inspiration of many people. In the first place, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my supervisor Dr.Konstantinos Markantonakis for many hours of useful discussion, tirelessly reading and correcting my work, and suggesting many invaluable comments. Without his support, thi s thesis would not have been possible. I am also indebted to Dr. Chez Ciechanowicz for their care and guidance throughout my Master at Royal Holloway. In addition, I would like to thank the staff and colleagues in the Information Security Group for making my time at Royal Holloway an enjoyable one. Finally, and most importantly, I am most grateful to my family for their continuous and unconditional support throughout the period of my studies. Contents Abstract 2 Acknowledgment 3 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 BACKGROUND......................................................................................................8 1.1.1 The growth of e-Commerce/ m-Commerce...........................................8 1.2 Motivation

Middle East Conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle East Conflicts - Essay Example Though history is replete with the countless wars fought between the followers belonging to divergent faiths, where both the sides asserted their claim to be the people of God, yet the Middle East crisis have witnessed over two centuries long clashes along with six decades long bloody struggle between the Jews and Muslims. Consequently, four wars have been fought between the two communities in order to win complete domination and hold in the region. Took place in 1948, 1967, 1973 and 2006, the Arab-Israel conflicts are the worst precedents of wars in the name of religion. Historical Background: During 19th century, when the nationalist movements began to emerge in Europe and Jews were being persecuted in Austria, Prussia and England by the orthodox Christians, the Jews started dreaming of acquiring their separate homeland, where no one could gather courage to hurt, humiliate and discard their community. Thus the Zionist movement came into being by the end of nineteenth century. The Jews started to shifting to Palestine and purchased land there en mass. Initially, the Arabs allowed them live side by side with them, but due to the continuous increase in Jewish population, the Arab nationalism emerged, and the young generation started resistance against further Jewish immigration in the region. Twentieth century brought the news of independence for countless nations in the aftermath of two Great Wars between the then superpowers of the world, which had weakened the UK, Germany, France, Austria and Japan. Palestine was under the subjugation of the Ottoman Empire till 1917, which was captured by the Allied Forces in the aftermath of WWI. The big powers allow the Jews to enter their ‘promised land’ Israel in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, the most sacred area for Jews on the earth. It was really perturbing for the Arabs, who had been in majority and political domination in the entire region for

Consumer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer behavior - Essay Example Amongst the internal factors which influence people in making their choice by interpreting market information are: perception, motivation, learning, attitudes, personality, age and lifestyle. Since consumers are the focus of marketers, hence consumer behavioural theories form the basis of marketing. It is important to understand what might influence a consumer to buy a certain product and what might hinder him from the same. This involves an understanding of his feeling about a product or brand and the impact laid by his personal and professional surroundings. This understanding will help in formulating the appropriate marketing theory. The identification of target consumers before offering a particular product is important. For instance, an individual from lower income stratum would not be eager to buy an expensive luxury item. In fact such people from lower economic backdrop would be little interested in buying health supplements like Kellogg’s K and rather concentrate on pr oducts essential for daily survival like fruits, vegetables and pulses. Likewise, age group, geographical location, lifestyle and social status of consumers would also be taken into account by marketers. Consumers are also driven by needs which are not satisfied. This acts as their motivation. Motives comprise energy from within oneself which directs an individual towards satisfying his need or to fulfil his objectives (Solomon, 2010). The paper will essentially highlight this aspect of consumer behaviour and show how it is related to marketing. Different models demonstrate various stages and reflect the factor of motivation along with the other aspects which act towards helping a consumer make his purchase decision. Relation between Consumer behaviour theory and Marketing – emphasis on Motivation The first stage of purchasing decision is problem recognition. At this stage a consumer identifies the difference between the current and the desired condition. When there is a gap, the need is identified and in order to meet this unmet need a motivation is generated. At this stage the marketers might help the consumer recognize the problem. The second stage is information search where the consumer begins to search their surroundings for possible clues and the available options. The means of search include personal experience and know-how, associates and friends, websites, advertisements and print media. After researching, the consumers would assess the available alternatives or options on the basis of pros and cons. To make product choice normally external factors like group culture might influence but the criteria might be summarized as heuristics or rules of thumb (brand loyalty, country of origin and personal liking are some examples). Purchase may differ from the decision taken owing to the time lapse and finally after purchase the evaluation of his satisfaction (buyer’s remorse) is important too (Blythe, 2008). This is the last stage of the buying process and this might be dealt with by warranties or after sales interaction with the consumers in order to influence future product or brand loyalty. So it is the motivation which initiates the purchasing process and the last stage in turn motivates future purchase decisions. Let us begin with a general model of consumer behaviour: (Blythe, 2008, p.7) Now, one may study consumer behaviour with respect to the seven Ps of marketing. This relation might be explained as follows: Product: the product

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

Equilty - Essay Example There are many issues that are involved in the way citizens are expected to pay their taxes, which cannot be generalized to bring an agreement. Different levels of income are an example that contributes to these disagreements. The high income earners will not be expected to pay the same tax as the low income earners. This is what economists refer to as the ability to pay principle (Blum and Kalvern 2011). This principle argues that one should pay tax according to his power to pay. People who have high income are able to pay; hence they are supposed to pay more tax. This shows that large amounts of taxes will come from rich people. The benefit principle is another system that governments use to get taxes from the citizens (Blum and Kalvern 2011). Everyone who benefits from the outcomes of taxes is supposed to pay it accordingly. This signifies that there will be no balance in paying the taxes among the citizens since, different people gains differently from the functions of the tax es. People in towns will pay more than those in rural areas who get less access to the outcomes of the taxes paid. Conclusion However, equity goes hand in hand with fairness. The two concepts mentioned above may both bring disagreements, but an agreement may some how be reached if the benefit principle is enforced. Blum and Kalvern (2011), consumers will always want to maximize their utility and minimize the cost. Therefore, people from every part of the country will feel the worth of the payments they make hence no

Between 1820 and 1860 there were a few fundamental differences between the economies of the North and South Essay Example for Free

Between 1820 and 1860 there were a few fundamental differences between the economies of the North and South Essay ?Between 1820 and 1860 there were a few fundamental differences between the economies of the North and South. How far do you agree? Between 1820 and 1860 there were problems in America that resulted in the civil war in 1861, the economy affected the North and South during the civil war, and some major differences helped win the civil war. However this does not mean that the economy had many fundamental differences. For example the methods of earning money were different, but overall both earned roughly the same amount of money. Firstly, the main difference was that the North relied much more on money from industry and manufacturing, as they had more connections with foreign countries, and more factories were built. In the North in 1860 there were 74,000 factories producing two thirds, of goods for America. Whereas in the South there were only 2 major factors: Textiles factory in South Carolina and an Iron works in Virginia set up in 1840. Although they had fewer factories, the Iron works was vital, as it supplied the North with weaponry during the Civil war. In 1850 the South only produced 10% of the nations manufactured output. However the South did lack the industrialisation because their agricultural methods were so effective they had no need for change. The South was also very traditional and disliked change, whereas seven out of eight immigrants had chosen to settle in the North, and they had seen new ideas in other places in Europe so were welcome to change. This is shown by the South’s labour force being reduced from 82% to 81% over 60 years, on the other hand, the North’s labour force was reduced from 68% to 40% over the 60 years. This is however not a reflection on the North rapidly reducing agriculturally, because they still relied on agriculture, and a lot of the North was still rural. Around the urban areas, the population was increasing as towns and cities were developing swiftly. As the North had smaller but still prosperous farmers known as yeomen, they did not earn as much money through agriculture, because they did not have many or any slaves at all, so they could not produce the high quantities that the south did. Farmers that had lots of land were called plantation owners; there were many more plantations in the south, and when the cotton gin was created in 1793, there was a boom in cotton, and the benefit of having slaves increased. This made Southern plantation owners invest their capital in the Slaves, because they produced so much cotton, which was very lucrative. 55% of slaves worked in cotton which shows how much money was made out of it. The South needed to transport their goods to the North so that it could be transported abroad, but there was a lack of transport in South, as they only had 35% of the train tracks, which affected them in the Civil war. This meant it was fairly expensive to transport the cotton, but they still received a good amount of money if they lived near a train track. When the cotton arrived in the North the Lowell factory system meant the manufacturing of it was very cheap, which meant the North earnt a large margin on it. Although the danger of the South investing all their money in Slaves was that when slavery got banned, they lost a lot of money, which was partly why they were so keen to keep slavery. However only one quarter of the population owned a slave, as they were expensive (in 1860 they were $1800 which was double the price in 1820). The Norths economy was based on free labour whereas the Souths was based on slave labour, which meant that the Norths economy was more stimulated by the presence of workers with money who could buy products, which would make money for the company, which in turn would increase wages or hire more workers. The Souths economy was largely devoid of this benefit. Essentially, the economy in the South was weaker and only based on a few important exports (cotton, tobacco, and sugar). This made the South less diversified, as they focused their sales on cotton. Another difference is tariffs; in 1828 congress passes a controversial high protective tax. This majorly benefitted the North as they were the main distributors. However the South were very worried about this because they believed that if they stopped buying the expensive foreign goods, then foreign countries would stop buying their goods, as they would have tax on them too. This affected the economy until the tax was promised to be reduced after the law in 1833. In contrast the North and South didn’t have many fundamental differences. They both created a lot of money, and were not lacking at all, the only difference was the method in which was used to make the money. The economic diversification was similar too, as 10% of Northerners owned 68% of the wealth, and the wealth was dominated by the plantation owners, called oligarchies, as there were few free-soilers. 12% of the plantation owners owned half the slaves. This shows that there were few farmers, but the big plantations owned many slaves. Even though the North seems to be more industrial, the South also made efforts to modernise industrially, but they just lacked because of the closed opinions of the southerners. Also not many people in the North and the South owned slaves, it was more of a rare thing, and the main owners, owned a large amount of slaves. However there was a larger need for slaves in the South, because there was cheap labour force from Europe settling in the North which meant slaves were more expensive so were not deemed as important. Overall I think there were many differences between the North and South between 1820 and 1860. Some affected the outcome of the Civil war such as the transport boom, and the industrialisation in the North, but a fundamental point is that numerically they have equal amounts of income; there were just different methods to earning the money. However the differences were major; the amount of industrialisation, and amount of agriculture, the manufactured output, and the need for slaves, was all very different for the North and South. The main similarity was the economic diversification.

Illusions Realities Ibsen Essay Example for Free

Illusions Realities Ibsen Essay Introduction In Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, illusions and reality are set into a conflict within the story of a son’s personal desire to confront idealism. Throughout much of the play, the son, Greger, argues the value of truth with the reluctant Dr. Relling. Relling insists on the importance of illusions, but fails to discourage Greger’s intentions and a play that begins as a comedy quickly turns into a tragedy because of these conflicts. At the heart of the illusions in this play are the ways that people assume many roles in a family, impersonating multiple ideals as ways for managing their relationships. This theme of impersonation is also developed in Ibsen’s Ghosts, where family relations are slowly undone as the illusions and deceptions are stripped away. In both plays, deceptions are strategic and designed to protect the children from the pains and struggles of their families’ histories. Ultimately, in these plays, families are held together by illusions, yet torn apart by truths that have been concealed to protect the children. Illusions and Realism In The Wild Duck, as Relling continues to discourage Greger from revealing damaging truths about family secrets, Relling insists, If you take away make-believe from the average man, you take away happiness as well (Ibsen, 294). Relling is referring to the ways the Ekdal family is structured on particular deceptions; however, these are designed to protect the innocent as well as the guilty. Hedvig, the fourteen year old daughter, represents one of the innocents, and Greger’s father, Old Werle, represents a part of the guilty side. The key to these dualisms of false and truth, innocent and guilty, illusion and reality, lies in Ibsen’s art of realism, which was a staging of the complicated threads that hold ordinary lives together. Within the ordinary lives of the families in Ghosts and The Wild Duck are tales of infidelity, corruption, greed, lust, disease, and other afflictions that characterize family secrets. For example, in Ghosts, the mother, Mrs. Alving, reveals the ways she has protected her son Oswald from the truths of her unhappy marriage. She tells her friend and priest, Manders, â€Å"†¦Yes, I was always swayed by duty and consideration for others; that was why I lied to my son, year in and year out. Oh, what a coward I have been† (315). Manders responds, â€Å"You have built up a happy illusion in your son’s mind, Mrs. Alving – and that is a thing you certainly ought not to undervalue,† (315) echoing Dr. Relling’s belief that illusions are sometimes more than a question of reality. In both plays, the deeper questions are about whose reality matters, and who may determine another person’s reality. Relling accuses Greger of having a plague of â€Å"†¦integrity-fever; and then whats worse you are always in a delirium of hero-worship; you must always have something to adore, outside yourself,† which Greger agrees to, without considering the consequences of this claim (297). In fact, Greger’s certainty about the dangers of illusions provokes the young Hedvig into an emotional despair, and she kills herself. The issues presented in this play are not about what is true, or false, but about the ways people build their lives on the past. Hedvig’s father, Hialmar, protects his daughter from truths that concern the actions of others, with consequences that have indirectly affected her life. In Ghosts, Mrs. Alving is protecting her son from truths that, in the end, have consequences on Oswald’s life, as he has inherited syphilis from his philandering father. The climaxes of these two stories result in the deaths of Hedvig, and Oswald and both deaths come about as a result of their learning the truths of their pasts. In each of these plays, the reality is what destroys the characters. Once the life illusions are taken away, there is nothing for the individuals to hold onto. As the illusions are shattered, reality becomes impossible to endure. Ultimately, by using realism to portray the value of illusions, Ibsen produces complicated questions about what is real and what is sometimes a necessary illusion. Conclusion Both The Wild Duck, and Ghosts are tragedies that involve what might be understood as â€Å"the sins of the fathers;† however, Ibsen seems to suggest that some truths are better maintained as illusions. In both plays, the truth destroys the lives of those who have been protected from the past and in both cases the past involves relationships that have indirect consequences on the children’s understandings of their lives. In the end, whether it is right or wrong to maintain the illusions is not as significant as the question of who has the right to determine what is real, and what is true for others. Works Cited Henrik Ibsen, â€Å"The Wild Duck,† Four Great Plays by Henrik Ibsen, NY: Bantam Books. Henrik Ibsen, â€Å"Ghosts,† Playreader’s Repertory, M. R. White and F. Whiting, Eds. , London: Foresom and Company.

Social Work Domestic Violence Case Study

Social Work Domestic Violence Case Study You are working as a Social Worker in a Gateway Team. A referral is received from the PSNI that they attended an incident of domestic abuse the previous Saturday evening. The referral is being made because there are two children in the household aged 4 years and 18 months. Discuss the main roles and responsibilities of the Social Work profession, including law and policy, service user perspectives, the social work process, and professional ethics and values. Social work involves working with some of the most vulnerable people who have been oppressed or disadvantaged in Society. The role of the Social Worker is to challenge these oppressions to help service users help themselves. It is about promoting change, and is underpinned by laws, theories, policies and procedures. Social Work as a profession has never experienced so many changes in policy and practice (Iwaniec and Hill 20099) Theory is far from benign and practitioners need to ensure that their understanding of theory has not stopped, slowed or become misplaced (Helm 2010) although they cannot represent an absolute truth they can help understand, explain and bring about change. (Howe 1990) For the purpose of this assignment the assumption is that this is a heterosexual married couple where the husband is committing domestic violence against his wife. The Gateway team is the first point of contact when children are involved, when the referral is made, their input; although may be short term has a crucial impact in ensuring the safety of the children. It is their duty to investigate, the Social Worker must see this family within twenty four hours or the reasons why this cannot be achieved must be clearly recorded (Laming, 2003, Recommendation 53) It is the Social Workers duty to make contact with this family as soon as possible. It may be beneficial to look at the four main parts of the helping cycle which are Assessment, Care Planning, Implementation and Review. (Taylor and Devine 1993) Although Gateway doesnt tend to execute care plans, except possibly on a short term basis, this cycle can provide a firm foundation for the Social Work process. On receipt of this referral the Social Work process begins, Social work is never mechanistic or predictable and any encounter is seen as unique, Social Workers need to be properly prepared to ensure effective practice. One of the most important methods of preparation for Social workers is that of Tuning in which should begin when the referral has been received. Shulman (1992) has described this as involving effort from the workers to get in touch with potential feelings and concerns the Service User may bring to the helping encounter. This should help the Social Worker prepare for undertaking the referral with a more objective approach; they may equip themselves with information to be provided as a means of empowering the family such as agencies they can connect with. Social work has been described as a practical moral activity. (Parrott 2010 3) Before attending any referral it is important the Social Worker takes into account their own values, we all have a set of beliefs that influence our actions they relate to what we believe others should do or what we should be doing (Parrott 2010) Values are influenced by things such as culture, family, and life experience. As a Social Work practitioner there is a professional set of values that must be reflected in practice. It is important to be aware of our own values and understand that there will be occasions when our personal and professional values will conflict. The Cornerstone of a high quality assessment is a sound value base, which challenges oppression and respects individuals rights. Middleton (1997) believes the process of assessment is firmly rooted in the context of Social Work values and individual difference is central if the process is not going to disempower the individual. Several potential pitfalls in making judgement are identified by Milner and OByrne (2009) such as, stereotyping, labelling people and attributing certain characteristics to people because how we perceive they are likely to behave, as a Social Worker it is important to be able to recognise these downfalls and try to avoid them, to ensure effective practice. Our values and views of childhood can play a part in the assessment process. (Helm 2010162) Due to the possible risk to the children it may be difficult to feel respect for the father; he is allegedly carrying out domestic violence in the family home, putting both his wife and children at risk from harm. It is important as a Social Worker to be clear that, although the actions may not be respected it is a professional duty to respect the persons as an individual in their own right. Recognising potential value conflicts can contribute to effective practice. Milner and Byrne (2009) argue assessment is a key task in social work practice. It is an ongoing process involving Service User participation, with the purpose of understanding people in relation to their environment. (Coulshed and Orme, 2006) Assessment demands the ability to organise, systemise and rationalise knowledge gathered, the Social Worker needs to be sensitive and demonstrate the ability to value the uniqueness of each individual assessed. (Parker and Bradley 200716). Practitioners require the skill and determination to find methods of communication to demonstrate their competence.'(Thomas and OKane 2000819) One of the most controversial and complex areas of Social Work is the assessment of a child and their family when there are concerns about the welfare of the child. (Holland 2004) So it is important that all knowledge is kept up to date. It is important that the assessment ensures full involvement of the family and any significant others, portraying respect and consideration, working in partnership with the family will be beneficial. The Social Worker needs to be open and honest and give the family a clear understanding of the assessment process and their roles within it. In this particular case the exchange model could be applied, where it is seen that the service user is their own best expert, the interview should be collaborative, the family will know what problems they are facing, they will be able to provide their perspectives on what is happening. Part of the assessment process would be to gather information, through observation, questioning and the interview process. The Social Worker will need to be aware what they are looking to find out and decide who they need to speak with, the parents, the children and any significant other that could provide an insight into the family setting. As Part of the tuning in process it is important that the Social Worker works in partnership with other agencies as this might help to get a clearer understanding of the situation, they must liaise with the police as they were the ones that made the referral and it may also be beneficial to speak to the familys GP and the health visitor, as there is an 18th month old child in the house the health visitor may have made regular visits and could give a good insight into the family and the childrens development. Observation is a critical element of assessment (Holland 2004) Observing the family is a major part of the assessment process, visualising how they interact with each-other and how the children interact with both parents, it is important to look for signs of disruption and possibly fear on the part of the children. Observation can allow the practitioner to see how the childrens daily life looks like with particular reference to emotional abuse and neglect (Helm 2010) as both children are still young the use of observation with reference to the attachment theory could provide vital information as the attachment theory focuses on how the children interact with their parents. The childs development can be affected by lack of attachment with parents. (Hirschy and Wilkinson 2009) What is being said and what is being done may not be easily to depict, the use of observation allows the practitioner to validate what is being said or it may provide contradictory evidence that needs to be addre ssed. (Helm 201057) Another crucial area of the assessment is the interview process. The parents, the children and any significant others, will need to be interviewed in relation to this case, to provide a holistic view of what is happening and the effect it may be having on the children. Interviewing others outside the family may cause controvsersy with the parents as the Human Rights act (1998) states people have the right to a private and family life, (www.legislation.gov.uk) if there is a possibility the children are at risk all avenues need to be assessed. When interviewing the parents it is important that their rights are promoted. Questions need to be appropriately structured to ensure that the family are not oppressed in anyway. Ethics are an important part of Social Work (Banks 2006) According to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC www.niscc.info) Social Workers should promote the independence of the Service Users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people. It is important to consider the mothers view of the situation, although the purpose of the Gateway team is primarily to look after the welfare of the child, they must also be aware of the oppression being faced by the other members in the family and promote their rights. As the mother is suffering from domestic violence, it may be beneficial to provide her with advice and with information on Womens aid who provide support for anyone who suffers from domestic violence; it may help to empower her and give her a sense of self determination. She may not wish to leave for several reasons but she should be aware that it is not only her that is suffering, her children are as well. OLoughlin and OLoughlin (2008) believe that some mothers experiencing domestic violence may emotionally distance themselves from their children, resulting in emotional neglect. Information on certain laws could be provided; one main order would be The Family Homes and Domestic Violence (NI) Order (1998) which includes two orders, the non-molestation order and the occupation order. It is useful to provide the family with this information because if the problem still persists this law gives the authority for the abuser to be removed from the home where children are involved. (White 2007) Providing this information can empower the mother. Womens Aid believes all forms of domestic violence come from the abusers desire for power and control over family members or intimate partners. (www.womensaid.org.uk). When interviewing the father it is crucial the practitioner is non-judgemental and shows respect, he may view himself as the dominant figure in the family, the idea of male patriarchy may play a part here therefore it may prove valuable talking with the father to give advice and provide information on possible anger management classes that he could attend, which may be of benefit to him and his family. When carrying out assessment with Children the Social Worker with utilize UNOCINI, which provides the framework for assessing and providing services to children and their families, by ensuring timely high quality assessments with a focus on achieving good outcomes for children. It is important to explain to the family the purpose of UNOCINI. Using the UNOCINI framework provides the Social Worker with in-depth knowledge of the circumstances at hand and can aid the Social Workers role of advocacy, representing the views of the children. It can help the Social Worker assess areas such as the childrens development, the family relationships, emotional warmth and education and learning. UNOCINI emphasises the importance of multidisciplinary contributions to the holistic assessment of the childs needs (Boginsky 2008) such as work with GP and health visitor and adequate levels of communication between Social Work teams and can provide evidence of the level of help required. The main purpose of the assessment is to identify possible risked posed to the children. The Childrens (NI) Order 1995 is put in place to protect the child. When assessing a case like this it is extremely important to understand the laws that are crucial, as Social Work laws unpin practice. The Paramouncy Principle states that when a childs upbringing is being considered, the childs welfare will be the paramount consideration. (White 2007) The Social Worker is required to work with and on behalf of the service users. When interviewing the children it is important that the Social Worker uses appropriate language that the children understand, explain to them why your there and what the situation is. The Childrens (NI) order (1995) which states children should be kept informed. (www.dsspsni.gov.uk) it is the responsibility of the Social Worker to ensure that both the childs welfare is protected and their voice is heard. (Brandon et al 1998) The needs of the children must be recognised. People First NI (1995) believes that needs led assessments are the cornerstone of community care. Children have rights and needs just like adults, to have their views and feeling heard and to be treated with respect they need to be able to talk to adults they trust. (Brandon et al 1998) By asking children to communicate in ways that suit adults, such as talking, reading and writing, we play to adult competencies and not to those of children . (Helm 2010170) Social Workers need to be accountable for the quality of their work and should consistently be maintaining and improving their skills (NISCC www.niscc.info) In order to ensure effective communication the Social Worker must try to build a rapport with the children; this could be done through trying to engage their attention, to help develop a relationship that will help the Social Worker to learn from the child. There are possible ways this can be done; the use of a basic kit bag may prove beneficial, containing items such as play people, soft animals or soft balls. (Brandon et al 1998) It is vital to try to understand what is happening from the childrens perspectives to help assess the level of risk they face; children need to be listened too. Domestic violence can have a huge impact on children of all ages, age can influence the way in which children make sense of their experiences and how they demonstrate certain anxieties. The children in this family are an infant and a child of preschool age. Oloughlin and Oloughlin (2008) believe in situations of domestic violence an infants needs may not be met, such as personal hygiene, cognitive development may be delayed through inconsistent neglect, and they become insecurely attached which could put the infant at risk. Younger children do not have the ability to express themselves verbally and research has shown that children of preschool age tend to be the group to demonstrate the most behavioural disturbances (Hughes 1988; Cited by Humphreys and Stanley 2006 20) they may become withdrawn and display poor concentration, which may possibly be identified through observation of the children. The Social Worker is required to carry out a risk assessment in relation to the children. As this is an alleged case of domestic violence the children may be at risk. Brearleys model of risk assessment is a good focus point as it can help determine the level of risk. The four stages of Brearleys model are predisposing hazards; situational hazards; dangers and strengths, doing so may help inform the Social Worker of the level of support the family require. Safeguarding the child is essential so it is imperative that a detailed, well informed assessment is completed. It is vital to uncover what the children have seen or heard and if they have ever been abused themselves, due to the age of the younger child this may be difficult to ascertain. However the liaison with the health visitor could provide more information on the childrens wellbeing and also their stages of development. Bronfenbrenners (1979) theory of ecological development would be a beneficial theory to be aware of when observing the children. This theory looks at a childs development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. He believes that if the relationships in the home break down, the child will not have the tools to explore other parts of their environment. (Crawford and Walker 2010) All children witnessing domestic violence are being emotionally abused (Womens Aid) and may be at risk of harm. Harm is defined in the Children Order as ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development and from the above statements we can see adverse effect that domestic violence within the home can have on children. (Probation Board for Northern Ireland 2006) Throughout the assessment it is vital that the interests of the child are always at the forefront. Frequent exposure to domestic violence can predispose children to social, emotional and physical problems and through this they may learn unhealthy ways of expressing anger teaching them that it is okay to hit others and to get away with it. (Newman and Newman 20084) When the assessment is completed the Social Worker must record all details accurately. The practitioner needs to be open and honest with the family about the information and findings. Review and evaluation is central to good practice (Parker and Bradley 2007) The Social Worker must review their assessment to determine the level of support and protection the children and the family require. Reflection is required so the Social Worker can determine if their practice could be improved and if they have carried out the assessment in the best interests of the children and the family. If Care planning is required, it is important that a plan is constructed that meets the needs of the family and safeguards the well being of the children. If the assessment highlights that the children are in need; in conjunction with Hardikers thresholds of intervention, it is possible for the gateway team to put in a short term plan which would set aims and objectives within the family; to support them with partnership from other agencies involved. Gateway only work on short term basis, if this family require more support a referral will be made to the family intervention team so they can provide the appropriate support to enable the family to stay together where possible. However if it is a child protection nature, a case conference may be required to decide if the children should be placed on the child protection register. Information should be passed within an appropriate timescale to ensure that the needs of the family are properly met. Communication between the agencies is vital to ensure the correct care is provided. The Childrens (NI) Order (1995) highlight that Parents with children in need should be helped to bring up their children themselves and such help should be provided in partnership with parents. (www.dhsspsni.gov.uk) A social worker being present at an important point in another persons life can make a big difference. (Parker and Bradley 200790). Although the family can be a source of danger to a child, supporting the family in most cases can be the most productive way to protect the child. (Brandon et al 1998) The principles associated with the legislation require practitioners to work in partnership with children and families, (Helm 2010) to enhance the well being of the children. The key aspects of Social Work are the practitioners interventions orientated towards enhancing childrens wellbeing; ensuring that they grow up in healthy and safe environments; and developing their full potential.'(Dominelli 200925) Owen and Pritchard (1993) highlight, it is important that the rights of the parents, the child and the legal system are balanced and the role of professionals in protecting the rights of children will be promoted if we actively listen to the voices of children and take their thoughts into consideration when making decisions can act in the best interests of the child. Social Work is complex and diverse and the roles and tasks allotted to it are equally varied. (Parker and Bradley 2007117) One important point to remember is that every case is unique; everyone should be treated with respect as an individual, Social Workers should have the knowledge to deal with the different demands of different situations to ensure efficient, effective practice.