The U-Build-It Hardware Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

The U-Build-It Hardware Company - Term Paper Example In fact, the use of the Internet has become as frequent as fax machines and business cards in business marketing. The majority of businesses are well aware of the fact that the internet is a very helpful tool for better serving customers and reaching into the large number of people quickly and easily, thus they are adopting this technology to modernize their business environments. Seeing a large number of advantages and opportunities brought by the Internet to the business world, the business of U-Build-It has also decided to renovate its business setting through a modern Internet supported environment. Basically, U-Build-It deals in providing hardware related material and accessories. Up till now, they have been running and managing their business using traditional business approach as they have five stores/branches where people go and shop for their desired products. In other words, up till now U-Build-It has been using a traditional business process to carry out their business act ivities. But with the passage of time and advancement of information technology, the business has started feeling the need for a more up-to-date system. The business idea is built around making use of the Internet to provide its customers with the modern facilities for shopping and order self customized products. For this purpose, the management of U-Build-It Corporation has decided to implement an e-business solution. This e-business solution will allow U-Build-It’s customers to shop online and place orders via using the company’s web site. The implementation of this modern system will help U-Build-It modernize its business structure. It will be a dynamic web site which will be based on a front end and a back end. The front-end will be a web site. The customers will be able to view this web site using a link. They will be able to search the desired products and place orders online. All the information will be stored in the back-end database, which will be used by the staff members to process these orders. This presentation outlines a detailed system implementation plan for U-Build-It with a detailed analysis of various aspects associated with this transition. This presentation covers some of the important aspects of this implementation. In this scenario, we will discuss the system requirements and we will divide this plan into different phases and each phase will be discussed in

Business to Consumer Marketing Essay Example for Free

Business to Consumer Marketing Essay Increase in the use of Internet use means that marketing on the internet has also gained popularity. People turn towards the Internet to search for basic information on any items they are interested in, whether for personal use or for business, and to a lesser extent they may want to purchase it from the convenience of their home or office. From the business point of view, this means the companies need to pay special attention to their website, as it represents the company in cyber space. Not only the extent of information available on their site, but the user-friendliness of the website, search ability of the site, how fast the website loads, are also important factors. All these factors are also dependent on the target market of the company, whether they are engaged in B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing. For instance, B2B customers are more concerned with technical aspect of the product, the warranty provided and the customer services. For B2C customers, the design and over all look of the product may be equally important as the functionalities. This article discusses the differences and similarities between B2C and B2B marketing that should be there in an ideal or a well-planned website. Features of Online Marketing Before being specific about what B2B and B2C marketing should ideally target, I’ll be discussing the common features any marketing site should have. It is also important knowing that a company is represented by one site, and this should give all the relevant information to all its stakeholders, in a manner which is easily accessible and gives only relevant information. The postings on an e-information typically fall into these five categories, according to Etzel, Walker and Stanton (2004): Company Background and General Information: This category covers the history of the company, its mission and vision, corporate philosophy and general orientation. It may also include financial performance of the company and other investor related information, the structure of the company, its operations and global/local divisions and branches, and profile of the management team. This portion is usually accessible to everyone and needs to be presented clearly to both categories of customers – individuals and business consumers. Current Business Operations: This category caters to the company’s customers. This is where division of any kind may come in. For customers this section provides product descriptions, dealer contact information and payment terms and structure. For the business partners, this may consider more technical details, how to contact the relevant business personnel, the different packages available etc. Because the company needs to know about its potential customers, and some of the information in this section may be confidential, access may be restricted by requiring the users to register and give their email address, which allows them to be kept updated with new company’s happenings if they choose to keep updated. This is a place where there is a two-way communication open, minimal though it may be, and companies should focus on those aspects which are valued by their target market. Links:Â  This category has connections to other related sites. This is important for B2B customers who may wish to contact a dealer near their place of business, or to get more information. Attraction and Entertainment Features: This is more important for B2C customers and includes those features and tools which make the site more interesting and unique for customers. For B2B sites, it is more important to be uncluttered, present the information in a style that is easy-to-read and understand, and the site itself should be easy to navigate. Contact Point:Â  This provides usually an email address for visitors, to make a comment or for queries and should also provide a phone number. This is an opportunity to interact directly with the company and is a major advantage of internet over traditional media. However, this should be paid attention to, as unanswered queries and negatively affect the company’s business. B2B Online Marketing: B2B sites specifically cater to corporate clients. This implies that the decision making process is longer for the customers and the company should cater to that. Also, services usually provided are in-house services or regarding maintenance software or similar services to increase the productivity and profitability of the company. The characteristics of B2B sites include an attempt to automate trading process on the website. This is more convenient, saves time as well as money. This is important as even though B2C sites are generally more popular, however, the amount of money in transactions is greater for B2B sites. This means that security is also important for any company, including keeping the information provided by the corporate client. Also, the company should try to differentiate itself from the competition by using and promoting its USP (unique selling proposition). This can be done both online as well as offline using traditional methods of advertising, tradeshows, field sales etc. By automating the processes and as much of their supply chain as possible, the company is saving costs in the long run, thus allowing it to compete on price basis as well. Ideally, B2B sites should also have a registration option for business customers who may wish to learn more. By registering themselves on the site, it allows for more human intervention and a two-way communication. This can make an online business transactions more long lasting which is important in businesses. B2C Online Marketing: Sites which specifically cater to a target group to promote goods and services fall into this category. The more popular sites include Amazon. com and eBay. com. B2C sites are more transaction-oriented in general. Though both sites allow transactions, consumers are usually online and in a position to transact and purchase immediately, as they take less time than businesses for decision making. This is because B2B consumers are more investigative and seek more information from different channels and sources. B2C sites also try to create relationships with customers to enhance the brand loyalty of consumers and ensure that their queries are answered. Though, this is more difficult and companies need to ensure that this process does not adversely harm the operations of the company. B2C sites simultaneously also use offline methods along with online advertising. Online tools can include interactive websites, online communities and discussion forums, email marketing, pop-ups, cost per click advertising such as Google AdWords etc. However, the challenge for any company lies in finding the right mix of advertising and promotion which maximizes profits and minimizes costs. However, good B2C sites allows the consumers to shop faster and in a more convenient manner, offerings and prices obtained are in real-time and can be changed as required and call centres are usually integrated along with the websites allowing interaction between the companies and the end-users. Conclusion: Research shows that more than actual purchase, consumers are using the internet more for research about the product and to make a more informed purchase decision, which is truer for the business consumers. Thus, the company should realize that not all visitors may purchase from their site; however most of them will be researching the company’s products and the information available will be a significant factor in the final decision. This is true to a lesser extent for consumers, because individuals tend to display customer loyalty, thus they may research more to confirm their original decision rather than look at competition’s information. Also, in B2C more emphasis is on price comparisons as customers usually go online shopping to obtain the best price possible. This is also lower than the price in offline stores in some cases as it saves the cost of the intermediary or any dealer involved. In B2B, competition on a global basis ensures that the companies no longer can ignore online marketing and it is necessary to keep up with the competition. Initiatives such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and just in time inventory are changing the way business is being done. This combined with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ensures that the way companies do business with other businesses has changed and they need to use innovative ways to make their presence felt online. (Furlong, 2001)

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teachers Classroom Essays

Teaching Philosophy What is my philosophy concerning education? For as long as there has been â€Å"learning†, this question has been debated. As with any â€Å"opinion question† this question brings forth very strong discussion. Everyone has his or her own thoughts regarding this. Parents, administrators, professors, teachers (those retired and those yet to be.) all have varying views on what education should be. In all the points I wish to make, the two which seem of utmost importance are to be flexible enough with your position that new thoughts and ideas are at least considered and to keep the welfare of the children first and foremost in all beliefs. I think being a teacher is the most important job in the world. If it wasn’t for teachers everything in the world would be different. When looking back on my 13 years of school, I recall few teacher who made a huge impact on my life. All of the teachers that I remember the most have something in common, which is they all taught extremely well academically, but their job didn’t stop there. They were mentors, helpers, listeners, and role models. I think it is important as a teacher to remember some students may not struggle academically, but their problems might be at home. It is necessary as a teacher to not only teach the core subjects, such as reading, math, and English, but also incorporate important concepts such as self-esteem, decision-making, character building, as well as other skills needed for life. A good teacher must keep in mind that anything said or done, even if it is little, can make or break a child. A teacher can also make a positive las ting impression on a child. This is the kind of teacher I want to be! As a teacher most of your time and the students’ time of learning takes place in the classroom. That is why it is important that the room is comfortable and pleasing to the students. In my classroom I want color and fun mixed in with learning. It is important to create an atmosphere that is comfortable, but not over stimulating to distract the students. It is a good idea to display the students’ work.

A Wilderness Station Essay

In â€Å"A Wilderness Station† the character of Annie Herron is presented through a series of letters and memoirs. These documents tell us some of the events surrounding the death of her husband, Simon. These letters and memoirs are written by different people in Annie’s life, such as George Herron (Simon’s brother), Reverend McBain, James Mullen, Christena Mullen and by Annie herself. In a memoir published in the Carstairs Argus newspaper Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, George Herron wrote his version of the circumstances of his arrival to Carstairs and he also gives his version surrounding the accidental death of his brother. Annie, on the other hand, gives conflicting stories of the day her husband died. She tells two different versions of what occurred on the day her husband died. She tells Mr. Mullen that she killed her husband when she first arrives at the Gaol and then tells her friend Sadie Johnstone in a letter that her brother-in-law killed Simon. Given t hese conflicting stories we are unable to determine what really happened to Simon Herron. In George’s memoir we get the impression that George didn’t really want to go to Carstairs with Simon. After the death of their parents, George went to live with a schoolteacher and his wife where he had a very happy home. Simon, was not so lucky, he lived with his mother’s cousin Archie Frame and was never sent to school. Simons upbringing was not as comfortable as George’s, so when he was nineteen, he and George left Halton and went towards Huron and Bruce to find their fortune. Soon after the leave Halton, Simon marries Annie and a few months later he is killed in what seems like an accident. According to George, in April of 1852, he and his brother were chopping down trees on the far corner of their property when a branch mysteriously falls and his Simon on the back of the head, killing him instantly. George then drags his brother’s body towards the house. Since there was a really bad storm passing, he and Annie are unable to call the Reverend to give Simon proper funeral, the pair bury him near the house. Soon after, George leaves the shanty and he eventually marries his neighbor’s daughter, Jenny Treece. Five months later Annie leaves the shanty and heads towards Walley Gaol. In a letter responding to Reverend McBain’s initial letter, James Mullen reports  to him that Annie Herron had indeed arrived at the Gaol. He writes that her story â€Å"all accords pretty well with what you told me. Events in her account begin to differ only with her husband’s death†(200). In her first version, she claims that she â€Å"picked up a rock and threw it at him (Simon), hitting him on the head†(200) ultimately killing him. When Mr. Mullen disputed her story she changed it, saying that she did not throw a rock but picked up a large rock smashing it down on his head. Mr. Mullen decided to admit her to the Gaol pending her getting charged with insanity. After trying to write to her friend Sadie Johnstone several times, Annie sews a final letter in a curtain, posted to find Sadie in Toronto. In this letter Annie gives a different account of the death of her husband. Again the story is similar to that of George’s except for the way Simon is killed. According to Annie, she says that George told her the story of the branch falling and hitting Simon, but notices when she is cleaning his body â€Å"where the axe had cut†(209). She goes on to tell her about how they buried him and about the dreams she had of Simon or George chasing her with an axe. The facts in the story are distorted several times and we are not really sure how Simon is killed. It is difficult to believe Annie because she doesn’t seem stable and has changed her story several times after her arrival at the Gaol. It is much easier to believe George Herron, because his state of mind was never in question and after all, his entire memoir was published in a newspaper. The final letter that Annie writes to Sadie makes me believe that this is the true account of Simon’s death. Annie has no reason to lie to Sadie because she probably fells that Sadie will never actually receive the letter, making her feel safe in revealing the truth.

Reintroduce death penalty Essay

Death penalty is a legal process through which, as a punishment a person is sentenced to death for a criminal offense by the state. Criminal offenses punishable through death penalty are referred to as capital offenses or capital crimes. The death penalty proponents, pro-capital punishment argues that it is an important aspect for deterring crimes, preserving law and order, and is less expensive compared to life imprisonment. They also claim that it is in the honor of the victim to award the death penalty. This is because it ensures the offenders of the heinous offenses do not get another chance to commit such crime again. In addition, the death penalty consoles the victims grieving families. Those opposed to death penalty, abolitionists argue that there is no deterrent effect on crimes, and government wrongly uses it as power to take life. They claim that it is the death penalty is a means to bring about social injustices through targeting people who cannot afford good attorneys, an d people of color disproportionately. They argue that life imprisonment is less expensive and more severe than the death penalty. With all these arguments, we are left to decide on what course to take, assess the pros and cons of capital punishment and decide to support or oppose it. Questions relating to who deserves the death penalty and who does not have been raised by both the advocates of death penalty and those opposed to the death penalty (Zimring 91-93). Should death penalty be introduced? This is the argument of this paper. Capital punishment, in many countries, cultures and societies, throughout the human history has been applied in the justice system; the question that arises is that is it morally acceptable? Is it justified? Both the advocates for death penalty and the opponents of death penalty have valid arguments to back up their reasons. Those for the death penalty argue that the act of capital punishment is a deterrent to crime. However, those against argue that the death penalty is only a life imprisonment and not a deterrent to crime. It is however evident that the deterrence from the perspec tive of capital punishment is about the murderer’s mind involving the existing psychological processes (Haag 70-71). Not everybody deserves the death penalty. However, some people earn capital punishment. A person who breaks into a grocery store and steals bread definitely does not deserve the death penalty. In addition, people who commit murder for self-defense or during moment of  passion. Such people according to me do not deserve death. On the other hand, a serial killer after the lives of innocent people for fun and personal gains deserves capital punishment. I support the proponents of capital punishment. This stance is informed by a number of facts and reasons. Death penalty is a deterrent to crime. Even though the death penalty is irreversible, convicted persons are often given numerous chances to prove their innocence. Capital punishment assures societal safety through elimination of criminals. A life for a life is a sensible and credible assertion. Deterrence is punishing someone to create fear among people for punishment. Capital punishment is a punishment creates fear, especially in the minds of sane persons. Haag (2003) in his article On Deterrence and Death Penalty, people refrain from dangerous and harmful acts because of inchoate, vague, habitual, and most importantly preconscious fear (Haag 72). Everyone fears death, and most criminals would have a second thought if they were aware their own lives would be on the line. There are not so many justifications and evidence of death penalty to effectively deter crime than the usual long term imprisonment. The countries or states with the capital punishment has no lower rates of crime or rates of murder than those countries and states without those laws. On the other hand, the states or countries that campaign against capital punishment have not shown any significant deviation in the rates of murder or crime. The indicates that capital punishment has no defined deterrent impact. Claims that the executions dissuade particular number of murders have been discredited thoroughly by the researches of social sciences. In fact people do commit murder widely in the heat of passion basically under drug or alcohol influence, or because of mental illness, without thinking about the implications of the act. Those murderers who make plans of their murder crimes expect and intend to escape punishment by avoiding getting caught (Haag 70-73). On the other hand, some social research has found that execution has a significant deterrence to incidents of murder. In addition, the implementation of the capital punishment is related to the increased murder incidences, while those against the death penalty argue that the capital punishment is used unfairly against the African Americans, every extra execution prevents murder of 1.5 African Americans. In moratoria, death row, and commuted sentences removals tend to increase murder  incidences. Americans have emerged to support the capital punishment for reasons such as; the existence of minimal justification that suggest unfair treatment of the minorities, and that the death penalty results into a reduction or deterrent to crimes and saves life. Those for capital punishment believe that the death penalty ultimately deter murderers from killing more innocent people. No concrete evidence justifies this assertion. Therefore the supporters suggest that the capital punishment is a basic reminder to the general public that there is no reward for crimes. It gives people a notion that if you engage in killing innocent people then you are forced to pay a quite high price (Zimring 95-96). Abolitionists, opponents of the death penalty argue that there is no need to take the life of a criminal to deter life, and that imprisonment in itself is a deterrent to criminal activities. Zimring (2004) asserts that deterring crime is only possible by frightening the would-be criminals by arrest, conviction, and punishment. However, imprisonment may not be enough for some criminals to stop committing more crimes. A number of criminals such as serial killers believe that they would never be caught and brought to justice. For these kinds of criminals, the death penalty should be warranted to teach others a lesson and instill fear in them. The advocates of anti the death penalty argue that capital punishment is irreversible, and may lead to making irreversible mistakes. I accept this fact because once someone is awarded the death penalty; there is no reverse even if they only failed to prove their innocence (Haag 77-78 ). However, the probability of making a mistake with the death pe nalty is very minimal, extremely low. Capital punishment is very extreme. Therefore, the judicial system exercises it with a lot of care and caution. Because of the various guaranteed rights protection of people facing capital punishment, guilt must be determined by convincing and clear evidence that leaves no room for alternative justification of facts. The right to appeal is also protected for the convicts, and other privileges that ensure only rightly accused persons are awarded the death penalty. According to Haag, whenever life is at stake, trials are often more likely to be fair, and the death penalty is less often inflicted unjustly than others. Therefore, the abolitionists’ argument of making irreversible mistakes is unjustified. People have argued that the death penalty theory is correct since people are deterred from doing crimes by what they fear most,  that people fear death more than any other punishment, that the death penalty is a deterrent to crimes that any other punishment possible, and that the capital punishment is humane enoug h and the law supports it. They also argue that because those sentenced to death normally do much to have the day postponed, it proves that people fear death and therefore will avoid it (Zimring 97). Others have also said that the televised executions are more effective as people exercise more reaction to what they see than that which they imagine. It is hence hard to threaten murderers with something basically invisible, but in their minds, the death penalty is a major deterrent option. These are justifications that the death penalty is effective. The U.S establishment of the death penalty was due to capital crimes and murder. State or congress legislature may recommend the death penalty for capital crimes. According to the Supreme Court ruling, the death penalty does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban per se on unusual and cruel punishment. However, the Eighth Amendment shapes certain aspects of procedures regarding where a jury may prescribe the death penalty and the way it must be conducted. Analyses of Eighth Amendment demand courts to consider the evolution of decency standards. This is important in ascertaining that a particular punishment constitutes an unusual or cruel punishment. It is required that when considering evolving decency standards, objective factors that show a change in standards of the community must be observed and independent evaluations made concerning the reliability and/or essence of the statute in question. Although the death penalty is being considered effective in deterring capital crimes, the Supreme Court ruling discredited capital punishment for juvenile offenders. Majority opinion indicated that juveniles are irresponsible and immature. They have incomplete character development and are greatly vulnerable to negative influences. The Supreme Court deduced that adolescent offenders assume reduced accountability for their crimes. However, social science researchers point out that people do commit murder widely in the heat of passion. The reas on for this may be influence from drug or alcohol, mental illness. This renders little or no thought to the consequences of the act. Those murderers who make plans of their murder crimes expect and intend to escape punishment by avoiding getting caught. Therefore, the death penalty may be appropriate in such cases (Zimring 98-101). In conclusion, I support the arguments given  by the proponents of the death penalty, the pro-capital punishment. I think death penalty should be reintroduced. I take this stance because I believe the death penalty serves a definite purpose of deterring crime and bringing criminals to justice, as well as honoring the victims. For capital punishment to rightly serve this purpose, it must be made efficient and more effective. The system of justice has gone through a drastic transformation to ensure only rightly accused persons are brought to justice. I believe the death penalty ensures societal safety, brings criminals to book, brings justice to the victims, and deter crimes and reduce the number of criminals. From these illustrations, I believe capital punishment should not be abolished. Capital punishment is necessary to maintain public safety and keep justice shining in the society. It also cuts down the number of convicts on death row. The death penalty relieves families and friends who lose their loved ones in the merciless hands of criminals. It also solves the problem of overcrowding through a humane action. From this account, the death penalty aids in resolving a number of societal criminal issues. Therefore, I take the stance of the pro-capital punishment: I support the reintroduction of death penalty. Works Cited Haag, Ernest Van Den. On Deterrence and Death Penalty, Reserved reading for Philosophy, 2(3) 2003; 44-78. Zimring, F. E. The Contradictions of American Capital Punishment, New York: Oxford University Press. 2004. Print.

A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Different Types of Retail Jobs

A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Different Types of Retail Jobs if you’ve ever worked in retail, you know how challenging it can be. we live in a consumer-centric society, and dealing with consumers can be†¦well†¦not fun. but if you’re on the front lines in stores and customer service, you have some of the most versatile skills around: handling payment and conducting transactions, selling products, and dealing with people of all stripes. it’s a field that calls for odd hours (and possibly thanksgivings spent watching people tussle over discounted tvs), and it’s not the highest-paying field. but it pays the bills, and it happens to be the most common job in the united states. basically, wherever there are people buying things, there are retail employees there to help facilitate those sales, and provide a good customer experience. if you’re interested in different retail jobs, let’s take a look at some of the  opportunities  out there in this crucial service industry.1. retail salesperson2. cu stomer service representative3. retail sales manager4. merchandise displayers and window trimmers5. stock clerk6. cashierretail salespersonthe job: as a salesperson, you’re the front lines in the retail war. you are likely responsible for selling merchandise in a large or small store, helping customers, processing payments, and providing direct customer service.the skills: in your job as a retail salesperson, these skills will serve you well.people skillscommunication skillscomputer skills (especially point-of-sale, or pos, systems)organizational skillsbasic math/financial skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedtrustworthinessthe requirements: there’s no formal education or training for a retail salesperson, though some employers may require a high school diploma. stores typically provide on-the-job training for new employees, and some may have a probationary period while the employee is training.the pay: the median hour ly pay for retail salespeople is $10.60, and the median annual salary is $22,040. jobs may be full-time, part-time, seasonal, or contract (temporary) positions. per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, about 1 in 3 retail salespeople worked part-time in 2014.the outlook: retail is a very solid bet: there are approximately 5 million retail salesperson positions out there in the u.s., and the field is expected to grow about 7% by 2024. the demand for more retail salespeople is a pretty continuous one.customer service representativethe job: as a customer service rep, you’re often in charge of damage control, working with customers to improve (or redeem) their experience with your store. you are likely responsible for fielding customer queries and complaints, providing information, processing or changing orders, handling transactions, and ensuring a good customer experience. customer service representatives can be found in just about any industry that provides goods or services.t he skills: as a customer service representative in retail, you’ll need skills like the following:people skillscommunication skillscomputer skills (especially pos systems)organizational skillsbasic math/financial skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedtrustworthinessthe requirements: there’s no formal education or training for retail customer service representatives, though a high school diploma (or equivalent) is typically required. stores usually provide on-the-job training for new employees, making this a good entry-level option.the pay: the median hourly pay for retail customer service representatives is $15.25, and the median annual salary is $31,720. jobs may be full-time or part-time. per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, about 1 in 5 customer service representatives worked part-time in 2014.the outlook: this is a fast-growing field, as retail expands via traditional stores and e-commerce. the u.s. bureau of lab or statistics predicts that demand for customer service representatives of all kinds will grow by at least 10% by 2024.retail sales managerthe job: as a retail sales manager, you supervise and coordinate retail salespeople and associates. in addition to supervising employees, you may also be responsible for customer service and administrative functions like purchasing, budgeting, merchandising, accounting, and personnel management.the skills: as you work your way up the chain as a manager, you’ll need these skills.leadership/management skillspeople skillscommunication skillscomputer skills (especially pos systems)organizational skillsstrong math and financial skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedtrustworthinessthe requirements: there are no formal educational requirements to be a retail sales manager, but you will need retail experience, as well as strong management and organizational skills. this is a job that calls for the ability to keep the ship steady in any storm, so the more experience and demonstrable skills you bring, the better.the pay: the median hourly pay for retail sales managers is $20.63, and the median annual salary is $42,900. retail management roles are typically full-time positions.the outlook: as with most retail positions, the demand for managers will remain steady. there are currently about 1.5 million retail sales managers in the u.s.merchandise displayers and window trimmersthe job: as a merchandise displayer/window trimmer, you’re responsible for planning and creating appealing displays of goods and products to attract customers and entice them to buy. if your favorite part of school projects was making dioramas, this may be the retail path for you.the skills: these skills will serve you well as a merchandise displayer/window trimmer:creativitycommunication skillsorganizational skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedthe re quirements: a high school diploma is usually required for this kind of position, and vocational training is usually seen as a plus in hiring. previous experience is also a plus, but not necessarily required. on-the-job training is often available for new employees.the pay: the median hourly pay for merchandise displayers is $14.32, and the median annual salary is $29,790. jobs may be full-time, part-time, or on a contract basis.the outlook: merchandise displayers/window trimmer positions are expected to keep pace with overall retail growth by 2024.stock clerkthe job: if you’re a stock clerk, you can probably save some money on that gym membership- you’re the brawn of the operation, often working behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly. stock clerks receive inventory and move it as necessary, checking for damage, record keeping, and working with in-store computer systems. you may be responsible for filling shelves, tracking inventory, and set up sales di splays as well.the skills: as a stock clerk, these are the skills that will help get you in the door.people skillscomputer skillsorganizational skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedcustomer service skillsthe requirements: there’s no formal education or training for retail stock clerks, though a high school diploma (or equivalent) is typically required. stores usually provide on-the-job training for new employees, making this a good entry-level option for those interested in retail and strong enough to move heavy objects and stay on your feet for periods of time.the pay: the median hourly pay for stock clerks is $12.47, and the median annual salary is $25,940. jobs may be full-time or part-time. per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, about 1 in 5 customer service representatives worked part-time in 2014.the outlook: the number of stock clerks is likely to stay relatively flat, per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, but ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s a field with a strong amount of turnover, so job openings are fairly consistent.cashierthe job: as a cashier, you’re holding a lot of power- the money- in your hands. as a front-line customer serviceperson, you’re responsible for handling customer purchases, working with payment systems, and maintaining scrupulously accurate transactions.the skills: as a cashier, you’ll need these skills:people skillscommunication skillscustomer service skillscomputer skills (especially pos systems)organizational skillsbasic math/financial skillsteam player skillsproblem solving skillsenergy and enthusiasmbeing detail-orientedtrustworthinessthe requirements: if you’re just starting out or need a job with little prior experience in retail, cashiering is a good option. employers may require a high school diploma (or equivalent), but there’s no specific educational requirement for retail cashiers, making this a good entry-level option. trustworthiness and acc uracy are key, so those are skills that you really want to emphasize as a prerequisite to working as a cashier. stores typically provide on-the-job training for new cashiers.the pay: the median hourly pay for cashiers is $9.18, and the median annual salary is $19,310. jobs may be full-time or part-time.the outlook: because of advances in automated checkouts and online sales, the outlook for cashiers is a little slower than most retail positions: about 2%, according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics.

Prehistoric Life During the Eocene Epoch

Prehistoric Life During the Eocene Epoch The Eocene epoch commenced 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago, and continued for another 22 million years, up to 34 million years ago. As with the preceding Paleocene epoch, the Eocene was characterized by the continuing adaptation and spread of prehistoric mammals, which filled the ecological niches left open by the dinosaurs demise. The Eocene constitutes the middle part of the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago), preceded by the Paleocene, and succeeded by the Oligocene epoch (34-23 million years ago); all of these periods and epochs were part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). Climate and Geography In terms of climate, the Eocene epoch picked up where the Paleocene left off, with a continuing rise in global temperatures to near-Mesozoic levels. However, the latter part of the Eocene saw a pronounced global cooling trend, probably related to decreasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which culminated in the re-formation of ice caps at both the north and south poles. The earths continents continued to drift toward their present positions, having broken apart from the northern supercontinent Laurasia and the southern supercontinent Gondwana, though Australia and Antarctica were still connected. The Eocene epoch also witnessed the rise of North Americas western mountain ranges. Terrestrial Life During the Eocene Epoch Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates, such as horses and tapirs) and artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates, such as deer and pigs) can all trace their ancestry back to the primitive mammalian genera of the Eocene epoch. Phenacodus, a small, generic-looking ancestor of hoofed mammals, lived during the early Eocene, while the late Eocene witnessed much bigger thunder beasts like Brontotherium and Embolotherium. Carnivorous predators evolved in synch with these plant-munching mammals: the early Eocene Mesonyx only weighed as much as a large dog, while the late Eocene Andrewsarchus was the largest terrestrial meat-eating mammal that ever lived. The first recognizable bats (such as Palaeochiropteryx), elephants (such as Phiomia), and primates (such as Eosimias) also evolved during the course of the Eocene epoch. As is the case with mammals, many modern orders of birds can trace their roots to ancestors that lived during the  Eocene epoch (even though birds as a whole evolved, perhaps more than once, during the Mesozoic Era). The most notable birds of the Eocene were giant penguins, as typified by the 100-pound Inkayacu of South America and the 200-pound Anthropornis of Australia. Another important Eocene bird was Presbyornis, a toddler-sized prehistoric duck. Crocodiles (such as the weirdly hooved Pristichampsus), turtles (such as the big-eyed Puppigerus), and snakes (such as the 33-foot long Gigantophis) all continued to flourish during the Eocene epoch, many of them attaining substantial sizes as they filled the niches left open by their dinosaur relatives (though most did not attain the giant sizes of their immediate Paleocene ancestors). Much tinier lizards, like the three-inch-long Cryptolacerta, were also a common sight (and food source for larger animals). Marine Life During the Eocene Epoch The Eocene epoch was when the first prehistoric whales left dry land and opted for a life in the sea, a trend that culminated in the middle Eocene Basilosaurus, which attained lengths of up to 60 feet and weighed in the neighborhood of 50 to 75 tons. Sharks continued to evolve as well, but few fossils are known from this epoch. In fact, the most common marine fossils of the Eocene epoch are of tiny fish, like Knightia and Enchodus, that plied the lakes and rivers of North America in vast schools. Plant Life During the Eocene Epoch The heat and humidity of the early Eocene epoch made it a heavenly time for dense jungles and rainforests, which stretched almost all the way to the North and South Poles (the coast of Antarctica was lined with tropical rainforests about 50 million years ago!) Later in the Eocene, global cooling produced a dramatic change: the jungles of the northern hemisphere gradually disappeared, to be replaced by deciduous forests that could better cope with seasonal temperature swings. One important development had only just begun: the earliest grasses evolved during the late Eocene epoch but didnt spread worldwide (providing sustenance for plains-roaming horses and ruminants) until millions of years later.

African Iron Age - 1,000 Years of African Kingdoms

African Iron Age - 1,000 Years of African Kingdoms The African Iron Age is traditionally considered that period in Africa between the second century AD up to about 1000 AD  when iron smelting was practiced. In Africa, unlike the Europe and Asia, the Iron Age is not prefaced by a Bronze or Copper Age, but rather all the metals were brought together. The advantages of iron over stone are obviousiron is much more efficient at cutting trees or quarrying stone than stone tools. But iron smelting technology is a smelly, dangerous one. This brief essay covers Iron Age up to the end of the first millennium AD. Pre-Industrial Iron Ore Technology To work iron, one must extract the ore from the ground and break it into pieces, then heat the pieces to a temperature of at least 1100 degrees centigrade under controlled conditions. African Iron Age people built a cylindrical clay furnace and used charcoal and a hand-operated bellows to reach the level of heating for smelting. Once smelted, the metal was separated from its waste products or slag, and then brought to its shape by repeated hammering and heating, called forging. African Iron Age Lifeways From the 2nd century AD to about 1000 AD, the Chifumbaze spread iron throughout the largest portion of Africa, eastern and southern Africa. The Chifumbaze were farmers of squash, beans, sorghum and millet, and kept cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. They built hilltop settlements, at Bosutswe, large villages like Schroda  and large monumental sites like Great Zimbabwe. Gold, ivory, and glass bead working and trade was part of many of the societies. Many spoke a form of Bantu; many forms of geometric and schematic rock art are found throughout south and eastern Africa. African Iron Age Time Line 2nd millennium BC: West Asians invent iron smelting8th century BC: Phoenicians bring iron to North Africa (Lepcis Magna, Carthage)8th-7th century BC: First iron smelting in Ethiopia671 BC: Hyksos invasion of Egypt7th-6th century BC: First iron smelting in the Sudan (Meroe, Jebel Moya)5th century BC: First iron smelting in West Africa (Jenne-Jeno, Taruka)5th century BC: Iron using in eastern and southern Africa (Chifumbaze)4th century BC: Iron smelting in central Africa (Obobogo, Oveng, Tchissanga)3rd century BC: First iron smelting in Punic North Africa30 BC: Roman conquest of Egypt 1st century AD: Jewish revolt against Rome1st century AD: Establishment of Aksum1st century AD: Iron smelting in southern and eastern Africa (Buhaya, Urewe)2nd century AD: Heyday of Roman control of North Africa2nd century AD: Widespread iron smelting in southern and eastern Africa (Bosutswe, Toutswe, LydenbergAD 639: Arab invasion of Egypt9th century AD: Lost wax method bronze casting (Igbo Ukwu)8th cent ury AD; Kingdom of Ghana, Kumbi Selah, Tegdaoust, Jenne-Jeno African Iron Age cultures: Akan culture, Chifumbaze, Urewe African Iron Age issues: Sirikwa Holes, Inagina: Last House of Iron, Nok Art, Toutswe Tradition Sources David Phillipson. 2005. Iron-using peoples before 1000 AD. African Archaeology, 3rd edition. Cambridge Press: Cambridge.

Something Trendy in Film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Something Trendy in Film - Research Paper Example Since that film, other films have worked towards breaking stereotypes and have sought to portray people who happen to be attracted to the same sex, rather than caricatures of a type of human that must fit into a category. The first decade of the century has seen a rise in realistic portrayals of people who happen to be attracted to the same sex rather than conceptualized as gays and lesbians. Stereotyping in film is not a new concept and has in no way been limited to members of the gay and lesbian communities. The way in which film frames many different social groups has created stereotypes that time has had to wash away in order to fully explore the experiences of these groups in American society. One of the most horrific ways in which stereotypes have been created in American cinema was through the ‘blackface’ where African Americans were portrayed with black makeup and white lips, their social position reduced to a comic portrayal and the nature of their character hav ing to fight through the physical manifestations of stereotypical concepts that worked to hide the humanity within them (Benshoff and Griffin 76). Once the ‘blackface’ was wiped away, the social stereotypes varied and struggles were made in order to create realistic portrayals of the members of social groups whose lives had been reduced to specifications made through categorizations. The problem with stereotypes is that while they have a tendency to diminish humanity, they serve a purpose in creating ways in which members of a society can identify themselves and brace themselves against those who are different then themselves. The stereotypes create a standard through which an individual can identify with a group. As an example, a woman who drives a mini-van and wears jeans that are uncommonly high on her hips with a sweater denoting the most current holiday might be termed as a ’soccer-mom’, specifically identifying herself in contrast with a woman who we ars six inch platform heels, a mini-skirt, and a halter top. While no one may actually know anyone who fits into either of these stereotypes, most Americans can identify them with social groups. According to McArthur and Mulvihill, â€Å"If one has proper concern for the other as a real person and shares knowledge for the benefit of relationship, stereotypes and biases will begin to dissolve† (80). While American film has a deep history of stereotyping people who represent African Americans, Native Americans, women, gay and lesbian social groups, the films of the past six years have increasingly begun to show signs of the dissolving of stereotypes associated with people who are attracted to the same sex. A wonderful phenomenon has emerged in which the character of people who are attracted to others of the same sex no longer must affect mannerisms, gestures, and associated tendencies that signal their sexual orientation. The characters that are being developed in modern films are now beginning to be indistinguishable from heterosexual characters, stereotypical effects no longer relevant to the emergence of their portrayals of lives rather than only lifestyles. One of the first portrayals of the social position of gay men in the United States that was made from the point of view of a man who happened to be gay, rather than a portrayal of a ‘gay’ was in Philadelphia (1993) starring Tom Hanks as a man who was a lawyer with a large law firm who contracts AIDS, which

Electric Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Electric Industry - Essay Example The competition in the electricity industry is not as complex as it seems. What has happened is players have always believed that one electricity firm can supply the entire demand at a considerably lower cost than multiple electric firms serving the appropriate market. From this basis they conclude that electric transmission and distribution must always be to be regulated, since in the absence of energy regulation, transmission and effective electricity distribution owners may not face enough competition in the industry to ensure prices are kept low to consumers and to attain economic efficiency in electricity transmitting and distributing. This is, however, the case with many other natural monopolies in the industry. Natural monopolies exists where the largest supplier in an electricity industry, often also the first supplier in a market, has a significant cost advantage over other real or potential competitors; this has always tended to be the case making competition in electricity industry seem complex. The same is the case in the same industry where fixed costs prevail, generating economies of scale that are huge in relation to the market size, as is the case in water and electricity services. This has led to complexity as these electricity firms take advantage of economies of scale and causes problems of bureaucracy and inefficiency. As with all monopolies in electricity market, monopolies who have gained their position on natural monopoly effects could be involved in behavior that abuses their market position, which always leads to calls from various consumers for government regulation. Encouraging competition in the electricity industry is not as complex but requires massive investment by private sector investment as the initial capital is many times massive thus discouraging players and this minimized competition. This would especially start with deregulation that normally lacks monopoly, and these go a long way in encouraging new

Change Management Ass 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Change Management Ass 2 - Essay Example This has resulted in a multi-racial and multi-cultural workplace. Moreover the mergers and acquisitions have caused diverse organizational cultures to come together resulting in a clash of cultures. Bolman and Deal state that "managers regularly face an unending barrage of puzzles or "messes." To act without creating more trouble, they must first establish an accurate picture of what is happening. Then they must proceed to a deeper level, asking, "What is really going on here?" This important step in reading a situation is often overlooked. As a result, managers may form superficial analyses and leap on solutions nearest at hand or most in vogue. Market share declining? Try strategic planning. Customer complaints? Put in a quality program. Profits down? Time to reengineer or downsize† (Bolman & Deal 33). Taking hasty decisions in the name of adaptability and dynamism through superficial analysis can cause negative consequences especially in the long run. This paper reviews orga nizational change with reference to the multi-frame approach to organizational diagnosis. The consequences of superficial analysis will be done first. This will be followed by the multi-frame approach for understanding organizations. A contingency approach to change and the sociological matrix of organizational culture by Goffee and Jones will also be reviewed. a few examples of organizations with regard to the multi-frame approach will also be provided. Bolman and Deal argue that even apparently brilliant managers act in dumb ways in change management scenarios. They are of the view that such many of these problems are caused not because the managers are stupid or inexperienced, but due to other (mostly personal) factors. This attitude is referred to as the ‘self-destructive intelligence syndrome’. Referring Feinberg and Tarrant who coined the phrase, the authors state that â€Å"people act stupid because of personality flaws – things like pride,

Men on the Down Low and The Impact it has on Others Research Paper

Men on the Down Low and The Impact it has on Others - Research Paper Example Now the paper has taken up a particular target segment which has been the victims of such concern as down low. The African American men make up this category and this problem of down low prevails amongst them through the medium of media attention, social identity and health concerns. Introduction The term â€Å"down low† has been defined in general terms as something to keep secret which might include either information or some actions. More specifically the term incorporates men who are bisexual and might call themselves â€Å"on the down low†. This involves therefore a self perception which is associated mostly with the African American men who is often accused to have inflicted AIDS amongst the female members of their community owing to the double lives they lead. The identification of men with down low therefore depends on the health factors, social identification indicators and the media attention. If the men are directly gay then they can come out in the open and admit their orientation in order to lead a desirable life but instead everything seems to be carried out in secret. The black men are almost unanimously identified with down low. Lynn Harris, in his work Invisible Life focuses on the bisexual behavior of the black people at a time when the media did not give attention to the issue and therefore the people of all races gradually became aware of this. For instance, some men who were engaged in association with women or sexually tied up with men often are worried about contracting HIV and even getting it passed on to their spouses. The â€Å"down low† issue has taken up spaces in New York Times and other print media of the nation. Boykin’s work Beyond the Down Low focuses on aspects which point out that the down low is not a phenomenon but is something about psychological perception. He quotes some statistics from a story â€Å"Of the 7,000 black female AIDS cases in 2003, only 118 reported sex with a bisexual male as th e method of exposure† (Boykin & Harris, 2006, p. vii) and also says that around 1.6 percent of the women who were reported to have been inflicted with AIDS had relationships with bisexual male despite the fact that more than 100 percent of the public opinion centering on AIDS amongst the blacks were concerned with down low. Boykin also points out that the rate of AIDS amongst the black female had come down by 6 percent over the previous four years (Boykin and Harris, 2006, p. 107). The tragic stories on black men were ignored though the American women’s cases of AIDS were reported without cross checking the evidence found. Even men were diagnosed with AIDS and reportedly had the highest cases amongst the black community. The media tries to avoid these reports until the case involves a black man who is responsible for infection in a black woman. This highlights the bias of media with respect to racial difference. The media is selective about reporting the health cases su ch that the finger is pointed towards black men on the down low. Often black men experience a risk of getting accused of crimes not committed and even has to bear the consequence of the same simply for the color of his skin. Hence in this circumstance perception is treated as a practicality. Authors like Boykin rightly suggests that instead of avoiding the truth and telling lies to the media it is important to solve the

A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra Essay

A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra - Essay Example Franz Joseph Haydn, the leading composer of the classical period who is renowned as â€Å"Father of the symphony† as well as â€Å"Father of the string quartet† (Last.fm, 2008). To add to the glory of the event, the third piece which was played was Symphony No.2 other wise called Little Russian, composed by the Great Russian composer, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. The dynamics involved in the piece Iron Diamond were Adagio-Vivace assai, Adagio, Menuetto Allegretto, Finale and Vivace whereas the second piece included Andante sostenuto-Allegro vivo, Andantino marziale quasi moderato and Scherzo. The movements in Symphony No.2 were Allegro molto vivace, Finale and Moderato assai. The concert was conducted by Nan Harrison Washburn, the music director of Plymouth Canton Symphony Society and winner of sixteen ASCAP awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music from American Symphony Orchestra League (Plymouth, 2008). The harmony of Flute, Piano, Violin, Bassoon, Clarinet, Horn and other wind instruments left the audience float in the thin air of music. The concert was arranged to inspire music lovers and was promoted as a research scenario for the music students as the ticket rates were discounted for them. The performance was well enjoyed by the crowd as they could be found lost in another world of dreams and passions.

Film Analysis on Product Development (of the film Kinky Boots) Essay

Film Analysis on Product Development (of the film Kinky Boots) - Essay Example Showing him wearing rubber shoes on his way to London signifies his lack of enthusiasm for the shoe production business. His relocation, together with his fiancà ©e, was to his liking as he wants to get away from his family’s business as soon as possible. But the unexpected death of his father forces him to move back to Northamptom and lay off his workers when he figured out there is no way for him to save the company. There was just not enough market for the shoes they are producing. The four generations that proudly carried on the tradition of Price & Sons over the years was on it last days when he entered the picture. Even his father was already set on selling the factory before his death. On an accidental meeting with drag queen Lola, Charlie was hit with an inspiration to create as he described it, â€Å"proper, good, decent, built-to-last boots† (Joel). As it was that men of their persuasion are forced to buy women’s shoes that are not sturdy enough to withstand the weight of a full size man. Drag queens have very specific needs and wants that women’s shoes do not have. The heels break and their feet would hurt as their weight is carried on their feet that are not supported with proper footwear. The brilliant idea of changing the product of Price & Sons hit Charlie and propelled him to do something to save his family’s company. â€Å"You exploit divergence to create a new category, and the expansion of that new category allows your brand to flourish† (Ries and Ries). This revolutionary marketing idea is one that was apparent in the movie ‘Kinky Boots.’ They were more than the first to take advantage of the marketing niche. They were able to create a new category that was distinguishably new in the shoe making industry. There was no other shoe company that specializes in selling shoes that are made for drag queens who prefer women’s design but are also be fabricated accordingly. With the concept, Charlie

A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra Essay

A music concert report - University of Philharmonia Orchestra - Essay Example Franz Joseph Haydn, the leading composer of the classical period who is renowned as â€Å"Father of the symphony† as well as â€Å"Father of the string quartet† (Last.fm, 2008). To add to the glory of the event, the third piece which was played was Symphony No.2 other wise called Little Russian, composed by the Great Russian composer, Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. The dynamics involved in the piece Iron Diamond were Adagio-Vivace assai, Adagio, Menuetto Allegretto, Finale and Vivace whereas the second piece included Andante sostenuto-Allegro vivo, Andantino marziale quasi moderato and Scherzo. The movements in Symphony No.2 were Allegro molto vivace, Finale and Moderato assai. The concert was conducted by Nan Harrison Washburn, the music director of Plymouth Canton Symphony Society and winner of sixteen ASCAP awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music from American Symphony Orchestra League (Plymouth, 2008). The harmony of Flute, Piano, Violin, Bassoon, Clarinet, Horn and other wind instruments left the audience float in the thin air of music. The concert was arranged to inspire music lovers and was promoted as a research scenario for the music students as the ticket rates were discounted for them. The performance was well enjoyed by the crowd as they could be found lost in another world of dreams and passions.

Compare and Contrast Army Ground Fleet Maintenance with Civilian Research Paper

Compare and Contrast Army Ground Fleet Maintenance with Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance - Research Paper Example Civilian institutions conduct business with the aim of profit making while US Army is a non-profit generating government function. This causes both similarities and differences in terms of activities performed in their respective fleet management systems. Below is a comparison and contrast between the two institutions. There is a couple of differences between the U.S. Army Ground Fleet Maintenance activities and the Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance activities of organizations such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, etc. Some of these differences stem from a legal perspective while others stem from operation activities undertaken in the military bases. Some of the notable differences include; the military outsources its fleet management function to the industry including even tactical vehicles used by the military. For instance, the military in made a decision to outsource its fleet of M109 vehicles family (Paladin) that encompasses the M109 self-propelled howitzer & the M992 field vehicles supplying artillery ammunition under the fleet management program (NDIA Staff, 1999). Further, under the same program, the manager is responsible all resources of technical nature ranging from field maintenance to training hence making him responsible for the entire spare parts modernization, while soldiers control the daily maintenance activities. On the other hand, in the Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance activities, outsourcing of the fleet management program is restricted to the organizations’ departments mandated to control and manage the company fleets, especially the transport department. For instance, unlike in the military where the function of outsourcing of maintenance services is a policy, in Civilian organization outsourcing of the maintenance activities is done in-house by the organizations workers e.g. in the case of Coca-Cola. Therefore, unlike in the military, Ground Fleet Maintenance activities are accomplished

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Law Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Law Essay Introduction Our assigned topic deals with a phenomenon that has taken the corporate world by storm rather recently, particularly in Pakistan. It entails the dilemma that every corporation faces when they have to make decisions regarding the firm’s profitability and their corporation’s social responsibility. The term corporate social responsibility came into common use in the late 1960s and early 1970s after many multinational corporations formed the term stakeholder, meaning those on whom an organizations activities have an impact. It was used to describe corporate owners beyond shareholders. The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has developed exponentially in the last decade. Nevertheless, there remains a lingering debate about the legitimacy and value of corporate reaction to CSR concerns. There are different views of the function of the firm in society and disagreement as to whether wealth maximization should be the sole goal of a corporation. An escalating number of shareholders, analysts, regulators, activists, labor unions, employees, community organizations, and news media are asking companies to be accountable for an ever-changing set of CSR issues. There is rising demand for transparency and growing expectations that corporations measure, report, and continuously improve their social, environmental, and economic performance. According to Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), corporate social responsibility is defined as â€Å"achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment.† Each company is at variance in how it implements corporate social responsibility, if it does so at all. The differences depend on such factors as any particular company’s size, the particular industry involved, the firm’s business culture, stakeholder demands, and how historically progressive the company is in engaging CSR. Some companies focus on a single area, which is regarded as the most important for them or where they have the highest impact or vulnerability—human rights or the environment, for example—while there are others who endeavor to incorporate CSR in each and every one facet of their operations. For successful execution, it is fundamental that the CSR principles are part of the corporations’ values and strategic planning, and that the management and employees, both are committed to them. Furthermore, it is important that the CSR strategy is aligned with the company’s specific corporate objectives and core competencies. As CSR comes into contact with many of the problems conventionally addressed by government, like human rights and community investing, there is strong censure that societal problems are best solved by freely elected government bodies as the resources of a corporation are poorly matched for addressing those social problems, and therefore, it is argued, they should not be misallocated. According to Friedman (1970), in a free society, â€Å"there is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.† The idea is that the state should address social problems, supported by the argument that an executive, by taking money and resources that would otherwise go to owners, employees, and costumers, and allocating them according to the will of the minority, and will fail to serve the interests of her or his principal. In this way, the executive imposes a tax and spends the proceeds for â€Å"social† purposes, which is insupportable, since she or he has neither the skills nor the jurisdiction to do so. On the other hand, there are many demands by others for corporate adoption of the CSR principles. Although the government is chiefly responsible for addressing those issues, the contribution of private firms can be substantial. There is also the argument of the shifting balance of power. According to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), of the 100 largest global economies, as indicated by their respective GDP, 51 of them are US corporations, and only 49 are nation states. So economic supremacy has shifted to the corporations; they, therefore, should have an increasing role in and accountability for addressing social problems. For example, the government sets the regulations and the minimum standards for the workplace, but a company can further improve the work environment and the quality of living of its employees. A firm cannot stay oblivious to the problems of the environment in which it functions. The poverty of a nation state’s citizens, political unrest, and the exhaustion of natural resources can have destructive effects for a corporation. For example, resources that are inputs in the production process and which, at the foundation of the industrial revolution, were plentiful are now scarce, polluted, or diminishing in many regions of the entire planet. As one would expect, this imposes an extra cost to the corporations and may force them to reposition or to cease operations. From one perspective, companies may be poorly equipped to address some of the social or environmental problems, but from another perspective, no matter how poorly equipped, companies may still be best positioned to improve the problems. Undoubtedly, adopting the CSR principles involves costs. These costs might be short term in nature or continuous outflows. They may involve the purchase of new environmentally friendly equipment, the change of management structures, or the implementation of stricter quality controls. Since being socially responsible involves incurring costs, it should generate benefits as well in order to be a sustainable business practice. A corporation could not continue a policy that constantly generates negative cash flows. The shareholders invest their money in a corporation, expecting the highest possible risk adjusted return. Therefore, being socially responsible should have bottom-line benefits in order to be sustainable. Socially responsible corporate performance can be associated with a series of benefits with the final outcome. But in a lot of cases, it seems that the time frame of the costs and benefits can be out of alignment—the costs are in the near future, whereas the benefits are not often realized until long periods of time have lapsed. Nevertheless, many benefits can be identified. Firstly, socially responsible companies have enhanced brand image and reputation. Consumers are often attracted towards brands and companies with good reputations in CSR related issues. Therefore, a corporation’s brand equity is automatically enhanced. A company regarded as socially responsible can also benefit from its reputation within the business community by having increased ability to attract capital and trading partners. However, reputation is hard to quantify and measure; it is even harder to measure how much it increases a company’s value. But since companies have developed methods to measure the benefits of their advertisement campaigns, similar methods can and should be able to be applied in the case of corporate reputation. Socially responsible companies also have less risk of negative rare events. Furthermore, companies that adopt the CSR principles are more transparent and have less risk of bribery and corruption. In addition, they may execute stricter and, thus, more costly quality and environmental controls, but they run less risk of having to bear in mind defective product lines and pay heavy fines for excessive polluting. They also have less risk of negative social events which damage their reputation and cost millions of dollars in information and advertising campaigns. The scandals about child–labor and sweatshops that affect the clothing industry are two fine examples. Thus, socially responsible businesses should have more stable earnings growth and less downside volatility. Since companies that adopt the CSR principles carry less risk, when valuing those companies, a lower discount rate should be used. In the company valuation this lower tail risk should be taken into account. There are also other cases in which doing what is good and responsible converges with doing the best for the particular business. Some CSR initiatives can dramatically reduce operating costs. For example, reducing packaging material or planning the optimum route for delivery trucks not only reduces the environmental impact of a company’s operation, but it also reduces the cost. The process of adopting the CSR principles induces executives to reconsider their business practices and to seek more efficient ways of operating. Companies perceived to have a strong CSR commitment often have an improved ability to attract and to retain employees (Turban Greening 1997), which leads to reduced turnover, recruitment, and training costs. Employees, too, often evaluate their companies CSR performance to determine if their personal values conflict with those of the businesses at which they work. There are many known cases in which employees were asked, under pressure of their supervisors, to overlook written or moral laws in order to achieve higher profits. These practices create a culture of fear in the workplace and harm the employees’ trust, loyalty, and commitment to the company. Companies that improve working conditions and labor practices also experience increased productivity and reduced error rates. Regular controls in the production facilities throughout the world ensure that all the employees work under good conditions and earn living wages. These practices are costly, but the increased productivity of the workers and improved quality of the products generate positive cash flows that cover the associated costs. Thus, firms may actually benefit from socially responsible actions in terms of employee morale and productivity (Moskowitz, 1972). Literature review CSP is a global concept that encompasses those of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Social Responsiveness. It provides a coherent framework to explore business-society relationships by looking at the social impact of corporations with business criteria of performance measurement, such as quality, efficacy, effectiveness, innovation (Carroll, 1991; Wood, 1991). The challenge for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries is framed by a vision that was distilled in 2000 into the Millennium Development Goals—‘a world with less poverty, hunger and disease, greater survival prospects for mothers and their infants, better educated children, equal opportunities for women, and a healthier environment’ (UN, 2006: 3). The penetration of the social realm into corporate strategy has gathered momentum in the last years. The movement for CSR has â€Å"won the battle of ideas† (Crook 2005). By now, most well managed companies have adopted th e practices and certifications mandatory in their industries, having gone through what Zadek (2004) calls the â€Å"defensive† and the â€Å"compliance† stages of CSR. Managing the social and environmental footprint of economic activity is generally accepted as part of the cost of doing business. But much remains to be done. If companies are to move their CSR activities from satisfying behavior and take their commitment to society and the environment to the next level, they will need to rethink their current approaches to CSR, tapping into the creativity of every individual. CSE, like all entrepreneurship, is not about managing existing operations or CSR programs; it is about creating disruptive change in the pursuit of new opportunities. It combines the willingness and desire to create joint economic and social value with the entrepreneurial redesign, systems development, and action necessary to carry it out. Accelerated organizational transformation faces a host of obstacles well-documented in the change management literature. Some people argue that media pressures the corporate managers and directors to behave in ways that are â€Å"socially ac ceptable†. Sometimes this coincides with shareholders’ value maximization, others not (Zinagales, 2002). Although there are several contested notions of what CSR should be and how it should work, there is some agreement upon what it broadly entails. A number of concepts and issues are subsumed under the heading of CSR, including human rights, environmental responsibility, diversity management, sustainability, and philanthropy (Amaeshi Adi, 2006), meaning that it is a complex area with an interdisciplinary focus. It is generally agreed that CSR involves corporations voluntarily exceeding their legal duties to take account of social, economic and environmental impacts of their operations. Consideration of the social, economic and political context demonstrates how CSR forms part of a wider strategic direction being taken internationally with regard to market relations and the pursuit of a range of objectives and goals. The context is in part provided by concerns about the numerous examples of irresponsible behavior on the part of corporations, ranging from colluding with oppressive regimes and in the overthrowing of governments (Alston, 2005) to issues relating to working conditions and the impact of unethical marketing practices (Richter, 2001). Such examples have demonstrated the need for the worst excesses of business to be curbed. The globalised economy is understood to raise important issues for businesses and governments due to changes in patterns of production and consumption. In particular it is noted that the manufacturing of goods is highly mobile (Cassell, 2001:263) and that supply chains are often dispersed in various countries, creating difficulties in terms of legislation and regulation. Moreover, economic globalization presents challenges to the ability of states to protect peoples rights (Cassell, 2001). The notion of corporate social responsibility is part of the third way (Gond Matten, 2007), where the role of the state is now to provide steering for the promotion of social development and social justice (Giddens, 2001: 6). There is increased involvement of the private sector in traditionally statutory provision through privatization and public/private partnerships (Meehan, 2003). Economic policies have created a need for markets and business to self-regulate in order to continue to pursue an international free market economy, but also to ensure sustainability of economic, human and other resources, and of the environment. CSR is seen as a solution to these problems of regulation. The private sector is increasingly seen as a key player in the achievement of many national and international strategic objectives for governments, which is also enabled by CSR. Methodology To gather information, we used secondary research as our main source of information. Various academic journals and internet sources were pursued to cater to the important aspects of the given topic. Moreover, since we thoroughly researched this topic, personal opinions were formed and using those and logic, we justified our opinions accordingly. How can business persons act in an ethically and socially responsible manner and at the same time make profits? Suppose clear-cutting is profitable and legal, but is nonetheless regarded as environmentally irresponsible under prevailing social norms. Can management of a timber corporation decline to clear-cut its timberland even though that sacrifices profits? One might be tempted to evade the question by claiming that being environmentally responsible is profitable in the long run, either because it preserves the forest for future harvesting or because it maintains a public goodwill that aids future sales. But suppose, in an incautious moment, management admits that the present value of those future profits from not clear cutting cannot hope to match the large current profits that clear-cutting would produce. Or, more realistically, suppose a takeover bid by a firm known to clear-cut establishes precisely that proposition by offering far more than the stock price that reflects the current stream of profits. Can management reject the profitable takeover bid on the grounds that it will lead to socially undesirable clear-cutting? The answers to these questions will challenge the canonical law and economics account on corporate social responsibility, which goes something like this. Unless modified by statute, traditional fiduciary duties require corporate managers to further the interests of shareholders, and thus require them to maximize corporate profits subject to the obligation to comply with independent legal constraints. Ethics and social responsibility are very important values in business ventures. This is particularly essential in decision making process. Ethical conscience reminds business persons to make trustworthy and profitable business decisions. Likewise, the social responsibility component requires business persons to make entrepreneurial decisions that can enhance benefits and repelling harms to the stakeholders. The canonical law and economics view holds that corporate managers do and should have a duty to profit-maximize because such conduct is socially efficient given that general legal sanctions do or can redress any harm that corporate or non-corporate businesses inflict on others. If certain conduct imposes excessive harm on others or merits taxation, then an independent law should regulate and impose liability or taxes whether or not the actor is a corporation, and if the conduct does not impose any impermissible harm or merit taxation, then the most socially desirable thing for corporations to do is maximize profits. Other stakeholders could either legally protect themselves by contract with the corporation or have their legal protection provided by judicial gap-filling of such contracts. Part of what makes this account canonical is that it helps define the boundaries of the corporate law field. It leaves corporate law scholars free to ignore issues about any effects the corporation may have on the external world as topics best addressed by other legal fields, and to focus on more tractable models about which corporate rules would maximize shareholder value.

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay Evidence based practice (EBP) refers to integrating professional expertise with the best available external research, and incorporating the views of service users (Beresford, 1996). Evidence based practice has received its reputation by examining the reasons why interventions are necessary (Duffy, Fisher and Munroe, 2008). Within my placement EBP was important for refining my practice so the service user was provided with appropriate support for her individual needs. I used my EBP to carry out research to determine what evidence supported or rejected the use of a specific intervention; within this case I used a counseling approach. The principle of social work intervention is to provide good practice and should be based on a decision-making framework (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). This framework operates on four concepts:- The legislation that informs a decision; Social work ethics and NISCC codes of conduct; Information to ensure a well-informed decision; Knowledge drawn from research, theory, practice and other professionals. In addition to powers and duties of social workers, legislation embeds notions of partnership, respect, rights and anti-discriminatory practice, which are key elements in social work practice (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). My practice learning opportunity involved working with adults with a learning disability in a day care setting. The benefits of the day centre were to provide a service for local people to access support in living with, or caring for someone, with a learning disability. Northern Ireland statistics show that in 2008 there were 9,460 people with a learning disability in contact with Trusts (www.northernireland.gov.uk). From the 9,460 people with a learning disability there were 2,574 benefiting from care management, 42% (1,086) of whom were being supported in their own homes and 35% (898) being cared for in residential homes solely for the use of people with learning disabilities (www.northernireland.gov.uk). This evidence based case study is based on Miss A, a 35 year old woman, who has a learning disability and Spina Bifida resulting in her using a wheel chair for mobility. Within the past few years Miss As family life has changed dramatically. In previous years Miss A had lived in the community with her elderly parents, who cared for her. She is one of three children and has two older brothers. Miss As mother, after being diagnosed with Dementia, was admitted to a residential care home. Her father after having been moved to residential care himself passed away in November 2008 due to his physical health. Miss A now resides in a private nursing home and attends day care three days per week. In March 2008, there were 75 residential homes in Northern Ireland solely for people with a learning disability providing 898 places (www.northernireland.gov.uk). Miss A has been previously diagnosed with MRSA; it is currently located in her toe, having been previously present in her urine. Treatments from the residential care staff have the infection under control, however the infection still remains. The recent death of her father plays a significant role in Miss As life and continues to affect her socially and emotionally. Some of the stereotypical assumptions I had before meeting Miss A were that because she had a physical and learning disability that she would be hard to communicate with, that she would have limited understanding and limited verbal skills. I have challenged this opinion and realised that Miss A is a very competent individual with good communication skills, and can express her likes and dislikes proficiently. As for her physical disability this does not affect her cognitive or cerebral functions. I had also made the assumption that as Miss A had MRSA that it could easily be cross-contracted due to a lack of knowledge and education. After researching the issue and contacting infection control within the Trust I deducted that MRSA is a problem within clinical settings but can be easily controlled with proper preventative procedures. This can be identified as a risk, but should not be a reason to oppress or discriminate Miss A. After having initially met Miss A, liaised with her social worker, accessed her case file and Tuned In to her life issues, I met with Miss A to prepare for the initial assessment and gather information into how best to support her. My role with Miss A was to provide a reassessment since the changes in her circumstances and the death of her father. My role was to determine what support she may need, and to include her wishes and feelings. Assessment: History has shown that there has always been an importance to assessment in social work, but since the 1990s there has been specific importance to a new form assessment to include risk. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 stresses the importance of inter-agency collaboration and a multi-disciplinary assessment process (Trevithick, 2000). The purpose of an assessment may seem evident; that is, to assess the needs of individuals who may need help and/or support. In recent history however assessment seems to mean a relationship between need and available resources (Whittington, 2007, p23) leading to a question if this is ethical or effective practice? There are many purposes of an assessment, for example to assess risk, to assess need, to act as an advocate for someone and also to implement agency and government policy (Whittington, 2007, p25-26). Coulshed and Orme (2006) explain that assessment is an ongoing process where the purpose is to understand people in relation to their environment; it is a basis for planning what needs to be done to maintain, improve or bring about change with the service users participation. The initial preparation for the assessment with Miss A included visiting her social worker and studying her case file. This enabled me to gather information to dispel any preconceptions I had about meeting this service user. The social worker passed on her knowledge of Miss A, such as medical conditions, family circumstances and finances, and also any previous problems that had occurred. I felt it was important to work in partnership with Miss As social worker so I could keep her up to date with events, and also contact her if I required advice about Miss A. The purpose of Miss As individual assessment was to gather information by interacting and communicating with Miss A and others involved in her care, this was also to gain a holistic perspective to her needs. Her assessment was guided by legislation such as, the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1978, which places a duty on health and social services to investigate a level of need, and also the Health and Personal Soc ial Services (NI) Order 1972 which stipulates a responsibility to provide personal social services for the promotion of social welfare for the general public (http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com). As a model of assessment I used Smales (1993) Models of Professional Care which were useful in gathering important information about Miss A. I used the procedural and questioning model to gather information into how Miss A felt about certain issues in her life, such as the bereavement of her father, contact with her other family, and other issues she felt were working or not working. I used these methods of assessment as this followed Trust guidelines. I used The Model of Professional Care to gain a holistic understanding of information. I also included the Exchange model in the assessment as I considered Miss A to be the expert of her own life. I feel the use of the Procedural model was useful in certain aspects of the assessment as it worked in collaboration with the Trusts format of assessment and worked as a form of gathering information, but feel I could have used more of an Exchange model to communicate effectively with Miss A rather than just form filling. I feel Smales method of assessment provided me with tools to help Miss A identify factors that were important for her to maintain, but also issues she would like to change. By working in partnership with her I felt we would have an open and trusting working relationship. I also focused on Person Centred Planning (PCP) in regards to the assessment with Miss A. Person Centred Planning, which evolved from the White Paper; a government policy known as Valuing People, suggested four key principles; Rights, Independence, Choice and Inclusion as a proposal of changing services (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p9). This policy also helped inform guidelines for Northern Irelands Equal Lives Policy (2005). Person Centred Planning focused on finding out what is important to and what is important for (health and safety) Miss A. I found PCP a continual process of listening and learning, by focusing on whats important to Miss A now and in the future (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p27). By using person centred tools, such as a one page profile, I gained knowledge of what was important to Miss A including her family, her boyfriend and her independence, as well as knowing what was important to keep her safe and healthy. I used a person centred approac h to make others aware of Miss As great personality characteristics as well as the help and support she would like. I feel this was fundamental to demonstrate that Miss A is a person behind her disability. I found by using this approach was an essential skill in understanding Miss A and helped me to be anti oppressive and actively support her needs One particular piece of legislation which I found to be significant in the assessment of Miss A was the Human Rights Act (1998), which identifies Miss As right to family life. Since the death of her father and the institutionalisation of her mother due to her mental health, Miss A has been experiencing disintegration of her family and has lost the support connected to it. The Human Rights Act could have a great significance as Miss A needs emotional and physical support to visit her mother and has not been receiving it; therefore her right to family life is being impeded. The assessment identified that contact with her family and friends are imperative for this right to be upheld. Therefore as a result my role was to facilitate this right, and help to support Miss A in retaining family contact. The main objectives we (Miss A and I) identified within the assessment were; That Miss A had limited support to help discuss the death of her father. That Miss A was not receiving contact with her mother or other family and would like to. From the identification of objectives Miss A and I decided to work towards solutions by preparing a work plan. Planning: After the initial assessment was carried out with Miss A we proceeded to work towards formulating a care plan and targeting her objectives. A care plan provided clear information for everyone involved with Miss A and helped work in partnership with her and the Trust. For a person centred care plan the word ‘support is used in preference to ‘care because the verb implies that support is there to help people achieve their goals and ambitions† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). â€Å"A support plan is developed by the person with help where necessary, and it describes how the person intends to be supported in order to live their own life† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). I feel the use of a support plan with Miss A, rather than a care plan is an anti-oppressive method, as it incorporates Miss As feelings and opinions into how she wishes to be supported. I used the formulation of a support plan with Miss A to record the objectives she would like to meet and used these to formulate an intervention. It was clear from the assessment and one page profile that limited contact with her mother was an issue, and that the death of her father had a significant impact on her life. I then proceeded to investigate theory of loss and grief as I had never experienced a loss of Miss As magnitude before. I found the Kubler-Ross Model and the 5 responses to grief to be particularly informative. (Goldsworthy, 2005). This theory helped inform my knowledge and in turn helped me be empathetic to Miss A. I was able to identify that Miss A can experience the 5 stages of grief and that they are not necessarily in a specific order. I felt Miss A was at two stages of grief, some days she experiences anger at her father leaving, and other times she has deep feelings of depression of losing him. I was able to use Kubler-Rosss model to identify these stages in Miss A, and also to advise her that these feelings were part of the normal process of grief. The assessment also identified that Miss A had a lack of support in discussing her feelings of grief. Research suggests that people with learning disabilities experience many of the emotions of bereavement but are limited in the opportunities they have to resolve their feelings of grief (Cathcart, 1995; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996). There are many reasons for this and Murray et al explains that historically, professionals, parents or carers of individuals with learning disabilities believed that those in their care did not understand the concept of death and thus were unable to grieve for the loss of a loved one (McLoughlin, 1986; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996 cited in Murray et al. 2000). Kitching (1987) and Bradford (1984) highlight that the capacity to grieve is not dependent on a persons intellectual ability, but that a person with learning disability may experience grief in the same way as a child. Therefore research shows that people with a learning disability experience grief and loss but have a limited support network to discuss it with. I used this research to formulate a plan for the intervention with Miss A and we concluded that I could be support for discussing her grief. From the assessment and care plan with Miss A, and following discussions my practice teacher, I discussed that I would use counselling skills to help support Miss A with her feelings of grief. I felt Miss A needed her emotional needs met since the feelings of the death of her father were so dominant. Miss A and I also decided that I would facilitate visits to her mother for emotional and physical support, as her mother was in the latter stages of dementia and Miss A found it hard to communicate with her. Intervention: Rationale for Counselling Intervention: After having conducted an assessment and care plan with Miss A, and building a rapport over numerous meetings, it was decided that a counselling intervention would be the most appropriate form of support for grief. My practice teacher and I felt that if Miss A had the opportunity to discuss her feelings this would help her grieve more effectively and perhaps help her cope better. The two models of counselling that are prominent in social work are the work of Carl Rogers and Gerard Egan, who base their counselling approaches from psychodynamic work around inner thoughts and feelings. Both counselling theories â€Å"reflect the social work values of accepting the individual, using skills in listening to the information that is given, and work towards a joint understanding and decision making about ways forward† (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). I focused on researching counselling theory to help me understand how I could help Miss A through her grief. Trevithick explains that within social work, humanistic approaches to counselling have been particularly influential, specifically with the work of Egan (1990) and Rogers (1961), mainly because they promote personal freedom and are consistent with anti-discriminatory practice and anti-oppressive perspectives† (Trevithick, 2000). I found that the Rogers (1961) Person Centred counselling informed me that I cou ld show unconditional positive regard for Miss A and understand that she is the expert of her own grief. I also analysed Egans (1990) Skilled Helper Model and found it to be an effective theory for an approach to counselling. I found that the structure and framework of the model and the three stages were useful as a guide to follow. I found that although this method of counselling may not be as person centred as Rogers it could be more effective in helping Miss A understand her own grief as it followed a certain framework, could empower her and could be evaluated over time. This theory helped inform my practice by helping me realise that I do not need to be a qualified counsellor to support someone; I just need to be able to actively listen, to use empathy and be reassuring knowing that Miss As agenda is paramount. I consider this in itself to be a person centred way of counselling. I decided to follow a combination of Rogerian method and Egans approach to help support Miss A as an intervention. I decided I would use the structure of Egans model to help build a logical, consistent framework to the intervention, while using the core principles of the Rogerian approach to demonstrate my skills and values, such as working with respect, empathy, genuineness and good active listening (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). Counselling Procedure: Egans Skilled Helper Model form of counselling provides a structured and solution focus basis. It is a three stage model in which each stage consists of specific skills that the helper uses to support the service user move forward (Nelson, 2007). Egans model is described as a three-stage process: identification of the service users current issue(s); identification of the service users desired situation; and the formulation of an action plan to achieve this. This process is facilitated by the â€Å"skilled helper† using the skills outlines by Egan (Nelson, 2007). The goal of using Egans model with Miss A was to help her manage her grief and better understand the â€Å"norms† associated with it, such as anger or depression according to the Kubler-Ross Model. Egan (1998) claims his model is to help people become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives. To provide Miss A with the empowerment to help herself grieve. The use of Egans Skilled Helper Model was to explore how Miss A felt about her bereavement. I used it to ask open questions about how Miss A felt about her father. We explored her past and discussed her relationship with her father before his death. I also used this stage to focus on aspects of her father before he died and what she missed about him, this was to explore and gather information about what her relationship was like with her dad. I was able to use a range of skills to gather information about Miss As grief. Trevithick (2000) explains that social work skills are â€Å"the degree of knowledge, expertise, judgement and experience that is brought into play within any given situation, course of action or intervention† (Trevithick, 2000). Some of the skills I incorporated into Egans counselling were active listening, I used this skill with a range of non verbal cues to indicate to Miss A that I was interested in what she was saying. I concentrated on active listening as Miss A was portraying feelings and knowledge of the death of her father which was a sensitive subject and needed my full concentration. I portrayed active listening by nodding, giving eye contact and facing Miss A which were successful in helping build a rapport with Miss A, thus helping her open up. Another skill I feel I used well with Miss A was empathy. I feel I portrayed my feelings of empathy by responding appropriately to her answers and reassuring her that her thoughts and feelings around grief were normal. I found myself using Empathy a great deal with Miss A as I had never experienced bereavement before and she helped me understand how it felt. Its easy to imagine how someone feels, but when youre faced with helping them I felt I really neede d to place myself in â€Å"her shoes†. I also found I made good use of silences with Miss A, I used these to give her time to reflect on her thoughts and answers. I have found by doing this that the meetings were paced better, and showed that she was the expert of her own grief and I was just there to listen and to reassure her. I found that by using Rogerian person centred skills like genuineness, empathy, communication and active listening I was able to understand Miss A and show her that I was there to support with her agenda. Throughout the discussions of grief I feel Miss A was able to vent a lot of her feelings that she had since her fathers funeral. I feel I was able to support her understand those feelings and help her recognise that anger, depression, or denial are normal feelings that many people in her situation suffer. Throughout Egans Skilled Helper Model and each of the sessions with Miss A I found that she responded well to being able to discuss her feelings with someone. The Rogerian influence on the intervention enabled me to build trust, partnership and a good rapport with her facilitating an open working relationship and providing her with support. Some of the values I tried to incorporate into my counselling and indeed my relationship with Miss A were empowerment and self-advocacy, by letting her know that her agenda was central. I wanted to create a balance of power and to provide a supporting role rather than a dictator role, which I feel I achieved by being able to listen to her views and incorporating PCP. Social work has a distinctive value base with beliefs and principles playing an important role in practice (Thompson, 2005). Challenging my values has helped me to treat Miss A with unconditional positive regard, and with the respect and dignity she deserves. I have challenged my values anti-oppressively by researching MRSA and not making assumptions about the condition; I have challenged my stereotypical attitude around learning disability demonstrating that Miss A is first and foremost a person with feelings and issues before recognising she has a disability. Evaluation: On evaluation of the Egans Skilled Helper Model and my intervention with Miss A have shown that her agenda was central to the sessions, a balance of power was necessary to achieve the trust and respect of one another and that listening is paramount to providing effective counselling. I entered the sessions with Miss A being unaware of what to expect, I was troubled that I would not have enough knowledge about grief to help support her. After the initial session I soon realised that I didnt need to be a qualified counsellor to make a difference to her understanding of grief, I just needed to be able to explain her feelings to her and reassure her that they were normal and not as she phrased it â€Å"being mental†. I found that by working with Miss A using the Skilled Helper Model I was able to apply my skills of listening, communication and empathy to help her understand her feelings. I have never personally had a bereavement of Miss As scale before but feel as a direct result of working with Miss A I have learned that grief is a powerful emotion for anyone to experience and it can take a significant amount of time to recover from. The only regret I have of using the Skilled Helper Model was that I feel I did not have enough time to fully help support Miss A, I feel as I had a placement of only eighty-five days I did not have enough time to fully counsel her for the best outcome. I feel throughout the intervention process I tried to maintain person centred principles with Miss A by providing her with the opportunity to discuss what was important to her. Research shows that the use of Egans model is not person centred as it incorporates the counsellor to ask all the questions, and therefore have the control; but I feel by working in partnership with Miss A to discuss the death of her father was important for her emotional well being and empowered her to help resolve her grief. I also incorporated Rogers core skills of genuineness, respect and trust to achieve this Conclusion Through working with Miss A I have found the experience to be invaluable learning. I have discovered that there is a spectrum of ability with adults and their learning disability. I have found that each person is an individual, and that group care is not necessarily recognising of this. In regards to Miss A I have learned not to make assumptions or stereotypes before meeting the person, as this can lead to oppression and even discrimination. Miss A is an individual, with individual needs, and at this assessment and intervention her emotional needs were prominent. I feel I completed the aims I had intended to by supporting Miss a through her grief using Egans Skilled Helper Model. I incorporated Rogers core skills into this model to help facilitate person centred sessions, and create an understanding that she was the expert, and I was there to listen and support her. If I was to repeat the intervention I would use Egans model again as it provided me with a structured, logical framework to work with and provided me with the identification of the skills I needed to make the sessions successful and effectively counsel Miss A. I feel my future learning needs from working with Miss A are to use more formal language as I identified I talked to her informally using words such as â€Å"wee†. I feel I did this to appear more friendly rather than her social worker, but realise this is not a professional manner to work. Other learning needs I identified were to pace the sessions more appropriately and ensure that Miss A understands the conversation. I feel during the initial sessions with Miss A I spoke more to engage her in the discussion, and feel this was more of a nervous reaction to having to counsel Miss A. During later sessions I was able to take this skill into consideration and settle quicker into sessions to give Miss A the opportunity to discuss what she wished. Overall I feel my relationship with Miss A was good, I feel the assessment and intervention were successful, and I feel I worked in a person centred way incorporating knowledge, skills and values to inform my practice. I feel Miss A felt positively about our work together as her feedback from sessions indicated that she was satisfied with the support I provided. References: 1. Beresford, P. (1996) The Standards we Expect: What Service Users and Carers Want fromSocial Services Workers. London: National Institute of Social Work 2. Bradford, J. (1984) Life after a Death, Parents Voice 34: 6-7 3. Cathcart, F. (1995) Death and People with Learning Disabilities: Interventions to Support Clients and Carers; British Journal of Clinical Psychology 34: 165-75 4. Coulshed, V., and Orme, J. (2006) Social Work Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Fourth Edition 5. Duffy P, Fisher C, Munroe D (2008). Nursing knowledge, skill, and attitudes related to evidenced based practice: Before or After Organizational Supports. Medsurg Nursing 17 (1): 55-60 6. Egan, G (1990) The Skilled Helper: A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole 7. Elliot, D. (1995) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Handle Grief, Nursing Times 91 (43): 27-9. 8. Goldsworthy, K. (2005) Grief and loss theory in social work practice: All changes involve loss, just as all losses require change, Australian Social Work, 58:2, 167 — 178 9. Kitching, N. (1987) Helping People with Mental Handicaps Cope with Bereavement, Mental Handicap 15: 60-3. 10. McLoughlin, I . (1986) Bereavement in the Mentally Handicapped, British Journal of Hospital Medicine October: 256-60. 11. Murray, G., McKenzie, K., and Quigley, A. (2000) The Grieving Process in Individuals with a Learning Disability; An Examination of the Knowledge and Understanding of Health and Social Care: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities; 4; 77 12. Nelson, P. (2007) An Easy Introduction to the Egans Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach. Palgrave and Macmillan (Online at www.f-e-t-t.co.uk) (Accessed 2 March 2009) 13. Preston-Shoot, M., and Braye, S. (2009) Social work intervention (Online) Available at: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/elearning/law/law08/index.asp [Accessed 5 May 2009]. 14. Read, S. (1996) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Grieve, British Journal of Nursing 5 (2). 15. Smale, G and Tuson, G. (1993) Empowerment, Assessment, Care Management and the Skilled Worker. London. HMSO 16. Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparation for Practice. Second Edition. Palgrave Macmillan 17. Thompson, J., Kilbane, J., and Sanderson, H. (2008) Person Centred Practice for Professionals. Open University Press. 18. Trevithick, P (2000) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook. Open University Press. 19. Whittington, C. (2007) Assessment in social work: A guide for learning and teaching; London.Social Care Institute for Excellence 20. Williams, P (2006) Social Work with People with Learning Disabilities. Learning Matters Ltd Other: 21. http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-dhssps/news-dhssps-october-2008/news-dhssps-101008-community-statistics-for.htm (10/10/08) (Accessed on 8 May 2009) 22. http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com/policyandprocedure/statistics.htm (Accessed on 24 April 2009)