Can Character and Communities Survive in the Age of Globalization Essay

Can Character and Communities Survive in the Age of Globalization - Essay Example This has made a world a â€Å"global village† where we interact with peoples of different cultures, use their products and services, and also sell them ours. All these have a significant influence on our lives as is discussed in the later part of the essay. Online Oxford Dictionary defines character as â€Å"the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Whereas community means â€Å"a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common†. While nations on the whole seem to be benefited from the advantages of globalization which includes economic development, cheap availability of goods and their consumption, high mobility of goods, capital and plentiful labor; the communities within the economy are in fact negatively influenced by the increased globalization. The aforesaid advantages are often associated with globalization but its potential weaknesses are never discussed in great detail, and that is a growing concern t hese days. To show the connection or the relationship between globalization and character/communities let us consider the example of Pak Mun Dam in Thailand. It was constructed with the support of World Bank in 1994 on two rivers flowing in Thailand. Initially the dam was built to meet the power requirements of the country and for the welfare of the people, but it resulted in severe damages to the groups and communities living there. As soon as the dam was built, around 117 square kilometers of land was flooded which caused around 3000 families to move from their living place, fisheries of the Mun River were also adversely affected. Around 25,000 villagers claimed to have been affected by the construction of dam and many protests were also staged, but inadequate compensation was paid to them in return of all they lost. The dam also failed to produce the projected power output and therefore the entire project was unsuccessful. So this was just one of the many examples where economic prosperity and development was exchanged for dislocated people and destroyed communities. Communities play a vital role in any society. Through small groups and communities people find ways to interact with each other, to learn about themselves. Besides, every group or community has its boundaries and its very own identity and culture which gives the people living within it a good sense of belonging and fulfills their social needs as well. At the core of these communities lie the families. The people belonging to different families and the relationships existing among them give any community its true meaning and reason for its existence. Through families people participate in different social activities organized through the community. Hence the family-community exchange is very crucial for the survival of both communities and the character. Communities provide the families with culture, facilities, values and protect it from the measures that could otherwise jeopardize the satisfac tion of wants. And families, then again, protect these cultural values and norms through its social activities and passing these values from one generation to the other (Robertson). With the advent of globalization, the world today exhibits the nature of a global village with everything global, new, different, faster and turbulent. Globalization results in economic development and

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Poetry - Essay Example I feel that the poet has tried to connect the moves of gymnastics with love and life. People rise and fall in life just like gymnasts rise and fall on their tracks. The poet talks about gymnasts, who may be walking straight on the balanced beams, yet they are not so efficient to walk straight on the path of love. They may be well prepared with powdered palms, yet the path of love and life is so slippery that they find themselves incapable of dealing very proficiently with the ups and downs of life. I can very well imagine that all they have are ropes of no hope, to which they are clinging. They think that these ropes will save them from falling or that these ropes are strong support for their feet; but, what they do not understand is that there is no hope attached to these ropes. These ropes are unfaithful, or in other words, this support is weak. And I feel sorry to think that, when they grow old, broken and bruised, they look into their lives as if they were nightmares. In the poem, ‘Apportioned’, written by Erin Badough, I feel that the poet has talked about how he fears the quick passing of time, and future. The tick-tick-tick of the clock reminds him of his miserable present and dreadful future. It is a harsh reality of life, as I see, that man fears the passing of the time because he fears his mortality. He fears what lies ahead of him. Therefore, he feels chained to time. The narrator dreads a future filled with hammers and nails and saw-toothed blades, which are only metaphors that are talking about hardships that life offers. He wishes to put his thoughts into the reader’s mind so that the latter may well know what he thinks and feels. I feel that this poem is a superb example of how man goes from one phase of life into another, and what wishes and fears he has in his mind while he looks at the clock, doing tick-tick-tick. Anyone can relate to this poem, because it is the story of

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Marketing - Assignment Example ISO works process framework would be used to show how SIX Sigma might be laid out and what information will be needed to implement this tool. There are many tools that make up this collective and they need to be fully researched in the first instance for early stages and consultants/experts in the implementation of these tools are required to avoid pitfalls caused by redundant data. One problem that is required to be addressed with these tools is that of measuring potential work flows and bottle necks in the production process. "Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing  variability  in manufacturing  and  business processes." (one six sigma web) The 'Qualicoat' status requires us to do much of the processes of Six Sigma would and we run a zero defects policy with any defects being reworked. New innovation such as Quality control measures before the Powder coating process will mean that many of the issues will be taken care of on the production line. Where Six Sigma and learn thinking tools will come into their own will be more visible in our data processing and customer liaising as well as in our order processing and sales activities. Sales personnel will be able to predict work flows with new centralised communications and above mentioned tools will assist in that role facilitating negotiations at first contact with customer queries. Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) are tools that are going to be used to push the changes forward and improve on employee participation towards a culture of due diligence. Various tools are now being introduced to engage the workforce in dialogue to identify problem areas, provide training and walk-through them in meeting new goals while actually improving their working environment. Brief look would be given to the questionnaires and language that are going to be used to encourage change. One problem is the resistance to c hange that has been experienced in the past because of people being stuck in the old ways of carrying out processes thus introduction of Six Sigma terminology will create confusion and animosity. These terminologies would only be used within management to avoid unnecessary chaos. It is to be assured that there is the balance of communication therefore new responsibilities are properly defined along with the changes in processes. In order to enhance data collection and processing new management positions would be introduced. There are several objectives of TQM that include process improvement, observing behaviour changes over a time period, defect prevention, developing operational definitions, priority of effort, developing improvement check forms and check lists, developing relationships of cause-effect, measuring capacity of the system, assisting teams in making better decisions and separating trivial from significant needs. TQM on the whole revolves around a few main things that include systems for facilitating improvement, techniques and tools for improvement, Senior Management and all employees’ commitment, team work, customers - Supplier relationships, effective vision, mission, strategy and goals, communication and trust. A systematic approach towards quality management involves components like modification of the processes and the inputs, examining of the processes performance, planning of the inputs

Western progressives Essay Example for Free

Western progressives Essay Enforcing cooperation between the CIA and the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is essential in dealing with terrorism. This is unarguably true; however, the same premise should be enforced between municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. All levels of response, including investigation and information gathering, are crucial pieces to the puzzle when dealing with homeland security and terrorism. After all, it is not just international terrorist organizations overseas that need to be monitored. There are many domestic-based groups actively or passively operating in everyones own backyard. Whether an investigation is local, state, or federally based, money is one nexus that, if exposed, can bring all agencies together. International and domestic-based terrorist organizations generally have one feature in common: the need for financing. As documented in Steven Emersons remarkable video documentary for the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) that aired in November, 1994 titled â€Å"Jihad in America,† terrorist organizations, regardless of how much they despise and loath the U. S. , have no problem seeking support and financial backing in the U. S. Based on this critical need, perhaps the best approach for dealing with terrorism is to track money and finances. (Rick 2004 93) It can be detrimental to be one-dimensional and not to consider global approaches to homeland security and terrorist-related information. It has been demonstrated that terrorist activity cans occur anywhere and at any time, but financial support is an ongoing process with many guises. This need exists and perhaps poses the greatest opportunity for law enforcement to expose and exploit in order to gain the upper hand in tracking and monitoring potential homeland security threats. Homeland security and terrorism have received Ð ° great deal of public attention over the past couple of years. Most of the attention came from the federal government and the media. Law enforcement agencies, based on this attention, were force-fed Ð ° multitude of methods and practices for dealing with homeland security and terrorism matters. Some local and state agencies established homeland security units in an attempt to keep up with the growing concerns facing the ever-evolving world of terrorism. Traditional managers and administrators also reacted to this crisis, predictably, by having their agencies develop plans of action and contingency plans and by identifying potential targets that exist within their jurisdictions in case of an attack. However, this can be construed as nothing more than window dressing. Something near and dear to all managers is the budget, and this, perhaps, is the leading cause as to why only â€Å"window dressing† has been applied. (Rick 2004 115) â€Å"By launching so forcefully Ð ° global war on terror, President Bush has challenged head-on Ð ° long-cherished tenet of Western progressives. This has been that insurgency is the authentic voice of the oppressed; and the more adamant its leadership, the more this truth is confirmed. Shades here of the dozens of medieval ballads that created the Robin Hood legend. Shades, too, of Ð ° modern disposition to write indulgently of outlaws, gangland bosses and their ilk-Jesse James, Ned Kelly, Reggie Kray, Rob Roy†¦ On the more overtly political plane, the literati tend to give ultra-Left revolutionaries (Mazzini, Lenin, Mao Tse-tung, Gerry Adams†¦) extensive and often empathetic press coverage compared with more moderate reformers or, of course, the anciens regimes. Moreover, the more dismal the status quo antes, the more these tendencies prevail, the underlying assumption being that anything must be an improvement. Alas, the materials of history suggest that unyielding repression is very liable to be replaced, through revolutionary upheaval, by brutality more uncompromising, albeit in Ð ° new guise. Robespierre was far more vicious than Louis XVI. Stalin was much worse than the Tsars. Nor does the current dearth of political thought, especially in the developing countries, inspire confidence that future revolutionists would be any better. (Neville 2004 45). References Alexander Moens, Lenard J. Cohen, Allen G. Sens; Praeger, 2003 NATO and European Security: Alliance Politics from the End of the Cold War to the Age of Terrorism Amy Goodman, David Goodman; Allen Unwin, 2004 The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Americas War Profiteers, the Media That Love Them and the Crackdown on Our Rights. Anthony H. Cordesman; Praeger, 2002 Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Defending the U. S. Homeland. Barry Cooper;, 2004 New Political Religions, Or, an Analysis of Modern Terrorism. University of Missouri Press. Bruce Nardulli; Rand, 2003 The Global War on Terrorism: An Early Look at Implications for the Army. Bulent Gokay, R. B. J. Walker; Frank Cass, 2003 11 September 2001: war, terror, and judgment. Chris E. Stout; Praeger, 2002 The Psychology of Terrorism: Programs and Practices in Response and Prevention Vol. 4. Christopher Preble 2004 Exiting Iraq: Why the U. S. Must End the Military Occupation and Renew the War against Al Qaeda : Report of Ð ° Special Task Force, Cato Institute. David J. Whittaker; Routledge, 2004 Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World. Dr. Amit Gupta 2003 Strategic Effects of the Conflict with Iraq: South Asia; Strategic Studies Institute. Dr. Anthony L. 2003 Strategic Effects of the Conflict with Iraq: East Asia: Smith; Strategic Studies Institute. Elizabeth Wishnick. 2004 Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War: U. S. Security Interests in Central Asia Reassessed; Strategic Studies Institute. Frederick H. Gareau;, 2004 State Terrorism and the United States: From Counterinsurgency to the War on Terrorism Clarity Press. Gabriel Kolko 2006 The Age of War: The United States Confronts the World. Hooman Peimani; Praeger, 2003 Falling Terrorism and Rising Conflicts: The Afghan Contribution to Polarization and Confrontation in West and South Asia. James M. Lutz, Brenda J. Lutz; Routledge, 2004 Global Terrorism. R. Martin; 2002 Defeating Terrorism: Strategic Issue Analyses. Strategic Studies Institute. John Richard Thackrah; Routledge, 2004 Dictionary of Terrorism. Lynn E. Davis, Gregory F. Treverton, Daniel Byman, Sara Daly, William Rosenau; Rand, (2004) Coordinating the War on Terrorism. Mary Buckley, Rick Fawn; Routledge, 2003 Global Responses to Terrorism: 9/11, Afghanistan and beyond. Max G. Manwaring 2003 Strategic Effects of the Conflict with Iraq: Latin America; Strategic Studies Institute. Michael R. Ronczkowski; CRC Press, 2004 Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence Gathering, Analysis, and Investigations. Mohan Malik. 2002 Dragon on Terrorism: Assessing Chinas Tactical Gains and Strategic Losses Post-September 11 Strategic Studies Institute. Neville Brown; Routledge, 2004: Global Instability and Strategic Crisis. Paul De B. J Taillon; Praeger, 2002 Hijacking and Hostages: Government Responses to Terrorism. Paul De B. J Taillon; Praeger, 2001 The Evolution of Special Forces in Counter-Terrorism: The British and American Experiences. Paul K. Davis, Brian Michael Jenkins; Rand, 2002 Deterrence and Influence in Counterterrorism: Ð  Component in the War on Al Qaeda. Paul Mcgeough; Allen Unwin, 2003 Manhattan to Baghdad. Peter Van Der Veer, Shoma Munshi; 2004 Routledge Media, War, and Terrorism: Responses from the Middle East and Asia. Rahul Mahajan 2002 The New Crusade: Americas War on Terrorism. Richard Ð . Clarke 2004 Against All Enemies: Inside Americas War on Terror. Richard Crockatt; Routledge, 2003 America Embattled: September 11, Anti-Americanism, and the Global Order. Rick Anderson; Clarity Press, 2004 Home Front: The Governments War on Soldiers. Robert S. Tripp, Kristin F. Lynch, G. Drew, Edward W. Chan; Rand, 2004 Sandra Silberstein; Routledge, 2002 War of Words: Language, Politics and 9/11. Sherifa Zuhur;, 2005 Saudi Arabia: Islamic Threat, Political Reform, and the Global War on Terror: Strategic Studies Institute. Shireen Hunter; Frank Cass, 2004 Strategic Developments in Eurasia after 11 September. Stephen Biddle; Strategic Studies Institute, 2002 Afghanistan and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy. Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Lessons from Operation Enduring Freedom. Thomas G. Weiss, Margaret E. Crahan, Goering; Routledge. (2004) Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism, and U. S. Foreign Policy. Thomas R. Mockaitis, Paul B. Rich; Frank Cass, 2003 Grand Strategy in the War against Terrorism. Yassin El-Ayouty, Gerald J. Galgan, Francis J. Greene, Edward Wesley; Praeger, 2004 Perspectives on 9/11.

The United States Consumption of Nonrenewable Resources Essay Example for Free

The United States Consumption of Nonrenewable Resources Essay The United States consumes 85% of nonrenewable energy sources to provide energy throughout the states: 40% comes from oil, 23% from natural gas, and 22% from coal. These nonrenewable energy sources are also called fossil fuels, which take about 300 million years in the making. Fossil fuels are termed nonrenewable because they are not easily reproduced. The U. S. can produce a considerable amount of petroleum. But the increased energy consumption leads to the gradual depletion of its petroleum reserves. Thus, U. S. has been importing oil since 1939. U. S. also depends on natural gas, which is a by-product of oil production. Since petroleum reserves of U. S. is depleting, production of natural gas is also affected. U. S. imports natural gas from Canada. About 27% of coal reserves is found in U. S. Since 1950, U. S. has been producing more coal than it can consume. U. S. exports the surplus to Canada, Brazil, and Italy among others. But U. S. coal reserves are also facing depletion. So coal exportation has decreased since 1991. Increased energy consumption can be attributed to increasing population, rapid industrialization, and continuous economic expansion. The increased energy consumption leads to the utilization of more of the now limited natural resources. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States’ total energy consumption is estimated to rise from 97. 7 to 136. 5 quadrillion Btu between 2002 and 2025. What will happen to U. S. ’s energy situation? One, continued use of fossil fuels will increase emission of carbon dioxide and will intensify today’s problem on global warming and acid rain. Two, since there is scarcity of nonrenewable energy sources, U. S. , in the future might exhaust all of these. Importation could be the next step, but budget should be considered. Last, U. S. might exhaust other countries’ sources on nonrenewable energy, too. When this happens, the world might experience the greatest energy crisis ever. Think wisely! Act wisely! Conserve energy now! References An Energy Overview  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Energy Imports and Exports. (2008). libraryindex.com. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1486/An-Energy-Overview-ENERGY-IMPORTS-EXPORTS.html Conservation. (2008). Alternative Energy. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.altenergy.org/transition/conservation.html Energy Conservation. (2008). libraryindex.com. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1559/Energy-Conservation-FUTURE-TRENDS-IN-CONSERVATION.html Non-Renewable Energy. (2008). Alternative Energy. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.altenergy.org/transition/conservation.html Shepard, K. (2005–2006). Non-renewable Energy Sources. Peak to Prairie Home Inspection Service. Retrieved May 22, 2008, from http://www.peaktoprairie.com/?D=188

Reflective essay of personal and professional development

Reflective essay of personal and professional development This assignment is a critical analysis and reflection of my continuing personal and professional development (CPPD) needs in practice. This account will identify practical needs that I must improve with supportive evidence based research, and evaluate the impact of this need for my personal development as a future qualified nurse. My learning need was with assertiveness in communication when working with a staff nurse during admission. To meet the need and demonstrate the ability to engage in advancing my care, Gibbs (1988) framework model of reflection will be used. To maintain confidentiality as emphasised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008), a pseudonym Tommy will be used to protect the patient’s anonymity. In addition, I will be using the post-registration education and practice (PREP) guidelines (NMC 2011) to maintain up to date knowledge and skills as well as empowering a lifelong learning in my nursing career. (NMC 2012) My skills in communication have improved in all contact and this has been acknowledged in every practice. However, I thought of this learning need, when I recognised my weakness was with assertiveness in communication when working with a staff nurse, faced with a difficult patient during admission. I took part in this learning activity in November, 2014 during my placement in hospital. I identified this need during the second week of placement, as I was able to perform patient admissions under the supervision of my mentor. The need to improve this skill was established from my mentor’s feedback and I agreed that it must be developed in order to help avoiding errors in future practice, improving my decision-making skills and professional satisfaction. I have spent a good amount of time to research and critically analyse this learning need However I felt this could be an ongoing process of improvement as Webb (2011) identified, supported by the Department of Health’s (201 3) ongoing process of improvement in the NHS to be more efficient and less bureaucratic. I again felt this was important for me to work on because it had an impact on the patient and me as a future qualified nurse (Fowler, 2008). Tommy is a 50 year old who suffers from right leg cellulitis and lives alone with his cat. I felt my first meeting with Tommy was challenging as I found it difficult to present myself as a self-assured, assertive and empathetic student nurse due to the impression that the situation was out of my comfort zone. I observed from the beginning of the visit that this gentleman was unable to cope; however I felt that I could not make a direct statement without coming across as patronising or a dominant student nurse. On the positive side, I chose to improve this learning need so that I would learn to be prepared with the knowledge and set of skills I must have in managing complex patient care in future placements (Fowler, 2008). Having encountered patients who have refused requests from other student nurses and staff nurses alike by expressing their dislikes, disagreements and sometimes even anger when offered treatment, I have observed that patients sense how the student nurses present themselves and could base their decision on the student nurses’ abilities to communicate assertively (Fowler, 2008). This also made me think about my self-awareness and empathetic skills. As I listened to Tommy’s emotional concerns, he opened up about being terrified of not having anyone in his house to feed his cat while he was in hospital because he had no close relatives. I responded calmly and confidently, using clear language that my intention was to obtain his permission to allow health professionals offer long term support to him (Fischhoff et al, 2011). As student nurses, our main role involves patient interaction and several studies have indicated that student nurses lack assertive skills evidenced by Bekkum and Hilton (2013) McCabe and Timmins (2005) qualitative study in two schools (n=30). It highlighted that most student nurses were assertive but chose not to display this skill to maintain positive interpersonal relations and avoid conflict. However, quantitative study (n=72) by Almost (2006) deemed it important to measure nursing students’ level of assertiveness prior to, and near completion of their pre-registration programme and to offer help throughout their programme to develop their assertiveness. Almost also considered the conflicts mainly developed from the multi-professional roles that student nurses have and that the basic nursing functions of caring and controlling can result in tension. Many researchers have challenged these such as Iglesias and Vallejo (2012) qualitative study identified that work have established that conflict resolution techniques can be achieved through compromise and collaboration which the nurses can use for their specific work environments. However all the previously mentioned approaches suffered from serious limitations as Tommy’s safety could have been compromised when nurses failed to speak up or be heard, identified by Page’s (2004) qualitative study. I found Almost (2013) very appropriate when giving personal care because this technique would have enhanced my learning need earlier in my nursing programme to improve patient care. Bekkum Hilton, (2013) qualitative study support and acknowledgement on these account findings imply that, education programs ought to be taken into account. The perceptions of the participants risks involved in not being assertive and the focal point must be on changing these perceptions rather tha n attempting to change student nurses’ values or focusing solely on specific assertive behaviours to improve student emotional intelligence. Based on the findings, I realised that my practice was out of date therefore would cost the National Health Service (NHS) and impact negatively on patients’ care. As identified by Smith’s (2012) phenomenological study, 75 per cent (n=20) of student nurses felt unable to verbally express their concerns when working with qualified nurses. Yet Jones’ (2013) qualitative study identified that 60 per cent (n=30) of student nurses felt confident by the end of their training. However, there is little consensus in the research available although I feel my experience reflects Smith’s (2013) findings. My inability to be assertive during patient admission was because I was working with an experienced qualified nurse and hiding behind my mentor limited my development in skill. This impacted on my clinical ability when I failed to be an assertive student nurse. It also shows in these research studies I was not using up to date practice. White’s (2009) phenomenological study identified that 75 per cent (n=28) nursing students in clinical placements suffer from self-doubt, have anxiety about their clinical performance and do not possess the characteristics of strong self-confidence. A qualitative study conducted for student nurses by Jones, Mccoy and Pitt (2013) have indicated that majority of student and staff relationships highlight that a sense of belonging was central for student nurses for a good clinical experience. A students sense of belonging and feeling a part of the team were essential before students could learn. This is reflected in Lathlean and Levett-Jones’ (2009) quantitative study (n=200) of student findings on third year student nurses who participated in the study as they had been on a number of clinical placements. This explanation, however, seemed to overlook the fact that many students feel compelled to work hard in order to fit in the nursing team rather than become motivated to le arn. This has made me realise that although being in a good nursing team, I would still prioritise looking after my patients by paying more attention to the patient needs and expectations. A qualitative study conducted by Lyndon (2006) mentioned that student nurses’ ability to make a clinical decision could be influenced by patient situation, availability of resources and interpersonal relationships. Student nurses, however, on a variety of situations, can experience moral distress as Ganske, Iseminger, Lachman and Murray (2012) have identified in their phenomenological study. These two articles revealed that the ability to communicate with patients should not cause moral distress as student nurses would neither be aggressive nor patronising, nonetheless the interaction would achieve the patient’s best interest. This is reinforced by Grumbach and Bodenheimer, (2004) qualitative study which identified (n=18) of student nurse, who noted that greater disability may be as a result of anxiety in some cases and loss of self-confidence. However, Begley (2010) phenomenological study (n=20) identified and argues, little has been investigated to explain the reasons why assertive behaviour occurs in one situation and not in another. Results suggest that, student nurses’ standard measures of assertiveness and of anxiety are irrespective of their scores p=00.1 chances. One should consider the consequences of student practitioners being assertive, while making a decision regarding how to behave I felt this was helpful in reminding me how important self- confident skills can aid improved patient care. Although, their underlying theories of subjectivity are very different, there are some important affinities between the researches that correlate which I believe would help me care better in future pla cement. In addition, Begley’s (2010) qualitative study established that patients were to be considered as partners in their health care delivery. Trust does not come easily for people and I have since learnt from past experiences that patients need to be included and actively involved in the planning and evaluation of their care. By learning to ask open questions helped promote and encouraged patient expression and enabled patients to enhance trust in a relationship as I have shown my interest and investment in the patient’s care and treatment. This study has an impact in addressing my need and offered help on how to be assertive when dealing with difficult patients. As highlighted by White (2014) qualitative study, majority of student nurse depend on their mentors to be assertive and sometimes adopt it as coping strategies. Even though, this is a small number of student nurses, (n=30) to base a judgement on, it provides statistically relevant data and allows an insight into practical experiences. I also felt this research was significant for me to work on my assertiveness, because it had an effect towards the patient and me as a future qualified nurse. I solely depended on my mentors for assertiveness as a coping strategy. Conversely, these poor coping strategies I adopted were highlighted in a qualitative study by Fischhoff et al, (2011) where common coping strategies utilised by student nurses being assertive in clinical settings are explored. Although this is a small sample size (n=18) which does not provide statistically relevant data, it is qualitative design allows an insight into the student nurses experience of assertiveness coping strategies (Parahoo, 2006). I found these results of the thematic critical analysis linked to my own clinical experience, including the poor coping assertiveness strategy I adopted. This was due to underestimating my capacity from the onset of being self-assured and self-confident without being aggressive (REF). I found that these researches gave me insight into how unethical and limiting avoidance practices are when dealing with patients, which was seen in a small number of participants in this study (n=3) (Morris Turnball, 2006). I felt this was helpful in remindi ng me how important assertiveness skills can improve patient care (Morris Turnbull, 2006). Besides, Fischhoff et al, (2011), descriptive study postulates assertiveness in student nurses who become attached to their mentors remain as consistent helpers for weeks in their placement during the period from the first till the third year, and it is suggested that this is due to the students underestimating their capacity from the onset of being self-assured. Although this is a small sample size (n=207) which does provide statistically significant relevant data, 60 percent (n=127) were more positive compared to 40 percent (n=83). Its quantitative design allows an insight into the student nurses’ experience of assertiveness skills (Begley, 2010). Nonetheless, Phillips and Simmonds (2012) phenomenological study supported this descriptive study and further on said this is a key concern for some student nurses within practice setting. The concept of assertiveness and understanding concept as student nurses will enable them to consider that the patient’s aggressiveness might be about other issues rather than their care. In a phenomenological study of (n=50) nursing students in London, Monsu (2014) identified that greater disability may be as a result of anxiety and loss of self-confidence dealing with a difficult patient. Findings of these researches do not seek to be generalised but were reliable to me due to the appropriateness of the methodology and the thematic analysis being correctly applied. This will aid me in caring for my patients in future practice. In a questionnaire survey of (n=200) student nurses in London, Smith (2013) identified that 70 per cent (n=49) of university students preferred mentors to do all the assertiveness communication for them due to underestimating their ability. Only 20 per cent (n=4) of students responded and of those who did respond, many of them did not fully complete the questionnaire. The data suggested that 70 per cent of students who preferred a mentor to do all the assertiveness communication do not constitute very strong evidence. Yet Monsu (2013) argues that from his own experience as a student in placement, there was a strong attachment with mentors being assertive in all him / her communication which did help with the assertiveness skills needed for future practice. This cannot be generalised as Monsu (2013) is not referring to a piece of empirical research but to his own experience. Having identified the context of Monsu’s (2013) own experience argument, I found it very relevant to me and it topped my hierarchy of evidence, but does not appear to have been undertaken in a thorough manner to help my caring for patients in future due to their lack of a soundly-based qualitative theory compared to Smith (2013). Having discussed with my mentor what happened during the admission; it felt good to have attempted the interaction with the patient and recognised some of his needs. Even though the patient seemed reluctant, I demonstrated the ability to remain calm although I did struggle with my approach when I spoke to him about offering more support. Instead, I focused to help the client respond to my questions and identify what his concerns were. I believe during that incident, I showed assertive behaviour because I maintained my duty of care to the patient. I have reflected that this would have an effect on my clinical ability if I had failed to be the patient’s advocate. With the DOH (2009) updated work on providing guidelines on consent to treatment and putting these principles of consent into practice, my actions caused me to consider my practice whether obtaining informed consent would be an issue. Tommy fully realised that he should comply with the nurse as she understood the conseq uences if his pains were not treated (Cole, 2012). According to Baldwin, Duffield, Fry and Merrick (2011) the interaction between the decision-making, skill development opportunities, social support and identity comes with the nursing role so as to be prepared for the upcoming nurse population to meet new challenges. When this type of situation happens again, I believe I have the skill to show my assertiveness skills by using compromise as well as recognising the boundaries of my actions. Using clinical decision skills and asking open questions, which I can gain from meeting other patients would enable me to show that I am a self- assured, reliable and trustworthy student nurse. I need to try and achieve leadership skills that could be essential for patient satisfaction and to achieve this, I have learnt to engage in leadership activities such as handovers and undertaking tasks on behalf of my mentor. I recognised that once I fitted into the clinical environment, I needed to be more actively involved in challenging clinical situations such as detecting unpredictable patient deterioration and learning to make quick clinical decisions. Cook Leathard (2004) suggested that good student nursing leadership and good quality nursing care will be effective if nurses go through leadership training program mes during the early stages of their career. This can help me in preparation to become more aware of how I feel, think and act in front of my patients. Reflecting and learning to be assertive can increase my confidence and self-esteem through appreciating what I have done well and maturely, accepting the improvements I must make to become a better nurse in the future. Having said that, I was satisfied that I had the opportunity to practice nursing handover, as it is one of the vital roles of a qualified nurse and one aspect of nursing care that is required of me when I am qualified.Loseby, Hudson Lyon (2013) wrote, handovers are information that can influence the delivery of care. In the process of this learning experience I felt well supported by my mentor giving me several opportunities to practice my handover until I felt more confident and less anxious because she created quality time for me and necessary feedback that helped my learning need as well as other aspects ofnursing. McCloughen, O’Brien Jackson (2010) defines a mentor as someone that helps others grow by teaching them, encouraging them and being interested in their success. This is also further supported byHamric, B.A., Hanson, M.C., Tracy, F.M., OGrady, T.E.,(2013) who indicated that a good mentor is one who spends quality time to foster growth, committed to the developme nt of their learning need, willing to share and feedback on any rough spot in their career development. In conclusion, I have critically analysed and reflected on clinical learning needs, which are essential for my continuing professional development. As a student, critical analysis and reflection helped to facilitate good learning outcomes so that I can relate and apply concepts to clinically orientated situations as well as explore and evaluate evidence. Also my clinical learning need was acknowledged through mentor feedback by showing assertive skills in communication with difficult patients. This need is an on-going process of development for me. However; I recognised that attempting interactions with patients and collaborating with nursing staff will help in my development to be a more self-assured nurse. Participating and engaging in leadership activities such as handovers and task delegation would be beneficial at this stage of my learning. Through the reflection and recognition of these learning needs, I could only move forward and continue to develop my learning proficiency as a student nurse towards professional competency as a qualified nurse. 1 | Page

Information systems in organisations

Information systems in organisations Abstract Successful system roll-out is not a task that can easily be achieved. As many organisations and governments have found to their cost, it is not simply the case that they can throw money at an information system in the hope that it will be successful. The primary case study used is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch system. After looking at the background of the case the implementation and subsequent failure are discussed. The reasons for failure are explained, which show the project as essentially being doomed from the start. Although system failure is a common occurrence many organisations do not seem to learn from the mistakes of the past, resulting in several other high profile cases. There are some strategies, however, that can be adopted in order to combat against failure, which mainly side on the softer aspects of system design such as management, organisational culture and human relations. What are the major causes of systems roll-out success or failure? What strategies can organisations take to ensure the success? To answer this question fully we must first understand what an information system (IS) is; and more importantly, what constitutes the success and, or failure of an IS. An information system in an organization provides processes and information useful to its members and clients (Avison Fitzgerald, 2003). Flynn (1992) also describes it as An information system provides procedures to record and make available information, concerning part of an organization, to assist organizations-related activities. An IS is made up of a complex set of factors, including human, organisational, technical, political and financial factors (Flowers, 1996). The interaction between these can give rise to either the success or failure of a system roll-out. The success of an IS is measured mainly on whether or not it meets the productivity target of being developed on time and to budget, and the quality target of meeting the clients requirements. A successful system is one that meets its targets of quality and productivity (Flynn, 1992). An IS is deemed unsuccessful if it fails either one, or both of its targets. In some instances the system is never actually delivered to the end user, which obviously is another case of system failure. An unsuccessful system is one that fails to meet either its quality or its productivity targets (Flynn, 1992). Successful system roll-out is not the easiest of tasks, with many governments and companies finding this out to their cost. In some cases these cost have run into hundreds of millions of pounds. The latest Standish Group report CHAOS Summary 2009 shows that more projects than ever are failing, and also that the number of successful projects is on the decrease. Only 32% of projects met their targets and could be classed as successful; with 44% of systems meeting either only some or none of their targets and 24% were never completed (The Standish Group, 2009). There are estimates that the cost of project failure in the U.S. alone is well in excess of $100 billion; emphasising just how costly a problem system roll-out can be if not done correctly. One reason as to why there are so many instances of IS failure is partly due to the fact that a lot of the time they are constructed without a full understanding or anticipation of reality (Xalles Limited, 2005). This is known as the Vacuum Mentality syndrome (Xalles Limited, 2005). These realities include changes in technology, changes made by the user community, reorganisations, changes of needs, change of key players and project sponsors, issues with resources and changes of processes (Xalles Limited, 2005). This idea is backed up by Maddison Darnton (1996) who explain that human issues are usually more important than technical ones in determining success or failure. Highlighting the fact that it is not necessarily technical issues with an IS that are the main problems during the development process, but instead ones regarding human incompetence. One of the most dramatic IS failures reported in recent years is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch (LASCAD) system. The LAS is the biggest ambulance service in the world, dealing with over 2,500 emergency calls a day. This inevitably put massive strains on the manual paper-based system that was being used, which already had several major problems with it. This led to the standards of performance falling below the ones agreed to as part of the national standards for ambulance response. It was, therefore, imperative that a new, more effective computer aided despatch system was introduced in order to meet the performance levels. The new system worked by a Control Assistant receiving an emergency call and entering the details given by the caller into the CAD system. Using call-box identifier and mapping systems, the exact location of the caller was calculated. Based on the information on the incident the CAD then worked out a level for the emergency, thus informing the Control Assistant on the appropriate specialist vehicles and skills that should be deployed to the emergency. The most appropriate and closest vehicle to the incident was then pinpointed via the use of mobile data terminals and the vehicle tracking system, and despatched to the emergency. The CAD system sent details of the incident to the vehicle via the on-board computer. Throughout dealing with the incident the crew were constantly updating the CAD system as to their arrival at the scene, their depart ure from it, their arrival at the hospital, and finally when they were free to deal with another call (Flowers, 1996). The intention of the CAD system was to eradicate the inefficiencies of the old paper-based system. However, as the LAS soon found out this was far from the case. On Monday 26th October 1992 the entire LASCAD system went live. It became quickly apparent, however, that it could note cope with the volume of calls. A number of calls were somehow getting lost in the system, leading to duplicate calls being made (Flowers, 1996). This meant that people who were in emergency situations had to wait, in some cases, for 30 minutes for their call to be dealt with. Even when the calls were dealt with, the ambulance allocation system had also failed meaning this had to be done manually, resulting in further delays. Amidst the confusion, it was even reported in some cases that two ambulances turned up to a single emergency, or that one never turned up at all (Flowers, 1996). As the day progressed, the number of calls increased, putting even more pressure on the already faltering system. The newer calls were now overwriting the earlier calls, resulting in even more incidents not being dealt with. The situation became that bad that all the queues were cleared in an attempt to decongest the system. However, this only succeeded in making the problem even worse, as a new flood of calls that were previously lost came through (Flowers, 1996). It was only Tuesday afternoon when the system was eventually shut down as a result of the escalating situation (Finkelstein, 1993). The LAS were instead forced to revert to a former part computerised system. Just over a week later they were back using the fully manual system. It is impossible to consider all of the factors that contributed to the demise of the CAD system. However, there are several major issues which could, ultimately, be seen as the contributing factors towards its failure. Flowers (1996) states that the primary reasons behind the failure were those of the design of the system, the management ethos, the procurement process and the timetable to which the system was developed. The system had been designed without sufficient testing, and on the basis that it would be operating in a perfect world where everything goes according to plan. It relied solely on the requirement that all the information received was perfect. In reality this was far from the case, and so the system was unable to sufficiently despatch resources to the incidents. As highlighted in the official inquiry into the failure: It is probable that the development team did not have full appreciation of the importance of these elements or, at least, of the consequences of failure, or less than perfect performance, of any one part (Finkelstein, 1993). The management ethos at the LAS was one that was inward looking and old-fashioned (Flowers, 1996). As a result of the recent restructuring which had been forced upon the LAS by the National Health Service, there were reported high levels of stress amongst senior management, which had seen a great number of previously loyal staff quitting (Mellor, 1994). In the years leading up to this there was a distinct lack of investment in areas such as the training and development of managers. During the implementation process a report was commissioned by the LAS into staff attitudes. It was clear to see from the results that staff had little faith in the management and were not satisfied with their jobs. This view had already been exposed from the result from a survey conducted in 1989 (Flowers, 1996). The official inquiry also highlighted a culture within the organisation that bred a fear of failure amongst the employees; whereby the success of the system was the one and only consideration (Flowers, 1996). This created an atmosphere in which people were scared to mention any problems or doubts they had with the system. As a result the system had become a sacred cow, in the fact that it became unreasonably immune to criticism from anyone associated with it. Senior managers believed that the system could be developed at a cost of just  £1.5 million. To meet the stringent financial restrictions regarding the purchase of the system, it was recommended by the selection team that the LAS accept the lowest offer, no matter who the tender was; unless they believed they had good and sufficient reason on the contrary (Flowers, 1996). The consequence of being forced to accept a tender in this manner was that the one with the lowest offer was an inexperienced small software company that had gravely underestimated that task at hand; hence the reason for their offer being considerably lower than all others. Having never worked on a project of this kind the companys resources were massively stretched, leading to falling standards in areas such as quality assurance, resulting in several mistakes being made with the development of the software. The inflexible time scale of just 6 months to which the system was set was far less than the industry average of 18 months for a project of this scale. It was believed by a vast majority within the LAS that the time scale was highly unrealistic. Inquiry Team member Paul Williams stated that The timetable was impossible (Mellor, 1994). Staff complained of the inadequacy of the training received for the system. There were major doubts about the quality of the training received and that it was provided long before the system was actually implemented; meaning it was not as effective as it could have been. The situation was made even worse by the fact that the control room staff were trained separately to the ambulance staff, which caused the potential for miscommunication. Other reasons include the fact that it had been decided by management that there was to be a trade off between the performance of the system and usability. The system was developed with little input from system users such as ambulance crews, with no LAS staff being assigned full time to the project (Mellor, 1994). These, therefore, were not ideal conditions in which to launch the new CAD system. Flowers (1996), on the other hand, argues that there is never an ideal time to introduce a major new computer system. However, he does also go on to say that rarely has such a large scale information system ever been introduced under such difficult circumstances (Flowers, 1996). This was not the first time that the LAS had tried to implement a CAD system for ambulances. Beginning in the early 1980s the system was doomed after tests revealed it would not be able to deal with the sheer volume of calls and so was abandoned in 1990 at a cost of  £7.5 million. For a system roll-out to be successful it must contain these four phases: Implementation Planning, Implementation Delivery, Post-Implementation Support, Post-Implementation Analysis (Xalles Limited, 2005). These implementation methods are based on a number of principles and assumptions. The approach by management to the project should be disciplined. As the case of the LASCAD has shown; strong and effective management is essential for the success of a system. Managers should be able to competently handle and issues or problems that develop during the implementation of the system. Accurate and concentrated documentation is needed in order to effectively communicate throughout each of the implementation phases. The end user(s) should be kept in mind throughout the development process so that the System Requirement Specification can be met. It is essential that organisations learn from the mistakes of others regarding the roll-out of an information system. However, this can pose quite difficult as many organisations, if they have difficulties, tend to keep these problems in-house, as not to bring any negative press to themselves. In conclusion it is clear to see that the roll-out of a successful IS is not an easy achievement, with organisations not always learning from the mistakes of others. After reading several case studies of high profile IS failures including LASCAD, TAURUS and Heathrow Terminal 5, it shows that the price of failure are extremely high with these companies losing tens of millions of pounds between them, and in the case of the LASCAD people losing their lives. These cases also highlighted that the main contributing factors towards the demise of each project were in fact from poor management, rather than technical difficulties. It is argued that the main factors for success comprise of timing and budget, perceived usefulness and ease of use, fitting the organisations business strategy and objectives, the management culture and human relations, and lastly acceptance of the system by the user(s) (Maddison Darnton, 1996). In order for a system roll-out to be successful all of this must be ta ken into consideration. Bibliography Avison, D. Fitzgerald, G. (2003). Information Systems Develolpment: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools Third Edition. Mcgraw Publishsing Flynn, D. J. (1992). Information Systems Requirements: Determination and Analysis. McGraw-Hill International Flowers, S. (1996). Software Failure: Management Failure: Amazing Stories and Cautionary Tales. John Wiley Sons Ltd. Finkelstein, A (1993). Report of the Inquiry Into The London Ambulance Service. International Workshop on Software Specification and Design Case Study. The Communications Directorate. Finkelstein, A Dowell, J. A Comedy of Errors: the London Ambulance Service case study. School of Informatics, City University. Lin, A (2009). Information Systems in Organisations. Department of Information Studies, The University of Sheffield. Maddison, R. Darnton, G. (1996). Information systems in organizations: improving business processes. Chapman Hall. Mellor, P. (1994). CAD: Computer-Aided Disaster (High Integrity Systems). Vol. 1, 2, pp. 101-156. The Standish Group (2009). New Standish Group report shows more project failing and less successful projects [Online]. http://www.standishgroup.com/newsroom/chaos_2009.php [Accessed 1 January 2010]. University College London (2009). Unit 3: Case Study London Ambulance Service CAD System [Online]. http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Finkelstein/advmsc/3.pdf [Accessed 5 January 2010]. Xalles Limited (2005). Successful Systems Implementation [Online]. http://www.xalles.com/reports/Successful%20Systems%20Implementation.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2009].