Strategic Analysis Strategic Human Resource Management...

Strategic Human Resource Management is an approach to organizational strategy and is evolving in the workplace. Since change is inevitable, it makes sense that HRM would try to take a pro-active step and forecasting for the future is one strategic way to plan rather than yesterday’s thoughts of simply recruiting, training, and employee benefits. Another example that requires implementation of SHRM is of the aging workforce. Analysis and data must be conducted to determine how this new shift could affect the organization and what changes, if any, need to happen to provide the transition amongst its employees as well as hiring new employees of a golden age. The HRM team must plan for future replacement of these workers; however, due to their vast experience, it won’t be an easy task with simply obtaining new qualified workers. One proposition would require coordinating seasoned employees with newer staff to be able to transfer some of the knowledge beforehand. Ongoi ng training programs that involves both sets of employees to promote cross-training could prove to be a proactive step towards retirement. These ideas would need to have systems in place that could be analyzed and evaluated for ongoing improvements. This could also create a further opportunity to execute more diversity within the organization. To implement diversity HR must: - LINK DIVERSITY TO THE BOTTOM LINE greater diversity- greater span of experience - MAKE DIVERSITY EVIDENT ON ALL ORGANIZATIONShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis And Practical Applications Of Strategic Human Resource Management Essay1348 Words   |  6 PagesStudent no. 20160088 DMH702 HR Mngt. An analysis and practical applications of strategic human resource management in Hansells Case study Hansells Case study In most companies, one of the primary goals is to produce world class and quality products. It is also the reason why these institutions invest large portion of the budget in technology, employee training/enhancement and modernising its facilities. Furthermore, the most essential resource of every company is its manpower. It is the processRead MoreSwot Analysis : Strategic Human Resource Management1785 Words   |  8 Pagesare a result of the Human Resource Management and implementation of a cost-oriented business approach and efficient operations. Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), a branch of Human Resource Management, was proven to be a long-term strategic approach to keep sustainable competitive advantage. (Ryanair. 2015). Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is identified as an effective macro-organizational tool to support the role and function of Human Resource Management according to focus onRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management Case Analysis at Home Depot Company2907 Words   |  12 PagesStrategic Human Resource Management Case Analysis at Home Depot Company By Musalia Doughty Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 1.0 Overview of the Organization 3 1.1 Corporate Hierarchy of Home Depot 4 2.0 Strategic Human Resource Management at Home Depot 5 2.1 Workforce Diversity Management at Home Depot 5 2.2 Disadvantages of Workforce Diversity 7 3.0 Strategy to Counter Diversity Issue at Home Depot 7 3.1 Employee Relations 8 4.0 Implementing Employee RelationsRead MoreRewarding Employees Through Compensation and the Role Job Analysis and Hr Planning Has on the Organisations Performance with Strategic Human Resource Management and Remedies6185 Words   |  25 PagesREWARDING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMPENSATION AND THE ROLE JOB ANALYSIS AND HR PLANNING HAS ON THE ORGANISATIONS PERFORMANCE WITH STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND REMEDIES CONTENTS PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. ASSIGNMENT ONE Read MoreHow Strategic Management Plan And The Human Resource Planning Process1410 Words   |  6 PagesFor this assignment we will examine how strategic management plans are established and redefine to keep the organizations moving forward in growth. Management promotes and brings about a change in the structure to keep it active and efficient in the approaches to achieving its goals and objective. The strategy behind the approaches correlation is what leads to actually implementing and providing data to analyze on an ongoing basis to enhance the strategic plan of the organization. The relationshipRead MoreHuman Resource Planning : The Organization s Long Term Goals And Strategies Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesStrategic Planning are the procedures for making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies. Human Resource Planning (HRP) is the process of anticipating and making provision for the movement (flow) of people into, within, and out of an organization. Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) is the pattern of human resources deployments and activities that enable an organization to achieve its strategic goals. Strategy formulation provides input as to what is possible givenRead MoreHuman Resource Management and Strategic Human Resource Management1136 Words   |  5 PagesManaging Human Resources, 3rd edn, John Wiley Sons, Milton, Qld. In chapter 1 of the text, the author shows an overview of human resource management and strategic human resource management. The author also shows the relationship between HRM and management, manager’s role meaning of strategy, strategic approach to HRM and strategic challenges. Lots of diagrams and explanations are used by the author. This chapter has contributed to my understanding of strategic human resource management by analysingRead MoreResearch Proposal: Strategic Hrm1623 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Perspectives on Human resource strategy: A key role contributing to organization performance in Cambodian Context† By Chit Uys Stevexo July 21, 2011 The strategic management of an organization s human resource has been recognized as one of the keys to business success. This particular strategy generally involved the optimization of the employees potentials mainly through training and performance assessment. This organizational strategy has been integrated in several businesses mainly toRead MoreStrategic Planning Within Ge927 Words   |  4 PagesThe strategic planning process is the formulation of the company’s major objectives and execution plans. This process is of particular interest in GE. Strategy formulation is the process of choosing the best methods for a company where customer needs; competitive position and internal capability are the three factors that play the main role in strategic planning. Every manager needs to have at least a simple notion of strategic planning to formulate his strategic plans. Strategic Planning is a wideRead MoreHuman Resource Activities and Strategies1599 Words   |  7 PagesAbstra ct: Nowadays, human resource management strategies became an essential part in an organization. Just like other strategies as marketing strategies or manufacturing strategies, human resource management strategies is functional strategies and they guide the actions to be taken within a specific function. For example, some HR activities like recruitment, selection training and development are guided by an organization’s HRM strategies. In any organization, functional strategies aim to support

Questions On Critical Thinking Assignment Questions

Critical Thinking Assignment Questions You will choose 4 out of the 7 questions to complete throughout the semester. I suggest to pick one that is easiest for you and complete it first. Each question will be completed in APA format. This means you will need a title page, abstract, citations, and references. Remember, citations helps support your argument. You may only use the online research school database for your resources. If you use a reference that is not part of the online database, I will not count that as a reference and deduct points. Pay attention to the due dates on the Syllabus. All assignments will be uploaded via D2L dropbox under the Assessment tab. When saving your assignment on your computer/thumb drive, save in the following way: Jason Fernandez CT 1 This allows me to keep track of which assignments you have completed. Note* If you complete Critical Thinking # 4, you will receive an additional 5 points on your next exam. Critical Thinking # 1 The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. Some people suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. The ultimate questions lies: Did this happen due to genetics, environment, or is it a combination of both? For this Critical Thinking assignment, you are to think of a topic that can be debatable from a nature vs. nurture perspective. You must compare the topic to both the nature and nurtureShow MoreRelatedEssay about Assessment of Critical Thinking976 Words   |  4 Pagesor the course modified. The aim of this paper is to define assessment and critical thinking skills, and then review a State University course and suggest different assessments that could be used to demonstrate learning. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing will be the course reviewed, as it is the only course I have previously taken, and therefore the only course which I have assess to the curriculum. Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelorRead MorePHL 458 Complete Class Week 1 - 5 – All Assignments, Presentations, DQs – A+ Graded Course Material1177 Words   |  5 PagesPHL 458 Complete Class Week 1 - 5 – All Assignments, Presentations, DQs – A+ Graded Course Material Click on the Link Below to Purchase A+ Work for PHL458 http://hwminute.com/downloads/phl-458-whole-wks-1-5-dqs-assignments-amaterial/ Week 1 Individual Critical Thinking and Society Exercise Write 150- to 200 words on each of the following topics: †¢ Describe a situation in which critical and creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think criticallyRead MoreEvaluation Of A Bsn Program876 Words   |  4 Pages(Billings Halstead, 2016. pp. 110-111). This paper will evaluate one BSN and one MSN program outcome from the Grantham University Catalog for appropriate leveling based on Bloom’s Taxonomy Cognitive Domain. An assignment will be created assessing the nursing student’s ability to use critical thinking to meet the outcome expectation in both programs. Grantham’s University mission statement is â€Å"to expand a student’s skills in areas of leadership, community concepts, research and professional practiceRead MoreMy Personal Rules for Success in College and Life1129 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween work and study. I show up to classes and meetings in time. I participate and ask questions in class. I participate in extracurricular activities. I always work on my weaknesses. I allocate time for leisure. I maintain a healthy life-style. I maintain close relationship with my family and friends. I strive for best. While I gathered this list from the top of my head, thinking about rules that I want to follow and believe will help me achieve success in college and lifeRead MoreCritical Thinking And Social Media Defined1426 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Thinking Social Media Defined According to criticalthinking.org, the definition of critical thinking is â€Å"that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entailsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell866 Words   |  4 PagesCritical thinking can be the foundation to learning and to success. Thinking influences every aspect of life yet it is often taken for granted. The ability to think critically requires practice but it is important to look past what might be the obvious way of seeing things. In doing so it becomes easier to formulate a claim based on facts rather than opinions. These are some of the skills that I began to develop in the first as signment on Arguing Ethically/Thinking Logically. This was based on ChapterRead MoreCourse Schedule of Philosophy 2511695 Words   |  7 PagesPHL 251 Critical Thinking Professor Khristian E. Kay Don’t Panic! Program Council The Academic Program Councils for each college oversee the design and development of all University of Phoenix curricula. Council members include full-time and practitioner faculty members who have extensive experience in this discipline. Teams of full-time and practitioner faculty content experts are assembled under the direction of these Councils to create specific courses withinRead MoreThe Importance Of Critical Thinking On College Education1030 Words   |  5 PagesThe article by Boarer- Pitchford (2014) discussed the importance of critical thinking in college education and encouraged educators to use authentic assessments that require students to demonstrate the understanding of course concepts and promote the development of critical thinking based on the results of their study that examined make up of test grades derived from traditional and authentic assessment and factors that influenced the educators use of assessment techniques. On the other hand, theRead MoreChapter 3 : An Purpose For Reading1324 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 3 helped me get involve with my readings by annotating the text and developing questions within the text while I am actively engaging with my studies. Also, this chapter showed me different note taking styles which are mind mapping, outline, SQ3R, and Cornell notes. I can make a mixture of these note taking styles to my preference. Chapter 7 is another useful resource, this chapter discuss thinking clearly and communicating your ideas. One key aspect is presentation skills; able to deliverRead MoreAssignment Case Study Honda1227 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment Case study Honda Marketing [pic] Introduction: This individual assignment will be assessed by means of a 3,500  ± 10% word report. The assignment has been designed to allow you to develop and use your knowledge and skills in understanding key strategic issues relating to the Global Automobile Industry. You will be required to apply the strategic concepts and analytical techniques studied in this module. All the learning

Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation Free Essays

string(137) " the firm from all 20 plus solicitors are consistent and align with the objectives of the firm, the client and the insured is important\." INTRODUCTION: Lean synchronisation is an emerging practice that seeks to streamline the ‘flow of products and services’ in order to eliminate waste (Slack et al. 2012 p. 352). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation or any similar topic only for you Order Now The aim of this paper is to identify the strategic operational issues in relation to AB Partners (a law firm referred to as â€Å"AB†), more specifically with the process of signing out mail, which is referred to in Figure 1.1 below. The paper has three sections. Firstly, the definition of lean synchronisation (referred to herein as â€Å"LS†) will be defined, especially within the service industry, followed by outlining the current process of signing out mail at AB. By analysing the existing procedure in the context of lean synchronisation, the paper will highlight the delays and imperfections of the existing procedure, as well as provide recommendations to improve the process in order to improve the five performance objectives. WHAT IS LEAN SYNCHRONISATION? LS is a process of production with the ‘aim of achieving a flow of products and services that always delivers exactly what customers want, in exact quantities, exactly when needed, exactly when required, and at the lowest possible cost’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It has successfully been implemented in such corporations as Toyota and the Bolton Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Both examples aim ‘to achieve perfect synchronisation through smooth and even flow’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It is important to note that LS cannot be achieved overnight, but it is a continuous process and should serve as an objective that managers should incessantly strive for (Slack et al. 2012 p. 353). Given that LS requires the co-operation of everyone involved in the process and the supply network, there needs to be transparency and communication between everyone involved, especially those involved with the operational components of the process and/or supply network (Jullien Tjahono 2009 p. 325). The goal of LS is to open up the work process and abolish the usual hierarchies of traditional management to provide ‘smooth, uninterrupted flow without delay, waste or imperfection of any kind’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 359). Whilst the idea of LS is well established in the manufacturing sector, the benefits of implementing the philosophy to the service industry can achieve equally valuable results. (Jullien Tjahono 2009 p. 321). Pixar Animation Studios adopted Toyota’s approach to management and it has resulted in being a leader of computer graphics in filmmaking (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373). The encouragement of continuous advice and criticism from its creative teams, brings problems to the surface before it becomes and crises and affects the overall operation (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373). By encouraging open communication during LS the responsibility for solving the problem is now shared with everyone, ‘improving the chances of the problem being solved’ in the most efficient and cost-effective manner in order to reply to the customer’s needs and demands (Slack et al. 2012 p. 355).   A B PARTNERS A B Partners (â€Å"AB†) is a specialised insurance and commercial litigation law firm. The objectives of the business are to be the leader in the area of  insurance law, more specifically motor vehicle insurance, public liability and home insurance. The firm acts for various insurance companies and there is often a panel of law firms acting for these insurance companies. Whilst in most law firms there is only one client, in insurance litigation there are various stake holder interests to weigh up. There is the insurance company (â€Å"Client†) who insures the insured (â€Å"IO†) or the insured’s company, motor vehicle or home, the shareholders of the Client and upholding the Client’s obligations to the Insurance Commission Board, to which it is a signatory to. Weighing up these interests is sometimes a difficult and, often, a contradictory juggling act, which is made even more difficult with the solicitor’s obligation to the firm, his/her budget, the impact of settling one file affecting another file with the same opposition, complying with one’s obligations with the Legal Services Board and a solicitor’s primary duty to the court as an officer of the court, which overrides every other obligation. In insurance litigation, more specifically, in motor vehicle insurance, there are often the same law firms within the â€Å"game†. However, occasionally the other driver involved in the accident (â€Å"TPD†) chooses not to go through their insurance company and either goes through another law firm or a recovery agent law firm who specialises in issuing against insurance companies or choses to be unrepresented. Therefore, you often have more multiple matters against any one firm at the one time and, hence, how you interact with that firm on one matter will most likely influence how settlement negotiations will be dictated in another. Because of the contract AB has with the client, all new files must be actioned within 48 hours. This is high volume, low variety work which often sees a solicitor handling 100- 115 files. The main principles are: – provide concise, practical and commercially focused advice – proactively manage all disputes – resolve disputes at the earliest possible opportunity – build long term client relationship – deliver value for money Because AB is often part of a panel of firms that continuously have to re-submit tenders every 5-7 years, it is competing with other firms to provide the best service. This is measured but to key performance indicators: 1. Total days it took to resolve the matter; and 2. Recovery/Settlement rate (how much the client spent on legal costs compared to how much was recovered or how much was paid out to the TPD). MAIL SIGNING Given the main KPI’s are total days turnover and recover/settlement rates, speed and accuracy of advice is important. Law is often a game of chess. Even though most matters follow the same formula there is often one detail that can change the solicitor’s strategic approach to the whole matter and anticipating the other solicitor’s move will determine your next action. Because AB is well regarded nationally as being one of the foremost leaders in its field, ensuring every document that leaves the firm from all 20 plus solicitors are consistent and align with the objectives of the firm, the client and the insured is important. You read "Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation" in category "Papers" This has resulted in a policy that all outgoing mail/documents must be signed off by a Partner. There are two Partners that are in charge of the motor vehicle team which consists of twelve Solicitors. Throughout the day solicitors place their completed correspondence in a designated pile in the respective partner’s office. Because each solicitor handles files from more than one jurisdiction, often the solicitors have to drop off correspondence in both partner’s office. At approximately 3pm the process of mail signing and discussing any issues or problems with files commences. This is often a long and arduous process, eating into valuable billing time of the solicitors and partners, who also have 100 plus files of their own they are running. A minor mistake in a letter, for example an incorrect spelling of someone’s name, will result in the mail not being signed out and having it be  forwarded back to the solicitor’s secretary for amending. By the time it returns to the solicitor to give back to the partner, it is the end of the business day, mail people have gone home or worse, the designated partner has left for the day and the letter must be re-amended to change the date to the next business day. What may be a simple task of forwarding documents to another party in the proceedings has taken more than two days to complete. Figure 1.1 is a process flow map of the procedure. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM The aspects of the current mail signing procedure do not comply with all of the performance objectives of AB. Quality The quality of work is high as most letters are of similar standard and style. Whilst most of the documents conform to some type of readymade precedent on the system, many do not. Furthermore, the precedents are often out of date and do not correspond with costs allowed by the court. Additionally, numerous new cases have been handed down, which contradict the precedent letters regarding advice on liability and apportionment of costs. Even though the decisions in these cases are not upheld strictly in the local court and the courts of similar jurisdiction in other states and territories, it does add to the persuasiveness of one’s argument. Speed As previously stated one of the KPI’s is the total amount of days the matte was open with the firm and how long it took to resolve the matter Therefore, timing is crucial. It is generally a rule that all matters be issued or actioned within 48 hours of the files being received by the firm. However, one to two days are lost at the beginning with the claims department printing the file, and forwarding the said file to a partner who then allocates it to a solicitor. If, in the unlikelihood, the file contains all the documents needed to be actioned, it will still take a further two days at best to send out the first letter due to the backlog of dictation waiting to be typed up by the secretaries (at this stage, the ratio of secretaries to solicitors is 1:2.5), checked by the partner and ready to be sent out on  the first attempt. Within the first week of receiving the file, the file is sitting idle in a partner’s office or in a dictation line for at least half of the time . Dependability Whilst every attempt is made to respond to a client’s request within 48 hours, it is difficult with the amount of file load a solicitor has and the amount of â€Å"urgent† matters that need to be actioned that very day. As every solicitor’s schedule is difference, (i.e time or hearings and amount of hearings) it is difficult to provide a guaranteed response time across the whole firm. Flexibility AB values its relationship with its clients. Ensuring that we are able to provide general advice that we do not bill for, whilst performing the billable work is essential in ensuring AB maintain client relationships as contracts must be re-tendered every 3-5 years. It is this â€Å"extra-value service† that sets AB apart from the competition. Often it involves dropping whatever billable task is being performed and providing the client with a comprehensive researched advice based on current law and trends in a particular jurisdiction by the close of business that day or the next morning. Cost Due to the highly competitive nature of the market, AB have been the leaders in introducing a fixed fee pricing framework. If a matter only gets to a certain stage, AB will only charge a pre-determined amount no matter how many phone calls/letters were drafted or how much work was required. This has reduced the time solicitors spend on costing a file and it also forces the solicitor to adopt lean processes to ensure maximum results with minimum effort. Discounts are provided if the matter has not been finalised within a required time and if the settlement/recovery rate is not achieved. Conversely, solicitors are entitled to charge an uplift if matters are finalised within  the agreed time frame and the recovery/settlement rate is achieved. The days of putting certain files in the â€Å"too hard† basket and waiting for schedules to slow down are gone due to this new pricing framework. LEAN SYNCHRONISATION The rigidity of conforming to a certain style of writing affects the dependability, speed and, ultimately, the cost of the performance objectives of AB. Not enough training is provided to new solicitors as to the â€Å"AB way† of drafting and negotiating. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of the partners are vital to the solicitor’s application of the law to current files. Seeing each solicitor individually and having to wait until mail signing time to request guidance does not assist with the firm’s objective of providing quick and efficient legal solution as it adds to the waste of irregular flow (Slack et al. 2012 p. 360). Given the new pricing framework, the importance of lean synchronisation has never been more important. The goal for all solicitors is to provide advice that will ensure an excellent recovery/settlement rate and quick resolution of the matter. With difficult files that do not fit the established precedent letters, advice from the partner’s is essential. However, as stated above, waiting until mail signing time is not ideal as there are often other solicitors needing their mail signed out and often there will be corrections that need to be made. Often making an appointment the next available business day is required to go into depth the theory behind certain legal principles as well as formulating a response that â€Å"fits† the intended audience as writing to a client differs greatly to writing to other firms and there is even a difference in the style of writing depending on who the law firm is. Often the Partner’s do not understand why things have taken as long as it has due to non-transparency and non-communication between the different processes; 1. The amount of dictating the secretaries have to type; 2. The file load of the solicitor; 3. The amount of extra research the solicitor is doing that is unable to be billed; 4. The insufficient claims documents  being supplied by the Client and, therefore, the amount of time spent chasing the client or IO for additional information; and 5. The amount of time wasted whilst being on hold with the Client to seek further instructions. All of the above factors contribute to waste on a file that is simple and straight forward. Files that are complex are expected to take longer as it often needs to be explained to the Client and IO in more detail. RECOMMENDATIONS Given the word limit only two recommendations will be outlined briefly. DECREASE FILE LOAD OF THE PARTNERS Within the legal field imparting one’s experience of a certain judge, opposition or client is just as important as one’s knowledge of the principles of the law. Knowing the credibility of your own client will be a major deciding factor of any case. The wisdom and experience of a partner is vital. Therefore, the Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers. In time this knowledge can be passed on to the Senior Associates who can then share the responsibilities of signing out mail of the other solicitor, as well as aiding the solicitors with any queries. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities. REGULAR SOLICITORS MEETINGS Conducting regular solicitors meetings of 4-5 solicitors where each solicitor raises any problems they have with a file or a particular process (i.e secretarial support is spread to thin) can serve two purposes; 1.It communicates any processes to senior management that is not working on an operational level; and 2.It encourages solicitors to work together to resolve â€Å"problem files† whilst allowing greater access to knowledge from other solicitor’s successful (not so successful) negotiating techniques, approaches, legal strategy etc†¦ In time the solicitors will have confidence  in their ability to provide correct legal advice that the inefficient process of mail signing will be eradicated for experienced solicitors. 7. CONCLUSION Based on the analysis above, we can conclude the current mail signing process is time consuming and involves unnecessary processes that can eradicated completely or modified to increase the time available the solicitors can bill the client for. Eventually, the aim of adopting LS processes should be to increase access to information, whether that is recent trends in specific courts to theoretical knowledge of the legal principles so as to avoid the current bottleneck system. Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities How to cite Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation, Papers

Essay on Ethical Communication-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Demonstrate an understanding of how Effective Ethical Communication and Collaboration Contributes to exemplar Workplace Practice Answer: the employees in a team supplement each other. It is fundamental that one ought to maintain a strategic distance from clashes among themselves in an organization. Communication is critical for building an effective organization with a common goal. It is essential that the employees plainly comprehend their relationship in order to gain competencies. One should be clear about their duty as an employee in an organization. It is the obligation of the team leader to assign duties as per the specialization of the employees. Communication is imperative for the organization in meeting up with the expectations. A team only runs by ethical values and communication. This helps a team to grow itself in an effective way by organizing organizational values and obligation (De Dreu, 2007). It is the obligation of team to concentrate on finishing organization's key objectives and growing great working relationship at work. It is additionally similarly to guarantee ethical values to marinating effectiveness at work. For maintaining long term sustainability in an organization, it is important to focus upon the team work, communication and ethics. This Practice will help in managing the organizational goals and competencies. This is a critical constraint seen in managing teams. The report depends on team adequacy and gives pursuers a sign with respect to significance of team building and commitment. It is critical that these three are basic parameter for picking up objectives. This additionally gives significance of a viable team and portrays a capacity of a person to yield more in a course of action. Apart from that a team has to manage the organizational goals appropriately in order to gain sustainability (Brewster, et al 2016). Collaboration at working environment provides with an effective organizational goals with a capacity to be more comfortable among each other. There are distinctive courses throughout which a team cooperates keeping in mind the end goal to increase proficient results. The accomplishment of team relies on the execution of goals. In addition it is critical to comprehend diverse components that help with creating organizations strategies. Urging a team in an organization to upgrade efficiency is one of the projects of team. In order to cooperate efficiently in an organization, it is important to comprehend the qualities and shortcoming of every person. An effectual team has to oversee and perform the arrangement in a proficient manner. It is essential to deal with the activity in a productive way (Aswathappa, 2013). A Team creates framework that enables them to attempt responsibilities productively with a specific end goal to guarantee employment. This however enables the organization to produce more income without adding up more members. This will permit in dealing with the proficiency and viability to oversee cooperation. Teams in an organization meet deliberately to examine a thought in order to gain effective results. A team that performs effectively permits employees to work on the goals in a better way. The whole team works in accordance with the organizational goals with the given data. The advantages can be determined in a successful route by dealing with the teams. There are challenges in an organization where a team requires being proactive in order to manage the goals. The employees help each other in enhancing execution and to increase proficient advancement. This highly depends on each other capacity in meeting the end result. A team helps in overseeing challenges in an effective way. A team has to manage the organizational goal while communicating the objective (Beardwell and Thompson, 2014). One can't anticipate that the employees will act ethically as per the organization set of instructions. It is vital to provide with a set of instructions in order to gain competencies. This will enable them to determine them the difficulties that they might come across while undergoing organizational challenges. By giving the employees proper devices the organization can accentuate high profitability. Organizations do expect formal conduct from the workers for which they need to manage the effectiveness by developing ethics and values. A business has to work ethically keeping in mind the key objectives. For example an employee who is acting ethically ought to be remunerated with the goal that the objectives can be accomplished. A representative that performs well beyond his own advantages ought to be compensated with rewards. It is viewed as that ethical conduct in an organization has to be managed with an effective approach. Every business organization looks for a person who is read y to work in cooperation. A large sized business organization works in coordination to gain effective results. Subsequently, they need a legitimate guide to deal with the team building exercise (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). A team is carried out by proficient employees that enable the organization to set a paradigm for the other people. A leader has to structure the organizational values effectively with clarity. There should be a general exchange among the employees with the goal to attain effectiveness. It is more troublesome for the entire team to deal with the ethical issues. The moral conduct is generally influenced by the organization principles and rules. The general reason to accept effectiveness in a team is to settle on great moral choices at work and empowering them at work. It is essential to take care of the employees in case of discontent among them. Communication influences cooperation emphatically. The measure of communication conveyed in an organization influence the cooperation (Buljac-Samardzic et al 2010). Each employee need to step up with regards to communication. A team that isn't acting effectively makes mistakes in future. It is critical for each employee to convey viably to ach ieve better outcomes. Gaining from others about the employments of compelling communication is vital. One has to take legitimate measures to increase reliable development. A decent listening expertise in the team permits effective communication in team. A disturbed nature of individuals in a team is a general reason for miscommunication. Cooperation offers points of interest like expanded profitability, an expansion in the feeling of assurance and enhances staff effectiveness. A specific end goal to build up a powerful team communication helps in influencing the business organization. This helps in Understanding with respect to powerful communication in an organization that permits in gaining efficiency. Communication directs a team to define effective goals that help in gaining efficiency in building organizational capacity. Employees figure out how to collaborate proficiently with the other employees by fulfilling occupation and obligations. Successful business communication helps in gaining confidence among workers. Businesses depend on written communication over the verbal communication. It is in this way imperative for the employees to take after the guidelines as given by the administration in the written format. Poor communication among the team can lead to internal clashes. Team putting a great we part of their opportunity in confusing data and making struggle cant attain results. For the reason a team need to concentrate on an effective communication technique. It has to focus on the end goals. This will help in managing the diverse approach in attaining sustainable results. The team has already managed the key organizational objectives in order to manage an effective team building. The need of a team is to increase the organizational capacity by continuing to focus on the goals. An effective communication therefore helps in reducing the implication of an ineffective communication. For gaining sustainable results, a team has to perform in a better way to focus on end results (Purce, 2014). This will allow the team to perform efficiently by focusing on the objective (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). A team with a viable communication framework can be well prepared by the team leader. Those employ ees who work in total planning can work expediently. This is due to the fact that the communication in an organization can lift up the people to a positive direction. This help in managing the organizational development in order to pursue the end result. In case of miscommunication, the whole team is influenced by the decision. They are compelled to work negatively in order to manage the organizational result. It is highly required to manage the organizational objective and to work accordingly to give a proper result. An effective communication in such a situation helps in settling down the spark. It helps in managing the unsettled behavior of the employees in the most appropriate way. The employees working at a different level has to communicate with the other fellow members in order to gain long term results. Employees working at different level have to manage the organization in a better way. It is important for an organization to manage the diverse opinion in order to deal with the contingencies (Sparrow, Brewster Chung, 2016). The future of a business organization directly depends on gathering organizational functions. Every organization has to take an appropriate action in order to deal with the ineffectiveness, this has to manage the similar foundation by following an effective practices. The ineffective business practice has created disparities in the organization hence, to manage the organizational value, it is important to meet up with the expectations of the people. This intended to help an organization for motivating ethical issues that emerge at workplace. Four issues, in view of surely understood ethical well-being, are particularly vital: how people accomplish equity (in the conveyance of work), duty (in indicating errands, doling out fault, and granting credit), sensibility (guaranteeing investment, settling strife, and achieving agreement), and trustworthiness (staying away from double dealing, defilement, and mistake). This approach helps in creating plans for understanding these ethical practices in gathering team work. An effective team gathering work and approached to devise procedures for managing team effectiveness. Hard working attitudes can be characterized as an arrangement of qualities, which includes the correct approach, mentality, exact conduct, regard for others and enthusiastic communication(Costa,2003). Essentially, hard working attitudes standardize what a representative would do in various circumstances in office premises (Riley, 2014). The propensity for following great hard working attitudes is inalienable - it originates from inside. It includes ethical quality and different esteems, aside from what people do to achieve an organizational task. Specialists uncovering great hard working attitudes are viewed as appropriate for better positions and more obligations. Consequently, it ends up plainly critical to be completely effective in terms of gaining effectiveness on a long run (Wilton, 2016). To conclude, team working, communication and ethics are important for gaining effective organizational results. For an individual, it is important to develop as a team in order to manage long term organizational goals. This technique is important for measuring long term effectiveness while developing effective outcomes. This is important for gaining capacity in order to face the ineffective consequences that might result in team clashes. Hence ethics and effective communication therefore helps in gaining a better insight in developing organizational results. Team building and development is important for gaining long-term sustainability in order to manage end result. For gaining effectiveness at workplace, it is important to manage the team in a better way by undergoing organizational transformation. This will help in organizing sustainable effectiveness among the team members. Communication is critical for building an effective organization with a common goal. Team building and deve lopment is an essential activity carried in order to manage the long term goals. It is vital from the point of view of gaining long term effectiveness. Hence, it is essential that the employees plainly comprehend their relationship in order to gain competencies. References Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Aswathappa, K., 2013.Human resource management: Text and cases. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Baiden, B.K. and Price, A.D., 2011. The effect of integration on project delivery team effectiveness.International Journal of Project Management,29(2), pp.129-136. Beardwell, J. and Thompson, A., 2014.Human resource management: a contemporary approach. Pearson Education. Brewster, C., Houldsworth, E., Sparrow, P. and Vernon, G., 2016.International human resource management. Kogan Page Publishers. Buljac-Samardzic, M., Dekker-van Doorn, C.M., van Wijngaarden, J.D. and van Wijk, K.P., 2010. Interventions to improve team effectiveness: a systematic review.Health policy,94(3), pp.183-195. Costa, A.C., 2003. Work team trust and effectiveness.Personnel review,32(5), pp.605-622. De Dreu, C.K., 2007. Cooperative outcome interdependence, task reflexivity, and team effectiveness: a motivated information processing perspective.Journal of applied psychology,92(3), p.628. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., Kynighou, A. 2016.Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers. Purce, J., 2014. The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management.New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals),67. Riley, M. (2014).Human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry. Routledge. Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., Chung, C. 2016.Globalizing human resource management. Routledge. Stone, D. L., Deadrick, D. L. 2015. Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of human resource management.Human Resource Management Review, Wilton, N. (2016).An introduction to human resource management. Sa

Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling

Table of Contents Introduction Why Home School? Challenges of Home Schooling Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Homeschooling refers to the form of education that takes place in a home setup and usually without the restrictions that are found in a traditional education system (Cogan 1). The parent or guardian of the child plays the major role of being a teacher.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lyman (1) defines home schooling as the art of educating children of school going age at home instead of having to take them to some school. Approaches to homeschooling are as varied as the number of people who opt for it (Lyman 1). Although it may appear as a new concept, Cogan (1) explains that the concept of homeschooling has been with us for a very long time. In the past, it was regarded as the only option available for a majority of peo ple unable to afford the cost of hiring teachers for their children (Cogan 1). For many parents wishing to start homeschooling, the main concern is whether or not they can effectively be able to teach (Jones 1). With the advent of formal education, homeschooling lost popularity at some point. This saw a tremendous decline in the number of children under the homeschooling program. This trend has now been reversed leading to an increased number of people changing to homeschooling (Cogan 1). According to Lyman, the continuous rise in the number of home schooled students is a clear indication of the amount of dissatisfaction with the quality of education delivered at schools (1). According to Ray (1), the concept of home schooling is nothing really new. Ray argues that most people who advocate for this kind of education are very much aware of the fact that it is not in any way, a new idea (Ray 1). The recent past has seen a notable growth in the area of home schooling with a good number of parents gaining confidence in the system. This advancement in homeschooling is attributed to the fact that the traditional education system is dogged with some serious issues; poor discipline and decreased quality of education among others. Why Home School? According to Jones (1), every family including those who send their children to school is in one way or another homeschooling with others putting in more time than others.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lyman (1) observed that there are a number of reasons that make people opt for home schooling. Some parents are very much concerned about the increasing crimes at school as well as indiscipline. Others are dismayed by the diminishing education standard. The bureaucratic setup at schools is also blamed for the mass exodus of parents and their children from a school based learning environment (Lyman 1). There has also been a subs tantial reduction in the cost of education and most families are able to establish stronger family ties (Lyman 1). Supporters of homeschooling have strongly argued that it makes it possible to develop an education plan that directly meets the needs of an individual rather than a whole class (Mead 2). A common thought shared by most students who have undergone homeschooling is the fact that the program enables one to think for themselves and this to them is quite valuable (Mead 3). Jones (1) sees this as a very a key objective and therefore, a major motivation for those choosing homeschooling. People may also choose homeschooling for reasons that may be religious, academic and at times, for their own personal needs (Jones 1). Challenges of Home Schooling Even though the idea of homeschooling is becoming very popular, it has various challenges. One of the major concerns raised has to do with the socialization of the homeschooled children. These children may grow up in a setup that com pletely denies them a chance to meet and interact with other people. Later, they get shocked when they join college only to discover that they were not well socialized. They begin to face problems dealing with other people who were not brought up like they were (Lyman 2). Fitting in a controlled setup later in life may also become a challenge for the homeschooled students (Lyman 3). A similar argument is presented by Mead (2) who made similar observations. From an environment that is to some extent closed these students have to now learn how to deal with the outside world (Mead 2). Although proponents of homeschooling claim that there are numerous avenues such as the church or events for homeschooling students available for purposes of socialization, exposing the students to a comprehensive educational experience is just next to impossible (Cogan 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling specifically for you fo r only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Testimonies by some who have gone through homeschooling show that despite the many advantages of homeschooling, the traditional education system presents children with a thorough preparation for what is ahead in life (Mead 3). Conclusion Although there are a number of challenges with the homeschooling system, there is a very high likelihood that if implemented in a well thought out manner, there are distinct advantages. Parents who are afraid of subjecting their children to the traditional schooling system where there is increased indiscipline and decline in the quality of education, and are considering homeschooling for their children will need to more creative. They should endeavor to provide their children with opportunities to interact with the outside world. This will ensure that as they instill discipline in the children, they are also able to prepare them to face the future in a world that is full of hostility. Works Cited Coga n, Michael F. Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students. Journal of College Admission, summer 2010, pp. 1-10., 2010. Jones, Lillian. Introduction to Homeschooling. California: HomeSchool Association of California. 2009. Web. Lyman, Isabel. Homeschooling: Back to the Future? Washington, DC: Cato Institute. 1998. Web. Mead, Tyra L. Singing the Praises of Home – Schooling. New York: Hearst Communications Inc. 1999. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ray, Brian D. Homeschoolers on to College: What Research Shows Us. Journal of College Admission, Fall 2004, pp. 1- 10., 2004. This essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling was written and submitted by user Liana G. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Employee Benefits Essays - Employee Relations, Free Essays

Employee Benefits Essays - Employee Relations, Free Essays Employee Benefits If you have employees, than salaries, wages & benefits are a large part of your monthly expenses. You want to make sure you are getting the most productivity for your money. When you have a problem with low employee motivation and/or productivity, it is important to search for the reason. Some may feel underpaid, another may want more recognition or interaction with other people. Simply raising your employee's pay or giving them a promotion may not be the answer. You can reduce unwanted employee turnover & related recruiting, hiring & training costs by shifting experienced employees. The key is to recognize the workers value & aspirations. Age, education, job experience, job fullfillment, marital status & family size are all considerations that determine the attractiveness of a benefit. Its important to remember that everyones needs are different. An older person may want more status like a title or professional association membership. There are some more common flexible benefits you may want to include as part of the program: -pre-tax thrift-savings programs -recreational programs -discounts -scholarship -personal financial planning -loans -tuition refund -profit sharing -company car -personal expense account -parking privelages -legal assistance -flex-time -extra vacation -child care -job title -professional or trade association membershops -travel Not only do the benefits satisfy the employee's needs, but it also communicates your concerns to meet those needs, creating the kind of work environment that contributes to increased employee productivity. To create a win/win situation, offer benefits that will meet employee needs while still providing the most value to your business.

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Essay Example Attorneys representing the state of Missouri allege that 71.4% of voters in this state are not in support of this act. Among dissatisfied voters are the elderly individuals receiving medicare. Under current laws excluding the passage of the Health Care Art elderly individuals qualify for specialized programs due to their age. The Health Care Act will eliminate many of these programs leaving seniors to pay large amounts for health care services. Virginia attorneys in a separate lawsuit claim the Health Care Act requires individuals to purchase health insurance coverage or pay additional premiums. With the choice left between paying additional premiums and elderly individuals forced to compensate for medicare benefits/programs lost many individuals are wondering how they are going to survive financially. According to Glover(2010), "A woman told Lauer she has to make a decision each month on whether to make the house payment or prescription drugs. "We shouldn't have to have those situat ions going," she said" (pp. 16). Under the new reformation of this act individuals that do not purchase health insurance will be required to pay an annual penalty of $695.00 leaving many individuals frustrated. However frustrations extend beyond these two states. Separate lawsuits have been filed in twenty-one states alleging constitutional rights are in violation.

Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Methodology - Essay Example The research undertakes a mix of qualitative and quantitative aspects of study in order to arrive at desired observations. The questionnaire is circulated online to access a wide range of responses. Additionally, few open ended questions allow for greater knowledge on certain areas of study through the questionnaire format. The study has also undertaken a telephonic interview apart from the secondary data research to support quantitative facts by reliable and verifiable information sourced from the interview and qualitative research. According to Tobin and Joseph, (2006), research philosophy is the manner in which one gathers, organizes and analyses the data for the purpose of researching a particular problem. The common research philosophy has two main principals associated which are known as the positivist philosophical process and the interpretivism or the phenomenological style. Both the models are effective tools for carrying out the research activity but the difference arises in the objectivity of the model. According to the positivist approach, theory is established prior to conducting the research activity. The positivist research can be carried out in a two pronged approach, the descriptive research and the experimental research. The research model based on the positivist approach is primarily focused upon bringing together an analysis of the dependency of the external factors and the internal factors of the research. Philosophically, the positivist research method is based on ontological and axiological perspectives of a research problem. The phenomenological model of interpretivism was developed by Edmund Husserl and is the way of research that conducts the research in a manner that is influenced by human perceptions (Somekh and Lewin, 2004). The particular model of research lays focus on the micro level sociological issues like the prime motives behind the behaviour of people. Such

Retention Strategy in GENBAND company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retention Strategy in GENBAND company - Essay Example GENBANDCARE The technical support provided by GENBAND Care is of extreme quality. For best solutions, GENBAND Care provides timely updates, intense SLA which is inclusive of 24*7*365 help as well as timely releases of software so as to ensure that the client’s network remains current and displays best performance. By providing the customers with greatest up-time, GENBAND Care makes sure that the customers enjoy uninterrupted revenue and the customers of the customers are provided with emergency services. In as many as 80 per cent of the cases, GENBAND provides the clients with effective actions of recovery in no more than 14 minutes. This makes the GENBAND’s emergency services and tendency of restoration among the best all over the world. In addition to the conventional features, GENBAND Care provides the clients with a service of software updates which covers up to 6000 elements worldwide. GENBAND offers comprehensive maintenance for hardware which is inclusive of serv ices for the repair of hardware along with managed spares programs that offer altering Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with a view to providing the clients with accurate responsiveness. GENBAND also provides post-disaster recovery services in emergency. This service is quite unique in that it allows access to GENBAND’s resources for emergency recovery and pre-emergency planning when a disaster takes place. Primary Portfolio Factors They include: 24*7*365 technical assistance for emergency Regular updates for software Hardware maintenance and repair Help desk for disasters Subscription of software Managed spares Advanced Services The portfolio of Advanced Services in GENBAND offers creative and value-added skills that are directed at promoting and improving GENBAND’s solution abilities with the help of optimization, integration and adjustment. GENBAND retains a team of experienced and well-trained professionals that are always available to assist the clients in streamli ning the multimedia services, reducing the cost of operation, enhancing the performance of network from one end to another, and thus increase client’s retention and satisfaction. The provisioning solution GENBAND offers manages more than 2500 switches that include both non-GENBAND and GENBAND ones. The provisioning solution also assists the carriers in solving and automating various tasks of configuration and provisioning on daily basis. GENBAND enables its clients minimize the time of recovery, support expenses and eradicate useless truck rolls with the help of its ticketing and testing solution which encapsulates more than 30 million lines. The Audit and Optimization services of GENBAND are meant to assist the clients in making estimates about the performance of their network and switch close to real time, thus developing a way to ensure proactive arrangement as well as optimization. The services of Revenue Assurance provided by GENBAND align the information regarding confi guration and billing and make it accurate, thus reducing the expenses for carriers and enhancing their revenues. Re-skinning of soft customers and their customization are two very important factors of the capability of GENBAND’s advanced services. Primary Portfolio Factors Provisions of service and product Access care Optimization of capacity, performance and

Analysis of Liver Disease in Europe

Analysis of Liver Disease in Europe To what extent does alcohol contribute to liver disease in Europe? Alcoholic liver disease is the major complication of chronic alcohol abuse, with cirrhosis (with or without portal hypertension), being the most common end-point of the spectrum of complications. This association is seen throughout virtually all populations, demographic groups and clinical sub-sets. (Walsh K et al. 2000) It is notable that the incidence of the disease process is changing on a world-wide consideration, with countries such as India and Japan recently seeing a rapid escalation in numbers of cases of cirrhosis, from their traditionally low baseline of prevalence of the disease. This essay however, will primarily consider the situation in Europe. Considerations of safe limits to alcohol consumption have to be prefaced with the comments that they are controversial, and that there is no common agreement on a minimum safe level. In the UK, the Royal College of Physicians suggest a weekly limit of 21 units (210 g) of alcohol in men and 14 units in women as being the upper limit of â€Å"safe† use. This has to be seen in the context that the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys General Household Survey found that 27% of men and 13% of women in the UK were found to be exceeding these limits in 2004 (OPCS 2004) This can be contrasted with the findings of an Italian study (Bellentani S et al. 1997) which suggested that the â€Å"significant risk threshold† for the subsequent development of alcoholic liver disease in an Italian population was only 30g of ethanol per day and that the risk escalated with progressively higher levels of intake. The authors also noted that, for a given level of intake, women had a significantly higher risk of developing alcoholic liver disease than did age-matched men. On a critical note, one must concede that this was a prospective non-randomised study with a moderate (6,500) entry cohort. This can be compared with a larger Danish study (13,000 entry cohort) which demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the risk of alcoholic liver disease at levels of intake above 14 27 units per week in males and 7 13 units in females. (Becker U et al. 1996) One cannot conclude, from this data, that different European populations have different susceptibility to alcoholic liver disease. One of the major practical difficulties in mounting a major prospective study of this nature is the control of the huge number of variables that may influence the outcome, not least of which is the fact that no individual person drinks a uniform quantity of alcohol per day over many years. There are also considerations of the possibility of variation of effect of different proprietary brands of alcohol-containing drinks as well as the (largely under researched) area of the long term effect of binge drinking. Virtually all studies however, demonstrate a steep dose dependent increase in alcoholic liver disease above a threshold level of alcohol intake with women having a greater incidence of the disease than men at a given age range and level of intake. The reasons for this sex difference is not completely clear with Kwo et al. demonstrating that if one adjusts for body mass and liver size, then both men and women have equivalent biological rates of alcohol degradation. (Kwo P Y et al. 1998) A number of authorities (viz. Teli M R et al. 2005) suggest that these gender differences in susceptibility to alcoholic liver disease may be due to primarily to pharmacokinetic reasons including differences in the rates of ethanol absorption or alternatively, differences in the degree of response of the liver to alcohol induced injury such as that caused by oxidative by-products of ethanol metabolism in the liver. If one accepts the difficulties inherent in trying to define the lower margins of â€Å"safe† levels of alcohol drinking, then it is also appropriate to consider the problem from the other end of the spectrum. There are many studies in the literature which have considered the incidence and natural history of alcoholic liver disease in a population of heavy drinkers who, by definition, will show a much higher prevalence of the disease process. A comparatively old study by La Vecchia et al. showed a Europe-wide reducing trend in alcoholic liver disease in the recent past (La Vecchia, C et al. 1994) and this should be compared with data which shows that the deaths from alcoholic liver disease are actually increasing in the UK (CMO 2001). More specific recent data shows that this increase is disproportionately represented by the young adult and middle aged population in the UK showing an 8-fold rise since the 1970s (Leon, D. A et al. 2006) There is a general perception that end-stage alcoholic liver disease (in the form of cirrhosis) is only seen in those patients who demonstrate alcohol dependence syndrome (viz. Smith et al. 2004 and Luca A et al. 2007). There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that this may not actually be the case. If one considers one of the landmark papers on alcohol dependence and related disease processes, one could cite the classification of Jellinek who categorised five â€Å"sub-species† of alcoholism in his authoritative work in the area. (Jellinek, E. M. 1960 A). The current significance of his initial classification is that he identified two specific types of â€Å"alcoholics†, the ‘ß alcoholics’ who are not alcohol dependant, but who have a disproportionately high incidence of alcohol-related diseases, such as cirrhosis and contrasted this to the gamma alcoholics who were typically highly physically dependent, demonstrated frequent behavioural problems and had a high incidence of sociological complications. Jellinek made deductions about why these groups had different drinking patterns suggesting that the tendency towards heavy drinking in the ß alcoholic group was related to the customs and peer pressures within their social group, whereas gamma alcoholism was characterised, in part, by drinking to relieve a psychological craving and a physical addiction. (Jellinek, E. M. 1960 B). In the context of this examination, one can intuitively suggest that the customs, peer pressures and social groupings may be one of the more salient causes of different patterns of alcohol use across the various national cultures of Europe. There is a further difficulty in that, a brief overview of the literature on the subject of alcoholic liver disease shows that, in the context of Jellinek’s theoretical framework, which describes the population of drinkers who present to healthcare professionals with liver disease as a distinctly separate (although overlapping) population from those who present with alcohol dependence, there is a comparative paucity of studies which look at the drinking patterns, social factors and attitudes in patients with alcoholic liver disease when one compares it with the wealth of literature on alcohol dependence. This may seem to be an academic inference, but one can cite the authority of the often quoted Wodak study which identified significant differences between the population of typical patients with alcoholic liver disease and a population of patients who were recruited from an alcohol treatment centre for dependence, presenting evidence that only 18% of patients who had clinical alcoholic liver disease were severely dependent on alcohol and this contrasted with 56% of the attendees at the alcohol treatment centres. The authors also found that 63% of the patients who were found to have alcoholic liver disease had only a mild or moderate dependence on alcohol. (Wodak, A. D. et al. 1983). If one looks beyond the confines of Europe, one can cite the authority of an Indian study (Sarin, S. K et al. 1998) which found broadly similar results. More recent studies using liver transplant patients (viz. Burra, P. et al. 2000) have also produced similar results, although there is an obvious source of potential selection bias in such studies in the desire of certain patients to be accepted onto a transplant programme and this bias will (intuitively) vary between the different patterns of medical care provided across Europe. The problem confronting many researchers is the difficulty in clinically defining alcoholic liver disease. Many patients may be unaware that they are developing significant problems until the time of presentation. The first presentation may be with acute upper gastrointestinal tract haemorrhage or with alcoholic hepatitis. Both conditions frequently present in the absence of warning signs of a developing alcohol dependence. (Vorobioff J et al. 1996). The Harry et al. study reporting that the first presentation of alcoholic liver disease may actually be fatal with uncontrollable bleeding oesophageal varices carrying an immediate 25% mortality rate, (Harry, R. et al. 2002), a finding also found in the Brett study. (Brett, B. T. et al. 2001). Mathurin suggests that in patients who present with severe alcoholic hepatitis, over 50% may die. (Mathurin, P et al. 1996) If one considers data from other European centres, the Italian Loguercio study considered the pattern of drinking in indigenous Italians who had Hepatitis C. (Loguercio C et al. 2000). This is particularly significant in the Italian population as their prevalence of Hepatitis C is the highest in Europe. (De Bac, C. et al. 2004). It is well known that Hepatitis C infection is associated with a higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, but it is not know the extent to which subsequent alcohol intake influences the natural progression of the disease process. The Loguercio study sought to explore this feature and makes the observation that only 4 5% of all manuscripts submitted to â€Å"Hepatology† deal with alcohol-related liver disease, which exemplifies the point made earlier. In direct consideration of the thrust of this examination, the extent to which alcohol contributes to liver disease is modified by the presence of complicating factors such as Hepatitis B and C. Loguercio et al. suggest that there is a direct interaction between alcohol and the viruses, other authorities (viz. Ostapowicz, G et al. 1998) suggest that an additional mechanism of disease modification is that the presence of alcohol affects the response to interferon therapy (IFN). The latter belief has a poor evidence base as Mabee points to the fact that, without exception, none of the controlled trials published thus far on the efficacy of IFN treatment of Hepatitis C-related liver disease have determined the alcohol intake levels prior to therapy. ((Mabee, C. L. et al. 2008) Lieberman has shown that chronic alcohol intake levels correlate well with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GT) levels. (Lieberman, M. W. et al. 1995) and these levels have been shown by Camps to be extremely predictive of treatment (Camps, J. et al. 1993). In this way it is possible to make the direct connection that alcohol intake clearly directly influences the rate of progression of hepatic pathology, a claim that has been further strengthened by the large retrospective analysis by Pol et al. who examined and correlated the rate of progression of the disease process (in Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS hepatitis, with the overall intake of alcohol. (Pol, S. et al. 1998). The authors demonstrated that alcohol intake of the patient directly influences their gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GT) plasma levels and the rate of progression of the disease process. There is further evidence of the degree to which alcohol influences liver disease, at a histological level, in the form of the Scheuer paper. (Scheuer, P. J. et al. 2001). In congruence with the thrust of this segment of the paper, we can cite the authority of Scheuer who correlated the degree of fibrosis and steatosis with the average levels of alcohol intake and Pessione who noted that the degree of fibrosis in patients with Hepatitis C chronic hepatitis was related to the history of alcohol intake. (Pessione, F. et al. 1998) To return to the Loguercio study, the authors comment that the Italian cohort was typical for the country, (but atypical for Europe) as there is known to be a high alcohol intake per head of the population in Italy, even after making allowances for the fact that alcohol intake has fallen in the last decade (SPE 2004). In an attempt to evaluate the effects of alcohol on the population with alcoholic liver disease the study considered three important markers namely : (1) To estimate how many subjects in our country misused alcohol before and after being diagnosed as having HCV-related chronic liver disease (2) To determine if their drinking habits affected the principal aspects of this disease: routine laboratory data (particularly GT plasma levels), histological pattern (particularly liver steatosis and fibrosis), HCV RNA levels, and response to IFN therapy; (3) To compare results from this and a previous study (Aricà ² et al., 1994) to determine if CLD subjects have modified their drinking habits since a decrease was observed in the general population. (Loguercio C et al. 2000). The study is both long and complex, with rigorous statistical analysis. In essence, the authors were able to demonstrate that the majority of patients with Hepatitis C liver disease still regularly drank significant amounts of alcohol. Patients with hepatitis were more likely to drink alcohol than those with cirrhosis. They were also able to confirm that there were significantly higher levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GT) and greater levels of fibrosis associated with higher levels of alcohol in male subjects. Interestingly, women had higher levels of fibrosis than men even if they were total abstainers or less than 40 g/daily of alcohol, but their gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GT) levels did reflect the overall alcohol intake. This is very supportive of the hypothesis that women appear to have lower levels of defence against the oxidative insult produced by alcohol intake and may therefore develop a more marked fibrotic infiltration. We know, from other evidence that clinic ally, women appear to have more severe and rapidly progressive hepatitic disease processes than men. (Watson, R. R. ed. 2001) To consider a more general overview of the Europe-wide situation, one can consider the Rehm review paper which considers the implications of alcohol usage and mortality rates across the European continent. (Rehm J et al. 2007). The review itself is in commendable depth and provides an excellent evidence base for the area of investigation. The main points presented can be summarised. There is still a general all-cause mortality gradient from west to east across Europe which is more pronounced in males. (Zatonski W et al. 2000). In statistical terms, the western (old EU) countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and UK) had a male life expectancy of 75.7 yrs and a female life expectancy of 81.5 yrs. In the central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) these expectancy figures have fallen to 70.9 and 78.7 respectively. In the new Baltic states (Estonia, L atvia, and Lithuania) it is 65.3 and 76.8 yrs respectively and in the Russian Federation it was 58.3 for men and 71.8 for women. It can be seen from these figures that the life expectancy for men varies by 17.4 years and 9.7 yrs for women. It should be noted that a later, but less exhaustive, study by Vagero demonstrated that by 2005, while life expectancies were slightly higher, the overall gradient and pattern of mortality remained unchanged. (Vagero D 2007). A number of authorities (viz. Men T et al. 2003 and McKee M et al. 2001) have highlighted the levels of alcohol consumption, in addition to smoking and poor nutrition, as being the main determinants of this gradient. Rhem has also identified alcohol as being the prime determinant of premature mortality in the Russian federation. (Rehm J et al. 2003 A) Rhem presents a systematic analysis of alcohol-attributable mortality and disease burden by country, and considers two major aspects in each case namely, both the level of consumption and the patterns of drinking, the latter mainly referring to irregular heavy drinking occasions. (Rehm J et al. 2007). These two aspects are not straightforward, as an illustrative example of France and Sweden demonstrates. France has a traditional wine drinking culture with overall high levels of alcohol consumption but a relatively low proportion of people drinking to intoxication, Sweden, by contrast, has an increasing, but still relatively low level of overall alcohol consumption but a social tradition of irregular heavy drinking. The study highlights Hungary as being notable for having the highest mortality rates in the EU for several alcohol-related pathologies such as liver cirrhosis, together with malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx. It is reported that for the age range 20 64 yrs, alcohol plays a part in premature deaths of 25% of the population of Hungary. Cirrhosis is particularly high in Hungary and it is postulated that the high consumption of home made spirits may be a relevant factor. (Szucs S et al. 2005). It is also recognised that the culturally acceptable pattern of drinking in Hungary to a high level of alcohol intake with many heavy drinking occasions. The study gives a graphic breakdown of alcohol-related indices across the continent thus: New EU member states Old EU member states Czech Republic Hungary Lithuania Poland France Sweden UK Russia Adult per capita in l pure alcohol 17.0 14.9 17.2 11.7 14.5 9.9 13.4 15.5 Recorded in l pure alcohol 16.0 11.9 12.3 8.7 13.5 6.9 11.4 10.6 Unrecorded in l pure alcohol 1.0 3.0 4.9 3.0 1.0 3.0 2.0 4.9 Patterns of drinkinga 2 3 3 3 1 3 3 4 Preferred beverage beer wine/beer/spirits beer/spirits spirits/beer wine beer beer spirits Men % abstention/very light drinking 9.0 12.0 10.0 16.4 7.3 10.0 9.2 13.8 % >40 g/dayb 59.4 47.0 41.0 38.5 50.8 18.3 38.6 53.1 Women % abstention/very light drinking 19.1 27.0 28.0 34.3 11.1 16.0 14.3 27.5 % >40 g/day 7.0 16.0 8.0 9.0 7.0 3.8 10.3 8.4 aEstimated average pattern of drinking (1–4 with 4 being the most detrimental pattern; see text for more explanation and13 for the full algorithm used). b>40 g/day on average correspond to more than 3–4 drinks on average per day (1 drink is one can of beers of 0.33 l or one small glass of wine or one shot of spirits). (After Rehm J et al. 2007). There is considerable discussion surrounding the issue of alcohol-attributable mortality and death rates in the various European regions with Russia yielding the highest figures (29.0/10,000 person-years). An unexplained anomaly was found in that France and the UK show consistently higher rates of alcohol-attributable mortality in women than the general trend in the other countries when compared to the equivalent male rates. The overall alcohol-attributable mortality is greater in the male population with the ratio difference being much greater in the new EU member states, where the culture dictates that a smaller proportion of the alcohol produced is consumed by women Alcohol has been defined as only one of the causes of premature mortality (see above). Rehm suggests that alcohol is the major factor as, if the alcohol-related mortality is removed and the mortality figures adjusted, then the premature mortality rates between the highest and lowest rated countries become much more similar. Premature alcohol-attributable deaths in eight European countries by sex and age groups as proportions (in %) of all deaths, for the year 2002 New EU member states Old EU member states Age group Czech Republic Hungary Lithuania Poland France Sweden UK Russiab Men 20–44 28.5 39.4 38.4 26.0 22.9 19.2 22.2 30.7 45–64 14.0 22.2 16.4 10.2 16.6 7.1 7.6 11.9 20–64 16.3 25.2 22.8 13.6 18.0 9.3 10.7 17.9 Women 20–44 14.2 19.5 21.4 10.7 10.9 6.9 12.5 19.9 45–64 4.5 12.7 10.1 2.1 9.6 2.2 4.6 4.9 20–64 5.8 13.7 12.4 3.6 9.9 2.9 6.0 8.5 The estimates for Russia are underestimates, as several disease categories could not be included because of the different classification system of diseases (After Rehm J et al. 2007). It has to be acknowledged that with all of the papers cited in this examination, there are a number of potential shortcomings as data from different countries is inevitably subject to different categorisations and different modes of collection. Equally, differential rates of confounding factors such as Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, smoking and nutritional differences, all of which impact on the clinical presentation of the alcoholic liver disease process are difficult to completely isolate and account for. An additional complicating factor is that it has long been recognised that small amounts of alcohol have a cardio protective effect (Rehm J et al. 2003 B), irregular heavy drinking occasions (binge drinking) adding up to the same average volume of drinking over a period of time are associated with increased risk of vascular events. This increased risk is hard to separate from the increased risk of mortality from alcoholic liver disease. This is particularly the case with the Russian experience where drinking typically follows irregular heavy drinking patterns and the cardioprotective effect is probably negligible on a population-wide assessment. (Nicholson A et al. 2005) In overview, one can conclude that alcohol plays a substantial, and geographically variable role in premature adult mortality across Europe with 15% of all deaths in the 20 64 yr age range being attributable to this risk with men comprising a higher proportion than women in this total. (Rehm J et al. 2006). References Aricà ², S., Galatola, G., Tabone, M. and Corrao, G. (1994) Amount and duration of alcohol intake in patients with chronic liver disease. An Italian Multicentric Study. Italian Journal of Gastroenterology 26, 59 – 65. Becker U, Deis A, Sorensen T I A, et al. (1996) Prediction of risk of liver disease by alcohol intake, sex and age : a prospective population study. Hepatology 1996; 23 : 1025 1029 Bellentani S, Saccoccio G, Costa G, et al. (1997) Drinking habits as cofactors of risk for alcohol induced liver damage. Gut 1997; 41 : 845 850 Brett, B. T., Hayes, P. C. and Jalan, R. (2001) Primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding in cirrhosis. European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 13, 349 – 358 Burra, P., Mioni, D., Cillo, U. et al. (2000) Long-term medical and psycho-social evaluation of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease. Transplant International 13, S 174 – S 178 Camps, J., Crisostomo, S., Garcia-Granero, M., Riezu-Boj, J. I., Civeira, M. P. and Prieto, J. (1993) Prediction of the response of chronic hepatitis C to interferon alfa: a statistical analysis of pretreatment variables. Gut 34, 1714 – 1717 CMO (2001) Chief Medical Officer. On the State of the Public Health: Chief Medical Officers Annual Report 2001. Department of Health, HMSO : London; De Bac, C., Stroffolini, T., Gaeta, G. B., Taliani, G. and Giusti, G. (2004) Pathogenetic factors in cirrhosis with and without hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter Italian study. Hepatology 20, 1225 – 1230 Harry, R. and Wendon, J. (2002) Management of variceal bleeding. Current Opinions in Critical Care 8, 164 – 170. Loguercio C, Di Pierro M, Di Marino M P, Federico A, Disalvo D,, Cradta E, Tuccillo C, Baldi F, Del Vecchio Blanco C (2000) Drinking habits of subjects with Hepatitis C virus related chronic liver disease : Prevalence and effect on clinical, virological and pathological aspects. Alcohol and Alcoholism Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 296 301, 2000 Jellinek, E. M. (1960a) Alcoholism, a genus and some of its species. Canadian Medical Association Journal 83, 1341–1345 Jellinek, E. M. (1960b) The Disease Concept of Alcoholism, pp. 36 – 41. Hillhouse Press, New Haven, CT. Kwo P Y, Ramchandani V A, OConnor S, et al. (1998) Gender differences in alcohol metabolism: relationship to liver volume and effect of adjusting for body mass. Gastroenterology 1998; 115 : 1552 1557 La Vecchia, C., Levi, F., Lucchini, F. et al. (1994) Worldwide patterns and trends in mortality from liver cirrhosis, 1955 to 1990. Annals of Epidemiology 4, 480 – 486. Leon, D. A. and McCambridge, J. (2006) Liver cirrhosis mortality rates in Britain from 1950 to 2002: an analysis of routine data. Lancet 367, 52 – 56 Lieberman, M. W., Barrios, R. and Carter, B. Z. (1995)Gamma -Glutamyl transpeptidase. What does the organization and expression of a multipromoter gene tell us about its functions? American Journal of Pathology 147, 1175 – 1185. Luca A, Carles Garcia-Pagan J, Bosch J, et al. (2007) Effects of ethanol consumption on hepatic hemodynamics in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Gastroenterology 2007; 112 : 1284 1289 Nicholson A, Bobak M, Murphy M, Rose R, Marmot M. Alcohol consumption and increased mortality in Russian men and women: a cohort study based on the mortality of relatives. Bulletin of the WHO (2005) 83 : 803 Mabee, C. L., Crippin, J. S. and Lee, W. M. (2008) Review article : interferon and hepatitis C-factors predicting therapeutic outcome. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 12, 509 – 518. Mathurin, P., Duchatelle, V., Ramond, M. J. et al. (1996) Survival and prognostic factors in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis treated with prednisolone. Gastroenterology 110, 1847 – 1853 McKee M, Shkolnikov V. (2001) Understanding the toll of premature death among men in eastern europe. Br Med J (2001) 323 : 1051 – 55 Men T, Brennan P, Boffetta P, Zaridze D. (2003) Russian mortality trends for 1991 – 2001 : analysis by cause and region. Br Med J (2003) 327 : 964. OPCS (2004) Office of Population Censuses and Surveys General Household Survey : HMSO London 2004 Ostapowicz, G., Watson, J. R., Locarnini, S. A. and Desmond, P. V. (1998) Role of alcohol in the progression of liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology 27, 1730 – 1735 Pessione, F., Degos, F. and Marcellin, P. (1998) Effect of alcohol consumption on serum hepatitis C virus RNA and histological lesions in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 27, 1717 – 1722 Pol, S., Lamorthe, B. and Trinh Thi, N. (1998) Retrospective analysis of the impact of HIV infection and alcohol use on chronic hepatitis C in a large cohort of drug users. Journal of Hepatology 28, 945 – 950 Rehm J, Room R, Monteiro M, et al

The Classic Period in Music :: essays research papers

Getting it's name from art history, the classic period in music extends from 1740 to 1810 and includes the music of Haydn, Mozart, the first period of Beethoven, and Bach's sons. The classical period of music coordinated harmony, melody, rhythm, and orchestration more effectively then earlier periods of music. During the classical era the social function of music began to change from earlier aristocratic and religious connections toward more public and secular activities associated with the middle class. The rise of public concerts, the spread of commercial opera houses, the growth of music publishing, the increased number of musical pieces composed and played were all direct effects of the changing musical times. Among the many musical types of the period, the classical period is best known for the symphony, a form of a large orchestral ensemble. The symphonic pieces generally had three movements, the sonata, the minuet, and the finale. Building of the achievements of earlier composers, Haydn, and Mozart brought the symphony to it's peak in the last 20 years of the 18th century. Haydn excelled in rhythmic drive and development of theme-based music. Mozart also added to the symphony by contrasting memorable lyric themes in very full sounding orchestral settings. To satisfy the middle-class amateur, classic composers supplied a ton of new chamber music for all imaginable combinations. The piano sonata became a very important form of chamber music, especially after being refined by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. After 1765, the string quartet began to increasingly dominate the chamber music field. Unlike the concertos of the baroque period, the classic era mainly emphasized the solo concerto. The choice of solo instrument, however, was somewhat broader then in the baroque era. There was more of a trend during the classical period towards keyboard concertos. This style was originated in North Germany, by C.P.E. Bach, and gradually spread to other areas. Mozart took the concerto to its greatest heights. "His incomparable ability to weave the complex strands of the concerto fabric without entangling or obscuring either soloist or orchestra has never been surpassed.