Participation by Voluntary Sector Organisations in Public Service Delivery presents Major Challenges to the Organisations

Introduction Voluntary organisations engage in the delivery of public services for various reasons in different nations across the globe. One such reason is to ensure that services are brought closer to the communities. Communities and voluntary sector organisations are critical since they help in â€Å"reforming public services and reinvigorating civic life† (Ponikiewski 2002, p.91).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participation by Voluntary Sector Organisations in Public Service Delivery presents Major Challenges to the Organisations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This argument implies that, within a nation, such organisations are pivotal in linking operations and repairing gaps in service delivery within communities. They boost the mechanisms of available services through petitioning the government to improve ways of delivering public services and goods that help to advance the lives of its people. Fr om this line of thought, voluntary organisations have important roles to play. However, while playing their roles, they encounter a myriad of challenges. This paper aims to examine and discuss how voluntary organisations may participate in public service delivery. The article first discusses the roles of voluntary organisation in the delivery of public services followed by the challenges encountered by such organisation while executing their roles. These challenges include accountability issues, policy formulation and implementation, collaboration, and the pulling together of resources, improvement in working conditions for paid staff, and better means of funding practices. Role of Voluntary Public Sector Organisations in Public Service Delivery In the UK, there are about half a million voluntary and community-based organisations. These organisations range from â€Å"small and local community-based groups to large, established, national, and international organisations† (Bill is Harris 2006, p.35). Although some of these organisations have their mechanisms for raising income, others largely depend on voluntary members for their operation. In reality, paid professionals manage most of the larger voluntary organisations, thus necessitating a significant sourcing of income, which presents major challenges.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In scholarly discussions of the roles of voluntary organisations in the delivery of public sector services, one dominant matter that attracts discussion is whether voluntary organisations have any purpose in charity work. This subject culminated in a conference entitled Charity Law Conference held in London in 2006. The main concern raised in the conference was a discussion of the role of voluntary organisations in the delivery of public services. Some issues identified could affect an organisation in a negative way. F rom the research findings of a survey conducted by the Directory of Social Change (DSC) in London, 68 percent of respondents surveyed thought that voluntary organisations do not play any roles of charity in the societies within which they are established (Directory of Social Change 2006). In the Public sector, modes of service delivery can be described as being benevolent and socially responsible. Voluntary organisations need to deliver services from this theoretical point of argument. Conversely, if the public sector service delivery could be described as involving the delivery of service through charity, voluntary organisations engaging in delivery of such services, therefore, ought to be described as charitable organisations. However, voluntary organisations fail to meet the classification of being charitable. Charitable organisations are not subject to introspection in the public domain to reveal whether they deliver their mandates precisely. This argument implies that in charit able organisations, the proof of accountability and responsibility does not attract the public interest since the public has no central role in framing certain expectations that must be fulfilled by the organisations. As opposed to charitable organisations, voluntary organisations are â€Å"often subject to greater scrutiny and monitoring processes than the private sector organisations† (Bovens 1998, p.457). Charity is conducted to ensure that the organisations remain accountable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Participation by Voluntary Sector Organisations in Public Service Delivery presents Major Challenges to the Organisations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The public anticipates particular roles that voluntary organisations need to play in the delivery of public services. One such role is to ensure improved service delivery by the organisations. In this respect, it means that voluntary organisatio ns may act as overseeing organisations for the manner in which the government bureaucratically manages the process of delivery of public services. This case helps in ensuring that government services reach all persons who deserve them. Where the services fail to reach such persons, voluntary organisations act as the voice of the people. The operation of the voluntary organisations must be conducted with an expenditure of funds. Therefore, apart from facing the challenge of where to source funds, issues of internal and external accountability also emerge as discussed below. Internal and External Accountability Public accountability is one of the noble concepts that are universally supported by scholars in the discipline of public administration. In political discourses coupled with policy documents, the term finds an imperative usage since it portrays an image of trustworthiness and transparency (Forrer et al. 2010). These two aspects are crucial in the discussion of the challenges f acing the voluntary organisation that engages in the delivery of public services. Citizens who are also the clients of voluntary organisations have to be satisfied that a system of service delivery through voluntary organisations is able to meet their expectations of the public sector, without exposing funds to the risk of fraud. To this extent, accountability emerges as one of the critical values in public administration and voluntary organisations. Accountability entails making organisations transparently responsible in their dealings, with efforts to enhance their trustworthiness. For this goal to happen, a number of issues must be addressed by organisations seeking to be accountable. One such issue is the development of the facility to deal with emerging issues that could impede the organisation’s efforts to become and remain accountable. For instance, the advent of globalisation presents many challenges to corporations, institutions of public administration, and voluntar y organisations that seek be accountable to many nations. Kearns (2003) supports the argument by adding, â€Å"Globalisation plays the role of shaping the current trends in the global economic markets and the increasing interactions among nations and people from different parts of the world† (p.76).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Emergence of new interactions that are driven by the advent of globalisation introduces challenges to institutions of public administration, including voluntary organisations in that they handle the emerging new roles to expand their sphere of functionality. The more expansive an institution or any system requiring checks, the harder it becomes to handle all the individual facets of its organisation. This issue may provide loopholes for acts of fraud. Emerging new issues such as those prompted by globalisation also present challenges to an organisation’s public liability due to â€Å" the need to understand the dynamics of global value chains, creating trade facilitation structures, developing partnerships, and the establishment of value chains and networks† (Kearns 2003, p.81). Existence of such new challenges means that voluntary organisation officials have to change their tactics for enhancing accountability, which is due to traditional approaches or styles for publ ic administration cease to be effective in handling all contemporary situations. This aspect may prove to be a challenge to their efforts to become transparently responsible. From the above discussion, it is essential that an organisation that seeks to be accountable in a globalised market needs to consider looking for new approaches to enhance transparency as opposed to traditional approaches. In fact, this point is yet another crucial issue involved in making voluntary organisations answerable both internally and externally. The history of public administration reveals that the primary approach for enhancing accountability is through exercising control and close monitoring of persons who are mandated to execute general duties. This task entails â€Å"bureaucratic discretion through compliance with tightly drawn rules and regulations† (Forrer et al. 2010, p.477). Voluntary organisations form some of the administrations that are subject to a tight control in their operations, as they aim to set an example of good governance that ensures that resources are equally distributed across nations and organisations. Alteration in the approach of bureaucratic discretion as a methodology for enhancing internal and external accountability in voluntary organisations is critical in a modern world that is driven by significant interactions. Rather than direct control, an organisation has to consider implementation of strategies for enhancing accountability based on the concerns of delegation as a methodology for breaking down the bureaucratic approaches to public answerability. The relevance of this issue for a voluntary organisation that wants to be responsible internally and externally rests on the platform that, although delegation is an effective way for enhancing accountability, it has its limitations. A challenge facing a voluntary organisation that is determined to be responsible is thus establishing a balance between and a determination of the extents and per missible thresholds of accountability in the organisation. Voluntary organisations engaging in the delivery of public services also face the challenge of dealing proactively with the issue of balancing the levels of accountability that is anticipated from various stakeholders. In support of this argument, Forrer et al. (2010) believe, â€Å"public managers report not only to a multitude of elected officials, but also to a plethora of interest groups, clientele, media, and other actors† (p.478). This argument means that public administrators serve many conflicting interests of different stakeholders, both formal and informal, through the deployment of appropriate mechanisms for enhancing accountability. The balancing mechanisms that an organisation that seeks to become responsible must deploy include hierarchical accountability and public accountability while not negating deploying of mechanisms for enhancing accountability to impersonal standards. Voluntary organisations that embrace the relevance of accountability as a way of development of trust among various stakeholders must appreciate that one of the important issues they must put into perspective is that they must conform to their established models of accountability in their internal and external structures. Policy Formulation and Implementation Organisational success is measured by the achievement of the purpose for which it was established to serve. This goal cannot be achieved without the development and subsequent implementation of a variety of policies. In case of voluntary organisations, challenges in policy formulations and implementation arise due to the difficulties associated with those who should ensure compliance and which methodologies are required to ensure that the established policies that aim at increasing the ease of accessibility of public goods are implemented. This challenge is significant primarily upon considering the argument, â€Å"the scale of voluntarism and the relati onship between voluntarism and the state have driven to the top of third sector research and policy debate† (Frumkin Andre-Clark 2000, p.331). The main aim of voluntary organisations is to enhance the lives of people. For instance, voluntary organisations operating in the healthcare setting alert people to the risk factors of specific ailments e.g., anti-smoking publicity. While it is easy to develop policies to ensure that this aim is achieved, implementation of specific policies in the healthcare setting requires the action of bureaucratic structure (O’Donnell 2005; Taylor 2007), i.e., laws. Where the person charged with implementation of individual segments of the policies is not paid for the work, compliance to bureaucratically established roles becomes almost impossible. Although the goal of many voluntary organisations is to work with all people, they tend to attract those who are disadvantaged in society. Such persons are marginalised and/or disadvantaged. Conse quently, voluntary organisations require large funds to run the various policies that are in place. The challenges associated with financial capacity to handle large programs as proposed by some of the voluntary organisations make policy implementation experience a major drawback (O’Donnell 2005). In this context, it is paramount to note that voluntary organisations at best identify the needs of the people they serve, although meeting the needs becomes a significant challenge. This case makes it impossible for such organisations to run effectively. Implementing some policies without a voluntary organisation’s social projects can only be done within financial constraints hence making it hard for the organisations to operate as entities that are independent of the state. Even though the state does not interfere with the policies developed, where the implementation of the developed policies requires the support of the national government, such policies must be consistent with the extents to which the government is able to fund various projects that are developed by voluntary organisations for societal gain. Collaboration and pulling together of resources Stemming from discussion raised in the previous section, voluntary organisations in health care cannot operate without close collaboration with the government. Collaboration and pulling together of resources among the government and other organisations that provide health care services, as a public good, is vital since â€Å" collaboration would aid in reduction of competition, duplication and costs and the sector would become more effective† (Ponikiewski 2002). With collaboration, it becomes possible for all stakeholders operating in the organisations to speak with a single voice, especially when talking to the government. In the UK, there are about half a million voluntary organisations (Wilding Wainwright 2006). Coordination and close collaboration of this magnitude of organisations, whic h have their own procedures and ways of operation, present a major challenge. A research by Barr et al. (2009) that was aimed to deduce the collaboration issues that hinder voluntary organisations to pull resources together found that â€Å"43% of voluntary organisations in Canada cited competition with other organisations for funding or revenues to be a major problem† (p.15). Twelve percent of these organisations identified competition as the main challenge that hinders proper coordination of the sector. This finding implies that within the organisations in the sector, several challenges hinder collaboration of all voluntary organisations because small organisations feel that their voice would be engulfed by the voice of the large voluntary organisation when they collaborate on some matters (Hall et al. 2004). Improvement of working conditions for paid staff Large voluntary organisations require human capital to operate effectively. Tantamount to other profit-oriented organi sations, voluntary organisations must balance the costs of paying for labour services provided to them and other activities, which must be accomplished for the organisations to fulfil the purpose for which they are established (Hall et al. 2007). In an effort to keep employees motivated, voluntary organisations must deal with the challenges of improving the working conditions for the paid staff (Glennerster 2008). Where organisations provide low-cost services or free services, the efforts to improve the working conditions for the paid staff present significant challenges to them. In a research to determine the impacts of the challenge of improvement of conditions of paid staff in the UK, Voluntary and Community Action (2009) found that among the organisations interviewed in its research, all participants noted that low salaries coupled with poor working conditions presented significant problems. This aspect resulted in high labour turnover rates, thus making it difficult to hire sta ff with requisite skills and professional expertise (Voluntary and Community Action 2009, Para.8). These challenges can be offset by providing more external, constant, and stable funding to the organisations by the government so that voluntary organisations can become labour competitive. This argument underlines the need for involving the roles played by non-voluntary organisations in the development of public policies at the national level. This strategy is crucial in the effort to ensure that public goods and services provided by the voluntary organisation remain competitive and of similar quality to those offered by profit-making organisations (Hall, McKeown Roberts 2001). For example, even though health care services are offered free of charge in the UK, benchmarks of quality are available elsewhere in the world. However, it is crucial to note that free at point of service does not make the NHS a voluntary organisation. For voluntary organisations dealing with healthcare issues , such as inaccessibility of reasonably priced health cover, quality healthcare to the elderly, for instance, cannot be offered without highly qualified professionalism. Recruiting and maintaining hired employees when impaired by inadequate funds implies that major problems arise in any voluntary organisation. Better Means of Funding Practices In the performance of voluntary organisations, a myriad of practices requires a commitment of funds. Considering the funding challenges encountered by many voluntary organisations, Packwood et al. (2007) argue, â€Å"Funding of operations, the time, and money required when applying for funding to fulfil the reporting requirements of funders amplify the challenge† (p.19). Dealing with these challenges calls for voluntary organisations to construct mechanisms of dealing with operating costs to increase service delivery gains (Hall et al. 2005) such as better healthcare to the public. However, arriving at a collective formula common to all organisations in the sector that will enable all unpaid organisations to operate efficiently presents challenges because the need to remain relevant hinders cooperation amongst various organisations. Research conducted in various charitable organisations reveals that they encounter problems while seeking to source funds from the government. For instance, in a research conducted in Canada by Hall and Andrukow et al. (2003), 48 percent of the studied organisations reported experiencing significant challenges in getting funds from foundations, government, and corporations. Although only 20 percent of the organisations argued that the problem was serious, it is arguable that, since a similar challenge is experienced in the UK, better means of funding remain a major challenge to charitable organisations on the global dimension. Engaging Volunteers Volunteers participate in voluntary organisations through their altruism and to help essential services to the public become realised. This a rgument implies that volunteers form interest groups for voluntary organisations (Championing Volunteering and Civil Society, 2012). They must then be engaged in the development and implementation process of the unpaid organisations’ policies (Community and Voluntary Service 2008; Moxham 2010). Although this role is necessary, not all volunteers’ contributions in the voluntary organisation can be incorporated in the final policies implemented by the organisation. This case may create perceptions of inconsideration of particular people’s contributions. Therefore, engaging the volunteers in the development and implementation of policies within charitable organisation may attract conflicts of interest. Resolving these conflicts encompasses one of the major challenges that these organisations have to deal with in any sector, including those in the health care sector in the UK. Conclusion Voluntary organisations play pivotal roles in ensuring that public services are brought closer to the most deserving persons, such as the marginalised and disadvantaged within communities. They do this by consulting with local and central government on the most successful communal projects, for instance, elderly healthcare services. This paper argues that realisation of these roles encompasses seeking mechanisms of dealing with the challenges encountered along the way. These challenges include engaging volunteers, seeking effective ways of ensuring both internal accountability and external accountability, and policy formulation and implementation. Other challenges discussed in the paper include the need for collaboration and pulling together of resources, improvement of working conditions for paid staff, and seeking better means of funding. Reference List Barr, C. et al. 2009, Strengthening the capacity of non-profit and voluntary organisations to serve Canadians: recommendations based on national survey of non-profits and voluntary organisations, Ottawa Imagi ne, Canada. Billis, M. Harris, N. 2006, Voluntary Agencies: Challenges of Organisation and Management, Macmillan, London. Bovens, M. 1998, ‘The Quest for Responsibility: Accountability and Citizenship in Complex Organisations’, Public Administration, vol. 77 no. 3, pp. 455-474. Championing Volunteering and Civil Society: What We Believe About Public Services 2012. Web. Community and Voluntary Service: Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket – Sustainable Funding Guide 2008. Directory of Social Change 2006, Is public service delivery chainable, Directory of Social Change, London. Forrer, J., Kee, J., Newcomer, K Boyer, E 2010, ‘Public- Private Partnerships and the public accountability question’, Public administration review, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 475- 484. Frumkin, P. Andre-Clark, A. 2000 ‘When Missions, Markets and Politics Collide: Values and Strategy in the Non-profit Human Services’, Non Profit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol . 29 no.1, pp. 328-335. Glennerster, B. 2008, ‘Human services and the voluntary sector: towards a theory of comparative advantage’, Journal of Social Policy, vol. 27 no. 1, pp. 79–98. Hall, M. et al. 2003, The capacity to serve: A qualitative study of the challenges facing Canada’s non-profit and voluntary organisations, Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Toronto. Hall, M. et al. 2004, Cornerstones of Community: Highlights from the National Survey of Non-profit and Voluntary Organisations, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hall, M. et al. 2005, The Canadian non-profit and voluntary sector in comparative perspective, Imagine Canada, Toronto. Hall, M. et al. 2007, Cornerstones of community: Highlights of the National Survey of Non-profit and Voluntary Organisations, Catalogue no. 61-533-XPE, Statistics Canada, Ottawa. Hall, M., McKeown, L. Roberts, K. 2001, Caring Canadians, involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, Catalogue no. 71-542-XPE, Statistics Canada, Ottawa. Kearns, P. 2003, â€Å"Accountability in a Seamless Economy†, in G Peters J Pierre (eds), Handbook of Public Administration, Sage Publications, London, pp.76-91. Moxham, C. 2010, Work in Progress? Developing Public- Voluntary Sector Relationships, University of Manchester, Manchester. O’Donnell, R. 2005, â€Å"Public Policy and Social Partnership†, in J Dunne, A Ingram F Litton (eds), Questioning Ireland: Debates in Political Philosophy and Public Policy, Institute of Public Administration, Dublin, pp. 109-121. Packwood, M. et al. 2007, Facing A Challenging Financial Future: Guide for Trustees and Committee Members Of Voluntary Community Sector Organisations, Macmillan, London. Ponikiewski, P. 2002, The London Voluntary Sector Almanac 2000, NCVO, London. Taylor, M. 2007, ‘Between Public and Private: Accountability in Voluntary Organisations’, Policy and Politics, vol. 24 no. 1 , pp. 87-103. Voluntary and Community Action: Developing a Sustainable Fundraising Strategy 2009, . Wilding, J. Wainwright, P. 2006, The UK Voluntary Sector, NCVO, London. This essay on Participation by Voluntary Sector Organisations in Public Service Delivery presents Major Challenges to the Organisations was written and submitted by user Madilynn Andrews 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.

Night5 essays

Night5 essays The Nazis caused more destruction than just killing innocent Jews, they destroyed their peace, God, and humanity. Elie Wiesels Night, illustrates that by telling his experience in the concentration camps. Elie begins to question his strong feelings for God. He is left only with is memory of having privacy and peace as he did in Sighet. Elie loses his respect of being treated as a human rather than an animal. The experience of Night is fatal to Elie as it destroys his peace, his God, and his humanity. Elies faith for God weakens more and more. In the beginning, Elies love for the Lord is very powerful. During the day, I studied Talmud, and at night, I run to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the temple. (1) Elie practices Judaism every day by going to the synagogue where he prays. Elie first sees the crematories and the ditches that were deaths to so many Jews. For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless his name? The eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-powerful and Terrible was silent. What had I to thank him for? (31) Elie is unsure about God and what he is doing to them. Elie is finally convinced that God has given up on him. I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused. My eyes were open and terribly alone in the world without God and without man. (65) Elie no longer relies on God. He is on his own. By the end of the book, Elies faith for God has been so watered down, and it will take him a long time to regain that faith. In the beginning of the book, Elie and his family lived undisturbed and very peacefully. A wind of calmness and reassurance blew through our houses. (7) Elie and his family had their own personal space and just went with the flow. When Elie arrives at the camps, he soon realizes that it wont be like at home at all. Even if you were simply passing from one to the other, sever...

The University of California Schools: The Complete Guide + Which Should You Choose?

As the University of California (UC) deadline draws near, perhaps you’re wondering whether you should apply. If so, to which campuses? Each school has something very different to offer its students , and you probably want to know which is the best fit for you. In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of UC admissions and then share our thoughts on what makes each campus unique. By the end of this article, we hope you will be confident that your school list includes the right UC schools for you. If you’re working on your essays, make sure to check out How to Write the University of California Essays. The University of California includes ten schools. All of them except UC San Francisco have undergraduate programs. They are: The UC schools make up the most selective tier of California public postsecondary schools. There are also 23 California State Universities, known as CSUs or Cal State schools. Additionally, California has 114 community colleges throughout the state. California has devoted immense resources to all of these, meaning that students all across these 147 campuses have some amazing programs. In this post, we are only going to focus on these ten schools. You can learn more about the Cal State System in another post. Before we dive in, it is also worth noting that California holds a number of private universities as well, including Stanford, Pepperdine, and the Claremont Colleges. Private universities require separate applications and are not in the UC System, even though they are in California. The main advantage of going to a UC school is that you can study nearly any major offered to undergraduates at a fraction of the cost of most private universities. Each UC undergraduate program is fully equipped with coursework in natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. They also have the research libraries and extracurricular program that go along with a traditional liberal arts education. The application filing period is November 1-30. All applications must be submitted by November 30 . All UC schools use the same application. To add a school, all you have to do is check an additional box on the application. The application fee is $70 for each UC school to which you apply. Here is a full list of the UC application requirements: Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. All domestic applicants are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application . The FAFSA is for all residents of the U.S. who would be eligible to federal or state aid. Undocumented students should file the California Dream Act Application for state and school financial aid instead. Students who fill out these forms automatically will be considered for all public financial aid programs , including federal aid, Cal Grants, the Middle Class Scholarship Program , and the Blue and Gold Opportunity Program . You will receive a letter or email if it is determined that you can receive one of these types of aid. There are also private scholarships available from third parties. Check out our related posts on How to Secure Funding for College to find third party scholarships designed for you. In the rest of this article, we explore how the UC campuses compare with one another. UC Berkeley, also known as Cal, is the flagship UC school. Berkeley became famous in the sixties due to a surge of political activism. Students still participate in regular protests, usually left-leaning politically. Lovingly termed the Harvard of the West, this is an academic powerhouse. Cal is especially strong in the natural sciences. Due to high demand, it can be difficult to get into the lectures that satisfy pre-med requirements. GPA cutoffs also make it difficult to declare impacted majors. Even though this school increasingly places an emphasis on hard sciences, non-science majors continue to be generously funded. Among humanities majors, Classics and Music are two very strong programs. We recommend this school if you have an outstanding academic profile, a love of learning, and the thick skin required for navigating a larger university. If Berkeley is the reigning champion of the UC System, UCLA is its most viable challenger. This beautiful campus opens up spectacular internship opportunities to which few have access, particularly in the medical and film industries. This is also a major research university, with many opportunities to conduct research in the humanities as well as natural sciences. Students who are interested in pursuing research should check out their desired department to see what projects professors are leading currently. UCLA operates a vast number of teaching hospitals and research hospitals, including several on campus . This is a great pick for someone who knows they want to go into health care but still wants to explore different types of medicine before committing. We recommend this school if you have a strong academic profile, a desire to take advantage of living in LA, and the independence to thrive in a large university setting. Farther south we have UC San Diego (UCSD), which brings the best of work and play together in the scenic beachside city of San Diego . We cannot understate the value of this school’s location . It’s right beside the Pacific Ocean, and because it’s farther south than the South Bay or San Francisco, the water is warm enough When you sign up for our program, we carefully pair you with the perfect admissions specialist based on your current academic and extracurricular profile and the schools in which you’re interested. Your personal application specialist will help you with branding, essays, and interviews, and provide you with support and guidance in all other aspects of the application process.

Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Debate - Essay Example One of the hardest parts is to give the bad news to an employee who is not receiving an increment. In order to effectively deal with these managers should be taken through train by undertaking role-playing exercises to boost their communication skills. However, this can be dealt with by ensuring that the news does not surprise anyone in the company. This can only be achieved by making sure that that organization continually reminds the employees the rise will only be given based on performance and that it is not automatic to all employees. The managers should also frequently communicate the performance of the employees though out the year. In addition, employees need to understand the consequences if they do not perform as expected. This can be included in the employees’ handbook that they are not entitled to a merit increment if they do not meet the expectations. This sends a message that the organization is taking seriously everyone’s performance. Managers should be equipped with adequate skills to communicate to the employees the definition of what good performance is and what unacceptable performance is. They should be able to show the connection that exist between pay increment, performance, and how to deal with the tough questions that may arise from employees who do not receive salary increment. A manager can explore other alternatives in giving the increment. Some employees are promising. Instead of totally denying them the merit increment a manager may consider delaying it to give them a chance to turn around their performance. Another option is to offer lump sum payments in place of a base salary increment. This makes it appear like a bonus instead of a salary rise. it does not affect salary increment or hourly wages. It also stretch merit budgets while at the same time slowing salary growth this should however not be misused. Whether merits has lost its

European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

European Union Law - Essay Example The UK, having adopted the Directive, has remained silent on the issue of minimum wage while all other stipulations remain the same. Tom is an employee working as a nurse under a local organization by the name of Hoxon Council. Under his employment conditions, he is working an average of 50 hours per week after opting out of the 48 hours per week condition. His hourly wage is 6 pounds and he is entitled to 5 weeks annual paid leave. The overtime has led to deterioration in the health of Tom and even after filing a complaint with his superiors, he did not receive a positive response. This has led to certain implications for Tom which will be discussed within this paper. This paper would attempt to provide a solution for Tom with reference to the existing laws. Could Tom invoke the Directive against his employer? The Directive allows employees to file an appeal against the employer if the conditions of the Directive have not been met. This is done to aid the employees working within th e UK and to prevent too much power in the hands of the organizations (Hartley, 2007). Tom cannot invoke the Directive against the employer for the overtime that he is working. This is because he has willingly opted out of the 48 hour weekly limit by signing a contract with the organization. Since the Directive allows employees to willingly sign out of the agreement, it will not consider the issue of Tom working for 50 hours a week. But in the case of the minimum hourly wage, Tom can invoke the Directive against the employer. The European Union Law has more power over the national law in the case that lesser rights are provided to individuals. The same case is apparent in this issue. The Employee Rights Act as adopted by UK is silent on the issue of minimum wage. However, the Directive stipulates that the minimum hourly wage should not be less than 8 pounds. Tom is only being paid 6 pounds by his employer which is less than the minimum hourly wage. Thus Tom has the advantage of invok ing the Directive against the employee on the issue of the minimum hourly wage. Also in terms of the minimum annual paid leave, Tom can invoke the Directive against his employer. This is because right now he is getting 5 weeks annual paid leave according to the limit set by the Act but the Directive allows for 6 weeks annual paid leave. Here again the Directive has the power to forgo the Act and thus grant Tom 6 weeks annual paid leave. Since Tom is working overtime in order to make ends meet, the increase in hourly wage would positively impact his working conditions. He would not as a result suffer from the health conditions that he is suffering at this point of time. Would it be advisable for Tom to rely on the indirect effect of the Directive? The indirect effect of the Directive refers to the principle that national laws are under reinterpretation if they are inconsistent with the laws of the European Union. The indirect effect is thus a powerful tool that can be applied in orde r to bring about a change in the national laws to take into account the European Union Law. According to the ECJ ‘national courts are therefore under an obligation to interpret national legislation in accordance with the aims and purposes of the Directive’ (Owen, 2000). In this case, it would be advisable for Tom to rely on the indirect effect of the Directive. This is so because the indirect effect would allow him to file a valid case whereby the Employee Rights

Bridges of Amsterdam Essay Example for Free

Bridges of Amsterdam Essay Leonid Afremov is a modern impressionist. He uses bright colours and strong strokes but he does not use a brush he uses a pallet knife. He developed his unique style of painting over many years, being influenced by other artists on the way. Afremov says that Marc Chagall was his biggest influence with his earlier work. He has then moved away from surrealism and into impressionism. Leonid was born on the 12th of July 1955 in Vitebsk. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household. Leonid had a difficult upbringing as he had to care for his paralysed Grandmother. His family were unwanted by many people in their town as they spoke Yiddish and practiced many Jewish traditions despite the anti-Semitism law. Leonid was a good student in school. he was interested in history and art. He attended every possible art class the school offered and even got private lessons from local artists. I did not know anything about this artist but his painting caught my eye when I was searching for a painting to write about. I chose this painting because of the eye catching colours; I like the use of hot and cold colours and how parts of the painting blend while other parts don’t. The painting gives me a feeling of warmth and happiness I think this is because of the warm colours used and how bright they are this may also be because of the big bold strokes that are so obvious in the painting that make it just that little bit more unique than other artists. I think Leonid is trying to put across the message of happiness but it could also be a message of loneliness, if you look closely you will see that there is no one in the street and you can’t see anyone in the windows of the buildings. This painting is very interesting all together but one of the most interesting things about the painting is how Leonid made the lights on the bridge actually look like they are glowing the way he did this is by using different tones of yellow and orange to make a glow effect. Leonid uses many interesting techniques such as how the textures are realistic especially in the reflection of the river, and how the tree blends into the sky but you can tell exactly where the leaves of the tree come to the end of the climb towards the sky. He uses a wide variety of thick and thin lines which are very different to the lines that you would see if the painting had been painted with a brush. The composition of this painting is different to other painting as I feel that there is no real focal point, your eyes just wonder around the canvas looking for something new to catch. You could tell who’s painting this is as there are no other artists that use these bold trade mark strokes that are mostly used in the sky but you can see little bits of them used in the buildings and in the tree’s What makes this painting just a little bit more special is that even though you can tell it is night there is still light bright colours in the sky which gives us a feeling o f day but the way he has made the reflections in the river and the way the street lamps shine and the light in the windows of the building that is what gives us the feeling of night time. The very famous painting â€Å"Sunday afternoon on the island of the Grand-Jatte† by Georges Seurat is in some ways very similar to Leonid’s work but in other ways not similar at all. The technique George Seurat used to paint this piece is very unique as was Leonid’s also the shadows and reflections are similar as they are both quite discrete about them. There may be similarities within the work but they are very different as Georges uses a very fine brush and normal colours but Leonid uses a pallet knife and bold colours as well as more texture to his painting. Leonid’s early work was influenced by Marc Chagall who grew up in the same town as Leonid. Chagall was a surreal expressionist this comes to show how much Leonid has grown as an artist as he has experimented with many different styles and has grown to develop his own style of painting within the modern impressionistic way of painting. Many events in Leonid’s life may have affected the way he paints but he himself is positive that war was not one of them, Leonid moved to Israel as he found that he and his family couldn’t have a steady life in Russia anymore. Israel influenced him in many ways as he was an optimistic he found contributing the colours of the bright southern sun made his painting just that little bit more unique this is when he flourished as an artist the most in his career. The society was a big problem in Leonid’s time as it was not very welcoming with the Jewish faith, he found this was the biggest problem in Russia and that was also one of the reasons that he and his family had to move. Even though Leonid was born in Russia he didn’t feel like it was his home country. i think this affected his painting’s in a big way, if you look at the painting you will see that there is no one in the streets its deserted it gives a feeling of serenity as if he wants to be alone separated from something.

Funding a United States Space Program :: essays research papers

Funding a United States Space Program It is imperative that the United States government should put forth a better initiative regarding our flailing national space programs, and increase their budgets considerably, stressing modification on its goals, modification of its resources, and for overall further advancement of its scope and capability. The space program had been heralded for years as the pride, and future, of the United States. Its promise brought hope to a society plagued by fear and competition, and has since been both the impetus for both immense technological competition, and then conversely, a symbol of cooperation between two diametrically opposed cultures. It brought numerous breakthroughs in medicine, materials science, engineering, and defense—over 30,000 advancements to date, including MRIs and CAT scans for detecting cancers and other health threats. Why does our government choose to slowly phase out the life of an entity that has only but added years to our own? The space program is an import ant part of our existence as Americans, and as world citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The space program needs the appropriate funding for modification for fundamental purposes. The program has worked with the same prototype rocket for almost 50 years. New breakthroughs have emerged in planning and research; however the program does not have the means to go about implementing new ideas. With advancements created through space science research, such findings could create better means of travel on Earth. Also, space exploration gave us the first stark warnings of a world damaged by our endangerment of the environment, and it could further nurture the repair of our planet by allowing us to find better ways of utilizing our resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Space travel and exploration is needed for social purposes. Just as Russians and Americans, and now the Chinese, are able to put aside differences to embark on the ultimate human pioneering experience, so it is needed for the sake of unifying humanity through example. Someday, everyone in the world, even those not as privileged as the aforementioned societies, will be touched by the immense advancements space research has made, if they haven’t been touched already. Since we do not truly know what can be ‘out there’ awaiting us, both living and nonliving, it is important that we are prepared as a race to face them, in case a need or emergency arises in which we are forced to. Space travel concentrates on an investment in the betterment of humanity as a whole, and by so doing, it presents to the world the idea of our maturity as a race.

Case Study on Early Childhood Essay

This study will provide an understanding of a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood is a time of remarkable physical, cognitive, social, as well as emotional development. Infants enter the world with a limited range of skills and abilities. Watching a child develop new motor, cognitive, language and social skills is a source of wonders for parents and caregivers. The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal experience with development, but it is sometimes difficult to understand exactly how and why people grow, learn, and change. What happens or doesn’t happen to children in the earliest years of their lives is of critical importance, both to their immediate well-being and to their future. If you received the best start in your earliest years of life, you are more likely to have grown healthy, developed language and learning capacities, or gone to school and led a productive, rewarding life. Let’s take a closer look at early childhood development including the well-being of potential influences around the child. Five year old Madison, a cheerful and clever girl, is one of the most active children I have ever met. She is a member of gymnastics, dancing, and little league softball team. Weighing about thirty five pounds and very lean, she has the energy times three of one child. To determine Madison’s maturity of her motor skill development, I created a test for both her gross motor skills and fine motor skills. To test her development of her gross motor skills, I told her to run up and down the driveway of her yard, which was about 9 feet in length, until she was tired. Madison only ran this length four times before giving up. I determined that her gross motor skills were above average because of her speed, pace, and length of running. To test her fine motor skills, I gave her one sheet of wide ruled paper and told her to copy each sentence: â€Å"My name is Madison. I am five years old. I like to play ball. † Madison showed that she could write these sentences neatly and accurately. I tested her again on her fine motor skills by testing her strength. I rolled a soccer ball to her five times and she kicked it back to me three of those five times. She showed that her strength was average as well. I also asked her parent a series of questions about her physical development: What was Madison’s appetite on a daily basis? What is her energy level before and after school? What is the pattern of her physical growth? Her parent stated that her appetite was normal and that she ate three full meals a day including snacks in between these meals. She then stated that before school her energy level is low being that most children do not like to be woken early in the morning. After school her energy level is fair because she has been active for more than seven hours and attends practice after school. Her parent also explained that Madison’s weight gain is steady but she has gotten taller by two inches. I determined that Madison’s physical development is excellent and well above average of children her age. Not only a period of amazing physical development, early childhood is also a time of extraordinary mental development. Cognitive development combined with memory and thinking continues to emerge throughout childhood. It would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of Piaget when it comes to childhood cognitive development. According to Piaget’s theory, Madison is automatically in the preoperational stage. During this stage, children do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information, and are unable to take the point of view of other people. I asked Madison does she like to read and she answered â€Å"yes. † I also asked her does she like to learn and she said â€Å"yes. † To test her cognitive skills, I tested her by giving her a paper with a picture of three balls on it. I told her to circle the biggest one, put a square around the smallest one, and underline the medium size one. She correctly circled the biggest one which was in the middle, followed by the smallest one on the right and the medium one on the left. I gave the same test but with different pictures and in a different order. She missed this question because she assumed that the biggest bear was in the middle because of the first test she took. She failed to understand the perception of size because she focused on what she saw before not noticing the change of appearance. This showed that she used static reasoning believing that the world is unchanging. I asked Madison how many fingers she had and she counted ten. I then raised only four of my fingers on one hand and three on the other. I asked her how many did I have on my and and she stated seven but then told me I was hiding more. As you can see I could not pull a trick on Madison with this test. In children, there is perhaps nothing more amazing than the emergence of language. Early childhood is a sensitive period for language learning. I asked her parent does Madison easily learn words. She stated that Madison learns words everyday and often repeat words that she might have said to other people and to her as well. To test Madison on her social development, I sat a phone, a bottle of water, and a book on a table. I asked her what was the first object and why do we use it. She correctly answered the question saying that the phone was used to call people. Second, she could not tell me what the container was (bottle) but she did say it was water. Last, she correctly stated that the book was used to read about things. I asked her does she play with other kids and she said yes. I then asked her did she have friends and she named two friends. Her parent also stated that Madison talks about her friend all the time and has gotten into trouble for talking too much at school. It shows that Madison is a very sociable child and she will more than likely be successful in anything that she does.

Marketing Mix of Amazon Essay

One of the most difficult tasks for an organization is creating an all-around environment that allows a group of customers to feel comfortable purchasing a specific product or service from them. This strategy requires the organization to determine the ideal product or service at the right price, getting sold in the correct location, within the proper time frame. This paper intends to describe how Amazon. com uses the marketing mix to ensure an ideal environment for consumers, and displays how each of these sections are implemented. Amazon was founded in 1994 and is considered the largest e-commerce retailer in America. In 20 years this organization has become a fortune 500 company that has dominated the e-commerce market and displayed unique growth and understanding of the market and client needs. Although Amazon is a very successful organization, they experience many threats from competitors, market fluctuations, and basic uncertainties within the market. However, the firm intends to handle these issues by looking toward their future and addressing the initiatives and long-term goals of the organization. Understanding and controlling the variables in the marketing mix allows this organization to overcome many of these objectives so they may be successful in their future. The marketing mix has four basic areas also known as the four P’s that consist of the; product, place, promotion, and price. These four areas can be researched, evaluated, and controlled to the point of creating that ideal environment for the consumer because this effort is done to target the customer. The Product Variable The product section of the marketing mix helps the organization determine what customers want out of the product or service being offered and what specific needs of these customers will be satisfied. Other areas will be addressed such as, how this product is different from competitors, how the customers will use the product, the price rang customers would be willing to spend on the product, the color size or specific features offered, and what the product looks like. Amazon is unique in the products they offer to the public because it is so broad of a category. They provide their customers with the ability to choice from a wide variety of products, brand names, and designs. Amazon can be looked at as a one stop website because it allows the customer to compare all the statistics or features of a product with others that are offered. The Place Variable The place section of the marketing mix will help the organization determine how customers will access the products or services from the company, or understand where they initially will look. Knowing where customers will look gives the company the advantage of choosing the proper distribution channels, and staying ahead or on par with competitors with their advertising methods. The location to find the products and services Amazon offers is online, or at the convenience and comfort of the consumers home, office, coffee shop, library or any other location you can access the Internet from. All of the information on Amazons website is categorized by group, brand, features, color, and other selections, depending on the category that is being searched. Merchandise is ordered online and then shipped to the customers chosen location, normally their home or business. Many of Amazons customers are small business owners so this set up is ideal for these individuals because there is less shopping around to do, and the merchandise can be sent to them directly. However, a disadvantage of developing just an online e-store is that customers cannot view items or products in person that may be necessary for specific things such as clothes, makeup or furniture. Also consumers may not want to wait for an item to be shipped to them, they may need to get a product immediately and at that point customers will have to go to Amazon’s competitors.

Privacy and Safety essays

Privacy and Safety essays We live in a large ordered society with millions of people. Privacy is essential for quality of life, but the security and order of society requires certain degree of government monitoring. So how much privacy we should give up to ensure our safety and being part of the society? Where do we draw the line? For example, FBIs National Crime Information Center (NCIC) was established to help law-enforcement agencies around the country by sharing information such as criminal records [1]. It contains records of more than twenty million people. On the upside, it helps the police to catch criminals especially the ones traveling in between states. But on the other hand, the abuse and lack of control of the data, which is extremely private information, presents a huge threat to the personal privacy. The intention of creating such a database was good that it helps the government to punish the criminals and lower the crime rate to provide a better and safer society for us. With such a detailed database, it provides more information to help police to narrow down the suspects in a particular region and to track down fugitives that escape to a different state. It is undisputable that providing a safer environment for the citizens is one of the fundamental tasks of a government. The use of such a database makes it easier to catch the criminals, and therefore helps to provide a more desirable living environment. But in return, we give up the right to privacy to certain degree. The records in the database are private information, like criminal or credit records. Because of lack of laws to regulate the Internet database and the easy access from the government agencies, abuse and misuse of the database is unavoidable. According to the law, compilation does not qualify for copyright protection unless information is selected, coordinated or arranged in an original manner. Thus, non-original, noncreative databases (such as an alphabeti...

Warfarin Vs dabigatran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Warfarin Vs dabigatran - Essay Example Any discrepancy in diet mediated intensity of vitamin K, directly influences the efficacy and dose dependency of Warfarin for the patient. It is essential to determine appropriate therapeutic dosages on individual basis by means of standardized clotting test (international normalized ratio [INR]). Although, Warfarin potentially diminishes the risk of stroke in AF patients by ~ 68%, patient compliance with treatment (time in therapeutic range [TTR]) is a noteworthy predicament because of the essential periodic supervision of dose efficacy and the risk of major bleeding events (Ezekowitz, 2007). On the contrary, Dabigatran does not entail labor and time intensive monitoring and therefore expected to provide enhanced patient compliance over Warfarin. Atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic and generally not life-threatening. It augments the risk of stroke as well as systemic embolisms as the upper chambers of the heart begin to beat irregularly, impairing the efficiency of blood flow. Sympt oms found to be associated encompass rapid heart rate, palpitation, shortness of breath, dizziness, faint or fatigue. Reduced flow of blood results in blood pooling in the heart chambers which may culminate into clot formation. When such clots enter the brain it results in stroke, it is therefore essential for physicians to prescribe anticoagulants to prevent formation of clots. The prevalence of AF in the United States display augmentation from 10% for individuals above 80 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2003). Deaths associated to AF affect 1 in 4000 cases per year, of these, 84% cases are reported to be above 75. Warfarin was drug of choice for past decades as an effective oral anticoagulant to prevent and treat thromboembolism. Over the years researchers were constantly trying to relieve patients from troubles related to diet and drug interactions. Three randomized, controlled trials are available on the safety and efficacy of Dabigatran, they are summarized b elow- Atrial fibrillation patients frequently suffer from coronary artery disease, which is the focus of a Dabigatran phase II clinical trial, to establish its safety in combination with aspirin (Ezekowitz et al., 2007). Three Dabigatran doses (50, 150, and 300 mg) were administered twice daily to patients for 12 weeks, unaided or in combination with 81 or 325 mg aspirin, thereby generating nine experimental groups. The patients treated with Warfarin (INR = 2.0-3.0) were used as a control. The primary outcome of concern was bleeding events encompassing major (6% increase, p < 0.02) or all sorts of bleeding events (26% increase, p = 0.0003), that was reported in patients treated with 300 mg Dabigatran twice a day along with aspirin. On the other hand, 50 mg Dabigatran was less likely to cause bleeding as compared to other conditions (15% increase vs. 300 mg p = 0.0002; 11% increase vs. 150 mg p = 0.01; 11% increase vs. Warfarin, p = 0.044). On the contrary, two embolisms reported in the study were from the cases taking 50 mg Dabigatran twice daily, unaided or accompanied by 81 mg aspirin. On the other hand result indicates that 50 mg Dabigatran, with or without 81 mg aspirin, does not accomplish successful shielding against stroke or systemic embolisms. This possibility was sustained by finding

Media influence on human papilloma virus (HPV) and vaccines Research Paper

Media influence on human papilloma virus (HPV) and vaccines - Research Paper Example It can lead to cancer infection if the patient has stayed with the virus for a long time (Clifford, Rana, Franceschi, Smith, Gough & Pimenta, 2005). Active men and women can be infected with this virus in their lifetime. Media influence on human papilloma virus (HPV) and vaccines Bennett et al (2012) conducted a study on 143 college age women concerning their intentions to obtain the HPV vaccine. Participants were given a questionnaire, and the predictors showed positive attitudes towards the vaccine. The results indicated that personal beliefs were on the vaccine varied and that people who networked through social media increased their chances of getting vaccinated. This shows that women were able to share on vaccination through their social media networking which had an influence on the intentions on vaccination. Through the media, people are able to get informed and enlightened. They acquire information which may be relevant to their day to day life (Bennett et al 2012). Newspaper s, television, and the Internet have enabled human beings to connect to each other. The world has become a small village since people can connect and share ideas and concerns. It is on this point, which the study revealed that college age women relate with each other through the social media. Human beings have the ability to share and open up to their loved ones. This may be relatives or friends. Such discussions had a significant influence on the aspect of having intentions for HPV vaccination. Women are associated with beauty of their skin and cannot be comfortable with slumps on their bodies (Jamison, Kaplan, Hamman, Eagar, Beach & Douglas, 1995). This shows that such college women, who may be at the prime of their beauty, will develop positive intentions towards this vaccination. Betsch et al (2012) has contributed on this subject of media influence. They indicate that a significant number of people access the Internet. Such people use the Internet to acquire information regardi ng their health. The health information may include vaccines. People interact and share information that may promote vaccination intentions. They use the Internet to communicate theories of effective vaccination. It indicates that media has become a source of information in regard to vaccination. The study reflected that some people become skeptical on the efficiency of vaccine preventable diseases such as HPV. People become worried as a result of the side effects that may come with this activity. Individuals need to be healthy so as to propagate the economy. According to Betsch et al (2012), situations where one is not well informed, the personality may keep off from vaccination. However, the study suggests that such individuals can get their solutions from the Internet. This information may influence their perspective on vaccination from negative to positive. The Internet has some anti-vaccination information which may affect users negatively (Jenkins & Wold, 2012). Therefore, the public health communicators should provide effective information, which would facilitate customized communication. This can help users to access the public health communication websites in an easier way. Useful information enables one to make a rightful decision in regard to vaccination (Palefsky, Gillison & Strickler, 2006). This illustrates that lack of information can have an influence on the choices that