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Monday, September 30, 2019

Police deviance Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Policing has a great potential for abusive conduct where police officers become perpetrators of various crimes. Aside from the exposure to the world of crime there is the inherent police culture which is generally susceptible to corruption. Police misconduct ranges from â€Å"the excessive use of deadly force, excessive use of physical force, discriminatory patterns of arrest patterns of harassment among the marginalized sectors of society which include the aggressive and discriminatory use of the ‘stop and frisk’ and overly harsh enforcement of petty offenses, overreaction to gang problems, lack of accountability including failure to discipline or prosecute abusive officers, or deter abuse by denying promotions and/or particular assignments of prior abusive behavior and a host of other potential abuses† (ACLU 1991). With this theme this paper succinctly captures and elaborates on specific police officer misconduct such as the occurrence of falsif ication of evidences by police officers for the use in trials. ~Nature of Police work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Law enforcement is a highly visible kind of work and the benefits, challenges and potential problems are immense yet appear typically predictable. Films and television people make sure that stuffs like detective stories, sitcoms with punch lines that depict familiar police caricatures and the like keep law enforcement on the frontlines. Not that it needs to be advertised; police work hugs the headlines because their tasks are unavoidably sensational.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Policing is said to be characterized as an occupation with â€Å"hours of boredom followed by minutes of sheer terror† (â€Å"Police Culture and behavior†).   What is it like to be a police officer? What are the qualifications that this specific government agency requires from their potential recruits? Who can get in and stay as assets not only to the workplace or agency but also to the immediate community which is what police work actually entails? This paper attempts to describe and explain in prà ©cis the personality traits and other pertinent information concerning this important worker of every community. It seeks to answer the preceding questions and attempts to present a profile of what every law enforcement agency hopes to hire from among the applicants or attract from the general public. Discussion ~†Ideal Police personality†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a study, the results reveal that confirms a clear personality profile with police possessing traits as â€Å"authoritarianism, suspicion, racism, hostility, insecurity, conservatism, and cynicism† (www.cameron.edu).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the common thread that exists among the profiles of police, the demands that society impinges on policing style have started to effect on the qualifications expected to emerge from successful candidates. These days the police ought to display such qualities as â€Å"incorruptible, well-adjusted, people-oriented, free of emotional reactions, and logical† (Lefkowitz, n.d.). In addition, literature indicates that an undesirable temperament in policing is introversion with dominance and leadership topping the desirable ones. Women officers are expected to exhibit more assertiveness especially that suspects usually do not respect female cops (Calderon, 2005). Given the culture unique to the workforce, police tasks are not only routinary and yet demand an all-around ability from the person; these are also in most cases stressful. Police suicides have even risen for a variety of reasons. Many are involved in risky assignments while some settle for the more mundane desk job which rarely sees action. The public have mixed perception with the job but many are still drawn to become law enforcement’s recruits. ~Use of false evidences in trials and the police officer’s code of ethics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a set of code of ethics for every kind of profession which serves as a guide that the police man adheres to in the course of his year spent in policing. It serves as a standard to the individual whose opportunities for corruption and misconduct are potentially aplenty. Adherence to the code of ethics is required more from those exercising such authority since the kind of work these people do hinges on their moral fiber. In cases involving the false evidences for use in trials, obviously, the fundamental right of the suspect has been infringed upon regardless of the fact that the individual in question has had several records of criminal activities or not (ACLU, 1991). The rationale for most officers engaging with this kind of dirty work is their justifiable reason that for so long the criminal had been followed and is known to do the kind of work he did; that it’s high time the suspect be finally imprisoned. When there are no vital evidences linking the suspect to the criminal activity, police officers are tempted to plant and/or provide evidence. This has been an age-old problem and keeps recurring within the judicial system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are dire consequences concerning this specific act of planting false evidences against arrestees. To the police officer, the individual tends to develop or acquire the propensity to increase and grab the opportunities for misconduct or abuses. The lines between evil and good intentions become increasingly blurred for the individual, thus enabling the person/police officer to be less accountable with his misdeeds or actions (ACLU, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, the reforms that had been in place for the police force to lessen or reduce these abuses are somehow adequate but monitoring by citizens, the media and those in government   are better restraints to curb any further occurrences of similar cases of misconduct.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To act in an unethical manner such as the acts already becoming natural for police officers to do reduces and eliminates trust. When a police officer is initiated into policing, he begins with the public â€Å"swear in† which is done by a more superior officer before some number of audience (Kelly, 2003). When this occurs, the solemn ceremony signifies that the public entrusts to the sworn in public servant the duty to choose right over wrong, i.e., an individual cop with all the opportunities before him will not use these instances for his own gain or that of another except for the purposes that he was employed for in the first place. Erosion of trust is not simply a small thing; it is the violation of that basic faith and trust which was expected from the man in uniform. Works cited: Lefkowitz, J. (n.d.). The Police and the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved March 12, 2008, from: http://uwf.edu/swright/Spring%202005/ch%206%20Police%20and%20the%20Criminal%20Justice%20System%20-%203up.pdf Strack, Lorr M.1994. Personality profile of police candidates. Journal of Clinical Psychology; 50(2):200-7. www.pubmed.gov. Kelly, Sean F. Internal affairs: issues for small police departments FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, The,   July, 2003   Retrieved March 17, 2008 http://www.cameron.edu/~harrison/chapter6ile.ppt http://www.post.ca.gov/jobops/062707-062708c-stockton.pdf      

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Minoan and Mycenean Cultures

In comparing the cultures of the Minoans and the Myceneans, it is best to identify first where they live. The Minoans are inhabitants of the islands off the Aegean Sea such as Crete and Santorini. Perhaps the greatest treasure they have ever made was the palace of Knossos which they covered with frescoes which are wet but surprisingly detailed. The frescoes depict the way of life of the Minoans which was mainly dependent and influenced by the sea. The paintings consists mainly of sea creatures such as dolphins, sea birds, fishermen with sizeable catches and women wearing beautiful dresses and pearl necklaces which were probably harvested from the sea. The Myceneans on the other hand lived Tiryns, a mountain-guarded city. They prefer war to arts since they are a nation of warriors. They built high hallways to defend their city from possible attacks of other people. Their way of life is shown in the different drawings, embroideries and decorations on vases, gold cups, daggers and other weapons. The Myceneans were a powerful people who liked to fight but traded with other people for materials that are not indigenous to their locality. They traded with the Egyptians for gold and like the latter; they created death masks of their dead rulers. The Minoans and the Myceneans, while differing in a lot of aspects, were alike in the sense that their cities are heavily defended. One is surrounded by the seas while the other by mountains. This fondness for fortifications must have been brought about by experiences and incidents of attacks coming from barbarians and pirates who might want to take the treasures and gold of these people. Both cultures, too, have high regard for their kings and rulers.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Project Management Email Individual Paper Essay

With the available information from the previous email regarding the projects of Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer, I feel it is in the company’s best interest to go with the Palomino project moving forward. The reason for not selecting the other two options is because Juniper carries too low of a risk for completion. Stargazer is not worth the high risk of completion and the unfamiliarity of how the final product will be with the customer. The method applied for making this decision was by utilizing the feasibility study. The main purpose of this is because using this project would have to make sense to the company as a whole. Answering all of the questions on Return On Investment (ROI), length of project, risk and overall benefit to Piper Industries. Using the feasibility study for the Juniper and Stargazer projects, it was a basic understanding that previously mentioned material would not be present as with the Palomino model. There are five different phases in project management that involve the  Palomino project and those are (Jacobs & Chase 2011): †¢Project conception and initiation: The main focus of this phase is to ensure the project being presented is realistic and will benefit the company. †¢Project definition and planning: The scope of the project will need an outline so the work which needs to be performed is available. Prioritizing, budgets and timelines are in this phase as well. †¢Project launch or execution: Tasks are assigned and each team is made aware of their responsibilities. †¢Project performance and control: The status and progress will be checked against the actual plan to ensure everything is running smoothly. The project manager will make adjustments as need to keep the original project on target. †¢Project close: Once all tasks are complete and the customer is content with the final product, a lesson learn plan will need to be established†¦ Content: Project Management Recommendation Name: Institution: Date: Dear Ray I duly received your email and we reviewed the three projects with my team. After critical analysis the board felt that the second project on your email (Palomino) was the best project for investment. The risk for completion is average; therefore, it does not put the company at a high risk of losing Dear Mr. Gritsch, Our team wants to thank Piper Industries Corporate vice-president, Wendell Deirelein, for choosing our team to analyze the projects. In the attached document you will find our analysis and recommendation of the Project Proposal that benefits your company. Thank you, Project Manager Project Management Recommendation Project to be Implemented Piper Industries needs a completed project and for it to be generating review within 12 month’s of the Project Management Office’s (PMO) review (University of Phoenix, 2012). The project that fits the company’s  requirements is the Stargazer project. The Stargazer project is efficient and the expectation of the project being completed on time is high. The research and development has already started on the widgets (University of Phoenix, 2012). According to the project descriptions, $450,000 has been spent on the product and they average a total of $575,000 being spent in order to bring the product to the market (University of Phoenix, 2012). Even though the dollar amount spent in this project is high, the return on investment for this project is high; by the third year the product is forecasted to have a return of investments of $750,000 (University of Phoenix, 2012). The product life of this project is forecasted to be 7 years (University of Phoenix, 2012). This product is still not being used, meaning Piper Industries will be the first company to launch the product to the market. By bringing such an innovative product into the marketplace, it can make Piper Industries the leader in the industry (University of Phoenix, 2012). Five Phases According to Stricker (2013), â€Å"Whether a project is large or small, the stages of a project are ultimately the same. Initiate the project, and then move into planning, followed by execution†¦. Project Management Recommendation Piper Industries Corp. wants to make a decision on the appropriate project to invest in based on three recommendations. First, Juniper is an enhancement of a current widget being offered by the company, while Palomino is a new line of widget products including enhancements using existing technology, and Stargazer is a production of completely new widgets, which research and development have already started on. The company assigned our team to analyze the three projects and make recommendations on which project the company should invest in. The recommendation must include our description of the five phases of the project and the key deliverables (project completion date and cost) for each project (University of Phoenix, 2013). The Project Recommendation Based on the break-even analysis for the Juniper project it basically shows the company will not, or barely break-even, during the life cycle of the production of these widgets due to technology advancements causing this product line to become obsolete after three years? It has a cost of $325,000 and Return on Investment only producing $250,000 for the two to three years of production with the third year being the end of life for this product. If the company chooses the Palomino project it will also have a hard time breaking-even and producing revenue streams over the life-time of the production with a 5% margin of error with the seventh year being the end of life for the product. The strength of the economy plays a large determining factor in this forecast due to 5% differential in the life cycle of this product. Palomino will cost $655,000 with the Return of Investment being $450,000 over a five year period with that 5%, plus or minus, margin of error. Profit would then start to be recognized in the sixth and seventh year of the life cy†¦ Thank you for choosing our team to analyze the three projects your company has proposed. After meeting with my team and analyzing the data of the three projects, we have to come to an agreement that the project your company should invest in is the Juniper project. Since your company is currently somewhat familiar with the product involved in this project, it will be more efficient and cost effective to continue the enhancement of this product. There are five phases of the project that must take place in order for the project to be a success. The first phase is the planning phase which includes a product approval and launch of the actual product development process. This also includes a mission statement that includes the target market of the product, business goals, key assumptions and constraints. The second phase is concept development. This phase is focused more on the needs of the target market, alternative product concepts which will need further testing and development. The concept is key in this phase because it describes the form, function and features of the product that are accompanied by a set of specifications and an economic justification for the project (Jacobs, pg. 74). The third phase is design detail which entails the specific parts of the product and all standard parts that are needed  from the supplier. This process also includes drawings and computer files that describe the geometry of each tool, purchased parts and process plans. The fourth phase is testing and refinement. This phase is includes construction and evaluation of multiple versions of the preproduction of the product. This is the time when we would be prototypes in order to determine if the product satisfies customer needs. The final phase is the production ramp-up. The product is made of intended production system. The purpose of the ramp-up is to get the workforce trained and to work out a remaining issues that may arise during the process such as†¦ Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research & Development of a new product, market leader, project recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has Reference Jacobs, F. R. & Chase, R. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management (13th ed.) Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Argument Paper - President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Essay

Argument Paper - President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize - Essay Example The news media has variously spoken in favor of the prize and against it, and ordinary citizens are equally divided. There is little question, however: Barack Obama does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize, as Alfred Nobel envisioned it, is awarded to â€Å"champions of peace† who genuinely contribute to bringing peace to the world (â€Å"A fitting prize† para. 6). During his acceptance speech, Obama commented, â€Å"Throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes† (Schneider para. 7). In other words, Obama himself is apologizing to those who do not think he deserves the prize, saying that he has momentum even if it appears he’s not going anywhere. This is a gracious way to accept this prestigious prize, but might indicate that Obama himself is questioning the motivations of the Nobel Committee, just as detractors have in the press and on the news. One of these detractors has even gone so far as to state, â€Å"Anyone saying the Peace Prize Committee does not have a political agenda needs to consider the timing and nature of these choices more carefully† (Reid-Henry para. 2). The Prize committee’s timing was cut a little close: the nomination was made two weeks after Obama’s inauguration. Not only had Obama had no time to accomplish any of his lofty goals at the time of the award, he had barely put his toothbrush in the White House medicine cabinet at the time of his nomination. As a political slap in the face to the previous administration, the Nobel Committee’s message could not be more clear. The committee is indeed investing its â€Å"extraordinary faith, a belief even, in the powers of politicians to lead and to thereby solve the ills of the world† (Reid-Henry para. 7). The Peace Prize Committee may believe that

Thursday, September 26, 2019

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING - Assignment Example According to wired magazine, craigslist is the currently â€Å"most popular dating site†, job searching site, apartment hunting site and selling site despite its weird business model. Craigslist does not entertain innovation, and has very few workers. However, craigslist has remained a performer in the market due to. Reaching customers: this refers to the process of using communication channels to reach the customers of a product with an aim of generating a market. Entry into a new market is very easy. This happens through the company’s ability to draw a chain of people. When the network enters into a given region and obtains a few clients, other people soon find it necessary. Product differentiation: this is the process of developing unique strategies for product positioning that spotlight the product’s true value in the market. A company needs a clear understanding of its competitors and should clearly differentiate its product from those of the competitors. Craigslist is clearly known for its dating services, job hunting among others and therefore attract so many people in those areas. Pricing: this is the determination of the amount of money that a company will charge for its product or service. This starts by an evaluation of the value customer attach on a product, consideration of production cost, consideration of competition landscape and finally determination of price. This has been the strongest point of craigslist model i.e. offering very low prices that attract and keep the customers (Osterwalder 270). Selling: this involves the actual persuading and convincing a customer to buy a product. This calls for a precise understanding of what is required to close a business deal, and subsequent organization of a sales force. Craigslist does not stock items that it deals with but rather performs the deals as an intermediary. Delivery /distribution: this is the process of transporting goods from the business premises to the

Soft Systems Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Soft Systems Methodology - Essay Example This action research-based, interpretive approach is strongly influenced by Vickers' (1968, pp.59,176) description of the importance of appreciative systems in dealing with human complexity. Checkland (1981), and Checkland and Scholes (1990) have attempted to transform these ideas from systems theory into a practical methodology that is called Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Soft Systems Methodology developed by Professor Peter Checkland is a way of dealing with problem situations in which there is a high social, political and human activity component. (Checkland, 1981) This distinguishes SSM from other methodologies that deal with hard problems which are more technologically oriented. Thus, SSM can be a useful research tool for understanding problematic ELT situations. (Holliday, 1990) Hard problems are problems characterized by the fact that they can be well defined. The assumption is that there is a definite solution and we can define a number of specific goals that must be accomplished. Soft problems, on the other hand, are difficult to define.When we think of soft problems, we don't think of problems but of problem situations. It is the classic situation of it not being a "problem" but an "opportunity". Soft Systems methodology was developed for the express purpose of dealing with problems of this type.His "Soft Systems Methodology" was created through a number of research projects in industry and its application and refinement over a number of years. A leading SSM specialist in Japan, suggests that SSM can be a useful research tool in the educational context, and argues that it can be applied to any messy, problematic human situation that requires decision-making aimed at improvement (Kijima, 1999) The most important feature of this analysis of data, informat ion and knowledge is that the act of creating information is a human act, not one which a machine can accomplish. It is the human being who can attribute meaning to the selected data. (Checkland, Holwell, 1998)SSM is divided into seven distinct stages. These are; 1. Finding out about the problem situation. This is basic research into the problem area. Who are the key players How does the process work now etc. 2. Expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures. As with any type of diagram, more knowledge can be communicated visually. A picture is worth a 1000 words. 3. Selecting how to view the situation and producing root definitions. From what different perspectives can we look at this problem situation. 4. Building conceptual models of what the system must do for each root definitions. You have basic "Whats" from the root definitions. Now begin to define "Hows". 5. Comparison of the conceptual models with the real world. Compare the results from steps 4 and 2 and see where they differ and are similar. 6. Identify feasible and desirable changes. Are there ways of improving the situation. 7. Recommendations for taking action to improve the problem situation. How would you implement the changes from step 6. Step 1: Problem situation unstructured The initial stage consists simply of managers and/or employees (problem owner) deciding that a review or change of tasks and the way they are performed is required, and an analyst (problem solver) is called in to review and provide recommendations. Step 2: Problem situation expressed Step 1 is basically that people of the organization think there

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Hands of Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Hands of Poverty - Essay Example While it is true that the economy has improved the lives of many people, poverty still exists. Many networks attempts to provide the basic needs of the poor – clothing, food, shelter – but the number of people who needs assistance is still higher compared to those who are being serviced. This paper critically analyzes the essay written by Jane Addams entitled â€Å"The Hands of Poverty†. Written in 1910, during the height of industrialization, the essay provides valuable insights on the lamentable situation of many citizens of East London. In this essay, Addams talks about her first experience in East London when she became eyewitness to the poverty afflicting Londoners. Here, she describes how everyone had to fend for themselves: how the â€Å"submerged tenth† (Addams 258) were forced to eat decaying fruits and vegetables while auctioneers had to endure the suffering of their countrymen in order to bring food to their own tables. Addams is making a point about how poverty serves to diminish humanity, because it makes people act more like animals than men. Addams’ essay had a referential purpose. Written objectively, Addams talks about the two faces of East London, one which is seen by tourists like herself, and the other one which is experienced by the city’s residents. ... The secondary purpose for this essay was expressive. The writer hoped to show how much the scene has affected her. Perhaps, it was also a way for her to explain why she did what she did in later life. Addams went on to become a social activist (Knight) and has often referred back to this experience in her other works (Bettis). Addams went on to describe her experience in the city and how it created an impact on her life. Her use of first person pronouns made the essay more personal. This essay was also used an evaluation pattern. She related her own judgement of the scene she wrote about. Though she did not explicitly say that she â€Å"hated† what she saw, she used words like â€Å"wretchedness of East London† to depict her disdain at the scene unfolding before her. This pattern combined with the secondary pattern described below gave information to the reader, and at the same time allowed the reader to experience the same emotions and convictions as the writer. Moreov er, the essay also had descriptive pattern because of her choices for words she used the word â€Å"clamoring† to describe how these bidders were shouting just to get their hands on a cheap piece of vegetable or fruit which is the only thing they could purchase with the money they had. To show how hungry these people were she described a winner of a bid who â€Å"tore [the cabbage] with his teeth, and hastily devoured it, unwashed and uncooked† (Addams 257). Addams used strong words to describe the scene, and in effect, she transported the reader to the same instant that she witnessed, giving the reader the same feeling of contempt for the prevailing system of poverty and hunger. In the latter part of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Response 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Response 3 - Essay Example Bernice didn’t care that no one approved of her choice, or that it tore her family apart; she just wanted to achieve her goal of flying as a woman in the Air Force service. I also admired Jeff, though, because, as mentioned above, he had a lot of heroic qualities. Also, I used to be a painter, so I related to this aspect of the character, and also, I used to like to read adventure books and comics that had the same sort of subplot as Jeff’s. After the commencement of extermination of the Jews by the Nazis, there were many responses to Nazi persecution by the Jews in various forms both collective and individual. There were factors that encouraged both rebellion and the inhibition of rebellion and resistance. For example, in a Jewish ghetto, often resistance would be held back by community leaders because of the fear that any Jews caught gathering weapons or planning escape would bring down punishment on the whole community. This was not outlandish thinking, either, because this is exactly how the Nazis meted out justice for individuals: against the whole community. On the other hand, there were organized rebellions and resistance, bolstered by internal support as well as a reaction to external reasons. This is why I think it is important to focus on characters like Jeff, who were very active and heroic in resistance. One thing that may have hindered Jewish resistance during this time was that there was the problem that Jews who did fight back or escape often faced an ambivalent setting in other nations. After the early twentieth century, and arguably long before this as well, the climate in Europe was changing towards a status quo which was turbulent, to say the least, towards those of the Jewish faith: â€Å"at the end of World War I†¦ groups blamed the Jews for the social disruption, political instability, and economic crises that ensued† (Leventhal 2008) At this time, around 1934, the Nazis also began to persecute Jews. Laws were passed

Monday, September 23, 2019

Writing and Researching Skills Self-Assessment Essay - 3

Writing and Researching Skills Self-Assessment - Essay Example In this regard, the aim of the writing and researching skills assessment is to proffer pertinent details that one has learned about oneself in terms of the skills developed for writing and research through the completion of these activities. The course has given one ample opportunities to write three-page articles and the required research paper where pages ranged between eight to ten pages. At the onset, the number of pages to be written seemed to be an ominous task. As one received appropriate instructions on the writing techniques and guidelines for effective writing, confidence is slowly developed. The skills in selecting an appropriate topic for discussion, choosing the most effective authoritative references, and developing a cohesive paper were progressively honed. Due to the need for regular proofreading and reviewing the written drafts, one likewise developed proofreading skills and the chance to enhanced one’s vocabulary. There was recognition for the need to use synonyms and expand comprehensive abilities through searching on meanings of unfamiliar terms that were encountered in secondary sources. Further, there was emphasis on adhering to literary form and structure through the observance of grammatic al rules and tips for effective essay writing. One developed the skills in research through discerning authoritative and academic sources of information and the need to acknowledge other research through proper citation and referencing. Also, given the magnanimity of information available from diverse sources, one was able to discern which references to use and which ones would be most beneficial for the identified research study. The skills of introspection were thereby aptly developed through the writing and research experiences throughout the course. Despite the number of articles and research paper written, one strongly believes that there is still a need to further develop both skills

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Cradle to Cradle Essay Example for Free

Cradle to Cradle Essay The ? rst key aspect of Cradle to Cradle ® in education is to move away from teaching children to feel guilty. We have faced a long period of all kinds of environmental disasters which has created a feeling that it would be better if we were not here. This is why people talk about minimising footprints. For education, however, that’s not a very positive message. There’s no doubt that sustainability has brought us a great deal of valuable expertise such as knowledge about supply chain management, logistics, toxicity, top soil, phosphate, nutrient recovery, material ? ows, etc. There is a wide range of knowledge that we can now use and build on. However, this has also led to us feeling guilty for being alive and being on earth. If this is the basis for education, you will not be able to inspire people to do new things. You can’t be innovative working from guilt because you’re trying to minimise feeling guilty. We now have the opportunity to use 30 years of environmental debate for innovation. To put plastic into the ocean is just stupid, just like making chemicals that damage biological systems. People become more creative when they feel appreciated and live without fear. It’s far more powerful to be proud of what you do. So the ? rst, and far most important thing is to tell children that we are happy that they are here. I’ve looked at over 50 different types of native tribes and learned that when people feel accepted and safe, they are always generous and friendly. Even the poorest of the poor share their things. I hope this book inspires teachers and educational policy makers to create more room for children and students to feel accepted and give them the opportunity to be proud of being here. Noodle to Noodle? There are many approaches that can be taken when teaching children about our planet. However, I would kindly like to ask you not to confuse the concepts of industrial ecology, sustainability and life cycle assessment with C2C ®, because otherwise it all just becomes ‘noodle to noodle’. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 5 In my opinion, the concept of sustainability is especially unattractive for education. There is no innovation that is sustainable; otherwise it wouldn’t be an innovation. Sustainability always remains within the realm of existing systems, i. e. it always stays in the same paradigm. And just so that we’re clear, if we stay in the same paradigm, we will destroy the planet. Minimising your footprint, doesn’t help; we need to do things differently. People have been trying to do things that are less bad for many years now, but that just delays the process. We’ll just destroy the planet a little later. That doesn’t make sense. Cradle to Cradle is about innovation, quality and beauty. It’s not  ® And this requires long-term goals. By teaching children to set longterm positive goals, like: In 10 years we want to be soil ‘positive’, the educational system could make a dramatic change and generate endless innovation. Cradle to Cradle ® in education needs all your expertise This book showcases examples of the ? rst steps that are being taken to implement Cradle to Cradle ® in education. Several institutions in the Benelux countries are looking at how to implement C2C ® in their respective curricula. And there are similar developments in Denmark, Germany and Sweden as well. It’s amazing how fast it’s spreading. C2C ® helps empower students and teachers to become engineers, designers, architects, chemists, economists, communications specialists, managers, product developers, marketeers and urban planners because there is so much room to innovate. We need a change in education in all the different subjects. We need a whole range of skills to work together on solutions, and for that we need a whole range of quali? cations. Some people are more into operating things and others more into constructing, while some are more into conceptual work and others more into applying it. To really make things work, we need C2C ® principles to be applied to all ? elds. beautiful when it’s toxic. And it’s not beautiful when people can’t make a living either. These young kids want to be proud of what they do. Educational institutions have all the means to make young people feel accepted so they can be kind and generous. Sustainability is guilt management from the past. Why would we want to be less bad, when instead we can be good? Instead of talking about minimising our footprint, Cradle to Cradle is about making a big and positive footprint.  ® Positive intentions goals Education is always about intentions: Where do I want to be? What do I want to achieve? What is relevant for the people I’m working with? 6 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® I would be delighted if this book could help bridge the gap between the universities of applied sciences and the traditional universities because we need to develop solutions together. We need to combine theory with applications for ? nding answers to the question of how can we do this. Cradle to Cradle ® in education is about taking people as they are and supporting them to become what they want to be. This means looking at a C2C society. It’s about looking at what the human role is on this  ® While repairing the engine, the student mechanics automatically sorts the metals and other materials used, to make sure the other students have plenty of stuff to work with. Again. And again. And again. It has been a long day and Jeanne sits down for a second while watching over her lovely smelling hand creams, moisturisers and planet; it’s about innovation, a positive footprint, a system that allows us to be bene? cial, instead of less bad; it’s about giving people a long-term goal and a positive vision of where to go. Cradle to Cradle is about a positive agenda. To reach that goal, everybody needs to be on board. All your expertise and all your skills are essential. I hope this book invites and inspires you to look at how to translate C2C principles to your ? eld.  ® other skin products. She had been taught to read and really understand what is on the label. And these†¦ she Kind regards, Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart Hamburg, February 2011 Cradle to Cradle ® and C2C are registered trademarks of EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH and McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC.knows for a fact, have only nice, healthy things in it. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 8 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® Ljiljana Wiersma-Rodic PhD Douglas Mulhall, Cradle to Cradle Chair, Erasmus University Cradle to Cradle ® is an innovation framework developed by Michael Braungart, and William McDonough and their colleagues in the 1990s for designing products and systems that are explicitly bene? cial to the individuals involved as well as to the natural environment and society at large. It is based on award-winning research started in the 1980s and continuing today at the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) in Hamburg Germany, for designing bene? cial economic, social and environmental features into products, processes and systems. The approach was originally known as the Intelligent Product System, and was awarded the Oce van der Grinten Prize in 1993. The approach is primarily an entrepreneurial and innovation concept that starts by determining the intended bene? ts of a product or service instead of focusing on minimizing negative environmental impacts. Development and design of materials, products, production processes and entire systems are based on the principles of natural ecosystems, where the quality and effectiveness of material and energy ? ows are central features. Some examples of this include the development of human- friendly buildings that produce energy and clean air, or agricultural and other activities that help to restore topsoil as one of our most valuable natural resources. Much like in natural ecosystems, material ? ow partnerships play a key role in the implementation of Cradle to Cradle principles. C2C functions in three distinct but inter-related categories Philosophy E. g. the concept of positive intentions and being bene? cial instead of ‘less bad’. The concept of C2C as an innovation platform for improving quality. These philosophical approaches provide an inspirational basis that distinguishes C2C from conventional ‘sustainability’. The philosophy of C2C also allows for further development of C2C as well as healthy discussion over what is the purpose of human beings on this planet, as described by Michael Braungart in his introduction. Principles Three basic principles that guide implementation of the C2C philosophy. The distinguishing point about these principles is that they can each be implemented measurably so that progress can be determined toward a goal. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 9 Application Tools The scienti? c, technical, economic, management and social tools that are used to implement the principles. C2C innovation starts by determining the intended value and de? ning one’s own positive, bene? cial intention. The process is then supported by a ‘road map’ prepared to ensure complementarity and synergy among the individual activities. An example is the ABC-X or ‘traf? c light’ system of assessing product ingredients for their de?ned use. is a nutrient for something else. This includes materials that are not normally considered to be waste. One of the fundamental laws of nature holds that residual materials from the metabolism of one organism constitute food for another organism. In a society that is based on Cradle to Cradle principles, all materials that we consider to be waste serve as input (nutrients, food) for a new cycle of production, time and time again. In this way, Cradle to Cradle eliminates the concept of waste because waste = food. The Cradle to Cradle concept distinguishes between consumption products and service products. Consumption products either get spent Principles The three basic principles of the Cradle to Cradle framework are: Waste = Food (everything is a nutrient for something else) Use current solar power income Celebrate diversity (biodiversity, conceptual diversity and cultural diversity). Waste = Food (everything is a nutrient for something else) There is often a misunderstanding of this principle due to the quick and catchy but somewhat misleading title. The important thing is not that waste becomes food for something else, but instead that everything 10 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ®Ã‚  (consumed) or wear out during their period of use and, if anything is left over, it can be safely returned to the natural environment. Some examples of this include agricultural products like bread and butter, cosmetic products like soap and hand cream, and natural ? Bre clothes and shoes. Such materials are considered to be biological nutrients, as they feed into a natural biological metabolism (‘biosphere’). Biological nutrients, e. g. wood, can be used in pre-de? ned ‘cascades’, where the quality deteriorates from one application to the next, but in the end all of the material can go back into the biological cycle, in ways that are bene? cial for and thus not harmful to human health or the environment. As these materials come from the land, due care is required for these nutrients to indeed remain on land instead of ending up in the ocean, where processes of biological degradation are quite different to those of terrestrial ecosystems or a composting installation. Service products do not get consumed, but rather provide the user with a certain desired service. Some examples of this include cars, washing machines and TV sets. These products are usually made out of metals and various synthetic materials, which originate from renewable or non-renewable sources and are often hazardous to human health and the environment. As such, they cannot be safely returned to the environment if they are completely disassembled into their component materials and disposed of after special processing. Those types of processes are usually impractical or too expensive, so it makes more sense to keep the materials in technical cycles where they can be reused and do not enter the environment in concentrations that are hazardous. Moreover, they often contain rare metals that are available on earth in very limited amounts. For these reasons, they are considered technological nutrients and should be returned to the technological cycle (‘techno sphere’), where they will be used to make new products with the same level of quality, time and time again. A famous example of this is Herman Miller’s Mirra chair, which has been designed for disassembly and for its materials to be reused in high-quality applications at least 200 times. According to Cradle to Cradle, the worst possible designs are so-called monstrous hybrids, consisting of materials that cannot be separated after use their period of use, and thus cannot be returned safely to either of the two cycles. Design for Sustainability Eco-efficiency C2C Environmental cost accounting Global view Partnerships in total chain management Product Stewardship / LCA Integrated managent systems Management system focus Pollution prevention Compliance proactive Compliance reactive Waste/ costs/ noncompliance Unprepared Aware/reactive Proactive Mainstreaming. Outward view Inward focus Mature/highly integrative Use current solar power income The Cradle to Cradle concept assumes a reliance on renewable energy sources that ultimately originate from the sun, i. e. solar energy, wind energy, water and various innovative bio-based sources, provided that they meet requirements of the ? rst C2C Principle, and do not compete with food crops. For further explanation of current solar income please refer to Cradle to Cradle Criteria for the Built Environment (Mulhall c. s. , 2010) which contains an annex on C2C and Energy describing this more precisely. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 11 Celebrate diversity Respect for diversity in all its forms, including biodiversity, cultural diversity, and diversity of ideas and innovation to suit local conditions, is an integral part of the Cradle to Cradle concept. Instead of relying solely on legislation as a means to of reconciling the perceived con? ict between economic interests and environmental protection, Cradle to Cradle encourages designers, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, material and other scientists alike to create systems and products that are  bene? Cial and add value to all three domains: the economy, society and the environment. under sustainability principles, individual mobile phones have become far more ef? cient, but collectively consume many times more materials and energy than they used to, because ef? ciency made them affordable for billions of users. Mobile phones produced under C2C principles are designed to make sure they can be effectively recovered at the same level of quality, not to minimize materials. This is a basic difference in approach for business. This is why C2C is often referred to as ‘surpassing’ or ‘going beyond’ sustainability. There are many other differences between C2C and sustainability as illustrated in the scheme on page 11. It is important for readers to Cradle to Cradle versus conventional Sustainability In further sections of this book you will frequently see reference to ‘sustainability’ when interviewees are discussing C2C. This is because companies often include C2C under their ‘sustainability’ portfolios. But actually this is not the ideal way to approach C2C because there are fundamental differences. Conventional sustainability usually attempts to minimize bad impacts through ef? ciency while C2C aims at improving bene? cial ones. To illustrate this let’s consider the case of mobile phones. Produced 12 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® keep this in mind when reading this book. It is also true that some application tools used for sustainability are also used for C2C1. 2. 1 Waste no more – The Van Gansewinkel Groep Roel Majoor, Organisational Development Manager (interviewed by Judith van Heeswijk) technological cycles. The constant conversion of waste into energy and raw materials is seen as added value. The company transformed from a traditional waste collector into a supplier of sustainable raw materials and energy. They seek sustainable solutions for their waste streams and consider their knowledge of waste as something of value to partners. Their goal is to work together in early product design stages so that they can ful? l a role and help deliver pro? table solutions for waste streams. Given that Van Gansewinkel has embraced the Cradle to Cradle The Van Gansewinkel Groep is a major player in waste management in Western Europe. It’s also one of the ?rst companies in Western Europe to fully implement Cradle to Cradle design in its business processes. The company’s sustainability ambitions have been translated into their business operations and into a strategy that includes Cradle to Cradle objectives. From their mission statement : 2 concept, this has also had implications for its operations and the way business (waste) processes are designed and managed. This means additional knowledge and competences are needed from employees. Since 2008, the company has been working together with EPEA to streamline knowledge in operations. They found that a lot of implicit knowledge about waste management is useful for understanding the transition to C2C. There was less explicit knowledge about C2C basic Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 13 †By seeing Cradle to Cradle as a guideline, we deal with raw material shortages and the CO2 problem. We assume opportunities and not debt management. † The company sees waste as a source of new raw materials and energy. They see their role as one that closes the biological and principles, so the company had to acquire additional knowledge about this. The EPEA shared these principles during a ?rst meeting. After that, practical knowledge and experience was even more important to bring employee knowledge up to a working level. The company understands that there is a signi? cant difference between knowing C2C in theory and predicting the way it will have to be applied in daily practice. The steps and processes have to be thought through and visualised several times to be able to thoroughly understand the principle. To really use C2C, insight into its use is essential. You have to make it your own. It is a radically different way of thinking and is, therefore, a paradigm shift. This means it also asks for a paradigm shift from employees. And in relation to customers’ needs in particular it is becoming more and more practical, as it also means that you ask the customer to think about waste from another perspective. The Van Gansewinkel employee has to be able to communicate the principle to the customer. Communication is something that should not be underestimated in the transition to C2C. Van Gansewinkel used three different training courses: waste managers, sales and marketing managers. A total of approximately 150 people took the course. The training course focused on large industry. 2 Sponsors training. A two-day EPEA training course for employees that need to know how to translate the C2C concept into the organisation. This training course was developed for managing directors, etc. 3 Advisors training: two one-day training in company courses for sales executives. It dealt with the basic principles and translating them into business operations. The training course focused on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 1 Champions training: A four-day EPEA training course, in which the theory is brought to life and cases are studied. This training course was developed for regional management, key account managers, ‘Garbage Elefant’  © Franny Thonhauser 14 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® Large industry is able to close the biological and technological cycles itself, but that isn’t the case for SMEs, which are often just a small link in the production chain. Therefore, they are more dependent on other companies to change production and waste processes. Van Gansewinkel has turned out to be a chain facilitator in some cases. Van Gansewinkel has a reason for doing so because large volumes of waste are often necessary to be economically ef?  cient. Competences Van Gansewinkel states that working with C2C principles is more important than knowing them. General change management competences are essential and the three change management steps are: Management noticed that employees invest more time and energy in their work than their role requires. This is also evident at course reunions that take place a year after the training. Everyone is very willing to attend them and a lot of passion for the concept is shared. Technical issues From a technical point of view, it is mainly the strength of innovation that is important for the company. The company is implementing biomimicry for its innovation processes. It starts by learning to understand processes in nature and, from there, to develop and innovate the company’s processes. It’s a link between biology and technology or taking the ecological system into the technological one. Knowledge management Knowledge management has been very important for the main issues surrounding C2C transition. Several knowledge centres were opened to gather information and knowledge on materials and processes. It is not only the operators who have access to this information, but also account managers and local waste managers. These knowledge centres also provide information on where certain knowledge on materials is available and what speci? cs are accessible. 1 2 3 To raise awareness about the need for change. To highlight the momentum for change. To create a willingness to change It is only after you have taken these steps that you can work on the ability to change. The new competences for Van Gansewinkel were primarily change management ones. The main goal is to be able to address the story in a positive way, to tell it simply and convincingly, i. e. the sales pitch. Telling the story is not about selling a product, but about conveying an ideology. The employees have indicated that using the C2C concept adds more depth to their work and energises them. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 15 Seeing as the company is moving towards a more facilitating position in the materials market, it is focusing more on logistics and purchases. New business opportunities have also arisen, e. g. it’s investigating the possibility of producing and selling recycled glass for the consumer market. The glass industry is reluctant to invest though, so Van Gansewinkel has decided to develop this business on its own. This shows how innovative its new role can be. Additional knowledge on the basic Cradle to Cradle principles is needed for vocational-level competences. The basic ideology has to be embedded, so that employees are able to convey it to others. Employees on the technical site who have a vocational education background have to deal with the concept when working on separation plants. The main part of the machines in the plants is developed within the company. Technical engineers and operators are consulted during the development of new separation lines. This process actually hasn’t changed since C2C has been implemented. The operators are used as part of the developing processes. Only the perspective, goals and market needs have changed. Current developments within the organisation are expected to be temporary, because the transition to C2C is now leading the way. In the future, all the necessary changes will be made. The current change asks for a more project-oriented way of working and for employees to invest more time in it. Over time, however, products in the waste stream will be more and more assembled or degradable. The company wants  Knowledge and education At the moment, the company has to consult others in the new ? elds of expertise required. For the very ? rst time ever, they have three technical university trainees for these ? elds, i. e. Geometrics; Industrial Design, and Energy Sciences and Operation Management Logistics. 16 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® to have its waste processes aligned with these products and material streams by then. At the moment, the company has to deal with different types of material streams. Over the next few years, all technical engineering education needs to focus more on design. Design principles have to be taught to higher education and academic students. C2C principles also impact the organisation. A roadmap 3 has been designed to change facilities, e. g. the vehicles, human resource management (diversity and employing senior personnel,) and to make internal processes more C2C proof. They admit that pursuing these ambitions is sometimes a bit dif? cult ? nancially speaking. Desso is the ? rst carpet manufacturer in Europe, the Middle East and Asia to adopt the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy and they are planning further geographical expansion into Latin America. Their carpets and arti? cial grass will be produced using manufacturing processes that rely on renewable energy, seek to conserve water and embrace social responsibility. Their products are made from environmentally friendly, pure materials that are safe for human 2. 2 Quality personnel DESSO Joris Bressers, Human Resource Advisor (interviewed by Judith van Heeswijk) health and are designed in such a way that they can be biologically or technologically recycled 5 at the end of their useful lives. Prior to formal Cradle to Cradle certi?cation being granted, products, materials and components must all undergo a rigorous assessment procedure. The initial stages of the certi? cation process comprise assessing raw materials in terms of human and environmental health criteria, and evaluating the manufacturing process according to recycling potentials, energy and water use, and social responsibility. EPEA will be supplied with detailed information regarding all the materials involved in DESSO’s products and processes. The future steps towards Cradle to Cradle certi? cation are: List all the chemicals a product contains. All compounds are also separated into their components (the base chemicals). Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 17 Carpet, carpet tile and arti? cial turf manufacturer Desso is one of the leading companies in its ? eld in Europe. Their Business Carpets division manufactures carpets for commercial locations such as of? ces, banks, retail units, public buildings, schools, universities, hospitals and care centres. Point 3 of DESSO’s innovation strategy is its ambition regarding Cradle to Cradle: 4. â€Å"Cradle to Cradle: Developing products and processes that will contribute towards a better environment and better indoor quality. † Material Safety Data Sheets are collected as well as all toxicological and eco toxicological data. EPEA evaluates all chemicals on 12 different criteria and gives an overall assessment, i. e. red, yellow or green. Work on phase-out plans for those chemicals that are given a red assessment. EPEA monitors these plans. DESSO has already launched its innovative EcoBase ® carpet tile backing – enabling the world’s ? rst Cradle to Cradle silver certi? cation for an entire carpet tile product. Competences In 2007, when they started on their Cradle to Cradle journey, DESSO needed additional expertise in the company primarily chemical expertise at the design stage. The marketing department also needed additional expertise on the basic C2C principles, in order to be able to communicate the added value of the certi? ed products. Special technical project teams were set up to develop new machines. The key values encouraged throughout the organisation – and required At this point in time, 90% of DESSO’s polyamide carpet tile collection is Cradle to Cradle certi?ed. 6 from every employee to ensure a successful Cradle to Cradle work method are ‘ownership’, common sense, ambition and integrity. Furthermore, Desso have seen that employees are motivated and driven by being involved in this ambitious, strategic change of direction. A large group of employees from the company from a variety of departments and disciplines were given a training course at EPEA and this expertise has since been transferred into the production processes. EPEA has been contributing to further increasing knowledge within the organisation. The company has found that it is one of  the leaders in implementing the concept and therefore had to discover and tackle a lot of issues themselves in the early stages. 18 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® Employee commitment to the Cradle to Cradle goals is of utmost importance, along with a strong belief in the philosophy. If they see for themselves that implementing it works, and that the market responds positively, that creates great encouragement to move ahead. DESSO created a Cradle to Cradle awareness team tasked with raising awareness on sustainable issues within the organisation, such as waste management. The company strategy places Cradle to Cradle as the top concern for every part of the organisation, and has identi? ed their production processes as the ? rst area to target. education organisations are sometimes not up to speed with the new developments within multinationals. The students are often not fully equipped with essential frontline knowledge. Moreover the multinationals have dif? culty ? nding new employees that can immediately take up a complicated subject like Cradle to Cradle and AkzoNobel needs these kinds of people as their ambition is to belong to the world’s most sustainable multinationals. The company seeks to attract genuinely motivated and interested students. A real compassion is essential, especially when it comes to sustainable issues. AkzoNobel took the initiative to search for those students another way. With some partners (BECO, Royal Cosun, DPI Value 2. 3 Factory of the Future Akzo Nobel Jan Verlaan, Ideation Manager (interviewed by Judith van Heeswijk) Centre, Search, Witteveen+Bos, and DSM), it developed a conceptual production environment based on sustainable principles, in terms of people (equity), planet (ecology) and pro?t (economy), for the total value chain. The aim of this virtual facility is to close the biological and technological cycles of a product and its related manufacturing as much as possible. AkzoNobel has extensive global experience cooperating with educational organisations both on traineeships and on projects. The impression of Jan Verlaan, Ideation manager at AkzoNobel, that universities and higher The critical factor in developing this virtual Factory of the Future 7 is sustainable design, in which Cradle to Cradle principles form the foundation where possible. The facility’s design showcases renewable energy, water management and active materials and transport management. Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® 19 The Factory of the Future demonstrates the feasibility of a typical chemical plant designed according to a continuous loops system, i. e. a production environment based on sustainable principles for a positive footprint. All the partners realise that existing processes have to be redeveloped for sustainable development. Therefore, starting from scratch is essential. The project aims to generate an open concept for the factory, one that can be used by other companies and projects to bene? t society as a whole. The production environment will be suitable for a variety of sustainable products and production lines. The facility will be available as a training centre for users to train employees on new processes and products. The aim is to design not only a sustainable building, but also a sustainable production chain, which requires solutions at a much higher level. The Factory of the Future project also extends into a learning community. Students have to apply for the Honours course, which they follow for six months and which can lead to a graduation project. AkzoNobel reckons it will particularly need people from different disciplines who relate to sustainability. Production chains will become sustainable and will, therefore, change in the near future. Nonetheless, other aspects of enterprise will change. Financing structures, business 20 Inspired by Cradle to Cradle ® models, the legal system, policy, facility management, buildings, training, HR management, etc. ; all of these will change because of the increasing orientation towards sustainability that will become explicit when Cradle to Cradle is introduced into the organisation. They have people with chemical process.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Beloved, by Toni Morrison | Summary and Analysis

The Beloved, by Toni Morrison | Summary and Analysis 124 was spiteful. 124 was loud. 124 was quiet. The house 124 that Sethes family lives in is haunted by the ghost of the baby who drives her two sons away as well as the rest of the neighbourhood. Paul D, an old friend from Sweet Home, visits 124 in search of Baby Suggs, Sethes mother-in-law, only to find she died eight years ago. Paul D is invited into the house where he meets Denver and senses the evilness of Beloved, however the ghost is soon sent away after Paul Ds arrival which upsets Denver and causes her to act coldly towards him. Recalling memories of Sweet Home of Sethes marriage to Halle, the other men at Sweet Home and Sethes escape, the notion of a future with Paul D crossed Sethes mind. That Thursday the three of them went to the carnival in town which made all three happy, however on return to 124 they found a woman sat on a tree stump who said her name was Beloved which excited Denver for she now had the company she longed for. Denver went out of her way to make Beloved feel better and although Denver loved her, Paul D thought there was something strange about her. Beloved continued to ask Sethe and Denver of their past and Denvers birth. Denver told Beloved about Baby Suggs, her Grandmother, and about the Clearing where Baby Suggs used to preach. The three women headed towards the Clearing for Sethe to think, however she was choked by someone or something who she thought was Baby Suggs. Denver thought otherwise and thought it was Beloved who choked her. Beloved seduces Paul D after he believes she has driven himself and Sethe apart. This leads Paul D to ask for him and Sethe to have a child together, thinking that this would relieve Beloveds power over him. Howev er, Paul D is infuriated by Beloved as she waits for Sethe to return home from work, which strengthens Sethes belief of Beloved being her child she gave birth to and breaks the romance between the couple because she wants Paul D to leave. In flashback, the memory of Sethe murdering her baby is then evoked. It was Stamp Paid, an old friend, who took the dead baby from Sethe and gave her Denver before Sethe was placed in custody. Then in present, Stamp visits Paul D and shows him a newspaper clipping of when Sethe murdered the baby. In disbelief, he insults Sethe and leaves her. Sethe took Baby Suggs advice; lay it all down and so she did. The three of them went ice skating and laughed endlessly resulting in Sethe to go late to work the next day, and she did so for the following weeks until she was fired. Feeling guilty for sending Paul D away, Stamp argues with Ella after finding out she didnt offer Paul D a place to stay and he was staying at the church, recalling memories of Sweet Home. Feeling she was responsible for the silence and hunger at 124, Denver felt it was only right that she left 124. All three grew tired therefore in search for a better life, Denver received help from Lady Jones and the rest of the neighbourhood. During the day she looked after Sethe She and in the evenings worked for the Bodwins. However, on the first day of work, when Edward Bodwin came to collect her, the ladies of the neighbourhood gathered together at 124. As Edward arrived, Sethe thought of him as a man who wanted slaves and attacked him with an ice pick, leaving Beloved standing on the porch alone but as everybody looked back, there was nobody standing on the porch. After the incident, Paul D came back into Denver and Sethes lives and they all forgot Beloved and thought of her as an unpleasant dream. Narrative Style This novel is written in third person singular with an omniscient style but however shifts to first person singular; Sethe had the amazing luck of six whole years of marriages to that somebody son who had fathered every one of her children and I never had to give it to nobody else and the one time I did it was took from me they held me down and took it. The pronouns he and she are frequently used and characters are continuously addressed by their names. The novel is also written in flashback whilst describing Sethes escape and the birth of Denver to Beloved. Flashback is also found when she recalls memories of Sweet Home with Paul D and when Paul D has memories of his brothers. Also there is a chapter written in stream of consciousness relating to Beloveds thoughts; I am not big small rats do not wait for us to sleep someone is thrashing but there is no room to do it in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Character Analysis Denver: is an independent, selfless young lady. This is shown through her care and devotion to Beloved when she arrives at the house sick. She is also a determined girl that devotes her time to her family, especially her mother when she is sick. Denver is an independent woman as her independence is shown when she seeks a job to support her family when her mother lost her job. Sethe: is a very kind and compassionate woman as she is devoted to her family, even during the hardest situations. This is shown because she was a slave in her past at Sweet Home and she escaped for her family. It is also portrayed when she went hungry and picked the crusts for her children to eat, especially Beloved. She is also a very proud woman as she is determined to endure the correct way of marriage at Sweet Home when marrying Halle this is shown when Sethe is adamant on having a wedding dress on the first night they are together. Beloved: at first is portrayed as a helpless woman, seeking attention and love. This is given to her by Denver as she cures her from her sickness by devoting her time. However, Beloved then becomes an untrustworthy, selfish woman. Her selfishness is shown manipulation, as she deceives Sethe by acting upon her guilt. She doesnt forgive Sethe for her past and forces power upon her to give her what she wants. Language Diction Beloved is a descriptive novel that uses informal language often including slang and vulgarity throughout dialogue. The language and diction also reflects the speech of Afro-Americans for example; Beloved, she my daughter. She mine. Long sentences are used to describe feelings and objects, for example; Although they had been polite to her during the quiet time and gave her the whole top of the bed, she remembered how it was before: the pleasure they had sitting clustered on the white stairs she between the knees of Howard or Buglar while they made up die-witch! stories with proven ways of killing her dead. Short sentences are used more often during dialogue such as; Now you. Come on, and Come on in here girls. Short sentences are also used to make impact and emphasize the meaning, for instance; 124 was spiteful. Full of a babys venom. Imagery The imagery is evident throughout the novel because all stimuli are aroused. Tactile imagery is evident when Paul D touches Sethe in the kitchen as he rubbed his cheek on her back and learned that way her sorrow. There is a sense of smell when the roses at the carnival are described; the closer the roses got to death, the louder their scent and stench of the rotten roses. Visual imagery is foreseen throughout the novel when the keeping room is described and how Baby Suggs was starved for colour. One can imagine the slate-coloured walls and the earth-brown floor and the dullness of the room. Auditory imagery is evident when Denver can hear chickens and the knock of a badly hinged gate as well as voices behind her as she walked. Taste imagery is evident when the numerous offers of foods are found on the tree stump each day, each meal provided by a different neighbour; sack of white beans, plate of cold rabbit meat, Taste imagery is also found during a memory of 124 of tonic mixed that cured a relative, as one can imagine the strength of the mixture. Themes The theme of evil is represented throughout the novel by Beloved, as a ghost and as a person. This is evident when the ghost of Beloved chases away her two brothers, Howard and Buglar as well as other people who use to walk along Bluestone Road. The evil represented through Beloved as a human being is when she manipulates Sethe and causes pain for Sethe, although Sethe only seeks forgiveness. A theme of religion is also apparent throughout the novel as God and Jesus are constantly being referred to. It is carried throughout the novel by Baby Suggs from her preaching at the Clearing then Paul D and at the end of the novel, by Denver who was given a Bible by Lady Jones. Setting This novel is set in America mainly 124 Bluestone Road. This is evident because Sethe escaped to Ohio to number 124 where Baby Suggs was living in Cincinnati. The novel is also set at a place called Sweet Home. Sweet Home is brought into the novel whilst Sethe has flashbacks of her past before she escaped. The setting is also evident because of the diction used whilst a character speaks. Genre The genre is a family drama because of the life experiences the family endure. All adult characters in the novel were previously slaves who had escaped and Baby Suggs was bought by her own sons earnings. Sethe also experienced her childs death before her own. After this, her dead daughter came back to 124 but tormented her by using her guilt against her. The novel is also an Afro-American genre because of diction used during speech and first person narrative style. Aspects I liked I enjoyed the fact that Sethe escaped from the hardships of being a slave at Sweet Home and that her present is better because she left the home. I also enjoyed the fact that Denver devoted her time to Beloved and that Sethe and Denver were accepting of her when they found Beloved sat outside their house. I didnt enjoy the fact that Paul D just left Sethe from his jealousy of Sethes love towards Beloved and his negativity and disloyalty towards Beloved. I also didnt enjoy the fact that Beloved turned against Sethe and starting making her pay for her past even though Sethe felt apologetic and guilty for what she had done and now only wanted to give Beloved the best. I was happy that Denver did everything she could to protect Sethe from Beloveds nastiness and glad when Denver and Sethe could forget the torment and pain Beloved caused. Recommendations I would recommend this novel to any high school children that is not easily offended by vulgar language but whoever understands the change from past to present as the novel is written in flashback making it a difficult read. I would also recommend this novel to one who enjoys reading about the hardships of life and devastation that can be caused in the future from mistakes in the past, affecting not just one person but a whole family.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice

Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice The Government has clearly outlined the need for nurses to develop leadership skills at all levels within the workforce in order to deliver the NHS modernisation programme (DH  [1]  1998; DH 1999). The leadership role expected of community practitioners is evident in Shifting the Balance of Power (DH 2001a) and Liberating the Talents (DH 2002) with the expectation that health visitors will lead teams which will deliver family-centred public health within the communities they work (DH 2001b). The change I was to lead however was not initiated primarily to support clients, but instead to protect staff working in the community to ensure they were safe and supported in their public health work as a large proportion of the time is spent working alone. The issue of lone worker safety is particularly topical after the recent murder of a mental health support worker during a home visit (BBC News 2006). To support this proposal, Baulcomb (2003) asserts that any change management initiative should not only yield benefits for patients but also for staff and the wider organisation. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE 2005) reports that nurses and other health care workers are 2.8 times more at risk of an injury  [2]  than clerical workers and the vulnerability of health care workers increases significantly if they are working alone  [3]  (Chappell and Di Martino 2000). It was a particularly pertinent time to examine mechanisms for risk reduction as they had still not been reviewed despite a member of staff being off sick  [4]  due to an adverse incident involving lone work. As health visiting frequently requires lone work, it was clear that lone working practices needed reviewing to reduce the likelihood of a similar or more serious incident recurring. Further drivers for change were identified as a result of observations of workers in practice. I noted the following areas of concern: up-to-date whereabouts of staff not always provided (or out of date) and a lack of a reporting-in system which would identify whether staff had finished work safely for the day. I discussed these issues with the community nursing manager who wholly supported any attempts to introduce mechanisms that would improve lone worker safety. A further driver for change was the obligation to implement health and safety legislation. Due to limitations in report length, this information has been provided in Appendix One. If changes are to be implemented which lead to increased worker safety, this will have a positive (although indirect) effect on clients because if staff feel safer and more supported in their roles, they will be less likely to be off sick with stress or injuries (Mahony 2006) which would impact on the teams ability to deliver the public health agenda. As workers who contribute to the implementation of health and safety measures are known to be healthier and safer than those who do not (HSE 2005), it was felt that this would be an appropriate area for the team to examine and implement change. It was after consideration of these anteceding factors that the need for change was established and a vision created: To improve the safety of lone workers within the health visiting team. Implementing the change was a dynamic and multidimensional process with many facets too abundant to detail fully here, however pertinent examples will be selected and analysed. The following study will detail a reflective evaluation of my application of leadership and management theory to effect a change in practice. The successes and difficulties encountered will be given throughout with reference to the literature. Change management requires well-developed leadership and management skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). A combination of these skills is necessary to ensure that the job is done not only efficiently, i.e. new mechanisms are put in place and embedded into the teams practice (the management dimension) (Stewart 1996) but that it is achieved in such a way that motivates and inspires staff to change their practice- the leadership dimension (Stewart 1996). To guide the changes, a change management model was selected. Deegan et al (2004) report that such models provide a theoretical sequence, which will be instrumental in helping the change manager to choose, develop, and order activities which are required during planned change episodes. As the change was planned (as opposed to emergent), a suitable model was Lewins three-stage model of planned change (Lewin 1951)  [5]  . The use of this model in the National Health Service (NHS) is widely documented and has underpinned the successful changes in many of the research papers read  [6]  . It is also a simple model which is not overly prescriptive and so does not restrict individual practitioner creativity (Cameron and Green 2005). The three stages of planned change according to this model are: unfreezing the existing equilibrium (Unfreezing); moving to a new point (Movement) and refreezing the changes into practice so that they become embedded in practice (Refreezing). My change management project is currently part way through the Movement stage as the change has not been fully implemented or evaluated yet I continue to lead this project  [7]  . Lewin (1951) suggests that in the changes preliminary stage, factors which will drive or resist the change should be identified. This process is known as Force Field Analysis (FFA) and will identify the change enthusiasts, the potential objectors and the undecided (Turner, 2001) (see Appendix Three for the FFA carried out at this stage). Lewin (1951) asserted that change occurs as a result of a shift in the equilibrium between the opposing forces (those which resist change) and the driving forces and is thought to be more likely to occur successfully if restraining forces are removed rather than by simply increasing the driving forces. Hussey (1998) exercises a word of caution at this juncture warning that an increase in the driving forces may lead to an increase in the restraining forces, however if the driving forces outweigh the restraining forces, there is a positive climate for change (Cameron and Green 2005). After analysing the force field I could see that the driving forces o utweighed the resisting forces and so confirmed that the change was needed and realistic. Leaders motivate their staff by inspiring vision and encouraging followers to share in that vision (Bennis 1997, Davidhizar 1993) and like in Kassean Jagoos study (2005), the unfreezing stage was initiated by facilitating peoples thoughts on the current situation (Greaves 1999)- stimulating ideas for how to change the current situation  [8]  . As people can only be empowered by a vision that they understand (Sheldon and Parker 1997), it is paramount that strategies are used to foster inclusion and participation so that all team members are fully aware of the impetus for change. For change to be successful and enduring, Kouzes and Posner (1987) say that it is imperative that the leader encourages team ownership of the vision by encouraging their participation in the project. Without participation failure is likely to result due to resistance from team members. It is vital to the success of the change that it is perceived to be needed by those that will be affected by the change ( Marquis and Huston 2000) and so to raise awareness of the issue and create dissatisfaction with the current state (Lewin 1951), I introduced my ideas at a team meeting. On reflection, I can identify aspects of transformational and situational leadership in how I shared my ideas and interacted with the team. Most team members agreed that risks to lone working needed to be reduced and willingly offered their ideas (see Appendix Four). Encouraging team input and facilitating problem solving are key features of the supportive behaviours exhibited by the situational leader (Northouse 2004). Situational leadership was developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1977) and assumes the leader adapts their style according to a given situation  [9]  . This style has two main types of intervention: those which are supportive and those which are directive. The effective situational leader is one that adjusts the directive and supportive dimensions of their leadership according to the needs of their subordinates (Northouse 2004). As most team members were highly motivated in the project, freely offering suggestions and ideas, a directive role was not needed. The supportive behaviours I employed encouraged a participative approach characterised by the use of finely tuned interpersonal skills such as active listening, giving feedback and praising (Marquis and Huston 2000) which can be likened to a Skinnerian approach of positive reinforcement. In retrospect I can identify my correct use of this leadership style by looking at a later development of this model which introduced a further dimension to the leadership style: the developmental level of the participants. This is ascertained by assessing workers competence and commitment to completing the task. The member of staff that appeared to take little interest and was not able to offer ideas displayed a lower developmental level compared to other team members and hence I directed her more using the coaching behaviours advocated by Hersey and Blanchard (1977). This coaching promoted inclusion and participation by: giving encouragement, soliciting input and questioning the participant on what they thought of the proposals and the changes they would like to see. This was done to increase levels of commitment and motivation (Northouse 2004) and thus integrate that team member into the change process. On reflection this can also be identified as an example of reducing the resist ing factors to the change within the force field as by adapting to the needs of that team member, she was encouraged to take part and share ideas rather than hinder progress and potentially thwart the change. A model which places great importance on the needs, values and morals of others is transformational leadership (Northouse 2004; RCN 2005) and elements of this could be identified in my leadership. The needs of staff could be regarded as the need to stay safe, and values may be their desire to get home to their families at the end of the day. I was aware that on face value, looking at improving safety for lone workers would perhaps not appear to be an issue that would provoke much excitement, or according to Kotter (1999) light a fire. However, I articulated my vision in terms of getting people to consider the impact of what the consequences could be if we were to be a victim of an adverse incident. When discussing the impact of this with staff and getting them to consider the impact of not changing practice, of how their lives and their families lives could potentially be affected, I created motivation within the team to examine working practices. This was confirmed to me as many of the staff showed their interest by their offering of ideas to meet this challenge. By tapping into the moral dimension of a proposed change i.e. promoting the need to contribute in order to protect the safety of not just themselves but also the wider team, the transformational leader further inspires staff to change by motivating followers to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the team and organization (Bass 1985). Once the vision had been shared and accepted by the team, several strategies were discussed that could contribute to risk reduction (Appendix Four). At this stage it was realistic to focus on a single change. A reason for this was because McIntosh (2000) highlights that many changes focus on the needs of the organisation (e.g. to provide certain services or to implement Government policy) and often overlook the needs of the employees. Applied to this case, there was an organisational need to manage risk but this had to be balanced with not overwhelming the team with too many changes at once  [10]  . At the meeting it was decided by the team members present  [11]  that the simplest intervention to implement would be to phone into the clinic base administrators when finishing their shift to notify that they had finished work for the day and were safe  [12]  . Although the proposed change would not eliminate the risk of an adverse incident occurring, it would ensure that should an incident occur, it would be identified and acted upon as swiftly as possible and thus the risk would be managed more effectively. Vroom and Yetton (1973) propose five types of considered decision-making ranging from that which may be expected of an autocratic manager i.e. a decision is made by the leader entirely alone, through to a democratic approach whereby the matter is discussed with the whole team and a consensus decision is made. When analysing my own management stance it was clear that my style had been distinctly democratic as I had sought to include everyone and promote consensus decision-making. I demonstrated sensitivity and appreciation of the pressures that others were under by ensuring that those not present at the meeting were included in the decision-making process as open consultation with key stake holders often leads to the successful introduction and adoption of change (Phair and Good 1998, cited in Deegan et al 2004). This contributed to creating a climate of a learning organisation. A learning organisation is one where all members are encouraged to increase their capacity to produce resul ts they care about (Karesh 1994) and one which promotes the exchange of information between members in order to create a knowledgeable workforce. I was determined that those who could not attend the meetings still be part of the decision making process. However there were difficulties with this as due to being in practice just two days a week meant that it was unrealistic to consult each absent worker individually and so I emailed out meeting minutes from the meeting and invited feedback  [13]  . Although the use of email to communicate ideas is one of the least popular ways to receive information, it was one of only a few methods available to me and hence justified its use. Without using this medium, communication with the team would have been compromised and could have led to some team members feeling they had been excluded from the decision-making process. Further analysis of this point reveals my own concern that all the follow up and meetings needed to be done by myself whe n perhaps this could have been delegated to someone else. With regard to situational leadership, if team members are motivated and committed to the change, the leader can assume a more passive role where they let team members take responsibility for doing the job and refrain from giving unnecessary support (Northouse 2004). This perhaps reveals Theory X management style traits (McGregor 1960) whereby the manager feels the need to keep a tight grip on staff perceiving them to need coercion to achieve tasks, deeming them to possess little capacity to explore and solve problems spontaneously without direction. This approach may convey distrust of the team (McGregor 1960) and was therefore not an ideal management style in the actual situation I was in. Rather than viewing this as a weakness however, it must be viewed as an opportunity to explore my assumptions of the team, assessing whether my assumptions had any grounding in reality or whether this style was assumed due to my inexperie nce leading and hence insecurities about the role. Reaching a consensus on the change to implement was an example of how in situational leadership, decision-making can be shared between the leader and motivated followers (Hersey and Blanchard 1977). From a management point of view, this participative approach facilitates the process of completing the task but it is also an example of how leaders empower their teams by transferring some of their power to the follower to enable them to be active participants in the decision-making process. After confirming the change intervention, the safety plan was devised (see Appendix Six). This was a contingency plan detailing the steps to take should a team member fail to report in. The team agreed that I should draw this up due to my previous experience of using one. As the manager is responsible for ensuring a task is completed on time and is done efficiently (Stewart 1996) there was no reason for this task to be delegated elsewhere as this would have taken up time and hence been an inappropria te use of resources. During the movement stage, I positively reinforced the importance of the change by acting as a role model. Role modelling is a key feature of transformational leadership whereby the leader demonstrates specific types of behaviours that they want their followers to adopt (Northouse 2004). Stewart (1996) also reports that the greatest power as a leader is the example that you set (p.25) and so I did this by ensuring that I implemented the proposed changes i.e. I always reported into base on finishing work even before the agreed implementation date. The change is currently in the latter stages of the Movement phase with implementation and evaluation still required to complete the phase  [14]  . Refreezing is the final stage of Lewins model and involves the change agent (myself) supporting staff to integrate the change into practice so that it becomes part of the status quo (Marquis and Huston 2000) ensuring that over a period of time everyones practice changes and there is no chance of reversion to former ways. A strategy for the future development of the change and to conclude the refreezing stage would be to carry out an evaluation to determine the changes effectiveness. A summative (or outcome evaluation) could be conducted to investigate: whether the intervention is effective in reaching planned goals; what happens to the participants as a result of the change and whether it is worth continuing with the change intervention (Robson 2003). The first question could be assessed by carrying out a risk assessment of the hazards faced by lone workers including strategies in place to reduce risk. The HSE (2005) detail a five-step risk assessment guide that can be carried out to assess the extent of risk post-intervention. Ideally a risk assessment should have been carried out in the unfreezing stage and thus provide a baseline to compare against. Another strategy to obtain objective data would be to keep a copy of all reporting-in records which should identify those failing to report in  [15]  . Although this appears to be a policing measure which may imply distrust for staff (typical of a Theory X manager, McGregor 1960), it may be the only way of conclusively being able to tell if people are actually putting the new change into practice. If an audit of these records revealed certain team members were not engaging in the process and were having to be chased by administrators to ascertain whether they had finished work safely, I would use responsive leadership skills incorporating effective interpersonal communication to work with these staff members to identify what the problems and issues were. It is vital that this is done as if ignored these resisting factors could impede the change and failure could result (Hussey 1998). A key goal of refreezing is supporting those involved so that the change remains in place (Marqui s and Huston 2000) and so this audit may reveal those who need further support  [16]  . The change detailed in this case study has first and foremost considered the needs of the employees (i.e. to be safe in their lone work) yet has many benefits for the wider organisation and staff: potentially decreased litigation due to decreased adverse incidences affecting staff, increased recruitment and retention due to the organisations increasing attractiveness as a supportive employer and many more. This highlights effective use of a combination of leadership skills to inspire and motivate staff coupled with the ability to function in a management capacity by directing changes necessary in order to meet the organisations requirements (Marquis and Huston 2000). Change management requires well-developed leadership and managerial skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). However as a student health visitor many of these skills were far from being well developed and rather than use and manipulate models as I went along, elements of models such as transformational and situational were recognised retrospectively. However in doing so my knowledge of the theoretical underpinning has been developed and consolidated arming me with a plethora of skills to draw on in future. Northouse (2004) states that leadership style refers to the behaviours shown by an individual who attempts to influence others. I felt this was a daunting task as in my student role I felt very much the subordinate as opposed to the leader. However, Government papers such as Making a Difference (DH 1999) stress for the need to develop leadership at all levels meaning it is not an activity reserved for the upper echelons of an organisation (Garvin 1996). I found it hard at times to reconcile the requirement to develop leadership skills with the need to embrace evidence-based practice as the two often clashed due to the fact that there is little empirical evidence of the effectiveness of many leadership models (Northouse 2004) including those I used. To further illustrate this point Wright and Doyle (2005) conclude it is impossible to say how effective transformational leadership is with any degree of certainty and it is not possible to say here that another approach would have been more effective without trying it. Northouse (2004) also criticises other models of leadership including situational leadership, and questions their validity commenting that they are under-researched and with few published research findings. I had not viewed myself as a born leader and coupled with my student status, I felt nervous embracing a leadership role. Marriner-Tomey (1996) however asserts that leadership skills can be developed over time, indicating that skills can indeed be learnt, dispelling the myth that leaders are born not made. This provides me with reassurance that with further experience of leading in practice, along with a deeper knowledge of leadership theory, I may become a more effective and inspiring leader. References Bass, B. M. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York, Free Press. Baulcomb, J. (2003) Management of change through force field analysis. Journal of Nursing Management. 11. pp. 275-80. BBC News (2006) Man held as charity worker killed. News item [Internet], BBC. Available from: [Accessed 20th May 2006]. Bennis, W. (1994) On becoming a leader. NY, Perseus Press. Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York, Harper Row. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2005) Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques or organisational change. London, Kogan Page. Chappell, D. and Di Martino, V. (2000) Violence at work. 2nd ed. Geneva, ILO. Davidhizar, R. (1993) Leading with charisma. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 18. pp. 675-9. Deegan, C., Watson, A., Nestor, G., Conlon, C. and Connaughton, F. (2004) Managing change initiatives in clinical areas. Nursing Management. 12 (4), pp. 24-29. Department of Health (1999) Making a Difference: strengthening the contribution of nursing, midwifery and health visiting. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001a) Shifting the balance of power: securing delivery. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001b) Health visitor practice development resource pack. London, DH. Department of Health (2002) Liberating the talents: helping PCTs and nurses deliver the NHS Plan. London, HMSO. Elkan, R., Kendrick, D., Hewitt, M., Robinson, JJA., Tolley, K. and Blair, M. (2000) The effectiveness of domiciliary health visiting: a systematic review of international studies and a selective review of the British literature. 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Peters, T and Waterman, R. (1998) Re: planned change. [Internet], Shropshire and Staffordshire Workforce Development Confederation. Available from: [Accessed 15th April 2006.] RCN (2005) Transformational leadership processes. [Internet], RCN Practice Development Institute. Available from: [Accessed 1st May 2006]. Robson, C. (2003) Real world research. 2nd ed. Oxford, Blackwell. Selby York Primary Care Trust. (2004) Lone worker policy. York, SYPCT. Sheldon, L and Parker, P. (1997) Leadership and team building. Nursing Management. 4 (2). pp. 24-5 Stewart, R. (1996) Leading in the NHS: a practical guide. 2nd ed. Wiltshire, Macmillan Business. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust. (2005) Personal safety at work: guidance for all employees in the workplace, working off-site and travelling for work. UK, SLT. Turner, L. (2001) Introducing a medical emergency team. [Internet], Nursing Times 97 (40). Available from: [Accessed 14th May 2006.] Vroom, V. and Yetton, P. (1973) Leadership and decision-making. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Press. Wright, M and Doyle, M (2005) Classical leadership. [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Bibliography: Alexis, O. (2005) Managing change: cultural diversity in the NHS workforce. Nursing Management. 11 (10), pp. 28-30. Handy, C. (1999) Understanding organizations. 4th ed. London, Penguin. Home Office. (2005) Research development statistics: violence at work. [Internet], Home Office. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Maslow, A.H. (1954) Motivation and personality. New York, Harper Row. Mayhew, C. (2003) Occupational violence: a neglected occupational safety and health issue? Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 1 (1) pp. 31-58. NMC (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. London, NMC. Percival, J. (2005) Inspire the team. Nursing Standard. 19 (34), p. 71. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulation (RIDDOR) website. [Internet]. Available from: Appendices APPENDIX ONE Health and Safety Legislation in Practice. The Lone Worker Policy (SYPCT 2006) in my practice area is heavily influenced by the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSE 1974) and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act (HSE 1999 cited in SYPCT 2006) which stipulate the duties of the employer  [17]  and the employee  [18]  . The more recent legislation requires employers to assess the nature and scale of any workplace risks to health and ensure there are proper control measures to reduce or eliminate risk. Although the policy encompasses the relevant legislation and raises awareness, its aims are particularly broad and apart from indicating particular training, there are few suggestions of good practice to help staff understand exactly how they can take reasonable care. It was also evident that although Lone Worker safety training was mandatory, fewer than half of the members of the team had accessed this within the l