Moral choices Essay Example for Free

Moral choices Essay Miller shows several characters who are faced with difficult moral choices. They are changed by the experience and the audience go through catharsis watching them. How does millers treatment of moral issues add to the drama? In this essay I will write about how Arthur Miller, director of The Crucible uses moral issues in the play to add to the drama and the thrilling scenes throughout the play. Every character in the play is faced with at least one or more moral issues, I will look at the main characters issues and explain how it adds to the drama. In the play we see the events of the Salem trials in Massachusetts and we see exactly what the characters get up to and what issues face them throughout. The play was written in thought of the more recent events of the time in which it was made. Arthur Miller wanted to show the people what came of passing blame onto other people to try and get them to think right and treat people correctly. In 1938 the House un-American Activities Committee Organization was made; it had the power to investigate any movement or person who threatened the safety of the state. They looked for people who agreed with communism in the 1940s. America and the USSR were fighting, America was helping Korea to keep the freedom. America was worried that communism would spread to there land and that capitalism would be destroyed. People were asked if they were communist sympathizers and sometimes charged. They were also asked if they knew anyone else who went to meeting, and then forced to give there name. Actors, writers and film directors appeared in the committee and lost there job and industry. This made Miller write the play so the view of what happened then would relate with what was happening at this time. The play was set in the 17th century, everything that we see today was much different then, although the society was a theocratic one just like today everything was different. The society had a massive male dominance and women were seen as much less than today. In the 17th century God was perceived as male and men were seen as the natural enforcers of his will. Women were seen as unstable because of there biological function. This was a time when peoples roles were clearly defined by gender. Women were made to walk with their head down and arms by their side. People werent aloud to indulge in anything that seemed to much fun, because they saw it as being related to the devil.

Theories of Psychological Care in Nursing

Theories of Psychological Care in Nursing The best definition of psychosocial care is found in the National Council for Hospice and Specialist (2000) which describe it as concerned with the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the patients and their families/carers, including issues of self-esteem, insight into an adaption to their illness and its consequences, communication, social functioning and relationships. Psychosocial care theory differs from theory of biomedical care in that the former uses the holistic approach (Sheldon, 1997 and Oliviere et al, 1998) or the diseases, psychology, social and spiritual health of patients whereas the latter care only for patients physical ill-health. Furthermore, the biomedical model predicts poorer health outcome, psychological distress and poorer daily function, more days spent in bed, and more health professionals visit and surgeries (Sheridan Radmacher, 1992). Keywords used will be defined to facilitate understanding. The theory of psychosocial care has the following components; firstly, psychology deals with the way the patients use their conscious and subconscious (Freud) is dealt with their emotions, which is their feeling fine tuned throughout their lifespan development, to be aware of their different moods. Then their self-esteem, the patients perceived their self-worth, value themselves, self-respect and self confidence (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006), should be respected, hence, make them more confident and themselves. Scherer (2005) referred to emotion and self-esteem as behaviour forming strategies and Emotions are intensified feelings or complex patterns of feelings that one experience when the patients found themselves in a strange environment, giving their intimate information to people they just met moments ago. Nursing professional should respect patients as a person by so doing will make them feel more confident in themselves or raising their self-esteem. Therefore, self-esteem is ones feelings regarding the patients self-worth, values oneself, shows self respect or self confidence Scherer (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006). (2005) referred to emotion and self-esteem as part of cognition or psyche. The cognitive approach is to let the patient talk about his feelings as most that we do is controlled by our unconscious mind, we have to listen carefully to what the patient is saying (Freud). Moreover, we should ensure that information being given by the nurses is understood by the person (Smith et al, 2003). We should praise the patient if he has done something good. The patients social environment is important for their care as the nursing professionals must understand the supporting mechanism they have and those that needs to be put into place. In doing so one has to understand their need for equality and sensitivity that are required to care for patients from different ethnic and cultural background. The family being a component of the social jigsaw and it is important to involve them as long as the patients have given their consent. One has to be aware of confidentiality when talking about the patients information even to family. Research has shown that the involvement of families/carers greatly improve the psychological aspect of the patients rehabilitation (to put references). Social class again research has shown that patients coming from social class 3 access medical help faster than those living in social class 1. Therefore, this will affect their healing process if they are staying in an overcrowded and damp or living alone and have no family support. If they are staying in a rough area of the Borough therefore they are afraid to go out. Their culture is important as it is their core values and beliefs they have within their society. Environment is important to know if they are staying near a busy and noisy road. Their religion is important especially when it comes to food. The psychological and social aspects of the patients are one of the two elements in psychosocial care. Spiritual health refers to the possession of a belief in some unifying force that gives purpose or meaning to life or to a sense of belonging to a scheme of existence greater than merely personal, is another dimension of psychosocial care. The nursing practice is based on warmth, acceptance, genuineness and empathy and by moving our focus away from the illness to that of the patients (Baughan Smith, 2008), not forgetting to maintain privacy and dignity whilst talking to the patients (Faulkner, 2000) by getting the patients consent and their confidential preserved. Talking, caring, listening and supporting patients are qualities that nursing needs in forming good relationships with patients. Nurses should provide care that is focused on patients and tailored to their individual needs. Words like trusts, empathy, listening and compassion spring to mind. Nursing uses therapeutic comforting touching with confidence, not denying patients information, discussing the problem in a clear and understanding manner, being honest and have empathy not sympathy are useful tools to enhance the nursing practice. Subsequently, through therapeutic communication (Peplau, 1952) it built trust and confidence between the nursing professiona ls and the patients. Moreover, without the proper use of therapeutic communication, which is achieved through touch, silence and humour (where appropriate), listening to their narratives, not being judgemental, being considerate, respect their confidentiality and dignity as a person are important skills. The patients are able to reveal intimate details of their psychological and social health which inform the nursing professionals of better ways to support the patients towards the road to long lasting recovery. Therefore, Allen voiced the opinion of Wright (2004) too posh to wash that bad communication limits the extent that psychosocial care can be effectively given to patients. This will be achieved by using therapeutic communication (Peplau, 1952) through explaining clearly what is being done, touching, silence and humour and listening carefully to what the patients are saying without interaction and being judgmental. Furthermore, they expect to be given the right information when needed, not in jargons but in an understandable language. This is the platform from which one can use to get the correct information from the patients. Caring can be defined as involving concern, empathy and expertise making things better for others and is based on compassion (Smith, 1992; Eriksson, 1994 cited by Barry, 1994; Niven, 2006);). In view of the caring nature of the nursing professionals the patients are willing to (offered) information that they will not do so to other people (including their families/carers)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦into their confidence therefore could have intimate knowledge than other medical professionals may not be able to tease out. This is possible by listening attentively to what the patients are saying without interruptions, to emphatise () with the In return the patients expect that they are given the right information at the right time in a way that they understood. Their self esteem is ones feeling regarding their self worth, values oneself, show self respect or self confidence (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006). It can be improved through group support, forming realistic expectations, maintaining physical health, examining problem and seeking help e.g. limit smoking and alcohol. Empowerment ranged from giving patients information and helping them to understand, cope with and take control of their disease to psychological support them, rapport-building, reassurance, empathy and promoting self-esteem. The points raised so far is giving the reader a theoretical view of the way psychosocial aspect of care is relevant to nursing practice Stress and coping are concepts that will be used as reference to bring theory into practice observed whilst on the ward. Stress is defined as an interaction between an event in a persons life which is perceived as placing considerable demands on him and their response to coping with it. Therefore, the transactional model (Lazarus Folkman, 1984) of stress and coping is appropriate to further expand the stress being felt by the patient. A transactional model of stress is when a patient is confronted with, does that event present any threat to him at the time, and if not then he does not perceive the event as stressful. However, if it does whether he experiences stress will depend on his secondary appraisal and if he has the necessary resources, such as personal, social, financial support and/or hardiness; is sufficient to allow him to cope effectively with the stressor. Moreover, he may not perceive himself to have sufficient resources available to deal with the problem and as result he will experience a response that one would refer to as a stress response. It will also relate the concept to nursing practice Self-efficacy according to Bandura () is when the patients believe that they can successfully connect with and execute a specific behaviour X, a 65years old Caucasian male, married with two children, was admitted to hospital suffering with excruating abdominal pain. He has been diagnosed a week ago with lung cancer due to his heavy smoking, 15 cigarettes a day, increased to more than 20 after the death of his wife. His children said that he X constantly said that he wants to go and meet his wife wherever she might be. He is not eating properly and recently has been drinking heavily. He has low self-esteem and sometimes cries. Whilst helping him to shower daily the nurse was able get more information, he does not want to go a hospice or a care home like his children are saying. He wants to stay and die in his family home. Moreover, apart from his children he does not have any relatives staying close by. He is afraid of dying Therefore, he is not caring for himself and not eating properly. was admitted to the ward after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Psychosocial care states that the patients psychological and social factors are taken into consideration when assessing them. The ward is busy though Wright (2004) stated that nurses are too busy to talk to their patient, it is not the case here each patient is treated as an individual and they are listened to without being judgemental. Moreover, the opinions of the patients families/carers are listened to and information is shared with them after getting the consent of the patients due to confidentiality legislation. Mr. X Lists of References Allen D. (2009) Nurses are only effective as their communication skills. Nursing Standard. 23 (28) 28-29. Baer P.E., Garmezy L.B.; McLaughlin R.J., Pokorny A.D. and Wernick M.J. (1987). Stress, Coping, Family Conflict, and Adolescent Alcohol Use. Journal of Behavioural Medicine 10, 5, Pages 449 -466. Bandura A. (1978). Reflections on Self-Efficacy. Advances in Behavioural Research and Therapy 1, Pages 237-269. Bandura A. Locke E.A. (2003). Negative Self-efficacy and Goal Effects Revisited. Journal of Applied Psychology. 88, 1, Pages 87-99. Barry P.D. (1996). Psychosocial Nursing: Care of Physically Ill Patients their families. (3rd Edition) Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven publishers. Colder C.R. (2001). Life Stress, Physiological and Subjective Indexes of Negative Emotionality, and Coping Reasons for Drinking: Is there Evidence for a Self-Medication Model of Alchol Use? Psychology of Addictive Behaviours. 15, 3, Pages 237-245. Faulkner A. (2000), Effective Interaction with Patients. London: Churchill Livingstone. National Council for Hospice and Specialist (2000). What do we mean by psychosocial? London; March 2000 Briefing No. 4. Niven N. (2006). The Psychology of Nursing Care (2nd Edition) London: Palgrave MacMillan. Oliviere D., Hargreaves R., Monroe B. (1998) Good Practices in Palliative Care: A psychosocial perspective. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Scherer K.R. (2005). What are emotions? And how can they be measured. Social Science Information. 44 (4) 695-729. Sheldon F. (1997) Psychosocial Palliative Care: Good Practice in the care of the dying and bereaved. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (Publishing) Ltd. Sheridan C.L. Radmacher S.A. (1992) Health Psychology: Challenging the Biomedical Model. Chichester: Wiley Smith A. (2009) Exploring the legitimacy of intuition as a form of nursing knowledge. Nursing Standard. 23 (40) 35-40. Smith P. (1992). The Emotional Labour of Nursing. Basingstoke: The MacMillan Press Ltd. Summers L.C. (2002) Mutual Timing: An essential Component of Provider/Patient Communication. Journal of American Academy of Nurse Practitioner. 14(1) 19-25. Wilson V. (2004). Supporting Family carers in the community setting. Nursing Standard. 18, 29, Pages 47-53. Smith said that intuition is a valuable source of knowledge though it could be difficult to put into words as there is little empirical evidenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Self-esteem refers to ones sense of self-respect or self-confidence. It is how much one likes oneself and values ones own personal worth as an individual. Self-esteem can be improved in several ways: Support groups; Completing required tasks; Forming realistic expectations, Taking/Making time for you ; Maintaining physical health; Examining problems and seeking help External influences are those factors that we do not control, such as who raised us. The family influences include family upbringing. Healthy, nurturing families produce more well-adjusted adults. Dysfunctional families may produce confused adults who have a harder time adapting to life. Influences of the greater environment include safety, access to health services and programs, and socioeconomic status. Internal factors include hereditary traits, hormonal functioning, physical health status, physical fitness, and other selected elements of mental and emotional health (Definition) It can be improved through support group, forming realistic expectations, maintaining physical health, examining problem and seeking help limit smoking and alcohol. He was assessed by the nurse after he gave his consent whereby information about his past and present illness, demographic and his activity of daily living was recorded on the assessment form. The nurse recorded the reading of his vital signs such as pulse, respiratory, temperature, O2 and heart, taking the vital signs at all time Mr. X dignity was not abused. Patients records are confidential information and can only be access by the nursing and medical professionals working with the specific patients. Respondents found it very hard to cope with watching their partners suffering, and not knowing how to deal with it. In this situation the nurses role should include giving information and educating patients and partners, as well as offering support. Information should be accessible throughout the course of the illness, and needs to cover physical and emotional issues (Northouse and Peters-Golden, 1993). Self-efficacy :Learned helplessness is a response to continued failure where people give up and fail to take action to help themselves.

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives Assess the links between team performance and strategic Objectives. The fundamental aim of the strategic management is to generate strategic capability by ensuring that the organisation has the skilled, committed and well motivated employees which it needs to achieve sustained competitive advantages. It’s objective is to provide a sense of direction in an turbulent’s environment, so that the business needs of the organization, and the individual and collective needs of its employees, can be met by the development and implementation of coherent and practical Human Resource policies and programme. Team performance working involves the development of a number of interrelated processes that together make an impact on the performance of the firm through its people in such areas as productivity, quality, levels of customer service, growth, profits, and ultimately the delivery of increased shareholder value. This is achieved by enhancing the skills and engaging the enthusiasm of employees . The starting point is leadership, vision and benchmarking to create a sense of momentum and direction. Progress must be measured constantly and the main drivers, support systems and culture are: Development of people capacities through learning at all levels, with particular emphasis on self-management and team capabilities to enable and support performance improvement and organizational potential Performance, operational and people management processes aligned to organizational objectives to build trust, enthusiasm and commitment to the direction taken by the organization Fair treatment for those who leave the organization as it changes, and engagement with the needs of the community outside the organization. Team-performance management practices include rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance management processes. The fundamental business need the strategy should meet is to develop and maintain a high performance culture. The characteristics of such a culture are: A clear line of sight exists between the strategic aims of the authority and those of its departments and its staff at all levels Management defines what it requires in the shape of performance improvements, sets goals for success and monitors performance to ensure that the goals are achieved Leadership from the top which engenders a shared belief in the importance of continuing improvement Performance management processes aligned to the authoritys objectives to ensure that people are engaged in achieving agreed goals and standards Capacities of people developed through learning at all levels to support performance improvement. People valued and rewarded according to their contribution. Evaluate tools and techniques available to set team performance targets Tools and techniques to help companies transform quickly. Way back when (pick your date), team members in large companies had a simple goal for themselves and their organizations: stability. Shareholders wanted little more than predictable earnings growth. Because so many markets were either closed or undeveloped, leaders could deliver on those expectations through annual exercises that offered only modest modifications to the strategic plan. Long-term structural transformation has four characteristics: scale (the change affects all or most of the organization), magnitude (it involves significant alterations of the status quo), duration (it lasts for months, if not years), and strategic importance. Yet companies will reap the rewards only when change occurs at the level of the individual employee. 1.2.1. Performance Evaluations: As a supervisor, your role is to set expectations, gather data, and provide on going feedback to your employees to assist them in utilizing their skills, expertise and ideas to produce results. To provide this direction. The Annual Performance Evaluation should provide a comparison of actual on-the job performance to established performance measurement standards. The Annual Performance Evaluation encourages periodic and structured communication between supervisors and employees about the job, and should take place continuously. 1.2.2 . Feedback: Feedback is a process by which effective performance is reinforced and less-than-desirable performance is corrected. Feedback should be information that highlights the relationship between what is expected and what has been accomplished after the work is performed or the action is taken. 1.2.3. Development Planning: Development planning is the process of creating experiences for your employees that promote skills and knowledge related to the position, as well as to professional growth. Development plans draw from the Performance Evaluation: Performance goals or needs (deficiencies) to be addressed The employee, with supervisor assistance, identifies ways to achieve those goals and/or address performance deficiencies in systematic ways. Address opportunities for professional growth Agreement and/or commitment between employee and supervisor Planned follow-up Assess the value of team performance tools to measure future team performance The first step in getting organized is to establish the performance measurement team. The team should be made up of: 1. People who actually do the work to be measured2. People who are very familiar with the work to be measured. 3. It is important that each person understands the task before them and their role in its accomplishment. Guidelines for Teams When meeting as a team, consider these Guidelines for Team: 1. Focus on effectiveness of systems and the appropriate level of internal controls. 2. Maintain a balance between outcome (objective) and process (subjective) measures. 3. Develop measures that crosscut functional areas to better represent overall organizational performance. 4. Incorporate â€Å"Best Practices† and reflect management’s judgment as to the key elements for overall successful operation, including cost/risk/benefit effectiveness—ascertain that measures add value a improve effectiveness in support of the organizational mission. 5. Consider value-added criteria, including evaluating the cost of measuring and administering the measure, and the number of measures that can be effectively managed. Keep the number of performance measures at each management level to a minimum. For any program, there are a large number of potential performance measures. Develop clear and understandable objectives and performance measures. Performance measures should clarify the objective and be understandable Consider the cost of attaining the next level of improvement. Establishing a measure that encourages reaching for a new or higher level of improvement should take into account the cost of implementing such a measure against the value of the additional improvement. Consider performing a risk evaluation. Organizations developing performance measurement systems should consider performing a risk evaluation of the organization to determine which specific processes are most critical to organizational success or which processes pose the greatest risk to successful mission accomplishments. Consider the weight of conflicting performance measures. Organizations frequently have several objectives that may not always be totally consistent with each other. For example, an objective of high productivity may conflict with an objective for a high quality product, or an objective of meeting specific deadlines may conflict with an objective of providing the highest quality reports to meet. 2.1 Analyse how to determine required performance targets within teams against current performance High-performing individuals and teams should be the goal of any organisation. We are all now aware of the potential results of high performance in terms of organisational success and competitiveness. The perennial debate is around how to create that high performance and, more importantly, how to sustain it. Most companies find the organisational issues much easier to handle than the individual ones so they get the attention. Unfortunately this is only part of what needs to be done to create a successful high-performance culture: addressing high performance among individuals is also essential. 2.1.1 Know what it looks like It will be impossible to know when youre achieving high performance if you dont know what it looks like. From an organisational perspective, high performance means not only running a financially sound business, adhering to essential policies and ensuring regulatory demands are observed, but also understanding the capability of your workforce to deliver high performance. All too often, concerns about what they might find and the time it may take prompt organisations to adopt the three wise monkeys strategy dont see, dont hear, dont speak with the result that low performance goes unchecked for years until it is too late and competitors have overtaken you. Too often, individual high performance is defined as simply getting the job done in the short term rather than looking to the long term and focusing on behaviours. 2.1.2 Make a commitment Strong and active commitment from leaders and managers, and the pursuit of continuous learning throughout the organisation, are crucial to building a well-defined high-performance culture. Commitment means not leaving it to fate, but truly understanding what high performance looks like, trusting different approaches and working with all stakeholders, including the human resource 2.1.3 Define your starting point Knowing where your organisation currently stands will make it much easier to create a vision for the future and to secure buy-in. One of the most effective strategies is to define explicitly what creates high performance in your organisation. Ensure that these behaviours are distinct, while being comprehensive enough to cover different levels of the organisation. Include areas such as how people collect and make sense of information and how they influence and build confidence in stakeholders. 2.1.4 Put a stake in the ground Once you have agreed what the behavioural high performance indicators look like, it is essential to observe and measure them. The best way to capture current performance is through objective observation, such as work shadowing, behavioural event interviews and subjective feedback via online and facilitated 360-degree analysis. This should clearly distinguish between behaviour that: †¢ impedes performance †¢ helps to do the task in hand †¢ makes a sustainable and long-term positive contribution †¢ promotes beneficial and long-term behavioural change in teams and divisions. 2.2 Discuss the need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational goals Individual understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their teams goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Team ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions. To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and walked every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later. Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team. 2.3 Relate the application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of the organisational objectives Coaching can take many forms, life coaching, business coaching, performance coaching etc. As with mentoring and counselling it is about helping the individual to gain self awareness, but it is goal focused and action is required so that the individual can move forward. The goal setting process has two components: skill development and psychological development. The outcome sought is that the coachee will achieve the goals set, and will thereafter feel able and confident to set personal goals for themselves. Developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individuals private life. Mentoring happens in all organisations whether it is fostered as a development strategy; allowed or encouraged as an informal process; or is an activity that occurs below the consciousness of individuals. People are learning from others, adopting modelled behaviours and attitudes and absorbing the culture and perceived values of the organisation through their personal interactions with co-workers. Benefits to the Organisation Increase in morale and motivation Greater productivity Discovery of talent Development of leadership for future survival and prosperity Communication of values, goals and plans Demonstration of personal and professional standards Achievement of excellent service Implementation of equity initiatives Fostering of shared values and team work Enhancement of leadership and people management skills of managers Increase in staff satisfaction Building a learning organisation Managed careers Development of cross-organisational networks 2.4 Evaluate a team performance plan to meet organisational objectives As a Team Leader you will be required to ensure that Performance Plans are created for your team and its members. You should also ensure that you are involved in developing your own Performance Plan in conjunction with your Manager. Your Performance Plan ensures that you are clear on the levels of leadership and management performance that are expected of you and helps you to develop new skills as required. Performance planning should occur as: An Initial Performance Plan A Performance Improvement Plan Initial performance plan An Initial Performance Plan is a detailed plan for either an individual or a team and is used to: Identify the desired performance levels Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Although there are no strict rules as to the format of a Performance Plan they normally contain the following information: Specific goals for development Performance measures Actions required to achieve goals An indication of how long goals will take to achieve Individual and team Performance Plans should align with the organisations overall objectives. This can be achieved by aligning the: Performance Plans with the Team Operational Plan Team Operational Plan with the Team Purpose Team Purpose with the organisations Strategic Plan Performance Plans might include the following types of goals: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Goals to improve competency levels Team building goals Whenever the performance levels of an individual or team are found to be below the levels indicated in the Performance Plan then a planning process to improve performance should be undertaken. Performance improvement plan When a performance deficiency is noted, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible. The following steps outline a process for handling poor performance. Collate the information regarding poor performance This information may be in the form of feedback, customer complaints, error rates, statistics and/or informal observation. Meet with the relevant team member(s) and discuss the issues During this meeting you will need to discuss the deficiency or inappropriate behaviour and identify the causes. Inadequate performance does not always indicate a problem on the part of the individual. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may be unrealistic or the resources required to achieve the performance standard may not be available. Develop a Performance Improvement Plan A Performance Improvement Plan provides an outline of what is required by both the individual and their Manager. You may find that your company or organisation has an existing process for implementing Performance Improvement Plans. You should consult with your Human Resources department or your Manager to determine if this is the case. Follow up Ensure that you monitor, follow up and evaluate the performance improvement as set out in the plan. A Performance Improvement Plan should clearly convey: The area of performance that requires improvement or development The action(s) to be taken Any parties required to assist in the achievement of the set actions The timeframe for achieving each action 3.1 Assess the process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary How do we initiate change Often it is easier to carry out a job if there is a specific plan to follow. When major changes are to be installed, careful planning and preparation are necessary. Strengthening the forces promoting the change and weakening resistance to it are the main tasks. Create a climate for change How people react to proposed changes is greatly influenced by the kind of climate for change that the manager/supervisor has created in the department. How is the right kind of climate created? Supervisors and managers who have enthusiasm for progress and change build a healthy climate. Creating the right climate is more than just passing on changes. It involves: Encouraging employees to seek ways of improving their jobs. Seeking suggestions and ideas from employees. This requires the manager/supervisor to listen and seriously consider suggestions. It is easy to see that there is a great deal of ego involvement in coming forth with an idea for improvement. Change can become an exciting and dynamic way of life. Get ready to sell Much of the difficulty in getting co-operation stems from the employees lack of understanding of how the change will affect them. With a little effort, managers/supervisors can find most of the answers to employees questions before they are even asked. Answers to these questions would be useful. What is the reason for the change? Whom will it benefit and how? Will it inconvenience anyone, if so, for how long? Armed with the answers to these questions a manager/supervisor can head off many objections and can develop a plan to present the change. 3.2 Evaluate team performance against agreed objectives Implement the action plans and take corrective action when required to ensure the attainment of objectives Periodically review performance against established goals and objectives Appraise overall performance, reinforce behavior, and strengthen motivation. Begin the cycle again supervisors need to ensure that appraisal processes are congruent with objectives and goals. An MBO rating form needs to provide space to list staff member objectives in order of importance, as well as space for the evaluator to describe staff member performance using a mutually agreed upon scale. Categories of performance can include: distinguished performance, competent performance, provisional performance, and inadequate performance. Accountabilities and Measures approaches involve the supervisor and staff member agreeing on accountability and performance factors and including them in the job description. Performance is then forecast for each factor to enable quantifiable measures for each factor. An Accountabilities and Measures form can be created, with performance factor categories. 3.3 Evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives Clear Expectations: Expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes are clearly known and understand why the team was created. The organization demonstrating constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money. It work of the team receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by executive leaders. Commitment: Team members feel the team mission is important. Members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected the outcomes. The team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers. The team members anticipate recognition for their contributions and the team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team. The team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity. Competence: The team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed. The team feel it has the resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission? Charter: The team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. The team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task. Control: Team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter and at the same time, the team members clearly understand their boundaries. The limitations (i.e. monetary and time resources) defined at the beginning of the project before the team experiences barriers and rework? The team’s reporting relationship and accountability understood by all members of the organization. There is a defined review process so both the team and the organization are consistently aligned in direction and purpose. The team members hold each other accountable for project timelines, commitments and results. The organization have a plan to increase opportunities for self-management among organization members. Communication: The team members clear about the priority of their tasks and an established method for the teams to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback. The organization provide important business information regularly and the teams understand the complete context for their existence. The team members communicate clearly and honestly with each other and the team members bring diverse opinions to the table and all the necessary conflicts raised and addressed. Creative Innovation: It reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo. It provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking. The team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements and are rewards and recognition supplied when teams are successful. The reasonable risk respected and encouraged in the organization. Team members fear reprisal. The team members spend their time finger pointing rather than resolving problems and the organization designing reward systems that recognize both team and individual performance. The organization planning to share gains and increased profitability with team and individual contributors. Coordination: The teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success. Have priorities and resource allocation been planned across departments. The teams understand the concept of the internal customer—the next process, anyone to whom they provide a product or a service. The cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively. The organization developing a customer-focused process-focused orientation and moving away from traditional departmental thinking. Cultural Change: The organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be and the organization planning to or in the process of changing how it rewards, recognizes, appraises, hires, develops, plans with, motivates and manages the people it employs. 4.1 Determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action This is a unique approach to team leadership that is aimed at action orientated environments where effective functional leadership is required to achieve critical or reactive tasks by small teams deployed into the field. In other words leadership of small groups often created to respond to a situation or critical incident. The individuals should have the knowledge, skills and values required for todays and tomorrows jobs. One company clarified the usual definition of competence and framed it as right skills, right place, right job. Competence clearly matters because incompetence leads to poor decision-making. But without commitment, competence doesnt count for much. Highly competent employees who are not committed are smart, but dont work very hard. Committed or engaged employees work hard, put in their time and do what they are asked to do. In the past decade, commitment and competence have been the bailiwicks for talent. But my colleagues and I have found that next-generation leaders for an organization may be competent (able to do the work) and committed (willing to do the work), but unless they are making a real contribution through the work (finding meaning and purpose in their work), then their interest in what they are doing diminishes and their willingness to harness their talent in the organization wanes. Contribution occurs when employees feel that their personal needs are being met through their participation in their organization. 4.2 Discuss the impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing the commitment of individuals to a course of action Organizational behavior scientists study four primary areas of behavioral science: individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure, and organizational processes. They investigate many facets of these areas like personality and perception, attitudes and job satisfaction, group dynamics, politics and the role of leadership in the organization, job design, the impact of stress on work, decision-making processes, the communications chain, and company cultures and climates. They use a variety of techniques and approaches to evaluate each of these elements and its impact on individuals, groups, and organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Groups of individuals gathered together to achieve a goal or objective, either as a committee or some other grouping, go through several predicatable stages before useful work can be done. These stages are a function of a number of variables, not the least of which is the self-identification of the role each member will tend to play, and the emergence of natural leaders and individuals who will serve as sources of information. Any individual in a leadership position whose responsibilities involve getting groups of individuals to work together should both be conversant with the phases of the group process and possess the skills necessary to capitalize on these stages to accomplish the objective of forming a productive, cohesive team. Bibliography Bass, Bernard M. (1985). Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York: Free Press. Bass, Bernard M. and Avolio, Bruce, J. (1994). Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Bennis, Warren G. (1959). Leadership Theory and Administrative Behavior: The Problem of Authority. Administrative Science Quarterly 4: 259-260. Conger, Jay A., and Kanungo, Rabindra.(1987). Toward a Behavioral Theory of Charismatic Leadership in Organizational Settings. Academy of Management Review 12: 637-647. Daft, Richard L. (1999). Leadership: Theory and Practice. New York: Dryden Press. Fiedler, Fred E. (1967). A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill. Graef, C. L. (1993). The Situational Leadership Theory: A Critical Review. Academy of Management Review 8: 285-296. Hall, Richard H. (1982). Organizations: Structure and Process. New York: Prentice Hall. Hofstede, Geert (1980). Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Howell, Jane M. (1988). Two Faces of Charisma: Socialized and Personalized Leadership in Organizations. In Jay A. Conger and Rabindra N. Kanungo, eds., Charismatic Leadership: The Elusive Factor in Organizational Effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. House, Robert J. (1996). Path-Goal Theory of Leadership: Lessons, Legacy and a Reformulated Theory. Leadership Quarterly 7: 323-352. Hughes, Richard L., Ginnet, Robert C., and Curphy, Gordon J. (1996). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. Chicago: Irwin. Kirkpatrick, S.A., and Locke, Edwin A. (1996). Direct and Indirect Effects of Three Core Charismatic Leadership Components on Performance and Attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology 81: 36-51. Kotter, John P. (1988). The Leadership Factor. New York: Free Press. Meindl, James R. (1990). On Leadership: An Alternative to the Conventional Wisdom. In B. M Staw and L.L. Cummings, eds., Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 12. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Meindl, James R., Ehrlich, S.B., and Dukerich, J.M. (1985). The Romance of Leadership. Administrative Science Quarterly 30: 78-102. Trice, Harry M., and Beyer, Janis M. (1991). Cultural Leadership in Organizations. Organization Science 2: 149-169. Yuke, Gary. (1998). Leadership in Organizations, 4th ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

Female Suicide Bombers Essay -- essays research papers

Female Suicide Bombers Suicide bombers have become today’s weapon of choice. Middle Eastern terrorists are using suicide bombers because they are low cost, low technology, and a low risk weapon. Suicide bombers have also become readily available, requiring little training, leaving no trace behind, and strike fear into the general population. The success of suicide bombers depends upon an element of surprise, as well as acceptability to targeted area or populations. Both of these required fundamentals have been enjoyed by women suicide bombers. Female suicide bombers were used in the past; however, the recent spat of them in different venues and for different terrorist organizations has largely increased. In order to understand what propels a woman to engage in violence during war, it is imperative to first understand the complexities of terrorism in the Arab – Israeli conflict, including its prehistoric history, and the roles women have played in warring relative to their cultural norms. There are several reasons that make women engage in this horrific act of violence but they can be counted down as being only a few. Hardly anyone would disagree that war is a heart-wrenching ordeal and that it brings dark anguish upon the people of the society being defended. Yet, war also has a flip side for those engaged in direct fighting as well as those witnessing it. War brings on feelings of exhilaration and states have come to view it as a natural and necessary endeavor that must be undertaken in order to maintain the survival of the nation (Elshtain 24). Oddly enough, the emotions felt by militant Middle Eastern women as they do battle have been described as seductive, rebellious, exciting, sense of purpose, sense of freedom (Elshtain 42). Moreover, there is no shortage of romance for even during warring, women’s femininity continues to lie deep within their spirits. Still they must project a strong persona, one who is just as capable as the men are. Repeatedly, combative women respond to their calling and they do it with remarkable charm and valor. Women’s roles in societies have customarily been distinguished from those of men. Their roles in warring also have been clearly delineated and boundaries unmistakably demarcated. Society, through its body of rules and its numerous institutions, has conventionally dictated their boundaries of militancy. Assisting in... ...ty of Tulkrm. Although profiling suicide bombers may be a fascinating academic challenege, it is less relevant in the real world struggle against terrorism than understanding the people that operate as terrorist leaders. It makes much sense to then be more concerned with structural issues: almost nobody does this as an individual. The need is pointed out to counter terrorist organizations since suicide organizations is an organizational phenomenon, the struggle against it can not be conducted on an individual level (Stern 203). Most important, organizations only implement suicide terrorism if their community approves of its use. Research shows that terrorist organizations will continue to use suicide bomber tactics and employ female suicide bombers. A comprehensive counter terrorism plan should recognize the increasing potential for the use of female suicide bombers. The struggle then must continue to lead the way against this terrible way of thinking. With more time and research, it will be easier to understand the real motives and truth behind the thinking of these Middle Eastern women, since they have now gotten to the point in also believing that dying is greater than living.

A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay -- essays research papers

A Prayer for Owen Meany In literature of significant standing, no act of violence is perpetrated without reason. For a story to be legitimate in the area of fine literature violence cannot be used in a wanton manner. In John Irving’s modern classic, A Prayer for Owen Meany the audience is faced with multiple scenes of strong violence but violence is never used without reason. All of the violent acts depicted in the novel are totally necessary for the characters and the plot to develop. This plot-required violence can be seen in the novel’s first chapter when Owen accidentally kills John’s mother and in the novel’s last chapter when John relates Owen’s grotesque, while heroic, death to the audience. The violence that is shown in this novel is used in such a calculated manner that it leaves a great impression on the audience. In Chapter one, the narrator vividly relates his mother’s death to the audience, explaining the reasoning behind this amount of detail with the statement, â€Å"Your memory is a monster; you forget- it doesn’t.† The author meticulously records every sensory stimulus he received in the moments leading up to and following his mother’s death; demonstrating how this event dramatically altered the course of his young life. Another example of the detailed memory the narrator recounts in this portion of the novel is seen in the passage, â€Å"Later, I would remember everything. In revisiting the scene of my   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &...

Legalizing Marjuana Essay

The legalization of marijuana in the United States has been a major issue for several years. There are many opinions on this topic, some people don’t give marijuana a thought. Many people including most government consider marijuana a â€Å"bad drug†. Marijuana actually has many good uses. Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes, to reduce America’s prison population and to boost the economy. The use of marijuana as a medicine is rapidly becoming popular in the treatment of various types of illnesses. Sixty-five percent of Americans were for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes (Update: Medical Marijuana). Every year there are different trials being done that prove marijuana has good medicinal use. Medical marijuana can be used in providing pain relief for people with different cancers and HIV/AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). It has been used to provide relief for nerve pain in patients with AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). Marijuana is also eff ective in treating nausea in cancer patients that go through chemotherapy. Some States have already legalized medicinal marijuana, while others are more reserved. Georgia just legalized the use of marijuana oils to be used for medicinal purposes. Additionally, people being arrested for marijuana is causing over population in the prison systems. Some people that support the legalization of marijuana think that law enforcement fighting the war against drugs should focus their attention towards other violent crimes or hard-core street drugs. Marijuana is the most widely used and prosecuted drug in the United States (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Ninety percent of the people arrested in 2007 were arrested for simple possession alone (Decriminalizing Marijuana). People that are being arrested for marijuana are being sent to jail/prison with violent criminals. Law enforcement could use a different way of dealing with people that are being arrested for marijuana like righting a ticket, inste ad of spending taxpayer’s dollars on sending them to prison. The over population in our prison system is a heavy burden on taxpayers. Furthermore, legalizing marijuana would be a major boost for the struggling economy. More people are in agreement with legalizing marijuana when the issue focuses on using it as a taxable substance (Decriminalizing Marijuana). There is such a demand for marijuana already that legalizing it could only boost the economy instead of hurting it. Unemployment has been a major issue in America today. Legalizing marijuana would generate jobs for thousands of people in various different fields of work. In addition, the tax revenue would benefit students of all ages by providing grants and scholarships for education. It has been estimated that legalizing marijuana would generate $10-$14 billion dollars in savings and tax revenue annually (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Instead of the government spending money on restricting the use of marijuana, they could make money off legalizing it. The government could tax marijuana just as they tax tobacco and alcohol. In conclusion, the times are changing, more states are agreeing to legalize marijuana, both for medicinal purposes and recreational use. Mar ijuana should not be treated any different from the way people treat alcohol and tobacco. Legalizing marijuana would benefit Americans for medicinal use, it would also decrease over crowding in our prison populations and help our struggling economy. It is time for our government leaders to become more open minded when it comes to the topic of marijuana. Works Cited Update: Medical Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. . Decriminalizing Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. .

An Analysis Of In Arabian Nights English Literature Essay

Traveling to new states gives life a fantastic experience and helps learn a individual about the civilizations and traditions of that state. Travelling is something that teaches a individual many things as one can hold many interactions with aliens and can assist one larn many new things approximately him every bit good. Traveling is something that everybody experiences in life. Travelling besides helps a individual addition more cognition about the other states civilization, tradition and linguistic communication. Traveling can assist a individual happen his or her finish in life. Traveling to new states gives life a fantastic experience and helps learn a individual about the civilizations and traditions of that state. Travelling is something that teaches a individual many things as one can hold many interactions with aliens and can assist one larn many new things approximately him every bit good. I had a charming experience during my journey to United States of America. My chief purpose or my mission for traveling to America was for an educational intent. I wanted to cognize more about the state and wanted to research it. I had visited America in the twelvemonth 2007. It was 10 yearss school trip. I truly enjoyed my trip with my friends and I besides got to larn many new things on my trip. We were besides accompanied by our professors. My trip was fundamentally based an educational based. They were really helpful and cheerful. We visited Washington DC, New York and Florida. The experience was great and thrilling. We visited many of import landmarks, museums a nd besides many commemorations. These topographic points would assist me cognize more about the history of America. Wherever we went we would ever seek to acquire more and more information about that peculiar country or topographic point as it would assist increase my cognition about that topographic point. Peoples were really friendly in America. I did non experience that I was off from my place state. The people were astonishing. They were really helpful and cheerful. My experience taught me many things. It helped me larn how to populate an independent life. I had to make all by myself. No 1 would pack my bags or press my apparels ; everything was to be done by me. I had seen a transmutation in myself. I was going independent. It was the best experience of my life. The trip besides helped me better my communicating accomplishment. By speaking and run intoing different people in the hotel every bit good around the metropolis, it felt like I belonged to that state. The trip was real ly enlightening. By going with friends it would assist better societal development and additions adulthood in a individual. My love for travel has increased after this experience. The manner I look at the outer universe has changed. This experience has given me many unforgettable memories and has besides helped me transform myself. The experience of Tahir Shah is in a manner related to my travel experience. He was in hunt for the narrative in his bosom, whereas I was in hunt for instruction as it was during my school yearss and I wanted to hold on every bit much cognition about the state. Tahir was ungratified to happen the narrative in his bosom. He met many people and had assorted interactions with them and at last found the narrative in his bosom. I was besides ungratified approximately deriving every bit much cognition as I can. I met many new people and my interaction with them helped me derive cognition about their civilization and traditions. I had a fantastic and joyful experience. It has transformed my full life. Before I used to fear from speaking to aliens, but now I am really confident as I had an experience which transformed me. Tahirs experience was really alone for him. He had found the narrative in his bosom. On my manner to America, I was Travel trips are something that each individual must travel for. Travelling makes people explore the universe every bit good as explore one & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s ain life. Traveling can be a fantastic experience. From the narrative written by Tahir Shah, we come to cognize how restless he was to happen the narrative in his bosom. He travelled all the manner to south of Casablanca and found the narrative in his bosom. When I went to America I excessively was ungratified like Tahir because I was in hunt for more and more instruction. Work Cited: Shah, Tahir. In Arabian Nights: a Caravan of Moroccan Dreams. New York: Bantam, 2008. Print.