Compensation and Labor Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation and Labor Relations - Assignment Example Notably, effective collective bargaining improves labour relations. The most common approaches to bargaining are the traditional or adversarial approach and integrative or win-win bargaining (Sharp 98). The process of collective bargaining has always been adversarial in nature and this has always caused rifts in the organizational decision making process. In this approach to bargaining, both parties involves, usually the union and the management, present their own agenda and have no idea of each other’s problems. It is a give and take approach to negotiation where one side’s loss is another side’s gain(Carly 198). Another way in which labour relations and collective bargaining can be carried out is through integrative approach. Integrative approach strives for mutual understanding and it concentrates more on the goals and concerns common to both parties. Here, both parties clearly understand the issues and solve the problems jointly and as a result, both of them will gain mutually as there will be equitable solution. Integrative bargaining aims at creating solutions that satisfies the needs of both parties (Carly 198). It demands that each side be aware of the issues affecting the other side. The labour union and the management provide a list explaining their needs and so the discussion is based on the possible ways to meet those needs in manner acceptable and beneficial to both parties. This approach to collective bargaining is very positive and it is commonly used in many modern union-management contracts. Many workers are not satisfied with their jobs and in most cases it is because of low wages. Notably, workers who are dissatisfied with their pay do leave their job for better opportunities. Dissatisfied workers exhibit withdrawal behaviours such as lateness, absenteeism and finally quitting their jobs. Quitting and seeking job in other factories that pay better is the most

Industry Analysis and Outlook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industry Analysis and Outlook - Essay Example Recently, with the advent of globalization and information technology, the e-commerce market has swelled exponentially. Online retail sales are growing 30% annually. The basic reasons for this growth are: convenience, information sharing, and personalization. Other historical facts which confirm the growth of this sort of market place are: Euromonitor reported that India will be Asia’s fastest growing market for online travel retail by 2010. Moreover the consumer e-commerce market in India is estimated to cross 90 billion by 2011. So after considering these facts and figures the industry outlook is looking very optimistic. These figures should encourage business to setup online channels to reach their customers. However, some caution is also required when going online. The biggest worry for businesses that went online was the harm this step caused to their relationship with their existing retailers and whole sellers. But a counter strategy is worth developing, and businesses c annot ignore the potential market that can be tapped through the internet. Critical needs of perceived market: Mail Attire is aiming to address the needs of those set of individuals who are office going, and therefore are time starved to concentrate on their office wear. Since they do not have time to lookout for comfortable and stylish office wear, they end up wearing out of fashion and uncomfortable clothes. Here, the company come in; the product offering will address customers need for comfort and look stylish in front of their peers. After thorough research in office wear category, the company has finally reached the conclusion that the comfort problem can be eliminated through precise fitting and measuring of outfit, while the need to look stylish can be satisfied through offering quality fabric. Therefore, the company will work along these dimensions and try to satisfy all our customers. Business Model: Since, the company is committed in providing the customers with comfort an d style, and that too without wasting their time. The company is therefore having a brick and mortar business model. To get the accurate body measurements of the customer they would be invited to the company store, where the expert tailor will personally take the body measurements and feed them into the online customer database. Well, after this procedure customers would not have to come back again to the store for body measurements unless they experience a change in the body mass. Having done this, the customer can return home and through the customer-oriented website place an order of his liking and budget, whenever he feel free. In the diversified and highly selective fabric portfolio of the company, customers will find fashionable and comfortable material. After customers have placed an order, the company will take seven working days to deliver the order. Identifying the target market: Initially the company will be targeting the audience of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: U.S Census B ureau Figures 2010 Population of Pittsburgh (city), Pennsylvania 305,704 Bachelor's degree or higher, % of persons 33.80% Targeted Working Class 103327.952 This targeted working class will form the probable clientele. General profile of targeted clients: The potential Clients are educated,

Adidas PEST and SWOT Analysis

Adidas PEST and SWOT Analysis The Footwear Industry is a mature industry; it consists of giant players like Nike, Reebok, Puma on one hand and millions of small retailers in the unorganised sector on the other. This industry presents a myriad of interesting observations there are highly specialised segments where performance is the driving force like running shoes, basketball shoes, and soccer shoes. But to some, a highly fashionized shoe is the priority. Therefore the industry is in a creative phase where performance and fashion have now been merged to create a new hybrid, called lifestyle segment. The competition in this industry is mostly non-price atleast for the established legendary players like Nike and Adidas. They compete for mind share of the customer and aspects like marketing campaigns, brand ambassadors, product proliferation and branding, spell success. Brand Stickiness is high once a customer has experienced a brand and has been satisfied, indicating that price stickiness is less which is also due to affluent lifestyles, prosperity and rising purchasing power of the customer today. Nike and Adidas are the two mammoths of the industry today. Nike is the world leader with a close follower as Adidas Reebok combined (post Reeboks acquisition by Adidas in 2006). The report attempts to study the internal external environment in which Adidas operates and competes. To give the study a 360 degree perspective, various aspects of the industry like market trends, customer profile, competitive analysis and are covered. I. Corporate Mission Mission Statements are an insight into a companys intent, it tells various stakeholders the basic premise for the existence of an organisation why does it do what it chooses to do, who does it deal with, what does it aspire to become all these are essential elements of a companys mission statement, Rossiter, J. R., Bellman, S. (2005). Marketing communications: Theory and applications. The Mission Statement of Adidas is as follows: Adidas-Salomon strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with sports brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. We are consumer focused. That means we continuously improve the quality, look, feel and image of our products and our organizational structures to match and exceed consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value. We are innovation and design leaders who seek to help athletes of all skill levels achieve peak performance with every product we bring to the market. We are a global organization that is socially and environmentally responsible, creative and financially rewarding for our employees and shareholders. We are committed to continuously strengthening our brands and products to improve our competitive position and financial performance. In the medium term, we will extend our leading market position in Europe, expand our share of the US footwear market and be the fastest growing major sporting goods supplier in Asia and Latin America. The resulting top-line growth, together with strict cost control and working capital improvements, will drive over-proportionate earnings growth. (Mission Statement sourced from www.adidas.com) Adidas is a German company by origin and it had acquired Salomon SA in 1998 as a part of its expansion strategy. It purchased Reebok in the year 2006 to re-strengthen its position and focus on its core businesses of athletic footwear and apparel. The company has been known for its continual zest for innovation, a trait mastered by its founder Adolph Dassler. A detailed analysis of the mission statement reveals the following Post Salomon acquisition, Adidas was clear that it wanted to expand establish itself in a gamut of sports and focus beyond athletic shoes and aptly be known as a sporting goods company. It always had lifestyle in mind while thinking of performance. Customer centricity was always high and a continuous improvement to provide more than the customers expected was essential to Adidas. The management realises that athletic performance is the ethos of the company and innovation is required to deliver high performance. Their mission statement also talks about the scale and the scope by mentioning that it is a truly global conglomerate. It realises its responsibility towards employees, shareholders and the society equally. It mentions that Europe, US, Asia and Latin America will be the focus; the company will strive to maintain its cost, increase its top line and deliver the best to all stakeholders. Deliberating on the mission statement, it appears to be a well focused and an all encompassing one. After the acquisition of Reebok in 2006, Adidas has reinforced its core strategy which had got diluted post Salomon take over as the product line got too diversified to gel with each other or to enable smooth management of the business overall. If one were to write a revamped Mission statement for Adidas considering the current competencies, its focus and the industrial environment in mind, the following can be a suggestive and an all compassing attempt Adidas Mission Statement We will exploit technology judiciously in our entire product lines of footwear and apparel, both in performance and fitness segment, to extend benefits to all our stakeholders globally either in the form of more comfort, better technique in sports, advancement in the materials used, competitive prices, more eco-friendly use of raw materials and maximum growth to enable them to get the best value proposition from us. II. Core Competencies The Core competencies form the basis of edge over the competition. It signals what one company does superbly better than the other, by virtue of which it can reap excellent benefits. Adidas has the following core competencies Living the three core values The vision got established in 1920 when Adolph Dassler started designing the first shoe ever. And ever since then to now, three things have not changed and that is the three genuine intentions of the company manufacture each shoe as a masterpiece for the requirement of the sport, avoid the sportsman from injury and make the product long lasting and value for money. Adidas has sworn by these three values and even over decades, these core values have never been disintegrated. Even when athletes talk of performance, they vouch for Adidas. Continuous innovation and mastering the art of perfection, Adidas believes in outdoing itself each time and this is clearly visible in the vast product range it offers. Be it athletics, tennis or soccer, Adidas is a name integral to success of sportsmen alike. Strategic Expansions organic integrations Management at Adidas has made the right decisions at the right time. Whether it be entering into a merger or divesting, such strategic activities have been well thought of and well timed. In 1999, Adidas wanted to expand beyond athletic shoes and apparel and that is when it bought Salomon which had huge established inroads into other sports such as skiing, skating and golf. It also had presence in bicycle production. Thus Adidas became a true sports equipment, shoe and apparel manufacturer but it retained the identity of different brands, a wise decision as it became easy to disintegrate with Salomon around 2005, when it could no longer handle the vast mutually exclusive set of businesses. In 2006, Adidass decision to acquire Reebok was equally strategic; it was a two pronged strategy as firstly Adidas Reebok combined together could compete with Nike, the industry leader in a more vigorous manner. Secondly it gave Adidas a platform to create its presence in the lifestyle segment wh ere it was earlier non-existent. Adidas was always known as a performance brand and Reebok as a lifestyle and a fitness brand; the coming together of the two is a lethal combination as it presents a complete proposition to all kinds of customer segments. The decision for both the brands to maintain their brand identity is again a well informed decision as it avoids cannibalisation. Technology Innovation The core competence of Adidas is its continuous zest to innovate. It lives and maintains its performance image very meticulously. At the same time, it has constantly believed in innovating, this was exemplified to the world, when in 2002, Adidas along with the Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto launched an exclusive range of sneakers which were sold at a whopping $590. Branding Internet In the year 2000, Adidas launched its website with e-commerce applications functional. Adidas knows that the footwear and apparel industry is very mature; in order to stay abreast against fierce competition it is vital to invest in web marketing and branding. The site ensures ease of use, speed and easy navigation. It has both brick and mortar own brand outlets and a vast network of retailers, distributors and online stores. The self branded stores enable a direct contact with customers and reading their pulse, building face-to-face relationships with them and personifying the brand with the POP merchandise at thee outlets. Internet has enabled Adidas to reduce its cost and increase its reach drastically. E-commerce has provided Adidas far fetching benefits over the competition, the customer data retrieved through the net can be researched upon to understand the customer profiles and their buying behaviour. This enables the management to design highly customer centric communication, discounts and offerings. Though Nike has been a close player reaping all these advantages, other major companies like Converse, Puma, K-Swiss are no way near. III. PESTL Analysis PESTL analysis is an excellent technique to gauge the external environment in which a company operates. These factors are mostly if not always, uncontrollable and an organisation has to find its position within this cloud. Political Adidas enjoys presence in the entire Europe market, post its acquisition of Reebok in 2006 it has created inroads in the US as well. The company has expansion plans in Asia Latin America. At most of these places, the political domain remains stable as they are largely democratic set ups. This implies that the government will not pose undue restrictions or introduce stern impractical decisions to be followed blindly by the organization. Elections every four or five years, (in UK most Asian countries respectively) also do not impact Adidas much as it does not really get impacted by the ruling party. There are other aspects like stable currency, minimum wages, hygienic working conditions in factories, stipulated working hours per week that are more critical factors for Adidas to adhere to. This is one reason as to why most of these big players are shifting their manufacturing base to Asian countries like India and China while retaining the RD and designing at their home countries. Economic Economic conditions have a considerable impact on the sales operations of Adidas. The inflation rate, the purchasing power of customers, consolidation and buy-outs hugely affect the revenues. World economy suffered one of the biggest recessions in the past two years; with the fall of Lehman Brothers and the shaking of the entire financial sector, people lost jobs and unemployment touched a historical high figure. Purchasing power fell drastically as most of the people all over the world, especially in the US and Canada started living on their savings. The economic crisis in Asian countries also mean that labour and manufacturing costs would now rise impacting the net earnings for Adidas. The stability of government and of currency, tax rates, inflation, import and export duties, special economic zones and subsides; all these are critical economic factors that can impact Adidas and other players in the industry. Social This comprises of the culture, beliefs, demographics, psychographics, education levels and spending habits and lifestyle of the target audience. A factor that is too significant for any player to ignore especially when it enters into a new market; this is the most important factor that can break or make a brand. Culture, social groups, race, religion impact how people live in a society and thus marketers have to pick up the cues sensibly as to how to operate in that environment. Adidas has used this knowledge wisely. Its famous slogan Impossible is nothing captures it beautifully as it gels with the youth today globally. The youth today is characteristic of breaking the rules, exploiting their potential and wanting to unfold the undiscovered. It is this spirit which associates the brand with this audience perfectly. The education level and the pace at which the society moves are reflected in advertising today. Reeboks advertising of its range Easy Tone is another example to demonstrate this aspect. Today women are highly conscious of their figure; Reeboks advertising where it claims that Reebok shoes and slip-ons will enable the users to have a well toned figure could not have found acceptance a decade back. With the arrival of internet, the way people shop is also changing. Now Adidas and other major companies have started selling through online stores and promote the same by giving heavy discounts. Technological Continuous innovation and the use of technology is a great imperative in the industry. The breakthrough use of technology signifies some definite improvement more comfort, superior running performance, more support and cushion, better hold on the ground, reduction in manufacturing costs or in customer price! The original perforated technology of Geox which claims that it enables its shoes to breathe and overcomes the problem of sweaty feet is a remarkable achievement for the brand; it not only creates a niche for itself but enables the company to sell its range at a high premium. Nikes 360 air max, Adidas 1 and Crocs colourful shoes for outdoors, are all examples of constant innovation in the industry. Legal Regulatory Legal Regulatory impact the advertising branding significantly. Let us take an example of Nike when it was planning to enter the Spanish market Nike could have faced the biggest challenge of establishing its mark in Spain because of a trademark issue. This was a decade long litigation case where the Supreme Court found out that the Nike name was a registered trademark of a former distributor called Cidesport. Nike could only use its swoosh but not its name on any of the products. This could have been a great set back and would have demeaned the brand equity. However Nike got lucky when in 2009 Supreme Court reversed its ruling post Nikes appeals. Adidas need to make sure all their promotions give a true representation of the products being advertised, as to not break the laws of the Trade Descriptions Act. It needs to make sure all of their retailers have sufficient knowledge of Adidas products in order to obey the Trade Descriptions Act, as if Adidas give the retailers sufficient information and they give customers incorrect information about the product, then it is the retailer breaking the Trade Descriptions Act rather than the manufacturer, (www.adidas-salomon.com/en/news/archive/2000/2000-07.asp, August 2010) IV. Market Analysis Let us analyse the athletic footwear market through Porters Five Forces model to gain a holistic view of the market Barriers to Entry High to Moderate Brand Loyalty is extremely high; economies of scale and scope also restrict entry for small players as the industry is dominated by few giant players who reap huge benefits from the volumes and the supply chain integration. Economies of scale include advertising marketing costs, RD spent in addition to voluminous production and economies of scope would include benefits like umbrella branding, available to large conglomerates like Nike Puma. However, a new entrant will not find it difficult to find suppliers or raw materials largely of the fact that is a billion dollar industry which is still largely unorganized. Bargaining Power of Buyers Moderate to High Switching cost is low for the buyers as options are endless except in the case where brand loyalty is extremely high. Buyers have easy access to the products through online shopping as well. Though the big players dominate the industrys rate but they cannot decide these prices ignoring customers. Billions are spent by these players on market research and studying consumer profiling and buying patterns which shows that buyers have high bargaining power in the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Extremely Low The raw materials used in this industry are rubber, cotton and foam. The giants like Nike Adidas lay out stringiest norms which a supplier has to comply with in order to mean quality. Switching between suppliers is also very high in the industry. The supplier power is extremely low, most often than not, these suppliers work at norms and prices governed by the big players of the industry. Threats of Substitutes Low The substitution is quite low as it is not possible for sneakers to be replaced by fashion or high- heeled shoes. Similarly between tennis shoes and running shoes, there cannot be a replacement. Rivalry among Existing Competitors High The rivalry amongst firms is extremely high and mostly being non-price. Each firm lives and dies by the brand identity it creates. There is fierce competition between Nike Adidas. Specialty shoes like Geox, Rockport and Ecko also compete in niche segments. V. Customer Analysis Adidas has a brand identity of being performance oriented, technically superior and with strong European roots. Therefore to study the customer type, Adidas looks at three broad types of customers Governed by Superior Performance: This is typically a customer who looks for premium performance. Be it an athlete, a tennis player, a soccer lover or a college going student who values technological advancement would choose Adidas over other brands. Fitness Health: This segment is best captured by Reebok as it promotes fitness and aerobic shoes. These days the campaign is running globally by Reebok for its Easy Tone shoes where the slogan is take the gym with you. Be it running shoes, aerobic shoes or shoes for casual wear, Reebok has captured huge market share. This range is particularly selling like hot cakes both in US and Asia amongst women as they are constantly worried about toning their thighs and hips. Adidas has wisely let Reebok focus in this segment so that there is no cannibalisation in sales. Lifestyle Shoes Apparel: Reebok and Adidas have had significant increase in the market share, competing very closely with Nike in the apparel industry. Easy Slippers, T-Shirts, jackets and jumpers enjoy brand loyalty by customers. Adidas does big promotions in this segment. The recent FIFA World Cup championship saw players wearing Adidas T-Shirts with the legendary three stripes logo. Customers of these big brands generally have a very gullible temperament and thats the reason these big players engage in celebrity marketing in a big way. Celebrities are chosen with great caution and deals worth millions of dollars are done with these sports sport stars. The idea is to have a rub off effect on the brand and establish strong associations. For e.g. Nike and the coming together of Michael Jordan promoted the shoes in the basketball segment successfully. Even after when he retires, Nikes Air Jordan segment collected significant revenues for the brand. Adidas had tied up with David Beckham and was one of the official sponsors for World cup in 2006; later years saw the sale of Adidas mount like never before. Even till date Adidas leads the industry in soccer shoe sales. VI. Competitive Analysis The footwear and apparel industry is in a mature phase with fierce competition for market and mind share of the customers. Nike is valued at around 14 billion dollars and is the market leader, followed closely by Adidas Reebok combined at around 12 billion dollars (as per the 2006 statistics captured from their websites). Mostly the firms compete on brand image, web site designs, service, advertising celebrity endorsements and innovation. Nike has had a slight edge over its competitors from the time it launched its products as it has considerably invested in RD and high tech designs. But Adidas has narrowed this gap drastically in recent years. Brand image focus is very high in the industry. Example of this can be seen in the case of Nike. Nike chooses to sell its regular range through high end retailers only, it had refused to sell through Sears post the Sears Kmart tie up as it feared brand dilution, it instead started retailing its low priced Starter range through this channel. Technology focus and specialisation is high. Nike focuses on performance plus style, Adidas as seen as a high end performance shoe and it leads the market in the soccer industry. Reebok is deemed as a fitness and health conscious brand. New Balance talks only performance and is seen as a no-nonsense brand. Crocs has positioned itself as an outdoor wear brand is predominantly used for boating. Puma is seen as a stylised brand both for footwear and apparels, it has never really spoken of high end sports performance and this focus has helped the brand create its space in the lifestyle segment. Hence it is imperative that each player positions itself well and delights the customer in that segment rather than being all over the place. Below is a diagram of the total market share of competing firms (post Reebok Adidas integration)- (Chart sourced from www.hoover.com) To conclude, one analyses that it would be prudent for close rivals to think of innovative ideas to increase the overall market for performance and lifestyle shoes than just competing on the market share with each other. VII. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis refers to the technique of mapping the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for an organisation. (P. Kotler, S. Adam, L. Brown and G. Armstrong 2001) While the first two are internal to a firm, the last two are more from an industry orientation overall. Strengths Adidas has an image of high performance and a favoured brand for buyers who seek technology over style The acquisition of Reebok complements the brand as it allows a larger portfolio of high end performance based shoes (Adidas) and fitness lifestyle range (Reebok) Known for its constant innovation, Adidas and Reebok Easy Tone being the case in point Association with sports championships enable the brand to be positioned as the leader for Soccer segment The intellectual quotient of management is seen as very high, as Adidas has been known to take the right decisions at the time (evident from all the mergers acquisitions which the brand has done) Association with celebrities like David Beckham adds to the Brand value and high TOMA (Top of Mind Awareness) User friendly and high brand appearance web site enabling high online presence Vast product portfolio to choose from Shoes for running, tennis, soccer, skiing, golf and related line of apparel, jumpers, watches etc. Weaknesses Adidas has a vast product portfolio but still has a high dependence on soccer shoes as compared to Nike which has several high revenue bearing products Has become synonymous with market-follower tag and Nike being the market leader, to most customers it becomes a second choice only The Adidas/Reebok acquisition results in cannibalisation of each others sales rather than targeting competitors. This is because there is a lack of well defined differentiation between both the brands Not seen as innovative as Nike and is alleged to copy Nike in its advertising, promotions and celebrity endorsements Opportunity Highly brand conscious youth wanting to own a pair of branded shoes only Increasing love for Soccer where Adidas is perceived as the official brand leader High value placed on fitness sports for a healthy lifestyle, resulting in an increase in the overall industry Advanced technology available Use of internet, online marketing and e-commerce widening geographical markets and connecting the globe virtually Threats World Economy recession which has impacted the purchasing power of consumers drastically Competition from online stores who have presence only through e-commerce and sell shoes at heavy discounts because of their low cost manufacturing strategy Changing consumer preferences and lifestyles Reducing popularity of sports because of frantic working lives Increasing power of suppliers to set terms, e.g. Wal-Mart New competitors entering the market Price war between competitors Cheap replicas available in the market Conclusion Adidas has come a long way over the decades and is now positioned second largest most popular player in the athletic footwear industry. Each company in the industry today is trying to reduce its manufacturing costs by shifting the production to Asian markets. Adidas Reebok have strengthened their combined market, post the integration. This is a well suited strategy to compete with Nike and grow by expanding into the emerging markets US Asia. It would be wise if Adidas focuses on its core competencies and engage into aggressive marketing branding. Critical areas for success are summarised as follows Three critical focus areas which Adidas should be focusing on currently are 1. Strong Highly differentiated Brand Positioning for Adidas Reebok Brands: A serious attempt must be made to create a positioning for both the brands. What does Adidas stand for as compared to Reebok? The Company must strategise Adidas as a sports performance brand and create a niche for athletic, tennis, golf, soccer, both in sports apparel. It should position Reebok as a fitness brand and let it handle aerobics, running, walking and casual shoes and apparel. 2. Focus on increasing the total market by innovative marketing: Adidas should creatively focus on increasing its total customer base, it should look at promoting soccer in clubs and schools and offer scholarships and start interacting with the children at an early age so that they become loyal customers for life. Reebok should tie up with gyms could offer discounts on Reebok shoes and apparel. It can tie up with specialty clinics fighting obesity and over-weight, sponsor health check up camps and give aids for other related causes. This will help the brand in two ways one is that it would help create an image of a socially responsible company and secondly reinforce the strategy to capture the ever increasing health conscious customers of today. 3. High end use of technology: Undoubtedly RD technology will remain the catalyst of this industry. Adidas will only be able to survive if it continuously focuses on improving the quality performance of its shoes. So when Nike says Just do it, Adidas should scream aloud the spirit Impossible is nothing.

Rifle Poem :: Poetry Poems

Rifle There's a crack in the air, and I'm split by the sound the moment deadly still until it's broken by another crack. A long sinuous echo hangs in the air, so physical I might try to wave it away like smoke. Then a third and fourth crack, and I'm on my feet, even though shots aren't unheard of in hunting season, these rural woods overfull with deer. But instead of this, I think of the uneven unpolished grain in the stock of my first rifle, the weight of it on the shoulder, the trigger worn dull with use. That first sighting with the left eye looking out. wandering through the sights; the feel of the bolt in the hand as it snapped back, slid forward in its path and locked, readying the cartridge as it lifts into the chamber, secured, prepared. A second snap and it's released, out into the world where only a second before there was nothing, not even stillness. And then the flood of world returns.

Hiroshima Paper

The book begins with the telling of what the main six characters were doing before, during, and shortly after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The book goes on to show how the people believed that it only affected the general area, and how they realized that it affected the entire city. Many people were injured and scorn. Some people were even trapped under buildings. It continues to show when the Japanese Emperor announced on the radio that Japan was going to surrender to the U. S.In the few days, survivors, Japanese scientists, and government leaders discovered that the weapon was actually a new type of bomb. The government was very careful and indistinct in reporting details to the public. The fates of the main characters were described, and they all suffered from some form of radiation sickness. The Japanese were able to figure out from analyzing the people and the remains of the bomb what is was made of. The last chapters tell you about the atom bomb victims a year to forty ye ars after the bomb. It also tells how the city rebuilt itself and recovered from being attacked by a nuclear weapon.Even though the six main characters went through the same situation in a different way they all fought to overcome the damage left behind y the bombing. Through reading this booking two characters that stood out to me were Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge and Dr. Terufumi Sasaki. These two stood out because I felt they helped a lot of people even when they could not help themselves. I have much admiration for Dr. Sasaki because he when called stood up to the plate, and was able to go on with his life. Father Wilhelm is a thirty-eight year old German priest.Father Wilhelm was in his room reading and got scared when he saw the flash. He somehow ended up outside in vegetable garden pacing around. The only physical marks he had were cuts. He helped a man escaped, but the man ended up running back into the fire. He went to a park called Asano Park where he helped assisting in help ing people. Father Wilhelm was able to help the people in the park until he was taken to a Catholic Novitiate outside of the city. He took two children with him by the name of Kataoka who he able to reunite with their mother.In the book it says that Father Kleinsorge may have had the worst sickness of all the main characters. He was sent to a hospital in Tokyo for over three months. He suffered from symptoms such as: high fever, low white blood cell count, and anemia. When he was finally allowed to return to Hiroshima the doctor told him that every day he should take at least a two hour nap. Even though the doctors told him to do this he did not follow instructions. He seemed to always put his work before his own health. When August came he was so sick he had to return to the hospital for a month's recovery process.Since his exposure to radiation and constant working habits on behalf of others he ended up repeating the cycle of getting better and ending back up in the hospital. He d id not slow down until his body gave out on him. He wanted o bad to help the people that he got Japanese citizenship and changed his name to Father Makoto Takakura. After some really bad sicknesses in the 1950s, he was finally transferred to a small church in Mukaihara, the same town as Dr. Sasaki. He ended up getting a cook by the name of Yoshiki-san, who in the end is there to take of him in came to thank him for the wonderful things he had done.In 1976 he slipped on some ice and became bed-ridden for the rest of his life. Yoshiki-san was there by his side to take of him, and a year later he fell into a coma and never woke up. Dr. Terufumi Sasaki was a surgeon working at the Hiroshima Red Cross center. At the time of the bombing he was bringing blood to the laboratory. Dr. Sasaki was thankfully left undamaged because when the bomb hit he was lucky enough to have taken a step beyond the window and crouched down. He ended up being one of the six doctors left that was not hurt so he had to treat a lot of people.At one point in time he had to work three days only having one hour of sleep. From working so much and not getting but six hours of sleep he ended up losing twenty pounds. The medical equipment he had to work with was not the best, and he was only working off of onations that people were making. He gained some since of his old self and ended up getting married to Dr. FuJii. They to live in a summer house, but a flood destroyed the house and he was forced to leave. He then opened a clinic in the suburb of Hiroshima, and rebuilt a successful practice.He had to travel to Yokohama for training, and here is where he finally came to a realization Atomic bomb survivor. He soon found that he had to get his whole left lung removed, which almost resulted in his death. This occurrence made him appreciate life and he vow to treat his patients ore compassionately, and to spend more time with his wife and four children. Dr. Sasaki's only regret was that he had not bee n able to more carefully record the identities of all the Red Cross Hospital corpses so that they would not be wandering in the afterlife, upset at not being properly remembered. Dr.Sasaki was the person who distanced himself from his Hiroshima experience through making a life somewhere else, while Father Wilhelm could not separate his self from Hiroshima resulting in his death. All six characters in this book were lucky because after the bombing unlike many people they still had their lives. Some were able to go on with their lives, while others let the situation take over them. The sickness was something that they all suffered from and was a negative that they all faced. Some of them dedicated and were obligated into helping the other people who were not as fortunate as them.It had to be hard seeing people around you dying and there not being too much you can do. Father Kleinsorge passage was basically saying that was it right that people had no say so in their lives being taken. Kind of like saying should the people suffer for the decisions made by one person, when they do not even know what is going on around them. The people who consider it Just an attack that affected the civilian do not look at the broader aspect. The bomb was the ending result of something much bigger.The people Just so happen to be a sacrifice in the situation. It was like the leaders of Japan were so caught up in evil that they did not realize that they were hurting the people of Japan. The bombing was like a realization to the government that they had been killing the people so much spiritually, and this was the physical outcome. It to me was kind of like they could not appreciate the good that they received after the bombing until they went through the bad. The good was that the initial war ended, but so many lives were lost in the process.These lives being loosed I think had to happen because if it were smaller the people would have wanted to retaliate instead of come together and stop the violence. Reading this but the movie seemed to focus more on the American side of the bombing rather than side from the people in Hiroshima. The movie makes it seem as if the bomb had to be dropped, while reading the book you see that Japan could have been overtaken without the drastic measures. The book does not go into detail about the attack Japan has before, which was the cause of the bombing.The movie and the book both focus on making one side seem more Justifiable or victims than the other. I think John Hersey book Hiroshima is a great book for college students to read because it gives them an outlook on the other side of the spectrum. This will allow them to decide for themselves who was wrong and right in the situation. It also even Just gives them a more detailed event of what actually happen August 1945. The book also gives students an outlook of how something major can happen to so many people and affect everyone in different ways. So the book should be read bec ause either way it will be some type of learning experience.

US History Journal

Don't forget to add De tails! (1 point) When had to leave my home I was not allowed to take what I wanted, I was f arced to take what the army allowed me to take and it is almost winter. When where now traveling and we needed food, so I had to hunt but my gun was taken, luckily I had my blowhard gun. I killed a small deer and everyone wanted a pie We had arrived at the Mississippi River and had to cross, my cousin and grand father had drown but had to continue. 4. These ideas will become the body sentences of your paragraph. What is the e best order for these ideas? Number them in the order you think they should go.Don't worry if you need to reword some of them. And it's O. K. To leave out an idea if it doesn't seem to if t, but you need at least three examples. (1 point) 1. Leave my home and only able to pack what the army will allow, it is almost winter. 2. Have to hunt with a blowhard gun because my gun was taken away. 3. Have to cross the Mississippi river and loved ones drown bu t I continue 4. Have reached Tattletale, Oklahoma, many loved ones have died 5. You need a topic sentence now. Is there a word or idea that describes all of your experiences? Maybe something like this: My experience on the Trail Of Tears made me angry.Or, the Trail of Tears was a terrible experience. (1 point) The Trail of Tears was the worst experience of my life. Writing Assignment Write a complete paragraph that describes your experiences on the Trail of Et ears. Use the topic sentence and support you completed in the preprinting section. Add a co inclusion to finish your thoughts. Be sure to use lots of good detail. Of course, if you need to add other ideas, you can do that, too. This assignment is worth 15 points. The Trail of Tears was the worst experience of my life. It began when my family yell had to our my home. I was not allowed to take what wanted, was forced to take what the army

Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Essays

Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Essays Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Essay Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Essay Intenational Affairs Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Ciuchi Madalina Comanescu Andreea Ivan Adrian Group 412 2nd year Strategies for Resolving Team Conflict Many organizations, including colleges and major corporations, have begun the process of implementing work team systems. Teams present a greater diversity of knowledge, ideas, and experience than any one individual can offer. This diversity often helps to improve quality, create collaboration, enhance information exchange, and provide a sense of community and support to the team members ; however, it can also foster conflict. Conflict is a part of everyday life and is generally caused by individual opinions and differences. â€Å"When individuals work in teams, differences in power, values, attitudes, and social factors can all contribute to conflict†. Avoiding conflict completely is impossible; however, the resulting outcome does not have to be negative. Using effective strategies to manage conflict can present positive consequences as well. Preventative Measures Prevention is usually the best cure for most problems. When all members participate in setting rules and guidelines, open communication and mutual understanding is created within the team that may defuse a conflict before it becomes a problem. â€Å"It is, after all, easier to agree on guidelines and processes everyone believes are fair when things are going well, rather than when the team members are in the midst of conflict†. When the team makes these decisions as a group instead of receiving direct instructions from an authority figure, they are able to take ownership in the decision made and enforce it more effectively. In addition, various training courses and workshops are offered that team members can take advantage of to build awareness and acquire skills which could reduce or even prevent conflicts from arising in the first place. Some of these programs include team building, diversity training, communication workshops, and conflict management seminars. First Steps in Conflict Resolution Despite exercising preventative measures, the possibility that conflict may occur still exists. When conflict does arise, the first step is to analyze and understand the problem. The team members should try to discover the causes and reasons for the disagreement. Each team member should examine their own individual response to the conflict and determine if their reactions are supportive of or interfering with the overall success of the team. The team members should also examine the consequences of not being able to solve the conflict, as well as discuss ways to settle the conflict within the team. Finally, the team should decide which conflict resolution strategy to apply to the situation. Employing Conflict Resolution Strategies After the team members have analyzed the conflict and have a complete understanding of the situation, they are then equipped to resolve the conflict by employing the conflict resolution strategy which they have decided upon as a team. â€Å"Ralph H. Kilmann and Kenneth W. Thomas, authors of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, have identified five general approaches to dealing with conflict:    avoidance; accommodation; competition; compromise; and collaboration† . Each style of dealing with conflict varies in the degrees of cooperativeness and assertiveness. Cooperativeness refers to the party’s desire to satisfy the other’s concern, and assertiveness describes the party’s desire to satisfy their own concern . While most people generally have a preferred conflict resolution style, different styles can be useful in different situations. No one strategy is appropriate in all situations- each requires a different amount of time, energy, and cooperation. Avoidance This style of conflict resolution usually attracts people who are trying to evade conflict completely. In this instance, the parties are neither assertive nor cooperative. Avoidance is usually demonstrated by delegating controversial decisions, accepting default decisions, and not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings. This is an appropriate strategy to use when winning becomes impossible, when the conflict is unimportant, or when someone else is in a better position to solve the problem. This strategy is sometimes used when the parties involved need time to control their emotions. Accommodation This style of conflict resolution indicates a willingness to meet the needs of others at the expense of the person’s own needs. In this instance, cooperation is high and assertiveness is low . Accommodation allows a person to be persuaded to surrender his or her own position even though the submission is not justified. This is an appropriate strategy to use when issues are more important than the other party, when harmony is more valuable than winning, or when pacifying another person becomes important. This approach is sometimes used to establish goodwill that can be traded for favors in the future . Competition This style of conflict resolution is often used by people who know what they want and take a firm stand; they are usually in a position of power or have a strong persuasive ability. In this instance, cooperation is low and assertiveness is high. This is an appropriate strategy to use when an emergency occurs and a decision needs to be made quickly, when the decision is not a popular one, or when one party is trying to exploit the situation. However, this style can cause unsatisfied or resentful feelings in some team members when used in less urgent situations. Compromise This style of conflict resolution is often used to find a solution that will partially satisfy everyone involved. Each party, including the compromiser, is expected to relinquish something. In this instance, both medium assertiveness and cooperation are prominent. This is an appropriate strategy to use when the cost of conflict is higher than achieving the team’s goals, when equally matched parties are at an impasse, or when a deadline needs to be met in a short amount of time. Collaboration This style of conflict resolution is used when attempting to meet the needs of all people involved. In this instance, both cooperation and assertiveness are high, and the concerns are equally important. This is an appropriate strategy to use when a variety of viewpoints need to be addressed, when there have been previous conflicts within the group, or when the situation is too important for a simple exchange of position. With the collaboration strategy, everyone wins; however, the technique does require the most time and effort in order to resolve the situation. Team Benefits and Challenges As stated earlier conflict can be either a negative or positive experience for a team, depending on how the situation is processed and resolved. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. Usually negative conflict will damage a team’s dynamics, which prevents the members from functioning as a group and achieving their combined goals. Conflict can be destructive when no decision has been reached and the problem still exists; when it iverts energy away from more important activities; when it destroys morale; and when it divides teams. In contrast, when conflict is resolved successfully, positive outcomes prevail. Successful conflict resolution not only solves the problem that has been brought to the surface, but it also benefits the team in some unexpected ways. Conflict can be constructive when people change and grow personally from the conflict; when a solution the problem is found; when it increases the involvement of the team, and when it builds cohesiveness among the team members. Conflict Management in the Workplace â€Å"Conflict is a part of everyday working life yet its a situation and an area of skill development that many employees avoid. † The fundamentals of conflict management include improving communication, promoting teamwork and an orderly approach to solving disagreements. There are various ways to manage conflict in the workplace. Author Carter McNamara, of Basics of Conflict Management, defines conflict as â€Å"when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and havent been aligned or agreed about†. Sometimes conflict can be a positive force within an organization, while other times it is a negative force. An example of conflict as a positive force is that the resolution may lead the company to constructive problem solving. It may also lead people to find ways of changing how they do things or view themselves and others. The resolution process can bring a positive change within an organization. However, conflict can also have negative effects. For example, conflict may lower morale or lessen productivity. It also may negatively affect the mental well-being of employees and cause stress. Supervisors must be sensitive to the consequences of conflict. These consequences range from negative outcomes to include loss of employees, low quality of work, and stress, to positive outcomes such as personal satisfaction, high quality of work, and increased commitment. Author Lyndsey Swinton of â€Å"Workplace Conflict Management: Strategy for Successful Resolution†, suggests some ways to manage conflict to include:    avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition and collaboration. Avoidance is a non-assertive, non-co-operative way of dealing with a situation. It can be useful if the conflict is not urgent but avoiding the person can bring more stress into the work environment over long term. Accommodation is when one side will win, and one will lose. One person is allowed to get their way, but from a management standpoint if this strategy is used repeatedly, then co-workers may feel their voice is never heard. Compromise offers some assertiveness and cooperation. Both parties involved must give and take in their situation so that both can walk away feeling they met in the middle. Competition style has a steamrolling effect. It is a win-lose approach. With this style one person is allowed to push their ideals through but if they fall short, they stand on their own with no support of their coworkers. A collaborating style is a win-win approach brought about by sharing and reviewing the reasons the conflict even came about. This approach can be very time consuming and is rarely used unfortunately because it is the most fair to all parties involved. Studies on different styles of resolutions indicate that teamwork is the best approach to managing workplace conflict. This tends to promote successful individuals with high performance levels and results in positive feelings between staff and employees. The collaborating style works best for some. It is a step by step approach utilizing the chain of command to resolve conflict. First, the incident is reported to the supervisor. The supervisor then gathers information to gain a better understanding and then identifies possible causes. Then the issue is taken to the Human Resource department so an appropriate solution can be decided upon. Then all parties involved return to execute the solution. Conflicts are part of individual relationships and organizational development, and no organization can hope to mature to productivity and be successful without being able to resolve conflicts effectively† . Conflict resolution is an essential part of maintaining a successful workplace and the techniques and approaches should be utilized separately or in conjunction with each other, in order to promote a more unified work environment. Conclusion Conflict can be incredibly destructive to good teamwork. Differences between team members can quickly escalate causing the members to become ncooperative if not managed properly, eventually threatening the mission of the team. This is particularly true in cases where the wrong approaches to conflict resolution are applied. To control these situations, it helps to take a positive approach to conflict resolution. Positive conflict resolution focuses on courteous and non-confrontational discussion, as well as on the issues instead of on the individuals. As long as team members listen carefully to one another and explore the facts, issues and possible solutions properly, conflict can often be resolved effectively. References Capozzoli, T. (1995). Resolving Conflict within Teams. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 18(7), 28. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID:    8928676). DeJanasz, S. , Dowd K. , Schneider B. (2002). Interpersonal Skills in Organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 241-259. Kerr, R. (2005). Work Team Conflict Resolution. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from uwstout. edu/rs/2005/article2. pdf Mind Tools (2008). Resolving conflict rationally and effectively. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from mindtools. com/pages/article/newLDR_81. htm Porter, S. (2003). Managing Conflict in Learning Teams. University of Phoenix. pp. 1-9.

French Expressions with Être

French Expressions with Être The French verb à ªtre literally means to be and is found in many expressions. Learn how to say thats right, here goes, so be it, and more with this list of expressions with à ªtre. à ªtre cà ´tà © de la plaqueto be way off the mark, to not have a clue à ªtre bien dans sa peauto be at ease/comfortable with oneself à ªtre bouche bà ©eto be flabbergasted à ªtre dans le douteto be doubtful à ªtre dans la mouise (familiar)to be flat broke à ªtre dans la panade (familiar)to be in a sticky situation à ªtre dans son assietteto feel normal, like oneself à ªtre deto be at/in (figuratively) à ªtre en train de infinitiveto be (in the process of) present participle à ªtre haut comme trois pommesto be knee-high to a grasshopper à ªtre sur son trente et unto be dressed to the nines en à ªtreto take part in à §a mest à ©galits all the same to me à §a y estthats it, its done cestit is (impersonal expression) cest dateits (date) cestdirethat is, i.e., I mean cest moi / toi / Paulthats mine / yours / Pauls cest à §athats it, thats right Cest cadeauIts free, on the house Cest dans la pocheIts in the bag, a sure thing, a done deal cest grà ¢ce its (all) thanks to Cest la vie!Thats life! Cest le piedIts great cest partihere we go, here goes, and were off Ce nest pas de la tarteIts not easy Ce nest pas graveIt doesnt matter, no problem Ce nest pas la mer boireIts not the end of the world Ce nest pas mardi gras aujourdhuiWhat youre wearing is ridiculous Ce nest pas terribleIts not that great Ce nest pas tes oignons!None of your business! Ce nest pas vrai!No way! I dont believe it! Youre kidding! est-ce queno literal translation; this expression is used to ask questions Le fond de lair est fraisTheres a chill in the air Honi soit qui mal y penseShame on anyone who thinks evil of it, This person has hidden evil intentions il estit is (impersonal expression), he is Impossible nest pas franà §ais (proverb)Theres no such thing as cant Je ny suis pour rienI had nothing to do with it nest-ce pas?right? isnt that so? nous sommes / on est dateits (date) Le nouveau est arrivà ©Its Beaujolais Nouveau Day Plus à §a change, plus cest la mà ªme choseThe more things change, the more they stay the same Quand le chat nest pas l, les souris dansent (proverb)When the cats away, the mice will play si ce nest pas indiscretif you dont mind my asking soitso be it, that is soit... soit...either... or... Tout ce qui brille nest pas or (proverb)All that glitters isnt gold

Study Guide for the Medieval Morality Play Everyman

Study Guide for the Medieval Morality Play 'Everyman' Written in England during the 1400s, The Summoning of Everyman (commonly known as Everyman) is a Christian morality play. No one knows who wrote the play. Historians have noted that monks and priests often wrote these types of dramas. Basic Plot God decides that Everyman (a character who represents an average, everyday human) has become too obsessed with wealth and material possessions. Therefore, Everyman must be taught a lesson in piety. And who better to teach a life lesson than a character named Death? Man Is Unkind God’s chief complaint is that humans are ignorantly leading sinful lives, unaware that Jesus died for their sins. Everyman has been living for his own pleasure, forgetting about the importance of charity and the potential threat of eternal hellfire. Upon God’s bidding, Death summons Everyman to take a pilgrimage to the Almighty. When Everyman realizes that the Grim Reaper has called upon him to face God and give a reckoning of his life, he tries to bribe Death to â€Å"defer this matter till another day.† The bargaining doesn’t work. Everyman must go before God, never to return to Earth again. Death does say that the hapless hero can take along anyone or anything that may benefit him during this spiritual trial. Friends and Family Are Fickle After Death leaves Everyman to prepare for his day of reckoning (the moment in which God judges him), Everyman approaches a character named Fellowship, a supporting role that represents Everyman’s friends. At first, Fellowship is full of bravado. When Fellowship learns that Everyman is in trouble, he promises to stay with him until the problem is resolved. However, as soon as Everyman reveals that Death has summoned him to stand before God, Fellowship ditches the poor guy. Kindred and Cousin, two characters that represent family relationships, make similar promises. Kindred declares, â€Å"in wealth and woe we will with you hold, for over his kin a man may be bold.† But once Kindred and Cousin realize Everyman’s destination, they back out. One of the funniest moments in the play is when Cousin refuses to go because he has a cramp in his toe. The overall message of the play’s first half is that relatives and friends (as reliable as they may seem) pale in comparison to the steadfast companionship of God. Goods vs. Good Deeds After getting rejected by fellow humans, Everyman turns his hopes to inanimate objects. He talks to a character named â€Å"Goods,† a role which represents Everyman’s material possessions and wealth. Everyman pleads for Goods to assist him in his hour of need, but they offer no comfort. In fact, the Goods chide Everyman, suggesting that he should have admired material objects moderately ​and that he should have given some of his goods to the poor. Not wanting to visit God (and subsequently be sent to hell), Goods abandons Everyman.​​ Finally, Everyman meets a character who will genuinely care for his plight. Good-Deeds is a character who symbolizes the acts of charity and kindness performed by Everyman. However, when the audience first meets Good-Deeds, she is laying on the ground, severely weakened by Everyman’s many sins. Enter Knowledge and Confession Good-Deeds introduces Everyman to her sister, Knowledge. This is another friendly character who will provide good advice to the protagonist. Knowledge serves as an important guide for Everyman, instructing him to seek out another character: Confession. Everyman is led to Confession. Readers expecting to hear a bunch of scandalous â€Å"dirt† on the main character, expecting him to beg forgiveness, or hoping he will at least apologize for whatever sins he has committed will be surprised here. Instead, Everyman asks for his vices to be wiped clean. Confession says that with penance, Everyman’s spirit may become clean once more. What does penance mean? In this  play, it means that Everyman undergoes a severe and purifying form of physical punishment. After he suffers, Everyman is amazed to discover that Good-Deeds is now free and strong, ready to stand by his side during his moment of judgment. The Five-Wits After this purging of the soul, Everyman is ready to meet his maker. Good-Deeds and Knowledge tell Everyman to call upon â€Å"three persons of great might† and his Five-Wits (his senses) as counselors. Everyman calls forth the characters Discretion, Strength, Beauty, and Five-Wits. Combined, they represent the core of his physical human experience. Unlike the first half of the play when he begged for help from his friends and family, Everyman is now relying on himself. However, even though he receives some good advice from each entity, he realizes that they will not go the distance as he journeys closer to his meeting with God. Like previous characters, these entities promise to stay by his side. Yet, when Everyman decides that it is time for his body to physically die (perhaps as part of his penance), Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and the Five-Wits abandon him. Beauty is the first one to take a hike, disgusted by the idea of lying in a grave. The others follow suit, and Everyman is left alone with Good-Deeds and Knowledge once again. Everyman Departs Knowledge explains that he won’t be going into the â€Å"heavenly sphere† with Everyman, but will stay with him until he departs from his physical body. This seems to imply that the soul does not retain its Earthly knowledge. However, Good-Deeds (as promised) will journey with Everyman. At the end of the play, Everyman commends his soul to God. After his departure, an angel arrives to announce that Everyman’s soul has been taken from his body and presented before God. A final narrator enters to explain to the audience that all should heed the lessons of Everyman: that everything in life is fleeting, with the exception of acts of kindness and charity. Overall Theme As one might expect from a morality play, Everyman has a very clear moral, one that is delivered at the beginning, middle, and end of the play. The blatantly religious message is simple: Earthly comforts are fleeting. Only good deeds and God’s grace can provide salvation. The lessons of the play are delivered in the form of allegorical characters, each one representing a variety of abstract concepts such as good deeds, material possessions, and knowledge. Who Wrote Everyman? Many morality plays were a collaborative effort by clergymen and residents (often tradesmen and guild members) of an English town. Over the years, lines would be changed, added, and deleted. Therefore, Everyman is probably the result of multiple authors and decades of literary evolution. Historical Context When Everyman summons the Five-Wits, a fascinating  discussion about the importance of the priesthood follows. FIVE-WITS:For priesthood exceedeth all other thing;To us Holy Scripture they do teach,And converteth man from sin heaven to reach;God hath to them more power given,Than to any angel that is in heaven According to the Five-Wits, priests are more powerful than angels. This reflects the prevalent role of priests in medieval society. In most European villages, the clergy were the moral leaders. However, the character of Knowledge mentions that priests are not perfect, and some of them have committed egregious sins. The discussion concludes with a general endorsement of the church as the surest path to salvation.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Report - Essay Example That the educated third world people are the target consumers for use of laptops. Finally, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to write this report. It gave me the chance to familiarize myself with the third world countries application of laptops, their buying powers and the benefits of Apple Inc. for production of low cost laptops for use in third world countries. Regards Name Table of content Executive summary Report Plan 1. Recipient of the Report 2. Identify the Topic of the Report 3. Identify the Purpose of the Report 4. Identify Potential Resources that will be needed for Support 5. Identify Methods to be used to Gather Information 6. Identify Criteria to be used to evaluate the Information Collected 7. Findings 8. Conclusion 9. Recommendations 10. References 11. Appendices Executive summary This report was commission by the COE of Apple Inc. together with his executive team to seek recommendations for the production of low cost laptops to be used in the wor ld countries and the collected funds to be used in the awareness of American masses on obesity health implications. This report provides an analysis and an evaluation of the prospective production of the low cost laptops by Apple Inc. and the health focus. The methods used for the collection of information include the use of questionnaires and surveys to identify the feasibility of this project. The research draws attention to the fact that there is an extensive use of laptops in the third world counties from education to working class. Low cost laptops will be a viable project in the third world countries as they have a low buying power considering the high current costs of laptops which are mostly priced at over $1000. Further investigation reveal that the money collected from the sale of the low cost laptops will be highly effective in the creation of obesity awareness in America. The report concludes that laptops are highly needed in the third world countries especially in the e ducation sector and the corporate world. Communication and the use of internet will have a high impact on the application of low cost laptops in the third world countries. It is recommended: That Apple should adopt the project of producing low cost laptops in the third world countries. That Apple should conduct a survey to identify the programs which are effectively suitable for the application of laptops. That educators in third world countries should partner with Apple to offer suitable learning experiences for the intended users. Report Plan 1. Recipient of the Report The recipient of the report will be the top management including the CEO of Apple, Inc. the plan will be presented to all those officials who have some role to play in decision making matters. 2. Identify the Topic of the Report The topic of the report will be ‘Recommendation for Production of Low Cost Laptops and Healthcare Focus’. The report will be based on two recommendations for the company. First recommendation will be to manufacture low cost laptops in order to increase the market share of the company in third-world countries. Second recommendation will be to put some efforts for reducing obesity in America, which is one of the most critical health problems and can only be dealt by creating awareness among people

Analyzing Visual Texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Visual Texts - Essay Example The portrait pictures a ship which seemed to have been wrecked on a beach with a few sailors seemingly having escaped the doomed ship. This portrait also portrays the sailors in a boat on sandy cove with the entrance of a dark cave mouth just behind the sailors in the boat. The most striking thing about this picture is the sailors who seem to be struggling with violent waves near a beach with the silhouette of a wrecked ship in the distance. The centrality of the light tower in the painting is of utmost importance as it offers a different perspective to the picture. This portrait portrays the message of the lack of understanding of the forces of nature and the struggle between man and these forces. Discussion The most important element that the author intends to convey is with regard to the characters in the portrait that are a representation of the people of the 18th century. It has to be noted that this was a time when marine disasters and accidents were a common occurrence which c aptured the popular imagination. The characters are drawn in bright colors in order to distinguish them and make them stand out from the rest of the portrait elements. The characters are portrayed at the very edge and bottom of the portrait to put forth the message of the omnipotence of nature and how little power man had over nature. This is in contrast to the forces of nature such as the clouds and waves which are portrayed in bold and angry strokes to show their power. The characters being relegated to a role in the bottom of the portrait yet being in the foreground enables the author to focus attention on the characters but more on the powers of nature as shown by the centrality of the great white waves threatening the sailors. The portrait takes advantage of the attitudes of the times in whipping up emotions and taking advantage of the lack of understanding of nature by the audience. The audience of this portrait live in a period in which very little is understood of nature. Na ture is perceived as being omnipotent and all powerful. A great surging white wave is pictured bending and breaking in the middle of the portrait in what may be perceived as portrayal of the power of nature. The picture is intended to show the great power of nature over man. The men in the picture seem to be in a losing struggle to save their lives. Through the centrality of the great white wave which threatens to wash them out to sea, the author intends to show the futility of man trying to struggle with nature. Nature seems to have won by taking some few lives as can be seen from the vague outlines of bodies floating on the water near the boat. It would seem that the breaking and bending of the wave near the shipwrecked sailors, is an assertion that nature is supreme. Nature seems to be asserting its dominance and demanding respect from the sailors. The sailor who is depicted as holding his hands over his head in a gesture of prayer offers an even more profound understanding of ho w religion was used in understanding nature. Religion is an important element which the author intends to put into use in explaining the audience’s attitudes towards nature. Due to little knowledge on science and how to interpret the weather and other forces of nature scientifically, religion was the main way through which these people tried to understand natural phenomenon. The author in picturing a sailor in a posture of appeal to the

A vision for improving the relationship between doctors and nurses in Research Paper

A vision for improving the relationship between doctors and nurses in the emergency department - Research Paper Example Research shows that, which is also my feeling, there is still a traditional gender and economic hierarchical relationship gap that exists between doctors and nurses. The gap effects the ability of nurses and doctors to work cohesively and develop solidarity. The emergency department requires that nurses and doctors have a close knitted working association as they rely on each other’s skills along with those of the team to result to merits for the patients and the staff. The feeling among nurses is that they have to modify their approach and patient care to doctors with information and evidence so that the input they make is not done away with by the doctors. It is my vision that there is leadership, which backs the enactment of nurse and doctor teamwork training by undertaking things like pledging to the availing of the conditions, financing, and continuing resources essential to the development of this vital relationship. Moreover, backing up the association has been shown to aid in the reduction of burnout, ensure the attainment of common goals, enhance job contentment, improved retention and working environment that are all fundamental. According to Athlin, Ulrica, and Farrohknia (2013, p. 2), mulit-professional teams have been shown to enhance the quality of care availed in emergency departments. The research notes that teamwork is essential for the movement of patients in and out of the emergency department. However, it is noted that there are few evaluations touching on teamwork in this department. The study examines the setting of an adult emergency department in a Swedish university hospital (Athlin et al., 2013, p. 2). It is noted that the hospital utilisd the traditional manner of healtcare in the emergency department whereby the doctors worked with any nurse who was available. However, the study sought to show the importance of an improved working relationship between nurses and doctors through an intervention. The

The negative effect of divorce parents on child physics Essay

The negative effect of divorce parents on child physics - Essay Example Parental attachment during early stages of human life is very important because children tend to learn from their environment. Psychosocial theories argue that parental attachment during early developmental stages influence trust that a child develops in his or her late life stages. Evidently, a divorced family does not have time left for childcare because one of the parents is already missing. Social theorists have observed that effects of anxiety caused by divorce at early stages in a child’s life usually reoccur at adolescent stage. Divorce influences the attention a child would get from his or her parents. Many divorces cases usually tear mental ability of a child because divorce forces a child to make a choice yet they are still young and inexperienced about events in life (Shapiro & Lambert). Studies have indicated that many children of divorced parents had difficulties in choosing whose side they should take during their parental split cases. Researcher argue that divorce traumatizes children whose families were stable than children in dysfunctional families. Children lose confidence in relationship leading to marriage because they encounter different scenes with girlfriends or boyfriends of the parents. This on-and-off attitude makes children to develop a feeling that no attachment is secure. Social theorists have observed that emotions which children develop after their parental split has an effect in the later life. Divorce can lead to financial constraints to a child, which might lead to termination of his or her educational life. Studies have indicated that some parents who split are unable to meet their expenses and the expenses of their children (Shapiro & Lambert). This affect education and other essential things that a child was getting before break up. However, government has instituted policies which at protecting a child at the event

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata Annotated Bibliography

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata by Paul Creston - Annotated Bibliography Example According to Grove’s dictionary (33), personal initiative leads to creativity in sonata as illustrated by Paul Creston who took piano and organ lessons. Rhythm can form the basis of a style in sonata, and the more performances an artist initiates in sonata, the more accolades and awards he receives. Paul Creston engaged cool romantic compositions in enticing his sonata performances (Grove’s dictionary 33). In the sixties and seventies most work and styles in sonata is attributed to Paul Creston. In turn, the society gave him a role to play in influencing sonata music. His performances involved shifting divisions of the normal meter, which was widely acknowledge and appreciated in America. Creston’s decision on 1932 had significant impact on sonata music. This is evident in the developments in the last century. Grove’s dictionary (34), states that another performer who was a music teacher and influenced sonata historically; thus, Marcus van Cravel. According to Slomski (8), benefits of engaging in sonata early in life to enhance creativity in this style of music are evident. Early participation can influence performance in sonata as evident in engaging in social duties. Slomski (97) asserts that engaging in several activities before establishing oneself in sonata often improves other music genres. Like other works of literature, Monica Slomski supports that exemplary works of sonata are disputable worldwide. Slomski (143) cites a case whereby outstanding performance in sonata earned Paul Creston awards in the orchestral field. This book in line with other literary sources highlights the importance of persistence towards achieving individual goals in performing sonata. Personal attributes such as hard work is to be utilized to achieve recognition for music activities especially sonata. This source elaborates the ways through which sonata enhances fame. Sonata’s background on tone and orchestral characteristics in most

Review the theoretical relationship between market structure and bank Coursework

Review the theoretical relationship between market structure and bank performance - Coursework Example The relationship between the structure of the market and performance of the bank exists due to various reasons. For instance, there is the advice that company executives (specifically, the chief executive officers) acquaint the government and bank officials. Such advice is vital for establishing better pricing strategies and focusing on the income within a certain period. It is vital for the Chief Executive Officer’s undertake their usual duties considering the relation established between the market and performance of the bank. The main concern of this paper is to portray the relationship between the market structure and bank performance. Theoretical relationship between market structure and bank performance Market structure is a commonly used marketing term that gives a description of the level of competition that various business organizations lie under. There are two named variables of the market structure responsible for ascertaining a good relation between banks and mark et structures. To begin with, there is market awareness, used when measuring the assets of the banks in relation to the liabilities (Gelos & Roldos 2004, p. 41). They help ensure that the liabilities do not outweigh the assets. This is significant as it helps maintain the profits and financial statement of the banks. Market share is the second variable and acts as an element measuring the deposit of banks within certain periods. The performance of the bank brings about accomplishing banking activities, which are necessary especially when bank executives aim at creating better relations with the outside market. Since long time, people have had the urge to acquire more knowledge on operating business entities. They have also had concerns about the relationship between their businesses and the government. This is evident through the collapse of the privatised banks in Mexico (Graf 2013, p. 165). Top most leaders in any business industry should aim at ensuring that their businesses oper ate smoothly without much loss on the finance department. This is necessary in enhancing the relationship between them and banks. This is due the fact that hindering losses denotes a business operating in a situation where the activities generate more profits, necessary to be deposited in the banks. Individuals dealing with banking operations need to evaluate the performance of the activities undertaken within and outside the bank. Scrutiny of the external and internal banking factors is necessary. This is because it enables executive employees of a particular bank to acquire vital knowledge about overall bank performance. The relationship may also exist through an assessment the operations of business industries. This is crucial especially in a case where the executives demand to know what other businesses contribute to the banking sector. Effects of market structures on bank performance The existence of a good relationship between market structure and banks is an essential element in setting strategies for dealing with the action involving the setting of prices. The relationship has resulted in positive effects on banks. For instance, well-established market structures play the role of increasing finance due to the reason that the individuals operate through to accomplish set objectives. This then leads to an increase in bank finance as the business partners have to increase general savings. The reason why banks opt to relate to

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata Annotated Bibliography

Comparative Study of Different Bibliographical Sources for the Sonata by Paul Creston - Annotated Bibliography Example According to Grove’s dictionary (33), personal initiative leads to creativity in sonata as illustrated by Paul Creston who took piano and organ lessons. Rhythm can form the basis of a style in sonata, and the more performances an artist initiates in sonata, the more accolades and awards he receives. Paul Creston engaged cool romantic compositions in enticing his sonata performances (Grove’s dictionary 33). In the sixties and seventies most work and styles in sonata is attributed to Paul Creston. In turn, the society gave him a role to play in influencing sonata music. His performances involved shifting divisions of the normal meter, which was widely acknowledge and appreciated in America. Creston’s decision on 1932 had significant impact on sonata music. This is evident in the developments in the last century. Grove’s dictionary (34), states that another performer who was a music teacher and influenced sonata historically; thus, Marcus van Cravel. According to Slomski (8), benefits of engaging in sonata early in life to enhance creativity in this style of music are evident. Early participation can influence performance in sonata as evident in engaging in social duties. Slomski (97) asserts that engaging in several activities before establishing oneself in sonata often improves other music genres. Like other works of literature, Monica Slomski supports that exemplary works of sonata are disputable worldwide. Slomski (143) cites a case whereby outstanding performance in sonata earned Paul Creston awards in the orchestral field. This book in line with other literary sources highlights the importance of persistence towards achieving individual goals in performing sonata. Personal attributes such as hard work is to be utilized to achieve recognition for music activities especially sonata. This source elaborates the ways through which sonata enhances fame. Sonata’s background on tone and orchestral characteristics in most

Chipotle Grill Essay Example for Free

Chipotle Grill Essay Chipotle Mexican Grill is a chain of restaurants specializing in San Francisco burritos and tacos since it’s inception in 1993. Chipotle is known for chunky guacamole, large burritos, and assembly line production that provides high quality food served with the speed of fast food. Its â€Å"Food with Integrity† motto represents the pride it has in providing wholesome ingredients. The company presently uses 100% naturally raised chicken and pork, meaning the animals were raised in a humane way and never given antibiotics or hormones. Chipotle currently operates 862 restaurants in 33 states and plans to open 120-130 new restaurants in 2009 (Chipotle, 2009). A major challenge is finding new restaurant sites that will provide an adequate customer base and enable continued growth. Chipotle has historically operated on miniscule advertising budgets, but will take a more aggressive stance in the near future. Mark Crumpacker was appointed the company’s first Chief Marketing Officer this past year, and promises to bring new energy and a fresh perspective to enhance Chipotle’s marketing posture. An evaluation of the company’s internal strengths, weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats served as the foundation for this strategic analysis and marketing plan. The plan focuses on Chipotle’s growth strategy and suggests ways in which it can build on existing customer relations by increasing the quality of their dining experience. The company will also aggressively seek to develop new markets in order to sustain growth and strengthen shareholder value over time.

Practices In Of Health And Social Care Social Work Essay

Practices In Of Health And Social Care Social Work Essay This study aims to investigate the conduct of inter-professional practice in areas of social and health care, with specific regard to the involvement of service users in such practice. The case study prepared by the City and Hackney Local Safeguarding Children Board on Child A and Child B is taken up for analysis and review in this context. The case study is taken as read and is not elaborated for the purpose of this essay. Health and social care in the UK is currently being significantly influenced by a growing commitment towards greater public involvement in the design, delivery and evaluation of services, greater availability and choice of services for all categories of service users, reduction of inequality, greater emphasis on provisioning of services at the local level, (including from the independent and voluntary sectors), the commissioning process, integration of social and health care, and professional roles for delivery of care on the basis of actual needs of service users (Barrett, et al, 2005, p 74). Such reforms call for the blurring of strict boundaries between the different professionals and agencies working in health and social care (Cowley, et al, 2002, p 32). They also call for greater inter-professional and inter-agency working and for significant alterations in organisational cultures in order to enhance the power base of service users and members of the public in different aspects of social care provision (Cowley, et al, 2002, p 32). It is now widely accepted that health and social care professionals need to be more responsive to the rapidly changing needs of service users. Such changes call for the development of health and social care practitioners to improve care for clients and service users (Day, 2006, p 23). Such improvement is required to be brought about by more emphasis on person centred care for clients and service users and the greater involvement of such people in different aspects of planning, delivery and evaluation (Day, 2006, p 23). The increasing contemporary emphasis on user involvement in the policy and practice of social care is however coming in for increasing questioning from disenchanted service users and service user organisations (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). Service users, whilst highlighting the benefits of their involvement in the social and health care process, are raising various questions about their actual participation in social and health care and the continuance of various barriers that prevent their genuine contribution to the process (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). The case study under question details the results of an enquiry into an episode, wherein a mentally disturbed mother killed her two children after (a) being released from institutional surroundings, and (b) being integrated with her children with the full knowledge and approval of an overseeing group of social, health, nursing and mental health professionals. The enquiry raises disturbing issues about the extent of involvement of service users in social and health care processes and in the decision making of the inter-professional group overseeing the care, treatment and rehabilitation of a mentally disturbed and potentially dangerous individual. The essay investigates the involvement of service users in inter-professional practice in the UK, with specific regard to the case study and the enquiry report. Whilst doing so it takes cognizance of (a) identification of sources for evidence based social work practice, (b) the use of enquiry reports as sources of evidence, (c) the relevance of themes that emerge from such enquiries, and (d) the implications of evidenced based practice for the development of practice in social work. The essay is analysed vis-a-vis the Every Child Matters programme and makes use of legal, political and ethical frameworks. Inter-professional Practice Inter-professional practice and inter-agency collaboration aims to ensure the coming together of service providers, agencies, professionals, carers and service users in order to improve the final level of quality of planning and delivery of services (Mathias Thompson, 2001, p 39. Whilst partnership and collaboration are often considered to be interchangeable, collaboration is the actual foundation for joint working and the basis for all successful partnerships (Mathias Thompson, 2001, p 39). The UK has been enacting legislation and policies for the promotion of Inter-professional and inter-agency collaboration (IPIAC) for the last five decades in order to enhance standards and reduce costs in health and social care (SCIE, 2009, p 1 and 2). The development of IPIAC was shaped by the white paper Caring for People in 1989, followed by the enactment of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. The government has in recent years issued various policy documents for the promotion of collaboration in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness (SCIE, 2009, p 1). Greater emphasis on IPIAC is expected to improve care because different professional groups like social workers, physicians, teachers and police officers will during the course of such working bring their individual perspectives to the collaborative process (SCIE, 2009, p 1and 2). The IPIAC process will aim to ensure the best ways in which such individual and sometimes differing perspectives can be made to come together, as also the ways whereby respective contributions of different professionals and agencies can be utilised to enhance standards of service and experiences of service users and carers (Freeth, 2001, p 38). Consideration requires to be given to collaboration between organisations, as well as professionals, in the course of IPIAC working. It is also important to consider the differences in the working practices and cultures of the various organisations that are required to work together and to take appropriate action to minimise the impact of such differences in order to make inter-professional practice effective (Freeth, 2001, p 38). Policy makers and practitioners agree that adoption of IPIAC will result in greater service delivery despite the existence of various personal, individual and organisational barriers that can practically hinder its efficiency and effectiveness (Day, 2006, p 23). It is however also widely accepted that effective IPIAC working cannot take place in the absence of deliberate involvement of service users and clients in all stages of planning, delivery and evaluation processes (Day, 2006, p 23). The white paper Modernising Social Services, published in 1998 clearly states that people cannot be placed in neat service categories and users will inevitably suffer if partner agencies do not work together (SCIE, 2009, p 1).It is now mandatory that social work programmes, as well as nursing and midwifery, embrace the involvement of patients and service users. Contemporary government reforms are based on public involvement in different aspects of service delivery (SCIE, 2009, p 2). Person centred approaches in health and social care recognise the need for valuing the opinions and experiences of patients and service users and the adoption of person centred approaches by social work practitioners (SCIE, 2009, p 2). Current research however reveals that service users often feel left out of the process of social care, despite the progressive implementation of IPIAC concepts and approaches (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 2). Service user organisations state that the knowledge of service users is by and large not taken seriously or valued by professionals and service agencies. Many service users find such attitudes from professionals and agencies to be intensely disappointing and disempowering (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 3). Agencies and practitioners do not appear to be interested in the information provided by service users and do not accord the respect to such knowledge that they otherwise provide to professional knowledge and expertise. Service users also feel that the cultures of social and health care organisations continue to be closed to service user knowledge and reluctant to change (Branfield Beresford, 2006, p 3). The study of the case review of the episode involving the deaths of child A and child B appears to reinforce the impression of service users about their continued exclusion from the working and decisions of different agencies and professionals involved in delivery of social and health care (Henderson, p 261). The Every Child Matters Programme requires social work agencies and professionals like social workers, health care specialists, teachers, nurses, doctors and mental health professionals to constantly ensure the safety, security and protection of children wherever they can. Extant legislation and policies like The Children Act 2004 and the Every Child Matters Programme clarify that it is everyoneà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s job to ensure the safety of children (Henderson, p 261). The report clarifies that various agencies were involved in the assessment and treatment of Ms. C, the wife of Mr. D and the mother of the two children, child A and child B. The report further reveals that agencies, as well as individual practitioners, failed to consider the views, opinions, and experiences of service users, even as it also contains a number of examples of sound agency and inter-agency practice. There is limited evidence of professional contact with Mr. D, the father of the children, after the contact session in October 2006, and it appears likely that professional networks assumed the agreement of Mr. D with arrangements for Ms. C. Professionals also paid inadequate attention during their provisioning of support to Ms. C, in response to her request for re-housing, and did not communicate with Mr. D to ensure that future arrangements would serve the best interests of the children. Interviews conducted with Mr. D and his parents also revealed significant differences b etween their expectations of the roles of social workers roles and what was implied by the records kept in the agency. Mr. Dà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s family members, it appears, were clearly under the impression that they had little choice in the rehabilitation process and were furthermore required to facilitate the contact of the children with their mother. Whilst the report elaborates the role and sincerity of various agencies and professionals in assessing Ms. Cà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s condition and her rehabilitation in society, it specifically refers to (a) the under involvement of Mr. D in the process, (b) the lack of communication with him (Mr D) by social workers and agencies, (c) the differences in perceptions about the role of social workers between Mr. D and his family and the agency, (d) the poor communication of agencies with the parents, (e) the absence of school records of children, and (e) the scope for improvement of involvement of GPs and the police in the social care process. Although the report makes several recommendations, the specific references to involvement of service users calls for detailed and greater involvement of parents and carers of children in planning of discharge and assessment of risk in order to ensure that actions are based on full information. One of the agencies, the East London and the City Mental Trust has been asked to involve family members and carers of children in all processes, even as the Hackney Children and Young Peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Service has been directed to ensure that decisions are not taken on issues that can affect children without communicating carefully and appropriately with current carers. Emerging Themes and Evidenced Based Practice The revelations of the enquiry into the report reveal a number of themes in different areas of inter-professional practice, inter-agency working and the involvement of service users in planning, delivery, and evaluation of health and social care, which can be beneficially used to inform future social work practice. The report specifically refers to (a) the lack of participation of services users in social and health care processes, and (b) the involvement of different agencies in their exclusion, thereby reinforcing the need for greater emphasis by agencies and practitioners on involvement of service users in their care plans. It also becomes obvious that much of the sentiments and ideas about involvement of service users in social care processes continues to remain in the realm of rhetoric and that it will need determined and deliberate effort by practitioners to truly bring services users into the actual planning, intervention and evaluation functions of social work practice. Enquiry reports serve as important sources of evidence for development of future social work practice. The impact of the enquiry conducted by Lord Laming into the death of Victoria Climbie led to the revelation of evidence on gross inadequacies in the social care system for children and widespread organisational malaise (Roberts Yeager, 2006, p 19). The publication of the report led to radical changes in governmental policy on social care for children and to the introduction of the Every Child Matters Programme and other important policies for the physical and mental welfare of children (Roberts Yeager, 2006, p 19). The utilisation of research evidence for guidance of practice and development of policies in the area of social services and health care is becoming increasingly important for enhancing the effectiveness of social and health care interventions, especially so because of the limited available resources with the government and the pressures to achieve positive outcomes (Johnson Austin, 2005, p 5). Scholars however feel that much of research based evidence is not absorbed by practitioners and have identified five important requirements for research evidence to practically influence practice and policy, namely (a) concurrence on nature of evidence, (b) a strategic approach to the conception of evidence and the progression of an increasing knowledge base, (c) effective distribution of knowledge along with development of useful means for accessing knowledge, (d) initiatives for increasing use of evidence in policy and practice, and (5) a range of actions at organisational level to increase use of evidence (Johnson Austin, 2005, p 5). Conclusions This study investigates the conduct of inter-professional practice in areas of social and health care, with specific regard to the involvement of service users in such practice. The case study prepared by the City and Hackney Local Safeguarding Children Board on Child A and Child B is specifically taken up contextual review. Inter-professional practice aims to ensure the collaborative working of service providers, agencies, professionals, carers and service users in order to improve the planning and delivery of services. Policy makers and practitioners also agree that whilst adoption of inter-professional working is likely to lead to improved care, it cannot occur without the involvement of service users in all stages of the care process. Person centred approaches also recognise the importance of considering the opinions and experiences of service users in planning, intervention and evaluation of care. Contemporary research however reveals that service users feel that their knowledge is not valued by professionals and agencies. The results of the enquiry reinforce the possibility of service users being excluded from the working of agencies and professionals and refer to a number of instances, where the opinions of the service users were not considered for taking of practice and intervention decisions. The report reveals a number of themes in different areas of inter-professional practice that can be beneficially used to inform future social work practice. The use of research evidence for guidance of practice in social work is becoming increasingly important for improving the effectiveness of social and health care interventions. Enquiry reports serve as important sources of evidence for development of future social work practice. Scholars however feel that much of research based evidence is used by practitioners and that certain specific conditions, which have been elaborated in the last section, need to be met for the improvement and application of evidence based practice. Word Count: 2530, apart from bibliography