Human Resource Management Al Ain City Municipality

Question: Discuss about theHuman Resource Managementfor Al Ain City Municipality. Answer: Introduction: The aim of the report is to carry out an audit of the Human Resource Management practices within Al Ain Municipality. An evaluation of the functional areas of operation of this Governmental Institution will be done. Based on the findings, the strengths and weaknesses of the operation of the institution will be highlighted and recommendations will be made for betterment of their services. Al Ain City Municipality is the government institution directed to serve Al Ain City and its neighboring areas. The Municipality department was established in 1967, this institution was designed to control and regulate the citys affair (Alain-municipality 2016). A Distinctive Municipality and a sustainable Development for the Oasis city is the vision on the institution. The Mission of this governmental institution is to offer differentiated municipal services by using competent human capital and better technological infrastructure to serve people while maintaining its unique characteristics and authenticity (Alain-municipality 2016). HRM Practices within Al Ain Municipality: The Human Resource system within the municipality of is mainly responsible for taking care of the roles and responsibilities of employees and the related affairs of the employees working for Al Ain Municipality. Administrative function is the pivotal responsibility of the HR department. Among the other jobs, the main responsibilities include recruitment of employees and training them adequately to meet the demand of the government institution (Budhwar and Mellahi 2016). In addition to this, recording the performance record and looking after the employee self-satisfaction also falls under the major roles of the Human Resource department within Al Ain Municipality. Human resource management practices in Al Ain Municipality consist of the following major operations: Managing employment data Detailed data of performance evaluation Managing performance evaluation data Data related to vacancies and jobs Detailed information of training data Budget data (Alain-municipality 2016) It has been found that apart from the above mentioned practices keeping a detailed record of the salaries and allowances that are given to the employees are calculated along with a detailed record of absenteeism, vacation usage and employee turnover analysis. Analysis of the HRM Practices: It has been observed that the Municipality practices a number of Human resource strategies to increase the efficiency at the work. The major role played by the HR is focused towards training and performance appraisal of the employees in order to bring out the best from them. A number of HR policies practiced at Al Ain Municipality can be pointed out here: Training of the Employees: It has been observed that new joiners are given training to make them pro towards their own job responsibilities. As commented by Afiouni et al. (2014), training is the major activity that helps people to learn about the current profile of the job and make themselves capable of improving their performance to match the demand of the work. It has better possibilities of improving the working performance of the particular organization. Employees who do not belong to the particular region often have to face with difficult situations at the time of doing their work due to lack of proper training. Analysis of Strengths Weaknesses of the HRM practice Training support better opportunities of improving the performance of the employees, at the same time the process becomes expensive and increases the budget of the organization. It has been observed that the Al Ain Municipality is a government institution and adding more expenses will lead to increase in the overall budget of the institution. Therefore, it has been found that proper training is not given to the employees. This has failed to accomplish the job accurately and can be considered as a major drawback of the Human Resource management of the institution. Participation of the Employees: For motivating the employees at the Al Ain Municipality, the organization follows appraisal schemes. The employees are given proper appraisal of their work in terms of compensation. However, reading Farouk et al. (2016), it has been observed that there are certain factors as well that are not designed appropriately to motivate the employees to a large extent. Loyal employees who remained with the functional activities of the Municipality are found to gained good position in the institution at a later In addition to this, it has also been observed that the institution is also comprised of employees from various cultural backgrounds. In the age of globalization, a mixed culture is often seen at many organizations and the HRM policies in these organizations are designed to match the expectations of the increasing cross cultural impact (Vassilopoulou et al. 2015). One of the major advantages that are gained at the workplace is that the employees are found to come up with innovative ideas that add to the betterment of the complete working procedure (Abudhabi.ae 2016). On the other hand, if the case of a municipality is considered, it can be said that often at the time of dealing with people, employees from different backgrounds help to cope up with the situation and creates a better way of carrying out the work. Analysis of Strengths Weaknesses of the HRM practice The authority at the high level are responsible for making major decisions and the employees are directed the jobs and the roles that they have to perform to achieve the desired goals. This way, a systematic means of decision is made and there remained better possibilities of the success of the plan. However, the employees are not given the opportunities to participate in the major decision making factors. As a result the institution might loss certain opportunities that would have been gained if the employees were free to participate in the decision making. Recommendations for Better HRM to achieve Organizations Mission: In order to achieve betterment in the HRM practices under the Municipality operations, a number of recommendations can be made. It has been observed that the employees lack certain level of motivation in the institution. This is mainly due to the unique culture of working that the institution follows. It has to be understood that there is an advent of cross cultural impact in the working of the municipality. Therefore, focusing on the cross cultural impact of the work place is indeed important. A number of strategies can be undertaken by the organization to achieve its mission and at the same time create a favorable climate at the workplace. SMART Recommendation 1: Providing adequate training to the employees: Specific Not only the new joiners but the existing employees should be given training on a regular basis because the work practices changes with changes in various situations. Therefore, the workers should be trained enough to overcome the challenges faced by them at any point of time. Measurable The approach is measurable when the efficiency of the work will be noticed and the employees would find it easier to deal with various challenging situation. Achievable The aim can be easily achievable in case a proper training schedule and guide is designed and the same is followed to train the employees. Relevant Training practices is much relevantly followed by every organization and thus, this plan can be used efficiently. Timely A training period of 30-45 days can be enough for achieving the said objective. SMART Recommendation 2: Better motivational factors to be used: Specific The municipality has to come up with better motivational factors like engaging employees in decision making activities or making career planning. The employees should feel comfortable and valued at the work place. If this is given to them, they can be responsible for giving out better outcomes at the work place. Measurable The activity and the success of the factors can be measured by analyzing the outcome of the work activities. Achievable The aim is achievable by giving opportunities to the employees at the time of deciding on a particular project. Relevant This factor is used by major organizations and involves employees to come up with better and innovative ideas that ultimately add to the benefits of the work culture of the particular organization. Timely With timely practices and making the involvement of the employees in major decision the objective is timely enough to be taken into consideration. Conclusion: A detailed analysis of the Human Resources management practices carried on at the Al Ain Municipality has been done. A detailed analysis of the HRM practices has been carried on. It has been found that the Human Resource body of the government institution is responsible for taking care of the small region. The employees working for this institution do not get adequate training and there is a lack of good corporate culture as well. Therefore it falls under the responsibility of the HRM to come up with better plans to improve the organizational practices and contribute towards improving the working of the employees. The proposed recommendations might be of great help for the Municipality to improve their activities. Reference List: Abudhabi.ae 2016 Abudhabi e-government Available at: https://www.abudhabi.ae/portal/public/en/homepage?_adf.ctrl-state=4sv2306td_4_afrLoop=15 993394523790256 #! [Accessed on: 24-12-2016] Afiouni, F., Rul, H. and Schuler, R., 2014. HRM in the Middle East: toward a greater understanding.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(2), pp.133-143. Ahuja, D., 2015. Green HRM: Management of people through commitment towards environmental sustainability.International Journal of Research in Finance and Marketing,5(7), pp.50-54. Alain-municipality 2016, Human Resources Information System (HRIS) Available at: https://alain-municipality.blogspot.in/2011/05/human-resources-information-system-hris.html [Accessed on: 24-12-2016] Alain-municipality 2016, Introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Available at: https://alain-municipality.blogspot.in/ [Accessed on: 24-12-2016] Budhwar, P.S. and Mellahi, K., 2016. 1. The Middle East context: an introduction.Handbook of Human Resource Management in the Middle East, p.1. Farouk, S., Abu Elanain, H.M., Obeidat, S.M. and Al-Nahyan, M., 2016. HRM Practices and Organizational Performance in the UAE Banking Sector: the Mediating Role of Organizational Innovation.International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management,65(6). Municipalgateway.abudhabi.ae 2016, Al Ain City Municipality Available a: thttps://municipalgateway.abudhabi.ae/en/AM/About/Pages/AboutUs.aspx [Accessed on: 24-12-2016] Vassilopoulou, J., Tatli, A., Ozbilgin, M., Pinnington, A.H. and Alshamsi, A.M., 2015. Identifying Effective Talent Management Policies and Practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Comparative Political and Economic Perspectives on the MENA Region, p.292.

Lord Of The Flies Essays (1377 words) - English-language Films

Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies Chapter One: The Sound of a Shell. The first chapter concentrates on describing character personalities. Ralph, Piggy, Jack and the rest of the choir are introduced after Ralph blows the conch. The group elects Ralph, 'the chief' and they begin to establish rules and boundaries. Ralph, Jack and Simon explore the island and begin plans for shelters from the weather. The trio find that the island is a fertile place. It has natural fruit, fresh water and wild pigs which could be hunted as a form of meat. Piggy is immediately ostracized from the group and Ralph also decides that a bonfire on the mountain should be lit permanently on the mountain as a constant smoke signal. Chapter Two: Fire on the Mountain. Ralph calls another meeting to discuss the fire on the mountain. Jack decides forming a hunting party to hunt pigs. A small boy claims to have seen a serpent-like beast, but the idea is quickly discarded after Ralph and Jack convince the group otherwise. The group hurriedly rushes to the mountain and collects wood for a fire, which breaks up the meeting. At first the boys have nothing to light the fire, until Jack robs Piggy of his glasses and uses them to magnify the sun's rays to heat the tinder-dry wood. The fire, although majestic, unfortunately only generates a tiny amount of smoke, so the boys stack green branches on to get more smoke. At the next meeting, Ralph decides that more rules should be introduced, including groups to be set out for specific tasks (e.g. Shelters, Fire, Hunting). Also, Piggy brings up a subject of concern. He reveals that one child is missing, and the group fear for his life. Chapter Three: Huts on the Beach. Ralph and Simon start to build shelters on their own and become angry because of the amount of kids who won't help. Ralph and Jack chat about each others views of their predicaments, and find that they are very different. Jack starts to become obsessed with hunting and killing pigs and loses sight of their goal- to be rescued. The younger children spend more and more time playing and less and less time helping. Chapter Four: Painted Faces and Long Hair. The hunters start painting themselves to stay camouflaged from their targets. Piggy suggests making a sundial to tell the time, but has no support. A ship sails past the island but doesn't notice the boys because Jack's choir had let the fire out completely. The boys had lost interest in the fire and decided to go hunting instead. This makes Ralph angry. Jack and his hunters catch a pig, but Ralph doesn't care. Jack re-lights the fire and prepares the pig's meat for a feast. Ralph is still not satisfied and calls a meeting down on the platform, beneath the mountain. Chapter Five: Beast from Water. Ralph calls a meeting, still using the conch system to give kids the right to talk. He tells the group that there idea of water carriers quickly became boring to them and that shelters were being slept in by all but only two people were making them. He was also displeased with the younger children, expelling bodily waste wherever they pleased, instead of in the rock, near the bathing pool, as they agreed. This brought a chorus of laughter. The conversation soon switched to the beast. Some, even most of the group had doubts on whether it was just a figment of the "little'uns" imaginations. Jack talks out of turn and this sparks a verbal brawl between Jack and Ralph. The group now starts to go their separate ways- either with Jack, or Ralph. Jack's hunters decide to hunt the beast and settle the mind of the young kids. Chapter Six: Beast from Air. Ralph and his friends fetch wood for the fire. Later that night, the twins rush to Ralph and Piggy and tell them that they have seen the beast. They ask to use their spears. Ralph went with the other to hunt for the beast. They venture into the jungle and into a cave but find nothing. Jack decides that the cave is a good place for a fort. The boys start to turn against Ralph and his ideas and begin to join Jack in his hunting. Chapter Seven: Shadows and Tall Trees. Ralph hunts with Jack for a while and stabs a boar which the boys mistake for the beast. Jack planned a bonfire where they planned to play a game where Roger would act as a Pig and they would

Analysis on Ethan Frome Essay Example

Analysis on Ethan Frome Essay Example Analysis on Ethan Frome Paper Analysis on Ethan Frome Paper Essay Topic: Ethan Frome Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. Albert Schweitzer. Ethan Frome who takes care of his ill wife becomes very attracted with his wifes sister and must choose whether or not to express his feelings. Individual responsibility is the obstacle when dealing with ones free will. This will be shown by analyzing, Ethans choices of individual responsibility and free will. Ethan, from Starkfield New England is a poor farmer who is taking care of his ill wife Zeena. Zeena had always been what Starkfield had called sickly (pg 35). She suffered from asthma and other complications. People struggled for years with troubles, but they always succumbed to complications (pg 108. ) Ethan felt it was his obligation to take care of his ill wife as they had been married for seven years. When they married they agreed as soon as he could straighten out the difficulties, he would sell the farm and saw mill and try their luck in a large town (pg 71). It was believed that her sickness was derived from the effect of life on the farm, or perhaps, as she sometimes said, it was because Ethan never listened (pg 72). Due to this Ethan felt it was his responsibility to take care of his wife. Zeena had been trying hard to get help as she occasionally left town to seek medical assistance. Ethan had grown to dread these situations because of their cost (pg. 62). Zeena had always returned with expensive remedies that were promising but never ended up working. Ethan felt his commitment of marriage was enough for him to believe that it was possible for his wife to re-cooperate from her illness and return to a normal life. While Ethan was taking care of Zeena, it was suggested that they should acquire more assistance due to his wifes health. Mattie Silver came from Stamford, and when she entered the Fromes household to act as her cousin Zeenas aid it was thought best, as she came without pay (pg 32). Ethan had taken a liking to the girl from the first day (pg 32). Mattie took pressure and stress of Ethans workload and everyday chores and basically rekindled his spirit of love. It was a fact since Mattie Silvers coming he had taken to shaving every day (pg 39). They both had gained strong feelings for each other but did not want or feel it was right for them to be expressed. One day however when walking back home from the village Mattie stumbled on an unseen object and clutched onto Ethans sleeve to steady herself. The wave of warmth that went through him was like the prolongation of his vision. For the first he stole his arm about, and she did not resist (pg 50). From that point on the both of them became more fond of each other and showed their feelings more openly to each other. One day when Zeena left town for medical reasons Mattie had attempted to do something special for Ethan by preparing him a special meal. To be used in this special meal was Zeenas pickle dish, which was only used on special occasions. Sitting at dinner the cat had backed into pickle dish, which fell to the floor with a crash (pg 85). This can be seen as the couples dream falling to pieces and not being able to be repaired as the next night Zeena had returned and she ordered that Mattie leave as Zeena required someone with medical experience. When Ethan and Zeena confronted each other it was the first sign of open anger between the couple in the sad seven years together (pg 112). He could not picture himself living without Mattie and had to choose whether or not to stay with his wife or follow his heart and go with Mattie. Ethan could not exercise his free will and be with Mattie as his individual responsibility was dealing with that of Zeena which he felt he could not abandon. Ethan had always wanted the best for his wife Zeena but she would have to come to the realization that youre a poor mans wife (pg 114). It would be impossible for him to hire a trained medical aid as the funds just were not there. Ethan felt his free will was put to the test when Zeena had ordered that Mattie leave. Ethan than realized that he could not live with out her. The night when Ethan escorts Mattie to town to catch her train they think of the idea of leaving and going West. Ethan had always dreamed of the idea but came to the conclusion that he could not leave his ill wife. Im tied hand and foot, Matt. There isnt a thing that I can do (pg 158). Before they departed Ethan wanted to do one more thing Mattie and that was take her coasting or tobogganing. While tobogganing Ethan had came into confusion as a suicide pact was suggested as they went for their last turn down the hill. They were attempting to hit a huge Elm tree but right before they hit Ethan had suddenly seen his wifes face with twisted monstrous lineaments, thrust itself between him and his goal, and he made an instinctive movement to brush it aside (pg 170). which caused Ethan to just hit the tree ever so slightly not to kill them but to injure them severely. Ethans feels his individual responsibility to Zeena must be taken care of first before he can have any life with Mattie. It is important that ones individual responsibility is taking care of first before attempting to pursue ones free will as it will cause a major obstacles and conflicts if striving to make the both co-exist. Ethans problem of choosing who he loved could have been resolved if he stuck with his individual responsibility and helped his wife back to good health.

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility Essay

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility to make the music education actually valuable for Chinese p - Essay Example Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. But the situation has changed since 1912, when music education moved into the category of compulsory subjects. Under the economic behavior, also all the parents want their children have a bright future; therefore lots of music teachers became ‘money makers’ because of this policy. The music as a creative art should give more space to students. Nowadays National Entrance Exam forced some of Chinese students study music no longer as an creative arts, they are practicing it for pass the exam with high mark, and they are passing it because of the music skill can give them more 20 credits compare with the others who can’t study music or know music skills as good as they are. Students suffer in the classroom, because music education is not enjoyable anymore. Nowadays students are seeking for material well-being; they do not actually care about arts and music, in particular. Even in an era of globalization such widespread phrase as â€Å"Europe is not America, America - not Asia† is relevant. Especially it seems strange that under the comprehensive globalization, China preserves its national identity. Suffice it to mention the peculiarities of the Chinese mentality, Chinese economy, developing rapidly after the Communist, unique educational system; but the Chinese musical art deserves paying special attention. Besides, the purposes of music education, according to the Ministry of Education in China, are directly connected with the fact that Chinese society still can not reject the idea of communism building. So, the tendency â€Å"Art for Art sake† is obvious. ... It also absorbed elements of the music of people that were part of the Chinese empire (the Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Manchu, etc.), and, in turn, greatly influenced the music of Korea, Japan and some nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Chinese music has evolved since ancient times under the influence of religious, philosophical and ideological doctrines (Reimer, 1989). In Confucian treatises the concept of cosmological nature of music was developed, its social and political role was highlighted. Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. According to the ideas of Taoism, the music was to facilitate the natural expression of psycho-emotional reactions of man, its fusion with nature. 2. The Consequences of the New Education Policy The school music education, which was developed during one of the most complex, saturated with global cataclysms, period in the history of the country, gradually became a public system, marked by both significant achievements and serious shortcomings. Nowadays the assessments of achievements of challenges facing China’s school education are prerequisites for successful reform. Music became a compulsory subject in secondary schools of China in 1912. In accordance with the suggestions for the educational course of the country, made by Education Minister Tsai Yuanpey (1912), the role of artistic education plays the significant role in shaping the personality, thus, particular attention should be paid to music teaching in secondary schools. This document determined a new status of the given

The Message of Art Matters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Message of Art Matters - Essay Example The beauty of art is found everywhere. It is up to an individual how he perceives and appreciates it. While it is true that aesthetic beauty lies in the eyes of a beholder, visual representation brings the collaboration of art formed in many approaches: music,painting, stories, imagination and even science. The subject of an artwork is primarily and obviously taken notice. The artist has the liberty to choose the subject matter for his artwork. However, it is the content that will always reflect the artist (Nielsen). There are thousands of artists that paint the same subject. It is the artist’s own style that makes their works diverse and non-ephemeral. Every man is an artist. Every individual has a way to voice out what is going on inside of him and loose it out in ways that would make an impact to whoever perceives. Art as an expression reflects what is happening in a certain society and culture. If art is a work output, then it must come from inside of the artist. The freedom of every individual lets him explore the vastness of his creativity exploding into varied concepts of supreme work of art and achievements.

Polymer: The Glass Transition

Polymer: The Glass Transition Formulation Chemistry Polymer: The Glass Transition In the solid state, semicrystalline polymers exhibit both amorphous and crystalline morphology. The glass transition is a property of only the amorphous portion of a semi-crystalline solid. [1] The glass transition temperature, Tg, is the temperature at which the amorphous materials change between the glassy and rubbery form. 1.1 Amorphous and Crystalline Polymers The amorphous polymers consist of molecules that are oriented randomly, unlike the crystalline ones which have polymer chains packed in ordered, repeating patterns in the three-dimensional crystal lattice. However the glass transition is different to melting because only amorphous polymers undergo the glass transition. Melting is a transition that occurs in crystalline polymers when these chains are disoriented from the crystal structures and become liquid. A sample of semicrystalline polymer can be composed of both amorphous and crystalline portions, therefore it can have both a glass transition temperature and a melting temperature. 1.2 Glassy and Rubbery States Below Tg, the amorphous regions of a polymer are in a glassy state and most joining or contact bonds are intact. [2] The molecules may be able to vibrate slightly, but are virtually motionless in which portions of the molecule wiggle around. Therefore polymer is generally hard, brittle and rigid. As the polymer is heated until it eventually reaches its glass transition temperature, the molecules start to wiggle around. In inorganic glasses, more bonds are broken with increased thermal fluctuations; while in organic polymers, non-covalent bonds between chains also become weaker. By heating above Tg, there is long-range segmental motion where the polymer chains can move around easily. It is now described in its rubbery state which offers flexibility and softness for plastic deformation without fracture. Below Tg, the chains are firm and unbendable to relieve the force being applied. This is due to either (a) the chains are strong to resist the stress; or (b) the force applied is excessive for the motionless polymer chains to overcome, so the polymer sample will just break or shatter.[1] Such mobility with temperature is heavily dependent upon the â€Å"heat† content because Tg is a kinetic parameter. The Tg decreases with slower melt cooling rate. It is also affected by other factors listed in section 1.4. Heat is a form of kinetic energy that causes random motion of molecules and the pliability of polymer, in comparison to â€Å"cold† polymers which lack kinetic energy to move around and hence are brittle on cooling. Example of this behavior is the glass transition of chewing gum. It is soft and pliable at body temperature, characteristic of an amorphous solid in its elastic, rubbery condition. The gum then turns hard and rigid when it comes into contact with cold drink or ice cube in the mouth. 1.3 Glass Transition vs. Melting The differences are outlined in the table below: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Theories and Treatment Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Theories and Treatment Introduction Modern cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) grew out of the merging of behavioural therapy, developed in the 1950s to 1970s, and cognitive therapy developed in the 1960s (Graham, 2004). Broadly, it attempts to deal directly with a clients manifest symptoms through both cognitive and behaviour strategies. Cognitive theories target particular irrational beliefs which are thought to be the source of behavioural and emotional problems. Historically, CBT is well-established in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but has only been adapted more recently for use in psychosis (Tarrier, 2002). This essay will first examine the theory and practical treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) using CBT. Then the treatment of psychosis will be considered in the same way, but concentrating on the similarities and differences to the treatment of anxiety. CBT Treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder The main feature of GAD is excessive and uncontrollable worry (Wells, 2002). The DSM-IV states that for a positive diagnosis of GAD, the worry must occur more days than not over a period of six months (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The DSM-IV also lists a number of somatic and cognitive symptoms which include, for example, muscle tension. A variety of different treatments have been used for GAD including both directive and non-directive therapies. Fisher Durham (1999) examine the effectiveness of different treatment methods and the number of clients making a full recovery. The most successful treatments in their meta-analysis were CBT which achieved a recovery rate of 51% and applied relaxation which achieved a 60% recovery rate. To understand how GAD is treated using CBT, it is necessary to understand the model of worry that it is based upon. Beck (1976) produced the most widely referenced model of anxiety which links emotions and thinking. In this model it is the patients thoughts and images relating to anticipated danger that immediately precede, and cause, anxiety attacks. In appraising their environment, anxious patients overestimate both the likelihood and severity of a negative event occurring and so take defensive action (Blackburn, 1995). Under the umbrella term of CBT a number of different approaches to treating GAD have been used. They normally focus on two main factors: cognitive work aimed at challenging the clients beliefs and thought processes as well as behavioural work teaching anxiety management strategies (Wells, 2002). Borkovec (2002) describes the cognitive aspect of CBT as focussing on how the client perceives the world and attempting to move this onto a more accurate footing. Generally, this is done by eliciting how the client is perceiving events in an anxious way. Then, the client is encouraged to apply logical thought processes to their own perceptions to challenge the way they are thinking. The therapist attempts to supplant these original thought processes with cognitive interpretations that do not lead to increased anxiety. Clients are usually given homework in which they attempt to identify anxiety attacks, what preceded them and what followed them. Hopefully, by demonstrating to the client that their catastrophic predictions do not occur in reality, it is possible to break down the automatic negative thoughts. Some researchers have been critical of this basic cognitive approach as it does not focus on meta-cognitive factors (Wells, 2002). A revision to the model has been added by Wells (1995) who introduces the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 worry. Type 1 worry is that referred to above the worry about physical symptoms and external events. Type 2 refers to worrying, as it were, about worrying: meta-worrying. Type 1 worrying is dealt with in approximately the same manner described above, but greater focus is given here to Type 2 worrying. Type 2 cognitive interventions focus on two factors: the uncontrollability of the worrying and appraisals and beliefs about the dangers of worrying. Once negative meta-cognitions have been elicited, they can be challenged and worked with in the same way as before. An example of this type of metacognition is that a client can believe that worrying is harmful because it increases blood pressure and thereby this is harmful to the body (Wells, 2002). The therapist would address this by explaining that occasional high blood pressure is not associated with chronic health problems. The second aspect in treating anxiety by CBT is the use of behavioural strategies (Borkovec, 2002). This involves teaching the client techniques for relaxing their body such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation and relaxing imagery. Clients are encouraged to practice these techniques even when they are not anxious so they feel comfortable with their implementation. In addition, in some circumstances clients will be exposed to situations which make them anxious in order to provide realistic practice opportunities (Borkovec, 2002). A further type of behavioural strategy employed is a stimulus control method. This involves the client in deciding on a period of the day in which worrying will be carried out, carrying out monitoring of their daily worrying, and trying to only worry in the designated period. Then, in the designated period of worrying, clients practice their cognitive skills. Two other techniques used are behavioural activation strategies encouraging the client to engage in more pleasant activities and imagery rehearsal techniques which involve practicing new responses to environmental cues likely to cause worry (Borkovec, 2002). CBT Treatment of Psychosis Unlike the symptoms of anxiety which can be stated relatively succinctly, the experiences of those with psychosis vary to a large degree. Those with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, for example, can suffer from hallucinations, delusions, perceptual anomalies as well as some associated problems like depression and anxiety itself (Garety, Fowler Kuipers, 2000). The CBT therapist will, therefore, be targeting a greater variety of symptoms than with anxiety, and usually over a much longer period: perhaps three or more times as many sessions as for anxiety. The use of CBT in psychosis was nevertheless developed from the techniques used to treat conditions like depression and anxiety (Tarrier, 2002). CBT is generally used in addition to powerful antipsychotic medications and is aimed at helping clients to better cope with their psychoses. CBT has been investigated in a number of different patient groups, the largest body addresses those with chronic conditions that are treatment-resistan t, with studies generally finding it to be effective (Sensky et al., 2000). More recent studies have found it to be effective in acute and recent-onset schizophrenia (Lewis et al., 2002). The theoretical model for CBT in psychosis is necessarily much broader than that used for anxiety. While the relations between thoughts, feelings and behaviour are important, these have to be set against wider issues. The causes of psychosis are usually multi-factorial and thought to stem from the social environment, biological vulnerability and psychological processes (Garety et al., 2000; see also the stress-vulnerability model: Strauss Carpenter, 1981). In order to reach an effective case formulation, therefore, the therapist needs to examine the confluence of these different factors along with the clients stresses, vulnerabilities and responses. Like anxiety, at the centre of the cognitive model of psychosis lies the idea that the therapist can address all the different types of symptoms by examining cognitive processes. One example Garety et al. (2000) point to was made by Frith (1992), which claims that symptoms of thought insertion are a result of deficits in normal cognitive self-monitoring processes. Similarly, the anxious component of psychosis is seen as resulting from maladaptive appraisals. At heart, the theoretical model of CBT for psychosis relies on the same fundamentals as that for anxiety: that making the client aware of these problematic thought processes will provide some relief. Where it differs theoretically is that it is addressing a wider variety of factors social and biological as well as psychological and so the treatment has to reflect this fact. Turning now to the practical aspects of CBT for psychoses, Garety et al. (2000) outline a six-stage process. The first involves building and maintaining a therapeutic relationship. This was taken for granted in the discussion of anxiety because, to a therapist, this is a given. With psychotic clients, though, there are significantly greater barriers to the building of a therapeutic relationship. The client may well suffer psychotic symptoms during sessions as well as being paranoid about and suspicious of those trying to help them. The second stage is providing cognitive-behavioural coping strategies for the positive symptoms of psychosis (Garety et al., 2000). Similarly to anxiety treatment, this might include reality testing on delusional thoughts, self-monitoring of symptoms and using distraction and withdrawal (Phillips Francey, 2004). The third stage involves attempting to understand the experience of psychosis. Here, the therapist attempts to bring together strands from the clients life and experiences and link them to their psychotic symptoms. Further, however, the therapist also looks to provide some sort of normalisation to the already high level stigmatisation associated with psychosis. This third stage in treating psychosis differs considerably from the treatment of anxiety, which generally does not address wider social issues in depth. Fourthly, the therapist will specifically examine hallucinations and delusions (Garety et al., 2000). This will often be hard as the client will have developed a series of beliefs that are heavily reinforced. These are addressed using standard CBT techniques such as those used in anxiety. Where the approach for psychosis differs, however, is that attempts to change long-held thoughts are not made until well into the therapeutic process and the therapists manner is slower and softer. In addition, compared to CBT for anxiety, there is less emphasis on the patient generating their own alternative interpretations, and more on the therapist providing them. Some clients may not even agree their beliefs are delusional and so the therapist has to work within the boundaries set by the client. The fifth aspect of CBT for psychosis as laid out by Garety et al. (2000) focuses on depression, anxiety and negative self-evaluations. Those suffering from psychosis will often have low self-esteem. This can be the result of long-standing negative self-evaluations which can be targeted by cognitive therapy techniques of reviewing how they arose and then providing a challenge to the thinking. Both depression and anxiety are also treated in this way. Finally, Garety et al. (2000) look at issues of social desirability and risk of relapse. Throughout therapy, the therapist is looking to the future and helping the client to think about their short and medium-term plans. While Garety et al.s (2000) model is influential, it should be noted that the treatment of psychoses, like that for anxiety, is not monolithic there are a variety of different formulations and approaches. Some focus more on particular aspects such as the delusions or coping strategies. Garety et al. (2000) argue, however, that many treatments are now becoming more integrated in order to address the wide range of symptoms in psychosis. Outcomes and Comorbidity The outcome research varies across different types of psychosis and so it is difficult to compare with anxiety outcomes. A further complication is the different methods used and the rapidly developing nature of CBT as an intervention. Psychosis is certainly harder to work with than anxiety because of the sheer number of factors involved and, as a consequence, the outcomes are generally not nearly as good as those for anxiety. One clear similarity between the CBT treatment of psychosis and that for anxiety is their comorbidity in psychotic disorders. Looking across bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia, Cosoff Hafner (1998) found 43% to 45% of psychotic patients had a form of anxiety disorder. Indeed, in their sample, Cosoff Hafner (1998) found that, even though anxiety disorders are often responsive to treatment, none of the patients had been treated for it. Research has questioned whether anxiety might be a dimension of a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia while others suggest they form a subgroup of the patient population (Braga, Petrides Figueira, 2004). Supporting the dimensional view, Lysaker Hammersley (2006) have found a relationship between both delusions and inflexible thought (characteristic of psychosis) and higher levels of social anxiety. Further, looking at schizophrenia in particular, Braga, Petrides Figueira (2004) argue that much of the research shows better outcomes for those treated for comorbid anxiety. While the repertoire, order and specific implementation of techniques used in CBT differs between psychosis and anxiety, the therapeutic relationship will be central to success in both treatments. Factors that Beck Emery (1990) highlight include trust on the part of the client in the therapist, a collaborative approach and a focus on educational issues. Conclusion The treatment of both anxiety and psychosis with CBT is based on identical underlying principles. Theoretically, both approaches involve focussing on the types of attributions and automatic negative thoughts the client is experiencing as well as aspects of behaviour. Similarly, both approaches require a strong therapeutic alliance in order to be successful. The practical implementation of each intervention is, however, tailored for the disorder. The client suffering from psychosis is likely to have a much wider range of symptoms to deal with and, as such, CBT for psychosis generally takes longer and addresses more complex issues. Part of this will involve the therapist in attempting to understand and interpret the experience and causes of psychosis. This is in contrast to CBT for anxiety which will focus more on problem solving. There is evidence to suggest, however, that anxiety forms a part of certain psychoses, and in this situation its treatment should form part of a wider integr ated approach. Finally, outcomes in CBT for psychosis are generally more modest than in anxiety as psychotic symptoms are considerably more challenging for the therapist. References American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association. Beck, A. T. (1976) Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. New York: International Universities Press. Beck, A. T., Emery, G. (1990) Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective. Cambridge: Perseus Books. Blackburn, I. M. (1995) Cognitive Therapy for Depression and Anxiety. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Borkovec, T. D. (2002) Psychological aspects and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. In: D. J. Nutt (Ed.). Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Symptomatology, Pathogenesis and Management. London: Taylor Francis. Braga, R. J., Petrides, G., Figueira, I. (2004) Anxiety disorders in schizophrenia. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 45(6), 460-468. Cosoff, S. J., Hafner, R. J. (1998) The prevalence of comorbid anxiety in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 32(1), 67-72. Fisher, P. L., Durham, R. C. (1999) Recovery rates in generalized anxiety disorder following psychological therapy: An analysis of clinically significant change in the STAI-T across outcome studies since 1990. Psychological Medicine, 29, 1425-1434. Frith, C. D. (1992) The cognitive neuropsychology of schizophrenia. Hove: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Garety, P. A., Fowler, D., Kuipers, E. (2000) Cognitive-behavioural therapy for people with psychosis. In: B. Martindale, A. Bateman, M. Crowe, F. Margison (Eds.). Psychosis: Psychological Approaches and Their Effectiveness Putting Psychotherapies at the Centre of Treatment. London: Gaskell. Graham, P. J. (2004) Introduction. In: P. J. Graham (Ed.). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Children and Families. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lewis, S. W., Tarrier, N., Haddock, G., Bentall, R., Kinderman, P., Kingdon, D., Siddle, R., Drake, R., Everitt, J., Leadley, K., Benn, A., Grazebrook, K., Haley, C., Akhtar, S., Davies, L., Palmer, S., Faragher, B., Dunn, G. (2002) A randomised controlled trial of cognitive behaviour therapy in early schizophrenia: acute phase outcomes in the SOCRATES trial. British Journal of Psychiatry Supplement, 43, 91-97. Lysaker, P. H., Hammersley, J. (2006) Association of delusions and lack of cognitive flexibility with social anxiety in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophrenia Research, 86(1-3), 147-53. Phillips, L. J., Francey, S. M. (2004) Changing PACE: Psychological interventions in the prepsychotic phase. In: P. D. McGorry (Ed.). Psychological Interventions in Early Psychosis: A Practical Treatment Handbook. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons. Sensky, T., Turkington, D., Kingdon, D., Scott, J. L., Siddle, R., OCarroll, M., Barnes, T. R. (2000) A randomised controlled trial of cognitive- behavioural therapy for persistent symptoms in schizophrenia resistant to medication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, 165-172. Strauss, J. S., Carpenter, W. T. (1981) Schizophrenia. New York: Plenum. Tarrier, N. (2002) Cognitive-behaviour therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia. In: H. Hafner (Ed.). Risk and Protective Factors in Schizophrenia: Towards a Conceptual Model of the Disease Process. Berlin: Steinkopff Verlag. Wells, A. (1995) Meta-cognition and worry: A cognitive model of generalised anxiety disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 301-320. Wells, A. (2002) Cognitive therapy for generalised anxiety disorder. In: F. W. Bond (Ed.) Handbook of Brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons. Southwest Airlines: Culture, Values and Operating Practices Southwest Airlines: Culture, Values and Operating Practices Rollin King planned to start low cost airlines that would shuttle passengers between San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. This idea came in his mind due to the complaint of businessmen about the delay of airlines. When all airlines were in losses at that time the Southwest Airlines were earning profit. It was because of the business strategy. They offered lowest and simple charges to get passengers to their destination on time and Muse wanted his executive team to be willing to think independently instead of worked on the institutional practices. One of the things that attract me a lot that there was a plan of profit sharing with senior employees that was first in the airline industry (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). What grade would you give Southwest management for the job it has done in crafting the companys strategy? What is it that you like or dislike about the strategy? Does Southwest have a winning strategy? Southwest airlines performed successful in the airlines industry. The company demonstrated the ability to quickly dominate markets. Here are some strategies that were really appreciable: Product Positioning Strategy: Southwest airlines carefully projected its image in front of customers and competitors. It offered ticketless travelling by not assigning seats to the passengers so that they could reach the destination on time (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). Price Strategy: Southwest airlines had offered the lowest domestic airlines charges. There was a plan of profit sharing with senior employees that was first in the airline industry (instituted in 1973) (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). Promotion Strategy: Southwest airlines wanted to concentrate more on customer preference and benefits. It encouraged its employees to dress casually at work and this created a positive image in front of the customers. (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). Digital Media Promotion: This was a first airline that developed a web site and online booking facility (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). One drawback of southwest airlines was that it was taking 6 to 12 rounds in a day. Fuel, air frames and diesel were very costly and southwest airline were not fully boarded. Hence the revenue generation was minimal and the airlines could not make sufficient profits (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 3 What are the key policies, procedures, operating practices, and core values underlying Southwests efforts to implement and execute its low-cost/no frills strategy? Some policies for the low cost are: The company was operating only one type of aircraft having 737 seats which minimized the spare parts, inventories, maintenance training, and proficient improvement. The company offered ticketless journey which eliminated the expenses of printing and processing paper tickets. The company was serving airports near metropolitan areas and medium sized cities that minimized fuel cost and helped to reach destination on time. Southwest was using point-to-point scheduling of flights instead of hub-and-spoke system which was more efficient in comparison with the later. Southwest didnt have first class section in any of the flights and offered only beverages and snacks (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 4 What are the key elements of Southwests culture? Is Southwest a strong culture company? Why or why not? What problems do you foresee that Gary Kelly has in sustaining the culture now that Herb Kelleher, the companys spiritual leader, has departed? The company provided free and satisfied environment to the employees. It had positive, innovative and simple culture which contributed to the growth of the company. (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). Garry Kelly was appointed as vice chairman of the board of directors in 2004. There are some problems that I foresee when Gary Kelly has sustaining the culture: Other rival airlines can copy their spirit and culture that can be problem for the company. Gary was applying changes according to his taste and the company was facing continuous changes. Hence it became difficult to survive in rapidly changing environment. There was no market stability because of the rapidly changes environment (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 5 What grade would you give Southwest management for the job it has done in implementing and executing the companys strategy? Which of Southwests strategy execution approaches and operating practices do you believe have been most crucial in accounting for the success that Southwest has enjoyed in executing its strategy? Are the any policies, procedures, and operating approaches at Southwest that you disapprove of or that are not working well? The southwest management should get the highest grade in my opinion. Employees maintenance has been crucial in accounting for the success of southwest airlines. The strategy of lowest price with accommodation was very tough but the southwest airlines made it easy (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). I disapprove due to the following reasons: Southwest should try to expand its existing route. They didnt have Miami International airport as hub even though it is a city of population with a large number in and out flights. Another policy was that the fat people had to take two tickets for being able to sit comfortably in the airline. This was embarrassing to the people who were overweight (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 6 What weaknesses or problems do you see at Southwest Airlines as of mid-2010? There were some problems that came in the mid of 2010 at the southwest airlines: It depended on only one producer. Southwest was running only one flight of 737 seats there must be some optional flight. Booking of flights became difficult because southwest had eliminated the intervention of agents because of commission amount. Southwest were only focusing on the economy class but have no attention towards business class who were willing to pay for their seats. Money was not the big issue for them (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 7 Does the Air Tran acquisition make good strategic sense for Southwest? Southwest have a very distinctive and unique culture. The Air Tran acquisition put significant risk. Southwest has one type of plane 737. With the acquisition of Air Tran it started flying the 717 to Mexico and the Caribbean. It was a big shift for southwest (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). The main base of Air Tran was Atlanta that was a huge delta hub while southwest had started to fly their flights out of the United States. This proves that the acquisition made a good sense not only in business perspectives but also for maintaining the cost effectiveness of the service (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 8 What strategic issues and problems do Gary Kelly and Southwest executives need to address as they proceed to close the deal with the Air Tran acquisition and contemplate how best to integrate Air Trans operations and Air Trans employees into Southwest? Some problems that need to address Gary and the southwest executives are: Southwest needed to incorporate Air Tran employees into the culture of Southwest that was serving good customer service, lowest costs and lowest charges. To analyze the level of Air Tran employees and the Southwest employees. They have to look on the opportunities and try to enhance business share. They have to analyze that how to conduct flights outside the United States (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008). QUESTION 9 What recommendations would you make to Gary Kelly and Southwest executives as the company heads into 2011? The following are the recommendations for the company: The company has to work on the long term goals. Strategies should be made in accordance with the fuel prices which usually act as a barrier to conventional business growth. Provision should be made for reservations to be performed directly on the site of southwest.com without any intervention of third parties. There must be opportunity for internet marketing. The management of the company should start travelling outside the United States for increasing the market shares. The turnaround time should be improved. The prices of the services should be kept as low as possible. Offering of different types of seating classes with different rates should be helpful for increasing the revenue (Arthur A. Thompson, 2008).

Analysis of The World Bank’s Findings on Air Pollution Essay -- Pollut

Analysis of The World Bank’s Findings on Air Pollution (PM10 Concentration) in World Cities The World Bank is an international non-governmental organization with the goal of aiding developing countries throughout the world with financial and technical assistance. Besides the obvious concern of financial stability for the impoverished countries of the world, the World Bank also focuses on education, health, infrastructure, and communications. Our analysis deals with the environment and infrastructure aspects of the World Bank’s work. The World Bank provided us with the dataset entitled â€Å"Air Pollution in World Cities (PM10 Concentration).† â€Å"PM† stands for particulate matter pollution in the air. This dataset showed every major city in the world with a population of 100,000 or more and also every country’s PM concentration. The country-based portion of the dataset was used for this analysis. The primary determinants of PM concentrations are the scale and composition of economic activity, population, the energy mix, the strength of local p ollution regulation, and geographic and atmospheric conditions that affect pollutant dispersion in the atmosphere. (World Bank) Thanks to economic improvements throughout the world and technological advancements, PM10 concentration has increased at a very slow rate. The objective of this analysis was to determine the pollution concentration of several regions throughout the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. Our original null hypothesis was that the ÃŽ ¼ of the pollution concentration of each region was equal. Conversely, the alternative hypothesis states that the ÃŽ ¼ of each region is not equal. We used se... ... show the discrepancy between region means, but it can also be physically observed when comparing the two extremes of Europe at 30.95 and Africa at 73.31 PM10 concentrations. It is obvious from the results of this analysis that the world has a wide range of pollution effects. Traditionally more advanced regions such as Europe and North America have pollution under control because of a stable economy and a wide array of technological resources. Other regions such as Africa and Central America are struggling with pollution, relative to more developed regions, improvements in technology and structural shifts (World Bank) in the world economy are helping these regions keep air pollution to a minimum. WORKS CITED 1. The World Bank http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMDK:20785646~pagePK:64214825~piPK:64214943~theSitePK:469382,00.html