The Thigh Gap Epidemic Essay -- Beyonce photoshopping

Beyoncà © Knowles- Carter is an aspiring artist in the music industry and a major role model for young women of all ages. However, on April 10th of 2014 commenters online slammed the thirty-two year old singer regarding her photoshopped thigh gap in a vacation snap of herself playing golf in the Dominican Republic (see fig. 1) (Dodge). http://images.lifeandstylemag.com/uploads/posts/image/43112/beyonce-thigh-gap-photoshop-1.jpg Fig.1. Beyoncà © photoshops thigh gap Beyoncà © was also accused of using a clone stamp tool to make her thighs appear thinner). After this heating controversy there is no saying if this singer will be able to retain her Queen Bee status. A thigh gap is identified as a gap that becomes evident between a woman's inner thighs when she stands with her feet together. If you haven't heard of it, it’s probably because it doesn't exist in the majority of the population. The infamous thigh gap has been a growing obsession among young girls over the past decade; a bodily phenomenon that has been constantly flaunted by supermodels have brainwashed teenage girls into feeling the need to achieve this thigh gap. Through snapshots on Instagram and Image posts on Tumblr and various social media, the desire for the thigh gap has become a phenomenon. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S6UcJx-ole8/hqdefault.jpg Fig. 2. Painting of a Renaissance Woman. Women weren’t always striving for a thin physique. In fact, women were once admired for their natural, God-given bodies. For Instance, during the Renaissance era (1400s- early 16th century) the more voluptuous a woman’s body was, the more she was desired (Kuchinsky). Painting... ...d over to the states as more young women strive to achieve thinner physiques. Works Cited Dodge, Shyam. â€Å"Beyonce slammed by fans as she is accused of photoshopping a 'thigh gap' into bikini photo†. DailyMail, 2014. Web. 9 May 2014. London, Bianca. Jones, Toni. â€Å"Skinny models spark disturbing trend for 'thigh gap' lipo treatment on Harley Street†. Dailymail, 2013. Web. 10 May 2014. Kuchinsky, Charlotte. â€Å"Beauty through the ages—The Renaissance†. Thebeautybiz, 2007. Web. 9 May 2014. Np.â€Å"A Timeline of Sexy Defined Through The Ages†. Stylecaster, 2010. Web. 9 May 2014. Np.â€Å"Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Economic Trends†. Westga, nd. Web. 10 May 2014. Np.â€Å"Social Media & EdTech†. EdTechRevolutionInEducation, 2013. Print. Np.â€Å"Thigh Gap—Origins of the phenomenon†. Wikipedia, 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.

Our Child of Poverty Essay -- Poverty Essays

Our Child of Poverty From the writer: This paper was inspired by my work on "The Community Child Project" and the book "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol. The project was a children's literacy initiative that included discussions which pointed to poverty as being a deterrent in children's educational success. I then began to think about perceptions of poverty held by myself an others. I have here attempted to capture those attitudes and identify why I see them as problematic. From the teacher: Sarah found her project for this course (Writing With Theory) in her work in a service learning course she was taking with Rosaria Champagne in ETS. As Sarah began to write, she thought the differences between her own life and the lives of the young girls she was "helping" were extremely large. As she explored her own interests and the conversations she was having with other SU students, she came to think that the differences were much more subtle. Her way of describing the differences, then, came in her use of metaphor and juxtaposition. Sarah was the student in this course who was the most dedicated to the writing--process as well as product. From the editors: This piece addresses the impoverished conditions faced by urban families in America, confronting the issues that many of us dismiss. Smith integrates the novel Push, by Sapphire, with anecdotes of her childhood and reflections upon her experiences with children as a maturing adult. Through application of social theory, textual analysis and literary narrative, this paper demonstrates the author's developing cognition about the hardships endured by the underprivileged and calls for the reader to apprehend these ideals. As Veronica's sisters drove home in their black Lex... ... the negative effects of our behaviors on others. This is apparent in classism with what I'll call the "us-not-them" phenomenon. When we are able to separate ourselves from the other, more specifically the other living in poverty, there is no desire to remedy the situation. When we neglect to foster a sense of community between them and us there is no bond, no relationship. When there is no community it is easy to separate our actions from others. It is impossible to realize the ramifications of classism from within a culture that lacks any cohesive community. We sometimes ask why those living on the streets and in poverty do nothing to help themselves? Let's try to imagine what the reality of their existence is. Try to see what they see. Veronica reminds me as she gives me a ride in her new Pathfinder, "No one would have all those factors beating them down." Our Child of Poverty Essay -- Poverty Essays Our Child of Poverty From the writer: This paper was inspired by my work on "The Community Child Project" and the book "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol. The project was a children's literacy initiative that included discussions which pointed to poverty as being a deterrent in children's educational success. I then began to think about perceptions of poverty held by myself an others. I have here attempted to capture those attitudes and identify why I see them as problematic. From the teacher: Sarah found her project for this course (Writing With Theory) in her work in a service learning course she was taking with Rosaria Champagne in ETS. As Sarah began to write, she thought the differences between her own life and the lives of the young girls she was "helping" were extremely large. As she explored her own interests and the conversations she was having with other SU students, she came to think that the differences were much more subtle. Her way of describing the differences, then, came in her use of metaphor and juxtaposition. Sarah was the student in this course who was the most dedicated to the writing--process as well as product. From the editors: This piece addresses the impoverished conditions faced by urban families in America, confronting the issues that many of us dismiss. Smith integrates the novel Push, by Sapphire, with anecdotes of her childhood and reflections upon her experiences with children as a maturing adult. Through application of social theory, textual analysis and literary narrative, this paper demonstrates the author's developing cognition about the hardships endured by the underprivileged and calls for the reader to apprehend these ideals. As Veronica's sisters drove home in their black Lex... ... the negative effects of our behaviors on others. This is apparent in classism with what I'll call the "us-not-them" phenomenon. When we are able to separate ourselves from the other, more specifically the other living in poverty, there is no desire to remedy the situation. When we neglect to foster a sense of community between them and us there is no bond, no relationship. When there is no community it is easy to separate our actions from others. It is impossible to realize the ramifications of classism from within a culture that lacks any cohesive community. We sometimes ask why those living on the streets and in poverty do nothing to help themselves? Let's try to imagine what the reality of their existence is. Try to see what they see. Veronica reminds me as she gives me a ride in her new Pathfinder, "No one would have all those factors beating them down."

Leadership Development SMART Goal Setting Essay

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a SMART-formatted goal on a selected professional leadership topic applicable to your current practice setting or future leadership development goals. This goal is about your leadership development needs, not those of the organization. The Institute of Medicine’s quality initiative has identified five core healthcare profession competencies that serve as a framework for identification of the leadership goal. Course Outcomes Completion of this assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes. CO 1: Apply leadership concepts, skills, and decision making in the provision of high quality nursing care, healthcare team management, and the oversight and accountability for care delivery in a variety of settings. (PO #2) CO 4: Apply concepts of leadership and team coordination to promote the achievement of safe and quality outcomes of care for diverse populations. (PO #4) CO 5: Apply improvement methods, based on data from the outcomes of care processes, to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of healthcare. (PO #8) CO 8: Apply concepts of quality and safety using structure, process, and outcome measures to identify clinical questions as the beginning process of changing current practice. (PO #8) Due Dates This assignment consists of the completion of the Leadership Development SMART Goal Setting paper. Submit assignment to the Dropbox by Sunday, 11:59 p.m. MT, by the end of Week 4. Points This assignment is worth 200 points. Directions 1. Review the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) core healthcare competencies. Choose ONE of these competencies that you would like to work on for developing a SMART goal. The five core competencies are listed below. Managing Patient-Centered Care; Working in interdisciplinary and/or interprofessional teams; Employing evidence-based practice; Applying quality improvement techniques; and Utilizing informatics. 2. Name ONE KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes) related to the specific core competency you chose above. Examples of KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Attributes) for your Leadership Development Goal Setting include conflict resolution, becoming influential, leading change, communication about the patient, communication organization-wide, team building conversations, organizational skills, using evidence to guide your practice, initiating QI/PI endeavors, using data to help with decision making, staff education, problem solving, human resource management issues, delegation, decision making, budgeting and finance, and computer skills. Others are possible! If you have questions, please contact your instructor. 3. Create ONE leadership development goal that is in the SMART goal format. You practiced this in the Week 3 Discussion, and received valuable feedback from your instructor and peers. Please consider this as you work on this assignment. S – Specific (Who is involved in the goal, what is the goal, where will it take place?) M – Measurable (How are you going to achieve the goal?) Be specific with measureable outcomes. A – Attainable (What resources and/or experts are available to assist you with attaining your goal?) R – Realistic (Is this goal something that is realistically obtainable in professional practice?) T – Time bound (What specific dates or weeks will  you accomplish each task of your goal achievement?) Example NOT in SMART format: I will learn how to be a manager. This goal is lofty, not measurable, and unattainable in the time allotted, probably not realistic, and not time bound. Example in SMART Format: I will learn the disciplinary process of an employee who has excessive absences, by locating the organization’s attendance policy and meeting with the unit manager, reviewing peer-reviewed articles and credible websites to obtain information on the disciplinary process by Week 4 (or specified date). Note: This particular example relates to Core Competency: Managing Patient-Centered Care. This example is a SMART goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. S-Specific Who- Your name, or â€Å"I† What- Learn the disciplinary process of employees who have excessive absences Where- Your organization M-Measurable How: Through locating the organization’s attendance policy A-Attainable Resources and/or Expert: Meeting with the unit manager, reviewing peer-reviewed articles, and credible websites R-Realistic Realistically obtainable: Access to the organization, policies, and unit manager T-Time bound Specific dates: By Week 4 (or specific date) 4. Go to the Chamberlain library and search the databases to locate scholarly articles related to your SMART goal. Also, search for credible websites to gain insight into how to accomplish your goal. 5. Construct a plan of action to reach your Leadership SMART goal that includes identifying the attributes  needed in order to achieve your goal. Be specific by creating a timeline of when you plan on doing each action; explain how, when, and where you plan to communicate with an expert; and identify specific resources you will use to help you achieve your goal. a. Example Plan of Action for above mentioned example: Seek approval to review the organization’s policies and schedule a meeting/interview with the unit manager by _____ (fill in date). Review the policies on disciplinary action by _____ (fill in date). Review the American Nurses Association website and peer-reviewed articles in the American Journal of Nursing and Journal of Advanced Nursing by _____ (fill in date). Evaluate the findings from the above resources by _____ (fill in date). 6. Write a scholarly paper that follows APA formatting guidelines. Organize your content logically and express your thoughts clearly. Use appropriate headers to separate sections of your paper. Check for any grammar or spelling errors before submission. 7. Submit your completed NR447 Leadership Development SMART Goal paper, which should be approximately six pages (excluding title page and references) to the Week 4 Leadership SMART Goal Setting Paper Dropbox by Sunday, 11:59 p.m. MT at the end of Week 4. Grading Criteria: Leadership Development Smart Goal Setting Category Points % Description Choose ONE of the IOM core competencies to develop a SMART goal 10 5% Selects the specific IOM core competency upon which SMART goal is based. Name ONE KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Attributes) related to the ONE specific core competency 15 7% Names ONE KSA based on a specific IOM core competency noted above and describes how the KSA relates to the specific IOM core competency previously selected. Develop one specific leadership SMART goal. 55 28% Develops a professional leadership (SMART) goal, formatted correctly containing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound attributes. KSA is related to the core competency selected. Locate scholarly articles and credible websites relevant to your SMART goal. 20 10% Locates scholarly articles and credible websites related to SMART goal/KSA. Summarizes articles and websites in body of paper. Construct a plan of action for SMART goal. 80 40% Constructs a plan of action for SMART goal, identifying the attributes needed in order to achieve the goal; creates a timeline, explains how the plan will unfold, and how specific resources (articles and websites) will be utilized in effort to achieve goal. Plan is apparent in body of paper. Clarity of writing 20 10% Content is organized, logical, and with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are correct. APA formatting is apparent. References are properly cited within the paper; reference page includes all citations; proper title page and introduction are present and evidence of spell and grammar check is obvious. Grading Rubric for Leadership Development SMART Goal Setting Assignment Criteria Outstanding or Highest Level of Performance A Very Good or High Level of Performance B Competent or Satisfactory Level of Performance C Poor, Failing, or Unsatisfactory Level of Performance F Choose ONE of the IOM core competencies to develop a SMART goal 10 points Chooses only one IOM core competency upon which SMART goal is based. 9–10 points Chooses an IOM core competency but it is the best fit for the SMART goal. 8 points Chooses a competency but it is not an IOM core competency. 7 points Fails to choose any competency. 0–6 points Name ONE KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Attributes) related to the chosen IOM core competency. 15 points Names ONE KSA based on the chosen IOM core competency AND describes in detail how the KSA relates to the competency. 14–15 points Names ONE KSA based on the chosen competency but describes in general terms how the KSA relates to the competency. 12–13 points Names ONE KSA based on the chosen competency but does not describe, or only vaguely describes, how the KSA relates to the competency. 10–11 points Does not name a KSA. 0–9 points Develop one specific leadership SMART goal. 55 points Develops a leadership goal that is formatted correctly containing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound attributes AND it is related to the chosen competency and KSA. 51–55 points Develops a leadership goal that is formatted correctly except for one component that does not meet the SMART goal criteria, i.e., not specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, or time bound. The goal is related to the chosen competency and the KSA. 46–50 points Develops a leadership goal that is somewhat formatted correctly, but two or three components do not meet the criteria for a SMART goal, The goal is NOT related to the chosen competency OR KSA. 42–45 points Does not follow SMART goal formatting. The goal is not related to the chosen competency and/or KSA. 0–41 points Locate scholarly articles and credible websites relevant to your SMART goal. 20 points Locates at least two scholarly articles and two credible websites related to the SMART Goal and KSA chosen. Summarizes all of them thoroughly. 18–20 points Locates one scholarly article and two credible websites. OR, locates one credible website and two scholarly articles. Summaries all of them generally. 16–17 points Locates only one scholarly article and only one credible website. Summarized them but with some inaccuracy. 14–15 points Locates no scholarly sources of support. Summary is missing or inaccurate. 0–13 points Construct a plan of action for SMART goal. 80 points Constructs a detailed plan of action for achieving the SMART goal, identifying all the attributes needed in order to achieve the goal. Creates a timeline that explains how the plan will unfold. Fully describes how chosen scholarly resources (articles and websites) provide insight into achieving the goal. 74–80 points Constructs a plan of action for achieving the SMART goal but fails to include one to two of the identifying attributes needed in order to achieve the goal. Creates a general timeline. Describes only some of the chosen scholarly articles and websites to achieve the goal. 67–73 points Constructs a plan of action for achieving the SMART goal, but doesn’t speak to the identifying attributes. Fails to create a realistic timeline, or fails to explain how the plan will unfold. Does not adequately describe how chosen scholarly articles and websites will help achieve the goal. 61–66 points Constructs a plan of action that doesn’t speak to the attributes. Fails to create any timeline. Does not indicate how chosen scholarly articles and websites will achieve the goal. 0–60 points Clarity of writing 20 points Content is organized, logical, and with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are correct. APA formatting is apparent. References are properly cited within the paper; reference page includes all citations; proper title page and introduction are present and evidence of spell and grammar check is obvious. Less than three errors noted. 18–20 points Content is mostly organized, logical and with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are correct. APA formatting is apparent. References are properly cited within the paper; reference page includes all citations; proper title page and introduction are present and evidence of spell check and grammar check is obvious. Four to six errors noted. 16–17 points Content is somewhat organized, logical and with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are correct. APA formatting is apparent. References are properly cited within the paper; reference page  includes all citations; proper title page and introduction are present and evidence of spell check and grammar check are not obvious. Seven to 10 errors noted. 14–15 points Content is disorganized and writing has numerous grammar, spelling, or syntax errors and APA formatting errors. Spell check and grammar check are not obvious. More than 11 errors noted. 0–13 points Total Points Possible= 200 Points Earned = A quality assignment will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.

American History before the Revolution

The discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492 led to the colonial expansion of the nations of Western Europe. These colonies were created to push trade forwards in the form of new imports, primarily raw materials as a base for trade and creations of new products. This topic will focus on the history of North America before the American Revolution in 1776. The first successful English colony was established by the London Virginia Company in 1607 and was known as Jamestown. It was primarily created for the purpose of looking for gold.It was not successful in its venture but eventually found money in growing tobacco which eventually bloomed into plantations with settlers coming in with servants and slaves to create their own. The colony depended on the trade of these crops and most of them were shipped straight back to Britain. The formation of this colony was followed by the settlement of the Pilgrims, a protestant sect based in England and the Netherlands in Massachuse tts. They were escaping religious persecution aboard the Mayflower and they drew themselves the Mayflower compact after landing which gave them power of self governance.This was followed by the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1629 by the Puritans. They wished to create a religious nation that would serve the true religion. The banishment of Roger Williams from the colony for preaching the separation of church and state led the creation of Rhode Island Colony. From an economic standpoint they were also self-sustaining. Their economy worked on every farmer sustaining himself and having to trade for any goods they could not provide for themselves. The three of these colonies formed the Cheapsake bay area.The middle colonies consisted of what are presently New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. These colonies were characterized by much diversity in their religious, economic, political and ethnic practices. Connecticut was also formed. The colonization of the l ower south started in Carolina in 1670 by the English Lords Proprietors. It was mainly set up as a trading colony especially in South Carolina. They eventually cultivated rice in 1690 through the aid of the African slaves they brought with them.The political differences between the settlers in this colony created much conflict and eventually war which lead to the Proprietors selling it back to the British Crown. A member of parliament known as James Oglethorpe established Georgia Colony in 1733 as a way to form a base against Florida which was occupied by Spain at the time. It was established with strict moral laws which forbade slavery and alcohol along with other forms of immortal acts. Once these laws were rescinded the country went from poverty to prosperity. It consisted of people from varied religious backgrounds.Great Britain eventually won East and West Florida from the Spaniards in 1763 and returned it in 1783 when they left. By 1700 most of the regions were divided in two halves. Their origins brought about the creation of two very different societies. The colonies of New England were much more individualistic as compared to the Southern colonies. The northern colonies touted freedom of religion and of the political process. They formed their society around an orthodox method in order to set an example for all other societies. In contrast the southerners were developed around the bases of economics.Their society was more geared towards mercantilism. The vast quantities of cheap land available to them allowed them to pursue this interest. In order to facilitate their economy they also formed a government which was based according to the Virginia Charter. The increasing demand for English goods grew rapidly in the 1700s and with the possession of the cotton industry in the south the colonies soon outpace England in terms of exports. This was mainly due to the fact that the colonies made use of slaves for labor purposes which brought them great prosperi ty.In the 1600 the English passed a series of laws known as the Navigation Acts which restricted the use of foreign shipping to trade between England and its colonies. This was mainly done to limit Dutch merchants from trading with its colonies and allowed England to be the main hub for all colonial products. These acts though bringing Britain great wealth caused great resentment in the colonies. This was so because the laws restricted the ability of the colonies to trade with anyone but the English, with these in effect it decreased their power to be independent of the Royal Court.Thus these Mercantilist policies were refused by the colonies as they saw it as a control over their economies and their government. In order to avoid heavy taxes and regulations the colonies resorted to smuggling their goods. The loss of much wealth led the British to enact the writ of assistance which enabled officers to freely search citizens and homes which were suspected of smuggling. The colonists f ound this to be a violation of their civil rights as citizens of the crown. One of the main ways that smugglers from the colonies operated was the selling tea to the American colonies.Originally the tea came from England through the East India Company, however when Benjamin Franklin suggested that the company bypass England and deal with the colonists directly, the smugglers lost their source of income. In rebellion they tossed 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. This led to the Boston Port Act through which Britain closed down Boston harbor until the tea was paid for. The mercantilism system had a draconian effect on the colonies. Following the Seven years war in 1765 the British Parliament imposed a stamp tax on the American colonies requiring by law that all printed materials carry it.This was to pay for the military funds from the war of which the colonists were considered benefactors. This was also considered violations of their rights as colonial citizens to decide their own tax laws and led to many protests from New England to Georgia. Other British colonies also rebelled against the tax as they saw it as a threat to their economy and it was eventually repealed in 1766. This added further fuel to the colonist resentment and concerns of the British parliament. The last straw was that of the Boston Massacre where the deaths of five civilians in 1770 and sparked the fire which led to the American Revolution.In the end it was all of the reasons above along with the need of the colonies to establish their own government free from the religious, economic and governmental persecution of the English that led to the creation and subsequently fight for the freedom of the colonies and as we know in the end they succeeded. References Internet History Sourcebooks Project. (2007, June 4). Colonial North America. Retrieved May 24, 2009, from Internet Modern History Sourcebook : http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/modsbook07. html

Course Note on Organizational Behaviour Essay

DEFINITION OF ORGANISATION According to Gary Johns, â€Å"Organisations are social inventions for accomplishing goals through group efforts†. This definition covers wide variety-of groups such as businesses, schools, hospitals, fraternal groups, religious bodies, government agencies and so on. There are three significant aspects in the above definition, which require further analysis. They are as follows: Social Inventions: The word â€Å"social† as a derivative of society basically means gathering of people. It is the people that primarily make up an organisation. Accomplishing Goals: All organisations have reasons for their existence. These reasons are the goals towards which all organisational efforts are directed. While the primary goal .of any commercial organisation is to make money for its owners, this goal is inter-related with many other goals. Accordingly, any organisational goal must integrate in itself the personal goals of all individuals associated with the organisation. Group Effort: People, both as members of the society at large and as a part of an organisation interact with each other and are inter-dependent. Individuals in themselves have physical and intellectual limitations and these limitations can only be overcome by group efforts. MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour is concerned with people’s thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions in setting up a work. Understanding an individual behaviour is in itself a challenge, but understanding group behaviour in an organisational environment is a monumental managerial task. As Nadler and Tushman put it, â€Å"Understanding one individual’s behaviour is challenging in and of itself; understanding a group that is made up of different individuals and comprehending the many relationships among those individuals is even more complex. Ultimately, the organisation’s work gets done through people, individually or collectively, on their, own or in collaboration with technology. Therefore, the management of organisational behaviour is central to the management task—a task that involves the capacity to â€Å"understand† the behaviour patterns of individuals, groups and organisations, to †predict'† what behavioural responses will be elicited by  various managerial actions and finally to use this understanding and these predictions to achieve â€Å"control†. Organisational behaviour can then be defined as: â€Å"The study of human behaviour in organisational settings, the interface between human behaviour and the organisational context, and the organisation itself.† The above definition has three parts—the individual behaviour, the organisation and the (interface between the two. Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of beliefs, values, attitudes and other personal characteristics and these characteristics of all individuals must interact with each other in order to create organisational settings. The organisational behaviour is specifically concerned with work-related behaviour, which takes place in organisations. In addition to understanding; the on-going behavioural processes involved, in ‘their own jobs, managers must understand the basic human element of their work. Organisational behaviour offers three major ways of understanding this context; people as organisations, people as resources and people as people. Above all, organisations are people; and without people there would be no organisations. Thus, if managers are to understand the organisations in which they work, they must first understand the people who make up the organisations. As resources, people are one of the organisation’s most valuable assets. People create the organisation, guide and direct its course, and vitalise and revitalise it. People make the decisions, solve the problems, and answer the questions. As managers increasingly recognise the value of potential contributions by their employees, it will become more and more important for managers and employees to grasp the complexities of organisational behaviour. Finally, there is people as people – an argument derived from the simple notion of humanistic management. People spend a large part of their lives in; organisational settings, mostly as employees. They have a right to  expect something in return beyond wages and benefits. They have a right to expect satisfaction and to learn new skills. An understanding of organisational behaviour can help the manager better appreciate the variety of individual needs and’ expectations. Organisational behaviour is concerned with the characteristics and behaviours of employees in isolation; the characteristics and processes that are part of the organisation itself; ‘and the characteristics and behaviours directly resulting from people with their individual needs and motivations working within the structure of the organisation. One cannot understand an individual’s behaviour completely without learning something about that individual’s organisation. Similarly, he cannot understand how the organisation operates without; studying the people who-make it up. Thus, the organisation influences and is influenced by individuals. ELEMENTS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The key elements in the organisational behaviour are people,, structure, technology and the environment in which the organisation operates. People: People make up the internal and social system of the organisation. They consist of individuals and groups. The groups may be big or small; formal or informal; official or unofficial. Groups are dynamic and they work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. Structure: Structure defines the formal relationships of the people in organisations. Different people in the organisation are performing different type of jobs and they need to be (elated in some structural way so that their work can be effectively co-ordinated. Technology: Technology such as machines and work processes provide the resources with which people work and affects the tasks that they perform. The technology used has a significant influence on working relationships. It allows people to do more and work better but it also restricts’ people in various ways. Environment: All organisations operate within an external environment. It is the part of a larger system that contains many other elements such as government, family and other organisations. All of these mutually influence each other in a complex system that creates a context for a group of people. NATURE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of personal characteristics, experiences from other organisation, the environment surrounding the organisation and1 they also possess a personal background. In considering the people working in an organisation, organisational behaviour must look at the unique perspective that each individual brings to the work setting. But individuals do not work in isolation. They come in contact with other individuals and the organisation in a variety of ways. Points of contact include managers, co-workers, formal policies and procedures of the organisation, and various changes implemented by the organisation. Over time, the individual, too, changes, as a function of both the personal experiences and the organisation. The organisation is also affected by the presence and eventual absence of the individual. Clearly, the study of organisational behaviour must consider the ways in which the individual and the organisation interact. An organisation, characteristically, exists before a particular person joins it and continues to exist after he leaves it. Thus, the organisation itself represents a crucial third perspective from which to view organisational behaviour. NEED FOR STUDYING ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The rules of work are different from the rules of play. The uniqueness of rules and the environment of organisations forces managers to study organisational behaviour in order to learn about normal and abnormal ranges of behaviour. More specifically, organisational behaviour serves three purposes: What causes behaviour? Why particular antecedents cause behaviour? Which antecedents of behaviour can be controlled directly and which are beyond control? A more specific and formal course in organisational behaviour helps an individual to develop more refined and workable sets of assumption that is directly relevant to his work interactions. Organisational behaviour helps in predicting human behaviour in the organisational setting by drawing a clear distinction between individual behaviour and group behaviour. Organisational behaviour does not provide solutions to all complex and different behaviour puzzles of organisations. It is only the intelligent judgement of the manager in dealing with a specific issue that can try to solve the problem. Organisational behaviour only assists in making judgements that are derived from tenable assumptions; judgement that takes into account the important variables underlying the situation; judgement that are assigned due recognition to the complexity of individual or group behaviour; judgement that explicitly takes into account the managers own goals, motives, hang-ups, blind spots and weaknesses. IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour offers several ideas to management as to how human factor should be properly emphasised to achieve organisational objectives. Barnard has observed that an organisation is a conscious interaction of two or more people. This suggests that since an organisation is Ihe interaction of persons, they should be given adequate importance in managing the organisation. Organisational behaviour provides opportunity to management to analyse human behaviour and prescribe means for shaping it to a particular direction. Understanding Human Behaviour Organisational behaviour provides under ­standing the human behaviour in all directions in which the human beings interact. Thus, organisational behaviour can be understood at the individual level, interpersonal level, group level and inter-group level. Organisational behaviour helps to analyse ‘why’ and ‘how’ an individual behaves in a particular way. Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon and is affected by a large number of factors including the psychological, social and cultural implications. Organisational behaviour integrates these factors  to provide* simplicity in understanding the human behaviour. Interpersonal Level: Human behaviour can be understood at the level of interpersonal interaction. Organisational behaviour provides †¢ means for understanding the interpersonal relationships in an organisation. Analysis of reciprocal relationships, role analysis and transactional analysis are some of the common methods, which provide such understanding. Group Level: Though people interpret anything at their individual level, they are often modified by group pressures, which then become a force in shaping human behaviour, Thus, individuals should be studied in groups also.. Research in group dynamics has contributed vitally to organisational behaviour and shows how a group behaves in its norms, cohesion, goals, procedures, communication pattern and leadership. These research results are advancing managerial knowledge of understanding group behaviour, which is very important for organisational morale and productivity. Inter-group Level: The organisation is made up of many groups that develop complex relationships to build their process and substance. Understanding the effect of group relationships is important for managers in today’s organisation. Inter-group relationship may be in the form of co-operation or competition.

Employability Skills in Improving Quality of Performance Essay

Employability Skills in Improving Quality of Performance - Essay Example Therefore, team role is â€Å"an inclination to behave, contribute and interrelate with other people in a particular way†, and it measures behavior rather than individuals personally (Belbin 2011). Therefore, we can guarantee that we can use our strengths to our advantage, by discovering our team roles to assist us to manage our weak points. According to Belbin (1981, cited in select knowledge 2001 p.32), there are nine team roles which individuals prefer to assume or avoid when required by circumstances. These team roles consist of Resource Investigator, Coordinator, Monitor Evaluator Team workers, Plant, Implementer, Shaper, Specialist, and Completer Finisher (Belbin 2011). I have experienced some of these roles in my high school study team and in other various tasks; I have done with friends during previous engagements. Some of them relate to my team members and others to me. The first role is the plant, which consists of people who are highly creative, who innovate and inv ent methods or technique. These people through innovation provide the foundation in which ideas develop in the team (Belbin 2011). These people have a character of alienating themselves from the rest of the team so that they can concentrate on their imaginative thinking. They have a personality of being introverts and are self-centered and would have strong reactions to both criticism and praise. This is because they are normally original in their ideas and being introverts, they have a weakness in communicating with other team members (Belbin 2011). In team roles, plants have an important role to play in teams because their main function is generating new ideas and techniques to assist the team to solve complex problems (select knowledge 2001). For example, in a study group that we had formed with friends in high school, we used to do group assignments as a team. One team member, Denis, was good at doing research in some of the assignment topics, but he could not explain the findin gs verbally although he wrote and analyzed them properly. In my opinion, his role in our team would fit as a plant because of his originality in presentations that helped our team to produce high quality and scored high points in our assignments. The second team role as suggested by Belbin is the resource investigators (select knowledge 2001 p. 32). They can be said to have some opposite characteristics of the plants because they are extroverts and often enthusiastic. In this role, Hogan (2007 p.65) also highlights that resource investigator are good in communicating and negotiating with people both inside and outside their teams. Notably, they are also good in accommodating ideas from other people and developing those ideas to accomplish team goals, this is due to their investigative characteristics and willingness to utilize new possibilities in those ideas. Resource Investigators have a very important function in the team as Belbin suggest, they are hence the best people to be us ed for setting up contacts with people outside the team because of their extrovert’s personality. This would, therefore, help the team to achieve their shared goals. In my teamwork experience, I would relate my personal team role as a resource investigator because; I would ensure that the team members worked cohesively.

Deaf as an Aspect of Serious Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Deaf as an Aspect of Serious Illness - Essay Example Here illness will be referring to physical illness that eventually leads to failure of body functioning system that results to death. Death due to accident can be as a result of injuries that have been inflicted on the body and that eventually makes the body to succumb to death. But it is the aspect of illness that we are interested in. how can we define or explain death as an aspect of serious illness Looking at death as an aspect of serious illness, we would definitely be looking at two components of this aspect which are fear and anger. With death there come so many things. But the irony is that, it is the bereaved that bear the blunt of it. After all death can be said to be a form of deep sleep, a slumber in which we don't come back to this world again. No one knows if there are dreams in the sleep or there no dreams. But one thing is evident that the one who dies does not feel any effect of the death. Then how does fear and anger manifest in death As we have said it is bereaved who bears it all. The loss of a loved one becomes the point of anger on the issue. Many of us fail to comprehend why the dead had to leave us when we needed them most. The paradox of it all is that we are angered by forces beyond our control. The loss of a loved one can be painful and stressing which causes a lot of pain and anger to us. This anger may lead to many other effects on our body which may affect us and cause some serious illnesses physically. It has been evidenced that anger and stress resulting from loss of loved one has in many instances led to subsequent death of a bereaved person. Many people have been witnessed to have collapsed and died instantly on receiving the news of loss of loved ones. But it is the lasting illness that can express the whole idea of serious illness arising from death. (Gurtman, 1990) The bereaved will spend long hours contemplating about the loss. This will come along with anger and frustrations. It takes time for them to recover from the loss. The anger and frustrations affects their daily performance and some may fail to recover at all. Most people may turn to be permanently disabled for the time they take to recover. This turns out to be a serious issue that may turn to an illness. Although we clearly understand that we are not vesting our anger on any person, we direct to the act of death. We understand that we cannot fight death. It is superior to us. The reason that we cannot fight death despite the anger that we may be having brings about an aspect of fear of death. Death brings fear with it. Imagine the loss of somebody who has been very close to you. This is somebody who you have lived with and interacted with for along time. Lets us take an example of a spouse. The loss of one spouse may bring so much fear to the other such that this person looks like he or she has suffered a serious illness for along time. Once we learn about the death of a very close person, we tend to think that this may follow the same pattern that has dictated our life. Death of one couple in a marriage has been witnessed to bring a lot of fear to the other. Some even finds it difficult to live under the same roof that they had been sharing. Many a time it comes out that we tend to look at death as something that we cannot escape once it has befallen on our loved ones. No wonder death has been attributed to evil spirits for along time. Along the