Reflective writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective writing - Essay Example However, the transparent scarf does not entirely cover the other one beneath it. The fact that she is able to wear her own shoes without modification seems illogical. The student feels disgruntled, since hospital rules only allow these items and the â€Å"theatre suits† to be worn within the hospital. The fact that surgeons and other members of the medical staff often come in and out of the hospital without changing their clothes - and without being challenged – is, in her opinion, discriminatory and carries a risk of infection. In order to understand her feelings and to see if they are justified, it is necessary to reflect on the contributory factors. They fall into three categories [1] religious [2] surgical [3] integration. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS In the first place the Quran does not require a muslim woman to wear the hijab [headscarf] (Syed, 2001), the idea of compulsion generally derives from family or social pressures. Yet, even in muslim countries some 30-40 years ago women frequently went out unveiled as they did in the UK to show their emancipation (Johnson, 2007). Five years ago, however, almost every muslim woman wore a headscarf; this time to display allegiances – pride in their heritage and ethnicity.

Using Nintendo Wii in Library Programming for Young Adults Essay

Using Nintendo Wii in Library Programming for Young Adults - Essay Example (MacKenty, 2006) One of the most controversial issues that are highly associated with playing video games is the common perception that that these games could promote a culture of violence among the American youths. (Lieberman, 1998) In line with this matter, many studies have shown that playing violent video games is considered as one major factor that could increase the number of massacres in different schools. (Gegax, Adler and Pedersen, 1998) Despite the negative impact of playing video games in the students’ aggressive behavior (Winkel, Novak and Hopson, 1987; Graybill et al., 1987), the researcher will discuss the benefits of using Nintendo Wii and other game consoles in each of the local school libraries. Eventually, the researcher will critically analyze the how these games could increase the students’ interest in learning the school subjects. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will provide a recommendation on how game console could be beneficial to the learning experience of the students. Nintendo Wii is considered as one of the top three next generation of game console that many school librarians are considering aside from Microsoft’s Xbox 260 Elite and Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3). (Czarnecki, 2007) Wii enables the players to control the game using the motion of the hands, measuring the body movement and its velocity accurately. (MacKenty, 2007) Wii is capable of delivering outstanding graphics and high quality sound which could significantly adds up to the quality of the students’ gaming experience. Since Wii game console is designed using the standard USB port, Wii games can easily be played by several students through networking. Wii game console is also applicable to older TV models to allow more students to view the game. Microsoft’s Xbox 260 Elite or PlayStation 3 is capable of multiplayer games. These two game consoles can be more appropriate to enable

HR professionals in organizational changes

HR professionals in organizational changes Compared with traditional HR professionals, current HR managers have been more and more involved in organizational activities beyond their own function. The aim of this essay is to discuss the role HR professionals in organizational changes. Alfes, K., Turss, C., and Gill, J. (2010) The HR Manager as Change Agent: Evidence from the Public Sector, Journal of Change Management, 10,1: 109-127. In this article, Alfes et al. argued that how human resources department contribute to day-to-day management of change program is still unclear. Thus, the author used data from two public sector organizations, including a borough council and a general hospital in the UK to investigate the HR practitioners involvement based on two axes, including process and content, and proactivity vs. reactivity. Their study identified four key roles of human resource managers, including Change Driver, Change Focused, Human Resources Focused and Responsive. This article is helpful to my study since it provides solid evidence about the role of HR manager as change agent. The main limitation of this study is that only two cases are involved. Therefore, the authors suggest further studies that test how their framework can be applied to a wider range of cases. This study forms the basis of my study, since my topic is the HR managers role in managing changes. McGuire, D., Stoner, L. Mylona, S. (2008) The Role of Line Managers as Human Resource Agents in Fostering Organizational Change in Public Services, Journal of Change Management, 8,1:73-84. In this article, McGuire et al. reviewed the role change of line managers during the process of commercialization of the public sector. The authors try to develop a model describing the content, inhibitors and enablers of line managers role as HR agents in organizational change. This article reviewed a wide range of studies in this field and identified a series of enablers and inhibitors of line Managers involvement in HR process. This article is useful to my study, since McGuire et al.s findings suggested that HR functions are not only performed by staff in HR department, line managers also contribute to HRM in organizational changes. The main limitation of this study is that it does not provide any real cases showing the application of their model. Therefore, whether this model is applicable to real case analysis is still unknown. This article will not form the basis of my study. However, it provides me important clue about the role change of managers. Francis, H. (2003) HRM and the beginning of organizational change, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16, 3: 309-327 In this article, Francis suggested that human resource (HR) is closely associated with polices and performance issues of an organization. The author examined the role of HRM in regulating changing based on Ford and Fords (1995) conceptual framework. This study focuses on the role of HRM in generating conversation during the process of changes and applied the framework into analysis of a large UK manufacturing firm. This article is helpful to my study since it provides me a real case to understand how HRM contribute to shift of conversation during the process of change. The main limitation of this study is that it did not suggest sequential movement under different types of conversation. Therefore, the author suggested that further study can be conducted to discuss the how hard or soft change mechanisms can be applied to different situations in order to achieve successful organizational change. This article forms the basis of my study and provides me important information about how to initiate changes by using HRM tools. Truss, C. (2008) Continuity and change: the role of the HR function in the modern public sector, Public Administration, 86,4: 1071-1088 Truss argues that the New Public Management in the UK may bring significant changes to the role of human resource management. Therefore, the author examined whether the HR management has become more strategies based on data collected from 134 interviews with senior and middle line managers in six public sectors organizations in the UK. This study typically distinguished the differences between administrative and strategic HR functions and assessed the extent to which the managers in the organizations play the roles. This study is helpful to may study, as Truss found that new strategic role and conventional role of HR managers are both required for managing changes. The major limitation of this study is the small sample size and the associated possibility of the generalisability of the findings. Besides, not all categories of public organizations were involved in this study. Thus, the author suggested larger scale studies in the future. This article forms the basis of my research. It offers important clue about the extent of change of HRM in the UK public sector. Guest, D.E. and King, Z. (2004) Power, innovation and problem-solving: the personnel managers three steps to heaven? Journal of Management Studies, 41, 3: 401-423. Guest and King (2004) argued that the environment changes during the past 30 years have made Karen Legges (1978) analysis of personnels role (conformist innovator, deviant innovator and problem solver) more limited to current organizations. Thus, the authors try to explore the extent to which the role of HRM has altered. They conducted interviews with 48 senior managers in order to identify the changes. Typically, they focus on changes in features of vicious circles and the ambiguities and found that a large proportion of current HR managers failed to conquer the problems identified by Legges (1978). The major limitation of this study is also the small sample size, only 48 interviews were conducted. Thus, further study based on a larger scale is required. This study will not form the basis of my study. However, it provides me important comparative information about how HRMs roles in the past and in current business organizations. Alfes et al.s (2010) review of previous studies found that HR managers may play four different roles including Change Driver, Change Focused, HR Focused and Responsive within an organization. However, their own data showed that in organization A, HR managers role can be quite proactive since they are involved in all aspects of change process, such as help design the program and provide advice to line managers. Truss (2008) also suggested that HR managers role has become more strategic and diversified. Compared with traditional HR managers, current HR professionals are more involved in organizational changes. Since organizational change is a complex process that requires efforts from all functions of an origination, a part of the responsibility of HR managers also shift to other functions. McGuire et al.s (2010) study supports this point of view. They provided evidence about how line managers contribute to HRM and also discussed the enablers and inhibitors of this role sharing. Based data of organization B, Alfes et al. (2010) suggested that the role of HR managers is more responsive in this organization. They are not involved in all aspects of organizational changes. Even involved, they largely play a role as advisor, rather than change driver. The role difference of HR managers is due to different requirement of different organizations. According to As Legge (2005), HR managers can play both roles as conformist innovators and deviant innovators. The former role requires them closely follow organizational parameters, while the later role requires them to drive change within an organization through challenging prevailing norms. However, in reality, Guest and King (2004) argued that the proactive role of HR managers is less acceptable in some organizations. Guest and King (2004) found many line managers are reluctant to accept HR managers involvement in their work. And the HR department interventions can even lead to timeconsuming procedures resented by the line managers. Thus, this requires skills of HR managers to handle the relationship appropriately. Francis (2002) argued that power relations between different functions of an organization which is based on disposable resources of the parties can significantly affect the conversation during the period of change initiative. Inappropriate manner of conversation initiated by HR managers can become a barrier to organizational change. They further argued that conversation across different functions and levels of managers should be used as a medium by HR managers in the process of negotiation. However, the author did not provide suggestion about how the hard or soft HR interventions can be applied. Becker and Huselid identify the key challenges associated with development of strategic human resource management (SHRM) through reviewing a wide range of empirical studies, they emphasize the importance of the nature of fit and contingencies in SHRM and argues that SHRM, which was initially an HR-c entric paradigm, has gradually become a shared responsibility of HR professionals, line managers, and senior executives. The role of HR professionals in organizational change resembles to a contributor, rather than a leader. Conclusion To sum up, HR managers role in organizational change can be both responsive and proactive according the demand of an organization. Geneally, HR managers role has become more strategic no matter they are proactive or responsive to organizational changes. However, to play the proactive role that gives interventions to other department or functions successfully, HR managers should pay attention to the manner of conversation.

More Up-to-date Thinking Has G :: essays research papers

More up-to-date thinking has given us much improved facilities on the aircraft, and Crew Resource Management (CRM). At the very least, CRM is intended to ensure that the Pilot receives information and advice from not only the other crewmembers, but also from external sources such as ATC and FSS. A fundamental element will also be that wherever possible, adherence to SOPs will enhance safety. CRM may also incorporate delegating the aircraft handling functions under many circumstances, as well as utilizing as much as possible of the aircraft avionics. However, this will often result in a conflict, because the SOPs say that handling should be done by the Pilot in Charge, but good CRM indicates it should be delegated to the other pilot as a lower priority task. A question which is often lacking in some CRM courses however is how to determine when the situation has become serious enough to warrant this delegation, i.e. when to abandon the basic SOP allocation of duties because it does not give the pilot-in- charge the opportunity to resolve the bigger problems. At the same time of course the CRM training emphasizes the need to stick to SOPs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many of the events used as examples for CRM training, a fairly dramatic event is used to illustrate the benefits of what is being advocated. However, in many real world accident and incident scenarios, it is evident that a gradual breakdown of ability to â€Å"see the overall picture† has occurred as successive minor events pile up. This frequently overwhelms the pilot’s ability to determine that a â€Å"break point† has been reached where this transfer (and departure from the basic SOP) has really become essential. To protect against this situation it would be necessary to have the delegation achieved before the degradation sequence starts, and the inevitable deterioration of judgement under pressure occurs. In fact, this is eminently logical if delegation provides a better way of managing situations which have become hazardous. Isn’t it equally a better way of managing situations before they become hazardous? Incorporate it into the SOP, and there is no requirement to deviate from the SOP to achieve good CRM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So in the standard modern two-person flight deck default SOPs, the Pilot, (usually in the left seat) handles the aircraft, receives inputs from ATC, from the company, and from the systems, and functions as the overall commander. The Co-pilot (usually in the right seat) handles communication and system operations.

Committing Adultery Essay

A marriage is full of moral ethics that should be followed. Kant would have agreed with me that we have moral duties to ones self and others. A marriage is committing moral thoughts, words, and actions to yourself and your spouse. Kant believed in treating other people the way you wish they would treat you. Never treat other people as if they were merely things. The formula of humanity states that we should treat people as an end and never as a means to an end. In committing adultery, the marriage and the spouse are being used as a means. Marriage should be treated with dignity and not as a thing that can be played with. I hope no one would apply the universal law of categorical imperative to committing adultery. I could not imagine applying the act of committing adultery to how all others should act. If we did apply the universal law to committing adultery then marriage would be worthless. Basically, do not choose a rule for yourself that you wouldn’t want everyone else to obey. Kant believes that the only good thing is a good will. Good will equals good intentions. Committing adultery is not a morally good act and Kant would agree with me. Utilitarianism is an action that is right if it maximizes the overall happiness of all people. In other words, an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. This is consequentialism. Utilitarianism has rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism. In rule utilitarianism, a behavioral code or rule is morally right if the consequences of the rule are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone. I believe it is more favorable to your spouse not to cheat than to cheat. I would be also more favorable to you not to cheat so the spouse doesn’t get upset. Act utilitarianism weighs the consequences of each particular action. There is a list of consequences of the act of committing adultery and none of them are good. There are moral rules against committing adultery and one of them is lying. In taking the vows in front of God is a form of a promise and breaking that promise is lying to God. John Stuart Mill is a hedonistic utilitarian. Our actions are meant to give happiness not only to ourselves but to others as well. Mill made the distinction of happiness between pleasures of the mental sort as a higher form than that of bodily pleasures. Mill states, it is better to be intelligently dissatisfied then foolishly satisfied. The ultimate pain and misery caused by committing adultery is not worth the short term pleasure that it produces. Wikipedia. org states that Utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill is classified as a type of hedonism, as it judges the morality of the actions by their consequent contributions to the greater good and happiness of all. Mills believes that there can be different levels of pleasure as long as the act promotes an action which makes everyone happy. Mills would say that committing adultery doesn’t bring overall happiness. Hedonism is described as pleasure is the highest good and whatever causes pleasure is right. On this note, hedonism would say committing adultery would be right if it is giving the cheating spouse pleasure. Committing adultery is motivated by desire and it can reduce pain by not telling the spouse that you are cheating. Most of the time committing adultery is motivated by sexual desire. My view on committing adultery is closest with Kantianism. Good will equals good intentions. They way I treat my spouse is the way I would want to be treated. I value marriage and I hope my spouse does too.

Analysis of Customer Service Problem of Best Buy

Introduction Overview of the task The task of this essay is to have a research in person to pay a visit on Best Buy to discover its potential marketing problem, anticipate the consequences and provides potential solution to this problem, which from my perspective, is bad customer service. Purpose and structure of the essay The purpose of this essay is to explore the potential marketing problem of Best Buy to provide solutions to its problem.In order to make the essay more complete, this essay will first start with the brief introduction of the Best Buy, and then a personal experience of visiting the Best Buy shop will be displayed to have an analysis of the potential problem- bad customer service. What to follow is the anticipation and analysis of the potential influence and consequence of the problem. Subsequently, solutions and recommendation will be put out to tackle the problem. Brief Introduction of the Best BuyBest Buy is a giant retailer of entertainment and technology product s and services with operations in the multiple countries- United States, China, Europe, Canada and Mexico. The Best Buy generates more than 45 billion dollars annual revenue through brands family and partnerships such as Magnolia Audio Video; Audiovisions; Best Buy; Future Shop; Geek Squad The Car phone Warehouse; Napster; Jiangsu Five Star; Pacific Sales; The Phone House; and Speakeasy.The company is made up by about 155,000 employees who have applied their capabilities to bring benefit to the company and added value to customers through various means, for example, online communities, call centers, in-home solutions, retail locations, and websites, and product delivery. Problem of the company On March 29, 2012, the earning news released by the Best Buy which is lower than expected has revealed the trouble of this giant electronics retailer. It is said that Best buy is going to fire four hundred employees and ended up to fifty stores.Best buy, the last standing electronics blames it s difficulties on fierce online competition, for example with Amazon. com. It says that Amazon keeps stealing its business with lower price due to its sales tax free (The Crossing of Marketing and IT, 2012). One joke even goes that Best Buy and Wall-mart have became the showroom for the Amazon. What show rooming means? It means that customers walk in to a Best Buy / Wall-mart/ Sears with the only purpose to check out the real product and compare the prices with the online prices so as to buy a product in other places with cheaper price.This is the dilemma and big problem for most of the brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy. The show rooming and price competition with online-stores should take most part of the duty for the declining profit problem of Best Buy. But it is from my perspective that the failure of Best Buy is a self-inflicted woes rather than an external hurt due to its bad customer service. The much-publicized Christmas fault of Best Buy has exposed the customer serv ice problem. Three days before Christmas last year, Best Buy informed 30,000 awaiting customers of cancelled order due to â€Å"a combination of software and process issues† (24kmarketing, 2012).There is no need to say that such kind of fault will kill any types of retailers. To make things worse, it took approximately three weeks for CEO of Best Buy – Brian Dunn to make an apology for this event, which has added the oil on the flame of fury of customers. The consequence is evident with shares of Best Buy falling by 34% to about $30, Since Thanksgiving. On June 14, Best Buy also announced earnings of 35 cents a share which is a penny lower than last year (Alpha, 2012). What’s more, my last experience of visiting the Best Buy shop has given more proof of it customer service problem.Last week, I went to one of the stores of Best Buy, when I was looking for the things I wanted, the salesperson keeps roaming around me and kept fixed eyes on me which made me quite un pleasant. After a while, he asked me about my needs, however, the guy just knew nothing about the things I want and started to sell other electronics products to me. However, what I want is just some blu-ray dics. Bothering by the upsetting and annoying salesperson, I just grabbed one of the blu-ray discs. But after going home, I found that I have already got this disc and returned to ask for changing the disc.The troublesome procedure and bad attitude of staff really made me furious. Apart from the up-selling and cross-selling, what I cannot put up with is the erosion of my privacy, questions like how much is your salary is really impolite. The hawking clumsy salesperson is the tip of the problem iceberg and just scratch the surface of the problem, what should be laid emphasis is the customer service and after-sales service quality. Potential consequence of the problem The company has reported a 1. 7% decline in it total sales and profit margins last year.Consumers come down to the store will have high interaction with the salespersons and in-store staff (Forbes, 2012). The attitude and service quality is the cornerstone of the success. Non-savvy consumers need the help to learn more product and handling before purchase. If Best Buy cannot differentiate itself and make full use of the advantages of its retail stores, Best Buy is destined to follow the way of dinosaur. Below chart illustrates that the consequence will be like in a few years if Best Buy is unable to change customers ‘perception and values towards it.Best Buy cannot forget the lesson of Circuit City which closed its big boxes in 2009 (Alpha, 2012). CNBC Financial Data: Solution to the problem Solutions that can be provided to the Best Buy are as follows. First and foremost, improve customer service quality through systematic plan and training. It is suggested experts in this field should be hired to make a throughout improvement plan for this company, ranging from standard speech and the a fter-sales service standard (Harvard Business Review, 2010). Secondly, make full use of the interaction in the stores with customers to change the perception of customers.In this part, the attitude the promotion is the key to success. Thirdly, with fierce competition, Best Buy should improve its inventory system and internet technologies in this field. The Christmas mistakes cannot happen again. Fourthly, close some big store and change its focus to the online competition. Reference Alpha, S. (2012). Best Buy: the Writing Is on the Wall. Retrieved from http://seekingalpha. com/article/343721-best-buy-the-writing-is-on-the-wall Forbes, S. (2012). Why Best Buy is going out of Business†¦ Gradually. Retrieved from http://www. orbes. com/fdc/welcome_mjx. shtml Harvard Business Review. (2010). Inside Best Buy's Customer-Centric Strategy. Retrieved from http://blogs. hbr. org/hbsfaculty/2010/04/inside-best-buys-customer-cent. html The Crossing of Marketing and IT. (2012). What is Best Buy’s Real Problem. Retrieved from http://www. crossingmarketingandit. com/marketing-2/general-marketing/best-buys-problem/ 24kmarketing. (2012). Best Buy Problems Signal Need for New Retail Formats. Retrieved from http://24kmarketing. com/2012/03/best-buy-problems-signal-need-for-new. html