Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Comparison of Healthcare Policies between France and the US

Introduction This essay aims to critically discuss social policies on healthcare between France and the US. Similarities and differences on the social policies of these two countries will be discussed. The first part of this essay aims to explore how public funding for healthcare services in both countries address health inequalities. A critical discussion on healthcare services available in both countries and the extent to which universal access to healthcare services is practiced shall also be made. The second part presents the challenges that both countries face in addressing healthcare issues. Healthcare policies that address these issues will also be critically appraised. The third part provides an analysis on whether France and USA are ‘converging’ or following ‘path dependence’ on their healthcare policies. A brief conclusion summarising key points raised in this essay will be presented in the end. Healthcare Services and Public Spending for Healthcare The healthcare system in France is described as a mix of private and public insurers and providers (Cases, 2006). This means that almost the whole population is covered by public insurance, which in turn are funded by employers and employees. In addition to public health insurance, a minority also purchases private insurance to complement existing public health insurances. Private providers support outpatient care while public providers provide inpatient care in hospital settings (Cases, 2006). France enjoys relatively good health compared to the US. The Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2013) Health Statistics in 2013 reveals that life expectancy in France is high at 82.2 and is currently ranked third amongst OECD countries. In contrast, life expectancy in the US is amongst the lowest at 78.7 (OECD, 2013). The difference in life expectancy in both countries is a cause of concern since the US has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the OECD and yet fares worse in health outcomes, including life expectancy(Baldock, 2011). The OECD (2013) notes that compared to France and other large OECD countries, the US spends twice as much per individual on healthcare. Interestingly, public health expenditure for health is highest in the US compared to all OECD countries. However, it does not practice universal healthcare coverage with the public supporting only 32% of the total healthcare cost (OECD, 2011). Individuals eligible for Medicaid include the elderly, families with small children and those with disabilities (Rosenbaum, 2011). Approximately 53% of the US population is covered through the Patient Protection and Affordable Act or Obamacare (Rosenbaum, 2011). Under this Act, employers are required to purchase health insurances for their employees. Only a small portion of businesses pays for full coverage with majority requiring their employees to share in the cost of their health insurances (Rosenbaum, 2011). The OECD (2009a) states that 46 million people in the US are left without public or private health insurance. This could place a significant burden to the US healthcare system that is struggling in providing equitable access to healthcare services in the country. The World Health Organization (2014) explains that equitable access is achieved when individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, enjoy the same type and quality of healthcare. This is not achieved in the US where statistics (OECD, 2009a) continues to show that high-income groups enjoy better health and appropriately covered by healthcare insurances while those in the lower socioeconomic status continue to have poorer health status. This disparity in health status and healthcare insurance coverage continues to be a challenge in the US. Public spending per capita in the US continues to be the highest in the OECD countries even with the increased participation of the private sector in financing healthcare in the country (OECD, 2013). In recent years, the OECD (2013) observes that public spending across OECD countries continue to decline. On average, healthcare spending of these countries only grew by 0.2% in the last 4 years. While there is a variation on the decrease of public spending, the major reason for the slowdown is due to drastic cuts in health expenditures. In France, the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) currently covers almost all residents. Until 2000, SHI covered 100% of all residents (Franc and Polton, 2006). Today, almost all of the residents are still covered under SHI. However, a few have purchased private health insurances to complement SHI. Public spending for healthcare is 77.9% while France spends 11.9% of its GDP in healthcare (OECD, 2011). This is in contrast with the US where public spending for healthcare accounts to only 47.7% but spends 17.9% of its GDP on healthcare (OECD, 2011). Interestingly, SHI covers both legal and illegal residents in France. This is opposite in the US where illegal residents are not covered by publicly funded healthcare insurance. There are approximately 21 million immigrants in the US with most having an illegal resident status (Moody, 2011). Health coverage remains to be a concern for this group since they work on jobs that pay very low wages and with no healthcare coverage. Hence, this group is three times more likely to have no healthcare coverage (Stanton, 2006). Currently, this group comprises 20% of the total uninsured population in the US (Moo dy, 2011). The lack of universal coverage in the US suggests that healthcare policies in the US may not be inclusive as opposed to France where almost all residents have private or public health insurance coverage. Rosenbaum (2011) explains that the Patient Protection and Affordable Act or Obamacare is expected to boost healthcare coverage for legal immigrants who are in low paying jobs. However, only legal immigrants who have been in the US for at least five years could qualify for Medicaid or purchase state-based health insurances. Currently, all states in the US have expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income groups. Specifically, a family of four with a combined annual income of $33,000.00 and an individual with $15,800.00 yearly income are now eligible for Medicaid. This legislation provides health coverage to approximately 57% of the uninsured population in the US (CDC, 2011). For legal immigrants who have not reached five years of stay in the US or are earning more than the Medicaid limit are allowed federal subsidy when purchasing state-based health insurances (CDC, 2011). As opposed to France where illegal immigrants enjoy the same healthcare coverage as legal immigrants and citizens, those in the US on illegal status remain uninsured and could not purchase state-based health insurances (CDC, 2011). Healthcare access for this group is limited to community health centres across the country. It is noteworthy that only 8,500 community health centres are in existence today and yet they cater to at least 22 million people each year (CDC, 2011). Almost half of those who access primary health centres are the uninsured. While hospitals are required by law to provide emergency care for all individuals regardless of their resident status, those who are uninsured do not have health coverage to sustain their long-term healthcare needs (Rosenbaum, 2011). Current healthcare policies in the US might actually promote health inequality since it only provides primary basic healthcare services (CDC, 2011) to the marginalised group, which may include low-income and ethni c groups. In France, The Bismarckian approach to healthcare has been used for several decades but in recent years, there is now an adoption of the Beveridge approach (Chevreul et al., 2010). In the former, health coverage tends to be uniform and concentrated while in the latter, the single public payer model is promoted. In the Bismarckian approach, everyone should be given the same access to healthcare services while the Beveridge model allows for stronger state intervention (Chevreul et al., 2010). This also suggests that tax-based revenues are used to finance healthcare. The mix of both models is necessary to respond to the increasing demands for healthcare in the country and to regulate the increasing cost of healthcare. Chevreul et al. (2010) emphasise that the SHI is now experiencing deficit due to increasing rise of healthcare expenditure in the country. The French parliament, through the Ministry of Health regulates expenditure by enacting laws and regulations. Importantly, France regulates prices of specific medical procedures and drugs (Chevreul and Durand-Zaleski, 2009). This development is crucial since failure to regulate prices could further drive up healthcare costs. However, regulation of prices of medical devices remains to be poor. In a survey (OECD, 2009b), expenditures for medical devices is high and amounts to ˆ19 billion annually. Although it comprises 55% of the pharmaceutical market, increased demand for medical devices have also increased SHI expenditures on these devices (Cases and Le Fur, 2008). It should be noted that only 60% of the medical devices are covered by SHI (Cases and Le Fur, 2008). Regulation of the prices of these medical devices is not as strong as the market for drugs and other major medical equipment. This implies that increasing healthcare costs of medical devices could have an impact on publ ic health spending policies in France. Healthcare Issues and Challenges One of the major issues in both countries is the rising healthcare expenditure. As noted by the OECD (2013), there is a disparity between healthcare expenditure and rising healthcare costs in OECD countries. The average increase in healthcare expenditure only amounts to 0.2% and yet healthcare cost continues to rise. In France, this disparity has promoted the Ministry of Health to increase private insurance of its members to help cover healthcare services not normally covered by the SHI. In the US, the debate on Obamacare and the reluctance of the government to cover illegal residents continue to be a challenge in providing equitable healthcare Meanwhile, high costs of medicines could have an impact on healthcare, especially amongst those who are covered by Medicaid and those who could barely afford state-subsidised healthcare insurances (Moody, 2011). This is in contrast to France where cost containment is in place for medicines. To illustrate the lack of healthcare costs regulations, the US spends more on developing medical technologies, which only benefits a few of the patients. The country is also burdened with high administration and pharmaceutical costs. Doctors in the country are also amongst the highest paid in the OECD countries (Greve, 2013). Moody (2011) argues that cost containment remains to be a problem since lowering down prices of medicines or healthcare costs for beneficiaries of Medicaid would lead to doctors’ reluctance to treat Medicaid patients. The lack of priorities in healthcare spending in the US has resulted in higher spending on certain areas and low spending on others. However, this does not translate to better health outcomes for the whole population. Elderly care is one area where there is high spending but the amount of spending does not necessarily translate to better health outcomes. As noted by Haplin et al. (2010), the elderly are more vulnerable to chronic healthcare conditions, such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes. Hence, healthcare costs for this group are relatively higher compared to other members in a community. In a report published by Stanton (2006), approximately 40% of US healthcare expenditure is devoted to elderly care, but this group only comprises 13% of country’s population. It is projected that in the succeeding years, healthcare cost for this group will continue to rise with the ageing of the US population (Stanton, 2006). The same issue is also seen in France, where increasing healthcare cost for the elderly is also expected in the succeeding years (Franc and Polton, 2006). Both countries also lack coordination of care and gatekeeping for the elderly. Although there is an emphasis on elderly care in both countries, lack of continuity of care often leads to poor quality care, duplication of healthcare, waste and over-prescription (Franc and Polton, 2006; Evans and Docteur and Oxley, 2003; Stoddard, 2003). In France, this issue was first addressed through the creation of provider networks and increasing the gate-keeping roles of the general practitioners (GPs). However, the latter was largely unsuccessfully and finally abolished with the introduction of the 2004 Health Insurance Act (Franc and Polton, 2006). In this new legislation, patients have the freedom to choose their own healthcare providers or primary point of contact. Most of the primary points of contact are GPs. This scheme is successful in F rance due to incentives offered to the patients and GPs. This scheme has been suggested to improve the quality of care received by the patients since there is more coordination of care between GPs and specialists (Naiditch and Dourgnon, 2009). This scheme also drives up the cost of visits to specialists and could have influence healthcare financing policies (De Looper and La Fortune, 2009; Naiditch and Dourgnon, 2009). Another issue common to both countries is the competition between hospitals for patients who can afford private healthcare. Consumer demands for healthcare in the US have increased. Hospitals respond by increasing their services to separate them from their competitors (Moody, 2011). For instance, by-products of this competition results to increasing the size of the patient rooms and providing in-house services such as full kitchens, family lounges and business service. All these have not been related to improved health outcomes of the patients. In France, the differences in healthcare costs between publicly funded hospitals and private for-profit hospitals spark a debate on whether common tariffs are the solution to cost containment (Chevreul et al., 2010). Despite the implementation of common tariffs, there is still a growing difference on the healthcare costs between the private and public sectors. Currently, the reform plan Hospital 2007 (Chevreul et al., 2010) states that the obj ective of introducing a common tariff for public and private hospitals has been withheld until 2018. This shows that healthcare policies respond to current trends in health provision in France. ‘Convergence’ and ‘Path Dependence’ Starke et al. (2008) explain that history and institutional context all play a role in influencing healthcare policies in a welfare state. Healthcare policies that tend to be resistant to change illustrate institutionalist or ‘path dependence.’In the event where changes are needed, those that follow ‘path dependence’ change their policies but do so within the boundaries set in the original healthcare policies. On the other hand, healthcare policies that follow the ‘convergence’ pathway or functionalist perspective tend to integrate best practices and are more responsive to social, political and economic changes. Healthcare policies in France and the US tend to follow the ‘convergence’ pathway. The historical context of France reveals that a unitary presidential democracy was established in 1958 (Cases, 2006). In this system, the central government retains sovereignty and policies implemented in local or regional levels are approved by the central government. Despite the practice of central dirigisme, many regions in France have practiced coordination and decenstralisation. Political parties elected to the French government all have a common goal in financing the healthcare system in France. It practices cost-containment by regulating healthcare costs, reducing healthcare demands and restricting healthcare coverage (Chevreul and Durand-Zaleski, 2009). All these cost-containment policies have generally been met with public discontent. In recent years, the introduction of Supplementary Health Insurance enabled the French government to still deliver quality care at reasonable cost. Further, the introduction of direct payment, although reimbursable, also discourages wasteful consumption of healthcare (Chevreul and Durand-Zaleski, 2009). Although changes in healthcare policies tend to be restrictive more than three decades ago, France is now taking the ‘convergence’ pathway in its healthcare system. This suggests that healthcare policies are more responsive to social and economic changes. France also regards its people as equal but retain their freedom to choose a healthcare provider and hospital. The manner of healthcare financing in France allows service users to choose from competing healthcare professionals. Service users could also access specialists due to little gatekeeping in the country (Naiditch and Dourgnon, 2009). All these changes in the France’s healthcare system reflect ‘convergence’ rather than ‘path dependence’. Convergence in healthcare is also shown in both countries through its policies on increasing personal contributions of service users for healthcare (Mossialos and Thomson, 2004). There is also an increasing reliance on private health insurers to bridge the gap in public healthcare delivery. The increasing public-private mix exemplifies convergence. There is also a trend towards community healthcare and decentralisation of healthcare (Baldock, 2011; Chevreul et al., 2010; Blank and Burau, 2007). This trend relies on community healthcare practitioners to provide care in home or community settings. This has been practiced in other developed countries where patients with chronic conditions receive care in their own homes (Chevreau et al., 2010). This approach is also applied when caring for the elderly. Similar to other Welfare states, the US and France are experiencing population ageing. The proportion of the elderly in both countries is expected to rise in the succeeding years (Chevrea u et al., 2010). As mentioned earlier, this translates to increases in health expenditures and cost for this group. Marked increases in health expenditures for this group would mean further reduction on public spending or cost containment. All these could have an impact on public spending in the future and might increase insurance premiums of individuals. There is also the possibility of raising SHI contributions in France or reducing healthcare coverage of Medicaid in the US. Both strategies could fuel public discontent, increase the gap between the rich and the poor and promote health inequalities (OECD, 2008; Starke et al., 2008; Stanton, 2006). Since the main aim of the policies in both countries is to achieve optimal health for all, the realisation of this aim might be compromised with an ageing society. It is also noteworthy that since public funds are bankrolled by taxes, increasing number of elderly could mean reduction in number of employees who are economically productive. This could also lead to lower tax collections and decreased public funding for healthcare. As shown in both countries, healthcare policies are becoming more responsive to the social and economic changes. This does not only suggest a direction towards ‘convergence’ but suggests that this pathway could be the norm for many OECD countries. Conclusion Healthcare policies in the US and France have been influenced by social and economic changes in recent years. Although both aim to achieve universal coverage, it is only France that has achieved this with almost 100% of its citizens covered with healthcare insurance. The US is struggling to meet the healthcare needs of its citizens with almost 46 million still uninsured. Its Obamacare is still met with criticism for its failure to provide public healthcare coverage for most of its citizens. Only the poor and those unable to afford basic healthcare services are covered under Medicaid. In Obamacare, those with marginal incomes could purchase federal-subsidised healthcare insurances. Both countries are also faced with the challenge of an ageing society. The inequitable allocation of healthcare services to this group also promotes social discontent. Almost half of public expenditure is channeled to the elderly, which only comprises 13% of the whole population. The heightened demand for e lderly care, lowered public expenditure on healthcare and increasing healthcare costs have all influenced healthcare policies in the US and France. Finally, the recent changes in the healthcare policies of this country suggest convergence rather than path dependence suggesting that healthcare policies continue to be influenced by social and economic changes in both countries. It is recommended that future research should be done on how ‘convergence’ helps both countries respond to increasing complexities of healthcare in both countries. References: Baldock, J. (2011). Social policy, social welfare and the welfare state. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blank, R. & Burau, V. (2007). Comparative health policy. London: Palgrave. Cases, C. (2006). ‘French health system reform: recent implementation and future challenge’. Eurohealth, 12, pp. 10-11. Cases, C. & Le Fur, P. (2008). ‘The pharmaceutical file’, Health Policy Monitort, May [Online]. Available from: http://www.hpm.org/survey/fr/all/2 (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). NCHS Data Brief: Community Health Centers: Providers, Patients and Content of Care [Online]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db65.htm (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). Chevreul, K., Durand-Zaleski, I., Bahrami, S., Hernandez-Quevedo & Mladovsky, P. (2010). France: Health System Review 2010. France: The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, WHO Regional Office for Europe, World Bank, European Commission, UNCAM, London School of Economics and Politic Science, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Chevreul, K. & Durand-Zaleski, I. (2009). ‘The role of HTA in coverage and pricing in France: toward a new paradigm?’. Euro Observer, 11, pp. 5-6. De Looper, M. & La Fortune, G. (2009). Measuring disparities in health status and in access and use of healthcare in OECD countries. Paris: OECD (Health working paper 43) [Online]. Available from: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issuesmigration-health/measuring-disparities-in-health-status-and-in-access-and-use-of-healthcare-in-oecd-countries_225748084267 (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). Docteur, E. & Oxley, H. (2003). Health-care systems: lessons from the reform experience. Paris: OECD (Health working paper 9) [Online]. Available from: http://www.irdes.fr/Publications/Qes/Qez133.pdf (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). Evans, R. & Stoddard, G. (2003). ‘Consuming research, producing policy?’, American Journal of Public Health, 93, pp. 371-379. Franc, C. & Polton, D. (2006). ‘New governance arrangements for French health insurance’. Eurohealth, 12, pp. 27-29. Glyn, A. (2006). Capitalism unleashed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Greve, B. (2013). Routledge Handbook of the Welfare State. London: Routledge. Halpin, H., Morales-Suarez-Varela, M. & Martin-Moreno, J. (2010). ‘Chronic disease prevention and the new public health’. Public Health Review, 32, pp. 120-154. Moody, K. (2011). Capitalist care: Will the coalition government’s ‘reforms’ move the NHS further toward a US-style healthcare market?’. Capital and Class, 35(3), pp. 415-434. Mossialos, E. & Thomson, S. (2004). Voluntary health insurance in the European Union. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies [Online]. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/98448/E84885.pdf (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). Naiditch, M. & Dourgnon, P. (2009). The preferred doctor scheme: a political reading of a French experiment of gate-keeping. Paris: IRDES. OECD (2013). Health at a glance 2013: OECD Indicators, Europe: OECD Publishing [Online]. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/health_glance-2013-3n (Accessed: 27th April, 2014). OECD (2011). Human Development Index and its components. Europe: OECD. OECD (2009a). Society at a Glance 2009: OECD Social Indicators. Europe: OECD. OECD (2009b). Health data 2009. Paris: OECD. OECD (2008). Are we growing unequal[Online]. Available at: www.oecd.org (Accessed: 17th April, 2014). Rosenbaum, S. (2011). ‘The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice’. Public Health Reports, 128(1), pp. 130-135. Stanton, M. (2006). The high concentration of U.S. healthcare expenditures: research in action, issues 19. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Starke, P., Obginer, H. & Castles, F. (2008). ‘Convergence towards where: in what ways, if any, are welfare states becoming more similar?’. Journal of European Public Policy, 15(7), pp. 975-1000. World Health Organization (WHO) (2014). Health Systems: Equity [Online]. Available at: http://www.who.int/healthsystems/topics/equity/en/ (Accessed: 27th April, 2014).

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Nop Application Form

Lahore University of Management Science Application form for National Outreach Programme Batch 2013 Who can apply? 1 Photograph Paste here with glue Applicants should have atleast 80% MARKS IN MATRICULATION in order to apply for the NOP. Moreover, NOP is a NEED BASED SCHOLARSHIP. Only genuinely financially deserving students will be considered for the Programme. Instructions for the submission of application form: Please follow these instructions carefully: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Fill the form in BLOCK LETTERS.Fill in the form using a black pen. Write your name and date of birth at the back of each photograph. Fill the form completely; INCOMPLETE forms will not be processed. Submit all the required supporting documents (Listed below) with your application form. Applications WITHOUT COMPLETE DOCUMENTS will not be processed. No further reminder will be sent. †¢ †¢ Application Form along with all the required supporting documents should reach LUMS Admissions O ffice latest by April 19, 2013.Selection decisions will be mailed in June – July 2013. CHECKLIST OF THE REQUIRED ACADEMIC DOCUMENTS: Please mail all the required supporting documents (mentioned below) along with the application form in a single envelope to the mailing address given below in the box: †¢ †¢ †¢ Three attested latest passport size photographs; Attested copy of Matriculation/O level result card (Attestation should be from your School); Attested copy of National Identity Card (NIC) of your parents/guardian;Page 1 of 9 CHECKLIST OF THE REQUIRED FINANCIAL AID DOCUMENTS: For each of the items in the check list below, please ensure that you either provide the relevant document(s) or if this is not possible specify a logical reason for not being able to do so. For example: If you don’t have any loan outstanding against your name, you can write: I certify that I don’t have any loan outstanding against my name. The LUMS Financial Aid Office ha s the right to accept or reject the explanation/reason. †¢ †¢ †¢Income certificates of all earning members of the family* – This includes latest salary slip for salaried persons (father/ mother/ brothers/ sisters), pension books for retired, income affidavit for self employed or businessman and a certificate/ proof in case of any other income. Bank Statements (for the last year) of all bank accounts in the names of all the family members and in the name of business in case of businessmen. Utility Bills (last three months) – Electricity, Gas, Phone, Water. Note: * An income certificate is the document that shows monthly/annual income.If your parents/guardian are salaried, an original copy of a pay slip should be attached, otherwise if your parents/guardian own a business they should submit Bank Statement for the last one year. If parents/ guardian do not fall in either of the above two cases (that is salaried employee or business man) they should submit a n undertaking on a stamp paper/affidavit (of Rs. 20) stating their income and with relevant details. Important Notes: †¢ †¢ In case of providing false information, candidate will be disqualified and his / her application will not be considered.If required, you will be requested to provide more financial documents/ information to carry the process further. Mailing address is given below: Syed Absar Ul Hassan Office of Admissions Lahore University of Management Sciences Sector U, DHA, Lahore Cantt. 54792 2 Photographs Staple here Page 2 of 9 Personal Information Name: Father’s Name: Guardian’s Name: Date of Birth (of student): ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy Father’s / Guardian’s NIC #: (Provide a copy of NIC) Mailing Address: (All future correspondence will be made on this address) CITY: Phone #: / (City code) DISTRICT: Mobile #: PROVINCE:Permanent Address: ( If different from the mailing address) CITY: Phone #: / (City code) DISTRICT: PROVINCE : Email*: * It is mandatory for you to have a valid email address as well otherwise your form can be considered INCOMPLETE. Do you have internet access at home or near your house? YES NO Page 3 of 9 Secondary School Information Total Marks/ Grades Matric / O-level Name of School / College Name of Examination Board Did you have a position in Board Exam? If yes; which one? YES NO Obtained Marks/Grades 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 Post Secondary School/Intermediate level Degree InformationHave you completed your intermediate level degree? YES NO Total Marks/ Grades Intermediate / A-level 1st year Intermediate / A-level 2nd year General Science Roll No: Obtained Marks/Grades Stream Name: Pre-Medical Pre-Engineering Arts/Commerce Other Name of Examination Board Did you have a position in Board Exam? YES NO If yes; which one? Any other achievement: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 à ¢â‚¬â€œ 8 – 9 – 10 Give details of teacher / headmaster / principal of your institution who knows you personally. Name: School: Tel:________/_____________ (city code) Address:__________________________________________Email address: Page 4 of 9 Give details about yourself and your siblings*: *Siblings are brothers and sisters Full Name Age (in years) School / College / University (If still studying) Annual Fee (in Rs) Parents Scholarships Contribution (in Rs) (in Rs) Assets Title i. House ii. Land / Plot iii. Agriculture iv. Commercial Any other information Asset Ownership** Current Value ( in Pakistani Rupees) Area (in Kanals/Marlas or Sq. Feet) Location **In this column provide information about who owns the specific asset. It can be your father, mother, brother or grandfather etc.Income Source Profession i. Agricultural income (Annual) ii. Salary / Pension (Annual) iii. Returns on Saving & Investment (Annual) iv. Rental Income(Annual) v. Business Income (Annual) vi. Income from any other source Total (i, ii, iii, iv,v & vi) A: Total Income: (A+B+C) Father’s Mother’s Guardian’s / Brother’s & Sister’s B: C: Page 5 of 9 How many air-conditioners do you have in your house? Type of Vehicle 1 2 3 4 Make and Model Owned by Annual Educational Expenses Annual Rent (If living in a rented house) Annual Taxes Annual Telephone Bills Are there any outstanding loans? ) ii) iii) Yes No Annual Medical Expenses Transportation/Food/Traveling Expenses/Other Expenses (per Annum) Annual Electricity Bills Annual Water/Gas Bills If yes then: Please indicate the amount of loan in Rs. ________________________. And also please specify the purpose for taking the loan ___________________ The source from where loan was taken Bank * Relative Employer* Other (Please Specify): * Please attach the supporting documents in case the loan is taken from a Bank or Employer. Any other expense: ? Tuition Fee for the first year at LUMS is Rs. 5,00,000/ - approximately ?Please Indicate the total amount of contribution you can make towards your tuition fee annually at LUMS Rs: ________________ Page 6 of 9 Why do you require financial aid (Attach separate sheet if required)? How did you get to know about National Outreach Program? (Tick any one of the following) Friends/Relatives Newspaper Add LUMS website Information Session at School/College Kindly mention the School/College Name where you attended the session:_________________________________________ Other(Please Specify): ___________________________ Undertaking: I certify that the information given on this form is accurate to the best of my knowledge.I understand that any misrepresentation may cause my dismissal from the Programme at any stage. ________________________ Applicant’s Signatures Date: ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy ________________________ Father/Guardian’s Signature Date: ______/______/______ dd / mm / yy For enquiries regarding your application for m contact us at: Phone: 042-35608000; Ext: 2433 Fax: 042-35898317, Email: [email  protected] edu. pk Page 7 of 9 Essay Topic: Describe a situation or an experience of your life which demonstrates your best characteristic or quality (200 words): You can express your ideas in English or Urdu. Page 8 of 9 Page 9 of 9

Monday, July 29, 2019

Careless Driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Careless Driving - Research Paper Example The law in Texas for careless driving has the authority to impose heavy fines, sentenced to jail for 6 months or suspend the driving license for about two years. These laws should be strict enough so that drivers are cautious while driving, but despite these laws, the control can be invisibly seen. ‘Further, until he or she has produced to the appropriate licensing authority a certificate of competency or both a certificate of competency and a certificate of fitness, he or she shall not be entitled to a license’ (Butler 177). It is true that the best way to reduce the life taking accidents is to impose strict laws for those drivers who violate their duty of care. The common reasons why drivers drive carelessly are over speeding, disobeying traffic rules or drunk driving. If the drivers would understand the legal consequences of getting involved in such a conviction, they would drive safely for the rest of their lives. Because of the high number of cases coming to courts involving motor vehicle collisions or accidents of people, there is more awareness about the likely punishments to the driver. These cases are usually shown on news channels or newspapers and thus can act as awareness for many others. The law has enough power to control these actions and reduce the life taking accidents. Despite these laws being regulated in Texas and a number of traffic police officers catching careless drivers and imposing fines on them, there are many accidents taking place every year as a result of careless driving, why?

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The IVF technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The IVF technology - Essay Example The company’s objective is as transparent as possible to the public since they depend on the community an enormous extent. The unique product of the IVF industry is coupled, at least in Australia, with a unique sense of entitlement. Consequently, Australia is the only country in the world providing unrestricted public funding for IVF through its national health scheme. There is no limit to the number of cycles that women can have and no legal age limit. (Sweden and Britain provide three on the national health and they have to be before age 39. In New Zealand women get two free cycles in a lifetime and in Canada until recently you didn't get any on the national health)The Australian (2012). According to Human Embryo Research Panel, much of the IVF research has been directed by clinicians who lack experience in basic research and development biology. In addition, the commercialization of reproductive technologies has resulted in the establishment of profitable enterprises, including sperm banks, IVF centers, and fertility clinics. The issues pertaining to embryo manipulation involve social values and moral judgements, but as the business interests of IVF are to ensure that viable eggs can be effectively implanted into a woman’s uterus at acceptable cost, commercialization of embryos increases the prospect that there will be no uniformity in the way ethical values and judgements will be interpreted and implemented Krimsky and Hubbard (1995). Professor Paul Komesaroff, director of the Monash Centre for Ethics in Medicine and Society, says the issue of embryo donation is a vexed one. "There are different opinions about when the embryo acquires special religious, spiritual or ethical significance," he says. "Some people say its at the moment of fertilization, others say its at the moment of conception, others say at the 16-cell stage, some say its much later."(Labi, 2012). In the case of Sydney IVF â€Å"The membership of the ethics committee signiï ¬ cantly exceeds the constitutional requirements set by the Australian Government's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in its National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans† Sydney IVF Stem Cells (2011).

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Investigating the involvement of heroin in crime Research Paper

Investigating the involvement of heroin in crime - Research Paper Example Heroin is considered an â€Å"opiate drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant†. It appears as a white or brown powder and it can be injected, smoked, or snorted. Through these routes, it can quickly deliver the drug to the brain. By injecting it, the needle can administer the drug to the bloodstream; by snorting, the drug can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues; and by smoking, the drug can also be absorbed into the lungs. These methods can all lead to addiction and other serious health issues. As heroin enters the brain, it is then converted to morphine where it later binds with opioid receptors. Such receptors are found in different parts of the brain and the body, most likely those which have something to do with perception of pain and reward. These receptors are also found in the brain stem. The brain stem is involved in the automatic processes of breathing, blo od pressure, and arousal. (Ritter and Lampkin, 2010). Heroin users and abusers initially report feeling a surge of euphoria, accompanied by dry mouth, warm flushing of the skin, heaviness in their extremities, and compromised mental functioning (Cobb and Brogan, 2008). After this state of euphoria, the heroin user then goes through an alternate wakeful and drowsy state. Through continued heroin use, tolerance for the drug sets in and the user’s physiological reaction to the drug diminishes, and more heroin is necessary to receive the same level of effect. Users have a high risk of experiencing addiction with about 23% of individuals using heroin becoming dependent to it (NIDA, 2010). The drug’s behavioral impact on users is severe. Most abusers find trouble concentrating, learning, or having clear thoughts (ACDE, n.d). Most of the time, they cannot hold down jobs; they can be apathetic and be unable to carry out and sustain personal relationships (Pearson, Gilman, and McIver, 1987). Their inability to find means to sustain their addiction often leads them to crime. Their compulsive use often triggers self-destructive and irresponsible behavior which manifests as antisocial actuations and a general indifference to injury, pain, and the loss caused to others (ACDE, n.d). Heroin has adverse effects on health. It is associated with serious health conditions, fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, and in some individuals injecting the drug – infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis (NIDA, 2010). For prolonged users, they may suffer collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, liver or kidney disease (NIDA, 2010). Some may later develop pneumonia which may be caused by their poor health as well as their compromised respiration. The drug sometimes contains toxic contaminants which can clog the blood vessels to the lungs, liver, and other major organs, thereby leading to permanent damage to these organs (Virmani, Ali , and Binienda, 2010). For long-time users, their heroin use can lead to physical dependence and when they stop use of the drug they are likely to suffer severe withdrawal symptoms. These

Friday, July 26, 2019

Phase4 IP Market Structure and Firm Strategy Essay

Phase4 IP Market Structure and Firm Strategy - Essay Example In this market, the price elasticity of demand is inelastic. This means, demand remains relatively unchanged with changes in price. This characterizes a monopolistic competition market structure. According to Boyes and Melvin (2013), this market structure is characterized by a downward slopping demand curve. Product differentiation largely influences demand elasticity such that the greater the differentiation, the more inelastic the demand elasticity. Therefore, Justcookbooks.com ventured into this highly differentiated market that makes it a mini-monopoly, hence the inelasticity of demand would see the demand for its cookbooks minimally affected by changes in pricing as it establishes itself in the market. Success in this market would therefore be guaranteed by seeking greater differentiation of the online cookbooks. With the argument by Schotter (2009) that greater differentiation causes greater inelasticity, greater differentiation at Justcookbooks.com would cause demand to remain unaffected by changes in pricing, hence consistent quantity demanded. For Justcookbooks.com, pricing with different types of customers and asymmetric information would be most appropriate. According to Arnold (2013), this strategy involves charging less cost per unit for those who buy more and a higher cost per unit for those buying less. Using this strategy, Justcookbooks.com would encourage purchases of high volumes which increase revenue and thus

Strategic Analysis of the Continental Airlines Case Study

Strategic Analysis of the Continental Airlines - Case Study Example This also means strengthening the airline's alliances and enhancing efficiency through the elimination of non-value adding processes in the value chain. Fund the future, on the other hand, encompasses the company's quest in ensuring its future growth by the reduction of interest expense, improving fleet plan, and developing hub real estate (Continental Airlines Company Profile 2008). The third component of the Go Forward Plan emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction in CAL's success. Thus, in intends to position itself as a top player in terms of four DOT measurements namely, "on-time arrivals, baggage handling, complaints, and involuntary denied boardings" (Continental Airlines Company Profile 2008). This also means continue to project a responsible company image and improving its core product. Lastly, working together looks at CAL's relationship with its employees. Recognizing the importance of its staff in the realization of its strategic goals, the company's management spearheads in creating a fun environment to work, offer fair remuneration, and treat staff with dignity and respect. CAL is organized according to the different functional areas in the business organization. ... All of these business units are led by senior vice presidents who oversee operations and provide the much needed guidance and leadership. Recognizing the international operation of the CAL, it also opted to divide its operation according to geographic location. Thus, it also assigned vice presidents who take charge in the Newark, Houston, Cleveland, Asia Pacific, and Europe hubs. In order to facilitate efficiency in decision making, the headquarter assigns a certain level of autonomy to the leaders in these regions yet CAL can still be referred to as a highly centralized business organization noting the dependence of its satellite offices to the main office (Continental Airlines Company Profile 2008). Organizational Culture With the Go Forward Plan as its blueprint for success, CAL communicates its culture of excellence through its commitment in taking care of its financial health, future growth, employee relations, and customer satisfaction. These are the core values that the company utilizes in order to become successful in its operation. In addition, CAL also highlights its culture of environmentalism, community service, and diversity. The company promotes its corporate social responsibility through programs which enhances sustainable development through its carbon offset program, use of electric powered rather than fossil fueled ground equipment, and designing more environmental friendly infrastructure to support its operation. Though it limits its donation on in kind basis, CAL is seen to contribute to the community service. Lastly, the company honors diversity noting that individual differences in workforce should be honored. Management Style and Philosophy The management style and philosophy applied by

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Soccer, The Golden Era Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Soccer, The Golden Era - Research Paper Example All these attributes have been affiliated to the beautiful game of soccer since times immemorial. â€Å"The 1960s was a golden era for soccer. Even better, it was when television coverage started to get serious, which means that 50 years later we can see the legends of the ‘60s in all their glory on our laptops.† ("Total Soccer Show: 1960s Golden Era.") Soccer players like Pele dominated the world during the 60s and this was the era when they had reached their peak; the madness that followed with the pursuit of both playing as well as watching soccer had never been experienced before and was at its level best during this age, according to most people today. Brazil at the time had been producing some of the world’s best soccer players with beautiful tactics, making the game a complete showmanship of entertainment. Players like Garrincha also carved their niche during this era, fooling the fullbacks of the opposition despite suffering from attention deficit disorder. One of the first soccer players to embrace the status of a superstar, George Best, also made his mark on soccer during this time; thus the period being rightfully called the golden age. English clubs like Manchester United were beginning to show the world what they were really made of, and soon after followed the diligence of clubs from Arsenal to Chelsea and Liverpool to Newcastle United. Competition grew not only around the world but within countries as well. In Portugal, Brazil, Spain etc, football began to take another shape altogether; South America at the time was the hub of enjoying the sport to the fullest, even though the rest of the world was hooked onto it as well. Every country, every club, every team as well as each and every player faced his own golden era during the three to four decades following the 60s. At the same time however, there were a number of countries were the sport was not followed at

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Effects of Hurricane Katrina on the gulf coast Essay

Effects of Hurricane Katrina on the gulf coast - Essay Example Effects of Hurricane Katrina on the gulf coast To understand what happened to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast during Katrina, however, one must first understand a bit about hurricanes, tropical storms, and their classifications. Storm occur when there are four specific weather conditions present – low air pressure, warm temperatures, moist ocean air and tropical winds blowing near the equator. Hurricanes begin as a tropical depression, with wind speeds of 23-39 mph, and falling air pressure. Once the wind reaches speeds of 39-73 mph, it upgrades to a hurricane. Category 1 hurricanes have winds from 75-94 mph, which does not cause real damage to structures, only to mobile homes, trees and shrubs, and flooding is kept to a minimum (Brinkley , 2006, p. 17). Category 2 hurricanes have winds from 96-100 mph (Fradin & Fradin, 2010, p. 14). Category 3 is much stronger, with winds from 111-130 mph, which causes some structural damage to small residence, destroys mobile homes, and more flooding (Brinkley, 2006, p. 15). Category 4 hurricanes have winds from 131-155 mph (Fradin & Fradin, 2010, p. 14). Category 5 has winds in excess of 155 mph, which causes â€Å"complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within five to ten miles of the shoreline may be required†.... Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within five to ten miles of the shoreline may be required† (Brinkley, 2006, p. 17). Beginning as a tropical depression over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, then gaining strength while hitting landfall in Florida (Hoffman, 2005, p. 4), Hurricane Katrina began hitting the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 Hurricane, with winds up to 141 mph (DesRoaches, 2006, p. 1). The original reports were that Katrina might only hit the Gulf Coast as a Category 1, which is the lowest grade of Hurricane, but, even while reports were that she was a Category 1, there was apprehensiveness that she would pick up fury and steam before hitting the Gulf region (Reid & Theiss, 2005, p. 4). As Hurricane Katrina hit the mainland of America, in Florida, she was only a Category 1, with wind gusts of 80 MPH, but picked up strength as she passed the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which put the Gulf states of Mississippi and Louisiana into a state of emergency (Rodger, 2006, p. 11). While the devastation in New Orleans is what attracted the most attention, and is what will give Hurricane Katrina its most notoriety, Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm all around, as it damaged 45 bridges, destroyed railroad tracks and caused debris to fall into the road which cost $200 million in cleanup costs (Rodger, 2006, p. 1). Of course, Katrina was not the only hurricane during the 2005 hurricane season, although she was easily the most famous of that bunch. 15 hurricanes

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The Dynamic Interaction of Language, Communication and Culture Essay

The Dynamic Interaction of Language, Communication and Culture - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the modern world is marked by pluralism. And one prominent sign of this is the existence and presence of diverse languages which are utilized in the process of communicating with one another. However, language and the process of communication are not neutral. Rather, it is highly shaped and influenced by culture. Being such, differences are observable across cultures in its language and communication, thus creating boundaries or separations among and between cultures. In order to bridge this gap, our period has entered into intercultural communication wherein language, communication, and cultural barriers are consistently addressed and re-assessed with the hope of reducing miscommunication and misunderstanding to the bare minimum if not totally or fully eliminated. Thus, the notion of intercultural communication serves both as a challenge and as an ethos that guides our interaction with others in a pluralistic, globalized world. In lig ht of this ideal, this paper intends to look into the dynamic interaction of language, communication, and culture by looking into a case study. Likewise, we are going to use some of the principles of intercultural communication in the analysis of a case particular case, and hopefully, in the end, present some approaches or suggestions that may help in addressing the problems raised and perceived in the by the case analysis. The intertwined relation of language, communication, and culture has long intrigued humanity. However, what has been undeniable is that these three factors play a very significant and important role in the understanding of the nature of a human person and their interactions. The ability to formulate language is said to be distinctively a human activity.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Banking internarnal analysisl and exte Essay Example for Free

Banking internarnal analysisl and exte Essay Australia’s banking history can be described in four eras, the private banks, the commonwealth banks, the reserve bank and deregulation. Australian’s first bank was founded in 1817, the Bank of New of New South Wales. The main purpose of this bank is to take deposits and re-loaned the money by providing discounts of exchanged. Since there is no central bank, each private bank are taking their own risk and a lot of private banks stood and fall from its credit. As long as the bank’s assets were believed to be credible, its notes were freely accepted until the alarming incident happened. Two Thirds of the total banking Assets in Australia closed because of the failure of fraudulent land banks in Victoria triggered a wholesale run on banks. On the Commonwealth Bank Era, the crisis increased for the formation of central bank which will provide support to other banks backed by the resources from the people. Banking became more controlled with the central bank providing the overdraft rates. The Reserved Bank Era came and the influence of central bank was transferred to the reserved bank. In this time finance companies were growing quickly, the bank can lend on anything from appliances to cars, houses and companies. The investors generated huge profit on interest and fees but this became unsound when they realized that these profits are only papers since most loans were not collected. A lot of banks closed and other banks were taken by their mother company. Between 1982 and 1985 a deregulated system was established, these encourages more competition and banks reduced their rates to establish a market share because of these a number of banks collapsed and a new wave of managers took over the banks and created a system that by charging high rates to their good customers to make out for the losses. Australia’s big banks today have learned their lessons. Two of which are Hsbc bank a bank well known for its strategy to know where the growth is, connect customers, businesses and economies to be successful which will eventually encourage people to realize their ambitions and goals in life and Westpac which is a customer centric bank that provides assurance and confidence to their retails and investment business. Content: Macro environment Factors: PEST Analysis Political and Legal factors The Australian Government policies and the reserved bank of Australia greatly influence the banking sector with its reforms. Australia’s banking system is changed to a variety of measures to promote competition (Treasury, 2013). Reforms such as prohibition of mortgaged fees for home loans; this will encourage the people to avail bank loans. Credit card reforms were also made by the Australian Government to make it easier to credit cardholders to move their financial account to other financial institution. The impact of such is to will stimulate the people to invest. Depending on the situation of the country other policies such regulation of interest rates, prime lending rate and bank market operations are also influenced by the government. Having a control on this financial institution will put the Government in a better position to improve Australia’s economy. Economic factor The Government is aware that being a full time student is challenging enough to worry about money, since it has a control over the bank fees and operation all student account were free of service fees. This will encourage students to open bank accounts and use the facility of the bank without any additional fees. If economical banking is encourage then more deposits will be attracted towards the bank and in return the bank can invest to other financial sector making the economy to rise. Social Factors To adopt a social progress in the banking sector it is important to understand what stimulate people to bank such as economic development, reliable social justice and independent political system. Basically, banks were put up to provide support to those who are economically weaker section of the society and also provide financial assistance to all sectors of the economy with flexible payment terms. Nowadays, the bank provides various types of loans to professionals, working women, traders and students. Banks also have elite clients or huge companies that require a more personalized service. There are additional expenses in doing so but the bank still earns revenue because of the kind of business they bring to the bank. Technology Since the banking sectors are serviced based business, technology plays a vital role in its operation. Today, the banks are aggressively adapting to new technologies in creating new products and services. Because of innovation bankers were encouraged to change the concept of branch banking to anywhere banking. System applications were created for bankers to transact and access their account through their mobile phone. Banks also started to issue debit cards and these cards can be used to pay bills. With all of these innovations, the bank heavily devotes a huge amount of money on security to protect and continue to build confidence to its customers for them to invest more on the banking industry. Firm Level Analysis Porter’s 5 Forces in Bank Industry To help us analyze the banking industry where Westpac and Hsbc belong, an application of Porter’s five forces will be useful. According to these five forces act together to determine whether a business is attractive and profitable enough to enter. The Five forces are: 1) Threat of new forces to the market, 2) The power of suppliers, 3)The rivalry among firms, 4)The power of the customers, 5) Substitutes. An analysis before deciding to enter in an industry is vital because it will determine the success and failure of the business. By identifying if the forces are high and low we can determine if it’s favorable for the firm to enter (Dhillon, 2009) (allan, 2008). Force 1: Threats from new forces to market We can say that this force will be a low associated profit business because putting up a bank requires a huge amount of capital. The owner or every member of the top management or shareholders needs to be checked and verified. Approval of the request to put up the business requires long time (allan, 2008). Force 2: The rivalry among the firms The competition in this industry is high because most of the banks or financial institution are influence by the Government such as exchange rates and inflation rates. If the government passes a law for example an exit fees for home load to be ban. Another example is there are banks who offer free annual fee waivers and no service fees while other banks will not be able to compete because of the size of their business (allan, 2008). Force 3: The power of the suppliers These factors can also be considered under high associated profit industry because in Australia there is only one supplier and that is the Reserved Bank of Australia. These shows how controlled the banking system is. Force 4: The power of the customers The power of the customer is high in this industry because if the customer is not satisfied with the rates or service provided by the, the customer can always request to closed his/her bank account and open an account to other bank that will meet her needs. This is the reason why most of the bank now a days have 24/7 customer service to attend to their customer needs (allan, 2008). Force 5: Substitute products Customers can always invest their money to other financial institution that will suit their needs such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Although this institution will not be able to replace the process of cheque clearing that most of the bankers has (allan, 2008). Applying the Porters 5 Forces Model analysis provides us an idea that banking industry is unfavorable to enter since most of the forces scored high. I believe Hsbc will implement a broad based differentiation because for the past two years Hsbcs image was affected with the issues on money laundering and illegal behavior of its employees . The said incidents involved a huge amount of money and a lot of its customers lost their confidence with the world’s local bank. Currently, Hsbc is being cooperative but the impact continues to hurt Hsbcs business. The company have to cut 14000 jobs and sell some of its business that was cost by the lost of trust. With A broad based differentiation approach, Hsbc would be able to provide more attributes that is valued by the customer which is good for long term goals and a disadvantage of this is that it will take time and consistency to gain the confidence of its customers (Telegraph, 2013). One of the strengths of Westpac, is it Leads in terms of number of branches and ATMs in Australia. Applying a cost leadership strategy will be most effective because of the size and structure of the industry. In this way, it will attract more potential customers because of the convenience that it can offer to its customers by having a lot of branches. If Westpac can capitalize its competitive advantage and offer a lower rate other banks will not be able to compete. The downside of this approach is if the government will influence the bank in having fix rates, because the customer would not transfer to Westpac for the same rates (MBASKOOL, 2013). Conclusion: In conclusion, having a better understanding on the external environment and the industry level of the business can give us a clearer picture if it is attractive and favorable enough to enter in a certain industry. The theories are important as these will serve as a guide in our decision making process and what strategic choice would a company or banking industry chooses. It is vital that the strategy that the industry chooses is compatible with its capabilities and resources to increase the chances of the business to be successful. References allan. (2008, March 26). Applying Porters 5 Forces Model to Banking Inudstry . Retrieved October 10, 2013, from Wow Zone: http://awowzone.blogspot.com.au/2008/03/applying-porters-5-forces-model-to.html Dhillon, M. (2009, Aigust 15). Scribd. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from Industry Analysis: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82800029/4/PEST-Analysis-of-Banking-Industry hsbc. (2013). http://www.hsbc.com.au/1/2/. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.hsbc.com.au: http://www.hsbc.com.au/1/2/ MBASKOOL. (2013). Westpac Bankinng Group. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from MBA.skool.com:

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Looking At Womens Sexuality In Cane English Literature Essay

Looking At Womens Sexuality In Cane English Literature Essay The Harlem Renaissance was a time period when the African American art and culture started to thrive. This time period many African American people started feeling more assimilated with American culture then before. The migration from the suppressed south to the north is what ushered in the Harlem Renaissance period. This was also a time where African Americans had let down their inhibitions which in turn paved the way for the culture to come through. Still, many black people had to go through challenging times. Many of the southern blacks had to deal with racial beatings and lynching. The author who really drew a vivid picture of the lives of southern black people was Jean Toomer. Toomer wrote his famous novel Cane at the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance which further inspired other African American artist. In Cane, Toomer uses vibrant imagery of Georgia and symbolism to show the lives of southern black people. His stories Portrait in Georgia and Georgia Dusk mention lynchings th at white people use in attempt to show black people who the powerful race is. Other stories like Song of the Son and Cotton Song echo the past history of slavery. One prominent theme that seems to be relevant in Cane is sexuality, or more prominently black womens sexuality. In the first story Karintha, Toomer tells of a girl who Men had always wantedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦even as a child (Toomer 1). The lust of Karintha at a young age was one so tempting that even older men wished for youth so they would have a chance with her. This changes though when She played home with a small boy who was not afraid to do her bidding (Toomer 1). This line seems to imply that Karintha married a man who could provide certain things to her. Further lines that talk about the old men who remind Karintha of when they use to lust after her, mentions that she Smiles, and indulges them when she is in the mood for it, which supports the idea that Karintha has turned into a prostitute. This is also evident when Toomer explains: The attention given to Karintha was only used for her sexuality. Ultimately, the lust for Karintha dehumanized her existence and The soul of her was a growing thing ripened too soon (Toomer 2). This quote reinforces the idea of Karintha being a prostitute. From these actions it could also be implied that Karintha had a stillborn baby when Toomer writes But Karintha is a woman, and she has had a child. A child fell out of her womb onto a bed of pine-needles in the forest (Toomer 2). At the beginning of this story, Toomer shows the innocence of a young Karintha, he then contrasted that to an older used Karintha. Another story Carma is about a black woman who is strong as any man (Toomer 10). Carmas promiscuous sexuality is what ultimately lands her husband in a chain gang. The story goes on to explain that Carma has an extramarital affair She had others. No one blames her for that (Toomer 11). She might not be blamed for that, but she is blamed after her husband finds out about the affair. This leads to Carma shooting herself to gain more sympathy from him. This does nothing but anger her husband who states Twice deceived, and one deception proved the other, then kills a man next to him (Toomer 11). Toomer portrays Carma as somewhat of a she devil for her promiscuous sexuality that angers her husband who ends up serving his time. Toomer shows the opposite of the sexual promiscuity in the last two stories with Fern. Fern is a black woman whose body is sexualized by other men but she purposefully remains a virgin. While men thought that Ferns eyes said to them that she was easy, really she did not feel obliged to satisfy their needs. Men could not believe that she would not have them and A sort of superstition crept into their consciousness of her being somehow above them. Being above them meant that she was not to be approached by anyone. She became a virgin (Toomer 14). It the story it says that while being a virgin is normal, not wanting to reproduce is not and that black folks were made to mate (Toomer 15). It could be assumed that Fern is portrayed as a Madonna, which would coincide with a line in another one of Toomers stories that mentions a Negress who drew a portrait of a black Madonna on the courthouse wall (Toomer 21). After the narrator spend time with Fern, he breaks down the real Fern who ended up fainting in his arms. The men in the town hear about this and the narrator is given dirty looks because they felt he had in some way threatened their black Madonna. Toomer uses vivid images of the landscape in the story. At the end, he connects Fern with the detailed landscape. Toomers next story Esther, is a about a black girl who looks like a little white child (Toomer 20). Through the story Esther badly wants to associate herself to the black culture but finds it hard because she is lighter and her dad is the richest black person in town. Esther in not portrayed as a black temptress like in the other stories in Cane; she is considered not attractive. Esther dreams of being accepted into the black culture. In one, she dreams there is a fire in the town which could be seen as a metaphor for her desire. When the fire starts the women scoot in all directions leaving Esther with a baby who is Black, signed, woolly, tobacco-juice baby-ugly as sin. Once held to her breast, miraculous thing: its breath is sweet and its lips can nibble (Toomer 22). This can be interpreted as Esther thinking that she needs a dark skinned baby to feel less light skinned. While the people in her dream might see the baby as ugly, she sees it as her bond to darker skin, forgetting her own color. Esther knows that men do not notice her and even says I dont appeal to them. I wonder why (Toomer 22). This is when her obsession with a black man named Barlo begins because it helps her forget she is lighter. She wants to offer herself to Barlo so she will be able to conceive her dark skinned child she had dreamed of, thus becoming more darkened. When Barlo returns to town she seeks to meet him face to face to give her body to him which does not turn out well as he recognizes her lighter skin tone. With the failed disappointment Esther tells herself The thought comes suddenly, that conception with a drunken man must be a mighty sin (Toomer 25). Her dreams to reproduce with Barlo failed, she becomes completely disembodied. At the end of this story, the town disappears along with her dreams. While the men in African American culture tried so hard to get away from the view that white people had, believing black people to be over sexualized beings, Toomer portrayed his black women just as that. While there has been a social stigma surrounding the false belief that African American women are over sexualized, some of the stories such as Karintha, Carma, and Fern do nothing to discredit that belief. Granted, this was not a stronger theme in these stories that lynching or slavery was. That being said, the Harlem Renaissance period was a time when white people had started to notice African American art and Toomer tried to accurately display the real lives of African Americans in Cane.

Personal Leadership Skills Analysis

Personal Leadership Skills Analysis For this essay I have audited my leadership skills using theoretical models and referred to specific situations and experiences. This encompasses personal, academic and professional reflections and explores opportunities for my career paths and personal development with an Action Plan for the future. This has required critical evaluation of my own development needs in light of my own aspirations, establishing an understanding of my transferrable skills and how these can be enhanced. For this I have considered situations in which my leadership traits, styles and skills have been utilised to help create successful outcomes. Background My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In developing my management skills, I am continually pursuing further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. On leaving school, my first employment was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve skills and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. The skills and achievements in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I am a prison officer and, three years ago, I learnt that my establishment was funding a Foundation Degree in Offender Management. My initial reaction was one of excitement as I had, for several years, considered some form of Higher Education by way of personal and professional development, but had never explored the options. It was a source of immense satisfaction to pass the course and achieve Distinction grade. My learning journey, experiences and personal developments, undertaken in the last three years, would take more than the word count of this essay allows, yet there are key points to reflect on in order to analyse my own leadership skills and continue their development. Theoretical Models and Personal Experience of Reflection in my Professional Development: From my earliest days in retail employment, then Care Work and on to prison officer, I have been fascinated by people and behaviour. Working alongside others, as well as empowering and training gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. Using reflective models such as Gibbs (1998), shown in Appendix III, I came to realise that how I interpret situations influences my interactions with others. As I will illustrate, this relates directly to my personality style and how I manage people and situations. Linked to this is the importance I place on how I am viewed by others and naturally seek collaborative and open relationships. Many of these values are found in Carnegie (1938), listed in Appendix I. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix II) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style is schema-related and I have considered schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, (1967:233), described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge  on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us which influence how we interpret different situations in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing reflections with colleagues. This helps define practical steps for a successful future but also enables me to gain wider perspectives in understanding, leading and managing others with a range of resources and situational analysis capabilities. Whereas, in the past and even recently, I have questioned the decision making processes of management, this has reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Understanding the way we think and manage ourselves and others has been an important facet of my learning over the last three years. Straker (2008) who expands on the work of Gardner (2006) was helpful in appreciating that how we interact with people, at all levels, and is crucial for self development. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world are key hurdles of which I must continually be mindful. Negative experiences in this have resulted in an unhealthy view of the workplace but, as I said earlier, the benefits of a more engaging view have proved beneficial in my work and personal well being. As well as using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998), Kolb (1984) also helped me to evaluate experiences and test hypotheses but I did not find it took me to the point of action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, reminding me that reflection is not just important in itself, but must also lead to positive change, In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and has been a surprising benefit which I had not expected several years ago. Leadership Employability Skills I recently completed an Employability Skills self assessment exercise which we first undertook in the first semester of the Foundation Degree. On doing this, I compared the results from the two. It was encouraging that one of my main developments appears to have been in problem solving and I consider my Higher Education studies over the last three years as contributing to my deeper analysing abilities. In light of earlier descriptions of my learning journey and reflective logs, it is gratifying to see that I have come a long way in, not only overcoming my own obstacles to learning, but making measured and significant achievement which then enables me to guide others in their roles. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. This was particularly apparent when I recently updated my Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IV), which was last compiled almost fifteen years ago. In developing my management skills throughout my degree studies, I have discovered further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. Through networking with management and departments for resources on researching prison policy, security and management skills, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in career development. Not only is this important from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the fulfilling sense of achievement this will bring. Until recently, I was Supervisor of the Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme which was an important role in developing my leadership skills, promoting staff well-being as well as guiding staffs professional development. Another important aspect of this was to remain flexible yet consistent in balancing these needs whilst focussing on the goals of the establishment Business Plan and Key Performance Target (KPT) priorities. This mirrors Handy (1987) who argues for such flexibility in his Trust Control Theory. I find myself taking the opportunity to develop the skills of others very seriously and is personally rewarding and empowering. The values I attribute to this mirror those of Kandola and Fullerton (1994) in their Mosaic Vision which I have included in Appendix V. In Transactional Analysis Theory (Bern, 1961), every individuals personality is made up of three parts Parent, Adult and Child. An assessment of my own revealed a predominantly Nurturing Parent relationship style which is immensely rewarding personally, but can prove emotionally draining and is not without its practical problems. However, developing assertiveness skills in establishing my own identity and skills base has the benefit of overcoming any negative rumination and keeps lines of communication open. An example of achieving this was in challenging my line manager over my yearly performance review where I was rated Achieved and not Exceeded which I felt was deserved. I could have overlooked this and ruminated unhelpfully, believing him to be responsible for not recognising my achievements, but chose instead to manage my manager and argued my case. I found the www.h2training.com website interesting which had useful strategies for reminding me how to maintain my own degree of self-determination. Quoting from this site: Its unreasonable to expect your manager to be entirely responsible for accelerating your career: ultimately, its your own responsibility. Remember that an expectation is also resentment waiting to happen, and it is very difficult to hide resentment. http://h2training.com/managing_manager_tips.html [accessed November 2010] Suffice to say, my performance record was amended accordingly. I recently had to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work which I found difficult to accept. I, therefore, reappraised my personal development and used reflective skills (Kolb, 1984 and Beck 1967) to help evaluate the experiences and to understand how I was interpreting them. By doing this, I was able to negotiate a role within the drugs support team after originally being offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Indeed, on reflection, assertiveness and negotiation are two core management attributes which are now part of my skills set. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. My role as a drugs support worker requires the key skills I possess with the realisation and expectation that they can be further developed with a particular emphasis on evaluating the management requirements of this work. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. An important element of my professional life is to uphold personal and corporate values of decency and ethical practice including cultural diversity. I was pleased to be able to highlight these values in my Diversity Foundation Degree project from January 2009 where I made recommendations for valuing the diversity of staff and prisoners and improving ethical practice in Programmes Awareness training at Full Sutton. This was well received by the treatment management team resulting in the training being strengthened in this area. On sharing the findings of my Transactional Analysis with a work colleague, my nurturing parent style was acknowledged and confirmed through my perceived empathic nature. In looking at my management style, it is important that I maintain a balance between this and being careful not to go into White Knight schema-driven mode, where I need to defend others at all costs. Developing a style which cares for others yet enables them to function on their own merits allows me to function better as a genuinely caring person in my work and as a leader. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory (1943), reminds me that my own needs count as well as those of other people. In other words, putting other people first all the time is detrimental to my own well-being and valuing myself is, in itself, a key assertiveness skill. I continually remind myself of the announcements on aircraft during safety briefings where, in the event of oxygen masks being deployed, you are instructed to put your own on first before aiding anyone else. If you dont, you might pass out beforehand and then no one is saved. Critically evaluating My Leadership and Management Style Some years ago, a colleague of mine who has since retired, told me his thoughts on a particular Senior Manager. He used a phrase which, though meant in a derogatory sense, I have never forgotten. He said ..as a leader of men, I would only follow him out of curiosity. This colleague had spent many distinguished years in the Armed Services as a Regimental Sergeant Major and had been in the Prison Service for around 15 years. He had, therefore, some considerable experience of different management and leadership styles. Using established theory I continually analyse my own strengths and weaknesses in areas of leadership and management. Fayol (1916) highlighted five commons elements of management which are essential to the role. These include the ability to look to the future, to be organised and co-ordinate the organisational objectives, leading (though he defined it as commanding which is unhelpfully autocratic) and, finally, to control the above elements using all means at his or her disposal. Whilst this was written at the beginning of the last century, the basic tenets of management Fayol lists are still valid though ones own personality also engenders an effective workforce which can achieve results. The latter is personally important as I seek to have followers rather than delegates and makes me, as a manager, more of a leader. I recently completed the Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire. Having done this a couple of years ago, I decided to redo this using an internet-based assessment resource (www.teamtechnology.co.uk) [accessed 15 September 2010], which produced a comprehensive 200 page report. Summary in Appendix VI The results proved very interesting and formed a cohesive assessment which affirmed the beliefs about my personality and leadership attributes gained over the last few years. This was confirmed through the initial questionnaire together with a separate subtest which had similar outcomes and, interestingly, the results were very similar to my previous assessment two years previously. Essentially, I have a strong focus on values, feelings, compassion and important beliefs where current experiences hold great learning importance. Team values are high and my role in ensuring the well-being of those with whom I work is important to me. There are, however, elements of this personality type which I am aware can be problematic if not managed appropriately. I do have a tendency to avoid conflict yet can be stubborn where my own values come into conflict with corporate ideals in which I run the risk of failing in objectivity. These are negative traits which I have been consciously working on over the last few years and serve to remind me that, whilst having a default style, this does not preclude effective working on these to the benefit of all concerned. Interestingly, the top two best matches of jobs for me based on enjoyment are actor and musician; for match came out as counsellor and customer care and a combination of match and enjoyment came out as counsellor and actor. All of these I have both experience and interest in and the traits from these have indeed shaped my leadership style. The Humanist approach described by McGregor (1964) looked at how individual attitudes can affect behaviour. He purported that there are 2 types of leader (using an X and Y continuum ranging from a negative to positive view of subordinates respectively). The latter, he showed, have a greater chance of effective performance from the workforce through a nurturing approach which I can identify with. A reflective log from December 2009 is included in Appendix VII. Again, as with most models, there is a typical style for each individual manager but even the most open and supportive one can revert on occasions to X-typical strategies and responses. This can be somewhat confusing and lacking in continuity for the workforce and, potentially unsettling as I will illustrate later in this essay. The model is similar to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) who use the continuum from Authoritarian Task Orientation to Democratic Relationship Orientation where I operate towards the latter and Goleman (2000) on which I identify with the Affiliative (people come first) stage. Operational leaders, as covered by Maxwell (2002) have great value to an organisation in providing stability, devising systems and solving problems with positive engagement. However, because of their focus on detail they can overlook the bigger picture, sometimes lack motivation and are not effective in dealing with conflict. Very often, paraphrasing Maxwell here, operational leaders are not very good at getting their hands dirty but readily raise the flag at the moment of achievement. Thankfully, whilst viewing myself as an operational leader, I do like to share in tasks as well as delegate. John Adair (2002) in his range of leadership treatises, (which, incidently, build on the previous models of Maslow (1943), Herzberg (1964) and Fayol (1916) highlights three key management responsibilities under his banner of Action Centred leadership. Achieving the task Managing the team or group Managing individuals Whilst advocating a shared responsibility between the individual and external factors, it does not, however, take stock of the individual in the leadership role which I view as crucial. A similar but more complex model I have become interested in, is known as Crew Resource Management (CRM) which was originally devised by NASA to explore the human factors in civil aviation accidents in the 1970s. Several industries have adopted and adapted their own models accordingly and my interest will culminate in a dissertation for my Degree on the benefits of adopting a CRM approach to Prison Service critical incidents. Tasks or people? Workforce or Team ? It is clear that leadership is different to management though a good leader will have good management skills. In considering whether I impose myself as leader to focus on task or allow the team to flourish utilising their own skills, I completed the T-P leadership questionnaire (Appendix VIII). This scored exactly midway between the two, highlighting my awareness and flexibility to respond to both important aspects. How we respond to a leader gives some indication of our own skills and that of the one in the supervisory role. As one who aims to lead by inspiration, I am more inclined to follow Kolbs (1984) model of learning and encourage people to adapt concrete way of doing things to update their skills base and find more effective ways of working (feeling, watching, thinking, doing). An autocratic leader would be less inclined to allow such flexibility and attempt to ensure compliance from those who might be more inclined to kick and scream in and against the process. An effective leader should also take individual learning styles into account as no one method fits all. Honey and Mumfords Learning Style Inventory (1982), highlights the differences that exist, as I have found even within small teams, yet we all work together and effectively, notwithstanding that everyones experience of being under the same leadership will be different. One of the most important sources of reflection in considering my own style of leadership, plus a reinforcement of my own beliefs and values, is represented in the Style Theory of Leadership developed by Blake and Mouton (1964). This, essentially, follows on from McGregors X-Y theory and is more relevant to those predominantly on the Y axis and where a level of trust in management structure exists in the workplace. However, Blake and Mouton explored the benefits of those that put tasks before people and vice versa. Ultimately they considered whether concern for people or concern for production was more important for leaders. As with other models, the day to day style of individuals in leadership roles can vary but everyone has their own default mode. Where productivity appears more important than the maintenance and well-being of the staff, I can find myself at odds with the management and perceived ethos of the establishment at which I work. With the Blake Mouton model, I was relieved to have my default leadership style confirmed as Team Leader. This is indicative of high concern for both people and production where emphasis is placed on a spirit of teamwork and mutual co-operation. This also engenders a safe environment in which commitment from all sides is more readily forthcoming. However, in completing a recent practical assessment for a promotion board I failed to attain the required grade. I knew this as soon as the assessment was over, though I had to wait two months for the official result. In fact, I knew during the assessment, I was reacting totally contrary to my normal sense of priorities when faced with a constant stream of problems to solve. I found myself focussing primarily on the tasks and not enough on the personnel. For example, when faced with a member of staff who was emotionally upset at a domestic issue, I asked if he was okay to continue to get his landing unlocked and would look to help him with his problem later. Afterwards I learnt that the assessors were looking for Utopian responses in all scenarios assuming all needs could be immediately provided so I could have put staff welfare first, getting his role covered immediately so he could then get home to sort his issues. However, I reverted to my current work role where the pressure to meet deadlines sometimes overrides well-being. As this was completely at odds with how I believed I would normally have reacted, I was left feeling ill at ease and questioned why I persisted in this way when I am naturally Y (using McGregors model, 1960) and more team focused than task orientated (Blake Mouton, 1964). Whilst I may not fully understand why, at least it is a recognised trait à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..theory X managers (or indeed theory Y managers displaying theory X are primarily results oriented Internet source http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm [October 2010] On reflection, I am convinced that the culture and environment of the higher management structure (which demands and focuses on results and targets) filters down and, no matter how much one tries to resist or even kick against it, it permeates ones own work practice after a while. The climate in which I work consistently places emphasis on the meeting of Key Performance Targets (KPTs) and now, the Service Level Agreement (SLA). In meeting these as well as ever increasing budgetary constraints, every facet of work culture is placed under the microscope and, wherever possible, cut, yet the targets must be met regardless. However, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves or expectations laid at our office door, it is how we respond that is important and the acceptance of our personal responsibility to be channelled into effective working. An important element of relationships, at all levels including personal and business, is trust. Where one perceives this to be eroded or not present due to conflict in aims or values, it can have a destructive affect on effective co-working. As can be seen above, this is something I am struggling with in the corporate ethos where I am constantly second-guessing the motives behind management decision-making. However, to be an effective manager, I am mindful of maintaining a healthy approach to embracing the mission of the workplace even though I may not fully understand or have access to the full rationale behind the decision making processes from Higher Management. As a leader, I have to convey to those I wish to work effectively under me, that this mission is achievable and in the common interest despite my own such uncertainties. Maintaining personal integrity and establishing trust are essential in my personal, professional and leadership identity. Straker (2008:208) talks of transaction cost and trust boundaries. Essentially he argues that trust, if allowed to erode or not fostered within an organisation can impact on delivery and there has to be a cost on both sides to re-establish this. As he says .. the overall cost can be minimised with up-front investment in, and subsequent maintenance of, trust. If one does not have that sense of belonging within the trust group then there is something wrong with the work relationship and part of effective management and leadership performance is to be pro-active in fostering trust and encouraging people to enter the trust boundary. It begs the question, therefore, who and under what conditions will we follow? Should we be expected to lead and expect blind faith? What criteria and principles should be presented in order for others to set out on the journey with us ? Handy (1987) suggests that in order for an outcome to remain constant, the Trust-Control balance might need to shift between leader and subordinates and I can see merits in this as relationships, as well as work pressures, are fluid in nature. There are three established styles of leadership: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. History records successful leaders who have exhibited all of the above. Each style can work and produce results but demands a flexibility on the part of the workforce to fit in with the style and it is that response which can be acknowledged and worked with or not as the case may be, As for my own style, confirmed as a nurturing parental approach, this has immense benefits for myself and for those who work under me as they feel supported and, more importantly in my opinion, affirmed in their roles with their own skills base recognised and developed. As with any style there are costs and, as I am finding, where my own sense of values conflicts with the demands laid upon me, this can have a detrimental effect to my own sense of purpose within the organisation. It is important, therefore, that structures and lines of communication are open which allow for that expression of view. However, this, in itself, is not without the potential cost. As I found when raising my head above the parapet on several occasions, to express concern and personal frustration with the direction expected by senior managers, it can blot ones copybook. Again, it is important for me to consider how much of this is down to my own personal perception and how able I am to see my subordinates perspective and, crucially, the aims and focus of the establishment delivery objectives. Conclusion In terms of future roles, I am best placed to consider managerial positions. The Foundation Degree and BA(Hons) are regarded as valuable qualifications both for their content relevant to the Criminal Justice System and Leadership and Management but also symbolising the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development (Appendix IX). In the final analysis, the human dynamic is the most beneficial resource in the workplace but it is also the most fickle and, at times, fragile. To lead is a privilege and to follow is an opportunity. I can only strive to make myself worthy of the trust placed in me to, not only get the job done, but to enable others to be the very best they can be and, in the process, ensure I am followed out of respect and not coercion or, indeed, curiosity. Appendices: I. Excerpt from Carnegie (1938) II. Study Skills Self Assessment III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle IV. Curriculum Vitae V. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) Mosaic Vision VI. Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire VII. Reflective Log on McGregor X,Y Theory VIII. T-P Leadership Questionnaire IX. Professional Development Plan Appendix I Excerpts from How To Win Friends and Influence People Carnegie (1938) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Dont criticize, condemn, or complain. Give honest and sincere appreciation. Arouse in the other person an eager want. Six Ways to Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a mans Name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in the terms of the other mans interest. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking Avoid arguments. Show respect for the other persons opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong. If youre wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Start with questions the other person will answer yes to. Let the other person do the talking. Let the other person feel the idea is his/hers. Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view. Sympathize with the other person. Appeal to noble motives. Dramatize your ideas. Throw down a challenge. Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to other peoples mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes first. Ask questions instead of directly giving orders. Let the other person save face. Praise every improvement. Give them a fine reputation to live up to. Encourage them by making their faults seem easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest. Appendix II. Study Skills Self Assessment Appendix III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle Appendix IV. Curriculum Vitae Appendix V My Personal and Professional Values Related to The Mosaic Vision (Kandola and Fullerton, 1994) Mission and values (I tend to have a rescuer style in