The effectiveness of human resource management in improving Dissertation

The effectiveness of human resource management in improving organizational performance - Dissertation Example This present research study will apply the investigative research methods because there are other available previous research studies that focused on a rather similar objective as this present research study. Secondly, the investigative research methods will be appropriate because this present study seeks to test or confirm some of the hypothesis that will be presented. According to the writings by Khan, an aspect that is of great significance in this research project is the research method that shows the kinds of strategies that the researcher employed to attain the research objectives. There are various types of investigative research methods that can be employed, and the most common are; experiments, case studies, survey, theoretical perspectives, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. However, it is beneficial to examine the case study method and the survey method since they are applied in this particular research project. Survey is an important investigative research method t hat was relevant while conducting this research. O'Leary noted that surveys allow the collection of a large amount of data from a large population. This implies that the researcher can conduct surveys and question specific groups of people to obtain large amount of information relevant to the subject of the survey. Case study is an investigative research method that involves investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon in the real life situation using multiple sources of evidence like financial statements. More elaborate explanation on the nature of the case study as a research method was given by Dick (2005, p. 78) who viewed case study as a representation of ‘a specific way of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data’. The case study research method has been applied in this present research project in sense that the study uses Accenture Plc as the case study to investigate the effectiveness of human resource management in improving organizational

Marketing research paper (marketing major required) Proposal

Marketing paper (marketing major required) - Research Proposal Example A company has marketing, manufacturing; sales departments etc and they operate on their own circle. Moreover, under such structure sales and marketing messages become fragmented across myriads of strategies and tactics. At times, marketing develops ideas which the sales unit is unable to sell, which customer fails to deliver and this gets worse in bigger organizations because the various departments fail to function as a whole. On the other hand, integrated marketing mobilizes all the organization’s communication strategies under a single operation which relevant departments implement. Under the method, an organization function’s as a unit with a single objective which is maximizing awareness among targeted populace and ensuring that the marketing message is consistently distributed across all communication channels. Miller Childrens Hospital can benefit immensely by meticulously following a good integrated marketing communication, and for these benefits to be realized, the hospital’s sales promotion, marketing, advert and publicity must be well coordinated. The hospital can grow and the vision expanded both in clientele and contributors. For this to be successful the staffs must be well trained in order to get maximum result in reaching out to the greater populace. Also, in order to have a wider coverage, there is need to reach out to the Clients and Contributors to the organisation. Public Relations Publicity is one major area in which integrated marketing communication can be very effective if it is well utilized. One method of effective publicity is the newspaper. With this medium, Miller Childrens Hospital can reach out to a whole lot of people. There are very reliable means of communication. Another method is through television, the coverage is wider than the former with its visual effect and persuasive message, the people will understand. Another relevant medium

Methods and Practices of Performance Appraisal

Methods and Practices of Performance Appraisal This chapter provides the basis for the development of this study. It will give a general overview of the relevant literature and research on performance appraisal and organizational commitment in general but with a lot of emphasis on appraisal session, supervisory behaviours during appraisal and employees satisfaction with performance appraisal and affective commitment. A brief outline of performance management, performance appraisal and organizational commitment will first be discussed as a sort of general foundation followed by some relevant aspects of performance appraisal, affective commitment and ending with a summary of the chapter. The justification is that it will facilitate the conceptualization of the variables that will be examined in this study, indicate their envisaged relationships and further provide the basis for their empirical evaluation. Although the performance appraisal session is a component of the whole performance appraisal system (Giles Mossholder, 1990) however, it is still a major part of the appraisal system since it is the only avenue for gathering employees opinions and other information (Roberts, 2002). Similarly, supervisory behaviours during an appraisal session has been indicated to be a major aspect which contributes to the effectiveness of performance appraisal session (Martin Bartol, 1986) hence some key concepts of performance appraisal session and supervisory behaviours will be applied and used to formulate the argument that there should be a positive relationship between performance appraisal satisfaction and certain supervisory behaviours during a performance appraisal session. Similarly, extant literature and research (Dessler, 1999; Paul Anantharaman, 2004) has indicated that using performance appraisals to develop employees may increase their affinity to the organization hence this review will elucidate the logic for attempting to establish a positive link between performance appraisal satisfaction and affective organizational commitment and the significance of such a relationship to organizations. 2.2 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT In the late 1980s and 1990s, organizations started implementing combined practices aimed at building a culture of performance which involved using strategies that were believed to enhance employees input towards the overall success of the organization referred to as performance management (IPM, 1992). However the majority of these practices (e.g. goal setting, assessment and review) were already being used by organization but as individual practices (Armstrong Baron, 2005). Armstrong (1998) sees performance management as a combined and well planned method used to further improve the success of an organization by increasing employees performance and developing the abilities of teams and individual employees however Fletcher (1993a cited in Armstrong Baron, 1998) sees it as a method used by organizations to invent and share their vision with the employees by enabling them appreciate their own part towards achieving the organizations vision and in so doing help to manage and improve the performance of both the employees and organization whereas Hendry, Bradley Perkins (1997) believe it is an efficient method used to enhance the performance of individuals and teams to realize the goals of the organization. The definitions above indicate that performance management is a tool used by organizations to achieve organizational aims by effectively managing the performance of employees and the organization as a whole. Some features of performance management include: different forms of appraisals (e.g. 360- degree appraisal, peer appraisal, self appraisal); reward strategies (e.g. performance related pay, competence related, contribution related pay); coaching and mentoring; career management/ succession planning and personal development plans. 2.3 OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT According to Armstrong Baron (2005), the aim of performance management is to enhance the performance of employees and the organization by further improving good performance, having an idea of the visions of the organization, supporting individuals to achieve these aims and generally ensuring a conducive atmosphere for individual growth which will ultimately impact on the organization. Armstrong Baron, (1998) believe that the objectives of performance management could further be broken down to the following: A process which helps organizations to accomplish prolonged enhanced performance. It can act as a pillar of change towards building a more performance centred tradition. Improving employees motivation and commitment. Facilitating employee development, improving their work satisfaction and attaining their desired goals in a way that profits both employees and the organization. Strengthening team work and performance. Facilitating improved communication in the workplace amongst superiors and subordinates all year round due to continuous discussions. Affording the opportunity for employees to communicate their job desires and needs. Organizations assess the outcome of performance management by using opinions or attitude surveys of their employees, some factors used are: changes in employee attitude, motivation, productivity, achievement of financial target, changes in employees attitude, achievement of objectives, improved customer service, development of new skills and improved quality (Armstrong Baron, 2005). 2.4 DEFINITION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is the process used to assess employees performance often times against some agreed work goals to enable organizations take some decisions. Performance appraisal is a formal process of supplying employees with an unambiguous feedback based on their work performance (Carroll Schneier, 1982 cited in Dobbins, Cardy Platz Vieno, 1992) but can also occur in an informal and sometimes highly biased form in any organization (Fletcher, 1997). Performance appraisal is believed to have originated from American but has been modified to suit the UK market (see Beer et al, 1978). An effective performance appraisal should seek to understand why goals have been / not been achieved to throw more light on the employees capabilities and by so doing understand what training/ development the employee requires (Anderson, 1991). Several definitions of performance appraisal have been put forward and some of them are: An opportunity for the individual and those concerned with their performance most usually their line manager to get together to engage in a dialogue about the individuals performance, development and the support required from the manager (CIPD ,2009). Performance appraisal is, the formal assessment and rating of individuals by their managers at, usually, an annual review meeting (Armstrong, 2006, p.9). A performance appraisal is a way to regularly record an assessment of an employees performance, potential and development needs. The appraisal is an opportunity to take an overall view of work content, loads and volume, to look back on what has been achieved during the reporting period and agree objectives for the next (ACAS, p.3). Performance appraisal is the process of defining expectations for employee performance: measuring, evaluating and recording employee performance in relation to those expectations; and providing feedback to the employee. While a major purpose of performance appraisal is to influence, in a positive way, employee performance and development, the process also is used for a variety of other organisational purposes, such as determining merit pay increases planning future performance goals, determining training and development needs and assessing promotional potential of employees. (Bartol Martin, 1991 p.421 cited in Coates, 1994). Performance appraisal is also defined as, a term once associated with a rather basic process involving a line manager completing an annual report on a subordinates performance and (usually but not always) discussing it with him or her in an appraisal interview (Fletcher, 2001, p.473) he further stated that though this description still holds true in some organizations that performance appraisal is now a general term used to describe so many practices used by organizations to evaluate employees and develop their capabilities, enhance performance and distribute rewards which implies that the use to which performance appraisal is put could impact on both supervisory behaviours and employees satisfaction. 2.5 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Although some organizations sometimes use the expressions performance management and performance appraisal to mean one and the same, there are differences between them. Performance management is, a comprehensive, continuous and flexible approach to the management of organizations, teams and individuals which involves the maximum amount of dialogue between those concerned (Armstrong Baron, 2005, p.14) while performance appraisal which is narrower entails supervisors assessing and scoring their subordinates in an appraisal review. Performance appraisal plays an important role in the performance management system because it is the medium used to explain the goals and objectives of an organization, it is also the main tool used for employees performance assessment and development. It is believed that with the emergence of performance management with its broader outlook, that performance appraisal now has a fundamental task in a more incorporated and vibrant set of human resources systems which implies that performance appraisal can accomplish more than it could on its own (Fletcher, 1997). Armstrong Baron (2005) highlighted some idealised features that differentiate performance management from performance appraisal since it has been noted that the two terms are often confused with each other (Bevan Thompson, 1991). Performance management Performance appraisal Joint process through dialogue Top down assessment continuous review with one or more formal reviews Annual appraisal meeting Ratings less common Use of ratings Flexible process Monolithic system Focus on values and behaviours as well as objectives Focused on quantified objectives Less likely to be directly linked to pay Often linked to pay Documentation kept to a minimum Bureaucratic- complex paperwork Owned by line managers Owned by the HR department Fig. 1- source Armstrong Baron, 2005 p. 15 2.6 DEFINITION AND COMPONENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT The phrase, organizational commitment is gradually becoming a vital organizational terminology because there is an indication that it has a positive relationship with employee behaviours that encourage organizational retention and performance (Chalofsky Krishna, 2009). OReilly Chatman (1986) defines organizational commitment as the foundation of an employees psychological attachment to the organization whereas Porter et al (1974) states that organizational commitment is comprised of three major elements: (a) strong conviction in and acceptance of the organizations aims, (b) readiness to go the extra mile for the organization, and (c) a strong desire to retain organizational membership. Meyer Allen (1991) noted that notwithstanding numerous researches, that there has been a lack of agreement with definition of concepts used in measuring organizational commitment. Moreover, the various definitions of commitment seem to point to three general components hence to minimise the issue of construct definition, they put forward three components of organizational commitment: 1. Affective commitment- the employee wants to stay because of an attachment and desire to identify and be involved with the organization. 2. Continuance commitment- the employee stays with the organization because of the need to after considering the costs related to leaving the organization. 3. Normative Commitment- the employee feels obligated to continue with the organization. These three components reflect the fact that commitment is a psychological condition that typifies the nature of the relationship an employee will have with the organization hence will affect the employees decision to exit or continue with the organization. (Meyer Allen, 1991), however they have dissimilar impact on employees behaviour (Lee Bruvold, 2003). The present study will focus on affective commitment because a Meta analysis of various researches that have tried to establish a link between work outcome and organizational commitment established that affective or attitudinal commitment showed the strongest relationship (Randall, 1990). Moreover, from the description of the three components of organizational commitment, it can be deduced that an employee that has an affective commitment for the organization will most likely exhibit more positive attitude, be willing to go the extra mile, be less likely to leave because of his/her attachment to the organization. 2.6.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT The importance attached to organizational commitment could be attributed to the fact that present day organizations lay much emphasis on teamwork, empowerment, and flatter organizational structures thereby making it a pre requisite that certain acceptable behaviours are required from employees which are often referred to as organizational citizenship behaviour. These behaviours are discretionary contributions that are organizationally related, but are neither explicitly required nor contractually rewarded by the organization, yet contribute to its effective functioning, (Meyer Allen, 1997 p.34). Although organizational commitment may be associated with certain aspects of a flatter organization (e.g. team working and empowerment) as mentioned above, however, it does not just happen because an organization operates a less bureaucratic structure. Organizations employ different outlook of organizational theory example, a unitarist view will elicit a different type of commitment from a pluralist view since these two outlook will employ different management control and forms of employees management (see Perkins, 1998 p. 14). Similarly, Caldwell et al (1990) noted that variations amongst organizations with respect to the human resources policies in place affect employees attitudes and reactions, a statement also echoed by Perkins (1998). Studies have indicated that commitment can promote the type of behaviours that yield desirable organizational outcomes (Dessler, 1999). Some of positive outcomes attributed to organizational commitment include: a positive relationship with motivation and involvement (Stumpf Hartman, 1984), affirmation of positive affect and loyalty (OReilly Caldwell, 1980), enhancement of some portions of job performance (Angle Perry, 1981) and a negative relationship with absenteeism (Angle Perry, 1981). 2.7 BASIC METHODS AND PRACTICES OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Organizations differ in characteristics (e.g. management style, size, culture, technology and sector) which imply that they will most likely implement performance appraisal practice that they perceive will be suitable for them (Bretz et al, 1992). Similarly, Tolliday Zeitlin (1991) argues that the potential for performance appraisal with regards to its implications and definitions will be a consequence of the social and organizational stance of those who use them, however, an effective performance appraisal will be a gain for both the employees and the organization (Anderson, 1991). Some basic methods of performance appraisal according to ACAS (2008) include: Rating employees characteristics are rated on a scale ranging from outstanding to unacceptable. Comparisons with objectives employees are assessed based on how far they have met already agreed goals with supervisors. Critical incidents requires the supervisor to record employees positive and negative behaviour for a period of time. Narrative report the supervisor assesses the employees job performance using own words. Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales involves the use of a number of rating scales which are tailored to suit each job. Most UK organizations use appraisal of personality, appraising job related abilities and rating scales (e.g. forced distribution and behaviourally based rating scale) which are methods used for assessment and comparison appraisal while result oriented appraisal and competency based appraisal are methods use for motivation and development appraisals (Fletcher, 1997 2004). His classification was based on the two broad uses of performance appraisal which will be highlighted below. Although management by objective (MBO) is also used in UK (*ANDERSON) it is widely used in the US to appraise senior executives and professional employees while the trait based rating scale is used for more junior employees Bretz et al, (1992). 2.8 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL USES It has been stated that knowledge of the use to which performance appraisals is to be put is important to human resource development (Youngcourt et al, 2007) and essential to its design since different types of information may be required for different purposes (Cleveland, J.N., Murphy, K.R. Williams, R.E. (1989) and research has also shown that the use to which performance appraisal is put affects the rating process and results (Jawahar Williams, 1997; Ostroff, 1993). Organizations use performance appraisal to achieve numerous contradicting objectives (McGregor, 1957; Meyer, Kay French, 1965). However, some of the uses of performance appraisal are: taking reward decisions, performance improvement, employee motivation, improving communication between supervisors and subordinates, succession planning and as a formal assessment of inadequate performance (Fletcher, 1997). According to Youngcourt et al (2007) past literature/research (Cleveland, Murphy Williams, 1989, 2003) seem to point to the fact that there is a tendency for organizations to use appraisal to differentiate either among employees (the administrative use) or within employees (the developmental purpose). Cederblom (1982) also gave two broad classifications of performance appraisal use: counselling and development; evaluation and discussion of administrative decisions. Though it has been noted that appraisals can be put to multiple uses, the present study will use the two broad classifications listed above for ease of comparison with extant work. 2.9 A GENERAL SUMMARY OF PAST PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL STUDY AND LITERATURE Performance appraisals has received lots of attention from industrial and organizational psychologists (Nathan, Morhman Millman, 1991; Landy Farr, 1980) and most of these works especially the ones dealing with cognitive aspect of performance appraisal have been methodologically and conceptually sound (DeNisi, 1997 cited in Fletcher, 2001). Researchers have conceptualized rating instrument and process; characteristics of raters and ratees as a way of understanding cognitive aspect of performance appraisal but so far, have only been able to expound our knowledge of the rating formats (Landy Farr, 1980) yet, there is still no major positive impact on performance appraisal practice (Banks Murphy, 1985; Fletcher, 2001). There has been quite a number of review of extant literature and research on performance appraisal practice with their implication for future research (e.g. Levy Williams, 2004; Fletcher, 2001; Keeping and Levy, 2000; Arvey Murphy, 1998; Bretz, Milkovich Read, 1992; Cederblom, 1982). A brief summary of these reviews seem to indicate that researchers are still looking for ways of improving the practicality of performance appraisal process in organizations as stated by (Thorndike, 1949 cited in Bretz et al, 1992; Meyer, Kay French, 1965 cited in Fletcher, 2001; Kluger DeNisi, 1996; Fletcher, 1997 2001) but the direction so far shows that between 1950 and 1980, most research was dealing with ways to improve rating instruments used for appraisals which led to a call by Landy Farr (1980) for more studies on cognitive aspects of performance appraisal thereby resulting in a shift of attention in the early 1980s to a better understanding of the various behaviours exhibited by a supervisor during performance appraisal. The mid 1980s till late 1990s saw an increase in research dealing with how information is handled during performance appraisal (Arvey Murphy, 1998) which was brought to light by some researchers (e.g. Ilgen Favero, 1985; Dipboye, 1 985; Ferris Judge, 1991) when they noted that the social and situational factors affecting performance appraisal were being overlooked by researchers. In their review of extant performance appraisal research work of 1985 1990, (Bretz, Milkovich Read, 1992) writing from a US perspective noted that majority of these work were centred on supervisor/ subordinate personal qualities, psychometric issues, rating errors/accuracy, supervisor training, performance appraisal format, cognitive aspects of appraisal and feedback. They further stated majority of these work had taken place in the laboratory and had used students as respondents also, cognition has received the highest attention and even though it is quite understandable that researchers should focus a lot of attention on studying the rating aspects of performance appraisal since it entails difficult cognitive procedures, however, the performance appraisal process takes place in an applied social and political environment, hence it would be beneficial to assess the degree to which research is contributing to the performance appraisal process. This seems to be an echo of the call b y Banks Murphy (1985) that the huge focus on cognitive aspect of performance appraisal will most likely contribute to the widening gap between research and actual practice. Napier Latham (1986) noted that the lack of improvement in performance appraisal practice stems from the fact that researchers seem to focus on improving appraisal measurement rather than on the appraisal practicalities (Thorndike, 1949 cited in Bretz et al, 1992). Another review of existing study of performance appraisal from 1993 1998 carried out by Arvey Murphy (1998) further buttressed the issues raised in the Bretz et al (1992) review but Arvey Murphy also noted that research is now widening towards the notion of contextual aspect of job performance. Similarly, Fletcher (2001) writing from a UK perspective, while concurring with the views raised in the Bretz et al (1992) review also noted that there seems to be no considerable improvement in performance appraisal practice as most UK organizations indicate disappointment with their performance appraisal scheme which implies that performance appraisal not only yields unconvincing ratings but most likely is unsuccessful as an employee development and motivational tool as indicated by (Meyer, Kay French, 1965 cited in Fletcher, 2001). Keeping Levy, (2000), writing on performance appraisal reaction which is pertinent to the present work agrees with the views already noted by the studies above on performance appraisal practice in general but they further narrowed down their views to studies pertaining to appraisal reactions. They observed that performance appraisal effectiveness has been heavily researched with some of the work focusing on aspects like: appraisal frequency, faith in supervisor, participation, validity of ratings and employee reactions to performance appraisals. On the issue of appraisal reactions, they differentiated the various reaction measures that have received great deal of attention and they include: satisfaction, fairness, perceived utility, perceived accuracy but they pointed out that there seems to be some contradictions with measurements of reaction, concepts and the way some measures have been operationalized. They also noted that dependent variables should be of interest and use to human resource practice as indicated by Balzer Sulsky, (1990, cited in Keeping Levy, 2000) that most of the dependent variables so far used in extant studies are of little use to human resources practitioners while the important ones have so far been ignored by researchers. Cederblom (1982) had reviewed the appraisal session, another important area to the present study and stated that though some writers had indicated that there are some difficulties associated with an appraisal section that involves a joint discussion of development and salary, however most of these research had come up with inconclusive reports (e.g. Meyer et al, 1965; Cummings,1973 cited in Cederblom, 1982) thereby making it difficult to conclude on the noted difficulties, however some studies (e.g. Burke, Wetzel Weir, 1978 cited in Cederblom, 1982) indicated that certain discussion on reward during an appraisal session seems to increase employees satisfaction. Cederblom (1982) stated that there are some factors that have been shown to improve the effectiveness of a performance appraisal session which are: supervisors level of competence of employees job and performance; goal setting; supervisors support; encouragement of employees participation. 2.10 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SESSIONS The appraisal session involves the actual meeting of the supervisor and subordinate to discuss the subordinates past performance and possibly future goals, development and salary. It has been identified to be a key part of a performance appraisal system by contributing to its effectiveness since the appraisal session is the avenue for gathering employees opinion and other needed information Roberts (2002). There have been a number of researches on this area of performance appraisal (e.g. Burke Wilcox,1969; Greller, 1975; Burke at al, 1978; Fletcher, 2001; Asmub, 2008) however most of the studies have been centred on the appraisees experiences of the appraisal session though attention is now being directed towards the supervisors experience (Burke et al, 1978) Nathan, Morhman Millman (1991) noted that there are some shortcomings with most of the past researches as most of the them seem to have overlooked the interpersonal perspective in which appraisal occurs (Wexley Klimoski, 1984 cited in Nathan et al, 1991) and instead focused on pointing out the problems with supervisors even though they are the motivational impartial factors of the performance appraisal procedure and thus directing attention on how to reduce these errors with enhanced rating scale and training (Hogan, 1987, p.364). Their study substantiated the importance of the need for good interpersonal relationship as employees participation, the standard used to assess the employee and review of issues that are vital to the employees development are all affected by the type of supervisor/subordinate relationship. Similarly, Finn Fontaine (1984) put forward that supervisors and employees should relate together to categorize the major work attitudes that are very crucial to the appraisal which may likely involve the use of a well structured job analysis that will not only form the basis for measuring past performance but also form the foundation for building future performance. The organizational culture which affects means and manner of its communication will affect performance appraisal discussion (Maroney Buckely, 1992) since employees attitude is a function of their convictions which is guided by the organizations communication means and hierarchy (Nystrom Starbuck, 1984 cited in Maroney Buckely, 1992). Some guidelines given by Armstrong Baron (2005) for the appraisal session are: 1. Supervisors should come prepared by going through a list of the pre set goals and probably their record of employees performance for the year. They need to give consideration to the likely reasons that could have resulted in the employees high/low performance, changes that may have occurred between the last appraisal and the intended one. It is also advisable for employees to come prepared with their own records so they can contribute effectively. 2. The environment should be informal to allow for an open and honest discussion with less conflict. 3. The session should be carried out according to plans made earlier but should also allocate enough time for employees contribution. 4. Supervisors should ensure they give a positive, frank, and merited feedback which will motivate the employee especially when they are commended for high achievement. 5. The employees should have ample time to contribute so they can reveal the issues they are encountering and this also will make them feel the appraisal session was fair. 6. Allowing the employee to self appraise will afford the opportunity of seeing things from an employees perspective and will also form part of the appraisal discussion. 7. Employees performance that has been stated accurately should be the focus of the appraisal session rather than the supervisors personal view of the employee. 8. It is also advisable that both appraisee and appraiser jointly review probable causes of good/poor performance rather than it being just the supervisors views. 9. The supervisor as much as possible should stick to facts rather than discuss issues that will come as a surprise to the employee. 10. The agreed goals should be measurable and there should be a plan or discussion on how to achieve them and supervisors should ensure the session ends positively. The overview of performance appraisal uses; methods and practices; past performance appraisal research and appraisal session above is indicative of the fact that performance appraisal use, the discussion during an appraisal session (e.g. goal setting, feedback, participation, relationship between the supervisor and employee, rating score, salary and development discussion) will likely have an effect on employees satisfaction with the appraisal. Hypothesis 1: employees will be satisfied with their performance appraisal session when they have good interpersonal relationship with the supervisor, actively participate, adequate and constructive feedback, favourable rating and the appraisal discussion includes salary and development. 2.11 ISSUES AND CRITICISMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS Fletcher Williams (1992) noted that there have been issues regarding the use of performance appraisal which have lingered for years and a survey of some UK organizations (IRS, 2005, no 828, p.9) seem to buttress this point as most of the employees stated that there are issues in the way and manner performance appraisals are being delivered in organizations which they attributed to lack of training for line managers on how to develop effective performance appraisals, too much use of paperwork (IRS, 2005, no 828, p. 9). Similarly, Stroul (1987) stated that both management and employees are resentful of the mandatory yearly performance appraisal process (Stroul, 1987). Other issues noted with performance appraisal include Anderson (1993) also identified a number of problems related with performance appraisal: Classifying the standards that will be used for assessing performance. Gathering correct and sufficient data employee performance data. Managing conflicts between supervisors and subordinates. Defensive behaviour of most employees. The various issues noted above coupled with dissatisfaction with performance appraisal as indicated by organizations (Mount 1983; Stroul, 1987; Fletcher, 2001) has led to criticisms from several authors. Deeming (19

Benefits of Hybrid Cars Essay -- Fuel Energy Driving Gas Pollution Ess

Benefits of Hybrid Cars Transportation is very important to our every day lives. Throughout the history, many evolutions and changes have been made in transportation technology, and it continues growing at a rapid pace. At first, people used horses and horse trailers as their main transportation. Then in the Industrial Revolution, the steam engine was invented. Later, there was the invention of the combustion engine, and it is the beginning of the automobile industry. Many changes and improvements have been made in the development of automobiles. However, until today, the 21st century, people are still using gasoline as the many fuel for cars. Now in 2005, we have hybrids, a new generation of automobiles. Hybrids are fuel efficient, fuel economic and environment friendly, and they are the dominant cars for the next two decades. Here we are going to discuss the major benefits of driving a hybrid. A hybrid can be simply defined as a vehicle with two sources of power combined. A modern hybrid vehicle, such as a Toyota Prius, uses both an electrical motor and a gasoline engine, and they work together to provide the power needed for a comfortable ride. Hybrids actually have been around longer than we think: From 1897 to 1907, the Compagnie Parisienne des Voitures Electriques (roughly, Paris Electric Car Company), built a series of electric and hybrid vehicles, including the 1903 Krieger. With front-drive and power steering, the Krieger wasn't built in much quantity. One model ran on alcohol, and there was another version with what has been described as a gasoline-turbine engine; in those times, the term "turbine" sometimes meant â€Å"generator."(History of Hybrid,  ¶ 4) Before the full development of gasoline vehi... ...o provide us a better world with cleaner air and greener grass. With features of hybrids, people can live longer and healthier under better environment; with limited resources, people can travel longer in lives and have more opportunities to explore lives as well as the world. Hybrids are the car for the future. Works Cited How Hybrid Cars Work. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car5.htm History. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://www.hybridcars.com/history.html Progressive Casualty Insurance Company (2005, April 11). Research Finds Higher Horsepower Cars Involved In Fewer Accidents. Retrieved from http://pressroom.progressive.com/releases/Hi_Horsepower_05.asp History of Hybrid. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://www.modernracer.com/features/historyofthehybrid.html

Integrating Culture and Diversity in Decision Making Essay

1. Provide a brief (1 paragraph) description of the organization you chose to research. Zappos was founded in 1999 during the dotcom boom by Nick Swinmurn [ (Twitchell, 2009) ] on a quest to buy a pair of sneakers at a local mall. It has grown in to a 1.2 billion dollar subsidiary of Amazon.com and a leading on-line provider of everything from shoes to couture handbags. They have done this with a simple motto: â€Å"Powered by Service†. Providing all of their customers with free (sometimes next day) shipping and returns, Zappos has invested in the power of word of mouth to fuel their business. 2. Examine the culture of the selected organization. Retail doesn’t seem to be the only thing that Zappos has gotten right, however. Beyond growing from a small, upstart company to a 1 billion dollar â€Å"behemoth†, Zappos prides itself on the culture it has created and invests in for its employees. Unlike some companies that guard their employee credos and internal culture (Apple comes to mind), Zappos promotes theirs for any would-be customer to see. Multiple links on their website lead to testimonials, blogs and YouTube videos providing a behind the scenes look at exactly what it’s like to work for this Once Upon a Time shoe company. Current CEO Tony Hsieh said in 2009 while celebrating the company’s 10th anniversary that â€Å"Our No. 1 priority is the company culture. Our whole belief is that if we get the culture right, then everything else, including the customer service, will fall into place,† [ (Twitchell, 2009) ] and indeed that thought processes seems embedded in the company’s Core Values which are posted on its website under a link labeled â€Å"Our Unique Culture†. 3. Explain how you determined that the selected organization showed the signs of the culture that you have identified. Zappos company culture seems to pride itself on creating a world-class experience not just for its customers, but for its employees as well. Both the external adaptation (day to day tasks) and internal integration (employees ability to live and work together) have been addressed in exactly the same way. Zappos seems to suggest that the way they treat their external customers as a company and the way their internal customers treat each other are not varied. In each of the videos posted on their company blog, employees regard their Core Values as both the way they guide their interactions with customers and with each other. Though subcultures do seem to exist (based simply on the variety of employee groups with blogs on their website), Zappos has taken great strides through rituals like their â€Å"Wishez† program to keep those unique subcultures from becoming countercultures that work against the common goals of the company. Indeed, relationships within these subcultures seem particularly strong. In one video describing the â€Å"Wishez† program and the way it bonds other departments together, employees seem to indicate that without it they might have never interacted in the first place. This seems to lend itself to Barker and Tompkins theory that â€Å"employees [maintain] a tendency to identify more strongly with their individual work teams than with the company as a whole†. [ (Schrodt, 2002) ] In one video, an employee identifies that she has hired a marching band to come and play Happy Birthday for another employees 40th birthday because he had teased when she turned 40. They work in the same department. By forging such strong relationships between employees, members of Zappos are encouraged to pursue similar relationships with their customers. One web page boasts that the longest recorded customer service call to Zappos (lines which are open 24/7) was eight hours long. Additionally, during Holiday months, customers might even encounter CEO Tony Hsieh on the customer service lines. 4. Determine the factors that caused the organization to embody this particular culture. This dedication towards customer service that the Zappos culture seems to be based around is what has allowed Zappos to survive where other dotcom’s had failed. In his book â€Å"The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time†, Verne Harnish lists Zappos’ decisions to offer free shipping and returns as particularly profound. He says (among the other decisions that he lists) that they â€Å"stood out from others because they were counterintuitive – they went against the grain of popular practice†. [ (Gringarten, 2012) ] Without this richly customer focused culture, Zappos as a brand might never have existed. Indeed, it continues to promote its customer focus and nothing else. While we might think of Zappos as a shoe company, Zappos seems to think of Zappos as a customer service company that happens to sell shoes. 5. Determine what type of leader would be best suited for this organization. Support your position. This kind of energy takes a particular type of leader to induce. Each video on their company website that mentions CEO Tony Hsieh mentions his name with some sort of revere suggesting that this type of culture is best suited for a charismatic leader. According to Schermerhorn, charismatic leaders â€Å"by force of their personal abilities, are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on followers†. [ (Schermerhorn, 2000) ] Hsieh gives seminars in which he instructs other companies on how they can adopt the Zappos culture to their own businesses. He believes very strongly in the culture that Zappos has created. 6. Imagine that there is a decline in the demand of product(s) or services supplied by the selected organization. Determine what the change in culture would need to be in response to this situation. The intense success that Zappos has enjoyed in such a short amount of time and the growth of their business from simply shoes to just about anything else seems to suggest that even if tomorrow people needed one less pair of shoes, the corporate culture of Zappos as a company would not need to be adjusted. By focusing on internal culture (employees) and external culture (customer) first, Zappos has answered the question of how to sell rather than what to sell. Their purpose implies that people don’t just need shoes; what they want is a different way to buy them. Bibliography Gringarten, H. (2012). The Greatest Business Decisions of all Time. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research , 95. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2000). Organizational Behavior . New York: Wiley. Schrodt, P. (2002). The relationship between organizational identification and organizational culture: employee perceptions of culture and identification in a retail sales organization. Communication Studies , 189. Twitchell, J. (2009, June 16). From Upstart To $1 Billion Behemoth, Zappos Marks 10 Years. Retrieved from LasVegas Sun:

Deception Point Page 22

Marjorie Tench fell silent, as if reeling from that last punch. The CNN host prompted, â€Å"Ms. Tench? A reaction?† The woman finally cleared her throat and spoke. â€Å"I guess I'm just surprised to hear that Mr. Sexton is willing to establish himself as so staunchly anti-NASA.† Sexton's eyes narrowed. Nice try, lady. â€Å"I am not anti-NASA, and I resent the accusation. I am simply saying that NASA's budget is indicative of the kind of runaway spending that your President endorses. NASA said they could build the shuttle for five billion; it cost twelve billion. They said they could build the space station for eight billion; now it's one hundred billion.† â€Å"Americans are leaders,† Tench countered, â€Å"because we set lofty goals and stick to them through the tough times.† â€Å"That national pride speech doesn't work on me, Marge. NASA has overspent its allowance three times in the past two years and crawled back to the President with its tail between its legs and asked for more money to fix its mistakes. Is that national pride? If you want to talk about national pride, talk about strong schools. Talk about universal health care. Talk about smart kids growing up in a country of opportunity. That's national pride!† Tench glared. â€Å"May I ask you a direct question, senator?† Sexton did not respond. He simply waited. The woman's words came out deliberately, with a sudden infusion of grit. â€Å"Senator, if I told you that we could not explore space for less than NASA is currently spending, would you act to abolish the space agency altogether?† The question felt like a boulder landing in Sexton's lap. Maybe Tench wasn't so stupid after all. She had just blindsided Sexton with a â€Å"fence-buster†-a carefully crafted yes/no question designed to force a fence-straddling opponent to choose clear sides and clarify his position once and for all. Instinctively Sexton tried sidestepping. â€Å"I have no doubt that with proper management NASA can explore space for a lot less than we are currently-â€Å" â€Å"Senator Sexton, answer the question. Exploring space is a dangerous and costly business. It's much like building a passenger jet. We should either do it right-or not at all. The risks are too great. My question remains: If you become president, and you are faced with the decision to continue NASA funding at its current level or entirely scrap the U.S. space program, which would you choose?† Shit. Sexton glanced up at Gabrielle through the glass. Her expression echoed what Sexton already knew. You're committed. Be direct. No waffling. Sexton held his chin high. â€Å"Yes. I would transfer NASA's current budget directly into our school systems if faced with that decision. I would vote for our children over space.† The look on Marjorie Tench's face was one of absolute shock. â€Å"I'm stunned. Did I hear you correctly? As president, you would act to abolish this nation's space program?† Sexton felt an anger simmering. Now Tench was putting words in his mouth. He tried to counter, but Tench was already talking. â€Å"So you're saying, senator, for the record, that you would do away with the agency that put men on the moon?† â€Å"I am saying that the space race is over! Times have changed. NASA no longer plays a critical role in the lives of everyday Americans and yet we continue to fund them as though they do.† â€Å"So you don't think space is the future?† â€Å"Obviously space is the future, but NASA is a dinosaur! Let the private sector explore space. American taxpayers shouldn't have to open their wallets every time some Washington engineer wants to take a billion-dollar photograph of Jupiter. Americans are tired of selling out their children's future to fund an outdated agency that provides so little in return for its gargantuan costs!† Tench sighed dramatically. â€Å"So little in return? With the exception perhaps of the SETI program, NASA has had enormous returns.† Sexton was shocked that the mention of SETI had even escaped Tench's lips. Major blunder. Thanks for reminding me. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence was NASA's most abysmal money pit ever. Although NASA had tried to give the project a facelift by renaming it â€Å"Origins† and shuffling some of its objectives, it was still the same losing gamble. â€Å"Marjorie,† Sexton said, taking his opening, â€Å"I'll address SETI only because you mention it.† Oddly, Tench looked almost eager to hear this. Sexton cleared his throat. â€Å"Most people are not aware that NASA has been looking for ET for thirty-five years now. And it's a pricey treasure hunt-satellite dish arrays, huge transceivers, millions in salaries to scientists who sit in the dark and listen to blank tape. It's an embarrassing waste of resources.† â€Å"You're saying there's nothing up there?† â€Å"I'm saying that if any other government agency had spent forty-five million over thirty-five years and had not produced one single result, they would have been axed a long time ago.† Sexton paused to let the gravity of the statement settle in. â€Å"After thirty-five years, I think it's pretty obvious we're not going to find extraterrestrial life.† â€Å"And if you're wrong?† Sexton rolled his eyes. â€Å"Oh, for heavens sake, Ms. Tench, if I'm wrong I'll eat my hat.† Marjorie Tench locked her jaundiced eyes on Senator Sexton. â€Å"I'll remember you said that, senator.† She smiled for the first time. â€Å"I think we all will.† Six miles away, inside the Oval Office, President Zach Herney turned off the television and poured himself a drink. As Marjorie Tench had promised, Senator Sexton had taken the bait-hook, line, and sinker. 24 Michael Tolland felt himself beaming empathetically as Rachel Sexton gaped in silence at the fossilized meteorite in her hand. The refined beauty of the woman's face now seemed to dissolve into the expression of innocent wonder-a young girl who had just seen Santa Claus for the first time. I know just how you feel, he thought. Tolland had been struck the same way only forty-eight hours ago. He too had been stunned into silence. Even now, the scientific and philosophical implications of the meteorite astounded him, forcing him to rethink everything he had ever believed about nature. Tolland's oceanographic discoveries included several previously unknown deepwater species, and yet this â€Å"space bug† was another level of breakthrough altogether. Despite Hollywood's propensity for casting extraterrestrials as little green men, astrobiologists and science buffs all agreed that given the sheer numbers and adaptability of earth's insects, extraterrestrial life would in all probability be buglike if it were ever discovered. Insects were members of the phylum arthropoda-creatures having hard outer skeletons and jointed legs. With over 1.25 million known species and an estimated five hundred thousand still to be classified, earth's â€Å"bugs† outnumbered all of the other animals combined. They made up 95 percent of all the planet's species and an astounding 40 percent of the planet's biomass. It was not so much the bugs' abundance that impressed as it was their resilience. From the Antarctic ice beetle to Death Valley's sun scorpion, bugs happily inhabited deadly ranges in temperature, dryness, and even pressure. They also had mastered exposure to the most deadly force known in the universe-radiation. Following a nuclear test in 1945, air force officers had donned radiation suits and examined ground zero, only to discover cockroaches and ants happily carrying on as if nothing had happened. Astronomers realized that an arthropod's protective exoskeleton made it a perfectly viable candidate to inhabit the countless radiation-saturated planets where nothing else could live.

Election of 1876 essays

Election of 1876 essays Why Hayes Should Not Have Won the Election The position of President is the most important position in the United States government. Wouldnt you think that we should have the very best man in that position that we can get? I, Samuel Tilden, feel that the Election of 1876 was a disgrace to the history of our government. I still believe that I should have won that election because of corruption of the voting process itself, he didnt have the organization a president should have and because the people wanted me to win, not Rutherford. I certainly believe that the chosen president should reflect the peoples choice. One reason why Hayes should not be president is because of the Election of 1876 itself. When the votes were counted and sent in to Washington, I was the clear winner; 203 to 165 electoral votes (Haworth 76). However, the vile Republicans decided to change the votes of the three states they still controlled by throwing away Democratic votes! Obviously this isnt how the leaders of the United States should be acting. You cant change what the people want by throwing out votes. Later, when Congress held a meeting to decide whom the winner should be, there was an unfair amount of Republicans over Democrats, so we were bound to lose. We accepted the Compromise of 1877 because another Civil War would not be worth it (Robinson 111). After Hayes became president, he didnt know what to do with his new position. He didnt have the confidence a President of the United States should have. Of course, he had a couple of ideas he wanted to try, such as wiping out the color line and abolishing sectionalism, but his major plans didnt work (Haworth 125). When he assigned a southerner as postmaster general and withdrew troops from the south, the last two Republican states turned Democratic. Hayes was quoted saying, I am reluctantly forced to admit that the experiment was a failure ...

Postposition Definition and Examples

Postposition Definition and Examples Postposition is a word that shows the relation of a noun or pronoun to some other word in a sentence. A postposition is similar in function to a preposition, but it follows rather than precedes the object. Its generally accepted that the only common postposition in English is the word ago. Together, prepositions and postpositions are called adpositions. Examples and Observations Here are some examples of postposition from various writers: I decided many years ago to invent myself. I had obviously been invented by someone elseby a whole societyand I didnt like their invention.(Maya Angelou)Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.(Will Durant) Ago and Its Complement Ago in English must follow its complement. (87a) John received a very generous offer a few minutes ago.(87b) *John received a very generous offer ago a few minutes. In contrast with notwithstanding, ago must piedpipe, and cannot strand. (88a) How long ago did John receive the offer?(88b) *How long did John receive the offer ago? (Peter W. Culicover, Syntactic Nuts: Hard Cases, Syntactic Theory, and Language Acquisition. Oxford Univ. Press, 1999) Hence Although ago is . . . usually said to be the only independent postposition of English, the formal use of hence with the meaning from now (as in three weeks hence) seems to be used identically. Traces of postpositional constructions are found in expressions like the whole week through and all the year round.(D.J. Allerton, Over the Hills and Far Away or Far Away Over the Hills: English Place Adverb Phrases and Place Prepositional Phrases in Tandem. Adpositions: Pragmatic, Semantic and Syntactic Perspectives, ed. by Dennis Kurzon and Silvia Adler. John Benjamins, 2008) Clitic Though not usually so treated, the clitic -s could be seen as a postposition in e.g. my friends daughter, my friend in Washingtons daughter.(P.H. Matthews, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics. Oxford Univ. Press, 2007) Postpositions In Other Languages Many languages, such as English, express thematic roles by means of prepositions. Some languages, however, use postpositions (i.e., morphemes that express the same thematic roles but come after head nouns). Languages that use postpositions in this way include Korean and Japanese...For those students who have prepositions or postpositions in their native language, English prepositions are still a source of difficulty, and they remain so even as students levels of proficiency increase. One reason for this is the problem of polysemy. In learning a second language, students attempt to draw correspondences between their L1 [native language] prepositions and prepositions in the L2 [second language]. Perfect one-to-one correspondences would facilitate learning, but, given polysemy, finding these is virtually impossible.(Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-presidential systems

Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-presidential systems The term semi- presidentialism was developed by Duverger in 1970 to describe the mixed constitutional system that incorporates aspects of presidentialism and parliamentarianism. The three main characteristics of a semi – presidential systems are that â€Å"a popularly elected fixed-term president exists alongside a prime minister and cabinet who are responsible to parliament.† Semi – presidentialism is unique in that it has a â€Å"a twin-headed executive,† unlike presidentialism and parliamentarianism.This â€Å"bipolar executive,† is a core criterion of a semi – presidential system which has many hybrid constitutional forms and is therefore a highly contested concept.It is possible to have a semi-presidentialist system that is dominated by the president, or by the prime minister or what is known as ‘cohabitation’ when two opposing parties have leaders in the double executive. This was the case in France in 1988 when Mitterand (left) was elected president and Chirac (right) was appointed prime minister. Although there are several forms of semi – presidentialism for the purposes of analysis, this essay will maintain the premise that semi – presidential system is one where there is a directly elected president, who appoints a prime minister that is accountable to the parliament because semi – presidentialist systems â€Å"all have presidents who are elected in a direct or direct-like manner and they all have prime ministers and cabinets who are responsible to the legislature.† This essay will discuss the merits and drawbacks of a semi – presidential system, focusing on the French semi – presidential system and comparing it to the Russian model of semi – presidentialism and the America presidential system. An advantage of the French semi – presidential system is that it relies on a chain of mutual dependence. According to the French Constitution of 1958 one of the presidential powers is that they can appoint the prime minister whose role as the head of government is to oversee the everyday running of state affairs such as â€Å"governmental, administrative, and information services.†This means that as the head of state the president needs the cooperation of the prime minister, and the prime minister the cooperation of the president in order for France to achieve an efficient government. Elgie supports this highlighting that â€Å"The nature of the French semi-presidential system is such that the president cannot exercise power without the help of the prime minister.† The French president has the constitutional right to appoint government ministers to the cabinet, however these ministers are chosen from a list that the prime minister has proposed. An effective government therefore is selected by the president and the prime minister. This dependant relationship is mirrored by the prime minister and the National Assembl y. The prime minister â€Å"is closely associated with the work of parliament and with the conduct of legislative elections,† because they are responsible to and accountable the legislature.This chain of mutual dependence is a positive characteristic of a semi – presidential system because it creates a strong and efficient government. France compared to the American presidency, has a system of checks and balances through mutual dependence that is similar to American system. Both France and the United States have a constitutional system that aims to prevent the executive and legislature having too much power. In the United States this is achieved through the separation of powers which â€Å"encourage[s] competition for the share of governing authority.† The fact that both the legislature and executive approve legislation checks and balances political authority and that prevents authoritarian rule forcing compromise. Similarly in France the chain of dependence for ces compromise and prevents one executive from having too much power and becoming autocratic. In France the checks and balances are rooted in the principle that in order to govern efficiently the prime minister and president need mutual support. Mutual reliance creates political stability in the French semi – presidential system which is furthered by the fact that semi – presidentialism prevents authoritarian rule in the dual executive and the legislature.

Health and Safety Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health and Safety Report - Essay Example The paper includes aspects of case laws with respect to the initiation and spread of fire. It goes on to point out some aspects related to emergency evacuation and strategies. All these aspects are collaborated with relevant legislations, fire preventive measures, the protective measures, as well as relevant fire fighting devices. The paper argues that resulting effects and the situations leading to fire outbreak call for the need to develop a good plan of action for handling cases of fire outbreaks. People could as well come up with elaborate plans that would prevent fire outbreaks within their environs. Organisations holding the responsibilities to contain fire outbreaks need to introduce fire fighting gadgets and chemicals that can fasten process of extinguishing fire. The fire fighting departments need to ensure that there are good indicators of places likely to be a threat to the people. Besides, these indicators should be in a way that can warn the people about the issues that they are likely to face as the paper depicts. In most of the buildings, fire fighting strategies need to be established to ensure that the people residing or working in such buildings are in a position of containing situations that may face them as a result of fire outbreaks. This situation could be even more difficult to the people living in high rising buildings. In this case, the fire department needs to establish an elaborate design to ensure that cases of fire fighting are settled as much as possible. This means that fire-fighting departments need to develop and advocate for good fire fighting plans that ensure that people achieves their goals in solving fire accidents within a short period (Communities and Local Government 2007). On another hand, there is the need to establish some good plans of building in ways that enhance the safety of people, especially during a fire incident. Apparently, within the plans of designing these buildings, there need to be emergency escape

School Exclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

School Exclusion - Essay Example The topic under consideration is school exclusion. In many years the choice of this topic is motivated by a number of good reasons which includes among other things: My experience working directly with young people excluded by schools, on alternative education provision programs puts me in a good position to bring in first hand account into the research work being carried out. In addition, I have worked on projects that are related to social problems such as joblessness, alcohol and substance abuse and its attendant increased crime proliferation. A common trend that was observed among the majority of people that I came into contact with during this period exhibited interesting features that boarded on the subject matter of this research. Almost all the people had a visible form of low level of formal education; they also had a history of unpleasant experiences in the school setting. Finally, it is important to state that current social and political policy places education at the centre for personal and social development, thus making the topic increasingly relevant to our day and age. It is against this background that Mr. Tony Blair former British Prime Minister was quoted as saying "The best defence against social exclusion is having a job, and the best way to get a job is to have a good education' (SEU 1999, Pp6). The Labour Government therefore committed itself to addressing the challenges posed by social inequalities. Consequently, in carrying out research on a topic which is of personal interest to me it is my desire to contribute to the body of existing knowledge in my research sphere and also as a reference point for future research work (Bell 1999 Pg2). Indeed, the question of social exclusion and its attendant ills on the wellbeing of society is of paramount importance to stakeholders and interest groups. Many have therefore called for a well conserted approach to studying and addressing it. Suffice to cite a few statistical data from the 1999 report of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) on Truancy and School Exclusion: In the 1995/96 academic year there were 12,500 permanent exclusions; Schools have to report to LEAs fixed-term exclusions (defined as exclusions of between five and a maximum 15 days per term) but the information is not collated. OFSTED estimates there are around 100,000 a year. Some of these may be repeat exclusions of the same child; Most excluded pupils are white, male young teenagers. But a number of groups are disproportionately likely to be excluded; children with special needs are six times more likely than others to be excluded; African-Caribbean children are more than six times more likely to be excluded from the school system; Children in care are ten times more likely; 83 per cent of excluded pupils are boys. 80 per cent are between 12 and 15 and half are 14 or 15; Recent evidence however proves that exclusions at primary ages are rising fast - by 18 per cent as captured in the report; Exclusion rates vary greatly from school to school, but tend to be higher in areas of deprivation; Statistics from the SEU's report Preventing Social Exclusion (2001) sights: Of all rough sleepers only 38% have any educational qualifications; Young runaways are twice as likely to have been excluded from school compared to those who do not

Critical analyse the paper's purpose Assignment

Critical analyse the paper's purpose - Assignment Example It then examines the causative factors using the hypothetical testing model before making recommendation projected to help educators curb the menace. According to Guo (2011), the key factors leading to plagiaristic behaviors include moral capability, awareness, and academic integration, accounting education, pressures, new technology, institutional support, cultural influences and demographic variables. These hypothesized factors were put into a conceptual model in order to test and ascertain or disqualify them as causative agents as well as to identify any connections among them through a series of questionnaires analysis. The questionnaire was divided in three sections depending on the hypothesized factors, extent of the plagiarism and the demographic factors relating to the respondents. The findings indicated a high degree of co-relation between the hypothesized constructs producing many statistically significant connections which were broadly consistent with the hypothesis. Never theless, research findings were surprising since new technology failed to relate to other constructs and the results were inconsistent with past studies creating a gap that needs to be addressed through further research (Guo 2011). Finally, the paper recommends that educators should take into consideration the effects of student’s cultural background on their propensity to plagiarize; in addition, to focusing on the ethic centric models of learning and integrate students into their academic life. The study sets out to examine students awareness of plagiarism and concludes that some of them ignore the concept altogether because they do not appreciate its gravity as an offence. While others use sources and share information among each other, but do not understand at what point using sources can turns into plagiarism (Granitz & Loewy 2001). Students who are not well integrated in the school system tend to plagiarize more often as an attempt to fit in the system. Moreover, variou s pressure thrust upon accounting students such as parental expectations, especially if they fund the student’s education my also increase a student’s propensity for plagiarism. Similarly, the rigours associated with accounting exams in the UK especially because of the many exam bodies tend to intimidate students and forces them to find easy way out through plagiarizing (Renard 2000). Analysing from a demographic standpoint, the study show that male students are more likely to cheat than female ones; additionally, high rate of plagiarism among students was suggested to be inversely proportional to age with younger scholars being more prone to cheating. Technology was also found to have a positive relationship with plagiarism owing to the wealth of data available on the internet, which students can access and apply in their work with hardly any reading involved. The solution to technology based plagiarism presents a complex situation despite the fact that the tools and software required to address the problem can be found in the same technology (Evans 2006). Currently, many institutions apply plagiarism-detecting tools like turnitin to ensure they police their students’ essays and discourage the vice (Mulcahy & Goodacrep 2004). Notwithstanding, students can still counter this by either using one of an assortment of online software that can paraphrase their essays and prevent detection through

Development of Europe during 1500-1795 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Development of Europe during 1500-1795 - Essay Example This development is the result of many important variables. To start with, Politics during that period matured in this period. Europe has witnessed a shift towards the democracy and the rule of people in the region. However, this was the result of strong scientific and artistic developments that took place in Europe during that era which helped mature the politics of the region. Religion was probably the weakest link in that era which contributed towards the development of Europe during that era as religion was more or less denounced and a new shift towards the religious consciousness took place which mostly rejected the traditional view of the religion within the region as there were strong religious movements from inquisitions to Calvinism, Europe burned under the wrath of religion however, this only fueled the hatred against religious authorities in the region rather than embracing them. However, the biggest contribution to the development of Europe came from its economic development. Industrial revolution in the region changed the way European Society tends to live. Right from changing the way governance were done to the very fabric of life Europe. As discussed above that the trade on the Atlantis taking place provided Europe a great opportunity to flourish and develop. The invention of steam engines provided the quickest mode to transport besides other industrial development increased the production capacities of the major industrial hubs of the region including England, France, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands. It is because of this reason that it is often argued that the development of Europe is mainly is the development of above mentioned countries. (Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson) All other forces which seems to have contributed to the development of Europe have probably emerged out of the industrial revolution and economic development in the region. The subsequent economic

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Research proposal - Essay Example the companies, government organizations, and individuals are able to follow all the legislative requirements regarding the creation and governance of pensions1. This paper analyzes the extent in which the costs of pension are able to affect the value of a company. This research mainly concerns itself with companies operating in the United Kingdom. It is important to understand that this area of pensions is an area that has been greatly researched, not only pensions in relation to the government employees, but also pensions in relation to private companies. Most researchers aim at finding out the benefits of this pension schemes, and the role they play in the economy (Gustman, Steinmeier, and Tabatabai, 2014). Researchers are motivated by the fact that pensions are useful in helping the aged people to have the capability of satisfying their basic needs. Another reason as to why there is considerable interest in this area of pensions is based on the desire by the UK government to decrease the old age poverty in the country. The government has noted that one of the most efficient methods of reducing old age poverty is restructuring the pension system in the United Kingdom2. This new measures must have the capability of addressing new and emerging needs. On this basis, research on the pension systems is developed to address these needs, and provide a framework for policy formulators to develop a policy that would help the citizens of UK fight old age poverty (Mullen, 2010). Pension is defined as an amount of money, paid on a regular basis for purposes of preparing the payee for retirement. Pensions are a very useful welfare programs, and this is because they normally help the aged to meet their daily needs. However, the pension system has always been accused of failing to remove the aged from poverty, since the amount given is always small, when comparable to the standards of living (Gustman, Steinmeier, and Tabatabai, 2014). This is mainly specific to retired

Global climate change is responsible for the increasing frequency of Essay

Global climate change is responsible for the increasing frequency of severe weather - Essay Example The message from top climate scientists who gathered in Japan is louder than ever. In a statement issued by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Patricia Lankao warns of the dangers of thinking that the climate changes in the polar region is a danger just to polar bears in a far land. According to the scientists, climate change effects are nearer that imagined. It is now beyond melting ice, endangered animals and plants, it has escalated to more real issues such as droughts, hunger, diseases, and refugees (Borenstein par 5). The report further states that the present situation as observed by scientist is due to the increase in heat waves across continents such as Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. This increase has led to severity of damaging floods like the one experienced in Mozambique that displaced 90,000 people in 2008. Such floods have increased in Africa and Australia much as there is an increase in down pour felt in Europe and North America. Changes in the climate have also impacted on the change in livelihoods of people living in Northern Canada (Borenstein par. 7). According to Chuck (par. 2), the livelihoods of the Inuit (Indigenous people living in the Artic circle) are changing. For example solid ice that used to serve as a road for the hunters have become unpredictable in recent years as it has melted into water. Now they have to use their dogs to pull boats into the water instead of sledging through the ice as before. As explained by Box who has been studying the Arctic in the last 20 years, the amount of ice discharged into the ocean has double in the past 10 years. This melt down is not just experienced in the arctic region but also in other areas such as the Alps, Himalaya and Peru. The burning of gas, oil, and coal releases heat trapping green house gases such as carbon dioxide, leading to warmer

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Research proposal - Essay Example the companies, government organizations, and individuals are able to follow all the legislative requirements regarding the creation and governance of pensions1. This paper analyzes the extent in which the costs of pension are able to affect the value of a company. This research mainly concerns itself with companies operating in the United Kingdom. It is important to understand that this area of pensions is an area that has been greatly researched, not only pensions in relation to the government employees, but also pensions in relation to private companies. Most researchers aim at finding out the benefits of this pension schemes, and the role they play in the economy (Gustman, Steinmeier, and Tabatabai, 2014). Researchers are motivated by the fact that pensions are useful in helping the aged people to have the capability of satisfying their basic needs. Another reason as to why there is considerable interest in this area of pensions is based on the desire by the UK government to decrease the old age poverty in the country. The government has noted that one of the most efficient methods of reducing old age poverty is restructuring the pension system in the United Kingdom2. This new measures must have the capability of addressing new and emerging needs. On this basis, research on the pension systems is developed to address these needs, and provide a framework for policy formulators to develop a policy that would help the citizens of UK fight old age poverty (Mullen, 2010). Pension is defined as an amount of money, paid on a regular basis for purposes of preparing the payee for retirement. Pensions are a very useful welfare programs, and this is because they normally help the aged to meet their daily needs. However, the pension system has always been accused of failing to remove the aged from poverty, since the amount given is always small, when comparable to the standards of living (Gustman, Steinmeier, and Tabatabai, 2014). This is mainly specific to retired

Fitness Essay Example for Free

Fitness Essay Why do people exercise? This may be a simple question, but it can generate multiple and varying responses. Assumptions such as pure weight loss, arise. Although this may be true, weight loss is not the only reason that drives people to engage in such activities. If curious minds dig a little deeper within this topic, different perceptions are brought up or given a better understanding of the situation. People exercise for many reasons. These reasons can be categorized to physical, psychological, and emotional dimension. In the physical sense, people exercise to better their appearance by losing or maintaining weight and overall health. One of the most noticeable effects of exercise is the physical changes that occur to the loss of body fat in a person. A person who may be overweight see exercise as a tool to help him achieve his desired body composition. With continuous exercise, the body burns calories. Excess fat that are stored within the body are utilized and burned for energy, leading to weight loss. Aside from weight loss, exercising provides beneficial heart effects to a person. It strengthens the heart muscle by allowing it to pump blood more effectively which results in the reduction of pressure on the walls of the blood vessel, which lowers blood pressure. (Sherwood, 2010). Other heart benefits include good HDL cholesterol levels, reducing bad LDL cholesterol levels, and reducing inflammation of arteries, as suggested by the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC (as cited by Sherwood, par. 4). According to the website WebMD, regular exercise can help prevent diseases and ailments such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, and osteoporosis. Beyond the physical effects of exercise come psychological effects. Running, after a long and stressful day at school or work can help a person feel better afterwards. The link between exercise and mood is pretty strong, Michael Otto, PhD, a professor of psychology at Boston University says. Usually within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect. (as cited by Weir, 2011). Aerobic exercises help the body produce chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are polypeptides that that bind the neuron-receptors in the brain which provides relief from pain (ciarac, 2006). Endorphins also help treat contributing factors to anxiety and depression. Exercise can help reduce immune system chemicals that may worsen depression. Aside from that, it helps increase body temperature that may have calming effects on a person. Some people also exercise as an alternative to drinking. Exercise is a healthy coping mechanism for anxiety and depression, as opposed to drinking alcohol or dwelling on negative thoughts which can lead to difficult situations. Engaging in moderate amount of exercise will result in improved emotional state as well. Some people exercise in the assumption that they will gain a sense of achievement. In some cases, exercising provides that first push for a person to aim for, and achieve self-confidence. When a person meets his or her exercise goal or challenge, it helps feed that yearning of achievement. The emotional state of a person also ties in with the physical result of exercise. When a person loses weight, he or she tends to feel better about his or her appearance. Being able to wear clothing you desire, gives that extra good feeling. Exercising also becomes a positive distraction from the stresses of everyday life. It helps take a person’s mind off his or her worries temporarily. Another reason why people exercise is to get more social interaction. Exercising can provide opportunities to meet more people by going to the gym, jogging at the park, or signing up for dance class. Positive interaction improves a person’s emotional state. These interactions can vary from a friendly smile to creating strong meaningful bonds. Exercise promotes better sleep as well. Regular physical activity tires you out and get to fall asleep faster as well as deepen it. Do you feel tired or out of shape when it comes to sex with your special someone? It could sparks up more intimacy in your relationship between lovers as well. Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But theres more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who dont exercise. As well as performance that both the male and female enhances for greater pleasure. Gain health benefits as you have fun. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any health concerns. One more important thing about exercising is that it is very fun when you just think about it. Exercising is one of the best way to better your connection within your family, you’re not just improving your health but your well-being too. There are several ways you can enjoy exercise, not just going to the gym constantly, such as hiking, mountain climbing, swimming, snorkeling, diving, etc. There is wide variety of activities to choose from just to keep yourself from being bored from doing the same thing every day. So work out, get your lazy behinds up and get a move on. You won’t get the satisfaction like any other just by sitting down doing nothing but watching television.

Radiation Induced Symptoms in Gynaecological Malignancies

Radiation Induced Symptoms in Gynaecological Malignancies CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Cancer is a condition where a specific part of the body cells grow and reproduce uncontrollably .The Cancerous cells invade and destroy the surrounding healthy tissues , including organs .( National Health Service, 2005). Gynaecologic Cancers are the uncontrolled growth of cell and spread abnormally in the female reproductive organs, including the cervix , ovaries ,uterus , fallopian tubes, vagina and vulva .(American Cancer Society, 2004). Gynaecological cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among women and annually it affects approximately 1 in 20 women. It is a frequent group of malignancies in women, which accounts approximately 18% of all female cancers Worldwide. The most common gynaecological cancers in women are cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancer, vaginal and vulvar cancers are rare. (Goker et al, 2004) Cervix, which is the lowest part of the uterus there the cervical cancer is starting. Where in Uterine or endometrial cancer it starts from the uterus. The uterus is a pear shaped organ in a women’s pelvis where the baby grows when a women becomes pregnant. Ovarian cancer begins in the Ovaries. Ovaries are located on each side of the uterus. Vaginal cancer starts in the vagina, which is a hollow organ, outside of the body and called birth canal and vulva is the outer part of the female genital organs that includes the inner and outer lips of the vagina, the clitoris, and the opening of the vagina and its glands where it starts cancer namely vulval cancer. (Kearney, 2006) Women are at risk for Gynecological Cancer, the risk factors include increasing age, strong family history, problems with gene mutation , multiple sex partners, exposure to hormones such estrogen pills ,exposure to diethylstilbestrol in the womb, viral infection such as human papilloma virus, life style factors such as smoking and overweight . (Gynecological Cancer foundation Women’s centre, 2002). National Health Service (2004) , reported that the symptoms of Gynecological Cancer depends on where the tumor is situated, the size of the tumor and how quickly it is growing. The symptoms include abnormal or persist vaginal bleeding, bleeding after menopause and bleeding after sex, unusual vaginal discharges, pelvic pain , pressure or discomfort in the abdomen, swelling of the abdomen, change in bowel or bladder habits, pain during sex, itching, burning or soreness ,lumps or warts like growth in the vulval area . Gynaecological cancer can be treated depending on the stage, type of the disease, the severity of symptoms and the women’s general health. Treatment mostly involves surgery to remove tumor by determining its stage. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, may also be used to treat the Gynaecological cancers. (National Health Service, 2004). Cervical cancer accounted new cases for 493,000 and 273,000 will be dying, in which uterine cancer 199,000 new cases and death was 50,000. Considering the ovarian cancer 204,000 new cases and 125,000 deaths. Regarding vagina, valvul and choriocarcinoma together constituted 45,900 cases. Cervical cancer occurred 60% in the developing countries whereas in developed countries two thirds of is uterine cancer. (Sankarnarayanan and ferlay, 2006). Cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecological cancer in the USA and second most common cancer among women in worldwide. In Indian scenario annually, 132,000 new cases are diagnosed, and 74,000 deaths occur. The incidence rise during 30-34 years of age and peaks at 55-65 years with a median age of 38 years. It is mainly caused by HPV, multiple sex partners, use of contraceptive pills. The common signs are bleeding from the vagina before or after intercourse, pelvic pain during sex and Pap smear test used to diagnosis. The treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. (Karthikeyan, 2012). Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common malignancies among females in the worldwide and fourth most common cancer in developed countries with an estimated incidence of 288,000 new cases in the year of 2008. It occurs in the age group of 50 years with a median age group of 63 years. The risk factors are Obesity BMI (>30), long Lasting endogenous or exogenous, hyperestrogenism (polycystic ovary, tamoxifen therapy, an ovulation, null parity), hypertension. Hysterectomy surgery, radiation therapy both external and internal combined with chemotherapy are management for treating the endometrial cancer. (Colombo et al, 2006) Radiotherapy plays a key role in the treatment of patients with cancer in European countries. It is used for treating the palliative symptoms. Sometimes it may be combined with chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy for effective outcome. (Richardson, 2006). In the last century, radiation has been successfully used as primary and adjuvant treatment in the management of gynaecological malignancies .It is anticipated that the radiation therapy will continues as an integral component in the treatment of cervical, endometrial , vulvar, and vaginal carcinoma. (Bradley, 2006) Radiation therapy to any site in the pelvis can cause damage to many adjacent structures. The problems when treating pelvic areas include urinary problems such as pain or burning on mituration, increased frequency, and urgency of passing urine, incontinence or leakage and nocturia 23 % to 80%. Gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and proctitis can occur as a result of the radiation therapy.86% of the women receiving pelvic radiation therapy have these symptoms. Sexuality and fertility problems frequently affect men and women following pelvic radiotherapy (Kearney, 2006). Advances in the treatment of gynecological cancer had extended the duration of survival of many patients. However ,these patients frequently experience a variety of treatment and disease related side effects that diminish their quality of life during and after treatment ; because of pain ,nausea and vomiting, anemia ,fatigue ,peripheral neuropathy ,emotional distress , and sexual dysfunction . Therefore, it is important to monitor the Quality of Life during the course of the disease and its treatment. (Wenzel, 2002). Gynaecological malignancies receiving radiation therapy, experience more symptoms like fatigue, nausea and vomiting, constipation, radiation cystitis and stomach upset. Therefore, it needs prompt identification and management. (Cancer.net.com, 2012). Barbara, (2004) reported more than 60% of all clients with cancer receive radiation therapy at some point during the course of disease. It can be used as a primary , adjuvant ,or palliative treatment modality . the radiation therapy is the only primary modality of treatment used to achieve local cure of the cancer .As the adjuvant radiation therapy can be used either pre -operative or post operative to aid in the destruction of cancer cells. Chemotherapy also can be combined with radiation therapy and is administered before the Radiation therapy close in order to potentiate the effects of radiation therapy and as a palliative treatment modality to relieve pain caused by obstruction , pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression and metastasis Rebecca (2011) reported that during 20th century nearly 60% of cancer patients received radiation therapy aimed at the specific area where the tumor was located. Radiation usually given daily 5 days per week for 5 to 8 weeks. Daily treatment lasts about 15 to 30 minutes. It may be delivered externally or internally. Those with cervical or endometrial cancer, receive both external and internal radiation therapy. Henry.et al (2008) carried out the study, which examine the prevalence side effects and related treatment burden among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The study design was cross sectional survey, 63,949 cancer patients were included. Data were collected regarding type of cancer, time since diagnosis, side effects of treatment, visits, caregiver burden, missed workdays and socio demographic characteristics. The result of the study showed that the patient experienced side effects were fatigue (80%), pain (48%), and nausea and vomiting (48%).They concluded symptomatic experienced, reported by a patients is considerable time burden during treatment. It is important to consider supportive care strategies that may effectively reduce side effects and their associated treatment burden. NEED FOR THE STUDY Cancer is a group of disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and spread of abnormal cell. The uncontrolled growth damages or mutations occur in the DNA. In our world, more than 100 types of cancer are existing. It is classified according to the type of cell that is initially affected in the body such as squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and transitional cell carcinoma etc., (Yarbo.et al, 2005). Gynaecological cancers estimated surveillance in 2013 in which, those 91,730 women will be diagnosed and in which, 28,080 will die from her disease. About cervical cancer, 12,340 were new cases and 4,030 were estimated deaths. In uterine cancer, estimated new cases 49,560 and 8,190 deaths, regarding ovarian cancer 22,240 were new cases and 14,030 deaths occur and in Vaginal and Vulvar cancer 2, 890 found new cases and 840 deaths occur. (American cancer society, 2013). In India about more than 10 lakhs people are affected by cancer among them one third is dying every year. The incidence of cancer will be increased by five times in the year of 2025. In the year of 2012, more than 5.55 lakhs people have died due to cancer in India. (Indian council for Medical Research, 2012). Gynaecological Cancer is the cancer of the female reproductive system, which includes cervical cancer, endometrial or uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, other types include fallopian tube cancer and placenta cancer, primary peritoneal cancer. (Gynecological Cancer foundation Women’s centre, 2002). Cancer has become an important public health problem with over 800, 000 new cases occur every year in India. It is the one of the ten leading cause of death. The incidence estimated to be around 70-90 /100,000 population .Cancer registries have also highlighted that more than 80% of cancer in females occur in the age group of 35- 64. Nearly 1,500,000 people require facilities, treatment and follow up at given time. About 50 -60% of all cancers among women in India are related mainly to the four organs; namely, cervix, uteri (endometrial), corpus uteri and ovaries. (Uma Devi, 2009). Radiation therapy is an important therapeutic management for treating the Gynaecological malignancies. The evidence based treatment guidelines, epidemiologic analysis suggests that radiation therapy is indicated 60% for cervical cancer patients, 45%for endometrial cancer patients, 35% of vulvar cancer patients, 100% to the vaginal cancer patients, 5% of patients with ovarian cancer. (American cancer society, 2013) Radiotherapy is the one of the main treatment options for patients with cancer. One-half of all patients with cancer receive radiation therapy during the course of the disease. It can be administered from a variety of sources. It can be divided into those outside the body called external beam radiation or teletherapy and, those inside the body or close to the surface of the body is known as internal radiation or intra cavity radiation or brachytherapy . These patients have their special needs and using inclusive of the concept of holistic care. (Ramsharan Mehta, 2007). Women with gynecological malignancies undergoing radiation therapy on the pelvic area may affect more in physical and sexual wellbeing. Radiation side effects such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, urinary problems and sexually depression. We nurses are the person in a position do the necessary assessment, identify the problems, and provide quality of care in order to relief from the symptoms. (Ram sharan Mehta, 2007) Dunberger Bergmark (2012) stated that majority of cancer patients treated for gynecological, rectal and anal cancer suffer from physical symptoms such as bowel problems, the urinary bladder and the genitals. They supported the nurses are important role in managing these side effects with rehabilitation programme. I have seen in my clinical posting many of the patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer treatment. In which, Woman who are undergoing radiation therapy for gynecological malignancy in that majority of them diagnosed as cervical and endometrial cancer. They have undergone both external and internal radiation therapy. However, during the course of the treatment they apparently faced many side effects from the radiation source in which it affect the overall quality of life and disrupt the daily activities. Most of the woman told mainly they have physical symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, anorexia, bowel incontinence, urinary problems, vaginal problems, and emotional upset. Therefore, they need to be addressed and provide the quality nursing care to reduce the symptoms experience. Nursing strategies implemented during the radiation therapy treatment help them to get rid of radiation-induced symptoms. Nurses are the experts in identifying the symptoms and pro viding best quality of care to relieve the symptom experienced by the patients. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: A study to assess the Radiation Induced Symptoms and execution of Nursing Strategies among patients with Gynaecological Malignancies at KMCH, Coimbatore. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to, assess the Radiation Induced Symptoms of patients with Gynaecological Malignancies. determine the effectiveness of Nursing Strategies on Radiation Induced Symptoms among patients with Gynaecological Malignancies. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION: Radiation Induced Symptoms: It refers to the symptoms, which include pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, urinary incontinence, urgency, and vaginal problems that will be assessed by radiation induced symptoms assessment questionnaire. Nursing Intervention: Independent and collaborative nursing measures will be taken and direct to manage the Radiation Induced Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, urinary incontinence, urgency, vaginal problems and psychosexual problems. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy is the one of the cancer treatment strategies by using external and internal radiation therapy to kill the cancer producing cells in the body. Patients: Patients with gynaecological malignancies such as cervical cancer, uterine cancer (endometrial), who are undergoing radiation therapy. HYPOTHESIS: H1: There is a significant difference between radiation-induced symptoms before and after execution of nursing strategies. ASSUMPTIONS: Patients who receiving radiation therapy for gynaecological malignancies are developing radiation induced physical symptoms. Nursing strategies reduce the symptoms experience. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Conceptual framework act as a building block for the research study. The overall purpose is to make research finding meaningful and generalisable. It deals with abstractions that are assembled by virtue of their relevance to a common theme (Polit and Hungler). Conceptualizations are a process of forming ideals, which are utilized for the development of research design. It helps the researcher to know what data is to be collected and gives direction to an entire research process. It provides certain framework of reference for clinical practice and research. Nursing is complex field of study with a need for practical and hands- on training as well as knowledge of the theoretical and the historical basis. Conceptual framework for this study was developed based on Ernestine Wiedenbach’s clinical nursing practice. She proposed her theory in 1970. This theory helps the nurse to guide practice and identify activities to help the patient the situation. Elements of Nursing According to Wiedenbach, there are four essential components to the field of nursing: 1. Philosophy of nursing Philosophy of nursing includes the attitudes and beliefs about life, the nurse maintains and how these beliefs affect the reality. Philosophy leads the nurse to act in a certain way to improve the patient outcome. 2. Nursing purpose The purpose of nursing includes what a particular nurse wishes to accomplish through the profession and the activities that are directed to the overall good of the Patient. 3. Nursing Practice The practice of nursing involves identifying and administering the required needs of a patients and determining whether the actions were helpful to the patient. 4. Art of Nursing Wiedenbach encouraged nurses to see nursing as an art, which includes understanding whether those actions are helpful to the patient. Wiedenbach’s view of nursing as an art based on goal directed care. Wiedenbach’s vision of nursing closely parallels the assessment, implementation and evaluation of the nursing practice. According to wiedenbach, nursing practice consists of identifying a patient’s need for help, ministering the needed help and validating that the need for help was met. According to her factual and speculative knowledge, judgment and skills are necessary for effective nursing practice. `This theory consists of three factors: central purpose, prescription and realities. A nurse develops a prescription based on a central purpose and implements it according to the realities of the situation. According to wiedenbach’s central purpose is the overall goal towards which a nurse strives. Prescription refers to the plans of care for a patient. Realities refer to the physical, physiological, emotional and spiritual factors that come into play in a situation involving nursing actions. The attributes adopted in this study are, Central purpose: The central purpose of this study is to assess the radiation induced symptoms and execution of nursing strategies among patient with Gynaecological Malignancies. Prescription: The investigator plans the prescription that will fulfill the central purpose by identifying various needs to achieve the goal. Thus, the investigator prepared nursing strategies for symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, bowel problems, urinary problems and vaginal problems. Realities: The five realities identified by Wiedenbach are agent, recipient, goal, means and framework. Agent Investigator. Recipient Gynaecological patients receiving radiation therapy. Goal Reduces the symptom experience level and feel comfortable. Means Nursing strategies. Framework Radiation oncology department in KMCH. Identification: `This includes identification of radiation-induced symptoms, the need for nursing strategies and its effectiveness on the symptom experience among Gynaecological Malignancies patients. Ministration: Ministration refers to the administration of nursing strategies for reduce the radiation induced symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, nutritional imbalances, bowel problems, urinary problems and vaginal problems among patients with gynaecological malignancies. Validation: It concerns the evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing strategies on radiation-induced symptoms among patients with gynaecological malignancies. A positive outcome represents patients had markedly decreased symptoms experience.