Social groups Essay Example

Social groups Essay Example Social groups Essay Social groups Essay Belonging to a social group is one of the fulfilling things that can happen in a man’s life. Such membership creates an opportunity to create new and modify existing schemata about life and human interactions on a large scale. An effective contribution to and adherence to the shared values of a social group has a way of changing one’s attitude personally. In a situation where the social group has a link with a particular career, such affords increased awareness of information in this line, and forestalls greater career pursuit. The fact is that an active social group affects lives in several ways. THE GROUP: THE COMPASSIONATE FOUNDATION This is the non-profit no-governmental organization that I belong to; it has been created a s a way of pooling resources together to improve all aspects of rural dwelling. It also encourages the religious activities and missionary works of Christianity with a large emphasis of improved academic standard in sub-urban regions. Its activities and arms are organized in such a way that a life is touched positively on the long run, and somebody can point to the banners of the group and say, ‘Thanks a million’ with a large smile on the face. The ideas implemented are not esoteric; they are contemporary ideas that improve academic performance among students in primary and high schools across the country, and in the continent. It is an evolving social group with a view of reaching the whole world not just in s smile train but with the air of rest and comfort. The vision is to see a world of uniform education such that unnecessary unrests can be reduced, environmental degradation can be assuaged and other social vices stemming from the poverty and ignorance can be adequately dwelt with. This way, the society is better and the world becomes an easier to live. Community Reports Community reports are obtained through the following means: à ¼Ã‚   Visitation to Sites of Impact à ¼Ã‚   Obtaining information from stakeholders à ¼Ã‚   Information from similar bodies and other relevant organizations. This forms the basis of all the trips and activities done including major projects and proposals. Community services The community services embarked upon are targeted at the following groups: à ¼Ã‚   The young people directly at all levels of institutions, Hospital patients, Prisoners, Market women, Missionary houses, rural dwellers. These services include 1. Programs 2. Provision Small Scale à ¼Ã‚   Provision of educational aids for the young people à ¼Ã‚   Organizing Interschool interactions among students and rewarding excellence à ¼Ã‚   Organizing profitable programs aimed at increasing interest in Education à ¼Ã‚   Career talks à ¼Ã‚   Provision of fund for major Christian programs à ¼Ã‚   Rehabilitation and Restoration programs à ¼Ã‚   Provision of useful materials and information for hospitalized patients à ¼Ã‚   Health awareness programs à ¼Ã‚   Educating rural dwellers on the need for education, health and other relevant matters à ¼Ã‚   Provision of fund and other useful items for missionary work à ¼Ã‚   Mini-Job creation for young unemployed people à ¼Ã‚   Skill Acquisition and Training program Large Scale: this includes à ¼Ã‚   Peace Talks and Conflict negotiations à ¼Ã‚   Education on Emergency response and service provision SOCIAL IMPACT It is interesting to get feedbacks from lives that have been touched by these activities, detailing their ordeal before the Foundation’s intervention and the impact our programs and services have had on their environment and perspective on life issues. Really, in assisting people who you are not familiar with, there is the added responsibility of geographical, language, and even religious differences. This has made it a paramount agenda for me to inculcate skills of communication that can easily penetrate any culture and make the required impact with the limited time available. This, combined with the advantage of seeing real changes to lives, has made me reconsider my values for living; that life is best lived when it is dedicated to make someone else happy. I have come to learn that fulfillment in life is a product of fulfilling the needs of other people. What is then more important than diverting all efforts, knowledge, belief and even career to such cause: that someoneâ₠¬â„¢s needing be met within your very eyes, even when there would be no direct reward for such devotion. This is really a substantial impact on my life, and the meaning of life. This change can obviously be attributed to just one source: my commitment to the values of the Foundation. This has indeed contributed to my success in the family and at work. CONCLUSION The changes are enormous; they have created a major turn from frivolous extravagance to meaningful expenditure. They have set the pace for investing selflessly in others rather than concentrating a whole life on ‘me’, ‘myself’ and ‘mine’. Lives are changing positively, society is benefiting tremendously and the ecosystem is becoming easier to inhabit. Isn’t that a wonderful social change just because of belonging to a social group?

A Summary of A Christmas Carol

A Summary of 'A Christmas Carol' Charles  Dickens  is one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. His novella A Christmas Carol is considered by many to be one of the great Christmas stories ever written. Its been popular since its first publication in 1843. Dozens of movies have been made of the story along with countless stage reproductions. Even the Muppets took a turn acting out this story for the silver screen with Micheal Caine starring in the 1992 movie. While the story does include an element of the paranormal it is a family friendly  tale with a great moral. Setting and Storyline This short tale takes place on Christmas Eve when Ebenezer  Scrooge is visited by three spirits. Scrooges name has become synonymous  with not only greed but a hatred of Christmas cheer. Hes portrayed at the start of the show as a man who only cares for money. His business partner Jacob Marley died years earlier and the closest things to a friend he has is  his employee Bob Cratchit. Even though his nephew invites him to Christmas dinner, Scrooge refuses,  preferring to be alone.    That night Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Marley who warns him that he will be visited by three spirits. Marleys soul has been condemned to hell for his greed but he hopes the spirits will be able to save Scrooge. The first is the ghost of Christmas past who takes Scrooge on a journey through the Christmass of his childhood first with his younger sister then with his first employer Fezziwig. His first employer is the exact opposite of Scrooge. He loves Christmas and people, Scrooge is reminded of how much fun he had during those years.   The second spirit is the ghost of Christmas Present, who takes Scrooge on a tour of his nephew and Bob Cratchits holiday. We learn that Bob has a sickly son named Tiny Tim and that Scrooge pays him so little the Cratchit family lives in near poverty. Even though the family has many reasons to be unhappy, Scrooge sees that their love and kindness towards each other brightens even the hardest of situations. As he grows to care for Tiny Time he is warned that the future does not look bright for the little boy.   When the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come arrives things take a bleak  turn. Scrooge sees the world after his death. Not only does no one mourn his loss the world is a colder place seemingly because of him. Scrooge finally sees the errors of his ways and begs for the chance to set things right. He then wakes up and finds that only one night has passed. Full of Christmas cheer he buys Bob Cratchit a Christmas goose and becomes a more generous person. Tiny Tim is able to make a full recovery.       Like most of Dickens work, theres an element of social critique in this holiday tale that is still relevant today. He used the story of a miserly old man and his miraculous transformation as an  indictment of the Industrial Revolution and the money-grubbing tendencies that his main character Scrooge exemplifies. The stories strong condemnation of greed and the true meaning of Christmas is what has made it such a memorable tale.    Study Guide A Christmas Carol TextQuotesQuestions for Study and DiscussionVocabulary / TermsCharles Dickens Biography

Quantitative report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative report - Essay Example The research will also try to concentrate on where the motives of the tourists and non tourists are different. Also, the focus will be mapping the correlation that has been developed in connection to the satisfaction and the intentions of the attendees. Literature review While discussing the literature review, it needs to be highlighted that the factors of motivation as well as the central focus of the music festivals needs to be taken into consideration. While trying to identify the motivation factors, it is important to focus on the underlying reason for conducting a music festival. Generally, the main reason for conducting a music festival is to promote the entire tourism package for a region. The festivals that are conducted on the lines of music performances are highly unique since they have the ability to attract visitors from a highly diverse span of geographies (Mosley and et.al, 2011). While discussing the motivation factor for the tourists, it needs to be highlighted that t he extrinsic factors of motivation play a very important role. In elaborating about the most important extrinsic factor, the focus needs to be given on the conflict of the masses happening in the work and leisure life of the masses (Robinson and et.al, 2010, p. 138). Basically the long hours of work time is having a conflicting effect on the leisure life of the masses. ... that there are a group of workers who are stuck in a very routine and monotonous kind of a job and are trying to attach to the music events for having a high levels of excitement, thrill and challenge in their leisure times as well as in their life. Another extrinsic kind of a factor that needs to be associated with the issue of motivation is that some attendees attach leisure as an extension to work. A certain group of people who are attached to a highly demanding and exciting kind of a job looks forward to seeking the same levels of excitement and thrill during the leisure time. As a result, the musical concerts hold a high level of value and a source of excitement and thrill to them as well (Robinson and et.al, 2010, p. 138). In discussing about event motivation and tourists, it can be stated that the concept has a high linkage with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The event motivation and participation of tourists in various events are related to the social and psychological n eeds (Heinsohn, n.d.) It also has to be stated that the event motivation at times are largely dependent on the factors like fund raising, generating mass awareness. Also, in some cases, the main motivation of the event is largely associated with the factor of promoting a brand or a performer. Talking in regards to the non-tourists, it can be said that for them, the focus of attending a music event is mainly on relaxing as well as socializing. Research Questions In this case, it can be stated that there can be three research questions. The first research question is to find out what is the demographic profile of the attendees? The second research question is to find whether the motive of the tourists and non-tourist are same or different? The third research question is to concentrate on whether

Leadership and Organizational Behavior Case Study

Leadership and Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example The writer claims that women are not as good as networking and communicating, but that he grew up with his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. They taught him to be independent and self-motivated with his ambition. One theory the article suggests is that sports teams are the cause of men networking better than women. The theory that women are more independent minded and men network and communicate better than women is a statement based on his entrepreneurial accomplishments. A mentor may be suggested. A self-mentor is a professional at independent goal setting ambition. A mentor would be a boss that keeps you motivated the entire day with your goals and what you want to accomplish told to you. The art of self-mentoring is based on self-reliability. That women need mentors more than men is suggested in the article; that they need to learn to network within their own the range of abilities and be more connective in the workforce. Women often separatist themselves being financially beneficial to a marriage and are just taken care of by a man. This then puts the financial dependency on one person. The woman then is separatist from financial obligation. Sometimes the woman relies on looks for a relationship and is dependent on the man for finances. This happens quite often. Where women need mentors more often than men is that women are inspired by the motivation, the strategies, and the way that other people handle their lives burdens. This then inspires them to be more hard working and more ambitious on their own account.

International Tax and Estate Planning Assignment

International Tax and Estate Planning - Assignment Example However, for married decedents of these non resident aliens, the question of whether they are going o be subject to taxing is determined by a number of factors including the property regime applicable to their marriage. If the person getting the property is a noncitizen (an "alien") is indeed a "nonresident" of the United States, then they may not be subject to any tax payment. Explanation: the US tax rules are designed to change to reflect the kind of property that an alien or nonresident is maintaining. A facts and circumstances test is usually used to determine if a nonresident taxpayer is engaged in a U.S. trade or business. A nonresident alien who is carrying out personal services in the US is generally considered to be engaged in a business although there are some exemptions there are exceptions. In this regard, if the property identified in question two was a hotel that is doing profitable business as opposed to a family holiday home, the tax rules would change. Explanation: insurance proceeds are not considered to be in situ property, or property situated in the United States, regardless of whether the issuing company is in the USA or in another country. However, some rules apply in this case. For instance, the insurance has to be on the decedent and not the person benefiting from it. This means that in this case, the proceeds from the insurance cover will not be considered to be US situ property. Answer: the amount that such a person will pay will be determined by a number of factors. To begin with, it there is a treaty that protects such a person from paying tax, or that delimits the amount o tax that he or she is supposed to pay, this will be considered. At the same time, such a person who is entitled to treaty benefits can also avoid taxation if he or she does not have a permanent establishment, in the U.S. through which foreign business is operated. Explanation: this is necessary in order for the tax man to know how much tax is applicable for that

Study On The Changes Of The Nhs Nursing Essay

Study On The Changes Of The Nhs Nursing Essay In the last five years, United Kingdom has experienced a significant change in its national health services (NHS). This paper therefore focuses on that change. The first section is a detailed description and the main objective of the change. Using appropriate models and frame works, the second section identifies the key drivers to the change and how their interaction has affected the issues addressed by management. Drawing upon the examples of best management practices, the third section assesses the appropriateness of the approach taken by management in effecting the change and how effective management implemented the change strategy. The final section examines the extent to which the change has been successful in meeting its objective and assesses the need for any further related change. 2. Organisational change overview 2.1 The National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the public funded health care system in the United Kingdom (UK) that provides the majority of health care to the UK residents. Its areas of health care coverage are the primary health care, in-patient care, long term health care, ophthalmology and dentistry. The Department of Health (DOH) headed by the Secretary of State of Health is the UK government department that is responsible for the NHS (Department of Health 2007). 2.2 Major change in the NHS Since 2005, the United Kingdoms NHS (UK NHS) has been implementing an innovative technology that will help patients stay healthy and maintain their independence. This technology is targeted at terminally ill patients with long term health condition that require regular monitoring. It also covers elderly people suffering from dementia and individuals with Down syndrome who may be at risk of injury. Thus, with this new technology, patients emergency room visits as well as unnecessary nurse visits to patients homes are reduced. Furthermore, this technology increases clinical efficiency and reduces the mounting financial cost of institutional health care in the UK. The implementation is said to be the worlds biggest trial of remote monitoring of chronically ill patients in their homes. Patients in New Ham, East London and Hull Yorkshire have benefited from this programme. This programme, funded by the department of health is been implemented by Philips, the worlds leading electronic companies. Philips electronics is hoping to prove to the NHS that it can immensely reduce the financial burden of institutional health care by implementing ultra-modern diagnostic equipment that uses internet technology to link patients from their homes to care providers in the hospitals. Since over 14.5 Million people in Britain have long term health conditions, it is expected that they will require regular monitoring (Department of Health 2007). I am a trained Electrical Engineer and have been providing tele-health equipment installation consultancy for Philips UK since 2008. I am directly involved in the implementation going on presently in Hull and New Ham. Patients in New Ham and Hull are been monitored at Home using diagnostic equipments linked via broadband internet connected to local hospitals and clinics. These patients are able to use the diagnostic equipments to take their vital signs and blood sugar level. Subsequently, the information is wirelessly uploaded to patients TV for their own monitoring and electronically sent via broad band to staff at the primary health trust. Further implementation is underway in Cornwell and Kent and will gradually expand to all cities in the UK as the department of health targets technology efficiency that could save the NHS Millions of pounds. Although the technology enables people to live independently in their homes, it is not intended to replace hospitals and care homes but to make better use of recourses and reduce financial burden on the system. 3. Drivers for NHS change Force field analysis by Lewin (1951) is a diagnostic tool used in looking at the variables involved in determining whether organisational change will occur. Once change priority has been agreed, a force field analysis can be used to identify actions that will enhance or deter their successful implementation. Applying Lewins force field analysis as shown in figure 1 below, it can be seen that the NHS Tele health technological implementation has some internal and external driving and forces. 3.1 Internal Drivers Among the strongest internal driving forces as can be seen in figure 1 below are; strong leadership and the need for accurate and consistent patients information availability. Strong leadership and commitment of top management are often cited as the most important factor for implementing a successful change programme (Bashein et al, 1994). NHS leadership is effective, strong and was able to provide a clear vision of the change programme. Other internal driving forces are the fact that the technology will aid patients to be independent and free up nurses and doctors to concentrate on other important task. This motivated medical practitioners in looking forward for the change. 3.2 External Drivers The identified external driving forces as can be seen in figure 1 are Governments desire to reduce the cost of administering health care in the UK, New European Union legislation in support of tele-montoring and the recent economic recession. Since 2005 the UK government has been researching on ways of bringing down the cost of instructional health care. Limited resources availability as a result of the recent economic down turn and an increasing UK population has necessitated the need for a cost effective alternative as the status quo is unsustainable. Another external driver is the new European Union legislation in support of tele-monitoring. Figure 1: Lewins Force Field Analysis of health care change in the NHS DRIVING FORCES INTERNAL Strong leadership and shared goal across the NHS Accurate and consistent information availability Patients independency Free up nurses and doctors to concentrate on other important task. EXTERNAL Governments desire to reduce the cost of administering health care in the UK European Union legislation in support of tele-monitoring The recent economic down turn necessitating the need for fiscal responsibility Adapted from Lewin (1951 4. Main objectives in making the change 4.1 Reduce cost of administering health care in the UK As the case load in primary care in the UK is increasing in size and complexity and the number of people with multiple long term disease is also increasing, there is increasing financial burden of administering primary care in the UK. The tele-health technology will in the long run help to reduce the mounting financial burden of institutional care. 4.2 Reduce nurse visits to patients house. Prior to the implementation of the tele-health technology in the NHS, each patient with long term condition is assigned a care taker nurse whos duty includes regular house visit. The nurses are required to take patients vital signs, blood sugar level and other related data that are necessary in monitoring the patients health condition. Upon implementation of the tele-health technology, the required data are taken by patients and are automatically sent via the internet from patients house to the hospital through the diagnostic equipment. As a result, nurse visit to patients house is considerably reduced. 4.3 Maintain patients independent. The technology ensures that nurses only visits when it is necessary and as a result allows patients to leave more independently. From a medical point of view, it is usually helpful for patients to be independent as it can give them the agility they may need to remain healthy. 4.4 Reduce patients emergency room visits. As patients health situation is monitored on a daily base, doctors and nurses are able to know when a patients condition is deteriorating and therefore avoid emergency situation. In Hull and New Ham it has been noticed that emergency room visits by monitored patients is much reduced. 4.5 Increase in clinical efficiency The diagnostic equipment interacts with the patient through a user friendly interface. It provides reminders, collects vital data and asks questions that help assess the condition of the patients. It also gives warning when a patients condition is changing. This in general allows doctors and nurses to intervene more quickly and accurately and as a result increases the overall clinical efficiency. 6.0 How action required was planned Management tools for problem analysis are very crucial for success in change management. One of such tools is the Cause and Effect analysis. Cause and Effect analysis is also referred to as the Fishbone diagram because the diagram has a fish bone appearance. The technique was proposed by Ishikawa in the 1960s and as a result called the Ishikawa diagram. The diagram is used to determine the root cause of a problem and identify areas that changes can be made. (Ishikawa 1985) In applying the Cause and Effect analysis to the NHS in determining what change is required and what action is to be taken. The first step is to get a clarity and consensus on what the problem is. Among many others, the focused problem statement identified in the NHS is the mounting financial burden of institutional health care in the UK. The economic recession and increasing overseas debt is forcing the UK government to look for ways of cutting cost and saving money. This necessitated the need for fiscal accountability and cost cutting in the NHS (NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination 2008). In constructing the Fishbone diagram for the NHS, the problem statement forms the head of the fish bone alone with the fish backbone as illustrated in the figure 5 below. The next step is to brainstorm potential causes of the problem. The major causes are laid out as large bones connected to the backbone. In the NHS, the major causes identified as responsible for the increasing financial burden are staffs people, technology, procedures, and policy. The fish bone diagram is then developed based on the identified causes. The final step is to probe deeper into each cause. A question asking-technique included in Senge et al (1994) Five Ways model can be used. It involves asking repeated why does this happen until it is clear that the root cause have been found. The answers are then added as sub-bones to the cause as shown in figure 5 below. Fig. 5 Fishbone Diagram stage three Too many admin staffs Increased number of nurses Too many Doctors Increased ageing population More sick patients More hospital admissions Expensive bureaucracy Productivity failure Expensive medical equipment Increased drug prescriptions Pay increase by government Increasing fixed cost Inflation policy Staffs People Procedure Policy Equipments/Materials Mounting Financial Burden of Institutional Health Care. There is increased spending in the NHS as there are now more people been treated in the hospitals than ever before. This is the direct consequence of increase in population and immigration over the years. Increase in the number of sick people and the ageing population has also contributed to increase spending. These increases in people requiring attention have necessitated an increase in Nurses, GP consultations and a large increase in drugs prescriptions. (Slywotzky and Morrison 1997) Furthermore, pay increases offered by the government to medical practitioners were in many cases over generous. Economic inflation and increased cost of fix asses has in no little way affected NHS budget. The office of the national statistics (ONS) has shown that NHS productivity is falling as spending is increasing. As output has not kept pace with rise in spending it is important to implement an efficient and cost effective way of administering health care. As the tele-health technology will ensure that the increasing number of people requiring health care is efficiently covered with little resources, it will therefore provide an efficient and cost effective way of administering health care in the UK. Looking at it critically, it is important to know that cause and effective relationship may not be easily apparent and that an intervention in any part of a health care organisation will have outcomes in many others, not all of them anticipated, and not all of them desirable. Smith (1995a; 1995b) in his work on response to performance indicator highlighted that change can lead to unanticipated and indeed dysfunctional consequence. Additional technigues that was used. The NHS employed process modelling technique in order to gain understanding of how the current process works and provide a clear articulation of how the new process is to be different. The process modelling technique provided clarification of the expected process so that the NHS is able to plan the required action. Fig. 6 Current and expected process flow Current process flow Expected process flow Is he in the clinic? Doctor decides that a patient needs monitoring No Yes Specialist nurse visits patient for information and counselling Vital information register created for patient and care nurse assigned to patient Care nurse visits patient and takes vital readings Vital readings recorded in patients information register Doctor assesses patients register Necessary actions take for abnormal readings Process repeated daily Action suspended Is he in the clinic? Doctor decides that a patient needs monitoring No Yes Specialist nurse visits patient for information and counselling Tele-Monitoring equipment is install and doctors assesses patients information remotely Necessary actions take for abnormal readings The process flow in fig.6.0 above is a diagrammatical representation of all the staged involved in a patents monitoring task. It shows both the current and process and what the process is expected to be after the implementing the tele-health system. The current process requires 9 steps and would take between 12 to 24 hours to complete a cycle while the expected process will require 5 steps and would take 10 minutes to complete a cycle. With the process modelling technique, the NHS identified that in order to successfully implement the change; it must fundamentally re-think the way work is done and adequately prepare the organisation for change. How management implemented change Having understood the situation, knowing why change is needed in the NHS, who and what needed to change, it is important to examine how these insights and what framework can be used to deliver the results that are needed. The technique of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is employed in the NHS in order to implement the change that is needed. Davenport and Short (1990) defines BPR as a technique for redesigning the way work is done. They also stated that it enables organizations to rethink work process so as to improve customers satisfaction, reduce operation cost and become more competitive. In addition, Hammer and Champy (1993, p32) stated that BPR is the fundamental rethinking and redesigning of business process to achieve dramatic improvement in cost quality service and speed. In the health sector, Walston and Kimberley (1997) observes that over 60% of hospitals are involved in re-engineering initiatives. In the NHS, the re-engineering initiative of the tele-health system is focused on optimizing productive work time, automating process to increase productivity and quality and resource management. The steps that were employed to implement BPR in the NHS are show in the model below. Fig.6 Change process model Communication the need for change Effective communication is considered a major key to successful BPR change implementation (Jackson 1997). The NHS implementation process began with series of meetings between the NHS management and stake holders inside and outside the HNS that would be involved in the change process. The purpose is to communicate the need of the change and the technology that would be implemented to effect the change. The meeting also helped to ensure patience and understanding of the structural and cultural change that are needed. Cooper and Markus (1995) suggest that communication should be open, honest, clear and in both direction between those in charge of the change initiative and those affected by them. Effective communication continued in the NHS throughout the change process. This formed the base that prepared the entire organization for change. Preparing the organization for change Hammer and Champy (1993) stated that organizational culture is a major factor to consider in preparing for a successful BPR implementation. Organizational culture influences the organizations ability to adopt to change. In the NHS, management ensured that the organization can understand and can conform to the new values and management process that are created by the newly re-designed process. This is so that a culture which upholds the change is established. Benjamin and Levinson (1993) argue that preparing the organization to respond positively to BPR related change is critical to success. In preparing for change, the NHS ensured that adequate trainings were given to staff that are involved in the change process. The New Ham University in conjunction with tele-health engineers from Philips UK provided the required trainings to staff. This is in line with the suggestion made by Tower (1994) that training and education is an important component in preparing an organization for change. Bruss and Roos (1993) also state that IT skills and techniques are important dimension of training for BPR. Fundamentally rethinking the way work is done After identifying and analyzing core business process, the NHS was able to define key performance objectives and design new processes to achieve the objectives. Davenport and Short (1990) define a process as a set of logically related tasks that are performed to achieve a defined outcome. Patient monitoring involves process with a great number of intermediate steps. The objective of the NHS is to reduce the processes involved in to single process that takes part directly to the final outcome. The single process designed with the needs and wants of patients in mind will allow the NHS to gain important advantages in the following ways; It reduces process steps and the time it takes to accomplish task; Improving the accuracy of patients medical information; Eliminate human mistake inherent with complex and repetitive task; Improve NHS efficiency and effectiveness and drastically cut down the overall cost of health care Implementing new technology to achieve change In order to make changes, certain known elements are required Harrington (1991). These are elements that act as variables for processes to change. Thus, , adequate IT infrastructure is considered as a vital factor in successful BPR implementation Moad (1993). Also, identification of enabling technology for redesigning business process and proper installation of IT components contributes to building an effective infrastructure for business process Barrett (1994) . In the HNS, the IT based tele-health system aimed at people with long term condition is the enabler for achieving change. The equipment connected to users television allows user to measure their vital signs. The results are automatically sent over the internet to monitoring centre. The results are monitored daily by health care professionals who can take immediate and appropriate action if there is any abnormality in the result. The system is designed to be user friendly, clear and straight forward. After installation, the technician will go through the system with the user to explain how it works and how to use it. Users are also able to call the monitoring centre at any time should they have any issue with the system. Extent to which change was successful Despite the significant benefits gained from the successful implementation of BPR, it is noted that not all organization embarking on BPR projects achieve their intended result. Hammer and Champy (1993) estimate that as many as 70 percent do not achieve the dramatic result they seek. This in most cases is attributed to poor implementation of BPR rather than a problem with the concept itself. Implementation process is complex and needs to be checked against several factors to ensure successful implementation (Alter 1994). However, it is important to note that the process re-engineering change initiative in the NHS can be said to be successful as it has implemented a modern technology which can be the way of the future for in-home patient care in the UK. It has helped increase productivity through reduced process time and has also drastically reduced cost. It has also improved quality and greater patient satisfaction in the NHS. Comparing the periods before and after implementation of the tele-health technology in the NHS, there has been a reduction in GP and Nurse Visits to patient and also a reduction in hospital admission of patients with long term condition. General satisfaction with the tele-health technology and the use of the equipments is high for all groups of patients. Patients felt comfortable using the technology and did not find it difficult. They also felt it helped improved the awareness of their condition (Department of Health 2009). To the 1.75 Millions who now rely on the tele-health service in the UK, it offers peace of mind and the certainty that there is always someone to help them in times of difficulty. Resistant to change in the NHS Cultural Issue Johnson (1992) in his cultural web model shown in fig 6 below suggests that until the paradigm at the heart of culture is changed, there will be no lasting change. Based on Drennan (1992) definition that culture is how things are done around here it is a general believe that organizational culture is a very strong resistant to any change implementation program. Figure 6. Garry Johnson Cultural Web In the NHS, evaluation has shown that the central principles of BPR radical, revolutionary approach to change is fundamentally incompatible with the traditions, culture and politics of the NHS. This in no small measure is a major resistant to change in the NHS (Buchanan 1997). Threat to Status One of the resistant to change in the NHS is that many of its staff perceived the change as a threat to their personal position. This is in agreement with Hanner and Champy (1993) who argued that the fear of job loss by employees is a major resisting factor to the success of management change program. Dawe (1996) added that, change moves the whole organization as well as every single employee out of their comfort zone and as a result, there are always going to be some people who would try to resist the change process. This is true for the NHS as some of both its management and medical staff try to stop or ignore the process of change. This is because the management failed to make a compelling case for change to its staff. Some NHS employees believed that the change was initiated only for the sole aim of saving money and cutting cost, that there is nothing in it for them. As a result they were not motivated to support the change process. This is supported by Kotter (1998) when he suggests that failure to create a win over hearts and minds will reduce the impact of a change program. Privacy issue Another major resistant experience in the implementation of tele-health change program in the NHS is fact that some people for personal reasons do not like to be watched over. They did not welcome the idea of been monitored on a daily base as they felt it violate their privacy right. The NHS management was able to resolve some of this problem by identifying patients who has indicated such fears and assuring them that only authorized medical officials would have asses to their information and that monitoring was mainly for their own good. Patients who were still skeptical and would rather not want to be monitored were all together exempted from the program. Recommendation for future improvement The overall improvement in patient health condition and reduction in hospital admission observed after implementing the tele-health system in the NHS supports continuation and further improvement of the scheme. A recommendation for further improvement is that the NHS could develop an assessment and measurement system that would help to register the build-up of momentum and identify early victories. Success in management is of little value unless they are supported by best practices and hence Senge (2003) suggest that success depends on the application of best practice. Nelson et al (1998) argues that although measurement is essential if change are to be sustained, the measurement them self must be defined practically. In the light of this, the NHS could adopt outcome and cost measurement, qualitative and quantitative measurement and a balances set of process to build measurement into the daily work routine and display it so that it tell a story of where they are, where they should be and where they are going in the change process. Furthermore, the management of the NHS should be aware that resistant is part of the change program and that anticipation and planning for resistant is important in implementing a successful change program (Clemons 1995). It is observed that the NHS management communicated change information only to stakeholder that was directly involved in the change program. This was only able to disfranchise the other stakeholders and strengthened the resistant. It is important that communication with a wide range of stakeholders directly or not directly involved in the change program be made so that they become involved and motivated (Stanton et al. 1993). The major future challenge that the NHS may encounter is how to engender a culture of continuous change in which change is on-going, evolving and cumulative. It would require a major shift in assumptions made by the organization and its members. Many of the individuals and groups whose assumptions and behaviors must change if this cultural shift is to be achieved are perceived to be of high status and are used to the exercise of individual and professional autonomy. Conclusion As people are living longer and there are more and more people who are unwell, going into residential and nursing home and living with long term conditions, the NHS which is the public service most valued by the British people must be able to keep pace with these change in society. The Remote monitoring tele-health technology will enable the NHS to effectively cope these increases in demand for health care. It would also help to reduce the overall cost of administering institutional health care in the UK. Although there are still pockets of issues and resistant, the program is generally termed as successful as it is already yielding the desired objective of improving life and saving cost. This paper presented an analysis of the approach take by management to effect the change and how effective management implemented the change strategy. It also demonstrated the extent to which change was successful and made recommendations for future development.

Flood of Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

  The Flood of Gilgamesh  Ã‚     Perhaps the most popular comparison with Noah's Flood is that of an ancient Babylonian story of a similar flood. A quick look at the text does show some key similarities between them however there are also some pointed differences. I will show you both and let you decide whether there is or is not a connection.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First let us look at the similarities:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *It is set in the Iraqi/Turkey area.....similar to the Biblical Flood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *A man is warned by a god to build a ship so he could survive a coming flood, sent by the divine powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The man is told to save himself, his family, and a sampling of all living things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The boat was to be sealed with resin inside and out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *A set time is made by the divinity for the flood to begin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The flood includes both rain and water from the surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The flood covered the mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The boat came to rest on a mountain first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Birds were released to test for whether or not the waters had receeded.   In the Biblical account, a raven and a dove were released. In the Gilgamesh account, a dove, swallow, and raven were released.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Once out of the boat, the man offers a sacrifice to the divinity which brings comfort to the divinity at the sweet scent of the sacrifice.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now for the differences:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The Babylonian tale never says why the gods chose to save the man in the story. It was pretty much dumb luck.   In the Bible, Noah was a rightous man amidst a population of evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The boat dimensions are quite different. The boat in the story of the Babylonian flood is a cube, equal on all sides. While in the Bible, Noah is told to build his Ark in a 450x75x45 ratio. This ratio is what is known to ship builders as the perfect ratio for stabilty for a boat but it was not known until the 15th century AD.   The Gilgamesh boat, being equal on all sides, would have been wildly unstable and unseaworthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The Babylonian man   took seven days to build his boat while Noah took 120 years. Why would such a numerology rich people use such a non-numerology number as 120 when seven was already in the story?