Passenger Satisfaction Survey

Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Hkkjrh; jsy ifjogu izcU/ku laLFkku y[kuA Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management Lucknow July 2012 PASSENGER SATISFACTION SURVEY REPORT AND BENCHMARKING OF PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Dr. KALPANA DUBE Senior Professor (Finance & PPP) Assisted by Kishor Mehta, CMI, IRITM Ankit Tandon, RA, IIM Lucknow July 2012 Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management Lucknow Government of India – Ministry of Railways DisclaimerThe findings contained in the Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report are meant to focus on those Service related areas which require better attention by the Service Providers. Like all other Surveys these represent only an indicative checklist of areas of action and reforms and are by no means exhaustive and fully descriptive. The Survey was restricted to some cities of northern parts of the Country, the observations and findings get limited to that extent and may not apply ipso fact o to all Indian Railway Passenger Services. PPP Knowledge Center, Copyright  ©IRITMMESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR PPP knowledge centre was setup at IRITM in 2008. IRITM has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIM Lucknow, for writing Research Papers, Case Studies and assimilating research findings into comprehensive periodic reports to be used for improving training inputs. This is the 4th publication of the Centre. The earlier 3 publications :1. Ideas on PPP, Dr. Kalpana Dube, Sr. Prof. (Fin. & PPP), IRITM & Ashish Shukla 2. A Handbook on Project Finance & PPP Terminology, Dr. Kalpana Dube, Sr. Prof. (Fin. & PPP), IRITM & Ankit Tandon 3.Studying the Efficacy of an Airport Modernization Concession Agreement, Dr. Kalpana Dube, Sr. Prof. (Fin. & PPP), IRITM The above publications have been well received not only by the Railways but even outside in the Government, Private Sector and Educational Institutions. Indian Railways is the life line of the nation. It has been instrumental in bringing about a social, cultural and economic revolution in our society and has been a strong uniting and integrating force. Despite being a monopoly in passenger services which are highly subsidized, can it afford to have a dissatisfied customer?To keep the nation moving and the customers happy, our net social service obligations in 2010-11 constituted 17. 57% of total expenditure. Analysis of profitability of Coaching Services showed a loss of 21,324 crores to which net suburban losses in Chennai, Kolkatta and Mumbai contributed Rs. 2364 crores. Other factors have also accelerated the situation which include low second class ordinary fares non suburban commuters and concession in fare extended to various categories. No other transport sector today is offering rates which could compete with the Railways.Despite so much of effort if we are still unable to keep our Customer satisfied there certainly seems to be some communication gap between us and the Customer. In order to asses th at gap IRITM conducted a â€Å"Passenger Satisfaction Survey† on the Northern, North Central and North Eastern Railway, the result of which are summarized in the publication. We hope the results would allow us the Railway personnel to introspect about our â€Å"Customer Demand† and initiate us to give a better service and be more vocal in showing our concern for keeping our Customer Happy. Ashima Singh Director IRITM Lucknow July 2012FOREWORD Passenger Amenities and provision of certain essential as well as desirable features on Railway stations as well as on-board train services continually engage the attention of policy makers in the Railway Board as well as the Field Officers in the Zones and Divisions. The ground level scenario at major stations in the country differs in terms of scope as well as its perceived usefulness by the Railway Passengers. The present survey was designed to get a comprehensive feedback on 37 different service parameters related to passenger conveniences and station facilities.While the objective assessment fields were readily responded to by most passengers the open ended questions did not elicit detailed replies and were perfunctory. The perception gap between Passenger responses and Railway Officers’ responses also highlighted some interesting differences. Illumination at Stations, Signage and Clarity of Train Announcements and Booking Counter experience have got very favorable responses. The deficiency areas which were most reported on were cleanliness on platforms and train toilets, late running of trains as well as unauthorized people in compartments.What must be emphasized here is that none of these areas actually require capital expenditure or investments or repeated policy directives. They just require vigilantism, active supervision and better coordination among the service providers within the various departments. A standard protocol of maintenance, cleanliness and supervision functions needs to be wo rked upon just like the various service related parameters put in operation at the newly developed and modernized airports. (Please refer Annexure). This is a standard checklist of service parameters insisted upon by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).A similar drill would go a long way in ensuring better services on our premium stations especially A1, and A categories. The booklet has been designed in such a manner that passenger responses can be very easily understood through use of colorful graphics and simple data presentation, however the larger question which needs to be addressed is that can we provide station and on board housekeeping services which are game changers and path breaking at the same time? Which reflect a paradigm shift in the way Passenger Services are traditionally being offered by Indian Railways.Perhaps the new Station Development Corporation announced recently may introduce sweeping changes to radically alter the present system of addressing Passeng er Amenities and general conveniences to be made available to the public. The Station Development Corporation has been conceived with the primary objective of augmenting and improving passenger related amenities at stations. All the issues highlighted in the current survey would perhaps get addressed if fast tracking the activities of the Station Development agency can show visible early results.The areas of action being well designed concourses, high end waiting spaces, easy access with disabled friendly options for station premises, congestion free platforms, modern catering facilities etc. The Report has been made more useful by adding edited versions of the comprehensive, pan-India Passenger Service Surveys and Station Cleanliness Surveys conducted by the CAG (Railways) in the last few years. In addition, some additional literature and visuals of world class stations have been added to give a feel of what the future may look like in the days to come for Passenger Amenities and S ervices in Modernized Railway Stations.The Report has also been substantiated with identifying certain important performance benchmarks, using examples from the Aviation Sector. Performance benchmarking and improving customer perception are important milestones in improving station premises and passenger services beyond the conventional targets to the next level. A level which is path breaking and futuristic in its vision and implementation. If the checklist of the 37 parameters used in this study as well as the findings contained in the Audit Reports are read and comprehended by the Railway officers responsible for these functions, the purpose of the survey would be fulfilled.However, it may be useful to reiterate that station maintenance procedures must follow the KISNE principle i. e. Keep It Smart Neat and Efficient. Also while we cannot promise the moon to our customers we must ensure that what we do promise we deliver at all times with 100% efficiency and Zero Failures. These are achievable because we have a long experience of managing stations and procedures are well laid out. What is perhaps needed is a well established drill of adhering to a standard protocol of Station and Train Maintenance Practices and not allow the drill to falter even for a day.A well thought strategy, precision in execution and applying Six Sigma principles for not deviating from the Standard Maintenance and Supervision Protocol would go a long way establishing a New Order which is easy to replicate and easy to follow. Dr. Kalpana Dube Senior Professor IRITM Lucknow July 2012 The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing. —-John Russell CONTENTS SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 TopicsObjectives of the Passenger Survey Criteria and Methodology Sample Size/Target Respondents Passenger Survey Findings Response by Railway Officers Suggestions for Proactive Action Comparison of General Public & Railway Officers’ Response Perception Gap – Between the General Public as Rail Users and Railway Officers as Rail Users Graphical Representation of the Findings Strategy For Promoting Indian Railways Image And Train Travel Experience – Some Suggestions Benchmarking & Performance Assessment Measures Sub Report One: Sample Service Quality Specifications For Delhi International Airport Ltd. DIAL) Conceptual Background for Railway Stations as Profit & Investment Centers Sub Report Two: CAG Recommendations on Passenger Services in Indian Railways 2008-09 Sub Report Three: CAG Recommendations on Cleanliness and Sanitation on Indian Railways 2007-08 Annexure 1: Citizen Charter on Passenger Services of Indian Railways Annexure 2: Questionnaire Used for the Passenger Satisfaction Survey for IR Performance & Service Standards Page No. 1 1 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 – 25 26 27 28 33 38 40 42 46Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Obj ectives of the Passenger Survey †¢ †¢ To review the facilities provided to the passengers right from ticket booking to the on-board travel experience in the trains To asses if facilities provided in trains were adequate and effectively maintained or not, from the point of Passenger Satisfaction in Station Maintenance Practices. To know the priority areas so that these can be strengthened to optimize passenger satisfaction.To asses the overall travel experience of the passengers in the Indian Railways and their perception of the organization. †¢ †¢ Criteria and Methodology An open ended questionnaire with about 37 parameters was prepared and survey was conducted with the help of three field executives provided by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow. The survey was conducted over a period of ten days through direct contact and filling up of the questionnaire by on-board passengers of all the Travel Classes (AC, 2nd Sleeper).The routes identified for th e survey were mainly on the Northern part of the country Lucknow – New Delhi – Lucknow, Lucknow – Gorakhpur – Lucknow, Lucknow – Varanasi – Lucknow, Lucknow – Allahabad – Lucknow, Lucknow – Kanpur – Lucknow, Lucknow – Moradabad – Lucknow, Lucknow – Firozpur – Lucknow. All the Stations surveyed belonged to A-1 and A category. 1 Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Sample Size/Target Respondents The sample size of the survey was around 700 passengers which included 100 Railway Officers as well.The general passengers age profile was from 15 years to 65 years with maximum response coming in from the young adults/youth i. e. 26-35 years of age. About 28% were female respondents and balance were males. Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it. ——–Peter F. Drucker 2 Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Passenger Survey Findings Top Efficiencies 1. Illumination & Signages 2. Availability of Porters (Coolies) at the Station 2.Booking Clerk Competency & Behaviour 3. Clarity of Announcement at Stations Top Deficiencies 1. Cleanliness of Toilets 2. Unauthorized Vendors & Passengers 2. Cleanliness of Platforms 3. Late Running of Trains Top Three Concerns/Priority Areas 1. Punctuality 2. Quality of services 3. Safety Satisfactory Services (Rated as Good) 1. Ambience of Waiting Rooms/Rest Rooms 2. Seating, Water, Trolley facilities at the Platform 3. Pricing of Food 4. Linen/Bedroll Cleanliness 5. Fans and Lights in the Trains 3 Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance StandardsOther Findings of the Survey †¢ More than 60% of the people have used IT Enabled services such as Internet Ticketing, Enquiry Kiosks, Touch Screens, etc. 64% of the passengers surveyed confirmed that t hey have seen service improvements in the Railways in the last five years. 31 % of the passengers surveyed are satisfied with the Railway Amenities/ facilities. 35 % of the passengers surveyed think that Railways are giving Value for Money for the services provided. 47 % of the passengers surveyed rated Overall Services provided by the Railways as Good †¢ †¢ †¢ Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ——Bill Gates 4 Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Response by Railway Officers Top Efficiencies 1. Booking Clerk Competency & Behaviour 2. Quality & Quantity of Food made available 3. Clarity of Announcement at Stations Top Deficiencies 1. Coach/Toilets occupied by Unauthorized Passenger & Vendors 2. Handling of Theft Cases 3. Cleanliness of Toilets/Coaches Top three Concerns/Priority Areas 1. Quality of Service 2. Punctuality 3. CleanlinessSatisfactory Services (Rated as Good) 1. Water in the Coaches 2. Seating, Water, Trolley facilities at the Platform 3. Cleanliness of Platform 4. Ambience of Waiting Rooms/Rest Rooms 5. Illumination & Signages 5 Passenger Satisfaction Survey Report and Benchmarking of Performance Standards Other Findings of the Survey †¢ More than 70% of the Railway Officers have used IT Enabled services such as internet ticketing, enquiry kiosks, touch screens, etc. 94% of the Railway Officers surveyed confirmed that they have seen service improvements in the Railways in the last five years. 7 % of the Railway Officers surveyed are satisfied with the Railway Amenities/ Facilities. 86 % of the Railway Officers surveyed think that Railways giving Value for Money for the services provided. 85 % of the Railway Officers surveyed rated Overall Services provided by the Railways as Good. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 6 This handbook on Passenger Satisfaction Survey and Benchmarking of Performance Standards has been compiled using the results obtai ned in a 15 day extensive Passenger Survey launched by IRITM PPP Knowledge Centre in association with IIM Lucknow.The survey was in the northern part of the country covering A-1 and A category stations. 700 responses were obtained on 37 different passenger service parameters under nine categories ranging from Point of Sale to On-board Facilities to IT based Passenger Transactions. These have been compiled in easy to read, colourful graphics in this Report. The Report has been made more useful by adding edited versions of the comprehensive, pan-India Passenger Service Surveys and Station Cleanliness Surveys conducted by the CAG (Railways) in the last few years.In addition, some additional literature and visuals of world class stations have been added to give a feel of what the future may look like in the days to come for Passenger Amenities and Services in Modernized Railway Stations. This handbook would be of use not only to IRTS Probationers but also to all frontline Managers and S taff in Indian Railways responsible for Station Maintenance, Sanitation and Passenger Amenities. The handbook can also be accessed on the IRITM website www. iritm. indianrailways. gov. in.A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. — Mahatma Gandhi Hkkjrh; jsy ifjogu izcU/ku laLFkku y[kuA Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management Lucknow Hardoi By-Pass Road, P. O. Manak Nagar, Lucknow – 226 011 Ph. : 0522-2471961, Fax: 0522-2473929, website: www. iritm. indianrailways. gov. in

Motivational Leadership Essay

Effective leadership has a tremendous impact on the success of an organization. Darling & Heller (2011) infers that â€Å"with regard to individuals in leadership roles, their thoughts and feelings, fundamentally based on attitudes, thereby also control the levels of organizational success and every other aspect of an organizational leader’s arena of endeavor† (p. 9). Achieving optimal organizational performance is very much so dependent on the effectiveness of that organization’s leaders. Five topics interrelated to leadership effectiveness will be addressed in this paper. (1) Feedback works for leadership and tell why you think it could be beneficial. (2) Present an overview of the Contingency Theory of Leadership effectiveness to include Situational Leadership II. (3) Share some ways that you as a leader could lead your company in being socially responsible and creating an ethical organization. (4) Provide a brief analysis of empowerment; be certain to include the relationship between delegation and empowerment. (5) Discuss how leaders can foster teamwork within a group. All of these topics and/or concepts are essential aspects to achieving high levels of quality, roductivity and satisfaction within an organization. The concept of 360-degree Feedback is to formally evaluate an organization’s leaders through feedback from individuals that work closely with those leaders (e. g. subordinates, colleagues, direct supervisors, other superiors, suppliers and/or customers). According to Dubrin (2010), 360-degree Feedback is also referred to as multisource or multirater feedback, and is systematically derived from a full sampling of parties who directly interact with the leader (p. 110). One particular method for organizations to easure leadership effectiveness through the 360-degree Feedback concept is to set up a system utilizing the internet or the organization’s intranet. That system should be based on the attributes that organization deems to be the most significant and valuable. The 360-degree Feedback is of great benefit to leaders in providing them insight into the effectiveness of their behaviors and styles. The feedback mainly serves for developmental purposes (behaviors, attitudes, and styles), and not for the purposes of evaluating the leader’s performances. The 360-degree Feedback not only benefits the ndividual leaders, but it also is a vital component to the organization, as a whole. Organizations benefit from 360-degree feedback instrument in the following ways: (a) individual performance improvement, (b) impact on business goals, and (c) impact on organizational culture (Rehbine-Zentis, 2007, p. 160). The Contingency Theory of Leadership is the assumption that a leader’s ability to lead is contingently based on various situational factors, internally and externally. The following are various factors that could greatly influence a leader’s effectiveness within heir organization: the capabilities of the workforce, the culture within the organization, and the competiveness of market. Leaders who are have been highly effective within one organization, may not deliver that same effectiveness within a different organization. An important perspective on implementing contingency leadership is that the leader must be flexible enough to avoid adhering to old ideas that no longer fit the current circumstances or situation (Dubrin, 2010, p. 133). I can definitely see the validity of the theory in reference to my own experiences in previous leadership positions. It is absolutely about he ability to successfully and effectively adapt to different organizational environments. Like the Contingency Theory of Leadership, the Situational Leadership II style is a contingency leadership approach that is solely based on the theory that there is no one particular best style of leadership that fits all situations. This leadership style focuses mainly on the capabilities or behaviors of individuals and/or groups that one leads. Blanchard (1997) asserts, â€Å"Situational Leadership II advocates that the best leaders provide the amount and kind of direction and support which best fits the developmental evel of the employee† (p. 38). As a leader, I can encourage my organization to focus on ethical business practices and social responsibility, beyond profit pursuit, based upon our strategic organizational goals, mission and vision statements. I would initially ensure that the organization’s environment was a positive, engaging culture conducive to intellectual development. Individuals within an organization invest about one-third of their time at work, a pleasant work environment increases the chances that their life will be enriched (Dubrin, 2010, p. 181). There would be a significance placed on competing fairly and onestly, not causing harm to others (internally/externally), and communicating truthfully. I would ensure that my organization is offering goods and services that are valuable and essential to consumers. We would be consistent in providing quality employment to individuals which would benefit them in providing for their families, in the forms of, paying them salaries/wages, offering quality health insurance and/or child care services, matching retirement plan contributions, etc. We would also benefit society in maintaining ethical practices in our financial obligations through paying taxes which elps fund education, support government, build highways, as well as provide funds to enhance our local, state and national public safety/defense systems. According to Forsyth (1997), â€Å"genuine changes to business practices have to be made in order to protect the environment† (p. 272). I would ensure that, as an organization, we were utilizing the most up-to-date technology and economic solutions to reduce or alleviate any environmental issues that we faced. My organization would take every possible precaution to not generate unnecessary waste and pollution through the improper onsumption of resources, as well as from the possible emission of toxic air pollutants caused by our manufacturing processes. The concept of empowerment involves a power transfer from higher levels of employees to lower levels of employees within an organization (Khalid & Sarwar, 2011). Leaders that utilize positive empowering practices with their employees are more likely to increase their organization’s productivity. When employees are given the opportunity to share in the responsibilities of their leaders and/or managers, they feel more powerful and valued. Empowerment is also advantageous to an organization, in respect to owering labor costs through the sharing of those managerial responsibilities with its lower-level employees. According to Dubrin (2010), leaders can promote empowerment within their organization through fostering initiatives and employee responsibility, linking work activities to the organization’s strategic goals, providing ample information to their employees, and by allowing group member or individual employees to choose their preferred method for meeting a goal (p. 205-206). One contributing factor to empowerment is the act of delegation which is more of a formal ssignment of tasks and responsibilities. Delegation, as well as, empowerment can be a very motivational tool which offers individuals the benefit of skill development. The bottom line is that both concepts represent the core principle of accountability. Teamwork is vital to an organization’s success. Being that teams consist of individuals with different backgrounds, beliefs, ideas and points of view, it is imperative that we always be respectful and embrace the rewards that diversity brings within the team. As leaders, we can foster teamwork within a group through providing team embers with clear descriptions of the team’s goals, mission and tasks, commanding performance commitment and excellence, providing direction and feedback, alleviating micromanagement practices, forming virtual teams utilizing e-leadership, and encouraging power sharing which ensures that each team member is being heard, taken seriously and treated respectfully (Dubrin, 2010). More importantly, encouraging teamwork and utilizing teams are essential in increasing an organization’s productivity and achieving cohesiveness throughout the organization. A leader’s ability to build ffective teams committed to organizational goals tops the list of priorities in todays dynamic business landscape (â€Å"Work at fostering teamwork on the job,† 2011). Teams can produce higher-quality solutions, as well as foster creativity and positive energy. Effective teams are capable of being more adept at solving difficult, complex problems than that of the organization’s â€Å"top-performing† individuals. Creating teams can also cause an increase in commitment, lower stress levels, diminish internal-competiveness, and promote flexibility in responding to the organization’s needs, in relation to, â€Å"business† changing.

Can Electronic Documents Be Used As Evidence International Law Essay

Can Electronic Documents Be Used As Evidence International Law Essay Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Can Electronic Documents Be Used As Evidence International Law Essay I have noted that, there was a problem of accepting electronic document as primary evidence. But in the Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2007, Part IX accepted partly in criminal matters and in banking transactions, where now the major problem lays on its practicability, specifically on authentication of the electronic document to be applied as good as primary evidence in determining matters in issues. ABSTRACT Text books, electronic sources, legislations of different jurisdictions are very important in finding ways of solving challenges facing the admissibility of electronic evidence in Tanzania. They play a big role in finding accurate and proper ways and solutions faced in legal system. Evidence is information that tends to prove or disprove a fact or matter in issue , from which an inference may logically be drawn as to the existence of a fact. It consists of proof by testimony of witnesses on oath or by writing or records. Evidence is a crucial element in judiciary as it is used to determine matters of controversy in cases. .In determining controversy/ matter(s), judge(s) prefer direct evidence such as an official document or a witness’s assertion of his/her immediate knowledge of the question at issue. Cyber Law is the law which regulates cyberspace or internet transactions. It encompassing cases, statutes, regulations and disputes that affect people and business interaction through computers, and it addresses issues of online speech and business; also due to the nature of the medium it including intellectual property rights, free speech, privacy, e-commerce and safety, as well as questions of jurisdiction. The quick innovation of science and technology; resulted to lots of changes in the world, regional state, individual states and even directly to the individual person. People’s interactions mostly influenced by trading (commerce) education, political or gove rnments’ communication, socially and economically. The most current and fast way of such interaction is through Internet, computers, and wireless telephones. Most state laws have not been amended to accommodate such new relationship, on the point of evidence and jurisdiction. In Tanzania, regardless recognizing and using Internet and computers online in economic and business, like electronic banking for example ATM (Automatic Teller Machines) Tembo card cash point, our laws took long time to recognize Electronic Evidence as the best evidence or as primary evidence. This problem did not end only in the statutes but also in the case law where in most cases the court rejected secondary evidence. For example in the case of Shirin Rajabali Jessa v. Alipio Zorilla, where court, only accepted under a lot of restriction. Currently the Tanzania Law of Evidence Act was amended to accommodate Electronic Evidence. Primary evidence is the best evidence and mostly courts rely on it in givi ng out the decision. Being the best evidence it is also used in electronic cases (disputes) in one way or another but in many cases Electronic Evidence is found to be grouped in secondary evidence which has a lot of challenges toward its admissibility.

The Five Aspects of Fitness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Five Aspects of Fitness - Essay Example The world is very conscious of itself. People want to be looking good, feeling good, doing good and being overall happy. Happiness is the basis of everything. Whatever one does, whether it is earning a million bucks or working for a charity, it is only to satisfy one's inner yearning for happiness. Being happy is a relative term, and poses a different implication for everyone. Physical fitness is the first and foremost aspect of fitness occupying the lives of the world-conscious people today. Everyone wants to attain a lean and toned body, much like that of the model in the nearest fashion magazine available. Various organizations cash in on this very desperation engulfing the people. Many proclaim medications guaranteed to make one lose weight instantly, while others propogate various techniques involving absurd methods to attain weight loss. Some might even benefit from these, but mostly these means are mare gimmicks. The tried and trusted age-old approach remains exercise and regulation of one's diet. No pain, no gain! And there is absolutely nothing like instant weight loss. As the body adapts to more exercise and low fat diet, it takes up nutrition from the already present fat reserve in the body, thereby depleting that source and attaining loss of weight and inches. However, this only happens over a period of few months.

Inspired by Nature, Perfected by Science Assignment

Inspired by Nature, Perfected by Science - Assignment Example Research was conducted by Dr. Alan Darlington — a world-renowned expert on indoor-air biofilters who is now our company President — along with a team of researchers from U of G. Findings from this research were so positive that Dr. Darlington was awarded a fellowship to take the technology to market. In 2001, Air Quality Solutions Ltd was launched. Through ongoing research and strong product development, the company soon gained more than an impressive — and growing — share of the market: it also gained the attention of the NEDLAW Group, respected specialists in both conventional and living roofs. In 2008 the two companies joined forces and Air Quality Solutions became NEDLAW Living Walls Inc. What are the options for making NEDLAW Living Wallsâ„ ¢ active? There are three ways air can be drawn through the Living Wall to make it active: The most effective way is for the wall to be designed as an alternative return-air path back to the HVAC. The air, which is normally drawn from the space, is first cleansed as it passes through the wall and is then disseminated through the space by the HVAC. Ideally a bypass is integrated into the design so that air can be drawn from the space without passing through the wall (for periods of free cooling, wall establishment or wall maintenance). The second approach is to build fans right into the wall so it functions as a stand-alone unit, separate from the building’s HVAC. Although this works well, it is not as effective as the first method since it has a much more localized effect. The third method is a hybrid of the first two. The Living Wall has its own fan system but it also has a duct system to better diffuse air through the space. We can help select which scenario would work best in your space. Return to the top What do NEDLAW active Living Wall biofilters look like? A wall covered in plants, our system is essentially vertical hydroponics. Water from a basin planting is lifted by a pump system to the top and flows back through the interior of the plant wall, circulating through a closed water loop system. Return to the top Is anyone else trying this approach? To the best of our knowledge, the NEDLAW patented system is the only one to use plant walls as biofilters to control indoor air quality. Return to the top Could native plants be used in the system? Some native plants may be present. However, most native plants would not survive well indoors. Plants adapt to their local climate and, as such, plants from northern climates generally require the different seasons to grow properly. For most native plants to survive indoors, the climate in the wall would have to mimic these seasons, making routine use of the space difficult and its performance irregular. Return to the top How long do the plants survive in the space? We expect about 90% survival of the plants each year; but this is largely dependent on the choice of plants and local conditions. Return to the top Are pesticides used in the wall? We use only methods that can be considered organic to control pests in our walls; we emphasize management practices and biological controls such as predators. So-called pests such as white flies, fungus gnats, spider mites and their respective predator species are necessary, even desirable. They contribute to the ecosystem’s species diversity and ecological stability. Return

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail Essay

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail professional, past and present, must possess to better achieve his mi - Essay Example In the past, the training took longer periods and more strategies were used to instill the best qualities in aspirant security personnel. The individuals are trained to be obedient, uphold dignity and have the beauty of gentleness. They are trained in knightly exercise, at that age women were weak and submissive and their men were supposed to protect and fight for them. After 5 years of faithfulness in duties and faced anger, they received knighthood sonority and a solemn ceremony conducted. The knight aspirant received a formal that was of baptism sort to symbolized washing away of sins. Clad in white and a red robe that symbolized the blood that he would shed to protect his community or his master. The mailed fist of the emperor is the military’s force threat. The emperor’s mailed fist and shining armor were built in the spirit of self defense and precaution security personnel in the past did not have a vast of activities they would engage in as compared to the presen t personnel. Theirs was mainly protection of their family, community and country. In the present time, there is a diversity of security needs. The security personnel of the present age go through training for a shorter period compared to the past. The training is rigorous just like the past but technological advances have helped in the training process. The best of the security personnel must be in excellent health as this ensures their efficiency. Good health allows them execute their duties with no hitches at all. Good interpersonal skills are relevant to ensure ease of communication between them and any other party. They must have personal integrity with the highest ethical standards as required in the military force. They must have personal ability based on developed self skills and high intellectual capacity. Personal structure is also important as it enables them portray positive self image and self worth. Honesty, sincerity, industrious and cooperation are also very important . They must have a strong will and abiding self confidence because it is essential for them to create and maintain desire and motivation to be security personnel. They should have sound general knowledge or specialized education which gives them an edge in the security field. Imaginatively, creativity and a high foresight in order to develop new angles of approach to security problems are one of the best qualities that they should possess. Good manners reveal a sense of refinement and impulsive mannerisms must be avoided. In recent times security personnel have been known to be rather aggressive, harsh and cruel to members of the public. Even though aggressiveness is partly necessary, being cruel only worsens matters and an innocent public member may fear to mention their security issues for fear of being misunderstood or reprimanded by the security people. They must be loyal, risk takers, well rounded in knowledge, open minded, confident and have eloquence in the language they use depending on the region they are serving as security personnel. They must have tact, i.e. know the right thing to do, at the right time and in the right way. Broad knowledge of the military force is also of essence because without understanding the field one is, it would be difficult to serve as required. They must be aware of the security needs where they are, any risks or uncertainties in providing their services and measures they can take to handle

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Coursework

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Venezuela as fierce people - Coursework Example The Yanomamo tribe of Venezuela lives in relatively small villages of around 40 to 250 people. For Chagnon, the Yanomamos are a â€Å"fierce people† because of their cultural practices. This particular group of people would usually express ferocity in several ways. First of all, the ferocious and violent tendencies of the Yanomamos are reflected in their decisions to initiate intervillage warfare in order to prevent another tribe to attack them in the future or perhaps simply in order to demonstrate their ferocity. Secondly, the Yanomamos would usually beat their wives when they want to vent their anger. Nevertheless, the unreasonableness of this act is no match for the fact that men would sometimes engage in a chest-pounding duel and take part in free-for-all club fights in order to settle disputes of insults and excessive demands. Lastly and certainly not the least, the Yanomamos prove themselves as truly a â€Å"fierce people† when they force their sons to fight each other in public duels while they parents rejoice in their fights. Thus, there is no way to diffuse the warlike image for this is inculcated in the Yanomamo even at a young age. All these violent and ferocious acts indeed somehow define the Yanomamos as a â€Å"fierce people.† The Yanomamos themselves have both a practical and a traditional or mythological origin for such ferocity that they demonstrate. The practical side to it is the idea that their ferocity is a â€Å"way of protecting valuable resources† and also a way of considering women and children as â€Å"valuable resources† (Robins, 2009). This means that the intervillage wars and the warlike predisposition of the Yanomamos serve either as a way to demonstrate superiority as well as to protect the tribe from attacks waged by other tribes. If the Yanomamos were not a â€Å"fierce people,† they would stand no chance against other tribes who would attack them at any time. Another justification of the Yanomamos for their being a â€Å"fierce† is mythological in origin. These people believe that people were â€Å"created from the blood of the moon† (Robins, 200 9). According to this origin myth, the moon was believed by the ancients to have devoured the souls of their children. Because of this, the human beings shot the moon with an arrow and from the blood that flowed out of this wound, the Yanomamos were born. The fact that the birth of the Yanomamos was one of blood and revenge in a way paved the way for them to believe that they are indeed a â€Å"fierce people† and in many ways they demonstrated and perpetuated this image. Question 3: In your own words, review the characteristics of peaceful societies and link these characteristics to two of the following five societies: the Ju/Wasi, the Semain of West Malaysia, the Inuit, the Xinguano of the Amazon region in South America, and the Buid of the Philippines. Peaceful societies maintain their peace by constantly aiming for a number of things. Firstly, these societies place a high value on developing the values of sharing and cooperation. This is to alleviate and avoid conflicts ov er material resources. Somehow, peaceful societies believe that if there is one thing that would disturb the peace among the members of the community, it would be the selfishness, greed and the refusal to share possessions. Thus, these characteristics are absent in a peaceful society. The Ju/wasi and the Buid of the Philippines are two examples of societies that exemplify peace. These two societies share similar qualities, all of which are focused upon the good of the community as a whole, and not over material things or the benefit of the individual. Another characteristic of a peaceful society is the condemnation of those who boast about their accomplishments, especially if this would most likely trigger hatred, envy or

Philosphy research paper Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Philosphy paper - Research Proposal Example These two prominent enlightenment philosophers are chosen for several reasons. First, Locke is believed to be the precursor of American values because his naturalist ethics was the philosophical basis of the Declaration of Independence of which this country was built. Hume on the other hand is selected because of his ethical concept of â€Å"what to be† or what is the ideal as contained in his famous work â€Å"A Treatise of Human Nature†. He is also naturalistic just like Locke and such, would make a good case whether their ethical theories are still valid today. It is important to examine the validity of their theories because modern ethical theories are built on their philosophical theories. If proven otherwise, it would imply that current literature about ethics will fall on academic musing that does not hold validity in real world. If they are, then the works of this philosophers should be made more familiar to the modern student. As a starting point of research about the related literature of the topic, it would be appropriate to begin with David Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature which was published in 1739. It would also be appropriate to examine in detail the contents of the Declaration of Independence on how closely it relates to Locke’s ethical theory and whether modern Americal values are still consistent with that perspective of morality. In the process, several literature related with the subject shall be considered such as the works cited below which more than adequately explain the ethical theories of Hume and

Human Resource Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Human Resource Practice - Essay Example A major focus of the paper is on the details that pertain to performance and pay within the organisation. The next section will deal with the aims and objectives of this study. The main aim of this study is to understand the impact of human resource management on strategic management along with the overall performance within the company. Major focus of this study will be on the management of employee performance and compensation and benefits. The main objectives of this research can be listed out as follows: As mentioned earlier, the chosen organisation for this study if the National Health Service (NHS). 1948 saw the birth of NHS which was stated as an initiative to provide the citizens with quality and free health care services. The underlying intension of the introduction of this service was to ensure that all citizens across the country have access to free health care and that health of the people is given first importance to. The initiative was funded by the tax payers money and this was dependent on the position and financial situation of the tax payers (Dowling and Richardson, 2000). As an attempt, a number of doctors, nurses, other medical practitioners and pharmacists were brought together by Aneurin Bevan, then the health secretary. Bevan went on to use all the above and to start a new hospital in Manchester, named Park Hospital. Aneurin Bevan was very interested and passionate to ensure that all citizens receive the proper health treatment without having to worry about the co st or even the location where they were treated. Bevan was keen on opening up NHS across all cities to ensure that everyone received excellent treatment at all times. Being the health secretary, the main aim and intension was to ensure good care for the unwell with no focus on the finances or economic condition of the person. As this initiative grew, it went on to gain a collective name across England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland and came to be christened as

A sociological perspective Essay Example for Free

A sociological perspective Essay The term inner city life refers to the system of life of those people, who are underclass, cut off from the regular city life. Yet the elemental building blocks of their lives-work, family, community all exists, however in corrupted forms. A sociological perspective: Inner city residents are underpaid socially disorganised, where no one trusts the other and each has to struggle for existence in highly unfavourable conditions. The most precise way to explain inner city life in sociological terms is to consider 1. Criminality: The absence of proper means of existence leads to the demolition of the laws of the community and every member lives by preying on his fellow citizens. 2. Illegality: Due to the absence of proper family values, and absence of fathers in many cases, the young ones tend to grow up devoid of any values and ethics, unready to take the responsibilities of life and family which they have to undertake at a young age. In other words, they are improperly socialised. Moreover, financial, emotional and intellectual deficits aggravate the situation. 3. Schooling: A teacher has a significant contribution is shaping the lives of children. However teachers in inner city life differ from that of the city teachers on various grounds, teaching experience, certification and involvement with the students. In the inner cities there is a dearth of teachers leading to the appointment of less qualified teachers. The more a teacher spends time with her students, the more are they motivated to come up in life? Not only that, proper cooperation of the teachers help children gain confidence, getting a better idea about life. However, lack of cooperation from the teachers leads to a sense of helplessness among the students and leads them to question their own capabilities. 4. Community influence: apart from school, the time a child spends in his community also shapes his personality. Increased prevalence of poverty, exposure to violence and absence of parents at home leads a child to spend most of his after school time in his community. Absence of structured programs or opportunities is reasons enough for the children to go astray. For example, a black family living in a white dominated area has to face sneers and remarks against their race, which has a negative impact on the children. An economic perspective: The most important reasons which effect youths in inner city are: 1. Lower socio economic status: social disadvantage is associated with increased stress among adults throughout the socioeconomic gradient. One of the foremost reasons for this is the stressful working conditions of the youth. Most of the times, they are made to work under extreme conditions. They are made to do menial jobs and are highly underpaid. Most of the times they are unable to provide for themselves the bare necessities of life. Indulging in criminal activities thus becomes an obvious option. 2. Poverty: this is one condition of existence which hampers their growth. Living in poverty can lead to a deficiency in food, clothing, shelter which all people need to fulfil their growth needs. Poverty is the main source of stress, strain, anxiety and frustration among children which need to be overcome. In absence of the basic needs of existence, children often tend to move towards criminal activities. A psychological perspective: Social disadvantage is related to increased stress among inner city circles. One explanation for this is that as one goes down the socioeconomic order, they have fewer psychological resources to meet this stress because of such challenging circumstances. Because these are abilities and resources those individuals draw upon while stressed, to withstand the threats from the environment. According to Gallo and Mathews, the relative lack of resources is mainly due to depletion, with lack of replenishment of the existing resources and also due to a continuous interruption in the process of development. Economic instability, racism, adequate coping methods, negatively affects the psychology of the people mainly the youth. This is actually the critical period of development in which definite behavioural and psychological patterns are formed which exists throughout. This is termed as â€Å"reserve capacity† â€Å"Psychological† and â€Å"Environmental† perspectives are the two main categories in this field. The first emphasises on objective events and conditions, associated with effective adaptive demands, while the latter focuses on individuals’ subjective evaluation of oneself and one’s abilities to cope with the demands. It stresses that â€Å"stressors† are environmental events or conditions that impose stress on individuals and â€Å"stress† is a person’s appraisal to these conditions as taxing or threatening to their psychological makeup. Among the youth, this stress is subject to their level of optimism, adequacy of coping styles, personality traits and other factors.

Every Child Matters Policy: Analysis

Every Child Matters Policy: Analysis Describe and discuss a specific area of policy, with particular regards to the social problems within which it was concerned, its ideological origin, its aims, its nature and its effects. For most parents, their children are loved and cherished. But sadly enough, some children are not so fortunate. Some childrens lives are dreadfully different. Instead of warmth and security of normal family life, these childrens lives are filled with risk, fear and danger. Victoria Climbie was one of these children. At the hands of those entrusted with her care, she suffered appallingly and eventually died. In this essay, the author will be discussing this issue further and why it was seen as the underlying social problem. Every child maters is a new labour government policy that was published alongside a detailed response to lord lamings report into the death of Victoria Climbie. For the purpose of this essay, The author will be looking at the Lamings report and identify the key findings of what went wrong which was the main driver for change. I will then look at what the government has done following the recommendations presented in the Laming Report. This essay will be describing the context of the Every Child Matters policy. In order to effectively do this, the author will be looking at the aim of the policy. I will also be assessing the influence of political ideology utilising theoretical framework. Finally I will be discussing the issue pertaining to the nature and implematation of Every Child Matters how the policy was implemented, and the effect of the policy. The welfare of children in the United Kingdom is one of the most important items for the government in terms of social policy. (Ellison Pierson, 1998). Every Child Matters was produced by the new labour government, Some of the influences of ideologies for change are; new labour governments focus on inequalities, parental fury and the response from lord lamings report. According to Heywood (1998), â€Å"ideology is a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides the basis for some kind of organised political action. All ideologies offer an account of the existing order (usually in the form of a word view), provide the model of a desired future (a vision of the good society) and outline how political change can and should be brought about.† The Liberal ideology stands for the freedom of the individual to pursue happiness and well being at whatever costs necessary, which is also known as individualism. Broadly speaking, it emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Modern liberalism has its roots in the Age of Enlightenment. Liberalism today is located at the centre left and centre right of the ideological spectrum. Liberalism is the belief that we are free to make our own mistakes, decide our own lifestyle, choose our own way of living, pursue our own thoughts and philosophies, provided we dont infringe on other peoples freedom. Every Child Matters policy fits with the labour ideologies because it aims to give every child the chance to fulfill their potential thereby promoting equality and opportunity among children and young people. The Labour government opposed monarchism, inherited privilege and believes in everyone having equality in opportunity. These ideas emerged from the revolutionary and Enlightenment periods, where uprisings against authoritarian religious states were evolving. John Locke and John Stuart Mill were two prominent thinkers that originally legitimized these notions prior to their widespread appeal and success. It did not take long, however, for these values to flourish, especially among individuals of societies emerging from an era of distinct oppression National Service Framework (NSF) is the key conduit for the philosophies of the Every Child Matter green paper. Victoria Climbie died in February 2000, at the hands of those entrusted with her care; she suffered appallingly and eventually died. Her case was a shocking example from a list of children terribly mistreated and abused. Her carers were later convicted of murder. This was one of the cases of child abuse which have exposed the weaknesses of the UKs social services departments, and communications failures between the agencies involved. According to Blair as cited in Every Child Matters Summary(2003 p5), â€Å"The fact that a child like Victoria Climbie can still suffer almost unimaginable cruelty to the point of eventually losing her young life. More can and must be done†. The most disturbing reality about the case of Victoria Climbià © was that her death could have been prevented, she was known to several agencies empowered by Parliament to protect children. This led to the conclusion that her suffering and death was due to gross failure of the system. In April 2001 Lord Lamming was appointed head of the inquiry, along with four other professionals. It was found that her death was preventable on twelve separate occasions. Lamming found that services were not cooperating with each other and had difficulties due to staffing levels and resources. â€Å"The death of Victoria Climbie exposed shameful failing to protect the most vulnerable children. Social services, the police and the NHS failed as Lord Lamings report into Victorias death made clear, to do the basic things well to protect her† (Every Child Matters 2003 p3). The Laming report concluded that the child protection system failed as a result of a lamentable lack of basic good practice by frontline staff and, most significantly, senior managers failing to take responsibility for the failings of organisation. (Laming 2003). The inquiry was responded to by a range of measures to inform and improve childrens care. In 2003, Every Child Matters was published alongside a detailed response to Lord Lamings report into the death of Victoria Climbie. The policy aims to ensure that every child has the chance to fulfil their potential by reducing levels of educational failure, ill health, substance misuse, teenage pregnancy, neglect and abuse, anti-social behaviour and crime among children and young people. According to Lord laming, Victoria Climbe came into contact with several agencies, none of which acted on the warning signs. No one built up the full picture of her interactions with different services. The Every Child Matter green paper sets out the long term vision for earlier intervention and effective protection by focusing on improving information sharing between agencies, The Every child matters policy was built on existing plans to strengthen preventative services by focusing on four key themes. Firstly, to increase focus on supporting families and carers, the most critical influence of childrens lives, The policy aim to improve parenting and family support through universal services such as schools, health and social services, also through targeted and specialist support to parent of children requiring additional support. Another key theme is the early intervention and effective protection; this is to ensure children receive services at the first onset on problems and to prevent any children from slipping thorough the net. This is done by improving information sharing between agencies, integrating professionals through multi- disciplinary teams responsible for identifying children at risk and also ensuring effective child protection procedures are kept in place. The third key theme was addressing the underlying problems identified in the report into the death of Victoria Climbià ©; weak accountability and poor integration. According to Every Child Matters summary pg9, â€Å"Radical reforms is needed to break down organisational boundaries†. The governments aim is that there should be one person in charge locally and nationally with the responsibility for improving childrens lives. The fourth theme is the workforce reform, this is to ensure that people working with children are valued, rewarded and trained. It aims is to make working with children an attractive, high status career and to develop a more skilled and flexible workforce, including a common core of training for those who work solely with children and families and those who have wider roles to develop a more consistent approach to childrens and families needs. â€Å"One very clear message emerges from the evidence we have received: there is almost universal support for the basic aims of Every Child Matters. We agree with witnesses—and therefore think it fitting to state at the outset—that the Government deserves substantial praise for embarking on such an ambitious and comprehensive programme of reform† (The United Kingdom Parliament, 2005). Overall, the policy has been mostly welcomed by those working with children. Many dedicated staff work flat out to improve the lives and health of children. One of the intended consequences of the policy is the development of the framework for social work training. The two-year Diploma has now been replaced with a three-year degree. The degree was introduced to encompass greater practical experience and to improve the skills base and competence of newly qualified social workers. According to the Chief Executive of the General Social Care Council (GSCC), Lynne Berry, â€Å"good quality service starts with good quality training. The GSCC are working with universities to ensure that tomorrows social workers are clear about the standards they are expected to meet, inspire public confidence in social care and are able to work successfully with colleagues from other professions. The new degree will ensure that newly qualified social workers have all the skills they need to begin successfu l careers† (GSCC, 2003). According to Campbell (2007), A spokesman from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which is responsible for child welfare, said: In response to the Victoria Climbie inquiry, we have substantially strengthened the framework of law, guidance and supporting systems to help keep children safe, and that work is continuing. Tragically we know some children still suffer abuse and neglect. Despite the universal support for the basic aims of Every Child Matters, there are still children that slip through the net. The horrific list of children killed by their parents or relatives includes ten months old Neo Craig aged who lay dead for several hours before emergency crews were called to Rush Green Gardens in Romford, Essex, in December 2006. James Craig, 26, and Sharma Dookhooah, 25, were each jailed for five years after admitting causing or allowing the death of their 10-month-old son Neo. The Old Bailey trial heard that there had been a series of failings by police, doctors and social workers who knew about the boys derelict home life but did not intervene, despite a number of warnings†. In May 2007, one -month- old Luigi Askew was beaten to death by his violent father. Social workers and police were accused of disastrous failures after he was left at the mercy of his violent father Duncan Mills, who was convicted of murder at Ipswich crown court. Slack and Doughty (2008) reported that, â€Å"one child a week is a victim of murder or manslaughter, in a single year, the number of under-tens killed went up 30 per cent form 38 to 49, according to latest government figure†. The figure from the year to 2006- 2007, the latest available, emerged as the mother of Victoria Climbie, who was murdered in 2000, said she was shocked that lessons from the case have still not been learned. According to the report, â€Å"Apparent or disguised cooperation from parents often prevented or delayed understanding of the severity of harm to the child and cases drifted†. Social workers were often conned by parents thereby, children went unseen and unheard. According to the Palmer (2007), â€Å"the overall poverty levels in 2005/06 were the same as they were in 2002/03. Child poverty in 2005/06 was still 500,000 higher than the target set for 2004/05†. In conclusion, Victoria Climbies death was seen as a ‘wake up call for practitioners and professionals who are supposed to be safeguarding and protecting childrens welfare. Every Child Matters constituted the Governments policy response to the findings and recommendations of Lord Lamings Inquiry. Reference: Campbell, D. (2007) Health Correspondent, Doctors ‘failing to spot child abuse. The Observer, Nov 11, p.18. Ellison, N. Pierson, C. (1998) British Social Policy. Macmillan: London Every Child Matters Summary (2003) Department Of Health, London, The Stationary Office Ltd General Social Care Council (25/09/03), First students start new social work degree [online] Available at: start+new+social+work+degree.htm> [Accessed: 10/05/08] Laming, H (2003), Victoria Climbià © Inquiry, London: Stationery Office Heywood, A. (1998) Political Ideologies an Introduction, 2nd edition, London: The Macmillan Press Ltd. Palmer, G, MacInnes, T. and Kenway, P. (2007) monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2007. Joseph Rowntree foundation: York Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills, and Home Office (2003) Keeping Children safe. The Governments Response to the Victoria Climbià © Inquiry Report and Joint Chief Inspectors Report Safeguarding Children [online] Available at: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/684162953674A15196BB5221973959E3.pdf [Accessed 21 May 2008] Slack, J. and Doughty, S. (2008) one child under 10 every week becomes the victim of a killer. Daily Mail, May 29, p.19. The United Kingdom Parliament. (2005), House of Commons, Education and Skills Ninth Report [online] Available from: .Accessed: [29 May 2008]

Definition Essay - Defining Professionalism -- Expository Definition E

Defining Professionalism Academics believe that professional occupations are those that are full-time occupations, have a commitment to a calling, have formalized organization, are based on specialized education of exceptional duration and difficulty, exhibit a service orientation, and are autonomous. Students feel that a professional is anyone who acts in a professional way and has creditable knowledge of their field. The two are vying for increased recognition in the elite group known as professionals. The academic community wishes to restrict the values of professionalism’s definition. Society wishes to let itself into the professional community by broadening those values. Each side seeks its own best interests in an eternal power struggle. What exactly is the proper definition of professionalism? Also, once a definition is found, how is it enforced? The academic community seems to have settled on a definition, however it differs largely from that of the college students surveyed. The college students, though they are pre-professionals, have a view that is very relaxed, allowing more fields to be considered professional. According to Wilbert E. Moore, The Professions: Rules and Roles, professionalism entails these six values: Full-time occupation, a commitment to a calling, has a formalized organization, is based on specialized education of exceptional duration and difficulty, exhibits a service orientation, and is autonomous. Because of this, occupations such as doctors and lawyers would be considered professional, however, computer programmers would not be professional since they do not have a formal organization overseeing the occupation, or a corporate CEO is also not ... ...and training, it should be deemed professional. Though the academic community attempts to regulate the standards of professionalism, it is the general public who has the last say. Academics may be professionals, but they are not autonomous with regards to the interpretation of the language. Society disagrees with the definition of professionalism; they disagree with the community that regulates professionalism. The academic definition goes against society’s best interest. Because of this, there will always be a disagreement. A compromise will not be reached. Academics will always support values that limit the membership of the elite group they will always be a part of. Society seeks broad values that will provide membership for all. Until the two can agree it is simply disputed territory, like two countries in an relentless struggle for power.

Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander the Great   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. Even at an early age, Alexander had the promise to become a great leader. Through all his victories and conquests, he has become a great hero and has had a large impact on history. That is why I chose he book Alexander the Great, by J.R. Hamilton for my review. Hamilton does a very good job with the story of Alexander the Great.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins by talking about the Macedonian homeland and the make up of the people, their culture. Alexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia he was the son of Philip II, king of Macedonia, and of Olympias, a princess of Epirus. After discussing his parents and their relationship, Hamilton talks about how Aristotle was Alexander's tutor from age 13 to 16 and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. The book then talks about how well prepared Alexander was to take over the throne. Then, in the summer of 336 BC Philip was assassinated, and Alexander took over the Macedonian throne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamilton does a very good and descriptive job of how Alexander soon showed his power when the large city of Thebes revolted in 335. Alexander stormed the city with mighty force and took 30,000 people as slaves. An important point the book discussesnext is when Alexander begins...

The Fall Of The Roman Empire :: essays research papers fc

The Fall of the Roman Empire For men who had easily endured hardship, danger and difficult uncertainty, leisure and riches, though in some ways desirable, proved burdensome and a source of grief. The causes for the breakdown of the early Roman Republic cannot be attributed to a single event, trend or individual, rather it was due to a combination of all three in varying degrees. The principal and fundamental cause was the breakdown of the political checks and balances, particularly the Cursus Honorum from 133 BC onwards. This subversion occurred both accidentally and through the subversive behavior of individuals, unconsciously and consciously undermining the fabric of the republic in their quest for power and glory. One substantial outcome of this incapacitation was the emergence of violence as a political means. Once this had occurred the end of the old republic was heralded an autocratic dictatorship was born. The republic was born out of a collapsed monarchy and was specifically geared to prevent a centraliz ation of power. The mechanisms to this end were contained in the Cursus Honorum, a document that outlined the ladder of offices. It demanded, among other things, 10 years of military or legal service before any magistracy could be held, annual election and two years between consecutive offices. This system was designed to ensure that no individual could become too powerful by dividing jurisdiction between several groups and allowing for veto. The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius are often blamed for causing divisions and antagonizing the aristocracy and particularly the senate by introducing laws and legislation that, although promoting egalitarianism for the poor, were catalysts to later breaches of the Cursus Honorum. Both Tiberius and Gaius had laws enacted without consulting the senate. This weakened the senate's power and started a trend of ignoring the senate that remained until the breakdown. These Graccian reforms included the implementation of a welfare system whereby R omans citizens would be given free corn and the Lex Agraria or land reforms that broke down the latafundia and increased the number of small-scale farms. The welfare corn system not only aroused violent anger from the nobility but also created an urban mob that relied on handouts and later participated in violence. Tiberius Gracchus ran for election to the tribunate for two years consecutively (123 and 122 BC). This was in direct contradiction to the Cursus Honorum. The senate, when they heard of Tiberius' plan, killed him.

Bias of Roots and Culture Essay

Discussing roots and culture is often a very subjective topic. Quite often, the same story is interpreted entirely differently, depending on who is telling the story. This principle is also true in fictional works. A narrator will bring his/her own perspective and biases into the events that he or she is telling about. In Raymond Carver’s Cathedral, the first-person narrator has several biases that are used to reveal character. This first-person narrator has both positive and negative biases, and insights that clearly represent his character. The narrator in Cathedral has biases that serve to create his character well. Some of these are positive, and some are negative. The first clear bias that is made clear is a positive one. In the introduction of the story, as the narrator is giving background information on his wife, he speaks of her first husband. The manner in which he speaks of her impresses upon the reader of how little this first marriage matters to him, and thus shows that he acknowledges his wife has a past, and that he loves her just the same. Carver shows the narrators’ indifference to this first husband when â€Å"why should he have a name? † (Responding to Literature, 439) is asked. Another one of the biases the narrator has does not serve to create such a positive picture of him. This negative bias is the narrators’ bias against the blind in the beginning of the story. He speaks of them as very somber, as his idea of blind people was that all the â€Å"blind moved slowly and never laughed. † (438) These insights into the mind of the first-person narrator help to establish him as a character. The use of first-person narration in Raymond Carvers Cathedral serves to establish the narrator as a legitimate character well. The reader is given direct insight into the thoughts of the narrator, which would not be possible from other perspectives. For example, the reader is given a direct path into the narrators’ thoughts of the blind mans’ wife, Beulah. Without the words actually being spoken, the reader knows that the narrator feels sorry for her, without having ever met the blind man. He believes that Beulah must have had a â€Å"pitiful life† since she could â€Å"never see herself as he was seen in the eyes of her loved one†(440). Wordless insights into thoughts, such as this, are the true point of having a first-person narrator; because not only is the reader given a picture of the narrators’ thoughts, it serves to create a more dynamic, lifelike character, and not merely a lifeless voice that is tediously moving through words. First-person narration is always all about perspective, and consequently, bias. All first-person narration in fiction is chosen specifically for the purpose of having that bias, and those individual ideas that make for an interesting telling of a story. Raymond Carver’s Cathedral uses the first person narration very well, for that exact purpose. This story’s biases and partialities are used to separate the reader, and only see the narrators’ version of what happened. Had the story been told from the perspective of the blind man, it would have been immensely different. Biases come from ones’ culture and environment. Ideally, stories and retellings of events would be completely honest; but prejudices and tensions gradually become the general theme of the story, to the point that roots, culture, and acceptance thereof become irrelevant, and nothing remains but intolerance.

Men’s Wearhouse: Success in a Declining Industry Essay

Diagnosis: After reading the whole case, I believe that the hiring policy was not followed was the biggest problem. The reason that was because the regional and district managers did not really follow the way it should be. Since the company expanded rapidly, the managers had the pressure to fill positions quickly in order to run the company well. At the meanwhile, managers had to check a large numbers of applications from sales people from other retailers and it was really hard for managers to recognize who were potentially consultants, not clerks. Therefore, there was tendency to hire those who had more experiences. The company spent a lot of resources on training people who grew up in retail they lack of potential to be consultants and mentally being a sort of â€Å"clerk† kind and it would be less effective. Also when they face to customers they probably lack of passion and sluggishly during work. The long-term impact of the problem would be there were not enough employees qualified as consultants and clerks would not get promoted. And customers who were treated sluggishly would not come back, eventually would affect company’s reputation and sales volume in long-term Analysis: Since employees who grew up in retail they lack of potential to be consultants and mentally being a sort of â€Å"clerk† kind, therefore it would be hard for company to change their minds. By using SWOT analysis, I found out strengths of this company was the core idea that they are not just selling cloths but also understanding people, both your teammates and your customers. The weakness was not every employee understand this idea and treat customers the company wishes. Opportunities were their minds would be change after intensive training. Threat would be company spent extra resources on training. Recommendation: My suggestion on this problem is managers should be more responsible for hiring employees, and also they can get commissions if people who get promoted as qualified consultants. In the meanwhile, their wages would reduce if potential consultants perform badly in the future. By performance appraisal and sales data, superior mangers can make decisions on whether inferior managers get commissions or not. Outcomes: I expect mangers would follow the fundamental way to hire employees and they directly take responsibilities for their performance of those they hired. Mangers would be careful when they check the applications and since the employees have more consultant potentials than being a â€Å"clerk†, the company would save a lot of resources and spend these resources on more effective uses

Dramatic Conventions

Dario Fo- Can’t Pay? Won’t pay! Can't Pay? Won't Pay! Is based on Dario Fo's â€Å"Non Si Paga? Non Si Paga! â€Å", a political work that he wrote to highlight the dilemma of ordinary Italian workers during the economic crisis of the 1970s. It is said that through Dario Fo’s plays he becomes both the peoples entertainer and the peoples spokesman. What is meant by this is that Fo better connects with his audience by entertaining them with their own thoughts. He speaks for the audience and stands up for the working class citizens and political injustice.His play implied that he had full support for the lower class workers even though they commit crimes. He believed that they had no other choice than to do so, they only did it to survive. Throughout Can’t Pay? Won’t pay! Fo uses various dramatic conventions. One Dramatic convention that Fo uses to better connect with the audience is the breaking of the fourth wall. In drama the fourth wall is the in visible wall that stands between the actors on stage and the audience, it separates the world and situations created on stage from our reality.What it means to break the fourth wall is that the actors have broken down the theoretical wall between the world on stage and reality, making the audience aware that they are in fact watching a play. The way that Fo breaks down the fourth wall is by the use of the same actor in multiple roles. The character of the sergeant, inspector, old man and undertaker was played by the same actor. Fo did this to create a realisation in the audience that they had seen the same man previously making them aware that they are in fact watching a play therefore breaking down the fourth wall.Another dramatic convention that Fo’s uses throughout Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! Is the use of slapstick humor. Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense, such as in the scene where Margherita and Antonia are convincing the inspector that Margherita is going into labour when she really just has stolen goods hidden underneath her shirt. By using this style of comedy Fo connects with the middle class working man. Though this style of comedy is extremely entertaining Fo in fact is distracting us from his real point.The point that he is trying to make by using this style of comedy is saying that the government is like the style of comedy how they exceed the boundaries of common sense. Another dramatic convention used throughout the play is black humor. â€Å"Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! † Also deals with death. This happens when the sergeant accidentally bumps his head and fall unconscious. Whilst trying to revive the sergeant Antonia and Margherita give the sergeant hydrogen, which does not revive him but causes his belly to swell.This makes them believe that they have killed a policeman. Black humor made up of domestic violence and death is one of the most unique assets of the drama. Coincidences also play an important role throughout the play. Using coincidences Fo brings comedy to his audience. One example of this is example is that when Luigi and Giovanni are having difficulty deciding where to hide the sacks without being caught by the authorities this is when the undertaker appears. So both Giovanni and Luigi decide to put the sacks into the casket so that they may not be found.At the end of the play, Giovanni and Antonia find both of them have stolen something and that both of them had hid the stuff in their house. Without This coincidence they would not have been lead them to apologize to each other in the end. Throughout Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! Fo integrated real political events in his play. This play is based on a true event He was inspired by a consumer revolt during the economic crisis of the mid-1970s in which people had declined to pay inflated prices.Increased living costs and higher unem ployment rates at the time made it difficult for the working class to survive. In this play, Fo let people of the lower class and working class such as housewives and factory workers, revolt to fight for their own rights of survival. For my practical work with a monologue from Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! I had played the character of Giovanni. I had recreated the scene from act one where Giovanni cleans up after Margherita’s water breaks. The character Giovanni is a man of integrity.He would rather die than steal and had even claimed he would kill his wife if he ever found out that she has stolen. He created Giovanni to mock those in society who obey the government under any circumstances. This scene perfectly illustrates his point. In this scene we see that Giovanni is quite naive to the process of childbirth and is willing to accept it even though it makes no sense whatsoever. This is shown in the line â€Å"Blimey, all this water! But what a strange smell, like vi negar†¦ yeah, sort of brine. I’ll be damned I didn't know that before being born we spent nine months brine? †.As we can see Giovanni is extremely gullible and will believe almost anything that he is told, this also adds to the comedic element of the scene. Dario Fo’s play â€Å"Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! † Has used various types of dramatic conventions such as black humor, the breaking down of the fourth wall, use of slapstick humor and coincidences. These features are why Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! Has become one of Fo’s most famous works of drama. Fo’s Trait of writing politically controversial plays about working class has changed views on political injustice and has successfully obtained the support of audiences everywhere.

To What Extent do Western Concepts of Ill-Health Limit Policies and Projects Aimed at Improving the Health of Those in the Developing World

Executive Summary Current health policies on malnutrition and HIV infection are focused in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations. Specifically, these goals include reduction of malnutrition incidence since 1990 by 50% and reversal in the trend of HIV epidemic by 2015. This essay aims to critically analyse these two policies in achieving their respective aims and objectives and the factors that contribute to the success of these policies. A brief discussion on the Western concepts of ill-health and how these relate to the concepts of ill-health in developing countries is also made. Results of the analysis show that engaging communities and allowing them to take ownership of strategies to prevent malnutrition is effective in reducing incidence of malnutrition. The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) campaign illustrates how developing countries could positively respond to healthcare policies introduced by developed countries. However, not all developing countries are nearing or have achieved the 50% reduction in malnutrition incidence. Lack of community involvement has been shown to affect the progress of the SUN campaign. The same principle of community-based interventions is also used on the policy for HIV infection. Success rate for HIV policy is high with millions of affected individuals accessing healthcare services compared to only 400,000 in 2004. This would show that policies to increase treatment have succeeded. However, prevention of HIV infection remains challenging. Analysis would show that engaging in risky sexual behaviour is a critical factor in developing HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa. Changing the behaviour of a target population is established to be difficult. While community-based interventions and participation have contributed to the success of these policies, analysis would reveal that there is a need to increase the technical competencies of the stakeholders in the communities. This would ensure sustainability of programmes long after external aid has stopped. The differences in the concepts of ill-health also appear to influence the success of policies in developing nations. It is also argued that achieving all the aims and objectives of the policies might not necessarily solve the problem of malnutrition and HIV infection. Both conditions have multiple underlying causes and addressing all these would take considerable time and effort. In conclusion, policies have made great strides in improving nutrition of children and mothers and decreasing the incidence of HIV infection. Concerted effort from various stakeholders is still needed to make changes sustainable. Introduction The main aim of this brief is to critically analyse the policies, ‘Reducing Hunger and Malnutrition in Developing Countries’ (Department for International Development, 2013) and the global policy on HIV/AIDS Epidemic (KFF, 2013). Both healthcare policies are designed to improve the health and well-being of mothers and young children and those suffering from HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The first part describes these two policies while the second part discusses the Western concepts of ill health and how these limit policies and projects aimed at developing countries. The third part provides a theoretical assessment of the policies. A discussion on the underlying assumptions and views of healthcare in terms of belief structures and philosophy will be included. The fourth part presents the practical problems with implementation. Finally, a conclusion will summarise the main points raised in this essay. Recommendations will also be made at the end of this brief. Policies on Malnutrition and HIV/AIDS The ‘Reducing Hunger and Malnutrition in Developing Countries’ (Department for International Development, 2013) aims to help individuals gain access to nutritious diet, ensure that food is distributed fairly across the world and mitigate environmental risks and damages that could influence food production. In line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the policy has set out several objectives that should be achieved by 2015. This includes reducing malnutrition since 1990 by 50%. Meanwhile, the ‘Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic’ policy (KFF, 2013) aims to stop and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is consistent with the United Nation’s MDGs that by 2015, the HIV/AID epidemic will be controlled and incidence will decline. It is estimated that a total of 18.9 billion USD have funded HIV/AIDs preventive and treatment programmes in 2012 (KFF/UNAIDS, 2013). Although there is a global decrease in the trend of this epidemic, incidence of HIV/AIDS is still high in middle and low-income countries (UNAIDS, 2013). Most of those suffering from this health condition do not have access to healthcare services, treatment and management (UNAIDS, 2013). Importantly women and young girls are more susceptible of the infection compared to men (British HIV Association, 2012). Of the 35 million individuals believed to be suffering from the condition, 3.3 million of these are children (UNAIDS, 2013). Majority (71%) of persons living with HIV/AIDS reside in Sub-Saharan Africa (Health Protection Agency, 2012). The objectives of this policy include decreasing HIV prevalence amongst the young population aged 15-24 years; increase condom use especially in high-risk sex; increase the proportion of young people with correct knowledge on HIV/AIDs infection; and increase the proportion of individuals with advanced stages of the disease gain access to antiretroviral medications. Western Concept of Ill-Health Western concepts of ill-health could limit the policies on malnutrition and HIV/AIDS when introduced in developing nations. First, definitions of ‘ill-health’ could vary between Western and developing countries. There is variation in how ill-health is perceived even amongst professional, academic and the public (Wikman et al., 2005). Ill-health is also viewed differently across disciplines. For instance, the medical model of health has been accepted for several years in Western healthcare in the past (Wikman et al., 2005). This model states that ill-health is caused by pathogenic microorganisms or underlying pathologies (Dutta, 2008). However, even this concept has changed within healthcare systems. Today, many healthcare professionals have recognised that ill-health is not only caused by pathogenic organisms but social determinants of health such as poor nutrition, unemployment or stress could all influence ill-health (Dutta, 2008). Wikman et al. (2005) acknowledges tha t ill-health could be understood by using a multi-perspective approach. Concepts of ill-health are also considered as historically and culturally specific (Blas and Kurup, 2010). This means that ill-health varies across culture and time. For instance, in Western culture, obesity is considered as ill-health (Blas and Kurup, 2010). In other countries, obesity is viewed as socially acceptable since this is a sign of wealth. In Western culture, findings of scientific publications are used to underpin health policies against HIV (Bogart et al., 2011). Use of condoms to protect against HIV infection is viewed as acceptable. In some African countries, use of condoms is seen to reduce one’s masculinity (Willis, 2003; MacPhail and Campbell, 2001). Importantly, anal sex in some of these countries is practised to avoid pregnancy or viewed as a cleansing method against the virus for HIV/AIDS (Bogart and Bird, 2003). Hence, these differences in the concept of ill-health could influence the uptake of global health policies in developing nations. To illustrate t his argument, the policies on malnutrition and HIV/AIDS will be critiqued. A discussion how western concepts of ill health influence the uptake of these policies in the developing countries would also be done. Analysis and Discussion Attention on acute and chronic malnutrition is unprecedented in recent years (Shoham et al., 2013). The involvement of the UK, through its policy for malnutrition and hunger, with other countries in the scaling up nutrition (SUN) campaign has brought significant changes on the lives of children who are malnourished. The policy on malnutrition is underpinned by the philosophy on health equity and social determinants of health (Ezzati et al., 2003). Western concepts of ill-health focus on the social determinants of ill-health as a factor in promoting malnutrition in developing countries. For example, unemployment of parents, low levels of education, early years, poverty, homelessness are some social determinants of health strongly suggested to promote malnutrition amongst children (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2005). Uptake of policies for malnutrition in developing countries might be limited if these determinants are not properly addressed. Farmer (2003) explains that cultural beliefs on foo d, poor knowledge on the nutritional value of food and food production practices have long contributed to malnutrition in many countries. Policies on malnutrition might no be effective if these do not address the root causes of malnutrition, which are poverty, poor knowledge on food nutrition and poor farming practices (Farmer, 2003). Power structure also plays a role in how policies are implemented. Farmer (2003) stresses that unless the poor are empowered and their rights protected would true development occur. In recent years, there have been improvements in the lives of the poor, specifically on nutrition status. Marmot and Wilkinson (2005) emphasise that presence of poverty and unemployment could all influence health. However, there is evidence that in some developing countries, malnutrition policies have gained success. An analysis would show that involvement of the community plays a crucial role in ensuring success of these policies. For example, Shoham et al. (2013) report that the community based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) approach contributed to its success in some 65 developing countries across the world. Communities are mobilised and they gain ownership of the programme. Individuals help in detecting uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and refer children to established out-patient centres. Complicated cases are referred as in-patients in the health sector staff. While the UNICEF (Nabarro, 2013) reported that 10% of the 20 million suspected cases of SAM have been treated through the scaling up nutrition campaign, other target countries have not kept up with the campaign. Policies that have gained acceptance in developing countries are those that empower communities to take actions for their own health. Empowering women through education has been shown to lead to more positive changes in the health of children ages 5 years old and below (Farmer, 2003). Policies that increase the educational levels of women were shown to reduce erroneous perceptions on the causes of malnutrition (Wikman et al., 2005). Shoham et al. (2013) observe that failure to implement the CMAM approach and educating women on malnutrition limits the success of malnutrition policies in communities. A number of studies (Bhutta, 2013; Black et al., 2013; Pinstrup-Andersen, 2013; Nabarro, 2013; Loevinsohn and Harding, 2005) have shown the effectiveness of engaging communities and empowering them to improve the nutritional status of women and children. While factors such as engaging communities and allowing them to take ownership of programmes have been shown to promote uptake of policies, there are still factors that limit policy uptake. These include failure to address the social determinants of health such as poverty, low levels of education, poor support of the children during early life years and unemployment (Loevinsohn and Harding, 2005). It has been shown that when these factors are present, malnutrition is also high (Pinstrup-Andersen, 2013). There is also a need to understand the perceptions of women and children on food and nutrition to better understand why malnutrition continue to exist in a number of developing countries. Meanwhile, the policy on HIV/AIDS also promote health by engaging communities in implementing projects aimed at preventing HIV transmission (KFF, 2013; British HIV Infection, 2012; Department for International Development, 2013). To date, HIV infection epidemic has stabilised and the number of individuals receiving treatment has increased to 9.7 million in 2012 (UNAIDS, 2013). In contrast, only 400,000 individuals with advanced HIV infection receive treatment in 2004. A closer analysis of the cause of HIV infection would still point to risky behaviours of those engaging in unprotected sex and injecting drug users as factors that promote HIV infection (KFF/UNAIDS, 2013). This is a cause of concern since there is still the prevailing cultural belief in a number of African countries that use of condom is unmanly (Willis, 2003; MacPhail and Campbell, 2001). Connolly et al. (2004) argue that changing behaviour of the target population is most difficult. Consequences of HIV infection extend to unborn children of mother infected with HIV (UNAIDS, 2013). To date, there have been various interventions to prevent HIV infection. These include behaviour changes, increase in HIV screening, male circumcision, use of condoms, harm reduction amongst in injecting drug users and blood supply safety (UNAIDS, 2013). Amongst these strategies, changing behaviour remains to be an important intervention that could prevent further spread of the virus. Experts suggest that risky sexual behaviour could only be changed through the use of different health models. For example, the health belief model could be used to inform the target population on the risk of HIV (Health Protection Agency, 2012). In addition, facilitators to behaviour change, such as decreasing stigma on HIV infection, increasing access to healthcare services could help individuals adopt less r isky sexual behaviour (Greeff et al., 2008). Patients with HIV often perceive stigma from their own healthcare workers (Kohi et al., 2006; Holzemer and Uys, 2004). This could impact not only the quality of care received by those with HIV infection but might also limit them from gaining further medical treatment. On the other hand, reducing malnutrition by 50% since 1990 has not been achieved in most countries yet (UNICEF, 2014). This is important since the United Nations aims to achieve this target by next year. Food production is continuously affected by stronger typhoons and turbulent weather patterns (KFF, 2013). Droughts appear to be longer, affecting agriculture and livestock production (KFF, 2013). Specifically, the UNICEF (2014) acknowledges that the most vulnerable groups to increasing weather disturbance brought by climate change are the poor people. This is especially challenging in the light of the MDGs since decreases in food production in developing countries could further have an impact on the nutritional status of the women and children (Bryce et al., 2008; Taylor et al., 2013). Climate change has important implications on policies for malnutrition. Even if community-based initiatives are strongly in place and individuals have learned to produce their own food, changes in weat her patterns could impact agriculture activities. The UNICEF (2014) has highlighted this issue and using current experiences, community rehabilitation after a typhoon or drought would mean increased challenges in addressing malnutrition amongst the poorest of the poor. Even if all objective are achieved, there is no full guarantee that malnutrition will be completely eradicated in developing nations. To date, there are best practices (SUN, 2013) showing that community involvement and partnership with government and non-government organisations could arrest severe acute and chronic malnutrition. A number of developing countries, especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa are still struggling with malnutrition despite external aid. The same observation is also made in this region on HIV infection where the poorest amongst the poor remain to be most vulnerable to the infection (SUN, 2013). Hence, it would be necessary to investigate the real cause of malnutrition and HIV infection in developing countries. There are multiple underlying causes of malnutrition and all interact to increase the risk of children for malnutrition. First, poverty has been highlighted earlier in this essay as an important factor for development of malnutrition (Horton and Lo, 2013). This essay also argues that maternal level of education is a significant factor in the nutrition of children (Black et al., 2013). The World Health Organization (2011) acknowledges that children born to mothers with at least a high school education enjoy better health compared to children with mothers who have lower educational levels. This observation is consistent across literature (UNICEF, 2014; Black et al, 2013) and illustrates the importance of increasing the education level of mothers. In Sub-Saharan countries that often experience conflicts, malnutrition is often caused by displacement of families and children from their homes and livelihood to evacuation centres with minimal food support (UNICEF, 2014). Apart from conflicts, recent effects of climate change have also changed the way developed countries respond to problems of food security (Taylor et al., 2013). As shown in the UK policy for hunger and malnutrition, funds are also directed to innovations and research on how to respond to environmental damages caused by climate change (UNICEF, 2014). It should be noted that changes in weather patterns, flooding and drought could have a great impact on food security and sustainability (Department for International Development, 2013). In comparison with the policy on HIV infection, the policy on hunger and malnutrition would have a greater impact on the health of the nation. It has been shown that improving nutrition during the first 1000 days of a child’s life could lead to better health outcomes, higher educational attainment and productivity later in adult life (Bhutta, 2013). Malnutrition during a child’s first two years of life could have irreversible effects on the child’s health (Bhutta, 2013). This could lead to stunting, cognitive impairment, early death and if the child reaches adulthood, difficulty in finding a job (Nabarro, 2013). The number of children and mothers suffering from malnutrition is also higher compared to individuals suffering from HIV infection. However, HIV infection could also have an impact on maternal and child health since infected mothers could transmit the virus to their unborn child (KFF, 2013). Women with HIV also suffer more stigma compared to their male co unterparts (Sandelowski et al., 2004). Recommendations and Conclusion In conclusion, the two policies discussed in this brief reveal strategies in preventing and treating malnutrition and HIV infection. Responses of developing countries to these strategies differ. Countries where communities are involved in the implementation of strategies are generally more successful in addressing these health problems. This would show that community involvement play a crucial role in the uptake of Western policies in developing countries. However, the lack of success in some countries might be attributed to the differences in the concept of ill-health between affluent and developing countries, socio-economic context of poor countries and difficulty in changing one’s health behaviour. Finally, this essay suggests that a more holistic approach should be taken in addressing the social determinants of health to ensure that children have access to nutritious food and HIV infection is prevented. References Bhutta, Z. (2013). ‘Early nutrition and adult outcomes: pieces of the puzzle [Online]. The Lancet, 382(9891), pp. 486-487. 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