Effective Privatization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Characteristics of stratification system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qualities of definition framework - Essay Example Fifthly, the imbalance differentiation has certain levels which might be low in less propelled separation framework, high in frameworks, for example, standing and slave social orders while a gentle level exists in medium definition social orders (UVAWISE para.3). Credit and accomplishment are implies through which individuals from the separation ascend through the positions to secure a characterized position in the general public. While certain definition frameworks rise because of fulfillment, others are gained by normal belongingness to a particular class of the general public. For example, an idea that slaves are probably going to conceive slaves may make it hard to ascend the definition framework. Legitimation is the inborn assent and acknowledgment of the general public that the pioneers of the separation framework bear the obvious option to involve higher statuses. In a force delineation framework, for example, individuals from the represented network have undoubted assent that those in places of intensity, consequently giving authenticity to their reality. Four social frameworks rise up out of legitimation and they incorporate elites, systems, political economies and worth frameworks (UVAWISE

Definitive Guide to Loss Leader Pricing

Definitive Guide to Loss Leader Pricing © Shutterstock.com | bizvectorImagine that you are a retailer who sells a variety of goods to consumers. Of course, you must first purchase your merchandise from the suppliers and manufacturers who sell the goods in the first place. Now according to normal business sense, you would say that it makes complete logical sense to sell it at a higher price than the purchasing price. That is how businesses make a profit. That is how they maintain a profit margin.This seems understandable and something we can all agree upon. Now what if we told you that some retailers actually decide to sell their products at a lower price, thereby incurring a loss instead of a profit on the goods sold. You might find that hard to believe. “Why would any retailer sell at a loss?” This is actually a common practice employed in the retail business and you have most likely bought goods in this manner.Loss leader pricing is the act of selling goods at a lower price than their purchasing cost, thereby effect ively selling them without earning a direct profit. It might be puzzling as to how this business strategy makes sense. Luckily, this guide on loss leader pricing will solve that puzzle for you and clarify any questions you have on the subject matter.We will explain the reasons for retailers implementing this sales and marketing strategy as well as the manner in which it is employed. We will also give examples of loss leader pricing to give you a better idea of this particular sales promotion strategy.WHAT IS LOSS LEADER PRICING?Before we describe the reasons and benefits of implementing loss leader pricing, we will formally define the term to make it clear for this entire report.“An aggressive cost setting strategy where retailers set the price of goods below the market cost to attract customers.” â€" Business DictionaryIn addition to this definition, it is worthy to note that the product or service being sold below the market cost is called a loss leader. For instance, grocery stores and department stores use loss leader pricing to promote their goods, such as some fruits and vegetables, to get more customers to buy their other products on the shelves.It gets customers to come through the door and see you vast selection of merchandise that you are offering that could intrigue customers. This is actually the ulterior motive for businesses to use loss leader pricing and enhance their profits on the other goods. While customers are at the store, they will see other profitable goods and be enticed into buying them.STRATEGY AND BENEFIT OF LOSS LEADER PRICINGLoss leader pricing is a very effective sales promotion technique to get more people to enter your store to buy more goods. When these customers purchase loss leaders, they are inherently saving money on buying goods. As they believe they are saving money, they can used this “saved money” to buy other things from your store that are priced much higher to make a profit.This works in your favor as a retai ler because you get to sell your loss leaders and the products that are set at a higher price. Ultimately, you make a profit by selling the goods.These products are actually called loss leaders because they “lead” customers into buying other products from your store that are priced higher. Loss leaders play an integral role in a company’s sales and marketing strategies. We have summarized some key advantages of the loss leader pricing method.Advantages of Loss Leader PricingIncreasing Sales â€" By offering selected products at a much lower price, you as the retailer can make profits on the goods that your buyers will purchase with their savings. You directly increase exposure on the loss leaders and you indirectly boost exposure on the leads. This will actually increase your sales.Exposure to New Stores â€" A very good method to get customers into going to one of your new outlets is to offer goods at a very low price. The enticing prices you set will get more people to go ther e and your new outlet will flourish just as well as any of the other existing ones.Clearing Inventory  â€"When your outlet is about to receive a new stock of goods but you are still holding on to older goods on your shelves, you need to find a way to get rid of them. Loss leader pricing is a good way of quickly eliminating merchandise to make room for your new stock.Marketing  â€" Loss leader pricing is a great sales promotion strategy to quickly promote some new products by selling them temporarily at a very low price. This draws in more customers and helps spread the word about your retail store.HOW TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT LOSS LEADER PRICINGAlthough it is an amazing marketing strategy, loss leader pricing needs to be applied correctly in order to reap the benefits. Otherwise, you will only experience losses. Years and years of research have shown that product placement plays a key role in driving more sales.Additionally, the type of products you set as loss leaders will determin e how much money you actually earn as profits. Some products simply sell better than others do. That is where conducting market research on your consumer base is very important to realize exactly which products should be discounted and which ones should be sold at a higher price.This is where the loss leaders need to be clearly defined in your store. They should be placed at the end of an aisle or at the back of the store, far away from the entrance. This forces customers to walk all the way to the end to actually get it. While you want to make the customer experience as easy as possible, you also want to expose them to other interesting products along the way. This is your opportunity to strategically place your leads in locations and arrange them in such a manner that attracts customers into buying them, too.Make sure you assign the right product the title of loss leader. When an obscure, unpopular product has its priced drastically slashed, it may not catch everybody’s attentio n. The product is not well known by everyone. However, if your loss lead is a common product that everyone buys regularly, you have a higher chance of people purchasing it. They are aware of the normal price and will instantly realize the sweet bargain they are getting with the price slashes you set on them. Therefore, loss leader pricing is usually a successful technique when it is performed on the right products.There are certain times of the year, like in winter and in summer, where loss leader pricing is very effective and can drastically boost your sales. During Christmas, retailers generally provide sales on all goods but some are more discounted than others. When you badly need to clear some merchandise during the holiday season, make those goods your loss leaders. Everything else can be your leads.As a result, you clear your inventory and sell more of your leads. The same can be applied in mid-summer sales to get rid of some goods that you do not want on the shelves in the u pcoming colder seasons.Disadvantages of Loss Leader PricingWe do not want to paint this marketing strategy as a perfect method that has not drawbacks. Every marketing technique has some drawbacks that definitely need to be considered. Failure to consider the downsides of misusing or mishandling loss leader pricing can result in major losses with no returning profits whatsoever.We have listed some of these problems below. We also gave you some details on the measures you can take to avert them to get the best out of this tactic.Risk of Loss â€" Some companies have some loss leaders and some leads in their stores but they never analyze the sales of the products and pairings. This could lead to significant losses, as having products drastically discounted does not guarantee a boost in sales and an increase in profits. Always monitor and evaluate your sales on these goods and determine if you are satisfied with the results. If they are less than anticipated, then it is best to change th ings up and determine new loss leaders and leads for your retail store.Cherry Pickers â€" One major problem that is closely associated with loss leader pricing is the presence of “cherry pickers”, buyers who only buy the goods that are discounted but they never consider buying the other products that are you leads. Some buyers cherry pick the best deals when they go shopping. Hence, they are termed cherry pickers. This poses a serious problem to retailers because the regular priced items, your leads, are never being sold. In order to curtail this issue, restrictions are placed on the number of loss leads you can purchase at any given time.Stockpiling â€" Another frequent problem of this marketing strategy is when customers purchase in bulk because they are getting a bargain for now. They want to cash in on the situation and they think that they do not have to buy it again in the near future. Just as with the problem with cherry pickers, retailers can curtail the quantity of good s bought by any given customer.Possibility of Deception â€" If the goods are being sold at a discounted price for too long, then customers will start to think that the discounted price is the regular price. When you decide to discontinue the loss leader pricing scheme, then customers will instantly notice it and studies show that retailers experience a drop in sale. In order to prevent this issue, clearly state that the discount is limited time offer with a definite end date. As a result, your unit sales will not drop after you stop giving discounts. EXAMPLES OF LOSS LEADER PRICINGYou have a good idea of the basic concepts of loss leader pricing as a marketing strategy and how it can be used effectively to benefit retailers. Additionally, we would like to present some cases where loss leader pricing are used to generate more sales and increase customer base. This will help you see how beneficial it can be and perhaps you can implement it in your retail business in some manner.Exampl e 1 â€" Perishable GroceriesFruits and vegetables do not last forever. You refrigerator helps to extend their lifetime, but that is only by a few more days at best. In grocery stores, these goods are not even contained in a cold environment but they are stored in baskets and crates usually at room temperature. Eventually, fruits and vegetables will rot and because many people buy these goods based on their appearance, it becomes very difficult to sell them. This poses a major problem to grocery stores, as they need to get rid of their inventory to replace it with a new batch of perishable goods.A typical technique that stores like Kroger, Costco, and Walmart use is to sell these products at a ridiculously low price, so low that is below the market cost. It may seem as if they are selling at a loss but in fact, they are actually making a sizeable profit on other goods. These supermarkets will strategically place these perishable groceries at the back of the store so that consumers wa lk through the entire store to get there, looking at other things along the way.Supermarkets use this opportunity to promote other products (leads) that are similar to the goods being discounted (loss leaders) that may encourage a purchase in shoppers. As a result, the supermarket gets rid of their older goods and buyers will spend more money because they have saved money on some groceries and can use their savings on other things.Did you ever notice why some goods, particularly milk, are always at the very end of a supermarket? It is a highly consumed product and several studies show that many people go into a grocery store just to buy a carton of milk. Many people open their fridge and realize they have some things but they are running out of milk.Grocery stores successfully take advantage of this situation and slash the price of milk on several occasions while promoting other goods, too. Markets sell more milk (which quickly rot) and they sell other goods where they make their re al profit. A win-win situation.Example 2 â€" Free SamplesLoss leader pricing is commonly implemented in supermarkets and grocery stores. The example above clearly demonstrated that. Another instance of these stores using this marketing strategy is when they offer free samples of food to customers. We are sure that you have seen this before.You are walking down the aisle at your local supermarket, looking for something to buy, and you see a salesperson standing by a stall offering shoppers free samples of some food. This is a good way to introduce customers to a new product during a soft launch. Besides receiving free samples, customers sometimes receive coupons that they can redeem on their subsequent purchase.The reason why this method is effective is due to psychology. When you receive a free sample of a new product and are sweet-talked by the salesperson, you feel compelled to buy the product. While there will be some who just eat the free sample and walk away, they are heavily o utnumbered by the number of people who taste a sample and then feel compelled to buy the actual product. Psychology plays a key role in selling goods and loss leader pricing plays with the buyers’ psychology. They subconsciously feel obliged to buy the item after sampling it.You give out a tiny amount of your product to customers for free but you can quickly move large amounts of it out of the store with this method. It effectively nets you more customers that you did not have before. This is a secondary effect of loss leader pricing by giving away samples â€" acquiring new consumers and keeping them.Here is q quick introduction to the psychology of pricing. Example 3 â€" Black Friday and Cyber MondayIf there is one time of the year, where shoppers look for the best deals on the marketplace, it is definitely the Friday after Thanksgiving. It is called Black Friday, the biggest and wildest shopping experience that originated in the US but has now spread throughout the world. Retail stores slash the prices on several of their products that customers are very familiar with.Retailers, such as Walmart, K-mart, Toys R Us, and Best Buy, just to name a few, give promotional offers on selected things like toys, apparel, and electronics. There are instances where buyers can grab something at 50% off the usual price! That is a steal in everybody’s eyes and they instantly run to the stores on Black Friday to buy something at their heart’s content.By saving so much money on selected goods, they feel like they can use their savings and spend it on something else in the store. This is where retailers make their money. You might think that stores incur a significant loss by selling all of these heavily discounted goods at a low price but to the contrary, they benefit greatly from this. Retail stores can clear inventory quickly during Black Friday and quickly sell new inventory with these massive reductions in price.Likewise, another holiday takes place a couple of days after Black Friday that has the same intentions, only that it is conducted online. This event is called Cyber Monday and on this day, online retailers such as Amazon and EBay offer massive sales on several products. Many people are too busy enjoying Thanksgiving on Thursday and enjoy it until the weekend.The only time they have to buy something is on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Hence, Cyber Monday began and online retailers took advantage of this. These retailers receive the same benefits as other ones do on Black Friday. Loss leader pricing works wonders when giving massive sales.Example 4 â€" E-commerceWe primarily talked about brick and mortar stores until now, although in the previous example we briefly mentioned online stores. We would like to dive deeper with online retailers and the manner in which they implement loss leader pricing into their marketing strategy. E-commerce is a great place to employ loss leader pricing to attract customers to your website and generate tra ffic.Amazon and EBay started the online business trend by offering users special discounts on selected goods. If you ever go to their sites, you will see landing pages or banners of promotional offers on some products. When you click on them and view the actual product, you will notice something else that entices many online customers. There is a section called “People also viewed” to attract customers to view other products that may not even be discounted.Let us analyze this a little bit. The goods being promoted are the loss leaders because the online retailer wants to attract viewers into going through their website and see the goods. In doing so, the viewers will be exposed to other products, or leads, that are at a higher price but just as appealing. Typically, the leads are related to the loss leaders to get more people into viewing them and even buying them. This is a very good way of increasing sales.Following the success of these tactics by Amazon and EBay, many brick a nd mortar stores decided to follow suit and create their own e-commerce solutions for buyers. Now major retailers like IKEA, HM, and Best Buy have online stores using loss leader pricing as an effective strategy to entice more customers into buying goods online and increasing traffic to the site.Example 5 â€" New Outlet and New CompetitorA very good example where loss leader pricing is very effective is when a retail chain opens a new outlet. Shoppers are used to frequenting a particular outlet of a brand because it is convenient for them. When a company decides to create a new outlet to reach new customers in different locations, it still wants to drive customers into coming from other locations to boost sales even higher.For instance, consider Lidl, one of Germany’s largest retail chain stores. They have plenty of outlets everywhere but they still plan to expand to other locations to acquire even more customers. In doing so, they are entering areas where their competitors exist. They have stiff competition because the consumers in that area are accustomed to the competitors, not to this new retailer.This is where loss leader pricing comes into play. Lidl will offer crazy offers on selected goods, selling them at a much lower price than any of the competitors are currently doing on the market. In addition, Lidl will tell customers of their other nearby outlets that there are amazing deals available at the new outlet.While it may be an inconvenience to drive all the way to a faraway outlet, people ultimately want to save as much money as they can. Retailers know this and capitalize on it. Next time you go to a new outlet of any store, take notice of the amount of special deals they give only at the new outlet. This is all done to drive more customers into their doors and get them to buy the loss leaders but more importantly, the leads.A similar situation arises when a brand new company bursts onto the scene. In order to stand a chance against existing, well- established competitors, they need to shake things up and offer amazing deals on their products. A very good example of this was when OnePlus, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, launched their flagship high-end phone, OnePlusOne, in 2014.In that year, Apple and Samsung were the definitive market leaders with very large consumer bases. OnePlus made the decision to retail it at a staggering low price of $399, much lower than many of the other high-end models on the market that retailed for around $599. That is $200 dollars cheaper!In doing so, OnePlus had a loss leader on their hands that attracted many customers who wanted to use a high-end flagship model but at the price of a mid-range model. They had that in the OnePlusOne. After the successful launch of this smartphone, OnePlus grew their customer base was able to generate more sales on their subsequent model, OnePlus 2, which was retailed at a higher price. They successfully created trust in their customers and generated sales to conduct more research on their future smartphones. This shows how loss leader pricing can be very effective for new companies, too.Example 6 â€" Summer and Winter Sale ClearanceWe have all seen this before; it is nothing really new. Clothing retail stores give massive sales during the middle of the summer and in the holiday season to get more customers to buy their products, thereby raising sales. The other reason for giving these massive sales is to clear inventory. When the summer starts, stores stock up on summer clothes, like bikinis, shorts, and t-shirts, because it is the perfect season to wear them. By the middle of summer, retailers want to get rid of all of their merchandise to make way for the next batch of goods, i.e. winter clothing. Hence, stores like HM and Zara slash the prices on their summer apparel to quickly sell them and clear space on the shelves.Likewise, clothing retail stores stock up on winter clothes, such as coats, jackets, and scarves, to get more people into their store and buy them. When Christmas fast approaches, retailers give mega sales on many of their winter apparel because they want to boost their sales. Besides, winter will eventually end and retailers need to clear their stock of goods quickly before the impending summer season arrives. As a result, some stores even give more winter sale clearances well after Christmas.Holding on to inventory is a major loss for clothing stores. For example, having leftover summer clothes in the winter season serves no purpose and simply wastes space in your warehouse. When that happens, you are unable to sell them because no one will buy them in the wrong season. By the time the next summer rolls in, you older clothes are out of season and the trends have changed.Therefore, clothing retail stores do everything they can to sell their merchandise before the next season arrives. Even if they sell it at an extremely low price, it ultimately helps them by being able to sell the new merchandis e at a regular price. This is how loss leader pricing is implemented in apparel stores.CONCLUSIONWe went through the key concepts of loss leader pricing, the manner in which it should be implemented to reap the biggest benefits, and the measures you should take to prevent any losses from this marketing strategy. If you are a retailer, you should definitely consider this strategy to clear your inventory of older merchandise and quickly boost your sales by using loss leaders to sell more leads.We also presented some examples to help you visualize how loss leader pricing is implemented in various situations. We are sure that you have experienced some of them firsthand and are now aware of the entire process. As a retailer, you can now implement them in your own retail business to boost your sales. It is all about merchandising, particularly visual merchandising.

The Movement for Womens Rights Inside The Yellow...

The Movement for Womens Rights Inside The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Women have been mistreated, enchained and dominated by men for most part of the human history. Until the second half of the twentieth century, there was great inequality between the social and economic conditions of men and women (Pearson Education). The battle for womens emancipation, however, had started in 1848 by the first womens rights convention, which was led by some remarkable and brave women (Pearson Education). One of the most notable feminists of that period was the writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. She was also one of the most influential feminists who felt strongly about and spoke frequently on the nineteenth-century lives for†¦show more content†¦This just shows how she is not considered to know what is best, even for her own mental health. She does not even realize that this is happening. She just says things like And what can one do? (Gilman 317) or But what does one do?† (Gilman 317). I believe the entire purpose for her mental health problems lies in t he fact that she is trying to hold back the feeling that she cannot express herself or give an opinion about her own problems. In American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site, Wohlpart claims that prior to the twentieth century, men assigned and defined women’s roles. It is considered improper for a woman to openly express dissatisfaction and anger. She says at the bottom of page 317 that she gets unreasonably angry with John sometimes and she blames it on her nervous condition.† John tells her not to neglect proper self control (Gilman 317). So she is not allowed to express herself in speech nor in her writing, which I think she used for comfort and as a release. The mental-battle with doing what is considered proper and what she wants to do is what is slowly driving her crazy. Symbolism is seen all throughout this short story. I have six examples that I found to be the most symbolic of women not having rights in the nineteenth century. The first one is the use of the character Jennie, in contrast to the protagonist, to represent lifeless women who allow such degrading treatment. She is the typical womanShow MoreRelatedThe Deeper Meaning of The Yellow Wallpaper1257 Words   |  6 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, is the disheartening tale of a woman suffering from postpartum depression. Set during the late 1890s, the story shows the mental and emotional results of the typical rest cure prescribed during that era and the narrator’s reaction to this course of treatment. It would appear that Gilman was writing about her own anguish as she herself underwent such a treatment with Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell in 1887, just two years after the birth ofRead More Gilman Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper1290 Words   |  6 PagesGilman Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚   Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, is the disheartening tale of a woman suffering from postpartum depression. Set during the late 1890s, the story shows the mental and emotional results of the typical rest cure prescribed during that era and the narrator’s reaction to this course of treatment. It would appear that Gilman was writing about her own anguish as she herself underwent such a treatment with Dr. Silas Weir MitchellRead MoreYellow Wallpaper1095 Words   |  5 Pagesreinforcing the prevailing, male-dominant gender roles through the subversion, manipulation and degrading of female experience through the use of medical treatments and power structures. 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The struggle between men and women has been changed due to many different factors; however, one of them is a powerful effect of the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†Read More Repression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper1873 Words   |  8 PagesRepression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman gives a brilliant description of the plight of the Victorian woman, and the mental agony that her and many other women were put through as treatment for depression when they found that they were not satisfied by the life they had been given.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the late nineteenth century when the Yellow Wallpaper was written, the role of wife and mother, whichRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1982 Words   |  8 Pages Inside of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written in the early nineteenth century, which was during a time of great change. During this time â€Å"domestic Ideology† was placed American women as spiritual and moral leaders of their home. Basically society prescribed a women’s role in life but, Gilman disagreed this totally. Gilman shows us this in her short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† She creates a fictionalRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1472 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, is a great example of early works pertaining to feminism and the disease of insanity. Charlotte Gilman’s own struggles as a woman, mother, and wife shine through in this short story capturing the haunting realism of a mental breakdown.The main character, much like Gilman herself, slips into bouts of depression after the birth of her c hild and is prescribed a ‘rest cure’ to relieve the young woman of her suffering. 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Clifford Olson Canadian Serial Killer Essay - 1005 Words

Clifford Olson: Canadian Serial Killer Clifford Olson is one of Canadas well known serial killers. He showed no sign of sympathy for the public all throughout his life and would eventually end up killing many innocent people and spending a good portion of his life in jail. Clifford Olson was born on January 1st 1940, in Vancouver, British Columbia. While he was growing up he was always in trouble. Even as a child in school her was referred to as a bully and not a nice kid. Then as he grew up things didnt change for the better the just got worse. As a teenager and young adult Olson found himself in trouble with the law quite frequently. From the year of 1951 to 1981 ( ages 17-21) he had 94 arrests. He was put in jail for some of†¦show more content†¦This time the victim was 13 year old Colleen Daignault. Like Christine she also lived in Surrey . Sixteen year old Darren Joshrud disappeared from the mall In Vancouver within the same as Colleen went missing. He was found On May the 2nd, 1981. He had been killed by severe blows to the head which had shattered his skull. Two weeks after Darrens body was found, Clifford Olson got married. HE married the mother of his son and the woman he had been living with since he got out of jail. But again, this didnt change the nature of Clifford Olson. Four days after his marriage, Sandra Wolfsteiner became Olsons next victim. She was 16 years old and had been hitchhiking in Langley when she went missing and was eventually killed. When she didnt show up at home from a baby-sitting job on June 21st 1981 Ada Court was reported missing to the police by her parents. She was 13 years old when she fell victim to Clifford Olson. A little over a month after Ada was reported missing the body of Judy Kozma was found mutilated in Lake Weaver, near Agassiz, in Fraser Valley. Judy had gone missing 16 days earlier on July 9th. On July the 15th the police in British Columbia held a Law Enforcement Conference. At this conference it was discussed that Olson may be responsible for the murders of all the above children. Since he was suspected the police placed Olson under their watch, in hope of preventing more murders on innocent people. HoweverShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Clifford Robert Olson1241 Words   |  5 PagesIn this paper I will be explaining the case of Clifford Robert Olson, who was arrested for the murder of 11 children in 1982.To start off, I will be giving you a quick summary about the case. Clifford Olson had a substantial criminal record. He was arrested on August 12, 1981, with the suspicion of attempts to abduct 2 girls. Just 13 days later on August 25th, he had been charged with the murder of Judy Kozma. Clifford had killed 11 children between the ages 12-18 and he refused to confess unlessRead MoreWilliam Pickton Anthropology1495 Words   |  6 Pagestheory from psychology, sociology, an d anthropology. Using each perspective, write a one page analysis of the behaviour of William Pickton. Write a perspective for each social theory (three pages in total). 2. Write a hypothesis to research a serial murderer using the following social science theories: Psychoanalysis, Functionalism, and Feminism. For example, a Marxist could look at the economic inequalities as a means of promoting a feeling of helplessness. This helpless feeling could promoteRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesWhy ERP? First Edition Larson and Gray, Project Management: The Managerial Process, Fifth Edition Leenders, Johnson, Flynn, and Fearon, Purchasing and Supply Management, Thirteenth Edition Nahmias, Production and Operations Analysis, Sixth Edition Olson, Introduction to Information Systems Project Management, Second Edition Schroeder, Goldstein, Rungtusanatham, Operations Management: Contemporary Concepts and Cases, Fifth Edition Seppanen, Kumar, and Chandra, Process Analysis and Improvement, FirstRead MoreQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 PagesWalker, and Mr. John Belvins, the Coca-Cola Company; Mr. Bill Wagner and Mr. Al Pariseau, Litton Industries; Mr. John M. Fluke, Jr., John Fluke Manufacturing Company; Dr. Paul Tobias, formerly of IBM and Semitech; Dr. William DuMouchel and Ms. Janet Olson, BBN Software Products Corporation. I would also like to acknowledge the many contributions of my late partner in Statistical Productivity Consultants, Mr. Sumner S. Averett. All of these individuals and many others have contributed to my knowledge

Can Appointments Redefine Success Free Essays

It is difficult today to manage a handful of business cards. The great way to deliver business values and to increase in the customer loyalty is one to one appointments. There is no particular formula or not any kind of competition for setting appointments. We will write a custom essay sample on Can Appointments Redefine Success? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Personal or face to face appointments can redefine success as the discussion is not done on the phone and does not involve any confusion. Organizations today are emphasizing on the personal or face to face meetings. This oldies the customer relations with the company and has great potential in closing the final deals. Major decisions, strategies and consulting is possible with a personal appointment. These are small things that can play a vital role in the success of the company. Below are benefits of appointments and face-to face meetings- Develop a personal relationship. Definitely, you can create relationships with a phone call, but it is more effective with a personal meeting. Impressive presentation will surely help develop a good relationship. Once you succeed in developing a relationship, you are more likely to make a sale. Easier to present your material- Once the appointment is set, you are sure that there would be confusion as you can present your material In person than it is over the phone. Further, In a face-to face meeting, you can get the prospect’s undivided attention. Handing the Information- In today’s technological era, it is very easy to email Information and many of us Ignore the Importance of handing somebody a hard copy. Deal In person and surely, you will get the success. Surely, setting an appointment can help redefine your success. You need to be keen on setting an appointment. Some simple tips can work wonders and can add to the success graph of the company. If you want to generate BIB appointments for the company’s benefit, then keep on Improving the methods and the tools you are using to set appointments. Share what Is going on In your mind. Talk to people and discuss the ideas about the business leads and how to set appointments for further lead generation. If you have something out of the box, share It with others. Be yourself ND believe In your Ideas. If you are willing to take the business to a new level, hire people who can take the pressure and capacity. They can work hard to make your dream true. Working with people having lesser capableness will stop the growth and you will be out of the competition. Show confidence In your team and they will feel the need to prove their capableness and trust to you. They will succeed If they are working as per their rules and comfort. They should know that you have faith In them. Identify the weak points In your BIB appointment setting team. Check the telemarketing efforts and understand the reason of the failure. After Identifying the problems In the team, It Is easy to come up with a solution. After the problem Is solved, the team along with the business moves easier and faster. You should be able to strike the balance of creatively and business. Creative Ideas can give you some new ways to Implement business Ideas. People who can Implement these Ideas In reality are also Important for a business team. Face to face appointments will surely help you In success by evolving confusions. Develop good relationships and success will be simply yours. By b2bmarketingstrategies set, you are sure that there would be confusion as you can present your material in person than it is over the phone. Further, in a face-to face meeting, you can get the era, it is very easy to email information and many of us ignore the importance of handing somebody a hard copy. Deal in person and surely, you will get the success. Company’s benefit, then keep on improving the methods and the tools you are using to set appointments. Share what is going on in your mind. Talk to people and discuss generation. If you have something out of the box, share it with others. Be yourself and believe in your ideas. If you are willing to take the business to a new level, hire dream true. Working with people having lesser capabilities will stop the growth and you will be out of the competition. Show confidence in your team and they will feel the need to prove their capabilities and trust to you. They will succeed if they are working as per their rules and comfort. They should know that you have faith in them. Identify the weak points in your BIB appointment setting team. Check the telemarketing efforts and understand the reason of the failure. After identifying the problems in the team, it is easy to come up with a solution. After the problem is to strike the balance of creativity and business. Creative ideas can give you some new ways to implement business ideas. People who can implement these ideas in reality are also important for a business team. Face to face appointments will surely help you in success by avoiding confusions. Develop good relationships and success will How to cite Can Appointments Redefine Success?, Papers

To Kill a Mockingbird- Signs of Courage free essay sample

He still wanted to try and show the people of Maycomb county that they let race decide your â€Å"fate† and that court system should be one of the places where everyone is equal. Even though all of these signs of inequality existed happened courage was shown by many of the townspeople so I decided to write my letter about that. Judge Taylor had the courage to assign Atticus to defend Tom. Usually the public defendant cases were given to younger/ new attorneys. He gave this case to Atticus because he knew Atticus was to only one who would try to defend Tom. Judge Taylor also postponed the trial to allow Atticus time to prepare. Atticus began to prepare for the trial even though he knew he was not going to win. Atticus was a well-educated, respected lawyer in the town of Maycomb. Atticus put his family relationship on the line for justice. We will write a custom essay sample on To Kill a Mockingbird- Signs of Courage or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even though the people in the town were criticizing him. He had announced the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers† (page 85). She said everyone was using that word. Atticus told her that the use of that work was for common people, and everyone minus one was going to be using it. He had the courage to send his daughter back to school where he knew everyone else was using the word and she would be criticized by her peers but he stood for equality even at his daughters expense. Scout asked if you should not be defending him why are you doing it. The next day at school Scout had the courage to tell Cecil Jacobs to take back what he said about her dad. Scout had the courage to not fight Cecil Jacobs even thought she wanted to. This was the first fight she walked away from. Cecil called her a coward for walking away. She wanted to show him that she was not going to fight because it would not solve the problem, and it was common. Scout felt noble after this. I think that these people show how Attic’s professional life is affecting his personal life. The trial affected his professional life because Atticus was actually defending Tom. Lots of people were saying bad things about this because he was siding with a black man and not a white. The trial has affected his personal life because his kids were being told things that were hurting their feelings. But they have to act like it is not affecting them. But his kids and so did he had the courage to stand up for what was right. And not to be like â€Å"common people†.

National Fabricators Essays

National Fabricators Essays National Fabricators Essay National Fabricators Essay Key Events/Case Synopsis National Fabricators Inc. is a company that specializes in the manufacturing of lockers, school furniture, toilet partitions, steel shelving, and is now currently owned by Tom Kruger after buying out $75,000 of shares from shareholders in 1992. The industry is very competitive as costs are rising and prices being cut while the economy declines at the same time. As the president of National Fabricators, Tom Kruger needs to bring the company back on its feet in order to generate profits and reduce its losses of $480,315 and outstanding bank loans of $784,000. Tom Kruger also predicts that sales would fall as much as 10% during the 1994 fiscal year due to government cutbacks on medical and educational spending as well as a sluggish level of consumer confidence. Tom Kruger is now faced with trying to get a 60 day extension for his temporary line of credit in order to get the company to start making profits again. Problem Statement and Objectives To save the company, Tom Kruger needs to get an extension of 60 days on his temporary line of credit so that he can keep losses to a minimum and start generating more profits. At the same time, the economy is declining, competitors are setting low prices, and the government is cutting back on educational spending. Tom Kruger realizes that his plant is not being utilized at full capacity and most of the operations were being primarily financed on bank credit due to insufficient cash at hand. To address these problems, Tom Kruger is now planning on developing a new plant layout for efficiency as well as requesting a line of credit extension in order to finance debt. Situation Analysis Porters As we can see from the case, the metal industry is not an attractive industry because of high competition with low bids, unstable economy, high bargaining power of buyers, and high start up costs. Since the buyers have very little suppliers to choose from to do business with, it can be concluded that suppliers have bargaining power in this industry. Buyers on the other hand only have power when they are specialized at what they do and offer a very low price. Substitution is quite limited due to different specifications offered by the major companies. Barriers to entry on the other hand are very high due to the huge amount of capital needed to get a foot in to the industry. All in all competition is very high in this industry and one must bid aggressively in order to gain a contract. However, this is hard when everyone is giving their lowest bid. SWOT Analysis Overall, for National Fabricators the weaknesses outweigh the strengths for due to its failure towards managing both finance and operations for approximately 10 years. The threats also outweigh the opportunities mostly due the intense competition whcih provides a negative trend towards profits for National Fabricators within the industry. Strengths: The company has kept all of their old employees at the management level and this will allow them to keep stability while the company is under new ownership. With a strong sales team being compenstated on a commission basis, this will isnpire each employ to work harder to make and close sales; which in the long run will increase company profits. National Fabricator has contracts from purchaser who are very unlikely to default on their payables, because majority of them come from the government. Mr. Kruger, is well experienced for this position mostly due to his education and qualifications Weaknesses: The company lacks in a sufficient inventory management and cost management system, which impacts profits. With a deficiency of cash flow it forced the company to purchase materials from more costly war ehouses other than Steelmills which is cheaper, which inreturn had increased manufacturing cost. Inproper scheduling and status reporting for work in progress caused a major ineffectiveness on plant capacity use, which had openly increased operating cost and reduced net profits. Opportunities: Buying from the Steelmills will result in an increase of operating profit while costs are being decreased. The company has the opportunity to grow in various markets and aquire new customers such as malls, hotels, offices, and motels not only in Canada but as well as the United States. Threats: Tremendous price and wage competition in a recurring industry will lead to additional losses in profits. The highest risk for National Fabricators is the three companies which are dominating the industry that have the investment ability to control industry standards and requirements, which could lead to a decrease in profits. Due to the long term contracts from the government it is impacting the com pany’s cash flow in a negative trend. Historical Financial Analysis Sales fluctuate due to the frequently cyclic nature of the industry but they aim to remain above 3 million annually. In 1993 cost of goods sold being 90% of sales and 9. 6% gross profit of sales. Company’s lack of ability to manage inventory and lack of cash forced them to order from more expensive (12-15%more) warehouse than steel mills. Net profit margin has been negative and no major patterns over the 9 year period on net profit since the trend of the industry is based mostly on economic factors, and whether or not they secure contracts. Due to high percentage of COGS they are only left with a net profit of $980 or 0. 024% of sales in 1993. As a result, if the company lower the material cost, the profit margin will improve drastically. In 1984 current ratio went from 2. 07 to 1. 2 in 1993 which still is at an acceptable level, mainly due to the fact that operations were losing money in the past few years and there was a large cash drain on the company which resulted in the lowering of the current ratio. Operations were being financed by National Fabricators bank credit which resulted in outstanding bank loans of $784,000; this could cause serious problems on thei r credit rating from the local bank due to the worse intereage coverage ratio. Their average age of receivables in days is 78. 79 which had been steady around that number except in 1993 with 101 days mainly due to the holdback on large accounts. Since it is taking longer for them to convert accounts receivable into cash, the liquidity ability for the company is getting worse. | |1993 |1992 |1991 |1990 | |Liquidity | | | | | |Current Ratio |1. 12 |1. 34 |1. 32 |1. 58 | |Quick Ratio |0. 70 |0. 4 |0. 81 |0. 81 | |Profitability | | | | | |%Sales Growth |25. 7% |(17. 6%) |14. 4% | | |Gross Margin |9. 6% |10. 7% |7. 0% |7. 0% | |Net Margin |0. 02% |(1. 8%) |(5. 6%) |(6. %) | |Expenses/Sales |10. 0% |13. 3% |12. 8% |14. 1% | |ROE |0. 2% |(11. 4%) |(37. 8%) |(26. 3%) | |ROA |0. 04% |(4. 1%) |(12. 8%) |(11. 9%) | | | | | | | |Debt/Assets |75. % |64. 2% |66. 1% |54. 7% | |Debt/Equity |310. 4% |179. 4% |195. 0% |121. 2% | Recommendation and Analysis We have chosen to recommend alternative #1, which will focus on improving their profits because they will be reducing the cost of materials from purchasing directly from Steel Mills rather than buying from the warehouses. By doing so this will help them convince Confederation Bank. Purchasing from producers rather than the warehouses will significantly save us an approximate 12-15%. This can help drastically with their profits being made. Another way to improve profit is by increasing profit margins and to do so they need to cut the cost of materials, which will be approximately 68%. By having cut material cost by 13. 5% National Fabricators will have $314,600, which is the amount they saved from the materials and it would increase their gross profits by that amount. Having laid out this plan everything looks very convincing but there are a couple set backs, which need to be worked out. Delivery is three months once purchased from the producers directly rather than one-day delivery from the warehouses, this may cause problems for daily operations. National Fabricators now has to pay off their suppliers in 30 days payments. It used to be 60-90 days but the change requires the need for more cash on hand. Nationals Fabricators will require the financial support of Confederation Bank in order to solve these set backs that will take place if they dont receive the help financial help they require. Being able to execute this plan we believe that National Fabricators would be able to convince the bank to extend the loan. This will benefit the company because not doing so will increase the financial problems. The reason being we didnt choose alternative 2 was because it was just too risky and way too costly especially with the risk at hand. Yes it was to better their sales but factor in that their attempts to migrate in the U. S. market also have the risk of not being successful. Also the number of other companies already settled their will give a great competitive market and putting all this together would just show that there is much more risk at hand than reward. Exhibits and Analysis: Attached on next page

Alfred Nobel and the History of Dynamite

Alfred Nobel and the History of Dynamite The Nobel prizes  were established by none other than inventor Alfred Nobel. But besides being the namesake behind  one of the most prestigious awards given annually for academic, cultural and scientific achievements, Nobel is also well-known for making it possible for people to blow things up.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before all that, however, the Swedish  industrialist, engineer, and inventor  built bridges and buildings in his nations capital Stockholm. It was his construction work that inspired Nobel to research new methods of blasting rock. So in 1860, the Nobel first started experimenting with an explosive chemical substance called  nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin and Dynamite Nitroglycerin was first invented by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. In its natural liquid state, nitroglycerin is very volatile. Nobel understood this and in 1866 discovered that mixing nitroglycerine with silica would turn the liquid into a malleable paste called dynamite. One advantage that dynamite had over nitroglycerin was that it could be cylinder-shaped for insertion into the drilling holes used for mining. In 1863, Nobel invented the Nobel patent detonator or blasting cap for detonating nitroglycerin. The  detonator used a strong shock rather than heat combustion to ignite the explosives. The Nobel Company built the first factory to manufacture nitroglycerin and dynamite. In 1867, Nobel received U.S. patent number 78,317 for his invention of dynamite. To be able to detonate the dynamite rods, Nobel also improved his detonator (blasting cap) so that it could be ignited by lighting a fuse.  In 1875, Nobel invented blasting gelatine, which was more stable and powerful than dynamite  and patented it in 1876. In 1887, he was granted a French patent for  ballistite, a smokeless  blasting powder  made from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. While Ballistite was developed as a substitute for black gunpowder, a variation is used today as a  solid fuel rocket propellant. Biography On October 21, 1833, Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His family moved to St. Petersburg in Russia when he was nine years old. Nobel prided himself on the many countries he lived in during his lifetime and considered himself a world citizen. In 1864, Albert Nobel founded Nitroglycerin AB in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1865, he built the Alfred Nobel Co. Factory in Krà ¼mmel near Hamburg, Germany. In 1866, he established the United States Blasting Oil Company in the U.S. In 1870, he established the Socià ©tà © gà ©nà ©ral pour la fabrication de la dynamite in Paris, France. When he died in 1896, Nobel  stipulated the year before in his last will and testament that 94 percent of his total assets go toward the creation of an endowment fund to honor achievements in  physical science, chemistry, medical science or physiology, literary work and service toward peace.  Hence, the Nobel prize is awarded yearly to people whose work helps humanity. In total, Alfred Nobel held three hundred and fifty-five patents in the fields of electrochemistry, optics, biology, and physiology.

Life in Prison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Life in Prison - Essay Example This is coupled with the political system, economic background and culture followed inside prisons. The writer also discusses a number of philosophies which play a vital part in this book. Carceral talks of the importance of understanding why criminals choose the path they are convicted for (Pollock 2005). The book is not the work and opinion of Caceral alone; it is coupled with the perspective of the four editors of the book. This adds a unbiased touch to the book as it is not limited to the ideas of a convict alone but also of individuals who are living in the outside world. Little is said about the crime committed that forces the writer into prison but the novel is interesting in its concept and theory for a number of reasons. The first striking thing about this novel is the politics that run inside a prison. Despite every individual being behind protective custody, the life shown by Carceral makes it seem like life in the jungle: a quest for survival. The weaker inmates are threatened by stronger ones who use and abuse the weak individuals. Like life in the wild, the weak learn to adjust to life in these tough prisons through different means. They either join prison gangs which afford them the security they lack or they pay for their protection. It is not the weakest convicts who adjust to the system. According to the book, each individual learns to manipulate their way to the system. This is used to gain advantage and survive within the prison cells. This is evident in the way the prisoners exploit the clinical tests and physicians to gain medication that will assist them in fitting and adjusting to their environment. Thus, by using these wrongfully obtained drugs, the inmates get high or sell the drugs off to other inmates to make money. Economics plays a vital role in the prison cell. This economy decides the life the inmate will lead inside the prison cell. Not only is this money important for their survival but it also helps in the conditions provided to every inmate. The text speaks of $130 being given to each inmate every month. While this seems like a phenomenally small amount to the ordinary individual, it is actually a great amount for the inmates who need not pay for housing or any other bills. This lack of expenses makes the amount given to the inmates enough to buy the basic resources they need. The inmates can choose to spend this on food, water, cigarettes or the protection they need to survive. Thus, each inmate is given the money to decide on the resources they wish to buy with their money. Apart from this economy, the convict can seek other ways to achieve to obtain their goods. Bartering is a perfect tool for gaining items that the inmates need. An instance of the goods that were traded included lea ther belts and laundry services, showing that the most basic of necessities are of such importance that inmates will exchange their very belongings to get them. Thus, the prison cell is also an economic world where barter and money are of as much importance for survival as they would be in the real world. An individual named Anonymous is introduced. This character is important in the non-fiction book because it allows the reader to divulge into the details of a specific person, thus allowing them to better relate to them. The first of these is the way of "minding your own business." This technique allows

A REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A REPORT - Essay Example he present study discusses about the multinational firm and FMCG giant Nestle which has been among the pioneers in its product category and has a large number of Billion dollar worth brands under its umbrella. The present study would discuss the strategies that have been adopted by the firm to maintain its profitability in the industry. The study would also analyse the cross business strategies that have been employed at the firm. According to Knoll, Synergy is defined as â€Å"the effect that the combined return of the whole is greater than the sum of the returns from the individual parts†. In corporate world cross business synergy is achieved when the net returns of the combined entity formed by aggregating the different departments and units exceeds the net returns that is generated by a single entity taken as a standalone unit within the organization (Knoll, p.14, 18). The most important strategy of Nestle with regards to corporate synergy was its strategy of integrating the different departments across the organization. This strategy was named as GLOBE (Global Business Excellence) in which the different departments and the suppliers were brought together on a single common platform. This enabled real time information sharing among the different departments as well as the stakeholders that helped in generating greater efficiencies which has resulted in competitive advantage for the firm. All the 23 Research and development (popularly referred as Product Technology Centres) centres of the world were brought together on a single common platform which helped in generating greater innovations in the product line of the firm. The top management of the firm was of the strong belief that in order to sustain profitability the firm needed to continuously innovate its products line and would have to expand much beyond their borders considering the fact that Switzerland offered little potential of being a good market for the firm in terms of market size. Under their

The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Essay example -- Argum

The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Affirmative action is a much debated topic based on the efforts of our government to overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. Affirmative action is a way of helping minorities in our country get jobs and avoid racial injustice. Many large companies have increased their employment of minorities after adopting these policies (Plous). Despite the efforts of affirmative action today, women still only earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by males. There are 1.3 million unemployed African-American civilians and 112 million employed white civilians. Statistics show that "if every unemployed Black worker in the United States were to displace a White worker, only 1% of Whites would be affected" (Plous). There is a group of people called the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) who are constantly fighting hard to defend their position. They feel that we are struggling to determine whether our nation will move forward toward integration and equality or backward toward injustice. This group of people is very determined to keeping affirmative action in our government system today and state the fact that we are all brothers and sisters, skin color and religion don't matter ("To stop...). Opposing views of this topic are quite common everywhere in the U.S. The University of Michigan has made the issues of race and affirmative action policies into very important and controversial discussions. One article, titled "Unite Against Affirmative Action", states: "Unfortunately, between the ill-considered rantings of State Representative David Jaye and the hysterical tirades of the aptly named Coalition to Defend ... ...ve a substantial number of minorities attending the school, all with grades within the same range as the rest of the student population. Now, not all minorities in that range are admitted, only some ("How Affirmative...). According to the Racial Privacy Initiative, "The state shall not classify by race, ethnicity, color or national origin in the operation of public education, public contracting or public employment." This statement basically says not to refuse someone based on their race ("Racial...). Then why is affirmative action even allowed? Why do we, as Americans, need affirmative action to be used? Because it makes sure that the minority population is not refused their right to an education or a job. Because there are racists out there, ones who might need this policy to tell them that what they have been taught to believe is indeed unfair and unlawful.

Preparation for professional practice.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the professional roles of qualified nurses, their accountability, collaboration and their responsibilities when taking leadership and managerial roles at all points in their career. This essay will be structured in two parts;Part 1 will focus on the process of the service improvement plan during one of the author’s practice placements in an acute ward and refers to the recommended â€Å"change† which the author intends to implement. The plan for change is based on protecting patients’ mealtimes. First, brief definitions will be given and an exploration of the concepts of management and leadership will be undertaken. Part 2 of this easy will focus on the professional development of the author upon qualification as a staff nurse within a few months which will be discussed under the section on â€Å"delegation†. SMARTER theory has been identified in this easy as learning needs. In accordance with the Nursing an d Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008) all names and places in this essay will be replaced with pseudonyms. PART 1 DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT According to Huber (2010) management in the context of nursing has been identified as involving the use of delegated authority within formal organisational, settings, to co-ordinate, organise, direct and control responsible subordinates. In the same context, Mckimm and Held (2009) described management as the process of bringing together or working with individuals, groups and other resources to accomplish organisational goals. Scott and Caress (2005) view management as directing and controlling a group of individuals for the purpose of co-ordinating and harmonising those groups towards achieving goals. Tormey (2009) illustrated the distinguishing characteristics of management and leadership. (Cheery and Jacobs, 2005) state that a manager is one who is appointed to formal positions of organisational authority and uses legitimatised power to command, reward or punish the workforce. On the other hand, a leader is one who will be able to communicate, gain commitment, facilitate change an d achieve results through efficient and creative means, with his/her followers despite the absence of the formal position of power (Huber, 2010). Leaders seek the active involvement of those around them to achieve mutually agreed goals; leaders also seek the collective will of all involved, establishing contact with leading other clinicians (Hersey et al., 2001). Crevani et al. (2010) suggest that leadership is an adventure requiring a pioneering spirit and leadership skills and interpersonal skill which differs from person to person; Yoder-Wise (2011) states that the work of nurses is based on management; therefore, nurses require better leadership skills and management skills which are considered to be a major factor in improving direct person-centred interventions, achieve goals, objectives and decision making for quality care provision. In order to achieve the goals and objectives, managers of the organisation must be involved in the activities which include being able to analyse matters, establish objectives, formulate goals, plan strategies, communicate effectively, efficiently handle change, conflict, as well as evalua te the ever-changing situation situation (McCrimmon, 2011) . Rosener (1990) cited in Barker, 2009) identified two types of leadership which include transactional and transformational leadership. Bass (2008) suggests that transactional leader focuses on management tasks and will not identify the shared values of the team; however, the transactional approach is orientated and can be effective when meeting deadlines or in an emergency. Cummings et al. (2008) concluded that the transformational leader recognises her/his followers’ potential and takes active interest in them and their development. The transformational leader inspires, promotes excellence beyond mere task, encourages employees to become autonomous and solution focused, stimulates interest among followers to view work from a fresh perspective, generates an awareness of vision towards which the team is headed, develops followers to higher levels of ability and potential ((Rolfe, 2011). LEADERSHIP STYLES Hersey et al. (2001) on the other hand identified different leadership styles; however, for the purpose of this easy the author here will focus on three styles which include autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire. Hersey et al. further state that some people are able to combine the three styles of leadership and adopt a style to match the situation at hand. The autocratic leader is likely to make decisions on his or her own and give orders; this style can create antagonism and reliance which might hold back originality and advancement (Bass, 2008). Democratic leaders are more drawn towards relationships; they encourage group discussions and seek consensus where every decision made is agreed by the whole group (Hersey et al., 2001). This style of leadership may be slow because of every member of the group being considered; however, it is a favourite leadership style among the nursing profession (Grint, 2005). According to Hersey et al. (2001) the laissez-faire leadership style promo tes complete freedom and is known to allow events to take their own course; this is because there may never be a clear decision. Again Hersey et al. further state that there is no one style which is better than the others as they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. As specified previously, the situation will determine the styles to be used to achieve the goals (Hersey et al., 2001). IMPROVEMENT PLAN The improvement plan was formulated during the author’s recent practice placement in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) which provides intensive care management service for individuals who are disturbed and exhibiting extremely violent and aggressive behaviour. According to Allan (1988), any patient brought to this unit must be on section of the Mental Health Act (MHA, 1983), apart from the severity of an individual’s illness, in order to qualify for admission to the ward. During this placement, the author of this essay discovered that there had numerous and ongoing interruptions and arguments between some patients and staff during mealtimes. In addition, staff members who were supposed to assist during mealtimes frequently claimed to be â€Å"very busy†. This untenable situation prompted the author to suggest introducing â€Å"Protected Mealtimes† to the team. The rationale for choosing this improvement plan was because some of the patients on t hat ward were not encouraged or supported by staff member during mealtimes, mainly those elderly patients who were finding it very difficult to eat and drink unassisted. Many patients were on medication that was causing them serious side-effects such as dehydration and constipation, so they needed to be encouraged to have adequate and healthy dietary intake. The author therefore had a discussion with their mentor and other multidisciplinary team members regarding this issue and they all supported the need for a meeting to resolve the above issue. Initially, the author felt very nervous about introducing this new approach to the team members, due to lack of confidence and knowledge. The key point of the change was explained to all the patients. A proposal was put forward after the meeting regarding and defining the topic, namely â€Å"Protected Mealtimes† and the patients on the ward were given the opportunity to voice their own opinions on what they thought about the new proposal. The patients gave a positive verdict on the proposal. The National Catering and Nutrition Specification (2008) defined protected mealtimes as a period when all non-imperative activities and treatments must stop, in order to allow patients to eat and enjoy meals without being interrupted by any other activity on the ward. It should be a period during which staff members need to encourage the adequate consumption of dietary intake and provide an environment which is very conducive to eating and is friendly and hygienic. It is also a time when s taff members need to ensure that mealtimes are a pleasant and relaxing social experience for all patients (Royal College of Nursing, 2007). The author took on the role of a democratic leader which according to Hersey et al. (2001) looks more towards relationships which encourage group discussion, consensus and group decisions, rather than the leader alone making the decision when introducing change. According to Greenhalgh and Heath, 2010) therapeutic relationship, engagement, listening skills and effective communication skills played an important role during the meeting detailed above, because the team members, as well as the patients were all equally convinced that the issues raised by the author were pertinent and essential, in terms of the patients’ satisfaction. It was agreed in the meeting that, during mealtimes, there would be no drug round, no activities by occupational therapy staff, no visitors allowed on the ward during mealtimes, and no domestic work carried out. All the televisions would be switched off, dormitories, day rooms, shower rooms and activity rooms should be locked. All the staff members and patients on the ward must be present in the dinning area during mealtimes, in order to avoid distraction as advised by (RCN, 2007). The change was implemented within a few days of the meeting. Initially, it was not easy, but within a few days everybody on the ward adjusted. Moreover, some patients who normally isolated themselves from group activities on the ward now began to interact and engage well in conversation during mealtimes. Staff members were supporting/encouraging and showing compassion to all the patients, mainly some of the elderly patients, with good dietary intake which showed appropriate care for patients. Such change s had a significant effect on the provision of ward services. According to Age UK (2010), appropriate nutritional care for patients in the hospital is very important, because it decreases the risk of malnutrition, obesity and its associated complications. CHANGE MANAGEMENT According to Christie and Robinson (2009), it is essential to have a plan for how things will be accomplished when implementing a change in any clinical setting. Change management in a nursing setting means observing things that happen or are done differently for the benefit of the patients. Braine (2006) stressed that for a change to be implemented successfully, there must be an awareness of the need to change, a desire to support and participate in the change, the knowledge to change, the ability to implement the change and the resources to maintain the change. O’Connell et al. (2008) advised that as a change management model for protected mealtimes, simple implementation would focus on the need for nurses to engage, motivate and participate in the change. Allan (2007) identified three stages for the change process which include unfreeze, change and refreeze. Allan emphasised that during the unfreeze stage, a proposed change needs a clear aim, so that the individuals pl anning it will have no doubt why, know the rationale and the benefit will be explained to others. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2007b) has identified some barriers that hinder change management within the multidisciplinary team, many of which were evident in this particular example. These include the financial and political environment which can affect a professional’s ability and motivation to change. Garon (2012) concluded that a lack of awareness and understanding in an organisation’s nursing management theories have shown that the way in which an organisation is managed can affect nurses’ confidence to communicate the need for change. Maddock (2002) argued that the approaches to change and the proposal thereof may be ineffective unless individuals’ management strategies are put in place to develop leaders. ACCOUNTABILITY/ RESPONSIBILITY According to Marquis et al. (2009) one of the legal requirements of a registered nurse is accountability. Scrivener et al. (2011) identified that accountability involves the ability of the nurse to define every action he/she carries out. The (NMC, 2008) emphasised that accountability is seen as being of great importance and a qualified nurse is accountable for his/her own actions such as supervision, delegation, creative acts, intervention, assessing a situation or follow-up concerns. NMC (2008) further explained that the entire health care professionals are accountable and responsible for any action, error or omission made in practice. Huber (2006) states that as members of a multidisciplinary team, nurses must maintain their professional accountability. Nurses should also be able to use their communication skills to make complicated information understandable, explain choices, offer reassurance, look out for side-effects and liaise with medical colleagues about the subsequent prog ress of individuals with mental health problems (Garon, 2012). This was seen as a critical aspect of the operation here with regular reviews being planned to evaluate the success of the change and to amend the program where appropriate. Furthermore, if a nurse is meant to delegate care to another professional or support worker, she/he must delegate effectively and should be accountable for the appropriateness of the delegation. During one of the author’s practice placements in the acute ward, a newly qualified nurse delegated the task of security nurse to an agency staff who was very new on the ward. This agency staff let one of the patients out of the ward, not knowing that the patient was on level 1 observation restricted to the ward and the patient absconded from the unit. This resulted in an investigation which revealed that the newly qualified nurse did not delegate the task properly and did not communicate effectively. This raised the question of accountability and responsibility. The specifics of the nurse’s role are identified as being responsible for assessment, planning, the delivery of care and the evaluation of nursing care for their patients (NMC, 2008). According to RCN, 2011), nurses are accountable and responsible, on a daily basis, carrying out patient care most of the time and acting as care provider. Nurses have the responsibility for communicating the relevant information necessary for the patient to receive their full nursing care provision (NMC, 2008).(RCN, 1992) also states that with an increase in the level of responsibility and accountability, nurses need adequate training and competence to develop these changes. It is the responsibility of the nurses to make sure that patients are suitably dressed and eat their meals, while also managing their welfare rights and dealing with individuals’ psychological distresses; theses roles have to be carried out in conjunction with running organisational demands (RCN, 2011). INTER-PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION Orchard et al. (2005) described inter-professional collaboration as a combination of different professionals working together in a partnership in order to achieve common goals, establish a therapeutic relationship, showing respect for others and the skilled therapeutic use of self. On the other hand, inter-professional collaboration means the adoption of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working as the most effective route towards comprehensive mental healthcare (Audrey, 2003). However, Garon (2012) states that when talking about change in inter-professional collaborative team work, it is important to consider how staff members would need to be motivated to accept and welcome this change. It is also very important to select the right leader, which was a key advantage of this approach, to implement the change and involve all team members in the change process, as well as considering the safety of the patients, their comprehensive care and the stress the change might cause (NICE, 200 7b). CONCLUSION During this implementation of â€Å"Protected Mealtimes†, all the team members on the ward worked collaboratively, demonstrated excellent communication skills, showed motivation and were very enthusiastic and committed to the plan. Word count: 2,200.PART 2THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP) The purpose of writing this professional development plan is to think and reflect on a facet of the professional development experienced by the author during their three-year course. It will also enable the author to work efficiently and effectively in their areas of weakness and help to sustain areas of strength, as well as developing delegation skills in the nursing environment, upon qualification. In order to accomplish these goals, a plan utilising SMARTER theory (Specific, Measurable, Realistic, Timely, Ethical and Recorded/ Reflective (Appendix 1) is proposed. During the three years of nursing training, the author of this essay has utilised Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), as a framework for reflection on day-to-day actions, strengths and weaknesses. According to Brechin (2000), reflection means not only thinking about a situation, but also using it as a form of systematic appraisal of the events that have occurred and as an examination of an individual’s ability to learn from the experience and influence future practice. During this placement in the acute ward, the author discovered that delegating duties to staff when co-ordinating shifts was a far more complex issue than originally anticipated. The RCN (2006) described delegation in nursing as a process of entrusting or allocating responsibility to another person who is seen as being able to carry out such a task. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) states that a nurse’s job cannot be completed or carried out without delegating some part of the care functions to others, as it is highly impossible to deliver total care for different patients with different care needs. Barr and Dowding (2008) in their research emphasised that delegation is a critical leadership skill that must be learned. This became evident when considering a situation which emerged when dealing with a violent patient in a ward environment. In order to delegate tasks relating to this individual it was necessary to use confidence, communication, courate, compassion, competence and care. On the whole this was doen relatively well by myself however it was found that the newly qualified staff nurse is more likely to be unfamiliar with the procedure delegated to him and this made communication a more vital so that guidance could be obtained. Having identified a weakness in the authors ability to delegate, this communication between the two parties in the case mentioned above was used as a clear example of how greater comfort from the process of delegation could be obtained. This would in turn improve confidence. By watching delegations within the ward environment it became apparent to the author that there were greater difficulties when the manager used the autocratic style and this often created hostility amongst other staff and may hinder creativity and improvement. This brought the manager’s delegation skills into question. There was also an increased danger that the more junior member of staff would find themselves unsupervised in an inappropriate and unacceptable way according to RCN (2011). This leadership style as described by Bass 2008 as creating difficulties. Where better delegation communication were used the author was much more comfortable with the delegation process as they were aware that the process would be used appropriately and would be successful. With this in mind the PDP going forward would focus on risk management and controlling the process without following an autocratic style which would lead to loss of control when delegating. CONCLUSION The author of this essay has learned from undertaking this assignment that delegation not only saves time, but is also an essential skill which a registered nurse must posses; it is also requires good leadership and is an important role for every nurse involved in health care delivery. Through this Personal Development Plan (PDP), personal areas of weakness have been identified which the author is currently striving very hard to correct. REFERENCE LISTS Allan, E., 2007. Change management for school nurse in Scotland. Nursing Standard. 21, (42) 35-39. Allan, E., 1988. Planning a psychiatric intensive care unit. Intensive Care for people with serious mental illness. Hospital and Community Psychiatric, Vol- 39. Bass, B.M., 2008. The Bass Handbook of leadership: Theory, Research and Managerial Applications. 4th ed. New York: Free Press. Bass, B.M., and Avolio, B.J., 1994. Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. London: Sage. Braine, M., 2006. Clinical governance: applying theory to practice. Nursing Standard. 20, (20) 56-65. Brechin, A., 2000. Introducing critical practice. In Brechin, A., Brown, H. Eby, M., eds. Clinical practice in Health and Social Care. London: Sage Cummings, J., 2012. Developing a Vision and Strategy for Nursing, Midwifery and Care- Givers, tinyurl. Com/c89xe4x [Last accessed: May 2 2012]. Cherry, B., and Jacobs, S., 2995. Contemporary Nursing: Issues trends and management. 3rd ed. Elsevier: Health Science. Christie, P., and Robinson, H., 2009. Using a communication framework at handover to boost patient outcomes. Nursing Times, 105,(47) 13-15. Crevani, L.,Lindgren, M., Packendororff, J., 2010. Leadership, not leaders: on the study of leadership as practices and interactions. Scadinavavian Journal of Management. 26 (1)77-86. Cummings, G., Lee, H., Macgregor, T., 2008. Factors contributing to nursing leadership: a systematic review. Journal of Health Services. Research and Policy. 13(4) 240-248. Department of Health, 2008. Code of Practice: Mental Health Act 1983. London: DoH. Doran, G.T., 1981. There’s SMART way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review. 70, (11) 35-36. Food in Hospitals National Catering and Nutrition Specification, 2008. [Last accessed on 30 May 2013]. Garon, M., 2012. Speaking up, being heard: registered nurse’ perceptions of workplace communication. Journal of Nursing Management. 56, (2) 35-39. Green, T., Heath, I., 2010. Measuring Relationship. London: The King’s Fund. Gibbs, G., 1988. Learning by doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford Further Education: Oxford. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H., and Johnson, D.E., 2001. Management of organizational behaviours: leading human resources. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice- Hall. Huber, D.L., 2010. Leadership and nursing care management.4th ed. Maryland Heights: Saunders Elsevier. Huber, D.L., 2006. Leadership and Nursing Care Management. 3rd ed. Lowa. The University of Lowa: The University of Lowa. Maddock, S., 2002. Making modernisation work: new narratives change strategies and people management in the public sector. International Journal of public Sector Management. 15, (1) 13-43. Marquis, B.L., and Huston, C.J., 2009. Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and applications. 6th ed. London: Wolters Kluwer Health/ Lippincott William and Wilkins. McConnell, C.R., 2007. The effective Health care Supervisor. 6th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlet Publishers. McKimm, J., and Held, S., 2009. The Emergency of Leadership Theory: From the Twentieth to the Twentieth-First Century. In: McKimm, J., and Phillips, K., eds. 2009. Leadership and Management in Integrated Services. Exeter: Learning Matters. Ch1. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2007b. How to change practice. London: NICE. National Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2013. NHS Change Model: Our Shared Purpose. Tinyurl, com/bwefn79 [Last accessed: May 2 2013]. National Patient Safety Agency 2007.Protected Mealtimes review – Findings and Recommendations Report. Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008. The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nursing and Midwives. London: NMC. O’Connell, B., Macdonald, K., and Kelly, C., 2008.Nursing handover: time change. Contemporary Nurse. 30 (1) 2-11 Creating a Culture for Interdisciplinary. Orchard, C.A., Curran, V., Kabene, S., 2005. Creating a Culture for Interdisciplinary. Collaborative Professional Practice. Medical Education. Rolfe, P., 2011. Transformational leadership theory: What every leader needs to know. Nurse Leader. 9, (2) 54-57 Royal College of Nursing. 2012b Health and Social Care Act 2012. Tinyurl.com/HealthSocialCareAct2012 [Last accessed May 9 2013]. Royal College of Nursing, 2011. Accountability and Delegation: What you need to know. Royal Collage of Nursing. London: RNC. Rosener, J.B., 1990. Ways women lead. Harvard Business Review. In Barker, P., 2009. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. The Craft of Caring. 2nd ed. London: Hodder Arnold. Scrivener, R., 2011. Accountability and Responsibility: Principles of Nursing Practice. Nursing Standard, 25, (29) 35-36. Scott, L., and Caress, A.L., 2005. Shared governance and shared leadership: meeting the challenges of implementation. Journal of Nursing Management, 13(1) 4-12. Tomey, A.M., 2009. Guide to nursing management and leadership. 8th ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby/ Elsevier. Yoder-Wise, P., 2011. Leading and Managing in Nursing. 5th ed. St Louis: Elsevier Mosby. APPENDIX- 1 S.M A.R.T.E.R PLAN SPECIFICSWithin six months of the preceptor-ship course, there will be a need to build better confidence that will improve communication skills which will support the author in their nursing career. MEASURABLEHow can one ascertain that the intended outcomes have been achievedThe learning outcomes will be gained via the professionals consultants, occupational therapist, staff nurses and preceptor-ship mentor involved. The author is confident that these professionals have the necessary assertive skills that will help achieve the desired learning outcomes. AchievableThe intention is to attend training courses, discuss any difficulties experienced with the preceptor-ship mentor or manager of the ward or any member of staff, and integrate the proposal as advice. REALISTICWithin three months of completion of the nursing course, it is anticipated that the author will be able to demonstrate effective leadership, delegating tasks properly, and entrusting responsibility to a person who is perc eived as being able to carry out these tasks by utilising one’s newly gained assertiveness skills. TIMELY Within three months of registration, an evaluation of achievements will be carried out and competencies will be examined frequently by the preceptor-ship mentor. The aim is to be constantly monitored by members of the team and to reflect upon performance and the impact of these actions. If there are any obstacles to achieving these goals or any concern from the team about the author’s approach, these issues will be discussed with the preceptor-ship mentor or ward manager, as this will facilitate the development of ongoing skills. ETHICALBeing knowledgeable about ethical issues such as social and cultural, rights, confidentiality and being aware of how this might impact on one’s practice. As a nurse there is a need to ensure that the patient’s autonomy is respected. RECORDED/REFLECTIVEReflection on personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), on a regular basis. Appendix 2 – SWOT Analysis MY STRENGTHS The SWOT analysis has helped me to develop, maintain a learning environment in which both education and lifelong learning are seen as integral to clinical setting, to work and focus on the goals and strategies, enable me to grab the opportunities I would love to achieve and work very hard to reduce my weakness and increase my strength. With the aid of SWOT analysis, I have been able to identify my strength as being a good team player, good listener, a good communicator and interacting well with my colleagues and patients. Showing compassion to my patients and having the ability to work under pressure. I like taking the lead and I am always happy when people appreciate me, it makes me happy and also motivates me. MY WEAKNESS I identify my weakness as being easily distracted, tending to carry out many tasks at a time and I am always fearful of making mistakes. I also felt that there are some areas I lack leadership skills such as being a good delegator because Barr and Dowding (2008) in their research emphasised that delegation is a critical leadership skill that must be learned. I find it complex to delegate duties when coordinating shifts. OPPORTUNITIES My opportunities are to update my knowledge in relation to the new pre-registration courses which include existing educational, personal and professional career development within the establishment. During this my practice placement I also had the opportunity to learn and share ideas with my colleagues, had the opportunity for questioning and giving feedback. THREATS My threatsare whilst on this practice placement, I found some areas very stressful. I discovered that some of the mentors were unfamiliar with the new- pre registration programme and unaware of the needs of the nursing students in relation to the learning opportunities or activities . Appendix 3 Service Improvement Activity – Notification Form Student Details Student SID Number: 0820968 Details of student pledge on which the proposed improvement is based. I must treat individuals kindly and considerately. I will provide a high standard of practice and care at all times. I will respect individuals’ confidentiality. I must show compassion and unconditional positive regard to my clients. I must disclose information, if I believe some one may be at risk of harming him/her self in line with the law of the country in which I am practising. I must listen to individual in my care and respond to their concerns and preferences. Details of proposed service improvement project/activity: The service improvement initiative is to facilitate Protecting Patient Meal Time in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The purpose of this service improvement is to help and manage mealtimes without unnecessary and avoidable interruptions. Mealtimes are not only a vehicle to provide patients with adequate nutrition, but also provide an opportunity to support social interaction amongst patients. Reason for development: During my practice placement in the PICU. I discovered that there have been a lot of interruptions and argument between some patients and staff during meal time and also staff members who supposed to assist during meal time always claimed to be very busy. This made me choose to introduce to the team about â€Å"Protected Mealtimes†. This development is to support those patients who were finding it very difficult to eat or drink. Time spent on the project/activity: The service improvement lasted for the period four weeks because I first and foremost had the meeting with the multidisciplinary team members before introducing the change to the patients. Resources used: National Health Service (NHS boarder) Evidence on topic relating Protecting Meal Time Information from in the internet. Policy and regulation from the trust Text book Some information from dietician. Who will be involved? The ward consultant My mentor as a nursing staff, Occupational therapist staff Support worker The ward manager The dietician Myself( a student nurse) Future plans: The future plans are for me to distribute leaflets to the other professionals for them to read it in the internet and be awareness of the protecting meal time. Date discussed with clinical staff in placement area: Preparation for Professional Practice.? Introduction Whilst on the unit I became concerned when I noticed some service users were being discharged without proper education on how to manage their self-medication regime. This concerned me as it appeared to be a vicious cycle as I witnessed some service users being discharged without having a proper follow-up education on self-medication – which in certain cases led to non-adherence to their medication which consequently sometimes led to their relapse. For this cycle to be broken, I have realised that a proper education system, which would entail simple terminologies or understandable statements for service users to understand and learn how to manage their self-medication regime, should be put in place. Accordingly, this assignment will explain management and leadership styles related to a service improvement in the clinical area where I commenced my management placement. Applying management and leadership theory to practice, I will explain the reasons for my actions and will identify my strengths and weaknesses in terms of my leadership and management skills used whilst on placement. Adhering to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2008) and general good confidentiality prudence, all names and places mentioned in this assignment have been changed to a pseudonym. ?Leadership Styles & Management? In the mental health nursing profession, the management role cannot be averted, whether it is in managing a unit or improving services. Management is widely considered to be concerned with controlling, organising, planning, and problem-solving (Kotter, 1996 cited in King’s Fund, 2011). Yoder-Wise (2007) goes further on this point and states that management is concerned with the work of any individual who guides others through a series of routines, procedures or predefined practice guidelines. Moreover, leadership like management, has become a pivotal component of National Health Service (NHS) policy. This policy has on the most part been driven by the rising expectations of citizens who are now demanding to see an improvement in the quality of the services given to the service users and their families. Although management and leadership are somewhat different, both actions tend to overlap each other in terms of governing employees and organisation. Foster (2001) points out that management depends solely on the manager’s understanding of working with people of different backgrounds, having a good perception of situations and being able to aspire. On the other hand, leadership is an even more critical requirement within the NHS setting; this enables clinicians to demonstrate their leadership skills at all stages in health care provision and in new changes of services. Barker (2003), identifies leadership is a role of importance, emphasing that the role of a leader is dependent on his orher effective interpersonal skills. Oliver (2006) elucidates further by providing a list of qualities that are generally considered to define leadership, asserting that leaders must be capable of exploring personal and team motives and beliefs that can bring about change or perceived vision of success. Ellis and Hartley (2005) in agreement with Oliver (2006), state that leaders carry out this process by being ethical, respecting values, educate, motivate and direct the followers towards their objectives and goals. Consequently, leadership is required to be much more than just mere management skills that require â€Å"getting the job done† (King’s Fund, 2011 what page?). Over time, it has been posited that individuals are born either natural leaders or that they learn the qualities that are necessary for effective leadership roles (Hawkins &Thornton, 2002; Austin et al., 2003). There are a number of leadership styles but I will now focus on the main types. Autocratic leadership styles can range from benevolent to very rigid (Likert, 1967). In extremis, the use of authoritarian leadership, communications and activities can occur in a closed system. Autocratic leaders are considered to make all the decisions themselves and allow subordinates no influence in the decision-making processes (Grohar-Murray & Dicroce 1997). They will exercise their power, sometimes coupled with coercion, and are indifferent to personal needs of their subordinates’. Failure to meet such leaders’ goals can result in punishment. Autocratic leaders are known to be insistent, firm, self-assured and dominating, be it with or without actual intent.Such leaders feel little confidence or trust in their workers and as such, workers will fear theses leaders, whom they will feel have little in common. McGregor (1960) has produced what is perhaps considered the most famous description of such attitudes assumed by autocratic leaders; stating thatsuch a style of leadership excludes subordinates from the process of decision making and will assign work without consulting subordinates or knowing their inclinations and desires. The leader is in complete control and gives no room for subordinates to participate or offer opinions no matter how it may benefit (Daniels, 2004). Contrary to the autocratic style, democratic leadership involves the leader allowing employees to participate in decision making and at the same time provides guidance and direction (Anne, 1992). The most important finding arising from this work is that this leadership behaviour directly influences the climate and productivity of employees (Anna, 1992). A second important theme is that overall, the democratic leadership style has been known to be one of the most successful approaches because as initially stated, it allows employees to participate in decision making while at the same time supports, guides and counsels the followership (Anna, 1992.) However, critics have stated that on the basis of production, things move at a slower pace and this may lead to frustration amongst employees, especially those who tend to work faster in decision making process (Marquis, 2000). Notwithstanding, this democratic leadership still produces a high quality input from employees. This leadership builds trust amongst leaders and employees which then produces a cooperative team working relationship and builds high morale in the work environment. Accordingly, the democratic leadership approach should therefore not be used enough when urgent decision making matters arise, for example; decisions on issues of staffing, budgeting etc. In this situation it is more effective if a senior management makes the decision as this would be swift and the cost would be less as the business of any organisation cannot afford to make mistakes. Here, it is demonstrated how different leadership styles are required for different tasks and how in some positions certain leadership styles are more appropriate. The laissez-faire leadership is at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum from autocratic styles of leadership. Under a laissez-faire style of leadership the attitude is one of both permissiveness or ultra-liberalism in which there is a lack of control or centeral direction. . Thus, in different situations the same leader avertedly can use leadership of different styles. If a leader manages to combines all the leadership styles that have been mentioned than it is known as a situational leadership style. A situational leader adjusts styles of functioning depending on a particular position at that point of time and this is said to be another effective leadership style (Murthy 2005). This can be attributed to the Path-Goal theory approach. The Path-Goal theory supports the situational theory as it gives emphasises on the same leader using different types of leadership approach (Murthy, 2005). This theory was developed to examine the method in which leaders encourage their employees to achieve set goals (Murthy, 2005). It is important for leaders to have a sense of maturity to their staff as this approach builds a less task focused approach and into a relationship focused orientated (Forster, 2001). According to McGuire & Kennerly (2006) transactional leadership is a technique of leading an organisation through routine transactions such as rewards and discipline that are applied to the task after getting accomplished. Thus, it is almost completely based on the transactions that are conducted between the leader and the subordinate staff members because it is grounded on a theory that such workers can be and are motivated by rewards and discipline. A transactional leader will generally not look ahead whilst strategically guiding an organisation to a position of market leadership; instead such leaders are exclusively concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006). The attributes of transactional leadership is that the nurse leader has authority over the employee by following organisation policies and regulation. Employees comply and follow directives and rewards are given in form of salary. This style of leadership essentially identifies itself repe atedly with the autocratic approach of the leader often responsible for creating staff commitment and building staff morale, as well as utilising intellectual stimulation and consideration of others. For this leadership approach to be effective, the leader depends on the loyalty of the employees (Marriner-Tomey, 2004). With all these styles of leadership and management now considered. I will now utilise these to analyse and explain my self-medication observations and theory. ?Self-medication Information? As discussed this assignment is focussed on improving the method in which self-medication information is carried out with service users. The reason for this decision is to promote self-medication management and help reduce the rate of non-compliance in medication and relapse. This approach will support service users as well as improve their knowledge of medication and it will prepare them for a healthy discharge. Information on self-administration of medicines is incredibly useful as it enables service users to manage their intake and promote their adherence to medication. The NMC Guidelines for the Administration of Medicines (2002a) states that the NMC supports self-administration of medicines and medicine administration carried out by carers, whenever appropriate. However, the safety and storage arrangements must be considered when necessary procedure is put in place. The nurse in charge therefore must carry out a decision on the basis of professional conduct that adheres with the NMC Code of Proffesional Conduct (2008), as the nurse would be accountable for their informed decision and omissions. When administering medication or supporting servicesto users who oversee their own self-medication regime the nurse must exercise their professional judgement and use effective skills and follow trust policy and regulations. Self-medication, where appropriate, is supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the document ‘Standards for Medicines Management’ (2007). It is apparent that the process of self-medication has made clear that it can help make service users become more familiar, confident and have better self-esteem by managing their own medication regime. The opportunity for service users to learn about medication through health education will ultimately improve their medication concordance before and after discharge. According to Nicklos (2010), change management is a methodical way of dealing with a change, both from the view of the organisation and on to the individual. Although an ambiguous term, change management has at least three different aspects, including bu; adapting to change to an area of professional practice, controlling change, and effecting change. A proactive approach to dealing with such change is undeniably at the core of all three of these aspects. Fred (2010), goes even further to state that change does not always come from within organisations but could be from legislation or current national guidelines which have been passed as a law and become enforced making it mandatory.. Changes to services and organisation may impact on the position, role and even the status of individuals and therefore can test levels of self-confidence as well as confidence in others. Change requires new clinical responsibilities, time for training and development and require openness to different ways of doing things and as such requires letting go of a previous practice. Such challenges make the planning of the change process a prerequisite for success (Michele, 2010). Accordingly, it is vital to comprehend the importance of change management as it gives a both positive and negative picture of what a change can bring. When I was thinking of my service user initiatives I had to consider some things such as time, as this allowed me to see if my change was realistic. My placement was on a rehabilitation unit where the recovery star tool was used to support service users in identifying their needs. Using the recovery ladder of change, a course of action was set in place to support service users care plan. The purpose of the rehabilitation unit was based on a form of rehabilitation that focused on helping service users to recover lost skills in coping with the demands of everyday lives. In the management of their medication in the rehabilitation unit, the nurses in charge are there to support and guide the service users in knowing what they are taking and when they should take their medication. By supporting and guiding service users to self-manage their medication improves both independence and helps them for forthcoming discharge. Before self-administration starts for service users, qualified nursing staff, or preferably pharmacist, should educate when, how and what is needed to be done. There are three stages at which service users can come to managing their medication. Stage 1 involves medications being stored in the medicine cabinet and at the right time the nurse in charge opening the cabinet and prompting service user to take their medication.At stage 2 the nurse in charge is accountable and responsible for the safe storage of the medication cupboard. During administration of medication the service user will ask the nurse in charge to open medication cupboard without prompting. The service user would then administer the medication under the supervision of the nurse in charge. Stage 3 would then be when the service user accepts full responsibility for managing the storage and administration of their medications. The nurse in charge then assesses and observes the service user’s verbal response and medication compliance. Once there is full clarity and positive observations of the service user’s self-medication management, they can get discharged back into the community. A problem I faced was how I would actually communicate this change to staff in the unit. To communicate is a transactional action where is sharing of ideas, beliefs and knowledge (Sen, 2007). Effective communication is an important skill all leaders should have because in a way of introducing something new and if done properly, it can allow staff to accept and receive change. Communication also gives room for staff for feedback and criticism (Sen, 2007). Another essential practice in a care setting is collaborative working. This allows professional to share their decisions and opinions (David et al, 1996). Within a team their views and shared ideas are important in an event of proposing change. In this assignment I have come to understand that the roles of leaders and managers is not merely just about giving orders but requires vital skills in communication, behaviour and approach to produce positive result. I requires telling people what to do but also making sure that it is within their competency level and realistic, is necessary for an effective working environment NMC (2008). My identified weakness was in the area of delegation as I needed to be more assertive. This is a skill that I hope to improve in my career as qualified mental health nurse. Professional Development Plan In this assignment, I will reflect on my weakness in terms of delegation which was an area in which I had to develop. Delegation has been defined as â€Å"the process by which responsibility and authority for promoting a task (function, activity, or decision is transferred to another individual who accepts that authority† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, p135). However, Marquis & Huston (2009) have also defined it simply as getting work done through others. Regardless, it is worth noting that responsibility and accountability are not and do not mean the same thing. Whilst a delegator is entirely accountable to the task, the delegate will also be accountable to the delegator for the responsibilities assumed (American Nurses Association (ANA) and National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) (2005), cited in Gopee & Galloway, 2009; Sullivan & Decker, 2009). The Nursing and Midwifery Council expects all nurses to â€Å"acknowledge any limits of personal knowledge and skill and take steps to remedy any relevant deficits in order effectively and appropriately to meet the needs to service users and clients† (NMC, 2005). Yoder-Wise (2011) notes thatif delegation is to occur, there should be mutual acceptance between both the delegator, who has the accountability, and delegate, who assumes the responsibility for performing the tasks and is consequently empowered (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). However, Sullivan & Decker have clarified that while responsibility is an obligation to successfully completing a task, accountability also means accepting the overall outcome – whether it be failure or success – of the task. Further, illustrating this, Yoder-Wise (2011) explains that when two registered nurses work are to work together sharing a task, then delegation does not occur. It is also important to explain that tasks can only delegate tasks for which we are responsible (Sullivan & Decker, 2009; Yoder-Wise, 2011). Sullivan & Decker have also noted that, once a delegate gains confidence, they become motivated and as such will begin to see their morale boosted to actively take on new challenges. They also expand add that although delegation can be learned, it essentially promotes teamwork and improves efficiency. Applying this to nursing, it is stressed that appropriate level of supervision has to be put in place to the delegate to ensure that tasks that have been delegated are completed effectively and safely (NMC, 2008b). The best interest of the patient should always be the overriding consideration when delegating tasks rather than saving time or money (Royal College of Nursing, 2011). Delegation has increasingly become an essential aspect of nursing in the United Kingdom because of staff shortages and high turnover in the face of ever-mounting demand for a variety of skills in health care (Curtis & Nicholl, 2004). With regard to my clinical management placement experience, I found I was less assertive when instructed by my mentor to delegate tasks as part of my learning. I freely admit that my timidity stemmed from being raised in a foreign country and as such the I felt intimated when delegating. As English is not my native language there have been occasions when some of my colleagues, and even fellow students at university, have informed me that they are indeed unable to understand my accent. I realise that this is unacceptable because I am expected – and will be required – to be clear, concise and detailed when describing the objective, limits, expectations and outcome of the tasks to my delegates (Currie, 2008; Sullivan & Decker, 2009). Moreover, as a student nurse, I have often felt intimidated when delegating tasks to other staff who I considered to be better informed, better qualified and more experienced in nursing than me. Indeed, such fears were confirmed when, during one shift recently, whereI attempted to delegate a task (see Appendix 2). This is an area that I intend to improve upon. Reference Barker, M.A. 1992. Transformational Nursing Leadership: A vision for the future. Thompson Publisher. London. Currie, P. (2008) â€Å"Ask the experts: Delegation considerations for nursing practice†, in Critical Care Nurse, 28(5), (pp27-28) Curtis, E. & Nicholl, H. (2004) â€Å"Delegation: A key function of nursing†, in Nursing Management, 11(8), (pp26-31) Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan: A Plan for Investment. A Plan for Reform, London: The Stationery Office Department of Health (2001) NHS Leadership Qualities Framework, Available [online] at: http://www.dhleadershipqualities.nhs.uk [Accessed March 20 2013] Department of Health (2008) High Quality Care for All – NHS Next Stage, Available [online] at:http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liverconsultations/DH_085812[Accessed 20 March 2013] Ellis, J.R and Hartley, C.L., 2004. Nursing in today’s world trends, issues & management 8th edition: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Faugier, J. & Woolnough, H. (2002) â€Å"National nursing leadership programme†, in Mental Health Practice, 6 (3): (pp28-34) Gopee, N. & Galloway, J. (2009) Leadership and Management in Healthcare, London: Sage Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H. & Johnson, D.E. (2001) Management of Organisational Behaviours: Leading Human Resources, (8th edn), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Huston, C., 2006. Professional Issues in Nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. USA. Huber, D.L. (2006) Leadership and Nursing Care Management, (4th edn), Maryland Heights: Saunders Elsevier King’s Fund (2011) â€Å"The future of leadership and management in the NHS: No more heroes† Report from The King’s Fund Commission on Leadership and Management in the NHS Lambert, R. & Githens-Mazer, J. (2010) Islamophobia and the Anti-Muslim Hate Crime: UK Case Studies 2010, Exeter: University of Exeter Marquis, B.L. & Houston, C.J., 2000. Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing. 3rd edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins publishers. USA. Norman, I. &, Ryrie, I., 2009 Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: A Textbook of Principles, Berkshire: Open University Press/McGraw-hill Education Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2002a. The Code of Professional Conduct. London: NMC. Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2008. The Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for conduct, performance and ethics- Protecting the public through professional standards. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council; 2009. http://www.nmc-uk.org. Oliver, S. (2006) â€Å"Leadership in health care†, in Musculoskelet Care 4(1), (pp38-47) Royal College of Nursing (2011) â€Å"Accountability and delegation: What you need to know†, Available [online] at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/361907/Accountability_HCA_leaflet_A5_final.pdf [Accessed November 15 3012] Sullivan, E.J. & Decker, P.J. (2009) Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing, (7th edn.), London: Pearson International Edition Yoder-Wise, P.S., 2007. Leading and Managing in Nursing 4th edition. USA. Mosby Inc. Yoder-Wise, P.S. (2011) Leading and Managing in Nursing, (5th edn), St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby. http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm Use this link to learn how to Harvard reference properly. Your referencing is inconsistent and you need to list pages when quoting or referring to a specific point. As a general rule though, the main trick with referencing is continuity, so make sure your references and bibliography are consistent. Appendix 1: SMART Goal Delegation skills development Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time To prioritise all my tasks and manage time effectively and efficiently in all shifts.Commuting between London and the university has taught me the value of time management. Time management will enable me to carry out other tasks and achieve goals. More to the point, time management will provide me with personal organisation and self-discipline, as recommended by Yoder-Wise (2011) Time management will be measurable as I will be able to identify whether the tasks set out on a specific shift have been successfully completed on time whenever I’m taking over handover from night shift team members.Prioritisation is achievable by use of my diary which will contain all the tasks that need to be completed by the end of the day. Furthermore, prioritising will help me schedule tasks in the order of urgency. This will leave me room to tackle emergency situations that arise during the shift.Prioritisation is realistic because I realise that as a newly-qualified my responsibility will be to ensure that the shift runs smoothly. My diary will also be helpful as it will keep me reminded of the tasks I have to carry out and those which are still pending. In the case of pending tasks, being organised will give me sufficient time to involve staff who will be doing the next shift staff to complete them.Prioritising is an ongoing skill that I will have to keep learning during the first six months of qualifying and for the rest of my nursing career. Confidence and assertiveness while delegating tasks to other members of staff.Once a delegated task has been successfully completed and goals achieved confidence in allocating tasks to members of staff will have worked for me. By receiving feedback and constructive criticism from members of staff once they have successfully accomplished the delegated tasks. Being organised and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with fellow members of staff will increase my feelings of certainty that the shift will run smoothly relationship with staff.At the start of every shift I will allocate tasks to members of staff who have the competence, knowledge, time and willingness to carry them out and complete them. This is realistic because it will be my responsibility to manage shifts on the ward once I qualify. It will also be my duty to allocate or delegate tasks to members of staff. Likewise, during handover, I will ensure that I brief incoming staff on how the shift went and what remains to be done when they will be on shift.Based on my experience, so far, I’m very hopeful that I will achieve this goal within six months after I qualify. Appendix 2. Service Improvement Activity- Notification Form Contact Details Student SID Number: 0914451 Details of service improvement project/activity Service user Rehabilitation unit managing self medication. Reason for development To improve independent skills in managing medication for patients in rehabilitation centre so as to reduce the risk of relapse and to provide person centred care as well as empowering the service users. Time spent on project activity The time spent on self medication informative project was about six weeks. Resources used The Trust policy, The risk assessment form, The patient consent form, The patient withdrawal form, self- administration monitoring form (stages), self- administration patient record chart. Who was involved Nursing staff, doctors (MDT), Pharmacist , student (myself) and the service users. Future plans To review the self- administration if it is effective at a set time. Nurses involved in supervision of the programme must be registered nurses. Date discussed with clinical staff in placement area: (seen and agreed by my mentor Lorna Newton). And discussed with my IBL Facilitator Justin Nathan.