The Benefits of Team Working Free Essays

3. 1:Assess the benefits of team working in my organisation. Team works means the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. We will write a custom essay sample on The Benefits of Team Working or any similar topic only for you Order Now Teamwork is often a crucial part of a business organisation, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance. Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals. Now I am going to discuss the benefits of team working in my organisation. Diversity When a team works on problem-solving, organisation benefit from various ideas and perspectives. That variety often leads to creative solutions. Brainstorming sessions uncover ideas and answers that might not have occurred otherwise. Speed Another benefit of teamwork is the speed of project completion for an organisation. Duties can be shared and get done quicker. Very large tasks can be broken up among team members and are less daunting. Quality Teamwork encourages a greater commitment to quality in the organisation. Team members have more sway encouraging each other than a single manager dictating the work. Morale When the employees of an organisation work on teams, they tend to feel like they’re really part of the process and take ownership of it. Improved morale results, and that in turn leads to less turnover. Synergy Synergy occurs when forces combine and the result is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Teamwork enhances synergy, and the result is greater efficiency and a more positive end result. 3. 2: A conflict I faced when working in a team for achieving specific goals. I worked as a technician for a large firm. I worked in a team of seven people who prepared material for shipping. On the team were four women and two other men. The people came from three different countries. One of the men on the team feels I worked too slowly and was not doing my share of the work properly. He laughs with the other team members about me and talks about me in nasty ways. When I tried to talk about that problem, the rest of the team seemed to be against me. It was a very uncomfortable situation for me to work in; I was constantly made fun of and criticised. I was not understanding what to do. How to cite The Benefits of Team Working, Essay examples

International Marketing Business Communication

Question: Discuss about the International Marketing for Business Communication. Answer: Introduction: Firstly, before we discuss anything, it would be highly beneficial for all of us to understand that, global tourism has expanded 50 percent in the last decade (Theobald 2005). Over this enormous jump in some tourists landing per year in all nations combined, the figures are still growing with each passing year. This massive drop in the influx of global tourism is owed to the drastic increase of Asian tourists traveling worldwide. Over the 50 per cent jump in figures, Asia's tourists contributed to 80 per cent of global tourism (The decline of tourism income elasticities in a global context 2014). The North American and European travelers decreased in number over their Asian counterparts owing to a variety of factors. The situation of global tourism is on the rise, and so are the prospects of Tourism in Australia. We are tasked with the responsibility of exploring the features of tourism in Australia which should be appealing to the Canadian Middle-class consumers. The Canadians love to travel penniless, even when they can spare some bucks. Canadians find hitchhiking and cycling more appealing than expensive road trips through the red deserts of the central Australia. Canadians mostly prefer going solo on adventure trips and always take the opportunity to explore. The average Canadian consumer is self-expressive and will announce beforehand his/her preferences and expectations (BoveÃÅ' e and Thill 2000). The middle class of Canada has distinct patterns and trends as far as tourism is concerned. Canadians always take the opportunity to bask in the sun, and in Australia, there is a lot of Sun all round the year. Canadians have to face a long season of winter, over these years; some of them have been frighteningly chilly (McGREGOR 2011). The Canadians during the long winter break must love visiting some place warm. The place should remind them of the fun and enjoyment they had during their brief encounter with a bit of Sun, during the summers, which almost feels like an eternity to them. So to escape this bitter cold and chilly hands and numb feet, the average consumer must be lured into the prospect of some place warm and dry, where the hot and humid winds will brush past them in their safari overalls. The blades of dry grass will caress through their lower body and rejuvenate them. The cost of living in Metropolitan Australia and its inner continental areas are less than the average suburb of Canada. This factor is essential in determining the rate of influx of foreign tourist. Moreover, the Canadian currency has had significant value in equivalence to the Australian dollar. That should be appealing to the normal middle class, who are not lured into buying an expensive holiday package. The tourism destinations in Australia are unique in nature. The Canadian Nationals have a tendency to choose the best economically feasible deal available to them, so goes for any other national going abroad (Tourism statistics: correcting data inadequacy 2016). Australia and its features are something, more than extraordinary, with unique landscape and physical beauty. The pocket pinch is not even that extreme. The cost includes multiple subsidies regarding tourist bonuses from Tourism Australia. The unique flora and fauna of Australia is something that most people enjoy beyond comprehension. The Great Barrier Reef spread over the eastern front of the Australian continental shelf, is extraordinary regarding natural beauty, the color of the water, the life forms, and unique shape of living corals is most appreciated by everyone. The appeal of the natural beauty of Australia and its physical features is sufficient to draw the attraction of the tourists in times to come. Discuss how time orientation affects the marketing of sporting events in France as compared to China. The prime time of broadcast television is different for each other country. The prime time of each regional television broadcast network varies from seven in the evening to 10 p.m. The time is mostly consumed by soap operas to news reads to prime sporting events (Tozer and Isbister 2007). The time is devoted to nonparental guidance programs wherein children can watch the television without parental consent and advice. The prime time is enjoyed by the entire population having access to a television and a connection to a television broadcasting network. France enjoys a prime time from 7 in the evening to 930 in the evening. The promotion of sporting events in France has taken a direct hit because the prime time is so over occupied that sports events broadcasters have to pay staggering sums to gain access to broadcasting rights during the prime time television. The French media is so outrageous that they do not want the typical audiences and viewers to miss out on their favorite regular shows and rather be content with not following the day's sporting events. The media and broadcasting wings have long been debating the right of entry to sporting event broadcasting during the peak prime time. China, on the other hand, is quite flexible, and the broadcasting authority promotes the viewers to watch sporting events during the regular peak time (Saayman and Saayman 2011). The government believes that if the Sporting events are deprived of their broadcasting times during peak hours, some kids might miss out on these national games and rather sulk at not being influenced by some touchy athlete on the court. The result of increased sports participation is among the kids at school and professional levels. The number of entries in sporting events national wide have gone up several times in China and rural areas of China, where the national television have started appearing. The overall result in China is compelling yet understandable, as soon as broadcasting rates for peak hours came down, the expansion of sporting events started in China. While its counterpart in France still lacks the motivation to broadcast sporting events regularly, thus missing out on a huge viewer base. The overall result in France is dismal and appalling (Kalkavan et al. 2013). The figures and facts suggest that the trend of sports entry at the national games level entry has gone down. As soon as the level of entries and their numbers went down, so did some sponsorships and training programs. The sporting media wings of France are almost on the verge of making no significant deals or progress on a year after year basis. If the broadcasting rights of sporting events during prime time costs so high, no company would like to invest so much at a guarantee of no returns. But we must believe that the situation will only change when the authorities or broadcasting councils take proper action and formulate proper policies for capping the rates of national media. Once this happens, Sporting event promotions and sponsorships will go up tremendously. The nonexistent sporting wings will be revived again (Choi 2012). The figures and trends also predict, and data analytics have revealed that people do not tune in huge numbers even if there is a major sporting event going on currently. The people are often reluctant to switch channels, over fears of missing out on their regular soap operas and news hours. The situation certainly changes during a major soccer league match or when the French national team is playing the Euro or the World Cups. China, have successfully engaged and retained their viewers in watching regional games. References BoveÃÅ' e, C. and Thill, J. (2000).Business communication today. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Choi, E. (2012). Issues and Remedial Measures of Universal Access Right According to Exclusive Broadcasting of Sporting Events.jkeia, 6(4), p.291. Kalkavan, A., Ozdilek, C., Gulac, M. and Altinok, B. (2013). Investigating broadcasting rights revenues of olympics and their effect on the development of the games.International Journal of Academic Research, 5(5), pp.189-195. McGREGOR, S. (2011). Consumer Acumen: Augmenting Consumer Literacy.Journal of Consumer Affairs, 45(2), pp.344-357. Saayman, M. and Saayman, A. (2011). Determinants of Spending: an Evaluation of Three Major Sporting Events.International Journal of Tourism Research, 14(2), pp.124-138. The decline of tourism income elasticities in a global context. (2014).Tourism Economics. Theobald, W. (2005).Global tourism. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Tourism statistics: correcting data inadequacy. (2016).Tourism Economics. Tozer, P. and Isbister, B. (2007). Is it economically feasible to harvest by management zone?.Precision Agric, 8(3), pp.151-159.

Attempt At Reconstruction Essays - Reconstruction Era, Black Codes

Attempt At Reconstruction First and Second Reconstructions The First and Second Reconstructions held out the great promise of rectifying racial injustices in America. The First Reconstruction, emerging out of the chaos of the Civil War had as its goals equality for Blacks in voting, politics, and use of public facilities. The Second Reconstruction emerging out of the booming economy of the 1950's, had as its goals, integration, the end of Jim Crow and the more amorphous goal of making America a biracial democracy where, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave holders will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. Even though both movements, were borne of high hopes they failed in bringing about their goals. Born in hope, they died in despair, as both movements saw many of their gains washed away. I propose to examine why they failed in realizing their goals. My thesis is that failure to incorporate economic justice for Blacks in both movements led to the failure of the First and Second Reconstruction. The First Reconstruction came after the Civil War and lasted till 1877. The political, social, and economic conditions after the Civil War defined the goals of the First Reconstruction. At this time the Congress was divided politically on issues that grew out of the Civil War: Black equality, rebuilding the South, readmitting Southern states to Union, and deciding who would control government.1 Socially, the South was in chaos. Newly emancipated slaves wandered the South after having left their former masters, and the White population was spiritually devastated, uneasy about what lay ahead. Economically, the South was also devastated: plantations lay ruined, railroads torn up, the system of slave labor in shambles, and cities burnt down. The economic condition of ex-slaves after the Civil War was just as uncertain; many had left former masters and roamed the highways.2 Amid the post Civil War chaos, various political groups were scrambling to further their agendas. First, Southern Democrats, a party comprised of leaders of the confederacy and other wealthy Southern whites, sought to end what they perceived as Northern domination of the South. They also sought to institute Black Codes, by limiting the rights of Blacks to move, vote, travel, and change jobs,3 which like slavery, would provide an adequate and cheap labor supply for plantations. Second, Moderate Republicans wanted to pursue a policy of reconciliation between North and South, but at the same time ensure slavery was abolished.4 Third, Radical Republicans, comprised of Northern politicians, were strongly opposed to slavery, unsympathetic to the South, wanted to protect newly free slaves, and keep there majority in Congress.5 The fourth political element, at the end of the Civil War was President Andrew Johnson whose major goal was unifying the nation. The fifth element were various fringe groups such as, abolitionists and Quakers. Strongly motivated by principle and a belief in equality, they believed that Blacks needed equality in American society, although they differed on what the nature of that should be.6 The Northern Radical Republicans, with a majority in Congress, emerged as the political group that set the goals for Reconstruction which was to prevent slavery from rising again in the South. At first, the Radical Republicans thought this could be accomplished by outlawing slavery with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. But Southern Democrats in their quest to restore their rule in the South brought back slavery in all but name, by passing Black Codes as early as 1865. Both Moderate Republicans and Radical Republicans in Congress reacted. Joining together in 1866, they passed a bill to extend the life and responsibilities of the Freedmen's Bureau to protect newly freed slaves against the various Black Codes. President Johnson vetoed the bill, but Radical and Moderate Republicans eventually were able to pass it.7 The Black Codes and President Johnson's veto of all Reconstruction legislation that was unfavorable to the South caused Moderate and Radical Republicans to change their goals from just ending slavery to seeking political equality and voting rights for Blacks.8 The new goals, were based on humanitarian and political considerations. Northerners had grown increasingly sympathetic to the plight of the Blacks in the South following numerous well publicized incidents in which innocent Blacks were harassed, beaten, and

Epicureanism and stoicism

Epicureanism and stoicism Epicureanism Epicureanism can be regarded as the philosophy of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived between 341 and 270 B.C (Konstan, pars. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Epicureanism and stoicism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Epicureanism constitutes an interdependent system that harbours the following views: the main purpose of human life as being the achievement of happiness as a result of absence of physical â€Å"pain and mental disturbance†; empirical approach to knowledge; utilization of atomic materialism in the describing nature; and finally a natural account of evolution, from earth formation to human civilization (Annas 20). In his physical theory Epicurus believed that the basic constituents of nature were undifferentiated matter, in the form of discrete, solid and indivisible particles which fell below the threshold of perception, in addition to empty space (Konstan, pars. 4). He created a distinction between the atom which cannot be broken due to its nature, and the leased conceivable volume of matter. He asserted that atoms could be described as being minima as parts but were not minima themselves (Annas 23). Epicurus described the human soul as being composed of atoms. He asserted that everything was basically made of atoms and space. Secondly, he pointed out that an entity that was basically incorporeal was incapable of acting or being moved by along with the body in the way the soul does. He often maintained that the atoms of the human soul were principally fine and were distributed in all parts of the body. He attributed the ability to sense and experience pain or pleasure to the presence of these atoms all over the body. He further explained that a human body devoid of the soul atoms was unconscious and inert and that when the soul atoms were disarranged in a â€Å"manner that it could no longer support conscious life, the soul’s atoms are scattered and could no longer retain the ability to sense† (Barnes 56). On the platform of radical materialism which was in line with the ideas of Plato, Epicurus argued that the human soul had no chance of surviving after death and hence punishment in the afterlife was unlikely. He linked the fearful nature of human beings towards death to the prospect of punishment in the afterlife. According to him, the fear was the main cause of anxiety in individuals.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This anxiety in turn resulted into extreme and irrational ideas (Konstan, pars. 6). He believed that if the fears and the resultant desires were done away with, then humans will be left to seek pleasures, both physically and mentally, and to which they are naturally obliged to follow. Epicureanism explained how the irrational fears come up and thus gave meaning to the concept of an evolv ing society. However, Epicurus acknowledged that behaviours of thought that were profoundly ingrained in individuals could not be changed easily. The philosophy of Epicurus was based on the theory that all good and bad derive from the sensations of pleasure and pain (Konstan, pars.6). Anything that is good was thus considered to be pleasurable while all bad things were seen as painful. Thus pleasure and pain formed the basis for the moral distinction between what can be said to be good or bad (Long 105). Pleasure as defined by Epicurus stood for the absence of pain but different scholars and rival schools of thought have often misinterpreted it to mean the uncontrolled quest for pleasure. What he really meant was the absence of mental and physical pain which could result in a state of calmness that is devoid from any fear. Epicurus usually warned against excesses because they often resulted in pain. For example, he was against ardent pursuit of love. He encouraged friendships but on ly defined them as essential components to the achievement of pleasure. He discouraged people against fearing death by claiming that when one dies, he doesn’t feel pain of death due to the fact that he no longer exists and therefore feels nothing (Long 106). Epicurus believed that the Gods were neutral and were not in anyway interfering with human life. He asserted that the gods too were composed of atoms and had souls which were constituted by atoms. But unlike the souls in human beings, those found in the gods were held forever. According to Epicureanism, gods did not bother themselves with human beings. They neither punished the evil nor rewarded the righteous. He associated the gods with eternal happiness that was to be emulated by humans. The problem of evil is explained in the epicurean paradox that asserts â€Å"God is omnipotent, God is goo, but evil exists† (Konstan, pars. 7).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Epicureanism and stoicism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On ethics Epicurus was one of the earliest philosophers to describe justice as a social duty. He defined justices an agreement â€Å"neither to harm nor to be harmed† (Konstan, pars.7). He believed that the essence of living under an authority that prescribes laws and punishments was basically to protect individuals from harm and thus enable them to pursue happiness. In a nut shell system incorporated advice on how people should perceive certain things. For instance, he advised people to stay away from politics if possible to avoid trouble, he also urged individuals not to think that gods were concerned bout them and their behaviours and the prospect of punishment in the afterlife. He regarded the role of sex and marriage in life as being dubious and acknowledged that friendship was an essential part of life. He advised people to maintain an open mind when there is no way verification could be achieved while reflecting on various â€Å"meteorological and planetary phenomena and explanations for processes as gravity and magnetism† (Barnes 47). And as an ethical guideline, Epicurus encouraged individuals to minimize harm and maximize happiness both for themselves and others. Three Arguments of Stoicism and Epicurean defences Stoicism can be identified as one of the newer schools of thought of the Hellenistic era. The stoics basically held that emotions rose due to faulty judgement and that an individual who attained intellectual and moral maturity was immune from them (Baltzly, pars. 1). Three of the best arguments advanced by the stoics are explained below. God as being present throughout the creation process and directing it to the last detail The stoics argued that God is similar to one of the two ungenerated and indestructible first principles of the universe (Baltzly, pars. 8). One of the principles is matter which they see as being basically inert or that which receive s an action. The stoics see God as being eternal or a smart fire that designs matter forms as per the plans it has set. The plan in this case is repeated over time beginning with a state in which everything is fire, followed by the synthesis of elements, to the formation of the world as we perceive it and then back to fire in a sort of an endless cycle.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The planning fire is compared to a sperm which contains the basic principles of everything thing that will eventually develop. With the same reasoning the stoics also refer to God as fate. And to them, God does not guide the universe from outside but rather from inside (Baltzly, pars. 6). Epicurean defence Epicureanism emphasized the neutral role played by the Gods. Unlike the stoics position that God played a role in human life, the epicureans believed that everything including gods, souls and all matter were made of atoms and the gods do not direct human life. According to the epicureans the gods possessed souls just as humans. The only difference was that their souls adhered to their bodies without escaping unlike in the human beings where the bonds were not strong (Long 163). Epicurean teaching explained that gods were so far to have any effect or interest in human life. They believed that the gods had nothing to do with the creation of the universe and could not offer blessings or punishment to human beings. Contrary to the stoic belief that God was intrinsic, the epicureans believed that the gods are extrinsic and were far away. The stoic argument that virtue is the most important human attribute (Annas 67) Stoicism upheld that the most important aspect of human life was virtue which relies on the strength of will (Konstan, pars. 10). The stoics emphasized that humans should strive to do right regardless of personal ambition or material. They pointed out that everything good or bad that happens in one’s life always happens for a reason to be found in one’s own actions. They advocated for self control as a means of overcoming the negative feelings and emotions. They believed that the resultant state of the mind was essential for better comprehension of life and spirituality (Long 78). For the stoics, anger, envy and jealousy were to be avoided and that the clearest road to wisdom was freedom from passion (Barnes 41). Epicurean defence Simila r to the stoics, the epicureans also advocated for virtuous livelihoods. However, unlike the stoics who asserted that the most important aspect of human life as by virtue which relies on the strength of will, the epicureans mainly focused on the attainment of pleasure as the most important aspects of human life (Annas 173). Epicurus philosophy was based on the notion that all good and bad derive from the sensations of pleasure and pain (Konstan, pars. 5). While the stoics felt that people were obliged to strive to control themselves in order to deter negative emotions, the epicureans saw the fear of death and punishment from gods as a major stumbling block towards the attainment of pleasure which was benchmarked by perfect mental peace (Konstan, pars. 8-9). Epicureans mainly advocated for good virtues due to their contribution towards the achievement of the greater pleasure. Epicurus believed that if harm was minimized on an individual as well as others then maximum happiness could be achieved. Arguments for the human soul The stoic considered the human soul as a â€Å"fragment of the universal divine force that was not completely sundered from the parent stock† (Barnes 67). The described the human soul as pneuma, which was described as having concurrent movements both inward and outward which accounted for its tensile form. The pneuma was described as having the ability to pass through every body when in an outward movement and therefore giving them the qualities that they possessed. Its movement towards the inside was responsible for their unification. According to the stoics, the fact that pneuma acted it was considered to be a body and its blending with matter was considered to a â€Å"through and through† affair (Konstan, pars. 10). Using this description, the stoics put forward a theory of mixture that enabled them to explain the idea of two bodies existing at the same place at the same time (Baltzly, pars. 8). Pneuma was thus to be found i n plants and animals. In rational animals, the pneuma hard other functions other than issuance of commands. This other functions include planning, thinking and deciding (Baltzly, pars. 9). The stoics attributed all the functions of the body that included movement including physiological functions such as digestion to the soul. Epicurean defence Unlike the stoics who thought the soul to be a â€Å"breath like material compound of two of the four stoic elements, fire and air†, Epicurus believed that the soul was composed of atoms just like any other matter but did not elaborate what constituted the atoms (Konstan, pars. 7). According to him, the atoms in the human soul were composed of known elements and additional nameless materials which were responsible for the ability to perceive. The ability of the living organisms to move, rest or warm them was attributed to fairly known substances or materials in Epicureanism but sense perception was left out on the basis that it was not party to the known or named elements (Konstan, pars. 11). The epicurean thinking attributed the mental functions of cognition, emotion and desire to the soul (Konstan, pars.12). Annas, Janet. The Morality of Happiness. Oxford : Oxford University press, 1993. Print Baltzly, Dirk. Stoicism The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2010. Web.12 April 2011. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/stoicism/. Barnes, Joseph. The Presocratic Philosophers. London : Routledge, 1982. Print. Konstan, David. Epicurus The stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy. 2009. Web.12 April 2011. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2009/entries/epicurus/. Long, Arthur. The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.

Improving Transactional Processing in AIS Research Paper

Improving Transactional Processing in AIS - Research Paper Example Purposes of Compliance Checks/Checking Systems a) Enforcement: to enforce company administrative policies, criminal statutes or both. b) Educational: to warn, educate and identify processes, departments or employees that are not meeting required standards. Implementing Compliance Checks/Checking Systems Employees, departments and various are made aware that compliance checks will be conducted at different times annually. They are also informed about potential penalties for lagging behind in the uplifting and maintenance of accounting regulations, standards and requirements (Williams & Spaul, 2011). If employees and personnel keep flaunting or falling short of accounting standards, the company can issue citations either to departments or specific people. These citations stipulate actions that may be taken to address such matters and how they will be addressed so that normal operations are maintained. Importance of Compliance Checking Systems In many companies, maintaining relevant acc ounting standards is a huge challenge. Employees and company officials may find it easier to come up with compliance checks than to maintain them. Compliance checking systems ensure that all relevant and appropriate standards are maintained as is necessary. Compliance checking systems may be the most effective and efficient method for enforcing rules, regulations and other stipulations concerning or relating to accounting standards. Recent studies have shown that compliance checking systems are effective. Two studies found that following the implementation of compliance checking systems, operations became more efficient and effective and employees found it so much easier to meet set targets without having to struggle (Bagranoff, 2008). In one company, for example, operational efficiency increased from 10% to 28% from 28% to 10% following the introduction and implementation of compliance checking systems. In another company, there was an immediate increase in the levels of compliance (12% to 29%). In addition to this, a national survey revealed that 66% of companies approve of compliance checking systems and policies (Williams & Spaul, 2011). Compliance checking systems provide a way through which employees and companies can "police" themselves. This is in addition to providing a source of motivation, participation and support that can greatly enhance overall accounting operations. Considerations for Implementation If compliance checks are not implemented well, they may be legally challenged by employees, suppliers and vendors who can claim unlawful entrapment. Successful compliance checking systems steer clear of tactics that may be viewed as "entrapment." (Gelinas, 2010). Apart from this, compliance checks and checking systems should be carried out, implemented and reviewed regularly in order to prevent laxity and a drop in standards. Companies that carry out checks at least twice a year report an average efficiency and compliance rate of 60%, which is good f or business and efficiency. b) Cash Disbursements Systems Objectives of Compliance Checking Systems include the following: a) Maintaining security of all cash held and received on a company’s premises. b) Banking all cash that are received intact every day c)

The Benefits of Information and Communication Technology in Henrich Dissertation

The Benefits of Information and Communication Technology in Henrich International Associates (HIA) A Small and Medium Enterprise - Dissertation Example In addition, the aim also assessed how ICT can foster knowledge transfer within HIA. The study made it evident that ICT act as a tool that has the ability to offer competitive advantage to a firm. It has been found that ICT also provides several advantages to a firm. Some of the obvious ones are increased the communication system, reduced the cost of communication, allowed retrieval of vast information and facilitated centralized control. Apart from that ICT also help companies to transfer knowledge within the organization. The primary research portrayed that the employees of HIA have a positive outlook towards this subject. The business will be also benefitted by the implementation of ICT as it can also acts as a marketing tool. The company is therefore recommended to implement ICT into their system of operation and capitalize on most of the opportunities provided by ICT. Table of Contents CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 5 1.1 Background of the Study 5 1.2 Purpose of the Study 5 1.3 Overview of Henrich International Associates (HIA) 5 1.4 Aims and Objectives 6 1.5 Research Questions 6 CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2.1 Defining Key Concepts 7 2.2 ICT in Business to Business Planning 8 2.3 ICT as a Tool to Gain Competitive Advantage 10 2.4 Disadvantages of ICT 11 2.6 ICT in SME and Large Organizations 13 2.7 Perception of Employees about ICT 14 2.8 Impact of ICT on Employees 15 CHAPTER III – RESEARCH DESIGN 16 3.1 Research Philosophy 16 3.1.1 Positivism 16 3.1.2 Interpretivism 17 3.2 Research Approach 17 3.2.1 Deductive Approach 17 3.2.2 Inductive Approach 18 3.3 Research Strategy 18 3.4 Type of Study 20 3.4.1 Qualitative Study 20 3.4.2 Quantitative Study 20 3.5Time horizons 21 3.5.1 Longitudinal Perspective 21 3.5.2 Cross Sectional Perspective 21 3.6 Data Collection and Sampling 21 3.6.1 Questionnaire 21 3.6.2 Focus Group Interview 22 CHAPTER IV 23 4.1Findings and Analysis of the Questionnaire 23 4.2Findings and Analysis of Focus Group Intervie w 25 CHAPTER V – Conclusion and Recommendation 27 5.1 Conclusion 27 5.2 Recommendations 27 REFERENCES 28 APENDIX 32 Appendix I - Questionnaire (For the Employees) 32 Appendix II - Semi Structured Interview (For the Executives) 33 CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study The last few decades have witnessed an ‘insurgency’ in the growth of global economy. However, everyone did not have the opportunity to experience this revolution of growth. Around 65 % of the global population, still lives on $4 per day (Kramer, Jenkins and Katz, 2007). The scenario further worsened with the lack of opportunities to carry out developmental activities. The business community in this context has a major role to play and has the capability to create these opportunities. The information and communication technology (ICT) has been a powerful tool as well as acted as a catalyst to address the interest and needs of low income groups of the developing countries. In the last 20 years, the role of ICT in expanding economic opportunities and providing competitive advantages to a firm has been highly acknowledged by experts from every sector of business (Butcher, 2011). Information and Communication technology (ICT) is technology used for improving the efficiency of the operation of an organization (OECD, 2005). It is often regarded as a technology used for retrieving and processing information. ICT not only plays crucial roles in organizations,

Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals

Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals â€Å"Statistically, about 10-15 of you have or will develop a substance use disorder† (Welsh 2002). This quote is stated by Christopher J. Welsh, M.D. to a group of healthcare providers during a substance abuse lecture. He is reinforcing the fact of how likely a healthcare worker can get into the habit. Substance abuse can include, but is not limited to, alcohol, narcotics, benzodiazepines and illegal drugs. It is not officially known why the abuse is so common in this specific group but it can be easily assumed that knowledge, access, and psychological issues would play a huge part. According to Dr. Welsh, the reasoning behind not knowing why substance abuse is so prevalent is because the majority of healthcare workers strongly object to the idea that they are addicted. In other words, they are in denial. There are two specific levels that drug users can divide themselves into: Abuse, which is the milder of the two, and dependence, which takes a more intense intervention and effort to cut the person of the habit. Since the focus of this paper is substance abuse that is the category that will be discussed. What exactly is considered abuse and how is it distinguished between an actual medical need? In Dr. Welshs lecture he mentioned four factors that are included. According to him at least one of these four factors must be accurate in order to be considered official abuse. These factors are: (1) A person is unable to complete social tasks in his or her life, (2) The consistent use of the drug in unsafe situations, (3) repeated drug affiliated legal offenses and (4) use of drugs even though it may cause social or interpersonal problems (Welsh 2002). For example, if a person is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder you may be prescribed Alprazolam. It is not considered abuse if you take your prescribed dose for oncoming anxiety while following the doctors instructions. When having an anxiety attack, or other symptoms of anxiety, Alprazolam helps to relax the person and help them feel ‘normal. When using Alprazolam without anxiety it can give a ‘drugged feeling with symptoms such as severe drowsiness to the point of impairment (Epocrates). Therefore if you use the drug without anxiety in unsafe situations, such as driving, it is considered abuse. When a person uses a drug they do so with the intention of trying to make themselves feel better. This could be a major cause for the denial that they actually have a problem. Not every person realizes how it affects friends, family, and peers. Even more so, they do not realize how it affects their job. It would take most people a serious intervention in order to help them break the habit. In the topic of drug use in the Health care workforce three questions come to mind: Why is it so prevalent among this specific profession? What are the signs to show if/when you should involve yourself with the suspected abuser? And where is help provided for the substance abusers? These three ques tions will be discussed in the following paragraphs. Why is substance abuse so prevalent in health care professionals? As mentioned above there are no precise facts as to why it is, because of the large percentage of people denying that what they do is considered abuse. Also mentioned above is that it can be assumed the reason can fall into at least one of the three categories: knowledge, access, and psychological factors. When a person works in healthcare they are exposed to a lot of basic information not commonly known outside of the healthcare facility, even if it is unintentional. An employee may hear and/or see how a patient is reacting to certain medications, such as morphine, see it is relaxing for the patient, then gain the knowledge that it is a medication that makes you ‘feel good. On an even higher level, many healthcare workers are required, for their job, to know what a drug does, why it is being given to the patient, and what common and serious complications to monitor for. When a nurse is ‘hands on with the p atient they become even more acquainted with the effects of the drugs. This can contribute to any future situation where the nurse may want to experiment. With this information at hand healthcare workers feel more comfortable using drugs and feel as if they can manage them better than the average person because of their knowledge. The access of drugs is a contributing factor as well. A nurse who works full time works at least 36 hours per week, giving him or her plenty of access to drugs. Although the new technology is making it harder to steal medications, it is still done. In addition to stealing nurses often time befriend doctors and could have doctors write prescriptions which allows even more access to drugs. Being a nurse, as mentioned above, requires knowledge of drugs and what they are used for. Because of this a nurse could make an appointment with her doctor, name specific symptoms, and know they will get a drug that they are seeking. Lastly, psychological factors contribu te to substance abuse being so prevalent. Nurses and Physicians have extremely stressful jobs, and they may seek to alleviate their stress in drug form. According to a study done by Cicala (2003) 8-12% of physicians abused or became substance abusers and Trinkoff and Storr (1998) did a study only to find that 32% of the 4,438 nurses being studied had some form of abuse. With all things considered, these are only including the healthcare individuals who admitted to having an abuse problem. Most of the drugs found to be used among the physicians were opioids and benzodiazepines while nurses had a wider variety and included illegal substances such as cocaine (Cicala 2003). What are the signs to show if/when you should involve yourself with the suspected abuser? According to a study done by Samuel D. Uretsky, PharmD (2008), it is difficult to determine a drug abuser in the healthcare field because it is generally found the job is the last thing to be affected. He goes on to explain that families and social lives are first to be torn apart versus in the average non healthcare worker there are the early signs to look for: being consistently late or absent, slacking off on the job, etc. He also goes on to make a valid point of coworkers not noticing, or turning their shoulder away from signs of abuse because they may be friends or they just dont want to get involved. In an online government brochure it sets certain guidelines to determine if the suspected individual is an abuser. These guidelines include: change in attitude and appearance, â€Å"heavy wasting of drugs†, relationships start to decline, more time than necessary spent near the drug sup ply, â€Å"insisting† on handling all injected narcotics, etc (Department of Justice). As a nurse we learn to follow the chain of commands. With this in mind it puts anyone at the predicament of being ‘the rat. No one wants to be the person who puts another persons license and career on the line. However, many patients are in the hands of drug abusers. When it doubt, or if making excuses for the potential drug abuser it, think if you would let a person of great importance to you be in the care of that specific healthcare worker. When suspecting a coworker of drug abuse you must, again, follow the chain of commands. Go to the charge nurse, or if it happened to be the charge nurse then go to the nurse manager. Most of the time, the employee will be approached by their superior and talked to about the obvious concerns. Many times this wakes them up to realize they actually have a problem and immediate improvements are shown, however sometimes it takes more serious interven tion (Department of Justice). Where is help provided for the substance abusers? There are a range of different rehabilitation programs available all over the country and some specific to health care workers. In fact, there are some affiliations aimed at preventing substance abuse among healthcare workers. The Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest has started to develop programs to help prevent the abuse. The method of prevention is to send messages out in different forms and educate the prevalence. They are trying to influence this by making it a part of their health and wellness program. â€Å"Included in our campaign are messages delivered in educational videos and newsletters, health risk appraisals, and personal health coaching† (BHRCS 2007). This is all taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but this is just the start of prevention. They hope to expand to health care workers around the country. The Interventional Project for Nurses, or IPN, has been created to assist nurses whose jobs m ay have been impaired or started to be impaired by drug use, alcohol use, or mental disorders. A nurse can place their own self in the program or can be placed in the program by their superior, or employer (IPN). Depending on where the individual works is the determining factor of what happens to the nurse, if caught being a substance abuser. The nurse could get as little as probation to as much as being fired in addition to losing their license. Either way, the program is there to help Nurses get back on their feet and get over their addiction. As a recap, drug abuse is prevalent in healthcare although there is no factual information to determine why, it can only be assumed. There are many abusers all around you as you work in the healthcare field and most go unnoticed. Their signs and symptoms are not the same as the average drug abuser and their work tends to be the last thing severely affected, making it more difficult to determine the abusers. If drug abuse is suspected it is an obligation as a licensed nurse to report it in the chain of commands, which in the long run will benefit the bigger picture. Being a drug abuser is a hard situation which may seem to have a dead end, however there are many rehabilitation programs focused on health care workers and at least one large affiliation focusing specifically on Nurses. Although it seems common sense that abusing drugs is wrong, it does not happen overnight. A person may find relief with a drug and start to use it without it thinking of long term effects. They may casuall y use it once and a while, and then increase it to more often, and then very frequently. Being educated on drug abuse, before stepping foot into the real world of nursing, helps to be prepared through primary prevention. Drug abuse, though hard to determine has a huge impact on our health care system as a whole and needs to be remedied. It is progressively improving, however only baby steps. This isnt a perfect world and not everyone can be helped, however, every person you help is one step in the right direction for our future. References Uretsky, Samuel D. (2004). Addicts in the OR? Retrieved July 17, 2008, from  www.medhunters.com No Author (2007). Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved  July 17, 2008, from www.addictionsearch.com Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest (2007). Substance Abuse  Intervention for Healthcare Workers. Retrieved July 17, 2008, from  http://www.bhrcs.org Welsh, Christopher J. (2002). Substance Use Disorders in Physicians [Powerpoint  Slides]. Retrieved from www.alcoholmedicalscholars.org/physician-out.htm Department of Justice (n.d.) Drug Addiction in Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved  from www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/drug_hc.htm Intervention Project for Nurses (2008). Retrieved from http://www.ipnfl.org Alprazolam (n.d.). Epocrates Online. Retrieved on July 17, 2008, from  www.epocrates.com