Free Essays on The Aesthetic Experience

With so much emphasis placed on the departments whose degrees can produce huge sums of money, it seems that we have begun to lose the â€Å"arts† aspect of the liberal arts college, or sector of the university. So much in fact that there are people that I know that haven’t even stepped foot in the Fine Arts Center, let alone go to a performance that isn’t mandated for their class. I would think that it is fair to say that I’m not exactly one of these people as everyone in my family has been or is an artist, including my brother who graduated with a degree in ecology and now is a potter. It is also true that I went to a school that emphasized the arts, and not so much testing, so much in fact that I had never had homework until I transferred to a public school in the sixth grade. Yet I have tried to remove myself from the arts as I didn’t want to get caught up in the family characteristic, and become just a â€Å"statistic†, just another K aufmann who is an artist. So although I am familiar to various forms of art, I lacked the knowledge of basic terms to describe that form and therefore the mental capacity to describe what I am seeing or hearing, as well as to interpret the meaning of it. This is the foundation behind the entire thinking or concept of the aesthetic experience of the lively arts – that one needs adequate information in order to be fully enveloped in the piece, and being able to experience a connection to it. This feeling might be that a person becomes almost a part of the piece as though they were the focal point of it, just because they connect with it in a special way that can be from a past experience, memory, or a current feeling that they are experiencing. This can be transcribed through either creative or receptive experience, but in this class we dealt solely with the latter. An aspect of this class that really stood out to me was the Japanese gardens that we went to see. Previous to taking thi... Free Essays on The Aesthetic Experience Free Essays on The Aesthetic Experience With so much emphasis placed on the departments whose degrees can produce huge sums of money, it seems that we have begun to lose the â€Å"arts† aspect of the liberal arts college, or sector of the university. So much in fact that there are people that I know that haven’t even stepped foot in the Fine Arts Center, let alone go to a performance that isn’t mandated for their class. I would think that it is fair to say that I’m not exactly one of these people as everyone in my family has been or is an artist, including my brother who graduated with a degree in ecology and now is a potter. It is also true that I went to a school that emphasized the arts, and not so much testing, so much in fact that I had never had homework until I transferred to a public school in the sixth grade. Yet I have tried to remove myself from the arts as I didn’t want to get caught up in the family characteristic, and become just a â€Å"statistic†, just another K aufmann who is an artist. So although I am familiar to various forms of art, I lacked the knowledge of basic terms to describe that form and therefore the mental capacity to describe what I am seeing or hearing, as well as to interpret the meaning of it. This is the foundation behind the entire thinking or concept of the aesthetic experience of the lively arts – that one needs adequate information in order to be fully enveloped in the piece, and being able to experience a connection to it. This feeling might be that a person becomes almost a part of the piece as though they were the focal point of it, just because they connect with it in a special way that can be from a past experience, memory, or a current feeling that they are experiencing. This can be transcribed through either creative or receptive experience, but in this class we dealt solely with the latter. An aspect of this class that really stood out to me was the Japanese gardens that we went to see. Previous to taking thi...

How Mating Lovebugs Put Drivers and Cars at Risk

How Mating Lovebugs Put Drivers and Cars at Risk Twice each year, Florida lovebugs make for some miserable motorists in the Sunshine State. These insects tend to swarm around roadsides and carelessly drift into the path of oncoming traffic. The result? Drivers with bug-coated windshields find it difficult to see. What are Florida lovebugs, and why are they such a hazard? Lovebugs Arent Bugs at All The infamous Florida lovebugs are no bugs at all, actually. Bugs, or true bugs, belong to the order hemiptera. Florida lovebugs are true flies of the order diptera. Florida love flies just doesnt have the same ring to it, though. All About Lovebugs The common name Florida lovebugs actually refers to the species Plecia nearctica, a small fly in the family Bibionidae thats also known as the March flies. Theyre black flies with red thoraxes, and most often can be seen flying in mated pairs, male and female joined together. Florida lovebugs are not a native species to North America. They originated in South America, but gradually expanded their range north into Central America, Mexico, and eventually into states that border the Gulf of Mexico. Today, theyve strayed as far north as North Carolina. Lovebugs are closely related to some of the most annoying bugs: mosquitoes, biting midges, sand flies, and fungus gnats. Compared to their kin, Florida lovebugs are quite harmless. They dont bite or sting, nor do they pose a threat to our crops or ornamental plants. In fact, their larvae are important decomposers of plant material that help build soil rich with organic matter. How Do Lovebugs Mate? Lovebugs become a nuisance during two short periods of each year. Florida lovebugs emerge and mate en masse, once in the spring (April to May) and again in late summer (August to September). When they do, they have an unfortunate habit of doing so along roads and highways, where they risk encounters with cars. First, a mating swarm of males, 40 or more in number, takes to the air. Sperm-seeking females fly into the swarm, where they are quickly grasped by partners and whisked off to a more romantic setting in the vegetation. After mating, the pair remains entwined, and together they head off on a honeymoon of sorts, feeding on nectar and choosing a site for oviposition of the couples fertilized eggs. When Lovebug Mating Gets Dangerous At times, the mating Florida lovebugs become so abundant in an area that they become a serious traffic hazard. Drivers traveling through a mating swarm soon find their windshields literally covered in dead lovebugs, limiting visibility. In extreme cases, enough lovebugs can coat the cars grill and disrupt the engines airflow, which can cause the car to overheat. Those who live in lovebug territory know its important to wash the dead lovebugs off your cars exterior as soon as possible. When the bodies of Florida lovebugs bake in the hot sun, their body fluids become acidic and may damage a cars paint. What to Do About Lovebugs If you drive through a swarm of mating lovebugs, make sure you hose your car down as soon as you can to clean your radiator grill and protect your cars paint. Pesticides arent recommended for controlling lovebugs. Although a short-term nuisance, these insects are beneficial in the long-term. Immature lovebug larvae decompose organic waste, and adult lovebugs are noteworthy pollinators.

Nestl Tries for an All-for-One Global Strategy Case Study

Nestl Tries for an All-for-One Global Strategy - Case Study Example Decentralisation could best apply in different situations, but as organizations grow and establish more branches in different areas, numerous problems arise. Establishing individual organizations could need a lot of infrastructures, and capital to conduct operations in any decentralized system.   For Nestle, the decentralized strategy had created inefficiencies and accrued extra costs, which hindered the company from fully realizing its profits and competing through electronic commerce (â€Å"Nestlà © Struggles,† itu.edu). From this, the company was exposing itself to potential external threats, such as its shared global suppliers, and competitors. Even with the huge investment on numerous computer and information system resources, decentralization gave room for inefficiencies, more expenditure, inventory mismanagement, distributed decision making, operation complexity and data isolation that prevented data sharing, due to the differences in Information Systems, and lack of a standard platform. It was obvious that the company was not receiving the exact benefit that could come with information systems.   Due to the differences and challenging experiences in the global market, Nestle SA had to act towards business integration and consolidation, so as to allow standardization and coordination of its business processes and information systems (â€Å"Nestlà © Struggles,† prenhall.com). The company embarked on a global implementation of SAP R/3 ERP software, which intended to replace the SAP R/2 version that had been operating in most of the local organizations. Through the introduction of the software, the inefficiencies and accrued costs would be cutback, in the long run, to allow the company realize its full benefits.

Online Application Ning - the Platform Allowing Users to Create and Cl Coursework

Online Application Ning - the Platform Allowing Users to Create and Close Their Own Social Network - Coursework Example This critical analysis functions to examine the role of social networking with a variety of diverse populations, arguing that the widespread social adoption of this technology has not simply been a tool to achieve greater efficiency, but is in actuality reshaping and formatting the nature of human culture and consciousness.A television program recently had a comedic skit where the internet went out in a home and the residents had to resort to a box-labeled ‘pre-internet’ – inside the box were a rubber duck, a barbell, and a fake plastic tree. While most of us recognize that there was a lot more going on in pre-internet times than a box full of trinkets, the absurdity of the skit draws one's attention to the fact that one of the great divides of culture, arguably on the scale of the Protestant Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, or even the Renaissance, is the contemporary occurrence of what has been deemed the Digital Age. Having died in 1980 Marshall McLuhan had only glimpsed its genesis when he proclaimed, â€Å"In this electronic age we see ourselves being translated more and more into the form of information, moving toward the technological extension of consciousness (McLuhan 1967).†With the explosion of Web 2.0 software and the use of social networking sites (SNS), it was certain that professional environments would begin to incorporate the technology. While previous conceptions of computer-mediated communication – video gaming, Facebook use, YouTube – have been characterized as detrimental, the technology is now being reconsidered for its functional value. Many varied corporations have implemented collaborative technology, including Google whose employees hold daily meetings with associates spread throughout the world. One of the most widespread uses of collaborative technology has occurred in education environments. Indeed, certain researchers even argue that this technology is expanding the very nature of the classroom room outside institutional walls.     

Shoe Horn Essay Essay Example for Free

Shoe Horn Essay Essay The use of distinctively visual elements allows responders to interpret and create meaning from otherwise complex concepts. John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe Horn Sonata’ and Mike Subritzky’s poem ‘Sister’ both challenges the audience’s interpretation of the traumatic experiences of war. Through a range of distinctly visual techniques both composers help create an understanding of the power of time and the human spirit as overcoming adversity of war. As Misto’s The Shoe Horn Sonata develops, the distinctly visual stage positioning of Bridie and Sheila changes to demonstrate how the protagonists’ friendship strengthens over time. Initially Bridie and Sheila are seated at a distance for each other, demonstrating the need for them to reveal their stories as a way of overcoming the metaphorical barriers created by the war. Whilst this metaphorical barrier creates a tone of tension, during their reconciliation a contrast in characterisation occurs. The protagonists now hold hands and sit beside each other on stage. This contrasts creates a shift in tone from one of dissonance to one of hope and friendship. Misto’s use of juxtaposed distinctively visual stage positioning allows the audience to recognise that time has allowed the protagonists to resolve their relationship flaws, and therefore shows how their relationship has changed over time from one of incongruence to one of togetherness. Despite the growth in Bridie and Sheila’s relationship however distinctively visual projected imagery is used to portray that while time can help heal bad experiences, it cannot completely erase these memories. Through strategic stage positioning, Misto places Sheila beneath projected images of â€Å"Starving male prisoners† as â€Å"she does some of kind of needlework with great intensity†. By positioning such distinctive and confronting images above Sheila, Misto shows that even when doing simple tasks such as needlework, the memories of war will always remain at the fore of the protagonists’ minds. This positioning acts as a metaphor for the great impact of the war and the difficulty in erasing these memories. This helps responders understand the protagonist’s difficulties in connecting with each other and their world. Misto’s utilisation of the recurring motif of music demonstrates the poetic and admirable friendship and bond these women have created and the power this bond has had in helping them to overcome the atrocities of the war. Music imagery is also reflected in the plays title ‘Sonata’, which evokes connotations of dual courage, strength and faith, rising as one to overcome past atrocities. The ‘Sonata’ acts as a symbolic metaphor for both Bridie and Sheila, their friendship, and how that relationship has allowed them to overcome their past wartime experiences, whilst reconciling in the present. The use of such powerful and distinctive visual imagery therefore creates awareness of the atrocities of war and helps responders’ honour people who endured such atrocities. The power of the human spirit in times of war is also addressed in Mike Subritzky’s Poem Sister. Distinctively visual repetition and personification help responders understand the violence and bloodshed of the Vietnam War. Repetition of blood imagery in â€Å"Bloodied, broken bodies†¦Bloody combat gear’ alludes to the prevalence of death during the War, thereby allowing the responder to better understand the feelings of helplessness and misery faced by wounded soldiers. The strength of humanity is symbolised in the characterisation of the nurse who acts as the vehicle of hope to the dying soldiers. The nurse comes to be a visual symbol of courage and hope throughout the poem. When juxtaposed against the imagery of death and dying soldiers – â€Å"Young lives ebbed away† Subritzky creates a sense of hope for humanity in their most extreme hour. Furthermore, by hyperbolising the loss of hope in â€Å"I kept the faith when even hope was lost† th e nurse is depicted as being the guiding light and life force for soldiers close to death. By highlighting the humility and selflessness of the nurse, responders become aware of the strength of the human spirit in times of hardship and its ability to make easier very difficult situations. Much like the preceding texts Guo Jian’s painting ‘The day before I went away’ alludes to the atrocities of war, although does so in a satirical way. Through the use of distinctively visual heightened colour and flat surface painting technique, the smiling faced captures the attention of the responder to convey the illusion that the military is a joyful experience  created by Chinese propaganda. The juxtaposed characterisation between the glamorous singer in the foreground and grinning soldiers in the background who are set before a looming tank depicts that although propaganda had the initial feel of ‘inviting’ the reality of war is backgrounded and hidden. The salient feature of the image is the glamorous singer, who is toned lighter than the rest of the picture, creating a tone of innocence. She has an outstretched hand, grasping onto the responder of the poster and pulling them into the military. Through distinctively visual elements we as the r esponder become privy to the falsity of wartime propaganda. The illusion of soldiers happiness when serving their country is contrasted against the harsh reality of the dangers of war symbolised in the thank trapped within the brinks of the painting, as a symbol of their sound and government constraints from which they are unable to escape without falling into dishonour.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I'd like to start by thanking a few of the teachers who have made the greatest impression on me throughout my education here in Jones. Over the years, I have come to realize that the district's greatest asset is its teachers. I have been thoroughly impressed with the energy and dedication of every teacher I have had, and for this I would like to say, "Thank You." I regret that I can't take the time to speak in detail about all of them, but I would like to say a few things about some of the teachers who have made the biggest impact on me. The first is Mr. Stone. He is in Poland right now as part of a teacher exchange, but last year I had the pleasure of having him for physics and AP calculus. He is one of the most energetic teachers I have ever had. His true love of teaching is evident during every minute spent in his classroom. Not to mention the fact that he didn't collect homework in his calculus class. What more can you ask for? Next is Mr. Sanchez, who was my chemistry teacher for two years. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure his students understand the subj...

How to Avoid Translation, Transaction and Economic Exposures

Part 1 Question a Provide examples of how real world multinational corporations (MNC) reduce their translation, transaction and economic exposures. Translation exposure is the effect of changes in exchange rates on the accounting values of financial statements (Shapiro, 2010, p. 356). The translation exposure arises from the conversion the financial statements denominated in foreign currency from denominated in home currency. The MNCs could reduce their translation by using funds adjustment. For an example, if the devaluation of USD is expected for a Chinese company.The company could use direct funds adjustment such as pricing the exports in RMB and pricing the imports in USD, investing in RMB securities and replacing loans in RMB with the loans in USD. The company also could use indirect funds adjustment as paying out dividens, fees and other expends in advance, and speeding up the payment of accounting payable and delaying the collection of accounting receivable in USD. Transaction exposure measures the exchange gains and losses in cash flows in the value of domestic currency, which is denominated in foreign currency (Shapiro, 2010, p. 57). Multinational corporations often lower transaction exposure by making the contract with bank to lock in a forward exchange rate. For an example, an Australian import company expected to pay to an American supplier 10000 USD for the goods half year later. The company could sign a forward foreign exchange which is fixed at 0. 9 AUD per USD, and it allows carrying on the transaction in contract provision deadline any time, take at that time exchange rate as. So if there would be depreciation of home currency, and the Spot exchange rate is at 1. AUD per USD, the company had the right to convert their AUD into USD at previous exchange rate which is at 0. 9 from bank, so the amount of balance was the financial savings in cash flows. Economic exposure measures the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the operating cash flows t horough the sales price, sales volume, and production cost (Shapiro, 2010, p. 359). So the multinational corporations could reduce their economic exposures by marketing and production strategies.For an example, in the export business, if the currency is soft in home country, the company should more revenue and profit from product pricing, and they should consider lower price by reducing cost of product, such as expanding their scope of operation for reducing the cost of production, shifting production to home for reducing cost of currency exchange. Conversely, if the home country supplies with hard currency, they could shift production to local with soft currency for reducing cost of production. Question bDefine the international debt, equity and trade financing options available to MNCs. Explain why MNCs use these financing source. International debt financing refers to the fund demanders’ credit behaviours of raising funds directly from the public by issuing various debt or stocks in the international bond market (Shapiro, 2010, p. 464). There are two kinds of foreign bond. The first kind is the bonds denominated in the local currency that are issued in the national bond market, and the second kind is the bonds denominated in the home currency that are issued in the local bond market.The important foreign bonds in the world include Yankee bonds of the US and Swiss franc bonds of Swiss, Samurai bonds of Japan and Bulldog Bond from the London market. International debt financing can have multiple sources of capital from different foreign markets. The international debt can be issued in a great number with low cost, and MNCs only need to pay the interest as required and return the principal on the due date. The company’s business condition has nothing to do with creditors and creditors cannot intervene with the company’s management and operation.The management and decision-making are both subject to the discretion of the company itself. Int ernational equity financing refers to enterprises’ fund-raising by issuing stocks in the foreign markets (Shapiro, 2010, p. 466). Since stocks can only be transferred but cannot be withdrawn, the capital raised by international stock financing is long-term capital. For the MNCs could benefit lots of advantage of the International equity financing. Firstly, the international equity financing could reduce the funding risk.For some large MNCs located in the small countries, the market could not meet the need of huge issues, it is necessary to finance in more market. Then, issuing the overseas shares could attract more overseas investors, so there is an increase of demand for the companys’ shares, thereby the price of share would also increase and achieve the maximization of the wealth. Trade financing refers to the short-term financing or credit facility provided by banks to importers or exporters in relation to the settlement of import and export trade (Shapiro, 2010, p. 36). Trading financing is divided into import and export trade financing. In general, in respect of import financing, a letter of credit is adopted (Shapiro, 2010, p. 638). When the issuing bank has received proper and complete documents as required, the applicant makes the payment under the letter of credit to repay the short-term financing. The letter of credit is easy to operate and makes the approval procedures of the administration of foreign exchange much simpler. At the same time, a sight letter of credit is also used.As a result, importers can have access to the long-term letter of credit financing. The export trading financing could take a packing loan. Before exporting the goods specified in the letter of credit provided by the overseas importer, the packing loan is employed to cover the expenses of goods, materials, production and shipment. When the shipment of the goods is completed, the exporter presents all the documents to the negotiating bank for payment under the t erms of the credit.Upon the receipt of the payment of goods, the packing loan should be paid back (Bank of China, 2012). Part 2 Briefly explain the differences between the foreign direct investments (FDI) and portfolio investment. Then collect the required the data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) website and answer the following questions: Foreign direct investment refers to the trade activity of directly entering other countries for production by means of joint venture, sole proprietorship, etc (Shapiro, 2010, p. 198).With direct investment, investors can possess all or part of the enterprise assets and the ownership of operation, and directly perform or participate in the operation and management. Portfolio investment refers to the investment behaviours of purchasing financial securities of other countries to obtain certain proceeds (Shapiro, 2010, p. 198). Compared with direct investment, indirect investment’s investors only have the right to certain proceeds on a regular basis in addition to stock investment, but have no right to intervene with the invitee’s operation and management.Question a List the ten largest recipient countries of US FDI in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010. You need to provide the list of countries as well as the amount of FDI in USD. [pic] Source: U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) website. Question b What factors do you think account for these countries being the largest recipients of US FDI? Firstly, both these countries have strong political stability, because there are no changes of government and wars in recent, and the social condition and the rate of economic development of that country are positive.The positive political stability brings a safe investment environment to MNCs, which effectively enhances their confidence and willingness to invest. Secondly, these countries have reasonable, normative and stable legal systems. The countries could provide enough protection for foreign investors. Then, t hese countries have a good economic outlook in their domestic such as the low inflation, balance-of-payment surpluses and the strong growth rate of per capita GDP. So, the positive economic situation, the less likely it is to face risk that will inevitably harm foreign companies (Shapiro, 2010, p. 30). Question c Has the list of recipient counties changed over the concerned period? What might account for these changes? Yes, the list has changed over the concerned period. For most MNCs, the political and economic risks may discourage investors to invest in the countries. Political risk refers to the possibility of causing loss to investment activities of foreign investors because of the change in investment environment as a result of the change in the political situation of the host country (Shapiro, 2010, p. 277).Generally speaking, the main political risk influenced on the investment decision which includes: War Risk, when a political change or war occurs in the host country, it wi ll bring damage to the sales or profits of foreign-funded enterprises in the host country and even endanger the survival of these enterprises Legal risk, with the unreasonable laws and regulations and the direct legal confrontation between the investment country and host country, host country cannot provide enough protection for foreign investors, the assets of enterprises are more likely to suffer loss.Policy change risk, the change in policies concerning land, tax, market and exchange of the host country may influence the profits and development of enterprises. The government in the host country may set up barriers or impose various pressures for enterprises of the investment country, which often results in loss or bankruptcy for foreign-funded enterprises. Government relations risk, inharmonious government relations will lead to mutual hostility and sanctions in economy.As a result, foreign-funded enterprises are the first to be affected, which generates great risk for investment and operating activities. Economic risk mainly stems from the change in the economic policies and economic situation of the host country (Shapiro, 2010, p. 277), which changes may strike the foreign-funded enterprises and generate risk for their investment and operation. The economic risk mainly includes: Exchange rate risk, foreign investment activities often involve the conversion of different currencies.The change in exchange rate may increase the production cost, reduce the profitability of enterprises. Tax risk, the preference level of tax policy in the host country directly influences the management efficiency of enterprises. Interest rate risk, the fluctuation in the interest rate of the host country will have a direct impact on the financing cost and capital utilization efficiency of enterprises. Question d Do you except a change to the 2010 list over the next decade? Explain.Yes, I think some countries in the Third World and Eastern Europe will come into the list. With the strong economic and growth and rising standard of living, these emerging markets might be so profitable to the investors, and these host governments do recognise the free market oriented situation that it has play the role of economic growth. In the past years, the Third World’s and Eastern European countries are more open to the FDI by setting up free market oriented policies. These countries introduced a number of trade liberalization polices.In the free market system, prices and interest rate are set by market. The countries also have tax reform in the past years, that brought to foreign investors much more preferential taxation. They are accelerating the privatisation programme, it identified that government was willing to accept and support private economic activities, which leads to advance the inflow of FDI. After that, these countries also are trying to move forward is to revamp the entire civil service which could provide enough preferential treatment and protection for foreign investors.References Bank of China, 2012, Packing Loan, International Trade Financing. Accessed on: http://www. boc. cn/en/cbservice/cb3/cb35/200806/t20080627_1324121. html Shapiro, A. C. , 2010, Multinational Financial Management, 9th edn, John Wiley & Sons, New York, p. 198, p. 227, p. 230, p. 356, p. 357, p. 359, p. 464, p. 466, , p. 636, p. 638. U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2012, U. S. Direct Investment Position Abroad on a Historical-Cost Basis. [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay

Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the company’s sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is ‘finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the ‘corporate attitudes’ (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. Empowerment has been in the ‘forefront of quality improvement efforts’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in ‘service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions’ (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is ‘a fundamentally different way of working together’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 271) and ‘quite different from the traditional notion of control’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to ‘none managerial roles’ such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having ‘increased authority’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or ‘power’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees ‘the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that ‘Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change’ (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is ‘management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control’ (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment ‘is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are ‘truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more ‘flat democratic organisational structure’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These ‘attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development’ (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees ‘become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a ‘quality management system’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the ‘results are not always impressive’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because ‘people do not think it through’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are ‘middle managers’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a ‘flatter organisational structure’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may ‘resist these new responsibilities’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, ‘the fear of one’s own greatness’ (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be ‘cynical and suspicious of this approach’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the ’employees feeling too empowered’ (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to ‘speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to ‘release the creative and innovative capacities of employees’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for ’empowerment emerging as a concept for our time’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisatio ns are driven by profit generating, cost reduction and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has ‘greater justification for management in HRM terms’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time ‘not undermining managerial prerogatives’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) ‘suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide ‘an opportunity to empower and motivate employees’ (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued ‘as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that ‘job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through ‘quality management’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in ‘workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the ‘increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become ‘an important Human Resource Management tool’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of ‘self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead ‘forced to submit to another’s will and think and act under constant supervision’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring ‘organisational survival’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employee’s maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly ‘for their own good’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to ‘enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations ‘delayer’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare ‘may encourage union member ship’ (sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to ‘avoid collective action by employees’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The ’employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can ‘increase efficiency and effectiveness’ inside an organization (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. ‘salaries, rent, heat and advertising’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the ‘shared knowledge of workers’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time ‘develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes ‘between companies and their customers’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will ‘improve profits through repeated business’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase ‘revenue and improve the bottom line’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to ‘promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a ‘sense of personal and professional balance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees’ minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in ‘personal growth’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a ‘win-win situation’ (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organization’s culture itself. Benefits require ‘changes in management and employees’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the ‘management pyramid’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see ’empowerment as a threat’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the ‘rules and decisions always came from above’ (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to ‘enhance job responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to ‘increase their contentment with the job’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be ‘effective members of the workforce’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be ‘now shared with employees’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to ‘solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees’ jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under ‘high commitment management’ workers would be committed to management’s vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment ‘will feel more secure and empowered’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a ‘restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, ’employees feel more valued’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s overall success (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find ‘new ways to express their creativity’ (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a ‘profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives ’employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in ‘negotiating an effective team contract’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the company’s objectives. ‘Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are ‘commonly promoted’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as ‘praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to ‘give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to ‘restrict its best people’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. ‘The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are ‘learning to give up control’ and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to ‘communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as ‘stakeholders for the road of success’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. ‘Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Â   Bibliography Armstrong, M (1996) ‘A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice’, Sixth Edition, Kogan Page Beardwell, I & Holden, L (1994) ‘Human resource Management- A contemporary perspective’, Pitman Cole, G, A (1997) ‘Personnel Management’, Fourth Edition, Letts Erstad, M (1997) ‘Empowerment and organizational change’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 9 No. 7; Gennard, J & Judge, G (1997) ‘Employee relations’, Institute of Personnel & Development Graham, H, T &Bennett, R (1995) ‘Human Resources Management’, Eight Edition, M+E handbooks Honold, L (1997) ‘A review of the literature on employee empowerment’ ,Empowerment in Organisations; Volume 5 No. 4 Legge, K (1995) ‘Human Resource Management-Rhetoric’s & Realities’, Macmillan Business Mabey, C & Salaman, G (1997) ‘Strategic Human Resource Management’, Blackwell Business Mabey, C, Skinner, D & Clark, T, (1998) ‘Experiencing Human Resource Management’, Sage Sparrow, P & Marchington, M (1998) ‘Human Resource Management-The New Agenda’, Pitman Spencer, J & Pruss, A (1992) ‘Managing your team’, Piatkus Wilkinson, A (1998) ‘Empowerment: theory and practice’, Personnel Review; Volume 27 No. 1

buy custom Psoriasis essay

buy custom Psoriasis essay Psoriasis is a non-contagious chronic skin disease that is characterized by inflammatory and multiplying itchy patches on the skin and is clinically identified by well established, erythematous red papules and plaques having silvery scales. These patches usually appear on the elbows, knees, external surfaces, and scalp, but may be manifested all over the body (Oguejiofo, 2010). As the condition advances, one may also develop inflamed and achy joints, experience alterations in the appearance of nails, feel fatigue, and develop redness and pain around the eyes. The disease may be influenced by particular systemic and ecological features, but the course cannot be exactly identified. Immune system malfunctions arise from genetic information, where a patient carries genes, such as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)that is known to cause swellings, highly found in individuals with psoriatic arthritis, and claimed to be one of the instigators (Langley, 2010). The immune malfunction leads to a rapid growth cycle of skin cells, which then die, but instead of falling off accumulate to form patches or, in some cases, inflammations and damages to the joints (Oguejiofo, 2010). Psoriasis can be caused by a genetic inheritance, though the process of inheritance is unclear, but assumed to be polygenic after analysis of the historical lineage of the patients. HLA system includes genes HLA B16, Cw6, B13, and B27, which are the genetic indicators in different psoriatic populations (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Some of the factors that may aggravate and onset psoriasis according to Bandyopadhyay (2012) include: Trauma; this involves the growth of psoriatic wounds at the injured spot, which can be a result of physical, chemical, surgical, infective injuries, or inflammations. This is also known as Koebner phenomenon. Infection; a severe development of guttate psoriasis may occasionally be activated by the infection of streptococcal pharyngitis. Equally, HIV infection is also linked to the intensification in disease. Drugs; exposure to Lithium, withdrawal from systemic corticosteroids, antimalarial drugs, NSAID, and beta-blockers may catalyze the development of the disease (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Other potential activators of the disease include strong sunlight, psychological stress, cigarette smoking, and alcohol (commonly experienced by males). Role of Immune Response The precise immune-pathogenesis of psoriasis is not clearly known. However, its etiology is associated with immunologic factors. The disease entails development of epidermal hyperplasia, existence of acute inflammatory cells, and alterations of vascular inflammation. The skin epidermis and dermis of a psoriatic plaque usually contain high numbers of different immune system cells, such as activated T cells, activated antigen-presenting cells (APCs) (Bandyopadhyay, 2012) (which include Langerhans, dendritic cells, and macrophages), hyper-proliferating keratinocytes, and neutrophils (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). The stimulation of the dermal cells, APCs, or keratinocytes may lead to stimulation of antigen production. The secretion of cytokine, lymphokine antigens, and the enhancement of T-cell in turn activates inflammations and hyper-proliferation of epidermal cells bringing to the clinical lesions termed as psoriasis (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Nursing Assessment Nursing assessment involves physical examination, where a nurse interviews patients about their feelings, possibility of past injury, or exposure to chemicals. A patient suffering from psoriasis may record a feeling of soreness, burning, itchiness of the skin, or painful joints (Langley, 2010). Assessment process also includes inspection, where nurse observes the affected body parts and examines the presence of thickened skin with red papules covered with silvery scales. Palpation helps nurses to identify the texture of thickened skin. Physical examination of a typical lesion of psoriasis manifests features, such as lesions showing distinct borders, which are raised above the skin surface, appear red in color, and may be bounded by a pale halo. The lesions commonly are more than one centimeter in diameter and appear round or oval shaped (Langley, 2010). These lesions sometimes merge to form wide geographic patterns and are enclosed with loosely attached silvery white scales, which, when removed, may expose bleeding points. The parts usually affected are the elbows, shins, sacral regions, nails, and knees, among others. Other than the site variations, there are usually morphological variations of the lesions referred to as verrucous, lichenoid, linear, annular, follicular, figurate, and gyrate lesions (Lui, 2012: Oguejiofo, 2010). Implications for Nursing Psoriasis affects skin appearance and, as the skin is an exposed visible organ, can cause extreme psychological responses on patient. Nurses, therefore, have a continuous duty to psychologically help patients suffering from such conditions. This is because the condition affects the persons sense of self-concept. The constituents of self-concept that are normally evaluated by nurses comprise body image and self-esteem. The implications of nursing assessment include patients psychosocial responses to these components that often result in social isolation and, subsequently, loneliness (Menter Stoff, 2011). Many individuals in such conditions are usually disturbed by the body image and appearance, fear the risk of social isolation and experience changes in the self-esteem. Nurses need to be aware of the identifying characteristics of this diagnosis and the suitable nursing interventions to be employed that can result in positive patient outcomes (Menter Stoff, 2011). Nurses are, theref ore, in a unique position to handle the multidimensional impacts of psoriasis. Some of the interventions that can be employed are: Promoting understanding of the patient through explanations that there is no cure for psoriasis, though the disease can be controlled through lifetime management and advising patients to avoid the provoking factors. Promoting skin integrity; this is done by advising patients not to scratch psoriatic areas, instead to prevent the skin from drying out and clean with not too hot water, and teaching patients to use bath oil or emollient cleansing agent meant for sore and scaling skin. Improving self-concept and body image; this involves introduction of coping strategies that helps minimize stress and training patient to embrace self-care. Treatment Long term treatment is one of the nursing implications that must be initiated after nursing assessment and diagnosis of the psoriasis condition. Psoriasis is a chronic disease and, therefore, its therapy is long-term, needs to be individualized, depending on age, occupation, sex, and severity of the disease and available resources (Menter Stoff, 2011). Treatment of scalp psoriasis is still a challenge to the dermatologists. An effective management mechanism is essential and should include examination of the severity of the condition. The objectives of management are to slow the possible quick turnover of epidermis and to encourage solutions of the psoriatic lesions by addressing the aggravating factors, assessing the patients condition with a view of minimizing stress, gentle removal of scales using oils that soften the scales (Lui, 2012). There are three main types of therapy used in handling psoriasis. These include: topical, phototherapy, and systemic agents that can be used inde pendently or concurrently (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Topical Therapy this is an outpatient therapy used as the basic methodology in the treating mild plaque psoriasis. This involves administration of medicines in cream or ointment forms applied to the affected skin and scalp areas. Phototherapy - used when there is extensive and widespread resistance to topical treatment. This type of therapy requires special facilities that can offer two main forms of phototherapy. The first one is ultraviolet B (UVB) that uses ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths 290-320 nm, and the second is photo chemotherapy (PUVA), which includes a photosensitizing drug methoxsalen administered orally to patients, then ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation to treat individuals with widespread disease (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Systemic Therapy; this is employed when both, phototherapy and topical forms of treatments prove to be ineffective, and is administered on patients suffering from erythrodermic psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis, and widespread pustular psoriasis. The major implication that comes with the diagnosis and the treatment of psoriasis is the high cost of this therapy that many patients may not afford. Some of the drugs used in the therapy may include antimetabolites, such as methotrexate, acitretin, cyclosporine, which is used to selectively inhibit the T-helper cell from producing IL-2, thus produces immunosuppressive effects. Others include sulphasalazine and mycophenolate mofetil, which is still under evaluation, intended to prevent synthesis of the nucleotide guanosine (Bandyopadhyay, 2012). Conclusion Psoriasis is a non-contagious chronic skin disease that is manifested by inflammatory itchy patches on the skin and is clinically identified by well established, reddish papules and plaques enclosed with silvery scales that are generally circular or oval shaped. These patches usually appear on the elbows, knees, and on the exterior surfaces and scalp, but may be manifested all over the body. This condition is caused by malfunctions of the immune system and exposure to environmental factors (Langley, 2010). Nursing assessment of the disease is through clinical observation and physical examination for the identifying characteristics of this diagnosis that include feelings related to soreness, burning, itchiness of the skin, or painful joints and presence of lesions that show distinct border, are raised above the skin surface, and appear red in color. There are a lot of nursing implications that range from self-esteem and feeling of isolation to the cost of therapy administration (Mente r Stoff, 2011). The nurses also have a responsibility to advice the patients on the best self-practices alongside administration of therapies, such as topical, phototherapy, and systemic agents to maintain the disease. Buy custom Psoriasis essay

Are You Polarizing

Are You Polarizing This is one of my most important messages.   One of the many reasons I left my day job was stress. Many of you have done the same or are in the process of finding ways to leave the lifestyle that makes your world less palatable. I worked for the federal government, and my job entailed balancing the wishes of my politician boss, the needs of the public, and the competition of my peers. Add family to the mix, and it made for some sleepless nights and tight-chested days. I left that life to write, and it was one of the best decisions of my existence. Then I read an article in the latest Psychology Today (love that magazine) about how polarization saddens us and, if we do not control it, can make our lives toxic. But humans like to congregate. They evolved from packs. And we interact accordingly. So when the world looks safe, mammals happily fan out to find resources to meet their needs. When threats are perceived, mammals retreat to the safety of social alliances.   The problem these days is that we belong to multiple groups. We are writers. Thats one group. Many of us relate to one political party or the other. We often claim a religion or relate to our gender or sexual orientation. We are foodies, animal rights advocates, and home-schooling parents. All of us belong to several groups, but not all groups believe in each other a hundred percent. We have allies and contrarians even within the groups we align with. When my life gets too hectic, I feel it in my chest. I toss and turn and have nightmares, some nights am grateful for three hours of rest. I try to avoid items and people that cause me stress. Its not a weakness. I deem it a strength to be in control of my life. I fight for that  lifestyle, and anyone who has visited me can feel it in all Ive created. But there are some who choose to be more aggressive in one or two aspects of their lives. That does not mean they are right or wrongor that you are right or wrongor that I am all right or wrong. Choosing to be aggressive not to be confused with passionate about an issue or group, and infusing it into your writing world, will cause others to choose sides . . . and possibly avoid you. They retreat into the group they feel most comfortable with. As an author, you choose whether you want your lifes choices to walk alongside your writing, because to do so is choosing to alienate groups (or packs) of readers who feel differently. And not everyone is going to agree with the non-writer side of you. Sure, its noble to have causes. Others, however, may feel just as noble in their causes. Why do you have to clash if your unity is, say, mystery fiction? Why do we only have to relate to those who match us group for group? Ive supported one particular author for several years. Love her writing style. Back during the election, I got bombarded Months later, she won an award for her novel. She messaged me, and I rejoiced with her! Wonderful, I said. You deserve it. But why did you unfriend me on Facebook? And we held a very civil discourse about politics. I rather enjoyed it. We were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but nobody got angry. We agreed that we would not be Facebook friends because shes chosen these days to lead with politics over her writing, and I didnt want it spilling into my world. We agreed to disagree. Quite amicably. And we still support each others books. Not everyone will agree with you. And please, do not demand people agree with you. Let life run through you, not stop at your outstretched, palm up hand. You dont have to agree. You might better understand

Organizational Quality Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Quality Culture - Assignment Example A quality manual is a document prepared by the management of an organization, and it establishes and illustrates the overall policies which govern the quality management system. The policies explain the intention of the management in overseeing operations in accordance with the established quality framework (Lee & Dale 220). 2. In a quality system, the quality manual has various purposes. The quality manual illustrates the processes required for quality management systems of the organization and the usage of this system in the entire organization. The quality manual also describes the sequence and the interaction of the quality management processes in the organization. The quality manual finally describes the most appropriate criteria required for ensuring effective and efficient operation and control of production processes. 3. Quality documentation systems have several purposes in the organization. The system ensures that correct, consistent and complete information is effectively utilized in realizing customer and other stakeholders’ requirements. Good documentation system is also a major part of the organization’s quality assurance system. 1. Work instructions are a sequence of procedures or steps that are required to effectively perform or execute an activity in the organization. Work instructions have importance in the organization. The first importance is that it provides reference during employee training sessions; this ensures employees are equipped with adequate competencies. The second importance is that work instructions ensure consistency in work execution; this is because all the employees needed in performing a specified job are trained in the same manner.