Why accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why accounting - Assignment Example ) under ‘You’re Hired† portion: that the Department of Labor and Statistics indicated that â€Å"employment of accountants and auditors will grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2016† (The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) which makes pursuing accounting very attractive. The â€Å"Career Options† tab provides various career options in different fields and endeavors for accountants. The two things that were interesting are: (1) under non-profit and education area which presented options for accountants under the roles of a CPA at a favorite charity; an accounting teacher; as well as a volunteer accountant, where non-profit organizations and educational institutions could use their skills to generate more funds; (2) under travel: where accountants could pursue a full-time profession in other international destinations and could assume roles such as auditors, and CPAs in tourism and hospitality organizations (The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: Travel), which are career paths that are dynamic. profession: such as strong leadership, communication skills, technological know-how, and being business savvy. The two things found interesting were: (1) learning to lead is through experience and from seeing oneself assuming leadership roles; it is interesting since one could be encouraged to be a leader through daily experiences; and (2) finding out how to develop communication skills through school activities, such as working in groups, making presentations, participating in public speaking endeavors, and acting in plays (The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: CPA Skills), among others. The â€Å"Real Life CPAs† tab is all about information and experiences of known people who are CPAs in different industries and environments; such as Julie Herwitt and Mary MacBain, to name a few. These two CPAs were found to be most interesting, since: (1) Julie Herwitt has been a CPA for 27 years and was

Movie in 1980-1989 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Movie in 1980-1989 - Essay Example Krishna, a 10 year old kid lives in a remote rural area in India. Fed up of the bossing by his brother he sets his bike on fire and bears the wrath of his mother. She takes him to a circus and leaves him there asking him to earn Rs. 500 to repay for bike repair or not to come home. Krishna finds employment by doing petty jobs for the circus owner in hope of earning the amount and returning home. One fine day the owner orders him to get local liquor from a far away shop. Its take tremendous time and energy for Krishna to find it buy it and get back to the circus site, by the time the circus had left. With only some change in pocket and no courage to return to his mother, he sets out for the biggest city of India – Bombay. On his arrival he meets some local goons and is robbed off his money in light of his powerlessness and innocence. He follows the goons with courage and eventually befriends them. They lead him to the biggest brothel of Bombay at Falkland Road near Grant Road Railway Station. One of the goon and a drug addict, ‘Chillum’ who is also one of the main characters in the movie helps krisna to get a job with a tea stall owner. Days become week, weeks turn into months and years in hope of returning home. Not a day passes when Krishna asks his boss if he has Rs. 500 in his account by now but is always turned away. Change comes in his monotonous laborious life when a new prostitute, a virgin, ‘Sola Saal’ is brought to the brothel. He is so infatuated with the 16 year old girl that he sets the brothel room to fire in order to elope with her but in vain. He loses his job and does odd jobs with Chillum to survive. Meanwhile his friend Chillum is deteriorating in health and moneywise and he keeps on helping him time and again. Life is again monotonous until one night when he and his goon friends plan to rob an old Parsi man. While his life is being shown, a parallel story runs of another prostitute who has married with

Culturally Competent Assessments Of Children In Need

Culturally Competent Assessments Of Children In Need This article critically analyses cultural competence as a theoretical construct and explores the need for a framework that will assist social workers to carry out culturally competent assessments of children in need and their families. It is argued that the necessary components of a framework for practice in this area are a holistic definition of culture, an ethical approach to difference, self-awareness, an awareness of power relations, the adoption of a position of complete openness in working with difference and a sceptical approach to a commodified conception of cultural knowledge. The approach must avoid the totalisation of the other for personal or institutional purposes. It is argued that the Furness/Gilligan Framework (2010) reflects these concerns and could be easily adapted to assist with assessments in this area. Key words: assessment; children in need; children and families; culture; cultural competence Introduction The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse cultural competence as a theoretical construct and to explore the need for a framework that will assist social workers to identify when aspects of culture are significant in the lives and children in need and their families. The 1989 Children Act places a legal requirement to give due consideration to a childs religious persuasion, racial origin, and cultural and linguistic background in their care and in the provision of services (Section 22(5)). This provision established the principle that understanding a childs cultural background must underscore all work with children. However, there has been a longstanding concern that services to children are failing to be culturally sensitive. Concern over the disproportionate number of children in need from ethnic minorities led to their specific mention in The Governments Objective for Childrens Social Services, which states that the needs of black and ethnic minority children and families must be identified and met through services which are culturally sensitive (Department of Health, 1999a: para 16). Government policy documents increasingly recognise the multicultural reality of Britain. Yet, government assessment guidance provides practitioners with little assistance in terms of establishing ways in which cultural beliefs and practices influence family life. Social work has acknowledged the need to respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, ethnic backgrounds, religions, social classes and other diversity factors in a manner that values the worth of individuals, families and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each (BASW, 2009). There are many indications that culture is significant in determining the ways in which some people interpret events, resolve dilemmas, make decisions and view themselves, their own and others actions and how they respond to these (Gilligan, 2009; Hunt, 2005). Practitioners may not, therefore, be able to engage with service users or to facilitate appropriate interventions if they take too little account of these aspects of peoples lives or consider them on the basis of inaccurate, ill-informed or stereotyped knowledge (Gilligan, 2009; Hodge et al., 2006). Culturally competent practice is so fundamental to assessments of children in need that one might expect a well developed literature on the subject. This would act as a robust knowledge base to underpin excellence in service delivery. Thompson (2006, p. 82) admits, there is a danger that assessment will be based on dominant white norms without adequate attention being paid to cultural differences. Failure to take such differences into account will not only distort, and thereby invalidate, the basis of the assessment but will serve to alienate clients by devaluing their culture. However, the literature in this area is surprisingly sparse. Almost two decades ago it was described as a void of published information (Lynch and Hanson, 1992, p. xvii) and Welbourne (2002) argues that progress is still slow. Boushel (2000) argues that despite the governments stated concern to know more about the impact of race and ethnicity on child welfare, the limited extent to which research reflects the experience and needs of culturally diverse children fails to support a true evidence base for policy or practice. There is evidence that aspects of culture can all too easily be underestimated, overlooked or ignored, sometimes with extremely serious consequences (Laming, 2003; Gilligan, 2008; OHagan, 2001). Many mainstream childcare and child protection texts make little reference to culture (OHagan, 2001). Not one of the twenty pieces of research into differing aspects of child protection work considered in Messages From Research (Dartington, 1995) explore the cultural aspects of any of the cases dealt with. There is now a growing body of literature written for health and social care professionals about the importance of developing and incorporating cultural sensitivity and awareness in their work with others (Campinha-Bacote, 1994; CHYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/bcp159v2?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=social+work+religion+and+beliefsearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#BCP159C4andHYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/bcp159v2?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=social+work+religion+and+beliefsearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#BCP159C4a HYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/bcp159v2?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=social+work+religion+and+beliefsearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#BCP159C4andHYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/bcp159v2?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=social+work+religion+and+beliefsearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#BCP159C4 Furman, 1999; H odge, 2001, 2005; Moss, 2005; Gilligan and Furness, 2006; Sue, 2006; Laird, 2008). However, despite the apparent emergence of a more general recognition and acknowledgement of these issues amongst many professionals, relevant day-to-day practice remains largely dependent on individual views and attitudes (Gilligan, 2009). A Department of Health (2002) study of 40 deaths and serious injuries to children found that, information on the ethnic background of children and carers was vague and unsophisticated in that it failed to consider features of the childs culture, religion and race, as specified in the Children Act 1989 (Department of Health, 2002, p. 26). The failure to conceptualize accurately the cultural and social context within which minority ethnic parents are operating impacts on interventions offered, which served to reflect and reproduce existing powerlessness. . . (Bernard, 2001, p. 3). If, as this suggests, there is a deficit in social workers ability to conceptualize mi nority ethnic service users social and cultural context in assessments of children, partly accounted for by a paucity of literature in this area, the implications for practice are potentially a failure to carry out culturally competent practice for many vulnerable children. In The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report 2003, Lord Lamming commented that, The legislative framework is sound, the gap is in the implementation (2003, p. 13). Report after report has expressed concern over the limited skills of social services staff when undertaking assessments and designing interventions with ethnic minority children (Batty, 2002). While many professionals acknowledge that there is a need to work in culturally sensitive ways, there is evidence that many professionals working with children and families do not always feel equipped to do so (Gilligan, 2003). Gilligan (2009) found that whilst professionals may recognise that service users beliefs are very important, there is little consistency in how such recognition impacts on practice. Even within his small sample, there was considerable variation in attitudes and much to suggest that actions and decisions are the product of individual choice rather than professional judgement or agency policies (Gilligan, 2009). Pract itioners are able to continue with culture-blind approaches without these being significantly challenged by agency policies or by professional cultures (Gilligan, 2009). There is a clear need to look again at what we mean by cultural competence and to develop a framework that will assist social workers to identify when aspects of culture are significant in the lives and children in need and their families. Defining culture There is a clear recognition that aspects of culture are significant in the lives of children and their families and that this needs to be considered in assessment practice. In order to address the lack of understanding and ineffective practice among practitioners in this area it is necessary to provide clear definitions of culture and cultural competence. Assessing children in need and their families is a complex task. There is evidence of considerable variation between social workers definitions of the essential components of good enough parenting, reflecting the variation between professionals in definition of need (Daniel, 2000). When reviewing cases of serious injury or death, the Department of Health concluded that: . . .areas suggested by this research as ripe for development [include] reaching common definitions of being in need or at risk of significant harm (Department of Health, 2002). It is in this context of ambiguity that culture must be defined. The 1989 Children Act uses the wording culture as a statutory requirement in addressing the needs of black children, but does not offer guidance about its definition. Culture is a highly discursive term and the object of an intensive theoretical and political dispute (Benhabib, 1999, 2002). The construction of culture as a theoretical concept has always been affected by entangled perspectives, particularly in social work (Boggs, 2004). Harrison and Turner (2010) found that participants in their study spent considerable time discussing the complex nature of culture and the difficulties in defining it. This means that when looking at the practice of cultural competence as part of assessing need and risk the scope for conceptual ambiguity is vast (Welbourne, 2002). Eagleton (2000, p. 1) states that, culture is said to be one of the two or three most complex words in the English language. OHagan (2001) argues that culture is a complex concept, with virtually limitless parameters, which cannot be defined or explained in the two or three sentences usually allocated to them in much health and social care literature. For example, Payne (1997, p. 244) provides a rather ambiguous definition of culture: a difficult concept. It implies a relatively unchanging, dominating collection of social values, and assumes that members of an identified group will always accept these. It is possible to examine definitions of culture that stem from anthropology, sociology, psychology and cultural geography (OHagan, 2001). The anthropologist Edward Tylor (1871) formulated the most enduring definition of culture: culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. The sociologist Giddens (1993: 31) says that culture refers to the ways of life of the members of a society, or of groups, or within a society. It includes how they dress, their marriage customs and family life, their patterns of work, religious ceremonies and leisure pursuits. OHagan (2001) defines culture as the distinct way of life of the group, race, class, community or nation to which the individual belongs. It is the first and most important frame of reference from which ones sense of identity evolves. OHagans definition draws on anthropology and is wide enough to challenge essentialist notions of culture, yet defined enough to be meaningful. It also balances the community and individual aspects of culture. When we consider this definition of culture it can be seen that all assessment of children in need occurs within a cultural context. In fact it is perhaps better understood as taking place within a number of interacting cultural contexts, with the culture of the c hild at the heart of the process. The use of the concept of culture in developing cultural competence and not race has been a deliberate shift in terminology from anti-racist theorising. Anti-racist theory, with its emphasis on race, has been criticised for dichotomising blackness and whiteness which does not permit any differentiation in the experience of racism between different ethnic groups (Laird, 2008). The idea of racial homogeneity has been enduring but this idea must be challenged. White people and black people are not homogeneous groups (Laird, 2008). Culture is a broader term than race or ethnicity and can include aspects of age, gender, social status, religion, language, sexual orientation and disability (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005). Using the term culture allows for difference of attitude and experience between individuals who are part of the same ethnic or racial grouping. If one considers that culture is learned from generation to generation, it is inevitably person specific and shaped by o nes personal and societal context. The Challenge of Cultural Competence There are a variety of paradigms in the study of race, ethnicity and culture which are located in particular socio-historical and political contexts. Cultural competence is just one of these and has not escaped criticism in the professional literature. Writers in social work have argued that cultural competence depoliticises race relations and promotes othering (Pon, 2009), assumes workers themselves are from a dominant culture (Sakamoto, 2007) and is based on the flawed assumption that acquiring cultural knowledge will result in competent practice (Dean, 2001; Ben-Ari and Strier, 2010). Despite its wide acceptance, the concept remains subject to multiple, often conflicting, views. There is a need to critically analyse cultural competence as a theoretical construct in order to make it meaningful to practitioners and to provide a basis for best practice. Concern with racism emerged in the social work profession in the 1970s and during the 1980s major texts appeared to guide practice (Payne, 2005). The concept of anti-racist practice emerged built on the principles that race is a social construct that has been used to justify oppression and that it is necessary to critically examine the dynamics of power relationships that produce oppression. Anti-racist theorists have criticised advocates of cultural competence for creating an exotic understanding of people from ethnic minorities and for not recognising practice issues of social inequality or racial discrimination (OHagan, 2001). Cultural competence has been presented as apolitical and has been criticised for failing to address the power struggles of history (Barn, 2007). Key issues of power are absent from much of the analytical thinking around the paradigm of cultural competence (Barn, 2007). Given that the political, cultural and professional perspectives on race and ethnicity hav e important consequences for minority ethnic children and families, social workers need to incorporate an understanding of power relations as a key tool for subverting racism. A more sophisticated and nuanced approach is necessary, which will involve a paradigm shift from essentialist notions of race which view culture in rigid and inflexible ways to one in which cultural sensitivity is understood within the context of power relations (Barn, 2007). It is important to widen the debate beyond black and white, to recognise that racial, ethnic and cultural groups are not homogenous, but to not abandon the challenging of racism and other forms of oppression. Culturally competent practice needs to take account of the tensions between different cultural norms and values within the UK, not only between ethnically and culturally distinct groups of people. Social work norms and values may not be those of the majority of Europeans, or even of the mainstream white UK population, as the case of A v UK demonstrates. Writers such as Olsen (1981), Korbin (1981, 1991) and Thorpe (1994) have problematised the notion of a universal standard of childcare, pointing to significant cross-cultural variability. The essence of this challenge is that standardized definitions of child abuse must be contested as they necessarily relate to culturally defined norms. Korbin HYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/6/901?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=how+and+when+does+athnicity+mattersearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#KORBIN-1991(1991), in what is now a classic essay, warns against the dangers of both Eurocentric practice and over ly culturally relativist practice. On the one hand, Eurocentric practice serves only to impose one set of cultural beliefs and practices as preferable and therefore reproduce patterns of domination and oppression. In the British literature, concern has been expressed that minority families are too frequently pathologised and stereotyped, with workers over-relying on cultural explanations for their problems and utilizing a model of cultural deficit (Williams and Soyden, 2005; Chand, 2000; Ahmed, 1994). It is argued that they receive more and speedier punitive services than preventative/care services (Williams and Soyden, 2005). Lees (2002) argues from her research that there is a tendency to pathologise behaviour that is not culturally normative, an example being negatively evaluating the act of running away from an abusive home among young black women rather than adopting passive coping strategies. At the other extreme, Korbin notes extreme cultural relativism, in which all judgements of humane treatment of children are suspended in the name of cultural rights, may be used to justify a lesser standard of care for some children (1991, p. 68). It has been suggested that cultural relativism freezes the status quo by making standard-setting according to universal norms impossible (Laird, 2008). Barn et al (1997) found that adoption of a position of cultural relativity through fear of being labelled as racist affected statutory provision to children and families. They found that some social workers were reluctant to intervene to protect children because they believed that abusive behaviour was sanctioned by their culture (Barn et al, 1997). The child abuse inquiry reports of Jasmine Beckford (Blom-Cooper, 1985) and Tyra Henry (Lambeth, 1987) concluded that culture had impinged upon events leading to the deaths of these children. It was suggested that workers were too optimistic in their assessments of carers and that abusive behaviours were interpreted as aspects of culture. Whilst these concerns turn on the recognition of aspects of cultural difference as significant in the process of assessment, it has long been noted in the social work literature that practitioners fail at the first hurdle, in as much as they do not recognise at all the importance of culture: a culture-blind approach (Dominelli, 1998; Boushol, 2000; Graham, 2002). The culture-blind approach eschews difference in its search for a universal formula. It suggests that a standard of good practice can be established which fits all. For example, Payne (1997) rejects the argument that western social work theory may be incompatible with some of the core components of other cultures and ignores the fact that it was used extensively in the processes of annihilation of various indigenous cultures (OHagan, 2001). Despite being consistently criticised as naive and oppressive, this approach represents a powerful paradigm within social work (Williams and Soyden, 2005; Dominelli, 1998). Finding the balance between these concerns poses considerable difficulties for those charged with assessments of children in need (Dominelli,HYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/6/901?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=how+and+when+does+athnicity+mattersearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#DOMINELLI-1998A HYPERLINK http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/6/901?maxtoshow=hits=10RESULTFORMAT=fulltext=how+and+when+does+athnicity+mattersearchid=1FIRSTINDEX=0resourcetype=HWCIT#DOMINELLI-1998A1998). What is needed is an approach to practice that can challenge normative stereotypes of appropriate behaviour by parents or children while promoting the rights of children to safety and good enough parenting. Brophy (2003, p. 674) states Balancing a respect for differing styles of parenting and guarding against inappropriate inroads into lifestyles and belief systems, while also protecting children from ill-treatment, remains an exacting task. Professiona ls can be castigated for intervening too quickly or too slowly. Social workers must operate with cultural sensitivity within the assessment process but at the same time recognize that at the heart of anti-oppressive practice is a commitment to the non-relative core value of human equality. A Knowledge Based Competency? Cultural competence as a practice response to these issues has been conceptualised in several ways. There are not one, but multiple definitions of cultural competence and it appears to be a changeable, evolving concept (Harrison and Turner, 2010). The frameworks available to assist practitioners in assessing aspects of culture are predominantly of two types: assessment models that try to aid in the collection of information and the understanding of specific service users strengths, needs and circumstances (Carballeira, 1996; Hodge, 2001, 2005; Hogan-Garcia, 2003; Sue, 2006) and reflective models that aim to help the practitioner to develop relevant skills and awareness in general terms (Green, 1999; Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005; Papadopoulos, 2006). Assessment models of cultural competence frequently refer to the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, practices and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services, thereby producing better outcomes (Davis and Donald, 1997). To work effectively with diversity, practitioners are expected to gain knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, to have a positive attitude towards cultural differences and develop cross-cultural skills (Ben-Ari, 2010). Examples of assessment models include the LIVE and LEARN Model developed by Carballeira (1996) which identifies a series of activities which practitioners need to engage in to be culturally competent: Like; Inquire; Visit; Experience; Listen; Evaluate; Acknowledge; Recommend and Negotiate. Another example is Campinha-Bacotes (2002, pp. 182-3) ASKED model which identifies five dimensions of cultural competence: cultural Awaren ess; cultural Skill; cultural Knowledge; cultural Encounter; and cultural Desire. In line with this approach Sue (2006) argues that culturally competent social work practice is defined as the service providers acquisition of awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to function effectively in a pluralistic democratic society (2006: 29). However, there is disparity in the literature as to the knowledge that is necessary for effective culturally responsive practice. The above models adopt a cultural literacy approach in which culture specific information and practice is categorised under broad ethnic group categories (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005). For example, Lairds (2008) book Anti-Oppressive Social Work contains chapters entitled communities with roots in India, communities with roots in the Caribbean and communities with roots in China. Similarly, OHagan (2001) includes chapters about Islam, American Indians and Australian Aborigines in his book about cultural competence. Laird (2008, p. 156) states It is only by gaining cultural knowledge, that is, learning to appreciate the variety of ways in which people with different heritages organise their lives, that practitioners from the white-majority community can gain cultural awareness. This is because cultural knowledge offers practitioners a comparative analytical tool with which to examine cultural influences upon their own lives. From this approach knowledge is seen as central to the development of cultural competence skills, which are fundamentally knowledge-based learned capacities (Ben-Ari and Strier, 2010). It is widely believed that cultural knowledge is the key to interpreting the code of cultural diversity (Ben-Ari and Strier, 2010). It is argued that without knowledge, one cannot be aware of the presence of biases in professional practices and practice could remain ethnocentric (Adams et al., 2001). There is a tendency to think that if a worker learns about a culture, what Spradley (1994) calls explicit cultural knowledge, then they will have a framework for working with that culture. Widely existing conceptions of cultural competence assume that the other is knowable and that this knowledge is a prerequisite for being culturally competent (Ben-Ari and Strier, 2010). A radically different stance has been suggested by Ben-Ari and Strier (2010) who examine cultural competence through the lens of Levinas (1969) theory of other. Levinas (1969) proposes that ethics precedes knowledge. He argues that our humanity is realised through the wisdom of love and not through the love of wisdom (the literal Greek meaning of the word philosophy). In other words, ethics precedes any objective searching after truth (Beals, 2007). Levinas thesis ethics as first philosophy means that the pursuit of knowledge is but a secondary feature of a more basic ethical duty to the other. Within this framework, the main question becomes what relation to the other is necessary in order for knowledge to be possible? He argues that the other is not knowable and cannot be made into an object of the self, as is done by traditional philosophy. By emphasising the primacy of ethics to knowledge, Levinas creates a new framework for working across differences. This raises fundamental questions with regard to the nature of social knowledge. Laird (2008) argues that the most critical requirement of culturally sensitive social work is to keep open the dialogue between people from different ethnic backgrounds and to ensure that each individual emerges as a unique composite of values, beliefs and aspirations. It is necessary to consider how accumulated knowledge about other cultures has the potential to limit our openness in our encounters with people who are other to us. Knowledge about other cultures can lead to the experience of totality: something is nothing more than what I make out of it (Ben-Ari and Strier, 2010). When we totalise the other we reduce our understanding of it. Levinas (1987) proposes that we should aim for the experience of infinity, that is, the recognition that something is more than what we could make of it. Berlin (2002, p. 144) notes the danger of totalising people from other cultures, stating classifying people on th e basis of group membership only gives us the illusions that we are being culturally sensitive, when, in fact, we are failing to look beyond easy characterisations for the particular and specific ways this person is understanding, feeling and acting. A knowledge based approach to cultural competency has a tendency to create overgeneralisations of cultural groups and can lead to the worker perceiving themselves as an expert despite the likelihood of them being in a position of cultural naivety (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005). The implication of this is that culturally competent assessments must come from an ethical standpoint of openness on the part of the practitioner. OHagan (2001) states, The workers need not be highly knowledgeable about the cultures of the people they serve, but they must approach culturally different people with openness and respect. It must be recognised that thoughts, feelings and actions are influenced by external and internal variables that are cultural in origin and, as a consequence, that each individual who enters the child welfare system is unique (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005). A consequence of this is that perceptions of the child welfare problem will be unique to each client or family. Understanding how the family perceives the problem enables child protection workers to work in a more culturally responsive way in developing solutions. Cooper (2001, p. 732) states the meanings in context of a childs injury are not revealed through objective facts or through expe rt objective assessment or diagnosis. An agreed meaning, understanding and potential for change can only be co-constructed, with the service user and their social relationships and networks, within a situated organisation and multi-agency context. Aligning solutions with the cultural identity of the family provides the potential for family-centred responses. Cultural competence must move away from an emphasis on cultural knowledge if it is to provide an ethical framework for working with difference. A Matter of Reflection? The second main type of cultural competence model is a reflective model. Reflection has been part of practice discourse for a number of decades (Schon, 1983; 1987). More recently the concept of critical reflection has taken hold (Fook, 2002). A critically reflective response challenges the values and attitudes associated with professional conduct (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward, 2005). An example of a reflective model of cultural competence is the cultural-reflective model developed by Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward (2005). This model includes the processes of cultural thinking; critical reflection and reflective practice outcomes. A strength of the model is that is recognises the interaction between the self and the other within interactions between people of different cultures. Ben-Ari and Strier (2010) argue that the development of the concept of cultural competence could benefit from considering the significance of self and other interdependence in contemporary debates on cultural diversity. They analyse relations between self and other using Levinas theory of other and explore the ways in which these relations play a pivotal role in working with differences. A persons definition of the other is part of what defines the self (Levinas, 1969). The idea that the self requires the other to define itself has been expressed by many writers (Brown, 1995; Riggins, 1997; Gillespie, 2007). It has been recognised that the concept of otherness is integral to the understanding of identities as people construct roles for themselves in relation to an other. The implication of this is that that all cross-cultural encounters between social workers and service users bring into play not only the heritage of the service user, but also that of the practitioner (Laird, 2008). Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Ward (2005, p. 59) note that assessments of the social world are likely to say more about the perceiver than the persons under study. Social workers need to discover and reflect upon their own value system and traditions in order to be culturally competent. Reflective models, such as Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Wards (2005), recognise that our cultural thinking responses are often automatic and outside of our control. It is necessary to ask where our responses and language come from (Connolly, Crichton-Hill and Wards, 2005). The reflective process encourages an examination of values and beliefs underpinning reactions. It involves challenging our assumptions, recognising stereotypes and recognising power and its effects. Without this it is easy to think that it is our way of being is the norm and other people who are ethnic, idiosyncratic, culturally pe

Peace- George Herbert Essay -- English Literature

Peace- George Herbert George Herbert depicts a search for peace through religion in his poem "Peace" by utilizing allusion to the Bible and symbolism. George Herbert begins his poem by asking a question; "Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell?" This is an apostrophe to Peace because the narrator is seeking peace in a variety of sublunary places and objects such as a cave, a rainbow, a Crown Imperial flower, and he finally asks a reverend where he may find peace. The reverend recounts the life of a prince who "sweetly lived" and "who lived with good increase of flock and fold." The prince died and on his grave "there sprang twelve stalks of wheat" which prospered and spread throughout the Earth. Anyone who fed on the wheat discovered "a secret virtue, bringing peace and mirth by flight of sin." The story the reverend relates to the man in search of peace is an illusion to the Bible. The prince that reverend speaks of is Jesus Christ, and the proceeding events follow the life and death of Jesus. The reverend speaks of how he was murdered by his foes which relates to Je...

The Autonomous Factors

This model demonstrates that the autonomous factors are unite on the left side and the reliant variable is joined on the correct side of the model. In this table all the free factors are centering or specifically influencing the reliant variable and the needy variable is client maintenance. The theory for this exploration is given underneath:2.7 ResearchHypothesis Following are the exploration theory of the examination: H1: Service quality has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Service quality has no positive effect on the client maintenance. H2: Customer fulfillment has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Customer Satisfaction has no positive impact on client maintenance. H3: Customer reliability has positive impact on the client maintenance. H0: Customer reliability has no positive effect on the client maintenance. H4: Environment   has positive effect on the client maintenance. H0: Environment has no positive impact on the client maintenance.3. MethodologyIn this exploration the easygoing examination has been utilized to clarify the impact of the free factors (benefit quality, consumer loyalty, client steadfastness, condition t) on the needy variable (client retention).The information for this exploration has been taken from 300 members by utilizing the instructive and mental estimation table (Krejcie, Robert 1970) . Add up to number of 160 surveys from out of 300 was returned which were totally and accurately filled by the members which were worthy for the investigation to go ahead. In this examination the helpful testing is been utilized to gather information from the members to bear on the exploration.3.1 InstrumentsIn this paper we have utilized the strategy which was beforehand embraced in the examinations, the poll was made out of aggregate 19 questions. First4 questions were of individual statistic and remaining 15 were of the 5 factors which were utilized as a part of this paper. Measurable bundle for sociologies (SPSS) rendition 20.0 was utilized for the investigation of the factors gathered through the survey.3.2 DateAnalysis procedures Unwavering quality examination is utilized as a part of this paper to check the dependability of the poll. As it is said in the past investigations that dependability examination acknowledgment run is over 0.70(Nunnally, 1978) . Pearson connection examination is utilized to check the connection between the diverse factors. What's more, the direct relapse investigation is utilized to discover the impact of the autonomous factors on the reliant factors.4. DataAnalysis and Results The Frequency table demonstrates that the information gathered from respondents incorporate 60% male and 40% female. Table no.1 Elucidation Keeping in mind the end goal to confirm the entomb thing consistency of things, Cronbach's alpha test was keep running on spss. The Cronbach's alpha test is utilized to recognize that how much our reactions on our examination are solid .The Cronbach's alpha shows esteems in above table including the estimation of every factor .The qualities are above to the standard esteem proposed by (Nummally, 1978) of 0.70, which exhibits that our instrument is dependable and we can irrefutably apply different measurable tests and decipher the results with assurance. Understanding Connection test was actualized to break down the connection between factors. Connection table proposed every one of the factors were emphatically associated to customer buy goal. The most connected variable was CL having Pearson Correlation estimation of r(120) = .648, p

A Class Struggle in Desperate Times Essay

John Steinbeck’s novel entitled The Grapes of Wrath is a story which depicts the spirit and dignity of a person during the most desperate of situations. The novel is a fictional account of the life of the Joad family on their way to the Promised Land of California from the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma during the 1930s (Steinbeck 2). The family, similar to several other sharecroppers and farmers living in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and other states at the time of the dust bowl and the Great Depression were forced to leave their lands (Steinbeck 3). When it was first published in April 14, 1939, it quickly became a bestselling novel (Steiner 2). Although there were those who criticized the novel for apparently being basically sentimental and still others dismissed it as another example of social journalism or documentation more than it is a novel, most critics recognize the literary value of Steinbeck’s work. In fact, the author even received a Pulitzer Prize for his work the following year (Steiner 2). The novel is an attack on capitalism as it is about the plight of the migrant workers. It condemned cruel industrialism and monopoly capitalism (Choi 90). The theme of finding a home entwined with the political issues of the time is of the essence. This is because even though the story primarily has a political undertone, the author nevertheless explores the reason behind the migration of people, how they struggle to find their new homes while seeking to find out how it can really be done. The novel was written at a time the United States was struggling to survive a severe economic depression (Steinbeck 3). People all over the country have practically lost everything they own. The farming areas located at the Midwest experienced the worst consequence of such crisis. Soil depletion was brought about by poor farming practices. As a result, farmers who depend on it for survival were forced to seek for other ways to support their families. Moreover, the prices as well as markets for the crops have dropped. These events produced a significant change in agriculture of the region. Small farm lands merged with bigger and more commercial ones. Manual labor has been replaced by mechanical means. The country experienced dry soil erosion brought about by mighty wind blows and endured serious food crisis during middle part of the 1930s. The condition produced what came to be known as the â€Å"dust bowl† in Colorado, Kansa, Texas, and Oklahoma. The farmers together with their families were driven out of the land they depend on for years of survival. They traveled all the way to California, whose fertile land presents the promise of a better life. Unfortunately, life in the so-called Promised Land has not been good to them either. They suffered oppression, resentment, low wages, and unemployment. They were accused as communist in a land they counted on to rescue them from the ill-fated life they left back home (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck traveled with the migrants to gain a first-hand experience of the unfortunate life they had to live. In writing the novel, the author sought more than just to illustrate the class struggle at the time of the Great Depression. He even presented a critical analysis of the policies that had been the root cause of their misfortune. In this regard, the characters portrayed in the story usually come out as classic heroes or romanticized models. He did this on purpose instead of utilizing his characters to investigate the individual human psyche. Rather, he presents his characters as personification of the universal struggles and principles of the human race. Hence, The Grapes of Wrath serves as an account of the Great Depression as it was an assessment of the social and fiscal system that contributed to the emergence of this particular period in American history. Works Cited Choi, Jungsun. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath: Home-Seeking and the Ambiguity of the Ending. † Journal of British American Studies 14 (2006): 89-110. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Steiner, Bernd. A Survey of John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath. † Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2007.

What Ive Learned So Far Essays

What Ive Learned So Far Essays What Ive Learned So Far Essay What Ive Learned So Far Essay Now that my children are a little older, I am ready to focus on things I would like to do. I never thought I would be going to school this late in my life, but I am figuring out it is more common than not. I have learned so much through my trials and errors. I am learning a lot about myself and others as we are reading our social psychology book. I am becoming a better person because I can understand how others might think or why they do some of the things they do. My Story Thus Far When we are in a social environments, we may say things or behave in ways we think others want to hear us say or act a certain way. No one wants to feel embarrassed or left out. Everyone wants to â€Å"fit in†. No one wants to rock the boat in fear of criticism. Everyone wants to be liked. According to D.G. Meyers (2005) behavior determines attitudes and we come to believe in what we stand up for. Our social roles influence our attitudes under different circumstances. When we are in a group of strangers, we try not to bring negative attention to ourselves. We pay more attention to how we are dressed, what kinds of things we talk about and how we are making our first impression. We observe our actions and attitudes more closely. We pay attention to the people around us closer also. We watch their reactions to what we say and how we say it for clues to know if we are getting â€Å"agreement† with what we are saying or if we need to change what we are saying or how we are behaving. When people look at us in agreement, we can tell by their heads shaking up and down or the looks on their faces in a â€Å"pleasing† look. When people do not agree, we can tell that in their facial expressions also. We pay attention to these mannerisms to know what we need to next. Conforming pressure influences decision-making.This pressure may have good or bad effects depending on the situation. There are two possibilities why people make their decisions (D.G. Myers, 2005). One is

How to Calculate Acceleration The 3 Formulas You Need

How to Calculate Acceleration The 3 Formulas You Need SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips "Whoa, you really went from zero to sixty there!" Have you ever heard someone use the idiom "zero to sixty" like I did in the above example? When someone says something went from "zero to sixty," they’re really saying that things accelerated very quickly. Acceleration is the amount by which the velocity of something changes over a set period of time. In this article, we’ll be talking all about acceleration: what it is and how to calculate it. Buckle up! What Is Acceleration? Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over a set period of time. You need to have both velocity and time to calculate acceleration. Many people confuse acceleration with velocity (or speed). First of all, velocity is simply speed with a direction, so the two are often used interchangeably, even though they have slight differences. Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, meaning something is getting faster or slower. What Is the Acceleration Formula? You can use the acceleration equation to calculate acceleration. Here is the most common acceleration formula: $$a = {Δv}/{Δt}$$ where $Δv$ is the change in velocity and $Δt$ is the change in time. You can also write the acceleration equation like this: $$a = {v(f) - v(i)}/{t(f) - t(i)}$$ In this acceleration equation, $v(f)$ is the final velocity while is the $v(i)$ initial velocity. $T(f)$ is the final time and $t(i)$ is the initial time. Some other things to keep in mind when using the acceleration equation: You need to subtract the initial velocity from the final velocity. If you reverse them, you will get the direction of your acceleration wrong. If you don’t have a starting time, you can use â€Å"0†. If the final velocity is less than the initial velocity, the acceleration will be negative, meaning that the object slowed down. Now let’s breakdown the acceleration equation step-by-step in a real example. How to Calculate Acceleration: Step-by-Step Breakdown Now we’ll breakdown the acceleration formula step-by-step using a real example. A race car accelerates from 15 m/s to 35 m/s in 3 seconds. What is its average acceleration? First, write the acceleration equation. $$a = {v(f) - v(i)}/{t(f) - t(i)}$$ Next, define your variables. $a$ = what we are solving for $$V(f) = 35 m/s$$ $$V(i) = 15 m/s$$ $$T(f) = 3 s$$ $$T(i) = 0 s$$ Now, plug your variables into the equation and solve: $$A = {{(35 - 15)m}/{s}/{(3 - 0)s}$$ $$A = {(35 - 15)}/{(3 - 0)} m/s^2$$ $$A = {20/3} m/s^2$$ $$A = 6.66 m/s^2$$ Let’s try another example. A cyclist traveling at 23.2 m/s comes to a complete stop in 1.5 $s$. What was her deceleration? First, write the acceleration equation. $$a = (v(f) - v(i)) à · (t(f) - t(i))$$ Next, define your variables. a = what we are solving for $$V(f) = 0 m/s$$ $$V(i) = 23.2 m/s$$ $$T(f) = 1.4 s$$ $$T(i) = 0 s$$ Now, plug your variables into the equation and solve: $$A ={{(0 - 23.2)m}/s}/{(1.4 - 0)s}$$ $$A = {0 - 23.2}/{1.4 - 0} m/s^2$$ $$A = -23.2/1.4 m/s^2$$ $$A = -16.57 m/{s^2}$$ 2 Other Common Acceleration Formulas Wondering how to calculate acceleration using a different formula? There are several other common acceleration formulas. Angular Acceleration Formula Angular acceleration is the rate at which the angular acceleration of a rotating object changes with respect to time. Here is the angular acceleration equation: $$a = {\change \in \angular \velocity}/{\change \in \time}$$ Centripetal Acceleration Formula Centripetal acceleration is the rate of motion of an object inwards towards the center of a circle. Here is the centripetal acceleration equation: $$a(c) = {v^2}/r$$ $a(c) $= acceleration, centripetal $v$ = velocity $r$ = radius Key Takeaways Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over a set period of time. You calculate acceleration by dividing the change in velocity by the change in time. What's Next? Are you studying clouds in your science class? Get help identifying the different types of cloudswith our expert guide. Working on a research paper but aren't sure where to start?Then check out our guide, where we've collected tons of high-quality research topics you can use for free. Need help with English class- specifically with identifying literary devices in texts you read? Then you'll definitely want to take a look at our comprehensive explanation of the most important literary devices and how they're used.

Bao Viet Insurance

In 2007, Bao Viet launched its Initial Public Offering and became a multi-business financial group. I.The mission, values and objectives of Bao Viet enterprise and the influences of stakeholders: To have a successful business, all companies have to have their own strategies. The first element is that the firm has to show the answer for the question â€Å"why do we exist?† or â€Å"what do we want to become?†. In other words, each company must have their missions or visions which are considered as a magnetic needle for all the people of company such as manager, workers or officers, etc to follow up. As a result, Bao Viet also has their own vision: â€Å"Bao Viet’s vision is to be o-ne of the leading financial groups in Vietnam in life and non-life insurance, investment, securities and other financial services† (Anon., 2008). To achieve this mission, the company wants to set up the high standard in every services that they undertake by innovations in productions and knowledge. In addition, by these activities, Bao Viet will also build up their reputation in Vietnam and have a long-term relationship with the customers, clients and business partners. All the enterprises need to identify their values which they can believe on it to secure their businesses. There are some values of Bao Viet for their goals and aims which is â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Principal of innovation for this company can be set up by receiving customers’ comments or feedbacks. After that, the company can renew their products or provide for customers a higher standard of service. Whilst, growth and efficiency can be assessed by basing on the business’s profits. For example, total revenue of the company in 1989 was VND 76 billion, after seven years, in 1996, this number increased rapidly at VND 970 billion. Bao Viet also should have some obvious objectives to follow. Bao Viet improves their standards of products and services to satisfy the demands of the clients and hope to have more customers and make more profits. For example, due to the success in the first six months of 2008, Bao Viet’s firm has their objective for the last six months: the business will strive to reach the total revenue of VND 3,150 billion in the whole of 2008. Next, the company should know and recognize the importance of stakeholders towards their business. There are three types of stakeholders. Firstly, we have internal stakeholders such as managers and employees who have immediate influences on the activities of the business. Managers will control all the management of the business, they decide to do or not a project so this position is very important for all the enterprises. Employees are also an major part of a business. They are the people who have the main influences on the success of a company. Employees join in the process of production directly, so if they are received high wages and bonuses to motivate them, the quality of products will improve enormously. On the other hand, if managers or employees do not do their works well, the business may get some loss of profits. The second one is connected stakeholders. Shareholders invest in the business in return of their dividends. In some cases, their investments can make them become the owners of the company if they have the largest ordinary shares of public limited company. In other words, shareholders can affect on the business by raising capital and even becoming the owners. Another part of connected stakeholders is banker who can lend the firm large amounts of cash to increase the capital. However, if the company does not make profits to repay their interest, bankers can confiscate the assets and make the enterprise go bankruptcy. Next, Suppliers who supply equipments for the company will expect to be paid and a long term relationship with suppliers can help the business to have more benefits. The last one is customers who need the products or services. For many enterprises, customers are people who decide what is produced or what price is charged. Their behaviors, feedbacks or complaints will influence on the success of the company directly. Thirdly, we have the external stakeholders. Government has a big position for the success of a business by making the laws and regulations which all the firms have to follow to do the businesses. Local authorities also can affect the business by changing local environment such as increase in road traffic. The next one is professional bodies, who want to ensure that the members of the company comply with professional ethics and standards, also affect the business. II.The extent to which Bao Viet company achieves the objectives of three stakeholders: For internal stakeholders such as managers, they are interested in the company’s continuation and growth. They also have some individual interests and goals, for example, a safe and comfortable working environment and skill and career development, etc. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of internal stakeholders, the company needs to increase the revenue and improve the standards of working environment. Bao Viet was held up in 1964, they have 43 years of foundation and growth. In some first years, their revenue only raised a little, turnovers at that time was VND 800,000 with total assets of VND 900,000 because they only served for some state-owned customers. Now, Bao Viet has widened their nationwide network and developed the business to overseas market. In addition, the income also increase enormously: Its investment income in 2003 reached VND 512 billion from a total portfolio of VND 8,114 billion. These great advances make the company become one of the biggest 25 enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, on 31st May 2007, Bao Viet was listed on the stock market to sell their shares to the public. After this, the chartered capital of Bao Viet increased at VND 6,800 billion. Bao Viet has 40,000 dedicated agents and 5,000 employees with experienced experts and young, well-trained staff so this company always has a good environment for people to work. Bao Viet also achieves in the services for customers who represent for the connected stakeholders. Customers always want to receive the best products or services for their demands. They can complain or give comments to the business about the products and their satisfaction is very important for the company’s success. As a result, the firm always needs to listen to the customers’ opinions, this will make major influences on the new products or services in terms of quality or price. Firstly, Bao Viet strategy bases on the customer orientation which means the customers will become the centre of all activities. The company has taken over the feedback of customers and pay a large amount of money for the customers who bought their insurance. For example, Anh N of Vietnamnet (2004) said that Bao Viet had paid VND 1,000 billion for people who had got accidents or disasters in 2003. Bao Viet also issued more types of insurance such as personal insurance, river boat insurance or fishing boat insurance, etc to serve the customers’ demands. These types will help the customers in many careers to have more choices and make more benefits for the company. Secondly, because of a huge system of nationwide network over the country, Bao Viet has some difficulties to keep contacting with the clients in some parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the company decided to establish more offices and more officers to improve the quality of services for the customers : â€Å"Bao Viet Da Nang built four regional offices in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Hoa Vang, Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son and a line-up of 120 people who are willing to guide, provide insurance services for the clients everywhere at every time.† (Ha T., 2004). Moreover, Bao Viet associated with some company to develop the quality of services for the customers such as HSBC Vietnam company. By this communication, Bao Viet might provide products for their customers through branch houses of HSBC Vietnam company. Overall, Bao Viet is improving more and more their system of products and services to serve the customers. Besides the benefits for internal and connected stakeholders, Bao Viet also satisfies the requirement of government, an external stakeholder. Government has some main roles such as passing laws to protect workers and customers, collecting taxes or subsidizing activities, etc. Mr Hoan, Chief executive officer of Bao Viet headquarter stated that in 2003, Bao Viet paid VND 189 billion for the government, increased by 8.2% in comparison with the amount in 2002 (Anh N., 2004). Therefore, Bao Viet achieved the responsibility with the government. Meanwhile, the expansion of Bao Viet will increase the chances for people to have jobs, this activity will help the government to solve the problem of unemployment. In conclusion, Bao Viet succeed to achieve the objectives of all the stakeholders which includes internal stakeholder, connected stakeholder and external stakeholder. III.The responsibilities of the company and strategies employed to meet objectives of stakeholders: The first responsibility of the company is social responsibility. Bao Viet has some responsibilities for the government. For example, Bao Viet must pay tax for their income, in other words, the company must follow all the regulations and laws which the government have issued. Besides, they also make benefits for the local communities such as reducing the ratio of unemployed people in the area. Secondly, we have the ethics and business. Obeying the law is that the company must follow the laws and regulations to do the business. Furthermore, the company has to respect the rights of competitors. The firm has not to criticize or attack the rights of competitors or do everything which can harm the competitors. Business ethics also includes that the organization should protect the employees and consumer from danger of the business. In addition, the company also must not do some illegal activities such as bribery or gifts. The next one is the management responsibilities. The company should have good relationship with all their stakeholders. Now, Bao Viet has their IPO, so they will have more shareholders. In addition, the business has the responsibility to maximize the profits for shareholders. As a result, they will continue to invest in the company and the business will make more benefits. Second one is the employees who keeps the organization in operational existence. They contribute for the company by joining in the production directly so their position is also very important and they should be received a suitable treatment in terms of wages or salary, bonuses, etc. Moreover, the firm also should give the employees a coherent career and a training structure to make them become better and work more efficiently. Meanwhile, the company needs to make a good environment for workforce’s lifestyle and make a good condition for them to express all their talent. Next, I will talk about the responsibility for customers. For Bao Viet, the enterprise has to listen to every feedbacks of the customers, develop the quality of services and keep contacting with them to provide enough information which the customers want to know. For the suppliers, the firm must not delay payment or use the power unscrupulously. In addition, having a long-term relationship or giving new supplier the chance to win new business also makes benefits for both sides. The business also have some responsibilities for the competitors such as the laws of competition about fair trading, monopolies or mergers, etc. The last one is responsibilities for the Community. Each area has their own social and ethical values, so that the firm has to respect these values. Moreover, when the Community needs more capital to hold up an event or charity, the business also should sponsor for them. This way will also make benefits for the company because they have a chance to spread their brand. In addition, the last one is that the enterprise has to respond to complaints for local residents. In this part, I will give some strategies which Bao Viet has followed to meet the objectives of stakeholders. The first strategy is to become o ¬ne of the leading financial groups which has an ability of international competitiveness, providing a wide array of financial services from life and non-life insurance, securities, investment to financial services. This expansion will help the business to widen the market for more consumers. The second one is to become the corporation which is the most popular in Vietnam towards the customers. This strategy will be useful and important for a customer orientation company. Next, the company wants to â€Å"become an organization that can maintain and enhance the â€Å"Prestige† â€Å"Reputation† and â€Å"Honesty and Integrity†, having the â€Å"Loyalty† of customers, and BAOVIET members† (Business Environment textbook, 2008). All of the strategies are based on three gold principles of â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Reference http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/doisong/2004/10/340859/ Bao Viet Insurance In 2007, Bao Viet launched its Initial Public Offering and became a multi-business financial group. I.The mission, values and objectives of Bao Viet enterprise and the influences of stakeholders: To have a successful business, all companies have to have their own strategies. The first element is that the firm has to show the answer for the question â€Å"why do we exist?† or â€Å"what do we want to become?†. In other words, each company must have their missions or visions which are considered as a magnetic needle for all the people of company such as manager, workers or officers, etc to follow up. As a result, Bao Viet also has their own vision: â€Å"Bao Viet’s vision is to be o-ne of the leading financial groups in Vietnam in life and non-life insurance, investment, securities and other financial services† (Anon., 2008). To achieve this mission, the company wants to set up the high standard in every services that they undertake by innovations in productions and knowledge. In addition, by these activities, Bao Viet will also build up their reputation in Vietnam and have a long-term relationship with the customers, clients and business partners. All the enterprises need to identify their values which they can believe on it to secure their businesses. There are some values of Bao Viet for their goals and aims which is â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Principal of innovation for this company can be set up by receiving customers’ comments or feedbacks. After that, the company can renew their products or provide for customers a higher standard of service. Whilst, growth and efficiency can be assessed by basing on the business’s profits. For example, total revenue of the company in 1989 was VND 76 billion, after seven years, in 1996, this number increased rapidly at VND 970 billion. Bao Viet also should have some obvious objectives to follow. Bao Viet improves their standards of products and services to satisfy the demands of the clients and hope to have more customers and make more profits. For example, due to the success in the first six months of 2008, Bao Viet’s firm has their objective for the last six months: the business will strive to reach the total revenue of VND 3,150 billion in the whole of 2008. Next, the company should know and recognize the importance of stakeholders towards their business. There are three types of stakeholders. Firstly, we have internal stakeholders such as managers and employees who have immediate influences on the activities of the business. Managers will control all the management of the business, they decide to do or not a project so this position is very important for all the enterprises. Employees are also an major part of a business. They are the people who have the main influences on the success of a company. Employees join in the process of production directly, so if they are received high wages and bonuses to motivate them, the quality of products will improve enormously. On the other hand, if managers or employees do not do their works well, the business may get some loss of profits. The second one is connected stakeholders. Shareholders invest in the business in return of their dividends. In some cases, their investments can make them become the owners of the company if they have the largest ordinary shares of public limited company. In other words, shareholders can affect on the business by raising capital and even becoming the owners. Another part of connected stakeholders is banker who can lend the firm large amounts of cash to increase the capital. However, if the company does not make profits to repay their interest, bankers can confiscate the assets and make the enterprise go bankruptcy. Next, Suppliers who supply equipments for the company will expect to be paid and a long term relationship with suppliers can help the business to have more benefits. The last one is customers who need the products or services. For many enterprises, customers are people who decide what is produced or what price is charged. Their behaviors, feedbacks or complaints will influence on the success of the company directly. Thirdly, we have the external stakeholders. Government has a big position for the success of a business by making the laws and regulations which all the firms have to follow to do the businesses. Local authorities also can affect the business by changing local environment such as increase in road traffic. The next one is professional bodies, who want to ensure that the members of the company comply with professional ethics and standards, also affect the business. II.The extent to which Bao Viet company achieves the objectives of three stakeholders: For internal stakeholders such as managers, they are interested in the company’s continuation and growth. They also have some individual interests and goals, for example, a safe and comfortable working environment and skill and career development, etc. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of internal stakeholders, the company needs to increase the revenue and improve the standards of working environment. Bao Viet was held up in 1964, they have 43 years of foundation and growth. In some first years, their revenue only raised a little, turnovers at that time was VND 800,000 with total assets of VND 900,000 because they only served for some state-owned customers. Now, Bao Viet has widened their nationwide network and developed the business to overseas market. In addition, the income also increase enormously: Its investment income in 2003 reached VND 512 billion from a total portfolio of VND 8,114 billion. These great advances make the company become one of the biggest 25 enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, on 31st May 2007, Bao Viet was listed on the stock market to sell their shares to the public. After this, the chartered capital of Bao Viet increased at VND 6,800 billion. Bao Viet has 40,000 dedicated agents and 5,000 employees with experienced experts and young, well-trained staff so this company always has a good environment for people to work. Bao Viet also achieves in the services for customers who represent for the connected stakeholders. Customers always want to receive the best products or services for their demands. They can complain or give comments to the business about the products and their satisfaction is very important for the company’s success. As a result, the firm always needs to listen to the customers’ opinions, this will make major influences on the new products or services in terms of quality or price. Firstly, Bao Viet strategy bases on the customer orientation which means the customers will become the centre of all activities. The company has taken over the feedback of customers and pay a large amount of money for the customers who bought their insurance. For example, Anh N of Vietnamnet (2004) said that Bao Viet had paid VND 1,000 billion for people who had got accidents or disasters in 2003. Bao Viet also issued more types of insurance such as personal insurance, river boat insurance or fishing boat insurance, etc to serve the customers’ demands. These types will help the customers in many careers to have more choices and make more benefits for the company. Secondly, because of a huge system of nationwide network over the country, Bao Viet has some difficulties to keep contacting with the clients in some parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the company decided to establish more offices and more officers to improve the quality of services for the customers : â€Å"Bao Viet Da Nang built four regional offices in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Hoa Vang, Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son and a line-up of 120 people who are willing to guide, provide insurance services for the clients everywhere at every time.† (Ha T., 2004). Moreover, Bao Viet associated with some company to develop the quality of services for the customers such as HSBC Vietnam company. By this communication, Bao Viet might provide products for their customers through branch houses of HSBC Vietnam company. Overall, Bao Viet is improving more and more their system of products and services to serve the customers. Besides the benefits for internal and connected stakeholders, Bao Viet also satisfies the requirement of government, an external stakeholder. Government has some main roles such as passing laws to protect workers and customers, collecting taxes or subsidizing activities, etc. Mr Hoan, Chief executive officer of Bao Viet headquarter stated that in 2003, Bao Viet paid VND 189 billion for the government, increased by 8.2% in comparison with the amount in 2002 (Anh N., 2004). Therefore, Bao Viet achieved the responsibility with the government. Meanwhile, the expansion of Bao Viet will increase the chances for people to have jobs, this activity will help the government to solve the problem of unemployment. In conclusion, Bao Viet succeed to achieve the objectives of all the stakeholders which includes internal stakeholder, connected stakeholder and external stakeholder. III.The responsibilities of the company and strategies employed to meet objectives of stakeholders: The first responsibility of the company is social responsibility. Bao Viet has some responsibilities for the government. For example, Bao Viet must pay tax for their income, in other words, the company must follow all the regulations and laws which the government have issued. Besides, they also make benefits for the local communities such as reducing the ratio of unemployed people in the area. Secondly, we have the ethics and business. Obeying the law is that the company must follow the laws and regulations to do the business. Furthermore, the company has to respect the rights of competitors. The firm has not to criticize or attack the rights of competitors or do everything which can harm the competitors. Business ethics also includes that the organization should protect the employees and consumer from danger of the business. In addition, the company also must not do some illegal activities such as bribery or gifts. The next one is the management responsibilities. The company should have good relationship with all their stakeholders. Now, Bao Viet has their IPO, so they will have more shareholders. In addition, the business has the responsibility to maximize the profits for shareholders. As a result, they will continue to invest in the company and the business will make more benefits. Second one is the employees who keeps the organization in operational existence. They contribute for the company by joining in the production directly so their position is also very important and they should be received a suitable treatment in terms of wages or salary, bonuses, etc. Moreover, the firm also should give the employees a coherent career and a training structure to make them become better and work more efficiently. Meanwhile, the company needs to make a good environment for workforce’s lifestyle and make a good condition for them to express all their talent. Next, I will talk about the responsibility for customers. For Bao Viet, the enterprise has to listen to every feedbacks of the customers, develop the quality of services and keep contacting with them to provide enough information which the customers want to know. For the suppliers, the firm must not delay payment or use the power unscrupulously. In addition, having a long-term relationship or giving new supplier the chance to win new business also makes benefits for both sides. The business also have some responsibilities for the competitors such as the laws of competition about fair trading, monopolies or mergers, etc. The last one is responsibilities for the Community. Each area has their own social and ethical values, so that the firm has to respect these values. Moreover, when the Community needs more capital to hold up an event or charity, the business also should sponsor for them. This way will also make benefits for the company because they have a chance to spread their brand. In addition, the last one is that the enterprise has to respond to complaints for local residents. In this part, I will give some strategies which Bao Viet has followed to meet the objectives of stakeholders. The first strategy is to become o ¬ne of the leading financial groups which has an ability of international competitiveness, providing a wide array of financial services from life and non-life insurance, securities, investment to financial services. This expansion will help the business to widen the market for more consumers. The second one is to become the corporation which is the most popular in Vietnam towards the customers. This strategy will be useful and important for a customer orientation company. Next, the company wants to â€Å"become an organization that can maintain and enhance the â€Å"Prestige† â€Å"Reputation† and â€Å"Honesty and Integrity†, having the â€Å"Loyalty† of customers, and BAOVIET members† (Business Environment textbook, 2008). All of the strategies are based on three gold principles of â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Reference http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/doisong/2004/10/340859/

Contemporary Latino Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Carbon Dioxide Emissions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Carbon Dioxide Emissions - Essay Example The average World Carbon Dioxide Emissions were 4.53 metric tones/capita in 2005. United States of America ranked first then with average emissions of 19.54 metric tones/capita followed by Canada, Russia and UK. Developing countries like India and China lagged at the tail end then. The Fourth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded among other things that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal" and that "anthropogenic warming over the last three decades has likely had discernible influence at the global scale on observed changes in many physical and biological systems." The report also stated that human activities have significant impact on climate change. The Gross Domestic Product is one of the primary indicators calculated to assess the health of a country's economy. It representsthe total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period. According to the Environment Kuznets hypothesis, environmental pressure increases faster than the income in the early stages of development and slows down relative to GDP growth as higher income levels are reached. The EKC proposes that indicators of environmental degradation first rise, and then fall with increasing income per capita. There are views supporting and criticizing this theory. ... According to the Environment Kuznets hypothesis, environmental pressure increases faster than the income in the early stages of development and slows down relative to GDP growth as higher income levels are reached. The EKC proposes that indicators of environmental degradation first rise, and then fall with increasing income per capita. Environmental Kuznets Curve : Different Scenarios Source: Reference 1 There are views supporting and criticizing this theory. Those views supporting it emphasize that the curve exists though its becoming smaller in nature and shifting to the left(revised EKC) whereas those criticizing it argue that even if certain pollutants are reduced as income increases, industrial society continuously creates new, unregulated and potentially toxic pollutants. In their the curve will rise to a horizontal line at maximum existing pollution levels, as globalization promotes a "race to the bottom" in environmental standards, as shown in Figure In their view, the overall environmental risks from these new pollutants may continue to grow even if some sources of pollution are reduced, as shown by the "new toxics" line in the above figure. The relationship between economic growth and environmental quality has been a source of great controversy for a very long time. Multiple factors contribute to this. The complex nature of GDP calculation, data on environmental quality are patchy themselves and also that though the per capita capability to pay for clean technology increases, it does not necessarily imply a proportionate increase in the willingness to pay. This report makes an attempt to verify the Environmental Kuznets hypothesis while establishing a relation between additional variables like the energy

Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply Essay - 2

Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply - Essay Example Conversely, the elevation pressure must be decreased in order to maintain the level of the forward pressure. These adjustments are done by controlling the flow and turning the nozzle in order to get the elevation pressure required. To relieve the backpressure, the nozzle is turned downward, while in order to relieve the forward pressure, the nozzle is turned upward (Cote, 2003). In a Fire protection system, the backpressure and the forward pressure must be properly controlled in order to maintain a particular quantity of fluid that passes through the nozzle. This is done effectively by controlling the elevation pressure (Cote, 2003). If the backpressure and the forward pressure are not adequately controlled, the fire protection system would definitely not function properly. In essence, the knowledge of the amount of elevation pressure that is required to produce a particular amount of backpressure and forward pressure is of high importance as this would go a long way in making the fire protection hydraulic system more

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Conflict Resolution at General Hospital - Essay Example The General Hospital opened its doors in 1968 to provide quality medical care to the community around it and beyond. At first, gradual growth resulted to an increased number of patients and hospital activity in general. Recently, however, there was a sharp decline in patient occupancy from 90 percent to 60 percent. The hospital chief executive officer (CEO), Mike Hammer, believed that physicians played a significant role in this decline by having their allegiance to their profession rather than to the hospital. In his opinion, the physicians did not consider the economic repercussions of their medical practice; neither did they care about the situation in which they were placing the hospital. In this respect, the CEO used various conflict resolution techniques to solve the stalemate between the hospital and its employees, and among the employees. At first, the CEO attempted to communicate his concerns to physicians through Dr. Mark Williams, Director of Medicine, to no avail. Later on, he had to cut costs by computerization of hospital procedures resulting in firing of a highly efficient EKG reader, Dr. James Boyer, and replacing him with a non-satisfactory computerized EKG reading system. This infuriated the physicians as not only was one of them fired, but also the computerized system was implemented without their consent or consultation. Hammer refused to take responsibility and his Chief Operations Officer (COO), Marge Harding, who implemented the system without consultations, refused to attend meetings with physicians to avoid meeting them and explaining her policies. This is the first approach that the CEO took by organizing a meeting with the Director of Medicine who was in charge of the physicians. The intention was to have each party air its views on the situation at hand and come to an agreement that would be

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Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply Essay - 2

Fire Protection Hydraulics and water supply - Essay Example Conversely, the elevation pressure must be decreased in order to maintain the level of the forward pressure. These adjustments are done by controlling the flow and turning the nozzle in order to get the elevation pressure required. To relieve the backpressure, the nozzle is turned downward, while in order to relieve the forward pressure, the nozzle is turned upward (Cote, 2003). In a Fire protection system, the backpressure and the forward pressure must be properly controlled in order to maintain a particular quantity of fluid that passes through the nozzle. This is done effectively by controlling the elevation pressure (Cote, 2003). If the backpressure and the forward pressure are not adequately controlled, the fire protection system would definitely not function properly. In essence, the knowledge of the amount of elevation pressure that is required to produce a particular amount of backpressure and forward pressure is of high importance as this would go a long way in making the fire protection hydraulic system more

The Commerce Clause Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Commerce Clause - Case Study Example The state’s statute establishes that all trucks and trailers that are entering and operating within the state’s soil and roads must have contoured rear-fender mudguards and explicitly illegalizes trucks and trailers using straight mudguards. In so doing, the Georgian state government deliberately barred and interfered with trade and commerce across states by enacting a law legalizing unstandardized truck mudguards. The state contravened Artic 1, Section 8 of the American constitution that gave congress authority to regulate commerce and trade with foreign nations and between states (TA 102). When Georgia singles itself out to have its legal recommendation for trucks and trailers’ mudguards, it becomes as situation of business and commerce seclusion from other states. Georgia also contravened the legal tradition established and held by the Supreme Court in 1824 that the American government possesses the legal authority to regulate commerce if other states are substantially affected, as well. Georgia sought to single itself out at the expense of other states. However, there was a possibility of the impacts rebound back to t in 1824, that and trailers unstandardized 0000000000000000000000000000000Georgia in the case of trade and commercial excommunication and

Major Religions Essay Example for Free

Major Religions Essay Religions are among the most influential forces in history, if not the most influential at all. Most historical events that has shaped or helped shaped the world as it is today were founded along religious backgrounds and teachings. From Constantine to the fall of the Roman Empire, from European conquest to the Crusades, and from the condemnation of heretics to religious terrorism, these are events with religious influences that took part in the course of history. Even today, religion plays an important role in people’s actions that affect the society and even influences politics. Religion is so influential in fact that even when science has slowly displaced religious beliefs, it has remained a powerful force in dictating public opinion, compelling political leaders to act according to their standards. Religion’s Role in Society Religion is an important topic in every human civilization. The culture, tradition and beliefs of people are based on religion. The importance of religion in every human civilization, and indeed of the society, could not have been stated more precisely in Charles Taylor’s foreword to Marcel Gauchet’s book entitled The Disenchantment of the World: A Political History of Religion from which he used Durkheim’s ideas. He explained that for Durkheim, religion was the very basis of society—â€Å"a pattern of practices that gives a certain shape to our social imaginary† (as cited in Taylor 1997, x). Gauchet, on the other hand, explained the expansion of religion as an accompanying goal of expanding the state. He wrote: â€Å"wars of expansion could no doubt be justifiably considered one of the greatest spiritual and intellectual forces to have ever operated in history† (Gauchet 1997, 36). This he reasoned by stating that â€Å"religious upheaval is inscribed in the State’s action, contained within its necessities as dictated by the political division. Broadening the State’s influence subjectivizes supernatural forces, which can only further broaden its practical scope for dominion by making it an intermediary for an instituting will that it administers. We see how the dialectic between the visible forces and its invisible guarantor, between the actual and presumed power, slowly draws the religious into history† (1997, 40). Significant Historical Events Influenced by Religion There are quite a number of events influenced by religion that has changed the course of history, but perhaps none as prominent as the establishment of Christianity. Beginning with a small sect of Jewish tradition whose members were persecuted for their beliefs, Christianity has emerged to be the most popular religion around the world today, with adherents comprising up to a third of the world’s population. Christians, during the Roman Empire, were persecuted and blamed whenever it was found convenient to blame them for some problems of the Empire. It was not until Emperor Constantine had converted to Christianity did the religion secure its future. Apparently, Constantine held that his victory from a battle against a rival was due to his vision to fight under the Christian standard—the cross. Christianity continued to be influential in empires succeeding the decline of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire, as a continuation of the Roman Empire, rose through a deep religious faith along the majestic pattern of the Roman State and Hellenism. With Theodosius as emperor, pagan worships and heresies were declared illegal thereby promoting Christianity to all territories of the Empire. Some held that the Byzantine Empire had allowed for the widespread adoption of Christianity to Europe be defending the West from pagan invaders from the East. The Empire also brought a close link between the state and the church in that while the emperor takes the lead, the church set a high standard in its relation to secular powers. â€Å"In the threat of excommunication the western church discovers a powerful weapon for dealing with wayward rulers† (HistoryWorld). By the end of the fifth century AD, kings and popes would wield power from the Italian peninsula in the West while emperors would still rule in the East. Christianity is such an important feature of the Empire that when Jerusalem fell into the hands, first of Persia then of the Muslims, it became an urgent matter of State. As the Byzantine Empire was strengthened by the Christian faith, it faced its greatest threat with another rising religion. Islam, with its expansionist doctrine, had conquered the Persian Empire and has severely crippled the Byzantine Empire that before the launching of the First Crusade Byzantium had become the boundary between the Christian West and the Muslim East. The influence of religion as a powerful force in history is perhaps best exemplified in the Crusades. The fact that the wars the Crusades waged into became a contest between the two most influential religions today proves this point. The size and scale of the Crusades could be attributed to the effectiveness of Pope Urban II call for military support against the infidels who threatened their Christian brothers in the East, promising the immediate remission of sins to all those who die for the cause and stating that â€Å"God wills it. † While the Crusades were ordained by the church, the destruction of its knights, particularly that of the Knights Templar, could be attributed to the interplay between the church and the state, with the church taking on a more passive role. It could be argued that while it was under the Pope (Clement V) who found the Templars as heretics, effectively disbanding them and persecuted them, the fact that Philip IV could not have done it himself without pressuring the church proves that the church extends its influence on public opinion. The state relied on the churchs approval and pressured it to promote its will when necessary to make it seem that the states actions have the blessing of the church. After all, a king of any Christian domain would not be king until ordained by the church. Hence, it is only natural for the king to seek the approval of the church or to make it seem they have its approval for their rule to be acceptable. The interplay between the state and the church could also be seen in the churchs influence in the scientific community. This is best exemplified in discoveries and theories that contradicts Biblical claims. The Copernican system, for example, was condemned because it contradicts the claim of man being the center of Gods creation that Galileo was forced to withdraw his findings even when he had his proof that the earth revolves around the sun. Darwins theory of evolution was also met with hostilities because of its claims against religious beliefs that God created the world in six days. While science has slowly displaced religious claims, religion remains to be influential. Up until this day, there are anti-evolution movements that promotes the creation of man and the world by an intelligent being. Contemporary Religion Influences Frank Lambert (2008, 2), in his book, Religion in American Politics, explained that â€Å"as religion shapes individual character and moral development, it thereby influences public affairs, albeit in an indirect way. † As an example, he stated that â€Å"through moral instruction, religion informs the values, priorities, and decisions of citizens and officeholders as they enter the voting booth and the statehouse† (2008, 2). Religious groups, Lambert continued to explain, also become more directly involved in the political process. â€Å"They lobby Congress to enact or oppose specific legislation, participate in electoral politics on behalf of candidates who support their agendas, and offer the full range of their institutional resources to sympathetic political parties† (Lambert 2008, 2). It is important to note that such connection between the state and religion is not limited to America. Religions around the world continue to exert its influence in political affairs by stirring their adherents and promoting their stands into public opinion. This is especially seen in Christian countries. While religious groups continue to play an important role in political affairs, extremist factions of religious origins assert their influence in a more violent manner. Religious terrorism is perhaps the most dangerous, complex and persistent problem the world has faced. Juergensmeyer held that perpetrators in religious terrorism place â€Å"religious images of divine struggle—cosmic war—in the service of worldly political battle† (as cited in Gary 2001). Religious terrorism is a tactic in political strategy while at the same time evoking a much larger spiritual confrontation. Muslim terrorist, for example, continue to call on the divine doctrine of jihad in the destruction of infidels. Much as it has united the Muslims during the Muslim conquests, it continues to have an appeal for extremists into using violence in promoting their ideals. Note that religious terrorism does not encompass solely on Islam. Throughout the world, violence committed in the name of religion occurs. Conclusion Time and again, we see that the influence of religion in worldly affairs can dictate much of what happens in the course of history. Major battles have indeed been waged in the name of religion in the past. We see this through the Crusades, the Muslim conquests, and the religious wars in the sixteenth century. Stately affairs must have the approval of the church, or every action of the state must seem to have its approval. Even the scientific community is influenced by religion, especially with scientific theories and discoveries contradicting religious claims. Today, religion still has a major influence in political affairs, providing moral instructions to their adherents whose approval political parties must win and pressuring legislation in favor of their moral doctrines. In the guise of spiritual confrontation, religion is also exerting its influence through violent means. Despite the technologies and philosophies that has come in modern age, religion continues to be a powerful influence in dictating the course of history. References Gary, Jay. 2001. Unmasking religious terrorism. http://jaygary. com/terrorism. shtml Gauchet, Marcel. 1997. The Disenchantment of the World: A Political History of Religion. Ed. Oscar Burge. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. HistoryWorld. History of the Byzantine Empire. http://www. historyworld. net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories. asp? historyid=ac59 Lambert, Frank. 2008. Religion in American Politics: A Short History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Taylor, Charles. 1997. Foreword to The Disenchantment of the World: A Political History of Religion by Marcel Gauchet. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.