Designated Persons Ashore

Introduction Before the advent of the designated person ashore (DPA), the mortality rate of victims, who were seriously injured in accidents, was significantly high due to the lack of trained and efficient personnel to perform certain critical advanced technical and managerial tasks that facilitated the smooth running of operations within vessels like ships and boats (Donavan).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Designated Persons Ashore specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The International Maritime Organization states that the role played by highly trained DPAs in marine operations has led to an increase in efficiency and accountability in this industry (78). DPAs have significantly contributed in the reduction of accidents and other errors brought about by human factors. These statistics highlight the vital role played by the DPAs and their significant role in human factor management in the marine industry. In the ea rly days, all marine operations were handled by the pilot, captains and other crew members. However, there were constant problems relating to poor communication between the vessels and the onshore operators due to inadequate coordination efforts as well as inabilities to. The UK delegation to IMO introduced the DPA concept with an aim of understanding the causes of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster in 1987. Moens describes a DPA as a person who has direct access to the top management and is tasked with the duties of ensuring that all safety codes are followed (159). In addition, they provide a link between the ship and the shipping company. The DPA is expected to look into all aspects of the ship and ensure smooth running of all operations. However, the human factor in the shipping companies plays a pivotal role which in essence, determines the success or failure of all shipping operations. There is need to come up with the ways and means of alleviating the problem and thereby leading to better physical well being of the crew which will result in optimal performance in the field. Fatigue among the bridge crew members is among the leading factor that has led to the interruption of efficient practices in most shipping companies. As the DPA, it is my duty to analyze this issue from all angles and come up with viable solutions that can be employed to mitigate the effects of fatigue thereby ensuring that safety and effective coordination is preserved.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Problem Statement In the last half a century, efforts made by the shipping companies have been directed towards the improvement of ship structure as well as the reliability of their systems. Fayle claims that the main aim of these improvements has been to reduce the ever increasing casualties in the shipping industry all the while increasing efficiency as well as productivity (17). Maritime environment undergoes a considerable number of human factors problems like fatigue among bridge team members, constant marine pollution, or inabilities to provide safe navigation in time and indentify true causes of causalities which happen with seamen. The number of accidents and casualties in the shipping industry is still very high (Weintrit 21). The question that is left wanting is all about the reasons of why all those risks and accidents could not be reduced or, at least, prevented, even after all considerable improvements are made. It is because the ship structure and its reliability are just a small proportion of the general equation as regarding to safety. The efficiency of these systems depends mainly on human labor and manmade errors that contribute highly in most of the casualties situations. To ensure that such occurrences are reduced, it is a worthwhile endeavor to focus on the human factor that leads to most of these casualties and accidents. Descriptio n Factors Which Influence Marine Environment There are four main factors which may influence maritime environment, and the successful identification of these factors may considerably improve the conditions under which seamen have to work and the consequences of such work. These factors are observed from several perspective of maritime work: the factor of fatigue among bridge team members that is based on human health conditions and working abilities; the factor of marine environment and human direct participation; the factor of safe navigation and people’s inabilities to organize it properly; and finally, failures to identify the reasons of causalities in the sea. Marine pollution is characterized by a number of harmful effects which influence human work. A number of toxic elements as well as extreme noise and waste are considered to be crucial for seamen and serve as the main reason of fatigue born in people (Ellis 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on D esignated Persons Ashore specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fatigue can be described as a state whereby a person experiences a diminished capacity to perform either physiologically and/or psychologically (Florence 35). There are many symptoms of fatigues which may be observed in seamen, and each point should be considered because â€Å"contact with water and humidity is the main parameter which governs the environmental behavior of the material and this can affect the fatigue and long term performance† (Harris 711). If a shipping company wants to improve the conditions of marine work, it is obligatory to pay more attention to the workers who cannot perform multitasks in time and in a good way, who demonstrate poor judgments or suffer from memory loss. In spite of the fact that statistics proves the contribution of fatigue in maritime accidents are overwhelming (Weintrit 47), many shipping companies still cannot define the reasons and basics of causalities which happen at sea. They fail to present safe navigation and provide employees with satisfied conditions. This is why the definition of fatigue and the reasons of why is crucial for shipping companies because a better understanding of all these aspects may help them come up with viable measures that would in essence minimize or mitigate fatigue related incidences within the industry. Human Physiology and Anthropometry Human physiology as described by Abernethy refers to the biological science related to the â€Å"mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health and their organs (27).† The various factors that may enhance efficient performance are addressed in this field of study as well as those that may affect the same. Anthropometry refers to the field of study that focuses on the measurements of the human body for anthropological and comparison use. The human factors which influence cooperation at sea and seafarersâ€℠¢ productivity have been mentioned above. They are marine fatigue and a number of factors which influence the development of this fatigue: marine pollution, lack of safe navigation, and inabilities to predict and define risk causalities. Considering human physiology, it is obligatory to think about a design with the help of which reduction of seafarers’ fatigue is possible and promotion of appropriate conditions like rest, adaptable ships, and marine environment is supported. To succeed in the chosen activity, a shipping company has to set a number of goals and make sure they are achieved. First, it is possible to develop good and safe courses where marine pollution will not be a problem for seamen to deal with. In case the reduction of pollution is possible, the rates of seafarers’ fatigue may be reduced as well.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another important step in the development of a plan is connected with the conditions under which seamen have to work: shipping companies should take care of appropriate rooms for rest and consider healthy eating. It is not that expensive to find people who are responsible for doing up a ship and food preparing. Finally, a design of a program that may reduce fatigue rates should be supplemented with proper medical care. Professionals on the board should follow healthy conditions of seafarers and prevent the development of disease as soon as it is possible. Information Processing and Cognition Communication is arguably the corner stone on which successful relationships are built. The importance of effective communication is universally acknowledged and as Greene and Burleson demonstrate, a lot of research has been taken on the subject and numerous books written so as to help people improve their skills so as to make them more effective in their communication efforts (8). There exist d ifferent communication styles and the one that an individual adopts may be as a result of personality, socialization or training. Some symptoms of fatigue include short-term memory loss, fixation, anxiety and poor concentration (Harris 10). When crew members start suffering from fatigue, they face difficulties with understanding commands and orders. In addition, the likelihood of information distortion is very high due to the memory loss. Lancaster asserts that if a person is fatigued, it becomes very difficult for them to perform accordingly (77). This he claims is due to the fact that human’s cognitive skills and information processing abilities depend on their level of physical and psychological well being. If these aspects are in poor conditions, then the occurrence of mishaps is inevitable. Occupational Stressors People face a number of various physical and emotional challenges. This is why it is very important to define the reason of stress and be able to overcome the c hallenges appeared. In case the identification of stress is failed, a threat to the mental and physical well being is possible. The long-term exposure to stress is disruptive to most of the body’s process. As such many health problems including: high blood pressure, heart attacks, digestive problems and obesity are seen to have stress as their root cause. Gibson claims that the shipping industry is among the most stressful sectors in the world (15). Occupational stressors in this industry include overworking, lack of personal time and disconnection of family ties due to the fact that crew members spend long periods of time at sea. Bust, further asserts that stress and fatigue are interconnected (64). Therefore, if the crew members are stressed, they show most of the fatigue symptoms. This invariably affects their ability to concentrate and perform effectively. Change, Leadership and Culture All crew members are bound by a number of certain rules and regulations that govern ho w seafarers should go about their duties. They are always expected to show a high level of professionalism and etiquette while doing their jobs so that they provide quality services. Majority of the population is greatly dissatisfied with the current maritime systems provided (Dallmeyer 198). While an effective system is one those which is efficient, acceptable, and, at the same time, equitable, the current system has been observed to be lacking in these attributes (International Maritime Organization 75). As such, leaders in the shipping industry are under much pressure to enforce positive change in the various modes of operations. To do this, they have to push the crew members beyond their limits and this consequently leads to fatigue among the members. One of the most evident examples to be used may be observed in the movie about the Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. It did not matter what kind of crew he could have, he was able to attract the attention, demonstra te his best qualities as a leader, and, what is more important, take care of himself. Such challenges as fatigue or unsafe navigation should not influence sailors’ work, and Sparrow is ready to help his team to cope any kind of fatigue. Human Errors Ehlers and Lagoni assert that human errors contribute to an average of 75-96% of all maritime casualties (39). In a recent study conducted by the U.S. coast guard, it was documented that there are many areas within the shipping industry where safety and performance could be improved through the application of some human factor principles. During the study, the most prevalent problems were fatigue which contributed to 16% of the casualties experienced within the vessels and 33% of total injuries. The other problems attributed to human errors included but were not limited to lack of proper communication and coordination between the pilot and the bridge crew, inadequate technical skills among the crew, poor decision making and poor m aintenance practices among others. However, these human errors have their basis on fatigue as the leading cause. In the design offered in this paper that considers a number of factors inherent to maritime environment, it is possible to observe several errors caused by human not readiness to evaluate a number of factors at the same as well as be involved into the project to its full extent. As it has been mentioned before, one of the significant steps to be taken is connected with appropriate safe navigation and conditions under which fatigue cannot be developed in seafarers. One of the possible human errors in this plan is connected to inabilities evaluate the current conditions on the chosen course in time. Even the professional developers may face challenges with unrespectable conditions of the sea. This is why a design should also consider some unforeseen circumstances and provide people with an additional plan to overcome healthy problems which influence productivity. Risks Asse ssment and Management Risk is often referred to as the presence of potential or actual threats or opportunities that influence the objectives of a project. Risk as explained by The Institute of Risk Management is a combination of measures that are put in place to prevent hazards and contain risks (2). As such, risk is often referred to as the presence of potential or actual threats or opportunities that influence the objectives of a project. All projects have their potential consequences that can be regarded as benefits or threats to success. Risk Management is normally ignored since most project managers deem it as unnecessary paperwork. This notion leads to firefighting approaches to dealing with problems that appear in the life of the project. Project risk. All maritime projects involve some measure of risk. Risks arise as a result of the uncertainties that are inherent in each project. One of the things which make risk management hard in biotechnological projects is that there i s no standardized approach to dealing with risks and there is no definite method that can be used to predict the occurrences of risks (Norris, Perry Simon 2). This is because no two projects are alike and as such, each project had its own unique environment and variables which leads to differing risks (Quezada 196). In maritime environments, the various risks and hazards can be categorized as biomechanical, psychosocial or psychological, behavioral and microbiological. Biomechanical hazards are mostly related to the posture and the movement of the body during working periods. Examples of these hazards in the shipping industry include but are not limited to: repetitive lifting and body stressing. Psychological hazards mostly refer to the job stressors experienced by the crew. Behavioral hazards refer to emotional factors such as aggression and violent behaviors. Finally, microbiological and biological hazards refer elements such as bacteria, viruses and other disease causing microor ganisms which may exist in the working environment. Risk analysis and management. Risk analysis and management involves the recognition that risks exist. It entails a thorough assessment of the project to identify what could go wrong (Das 14). The concept of risk management involves conducting a detailed assessment of a particular project so as to identify significant things that could go wrong with the project. Fatigue therefore impairs the ability of the responsible parties to analyze risks conclusively. Norris, Perry and Simon assert that project risk analysis and management if properly undertaken increases the likelihood of successful completion of a project on time, without mishaps and within stipulated cost (1). Human factor interventions that may solve fatigue related issues in shipping industries Through the discussion, it has been revealed that fatigue is not a force to reckon with when it comes to the establishment and preservation of safety and efficient performance in th e shipping industry. As such, there are measures that should be employed to curb this issue. Details of the Design That Helps to Prevent Seafarers’ Fatigue Hankin asserts that good leadership is about respecting and acknowledging differences among people in relation to their age, sex, ethnicity, abilities and beliefs (29). The success of any business depends on the level of commitment, loyalty and productivity of the workforce. Each organization should ensure that the employees are always at their best on psychological, mental and physical level. To further encourage flexibility in organizations, employers must develop a work life balance policy or other relevant programs that support comfortable work places and hours. It is necessary ensure that seafarers have an access to various services on board and are able to get necessary help in time. The employers must try to provide appropriate support services that facilitate optimum work life balance (Shields 97), because this kin d of balance is a considerable factor that may influence human fatigue. In general, a good design that may be implemented to reduce the rates of seamen’s fatigue should consist of the following ideas: An appropriate space where seamen are able to take a rest and get necessary energy to continue working; An access to new technologies which may considerably facilitate seafarers’ work (electronic navigations, radio telephones, etc); Abilities to feed properly (healthy food that promotes a number of useful ingredients which promote work of brain or some other parts of a human body); Possibilities to get appropriate medical services in case of emergency or just for some prevention measures; Presence of professionals who are able to develop good and in time communication with the seamen. Conclusion Maritime environment is determined by a number of factors, and human factors problems are considered to be the most significant. To promote an effective work of seafarers, any s hipping company has to identify the threats and challenges which are possible to observe in the chosen environment. In case that is described in this paper, much attention is paid to fatigue that is spread among bridge team members. This kind of fatigue may be caused by many reasons like marine pollution, unsafe navigations, and inabilities to provide seamen with appropriate and safe conditions for work. To succeed in developing a good plan in accordance with which marine workers will be satisfied with the results, conditions, and possibilities, it is obligatory to analyze the obstacles and consider the demands of seamen. Attention to what may prevent good work is integral in this activity, and a shipping company should understand that such a slight challenge as human fatigue may put under a question the work of the whole vessel. Works Cited Abernethy, Bruce. The biophysical foundations of human movement. USA: Human Kinetics, 2005. Print. Bust, Philip. Contemporary ergonomics 2008. USA: Taylor Francis, 2008. Print. Dallmeyer, Dorinda. Values at sea: ethics for the marine environment. USA: University of Georgia Press, 2003. Print. Das, Satyajit. Risk management. NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2006. Print. Donavan, John. Shell Has Had More Trouble Curbing Fatalities Than Many of Its Competitors. Royal Dutch Shell PLC. 11 Jan. 2009. 23 Oct. 2010. https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2009/01/11/shell-has-had-more-trouble-curbing-fatalities-than-many-of-its-competitors/ Ehlers, Peter and Lagoni, Rainer. International maritime organisations and their contribution towards a sustainable marine development. USA: LIT Verlag Mà ¼nster, 2006. Print. Ellis, Neil. Fatigue: What’s Known and What’s Being Done. The Sea, London: Mission to Seafarers 172 (Nov./Dec. 2004): 4-5. Fayle, Ernest. A Short History of the World’s Shipping Industry. USA: Taylor Francis, 2006. Print. Florence, Philip. Economics of Fatigue and Unrest: And the Efficiency of Labor in English and American Industry. CA: Routledge, 2003. Print. Gibson, Philip. Cruise operations management. USA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006. Print. Greene, Oliver et al. Handbook of communication and social interaction skills. NY: Routledge, 2003. Print. Hankin, Henry. The new workforce: Five sweeping trends that will shape your company’s future. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2005. Print. Harris, Bryan. Fatigue in Composites. Boca Raton, FL: Woodhead Publishing Ltd. Print. International Maritime Organization. Guidelines on fatigue. USA: IMO Publishing, 2002. Print. International Maritime Organization. Resolutions and other decisions (resolutions 874-901): Assembly, Twenty First Session, 15-26 November 1999. USA: IMO Publishing, 2000. Print. Lancaster, John. Engineering catastrophes: causes and effects of major accidents. USA: Woodhead Publishing, 2000. Print. Moens, Gabriel. International Trade and Business Law Annual. NY: Routledge, 2001. Print. Norris, Catriona et al. Project Risk Analy sis and Management. Buckinghamshire: The Association for Project Management, 2000. Print. Quezada, Fernando. â€Å"Commercial biotechnology in Latin America: Current opportunities and challenges.† Journal of Commercial Biotechnology 12 (2006): 192-199. Print. Shields, John. Managing employee performance and reward: concepts, practices, strategies. USA: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. The Institute of Risk Management. A Risk Management Standard. London: AIRMIC, 2002. Print Weintrit, Adam. Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation. USA: Taylor Francis, 2009. Print. This essay on Designated Persons Ashore was written and submitted by user Judith Flowers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Aramco Supply Chain Management Essays

Aramco Supply Chain Management Essays Aramco Supply Chain Management Essay Aramco Supply Chain Management Essay A Users Conference ID#: 2965 Improving Supply Chain Management through Real-Time Operations Monitoring Track: MES Topic: Enterprise Integration Presenter: Ramadan Fan Company: Saudi Aramco  © Copyright 2008, Saudi Aramco. All rights reserved. Agenda Saudi Aramco Overview Saudi Aramco Distribution Operations Supply Chain Management Challenges SIMATIC IT XHQ Implementation Enterprise Monitoring Solution Key Benefits Next Steps Page 2 Saudi Aramco Overview – Global Offices Saudi Petroleum Overseas Ltd. Ltd. Vela Marine Intl. , Ltd. Intl. , Ltd. Saudi Petroleum Intl. , Inc. Intl. , Aramco Overseas Company, AOC (BV) Company, Saudi Petroleum Ltd. Ltd. Aramco Services Company Saudi Aramco Headquarters Page 3 Saudi Aramco Overview – Upstream Downstream Gas Sales Grid Upstream Gas Plants Downstream Gas Plants OIL GAS Wells GOSPs Bulk Plants Refineries Crude Treatment Stabilizers Page 4 Crude Terminals Saudi Aramco Distribution Operations Responsible for domestic fuel distribution through its Bulk Plants and Air Fueling Operations Meet the Kingdom’s growing fuel demand in the most safe, reliable, and environment friendly manner Enhance customer satisfaction through world class services Page 5 Supply Chain Management Challenges Managing remote facilities scattered across the country Tracking product transfer via trucks, pipeline and marine Accessing different operation and business systems Generating operation reports in a timely manner Coordination between sending and receiving plants Responding quickly to customer complaints Page 6 SIMATIC IT XHQ Implementation Corporate strategy to standardize on a single Enterprise Monitoring Solution (EMS) Easy direct access to key operational data Common view of aggregated information Integrate real-time process data with business data Improve performance monitoring through KPI measures Replicate best practices across the enterprise Page 7 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Distribution Operations SAP System HR LP Finance BW Non-SAP Applications LIMS SAIF Oracle Servers OSI PI Servers PQAS TIIS HCM PM OCRCS Terminal Management Systems Field Automation Lab Systems Siemens Honeywell Tank Gauging Test Instruments Page 8 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Distribution Operations Site-Specific Dashboards Product Inventory Sales and Transfer Orders Truck Loading/Unloading Pipeline Shipping Quality Assurance Operations Compliance Data Source SAP-HCM, PI SAP-HCM TMS (Siemens/Honeywell) OSI PI PQAS * OCRCS * In-house developed application based on Oracle Page 9 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Distribution Operations Common Dashboards Management Dashboard Maintenance Dashboard Equipment Dashboard Inspections Dashboard TI Dashboard Safety Dashboard Quality Dashboard Data Source SAP-HR, PM, Finance SAP-PM SAP-PM SAIF * TIIS * SAP-LP LIMS, PQAS * * In-house developed applications based on Oracle Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Key Benefits Empowered plants to make quick and informed decisions Enhanced Saudi Aramco customers relationship Graphically related daily operation to production targets Data transparency and sharing among plants Focus on problem areas with data views and drilldowns Page 21 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Next Steps Visualization of full supply chain Dashboards for high management level Integration with SAP Portal Integration with GIS system Integration with planning and scheduling tools Page 22 Enterprise Monitoring Solution – Distribution Project Team Siemens Ahsan Yousufzai, Manager Ayman Al-Mutawa, Tech. Lead Zulfiqar Naushad, Consultant Ahmed Al-Sahaff, Team Lead Zubair Hassan, Team Lead Maher Al-Khaldi, Developer Asif Iqbal, Developer Faruk Bansir, Developer Saudi Aramco Ahmed Marzooq, IT Mohammed Shabeeb, IT Faris Omar, IT Ziyad Saleh, IT Ali Sallout , Distribution Ramadan Fan, Distribution Mohammed Hazmi, Distribution Murtaza Hussein, Distribution Khalid Khelaiwi, Distribution Khalid Zaid, Distribution Page 23 Closing Remarks â€Å"You can’t improve what you can’t measure† â€Å"Provide the right information, to the right person, at the right time† Page 24 Thank you For more information, please contact: ramadan. [emailprotected] com Page 25

Mitt Romney is the Best Choice for the Republican Nomination (2011) Research Paper

Mitt Romney is the Best Choice for the Republican Nomination (2011) - Research Paper Example Now he stands as a candidate for the Republican nomination to become President of the United States. This paper will identify qualities which best qualify him for this nomination, as well as qualities which might raise a question mark in the minds of the American public. Rivals for the nomination will be briefly considered. The central thesis of this paper is that Mitt Romney is, in fact, the best choice for the Republican nomination. America is in need of strong leadership, solid financial management, and thorough analysis of all sides of a variety of social, health, educational, economic, military, and moral issues which currently foster so much conflict domestically and internationally. Leadership is critical because it can lead to unity (collective identity and authentic negotiation) and survival (safety and prosperity). Solid financial management is critical because the economy is in bad shape; the national deficit is embarrassing; and in the course of meeting political prioriti es, families are homeless, freezing and starving on the streets. Analytic skills are vital in order to sort through competing priorities, introduce creative solutions which represent the interests of the people in a fair manner, and develop a strong base for success. Supporters and critics of Romney have identified him as a person with strong leadership skills. Hewitt asserts that Romney, a moderate, has â€Å"talent for politics and leadership,† beyond that of other politicians (4). Warring factions in the bipartisan political arena need an inspiring and influential leader, with the ability to unite opposing forces toward mutually beneficial goals. Mitt’s leadership ability is demonstrated in his distinguished accomplishments in private and public sectors. He redeemed the morale and credibility of the Salt Lake Olympics, in his capacity as event organizer. He garnered support from the public sector, private entities, and athletes, correcting past distortions in Salt L ake leadership (Westerbeek and Smith 44). Leadership is tested when there is a crisis, requiring quick analysis and resolution. Mitt’s ability to negotiate bipartisan concerns and influence the government was exhibited when he signed the bill for reformation of health care in Massachusetts (Foer 133). Mitt Romney’s formal education in management was acquired at Stanford University (two semesters), Brigham Young University (BA) and Harvard Law School (graduated Cum Laude) (Algiere 105). His management skills were further developed when he entered the Boston Consulting Group, and were polished as Vice President of Bain & Company and co-founder of Bain Capital (Algiere 105). Romney saved the shrinking company from bankruptcy, without employee dismissal. He compiled a profit of over $100 million during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He has a reputation for having a strong work ethic. Consequently, public and private sectors trust him, making fundraising successful (Algiere 106). The USA suffers from a significant budget deficit, due to government spending. If Romney is chosen for the Republican nomination, his strategic skills in business and financial management will help to regain what has been lost. During his 2008 campaign, Romney stressed that he can â€Å"balance the State’s out-of-control budget and attract new business to revive the economy† (Foer 133). All kinds of empty promises are made by politicians, but Romney’s past success justifies public confidence in the veracity

SESSION LONG PROJECT MODULE 5 TOTAL REWARDS (USAA INSURANCE COMPANY) Essay

SESSION LONG PROJECT MODULE 5 TOTAL REWARDS (USAA INSURANCE COMPANY) - Essay Example This method also helps attract the employees and their attention and help retaining the employees to a great extent. Here in most cases this method helps in improving the morale and levels of motivation and productivity of the employees, thereby being a major benefit for the company as well (Thompson). Using this technique in USAA will be very helpful due to the nature of the job. Here the company will be able integrate the organizational culture, business strategy and also the human resources strategy and draw them towards one main focus, i.e. the total rewards system which focuses on includes all aspects like the compensations, benefits, work life, recognition and performance of the employees and also the overall development and career opportunities. Together all of these are focused towards attracting and motivating people which in turn leads to better satisfaction and engagement of the employees. This concept is clearly one which will remain and become more common within companie s (Buchanan and Huczynski). This technique is here to stay and companies can benefit from the technique to a very great extent. The drawback of this technique, in the case of USAA, it proves to be very costly for a number of employees and also does not meet the needs of the employees.

The Issues Surrounding Disability Social Work Essay

The Issues Surrounding Disability Social Work Essay There is a lot of discussion of how disability is described. The literal meaning of disability is difficulty with ability. This implies some form of mental or physical impairment that can manifest problems with mobility or awareness. According to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, disability impairments can include sensory impairments such as hearing or sight, mental impairments such as depression or learning difficulties and physical impairments such as wheelchair users. People with disabilities may face problems, and not only because of their particular impairments but by social factors such as attitudes, stigma and physical obstructions, for example, ease of access to buildings or transport. The description of disability has varied over the years but the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 describes it as, he/she has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities Thompson and Thompson (2008) state that historically, people with disabilities were considered tragic, different or in some way devious. They were not allowed to work, mix with others or travel and many were placed in asylums. Ingstad and Reynolds, (1995) claims that, media representation of disability often relates to insanity and evil. This is evident in such things as super hero movies, where the bad character is often portrayed as physically deformed or mentally unstable. However, throughout history there have been people with impairments that in todays society would have been viewed as disabled, Franklin D Roosevelt, four times president of the United States, had polio. The poet Lord Byron (mad Lord Byron), who was born with talipes, known then as a club foot, and whose name today is still synonymous for someone dashing, Byronic. Admiral Nelson, known for his great naval victories against the Napoleonic French and particularly the battle of Trafalgar, he is not viewed as disabled although he was blind in one eye and only had one arm. In todays society he would have been seen as a disabled seaman. But when we look at these people we do not see their disabilities, we see heroes, great leaders and writers. Did society just look past their impairment and just see their achievements?. (Ingstad and Reynolds, 1995). According to Finkelstein (1980), people with disabilities have existed in comparatively large numbers throughout the world and in different societies for centuries. What is also evident is that the cultural understanding and responses to impairment and disability have varied and still do. There is a real cultural stigma towards people that have any sort of physical or mental difference to the norm. This can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman times. Finkelstein (1980) goes on to say that, all though the degree of bias has varied from time to time, peoples perceptions of impairment and disability have remained much the same since the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century. The start of the industrial revolution introduced the concepts of urbanization and paid labour. This brought new problems for people who were unable to compete for work. After being scrutinised and labelled by doctors and other professionals, these people were put in to hospitals or asylums where they remained for very long periods and sometimes indefinitely. This kind of treatment carried on throughout most of the western world and all through the first half of the twentieth century. Drake (1999), states that the Eugenic legacy, which looked at the assumptions of human mental characteristics, was in some way influential in forming a different outlook on impairments. Drake continues, the Eugenic legacy came to a logical conclusion during the systematic murders in the Nazi death camps of thousands of disabled people considered undeserving of life, worthless and a burden on society. In the 17th century impairments or disabilities were seen as punishments from God, and explained by using religion, superstition, or myths and legend. Some of these beliefs remain to this day such as the belief that a disabled person must have been evil in a previous life and is now being punished. (Campbell and Oliver 1995) I remember in 2003 former England manager, Glenn Hoddle was sacked from his position for saying that disabled people are paying for sins they committed in a previous life. But in other religious cultures in societies, disability may be seen as being chosen by god. (Campbell and Oliver 1995) Cultural values and Society can be responsible for imposing disability on someone with impairments. This is mostly done unintentionally or by misinterpretation but it results in excluding people with some form of impairment from participating in society. Therefore it is understandable that disabled people will see themselves, as an oppressed group. To understand this, there has to be a definition between the person with the impairment and the social construction, called disability. (Oliver 1996) What this means is that todays society defines the impairment as it is seen, i.e. the lack of a limb or limbs, organism or motor functions of the body that are not working properly, and the disability as the restrictions and disadvantages that go with it. Oliver, states that, We see disability as the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organisation which takes little or no account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them. (Oliver 1996, p22) The common view today, according to Campbell and Oliver (1995) is that a persons impairment is the cause of their disability and that their disability is a medical problem that has to be overcome. This refers to the medical model approach which focuses on prevention and cure. In many countries this has caused a growth of prosperous and costly industries involved with disability comprising voluntary organisations, drug companies, private businesses, charities and government institutions. These will be staffed by an army of professionals including support workers, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. This attitude can have a negative effect on the way society see people with impairments and will result in stigmatisation. In addition to this, if society sees the impairment as the problem, surely it is logical to see that these problems must be cured or fixed in order for them to fit in to normal society. The outcome is that, people with disabilities are labelled as disabled people this may look like a play on words but what this shows is that the disability is seen before the person. Society sees people with disabilities as, not normal, this implies abnormal, and further reinforce the stigmatisation and stereotyping of people with disabilities being seen as inadequate and dependant. Are some people with disabilities more vulnerable than others According to Hales (1996, p152) Prejudice is a negative attitude towards particular groups of people based on negative traits assumed to be uniformly displayed by members of that group Hales uses the example, that it is commonly assumed, that younger people with learning disabilities have no interest in forming long term relationships, an adult sex life or having children. Hales describes this as issue as being social attitude rather than the physical disabilities faced by the people themselves. It is difficult to say if some people with disabilities are more vulnerable to discrimination than others as there are so many factors to consider. Cost for example. Barnardos (2011) state that, the costs involved in bringing up a child with a disability is much greater than raising non disabled children. Barnardos also state that, it may not just be the higher cost of living, no qualifications and unemployment that are causing discrimination. But the fact that living in deprived communities where the understanding of disability is lower than the more affluent areas. One fifth of children with disabilities live in poverty stricken areas, resulting in social exclusion, discrimination and causing multiple oppressions. (Barnardos (2011). Marginalisation and exclusion refers to people with disabilities not being included in everyday life. This includes non equality in the work place. (Barns and Mercer 2003) state that, while some benefits such as disability living allowance (DLA), are in place to help people cope financially with social and work factors, it can also have an adverse effect by highlighting a dependency on benefits. This again can lead to stigmatisation and oppression. New labour recognised this problem and developed the welfare to work policy in 1997. The government documented that unemployment for people with disabilities was far higher than it was with non disabled people. A high percentage of people with learning disabilities live in poverty. 24 % of working age people with disabilities do not have formal qualifications. (HM Government 2011) The government recognises a link between unemployment and social exclusion. In 1989 the government set up the social exclusion unit (SEU) to improve the educational prospects for children with disabilities. Although this was a step in the right direction, it is worth noting that the minister for education at this time was David Blunkett, who is classed as a person with a disability. (Dan 2005) When people think of disability they think of the obvious such as wheelchair users. There are some things put in place for people with physical disabilities. Examples of these are wider doors, ramps, higher power points, lower light switches, audio and visual aids, lowering busses and disabled parking (Hales 1996). But in my opinion people with learning disabilities seem to be less understood. Therefore, I feel that, it can be argued that people with learning disabilities are more vulnerable to discrimination than other. Why do some people reject the disability label and some accept it? According to Barnes (1991), some people will accept the disability label, feeling that they are not able to cope in society and they are in a sort of limbo, waiting for a cure and the hope that one day they may get fixed. This may be because they have been conditioned by a non disabled society to accept their lot in life; they are broken and need a cure. Some disabled people will obviously want a cure and will actively help in working to find one, thus giving their life some meaning and a reason to belong. Some need to succeed in order to belong, some need to belong in order to succeed. (Hill Country Disabled Group) According to Clapton Fitzgerald (1997) this stems back to the medical model of disability that perceives impairment as something that has to be fixed, i.e. a person is disabled because of their individual impairment so consequently they will require medical interventions to give them the skills to adapt in our non disabled society.   There are disadvantages to being labelled as disabled. But there can also be advantages. In my experience, in having dyslexia, (which was discovered while I was at university), I am classed as a disabled student. I do not see myself as being disabled as there are no physical signs of dyslexia and it is something I have lived with all my life without knowing. Initially, I resented the disability label, but in accepting it, I received the help I need to complete my course. Some of my fellow students see such a label as stigmatising, and even though they have similar pattern of difficulties, they did not want to seek help for fear of being labelled. There are the people who see disability as a social problem put on them by a non disabled society that impairs physically disabled people. It is argued that no one has made a specific distinction between biological impairment and social disability. (Clapton Fitzgerald (1997) This is seen as the key to the British social model of disability and was originally devised by disabled rights activists in the 1970s. This move forward was developed by disabled people and their own experiences of living with impairment in Western society (UPIAS 1976) The social model has been widely acknowledged and developed by disability rights groups all over the world. It is now the foundation and the principle way of thinking in regard to policy-making for countries as diverse as Japan, South Africa and the USA. The social model of disability is not complicated; it just highlights the cultural, economic and environmental barriers experienced by people who are seen by others as impaired. According to Barnes (1991), these barriers can include: education problems, communication issues, problems within the working environments, insufficient disability benefits, social support services, inaccessible transport, housing and public buildings and the devaluing of people labelled disabled by negative imagery and representation in the media such as films, television and newspapers. From this viewpoint it is easy to see why some people will reject the label of being disabled and see their disability as a failure by society to accommodate their personal and combined needs within the confines of conventional society. (Barnes 1991) What can be done to effectively counter discrimination? Oliver (1990).explains that, peoples perceptions of disability and rehabilitation are changing. The 1960s saw the start of this change with politicians, policy makers and social workers realising that the world can no longer look at the disability issue as an individualistic medical problem, (Barnes and Mercer 2003). One of the reasons for this is that people with any form of impairment, be it cognitive or physical, are seen as abnormal and labelled as disabled. The fact is, that these people represent a growing segment of the global population and must be treated as equals. In brief, this means that the social model of disability is a tool to help us recognise the disablement caused by societys preconceptions of people with disabilities and help improve policy making. (Oliver 2004) Ten years ago, Glasby and Littlechild (2002), stated that, what is needed to effectively counter discrimination is to move away from government run professional services. They foresaw a need for greater investment in user led initiatives, especially regarding direct payments. This should give thousands of disabled people across the UK a better chance of achieving real independent living. Glasby and Littlechild go on to say that this could be achieved by setting up a new national body working directly with the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL). Along with the distribution of direct payments, this new organisation could produce a standardized assessment for direct payments, reducing mistakes and making it easier for service users. Barns (2004) explained that, such an organization could also monitor local user groups that provide services for direct payment users. This would also give this new organisation the opportunity to benefit from a wealth of experience and expertise that has been developed by disabled people for over twenty years. (Barns 2004) The problem at this time was that, the government authorities were reluctant to implement direct payment policy for a number of reasons. Nowadays, direct payments are offered as a matter of course. During my third year placement in social services, It was actively encouraged to offer this service, in fact, I could not complete a unified assessment without doing so. We also recognise organisations such as the Rowan. This is a registered charity that provides direct Payment and Personal Budget support for service users. The Rowan has a vision of, A society that is fully inclusive in which the barriers, whether environmental, attitudinal or institutional, that prevent disabled people from having equality of opportunity have been removed. (The Rowan Organization 2012) As social workers we have the training to act in a non discriminatory way. We follow guidelines in our codes of practice such as, upholding public trust in social services and not unlawfully discriminating service users. Anti discriminatory practice is fundamental to the practice of good social work. It is important not to assume what difficulties people have with their disabilities. This in itself is a form of oppression, as only people with disabilities will know what its like to face disability discrimination. I feel that one of the most important roles as a social worker is advocacy. This will ensure that the voices of peoples with disabilities are heard. Legislation is main area that can help fight discrimination and oppression. The Equality Act 2010 enforces a duty on employers to make adaptations that will aid disabled people in the work place. This act also makes it illegal to treat people differently because of their disability. According to Barns (2003), the equality movement and looking into the problems of disablement has brought forward the concept of independent living. This concept was first used in the United Kingdom during the 1970s, after being adopted by disability activists in the USA. These activists called themselves the ILM or independent living movement. This movement was partly developed within campuses of American universities and partly from the on-going efforts of the disability activists who were attempting to influence, not only US disability legislation in the 1960s. But also, peoples discriminating perceptions of disabled people. Disability Wales ran a campaign from April 2010 to March 2011. This was called independent living now. This highlighted six main calls to action that disabled people had deemed essential in further development of Independent Living. These are: 1. Improved access to information, advice, independent advocacy and peer support services for all 2. Availability of accessible and supported housing to meet individual requirements 3. A comprehensive range of options and genuine choice and control in how personalized care and support is delivered 4. Improved access to Person Centered Technology (aids equipment) 5. A barrier free transport system, including all modes of transport 6. Enabling access, involvement and social, economic and cultural inclusion for all disabled people. This concept of independent living is a broad one and is usually associated with younger and middle aged people with physical and sensory conditions. But this concept does apply to everyone in the disabled population. This includes people with high support needs and people with cognitive conditions such as learning disabilities and mental illness (Barnes 2003). Because of this, independent living does have some criticisms. My own experience of working with a young man who had learning disabilities was not very successful. This person was granted independent living and was given his own flat. The problem was that all his friends did not have any kind of impairment. This was causing real problems as they were encouraging him to spend his disability allowance on alcohol and having parties at his flat. In turn this was causing problems with the neighbours because of the constant noise. This also resulted in him not having any money for food and being drunk most of the time. This was caus ing him to have health problems, which resulted in him being returned home to his parents. Conclusion In concluding this assignment, I have discussed why there is disability discrimination both from an historic and societal point of view and how people are disabled by these views. I have also discussed the different levels of vulnerability and who I feel are the most vulnerable in our society. In addition, I have covered why some people accept the disability label whilst others reject it, and what can be done in the hope of effectively countering disability discrimination. 3249 words Acts Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Equality Act 2010

The Calling Of Isaiah Essay -- essays research papers

The Calling of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 6:1-13   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prophet Isaiah lived during a very troublesome era during the years 742-701B.C.E. He preached during the reigns of four kings of Judah: Uzziah (783-742), Jotham (742-735), Ahaz (735-715), and Hezekiah (715-687). Judah faced many challenges and crises throughout those years primarily at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. Isaih interpreted the events as part of the Lord's will, and he encourages the people to trust in the Lord rather than relying on political alliances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isaiah is thought to be one of the greatest poets of the Bible, and his book a classic of the Hebrew language. His writing has a very concise style, effective imagery, and an equilibrium between form and content which classify the type of poetry as classical. From the theological aspect, Isaiah moves in the religious tradition influenced by David's dynasty and the election of Sion, and also contributed to the shape and expression of the messianic hopes (Obstat, p.278).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book Isaiah contains mostly oracles from various authors, however the authentic oracles of Isaiah are found in the first part of the book. Chapters 6-12 are considered the oldest collection in the book. It includes the account of the vocation and mission of the prophet, the oracles concerning the Syro-Ephraimite War, oracles referring to the crisis of 701B.C.E., and other salvation passages (Obstat, p.278).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isaiah chapter 6 versus 1-13 stand apart from the rest of the Bible as a unique record of how God called on and reached out to a man, and in doing so a prophet was born. Interpreting this chapter is of vital importance for the understanding of Isaiah's teaching as a whole. In it he describes a real experience which effects him both psychologically and spiritually. Through the passage it can be perceived that his ministry was initiated by a soul shaking experience of the reality of God, and it's authenticity validated by it's results and influence on the prophet's life and work (Berrtrick, p 205).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main purposes of any prophet's call narrative is to justify his right to speak in the name of God. Oftentimes a prophet's message isn't accepted of very popular with the people he is preaching to, and in the face of t... ...en to Judah and Jerusalem, which at the threat of judgment would suffer greatly. But Isaiah must have certainly seen the Northern Kingdom included as well. Verse twelve is thought to be an addition made by a later editor to show how the judgment would result in the deportation of many from the land. This situation could possible relate to after 721B.C.E. when many citizens of the Northern Kingdom were carried off to Assryia, or to Judah when many of its inhabitants were carried off to Babylon (Kaiser, p.78)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Book of Isaiah is a book full of oracles such as the one narrating Isaiah's calling to be a prophet for the Lord God. In accordance with his classical poetic style the passage is full of imagery and sensual descriptions. Concerned with the fall of the nation, Isaiah has God himself warning the people of what is to come for a stronger impact on the Israelites. As a man who lived through the reins of four kings whom throughout the book are of great importance, Isaiah sees God as a functioning king and ruler. Much of what is said and seen in Isaiah 6:1-13 relate to other events in the rest of the book and surely influence Isaiah's life completely.

Emerging Trends †Business Analytics

The Need: The amount of data being generated globally increases by 40 percent a year, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, the consulting firm’s research arm. Gartner predicts that data will grow 800 percent over the next five years and 80 percent of the data will be unstructured. International Institute for Analytics predicts that â€Å"Big data analytics will top all other areas of growth in analytics during 2012 due to the rapid expansion of social, mobile, location and transaction-based data taken in by various industries. As the volume of enterprise data sky-rockets, an industry is growing up around using this flood of information to help companies operate more efficiently and sustainably. Companies increasingly will be deploying sophisticated software as a key component of their sustainability strategy. Mu Sigma, for example, an Indian firm providing data analytics and decision support services for global enterprise, secured a $108 million investment round led by General Atlantic. My smartphone produces a huge amount of data, my car produces ridiculous amounts of really valuable data, my house is throwing off data, everything is making data,† said Erik Swan, 47, cofounder of Splunk, a San Francisco-based start-up whose software indexes vast quantities of machine-generated data into searchable links. Companies search those links, as one searches Google, to analyze customer behavior in real time. Splunk is among a crop of enterprise software start-up companies that analyze big data and are establishing themselves in territory long controlled by giant business-technology vendors like Oracle and I. B. M. Founded in 2004, before the term â€Å"big data† had worked its way into the vocabulary of Silicon Valley, Splunk now has some 3,200 customers in more than 75 countries, including more than half the Fortune 100 companies. The Usage: Here’s an unsubstantiated anecdote: â€Å"There’s a cell service provider in Japan that collects GPS data from cell phone users. The cell provider collects the data in real time, and keeps track of which people are walking the furthest. Once a month, the cell provider gives an award to the walker who covered the greatest distance. In a way, cell phones are working like sensors to collect and analyze streaming big data. † â€Å"Imagine a consumer walking around downtown in a city, shopping. Now imagine letting a shopping service know where he is, plus maybe the kinds of goods he is looking for. As I walk, the GPS coordinates could stream to the shopping service, and it could point him to stores that match his interests. † â€Å"A lot of people know how to work with data,† observed Anand Rajaraman, â€Å"but now there is a lot more data so the kinds of things you can do with it and the way you work with it can are very different. The founder of companies which have been acquired by Amazon and Walmart, Rajaraman is now senior vice president at Walmart Global e-commerce and co-founder @WalmartLabs, and a professor at Stanford. Traditional users of large amounts of Data — retail, telecom and intelligence — are already comfortable with it. The next big set of users is in mobile-soc ial, especially incorporating geolocation. Some areas have been underserved, such as health care, which is described as the third rail because it has been too hard and too slow. But now health care is experiencing a fundamental change similar to what retail felt when customers came in armed with smart phones and had more information than sales people. Patients are starting to acquire more information and health care providers are developing more analytics. The Education: To arrive at solutions on how to perceive, derive, collate, store, sort and use data for business decisions is Data Analytics. All areas of commerce, business, economics and sciences are using data analysis to arrive at solutions. To do this there is a certain skill set that has to be created, the science of teaching this has grown into what academic institutions call Data Analytics or Business Intelligence programs. The institutions that have taken on the mantle of teaching data analytics are the management institutions with inputs from their engineering, mathematics and statistics departments creating interdisciplinary programs to acquire data mining and interpreting skills. Most management institutions are at the forefront on this learning derivative because business now believes that this skill will be critical to improving their penetration and profitability. The Education programs train students on: Data Collection and Integration Processes for Enterprise Decision Making Advanced Data Analysis Database Management Web Analytics Marketing Analytics Process Optimization Text Mining The Nomenclature of Education Programs: Masters of Science in Analytics Masters of Science in Predictive Analytics Masters of Science in Business Intelligence Masters of Science in Business Analytics Masters of Science in Data Mining Certification in Data Analytics Duration of the Program: 10 months to 18 months Statistical Methods and Models Predictive Analytics Advanced Statistics Financial Analysis Predictive Modeling Data Warehousing Data Mining Techniques Mining Genomics Data Some of the Indian Institutions that are helping students gain data analytic skills are: Institutions Indian Institute of Science http://www. mgmt. iisc. ernet. in Location Bangalore Program Name Master of Management Program Length 24 Months (Full Time) Contact Details Department of Management Studies IISC Bangalore 560 012 Phone: +91-80-2293 2567 (Office) Fax: +91-80-2360 4534 E-mail: [email  protected] iisc. ernet. in The Administrative Officer Executive Education Programmes IIM Bangalore, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076 Phone : +91-80-26993475 /3660/ 3264 /3742 Fax : +91-80 – 26584004 / 26584050 E-mail : [email  protected] ernet. n Admissions Office Indian School of Business Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500032 Phone: +91 40 2318 7474 /7484 /7494 Fax: +91 40 2300 7099 Admissions office Address: Praxis Business School, Next to Akademia International School, Bakrahat Road, P. O. Rasapunja, Kolkata – 700104 Phone: +91 98368 77599/ +9133 24980553/4 E-mail: [email  protected] ac. in Indian Institute of Management Bangalore http://www. iimb. ernet. in Bangalore Certificate Programme on Business Analytics and Intelligence 12 Months (Part Time) Indian School of Business http://www. isb. edu/ Hyderabad Part of the MBA program Analytics Labs (only for enrolled MBA students) 12 Months (Full Time) Praxis Business School http://praxis. ac. in (Knowledge Partners PWC and ICICI) Kolkata Post Graduate Program in Business Analytics Some International Programs offering Business Analytics: 1. In 2007, North Carolina State University began offering the first graduate degree in Analytics. In just 10 months, students can earn a Master of Science in Analytics through the university’s Institute for Advanced Analytics. The degree program addresses data collection and integration, statistical methods and models and complex processes for enterprise decision making. 2. In 2010, DePaul University announced a Master of Science in Predictive Analytics (MSPA) through its Center for Data Mining and Predictive Analytics, a joint venture between the School of Computing and the School of Marketing. The DePaul program covers data mining, predictive analytics and business intelligence. 3. Northwestern University will begin its first MSPA degree program in the fall of 2011. The new MSPA degree provides core basics such as data mining concepts and applications, and extends into advanced data analysis, advanced statistics, database management, financial analysis, web analytics, predictive modeling and marketing analytics. 4. Students can earn a Master of Science in Business Intelligence (MSBI) from Saint Joseph’s University. The program offers evening classes and addresses technology integration, quantitative skills and analytics within a business context. 5. The University of Denver also offers an MSBI degree rogram through the Daniels College of Business. The program focuses on how to gather and leverage information to lead organizations and guide decisions. The cross-functional coursework covers data warehousing, marketing, finance and operations and incorporates real project work. 6. The University of Tennessee Knoxville offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics through the College of Business Administration. The program provides students with an understanding of business and helps them learn the analytical skills needed to solve business problems. Students can choose one of three areas of concentration: Applied Statistics, Process Optimization or Business Intelligence. 7. Since 2003, Central Connecticut State University has offered a Master of Science in Data Mining degree. The program helps students master the cross-industry standard process for data mining, become proficient with leading data mining software, and to understand and apply a wide variety of mathematical and statistical techniques. It also introduces students to the latest data mining techniques and applications such as text mining and mining genomics data. Student Educational Backgrounds: Any student comfortable with Mathematics and Statistics can opt for these programs. Companies In India hiring for Analytics: Target, Dell, IBM, HP (analytics), Citi, ICICI, PWC, Accenture, etc.