Personal Development Through Reflective Practice Personal Development Essay

Personal Development Through Reflective Practice Personal Development Essay The learning set was created on the first day of the course. Members were chosen at random based on their seating position in the room and that fellow work colleagues could not be part of any group. Our set therefore consisted of six strangers from different backgrounds and organisations. No direction was given about learning sets theory or practice. We met as a group over a period four months. Initially we struggled with making our learning set work. At times we wanted to apply formal structures. For example in week 3 we tried a self evaluation exercise from a text book (Pedler, Burgoyne, Boydell, 2007). Whilst that was helpful from an individual perspective it did not fully clarify what we were meant to achieve via the set or satisfy the eagerness of some members to put structures in place. However over a period of time the group has now gelled and is less negative about the concept of the learning set. We are still not fully behaving as a set as defined by theory e.g. we dont always spend time at each meeting to discuss specific issues, often digressing into wider debates (Revans, 1978) As a group we have followed the various stages of Tuckmans classic team development model. (Alan Chapman/Businessballs.com, 2010). The application of this model is shown in Appendix 1 Account of Learning Gains I was initially critical of the learning set process, as like others, I could not see where it was going beyond being a talking shop. Nonetheless I can see now that the process has developed me personally. This is not uncommon. for those who have persisted with the process (of action learning sets) this talk has proved to be a powerful agent of personal and business change (Clarke et al, 2006). I have learnt about my own and others learning styles. My learning style is activist/pragmatist (Appendix 2) compared to others in the group who were more in the styles of reflectors/theorists and therefore wishing to apply a more rigorous approach before engaging in the process. The set has allowed me to reflect on this style and I am now more reflective in my actions. I now consider options before acting whereas before I would almost identify the route to resolving a problem and determine my actions accordingly. My reflective diary shows that I have become more aware of group dynamics and how people behave in groups (appendix 3). This in turn has helped me make changes to my managerial style and behaviour in situations at work. It has also made me realise that as a manager you need to be continually reflecting and re-acting to deal with an ever changing world. I can now see that learning can be a social process and that learning is dynamic and affected by social context. Whilst we as a group have only had limited formal learning set time, what has really been effective is the informal time we have had as a learning set and as a cohort with other learners. In that time we have shared our experiences and learnt from each other. I have also developed friendships through this process. I am a now also more questioning and challenging of assumptions I may have held. The academic reading has helped me to do this but so too has having the opportunity to question and be questioned in a safe environment. At times this has been uncomfortable but the rigour of keeping a reflective diary has been invaluable in enabling me to see this. A Learning Set Process Review One of the key issues the set struggled with was not having a facilitator or any formal input to guide us from the onset. This had the potential to make the set a talking shop, which in the early days it was. Some timely input was provided but as Revans stated it is by being comrades in adversity i.e. having to make sense of the learning set for our MBA that we managed to progress. (Revans, 1978). On balance I would say that having a facilitator to provide the set with a steer and maintain focus would be something I would change in future. Alternatively an introductory session on the principles of learning sets would have been helpful, though I appreciate, having been through the process, that this could potentially bias the learning that could be achieved. Bourner et al found that setting up set randomly had the potential of creating a group of group of leftovers who did not benefit from the learning set process. (Bourner Weinstein, 1996). This happened in our overall group and did influence my thinking about whether I should move sets but my overall comfortableness with ours and what I had surmised about others clouded my own thoughts around whether I should move sets (appendix 3). We had consistent attendance from members, except for one person who missed the initial sessions as well as the mining museum event. He subsequently did not return. I would argue that for the process to benefit an individual then s/he must attend regularly so that relationships as well as confidence to question can be built up. Commitment to the process is therefore critical. Time in meetings was also a critical factor. We probably only have had a handful of set meetings where we followed our agreed structure of each member putting forward an issue for debate. As we met only once a week meetings often did not get going and on occasions the time was taken up with other course related activities. We should have created opportunities to meet outside the set or used electronic means to communicate. Having people who were outside of each others work context helped set members gain views that are independent but also enabled members to talk frankly without fear of breaching confidentiality or work related sensitivities. This is a very powerful tool as often managers do not have access to such individuals. However that does require a certain amount of trust between members. This particularly helped me with the issue I brought to the learning set (appendix 3). The process also allowed us to have some thinking time outside of normal day to day work activities, again something that managers dont often find time to do. One hour just was not enough. I would change the time to at least one and a half hours. KEY SKILLS Ability to build sophisticated relationships with a variety of stakeholders and customers to help meet strategic organisational goals Dynamic leadership and management skills to lead and motivate individuals and teams to achieve targets and outcomes Excellent negotiating and problem solving skills Excellent influencing skills with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Development Manager Childrens Workforce Development Council May 2008 present Manage a team of 3 staff over seeing England wide youth workforce reform projects totaling over  £4m Member of management team for overall youth workforce reform programme with a total three year budget of  £25m Interim Head of Operations, North of England/East Midlands Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) October 2007 April 2008 Managed the setting up of four English regions for the newly created EHRC Provided leadership and direction to help each region produce strategic scoping reports mapping the equalities terrain to help inform future planning Regional Director, North of England and East Midlands Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) Oct 2006 to Oct 2007 Directed 4 regional offices with 13 staff based in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham and ensured very effective working relationships with key regional agencies Prepared, delivered and evaluated the regional business plan Introduced and managed innovative art based projects in Merseyside, West Yorkshire and Middlesbrough respectively to support local level equality voluntary sector Carried out a fundamental review of equality networks across the North of England Diversity Director, North of England (secondment) Acas April 2004 to October 2006 Managed Acas equality work for the North of England Specialist diversity lead on three person Acas team that delivered collaborative working training to the United Nations in New York Developed first ever Acas/North West Development Agency Memorandum of Understanding for work on equality and diversity across the whole North West region Managed the first ever joint Business in The Community/Acas equality conference in March 2006 Conceptualised and project managed the first ever Fair Employment Zone with a budget of  £200k to provide employers with support, guidance and training on equality and diversity Head of Private Sector, Commission for Racial Equality October 2002 to March 2004 Lead the CREs national private sector team of 12 staff based in multiple locations and a budget of  £600k Developed and managed the CREs new strategy for working with the private sector Negotiated sponsorship of  £100k from HSBC and Post Office Ltd for the CREs Guide to Small to Medium enterprises Oversaw the production of the revised CRE Statutory Code of Practice in Employment Director, Equality Direct June 2001 to September 2002 Successfully set up and managed the first ever national government helpline on equality and diversity for employers. Trained, managed and supported 8 helpline advisers Drafted the Department for Education and Employments 10 point plan for employers Various positions including Head of Regional Strategy, Head of Legal Action Team, Social Policy Officer, Employment Officer, Commission for Racial Equality January 1988 to May 2001 Successfully project managed five public education exhibitions attended by over 2000 individuals and employers Managed the CREs funding ( £1m)of Race Equality Councils in the North of England, which included supporting the development of new organisations Developed in conjunction with the Rugby Football League the first ever campaign to tackle racism in Rugby League- Tackle It Deputy Supervisor/ Trainer, Dewsbury Trust Fund March 1984 to December 1987 Supervised a Community Programme scheme which provided and created training and employment opportunities for over 20 long term unemployed ethnic minorities ANALYSIS OF THE CHILDRENS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Introduction The Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is an England wide executive non-departmental public body set up in 2005 whose vision is to create a world-class workforce for Children, Young People and Families. It does this in two ways by supporting people working with them have the best possible training, qualifications, support and advice and by helping children and young peoples organisations and services to work together better (CWDC, 2010) It receives an annual grant from the governments Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for distinct projects and core management costs. Its budget and staffing have seen massive growth over the last five years. The organisation is strategically managed by a Board of Directors and operationally managed by a senior management team (SMT) consisting of the Chief Executive and five Directors. The SMT is supported by a small planning and performance unit (Appendix 4). Each Directorate consists of smaller teams which are responsible for programmes of work and projects. Woodward refers to these as task functions, namely the basic activities related to producing organisational outcomes. Central functions such as IT, Finance and Procurement, Human Resource Management referred to by Woodward as element functions i.e. those activities that support the task function sit within separate Directorates. (Woodward, as quoted in Mullins, 2007). The HQ is in Leeds with a small number of home-based staff. The majority of these are senior staff, but also includes singleton regional managers in the nine English regions. Appendix 5 shows how the delivery of programmes for the workforce is managed within one of the directorates. Projects are grouped into programmes consisting of small project teams. Each programme is answerable to a programme board consisting of key officials from CWDC and its sponsor body, DCSF. Critical Appraisal Appendix 6 provides a SWOT analysis for CWDC. This shows that as a public body it operates in a complex and challenging environment, facing pressures and demands from a large group of stakeholders/sources. CWDC is an infrastructure body that does not provide direct services to the workforce it serves and is attempting to upskill and reform the workforce to make it more effective in working with children and young people. To achieve this CWDC has put in place a significant bespoke electronic project management system into which all projects relate. This has yielded benefits in terms of consistency, accountability and close management of projects. However it is a heavily bureaucratic system which takes up significant staff time and has lead to a feeling that the system is driving the organisation. Accountability has become a key driver for CWDC and is influencing its way of delivering its aims. All projects have significant sign off processes including SMT approval. Outward facing activity such as press releases, publications, conference speeches also require sign off at this level. Whilst this is appropriate as it ensures alignment with organisational strategy, it does create a risk averse culture and makes decision making feel longer as well causing managers to feel that they cant make decisions. CWDCs structure is a tall hierarchical one that has evolved as it has grown in size. The SMT have large directorates and responsibility for staff is devolved and within Urwicks span of control is within the optimum number of six. Fayols scalar chain showing the direct line from the top to the bottom is clear and well understood across CWDC. Whilst this brings advantages in terms of clear lines of authority and accountability, it can also lead to demotivated and disempowered staff, where staff may feel that they have no say or involvement in decision making. Having a centralised base enables CWDC to ensure that there is a consistent approach to strategy and implementation across the organisation and enables more interaction between directorates. On the whole this is effective but having the majority of its senior staff as home workers and out of the office on a day to day basis can mitigate against this. To avoid this there is a significant use of emails and teleconferencing as well as two all staff conferences each year. The excessive use of email is however potentially counterproductive as it can lead to poorer communication, information overload, be a substitute for face to face contact, be used as a control tool thereby creating stress to staff. CWDCs limited regional staff presence also has the potential to create distance between the end user (the workforce) and CWDC. This is however compensated for via strong links with representative or employer bodies as well as regional roadshows. A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MANAGERIAL JOB ROLE. Definition of Managerial Role Despite the fact that the theory on what a manager is or does have developed significantly over the last 100 years ago, it is not easy to define the role of a manager. In the early 1900s, F. W. Taylor pioneered the idea of one best way model to manage employees and structure to achieve maximum performance. Taylorism put forward the idea that the role of the manager was different to that of a worker. Around the same time. Henry Fayol identified five key functions of a manger namely planning, organising, co-ordinating, commanding and controlling. These hold true today though arguably the function of commanding has been replaced with motivating staff to achieve. (Stewart,1999) The work of Stewart and Mintzberg several years later took a slightly different approach to the work of the manager. They identified some key aspects such as managers not operating in orderly well organised worlds, managers interacting and managing relationships with lots of people not just their direct staff, and continually having to work in a fragmented world of variety, at pace and with little free time. (Stewart 1999,) This is particularly true for me where I find that day to day plans can easily be thrown out of kilter due to unplanned events or circumstances. Mintzberg identified ten roles common to all managers, which he put into three categories as set out below. Mintzberg suggested that a manager had to perform various roles dependent on the particular situation or context. The table (appendix 7) sets out the groupings alongside examples from my work practice: In todays world, many of the roles identified by early theorists are relevant, however the world has changed dramatically since then. The significant advances in technology, impact on how managers carry out the informational roles Mintzberg refers to. For example in my experience e-mails, internet and the company intranet now play a major role in enabling information to be disseminated without the need for the manager to do so. Today, managers also need to have the right set of hard and soft skills to manage the complex and ever-changing world, including interpersonal skills.(Mullins 2007). Important issues for the future include managing change, leadership and motivation of staff, managing diversity, the development of human resources..(Mullins 2007) Making operational decisions On a daily basis I make operational decisions namely those decisions that concern the day to day running of my area of responsibility (Teale et al, 2003) and those whose impact is immediate on the organisation (Beckford 2001). Such decisions tend to be programmed ones namely those that relate to recurring problems that have occurred often enough to enable a standard response (Daft Marcic, 2009).In my context such decisions include decisions on which supplier to use, use of agency staff, procuring of supplies, recruiting, retaining staff. The factors I take into account, dependent on the context, will include: existing organisational policies and practices. This is to ensure consistency as well as compliance to company processes and policies whether I have all the facts available to me or if I need to obtain further information budget availability e.g. when replacing staff, or sanctioning costs for services risk evaluation e.g. considering the risk to the organisation in the decision. Most of these operational decisions will be minimal risk as they fall under my command of control. However on occasions for example terminating a contract may have wider ramifications which may well involve consultation with more senior staff impact on staff in team e.g. making decisions of staff leave requests and whether cover is available whether I need to consult with others to help arrive at the decision Options available to the manager for influencing senior managers Research has identified the importance of upward influence as a key factor in the effectiveness of managers (Case, Dosier, Murkison, Keys, 1998). There are a number of options available to do this. Reason or using a logical well prepared and presented argument with supporting data and documentation appears to be an effective one when trying to put a case forward (Case, Dosier, Murkison, Keys, 1998; Bhatnagar, 1993). An example of this in my practice is attached at Appendix 8. However there is more to influencing than just having a good argument, building relationships is extremely important. (Paulson, 1991). A manager will therefore need to: See things from their senior managers perspective Keep the manager informed to enable them to do their job Be friendly but keep a professional distance Put forward solutions to problems Support the manager but not to the point of being a yes person and express reservations in private This last bullet point has some relevance to me. My reflective diary (incident of 14-16/10/09-appendix 3) shows I need to recognise this aspect more and where appropriate challenge my boss. Operational management-level meeting A key to the success of any meeting is preparation (Kendrick, 2004). Appendix 9 shows an example of how this works in my meetings. This particular meeting refers to the contract inception meeting with a contractor for a complex  £4m project. As such prior to the meeting I met with one of my team and agreed all the areas to be covered. An agenda is always produced, based on the purpose of the meeting and expected outcomes from it. The agenda is structured in such a way that it allows time for reviewing action points from previous meeting and prioritising the major items for discussion in order of priority. It also includes an item at the end for round of agreed actions. This is to ensure that participants leave the meeting with a clear understanding of the nature of and owner of the agreed actions. A note taker is critical in key meetings to ensure accurate note taking and enable me to chair and facilitate the meeting. Minutes reflecting the key areas of discussion and action points are always produced within a few days of meeting, so as to ensure completion of actions in advance of the next meeting. Following the meeting a de-brief is held with the note taker to ensure all points have been captured but also to check that the meetings objectives have been realised (Kendrick 2004). Due to the importance of these meeting I chair them. This enables me to ensure control as the contract manager. However my style is participatory and informal to allow full contribution from all participants, as it is in the organisational interest that contractors work together with us to deliver this project. Delegating effectively Time is at a premium for a manager (Stewart, 1999). Delegation is necessary to ensure that decisions are made at the lowest level to save organisational cost and free up time for management duties (Mullins 2007). However delegation must not be seen as a reason for merely dumping work onto staff or abdicating managerial responsibilities (Jones, 1979). Not all work, though, can be delegated e.g. supervision, planning, disciplinary matters which must remain with the manager (Ghazda, 2002). The key to successful delegation lies in having a planned and systematic approach to it (Mullins, 2007). Before determining whether to delegate the manager needs to be clear on the task and whether the task is being delegated for results or for employee development (Ghazda, 2002). Assumptions should also not be made about the willingness of the employee to take on the task (McConalogue, 1993). They may be afraid of failure or lack confidence (Jones, 1979). Managers need to be aware of this. The manager should also set clear objectives and identify with the employee what the expected results are (Ghazda, 2002), which should be written down (Jones, 1979). Guidance and support should be provided throughout without being too instructive as this will inhibit employee development (Mullins, 2007; Jones, 1979). Employees must be able to feel that authority has been passed on without fear of the manager constantly interfering or checking on them i.e. having the freedom of action within agreed terms (Mullins, 2007). Monitoring of the task is important and should be defined at the onset through agreed milestones (Ghazda, 2002). Manager should also check progress informally and through ongoing supervision. On reflection my practice covers most of the requirements for effective delegation. However I need to do more on formally considering employee willingness to carry out the tasks delegated to them and write down clear objectives as per paras 18-19 above. Mentoring and supporting others There are numbers of definitions of mentoring, but one that is interesting is below which highlights that mentoring can be beneficial to both the mentor and mentee. Mentoring is a learning partnership between two people with different levels of experience and with the potential to achieve new learning, new insight and personal growth (Poulsen, 2006) Mentoring uses all types of helping to learn styles i.e. coaching, counselling, guiding and networking (Clutterbuck, 2004). Mentoring can be formal and structured or informal, but for it to succeed it needs to have a structure but operate informally (Clutterbuck, 2004). On reflection, I can say that I have not formally mentored my staff but I believe that at times I have followed the four learning to help styles primarily in a job task completion context. Nor did I realise its potential development benefits for me and staff. A follow up action is for me to informally mentor a member of CWDC staff and this has been incorporated into my Learning and Development Plan (see Appendix 10) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Training and Development History Appendix 11 sets out my personal training and development history. My development has been primarily related to my previous career within the equality industry. In particular my development has been through spending twenty years rising up the ranks at the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), achieving a high level position managing four regions within England. During that time I also went on secondment twice to enhance my knowledge and experience of working in other organisations. Following closure of the CRE, I became a consultant. This did not last long as I found the lack of uncertainty around work to be unsuitable and I missed the security of working within teams an established organisation. My self analysis using Belbins eight group roles showing me as a team worker supports this (Appendix 12). I therefore chose to take a lower level job in a new area (workforce reform policy) on the understanding that I would, within 2-3 years, obtain a higher level position within the new company or outside it. Learning and Development Plan My learning development plan (LDP) at Appendix 10 is based on my work related appraisal (appendix 13), issues arising from my assessment against the CMI standards (para 10 below) as well as the completion of the University of Huddersfields Guide to Reflective Practice Workbook (appendix 14). A key area I would like to focus is developing my own resilience to deal with situations in a more rounded manner. This will require me to be continuously reflect on my behaviours in different contexts. I have found the rigour of using a template for reflection for my learning set particularly useful and have started to extend this to other situations. A significant strength that has been identified is my competency to develop effective working relationships both within my team and externally. Comments from my line manager support this: One of your strongest competences (working with others). You inspire others to work with you and balance a range of personal and external demands. The learning on your management course is beginning to pay dividends and providing a theoretical background to your personal approach. It is helping you to achieve at the higher levels of this competence (Appendix 13) Reflection on the significance of the MBA programme The programme is significant for me for the following reasons: It will provide me with a qualification to support my 20+ years of management experience, which in turn will lead to new opportunities for progression to a more strategic management position within my existing employer or externally It will enable me to engage with current and new management ideas and practices thereby influencing my future practice. I will hear views and perspectives from other managers from other sector Both of the above will make me a better manager and leader. I am already benefitting from attendance on the programme. In particular it has helped me identify my strengths as well as areas for development. My knowledge of the theoretical aspects of e.g. managing people is also influencing my approaches to work situations. Attendance on the course has particularly given me the confidence to think differently and if necessary challenge in situations where previously I would not have. Progress in meeting the Chartered Manager standards. Appendices 15-16 provide a self assessment against the Chartered Manager standards using the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership. (http://www.management-standards.org). This shows that I meet many of the required standards either in my current role or through previous experience. Areas for improvement are: Consistently apply strategic thinking Adapt leadership style to take account of diverse situations Identify opportunities for change and development Establish information management and communication systems Manage complexity to positive effect Optimise use of financial and other resources Demonstrate resilience on achieving personal goals

Cloning - National Academy of Sciences and Human Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

National Academy of Sciences: Human Cloning The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) made headlines when it issued a broadside that would, if followed by Congress, grant an open-ended license for biotech researchers to clone human life. True, the NAS recommended that Congress ban "reproductive" cloning, that is, the use of a cloned embryo to produce a born baby. But it also urged that human cloning for purposes of experimentation--often called "therapeutic" or "research" cloning--remain unimpeded by legal restrictions. Such a public policy would permit virtually unlimited human cloning--so long as all the embryos created thereby were destroyed rather than implanted in a woman's womb. The recommendation from a well-known scientific organization did not appear at this particular time by coincidence. The Senate will soon consider S. 790, legislation authored by Sam Brownback (R-KS) that would prohibit any creation of human clones--whether for research purposes or for reproduction. The House passed a virtually identical ban in a bipartisan vote last summer, and President Bush strongly supports the bill. Thus the legal future of human cloning--and the potential fortunes to be made by Big Biotech in the United States--hang in the balance in the Brownback bill. Limiting the ban on human cloning to procedures designed to lead to the birth of a baby would accomplish next to nothing. Figuring out how to clone human life successfully is going to be very difficult. Thus, early research would likely focus on perfecting techniques. Should this be successful, researchers would next attempt to maintain the resulting embryonic clone for a week to two weeks--long enough to harvest their stem cells. (The biotech company Advanced Cell Technology announced it has created human clones and maintained them to the six-cell stage(Advanced), which is not long enough for stem cells to appear.) Should the stem-cell Rubicon be crossed, implantation of the embryonic clone would then be relatively easy. Hence, the next natural (dare I use the word?) step would be the manufacture of human clones not just for research or genetic manipulation but for implantation, gestation, and birth. In any case, the morally serious question is whether human cloning is permissible-- not when those cloned should be killed once created. Much as an original oil painting can be seen only dimly beneath its patina, an agenda to eventually permit unrestricted cloning for all purposes can be discerned between the lines in the NAS report.

Comparing the Humility of Kings in Shakespeares Richard II through Henry V :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Humility of Kings in Richard II through Henry V  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though Shakespeare was a conservative, he believed in the humility of Kings. The plays Richard II through Henry V assert Shakespeare's idea that a King must understand the common man to be a good ruler. These four plays chronicle the history of three Kings' ability to recognize, relate to, and be part of the humanity he rules. Shakespeare advocates his belief with the falling of Richard II, who could not or would not understand his subjects; the constancy of Henry IV, whose combined humility and strength won him the thrown; and Hal, whose raucous behavior led his father to worry and his country to victory. King Richard II is Shakespeare's example of a king who removes himself from the reality of the common people. Richard views his position as a source of amusement. His "cares" as King, other than an opportunity for an agreeable audience, are merely a burden. Instead of investigating the accusations of treachery from Henry and Mawbrick, he exiles both men as an easy way out. Richard was born a King, and knows no life other than that of royalty. Unfortunately the lesson that must know men to rule them costs him the thrown. Richard's lesson influences his usurper and his usurper's heir to the thrown, demonstrating to them both the value of humility. After exiling Henry, Richard takes the opportunity to criticize his "courtship to the common people." His speech at first seems to merit Henry for his sociability, but it quickly becomes clear that, to Richard, commoners are not fit for royal consumption: How he did seem to dive into their hearts With humble and familiar courtesy, What reverence he did throw away on slaves, Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles (I.iv.25-8) Shakespeare is of course establishing Henry's ability to gather support from the masses, the very key to his victory over Richard later in the play. The speech also clarifies Richard's position on the subject to underline this contrast between the two men. To fine tune Richard's character, Gaunt gives a revealing and unbridled description of Richard to his face just before dying. After Richard exiles the soul heir to his estate, Gaunt is bitter and fed up with his weak and pompous qualities: A thousand flatterers sit within thy crown, Whose compass is no bigger than thy head,

The Importance of Babylon :: essays research papers

The name Babylon means â€Å"Gate of God†. The location of the ancient city was along the Euphrates River and today is marked by a long stretch of ruins east of the river. Which is ninety kilometres south of Baghdad, Iraq. This was one of the main trading points of the ancient world because of its central location. Some important events that happened there are things that have shaped the way we live today and we still use the 24 hour day they created this form of counting has survived for four thousand years. Another important event that happened there was the building of the tower of Babel the people built this tower to try and reach Heaven. It was most likely that the tower was used as a place of worship and to create a common religious centre, Gods only merciful alternative was to separate the people into different languages and countries to disable there plans. Because he had also promised himself never to destroy the earth with floods again because of the disobedience of mankind. So the punishment was quite mild compared to the global flood. Archaeologists have dreamed of finding the ruins of the tower but have been unsuccessful. There maybe biblical evidence as to why they have not found this tower of extreme significance. The story is much more than God simply interrupting a building pro ject but it marks the origins of the languages and nations of the earth. Babylon is even home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They are in the plalace of Nebuchadnezzar II. The gardens were built on 23 metre tall and being water by a very complicated watering system, the water being provided by The Euphrates River. They were a mountain like series of planted terraces. Excavations have found the elaborate pully system watering the gardens right up to the top terrace.

Community Diagnosis Essay

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A community is a group of organisms or populations living and interacting with one another in a particular environment. People with common agenda, interest, or cause, who collaborate by sharing ideas, informaton, and other resources. In communty health nursing, community is the client who needs promotion and preservation of the health of the population. Community diagnosis is a means of examining aggregate and social statistics in addition to the knowledge of the local situation, in order to determine the heath needs of the community. It is a tool to disclose the hidden problems that are not visible to the community people but are being affected by them. This tool is important and has helped many communities in improving their health status. The main purpose of community health and nursing services is to improve and sustain the health situation of the community that doesn’t have access to basic health care services and to help individuals who need help to promote quality care for the whole community. This study will mainly benefit the people in Barangay 842, District VI of Manila. The researchers were optimistic that through this study they will be able to assist the community in developing measures that will enable the local residents to identify and manage their own health related problems and be able to achieve good health. Read more:  How to write a diagnostic essay of my self. Rationale This study aims to present the nature of the community of Barangay 842, District VI, Pandaca Manila thus aiding the nursing students to practice their knowledge and skills with discipline accuracy and in logical manner like contributing to the improvement of the condition of the locality. The community as the center of this study provides them to do their role in the field of health care as a responsible health nurse. It can produce data and information that can help to determine and identify needs, interest and problems of the community through joint efforts and cooperation among students and the people affected. Recognizing their needs, interest and problems of the community will enable them to plan the action needed, offer proposals, alternatives and solution and solve these problems with unity and coherence to have a better community setting. Community diagnosis provides the students exposure to the real-life situations, thus developing their decision-making skill and learn on ho w to deal on different people and situations in a right and ethical manner that we will encounter while conducting this study. It also helps them develop our knowledge, skill, attitude, cooperation, and participation on improving the condition and organizing a community and learn how to deal on a chaotic situation effectively. In addition, nursing practice in the community – The community diagnosis helps raise the level of health dissemination of the community. This will also help students to maximize our potential and to render the potential on preventing diseases, promoting health and organize and participate on the development of health plan that will benefit the community to attain optimum health to individuals, families and communities. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES GENERAL OBJECTIVES After two weeks of gathering information at Barangay 842, Pandacan Manila BSN level Group 1 will be able to identify their community’s health concerns and make actions towards acquiring of health resources and services. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1. To assess the health condition and needs of the community and identify existing health programs and resources available. 2. To identify the health conditions that requires the highest priority and needs to be addressed. 3. To plan with the barangay officials and health care personnel a program that will help resolve the health concerns and needs of the barangay. Scope and Limitation The prioritization of the problems observed and stated by our group focused more on the gathered data from the families interviewed residing from Barangay 842. The content of the data gathered from the random sample may not be reliable enough to represent the whole community of Barangay 842. However, the study may post significance in the sense that it may be useful in determining the problems of the community. Methodology/Tools Used There are 110 family respondents which compromises of 496 individuals in Barangay 621 Zone 62, District VI,, Sta. Mesa, Manila for our Community Diagnosis. This family represents the people we interviewed. This survey will serve as the representation of the community. The main method we used to assess the problem of the community is â€Å"survey† by means of survey forms. We assess the community by asking questions through interviewing that is clear and specific that can gather exact and specific answers. In addition, we gathered data through â€Å"observing† to complete the data needed in the survey form. The survey form was adapted from the Municipal Health Department and was modified by Mr. Kenneth Joe Lovely RN, faculty member – College of Nursing of Universidad De Manila. We used a â€Å"spot-map† to locate the area for our community diagnosis. Data Gathering Procedure The community assessment was conducted over the entire Barangay 621 Zone 61, Sta. Mesa, Manila. Only 110 families are surveyed to represent the entire community. All the questions are restricted in the survey form that is made by the Municipal Health Department and modified by Mr. Kenneth Joe Lovely RN, faculty member – College of Nursing of the Universidad De Manila. All the data gathered was according to what the researchers see and hear. The history of the barangay is available at the barangay hall of the community. SETTING OF THE COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION The barangay 621 is one of the Barangay at Sta. Mesa, Manila. It has a total number of populations of six thousands four hundred forty. Juan Philip P. Manabat is the current Barangay Chairman. It is bounded at the Cordillera Street. Tagalog is their medium of communication, but as we observed there are also other languages that present in the community such as Bisaya, Cebuano, Ilocano, etc. the Barangay boundaries are 590 north, 603 east, 611 west, and 630 south. Approximate land area of more or less 6.5 hectares. Covering the streets of Jacinto Zamora Link and Valenzuela Street. The existing facilities in the community are: * Water pumps * Half courts The most common means of transportation in their street are pedicabs but some of the people that live there also use motorcycles and cars. The road of the streets are fully cemented, there are also parts of the roads that are rough roads. HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY The Barangay 621, Zone 62, District VI of Manila was created around 1970’s through the effort of their ancestors. Their Barangay Patron is Saint Labrado which is the Patron Saint of Farmers which they celebrate every 3rd week of May in commemoration of their ancestors. COMMUNITY PROFILE The Barangay 621, Zone 62, District VI of Manila is the 2nd Barangay that can be seen when entering the Bacood Area. The best landmark of this Barangay is the Bacood Park which is within the jurisdiction of this Barangay. Barangay 621 has an estimated land area of more or less than 6.5 hectares. Covering the streets of Jacinto Zamora Link and Valenzuela Street. The boundary of the community is a river at the south near the Pandacan Bridge (Zamora Bridge). The certain spots of the Barangay started from a house near the river. Consequently, the houses were mostly were wood type houses and some are concretes. A lot of stray dogs and cats can be seen in the streets. During anytime, its an extreme hotness while as nighttime approaches, a little bit breeze of coldness can be felt. Polluted air can be inhaled due to the cars passing by. The nearest schools in the Barangay are Regina Apostolorum Academy, Tzu Chi Great Love Campus which is near some basketball courts and near the Pandacan Bridge (Zamora Bridge). Some children go to the Bacood Elementary School which is in the other Barangay near Barangay 621. Utilization of their own resources was one of the main factors in their livelihood. Sari-sari stores are the primary livelihood in the Barangay. Others also exists such as junk shops, karinderyas, pedicabs are rented for transportation purposes. The Barangay hall is just near the houses and there are Barangay tanods in yhe community, which provides safety and security. SPOT MAP * Chapter II The Community and Population Group Population of the Barangay6440 Total Families Surveyed:110 Families Total Population of Individuals Surveyed:496 Sex Ratio: (SR) Sex Ratio:= MaleX 100 Female = 251 Males / 245 Females X 100 = 102 Males per 100 Females The Families surveyed in Old Sta. Mesa St. Brgy. 621 zone 62 accounts for 110 families in whom individuals are 496, there are 251 Males and 245 Females. Using the above formula, the computed sex ratio is 102 Males per 100 Females. The sex ratio of individuals who is

The Two Tragic Gods With Dual Personality

The Two Tragic Gods With Dual Personality—Demeter and Dionysus Unlike other immortal gods, who were little use to human beings, and were always marvelous, Demeter and Dionysus, known as gods of harvest, were undoubtedly humankind’s best friends; however, both of them also shouldered a tragic destiny. Unveiled their miraculous appearance, we could see that the two great gods of Earth were not only gods of reaping but also of suffering.Whenever winter came, the low temperature and the frost would wither the crops and grapes, left only shriveled braches. Suffered more than this, Dionysus would die in a terrible way with the coming of the cold: he was torn into pieces, but was always brought back to life; he died and rose again. On the other hand, Demeter would not die, but she also suffered from the painful separateness of her beloved daughter Persephone. It was well-known that both of the two divinities had another personality.Demeter’s anger was a horrible weapon. Mentioned in the book THE CLASSIC BESTSELLER MYTHOLOGY, Demeter could let nothing grow on Earth and turned it into a barren, leafless land. As men always called her the â€Å"Good Goddess†, she also featured a kind appearance. But among all her personalities, the idea of sorrow was foremost. But then, Dionysus, like wine was good as well as bad, also had two personal identities. He was man’s benefactor and was man’s destroyer.His wine was life-giving, and could heal several illnesses, but it was also fatal whenever you drink too much. Bringing all the good and bad things to humankind, Dionysus also was the tragic god as I mentioned above. He was also the embodiment of the life that is stronger than death, for he would rise every time he died. He was the assurance that death does not end all. Holding good and bad, reaping and suffering features, the two great gods of Earth—Demeter and Dionysus were not only mankind’s best friends but also a tragic fate sufferer.

McCrae & Costa’s Five-Factor Model Essay

McCrae and Costa’s Five-Factor model of personality is said to be predictive in certain behaviours such as honesty, job performance and procrastination. This Five-Factor model applies to organisational testing because personality is a crucial part in understanding the interests and abilities of an applicant within a business. There have been several criticisms of the Big Five and how accurately it can describe a person’s future performance. These criticisms will be discussed in length in this essay. The essay will also consider the usefulness of the Big Five within psychological assessments. Personality can be defined as â€Å"the dynamic organisation of systems that determine the individual’s characteristic patterns of behaviour, thought, and feeling† (Sibaya & Nicholas, Personality, 2008). Simply put one can describe personality as the aspects of a person which make them unique (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Personality attributes have successfully been studied over centauries and investigators have concluded that the personality domain can be best described by five â€Å"super ordinate constructs† (Digman, 1990). A personality trait is â€Å"a durable disposition to behave in a particular way† and the five-factor model has become the dominant idea of a personality structure (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model of personality came about as a result of Hans Eysenck’s two dimensions of personality. Eysenck’s theory comprised of neuroticism-stability and extraversion-introversion and he later added the third dimension known as psychoticism (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Eysenck’s theory also concluded that personality traits could largely be determined by genetics (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Eysenck’s theory of personality dimensions was a â€Å"precursor of the five-factor model† developed by Costa and McCrae (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). The five-factor model can be seen as the most recent approach to personality and personality traits. Costa and McCrae argue that personality traits derive from five higher order traits. These traits are now known as the â€Å"Big-Five† (Weiten, 2007). Similar to Eysenck’s view on personality traits Costa and McCrae concluded that genetics play a substantial role in personality (Digman, 1990). An example of genetics playing a role in the development in personality traits can be seen in the study of twins. Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were identical twins separated at birth in 1940 (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). These twins were later reunited and research showed that they had similar personality traits. The twins both drove the same model car; they both smoked heavily and liked the same brand of cigarettes (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). A further impact of the five-factor model is that it has shown in studies that this personality study applies across cultures and is widely identifiable in different cultures around the world (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model states that there are five core personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. These form a mnemonic, OCEAN, which is often used for remembering the personality traits (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Openness applies to the openness one would have to an experience. Openness is often associated with traits such as curiosity, imagination and flexibility (Weiten, 2007). McCrae states that openness can determine one’s political attitudes or ideologies (Weiten, 2007). Conscientiousness relates to traits involving well disciplined and well organised people and is associated with people being diligent within the workplace (Weiten, 2007). Extraversion relates to people who can be categorised as outgoing or sociable people (Weiten, 2007). Agreeableness relates to one’s ability to be sympathetic, trusting and modest (Weiten, 2007). Agreeable personality traits have been known to be associated with a constructive approach to dealing with conflict but agreeable people have also been known to be aggressive (Weiten, 2007). Neuroticism relates to people who are anxious or hostile (Weiten, 2007). People who score high in this personality trait have been known to over re-act to stressful situations (Weiten, 2007). Organisational psychology â€Å"focuses on role related behaviour, group pressure, commitment to organisations and patterns of communication† (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). In order for an organisational psychologist to determine this behaviour certain organisational testing or psychological assessments need to take place. A psychological assessment is a â€Å"standardised measure of a sample of a erson’s behaviour† (Weiten, 2007). Psychological assessment is one of the oldest and most focussed areas of industrial-organisational psychology (Weiten, 2007). Psychological assessment focuses on an individual’s difference in behaviour and their individual job performance and then develops ways in which they can measure or predict such performances. Testing enables psychologists to select people for jobs, assess one’s potential and develop people. Testing can often lead to labelling of people and selection for jobs, promotions or training has often been made in accordance to these labels. The importance of psychological assessments within the workplace is that they enable the perspective employer to have predictions about the applicant’s future performance and how that applicant may behave in the future. An example of how psychological assessments are beneficial and important can be seen in the use of a personality test. A personality test â€Å"measure various aspects of personality, including motives, interests and attitudes† (Weiten, 2007). Personality tests can be helpful because they assist in personnel selection within business and industry (Weiten, 2007). A sub-division of personality tests is ‘interest inventories’ which determine the interest of an individual in relation to the interests needed to do the job. An example of ‘interest inventories’ can be seen in the need for a sales person to have a personality type that is an extrovert. The example of the sales person can also explain the importance of psychological assessments within the work environment because without this form of testing perspective employers would be unable to employ people that are specifically suited to the position on offer, e. . an extrovert. The use of psychological assessment in business begins when the candidate is still in the selection process. The applicant for a perspective job will first consider the job analysis. A job analysis is the process of obtaining information about a job by determining what duties, tasks or activities it entails in order to perform the job successfully (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Following a job analy sis the applicant would then submit an application and begin the selection process. A selection process can be described as the process of identifying who will be hired from the pool of applicants (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). The applicant will then undergo psychological assessment which involves a prediction of the applicant’s knowledge, abilities, attitudes and personality traits. The way in which these tests help with the selection process are that they are the best predictors of performance and behaviour on the job (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). Now that the selection process has been explained one can similarly link the development and promotion process to psychological assessment. With development or promotion the worker will have to undergo psychological testing to ensure that their abilities and interests fit with the promotion available. The five-factor model applies within the workplace because it enables employers to evaluate employee’s personalities and make use their personality traits to the best of their abilities. Research has indicated that the Big Five traits are able to predict specific behaviour (Weiten, 2007). The Big Five’s ability to predict this behaviour can be seen as beneficial in the workplace. An example of how the Big Five can benefit an industry can be seen in the personality trait ‘conscientiousness’ because it has been said that conscientiousness correlates with honesty, higher job performance and a lower alcohol consumption (Weiten, 2007). This being said one can understand that the Big Five traits allow a perspective employer the ability to employ conscientious workers. Many of the Big Five traits are related to career success (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model can be used in the selection, development and promotion of employees because it allows the employer to predict what qualities the applicant has. The example used previously about the sales rep needing to be an extrovert is a perfect example of how the Big Five apply to selection, development and promotion. The five-factor model would allow the employer of such sales rep to be able to select candidates that fit the personality type that is required for the job at hand. Similar to this the employer could use the five-factor traits to determine whether an existing employee fits the personality required in a job opening and therefore the five-factor model applies to promotions within business as well. A further benefit to the Big Five is that an employer can determine an employee’s weak traits and develop them further thus improving the workforce. The use of the Big Five within occupational testing has been criticised by many psychologists and researchers as they feel nit does not adequately determine one’s ability to perform a task. A common criticism is that there is a fundamental need for more than five traits (Weiten, 2007). An example of this can be seen in recent studies that state that honesty-humility should be a sixth trait. Another criticism is that studies have shown that the five-factor model can discriminate against people. In the case of South Africa this criticism of the five-factor model only improved the outcome of the test because the discrimination led to changes in legislation which protect the rights of people and state that only valid testing may be done (Sibaya & Malcolm, 2003). The legislation protecting people’s rights within organisational tests has encouraged the use of these tests in the selection of new employees. Studies have also shown that the Big Five are not necessarily a reflection of one’s personality but rather a reflection of their â€Å"test-taking skills† (Ones, Reiss, & Viswesvaran, 1996). This criticism states that the results of the five-factor traits test are a reflection of one’s â€Å"cognitive ability and years of education† (Ones, Reiss, & Viswesvaran, 1996). This criticism is not necessarily a negative aspect as it only ensures better use of the Big Five within organisational testing because education is an important aspect to one’s personality. There are two main criticisms of the five-factor model. These are the â€Å"frame of reference effect† and â€Å"socially desirable responding† (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). Critics argue that the five-factor model is not useful because it is too broad to be applied to psychological assessment (Schmit & Ryan, 1993). The first criticism is the frame of reference effect which states that the image the average job applicant would like to convey will have an effect on the psychological assessment (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). The frame of reference effect can be explained better if one considers that a job applicant will be guided by their self-presentation (Schmit & Ryan, 1993). An employee will stand to gain or lose from the results of the psychological assessment and will therefore may alter their response to be in line with what would be considered the correct response (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). This ‘altered response’ by the job applicant can be seen as a â€Å"ideal-employee† frame of reference where as the response given by a volunteer would be seen as a â€Å"stranger-description† frame of mind (Schmit & Ryan, 1993). The second criticism of the five-factor model is the socially desirable response. The â€Å"socially desirable response† can be divided into two sub-groups. Firstly there is â€Å"self-deception† which is the â€Å"unconscious tendency to see oneself in a favourable light† (Schmit & Ryan, 1993). Secondly, there is the theory of â€Å"impression management† where a person is consciously aware that they are putting up a false front in order to create a better impression (Schmit & Ryan, 1993). The concept of socially desirable responses has undergone three studies which examined the effect of the socially desirable response. The result of these three studies found that in a test of â€Å"fake good vs. honest responses† the personality reliabilities were higher in the fake good (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). A further study was done on socially desirability consisting of three sample groups. The sample groups were the job applicant, the job incumbent and the student (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). The results of this study much like the results of other studies showed that the job applicant showed more socially desirable responses than the job incumbent (Hanges, Dickson, & Smith, 2001). When defining personality some may argue with Freud’s opinion that personality is largely hidden and unknown. This definition of personality would parallel the argument that the five-factor model is a poor predictor of job success as well as suggesting that it is unethical to use the five-factor model within employment procedures (Hogan, Hogan, & Roberts, 1996). This argument could stem from criticisms such as the effect of socially desirable responses, the frame of reference effect and the thought that the five-factor model is limited by only considering five traits. Although these criticisms all have a valid argument one cannot help but believe the evidence that a well-constructed personality assessment is a valid predictor of job performance and it enhances fairness in the employment process (Hogan, Hogan, & Roberts, 1996).