HU-Midterm Composition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HU-Midterm Composition - Assignment Example Therefore, the work portrays the events in the ancient Egypt. It is claimed that the British archaeologist, once J. E. Quibell, place this art in this location during his 1897/98 excavation season. Alongside his colleagues, they deposited stemming artifacts that would later be recorded in the history of the ancient Egypt. These artifacts contained fragments of the ceremonial head of Narmer alongside other mace head fragments with some other inscribed with the Horus ‘Scorpion the name that was traced to be the name of one of the Narmer’s predecessors. Regardless of these findings and records of the Palette of Narmer, there are still doubts that the exact finding circumstances related this palette are not exact; thus, it appears that a lot of contradicting publications have been published concerning Quibell’s work at Hierakonpolis. Nonetheless, the general military symbolism relating to the palette is still clear and acceptable (Stokstad and Cothren 26). The palette of Narmer describes the kingdom of the ancient Egypt while the Stele of Naram Sin presents the northern Mesopotamia kingdom that existed in 2332 BCE pictorially. It is apparent that these two pieces of art were used to describe the historical events of this time. In the 2334 BCE, there were loosely linked sites known as the Sumer. Sargon of Akkad became the great king who emerged to control these cities. Later, Naram Sin the grandson of Sargon initiated victory stele at Sippar in order to commemorate his Lullubi’s victory (Stokstad and Cothren 36). It is under these circumstances that the Stele of Naram Sin art created to signify his divinity. Therefore, it is clear these two pieces of art were related to actions of the ancient Kings. At some levels of understanding, it is apparent that the Stele of Naram Sin and the palette of king Narmer present a striking parallelism. Nonetheless, both of them are designed to commemorate

Social networks Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social networks - Research Proposal Example By examining this, there is the ability to draw conclusions about mass media and how it can use communication effectively with social media for stronger influences. Literature Review The social networks that have emerged in the last two decades are continuing to influence the behaviors and trends of those interested in the networking. This literature review will examine the main ideologies of social networks and how they are emerging into new forms of connecting with others. Specifically, there will be an understanding of how social networks have changed, what has developed and how this is influencing mass media and communication. There will be an examination of what the current trends are with social networks and what is expected in the future, specifically with a focus on what this means for new media. By examining these components, there is the ability to create a deeper understanding of the structure of networks and how these are influencing the current conditions of individuals online. Background of Social Networks The concept of social networks began to emerge in the 1990s and since this time has moved into a rapid spread of growth. The concept is one which emerged with the development of Web 2.0, which was inclusive of the second generation of the Internet. The objectives with Web 2.0 were based on developing interactive platforms for information and networking among individuals and groups. The social networks are inclusive of five eras that have developed with platforms that demand different forms of interaction. The first is social relationships, which includes information, discussions and media available on the Internet. This is followed by social functionality, which includes platforms for friending and communication that is developed. The third is social colonization, which began in 2009. This concept is based on individuals that are able to receive social connections that override the traditional websites and forms of communication. The era of soci al context and social commerce has followed, which is allowing the social applications to alter according to likes and experiences as well as with corporations driving the main components. Each of these eras can be seen in Figure 1. Figure 1: Eras of Social Networking (Owyang, 2009: p 2). Values of Social Networking The eras that have been developed through social networks are furthered with trends and expectations that are a part of the emergence of this new form of working with others. The main focus with social networks is to create a definition of social capital. This means that the networks are defined specifically by the value of networking with others socially and how this leads to relationships with others. For businesses, media and other institutions, the social capital is becoming a way of adding value and recognition to various needs. Specialist audiences, target groups and other forms of social media are continuing to emerge into new forms of behaviors and expectations w ith connecting on the Internet, while new value is being maintained in terms of communication, dialogue and interactions with others that are using online portals to connect to others socially (Woolcock, 2008: p. 469). The social capital that has

Power of Women Essay Example for Free

Power of Women Essay Behind every great man is an even greater woman. This certainly hold true in many cases. Woman can be the driving force in any successful man. However, a woman can also use her strong influence in a negative way. Woman do have power, lots of it. But Im not just talking about the power within the family, or power in the workplace or even power in higher political office. I m talking about a more basic kind of power: Power over Men. If a woman recognizes her power over men, she can own a man. I dont care who the man is but if she wants him and hes at all attracted to her, she chan own him. Feminine charm is one of the element of this power. It can stops a man on his tracks even when theres no overwhelming physical attraction. Theres also a spiritual power that women have, especially with men who instinctively repect or idolize women. Men acknowledge a womans power. They may welcome it at times. But always remember that men always want to feeel like a man. So women should be really careful. This power needs to use wisely. In the absence of man, can woman really be like a man? I think yes. There are woman who is capable in finance, even being a capable single parent and bread winner. In this respect, a woman will have to be like a man. Of course she cannot match the physical strength of him. This just only mean that nowadays, a woman can do what man can do. Things back before, they were very strict for women. They had no rights; no rights to vote, no freedom of speech, they did not work, they stay at home and took care of their household and wifely duties. Thankfully that the legal status of them changed since the 18th century. Things have changed due to eomen actively becoming contributors as a breadwinner of their household. Some of the factors of this are, they work in full time jobs and some of them occupy the best position. Some also dont want to get married and have a traditional family. Others are changing to openly raise a family with another woman where the societys critism is becoming less harsh everyday. Maybe because they already now their characteristics and find it more compatible thats why they chose to have a relationship with the same gender. Compassion is one of the characteristics within women that tends to be greater than men. They give a better undstanding of a person and feel what they feel. This allows people to trust and have a good relationship. Because woman have good communication skills, they can use it by showing their feeling which  encourage openness in relationships. Men as we all know are not very vocal when it comes to showing their feelings thats why woman are there. They are the ne whos in charge in teaching their children, managing the expenses and more. Wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers are important people in everyones lives. People should know how to respect them especially men. In todays world, theyre not below level of anyone but considered as great women with great responsibilities aside from bearing a child. Ill end this talk by saying a quote which is The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

A Hugo Boss Essay Example for Free

A Hugo Boss Essay The print advertisement that I chose for this paper, is a Hugo Boss advertisement for the sale of its men’s perfume line particularly the men’s gift set. Hugo Boss is a company that was started in Metzingen Germany and was founded by Hugo Ferdinand Boss after whom the brand was named. Hugo Boss is known for specializing in high-end menswear apparel, and has expanded like most other brands to include shoes, accessories and fragrances. I chose this particular print advertisement because after viewing several other print advertisements, this one attracted my attention the most. I was drawn to it because it was colorful and had many images that not only caught my eye, but also seemed to be very dynamic and at the same time able to catch my attention. When you first look at the advertisement, the images seem to jump from the page; at first, it actually looks like a messy piece of artwork or a picture that someone doodled on while they were bored. But when you take a closer look at the advertisement and dissect its different components, the underlying message that it gives to its viewers is actually very interesting and quite alluring. The advertisement is composed of three main images, a young man, standing with his finger to his lips, a Hugo boss perfume bottle with images coming out from the lip of the bottle and at the bottom of the advertisement an image of a sample Hugo Boss Men’s Gift Set. Aside from the images, there are printed words, one is a stamped text of â€Å"HUGO† the perfumes brand and the other is the tagline, which says,   â€Å"it’s just a fragrance. The rest is up to you.† I think that this particular print advertisement appeals to a young market. You have only to look at the images used and the words uttered to see that this is geared towards a younger age group. This particular advertisement targets both men and women ages twenty five to thirty five years old, who are young and excited because they are either just beginning their lives or beginning to rise up in their respective endeavors. I say this because of the composition of the print advertisement. First of all, the man used for the advertisement is a man who looks like he is in his mid to late twenties. Admittedly, when advertisers portray their products they get models that will most appeal to the age group they are targeting and usually they get their models from that precise group. The appearance of the man in the advertisement evokes a feeling of casualness that makes you think of fresh graduates, young, hot and out to get the world. This assessment is based not only on the male image model but the images that can be found beside him, which is the Hugo Boss perfume bottle that seems to be overflowing with other images. The images that are coming out of the bottle make me think of the circus coming into town. I am not sure why that particular image popped into my head, but I suppose it is because as a child, the circus represented a child’s dreams in life and this particular advertisement seems to sell that very image to the public. The bottle spewing these images reminds me of the time when the circus would come into town and as the main tent would unfold you would suddenly see a swarm of animals, animal trainers and performers going about. These animals, animal trainers and performers at first seem to have no direction, but as the unfolding of the main tent continues you begin to realize that they all have a purpose and they are not just randomly moving about. This is what seems to be happening with the Boss advertisement. Upon first glance, the image seems not to make any sense but if you take the time to look at it, the images coming out of the bottle are actually images that correspond to the different aspects of a person’s life. Among the images that can be seen are buildings, people, apartments, and a vinyl record among others. These images as I earlier mentioned correspond to the different parts of a person’s life. How is this you might ask? The answer is actually very simple. If you take a look at all of the images that are placed in the advertisement, you see that the buildings could correspond to the business aspect of a person’s life, their careers or work, while the throngs of people could be interpreted as those people that they interact with every day at work, or out on the streets or even while on a gimmick or night out with friends. In addition to these images, what strengthens my belief that this advertisement was made to target a young group is the tagline that the advertisers used. It’s simple, witty and straight to the point, â€Å"it’s just a perfume. The rest is up to you.† I love that the company used this tagline because it makes you think that anything is within your reach. I feel like the advertisement is telling me that all you need is Hugo Boss, a spray of this is like putting one foot in the door and the rest to quote the advertisement â€Å"is up to you.† The purpose of the advertisers in using this particular tagline in my opinion is to give that ego boost that men and women generally need in order to keep moving forward. We all should be honest enough to admit that we do not want change if we are not sure that we are headed in the right direction. Very few people are actually willing to take uncalculated risks when it comes to their future. This advertisement makes you feel that if you use the product advertised, all the confidence that you need in order to do the things that you want to do will magically appear. It makes you feel that one whiff of this and things will go your way. Your work life will improve because your presence seems to be more pleasing, and this may give you that opportunity to make that sales pitch that you need, or get on the good side of your boss who you have been dying to corner in order to give your ideas on the latest project that you are working on. What is so great about this advertisement is that in spite of the fact that it is actually geared more towards men, the advertisers have found a way of drawing in the women as well. If you think about it, although men are obviously being targeted, not all men will purchase this scent for themselves. This advertisement and its packaging is also perfect for the woman in a man’s life. This advertisement is like candy to a baby. Although women generally know what to give their man, this particular advertisement is something that will attract women who have given the men in their lives practically everything.

Impact of the National Health Services Direc

Impact of the National Health Services Direc Evaluate the Impact of the National Health Services Direct,  It’s Success Rate and the Changes it has  Made in UK Health Care Practices and Procedures Anne Cook Abstract NHS Direct was set up to as part of the NHS Modernization Plan launched in 1998; the objective of NHS Direct was to offer 24-hour medical information to the general public. This was done through the use of a telephone in service, a website on the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. Growth and change have been ongoing, with the introduction of providing services to other departments within the NHS framework and ongoing expansion. In the main, the general public is satisfied with NHS Direct services. They have formed partnerships with other NHS departments to reduce the workload in areas such as Accident and Emergency these initiatives have had a mixed success ratio. The Business Plan for 2006 onwards was focused on further expansion and growth of NHS Direct. However, on April 3rd, 2006, the Ministry of Health announced that the NHS overall had a budget deficit of 50 million pounds and made public that NHS Direct would be forced to reduce their workforce by one third. Overall NHS Direct had met their targets, all be it at a high cost due to the requirement for advanced technology to support and run the systems needed. The focus of NHS Direct Management will now be on restructuring and downsizing with a reduced workforce. The staff turnover has always been high at 30% and the staff morale in difficult times will be a problem that needs addressing in order to retain experienced staff. The overall conclusion is that the NHS as a whole will have to reconsider its ability to provide free medical to all based on current funding. The funding to NHS has increased over the last decade. Regardless of the increase in funding, the system was not monitored in a way that identified an growing deficit, now resulting in NHS Direct and other departments having to downsize, in this case not due to their own inefficiency but the overall financial crisis in the whole NHS system. By using change agents the process of going from being a growth division to one that is reducing needs to be well managed to focus on the positive contributions they can make to the health of the general public and by closing or redirecting the services that they are not handling competently and/or cost efficiently. 1. Table of Content Abstract 1. Table of Content 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management NHS DIRECT 4. Research Objectives 5. Research Methodology 6. Research Findings SWOT Analysis Table 1 – SWOT Analysis Force Field Analysis – NHS, Direct, April 2006 Table 2 – Force Field Analysis 2. Introduction The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest employer in the UK and has a diverse workforce with many different professional groups (Smith, 2000). The researcher believes that there is accelerating pace of change within the NHS, as they need to keep a step up and embrace further growth in the public sector. In recent journals there are many problems related to the NHS Direct, which the researcher feels an investigation should be undertaken to identify the problems. A political editor said; â€Å"The report doubted whether the target of 90 per cent of callers speaking to a nurse within five minutes would be met. It said NHS Direct was changing the target waiting time to 20 minutes† (Waugh, 2002). NHS Direct is the National Health Service’s 24-hour information, advice and guidance service available by telephone, the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. NHS Direct is a Special Health Authority and employs approximately 4000 staff and handles around 600,000 telephone calls and one million visits to the website each month. The NHS Direct website gives patients the same information as their doctors, in clear and jargon-free language, which helps them to make informed choices about their healthcare. At the time the HNS Direct website was set up the then Health Minister, Rose Winterton, stated ‘We are working to provide a modern, flexible NHS that fits around patients needs and meets their expectations. We know that patients would like more information to support them in making decisions about their healthcare. This is an important step in providing patients with the resources they need to make informed choices’ The NHS is implementing a 10 year modernization program – the NHS Modernization Board is advising the Secretary of State on implementing the plan. Due to the vast nature of the NHS, this study will specifically look at NHS Direct and analyze the changes that have occurred, and the affect on stakeholders, both within the NHS and their external customers. 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management Over the last 20 years the impact of change has been greater than ever before, as the pace of change is now so fast that, for organizations to sustain business growth and operate successfully they must be able to adapt with the frequent changes in markets and competition. Therefore businesses must respond very quickly if they are to survive. Clarke, (1994) Today, change is not the exception but a steady ongoing process that organisation strive on to keep a crucial part of competitive edge. [1]Burns (2000, p148) states: â€Å"What worked in the past will not work in the future, and organizations, like society at large, will have to change in unprecedented ways if they are to survive.† Managing change is a broad area to concentrate on, as change affects organizations in general and people in many different ways. The NHS has made changes to their provision of health care, which gave rise to the NHS Direct in the first place; however, the current financial crisis shows that initiatives in health care to date have not been adequate or appropriate. The one area that has not changed is the demand and scope of the services to be provided – they are providing medical for all, regardless of the persons ability to pay. Certain members of the public have opted for private health care insurance but this is not the norm. In addition, the population is aging and increasingly more seniors need long tern, high care that puts pressure on available resources. â€Å"It is easy to change the things that nobody cares about. It becomes difficult when you start to change the things that people do care about—or when they start to care about the things that you are changing.† [2](Lorenzi and Riley 1994) The NHS is important to the vast majority of the population; it is considered a right to have medical care available to all, regardless of their financial contributions. Most people do not carry private health care insurance. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly changed the NHS to maintain this service, with differing levels of success in recent years. The current situation shows serious financial deficits, a shortage of qualified staff and dissatisfaction with the service. We live at a time when organizations are continually changing and success is now determined by how well the changes are implemented and whether the desired gains can be achieved. (Collins, 1998) The rate of change is increasing in almost all organizations. The pressure is intense as the world focuses the time and attention on understanding the forces driving the changing environment and expands or applies the information systems needed to support the changed environment. The phrase change management in reference to the comments of [3]Peter Drucker is as to ‘whether one can manage change at all or merely lead or facilitate its occurrence within an organisation’. Change management is the process by which an organisation gets to its future state, however creating change starts with creating a vision and then empowering individuals to act as change agents to attain that vision. In todays rapidly changing, competitive environment, the ability to change efficiently, can distinguish the winners from the losers. Many health-related organizations find themselves unable to adapt due to the independence of technologic change. NHS Direct has been in a period of change due to their growth since inception. In 1998, the change was positive, bringing on and implementing new technology, growing call centres and providing an expanding service to the general public as well as reducing the workload in some other sectors within the NHS. However, this additional service within the NHS has involved high costs for technological infrastructure, software and implementation, as well as on going maintenance and extended the service without huge reductions to the demands on other sectors of health care. NHS DIRECT Purpose of the NHS Direct The NHS is a 24-hour health help line that handles around 100,000 calls every week across its 22 sites. Since the launch of the first wave of NHS Direct sites in March 1998, the service has expanded to cover the whole of England. In addition, it has developed a range of multi-channel services, including NHS Direct Online, Information Points using touch screen kiosks, NHS Direct in Vision (new digital TV pilot projects) and the Self-Help Guide (formerly the NHS Direct Healthcare Guide). NHS Direct has also expanded, working with frontline staff and managers to devise new with out-of-hours services to succeed in their aims and objectives providing consistent access to high quality, integrated care. Ref [4]http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ – a new gateway to healthcare The NHS Plan – A Plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform, July 2000 4. Research Objectives Introduction of the NHS direct has made a big departure to the existing practice and presents a major challenge in the management of change in the public sector. The aim of this report is to analyze the role of the NHS Direct through the use of the Internet and the impact on the Medical services. The following areas will be evaluated: Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Investigate the Impact on all stakeholders, including Medical Services and the general public Evaluate the role of NHS Direct Website in helping NHS Direct meet its objectives. The challenges the change has imposed on NHS Managers and the affect on their change management approach 5. Research Methodology A literary review will be undertaken to study the NHS Direct and the elements listed in the research objectives. A range of sources will be utilised including e-journals and journals, newspapers, books and the Internet. The success of the change management will be measured by the success of NHS Direct and its ability to meet predefined goals and objectives, referred to as Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs include the changes being introduced and new services that have grown since inception of the service. The NHS Direct website will be evaluated as to how user friendly it is, what content it provides, and its acceptability from the user community. 6. Research Findings Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. NHS Direct is a response to the desire for increased patient empowerment. It is also recognition that the NHS is a complex, multi-layered system that can be confusing for the non-health professional. NHS Direct enables people to make decisions about their own or their family’s health by providing expert advice and up to the minute information. The service can also act as a 24-hour signpost, directing people to the most appropriate level of care. NHS Direct was launched in 1998, initially at three pilot sites, to provide â€Å"easier and faster advice and information for people about health, illness and the NHS so they are better able to care for themselves and their families†. The success of NHS Direct in achieving this aim rests largely on the premise that it should be accessible to all sectors of the population regardless of race, age, gender, preferred language choice, income, sensory impairment, disability, social positioning or cultural background/preference. Ref NHS Direct website, a new gateway to healthcare http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ Objectives of NHS Direct Specific objectives set for the service included: To provide for the public a confidential, reliable and consistent source of professional advice on healthcare 24 hours a day so that they can manage many of their problems at home or know where to turn to for appropriate care. To provide simple and speedy access to a comprehensive and up to date range of health and health related information. To improve quality, increase cost-effectiveness and reduce unnecessary demand on other NHS services by providing more appropriate response to the needs of the public. To allow professionals to develop their role in enabling patients to be partners in self-care, and help them focus on those patients for whom their skills are most needed. The Ministry of Health’s mission to modernize the NHS is not confined to hospitals. The roll-out of NHS Direct, a nurse-led telephone help line, and the introduction of walk-in primary care centres indicate that the same philosophy is being applied to GP services. The common theme in these initiatives is the desire to improve access and convenience within the NHS, a theme that is emerging as the defining element of New Labours approach to health policy. The modernization of the NHS, which included the introduction of NHS Direct was a major change designed to streamline the interface between the general public and the NHS. As the NHS Direct service grew, it came under criticized for severing the personal link between patients and their GP. Some patients preferred the face-to-face interaction with their doctor when a health problem arose, even though the situation did not require medical procedure or physical intervention and was competently handled by a call to NHS Direct. Ref Coulson –Thomas, C and Coe, T (1991), The Flat organisation. British Institute of Management: London. They stated that Change is an ever-present feature of organizational life, though many would argue that the pace and magnitude of change have increased significantly in recent years. The Institute of Management, formerly the British Institute of Management, which regularly carries out surveys of its members, has certainly found this to be true. In 1991, the institute reported that 90 per cent of organizations in its survey were becoming ‘slimmer and flatter’. Such change will bring resistance – there are 4 bases for resistance to change, identified as follows by Leigh, A (1988) Effective Change. IPM Cultural – When change seems at odds with accepted values and norms: â€Å"the way we do things around here†. Social – When change threatens to disrupt relationships or break up valued groups. Organizational – When change affects formal, hierarchical status and threatens the individual’s power and influence. Psychological – When change is seen to be counter to the individual’s vested interest, when loss outweighs gain. NHS Direct could have created resistance in all the above areas. Cultural – for many senior citizens, for example, prefer to talk face to face with their medical personnel and those less computer literate people would not be inclined to use the web site as a source of information. There is a trust relationship between many doctors and patients who have worked together on the individual’s health needs for many years. Social – NHS Direct has been criticized for severing the ties between doctor and patient and recommending patient care options that differ to those ‘normally’ followed by the patient under his/her GP. Organizational – an article on the BBC, 30 August 2001 ref http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1516701.stm shows a concern regarding the changes to the organizational structure. ‘NHS Direct blamed for rise in 999 calls’ ‘There has been a 30% rise in 999 calls since last year. The introduction of the NHS Direct help line has been blamed for a leap in the number of 999 calls made to an ambulance service. The Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust is failing to meet government-set response targets of answering 75% of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. The trust says its efforts are being hampered by a 30% rise in call-outs since NHS Direct was made available to islanders. NHS Direct denies it is advising people to call out ambulances without good reason. ‘ The facts are denied by the manager of NHS Direct, he believes the increase in calls were correctly recommended by NHS Direct and that hey are being used as a scapegoat for the inability of the ambulance services to meet their target for responding to calls. The Times on line, quotes the NHS chief, Dec 08, 2005, in the article titled, ‘Turbulence is the Price of a Better Service’ â€Å"When you are introducing change you will inevitably have some degree of turbulence,† Psychological – The Emergency Medical Journal, C J Morrell, et al wrote a report entitled ‘The Impact of NHS Direct on Other Services; The Characteristics and Origins of Its Nurses. It states ‘the introduction of any new health service can clearly have an impact on other services in two distinct ways: firstly, by altering the pattern of patient demand for existing services; and secondly, if it competes for the same resources, by affecting the ability of existing services to supply care.’ This was commissioned in response to increasing criticism that the service was taking qualified nurses away from the profession. The article went on to point out that a number of the nursing staff working for NHS Direct actually have disabilities or personal reasons for not being able or willing to do active nursing duties and have been encouraged back into the work force by NHS Direct – they would otherwise have remained outside of their profession al together. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. NHS Direct was one of the new services that were introduced in 1999/2000 to improve and reform the NHS healthcare making it a modern, efficient and patient led health service giving patients more choice and better access to their own healthcare. The service provides access to confidential health advice and information, 24 hours a day, in a range of easy and convenient ways – the NHS Direct telephone service, NHS Direct Online website and the NHS Direct Interactive service on digital satellite TV service. As well as helping patients improve their health and looking after themselves, NHS Direct helps patients access the right health care service for their needs. The value of the use of technology was reported by [5]Carr (1996) who agrees that, when properly used, information technology is a powerful tool for increasing speed, quality, and flexibility, and for creating new, different, and effective process operations. â€Å"It enables businesses to maximize their return on investment and deliver breakthroughs in competitive advantage.† But in practice, â€Å"many organizations have been sending millions of dollars down the drain by applying sophisticated information technology to automatic existing processes. The consequences? Making the same mistakes faster.† The costs and changing structure of the NHS Direct in the past and concerns regarding the accounting were tabled by the National Audit Office in Feb 2006 ref http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/0506484.htm ‘Established in 1999, until April 2004 NHS Direct was centrally managed by the Department of Health but the service was delivered at a local level by 22 NHS Trusts. When NHS Direct became a Special Health Authority in April 2004, it had to put in place new accounting systems and procedures. While these systems were being established the host Trusts which had previously funded and managed the service continued to be responsible for providing accounting and payroll services under service level agreements. Since NHS Direct had not implemented a centralized ledger or payroll system and the payroll providers and records were dispersed across the country, there was an absence of central management control over the processing of payroll. Work by NHS Direct and the NAO has indicated that in the region of  £1.6m of payroll expenditure in 2004-05 may be inaccurate. According to today’s report, NHS Direct has also been unable to provide evidenced comparative income and expenditure figures for previous years. NHS Direct has estimated total income and expenditure of  £121 million for the previous year based on returns provided by the host Trusts to the Department of Health together with an estimate of central departmental costs, but has been unable to provide sufficient evidence to support these figures.’ Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Objectives are stated as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and divided into sections – Patient, Staff and Organisation, Stakeholders Financial. The table below summarizes the KPIs for the sections, as stated in the Executive Report for July 2005, tabled in Sept 2005. This provides a recent snapshot of NHS Directs adherence to KPIs and provides actuals for previous month and year allowing comparisons for improvement over the period. As the department is in a growth phase, these KPIs include measurements of change management as well as maintenance and adherence to standards and processes and procedures. The section for Financial KPIs does not include any metrics, therefore it is assumed they were not discussed or agreed prior to the tabling of the report. The following table has been extracted from the Executive Scorecard, a method used to measure adherence to targets. Patients KPIs Overall, patients reported being satisfied with the service received, however, the department did not achieve its objectives against the majority of KPIs The number of complaints were up from 2004, although lower than reported in June Number of complaints responded to within 20 days was 39% below target and 37% worse than in June Serious adverse incidents exceeded the target and has shown an improvement over prior year and month figures The number of web visits and calls answered were lower. This is likely to be due to the fact that this was summer and not due to any shortcoming on the service. The number of abandoned calls is above target, although improved over the period The assessment of calls, all types, have met target and are significantly improved over the period. The National Audit Office paper ‘NHS Direct in England, published in 2002 stated ‘NHS Direct’s project team has balanced the need to publicize the service and its capacity to meet demand. It has already met its target for 60% of the population to be aware of NHS Direct by March 2002. Public satisfaction with NHS Direct is consistently very high at over 90%. Very few callers received the engaged signal when telephoning, but in Sept 2001 only 64% of callers were able to speak to a nurse adviser within 5 minutes compared with the current target of 90%. ’ Staff Organisation KPIs Schedule adherence appears to be a problem, with the target not being met by 2 key staff members by 9 18%. The cause for concern is within the rolling year turnover rate for staff. This is exceptionally high at 39% and this should be further investigated to find out the root cause. The BBC article ‘Call Centres: An Ideal Calling’ an NHS Direct employee commented ‘However, with a staff turnover of some 30%, it looks as though the call handlers are not enjoying the fruits of this telecommunications boom. ‘Jonathan, who works at a major call centre in northern England, has seen this staggering turnover at first hand. Two-thirds of the people who join us dont make it past their second month. Most [of the others] leave within a year, he says. Companies have been accused of taking a cavalier attitude to happiness of their staff, preferring to hire agency workers rather than investing time and money in a full-time workforce.’ Stakeholder KPIs The departments reached the majority of stakeholder KPIs – stakeholders are other departments within the NHS and therefore this indicates that the NHS Direct should have a successful relationship within the NHS as a whole. July 2005 Executive Scorecard Patient KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) Actual Actual Actual Rating Jun-05 Target Prev mth Last Year G % Patients satisfied with service 99% 95% 98% 99% R Number of complaints (per 10,000 calls) 0.84 0.5 1.01 0.49 R Number of complaints responded to within 20 days 56% 95% 93% G Serious adverse incidents (per 10,000 calls) 0.16 0.24 0.34 0.25 A Number of web visits 963.3k 1040.9k 1013.0k 662.6k A Number of calls answered 570.01k 591.3k 553.5k 526.3k A Abandonment rate 7% 5% 10% 13% A % calls answered within 60 seconds 76% 95% 71% 57% G % urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 20 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% A % non-urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 60 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% G % of HI calls assessed within 3 hours 91% 90% 91% 90% Staff Organisation G Overall ICT availability 99.97% 99.00% 99.99% 99.99% R Schedule Adherence: Nurse Advisor 61% 80% 61% 57% A Schedule Adherence: Health Advisor 72% 80% 70% 66% A Calls per available hour 7.7 8.8 8.7 7.5 G Short term sickness 6% 6% 5% 5% R Rolling year turnover rate for staff 39% 25% 39% 30% A % of funded staff in establishment 90% 100% 91% 93% Stakeholders KPI <

Employment in a Technological World Essay -- Unemployment, Competitive

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of September 2011, a whopping 9.1 percent of the American people are unemployed, meaning 14 million possible workers can't find a suitable job (â€Å"National Employment Monthly Update† par. 1). Many of the jobs that were once available to millions have been made obsolete by the creation of new technology. On the other hand, information and engineering technology have established a vast number of skilled and unskilled jobs in the business sector and many research fields. The balance between creation and destruction is applicable to the effects of technology in today’s society and has been studied since the ancient civilizations. With the arrival of new technology every day, there is a constant oscillation in the number of available jobs in every field. This system of creation and destruction of jobs originating from new technology is the most important effect on employment. Technology, most simply, terminates jobs in numero us professional fields and establishes engineering positions in only a few other fields. Defining unemployment and technology will elevate the understanding of technologies effects on employment. Unemployment is difficult to explain, however the Labor Department says that people are unemployed if they are without employment but are searching for possible jobs, although the jobs they are looking for are not available while other employment opportunities may exist(Mabry and Sharplin 2). Therefore, any person that has been laid off because of technology and is still looking for the same job that they previously had is considered unemployed. Mabry, a professor of finance at Clemson University, and Sharplin, a professor of management at Northeast Louisiana University, state... ...tion of jobs related to technology typically keeps itself in balance. However, this reaction does not occur over night, and there is always a brief period of economical instability. At first the jobs that were filled by unskilled laborers are lost or they are filled by new skilled laborers. Occasionally, some technological advancement completely destroys the need for a job which causes extreme unemployment for that labor field. This is followed by a period of staleness where employment doesn’t work its way buck up, but rather balances out at alternating percents depending on the economy. Afterwords, there is always a sky rocket in employment as competition and applicability of the technology becomes more diverse. This in turn proves that although technology is economically unstable right out of the door, it is a great way to increase jobs over a long period of time.

Ethical Business Practices :: Business Ethics

Ethical business practices include assuring that the highest legal and moral standards are observed in your relationships with the people in your business community. This includes the most important person in your business, your customer. Short term profit at the cost of losing a customer is long term death for your business. A reputation for ethical decisions builds trust in your business among business associates and suppliers. Strong supplier relationships are critical to a successful business. Consider the problems you might have if you could not supply what the customer needs...at the time that they need it. The entrepreneur is the role model for employees. If your behavior includes lying to customers, taking money out of the cash register, or taking home some of the inventory or supplies, you cannot be surprised if your employees follow your lead. Your family members may see the business as their own and take things that really belong to the business. Employees may see this as being dishonest, or as a conflict with their needs for a raise in pay. The community expects your business to operate in an ethical manner that enhances the image of the community as a whole. If you are located in a mall, for example, your code of ethics will help or hinder customer traffic for the other businesses too. A reputation for telling customers anything they want to hear, regardless of the truth, eventually hurts your business and other businesses around you. It usually isn't illegal to lie to customers, but it isn't good business. Ethical behavior is merely making good business decisions based on an established "code of ethics". Entrepreneurs should establish a written code of ethics that can serve as a framework for decisions to be made by the entrepreneur as well as the employees. In developing this code of ethics you should consider the following items: 1. Identify your general principles that would lead to fair business practices. 2. Check with your industry association for basic standards to review 3. Allow for the fact that ethical questions do not always have a unique, faultless answer. 4. Write out specific statements that will assist you and others in making day-to-day ethical decisions. 5. Apply your code of ethics to a written policy and procedure manual identifying the major rules for operating your business. 6. Train your employees (and family members) to make ethical decisions about the business.