Friday, January 31, 2020

Stakeholder needs Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder needs Essay Excecutive Summary The department of Electrical/Electronics and Aerospace Engineering, as part of the School of Technology of Springfield College has clear notions regarding first-order stakeholders and their requirements. The position of second-order and other stakeholders may not be entirely clear to the entire team and there may be opportunities for improvements. There are harmonised quality standards in place, which meet stakeholder’s requirements but further improvements should be implemented for the benefit of all stakeholders. Continuous improvement and change are generally promoted within the department but the current culture may not support these to the highest standard possible. Introduction This assignment aims to analyse and discuss the meeting of stakeholder requirements to agreed quality standards and seeking improvements, applied to a chosen organisation, i.e. Springfield College – School of Technology (E/E, Aerospace). The report will attempt to examine three main parts, namely, identifying stakeholders and their requirements, applying and improving quality standards, and promoting continuous improvement and  change. Each of these will be presented as a task with additional sub-headings to meet the assessed learning outcomes, e.g. Task 1 – 1.1, 1.2, etc. The report will be of academic nature rather than attempting to provide a narrative. Therefore the focus will lie on critique, analysis and opinion, supported by academic theory. It will also question the processes, benefits and values of methodology adopted by the chosen organisation, underpinned by relevant theory. In part one, the report will discuss who the stakeholders are and their expectations, how the organisation meets them, how these are communicated internally, and what processes for up to date information are in place. Part two will discuss the meaning of quality in the organisation, what organisational quality policies and procedures are in place, how teams are encouraged to improve quality, and what improvements could be made. Part three, will discuss needs for continuous improvement, assess work activities and identify areas for improvement, and discuss how to teams can contribute ideas for continual improvement. Sources of information will be referenced and citations will be used in the report. Task 1 (Be able to identify stakeholders and their requirements) (1.1 Determine organisational stakeholders and their expectations) There are a number of stakeholders attached to the department of Electrical/Electronics and Aerospace, which could be divided into first-order, second order, and other stakeholders, i.e. learners, employers and the local community plus local industry being first-order stakeholders. Second-order stakeholders include teaching staff, college leadership, middle management, awarding bodies, and quality departments. Other stakeholders may include OFSTED, suppliers, admin and support departments, contractors and others. Appendix 1 (Figure 2) shows a stakeholder map of the department. Boddy (2002) divides stakeholders into levels of interest versus levels of power, which is called the power/interest matrix. This tool of analysis applied to the department discussed would suggest that learners, employers, and the local community/industry form the key players; Awarding bodies, OFSTED and QA departments should be kept satisfied, admin and other internal stakeholder should be kept informed and suppliers, contractors and others would fall into the minimal effort category. This leaves teaching staff in a special category, as they support all stakeholders without necessarily interest or  power for themselves. However, in terms of delivery, they are key players. The expectations of stakeholders vary and first and foremost are learners with the expectation of receiving education and qualifications. Employers expect trained apprentices and access to potential qualified employees with good skills, and as they have a choice of provider, they also have power. Figure 1 shows a stakeholder matrix, applied to the department. 1.2 Discuss methods of meeting stakeholder expectations or requirements The methods of meeting expectations of stakeholder requirements range from planning, preparing and communicating to assuring, supporting, and certifying. There are however external, as well as internal factors that affect the operating environment. This means that some are controllable (internal, e.g. staff training, technology updates) and some are uncontrollable (external, e.g. government, economy, unemployment, etc.). Consequentially, there a different methods of responding to stakeholder’s needs, according to the environments. For example, technology advances rapidly and learners get used to being able to access all aspects of their course online. Therefore, departments need to plan their future technology capacity. This is where an external factor influences the internal environment, and a weakness can be turned into a strenght by investing in technology. Figure 1 Stakeholder Matrix of the Electrical/Aero Department at Springfield College Therefore, conducting a stakeholder analysis should highlight and prioritise the focus needed to satisfy each stakeholder’s needs. Methods of achieving this can include direct supervision, standardizing inputs and outputs, defining hierarchies (e.g. first and second line support), setting of rules and procedures, and establishing harmonized information systems, such as central databases. 1.3 Identify methods of communicating stakeholders’ requirements with team members Regular team meetings, all staff meetings, training events, stakeholder polls and evaluations, newsletters, emails, memorandums, site visits, open forums, internal blogs and information sharing activities can all contribute to  communicating stakeholder’s needs to team members. Effective communication is key for this, as is a conducive culture, e.g. a culture that shares information willingly amongst team members, rather than keep it hidden. 1.4 Explain processes for updating information on stakeholder requirements As described in 1.3, effective communication is key and the list of methods aids the updating process of responding to changing stakeholder needs. For example, a company that has a number of apprentices in training with Springfield requires more training for multi-skilling their staff. In this case regular meeting, email communiques, and standardised channels of communication should ensure that this need be fullfilled effectively and timely. Task 2 (Be able to apply and improve quality standards) 2.1 Discuss the meaning of quality to an organisation Johnson and Scholes (2002) put forward the notion that quality is important in the improvement of profit performance – for Springfield achievements mean profit/funding. The best situation appears to be a combination of high share and high product, or service quality, but even organisations with low market shares demonstrate significantly higher profit performance (or achievement rates) if they have offerings of superior quality. In this sense, quality can be a partial substitute for market share in sustaining advantage. For many organisations in the 1990s TQM (Total Quality Management) became the number one concern in terms of productivity as it often supported team-based structures as opposed to merely work-based structures. Team-based structures attempt to combine both horizontal and vertical co-ordination through cross-functionality. Some teams would develop, design, support customers, and research new knowledge and hence build around business processes. This leads to empow erment and increased feeling of responsibility, putting staff at the centre of producing quality out of self-determination. In theory this would create a TQM culture, which would benefit the entire organisation.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Eriksons’s Psychosocial Theory Essay -- trust vs mistrust, autonomy vs

Janice has led a full life; she has had many different kinds of experiences and had to fill many roles. In order to better understand how the current status of Janice would be the disengagement theory. There have been many events that have impact Janice’s ability to be involved in the community around her. Some of the events that have caused this would be: her first marriage, depression, her physical health and the deaths of her family members. Using theories Of Erikson’s theory of the stages of development, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and the strengths perspective. The impact of these events on Janice’s life can be seen. Along with looking at events that have had an impact in Jancie’s life, there have also been relationships that played a role. Those relationships can be with family or just social interactions gained from groups or employment. If a person’s needs are not met it is hard to function well and see life positively, One theory that helps with discovering how someone sees their life is Eriksons’s Psychosocial Theory. The theory has several stages that happen at different points through life, some people may experience them differently but the process is still present. The stages are: trust vs mistrust, autonomy versus shame and doubt, Initiative versus guilt, industry versus inferiority, identity versus role confusion, intimacy versus isolation and generatively versus stagnation. Each of these had a profound impact on Janice’s life and played a role in how she sees herself. During Janice’s early years were positive and she had a good set of parents who cared for her giving her a good start for life. She was able to grow and learn and gained the necessary independence, learning how to do things for herself. In her life... ...tate and self-management of widows. Nursing & Health Sciences, 14(1), 109-120. doi:10.1111/j.1442-2018.2011.00656.x McDonald, P. W., & Dickerson, S. (2013). Engendering Independence While Living With Purpose: Women's Lives After Leaving Abusive Intimate Partners. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 45(4), 388-396. doi:10.1111/jnu.12044 Song, L., & Shih, C. (2010). Recovery from partner abuse: the application of the strengths perspective. International Journal Of Social Welfare, 19(1), 23-32. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2397.2008.00632.x Thielke, S., Harniss, M., Thompson, H., Patel, S., Demiris, G., & Johnson, K. (2012). Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs and the Adoption of Health-Related Technologies for Older Adults. Ageing International, 37(4), 470-488. doi:10.1007/s12126-011-9121-4 Zastrow, C., & Kirst-Ashman, K. (2013). Understanding human behavior in the social enviroment.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

A Narrow Escape Essay

This is a true story. It is the story of our narrow escape from sudden death. My brother who is handicapped & myself went to Dadar in Mumbai to visit an Aunt. She lived very near the beach. I was just 15 then & my brother 5. We loved going to the beach but normally always went with our mother or elder sister. On our way back, temptation got the better of us & we came up with the great idea of walking along the beach instead of taking the taxi back home. If we walked along the beach we could get onto the road at the Mahim Fort some distance away from Dadar, from where we could take a taxi to our home. All this seemed fun. We were very excited. My brother totally agreed with my idea. However, we did not tell our aunt about all this, as she might refuse. She thought we were going to take a taxi back home. So off we ran to the beach, once our aunt closed the door. On the beach, we got playing on the sand, making little sand castles, collecting sea shells of all shapes & sizes & time & again dipped our legs in the water enjoying the waves that lashed against the shore. We wrote our names on the sand only to be erased by the coming waves. The tide was coming in but we were blissfully unaware of anything. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We had a great time. We drank coconut water, ate bhel puri & leisurely walked along in the sand. My brother has a paralyzed right hand & walks with a limp. But nothing came in the way of his enjoyment on the beach that day. We splashed water on each other’s faces. I ran and he tried to catch me. We had so much fun. Time passes so quickly when one is happy. Our games continued. We never knew when afternoon turned to evening. It was beginning to get dark now and it was then that we decided to move on. Engrossed in play we had forgotten to look around. We moved ahead slowly, not noticing the tide. We walked on crossing the rocks and boulders. As we moved ahead, at one point, we were shocked to see that we could not go any further as the waters had covered the place ahead. The tide had come suddenly. Gripped with fear we turned back. But to our astonishment the waters behind us had also touched the shore. Now we were left on a small dry patch of land & were surrounded by water on all sides. We could not move forward, nor go back. There was nowhere to go. Now we realized that we had landed ourselves in a great danger. We could see the Mahim Fort some distance away; the waves lashing against it. That was the place from where we had planned to exit. We stood there confused, afraid and shocked. Alas, we found there was no way out. It seemed our mind has stopped working. We were terrified. In desperation we looked around for some way out. Our only hope was a tall wall that was before us & there were huge boulders near the wall. But how could we climb the wall ? It was dark & no one in sight. The water level was increasing and threatening to cover this place too. Everything was happening so fast. We had very little time left with us. My younger brother was frightened and started crying. I tried to console him, but I myself was also much terrified. What next ? It seemed like an impossible situation. Escape seemed more & more difficult. Only God could save us. So we began praying desperately for God to work a miracle & send His angels to save us. I started cursing myself for not being careful. Due to my folly, we had landed in such a terrible situation. We called for help with the hope that someone would be around that high wall. The water came & brushed our feet pulling us backward into the sea. Would we have a watery grave ? The sea which looked so pleasant and beautiful in the day now looked wild and dangerous, eager to devour us. I thought, what will happen to my parents and sister? They will be devastated. Probably, nobody would know about us or find us. But I restrained my thoughts and decided that I must do something. With great effort, I managed to get my brother onto a huge boulder. He was safe, at least for the time being. The water was now rising. It had reached a little above my knees & I clung onto a boulder for dear life. We were shivering with fear, but we did not give up. We shouted for help, but it appeared there was no one to help us. I decided to get my brother across the wall by myself. I picked him up and made a desperate attempt to get him across the wall, but in the process we slipped and he barely managed to prevent the fall from the boulder into the surging water. His legs got a bit hurt and he cried in agony and pain and fear. I realized that on our own, we can never cross that big wall. Now only help from outside could save us, and there seemed to be none. The ever rising water level was making us frightened more and more. In our desperation, we shouted in a chorus for help. Then miracle happened. Suddenly, we saw two men looking from over the wall. They seemed very scary, rugged, rough & tough guys. But I knew that this was help sent from God in answer to our desperate prayers. They were also shocked to see us in that condition. I pleaded with them for help & they were astonished to see us out there almost drowning. At first, they stood there hesitated. They knew that it was dangerous and they had to risk their own lives to help us. But then they decided to come to our aid. It was not an easy task. Time was running out for us. We were drowning but God was with us. The men came down the wall slowly and carefully & along the boulders. One mis-step and they would fall into the water. But, they moved very carefully and finally succeeded in getting hold of my brother & carried him to safety over the wall. I felt a sense of relief & gratitude. I felt tremendous joy to see that my brother was safe and across that wall. For a moment, I forgot that my own life was still in danger. Now I made every conscious effort to climb the boulders. The men were strong and they pulled me up. With their help, I got over the wall. I got some bruises in my hands and legs, but who cares, since we were alive and safe. Once up, they screamed at us for being so careless & warned us never to do this again. We had learnt our lesson. Overwhelmed with gratitude we thanked the men for their timely help & also tried to give them some money. But they refused to accept that. They too were happy that they were able to save us. They had taken a risk to come down the high wall & walk over those boulders which could have given way & caused some more trouble. Those two men, appeared to be rough guys, but for us, they were like angels, who came as if from nowhere, and saved us from a certain death. They were kind and risked their own lives to save us. The men then stopped a taxi for us. We thanked them once again and hoped to meet them sometimes. We got into the taxi and reached home. Scared & terrified by what we had just experienced we looked like old turkey buzzards. We were wet and bruised, and heaved sigh of relief that we had reached home safely. We narrated all the events to our parents. They were speechless and could not believe what we said. At first they were angry & upset and scolded us for our carelessness, but also happy to see us safe. My mother cried and hugged us and made us promise never to repeat this mistake ever again. We praised & thanked God together for saving our lives. It felt so nice to be back to safety in our home with our parents. All this seemed like a miracle. We could not believe that we had been through a near catastrophe. It was indeed a very narrow escape. This is a lesson for all children who venture on the beach to be alert & watch the tide coming in & come back to safety in good time. Luck may not always be on our side. Rather one should be careful and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Life is precious and one should not waste it by sheer negligence. We got our lesson that day. A Narrow Escape Essay I wake up from my sleep in the class and made a loud screeching sound with my chair. Everyone attention is now at me. I go out of the class since my History teacher was absence today. I climb the stairs heading to the rooftop. I sit at a corner and thinking about the same nightmare that I kept dreaming these days. One day, I went out of the house to hang out with my best friend, Nuha. I waited her at a cafà © where we usually talked nonsense. I started to get bored so I fished out my phone and played games. After 30 minutes waiting, there still no presence of her. I quickly got out of the cafà © and decided to go back home. I messaged her that I left the cafà © and going back home. While I was walking down the street, I felt a presence of someone behind me. The street was empty except me and that person. I quickened my pace as negative thoughts were getting in my mind. I turned to face the person. He wore a black scarf covered half of his face. I felt really scared and I ran anywhere as I could. I only wished one thing that I’ll find a crowded place later. As I reached a busy road, I can still feel that person is trailing behind me. I ran towards the road without thinking of anything. Suddenly, there was a horn and screeching sound from every direction. I stopped at the middle of the road and covered my ear. I opened my eyes and I saw a blue van coming towards my direction. I just thought that my life will be ended anytime by now. A few moments later, I didn’t feel anything. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw a blue van was just right in front of me. It really was a narrow escape. Then, I can’t think anything and everything went black.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Long Term Effects Of Childhood Maltreatment - 1885 Words

Long Term Effects of Childhood Maltreatment It has been known, for many years, that childhood maltreatment, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, interparental violence, and sexual abuse, has an adverse effect on a developing child. These effects have been thought to be linked to adults later having cognitive deficits and mental disorders when compared to adults with no history of childhood maltreatment (Tomoda, Polcari, Anderson, Teicher, 2012). It has also been shown that adults who experience childhood maltreatment are more prone to many medical illnesses than their healthy counterparts (Keeshin, Cronholm, Strawn, 2012). With more recent advances in technology, scientists have been able to research exactly how childhood maltreatment affects development through methods such as MRI, fMRI, and genetic tests (Teicher, Anderson, Polcari, 2012). Using these findings, scientists have begun to show how childhood maltreatment affects adults later in life. The following literature will support the claim that childhoo d maltreatment leads to abnormal neurological development which can later have adverse effects on the adult’s mental and physical health. Childhood emotional abuse has been found to have an effect on the serotonin transporter gene, 5-HTTLPR. This gene exists in both adults with a history of abuse and adults without. However, the phenotype expressed differs in these two populations suggesting a gene-environment interaction (Antypa Van der Does,Show MoreRelatedHow Maltreatment of a Child Can Have Long Term Effects793 Words   |  4 Pagesday. The effects from childhood maltreatment are long lasting and potentially life threatening. Childhood maltreatment is an act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other care giver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child (Saha, 2012, p. 213). Child abuse acts are committed behind closed doors and lack the necessary attention they need to be prevented. Research has shown that the acts of abuse do not stop behind closed doors. Maltreatment of a childRead MoreEffects Of Childhood Maltreatment On Children s Development1243 Words   |à ‚  5 Pages Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment on Children’s Development Lea A. Dixon American Public University Consequences of Maltreatment on Children’s Development â€Å"27% percent, of the 702,000 victims of Childhood Maltreatment, are under the age of Three.† (Child Maltreatment, 2014) The World Health Organization defines child maltreatment as â€Å"abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age.† (Child Maltreatment, 2016) -Examples ofRead MoreChildhood Maltreatment And / Or Neglect ) Is Prevalent Concern1582 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood maltreatment (abuse and/or neglect) is prevalent concern. In 2012, the Children’s Bureau reported 3.2 million unique count cases of childhood abuse that were screened. Of those cases nearly 20% where found to be substantiated, indicated or alternative response, which is an estimate of about 686,000 children (unique cases) were victims of abuse and neglect nation in one year. Additionally, nearly 40% of those children did not receive any services. These numbers, again are those cases thatRead MoreEmotional Trauma Within The Family1568 Words   |  7 Pagesparticularly traumatic for children aged 5 years and less due to lack of coping skills and the increased vulnerability in terms of physical and emotional development (The Journal of Child and Family Social Work). Inconsistent, unresponsive, and ineffective parenting can also be regarded as constituting emotional abuse. Although physical contact does not normally occur in emotional maltreatment, there can be several significant physical and medical outcomes which adversely affect the child’s development.Read MoreThe Long Term Health Consequences Of Child Physical Abuse Essay1729 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract This article paper aims at providing an overview of the article â€Å"The long-term health consequences of child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect: a systematic review and meta-analysis† by Norman, et.al. The research aims at highlighting the evidence that relates child physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect with the subsequent mental and physical health outcomes. Child physical abuse, emotional violence, sexual assault, and neglect are some of the most severe concernsRead MoreTheories Of Explaining Behavior Through Observation1719 Words   |  7 Pages Adolescent Psychology Term Paper Jamila Williams Tuskegee University Behavioral psychology is based on the concept of explaining behavior through observation. Behaviorists, psychologist that study behavior, believe a person can be understood through observing their behavior. This school of psychology assumes that we are born as a blank state and everyone is equal. However, environmental factors are what leads to us behaving differently from one another. American Psychologist and FounderRead MoreChild Maltreatment And Its Effects On Children1373 Words   |  6 Pagesto environmental stressors, depending on the exposure frequency and intensity, may impair the normal development of memory in children. This paper will evaluate the role of child maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and neglect) in the changes of memory function. We will first explore maltreatment’s effect on the physiological changes that occur in the primary brain structures that are involved in the development and functions of memory. Next, we will examine the differences in memoryRead MoreThe Correlation between Child Maltreatment and the Development of Antisocial Personality Disorder1557 Words   |  7 Pageshuman behavior, environmental actions may actually trigger the genetic predispositions toward antisocial behavior. Of these environmental triggers, childhood abuse may be the most important of situational factors. Understanding antisocial personalities in individuals with biological susceptibility to antisocial behaviors and those who experienced maltreatment in a hostile environment would be at a high risk for developing antisocial personality disorder. Although the diagnosis is limited to those personsRead MoreA Basic Principle Of Attachment Theory Essay1585 Words   |  7 PagesThis literature review on Shelley A. Riggs, Angela M. Cusimano, and Karen M. Benson paper Childhood Emotional Abuse and Attachment Processes in the Dyadic Adjustment of Dating Couples and W. Steven Rholes, Ramona L. Paetzold, Jamie L. Kohn paper Disorganized attachment mediates the link from early trauma to externalizing behavior in adult relationships will primarily be looking at how childhood maltreatment leads to disorganized attachment which is thus exhibited in later life relations. SecondarilyRead MoreAbuse993 Words   |  4 Pagesresults found evidence that the apparent negative effects of maltreatment on children’s tendency to engage in crime were real. Being maltreated was found to almost double the probability of engaging in many types of crime and the effects were worst for children. Sexual abuse appeared to have the largest effects on c rime. This paper focuses on the effect of child maltreatment and neglect. The study examined the effects of different types of abuse and the effect of child neglect. For many decades, the