To what extent does personality predicts employee performance Essay - 3

To what extent does personality predicts employee performance - Essay Example Le et al., (2011) found that there exists the curvilinear associations between personality traits, which include emotional stability, conscientiousness, job performance scopes, including counterproductive work behaviours, organisational citizenship behaviours , task performance and job performance (Le et al. 113). By using this approach, the researchers study some features of personalities of different people, and then compare those people in an attempt to draw some conclusion about general rules about personality. Thus, this method involves assessing some interesting variable in a large group of individuals and then arrive out some general rules about personality. Thus, nomothetic approach can be used to find how heredity or genetic plays a pivotal role in job performance of an employee. However, nomothetic approach has some drawbacks. It is to be noted that extrapolations from group outcomes may not be applicable to an individual, and this may offer shallow understanding. (Ashton xxiii). Psychologist like Erikson (1950) & Rogers (1959), Kelly (1963) gives a different explanation of personality as they visualise it from the interface with the environment and the impact of cultural and social processes. Thus, an individual’s personality is open to change and flexible, and each individual has a unique personality that cannot be grouped or classified into any classification. This nurture approach to personality does not make itself to the measurement of personality, as each individual is considered to be unique. From the company point of view, it is less likely to form part of an evaluation process. Nonetheless, some organisations do use the concept of self-concept as part of their development and management training programmes, and it could form part of the performance management process, especially, if a 360-degree feedback approach is used (Smith , Farmer & Yellowley

Women Role in Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women Role in Society - Research Paper Example Yet, in a modern and civilized society, equally they should be treated. One way to determine how women are being treated in our society today is to examine their roles. We want to look at issues such as domestic violence, negative and positive expectations thrust upon women, and whether or not males demonstrate superiority over women. We will do this briefly by examining and analyzing two stories. One is a book by Chinua Achebe titled ‘Things Fall Apart’, while the other is an essay by Maxine Hong Kingston titled ‘No Name Women’. Things Fall Apart This novel is quite interesting as it focuses on the tribal culture in Nigeria. We see the main character, Okonkwo, as being quite violent, all the while also having an ambitious outlook in life. Through the book, we see him as being a person who espouses masculinity. He exerts his manliness time and time again and certainly believes he is superior to women. At one point he brutally beats his wife in order to prove a point. This seems to communicate that domestic abuse is ripe is the cultural setting of this book. The author seems to be drawing awareness to the notion that the role of women in some cultures is one of subservience to the male. In this particular story, the reader witness’s masculinity being demonstrated in society by the beating and emotional distress women suffer at the hands of the men in the tribe. The role of women in this novel is perhaps best portrayed by one of the minor characters, Ezinma. Being the daughter of Oknonkwo, it is interesting to learn more about their relationship. The father quite often expresses his wish that Ezinma would have been born a girl, yet we get the picture that deep down inside he is quite proud of her. Perhaps she is even his favorite daughter. It is one of the only glimpses we have, however, of him really endearing himself to women, either inside or outside of his family. Ezinma does not buy into the notion that role of a women is sim ply to be submissive to the man. She becomes quite bold in the story and often contradicts the wishes of her own father. We get the picture that she could grow up to be a social advocate for woman’s causes. In the end, she supports her father and helps him out politically, but we get the idea that she wants much more and that her father will eventually allow her to adopt a different role. There have been numerous beautiful females like Ezinma over the years that have gradually reshaped the way society view women. Over time, they have redefined the way men are expected to behave towards women in a civilized and cultured society. The author appears to be hinting at that in this book. This student looked a bit further into the life of the author, Chinua Achebe, to discover that his ambition was to rewrite the perception of the West towards Africa. He felt that the continent was unjustly being targeted as uncivilized in many respect, particularly in its treatment of women and the poor. To get his point across, he wrote sensationalized novels, such as ‘Things Fall Apart’ in order to express that Africa is truly a misunderstood culture. Sure, it is different than the West and many practices are antiquated, but times are changing. No Name Woman No Name Woman is just one chapter of a larger novel that takes place in China. This one chapter alone is frequently used to analyze the role women in Asia, particular in Chinese society. We learn in this brief account that women who gave into sexual temptation were treated like the character in the Scarlet Letter – they were shunned by society. The main character’s aunt, for example, had to flea her village when it was

The Complex Nature Of Human Resource Planning Commerce Essay

The Complex Nature Of Human Resource Planning Commerce Essay This report is about the complex nature of human resource planning. Human resource planning is the process whereby a business determines the amount of staff support that they will need in order to fulfil business needs and customer demands. It is the base upon which all the other human resource activities rest. It simply involves forecasting what staff is needed and making sure that the steps are taken to meet those needs. Human resource planning can also be described as the on-going process of systematic planning to achieve optimum use of an organisations most valuable asset which would be its human resources. It is the way in which managers ensure that they have the right number and kinds of capable people in the right places at the right times. Through human resource planning, organisations avoid sudden people shortages and surpluses. It is concerned with identifying the organisations demand for human resources and demand for human resource and devising means to ensure that a sufficient supply of labour is available to meet that demand. Human resource planning can be defined as the way by which you determine the manpower requirements and the way of meeting those requirements in order to carry out an integrated plan at the organisation. According to Quinn Mills (1983) human resource planning is a decision making process combining three vital actions: Identifying and acquiring the right number of people with the proper skills Motivating the staff in order to achieve high performance within the organisation Creating interactive links between business objectives and planning activities The most popular way of describing human resource planning is having the Right person at the Right place at the Right time. Aims of human resource planning The main aim of human resource planning is to make sure that the organisation has the right number of staff with the right skills needed in order to meet forecast requirements. According to Reilly there are a couple of different reasons why some businesses choose to take part in some form of human resource planning. Reilly identifies three main reasons as to why businesses engage in human resource planning: Planning for substantive reasons- The reason for this type of planning is to have a practical effect by enhancing the use of resources in the organisation or making them more flexible. It also helps the business to identify potential problems and minimises the chances of making a bad decision. Planning due to the benefits it gives the organisation-The reason for this type of planning is due to business understanding the present human resources in order to confront the future human resources. This type of planning gives the business a better understanding of how many employees they have at present and how many they need to take on or let go to deal with the future. For example-The human resource planning department will analyse how many employees they have at present and they will try and forecast how many employees they will need to take on in the future. If the business is busier around the Christmas period then the human resource planning department will look at taking on more staff in order to deal with increased demands. Planning for organisational reasons- The reason for this type of planning is that it communicates the businesses plans and helps the employees to support them and adhere to them. This type of planning is all about relating the business plans to the human resource planning department and integrating the two more efficiently. For example-If the human resource department has plans to take on 10 new employees in 2013 due to a high workload for existing employees, it lets the existing employees know that the high workload is temporary and encourages the employees to support the business and respect the decisions that are made. The Human Resource Planning Model The human resource planning model is a method that the human resource department in a business can use to ensure that they have enough employees and the right ones to carry out the various functions of the business. This human resource planning model consists of three key parts, including predicting the amount of employees that your company needs, checking if the supply of potential employees meets your demand and finally learning how to balance the supply and demand of employees. The three steps are as follows: Forecasting staffing needs Evaluating Supply Balancing Supply and Demand Forecasting Staffing Needs: There are a couple of different ways to forecast in order to predict how many employees you need to run your business and which roles these employees need to fill. There are four main factors to consider when forecasting staffing needs: The situation of the economy- The way in which the economy is performing is a critical factor when youre looking at human resource planning. You need to be able to distinguish whether or not your company needs to recruit more staff or whether your company is going to downsize. In these economic conditions a lot of companies are looking at their human resource planning and making the crucial decisions. For example: If the economy is in recession and business is quiet, a company is less likely to be planning on taking on new staff. On the other hand, if the economy is booming and business is busy a company will be more likely to be recruiting more staff. On the 1st of November 2012, McDonalds announced that they will be taking on over 700 new employees in the next 2years in Ireland. McDonalds human resource planning department are starting the recruitment process in January 2013. On the 5th of October 2012, Cork Airport announced that they will be cutting over 32 jobs. The human resource department of Cork airport explained that the main reason for the plans to cut jobs was simply due to the decline in the economy. The Internal finance of the business- The internal finance of a business will depend on whether or not youre going to invest in new staff. It all depends on how much money you have as a business. The human resource department of a business is usually given a yearly budget. They then look at the staff levels and plan on whether or not to invest in more staff. They also look at things at critical factors affecting staff levels such as how many employees are retiring in the coming year, is there anybody out on maternity leave etc. Internal finance is a main factor in forecasting staffing needs. For example: If the human resource department plans to take on 15 new employees in 2012, there has to be money in the business for this to be a viable. The demand for your product or service- Obviously the demand for when it comes to forecasting your staffing needs and requirements, the demand for your product or service is crucial. If your product or service is in high demand then you will be looking at taking on more staff. However if the demand for your product or service is in low demand then you as a business may need to look at cutting your employees hours or letting some employees go. The demand for your product or service may be in high demand at certain times of the year and you may need to take on extra staff in order to meet demands. For Example: Smyths Toys always take on extra staff around the Christmas period as this is their busiest time of the year. When the human resource planning department at Smyths Toys forecasts their staffing needs, they look at the demand for service. Therefore when they are in their busiest time of the year, they automatically forecast that they will need additional staff in order to deal with the high demand. The Growth expectations of your business- The growth expectations of your business are another factor to consider when forecasting staff. If your business is growing rapidly then you may need to take on more staff. Forecasting the amount of staff you will need in the future will all depend on how well your business is growing. For example: The human resource planning department of McDonalds will look at their growth expectations for the next 6months, 12months, 18months etc. They will then determine how many employees they will need in order to meet the growth rate of their business. By 2015 they hope to open 12 new stores across Ireland. The human resource planning department have already forecasted that they plan to take on 700 new employees. Therefore the growth expectations of the business are a key component on forecasting the staffing needs. Evaluating Supply: This consists of analysing internally and externally. This step is all about checking the amount of staff you have currently in your organisation and checking the amount of potential staff outside of the business. The human resource planning department evaluate the internal staff in the first step when they are forecasting staffing requirements for the future. In order to evaluate the external staff the human resource planning department will look at the demographics of the staff that is available to them. This can include factors such as education and the unemployment rate of the country. When the human resource planning department are evaluating supply there are a couple of key areas they look at including: The existing number of staff employed(broken down by occupation, skill and potential) Potential losses the business may incur due to staff leaving(employee turnover) Potential vacancies through internal promotion The effect of changing work condition(recession may lead to absenteeism) The amount of supply within the business The amount of supply from outside of the business in the national and local labour markets By the business evaultaing all of these areas it will help them determine whether they have access to the number and types of employees that they need in order to fulfil their staffing forecasts. For example: The human resource planning department at BMW in Germany evaluated the supply of employees internally and they have realised that over 50% of their employees would be over the age of 50 by 2020.The human resource planning department evaluated externally in order to find out how much potential employees would be available to them if they decided to take on new employees. By evaluating externally they realised that there was a shortage of qualified engineers in Germany. When evaluating externally they looked at education as a factor, they found that every year the number of engineering graduates are declining. This proves the importance of evaluating supply externally. The human resource planning department of BMW have put plans in place in order to increase the amount of students doing engineering courses. The human resource planning department have offered 18month internships for qualified engineering graduates. This is a good way on increasing the supply of employees ex ternally. Balancing Supply and Demand: Balancing supply and demand is the third step in the human resource planning process. This step is concerned with how the business is going to balance the demand of employees they need with the supply of employees available. The human resource planning department look at the amount of employees that they need and the look at the amount of employees that are available. By the human resource planning department doing this, it helps them to make sure that they avoid an employee shortage and surplus within the business. If the human resource planning department realise that there is a shortage of employees in the business, they must determine what type of recruiting efforts that they will participate in to attract the employees they need in order to fill the needs within the business. In order for the human resource planning department to balance the supply and demand they have to determine the full-time and part-time needs. The human resource planning department will look at the busines ses supply of full-time workers and the demand for full-time work out in the workforce. They look at the businesses needs for part-time workers and look and see if there are part-time workers available in labour markets. If the human resource planning department realise that the business have a surplus amount of employees they may consider employee layoffs, retirements and situations where some employees may need to be demoted. This step in the human resource planning process is all about determining the amount of employees that they need and how many employees are out their willing to work for them. The crucial part of this step is making sure that they balance. For Example: The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores main aim in the final step of the human resource planning process is to balance the supply and demand of the employees available to the business. The human resource planning department at Dunnes Stores looks at how many employees they need and how many employees are in the workforce available to do the work with the necessary skills. The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores must make sure that they dont end up with a shortage of employees or a surplus of employees. They need to get the balance just right in order to complete the human resource planning process correctly. Importance of Human Resource Planning Human resource planning is one of the most important resources in management and needs to be used efficiently. Success, stability and growth of a business depend on its ability in acquiring, utilising and developing the human resources for the benefit of a business. In recent years, Human resource planning has become increasingly important due to the high level of competition that todays businesses face. Without effective human resource planning, a company may face the danger of being unable to meet targets because employees with the necessary skills are unavailable. In my own opinion, I think that human resource planning is extremely important for every type of business. The main reason I think human resource planning is important is because by a business planning their human resources they can analyse their staffing needs for the future and identify any vacancies which may arise, they can save money through limited recruitment and selection and it helps motivate employees. Future staffing needs-The business is able to find out how much staff they will need in the future. It helps the business to identify the number of jobs which will become vacant in the near future. The human resource planning process is conducted for the entire business; therefore staffing requirements for every department can be identified. This allows the human resource department to identify any vacancies. For example: The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores looks at the entire organisations staffing needs and identifies any vacancies that may arise in the future. Therefore the human resource department can identify if anyone is retiring or going on maternity leave. If there is somebody going on maternity leave in the finance department, the human resource planning department can plan to take on a temporary replacement. On the other hand if there is an employee in the marketing department retiring, then they will look at the marketing department and figure out if they need to take on a permanent replacement. Human resource planning is important as it highlights any vacancies in an organisation and prevents any sudden staffing shortages or surpluses. Cost savings-The recruitment and selection process can be very costly. Many businesses spend a large amount of money on this. Therefore by using the human resource planning process a company will save money as they arent wasting money taking on staff that is not necessary. Recruitment and selection will only be carried out if it is extremely necessary. The human resource planning process helps to identify whether recruitment and selection are necessary or not. For example: By Dunnes Stores planning their human resources effectively and efficiently they will save money. They will know exactly how many staff that they have at present. They will be able to determine if they under staffed or over staffed and whether they need to spend money on the recruitment and selection process. Human resource planning is important to Dunes Stores as saves them money by only highlighting when it is absolutely necessary to recruit new staff. Therefore they arent spending money on taking on new staff if they dont need them. Motivation-Human resource planning makes performance appraisal more meaningful. Employees receive feedback in the performance appraisal and they are informed of their chances of future progression in the company. As a result of this, the employees will be more motivated to work harder and try harder to impress. This shows the importance of human resource planning. For example: By Dunnes Stores engaging in human resource planning they will know exactly what promotions are available. So if the Sales Manager is going on maternity leave, then when the assistant sales manager is having the performance appraisal, she may be told if you improve on certain skill, you may be in line for promotion and may be considered when the sales manager goes on maternity leave. This will motivate the assistant sales manager to improve on certain skills and work harder in order to prove that she would be capable for the sales manager position. Human resource planning shows its importance in the performance appraisal as the business knows exactly when there is promotions available and this is turn motivates employees to work harder and prove that they are worthy of a promotion. According to Farnham human resource planning is extremely important as it encourages employers to establish clear and explicit links between their business plans and the human resource plans in order to integrate them more effectively and efficiently. He feels that by a business engaging in human resource planning it can benefit them as the business will have more control over staffing costs and on the number of staff employed. It ensures that a business is not over-staffed or under-staffed. He also feels that through human resource planning, employers can make more informed decisions about the skills and attitude mix in the business. Farnham states that human resource planning also provides a profile of the current staff in the business in regards to age, sex, gender, disability etc. By having this information readily available to them, a business is in a better position to make informed decisions and make sure that they are an equal opportunity organisation. Advantages of Human Resource Planning Meeting Staffing Requirements One of the advantages of human resource planning is that it improves the utilisation of human resources by helping the human resource planning managers to forecast the staffing needs in terms of both numbers as well as the types of skills that the business requires. By the human resource planning managers identifying the businesses short-term and long-term goals it allows them to predict their human resource requirements. In order for the human resource planning managers predict the staffing requirements successfully, they need to establish what skills, abilities and knowledge is required in order to meet the businesses goals. By human resource planning being carried out in a business, it helps the human resources planning managers to identify any potential replacements that they might need in order to fulfil the staffing requirements. Every year many employees either retire or leave companies that they are employed in. By carrying out human resource planning it helps the human resou rce department find replacements for these employees. These replacements may be either from inside the business or outside of the business. Therefore by carrying out human resource planning in a business it gives the advantage of meeting staffing needs. This is one of the main advantages of carrying out human resource planning in a business. Employee Development One of the main advantages of human resource planning is that it improves employee development. The human resource planning department identify employees within the business that could potentially move into a management position within the company. The human resource planning department can then implement certain actions that will help the potential employees develop their management skills. Human resource planning encourages the business to conduct performance appraisals with their employees. By conducting performance appraisals on their employees, it helps the human resource planning department to see what particular skills an employee is lacking and what type of training opportunities the employee should receive. Therefore human resource planning encourages and improves employee development. Continuous Evaluation By human resource planning managers taking part in the human resource planning process, it helps them to measure and access outcomes that make it possible to monitor the progress of the business and the employees. The human resource planning department make the human resource plan and they will usually include various millstones in order to gauge success. The future may be different than expected so the human resource planning department must be flexible enough for the business to manage the change. By a business taking part in human resource planning, it benefits them as the know exactly what is happening within the company at present, how many employees they have at present, how well they are doing currently and how the employees at performing at present. By the human resource planning department carrying out continuous evaluation they are able to meet new technological changes. Human resource planning helps to be effective in the use of technological progress. In order for the hum an resource planning department to meet the challenge of new technology, they make sure that existing employees are retrained and when they are recruiting new employees, they have the up-to-date technological knowledge. Proactive Human resource planning takes a proactive approach in order to meet the companys needs which are obviously an advantage for the company. By the human resource planning department taking a proactive approach it enables them to anticipate future needs, evaluate the companys current workforce and helps them determine what actions that they should prepare to take for the future. The advantage of having a proactive approach in human resource planning is that the businesses consider all aspects and the potential implications of different actions before acting. Businesses without human resource planning react to the employees needs without allowing themselves enough time to think and consider all actions. Businesses with human resource planning avoid making rushed and rash decisions. Therefore an advantage of human resource planning would be proactive businesses. Environmental Factors Through effective human resource planning, the human resource planning department can help the business to respond to environmental factors such as legislation, changing demographics, globalisation and technology. Through environmental scanning, the human resource planning department can anticipate different changes that will affect the businesses workforce and the businesses plan. An advantage of human resource planning is being able to anticipate the different environmental factors which will affect the business and its employees. The human resource planning department can predict and plan in anticipation for any changes in the environmental factors that may affect their business or their staffing requirements. The human resource planning department can prepare in advance for factors such as an aging population and an older workforce. By the human resource planning department, thinking ahead and taking the environmental factors into account, they help the business to avoid possible skill shortages in the future. By the human resource planning department failing to prepare for the environmental factors it can have a negative impact on the business. Disadvantages of Human Resource Planning Lack of Support During the last 25years, human resource planning has become a strategic partner in most business decisions. Before this it was known as personnel administration, a department responsible for processing payroll, handing out job application forms and enrolling employees in the business. One disadvantage of human resource planning is that without the support of management and the employees; it will not work or be effective. In order for human resource planning to be effective, the managers and the employees must support the human resource plans one hundred per cent. The management dont always see human resource planning as an essential element in the businesses long term and strategic goals. The employees of a business dont always support human resource planning due to the fact that they dont fully understand what their role is in the business. Culture Shift One major disadvantage of human resource planning relates to the current cultural thinking of the employees in a business. Many employees work in the same style they were originally trained in. These types of old-school employees have learned to perform their work efficiently and they take great pride in their ability to perform well in the business. When a business decides to take a new approach by implementing human resource planning into the business, these types of employees feel threatened. The employees current skills may not be able to be transferred to the businesses new way of doing things; therefore some of the employees will need to learn the new system. Larger Initial Investment A business must invest time and money into their human resource planning to become fully functional this is a disadvantage for businesses that dont have excess cash to invest into their human resource department. A business would also have to invest money into training their employees into understanding human resource planning. The employees would need to be thought how to research alternative approaches to planning, how to evaluate which approach fits the business the best and finally to implement that chosen process. The human resource planning manager would need to be able to determine how the new process fits in with their current employees and they would then have to assign new responsibilities to each employee. Once the employees are assigned their new responsibility, they will need additional training in order to help get them use to it. They will each need to learn what their new role in the business is each employee will need. This would be one disadvantage to human resource planning; the initial capital invested. The Strategic Human Resource Planning Process The strategic human resource planning process consists of four steps: Assessing the current human resource capacity Forecasting human resource requirements Gap analysis Developing human resource strategies to support business strategies Assessing the current human resource capacity Based on the businesses strategic plan, the first step in the strategic planning process is to analyse the current human resource capacity of the business. The knowledge, skills and abilities of the current staff in the business need to be identified. A way in which this can be done is by developing a skills inventory for each employee in the business. The skills inventory should go beyond the skills needed for the particular position. The business should list all the skills each employee has demonstrated. The education levels or additional training and development courses that they have participated in should also be included. Forecasting Human Resource Requirements The second step is to forecast human resource needs for the future, based on the strategic goals of the business. Realistic forecasting of human resources involves predicting both demand and supply. In order for the business to forecast the human resource requirements, they need to be able to answer the following questions: How many employees is required in order to achieve the strategic goals of the business? What jobs will need to be filled? What skill sets will people need? When forecasting demands for human resources, the business must also identify the challenges that they will face in meeting their staffing needs based on the external environment. In order for the business to determine external impacts, they should consider the following factors: How does the current economy affect the businesses ability to attract new employees? What changes are occurring in the Irish labour market? Gap Analysis This step is concerned about determining the gap between where the business wants to be in the future and where the business is currently. The gap analysis involves identifying the number of staff and the skills and abilities required in the future in comparison to the current situation the company are in. The business should ask themselves the following questions: What new jobs will the business need? What new skills will the business require? Do the businesses current employees have the right skills? Does the business have enough mangers? Developing Human resource strategies to support business strategies There are five ways in which a business can meet their needs in the future: Restructuring-This involves reducing staff by termination, reorganising work units to be more efficient Training and development-This involves providing staff with training to take on new roles, providing current staff with development opportunities to prepare them for future jobs in the business. Recruitment-This involves recruiting new staff with the skill and abilities that the business will need in the future. Outsourcing-This involves using external individuals or businesses to complete some tasks Collaboration-This involves allowing employees to visit other businesses to gain skills and insight. It involves working together with other businesses to prepare future leaders by sharing in the development of promising employees. Case Study BMWs Human Resource Planning Practices In 2007, Human resource planning managers at the BMW manufacturing plant in Germany came up with the Today for Tomorrow project. Human resource managers realised that with Germanys ageing population, by 2020 roughly half of BMWs 18000 workers in Germany will be over the age of 50. By 2020, more than a fifth of the country will be over 65.Faced with a probable decline in productivity, human resource managers reacted in an unusual and innovative way. For BMW, it is a matter of necessity, like many industries in Western countries; the company faces the challenge of trying to remain globally competitive with an experienced but ageing workforce. The human resource planning manager believed that their older workers have more patience and skills than the younger workers. The human resource planning manager in Germany believes that they are grappling with an ageing workforce. With the country also facing a shortage of qualified engineers, the human resource planning department have decided that its best to keep good workers on the job as long as possible and adapting the manufacturing factories to their needs. The human resource planning departmen

Comparing Daystar and Those Winter Sundays Essay -- comparison compare

The two poems I have chosen to analyze are Daystar by Rita Dove and Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden. The poem Daystar struck me from my first reading of it because I do the same thing this woman did sometimes. The apartment I share with my husband has a balcony where I have planted some flowers, and sometimes when the whether is nice I drag a rocking chair out there into the sun and just sit and let my thoughts wander. This poem reminds me of those moments. The author uses imagery in the poem to make the experience of this one woman stand out vividly. The first lines of the poem say "she saw diapers steaming on the line / a doll slumped behind the door." The phrase "steaming on the line" is especially strong, making me able to feel the balmy heat of the day and the bright warm sunshine on my skin. Also, the diapers and doll may serve as symbols in this poem for all the cares that the woman carries in looking after her children. Right now she wants to put all that behind her, and doesn't want any reminders of it. She wants to escape into a place where there are no demands. Another visual image in this poem occurs when the woman is looking around her backyard, and she sees "the pinched armor of a vanished cricket, / a floating maple leaf." These are little things that catch your attention for a second, not things to sit an contemplate about. I think the point is that the woman doesn't really want to think about anything, she just wants to be. Sometimes she doesn't even want to look at anything, but instead close her eyes and see only "her own vivid blood." This image of the woman looking at her own blood makes it seem like this time alone reminds her that she is very "alive" -- that she has a free will and can... ...ut something the mother is doing for herself, while the second poem is all about the sacrifices the father made for his son. Comparing them shows the mother to be the more "selfish" of the two, in that her child and husband are distractions from her revelry, and they are somewhat burdensome to her. But the father is totally self-sacrificing -- getting up in the "blueblack cold," making a fire with "cracked hands that ached." He takes no thought for his own comfort, except, possibly, when he gets angry. This makes me think if the father had spent some time relaxing like the mother, maybe he wouldn't have gotten as angry. Maybe thinking of yourself every once in awhile is a good thing, I don't know, but it is interesting to note the contrast. I think mother in the first poem is person we can relate to, but the father in the second poem is a person we admire.

Psychiatric evaluation in the Philippines Essay

1. How would you describe the status of Filipino mental health based on prevalence of psychiatric cases released by DOH and the National Center for Mental Health from 2009-2012? As taken from the report, the WHO identified that stigma, discrimination and neglect have prevented care and management from reaching persons with mental disorders .Psychiatric patients in the Philippines are usually managed in a mental hospital setting. DOH-commissioned Social Weather Stations survey found that 0.7 percent of total Filipino households have a family member who has a psychological disorder such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and substance abuse. The status of mental health in the Philippines is also greatly affected by psychosocial issues and stress happening in the country such as economic crisis (poverty) and problems in interpersonal relationship (family, friends and workplace). Although for now the status of Filipino mental health is being balanced by our cultural practices, it is with great importance that we recognize that to further decrease the incidence of psychiatric cases, we need to seek medical assistance to manage them. The Philippines is a country in which psychiatry is taboo. Despite being a very modernized and americanized nation for the most part, plenty of Filipinos still hold onto old traditional and religious beliefs. Psychological disorders are not seen as such, but are thought of as demonic possessions and the like. The social stigma associated with mental illness is a major cause for non-use of health and psychosocial services by Filipinos. The lack of understanding of mental illness and the importance of mental health among Filipinos is as serious as the lack of a regular and useful database on the prevalence, manifestations, causation and risk factors of mental illness in the country. Thus, in my point of view, although the Philippines has lower number when it comes to psychiatric cases than other countries, our approach in handling such cases are still primitive that it would greatly affect the society and might contribute to the future increase of such cases. 2. Criticize the DSM-IV-TR in terms of reliability and practicality. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by clinicians and psychiatrists to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. It improved diagnostic objectivity by adding prototypes or decision trees outlining defining features of disorders, which lead clinicians through sets of questions regarding the presence or absence of symptoms. Mental health providers use the manual to better understand a client’s potential needs as well as a tool for assessment and diagnosis. The DSM-IV Text Revision is based on five different dimensions. This multiaxial approach allows clinicians and psychiatrists to make a more comprehensive evaluation of a client’s level of functioning, because mental illnesses often impact many different life areas. I have read several reviews about this system and there has been charges that DSM criteria and categories have little lapse when it comes to reliability and validity of its diagnoses. Some even suggested widespread concerns that DSM diagnostic categories lack clinical, research, and educational utility and that they are misused in a variety of contexts. As I was browsing the net I found two studies that used to describe the reliability and validity of the DSM-IV TR: Hoffmann (2002) Hoffmann studied prison inmates to look at diagnoses of alcohol abuse, alcohol dependency and cocaine dependency, to see if differences would occur in a computer-prompted structured interview, compared to the DSM-IV-TR criteria. It was found that the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis was valid and that the interview data supported the idea that dependence was more a severe syndrome than abuse. The symptoms from the automated interview matched those of the DSM criteria. Lee (2006) Lee studied the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of ADHD to see if it would be suitable for Korean children, and looked at gender differences in the features of ADHD in the DSM. The DSM lists eighteen criteria for ADHD linked to children’s behavior. In total, 48 primary school teachers rated the behavior of 1,663 children (904 of which were boys, the remaining girls) using a questionnaire. Lee looked for concurrent validity by comparing the DSM-IV-TR criteria with criteria arising from the questionnaire, and compared DSM behavioral and psychological characteristics with those found in an ADHD test. Previous studies had showed that ADHD children had oppositional deficit disorder, ODD, as well, having problems with peers and discipline. Lee decided that finding the same correlation would support the diagnosis and show the DSM to be a valid tool. The same relationship was observed, and so it was said that the DSM-IV-TR had concurrent validity. Also found it to be reliable, as the correlation could check for similar diagnoses. However, the study found that for girls, the DSM-IV-TR symptoms and diagnoses were less compatible than they were for boys, which was a weakness found with the DSM as a diagnostic tool. When it comes to practicality, the DSM-IV TR provides readily available diagnoses that helps clinicians to plan a treatment to patients since the DSM-IV is a categorical classification system. To be reliable as a diagnostic classification system, there would have to be consistency with the DSM. This means that the DSM is reliable if the clinicians using it consistently arrive at the same diagnoses as each other. Validity is the extent to which a measure of a psychological variable measures what it sets out to measure. Essentially this means the correct variable (in clinical psychology, this variable will be a mental disorder) is measured, by arriving at the correct diagnosis. Needless to say, if the DSM were not reliable, it would not be valid either. This is because if it is unreliable it means inconsistent diagnoses are made, and so it must not be valid either as surely the correct diagnosis is being made. 3. With the patient’s right to privacy, what are the advantages and disadvantages of observing such right in a psychiatric setting? Privacy is defined in terms of a person having control over the extent, timing, and circumstances of sharing oneself physically, behaviorally or intellectually with others. Psychiatric patients have unique needs and quite often several issues are at stake. Although we handle these patients with a specialized form of care, all of them have all the same rights. One of the most important right is the right to privacy. Advocating a patient’s right is one of the fundamentals of nursing. The nurse must safeguard the patient’s right to privacy. This does not only mean the right to be left alone but more importantly avoiding unwanted intrusion into the patient’s life. The nurse advocates for an environment that provides for sufficient physical privacy, including auditory privacy for discussions of a personal nature and policies and practices that protect the confidentiality of information. Maintaining the privacy of a psychiatric patient and practicing confidentiality has a lot of advantages. It helps establish trust between a health care provider and the patient, whereas he feels respected thus gathering needed information regarding the patient’s status, including needs and concerns becomes easy. It also helps to reduces worry on the part of the patient and maintains his dignity. Therefore it could give the patient a sense of control and promotes autonomy. Moreover every freedom should also have its limitation. When we talk about privacy in the psychiatric setting, in times where patients lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves, their best interests should be considered during the treatment. Any treatment should be the least intrusive option for the patient. A patient’s right to privacy may be limited in situations where a person must be continuously observed, such as when restrained or in seclusion when immediate and serious risk to harm self (such as when the patient is under suicide precautions or special observation status) or others exists. Although this advocates for the safety of the patients in the hospital, some patients may find this experience confusing or upsetting. Furthermore, in practicing their right to access their records, some psychiatric patients might become more worried and pessimistic after reading their records especially if they are not responding well to treatments. And also in case of involuntary hospitalization (which is usually justified by patients’ imminent dangerousness to themselves or others, or their inability to meet basic needs) patients feel their privacy is being violated. In acknowledgement of the seriousness of depriving a patient of freedom in an involuntary commitment, the involuntary patient could insist his right to privacy and might withhold key information about his status that may contribute to his treatment. The patients’ rights especially regarding his privacy has its advantages and limitations which may result to various effects on his well-being. Health care providers should consider privacy a basic human right and confidentiality a professional obligation.

High School and Best Possible Education Essay

Constant: A situation or state of affairs that doesn’t change. [1] When I think constants, I think of things that might not come to the mind of the â€Å"average person† (if there truly is such a thing). These things include the speed of light, gravitational acceleration on Earth, and, as a teenage boy, my desire for food.| [2] The concept of constants really fascinates me because they provide a surefire way of knowing, and I look to incorporate constants into my life for that very reason.| [3] I never outgrew the curiosity I possessed in the first few years of life. Although now a bit more sophisticated and focused, my curiosity is still as exuberant as the days before I could even say the word constant. Education is the one thing that satisfies this unconquerable hunger for information, a hunger that parallels my constant appetite. Constantly satisfying this hunger is just one of many constants I wish to pursue in life.| Growing up, there weren’t many constants in my life. My parents divorced when I was three, ensuing a custody battle that left my older brother, younger sister, and I in the care of a foster home. [4] Eventually we landed in my dad’s parent’s house where we lived for two years until finally reuniting with my dad. I’d visit my mom every other weekend, continuing that for a couple years until my dad decided we were making a journey across the country, twenty-one hundred miles from Phoenix, Arizona, to the heart of the south; Charleston, South Carolina.| [5] After having spent the first eight years of my life virtually nomadic, this was just another adventure. Also, changes of scenery always fascinated me.| Dinner at La Hacienda transformed into Sunday morning breakfast at Granny’s, a small diner run by elderly women in the community, famous for authentic soul food and southern hospitality. (New Paragraph)After a brief year situated in a thriving suburb of Charleston, I moved forty-five minutes away to North Charleston; a much different environment. [6] I stayed for three years and attended third to fifth grade with the friends I made. These were the first real relationships I had formed with people my age and they helped open my eyes to an entirely new culture.| [7] I recently discovered statistics regarding the school I attended and they were quite shocking. My memory doesn’t match the way the rankings portray the school. After all, I had many memorable experiences there and never a negative thought about the place. Of the 224 middle schools ranked in the South Carolina, Morningside Middle School was 224th. 86% of the students were black, 8% were Hispanic, and the remaining 6% white. The change in diversity opened my eyes and mind to an equally fascinating way of life.| (New Paragraph) [8] After a small taste of establishment, it was time to move yet again. My dad, looking to start a business, led us to a suburb south of Jacksonville, Florida. Just as with South Carolina, we didn’t settle long upon arriving in Florida. After moving twice in the first two years, we settled into the house I have lived for four years now, in a suburb south of Jacksonville.| I started taking classes deemed â€Å"gifted† in the 2nd grade, and continued them until I entered high school. [9] I enjoyed the small classes of students like me, thriving to learn and truly enjoying the process.| In the array of schools I attended, these classes all had a unique approach to education, which really helped feed my curiosity accompanying the introduction of all these new concepts. [10] After excelling throughout schooling, my education became my number one priority. I desired to learn and to go wherever to receive the best possible education. This led me to Ridgeview High School, the only school in the area offering the International Baccalaureate program. Here, I was certain I could receive an education that would prepare me for my next level of education (hopefully just one of many more). | Attending the same school for a fourth consecutive year is the closest I’ve come to a constant in my life, and it’s something that I would never dream of experiencing any other way. However, there’s still that part of me, that curious little boy, itching for adventure and a new environment to develop in and explore. [11] And in the process, fulfilling my priority of receiving the best possible education? That’s a dream come true. This opportunity is the stability I crave in life; places where I can thrive and pursue my dreams. These places are new maps, unlocked in the game of life, open for me to fully submerge myself. It’s a constant where I know I will be settled and form new friendships, equally as strong as the ones I have now. I know my education is not only my own priority, but the priority of those providing me with it. I couldn’t envision a better environment to take the next step in life.|