Applied Information Technology Project Part2 Assignment

Applied Information Technology Project Part2 - Assignment Example By sustaining a narrow profit margin, the grocery proved to be successful and by 1926, M.B. acquired 322 Safeway stores and incorporated as Safeway Inc. the merger saw the incorporation of the grocery to Safeway Inc. before joining the New York Stock Exchange. As a form of improving the quality of products, Safeway introduced product quality assurance through a â€Å"sell by† date on the perishable products for the assurance of quality and nutrients labelling. As of 2013, Safeway Inc had an operating income of U.S. $17.219 billion and employed approximately 138,000 employees. According to Someville (n.p), today Safeway controls about $25 billion in private equity from New York Security Exchange. Since 1928, Safeway Inc. has been listed on the New York Stock exchange, and its headquarters are situated in Pleasanton, California. The retail store’s mission is to ensure that its employees establish loyal relationships with its clients, while its mission emphasizes the use o f employees’ talents and passion to grant customers the best experience. Although Safeway Stores are in the process of merging with Albertsons Grocery Stores, their name while remain while business will proceed as usual under new management. Owing to the merger, some Safeway stores expect great improvements, including better customer services and cleaner stores. In addition, Alberterson reveals that its aim of acquiring Safeways was to put a shine on it through improved customer service and memorable customer experience. However, there is little hope that Safeways will remain given that Albertsons has a history of demising acquired firms such as Hayward-Based Mervyns that was declared bankrupt in 2008. Another controversial aspect of the merger is that Albertson is known for its stake in car, and guns and military and not supermarkets or grocery operations. The acquisition of Safeway places it in a company that has 27 distribution facilities, 2,400 stores, and 20

The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Learning and Growth Perspective - Essay Example The use of Balanced Scorecard is a very important aspect of the business compared to other performance management strategies; it responds immediately progress, feedback and changing business conditions. Various successful organizations like Futura Industries have used this strategy of the Balanced Scorecard and it is evident that the strategy has positively contributed to the companies’ success over years. A Futura Industries is an international company based in Utah led by Susan Johnson. It has more than 50 years of experience in aluminum design, extruding, fabrication, finishing, and machining. They needed a plan to help the business grow over years. Susan Johnson, the president of Futura Industries came up with the idea of deploying the Balanced Scorecard in the organization. She argued that for success to be evident in the company, employees’ welfare is the key to success. She believed that employees are very important assets to the company that need to be treated w ith utmost care and respect. She says that; Futura does not only require great machines, but also great people. For an organization in its success in its endeavors; â€Å"The opportunity for personal growth is one of the keys to maximizing employee motivation† (Bruce & Pepitone, 1999, p.9). Susan Johnson considered growth, innovation, and learning quadrant of the Balanced Scorecard as the most important aspects for the company’s growth. A company’s success goes hand in hand with its foundation which is molded by the employees. For Futura company success to be evident, Susan Johnson says that the company not only expects success to come from the employees but also its customers. Good Customer care service leaves a promising fact to the company that the customer will still come back someday. The Balanced Scorecard has helped Futura Industries in that, the company set goals and provided a safe, challenging and enjoyable workplace for the employees. Futura industrie s used the strategy of hiring and people and retaining the best people in the market and customer devotion which highly contributed to its competitive advantage with the other rival companies in the market. To maximize employees motivation in Futura, Johnson came up the idea of implementing surveys to the employees such as; Employee friendly initiative at Futura, Birthday Review, Leadership Review, Certification and Training Matrix, and an Annual Performance and Personal Development Review. Performance appraisal in an organization can be widely measured in different aspects as in the case of Futura. It contributes on determining the employees view regarding the company in general and what improvements should be done. Generally, â€Å"productivity can be increased significantly if supervisors set a specific production goal and provide attention and support to the workers† (Grote, 1996, p.6). At the end of every year, employees at Futura Industries complete the Employee Friendl y Initiative survey which records in excess of 60 benefits and other factors that are important to the employee such as; Sports team membership, Medical benefits, spouse scholarships, and flextime options are discussed. The survey asks the employees to give their views about the review benefits. In the case of Birthday Review, the employee is given the review survey in the same

Examining Poverty And Child Protection Acts Social Work Essay

Examining Poverty And Child Protection Acts Social Work Essay The area of poverty and child protection with black African families has been the source of controversy in British social work research for many decades. Many researchers find a correlation between economic deprivation such as poverty and social exclusion and parenting behaviour and practice, child-rearing capabilities and skills which are a prerequisite for proper child development anywhere in the world. Moreover, according to Jordan (2001) poverty is strongly correlated with reports of abuse and neglect. For instance, the National Centre for Children in Poverty found in 1990 that the incidence of child abuse and neglect, as well as the severity of the maltreatment reported, is much greater for children from low-income families than for others (Jordan, 2001 p.1). As a large number of Africans in the UK live below the poverty line, it may be reckoned that most black African children on the child protection register live below the poverty line. Brophy et al (2003) argue that many families brought to the attention of the child protection system lives in extreme poverty and may experience social exclusion. Black African children living in the UK may be over-represented in the child protection system for reasons such as physical abuse or neglect; therefore it is understandable to say that there is a correlation between abuse and parenting behaviours and practices. The question is why African families and children living in poverty, who are alleged of child abuse, are over-represented in the child protection system? Sossou Yogtiba (2008) noted in their study that a child is the most valuable asset of any traditional African family, as children symbolise status, respect and completeness of the nuclear family, if that is the case, then it is ironical to see African families and their children to be over-represented in the child protection system. Many black African families in the UK still lives below the poverty-line though they undertake different types of unskilled or skilled jobs, they support large families in their countries of origin (Anane-Agyei, 2002). It is reckon that poverty is linked with other social disadvantages such as poor education, limited employment opportunities, and poor health and may have devastating consequences for childrens development and life chances. Research shows that many African families and their children have insecure immigration status and their existing financial predicaments only help to complicate their parenting behaviours and practices. Penrose (2002) study shows that African families seeking asylum in the UK are often forced to live at level of poverty that is just unacceptable, and this causes financial constraint in their duty to provide adequate childcare for their children. Unemployment levels are known to be very high among African families, and they are also subject of stigmat ization and prejudice by the larger community that are suppose to accept them. Some African families living in the UK are without jobs and are also not entitled to social and economic benefit and therefore find it difficult to raise their children as expected by the laws of the land. Children growing up with parents living in absolute poverty are deprived of proper childhood development as these poor parents go through financial, emotional and psychological trauma in their duty to care for these children. African families living in poverty and failing to provide good care for their children may be perceived by social work professionals as failing in their parental responsibilities. For this reason, social workers may intervene in such families and often than not they are drawn into the child protection system. Amin Oppenheim (2002) argue that the unfamiliar cultural expectation of black African families living in the UK somehow contribute to the high level of poverty they experience. Research shows that many African families suffer from institutional oppression including housing, employment, education and health which not only means that they are more likely to experience poverty and deprivation, but also more susceptible to social work interventions in child abuse or maltreatment allegations. Corby (1993) noted that it may be expected that black African children are over-represented in child abuse cases because their families are more open to surveillance as they show high levels of poverty that complicate their parenting behaviours. In a broader perspective, Pearce Bozalek (2004) emphasise that the child protection system that exist in Britain will be unfamiliar to many African families, especially those more recently arrived, as similar state systems do not exist in most African countries, particularly where socio-economic factors, political instability and violence overshadow intra-familial child maltreatment and effective intervention into child abuse and neglect (Bernard Gupta, 2006 p). Brophy et al (2003) study supports the above assertion that African families experience discrimination and insecurity in child abuse cases, as the tools for assessing abuse are often euro-centric bias and prejudice the families. Chand (1999) study expresses the awareness that black African families are disadvantaged through oppression in all areas of society and this should not reflect in social work practice. Gibbon et al (2003) findings show that the child protection system was picking up more alleged child abuse cases inappropriately and putting more families and children on the child protection register than children who are subject to social welfare procedures. Therefore the over-representation of African families on the child protection register somehow, undermines the government aim of keeping children with families and reducing the number of children that are drawn onto the child protection register. The Department of Health (1995) document on child protection identified some pertinent shortcomings with the child protection system. The system seems to encourage unnecessary child protection interventions in border-line child abuse cases, which in many instances may have emotional and traumatic effects on families and children. Bernard Gupta (2008) in their study of black African children and the child protection system suggest that there are a series of interactions between environ mental factors such as poverty, immigration status and social exclusion that affect the life chances of many African children and the capacity of their parents to provide adequate care. Dowling (1999) realise that social work practice in the UK focus less on poverty-alleviating strategies but throw more resources behind safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children from abuse or maltreatment. Social workers need to understand the context in which abuse occurs, irrespective of race and culture, to develop an assessment and intervention process that is fairer for black families as they are more likely to suffer racism and oppression. In view of the above argument, it is pertinent that social workers know when to employ preventative measures to support black African families who have financial needs and when to take such families through the child protection system in the quest for safeguarding children. All these factors together create complex needs for many African children living in the UK, and, in many circumstances increase their vulnerabilities which draw them into the child protection arena. It can be argued that social workers have limited training and skills to understand the consequences of poverty on parents capabilities to provide adequate care for their children and this usually reflects in social work practice. Bernard Bernard (2008) argued that only by developing effective relationships with African families can social work professionals begin to understand their parenting behaviours and practices. 2.2 Poverty and Child Welfare Services Current literature shows that poverty experience by most black African families living in the UK could be alleviated by social work services that offer a pragmatic welfare services rather than drawing these families and children into the child protection system. Brophy et al (2003) study suggests that immigration and asylum issues, combined with poverty, are likely to be the reasons for the increased complexity for social work professionals assessing and intervening child abuse cases involving black African children. The Department of Health challenges social workers with the responsibility to implement Section 17 of the Children Act 1995, to provide adequate financial and social support for children in need via the child welfare services (Platt, 2006). However, social work agencies have not fully achieved the government agenda of alleviating poverty experience by many families and children due to inadequate resources at all levels of social work practice. The Department of Health have indicated that most families, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of material and emotional adversity (DoH, 2001). For instance black African families experiencing poverty may fail in their responsibility to provide proper care for their children as they spent almost all their time working to make ends meet. Such children hardly experience family treats such as going on a family holiday trip, having birthday parties and they are deprived of having basic playing toys and games that help children to learn and grow into adulthood. The lack of affordable basic needs for children of poor families complicated with other social adversities may contribute to poor children developing aggressive behaviours, low self-esteem, picking up awkward attitudes, and may to suffer from social deprivation. Fontes (2005) realises that many traditional immigrant families, where black Africans are part of, may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding tot al obedience and respect from their children. Although these parental practices may not necessarily constitute child abuse, it clashes with the child-rearing norms of British culture, and seems to bring African children and families to the attention of the child protection system. When social workers start acknowledging borderline child abuse cases and understand the difficulties families living in poverty experience in raising their children, there would be a correct balance between when to employ a child protection intervention and a child welfare intervention (Spratt Callan, 2004). It is evident that children living in poverty may benefit from the child welfare services as stipulated in section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, as it aims at alleviating poverty in families and children in need (Platt, 2006). According to Thoburn et al (2007) investigations of alleged child abuse cases tend to focus more on risk assessment rather than assessment about developmental and social needs of the child in entity. In particular, social wor kers carrying out an investigation into alleged child abuse may not pick up parental and child upbringing issues resulting from poverty or social deprivation (Farmer and Owen, 2005). Brophy et al (2003) study concluded that many black African parents, saw state intervention in parenting as a complete anathema and distrust.., especially where they have immigrated from countries in political turmoil and with no child welfare services (Bernard Gupta, 2008 p.481). Arguably social work intervention in child maltreatment or abuse cases seems to contradict Section 17 of the Children Act, as recent research reveals high levels of satisfaction amongst parents and children receiving social welfare services compare to those families drawn into child protection (Tunstill and Aldgate, 2000). The relationship between social work mission with regard to poverty and the type of social work practice poses a dilemma for social workers. The refocusing initiative of social work practice, as defined by Platt (2006), in child abuse cases may benefit families living in extreme poverty, only when social work interventions aim at promoting social change in families. Thus, social welfare interventions promote and empower families with financial difficulties and who also suffer social exclusion to develop appropriate parental behaviours and skill that encourage proper child care (Monnickendam and Monnickendam, 2009). 2.3 Poverty and Parenting Practices Poverty among many black African families affects the physical and emotional developments of African children living anywhere in the world. Poverty may influence parents behaviours and capabilities to provide for their families the basic needs of life. Bernard Gupta (2008) study highlights the limited attention given to child-rearing practices of African families in child welfare research in the UK. Different child-rearing practices exist in different cultures, but there is just one kind of child-rearing practice that is considered normal. Many research findings point out to the fact that poverty- related parenting practices influence the lives of many African children involved in the child protection system. Thus, Child (1999) comments that when differences in child-rearing and ethnicity are explored the black family is often pathologized and their strengths ignored. For instance black African families are too strict and beat their children or tend to punish their children in a mor e punitive way. Therefore according to Chand (1999) discipline is one area where African families are found to be over-represented in the child protection system. It is important, that social workers redirect attention from child protection interventions to the provision of preventative to support families in need. Shor (2000) argue that the relationship between values and child upbringing patterns illuminates the relationship between poverty and parenting behaviours, as parents from low social class differ in terms of the values they uphold for their children. Shor (2000) also argue that there is correlation between black African mothers with low income status using a more authoritarian approach of caring for their children than mothers with high income status. Thus, according to Fontes (2005), many traditional immigrant families may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding total obedience and respect from their children, although this parental behaviour may not necessari ly constitute child abuse, but may contravene the norms of the land, and bring such parents to the attention of the child protection system. It is therefore paramount for social work professionals working with black African families living in the UK to develop the requisite knowledge and skills, not only across diverse cultures but understanding the affect of poverty and social exclusion on parental behaviours and capabilities. Poverty tends to breed a kind of parenting practices that make children experience unpleasant devastating lifestyle because their parents hardly can afford to care for them. Even where it is evident that a child has suffered significant harm and the child need to be removed from the family, the style of intervention process deploy by the social work team should be such that it empowers the affected families to develop new coping skills and behaviours for future parenting. It is therefore paramount for social workers to have some knowledge and understand the d iversity of parenting practices that exist in contemporary social work practice so as to discern unacceptable behaviours from unacceptable behaviours. The consequences of misconstruing what behaviour is unacceptable may either draw more black African children and their families into the child protection system or undermine the commitment by social workers to safeguard vulnerable children from the risk of significant harm. 2.4 The Government Regulatory Policies In the early 1990s there was an enormous government effort to develop and promote policies which challenge the influence of a child protection culture on management and social work practice, which has been perceived as distorting the balance of service provision to children and families (Spratt and Callan, 2004). The refocusing initiative necessitated the shift in social work practice from what appeared to be an overly child protection perspective towards a child welfare orientation in the United Kingdom (Platt, 2006). According to Platt (2006) the advocacy for a shift in social work practice from an overly focus child protection work perspective towards a child welfare practice shows a gradual move towards poverty alleviation among poor families living in the UK. Both Parton(1995) and Pelton (1998) research supports the need to overcome pertinent obstacles in the manner social work is practice to achieve social change at family or community levels, and emphasised the failure of the child-care systems attempt to manage child protection risks and meet the needs of children and their families. However, the governments policy as stated in the 1989 Children Act aims to integrate child protection and child welfare services. According to Platt (2006) many children who are subjects of section 47 investigations are also eligible for services as children in need. To reinstate public trust, the government have redefined the primary duties of local authorities within the context of the 1989 Children Act so as to safeguard and provide services needed by poor children by conducting initial assessments, rather than child protection investigations in borderline cases. This policy implementation has become possible by procedural adjustments to other legislative guidance such as Working Together to Safeguard Children and the subsequent implementation of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Platt, 2006). The mid-1990s saw a growing consensus that many children who are subjects of Section 47 investigations due to alleged abuse or neglect are also eligible for services as children in need as in Section 17 of the 1989 Children Act (Platt, 2006). Often, Platt (2006) reckoned such children do not receive welfare services because local authority social work overly focuses on child protection rather than family support oriented services. In view of the refocusing initiative social workers have the legislative backing to approach families alleged of border-line child abuse to use the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families as guidance with a view to finding appropriate social work intervention practice that may address the needs of these children. In the UK the legislation on children welfare recommends all referrals of child abuse cases must initially be offered a comprehensive child in need assessment except in emergency cases or where it is suspected that a chi ld is suffering from significant harm (Platt, 2006). The Children Act (1989) is the main government legislation aiming to revolutionise social work practice and proceedings concerning the welfare of children in the UK. The Act considers the primary responsibility of child-rearing to rests with families and therefore, children interests will be served best by supporting them to grow up with their own family. Also the Children Act (1989) help harmonise family autonomy and to enable families to exercise their parental responsibilities without unnecessary state interference and for the state to support and protect children only where parents are failing to meet their children needs (www.dvon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). Under the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need within their area. The legislation requires local authorities to assess a childs developmental needs so as to promote their welfare, and by doing so children are supported t o live with their families (www.dvon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). In the contrary Section 47 requires local authority to investigate when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm. The investigation will include an objective of the needs of the child, including the risk of abuse and need for protection, as well as the familys ability to meet those needs (www.devon.gov.uk/child-protection-procedures accessed 09/01/2010). Thus, social workers need to make judgements in child abuse cases on how to intervene so that children do not continue to leave in dangerous and risky situations or of removing children unnecessarily from their family. The dilemma of striking the right balance between child protection and child welfare services in child abuse cases is for social workers to base their judgement on pragmatic assessment of the needs of the children and the parental capability to cater for their children needs According to Spratt and Callan (2004) the Department of Health guidance documents Working Together to Safeguard Children and The Assessment Framework have been paralleled by initiatives to provide a steer on the direction of contemporary social work practice. CHAPTER THREE SOCIAL WORK PRACTICES In social work practice, it is important for social workers to base their work on theoretical assumptions, whether they are aware of them or not (Munro, 1998). This theoretical framework guides social workers in deciding who or what should be the primary focus of assessment or intervention and, as well as the objectives and the processes of social work practice (Healy, 2005). Many other writers like Fook et al (2000), who are of the view that social workers need to use theories in their work practice, also emphasized why social workers should develop the capacity to identify, use and develop social work theory in their practice (Healy, 2005). Social work has its roots in the struggle of society to deal with poverty and its consequential problems. Many researchers link social work practice to the ideology of charity work, but in a broader perspective social work embraces both the preventative and protective aspect of vulnerable people within society (www.globalvision.org Accessed on 1 4/12/2009). The term social work practice usually describes work undertaken with individuals, families, groups and communities. In the history of British social work practice, the term encompasses the use of social work knowledge and skills within the framework of social care organisation so as to enhance the provision of services and practice which is consistent with the BASW Codes of Practice. This concept of social work practice promotes protection, safeguarding and social inclusion and provides life opportunities for people using social work services. In the code of ethics, it is emphasise that for social work practice to be successful, social work agencies must work effectively with other affiliated organisations such as the police service, health service, and education service so as to promote children welfare (www.basw.co.uk/ accessed 01/02/2010). In the vast majority of instances social work practice is a collaborative activity not an individual activity whether as social worker employee or an independent social worker. Social work practice aims at changing peoples behaviours in the manner that will p rovide life options for people and to facilitate easy transitions of life situations (Smale et al, 2000). Social work is a demanding profession which is based on a body of values, knowledge, skills and personal attributes, and requires the commitment of social workers to continually upgrade their knowledge and skills in their field of practice. The International Federation of Social Workers states that: Social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence-based knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognizes the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. The social work profession draws on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organizational, social and cultural changes (www.ifsw.org accessed 14/01/2010 p.1). According Graham (1999) the history of African heritage in the development of social welfare and social work is found in the recesses of British history but it remains largely unacknowledged and sparsely documented as social work continues to be steeped in the professional milieu of an existing ethnocentric knowledge base and value system (p.263). Research evidence (Graham, 1999) shows that social work practice within the black African community in the UK has emerged out of concerns about the well-being of children and families whose experience of enslavement and servitude necessitated efforts to improve their life conditions. The Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) recognises that the effects of racism on black African people are incompatible with the values of social work and therefore seeks to combat racist practices in all areas of its responsibilities (CCETSW, 1996). Dominelli (2002) advocates for anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory social work practice to delineate oppression and racism which breed some of the social problems that affect traditional social work target populations. Earlier research by Platt (1999) shows an increasing awareness among social workers that the traditional social work models are not effective in addressing the needs of African people in the UK. However, the current social work theory and practice which is founded on ethnocentric value systems, lack the necessary resources to address the needs of African families and their children. It is therefore pertinent for social work practice to be designed to reflect other diverse views and cultural values, particularly African families and their children who are more open to surveillance, as they also show high level of poverty. 3.1 Contemporary Social Work Practices It was not until the mid twentieth century when the International Federation of Social Workers, defined the core aim of social work to be alleviation poverty, liberating vulnerable and oppressed people with the ultimate aim to promote social inclusion (Horner, 2003). The Modernisation agenda introduced by the Labour government in 1997 set the foundation for the concept of collaboration and partnership to be established between professions and services. Following up to this, the concept of partnership and collaboration have become a working document for social work practice and underpin long term planning (Whittington, 2003). Crisp et al (2003) also found that when social workers engage with other inter-professional and multi-agency practice, it promotes prospect for common grounds with other professions, and the potential for professional differences to be recognised and negotiated. In contemporary social work practice, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics emphasizes the importance for social workers to understand the centrality of relationships as an important vehicle for social change. Social workers are encouraged to engage service users as partners in helping them to attain the needed change. Most research shows that social work assessment and intervention are inherent features of contemporary practice in social work services. Social work assessment represents the entry of a systematic approach to establish a mutual relationship between a social worker and service users. Social work practice is characterised by the new balance in the relationship between the state and the family as social workers remain responsible for managing child protection risks and providing child welfare services within an integrated system. In Spratt and Callan (2004) study it is realised that the balance between safeguarding and promoting welfare services for children in need who are living with their families in the UK has not yet been achieved as set out in the government policy developments. Lord Lamings Report on the death of Victoria Climbie lead to the publication of the document, Every Child Matters, which set the priority for children not only to be protected from significant harm but to be safeguarded and their welfare promoted (Parton, 2006). A study paper published by the Department of Health (2001) indicates that many families regardless of their ethnicity and religion, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of poverty and social exclusions. Social exclusions and poverty make it extremely difficult for many African families to develop the appropriate parenting skills needed for proper child-rearing, and sometimes may overshadow child maltreatment. Pierce Bozalek (2004) suggest that many African families seeking asylum or migrated to the UK are unfamiliar with the British child protection system, as similar state systems do not exist in Africa, and therefore find the systems intimidating and unfriendly. Brophy et al (2003) argued that poverty among black African families may affect the development of many African children and their parents capacity to provide for them. It is therefore paramount that poverty is considered fully understand by social work professionals during the initial assessment of families i nvolved in alleged child abuse cases. Platt (1999) argued that the refocusing of social work intervention is a result of increasing number of child protection allegations referred into the system, and the proportion of cases leading to social work interventions. This type of intervention draws a large number of children into the child protection system compared to children who are subject to further welfare procedures. In the context of social work practices, it is important to consider the effectiveness of the child protection system, as it seems to achieve as much as could be expected in terms of the limited aim of preventing further abuse to identifiable vulnerable children. Social workers role may be considered as facilitating or empowering service users but, specialised skills and knowledge are needed to identify problems with families and their children involve in child protection and also to find sound interventions that would bring about the necessary social change. Crisp et al (2003) states that social work assessment involves collecting and analysing information about people with the aim of understanding their situation and determining recommendations for any further professional intervention (p.3). Monnickendam Monnikendam (2009) argue that the fundamental dilemma facing contemporary social work practice is the extent and manner to commit to social welfare policy or the extent to direct its efforts primarily to the poor and needy. Arguably social work practice that engage in social welfare policy tends to address poverty through macro-level intervention which aims at promoting social change, but social work practices aiming at individual families living in poverty result in poverty alleviation by assisting those in need to develop better lifestyle strategies. Thus, Monnickendam Monnikendam (2009) research shows that the aim of social work practice in attaining social change and dealing with poverty is hardly attainable only by micro practice. Henceforth the relationship between the mission of social work with regard to poverty and the type of social work intervention needed to protect and safeguard children from further abuse becomes a difficult challenge for social workers. .

Confucianism Essay -- Religion Confucianism

Confucianism The religion of Confucianism is and interesting and unique religion. The various parts of this belief system deal more with humanity than with deities or supernatural occurrences. It is this fact that leads many to believe that Confucianism is more a philosophy or way of life than a religion. There are, however, various ceremonies and beliefs that those who follow Confucianism observe. In short, Confucianism has had more impact on the lives of the Chinese than any other single religion. Confucius was born in the province of Lu (now known as Shantung), in 551 BC, the youngest of eleven children, in the period of China's history when the nation was divided into feudal states. Confucius saw the time in which he lived as a low point in China's history so he set out to teach his philosophy in an effort of improving his society. He was born into a noble class, but his family had been stripped of its nobility by the time he was born. By the age of 21 he had been so well educate d that he already had disciples and by 22, he had opened a school. He became known later in life as K'ung Fu Tzu (which was later Latinized in the west as Confucius), meaning Great Master Kung, for his teaching. It is known that he had a wife , a son, and a daughter, and that he held a few governmental offices. The teachings of Confucius were to lead people to achieve a status known as Chun Tzu, or superior man, to become Chun Tzu you must reach a perfect balance and awareness in political and social situations. In the time of Confucius, only the aristocracy was educated, which meant that the Chun Tzu was exclusively the wealthy, however, he devoted his life to teaching everyone regardless of their financial standing, provided they were intelligent eno... ...ained a large following, with Buddhism competing directly against Confucianism (Taoism, due to it's similarities coexisted with Confucianism without much conflict). Eventually, Chinese political leaders came to believe that foreign religions (one of which was Buddhism) were eroding their traditional way of life, and this resulted in the persecution of many who followed these foreign religions, thus revitalizing Confucianism. In the past century, Confucianism has suffered greatly. due to industrialization and science, it has been seen as outdated and as abridging personal freedoms. Today it has finally began another resurgence. The current ideals of society have turned toward more spirituality and respect for other religions has once again breathed new life into this old philosophy. Bibliography Aspects of Religion CD-rom, Interactive Learning Productions, 1994

Occupational Outlook Handbook Essay

Click and drag to select the assignment questions below. Then press CTRL C to copy, or right-click the text and then click Copy. In a word processing program such as Notepad or Microsoft Word, open a new blank file. Then press CTRL V to paste, or right-click the blank area and then click Paste. The assignment questions will appear. Save the file in your course folder, and name it with Assignment, the section number, and your first initial and last name. For example, Jessie Robinsons assignment 1R for Section 1 would be named Assignment1JRobinson. Type the answers to the assignments questions. Use complete sentences unless the question says otherwise. You will have more than one day to complete an assignment. At the end of each day, be sure to save your progress. Review Lesson 4 of the Course Overview for instructions about turning in your assignments. Assignment 7 Careers (25.0 points) 1. Describe at least three specific individual differences that may give you an advantage in the wo rkplace. (1-3 sentences. 1.5 points) Diversity, rapid innovation, and productivity 2. Choose an industry you might be interested in working in, and explain why this industry interests you. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) I would like to work in the music industry because I cant go a day without listening to music, it motivates me. 3. Describe at least two methods you would use to identify job opportunities if you were looking for a job. Explain why you would use these methods. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) Use the internet, go to agencies, go to union hiring halls 4. Choose a career from the following list financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook ( HYPERLINK http//www.bls.gov/oco/ http//www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information. a. What is the name of this career (0.5 points) Financial planner b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) They would have to do a lot of math and good at planning c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) Degree in finance, business, or accounting 5. Choose another career from the following list financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook (HYPERLINK http//www.bls.gov/oco/ http//www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) 6. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance indu stry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) d. Why does this career interest you (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points) 7. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance industry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) d. Why does this career interest you (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points) 8. If you were in charge of managing a group of employees, how would you assess their job performance Describe at least two methods you would use. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) 9. Describe a time when you or someone you know conformed to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose to conform (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) 10. Describe a time when you or someone you know chose not to conform to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose not to conform (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) 11. Describe a time when you have worked with a group of people, such as with students for a school project, with coworkers at a job, or with family members to complete a chore. Describe the dynamics of the group, and then describe at least one way the group dynamics could have been improved. (3-6 sentences. 3.0 points) 12. Describe a real or made up but realistic example of a misunderstanding that occurred because of unclear written or verbal communication. How could this misunderstanding have been avoided (3-6 sentences. 2.5 points)

What Is Human Resource Planning and How Does It Contribute to Achieving an Organisations Goals

This essay discusses the importance of HR planning and the major steps of planning in order to demonstrate its importance and use: Forecasting; Inventory, Audit, HR Resource Plan, Acting on Plans, Monitoring and Control. So what is human resource planning and how does it contribute to achieving organizational goals? Human resource planning is the responsibility of all managers. HR planning links people management to the organization's mission, vision, goals and objectives, as well as its strategic plan. A key goal of HR planning is to have the right number of people with the right skills, experience and competencies in the right jobs at the right time and costs. When we prepare our planning programme, Employers /senior managers should bear in mind that their staff members have their own objectives and that people are different from the other resources that are deployed in an organization as people have thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. This is the reason why employees seek employment within companies that match their needs best (eg. Flexi working hours, training etc.. ). Human resources are the people that work for an organization, and Human Resource Management is concerned with how these people are managed. The term HRM has thus come to refer to an approach, which takes into account both: †¢The needs of the organization †¢The needs of its people. Neglecting these needs would result in poor motivation that may lead to unnecessary poor performance and even Industrial actions. Commencing an HR Plan is often complicated, but the results provide a smooth and efficient set of processes that allow organizational goals to be achieved in an orderly fashion. Planning involves gathering information that would enable managers and supervisors to make sound decisions. The information obtained is also utilized to make better actions for achieving the objectives of the Organization. There are many factors that you have to look into when deciding on a HR Planning programme. As mentioned above HR Planning involves the gathering of information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives. When HR Planning is applied in the field of HR Management, it would assist to address the following questions: How many staff does the Organization have? †¢What is the cost of employees and can they be reduced? †¢What type of employees as far as skills and abilities does the Company have? †¢How should the Organization best utilize the available resources? †¢How can the Company keep its employees? Human resource management therefore involves finding out about the needs and aspirations of individual employees, for example through the appraisal process and then creating the opportunities within the organization (e. g. through job enlargement) and outside the organization (e. . through taking up educational opportunities at local colleges/universities) for employees to improve themselves. HRM therefore relates to every aspect of the way in which the organization interacts with its people, e. g. by providing training and development opportunities, appraisals to find out about individual needs, training and development needs analysis, etc. Opportunities and courses for individuals to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes that help the organization to achieve its objectives. Development – the provision of opportunities and courses for individuals to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes that help themselves to achieve personal objectives. Training and development needs†¦ From the above we can see that HR have a huge task keeping pace with the all the internal and external changes and ensuring that the right people are available to the Organization at the right time. The changes in composition of a workforce not only influence the appointment of staff, but also the methods of selection, training, compensation and motivation. It becomes critical when Organizations merge, plants are relocated, and activities are scaled down due to financial problems. Poor HR Planning and/ or a lack of it in the Organization are likely to result in huge costs and financial looses. It may result in staff posts taking too long to be filled or unable to find the required skills. This can inflate costs and obstruct effective work performance and motivation as employees may be requested to work unnecessary overtime and may not put more effort due to fatigue / lack of motivation. If extra work is then delegated this may stretch employees beyond their capacity which will cause unnecessary disruptions to the production of the Organization. Employees are put on a disadvantage because their lifestyles are disrupted and they are not given the chance to plan for their career development. The most important reason why HR Planning should be managed and implemented is due to cost savings and ensuring the right skills are available at the required time; because costs form an important part of the Organizations budget, workforce Planning enables the Organization to provide HR provision costs. For example when there is a staff shortage, the organization can consider options other than just recruiting new staff, such as training and transferring of staff. The first step in HR Planning requires that we gather data on the Organizational goals objectives; in effect its management understand where the Organization wants to go and how it wants to get to that point and forecasting human resource availability. This involves an examination of the internal and external labour supply. Present employees who can be promoted, transferred, demoted or developed make up the internal supply. The external supply consists of people who do not currently work for the organisation. The needs of the employees are derived from the corporate objectives of the Organization. They stem from shorter and medium term objectives and their conversion into action budgets (eg) establishing a new branch in Singapore by January 2014 and staff it with an Office Manager – ?30,000, an Administrator -?21,550, and two Sales staff – ?18000 per year. For this reason the HR Plan will have a process to convert planned Company strategies into planned results and budgets so that these can be converted in terms of money and skills required. To forecast the organization’s future HR requirements and determine from where they will be obtained. Three sets of forecasts are required: †¢a forecast of the demand for human resources †¢a forecast of the supply of external human resources †¢a forecast of the supply of human resources available within the organization After knowing what human resources are required in the Organization, they will then want to measure / analyze the current employees in the Organization. The HR inventory will relate to data concerning numbers, ages, and locations, and an analysis of individuals and skills. A Skills inventory provides detailed information on professional and technical skills and other qualifications provided in the firm. It reveals what skills are immediately available in the firm when compared to the forecasted HR requirements. Given the constant changes in our lives, competition and the world our HR resources can also change rapidly. HR inventory requires data to be collated; the HR audit involves the examination and analysis of the inventories data. The Audit analyses what had occurred in the past and at present in terms of labor turn over, productivity, age and sex groupings, training costs and absence. With this information, you are better able to predict what will happen to HR / be required in relation to the future of the Organization through patterns and trends. With the audit being completed we are able to look at career Planning and HR plans. People are the greatest assets in any Organization. Individual Organizations develop their employees in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities in accordance with their own goals. The main reason is that the Organization’s objectives should be aligned as near as possible, or matched, in order to give optimum scope for the developing potential of its mployees. Therefore, career planning may also be referred to as HR Planning or succession planning- namely that what will happen if employee A leaves tomorrow? The main issues to consider with HR: †¢Are we utilizing all of the available talent we have in the Organization, and have we enough abilities for the future? †¢Are employees satisfied with our interest in their growth in terms of advancing their career? Designating individuals to planned future posts enables the Senior management to ensure that these individuals are suitably prepared for roles that will arise in the future. There are three fundamentals necessary to start actioning a plan: †¢To have a fixed direction. †¢There must be acceptance and backing from top management for the planning. †¢Detailed knowledge of the available resources (i. e) financial, physical and human (Management and Technical). HR Plans become Corporate plans once they are acted upon as having been made and concurred with top management, the plans become a part of the company’s long-range plan. Failure to achieve the HR Plans due to cost, or lack of knowledge, may result in long-term plans being adversely affected. Given that the success of an organization ultimately depends on how well its human resources are managed, HR planning will continue to grow in importance. Successful HR planning requires the HR manager to ensure that: †¢HR personnel understand the HR planning process †¢Top management is supportive †¢The organization does not start with an overly complex system †¢The communications between HR personnel and line management are healthy †¢The HR plan is integrated with the organization’s strategic business plan †¢There is a balance between the quantitative and qualitative approaches to HR planning. Monitoring and Control is the last stage of HR planning in the Organization. Once the programme has been accepted and implementation launched, it has to be monitored and controlled. The HR department has to make regular reviews to see what is happening in terms of the available resources and that processes are followed with appropriate / expected results (training, recruitment etc.. ). The aims of the reviews are to ensure that we utilize all talents and resources optimally to ensure goals are achieved. As we can see the HR plan is the basis of Human Resources Management. We now have a review of Human Resource planning and its importance as without it- we will not be able to utilize our Organizational talents effectively; we are not likely to have the skills we require, when we require them, to complete projects effectively and maintain a competitive advantage. By using the available talents optimally and in an orderly fashion you are able to enhance profits and develop your company with minimal costs; and this can only be achieved with adequate / sufficient HR Planning.