Action plan for PV Technologies †when they asleep at the switch Essay

Problems / Issues faced by the PV Technologies: As per the information from Sales Manager Mr.Salvatori, PVT might lose the contract against SOMA energy and BJ Solar from the bidding, which is one of the high visibility project conducted by Solenergy Development LLC who won to construct a PV solar energy Power Plant. Mr. Greg Morgan – Chief Engineer conducted the evaluation of the bidders and the assumed outcome is that PVT will be out of the running potential supplier because of the price compared to other bidder though the quality of the product is incomparable. If PVT loses this contract then its reputation and position in the Market Place are at stake as the announcement might through a press conference. Action Plan for PVT: 1. Competitor analysis – We should never underestimate the competitor and should analyse competitor before we bid or approach for any kind of order. They should know what are their offerings, price structure, services offered, value offered and geographic location. 2. Increase Marketing Efforts: The major disadvantage of PVTs lacking in reaching or communicating their product line and service to the clients/customer. They should start PR activities to improve their reach and increase their client relationship as well as customer base. In today’s market they should not rely on only the quality, Sales people contacts and services offered to the customer, rather advertisement / PR activities should drive the customer to approach PVT . There should be a proper line of communication credible source of information and proper way of communication (Internal and external) is needed. 3. Line of Communication: They should also not rely on the information by the sales people which made them react even when the source of information was unethical. Losing a customer like Solar Energy will put their reputation in trouble in the industry. Plan of action to win the  current bidding Since the management is concerned about the decision taken by Solenergy, they should have a casual talk with Morgan and know the exact situation of the bidding. Recommendation for PVT would be to offer its new product, accelerate the introduction of their new 1.25MW model which is 98.5% efficiency. Introducing this new product, might be appealing for Solenergy in all means like efficiency, reliability, service and most importantly price of the inverter which is much lesser than the competitor. Choosing other options like extending warranty to 20 years or offering 99% uptime guarantee at no cost will lead to a lot of disadvantages to PVT to sustain in the market and for future orders as well. Disadvantage by offering Option1: †¢   Solenergy will have to pay a high price upfront. †¢   Though the quality of the PVT inverter is reliable still PVT will have to increase manpower for the purpose of maintenance. †¢   This option will lead to additional expenses and more complications in the future.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚   Offering this option dilute the market (by increasing the service offered will increase the expectation from customer for every order) and will affect future orders too. Disadvantage by offering Option 2: †¢Ã‚  Unexpected cost from the failure of the product ( due to Climate condition / economic factor / Power source ) can put PVT into huge loss. †¢Ã‚  Increasing manpower only for the purpose of maintenance. †¢ Margin in this offering is also very low for PVT. Orders should not be taken for the sake of reputation. †¢ Market will get diluted Overall the competitors can also offer these options (Option 1 and Option 2 – Annexure 1 and 2), as they want to enter the market. Since it will reach a broader segment of people, it will be a value addition for the competitor to offer the same (alternatives), enter the market and acquire a new client. The competitor’s revenue can also increase for the year. By offering a new product (Option 3) they can regain top standard and reputation, and possibly close the deal with them. However, they need to think of a way in which the acceleration of this product will not hurt them financially and can still be delivered to Solenergy on time and possibly reduce the manufacturing cost. Solenergy too can claim that they were the first ones to employ the latest technology and the most robust management system. The advantage by offering Option 3 will be that competitor cannot offer a new highly efficient product in such a short span of time. Since PVT is known for its Research and development and product innovation, this would be the ideal option for winning this bid. Drivers for Renewable energy: Key factors for the competitor to offer a best possible solution. Market for alternative source of energy is in a growing stage. Rising energy  cost, unstable oil market, environmental awareness, tax incentives are the main drivers towards the growth of renewable energy. Market value for 2010 was $6 billion more than 100% growth from the previous year and the market for solar PV forecasted to increase by 30.4% CAGR for the period of 2010-15. It’s a vision of a federal government to depend on the renewable energy to produce 80% of the electricity by the year 2035. Around the world, 85% of electricity is being derived from oil, gas and coal and less than 1% are from solar energy, so there is great potential in the market for growth. PVT is a pioneer in renewable energy supply to more than 25 countries with their quality and effective product. The below calculation are done as per the calculation in the PVT option like the following :   Total cost of Sale : 60% of the total Project Value Warranty Expenses & Premium : 18% of the Total Value Maintenance Contract Income : 8.9% of the Total Value Gross Expenses – Guarantee : 38.7% of the Total value Maintenance Contract Expenses : 8% of the Total value Sales Commission : .4% of the Total Value Annexure :1 Considering if SOMA uses the alternative Current Alternative1 Total Project value Warranty Premium Maintenance Contract Income Total Revenue Total cost of Sales Warranty Expenses Gross Expenses – Gurantee Maintenance Contract Expenses Sales Commission Project cost of sales Project Gross Profit 17000000 10200000 68000 10268000 6732000 17000000 3060000 20060000 10200000 3060000 68000 13328000 6732000 Alternative2 17000000 1513000 18513000 10200000 6592385 1369444 68000 18229829 283171 Annexure 2: Considering if the BJ Solar uses the alternative Current Alternative1 Total Project value Warranty Premium Maintenance Contract Income Total Revenue Total cost of Sales Warranty Expenses Gross Expenses – Gurantee Maintenance Contract Expenses Sales Commission Project cost of sales Project Gross Profit 16000000 9600000 64000 9664000 6336000 16000000 2880000 18880000 9600000 2880000 64000 12544000 6336000 Alternative2 16000000 1424000 17424000 9600000 6204597 1288889 64000 17157486 266514

River Rother

We are visiting four different locations, on the 18th September 2009, along The River Rother. It is hoped that these locations will demonstrate the three main courses of a river; Upper Course, Middle Course and Lower course. The four locations that we will be visiting and carrying out our tests are: 1. Marley Lane, for the upper course (the source) 2. Sedlescombe, for the middle course 3. Bodiam, for the lower middle course 4. Rye Harbour, for the lower course (mouth) The purpose of the study is to find out if our hypothesis proven correct or not, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river.' Collecting data from each of the location hopefully will prove our hypothesis correct. The information that we need to collect from the three locations are; the width, depth and speed. To obtain these results we will be using a meter ruler, tape measure, clinometer and a dog biscuit. For some of the results that we are unable to get we will use a secondary source and we will compare our results to the results from text the books. The four locations that have been chosen are ideal for our study because they are close to the school, they show all the three stages of the rivers course and we are able to visit all the locations and get out tests done in one day. The River Rother, is 35 miles long, is a river flowing through the South East of England and runs though East Sussex and Kent. Its source is near Rotherfield which is in East Sussex, and its mouth is Rye Harbor, which is part of the English Channel. METHODOLOGY Width At a narrow point of the rivers course (Battle and Sedlescombe), we will use a meter ruler to measure the distance from one bank to other. At mid point (Bodiam), we will use a tape measurer crossing via a bridge. At the lower course (Rye), we will either estimate or use a secondary source. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct that the width does get bigger as you carry on down the rivers course. Depth At Battle and Sedlescombe we will measure the river's depth 5cm interval to find out the shape of the river channel. At Bodiam there is a bridge and at every meter we will measure the depth using a tape measure with a weight at the end to hold it down. At Rye we will use a secondary source because the river there is much to deep for us to measure. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct that the depth does getting deeper as you carry on down the rivers course. Speed of River The method for collecting the speed of the river will be the same at all for locations. We will measure ten meter along the side of the river, drop a dog biscuit in at zero on the stopwatch, and time it to see how long it takes to get to the end of the ten meters. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct that the speed does increase as you carry on down the rivers course. Photographs We will be taking photos as we walk round to show the type of land use that is there and the landscape to see if it is the same as a typical landscape. The landscape showed to be the same as a typical rivers landscape. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct. Field Sketches We will be noting down features/land uses of the land as we walk around so we can later on make a Field Sketch, really get an idea of the land use in the area, and see if it is like a typical river lay out. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct; the landscape forms a more U shape as you carry on down the rivers course. Observations As we are walking round, we will be noting down the land uses. Valley/Slope Profile In pairs, we will measure the valley sides and floor at the river and will measure the distance it is between each other gradient of slope and measure the angle using a Clinometer. In pairs we will stand at the top of the valley sides. The first person will pace out until the slope changes angle, we will note this and the person at the top of the slope will note down the reading of the angle change with the Clinometer. The second person will meet the first person and the will repeat this, until the other side of the valley. The hypothesis we expect to be proven correct that the valley does make a ‘V' shape and closer you get to the mouth the ‘V' shape turns into a ‘U' shape. River Profile We will take the width measurement and depth measurement and create a cross section of the river for each location. Land Use Survey We will have an OS map of each location and use the keys to note down the land use. We will colour in the the land uses in different colour and after wards use a Ten by Ten grid (squared) and count up the number of square for each one and calculate the percentage out of a hundred for each one. We will then out this into a pie chart to show the percentages. The hypothesis we expect to be proven wrong for the land use to be the same as a typical river's land use. WHAT I EXPECT TO FIND Upper Course (Battle, Marley Lane) At this stage of the river it should be every slow and narrow and shallow. There should be many obstructions in the way of the river. It is because of all these obstructions that the river is flowing slowly. There will be steep valley sides a, ‘V', shaped valley and several waterfalls. There should be interlocking spurs. The land use should be over run by Pastoral Farmland and Woodland, Settlement. The volume should be small due to the large amount of obstructions and the shape of the valley which is due to the Interlocking Spurs (hard rock). Middle Course (Sedlescombe) The river should be wider than the upper course. The valley flor should be wider, faster flowing water and the volume should increase due to the change in the channel's shape. The valley shape should start to change more like a ‘U' shape. Pastoral Farmland and Woodland will dominate the land use. Lower Middle Course (Bodiam) The river has already started to widen so at this stage it is becoming even wider and the valley into a more pronounced ‘U' shape. From this the river is much large and deeper and volume is larger. The river should now be flowing much faster because there are very little obstructions in the way. Pastoral and Arable Farmland should dominate the land use. Lower Course (Rye) This stage should have the largest depth of the whole river because it is a deep ‘U' shape and the width is very wide. The speed as increased to its top speed because there is no obstructions in the way now and if there is every few. The main feature that should be found here is the mouth of the river that leads out to the Ocean. The flood plain is very large and the land use is all mainly Slat Marsh Land and Mud Flats so it unused and there is Industry. DATA ANALYSIS / INTERPRETATION Width The data that is being shown is the width of Battle, Sedlescombe, Bodiam and Rye. Rye had the largest width in between each bank leaving Battle the smallest. Ryes width was 2500cm; Bodiam had 1240cm, Sedlescombe 134cm and Battle 50cm. Rye has the largest width between each bank, this is because Rye is the lower course of the river and has no obstructions in the rivers path so it is the fastest flowing and erodes the banks faster. It is also the location where the mouth of the river, where it enters the sea. However, we did have to get this from a secondary source. Battle has the smallest width; this is because it is located in the upper course and the speed of the river here is at its slowest and is unable to erode the banks as freely as the lower course. The erosion found in the upper course is Vertical Erosion this is why in the upper course the river is shaped as a ‘V'. The most common type of erosion found in the middle course of the river is Lateral Erosion, which is why the river gets wider as you carry on further on down the river. The textbook theory from the textbook that the river gets bigger, in lateral erosion and vertical erosion, as you get near to the mouth of the river. Our hypothesis is proven correct for the width does act like a typical river. DATA ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION Depth The data that shows the depth of Battle, Sedlescombe, Bodiam and Rye. From the upper course to the mouth the rivers depth got larger. Starting with Battle, which had the smallest depth of, only had 37cm, Sedlescombe with 50cm, Bodiam 97cm and Rye with the largest out of them with 400cm. The data for Battle may have been altered due to the heavy rain on the day, which may have caused erosion. However, previously very dry weather had led to low volume of water. The depth at Rye we have had to get from a secondary source due to the difficult fact that we are unable to measure. From the data, it shows very clearly that the rivers depth does increase as it goes along. This is due to the transportation of more water and material, which erodes vertically, this, is the act of it eroding downwards and laterally, which of it eroding across. The theory from the textbook agrees with our hypothesis and what we have found, the river does get bigger in lateral erosion and vertical erosion, as you draw nearer to the month of the river. DATA ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION Speed The data shows that the River Rother picks up speed from Battle (Source) to Rye (Mouth). The speed of Battle was the slowest with 0.03m/ps, Sedlescombe 0.52m/ps, Bodiam 0.98m/ps and Rye with the fastest 1.72m/ps. The change in the speed is very noticeable when the river gets to Bodiam (lower middle course) the speed increases by 1.69m/ps. This is because this is the point of confluence (were two rivers meet).Battle and Sedlescombe are the tributary river from the River Brede, when a tributary river meet the speed and volume of the river increases. Because the volume increases that means there is more water in the river and from that there less obstructions in the way, so the river speed goes much faster. The theory from the textbook agrees with our hypothesis and what we have found, the river does get fast as you draw nearer to the mouth of the river. DATA ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION Valley Profiles The valley at Battle is quite deep at the sides and not very deep in the middle. The shape is shaped like a ‘U' but this maybe be because of the bridge that goes over the top of the river. Battle has a small valley that had been enlarged by the bridge. Therefore, this affected our results slightly but the valley was meant to be ‘V' shaped. Sedlescombe is a lot flatter than Battle and it is wider. But we where only able to measure one side of the valley, so our interpretation is an estimate due to privet land but it still has the typical shape of a ‘U' which is what we expected to find. Bodiam has a very wide valley floor and the valley slopes where at an angle making a rough ‘U' shape like a typical river at this stage. Rye, we where unable to measure because the valley floor was too large. However, this is what we expected to find because it is the last stage of the river, the mouth. The theory from the textbooks is that the valley goes from a ‘V' shape valley to a ‘U' shape valley. This is due to hard rock being in the upper course of the river and because the high lands are mainly rock it is harder for the river to erode the away at the banks so it's a narrow shape forming a ‘V' shape but the river winds around the hard rock a pattern like a snake. As you carry on down the river the hard rock starts to get erode so what is left are interlocking spurs, these also erode over time crating a wider valley floor crating a ‘U'shape. The hypothesis is proven correct for the Valley Profile. How do I add the figures? DATA ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION River Profiles The width for the three locations is as followed from smallest to the largest; Battle 55cm, Sedlescombe 130cm and Bodiam with 1200cm. Bodiam had the largest depth also with 150cm. This was we expected to find because it is in the middle lower course But this is possible to wrong because in the river were we measured there are pillars to hold the bridge up. So while measuring we may have measured off one of those by accident. In Sedlescombe the deepest point was 53cm which isn't very deep but this is also expected because it is the upper lower course. The depth is possible to change here too though but only due to lateral erosion. In Battle we expected a shallow depth and we got a shallow depth with 5.5cm. When we took measurements of the river at the different points we put this information into a graph, the graph showed us the shape of the river at each location; Bodiam had long steep vertical banks and the river bed was flat with a few bumps and then back up forming an almost ‘U' shape. Sedlescombe was more of a ‘V' shape, the banks both went down at different angles to each other and the river bed had a lot more bumps. The two banks are at different angles this would be due to Lateral Erosion (which is erosion at outside of the bend) which is common in the middle course to form such features like Ox Bow Lakes. Battle was very shallow and lots of bumps along the bed and is hard to tell if it looked like a V shape. After comparing our graphs to a typical river to see if our hypothesis proven correct or not, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river.' It is proven that it does act like a typical river when it is compared. Evaluation – Conclusion From all our data that we have collected proves our hypothesis, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river.' Our hypothesis has got most typical physical features and land use of a normal typical river. For example; Width, the width of the river proved our hypothesis correct that the river does get bigger, in lateral erosion as you get near to the mouth of the river. Depth, the depth of the river proved our hypothesis correct that the river does get bigger, though vertical erosion, as you get near to the mouth of the river. Speed, the speed of the river proved our hypothesis correct that the river does get faster as you get nearer the mouth of the river. River Profile, the river profile went clearly from a V shape to a U as you carried on down the river nearer to the mouth. Vertical Erosion and Lateral Erosion cause this. Valley Profile, the valley profile also went clearly from a V shape to a U shape as you got nearer to the mouth of the river. So from our data our hypothesis is proven correct. However they are some parts of our data that does not agree with the typical river physical features. Like for example; Land Use, the land use around the four locations was proven to be wrong because at each location the land use was predicted different to what we found to really be their. Land Use, In Battle it was predicted we would find Hill Sheep Farming due to the steep land and large areas. But we found was Arable Farming mainly and lots of Settlement. Sedlescombe it was predicted we would find Arable Farming and Settlement. What we found was correct for this location. Bodiam was predicted that we would find it dominated by Arable Farming which is correct. Rye was expected us to find mainly Marsh Land and some Industry. What we found was mainly Marsh Land but also a lot of Industry and Lines of Communication. With that being the only thing that proves our hypothesis wrong against the several other facts that proves our hypothesis correct, The River Rother does includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river. Photo and Filed sketches Evaluation – Limitation After getting all of my results I am happy with what I ended up with because a large amount of the data agrees with our hypothesis, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river.' The land use is the only thing that went against our hypothesis but two of the locations were a tributary from the River Rother. And because Rye is such a large river we are unable to carry out our tests on it because we don't have the resources so we have to get all the results from a secondary source, which could be either out of date or a bad estimate. All the data we collected could be improved for example; The measuring of the speed, instead of using a Dog Biscuit and counting till it got to a certain spot. We could have used a Flow Meter. We were only able to do the Dog biscuit test once because we only had one Dog Biscuit for each location and it kept getting caught on debris in the river; sticks, rocks, trees and other debris. In Sedlescombe there were too many trees to get an accurate result the dog biscuit kept getting caught so we had to use several leafs to get our results. If we had a Flow Meter the test would have been much easier to carry out and a lot more reliable. Measuring the depth in all three locations can change and be inaccurate, due to the amount of water volume at the time of the measurement. And for the fourth locations, Rye, we had to use a secondary source which could be wrong and out of date. Bodiam we could only measure one side, the other is an estimate so that can be wrong affect the results of the data. Also the pillars in the river that hold up the bridge, it is possible that we could have been measuring off one of those for our depth. Sedlescombe's results were as good as we could get them. There was no interference other than the rocks in the water but they are natural so it's possible. In Battle it was very easy to measure because at Battle the river was very shallow. So if there was any interference we could just easily move it out the way. The way that we could have improved measuring the depth would be getting a boat and sailing to the middle of the river and dropping a weight with a tap measure and making sure we don't get any pillars. Finding the width of the river valley could all be wrong because in Rye we had to use a secondary source, in Bodiam we were only able to measure one side of the river valley due to what looked like privet land and us having to estimate what the other side, and finally Battle and Sedlescombe are both a tributary from the River Brede, so this could be a problem to our results because were meant to be collecting results from the River Rother and not the River Brede. The way we can improve all of this is by having different up to date sources and up to date equipment and measure more than once and take an average. For Sedlescombe how we measured the width was measuring across the bridge rather than measuring the river its self which means the bridge was probably wider than the river so this is a problem that can affect our results. The way we could have done this better is by getting two people down on either side of the river and measuring the length with a tape measure as close as we can. Battle is small enough to easily enough to have trustworthy measurements. The Valley Profile could have been improved a lot more by actually counting and measuring out our own individual steps instead of making all our steps the same with the same distance between each one. These problems could have easily been solved with a Meter Counter, counting our distance and adding up the distance we travelled accurately and correctly. And once we are back in the class room working out our meters into our own steps. This would have improved our data. Measuring the shape of the land with the clinometers wasn't perfect because not everyone was the same high as their partner so the accuracy was off at that point as well as the clinometers steaming up from the temperature made it hard to read the angles. The day that we went to the four different locations to do our test to get our results wasn't the best of days. The weeks before where hot and sunny causing evaporation, less water. Then the day and night before our trip it rained causing erosion and prevented us from doing most of the tests we needed to do correctly. It wasn't a good temperature either causing the clinometers to steam up and unable to read the angles accurately enough for a good result. The rain also ruined my own paper with my results on it making me have to get other results that could be wrong. And people rushing the test because it would start to rain again made it possible that we skipped something important and get the wrong results. Our hypothesis, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river.' can be inaccurate because it isn't being very clear to what kind of river it wants us to test for, ‘a typical river' is there such thing? All rivers are going to be different whether its due to what part of a country they are in or the size of the river or even how much rain the river gets. But I think the main problem that makes our hypothesis inaccurate is not noting what country this typical river is from. A river in Africa is going to be different to a river in England because of the amount of rain fall, less rain less water in the river to clear the obstructions causing the river to have a smaller volume and slower speed. The land use would be completely different too; most of Africa is a LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country) so there wouldn't be a large amount of Settlement and Industry around the mouth of the river. The weather conditions affect the comparisons too, for example; if there is a heat wave the river will lose a lot of water causing speed to slow and volume to drop, depth and width would change too. In England we usually expect rain so the rivers volume, speed, depth and width would all increase. The hypothesis should change to a more clearer, ‘The River Rother includes all the physical features and land use of a typical river in England'. Or something similar that is more targeted on a specific river.

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Human reasoning and Education - Essay Example Human reasoning and Education An ideal childhood can lead to an ideal person. A sound body and a sound mind have to be nourished. When all the things permit and when there are no hurdles and when life is a pleasure they can follow the set of standards set globally. As the great leaders say children are the nations future. An ideal childhood is what most of the able parents would provide to their children but what about those who crave for that. So we can say all these things are for the lucky few and most of population of poorer countries unlucky. The rich countries are lending a helping hand to poor but the funds don’t reach them instead gulped in between While learning at education institutions like schools, colleges, etc., they learn discipline and other activities. When we saw the scenario of the class pupil will do their work, one is laughing and one is fighting with his/her friend, one says I am feeling hungry, there will be muffled sounds in the class room, they think that is their dream world. They call the teacher they show what they have done in the class. And they expect that teacher should appreciate and encourage them. At this stage they want to learn new things or words from this world, in house parents talk something and the child would start imitating the same words. At this time they feel that they have achieved something, very often they will learn all these. This stage child will have enthusiasm to learn such things, their memory too sharp. Because they don’t have any jealous about others and no wealth problem they don’t worry about the others. Everything is going peacefully in their life.

Influence of Parents in the Development of Children Essay

Influence of Parents in the Development of Children - Essay Example Elders expect them to 'behave'. Nature versus nurture is a catch-phrase for the roles played by heredity and environment in the development of a human being. To get into more details, first let's discuss the very meaning of both the terms. The Nature theory is based on the idea of the animal instincts. 'Nature' indicates nativism, innatism, etc.-what the children acquire from the parents. 'Nurture' means what they adopt from what they are taught, especially from outside the home. On reaching the age of two, a normal child develops the basement for a lifetime-learning. This is the period when it is 24*7, in the shield of the parents. Every parent is concerned about their kids. They want the best for their kids. They implant everything the child needs to know so as to make its future an efficient one. Thus they act as the key to their intellectual growth. Parental influences differentiate one child from the other. They are indeed, the most important educators. Their actions with the child are the most obvious ones. "Parents, who regularly talk and read to their children, usually produce children with the largest vocabularies, the highest intelligent scores, and the best academic grades" (Gottfried, Fleming &Gottfried, 1998; Ninio, 1980). Likewise, "parents who reason with their children while making requests for obedience usually end up with more civil children" (Baumrind, 1967). Now let's glance at the Nurture part. ... They learn as they grow. Depending on what they want in their lives, they develop their personalities. They find it impossible to grow up without the influence of the surroundings. Some researchers have given proofs too. "Children who spent most of their first three years in day-care centers do not differ in behavior or adjustment from children who spent that time at home" (NICHD Early Child Care Researcher Network, 1998). Judith Harris, Psychologist, points out that, a child raised by book loving parents need not be smarter than the child from opera loving parents. "Children who speak Polish or Korean at home but English with their peers end up as English speakers. The language learned outside the home takes precedence over the one their parents taught them and they speak it without an accent" (Harris, 1998). At times, Nature and Nurture creates a catch 22 situation. Nature gives us abilities. Nurture moulds them. The inheritance of the same eye color, hair color, etc. owe to the Nature. "The Nature theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individual's DNA", so notes Kimberly Powell, a Genealogist. American Psychologist John Watson challenges, "Give me a dozen healthy infants and my own specific world to bring them up in, and I'll guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select-doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chef and Yes, even beggar and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and raise of his ancestors." We have seen quite a few examples. For the proper development of a

Pretty Women Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pretty Women - Movie Review Example Being white, Vivian received help from the hotel manager in getting herself ‘made up’. However, in retrospect, she might not have received the same treatments had she been Black or Asian like Fox and Liu, respectively. On the other hand, should that have been how the story goes whether or not the female role player is white or colored, it would still go that way according to the director’s wants about how things should be. In the real world though, it is most probable that more racist actions and comments could have been flung to the lady if she was of a different race, and the woman could have endured more sufferings than the Vivian played by Roberts. With respect to becoming prostitutes, people usually have the assumption that poverty usually causes someone to engage at such a degrading profession. It could be a common perception which probably is logical considering most of the poor are not able to go to a level of education where they can be competent to get m ore decent jobs.

Female Participation in the Mwxican Revolution as Narrated by Elena Essay

Female Participation in the Mwxican Revolution as Narrated by Elena Ponitowska and Anna Macias - Essay Example This paper is aimed at providing a brief yet comprehensive overview of the female participation in the Mexican revolution. To provide authentic details acclaimed works by reputed Mexican journalists Elena Poniatowska and Anna Macias will be the focus of this paper. Poniatowska and Macias have resurrected the astonishing stories of various female participants to provide a clear picture of how Mexican Revolution came as an awakening for women and opened the door for their active involvement in political affairs. Poniatowska celebrates the soldaderas' courage and fortitude in â€Å"Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution† and declares, "Without the soldaderas, there is no Mexican Revolution--they kept it alive and fertile, like the earth."1 (Poniatowska, 2006. p. 16) Mexican women who were vulnerable to rape, abductions and mistreatment willingly chose to fight for their land. They were ready to care for the wounded despite the fact that all those people have been deprivi ng them their own civil and political rights for centuries. Large scale warfare began in 1910 and lasted until 1917 during which women were actively engaged in every aspect of the Revolution, contributing intellectual leadership as well as supporting soldiers during the fierce war. Soldaderas were women who traveled with and supported the Revolutionary armies of generals like Villa, Carranza, and Zapata. 2 (King, p. 1) Soldaderas as a term encompasses various aspects in this context. Soldaderas performed most laboring tasks like finding and preparing food for the male soldiers, taking care of the gunpowder so that it does not get wet, collecting firewood and providing medical attention along with the main task of fighting on the front lines of combat. Elena describes that these women mostly belonged to the middle or lower classes. She also narrated the stories of warriors like Rosa Bobadilla who fought in more than 168 combats and became a colonel in the Zapatista army, Carmen Ameli a who Elena writes â€Å"wouldn’t stop caressing the pistol she carried on her right thigh. She’d shoot with her right hand and hold her cigar with her left† 3 (Poniatowska, 2006. p. 19) and Petra Ruiz who was nicknamed as El Echa Balas (the shooter) due to her unparalleled shooting skills. Elena has used the pictures of La Soldaderas by the acclaimed photographer Agustin Victor Casasola on the cover and inside the book to authenticate her narration. Casasola has not only provided pictorial identities of the soldaderas and their images of fighting during the war but also garnered the much required acclaim and dignity to these underrated participants. Countless images of fully armed Mexican women ready to fight were captured by Casasola during the revolution to establish the fact that women did play a prominent role. The pictures also exhibit the difficulties women faced during the revolution at an individual basis. Anna Macias has described the great role played by women and the sacrifices they made during the Revolution with reference to the unfavorable social conditions for females in the era of President Porfirio Diaz. Macias narrated stories of the soldier’s woman. She used the term â€Å"soldier's woman† because of the fact that a female fighter existed in the army via a relationship with a soldier.4 (Macias, 1982. p. 40) It was for this soldier that a soldadera labored. When that soldier died, she would

Responsibilities and Relationships in Education and Training Essay Example for Free

Responsibilities and Relationships in Education and Training Essay The Teaching Role and Responsibilities In Education And Training The role of ‘teacher’ is an infinitely varied one, but there certain principles which underpin all aspects of the teaching role. Whether we are attempting to teach from personally acquired experience or knowledge, or from third party information, the process of teaching can be formalized into a structured process with the aim of maximizing the potential for learning. Numerous models exist with the aim of outlining the key stages of this process. For example, Gravells (2010) identifies them as such: Identification of Need →Planning and Design→Delivery/Facilitation→Assessment→Evaluation In order to undertake each of these stages successfully, the role of the teacher becomes multi-faceted. For example, conducting initial interviews with students helps to establish individual aims and identify particular learning styles such as those recognised by Honey Mumford (1992). This should enable to the teacher to tailor their teaching style and utilize a variety of methods, while also providing an opportunity to set clear goals which can be used as a benchmark when reviewing students’ progress. Accurate documentation of this is essential and forms part of the teachers’ responsibility. Furthermore, whilst undertaking these roles as a teacher, it is vitally important to consider the parameters in which we must operate. These are most likely to be defined by legal requirement – for example the Equality Act (2010) or the policies or the organization for which we may be working. Ultimately, it is down to the individual teacher to ensure their own professional conduct at all times. References: Equality Act (2010). London: HMSO. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents Accessed 25/11/2014. Gravells, A (2010) ‘Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector’. 3rd Ed. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Honey P., Mumford A. (1992) ‘The Manual of Learning Styles’ 3rd Ed. Maidenhead, Peter Honey. Summarise Key Aspects Of Legislation, Regulatory Requirements And Codes Of Practice Relating To Own Role And Responsibilities There are many aspects to consider when discussing the conduct of a teacher and the requirements therein. Some of these are legal frameworks, others are more informal but equally important in terms of setting out guidelines for good practice. All of these requirements, when adhered to, help to ensure that as teachers, we are providing a safe, secure and successful learning environment. As students, they provide reassurance that care will be taken to promote inclusivity, maintain trust and ensure wellbeing. Some Codes of Practice will be designed to suit individual environments and will vary accordingly. Therefore care should be taken to ensure we are familiar with the particular requirements of the company or institution in which we are operating. Other codes are overarching and apply in all circumstances. One of the more recent of these is the ‘Statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability System for Children And Young People’ (SEND) which came into force on 1 September 2014 and explains the duties of schools and colleges to provide adjustments and aids for disabled children and young people up to 25. Legal acts which are underpinned by law are further reaching but equally apply. These include things such as the long standing 1974 Health and Safety  and Work Act, which ensures the â€Å"health, safety and welfare of persons at work† as well as â€Å"protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work†. However, in the constantly shifting legal landscape, we should be mindful of new legislation coming into force. Finally, there are, of course, directives issued by professional bodies such the Institute for Learning which has a Code of Professional Practice (2008) covering 7 key areas: Integrity Respect Care Practice Disclosure Responsibility References: Department for Education (2014). ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25 Accessed 29/11/2014 Institute for Learning (2008). ‘Code of Practice’ Available at: https://www.ifl.ac.uk/membership/ifl-code-of-professional-practice/view-the-code-of-professional-practice/ Accessed 1/12/2014 Explain Why It Is Important To Identify And Meet Individual Learner Needs As we have established previously, the first step in the (Gravells, 2010). Teaching and Learning Cycle is ‘Identifying need’. Without properly ascertaining this, the further steps in the cycle become more difficult to achieve and the chance for success is significantly diminished. Furthermore, informing learners of objectives creates a level of expectation for learning (Gagne, 1965). In order to avoid this outcome and the negative implications of failing to succeed, we must have a clear approach. Prior to the start of any learning activity, there will, by necessity be a  process which ostensibly is an administrative exercise. However, these interactions provide an excellent opportunity to engage with students in a way which could provide useful information. For example, noting that a student may have difficulty with grammar or spelling when completing a written questionnaire may indicate a greater need for support with literacy. Or, a student struggling to get to grips with viewing digital information such as a Powerpoint or PDF file could highlight a lack of I.T skill. It is important that we use all of these tools at our disposal, as acknowledging a perceived ‘flaw’ in ourselves is not always an easy thing to do. Students may be unwilling because of stigma or embarrassment or simply through an inability to recognize that a problem exists, which is an issue in roughly 30% of adults (Skills for Life Survey, 2011). However, individual needs may not be only be based on academic ability or skillset, there are a multitude of different needs which may exist and it is important to consider a holistic approach. Some students may have no difficulty with course content but may be distracted by other personal problems which affect their ability to learn. These could include financial difficulty, bereavement or an underlying health issue. Ultimately, the importance of identifying and meeting learners’ needs is about providing the best possibility for successful learning through providing support where it is most needed. References: Gagnà ©, R. M. (1965). ‘The conditions of learning and theory of instruction’ (1st ed.) Holt, Rinehart Winston: New York. Gravells, A (2010) ‘Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector’. 3rd Ed. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Skills for Life Survey (2011). Department for Business, Innovation Skills. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2011-skills-for-life-survey Accessed 1/12/14. Explain Ways To Maintain a Safe And Supportive Learning Environment As part of providing students with the best opportunity for success, it is crucial that the learning environment is both safe and supportive. These aspects are intertwined in that their aim is to create an environment where consideration for all matters other than the subject itself can be put aside to concentrate on learning. When operating in any environment, safety is the first issue. A risk assessment should be carried out prior to beginning any teaching session to establish whether hazards exist, and if so what extent they pose a risk (Trades Union Congress, 2008). These factors should also be assessed dynamically and any new or developing threat should be treated as a priority. When working in an environment such as a client office or business premises, safety considerations should include awareness of the existing plan of evacuation in case of fire. Any issues which are identified (such as blocked exits etc) should be bought up with the client in a professional manner. Support for learners may be provided in several ways. On a personal level, it is ensuring inclusivity for all students, treating each individual with respect and tolerance, as well as providing individually tailored help to match the needs identified in the first stage of the Teaching and Learning Cycle (Gravells, 2008). However, support is also provided through recognizing the need to give adequate breaks and availability of resources required to undertake the learning process properly. It is vital that consideration is given to these factors in the planning stage so that support may be implemented pro-actively rather than reactively. References: Trades Union Congress (2008) ‘Risk Assessment’. Precision Printing: London. Available online at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/extras/riskassessment.pdf Accessed 1/12/14 Gravells, A (2010) ‘Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector’. 3rd Ed. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Explain Why It Is Important To Promote Appropriate Behaviour and Respect For Others The importance of appropriate behavior is paramount as it will set the correct tone for a learning environment. Fundamentally, it is about the rights of learners to have access to, attend, and participate in their chosen learning experience regardless of their circumstances. (Equality Act, 2010) The best way to promote this is to set the example as the teacher (School of Educators, 2011). This can be achieved in a variety of ways. Ensuring that the planning of any session has been properly executed will help to demonstrate basic values such as organization, efficiency and punctuality and when delivering a session, using appropriate tone and language will exhibit the kinds of behaviour which we want to see reflected in students. It is also important that we are focused on the task at hand and are not distracted by outside influences. Something as simple as switching off a mobile phone could make all the difference. In that regard, requesting students to put their phones into ‘silent’ mode is something which could help to avoid them becoming distracted but also establishes a basic ground rule while not necessarily conveying the same message as ‘please all turn your phones off’. Where undesirable behaviour occurs, it is important to consider whether addressing it may in fact be more of a disruption than the behaviour itself, however, where it needs to be addressed, this should be done so quickly and professionally. However, it is important to note that students, like teachers should incorporate humour into learning. Using humour in the classroom shows that you are human and consequently encourages students to like and respect you. Being able to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake offers a good counterbalance to the moment when you must be strict and so helps lighten the classroom atmosphere (Cowley, 2007) Treating students as individuals but with equal respect will help to promote the same response from them. Therefore, care should be taken to listen to, appreciate and encourage individual contributions, this is especially true in the case of adult learners who bring their own experiences to the learning setting. References: Cowley, S. (2007) ‘Guerilla Guide to Teaching: The Definitive Resource for New Teachers’ (2nd Ed.) Continuum: London. Equality Act (2010). London: HMSO. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents Accessed 04/12/2014. School of Educators (2011). ‘The Characteristics of a Good Teacher’. Available online at: http://schoolofeducators.com/2011/05/the-characteristics-of-a-good-teacher/ Accessed 4/12/14. Explain How the Teaching Role Involves Working with Other Professionals As a teacher, there will always be a requirement to liaise and work with other professionals, and this is likely to occur in a number of ways. When employed in a teaching role, we act as a representative of the organization which employs us, and we have a responsibility to represent that organization in a professional manner. Equally, when dealing with internal colleagues, whether a manager or a colleague at the same level of seniority, we are dutybound to treat others with respect, politeness and courtesy. Values which all form part of the Institute for Learning ‘Code of Practice’ (2008). Remembering that we have a responsibility to act according to these guidelines can be especially important when faced with other professionals who may be challenging or difficult in their approach. For example, in a  client situation, a Manager who is under pressure is annoyed because some of his staff are being abstracted from their usual duties to undertake training. In this situation, it is feasible that a degree of hostility may be directed toward the trainer. In acknowledging the managers concerns and highlighting the benefit of the training both to the staff and the manager, we may be able to defuse the situation rather than escalate it. Of course, students themselves can be professionals and care must be taken to acknowledge the professional standing of adult learners so that we do not condescend or patronize. However, we also have a responsibility to care for our students and where it is highlighted that a student may have a need or issue which requires third party support, we may need to act as an advocate or intervene to flag potential issues. Legislation such as The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) make it potentially necessary to liaise with other professional agencies and, depending on the nature of the matter, it may be appropriate to use care or discretion. In all cases, it is appropriate that we remain professional and impartial. References: Institute for Learning (2008). ‘Code of Practice’ Available at: https://www.ifl.ac.uk/membership/ifl-code-of-professional-practice/view-the-code-of-professional-practice/ Accessed 1/12/2014 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006). London: HMSO. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/47/section/6 Accessed 4/12/14 Explain the Boundaries Between the Teaching Role and Other Professional Roles In dealing with other professional roles, there must come a point at which the boundaries of our own role are recognized to avoid us ‘overstepping the line’. This can apply on either a professional or personal level and works in two ways: our behaviour toward others and their behaviour towards us. The key basis upon which these boundaries must be drawn are ethics. Ethics can be described as ‘The codes of conduct or moral principles recognized in a particular profession, sphere of activity, relationship, or other context or aspect of human life’ (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014) In particular, the teaching profession is deeply implicated in ethical concerns and considerations. (Carr, D. 2000.) Therefore, it is an issue which should be constantly at the forefront of our thinking as teachers and an awareness of ethics helps to define the boundaries between us and other professional roles. Some boundaries are not so much an issue of ethics, however, but more of practicality and there must be limits placed on what we can reasonably be expected to achieve. This could, for example, include something such as a client wishing us to condense a lesson into a shorter time to reduce the impact on their business. Whilst the motivation for this may be understandable, it could also be perceived to undermine the value of the lesson itself, or at the very least will have an effect on the quality of the teaching. Recognising this kind of boundary enables us to ensure the integrity of our aims as teachers. Oxford English Dictionary (2014) Available online at: http://www.oed.com/ Accessed 4/12/14. Carr, D. (2000). ‘Professionalism and ethics in teaching’.London: Routledge Describe Points of Referral To Meet The Individual Needs Of Learners The teacher/student relationship is a unique one and often provides opportunities to unearth or identify needs which have previously been unnoticed. These needs may be specific to helping someone become a more effective learner, (such as possible dyslexia) or could be a wider issue in terms of being affecting the individual students’ life beyond the classroom. These wider-reaching needs could be in any area of a persons’ life and broadly speaking, fall into one of 5 categories as identified by Maslow (1943): Our role in providing support to help a student meet the identified need will depend on the particular need itself. For example, a student who is  apparently lacking in one of the ‘upper needs’ such as self-esteem may benefit from more support, praise and encouragement. Some needs, however, will require external or third party input and this is where we may seek to access a point of referral. It may become clear to us in the process of teaching that a student is suffering a crisis affecting their overall wellbeing: Domestic abuse, homelessness, drug or alcohol misuse etc. In this instance, we can play an important role in referring someone to a service or organization who can provide assistance. So as to be sure that we are not misguided, the student themselves should be engaged initially and when help is offered, it can be simply through providing information, or if consent is given, we may choose to act as an advocate. Maslow, A.H (1943). ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’. Psychological Review (50)p.370-396.

The Private Sector Essay Example for Free

The Private Sector Essay Below is a quick summary on the key events from the present day back to 1936 and a brief description of what each one is about 1936 Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp at Skegness with over 600 chalets included 1938 Holidays with Pay Act introduced People given time off work whilst still getting paid 1946 Fred Pontin opens his first holiday camp near Weston-Super-Mare Competition to the Butlins holiday camp 1950 First packaged air holiday organized by Horizon Advance in technology allowing this to happen 1952. First jet airline passenger service faster and more comfortable way of travel 1959 First jet airline passenger service to Australia transport and technology has allowed for this to happen 1960 Number of domestic holidays exceeds 30 million for the first time and number of holidays rises to 3. 5 million showing an increase of people taking holidays Early 1960s First global distribution systems developed by American airline companies 1968 Worlds first commercial Hovercraft operated from Dover to Boulogne Advance in Technology and meant people could get across quicker than with ferry. 1969 Development of Tourism Act introduced. Formation of the British, English, Scottish and Wales Tourist Boards Government realized that they had to promote the country for tourism and for incoming and domestic tourists 1976 Concorde goes into service A supersonic transport plane built by Britain and France, begins passenger service 1981 60 per cent of households in the UK have regular use of at least one car More money been made and another form of transport meaning that domestic tourism can expand with people been able to travel in the UK easier. 1987 Number of holidays abroad exceeds 20 million for the first time, whilst domestic holidays fall to 28. 5 million, the lowest number since 1955 Showing that the advance in flying and cheaper holidays abroad with sun are tempting people to go that way 1992 EU Directive on package holidays introduced EU has found it important to pass legislation 1992 Department of National Heritage formed For Culture, Media and sports 1995 Le Shuttle and Eurostar carry first passengers through Channel Tunnel New quicker way of getting across the channel 1997 70 per cent of all households in the UK have regular use of at least one car Showing that more money is coming into the households 1998 Number of holidays abroad exceeds 30 million for first time Cheaper flights and cheaper accommodation abroad. More time 1998 An estimated 1. 4 million people purchased travel tickets on the internet New cheaper way of getting tickets for travel and also quicker 1999 The English Tourism Council replaced the English Tourist Board 2000 Air passenger duty reduced on economy flights removes barrier to the growth of inbound tourism. 2001 September 11th and Foot and Mouth disease hits Britain meaning restrictions to people going into certain places People afraid of flying after the 11th attacks. 2002 Terrorist bomb in Bali Effect on people wanting to travel, meaning there could be an increase in domestic tourism 2003 SARS broke out and in March Iraq war started For both, People not wanting to travel abroad meaning there could be an increase in domestic tourism The main reasons for the rapid growth in the industry since the end of the Second World War are: 1. The changing social economic circumstances. Increase in leisure time   Increase in disposable income   Increased car owner ship 2. Technological developments 3. Product development and innovation 4. Changing consumer needs and expectations and fashions I will explain each of these reasons below E1 Changing Social Economic Circumstances 1. Increase in Leisure Time There are a variety of reasons why there has been n increase in the leisure time. Firstly there has been a decrease in working time since 1971. The table below shows the decrease in working time from 1971 to 2001. Full Time Workers 1971 2001. Weekly hours of work 42. 0 39. 7 This has resulted in an increase in free time for people and therefore more time to go away. People have also been encouraged to take time off work and go on holidays because of the introduction of paid holidays. With the introduction of this it has encouraged people to take holidays because they can take time off work whilst still been paid. There has also been an increase in the amount of days that people have off from work and the annual hours or work per worker has also decreased. All of which equal to an increase in free and leisure time. Full Time Workers 1971 2001 Paid Holiday Days 16. 7 25. 1 Public Holiday Days 6. 0 8. 0 Annual Hours of Work per Worker 1,999 1,807 Another factor for the increase in leisure time is that of more people employed as just part time workers, as the table below shows. Key Labour-Force Statistics 1971 2001 % of Labour Force employed as part-time workers 15. 5 30 This table shows a big increase in the amount of part time workers in 2001. This could mean that if someone only works 4 days a week they will have more leisure time and therefore more time to go on holidays. There have also been changes in the age structure of the population   Decrease in birth rate   Population Getting Older Increase in life expectancy The decrease in birth rate means that people have more time on their hands and also more money because they dont have young children to look after. The growth of the population means that there are more people which can mean more holidays been sold And finally the increase in the life expectancy means that there are more old aged pensioners and when they have retired from the working life they will have a lot more time to do leisure activities. There has been an increase in ready meals. Whereas before the 1990s people would have to go to different shops such as the groceries and the butchers and then preparing all the separate ingredients which were very time consuming. Now you can go to the local supermarket and buy meals already prepared which just need heating up and also they are significantly cheaper. Saving money and time can increase the leisure time. Finally the introduction of household consumer goods means that cleaning up around the house is easier and a lot quicker than before which also saves time. 2. Disposable Income. Disposable Income is money that is left over after you have bought something. This money goes into a variety of things such as the following list:   Tax   National Insurance   Pension   Mortgage   Clothing   Council Tax   Power   Food Individual disposable income has risen in the UK which has meant an increase on the consumer spending on travel and tourism In the economy when there is a recession this means there is high unemployment, high interest rates and high inflation. When the economy circumstances are in recession the taking of holidays is usually one of the first items of household expenditure to be cut out. An example is in the early 1990s recession in the UK led to a decrease in the overseas holidays, with consumer confidence low due to the fears of unemployment and a fall in house prices. When there is a boom in the economy though, this leads to high employment, low in interest rates and low in inflation. This means that there is confidence for the consumers because of the high employment and with extra money through disposable income more money is been spent in the travel and tourism industry. The rate of inflation is another key factor in the UK economy. The rate of inflation is the rise in prices of products and can affect whether people buy certain products and when a holiday increases in price then consumers will look elsewhere if they feel the holiday is not value for money. The exchange rate is also a key feature in the UK economy. When the English pound is strong against other currencies such as the euro and the dollar then people are more likely to travel abroad because they are getting more money for their pound and so outbound tourism is greater. However this affects inbound tourism to the UK because the exchange rate for foreign countries is not as good. 3. Car Ownership Since 1945 there has been an increase in the car ownership that people now have. In 1997 70% of all households in the UK had regular use of at least one car and now there is an estimate of 20 million cars in the UK The effect of households having access to cars is that it can encourage travel in the UK. It is a lot easier to go by car to places than other forms of transport around the UK and this will increase the domestic tourism. In 1998 80% of trips were taken by cars with a 3/4 of the population visiting the countryside at least once a year which shows how important the use of a car has been for the UK tourism. Another factor of the increase in car ownership is that the development of the road network has led to the rise in the visit to the countryside E1 Technological Developments Since the 1940s there has been a steady increase in the technological developments with aircraft, ships and trains all been developed and carrying larger numbers In the 1970s there was the development of the jet engine which encouraged people to travel abroad and with prices falling in recent years and the introduction of cheap airlines such as easy jet it has encouraged people to fly abroad. This has also led to the further developments of package tour holidays with the transport and accommodation all been included. In 1999 the most popular tourist destination abroad was Spain with more than a quarter of UK tourists going there. Below is a table showing the percentage of people going to certain European destinations Under 16 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 and over All1 Spain 32 28 24 26 26 30 31 27 France 29 17 18 21 19 17 17 20 USA 7 7 9 9 8 6 5 7 Greece 4 10 7 6 7 6 3 6 Eire 2 5 5 5 5 5 7 6 This table also shows the kinds of age groups that visit those countries. Another popular holiday destination outside of Europe is the USA. This is all related to the growth of technology because it has allowed people to travel around more and get to places which were before impossible. www. statistics. gov. uk Following the opening of the channel tunnel there has been more competition for the transport industry. The channel tunnel has offered a quick and cheap way of travel across to channel and into the rest of Europe. With flight prices also falling with the introduction of cheap airlines such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air, people have chosen to go this way because it is the fastest way of travel and with prices falling the best option for many people. This has led to a problem for the ferries on the sea because people have chosen to use over forms of transport such as the airlines, the euro tunnel has also suffered because of this. Airlines can now be cheaper than the ferries and Euro tunnel with the introduction of low cost airlines and quicker. To compete therefore with other forms of transport, ferry has started making their holidays start from the ship with nightclubs, bars, cinemas and other entertainment. This to compete and keep ferry going. 2. Communication and information systems. The development in the communications and information technology systems has resulted in a significant impact on the travel and tourism industry. The computer reservation systems (CRS) and global distribution systems (GDS) has improved the sales of airline tickets, packaged holidays, hotel accommodation and other tourism products since the development in the late 1960s in the USA. The use of Global Distribution Systems has enabled companies such as Thomson to operate commercially in the world and develop partnerships with airlines; hotel groups; tour operators and so on. The internet has had a huge impact on the travel and tourism industry. Back in the 20th century people would go down to the travel agents and book their holidays through this all together with flights, accommodation and so on. However with the introduction of the internet people have found booking holidays through this is usually cheaper and quicker than going down to the travel agents. You can now book each aspect of the holiday separately and many people have recognized this and now you can easily book flights and accommodation on the internet for cheaper than going to the travel agents which have led to problems for the travel agents. 3. Product Development There has been changing needs and expectations of the consumers such as people now expecting to have ensuite bathrooms which have now become a necessity rather than a luxury to people There has also been a development of the mass market tourism industry with resorts such as Euro Disney becoming more and more popular for tourists because it is a holiday which there is something to do all the time. Things like Innovative travel products, domestic tourism and the seaside resorts and holiday camps have all been developed since the 1950s and these have been developed because they are popular and countries can make money and people have the time to go to them. People started to travel abroad in the 1970s because it was becoming possible to do so with the advance in technology such as the introduction of airplanes, people having more time on their hands with things such as paid holidays and as it has become cheaper and cheaper to get abroad people have left the UK as they are guaranteed sun more in other countries than here in the UK. Even though the domestic tourism have fallen since its peak in 1974 of 40 million people the industry has thought back with the development of short breaks such as weekend breaks to major cities in the UK or to country places such as the Lake District for which has offered a cheap and relaxing way to get away for a short time. Blackpool is an example of a 12th month holiday destination. This is because Blackpool has something to offer all year round such as the pleasure beach and the lights as well as concerts. Tour operators, airlines, hotels and travel agents are consistently under pressure to develop their innovative products in order to meet consumer need and retain their market share in the competitive market. Tour operators have successfully developed innovative new products for specific markets such as families and single people. The industry is continuing developing new products and services to cater for all markets. Examples for tour operators developing their products can be offering late deals for cheaper prices and given special offers. For example when a large group are going on a skiing holiday some tour operators will offer discounts on the party. E1 Features of the Travel and Tourism Industry Travel and Tourism can be split into two groups which are:   Commercial (The Private Sector)   Non-Commercial (Public and Voluntary Sectors) The UK travel industry is dominated by the private sector with the majority been small and medium sized organizations. These private sector companies have the main to simply make a profit. The main activities in the private sector are:   Sales Catering and Accommodation. Travel Services Entertainment Many are public limited companies which are owned by shareholders. There is also the Public Sector in the travel and tourism industry. These are largely funded by central or local governments. These organizations include tourist boards and local authorities which run museums, art galleries and tourist information centres. Visit Britain and the National and Regional tourist boards are the key public sector organizations involved in supporting the UK industry. Previously the Visit Britain was known as the BTA. Visit Britain markets Britain to the UK as well as the rest of the world to build on the value of tourism in Britain and throughout the year by creating world class destination brands and marketing campaigns. Its goal is to promote Britain to the rest of the country and the rest of the world. Visit Britain is funded by the Department for culture, media and sport. Regional Tourist Boards support the work of the national tourist boards to promote the domestic tourism. There are 10 regional tourist boards in England and there are 3 in Wales.

Clinical Supervision in Practice and District Nursing

Clinical Supervision in Practice and District Nursing CLINICAL SUPERVISION IN PRACTICE AND DISTRICT NURSING: A LITERATURE REVIEW The following research reports a systematic literature review of studies which have assessed the development, implementation and outcomes of clinical supervision within practice and district nursing. 1.0 ABSTRACT Background – The demands which are being placed on nurses within the modern health care environment continue to increase. It is important that effective measures are identified which provide appropriate education, support and quality control for nurses to ensure that they can meet these demands. One such approach is referred to as clinical supervision. Through this, a nurse can be supervised by a more superior colleague who can oversee their actions and make interventions when necessary. Aims – This literature review will critically review research which has assessed the development, implementation and outcomes of clinical supervision in practice and district nursing. This will enable an assessment of the effectiveness and efficacy of clinical supervision within this group of health care workers. Methodology – A systematic literature review was conducted. Relevant articles were identified via computer based searches, manual searches and internet-based searches. Results – It was found that clinical supervision was developed based on a set of standards but that more work is required to improve the dissemination of these standards, role definitions and to standardise the process of supervisor selection and training. A need was also identified for supervisors to me made more available for both nurses and the supervisors themselves. Finally, the perceived benefits of clinical supervision in terms of support, socialisation into ward culture, providing clinical experience and improving the nurses’ job satisfaction were discussed. Further research is recommended to developed standardised and validated assessment tools to enable empirical analyses of the effect of clinical supervision on nurse performance and the quality of care provided to patients. Conclusions – Clinical supervision is seen to be an effective way of providing support for practice and district nurses. However, more work is needed to ensure that it is more feasible and that it is not viewed as a form of control or assessment by the nurses. Keywords – Clinical Supervision Practice District Nursing Evaluation What do we already know about the topic? Clinical Supervision focuses on providing nurses with education, support and management (quality control) Health care workers perceive that clinical supervision aids support, skill development, team building, provides a monitor and helps colleagues to share information Little research has critically analysed the effectiveness and efficacy of clinical supervision for practice and district nursing What does this study add to the knowledge in this topic? Clinical supervision standards have been developed but they need to be more effectively disseminated, standardised and the roles need to be better defined This review highlights the need for there to be an increase in the availability of supervisors for both nurses and the supervisors themselves Standardised assessment tools need to be developed and validated to enable an assessment of the effect of clinical supervision on nurse performance and quality of care 2.0 INTRODUCTION The world of nursing has gone through a period of significant change over the last ten years. In the acute nursing environment, nurses are using increasingly more complex health care interventions and have to incorporate the use of advances in both medical technology and disease management. Within primary care, nurses are required to face the burden of chronic disease and to facilitate patients beginning to self manage their own health. Such changes have been made as a result of Governmental policy and strategic approaches (Wanless 2002, Wanless 2004). Such changes have resulted in there being a range of extra demands being placed upon the nurse, both during and after their training. The Royal College of Nursing (2004a and 2004b) acknowledged the change which is occurring and stated that nurses’ continuous education needs to be assessed and adapted to meet the changing role of the nurse. Changing have particularly taken place within the education of student nurses through the implementation of Project 2000 (UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting 1986)Nurses are now required to undertake tasks which were traditionally performed by doctors. Through these changes the need for effective CLINICAL supervision within nursing has become ever more salient. As a result of the potential effects which a supervisor nurse relationship can have on the nurse’s learning, their experience of training, their subsequent performance on the training course, their future effectiveness as a nurse and ultimately on the quality of the care which is provided by the nurses, it is an important topic to consider within the fields OF BOTH PRACTICE AND DISTRICT nursing. 3.0 BACKGROUND Much has been written about the practitioner as facilitator, supervisor, assessor and role model, and the overlay of role functions (Windsor 1987, Hughes 1990, Donovan 1990, Bailey 1992). Despite this, there is still a lack of consensus within the literature in terms of a clear definition of what is meant by the term ‘supervisor’ (Hagerty 1986, Phillips et al 1996a, Phillips et al 1996b). It has been argued that the task of defining the term supervisor is made more complicated by the fact that other terms are used, such as assessor, facilitator and mentor, to describe the same role (Phillips et al 1996a, Phillips et al 1996b). As a result of the wide range of aspects of the role which is played by a supervisor, it can be stated that a definition of supervisor can only be a general description as anything more specific would run the risk of excluding important elements of the position (Davies et al 1994). For the purposes of the following review, the definition of supervi sion which was provided by Zwolski (1982) will be adopted: ‘Supervision is a relationship which is aimed at guiding the novice towards an established place within the profession’ (Zwolski 1982) In the nursing profession the aims of the supervisor will be to form a relationship with their nurses which enables them to be successful during their training and throughout their subsequent career. Jarvis (1995) emphasised that it is important to focus on the supervisor’s role as a function and as a relationship with the nurse rather than being about them as a teacher or practitioner. Through this role the supervisor can help to narrow the gap between theory and practice (Pelosi-Beaulieu 1988, Armitage and Burnard 1991). Butterworth and Faugier (1994) theorise that the role of clinical supervisor has three key elements, namely Education, Support and Management (through quality control). However one conceptualises clinical supervision within practice and district nursing, the benefits of the process have been demonstrated through previous research. It has been found that nurses require their supervisor to provide a good role model and to provide a source of support, particularly in the earlier years of a nurse’s career (Gray and Smith 2000). Research has indicated that nurses tend to leave the profession because they cannot cope with the demands of training or the job itself (Fulbrook et al 2000) or because of more personal factors (MORI 2003). It may be that clinical supervision has a broader role to play here in reducing the probability that a nurse will leave the profession. Based on questionnaire research, Thomas and Reid (1995) identified five important benefits of clinical supervision. They were support, skill development, team building, monitoring clinical performance and the sharing of information. The following review will consider research which has focussed on the clinical supervision within practice and district nursing. 4.0 METHOD A systematic review aims to integrate existing information from a comprehensive range of sources, utilising a scientific replicable approach, which gives a balanced view, hence minimising bias (Hart 1998). In other words, a scientific approach will help to ensure that research evidence is either included or excluded based upon well defined and standardised criteria. This should ensure that the possible effects of researcher bias should be kept to a minimum. Brealey and Glenny (1999) also states that systematic reviews provide a means of integrating valid information from the research literature to provide a basis for rational decision making concerning the provision of healthcare. 4.1 SOURCES OF DATA The methodology employed within the research will involve obtaining data from three key sources: Computerised searches, Manual searches, and the Internet. Each of these data sources will now be considered in more detail. 4.1.1 COMPUTERISED SEARCHES Multiple databases, both online and CD–Rom will be accessed to retrieve literature because they cite the majority of relevant texts. (Loy 2000) The computerised bibliographic databases are:- MEDLINE EMBASE CINAHL PSYCHINFO British Nursing Info BNI Cochrane Science Direct(All Sciences Electronic Journals) However because articles may not be correctly indexed within the computerised databases, other strategies will be applied in order to achieve a comprehensive search (Sindhu Dickson 1997). 4.1.2 MANUAL SEARCHES A manual search will be performed to ensure that all relevant literature is accessed. The manual searches will include:- Books relevant to the topic from university libraries and web sites Inverse searching- by locating index terms of relevant journal articles and texts Systematically searching reference lists and bibliographies of relevant journal articles and texts 4.1.3 THE INTERNET The internet will provide a global perspective of the research topic and a searchable database of Internet files collected by a computer. Sites accessed will include:- Department of Health National Institute of Clinical Excellence English National Board of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Google 4.2 IDENTIFICATION OF KEY WORDS The selection of search terms is an important task. The search needs to be sensitive in that it should identify as many of the key articles as possible. It should also be specific in reducing the number of irrelevant articles which it produces. The search words were derived based on the research question, as recommended by Loy (2000). They were: Clinical Supervision Practice Nursing District Nursing Evaluation Effectiveness 4.3 INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA. In order that a manageable quantity of pertinent literature is included in this study, it is essential that inclusion and exclusion criteria are applied. These are outlined below: 4.3.1 INCLUSION CRITERIA The articles which are highlighted within the proposed searches will be assessed in terms of whether or not they meet the following criteria. Each article will need to be viewed as appropriate with regards to all of these constraints if they are to be included in the final analysis. From the pool of data which is obtained, the most appropriate articles which meet these inclusion criteria will be selected for use within the review. A literature review encompassing all methodologies will be applied (International studies will be included Available in English Relate to Clinical Supervision Relate to Practice or District Nursing 4.3.2 EXCLUSION CRITERIA The articles highlighted by the searches will also be assessed in terms of whether or not they fulfil the following exclusion criteria. If a potentially relevant article meets one or more of these criteria then they will be immediately excluded from the data set and will not be included within the analysis stage of the methodology. Articles relating to supervision in industries other than health care will not be included Literature in a foreign language will be excluded because of the cost and difficulties in obtaining translation. Research reported prior to 1985 will not be included within this review. 4.4 CONSIDERATION OF ETHICAL ISSUES Any research involving NHS patients/service users, carers, NHS data, organs or tissues, NHS staff, or premises requires the approval of a NHS research ethics committee (Department of Health 2001). A literature review involves commenting on the work of others, work that is primarily published or in the public domain. This research methodology does not require access to confidential case records, staff, patients or clients so permission from an ethics committee is not required to carry out the review. The researcher will also act professionally when identifying, reviewing and reporting relevant studies. 5.0 RESULTS The most relevant research which was identified by the methodology employed within this research will now be critically analysed. In order to structure the discussion more effectively, the analysis will address the three stages which should comprise the evaluation of a training intervention (Kirkpatrick 1979). Thus the discussion will consider the development, implementation and outcomes of clinical supervision in practice and district nursing. 5.1 EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERVISION PROGRAMMES Whenever one is considering a health care intervention, it is important to first address the foundations upon which it was developed. In the case of clinical supervision, one must consider the relevant policies and theoretical frameworks. A set of standards which govern the preparation and role of supervisors were produced by the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (2004). The English National Board have outlined the five key aspects of the supervisors role: Assisting, Befriending, Guiding, Advising and Counselling (Anforth 1992). Research has been conducted with the aim of evaluating the supervision process from a theoretical perspective as well as those of the nurses and supervisors themselves. This research will now be outlined. Researchers have conducted reviews of clinical supervision of nurses and have highlighted some potential limitations. Andrews and Wallis (1999) reported that a range of different frameworks for conceptualising the supervisor role were prevalent and that more specific guidelines needed to be developed. They also found that supervisors often attended short and local courses whose effectiveness had not been evaluated. Furthermore, Wilson-Barnett et al (1995) stated that the continued use of terms such as mentor, assessor and facilitator, as well as supervisor, led to confusion of the specific nature of the role. Therefore, it appears that although standards have been developed regarding clinical supervision in nursing, further work may be required to ensure that they are more effectively disseminated. The process of clinical supervision needs to also be evaluated from the nurses’ perspective. Watson (1999) conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 nurses to investigate their perceptions of the clinical supervision which they had received. Two key findings were reported. Firstly, the respondents reported that they felt that the supervision process was not sufficiently defined by the English National Board. They also felt that the supervision process was not adequately clarified by their internal organisation. Standards were seen to be appropriate but they were not effectively applied to the practical situation. This research did employ a small sample and the extent to which the findings can be generalised to the UK as a whole may be questioned Having said this, these findings do demonstrate that nurses clinical supervision is based on appropriate standards but that the roles of supervision and the person being supervised need to be more specifically defined. The third and final area of evaluation concerns the supervisors themselves. Cahill (1996) reviewed the relevant research in this area and reported that there are a range of different supervisor selection and training procedures. This ensures that there is sufficient scope for different supervisors to be selected based on different criteria and for them to then go on and receive different levels of training. This lack of standardisation has the potential to mean that the quality of supervision provided throughout the UK may significantly differ. Further research in this field has been reported. For instance, Neary (1997 and 2000) interviewed 155 clinical supervisors. It was found that there was some confusion over the nature which the supervisor/nurse relationship should take. The supervisors were not clear on what their specific role was and the extent to which they should help their nurses. This causes problems in terms of competency assessment as the supervisors were not clear on what was expected of them and the nurses whom they were supervising. Therefore, issues regarding standardisation and role definition are prevalent within supervisor perceptions of this topic. This section has demonstrated that work is required to improve the dissemination of standards, role definitions and the standardisation of supervisor selection and training. 5.2 EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPERVISION PROGRAMMES A relevant research study which has been conducted in this area involved nurses and their supervisors completing activity diaries for a week (Lloyd-Jones et al 2001). The data provided via the activity diaries were then analysed in order to determine the extent to which the nurses were adequately supervised and what happened when their supervisors were not present. It was reported within this research that the nurses did spend a significant amount of time away from their supervisor. It was identified that in the absence of a supervisor, the student nurse was often supervised, either directly or indirectly, by another qualified member of staff. Although this may be a good short term solution, it is unlikely to be standardised across organisations and to only occur when there is an appropriate member of staff available. More strategic approaches to clinical supervision may be required such that practice and district nurses have appropriate support when it is required. The importance of supervisor availability has been highlighted within international research. For example, Saarikoski (2002) collected data from 558 student nurses who were based in both Finland and the UK. They completed the Clinical Learning Experience and Supervision Instrument. The Finish students were found to be significantly more positive regarding their clinical experience and their supervision relative to the UK students. This difference was found to be significantly associated with the fact that Finish students spent a significantly longer amount of time with their supervisor. This methodology benefits from using a relatively large sample. Other research has focussed on the extent to which the supervisors themselves are adequately supervised. Aston et al (2001) conducted research which was commissioned by the English National Board. They collected information via documentation, one-to-one interviews and focus groups using samples of 76 lecturers and 46 practitioners. The research focused on the participants’ perceptions of the extent to which the supervisors of student nurses are adequately supervised, monitored and audited. It was found that supervisors believed that they were not sufficiently prepared, supported or monitored. They had a wide range of different experiences and they believed that there was a need for a more organised approach which would enable more consistent support and supervision to be available. It is important that the supervisors themselves are supervised so that they have someone to guide and advise them in their role and to provide them with the support that they need to effectively supervise their student nurses. The methodology used in this study benefits from having a relatively large s ample and because it obtained data from a number of different sources. This facilitated an overall view of the topic to be gained by enabling a more comprehensive approach. This section has demonstrated that further work is required in the implementation of clinical supervision to ensure that both practice and district nurses, as well as their supervisors, are appropriately supervised. 5.3 EVALUATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF SUPERVISION PROGRAMMES A key area of any evaluation will focus on the relevant outcomes. However, in terms of clinical supervision, this is not a straight forward task as there is a lack of clear and standardised assessment tools. Calman et al (2002) conducted 12 focus groups and 72 one-to-one interviews with nurses and supervisors to gain an understanding of their perceptions. It was reported that assessment tools were not seen to provide a fair reflection of a person’s ability and that the approaches taken varied significantly between organisations. As a result of this the research which has empirically assessed the effects of clinical supervision on both the quality of patient care and the nurses’ skill acquisition is limited. Having said this, questionnaire research involving 19 nurses has highlighted some of the perceived positive outcomes of clinical supervision (Earnshaw 1995). The respondents indicated that the supervision provided vital support, aided their socialisation in terms of ward culture and facilitated their gaining of clinical experience which helped to improve their skills. Thus, through both direct and indirect methods, clinical supervision can have positive outcomes in terms of the nurses themselves. However, one cautionary note should be made here in that further research by Cahill (1996) has revealed that some nurses view clinical supervision as a form of control and assessment rather than a source of help to them. Therefore, more standardised and validated assessment tools are required before confident conclusions can be made regarding the actual effects of clinical supervision on nurses’ skills and the quality of the care which they provide to their patients. There are some perceived outcomes of both a positive and negative nature which are associated with clinical supervision. Further work here would help to maximise and realise the perceived benefits and to minimise the effects of any possible negative aspects. Other relevant research has focused on the outcomes of clinical supervision in terms of the nurses job satisfaction. Gray and Smith (2000) interviewed 10 nurses at five different points in their careers. A positive correlation was found between the quality of the supervisor/nurse relationship and the nurses’ satisfaction with their learning experience within their role. Therefore, if a positive relationship can be facilitated between a nurse and their supervision then this should, in theory, help to improve the chance that the nurse will be satisfied within their role. Research has also investigated the longer term aspects of the relationship between clinical supervision of the nurses’ satisfaction with their career. One such study was recently conducted by Pearcey and Elliott (2004) and involved interviews with 14 student nurses. Four key aspects were associated with whether or not the student nurses would be likely to go on and seek a career as a nurse in the future. These factors included ward culture, the reaction to negative incidents, the student nurses perceptions of the qualified nurses/supervisors and how these people were seen to treat the trainee nurses. Thus the supervisors can help to improve the learning experience in each of these areas. This section has shown that improvements need to be made in establishing a standardised assessment to enable more accurate evaluations of the effectiveness of clinical supervision to take place. Nurse perceptions of clinical supervision do reveal that there are both positive and negative outcomes. One interesting finding merits consideration here. Andrew and Chilton (2000) interviewed supervisors and nurses regarding the benefits of a teaching qualification on the outcome of clinical supervision. The supervisors reported that they felt that it made them more effective in the supervisory role and that they provided better support as a result of the qualification. However, the nurses’ ratings of supervisors with and without a teaching qualifications revealed no significant differences. Thus more work is required in developing the training of supervisors to ensure that it has a positive effect. 6.0 CONCLUSIONS This review has considered research which has evaluated clinical supervision within practice and district nursing. The discussion focussed on the development, implementation and the outcomes of clinical supervision. In terms of the developmental factors, a need for an improvement in the dissemination of standards was identified along with the establishment of clearer role definitions. A drive towards a more standardised approach to supervisor selection and training is also advocated. As for the implementation of clinical supervision, the need for both nurses and supervisors to be supervised was identified. Research has demonstrated that supervisor availability is associated with the nurse’s performance and hence it is important that supervisors are available as much as possible. The final section of the discussion considered the outcomes of clinical supervision. The lack of standardised and validated assessment tools ensure that it is difficult to quantify the effects of clinical supervision on the nurses’ performances and ultimately on the quality of patient care. However, the perceived benefits of clinical supervision, such as support, socialisation, enabling clinical experience and enhancing job satisfaction, were identified. It may also have longer term benefits in terms of reducing the probability that a nurse will leave the profession. It is through working towards the realisation of the perceived benefits that clinical supervision can be made as effective as possible. Through this, more effective training programmes for clinical supervisors can be developed and the potentially negative view of clinical supervision as being about control and assessment can be replaced with a more positive image of aiding continuous improvement in nurse satisfact ion and performance along with the quality of care which is given to patients. 7.0 References Andrews M and Chilton F. Student and supervisor perceptions of supervising effectiveness. Nurse Education Today, 2000, 20 (7), pp 555-562 Andrews M and Wallis M. Supervision in nursing: A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1999, 29 (1), pp 201-207 Anforth P. Supervisors not assessors. Nurse Education Today, 1992, 12 (4), pp 299-302 Armitage P and Burnard P. Supervisors or preceptors? Narrowing the theory/practice gap. Nurse Education Today, 1991, 11 (3), pp 225-229 Aston L, Mallik M, Day C and Fraser D. An exploration into the teacher/lecturers in practice: Findings from a case study in adult nursing. 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