Human resource management & technical change Essay

Human resource management & technical change - Essay Example Megginson, L.C. (1981:6) defines personnel management as the "performance of all managerial functions involved in planning for, recruiting, selecting, developing, utilizing, rewarding, and maximizing the potential of the human resources of an organization". The implication here is that all managers, at all levels, have a duty to perform the personnel function. According to De Cenzo & Robbins (2002:2), inception can also be called "staffing" in that it is a way of getting individuals into the organization. This dimension entails strategic human resource planning, recruitment and selection. Hellriegel et al (1993:246) defines as the process of deciding on and analyzing the organization's mission, overall objectives, general strategies, and major resource allocationsThe overall purpose of strategic planning and management is to deal effectively with environmental opportunities and threats in terms of the organization's strengths and weaknesses". The major elements in strategic planning are mission, objectives, strategies and resource allocation. De Cenzo et al (2002:150) defines recruiting as "the process of discovering potential candidates for actual or anticipated organizational vacancies. Or from another perspective, it is a linking activity- bringing together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs. In other words, recruitment is the process of looking for persons who possibly may be suitable to fill the vacancies. It does not mean that an interested person has already been appointed in the vacancy, it only tries to find a number of suitable persons from which the final selection can be made. Hellriegel (1993:390) advises that "the organization should develop a pool of job candidates from which to select qualified employees. Candidates are recruited by, for example, running adverts, contacting employment agencies, and visiting college campuses". One thing that should be noted is the importance of trade unions because lower-level workers are recruited by trade unions. They have contact with all their members in the different enterprises and can bring vacancies in all the different enterprises to their members' attention. Selection according to Hellriegel et al (1993:390), "takes place after recruiting candidates for available positions. The organization selects and hires those people who are most likely to perform well on the job. These decisions can be difficult'. It is worth

Poverty And Health Inequalities Health And Social Care Essay

Poverty And Health Inequalities Health And Social Care Essay Sociologists define social class as the grouping of people by occupations. The different positions represent different levels of power, influence and money1, 2. In the UK society was divided into 5 main groups of classes however the Office of National Statistics (ONS) produced a new socio-economic classification in 2001 (Table 1)3, 4. Social Class Up to 2001 From 2002 I 1-4 High Low II IIIN IIIM 5-8 IV V Table 1- Classification of Social class4 The Black Report and the Acheson Report In August 1980 the Department of Health (DOH) published the Black Report, also known as the Working Group on Inequalities in Health. The Report showed the extent to which ill-health and death are unequally distributed among the population of Britain, and suggested that these inequalities have been widening rather than decreasing since the formation of the National Health Service (NHS) in 19485. The Report concluded that these inequalities were not caused due to failings in the NHS, but because of many other social inequalities influencing health: income, education, housing, diet, employment, and conditions of work. In consequence, the Report recommended a wide strategy of social policy measures to reduce inequalities in health; however these recommendations were ignored not implemented 6. In 1998 The Acheson Report, also known as the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report was published, this was 18 years after the Black Report, both reports showed similarities in thei r finding. The Acheson report showed a widening gap between different social groups (Figure 1)7. Figure 1-Number of deaths per 1000 by all causes for men aged 20-64 between 1991-19937 The report also noted that, while social determinants (Figure 2) affect peoples health across their lives, the early years are a particularly important stage of life, where poor socio economic circumstances have lasting effects. The Report recommended policies and interventions to reduce inequalities in access to the determinants of good health among parents, particularly mothers and children8, 9. The Main Determinants of Health Figure 2- The Main Determinants of Health10 The Situation in the UK- Income and Poverty The main point that both the Black and Acheson report identified was the association between poverty, social class and health inequalities. This applied to all aspects of health including life expectancy, infant mortality and general level of health8. Poverty isolates people, reducing their ability to engage in social and community life. In a study comparing the poorest and richest fifth of households, poorer children had fewer opportunities for activities and socialising. Poverty is measured by looking at the low-income threshold. This is 60% of the median UK income 4, 11. In 2007/08, 13 ½ million people in the UK (Table 2) were living in households below the low-income threshold, an increase of 1  ½ million compared with the 2004/05 figures. This is around a fifth (22%) of the population. The number of people on low incomes is lower than it was during the early 1990s but is much greater than in the early 1980s11, 12. Country Number of people England 11,500,000 Scotland 900,000 Wales 70,000 Northern Ireland 40,000 Total 13,500,000 Table 2- Distribution of people living below the poverty line in the UK, 13.5 million of the total population of approx 61 million13 Health of the UK Population- Link between Poverty and Health The health of people in the more wealthy areas of the UK is better than those living in the deprived areas. Those people living in poorer communities die younger and experience poorer physical and mental health throughout their life than those living in wealthier communities12, 13. There is a link between life expectancy at birth and social class in the UK. Those from social class I and II have a higher life expectancy at birth than those from social class IV and V .Professional men are expected to live to around 80 years and unskilled manual men to 72.7 years and for women, the figures are 85.1 and 78.1 years (Figure 3)14 Figure 3- Life expectancy of men and women at birth by social class UK, 1992-200515 This can be linked to death by major diseases in the UK, those from social class IV and V have a higher death rate compared to those form social class I and II (Figure 4).14, 15. Figure 4- Major causes of death 2003: Death rate for men aged 25-64 are 50-100% higher among those from manual backgrounds compared to those form non-manual backgrounds4, 12, 13. Infant Mortality in the UK The general association between poverty and health can be seen by looking at different diseases and mortality rates in the UK however one area which shows this association very clearly is child health. This is measured by looking at the rate of infant mortality. Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants per 1000 live births16. There were 9,954 infant deaths overall in the period 2006-08, giving an overall infant mortality rate of 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (Table 3). Of those with a valid socio-economic group (8,709), the rate was 4.7 deaths per 1,000. Out of the 8,709 deaths in this category, 43% of these deaths (3,744) were in the Routine and Manual (RM) Social group, giving a rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in this group 17, 18. Year Number of Deaths Infant Mortality Rate 2006 3321 5.9 2007 3264 4.7 2008 3369 4.8 Total 9954 Table 3- Infant deaths and mortality: babies born in 2006-200819 Poverty and Infant Mortality Infant death rates among both those from manual backgrounds (social class 1-4) and those from non-manual backgrounds, (social class 5-8) have fallen by around a fifth over the last decade but the gap between them has not reduced.   Infant deaths are still 50% more common among poor children in lower social groups (manual backgrounds) than among those from non-manual backgrounds.   In the lower social groups infant mortality is 20% higher than the average 4.8 per 1,000 (Figure 5)20, 21, 22.http://www.poverty.org.uk/21/a.png Figure 5- Annual number of deaths per 1000 live births between 1997-2007, it also shows the social class of the infants4, 15. When looking at different regions of the UK; it is clear that there is a significant difference in infant death rates. The rate of infant deaths in the West Midlands is one-and-a-half times more than that in the South East (Figure 6)23, 24, 25.http://www.poverty.org.uk/21/b.png Figure 6- Graph showing how the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births varies by region (West midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, Northern Ireland, East Midlands, North East, London, Scotland, Wales, South West, East, South East) 4,24. Infant death by region also has an association with poverty. The region with the highest proportion of households below the average income is the North East and West Midlands and it is the West midlands which has the highest infant death rate. The regions with the lowest portion of households below the average income, is the East and South East and it is the South East with the lowest number of infant deaths (Figure 7) 26, 27, 28. Figure 7- Graph showing low-income households by region (North East, West midlands, Wales, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, Scotland, South West, Northern Ireland, East, South East)4, 15, 27 There are many conditions that cause infant death. The leading causes of infant death include congenital abnormalities, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), problems related to complications of pregnancy, and infant respiratory distress syndrome (Table 4)19, 29. Cause of Death Number of Deaths Congenital anomalies 920 Antepartum infections 59 Immaturity related conditions 1550 Asphyxia, anoxia or trauma (intrapartum) 205 External conditions 47 Infant respiratory distress syndrome 122 Other specific conditions 26 Sudden infant deaths 158 Other conditions 282 All causes 3369 Table 4- Infant deaths by cause of death: babies born in 200811, 15, 19 Other Risk Factors Increasing Infant Mortality There are other risk factors which increase the rate of infant deaths. These factors are associated with income and poverty. The main three factors are low birth weight, smoking during pregnancy and ethnicity27. Low birth weight Babies birth weights are key indicators of the outcome of pregnancy, even though there can be considerable differences between the health and well-being of babies born at the same stage of pregnancy. Babies born with a low birth weight are at greatest risk of having immediate and long-term health problems. The smallest babies are the most likely to die in the first weeks and months of life. Babies born to parents from manual backgrounds (Social class 5-8) tend to be more likely to have low birth weight than those born to parents form non-manual social backgrounds (Social class 1-4) these differences continue throughout the decade (Figure 8)31. Figure 8- Graph shows the proportion of babies born each year who are classed as having low birth weight (less than 2.5 kilograms, 5  ½ lbs), between 1996-2006. It also shows the social class of the infants4. Smoking during pregnancy Smoking in pregnancy causes devastating outcomes; these are increased risk of miscarriage, still birth and death. If parents continue to smoke after pregnancy, there is an increased rate of sudden infant death syndrome32. In the UK in 2006, 33% of mothers from social class 5-8 (manual) smoked throughout pregnancy compared with only 22% of mothers from social class 1-4 (non manual) (Figure 9) 33. Figure 9- Smoking prevelance overall and by social class. England 1998-2006 34 Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy is associated with still birth, death and increase risk of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. One study found that in households where both parents smoke, young children have a 72 per cent increased risk of respiratory illnesses35. In 2006, 21% of non smoking pregnant women were exposed to the smoke of someone else usually a partner, throughout their pregnancy. Also 40% of mothers aged under 20 smoked throughout pregnancy compared with 13% of mothers aged 35 and over 33, 34. Ethnicity There are large differences in the infant mortality rates of ethnic groups in the UK, for babies born in 2005. Asian and Black ethnic groups accounted for over 11% of live births and 17% of infant deaths. Babies in the Pakistani and Caribbean groups had particularly high infant mortality rates, 9.6 and 9.8 deaths per 1,000 live births this was double the rate in the White British group of 4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births (Table 5)36 Ethnic Group Number of deaths Infant mortality rate Bangladeshi (Asian/Asian British) 34 4.2 Indian (Asian/Asian British) 93 5.8 Pakistani (Asian/Asian British) 231 9.6 African (Black/Black British) 118 6.0 Caribbean (Black/Black British) 73 9.8 White British 1859 4.5 White other 142 4.3 All other ethnic groups 271 5.4 Not stated 357 5.1 Total Number of deaths 3,200 Table 5- Infant deaths and infant mortality rates by ethnic group of babies born in 2005 11, 27, 30, Mortality in the Pakistani group was high throughout the first year of life whilst mortality in the Caribbean group was especially high in the first month of life. Half of all infant deaths in the Pakistani group were due to congenital anomalies, compared with only a quarter of deaths in the White British group. There is a general trend between income of ethnic groups and infant mortality rates. Those groups that have a high infant mortality rate such as the Pakistani and African groups tend to live in low income households compared to white groups (Figure 10)25,30,. http://www.poverty.org.uk/06/b.png Figure 10-Graph showing how the proportion of people living in low-income households varies by different ethnic groups4, 15, 30, Conclusion- Policies in place to address the issues It can be seen that health inequalities are present in the UK and therefore the Government has put in place many programmes and policies to tackle this problem. Tackling Health Inequalities-A Programme for Action The Tacking Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action was launched in July 2003 by the Secretary of State for Health, its aim is to meet the governments targets to reduce the health gap on infant mortality and life expectancy by 2010. The Programme has a clear strategy to work on the following four delivery themes: Supporting families, mothers and children Engaging Communities and Individuals Preventing Illness and providing effective treatment and care Addressing the underlying determinants of health37 National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (Childrens National Service Framework) is a 10 year programme aiming to improve childrens health, social care and promote high quality health care for women and their families. The standards set by this framework require services to: Promote healthy lifestyles. Tackle health inequalities Ensure that pregnant women receive high quality care throughout their pregnancy38 Infant Mortality National Support Team The Infant Mortality National Support Team (IMNST) was launched in autumn 2008. It supports the 43 areas with the highest infant mortality rate in the routine and manual group. The IMNST has 4 main aims (Figure.11)39. Figure 11- The aims of The Infant Mortality National Support Team39. Tackling health inequalities is a top priority for the Government and the main focus is on narrowing the health gap between disadvantaged groups, communities and the rest of the country and on improving health overall. The policies, programmes and strategies in place are helping to reduce the health gap however there is a long way to go before there is significant change in health inequalities. This can be seen by looking at one of the Health Inequalities Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets (Box 1) and the progression of this target40. PSA Target on Infant Mortality By 2010 to reduce by at least 10% the gap in mortality between routine and manual groups and the population as a whole. Box 1- PSA target on reducing mortality in the UK by 10% by 201040. There is a decrease of infant mortality amongst the routine and manual groups however to narrow the gap by at least 10% by 2010 is still a challenge (Table 6)41. Year Percentage Gap 2004-2006 17% 2003-2005 18% 2002-2004 19% Table 6- Percentage gap in mortality between routine and manual groups and the population as a whole41. This shows that the Government needs to do more to reduce health inequalities by concentrating on wider social determinants of health. WORD COUNT-1650

Emotions And Decision Making Essay -- essays research papers

A recently published article seems to lend new information as to the way in which emotions influence our decision-making process. While emotions and reasoning are considered inherently separate by some, new experiments are challenging that perception. A series of studies done by experimental psychologists now show us that emotion plays a very natural role in decision-making situations. The experiments, ranging in type from neuroimaging to simple classical conditioning, suggest that emotions can affect everything from simple judgments of other people to severe behavioral disabilities seen for example in sociopathic individuals. Emotion is now acknowledged as possibly the most basic of human operations and the basis for personal judgments. Fear especially has been studied extensively and is proving to be a very unconscious and automatic cognitive reaction. One fear-related study was conducted using simple classical conditioning: subjects were shown a picture of a person exhibiting stereotypical properties along with a frown used to convey a feeling of social threat (Mineka, 2002). Once the subjects were adequately conditioned, simply seeing that type of person would cause an increase in heart rate, suggesting fear, as well as provoke responses attributed to anger. The experimenters used these findings to infer that social fears are easily instilled in people simply because they for some reason have a negative image of them implanted in their head. Extensive studies of the rela...

D.H Lawrence’s “Tickets Please” Essay

In tickets there are two main characters, these are John Thomas and Annie. Annie works on the trams and girls are only chosen to work on the trams of they have a confidant nature and a certain no-nonsense approach to men. And this affects her relationship with John Thomas. There are many ways how Lawrence shows how Annie and John Thomas are attracted to each other. The first example of this is on page eighty three paragraph two. † She could tell by the movement of his mouth and eyes, when he flirted with her in the morning in the morning, that he had been walking out with this lass, or the other, the night before. A fine cock-of-the-walk he was. She could some him up pretty well.† The part where she says she could tell by the movement of his eyes and his lips show that she must have some interest in him because she must have studied his movements; this shows at the very least she is interested in him. Another example that shows that they are attracted to each other is the fact that Annie says that she keeps John Thomas at an arm length away from her but John Thomas keeps coming back to try and win her over. Just to show that John Thomas is attracted to her he goes out with another girl after she turns him down as if just to spite her. This also shows more than a passing interest in Annie. On page eighty three we see how Annie and John Thomas react to each other. In paragraph three Lawrence shows and tells us how they react to each other † In this subtle antagonism they knew each other like old friends, they were as shrewd with one another almost as man and wife.† This tells us that when they flirt with each other they are like old friends, it is almost like a routine they both know of-by-heart but carry it on none the less. An example of how John Thomas reacts to Annie is on page eighty four where Annie meets John Thomas at the fair. The example is on the fourth paragraph. â€Å"John Thomas made her stay on for the next round. And therefore she could hardly for shame repulse him when he out his arm around her and drew her a  little nearer to him, in a very warm and cuddly manner. Besides he was fairly discreet, he kept his movements as hidden as possible.† This shows us that John Thomas is reacting to Annie less in the capacity as her friend but more as her boyfriend. We can also tell how Annie reacts to John Thomas in the extract above. In the quote above Annie tells us that John Thomas puts her arm around her and she says he did it in a very cuddly manner and that he was fairly discreet. It is almost as if Annie is trying to convince herself that there is nothing wrong with what she is doing and feeling. Annie is rapidly forgetting that she has a boyfriend and is becoming ensnared in John Thomas’s ploy. In the end Annie decides to get her own back on John Thomas for rejecting her and she goes round her work place subtle suggesting to the other girls that he had dumped that it would be a good idea to get their revenge on him. In the end I think John Thomas â€Å"wins† because he is completely humiliated by been beaten up by the girls and yet when he is forced to choose which one of the girls he is going to stay with he chooses Annie. Annie seems horrified by this because the very thought revolts her due to what he is. In John Thomas’s humiliation it is almost as if the humiliation that has been inflicted upon him has been traversed to Annie as she begins to realise the full consequences of hat she has done. She has cheated on her boyfriend and she herself also feels humiliated by inflicting pain and taking her revenge too far.

Juvenile Gang

Apply the functionalist point of view to the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong and evaluate its explanation. The recent female juvenile gang problem has sparked off public concerns in Hong Kong, because they are more rampant in the newly-developed towns such as Tseung Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai and Tai Po. Comparing with the figures of girls joining gangs by Dr. T. W. Lo in 2001 and by the Federation in 2005, the trend of girls’s participation in gangs is increasing. In the following, the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong will be discussed in detail by the functionalist point of view.Then, the explanation will be evaluated. Before discussing the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong by the functionalist point of view. Let start with the definition of structural functionalism and definition of female juvenile gangs. Society is a system with various social institutions performing important functions to the society and to individuals. The struct ural functionalism is based on the assumption that society is a stable, the function of each part of the community should be able to co-ordination to make a harmonious and efficient society.Female juvenile gangs is defined as girls who are below the age of 21 and have been members of gangs. Gangs consist of three features. First, gangs are stable groups with regular gatherings. Second, gangs involve deviant behavior such as fighting. Third, gangs affiliate with triad societies. By the functionalist point of view, the social structure and condition have a great effect on female juvenile gangs forming. Girls who were joined juvenile gangs are unable to play their role in different class of society because of social inequality, so they can not achieve the goal and they are tempted to have deviant behavior.At the family level, family put many pressure on the girls, they felt out of place with their family due to poor relationships with parents and bad growing experience. Under such circ umstances, they tend to escape from the real family and seek for other big family which can offer them emotional attachment. At their schools and working level, they can not get the sense of accomplishment in schools or from working. They are forced to attend classes or not satisfied in salary. At the peer level, due to the peer pressure and they meet friends with gang backgrounds, they have more chance to connect with gang members.At the personal level, girls start to demand for autonomy and to be independent form 2 is the most vulnerable period for girls. Due to the puberty, they are easier to have emotional problems. Comparing with the boys, girls want to get protection and free entertainment from gangs rather than showing off. Those factors show that girls who were joined gangs can not take their responsibility in different level of society. They joined gangs in order to find their role in the other family and recognition from other members.Besides, there are three type of femal e juvenile gangs, including autonomous group, satellite group and mixed group. Autonomous group is a all-female group. Members in this group are very independent and autonomous. They are not controlled by the male gangs. Also, these groups have the same features as male gangs in the way they behave and solve problems. Members in satellite group and mixed group are more likely to rely on the male members or gang, they can get more protection or other support such as financial support or provide free entertainment, most girls have the role being ‘wife’or‘little sister’of male members.Female members play an auxiliary role in gangs. They almost carry weapon for male members and provide sexual services to male members. The activities in gang of boy and girl are quite different. For instance, boy involves more in criminal and violent acts than girl. But drug offences are more common in girls as girls are easier to evade the inspection. Boys are less likely to hav e free entertainment and are less emotional and gossip than girls in gangs. Sometimes, female members are needed to help male members to beat the girls from the other gang.It is understandable that male members and female members have different function in gang In order to maintain the female juvenile gangs, there are female leader and fighting girls in gangs. It shows that female members are taking on more specific roles within the group. For female leader, she should have a wide network of contacts in order to get more protection and free entertainment. On the other hand, she should be able to fight to protect her followers and appear to be mature. For fighting girls, those girls are look like a boy and they like fighting.They will keep doing exercise in order to be stronger. It is a way to protect themselves and they can able to stay or exist in gangs. All the female members must know how to protect their reputation. Otherwise, the members of the gang will not respect them and th ey will be rejected or despised. In the female juvenile gangs, each member has their role in gang, such as leader need to be presentable and eloquent. In different role, they have different function and this is how they maintain the system of gang.By the functionalist point of view, the reason of formation of the female juvenile gangs can be explained. The female juvenile gangs also work as a society. Every member has her role and function, they contribute themselves in gang. Female members in autonomous group, satellite group and mixed group have different features and functions. On one hand, male members provide free entertainment and protection to female members. On the other hand, female members help male members to carry the drugs and weapon. There are mutual beneficial relationship between male and female members or gangs.However, structural functionalism can not explain how the girls join the gang as there are many other factors. In addition, it can not explain how are the fe male members formed their identities. By the structural functionalism, we can explain the function of the leader (Big sister) and fighting girls and the relationship between leader and her followers. But, we can not explain how they can be a leader or fighting girls, the process of being the female leader consist of many factors. Structural functionalism can not explain the phenomenon of female juvenile completely. References 1.Chu, Yiu Kong (2005) â€Å"An Analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong† in Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences No. 29 Spring/Summer 2005. 2. Clinard, Marshall B. (1995) â€Å"Robert Merton: Anomie and Social Structure† in Earl Eubington and Martin S. Weinberg ed. The Study of Social Problems – Seven Perspectives, London: Oxford University Press. 3. Haralambos, Michael and Holborn, Martin (2000) Sociology – Themes and Perspectives, London: Collins. 4. Mok, James and Chan Shui-ching (2008) A Study on Girls in Gangs, Hong Kong: Research Centre, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.