Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay

Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the company’s sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is ‘finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the ‘corporate attitudes’ (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the ‘1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing’ (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the ‘forefront of quality improvement efforts’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in ‘service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions’ (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing ‘soft and hard’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with ‘improved organizational performance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a ‘recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is ‘a fundamentally different way of working together’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 271) and ‘quite different from the traditional notion of control’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to ‘none managerial roles’ such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having ‘increased authority’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or ‘power’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees ‘the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that ‘Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change’ (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is ‘management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control’ (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment ‘is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are ‘truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more ‘flat democratic organisational structure’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These ‘attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development’ (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees ‘become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a ‘quality management system’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the ‘results are not always impressive’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because ‘people do not think it through’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are ‘middle managers’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a ‘flatter organisational structure’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may ‘resist these new responsibilities’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, ‘the fear of one’s own greatness’ (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be ‘cynical and suspicious of this approach’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the ’employees feeling too empowered’ (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to ‘speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to ‘release the creative and innovative capacities of employees’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for ’empowerment emerging as a concept for our time’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisatio ns are driven by profit generating, cost reduction and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has ‘greater justification for management in HRM terms’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time ‘not undermining managerial prerogatives’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) ‘suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide ‘an opportunity to empower and motivate employees’ (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued ‘as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that ‘job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through ‘quality management’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in ‘workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the ‘increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become ‘an important Human Resource Management tool’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees ‘growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations’ (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of ‘self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead ‘forced to submit to another’s will and think and act under constant supervision’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring ‘organisational survival’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employee’s maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly ‘for their own good’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to ‘enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations ‘delayer’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare ‘may encourage union member ship’ (sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to ‘avoid collective action by employees’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The ’employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can ‘increase efficiency and effectiveness’ inside an organization (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. ‘salaries, rent, heat and advertising’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the ‘shared knowledge of workers’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time ‘develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes ‘between companies and their customers’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will ‘improve profits through repeated business’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase ‘revenue and improve the bottom line’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to ‘promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a ‘sense of personal and professional balance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees’ minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in ‘personal growth’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a ‘win-win situation’ (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organization’s culture itself. Benefits require ‘changes in management and employees’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the ‘management pyramid’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see ’empowerment as a threat’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the ‘rules and decisions always came from above’ (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to ‘enhance job responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to ‘increase their contentment with the job’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be ‘effective members of the workforce’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be ‘now shared with employees’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to ‘solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees’ jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under ‘high commitment management’ workers would be committed to management’s vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment ‘will feel more secure and empowered’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a ‘restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, ’employees feel more valued’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s overall success (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find ‘new ways to express their creativity’ (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a ‘profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives ’employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in ‘negotiating an effective team contract’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the company’s objectives. ‘Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are ‘commonly promoted’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as ‘praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to ‘give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to ‘restrict its best people’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. ‘The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are ‘learning to give up control’ and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to ‘communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as ‘stakeholders for the road of success’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. ‘Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Â   Bibliography Armstrong, M (1996) ‘A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice’, Sixth Edition, Kogan Page Beardwell, I & Holden, L (1994) ‘Human resource Management- A contemporary perspective’, Pitman Cole, G, A (1997) ‘Personnel Management’, Fourth Edition, Letts Denham, N, Ackers, P & Travers, C (1997) ‘Doing yourself out of a job? : How middle managers cope with empowerment’ , Employee Relations; Volume 19 No. 2; Erstad, M (1997) ‘Empowerment and organizational change’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 9 No. 7; Gennard, J & Judge, G (1997) ‘Employee relations’, Institute of Personnel & Development Graham, H, T &Bennett, R (1995) ‘Human Resources Management’, Eight Edition, M+E handbooks Honold, L (1997) ‘A review of the literature on employee empowerment’, Empowerment in Organisations; Volume 5 No. 4 Legge, K (1995) ‘Human Resource Management-Rhetoric’s & Realities’, Macmillan Business Mabey, C & Salaman, G (1997) ‘Strategic Human Resource Management’, Blackwell Business Mabey, C, Skinner, D & Clark, T, (1998) ‘Experiencing Human Resource Management’, Sage Sparrow, P & Marchington, M (1998) ‘Human Resource Management-The New Agenda’, Pitman Spencer, J & Pruss, A (1992) ‘Managing your team’, Piatkus Wilkinson, A (1998) ‘Empowerment: theory and practice’, Personnel Review; Volume 27 No. 1

Disaster mitigation in Naga City

The city of Naga is located in the Isle of Luzon in the Philippines. Situated at about 377 km south of Manila, Naga City lies at the center of Camarines Sur, which is the biggest province in the Bicol region. The city has a total area of 77. 5 sq. kms. The city is located along the typhoon belt and therefore prone to tropical storms and typhoons throughout the year. It is also deemed vulnerable to floods, and earthquakes (Pineda & Buan, 1998). In the Naga City area, there are different kind of floods which periodically plays havoc in the city.Apart from floods from the major river Bicol, flash flood from Naga River too devastates the region. Besides river floods, there are periodic storm surges from the sea as well. Frequent inundation of the city and loss of agricultural land is a common phenomenon in the region. 1 Disaster management plan When natural disasters occur, the rate of survival and rescue of property would depend upon how efficient the emergency response operation is. Th e region is expanding very fast and the same trend will continue in the future as the Naga city is the center for commercial, educational, and industrial sectors in Bicol region.Disaster management plan is all the more relevant for this disaster prone city, because with tremendous growth rate, the likelihood of causality figures is expected to go up, if planned measures is not undertaken (Westen, 2007). Delayed and poor management of disaster could result in great deal of loss, both of human and property. Naga city has a much thought out disaster management and mitigation plan to cope up with the threat of natural calamities, which plagues the region (Pineda, & Buan, 1998).In seeking to ensure that their community could grow and prosper in a sustainable manner, Naga city officials sought to ensure a close link between hazard mitigation and land use planning. Following a study to determine the priority areas of attention, they crafted a strategy to manage hazards and to prevent envir onmental degradation in order to uplift the quality of urban life. A coordinated set of activity was formulated in the Naga City Disaster Management Project (NCDMP). NCDMP became the focus of the city’s evolving disaster risk management initiatives.It’s major concern was to identify risk reduction measures that could help the residents, while also promoting the importance of awareness and city planning for potential hazards that could threaten the city. As the first model city in the Philippines, Naga City used its projects to help strengthen the capacity of its citizens to develop and implement disaster mitigation standards and practices (United Nations, 2004).Diasater reduction initaitives Naga City authority realized that losses and damages to properties due to disaster 1. http://library. witpress. com/pages/PaperInfo. sp? PaperID=14311 could be avoided with proper planning, and attention towards relocating centers of. economic activity and settlements in safer area s. Through the development of community based surveys, with technical data provided by the weather service flood forecasting division, hazard mapping was carried out. In their planning for disaster risk reduction measures, the local authorities maximized the use of GIS. GIS also helped them determine which areas of the city would most likely become flooded. Accordingly, city officials targeted specific households for evacuation.After the identification of the vulnerable areas, the Naga City local authority made plans to shift the economic activities from low lying flood prone areas to elevated and less risky areas of the city. The local authority promulgated a five year developmental plan, whereby new land use laws and economic incentives have been made and new areas have been developed into growth centers. Coping strategy after Durian Durian is the fourth typhoon that hit Philippines within a span of three months. Worst hit by the typhoon was the areas near Mayon volcano, located a t the south east of Manila. The typhoon wrecked havoc in Camarines, Sur, Albay, and other provinces in the region.Termed as super typhoon, it submerged the provinces of Albay, and caused several villages near the Mayon volcano to be completed buried due to mudflows and landslides. Immediately after the typhoon, the Provincial Disaster Coordination Council (PDCC) together with pertinent agencies, and individuals initiated relief operations on war footing for the affected families. The persons affected by flood were moved to the evacuation centers and essentials and food items were distributed in a coordinated manner.The Provincial office along with regional center for health development coordinated the work of vaccination, drinking water testing, regular health assessment, deployment of environmental health sanitation team, and needed supplies of essentials and medicines. Rehabilitation of water and electricity infrastructures was implemented with speed and efficiency. 3 Conclusion T he typhoons in Philippines in 2006 wrought havoc in Naga City and nearby areas. The massive destructions caused by these typhoons were an eye opener for the authorities. The government has leant a lesson, albeit in a bitter way.Precautionary measures have been taken now on a massive scale, and not later. The typhoon Durian in Philippines could have caused less causality if there were timely intervention of the authorities to move the people of flood prone area to safer elevated area. As there is the possibility of disasters happening any time, people near the Mayon volcano have been shifted several times right after the warning of some impending disaster, which is perhaps the only way to prevent causality and loss of property. In this the city has set an example.

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran)

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran) In ancient history, there were 3 main dynasties that controlled ancient Persia, a western name for the area that is modern Iran: Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sasanids. There was also a period when the Hellenistic Macedonian and Greek successors of Alexander the Great, known as Seleucids, ruled Persia. Early mention of the area is from Assyria c. 835 B.C., when the Medes occupied the Zagros Mountains. The Medes gained control of an area extending from the Zagros Mountains to include Persis, Armenia, and eastern Anatolia. In 612, they captured the Assyrian city of Ninevah. Here are the rulers of ancient Persia, by dynasty, based on Dynasties of the World, by John E. Morby; Oxford University Press, 2002. Achaemenid Dynasty 559-530 - Cyrus the Great529-522 - Cambyses (son)522 - Smerdis (Bardiya) (brother)521-486 - Darius I, the Great485-465 - Xerxes I (son)464-424 - Artaxerxes I, Longimanus (son)424 - Xerxes II (son)424 - Sogdianus (brother)423-405 - Darius II, Nothus (brother)404-359 - Artaxerxes II, Mnemon (son)358-338 - Artaxerxes III (Ochus) (son)337-336 - Artaxerxes IV ( Arses) (son)335-330 - Darius III (Codomannus) (great-grandson of Darius II) Macedonian Conquest of the Persian Empire 330 Seleucids 305-281 B.C. - Seleucus I Nicator281-261 - Antiochus I Soter261-246 - Antiochus II Theos246-225 - Seleucus II Callinicus Parthian Empire - Arsacid Dynasty 247-211 - Arsaces I (conquered Parthia c. 238)211-191 - Arsaces II (son)191-176 - Priapatius (son)176-171 - Phraates I (son)171-138 - Mithridates I (brother)138-128 - Phraates II (son)128-123 - Artabanus I (son of Priapatius)123-87 - Mithridates II, the Great (son)90-80 - Gotarzes I80-77 - Orodes I77-70 - Sinatruces70-57 - Phraates III (son)57-54 - Mithridates III (son)57-38 - Orodes II (brother)38-2 - Phraates IV (son)2-AD 4 - Phraates V (son)4-7 - Orodes III7-12 - Vonones I (son of Phraates IV)12-38 - Artabanus II38-45 - Vardanes I (son)45-51 - Gotarzes II (brother)51 - Vonones II51-78 - Vologases I (son or brother)55-58 - Vardanes II77-80 - Vologases II78-110 - Pacorus (son of Vologases I)80-90 - Artabanus III (brother)109-129 - Osroes112-147 - Vologases III129-147 - Mithridates IV147-191 - Vologases IV191-208 - Vologases V (son)208-222 - Vologases VI (son)213-224 - Artabanus IV (brother) Sasanid Dynasty 224-241 - Ardashir I241-272 - Shapur I (son; co-regent 240)272-273 - Hormizd I (son)273-276 - Bahram I (brother)276-293 - Bahram II (son)293 - Bahram III (son; deposed)293-302 - Narseh (son of Shapur I)302-309 - Hormizd II (son)310-379 - Shapur II (son)379-383 - Ardashir II (nephew)383-388 - Shapur III (son of Shapur II)388-399 - Bahram IV (son)399-420 - Yazdgard I (son)420-438 - Bahram V, the Wild Ass (son)438-457 - Yazdgard II (son)457-459 - Hormizd III (son)459-484 - Peroz I (brother)484-488 - Balash (brother)488-497 - Kavad I (son of Peroz; deposed)497-499 - Zamasp (brother)499-531 - Kavad I (restored)531-579 - Khusrau I, Anushirvan (son)579-590 - Hormizd IV (son; deposed)590-591 - Bahram VI, Chbn (usurper; deposed)590-628 - Khusrau II, the Victorious (son of Hormizd IV; deposed and died 628)628 - Kavad II, Shiroe (son)628-630 - Ardashir III (son)630 - Shahrbaraz (usurper)630-631 - Boran (daughter of Khusrau II)631 - Peroz II (cousin)631-632 - Azarmedukht (daughter of Khusrau II) 632-651 - Yazdgard III (nephew) 651 - Arab Conquest of the Sasanid Empire At the end of the ancient period, war with Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire weakened the Persians enough that the Arabs gained control.

Neighbourhood Nursing Essays

Neighbourhood Nursing Essays Neighbourhood Nursing Essay Neighbourhood Nursing Essay The ethos of a report by Cumberledge, Neighbourhood Nursing A Focus for Care (DOH, 1986), was to introduce nurse prescribing from a limited formulary to improve the care of patients in their own homes, and it identified that district nurses wasted valuable time requesting prescriptions from general practitioners (GPs) when they had seen and assessed the patient themselves with no medical involvement (Baird, 2003). Nurses as prescribers need to be aware of the influences on prescribing and the need for bias to be controlled in the information sources that they use, as patients receiving prescriptions from nurse prescribers will assume the product prescribed is safe and appropriate for them (Parker, 2000). In order to demonstrate the principles of safe, effective, appropriate and cost-efficient prescribing, the author will analyse the critical incident described in Appendix 1, and using the prescribing pyramid (NPC, 1999) to assist decision-making, explore the most appropriate course of action in terms of treatment. Consider the Patient Before prescribing, a thorough assessment of the patients medical and social history should be taken (NPC, 1999). A leg ulcer has been defined as the loss of skin below the knee, which takes more than six weeks to heal (Dale et al, 1983). Mr X had injured his leg six weeks prior to his referral to the DNs, therefore a leg ulcer assessment was conducted that incorporated a Doppler ultrasound, assessment of previous medical history and assessment of the limb and wound to determine the underlying cause of the ulcer and any associated diseases. This assessment will influence decisions about prognosis, referral, investigation and management (RCN, 1998). Lack of appropriate clinical assessment of patients with limb ulceration has often led to long periods of ineffective or inappropriate treatment (Stevens et al, 1997). The Doppler ultrasound revealed an ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) of 1.1 and 1.0 in the left. This gave an indication that Mr X had a vascular problem rather than arterial. The wound bed was sloughy, with slight inflammation around the edge, indicating a localised infection, which could delay healing; the wound was also malodorous again indicating infection was present. Chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities is a complicated disorder, affecting the productivity and wellbeing of millions of people worldwide (Donaldson, 2000; de Araujo et al, 2003). It is also a major cause of morbidity among patients in hospital and community settings (Nelson, 2001) Venous disease is the most common cause of leg ulcers. Identification of the risks of venous ulceration is important, as is optimal therapy, which requires control of abnormal venous physiology combined with adjunctive treatments to correct secondary skin ulceration, infection and lymphoedema (Donaldson, 2000). Which Strategy? Having established that the reason the ulcer was not showing signs of healing was due to venous insufficiency to the affected limbs and a localised infection to the wounds, the options for treatment needed to be considered. Liaison with his GP was essential to discuss pain management strategies with Mr X to control any pain he was suffering along with any anti-biotic therapy regarding the localized infection. However, the role of bacteria in chronic ulcers is a matter of debate and many authors have contradictory views regarding the use of antibiotic therapy (Tammelin et al, 1998). Within the local trust, guidelines suggest that if the patient is not showing signs of clinical infection such as pyrexia, friable, bleeding granulation tissue or cellulitis, antibiotics are not indicated. Furthermore, routine swabbing is not recommended as this is thought to be neither helpful nor cost-effective (Gilchrist, 2002). All chronic wounds contain bacteria and often represent either secondary colonisation or merely contamination, therefore not actually causing clinical infection (Morison et al, 1999). Consider the Choice of Product Short-stretch compression bandaging has been shown to be equally efficacious when compared to other compression systems in healing venous ulcers independent of associated factors (Scriven et al, 1998; Nelson, 1996; Vowden, 1998). This has directed a trend towards the use of short-stretch bandaging as a cost-effective and proven method of reversing venous hypertension and enhancing the wound repair process in some patients (Charles, 1998). Short-stretch compression bandages are fairly inelastic because the weave allows for minimal stretch and recoil (Charles, 1998). When applied to a leg at 90-100% stretch with a 50% overlap the inelastic nature of the bandage allows it to form a firm tube. When the muscle of the calf contracts, it reflects or rebounds from the wall of the tube, which increases the action of the calf muscle pump, thereby promoting venous return to the heart. It also has an effect on the microcirculation with an overall improvement in the function of the skin (Klyscz et al, 1997; Coleridge-Smith, 1997). The combination of increased calf muscle pump activity and an improved microcirculation as a result of short-stretch compression therapy therefore has the potential to correct venous incompetence and promote healing in venous disease. Non-compliance is a recognised problem in the use of compression therapy (Mayberry et al, 1991; Taylor, 1992). There are a number of reasons why this is the case, including factors such as forgetting instructions, difficulty managing the bandages and discomfort caused by the bandages for example, finding them too hot (Samson and Showalter, 1996). Mr X had experienced leg ulcer in the past and had not felt happy with four layer bandaging as he had complained of them making his legs too hot and also they felt bulky. Negotiate a Contract To ensure concordance it is important that the patient plays a central role in the decision-making process (NPC, 1999). If the patient is not consulted and does not understand the rationale for dressing choice, compliance with the treatment may be affected (Cole, 2004). A nurse prescriber has to balance dressing cost with nursing time, together with patient acceptability and concordance (Edwards, 2000). Mr X had experience of other wound care products used on his leg in the past, and had strong opinions about which ones he was willing to accept the use of. It is important to be aware of influences that may affect the way treatments are prescribed however, such as patient pressure or drug companies promotional advertising (Brew, 1994). Autonomy is grounded in respect for patients ability to choose, decide and take responsibility for their own lives (Randers and Mattiasson, 2004), but had his decisions been inappropriate, unsafe or not based on best evidence, agreeing to prescribe them could be deemed maleficent (Pridmore, 1998). Providing information on the benefits of the treatment proposed, in addition to the drawbacks enabled him to make an informed choice. Ultimately, negotiation ensures that the patient receives the most appropriate evidence-based care, which is safe, and which he agrees on. Review the Patient Twice weekly visits were agreed with Mr X to monitor the effectiveness of the bandaging and ensure that it was not causing a reaction, was helping to debride the slough, reduce the localised infection and absorb the exudate. Mr X was informed of the signs of an adverse reaction to the dressing, such as itching, increased localised pain and irritation at the site of the dressing, and advised to ring the DN if at all concerned. If the dressing used caused a reaction to Mr Xs leg and it was not picked up soon enough and the dressing removed, the effects could be deemed maleficent (Pridmore, 1998). Ongoing evaluation of the prescribed treatment should always be undertaken, as modifications may need to be made if conditions change (Morison et al, 1999). Once the primary objective has been achieved, the assessment process needs to be repeated in order to identify the next treatment objective until the wound has healed (Collier, 2002). After one week the inflammation surrounding the ulcer had gone and there was evidence that the slough was beginning to lift. Mr X had not reported any discomfort or irritation to the ulcer or surrounding tissue, which suggests that the dressing prescribed, was suitable for him. Record Keeping As a registered nurse one has both a professional and legal duty of care, therefore all nurses have a responsibility to keep accurate and up-to-date records that should be an accurate account of treatment, care planning and delivery that provides clear evidence of the decisions made (NMC, 2002a). This form of communication ensures that all members of the healthcare team involved in the care of the patient are fully informed, and ensures changes in the patients condition are detected at an early stage (NMC, 2000b). Details of the prescribed treatment were entered into Mr Xs assessment notes with a clear rationale for the choice of treatment. The trust has a specific form to complete that informs the GP of the treatment prescribed, which was completed and handed to Mr Xs doctor. Reflection Utilising a structured model of reflection by Driscoll (2000) has provided a useful means of reflecting on the incident described and analysing the decisions made. Although Mr X had expressed strong opinions about the choice of treatment he was willing to accept on his ulcer, negotiation had enabled a decision to be made that was safe, appropriate and cost-effective, in addition to being acceptable by him, thus ensuring concordance. Using the prescribing pyramid (NPC, 1999) provided a systematic, structured method of decision-making in relation to the choice of treatment, therefore ensuring that all essential aspects that needed to be considered were included. Conclusion Many district nurses have expertise in the different causes and manifestations of leg ulceration and wound care, thus most GPs tend not to interfere in the treatment, preferring to take advice from the experts in this field. So it makes sense that district nurses should be able to prescribe the most appropriate choice of dressing themselves. A good knowledge of wound healing mechanisms in relation to venous ulcers, in addition to a knowledge of treatment choices that reflect local policy, their suitability, contradictions and adverse reactions based on evidence not influence, ensured that Mr X received a dressing that proved successful in reducing the bacterial load, healing of the ulcer and comfort. The dressing did not cause any reaction or deterioration, therefore was safe and effective.

A Guide to Power Relationships in The Tempest

A Guide to Power Relationships in The Tempest The Tempest includes elements of both tragedy and comedy. It was written around 1610 and its generally considered Shakespeares final play as well as the last of his romance plays. The story is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, schemes to restore his daughter Miranda to her proper place using manipulation and illusion. He conjures up a stormthe aptly named tempestto lure his power-hungry brother Antonio and the conspiring King Alonso to the island. In The Tempest, power and control are dominant themes. Many of the characters are locked into a power struggle for their freedom and for control of the island, forcing some characters (both good and evil) to abuse their power. For example: Prospero enslaves and treats Caliban badly.Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill Alonso.Antonio and Alonso aim to get rid of Prospero. The Tempest: Power Relationships In order to demonstrate power relationships in The Tempest, Shakespeare plays with master/servant relationships. For example, in the story Prospero is master to Ariel and Caliban although Prospero conducts each of these relationships differently, both Ariel and Caliban are acutely aware of their subservience. This leads Caliban to challenge Prospero’s control by taking on Stefano as his new master. However, in trying to escape one power relationship, Caliban quickly creates another when he persuades Stefano to murder Prospero by promising that he can marry Miranda and rule the island. Power relationships are inescapable in the play. Indeed, when Gonzalo envisages an equal world with no sovereignty, he is mocked. Sebastian reminds him that he would still be king and would therefore still have power – even if he did not exercise it. The Tempest: Colonization Many of the characters compete for colonial control of the island – a reflection of England’s colonial expansion in Shakespeare’s time. Sycorax, the original colonizer, came from Algiers with her son Caliban and reportedly performed evil deeds. When Prospero arrived on the island he enslaved its inhabitants and the power struggle for colonial control began - in turn raising issues of fairness in The Tempest Each character has a plan for the island if they were in charge: Caliban wants to â€Å"people the isle with Calibans, Stefano plans to murder his way into power, and Gonzalo imagines an idyllic mutually controlled society. Ironically, Gonzalo is one of the few characters in the play who is honest, loyal and kind throughout – in other words: a potential king. Shakespeare calls into question the right to rule by debating which qualities a good ruler should possess – and each of the characters with colonial ambitions embodies a particular aspect of the debate: Prospero: embodies the all-controlling, omnipresent rulerGonzalo: embodies the utopian visionaryCaliban: embodies the rightful native ruler Ultimately, Miranda and Ferdinand take control of the island, but what sort of rulers will they make? The audience is asked to question their suitability: Are they too weak to rule after we have seen them manipulated by Prospero and Alonso?

Historical Documents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical Documents - Essay Example Most economists attribute the 1929 stock market crash in the United States as the trigger for the great depression. 4Trade and incomes experienced a dramatic drop. This led to a dip in tax collection for the treasury. At the peak of the great depression, unemployment rates stood at 25% in the United States. Other developed nations had unemployment rates of over 30% of the working age population. Many historians and economists believe that there are two theories that best describe the cause of the Great Depression. 5 The Demand theory argues that service and products were being over produced while the demand was not keeping up with the supply. Companies were over investing in products that had no matching demand meaning the companies were spending more than they were making6.This led to huge losses and companies going out of business leading to high unemployment rate. The monetarist theory believes that the depression was minor problem that was compounded by poor decisions and mistakes by financial institutions7. These institutions inflated debts causing people to stay indebted for much longer period8. Whatever triggered the great depression is still subject to debate but it cannot be denied that its effects were felt globally10. I used the online library to get my sources specifically Google books section. I opted for this source since it was the easiest way to access some books which the local library may not have .Hence it is convenient and can be accessed 24 hours a day. The books have various strengths and weaknesses which led me to choose them after evaluation. The secondary sources though have are recently published books and rely mostly on previously published works whose accuracy may not be easily verified. Their main advantage over the primary sources is that they may tap into more studies and research works that may not have been possible hence provide a more comprehensive and

Philip's vs. Matsushita Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philip's vs. Matsushita - Essay Example Both brothers and their father worked hard and by 1900, Philips was the third largest light-bulb producer in Europe. Philips concentrated only on light-bulb technology development. Company policy was to scrap old plants and use new machines or factories whenever advances were made in new production technology. It also established hi-tech laboratories for R&D and it developed a tungsten metal filament bulb that was a great commercial success (Bartlett, 2006, p. 1). In 1899, Philips initiated its offshore business and within a decade it expanded its sales network across Japan, Australia, Canada, Brazil, United State and Russia. In 1919, Philips made an agreement with Genera Electric, giving each company the use of the other's patents. In 1918, Philips introduced the electronic vacuum tubes; eight years it lunched its first radios to market, capturing a 20% world market share within a decade; and during the 1930s, Philips began producing X-ray tubes (Bartlett, 2006, p. 2). During World War II Allied and German bombing had targeted and damaged most of Philips’ manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands, the management board decided to build the postwar organization on the strengths of the national organizations (NOs). The independent NOs had a great advantage in being able to sense and respond to the local market demands and differences. These NOs were also free in financial, legal, and administrative matters, and also to built their own technical capabilities and product development.