Reading Journal of Goods Move, People Move

Reading Journal for Lesson Three Globalization, as a largely debated topic, has been fiercely talked about by millions of scholars or extremists. The author Erla Zwingle gives her ideas about this controversial topic, in her essay ‘Goods Move. People Move. Ideas Move. And Cultures Change. ’, from a journalist’s point of view. In this article, the author discusses the wide influence of globalization. Also, she mentions â€Å"westernization†, which stands for the idea that globalization is basically westernization or Americanization; the whole world in the end will turn into a â€Å"Mcworld†.But from later on, we can tell the author herself does not agree with that. She thinks â€Å"culture is resourceful, resilient, and unpredictable†, and globalization won’t lead to a world where cultures only become more uniform. Instead, â€Å"the old and new tend to transform each other† and thus help people to understand each other, rather th an agreeing with each other. Personally I agree with most of the authors opinions.But, when I read the part that says people think of the spreading of MTV, Hollywood, and McDonald, which stand for American culture, as â€Å"culture assault†, I can’t help but think about how Chinese culture now is influencing western world, especially America. China’s international influence soars within only a few decades, especially after the 2008 economy strike, which hit the whole western world badly. I have been reading the Britain-based magazine The Economist for a while now. Out of the most recently published 20 issues, at least eight put China’s hot events on their front page.One can easily sense the curiosity and concern about China among the western world, even as much as we are to them. Beside the political and economical world, China’s influence is also evident in the cultural sphere. People are moving. There are over 50 million overseas Chinese not incl uding the students or illegal immigrants. Goods are moving. In 2005, China is already American’s second biggest import country. Ideas are moving. Both Fengshui and traditional Chinese medicine become popular among westerners.One American friend told me that a lot of people now are trying to learn Chinese characters, not only for business purpose, but also out of curiosity. Chinese things are becoming a cool trend. Super stars have tattoos in Chinese characters, fashion designers are getting inspiration from Chinese elements, and families will go out to enjoy a night in a Chinese restaurant. All this shows that we are not only taking in American TV shows, but we are also exporting our ideas all over the world. People get to know about us. Criticism comes, but also praise.The best way to solve the misunderstanding between two people is to communicate. The same with two countries. The best way to get over all the misunderstandings and distrusts between China and other countries, will be the effective communication between the people. Globalization is making it possible. People move. Chinese people going out to see the world and make friends. Foreigners coming in and experience this fast developing country. They experience the real China instead of reading from the newspaper. Only when people understand each other, they can start to respect and appreciate the differences between them.It’s like some of my weekends, just sitting around with people from different countries. We all talk in English and about the same stuff, but our differences make us special. We get to know the different ways of thinking and the diverse cultures. Then we become friends. So to me globalization is the power to build a better global world in the future. Some people call it global village. I like this term. People sit together to talk and communicate, or try to solve the problems together. This is how villages work. I wish this will be how the whole planet works very soon. à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1

Concrete Experience Essay

As an engineer of a pharmaceutical company, I directly report to my supervisor on a daily basis. I am very diligent with my work and I see to it that I perform at my best. I followed the orders of my supervisor and I work hard to meet deadlines. However, there is always a point in time where I realized the lack of efforts in the part of my supervisor. Sometimes, it has become a routine basis to be given a task, work on it, finished it with expected quality then reports to the supervisor on the job done. I sometimes ask, where his effort sets in the picture does, I have nothing against him personally, but having to question such setup can be regarded as my simple dilemma. It is very true that a working relationship among employees and supervisors, there will always be disputes or misunderstandings among them. Such causes of conflicts can come mostly from the side of the supervisor, such as failing to set clear expectations or to reinforce them regularly, letting the problems which they are aware of fester before having to address them, failure to communicate with people with problems, failure to recognize the importance of due process, taking some matters personally, or moving too quickly toward formal action, having to discriminate difficult or troublesome people, having to wait too long before getting professional help, being unwilling to see s resolution forma problem, worrying too much or reflective organization. These can be too general, but the happening of any of those critical causes may lead to serious working relationship problems, so before getting any matter to its worst, one of the parties can take the initiative to patch things up, or to start discussing with each other in order for compromise to take place. Reflective Observation It never occurred to me that this person was doing something different than I was and, as a result, had a better relationship with the supervisor.   And it certainly never occurred to me to ask him what he did to have such a great rapport with the group.   But both parties had stereotyped the other and were unwilling to change their opinions. Since other people and groups managed to have good relations with others, we could hardly be justified in thinking that they were totally in the wrong. This supervisor was more focused upon tasks than people so they never worried about the personal cost of the conflict, and probably did not know how to resolve the problem. Even though the supervisor knew about the problem, they did not intervene, perhaps because the work always got done somehow.   (Schein, 1996) Abstract Conceptualization Conflict can be regarded, abstractly, as neither wrong nor right and bad nor good. The meaning of conflict is recognized by its participants given that people who add value on its meaning. The vital results of a situation of conflict are dogged by the beliefs, values and feelings, of those who are involved. The real determinants are the people of the meaning of conflict. As humans though, and it is almost impossible for us to divorce ourselves of feelings, beliefs, and values. People create, or get involved in, conflict, and all possess predispositions as to how it ought to be addressed or handled. There is the tendency to have a strong behavioral leaning, a set pattern, for participation, and this emerges as a major factor in setting the nature of conflict. (Peppers, 1976) Active Experimentation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If I do not have control over other people but if I act appropriately, I will have a much better chance of getting the cooperation I desire.   What is positive about having negative experiences is that hopefully I learn from them.   If sincerely worked with him and combined my weaknesses with his strengths and vice versa, I am sure that we would have been able to come up with better ideas, solutions, and programs that would have helped our company more. Another concept I must use in the future is how to combine different personalities in order to solve or create concepts or ideas that would be superior compared to those created only by a single personality type. For example, the production manager and I had extreme personalities. My mistake was that I am focusing on my strengths and perceived our differences as his weaknesses. In every way we try to put it, the result of conflict is probable to be dysfunctional. The decision of doing nothing is probably not the best. On the other hand, the supervisor involved must make have the determination. This can only be a decision function of the contingencies of the situation, a decision which can only be made by someone in the situation evaluating the forces and strengths involved. A unique method to resolve conflict is to increase interaction between conflicting groups by physically exchanging persons between conflicting groups.   The result should be better communications, greater understanding, and less future conflict. The supervisor must understand that there are times when the decision to do nothing may be best. (Peppers, 1976)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue can also be solved through mediation, if ever the situation gets worst. Basically mediation is a confidential and a private process to resolve conflict, it can deliver the opportunity to better understand and recognize the perspectives of others and at the same time be able to develop skills in communication that can contribute to the ability of further undertaking issues related in the workplace. Such process can help people the within the organization to have clarity on matters which can be vague to some. Mediation can be very challenging, because both parties involved should bring up together their different point of views. Each party should have an open mind and the willingness to listen. The success of mediation will lead to building a new relationship which is for the good of all those involved. (Hall, 2001) Concrete Experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Way back in college, I have been an organization president; I was elected to lead my academic organization in all the internal and external activities. Being titled as the president may be elevating; it somehow gave me a boost in confidence and there is the fact that there are people who will be working under me, I have the authority to delegate tasks, and approve or reject new ideas. But being the president was not just having authority and the privilege to man how everything works in the organization, when it come to problems or difficulties, I am the one expected to arrive at a resolution. I am the first point person on everything that the organization does; therefore I am accountable in everything especially when we are encountering a lot of difficulties. One of the major challenges that I have to face was getting my organization as one; there comes a point where my co-officers seem to be unmotivated. They do not have the same level of perseverance or drive that I have. They do what I say, but they are lacking enthusiasm and eagerness to do specific tasks. This was hard for me because I do not want to be demanding, but their passiveness provokes me to be a little hard to them. I usually think if only I am a superhero, then I would do the entire job and not ask help from them, but reality is, I am just a leader who needed the help of my co-leaders. There was a certain point where I had been tired to act, but the sense of accountability pushed me to initiate and had my organization driven in order to perform at our very best. Reflective Observation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having to face such issue made me realized that I am different from them, and that I should not expect everyone to treat things the way I treat them. I may be motivated, but it is natural for some to be unmotivated. During my organization days, I have been joggling my time in order to still do well in my studies and be a responsible leader at the same time. It was hard, and I realized that my co-officers might have been experiencing the same dilemma; the only difference is that we have the different characters on how we deal with those. I have been struggling to get them all together and encourage them to speak out, then I realized that as the leader, I should have to act to have them motivated, to have them realized that I need, the organization needs them. Abstract Conceptualization The first resolution that came in my mind is motivation, comparing the organization in a business institution; there is a similarity of motivation issues in terms of co-officers and employees. A combination of energy and desire bound at fulfillment of a goal is a person’s motivation. In order to influence someone’s motivation calls to getting them to do what a leader know what needs to be done. According to the theory of motivation of Frederick Herzberg, there are various factors are involved to be able to instill motivation to the employees. Those factors may work as anticipated but may also fail because to resistance. (Herzberg, 1968) First are the KITA (â€Å"kick-in-the-ass†) factors, which are also connected with hygiene factors, such are extrinsic to the job. It consisted of administration, company policy, working environment or setting, security, supervision, compensation, and relationships with others. Meanwhile, the factors of motivation are job intrinsic, which comprised of the task itself, having achievement recognized, growth or advancement and conscientiousness. These factors are all interrelated with job dissatisfaction and job satisfaction. According to studies, the primary source of satisfaction is the motivators while what cause unhappiness in the job are the hygiene factors. (Herzberg, 1968) Having motivated co-leaders is a great aspect for an organization to be successful. Motivation compels them to act upon, do extremely well and give their 100 % percent. Active Experimentation Given that I am responsible for my organization, then I should have the initiative to set one foot forward, knowing that the issue is stemmed out from motivation, lack of motivation to be specific, then I must resort to ways on how to get my co-officers to be driven and motivated to carry out their tasks and duties, and that is what I did. Basically, I allowed the needs of my team to coincide with the needs of our organization. Rewarding is also an effective resort (Craig, 1996), simple acknowledgement to a job well done has boost their spirits and at the same time helping those who make mistakes or may need occasional help in order to achieve a specific goal. Another important thing is to set a good example, in my part, I have to stay motivated, I have to present an image of how a leader should be. Developing moral and team spirit is also very important. As a leader, I look out for my team, although I do not have control over their lives I should see to it that I empathize with them.   It is vary significant to allow them to be part of the planning and the processes in problem solving for this will help them develop, this will motivate them and will give them the interest in seeing a plan succeed, thus keeping them well informed is also important. Moreover is the importance of communication, leaders should see to it that a communication channel should always be open in order for everything to flow smoothly within the organization. It is also very vital to make each feel like an individual in a great team instead of a component in a lifeless machine. People call for evocative work, even if it is unpleasant and tiring; they need to be aware that it is necessary and important for the continued existence of the organization, (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973) hence there should be room for counseling wherein the members can voice out their opinions and where the leader listens and vice versa through which, the leaders and the subordinates can keep track with each other. Concrete Experience We are all working hard and striving for success, and in the courses of our careers, the fear of failure serves as pressure as we perform our work. Failure seems to be the dirtiest word in the society, I as an individual who works hard to be successful fears failure, I would rather be seen as hostile, overworked, odd rather than be seen as a failure. I think it is natural to have the fear of failure as we place tremendous stress on success. I think the fear of failure is probably the strongest power that holds us below our potentials. In our world, misfortunes can really happen this is why; I rather play safe most of the time. However, playing safe is a form of risk as well. Whenever I fail, I feel extremely bad, I felt that I am stubborn enough that I failed, maybe that is reason why I also developed my fear of failure. Because of such fear, our merit and ability are often underestimated, we then find it hard to recover and accept failure and some valuable opportunities are passed out. Reflective Observation Success and growing from it is not an easy experience. We can really get knocked as we persevere to succeed in our careers. The biggest drawback I have to deal with is fear of failure and I know that it can lead to terrible outcomes. What the fear of failure does is form an approach in opportunity which is overcautious. Being aware of when and how to make use of opportunity is essential to a successful career. Possessing understanding about the opportunity, I then need to find out timing. The pros and cons listed will help in making a decision. Fear of failure can also keep us from speaking up. It will cause us such hindrance to remain in silence and foregone the chance to stand out. Another major impact of this fear is missing out the point of professional and personal growth. If we really want to be successful, we should be prepared and grow with it. I know I should loses this fear of failure and be able to risk something which is important, in the long way ahead, I know I will be glad that I did. Abstract Conceptualization We can face the fear of failure by having an understanding of constructivism which is child-centered; it suggests that the environment of learning must shore up numerous perspectives or reality interpretations, construction of knowledge, richness of context, activities based experience. Constructivism concentrates on knowledge construction, and not on the knowledge reproduction. It is a conviction that from one’s experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events one constructs knowledge. The mind is influential and indispensable in understanding perspectives, events and objects on the basis that is individualistic and personal. Our outlook of the external world varies from others for the reason that we have our out set of unique experiences. (Dweck, 1999) Learning is influenced by the learner’s prior knowledge, learning goals and personality therefore it is an internal process. Constructivism illustrates the environment of the wherein knowledge and the creation of knowledge is inductive, collaborative and interactive, wherein manifold of perspectives are corresponded to, and where questions are appreciated (Goleman, 1997). The significance of context associated to learning and knowledge and â€Å"authentic activity† are given important emphasis. Active Experimentation Having the fear of failure should not be disregarded, it should be acted upon the soonest time possible, because having to endure such will make us stagnant and afraid to go beyond the norms, we will be stuck under the state of mediocrity, which we know is not good. The fear of failure had me bothered, but I told to myself that I should not lose in my game with it, I should overcome it. In order for me to lose my fear, I started thinking and considering the cost of missed opportunities if I pass on to them. Many careers out there entail a broad variety of opportunities therefore when opportunities came, I should be able to try my chances. I know that taking risk is very important and a greater reward is at stake. The issue of the fear of failure here is that without taking risks we cannot exploit opportunities. We can opt to live a rather simple, happy and peaceful life but we will be hindered to do something new and we then cannot make a difference in our world. The source of this fear is unknown I realized that when we do not know what are we dealing, the possible consequences can get worse. The fear should be understood, we should then have a holistic understanding of failure, its risks and benefits, by means of an analysis, and I can then get through my fear and further make a decision. It is also ideal to always put ourselves in the perspective of the worst-scenario. Making a plan of contingency is also a good strategy in order to reduce the downside and overcome the fear of failure. I should then manage the risk well and create a contingency plan so that I will be able to have a backup plan if ever the chances of failing are very high. An understanding of the benefits of failure also helps as each failure is like a trial in an experiment and an opportunity to growth, even if it can costs us a lot, there is an assurance that the benefits can outweigh the loss. (Jackson, 1993) Each failure is a trial in an experiment and an opportunity for growth. Even if a failure costs you financially, the educational benefits can far outweigh the loss. As I am determined to overcome this fear, taking action is the best way to start, though which I am certain to have a boost in confidence. I know everything is hard on the start, but it may be possible that with taking small steps, I can then build up my confidence and be able to manage the fear of failure. If there is a goal, but is afraid to commit, we should then force ourselves, the fear of failure disappears when we realize that it cannot save us. References    Applewhite, P. (1965).â€Å"Organzational Behavior†, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Buckingham, M. (2005). â€Å"Great Managers†, Harvard Business Review. Craig, Robert L. (1996). The ASTD Training and Development Handbook. New York: McGraw- Hill. Dweck, C. (1999). Self Tehories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development. Philedelphia:Psychology Press. Goleman, D. (1997). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books. Hall, Jay. (2001). â€Å"Comminication Revisited†. California Management Review. Herzberg, F. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees?. Harvard Business Review. Jackson, T. (1993). When fear Seems Overwhelming: Finding Courage and Hope. RBC Ministries Rico, L. (1964).â€Å"Organizational Conflict: A Framework for Reappraisal,† Industrial Management Review, Fall. U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership.

Online Social Network

Online Social Network: Advantages & Disadvantages Social network is a place for people to interact with each other from around the world, it’s also gave benefits for us to make a new friend. It’s also gave us bad effect. From this assignment we can created a few objective. The objective is †¢We can make a difference between good and bad effect of social network. †¢We can gain more knowledge about social network. †¢Improve communication and productivity by disseminating information among different people. †¢Gain higher GPA, intelligence and general knowledge. IntroductionSince their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices. As of this writing, there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances, supporting a wide range of interests and practices. While their key technological features are fa irly consistent, the cultures that emerge around SNSs are varied. Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities.Some sites cater to diverse audiences, while others attract people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing. Scholars from disparate fields have examined SNSs in order to understand the practices, implications, culture, and meaning of the sites, as well as users' engagement with them.This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together a unique collection of articles that analyze a wide spectrum of social network sites using various methodological techniques, theoretical traditions, and analytic approaches. By c ollecting these articles in this issue, our goal is to showcase some of the interdisciplinary scholarship around these sites. The purpose of this introduction is to provide a conceptual, historical, and scholarly context or the articles in this collection. We begin by defining what constitutes a social network site and then present one perspective on the historical development of SNSs, drawing from personal interviews and public accounts of sites and their changes over time. Following this, we review recent scholarship on SNSs and attempt to contextualize and highlight key works. We conclude with a description of the articles included in this special section and suggestions for future research. Social Network Sites: A DefinitionWe define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. While we use the term â€Å"social network site† to describe this phenomenon, the term â€Å"social networking sites† also appears in public discourse, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.We chose not to employ the term â€Å"networking† for two reasons: emphasis and scope. â€Å"Networking† emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. While networking is possible on these sites, it is not the primary practice on many of them, nor is it what differentiates them from other forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC). What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks.This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is of ten not the goal, and these meetings are frequently between â€Å"latent ties† (Haythornthwaite, 2005) who share some offline connection. On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily â€Å"networking† or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. To emphasize this articulated social network as a critical organizing feature of these sites, we label them â€Å"social network sites. While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends1 who are also users of the system. Profiles are unique pages where one can â€Å"type oneself into being† (Sunden, 2003, p. 3). After joining an SNS, an individual is asked to fill out forms containing a series of questions. The profile is generated using the answers to these questions, which typically include descriptors suc h as age, location, interests, and an â€Å"about me† section. Most sites also encourage users to upload a profile photo.Some sites allow users to enhance their profiles by adding multimedia content or modifying their profile's look and feel. Others, such as Facebook, allow users to add modules (â€Å"Applications†) that enhance their profile. The visibility of a profile varies by site and according to user discretion. By default, profiles on Friendster and Tribe. net are crawled by search engines, making them visible to anyone, regardless of whether or not the viewer has an account. Alternatively, LinkedIn controls what a viewer may see based on whether she or he has a paid account.Sites like MySpace allow users to choose whether they want their profile to be public or â€Å"Friends only. † Facebook takes a different approach—by default, users who are part of the same â€Å"network† can view each other's profiles, unless a profile owner has decide d to deny permission to those in their network. Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other. After joining a social network site, users are prompted to identify others in the system with whom they have a relationship.The label for these relationships differs depending on the site—popular terms include â€Å"Friends,† â€Å"Contacts,† and â€Å"Fans. † Most SNSs require bi-directional confirmation for Friendship, but some do not. These one-directional ties are sometimes labeled as â€Å"Fans† or â€Å"Followers,† but many sites call these Friends as well. The term â€Å"Friends† can be misleading, because the connection does not necessarily mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons people connect are varied (boyd, 2006a). The public display of connections is a crucial component of SNSs.The Friends list contains links to each Fr iend's profile, enabling viewers to traverse the network graph by clicking through the Friends lists. On most sites, the list of Friends is visible to anyone who is permitted to view the profile, although there are exceptions. For instance, some MySpace users have hacked their profiles to hide the Friends display, and LinkedIn allows users to opt out of displaying their network. Most SNSs also provide a mechanism for users to leave messages on their Friends' profiles. This feature typically involves leaving â€Å"comments,† although sites employ various labels for this feature.In addition, SNSs often have a private messaging feature similar to webmail. While both private messages and comments are popular on most of the major SNSs, they are not universally available. Not all social network sites began as such. QQ started as a Chinese instant messaging service, LunarStorm as a community site, Cyworld as a Korean discussion forum tool, and Skyrock (formerly Skyblog) was a French blogging service before adding SNS features. Classmates. com, a directory of school affiliates launched in 1995, began supporting articulated lists of Friends after SNSs became popular.AsianAvenue, MiGente, and BlackPlanet were early popular ethnic community sites with limited Friends functionality before re-launching in 2005-2006 with SNS features and structure. Beyond profiles, Friends, comments, and private messaging, SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base. Some have photo-sharing or video-sharing capabilities; others have built-in blogging and instant messaging technology. There are mobile-specific SNSs (e. g. , Dodgeball), but some web-based SNSs also support limited mobile interactions (e. g. , Facebook, MySpace, and Cyworld).Many SNSs target people from specific geographical regions or linguistic groups, although this does not always determine the site's constituency. Orkut, for example, was launched in the United States with an English-only interface, but Portugu ese-speaking Brazilians quickly became the dominant user group (Kopytoff, 2004). Some sites are designed with specific ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or other identity-driven categories in mind. There are even SNSs for dogs (Dogster) and cats (Catster), although their owners must manage their profiles.While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society (Hargittai, this issue), even if that was not the intention of the designers. A History of Social Network Sites The Early Years According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees. com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists.Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of cours e. Profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. AIM and ICQ buddy lists supported lists of Friends, although those Friends were not visible to others. Classmates. com allowed people to affiliate with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list Friends until years later. SixDegrees was the first to combine these features. SixDegrees promoted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send messages to others.While SixDegrees attracted millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 2000, the service closed. Looking back, its founder believes that SixDegrees was simply ahead of its time (A. Weinreich, personal communication, July 11, 2007). While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Early adopters complained that there was little to do after accepting Friend requests, and most users were not interested in meeting strangers.From 1997 to 2001, a number of community tools began supporting various combinations of profiles and publicly articulated Friends. AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet, and MiGente allowed users to create personal, professional, and dating profiles—users could identify Friends on their personal profiles without seeking approval for those connections (O. Wasow, personal communication, August 16, 2007). Likewise, shortly after its launch in 1999, LiveJournal listed one-directional connections on user pages. LiveJournal's creator suspects that he fashioned these Friends after instant messaging buddy lists (B.Fitzpatrick, personal communication, June 15, 2007)—on LiveJournal, people mark others as Friends to follow their journals and manage privacy settings. The Korean virtual worlds site Cyworld was started in 1999 and added SNS features in 2001, independent of these other sites (see Kim & Yun, this issue). Likewise, when the Swedish we b community LunarStorm refashioned itself as an SNS in 2000, it contained Friends lists, guestbooks, and diary pages (D. Skog, personal communication, September 24, 2007). The next wave of SNSs began when Ryze. com was launched in 2001 to elp people leverage their business networks. Ryze's founder reports that he first introduced the site to his friends—primarily members of the San Francisco business and technology community, including the entrepreneurs and investors behind many future SNSs (A. Scott, personal communication, June 14, 2007). In particular, the people behind Ryze, Tribe. net, LinkedIn, and Friendster were tightly entwined personally and professionally. They believed that they could support each other without competing (Festa, 2003). In the end, Ryze never acquired mass popularity, Tribe. et grew to attract a passionate niche user base, LinkedIn became a powerful business service, and Friendster became the most significant, if only as â€Å"one of the biggest d isappointments in Internet history† (Chafkin, 2007, p. 1). Figure 1. Timeline of the launch dates of many major SNSs and dates when community sites re-launched with SNS features Like any brief history of a major phenomenon, ours is necessarily incomplete. In the following section we discuss Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook, three key SNSs that shaped the business, cultural, and research landscape. ttp://jcmc. indiana. edu/vol13/issue1/boyd. ellison. html Content Pros Of The Social Networking Sites †¢The best advantage of social networking sites is that these sites allow you to keep in touch with your friends, classmates, and relatives. It is also the most cost effective way to keep in touch with your people. Here geographical locations are no barrier to stay in touch. †¢These sites allow you to send and receive messages, upload photos, and videos. As such, they are very interactive as you can get to see what your friends and relatives are up to. With social networki ng sites, you are not bound by any geographical and cultural differences. You get to meet and know a variety of people whose interests are similar to your own. These sites are a window to different cultures and places. †¢You can build a network of contacts and interact with a lot of people at the same time. As such, you can spread your thoughts and interests to a large number of people. †¢The social networking sites also facilitate you to procure information on any subjects from anywhere. These sites also make it easier and faster to collect the information. Social networking sites can also be a tool to promote your business, services, products, or websites. Due to the huge number of people who regularly use networking sites it has found huge favors among advertisers. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_social_networking The Cons Of Social Networking Sites †¢The most glaring disadvantage of social networking sites is the risk of id entity theft and fraud. The personal information of users can be used by dubious people for illegal activities. Information like the e-mail address, name, location, and age can be used to commit online crimes. Also, many people pretend to be someone else and prepare their online profiles with false information, so as to dupe unsuspecting users. So, if you do not know the person face to face then it will be very hard for you to find the real identity. †¢Another cause of concern is cases of online harassment and stalking. Since the social networking sites, are very poorly regulated so it can be a very fertile ground for people trying to get even with you. They can spread malicious humor among your friends and also download and morph your photos. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_social_networking

Dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dreams - Essay Example Scientific theories have ranged from speculation that we dream as a means of learning more about ourselves through the revelation of repressed desires to the concept that dreams are a means of the subconscious providing the conscious mind with seemingly prophetic warnings developed through thousands of unconscious signals received during the waking hours. Other theories have suggested that we dream as a means of further developing our mental abilities and spiritual concepts, slowly assimilating what we’ve learned into our established worldview while still others have indicated that we dream as a means of dealing with our daily experiences by either getting rid of the memories or storing them away in our mental memory banks. What the various scientists have revealed in their dream studies is that there are a wide variety of ways in which dreams might have meaning to an individual, whether they realize it or not. However, it seems plausible that dreams will have more meaning to an individual who has a particular belief regarding what they might mean than an individual who reports they don’t dream at all or who believes that dreams have no meaning and doesn’t bother to remember them. Sigmund Freud is perhaps the most recognized individual in the field of dream theory. In developing his model of the mind, Freud determined that the dream functions as a sleeper’s defense against the disturbing thoughts and emotions of the subconscious mind (the id) by acting as a censor (Wilson, 2005). Unlike Freud, who felt that dreams were less frightening manifestations of subconscious horrors, Jung felt that they were revelations that uncovered not only our own emotional issues and fears of the perso nal subconscious, but also link us to the collective unconscious, â€Å"the reservoir of our experiences as a species, a kind of knowledge we are all born with. And yet we can

Course Reflection on Public Speaking Class Essay

Course Reflection on Public Speaking Class - Essay Example To start with, I have gained much confidence when speaking in public. I was always nervous any time I got a chance of speaking in public. The nervousness was evident; right from sweaty palms, cracking the voice and butterflies in the stomach. The nervousness means that I could not be able to communicate efficiently and effectively. This has drastically changed since I joined the public speaking class. I have gained communication skills that can help me develop as a public speaker. In addition, we do a lot of practice of oral presentation and this has really worked on my confidence. In the absence of fear and nervousness, I am able to make convincing presentations. This has been achieved through maintaining eye contacts, use of right language and tone in the speech (Jaffe, 2012). Secondly, the public speaking class has helped me in improving my accent. As a nurse, the effects of accent in communication can lead to detrimental effects. The modification of the accent helps in avoiding miscommunication and even medical errors that might be caused by the accent problem. The course has helped me increase my effectiveness and efficiency in professional and social communication. In essence, my content delivery has greatly improved (Jaffe, 2012). A simple word in communication can mean loss of life or a patient getting the wrong medication. In addition, public speaking skills have given me the confidence to work in any English-speaking country without fear of being misunderstood when communicating verbally. Lastly, the public speaking class has improved my listening skills. Most of the people lack the patience of listening. As a matter of fact, someone once said that the listening skill is a skill that is almost becoming extinct. A nurse must always learn how to listen to his or her patients, the other medical practitioners like the doctors and other colleagues. I have learnt how to become

Mentor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mentor - Essay Example Mr. Armstrong is the CEO and is a very casual person. He is on a first name basis with all the people in his company and prefers that people call him Jack. He dresses very casually and on occasion wears blue jeans to work. According to my friend, the VPs are basically number crunchers and don't get involved in the day to day decision making. They can be rather quiet and aloof, but she did tell me that they are very smart, good at their job, and will likely want to over analyze any information I give them. She also told me that Mr. Armstrong, the CEO, prides himself on running an open and upfront business. Though Mr. Armstrong runs an informal office, I plan to dress professionally. I don't want to assume his attitude towards formality and I plan to address him as Mr. Armstrong, at least until he tells me otherwise. I want to leave him with the feeling that our company takes itself seriously and we pay attention to our business. In line with this, I am having some pamphlets printed especially for this presentation. I have highlighted the innovations that our company plans to use to market distance learning and how we have created a niche market. There are several interesting graphical portions to the literature. The literature contains a detailed breakdown of our plans for financing.

A Strategy for Devise and Launch of a new Adidas Product Research Paper

A Strategy for Devise and Launch of a new Adidas Product - Research Paper Example The group floated stocks in 1995 under the leadership of Robert Louis-Dreyfus as chairman of the executive board. Presently, Herbert Hainer is in charge of the group. Adidas has a wide and varied history of acquisitions. It was in the year of 1997, the group acquired Salomon Group, thereby changing the name of the group to Adidas-Salomon AG. But in 2005, Adidas decided to part its way with Salomon and changed its name to Adidas AG. The company had a remarkable achievement in 2006 when it acquired Reebok International Ltd. With this takeover materializing, the two of the most reputed brands in the industry expected to have a wide market share with complementary products. The worldwide market of the group includes Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America thus making the company truly multinational (Adidas Group, â€Å"The Adidas Group at a Glance†). The present type of the products of the company includes three broad heads that of footwear, clothing, and accessories. The section of footwear includes shoes and flips flops. A host of items like jackets, jerseys, shirts, shorts, pants and tights, sweatshirts, tracksuits, swimwear, tops, and pants are part of the clothing section. Accessories of Adidas include bags, eyewear, watches, hardware, hats, and stocks, etc (Adidas, â€Å"Catalogue†). Being a market leader of all most all the product segment they are into, Adidas might look into new product line so that the company can get diversified. The development and launch of energy drink can be a viable option for the company. Energy drinks are such drinks which provide more energy to the drinker compared to other drinks. Adidas already has a wide market in the arena of sports with all its existing products. With energy drink in the product category, the company can expect to get more penetration into its core competency.

Commercial Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Commercial Law - Essay Example For the agreement to be effective, the assured has to inform the insurer of certain information about the thing that he or she wants to be insured. The assured can be an individual or a company and is expected by law to insure something that has money value. In other cases, the person or the company can insure a person who she or he values, for example, a wife insuring her husband. Scenario Steve is a customer who has an insurance policy to cover the house which he constructed in 1940. When he was agreeing with Home Protection Insurance to cover his house, he said that the house was built using concrete blocks but in reality it was built using straw bale. He failed to provide information on the strength of the building materials even though the company asked him. One month after getting the cover to protect his house, a severe storm damaged his house together with the items inside the house (Kelly, 1997). Analysis and facts Steve should have been aware of the following facts so that the Home Protection Insurance Company could compensate him when his house was damaged by a severe storm. The request to insure the house by Home Protection Insurance was intended by Steve but he forgot to disclose all the information concerning his house. For example, he did not mention that his house was very old and that it was built with materials that could not last long, therefore, increasing the risk to the company. If the company could have known this information by the time they were writing the policy they could have maybe increased the premium per month (Dobson, 1997). The communication between Steve and Home Protection insurance was not properly done and what was insured was not clearly described. The communication process was also not clear because the kind of damage which Steve insured against was not disclosed. For example, neither Steve nor the Home Insurance Company stated whether it was a fire insurance or burglary. Steve did not also take time to test whether the i nsurance cover could work for him before officially signing it. The law of insurance states that, â€Å"the alleged offer must be in force at the time when the other party purports to accept it.† The time taken before the insurance fully comes into force is important because the customer can gauge how well it can work for the intended needs. Steve did not take this into consideration when he was taking the cover (Ellison, 1997). The agreement between Home Insurance Company and Steve is important when claiming the insured value of money after damage has occurred. A detailed analysis of every factor that can arise and affect the agreement should have been discussed. The facts which are known to the Home Insurance Company about house insurance covers, should have been discussed. Home Protection Insurance Company is well experienced in issues dealing with house insurance and, therefore, it has fine details that people do not recognize when it comes to dealing with house covers. A nother important detail the law of insurance is concerned with, and that should be captured when formulating an insurance cover, is the information which is hidden. However, Home Insurance Company can get this information by deeply interviewing the customer (Dobbyn, 2003). Although the insurance company tried to interview Steve, most of

Demand and Elasticity in Health Care Assignment

Demand and Elasticity in Health Care - Assignment Example Complementary goods or services on the other hand possess lower price elasticity. The meaning of price elasticity of demand is that the demand elasticity for any product (healthcare goods and services) which makes up higher proportions of income also remains generally optimal due to the increase in the price of the commodity which curtails further consumption expenditures on other products. Given that the elasticity of demand refers to a measure of responsiveness that consumers exhibit towards a given product demand as a result of adjustments in the price of these commodities, it must also be true that price elasticity of demand for healthcare services must coincide with health status. This means that health status becomes useful when studying price elasticity of demand. By looking at price elasticity of demand in light of health status, one is able to focus on absolute magnitude of changes, instead of the relative ones. One of the reasons why price elasticity of demand and health status relate is because healthcare is only valued to the extent it betters health. Likewise, it is an obvious fact that the demand for healthcare heavily depends on income, education, health status and age. Despite the demand for healthcare being ultrasensitive to income and prices, the value of price elasticities have values that range from 0 to -1. Likewise, the degree of utilization of healthcare services is shown to be not only tied to income, but also to be very good at the individual level of response (Dewar, 2010). Giving respect to the relationship between price elasticity of demand for health care and health status on the other hand helps in making comparisons on different demand responses across different individuals, countries and products. It is most probable that increase in educational attainment in the community will increase the demand for healthcare services.

Cultivating Culturally Responsive Leaders Essay Example for Free

Cultivating Culturally Responsive Leaders Essay The purpose of this study is to make school administrators aware and familiar with the challenges and obstacles ELL students encounter. With such a growing population of ELL students, teachers are having to become more and more aware of instructional strategies. Teachers are now being held accountable more than ever for their student’s performance and need to make sure every student makes learning gains. With South Florida’s increasing ELL population teachers are struggling to get these students, whose first language is not English, to speak, read, and write proficiently in English before they take the FCAT or by the end of the year to be able to show learning gains. This case study will take place at Winston Park K-8 School. Winston Park is located in a suburban, middle to lower class multiethnic community in the southwest section of Miami-Dade County. The student population is composed of eighty-six percent Hispanics, nine percent white, one percent black, and four percent other. Sixty percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, 46% are ELL, six percent are SWD, and four percent are gifted students. Average daily attendance is 98%. There is a total of 96 instructional staff members. Ninety-one percent of the instructional staff is highly qualified. Twenty-six percent of teachers have received advanced degrees. Parental involvement is high and growing. The student interviewed is an eight-year-old third grade student. Gabriela came from Cuba in March of 2012. Gabriela and her family came from Cuba in search of freedom and a better life. Gabriela came to the United States with her father and mother. Gabriela states that they lived in a poor neighborhood and struggled to get the little food that they did to put on the table. After school Gabriela would go to work with her mom at a farm to pick fruits, vegetables, and even milk cows. Gabriela has showed great growth in the one year that she has been in the Miami-Dade County Public school system. Although Gabriela has attended Winston Park from the beginning of this school year, this is the second school she’s attended in the district since arriving from Cuba. Gabriela’s mom informed that she was very unhappy at her previous school but that now Gabriela loved waking up in the morning to attend school. Even though both of her parents work they are very involved in her studies and will stop at nothing to make sure Gabriela gets a good education. Gabriela is not your average recently arrived ELL student. In the short time she has been here, Gabriela has learned to read, write and comprehend English just as well, if not at times better than many of her non-ELL classmates. Gabriela has made Honor Roll every nine-week grading period and was even referred to be tested for the gifted program. In this case study we will answer how do ELLs, their parents, teachers, and other stakeholder understand ELLs academic experiences in school and how can administrators work be informed by a case study that focuses on ELLs and their experiences in Florida schools. Literature Review In reviewing literature based on paired reading and fluency increase, I found several sources that supported my hypothesis that pairing low (ESOL) and high (Non-ESOL) students during reading is an effective intervention. These findings are particularly significant to those educators who are seeking ways to help students with reading fluency difficulty. Reading fluency is important for comprehension. When students read efficiently and accurately, then they can comprehend what they read more easily. In primary grades, students learn to read but in upper elementary grades students read to learn. What is fluency? According to the National Reading Panel (2000), fluency is the ability to read text aloud with speed, accuracy, and proper expression (Armbruster, Lehr, Osborn, 2001; Meyer Felton, 1991; Rasinkski, 2003). Fluent readers can recognize the majority of the words they read automatically without having to decode individual words; they are ble to dedicate their attention to the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension. Fluency is the bridge between word recognition and reading comprehension (Kuhn Stahl, 2000; Nathan Stanovich, 1991; Rasinksi Padak, 2004). While studies have not determined the ideal number of times necessary to achieve reading fluency, researchers say the more times the better. A typical reader needs to read a passage four times to reach maximum fluency levels (National Reading Panel, 2000). Beginning readers and struggling older readers tend to read slowly, haltingly, and with little or no expression. Often as a result, text comprehension is affected, confidence levels are low, and they do not enjoy reading. Therefore, fluency is and should be a primary goal of literacy instruction. The oral reading fluency norms for grades 1-5 are: 1st 53-111, 2nd 89-142, 3rd 107-162, 4th 123-180, and 5th 139-194 (Hasbrouck Tindal, 2006). While conducting my research, I found different types of reading interventions that can help increase an ESOL student’s fluency: Choral Reading, Duet Reading, Audio-Recorded Books, Echo Reading, and Paired Reading (Hudson et al. , 2005; The Partnership for Reading, 2001). In choral reading, a group of students read aloud from the same selection. The teacher can read along to set the pace and model targeted skills. Students can improve their fluency skills, including appropriate pausing and expression, by reading along with a group of readers or with a strong reader as a partner (Hudson, 2005). In duet reading, a stronger reader is paired with a less-fluent reader. The stronger reader sets the pace and provides visual tracking by moving his or her finger below each word as it is read in unison. In audio-recorded books, the student reads aloud with an audio-recorded version of a book. The purpose is to encourage the weaker reader to read along with the tape. In echo reading, the adult reads a short passage and then invites the child to â€Å"Say what I say† or â€Å"Copy me,† encouraging the child to repeat what the adult has read (Robertson Davig, 2002). In this way, the adult models fluent reading and then provides the child with an opportunity for immediate practice. In paired reading, children who are struggling with reading fluency are paired up with a more capable reader. In this strategy, the fluent reader and reader take turns reading by lines or pages (Mathes, Fuchs, Fuchs, Henley, Sanders, 1994). In evaluating the different types of reading interventions, I found that paired reading is the most commonly used to increase fluency. According to the report of The National Reading Panel (2000), guided repeated oral reading is the most effective procedure for developing reading fluency (Kuhn Stahl, 2000; Rasinski Hoffman, 2003). Paired reading was originally developed as a strategy for parents and children reading at home, but it is easily adapted for classroom use in intervention lessons (Morgan Lyon, 1979; Topping, 1989). Paired reading requires the reading partners to read aloud. Reading aloud to elementary school students can have many beneficial effects; it improves their language skills, motivates them to read on their own, makes students familiar with books, and expands vocabulary (Saban, 1994). Research indicates that repeated paired reading leads not only to improving in reading the passage but also improvement in decoding, reading rate, expression, and comprehension of passages that the reader has not previously seen (Dowhower, 1994; Kuhn Stahl, 2000; National Reading Panel, 2000). Rasinski and Fredericks (1991) reported on a paired reading project launched by the Akron, Ohio Public School System; the results of the project suggest that paired reading also helped improve reading performance but in addition helps improve reading motivation and child bonding. Studies on paired reading showed that students of all ages can make extraordinary reading gains. In one study of paired reading over a period of six to ten weeks, students made a gain of at least six months in reading (Limbrick, McNaughton, Cameron, 1985). In another study, students made an average of three months gain for every month of paired reading. The less proficient readers were not the only ones who benefited; the student who served as the tutor also made substantial gains in their reading abilities (Topping, 1989). In summation, the characteristics of the paired reading instruction (positive one-to-one collaboration between skilled and less-skilled readers, reader engagement, practice, evidence of progress, and reader expression) support my hypothesis that pairing a low and high student during reading is an effective intervention for fluency increase. It may promote rapid turnaround in reader proficiency for less-skilled readers. Furthermore this finding is particularly significant to those educators who are seeking ways to help students with reading fluency difficulty. Method Three people participated in this study: Gabriela, an eight-year old student in third grade and an ESOL level one, her mom and the teacher, Mrs. Sanz. Everyone has given full consent and agreed to interview with us and give us information on Gabriela and their culture. Every person interviewed was cooperative and helpful throughout the interview. The teacher was a crucial part to our interview since she is the one who works directly with Gabriela on a daily basis and can best describes her strengths and weaknesses. During the interview, we asked Mrs. Sanz to please provide us with information and data about Gabriela. We explained to her teacher and mother that all of Gabriela’s information would be kept confidential and that her name would be changed for privacy purposes. Some of the data we collected was from the SAT (Stanford Achievement Test), FAIR (Florida Assessment in Instruction and Reading), and the CELLA (Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment). While the teacher pulled out useful pieces of data she gave us a synopses of how Gabriela is in class and how she is getting along with all the other students. Mrs. Sanz feels she’s a bright young girl (probably gifted) with lots of potential. She is self-directive and puts forth maximum effort. Mrs. Sanz also told us Gabriela enjoys helping the other students in class. Mrs. Sanz feels this may be due to the high level of importance her parents have instilled in her regarding school. Sandra, Brenda and Mrs. Sanz all discussed and analyzed the data and we identified all her strong areas as well as a few minor weak areas. Sandra Ramallo and Brenda Gomez conducted the study. Sandra and Brenda were both present at all interviews and had the opportunity to talk to each interviewee. Since the study was conducted by both Sandra and Brenda the work load was distributed amongst each other. Brenda worked on the introduction, method, findings, and consent forms. Sandra worked on the literature review, discussion, and the transcription of the interview.

Actplan Limited: Fleet Management Engineering Functions

Actplan Limited: Fleet Management Engineering Functions By Nassim Bouhbal The centralization of Actplan limited  fleet management engineering functions The world of organizations has always been confronted with major changes. These changes, varied, can take several recurring forms and are generally known as reorganization, restructuring or even revitalization. In this perspective, the company Actplan is faced with an internal problem mainly in the logistics, which creates loss and waste of resources. This is compounded by conflict and ignorance of the staff who no longer know what role to play. Thereby, the report that follows provides a general solution to the change required by the new CEO, which is to centralize the system VFMS into the corporate headquarter, and to dismiss some of the staff. Thus, the method of change of Kurt Lewin will be used for this case and the plan will be mainly oriented towards communication, analysis as well as the training. Further that, since a change manager will not be able to do this plan on his own, the creation of a team and a new change manager have been approved. Thus, the analysis made on the different behaviour required of the individuals. Allowed us to compose this team using the method of Belbin team roles. Thereby, the new change manager will be a Coordinator, while the team will consist of a Plan, a Monitor evaluator, a Resource investigator, and an implementer. I. Change management : I.1. Reason for change: Actplan is a multinational engineering company with a divisional structure specialized in the manufacture of electrical components for domestic and industrial use. The company is divided into several districts that have full control over their geographic area and are headed by division managers. These ones manage the technical, marketing, financial and commercial aspects, and are directly responsible to the general manager in the corporate headquarters. There is thus both a great autonomy of the different districts and a strong centralization of the powers around the divisional managers. Figure 1: Actplan company organisation The main mission of each division is the distribution and marketing and maintenance of the different products in their respective regions while managing the administrative aspects proper to them. However, after the former CEO retired and the set up a new CEO has been done, this one has processes to an evaluation of the entire company, so the financial reports showed gaps in the resulting division resulting in the waste of resources and loose of money. With particular intent on the logistics side where resources are used randomly and without control. I.2.Type and Scope of change: Since the ideas are initiated by the hierarchical summit organizing and planning the process of innovation. We can conclude that the process of change is of the top down type. In this case, the CEO will take the steps and promulgate measures to obtain the participation of the actors concerned. Figure 2: Top down diagram In this perspective, in order to share his vision of the situation as well as the purpose of change, the meeting that brought together the CEO and the different managers of the DHQ and CHQ concluded that the main changes will be: Full stakeholders benefits with transparent streamlined business Centralisation of a new VFMS and fleet acquisitions and removing the old system. Transfer of functions from DHQs to CHQ. 2 years change transition. I. 3. The change management approach: Being designate for change, the first step before starting the change process itself, must be an interrogation on the definition of the goals and the relevance of the change. Why change? What ambition to aim for? This step of observation concerns the preliminary analysis of the situation, with briefings with the project manager or the CEO, or We will seek to determine what we want to change and how far the change must go, how This is likely to solve the problems found and to improve the degree of adaptation and efficiency of the organization These aspects relate in particular to the organizational diagnosis. According to Autissier and Moutot (2003) there are two criteria for characterizing changes, so they consider that change is defined according to its intentionality and rhythm: the criterion of intentionality (voluntary vs. imposed) the criterion of temporality (brutal vs progressive) The meeting of the axes progressive / brutal and imposed / voluntary allows to identify 4 types of change that we can see in this matrix.    Table 1: Type of change matrix Thus, taking into account the situation of our study case, the change will be prescribed, in the sense that it is imposed by the CEO and progressive over a period of 2 years. Also. According to Kurt Lewin, the whole process of change follows roughly a progression that can be described in three main phases (Figure 3), this tool will be used for the change management process in this case of study. Figure 3: Kurt Lewin change process The keywords and the main process for each step are: Unfreeze: Helping actors understand change and its causes; Informing about objectives and issues. Expect a resistance. Transition: Help actors to change: listen, understand, support, encourage, accompany, debate and respond. Put in place the necessary training facilities. Refreeze: Supporting individuals in their new roles. Encourage reflection on learning and change. Celebrating Success and Behaviours. I .4. Change management process: a-The unfreeze: The first stage of the unfreeze, begins with a large communication campaign plan (Annex 1), for this purpose, each DHQ and CHQ manager has the task of communicating the current events for his team, the purpose of this manoeuvre is to reduce mistrust and stress regarding the new CEO in a way where it remains a new unknown person for the staff of the company, unlike managers who collaborate with them longer. During these communication sessions, we handed out to managers a survey for all employees of the organization. This self-administered survey is composed of closed-ended questions, with a cover letter, providing the necessary recommendations for responding, including anonymity and confidentiality. The survey consists of five parts (Annex 2): the first one looks at the working environment; The second on changes, and the third on general issues related to the workplace; The results of these survey will be counted and treated later to find points of the old system failure and to see emotions as well as to detect possible resistance. In addition to meeting the reality of the environment, several meetings took place with the union and the members of the committee. These meetings aimed at ensuring consistency between the survey and the organizational reality. b- Transition: The transition stage is the most delicate step of the change, in the way where it is here that the communication plan put in place will be implemented. Following the CEOs recommendation, the first change was to centralize the VFMS system, thus controlling the logistics fleet will be supervised by the CHQ with the mission of tracking different lorries, as well as support for maintenance operations, by installing GPS tag and a GSM Diagnostic System in each truck. However, this change will greatly alter the way the engineers works in each DHQ. The biggest fear is the use of a centralized system for people who have been working independently for a long time. The manipulation of this system leads to fears for both good and bad engineers especially that we are in a transition phase where the worst engineers are afraid because they will be controlled and the best are afraid of the new technology. Even for the staff of the CHQ where the new system will be installed, it will bring a new unknown task to all, which will generate fear, stress and the anguish of spending more hours to work. At this level of the transition and before starting the training of the new system, forms of resistance can be imposed and creates conflicts, especially with the potential for the imminent dismissal of the staff. Thus, the brief observation phase that will follow in collaboration with the human resources of each division will bring to light the disruptive elements that will totally contradict the new system. This denial will be mainly in the form of absenteeism and refusal of collaboration; those will have to be decommissioned according to the CEOs recommendations, the idea is that the training of these elements will be a waste of money and time. On the other hand, the development of an early retirement formula for employees aged 50 and over with at least 20 years of seniority will be negotiated with the union so that we will save time as the training of older people will take longer. Having the field clear, the training phase on the new VFMS system and the accompaniment of the staff will begin. Training the most important step in change projects because this brings knowledge about the current change in the project, technology that come with it and understanding to the future role, so the methodology of training needs to be adapted to peoples, their roles and their functions. Thus, E-learning or distance learning, maybe a technological opportunity for this project. In fact, this method brings, many advantages: -It adapts to the constraints of time and the organization of each one. -It allows to work autonomously and independently. -It develops the spirit of curiosity and research. -The cost of training is reduced (booking class rooms, traveling trainers). -It avoids transport costs due to geographical distance. c- Refreeze: During this stage, new practices become natural. They integrate in the person and in the context. Now is the time to make adjustments so that residual problems do not compromise the results obtained. The aim here is to reinforce the changes made and to make them resistant to possible changes or regressions. In conducting change, observing these phases ensures better chances of achievement and is part of a rather participatory mode of change. It makes it possible to target the actions undertaken according to the stage in which we are located. Thus, the template in Annex 3 summarise the change management plan and the new company organisation will be as shown in the following figure. Figure 4: New Actplan organisation A change manager cannot plan change by himself. In order to achieve this transformation, the manager has to be surrounded with the necessary resources throughout this phase, thus creating a team that will help and support change is mandatory. Moreover, in this case being close to the withdrawal of the current manager, a new replacement has to be set up in order to continue the procedures after the departure of the enclosure In this circumstance, it is necessary from the outset to work closely with the human resource department and the Belbins methodology, with one main aim being to detect leadership. II.1. The definition of a leader The leader is the one who possesses a strong potential who can be subjected to experiments to develop this potential. It has its own specificities that appears during the evolution within the company. Thus, the leader is the one who opens the way for individuals to make major changes. It is the who influences others through his credibility, ability and commitment. In our case study, the task of a leader is to produce the change. this task goes beyond the control, recruitment and problem solving; It is about meeting the challenges in order to ensure growth, performance and learning, and he will be called upon to bring those around him to communicate change, adjust their values, modify their perspectives and to acquire new habits. To do so, he must detect opportunities and locate existing skills. II.2. Defining the new change manager: Following the definition above and following the Belbins team roles (Figure 5), the new change manager within the company will be designed following the test, the proper role for manager in this should be a coordinator, Thus the choice will be made among the potential leadership that will have the most concordance in this role by the test observer. Moreover. This new change manager will be designed at the early stage of the process change, to let him have all the knowledge about every step before the retirement. II.3. The establishment of a change management team At the start of the project, the manager will set up a change management team, which will be different from the functional team in charge of managing the project itself. The aim is to create a multidisciplinary and motivated team with the skills and competences to manage the change process over its entire duration: group work capacity, degree of mastery of the project management culture, capacity of animation and especially negotiation. The creation of the change management team can only be done with internal resources, but the use of external providers is often necessary because external resources can be a guarantee of objectivity and neutrality, and they have skills, Methods, and communication techniques that do not have internal resources. Thus, following the Belbin test, we should find resources can be useful in communication actions because they know the structure, can identify the right people, or be informed more quickly of possible obstacles. Finally, the typical change management team roles will be: A Plan, a Monitor evaluator, a Resource investigator, and an implementer. With this configuration, we will have two cerebral roles for the planning and the monitoring and a one people orientated role for the investigation, and finally one action orientated roles for the execution. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Figure 5: Belbins team roles The Communication Plan: (Template source: https://www.smartsheet.com/free-change-management-templates) The survey Sample: (Template source: http://www.hr-survey.com/EmployeeSurveyQuestions.htm) Change management plan: (Template source: https://www.smartsheet.com/free-change-management-templates)      Ã‚  

Health Care Program Evaluation Plan Health And Social Care Essay

Health Care Program Evaluation Plan Health And Social Care Essay The question of how to treat people who are mentally ill is highly controversial. In the not-so-distant past, people with mental illness were confined in insane asylums, where they lived in conditions of degradation, physical abuse and squalor. Mental health professionals now agree that such treatment was barbaric and that patients should receive supportive care. Opinions differ sharply, however, on what kind of treatment best serves this population of people interests. How mental illness is treated varies in every civilization, culture, century, and religion. Some religions encourage its members to do well even towards mentally ill people. The treatments carried out go from dancing to chants to tortures and exorcisms, and some treatments do more damage to the patient than good. As time passes by, the term mental illness carries with a stigma that affects not only the patient, but also his/her family. With the increasing prominence of the health promotion theory, there exists a shift towards emphasizing wellness, empowerment, and empirically supported treatment. Mentally ill people are treated more humanely at present than when compared to the only several decades ago. Adjustments are being strategized in order to address the increasing demand of mental health education and ensure the implementation of new programs in order to maintain common ground among stakeholders. Drastic changes and the need for mental health reform based on recurrences of violence within communities have played a vital role in stakeholders rethinking mental health issues, particularly what treatments are appropriate. Historically, practices of health promotion can be incorporated into evidence based with the treatment being used in programs that have been implemented for those co-morbid health conditions with mental health problems. Background of the Problem Mental health programs require a set of skills that are accessible and different from traditional programs that have been set in place but have failed the system. Through the use of monograph, a method of research or literature written about a single, specific subject, it can be deduced that the pathways to effective care are often unclear and extremely difficult to negotiate, especially for young people and their families, and for people from backgrounds that are not part of the dominant mainstream culture (National Health Strategy, 2000, p.7). In other words, there exists a disparity between social classes in the effective distribution of health care, that regarding mental health notwithstanding. This socio-economic disparity is no longer a new issue. Even in other instances, especially in the realm of healthcare, care services are not equally distributed among those who need it. It is usual that patients from low socio-economic classes are the less privileged, subjected to public humiliation and unconventional treatment; while those with a secure financial capacity are more likely to receive immediate and humane treatment. Intervention approaches into mental health vary depending on the disorder and severity of symptoms. Integrating programs and new policies in the decision-making intervention is in the forefront objective of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). According to the NHS (2000, p.89), the main actors in the delivery of health care should have a pervasive awareness of the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the people, as differences in culture and language, among others, can be a hurdle in the design and implementation of a health care program. This is not to say that efforts were not carried out to create programs to address mental health problems. However, some programs are either lacking in content or is not applicable to a particular group of people. Therefore, a program may produce significant results for adult patients, but may fail when applied to younger patients with the same mental illness. As such, the need for holistic and specific programs for mental health is high. Several measures should be taken into consideration first before a particular mental health program is to be designed and implemented. The severity of the illness and its symptoms, as well as the patients capacity to maintain treatment, among others, should be well taken into consideration. Literature Review This literature review has been prepared for evaluation of Mental Health programs, which will focus on the following topics: definition of mental health; mental health issues; treatments and therapy; global mental health policies, and legislation; and the process of evaluating a health care program, particularly that of mental health. Available literature on mental health focuses on programs that are in place and the implementation of new programs through integrating health promotion where a review of literature illustrate how the field of health promotion can be mainstreamed into all aspects of community mental health care, in policies, principles, and practices. It contains an array of clinical cases, historical analyses, assessment models, evidence-based interventions and evaluation tools, and strategies for policy reform. Definition of mental health The World Health Organization (2013) defines mental health as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease. Furthermore, it is defined as a state of well-being where an individual can realize his potential as a person, adopt measures in coping with lifes stressors, work productively while staying emotionally well, and contribute to the development of the community with which he belongs to. Mental health issues Mental health treatments Mental illnesses are developed due to various and sometimes interrelated factors, making it difficult to clearly predict the progress of a mentally ill person (SANE, 2010). Sometimes, the symptoms are so confusing that the patient himself is not aware that they are already experiencing a mental disorder. Initial assessment is done to identify whether the patient is suffering from a mental disorder. The diagnosis will be derived from a particular pattern of symptoms that the doctor will have to observe in the patient. Symptoms include (SANE, 2010, in Better Health, 2012): 1) feeling down for a long period of time; 2) insomnia or inability to sleep; and 3) easily distracted and inability to concentrate. From there, the doctor will decide how to best treat the symptoms and then further observe the patient for any other more specific symptoms. In the field of mental health, diagnoses can change several times as the symptoms change, progress, or disappear. Likewise, it can change as more information surfaces from the patient himself through their sessions together. The doctor then should be able to critically delineate the differences between symptoms and suggest a treatment that would best help the patient. In other words, there is no fixed treatment or medication for a single individual with a mental disorder until all the needed criteria appears in the patients behaviors (SANE, 2010, in Better Health, 2012). There are, however, several ways in treating mental health disorders and helping patients cope and recover from mental illness. There are two main types of treatments: psychological treatments and medication. Psychological treatments are carried out on patients with anxiety disorders or depression as it helps reduce stress levels brought about or has resulted to the symptoms experienced by the patient. These treatments, or therapies, are based on how an individual react to, think about, and perceive things (SANE, 2010, in Better Health, 2012). Therapies are also called talking cure (Discovery Health, 2013) because emotional and physical pain is alleviated by talking about it. Medications are provided to patients who have a more serious form of the disorder. There is a specific type of medication for a specific type of disorder, and they are usually highly prescriptive. Sometimes, it is given with a combination of other prescriptive drugs or with psychological therapies. It includes (Better Health, 2012): 1) antidepressants, which is given to patients with depression primarily and, with psychotherapy, to those with phobias, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia); 2) antipsychotic medications, which is used to treat illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolarism; and 3) mood stabilizing medications, which regulates the occurrence of major depression and high episodes in patients with manic disorder. Care should be extended, however, when using medications for mental health disorders. Although the benefits are high, there are still some harmful side effects that might affect the patient especially when used for a long term at variable doses (SANE, 2010). If available, newer generations of medications are to be given to the patient, as this has lesser side-effects (Better Health, 2012). Apart from these two major types of treatment, the concept of community support as a way to help patients cope and recover from mental illness is fast becoming a choice for professionals and patients alike. Community support efforts include information, accommodation, help with finding suitable work, training and education, psychosocial rehabilitation and mutual support groups (SANE, 2010; and Better Health, 2012). Global mental health policies Kiresuk and Sherman (1968) have identified the rather contrasting two-fold identity of the goals of the mental health enterprise: a) highly philosophical in that theories are formulated in distinct relationships; or b) highly objective and focuses mainly on patient-therapy goals. These goals may be used to calibrate a mental health program to better cater to a wider group of concerned people. Furthermore, understanding the elements interacting between the patient and therapist in various stages of their relationship can aid in designing programs for community mental health. Mental health policies are rules and regulations written by the Government or its corresponding Health Ministry or Department. It includes the goals, priorities, and the main direction stakeholders have to take in order to effectively implement the services enclosed therein. Some of the components of a mental health policy include (WHO, 2005): advocacy, which is the individual and social action on raising public awareness and policy support; promotion, enabling patients to take control of and improve their mental well-being; prevention or the immediate application of measures to promote individual and community well-being and educational and informational campaigns; treatment and the carrying out of relevant care, whether clinical or non-clinical, to reduce the negative impacts of mental illness and improve patients quality of life; and rehabilitation where knowledge and skills learning are provided to mentally ill patients to help them achieve a higher and better quality of life despite of their disorder. Mental health policies are the main guiding framework in the design of mental health programs. Each of the components specified above can have its own health program that will help achieve its goals. In fact, mental health programs is to take into consideration both general and specific plans of action required by all stakeholders to undertake in order for the policy to take effect (WHO, 2005). It identifies what actions are to be done, who must do it, what specific timeframe should be followed, what resources are needed, and where can it be found. According to the WHO (2005), 90.9 percent of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean have national mental health programs in place. More than three quarters, or 76.5 percent, of North and South Americas have such mental health programs while only 52.9 percent of Europe does. Community care is the most basic unit to perform and provide healthcare services to citizens. Therefore, their presence is vital in supporting patients with mental disorders at the community level. About 75 percent of North and South American countries have existing community care facilities (WHO, 2005). On a global scale, however, a wider disparity is discovered. Only half of low-income countries have established community centers while 90-97 percent of high-income countries have such community centers. Some examples of these community centers are daycare centers, therapeutic and residential services, crisis residential services, sheltered homes, clubhouses, community mental health services which cater to all age groups (children, adolescents, elderly), and agricultural psychiatric rehabilitation villages, among others (WHO, 2005). Global mental health legislation Mental health legislation should not be confused with health policies. These are legal provisions for the protection of the basic human and civil rights of people with mental disorders (WHO, 2005). Mental health legislation deals not only with how dangerous mentally ill patients are to be restrained and protected, but also with the maintenance of treatment facilities and personnel, training of professionals, and the whole structure of providing mental health services. It also dictates and regulates the procedures in compulsory admissions, discharge procedures, and appeals, among others. Laws on mental health are present in 75 percent of North and South American Countries. This is still low in contrast to 91.8 percent of European countries. Eastern Mediterranean countries have the smallest coverage at only 57.1 percent. Knowing the coverage of mental health laws is vital in understanding how mental health is prioritized on a global scale. The timeliness of the laws needs to be considered as well. More recently existing laws may be more encompassing than older laws in the sense that evaluation processes have already been applied to it. Older laws may not be able on track with the fast changing pace of culture, society, and technology. As such, laws enacted earlier than 1990 may be ineffective because evidence-based treatment methods are not yet available during that time (WHO, 2005). More than half of existing legislation across the globe is enacted between 1990 and 2004. North and South American countries with mental health laws have enacted 58.4 percent their most recent legislatures within this time frame. There still lies the fact, however, that half of the existing legislations were designed and enacted all the way back to the 60s (WHO, 2005). One of the major facets of mental health legislations is the provision of disability benefits for mentally ill patients and their families. In some cases, the disability benefit is incorporated in mental health laws. In others, particularly in countries without specific mental health legislation, the disability benefit is part of a wider scale of health legislation. Half of low-income countries have disability benefit provisions, while a hundred percent of all high-income countries are covered (WHO, 2005). There are, however, less researches delving into the degree of implementation and the spread of coverage of mental health legislations and its accompanying provisions. Moreover, there is a need to identify what services or benefits do particular countries provided for individuals with mental health disorders. As such, these areas need to be researched into more to better accommodate to the needs of individuals and families who need it. Evaluating mental health programs Atkisson, et al (2010) has a conceptual model laying out the three components involved in evaluating a community mental health program. These three components are: a) levels of evaluative activity; b) functional roles of the evaluator; c) and the capability of the program information. This working model may be used in the assessment of the evaluation capability of mental health problems. Proper use of the model could generate a better evaluation strategy. Although outdated, Hagedon, et al. (1976) has written a reliable manual on determining appropriate evaluation strategies and in planning evaluations. Evaluations, as the authors have suggested, should be done in cycles. Monitoring and evaluation should be schedule annually or bi-annually. This allows the program to be constantly updated, making it easily be adopted into a community. Changing cultural and technological elements could pose threats or opportunities to the conduct of the program. Hargreaves, et al. (1977) states that addressing issues in a programs information system and adequately assessing outcome studies eventually act on the programs processes and integrity, as well as the stakeholders welfare. An effective mental health program should have a similarly effective system of collating and analyzing feedback, which may be used to further improve the program. The evaluation plan describes in detail how a program will be monitored and evaluated. The intention of using the results for program development and decision-making should also be made clear (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). A program evaluation must be carried out with a clear purpose in mind. In fact, in designing a plan for program evaluation, the expectations to be derived from the conduct of the evaluation should be already considered. However, the evaluation design and the actual implementation should not be carried out by just anybody. The evaluation should be done by someone knowledgeable of the processes of evaluation and must also have an understanding of the program being evaluated. Otherwise, the evaluation process might not be able to achieve its objectives. The evaluation design should be able to identify the specific group or group of people for which the program is intended for and would have access to. The methods to be used should be able to capture the needs of the stakeholders while maintaining excellence in the delivery of health care. The Minnesota Department of Health (2010), identified six reasons on why there is a need to monitor and evaluate the processes of a program: 1) to determine whether the objectives of the program is being achieved in the short-term; 2) to improve how the program is being implemented; 3) to provide a degree of liability to the funding agencies and the community with which the program is intended for; 4) to increase the stakeholders awareness of the program and encourage support; 5) to contribution to the current pool of knowledge and practices in the scientific undertaking of public health interventions; and lastly, 5) to inform and influence the decisions of the higher policy-making body, e.g., the government. A scientifically-sound evaluation has similarly scientifically-sound program objectives. According to Wilburn and Wilburn (n.d.), program objectives should be S-M-A-R-T: specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific. It is ideal that an evaluation design is all-encompassing; however, as was said in the introduction, that it has to be specific to be able to fit the needs of the stakeholders better. Measureable concepts should be incorporated into each objective to aid in the attainment of quantifiable variables. It should also be realistic, not idealistic, and should follow a practical timeframe. The right questions should be able to answer the questions what, how, and why it matters (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). The evaluation design should be able to: 1) state the need for the implementation of the program and its relation to the intended effects (clarify the purpose and anticipated outcomes); 2) lay down the processes in the program implementation and identify whether it works well with the overall evaluation design; 3) clarify with short-term information if changes need to be done in the existing processes of the program; and 4) provide a rationale about the programs importance and impact to the field of mental health. The evaluation must apply not only to the program per se, but also to how the application of changes will affect the programs intended outcomes. There are other variables to be considered for evaluation. One is the nature of the stakeholders. Is the program able to capture the stakeholders and address their needs? Are they the right ones with whom to apply the program? Identifying the right stakeholders for the implementation of the program is vital in ensuring that the message is carried across. As such, the location where the program was implemented should also be evaluated. Cultural, social, and political issues must be considered as these could have an effect in the distribution of the program. Likewise, time should also be evaluated. This pertains not only to the timeframe or schedule of implementation of the program activities, but also on the timeliness of the program implementation. The last thing that should be subjected to evaluation is the output. Is it what the program intends to achieve? What went wrong? All the information from the monitoring and evaluation will be collated and considered as vital feedback. Feedback needs to be gathered to be used in the further development and improvement of the programs design. After the step-by-step process of evaluation is completed, the results will be integrated into the original mental health program. Recommendations for future researchers will be produced, such as the conduct of a second evaluation on the same program after it had been subjected to changes as a result of the initial evaluation. The design and methodological processes to be followed in the evaluation of a mental health program will be discussed in detail in the succeeding paragraphs. Goals and Objectives This research study primarily aims to identify a method that will be used to effectively evaluate mental health programs. Specifically, this research aims to: Identify the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients and families using the mental health program; Identify their information needs; Determine their attitudes and perception towards the mental health program; and Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the program through a professionals perspective. Theoretical Framework The main reason for conducting a program evaluation is to determine the efficiency of a program, particularly in terms of whether physical and financial resources are being used wisely, the programs performance and objectives are working with the design, and is following the processes set for it (Lindeman, 2010). Based on the literature review gathered for this research, mental health program evaluations mostly focus on how the program could better adapt to certain situations. Certain social conditions call for a more customized program, given that the current specifications of a program may not be suitable for another individual or group of individuals. Therefore, interventions must be carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of a mental health program. By using a program theory, the evaluation of the program may be guided accordingly. The program theory is only recently integrated into the field of public health, as it is mainly used in social science research. The program theory, by definition, is a conceptual plan, with some details about what the program is and how it is expected to work (Issel, 2009). The program theory has two main components: 1) process theory; and 2) effect theory. Process theory is concerned with the program per se, while the effect theory is concerned with the use of interventions. Similar programs, like in the realm of public health and its programs against obesity, consider evaluation as a very important process. It follows the same way of formulation of objectives and the creation of sound evaluation plan. Evaluation Model Design This research will follow a multi-design evaluation. It will make use of the responsive evaluation, followed by the participatory/collaborative form of evaluation, and then the utilization-focused evaluation. The use of a multi-design evaluation allows the researcher to better make use of the information that will be gathered for evaluation. The first design is the Responsive Evaluation type of evaluation model and approach, which is concerned with identifying how the program would look like to different people. This design must take into consideration what stakeholders need to satisfy their thirst for information. In relation to responsive evaluation design, the participatory/collaborative form of evaluation may be used to further identify how the stakeholders view the program and what they could suggest be done to improve it. Their information needs will then be enumerated and considered. Once the information needs are identified, this will undergo utilization-focused evaluation. This allows stakeholders to take part in the evaluation process, which will be used ultimately in the decision-making phase of the evaluation. The information will also be integrated into the program itself so as to better calibrate it to fit the specific needs of the stakeholders. The model below shows how these evaluation designs will be utilized to be able to evaluate a mental health program better. INPUT OUTPUT PROCESS STAKEHOLDERS How does the program look like to different people? PARTICIPATORY/COLLABORATIVE What are the information needs of those closest to the program? CONSUMERS EXPERT INFORMATION NEEDS What are the information needs of stakeholders, and how will they use the findings? Figure 1. The Multi-Design Evaluation Model The study aims to create a viable evaluation model to use in evaluating mental health programs. For this research, both primary and secondary research will be utilized. The primary research will be conducted with the use of a survey questionnaire and interview for research instrument to gather both quantitative and qualitative information. Respondents will be identified and the questionnaire will be distributed to them. Interviews will be scheduled accordingly. Quantitative methods will be employed as this is a flexible and iterative approach in researching information. Consecutively, the research will also make use of qualitative information which will be used to locate and develop theories that would explicate the relationship of one variable with another. As such, behavior, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs on the subject matter at hand will be identified and quantified easier. Secondary research will also be carried out as well. Statistics and results from previous studies will be incorporated into this research and then compared with the results of this study. Evaluation Methods Respondents of the Study Following the evaluation designs stated above, this research will identify stakeholders to help in evaluating the program. Consumers and professionals will be asked to assess the program and their attitudes and perceptions toward it will be gauged. It is vital to determine and identify the respondents to be used for this study. The consumers may be the direct beneficiaries of the program to their close relatives who have personally observed how the program was implemented. Their personal experience on the program implementation would paint a picture of the applicability and fit of the program to various demographic. On the other hand, the professionals will be third-party experts who are knowledgeable in the field. These may be psychiatrists, psychologists, or program implementers. Their expertise on the field would contribute to the identification of whats lacking or missing in the program. Sampling Method The researcher will use two sampling strategies: random and purposive. The purposive type of sampling allows for a more flexible way of choosing respondents, given that the classifications needed are not entirely that applicable to a general group of people. Likewise, this is easier to carry out by the researcher without compromising the results of the study. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and program implementers will be purposively identified based on their availability on the subject matter at hand. On the other hand, the program consumers will be identified randomly. A list of the program beneficiaries will be retrieved from authorities. Then, random sampling will be used to identify who among the beneficiaries will be interviewed. If ever the patient beneficiary will be unavailable for interview, their immediate family members will be contacted in their place. Research Instrument To gather pertinent information from the respondents, the researcher will create a questionnaire, one set for each of the respondents. The instrument will include socio-demographic characteristics, identification of attitudes and perceptions towards the program, suggestions for improvement, among others. The major objective of using a survey questionnaire is to gather both quantitative and qualitative information from the respondents. The research instrument will use a combination of open and closed questions. Closed questions will be used at the most, especially in identifying the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Through the use of closed questions, the choices will be limited within the scope of the study; thus, allowing the researcher to easily encode the answers. Moreover, using closed-ended questions would help keep the results in line with the researchs problem statement and objectives. As such, open-ended questions will nonetheless be used. Using this type of questions will allow the researcher to gather qualitative data. For example, their experiences on how the mental health program was implemented on them are better off detailed than limited to a set of questions. Themes are captured as they emerge from the respondents accounts. The attitudes of the respondents toward the mental health program will be gauged with the use of a five-point Likert scale. The Likert scale is a rating scale that allows the respondents to indicate his/her level of agreement or disagreement towards a particular event, situation, or part of the program. The equivalent weights that would correspond to the degree of agreement or disagreement are as follows: RANGE INTERPRETATION 4.50 5.00 Strongly agree 3.50 4.49 Agree 2.50 3.49 Uncertain 1.50 2.49 Disagree 1.00 1.49 Strongly disagree To test its reliability, the one-shot research administered survey instrument will be pre-tested to a group of individuals. The instrument will then be revised as per the comments and suggestions derived from the pre-testing. The survey questionnaire is chosen as a research instrument since they are easy to construct. Likewise, questionnaires may be easily reproduced and can be delivered to the respondents by mail or by hand. Data Collection For this research, data will be gathered; information will be collated from previously published studies from local and international universities. The researcher will then summarize the secondary information, make a conclusion and a generalization, if applicable, and then provide recommendations which may be useful for this research. The researc