Concept Analysis. The Concept of Therapuetic Relationship in Mental Essay

Concept Analysis. The Concept of Therapuetic Relationship in Mental Health Nursing - Essay Example In a mental health setting, establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient makes it easier to provide interventions and initiating two-way communication with the patient. Assumptions Mental health nurses hold a set of beliefs or values that guide them in their work. First, mental health is considered as a specialized area of nursing practice, education, and research (Videbeck 2010). Mental health nursing is an essential component of the mental help profession, making use of various nursing, psychosocial, and neurobiological theories, as well as research evidence towards the development of general, patient-centred mental health interventions (International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses 2011). Second, the mental health nursing practice places importance on the promotion of mental health and interventions focused on the prevention, treatment, and management of mental disorders. Moreover, a successful therapeutic relation between patient and nurse is founded on tr ust and mutual respect. Establishing a therapeutic relationship with a patient is an important step towards removing the stigma and discrimination commonly associated with mental illness (Videbeck 2010). Third, the mental health nursing profession acknowledges the essential role of research in the development of improved mental health care approaches and interventions. Fourth, the promotion of mental health goes beyond the doors of a mental institution by encouraging society to take action and take part in shaping health and organizational policy. This can be realized by fostering collaboration between individuals, families, communities, populations and social agencies (Videbeck 2010). Mental health nurses advocate a holistic approach, equal access to culturally competent care, protection of human rights, and safe, conducive work environments. Moreover, the mental health profession promotes reflective ethical practice, continuous learning, and the establishment of a moral and vision ary nursing leadership that adheres to the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (Videbeck 2010). Goals of Concept Analysis Rodgers (1989) acknowledged the importance of the development and clarification of the nursing knowledge base. Concepts are essential components required to perform specific tasks, and any ambiguity that exists on a concept, whether by definition or attribute, would affect its effectiveness in addressing a particular situation. This is the reason why concept analysis is commonly utilized to ensure that important concepts possess a definite degree of clarity. However, the method of concept analysis in the field of nursing is not fully understood by nurses. This is due to the fact that most nurse scholars fail to fully examine the philosophical foundations and results of concept analysis. Most nurses therefore have no clear idea how the methods of concept analysis works Meleis (2007) described the goal of concept analysis as a method of advancing a specific concep t to a higher level of development. Specifically, concept analysis is performed to determine how a concept may be used in research, clinical practice, instrument development, and theory testing. The most common methods utilized are: Wilson’s Method of Concept Analysis, an 11-step technique for clarification and conceptual communication;

Personal Selling and Sales Promotion MBA Marketing (Masters Level) Essay

Personal Selling and Sales Promotion MBA Marketing (Masters Level) - Essay Example Ingraining is a process by which people at work develop norms and beliefs (Kerin et al 2005). Certain ways of thinking and doing become taken for granted even though they have not been explicitly stated. In the main aspect of value communication, direct two-way information transfer between customer and firm, service businesses enjoy an edge, because the customer is in the system. Their needs are therefore not remote and to be inferred but right here and given expression to. The likelihood of a firm being able to match customer needs exactly is correspondingly higher, provided the firm can customize its services (Kerin et al 2005). An interactive relationship with customers often develops in many service arenas while the service is being rendered. The customer could explain his/her needs, air travel routing with stopover, variations on a dinner order, advice from a securities analyst--and often receive service in real time. Again feedback could also be instant, resulting in high commu nicated value, provided responsiveness, flexibility, and learning ability are incorporated into the system. These strategies make the assumption that the company intends to persist in a concentration mode, that is, limit its horizons to a single product/service or achieve a predominant portion of its sales in one industry. Few large or medium size firms confine their product horizons (Kerin et al 2005). Following Kotler and Armstrong (2008) customer relationship management has a great impact on sales and value creation. "Winning and keeping accounts requires more than making good products and sales. It requires listening to customers, understanding their needs and coordinating the company's efforts to create a customer value" (p. 468). Typically it is small businesses that start with such a focus. With success and growth generally comes a desire to reduce dependence on any one product/market. Diversified firms have more stable sales and earnings. Risk reduction unquestionably helps enhance shareholder value. For instance, in such companies as DuPont or McDonald's this emphasizes the high priority that must be attached to cohesiveness and unity in the high-value organization, not just as a means to an end but intrinsically and for its own sake (Kerin et al 2005). The strengthening of linkages within and among the value creation demands a cooperative endeavor as does the need to brid ge hierarchic gaps. A main value that seems critical to the value-seeking firm is a mutuality of respect. The relevance and importance of others to the aims and purposes of the firm have to be acknowledged. Mutual respect strikes to the very heart of the issue of the dignity of the individual and the absolute conviction that the success of the enterprise depends upon each one's contribution. This applies not only to employees but to every other stakeholder, particularly customers and suppliers. In spite of complexity and global nature of business, such giants as Wal-Mart and Toyota strive toward meeting the needs of customers, which is a pervasive, ever-present consciousness of the centrality of value to a firm's mission. In addition to customer value is an ideal to strive for in the relationship among employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Taylorism Paper Essay Example for Free

Taylorism Paper Essay The American Frederick W. Taylor (1856–1915) pioneered the scientific management approach to work organization, hence the term Taylorism. Taylor developed his ideas on work organization while working as superintendent at the Midvale Steel Company in Pennsylvania, USA. Taylorism represents both a set of management practices and a system of ideological assumptions. The autonomy (freedom from control) of craft workers was potentially a threat to managerial control. For the craft worker, the exercise of control over work practices was closely linked to his personality, as this description of ‘craft pride’, taken from the trade journal Machinery in 1915, suggests: As a first-line manager, Taylor not surprisingly viewed the position of skilled shop-floor workers differently. He was appalled by what he regarded as inefficient working practices and the tendency of his subordinates not to put in a full day’s work, what Taylor called ‘natural soldiering’. He believed that workers who did manual work were motivated solely by money – the image of the ‘greedy robot’ – and were too stupid to develop the most efficient way of performing a task – the ‘one best way’. The role of management was to analyse ‘scientifically’ all the tasks to be undertaken, and then to design jobs to eliminate time and motion waste. Taylor’s approach to work organization and employment relations was based on the following five principles: †¢maximum job fragmentation †¢separate planning and doing †¢separate ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ labour †¢a minimization of skill requirements †¢a minimization of handling component parts and material. The centrepiece of scientific management is the separation of tasks into their simplest constituent elements – ‘routinization of work’ (the first principle). Most manual workers were viewed as sinful and stupid, and therefore all decision-making functions had to be removed from their hands (the second principle). All prepa-ration and servicing tasks should be taken away from the skilled worker (direct labour), and, drawing on Charles Babbage’s principle, performed by unskilled and cheaper labour (indirect labour, in the third principle). Minimizing the skill requirements to perform a task would reduce the worker’s control over work activities or the labour process (the fourth principle). Finally, management should ensure that the layout of the machines on the factory floor minimized the movement of people and materials to shorten the time taken (the fifth principle).While the logic of work fragmentation and routinization is simple and compelling, the principles of Taylorism reflect the class antagonism that is found in employment relations. When Taylor’s principles were applied to work organization, they led to the intensification of work: to ‘speeding up’, ‘deskilling’ and new techniques to control workers, as shown in Figure 3.2. And since gender, as we have dis-cussed, is both a system of classification and a structure of power relations, it should not surprise us that Taylorism contributed to the shift in the gender composition of engineering firms. As millions of men were recruited into the armed forces for the First World War (1914–18), job fragmentation and the production of standardized items such as rifles, guns and munitions enabled women ‘dilutees’ to be employed in what had previously been skilled jobs reserved exclusively for men. Some writers argue that Taylorism was a relatively short-lived phenomenon, which died in the economic depression of the 1930s. However, others have argued that this view underestimates the spread and influence of Taylor’s principles: ‘the popular notion that Taylorism has been â€Å"superseded† by later schools of â€Å"human relations†, that it â€Å"failed† †¦ represents a woeful misreading of the actual dynamics of the development of management’. Similarly, others have made a persuasive case that, ‘In general the direct and indirect influence of Taylorism on factory jobs has been extensive, so that in Britain job design and technology design have become imbued with neo-Taylorism’ (ref. 10, p. 73).

Corporate Governance UK USA

Corporate Governance UK USA A statutory response to Corporate Governance: A Critique Compare and contrast UK and USA responses to Corporate Governance Introduction My dissertation will focus on the examination and the comparison of the corporate governance practices followed in UK and USA. The extensive reforms that have taken place in the particular sector have led to the development of many doubts regarding the effectiveness and the credibility of the corporate governance systems applied on these two countries. For this reason, the examination of the particular issue is considered to be really valuable offering to researchers and managers around the world the chance to understand the various aspects of corporate governance and align (where possible) their business strategies with the relevant corporate governance principles applied on each specific market (referring to the cases of UK and USA). Moreover, this study could help to the identification of any potential weaknesses of the corporate governance policies applied on UK and USA suggesting appropriate reforms on the relevant rules. Background: Business activities around the world have often caused the interest of governments within the particular states. The reason is that all parts of these activities need to be appropriately regulated in order to offer adequate and effective protection to the stakeholders and the public in general (referring mostly to protection from severe financial losses that can threat the viability of the company but even the level of the development of the local economy – when the firm under examination is a well established one, eg Enron). However, because there are many differences in corporate structure internationally, it is necessary for legislators to each specific state to try to adapt the legal principles that are related with business activity with the social and cultural characteristics of each particular state; the size of the firm and its culture should be also taken into consideration. The particular issue was examined by Douglas et al. (1989, 440) who noticed that ‘differ ences in environmental conditions in different country markets, in terms, for example, of market size and growth, rate of technological change, or barriers to entry, may also lead to differences in strategy’. In other words, corporate activity is a complex network of actions and initiatives that need a careful review and close monitoring by the governmental authorities in order to ensure the safety of the transactions without influencing the development of the various corporate projects. As noticed above, the dissertation will focus on the examination of a specific aspect of corporate activity: the corporate governance. The latter can refer to a series of elements within a particular organisation starting from the principles that should be applied to the governance of a firm up to the relationships between the employer (board of directors) and the employees. On the other hand, globally two major corporate governance systems are recognised: the liberal form of corporate governance (UK and USA) in which the interests of shareholders are considered to be the major priority for legislators when developing laws related with business activities. In accordance with the coordinative model (accepted mostly by Europe and Japan) the interests of other participants (in the corporate activities) like employees, customers and suppliers are considered to have a crucial role in the formulation of the laws regulating business activities. This study will refer primarily to the corpora te governance schemes applied in UK and USA. For this reason, the corporate governance system of these two countries will be analytically presented highlighting the potential differences and also the advantages of each one of them within the modern market. From another point of view, the examination of the various aspects of corporate governance cannot be achieved without the analytical presentation of the characteristics of corporate governance through an appropriately customised definition. In this context, it is stated by Buck et al. (2005, 42) that ‘corporate governance and governance institutions in general terms are concerned with the means by which a firms stakeholders control the decisions of senior managers; these stakeholders can include shareholders, executive directors, employees who are not executives, customers, creditors, suppliers (including banks as suppliers of credit), competitors, and the State’. From another point of view, Pedersen (1999, 45) supported that ‘corporate governance the mechanisms by which companies are controlled and directed is a complex subject that consists of owner-manager relations, stakeholder relations, board structures and practices, management compensation, capital struct ure, company law, and other variables’. Both the above definitions present the particular aspects of corporate governance within the modern market; no differentiation in corporate structure seems to be made in accordance with the principles of the state of activity (or the state of origin). On the other hand, the study of Fort (2000, 829) led to the conclusion that ‘corporate governance can be described as the top management process that manages and mediates value creation for, and value transference among, various corporate claimants in a context that ensures accountability to these claimants’. In accordance with the above definition the development of the various aspects of corporate activities is decided by the firm’s managers; the intervention of the state is rather limited. Indeed, the increase of the power of top management in modern businesses around the world is also highlighted by the literature and the empirical research. In a relevant report it is noticed that ‘the principal weakness of corporate governance today is the excessive concentration of power in the hands of top management; rebalancing or equalising this power is a prerequisite for controlling management fraud and promoting accurate financial reporting’ (CPA Journal, 2008). The above described concentration of power can have severe consequences for both the stakeholders and the public in general. In the case of Enron the concentration of power in the firm’s top managers led to the unexpected collapse of the firm and the development of severe turbulences in American economy. Literature Review Corporate governance – general aspects Firms that operate within the modern market have to face a series of challenges related with both their internal and external environment. In this context, it is supported by Wooldridge et al. (2001, 17) that ‘the main challenge for companies in a global economy is to situate themselves in various centers of excellence and weave together different centers of excellence into a global production network’. From a different point of view, Gooderham et al. (1999, 507) noticed that ‘despite their very different assumptions, both rational and institutional explanations of organizational structure and management practices predict similarity among firms that operate in the same industry within the context of a simple country’. In other words, the regulation of business activities today can be effective only if it takes into consideration the various aspects of these activities as they are formulated within the modern market – taking always into consideration t he changes in the needs of the firm’s shareholders but also in the needs of the stakeholders. On the other hand, it is clear that extensive differentiations can be observed in the methods of corporate governance applied to modern firms in accordance with the social and cultural characteristics of these firms but also the social and cultural context of the country in which the firms’ operations are based. The theoretical and empirical research has proved that significant differences can be observed in all aspects of business activities in accordance with the social and cultural characteristics of a specific region – where business activities are mainly developed. The differences mentioned above can refer to specific management issues or they can refer to all business context. In the case of British firms, Scullion (1994, 86) noticed that ‘very few British companies can claim to have a truly international top management team’. Other issues of corporate activity may be differentiated under the influence of the social and cultural trends applied on a specific country/ region. In order to understand the importance of corporate governance for the development of the business activities, we should refer primarily to a clear description of the interests existed within any corporation: the stakeholders from one side and the shareholders from the other. Regarding this issue, it is noticed that ‘stakeholders, broadly defined as society as a whole, are interested in the collateral benefits derived from the success of the enterprise, such as the abundance of a product or a service, a clean environment, or a general rise in the standard of living; stockholders have a dual interest in the success of the enterprise: direct interest as a reward for their investment, and collateral benefit as stakeholders’ (CPA Journal, 2008). The conflict of interests of these two sides can lead to the development of severe turbulences within the organization. On the other hand, in firms that the interests of both these sides are protected it is very likely that there will be no severe problems in the communication and the cooperation between these parties towards the increase of the firm’s performance. It should be noticed that the principles of corporate governance are primarily stated by the governmental authorities (referring to the firms of a particular country). Apart from these orders, the international community can intervene in the business activities presenting a series of standards that should be met in the corporate activities worldwide. OECD is a well known international organization that provides appropriate solutions to a series of issues related with international business activities. The specific organization has set several rules regarding the various aspects of corporate governance. In accordance with these rules: ‘’all shareholders should be treated equally; insider trading and abusive-self dealing should be prohibited; capital structures and arrangements that enable certain shareholders to obtain a degree of control disproportionate to their equity ownership should be disclosed’ (OECD, 2004, 18-19). It is clear from the above rules that inter national organizations can set rules regarding business activities around the world; however these rules can be characterized rather as ‘principles’ of commerce being similar with the ethics held in corporate activities worldwide. Corporate governance in Britain In the case of Britain, the regulation of business activities is realized through the application of a series of legislative texts and orders. The history of business activity in the particular country was examined by Pedersen (1999, 45) who noticed that ‘the industrial revolution took its beginning in the United Kingdom more than 250 years ago; therefore, the hypothesis of greater differentiation in the early industrialized nations than in later industrialized nations can be tested by examining the extent to which the corporate governance structures of U.K. firms are more or less similar to the governance structures of firms in other nations’. In other words, Britain is a country with a significant history in business activities. The importance of the latter in the economy should be considered as extremely high. For this reason the legislator pays a significant attention to the development of the appropriate legal framework for the regulation of the various aspects of c orporate governance. The above assumption is in accordance with the view of Kay (1995, 84) who supported that ‘British statute law is virtually silent on how corporations are to be organised; since the corporation is regarded as a creation of private contract, obligations on companies are mainly there to prevent abuse of the privilege of limited liability, and concern formal matters such as registration and audit’. Because of the above phenomenon, additional legislative texts (as described below) have been introduced and applied in order to support the effective regulation of all corporate governance in British firms (foreign firms that operate in Britain may have the right to claim the application of the laws of their country of origin – it depends on the law applicable on each case taking into account the firm’s articles of association but also the legislation of the country of origin and the country of operations). However, it could be noticed that the British statute law recognizes to the firm’s leaders (board of directors) the right to decide on the firm’s corporate governance. The legal framework applied in UK regarding the corporate governance includes a variety of legislative texts: ‘Common law rules (e.g. directors fiduciary duties). Statute (notably the Companies Act 1985). A companys constitutional documents (the memorandum and articles of association). The Listing Rules, which apply to all companies that are listed on the Official List (or AIM Rules, as appropriate). The Combined Code on Corporate Governance; the Code is supplemented by: the Turnbull Guidance (relating to the internal control requirements of the Code), the Smith Guidance (on audit committees and auditors) and suggestions of good practice from the Higgs Review. Non-legal guidelines issued by bodies that represent institutional investors (such as the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) and the Pensions Investment Research Consultants (PIRC). In the context of takeovers of public companies, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers and the rules of the Takeover Panel apply. The Financial Services Authoritys Code of Market Conduct (relating to the disclosure and use of confidential and price sensitive information and the creation of a false market)’ (Metropolitan Corporate Cousel, 2008) In other words, corporate governance in Britain is regulated by a series of legal texts the most important of which is the Combined Code on Corporate Governance as described above. The specific Code includes provisions that refer to all particular aspects of corporate governance of firms operating in Britain; however because in some cases additional provisions may be required (like in the case of a merger) it is possible that other legislative texts are used in order for the relevant issues to be appropriately addressed. In any case the common law rules and the Companies Act of 1985 are applied (the former are rules that can be applied in any dispute – whenever necessary – whether the latter can be applied in any issue related with the business activity – i.e. not only to the corporate governance). Corporate governance in USA On the other hand, in USA there is no Code for the regulation specifically of the corporate governance issues; instead a series of laws and courts’ decisions can be used in order to resolve problems that are related with the corporate governance of firms operating across the country. There are certain issues that are regulated directly by the law but these are limited; in the high majority of the disputes appeared in the area of firms’ corporate governance various statutes and other legislative texts can be applied. In accordance with a report published recently in USA ‘corporate governance practices in the United States are not regulated by any one particular statute but instead are affected by the governing instruments, the corporate law and the court decisions of each issuer’s state of incorporation, and, in the case of many publicly-owned issuers, by the U.S. federal securities laws and requirements of the national securities markets (Security and Excha nge Commission of Brazil, 2008). On the other hand, it should be noticed that corporate governance issues are likely to be regulated differently by each one of the 50 states of USA. In this context, the Sarbanes-Oxley law which was introduced in 2002 has been formulated in order to offer a valuable legislative base for the regulation of various issues referring to the corporate governance of firms across USA. The above is considered to have influenced also the UK legislation related with the corporate governance. Regarding the specific legislative text it is noticed by Tran (2004) that ‘Sarbanes-Oxley, which called for tighter internal company controls, caused a rethink of   corporate governance laws in the UK as well, with the publication of the Higgs report, written by Derek Higgs, the former investment banker’. The effectiveness of Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 has been extensively criticized. In accordance with Atkins (commissioner in United States Securities and Exchan ge Commission, 2003) the specific legislative text ‘contains many advances for corporate governance and attempts to provide best practices to prevent the misdeeds that have led to the investor losses. Many of these ideas are not new, but have been floating around in one form or another for quite a number of years’ (Atkins, 2003). In other words, Sarbanes-Oxley Act has been introduced in order to resolve specific problems in corporate governance for firms operating in USA; in the long term the achievement of this target can be doubted and only the examination of the consequences of application of this Act in practice could lead to a ‘safe’ assumption regarding the particular issue. It is for this reason that the incorporation of the empirical research (questionnaire) in current study has been considered as necessary. Research question and objectives In accordance with the issues developed above, current study will focus on the regulation of corporate governance in two specific countries: UK and USA. Because the particular issues can include a variety of aspects, it is necessary for the relevant research to be expanded to the following questions: a) which is the current trends in corporate governance around the world, b) which are the major differences between the corporate governance practices followed by the Anglo-American countries and the countries of continental Europe/ Japan, c) which are the benefits and the pitfalls of the statutes and the other legislative texts applied on UK and USA regarding the corporate governance d) which are the most common problems related with the corporate governance in these two countries. References Atkins, P. (2003) Recent Experience With Corporate Governance in the USA, online, available at http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/spch062603psa.htm Buck, T., Shahrim, A. (2005) The Translation of Corporate Governance Changes across National Cultures: The Case of Germany. Journal of International Business Studies, 36(1): 42-69 CPA Journal (2008) A Comprehensive Structure of Corporate Governance in Post-Enron Corporate America http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/1204/essentials/p46.htm Fort, T., Schipani, C. (2000) Corporate Governance in a Global Environment: The Search for the Best of All Worlds. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 33(4): 829-859 Kim, H. (1995) Markets, Financial Institutions, and Corporate Governance: Perspectives from Germany. Law and Policy in International Business, 26(2): 371-405 OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (2004), available at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/18/31557724.pdf Pedersen, T., Thomsen, S. (1999) Business Systems and Corporate Governance. International Studies of Management Organization, 29(2): 43-54 Scullion, H., (1994) ‘Staffing policies and strategic control in British multinationals’, International Studies of Management and Organization, 24(3): 86-97 Security and Exchange Commission of Brazil (2008) available at http://www.cvm.gov.br/ingl/inter/cosra/corpgov/usa-e.asp Tran, M. (2004) USA: Corporate Governance Law Too Strict available at http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11374 Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (2008) Corporate Governance In The UK And U.S. Comparison http://www.metrocorpcounsel.com/current.php?artType=viewartMonth=DecemberartYear=2005EntryNo=3957

Chemical Transport During Surface Irrigation :: Agriculture Farming Papers

Chemical Transport During Surface Irrigation Surface irrigation, the most prominent method used for irrigating agricultural crops, is the flowing of water across the field surface. As the water flows, it infiltrates into the soil. The amount of water applied to the field is regulated by the length of time that the water is allowed to flow. Surface irrigation can be subdivided into following four types based the amount of water flow control; wild flooding, graded boarders, level boarders and furrow irrigation. Wild flooding uses a series of field ditches running parallel or perpendicular to the fields' contour. Water is introduced into the field either be overflowing the ditches or by siphon. Once the water enters the field, the water is allowed to flow uncontrolled under the force of gravity. The water then infiltrates the soil as it moves across the field. The graded boarder method is similar to wild flooding except that the field is divided into a series of smaller narrower fields varying from 10 to 20 meters wide and 100 to 400 meters long. Each of these smaller fields is surrounded by a low ridge that keeps the water from spreading to much laterally. This method gives some control over the flow of water. Level boarder irrigation is similar to the graded boarder method except that the field is leveled within the low ridges surrounding it. Water can be introduced into the field at a faster rate so the field is covered much quicker. The water is then allowed to infiltrate into the soil. Furrow irrigation chanalizes the water into narrow furrows running the length of the field perpendicular to the contour of the field. This submerges only about one fifth of the soil surface. As the water flows down the furrow it infiltrates into the soil below and to the sides of the furrow. All four of these methods result in excess water being applied to the field to ensure that the far ends of the field are adequately watered. This means that there will be water running off the field on the downhill side of the field. A ditch is run along the side of the field to collect this water and remove it from the field. This excess water is of concern from a water quality standpoint. Almost all crops grown in the united states are done so under intense fertilization and pest control programs that result in large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides being applied to the soil and crop itself.

”Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens Essay

Dickens promptly introduces the reader to Pip who serves both as the retrospective narrator and as the young protagonist of the novel. This works on a two level approach with regard to guiding us through the plot as an omnipotent narrator whilst simultaneously leading us through Pip’s life with the immediacy of a first person narrative. It is clear from the beginning that it is Pip’s perceptions which entirely define the events and characters of the novel. Dickens utilises this dichotomy in the opening chapter by exploiting Pip’s narrative perspective. We are introduced to Pip as if in the midst of a pleasant conversation with him, ‘I give Pirrip as my father’s family name†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Immediately after however, we are subjected to the unravelling thoughts and fears of a frightened child under threat. This serves to capture our attention and instil a sense of compassion for Pip, for who we fear the worst. Dickens employs Pip as the narrator to present a prospective and prophetic relationship between himself and the escaped convict. As a reader, this initially appears to be a strange concept solely based on the power dynamics between Pip and the convict and his demands, with Pip reciprocating for fear of his life. However, as they part, Pip looks back to see the man walking alone into the marshes. This metaphorical image of the convict hugging ‘his shuddering body in both his arms’ on the horizons with the gallows, is strikingly familiar to the initial image we had of Pip who was holding himself in the cold, alone in the churchyard with the gravestones of his dead parents. As a reader, it appears that their relationship seems to warm at that moment, with the two sharing a common loneliness and marginalisation from society – the orphan and the escaped convict. Dickens uses this characterisation to develop our imagination of Pip, in that whilst Pip is afraid, he insti nctively displays a sympathetic reaction and remains resolute. Pip’s description of the convict when he first meets him seems elongated in response to the time he would have actually viewed him with, as he ‘only [had] a moment to see it’. Pip describes the convict as a man ‘who limped, and shivered, and glared, and growled’. The repetition of the word ‘and’ before each verb makes the list of the convict’s appearance sound considerably longer. The use of an iambic poetic rhythm further reinforces this idea that the list is made to sound longer. The words used to describe the convict are also stressed to sound more convincing, creating an extended metaphor of an animal. Pip is afraid of this ‘fearful man’ because of his animal like features and wounds. The portrayal of the convict cannot be easily forgotten for the reader and our imagination of him becomes almost reality. Dickens gives no clear indication of the man’s future in Pip’s life but he does create the sense t hat the convict will return, largely by building up a sense of mystery around the convict’s situation and his relationship with Pip. Dickens creates sympathy for Pip by making it explicitly clear that he has been deprived of parental guidance. He has never known his parents, ‘The shape of the letter’s on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair.’ This image of Pip being completely alone in a desolate cemetery trying to imagine the appearances of his parents makes us commiserate with him. We are also reminded of his youth and innocence with the childish conclusions he arrives at regarding the appearances of his parents. The gravestone reads ‘also Georgiana, wife of the above’, and in Pip thinking that his Mother’s name is actually ‘also Georgiana’, we sympathise with him for his lack of awareness. We are able to establish from this that Mrs Joe Gargery never mentions or talks about their Mother, which again makes us realise his lack of parental love. This light-hearted ponder at the gravestone’s inscriptions briefly lifts the sombre mood of the chapter which largely revolves around death, and allows Dickens to lessen the dramatic tension building up. We can conclude from this chapter that Pip has experienced loss and death at an early age but he seems accustomed to it. However, it could also reveal how Pip is lacking in certain life experiences, which we realise could affect him and his choices negatively in the future. We discover that Pip’s five younger brothers gave up trying to obtain a living exceedingly early in that ‘universal struggle’. Whilst they had ‘given in’ but Pip himself hadn’t, it reveals his resilience and strength to succeed. Knowing this, this early in the novel about Pip’s character, it infuses the read er with a sense of optimism about Pip and his future. Dickens concentrates heavily on the ‘bleak’ settings and grave moods to prepare the reader for a sense of what’s to come in the story, and of Pip. Dickens thoroughly describes the setting of the eerie Kent marshes in detail in order to deliver a definite mood early in the novel. The use of the setting in a graveyard works a mood of isolation and desolation; Pip is isolated by the fact he is an orphan. The graveyard itself is described as ‘bleak’ and ‘overgrown’, conveying that it has been neglected much like Pip himself. The repetition of ‘dead and buried’ further lowers the mood. Pip recalls that his ‘most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things’ is placed at a time between light and dark – perhaps symbolising the transition from good to bad, which we realise may be relevant later in Pip’s life. We see that Pip realises this whilst being shaken upside down by the convict, symbolising t hat he has a distorted view of things, with them perhaps being upside down themselves. Dickens sets the chapter in a graveyard to deliver a sombre mood. A wide open space seems harsher than an inside enclosed one, and Pip is less familiar with them. The external world offers Dickens a space to experiment with the idea of Pip being afraid of things he has not previously experienced. This makes Pip feel unsettled and isolated, which is passed on to an involved reader. The derelict setting is further reflected in the mood as Dickens describes the landscape surrounding the churchyard. He continually describes it as a ‘dark flat wilderness’ which is dreary in appearance and has the possibility to harbour deep and unknown dangers. Obstacles in the marshes such as ‘dykes’, ‘mounds’, and ‘gates’ work as visual obstructions for Pip but on a metaphorical level as symbols for possible upcoming obstacles in Pip’s life. Dickens maintains the use of words such as ‘flat’, ‘low’ and ‘darkâ€℠¢ which gives an eerie feel and dense mood to the opening chapter. There is also further symbolism in Pip’s surrounding, in that there is both a flowing river and flat, solid ground on the same landscape. This could reflect that there are two ways in which to travel the same distance and that Pip is soon to have to choose a path to take, which will in turn alter his life. This is thought provoking and concerning to us as a reader, whilst simultaneously intensifying the already dampening mood. The marshland is repeatedly represented as a place where good meets sin, and this is clear in the skyline. It has ‘long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed’, and these frightening colours and the ‘darkness of the sky’ all accentuate Pip’s vulnerability in this graveyard full of misery, with the pathetic fallacy working to highlight his isolation. There are also only two vertical structures on the horizontal landscape of the marshes – a beacon and gallows. The beacon’s use is to guide sailors home and steer them from danger, whereas gallows are used to hang criminals for crimes they have committed. These two structures symbolise good and evil and the choices in which Pip is to make – leading to either a life of good or a life of sin. The ‘green mounds’ and ‘nettles’ all portray the hostility of everything against Pip, with connotations of something that could hurt him. The ‘wind’ rushes from the ‘distant savage lair’. This metaphor is used to describe the sea from which the ‘wind is rushing’ and the use of pathetic fallacy creates a harsh and tense atmosphere of a claustrophobic nature. However, to Pip, the wind is a wild beast and the ‘savage lair’ is the den from which the wind comes. This further intensifies the sympathy we as a reader have for Pip. To conclude, Dickens utilises the vulnerability and innocence of Pip to evoke both sympathy and anticipation for the young boy and his future. It is the confusion of the opening chapter’s happenings and the title ‘Great Expectations’ which makes us as a reader eager to continue the novel and our journey with Pip.

Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing Essay

Leadership is a very important aspect within the realm of Nursing. With constantly evolving technology, poor economics leading to major hospital cutbacks, and healthcare reforms, strong nursing leadership has never been more important or necessary. Hood (2010) defines leadership as a process of influencing others to attain mutually agreed upon goals. We will discuss the differences between leadership and management. In addition, we will examine 2 types of leadership styles: Transactional and Transformational and address the effectiveness of both styles in achieving high quality of nursing performance. Leadership vs. Management Many people think of management and leadership as interchangeable. However, there is a stark difference between the two. In defining leadership and management, the one crucial difference is that a person with leadership has the ability to persuade/influence others into following their vision and putting the needs of a group ahead of an individual’s own personal needs (McGuire & Kinnerley, 2006). Leaders have this ability to inspire by employing enthusiasm, hope, optimism, and innovative methods. Leadership does entail having some management characteristics, but lacks the positional power to bring their visions to life. Management is usually an appointed position within a company (Hood, 2010). Performance standards for managers often require emphasis on transactional projects such as budgets, productivity, and quality monitoring (McGuire & Kinnerley, 2006). Management does not equate to having leadership abilities because an organization’s structure often dictates that a manager’s priority should be facilitating and promoting smooth operations within a workplace (Carney, 2009). Managers are troubleshooters and problem solvers, who are more or less interested in maintaining production and profits. Transformational Leadership In 1978, James McGregor Burn (1978) developed the theory of transformational leadership and described it, â€Å"A process that motivates subordinates by appealing to higher ideals and moral values†. A transformational leader is someone that helps shape development of staff through empowerment and stimulating creativity and innovation within the workplace (Sellgren, Ekvell, & Tomson, 2006). Under this style of leadership, relationships to employees and concern for their well-being is just as important as completing the tasks (Hood, 2010). The transformational leader often uses their enthusiasm, close underlying interpersonal relationships, and vision to increase the motivation of their peers/co-workers to stay persistent and diligent through completion of organizational goals and tasks. This type of leadership can be equally effective under the most stressful circumstances by keeping focus on employee satisfaction and promising the employee a better future (Allen, 1998). According to S. Sellgren et al. (2006), studies have shown a correlation between transformational leadership and nursing quality. Transformational leadership has been proven very effective in increasing productivity and staff cohesion. As a result of staff cohesion, consensus amongst staff evolves and develops. Consensus is effective because all persons feel that they have made a contribution in the decision-making process regarding unit practices/policies. And although it takes more time to reach a consensus, the participants have made a commitment to execute the decisions (Hood, 2010). Transactional Leadership Transactional leadership uses strategy that is founded on the principles of incentives and punishments (Hood, 2010). Motivation is thought to be derived from responses to positive and negative reinforcers. If employees or subordinates perform hard work and meet certain criteria or expectations, then they are rewarded with something of value (i.e. increased salary, bonuses, promotions, etc†¦). However, if they fail to meet goals or expectations, then they face some form of punishment (i.e. probation, demotion, termination). This type of leadership system is much more task oriented and focuses very little on employee relationships (Hood, 2010). A transactional leader is much more focused on structure, role expectations and the possibility of reward to staff (Sellgren, Ekvell, & Tomson, 2006). It seems however there are benefits to this type of system. According to B.M. Bass (1985),† The ultimate outcome of such contingent reward behavior is enhanced role clarity, job satisfaction, and improved performance†. This style of leadership appears to be most effective in occupations relating to sales and commissions. Commission based jobs that rely on strong job performances to either establish income or supplement salaried income respond effectively to this style of leadership. However, the disadvantage to this type of leadership is that commitment is variable and negotiable, and any personal incentive/motivation an employee may have to increase job performance diminishes until it’s rewarded (Sellgren, Ekvell, & Tomson, 2006). In addition, because this leadership style is so structured, it leaves little room for creative expansion or employee job satisfaction (McGuire & Kinnerley, 2006). Leadership Styles and Nursing Within healthcare settings, skill and knowledge are vital ingredients needed by a nurse in a leadership position. Because of the many medical advancements and changes that take place in healthcare, it necessitates that nursing leadership become more results oriented, creative, and innovative within their respected units (Gellis, 2001). Within nursing, transactional leadership would have few benefits if applied. It does benefit healthcare organizations in combating staffing issues relating to nursing shortages. Incentive pay to pick up extra shifts has always been instrumental for organizations in need of nursing coverage. However, the overall methods of rewards and punishment would do very little to inspire nurses to increase their quality of nursing care. Patient outcomes would be greatly compromised if care was solely based on reward. Compromising patient care based on lack of reward and/ punishment would be highly unethical and in complete violation of the ANA’s standards of care. Research has always supported that transformational leadership is more effective than transactional leadership because it increases a supportive climate where individual differences are recognized, two-way communication is promoted, and effective listening skills are valued (Bass, 1985). This leadership style also increases conformity, adaptation, diligence, and commitment from employees/followers. The need for transformational leadership in nursing is great because it encourages nurses to become improved problem-solvers, visionaries, communicators, researchers, and educators. Transformation leadership is often a process that is learned and cultivated through experience, empowerment, and self-exploration (Hood, 2010). However, when nurses are placed into leadership positions reluctantly or prematurely, the lack of education for the role and uncertainties about what leadership in nursing means takes place and leads to ineffective leadership abilities (Carney, 2009). Nurses receive informal on-the-job training for leadership positions by learning self-management skills, social capabilities, and job proficiency skills (Hood, 2010). It must be noted that shared leadership is probably the most effective way for providing staff the effective skills/ tools needed for problem solving (Kerfoot & Wantz, 2003). However, not all nurses have the self-belief or confidence to apply these acquired skills to leadership positions. One way of encouraging more nurses to assume leadership positions is by formalizing leadership training sessions which would help nurses learn and/ reinforce skills relating to communication, motivation, conflict resolution, organizational analysis, and building effective teams (Kerfoot & Wantz, 2003) . By investing in formalized leadership training, it helps to empower nurses while also promoting future growth of inspirational leadership which could lead to improvements in patient care/outcomes and organizational advancements for futu re generations. Conclusion There are two different styles of leadership: Transformational and Transactional. Transformational leadership influences followers to place their personal needs aside for the benefit of a leader’s vision/goals through empowerment, inspiration, and motivation. Transactional leadership is founded on the incentives of reward or punishment and offers little incentive to become a visionary. Transformational leadership appears to be more effective in nursing because it promotes adaptation, communication skills, visionary pursuit, and occupational growth to a rapidly changing industry. Efforts should be made to formalize leadership training for continued improvement in delivery of nursing care and patient outcomes, and organizational advancements. References Allen, G. (1998). Leading. Retrieved from http://ollie.dcccd.edu/mgmt1374/book contents/4directing/leading/lead.htm Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectation.. New York, NY: The Free Press. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Carney, M. (2009). Leadership in nursing: current and future perspectives and challenges. Journal of Nursing Management, 17(4), 411-417. Gellis, Z. D. (2001). Social wok perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership in healthcare. Social Work Research, 25(1), 17-25. Hood, L. J. (2010). Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Kerfoot, K., & Wantz, S. L. (January-February 2003). Compliance Leadership: The 17th Century Model That Doesn’t Work. Nursing Economics, 21(1), 42-44. McGuire, E., & Kinnerley, S. M. (July-August 2006). Nurse Managers as Transformational and Transactional Leaders. Nursing Economics, 24(4), 179-185. Sellgren, S., Ekvell, G., & Tomson, G. (2006). Leadership styles in nursing management: preferred and perceived. Journal of Nursing Management, 14(11), 348-355.