Friday, August 30, 2019

Police stress Essay

Introduction Stress is a psychological factor and a common feature of almost every kind of work. But it is important to note that it was only in the mid-70s that industrial psychologists focused their attention on the importance of stress in the workplace. â€Å"To serve and protect,† is the law enforcers’ motto as he works to accomplish the goals of his job which is primarily to provide protection to the citizens of his state. There accompanies with the work the kind of people whose shady and dark characters pursue the primary purposes in life which are to commit a crime and study ways to evade the long arm of the law. In policing work, stress is not underestimated but rather an important and critical aspect of the job (â€Å"it goes with the territory,† so to speak); stress comes in different forms. It is a given then, that police work is pictured as a form of service where the challenges are not the same as the regular kind of job; more so when the person is in active post or duty and expected to meet the most difficult types of experiences but usually on a regular basis. It is this scenario that this paper explores and presents to the reader the nuances of the job, the stresses a police officer regularly encounters, possible consequences on his personal and home life, as well as probable interventions. Significance of the study Two reasons are suggested why there was a growing recognition of the importance of stress on the job. First, there is the general awareness that stress-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions. More people die or are disabled today as a result of stress than at any other time. Because stress is so physically damaging and pervasive in people’s lives and because it is primarily psychological in nature the discipline of psychology as a whole and especially the specialty area of health psychology is interested in studying and treating stress and other psychosomatic disorders (Chang et al. 2006). The second reason for the growing awareness of the importance of stress at work is practical. The effects of stress on the job are costly and are reflected in a lower productive efficiency. Stress has been known to reduce drastically employee motivation and the physical ability to perform the task well thus, increasing absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness (Cahill 2003; Chang et al. 2006; Williams 2003). Statement of the Problem What is stress at work and how is this demonstrated in a particular individual worker like the police officer? What has personality trait or individual differences do with the development of stress as well as how do people cope with stress when the source is the place of work? This paper attempts to define, describe and explain the nature of stress, factors that contribute to the development of stress in an individual, and in particular what job stress or stress in the workplace can do to an individual. Discussion ~ The Nature of Stress Inside the body, dramatic physiological changes take place under stress. Adrenalin, released from the adrenal glands, speeds up all bodily functions. Blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and extra sugar is released to the bloodstream. The increased circulation of the blood brings additional energy to the brain and muscles, making us more alert and stronger sp that we can cope with the sudden emergency (Landy 1985). A stressful situation mobilizes and directs one’s energy beyond its normal level. But if a person remains in that state of supercharged energy for too long, the body’s reservoir of energy will dissipate. Rest is needed to replenish the energy supply (Williams 2003). Prolonged stress leads to psychosomatic disorders. Remember that psychosomatic diseases are not imaginary. They are real and involve specific tissue and organ damage even though their cause is psychological. In prolonged stress, the body may suffer physiological damage and the person may become ill (Landy 1985). A. Individual Differences in Vulnerability to Stress One factor that affects vulnerability to stress on the job is social support, one’s network of social and family ties. The person who is alone physically and psychologically is more vulnerable to stress than someone who has strong social relationships. Social support on the job is also important to reduce stress and to have better health (Cahill 2003; Chang et al., 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One’s physical condition also relates to one’s vulnerability to stress effects. Persons in better physical condition suffer fewer effects of stress than those in poor physical condition (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Level of ability to perform a job can make people more or less resistant to the stresses of that job. Employees with a high level of the skills needed for the job finds the work easier and less stressful than employees with a lower ability (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Personality seems to be related to one’s ability to tolerate stress. This is particularly apparent with those of apparent with those of Type A and Type B personalities and their susceptibility to heart disease, one of the major effects of stress (Landy 1985). The Type A personality is highly prone to heart disease by middle age, independent of physical factors or their type of work. The two primary characteristics of a Type A personality are a very high competitive drive and a constant sense of urgency about time. Type A personalities are hostile people although they successfully hide it from others. That is why Type A personalities are always in a state if tension and stress (Landy 1985; Williams, 2003). Persons with the Type B personality never have heart attacks before the age of 70, regardless of their jobs or their eating and smoking habits. Type B people may be just as ambitious as Type A people, but they have none of their characteristics. They function under far less stress in all aspects of life including work (Landy 1985). B. Stress at work There are occupations that are considered very stressful. The following twelve are those that engender highest levels of stress: law enforcer, labourer, secretary, inspector, clinical lab technician, office manager, first-line supervisor, manager or administrator, waiter or waitress, machine operator, farm worker, miner, painter. This is taken from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other occupations considered to be in high stress are the fire fighters, computer programmer, dental assistant, electrician, fire fighter, social worker, telephone operator, and hairdresser (Landy 1985). Survey is also found that among working women, the most stressful jobs are in the health care industry. For example, nurses, medical, dental, and lab technicians and social workers (Cahill 2001). Psychologists renamed the concept of overwork into the term overload and have identified two types: 1. Quantitative overload 2. Qualitative overload Quantitative overload is the condition of having too much work to do in the time available. Qualitative overload involves not so much work to do but work that is too difficult (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Another stress factor in the workplace is change. Many changes occur in the workplace. The introduction of a new work procedure may require employees to learn and adapt to different production methods (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Performance appraisal is a source of stress for a great many people. Few people like the idea of being evaluated whether at school or work. An employee’s role in the organization can be a source of stress. Role ambiguity arises when the employees’ work role is poorly structured and ill-defined. Role conflict arises when there is a disparity among the demands of a job and the employees, personal standard and values (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Problems of career development may lead to stress at work. Stress can arise when an employee fails to receive an anticipated promotion (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Being responsible for other people is a major source of difficulty for some supervisors and managers (Landy 985).   Contact with a stress carrier is also a cause of stress. A person free of stress can be infected by someone who is highly stressed (Landy 1985). Assembly-line work has been associated with stress because it is characterized by repetition and monotony (Landy 1985). Overall, then, each person must confront and deal with a large and recurring number of stress-producing events everyday both at home and at work. Although most people experience at least some of the harmful effects of stress at one time or another, most people, fortunately, do manage to cope (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One effect of stress on the job resulting from overwork is called burnout. The employee becomes less energetic and less interested in the job. He or she becomes emotionally exhausted, apathetic, depressed, irritable, and bored; finds fault with everything about the work (Cahill 2003; Chang et al, 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Figure 1.0 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Model of Job Stress (Source: NIOSH, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html) Burnout develops in three distinct stages: 1. Emotional exhaustion, with a feeling of being drained and empty (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Cynicism and the lack of sensitivity toward others (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Futility, the feeling that all the effort put forth previously was wasted and worthless (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Employees with burnout become rigid about their work, following rules and procedures blindly and compulsively because they are too exhausted to be flexible or consider alternative solutions to a problem (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). There is a price to pay for such overwork over a long period of time. Stress accumulates and leads to the psychological and physiological ailments described earlier. These people work so hard that they burn away their energy faster than the body can replace it. Such persons have been described as workaholics, or employees addicted to work (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Nature and Dangers of Police Work Studies done by Malloy and Mays (p 177 1984) point to the importance of understanding the kind of job that policing involves. The authors not only examined the stress levels within the workplace but a comparative study was made as well with the amount of stress experienced by law enforcement officers and other workers in other organizations or institutions particularly in government entities. The findings show that few jobs can equal the kind of stress that police work entails; fire fighters may come close though the frequency of negative or distressful events or occurrences become a regular fare for law enforcers contributing to the overall danger and threat to their personal well-being. Reports of suicide or attempted suicide have reportedly been high despite increasing awareness to the stresses of the job (Brown 2008). Symptoms may be there already but the few people close to the person refuse to recognize or identify the signs. These include irritability, lowered sex drive, digestive upsets, fatigue, muscle aches like backaches, insomnia or restlessness, overeating or drinking too much, muscle tics or rashes, a pounding heart, headaches and light-headedness may be evident on the individual. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or mental health issues can be some of the effects when prolonged stress is experienced and may even affect the immune system’s ability to protect the person’s body from everyday illnesses. Because an officer regularly deals with stress and anguish experienced by people they meet on the job, emotions can easily be bottled up, or set aside and compromise one’s health or in many instances, affect the officer’s ability to deal with the issues and problems in his own personal and family life.   Studies self-management skills program for the police officers show that there is a great difference when police officers go through programs that help them understand the emotional upheavals that go with the job. There was the reduction of signs and symptoms of imminent distress or physical and psychological manifestations of stress (McCraty et al 1999). Other techniques specifically used in other studies make use of films as tools to help debrief these individuals (Mann 1973 p 63). C. Interventions and organizational techniques The techniques for dealing with stress on the job involved both the prevention of stress and its reduction and elimination. Techniques that individual employees can practice on and off the job include relaxation training, biofeedback, and behavior modification. Some methods provided by organization include altering the organizational climate, providing employee assistance programs and treating victims of stress-related illnesses (Cahill, 2003; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). Industrial/organizational psychologists have proposed several organizational techniques for managing stress at work especially with police work: 1. Emotional Climate Control. Because of the stressors of modern organizational life is change, the organization must provide sufficient support to enable employees to adapt to change. This can be accomplished by providing a climate of esteem and regard for employees and by allowing them to participate in all decisions involving change in their work and in the structure of the organization (Chang et al. 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Provision of social support. Social support can reduce one’s vulnerability to stress. Organizations can enhance social support by facilitating the cohesiveness of work groups and by training the supervisors to be supportive of their subordinates (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Redefinition of employee roles. To reduce the stress caused by role ambiguity, managers must clearly state to their subordinates what is expected of them and what the precise scope and responsibilities of their jobs are (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 4. Elimination of work overload and work underload. Proper selection and training, equitable promotion decisions and fair distribution of work can do much to eliminate these causes of stress. 5. Provision of assistance to stressed employees. More and more organizations today are recognizing the harmful effects that stress can have on employee health and productivity. As a result, they are providing in-house counseling programs that teach individual stress-control techniques and supplying facilities for physical exercise (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Some stress is necessary for normal functioning. The nervous system apparently needs a certain amount of stimulation to function properly. But stress that is too intense or prolonged can have destructive physiological and psychological effects. The actions of autonomic nervous system that prepare the organism for emergency can, if prolonged lead to such physical disorders as ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Severe stress can also impair the organisms’ immune responses, decreasing its ability to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that more than half of all medical problems are believed to be related to emotional stress. Psychosomatic disorders such as allergies, migraine, headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers and even acne are among the illnesses that are related to emotional stress (Hilgard, et al., 1983). Conclusion Frustrations occur when progress toward a goal is blocked or delayed and when two motives conflict, satisfaction of one leads to the blocking of the other. For as long as a human individual is alive and functioning in whatever milieu he is in, these forces are at work, often straining and draining him. Coping and defense strategies oftentimes become indispensable but later become debilitating for most if no longer controlled and regulated. The severity of stress depends on the situation’s predictability, the potential for control, the individual’s cognitive evaluation, his feelings of competency, and the presence of social supports (Halonen and Santrock, 1996). Works Cited: Atkinson, R.L., R.C. Atkinson, E.E. Smith, D.J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Introduction to Psychology, 13th ed. (1993). New York: Harcourt College Publishers. Brown, Hal. Introduction to Police Stress. Accessed February 27, 2008 Cahill, C. A. 2001. Women and stress. In Annual Review of Nursing Research, 19, 229-249. Chang, E. M., Daly, J., Hancock, K.M., Bidewell, J. W., Johnson, A., Lambert, V. A., & Lambert, C. E. 2006. The Relationships Among Workplace Stressors, Coping Methods, Demographic Characteristics, and Health in Australian Nurses. Journal of Professional Nursing, 22(1), 30-38. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work Behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Malloy, Thomas E., G. Larry Mays. â€Å"The Police Stress Hypothesis: A critical evaluation. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 11 (1984): 197-224. Sauter, Steven, et al., â€Å"Stress at Work† NIOSH publication. Retrieved December 20, 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html Williams, C. 2003. Stress at Work. Canadian Social Trends, Autumn, 7-13. Halonen, J.S. and J.W. Santrock. 1996. Psychology: Contexts of behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark, p.810. Hilgard, ER, RR Atkinson, and RC Atkinson, 1983. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed., New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, Inc. Mann, Philip A. â€Å"Stress Training.† In Psychological Consultation with a Police Department: A Demonstration of Cooperative Training in Mental Health, by Philip Mann, 62-64. Springfield Illinois; Charles C, Tomas, (1973). McCraty, Rollin, Dana Tomasino, Mike Atkinson, Joseph Sundram. â€Å"Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers.† Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-075. Boulder Creek, CA. (1999). Morris, Charles G. & Albert Maisto, 1999. Understanding Psychology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. P. 73.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Moorish Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Moorish Empire - Essay Example It was the system of learning and education established by the Moors in Spain that gradually gained grounds in the rest of Europe. While in the Christian Europe the populations predominantly happened to be illiterate, Moors placed a highly value on knowledge and learning (Sordo & Swaan 117). During the times of the Moorish Empire, when the entire Europe could boast of merely two universities, the Moorish Empire was the home to almost seventeen universities placed at Almeria, Toledo, Cordova, Malaga, Cordova and other important cities (Sordo & Swaan 131). The Moorish Empire in Spain had well stocked libraries housing some of the most important manuscripts and books. The library at Cordova happened to be one of the most expansive and well stocked libraries in Europe (Sordo & Swaan 55). It was this rich and well endowed system of education introduced by Moors in Europe that laid down the foundations for European Renaissance. It was the Moors who organized agriculture in Spain along the modern lines. They introduced elaborate systems of irrigation through artificially planned and constructed water channels, used modern manures and cultivation methods and introduced many new crops to Europe that included citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, dates, ginger, peaches, apricots and many more (Fletcher 63). The new crops introduced by Moors in Spain in a way altered and transformed the local cuisine and this had a profound influence on the culinary techniques and tastes in Europe. The Moorish Empire also influenced the fashion and dressing styles in Europe (Sordo & Swaan 145). The urban planning of the Moorish Empire readily excelled over that of any other European nation or city. The capital of Al Andalus that is Cordoba happened to be an important city of those times that had all the modern urban utilities like hospitals, street lights, public baths, mosques, libraries and running water (Fletcher 65). The Moors introduced to Europe a detailed and

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education - Research Paper Example This essay will in detail include the QAR technique and also expound on this technique as a method of a pre-reading strategy. In this essay, the strategies discussed include the QAR strategy, an excerpt strategy and a visual graphic, organization strategy. QAR Strategy Taffy Raphael was an educationist who came up with the QAR tool. QAR is an abbreviation of the words Question Answer Relationship. This is a tool used in clarification of how the students are able to read texts and also provide appropriate answers from them. This strategy relieves the learners from engaging in other tiresome background information. Therefore, it enables the learner to discover what they are reading and its structure. This article is based on a content area reading field at large. According to this methodology, questions are presented to ensure that the learner can be able to give the correct responses of the questions. In addition, the QAR strategy presented below is linked with the book in discussion. QAR #1: Give a brief history concerning the foundation of the context area reading? QAR #2: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages that are involved in the content area reading process? QAR #3: Describe the content area reading field in regard to the book? QAR #4: Go through a brief significance of the content area reading field? Also, explain the main factors that are related to the QAR strategy? QAR #5: Is the CAR movement of any help to the general public? QAR #6: What is entailed in the content area reading sector? The questions presented above can help the learner cover an extensive field of study. This entails the learner’s research on the questions given and possibly coming up with the required results. For instance, if a learner is serious enough, he/ she can scan through the questions and try to come up with the correct responses to aid in his knowledge. 505 page excerpt for reading strategy Chapter 1, Section 1 Foundations of content area reading Questions are th e answers The field of context reading has significantly grown basing on its response from teaches in the middle section and secondary school. This concept was inaugurated in the 1930s. From a current perspective, this concept enables students to read the content areas and come up with skills from expert information. When instructors face a class, they open a book and elaborate in order to explain and clarify conceived questions. However, most students do not recognize the nature of the questions developed. Much of the content entailed comprises of well developed content that responds to pivotal questions. In reality, most of the questions are from the instructors who have recently launched a field known as content area reading (CAR). Firstly, those going through the text should take a significant approach to the CAR field. Secondly, after the learner fully understands the pivotal questions, then it is easier for them to come up with their own possible solutions. Finally, making new areas of study is undoubtedly vital to any student. This is the overall basis for a long and improved long-term memory, application of new knowledge in other forms of learning processes and sound concept formation (Anthony, Manzo & Matthew, 2009). In general, the CAR movement has enormously improved the school improvement. This shows that their aim of enabling students to read environment is quite a success. Lastly, the content area reading book is of significant representation to each and every learner. Graphical organization

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Fruit Delight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fruit Delight - Essay Example They want to look and behave like the celebrities who have high influence on them. Hence, as described by Kelman, source attractiveness would be an important characteristic of our communication messenger (Egan 2007). Word Of Mouth marketing using the brand’s current customers would also influence the target audience as they are highly image-conscious and trust their peers more than others. Fruit Winders already has a positive image (especially with the mums) as far as health benefits are considered. Using these indirect customers to propagate the benefits of the product can be effectively used for viral marketing as was done by â€Å"Dove†. They used the real customers in their ads to spread a credible word of mouth (Dahlen, Lange and Smith 2009). Critique of current/recent campaigns to the same target audience The target audience of Fruit Delight overlaps that of Fruit winders for the 10-12 year olds. This can have both favorable and unfavorable implications. A major d isadvantage of this can be the confusion it can create in the minds of this age group. So, far this group of audience has been used to the symbols and self-association with these symbols. With the introduction of the new product which would propagate a different image association, the target audience would not know which one to adopt. There will be a symbol clash in this kind of brand extension. This will erode some customers from the Fruit Winder’s basket which may or may not fall into the Fruit Delight basket as they might get attracted towards other brands in the same product range. This is because they have already perceived this brand as one for smaller kids and they may not be able to associate with the new one as being for older kids. This is what happened with the global brand â€Å"Pierre Cardin†. The company diversified into so many product lines that people did not associate with the core line of business. The brand eventually died (Mininni 2006). Thus, we c an see that any failure of strategy implementation by inappropriate transfer and linkages of brand associations of the parent brand to the new product can lead not only to the failure of the new brand but also that of the parent brand (Juda 2007). However, a major advantage of this brand extension is that it is not moving very far away from its core brand values. This is an important factor to consider before going into a product line. Positive images and strengths of the current brand, Fruit Winders, can easily be leveraged to achieve a successful brand launching into a new segment (Juda 2007). This is one of the ways of â€Å"increasing the rate of new acceptance and purchase intention of customers† (Juda 2007). It can help in penetrating into a new segment while achieving advertising and promotion expenditure efficiencies. Thus, using viral marketing can be a very easy strategy to launch the new product using old customer base. Using the same TV commercials with extra info rmation on the new product can help in promoting the Fruit Delight through the younger siblings of the target audience. Current websites can be used to promote the product but content of the websites for this audience can be designed according to their interest. Using the same billboards and TV commercials to promote websites will help in promoting the product to a great extent. Positioning statement Positioning consists of two main factors –

Monday, August 26, 2019

To what extent are resource conflicts over oil and over water Essay

To what extent are resource conflicts over oil and over water comparable or dissimilar Aim to develop both domestic and interna - Essay Example The main feature of this disparity has been that developed world is marked by â€Å"overconsumption† of resources, including water (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.2). 3.1. History of Water Wars In contradiction to the over-consumption of resources by developed nations, it is revealed, â€Å"one billion people in low- and middle-income countries lack access to safe water for drinking† (Mullerat, 2009, p.197). It is also a fact that â€Å"80% of all diseases and over one third of deaths in developing countries are caused by the consumption of contaminated water† (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.11). To put this whole scenario in simple words, developed countries have less water (because of urbanization) but they over-consume, while the developing countries have more water but it is contaminated or inaccessible to the low- and middle-income groups. Another important point to note is that water is not just a resource that is necessary for humans to exist, but also i s a resource that has become â€Å"the basis for development† (Young, Dooge and Rodda, 1994, p.11). Now, if we look into the major water wars that have raged in the past and the present, the Palestine-Israel conflict, The Indo-Pak Siachen Glacier conflict, the Iraq-Syria standoff of 1975, the Turkey-Syria impasse of 1989, conflicts among the â€Å"ten riparian states of the Nile river†, and the Texas-Mexico conflict of 1992 come to the fore (Starr, 1991; Nolan, 1994, p.465; Johnson and Turner, 2009, p.459; Wolf, 1998, p.251). All these disputes had erupted based on the water needs and developmental aspirations of the involved nations. No direct corporate involvement was visible in any of these conflicts. But now the picture is slightly changing as local water conflicts have been... The US Scene At intra-state level, the conflicts are worsening as is seen in the United States itself. The supply of drinking water to the people by the government was started in the US as early as in the beginning of 20th century (Ridgeway, 2004, p.1). This was implemented by taking over the rights over water sources from private entities (Ridgeway, 2004, p.1). But the contradiction of history has been that once again, the water sources of US have come under the control of private corporate companies. And even the municipality water supplies that remain are getting polluted by industrial waste, produced by corporate houses (Ridgeway, 2004, p.2). On the other hand, community level conflicts have been emerging in US for the rights over water. For example, the Native Americans have raised their voices to assert their rights over water (Weinberg, 1997, p.8). There are also conflicts existing â€Å"between agricultural, urban, environmental and tribal uses of water† in the US (Weinberg, 1997, p.8). California’s central valley that is host to mega water projects has become an environmental hotpot caused by draught and water scarcity (Weinberg, 1997, p.9). Diversion of water into urban use from agrarian use has become a matter of dispute (Ridgeway, 2004, p.9). Another water conflict erupted in the Pacific Northwest â€Å"over how to manage the flow of the Columbia and the Snake rivers† (Weinberg, 1997, p.9). There is also water dispute existing between upper river basin and lower river basin of Colorado River (Weinberg, 1997, p.10). All these conflicts have been between the communities and the corporate or gove rnment level managers of water.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Skin Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Skin Cancer - Research Paper Example Metastasis is a term that refers to the process of invading and spreading to other body organs. Tumors invade the surrounding tissues and overwhelm them by taking their space as well as the nutrients and oxygen that they require to function as well as survive (Emedicinehealth.com, 1). Rockoff records that skin cancer is the commonest form of human cancer and that it is estimated that every year, more than one million new cases arise. He also asserts that each year, the rates of all skin cancer forms are mounting, which has raised an increasing public concern. Estimates also have it that of all Americans who live to age 65, almost half will get skin cancer no less than once. The classification of skin cancers depends on the types of epidermal cells involved. Different skin cancer types include melanoma, which takes place in the cells that produce pigment/melanocytes. This type of cancer is not so common but the most dangerous since it has a tendency of quickly metastasizing/spreading all over the body. It is the primary cause of skin disease death. There is also basal cell carcinoma/basal cell carcinoma epithelioma, which develops when there is abnormal growth of the cells in epidermis’ lowest layer as well as squamous cell carcinoma, which occurs as a result of changes in the squamous cells, which are found in the epidermis’ middle layer (A.D.A.M., para4). The first phase of squamous cell carcinoma is known as actinic keratosis (Rockoff, 1). The last two cancer types are the most common cancer forms and they are both known as nonmelanoma skin cancer (1). Other nonmelanoma skin cancers include cutaneous lymphoma, merkel cell carcinoma, and kaposi's sarcoma (A.D.A.M., para4). According to the American Cancer Society, most cases of nonmelanoma skin cancers grow on areas of the body that are mostly exposed to the sun, including the backs of the hands, ear, face neck and lips. Additionally, they can be slow or fast growing depending on the type. Howeve r, they hardly ever spread to other body parts. These forms of cancer are very likely to be healed if identified and treated early. Risk factors of Skin Cancer Some of the recognized risk factors for skin cancer include exposure to the sun and sunburn – as earlier noted, skin areas that are frequently exposed to ultraviolet radiation or sunlight are more prone to skin cancer. This is deemed all skin cancers’ primary cause. Others include genetics (having a family history of melanoma); light-colored skin, eyes and hair (fair complexion); atypical/multiple moles; occupational exposures to radium, pitch, coal tar, arsenic compounds or creosote; as well as age – nonmelanoma skin cancers are common mostly past the age of forty (A.D.A.M., para5 & American Cancer Society, para10). Emedicinehealth.com also points other risk factors to include use of tanning booths as well as the immune system’s immunosuppression-impairment, which may be brought about by medicatio ns prescribed to prevent organ transplant rejection or fight autoimmune diseases or can be due to other diseases. Individuals who have numerous, unusual or large moles present at birth, those with certain genetic disorders such as pigmentosum, xeroderma and albinism that deplete skin pigment , and those who experienced severe sunburn

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Organisational Transformation in Practice Essay

Organisational Transformation in Practice - Essay Example My role in this acquisition and change process has provided immense learning experience in terms of organisational change process and people’s psychology. A patchwork of this experience combined with learning from the module will be elaborated in this discussion. Literature findings will be confined to organisational change and its psychological implications on employees. Attempt will be made to provide a few probable and implementable suggestions for situations that did not conform to the need, as identified in literature. Background of the company: Armen Technologies (AT) is a multinational company that provides information technology enabled business services in four regions of the world including Europe, North Africa and South East Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, AT has more than 5000 employees. Its business volume and spread were enriched when AT acquired the IT Company VTL Solutions. This acquisition process resulted in overall growth of AT, but after much struggle. Cont ext: At the outset, this acquisition process was absolutely strategic and involved many negotiations during long period. From HR perspective, this acquisition seemed extremely lengthy and complex process. The acquisition process that began with various types of negotiations followed into aligning the acquired company’s businesses, clients, customers and employees with the acquiring company’s systems. One of the most significant parts of this acquisition was reinstating the confidence of both companies’ employees at all locations. This task required a strategically planned approach and to be executed by highly experienced personnel. While the general transformation process during and after the acquisition itself was complex and multidimensional event, transformation with respect to processes and systems in the human resources perspective was equally challenging. On a broader note, the HR aspect involved activities such as integration and alignment and corporate c ommunication along with assistance in implementation of change strategies. Corresponding literature findings: Mergers and acquisitions act as change agents in corporate restructuring (DePamphillis, 2011; p.4). Organisational changes that follow mergers and acquisitions are usually uneven and face numerous obstacles. According to Marks and Mirvis (2010), the fervor of success after acquisition usually infuses equally faster in the acquired company but in a retrospective manner, usually in the form of patronizing attitudes of its employees. To add further, unilateral integration of organisational systems and policies leads to greater turbulence in the acquired company. Culture-fit is a core ingredient of organisational sustenance post acquisition (DiGeorgio, 2002). Studies related to organisational change and mergers and acquisitions provide vast and diverse views that are mostly practically implementable and have been successfully implemented in many situations. For instance, various change implementation models that have been proposed include McKinsey’s 7-S framework, Kotter’s (1996) eight-step model, Lewin’s 3-phase model of change ADKAR model etc (Hiatt & Creasey, 2003; Cameron & Green, 2004). All these models provide comprehensive and systematic methods to implement change. Several other models are suggested to diagnose change, such as, Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis model (Cameron & Green, 2