Designing a Rewards System Essay

When designing a rewards system within an organization there are several factors. First, look at the organization and focus on what matters most for that particular organization. Then focus in on the employees and what needs they have in particular. After breaking down the focus, you can move forward into creating a rewards system that not only fits but also everyone benefits from. † Reward management is concerned with the strategies, policies and processes required to ensure that the value of people and the contribution they make to achieving organizational, departmental and team goals is recognized and rewarded. It is about the design, implementation and maintenance of reward systems (interrelated reward processes, practices and procedures) that aim to satisfy the needs of both the organization and its stakeholders and to operate fairly, equitably and consistently. † (Armstrong, 2010) Look at the organization. What does the organization promote or goals it is working toward? Next, make sure the needs of the organization are being met. â€Å"Currently, many organisations are implementing or planning to implement, reward and/or recognition programmes believing that these will help bring about the desired cultural change. In some organisations, large amounts of money are being invested in these types of activities and some managers are required specifically to set aside a certain amount from their budgets for this purpose. † (Milne, 2007) If they are not met focus on creating a rewards system to include meeting the goals that at the moment are not being satisfied. Now to look at the employees and what they need. What will motivate them to perform better work? What is the age range within the organization so we can focus on what will better serve that population? After looking into the age check their work progress and see where there needs to be more and focus on setting up goals to get that area where it needs to be. â€Å"Recognizing employees for a job well done isn’t superfluous or magnanimous. It’s necessary. † (Zemke, 1988) â€Å"There was a study done with four groups that answered a questionnaire with twenty-five factors as to what would motivate them to work hard on their job. From the four groups only nine of the twenty-five factors were selected. The nine factors that were selected by these four groups are: 1. Respect for me as a person . Good Pay 3. Chance to turn out quality work 4. Chance for promotion 5. Opportunity to do interesting work 6. Feeling my job is important 7. Being told by my boss when I do a good job 8. Opportunity for self-development and improvement 9. Large amount of freedom on the job† (Kettner, 2002) All nine of these focus on how to build up the confidence of the employee and all owing them to know how well they are doing. Treating the employee like a person and not a machine is very important because it gives the employee a feeling of self and knowing it’s ok to be who you are as a person. This makes them comfortable to be there on the job. Providing good [ay is also very important because it shows the employee that you care and are rewarding them for their hard work while on the job. It also will make the employee want to stay with the organization because they do not need to go elsewhere. Giving the employee a chance to do the best quality work for the organization will give them a sense of pride in their job. If the employee knows that, there is a chance for them to be promoted through the organization they will work hard to be considered for promotion. Being able to do interesting work will keep the employee coming back because they are able to do different things which makes the job more interesting because they are not consistently performing the exact same job daily which will also make them feel that their job is important. Everyone loves being told good job! So as a boss, make sure you are informing your employees how well they are doing. Offer to the employee ways they can grow as people whether it is education or exercise. Giving them the opportunity for more development or just some improvement, they will be appreciative. Giving the employees freedom makes them more independent and lets them know that the organization trusts them to perform their job the way it is supposed to be done without someone standing over them constantly. After gathering this information, we can move forward with creating our own rewards system. First, we would create a chart showing the work and the progress being made. Then with that chart, incentives can be created for the employees to get to top of the list by making the most progress. In addition, incentives will be created for those that make the lowest amount of mistakes while performing their job function. This gives the employees some freedom to work hard on getting their performance up. Incentives will be in place for attendance also. Competitive pay will be based off performance and attendance. The better your performance is the better bonus and pay raise you will get. Your attendance will also affect your bonuses and pay raises. Keep your attendance up and consistent and you will be able to gain better pay bonuses. With bettering attendance and performance there will be opportunities for growth within the organization. The starting pay will be marginally based on experience and education. It will be fair and equitable to every employee. After setting up the chart with performance and attendance based incentives we can focus on creating a fair and free workplace for the employees. Set up the management center so they are accessible to the employees for guidance. The management system will also be in place for overviewing the employees from a distance without taking away from the employees ability to work as an individual. The management system will also be able to delegate tasks out to the employees that are performing at a faster or more effective rate. This will also allow the employees to be treated as individuals and not as a singular group. Next we would set up a system for growth and development that would include furthering your education and health needs. We work to offer help and assistance to other now we need to help and assist our employees. For education we will offer education breaks where you will be reimbursed for half of the amount spent on your college courses and supplies. This will allow the employee to re-enter school without fear of inability to pay. The stipulation will be that we will only reimburse as long as the course taken he employee completes and passes the course. The employee will be required to submit the final grade for the class and the receipt for the payment of the course and the supplies needed for the course. Next there will be a gym facility placed within the workplace that is available for the employees use before and after work and also during lunch or breaks. With offering the employee open use of a gym without having to pay will give them the help of not spending a lot of money on a gym membership that they may not be able to use regularly. It will also give them flexibility to use the gym whenever they want to without fear of it closing before they can get there to workout. With this rewards system in place every aspect of the employee and organizational needs are being met. The organization is running efficiently and effectively with each employee working hard to reach the incentive goals. The employees are working in an environment where they are comfortable and know they have every option available to them with movement and growth within the organization.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Honors Literature Independent Reading Assignment Staying Fat For Sarah Brynes The book Staying Fat For Sarah Brynes revolves around a young swimmer by the name of Eric. Eric was also called Moby by his classmates due to excessive weight. Throughout the book Chris Crutcher allows readers to witness a transformation that takes place for Eric not only physically but emotionally. The hundred meter freestyle champion was determined to shed his weight and replace it with muscle.His dream of ending the days students called him Moby was placed on halt due to his commitment to one of his close friends Sarah. Sarah was a girl who lived a familiar lifestyle to Eric. She was constantly teased by the students who attended her school. At a young age Sarah’s face and hands were placed on a woodstove by her dad leaving her with untreated scars that later turned into dead tissue. The scars would later serve as a sign on strength and self-unity . â€Å"You learned a good lesson about pain,â₠¬  when you can’t take it anymore, your body stops feeling for you, (Crutcher89) .One of the major themes Chris Crutcher portrayed in â€Å"Staying Fat For Sarah Brynes is friendship . Eric and Sarah became friends as social outcasts. Both were often rejected by society so they learn to appreciate each other . They discovered ways to understand each other and soothe each other’s pain. They learned to be there for each other through the thick and thin. â€Å"Look, if you keep eating like a starving Biafran turned loose at the Food Circus just to prove me wrong about why were friends , you’ll die of a heart attack before your fifteen† (Crutcher page 93).This showed how much Sarah Byrnes friendship meant to Erick, because he was willing to continue to be fat, even though he had always been made fun of, just to prove to her that he would not stop being her friend. Throughout the book Crutcher takes readers on an adventure of some of the things Sarah faced o n an everyday basis. By providing readers with this discrepancy it showed the building structure of Eric and Sarah’s friendship. It made onlookers realize the seal of respect they had for each other.Even though outside sources tried to detour Eric’s love and compassion for Sarah â€Å"Taking on someone else’s monster will kill you† Crutcher 219-220) he stalwartly stood by her side . The book states that Eric came face to face with Sarah’s dad to confront him on the mistreating of his friend. Sarah’s dad was symbolized throughout the book as a troubled guy who battled alcoholism most of his adult life. The courageousness of Eric to stand up to him despite putting his life in danger shows the commitment he had to Sarah. Apart of supporting Sarah it made Eric a stronger person.While witnessing the harsh reality of Sarah’s life and how she dealt with it inspired him to be as strong as her. â€Å"I wanted to be tough like Sarah Byrnes , t o stand straight and, oblivious to gut eclipsing my belt buckle. He learned that without her friendship his life would have been the same and he would have never learned that he had valor. Erick gave the ultimate sacrifice by putting his life on the line in order for Sarah Byrnes to escape from her father. He helped the world know about the horrible abuse that Sarah Byrnes went through every day of her life.

Network Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Network Security - Assignment Example The following is a discussion of responses of two stakeholders to the case. Other presidential candidates should dispute the election of president X because of the involved fraud and Article 2, section one of the 12th amendment support their claim. According to the article, electors in each state shall determine the president and his vice, and communicate their voting results. This means establishment of a valid electors at the state level. Electors are however elected by majority vote and this relies on validity of the general elections. Knowledge of a presidential contestant regarding election fraud at the public suffrage level is therefore not significant to the issue because the main concern is validity of electors from East Dakota. Evidence however points to electoral malpractices that could have altered composition of the electors and this significance means that the validity concerns applies to the election of the president. In addition, electors’ votes from East Dakota were fundamental to the election and this means that invalid votes elected the president. Consequently, the other presidential candidates were denied their rights to free and fair elections that they are entitled to and they should seek judicial enforcement of the right through contesting validity of the elections. They should therefore demand for a rerun of the election because the constitution requires simultaneous voting by electors throughout the nation (United States Senate 1). Like the other presidential candidates, East Dakota citizens are likely to respond by disputing the presidential elections. Their interest in other candidates, significance of the electoral votes from the state to the presidential elections, and significance of the fraud in the state’s elections are some of the reasons for the potential response. Significance of the state in determining outcome of the presidential elections means that

Country Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Country Report - Essay Example Nonetheless the country is on the verge of transformation into a potentially successful economy. This report has been prepared for the CEO of the ‘Read the World’, a British origin company, that has appointed the consultancy firm for the purpose of evaluating the market for books in Vietnam and present the threats and opportunities that exist in the country. The report focuses on the social initiative of Read the World that functions with the aim of designing and producing educational books and magazines for the needy people in developing markets. Economic Environment of Vietnam Back in the year 1986, Vietnam started off liberalizing its economy. Once it opened its doors to encourage foreign direct investment in various sectors, a considerable jump has been noticed in the number of foreign organizations and western companies entering into the country. In the South East Asian region, Vietnam has emerged as a significant economic power. With the initiation of the renovatio n policy in the year 1986, the country has been able to fetch a sustainable high GDP growth rate during the past decade. With the GDP growth rate of 8.4 percent in the year 2005, the country has been able to the address the issue of poverty. ... Still, there are more possibilities to spread the advantages of the rapid growth in Vietnam’s economy across the globe. The activities in the private sector concentrated across 64 provinces of the nation. The leaders of these provinces have established a regulatory framework which would encourage calculated risk taking by the private entrepreneurs. In the response, with the country’s continual decentralization process, the economic programs of the Asia Foundation have focused on the improvement of the business environment to enhance the private sector competitiveness as well as economic growth (The Asia Foundation, n.d., p. 1-2). Since early 1990s, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Asia Foundation together are responsible to promote global business development and economic integration across Vietnam, more specifically the growth among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In the year 2002, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Asia Foundation shifted their focal point to enhance the provincial governance, further encouraging the sector growth in the private sector. Started off in the year 2002, they initiated a program to find out the reason why some handful provinces have the ability to attract the private sector investment and to address the issue f economic success. This also reflects the eagerness of the respective authorities to make all the provinces equally attractive for the foreign investors. The economic outlook of Vietnam remains greatly positive supported by the government’s determination to comply with WTO. The country has experienced great progress with trade as well as investment reforms. Furthermore, its negotiation over the WTO entry has

Individual project 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual project 4 - Essay Example Experience in the process: Prior work experience may not always be a criterion in the selection process while filling a vacancy. But it becomes a criterion when the post requires handling of some specialized activities which only an experienced person can handle or when there is not enough time to train a fresh candidate for the post. Prior work experience is mandatory when the recruitment is for top level managerial jobs. Communication skills: Communication skills are a mandatory criterion for most jobs. It is essential for better performance on the job. No business deal is made without an effective communication. Therefore, it is important that every individual at the core positions possesses good communication skills. For almost all the jobs, communication skills are an important selection criterion. Advantages: The main advantage for external selection for this post is that a wide choice of potential candidates is available. The company can get a pool of qualified and experienced personnel for the position from which they can select the best one. The second major advantage is that it will help to bring in new ideas. A person who has experience as store manager in some other company may bring in ideas that were used in the other company which can be helpful to our company. (Peterson, 2012) Disadvantages: The first major disadvantage is the higher cost involved in the process. External selection for the post requires advertisement and several other screening processes thereafter. This will incur higher cost than internal recruitment. Moreover, external selection is a time consuming process. Another major flaw in this selection is that the existing employees below the store manager level will feel de-motivated because their chance for advancement is being hindered. (Riley, 2012) Advantages: The Company need not incur much cost for selection as the resources are readily available in the

Value Creation In E-business in Xtra Company Case Study

Value Creation In E-business in Xtra Company - Case Study Example This is the project plan. The motivation for adopting IS Development is the improvement of efficiency, protecting market share, assisting in innovative activities, and increasing, productivity and profitability. (Wang et al, 2004; Pateli & Giagles, 2004). What the company is selling is a novelty item that catches the attention of Hollywood fans and moviegoers. What they only have to do is to be able to reach a wider market based and the moment that they can establish a wide market, they have to come up new means of reaching it. And the way to reach it is via eBusiness. The transition to eBusiness requires two important aspects of the internal aspect and the external aspect. In the internal aspect what is necessary are the following: effective individual, effective team and an effective organization. In the external aspect what is needed include the basic website, interactive website and e-commerce. These two aspects should converge for the plan to work (Arunatelika & Gigi, nd). Furthermore, of primary importance is the satisfaction of the customers.customers have greatly appreciated the personalized services that they have been receiving in the virtual market (Dubosson-Torbay et al, 2001). And Xtra Company cannot deviate from this trend, this current value creation in e-business (Ahmet & Zott, 2001). With all the important points laid down, the plan is simple, they are going to use the internet to sell their products. As such, they have to create the IT structure, the creation of an interactive website and e-commerce should be undertaken. But it is not only that, they should have good collaboration links with the suppliers, links with the distributor and definitely a good interactive website that can be accessed 24/7. Aside from that, they should have a strong IT infrastructure, Business systems, IT policies, IT security measures and IT maintenance. Likewise, they also have to establish a strong and effective organization who are made up of people who are h ighly motivated, of a team that shares the vision, goals and values of the company.  Ã‚  

The power of language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The power of language - Essay Example But writers have huge capacity to influence the outlook of people which can be used to bring about constructive changes in the social fabric. Construction of meaning In ‘Superman and Me’, Alexie has emphasized that language plays hugely critical role in the development of individuals. As an Indian, living in Washington, he was often confronted with the dual personalities of the people of his race. They were meek and unassuming in the company of Whites but otherwise exhibited their natural vivacious personality. The language was key barrier which made them hesitant in interacting with others. But writer had constructed his own language and meaning which was inspired by his passion for reading books. He has used words and language in way that defines his will to make his own space in the dissenting society. He constructed his own meaning by asserting that ‘The words inside a paragraph worked together for a common purpose’. He further clarifies that ‘Our reservation was a small paragraph within the United States’ thereby justifying his existence. Limitation of broken language Alexie has used language to understand social differences and says that ‘knowledge delighted me’. ... His success is testament of their misconceived ideas. He is now an inspiration for his race. ‘Many are writing their own poems, short stories and novels’ shows the ability to read and write English language has made Indians assert themselves as individuals. Amy Tan’s Mother Tongue is another very important article that showcases how language can overcome barriers of class, race and culture. She has used ‘all the englishes’ in her writing. This is interesting phrase because it displays the confidence of the writer to use vernacular English to communicate effectively with people whose mother tongue might not be English. The variation in English language has occurred because immigrant families have changed it to make it easy for them to use and communicate. She asserts that vernacular english ‘has become our language of intimacy’. In a foreign land, ‘the fractured language’ is ‘perfectly natural’ for immigrant to fe el comfortable. She has raised very pertinent issue of language and says that people who do not speak perfect English are deemed ‘limited’. But she also asserts that her writing has captured ‘what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts’. The writer has shown that even ‘broken english’ has the power to communicate ideas. Conclusion Both the writers have used English as language for writing and communication. They have adopted the mainstream language to integrate as well as to understand the psychology of human relationship. The language is a means of communication and if the person is able to communicate in ‘broken english’, he has served his/her purpose: which is to transfer some idea or suggestion or

Effects of Globalization on the US Steel Producers Research Paper

Effects of Globalization on the US Steel Producers - Research Paper Example Globalization is an integrated term related to the people, industries and government policies of different nations. With the virtue of globalization, people today can share the new ideas, technologies, and techniques. These developed traits can further be implied by them into their own corporations with an aim of betterment. Therefore, globalization has a great impact on the culture, political system and economic development of any and every economy. Likewise, the US steel producers are also affected by globalization. For instance, the competition has increased in the international steel industry making it more challenging and complex. However, an industry can gain opportunities and incur threats simulataneuously due to the impct of globalization. The US steel industry is also fluctuated with many of the factors active in the global market. US steel industry is one of the major steel producing sectors in the inetrnational market. It chiefly produces iron-ore and coke for steel manufacturing. Worth mentioning, it achieved a net sales of 16,873 million doller in the year 2007 which was a steep rise when compared to the net sales amounting 15,715 million dollar in the year 2006. Besides producing steel, it is also involved in other business activities, such as developing transportaion via rail and barge operations (United States Steel Corporation, 2007). The integration of globalization with the US economy occurred rapidly which in turn affected the US steel industry quite strongly. Notably, the consequences raised by the integration of US steel industry with the global market were severe. For instance, the globalization provides the US consumers more choices and lower prices which increases the power of buyers at large. It also increases the employment rate in the global market (Plummer, 2006). As steel is chiefly produced in the US and in the South Korean industries, threre exists a wage restrain between the two economies. This illustrates the fact, that if the wages of the US steel industry is too high, then it will not be able to compete with South Korean steel suppliers and other economies as well. This would most probably lead the US steel producers to decline along with an increased constraint of unemployment. According to Plummer, hardly any other economy could compete with the US technology three decades ago. But presently s everal countries have advanced in technology as a result of globalization. This reveals the fact that the US economy requires to concentrate more on its competitive edge when compared with the international market. On the similar context, the imports and exports are also affected because of globalization which in turn influences the US based steel industry largely (Plummer, 2006). American Institute for International Steel, Inc’s study on The US Steel Market reveals that steel industry of the US has a record of profit gained from the exportation of steel in the global market. Higher prices of steel in global markets in comparison to that of the US steel industry has resulted in exports amounting approximately to 13 million tons. In this milieu, China, Europe and India are recognised as the major receivers of the US made steels (American Institute for International Steel, Inc, 2009). High freight rate and attractive prices in Turkey, Oman, Russia and Europe have

Marketing and the Information Technology Sector Research Paper

Marketing and the Information Technology Sector - Research Paper Example An analysis would consider the physical characteristics of the product and therefore its transportation and storage needs, the promotional activities associated with the product, the sensitivity of sale volumes of the product to price changes, and what distribution coverage is best met by customer demand for the product, i.e. whether the product should have mass distribution or a more exclusive distribution. Depending on the coverage of distribution required, the marketer would then be able to decide whether to use resellers, such as wholesalers or retailers, to assist with getting the product to the customer, or to use specialty service firms who would act as brokers in bringing the customer to the product. Another important aspect the marketer has to consider in choosing channel partners is the type of relationship, whether independent or dependent arrangements would be used to move the product to the customer. 2. How effective is the Tutorial in presenting the material: In covering the issues related to product distribution, the material provided in the tutorial can be easily understood by those without any marketing experience. In providing links to specific issues, the reader need not go through the entire tutorial but can select a topic that is of interest, and summary charts, such as those in the Wholesalers and Retailers section are well used to assist the reader with assimilating all the information in a topic. Given the breadth of information available in the tutorial, there are aspects of the tutorial that do not provide the depth of information required by some marketing specialists thus requiring further research elsewhere. Unfortunately, the tutorial does not provide any sources for further information.  Ã‚  

Social Psychology, What it would be like to be an African American Essay

Social Psychology, What it would be like to be an African American Male - Essay Example The African Americans are influenced by the common Americans as well as all those that live near them. The basic point to note here is that they are not being dealt in a fair manner. They are subject to the mercy of their superiors, which should not be the case in the first place. African Americans have left their African lands in search of a better living but what they find in American for so many years now is an attitude and treatment full of bias and malice on the part of the latter. The only manner in which a young African American gets to know more about his own self and his roots is through his ancestors as the country and its media do not project the Blacks in such a fashion as should be the case. His parents and other family members teach him what his upbringing is all about and what asked of them to migrate towards America. The development of this young individual is in the hands of the Americans, the Whites. Now it is up to them how they treat him and what sort of work they want him to do and for whom. Not only this, his character is built in such a way that he always feels under the rule of a White, which is a pure American. This man feels that he is impure and does not belong to the country as the White American does. Others think of the African American male as being an outsider, who has crept into the American lands either through some fraudulent tactics or other similar activities. Nobody is agreeable to his being there no matter what the circumstances are. The stereotypes related with him are that since he does not belong to the place, he will never be loyal with the nation, its values, customs and ethics. He will steal; commit forgery and other heinous acts which are considered derogatory in nature by all concerned. Other stereotype related with him is that since he is Black, he will always be kept at the position that is behind a pure White American. Concepts of attribution theory and confirmation bias

Mytaxi (Intelligent Apps Gmbh) Extension from Germany to the Philippines Essay Example for Free

Mytaxi (Intelligent Apps Gmbh) Extension from Germany to the Philippines Essay Original paper is full of Appendices. You may get in touch with me if you would like to have a copy of the FULL VERSION with external links, charts, images, etc. PROJECT PROPOSAL: myTaxi HOME COUNTRY: Germany TARGET COUNTRY: Philippines OBJECTIVE: To expand the usage of the myTaxi (Intelligent Apps GmbH) application to Filipino Smartphone Users-Taxi Drivers PRODUCT INFORMATION Developed by Niclaus Mewes and Sven Kuelper in 2009, myTaxi is a Smartphone application that directly connects Taxi driver and passenger, enabling more efficient pick-up and drop-off transportation services. CATEGORY: Travel / Transportation TARGET USERS: Taxi Drivers, Taxi Passengers, Taxi Corporations CURRENT MARKETS: (Domestic) Germany: Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Sylt (Regiocentric) Vienna: Austria Spain: Barcelona, Madrid Poland: Warsaw (Geocentric) Washington D. C. , United States of America Currently Under Development In: (Germany) Augsburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Darmstadt, Essen, Heilbronn, Gera, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Leverkusen, Mainz, Offenbach, Potsdam, Salzburg, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg Domestic Market Conditions (2012): Number of Taxi Passengers Per Year: 260 million est. Total Revenue in Taxi Fares: 2. 6 billion Euros Number of Mobile Subscriptions: 114. 2 million Smartphone Market Penetration: 53% Number of 3G/4G Subscriptions: 53. 2 million 3G Market Penetration: 65% REQUIREMENTS: Smartphone (Android or iOS), Internet (at least 500 MB) AVAILABILITY: iTunes (Apple Store) for Apple ; Google Play for Android PRICE: For Passengers: FREE DOWNLOAD (Application) Standard Taxi fares apply with no additional costs for using myTaxi (Transportation Service) For Drivers: 2,75% (net) for every service mediated via myTaxi HOW IT WORKS: For Passengers : Immediately upon opening the application, myTaxi uses GPS to pin point the user’s location. The app will then locate all of the available myTaxis in the area. The user can then send a pick-up request, as well as specify a destination (optional). Once a pick-up is confirmed, the user can see the driver’s information: name, vehicle registration, as well as his rating from other myTaxi users. The user can then track the progress of the Taxi until it picks him up. For Drivers: Taxi drivers need to register with myTaxi in order to be part of the system. This can be done via the myTaxi application, at a myTaxi office, or on the mytaxi. net website . Upon acceptance of a pick-up request, the driver receives the application user’s mobile number in case of extenuating circumstances, such as a traffic jam. FEATURES : †¢Favorite Drivers: Drivers can not only be rated, but also be saved and prioritized for future trips. Fare Calculator : Cost transparency via the integrated fare calculator that may be used before booking a trip. †¢Flexible Payment Options: Users can pay with cash or use credit, debit, or even PayPal. myTaxi has pioneered the cashless and even cardless payment of Taxi trips through the application . †¢Advanced Booking: Bookings can be made up to four days in advance of the user’s desired pick-up date, time, and place. †¢Personalize d Booking Options: Eco-taxis, 5-star Taxis, Airport trips, Luggage, Pet-friendly Taxis, Number of expected passengers TERMS AND CONDITIONS: For Passengers : I. Performance of myTaxi II. Second amendment and termination of service III. Availability IV. Liability V. General Obligations of the user VI. Responsibility for Content VII. Final Provisions For Taxi Driver : I. Gratuitous services of myTaxi II. Settlement of mediation services III. Payment IV. Amendment and termination of service V. Availability VI. General obligations of the user VII. Obligation to accept transfer order VIII. Termination of contract / disqualification of use IX. Rating system X. Responsibility for content XI. Final provisions For Business Accounts : I. Contract II. Contractual obligations of the contractor III. Invoicing by myTaxi IV. Employee Training V. Liability VI. Term and Termination VII. External representation of cooperation VIII. Of assignment, final provisions EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS: Car2Go HRS Ds Hotelportal Miles More Lufthansa Samsung T Mobile AirPlus International myTaxi is an innovative application that combined two different industries: The first is the relatively stable Transportation Industry, wherein passengers are given the option to commute semi-privately via Taxi. The second is the new and booming Smartphone + Internet Industry. The combination of both industries created a product (the application) AND service (the features) that covers both the daily transportation needs of commuters with their want of efficiency, reliability, and personalization in tune with the lifestyle of Today. With all this in mind, it is no surprise that myTaxi first focused on its domestic market to establish its name and create awareness of what they have to offer. Following their domestic success, myTaxi marketed itself to its immediate neighboring countries, a strategic move on their part, since their popularity would logically trickle itself to those right next to them, and not those far away – being involved in Travel and Transportation, this was clearly a logical step. The real trick however, to marketing myTaxi was through partnerships – with individual Taxi drivers and Taxi dispatch companies, and with complementary product brands, such as Samsung wherein the application is pre-installed in all their Smartphone units. Its strength lies mostly in its reputation. In its attempt to expand to the U. S. market, myTaxi had to compete with a few competitors, as the U. S. already had a few Taxi applications to choose from, depending on which city you were in. However, because of its popularity, its brand strength boasting to already have 2. 3 million users, it was able to secure a partnership with the D. C. Taxicab Commission. With their endorsement, myTaxi managed to escalate itself as more legitimate in the eyes of the market than its competitors. Lastly, one must consider that being a pioneer, myTaxi has been and is still reaping the benefits of the First Mover Advantage. It has already created its niche in the Transportation Industry and is transforming the preexisting Taxi market as well. myTaxi was already hailed as one of the top applications of 2012. TARGET MARKET INFORMATION TARGET MARKET: Metro Manila [NCR], Philippines (Lower-Middle Income) (Market Capitalism: constitutional democratic republic) GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS: Population: 103,775,002 (Philippines, July 2012); 21,050,000 (Metro Manila, 2010) Size: 638. 55 km2 (Total Area) with a density of 18,567/km2 Rate of Urbanization: 2. 3% (2010-2015 estimated) annual rate of change Currency: Philippine Pesos (? Currency Inflation Rate: 2. 6% (March 2012) VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC: Number of Motor Vehicles Registered : 1,740,812 (2012) approx. 30% of total: 6,316,522 Number of Motor Vehicles Registered by Classification : for the entire PH Private: 5,410,783 (2012) approx. 86% of total: 6,316,522 For Hire: 840,974 (2012) approx. 13% of total: 6,316,522 Number of Taxis : 40,000 (2009) for the entire PH Annual Average Daily Traffic: approx. 10,927,245 (2011) vehicles approx. 4,049,314 caused by Passenger Cars (37%) approx. 2,195,860 caused by Utility Passengers (20%) Number of Apprehended Drivers : 14,439 (2012) approx. 2% of total: 761,743 Committed Traffic Violations: 1. RA 8750 Seatbelt Use Act 2. No CR/OR On Hand 3. Obstruction 4. Student Driver Operating an MV w/o Accompanying Licensed Driver 5. Driving w/o License 6. Unregistered/Invalid MV Registration 7. Reckless Driving 8. Driving w/ Delinquent/Invalid, Suspended, Ineffectual or Revoked License 9. No Brake Light 10. No EWD Carried MOBILE PHONES AND INTERNET : Number of Internet Users: 33. 6 million (2012) Internet Usage Growth Rate: 11% (2012) Smartphone Sales Value: $606. 5 million (2011) Number of Smartphone Subscribers: 15 million (2012) Smartphone Subscribers Growth: 38% (2012) Mobile Internet Users: 24% of all Filipino Internet users on a daily basis 56% intend to access the Internet via mobile phone in the next 12 months (2011) Leading Telecommunication Operators : (Q1 2012) †¢Smart Communications, Inc. Market Share: 68% Mobile Connections: 66. 1 million Prepaid Subscribers: 97% of total subscribers 3G Subscribers: 24% of total subscribers †¢Globe Telecom, Inc. Market Share: 32% Mobile Connections: 31 million Prepaid Subscribers: 95% of total subscribers 3G Subscribers: 27% of total subscribers OTHER STATISTICS: Fuel Prices : (as of 11 April 2013) Diesel: ? 40. 00 per liter Unleaded: ? 50. 72 per liter EXPANSION PLAN TO THE PHILIPPINES IMPETUS: Statistics are not needed to see that there are too many cars in Metro Manila, more than what the roads can actually accommodate. Traffic is a serious problem in the city, and though much can be said abou t the many reasons behind it, the reality remains that â€Å"for every bus there are 50 cars on the road† (Murphy, 2010). That is how congested the city roads are. There is definitely a need to limit the number of vehicles, or one day all movements on the streets will come to a stop. A more efficient and trustworthy Taxi-riding environment may encourage people to commute more, instead of driving out in their own cars for the simplest errands, or from even buying their own. A more centralized and systematized Taxi system may also encourage more discipline in drivers AND passengers, for example lessening the number of pick-ups and drop-offs in the middle of the road. ADVANTAGES: †¢EASE: Streets in the Philippines can be tricky . A lot of roads are not frequented by Taxis; Taxis are usually already occupied when spotted on the main roads; There are usually just certain places where Taxis are most available i. e. malls, markets – Getting back from those places may be easy enough, but getting there from wherever is the hard part. Hailing a Taxi is tedious and time-consuming in a busy city like Metro Manila. †¢TRUST: Both for foreigners and locals alike, there is always a chance of hailing a cab that has a fixed Taxi Meter, and you only find out until it is too late. myTaxi’s Fare Calculator works against that. You may also experience a driver bent on swindling you for extra money just because you have luggage or are with someone in need of assistance. With myTaxi’s Personalized Booking Options, you can already pre-bargain with your Taxi driver and let him know what to expect from you. Any additional costs need not be a surprise. †¢SAFETY: If you’re in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, order a cab via myTaxi instead of walking around looking for one. †¢FEEDBACK: Taxi drivers usually have no fear because they answer to no one, or at least no one bothers to go through the trouble of reporting them to their supervisors if they have one. yTaxi lets you provide feedback of your trip and your driver, removing them from the service if they have done you any wrong, or warning future passengers. PRICE: For Passengers: Application remains free. For Drivers: Following the 2,75% (net) for every service mediated by myTaxi†¦ Taxi Fare Flag Down Rate: ? 20. 00 ? 1. 50 per 500 meters *There is a possibility however, of lowering the rate to 2% due to Taxi drivers generating a below-average income in the Philippines. Average Income of Taxi Drivers: ? ,500. 00 per week MARKET ENTRY: (Product Extension-Communication Adaptation) Product itself remains relatively unchanged, aside from the necessary calibrations for the myTaxi application to work in Metro Manila. Communication approach will have to be different however, as the Philippines is a completely new market to this type of peer-to-peer service . Communication approach to potential passengers will also differ from potential drivers. Pre-Installed Application in Smartphones Units deployed to the Philippines will already have myTaxi pre-installed like in Germany -Pre-Installation leads to awareness that product is available Constantly seeing application will peak customer’s interest Trying out what this application and how it works leads to its evaluation and trial Upon first succ essful order of Taxi, customer adopts to the usage of the application whenever a Taxi is needed, as well as becoming more confident in exploring its other features Product loyalty is established, as well as recommendation of it to peers -myTaxi avatar/widget to be included in the list of Product Features, both online and in print Personalized Proposals to Taxi Corporations Direct contact between myTaxi Sales Representative/s and owner/manager of Taxi corporation through a meeting -Email point of contact of Taxi corporation a myTaxi business plan and proposal -eAdvertisements Personalized Proposals to Individual Taxi Drivers -Group Learning and Information Sessions managed by myTaxi Sales Representative/s -Free trial period -Flyers distributed in strategic areas -eAdvertisements Partnerships with Transportation-Related Government Offices to Aid in Endorsement of Service -Department of Transportation and Communications: Land Transportation Office [LTO] http://lto. gov. ph/ -Metropoli tan Manila Development Authority [MMDA] http://www. mmda. gov. ph/ Others -myTaxi stickers (on Taxis) to increase awareness and curiosity -myTaxi application to be featured in a local newspaper article LEGALITY AND REGULATIONS : No known regulation for the usage of Smartphone applications in the Philippines. Application is an add-on to an already registered business – whether by the individual Taxi driver or a Taxi Corporation thus, no taxes, licenses, permits, etc. involved. Political, legal, and regulatory environment poses no known risk. See also myTaxi Term and Conditions. CHALLENGES: †¢Limited Features (cabs in the Philippines are not equipped for payments via debit, credit, or PayPal) †¢Training on how to use the application (more for the drivers than the passengers) †¢Investment on Smartphone and Mobile Internet Plan (many options are offered however by Smart and Globe) Hofstede’s Cultural Typologies : Power Distance: Acceptance and willingness to try application by the â€Å"head/leading Taxi driver† or owner/manager of a Taxi corporation is a must. Other drivers will easily follow once connection with the â€Å"boss† is established. Collectivistic: Word-of-mouth will be the strongest marketing tool both for passengers and potential myTaxi drivers. Masculine: Most if not all Taxi drivers in Metro Manila are male. This must be taken into consideration when marketing myTaxi to them. Expect assertive, challenging and highly skeptical questions. Uncertainty Avoidance: Hypothetically no problems in getting Filipinos to accept myTaxi, especially once German origins are made known. Innovation especially American and European ones, are not seen as threatening. Use this as an advantage. Short-Term Orientation: Acceptance of myTaxi â€Å"now† may be achieved, but users, both driver and passenger, may grow bored and/or negligent of the application in the future. Ensure that its long-term advantages are very appealing and well communicated to drivers. Create a dependence on myTaxi for passengers. Sources: AJTP Information Center. (n. d. ). Road Transport Philippines [Data file]. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://www. ajtpweb. org/statistics/Philippines/road-transport-philippines Alternat1ve. (n. d. ). Philippine Gasoline Prices (P/li) [Data file]. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://www. alternat1ve. com/philippine-gas-prices. php Economic Impact of Traffic in Metro Manila [PDF document]. (2000). Retrieved on May 12, 2013, from http://d0ctrine. files. wordpress. com/2012/09/econ-impacts-of-congestion-coverchap-1-and-2. pdf Europe. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. newmediatrendwatch. com/regional-overview/103- europe? start=1 Global mobile statistics 2012 Part B: Mobile Web; mobile broadband penetration; 3G/4G subscribers and networks. (2012). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://mobithinking. com/mobile-marketing- tools/latest-mobile-stats/ b#mobilebroadbandcountries Global mobile statistics 2013 Part A: Mobile subscribers; handset market share; mobile operators. (2013). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://mobithinking. om/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats/a#topmobilemarkets Globe Telecom. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Globe_Telecom myTaxi. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. mytaxi. com/home. html Philippines. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org /wiki/Philippines Philippines 7th Fastest Internet Growth, 17th Largest Smartphone Population Worldwide. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://thebobbery. com/philippines-7th-fastest-internet-growth-17th-largest-smartphone-population-worldwide/ Smart Communications. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retreived May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Smart_ Communications Smartphone Reach Majority in all EU5 Countries. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. comscoredatamine. com/2013/03/smartphones-reach-majority-in-all-eu5-countries/ World Usage Patterns Demographics. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. newmediatrendwatch. com /world-overview/34-world-usage-patterns-and-demographics Ablott, M. (2012). Philippines mobile market becomes two-horse race. Retrieved May 10, 2013, from https:// wirelessintelligence. com/analysis/2012/05/philippines-mobile-market-becomes-two-horse-race/336/ Bryant, M. (2012). 5 startup trends for 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://thenextweb. com/insider/2012 /01/03/5-startup-trends-for-2012/ Hofstede, G. , Hofstede, J. H. , and Minkov, M. (2010). Philippines. In Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://geert-hofstede. com/philippines. html Kistner, A. (2012). Taxi 2. 0: Dispatch Firms Wage War over Smartphone App. In DER SPIEGEL (6/2012). Retrieved May 10, 2013, from http://www. spiegel. de/international/business/taxi-2-0-dispatch-firms-wage-war-over-smartphone-app- a-816685. html Meyer, D. (2012). MyTaxi rides into U. S. market with a trick up its sleeve. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://gigaom. om/2012/10/10/mytaxi-rides-into-u-s-market-with-a-trick-up-its-sleeve/ Murphy, D. (2010, November 29). Too many private cars on Metro Manila roads. Message posted to http://opinion. inquirer. net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20101129-305923/Too-many-private-cars-on-Metro-Manila- roads Robles, A. C. (2012). The agony of Metr o Manila commuters. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://www. gmanetwork. com/news/story/254898/news/specialreports/the-agony-of-metro-manila-commuters Steinmetz, T. (2012). World’s largest taxi booking app launches in US. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://www. eturbonews. com/31647/worlds-largest-taxi-booking-app-launches-us

Human Resources value proposition of GASCO

Human Resources value proposition of GASCO Introduction: The report presented here is regarding the HR value proposition of GASCO. GASCO is also known as Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. The company was born in the year 1978, in the very heart of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) in its capital Abu Dhabi. Value proposition is best explained by Ulrichs model which shows the factors one should look for to check whether the HR system helps to realize any value to the organization. The report will find out the same with the help of questionnaire analysis from the HRs in the company. GASCO: GASCO is also known as Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. The company was born in the year 1978, in the very heart of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) in its capital Abu Dhabi. Replying to a question about the vision of the founder of the company, late Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan he replied that he believed in the sound operation of the Emirates important gas assets. The amalgamation and establishment of Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd or GASCO as a combined venture among the ADNOC (known as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), Total, Partex, and Shell, and the addition of a wholly owned ADNOC Company named ATHEER in the year 2001, supported GASCO in appreciating the vision to be among the one of the most inventive, caring and respected companies in the hydrocarbon and gas industry. (Author, 2010) GASCOs promise in meeting the prospect of its diverse stakeholders employees, community, shareholders, non governmental bodies and regulatory bodies, was freshly recognized through the restitution of the combined Venture contract originally signed in the year 1978. The new contract, which is now contracted to run until the year 2028, September 30th, will permit GASCO to grasp the peculiarity of being one of the chief players in the worldwide gas and hydrocarbons industry, conducting the transportation of liquid and gas products, onshore gas processing and contributing to the economys GDP of in a responsible and sustainable manner. (Author, 2010) Literature Review: A HR value proposition is a proposal that defines the measurable and quantifiable gains that an organizations or individuals making the proposal promise to deliver. The development procedure of a HR value proposition is based on the reviews and analysis results of the gains, prices and values to be delivered to the customers by an organization, potential customers, and other constitutive groups working within and outside of the organization. It can also be viewed as positioning of a value, where term Value can be defined as = Benefits / Costs (where costs include all the risks taken). (Becker, 2002) Value is said to be added to a HR proposition when the work done by the HR professionals helps people to accomplish their goals and targets. What matters most is the benefits a person receives from this work and not design or the way the program was made or the policies used in declaration. The actions which do not fulfill these goals are not pursued. Hence HR value proposition can be viewed as the exercises, professionals involved and departments which work to achieve this aim and work to obtain productive and positive results for all the stake-holders like people working, managers, etc. (Spickett-Jones, 2003) Regrettably, in some organizations HR proposition is not seen as a group of people brought together to build something productive, rather it is seen as a cost centre. As such many of such groups are closed down during cost cutting processes. In order safeguard their position in an organization; they should increase their influence over their customers and stakeholders. They should emphasize less on their procedure and processes and more on the results and benefits they are providing. They should be in line with the productivity and their stakeholders. (Tuominen, 2004) Nowadays HR personnel are becoming redundant and its ironic that the services that they deliver are more focused on business performance improvements from central goals. With the shift in societies from an old era of business to the new knowledge and service oriented business goals and economies, having a better HR deliverable at ones exposure would become an added advantage and necessity to combat the increasing competition for an organization. (Winfried Daun, 2005) Such HR proposition values are largely effected by intangibles and managing these intangible properties of an organization. These intangible properties include : research and developments, leadership, brand positioning and strength, quality of service, speed, governance, tacit knowledge, loyalty of customers and the employees, reputation, informal processes, innovation , plant flexibility, trusted networks. Managing these intangible is important because they have deep impact on the shareholder values and are necessary regarding the future growth and expectations of the investors from the organization. (Winfried Daun, 2005) A comprehensive study by Ulrich and Brochbank shows the necessary steps required so as to deliver the required competencies to the stakeholders in a new economy. The figure below shows the systematic display of what should be done and how it should be done. This is the mapping out of HR value proposition, showing how to deliver desired stakeholder values. (Becker, 2002) Figure 1: The Ulrich and Brochbank HR Value Proposition There are 14 HR transformation criteria which have been derived from HR value proposition transformation. These are listed below: HR value proposition element: Knowing the realities of external business world Criterion 1 An efficient and efficient HR function is one which one which HR professionals who can acknowledge the external business environments and realities and adapt measures in such a way to combat these situation, allocating HR resources and apply HR practices accordingly. (Becker, 2002) Serving both the internal as well as external stakeholders Criterion 1- an efficient HR function is generating market value for its investors by increasing intangibles. Criterion 2- A good HR function increases the customer share by connecting with its target customers. Criterion 3- An efficient HR function assists its line managers to deliver strategies by developing capabilities of an organization. Criterion 4: A good HR function elucidates and lays down base for employee value proposition and improves individual abilities. (Aughton, 2005) Creating efficient HR practices Criterion 1: A good HR function can manage people, processes and practices such that it adds value. Criterion 2: An efficient HR function can manage performance management process and practices such that it adds value. Criterion 3: An efficient HR function can manage information process and practices such that it adds value. (Aughton, 2005) Developing HR resources Criterion 1: An efficient HR function can manage work flow design and processes such that it adds value HR value proposition element: Developing HR resources HR transformation criteria. Criterion 2: An efficient HR function adjusts its organization in accordance with the strategies of the business. Criterion 3: An efficient HR function makes a clear strategic plan for coordinating the HR investments with the goals of business. (Aughton, 2005) Ensuring Professionalism of the HR environment Criterion 1: An efficient HR function consists of HR professionals who carry out their duties and responsibilities accurately. Criterion 2: An efficient HR function develops HR professionals who display HR competencies. Criterion 3: An efficient HR function would invest in training, development and growth of its HR professionals. Nowadays, HR professionals make use of systemic-based competencies in order to map defined set of the HR Value Proposition and hence enhance and improve the strategies delineated by Ulrich and Brockbank so as to deliver appropriate value to stakeholders. The efforts taken by the HR professional put in action the HR proposition model by having casual link between initiatives taken by the HRs and business results desired. Instead of having a line of sight with the key stakeholders expressed in words and tables, an orderly among the HR Value Propositions provide HR professionals a clear vision as to how they should actually act so as to deliver stakeholder values. (Stuart E Woodhead, 2000) Mapping out the HR Value Proposition model provides a clear vision and framework that formulates the role of HR professionals as the service key business driver that delivers the proper stakeholder value, going beyond just theoretical model and language. It provides a fabric that generates a shared interpretation of the business, significantly assisting the communication efforts. Hence with the proper programs and policies available, it facilitates a desired environment and culture. Thus by using relevant tools and techniques required to corroborate the systemic-based competencies, the HR professionals can link the fourteen criteria of HR Value Proposition model and incorporates them into well functioning systematic HR business model. (Becker, 2002) In order to understand the working and mapping of Ulrich and Brockbank 14 criteria can be mapped using application of 2 mapping techniques, which are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ System Dynamics mapping à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Socio-ecological mapping. System Dynamics mapping is centre to the growth of stakeholders driver model which makes the visible connections between employee growths, capabilities of an organization, experience of customers and returns of the investor. (Tuominen, 2004) Socio-ecological mapping is needed to carry on strategic reviews and growth in the surroundings which have become unpredictable due to intangibles. It is required to represent social trends between and within an organization and its surroundings. Diagram below gives a perspective of a high level system of the HR Value Proposition and extent of these two mapping techniques. Figure 2: System viewpoint of HR Value Proposition System dynamic mapping: System Dynamics mapping gives a technique of describing the underlying structure which establishes a blueprint of events that can more often than not contemplate changes in the efficiency of intangibles like increasing waste, cyclic phenomena in supply chains, lack of innovation, declining sales, worker burnout, and so on. (Spickett-Jones, 2003) The uses of system dynamic mapping for a HR professional are as follows: 1. Modeling and mapping the delivery of the stakeholder values over a particular frame of time (productivity, profitability, customer share etc.) in accordance with the levels of availability of tangible and intangible resources (knowledge, customers, staff, relationship management, suppliers, innovation, reputation, etc.) 2. Exploring and researching new business options like, developing a business case for practicing a new learning and growth initiative by figuring the effects of top line i.e. revenue and bottom line i.e. cost on the business performance. 3. Researching and exploring methods to solve a given problem like, exploring different options for improving the falling service quality. Socio-ecological mapping: Socio ecological mapping refers to the people in the concerned environment. Socio-ecological mapping is necessary for understanding relationships between the people in the system through different time frames. From time to time, expectations and values of an organization change around the globe. They need to act through their plans in their environments. This leads to creation of an external environment which has discontinuous and dramatic shifts in its social values and expectations from the community. This leads to a situation when people continuously change their minds regarding the choices about certain services and products. HR professionals should be able to recognize any significant changes socially that can affect their organization because such unsettling and unpredictable surrounding acts upon their industry or concerned organization. Hence, they will need to direct their strategic planning process and plans in accordance with these changes and need to build an organizational environment around, which has continuous learning and information about the surroundings in case their organizations have to be successful for the long term. In order to understand which technique should be used in what environment let us consider two situations. The first situation considers the end results of HR personnel not following socio-ecological representation in an area thats part of the HR Value Proposition as the External Business Realities element. It has not been made explicit by Brochbank and Ulrich. Regardless, this area is necessary for survival of business in the new era of service or knowledge oriented economy. The second situation studies a position in which HR professionals use Systems Dynamics representation to display how their efforts add stakeholder value. Both situations involve System Dynamics mapping for the criteria titled as Serving external and internal stakeholder in the HR Value Proposition Model. In one case, the contribution was important and distinct while in other case was not so significant. Figure 3: Organization in framework with its surroundings Figure 4: Organization in situation with its Industry surroundings The term extended social field addresses to the area beyond the organizations industry environment. This is also in reference with the wider or global community as in contextual environment. According to criterion 1: An efficient and efficient HR function is one which one which HR professionals who can acknowledge the external business environments and realities and adapt measures in such a way to combat these situation, allocating HR resources and apply HR practices accordingly. It insists on the fact that organization should pay attention to its environment outside the firm. The HR professionals should be able to engage in conversation regarding the changes in external surroundings like changes in economy, rates technologies and so on. In order to keep them informed about the new information, HR professionals should conduct environmental scans using processes which have been transformed from OST (Open Systems Theory). OST is social science knowledge body that manages people and their organizations and should have an open, clear, adaptive and active relationship with their surroundings over time so as to ensure viability and good results. It also says that people can be seen as purposeful and informative open systems that can change and generate systems and their surroundings. Serving external and internal stakeholders other criteria are: Criterion 2- an efficient HR function is generating market value for its investors by increasing intangibles. Criterion 3- A good HR function increases the customer share by connecting with its target customers. Criterion 4- An efficient HR function assists its line managers to deliver strategies by developing capabilities of an organization. Criterion 5: A good HR function elucidates and lays down base for employee value proposition and improves individual abilities. These criteria are being depicted in Figure 4 which concerns the Organization in context with the industry environment. Hence we can see that representing the information in form a systematic form makes it easier for organization-industry interface to provide HR professionals with chances to make clear, significant and visible necessary contributions to performance of business forming a unique view; so as to adapt with increasingly significant and emerging new service or knowledge oriented economy. Research Questions The concern here is to verify the extent till which, GASCOs HR system delivers value proposition. For this purpose, we will use the Ulrich model as shown in literature review and will verify the 5 dimensions of the model in GASCO. In this report, we will check whether the five dimensions in Ulrich model are satisfied in GASCO and will comment on the value proposition of companys HR system. The concerned objectives would be as follows: Ulrichs Value proposition dimension Criterias to check for Knowing the external business realities Checking for HRMs efficiency in understanding realities of external business and thus adding value. Serving External and Internal Stakeholders Any increase in the value of investors money by HR system. HR capacity to increase customer share HRs capacity to motivate line mangers to participate in strategic issue. Enhancing individuals ability Creating HR practices Management of employees in such a way that add to value Managing performance of the employees Information is correctly managed and utilized Hr manages work flow design and adds value to the organization. Building HR resources HR alignment to strategic objectives of the business HRs clear strategic planning process and alignment of strategic business objectives with HR objectives Ensuring Professionalism To check the presence of a professional HR system Training and developments presence in the organization. Methodology The methodology involves conducing survey analysis to test the research questions in GASCO as presented in above section. The methodology is divided into two parts: Literature review and finding the factors we should look for finding the value proposition of GASCO Prepare separate questionnaire for every dimension (5 separate questionnaires) Analysis of the result using excel charts The questionnaires would be distributed to HRs in the company. With a small help from of one of our contact in GASCO, we distributed these instruments in the company in which 30 people from HR staff participated. The questionnaires are designed so that they address every aspect of research questions given above. Questionnaire: Knowing the external business realities Do you keep the track of competitors strategies and use the information in forming HR practices? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you keep the track of quality of Human resource existing in the market? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you conduct regular meeting (formal or informal) with the HRs of competitors so that you can get aware of the external environment of the HR system in the industry? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you aware yourself with the rules and regulation of the government that are existing and that can exit in future to make a better HR policy? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you choose employees taking into consideration the relations with the suppliers, contractors, clients etc? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you consider the cultural aspect of the employees in your HR systems? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Taking the example of the giant recession which the world recently faced, did you took any steps like shortening of work force, reduction of pay to respond to the situation and cut the cost? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree As GASCO is an exploration firm, do you intake scientist and other post of employees taking into mind the kind of work going on in the industry? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Technology keeps on changing, when you hire an employee, do you keep in mind the present and future techno skills which the employee should know? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you conduct regular training to bridge the gap between present skills and those required as according to recent external environment characteristics? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Questionnaire: Serving internal and external stakeholder Do you keep an eye on companys intangibles and try to increase these in GASCO? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you conduct regular training for the employees to increase their capabilities? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do your staff is in contact of the customers? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you keep an eye on the organizational suppliers and try to maintain and build strong relationships with the suppliers? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you take the feedback of your distributors and other stakeholders and then apply them in modifying your HR strategies? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you encourage your line managers to come up with a solution on their own and appreciate employee participation? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do your staff make regular visit at customer end and try their best to understand the need of the customers and deliver them on time? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree As GASCO is an exploration firm, do you intake scientist and other post of employees feedback in aligning the need of the organization with current trend in the market? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you keep an awareness of investors attitude towards the company? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you make changes in your policy as to consider the investors reaction? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Questionnaire: Creating HR practices Do you keep try to create policies that helps in building up a culture rather than making just a profitable entity? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you conduct performance appraisal of employees on regular basis so that possible value addition action can be taken? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you appreciate any value addition in employee by proving certifications or by rewarding the employees adding some value in the firm? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you manages the work flow so that every step, the value can be recognized? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you use value chain analysis in your system? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you encourage performance management techniques at the workplace? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do your ensure work life balance so that more satisfaction can be creating for employees and the job turnover rate can be enhances? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you take employee feedback and try to use these feedbacks in ways that ensure value addition to the organization? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you keep information about the employees, their skills, areas of expertise, potential etc? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you create a culture of learning and learning sharing? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Questionnaire: Building HR resources Are you aware of Strategic plans of the business? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you make adjustment in the organizational human resource, in terms of number of employees, posts in firm etc? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you make a periodic diagnosis of the firms requirement and then predict future requirements? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you enter into practices like Knowledge management or Learning Management system that can give you a strategic advantage? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you hire employees keeping in mind future need of the organization? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you take steps to store the knowledge of the present employees so that even in the case these employees do not remain the part of the firm, but still there best practices can be stores in a knowledge base? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you have a position like KMO or Knowledge management officer so look after the suture aspect of the company? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Are your plans for strategic Human Resource planning transparent and everyone is aware with the same? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you considered the case where GASCO enters into another strategic partnership with a new firm and to deal with issues like cross cultural management, work force diversification etc? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you have a clear strategic planning process? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Questionnaire: Ensuring HR professionalism Does HR system in the company have clear roles? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you have a clear documented HR policy which is well structured and is comparable to best practices in the industry? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree As the workforce is UAE is devised in terms of religion background, educational history, culture etc. do your policies are neutral for all of the employees and are you can equal opportunity employer? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you follow a well framed system for recruitment and selection? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you have a policy document for various aspect of Human Resource Management in the organization? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you keep the record of previous training and development of employees and make provision for future training according to that only? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you think that HR practices in GASCO helps employees to find their core competencies and which in turn, help the company to generate its own competencies? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you conduct training for recruiters and other HR staff regularly? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Are you connected to any professional HR practice organization which provides you regular guidelines to work and helps you to standardize your HR system and practices? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Do you have a clear strategic planning process? Strongly Agree Agree Dont know Disagree Strongly disagree Presentation of results Result for knowing the external business realities Do you keep the track of competitors strategies and use the information in forming HR practices? Do you keep the track of quality of Human resource existing in the market? Do you conduct regular meeting (formal or informal) with the HRs of competitors so that you can get aware of the external environment of the HR system in the industry? Do you aware yourself with the rules and regulation of the government that are existing and that can exit in future to make a better HR policy? Do you choose employees taking into consideration the relations with the suppliers, contractors, clients etc? Do you consider the cultural aspect of the employees in your HR systems? Taking the example of the giant recession which the world recently faced, did you took any steps like shortening of work force, reduction of pay to respond to the situation and cut the cost? As GASCO is an exploration firm, do you intake scientist and other post of employees taking into mind the kind of work going on in the industry? Technology keeps on changing, when you hire an employee, do you keep in mind the present and future techno skills which the employee should know? Do you conduct regular training to bridge the gap between present skills and those required as according to recent external environment characteristic

Mental Health Service User Case Study

Mental Health Service User Case Study 1.1 Decision making by nurses is now firmly established in practice, policy and educational agendas. New constantly evolving, roles, and a policy context that is challenging traditional professional boundaries mean that, more than ever, nurses are being given autonomy and power to be able to exercise their decision choices (Thompson, 2001). 1.2 Clinical decision making may be defined as having a variety of options and choices and a process that nurses undertake during their everyday activities whilst caring for service users. It usually involves nurses making judgements about the care that they provide to service users (Thompson et al, 2002). Similarly ONeill et al (2005) argues that clinical decision making is a complex activity that requires nurses and other health professionals to be knowledgeable in relevant aspects of nursing, to have access to reliable sources of information and to work in a supportive environment. 1.3 Shared decision-making on the other hand is an interactive collaborative process that occurs between the nurse and the service user that is used to make health care decisions. Adams and Drake (2006) note that in shared decision-making the nurse becomes a consultant to the service user, helping to provide information, to discuss options, to clarify values and preferences and to support the service users autonomy (p.88). 1.4 Policy changes and trends in professional development within the last decade have reiterated the importance that nurses and other relevant health professionals need to recognise that the decisions they make have a direct impact on health care outcomes and service users experiences (DH, 2000). 1.5 Decisions can be easily examined in the form of decision trees which provide a highly effective structure within which many different options can be explored (Goetz, 2010). Goetz (2010) further argues that the decision tree encourages people to think through their options, to act consciously and with consideration. It has also been suggested by Corcoran (1986, cited in Bonner, 2001, p.350) that the decision tree is able to provide a clear structure which helps to assess a range of actions that health professionals may choose when making decisions regarding the care and treatment of a service user. 1.6 In contrast, Bonner (2001) argues that the decision tree is under researched within the scope of mental health practice. He does acknowledge that the use of the decision tree in practice allows nurses to examine the options available to them in more detail, whilst also considering the complex variables that influence the decision-making process. 1.7 It would be expected that the decision tree is hierarchically structured and spans a specific period of time which will be determined within the Justifications section of this report. 2. Methodology 2.1 The purpose of this report is to identify a service user with whom one was currently working with in practice. Using a decision tree, the service users journey will be detailed from their current health needs from the point of referral to mental health services to the current point in time. Once the decision tree is formed, it will then be essential to identify up to three critical decision points and analyse the decision making process for each decision chosen. 2.2 The information required to form the decision tree is to be gathered during a 60-minute unstructured interview with the service user, which can be thought of as a guided conversation. The reason that this type of methodology will be utilised is because unstructured interviews allow a particular focus on specific areas through asking open-ended questions but also allow for probes and follow-up questions to be used in order to effectively obtain more information to construct the decision tree as accurately as possible (Streubert Carpenter, 1999). 2.3 In order to ensure that the information gathered is accurate, it will be beneficial to form a lifeline with the service user, looking at major life events and decisions that have been made. This lifeline can be found in Appendix 1. 2.4 It will also be essential to explore the service users medical notes (with their consent) in order to gain a clearer idea of events that have occurred, the vital decision points and whether service user involvement was evident throughout. 2.5 The decision tree that was formed can be found in Appendix 2. 3. Justification 3.1 The service user that will provide the focus of this report will be referred to as Sarah (a false name in order to maintain confidentiality). 3.2 Sarah is a 43-year old lady who has a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. She has had multiple admissions to psychiatric units including admissions under the Mental Health Act (See Appendix 3 for supporting information). 3.3 Sarah was chosen because it was felt that the she would be able to provide a good history and account of events that have occurred in her past in relation to the care and treatment that she has received. Sarah was also deemed to have capacity and was therefore suitable to take part within this piece of work. 3.4 The timescale that the decision tree covers will focus upon a 6-year history whereby Sarah began her first contact with adult acute mental health services. This will be explored up to the current point in time. 3.5 During the gathering of information, both primary and secondary sources were used. Primary sources refer to first-hand accounts of events that have occurred (i.e. interview with service user). In comparison, secondary sources refer to information that has already been documented from the past (i.e. medical/nursing notes). It was decided to use both sources as they would provide information richer in validity and ensure the reliability of the findings. 3.6 The report will cross the boundaries between in-patient care and community services within the North of England. The key decision points that have been chosen for analysis within this report were chosen because it was evident that some decisions had a certain degree of service user involvement in comparison with others whereby service user involvement did not seem to be present. This does however introduce a debate in regards to service user involvement because those decisions that did not involve Sarah and that were made on her behalf, can be argued were made in the best interests of the individual i.e. admission to hospital to ensure Sarahs safety and well-being. 3.7 Each of the decisions will now be individually analysed with a specific focus upon the decision itself, the issues that they may involve and the concepts that they may introduce. 4. Referred and taken onto caseload with a Community Mental Health Team following gate-keeping assessment (See Appendix 4) 4.1 Sarah was referred to her local community mental health team following a visit to her General Practitioner (GP) whom was worried about the self-harming thoughts that Sarah was currently experiencing. The General Practitioner was very concerned about Sarahs apparent deterioration in her mental health, therefore he felt that it was necessary to refer her to the community mental health team who would then be able to offer assessment and work from that point onwards. The GP discussed this with Sarah who did admit to being a little apprehensive beforehand however after a short period whereby she was able to reflect on her current circumstances, Sarah was agreeable to this. 4.2 Borg et al (2009) argues that service user involvement has a crucial significance especially for individuals that work within a community mental health setting as this involves accessing patients in their own homes (p.285). Sarah did feel that she had developed a good rapport with her community psychiatric nurse because Sarah was always offered choices in terms of her care and treatment and she felt actively involved in the decisions that were made. The therapeutic relationship that was developed between Sarah and her community psychiatric nurse also played a vital role in Sarahs care as Reynolds and Scott (2000) argue that it is through this therapeutic relationship that we can assess the needs of the patients that we work with and then plan future care to assist in their recovery. 4.3 An important consideration is the potential risk involved in maintaining Sarahs mental health in the community. This was clearly documented within Sarahs treatment plan with specific actions outlined and crisis contact numbers provided to both Sarah and her Husband. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2009) provides guidance on risk assessment in patients with a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. It informs that the risk assessment should take place as part of a full assessment of the patients needs and this is exactly what occurred due to the high level of risk involved and potential self-harm of Sarah within the community. 4.4 The main influences behind the decision to make a referral to the local community mental health team was Sarahs safety and how able she was to maintain this. Also if the GP felt that Sarah required a hospital admission and there were no hospital beds available, then a referral to the community mental health team or crisis resolution would be necessary. This therefore would indicate that care and treatment is dependent upon what resources are available at that specific time. 4.5 In order to ensure that the correct decisions are made, the specific team must have an effective leadership style and a variety of skills amongst team members. The New Ways of Working practice implementation guide (DH, 2007) outlines how a team can effectively achieve their maximum potential. In order for this to be achieved, a number of measures must be addressed which include; Focusing upon skills and matching these to the needs of service users; Distributing responsibility fairly amongst the team rather than delegating; Focusing on ability and competence of team members rather than role. 4.6 The policy discussed in section 4.5 appears to be utilised well within this team because Sarah was allocated to a senior care coordinator that had a large amount of experience of working with individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder. The health professional was also able to engage and was competent in carrying out Dialectical Behavioural Therapy with Sarah which is a specialised treatment suitable for those with a diagnosis of personality disorder (Comtois et al, 2007). 4.7 There are many alternate decisions that the General Practitioner could have made in order to ensure that Sarah received the treatment that she required to meet her needs. A referral to the local crisis resolution home treatment team could have been made who would offer assessment and then decide a plan of action. Brimblecombe (2001) argues that a team such as this could have the potential to reduce the number of hospital admissions, therefore utilising resources and funding more effectively but at a cheaper cost. 4.8 Another possible course of action could have been to make a referral to the acute community day services (day hospital) who would be able to provide care throughout the day for Sarah if she required support. This would be a less restrictive alternative than hospital admission and Sarah may be more likely to engage with this service based in the community. 4.9 Alternatively, the GP could have chose to not do anything except review Sarah after a few weeks to assess whether her mental health was still deteriorating however this may be seen as unethical especially if Sarah was suffering due to her experiences and self harming thoughts, which ideally should be resolved as soon as possible. 5. Voluntary (informal) admission to acute psychiatric hospital following presentation in Emergency Department (See Appendix 5) 5.1 When Sarah becomes acutely unwell, the most common course of action is to admit her to hospital for her own safety and well-being but also the safety of others. This particular hospital admission was informal which therefore indicates that Sarah was willing and agreed to go into hospital, having been assessed by a team which specialises in self-harming behaviour. 5.2 The Mental Health Act (2007) refers to informal patients as those that accept and agree to go to hospital without the use of compulsory powers. Sarah was not detained therefore she was permitted to have leave from the ward to spend at home with family. This was Sarahs choice and was discussed in collaboration with the Consultant Psychiatrist until an agreement was made. 5.3 The decisions to admit Sarah to hospital was made by a health professional that assessed Sarah in the Emergency Department following an incident of self-harm. Sarah did feel that she was fully involved within the decision because alternatives to hospital admission were discussed with Sarah however she felt that hospital admission was the most appropriate action to ensure her safety at that specific time. Furthermore the Nursing and Midwifery Council code states that as a professional, nurses are personally accountable for actions and omissions in their practice and must always be able to justify their decisions (NMC, 2008). 5.4 The main influences behind this decision were the levels of risk involved due to an escalation in Sarahs self harming behaviours within the community. The Ten Essential Shared Capabilities (DH, 2004) aimed to set out the shared capabilities that all staff working in mental health services should achieve. Promoting safety and positive risk taking is one of the major points within the document with the hope of empowering individuals to determine the level of risk that they are prepared to take with their health and safety. Ideally this includes working with the tension between promoting the individuals safety and positive risk taking which should be detailed within the individuals care plan. 5.5 Positive risk taking and risk management has been largely debated within the scope of mental health nursing. Parsons (2008) argues that people learn through a process known as trial and error. This therefore suggests that if Sarah self-harmed so significantly that her life was endangered then she would not carry out this behaviour again. This theory however can be largely critiqued in regards to Sarahs case because the self-harming behaviour is a regular occurrence with Sarah in full knowledge of the consequences that this may have. 5.6 A study carried out by Bowers et al (2005) examined the purpose of acute psychiatric hospital wards and they concluded that in most circumstances, patients are admitted because the possibility of harming themselves or others had increased significantly. They also found that when an individual is experiencing a severe mental illness whereby their behaviour is unmanageable in the community, this provides the requirements for a hospital admission. 5.7 In contrast, the quality of care on acute psychiatric hospital wards has largely been questioned in regards to the usefulness that hospital admission can actually have upon a person (Quirk Lelliott, 2004). In some circumstances, many individuals will receive high-quality care whilst in hospital however recent studies have suggested that for some individuals, the experience of hospital admission was rather negative (Baker, 2000; Glasby Lester 2005). 5.8 The Royal College of Nursing (2008) acknowledges that every nursing decision made has an ethical dimension and furthermore that ethics and ethical decision making abilities are applicable to every aspect of nursing practice. The decision to admit Sarah to an acute psychiatric hospital ward does introduce ethical dilemmas because it can be argued that it is unethical to admit a person to a locked ward and therefore restricting their freedom. 5.9 Beauchamp and Childress (2001) developed a framework which consists of four main principles. The first principle outlines the respect for an individuals autonomy i.e. respecting the decisions that they make and the reasons for making a particular decision. Sarah was given a choice in regards to hospital admission because she could have been detained under the Mental Health Act (2007) however she agreed to hospital admission and was therefore admitted as an informal patient. 5.10 The second principle is that of Beneficence which examines the benefits of having a particular treatment against the risks involved. This was discussed with Sarah and the reasons for hospital admission were fully explained which were to ensure Sarahs safety. Sarah understood the health professionals concerns and worries and did accept hospital admission therefore the health professional was acting upon beneficence. 5.11 The third principle is Non-Maleficence which refers to the avoidance of causing harm to an individual. It can be argued that any treatment can have to potential to cause harm however the benefits of the treatment must exceed this which in this case, the benefit plays much more of a vital role. 5.12 The final principle within the framework is Justice which examines the distribution of benefits, risks and costs equally. It therefore indicates that individuals should be treated fairly in similar circumstances and offered the same intervention/ treatment. In terms of hospital admission, the choice would be to go in as an informal patient or be detained under the Mental Health Act using compulsory powers. This decision would be given to most individuals however when capacity becomes a concern then detention may be required. 5.13 There are many alternate decisions to a psychiatric hospital admission which may have been decided. Sarah may have been referred to an acute community day service (day hospital) which offers assessment and treatment for working age adults that are experiencing acute mental health difficulties. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials of day hospitals within the United Kingdom, concluded that day hospital treatment is generally cheaper, the outcomes are greater and that there was greater satisfaction with treatment compared with in-patient care (Marshall et al, 2001). 5.14 Another alternative decision to hospital admission may be a referral to a crisis resolution home treatment team that would be able to provide 24-hour care. The Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide (DH, 2001) informs that the crisis resolution team is for adults between the ages of 16-65 with a severe mental illness or experiencing an acute crisis that without the involvement of a crisis resolution home treatment team, hospital admission would be necessary to ensure the safety of the individual. This however had been attempted in the past and Sarah did not feel that she benefitted greatly from the service because although they provide a 24-hour service, they cannot offer the same kind of interventions that a hospital ward could offer. 6. Diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (See Appendix 6) 6.1 Sarah was diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder whilst an in-patient on an acute psychiatric ward. The decision to change Sarahs primary diagnosis of deep depression with psychotic episodes was made by the Consultant Psychiatrist that was involved in Sarahs care and treatment. 6.2 The National Institute of Mental Health (2001) describes emotionally unstable personality disorder as a serious mental health illness that is characterised by a pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image and behaviour. The symptoms of emotionally unstable personality disorder are maladaptive behaviour learnt to make sense of the world and to manage the constant negative messages experienced (Eastwick Grant, 2005). It is important to note that Sarah did experience sexual and psychological abuse from an outsider of the family during her childhood which she did not disclose to her family until she was an adult. Sarah recognised that this was a major factor in the way that she perceived the world and was directly linked to her self-harming tendencies. 6.3 During this period of time, Sarahs behaviour became increasingly unsafe to manage in the community therefore warranting a hospital admission. Her self-harming tendencies had increased and there was a great concern for her safety mainly expressed by her family who were worried about Sarahs deterioration in her mental health. 6.4 When Sarah was given the diagnosis, she was unhappy due to the non-apparent involvement within the decision as she was not consulted in regards to the diagnosis or asked about her thoughts and feelings. Bray (2003) argues that decision making and service user involvement cannot always occur with individuals that have a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder due to the varying symptoms that they may experience i.e. impulsive behaviour which can diminish responsibility. 6.5 Once the diagnosis was made, Sarah felt that peoples opinions and attitudes had changed towards her including ward staff. According to Nehls (1999) individuals with a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder have described health professionals as being unhelpful, displaying negativity and generally being unhelpful. 6.6 A consultation document known as New Horizons (DH, 2009) outlines a cross Government vision in the hope of eradicating the stigma that surrounds mental health and improving the quality and accessibility of services, ensuring that services are service user friendly. The document stresses the importance of mental health and encourages individuals to understand that mental health problems should be equally as important as physical health conditions. 6.7 Services that are provided by the National Health Service (NHS) are commonly built upon effective partnerships between those providing care and those accessing care. The Department of Health (2004) informs that better healthcare outcomes are achieved when the partnership between health professional and service user is at its strongest. Within this particular decision, there was no partnership as Sarah was not involved in the decision making process in regards to her care and treatment and decision to make a diagnosis without consultation with Sarah. 6.8 An important consideration is that of power because the Consultant Psychiatrist that made the decision, created a position of power over the service user through expertise and knowledge. Pyne (1994) argues that knowledge is a form of power, therefore if we share this knowledge with the patients that we work alongside, then this can promote the process of empowerment in patients. The author then progresses to a stage whereby he questions why nurses do not always demonstrate this behaviour in practice. In comparison, McQueen (2000, cited in Henderson, 2002, p. 502) argues that power associated with special knowledge, that created a barrier between health professionals and patients is slowly diminishing. Furthermore, McQueen believes that both nurses and patients need to be seen as respected autonomous individuals with something to contribute towards an agreed goal. 6.9 There are alternate decisions that could have been undertaken rather than making a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder. The Consultant Psychiatrist may have decided to not make a formal diagnosis however this could therefore have an effect on Sarahs care and treatment as she would not receive the correct care and treatment to meet her needs. Sarahs previous diagnosis of deep depression with psychotic episodes may have remained the same however it cannot be determined how long this would have lasted due to the frequency of self-harming behaviours and multiple hospitals admissions due to an increased concern for Sarahs safety. 7. Comparisons 7.1 It has become evident that the three chosen decisions for analysis had common themes running through each decision. Power has become an important consideration because although Sarah had a degree of power within each decision, the overall decision was made by those within higher positions i.e. hospital managers and leaders. This can therefore provide the service user with a false misinterpretation of the power that they actually withhold as it is clear that the final decision is not made by the service user and instead it is those with more power i.e. the GP making the referral to the community mental health team and the Consultant Psychiatrist changing Sarahs diagnosis to emotionally unstable personality disorder without consulting Sarah beforehand. 7.2 Leadership has been defined many ways in the literature reviewed, however several features are common to most definitions of leadership and the forms that it can take. Faugier Woolnough (2002) argue that leadership is a process which usually involves a certain degree of influence, but also with a focus upon the attainment of goals .The leadership style mostly present within each of the key decisions is that of a democratic style because there was a degree of consultation with staff on proposed actions before an actual decision was made. 7.3 The care and treatment provided to Sarah was driven by resource availability and this was clearly evident within each decision. If resources are not available, this would impact on the decision whether to allow Sarah to have the treatment. The admission to an acute psychiatric hospital for example would be dependent upon the capacity of that specific organisation because if there was not a bed available for Sarah then other alternatives would have been considered. Fortunately there were resources available for Sarah, however the outcomes may have been different if this was not the case. 7.4 Sarah had also had a large amount of input from a number of services and there was a large amount of movement through mental health services. It can be argued that this is not beneficial towards service users as they are not able to sustain good therapeutic relationships with health professionals which can often be a reason as to why an individual may relapse. 8. Conclusion 8.1 Decision-making within practice takes place in many ways i.e. often the service user is consulted throughout their care and treatment however in some circumstances the service user can be made a recipient of their care and treatment which is not good practice. This report has identified a patient that one is currently working with and using a decision tree, their journey through mental health service was detailed. Three decisions were chosen for analysis and provided the basis of this report, considering factors that influence the decision-making process and also the alternatives that could have occurred. 8.2 Barker et al (2000) argues that the experience of being mentally unwell can be a disempowering period of time because choices can be taken away due to a number of reasons and the patient may feel a recipient of their care and treatment, rather than actively involved in the decision making process. 8.3 Defining decisions as good or bad is problematic, mainly because nurses operate in an environment that is characterised by uncertainty (Buckingham et al, 2000). Baron (2000) further suggests that the best decisions are those that produce the best outcomes for achieving a patients goals and wishes. 8.4 Sarah did feel the majority of time that she was involved in her care and treatment, including reviews and meetings held about her care and treatment whilst an in-patient and within the community. There were times however when Sarah did not feel involved in the decision making process i.e. when her diagnosis was changed without any consultation or discussion. 8.5 Clancy (2003) argues that there is a great tendency in decision-making to bypass a thorough analysis and jump too quickly into solutions. This seems to be evident at times within the chosen decisions for analysis because some decisions were made on behalf of Sarah and there was no consultation or service user involvement. 8.6 Throughout this report, the main aim was to analyse the decision-making process of three key decisions, taking into consideration concepts such as; autonomy, power, leadership and empowerment. It became apparent that they key to successful decision-making was to involve the service user and carers within the decision-making process, listening to their thoughts and opinions and respecting their right to choose between different alternatives. 8.7 It has also become apparent that those within higher positions and those that uphold a certain degree of power were leading the decision-making in Sarahs care. This is obviously not the way that things should work as the service user should be actively involved in all aspects of their care and treatment including decisions that are made. 8.8 Overall I feel that the whole process was an enjoyable one and I feel that I worked well in collaboration with the service user throughout. Collating the decision tree was a rather time-consuming activity, however I understand the importance that they hold and the benefits they possess. I have also become more aware and gained a greater understanding of how the decision-making process can impact on the lives of service user and carers, especially when service user involvement is not evident. 9. Recommendations 9.1 There should be a greater focus upon the decision-making process and how it can affect the service user. Decisions should be decided in collaboration with the service user to promote the nurse-patient relationship and allow good rapports to establish. Service user and carers should be actively involved in the decision making process. Decision making should be an identified topic for pre-registration nursing students to equip them with the desired skills. Decisions are to be based on the best available evidence and regularly discussed with users and carers ensuring that an understanding has been reached. Service users thoughts, feelings and opinions to be clearly documented to inform future nursing practice in regards to decision-making.