Luis Alvarez - A Profile of the Famous Scientist

Luis Alvarez - A Profile of the Famous Scientist Name: Luis Alvarez Born/Died: 1911-1988 Nationality: American (with antecedents in Spain and Cuba) About Luis Alvarez Luis Alvarez is a good example of how an amateur can have a profound impact on the world of paleontology. We put the word amateur is in quotation marks because, before he turned his attention to the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, Alvarez was a highly accomplished physicist (in fact, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1968 for his discovery of the resonance states of fundamental particles). He was also a lifelong inventor, and was responsible for (among other things) the Synchrotron, one of the first particle accelerators used to probe the ultimate constituents of matter. Alvarez was also involved in the later stages of the Manhattan Project, which yielded the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan at the end of World War II. In paleontology circles, though, Alvarez is best known for his late 1970s investigation (conducted with his geologist son, Walter) into the K/T Extinction, the then-mysterious event 65 million years ago that killed the dinosaurs, as well as their pterosaur and marine reptile cousins.  Alvarezs working  theory, inspired by his discovery  of a clay boundary in Italy separating geologic strata from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras, was that the impact of a large comet or meteor threw up billions of tons of dust, which circled around the globe, blotted out the sun, and caused global temperatures to plunge and  the earth’s vegetation to wither, with the result that first plant-eating and then meat-eating dinosaurs starved and froze to death. Alvarezs theory, published in 1980,  was treated with intense skepticism for a full decade, but was finally accepted by the majority of scientists after scattered iridium deposits in the vicinity of the Chicxulub meteor crater (in present-day Mexico) could be traced to the impact of a large interstellar object. (The  rare element iridium is more common deeper in the earth than on the surface, and could only have been scattered in the patterns detected  by a tremendous astronomical impact.)   Still, the widespread acceptance of this theory  hasnt prevented scientists from pointing to ancillary causes for the extinction of the dinosaurs, the most likely candidate being the volcanic eruptions triggered when the Indian subcontinent slammed into the underside of Asia at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Fiscal Administration 4 Essays

Fiscal Administration 4 Essays Fiscal Administration 4 Essay Fiscal Administration 4 Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: : Fiscal Administration 4 The issue of bonds is aimed at raising the much-needed capital for infrastructural and other developmental programs planned by the city. It is evident that the city council of Hewitt is responsible and transparent in terms of planning, budgeting and actual incurrence of expenses in the programs undertaken by the city. Creditworthiness is usually evidenced by the actual observance and adherence to the legal framework available in terms of expenditures and other financial particulars necessary in the city council affairs. The city council indicates that it has adequate machinery to ensure responsible use of the funds, which could be accrued from issue of bonds to investors. The issue of bonds could be actualized though underwriting. This is whereby the council would undertake contracts with securities or financial firms to make a purchase of the bonds and resell the same to investors in smaller portions. There are two main features for identification of a good bond for purchase by the investor. This includes the credit quality of the entity issuing the bonds and the duration of returns accrued from the bond. These elements usually determine the interest rates accrued to a bond hence the actual returns expected from a bond (Lee, Ronald, 23). The necessity of the $2 million is the main determiner if the city council should issue the bond. Other sources of funds could be explored by the city council. However, bonds are elaborate as they are favored by investors because of their fixed rates of return and low susceptibility to market changes and fluctuations in terms of values and the expected returns. As a municipality, it is able to issue a bond because of the access to revenues, which could be used to service the interest rates probably from projects initiated with bond funds. In addition, the entity has a healthy cash flow, which is an indication of the presence of transparency, and adequate transactions, which could provide investors with the much-needed increase in the value of the bonds and their interest rates. The entity also demonstrates a healthy balance between its assets and liabilities, which is an express indication of quality management in the city in terms of its finances and other assets of the city council. The city council provides funds, which are useable for control and management of particular bonds and ensuring that such bond funds are used for appropriate and intended purposes. Additionally, the city council recorded an increase in the net assets and their respective values. On the other hand, there was also a significant increase in the liabilities accruable, which might be reflective of the increase in activities in the organization in its bid to increase revenues accruable. However, there were slight increases in capital expenditures accruable to the city council. This is because of the lack of adequate funds for initiation of capital projects such as infrastructure and other developmental programs (Lee, Ronald, 33). Hence, the $2 million bond is necessary to ensure that the city council is provided with the much-needed capital assets for initiation and continuation of ongoing projects, which could result in an increase, in revenues, and subsequently ensuring that the investors attain the value for their bonds. Revenues accrued by the city council are used to ensure that investors are availed with the much-needed returns (Lee, Ronald, 49). In conclusion, the city council indicates a healthy financial performance over the two previous financial periods. This is an indication of the presence of stability in terms of revenues accruable to the city council. Stability is one of the main aspects for attracting the investors as they are guaranteed with the safety of their funds and the presence of adequate returns irrespective of the prevailing market conditions. Work Cited Lee, Robert D, Ronald W. Johnson. Public Budgeting Systems. Baltimore: University Park Press, 1977. Print.

Origins of the Fortune Cookie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Origins of the Fortune Cookie - Essay Example Increasingly, fortune cookies have been understood as having been introduced by the Japanese, made popular by the Chinese but enjoyed largely by the Americans in the numerous Chinese restaurants in the U.S. all over the world, the cookies are known by their English term â€Å"fortune cookies†.However, there is no consensus on any particular Chinese name for the cookies since the Chinese merely have several literary transitions of the English â€Å"fortune cookie† such as â€Å"good luck lot cookie† or â€Å"fortune words cookie†. Fortune cookies are a major cultural symbol in the American society, inspiring several other products such as fortune-cookie-shaped jewelry and the fortune-cookie-shaped magic 8 ball among others.There are nearly 3 billion fortune cookies manufactured each year, many of which are consumed in the U.S. and the leading manufacturers of the cookies are the Brooklyn-based firm Wonton Food Inc.It is an indubitable fact that America has more Chinese restaurants than McDonald's, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets, in Lee’s words, which shares insights on the history of Chinese cuisines in the country. In her book, Lee advances the argument that despite popular belief, a vast proportion of what is commonly known as Chinese food is all American and little is known about them back in China.In that respect, it logically follows that common cuisines such as beef with broccoli (an Italian vegetable), egg rolls, General Tso’s chicken, chop suey, and fortune cookies are all American foods.

Viability of Incorporating E-business Research Paper

Viability of Incorporating E-business - Research Paper Example The prevailing scenario of the business world is the outcome of multiple factors where globalisation plays a very crucial role. Globalisation has itself offered better opportunities for trade and commerce as it has helped to enhance international trade. Moreover, the technological advancement is another key factor that has contributed significantly towards the growth prospect. The world economies have experienced a massive development in the fields of information & communication technology, transportation, infrastructure, research & development etc. All these improvements have changed the entire social and economic arena and now the entire business world is successfully incorporating and utilising these technical improvements to gain a better and sustainable competitive advantage over the prevailing highly competitive business world. In this regard, e-business and e-commerce are two most crucial technological developments that have revolutionised the entire business world. ...On the other hand, considering the prevailing essence of competitive advantage, every organisation must incorporate e-business in their strategic business management. This paper will attempt to offer a plan for incorporating the e-business through a process of restructuring the entire business model. In this respect, before re-modelling the strategic business structure, number of tasks like environmental condition of the present business setup, including internal and external assessment, analysis of competitive market, financial planning etc has to be done. In order to meet these objectives, this paper will present necessary discussion through analysis. On the other hand, based on the analysis and discussion, a plausible set of recommendation will be offered in order to frame an e-business oriented strategy. A. Developing an online business expansion proposal Brief outline of the company and product Light Feet Shoe (LFS) Pvt. Ltd is primarily an India-based shoe manufacturing and retailing company. LFS has been in the shoe manufacturing and retailing industry of India for the past one and half decades. Since its inception, the company has experienced a massive growth in its domestic market and has also established a number of manufacturing plants and retailers storeall over India. One of the primary reasons for its massive success is that it has been offering better quality shoes at reasonable prices compared to its other key competitors. On the other hand, it has also targeted the customers belonging to the middle income group and has been able to develop brand preferences in their mind.

Report on the Film “Black Cat, White Cat” by Emir Custurica Essay Example for Free

Report on the Film â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† by Emir Custurica Essay have chosen to watch and report on the film â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† by Emir Custurica for several reasons. Firstly, Custurica is a globally famous filmmaker, known in the US for his â€Å"Arizona Dream†. Secondly, Custurica does pay much attention to matters of culture in his films, so his works are very informative. Thirdly the characters of â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† belong to different peoples and cultures, including Serbians, Gypsies and Bulgarians. So the film tells enough about cultural and cross-cultural communications. Produced in 1998, the film is a kind of romantic comedy telling a story of several young people in search of their love in the world of gangsters and smugglers. One of those smugglers named Matko Destanov owes money to a gangster named Dadan. Dadan is eager to find a husband for Afrodita – his midget sister and he proposes to settle the debt by marriage of Matko’s son Zare with his sister. However, Zare is in love with another girl named Ida, and Afrodita dreams o another man. After numerous funny and dangerous adventures all of the young people find their happiness, and Dadan finds himself in manure both in metaphorical and ordinary sense. The film is very ironic and easy to watch as a family comedy. As I have already noticed, the film tells much about cultural communications. Firstly these are family and friendship. The characters seem to be very family-oriented and â€Å"beautiful friendship† is one of the core motifs of the story. Young people dream of a family and stable relationships, older people desire to make their children happy as Zare’s grandfather and even such a savage man as Dadan wishes to do the will of his parents even though through violence. Personal relations are basic forces driving the characters in life, business and even crime. They rely upon help of their pals and relatives in virtually every action they take, thusly playing a tricky party game – each for own purposes but considering the will of the others. This can be illustrated by relations of Zare with his grandfather. Zare loves his grandfather and helps him to escape from hospital to return to his bacchanalian lifestyle, and the thankful grandfather gives all his money to Zare. Such approach to personal relations is full of traditionalism and is pretty different from the present situation in this country. Another cultural aspect, which might seem rather evil in this country is attitude of characters towards law. Throughout the film it may seem that there is no law and legal formalities at all. Customers are easily bribed, medical personnel is unable to control the patients, gangsters behave as actual rulers and an official solemnizing a marriages passively does everything what he is ordered to do, even knowing that marriage between Zare and Afrodita is forcible. However, the characters actually do not feel any discomfort from absence of formalities. Law is replaced by aforementioned personal relations, and perhaps they would feel unhappy from presence of legal obligations rather from absence of such obligations. There are many interesting minor cultural details in the film such as marriage customs, costumes, language features and other which, being combined together, create a fascinating impression of involvement in other culture. Films like â€Å"Black Cat, White Cat† cause spectators to become interested in strange lifestyles and habits forming an idea of global cultural diversity.

How McCabe and Mrs Miller and Blade Runner Subvert Their Genres and Def

How McCabe and Mrs Miller and Blade Runner Subvert Their Genres and Defy Audience Expectations Two genres which have always been Hollywood staples are science-fiction and the western. The genres can be seen in films made as early as Le Voyage Dans la lune (Georges Melies 1902) and The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter 1903). On the surface the two genres are very different, however if one looks closely at them they are similar in many ways. Both genres usually feature uncharted frontiers, strong silent protagonists, frightening savages (played by either space aliens or Native Americans) and damsels in distress. The formula for these two genres was established many decades ago and in recent years it takes a film that defies and subverts those expectations such as Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood 1992) or Alien (Ridley Scott 1979) to receive an enthusiastic critical and box office response. Two other films which subvert the traditional genres of westerns or science fiction films are McCabe and Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman 1971) and Blade Runner (Ridley Scott 1982). These films use archetypal settings, characters and action in a way which is substantially different from our expectations and the results are extremely memorable films. McCabe and Mrs. Miller is the story of a man, John McCabe (Warren Beatty) who tries to set up a whorehouse/tavern in a small town in the Pacific Northwest in 1901. He meets an astute madam, Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) who runs his business and shares in his profits. The business thrives and they develop a relationship. A mineral deposit draws powerful mining company men to the town to try and buy McCabe's holdings. He refuses to sell and they retaliate. He ultimately is mortally wounded in a bloody showdown with the mining company's thugs leaving Mrs. Miller all alone. Robert Altman created a film which Pauline Kael called "a beautiful pipe dream of a movie -- a fleeting, almost diaphanous vision of what frontier life might have been." The film certainly feels different from most Westerns, featuring the distinctively different music of Leonard Cohen and a washed-out style of cinematography which Altman claimed "was trying to get the feeling of antiquity, like the photographs of the time." The cinematography is starkly different from the vibrant colours of The Searchers (John Ford 1956) or Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks 1959... ...ells him to do but he does it anyway. This is a stark difference from Captain James T. Kirk or Luke Skywalker. Scott is clearly trying to create a film which does not fit into traditional science-fiction formulas and he has succeeded with Blade Runner. Both McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Blade Runner are excellent films, they manage to succeed in subverting traditional genres in a way that creates fresh and different movies which both critics and movie goers have not seen before. This kind of genre shifting has grown more and more popular in recent years as movie goers have grown tired of seeing formulaic films filled with stock characters. In the future as young filmmakers look to the past for inspiration to create fresh and unique films which subvert genres and defy audience expectations hopefully they will look to the work of Robert Altman and Ridley Scott as prime examples. Bibliography: Jacobs, Diane. Hollywood Renaissance: The New Generation of Filmmakers and their works. 1977. New York. Dell Publishing. Sammon, Paul M. Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. 1996. New York. Harper Collins. Sklar, Robert. Movie-Made America. 1994. New York. Vintage Books. How McCabe and Mrs Miller and Blade Runner Subvert Their Genres and Def How McCabe and Mrs Miller and Blade Runner Subvert Their Genres and Defy Audience Expectations Two genres which have always been Hollywood staples are science-fiction and the western. The genres can be seen in films made as early as Le Voyage Dans la lune (Georges Melies 1902) and The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter 1903). On the surface the two genres are very different, however if one looks closely at them they are similar in many ways. Both genres usually feature uncharted frontiers, strong silent protagonists, frightening savages (played by either space aliens or Native Americans) and damsels in distress. The formula for these two genres was established many decades ago and in recent years it takes a film that defies and subverts those expectations such as Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood 1992) or Alien (Ridley Scott 1979) to receive an enthusiastic critical and box office response. Two other films which subvert the traditional genres of westerns or science fiction films are McCabe and Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman 1971) and Blade Runner (Ridley Scott 1982). These films use archetypal settings, characters and action in a way which is substantially different from our expectations and the results are extremely memorable films. McCabe and Mrs. Miller is the story of a man, John McCabe (Warren Beatty) who tries to set up a whorehouse/tavern in a small town in the Pacific Northwest in 1901. He meets an astute madam, Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) who runs his business and shares in his profits. The business thrives and they develop a relationship. A mineral deposit draws powerful mining company men to the town to try and buy McCabe's holdings. He refuses to sell and they retaliate. He ultimately is mortally wounded in a bloody showdown with the mining company's thugs leaving Mrs. Miller all alone. Robert Altman created a film which Pauline Kael called "a beautiful pipe dream of a movie -- a fleeting, almost diaphanous vision of what frontier life might have been." The film certainly feels different from most Westerns, featuring the distinctively different music of Leonard Cohen and a washed-out style of cinematography which Altman claimed "was trying to get the feeling of antiquity, like the photographs of the time." The cinematography is starkly different from the vibrant colours of The Searchers (John Ford 1956) or Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks 1959... ...ells him to do but he does it anyway. This is a stark difference from Captain James T. Kirk or Luke Skywalker. Scott is clearly trying to create a film which does not fit into traditional science-fiction formulas and he has succeeded with Blade Runner. Both McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Blade Runner are excellent films, they manage to succeed in subverting traditional genres in a way that creates fresh and different movies which both critics and movie goers have not seen before. This kind of genre shifting has grown more and more popular in recent years as movie goers have grown tired of seeing formulaic films filled with stock characters. In the future as young filmmakers look to the past for inspiration to create fresh and unique films which subvert genres and defy audience expectations hopefully they will look to the work of Robert Altman and Ridley Scott as prime examples. Bibliography: Jacobs, Diane. Hollywood Renaissance: The New Generation of Filmmakers and their works. 1977. New York. Dell Publishing. Sammon, Paul M. Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. 1996. New York. Harper Collins. Sklar, Robert. Movie-Made America. 1994. New York. Vintage Books.

The Value to Life

The Value to Life; Society vs. Self Today, our society assigns the value to human life based on which life is actually more appealing to them. In other words, society places a price tag on a man’s life. A person is judged by society on the value of their life based on certain factors and aspects that are irrelevant. People realize the true value to their lives when they are in encounter with situations that may take it away. And because the value of life is so precious, society should determine its value in different and better ways that appreciate its value.People put more value on their lives when they come close to knocking on the doors of death. For instance, those living with  terminal illnesses  like cancer, have a whole different perception of their life and all of life in general in comparison to someone who is living a completely healthy life. In his autobiography,  Lance Armstrong  said, â€Å"When I was sick, I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a sin gle day than I ever did in a bike race, but they were human moments, not miraculous ones. Lance Armstrong is one of the most successful and accomplished figures in the world, yet even to him, a day of simply living one more day means more than any of his accomplishments while living with cancer. Having everything may make one value their life in greater depth but the fear of losing that everything they have worked for makes them value it even more however. While a person may assign the value to their life based on the obstacles they have overcame and learned from, society’s way of determining the value to a human life is not nearly as sensitive.Society assigns the value of life under the terms of which life is actually worth more in dollars. Its unfortunate but there are too many instances in life where one person’s life is considered with higher value than others simply because of what they have and what they are willing to show for it. I remember a time when a family member of mine was rushed to the emergency room only to be turned away because he did not have any medical insurance. Does that mean his life has less value than someone who does have life insurance?He deserved to be seen by a doctor just as much as the next with or without the papers. Or in another case scenario, a young rich blonde girl of a wealthy known family becomes kidnapped on the same day as a daughter of a drug addict in the projects, who would have more publicity in the search for their return? The blonde girl’s family has more money; therefore, can afford to pay their way to more publicity time, bestowing more value on her life.It is not something that you think of everyday, or is easily realized, but our society holds value on our life only through the materialistic things. For instance, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, thousands of innocent lives were lost as a result. Due to the fact that there were so many families to compensate and to preven t the airlines from going out of business, the federal government enforced a limit on how much each family would receive in compensation.These numbers were given in an article called â€Å"What Is a Life Worth? † in  Time magazine  written by Amanda Ripley. â€Å"First, the government will estimate how much a victim would have earned over his or her lifetime had the planes never crashed. That means a broker’s family will qualify for a vastly higher award than a window washer’s family. † This quote shows that in the eyes of society, the value of life is not equal because if that was the case, everyone affected from the crash would have received the same amount in compensation.The only difference between the broker and the window washer is how much money their bank account holds, but in this case, that is the only thing that matters in determining their value of life. When assigning the value of life, society overlooks the character of the person or wha t purpose they served in life. Since treating every man equal in America is something we try to abide our lives by, the value of someone’s life should be determined on better terms.The value of someone’s life should be determined by the merit that person has earned throughout their life. In the book of proverbs it states that â€Å"We must treat each man on his worth and merits as a man. We must see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less. † According to this quote, a man must be treated on his worth which is something that he must earn since every man is given the same chances and opportunities not more or less than others.When people are born, they are all given equal chances, but the different circumstances that can occur in each person’s life along the way can determine who has the ability to overcome the obstacles, making that person earn a certain merit that decides the value to their life. In c onclusion, a person’s value of their own life is something that is overlooked at first. People do not realize that life is something that can be taken away so quickly that sometimes you cannot even grasp it. Life gains value when it is almost lost. When people have ragedies strike their lives, such as being diagnosed with a terminal disease, they realize how much life means to them because they feel the end approaching. They begin to realize that all their life, they have worked for something and just like that, it can be taken away. Our society plays a large role in how value is put on life. Society determines the value of life unfairly and none biased on the emotional aspects a life may pertain. Society judges a human life based on their materialistic earnings rather than their merit earnings. A rich man’s life is more valuable than a poor man’s under the rules of society.

Pick a Quote from the Book To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

During the depression in Alabama, many people, no matter what race, were encountering hard times. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Haper Lee, Scout learns life lessons through experiences throughout her childhood. In her community and her household, Scout watches and interacts with all kinds of people. In the book, Scout learns something new about the people of Maycomb in each chapter and realizes that people are more than what they perceive to be by interacting with three main characters in the novel, Atticus, Mr. Cunningham, and Boo Radley. In the beginning of the book, Scout’s interpretation of these characters changed throughout the story. At the beginning of the book, Scout’s dad, Atticus, was not like the fun hunting loving father that the other kids had. Atticus was a fifty year old lawyer that didn’t have time or energy to even play football with Scout brother, Jem. Scout felt like she had nothing to brag or be proud of her father about that is shown in this quote, because his daily life was either in the office or into a book. â€Å"If your father was thirty you’d find life quite different† â€Å"It sure would. Atticus can’t do anything†¦. † (Lee 120) Later on in the story, Scout and Jem see a stray crazy dog. Atticus is asked to shoot it. Scout not knowing that her dad was the best shooter in Maycomb had doubts of letting her dad shoot the dog. Atticus shot the dog on the first bullet. â€Å"When we went home I told Jem we’d really have something to talk about at school on Monday. † (Lee 130) Scout’s first impression of her dad in the beginning of the story changed when she found that she could be proud of her father for being the best shooter in Maycomb. Another main character in the novel was Mr. Cunningham who was a farmer and one of Atticus clients. Atticus was also representing Tom Robinson, who was a black man being prosecuted for rape by Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell had gathered a bunch of men to go down to the jail house to kill Tom Robinson. Scout, who was hiding and watching everything from afar, could not recognize any of the men. Later on when she ran through the men to Atticus she then recognized one man, and that was Mr. Cunningham. At the beginning of the novel, Atticus told Scout that Mr. Cunningham was a good honest hard working man that did not take anything from anyone unlike Mr. Ewell. After she realized what was taking place at the jail house and what the men were there to do, she had doubts about Mr. Cunningham being the good man that her father had told her about at the beginning of the novel. Lastly, Boo Radley probably impacted Scout the most in what she learned. At the beginning of the novel, Scout, Jem, and Dill all were curious of the monster that lived at the Radley’s house. He was always kept away and never came out. All kinds of stories about Boo Radley had been told as Scout grew up, made by different people in her community. Scout was so scared of Boo that she would run past his house every time she would pass it. The town would not even eat the fruit off the trees by their house because they believed Boo had poisoned them. It was obvious that Boo Radley had a bad rep in the town. Later on in the story, Scout and Jim find out someone is leaving them things in a tree hole. They start to believe it is Boo, who was leaving it for them, but they are still not convinced that Boo is safe. Later on while Miss Maudie’s house was burning and Scout was watching it from afar, someone had put a blanket on her. They come to the conclusion it was Boo Radley and are confused why he would do so. When Boo Radley had saved them from Mr. Ewell in the last few chapters of the book, it had become clear that Boo was not bad at all but afraid of the outside world beyond his house. Scout’s original perception of Boo Radley was all wrong because of the people she interacted with day to day. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Haper Lee, Scout learns life lessons through experiences throughout her childhood. Three main characters in this book impacted her life the most. Atticus, Mr. Cunningham, and Boo Radley showed Scout to not judge a book by its cover. Not everyone is who they first perceive to be. Like Atticus said â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. † (Lee 30) Atticus was right, Scout did not really know any of these people until she put herself in their place and saw who they really were.

The importance of the relationship between Developmental disabilities and Direct-Care The WritePass Journal

The importance of the relationship between Developmental disabilities and Direct-Care Introduction The importance of the relationship between Developmental disabilities and Direct-Care IntroductionMethodParticipant OrganisationsStudy 1: Employee surveyResearch ParticipantsMeasuresStudy 2: Interviews with multi-level Direct-Care StaffResearch ParticipantsInterview Schedule and AnalysisResultsStudy 1: Employee SurveyStudy 2: InterviewsSources of StressCoping Strategies Employed by Direct-Care StaffColleague SupportJob Satisfaction and MotivationImpact of Budget CutsDiscussionLimitationsConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction In facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities, Direct-Care staff are a valuable resource. The standard of the service is a direct reflection of the quality of their work (Hatton, et al., 1999). Furthermore, care workers form the foundation for the social networks of the service users (Sharrard, 1992). The importance of this relationship is clearly demonstrated within the wealth of literature available in this area. A functional interpersonal relationship between Direct-Care staff and service users facilitates the on-going compilation and evaluation of care plans, thus allowing accurate and comprehensive information to be gathered, even from service users with restricted communication skills (Kagan, 1990). This relationship plays a key role in ensuring the smooth running of the operations within the service and sees that service users receive the upper-most level of care. Community based services for individuals with developmental disabilities are constantly challenged to provide the highest quality service within the constraints of the funding they receive. This is a task which has been made even harder recently by further budget cuts. Individuals who are employed by these types of organisations have to cope on a daily basis with the mental, physical and emotional difficulties experienced and displayed by their service users. It is logical to assume that without sufficient support, individuals will experience significant psychological and emotional pressures and stresses. Job stress is defined as: â€Å"The harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury†(NIOSH, 1999). In some studies it has been reported that up to a third of Direct-Care staff were suffering stress levels symptomatic of that of a mental health disorder (Hatton et al, 1999; 2004). The Job-Demand-Control model (JDC: Karasek, 1979) is a leading theoretical model utilised in studies considering occupational or work-related stress. Simplistically the JDC model suggests that the combined effect of high demands and low control within a job role equates to the highest risk of work-related stress, irrespective of individual differences in appraisal or coping. In terms of the JDC model job demands primarily refer to psychological demands such as mental workload, organizational constraints on task completion or conflicting demands (Pelfrene, 2001). The model was further extended in the 1980’s to include a third dimension, worksite social support, suggesting that the effects are exacerbated in situations of low support. Thus becoming the Job Demand-Control-Support model (JDCS: Karasek, 1985). The imbalance of these three variables is a prominent feature within job roles in the area of Direct-Care work. It is therefore unsurprising that, according to a recent gover nment survey in the United Kingdom, â€Å"workers in personal service occupations have statistically significant higher rates of both injury and ill health compared to all occupations† (HSE, 2009-2010). Staff morale has been extensively investigated over the past twenty years in the caring professions and includes aspects such as staff stress, burnout, job satisfaction, and staff withdrawal (absenteeism and turnover). A number of factors have been identified as having an impact upon staff morale. Empirical tests of the model (JDCS) reveal that stress more often results from operational and organizational aspects of the job, rather than from dealing with difficult clients. Organizational factors such as participation in decision-making (control), supervision and social support are key and dominate related theories and studies (Rose, 1993; Hatton et al., 1999; Innstrand et al., 2004). In support of the JDCS model, Akerboom and Maes (2006) observed that job demands were positively associated with emotional exhaustion. Social support co-workers were positively associated with job satisfaction, and social support supervisors were negatively associated with psychological distress. Furthermore, the study found that job demands and decision authority were central to a careers level of emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. The Work Stress theory postulates that job demands are associated with the development of stress and burnout of employees (Dermouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, Schaufeli, 2001). In order to meet these demands staff draw on a number of resources, helping to increase functionality and reduce workload (Dermouti et al., 2001; Lazarus, 1999). The resources can be psychological, physical, social or organizational (perceived support for example is a social resource). Social support is of particular relevance to care workers supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, as they tend to work in small teams. Research suggests that in this instance, colleagues are crucial sources of support within the work place (Ford Honnor, 2000). Support may also be sought from a superior. There is evidence to suggest that the ability to talk openly to a supervisor about both personal and work related issues reduces reported levels of burnout (Ito, et al., 1999). The complex interplay between these rela tionships however is yet to be explored in sufficient detail. The majority of these studies have focused on individuals employed within residential and institutional facilities. Only four studies have been found that have collected data from Direct-Care staff working in respite services (Harris Thomas, 1993; Gardner Rose, 1994; Lawson O’Brien, 1994; Mascha, 2006). In spite of this fact, published results suggest that, when compared with residential units, stress levels were higher and support levels lower in respite units (Harris Thomas, 1993). Furthermore, research to date has largely over-looked the presence of part-time staff in this type of establishment and bank staff do not seem to be taken into account at all. This could be regarded as an oversight – this type of staff are particularly vulnerable due to the casual nature of their employment. They may not, for example, have easy or regular access to supervision or colleague support, despite the fact that they are being exposed to the same stressors as full time staff on a regular basis. There is a very minimal amount of qualitative data available on this area of discussion with the majority of previous research being descriptive or correlational in nature. Although measures based on the theories outlined above may have good psychometric properties, they are limited in terms of capturing interpersonal support (Harris Rose, 2002). Qualitative techniques of data analysis were applied to open-ended questions in a study looking at staff morale in day care centres for adults with intellectual disabilities. Analysis of this data revealed three main categories of stressors; working conditions for staff (excessive work-load, under staffing), issues relating to the nature of the job (challenging behaviour of service users, inability to make a difference) and lack of teamwork and communication between staff members (Mascha, 2006). The use of qualitative methods allows for the accurate value of practical and emotional support provided by colleagues and others to be captured. L azarus (1999) advocated that quantitative studies should be supported by other in-depth research approaches to explore individual appraisal. The present study aims to explore various factors affecting individuals currently employed in Direct-Care roles. In particular, the study aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the true nature of working in the field of Direct-Care and the obstacles facing managers and staff. Therefore, the research will draw from two studies, adopting a mixed-measures approach. The studies will consist of an Internet based survey and of a series of face-to-face interviews (to be completed by a sub-sample of participants). The current study will focus specifically on staff involved in Direct-Care of individuals with developmental disabilities in both residential and respite settings. Individuals employed on the bank team will be recruited as well as permanent full-time and part-time staff. The aims of the present study therefore are: To investigate working conditions and job demands of individuals currently employed in Direct-Care roles. To investigate how physically demanding a Direct-Care role is and sources of stress for care workers. To identify self-reported sources of support and coping strategies for Direct-Care staff. To explore the levels of job satisfaction and motivation. Method A mixed method approach was employed in order to produce a more complete picture about the true nature of working in the Direct-Care industry. Neither quantitative nor qualitative methods of data collection and analysis are sufficient in isolation. Used independently, both approaches to psychological research are limited in their ability to capture trends and details in any given situation. The use of qualitative methods expands upon quantitative results, thereby enhancing the aims of the present study. In addition to this, the validity of the obtained interview data is improved by the complementation of other methods. Due to the time limitations of this project, a concurrent triangulation design has been used. This offers the advantage that both forms of data can be collected at single period in time, therefore being more practical and efficient than a sequential approach. Despite the shared time frame, data for both studies has been collected and analysed separately, enabling the researcher to better understand the research problem. This project received approval from Loughborough University’s ethics committee. The data collected by the present investigation will also be forming part of the ‘Working Late’ project, a new study being carried out at Loughborough University’s Work and Health Research Centre. The project aims to help ensure that all individuals are able to maintain their ability to work by facilitating healthier working lives. Participant Organisations In order to conduct both the structured survey questionnaires and semi-structured employee interviews, employees from four separate care homes were invited by the researcher to participate in the study. Participants were a convenience sample of staff working with intellectual disabilities within a local service in Hertfordshire. Recruitment techniques included telephone calls and emails to the homes, as well as directly contacting individual staff members. Participants in the current study were sourced from a public sector organisation, which provides all aspects of care to individuals with a range of developmental disabilities (in both residential and respite settings). The inclusion criterion was that staff had day-to-day contact when at work in supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Staff members with purely administrative duties did therefore not take part in this study. Participants were adequately informed of the purpose of the survey and assured anonymity of their r esponses. Participants were allowed to discontinue their participation in either study whenever and if they so desired. Study 1: Employee survey Research Participants Direct-Care staff across four respite and residential Direct-Care homes were invited to volunteer for the study by completing the online survey questionnaire. A small number of paper-based questionnaires were also distributed to Direct-Care staff that were not computer literate or did not have easy access to the Internet. All completed questionnaires were returned directly and anonymously to researchers and stored in a secure location. All participants were asked questions on demographics (e.g. age and gender), their occupational health and well-being. A total of ninety-five questionnaires were distributed to Direct-Care staff of which a 38.9% response rate was achieved. Of the 37 participants who completed the survey, two were male, thirty-three were female and two did not specify a gender. Participant ages ranged from 20-67 years with a mean age of 36.12 years. Measures Participants were asked to complete a 25-minute online survey questionnaire. Loughborough University’s Work and Health Research Centre developed the survey that was utilised by this study for the Working Late Project (See Appendices 1 2). The questionnaire asks participants a series of questions about their current job role, well-being, and their feelings towards work. It also asks questions relating to occupational health services and current physical activity levels. These were all indicated by self-report measures. The data will be analysed using the statistical software package SPSS10 and descriptive statistics produced. Study 2: Interviews with multi-level Direct-Care Staff Research Participants Due time and funding limitations only participants from one of the four homes that participated in Study 1 were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. Staff were made aware of the research by senior management team and volunteered to participate in the study. Ten participants were recruited in total. Participants at that time were all employed by a respite facility that provided Direct-Care to children and young people with developmental disabilities. This facility was selected as it represents a Direct-Care setting largely ignored within the literature. All ten participants were female and ages ranged from 22-62 years. A sample of ten participants was deemed adequate to achieve variation. The small sample included management, senior staff, full-time staff and a bank worker. Interview Schedule and Analysis The interviews aimed at enhancing the understanding of the findings from the surveys. The interview schedule was developed based on findings from previous studies in the area of interest. The semi-structured interview schedule allowed participants to reveal as much information on the topics of interest as they each felt comfortable doing so. The questions aimed to elicit information regarding: working conditions and job demands (Can you please discuss a few factors, which you feel affect your ability to manage your work demands and perform all your work duties?), sources of support and coping (Do you have any coping strategies for work related stressors? Please can you describe these?), as well as job satisfaction (On the whole are you currently satisfied with your job and why?). All participants received the same interview schedule with some questions re-phrased according to the participant’s job-role. The schedule was initially piloted and subsequently refined. In order to r educe interviewer bias, the interviews were all conducted by the same researcher and mechanically recorded to provide a permanent record, allowing them open for verification by other researchers. The method of audiotaping was selected due to its cost effective nature and ease of use. There is also no reliable evidence to suggest that audiotaping constrains what respondents are willing to say (Breakwell, p. 249, 2006). The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using template analysis. The template approach to qualitative analysis involved the researcher developing a list of codes prior to conducting the interviews. These were based on themes identified in previous textual data, or in other words a ‘template’. Whilst codes are defined a priori, subsequent interpretation of the material allows for expansion of the original template. In the first phase of analysis, the transcripts were repeatedly and carefully read. The initial codes were guided by both the interview schedule and the aims of the study. The data set was coded using a predetermined template and grouped into codes and themes. The initial codes were continuously refined and modified with emergent themes from the qualitative data. These codes included those for topics that arose spontaneously throughout the interviews. The data under each theme was summarized and verbatim quotations were used in support. Results Study 1: Employee Survey A response rate of 38.9% was achieved by returned questionnaires (N=37), of which 32.4% (N=12) were completed questionnaires. Surveys were received from all four facilities to which they were distributed. Of the 37 participants 33 were Female, 2 were Male and 2 did not specify a gender. All surveys were completed between the 14th March and the 18th April 2011. On average participants employed on a Full-time basis worked 38 hours per week, whilst those employed on a part-time basis worked 16.77 hours per week. The majority (65.6%, N=13) of participants surveyed either did not have access to an occupational health service or were unaware of its existence (Aim 3). In relation to Aim 4, the survey included measures of job satisfaction and job motivation. Job motivation was measured using a six-item scale developed by Warr, et al (1979). The measure consisted of a seven-point Likert scale. Participants were required to indicate to what degree they agreed with a series of statements from ‘strongly disagree-strongly agree’, including â€Å"My opinion of myself goes down when I do this job badly†. Responses of the individual participants were summed to produce a score for the measure, with a range of 6-42. High scores relate to high intrinsic job motivation. 6 participants were removed from the data set due to missing data. With regard to the scores, the overall Median was 36 with a range of 18. Descriptive statistics in relation to employment status were also investigated; a further two participants were removed as their status of employment was not specified (Table 1). With participants employed on a permanent full-time basis reporting the highest level of intrinsic job motivation. Table 1 – Medians and Ranges for Job Motivation, with relation to employment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   status Median ±Ã‚   Range Permanent Full-time (N=19) Permanent Part-time  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=4) Fixed-term/Temporary Contract  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=6) Total(N=31) JobMotivation 36  ± 15 39  ± 10 35.5  ± 16 36  ± 18 Job satisfactionrefers to one’s own feelings or state of mind in relation to the nature of their work. Job satisfaction can be influenced by variety of factors such as supervision, organization policies and administration, salary and work/life balance. Self-reported levels of job satisfaction were measured using a three-item scale taken from the Michigan Organisational Assessment Questionnaire. The seven-point Likert scale was scored by averaging the responses, with a possible score range of 1-7. High scores were indicative of high levels of job satisfaction. 5 participants were removed at this stage from the data set due to missing data. The overall Median score was 4.67, with a Range of 3.33. Descriptive statistics in relation to employment status were also investigated, a further two participants were removed as they did not specify their employment status (Table 2). Medians of all three statuses of employment were the same. Table 2 – Medians and Ranges of Job Satisfaction, with relation to employment status Median ± Range Permanent Full-time (N=19) Permanent Part-time  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=5) Fixed-term/Temporary Contract  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=6) Total(N=32) JobSatisfaction 4.67  ± 2.33 4.67  ± 2 4.67  ± 1.67 4.67  ± 3.33 The General Health questionnaire 12 (GHQ 12) was utilised by the survey to assess participant’s general well-being. The GHQ 12 uses a four-point Likert scale. Participant’s individual responses were summed to give an overall score, with a maximum score of 36. Six participants were removed due to missing data. The higher the score the more severe the condition, the overall Median for participants who completed the measure in full was 12, with a Range of 17. Descriptive statistics in relation to employment status were also investigated; a further two participants were removed as their status of employment was not specified (Table 1). With participants employed on a permanent full-time basis reporting the highest levels of psychological distress. Table 3 – Medians and Ranges of GSQ 12 scores, in relation to employment status Median  ± Range Permanent Full-time (N=18) Permanent Part-time  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=5) Fixed-term/Temporary Contract  Ã‚  Ã‚   (N=6) Total(N=31) GHQ 12 13  ± 16 13  ± 6 11  ± 7 12  ± 17 Study 2: Interviews All participants who were interviewed were female and were employed by a respite facility for children and young people with developmental disabilities. All participants had completed the online survey (Study 1) prior to being interviewed. Five main themes were identified from the transcribed interviews; sources of stress, coping strategies, colleague support, job satisfaction and motivation, and impact of budget cuts. The themes are summarised below along with illustrative quotes and include both positive and negative aspects of Direct-Care Staff’s experiences. Sources of Stress With respect to questions concerning sources of stress, participants generally identified more than one stressor. Analysis of the text illuminated three key and recurring categories; working conditions, the nature of the job, and lack of teamwork and communication. Out of the three aforementioned categories, working conditions were the most consistently cited source of stress. There is reference in all ten transcripts to poor staffing levels. As illustrated by Participant Seven: â€Å"I find trying to get the certain amount of staff and working slightly over children than there is staff†¦I think sometimes it can make the unit-unsafe by having that and you know not enough staff to support the children’s needs.† The problem of understaffed shifts is linked in the transcripts to reports of excessive demands and a pressurised work environment, which is made worse by limited resources.   Some participants reported feeling as though it was not possible to meet what was asked of them: â€Å"It is high pressure, it is fast paced†¦I don’t feel that I do manage to complete the tasks and things that are required within my role (Assistant Manager) and I find that quite frustrating and unsatisfactory† (Participant Five). Multiple interviewees highlighted issues relating to the nature of the job as significant sources of stress. Issues including challenging behaviour, long working hours and the inability to make a difference. Furthermore, staff are required to perform dual roles having to balance administrative duties with practical care. All junior full-time staff reported this as a source of pressure and tension. Finally, due to the inflexibility of the team, lack of teamwork emerged as a source of discontent. However, participants were sure to communicate that only a very small proportion of their colleagues displayed such a lack of team spirit: â€Å"Not pulling their weight in that way not helping out when needed, going off shift doing stuff in the office when they should really be on shift† (Participant Seven). Coping Strategies Employed by Direct-Care Staff With regard to coping strategies, the majority of staff reported relying on emotion based coping rather than practical coping (Lazarus, 1999). Direct-Care staff focused on managing emotional distress or relieving tension built up over the course of a shift, rather than actively striving to change the situation. Emotion based coping strategies included healthy outlets with many interviewees naming some form of physical activity as well as unhealthy outlets (such as alcohol, cigarettes and nagging their partner). Furthermore, maintaining a positive approach and attitude in mentally and physically challenging situations is evident within the transcripts as an utilised coping strategy: â€Å"More of a positive approach because you get so wound up and negative about everything and just need to step away and think right now I need to go back in and be a bit more positive about everything† (Participant Seven) â€Å"If you do feel stressed you can just let it all out on the gym† (Participant Nine) Two of the three participants who employed practical coping used organisational skills in order to better manage the demands placed upon them, for example creating lists to ensure no tasks went forgotten. Colleague Support With regard to questions concerning colleague support, analysis revealed three main levels: structured supervision, managerial support, and teamwork. All participants stated that they felt comfortable confiding in their colleagues, finding them helpful and understanding. Some participants saw the ability to converse openly with their colleagues with regard to work related issues as a duty of care, to both service users and other members of the team: â€Å"I am supervising people I need to be able to express things and issues that have been brought up to me. I need to resolve it somehow so I need to be able to talk opening to the issues that are not always comfortable for anyone.† (Participant Eight) It is clear from the transcripts that participants feel well supported by their on-shift colleagues, but participants are selective when choosing which person to confide in. Factors such as trust, mutual respect and proximity are key. Several interviewees stated they are more likely to confide in staff members with whom they are on shift with more frequently: â€Å"I think because of shifts patterns I’ve built up more stronger relationship with people I work with more frequently† (Participant One) Despite good working relationships the data suggests that work relationships rarely translate into friendship outside of the work environment. Reasons given for this include: conflicting work schedules, lack of common interests and participants choosing to keep their work and home lives distinct from one another: â€Å"I’ve always been a believer that if something goes wrong in work and them I’m friends with that person outside of work obviously it is going to affect my friendships and I take friendships really really seriously.† (Participant Four) With regard to managerial support opinion between participants was split. Some Direct-Care staff expressed that they were satisfied with the present level of support they received from their superiors, stating that they felt they could rely on them and ask for help without fear of being viewed as a burden. It was also reported that managerial support was available to resolve within team disputes. However, several interviewees were dissatisfied, feeling instead that there was a lack of pre-emptive support and viewing management as demanding rather than supportive: â€Å"Sometimes upwards its more pressure than support because there is a demand to meet a deadline† (Participant Six) Finally, the general consensus with regard to formal supervision was that it was of a good quality but too infrequent: â€Å"I’m supposed to be supervised monthly but I think my last supervision was probably about December or January so you go figure. Not as often as it should be clearly.† (Participant Four) Job Satisfaction and Motivation All participants reported being satisfied with their job to some degree. The area of interaction with service users emerged form the transcripts as a key source of job satisfaction: â€Å"Well young people who display the most difficult, complex behaviours and I feel quite proud of they way I’ve sort of managed to gain some sort of understanding and learned how to work with them in a positive way to aid their continued development and that’s given me enormous pleasure and pride.† (Participant Two) Other sources of job satisfaction included positive colleague relations, variation of job role and advancement opportunities. â€Å"It is a good team to work with and they are very friendly and you do have a laugh here its not so strict its very laid back and friendly its like a family atmosphere at the moment.† (Participant Ten) Areas where Direct-Care staff experienced dissatisfaction included: anti-social hours, lack of advancement opportunities and inability to meet demands. By far, the largest source of dissatisfaction for participants was unsatisfactory pay, with all but one seeing it as playing a key role if they were to leave their current job: â€Å"I think a factor would probably be money but also like to move on a bit more.† (Participant Six) â€Å"If I was to leave or I found a job that I wanted to go to it would probably be for more money.† (Participant Four) Impact of Budget Cuts With regard to recent budget cuts, participants conversed at length about the impact the cuts had had on the quality and level of service they were able to provide service users. With the Registered Manager stating: â€Å"It hasn’t affected the quality of care I don’t think, but it’s been what we can provide to families has been slightly lessoned but what I’ve had to do as manager is look at it more creatively in how we can provide services.† (Participant Six) Discourse regarding budget cuts is divided in regards to the level of impact but can be divided into two categories: firstly, the negative impact that the cuts have had on service users and their families, due to increased closure days, cancellation of out-reach programmes and reduced staffing levels: â€Å"The budget cuts have affected us a lot because we now having to close forty-three days a year, which is forty-three days we can no longer give care to the children, which has a knock-on effect with the families† (Participant Ten) Secondly, the negative impact that the cuts have on staff, due to increased closure days, reduction in use of agency and bank staff, and loss of overtime. Participants report that such measures have led to job and financial insecurity, as well as increased pressure and demands placed onto remaining staff members: â€Å"I’ve noticed bank workers aren’t being used as much and I think there is a slight knock-on effect that the core workers are sort of slightly working with more children than what we used to† (Participant Three) Discussion The present study aims to: Investigate working conditions and job demands of individuals currently employed in Direct-Care roles. Investigate how physically demanding a Direct-Care role is and sources of stress for care workers. Identify self-reported sources of support and coping strategies for Direct-Care staff. Explore the levels of job satisfaction and motivation. The results presented here indicate that Direct-Care Staff experience pressurised working conditions and have excessive job demands placed upon them. Job demands predominantly refer to the psychological demands placed on staff working in Direct Care. These include mental workload, organizational constraints on task completion and conflicting demands (Pelfrenet, 2001). One issue that emerges from the transcripts is that participants have varied and conflicting responsibilities and duties (including the compilation of care plans, personal care tasks and administering medication). Furthermore, these duties and responsibilities are subject to change due to the reorganisation of service users care packages (Emerson Hatton, 1994). Participants struggle to prioritise time for both direct and indirect-care duties, complaining that the daily routine is too intensive and fast-paced. The quantity of domestic chores and administrative duties decreases the time available for staff to positively interact with their service users. It is clear from the present findings that recent budget cuts have served to further increase demands and pressure placed on Direct-Care staff. More specifically, staff reported a reduction of staff-client ratios as a major source of added strain. What is more, previous research suggests that low staff-client ratios are reliably associated with high staff turnover (Braddock Mitchell, 1992; Larson Lakin, 1992). Results show that Direct-Care Staff experience a stressful work environment as a result of striving to meet all the physical and mental demands placed upon them by service users and management alike. Stress refers to the perception of an imbalance between the demands made of an individual and the resources available to that individual to meet them. If such an imbalance is persistent over time, it may result in the individual suffering psychological and/or physical ill health (Bonn, Bonn, 2000). Scores obtained from the GHQ 12 revealed that in the present sample of Direct-Care Staff, working in respite centres for individuals with developmental disabilities, there is a great variability with regard to self-reported levels of psychological well being. The majority of staff did not produce scores of psychological distress that are indicative of mental health problems. These results somewhat jar with previous research that suggests up to a third of Direct-Care Staff experience stress le vels indicative of mental health problems (Hatton el al, 1999; 2004). However, the GHQ 12 measure only assesses respondent’s current state of psychological well-being, asking if that differs from their usual state. It is therefore only sensitive to short-term psychiatric disorders, not long-standing attributes of the participant. It is however possible that participants may be suffering from persistent low levels of psychological well-being, but were not identified as such by the GHQ 12. Prolonged psychological distress is evident within the interview data, with one of the interviewees reporting that she has been diagnosed with depression as a result of work related stress, requiring her to take six months leave from work. The sources of stress reported by participants in this study fall into three main categories: working conditions, the nature of the job, and lack of teamwork. These categories reflect those established in previous qualitative research, considering staff moral in day care centres for adults with intellectual disabilities (Mascha, 2006). More specifically, staff reported the long and anti-social working hours were a major source of stress in the job. Although, descriptive statistics produced from survey data demonstrated an average working week for permanent full-time staff of 37 hours, interview data suggests that a single working week experienced by Direct-Care Staff can be lengthy, with participants reporting working over and above 50-hour weeks. These findings are expected given that previous research has linked social hindrance with psychological distress, somatic complaints and emotional exhaustion (Akerboom Maes, 2006). Challenging behaviour and inability to make a difference w ere also identified from the transcripts as important stressors, with participants reporting injuries sustained through work related violence and difficulty with moving and handling tasks. The experience of stress when faced with challenging behaviour and moving and handling of service users was linked to Direct-Care staff feeling they lacked sufficient knowledge and skill. This finding is supported by published research (Akerboom and Maes 2006). The literature suggests that in order to meet demands, staff will employ a range of physical, psychological, social and organisational resources. Drawing on these resources enables workers to get the job done by reducing demands and stimulating development (Dermouti et al., 2001; Lazarus, 1999). In terms of organisational resources the majority of participants either did not have access to or were un-aware of the existence of an occupational health service. Coping has previously been defined as the: â€Å"cognitive and behavioural efforts a person makes to manage demands that tax or exceed his or her personal resources† (Lazarus, 1995, p.6). Participants generally relied on emotion-based coping, where efforts are made to manage the emotional distress, rather than attempting to change the situation (practical-based coping) (Lazarus, 1999). One issue that emerges throughout the course of the interviews is the importance of colleagues as a source of support, with participants highlighting lack of teamwork as a source of stress. Participants reported feeling as though they could rely on and trust their colleagues to support them in challenging situations. The majority of participants were comfortable confiding in their team members with regard to work related issues, communication of issues was viewed as a duty of care to both other team members and to young people accessing the respite service by some participants. These findings contradict previous research conducted by Harris and Thomson (1993). In a study investigating issues of social support in both residential and respite settings, they found high levels of stress and low levels of staff support, particularly in respite settings. However, the data from the present study and previous research does serve to highlight the importance of communication and teamwork in ca re settings, where Direct-Care staff usually work in small teams. Studies have indicated this factor as being essential for the development of better quality of work within the services (Collins Bruce, 1984; Rose, 1993; Schulz et al., 1995). Support provided by management was related as an important source of support, enabling less senior staff members to develop their skills and grow in confidence. Formal supervision was also indicated as an important source of staff support, while problems with supervisors created discontent among several of the participants. The vast majority of participants were happy with the quality of supervision they received and felt confident that their concerns would be dealt with quickly and efficiently by their supervisors. Management was however also flagged as a source of pressure and participants complained about a lack of pre-emptive support. Previous studies have identified formal supervision as a means to develop trust and competence through reflection on performance (Severinsson, 2001; Gustafsson, 2004). Although policies and procedures are in place enforcing mandatory monthly formal supervision, these are often not adhered to. The infrequency of supervision is a prominent source of discontent amongst the Direct-Care staff. Reasons given for the infrequent supervisions were conflicting shift patterns and excess demands. In spite of this, participants did divulge that they were able to access their supervisors for informal conversations as and when required, but did not feel this was substitute enough for structured supervision. Finally, results revealed that the present sample experienced relatively high levels of job satisfaction and intrinsic job motivation. More specifically, contact with co-workers, variation of job role, career development opportunities and contact time with service users were four areas that produced the most satisfaction. Findings support previous quantitative research, which suggests communication as well as training opportunities show significant association with job satisfaction. Furthermore, salary, anti-social shift patterns, lack of development opportunities and inability to make a difference were the most frequently mentioned sources of dissatisfaction. The relatively stable workforce is most likely a reflection of the positive levels of job satisfaction and informal culture (Schien, 1990) reported by participants. Unlike multiple studies indicating that Direct-Care work is associated with high turnover rates (Hatton Emerson, 1995), participants surveyed had remained in their current job role for over four years (Mean = 4.1). Limitations The studied relied on self-report data from four participating care homes recruited from a large range within the local area, facilities were selected based on proximity to the researcher. Participants that were interviewed were all sourced from one facility due to funding and time constraints. A respite care unit for children and young people employed all interviewees. This type of facility was selected as it has received the least amount of attention within the available literature. The participants interviewed were all volunteers who were perhaps more likely to converse at length than those who had a more positive view of their experiences working in Direct Care. Therefore, researchers make no claims that these findings can be generalised more widely. Further research requires a larger sample in order to establish cross-validation and allow the results to be generalizable to the care population as a whole. Greater emphasis was placed on data collected from study 2 due a lack of qualitative data available in published literature as well as the labour intensive transcription and analysis involved. However, like any self-report method, the interview approach relies upon respondent’s retrospective abilities and willingness to provide accurate and complete answers to the questions posed. Steps were taken to reduce researcher effects; they can never be eliminated completely. Furthermore, all interviewees were female. Two male staff were employed on the bank team of the respite facility at during the period of time in which the interviews took however. However due to the casual nature of their employment and the restrictive time frame for data collection neither were available to partake in Study 2 and therefore any gender differences cannot be accounted for. An all female sample may have obscured the findings, as according to Karasek et al. (1998, p. 346); the enduring gender differences evident in studies employing the JDCS model reflect ‘a deficit of good psychosocial conditions for women’. The high levels of worksite social support indicated in the transcripts of the current Direct-Care staff sample may not be enduring across genders. Finally, although this study did take into consideration members of Direct-Care staff employed on a part-time or casual basis, a group overlooked by research, it did not recruit participants based on this attribute. Therefore true statistical comparison between employment statuses is limited, despite differences being observed. Future research should statistically consider the interaction between employment status and levels of psychological distress in Direct-Care staff, by recruiting participant based on this attribute. Conclusion The present study underscores the need for the further investigation of experiences of Direct-Care staff working in residential and respite facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Direct-Care staff working within these services experience exposure to multiple stressors on a daily basis within the working environment, such as lack of teamwork, challenging behaviour, under-staffing, excessive workload and infrequent supervision. Although self-reported job satisfaction is relatively high, the vast majority of staff would consider leaving their position, highlighting the existence of work-related issues. It is clear that Direct-Care Staff have a difficult task to meet all of the demands and expectations placed upon them. Direct-Care staff are constantly challenged to provide the highest quality service within the constraints of the funding they receive. A task made even harder by further recent budget cuts. References Breakwell, G. M., Hammond, S., Schaw, C. (1995). Research methods in psychology . London: Sage Publications. Kagan, C. (1985). Interpersonal skills in nursing: research and applications. London: Croom Helm. Agervold, M., Andersen, L. P. (2006). Incidence and impact of violence against staff on their perceptions of the psychosocial work environment. Nordic Psychology, 58(3), 232-247. doi:10.1027/1901-2276.58.3.232 Akerboom, S., Maes, S. (2006). 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Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13(3), 271-280. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2702.2003.00880.x Hatton, C., Rivers, M., Mason, H., Mason, L., Kiernan, C., Emerson, E., . . . Reeves, D. (1999). Staff stressors and staff outcomes in services for adults with intellectual disabilities: The staff stressor questionnaire. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 20(4), 269-285. doi:DOI: 10.1016/S0891-4222(99)00009-8 Jenkins, R., Rose, J., Lovell, C. (1997). Psychological well-being of staff working with people who have challenging behaviour. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 41(6), 502-511. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1997.tb00743.x Karasek, R. A.,Jr. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), pp. 285-308. Karlsson, I., Ekman, S. -. L., Fagerberg, I. (2009). A difficult mission to work as a nurse in a residential care home - some registered nurses’ experiences of their work situation. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 23(2), 265-273. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2008.00616.x Mascha, K. (2007). Staff morale in day care centres for adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(3), 191-199. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3148.2006.00316.x Severinsson, E., Hummelvoll, J. K. (2001). Factors influencing job satisfaction and ethical dilemmas in acute psychiatric care. Nursing Health Sciences, 3(2), 81-90. doi:10.1046/j.1442-2018.2001.00076.x Strouse, M. C., Carroll-Hernandez, T., Sherman, J. A., Sheldon, J. B. (2003). Turning over turnover: The evaluation of a staff scheduling system in a community-based program for adults with developmental disabilities. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 23(2-3), 45-63. doi:10.1300/J075v23n02_04

Systematic and Common Chemical Names

Systematic and Common Chemical Names There are many ways to name a chemical. Here is a look at the difference between different types of chemical names, including systematic names, common names, vernacular names and CAS numbers. Systematic or IUPAC Name The systematic name  also called the IUPAC name is the preferred way to name a chemical because each systematic name identifies exactly one chemical. The systematic name is determined by guidelines set forth by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Common Name A common name is defined by the IUPAC as a name that unambiguously defines a chemical, yet does not follow the current systematic naming convention. An example of a common name is acetone, which has the systematic name 2-propanone. Vernacular Name A vernacular name is a name used in a lab, trade or industry that does not unambiguously describe a single chemical. For example, copper sulfate is a vernacular name which may refer to copper(I) sulfate or copper(II) sulfate. Archaic Name An archaic name is an older name for a chemical that predates the modern naming conventions. Its helpful to know archaic names of chemicals because older texts may refer to chemicals by these names. Some chemicals are sold under archaic names or may be found in storage labeled with the older names. An example of this is muriatic acid, which is the archaic name for hydrochloric acid and is one of the names under which hydrochloric acid is sold. CAS Number A CAS number is an unambiguous identifier assigned to a chemical by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), a part of the American Chemical Society. CAS numbers are assigned sequentially, so you cant tell anything about the chemical by its number. Each CAS number consists of three strings of numbers that are separated by hyphens. The first number contains up to six digits, the second number is two digits, and the third number is a single digit. Other Chemical Identifiers Although the chemical names and CAS Number are the most common way to describe a chemical, there are other chemical identifiers you may encounter. Examples include numbers assigned by PubChem, ChemSpider, UNII, EC number, KEGG, ChEBI, ChEMBL, RTES number and the ATC code. Example of Chemical Names Putting it all together, here are the names for CuSO4 ·5H2O: Systematic (IUPAC) Name: copper(II) sulfate pentahydrateCommon Names: copper(II) sulfate, copper(II) sulfate, cupric sulfate, cupric sulfateVernacular Name: copper sulfate, copper sulfateArchaic Name: blue vitriol, bluestone, copper vitriolCAS Number: 7758-99-8

Literary Analysis . book analysis the book named Ender's game Essay

Literary Analysis . book analysis the book named Ender's game - Essay Example Ender’s tactical genius comes into play, during his training. Card has since written additional novels that form the Eder’s Game series. In 1991, the novel was updated to reflect the current political climate. With the book’s military background, the book has since been recommended by many armed forces such as the US Marine Corps. The main protagonist of the book Ender’s Game Andrew â€Å"Ender† Wiggin is portrayed as weak as the plot builds up. He is even considered illegitimate â€Å"a Third† based on earth’s two child policies. Ender proves himself by fatally wounding a superior opponent Stilson. The International Fleet’s colonel Graff rewards Ender by offering him a place in the battle school. Ender eventually forms â€Å"Ender’s Jeesh† an elite squad made of former cadets who are loyal to him. Through hard work and sacrifice Ender’s action’s annihilates the Bugger’s fleet and he is proclai med hero in earth. Though his friends return to earth, Ender is posted Ero were he discovers a dormant egg. Ender and her sister Valentine transverse the universe in search of a safe place for un-hatched Hive Queen. Ender’s Game revolves around the life of Ender in different spheres. This literary analysis will do a character analysis of Ender the main character of the book. Ender’s violent nature is what eventually wins the war for earth. Though he hates this trait, it is what paves the way for his destiny and endears him to his peers and the entire earth populace. This trait shows up early in his life when he beats up Stilson to death a fact which he comes to learn of later. At only six, Ender’s violent nature is ubiquitous. Ender hates his brutality a character he shares with his brother Peter. In the events that lead to Ender fatally wounding the bully Stilson; we see Ender being cornered by group of boys teasing him â€Å"a Third†. Ender stops their bullying nature by viciously kicking Stilson in the chest though he is

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Strategic management - Essay Example Motivations to engage into corporate social responsibility as shown by Alliance Boots a pharmaceutical corporation can be categorized into four categories. These are: - preservation of human rights, adhering to labor requirements, environmental protection and to run corruption free organizations. Businesses have the responsibility of supporting and respecting human rights throughout the world. With this regard they are motivated to engage into CSR activities to ensure they do not commit any human right abuses (Vidaver-Cohen an Simcic 2008, p.74). With regards to labor movements, organizations should strive to uphold labor requirements and must always respect collective bargaining agreements. They must not at all costs engage in ant forms of forced labor, do away with child labors and must not also discriminate when employing (Waddell 2000, p.113). Alliance Boots has ensured this by establishing efficient and effective employee handling measures right from how they recruit which is fa ir and transparent, the promotion procedures are quite distinct and the welfare of their employees are well taken care of in terms of safe working environment and good and satisfactory remuneration (Campbell 2007, p.142). Another factor that motivates companies is the preservation of the environment that they operate in. It is through global warming that the destruction of the environment results and it is because of the carbon emissions from the industries that world temperatures rise. They must therefore participate to preserve the same environment since it is the sources of raw material. Green operations and campaigning Green are therefore quite common phenomenon to safeguard operations of most corporations (Waddock and Smith 2000, p.232). The companies are engaged in this by throwing their support towards precautionary measures towards the environmental challenges. In addition, they strive to undertake mechanisms to promote their responsibility towards environmental responsibili ty (Campbell 2007, p.173). Alliance Boots engages in development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technology in the design and manufacture of its products including their distribution. Moral and ethical responsibility is a function of most modern corporations to ensure that the businesses collectively work towards discouraging corrupt practices. Alliance Boots ensures they satisfy these motivations through the trust they have built and bestowed upon all their stakeholders. 2. The extent to which ethical issues /CSR drive strategy in the organization In order to determine the extent CSR drives organization strategy, it is appropriate to identify firms or a firm that employs CSR or ethical issues and compare that with their financial performance. Considering Alliance Boots whose CSR approach reflects their internal decision making approaches, CSR is responsible in driving its strategy since without it, it would not be in a position of identifying external stakeholders in its decision-making processes as dictated by management (Husted & Allen 2011, p.127). Therefore, CRS and ethical issues enables the organization to gather information from the external environment. Consequently, through the