Assessing The Strategic Human Resource Management Preferences Business Essay

Assessing The Strategic Human Resource Management Preferences Business Essay Number of growing organizations believes that Human Resource (HR) provides them competitive advantage. It was understood by many organizations that competitive advantage can be obtained by quality work force/employees and culture. Approach of linking Human Resource Management to Strategic objectives of an organization is called as Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) (Bratton and Gold, 2001). It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2001, p39) strategic management is defined as that set of managerial decisions and actions that determines the long-run performance of a corporation. Strategic HR ensures that employees/human capital of an organization contributes to its achievements with their skills and performance. Traditional HR is concerned with implementation of policies and techniques like recruitment, staffing, remuneration, assessment etc (Klabbers, University of Bergen). But linking the general HRM and the organizations strategy gives HR department more scope to enhance the abili ties of their workforce and concentrate on the vision and mission. This connection is made to improve the organization performance and develop organizational culture which in turn facilitates innovation and flexibility. Overall the key principle of Strategic HRM is to achieve organizations vision and mission. Bratton (2001) describes SHRM as a continuous process that requires constant adjustment in three major areas namely Value of Senior management, the environment and the resources available. Fig 1: Three major poles in strategic planning (Adapted from Bratton and Gold, 2001) Some authors believe that Strategic HRM is an Outcome and some believe that its a process. It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2004) that authors like Ulrich (1997) and Snell et al had different opinion on Strategic HRM. Snell et al believed that its an outcome designed to achieve sustained competitive edge through quality workforce. Ulrich (1997) also stated SHRM as an outcome of mission, vision and priorities of HR department. HR strategies are more concerned about matching the Five Ps that stimulates the employee roles for competitive strategy (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p46 and Cerdin and Ashok Som, 2003). It was cited by Cerdin and Ashok Som (2003) that Strategic HRM is identified in three levels namely Strategic, Managerial and operational level. Strategic level looks to the long term future, Managerial level looks at the mid term and the operation level looks at the short term focus. Different models and approaches were discussed in this assignment to understand the functionality o f strategic HRM and how far the organization able to implement it. Models and Approaches There are several approaches and models by which Strategic HRM can be applied but basic strategic HRM model is widely accepted by many authors, researchers and even critics as well (Kane and Palmer, 1995). This basic model is based on the external and internal environment and basic organization strategies. Fig 2 Basic Model of Strategic Human resource Management (Adapted from Kane and Palmer, 1995) Strategic HRM models demonstrate how an organization links its business strategies and HR function to achieve it goals. Though SHRM adopts resource based philosophy, there are three different models defined by authors (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p49). These models are Control based, Resource based and Integrative model. Control based approach generally deals with control of work place and direct monitoring of employee performance. According to this approach, HR strategies and management structure are used as instruments and techniques to enhance labour productivity and there by increasing profitability. Resource based approach satisfies the human capital requirements of the organization (Armstrong, 2006, p117).It was observed by Bratton and Gold (2004) that sustained competitive advantage is not achieved by external market position but careful assessment of their own skills and capabilities that competitors cannot copy. Main objective of this approach is improving resource capability and effective utilization of resources to achieve the goals set by the organization. Within this model there are three different approaches by which organization can implement strategic HRM practices (Armstrong, 2006, p117) High Performance management approach High commitment management model and High involvement management model High Performance model helps in developing several processes by which employee performance is improved and impacted. This in turn directly effects the organization growth. This model believes enhancing the employee skills and encouraging them to learn continuously. This model involves rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, learning development activities and performance management system. Kemin nutritional technologies in India adopted similar model in implementing their strategies human resource. Kemin is a manufacturer of animal feed ingredients and human food ingredients. Their head quarter is located in Des Moines, US and having operations in over eight countries. Kemin have more than 4000 employees world wide. Kemins vision is to improve quality of Life by touching half the people of the world every day with its products and services. In order to achieve this vision Kemin strategically aligned all its divisions to contribute to the vision. HR division developed strategies to improve workforce capabilities and bring quality workforce into the organization. They have made certain changes in their recruiting process that will indirectly lead them to the vision of the organization. Now their selection process is complex and specifically looks for individuals who are matching to their core values. The recruiting process involves three stages with the initial screening is made to identify the ability of the individual to adapt to the situations and show high levels of resilience. Individuals integrity is also tested during this process. This process is fallowed by the technical assessment of an individual by the concerned department and finally personal interview is done by the HR to speak about his growth in this organization, performance analysis, incentives and learning prospective. Once the strategic planning is done for the year, senior management roles out the goals and responsibilities to the concerned departments. They constantly monitor the proceedings of their departments and analyse how far they have come. For example, Customer Lab Services (CLS) come under the marketing department. This department is evolved to support the marketing department technically. All the employees in the CLS have clear job responsibilities which will contribute the organizations strategic goals. If the organizations (Kemins) strategic plan is to improve one particular product group in this year, all the employees in CLS will have their SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound) goals related to that product category. This SMART goals system is implemented by Kemin to align organizational strategy to the HR practices so that they have a competitive edge to their competitors. These goals are set during the beginning of the year and monitored regularly by the senior management/supervisors. These goals are agreed mutually with the concerned supervisor regularly and employees are committed to deliver them. Kemin in 2005 introduced 360 degree appraisal system to analyse the employee performance in the place of regular one to one appraisal system. In 360 degree feedback system, employees are asked to select colleagues, peers or supervisors to rate them in the aspects of adoptability, development, learning, team work and technical etc. Again selection of the ratters should be discussed with the employee and his/her supervisor. All the employees are encouraged to participate in team meetings, ask questions regarding the approach of the organization to achieve certain task. Employees are also encouraged to submit ideas which will lead to a new product or a new business opportunity. Employees are provided with career ladders to understand about the hierarchies and their future growth. This will enable employee to focus more and contribute to the organizational growth and there by obtaining personal benefit. Kemin also identified few employees interested in taking new job roles and provided them with horizontal promotions (Lima and Pereira, 2003). For example an employee who was found efficient in serving customers was identified and offered to serve in marketing department where the employee originally belongs to CLS (Technical). Kemins HR department also incorporated developmental goals in their regular SMART goals so that employees make an effort to develop some personal capabilities which in turn help organization or help the individual to perform the job better. Kemin regularly conduct strategic meetings with the HR personals to understand their core capabilities and competencies. Some of the key points are listed below. Finally all the employees who are leaving Kemin are interviewed in process called Exit interview (Arnold, 1995) to find out their experience with Kemin and know possible areas of improvement. A clear vision and mission Clear job description and SMART Goals Rigorous recruitment/interview process 360 degree appraisal system Developmental trainings Horizontal promotions Encouraged to learn and develop continuously Exit interviews One of the main strategic plans of Kemin is to maximise utilization of resources without increasing the cost structure. Kemin HR had built a strategy to cope up with this task. HR hired few internship students to conduct market surveys and research in different locations so that they avoid cost bared by regular employees and their time and travel expenses. These small things contributed in a big way to companys performance. All the departments worked parallel to each other to achieve the same objective saving time and money. Overall by implementing these strategies Kemins Strategic HRM function aligns with the companys objectives, vision and mission. These strategies deliver high performance environment for the employees and for the management. Kemin also provided opportunities for its employees to work globally and allowed them to participate in seminars, conferences etc where ever they were held. Kemin also made a strategy to retain employees by giving them benefits for staying lon g years. Once the employee of Kemin stays longer than 15 years he/she will join the presidents elite committee which plays a major role in taking key business decisions. The High commitment approach is defines as a focused approach which concentrates on development of career goals and trainability and commitment of employees (Armstrong, 2006, p119). Key points of this strategic approach are developing ownership where employees are given opportunity to speak and involved in decision making. The second aspect is providing clear communication to the employees about the goal they are committed to achieve (Armstrong, 2006, p279). And the initiative of this approach is to develop leadership skills. Commitment can be increased or enhanced by making leaders inside the organization. From this theory it is understood that Kemin also practiced such type of strategies to improve the commitment of the employees. Kemin provide employees with useful trainings like SALT (Strategic accounts and leadership Program) and Project Management (e.g. Stage Gate process).So it seems Kemin strategic HRM is a mix of the two approaches discussed above. The High involvement approach involves treating employees as partners in the organization. In this approach employees are given opportunity to communicate with the managers continuously about the organizations mission, vision, values and objectives. Integrative model characterized by two dimensions namely acquisition and development and the locus of control (Bratton and Gold, 2004, p53). Bratton and Gold explained that Bamberger and Meshoulam (2000) integrate two main models of SHRM. Whatever strategy or approach fallowed by organization it is the aim of the SHRM to obtain competitive advantage and achieve organization objectives. TASK TWO HRM Practices , horizontal and vertical integration Introduction Organization now concerned about their human capital and their competitive advantage. Human resource management (HRM) largely replaced the term Personnel management. Personnel management deals with managing people in the organization who contributes to the organizations performance. Human resource management can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of people. HRM operates in a coherent way to help organization perform better and achieve target. HR philosophies, strategies, policies, processes, practices and programs are the processes by which Human resource function works. Values and guidelines of principles of people management (Armstrong, 2006, p4) are described in the HR philosophies. HR strategies define the path of the HR function in achieving organizations vision. Key functions of HR department are Improve organizations effectiveness Human capital management Knowledge management Rewarding and employee relationship management All the goals and policies are made by the HR department are finally helps to improve stakeholder value by putting the customer in the first place. HR function will play a major role in creation of an environment for the employees that enable them to utilize their capabilities maximum and benefit the organization (Armstrong, 2006, p54). HR function also supports the management to achieve its vision through the people. HR function also aligns with organizations strategies to achieve vision and it can also be described as vertical integration. Concept of coherence can be described as Horizontal integration which defines developing HR employment and development policies and practices. Different theorists defined several models Human resource management. Some of the models include Matching model, Harvard frame work model and conceptual model. Matching model include four generic processes namely selection, appraisal, rewarding and development. The Harvard frame work model was developed by Beer et al of Harvard University, hence called as Harvard model. s Kemins HR function employed effective policies to serve employees and the organization with benefits. By providing benefits to the employees it is eminent that organizations performance is improved. HR function in Kemin operated in organized way by both horizontal and vertical integration. To integrate HRM successfully its is observed that people in that department should have a good idea about how HRM is different from personnel management (Cathy, 2005). Kemins vision states that Improve the quality of life and touching people, and their mission states that they provide nutritional solution to the customers by continuous improvement in their people, process and products. Every department in the company has been provided with a quality policy for which the department is committed to achieve certain tasks. Kemin HR quality policy is to provide best man power, improve organizational culture, reduce cost to the company, provide healthy and safe environment to the employees and provide c ompetitive edge to the company. Some of the key HR policies and practices adopted by Kemin are listed below. Code of Conduct Appraisal and promotions Internet and email policies Selection of employee and referral program Dress code and corporate clothing Salary increase, increments and incentives Leave and transfer policies Equal opportunities These policies make sure that HR function deliver best value to the employees. Horizontal integration of HR policies in Kemin was done with precision so that employees feel satisfied about the efforts of organization in treating them. Selection of employee was done with great importance. The interview process includes analysing the persons ability to adjust to the culture, capability to deliver job and respect the vision of the company. Salary negotiations were done in the HR interview to meet the organizations requirements. Important HR policies regarding transfer, promotions, transfers, relocation were circulated to the employees to make them aware of the organization policies and avoid any kind of confusion. It is important for the HR function in Kemin to protect and preserve companys valuable information within. The code of conduct and internet email policies serves as the protective strategies for Kemin. All the Kemin employees were asked to maintain professional relationship w ith internal and external customers and maintain the organization culture. One more basic function which was employed by Kemin was providing trainings to the employees for defined hours in a year. All the employees are eligible for the trainings and the trainings were selected based on the department and job roles. These training are provided to employees for their personal development and to make employee take care of his own career instead of looking for promotions (Ben, 1998) Employee referral system was found to be effective in Kemin. Every employee can refer a friend, past colleague or any he knows for any available position in Kemin and when the referred persons is successful and joins the company, employee will get a monitory benefit. This will encourage employees to bring new talent to the organization. Kemins HR department takes good care of the new employee in a way that he/she will get familiar with the organizations flow, roles and responsibilities of the job. An induction program will be provided for the new employee and mentor for the new empl oyee also assigned to monitor the progress. All the employees were provided with career ladder so that employee knows where he stands and understand the organizations hierarchies. Employees performance was measured twice in a year. Performance was measured in terms of SMART goals. Every goal set was given with some weightage and employees bound to achieve those goals. Performance will be measured in ratings/marks gained on the scale of 5. For example if an employees performance was analysed as meets the requirement, it means he/she achieved 3 on the scale. If the employee exceeds expectation it is measured as 5 on the scale. If the employee attains 5 on the scale, he/she will be eligible to climb up the career ladder. Increment and incentive schemes were rolled out to all the departments to reward the employees according to their performance. Vertical integration of HRM deals with the alignment of HR strategies with business strategies. This kind of integration encourages everyone in the organization to take responsibility of HRM, not just the HR department (Cathy, 2005). It was cited by Cathy (2005) that HR role also requires a business partner role along with the HR manager. Kemins HR manager was effective in delivering tasks related to people and controlling business process as well. Kemins HR manager was involved in many operation meetings and board meetings and developed ideas to achieve the strategic goals. This can be explained by an example by which HR manager made a difference in reducing cost to company and helping the strategic goal achievement. Kemin wanted increase the customer retention and satisfaction by 5 percent, increase the product sales by 25 percent during the year 2005. To achieve the task all the product managers had to work collectively in mobilizing the sales force. But achieving 25 sales growth was something difficult without the help of HR manager or department. It was difficult for the sales people to travel all over India as it consumes lot of time money. HR manger then employed internship students from different backgrounds to serve different departments in different location. This saved enormous amount of time and money for the company. The other concept of HRM vertical integration is to provide organizational learning/work based learning. Every employee has been provided with 40 hours training. It was cited by Bratton and Gold (2001) that formal and informal trainings can act as lever for the organization in terms of sustained core competencies. Trainings such as SALT (strategic account and leadership trainings) and Project management trainings make the difference in the employees in terms of competency and leadership which are most important for the organization. Kemins strategy is to produce innovative products with best processes. One of the Kemins HR policies includes Idea generation by which employees can submit an idea to improve, develop a product or a process. Each Idea will be considered after a careful investigation and analysing the feasibility. If the idea is unsuccessful initially, it is recorded for future use or reference. Once any idea is successful, idea generator is recognized and rewarded so that it motivates the other employees to contribute in the same way. Retaining the quality staff always been a difficult task for organizations. Reducing employee attrition rate/ worker turnover ( Ing-chung Haung et al, 2006) was one of the important goals for Kemin. Kemins HR employed a new strategy to retain the skilled employees. Kemin offered overseas assignments to the employments where they can work for sometime out side the country of origin. This lead to belief and trust of the employees on Kemin and lot of employees anticipated and shown positive approach to it. To improve the performance analysis of employees Kemin incorporated 360 degree feed back mechanism by which employees are rated based on their performance and behaviour. One of the main functions of the HR is to manage change in the organization. Change management is the process of continuous renewal of organization structure, direction and capabilities (Moran and Brightman, 2001). To improve the working condition Kemin even changed its office location to Chennai (India) city from a r ural area. HR played a major role in facilitating the change. He handled the people resistance (Waddel and Amrik, 1998) to the change in way that it had a very little impact on the organization performance. This change was anticipated by Kemin to achieve corporate goals and improve working conditions for the employees. Kemin seemed to effectively integrating its HR strategies to its business strategies. Recommendation Although Kemin appeared to be functioning well in the area of HR management, there are some areas of concern for the Kemin. Its is suggested that Kemin could use best fit model or the mix of culture fit and best fit models to manage the strategic HR function. Kemins employees had a dissatisfaction regarding the company salary policy and employee welfare. Though Kemin appear to be well function strategically, its bit neglected the Horizontal integration part. Kemins employees were unsure about the increment and incentive packages. In their policies it was mention that how and who are eligible for incentive and increments but it was not clearly mentioned that what is the percentage of raise they will get if their performance is above expectation. Few of the recommendations are listed below. It is suggested to document and communicate the reward and incentive policies accurately. Conduct regular audits to improve HR function and performance. It is suggested to Kemin that it employs strategies to improve employee satisfaction in terms of salary and compensation policies. Kemin should continue its practices in analysing the performance of employee and look for continuous improvement of the process. Kemins recognition system also needs improvements as they does not involve lower level employees. Often people from those levels hesitate to come forward and submit an idea. Kemin is suggested to have some strategies to motivate the lower level employees and come forward to participate in developmental programs. Kemin also should engage employees in some cultural activities that enhance team building and group working culture. Kemin also should employ job rotation (Huang, 1999) policy to enhance the learning capabilities and change to routine job responsibilities. These recommendation might help Kemin in improving the quality of life of their employees and help organization to perform better. Overall Kemin seem to be in good condition in employing HR policies and practices both in horizontal and in vertical integration. REFERENCES Armstrong Michael (2006), A hand book of Human resource management practices, 10th edition, Cambridge University Press, London. Arnold Kransdorff (1995) Exit interviews as an induction tool, Management Development Review, Volume 8  · Number 2  · pp. 37-40,  © MCB University Press Ben Ball (1998), Career management competences the individual perspective Librarian Career Development, Vol. 6 No. 7, pp. 3-11,  © MCB University Press Bob Kane and Ian Palmer (1995), Strategic HRM or managing the employment relationship, International Journal of Manpower 16,5/6, pp. 6-21, © MCB University Press. Bratton J, Gold J, (2001), Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, Routledge, Publications. 2nd edition. Cathy Sheehan (2005), A model for HRM strategic Integration, Personnel Review Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 192-209 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited Cerdin Jean-Luc Ashok SOM (2003),Strategic Human Resource Management Practices: An Exploratory Survey of French Organisations, Strategic human resource management practices: exploratory surveys on French organization, Groupe ESSEC CERNTRE DE RECHERCHE / RESEARCH CENTER, ESSEC Working Papers DR 03024 Huang, H. J. (1999). Job Rotation from the Employees Point of View, Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 7(1), 75-85. see at http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/1999/issue1/rotation.html, accessed electronically on 14th May 2008. Ing-chung Haung, Hao-chien Lin, Chih-Hsun Chuang, (2006) Constructing factors related to worker retention, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 491-508 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited Klabber Jan H.G, Enhancing corporate change: The case of strategic human resource management, University of Bergen, Norway, KMPC Netherlands, See at   http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/mcn/pdf_files/part9_1.pdf, accessed electronically on 8th May 2008. Lima F and Pereira P T (2003), Careers and wages within large firms: evidence from a matched employer-employee data set International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 812-835 q MCB UP Limited Moran J.W and Brightman B.K (2001), Leading organizational change, career development international, vol.6 No.2, pp 111-118, MCB University press. Ulrich, D. (1997), Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, . Waddell Dianne and Amrik S. Sohal (1998), Resistance: a constructive tool for change management Decision, Management decision, 36/8, MCB University Press, pp 543-548

Delivering Lifelong Learning

Delivering Lifelong Learning Enhancing learning through using technology Thinking back to when I delivered in work focused training sessions I found that technology was a huge aid to the learning for the students. I would set them web quests and get them research topics around the subject of day, One in particular that I remember was asking them to look at the human right act I asked them to work in pairs and put together some information about what the act was and why it was so important and how it linked into working in Health and social care.I gave them a set amount of time to do this then asked that they nominated a person to feedback to the group about what they had learnt. Looking back now I see that by encouraging learners to use this technology this was supporting the differentiation off the group it supported all the learners to gain knowledge and understanding even the ones who were not as confident in speaking up as others.I guess the other main way I support learners to u se technology is to encourage them to use the online etrack site to check there progress once I get a learner engaged with this I find that they look forward to checking their progress after each visit it’s a good tool for motivation. And another way would be by getting the learners to access and use the BKSB to support there learning with the maths and English it’s an excellent online tool that will guide them to up skill in the specific areas needed.It can however, as mentioned before highlight too many areas for development and perhaps scare the learner completely so this aid has negatives and positives. Technology can also support learners when writing written assignments they can use Microsoft word and send work over on email for electronic submission or send it to etrack a secure site to make additional progress in between assessments with their assessor. Learners can also use internet for research to support their learning. I also use offline exams that once upl oaded can give instant results, this is good as the learner knows.I have put together a case study of some of the various technology that can be used to support learners and have looked at what the positives and negatives of them are. |Technology available |Positives |Negatives | |Blogs, chat rooms and online discussion |Will help learners to communicate with each other. |Not all learners have | |forums |Accessible and inclusive. Can aid learning from peers. |internet. Connection | | |Is flexible the learner can log on in there own time. problems IT issues, would | | | |not support learners with | | | |low literacy levels. | |Cameras and mobile phones. |Aids communication. Often an instant response. Take |Not always cost effective | | |pictures of evidence |to all learners may create | | | |barriers for some.Bad | | | |signals. Unable to read a | | | |learners body language and | | | |vice versa | |Computer facilities to enable word |Can save work /use spell checker/ word coun t can go back|Not all learners have | |processing assignments and saving |and amend if needed. access to a home | |documents. | |computer/Can not be used | | | |during power cuts? Viruses | | | |could cause work to be | | | |lost. |Digital media for visual/audio recording|Good to play back work/ film to aid recall |Again learners may not have| |and playback | |access to this equipment. | |Electronic portfolios/etrack |Accessible/ sustainable i. e. no need for paper. |Again can create barriers | | |Can access supporting materials. |as not all will have access| | | |at home.Internet | | | |connection problems. | |Email |Electronic submission of work/communication/feedback |See above and also not | | |Can help evidence work set and completed |always an immediate | | | |response.IT issues may | | | |prevent you from receiving. | |Internet access |Accessible and inclusive/ Can access resources |Can lead to plagiarism | |Mobile phones |Aids communication/ Take pictures of evidenc e/ Internet |Not cost effective to all | | |access/Apps |learners/ may create | | | |barriers for some.Poor | | | |signal. Not always an | | | |immediate response. | |Online/offline and on demand tests |sustainable i. e. no need for paper instant results e. g. May highlight lots of work | | |diagnostics exams |required/ may not be a pass| | | |could de motivate | |Online discussion forums |Can be flexible to the learner/ can aid learning from |Again learners may not have| | |peers |access to this equipment. | | |Poor internet connection. | |Presentation software |Visual aid for learners/ can be emailed and used as a |Does not support all | | |reference |learning styles | |Scanners |Can upload documents evidence immediately |Again learners may not have| | | |access to this equipment. |Web cameras and video conferencing |If you cannot be in the same place as your learner and |See above | | |need to observe them | | |VLE |Can access supporting materials |See above | |Specialist equipment such as readers |Can aid learners with visual impairment or limited |See above | |tape recorders, Talking |verbal communication | | |calculators/Computer terminals with | | | |speech output | | | |DVR |Can be played back uploaded for evidence |Some people don’t feel | | | |comfortable being recorded. |Expectations of the minimum core in relation to delivering lifelong learning Firstly I would like to explain the importance of good communication it is imperative to ensure that information is given and received. It is the key to motivation, managing behaviour and promoting good working relationships. It includes verbal non verbal and written and can include various technology email/webinar and forums. I must ensure that I have excellent communication techniques to be able to maintain learner’s attention and to show professionalism when giving feedback. I need to be aware of my tone and facial expressions knowing when to change my tone to say show sympathy an d understanding r to take control of a disruptive group.I need to ensure that if I use jargon that the learner is supported in understanding what that is? ETRACK what is etrack a demonstration needs to be given so that the learner understands. Speaking/ Listening/Reading/Writing are the four skills I must demonstrate when supporting learners in Literacy, language and ICT I have looked at Tuckman’s theory of group work in relation to how people in groups communicate. He came up with a development model that shows the stages of development of how groups will communicate. Forming In the first stages of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individual's behavior is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict.Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organization, who does what, when to meet, etc. individuals are also gathering information and impressions – abo ut each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done. Storming Every group will next enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept.Team members open up to each other and confront each other's ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues. Norming The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make th e team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team's goals. Performing It is possible for some teams to reach the performing stage.These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. By this time, they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team. 1. ^ The Five Stages of Project Team Development, Gina Abudi – Retrieved May 18th 2010 Its not very often I deliver to groups but this research has helped me to look at the importance of it and also the importance of communication not only from myself but between learners.I often teach learners individually however they te nds to be a group within one setting and they will often work together to learn and gain knowledge for the award. So it’s important that I have an understanding the theory and psychological dynamics of group work. Evaluation of own practice in delivering inclusive learning and teaching I feel that I do adapt my teaching to try to suit each individual need. I have some learners for example who need much more support with their functional skills than others and in these cases I have arranged extra visits with and given one to one support. I do feel that since delivering Functional skills my practice has improved.At the start I found it difficult to know where to start with supporting learners and with experience I have gained confidence and knowledge of the support materials available. I have also recently obtained some really helpful handouts to support learners with understanding the requirements of literacy. They are like flash cards and are very easy to understand. Looking back I can think of learners that this resource will have been very helpful. And I wish now that I had sourced them sooner. I am also not entirely confident in speaking in group situations and I know that the only way to prepare for this is to be fully prepared and to ensure that I have researched a subject fully.I have passed my functional skill level 2 in literacy and Math but would like to go on to complete the level 3 as I feel this will enhance my knowledge and confidence and thus can only benefit my learners. I intend to complete a diagnostic on the BKSB to identify what areas I need to improve on. I also need to work on some of my ICT skills in particular spreadsheets as I work in health and social care its not to often I have deliver ICT so I feel I have not focused on this area as much as I should have. I In particular I know I need to work on spreadsheets and I have been working through some workbooks on the BKSB to help with this. I would hate to ever be in a situation wh ere a learner wanted support in this area and I was unable to give it.

Corporal Punishment: an Effective Tool in Child Discipline Essay

â€Å"For every action, there’s a reaction†, states Newton’s law of motion. This obvious truth doesn’t apply to just physics alone. It can also be applied to the human personality. When applying it to a child’s behavior, especially from a very early age, children need to be taught that their actions will have consequences. Being the sponges that they are, sometimes they absorb bad behaviors. Since they are inexperienced and need guidance throughout their life, there are different methods of discipline that can help correct their bad behaviors and actions. One way that is often effective is by explaining to the child why certain behaviors are not acceptable. But when a simple explanation isn’t enough, or when the child refuses to apply counsel, parents do have one last resort: corporal punishment. When parents do in fact use corporal punishment on their children, it normally is done after other forms of discipline have lacked effectiveness. For example, what if little Johnny has started hitting his young sister when she plays with his toys because he is not fond of sharing? We all know that sharing is one of the first principles that should be taught to children since it teaches them not to be selfish human beings. The first form of discipline that a parent might try is sitting down with little Johnny to explain to him that he needs to learn how to share and that hitting his sister is not appropriate. However, on a second occasion, Johnny hits his younger sister again for the same reason of not wanting to share. This time, the parent gives him a warning which results in Johnny remembering what was explained to him and stopping the wrong behavior, but with a pout. Once again, Johnny hits his sister for taking his toys, but instead of explaining or giving warnings, the parent now takes matters to the next level and decides to spank Johnny on his bottom. This third act of discipline, although still legal in all 50 of the United States, has been under much debate. The main argument that experts have as to why spanking should not be used is that it has negative psychological effects on children which can result in depression or even suicide. (Gershoff). Dr. Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff, PhD, of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University analyzed 62 years worth of data that looked into the â€Å"positive and negative behaviors in children that were associated with corporal punishment†. She defined corporal punishment as ‘physical force used with the intention to cause pain, but not injury, in order to correct or control a child’s behavior’, but this action turns into abuse when it is taken to the extent of â€Å"punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking, yanking hair, twisting ears, and making a child stand in the same place for a long time, even if no injury results† (The Spanking Debate). In her study she found that the use of corporal punishment â€Å"increased child aggression and antisocial behavior†. But one main thing she pointed out about her findings is that the negative effects on the child were seen in association with the use of corporal punishment to the extent of physical abuse to the child (Gershoff). Dr. Gershoff herself admits that the results of her findings are not concrete evidence as to why corporal punishment should not be used because â€Å"they almost never record whether the punishment was deliberate or impulsive, or if it was a first resort or a last resort† (The Spanking Debate). This last admission about her own results shows how different discipline techniques gives different results. Corporal punishment that is administered lovingly should not be expected to provide the same results that abusive corporal punishment will obviously show. Most of the results taken from Dr. Gershoff’s study, although said to support the argument of how corporal punishment should not be used, lacks to explain the different results obtained if corporal punishment where administered in a loving way with the intent to guide children in the right direction and to help them develop the correct principles in order to become good citizens in today’s society. The fact that different parents administer corporal discipline at two completely different extremes is a major factor that needs to be more profoundly investigated. Although Dr. Gershoff’s analysis did contain both of those extremes, the results from the type of discipline used also gave different results. With these two variables being a part of Dr. Gershoff’s equation, it is argued that although severe forms of corporal unishment do exist, the positive effects of when it is correctly applied by means of a moderate and occasional spanking by parents who continuously convey their love for their child and explain the reasons for their actions, result in huge benefits for the child that overshadow the temporary pain that they may encounter because of the appropriately administered corporal punishment (The Spanking Debate). Robert Larzelere, a psychologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, reviewed 38 studies in relation to corporal punishment and came to the conclusion that when moderate and un-abusive spanking was administered, it reduced misbehavior in children without having the negative psychological effects that some psychologist claim that corporal punishment has. According to Larzelere, not only did that type of discipline work, â€Å"but it also reinforced milder forms of discipline, so that children are more apt to respond without spanking the next time† (Time). Edward Ledezma, who had been a single parent for about 7 to 8 years, recalls having to spank his daughter on two different occasions because his five year old daughter, Lilly, was continuously not listening to his instructions. That was the first and only time he had to use that type of discipline, and it was only after trying to explain to her first why she needed to listen to him. Now that she’s nine, there’s is no indication that she has psychological problems. On the contrary, she’s at the top of her forth grade class, is a well behaved girl, has he utmost respect for her dad, and loves him unconditionally. The loving corporal punishment that Edward had administered four years ago had served its purpose and he did not need to use it again. It shouldn’t be a surprise that such a debate on corporal punishment continues. On one side there are experts that say that abusive corporal punishment is wrong because of the negative psychological effects and who would doubt that it would. On the other hand, parents can reap the benefits with administering corporal discipline in a loving way. The argument should not be whether to administer corporal punishment but rather parents need to be taught that although it works, the only way they can sow the benefits from it is if they administer it within limits and only as a last resort.

About Health and Fitness - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1496 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Sports Essay Level High school Tags: Fitness Essay Did you like this example? Living a healthy and fit lifestyle has many key components in achieving the optimal way of living. If you were not to focus in on your diet or working out habits then it could affect your mental and physical health causing you to gain weight or maybe even potentially become obese, being able to do certain physical activities or make your social behaviors to decline. It can also have an impact on your children later down the road causing them to be at risk for certain diseases that are passed down from you to them when born. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "About Health and Fitness" essay for you Create order Even though the benefits for improving your way of living sounds phenomenal, going from unhealthy to living your best life it can be a struggle and frustrating at times but can be achievable with time and patience. But an important note to take is that even though a certain study might tell you to do one thing in your lifestyle and another study will tell you something completely different even though it is over the same subject as well. That goes to show you that no one person is the same as you, so you will not have to do the same numbers as the book tells you to do. Having a proper diet is the hardest part of living a healthy lifestyle. We live in a society today where a fast food restaurant are around every corner that we adventure off to and knowing how great it tastes, how easy it is to access whenever you want it, and inexpensive it is, it is still terrible for you. Knowing the sodium and fat levels included in that meal are through the roof. Thats why there are certain laws out to help protect us from the food chains from going overboard with the things that can affect our health in a negative way. Eating good nutritional food is something you should include in your regular day to day bases. Dieting is your framework when it comes to the things you want to achieve in your healthy lifestyle. If you do not eat properly before you go to the gym, you will most likely have a bad day and you will not have an effective workout or cause you to get sick. Eating things like all of your vegetables especially your greens, red meats, and fish are needed . The major classes of nutrients are water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.*pg50* all these are needed to help achieve your goal of healthy living. Drinking water, for example, is something that is one of those simple tasks that people ignore more often than not but is something that is so vital to your proper diet. Losing a low amount of the water in your body could cause you to lose your life because 70 percent of your body is made up of water. Water can only be replenished back into your body only if you intake it properly. Water is also very important in activating our fiber intake. The recommended 20 to 35 grams of daily fiber requires about six to eight glasses of water to be effective. Your daily water intake depends on the number of calories you expend. You need about one milliliter of water (1 ml = 1 cc=1/1000 L = 1/30 oz; 1 glass = 8 oz = 240 ml) for every calorie you burn. You lose water through sweat (24 oz), urine, feces, and breath air (12 oz) daily even when you are inactive.*pg52* When you first wake you, you have gone that whole night of sleep without water so the best thing to do is drink a bottle of water to k ick off your day and it will improve your day majorly When eating your foods that have carbohydrates in them that is how you get your body to function properly through your day. But know there are good and bad carbs. Good carbs include berries, apples, broccoli, grains, and dairy products. Bad carbs include sodas, cakes, mainly anything that includes loads of sugar. Fats are what give you all of your energy and are broken up into four groups. You have your two good fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats which include nuts, seeds, and fish. These are usually easier to consume when snacking on these through the day. Your bad fats in Recent studies have shown that ones intake of saturated and trans fatty acids can be reduced by half by eliminating butter, margarine, dairy products containing 2 percent fat or whole milk, and meats with fat.*pg55* Proteins have amino acids and this is important because they repair, develop, and grow tissue. Eating eggs, meat with no fat, fish, and cheese are rich in protein and they are what make you grow. Proteins are highly needed for keeping our body functioning as well. Vitamins are needed in lower doses but still very important to your health. If maintained in a poor manner the lack of vitamins could leave you in a world of pain by damaging your liver and kidneys. If you believe you are not getting enough of the needed nutrients than you can take a vitamin supplement. However, if taken accessibly then it could lead to blindness, kidney stones, and liver injury. Having all of these different nutritional facts are a major key in you becoming more knowledgeable and now of a basis of what food to eat. Still dieting is what healthy living is framed around. If you can control what you eat, then you can do anything you set your mind to. The secret to having a healthy lifestyle is a balance. Without enough or too much of one thing still offsets certain parts of the body causing all these little ripple effects to be caused. You can not forget about the working out part of your lifestyle. It is important to work your body and build it back up. It causes you to even look better causing you to build your self esteem to rise as well. With all the different types of fitness there are out there, aerobic fitness is a way you can use to see and analyze how much oxygen you are getting to your muscles. Exercises included are walking, jogging, running, and even with you sitting and hearing this paper be presented. Incorporating this into your everyday routine for thirty minutes a day you will see an improvement in your breathing, feeling, and eating habits. Everything you do, you use oxygen and when you are delivering all the oxygen throughout your body it becomes easier to do a certain task. Achieving that weight loss goal of yours is very dependent on how many calories you are intaking. You slipped up and ate something you were not supposed to eat so you could go out and get your thirty to forty minute walk in. Now you are back to your original goal. Stretching and being flexible are here to save us from straining anything in our day to day basis when trying to complete a task. It is how well you can move your joints around in normal motion. For example, if you were to break your ankle and had been in a boot to keep your foot from moving around. All of your tissue, muscle, and ligaments are there staying in one spot. Once the boot is taken off, you try to move it around and all you hear are creaks and pops. Your ankle is not ready to be stretched at its full capacity yet. Normal activities like walking are impacted by this. When stretching to get your ankle back to tip top shape there are two different types of exercises, static and dynamic. In static stretching, you hold your certain muscle group at a point that is bearable for a couple of seconds, all while still controlling your breathing, then release. What this is doing is training your targeted area to reach that high point where you are stretching it too. Motivation is a key component is staying true to what you are wanting to accomplish. Taking pictures of your progress from the start to week four, to week eight, and the final result will give you that visible progression and show you that you are not just doing this for no reason. You are doing this, so you can look and feel better as well. Loving a healthy lifestyle brings along social status. If you look good and you know it, of course, the opposite sex will naturally gravitate to you. You are now walking around with that confidence you once never had. It feels good to be able to do things freely with no repercussion from it. Whether it be you getting out of bed pain free, going for a walk with your family, or throwing the baseball with your son. It all correlates with each other in the little everyday things we do. Do not take it for granted and take care of your body. It is the only one you have.