Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Summary Of Texas Woman s University - 1086 Words

Kenya Freeman Dr. Moore English 1013 22 September 2014 Coming to TWU (Texas Woman’s University) this fall for college was a good decision on my part. Not only are the staff and faculty helpful but they are also there when you need them. When I came on move in day I learned that my LLC (Living Learning Community) had a PA (Peer Advisor) and an RA (Resident Assistant). Rachel (the PA) was and is always there when I need her and had never let me down, and even though it is her job as a PA you can tell that she really does enjoy what she does and likes helping others. Becoming a PA is a way to not only help the new incoming students but also a way to know and interact with the new residents, which is exactly why Rachel decided to become one, â€Å"I wanted to interact with the residents and get to know them but not on the same level as an RA.† There is a huge difference between being an RA and being a PA, well at least to me there is. A PA links residents to academic resources on the campus and helps the residents’ transition from high school level to college level. PAs serve as permanent extra resources that are available 24/7; if you do not know how to study or build up your study habits they are there to help you with that. Not only are the PAs living in the dorms with residents but they also share and serve as teacher assistants in the UNIV 1231 course with the residents they are assigned to. The PAs are almost like academic advisors in a way, they assist the residents withShow MoreRelatedThe Changes in the Role of Women through out Different Eras1381 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in the Victorian era start to explore their sexuality and share it; for example, prostitutes become popular in this time period. In the 1920’s, women give a new name to themselves by completely separating from the role of the loyal wife, completely embracing their sexuality and not afraid to flaunt it. Thus, from the early Puritan era to the 1920’s, women progressively transform from wallflowers to self-advocates and attain a stronger social position in a world dominated by man through acquiringRead MoreRwanda Genocide : The First Conviction1264 Words   |  6 Pagesgender issues and assistance to victims at the ICTR, talks about five women from Taba who testified in the Akayesu case. They were all victims of rape, each of them with their own tragic story. Ngendahayo shared the story to two women saying â€Å"One woman was raped by forty men, and another heard her twelve year old daughter being raped saying ‘pl ease forgive me I will never be a Tutsi again’† (â€Å"Interviews with†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Many victims, just like these women, testified about rape and sexual violence, whichRead MoreThe Fifth Amendment : Self-Incrimination In The Fifth Amendment1040 Words   |  5 Pagesis often known as taking the fifth. One of the most historical cases in regards to the Fifth Amendment is Miranda v. 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It will also provide examples of program implementation, challenges/barriers to implementing the practice, address how the practice supports recovery from a serious mental illness standpoint and provide a s ummary. Although there are several types of therapy available to treat depression and other mood disorders, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) has been one of the most widely used. It is thought to be very effective in treating depression in adolescentsRead MoreSelf Efficacy Of Students And Its Effect On Academic Achievement1852 Words   |  8 PagesMohammed Abd Elnaby. B .Sc. Nursing Tanta University [2011] Under Supervision Of Assist. Prof. Kareema Ahmed Assistant Professor of Nursing Administration Faculty of Nursing Tanta University DR. Nora Ahmed Abdullah Lecture of Nursing Administration Faculty of Nursing Benha University Faculty of Nursing Benha University 2017 Introduction Higher education scholars have established key basic associated with the development of university students and interact with faculty staff andRead More History of Marriage Law Essay2692 Words   |  11 Pagesmore complicated. -English common law, and early American law, before the 1820s treated marriages like business mergers. The fathers paid dowries and often arranged marriages for their daughters. In the early 1800s fathers could contract their daughters to marriage as early as age 12 and there was no consent on her part. Boys had to be 14 before they could enter into a marriage contract. -The age at which a woman could enter into marriage in the mid-nineteenth century varied widely from stateRead MoreThe Unwritten History Of Slavery2506 Words   |  11 PagesSettle Egypt, informally known as Ophie, was an African American woman ahead of her time. She attained the educational status of less than one percent of the American population, was liberal and accepting of others despite the criticism around her, fought to end racism, worked independently of her husband, and believed in limiting family growth. All of Egypt’s beliefs and lifetime achievements represent a new type of woman: a woman who refuses to assimilate to her gender stereotype of weak, inferiorRead MoreThe Wellington Violence Intervention Programs Incorporated ( Vip ) Essay1797 Words   |  8 Pagesabusive toward their significant others, Sponsorship groups and a recommendation provision for the women who are victimized, and the training on domestic violence issues for public groups and interventi ons (Barrett, 2001). Social systems model and women s movement are both utilized by VIP (Barrett, 2001). First of all, our intervention will consist of educating the community on domestic violence on women and their children. The De Violencia a la Paz Group has submitted a grant request to the Sid W. Richardson

Monday, December 23, 2019

Sir Gawain And The Merchant Of Venice - 899 Words

In English literature, chivalry is a concept that is used to show heroism and mortality. These are rules that define the codes of conduct which are embraced by the nobility and their knights during medieval times (i.e. courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms). Inside many of the most popular plays, this was utilized to create a sense of values and respect for these ideals. To fully understand the importance of chivalry requires looking at three works of literature from different periods. This will be accomplished by studying the main characters from Beowulf, Sir Gawain and The Merchant of Venice. Together, these different elements will show the long-term influences of compassion and how all three individuals are embracing its important attributes to varying degrees. Beowulf vs. Sir Gawain vs. The Merchant of Venice The three characters that will be examined include: Beowulf, Sir Gawain and Shylock. In the case of Beowulf, he was the ultimate hero who embraces the ideals of chivalry. This occurred throughout the course of his life. When he is young, he illustrates these attributes through his courage, feats of strength, mannerisms, loyalty and courtesy. After he defeats Grendel and Grendel s mother, is when his reputation for bravery grows. Later on, he becomes King and places the interests of the community above himself. This leads to his untimely death and there are questions surrounding Beowulf s sacrifice. On one hand,

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly Free Essays

string(70) " the Methodist congregations to spread their radical political ideas\." The eighteenth century is commonly viewed by historians as a period of decline for the Anglican establishment which suffered increasing losses in its authority over local parishes and failing to respond adequately to the changing society of the early industrial age and challenges over the nature of religion and its role in the lives of individuals. In the 1740s, Samuel Wesley and his sons began to preach outside the confines of the Church, advocating a more voluntary approach to religious devotion and encouraging increased involvement of laymen in the work of the parish. Methodism was effectively born out of societies set up to integrate the church into the community, but in carrying voluntarism to its logical conclusion, argues Gilbert, such a movement would naturally come into conflict with the establishment by offering an alternative to the prescribed methods of religious practise and undermining the ministerial authority and organising machinery of the Church. We will write a custom essay sample on Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although the Wesley family were conservative Tories and John Wesley, who was to become the leading Methodist figure, always expressed a keen desire to remain within Anglicanism, he told a inaugural conference in 1744 that Methodism would either leave the whole church or â€Å"be thrust out of it† Whether the Methodists were in essence a radical or conservative group was at the time, and remains a much debated topic. In an essay on Methodism, Dissent and Political Stability2, Gilbert argues that it was in fact both. Methodism was a means of taking a stand against prescribed religion and the status quo of social organisation through the withdrawal of status respect and assertion of freedom. Methodism was in effect a radical means of political and social protest in an era of new ideas and social instability, epitomised abroad by the violent revolutions in France, and yet the movement was unobtrusive in its politics and the moderate nature of this radicalism had a stabilising effect on society, acting as a â€Å"safety valve† that contained tension and helped avoid the polarisation of opinions. Looking at the religious history of other European nations, Methodism is quite the anomaly, a dissenting movement, cast out of the Anglican Church that eventually serves to prop up the traditional order. Weakness in the Anglican establishment dated back to the reformation, which had been a break away from authority from Rome, but had also meant an increase in secular authority over the ecclesiastical, through the judicial courts, some tithe taxes and rights of patronage. Though the clerical influence in national politics and in local parishes was still strong, it was no longer as an independent body, but in conjunction with secular authorities. Loss of influence in the upper echelons of power, with monarchs of differing faith on the throne and the abbots losing their majority in the Lords was coupled with strain on authority in the parishes through lack of adequate funding or dynamism. The demographic boom of the late eighteenth century and the breakdown of the traditional parish based organisation of ancien regime society with the increase in manufacturing towns left many outside the network of pastoral oversight, as Ward notes, this and toleration laws paved the way for eager dissenters to exert influence3. However, the first half of the century is more commonly characterised by a mood of religious apathy. Numbers attending Anglican services were declining, but Gilbert argues, Protestant dissent was also in a state of atrophy in 1740. Looking at statistics, this could be seen as a dramatic turning point in the history of religious dissent, but it must be remembered that after new toleration acts were passed it became necessary for all groups to register, nevertheless, this was a period when old dissenting movements were being surpassed by the new evangelicals, who could serve the community where the Anglican church could no longer cope. Naturally there was a certain discontinuity of dissent, with different traditions declining and growing in different patterns across the country. The chapel movement was one that responded to local needs, in some areas lay societies along evangelical lines were even encouraged by the local clergy, but the most prominent groups inevitably sprang up where the church was least effective and inevitably would become a source of conflict with the establishment. The evangelical revival of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was above all a popular movement, and with no central driving force, it is difficult to define the limits of the movement. Dissenters within the orthodoxy of the Church had existed before, but a newfound zeal, enthusiastic conversion methods and a more coherent programme now developed into a single, if multiform, religious phenomenon. Although there were divisions between Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists and Independents, they were not fundamental. All relied on lay preachers and the centrality of village communities to spread their message of voluntary piety, based around the family and spiritual equality, whereby all could receive salvation through faith and good works. Methodism can perhaps be characterised by its system of connexion networks that linked dissenting groups across the country. Wesley had hoped to unite his movement through the Anglican ministers and in 1764 had sent fifty letters appealing for a unity of purpose, but receiving only three replies, realised he would have to unite and organise his followers outside the clergy. The strength of the movement however, was not in a system of alliances, but its dynamism. Methodism was a movement that spread rapidly through expansionist missionary societies, and Wesley’s followers breached the movement further away from the church by demanding that its preachers should be able to give communion. A 1793 conference voted that members of a society who were unanimous in their desire to receive the sacrament from their preacher might do so. Ward questions whether this was a case of the preachers following the flock, or the scheming of radical ministers to use the Methodist congregations to spread their radical political ideas. You read "Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly" in category "Papers" Samuel Bradburn was one such minister who introduced ideas of unbounded liberty and the Rights of Man into his sermons, but he shunned Kilham, an even more defiant political Methodist, casting doubt on any suggestion of a central political aim. In the 1790s, social tensions were reaching boiling point. Evangelical societies attracted dissenters at all social levels, even at court, where many independent politicians, clergymen and intellectuals deserted George III and headed a campaign as a Unitarian group for reforms to free trade and end slavery, believing in free enquiry and social progress. Among the lower social orders there was a backlash against the increasing number of dissenters and riots broke out, prompted by food shortages but also calling for â€Å"Church and King† and were largely unhindered by the clergy and magistrates of the old order. It is important to remember that while the growth of evangelical movements was significant, it still only affected a small proportion of the population, with many remaining ambivalent towards new ideals of piety and man others choosing to remain firmly within the Anglican fold. For some, traditional means of expressing discontent were still favoured. Davidoff sees the Evangelical movement as a largely middle class phenomenon. This was a rapidly expanding social group that needed to form their identity. He argues that a sense of religious belonging was provided by the various evangelical movements became a part of middle class culture and the success of the movement can be credited to its ability to fill this need. Traditional church practise did not involve participation from the lay community, and while the middle classes were a group with little political power, there role was gradually becoming more like that of the traditional gentry, as Lords devolved their duties in a practise of stewardship. Dissenting evangelical groups formed a basis of a middle class community as well as a middle class culture. The religious focus is undeniably meritocratic in tone; that salvation was open to all through their own piety. Davidoff also believes that there was a notion that this piety could give individuals strength to bare hostility from others, as the new middle classes may well have faced in the years of hardship and social tension at the end of the eighteenth century. The central importance of the family crossed denominations, another middle class value. The ideal was of the home as a moral haven from the amoral world of the business market. This haven was created by women, who were viewed as naturally more pious than men. The concepts of masculine and feminine were being transposed into more distinct social roles, each with their own responsibilities. Men were the material providers of the family and women’s role was to create a moral home for her husband and children, domestic seclusion was a moral ideal and some serious evangelicals even shunned the pleasures of sport and the theatre in favour of this domesticity. Women did have increased prominence in church life, in some denominations they could even be ministers, but overall, the new movements were still male dominated. In some areas women may even have lost influence, where before they could have performed duties of clerks where necessary, roles were now more often formalised into those that were acceptable for women and those that were not. The evangelical community gave the middle class a forum to profess their beliefs and help to form their own culture and community. Dissenting groups were most prominent in new manufacturing towns and much of their establishment can be seen as benefiting the middle classes. They set up church schools and welfare societies, seeing their community almost s an extension of their family that need to be provided for. Schools were central to the evangelical movement, supporting the middle class love of reading and reflection as alternative entertainments. Indeed it was often the case that the school came before the chapel, as was the case in Bollington, a manufacturing town in the Northwest. Although initially non-denominational, the school soon became dominated by the Methodists. But importantly, the erection of such public buildings was not decided on by the preachers, but went before an appeal to the town, in tune with democratic principals. The practise of the Sunday school was an important means of gaining support among the locals, as many sent their children to work in factories at an early age and this would still give them a chance to learn to read. The work of evangelicals within their communities through charity and education may have stunted working class resentment, but Davidoff asserts that they still tended to stay away from Church. Gilberts sees the evangelicals as targeting the lower echelons of society, corroding the image of the lower orders as simple minded and maybe thus giving cause for concern to the ruling classes, but it is probable that these are two differing views of what was essentially the same social group, seen as the lower orders by contemporaries, but viewed by some historians, in the pattern of social evolution, as the emerging middle classes. The end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries saw a demographic boom, centred around new manufacturing towns. It was the early years of the industrial age and the changing structure of society had new needs that the state and church could not provide for. Looking abroad for a point of comparison, French society, with its firmly established monarchy and church was thrust into a violent revolution that was to remove both. In England, the less powerful position occupied by the monarchy and church could be seen as perhaps what saved them from a similar fate. Dissenting movements had been allowed to develop that were then to serve as a moderating force. There was much confusion in the late eighteenth century as to Methodists and their significance. The movement grew further and faster than other evangelical societies, and what Smyth called â€Å"Christian godliness without Christian organisation† in 1795 was attacked by others as having too much organisation and followers were subject to too much pastoral oversight, threatening the formation of a radical political force. 5 Indeed, Sidney Pollard and Robert Southerly were of the view that revolution was imminent. With hindsight, historians like Halevy have argued that there was nothing for the state to fear in the rise of Methodism, but contemporary powers would not have been able to see the larger picture of changing society and the development of a middle-class and so the movement may have been forced into its unobtrusive political stance where perhaps more radical beliefs were deep-seated. Jabez Bunting, a radical Methodist figure after the death of Wesley, saw the movement as wide, but not deep. He was relatively apolitical, but was keen to preserve the liberties that Methodism had benefited from in the face of conservative reaction to social tensions and revolution in Europe. But the evangelical revival, viewed with historical hindsight is indeed a political movement, the energies of the chapel communities were a force that resisted to reactionism and later advocated reforms, but after 1850 the dynamism of the movement had dwindled, as the social tensions of the age eased. How to cite Methodism, the most astonishing eruption in the eighteenth century history of religion, was an anomaly, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Public Health in Australia

Question: Identify an example of an inequitable distribution of health in the region or country of your choice. Discuss briefly ,how public health has explained this health inequity in the past?Then use a current public health model to show how this health inequity is produced and understood today. Answer: Introduction: In the present world of today with the advancement of science and technology, the average health condition of people is improving, and their mortality rate is gradually decreasing. However, the situation is not the same for all and that is the reason, why the question of health inequity has become such a burning topic today. As defined by the World Health Organization, the health inequity is defined as a situation, whereby owing to low socio-economic condition, some people of the total population of a state, are deprived of adequate access to the basic health care systems of the country (Sadana et al., 2016) . Consequently, this deprived section of the society, in absence of adequate medical resources, become prey to chronic and fatal diseases, and eventually dies. However, apart from the difference in income, an individuals gender, ethnic or cultural background, educational qualification, are the drivers of the inequitable distribution of health in a country (Ottersen et al. 2014). Australia, over the past few years, has exhibited a shocking and terrible tale of health inequity, as it was found out that chronic diseases such as Asthma, Diabetes, heart disease and Obesity have claimed the lives of a huge number of people, belonging to the lower strata of the society (Huo et al., 2016). According to recent reports and studies, Australia is not only a country where Diabetes is a very common problem, but also a place, where disadvantaged citizens were not being able to gain minimal access to the medical resources, resulting in high mortality rate because of Diabetes (Astell et al. 2014). Discussion: Diabetes has become a major concern in Australia, as it is being discovered that the indigenous people are more likely to suffer from diabetes, rather than the non-indigenous ones. Although, Australia boasts of being a multi cultural nation, the minor ethnic groups are found to be three times are more likely to suffer from Diabetes, than the non-indigenous ones. An important national survey, named National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey, conducted a comparative study on the health condition of the indigenous population of Australia as against the non-indigenous part of the population (Randall et al. 2013). The result the study showed, was shocking. The research claimed that out of every sixteen indigenous people, at least one was suffering from Diabetes. Out of these indigenous people, those living in the remote corner of the nation, that is in the rural areas, belonging to backward classes, were more likely to develop and suffer from Diabetes (Huo et al. 2016). Another very shocking aspect of the report was that the sexual identity of the individual, was also a major determinant of the disease. In fact, it was found out that not only the indigenous people were falling victim to Diabetes more than the indigenous people, but the females of the minor ethnic community were more prone to suffer from the Diabetes problem, than their male counterparts (Gibson et al. 2015). Figure 1: Comparative Chart Suggesting the Higher Rate of Health Inequity Problem in Diabetes in Australia ( Source: Burrow et al. 2016) A large number of indigenous people usually suffer and die from Diabetes and the major reasons behind the same include poverty, lack of access to medical resources, and cultural pressures which prevent them from going to hospitals for regular medical checkup. Recent studies suggest that most of the indigenous Australians are not aware of the ill effects of diabetes, and they tend to prioritize heart diseases, kidney diseases and other major diseases (Eades et al. 2013). As a result, in the year 2003-04, the total number of instances where an indigenous Australian was found to seek admission in a hospital because of Diabetes, was 1 out of 100. A recent report on the Diabetes problem in Australia, has suggested that major part of the indigenous population of Australia, undermine the harm caused by Diabetes, who consider it far from being any serious disease. There was a lack of awareness among them, as to how serious diseases, such as Heart disease or Strokes, are directly related to D iabetes. The research also stated that two out of three people, considered themselves at no risk, after having been diagnosed with diabetes. The Diabetes Australia chief, Johnson , has also expressed much concern over the issue of ignorance of the indigenous inhabitants on the question of Diabetes. Much has been done on part of the Australian government, to curb the ill consequence of Diabetes, through the observation of the Diabetes Week, and other campaigns and events. But the indigenous community living in the rural areas has been unaware of the same(Chamberlain et al. 2013). Diabetes has become a major issue in the last few years, as it was found to be the second major disease responsible for the death of the indigenous people of Australia. What was even more striking was the high death rate of indigenous women due to Diabetes, during their pregnancy period . Even if the mother survives in several cases, the infant born develops chronic diseases such as macrosomia, congenital abnormalities, and other diseases (Burrow et al. 2016). These indigenous women, usually do not visit the nearest medical centers for taking tests, or for preventive measures that can be adopted. A latest report submitted by the Australian government, states that most of the Australians, who are living in the rural part of the nation, belonging to the downtrodden section of the society, they have to suffer from medical inconvenience. Not only is there a huge dearth of doctors, but the patients, have to keep on waiting, when one is available (Huo et al. 2016). The report added, that o ut of every three people living in the remote part of the country, at least one has complained about the unavailability of physicians. In an Australian report of 2008, it was discovered that out of 335 doctors being present per 1,00,000 in big cities, only 135 physicians could be traced in the rural part of Australia (Wardle et al. 2013). The major problem here, is that the doctors who are sent to the regional and remotest areas of the country, do not get any sort of incentive, and in fact, their pay scale is the same as that of the doctors working in the cities (Australia et al. 2012). Diabetes is a challenging issue for the Australian government, because the disease has claimed a huge number of lives over the last few years. Although, Diabetes has become a problem of national interest, its effect has become all the more glaring in certain communities of Australia. The Australian government, has introduced much programs and campaigns in the backward areas of the country (Ottersen et al. 2014). There were national programs, such as, Healthy Community Initiative, which made the indigenous part of the Australian population aware of the importance of eating fresh food, physical exercise, cessation of smoking habits, for the sake of controlling Diabetes (Vita et al. 2014). However, much result has not been obtained in the recent past. According to the report submitted by the ABS authority, only 20 % of the people living in the villages of Australia could get an access to the medical resources. Further, it was discovered, that a large part of the indigenous population of the country, lives in places, which have some sort of legal or physical boundaries, for which no hospital could be constructed there. In absence of proper infrastructure, proper access to the pharmaceuticals is denied to these people. At times, the reason behind this inequity is rooted in the prejudice of the Australians as well. A major issue, that has cropped up, in the rural areas, is that many indigenous people who belong to the Stolen Generation, disdain the idea of being treated by the white Australian doctors. Hence, they usually refrain from visiting the physicians, and they are least likely to do so, when they are being diagnosed with minor diseases such as Diabetes (Hays et al. 2015). Most of these people are also culturally prejudiced and as a result, they prefer to use herbs, and in most cases, these are ineffective, leading to the death of the patients. According to WHO report, the inequity in the distribution of health, in a country can be caused due to multiple reasons. The Public Health Model, below describes how Diabetes, as a disease is being treated in todays world. Figure 2: Socio-Ecological Model of Public Health (Source: Power 2015) In the primary stage, steps have to be taken so that a disease, such as, Diabetes, should not at all occur. This would require on part of the Australian government as well as different NGOs to hold campaigns and awareness creating programs, especially in the remote areas of the country. One major challenge in dealing with the indigenous people, is that they are apathetic yo the white Australians, and they hardly believe a word from them, easily. Hence, a more holistic approach to the problem is needed. The organizations, such as UFPA, should come up and make the people, especially the young ones, aware of the danger of Diabetes (Sorensen et al. 2012). These people should be educated more and more about the ill- effects of Diabetes, and how it is associated with the damage of nerves and blood vessels, if go untreated. Greater attention has to be paid on these people, as they remain out of the cities, and hence they have no knowledge as to how diabetes can lead to heart disease, blindn ess, kidney failure, and other diseases. These people can be informed about the importance of healthy lifestyle, spiritual well being of their community and goodness of their traditional food, in keeping the problem of Diabetes away. If necessary, more and more people, belonging to the indigenous community should be made aware of the harm caused by Diabetes. As it has already been stated, that the indigenous Australians feel a sense of fear, mistrust and panic, being encountered with the white Australians, and hence it may become difficult for the Australians to interact with the aboriginals about the preventive measures of the disease. So, these organizations may use a traditional painting to explain the problem. Further, the government provides more incentives to the physicians for visiting the rural areas, and includes more doctors from the indigenous group of Australia, to treat these people. Finally, the government helps the affected ones financially as well as morally, to get cured completely (Burrow et al. 2016). Fear, totally guided by racial consideration, stands as a major impediment in the equitable distribution of health in the rural parts of Australia. The government of Australia, as well as the NGOs are nowadays paying greater attention to the fact that it is difficult to treat the indigenous people, until and unless they possess a strong hold over the knowledge of the traditional beliefs and ideals of the Aboriginal society. Hence, they are more directed towards creating a suitable medical environment for the affected ones. One major issue was that the total number of Australians who were approachable for treatment was incredibly less. So, the organizations are putting greater efforts to hire doctors and medical staffs from the Aboriginal backgrounds. In fact, the report suggests that the introduction of greater number of aboriginal doctors in the regional parts of Australia substantially increased the number of Diabetes struck people checking in the medical centers for treatment (Net tleton et al. 2006). The NGOs at present are also emphasizing on the importance of communication, in providing health education on Diabetes to the indigenous people. For this reason, volunteers are relying more on the use of simple languages, signs and animated movies. Reports also claim, that much care has also being taken, to ensure the comfort of the Aboriginals (Davis et al. 2012). For this reason, the hospitals, in these areas, are hiring staffs who are culturally aware of the belief system and ideology of the indigenous people. One great advancement in this regard, was the construction of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, which having meant to serve the Aboriginals, made use of the paintings and cultural designs depicting their ancient stories, to make the people understand that the hospital is meant solely for healing (Gulati et al. 2015). The importance of the governmental policies for curbing the spread of Diabetes in the indigenous part of Australia, cannot be overstated. An insulin pump can be effectively used to reduce the problem of Diabetes, and while most of the people, in the rural part of the country, are low- income or no income group people, the government has come forward in distributing free insulin pumps to the poor ones . In the last three years, the Australian government has spent approximately $35 million for the free distribution of 4,000 insulin pumps. The Australian government has also introduced the use of Insulin Therapy, and since the service offered by it is limited, only the indigenous and financially downtrodden ones are being considered for treatment (Dunbar et al. 2014). Research has suggested over the years, that the indigenous people, suffering from Diabetes are mostly uneducated, and suffer from a huge lack of health literacy. Until and unless they are made aware of the symptoms, causes, effects and preventive measures of Diabetes, the disease cannot be effectively uprooted from the country. Lack of health literacy has led to lack of awareness among the people, to visit the local hospitals. For this reason, several health literacy programs, have been introduced in Australia (Braveman et al. 2006). Figure 3: Health Literacy Strategy of Australia (Source: Chan et al. 2014) Diabetes is a chronic problem in the rural part of Australia, especially because major part of the population stays in a remote area, which does not have medical coverage. Not only, most of the people stay at least 100 Km away from the nearest hospitals or pharmaceuticals, but most of them belong to low income group category. As a result, the Australian government has introduced Medicare Benefit Scheme, with the aim of providing financial aid to the affected patients, suffering from Diabetes. Further, the Australian government has also used the MBS, to provide additional incentive and benefits to the doctors and medical practitioners who agree to visit the rural areas of Australia for serving the indigenous people (Giles et al. 2015). Conclusion: Diabetes is a very serious problem in Australia, and it is all the more worse, in the indigenous areas of Australia, where the Aboriginals suffer from an inequitable distribution of health, owing to lack of access to medical resources. The government of Australia, has already taken certain measures, but the whole issue needs more focus in future. The action should focus on taking measures primarily, to reduce the possibility of Diabetes in future. Next, if it occurs, the government should be able to provide financial aid to the affected ones, introducing more of health literacy programs, to reduce the chance of Diabetes in near future. The government should provide medical treatment at low or affordable rates, and should especially take care of the areas which are located in the interior regions, and which do not enjoy transport facilities (Fenwick et al. 2016). Reference List: Astell-Burt, T., Feng, X., Mavoa, S., Badland, H.M. and Giles-Corti, B., 2014. Do low-income neighbourhoods have the least green space? A cross-sectional study of Australias most populous cities.BMC Public Health,14(1), p.292. Australia, D., 2012. Diabetes in Australia. Braveman, P., 2006. Health disparities and health equity: concepts and measurement.Annu. Rev. Public Health,27, pp.167-194. Burrow, S. and Ride, K., 2016. Review of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Burrow, S. and Ride, K., 2016. Review of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Burrow, S. and Ride, K., 2016. Review of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Chamberlain, C., McNamara, B., Williams, E.D., Yore, D., Oldenburg, B., Oats, J. and Eades, S., 2013. Diabetes in pregnancy among indigenous women in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States: a systematic review of the evidence for screening in early pregnancy.Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews,29(4), pp.241-256. Chan, J.C., Cho, N.H., Tajima, N. and Shaw, J., 2014. Diabetes in the western pacific regionpast, present and future.Diabetes research and clinical practice,103(2), pp.244-255. Davis, T.M., Hunt, K., McAullay, D., Chubb, S.A., Sillars, B.A., Bruce, D.G. and Davis, W.A., 2012. Continuing Disparities in Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Complications Between Aboriginal and Anglo-Celt Australians With Type 2 Diabetes The Fremantle Diabetes Study.Diabetes care,35(10), pp.2005-2011. Dunbar, J.A., Jayawardena, A., Johnson, G., Roger, K., Timoshanko, A., Versace, V.L., Shill, J., Philpot, B., Vartiainen, E., Laatikainen, T. and Best, J.D., 2014. Scaling up diabetes prevention in Victoria, Australia: policy development, implementation, and evaluation.Diabetes Care,37(4), pp.934-942. Eades, S., Paul, C., Ishiguchi, P., Zimmet, P., Shaw, J., Forshaw, K., Koller, C., Turon, H. and Sanson-Fisher, R., 2014. Baseline evidence practice gap for type 2 diabetes care among Aboriginal Australians in a cluster randomised controlled trial.BMC Health Services Research,14(Suppl 2), p.P33. Fenwick, E.K., Rees, G., Holmes-Truscott, E., Browne, J.L., Pouwer, F. and Speight, J., 2016. What is the best measure for assessing diabetes distress? A comparison of the Problem Areas in Diabetes and Diabetes Distress Scale: results from Diabetes MILESAustralia.Journal of health psychology, p.1359105316642006. Gibson, O.R. and Segal, L., 2015. Limited evidence to assess the impact of primary health care system or service level attributes on health outcomes of Indigenous people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review.BMC health services research,15(1), p.1. Giles-Corti, B., Sallis, J.F., Sugiyama, T., Frank, L.D., Lowe, M. and Owen, N., 2015. Translating active living research into policy and practice: one important pathway to chronic disease prevention.Journal of public health policy,36(2), pp.231-243. Gulati, V., Gulati, P., Harding, I.H. and Palombo, E.A., 2015. Exploring the anti-diabetic potential of Australian Aboriginal and Indian Ayurvedic plant extracts using cell-based assays.BMC complementary and alternative medicine,15(1), p.1. Hays, R., Esterman, A. and McDermott, R., 2015. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with Strongyloides stercoralis Treatment Failure in Australian Aboriginals.PLoS Negl Trop Dis,9(8), p.e0003976. Huo, L., Shaw, J.E., Wong, E., Harding, J.L., Peeters, A. and Magliano, D.J., 2016. Burden of diabetes in Australia: life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in adults with diabetes.Diabetologia, pp.1-9. Huo, L., Shaw, J.E., Wong, E., Harding, J.L., Peeters, A. and Magliano, D.J., 2016. Burden of diabetes in Australia: life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in adults with diabetes.Diabetologia, pp.1-9. Huo, L., Shaw, J.E., Wong, E., Harding, J.L., Peeters, A. and Magliano, D.J., 2016. Burden of diabetes in Australia: life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in adults with diabetes.Diabetologia, pp.1-9. Ottersen, O.P., Dasgupta, J., Blouin, C., Buss, P., Chongsuvivatwong, V., Frenk, J., Fukuda-Parr, S., Gawanas, B.P., Giacaman, R., Gyapong, J. and Leaning, J., 2014. The political origins of health inequity: prospects for change.The Lancet,383(9917), pp.630-667. Ottersen, O.P., Dasgupta, J., Blouin, C., Buss, P., Chongsuvivatwong, V., Frenk, J., Fukuda-Parr, S., Gawanas, B.P., Giacaman, R., Gyapong, J. and Leaning, J., 2014. The political origins of health inequity: prospects for change.The Lancet,383(9917), pp.630-667. Power, A.K., 2015. Focus on transformation: A public health model of mental health for the 21st century.Psychiatric Services. Randall, D.A., Lujic, S., Leyland, A.H. and Jorm, L.R., 2013. Statistical methods to enhance reporting of Aboriginal Australians in routine hospital records using data linkage affect estimates of health disparities.Australian and New Zealand journal of public health,37(5), pp.442-449. Sadana, R., Blas, E., Budhwani, S., Koller, T. and Paraje, G., 2016. Healthy Ageing: Raising Awareness of Inequalities, Determinants, and What Could Be Done to Improve Health Equity.The Gerontologist,56(Suppl 2), pp.S178-S193. Srensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z. and Brand, H., 2012. Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models.BMC public health,12(1), p.1. Stephens, C., Porter, J., Nettleton, C. and Willis, R., 2006. Disappearing, displaced, and undervalued: a call to action for Indigenous health worldwide.The lancet,367(9527), pp.2019-2028. Vita, P., Reddy, P., Timoshanko, A. and Colagiuri, S., 2014. Diabetes Prevention in Australia: The Challenges of Scaling-up and Rolling-out Programs.Global Health Perspectives in Prediabetes and Diabetes Prevention,38, p.391. Wardle, J.L., Sibbritt, D.W. and Adams, J., 2013. Referrals to chiropractors and osteopaths: a survey of general practitioners in rural and regional New South Wales, Australia.Chiropractic manual therapies,21(1), p.1.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Safety Cultures A Case Study from the Oil and Gas Industry free essay sample

These definitions share a common thread, the idea that culture is socially constructed. In other words, members of the culture in question create, define, protect and teach it to new members. Humans cannot operate without cultures. These systems provide roadIN BRIEF maps for their members to know how †¢This case study discusses to make sense of what is happening in how new training videos were their lives and how to deal with it. Patdeveloped for high-risk, blueton (2002) defines culture as: collar workers in the oil and [T]hat collection of behavior patgas extraction industry. terns and beliefs that constitutes: †¢NIOSH’s Oil and Gas Injury †¢standards for deciding what is; Reduction project is focused †¢standards for deciding how on developing culturally one feels about it; relevant and acceptable mate†¢standards for deciding what to rials for workers. do about it; †¢Steps for undertaking an †¢standards for deciding how to occupational ethnography or go about doing it. We will write a custom essay sample on Safety Cultures: A Case Study from the Oil and Gas Industry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page p. 81) work culture study are examCulture has been described as â€Å"the ined, as are ideas on why work collective programming of the mind stories matter, and who might be the most effective people to which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from star in training videos. another† (Hofstede, 1997, p. 5). Sim†¢Tips on creating training ply, culture is â€Å"the way we do things videos in the field are offered around here. † as well. An individual can be a member of Elaine T. Cullen, Ph. D. , M. B. A. , CMSP, has spent nearly 40 years in the field of occupational safety and health research, specializing in underground coal and hard rock mining. Based in Spokane, WA, she worked for the U. S. Bureau of Mines’ Spokane Research Lab for 26 years, then for NIOSH, for which she was the lab’s communications chief. After retiring from the federal government, she started Prima Consulting Services and is currently working as an occupational health consultant with NIOSH’s Oil and Gas Injury Prevention program. Cullen’s primary research interests are in developing effective training for high-risk workers, and in the power stories have to teach workplace safety. She is a member of ASSE’s Inland Northwest Chapter and of the Mining and Oil Gas practice specialties. Effective Training By Elaine T. Cullen C many different cultures. A person may be a member of a family that has its own rules and traditions; s/he may be a member of a church that provides definite guidance on what constitutes moral behavior; s/he may be an alumnus of a school with well-defined customs; and s/he may work for an organization with established policies and procedures. Each culture differs from the others, with different members, and with rules and standards that govern different elements of a person’s life. All of these cultures share common traits, however. Cultures: †¢are socially constructed systems; †¢have developed over time; †¢are shared by all of the members; †¢define who is a member and who is not; †¢provide a social road map on what is acceptable and what is not; †¢can be difficult to describe but are quite obvious to both members and outsiders. Cultures are important because they control, to a large degree, the actions of everyone inside of them. Arnould and Wallendorf (1994) describe culture as â€Å"the cumulative total of learned beliefs, values, and customs that serve to order, guide, and direct the behavior of members . . . [it is] that which one needs to know to behave in a manner acceptable to its members† (p. 485). A member of a culture cannot go against that culture and expect to 40 ProfessionalSafety MARCH 2011 www. asse. org remain a trusted insider. The culture will always have penalties for rule breakers; in extreme cases, those penalties will include banishment. Occupational Ethnography Occupational cultures have particular significance for SHE professionals because they control how workers behave on the job. Workers in high-risk industries such as mining, commercial fishing, or oil and gas extraction do not generally define themselves by who they work for, but rather by what they do. In many of these industries, workers are fairly transient, moving from mine to mine, boat to boat, or rig to rig, looking not only for better pay, but also for better working conditions or, sometimes, to do something different. Hard rock mining has a term for these miners, calling them tramp miners, because they tramp from site to site, or gypos, a term generally believed to derive from their gypsy nature. Workers who refer to themselves as gypos, roughnecks or seiners are more strongly connected to their occupational norms than to any company policies. If they do not like the company rules, they simply move on. Policies and procedures that are not acceptable to a work culture will not be adopted by the workforce, regardless of organizational consequences. Therefore, it makes sense for a person trying to convince workers to change the way they do things to understand their work cultures and to use those cultures rather than struggle against them. Ethnography is the study of human cultures. While sociologists often use ethnography to learn why young people start smoking, for example, or how fraternal orders attract new members, it is an excellent tool to learn how occupational cultures work. It is the primary tool used in a NIOSH project focused on developing effective safety and health training for the landbased oil and gas (OG) extraction and production industry, commonly known as the upstream portion of that industry (which includes exploration, drilling and all servicing operations for the wells themselves). Research included in this project is qualitative rather than quantitative in nature in that researchers are more interested in discovering what is going on and why than in measuring or evaluating. Gathering Information on Work Cultures If occupational culture is a key to worker behavior, then it makes sense that a safety trainer, training developer or operator should understand the norms and values, the expectations and prohibitions, the heroes and the villains, and, particularly, the stories shared among members of the culture. All of these factors provide clues about what controls the culture has on the workers, and all can be used to craft training that not only will be accepted, but also valued. How does one begin to study a work culture? A work culture cannot be studied effectively from a distance. To learn the culture and what really matters to workers, one must visit worksites and spend time with workers, whether on fishing boats or at construction sites, mines or oil rigs. When NIOSH funded the project to study the culture of OG extraction and production workers, the first step was to create an organized plan to gather information on key topics. This plan was based on experiences and knowledge gained while studying mining cultures. This included: †¢demographic patterns; †¢environmental issues; †¢work practices; †¢occupational norms and values; †¢workplace taboos and prohibitions; †¢language unique to this culture; †¢beliefs common to workers, particularly beliefs about safety; †¢geographical differences from one oil field to another; †¢recognized heroes and mentors; †¢stories told by members; †¢differences in company cultures. Ethnographers gather this type of information in three primary ways (LeCompte Schensul, 1999). They study: 1) what people say (this includes the â€Å"tribal language† or jargon commonly used); 2) what people do; 3) what artifacts (or documents) they choose to create. Studying any culture in situ requires immersion of the researcher, to some degree, in the work culture itself. While SHE personnel may be tempted to make suggestions or try to influence workers’ actions when observing, it is critical to stay out of the way and make no attempt to change or bias the culture at this stage of the process. This does not include situations where workers’ lives are in danger. SHE professionals must address those immediately. ) To develop a valid picture of work culture that is useful for creating culturally acceptable training materials, the researcher must stay neutral, and confine his/her actions to asking questions, seeking clarification and watching. Those accustomed to fast responses to any situation may initially perceive an ethnographic study as a long, drawn -out process, particularly if they have no prior knowledge of the work or the culture of the workers. However, learning about workers in order to create safety training that is unique to their needs is not a waste of time. The most obvious benefit is the ability to create more effective training. Learning About the OG Industry The data gathering plan for this project began with going into the field and talking to workers. The OG extraction industry in the U. S. is divided www. asse. org MARCH 2011 ProfessionalSafety 41 Photo 1: Walking rigs are large land-based rigs used on locations where numerous wells are drilled in a small area. nto distinct fields that are tracked and reported by the Energy Administration Information office of the Department of Energy (www. eia. doe. gov/ oil_gas/rpd/topfields. pdf). Certain fields were selected as starting points, including the Permian Basin in west Texas, the Piceance Basin in western Colorado, the San Juan Basin in northwest New Mexico, the Barnett Shales in central Texas, the Jonah Fields of northern Colorado, and the TXLA-MS Salt Province o f east Texas and Louisiana. These fields included both natural gas and oil formations, and shallow as well as deep reserves. OG companies do not generally drill their own wells. Specialized companies are contracted to do this, along with numerous well servicing contractors that help bring a well into production. For the early phases of this project, the primary focus was on the drilling operations rather than the service tasks. Later phases of the project will include other types of rigs as well as other operations such as the trucking companies that move rigs from site to site. In July 2008, site visits were set up to learn about drilling operations and to begin gathering information on the workforce. Drill rigs come in many sizes, and companies hire rigs depending on the depth of the hole to be drilled and the geologic complexity that will be encountered. For wells that are shallow (e. g. , less than 1 mile deep), rigs are smaller and may even be truck-mounted, similar to water well drilling units. Larger rigs are more complex, but the processes used to drill a hole and to move the rig to new locations are largely the same, regardless of size. Most drill rigs use five- or six-person crews, with either two or three crews per rig, depending on shift 42 ProfessionalSafety MARCH 2011 www. sse. org (or tower as it is known in the industry) length. The rig boss, known as the tool pusher, lives on site in a house trailer provided by the company so that he is always available. Each rig usually has two tool pushers, and these men rotate their hitches (number of days worked before going on leave) so that a supervisor is always on site. For the rigs visited, the hitches for tool pushers ran ged from 3 days to 2 weeks, while the hitches for the men ranged from 1 to 3 weeks. Use of the word â€Å"men† is purposeful. In more than 2 years and visits to more than 40 rigs, the author has not encountered a woman working on a rig. This is a male-dominated work culture. Learning about a new industry takes more than a few visits to worksites. One must systematically gather information. Consequently, a list of questions was developed to help identify cultural norms. The initial list was based on the author’s experiences in the mining industry; it was meant to be general enough to provide a broad introduction to the industry that could subsequently be refined to capture more subtle cultural data. Information was gathered on the following: †¢drill rig site, name, company and method; †¢location and size of workforce; †¢union affiliation (if any); †¢contractors (if any); †¢rough percentage of new hires (workers with less than 1 year of experience); †¢general workforce demographics; †¢training required and who provided it (both for career and for this rig); †¢preferred materials/media for training, including available facilities; †¢common beliefs and perceptions about safety and work hazards; †¢work practices and how work is assigned to different workers; †¢best practices and/or company policies concerning operations; †¢recognized â€Å"masters† (who do people look up to and why); †¢incidents, injuries and near misses workers have experienced or witnessed. Some items fell out fairly quickly. For example, labor unions are not common, and every rig visited was contracted rather than owned and operated by the en ergy company. In addition, this industry reacts rapidly to commodity prices. When prices are high, a site will have a significant number of new hires with little experience; when prices drop, new hires are the first to lose their jobs, as the rigs they work on are stacked and no longer available for hire. Therefore, the percentage of inexperienced workers was a moving target. The original questions served as a starting point. Workers provided much information that was used to refine the data gathering necessary to begin developing a picture of this unique work culture. Over the next 2 years, the research team visited more than 40 rigs in seven different areas of the country. These included small, mobile rigs, rigs in service for more than 60 years (most still using manual methods), others that were only months old as well as much more automated, and large â€Å"walking† rigs. Walking rigs are large land-based rigs used on locations where numerous wells are drilled in a small area. Rather than dismantling the rig to move it to a new site, workers â€Å"walk† it forward to its intended location. This relatively new technology is more commonly found in western oil fields, where many wells are clustered on a single site (Photo 1). More than 1,000 photographs were taken of rigs, sites, workers, and any other signs or artifacts that would provide clues about the culture. Standard ethnographic tools were employed, including interviews, observations, field notes, informal conversations, and review of documents such as company policies, safety posters and training materials. In all cases, the primary gatekeeper for access to the sites was the safety director for the energy company or the drilling company. These individuals provided a wealth of information on tasks and procedures as well as access to the rigs. In all cases, they were invaluable to the project’s success. Why Stories Matter High-risk work cultures share a love of stories. Stories provide more than entertainment on worksites; they are used to share information about cultural norms and expectations, and provide graphic illustrations about what happens if those norms are violated (Cullen, 2008). The roughnecks working in the OG drilling industry are no exception. They shared stories about people they had met, about near misses (called â€Å"near hits† by most of them), about weather extremes, and about many incidents that provided harsh but valuable lessons on how to do this work. They also talked about what they do when not working, including stories about family, friends and leisure-time activities. All of these provide keys to what these workers value. Stories share important features that make them valuable to an ethnographer. First, they are always culturally-based. This means that they are situated; they are about someone, who is doing something located somewhere, during a specific time. Stories reveal much about the culture, through the language used, the actions of heroes and villains, and the reactions of listeners. Stories also help people organize information in a way that is understandable. New hires in the OG industry often have a difficult time breaking out (a term used for entering the workforce for the first time) because of the unfamiliar tools, terms, work practices or expectations they must master in order to perform the job (Livo Rietz, 1986). It can be bewildering to be new on a jobsite where even the tools have unfamiliar names. To remain safe while they learn the job, new workers need a way to deal with an abundance of information; stories help them do so (Cullen Fein, 2005). If the goal of safety training is to educate new employees on work hazards and convince all employees to act safely on the job, stories are an excellent tool. Haven (2007) presents the results of several research studies on the power of stories to provide information and help create meaning. He says research shows that stories are effective teaching tools because they evoke prior knowledge; provide details that may be otherwise ignored; and improve comprehension (p. 92). Stories are remembered by listeners because they are more interesting than facts or statistics. Listeners can learn vicariously, putting themselves into the story to not only think about what is happening, but also to feel the emotions and decide what they would have done had they been the protagonist. Trainees listen with different levels of consciousness, according to Neuhauser (1993), who believes that using the whole brain allows learners to understand what they are hearing, as well as to feel it. For safety trainers, stories are one of the most powerful tools available. The good news is that stories are everywhere. Every incident/injury statistic has a story behind it, and every SHE regulation is â€Å"written in blood. † Workers are eager to share Studying any cultheir stories if they believe they will not be penal- ture in situ requires immersion of the ized for doing so. researcher, to some degree, in the work Insiders Gatekeepers One primary role of cultures is to define who is/is culture itself. not a member (Van Maanen Barley, 1984). Highrisk work cultures are particularly adept at this because members believe they are the only ones who â€Å"have what it takes† to perform the work. They be- Occupational Culture Occupational culture and organizational culture are not the same. While an organization’s rules—its policies and procedures—are usually written and distributed, occupational rules are not. Work culture rules are pragmatic in that they are developed over time by workers themselves, and provide a road map for survival for members of the culture to follow. Insiders instruct new members in â€Å"the way we do things around here† and provide both rewards for following cultural rules, and sanctions for violating them. Members tie their identity closely to their work (not their company), and share values, norms and perspectives with those who perform the same type of work, often choosing to socialize exclusively with fellow workers. Occupational cultures that involve shared danger, such as firefighters, the military or high-risk industries, are strong and will resist changes suggested by outsiders. The sense of fraternity that shared danger creates is part of the identity of insiders, who do not believe others could do the work, or that they understand those who do. Occupational cultures are powerful tools that can be used to create effective training. www. asse. org MARCH 2011 ProfessionalSafety 43 Photos 2 and 3 show the patch dog and worm stickers developed for the OG project. ieve that outsiders do not understand the dangers and the difficulty and, therefore, have little credibility inside the culture. For workers in these industries to learn from safety messages or trainers, the messages/train ers need to be perceived as being knowledgeable about and sympathetic to the culture. Gatekeepers can be both formal and informal leaders. For this project, the formal leaders provided access to worksites and to other insiders. Initially, contacts were safety directors or supervisors, who were generous with their time and were willing to spend days in the field, visiting different rigs in the area. On a rig site, visitors must check in with the site manager (the tool pusher). Some sites also had a company man who represented the energy company’s interests. He was also concerned with safety, but the drilling operations were the tool pusher’s responsibility. On the rig floor, the driller was generally the first-line supervisor and in charge of the safety of the work team, which was made up of a motor man, a derrick man (who also was responsible for checking on drilling fluid, or mud), and one or more floor hands. This is a hierarchical team, with workers breaking out as floor hands and moving into other positions when ready and as positions become available. More experienced workers often have performed all of these jobs and can fill in for others as necessary. When a new hire first breaks out, he is known as a worm, a position he will hold for several months until he reaches a level of knowledge and expertise at which point he can be a floor hand. Worms usually wear hardhats of a different color (e. g. , green or orange) so that other workers can immediately identify them and can watch out for and teach them. Informal leaders are almost always present on high-risk worksites. These individuals have earned the respect and admiration of peers, usually by mastering aspects of the job with which others struggle. They may have many years’ experience or may have a special talent for performing a certain task. They may also have survived an incident that gives them authority to speak about specific hazards and what can happen if safety precautions are ignored. It is easy to identify these people. Others on the team may tell stories about them (the â€Å"hero stories† that include information about valued attributes in the culture) and they are usually the go-to people when someone needs advice or information. Workers may hang back when asked to do something, waiting to see what the masters do. These people can be powerful gatekeepers into MARCH 2011 www. asse. org occupational cultures. If they refuse to cooperate for whatever reason, it is unlikely that other members will cooperate. They are also excellent choices to be spokespersons or informal trainers if one is producing safety training products. They are trusted insiders and will command others’ attention, while outsiders have yet to establish any credibility and could be viewed with skepticism if not disdain. As information was gathered, the author talked to workers with only a few days experience to those who had been there nearly 40 years. Believing that roughnecks were similar to miners and would appreciate hardhat stickers, several stickers were designed. Workers were asked to provide input on which stickers they thought would work in their industry. These designs used some â€Å"tribal language† encountered in the oil fields, including the term worm for an inexperienced hand, and patch dog for those who had been in the oil patch and were tough enough to do the job (Photos 2 and 3). These were handed out at every rig visited, and were always enthusiastically accepted. Creating Effective Training Videos in the Field The underlying goal of the NIOSH ethnographic study was to learn enough about the culture of OG drillers to develop safety and health training that would resonate with and be accepted by workers, and memorable enough to change how they think and act about safety hazards. NIOSH successfully used video to develop training for the mining industry, so this medium was selected for the oil fields. Compelling Content Is Key For new training to be effective, it must be interesting, credible and compelling. Lessons learned in the mining industry proved to be significant in the OG industry. These include the following: †¢Workers are all adults and must be trained as adults (using adult learning theories). †¢They perform the job every day and are familiar with the dangers and challenges. †¢They are good at what they do and proud of it. †¢Not everyone has what it takes to be a roughneck. Those who do are admired and accepted as members of the work culture. †¢Roughnecks can be transient, moving from rig to rig, or oil field to oil field. †¢Work culture controls, to a large degree, how they do their jobs. †¢Workers value safety and understand that one wrong move by anyone can put everyone in danger. †¢This is a macho culture, with few (if any) women. Roughnecks are proud of their ability to solve unexpected problems. Any training product developed must respond to these norms to be accepted. Like mining, construction, commercial fishing or other high-risk industry, OG drilling includes many hazardous operations that would be good candi dates for safety training. 44 ProfessionalSafety Unlike mining, however, no federally mandated standard regulates which topics must be presented nor establishes a minimum number of hours of safety training required before people can start work. The U. S. mining industry has access to a comprehensive incident/injury database because MSHA mandates that every injury or incident be reported. Penalties for failure to do so are severe, so the database includes a wealth of information a trainer or training developer can use to identify specific areas where additional safety training would be valuable. No such database exists for the land-based OG industry. Data are gathered by agencies at state and federal levels, or by associations and individual companies, but no comprehensive database captures injuries occurring in the upstream OG industry. Fatality data are available, but comprehensive injury data are not. Therefore, a systematic review of incident/injury information was not possible. As a result, the best way to learn what topics to include in training was to ask the workers themselves. Tool pushers and drillers are responsible for training rig workers in most cases. During site visits, they were asked to identify topics about which they would like to have more training materials. Based on their responses, the NIOSH team developed a potential list of topics. After further questioning about dangerous operations, the team decided to make a training/hazard recognition video on rig moves. It is important to note that while new hires can benefit from safety training, people who have performed this work for long periods are often disdainful of training. Research conducted in the mining industry shows that experienced workers are insulted by traditional training, particularly if it is provided by people who do not perform the work they do each day. However, the need to remind them about hazards remains. Stories can bridge the knowledge gap between new employees and experienced ones. Drill rigs can be massive pieces of equipment. When all necessary peripheral equipment is added (which could include mud tanks, the dog house, mixing sheds, diesel engines, fuel tanks, tool sheds, offices and house trailers), these operations are similar to small towns. Photo 4 shows an overview of a drill site. Equipment on these sites must be dismantled and moved quickly to the next site when the hole is finished. Workers agree that taking rigs down and reassembling them in a new location is dangerous work, with a high potential for injury. Identify the Players Before moving to the development phase of the project, the NIOSH team had to take several steps: †¢Find an industry partner who would allow filming of the rig move operation. †¢Identify a master who would act as narrator for the video, describing what was going on and what the hazards might be. †¢Interview the identified expert at length to identify topics to cover. †¢Schedule a shoot on location, using a professional videographer. Another step in the development phase was to capture as many stories as possible during shooting (Photo 5) while being mindful that those who did not wish to participate would not be required to do so. The most valuable training stories often fall in the â€Å"fool stories† category (Cullen, 2008). These usually result in near misses, but can also include injuries to the storyteller or others. These stories must be respected and used in the spirit in which they are shared—to prevent someone else from suffering similar consequences. If people are punished for disclosing these stories, they will never share them and valuable occupational wisdom will be lost. The video on rig moves was filmed in west Texas in November 2009, and in western Colorado in March 2010. Devon Energy provided excellent support and access to several sites in the Midland-Odessa, TX, area, and EnCana did the same for the Colorado shoot. McVay Drilling and Bandura Drilling were the drilling contractors on the Texas segment, while Patterson-UTI was the drilling contractor in Colorado. Sterling Crane was also present on the Colorado site; this contractor placed the different pieces of the rig, tanks and man camp as they were brought up the mountain. These contracwww. asse. org MARCH 2011 Photo 4: Drill rigs can be massive pieces of equipment. When all necessary peripheral equipment is added these operations are similar to small towns. The research team gathered as many stories as possible while filming (Photo 5, above). Willie Stephenson (Photo 6, left), a tool pusher on a McVay rig, was the primary narrator. ProfessionalSafety 45 A rig move is a complex task (Photo 7, right) involving many people, primarily roughnecks who do the assembly/ disassembly, and a trucking crew (Photo 8, below) to move parts from site to site. †¢Edit it all together into two separate videos. †¢Send drafts out for review by safety and operations experts in the OG sector. †¢Revise the drafts to reflect the experts’ comments and suggestions. †¢Gain final approval for the videos from NIOSH. †¢Release the videos. †¢Market and distribute free of charge to industry stakeholders. Avoid Common Mistakes To develop training that high-risk workers will accept and find memorable, it is best to keep a few basic guidelines in mind. First, workers know much more about the work than an outsider ever will, so be sure to include them in the process. Based on the author’s experiences in the mining and commercial fishing industries, workers eagerly share what they have learned if given a chance. Their own safety is at stake if someone is working unsafely, and they understand that they have a vested interest in making sure everyone knows how to do things correctly. Ignoring them or underestimating their interest in safety is a mistake. Many training developers select the wrong spokesperson. The person providing the lessons must look, walk and talk like those who will be watching the safety video. Using a â€Å"talking head† who is disconnected from the industry or who does not perform this type of work is not a good idea. Professional actors, while arguably more comfortable in front of a camera than workers might be, are not credible as occupational teachers. They do not understand industry jargon or the nuances of the work, which will be obvious to the trainees. Using a company executive as a spokesperson is also ineffective. A CEO talking about how to perform specific tasks while wearing a clean, pressed shirt and shiny hardhat will not be convincing to workers. The best choice for the master trainer is someone who looks the part and speaks with occupational (not organizational) authority. The master trainer should use language understandable to trainees, who will understand quickly that he is a cultural insider who knows what he is talking about. Even new hires are generally adept at identifying people who can keep them safe and teach them, and they will gravitate toward those people, regardless of who the company assigns as a mentor or trainer (Machles, Bonkemeyer McMichael, 2009). Putting recognized, knowledgeable insiders in a training video, if they are willing, makes a lot of sense. Once the decision is made to create a training video, consider the topic. It is much easier to proceed if the topic is narrowly focused. For example, â€Å"entering confined spaces† is probably a better choice than â€Å"oil and gas safety. † Duration is another consideration. Some trainers believe that no video should be more than 5 to ors were instrumental in helping the team to film various operations and capture 32 interviews. Willie Stephenson (Photo 6, p. 45), a tool pusher on a McVay rig, agreed to be the primary narrator and he was interviewed on camera for several hours. Other narrators were used to add depth and bread th to the story. Devon, McVay, Bandura, Patterson-UTI, Sterling and EnCana were true partners in this project, and it could not have been completed without their guidance, suggestions, assistance and support. The original plan was to develop a single video, but because a rig move is a complex task involving many people (Photos 7 and 8), the team realized it would be difficult to make a single all-encompassing safety awareness video. After watching several rig moves, it was noted that two primary groups are involved: 1) the roughnecks, who assemble and disassemble the rigs; and 2) the truckers, who load and transport all the pieces to the new site. Because these tasks were fundamentally different and equally dangerous, it seemed logical to make two videos, one for roughnecks and one for truckers. At the time of this writing, the first video, Move It! Rig Move Safety for Roughnecks, had been completed and released at a large safety conference in late 2010 (Photo 9). The second video, Move It! Rig Move Safety for Truckers, is scheduled for production in the first half of 2011. Both videos will follow the process and schedule developed by the author while working in the mining sector. This process/ schedule includes the following steps: †¢Gather as much footage as possible on location. Interview insiders on what is going on and what is important to the process. †¢Log all B-roll footage gathered. †¢Tra nscribe all interviews. †¢Create a story line from the master interviews. †¢Select shots from the B-roll to illustrate the points included in the narratives. 46 ProfessionalSafety MARCH 2011 www. asse. org 6 minutes long. NIOSH research has shown that this perceived limitation may be due to the fact that some videos simply do not hold people’s attention. If the story is well-told and the storytellers are credible, training videos can be longer. In fact, one NIOSH video about a disastrous fire in an underground silver mine that killed 91 people runs more than 60 minutes (Cullen, 2002). It is used in training sessions, and has also been used by other industries, such as firefighters, the military, occupational nursing and tunneling. The story is compelling because the 27 â€Å"stars† tell the story based on their own experiences during the fire; its length is not considered a negative. Using industry experts, such as SHE professionals and some workers, as technical reviewers is also recommended. They will identify elements that are not quite accurate or information that be left out or added. The video must be technically accurate. Different companies have different policies that should be considered. For example, if one company requires worms to wear green hardhats, the video should not feature new hires wearing red hardhats. Such differences are opportunities to discuss with trainees geographic or organizational differences in how certain tasks are performed (e. g. , state or provincial regulations, environmental issues, workforce issues, multiple factors). While impossible to show how everyone does things, strive to show best practices as defined by industry experts. When NIOSH was developing safety videos for the mining industry, a premier was held so people in the video could attend. This was a way to thank them for participating and an opportunity to introduce the new video to the industry. Because workers move around so often in many of these industries, the informal grapevine is active. Marketing and distribution efforts are often boosted when the â€Å"stars† tell colleagues and coworkers about the video and that it will be shown during a safety meeting. Miners looked forward to seeing the videos and actually started asking when the safety meetings might be held rather than trying to avoid them. It is hoped similar informal marketing will occur in the OG industry. If workers are eager to see new safety videos, they will pay attention to the messages included and remember them longer, which is a major goal of any training program. Conclusion Workers in high-risk industries face hazards that most people never experience. While these industries have higher injury rates than other industries, perhaps it is noteworthy that they perform their work with as few injuries as they do. This must be attributed to the efforts of safety directors and trainers, regulatory agencies, managers and operators, supervisors and the workers themselves. Training for workers is both mandated and nec- essary, but training will not work if it is not acceptable to the workers. Trainers who utilize the power that occupational cultures have to control and change the actions and beliefs of their members will be more effective in reducing injury rates. No one wants to get hurt on the job. Therefore, SHE professionals need to provide the most effective training possible to help keep people safe. Occupational cultures, and the norms, beliefs and stories they include, are always present on worksites. They can be valuable keys to creating training that works, sending everyone home safely at the end of the shift. PS References Arnould, E. J. M. Wallendorf. (1994). Marketoriented ethnography: Interpretation building and marketing strategy formulation. Journal of Marketing Research, 31(4), 484-504. Cullen, E. T. (2002). You are my sunshine (NIOSH Publication No. 2002-132d-video). Spokane, WA: Spokane Research Laboratory. Cullen, E. T. (2008, July). Tell me a story: Using stories to improve occupational safety training. Professional Safety, 53(7), 20-27. Cullen, E. T. Fein, A. H. (2005). Tell me a story: Why stories are essential to effective safety training (NIOSH Publication No. 2005-152). Cincinnati, OH: Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, NIOSH. Haven, K. (2007). Story proof: The science behind the startling power of story. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Hofstede, G. (1997). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGraw-Hill. LeCompte, M. D. Schensul, J. (1999). Designing and conducting ethnographic research. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Livo, N. J. Rietz, S. A. (1986). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge University Press. Machles, D. , Bonkemeyer, E. McMichael, J. (2010, Jan. ). Community of practice: A workplace safety case study. Professional Safety, 56(1), 46-51. Neuhauser, P. C. 1993). Corporate legends and lore. Austin, TX: PCN Associates. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Van Maanen, J. Barley, S. R. (1984). Occupational communities: Culture and control in organizations. In B. M. Shaw L. L. Cummings (Eds. ), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 6, pp. 287-366). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Because the workers involved in rig moves perform fundamentally different and equally dangerous tasks, the research team decided to make two videos, one for roughnecks (Photo 9) and one for truckers. www. asse. org MARCH 2011 ProfessionalSafety 47

Monday, November 25, 2019

Stalin and Idustrialization essays

Stalin and Idustrialization essays Stalin and Industrialization in the 1930s For many countries in Europe during the early nineteen hundreds, industrialization had already left its mark and was considered widespread. Other countries were several steps behind such industrial powers as Great Britain. Their economies still depended on rural markets and there had been no influx of people to urban areas. One country, Russia, had such an economy. Joseph Stalin would soon change this, however. So, in hindsight, the Industrial Revolution was necessary and eminent for the Soviet Union but Stalin forced it on his state in a horrific manner, which only worsened living conditions and created negative tensions among his people. In order to better comprehend the negative aspects of Stalins industrialization, first it is necessary to put the circumstances into perspective with a brief summary of Stalins rise to power, then an overview of the two Five Year Plans will be provided, and finally the effects of Stalins industrialization will be outlined. Stalin first came out of the woodwork during the October Revolution in the early 1900s, with the rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks. Stalin became general secretary of the Bolshevik party's Central Committee. He was also the commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspectorate and the commissar of nationalities (McCauley 3). The two apparent heirs to Lenin's regime were Josef Stalin and Leon Trotsky. After Lenin's death, Stalin gained power by allying himself with the moderates to fight off his rival, Leon Trotsky, who was a radical and another member of the Central Committee. Although Trotsky was better suited for the position (with his strong political inclinations towards reasonable social adaptability), Josef Stalin assumed control and subsequently ordered the exile of all opposing cabinet ministers, including Trotsky. Anyone in the Union who objected to his decisions was sent to Siberian prison camps ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Law - Criminal Profiling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law - Criminal Profiling - Research Paper Example Indeed, it has been increasingly common in light of the perceived threats to the population by Islamic terrorists. Thus, in airplanes, Islamic-looking individuals are subjected to inspections and interviews of an intensity that white people are not normally subjected to. The increasing numbers of crime, and the associations by people that these crimes emanate from race-based communities such as Hispanic communities, are also responsible for the growing trend towards racial profiling. While racial profiling is never really legislated as a policy in its explicit sense, the ever-widening range of methods that a law enforcement officer are allowed to employ allow the use of racial profiling as a legitimate strategy. We now proceed to discussing the costs against the benefits of racial profiling. Those who support racial profiling believe that a utilitarian approach must be taken. The argument is that because it is true that there are crimes which certain racial groups are more predispose d to committing than other racial groups, â€Å"special efforts at crime reduction directed at members of such groups are justified, if not required.† (Risse and Zeckhauser, 2004). ... In contrast, those who are opposed to racial profiling dispute the position that some races have a greater tendency to commit some crimes than others. Indeed, in a study conducted, the officers’ behaviour of racial profiling is not supported by any showing that the criminal acts in the predominantly white community were committed by African Americans (Meehan and Ponder, 2002). Of course, the deeper objection to racial profiling is that it does â€Å"curtail the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by millions of people who belong to racial and ethnic minorities.† (American Civil Liberties Union and Rights Working Group, 2009). The jurisprudence has also tended to support racial profiling. It has been held, for example, that when testing the constitutionality of a vehicle stop, the motivations of a police officer making the stop (e.g., if the motivations were driven by racial bias) are immaterial, the only question is whether or not the officer had cause to effect the s top. Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996). The impact on this on racial profiling is very much evident – it basically gives police officers unfettered rights to make stops, even if it targets specific racial or ethnic minorities. In the end, instead of educating the police forces to be race-blind, it condones discrimination on the basis of racial and ethnic differences. The role of geography in profiling predatory criminals Geography plays a major role in the profiling of criminals. Some parts of the world have been stereotyped as providing concentrated numbers of individuals engaged in similar crimes. For example, Latin America is known as a drug cartel haven. Many Americans assume that illicit drugs in the United

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Jazz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Jazz - Essay Example The slaves bought with themselves their music traditions (Cooke, 7-9).  There were grand dinners and festivals arranged which featured the African dances in the city of New Orleans. Similar gatherings occurred in  New England  and  New York. The African music lacked the harmony present in the European music but the rhythms reflected the similarity of the two music genres (Cooke, 11-14). An increasing number of black musicians eventually learnt how to play various European instruments in the early 19th century, especially the  violin. The black slaves who had come as a result of the slave trade had by now learned the harmonic style of  European music  and incorporated it into their own music styles (Cooke, 14-28). Many historians agree to it that jazz began just prior to the 20th century and its birthplace is the city of New Orleans. Prior to the World War I, the Creole band which was a band of New Orlean black musicians toured many parts of the country and therefore, jazz music was introduced to many cities like this. The Dixieland band group created the very first example of Ned Orleans style jazz by recording the music. The very first Blues number was the â€Å"Dallas Blues† recorded in the year 1912. There were many hit songs from different musicians in the 1900’s including Saint Louis Blues by W.C Handy and Indiana by Ballard MacDonald. The latter was the first recording by the Dixieland jazz band. Until the 1950’s, jazz was considered as music intended mostly for dancing (Tyle). Jazz is more than hundred years old but the actual circumstances of the birth of this music are rarely known because the recordings of the first jazz band were lost and therefore it is difficult to assume as to how it sounded, but it is possible to create an account of its emergence by gathering scraps of tit bits and information pieces. Jazz music was different. In the beginning, many musicians had worried about the impact of Jazz on the young generation, as such

Monday, November 18, 2019

Personal and Professional Development Assignment - 1

Personal and Professional Development - Assignment Example The hotel is close to the Crystal Palace Theme Park Maze and is ideal for guests, who wish to â€Å"explore London† and it has â€Å"easy and fast transport† facilities to the city (Queens Hotel Crystal Palace London, 2013). Usually, visitors to London include businesspersons as well as tourists and the guests in the hotel are from the upper middle class group. Being from the educated, upwardly mobile segment, they expect very high quality of service. They also include people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and speak different languages. Though most of them speak good English, we often have guests from France, Germany, and South Korea etc who do not like to speak the language. I am somewhat comfortable with French and German but I do not know Korean. However, we have some staff from Asian countries and thus they are able to handle guests who do not speak English. The hotel has a good restaurant that serves multi cuisine and it is popular among many Londoners. It also has a bar and banquet hall. The hotel always has over 60 percent occupancy and it is rated over 4.8 in commercial sites. Thus, overall the quality expectation of the customers is quite high. Task-1 A. Benefits of Self-Managed Learning to Individuals/Organizations and Various Approaches to It: Employees can benefit from self-managed learning by acquiring higher qualifications that will enable them to handle their jobs better. Thus, they can earn promotions or be selected for higher positions in the same company that require higher qualifications. Besides, people who engage in self-managed learning become more confident and will be able to â€Å"solve problems on their own† (Beitler, 2005, Ch.4 p.8). Therefore, employees who pursue learning even after they are settled in a job will be able to update their knowledge and skills and will perform well in the respective job positions. This will increase their productivity and they will be able to receive all the b enefits that management offers to high performing individuals. In the modern day, with the advent of technology, various changes occur in the workplace and employees need to remain abreast of the developments. Continued self-managed learning or lifelong learning will enable them to acquire knowledge in technology and communication. From an organizational perspective, self managed learning will be highly beneficial as such individuals will be developing their learning without much liability or risk on the part of the company. Acquiring of knowledge by employees will enable them to be better motivated and it becomes advantageous to the organization as such individuals will be able to perform better in the assigned position. This will automatically increase the productivity and profitability of the company. However, evidence suggests that it is better to have a written learning agreement as it will help the employee remain focused and, besides, by incorporating it into the performance appraisal system, the organisation will attain better capability to â€Å"promote, reward, capture, and benefit from individual learning† (Beitler, 2005, Ch.4 p.11). In the modern world, technology offers a wide range of approaches for self managed learning in an organisational environment. In order to determine the right approach one should be able to identify and prioritise the â€Å"

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Designing and Integrating Information System

Designing and Integrating Information System 1. INTRODUCTION As computer technology changes at fast pace, many businesses sectors also upgrade their computer system constantly in order to stay competitive. For such, the function has become indispensable asset of the companies that process enormous amount of data and complex transactions. Payroll is an example of a complex transaction a company has. Its preparation is crucial since it involves accounts and requires confidentiality. The use of an integrated information system will facilitate the accomplishment of jobs easier, faster and more efficiently. According to Kanchov (2006), application program is the bridge between the users and the database, where data are stored. Thus, a well-developed application program and database ensure the reliability, flexibility, and functionality of an information system. Information technology use aims at increasing the efficiency and reliability of management and monitoring of records. Steven M. Bragg (2006) says that in payroll system the timekeeping function is coming under increasing attack, as cost accountants realize that the cost of administering a detailed timekeeping system is exceeding the value of the result information. This issue can be resolved either by reducing the level of timekeeping effort until the effort expanded equals the utility of the resulting information (which may result in the complete elimination of the timekeeping function) or by more fully automating the timekeeping and payroll functions, so that the cost of the system administration is reduced to the point where it is once again a cost-effective means of tracking labor activities. According to Chowdury (2008), Inventory System is known to be used by many financial institutions. PIM (Perpetual Inventory Method) system maintains an up-to-date record of accurate level of goods at hands by ensuring that stocks are accounted for at all times. The process includes details of all recording purchase and sales receipts and issues and running balances of all stocks. In line with this, the researchers proposed for Balaod Mindanaw Incorporated a LAN Base system for a fully secured and reliable data, easy maintenance, and quicker data retrieval. Balaod Mindanaw Incorporated has decided to automate its transactions. BALAOD-Mindanaw traces its beginnings to Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BMFI) legal program as implemented by the LARGE (Legal Assistance for Agrarian Reform, Governance and Empowerment) Unit. BALAOD Mindanaw is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to help in the advancement of the legal and justice issues of different marginalized sectors and communities in Mindanao in the context of active peoples participation in governance. BALAOD sets forth in following organizational goals to promote paralegal formation and provide other legal services to marginalized sectors and communities in Mindanao; to conduct capability-building interventions on local legislation and dispute resolution; to provide a venue for networking and alter native legal assistance for law practitioners, law schools and law students in Mindanao; and to facilitate the creation of a favorable policy environment responsive to the needs of marginalized sectors and communities in Mindanao. 2. FRAMEWORK This study designed and developed an integrated information system to facilitate better operations of the organization. The researchers used the Practical Approach to Payroll Administration and Shared Services Approach. Practical Approach will create an awareness of statutory laws (eg. Employment Act, CPF Act, SDF Act, Income Taxt Act, and others) and give the overview of the components of a computerized payroll system. Also the approach will help develop an understanding of compensation components and the latest trends affecting payroll administration ( Subbu and Daofen, 2006). Shared Services Approach is an operational philosophy that involves centralizing administrative functions that were once performed in divisions or locations. Services that can be shared among the various business units of a company include finance, purchasing, inventory, and payroll (Sherman, 2008). Figure 1 illustrates the context diagram of developed Integrated Information System for Balaod Mindanaw, Inc. It shows the system relationship for the four entities: the Finance Officer, Employee, Librarian, and the Supply Officer. The system will automatically calculate the number of work hours of every employee and the deduction for every employees absence and under time. The system will send the information to other entities, applying the shared service approach by which information like employee information, books available in the library, and budget and inventory of every department are circulated. 3. Objective of the Study 3.1 General Objective of the study This study aimed at designing and developing an Integrated Information System for Balaod Mindanaw, Inc. The system is intended to minimize the effort of the user in the processing of payroll slip, payroll form, library slip, library form and in the monitoring of supplies. Also, the system is intended to create a well-arranged database to implement strong data security system. 3.2 Specific Objectives of the study The study sought to accomplish the following specific objectives: 3.2.1. To access the present payroll system of Balaod Mindanaw, Inc. 3.2.2. To profile the respondents in terms of age, gender, civil status, birth date, birth place, province, home address, current home address, family information, and education. 3.2.3. To identify the underlying problems of the present system involving the processes on payroll, library, inventory and the monitoring of supplies. 3.2.4. To determine the accuracy and effectiveness of the present system and the possible benefits of the proposed information system. 4. Statement of the Problem The study specifically sought to address the following problems of Balaod Mindanaw Inc: 4.1. The HR uses only papers to record employee information. Such system slows down the retrieval of data. 4.2. The file can easily be damaged and lost. 4.3. Double checking the consistency of supply records is time-consuming. 4.4. Financial computations are time-consuming and prone to mathematical errors that may cause financial or legal trouble. 5. Scope and Limitation The proposed system covers the process of budget monitoring for every department, requisition of equipment and books in the library, inventory of supplies, and monitoring of expenses of every department. The proposed payroll system covers the keeping of Daily Time Record for computing the exact wages of each employee. The system can do the following: 5.1. Compute monthly net income, deductions, and loans such as SSS, Philhealth, COLA, Emergency loans, PAG IBIG, and withholding tax. 5.2. Calculate budget allocation plus expenses of every department 5.3. Add book borrows records 5.4. Add employee information 5.5. Add employees login and logout records 6. Significance of the Study The proposed system will benefit the following entities: The Manager. The system will provide the manager with reliable and accurate reports concerning the companys budget and equipment use. The Supply Officer. The system will help the supply officer conduct an inventory of the supplies to generate reliable reports for referencing. The Finance Department. The system will help the finance department monitor all the expenses of every department and conduct liquidation anytime. Also, the department can process the payroll faster and accurately. The Company. The system will give the company the advantage over other companies that still use the traditional way of running the operations. Also, it will help the company increase its performance to satisfy its clients. The Future Researchers. The findings of the study will serve as basis for developing related system for other companies or establishments. 7. Output The output of the study is the Integrated Information System for Balaod Mindanaw, Incorporated. A complete Program Structure, Database Specifications and Design, and System User Manual go with the software. All program source codes are also fully documented and compiled. 8. Research Methodology The researchers used the simplified water fall model, which illustrates the sequential software development process in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards through the phases. Water fall development has distinct goals for each phase development from conceptualization through designing, implementation, testing, installation, troubleshooting, deployment of the system, and maintenance. 8.1. The Requirement Gathering and Analysis. The researchers surveyed literature and interviewed the user about the companys present system so that the system limitations could be identified and addressed 8.2. System Design.A system with applications addressing the present systems limitations was designed and developed. 8.3. Implementation. The developed system was applied given the permission of the company. 8.4. Testing.The developed system was subjected to interface testing, functionality testing, and front-end and back-end integration testing. 8.5. Deployment of the System.After a series of testing, the system was deployed to the working environment. 8.6. Maintenance. Lastly, it is very likely for the developed system to encounter system errors and unexpected bugs. Thus, the researchers will diagnose and resolve unknown issues. Further, the researchers will consider further enhancement of the database system. 8.1 CURRENT SYSTEM Narrative Description of the Current System First, every department submits a projected expense to the finance department or a proposed budget for the entire year, and then the finance department presents the projected expense of every department to the manager for approval. If the budget is approved, the finance department grants the approved budget to the department to be utilized within one year. If the budget is not approved, the finance department returns the projected expense to the department for adjustment or modification. Second, every department requests for supply to the supply officer. The supply officer asks the finance department for the budget. Then the budget for supply is submitted to the manager for approval. If the budget is approved, then the finance department gives the budget to the supply officer for the purchase of the requested supply. Then the purchased supply is given to the requesting department. 8.2 PROPOSED SYSTEM Narrative Description of the Proposed System The employee registers to indicate login and logout. The registration serves as reference for payroll. Every department sends its budget request through the system. The finance can view the budget request. The finance then presents the budget to the manager for approval. Once the requested budget is approved, the finance notifies the department as to the approval of the budget. The manager can view all transactions. For the supply requisition, the department sends the request to the supply officer. Then the supply officer forwards the request to the finance officer for the budget. Once the budget for the supply is approved by the finance officer, the supply officer canvasses and purchases the requested supply. The supply will then be delivered to the requesting department. The supply officer monitors the deliveries and declares the status of materials, and decides replacement of them. The finance department can add employees records and accounts and view the expenses of the entire de partment. The librarian handles all the book and journals. All book records are kept by a library staff. If the employee borrows a book, the librarian records the details of the book and the borrowers name. If the book is lost by the borrower, the librarian submits a note about the lost to the HR Department. 9.2 DATABASE STRUCTURE The system uses one database, which is the IISBalaodMindanao. It contains many tables and stores information such as employees record, daily time record, basic salary. And also, the system monitors the status of books in the library and other essential data. 9.3 Data Dictionary EmployeesProfile FamilyInfo WorkExperience WorkDescription Organization ImportantSeminar EducationalProfile Skills Talents Interest Logout Login Books BookDetails BookBarrowed DATA FIELD TYPE DATA TYPE