Effect of Maternal Employment on Child Hood Education Essay

Abstract The study aims to examine in detail the effects of maternal employment as a doctor on child’s academic achievement at school level, with the help of using samples taken from working doctor and non working mothers and the schools grades of their respective children. The results predicted show that mothers as a doctor does exert negative impact on the academic achievement of their children. Further findings highlight that mothers education and the quantity of time spend with the child incase when the mother is working are the important tools for better school performance. The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Introduction As we all know Pakistan being a developing nation gives great importance to two main sectors namely health and education. Therefore a lot of funds and resources have been contributed to these sectors over two decades on the principals of making Pakistan a healthy and literate community. Over the years Pakistan has witnessed a great deal of changes in its social, cultures and norms one of which has great relevance to our research such as female employment. The number of female employees has greatly increased. However female employment in profession cannot take place alone until and unless it blends with sound education. Therefore an increase employment in female sectors has led to a simultaneously increase in schooling or education as well, both of which are primary focus of our discussion. Since females are now opting medical as their profession and female doctors are increasing day by day, it was for this reason why we opted for this topic to study the impact of maternal employment as a doctor on their children’s primary education. Our aim is to make people aware of the fact whether maternal employment effects children’s education or not. In Lahore preschools and primary education schools are opening up at every location. This increase in demand for more schools is mainly due to more and more mothers going out for work. To become a doctor and serve the community can although be seen as positive aspect individually and socially however it can also have serious or negative implications on the child.To draw conclusions whether the working mothers as doctor have a positive or negative influence on child’s development we would need to consider several aspects of this development  that is how it affects the child’s academic performance and achievements, his personal character development and mental and emotional well being. All of the factors mentioned above would help us in determine whether it is feasible for the mother to work as a doctor or stay at home giving attention to their children. To study in depth we have taken into account the effect of working doctor mothers on children who are mainly enrolled in preschool and primary school. Children when are between the age of 3-12 years are most demanding in time and it is these early years of a child in which a strong bond between mother and child is created followed by the character development. Mother as doctors will tend to leave their children at day care or pre schools which might end up with negative effects on the children. On the other hand preschools and primary schools may also have positive impact on the child’s growth such as learning of new activities and work in groups which will help them build up confidence and lastly make them independent at a very young age. Despite these positive aspects of the schooling, a child might not perform well in his education performance. To carry out the survey and research a lot of variables were considered and used in finding. Variables such as the number of years after the mother started practicing medical profession after the child’s birth, the monthly income of the female doctors, the fraction of the to tal monthly salary spent on children. Last but not the least the amount of items available in the house that contribute in time saving techniques resulting in ample time available for the mother to be spent with the child, these equipment would mainly include washing machines, dryers dish washers and the number of helpers present in the house. Our main objective is to also study and compare previous generations to today’s generations in Pakistan. In past very less women were doctors and mostly were housewives who believed in not to work but to spend quality time at home and give in their best efforts to bring up their children. However nowadays females are becoming doctors. Thus a question arises whether women can still manage to give quality timer to their children with medical as their profession or children have to suffer because of their mother as doctor. Which option is better, to become a doctor and raise children or become a house wife and raise children. These questions will be addressed and answered in our research. Questions that will be asked from the doctors and non working women that will help us formulate general results  are in the form of two questionnaires. To gain more primary data which is still not answered by the questionnaires; there will also be direct interviews from the doctors. Thus our population will be few female doctors in Lahore that have children. However we have further narrowed the female doctors to a few hospitals at Lahore. The sample would be taken from surgimed hospital/ Services hospital.To sum up, research paper mainly focuses on the effect of mothers being doctors on their childhood’s development with special importance given to education development. To summarize in one line, the research helps in studying the development of child when their mothers are doctors (maternal employment sector) or when their mothers are housewives (nonemployee). Literature Review This paper involves number of studies that involve the relationship between maternal employment and children’s cognitive development. Maternal employment can be taken as an economic factor which eventually can affect and influence a lot of environmental conditions, thus it also affects the children’s cognitive abilities. We cannot deny the fact that economic conditions initially play a vital role in child’s development but on the other hand psychological aspects can also not be denied and need to be taken into account. To define and state them more clearly some of the factors affecting the child outcomes may include maternal employment, education levels of parent’s socio economic standing and other demographic standings. It is widely believed that mothers as doctors have less time available to spend with their children therefore one could say mothers as doctors have negative effects on the cognitive development of children. Some of the problems that can come across are slow language development process, unable to solve mathematical problems and deficits in reading abilities. Ruhm (2000) found out that during the early years such as 3 and 4 years old, children had detrimental effect on language learning and children with the age of 5 and 6 years had to face the problems mathematical inabilities. Lack of interaction and bonding with the mother at this stage in life may lead to cognitive difficulties in the child .Maternal employment results in separation of mother and child therefore providing a gateway to cognitive problems. An interesting finding that we found out while going through the  literature was that unlike maternal employment, unemployed fathers have negative effects. Harvey (1999) found out some significant results though they were more or less confined to high income versus low income families. Harvey (1999) conducted different surveys and techniques and studied the effects of maternal employment on cognitive development. Harvey (1999) found out that maternal employment is favorable and has positive impact to children that belong to low income families. This is perhaps because children from poor families receive more education in their pre schooling compared to if they stayed at home. This view point can also be supported with the fact that mothers from poor families are less educated and thus have less motherly skills. However children from richer families mostly lose out when their mothers are not at work. Income effects: David Blau (1999) conducted a study which focused on income effects. Blau (1999) found out that only permanent income that is from permanent career can affect the relationship which also is to a limited extent. Blau (1999) agreed that different economic classes do affect the cognitive levels. Family variables are important which mainly include mother’s educational level, marital status and race. Education Status: With respect to Blau, Loury(1988) examined that the educational level of the parents is the main cause of cognitive problems. To conclude about the literature review Investigation into the influences on children’s development shows the fundamental factor is the nature of children’s experiences in their primary life contexts, including the relationships between those contexts and wider socio-cultural contexts. The most influential factor is the nature of interactions with parents and, in the early childhood education setting, with early childhood educators. With regard to the impact of maternal employment, the direction of international research suggests maternal employment in itself has no significant negative or positive effects on children, although small negative cognitive and behavioral effects of extensive maternal employment may occur in the child’s first year. These possible negative effects are linked to the quality of the early childhood education, so high quality generally removes the negative effects and may increase positive effects in that first year. Any negative effects of maternal employment are negligible beyond the child’s first year  and must be seen in relation to the numerous influences in the different contexts of a child’s life. Methodology The purpose of the study is to look at how mothers working as doctors have an effect on their children’s performance in the field of education at preschool and primary level. To carry out research, female doctors who have children were selected as population from hospitals of Lahore mainly constituting Services and Surgimed hospital . To carry out data collection the population was sampled and fifteen female doctors who have children from each hospital were given a questionnaire and similarly two interviews from each hospital were conducted. We have used quota sampling based on convenient and non probability sampling. Semi structured questionnaire which consists of both structured and unstructured questions have been used. The questionnaire designed focused on general questions in the beginning and then focused more towards specific questions, the approach known as general to specific was used.. Since there are large numbers of female doctors who have children working in these two hospitals; it was easy for us to collect data with the help of questionnaires by distributing them once and collecting the questionnaires back next time. Unstructured interviews were also conducted, two from each hospital to collect data.The aim of the interviews was to find out any additional information that could not be generated or left out in questionnaires. This additional information was generated with help of probe questions. We tried our best to create an atmosphere which is suitable and comfortable for the respondents to conduct the interview Questions used in questionnaires are mostly measured in numerical frequency. The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Questionnaire results and discussion: Q1: Most of the mothers (working and non working) were married, thus majority of them belonged to a stable family meaning by they were not disturbed due to family domestic affairs.(See Appendix for charts) Q2: An interesting finding from the questionnaires was that mothers who worked as  doctors had less children. On an average female doctors had two children. Whereas mothers who were not working had a majority of three children. Thus clearly highlighting the fact that mothers can give more time to their children if they are not working. (See Appendix for charts) Q3: Mostly mothers who had children of below the age of five years took leave from their profession to up bring their children. (See Appendix for charts) Q4: Both mothers who are working as doctors and mothers who are nonworking had majority of their life partners (husbands) as working and earning. (See Appendix for charts) Q5: Income was enough for them to buy things for children. (See Appendix for charts) Q6: Though when this question was put in a different way in terms of spending time with their children. Women who were not working, mostly spent 6 hours a day with their children whereas working women only spent 4 hours a day due to their staying away from home unlike nonworking women who worked while staying home thus could give more time to children. (See Appendix for charts) Q7: Mothers who worked in hospitals had hired maids for their children to look after them whereas non working mothers who hired maids were 9 out of 30 mothers who answered questionnaire. Out of 30 working mothers who were given questionnaire 16 had The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement hired maid’s .Therefore mothers who don’t work can look after their children much better unlike maids hired by working mothers for their children. (See Appendix for charts) Q8: Though there is a slight difference as most of the nonworking mothers visit 6 times years while working mothers visit 4 times a year. (See Appendix for charts) Q9: Mothers who work are supported and to great extent in bring up their children up to their academic expectations. Majority working mothers stated that their husband contribute more than 50% in children’s education responsibility. Whereas mothers who did not work took most of the children’s education responsibilities and husband contributed very less. Therefore a valid conclusion drawn is that mothers who do not work can give more time to their children’s education and can produce better results. (See Appendix for  charts) Q10: Mothers who worked provide their children with recreational activities such as taking them out to restaurants etc. Whereas mothers who stayed at home emphasized more on providing recreational activities such as sports for healthier routine and health. (See Appendix for charts) The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Q11: Now talking about the main research question. Results drawn showed that mothers who did not work their children showed a better academic performance when compared to mothers who work. Out of 30 working mothers only 9 termed their children with excellent academic performance whereas in case of nonworking women out of 30, 18 termed their children as excellent in academics. Therefore clearly indicating that mothers who do not work are able produce better results out of their children unlike working mothers. (See Appendix for charts) Q12: Mothers who were working wanted their children to get the highest degree of education to become successful in life. Majority of the working mothers wanted their children to do masters. (See Appendix for charts) Q13: Some working women agreed that bringing up child is possible with job whereas almost an equal amount of women did not agreed that bringing up child is easily possible with job and thus affects overall performance especially academic performance. (See Appendix for charts) Q14: When working and non working mothers were asked about their opinion as mothers. Non working mothers termed themselves in majority (25 out of30) as excellent mothers whereas mothers as doctors only 12 out of 30 termed themselves excellent mothers. (See Appendix for charts) Q15: Lastly mothers were to give reasons of why they were working. Most of them mothers stated that they worked either for advancement in career or for monetary reasons. (See Appendix for charts) The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Interviews were also conducted from working women from the hospitals. The unstructured interviews followed by probe questions helped us  to find more useful information about their impact of job on their children’s education performance. The findings from the interviews were finding out how much interest they showed in their children’s education and whether they had ever thought of the impact of their profession on their children’s education performance. Most of the female doctors were interested in their children’s education performance and were concerned but they also agreed that at times they lack in keeping their child’s performance up to date due to their performance. Thought it was found out that they tried to give equal time to their profession and their children to maintain balance however doctor as profession did not allow them to work on this idea freely and thus female doctors as mothers were more towards the view that doctor as a profession is too demanding, therefore some cost in the form of children’s upbringing has to be paid. To find more details doctors were asked what they thought of this profession whether it is friendlier towards family. Most of the doctors abruptly answered in a negative manner and demanded that working hours too long and should be cut short so that more time can be spent with families. Though in monetary terms they were happy since most of the female doctors quoted a handsome amount of salary and were able to meet their children’s requirement and their schooling (education). Lastly questions were asked from doctors whether they would like their children to be a doctor as well keeping in view the costs associated and children’s education impact. Most of the mothers were not in favor of making their children’s doctors stating that there is no social and family life in this profession. The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Conclusions Findings from the research we suggest that doctor as a profession is not friendly and does not goes in favor side by side in bringing children’s education performance to the peak. Mothers working as doctors no doubt work hard in up bringing their child to their best however nowadays doctor as a profession is becoming demanding day by day and the number of hours to work have increased. Simultaneously education competitions have also increase and have become very demanding. Therefore looking at the results mothers who works as doctors, their children suffer more than mothers who do not work and spend time with their children. The other two sectors like bankers etc  had less or negligible effects on children’s education. Thus doctor’s children have a negative impact on their children education unlike mothers who are government servants or bankers. Recommendations The research is very helpful and will provide a good rationale for female mothers who work as doctors to take a decision whether to take up job or bring up their child as nonworking mothers. Looking at the results and findings the researcher suggests that in Pakistan, doctor as a profession is very demanding and has negative effect on children’s performance. Therefore it is recommended that women instead of taking up doctor as their profession should look for other job alternatives such as banking or other government jobs which are less demanding and have less working hours. The main advantage of considering other professions would be to give time simultaneously to their children along with their jobs. The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement Limitations: The one and only limitation faced in the project was to get the questionnaires filled out from the doctors. Since most of the time doctors were busy and getting hold of doctors to take their interviews and filling out questionnaires was difficult. The effect of maternal employment (doctor) on child development and academic achievement References Blau, F. D., & Grossberg, A. J. (1992). Maternal labor supply and children’s cognitive development. Review of Economics and Statistics Achenbach, T. M., Edelbrock, C., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Empirically based assessment of behavioral/emotional problems of 2- and 3-year-old children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Baydar, N., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1991). Effects of maternal employment and child care arrangements on preschoolers’ cognitive and behavioral outcomes: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Developmental Psychology Brooks-Gunn, J., Han, W., & Waldfogel, J. (2002). Maternal employment and child cognitive outcomes in the first three years of life: The NICHD Study of Early Child Care. Child Development,

The Development of the Modern Travel and Tourism Industry

The development of the travel and tourism industry in the uk increased after the end of world war 2. Before World War 2 there was not much of a travel industry except when Billy Butlin opened his first holiday camp in Skegness. During the war no one would go abroad or visit other places apart from the richer people as they were the ones who could afford it. The travel and tourism industry has developed as a direct result of technological developments. These technological developments have been in transport technology such as things like, jet aircraft; improve trains and more luxurious coaches. Also, there has been an improvement in information and communication technology such as the internet, computer reservation systems (CRS) and global distribution systems (GDS) as well as credit and debit cards allowing customers to pay for their travels in more convenient ways. You can read also Waves The most significant development in air travel was when the jet aircraft was introduced in the 1950's especially the Boeing 707 in 1958. Air travel became more rapid, safe, comfortable and relative to past decades- cheap. The travel and tourism industry benefitted from the ‘jumbo jet' boeing 747 that was introduced in 1969. With the jet it was possible to fly in less time making long haul flights more accessible, also the price to pay was reduced due to the increased capacity of the jumbo jet (400 seats). However, it is not just the air transport that has been revolutionised by technological developments. The channel tunnel was opened in 1995 and increased competition for the cross-channel ferry service. The changing in socio-economic factors has added to the development of the modern travel and tourism industry. These factors include: * Changes in car ownership * Increasing leisure time * An increase in disposable income * The impact of the national economy In the last 50 years, car ownership has increased dramatically. This is because peoples income has raised and the cost of cars are more affordable to buy and to run. In 1970 there were approximately 11 million cars on uk roads this is a huge increase compared with the 2.3 million in 1950. Statistics from the Department for Transport show that in 2002 there were over 25.5 million private cars in the UK. This suggests that car owners have an additional travel option, and that it is easier for them to reach destinations that are inaccessible or difficult to access with public transport. A benefit of having your own car is that car owners can chose when to travel without a timetable restriction and they have a choice of their speed of travel. Car ownerships offer flexibility to travel. The rise is car ownership has resulted in the demand for public transport to drop, such as trains, coaches for holiday travel. The result of this leads to cuts in transport services. Another effect on the increase of car ownership in the uk has been the increase in associated environmental problems, such as pollution, congestion and the loss of land to road building programmes. Over the years, the increase in leisure time has come about because of holiday pay entitlement. In the UK there are a number of one day bank holidays as well as annual leave. Holiday entitlement is partly responsible for the seasonality of travel and tourism as working parents take holidays in the school holidays to coincide with school holidays. The â€Å"working week† has also been made shorter to an average of 37 hours, compared to the 1950's when the working week was 50 hours a week. A great benefit to the travel and tourism industry is that many employers offer flexible working hours allowing employees to have long weekends and hence take short breaks. Labour saving household equipment such as dishwashers, washing machines, and microwaves mean that household chores are carried out quicker, increasing leisure time. People on average are also living longer and retiring earlier. The ‘grey' market is important in travel and tourism, as retired people frequently have a l ot of leisure time and money to spend on holidays and other leisure activities. In travel and tourism the increase in product development is primarily due to package holidays. The origin on the package holiday has come from a man called Thomas Cook, who took his passengers by train Loughborough to Leicester in 1841. The modern package or also known as the inclusive tour was created by Vladimir Raitz, who in 1950 carried a party of thirty two holiday makers to Corsica. That particular package included return flights, transfers, tented accommodation and full board (fully catered). By filling every seat he managed to keep the price low. He then went on to establish Horizon Holidays and chartered planes to destination such as Palma, Malaga and other Mediterranean resorts, carrying 300 passengers in the first year of operating. Package holidays have since increased with Thomson, Airtours and First Choice being the biggest outgoing tour operators in terms of the number of package holidays sold. The most favoured destination is the Mediterranean as this is the most popular with the British. However long-haul destinations including places like the Caribbean, the USA, the far east and Australia are growing to be increasing important holiday destinations as travel costs fall. In the 1950's Club Med introduced all inclusive holidays. All inclusive's can now include all meals, drinks, sports and entertainment, for example, but what's covered in the packaged does vary depending on the operator. For example an all-inclusive package with First choice at the four start Occidental Grand Fuerteventura in Jandia included the following: * Food- buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner; unlimited snacks 10 a.m to midnight; afternoon tea and cakes; picnics available on request; unlimited ice cream between 3pm and 6 pm * Drink- unlimited locally produced alcoholic drinks between 10.30 am and midnigh5t for adults; unlimited soft drinks, tea, coffee and mineral water between 10 a.m and midnight. Holiday camps are purpose sites providing family accommodation and a diversity of entertainment facilities on site for a relatively low all inclusive price. They were first originated by Billy Butlin in the 1930s who opened his first holiday camp at Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast in 1936. Holiday camps worked on the principle and motive that if children were happy on holiday, then parents would be too. In this type of holiday Butlin's, Pontin's and Warner's became market leaders. In the recent years they have modified these camps to meet changing consumer needs and expectations. New types of holiday centres have evolved such as Centre Parcs. Because of the huge growth in travel and tourism there has been a change in consumer needs and expectations. There have been significant changed due to cultural and social factors. We also now demand higher standards of quality and customer service. The simple sun sea and sand holidays in the 1960's seem less popular with people nowadays, and more flexibility is demanded. These days, customers prefer to choose the type of accommodation, the board basis, and the type of transport and the length of the holiday. Package holidays now offer this choice. Special-interest holidays have particularly been developed more to cater for a range of interests. Holidays that have become increasingly important are activity and adventure holidays, especially the ones that include activities such as white-water rafting or scuba diving. The ‘second holiday' has developed as leisure time increases and disposable income rise. Skiing became popular as a second (winter) holiday from the 1970s, and in the 1980s the short break market developed. The domestic travel and tourism industry has benefitted from this. Overseas city breaks are now very popular thanks to low-price air fares and other quick transport methods. We see the damage that can be done to popular holiday destinations and the travelling public is becoming more environmentally aware. Tour operators have responded to this and many brochures will make a statement about what they're doing to support local communities. The Travel Foundation is a charity that develops practical solutions to help protect and improve holiday destinations. External factors in the travel and tourism industry include legislation. The Holidays with Pact Act 1938 encouraged voluntary agreements by employers on paid holidays and generated the idea of a two week paid holiday for all workers. Although this ambition was not fulfilled untilled a few years after the end of the second world war, by 1939 some 11 million of the UK's 19 million workforce were entitled to paid holidays, a key factor in generating mass travel and tourism. Countryside and Rights of Way act 2000 made it legal for the public to enter area's and land that were previously restricted to the landowners. The right does not include cycling, horse riding, driving a vehicle or camping, and there are various other rules to protect the land and the interests of the landowners, such as farmers. Development of Tourism Act 1968 established the British tourist authority which was set up to encourage incoming tourism from overseas visitors, as well as the four national tourist boards (NTB) of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which oversee tourism in their own areas. The BTA and the NTBs were given the power and authority to act in name of the government and to promote British Tourism. Since 2004 the BTA and the English tourism council have merged together into VisitBritain. Each NTB work within its own country to encourage and improve amenities for travel and tourism. They offer a service for information, undertake research and provide grants for tourism-related projects. In order to extend their influence within their countries, each NTB sets up Regional Tourist Boards. EU Directive on Package Travel 1995 ensures that customers of package holiday providers have financial protection. For example, if a company fails, customers that have not yet travelled can re-claim their money back. For those who are on holiday at the time do not have to pay additional costs. The directive made a number of duties on the organisers of package holidays, which includes providing clear contract terms, giving emergency telephone numbers, providing a range of compensation options if the agreed services are not supplied, producing accurate promotional materials such as brochures, as well as providing proof that the organiser has security against insolvency. Disability discrimination Act 1995 came about through public pressure to persuade people and businesses to remove any barriers facing people with disabilities. Travel and tourism organisations such as visitor attractions have to be accessible to those with restricted mobility or those in wheelchairs. Also public transport services have been advised to their vehicles with facilities to make it easier to use for people with disabilities, for example fitting low steps on busses. These adaptations have been successful as there are 10 million disabled people in the UK with a spending power of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½48 million. This act requires travel agents to make reasonable adjustments to their shops to ensure that disabled people can have access to their facilities and services. If these adjustments are not made the travel agency can be sued and required to pay compensation. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies to workers in all areas of travel and tourism. * Employers have general duty to provide for the health, safety and welfare of those they employ. Employers are also required to consult employees about health and safety arrangements and prepare written health and safety policy statement. * Employers need to ensure that their operations do not put non-employees at risk. * Adequate information about any work-related hazards and the precautions needed to contain them must be made available. * All employees have to take reasonable care to ensure their own health and safety at work and that of other people who might be affected by their actions. Each year The World Tourism Organisation produces a report on the long term prospects for tourism. The WTO predicts that worldwide international arrivals are expected to reach over 1.56 billion by the year 2020. 1.18 billion of that number will be between region and 337 million will be long haul travel. It is predicted that by 2020 the top 3 tourist receiving regions will be Europe (717 million tourists), East Asia and the pacific (379 million) and the Americas (282 million), followed by Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. However, it is impossible to make precise predictions in travel and tourism. The following examples may or may not happen. A development that is likely to take place over the next few years is space tourism; other developments in transport technology included the Airbus's 8380 ‘superjumbo' with 555 seats compared to the regular boeing 747 jumbo's with 415 seats. The Chinese and Russian markets, with a population of 1.3 billion, are likely to attract many new tourists. VisitBritain is expecting a double in the number of tourists from China to the UK in the next 5 years to 130 000, and the number of visitors from Russia to increase by 50% in the same period to more than 200 000. These upcoming markets are targeted by travel companies. Russians see the UK as a desirable destination. Chinese consumers are cost and quality conscious and are less likely to buy on-line as they do not have credit cards. According to the WTO, china itself is expected to become the worlds leading tourism destination by 2020, with some 100 million outbound tourists and 130 million each year. The conclude the development of the modern travel and tourism industry is primarily due to the changing socio-economic factors, technical developments, product development, external factors, the change in customer needs and expectations and the up-growing future trends in travel and tourism.

Analyse the concepts of 'culture shock' and 'cultural adjustment' and Essay - 1

Analyse the concepts of 'culture shock' and 'cultural adjustment' and critically assess some possible consequences of th - Essay Example A culture may be thought of a network of shared meanings, which are easily taken as reality by those interacting within network. This view of culture upholds that a community of people is likely to create a general representation obtained from their shared experiences and then embrace these pre-set classes as background or setting against which incoming experiences are translated. People endeavor to structure the external world by corresponding external stimuli against internal theoretical patterns. After such a match is made, an individual is in a position to assign meaning to an outside event. If a match cannot be made, an individual may feel disoriented, frustrated or afraid. People with diverse cultures will see the world differently since they have been carefully sensitized to certain assortments of stimuli. An individual may not knowingly be conscious to the specific patterns of meanings assumed if he/she is interacting with people sharing the same view, because reality is take n for granted. It is through contact with people who view the world in a different perspective that one becomes aware of the cultural patterns he/she is embracing. It is from the movement and the interaction across cultures that the aspect of cultural shock comes about (Nelson et al, 2011, p 164). Culture shock is the distress experienced by a sojourner as an upshot of losing all the recognizable signs and symbol of social interaction, as well as their substitution with by other cues that are strange. The move to a new environment is a traumatic life event when sojourners have to cope with substantial culture change. The reason is that conflicts associated to the divergences in rules, values and meanings between the two cultures will be unavoidable. In other words, an individual may be so unfamiliar with the host surroundings that he/she has no guidance as to what, when and how to do (Cameron, 2010, p 3). People of certain occupations likely to be affected by culture shock are such as foreign students and intellectuals, teachers, business executives (expatriates), migrant workers, Peace Corps volunteers and social workers. Oberg highlighted six elements of culture shock. One is strain as a result of the effort needed to make essential psychological adaptations. Second is the sense of loss and feelings of deficiency with regards to profession, status, friends and possessions. The third element of culture shock entails being rejected and/or rejecting members of new cultures. Fourthly is the confusion in terms of role, role expectations, feelings, self identity and values. Fifthly is the anxiety, surprise and even disgust and resentment, after becoming cognizant of cultural differences. The last aspect is the feeling of helplessness as a result of the inability to handle the new environment. When living in a new environment, a student or sojourner goes through the following stages of cultural adjustment (Becker & Bhugra, 2005, p 18). Source: Becker & Bhugra, 2005 , 19 Honeymoon This is the initial stage that a sojourner experiences at the commencement of the contact. The stage is characterized by fascination, euphoria, excitement and enthusiasm. Travelers experience positive attitude as similarities are considered as comfort, whilst differences are observed with interest. Crisis/hostility/ irritation This is the culture shock stage that is

Common law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Common law - Case Study Example Further, it is the concern of Stahl and Mendenhall (2005) that strategic and financial goals are too often emphasised in business, whilst the psychological, cultural and human resource implications are not fully recognized. A company that recognises and includes its employees in the decision-making process will enjoy increasing success in the long run. It is the long-term goals that matter the most. Organisational development (OD) is a planned organisation-wide approach to improving effectiveness, utilising humanistic values and beliefs about the potential to grow and a willingness to make changes. Work was once considered a mechanistic and rational process, but, over time, research has indicated that organisations are not as rational as the public has perceived them to be. OD is informed by a set of humanistic values and beliefs about the potential of people and organisations to develop and grow. Effectiveness is influenced by relationships, and understanding interdependencies within the work system is critical because change in one place will have an effect elsewhere (Opening Up OD, 2004). There are two ways to develop a business: in terms of structure and in terms of staff selection. Structure is the method used to set up the business from a mechanical and linear viewpoint. It offers a working outline from leadership to individual performance, as set forth in the Burke-Litwin model below (Using, 2006). However, a company that offers incentives for employees will find it much easier to capture the market share in the long run. In this respect, the McKinsey 7-S Framework appears to offer a more interconnected method of organisation (Famous Models 2006). Both of these systems have initiated criticism, but where people are involved, although a rigid framework might appear to bring about positive results, it leaves no room for compromise and is doomed to failure over time. Models of Performance Retrieved from http://www.roffeypark.com/articles/onearticler.php'article_id=169 It should be noted in the Burke-Litwin Model above that although the chart appears to be linear, the use of it in this case is more interactive and circular. The response from employees at AAH Pharmaceuticals in the UK to a questionnaire conducted by an outside company, Roffey Park, garnered an 86% response. The model allowed an analysis of organisational dynamics, and the findings were fed back to employees in a newsletter, completing the circle (Using, 2006). This is one indication of how the Burke-Litwin Model can be used, but unless its structure is flexible, it could bring about a less than satisfactory result. The Seven S Framework below appeared in The Art of Japanese Management by Richard Pascale and Anthony Athos in 1981, at a time when Japan was at the top of the global economic field. It became a basic tool for the McKinsey Consultancy and is called the McKinsey 7S Model. Whilst the Burke-Litwin Model studies activities, the 7S Model observes people. Chimaera Consulting offers their interpretation of the model (n.d.): Retrieved from http://www.chimaeraconsulting.com/7s_model.htm Strategy A set of actions

Portfolio task Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Portfolio task Human Resource Management - Essay Example The running of this organization relied much on the research services my team offered in evaluating the social needs that the population had, device and advise on appropriate policies to undertake the relevant adjustments. Moreover, as a research team, we were involved in managing a database for the organization’s beneficially and issue identification cards through which the organization would track the frequency of using the facilities by the members and carry out periodical analysis for possible improvements. The success of our role as a team was therefore dependent on various factors, which were intrinsic to members, as well as other environmental factors. Though our team had a temporal assignment with the organization, success in the task assigned was mandatory. The team comprised of various players such as organizers and supervisors, coordinators as well as team workers who attended to different tasks as assigned. A general review of the performance of the team revealed a great success in the mandate assigned having completed the exercise a month earlier than the expected time and satisfactorily having delivered as required. The analysis however revealed the success to be explained by team behavior as against such factors as the intellect of the members. Nevertheless, we can no refute the strategic role played by skills and competencies exhibited by the members in handling the technical roles assigned. Each behavior portrayed by the team had a strategic and specific role to play in the overall success of the team as recorded (Cohen, 1993, p. 1-3). The ability of the team to combine ideas before the onset of the team as a functional unit reveals a high level of sense of commitment and obligation. Moreover, the team had a well-organized leadership structure through which the management was carried out. Incorporation of new members wherever needed had a specific structure which ensured the correct skills and competencies needed were sought and harnesse d. Inter as well as intra team relations between the team members and other teams within the organization would be equally commended for the good performance of the team as noted. According to literature, the success of any team rests on such factors as cooperation and efforts of individual member. Moreover, teams do not behave, think or feel while the persons making up the team do. In this respect, teams have no obligations as distinct entities but rather, their successes depend of the factors inherent on team members. Therefore, the success from our team would therefore be explained by the good coordination as well as the individual traits to the members. Task 2 [The Coca-Cola limited (UK) is a constituent retail multinational organization which specializes in manufacture and sale of soft drinks across the globe. Having been in existence over many decades, the organization has had great exposure within the beverage industry and thus commands great mastery of business operations wi thin the industry ( more than the emergent competitors command). The retail organization has employed thousands of persons in the UK and has numerous retail outlets within the country. This paper intends to analyze the operations of the retail organization with a special attention of its operations within the United Kingdom. Its official website URL is http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/.] The company specializes in manufacturing drink concentrates as well as syrups, which are later

A simple reply letter to a councillor, all materials provided. 2pages Essay

A simple reply letter to a councillor, all materials provided. 2pages Writer #381 - Essay Example For that reason, we would argue that the benefit of even just one more youth center would far surpass the cost. The problem as we see it is that the enormous potential of how youth centers help kids on their path toward maturity is far more difficult to quantify than a mere cost analysis can do. The most important element in CBD Renewal Project is that middle term-renewal. Renewal of a project carries with connotations that reach well beyond merely creating a more attractive faade. In order to fully renew a community, a long term vision is required that not only presents a more attractive front, but an entirely new foundation. The dilapidated facilities that you mentioned in your kind letter are best viewed as just one dimension to the more complex issue of rebuilding the broken spirit of our community. It was the breaking of that spirit that led to the decay of these buildings. A youth center is important not only in immediate terms of financial and social benefits, but as a basis upon which to build and strengthen the very vitality of the neighborhood in which is centered. We respect your position and knowledge enough to suggest, with all modesty, that we are just as concerned as you about renewing the g

Church Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Church Architecture - Essay Example The early church building architecture is one of the most outstanding designs ever seen in human construction history. Churches all over the world share similar architectural designs in the interior and exterior regions. Normal church architecture always seems to be dominated by a round shape style. The basic architecture of the church includes a Nave, which is the part where worshippers stand during the service. The Pulpit is the podium on the left side of the church where the gospel is read, and the Nathex am outside part of the church that serves as an entry to the Nave. The church is characterized by wooden seats arranged in from the front. The interior design of the churches includes minimum three entries, a high ceiling and large decorated windows (Campbell, 2004). The exterior of the church is mainly raised roof, with a cross at the top. Early churches have the exterior decorated with statues of angels. The exterior design of churches is large and spacious just as the interior and constructed using strong stone blocks. Apart from this the doors were made of wood and locked by interlocking strong metal pieces. The main material used in construction of early churches was a huge stone blocks, clay bricks wooden beams, timber and bricks. The roofing was mainly made clay tiles (Ward-Perkins, 1994). Islam can be traced as far as Christianity and its architecture is unique and attractive. Mosques have interior is spaced just like in a church, but it has no seats. Since Muslims worship while kneeling down, the floor of a mosque need to a furnished material such as a carpet. The interior architecture f a mosque boasts of beautiful decoration mostly of handmade tiles (Haog, 1991). Islamic interior architecture also includes arches and domes giving the most spacious view from the inside. The domes are decorated with glass to allow sunlight; this ensures the spacious interior of a Mosque is nicely light. The decorations include verses of Quran, patterns of different shapes in different colors and many windows some of which are blind. The most important part of the mosque is the Mihrab to the right of the Mihrab is the Minber or pulpit. This is where the Imam stands when giving the sermon. The exterior architecture of the Mosque has a minaret, a raise tower like structure shaped like a pencil which mainly is used to call worshipers to the morning player. The Mosque is made of Marble carvings, wood, plaster, stone, glass for windows and handmade ceramic tiles decorating both the interior and the exterior (Ward-Perkins, 1994). The gothic buildings were mainly made up of stone, and emphasized on strong buttressed walls, minimal wall space, highly vaulted ceiling and vertical lines. The roof of the Gothic building was quiet heavy and architectures had to consider the possibility of a collapse. To prevent this from happening they developed buttresses. These exterior structures ensured that the walls and pillars could support the heavy roof by distri buting weight evenly enabling them to resist the outward pressure of the roof. The Gothic building exterior also comprised of a tower forming part of entry to the Nave. The towers had a large window in the entry side to ensure that the inside of the building is well lit. The interior of the gothic building almost resembled the church, it had large stained glass windows, wooden seats, a nave, pulpit and an altar. The interior decoration mainly comprised of stone carvings and coloured windows. Gothic architects appreciated geometry therefore the stones used in construction of gothic buildings were specifically cut to fitting. Other than this metal, glass and wood comprised the main materials used on construction of the buildings (Draper, 2006). The renaissance period architecture emphasizes on geometry, proportionality, symmetry and regularity of parts. The columns, plaster, and lintels were arranged orderly and the architects utilized the use of dome, niches and aedicule’

Role of the Government in the Prevention of Recession Essay

Role of the Government in the Prevention of Recession - Essay Example This wall was constructed in the 1640s by the Dutch. History has it that the West Indians from the West Indian Company bought the Manhattan land from their predecessors by paying them with goods worth $25. This took the Indians that lived in Manhattan then by surprise because to them land could not be privately owned. When they realized that the Dutch West Indian company had taken their land, they began to demand their land back. For this reason, the Dutch Indians constructed the wall to keep the Lenape Indians out. Lenape is the name used for the people that lived in Manhattan. The Dutch Indians made use of the African slaves, and the white colonists to construct the wall to a height of 12 foot by 1.1 km length, all along the length of the original fortifications (Gigante?s, 99). The Wall Street developed into a business location around the year 1685 when traders used to gather in distinct locations to purchase and sell bonds and shares. Over time, the trade developed, and there was the specialization of these merchants into dealers and auctioneers. The Wall Street also became a place where people hired slaves. Due to these continued trading activities on this street, the New York City Common Council declared Wall Street to be a slave market, where people could buy slaves or hire them. In the year 1792, the formation of the Buttonwood Agreement led to the formation of the New York Stock Exchange. Over the centuries, the Wall Street developed its own institutions and individual personality with very little interference from other societies, or none at all. Within these years, there has also been many changes on the wall street. At first, there was the development of the agricultural trade, and then came the industrial, and finally there was the financial development, in the 19th century. In 1888, the stock exchange started to be tracked. In the early years of the20th century, there was the construction of business buildings, which were skyscrapers. The 20th cen tury also saw the introduction of taxes on stocks transfers, though this was protested by stock clerks. The Wall Street is currently the centre of the largest stock exchange market in the world. In the 19th century, there was the development of a class of businessmen that were very wealthy. This extremely wealthy class used brutal and dishonorable ways to maintain their dominance in the major industries. This was referred to as the as the robber barons. For instance, they exploited the workers of industries such as the railroads, petroleum mad steel among others. These industries became monopolies due to exploitation by these robber barons (Gigante?s, 89). This period of domination by the robber barons lasted for a while, but people rebelled against their dominance; thus they were brought under control. For instance Cornelius Vanderbilt, subjugated the whole of the transport industry of the united states. He amassed a lot of wealth from his domination of the fleet of steamboats; the also owned and dominated the railroads. Cornelius Vanderbilt was said to be the richest man in the united states in the year 1877. Robber barons were also used to refer to the German lords who charged tolls on the roads that crossed their lands. Some also charged huge toll on the ships. The year 1929 brought about a turn in the economic history of the United States. During this time, the New York Stock Exchange experienced a financial crisis that had ever been experience. There were huge losses that were made during this time. This was also known as the â€Å"Black Tuesday†. It started in October 1929 and extended for a long time. This crash in the New York Stock Exchange lasted for ten years. This would lead to negative effects on the industrialization of most of

The But for test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The But for test - Essay Example Such pandects believe that as far as justice is concerned, one person should not be the reason for other person suffering injuries or any physical calamities and so as long as the law can proof that but for the defendant’s action, the complainant would not have suffered, the defendant should be made to face the full damages caused. The other school of thought also hold the idea that laws are meant to be amended and changed to suit the human society. For this reason, they see nothing wrong with logical changes that arise from the need to protect the larger interest of society. With such two schools of thought all seeming to have some point to prove, the discussion and conclusion of the paper would bring one of the schools of thoughts higher to the other. How Fairchild (2003) have affected the original application of the ‘but for’ test The Fairchild (2003) emanated from the case, Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2002]UKHL 22. In the case, the wife of Mr. Fairchild was seeking justice for her husband, who had worked for different employers, who had all, in one way or the other negligently exposed him to asbestos. Since Mr. Fairchild died as a result of suffering pleural mesothelioma, Mrs. Fairchild was actually suing the employers for negligence. As far as the ‘but for’ test was concerned, her major claim was that ‘but for’ the exposure that her husband suffered at the hands of the different employers, her husband would not have died. But there was going to be more than just this contextual assumption.... as long as the law can proof that but for the defendant’s action, the complainant would not have suffered, the defendant should be made to face the full damages caused. The other school of thought also hold the idea that laws are meant to be amended and changed to suit the human society. For this reason, they see nothing wrong with logical changes that arise from the need to protect the larger interest of society. With such two schools of thought all seeming to have some point to prove, the discussion and conclusion of the paper would bring one of the schools of thoughts higher to the other. How Fairchild (2003) have affected the original application of the ‘but for’ test The Fairchild (2003) emanated from the case, Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2002]UKHL 22. In the case, the wife of Mr. Fairchild was seeking justice for her husband, who had worked for different employers, who had all, in one way or the other negligently exposed him to asbestos. Sinc e Mr. Fairchild died as a result of suffering pleural mesothelioma, Mrs. Fairchild was actually suing the employers for negligence. As far as the ‘but for’ test was concerned, her major claim was that ‘but for’ the exposure that her husband suffered at the hands of the different employers, her husband would not have died. But there was going to be more than just this contextual assumption as the judges who heard the case would have different interpretations of the ‘but for’ test to give as far as the case that was presented was concerned. Basically, she had to proof that the sole cause of her husband’s contraction of mesothelioma was as a result of the inhalations he had from his employers are there exists several environmental factors that can expose a person to the disease causing

Biosocial Development Child Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biosocial Development Child Psychology - Essay Example (Kathleen). In the natural process of developing self-esteem, the child's primary motivation is intrinsic which derives from within the self. Therefore, children take pleasure in learning, playing, performing tasks etc when they set the goal for themselves rather than somebody else sets expected behavior for. Children enjoy a game for the sake of its fun and not for the rewards or scores they achieve for completing it. Thus, it is unwise on the part of adults to praise the child or offer some expected awards while the activity or the performance is on the process. The desirable behavior for the adults is to praise the child on the performance or complement it with some unexpected awards which will boost up their emotional feeling and self-esteem. There have been research evidences to prove that the extrinsic rewards and praises emasculate the child's intrinsic motivation. (Kathleen). The natural emotional regulation of the child is decisive in the development of its future emotional control.

The impact of the First World War Essay Example for Free

The impact of the First World War Essay Using the four passages and your own knowledge, assess the view that the impact of the First World War was the main reason for the booming economy in the USA in the 1920’s (40 Marks) I believe that the First World War did not have as much of a significant impact on the American economy as mass production, infact i however see that instead of benefiting the economy the War in fact had the reverse effect to that of which interpretation A and C suggest that the war was the most important factor of the 1920’s American economic boom. Firstly, the biggest reason as to why mass production was the main reason for the economic boom was that the American GNP soaring from $72.4 billion in 1919 to $104 billion 1929 only 15 years after mass production was first implemented in America, the figures show the huge impact that mass production had upon the American economy, this is direct evidence of the huge impact mass production had as opposed to the 3 other interpretations which do not have any direct evidence of the impact they had upon the American economy, this is supporting that mass production had the most important impact on the American economy and shows evidence of why mass production was the main reason for the 1920’s boom. This leads to a criticism of source A as the interpretation does not refer to The First Wold War costing America over $32 Billion, instead of injecting growth into the economy the war in fact had the reverse effect as less money was available in America leading to slow growth in the economy. Mass production had a positive effect upon economy, boosting its GNP through stimulation of the American retail market. This supports why the War was not beneficial to the economic boom of the 20’s compared to mass production. Interpretation B states that ‘the key to the boom was a tremendous increase in productivity resulting from technological innovation and the application of scientific management’ this goes against the point that interpretation D suggests that Andrew Mellon was the key figure of the 1920’s boom in America. The reason why scientific management had a bigger impact than Andrew Mellon’s  reforms is because the implementation of mass production saw workers’ pay increased from $710 to $857, whereas Mellons reforms were based upon the banking in America which had little effect upon all classes whereas mass production benefited all classes of society. Also the scientific changes to production and the national scale it happened saw upon America begin to prosper and boom far before Andrew Mellons policies were implemented, after which there was little impact by Mellons policies as opposed to mass production which propelled the boom this supports the fact that mass production was the key reason for the booming economy in America. Mass production was the main reason for the economic boom is because once it was introduced in 1914 just a few years later there became a clear direct change to Americas economy as interpretation B states ‘Although the population grew by only 16% during the decade, industrial production almost doubled’ The increase in production saw the American economy begin to produce more and more goods, leading to a sharp increase in jobs, sales and profits. This supports my point that mass production was the most important factor to the American economic boom. Further support for mass production being the catalyst for the economic boom is because once production in mass was introduced in 1914 just a few years later there became a clear direct change to Americas economy as interpretation B supports ‘Although the population grew by only 16% during the decade, industrial production almost doubled’ The increase in production saw the American economy begin to produce more and more goods, leading to a sharp increase in jobs, sales and profits. This backs up the point that mass production was the most important factor to the American economic boom. Another point why mass production was the most important reason for the economic boom was the impact on electricity demand. Electricity demand shot up due to businesses needing electricity to power the machinery to mass produce products, interpretation B supports this as it says ‘Electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade mainly because of industrial demand’ the increase propelled a whole new area of business in America  creating thousands of jobs and further  strengthened the American economy showing further evidence that mass production was important to the boom. Mass production also effected domestic consumption of electricity. The increase of electricity usage further developed the economy of America. Interpretation B mentions the increase of power usage: ‘in 1912 only 16% of the population lived in electricity lit dwellings, the proportion had grown to 63% by 1927’ it also states ‘electrical household appliances came into general use. This can be used to criticize Interpretation C as it quotes ‘If every American could own a car and a house, buy quality clothes, own stock, take vacations and go to the movies then clearly there was no longer any significant inequality in society’ This quote is inaccurate as many across America did not see the benefits of the boom as interpretation C suggested. Much of the wealth was split between the North of America and the south. The north saw boomed while in the South the more agricultural based economy began to suffer, farmers where particularly affected by the boom new te chnologies and farming equipment left American farmers with a huge surplus of food. In order to sell the food farmers would drop and drop their prices until it soon became unprofitable and many became bankrupt and fell into poverty, hundreds of thousands of farmers land and homes were repossessed leaving them homeless. this is a criticism of interpretation C as it stated everybody had benefited from the war in America however it is untrue, whereas interpretation B states 63% lived in electricity lit dwellings not over exaggerating the impact it had and so making B more of a valid source. More evidence why mass production was the most important reason for the economic boom was the impact on electricity demand. Electricity demand shot up due to businesses needing electricity to power the machinery to mass produce products, interpretation B supports this as it says ‘Electricity consumption more than doubled during the decade mainly because of industrial demand’ the increase propelled a whole new area of business in America creating thousands of jobs and further strengthened the American economy showing further evidence that mass production was on necessities and not  luxuries while the male was away at war. This created a big stunt in the countries in economic growth. I also believe that passage C is not as important to boom in America, the passage asserts that America had the upper hand compared to its European rivals as WWII had devastated much of the European countries building factories and infrastructure. However this infact had the reverse effect that the passage expected, newly built factories in European countries had the latest technologies installed with modern planning and architecture compared to the previous buildings destroyed in the war. The rebuilding would have also increased productivity and kick-started economies as each country needed to develop and progress after the war. These countries needed lots of workers and so work was easy to find. People could earn wages and rebuild their lives by purchasing new houses. Consumer and governmental spending in the allied and Axis countries stimulated the countries’ economies leading to rapid economic growth. England and France quickly re-established their economies into even stron ger economic powers than before. Furthermore there was a huge amount of inequality in America, Racist inequality was at its highest during the 20’s with extremist groups such as the KKK gaining huge following from American people, and over 5 million people were members of the KKK in the 20’s. With 100’s of blacks being attacked and killed passage C is shown as a further inaccurate and invalid passage as it is contracted by evidence against it showing that America was not equal as Passage C suggest. A big criticism of interpretation D is that the piece is taken from an autobiography published almost 90 years after they had taken place, therefore the passage will not be as valid as a piece from the same time period. Also being an autobiography the piece will always have a bias towards Andrew Mellon and will possibly over play the role he had and will not mention any bad things about him. The passage is not as important as mass production impacted the whole of America on a national scale this showing that the innovation of businesses were more important than the  reforms he implemented. In conclusion I believe that mass production was the fundamental reason for the boom in the 1920’s. Their war was not important and did not have such an impact on American society as it was only a short term temporary effect on the economy, whereas mass production propelled all levels of society and business into economic growth and expansion. Interpretations a D are not as beneficial to the economy as they did not have such a major impact and interpretation D only made a small contribution to the economy unlike mass production which completely overhauled the whole American infrastructure permanently. Source C is also not a fully valid and reliable source, the passage has multiple criticisms due to the war being a very controversial point; however the war was a negative as it stifled the American economy and did not bring any long term positives to America. I believe that mass production was a much more significant reason for the boom in America as opposed to the war and Andrew Mellon’s policies as it had vast evidence of creating one of the most prosperous boom periods any economy has ever witnessed, this period saw America become the most affluent and powerful nations on earth from the 1920’s.

Organisational Theory Essay Example for Free

Organisational Theory Essay Apple is a global giant whose success has been built on outsourcing to a range of other organisations located across the world. How can different organizational theory perspectives assist us in acquiring different understanding of Apple, its organizational network and influence? In this essay you must use at least two perspectives to analyze Apple. Introduction In this revolutionised world, changes occur rapidly, be it in an organized or disorganized way (Henry Veltmeyer 2008). Organisations are dealing with more complex systems and concepts. The study of organisational theories gradually gains importance because it involves the study of abstract issues relating to organisations. It is essential as it benefits in analyzing and discovering new meanings to life both inside and outside the organisation (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). Apple’s innovative story has been told and retold all around us. Its success is largely due to the late co-founder, Steven Paul Jobs. With the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc is still prospering and currently the most admired company is the world (Fortune 2012). In organisational theory, the success of Apple can be analysed into two perspectives that vary extremely; Modernist and Post-Modernist. The modernist attributes Apple’s success to its unique organisation chart and ‘knowledge is power’ organisation culture. Post-modernist give credits to Apple’s acknowledgement of discourses and environment influences related to the organisation. Apple’s ability to churn out great quantities of products to meet the demand and its consistent engagement with stakeholders showed the efforts to be competitive in the industry. It is also a significant contribution to its success. However, Apple’s way of achieving success is a cause of debate due to its pathological relationship with its stakeholders. This essay aims to provide an exploration into Apple’s Inc organisation; perspectives of its stakeholders and how the relationship towards its environment. The context of the essay will be separated into two parts. Part A and B. Part A will touch on the meta-theoretical assumptions of modernist and post-modernist and how it relates to organisation’s power, control and the environment. Part B will apply the assumptions and definitions in part A to analyze modernism and postmodernism perspectives on Apple. The focus will be on the ways that Apple demonstrates power and how it influences its environment and network which includes stakeholders. Part A Ontology Ontology is defined as the science or study of reality (McAuley, Duberley Johnson 2007). It seeks to clarify what are the reality and the phenomena we take to constitute aspects of the reality. Modernist’s ontological assumption is described as objectivism. It claims that social world and reality is in order and that the reality is in a rational, structured manner regardless of our knowledge (Boisot Mckelvey 2010). They view the existent of time is real regardless of the human’s awareness because of humans develop hypothesis and propositions that showed the reality of time. On the other hand, there is no clear stance on the ontological assumption of postmodernism. It is developed in reaction of modernism position (Moore 2001). Postmodernist rejects and challenge the modernist view and argue that time is ‘created’ through the discourses of human because it provides meaning and assurance to humans. Epistemology Epistemology is the study of the criteria we set and how it justifies the belief. It seeks to clarify how beings create knowledge to claim the world is justified. Modernist takes a positive point of perspectives in viewing the world in search for knowledge. Modernist’s epistemological assumption is positivism, whereby rational hypotheses and practices of knowledge will define reality and understand nature(Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). They sees ‘truths’ to be the discovery of the human’s accurate hypothesis and conceptualization to be analyzed with the reality found in objective world. Nonetheless, postmodernism rejects modernism’s notion of ‘truths’. It describes reality as an illusions created by languages and discourses. It refers to the subjective means by which humans organise what they perceive. Discourses are thoughts, written or spoken or any mediums that construct a particular phenomenon, they are in a social and politically linguistic framework that influences humans experience and understanding of it (Crowther Green 2004). Instead, postmodernist aims to provide an alternative explanation/meaning through the use of discourses. Methodology influence on Organisation Modernist Continuing from the epistemology of modernism, it sees apprehension of knowledge means understanding all aspect of an organisation functions. Ways of solving and analyzing organisation issues are developed to better manage and create profitability for the company. Modernism and the methodological term, positivism, underpin the structures and episteme legitimacy in this ‘noisy’ world. Post-modernist Post-modern methodology lies in ‘anti-positivism’, where language, discourse and deconstruction are the main influences. Language can have different meaning and different significance when combined with other words (Moore 2001). The construction that could be produce may vary extremely in different circumstances. Postmodernists call this idea the Ludwig Wittgenstein’s notion of language games. Knowledge creates and reproduces discourse that exercise power and distort the reality that modernist assumes. The concept of discourse emerges in ‘poststructuralist linguistics as a means of discussing the collective process that constructs and shapes language in use.’ Deconstruction ‘is a way of reading and rereading texts using different contexts in order to expose their fundamental instabilities and multiple interpretations.’ Organisation Power and Control Organisations require power. Power in organisations has to operate on the phenomena of changing organisation practices and changing the ways in which organisation theorist have theorized the practices (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). Max Weber suggested that power is making decisions according to planned results where the social actor gets to decide the means and ends of action. Political scientist, Robert Dahl further resides the relationship of the actor by suggesting that actors may be individuals or collective which leads to different instruments of power (Clegg, Courpasson Phillips 2006). ‘A’ can get ‘B’ to do something that ‘B’ would not otherwise do, just like the abstract ideology of billiard where the significant lies more on the strategy and gamesmanship behind the cue rather than final position of the balls. Anthony Giddens, expanded Weber’s definition of power stating that power involves a set of capabilities that intervene a given set of events by 2 distinct types of resources; allocative and authoritative. In modernist organisations, Weber argued, formal rationality would be best established and where dominance will be most complete. Modernism views power in organisations as a structure to coordinate activities in the pursuit of organisation goals. It seeks to impose order on the chaos and to integrate the competing interest and agendas so that a single, harmonious vision and a consistent set of premises govern the conduct of participants. The instrument of power is seen to resolve conflicts through negotiation and maximize control of operations. Modernist views controlling individuals in organisation necessary because employee possesses self-interest that will hinder organisation interest. The modernist control theories of bureaucracy, clan and agency will be applied on Apple. In contrast, Postmodernism theorist argues that unified goals can arise only when dominant actors delegitimize alternative interpretations and rationalities. It emphasizes the central role of power in shaping social institutions. The connection of power and knowledge is assumed to be inseparable and thus knowledge loses a sense of innocence and neutrality (Scott 2003). Postmodernist insist that the rational formal structure must be set alongside various informal systems that represent attempts to resist any single vision of order (Hassard 1995). Foucault’s theories pointed out that resistance towards domination is inevitable as power comes from everywhere. Any form of resistance will just reinforce them (Clegg et al. 2006). It views power as a multi-dimensional because it is like a network that dispersed throughout social, political and organisational world. Organisation Environment and Network Organisational environment is anything residing outside the boundaries of organisation that may impact upon the organisation. The organisation needs to adapt well to its environment and vice versa for the relationship to operate in an ideal prospect (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). Modernist believes there is boundary between organisation and the external environment. Environment relates the factors such as inter-organisational network and its stakeholders. Networks are defined as stakeholders, consumers, environmental groups, competitors and so on. Modernist theorist assumes that there are inputs and outputs between the organisation and environment. The environment empowers and constrains an organisation; it impacts upon organisational goals and needs to be managed. Stakeholder theory refers to any actor that is vital for the survival or success of the organisation, and because of the boundary, other factors does not concern. As the focus is explaining how environmental influence operates, modernist researchers developed theories to analyze the environment. The Environmental contingency and resource dependent theory will be applied on later on. On the other hand, postmodernist deconstruct the dominant assumptions such that organisations and the environment are two distinct entities where there is no fixed boundaries; organisations are part of the environment (Boisot and Mckelvey 2010). By deconstructing, it aims to better serve the society’s needs and desires. Postmodernist theorist believes discourses used to define organisation-environmental relations are served to reinforce authority and inequality between an organisation and those ‘external’ to the organisation. Its stakeholder theory examines the ethics of constructing our organisations in ways that acknowledge the rights of those whose lives are influenced by the organisation. Compared to modernist, the definition is wider because it has a boundary less organisation and environment. It includes actor that affects or is being affected by the organisation, therefore even factors outside of the organisation are being considered. Part B Apple’s Organisation Power Control This part of the essay aims to analyze and understand Apple’s organisation in different perspectives in terms of its organisation power and structure. In modernism, the notion of power is based on authority. This is where the CEO, has the right to exercise his power. Steve Jobs has been always at the center of attention for being ruthless in unsuccessful projects. For example, the failed venture of MobileMe in 2008 caused the disbanding of the team (Lashinsky 2011). This rationalization is what modernism lean towards as they believe bureaucratic justification will lead to technical efficiency. Modernist researchers analyze that positivism exist in Apple. Apple’s philosophy of only choosing the best of the best candidate during interviews mirrors Steve Jobs statement of ‘A worker hires A worker, B worker will hire C worker’ (Lashinsky 2012). It displays that only rational hypothesis of hiring and trusting talented employee through tried and tested results in the business world that will bring Apple success. In terms of output and behavior control of the employees, it is difficult to measure at times. Modernist theorist uses few methods of control theories to sought control over employees so as to maximize organisational interest. In modernist view, these theories can be applied to Apple accordingly. Bureaucratic and Clan theories aim to achieve a desirable corporate culture within the rules and authority among the employees. In Apple, there is a top down management where it all begins with the CEO, then to the executive team. They have a unique organisation circular structure where the CEO is at the center and the network of executives spread out from there. Late Steve Jobs also instilled a concept that the employees’ working style are own task-oriented, which creates differentiation and departmentalization. The corporate culture also became more united and there is no more fiefdom. The successes of the products are credited to Steve Jobs ability to instill the ‘Apple Way’ strategy to give the organisation clear directions, individual accountability, sense of urgency and the change of focus to products instead of profits. Agency theory focuses on ensuring that the executives perform in the best interest of the organisation. The focus turns to performing for the organisation, therefore controlling outputs become more important. Performing employees gets to attend the famous Top 100 meeting which the CEO will personally invite them. This theory also emphasizes the success of secrecy working in a modernist perspective where Apple controls the information that concerns their products to height up the hype and gain more profits. Alternatively, postmodernist deconstruct power and control, rebutting the single dimension and views power presence throughout social, political and organisation world. Apple’s tip top secrecy organisation is well known (Lashinsky 2012). Postmodernists look at secrecy as a form of imposing a multidimensional power on its employees by the top management. Inside Apple, employees cannot have any resistant to the secrecy culture. Any resistant will result in greater power. Greater power comes in the sense of punishment; employees may get sacked (Clegg et al. 2006). More precautions will be also taken to minimize the chances of it happening again. Therefore, instead of seeing secrecy as a form of increasing efficiency and profits for the Apple, postmodernism argues that it’s a form of power that gives the top management control over the organisation. Another aspect of multidimensional power analyzed was the ability of Apple not making any indication to stop the global group who wants to boycott Apple products due to the massive suicides rate and pressure to increase workers’ wages at its main supplier, Foxconn. Postmodernist argues that in a one dimensional power situation (modernist perspective), Apple will find means to ‘kill’ the enemy (the boycott group) with its powerful influence in the business world. Here, Apple is using a second dimension by not ‘killing’, but proving to the rest of the people that Apple is still an ethical and superior organisation. This way, Apple silently gets an army of ally to do the job to influence the boycott group to change its mindset. From another point of view, on the contrary, there is an increasing sign of fresh debates concerning postmodernism theory on whether is resistance really forbidden. The suicides cases at Foxconn and significant rise of terrorism in the past decade do post a serious question to postmodernist researchers (CCTV 2010). These extremes examples show signs that resistance might have, in fact, the ability to affect power positively. The suicides cases have indirectly forces Foxconn to reconsider its management styles and most importantly increasing the workers’ wages (Chan Pun 2010). Apple’s Environment and its Network Influence Apple’s relationship with the environment is a two way situation. The following theories will analyze how Apple operates under the environment and its network. In modernism, it can be argued that Apple seems to go against the environmental contingency theory. Apple has a vision to avoid over complicating by manipulating its environment and structure. Steve Job has been making his organisation to be simpler in every ways, from the responsibilities of the executives to its consistency simplicity of its store layouts (Froud et al. 2012). Its product variety is also purposely concentrated to a few. With the limitation of variety, Apple countered this shortcoming by introducing a multi-dimensional model which minimize cost and increase its revenue. This substantial amount of revenue also includes introducing Itunes and the unique operating system. This counterabilty of its shortcoming is related to the next theory; resource dependency (Fortune 2008). As modernist views organisation are dependent upon the environment for inputs and outputs. Theorist Pfeffer and Salancik emphasize that organisation are under the restriction of their environment hence the resource dependence theory was developed. The aim was to find counter-dependencies to prevent the organisation from over reliant on the market. Apple’s need for the analysis for its resources is due to its vulnerability in the environment and the power that environment holds. The environment has the power to make demands on the organisation, for example, increasing competitions and thus resulting in competitive prices, product differentiation and efficient organisational structures and processes. Apple’s relationship with its supplier, Foxconn, is a prominent example of apple’s ability to navigate the harsh world of environmental challenges to find ways of getting cheaper labour. The jobs created in China are twice compared to USA, but the differential in salary showed USA has a significant larger share of the payout (Freeland 2011). Apple also created counter dependency by having joint ventures with Samsung Electronics to have them make the processor chips and alliances with companies like Google and Youtube to make use of their world map and video applications. By inventing their own operating systems and programs, it also provides Apple with increase efficiency because they do not need to rely on the environment to react if they have any new ideas or concepts. Critics have argued that Apple has been adopting a narrow view on the perspective of stakeholder theory because they will neglect the factors that are indirectly connected to the organisation. This interpretation mirrors modernism due to its creation of the boundary of the ‘outside’ world and its stakeholders. The comparison made earlier with the jobs created in China and USA suggested that Apple is adept at avoiding the social obligations to provide secure, internal, high quality employment for its own nation, USA. This generates another thought on business ethics that Apple is actually prioritizing on getting the highest profit margin (their average profit is already approximately 70% of selling price) instead of the reason of the competitive industry. On the other hand, postmodernist claims that stakeholder theory is an integration of the organisation and stakeholders, thus they see Apple actions to affect anyone who are affected even if it is indirect. In Apple’s website, they have the environmental responsibility page to ensure its stakeholders are assured that Apple do consider every factor that relates to its organisation to be taken care of (Apple 2012). Postmodernist also argued that by creating boundary between organisation and environment, there will be negative externalities. Apple’s ability to entice consumers with the introduction of Iphone 5 is a cause of negative externalities. Externalities such as driving the consumption rate of the society when Iphone 4s still have a long product lifespan, this creates another issue of environmental repercussions and increasing workload/stress issues at Foxconn. Apple’s does produce positive externalities in the process of unveiling their products. For example, consumer did not have to bear the cost of intense advertising by Apple because Apple’s strategy of using multi-dimensional power to influence the public to do the ‘advertising’ for them worked. Blogs, video parody and even news were heavily speculating and discussing about the new products, thus bringing in ‘free’ advertising as a form of positive externality to the consumers. Conclusion The modernist and postmodernist theories thus assist us in analyzing Apple in a different light. It has shown the different perspective of Apple in terms of power, control and its environment. It showed that power can be multi-dimensional and formidable. On the contrary, questions are being asked of postmodernism’s resistance stance and environmental contingency theory. Although this essay cannot attribute its success to a single perspective, it did make an conscious effort to explore and improve Apple’s organisation as a whole. Reference List Apple 2012, ‘Supplier Responsibility’, USA, viewed 4 September 2012, http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/code-of-conduct/environmental-impact.html. Boisot, M and Mckelvey, B 2010, ‘Intergrating Modernist and Postmodernist Perspectives on Organizations: A Complexity Science Bridge’, Academy of Management Review, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 7 September 2012. CCTV 2010, ‘Foxconn Suicides Eng Sub’, online video, viewed 4 September 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz2U2R1ehvIfeature=watch_response%20foxconn%20suicides. Chan J, and Pun, N 2010, ‘Suicide as protest for the New Generation of Chinese migrant workers: Foxconn, Global Capital and the State’, The Asia Pacific Journal, 13 September, viewed 4 September 2012,https://equella.rmit.edu.au/rmit/items/d672ebbc-eca6-6b5c-4a53-a1392211693c/1/31259010341480.pdf?.hb=true. Clegg, SR, Courpasson, D and Phillips, N 2006, ‘Power and Organizations’, SAGE, London. Clegg, SR, Hardy, C, Nord, WR and Lawrence, T 2006, ‘The Sage handbook of organization studies’, Sage Publications, London. Crowther, D and Miriam, G 2004, ‘Organisational Theory’, CIPD Publishing, London. Fortune, 2012, ‘World’s most admired companies’, CNN Money, 19 March, viewed 1 September 2012, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/2012/snapshots/670.html. Fortune, 2008, ‘Steve Jobs speaks out’, CNN Money, 7 March, viewed 4 September 2012, http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0803/gallery.jobsqna.fortune/8.html. Freeland, C 2011, ‘How the ipod explains globalization’, The New York Times, 30 June, viewed 4 September 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/world/asia/01iht-letter01.html. Froud, J., Sukhdev, J., Leaver, A., and Williams, K 2012, ‘Apple Business Model: Financialization across the Pacific’, CRESC Working Paper Series, Vol. 111 , viewed 4 September 2012, http://www.cresc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/WP111%20Apple%20Business%20Model%20%28April%202012%29.pdf. Hassard, J 1995, ‘Sociology and Organization Theory: Positivism, Paradigms and Postmodernity’, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Hatch, MJ and Cunliffe, AL 2006, ‘Organization Theory: modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives’, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, New York. Lashinsky, 2011, ‘How Apple works: Inside the worlds biggest startup’, CNN Money, 25 August, viewed 2 September 2012, http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/25/how-apple-works-inside-the- worlds-biggest-startup/. Lashinsky, A 2012, ‘Inside Apple : how Americas most admired-and secretive-company really works’, Business Plus, New York. Marinaccio, MJ 2007, ‘Organization Structure and Its Impact on the Power/politic Dynamic: A Mixed Method Exploration of Senior Management Perceptions of Formal and Virtual Organizations’, Capella University School of Business, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, viewed 1 September 2012, Proquest. McAuley, J, Duberley, J and Johnson, J 2007, ‘Organization theory: challenges

Midwife Views on Amniotomy to Speed Up Labour

Midwife Views on Amniotomy to Speed Up Labour Abstract This dissertation considers the views of midwives on the procedure of amniotomy with the specific relevance of its use in speeding up labour. The available literature is considered in detail to try to establish the current evidence base for the assumption that amniotomy does speed up labour and it finds that the evidence is poor, both in terms of number and quality of the papers available. One of the biggest problems appears to be that it is very difficult to carry out a study that isolates the specific and unique effects of amniotomy on the speed of labour from all of the other potential confounding factors that can influence the eventual outcome. There appears to be a gap in the literature in specific regard to the midwife’s views on the subject. A proposal is therefore made for a pilot project to evaluate the midwife’s views by the means of a qualitative survey using the semi-structured interview technique. The rationale for such a study structure is discussed in detail. Acknowledgements (Client to personalise) Contents page Abstract Acknowledgements Contents Purpose of the study Literature Review What is already known? Amniotomy and induction of labour Complications associated with amniotomy What are the perceived benefits of amniotomy? Does amniotomy speed up delivery? Midwife’s views on the subject Methodology Search history. Classification of evidence levels Research question or hypothesis Study design Sample Data Collection Rigour Ethical Issues Budget Timetable. Dissemination of findings Proposed semi-structured interview questions References Purpose of the study: The research question. The procedure of amniotomy was first described in the 18th century. Despite having therefore been in constant use for over 200 years, its effect on the induction and the course of labour still remains a matter of dispute and conflicting evidence. (Greenwood C et al. 2003) Amniotomy is generally held to be the artificial rupture of intact membranes with a view to facilitating, stimulating or inducing labour. (ODriscoll K et al. 1986). This dissertation has purposely started with a definition of amniotomy that is over 20 years old. During the course of the exploration of the evidence base surrounding the procedure of amniotomy we shall consider whether this definition is still held to be true in current practice. The procedure is typically done with gloved hands and the healthcare professional ruptures the amniotic sac with an amnihook (or similar instrument) between contractions, as this reduces the risk of cord prolapse because the amniotic fluid is under less pressure. (Kirby R S 2004). The hand is kept in the vagina allowing the fluid to drain in a controlled manner and the nature (colour consistency and amount) of the fluid is noted. It would be considered good practice to assess the foetal heart both immediately prior to the procedure and again immediately after it to check for foetal distress due to cord compression. Many authorities advocate performing the procedure in the semi-sitting position in order to minimise the effects of aortocaval compression and thereby optimise the blood supply to the uterus. (Burnett A F 2000) Indications for amniotomy still include the â€Å"promotion of labour†. This can be taken to mean both the induction of labour and the speeding up of labour (Cummingham F G et al. 2005) however, hard evidence for either is difficult to find for reasons that we shall discuss. Literature Review What is already known? For ease of presentation, this section will be divided up into various sub-headings considering the different aspects of amniotomy as a procedure Amniotomy and induction of labour Amniotomy is frequently cited as a means of inducing labour particularly if the cervix is considered to be â€Å"ripe†. Unfortunately amniotomy alone is an unpredictable inducer of labour with the possibility of long intervals between amniotomy and the onset of significant contractions. The Mouldin trial considered a direct prospective comparison of amniotomy alone and amniotomy with an associated oxytocin infusion. The results showed a statistically significant difference in the two groups with the latter group having a shorter induction to delivery interval. (Mouldin P G et al. 1996) There is a huge variation in the literature concerning the ability of amniotomy to hasten the onset of labour. Some early papers suggested that the effect was only minimal (Caldeyro-Barcia R 1975) whereas the majority of others suggest a much more obvious effect. As with other areas of investigation, difficulty arises in trying to separate out the effects of the amniotomy from the myriad of other variable factors that are present when a woman goes into labour. Friedman questions whether amniotomy hastens labour at all since many of the prospective trials have considered the case when amniotomy is done in early labour when the contractions would naturally begin to accelerate in any event (Friedman, E.A 1998) Complications associated with amniotomy This is a particularly contentious area with different authorities citing not only different associations of complications but significantly differing incidences as well. If we consider the Sheiner paper (Sheiner E et al. 2000) we can show a number of significant findings when early amniotomy was compared with both premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and oxytocin induction of labour. The significant differences found between the groups included a higher rate of caesarean section with 26.7% in the amniotomy group and 11.6% in the PROM and 16.9% in the oxytocin groups. It should be noted however, the authors performed a number of subsidiary analyses and showed that when the incidence of a previous caesarean section was controlled for then the amniotomy group had a similar incidence of caesarean section to the other groups. This would imply that amniotomy is more likely to be considered an option when a previous caesarean section has occurred. The authors make no comment as to why the y believe this might be. A much larger and more rigorous survey (Segal D et al. 2000) reviewed the outcomes of nearly 2000 cases of early amniotomy performed in association with a poor cervical score (Bishop scores of Amniotomy has been shown to increase the incidence of abnormalities in the patterns of foetal heart rate.( Goffinct F et al. 1997) Again this effect is hard to isolate convincingly as the risk may be consistently underestimated because women who do not have amniotomy are more likely to be given oxytocin which also increases the incidence of abnormal foetal heart rate patterns. (Rouse D J et al. 1999) Amniotomy may also be associated with an increase in infection rates. (Ventura S J et al. 1997) What are the perceived benefits of amniotomy? A number of authoritative texts state that routine early amniotomy can shorten labour by a variable amount, usually one or two hours (viz. Vincent M (2005) and Sheiner E, et al. (2000) and Albers L L et al. (1996)), Others suggest that it may reduce the use of oxytocics and the number of women who report the most intense degrees of pain during labour. (Klaus M H (1998) This picture is however, clouded by the fact that modern practice with its use of oxytocin (which makes labour more painful) and analgesia, including the epidural, which obviously reduces the overall pain experience, makes the statistical analysis of the relationship between amniotomy and pain very difficult Amniotomy has been cited as being indicated when there is a need for closer monitoring of the foetus allowing the direct attachment of scalp electrodes and incidentally evaluating whether the baby has passed meconium into the amniotic fluid. (Thornton J G et al. 1994). The presence of meconium is a significant clinical sign and is associated with an increased foetal morbidity and mortality (Ramin K D et al. 1996) Although its observation is enhanced by amniotomy, it is only of peripheral relevance to our considerations in this dissertation and therefore will not be considered further. Other authorities observe that this is not a good indication for amniotomy as the release of the amniotic fluid may expose the umbilical cord to increased compression during contractions. (Klaus M H 1998) Amniotomy also allows the positioning of an intrauterine pressure catheter in order to measure uterine contractions. Does amniotomy speed up delivery? This is an issue that has appeared in many older papers. A significant trial of 20 years ago (Seitchik J et al. 1985) concluded that the procedure of amniotomy appeared to enhance the cervical dilatation rate in patients with already well-dilated cervices and that are already dilating at a satisfactory rate and it conversely slows dilatation in some other patients, particularly those whose cervices are less dilated. This finding is cited in a number of contemporary text books. The difficulty is that the findings in this paper are only evidence base level 3. Many other papers refer to the trophic effects of amniotomy but none have had the discriminatory power to isolate the effects of amniotomy from the multitude of other variables which are inevitably present during the process of labour. The paper by Sherman (Sherman D J et al. 2002) primarily considers the patterns of foetal heart rate during the induction of labour and, in doing so, provides circumstantial evidence that amniotomy increases the speed of labour. Amniotomy was however, only performed in this trial if the cervix had dilated to more than 3 cms. without an associated spontaneous rupture of membranes. Oxytocin was also used in a significant number of cases thereby masking any effect which amniotomy alone might have. A different view is expressed by Pozaic who considered the case proven and puts forward the view that amniotomy should only be reserved for cases where there is abnormally slow progress of labour and then amniotomy should be performed to speed up the process. Again this is little more than level 4 evidence as the author does not cite what her evidence base is for making such an assumption. (Pozaic S 2004) To present a balanced argument one can cite the work of Steer (actually written when he was a house officer but then went on to become a professor of obstetrics), who published a controlled study of two matched groups of patients, all of whom had oxytocin induced labour. One group had their membranes ruptured and the others were allowed to rupture spontaneously. Steer found that the duration of labour was shorter in all patients who had ruptured membranes although, for reasons that were not explained, the uterine contractions were found to be at their greatest when the membranes were intact. In short, there was no evidence that amniotomy increased the speed of labour and there was evidence to suggest that the uterine activity was greatest in the group with membranes intact until well into labour. (Steer P J et al. 1975) Midwife’s views on the subject In terms of determining midwife’s views on the subject, there appears to be an almost complete gap in the literature on the subject. Extensive searching reveals no definitive authoritative texts on the subject and a very few that have sought the patient’s view on the issue. The Lavender paper (Lavender T et al. 1999) considered the issue only peripherally as part of a larger exploration of patient’s views and concluded that women who had long and protracted labours welcomed virtually any type of intervention that was perceived to reduce the time in labour and this included amniotomy. Clearly it is likely that this was perceived by the women as a â€Å"labour shortening procedure† and it is very unlikely that any discussion of informed evidence base would have taken place prior to its use. These issues are explored further in the more recent and larger qualitative investigation by Hodnett who considered the experiences and evaluations of childbirth in terms of overall pain experience. The paper is long and involved and, in the main, peripheral to our considerations here other then the fact that one of the main factors that the women cited as significant in terms of their positive appreciation of the process of labour was their perception of the attitude and behaviour of the midwives and this was rated as being more significant than the actual procedures that they employed. This finding appeared to override other factors including such variables as â€Å"age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, childbirth preparation, the physical birth environment, pain, immobility, medical interventions, and continuity of care†. (Hodnett, E D. 2002). One can only therefore speculate as to whether this finding vicariously influences the decisions made by the midwives in terms of tr ying to provide a complete service to their patients. Another paper which is peripherally relevant to this issue is the well written and thought-provoking essay and investigation by Sookhoo (Sookhoo M L et al. 2002) which considered the wider issues of how midwives learn their clinical skills and the mechanisms by which they acquire their practical knowledge. The authors devote a substantial proportion of their paper to how this knowledge actually influences their professional judgements in both the assessment and the progress of the course of labour. This particular paper is worthy of examination on several levels, not only for its actual content and results, but because it is structured on a grounded theory premise and conducts a number of semi-structured interviews and then attempts to construct theories from the results. It is very significant that a major finding in this paper was that the authors hypothesise that a major determinant of clinical activity for a midwife is the way in which she conceptualises uncertainty (which clearly is a major element in the management of labour). It is also significant that they found that one of the major techniques for avoiding uncertainty was to rely upon conventions and put trust in specific procedures â€Å"almost as a ritual†. The authors suggest that the experienced midwife tends to draw upon a much wider range of evidence and experience which has been accumulated through their clinical practice than the novice midwife who tends to rely on guidelines and strategies which they t end to see as predictive and protective. This has great relevance to the practice of amniotomy as Sookhoo et al. found that the experienced midwives tended to avoid inappropriate intrusion into the process of labour as a matter of routine. We should therefore be aware that amniotomy may be conceived as â€Å"inappropriate intrusion† by the experienced midwife and our study should perhaps be structured to evaluate this possibility. Perhaps the last word on this subject should go to the overview of the subject published by Katz Early amniotomy remained an independent risk factor for operative delivery on multiple logistic analysis controlling for confounding variables. These findings imply that caution is needed when deciding to perform early surgical induction unless it is a final option or other approaches are contraindicated. (Katz, Miriam 1999) Methodology Search history. The mechanism of the literature review was to conduct a number of literature searches through both electronic and hard copy data bases at the local University Library and the local Post Graduate Library (client to personalise). A number of search terms were used including: amniotomy; amniotomy knowledge; amniotomy indications; amniotomy benefits: amniotomy complications; amniotomy speed of labour; midwife views amniotomy; midwife procedures. The electronic databases included Bandolier and The Cochrane Library and Cinhal. These searches provided a great many texts which were accessed either electronically or in hard copy and then critically reviewed to ascertain the level of the evidence presented. The level of evidence was categorised into the following levels. Classification of evidence levels The highest level of evidence available was then used to support each point raised Research question or hypothesis It appears to be generally accepted that evidence based practice should be the â€Å"gold standard† of modern clinical practice (NMC 2004). However, many experienced healthcare professionals would attest to the fact that clinical decisions in their everyday practice is still influenced by individual experience and advice from colleagues. (Williams P R 2000). The rationale behind this study derives from the suspicion that many midwives use amniotomy to speed up labour and that there appears to be little in the way of a hard evidence base to support this view. It is the intention of this study to try to define the degree that individual midwife practice is determined (in this specific regard) by their own experience and professionally received advice and to what extent it is determined by reliance on their own independently derived evidence base. Study design This study will be qualitative in design. There are a number of different qualitative approaches that could be adopted (DeWalt, K. M et al. 1998) and brief consideration will be given to each. The phenomenological approach is primarily a philosophical mechanism which employs that technique of concentrating on the conscious and subjective experiences of the subjects. (Hammond et al, 1995). It is therefore written from the first person viewpoint. Such an approach is not without its critics however, as the classic approach is from the third person (impersonal) viewpoint (Ahmed, 2006). Hammond characterises the phenomenological genre as â€Å"unconstrained by scientific rigour† as it is simply a recording of the experience as the observer experiences and interprets it. It is therefore not purged of subjectivity and bias as many other scientific approaches are. The phenomenological approach was considered for this project and discounted as it is conceded that such an approach may give rise to a very idiosyncratic view of the subject and may not be representative of the majority view. Grounded theory may, at first sight, appear to be a suitable approach for this study. The prime element in a grounded theory study is the fact that the data is obtained and then the investigators then attempt to formulate or identify appropriate theories from the processed data. (Glaser, 1992). This approach may seem suitable by virtue of the fact that midwives could be approached and data obtained to see if there are any constant factors which motivate their particular pattern of behaviour when considering the procedure of amniotomy. A problem may arise however, because of the intrinsic need for theory formulation. Charmaz characterises the problem by stating â€Å"It compels the researcher to impose explanations were no explanations naturally exist, or indeed are necessary†. (Charmaz, K. 2006). In this study it is the intention to explore midwife’s views on whether amniotomy increases the speed of labour rather then to specifically generate theories to explain these views. For this reason grounded theory was discounted as a possible approach After much consideration it was decided to adopt an ethnographic approach to the study. This involves a hybrid approach with an analysis termed by Agar as being from the point of view of â€Å"The professional strangerâ€Å" (Agar, 1996). This approach has elements of both qualitative and quantitative analysis and is primarily carried out using the analysis of â€Å"in the field† interviews of midwives. Kottak describes the ethnographic approach (in the broadest terms) as collecting data â€Å"in the field by living among and blending in with a particular group, society or culture, observing and recording their particular habits and detailing their experiences and reactions† (Kottak, 2005). The researcher is expected to be a part of the community studied but to â€Å"retain a certain degree of detachment, impartiality and objectivityâ€Å" (Kottak, 2005). The object of this study requires the observer to record the number of times a midwife uses the procedure of amniotomy and then to obtain her views on the rationale for the procedure through the mechanism of the semi-structured interview. Sample Constraints on time and finances will largely dictate the overall size of the project (client I have no idea what potential funds you have available for this project so I have made a number of assumptions that you will have to modify if they are not correct). It is considered prudent to make a pilot study in order to test the validity of the interview questions and to also trial the analysis techniques. The initial pilot would be in the labour ward of the author’s hospital (client to personalise here) and would therefore potentially include 12 midwives. If the study were to yield potentially significant findings, then its scope could be widened to include staff from different sites and thereby include perhaps different protocols and possibly different work practices. This would have the benefit that it is possible that certain work practices may be determined by peer pressure in a specific geographical location and broadening the scope of the investigation would help to minimise the biasing effect of such practices. (Rosner B 2006). There is also considerable merit in trying to ensure that the cohort of midwives studied contains a wide spectrum of experience, ideally from the newly qualified midwife through to the most experienced, as it would be unlikely that the work practices would be the same in all groups. (Strauss, A et al. 1990). It is therefore clearly of benefit to try to structure the sample to include representatives from all of these groups in order to minimise the effects of such potential bias. (Carr L T 1994). It foll ows from this requirement that the study group will be asked to provide information relating to their years of experience in addition to other demographic markers. Analysis of the pilot study will help to determine whether purposeful sampling or general sampling will be appropriate in the final study. (Moher D et al. 1999). In the former method, subjects are specifically chosen because of the likelihood of their being able to give valuable information to the study. Patton describes this method of recruitment as â€Å"selecting only a limited number of information-rich cases for investigation, in order to obtain a particularly detailed insight into an issue. (Patton 1999). Although this may be, at first sight, useful in trying to maximise the information yield of the study, it has the obvious downside that it is a source of considerable potential bias giving rise to a small and potentially unrepresentative sample. (Patton 1999). A variation of this technique of recruitment is called snowballing whereby one key subject is asked to recommend others who may have either specialist knowledge or a specific interest in the subject in question. This te chnique is recommended by MacQueen as â€Å"being particularly suitable in qualitative studies, where detailed and in-depth understanding of a little-known subject is required† (MacQueen K M, et al. 2004). Although this clearly has the ability to optimise the collection of significant information, it does not eliminate the potential for bias apparent in the purposeful sampling technique. If we consider that amniotomy is a widely used practice amongst midwives, then neither method is sufficiently useful to outweigh the potential bias that they would engender. For these reasons it is considered appropriate to approach all of the midwives in the local unit to take part in the study. Data Collection In line with the principles of the ethnographic approach, this study will adopt the dual mechanisms of direct observation and the semi-structured interview. (Breakwell et al, 1999). The semi-structured interview technique is explored in depth by De Martino who contrasts the technique with unstructured and fully structured interviews. The former â€Å"essentially amounts to an informal conversation with no guiding principles, and structured interviews are characterised by the asking of a predetermined and fixed set of questions with strict guidelines. Semi-structured interviews however, entail asking a preset group of questions but with some flexibility, so that interesting leads can be explored further† (De Martino B et al. 2006). The semi-structured interview technique is considered to be the most useful for this type of study because of the lack of rigid constraints placed upon both interviewer and subject. The questions are designed to be â€Å"open† thereby allowing the subject to introduce appropriate topics which can then be followed up at the interviewer’s discretion. This flexibility is perhaps the most appropriate for this type of study as the interviewer does not know in advance just what factors influence the midwife’s opinions. Frey broadens the issue by suggesting that, in this context, attitudes of the subjects can be typically analysed in any of three â€Å"dimensions†, namely: emotion, cognition, and behaviour. (Frey et al. 2001). It might therefore be important to structure the semi-structured interview questions so that they cover all three of these dimensions. Typical examples in this regard might be (a)â€Å"How does performing as amniotomy on your patients make you feel emotionally?† (b)â€Å"What are your views about amniotomy and the speed of labour?† (c)â€Å"How do you actually choose to speed up your patient‘s labour?† This may not prove to be completely relevant, as one could suggest that emotional involvement is actually counterproductive in this particular circumstance. It is clear that a large element of discretion will have to be left with the interviewer as it is likely that the answers given may clearly be either carefully considered and evidence based on one extreme or superficial and unconsidered on the other. This flexibility will allow the subject to impart their own intention without being unduly hampered by rigid questioning and should allow the emergence of a detailed set of data which reflects each individual midwife‘s opinions and practices clearly. (Concato, et al. 2000) In addition to the semi-structured interviews there will also be an element of direct observation to ascertain the labours that are managed with amniotomy and to contrast them with the labours that are managed without the procedure. It may well be of considerable value to include an element of questioning in the semi-structured interview phase that asks about the rationale for performing the procedure Data Analysis Data analysis can be carried out using time-honoured methods originally developed in the social science setting with various qualitative analytical methods. (Vickers, A. J et al. 2001). The most commonly used is probably thematic analysis (Braun V et al. 2006) which involves coding the themes that are derived from the responses. The themes are initially identified during the semi-structured interview stage and are then assigned a code (or number) depending upon the frequency with which the various subjects refer to the particular theme. From reading Braun it is apparent that there is considerable flexibility in the coding and identification of the themes (which is in contrast to the mechanisms described for both grounded theory and other forms of qualitative analysis). Some authorities find that this flexibility and lack of proscription is a negative feature of the thematic approach but Braun argues that it enhances the quality of the analysis by allowing a â€Å"richness of analysi s not provided for by other methods†. (Braun V et al. 2006). This is clearly a complex exercise and it will be attempted in the pilot study by the author, but it is accepted that it may be more appropriate to enlist the help of an experienced researcher to assist in the analysis of the full project It is considered likely that the various themes will be obvious from the data obtained. Braun suggests a five stage mechanism for optimum data retrieval, namely: (1)Familiarising oneself with the data. (2)Developing a coding system and identifying bits of data consistent with specific codes. (3)Looking for and identifying themes in the data (4)Labelling or naming the themes identified, with appropriate justification (e.g. quotations from interview transcripts) (5)Writing up the report, including data extracts, in a compelling fashion. (Braun V et al. 2006). The interviews will be initially tape recorded and then transcribed in order to allow for identification of the various themes. It is clearly likely that the themes will be expressed in different terms by different subjects and therefore a degree of latitude will be needed by the interpreter to ensure that similar themes will be included and analysed together. (Berlin J A et al. 1989) Rigour The value of any study ultimately depends upon the rigor with which it is conducted. (Green J et al. 1998). It is in the very nature of a qualitative study that it does not intrinsically possess the precision of the classical quantitative study. It is therefore of great importance that attention is paid to reliability and repeatability during both the design and execution stages of the study. Triangulation is one mechanism that can help in this regard. (Piantadosi S. 1997). This requires comparison of the results obtained by one method with those obtained by another. The classic structure is to see whether the data obtained from the study matches with that obtained from subject feedback. (Leaverton PE. 1998). Berwick also suggests that any apparently aberrant or atypical cases should be examined as these will help to establish the overall validity of the study. (Berwick D. 1996) Ethical Issues It is central to the instigation of any study that the approval of a Local or National Ethics Committe