Capstone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Capstone - Research Paper Example Other than this, by presenting the products at a competitive price, the reliability and loyalty of the customers enhanced over the organization of Wal-Mart that amplified its profitability and market share among other contenders (Wal-Mart, 2014). Apart from mission, the vision statement of Wal-Mart is to work in a coordinated way so as to lower the total cost of living of that target customers. Then, the customers might live a better life by spending lower amount on purchasing varied products. Such a vision proved extremely effective for Wal-Mart thereby expanding itself in more than 27 countries with over 11,000 stores. As a result of which, its total assets increased by US$ 204.751 billion in the year 2014. In addition, the objectives and views of both the internal and external stakeholders such as employees, board of directors, customers, suppliers and lenders are entirely similar to that of the mission statement of the organization of Wal-Mart. This means, the stakeholder’s desire to live a better life by paying less matches with organizational mission and so it acted as a boon for the organization by amplifying its opportunities and dominance. In addition, high respect and fair wage rate of the employees, also ac ted as another key factor that lead to the success of the organization in this age of competitiveness among others (Wal-Mart, 2014). Hence, it might be revealed from the above information that the vision and mission statement of the organization of Wal-Mart helped it to increase its strengths and opportunities that reduced its threats of substitute products, change of preferences of the customers etc. Bargaining power of the customers: the bargaining power of the customers is extremely high. This is mainly due to the presence of numerous rival players such as K-Mart, Dollar General, Lowe’s Food, CVS, Wal-greens and Sears etc. Therefore, in order to

Lowering of the Minimum Age of Drinking Assignment

Lowering of the Minimum Age of Drinking - Assignment Example Those who are for the lowering of the minimum age of drinking from 21 argue that teenagers still drink alcohol, and the teenagers have resolved to binge drinking into isolated and uncontrolled environments, resulting to behaviors that are more health and behaviors that are life-endangering. The opponents argue that teenagers are yet to reach an age that they can be able to handle alcohol responsibly, hence they are likely to harm or kill themselves or even others prior to 21. They point out that traffic facilities went down since the increasing of MLDA. Personally, I think the MLDA should not be lowered from 21 to 18. The three main reasons that have influenced my position are; MLDA 21 helped in reducing traffic accidents and fatalities, MLDA 21 assists in the prevention of underage binge drinking, and reducing the drinking age welcomes more use of illicit drugs among 18-21 years old. Drunk driving is a big problem in our civilization. Averagely, 17,000 people die every year in deaths that are drunk related. As the numbers have lowered slightly, drunk driving continues to be a very important public safety issue. Most importantly is the fact that drinking and driving are strongly related to the youth. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), in 2010 the highest drunk driving rates were established amongst those ages 21- 25 (23.4%), and 18-20 (15.1%). Past 25, the rates of drunk driving reduce. By lowering the age limit to 18, the 15.1% who drink prior to getting behind the wheels would significantly rise and the consequences will be fatal (Robin, G. D. 1991). Binge drinking is common amo ng the youths more so in college campuses.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - Essay Example The negative aspects of the nuclear power serve to be an environmental issue of concern. This is owing to the fact that the nuclear energy leads to harm the normal ecology of the world and it had the capacity to lay negative effects on the health of the people living in this world (Klapp et al 2007; Miller et al 2009). The utilization of nuclear power as a form of energy production was considered to be a major technological achievement. The energy from this source can lead to the production of very high amounts of electricity and thus it can be very beneficial. But it has been analyzed that the construction of nuclear power plants requires the clearing of a large amount of land and it needs to be built away from the places of human occupancy owing to the release of toxic and radioactive substances from these plants which results in the contamination of the natural environment. Furthermore, the dumping of the nuclear waste also serves to be a very difficult problem as it serves to har m the environment owing to the negative effects of the radioactive material (Miller et al 2009; Swain 2007). The best solution to reduce the amount of environmental loss that occurs due to the nuclear power plants is to construct these plants away from the places where people reside.

The bad influence of the daily use of technology Essay

The bad influence of the daily use of technology - Essay Example In a fast paced society that characterizes the present age, communication requires speed and brevity due to which message appropriateness and effectiveness have suffered. As a result, a communication effectivity gap has risen which threatens to deteriorate social interactions (McFarlane, 1). Moreover, inter-communication between individuals, peers and families has seen a decline. As a result, the communication crisis has seriously affected social relationships as a result of deteriorating physical interaction, declining patience, augmented exasperation, and plummeting communication skills (Martin, n.pag.). New technology is continuously innovating and occupying a central position in our daily lives, so much that physical interactions have started being put on the backburner. With the changing communication patterns and technological devices, individuals particularly young ones, become so deeply involved in the digital screen that they forget to realize that there is another physical world outside the digital realm. Consequently, in-person interactions and face-to-face communication now seems to be on the verge of obsolescence. Increased gaming, texting, and computing distracts the attention from human individuals to a trivial piece of gadget. As a result, individuals do not get to spend quality time with their friends and families due to which social interaction suffers. The arrival of quicker modes of communication has increased the need to have fast and brief messages. A greater emphasis is now paid on the efficiency of sending and receiving the message rather than the effectiveness of the message. This explains why messages today lack linguistic appropriateness, orderly expressions, and quality. The perception that caring too much about message effectiveness is time consuming inhibits the appropriate impact of the message leading to a communication effectivity gap (McFarlane, 1). Reliance on quicker communication has increased and consequently,

Canton City School District Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canton City School District - Term Paper Example It is also possible that some or all of the group members could have poor communication skills; thus making the efficiency of the team poor. Canton City School District runs many public school institutions that serve a large number of students in the U.S. The schools range from elementary, middle, to high schools. The schools have different administrations that work to provide the children who enroll in them with quality education. In a study conducted recently, it was established that the group of institutions have been performing below their expected standards due to several reasons. These reasons include role conflicts among the administration groups, poor communication, lack of cohesiveness in groups with diverse members, and excessive conflicts in the groups. This paper will discuss how each of the identified problems could impact a group’s productivity. Role conflicts within groups Role conflicts in groups are common phenomena. While some roles may be well spelt out in t erms of the competence level required, some could be handled by all the members of the selected groups. Normally, people like to take up the roles that are less physically and mentally demanding while they are working on a group project. This becomes a great challenge when the members of a given group refuse to take up on some of the tasks that they are assigned. In some groups, the leaders may choose to assign the challenging tasks to specific people. Picking on team members may be a manifestation of rivalry at work, which has adverse effects on the performance of the human assets (Gaunt, 2011). There are many negative results that emanate from role conflicts within a group. First, the competence level that employees apply while working on conflicted tasks is rarely high enough to give the required results. When some of the members feel like they have been treated unfairly in the allocation of group tasks, they get demoralized to give their best performance (Gaunt, 2011). Second, w hen a group disagrees about the roles in the group, the organization of the group becomes dysfunctional. Most groups disagree about the leadership roles. Everyone in a group may be striving to assume leadership so that they can have the authority and power to boss the rest of the group. In other cases, there may be parties in the group who do not approve of some leaders. This breaks down the cooperation factor that is required in a group. Group conflicts slow down the rate at which the team works on the designated assignment. The members spend more time arguing things out rather than working on the relevant activities. The competence level of the members is also significantly lowered since they lack a motivating factor within the group. This eventually translates to poor performance or total failure in the delegated duties. Members of the conflicting group create rivalry and enmity among themselves and this cripples their ability to articulate ideas. Role conflicts within a group ha ve caused many organizations to fail in the realization of the major stakeholder’s objectives (Gaunt, 2011). Communication problems Communication is a vital aspect of any group work. The members of the group need to have good communication skills so that they can effectively forward their ideas to the rest of the members. Whenever there is a communication breakdown within a group, the members are not able to effectively cooperate when handling the

Notes from the Underground Essay Example for Free

Notes from the Underground Essay â€Å"Notes from the Underground† by Fyodor Dostoevsky, justifies that the underground hero/anit-hero is the universal man that we as a society cannot accept. Can we as a society relate to the ethics of this man, and accept it? The reader is set to ponder on why Dostoevsky would want to give such unadvisable traits to this character? Traits such as: Rude, Bad tempered, Bossy, Spoilt, lazy, unreliable, and anti-social. The answer to the question would be that Dostoevsky does not believe in the norms that the society has set for people. A few people in our society would understand, as well as relate to his intentions, aspirations, and majority of our society would perceive his actions as incompetent. Dostoevsky implies that everybody in a society acts in their own self-interest, including the Underground Man, and the world he lives in. The Underground Man as well as society, acts to gain advantages over people, or certain situations in their own self-interest. The Underground Man achieves his self-interest by, playing a mind games with his customers from work, using rudeness and intimidation. Genuine wickedness to people is his kind of self-interest. None the less; here is a character with three other major undesirable traits: perception insight, hatred, and self-punishment for his anti-socialism against society. A problem that Dostoevsky’s Underground Man has is the same problem the society suffers, which is perceptional insight on their world. The Underground Man, perceives being conscious is an illness that only paralyzes people into a corner of the world, incapable of action. His consciousness makes him aware of all of the â€Å"opposite elements† inside him, so much so that he can never make a decision or act confidently on any of his desires. He thinks people who are overly conscious, posses more than what they need for survival in the nineteenth century. He states, â€Å"The more conscious I become of goodness and all that was â€Å"sublime and beautiful,† the more deeply did I sink into the mire and the ready I was to sink into it altogether. †(Part I, Chp II, Pg 99) Another statement he makes is,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the whole nasty, disgusting part of it was that all the time I was shamefully conscious- even at the moments of my greatest exasperation. †(Part I, Chp I, Pg 96) When the Underground Man implies that his great intelligence and heightened consciousness prevent him from being an â€Å"active man,† saying that active people are always â€Å"disingenuous,† (Lacking in frankness) he is rationalizing his inability to act. However, the fact that the Underground Man deludes himself about the source of his alienation does not mean that Dostoevsky necessarily wants to glorify the â€Å"man of action. † He considers active men universally â€Å"dull and narrow-minded†, the very traits that allow them to act. The Underground Man as well as society makes one set of values correct while rejecting any other set of values, because of what they what to believe in. People are followers of their own rules, trying to block out society, and their environment for self interest purposes; purposes such as making money, street traffic, interaction with others, and etc. He dictates a list of values which are most important, and by which all humans should be driven, as he states,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the legitimate result of consciousness is to make all actions impossible†¦All plain men and men of action are active only because they are dull witted and mentally undeveloped. † (Part I, Chp V, Pg 108) The Underground Man resists the idea of rational egoism, believing man to be an inherently irrational creature. Man will always try to assert his free will, even if asserting this free will goes against reason and self-interest. The Underground Man believes so because, he can think of no other explanation for the way others have treated him in his life. The perplex character of the Underground Man compares to men in society who have failed at love and social acceptance; therefore they feel the need to force false emotions. These false emotions are variables that consist of: grief, self-fulfilling prophecy, false hope, love, and so on. The Underground Man feels that he is too lazy to achieve the status of love and acceptance from anyone, which shows his mixture of false emotions. The Underground Man states, â€Å"Oh, if only I had done nothing merely out of laziness! † (Part I, Chp VI, Pg 110) Like most men in this society, the Underground Man’s irrational logic hides his inner, as well as his outer emotions. At one part in the beginning of the story, it is hard to catch where he addresses us frequently and directly, calling us â€Å"gentlemen,† (Part I, Chp I, Pg 96) and he constantly analyzes and revises his statements in the fear that we are judging him. The Underground Man treats us like a panel of hostile judges, looking down upon his underground life from our comfortable position above ground, from the vantage point of the social world he has fled. Because we are aware that the Underground Man is conscious of our presence, we must question the validity of any statements he makes about not writing for our benefit. The Underground Man is a prime example of what is known in literature as an unreliable narrator: because everything we learn from the Underground Man is filtered through the lens of our society. Anguished perspective, we can never be sure he is telling us the objective truth about anything. Dostoevsky ridicules his logic because it all implies that it could derive from hatred alone. One may hate society or a certain group of people, because of society’s outlook on what is unacceptable behavior. This leads us back to the story, â€Å"Notes from the Underground†, where the Underground Man finds himself being filled with spite towards society because; he feels that he won’t be socially accepted. The solution most people would feel from this hate would be: to become rude, angry, more competitive, and more importantly confused. While the Underground Man was a civil servant he found himself being rude to the customers, as he clearly states, â€Å"I was rude and took pleasure in being rude. Mind you, I never accepted any bribes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Part I, Chp I, Pg 96) Accepting bribes is common and widely tolerated. The Underground Man is filled with bitterness toward all aspects of society, but he is aware that he is powerless to act against it or within it. He cannot even manage to be a wicked civil servant. Instead, he takes his aggressions out on himself, refusing to see a doctor and remaining in an unhealthy climate out of spite. When people speak mean or rude comments to others, do you think of them as an awful person? Most people like the Underground Man act like this because; it is a safe way to let out their emotions without physical repercussions, towards another human being. Everybody has an evil side in them, some are willing to show, but others are afraid because of the consequences given by the law. An example would be: on the night the Underground Man went to the tavern to socialize, he found himself in a situation where he was being physically picked up, and moved to the side, for he was in the way of the army officer. Instead of retaliating against this officer, he found himself becoming obsessed with revenge after the fact of what happened. At that point in time, he wanted to be socially accepted by getting into a fight with the officer; instead he found himself being moved to the side like he was absolutely nothing. â€Å"I could have forgiven him if he had given me a beating, but I could not forgive him for having moved me from one place to another as if I were a piece of furniture. † (Part II, Chp I, Pg 137) The Underground Mans interaction with the soldier, however pathetic it may appear, has its roots in ideas of justice and revenge. The Underground Man wants to walk with the officer as an equal, but when he tries to put this progressive idea into practice, he fails. The people, who starve for social interaction would want so much as a fight to come their way, so in some form they are socially accepted. People like the Underground Man try to balance interpersonal engagements with â€Å"time spent alone† but, yet they differ from the degree of enjoyment, engaging in social activities; such as taking a walk in the park, movies, trying out a youth group/study group, visiting art exhibits, and so on. These different desires are strong functions to spend time alone, verses wanting to socialize with other people. Going back to the Underground Man, another example of hatred/revenge towards society would be when: he begins to preach false inspiration to a prostitute on how to live life, after the fact of sleeping with her. â€Å"I turned away in disgust. I was no longer reasoning coldly†¦ I was already longing to expound my own favorite little notions which had nursed so lovingly in my funk-hole. † (Part II, Chp VI, Pg 177) Interestingly, the Underground Man does not, for once, recognize the literary tradition behind his mission. He feels that he is manipulating the prostitute with his sentimental language, and he both enjoys and feels ashamed of the feeling of power this manipulation gives him. He does not; however, appear to recognize the sources of his story as readily as he recognizes other literary influences to which he refers early in the novel. Instead, the Underground Man tells us in retrospect, he genuinely felt the things he was saying, even as he was aware that he was manipulating the prostitute. Situations like these give men a sense of dominance, and superiority towards people that are mentally weak. They lash out all of their social frustrations, trying to make ends meet. This is their way of payback on society. Another relationship of hatred would be between the Underground Man, and Apollon (His Servant). The Underground Man wants it to be known that, he hates Apollon for his rudeness and churlish behavior. The Underground Man states, â€Å"For years on end we had been continually squabbling, and I hated him. † (Part II, Chp VIII, Pg 196) The Underground Mans burning hatred of Apollon stems from a similar desire for domination. The Underground Man wants to feel he can dominate Apollon completely, as Apollon is his servant and depends on him for wages. Once again this is an example of the Underground Man hating something he has little to no control over. People hate things they have no control over out of fear, this is a common human characteristic in all of us. They try to become dominant towards another person to no prevail. If there was more control applied over what you fear, then there wouldn’t be much to worry about, right? Being filled with so much hatred towards society, can ultimately lead into situations of self-punishment. With the Underground Man symbolizing men in our society, why exactly would people inflict self-harm? People want attention from society, punishing themselves mentally or physically may be their only solution to their problems. They avoid professional help because; they don’t want to be considered crazy. The Underground Man shows self-punishment in the beginning of the story, when he refuses medical attention for his dying liver. â€Å"Still, the fact remains that if I refuse to be medically treated, it is only out of spite. My liver hurts me – well, let it damn well hurt – the more it hurts the better. † (Part I, Chp I, Pg 96) This behavior is the first evidence we have of the Underground Mans gratification, his enjoyment of his own pain and humiliation. He is punishing himself, in spite of the society. People like him are hedonistic; they want to exert some type of power over someone in a certain situation, for self-gratification. Humans make choices based on complex and irrational emotions, because they have no acceptable logic within doing it. Their lives cannot be determined by equations based on their own self-interest. Throughout Dostoevsky’s stories, self-punishment is found in almost all of his characters. The character closest to the Underground Man, would be, the man from â€Å"The Dream of the Ridiculous Man†. Here is another Dostoevsky character that can’t find his place in the world, and feels as if he doesn’t deserve to live. â€Å"I made up my mind to kill myself that night. I had made up my mind to kill myself already two months before and, poor as I am, I bought myself an excellent revolver and loaded it the same day. † (Dostoevsky, TDOARM, Pg 206) The Ridiculous Mans idea of self-punishment is a lot more intense than the character from â€Å"Notes of the Underground†, but none the less they are practically identical. The Underground Man is perceived as a universal character in most, if not all of Dostoevsky stories. His struggles with anti-socialism and other traits are similar to all of Dostoevsky’s characters. Dostoevsky incorporates our human struggles into his stories, to take the reader on an emotional journey. Dostoevsky’s characters are leading examples of the people in our society, who cannot find themselves to be accepted, therefore this people want to punish themselves for something they have little control over. Conclusion: Dostoevsky makes his point by introducing characters whose actions are the exact opposite to what is good for them. The Underground Man especially makes choices that go against the societal self-interest values, such as anti-socialism, where time after time in the story he proved he can’t handle the social aspects of life. He does things that seem completely irrational and illogical, if he wants to become happy. He compromises decency, dignity, friendship, kindness, and all other values to his vicious traits, all in the name of happiness. The whole story is a horrible account of the man’s anti-social nature and actions; while uncanny similarities rise between him and our society. Why would a man with capabilities such as the Underground Man, not strive every moment to socialize while being happy, free, and prosperous? Dostoevsky answers, simply, but brilliantly, with amazing insight into human nature: â€Å"Because he does not want to. † (Dostoevsky)

Leading Organisational Equality And Diversity

Leading Organisational Equality And Diversity Introduction In this unit we are asked to make a report regarding on the importance of effectively managing equality and diversity and dynamics of leading and managing equality and diversity. In order to achieve this, we are given 2 task to complete which includes the analysis of the legal requirements relating to equality within the chosen organisation; evaluation of the implications of guidance and codes of practice; analysis of policies and procedures that need that needs to be place to promote equality and diversity and the needs and expectations of stake holders in relation to the organisations policy on equality and diversity. The second task is about explaining the practical aspects of promoting equality and diversity within the organisation and to stakeholders and of addressing equality and diversity issues. TASK 1 Through this paper I would try point out some aspects in understanding the importance of equality and diversity as core values in healthcare business organisation. What are the elements to be considered for effective organisational equality and diversity management? What does the organisation gain in the practice of equality and diversity? What must be done to ensure commitment in leading business organisational equality and diversity? In the care home that I used to work, commitment to equality and diversity help us understand how we treat our customers or service users, the wider public we serve, and one another. And if our policies, processes and interactions based on equality and diversity are fair, inclusive, accessible and responsive we would know the procedure as regards dealing effectively with discriminatory issues. Generally, an excellent customer service and equals high standards on equality and diversity. It is then, useful to grasp the meaning of equality and diversity, some related terms such as code of practice, equality legislation. A better understanding of these terms will help the healthcare organisation commit to better practice of equality and diversity. Equality means fostering and promoting the right to be different, to be free from discrimination, and to have choice and dignity and to be valued as an individual, with a right to their own beliefs and values. This works on the following premises that everyone must be treated fairly. Everyone has the right to have their individual needs be respected. Inequality happens and there must be an effort to deal with discriminatory issues. Employment and services must be available to all. Equality is about fair treatment. Rights, responsibility and anti-discrimination are important parts of equality. And knowledge of the legislative framework on equality will help those disadvantaged obtain opportunities for full participation in the society by imposing legal sanctions against malpractices of this principle. Diversity as a word means varied and different thus, diversity is about more than equality. It is about valuing variety and individual differences. It is creating a culture, environment and practices which respect and value differences for the benefit of society, organisations and individuals. Diversity acknowledges the fact that individuals and groups have varying backgrounds, perceptions, styles, values and beliefs. Where there are two people there is diversity, for everybody is different. It is a challenge for all of us to understand, value and respect such differences. Diversity is about respecting differences. It is the positive acceptance of the uniqueness and distinctness of each person. Thus, the care home created policies, procedures and practices where the diverse needs of diverse employees and service users are considered. Equality and diversity are closely connected to one another. For equality means treating individuals in spite of differences. Diversity believes in the unique contribution of each individual and values differences. If we treat persons according to their different needs, we cannot be unfair to them or to others. Where equality and diversity is practiced, equality of opportunity for all is ensured where each individual has chance to attain his potential. Each person must be protected from prejudice and discrimination. Any experience of discrimination on the grounds of our age, race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, religion or belief must be challenged. The Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 have been merged to become the Equality Act 2010 which has a more consistent approach to comply with the law. Equality 2010 protects individual from discrimination and promotes ones right to equality such as: Disability discrimination: Disabled people at work are protected from discrimination. This means that employers: must not treat a disabled person less favourably because of a reason relating to their disability, without a justifiable reason; are required to make reasonable adjustments to working conditions or the workplace where that would help to accommodate a particular disabled person. In our work place, we have colleagues who have difficulty in writing (dyspraxia). But his skill was really a great help to the group. He was given extra work on the floor while his partner is the one who documented all the personal care that has been given to the service users. The colleagues and the manager are very supportive of him. Equal pay: Employers must give men and women equal treatment in the termà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬and conditions of their employment contract if they areà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬employed on: like work work that is the same or broadly similar; work rated as equivalent under a job evaluation study or; work found to be of equal value. In the care home, equal pay was implemented fairly and it is in accordance to your qualifications and the job that you are into. If you work in the caring job, male and female are in the same rate, they only differs if they have more qualification than others like having degrees or NVQs. Part-time employees: The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 aim to ensure that part-time workers are not treated less favourably than comparable full-timers. Principally, this means they should: receive the same rates of pay; not be excluded from training simply because they work part-time; receive holiday entitlement pro rate to comparable full-timers; have any career break schemes, contractual maternity leave and parental leave made available to them in the same way as for full-time workers and not be treated less favourably when selecting workers for redundancy. In this regard, our care home is following the said legal requirement for part-time employees; they are receiving same as what full time employee is having. Race discrimination: The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to treat a person less favourably due to their colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. Race discrimination covers all aspects of employment from recruitment to pay, and training to the termination of a contract. The care home that I used to work is a type of organisation that is multicultural; the employees are from different countries and with different culture. But since we are respecting each other and working in one objective of the organisation, the said racial discrimination are being lessen though it is prohibited but sometimes it happens. If conflicts about any of the rights occur, it is recommended always to resolve the issue to the employer (manager) first. Thus, our employer provide a contract employment for us employee where both parties may agree better terms than those required by legislation. The employer has the obligation to present to the employee a written statement of the main particulars of employment within two months of the beginning of employment. This must include, among other things, details of pay, hours, holidays, notice period and an additional note on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Another way of resolving any grievance issue is through the help of an independent third party or mediator. Such mediation is a voluntary process whereby the mediator helps both sides to reach an agreement. Any agreement comes from those in dispute, not from the mediator. If an employee believes that an employment right has been denied or infringed, he can make a complaint to an employment tribunal. It is, indeed important to have a comprehensive grasp of the existing legislative laws to be able to promote equality in the workforce and protect every employee from discrimination. An understanding of the legislative laws will also help in creating good quality guidance to equality and diversity organisational practice. Commitment to equality and diversity means the organization is willing to comply with legislative procedures. Legislative laws not only protect the individual employee but also different stakeholders and service users. On the other hand, the implication of guidance and code of practice in relation to equality and diversity in healthcare business is to have abetter knowledge and understanding regarding this matter. First what is code of practice? Codes of Practice are golden rules for guidance on legislation which have significant effect on healthcare business. The Code is non-statutory and not legally binding. This means it cannot prevail over mandatory external requirements. Healthcare organisation must abide by this Code of Practice whenà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬producing new guidance or revising existing guidance. This Code of Practice states in simple terms how to create good quality guidance. A good guidance must have a good understanding of the target audience which is diverse and knowing their needs. In our care home, they know the intended service users; the guidance will adapt the most appropriate format and language in preference to their needs. There must be input users and their representative groups like the relatives beforehand. Organising a stakeholder panel and asking advice from concerned representative groups can provide useful resources so that the guidance will be designed and communicated effectively. If the guidance is easy to understand and straightforward then it can be assured that it will be followed correctly. Guidance must be easily accessible to the service users. Guidance will ineffective if no-one reads it. And no matter how well designed a guidance is, each item of the guidance must be reviewed and improved. It must be opened for feedbacks from the service users. Guidance must carry a link where the user can state any inaccuracy about the guidance. In terms of promoting equality and diversity, it is equally important to develop policies and procedures that will provide clear instructions and guidelines on what must be done in particular issues. Policies and procedures will ensure the well-being of all individuals in the workforce and everyone connected to the organisation by providing a framework of action. They help new members familiarise with the organisations working practices and provide them information on what is expected of them. Policies and procedures reflect the main priorities of the organisation which with good practice will ensure good quality service. Policies are also basis for making and monitoring changes in the procedures about moving towards equality and diversity. Equality and diversity policy must provide a framework where commitment to equality and valuing diversity in all aspects of the business organisation are clearly included. The policy must be easily accessible to all those involved in the organisat ion as regards equal opportunities and services and that the organisation is willing to protect the discriminated and the disadvantaged. Further more, identifying the needs and the expectations of potential stakeholders will be affected positively or negatively by the implementation of such policy and it is vital. The policy in the care home provides overall mission statement standing for the importance of equality and diversity to our stakeholders. Such statement can be used in publicity, recruitment advertisements, offering quality services to clients. Strategy and action plan must give an outline about how to keep this public promise and how equality and diversity will be implemented. And for an effective policy, it must be developed in consultation all members in the organisation. Action plan must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. This will include plans for training staff/management committee members and monitoring and evaluating. In healthcare organisation that I used to work, delivering services must provide appropriate services that meet the needs of the different clients/service users. It is a legal requirement that reasonable adjustments are considered to enable disabled people to use the services offered. The front line workers aware of the diversity of the clients must use inclusive language and provide extra support to meet the needs of the clients. As example maybe offering an appointment with a deaf client by text rather than via phone call or in our care home we provide interpreters for those clients who do not speak English through the use of colleagues who can speak the same language or volunteers with language skills or making appropriate referrals to organisations that can better respond to the needs of the client. We make sure that the needs and preferences of our service users are being met. In so doing, we can achieve the expectations of the stakeholders in accordance to the organisations pol icy on equality and diversity. TASK 2 Being aware of equality and diversity issues and knowing how to address them is important in ensuring commitment to equality and diversity. For example, in the healthcare sector, an ageing workforce can become a great challenge for employers especially when there is workforce turnover and skills shortage. Policies and procedures reflecting inclusive employment would regard a diverse workforce as an asset where persons with life experiences can become part of the workforce. Experts have expressed the fact that those employers who value older workers skills and experience are better placed to emerge from the recession. Another issue is the religion and beliefs. It can be noted that employees are characterized by predominantly diverse religion and faiths. Religious faith and belief can be relevant to recruitment and retention strategies. However, applying a dress code for all employees can be a disadvantage for some people of particular beliefs. But since equality and diversity are bein g practice in the care home, they allow staff to wear there turbans for male and bandanas for female. Discriminatory attitude resulting from stereotyping and prejudice would exclude individuals or groups from employment or services. Sometimes institutional discrimination occurs through policies and procedures which lead to disadvantage of a particular group. It is a legal requirement to have a process called Equality Impact Assessment whereby an organisation reviews ones services, policies and procedures whether there is a negative impact on an employee or to service user. Creating a culture committed to equality and diversity means that the everyday goals and behaviour of the organisation includes commitment to equality, human rights and inclusive working. In healthcare sector leadership and accountability is a key to creating a commitment to equality and diversity. Leadership must recognise all aspects of diversity: race, gender identity, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, part-time workers and persons with alternative working patterns, persons with different educational and social backgrounds, and persons with caring responsibilities. Role modelling of inclusive behaviour in recruitment, development and promotion of staff and readiness to address responsibly discriminatory issues are significant aspects of good leadership committed to equality and diversity. There must be clear and transparent accountability for delivering equality and diversity. Senior leaders must be active equality and diversity champions who create change in culture and attitudes. They must help enhance and sustain equality and diversity in partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders. They set vision and goals, strategies, daily interactions with trustees, staff, volunteers and service users showing that they value equality and diversity. They must have the capacity to listen and communicate openly with all employees with diverse needs. Effective communication is another important element to consider if the organisation would really promote equality and diversity. It is the capacity to listen and to share information. It is not enough to work efficiently for the organisation. The contribution of each one to further growth process and practice of the business organisation through ones creativity, innovations and insights means would mean a need for good communication skills. The volume of information in todays world can be overwhelming. It is important to discern appropriate information needed to understand the perspective of different stakeholders. Identifying/reviewing stakeholders expectations/needs and reconciling differences through networking would mean a high-level approach for communication. Methods of communication in a networked world have become challenging: training program on virtual negotiation; communication with increasingly diverse service users; good networking with different groups who promote values of equality and diversity; providing information in different formats. Developing an equality and diversity communication plan which is proactive and outward focused will be useful in promoting public understanding and awareness. Practicing inclusion means embracing differences and creating an environment where each individuals rights protected and potentials are valued and respected. This can help attract and retain staff and improve customer or service user satisfaction. It is providing relevant and appropriate access for the participation, development and advancement of all individuals and groups; removing or altering physical barriers so as to provide access to all; avoiding offensive language; improving access to service and workplace for example by changing working patterns or by providing mobile services for those socially isolated and tailoring services to the needs of the clients. Valuing inclusion means no one is discriminated or harassed but rather everyone is treated with respect and dignity. It means that all (e.g. from the senior management to the most junior staff) is involved in the process of creating the culture to commitment to equality and diversity. Everyone is engaged and feels that thei r insights and experiences are valued. Reaching diverse group through constructive dialogue with stakeholders both internal (employees) and external (clients, finance sources, local government, NGOs) can help build more harmonious working relationships. Engaging and allowing them to be partners can contribute to profitability, company image, expense management, and employee morale and customer loyalty. Another thing is through advertisement via internet or giving away pamphlets; when advertising ones delivery of services, it must aim to be accessible to those in needs. Thus, it is important to think of ways how to reach the most disadvantaged people. This is one way of showing the organisations commitment to equality and diversity strategy. Written policies and procedures of the organisation must be easy to read and understand and available in relevant formats. This means avoiding jargon and abbreviation or any word graphics that could cause offence. Plain English Campaigns website provides good guidance regarding this ma tter. Having a clear purpose and structure and using easy to read print like Arial or Verdana font with at least 12 point font size for all texts need to be considered, too. When there is a need to produce alternative materials for particularly disadvantaged persons within the target group, it is important to consider large print, Braille, audio cassette, in electronic format by email or CD, or in other languages. Through this we can cater all types of stakeholders who are in need. With regards to monitoring and reviewing equality and diversity strategy plan, policies and procedures, current equality and diversity training programs, informal or unwritten work practices and arrangement for consultation and participation. This is important to be able to make needed adjustments to the workforce and services. Equality monitoring is the process of collecting, storing and analysing information about employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and/or clientsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ gender, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation or social class. Monitoring such information allows organisations to ensure it is delivering its services and employment fairly, equally and appropriately to all groups. To understand the demographic make-up of the workforce and the customers will help identify under-represented groups and find ways to respond to their needs. Reviewing policies will show if there is awareness and good practice on the commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Monitoring and reviewing are important processes to see if the organisation takes legal responsibilities promptly and seriously and proactively builds a culture of commitment to equality and diversity to all stakeholders. Reviewing staff performances through appraisal against organisational equality and diversity set of objectives and strategy on an annual basis. Monitoring and reviewing through staff surveys, employee networks and forums are some ways of involving and consulting the employees on some key issues affecting them as regards equality and diversity. This can also lead more comprehensive understanding of the needs and expectations of the staff. Conclusion: Leading an organisation committed to equality and diversity is a great challenge. Collaboration among all members in the workforce and even among the clients is necessary. Understanding equality legislation and putting them into easy to understand equality and diversity policies as well as strategies will ensure good practice. There is a need in creating different committees responsible for the different aspects of promoting equality and diversity. Since equality issues are very much related with government legislation, it is imperative to update the knowledge of legislation against discrimination. However, Neil Thompson in his book People Skills (2002) affirms that legal compliance is not enough but rather developing a culture where people in the workforce are more aware of the significance of diversity and do take personal responsibility to develop this sensitivity. There is a risk of alienating people if one does not learn about others perspective and life experiences. A co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Price with David Trimble, John Hume, says, Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity. Managing organisational equality and diversity can be a very complex task but an effort to good practice is possible if all are motivated to be involved and engaged. This paper is limited in scope in many aspects for it does not document detail accounts of the necessary processes as regards specific aspects of equality and diversity. It is recommended that it is useful to create different committees in the organisation to work on an in-depth study of the different aspects of equality and its concrete application.