Functions, Values, and Roles of the Nurse Practitioner Essay

I have read and understand the plagiarism policy as outlined in the syllabus and the sections in the catalog relating to Indiana Wesleyans Honest/Cheating policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. Function, Values, and Roles of the Nurse Practitioner When contemplating the roles and values of the nurse practitioner it is necessary for the student to first exam the career path and scope of the nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have advanced education and training in a health care setting. They are practitioners with advanced degrees such as a Master of Science in nursing and are licensed as registered nurses who have practiced as a registered nurse for a minimum of at least two years. Most nurse practitioners early in their course work will identify a specialty area of nursing that they have an interest in doing research in. Determination of this specific area is usually influenced by what area of nursing the student has experience working in as a registered nurse. Other times, it is influenced by the illness of someone close to them or a family member. Cardiac health and transplantation is an area that this student wishes to pursue as a specialty area. My interest has been piqued by personal experience in this area with a family member. This student believes that this specialty area values the health and well-being of all mankind and that research is rewarded as a basis for providing new and upcoming trends in this specialty area. Through early detection and treatment of cardiac related illness, healthcare providers in this area strive to prevent diseases such as congestive heart failure from progressing to advanced stages requiring even further cardiac intervention. It is the belief of this student that to become a competent urse practitioner one must value wellness, enjoy the human race, and have the true desire to care for others. Race, socioeconomic status, and educational level of the client are not priorities when determining plans of care for patients. The nurse practitioner must remain non bias in her personal beliefs and put the needs of the patient first at all times. This ensures nonbiased holistic complete care is provided which is valued by all nurse practitioners and sought by all health care consumers. . Due to recent changes in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid coupled with the sky rocketing cost of health care many Americans are being forced to change the way they access health care. As the face of health care moves away from the traditional hospital setting to other sites within the community, the role and function of the nurse practitioner has moved to the forefront of the health care system. Nurse practitioners practice in a variety of settings that include community health centers, primary care clinics, hospital departments, physician offices, and walk in clinics. Accessibility to care is one criterion that has created popularity among the role of nurse practitioners. One area of interest among nurse practitioners that has become popular is the concept of family care specialization. Family care nurse practitioners value providing care to the entire family and are often viewed as the physicians of long ago. The care given by these practitioners is family based care, and not limited to one criterion such as age or gender, thus reminding people of how physicians practiced many years ago. Family nurse practitioners are licensed in the same way as other nurse practitioners but usually have a broader clientele base and work mainly in primary care clinics and not in specialty areas. Another quality the nurse practitioner must value is the ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and expertise within their scope of practice. This recognition allows for collaboration with another health care provider to take place and ensures holistic problem focused healthcare is made available to all patients. When discussing society’s perception of the nurse practitioner, it is this student’s belief that there is an overall general acceptance in the role of the nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have been made to earn the respect of their profession. During the early development of this career, nurse practitioners were originally viewed by some members of society as want to be physicians. This perception has changed within the last ten years and has mainly been influenced by the decrease in the number of general practice physicians. The increase in the number of baby boomers has also created the need for more medical providers thus helping to create further awareness and acceptance among the role of a nurse practitioner. Furthermore, recognition of nurse practitioners by third party insurances, in covering care provided by nurse practitioners, has also encouraged the use and popularity of nurse practitioners. When asked about society’s perception of the nurse practitioner, it is this student’s belief that there is an overall general acceptance of the role of the nurse practitioner. However, acceptance of this role in the medical field has not always been the norm. Nurse practitioners have been made to earn the respect of their profession and were originally viewed by some members of society as substitute doctors. It is this student’s belief this perception has changed within the last ten years due to the decrease in the number of available general practice physicians. The increase in the number of baby boomers requiring more medical attention has also created the need for more health care professionals thus promoting the role of the nurse practitioner. In conclusion, it is this student’s belief that nurse practitioners are competent medical professionals who value disease prevention, wellness, and patient education. All nurse practitioners strive to provide thorough patient care regardless of the area of specialty they practice and will remain strong advocates for change and stability in America’s health care system. Nurse practitioners have the ability to change the landscape of modern medicine and will continue to meet these challenges presented before them to ensure the continued growth and development of the practice of the nurse practitioner.

The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay Example

The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay Example The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organization’s Culture Describing and identifying the importance of abstract terms is a difficult task because their meaning rely more on substance than form. For this and other reasons, individuals as well as organizations tend to overlook or underestimate their importance for a successful career and for the effective functioning of an organization. Organizational Culture† is one of those terms, we can’t see it, but we can feel and experience it, and it has a profound impact in the way people behave in an organization. It denotes the attitudes, experiences, beliefs, and values of the work group or team within the organization, which to an extent affect the organization as a whole. All employees whatever their grade is, and whether they are professionals or not, contribute to the culture of an organization by bringing their diverse talents, knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs to the entity. Employees may possess abilities and talents that might enable them to fit into the organization and empower it, partly as a result of socialization, but they might need assistance from others, such as Human Resource Development specialists and Union cooperative efforts, in order to learn the skills that will enable them to play their part in the team, group, or department. The culture of an organization is important not only to individuals but to the organization itself. This makes culture an important part of every organization and union leaders and management need to understand the central role it plays in forming an effective organization. Union understanding of the important role culture play for an organization is essential since the recognition of unions and the labor agreement usually means structural changes to an organization’s policies, practices, strategies, and the environment. According to Neal M. Ashkanasy, author of the book Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate, more and more practitioners are coming to realize that, despite the best-laid plans, organizational change must include not only changing structures and processes, but also changing the corporate culture as well. Unions can play a role in creating and changing an organization’s culture, since they are in a position to provide the workforce with information designed to influence decisions about work practices, rules, preferred behaviors and attitudes, etc. Management as well as staff developers need, therefore, to communicate frequently with trade union officers. Improving organizational culture has become a necessity in todays ever- changing business environment. However, it can be a big challenge for the organization and its members. Managing in a union environment can be frustrating and confusing. Managers in a unionized workplace are challenged to manage effectively within legal and contractual parameters. This make the decision-making process more difficult for managers who must count with the union approval for many decisions and changes that might conflict with the labor agreement. If managers are not flexible in outcome, or are too specialized, then the organization may become too narrowly focused and the motivation and creative thought, a necessary precursor for innovation may be stiffed. Also, although individual ideas are important, strategies for team-working are essential. One of the primary responsibilities of strategic leaders is to create and maintain the organizational characteristics that reward and encourage collective effort (Neal M. Ashkanasy, 10). Individuals should be motivated to work as part of a team sharing a common vision of the direction in which they would like the organization to develop. To this end, unions are one of the most effective institutions that can be used to bring people that share common interests, goals, and principles together and motivate them to work as a team, since the mechanism of the union itself encourages team participation. Today, organizational leaders are confronted with many complex issues during their attempts to generate organizational achievement. A leaders success will depend, to a great extent, upon understanding organizational culture. Paul Clark, author of the book Building More Effective Unions contends that â€Å"Many of the problems confronting leaders can be traced to their inability to analyze and evaluate organizational cultures. † Many leaders, when trying to implement new strategies or a strategic plan leading to a new vision, will discover that their strategies will fail if they are inconsistent with the organizations culture. For example, a CEO, SES, political appointee, or flag officer who comes into an organization prepared to shake the place up and institute sweeping changes, often experiences resistance to changes and failure. These difficulties with organizational transformations arise from failures to analyze an organizations existing culture. According to Franklin Ashby, author of the book Revitalize your Corporate Culture, â€Å"When an organization has a union, most of the culture of the organization is dictated by the union contract, and the on-going relationship with the union. Unless Union cooperation is obtained, little can be done to change the culture of an organization. However, Unions often resist change to protect the interests of their members. One of the strongest cultures in the United States is the United Automobile Workers. Over the years and through many negotiations, they have established work rules that workers and companies must follow. These are now an integral part of the organizational culture of the Big Three Automobile Makers. For example, when competition from Japanese car makers cause the Big Three U. S. utomobile firms a significant loss of market share, the organizational culture of American Auto manufacturers had to be changed. This could be accomplished only through negotiation with the union. Although some labor leaders oppose any change they feel may weaken the union’s position, more and more enlightened labor union leaders are moving from an adversarial to a more cooperative philosophy (Franklin Ashby, 3). According to Paul F. Clark, author of the book Building More Effective Unions, â€Å"Most efforts to change an organization’s culture will meet with some resistance. A systematic approach to change is most effective in meeting such resistance. Many of us are familiar with the slogans, songs, jackets, parades, banquets, and picnics of unions because they are all part of the labor movement. To some they are simply windows dressing, unconnected to the important things that build an effective union. But, in fact, these things are part of a potentially and powerful phenomenon called â€Å"organizational culture† (Paul F. Clark, 10). It is important that unions understand the central role that culture plays in an effective organization and work to build a strong culture consistent with the union as well as the organization’s values, beliefs, and objectives. This is essential to avoid conflict by having two different cultures with different organizational objectives in the same company. Although one general culture might be ideal and best for an organization, subcultures exist and they do not necessarily exist to hurt the overall culture of the organization as long as the culture that involves the common interest of most members is accepted and recognized. The existence of subcultures is normal. In an organization with a strong culture, subcultures created by union members do not cause problems because the overall values and beliefs of the group are well recognized and accepted. If the culture of an organization is week, however, subcultures can override and compete with the overall culture, which can be disruptive to the organization’s culture. In his analysis, Paul Clark mentions that the effectiveness of a culture can be measured by the degree to which that culture and its various elements and subcultures clearly communicate the values of the organization. One of the core values emphasized by unions is the welfare of the collective group. Towards this end unions emphasize the principles of solidarity, unity, and togetherness. One common aspect of union culture that helps to communicate these values is the use of the terms â€Å"brother† and â€Å"sister† to refer to union members (Paul F. Clark, 6). Other values held in great regard by unions are fairness, equity, and justice. Unions help improve an organization’s culture by enforcing these values whenever they are violated or necessary for the welfare of employees. For example, managers often complaint about the tendency of unions to challenge through the grievance procedure many of the disciplinary actions taken by management. However, such challenge simply reflects the value that unions and union members place on due process and the fairness it brings to the workplace. By challenging any questionable management decision, unions are forcing management to evaluate the fairness of every action they take, before they take it. The member-union contract has an impact not only on union attachment, attitudes, and behaviors, but also on how it affects organizational culture. In summarizing the findings of their widely cited book, What Do Unions Do? Freeman and Medoff conclude that â€Å"Unions alter nearly every aspect of an organization’s culture. † The authors suggest that unions exert effects on organizational culture through collective bargaining. The primary effects of collective bargaining are the gains that the union is able to realize at the bargaining table for the employees. For example, extrinsic benefits like wages, job security, and working conditions, are all concerns that have dominated the collective bargaining agenda of North American Unions. Gains in these areas are determined primarily by the union’s ability to acquire and use power in the bargaining relationship. For example, the union wage effect is largely dependent on the ability of the union to achieve monopoly power within an industry. It is important to note that the union effects on organizational culture are also outcomes that emerge though management’s reaction to collective bargaining provisions. Management’s adjustment to the conditions imposed by collective bargaining and the union’s counteraction to managerial action will determine the nature and extent of union effects on organizational culture. The ability of unions to achieve their goals in areas such as wages, job security, and working conditions have important ramifications for organization culture both within the union and within the organization. For example, unions have a direct effect on the level, form, structure, and system of compensation plans. Through effective bargaining unions can improve an organization’s culture by emphasizing and enforcing the values, principles, and beliefs the members of the organization consider important. For example, the union can achieve fairness and equity with wage increases and justice and dignity with provisions for job security and better working conditions. Although these effects wary across industry and individuals, some general conclusion may be drawn. First, and most important, unions raise wages. Estimates of union wage effect wary but in general wage levels in unionized industries are 10 to 20% higher than wages for comparable non-unionized industries (William Holley, 324). Similarly, unions have a positive impact on employee benefits with unionized industries spending more on fringe benefits than comparable non-unionized firms. Job security is another factor through which unions help improves an organization’s culture concern for layoffs. For example, collective agreements often contain clauses that directly influence individual’s job security such as provisions for layoffs, job transfers, and contracting out. The prevalence of such provisions indicates the high priority placed on job security by union members. Based on the Quality of Employment Survey data, union membership was the best predictor of whether individuals would trade a 10% increase in real wages in exchange for increased job security. Unions also increase the security of their members from arbitrary decision making though the provision of grievance systems. Through the implementation of grievance systems with provisions for third-party dispute resolution, unions substantially increase the costs of arbitrary management decisions. As mentioned by Julian Barling, Author of the book The Union its Members, One would expect, and empirical evidence confirms that â€Å"Management decision making in a unionized environment would be more regulated by formal procedures and based on more objective criteria. Other areas in which Union have helped to improve an organization’s culture is through their intensive efforts to improve occupational health and safety in the workplace by advocating for government regulations, negotiating health and safety provisions, and encouraging the formation of labor-management committees to deal with health and safety issues. In additional to the negotiation of clauses dealing with health and safety, unions may also negotiate compensating wage differentials for workers exposed to higher risks. By doing so, they increase the incentive for management to improve working conditions by increasing the cost of dangerous work. Overall, unions substantially increase awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace. In addition to safety and health issues, unions also negotiate contact provisions dealing with a variety of working condition (William Holley, 435). For instance, hours of work, scheduling of rest breaks, and, in some cases, and rate of production. To the extent that unions are successful in negotiating these gains, unionization may have an indirect effect on occupational health and safety. Provisions such as rest breaks, minimization of overtime, and shift scheduling may all affect the risk of on-the-job injury. According to Clive Fullagar, the Neo-Classical Economic Theory suggests that â€Å"Management may react to the increased costs associated with unionization by replacing labor with capital. However, an alternate theory suggests that unionization has â€Å"shock effect† on management, whereby management reacts to unionization by becoming more efficient. † Such increased efficiency may be evidenced by the introduction of centralized, professional human resources functions and increased reliance on formalized decision making. Union involvement in the formulation of management decisions may be seen as usurping the rights of management to run the workplace. On the other hand, collective bargaining maybe e viewed as a way of managing the workplace rather than an abandonment of traditional management prerogatives. In this regard, it should be noted that through their involvement in establishing work rules and organizational policies, unions may have both positive and negative effects on organizational culture. The impact of unions in managerial decision making is seen clearly in the development of personal policies. It is commonly recognized that unions influence the use of seniority as a criteria for promotions and job transfers. Unions also have an effect on hiring decisions. For example, one managerial response to wage premiums maybe to raise the hiring standards of the firm and in particular to place more emphasis on education as a hiring criteria. The presence of a union may result in the implementation of policies that are in the organization’s best interest. Thus, the presence of a union is associated with more efficient managerial decision making. In particular, this increased efficiency is attributable to the formalization of decision making and the substitution of policy for individual judgment as a basis for decision making. As the preceding discussion indicates, unions have substantial effects on organizational culture through the negotiation of specific provisions in the collective agreement. Additional union effects on organizational culture also accrue during the administration of the collective agreement as management and the union adjusts to the new environmental conditions mandated by the collective agreement. Unions improve organizational culture by supporting, developing, and enforcing values, beliefs, attitudes that are of importance to the members of the organization. As a result, this has a direct effect at increasing productivity and performance. Freeman and Medoff have concluded that unions substantially increase the productivity of organizations. That is, after controlling for various organizational characterizes, unionized firms are more productive than their non-unionized counterparts. However, nionized firms are found to be less profitable than non-unionized firms because the increase in productive do not seem to offset the increased costs of unionization. Freeman and Medoff point out that â€Å"The union impact on the firm’s productivity can be explained by two factors. † First, unionization leads to a more stable workforce by reducing voluntary turnover. A direct consequence of this increase stability is the firm’s investment in human resources management. Second, the union effect on productivity provides a conceptual basis for the hypothesis that unionization may have an effect on individual job performance. For example, through more rigorous selection, investment in employee training, and the institution of more professional management practices, an organization attempts to adjust to the cost of unionism by increasing individual job performance. While the end result of such strategies is an increase in firm productivity, the initial effect is plausibly an increase in individual job performance. It is imperative to note that the union’s effect on firm productivity is moderated by the quality of union-management relations. When the industrial relation climate is favorable, unionization is associated with higher firm productivity. Conversely, a poor quality of union-management relations is associated with decreased productivity in unionized firms. The quality of union-management relationships influences the motivation of employees. When the quality of union management relations is poor, the potential for increments in job performance maybe be offset by decreased individual motivation, work stoppages, and work-to-rule campaigns. Perhaps one of the most well documented effects of unions in organizational culture is the reduction in voluntary employee turnover in unionized industries. According to Clive Fullagar, unions help to reduce turnover in two different ways. First, unions increase wages and improve working conditions. These primary union effects make unionized jobs more attractive and conversely reduce the likelihood of finding an equivalent job. The union affects on benefits and particularly the increase in deferred compensation schemes that favor senior workers, contribute to the union effect on turnover. Similarly, benefits based on seniority also help to decrease the voluntary turnover rate. Second, unions reduce turnover by providing individuals with a voice. Through the provision of employee grievance systems, unions provide the individual an alternative to quitting, the opportunity to redress specific dissatisfactions through the grievance system. Unions provide mechanism for individual to express their dissatisfactions and influence their working conditions. The provision of such mechanism reduces the probability that an individual will voluntarily resign his or her position. If unions reduce voluntary turnover by providing voice mechanisms to individuals then these effects may be logically extended to other forms of individual withdrawal from work such as absenteeism. However, unionized firms experience higher absenteeism rates. Therefore, in this sense unions hurt organizational culture. For example, increased sick-leave benefits negotiated during collective bargaining are associated with higher rates of absenteeism. Another ways in which a union can hurt an organizational culture is by causing strain and stress. While not widely researched, there are conceptual reasons to suggest that unions and the practice of industrial relations have consequences in terms of individual stress and strain. First unions negotiate contract provisions that directly affect working conditions. Management may react by implementing more formal policies and standardized job descriptions. The result of such increased formalization may be experienced as a reduction in role ambiguity and increase in role conflict, which are two components of roles stress. The consequences of worker participation in union activities also have an impact on organization performance and various behavioral outputs. Unions provide discontented workers with a participatory forum and a collective voice at the workplace by means of which they may articulate their feelings rather than exiting temporarily through absenteeism or permanently through turnover. Unions encourage member participation making employees feel valuable to the organization. Union organizations have mechanisms such as a written constitution and bylaws that ensure an opportunity for members to participate in the governance of the organization, hold office, attend meetings, vote in elections, or express dissatisfaction with the leadership. Unions help improve an organization’s culture by maintaining some balance between employer and employee’s rights and responsibilities. Although employers and employees share some common interest, each group is motivated by self-interest. The inherent conflict of interest between employers and employees inevitably creates conflict within any employment relationship, which must be managed effectively. Unions rather than an individual are more effective in managing this conflict of interest and creating an enjoyable working environment. The presence of the union formalizes the employee representation activities because employees may file a grievance if they believe the company has violated the terms of the negotiated agreement. If the company employs an accommodation and labor management cooperation strategy, unions can help by cooperating with management rather than the parties having an adversarial relationship. Management and the unions can actively work together to create an organizational climate and a way of operating that will allow employees to participate directly in decisions in their work areas as members of task teams and as members of problem-solving groups. Unions can contribute to companies’ strategic planning and implementation activities which directly affect the organization’s culture. For example, a union can provide input from a clearly defined group of employees, as well as transfer information about corporate plans and direction to those represented employees. The union leaders can help the rank-and-file employees better understand the business plan and lend credibility to the plan. According to our textbook, The Labor Relations Process, â€Å"Unions can help improve an organization’s culture by reducing the employees feeling of alienation which have resulted from the extensive use of machinery in manufacturing operations. Employees might feel alienated because they have lost contact with their own labor when the product they created were taken away from them, thereby reducing their spirit and status or when they became estranged from fellow employees when their work made them too tired and competitive that they were incapable of having authentic relationships. Unions can and do address a possible aspect of employee alienation, namely the employees’ desire to speak their minds without fear of management reprisal. For example, a union typically indicates to its potential members that the employee’s rights to voice their opinions regarding a managerial action are protected by negotiated grievance procedures and disciplinary polices. In conclusion, Unions play a crucial role in improving an organization’s culture. Therefore the union’s members understanding of organizational culture as well as management recognition of the union as a key player in improving organizational culture is imperative. The above examples indicate that failure to achieve organizational change when necessary can be accredited to the lack of management’s understanding about the important role culture plays for an organization. The most important point of this is that such as an organizational culture is made of members that might be union’s members in a unionized firm, and their approval, understanding, and acceptance of any change in their inherent or traditional culture is essential for an organization to operate effectively. Although, the majority of examples and research suggests that unions have more positive impacts in improving an organization’s culture, they can also hurt it if they don’t develop the skills needed for mutual union-management cooperation such as understanding the business and the problem-solving process. They can hurt the organization’s culture if they don’t maintain contact with the membership to better represent members’ interests. Also, if management doesn’t take steps to reorient its view from seeing unions and labor agreements as constrains to recognizing a more cooperative union-management relationship and provides the union with a secure position as the legitimate, permanent representative of the bargaining unit employees. Bibliography Ashby Franklin C. Revitalize Your Corporate Culture: Powerful Ways to Transform your Company. Golf Professional Publishing. Burlington: MA, 1999. Ashkanasy M. Neal, Wilderon Celeste, and Peterson Mark. Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate. London: New Delhi, 2004. Clark F. Paul. Building More Effective Unions. Cornell University Press. New York: Ithaca, 2000. Julian Barling, Fullagar Clive, and Kelloway Kevin. The Union Its Members: A Psychological Approach. Oxford University Press. New York: Oxford, 1992. Holley William, Jennings Kenneth, and Wolters Rogers. The Labor Relations Process. South-Western. Ohio: Mason, 2005.

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work Successful people tend to have at least one thing in common: confidence. If confidence isn’t already your strong point, it can be tough to figure out how to get some and apply it to your own life. Where do people find this mysterious elixir that lets people crush it, and let others know they’re crushing it? Unfortunately for us, there’s no magic involved in building confidence at work. But there is some good news: there are plenty of simple things you can do to boost your own confidence, and boost your career in the process.According to The Muse, building  confidence at work has three basic components:Comfort level in what you’re doing and what your goals are.Your understanding of what your strengths and talents already are, as well as your limitations.Your ability to trust your instincts (or ignore them), depending on the situation.Broken down this way, this gives you a very basic attack plan for boosting your own confidence in your work, and setting yo urself up for future success. Confidence is a unique skill in that there’s an art to it, sure, but also plenty of manageable, concrete things you can do to try to build your confidence. [via Happify]Let’s look at some of the things you can do to raise that confidence factor.1. Know your comfort zone.Are you comfortable with your daily tasks at work? Do you feel secure at your company, with the parameters of your work? Once you’ve sat down to figure out how you fit into the bigger picture at work, and how everything works, you can let go a little and feel more relaxed about your role.2. Make a list of things that would make you feel more comfortable at work.Maybe it’s working with your boss to adjust your workload, or taking on new responsibilities that are more in line with your long term goals. Maybe it’s connecting more with coworkers so that you work better with them on projects. Or maybe it’s as simple as promising to take a lunch break every day, or clean off your desk before you leave in the evening so that things don’t feel chaotic when you come back in the morning. Whatever is on the list, it should include tasks that will make you feel happier and more in tune with your job.3. Communicate more openly.If you have concerns, vent them! If these are issues you feel comfortable discussing with your manager, great. If not, it’s totally fine to have a trusted confidante (at or outside of work) with whom you can talk about anxieties and frustrations. Don’t keep things bottled up, because then they fester and become longer-held resentments. Similarly, if you have issues with a coworker, don’t just sit on them. Discuss them in a rational, professional way before miscommunications pile on miscommunications, and everyone’s ticked off. Being open about things (and getting in the habit of doing it) can make you feel like you have more control over a situation, as well as what the next step s are.4. Get outside feedback and help prioritizing.Confident people know they can handle what’s on their plate. That’s not because they can magically handle everything, but because they know what’s important and what they can do. If you feel overwhelmed, work with your boss to figure out how to restructure your tasks and make sure your head is in the game for the most important ones.5. Learn new skills.One of the best ways to feel more confident is to go out and get more skills. Feel a little insecure about your tech know-how? Find online tutorials. Scared of presenting? Take an improv class. Anxiety and self-doubt often stem from being unsure about how to tackle new things. If you dive right in and discover that you have the skills to take on new things, it’ll start to bolster your general confidence.6. Expand your network.Nobody is an island, right? Make sure you’re adding to your network all the time. It’s like having a virtual posse beh ind you, and can make you feel less like you’re out there on the high wire all alone. Feeling supported is key to confidence. You can build your network by trying to find open social events in your field, or by using social media.7. Engage experts in your field.This is kind of like building your network, but adds the step of trying to start dialogues with people in your field who Know Their Stuff. With social media, it’s easier than ever to follow someone’s posts, then offer comments and ask questions accordingly. It may not be the most personal connection, but it gets you in the habit of dialoguing about your own experience while learning from others’.8. Accept self-doubt.Even the most confident people have self-doubts. The key is in not letting those define your decisions, or just ignoring them completely. Self-doubt is kind of a mental check on our instincts. When you feel them, think about whether the concern is valid or not, and what you can do to fe el comfortable enough to push past those doubts.9. Sit up straight.This is a very physical thing you can do to start feeling more powerful and confident right away. Flash back to all those times your parent or a teacher told you to stop slouching. They weren’t doing it to be annoying- there are studies that show that good posture correlates strongly to confident thinking.10. Get physical.If you’ve got your head down working on something, it can start to feel like you’re in a bubble, with your own perspective swirling around and around. Taking a break to get up and walk around, do yoga for half an hour, etc. gives your brain some space, allowing you to come back and feel confident that you know what you need to do next.11. Drop a few off-color words.Of course, this one really depends on your audience- a meeting with colleagues and higher-ups is not the time to debut your new Swear Like a Pirate policy. But using strong words makes us feel strong and confident.12. Try some power posing.Body language is everything, according to social psychologist Amy Cuddy. Throwing a few power poses into your repertoire at work can make you feel more self-assured. You can channel your inner superhero while you stand with hands on hips, lean forward with hands flat on a desk or table, or sit back with your hands behind your head. These poses get you into an ownership mindset where you feel strong and self-assured.13. Use some daily affirmations.Okay, so gazing into the mirror and whispering sweet nothings to yourself sounds a little weird. I get it. But having a quick set of positive things that you say to yourself can help you feel more confident as you get ready to go about your day. Make statements like, â€Å"I WILL achieve _____ today,† or â€Å"I am so ready for this† as you’re getting ready for work.14. Envision success.Vision boards may not be everyone’s cup of tea- the arts and crafts part is optional. But having a clear image in your head of what your success looks like (on a project, in a year on the job, or whatever parameters you want to use) can make you feel more self-assured on your path to get there.15. Work on your physical appearance and confidence.You know the old clichà © â€Å"dress for success†? Well, it’s a pretty true clichà ©. Wear clothes that make you feel put-together and ready for the world. (Work appropriate ones, of course.) If that means getting up ten minutes earlier so that you have time to pick an outfit that makes you feel strong and attractive, do it! Personally, I’m guilty of defaulting to â€Å"what’s clean and readily available as I scramble to get ready?† and I always feel more ready to take on the world if I spend a little more time and wear what I want, rather than what’s easy.16. Be selective about who you spend time with.Your time is valuable, so you shouldn’t spend it with people who make you feel bad, or who ar e (quite frankly) a waste of time.17. Stop putting everyone and everything else first.Your career is the most important one (and mine is for me, and Aunt Sally’s is for her.) Whenever you make decisions, it’s fine to evaluate your needs and priorities above others.18. Live in the present.It’s so easy to get caught up in what happened back then, or what’s likely to happen in the future. Focusing on other times let’s self-doubt creep in about what you’re doing now. Try to stay focused on what’s directly in front of you.19. Speak your mind.This doesn’t mean brutal honesty all the time (as fun as it would be to remove all filters sometimes), but rather speaking up when you have something to contribute. Whether it’s in a meeting or a social occasion, don’t wait for the perfect moment to speak up- that moment may never come. Make your voice heard, even if you’re expressing an unpopular or dissenting opinion.20. F orgive yourself.The most important one is this: forgive yourself for mistakes, and move on. Getting caught up in a cycle where you blame yourself, and let that cause anxiety about how to act in the future is not a healthy place to be. Confident people know that stuff happens, and you learn from it and move on to the next thing. If it’s your fault, acknowledge that you’ll learn from it and do better next time, and let it go.All of these are things that you can start phasing in to your daily routines. There’s no need to overhaul your way of seeing the world- just adding in some practices that will help you get a stronger sense of yourself and your goals. That’s really the heart of confidence- knowing where you want to go, and the strengths you have in trying to get there.

The Present Tense of Verbs in English Grammar

The Present Tense of Verbs in English Grammar In English grammar, a present tense is a form of the  verb  occurring in the current moment that is represented by either the base form  or the -s  inflection  of  the third-person singular, contrasting with the past and future tenses. The present tense may also refer to an action or event that is ongoing or that takes place at the present moment. However, because the present tense in English can also be used to express a range of other meanings- including references to the past and future events, depending on the context- it is sometimes described as being unmarked for time.   The basic form of the present indicative is commonly  known as the simple present. Other verbal constructions referred to as present include the present progressive  as in are laughing, the present perfect  as in have laughed, and the present perfect progressive  as in have been laughing.   Functions of the Present Tense There are six common ways to use the present tense in English, though the most common function is to designate an action that is occurring at the time of speaking or writing like she lives in the house or to indicate habitual actions like I run every morning, and in some cases may be used to express general truths like time flies, scientific knowledge like light travels, and when referring to texts like Shakespeare says a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Robert DiYanni and Pat C. Hoy II note in the third edition of The Scribner Handbook for Writers that present tense also has some special rules for their usage, especially when indicating future time wherein they must be used with time expressions like we travel to Italy next week and Michael returns in the morning. Many authors and literary scholars have also noticed a recent trend in literary works to be written in the hipper present tense, whereas most works of great literature are written in the past tense. This is because modern literature relies on the use of the present tense to convey a sense of urgency and relevance to the text. The Four Present Tenses There are four unique forms of the present tense that can be used in English grammar: simple present, present progressive, present perfect, and present perfect progressive. The simple present is the most common form, used primarily to express facts and habits, detail the action of scheduled future events and to tell stories in a more compelling and engaging manner than past tense entails. In the present progressive sentences, a linking verb is often attached to the present progressive verb to indicate events that are ongoing in the present, such as I am searching or he is going while the present perfect tense is used to define actions that began in the past but are still ongoing like I have gone or he has searched. Finally, the present perfect progressive form is used to indicate a continuous activity that started in the past and is still ongoing or has recently been completed as in I have been searching or he has been depending on you.

A Brand Plan report for Cadbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Brand Plan report for Cadbury - Essay Example In the year 1969, Cadbury merged with Schweppes and it was named as Cadbury Schweppes PLC. In February 2010, Kraft Foods took over the company and Cadbury PLC is now its subsidiary which is an international organization; it is commonly referred to as Cadbury in the market (Kraft Foods, 2011). Currently, it has its presence in more than sixty countries and has a workforce of more than fifty thousand people (Wallace, 2010). Strategically, the company has been positioned in the market as the leading supplier of chocolate and sugar confectionary worldwide. Since 1905, ‘Dairy Milk’ is the most successful product of the company that has given it a top ranking in the confectionary industry (Burns, 2008). In terms of revenue, Dairy Milk has grown to become a famous and highly accredited moulded chocolate bar in UK and worldwide. The basis foundation of the strategic success of Cadbury comprises of its three strong core pillars i.e. premium quality, value for money and sound advertising (Infor, 2010). The mission statement of Cadbury is â€Å"to be the best and biggest confectionary company across the globe while delivering a superior shareholder return through an efficient process that fosters growth of the company and ensures complete capitalization of the company’s core capabilities.† (Shelley, 2009) ... In terms of revenue, Dairy Milk has grown to become a famous and highly accredited moulded chocolate bar in UK and worldwide. The basis foundation of the strategic success of Cadbury comprises of its three strong core pillars i.e. premium quality, value for money and sound advertising (Infor, 2010). 2.0 Mission Statement of Cadbury The mission statement of Cadbury is â€Å"to be the best and biggest confectionary company across the globe while delivering a superior shareholder return through an efficient process that fosters growth of the company and ensures complete capitalization of the company’s core capabilities.† (Shelley, 2009) 3.0 Situation Review 3.1 PEST Analysis Since the business environment is changing at a fast pace, it has become vital for every organisation to ensure that it monitors the happenings that are taking place in its surrounding so that it can manage its operations effectively and alter the business plans and strategies accordingly (Kepferer, 20 05; Kotler & Keller, 2005). The PEST analysis of confectionary industry of UK is discussed below: 1. Political – There are various policies and legal requirements that Cadbury will have to comply with to ensure that it conducts its business operations within legal and ethical business operation boundaries such as Weight and Measures Act, Minimum Wages Act, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Trade Description Act and many more. 2. Economic – An increase in per capita income means that the people will have more money to spend, even better penetration opportunities in developing countries that can increase the revenue amount and increase in demand is expected as there is an increase in the urban population. 3.

Case study analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study analysis - Essay Example In this case, it is counter-productive for a company to internationalise a product without fundamentally seeking to acquire a large market segment of the local market. Despite these factors, a strategic analysis is crucial in the process of internationalising a product. To internationalise a product, an effective strategic analysis will involve the identification of the strengths that make the product a good option for new markets. Such strengths include the competitive advantage of the product over its competitors. Consequently, the competitive advantage determines whether the company will modify its product in order to be accepted in the new markets. In addition, the company may decide to introduce a new product for the new market or the company may decide to venture into the new international markets with the same product (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2007). In line with this, it is essential to point out that a good product does not require modification in order for the company to intr oduce it to new markets. As an alternative internationalisation of a good product should involve its introduction into the new market in its original form since it has the competitive advantages related to superior quality and a powerful brand name. The specific capability of a firm to produce a quality product is crucial in determining the internationalisation of a product. In this regard, efficiency in production and distribution systems determines whether the product will be offered to the customer when required (Lessard 2003). Case in point, investing in innovative technology was a crucial factor that helped Auer meet its customers’ demands since the company was able to offer its customers products when required due to continuous production. However, it is evident that the company failed to meet the demands of its customers once the distribution channels were affected. In this regard, the investing in effective distribution channels and innovative technology ensure that t he company will be able to meet the demand of its customers by offering the products on time. A good product for internationalisation should be a differentiated product. By differentiation, a company should offer new customers a product that is unique in order for the customer to easily adopt the new product in place of the one that they were consuming. In this regard, it is challenging for a customer to adopt a new product without experiencing uniqueness of the product. In line with this, a company that internationalises a product should ensure that the product is distinct from its competitors since an inferior product cannot replace a superior product in an international market. Lessard (2003) identifies these factors as responsiveness to the demands of the local customers by ensuring that the product was in line with the tastes and preferences of the customer. Without responding to the tastes and preferences of the local customer, it is challenging to internationalise a product t o new markets. A good product provides avenues for strategic partnership between various companies engaged in the international mar

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths Research Proposal

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths - Research Proposal Example In the year 1998, one of the faculty members of Simon Fraser University carried out a study on the teens that were interested in watching violent media. (Bryant, pp. 23-25) The results of that study showed that such media made twenty-five percent of teens addicted to it. In addition, all those teens showed great changes in their behavior, which was not in a positive manner. Furthermore, a number of studies have shown that worse academic results are shown by the youth that watch violent media according to the National Institute on Media and Family. (Gentile, pp. 39-41) It is indicated by the researches that violent media is preferred by more than seventy-five percent of teens in the United States that are interested in watching television and other available mediums. One of the schools in Texas carried out a study of adolescents that watch violent media, and it found out that teachers complained of frequent arguments from such students. In some cases, these adolescents were even involved in physical fights with their teachers and classmates that is a major concern of the schools, as well as, the parents. In specific, studies have shown that gender does not play a major role in the behavioral changes after watching violent media, which is another major topic related to the effects of violent media on youth that is not discussed in this paper. In another study, it was observed that eighty percent of adolescent girls that were involved in watching violent media argued with their teachers and classmates, as compared with the eighty-three percent of boys in the same category. Thus, it shows that gender does not play any role in such case. (Krug, pp. 45-46) The advent of violent media has prompted the researchers to go into the details of this medium of entertainment. In popular media, the topic of violence is quite controversial, as different people have provided different interpretations regarding