Millennium Development Goals Essay

Abstract: Woman is a term usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. However, the term woman is also used to identify a female human, regardless of age. This paper examines the place of vocational education as a means of women empowerment in Nigeria. How much a nation develops has a lot to do with the quality of human resources and educational attainment of its citizens. The impact of vocational education programme as a positive instrument for the empowerment of women in South-East, Nigeria was discussed. It was predicated on the assumption that vocational education acquisition is closely related to economic empowerment of women. This programme as well as the curriculum could be designed to take care of the needs of the learners in order to acquire skills necessary for employment, self-reliance and economic development. The acquisition of these vocational skills will greatly help to empower and transform women into self-reliant persons and make her economically viable. This economic empowerment will greatly help to ameliorate the incidence of prostitution,  kidnapping, and other social vices that are prevalent among women in South-East, Nigeria. Hence, it is recommended among other things, that government, private organizations and NGOs should adequately support the funding of vocational education programme. Keywords: vocational education, economic empowerment, social vices. INTRODUCTION Women play a central role in the socio-economic development of any society. In fact societal sustainable development is possible only if women are actively involved. Women must therefore be both participants and beneficiaries of development programmes. The United Nations Development Programme UNDP (1997) observes that women worldwide constitute half of population, perform two thirds of the hours worked, are registered as only performing one third of these hours, receive only 10% of the world’s income and have 1% of the world’s property registered in their name. This is injustice at its peak, and no sustainable development will take place in such situation of inequality. The Nigerian woman has not pressed hard to derive the full benefit of her economic activism and activities. Going by the 2006 census, almost 50% of the  total population of the country of over 170 million is women. The Federal Office of Statistics, (2006) reports that 70% of this population (about 59,500,000 women) reside and work in the rural areas. In the last few decades, a consciousness has been awaken globally that unless something is done to empower women as an interest group, global development will remain a mirage. Vocational Education has been recognized as â€Å"an instrument for promoting environmentally sound sustainable development† (FRN, 2004:30) as well as â€Å"a  method of alleviating poverty. † It is the basis for the full promotion and improvement of the status of women. Vocational Education empowers women by improving their living standards. It is the starting point for women’s advancement in different fields of human endeavor and a basic tool that should be given to women in order to fulfill their roles as full members of the society. Education of which vocational is an aspect, constitutes the single most important institutional boost to women empowerment. Vocational Education  especially is an excellent tool for bringing about individual and national development. However, a cursory look at the pattern of women’s involvement in vocational education in Nigeria reveals abysmal low levels. In spite of all the laudable goals and objectives of vocational education, Nigerian women still suffer a lot of constraints and inhibitions which militate against their personal and national development. Vocational Education focuses on the learner who is made to imbibe or acquire knowledge, skills, values and even attitudes that enable him to solve his and societal problems. Educated persons who acquire knowledge and skill can easily manipulate goods and services to create wealth for themselves and the society and thus create employment opportunities for others thereby reducing poverty. In absence of this, what is obtainable is a whole lot of women who lack skills, knowledge and appropriate value- orientation to survive in a knowledge-driven economy. They turn out to be societal misfits – prostitutes, armed-robbers, kidnapers, cause crises and upheaval in the society. This paper examines the importance of vocational  education as a means of empowering women in Nigeria. It investigates socio economic and political factors impeding this noble field. It presents a case for improved women’s economic status through greater participation in vocational education to fight hunger, poverty and unemployment through wage or self employment in the face of insecure and corrupt society we find ourselves. VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL IN NIGERIA FRN (2004:29) described vocational education as †those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of  technologies and related science and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economy and social life. † Fakes (2005) defined vocational education as that type of education that has specific relation with working life. According to Ogbuanya (2006), it is practical oriented and spans across areas like agriculture and related trades, building and wood work trades, commercial and related studies, electrical, textile and related trades as well as hospitality trades. Going by the above definition, vocational and technical education are interwoven as both are geared toward development of skills needed in the world of work, it is based in manual and practical activities which prepares one for gainful employment in recognized institutions and fields. Vocational education has passed through a series of trends ranging from pre- colonial era to date. Fafunwa (1991) noted that formal (western) education started in Nigeria in 1842, however, prior to this time, traditional and Islamic education have been holding sway in Nigeria. Traditional education has some  features of vocational education like smiting, building, craft to mention but a few. Even with the commencement of Christian missionary activities in formal western education in Nigeria, emphasis was not placed on vocational education in the formal education sector. Pure literacy as against vocational skill acquisition was the goal of education then. However, by 1863, it occurred to the missionaries that the plough and spade should go together. Hence this principle made some missionary schools to include elements of manual work like farming and bricklaying in their extra-curricular activities. Worthy of mention is that the attempts made by some of the missionary organizations towards industrial and agricultural education failed in most cases. Today, as pressure mounts in long unemployment queues, youth restiveness, high cost of living and insecurity in the nation, there is growing need to embrace vocational education as a tool for women empowerment for real national development Goals and Objectives of Vocational Education and Training The Federal Republic of Nigeria, (2004) highlighted what the goals of vocational education should be to include: ?Provision of trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and business particularly at craft, advanced craft and technical levels. ?Provision of technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and economic development. ?Giving training and imparting skills to individuals who shall be self- reliant economically. It is believed that trainees on completion of vocational education course will have employable skills, set up their own business and employ others or pursue further education in advance technical programmes or other  institutions of higher learning. Vocational education plays a vital role in improving the overall wellbeing of the people by empowering individuals through skill acquisition. UNESCO (2006) affirmed that since education is the key to any effective national development, vocational education is the master key that can alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life for all thereby achieving sustainable development through empowerment of women and youths alike. CHALLENGES OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION The importance of vocational education in both personal and national  development cannot be over-emphasized. Such type of education is paramount towards the grooming of the citizens that would not only be innovative and productive but having acquired general education could patriotically contribute towards the development of their respective societies. In contrast, in spite of the gain that could be sourced from vocational education, Nigeria is yet to attain the level of impressive satisfaction as far as formal vocational education is concerned. This situation could be attributed to the following factors: Inadequate personnel in vocational colleges: Vocational education in the formal education sector had not been yielding the expected dividends as a result of the paucity of teachers of the vocational courses recognized by the National Policy on Education. This has brought about a situation whereby the personnel readily available are made to take extra work loads which in effect is not beneficial for the development of vocational education. This practice had raped the official teacher-student ratio of 1:20 as provided by the Federal Republic of Nigerian in its National Policy on Education. Poor delivery and  reception of the expected skills has been a resultant effect. Another problem that had been undermining the development of interest towards the study of vocational education courses by individuals is the issue of lack of industries or job opportunities where the skills thus acquired could be meaningfully utilized (Mohammed 2009). It is obvious that most of the industries in Nigeria are winding up. In view of this, studying a course that will make an individual wallow in unemployment is not in the best interest of the individual. For this reason, individuals do opt for other courses where they have brighter job opportunities. This in fact would bring about the reduction in number of people who would be enthusiastic towards furthering their education along the line of vocational education. In addition, the proximity of the secondary schools to any university that is offering vocational education courses could be a factor towards the development of the zeal for studying vocational education courses. Lack of adequate materials: Vocational education is about the development of motor skills. This cannot be achieved where materials are not adequate. In the case of Nigeria, most of the secondary schools or technical and vocational  colleges do not have the workshops, laboratories and the materials cum equipment that would facilitate the teaching and learning of vocational education courses (Mbakwem and Anyanwu, 2013). This had led to the teaching of theoretical aspects of the courses thus making the learner deficient in the actual use or practice of principles delivered to them. As a result, the products of formal vocational education schools have failed to meet with the demands of employers of labour as they lack cognate vocational training. Sector-specific corruption and the crisis of funding manifested in grossly inadequate budgetary allocations as well as generally collapsed standards in virtually all levels of Education manifested in symptoms of mass failure, cheating, fraudulent and criminal tendencies in schools. These and other numerous obstacles do exist but this work had confined its discussion within the scope of the above stated. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Empowerment is a call to action and it involves a process of fundamental change in quality of life of any material being. It is the ability to effect change  and make meaningful choices. Empowerment is investing legally or formally with power, authorizing, licensing, enabling, permitting, giving people more control over their own lives. Sako (1999) defines empowerment as the process of strengthening the existing capacities and capabilities of disadvantaged groups in society so as to enable them perform better towards improving themselves, their families and the society as a whole. It involves the provision of enabling environment for their productive and intellectual abilities to be realized. Wiki defines empowerment as not giving people power but letting  out the power in them. It opines that most women across the globe rely on the informal work sector for an income. If they are empowered to do more and be more, the possibility for economic growth becomes apparent. Ighodalo (1990) views women empowerment as a process of enabling women to develop the capacity to actualize their potentials. Ighodalo further adds that women should be looked at as individuals that possess some hidden potentials for greatness and so should be encouraged to develop such to the fullest. The process of empowerment must necessarily also include the  expansion of women’s access to educational opportunities, facilities for skills acquisition and positions of authority. Empowering the woman is empowering all of humanity. This is because the woman is the pivot of the family. United Nations was apt to capture this in this year’s international day for violence against women titled â€Å"From Peace in the home to Peace in the World†, it is believed that empowered women can do more to contribute to peace in the world. Empowerment is a drive towards realization of the innate potentials found in an individual. Thus, the potentials found in the woman can  be enhanced if empowered. Women empowerment involves issues like (a) How women perceive themselves and are perceived by intimate and distant others in society. (b) How women treat themselves and are treated by others. (c) Ability to make key decisions on matters relating to themselves and their children. (d) The kind of opinion they have in other aspects of decision making in the family. It must be noted here that all these are virtually impossible without proper and adequate training especially at the higher level which includes vocational education. BENEFITS OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. Women empowerment could be likened to leveling the playing ground for women, and this would offer huge potentials to everyone. For example, UNICEF information sheet (2007) states that educating girls and women help develop self confidence, protection from sexual exploitation, improved health care, better child education and poverty reduction for generations to come. Women empowerment is a global topic. The United Nations included gender and women empowerment in its development goals as it is an important tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In Nigeria, a good  number of women are now found in many prestigious occupations such as law, medicine, architecture, the armed forces and so on and they are really living up to expectations. At the same time, an equally large number, especially those living in the rural areas are engaged in menial jobs to earn a living. Most jobs performed by women, according to Egunjobi (2005) have no economic values . Explaining further, Egunjobi states that all the work and activities which do not require financial reward are the responsibilities of women. This would explain the global call for women empowerment. There are high prospects in women empowerment. First the potentials of women will increase, resulting in building a virile nation, producing better women, better home makers, better future leaders and a better society. The contributions of females in top management positions revealed that females are up to the task. Women in leadership positions, especially in developing countries, have the responsibility and the potential to influence their society through leadership, particularly when they are enabled. Enabled women are empowered to aspire, attain and perform well in leadership positions while still carrying out the home front roles. Women are enabled when they are educated, exposed and economically emancipated. Throughout the ages and in all countries, women in leadership positions have impacted positively on the society. The history of mankind is replete with such women. The last century saw the emergence of great women leaders in various spheres of human endeavours, notable among who are Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Winnie Mandela, who relentlessly battled the apartheid regime in South Africa  in spite of the fact that her husband was incarcerated at the time. Here in Nigeria such women include Queen Amina of Zaria, Idia of Benin, Moremi of Ile-Ife, late Professor (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, the former Director, National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and former Honorable Minister of Information and Communication, her Re-branding initiative is still fresh in our minds, the coordinator of Nigerian economy and Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs)Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Prof Mrs Grace Alele. Williams the First Female Vice Chancellor in Nigeria, the Late Professor (Mrs) Jadesola Akande and even the keynote speaker of this conference, Prof. G. G. Agulanna, among others. Women from time immemorial have exhibited unparalleled ability in policy development and implementation. Education of which vocational education is an aspect remains a veritable weapon for women empowerment in all facets of life and a source of strength for national development. With vocational education, women will have greater self- fulfillment and would be able to contribute meaningfully to the social and  economic development of their societies. Again for economic reasons women no longer stay at home. The present economic recession has turned things round. Both male and female now cooperatively maintain the home even though the man is still regarded as the head of the family especially in the Nigerian Culture. In such instance, women with vocational skills will be able to earn additional salaries and support the husband and the standard of their living will be high and they can easily survive hard times. This will make for reductions in social vices like prostitution, theft and other corrupt acts perpetrated against and by women. In a situation where there is need for empowerment, vocational skills acquisition programmes is a sure means for women learners to gain basic education and or a vocational skill. The National Open University Centre for lifelong learning vocational skills acquisition programmes are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of students, women included, for immediate employment whether in the private or public sector or be self employed. As at June, 2013, enrolment figures stand at 1066, 381 of this figure are females. These run their programmes in study centres in  the cities with the exception of Awa-Ijebu, Ogori and Gulak. Women of all ages deserve to be integrated into the mainstream of a national economy through training. (Olakulehin and Ojo 2006) CHALLENGES TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT The importance of vocational education in both personal and national development cannot be over-emphasized. Such type of education is paramount towards the grooming of the citizens that would not only be innovative and productive but having acquired general education could patriotically contribute towards the development of their respective societies. In contrast, in spite of the gain that could be sourced from vocational education, Nigeria is yet to attain the level of impressive satisfaction as far as formal vocational education is concerned. This situation could be attributed to Illiteracy, according to Olakulehin & Ojo (2006), remains at the centre of women empowerment problems in Nigeria and that there is a palpable deluge of problems besetting the Nigerian women, all of them arise from illiteracy. Also, socio-cultural restraints such as limited parental resources, early marriages, pregnancy, childbearing, sexual harassment etc. negatively impact on women empowerment. In many societies, the education of women especially at the tertiary level is considered unimportant since they believe girls do not normally pay back in full measure the money invested in them. Again, religious practices of keeping women in purdah and the Shariah system (mostly in the northern part of Nigeria) hinder women from participation in education especially at the higher levels. In addition special protective measures aimed at protecting women and enhancing their effective participation has turned round to work against them. For example International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions ban women from night work, underground work and stipulate maximum weight to be carried by women. It also provides for maternity protection and welfare facilities at the work place. Some employers have capitalized on this to discriminate against women and spend less on training them. Added to the foregoing some have suggested that women are their own worst enemies. Some women married to wealthy men sometimes have lukewarm attitudes to education. Some women are lazy, lack proper education and are not making positive efforts to improve themselves. All these pose formidable challenge to the empowerment of women. MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED TOWARD EFFECTIVE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT The hub of development of any country lies on how productive and creative its population are, for a country like ours, where women constitutes a reasonable percentage, the government, parents and men in general have obligations to ensure that women are empowered to discharge their obligations to the society and to better their life. In the light of the issues discussed above, the following recommendations are proffered. ?Funding of vocational education should be taken seriously by the federal, State and Local governments. This they can achieve through increase in the budgetary allocation to educational sector which will reflect in the vocational education sub-sector. ?Vocational education should be inculcated into the school’s curriculum to promote human empowerment and development through vocational skill acquisition. It is a means of reducing unemployment since it is skilled oriented and employment motivated. All school programmes should be geared toward providing vocational skills. ?Government and other stake holders in education should embark on awareness programmes through workshops and seminars to educate girls, women, parents and general society on the benefits of vocational education for women. ?The private partnership and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) should be encouraged to participate in vocational education through funding or contributions in kind. This involvement should be seen by firms as a long term investment, and as an aspect of their corporate social responsibility to the nation. ? To empower women, federal government should provide enabling  environment and all the necessary equipment and materials for the teaching and learning of vocational skills needed for economic enhancement in Nigeria. ?The women should shun joblessness and criminality through the cultivation of vocational spirit and acquisition of relevant skills that will launch them into greatness and economic independence. Conclusion Vocational Education has been viewed in this paper as a panacea to the endemic problem of poverty, hunger, Prostitution and other corrupt  tendencies, paving way for women empowerment. When women are trained, they explore opportunities in their immediate environment instead of chasing shadows and uncertainties in the urban centres. The development of Vocational Education will go a long way in creating employment, give women the opportunity to develop their enterprising skills, empowering them to be job creators and not job seekers and by providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge to raise their output; income and wealth thereby ameliorate the incidence of prostitution, kidnapping, and other social vices  that are prevalent among women in South-East, Nigeria. Vocational Education would also contribute to improve the image and highlight the role of women in society. REFERENCES Egunjobi, L. (2005). Women Empowerment: Perspectives and Prospects. Ado-Ekiti Fountain Newspapers and Publishing Co. Ltd. Empowerment Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/empowerment. retrieved 17/10/2014 Fafunwa, A. B (1991), History of Education in Nigeria: New edition, Ibadan: NPS Educational Publishers Limited. Fakes, B. B. (2005). Technical Education: An Overview of the Learning Process. Capacity,  building workshop for lecturers in Polytechnics and Monotechnics in Nigeria for higher competency and productivity. Education Trust Fund. Federal Office of Statistics (2006), Annual Abstract of Statistics (2006 edition) Abuja Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education: 4th edition. Yaba-Lagos: NERDC Press. Igbodalo, F (1990), Contributions of Women to National Development. Paper presented at the NAUW on Contribution of women to National Development. ILO (2004) International labour organization’s information sheet on the â€Å"convention on workers with family responsibilities. No. 156, 1981 – (July 2004). Mbakwem, J. N and Anyanwu, O. G. (2014) Assessing Qualitative Teaching and Learning Environment at Upper Basic Education in Imo State, Nigeria in T. A. Bolarin and G. C. Unachukwu (Eds) Education for All: Progress and Challenges. Proceedings of the 28th annual congress of The Nigeria Academy of Education (pp 225-232). Lagos: Toptune Educational Publishers. Mohammed, I. A. (2009), â€Å"Problems and Prospects of Vocational Education in Sokoto State. † Text Paper Presented at the Annual Conference of Federal College of Educaton. Gusau. Ogbuanaya, T. C. (2006). Vocational Education Training and Challenges of Human Resource Development. Nigerian Empowering the Youth through Technical and Vocational Education: A Panacea for Sustainable National Development. Journal of Professional Teachers 1(2) 207-214. Olakulehin, F. K. & Ojo, O. D. (2006). â€Å"Distance Education as a Women Empowerment Strategy in Africa. Turkish Online Journal of Distance education, 7, 1, 1. Sako . R. ed (1999) Women Empowerment and Advancement Manual , Kaduna: League for Democratic Women (Leads) UNDP (1997) Human Development Report 1995 , New York: Oxford University Press UNESCO (2006). Revitalizing Technical Vocational Education in Nigeria. Retrieved November 2, 2014 from. http://www. afrreorjo. org/pub UNICEF Information Sheet (2007) Nigeria Country Office. View as multi-pages TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Vocational education, Higher education, Millennium Development Goals, Further education, Vocational school, Apprenticeship, Alternative education, Nigeria RELATED DOCUMENTS Women Empowerment †¦ Women’s Empowerment Source: www. undp. org UNDP promotes equality between women and men through ‘gender mainstreaming. ‘ The organization’s corporate strategy on gender is designed to integrate the promotion of women’s empowerment and equality fully in the organization’s core business. This strategy calls for gender mainstreaming to become everyone’s job – not the responsibility of a small number of specialists. It rests on three pillars:†¦ 4121 Words | 21 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Women Empowerment †¦ Empowerment of any section of a society is a myth until they are conferred equality before law. 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Our research challenges orthodox views on the nature of poverty, how poverty is understood and how policy can best†¦ 4121 Words | 59 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Women Empowerment †¦ The following are the aspect of women empowerment which most vital prerequisite of women achievement of individual and collective empowerment. (a) Women who increase their control over their work at home and outside the home in advantageous position for achieving empowerment. The mutual support in work setting in and outside home is playing an important role to women empowerment†¦ 4121 Words | 3 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Women Empowerment. †¦ Women empowerment â€Å"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live. † – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, 1944 Women empowerment refers†¦ 4121 Words | 3 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Women Empowerment †¦ Women Empowerment in India: A psychological view Women Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social and economic strength of Women. It involves increasing their power over decision making, social participation, economic opportunity and economic participation, political participation, access to education and health. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are human rights that lie at†¦ 4121 Words | 4 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Women Empowerment †¦ Empowering Rural Women in Heath, Literacy and Environment Abstract This paper addresses the conceptual and methodological issues related to women’s empowerment, the trends in women’s empowerment over the years in key areas such as education, heal.

Oscar Wilde

In a town where a lot of poor people suffer, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter meets the statue of the late â€Å"Happy Prince†, who in reality has never experienced true happiness. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor.As the winter comes and the Happy Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds. The statue is then torn down and melted leaving behind the broken heart and the dead swallow which are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city by God, so they may live forever in his city of gold and garden of paradise. Adaptations[edit] †¢A radio drama adaption by Columbia Workshop was broadcast on 26 December 1936.A r ecord album was produced in the 1940s by American Decca Records, with Orson Welles narrating and Bing Crosby as the Prince. [1] †¢In 1969 New Zealand group the La De Das recorded and performed a rock opera based on the story. Band members Bruce Howard and Trevor Wilson conceived the idea in 1967, composing the music with Australian poet Adrian Rawlins narrating the story. †¢An animated version of the story was produced in 1974, starring Glynis Johns as the swallow and Christopher Plummer as the Prince. See The Happy Prince (film).Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child presented a version of the title story set in New York City featuring Ed Koch as the Happy Prince (who was the statue of the city's previous mayor) and Cyndi Lauper as a streetwise pigeon named â€Å"Pidge† (in place of the Swallow). †¢Leo the Lion Records released a reading of the story performed by Richard Kiley on a recording (#GD01603) including a dramatization of â€Å"The Magic Fis hbone† by Charles Dickens featuring Julie Harris and Ian Martin and a reading of Rudyard Kipling's story â€Å"The Potted Princess† performed by Ms.  Harris.McDull, Prince de la Bun was partially based on this story. †¢In 2012 the Irish composer Vincent Kennedy and playwright John Nee adapted the story for narrator, chorus and orchestra. The Happy Prince was premiered in County Donegal, Ireland in April 2012 with John Nee narrating and acting and Vincent Kennedy conducting and performing. It was broadcast on RTE Junior. [3] †¢A 1992 musical written by Sue Casson based on the story. [4] †¢In 2014, composer Stephen DeCesare released and published his adaption of the â€Å"Happy Prince† as a children's musical.â€Å"The Nightingale and the Rose†[edit] A nightingale overhears a student complaining that his professor's daughter will not dance with him, as he is unable to give her a red rose. The nightingale visits all the rose-trees in the gard en, and one of the roses tells her there is a way to produce a red rose, but only if the nightingale is prepared to sing the sweetest song for the rose all night with her heart pressing into a thorn, sacrificing her life. Seeing the student in tears, and valuing his human life above her bird life, the nightingale carries out the ritual.She impales herself on the rose-tree's thorn so that her heart's blood can stain the rose. The student takes the rose to the professor's daughter, but she again rejects him because another man has sent her some real jewels and â€Å"everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers. † The student angrily throws the rose into the gutter, returns to his study of metaphysics, and decides not to believe in true love anymore. Adaptations[edit] Main article: Music based on the works of Oscar Wilde There are many adaptations of this story in the form of operas and ballets.These include: †¢One act opera by Renzo Bossi, an Italian composer, (C omo 1883 – Milan 1965) in one act, op. 18, 1910 (libretto by Bossi, after Wilde,: The Nightingale and the Rose), Italian Radio Turin, 9 August 1938; staged Parma, Teatro Regio, 9 January 1940); see the link. †¢A cantata by Henry Hadley, an American composer and conductor, (Somerville, Massachusetts, 1871 – New York, 1937) The Nightingale and the Rose, (libretto E. W. Grant), op. 54, S, SSAA, orchestra (New York, 1911); see the link. †¢An opera by Hooper Brewster-Jones, an Australian composer (Orroroo, S.Australia, 1887 – Adelaide, 1949) The Nightingale and the Rose, 1927 (after Wilde of which only an orchestral suite survives. †¢A ballet by Harold Fraser-Simson, an English composer, (London, 1872 – Inverness, 1944) The Nightingale and the Rose, (based on Wilde) (1927); [www. fullerswood. fsnet. co. uk/fraser-simson. htm see the link]. †¢A ballet by Janis Kalnins, a Canadian composer and conductor of Latvian parentage. (Parnu, Estonia, 3 November 1904 – Fredericton 30 November 2000) Lakstigala un roze [The Nightingale and the Rose], (after Oscar Wilde), Riga, 1938.†¢A ballet by Friedrich Voss, a German composer and pianist (b. Halberstadt, 1930) Die Nachtigall und die Rose (G. Furtwangler, after Oscar Wilde), 1961; Oberhausen, 5 January 1962; see the Breitkopf’s page †¢An opera by Jonathan Rutherford, a British composer (b 1953) – The Nightingale and the Rose, (after Wilde, 1966; link. †¢One act opera by Margaret Garwood, an American composer (born Haddonfield, NJ, 1927) The Nightingale and the Rose, (libretto by Garwood, after Oscar Wilde, Chester, Widener College Alumni Auditorium, 21 Oct 1973 †¢One act chamber opera by Elena Firsova, a Russian composer, op.  46 (1991)The Nightingale and the Rose, (libretto by Firsova, after Oscar Wilde, premiered on 8 July 1994 at Almeida Theatre, Almeida Opera;at the Boosey & Hawkes page. †¢One act ballet by David Earl, a South A frican composer (b 1951) – The Nightingale and the Rose, 1983 Literary Adaptations[edit] †¢A Sufi poem called al-Zib wa al-Kis reworks Oscar Wilde's plot around a mystical theme â€Å"The Selfish Giant†[edit] The Selfish Giant owns a beautiful garden which has 12 peach trees and lovely fragrant flowers, in which children love to play after returning from the school.On the giant's return from seven years visiting his friend the Cornish Ogre, he takes offense at the children and builds a wall to keep them out. He put a notice board â€Å"TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED†. The garden falls into perpetual winter. One day, the giant is awakened by a linnet, and discovers that spring has returned to the garden, as the children have found a way in through a gap in the wall. He sees the error of his ways, and resolves to destroy the wall. However, when he emerges from his castle, all the children run away except for one boy who was trying to climb a tree.The giant h elps this boy into the tree and announces: â€Å"It is your garden now, little children,† and knocks down the wall. The children once more play in the garden, and spring returns. But the boy that the Giant helped does not return and the Giant is heartbroken. Many years later after happily playing with the children all the time, the Giant is old and feeble. One winter morning, he awakes to see the trees in one part of his garden in full blossom. He descends from the castle to discover the boy that he once helped lying beneath a beautiful white tree that the Giant has never seen before.The Giant sees that the boy bears the stigmata. He does not realize that the boy is actually the Christ Child and is furious that somebody has wounded him. â€Å"†Who hath dared to wound thee? † cried the Giant; â€Å"tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him. † â€Å"Nay! † answered the child; â€Å"but these are the wounds of Love. † â€Å"Who art tho u? † said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child. And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, â€Å"You let Me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with Me to My garden, which is Paradise.† †Shortly afterwards. the happy giant dies. That same afternoon, his body is found lying under the tree, covered in blossoms. Adaptations[edit] English light music composer Eric Coates wrote the orchestral Phantasy The Selfish Giant in 1925. [5] In 1933–1934, violinist-composer Jeno Hubay adapted the story into a Hungarian languageopera, Az onzo orias (Der selbstsuchtige Riese), Op. 124. The libretto was written by Laszlo Markus and Jeno Mohacsi. A record album was produced in the 1940s by American Decca, narrated by Fredric March, with a full unnamed supporting cast.In 1971, Peter Sander wrote and produced an animated version of The Selfish Giant for CTV in Canada. The music was by Ron Goodwin. It was nominated a t the 44th Academy Awards (1972) in the Animated Short Subject category, one of only three films to receive a nomination. It was first broadcast in November that year. [6] In the 1990s, the Australian team of composer Graeme Koehne and choreographer Graeme Murphy created a children's ballet based on The Selfish Giant.In the 1997 film Wilde, based on the life of the author, portions of the The Selfish Giant are woven in, with Wilde and his wife telling the story to their children, the portions reflecting on his relationship with them and others: the sadness of the children who can no longer play in the giant's garden is reflected in that of Wilde's sons as their beloved father spends more time with his lovers than with them. In 2009, composer Stephen DeCesare adapted the â€Å"Selfish Giant† as a musical. In 2010, composer Dan Goeller wrote an orchestral interpretation of the story.That same year Chris Beatrice created new illustrations for the story. In 2011 they released a c ombination of a CD containing the orchestration and new narration by Martin Jarvis, plus the newly illustrated book. An illustrated and abridged version was published in 2013 by Alexis Deacon. A British feature film called The Selfish Giant was released in 2013, said to be ‘inspired by' Wilde's story, though the connection between them is oblique as the film concerns two unruly boys and an unscrupulous scrap metal dealer.â€Å"The Devoted Friend†[edit] See also The Devoted Friend Hans is a gardener, the devoted friend of a rich miller. On the basis of this friendship, the miller helps himself to flowers from Hans' garden, and promises to give Hans an old, broken wheelbarrow, to replace one that Hans was forced to sell so that he could buy food. Against this promise, the miller compels Hans to run a series of arduous errands for him. One stormy night, the miller asks Hans to fetch a doctor for his sick son.Returning from the doctor, Hans is lost on the moors in the storm and drowns in a pool of water. After Hans' funeral, the miller's only emotion is regret as he has been unable to dispose of the wheelbarrow. The story is told by a linnet to an intellectual water-rat, who fancies himself a literary critic; the water-rat is sympathetic to the miller rather than Hans, and storms off on being informed that the story has a moral. â€Å"The Remarkable Rocket†[edit] This story concerns a firework, who is one of many to be let off at the wedding of a prince and princess.The rocket is extremely pompous and self-important, and denigrates all the other fireworks, eventually bursting into tears to demonstrate his â€Å"sensitivity†. As this makes him wet, he fails to ignite, and, the next day, is thrown away into a ditch. He still believes that he is destined for great public importance, and treats a frog, dragonfly, and duck that meet him with appropriate disdain. Two boys find him, and use him for fuel on their camp-fire. The rocket is finally lit and explodes, but nobody observes him – the only effect he has is to frighten a goose with his falling stick.The Remarkable Rocket, unlike the other stories in the collection, contains a large number of Wildean epigrams: â€Å"Conversation, indeed! † said the Rocket. â€Å"You have talked the whole time yourself. That is not conversation. † â€Å"Somebody must listen,† answered the Frog, â€Å"and I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments. † â€Å"But I like arguments,† said the Rocket. â€Å"I hope not,† said the Frog complacently. â€Å"Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions. â€Å"

Conflicts Are Important Worksheet Essay

In this assignment, you must write 300 to 450 words on conflict and conflict management. Record your answers in this worksheet. Part 1: The Five Conflict Types Describe each of the five conflict types using paragraph form. 1. Pseudo conflicts: Pseudo conflicts are imaginary conflicts that are a result of faulty assumptions and false dilemmas (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). Many times pseudo conflicts involve two parties with the same views on a subject arguing because they misunderstand or misperceive what the other person is trying to say. 2. Fact conflicts: Fact conflicts arise when two parties disagree about information that can be easily verified or the way it is verified (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). 3. Ego conflicts: Ego conflicts usually center on status or power and occur when one party feels as though their opinion or way of doing things is far superior than anyone else (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). 4. Value conflicts: Value conflicts usually occur in personal relationships, and arise when someone challenges another’s personal beliefs in which they hold near and dear (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). These conflicts can be very intense and long lasting. 5. Need conflicts: Need conflicts arise when the needs of one individual are put before the needs of another or when the needs of each individual are not specifically stated and understood by both parties (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). Part 2: The Five Conflict Management Styles Describe each of the five conflict management styles and explain the strengths and weaknesses of each. Use paragraph form. 1. Avoiders: Avoiders steer clear of conflict and simply avoid the issues because they view it as trivial, unimportant, or have no chance of winning the argument. Strengths of avoiding style is to prevent an immediate conflict and weakness is that the conflict will fester longer and remains superficial (Thomas & Kilmann, 2014). 2. Accommodators: Accommodators believe conflict is destructive and allow others to determine the outcome (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). The strength of using this style is when the issue is not as important to you as it is to the other party and the weakness is you can begin to feel taken advantage of (Thomas & Kilmann, 2014). 3. Forcers: Forcers believe winning is everything and employ persuasion with emotional appeals (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). This style is best used when your core values need to be defended and weakness is you receive less input and ideas from others (Thomas & Kilmann, 2014). 4. Compromisers: Compromisers believe that those involved in the conflict must be ready to give in a little to reach a solution (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). This style is best used to achieve temporary settlements to complex issues and weakness is no one really gets what they originally wanted (Thomas & Kilmann, 2014). 5. Collaborators: Collaborators believe with hard work, both parties can and will get their needs met (Cheesebro, O’Conner, & Rios, 2010). This style is best used to integrate both sets of concerns and weakness is can take longer to resolve the problem (Thomas & Kilmann, 2014). Part 3: Collaborative Communication List two methods of collaborative communication and describe how using them can help you avoid conflicts. Two methods of collaborative communication are social media/software and boards. Social software such as blogs, instant messaging and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, are a great way to allow large groups to receive the same message when they are in many different places (Greene, Crystal, 2014). The use of chalkboards have been replaced by digital or electronic whiteboards and have been used for decades as way to visually demonstrate and communicate ideas that lead to brainstorming and other group collaborations. References Cheesebro, T., O’Conner, L., & Rios, F. (2010). Chapter 7: Conflict Resolution. In Communicating in the Workplace. Pearson Education. Greene, Crystal. (2014). Collaborative Communication Tools. Retrieved from eHOW.com: http://www.ehow.com/list_6828701_collaborative-communication-tools.html Thomas, K., & Kilmann, R. (2014). Five Conflict Management Styles. Retrieved from http://www.ntc.edu/studentlifeblog/wp-content/uploads/Handout-Conflict-Management-Styles.pdf

Group Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Dynamics - Essay Example This was primarily about assessing how serious they were in their passion for music, whether the group and its members loved the kind of music that I loved, and whether they were at par with me in their knowledge and skills about music. I could see that there was some imbalance between the kinds of behavior I expected and the kinds I actually received. But I could rectify this imbalance considerably by my efforts to prove myself before the other members and also sometimes by demanding what I felt, I deserved. I could prove to them that I was seriously passionate about music and that I have serious knowledge and skill in the subject as well. All the same, I could feel that the group and its members were evaluating me as well in the same way. I could feel they concluded their evaluation with a positive note and thus I also became an accepted and trusted member of the band. It was out of this whole experience that I became closely emotionally attached to the group. I also felt that by r emaining in this group, I could gain personally in future also. Thus I became totally committed to this group. I was the only keyboard player in this group and thus I could contribute to our dream to become a winner in the prestigious national level competition.

In What Ways Real Estate is a Conduit for Flows of Finance between Essay

In What Ways Real Estate is a Conduit for Flows of Finance between Global Cities World-Wide - Essay Example Its population was estimated to be close to one million residents (Hall 1997 p. 2) A few years ago, Manuel Castells and David Harvey began an era of stimulating research. The accomplishment was to connect the process of conglomeration of metropolis to the larger historical dynamic of industrial capitalism. From then on, the city was no longer regarded in terms of social ecology, which is dependent upon the elements of population and space. The new metropolis came to be viewed as an outcome of predominant social forces which were motivated by the capitalist concept of industrialization. This conflict between the affluent and the modest became essential to how the metropolis developed (Friedmann 1986). In the past decade the research of the metropolis has been correlated to global economics. This new perspective refined insights into the dynamics of urban change. This enabled a required spatial approach on an economic system which has transcended national boundaries. The objective of t his introduction is to research as basically as possible the main hypothesis which connect the formation of metropolis to worldwide economic processes. This is intended to develop a framework for academic investigation. This academic research is composed of political considerations. These global cities have become the launching platform for global capitalism. There is a contrasting relationship. between industrialization in this time of global administration and the political affiliation of territorial concerns. This enables the comprehension of the processes which occur in the global cities and what is the causal attribution of political disagreement. There are several aspects which will be reviewed. These aspects are the following: The manner and development of a global city's entry into the global economy and the tasks which are delegated in the global city. In the global city, the new system of production will be pivotal for any basic developments which occur. The global cities of the world are perceived as being points. This perspective is based on industrialization and economic perspectives. Global cities are the points of arrival for large populations of domestic and international migration. The inception of global cities forms a perspective of the major contrasts and idiosyncrasies of industrialization. These contrasts and idiosyncrasies include territorial and economic separation Global city development produces social expenses which overshadow the social and economic capacity of the local governments. The exception being the city of Tokyo which is an attribute of Japanese industrialization. Tokyo has been able to succeed in deterring foreign economic interests from making major economic injections in this global city. The economic potential of the global city dissipates under the multiple influences of dependent local economic situations and the worldwide economic situation (Friedmann 1986). Literature Review Goldman Sachs has been an important influ ence in the UK and the Euro zone The new prime minister of Greece, Lucas Papademos is a former employee of the European Central Bank and Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs is a high profile US concern whose impact is of great significance in the UK as it is in the Euro zone The previous director general of the Italian treasury, Mario Draghi, is also a former employee of Goldman Sachs. The probable candidate for Berlusconi's post in Italy , Mario Monti, is also an interest of Goldman Sachs. Is it a coincidence that many of the

Structural equation modeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Structural equation modeling - Research Paper Example In addition, the SEM holds the capability to test models with multiple dependent variables. It also holds the capability to model mediators and residuals. It is essential to consider here that since the model and data have been given prior to the assignment, only model testing, results and interpretation shall seek the attention of performance here. The data therefore shall be put in the Amos software and the model shall be tested to obtain the results. The results obtained can be utilized for the modification of the model. However, it is essential to consider here that a change can result in a change in model's meaning. It is therefore essential to consider whether or not the changes hold consistency with the theory. If the results reveal the need for change in the model then it should be done. However, since theory was not provided for the practical assignment, the changes should be performed in the light of cautious steps. The essential task is to find out as to what extent does the independent variable (reputation, skill, information exchange, power and flexibility) predict trust (independent variable). In addition, it is also required to find whether or not trust is a mediator to long-term orientation. It is important to note that all the variables have been presented in an oral shape in the figure above. The oral shape on the variables represents the fact that they are latent variables. Since all the variables were provided in the data set, it can be assumed that these were provided on the basis of factor scores and therefore these variables no longer remains latent variables, but become observed variables. Therefore one should conceptualize them as observable variables from this point of time. The presented model above has no covariance shown between the five independent variables. Since the task of assignment is to specify that the above model is based on covariance, there exists a dominant need to add bi-directional arrows between the five independent variables. It is important to note here that the five independent variables are exogenous because they have no prior casual variable. In addition, it is essential to understand that trust is a mediating variable and is an effect of other five mentioned exogenous variables, and it results in long-term orientation, a dependent variable. It is essential to note here that both trust and long-term orientation are endogenous variables. The model shows no residuals, so they are required to be allocated to endogenous variables. This is because the residuals are unobserved and thus have to be depicted as ovals. Normality and sample size Evaluation of absolute model fit can be done by means of probability of chi-square test. However, it is important to consider here that the probability of chi-square test if highly sensitive to both sample size and non-normality in distribution of variables. It is therefore essential to find out whether or not the variables are distributed in normal patter

Discussion thre Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion thre - Assignment Example has a moral duty to care for those suffering from Ebola and the decision about whether or not to administer the drug touches on this duty (Jackson, 2006). The ethical principles that are relevant to this event are respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and justice. Respect for autonomy requires that healthcare providers regard patients’ right to decide what happens to their bodies. Beneficence focuses on doing the best thing to a patient in all situations, while under non-malfeasance, healthcare providers endeavor not to do any harm to patients. Upholding justice makes healthcare providers to deal fairly with all patients in giving treatment or distributing scarce resources. Respect for autonomy, beneficence, and non-malfeasance are in conflict in this case. Respect for autonomy is more compelling in this case because it will allow the testing of the experimental drug with a patient’s consent. This principle would suggest and offer support for a resolution by allowing the experimenter to test the drug without breaking the law and the patient might benefit if the drug works (Sugarman & Sulmasy, 2010). The distinction between consent and informed consent has implications for professional healthcare providers. Informed consent protects professional healthcare providers from legal action and consent does not. Finally, in education related to informed consent, APRN should emphasize the need for healthcare providers to provide patients with sufficient information regarding any procedure for which they might intend to carry out on patients (Maclean,

Collaboration and Innovation at Proctor and Gamble Case Study

Collaboration and Innovation at Proctor and Gamble - Case Study Example One of the collaborative tools that the company uses is information systems and software. Web 2.0 has been an effective social networking and collaborative tool. The firm also used unified communications, Microsoft Live Server Functionality, web conferencing with live meetings, content management and SharePoint. Two additional collaborative tools were instant messaging and Microsoft Outlook. The benefits of these tools include the ability of the workers to communicate better. The size of the company has influenced the collaborative capabilities of the company. Tools such as emails which typically work effectively to collaborate are not that effective at P&G because the company is so large and has so many employees. The employees at P&G consider newer collaborative tools more work on top of emails. In the past researchers used to write up their experiments using Microsoft Office applications, then they would print them out and glue them together page by page into notebooks. The company today uses a customized version of Microsoft tools that allows instant communication between employees. The company also created virtual databases that allowed researchers the ability to communicate with each other in a more efficient manner. Information could now be shared among the researchers. Telepresence has been very effective at Procter & Gamble due to the fact that the company has a global operation. These tools allow researchers, marketers, and managers to keep the lines of communication open. A tool that the company should use to improve its communication is Skype. Skype allows employees to achieve two way video and audio. A second tool that could enhance collaboration is to create a cellular phone application that allows the employees to upload information into a server that the employees can access

The Bank of the Elena on Request of Don Research Paper

The Bank of the Elena on Request of Don - Research Paper Example Being one of the popular and important international commercial terms, ‘FOB’ is used very widely in international commercial transactions. ‘FOB’ is one of the F group terms denotes ‘Free on Board’ where the element of freight is undertaken to be paid by the buyer and the risk on the goods is deemed to pass to the buyer at the point where the goods are delivered to the specified carrier. The term FOB was originally developed with an intention to specify the responsibilities and liabilities of the parties under the contract. In the case of Pyrene v, Scindia three different variations of the FOB Contracts have been established. As a consequence in a FOB contract if the buyer fails to advise his nomination of a specific vessel within the time stipulated under the contract can be terminated by the seller. With this repudiation of the contract, the seller reserves the right to sell the goods to any other third party and also to recover any resultant l oss from the buyer. FOB is being used as one of the important commercial terms for the past two centuries and because of the familiarity traders do not wish to use other terms while formulating the sales contracts. However, this has resulted in using the term FOB wrongly as FOB Factory or FOB Plant which is an incorrect usage as stated by the International Chamber of Commerce According to the Chamber the term implies only ‘Free on Board’. Thus under the FOB contract, the seller need only to place the goods on board the ship which is nominated by the buyer. However as specified in Para B7 of Incoterms 2000, the buyer is obligated to give the seller sufficient notice of the vessel he has nominated.

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Speech - Essay Example This practice is carried out on girls. It can be done as from few days old to teenage years. This presentation intends to examine the function of the warlords during the colonial period towards FGM, the violence caused by FGM and education as a major contributory factor to rampant FGM practices (Levin & Asaah, 2009). FGM is believed to be intensive in Africa where WHO approximates the population ranging from 90-95 million women to have undergone the practice (Levin & Asaah, 2009). Majority of the communities believe that FGM lessen libido. However, the majority of the Muslim believes that it is a religious obligation that is mandatory The warlords and the process of colonization are closely linked with FGM. It is imperative to note that attempts by the colonial administrators to halt the practice during the early 20th century did not succeed, but instead enhanced the provocation and anger consequently the FGM escalated. Kenya is a typical example where the FGM escalated upon aggravation of the local communities. The Christian missionaries in Kenya tried to discourage the practice due to the medical consequences and the accompanying sexualized rituals (Levin & Asaah, 2009). This did not work; instead, it became a focal point of agitating for independence, particularly by the Kikuyu community. It is fundamental to note that, the provocation led to the murder of Hilda Stump who was one of the American Missionary after she spoke about the FGM openly. The efforts of preaching against FGM by the Christian Missionaries and human rights activists based in London failed because most of the Kenyan local communities believe d that the female circumcision was not just an event or action but an institution, which was immensely attributed to enormous educational, moral, religious and social implications. Consider the following table that indicates the statistical data of the rate of

Employment Law for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employment Law for Managers - Essay Example However, this does not occur at the company since the employees consider Sam too young to manage them and therefore make it hard for Sam to operate (Emir & Selwyn, 2014). Failing to control the employees is not just a portrayal of Sam’s incompetence but also a breach of a contract he signed with the Frills and Spills Lingerie Company. Creation of a contract is always voluntary but binds both parties legally. Sam accepted the job after understanding the challenges he would meet. Furthermore, the position gives him authority over the employees. As such, he must control his team thus enhance the productivity of the company as he promised to by signing the contract. Among the implied terms of the contract that Sam beaches is his basic role at the company, which is to control the team of twenty employees thus ensuring the productivity of the company. Sam refuses to handle the employee despite the presence of appropriate ways of dealing with uncooperative employees. The twenty employees just as Sam are employees of the company. This gives the company direct authority over the employees. The company must therefore create a conducive environment for Sam to operate. Organizations have organizational cultures, which help harmonize the behavior of the employees. Through the organizational culture, an organization sets effective values to guide the behavior and interactions of the employees. Sam alone cannot create the culture. Such is a function of the company. By creating an effective organizational culture, the employer would create a favorable environment for Sam to carry out his duties. This implies that the employer is partially responsible for Sam’s predicament. Failing to instil discipline in the employees is a breach of the contract between the company and Sam since this results in a hostile environment, one in which Sam cannot operate thus meet his obligations. Key among the major defenses in a

Paradise Lost Essay Example for Free

Paradise Lost Essay Paradise Lost is a poem by John Milton that is about the Fall of Man, how Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent who is Satan, and how God sent them out of the garden. Satan makes the angels turn against God leading to his expulsion out of paradise as well. God’s mercy, the son of God and the ultimate salvation and redemption are brought out in this epic poem. The poem is a series of arguments that were an expression of the characters in the poem. On further reading the poem, one understands that these poems are an expression of what Milton holds as the truth. He employs the use of analogies are digression to explain his belief with Satan considered a hero. Puritans were the extreme Protestants who were within the Church of England who held a strong belief that the Reformation did not make enough changes in the teachings and structure of the church. Puritans therefore found it upon themselves to purify their church by doing away with whatever they regarded as Catholic influence. They are extremely strict especially with regard to morality and religious matters. Puritans hold strong convictions regarding various aspects on the Biblical teachings. First, that personal salvation was from God alone. Secondly, that the Bible is the Bible was the true guide to life. Thirdly, that the way a church lives should be in accordance with what the scriptures say and finally that the society was unified as one. This paper will explain how the poem Paradise Lost is a reflection of John Milton’s Puritan beliefs. Milton discusses topics like the reality of evil, divine providence and the unification of the human race as one. As mentioned above, these are the strong convictions of Puritans. Paradise Lost is seen to be Milton’s expression of his Puritan belief which is mainly truth and purity despite the decadence of the society. In Book V, Abdiel, who was confronted by Satan refused to rebel against God and jealously guarded his faithfulness to God. The poem begins with a civil war in heaven. Here, Lucifer was exiled out of heaven after revolting against God. Together with Beelzebub, they form an alliance. This is a reflection of the civil war that happened in England with the puritans characterized as Lucifer and England as God. The Puritans had tried to take over England the same way Lucifer tried to overthrow God. Many Puritans were killed. Milton was excommunicated from the society just like Lucifer was sent away from heaven. Conclusion  Milton argues in his poem that just as God is not to blame for the fall of man, neither was Milton to take blame for the corruption and subsequent trials that were faced in England at the time of Oliver Cromwell. That the failure of Puritanism was as a result of the people not accepting God’s will in the ruler ship of England. The conclusion of the poem is based on Milton’s belief that absolute obedience to God will lead to order and sanity in the society and the world at large. According to John Milton, Paradise Lost is a parallel to the civil wars in England and the English Reformation that led to the emergence of the Puritans.

Impact of Sustainable Tourism

Impact of Sustainable Tourism Tourism refers to the act of travelling for recreational, business, and leisure purpose. People all over the world are travelling to different destinations. Travelling has become an important part of human life, and the tourism industry has faced increasing challenges and pressure with the increasing demand of travelling. According to (Onyangu Kaseje, 2015), nowadays, it has become increasingly important to manage sustainable tourism development. For this, it is essential to consider the growing environmental problems. (Blackman, Foster, Hyvonen, Jewell, Kuilboer, Moscardo, 2015) stated that tourism development is planned and implemented with the aim of stimulating the regional economic development in the developing countries. In the past, the tourism development planning was considered as a private sector activity that intended to meet the growing demands of the dynamic industry. After the Second World War, the tourism industry turned into a mainstream industry. The World Trade Or ganisation has claimed that tourism is one the main drivers for socio-economic progress and development. Tourism has significantly influenced different destinations and places around the world. However, many scenarios suggest the adverse impact of tourism on the environment and communities. To deal with the negative impact, it is necessary to plan tourism according to the philosophies of sustainability. The report tends to analyse the concept of Tourism Sustainability and how it challenges the conventional ways of designing strategies for a national tourism plan. The findings are based on examining the tourism development programmes and its implementation in developing and developed countries. (Zamfir Corbos, 2015) claimed that economically, the tourism planning is far-sighted and it involves considering different sectors in order to trigger the development effectively and efficiently. The report focuses on comparing the sustainable tourism with conventional tourism planning. In the end, recommendations are included for future development planning and development concept. (Liu Mwanza, 2014) indicated that the concept of sustainable development had been widely accepted by different countries and regions to carry put their planning and development functions and processes. It is based on the concept of creating a better future by ensuring that the present is not compromised. Sustainable development aims to safeguard and protect the earths capability to support life. It is mainly concerned about the social equity, cultural diversity, environmental protection, and developing a viable economy. As claimed by (Singh, 2015) sustainable tourism aims to meet the ecological, culture, economic, and social requirements of a country. It is based on focusing on the long-term aspects of tourism by ensuring that the present and future demands are met effectively and ethically. The term sustainability focuses on the long-term and future-oriented requirements, which must be fulfilled by taking considerable actions and decisions. (Moscardo, 2013) stated that the primary objective of sustainable tourism development is to focus on different areas of sustainable development in tourism. The concept of sustainable tourism is applicable to all the types of destinations and all forms of tourism. Taking the example of tourist education guide programs sustainable tourism planning can be understood in a better manner. These programs aim to educate the tourists about the natural environment and resources so that they value it preservation. Table 1: Pillars of Sustainability (Onyangu Kaseje, 2015) Â   (Liu Francis, 2013) stated that the sustainable development focuses on meeting the current needs without compromising the future needs of the nation. Sustainable tourism development is based on the concept of creating a balance between the cultural, economic, and social aspects of the nation. It ensures that none of the activities will lead to endangering of the animals or environment. The process of sustainable development focuses on promoting development without depletion of resources and is accomplished by effectively managing the resources. Basically, the concept of sustainable development is based on certain principles, which focuses on ensuring that the development is compatible with the maintenance of biological resources and ecological processes. The sustainable tourism should be planned in a cost effective manner so that the resources are managed and utilised effectively (Blackman, Foster, Hyvonen, Jewell, Kuilboer, Moscardo, 2015). Table 2: Sustainability Pyramid in Tourism (Moscardo, 2013) (Dangi Jamal, 2016) reported that sustainable development is considered as one of the best solutions to social degradation and other environment problems. The concept of sustainable tourism development includes different dimensions that relate the culture, economic, social, and environmental development with each other. The sustainable development planning mainly focuses on the preservation of environmental resources, and the activities are planned in such a manner that the intensive and excessive use of resources is avoided. (Tourism, 2016) claimed that Green Globe is one of the sustainable tourism initiatives taken by the tourism operators in New Zealand. It promotes sustainable travel and tourism across the triple bottom line. The Sustainable Business Company is responsible for monitoring and assisting the tourism operators in the country so that they can facilitate the growth of sustainable tourism development programs. As stated by (Vlaicu, 2010), the international donor agencies and government were responsible for promoting the tourism development planning in developing nations. The conventional tourism planning is based on the concept of making a huge profit by satisfying the tourists. It is a tourist-oriented development planning and has facilitated many countries in enhancing their tourism sector. The convention planning gives priority to economic benefits. The advancement in Information and Technology has facilitated the convention tourism industry. With the passage of time, the importance of conventional tourism has rapidly enhanced as it has a relevant impact on the environment, economy, and population of the chosen place. To promote conventional tourism and achieve success through it, it is important to plan and implement effective strategies (Larsen, 2016). Table 3: Conventional Tourism to Sustainable Tourism (Larsen, 2016) (Dredge Jamal, 2015) claimed that the conventional tourism planning policies focus on attracting tourists from all over the world. It emphasizes on entertaining and satisfying the tourists, without considering the impact on natural resources and environment. The businesses in New Zealand are using various traditional marketing approaches to promote tourism in the country. For example, the destination management processes are being implemented in the country. The concept is based on the promotion of different elements of the destination, which include infrastructure, people, values and culture. The place is marketed to attract tourist and encourage different types of site management activities. In New Zealand, the tourism industry has undergone various changes and developments. The businesses aim to provide tourists with a chance to enjoy the mountains, forests, islands, wetland, and high country. The economic value is the main concern while making the country sites suitable, accessi ble, and family-friendly (Yeoman, Andrade, Leguma, Wolf, Tan, Beattie, 2015). Table 4: Tourism Planning (Najdeska Rakicevik, 2012) According to (Najdeska Rakicevik, 2012), the growth in the tourism industry has positively and negatively affected different aspects of the societies and communities. Sustainable development focuses on the planning and development without the exploitation of the natural resources or affecting the cultural aspects of the societies. It aims to preserve the culture and nature for the future generations. (Hassan Bayazidpour, 2016) claimed that planning of sustainable tourism is dependent on preserving the environment and making decisions that lead to positive development. The sustainable tourism faces different types of challenges at a different level, which include making tourism accessible to all, preserving the natural and cultural resources, reducing the seasonality of demand, and promoting the well-being of the local societies and communities. Table 5: Tourism Development Plan (Singh, 2015) The comparison of conventional and sustainable tourism has helped in realising that conventional tourism is not necessarily planned to consider the enhancement of education or conservation. It does not aim to enhance the local community, if the goals are targets of conventional development plan are not effectively managed, it can result in damaging the fragile environment. The culture and resources are also under the threat of being destroyed or altered as a result of conventional tourism. (Dangi Jamal, 2016) claimed that in the past, many conventional tourism practices posed a threat to the conservation. It was due to lack of control, management, and ineffective planning techniques. In contrast, the sustainable tourism is planned with the aim of benefiting the local residents, protecting the culture, and conserving the natural resources. The plan involves educating both the local residents and tourists. (Hassan Bayazidpour, 2016) stated that the benefits of sustainable tourism are similar to conventional tourism. In addition, it not only protects the culture and natural resources but also focuses on the well-being of the community and society both economically and socially. The conventional planning only focuses on profits, while sustainable tourism is based on enhancing the environment and community and achieving profits. The conventional tourism is tourist-oriented while sustainable tourism is locally-oriented. Conventional emphasises on creating entertainment for the tourists, while sustainable tourism provides learning experience where conservation of the natural resources is termed as a priority. It is believed that the tourism planning is dependent on the goals and objectives set by the government and tourism industry. There are certain policies and regulations that must be followed throughout the planning and implementation process (Vlaicu, 2010). The tourism industry is growing and developing continuously with the passage of time. To achieve sustainable tourism development, it is important to focus on following the principles of sustainable tourism (Moscardo, 2013). As the level of challenges and complexities have increased, it is recommended to follow the following principles to attain the goal of development: Plan for long-term goals and objectives Set and respect the limits of environment and society Monitor the changes and developments continuously Take an integrated or holistic approach to development Choose an adequate pace of development Take cost-effective methods and approaches Involve the stakeholders in the process of development Examine and manage risk by implementing risk mitigation strategies In this competitive era, the economic development of the countries is dependent on it tourism sector up to a great extent. Considering this fact, the government of the developing countries is supporting the tourism sector by making effective policies and standards regarding tourists. It is highly recommended that the nations focus on the growing and changing needs and demands of the tourists belonging to different backgrounds. The hospitality industry should focus on developing highly attracting services and places to attract tourists from different regions and countries. The implementation of sustainable tourism policies and development framework will help in achieving sustainability and protecting the natural resources and environment of the country. ÂÂ   Analysing and examining the concept of tourism sustainability, it has been seen that the strategic objective of sustainable development planning can only be achieved when all the four elements of the nation are given equal importance. These elements include economic, cultural, environmental and social aspects of the nation that are interconnected with each other. The sustainable tourism promotes responsible tourism where the tourists enjoy and appreciate nature and ensure that their activities do not harm the natural environment or resources in any manner. It promotes conservation and is appreciated and accepted all over the world by the tourist sector. With the advancement in the tourism industry, both conventional and sustainable tourism development planning has gained a lot of attention. The Government and businesses operating in the industry are developing tourism plans to enhance the environment and gain social and economic benefits. Conventional tourism focuses on profitability while sustainable tourism is more concerned about the conservation of the natural environment and resources. In New Zealand, the number of tourists has commendably increased in the past few years. The country has introduced attractive policies and development programs to facilitate the tourists belonging to different age groups and backgrounds. To achieve economic and environmental benefits, the country is undergoing various changes and developments with the passage of time. These developments are promoted by the sustainable and conventional tourism planning approaches and techniques. References Blackman, A., Foster, F., Hyvonen, T., Jewell, B., Kuilboer, A., Moscardo, G. (2015). Factors contributing to successful tourism development in Peripheral Regions. The Journal of Tourism Studies , 15 (1), 59-65. Dangi, T., Jamal, T. (2016). An integrated approach to sustainable community-based tourism. Sustainability , 8 (2), 1-32. Dredge, D., Jamal, T. (2015). Progress in tourism planning and policy: A post-structural perspective on knowledge production. Tourism Management , 51 (2), 285-297. Hassan, A., Bayazidpour, H. (2016). Analysis and sustainable tourism development planning in the Kurdistan Province. International Academic Journal of Humanities , 3 (6), 1-16. Larsen, G. (2016). The unappreciated slowness of conventional tourism. A Multidisciplinary e-Journal , 27 (2), 35-52. Liu, B., Mwanza, F. (2014). Towards sustainable tourism development in Zambia: advancing tourism planning and natural resource management . Journal of Service Science and Management , 7 (2), 30-45. Liu, Z., Francis, A. (2013). Sustainable tourism development: a critique. Journal of Sustainable Tourism , 11 (6), 459-475. Moscardo, G. (2013). Interpretation and sustainable tourism: functions, examples, and principles. The Journal of Tourism Studies , 14 (1), 112-121. Najdeska, K., Rakicevik, G. (2012). Planning of sustainable tourism development. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences , 44 (2), 210-220. Onyangu, J., Kaseje, M. (2015). Tourism planninga and developemnt for sustainability. American Journal of Economics, Finance and Management , 1 (5), 336-345. Singh, V. (2015). Eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative to conventional tourism. Tourism and Hospitality , 4 (4), 1-10. Tourism, N. (2016). New Zealand Tousim Guide. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from Tourism in New Zealand: http://www.tourism.net.nz/community/environmental-sustainability Vlaicu, A. (2010). Conventional tourism from sustainable tourism to ecotourism . Conventional Tourism Journal , 5 (1), 43-49. Yeoman, I., Andrade, A., Leguma, E., Wolf, N., Tan, R., Beattie, U. (2015). 2050: New Zealands sustainable future. Journal of Tourism Futures , 1 (2), 117-125. Zamfir, A., Corbos, R. (2015). Towards sustainable tourism development in urban areas. Sustainability , 7 (1), 12709-12722.

The use of HRM in public sector

The use of HRM in public sector This assignment seeks to produce an analysis and critical evaluation of how Human Resource Management has been used as a lever of change in the public sector. It will consider change in its organizational context and the rational for and purpose of the change. It will also look at the involvement of the stakeholders and the approach been followed to bring about the change. The factors that influence the change and its triggers will also b e analyzed. The role of Human Resource Management and how it has been used to bring about change; and resistance to change will also be looked into in the course of this work. The first stage of the development of public management, according to McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002), was the minimal state. Here, government provision was seen as a necessary evil and the provision of almost if not all the public services were through private provision (Owen 1965). However, it was during that period that that the basic principles of public provision were laid out. The second stage of the development of public management started in the twentieth century and was characterized by an unequal partnership between the government and the private sector McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002). Here, there was an ideological shift from the traditional conservatism which obtained in the first stage towards social reformism and Fabianism as cited by (Prochaska, 1989). This shift according to them contained three elements which are A recasting of social and economic problems away from a focus on blaming individuals to a recognition of those problems as societal issues which concerned everybody The recognition that the state did indeed have a legitimate role to at least provide some public services And thirdly, in a situation where the state did not provide the public services, it needed to enter into a partnership with the private sector to provide such, even though the state would have more to do. This model according to (Kamerman and Kahn, 1976) is where the state provided the basic minimum and the charitable and private sectors took it up from there. The third stage is the welfare state which according to (Beveridge, 1948) cited in McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002), is based on the belief that charitable and private sectors had failed in there provision because of the duplication and fragmentation of the service provided, because their service was inefficient and ineffective. Consequent upon these, the provision of these services would now be managed by professional public servants. The final stage, which is what obtains today, is the plural state. This stage came about as a result of the criticisms against the welfare state. The focus of the welfare state was on the provision of a minimum standard of service to the citizens but late on in the twentieth century, the perceived needs of the citizens had moved on to a situation where they expected services to meet their individual needs and to be a part of the process of the service delivery (Mischra, 1982) cited in McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002). However, the debate became more focused in the 1990s because this fourth approach became characterized as the New Public Management. This is because as posited by (Dunleavy, 1991) this approach to public management was based on an incisive critic of bureaucracy as the organizing principle within public administration, a concern with the ability of public administration to secure the economic, efficient and effective provision of public services (Hughes, 1997), and a concern for the excesses of professional power within the public services and the consequent disempowerment of service users (Falconer and Ross, 1999). In spite of the fact that lingering debate as to the exact nature of New Public Management, its classic formation according to (Hood, 1991) in McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002) is made up of seven doctrines which are: a hands on and entrepreneurial management in preference to the traditional bureaucratic focus of the public administrator (Clark and Newman, (1993) explicit standards and measures of performance (Osborns et al, 1995) an emphasis on output controls (Boyne 1999) the importance of the aggregation and decentralization of public services (Pollit et al, 1998) promotion of competition in the promotion of public services (Walsh, 1995) emphasis on private sector styles of management (Wilcox and Harrow, 1992) and the promotion of discipline and parsimony in resource allocation (Metcalf and Richards, 1990). In addition to these seven doctrines is the one posited by (Stewart, 1966) cited in McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002) which is of the taking away of political decision making from the direct management of public services. However, the New Labour government has taken it a stage further from the plural stage. This is because it is argued that the view of both the public management and the New Public Management is myopic which according to (Clark and Stewart, 1998) in McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002) is from a narrow focus on the marketization of public services and towards an emphasis upon community governance. In this situation, the public sector is no longer seen only in relation to the government a planner or service provider, but as working together with the government, voluntary and community sectors and the private sector in the planning, management and provision of public services. Here, according to (Rhodes, 1996; Kickert et al, 1997), the main function of the government becomes the management of the intricate system of service provision. New Public Management according to (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994) is a way reorganizing public sector bodies to bring their management, reporting, and accounting approaches closer to business methods. This reorganization involves the two main ways that the public sector organization is structured by moving it down-grid and down-group as opined by (Douglas, 1982). Down-grid according to him is when there is a reduction of powers by procedural rules over issues like staff. Down- group on the other hand is a situation where the public sector is made less distinctive as a unit from the private sector in relation to personnel, reward structure and in methods of doing business. This shift resulted in budgets been reworked to become more attractive in accounting terms and organizations became a network of contracts linking incentives to performance (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994). Again, functions were separated by introducing distinctions between the purchaser and provider and opening competition between agencies, firms and not-for-profit bodies. Also, provider roles were deconcentrated to the minimum sized feasible sized agencies, allowing users to exit from one provider to another. These according to (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994), was for the purpose of better service delivery. According to (Polsby, 1984) in (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994), New Public Management can be influential in at least two modes based on past experience of organizational change. The first is the incubated mode when change ideas only come into effect in the long run and the acute innovation pattern, in which change programmes reach there peak early and break up soon after. However, New Public Management seems to be a mix of both modes. This may be as a result of New Public Management now been so omnipresent in public sector organizations that it hardly amounts to a distinctive change programme anymore (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994). As opined by (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994), New Public Management has proved a fairly durable and consistent agenda but according to McLaughlin, Osborne and Ferlie (2002), New Public Management may weaken the accountability of public services and the commitment of the community in the pursuit towards marketization. This has brought to the fore, the criticisms of New Public Management which fall into four groups. Though these four broad criticisms of New Public Management contradict themselves, some important lessons can be learnt from them. The fatalist critique of organizational change going by the position of (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994) is that the basic problems of public sector management which include system failure, human mistakes and corruption cannot be done away with, not even by New Public Management. Fatalists are of the opinion that there is really not much change going on in spite of new acronyms and control frameworks promoted by New Public Management and that the much talked about systems have failed. From the point of view of the individualist critique, New Public Management is somewhere between the traditional structure of public administration and a fully formed system which is based on enforceable contracts and the legal rights of individuals. Individualists see New Public Management as becoming a kind of replacement for fully individualized contract rights (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994). The hierarchist critique is that human beings have the ability to manage nature in a defined way but that care should be taken so that the process of change does not get out of hand thereby damaging the public sector. There worry is that as a result of the changes, the ethics of traditional public service will be removed together with the career concept and the redesign of public sector organizations (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994). The egalitarian critic is centered on the premise that problems could arise if concentration of organizational power and decision making are left with the elite because a large scale marketizing reform will increase the risks of corruption in the public service. This is because New Public Management emphasizes a management that is close to the customer, the decentralization of service delivery and giving clients a choice (Dunleavy and Hood, 1994). HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CHANGE IN THE NHS: According to Armstrong (2006), the nature of interaction between Human Resource Management and performance, and in particular the search for a definite and conclusive evidence of the positive impact of Human Resource Management on performance cannot be underestimated. The impact of the NHS Plan on the workforce has been expressed through the Human Resource in the NHS Plan which has formed the basis for the development of a variety of Human Resource Management policies focused on making the NHS a model employer and ensuring that the NHS provides a model career by offering a Skills Escalator, improving the morale of staff, and building people management skills led to the launching of a new workforce strategy by the middle of the decade. Human Resource Management systems and practices have a laid down framework which involves other organisational factors like structural arrangements. Based on this, Brown (2004) observed that while changes to the public sector over the last twenty have had a significant impact on employees of public sector organizations and the conditions under which employees work, limited thought has been given to the specific field of Human Resource Management research in relation to the public sector. In the UK which is the focus of this study, government has placed a high importance on the value of strategic Human Resource Management in improving the delivery of healthcare reforms. Towards the achievement of this, local trusts of the NHS are encouraged to adopt a best business practice approach by, according to (Bach, 1994), engaging all staff through people management processes. This idea of Human Resource Management in the public sector establishes that Human Resource Management is a major infl uence in public sector change but theoretically, there has to be a scope for the Human Resource function within trusts to adopt a more strategic role within the New Public Management (Stock et al, 1994). According to (Corby, 1996) it should no longer be consigned to a reactive and administrative role, interpreting and applying national rules, and can be proactive. As opined by Barnett et al (1996) the Human Resource function within the NHS is characterised traditionally by low credibility, a narrow operational contribution and a peripheral position. According to (Brown, 2004), the bureaucratic and the management models of public sector operation and activity are compared to discern the ways in which employment and organizational issues are conceptualized in each model. The manner in which the institutional, policy, and organizational changes impact public sector employment and conditions of service are explored. Higher managerial objectives as posited by (Kramar, 1986) are achieved through effective Human Resource practices offered by adopting HRM principles. It can be argued then that the adoption of New Public Management has thrown the possibility of managers acquiring or developing sophisticated Human Resource Management techniques open. This is because New Public Management principles allows a more flexible and responsive approach to quest ions of recruitment, selection, retention, training and development of NHS employees. This is because according to (Tyson and Fell, 1992; Tyson, 1995; Storey, 1992; Ulrich, 1997), for Human Resource functions to play a strategic as opposed to a tactical or administrative role, it has to be distinguished by a focus on the long term, linking business and Human Resource strategic objectives and forward planning. The application of HRM principles within the public sector displaced the traditional model of personnel administration and was argued to have been introduced when the sector experienced a shift from a rule-bound culture to a performance-based culture (Shim, 2001) and paralleled the extensive public sector managerial restructuring and reform programme with the new models of HRM in the public sector highlighting the notion of human resources having the capacity to achieve performance outcomes in line with the strategic direction of the public sector organization (Gardner and Palmer, 1997). With particular reference to the UK, a number of distinctive features of public sector management include more attention to issues of health, safety and welfare of staff. Another feature is the tendency of public employment practices to be standardized, with workers performing similar tasks and also having the same terms and conditions regardless of their geographical spread, high levels of union den sity across public sector organizations (Winchester and Bach, 1995) and also the emphasis on staff development and equal opportunities typifies the State as a model employer (Farnham and Horton, 1992). According to (Truss 2003), there are currently some policies and management initiatives that are transforming the structure and organization of the NHS. The current role of Human Resource Management in the NHS, its status within the service, and its success as an effective function have become especially important at this time as opined by (Bach 2001, Clarke 2006).  Ã‚  As a result of these, the growing importance of the Human Resource function is particularly clear in situations where individual NHS trusts are granted greater financial and operational independence within the increasingly competitive, consumer driven market that the government is creating. This is in spite of the argument by some commentators that changes in the role and status of HRM in the public sector merely follow orientations developed in the private sector (Buchan 2000; Thomason 1990).  Ã‚  However, Human Resource practitioners within the NHS see it from a different perspective. According to them, the intr oduction of more efficient people management is an important and necessary development, one that is very important in an environment where people  are not only the service providers, but also the product and customer of healthcare services. A change in Human Resource functions was one of the reforms that took place in the NHS and its purpose was to cut through bureaucracy and red-tapism and ensure cost-efficiency and effectiveness in the system through a process of decentralization. Decentralization within the NHS was based on the NHS and Community Care Act of 1990. This Act created both the internal market and self governing trusts, and introduced a division and marketization of relations between health care providers and purchasers Lloyd (1997). Decentralization is the transfer of authority or responsibility for decision making, planning, management or resource allocation from government to its field units, administrative units, regional or functional authorities, private entities and non-governmental private or charity organizations. According to (Rondinelli and Cheema, 1983; Rondinelli et al., 1989; Hope, 2000; Sarker, 2003; Elliot and Bender 1997), decentralization acknowledges that for service provision to be effe ctive, different approaches must be adopted in various area of public sector and the necessity to construct pay structures to reflect these needs. In turn, this has resulted in both more diverse and more flexible pay arrangements. Consequently, the main advantage of decentralization and of delegated responsibility for pay is that it encourages, management to develop a reward strategy that is consistent with an agencys wider strategic goals. Delegating responsibility for pay to agencies may be viewed as a mechanism for stimulating agencies to develop an explicit and consistent set of strategic goals in order to satisfy their customers. The main aim of the decentralization process was to encourage trusts to determine pay locally. The central theme of the modernization pay reform was that it should be based on performance. The main thrust of the Agenda for Change within the NHS is the payment of employees based on their performance and as per their skills and knowledge. However, this was not only a new way of paying employees, it was developed to support and enable improvement for patients, employees and the organization. This according to (Department of Health, 2009), allowed for equality of pay, pay re-structuring and transparency. The Human Resource function was used to bring about this change in terms of job evaluation, harmonizing terms and conditions of service and through the knowledge and skills framework. PLANNED CHANGE: As a concept, the process of change starts with the awareness of a need for change. An analysis for the need for change and the factors that lead to it will now be an indicator of the direction in which action needs to be taken (Armstrong, 2006). Proponents of change management have proposed two forms of the process which are: planned and emergent. Planned change has dominated the theory and practice of change management over the last 50 years and is significantly based on the work of Kurt Lewin. This approach sees organisational change as a process that moves from one fixed state to another through a series of pre-planned steps, and can therefore be analysed by a construct such as Lewins (1951) Action Research model. Another planned approach to organisational change is Lewins (2003)Three-step model which describes the three learning stages of freezing; when one clings to what one knows, unfreezing; when one explores ideas, issues and approaches, and refreezing; the stage of identify ing, utilising and integrating values, attitudes and skills with those previously held and currently desired. This approach recognises that, before any new behaviour can be adopted successfully, the old one has to be made away with. Only then can the new behaviour be fully accepted. The organisational change that was carried out in the NHS embodies some of the characteristics of the planned model, defined by (Iles and Sutherland, 2001) as implementation of some known new state through the management of some form of transitional phase over a controlled period of time. This came about when politicians and health care professionals recognized some degree of change was necessary in the UK health sector in order to facilitate better healthcare delivery services. In response to the intention, government embarked on series of health program reforms to effect positive changes in the healthcare. Governments health reforms have concentrated on hospitals, but increasingly shifting their attention to NHS community services. Governments plan is to improve long term healthcare outcomes for individual patients while reducing the cost pressures on the system as a whole. Proposals include more outreach clinics, a regular healthcare checkup, and joined-up care plans. This plan of action by the government is based on a model that will make healthcare services affordable and closer to the patients. The governments proposals on change are aimed at the following: Bringing some specialties out of the hospital nearer to people, including dermatology, ear, nose and throat, orthopedics and gynecology would be achieved either through outreach clinics run by hospital consultants or specialist services provided for by GPs Introducing a new generation of community hospitals that will provide diagnostics, minor surgery, outpatient facilities and access to social services in one location Pilot a new NHS life check or health MoT from 2007 to assess peoples lifestyle risks, the right steps to take and provide referrals to specialists if needed The life check will be run on a two-stage basis with patients first filling in a paper-based or online self-assessment. If the assessments indicate the person is at significant risk of poor health for conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease, the individual would then be given access to a health trainer who could advise about diet and exercise. If problems are more complex, patient would be referred to a GP or nurse Give patients a guarantee of registration on to a GP practice list in their locality and simplifying the system for doing this Introducing incentives to GP practices to offer opening times that respond to the needs of patients in their area Consideration was given to dual registration allowing patients to register with more than one GP but was thrown out because it would undermine the underlying principles of the family doctor system New responsibilities placed on local councils and the NHS to work together to provide joined up care plans for those who need them Supporting people to improve self care by trebling the investment in the Expert Patient Programme, which teaches patients with long-term illnesses, such as asthma and diabetes, how to control their condition Developing an information prescription for people with long-term health and social care needs and for their carers More support for carers, including improved emergency respite arrangements and the establishment of a national helpline for carers Extension of direct payments and piloting of individual budgets for social care to allow people to decide what their allocations are spent on Increasing the quantity and quality of primary care in under-served, deprived areas through a national procurement programme which would open the GP market to the private and voluntary sectors Encourage nurses and other health professionals, such as physios, to take on more responsibility Set up pilots to allow patients to self-refer themselves to professionals other than GPs, who currently act as gatekeepers to the NHS (www.news.bbc.co.uk) REFERNCES: Armstrong, M. C. (2006) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10th Ed, London, Kogan Page. Bach, S. (2001) HR and New Approaches to Public Sector Management: Improving HRM Capacity. Workshop on Global Health Workforce Strategy, World Health Organization, Annecy, France. Brown, K. (2004) Human Resource Management in the Public Sector. Public Management Review, 6(3), pp 303-309. Buchanan, J. (2000) Health Sector Reform and Human Resources: Lessons from the United Kingdom. Health Policy and Planning, 15(3), pp 70-89. Clark, N. (2006) Why HR Policies fail to support workplace learning: The Complexities of Policy Implementation in Healthcare. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(1), pp 190-206. Department of Health. (2009) Agenda for Change. Dunleavy, P. and Hood, C. (1994) From Old Public Administration to New Public Administration: Public Money and Management, 14(3), pp 9-16. Lloyd, C. (1997) Decentralization in the NHS: Prospects for Workplace Unionism, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 35(3), pp 427-446. McLaughlin, K., Osborne, S. P, and Ferlie, E. (2002) New Public Management- Current Trends and Future Prospects, (EDs) Abingdon, Routledge. Thomason, G. F. (1990) Human Resource Strategies in the Health Sector. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1(3), pp173-194. Truss, C. (2003) Strategic HRM: Enablers and Constraints in the NHS: International Journal of Public Sector Management, 16(1), pp 48-60. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganization/Humanresourceandtraining/Modernizingpay/Agendaforchange/DH_424 (Accessed 19 April 2010) http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2002/08/feature/uk/0208103f.htm (Accessed 19 April 2010) http://www.healthcaresupply.org.uk/pdfs/hrinthenhsplan.pdf (Accessed 21 April 2010) http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/events/owt/10301 (Accessed 3 May 2010) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4662024.stm (Accessed 3 May 2010) KENECHUKWU O. AKABUA 0823583 MA HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HR 4062 HRM AND CHANGE.