The product and service development process

Introduction The monumental importance of the product/service development process in the world today has been a fundamental concern not only for business personnel; but also for a wide range of organizations whose ultimate success greatly depends on it. Notably, over the recent past, there has been an increasing popularity of this process based on the inherent need and pressure for organizations to constantly innovate new products and services.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The product and service development process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is vitally necessary for them to stay relevant to their clients while having an advantage in today’s globally competitive market. The product/service development process is a highly intricate and involving process that requires several factors to be keenly observed. However, Vonderembse (2010) authoritatively opines that amongst all the fundamenta l factors, customer involvement in the product development process is the most essential one since it significantly determines the acceptance or rejection of a particular product or service in its targeted markets. Preliminarily, any product development process should ensure that it utilizes price friendly materials while ensuring the creation of a good product or service with exceptional functionality, high quality, market appeal and importantly; cost effectiveness. More business (2006) however interestingly notes that â€Å"Price can be a business killer to compete on, because someone’s always able to do it cheaper than you† and consequently; it is vital for organizations to nurture an environment that allows for adequate customer involvement in the design process. This will in turn open a vista of opportunities for the organization to know how to exactly tailor their products in a way that appeals to their clients. According to Ciccantelli and Magidson (2006), the m ost common ways of customer involvement include the use of product-design focus groups, questionnaires and surveys; which have reportedly been able to offer a good number of benefits and a few losses (depending on organizational implementation) as discussed below. Discussion (Dissertation) In spite of the amassed immense values of involving customers in the design process; some business experts and analysts have been in strong opposition to this. To them, this involvement offers more demerits than merits thus should be avoided at all costs.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Ciccantelli and Magidson (2006), effectiveness is measured by the ability of a product to provide what the consumers want, rather than just doing away with what they do not want. So the imperative question to ask at this point is; is it effective to involve consumers in the design proces s? Well, the answer here can go either ways; both yes and no—depending on how one looks at it. Starting with the yes, it is inherent to primarily note that new products/service development and the involvement of customers is not just practiced in the UK and USA alone; it is also extensively in other parts of the world with lots of benefits realized through it (Ishmael and Namiranian, 2003). This in itself is a strong indicator that customer involvement in the innovative design of new products is an effectively vital component of any business. Additionally, Ciccantelli and Magidson (2006) say that â€Å"Involving consumers in designing products and services can put the organization back in touch with its consumers and infuse fresh ideas.† This is principally based on the fact that getting genuine ideas from clients helps in knowing what they want thus incepting products and services that aptly suits their needs. Ishmael and Namiranian (2003) support this point by articu lating that proper sieving of ideas from many people increases the probability of getting invaluable ideas that can help in positively propelling any given organization. Moreover, the involvement of consumers in the design process helps in avoiding extra-costs that are usually incurred through repair of products as a result of less or no customer consultation in the product innovation design process (Vonderembse, 2010). Furthermore, adequate consumer involvement in the design process facilitates its smooth running hence saving a lot of time that can be used for other vital organizational functions (Vonderembse, 2010). In relation to this, Vonderembse adds that the use of pertinent information and technologies together with adequate consumer involvement can also greatly accentuate the product/service development process thus saving even more time for the organization. Finally, consumer involvement plays a fundamental role in the prototype design and testing part of the product/design process. This is very important since the consumer reaction to the product/service—in most cases—represents how the clients will eventually react in the real world market (Ishmael and Namiranian, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The product and service development process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vonderembse (2010) exemplifies effective company involvement of consumers in product/service development by citing IBM who managed to smashingly slice the assembly time of their printers from 30 minutes to 3 minutes. He additionally talks of the Texas instruments company who, through customer involvement in the design process, managed to incorporate the DFMA software which immensely improved their infrared sighting mechanism services. Mynampati (2000), an advisory architect at IBM, also illustrates how the involvement of consumers in the architectural design of services has been able to improve the efficiency of the company. This was most notable with the implementation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) by the business and IT section of the company. By involving clients in SOA implementation, the company revenues shot sky-high, in contrast to the previous inceptions that did not involve consumers. On the flipside, those opposed to effectiveness of customer involvement in the product/service design process argue that: Firstly, determining what consumers need through customer involvement does not necessarily translate to success. This is generally because most consumer needs are elusive thus not being able to sufficiently project what should be done during the design process (Ciccantelli and Magidson, 2006). Secondly, Ishmael and Namiranian (2003) argue that most organizations tend to get so engrossed in the innovation of new products through customer involvement to the point of getting sidetracked from other important organizational duties. In turn, this inc reases the likelihood of less performance of such organizations. Thirdly, involvement of a wide range of consumers consumes a lot of time and resources—which would have otherwise been used for other significant organizational duties like marketing and advertisement among many others (Ishmael Namiranian, 2003). Fourthly and lastly, most of the methods used for sampling views and ideas from consumers tend to limit them to talk in certain ways that limit objectivity. As a result, most ideas elicited from such people are inclined towards what the organizations want to hear rather than what the consumers really want to say. This further leads to development of products/services that do not necessarily represent what most consumers really want (Ciccantelli and Magidson, 2006). There are many examples of failed product/service development processes.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to most business analysts, the most pronounced one organizational failure, was the economic hiccup of 2008 that led to the momentarily slump of the Dell computer company. Having â€Å"blindly† followed the consumer prospected ideas, the company decided to increase the production and supply number of their computers while ignoring important factors on the ground like the global economic meltdown at the time. As a result, many computers were produced and distributed while very few of them were bought. This led to huge losses especially with their further undoing of not incorporating recent technologies that were priority to most consumers. So in order for there to be continuity in the beneficial use of consumer involvement in the design process, it is fundamental to circumspectly review the new product/service development process then through it; organizations will be able to analyze how to get the right informational input and policies which –in turn—de als with the aforementioned challenges. Different organizations have different notions of the new product development process. This is the reason why its stages can be summarized as five stages or as many as eight stages depending on factors like: organizational structure, leadership and social cohesion. However, Mayo and Hausler (2010) authoritatively give a 7-stepped model which is widely accepted as the most representative model of the new product/service development process. These seven steps are as follows: First is the idea generation which is done through methods like brainstorming, interviews or even questionnaires which are given to the relevant audiences. Second, there is idea screening. Here, the ideas are partially reviewed and sieved so that only important ones go to the next stage. The remaining ones are kept for future references. Third in this hierarchy is concept development and testing. At this point, ideas are molded into tangible concepts in relations to the orga nizational policies and goals. Fourth, there is the business analysis stage where the concepts from the previous stage are analyzed. The fifth stage involves prototype development; This greatly requires consumer involvement so as to develop something that would be viable in a real market. The sixth stage in turn involves market tests of the prototype which greatly projects how the product would perform in the market. Seventh and lastly, we have the commercialization and pricing of the product. This is only done if the product or service passes the market test. Recommendations In relations to the above process, some of the ways to outsource good ideas, solve the aforementioned challenges and ensure efficient management of consumer involvement in the design process include; incorporating professionals in the idea generation part. This will greatly limit the chances of wrong ideas ending up in the product/service development pipeline. In addition, more accommodative and objective metho ds should be used to sample consumer views. According to Ciccantelli and Magidson (2006), one of such ways is the consumer idealized design developed by Russell L. Ackoff. In this process, potential consumers get to talk in an unconstrained environment about what would be an ideal product or service to them. Mayo and Hausler (2010) propose for the establishment of a cumulative plan for a given number of projects. The logic of this is to have a cut-across plan for various projects and thus knowing how to easily go about them. In effect, there will be more order in the organization and thus facilitating smooth running of the projects. This also ensures and orderly involvement of consumers in offering their input which consequently ensures saving of time. Again, Ciccantelli and Magidson (2006) propose early the incorporation of consumers in the design process. This will hugely eliminate the chances of having to make costly changes towards the end of the product/service development cycl e. As a personal recommendation, organizations can increase the number of opinion-sampling techniques like use of questionnaires, interview and surveys. This makes it relatively easy to get increased input and active involvement of consumers in the product and service development process. Conclusion In finality, it is invaluable to remember that customer involvement in product/service design is a wide concept with many facets. Consequently, each facet should be thoroughly put into consideration whenever viewing it. Additionally, there previous notion of customer purchase being primarily based on price and quality has been faced out with clients who look into other factors like: product/service design, its customizability, its safety, longevity, efficiency and cost of maintenance among many others (Vonderembse, 2010). It is therefore fundamental not to just concentrate on consumer involvement in the innovation or development of product/services; but also remember other factors (like the ones abovementioned). References Ciccantelli, S. and Magidson, J. (2006) Consumer idealized design: Involving consumers in the product development process. Club of Amsterdam Blog, Feb. 2008, p. 6. Ishmael, G. and Namiranian, L. (2003) Using consumers to fuel your new product generation a pipeline: The role of idea-centric creativity. Decision Analyst, Vol 16 (5), p. 96. Mayo, C. M. and Hausler, D. (2010) New product development. Reference for business, Vol 7 (1), pp. 14-18. More business (2006) New product development process: Steps to develop new products and services. Web. Available at:  https://www.morebusiness.com/ah_fivesteps/ Vonderembse, M. (2010) Product design. Reference for business, 87 (1), pp. 34-38. This dissertation on The product and service development process was written and submitted by user Alyvia N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Photo essays

Photo essays When you are young, giving gifts for Christmas is something your parents, grandparents and relatives, appreciate because you are young and they can be proud of you. So, as you get older you also want the gifts that you give to have an extra meaning and you want to be appreciated for doing something nice. A few years ago, in December, a few weeks before Christmas, I was debating on a gift for the whole family (because I hate shopping for different gifts for everyone, especially at the last minute). I decided that I would get a family picture taken, not only because I loved photography and was going to school for it, but also because I assumed it would be a nice gesture on my part because I would be leaving at the end of the school year. I paired up with my sister on this because I needed her to help with the expenses and I needed her to coordinate outfits. Well, I brought all my brothers together, except for Nathan, who was living in Georgia at the time, and told them what we were going to do (I think that Jimmy, especially, thought this was a cool idea because he would have some extra money for himself). As we made preparations for the night, when we would go to Sears to get the photographs taken, everything started to go wrong. Jimmy, who thought of himself as a new age punk rocker, had made plans to go out that night, with his friends to jam. After Erin and I, the dominant females of the family, had threatened and bribed him into complying with our plans, he didnt want to wear the outfit that we had arranged for him to wear. As soon as Jimmy was through complaining about the outfit, Trevor started making a fuss, too, about the outfit we had picked out for him. Altogether, it took about an hour and a half to get them situated. By the time we left for the portrait studio, Jimmy and Trevor were so worked up that they simply didnt care about what we were doing, and sitting through a ...

Exemplar approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exemplar approach - Essay Example The results of the approach depend on the categorization which is done based on the concept categorization. When compared to the other approaches, exemplar approach can be applied to any sort of psychological illusions and problems. The category is classified based on the psychological approaches and this is done to ensure that they are classified in a proper manner. Concepts and categories form the major part of the exemplar approach. The cognitive and psychological functions require concepts and categories. This is one of the striking differences between exemplar approach and other psychological approaches. These are essential to determine the psychological functions and activities of a person. Concepts are considered as the representations and activities based on the mental representations. The use of these concepts is more in exemplar approach due to the varied psychological aspects used in it. Concepts indicate the ideas and ideologies pertaining to a particular idea. These repr esentations include understanding; thinking and even the memory power are included in the classification of concept. Since these are the direct interpretation from one’s mind, they are given more importance. Concepts are classified into three major types namely classification, prototype and exemplar approach. ... (Shan, 2005). These categories are classified and described using several approaches like prototype approach, definitional approach and exemplar approach. In terms of exemplar approach, category is described as the principle that helps to point out the knowledge that has been classified using the concepts. (Braisby, 2005). Category is a collection of properties or items that are similar in nature or by their property. The similar objects possess things that have common properties. The words and properties that are used to define an object are also considered as concepts since they directly deal with the ideas of the people. Exemplar- A Unique Approach Exemplar approach stands out due to its unique approach and easy methodology that is used in dealing with psychological problems. There are certain differences that make exemplar the most sought after method. The major problems with classical approach and prototype approach are eradicated in this approach. Classical approach generally h as problem with defining attributes for a particular category, where as exemplar approach easily generates the required attributes. Classical approach uses fuzzy concept, but exemplar approach uses well defined objects to determine the mental representations. Prototype approach also lacks in certain aspects but exemplar approach scores over them in almost all the aspects. Prototype approach implements abstract concept and this act as a disadvantage while deriving categories. In case of exemplar approach, concrete concept is used since it deals with physical presence. A definite and predefined structure is not followed either in prototype or classical approach. Exemplar approach makes use of predefined steps

Observing Science Teaching in a Secondary School Essay

Observing Science Teaching in a Secondary School - Essay Example Shallow and understandable language was in application, no experimentations, no confirmation tests, just a mention of few examples relating to the topic. Ideally, the reference to a lemon as an acid and ash as a base was the only regard to the topic. Moreover, the pupils had no questions to the topic and the teachers barely explained further details on the topic. In the secondary school level, much advancement came in defining the chemical terms, detailed examples, applications, experimentations, confirmation tests, and reactions that demonstrate the topic. Indeed, there were chemical definitions of acid, bases, and salts. These definitions were reliant on certain concepts and theories that establish the loss or gain of hydrogen ions in dissolving compounds. At this level, the confirmation tests like the litmus test were in application, more examples like hydrochloric acid, ammonia as a base, and ammonium chloride as a salt were present, and much emphasis came to being. The use of a pH indicator to ascertain acidity or basicity was relevant at this level. Actually, the teachers would offer many experiments in light of putting emphasis on this topic. Additionally, the students had varied questions on this topic that the teachers answered and significantly classified acids, bases, and salts. In fact, the teachers introduced the idea of balanci ng and representing such reactions in chemical equations. Moreover, the issue of chemical reactions that manifest this topic was dominant at this level of education and the results of such equations representing chemical reactions were either acidic , basic, or neutral compounds (Roanoke Valley Governors School, n.y, p.1). The concept of water dissociation and neutralization that rose from the reaction between an acidic compound and a basic compound largely featured in this context. HNO3 (aq) + NaOH (aq)Â  -H2O (l) + NaNO3 (aq) was such a

Literature Review Breast Cancer Screening Health And Social Care Essay

Literature Review Breast Cancer Screening Health And Social Care Essay Journals and articles were searched from search engines like pubmed, scientific journals, Google, Google books, Google scholar, British libraries, Health educator recommendations, and science direct periodic journals from university library. The key words used in searching the documents were barriers of screening, ethnic minority women, breast cancer, promoting uptake of screening, promoting quality of breast cancer through health education, government policies. Demographic statistics, Census reports and population statistics are also included. A total of 39 papers were found through the search engines and the number of articles used in the project is narrowed down to 15 based upon relevance and importance. The methods used in the research articles include questionnaires, qualitative analysis, extensive literature search, cross sectional studies, observational studies, census reports, mortality reports, statistics, demographic reports and review papers. RESEARCH FINDINGS: All the fifteen articles were researched thoroughly to analyse the primary objectives, methods employed, results obtained and comments over the conclusions pertaining to subject of interest. All these are summarised in the table below: Author, Year, Location Title Method/Study Results Comments 1. AK Jain and J Serevitch 2004. The Nightingale Centre and Genesis Prevention Centre, UHSM NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester. Breast Cancer Screening- How do we communicate with women of South Asian origin? Questionnaires and structured letters listing the objectives of study were sent to office managers and directors of 99 breast screening units in UK requesting them the communication practice with south Asian women of Indian, Bangladeshi, srilankan and Pakistani origin. Communication was also requested with units of larger South Asian women population. 67 of 69 questionnaires were returned to the office with particulars of initial Breast screening invitation procedures across the south Asian women, Mammographic, recall and breast assessment information and means of communication with the south Asian women in local languages like Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The study reveals that many south Asian women dont get proper information on breast screening procedures and initiatives due to language and management barriers. Pictorial information and motivation in local languages is not given. Distribution of translated scriptures is poorly taken up. Conclusions of the research highlight the communication and financial barriers of the BSU. The recommendations of research include increased initiatives in local languages to the women who dont understand English and increase funding which enables them to improve patient facilities and screening uptake. 2. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 2005 , NHS Scotland. Management of breast cancer in women-A national clinical guideline Statistics and Doctor recommendations were collected to design a framework on managing breast cancer in women. SIGN was prescribed as a collection of guidelines for managing breast cancer patients and it includes surgery, therapy and care. Treatment procedures like radiotherapy, systemic therapy and physiological care were prescribed as techniques of improving care. Recommendations of care and surgery were include for information. Additional initiatives were mentioned to improve screening uptake among minority women. 3. Jo Freeman Douglas Eadie 2007. ISM Institute for Social Marketing. Breakthrough Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign: ISM Literature Review Six data bases, grey literature and small archives of data were researched on existing data on awareness programmes, current knowledge and perception of ethnic minority women. The research revealed that limited or inaccurate knowledge and awareness on screening programmes to be the main cause of poor screening uptake. Gender, cultural differences were influential in predicting attendance at screening centers. Perceiving importance of screening was major approach to be addresses. Research shed light on the problem areas and risk factors associated with breast cancer screening. Study focuses on multi-strategy interventions like educational packages, Inter-personal support, use of alternative community channels like community groups and ethnic media, Local publicity events like road shows to increase awareness of self examination and screening. 4. A Szczepura 2005. Ethnic review, Postgrad Med Journal. Access to health care for ethnic minority populations Extensive literature search is performed to identify the care process and quality in ethic minority people. Challenges for clinicians, managers and policy makers in ensuring quality care are discussed. Literature search revealed the primary factors influencing quality to be population diversity, linguistic competence, cultural disparities and lack of orientation and training programs suitable for special needs. The research focuses on the case study of breast cancer screening through NHS and identifies four reasons fro failure which are lack of knowledge on self examination and screening among ethnic communities, language and cultural barriers, inaccurate register of screening, lack of references and recommendations by health care professionals. The study concludes with highlighting improvement by interventions to increase awareness, improving risk perception and improve breast cancer screening for minority women. 5. P.T. Straughan and A. Seow 2000. Social Science Medicine. Attitudes as barriers in breast screening: a prospective study among Singapore women A multistage project was conducted to promote better understanding of Mammographic techniques in Singapore women. The methods included phase-I qualitative analysis, phase-II cross-sectional survey and phase-III prospective study. Items on FATALISM index, BARRIER index and early cancer DETECT index were studied as a result of the methods. Apart from the index results, the other important factors influencing screening uptake include social and cultural factors with perception. 6. Abdullahi et al 2009. Public Health. Cervical screening: Perceptions and barriers to uptake among Somali women in Camden Qualitative study was performed on seven focus groups and eight in depth interviews. The study revealed that there was lack of understanding of risk factors and fatalistic attitudes. Culturally specific barriers like embarrassing situation and past experiences accounted for poor screening uptake. Language barriers and cultural factors account for first stage poor screening. Improvement of language and communication in local language along with continuous support would improve screening uptake .Oral information with explanation about risk factors and advantages of treatment would improve health condition. 7. Ala Szczepura 2003. Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry. Ethnicity: UK Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Final Report Colorectal cancer screening pilot tests are performed using records of Faecal Occult blood testing. The results focus on the disparities of treatment of cancer patients among the ethnic minority people. The screening uptake studies show the variation in high class areas and the ethnic minority even after equal awareness due to lack of initiation and courage among the ethnic minority. 8. Teresa et al 2007. Journal Of the national medical association. Breast Self Examination: Knowledge Attitudes and Performance Among Black Women A questionnaire was distributed to 180 black women, 18 years Of age and older in metropolitan areas through the church council developed by the authors. Another group comprises participants above 41 years. The survey explained that the frequency of breast self examination is associated with knowledge of self examination. Most of the respondents indicated to have practiced BSE from couple of years. 50% indicated to practice regularly and less than half sample had no knowledge on the practice of BSE. The research revealed that knowledge and practice of BSE is more in the educated class and older people with high income when compared to uneducated lower class women. The study also focussed on attitudinal and demographic variables pertaining to BSE. It also gave a note on confidence and social approval for BSE. 9. Chee et al 2003. BMC Womens Health. Factors related to the practice of breast self examination (BSE) and Pap smear screening among Malaysian women workers in selected electronics factories A cross sectional survey was conducted among women production workers from ten electronics factories. Self administered questionnaire was collected from 1, 720 women workers. Later statistical analysis was performed by bivariate and multivariate tests like chi square test, odds ratio and binomial regression. BSE rates were recorded as 24.4% a month and 18.4% for pap smear testing in period of three years. Women over 30 years and older, women with upper secondary education and above, answered the questionnaire on BSE correctly. Proportion of pap smear tests were recorded to be high in older married people bearing kids or couples on contraceptive pills and answered the questionnaires on pap smear tests. In comparison with national rates, screening practices were recorded as low in the Malaysian women. Health care factors, socio-demographic factors and education were related as barriers for screening. Educational and promotional strategies were directed for better screening rates among Malaysian women. 10. Cannas et al 2005. Survey methodology for public health researchers, Health education Research. Factors associated with Mammographic decisions of Chinese-Australian women Study involved research over sample of population suffering with breast cancer. 20 Chinese-Australian women were recruited for studies from different Chinese organizations like churches, community centres and clubs. Some of the participants discontinued due to discomfort in talking about the disease. Demographic data and open ended questions were used as a part of research An average of 8 informants among 20 participants has undergone Mammographic testing. Among the eight informants, 3 had it more than twice and the remaining four decided not to have any more. Among other informants who did not have Mammographic testing, 8 informants rejected Mammographic testing while the other four never heard about the term despite publicity. The study reveals that there are numerous factors responsible for poor screening uptake which includes organizational factors and influence of significant family members. The barriers were accounted to be fear of stigmatisation, fear of mammography and modesty. 11. Robb et al 2010. . J Med Screen, Pub med central. Ethnic disparities in knowledge of cancer screening programmes in the UK Cross sectional study and questionnaires were conducted using data from National health interview in 1998. The study resulted in enumerating foreign birth place and lack of adjustment to new culture as primary factors for poor screening among ethnic minority. The study revealed that foreign birth place and socioeconomic factors responsible for poor screening uptake. The study also revealed that foreign blacks are better in screening uptake than the Asians and Chinese. 12. Mark R D Johnson, May 2001. Mary Seacole Research Centre, De Montfort University Palliative Care, Cancer and Minority Ethnic Communities Census reports, hospital episode statistics data (HES), Health of Londoners project analysis, Patient records in hospitals and care centres. Palliative care defers from region to region and factors influencing difference were accounted as language barriers and lack of access and knowledge of palliative centres across the communities. The paper defines palliative care in terms of all types of cancer and highlights the maximum usage of this by the local people rather than the ethnic minority people due to lack of access. The paper calls for equality in treatment and increased awareness in relation to this. 13. Jamesetta Newland, Editors memo, The Nurse Practitioner. Breast Cancer Awareness More Than a Monthly Reminder The study is based on the data available in relation to Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in developed countries to increase breast cancer awareness. The letter highlights the improvement of health care through awareness and availability of genetic testing protocol for breast cancer in ethnic minority populations. The study focuses on the attitude of breast cancer patients and the fear to reveal the disorder. Patient education and support of health care professionals is of concern in the modern day to eliminate barrier of fear. 14. Wild et al 2006, British Journal of Cancer. Mortality from all cancers and lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer by country of birth in England and Wales, 2001-2003 The study is based on mortality data of cancer patients from 2001-2003 throughout the country with England and Wales as reference groups. The population data was collected from 2001 census to study rate of mortality. The number of deaths of women due to breast cancer were recorded as 33, 291. Mortality was recorded high in England and Wales and then women born in North and west Africa. Lower mortality rates were recorded in Eastern Europe and Asian countries. The data revealed the mortality rate of women due to breast cancer in England and Wales calling emergency actions and research to decrease the number of deaths due to breast cancer. 15. NCIN, 2010. National Cancer Intelligence Network, NHS, National Cancer action team. Evidence to March 2010 on cancer inequalities in England The Cancer registries are researched extensively for the data on all individuals Diagnosed with cancer. The information includes age, gender, postcode of residence and hospital of treatment. Survey of population samples are also studied simultaneously. Cancer treatment inequalities are analysed to be based on these factors: Incidence and mortality, prevalence and survival of the patients, Awareness of the patient on treatment procedure and stage of diagnosis of the patient, Screening and patient experience during end of life care. The study focuses on inequalities of treating cancer on the basis of religion, culture and race. Numerous case studies are analysed to draw series of conclusions. Activities against the inequalities of treatment could improve the health condition of patients.

Symbolism in Piggys Specs :: essays research papers

The Symbolism of Piggy's glasses Symbolism pervades throughout the entire narrative of Lord of the Flies and is used to illustrate the fears and tensions that exist within the boys trapped on the island. One of the novel's strength is that it weaves these vivid symbols together to assist its themes and ideas rather than labour them. Piggy's glasses become an important symbol representing the social order of the boys as they try to determine how to lead themselves. Although not a leader Piggy is the voice of reason as he mends the early splits between the boys by way of compromising. Of all the boys on the island it is Piggy who can seen as the most symbolic. His organisation helps the boys make the early decisions and he can be seen as the natural law of order, the reason thinking of humanity. Although despite being described as short and fat in the terms you might describe an animal as Piggy is the most willing to strive for survival in a civialised way. It is Piggy who says the most important words describing how the boys should act "What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages. What are grownups going to think?" It is this desire for docorum that underlines Piggy's belief that they will all be saved from the island - the only person to believe this will happen. Therefore Piggy himself becomes symbolic of the boys' hope to be saved from the island. The hope literally comes from his glasses. Piggy's spectacles are taken from him and used to start smoke signals. Without glasses Piggy's sight, like the boys' vision of what is in their best interests, becomes blurred. Piggy, now weakened, is no longer able to aid Ralph in his struggle to lead the group. Without the voice of adulthood that is Piggy, Ralph loses his moral guidance and begins to make bad judgments. The greater Piggy's will to escape and claim salvation so Ralph is drawn into the confusion and misguided pleasures of The Beast". As each pig is killed so a small part of what Piggy represents is corroded away. When Piggy's glasses are broken all apparent hope of escaping with them is destroyed as well. By making the glasses useless the boys are rejecting what the spectacles stand for. Now no longer able to function at all the 'short and fat' Piggy becomes an animal like the rest of the boys, where only the fittest survive.

Organizational Change

Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA. Organizational Change Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA. Organizational Change Organizational Change Plan-Part One The use of mobile technology for health care professionals, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) has increased exponentially in both clinical practice and nursing education (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some evidence exists that the use of a PDA in health care settings may improve decision-making, reduce the numbers of medical errors, and enhance learning for both students and professionals (Nilsson, 2008); for these reasons, the Learning Technology Committee (LTC) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) explored the benefits of nursing students using the PDA at the bedside in the clinical setting.The committee proposed a change, Project PDA, to implement the use of PDA among novice nursing students and faculty. The following paragraphs will focus on the assessment and plan of the Project PDA; and examine the rationale for the change, barriers to change, influences on change, application of a theoretical model and resources available to support t he change initiative. Rationale for Change Healthcare is a dynamic and evolving field of knowledge. Nursing students are trying to learn and implement this large amount of information at a rapid pace.Nursing students are generally unsure of their skills, feel insecure about their knowledge level, and lack self-confidence (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Many advantages have been seen with the use of the PDA, such as time savings, reduction of errors, and ease of use (Miller, Shaw-Kokot, Arnold, Boggin, Crowell, Allegri, Blue, & Berrier, 2005). Through the use of the PDA, it is thought, the nursing student will have reduced stress, fear, and improved self-confidence (Martin, 2007). Students will benefit from gaining immediate access to resources at the point of care, become more efficient, and spend more time focusing on patient care.PDAs will provide a bridge for students to apply theoretical learning to practice and foster the development of critical reasoning skills and professiona l autonomy. Nurse educators will need to develop creatively new, innovative models of teaching to keep up with changing society and technological advances in nursing practice (Jeffries, 2005). Adopting this new technological process will ensure SCC is keeping up with the trends of technology in nursing education. Organizational and Individual Barriers to Change Organizational change is a complicated process and is likely to be met with resistance.According to Borkowski (2005), resistance may originate from two sources: organizational barriers and individual barriers. These barriers threaten to impede change success. In an effort to avoid change failure, management must identify and understand potential barriers to change. Organizational barriers are typically beyond the control of management and may be perceived as insurmountable, which in the early stages of change can prove to be futile (Borkowski, 2005). Two potential organizational barriers to implementing Project PDA are cultur al complacency; and the lack of financial and technology resources.The first barrier was cultural complacency. Spector (2010) suggests that organizational culture may enable and create barriers to change. The nursing department has functioned like a well oiled machine as result of shared values and beliefs among faculty and students; subsequently creating a complacent atmosphere. Management must change the culture of the nursing department to engage faculty and students; and promote behaviors in line with the proposed change. The second barrier was the lack of financial and technology resources.The college was in the midst of a new levy campaign and there were no current funds allocated in the nursing department budget for technology improvements including the purchase of equipment. The college does not own PDAs for the students or faculty to use. No process was in place for technical support if students were to experience challenges with the device. The individual barriers identifi ed included lack of motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Faculty and students may lack motivation if they perceive the change will disrupt the status quo, or the preference for the current situation (Borkowski, 2005).The lack of support and acceptance of the new technology by other clinical staff and faculty is one of the key challenges of implementing new technology into educational programs (Farrell & Rose, 2008). Some students and faculty are computer literate, but many are less familiar and lack experience with computer systems. As a result, it will take time for students, faculty, and clinical staff to become comfortable with using the PDA. Factors of Influence The college’s readiness to change could lead to success or failure.The change itself is not the reason, but the organization’s culture of environment and the employees respect, trust, and attitude toward the management implementing the change (Krause, 2008). The attitudes of faculty and s tudents may directly affect how responsive and committed they will be to the change process. The factors of influence within any organization may originate or draw in part on the quality of leadership (Krause, 2008). The leaders must implement strategies to communicate the value of the change, establish a coalition, and empower all participants to become change agents.Theoretical Model Kurt Lewin’s change theory was the theoretical framework selected for analyzing the change process involved in adopting the use of PDAs in the clinical setting as planned in Project PDA. Lewin’s change theory identified three stages in the change process-unfreeze, move, and refreeze. To unfreeze leaders must create a sense of disequilibrium to motivate change. A pre-pilot survey completed by the LTC revealed students and faculty believed time management was the priority challenge for students in the clinical setting.PDA use is expected to improve time management skills. In stage two, cha nge is implemented. Students and faculty will be required to use the PDA during clinical for access required textbooks and other resources. The final stage, refreeze, the change is cemented into the organization’s culture (Spector, 2010). The LTC will evaluate the change process, communicate progress, maintain support structures, reinforce required behaviors and encourage continued commitment to sustain the change. Internal and External ResourcesBorkowski (2005) noted managers must be certain adequate resources are available to implement change and ensure organizational goals are met. The nursing department at SCC is fortunate to have access to internal and external resources needed to support efforts to implement Project PDA. A strong organizational structure facilitates collaboration within the department. Webinars will be used for faculty and student development. The nursing department secured grant funding to purchase 16 i-Touch devices for faculty. Students will use fina ncial aid to purchase the PDA and software undle. E-book resources will be made available through contracted publishing vendors. Learning and troubleshooting tutorials will be included with the software as well as the Sinclair Help Desk will be available for technical support. Information technology has integrated in the health care delivery systems to include the use of personal digital assistants (PDA) and other computer devices (Fisher & Koren, 2007). Teaching institutions are being challenged to keep up with the trends in technology and meet demands for use of hand held devices.In response to this challenge, SCC proposed to implement Project PDA. Students and faculty will begin using PDAs in the clinical setting. The use of these devices will provide real-time access to important resources enabling medical personnel and students to manage point of care activities more efficiently (Lee, 2006). As a result, students will be less stressed, more confident, and more competent hea lth care providers. Change may be complicated by organizational or individual barriers.The specific barriers were identified as cultural complacency, lack of financial and technology resources, employee motivation, staff support, and computer competency. Organizational change in the nursing department at SCC could be influenced by the nursing department’s readiness for change; and the attitudes of faculty, students, and clinical staff toward the change. The Kurt Lewin change theory was applied to Project PDA examining the three stages of the change process. Leaders at SCC have access to internal and external resources necessary to implement the proposed change.The presence of a solid organizational structure, access to grant funding, technology resource vendors, and on-site technical support will facilitate the success and sustainability of Project PDA.