Research proposal on the study on problems faced by first year baccalaureate nursing students and their coping strategies

Research problem

The context of nurses' learning has always been institutional: either a hospital, or currently, a university or equivalent. After all, nurses learned traditionally by doing the work, as part of the labor force of a hospital. Nursing education has emerged from a hospital-based apprenticeship model of workplace learning, and is seeking to maintain a nurturing ethic as the basis of professional work. But the nature of the work and the formation of an identity are closely linked. After all, nursing is about caring for those in need of restoration to health, and it strives to mark itself as a profession on that basis, as well as maintain its links with other professions' knowledge bases, principally medicine, which is about curing (Johnstone 1999). Throughout the Western world, recent changes to nursing education have moved pre-service preparation to tertiary settings, with degree courses in nursing as an applied science grappling with nursing identity. This is not the place to discuss the complex history behind, nor current theoretical influences upon, the emergence of a post-apprenticeship nursing profession, but it is a fascinating saga. Nursing is about bodily effort and bodily functions: communication with patients starts with body language, in that how a nurse touches, handles and thereby carries out the caring communicates the ethic of the work in general Nurses' reflection on the common experiences at work, and their communal ownership of the judgments that result, have shaped the profession, and driven the identity issues. The learning about nursing comes from this sort of hot action, and the decisions under pressure, and also through routine, which nurses find themselves making (Lumby & Picone 2000).The proposed paper wants to conduct a study on problems faced by first year baccalaureate nursing students and their coping strategies.

 

Importance of the paper

The proposed paper will help in analyzing the plight of baccalaureate nursing students. The proposed paper will give information on the things encountered by Baccalaureate students. Moreover the proposed paper will give some insight on the coping strategies used by the Baccalaureate Nursing students.  

 

Literature Review

Nurses learn things such as ethics in the course of their education. Nursing codes of ethics around the world have made explicit that nurses have a stringent moral responsibility to promote and safeguard the wellbeing, welfare and moral interests of people needing and/or receiving nursing care. What is often not stated, however, is how nurses ought to fulfill their moral responsibilities and to deal effectively with the many ethical issues they encounter on a day-to-day basis. In the case of postgraduate nursing education, so long as students have completed an undergraduate foundational unit on the subject of ethical issues in nursing, the number of contact teaching hours required to teach the subject can be more flexible and, to a larger extent, determined by students' interests and practice needs. It should be noted, however, that the ethical issues associated with clinical specialty areas for example, critical care, cancer care nursing, aged care, mental health nursing, and the like are complex and many (Beckett & Hager 2001). Effective preventative ethics education in these and similar areas would, as in the case of undergraduate courses, require discrete units in their own right taught over a 26-hour contact teaching time period. It should not be assumed that, upon completing a unit in ethics as part of a formal nurse education program, a graduate's ethics education has been completed. To be effective, preventative ethics education must be continuous. It is important that nurses do not fall prey to the idea that once they have completed a unit in ethics as part of a formal education program, they have done ethics and that they would not benefit from any further education on the subject. Just as nurses need to continually update their clinical knowledge and skills, so too do nurses need to continually update their moral knowledge and skills both as knowing that and knowing how (Narváez & Rest 1994).

 

Methodology

Sample collection

To determine the number of respondents that will be asked to participate and give information regarding the study convenience sampling will be used. Convenience sampling means to collect or interview individuals who actually experience the phenomenon. Convenience sampling will focus on individuals that experienced diabetes mellitus or has someone in the family that experienced such disease.

 

Methodology/Data Collection

Surveys will the primary method of data collection.  Internet surveys would be used. Internet surveys have been both hyped for their capabilities and criticized for the security issues it brings. Internet surveys require less finances since there would be no printing of paper and there would be no need to travel just to gather data. Internet surveys would also require less time for the researchers and the respondents.

 

Data Analysis

            In analyzing the collected data, the paper will be divided into the demographic profiles of the respondents and the ideas of respondents. The data that will be acquired will be put into graphs and tables.

 

References

Beckett, D. & Hager, P 2001, Life, work, and learning: practice and post modernity, Routledge, London.

 

Johnstone, M (ed.) 1999, Bioethics: A nursing perspective,

Harcourt Saunders, Sydney, N.S.W.

 

Lumby, J & Picone, D (eds.) 2000, Clinical challenges: Focus on

nursing, Allen & Unwin, St. Leonards, N.S.W.

 

Narváez, D & Rest, JR (eds.) 1994, Moral development in the

professions: Psychology and applied ethics, Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.

 

Work Breakdown Structures

Companies have constantly used tools for the improvement of their operations so as to realize company goals. Among these tools includes project management. Project management is characterized as the process of “managing, allocating, and timing resources” in such a way that a particular goal is received in an “efficient and expedient” way possible. (Badiru, 1993, 1) This paper is going to look at the project presented by Promoto 06, a Print-Publishing and Media exhibition that would take place in Amsterdam in the 20th to the 24th of March. The following discussions will present the analysis of a feasibility study, the work breakdown structures, budget breakdown, and return of investments that would entail project is decided to be implemented.   

 

1.      Findings

 

The following parts will present the possible data regarding the Promoto 06 project. With the following information, the company and the project team would be able to avert any for of problem or setbacks in the implementation of the project. (Reiss, 1995, 2)

 

1.1.  Feasibility Study

1.1.1.     Economic Feasibility

 

Based on the case study, it appears that the company has plans for something similar to the Promoto 06, specifically the October Fest National Training Exhibition, which has been cancelled for this year. This means that the company has the resources and is financially capable of funding this project. The Promoto 06 project could be carried out in lieu of the cancelled October Fest National Training Exhibition. Thus, the funds that were supposed to be set aside for the cancelled event could be used for the Promoto 06 project.    

 

1.1.2.     Technical Feasibility

 

The company is an established organization in the Multimedia and Printing industry. The project could use the existing equipment from the operations department of the company. Although the company may provide for the computers and the software needed, it may not afford to compromise the operations by loaning the project with one of its large-scale printers for the duration of the exhibit.   

 

1.1.3.     Schedule Feasibility

 

The operations of the company may be crippled to some extent with a considerable number of key employees join the project team to Amsterdam. Though this could be addressed by giving multiple tasks to a number of key team members, it appears that joining this exhibition is among the top priority of the company in terms of marketing and promotions.  

 

1.2.  Work Breakdown Structures

 

The work breakdown structure represents the “top-down” view of the entire project along with the specific tasks that would constitute the entire project. (Frame, 2003, 172) In this scenario, the project is broken down into pre-exhibit activities, the post-exhibit activities, and the activities carried out in the whole five days of the Promoto 06. Specifically, the pre-exhibit and the post-exhibit presents activities such as the transportation and freight of the equipment and the project team. The exhibit proper, on the other hand, deals with how the project team will address the attending consumers of the Promoto 06. The break down is summarized in the appendix A.   

 

1.3.  Budget Sections Breakdowns

 

The initial offer of the budget by Mr. Brown is a hundred thousand pounds. Initially, this amount should be what the entire project should work on. Although it is possible for such budget proposals to be submitted for a higher amount, controlling the cost and keeping with the resources of the company is paramount. (Stuckenbuck, 1981, 20) The breakdown of the expenses of the project is summarized in appendix B. As it appears, the project needed only half of what Mr. Brown offered. This makes the investment quite low and provides a greater possibility for the project to reap benefits from the possible deals and contract that it could acquire in the said exhibition.

 

2.      Conclusion

 

The exhibition in Amsterdam provides the company with the necessary forum where they could meet possible clients and partners in business. It is a place where the company could reap great benefits in the long-run. Technically, the project does end with the conclusion of the exhibit. However, it is the continuing task of the company to maintain and preserve the links that has been forged in the said project. Client relations should constantly be sustained such that the company could make the most of what it invested in the Promoto 06 project.

 

Kenya's political,economic and social development after independence

Kenya – Political, Economic and Social Development after Independence

 

A country in East Africa, the Republic of Kenya was held a colony of the United Kingdom (UK) until 1920, after 70 years before becoming a sovereign state. Simply Kenya, it was formerly known as the British East African Protectorate as the Englishmen settle in the place because of its indignity, weather and climate. Kenya was placed under the British rule for the first time in 1888 after Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) failed to do so.[1] December 12, 1963 marked the independence of the country, giving opportunities for Kenyans to forge ahead into various political, economic and social changes despite the prevailing adversities while also striving at amalgamating national unity and safeguarding political stability. In this report, the developments after independence will be discussed with insights that are built upon the political, economic and social contexts.

 

Political developments after independence

            Kenyan struggle is initially intended for political independence. According to  the political history of the country began in the last quarter of the 19th century. This is when the Britain started to established colonies and protectorates in the Eastern part of Africa.[2] Expectedly, the changes that the British implemented were not beneficial to Africans, provoking unrest and formation of tribal political factions in the late 1920s. Uprising generally centers the organization of African political activities. The campaign for majority rule materialized in 1960, a move that unified the tribes against colonialism and in 1961, political leaders who fell victim of political unrest were freed.

 

            Increased awareness of the need and urgency of political changes in the country was realized. Kenyan African Union (KAU), formerly known as Kenya African Study Union (KASU), was the central figure that embodied the fight for constitutional rights of the Africans through the leadership of . Came independence in 1963, , a Kenyan nationalist who had been imprisoned by the British, was elected as the first president. [3] Under his regime, Kenya became reasonably politically stable.  embraced the Kenyan self-help and self-reliance movement which is mirrored by the  served as the political call to enable Kenyans to participate in various political activities as part of political equality initiative. Important to note is that Kenya is a presidential representative democratic republic. 

 

            A major development occurred, affecting the business language of the Parliament.  became the official language of the House in 1975, up until 1979 when the policy was amended of using both  and English as official languages. What became a supposed to be the continued manifestation of independence was shattered when the East Africa Community collapsed in 1977. Cold War began. In 1982, an aborted coup involving the Air Force section of the Armed Forces was discovered. Eventually, a one-party state was legalised by Section 2A of the Constitution. The Parliament passed it because of the intention to obstruct the formation of other legal political parties.[4]

 

            Enter the 1990s, Kenya experienced a quite different political environment because of a number of political challenges internal and external to the political structure. Political instability, widespread corruption and ethnic conflicts that coincided with political multiparty in the early 1990s affected the political system of the country. Nonetheless, in 1997, despite the changes and challenges in the political system, Kenya was able to revise from oppressive laws inherited in the colonial era. The parliament reform initiative enabled Kenyans to acquire freedom of speech and assembly again, contributing to the generally credible national elections in that year. The 2002 elections, further, marked an important turning point for Kenyan politics, transferring power to the Kenyan African Union peacefully.

 

Economic developments after independence

              There are three notable economic developments that Kenyan engaged into after independence: public investment, enhancement of smallholder agricultural production and private industrial investment. Kenyatta declared a war on the hindrances to economic development: illiteracy, disease and poverty. By virtue of Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965, the nation started to eradicate poverty, raise literacy levels and providing social services to the citizenry. Between 1964 and 1971, the economy registered a GDP growth average of 6.5% as during this time Kenya came to witness a smooth expansion of African-owned businesses and peasant agriculture specifically in foreign exchange earning crops as coffee and tea. The cooperative movement was a significant instrument in handling and marketing the crops.[5]

 

            Kenya benefited from the flawed economic policies in the neighboring countries. Regional economic developments left Kenya as the only premier nation in the region with a sound economic policy to attract foreign investment. However, downturns and stagnation lurked in the economic system and GDP rate has been on the decline since 1974. The cause of the decline, which was coupled by the political adversities, were the quadrupling oil prices, inflation rates and their accompanying high interest, unfavorable trade terms, affecting the tourist industry at most. Poor weather, regional conflicts, influx of refugees and global recession lowered the demand for Kenya’s traditional export. It was also noted that policies imposed by the World Bank and IMF contributed to the economic decline of Kenya. The economic growth resumed in 1994 due to improved weather, favorable impact of economic liberalization and emergence of global economy from recession.     

 

            During these years of economic upsurge and down surge, one of the key challenges was the creation of productive employment opportunities for its rapidly increasing workforce. The extent of the problem was evident by the fact the demands that all resources and means are utilized to create jobs as well as enhance incomes and livelihoods were insufficient. What the Parliament did was to include all non-farmers in the efforts to transform Kenya economically. Trade, commerce and service industries were intensified as well as the continuous expansion of Kenya’s export. In recent years, the creation of small scale enterprises proved to be efficient in terms of creating jobs and providing attractively priced products. The sector also devoted its effort in developing entrepreneurial skills which were pivotal to Kenya’s industrialization.  

 

Social development after independence

             It is also because of the Harames call that Kenyans actively engaged in raising education funds, building social amenities required by a community, being mindful of the plight of others in all aspects of human life, raising bursary funds for education, national disasters, health and medical care.[6] KANU also came up with a series of objectives to accomplish in order to build a just, democratic African socialist country which included: political equality, social justice, human dignity, freedom from want and disease, equal opportunities and high and growing incomes to be distributed equitably. At independence, Kenyan leadership, with Kenyatta as the primary figure, developed a five-year development plan for Kenya.

 

Population planning was in the core of the plan, as leaders believed that it is related to economic growth. There is also the increased allocation of resources to development and a pledge to build much needed schools, hospitals and housing. Further, in the context of health, Kenya has begun to move in the direction of rural-based services concentrating more on the prevention of the mundane everyday diseases such as dysentery and malaria and poor nutrition and sanitation which are the real causes of high morbidity and mortality.[7]

 

In sum, Kenya had witnessed a hodgepodge of political, economic and social turmoil and developments. There are significant themes that emerged. First,  has been a central force in the development in these areas as well as the succeeding presidents. Second is the spontaneous development which was realized from the period of 1964 to 1973 and the downturn was experienced on the onset of 1990s. Lastly, intensification of nation-building is therefore evident in the sound interplay between political, economic and social policies.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nursing Shortage

Nursing Shortage

Health care systems all over the world are struggling to meet the needs of the people who depend on them. One of the most serious challenges they face is the shortage of health care professionals such as nurses. In developed countries such as the United States, they periodically experience a shortage of nurses. This shortage is cause by the growing demand rather than the supply. On the other hand, developing countries experience shortage due to the lack of resources that impedes the training of nurses.

In recent years, both developed and developing countries have experienced significant shortages in the number of registered nurses due to the increase demand in the face of declining supply. Registered nurses represent the major occupational group in any health care system. In the United States there are approximately two million RNs employed. However, the demand for nurses had already exceeded the supply. This shortage is expected to grow to more than 275,000 by 2010 and to over 800,000 by 2020 (2006).

There are several factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Primarily, the ageing population in the US is increasing. The age group of 65+ is expected to grow from 13% to 20 % in between 2010 to 2030. Since this population uses an inconsistent amount of health care services, more nurses will be required to take care of them (2006).

Secondly, the supply of nurses has declined in relative terms. One of the reasons is that women who constitute 94% of the work force have more career opportunities now as compared from the past years. The nursing profession has experienced the influx of women during the 1960s until the 1970s.  Thereafter fewer women have entered the profession.  Consequently, the average age for RNs have risen and those middle aged nurses born during the ‘baby boom’ will retire from 2005-2010 (2003). This means that the experienced nurses are likely to retire at the time when the demand is escalating. About 25.1 percent of nurses are aged below 30 years in 1980. But in 2001, only 9.1% belongs to this age group ( 2006). Lastly, RNs are becoming more dissatisfied with their work. Stress is also causing them to leave their jobs.

More so, potential nurses are driven away from the profession due to the lack of budget. The College of Nursing in the University of Illinois reported a rise in the applications but the decrease in the school budget kept it from increasing its capacity. Among the courses offered by the school are undergraduate, graduate and doctoral nursing programs ( 2005). Another problem which is faced by most nursing schools is the lack of nursing educators.

Other developed countries are also experiencing the same. In Europe, nearly every country has nursing shortages. The Canadian Nurses Association estimated a deficit of 78,000 nurses by 2011 and is expected to grow to 113,000 by 2016. Australia has been able to fill only 60 percent of nursing positions in 2006. In Saudi Arabia, 54,000 positions are filled out of the 100,000. Saudi nurses constitute 1,000 while the remaining 53,000 is filled by nurses recruited abroad.

The situation is even more serious in developing countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2003, about 53% of nursing positions in the Caribbean are vacant. Trinidad and Tobago has not been able to fill almost half of its nursing positions. The Philippines had around 30,000 nursing vacancies in 2004. Malawi had a 28% filled positions. South Africa had over 32,000 nursing shortage in 2003. Collectively, the sub-Saharan African region has a shortage of 600,000 nurses (2006).

The reasons for this shortfall are different in the affluent countries from the less affluent ones. For most developing countries the problem lies on the lack of resources tin training the sufficient number of nurses. They have lesser training programmes and nursing educators. Aside from this, there is also the low pay and the unsatisfactory working conditions which make it difficult to encourage nurses into the profession. The lack of medical supplies, equipments, huge nurse-to-patient rations and epidemics such as HIV/AIDS contribute in making the profession extremely stressful among developing countries.

In addition to this, nursing jobs can be very dangerous.  The survey of nurses’ unions among 91 countries reveals that workplace violence is greater concern in developing than the developed countries. Aide form this, the exposure to highly contagious diseases reduces the number of nurses. Some are results of death and illnesses while others voluntarily withdraw from their jobs.  These factors cause nurses to migrate to other countries that offer better working conditions and higher pay and benefits. 

Even before, health care professionals are already migrating from developing countries to developed countries for better professional opportunities. This phenomenon have accelerated increasingly especially with the global shortage of nurses. The recruitment of nurses has become the main response to the shortage. They are recruited either for temporary and permanent positions. While this movement takes place between developed countries, most cases are from developing to developed countries. The most popular destinations for nurses are English speaking countries. In 2001, the United Kingdom has registered nurses from 95 countries. Around 43% of RNs that are registering in 2002-2003 are from abroad. The sub-Saharan countries of Africa as well as Australia, India and some Caribbean countries provide a large number of nurses to the United Kingdom (2006).

Similarly, the United States had begun recruiting foreign nurses to address the shortage. At present there are over 100,000 foreign nurses in the US mainly from the Philippines (50%) and Canada (20%).  The number of foreign nurses in the country has grown to about 200 percent since 1998 (2006). Fewer restrictions in the immigration have paved the way for a new market for recruiters that seek out solution to the shortage. According to the figures of the national council, about 16,490 foreign nurses passed the NCLEX in 2003 which almost doubled the figure in 2001 (2004).  

The aggressive recruitment of nurses from other countries undermines the supply of nurses in certain regions. For instance, United States have been steadily recruiting nurses form the Philippines over the past years. While this may help in addressing the shortage in the US, it can also be devastating to the country which was left behind. This indicates the loss of a country from the gain of the other. One way to address this dilemma is to work towards achieving an adequate nursing workforce worldwide. This could only happen if the working conditions are improved and the nursing image is enhanced to attract more people to the profession.

            There are a myriad ways in which hospitals and universities are responding to the crisis. The New York’s Columbia University, for instance, has offered a clinical practice doctorate program in nursing. This effort is directed in improving the continuance of health care while providing more possibilities for those in the profession. The Massachusetts General Hospital provided nursing graduates with a six months course in the intensive care unit which is once the domain for experienced nurses (2006). These efforts aim to encourage potential nurses into the profession.

            While the recruitment of foreign nurses serves as a viable option, there is still the need to train more American nurses to get out of the shortage. One way to encourage women to engage in training programs is by improving the working conditions in the profession. Nurses are often burn out and stress in their work causing them to leave their profession. Similarly those who want to enter the profession but are considering having their own family are discouraged due to the demanding nature of the job. The declining working condition is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The nurse-to-patient ratios must be set into a minimum to reduce the exhaustion of nurses. Also financial incentives can be awarded to those working in medically underserved areas. Indeed, there are a lot of alternatives that can be adopted to solve the shortage and countries need not rely on the global labor market alone.

Research Proposal on The Factors to Success of Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

The Factors to Success of Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

 

Introduction

Consumers could be considered as the fuel of any business venture. They are the ones who purchase the products and/or services of the firm Furthermore, consumers may choose particular products (brands) not only because these products provide the functional or performance benefits expected, but also because products can be used to express consumers’ personality, social status or affiliation (symbolic purposes) or to fulfill their internal psychological needs, such as the need for change or newness (emotional purposes) (Kim et al, 2002). With the changing consumer culture and practices, every competing firm necessitates appropriate knowledge on the factors that affect consumer buying behavior. 

There is an assortment of subjects that caters to consumer research for the past years like linking factors that affect consumer buying behavior with customer service and customer satisfaction, or the efficacy and persuasiveness of advertisement, and related subjects of marketing. In a restaurant or food industry, these subjects also take place, obviously because the variables that makes the process of buying and selling creates the opportunity for such instances to be possible. The rapid competition in the international business environment allows businesses to maximize all available resources in order to stay on top of the chosen industry. In this case, food outlets of Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes sold in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines are taken into empirical investigation.

 

 

Research Problem and Objectives

The requirement of competing businesses on the knowledge about factors that affect consumer buying behavior is necessary. With so many consumer-related research studies in the past as well as the changing consumer culture, it is essential to focus research topics on particular areas that deemed to be lack of up-to-date research to indicate what the precise needs of this segment with respect to food outlets of Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes and businesses. The purpose of this research is mainly to fill the gaps and contribute to the existing knowledge related to the subject of the study.

Primarily, this study aims to identify the success factors of food outlets that are selling Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes in Katipunan. The main problem is to find out what the most important factors consumers have in mind when this products i.e. brand name, taste, price, location, convenient, atmosphere, and others. Specifically, the research objectives include the following:

1.1.   Identify the common factors that affect consumers in buying Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes

1.2.   Find out the patters in consumer buying behaviors of university students

1.3.   Examine the overall experience provided by food outlets that are selling Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes in Katipunan.

 

Research Methodology

Population and Sample Size

The population of this research constitutes a total of 300 respondents. Such respondents are randomly selected but must be categorically attending higher education programmes (i.e. higher diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate) in a Katipunan area.

Survey Instrument

A structured attitude questionnaire using Likert scale (Barnett, 1991) is applied in the research. Informal interviews are also facilitated, if possible.

Data Collection

Data are gathered through survey method. This will serve as the primary source of data collection. Meanwhile, secondary data include related literature about the subject of the research. Since this is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, the researcher opted to access all potential sources and means of data collection so as to have variety and extensiveness.

Questionnaire Design

The initial questionnaire will be pilot tested among 20 university students who are spotted in the food outlets eating Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes. This is to ensure the maximum clarity of questions. Aside from demographic data, there are six (6) identified factors that affect consumer buying behavior and under them are (5) attitude statements in which they will indicate degree of agreement or disagreement.

Data Analysis

The researcher will use inferential statistics (through SPSS) in order to draw a concrete conclusion.  Inferential statistics is use to be able to know a population’s attribution through a direct observation of the chosen population or simply the sample. This is because it is easier to observe a portion or a part than observe the whole population.  However using a sample has also its own disadvantages; hence, there is a need to choose the most suitable sample from any population. Result of the study will be put in tables and graphs for easy understanding of the findings of the research.

 

References:

 

Barnett, V. (1991). Sample Survey principles and methods. London: Hodder.

Kim, J., Forsythe, S., Gu, Q. & Moon, S. J. (2002). Cross-cultural consumer values, needs and purchase behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 19(6), pp.481-502.

 

Does Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs Make a Difference for Elementary and Middle School Children?_Research Proposal

 

Does Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Programs Make a Difference for Elementary and Middle School Children?

 

Conflict resolution education programs provide students with a basic understanding of the nature of conflict, the dynamics of power and influence that operate in conflict, and the role of culture in how we see and respond to conflict. The programs are estimated to be in place in fifteen thousand to twenty thousand of our nation’s eighty-five thousand public schools. Several states, including Ohio, Oregon, New Mexico, and Indiana, have made significant progress on statewide implementation of conflict resolution education (2002; 2002;  2001).

 

Discusses the increased use of Peer Mediation programs to solve interpersonal conflicts in school settings in the past years. Provides three distinctive models of PM programs and discusses the stages generally necessary for developing a PM program. Describes two exemplary PM programs: an elementary school model and a middle school model. Describes school peer mediation as a mode of student conflict management to be used with elementary and middle school students. The background and theoretical assumptions underlying the model are explained, benefits to students and to the school are discussed, and training of staff and student peer mediators is described. A peer mediation process checklist is appended.

 

Indeed, peer mediation training program was conducted in three classrooms in a Midwestern, suburban, middle-class elementary school. Prior to the training program, frequent conflicts involving teasing, playground activities, academic work, and so on, were reported. Students seemed conditioned to look to the teacher for a solution to their conflicts because they did not have the procedures and interpersonal skills necessary to manage conflicts constructively. The training program was successful in dramatically reducing the number of conflicts referred to the teacher, teaching mediation procedures and skills, and generalizing the procedures and skills to use in students' lives outside of the classroom and school.

 

 

Concern about violence in schools has been increasing, and, correspondingly, conflict resolution and peer mediation training programs have been proliferating. These programs have been developed by researchers in the field of conflict resolution, advocates of nonviolence, anti-nuclear-war activists, and members of the legal profession. It is unknown, however, whether the programs are needed and whether or not they are effective. While there are numerous methodological and conceptual problems with the research on conflict resolution and peer mediation programs, the current evidence indicates that conflicts among students do occur frequently in schools, untrained students by and large use conflict strategies that create destructive outcomes by ignoring the importance of their ongoing relationships, conflict resolution and peer mediation programs do seem to be effective in teaching students integrative negotiation and mediation procedures; after training, students tend to use these conflict strategies, which generally leads to constructive outcomes and students’ success in resolving their conflicts constructively tends to result in reducing the numbers of student-student conflicts referred to teachers and administrators which tends to reduce suspensions.

 

There was a peer mediation program in a Midwestern, suburban school was examined to determine the types of conflicts that occurred, the strategies students used to resolve their conflicts, and the types of resolutions in both school and home settings. The impact of the peer mediation program on the strategies used to manage conflicts and the resolutions of conflicts are examined. The role of mediator was rotated equally among all class members. Data can be gathered over a week period before, during, and after the peer mediation training and significant difference between the types of conflict occurring in the school and in the home was found. The training had significant impact on the strategies students used and the resulting resolutions. Research should concentrate more on longitudinal analysis, there are students who are potentially affected for life, with only short-term assessments of their experiences. The need to develop ways of assessing the big questions about attainment of community, social justice, and caring environments. There must discontinue the emphasis on focusing on segments schools that have a variety of potentially synergistic initiatives. Research goals and designs should be more focused on explaining the systems and components and studying their interaction, partial, and cumulative effects. But even with the need for more research, it is clear that the programs have great deal to offer children. The evidence supports conclusion (2000) indicated that development in conflict resolution education and social-emotional learning skills is so critical to the education of children that we must actively support infusion of this instruction throughout each child’s educational experience, both in school and at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES

As a person with knowledge of safety management in construction, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy formation regarding safety management and at times fails to understand the reasons or logic behind certain strategic implementations imposed on it.

By delving into this project paper, the author intends to have better insights into how construction safety legislation policies are thought up, formulated and then imparted down into the key stakeholders. The author hopes to have an in-depth understanding as to how the construction safety management policies enables Hong Kong to compete effectively and profitably in this era of internationalization where competition is extremely intense.

In order to reinforce the learning objectives, two key focal issues were focused upon, i.e. innovation and diversity. Innovation was discussed with regards to construction safety management within Hong Kong where it was renowned for its developmental capabilities to constantly innovate. Diversity came under strategic thinking and formation as the author considered the diverse culture, political climate, economic surroundings, social environment, technological settings, government policies and legal systems in order to have a better understanding of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong.

EXECUTIVE BRIEF

This essay utilized the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong as the model legislative policy to review its present construction site safety management and how it dealt with critical situations. From the analysis, key trends in its construction site safety management were identified, how it worked and its effectiveness in dealing with critical situations was ascertained. The paper then moved on to assess its component construction site safety management strategies with regard to its suitability to critical situations, during which the internal capabilities of these safety management strategies in relation to the strategy being followed by most construction firms in Hong Kong was determined also. An overall analysis of the performance and effectiveness of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong was also conducted to assess and compare the capabilities of its construction site safety management strategies with those of others. Gaps in its construction site safety management capabilities were then identified.

Finally, several choices of strategies to improve the construction site safety management of most Hong Kong construction firms as effective means in critical situations were recommended and evaluated in terms of appropriateness to the issues reviewed, feasibility in carrying out the options and acceptability within the key stakeholders and decision makers. Several key implementation issues related to managing strategic change were also addressed as well.

INTRODUCTION

Construction site safety management can be defined as the efficient and effective implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the safety of a construction firm's employees and management. Construction safety management focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services within construction sites (Bernold et al. 1993).

More often than not, small companies don't really have the capabilities to implement construction site safety management. Instead, these companies engage in activities that various schools of management typically associate with construction safety management. These activities include the inspection of construction sites, construction materials assessment, production and distribution.

However, construction site safety management deals with all operations done within construction firms and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with construction site safety management. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, construction site safety management includes the analysis and management of internal processes (Blackmon et al. 1995).

The Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong will be the model legislative policy that will be used in this research based on its good background in construction safety management.

Elements of the Code of Practice for Site Safety Supervision

Safety Management Structure and Responsibilities of Relevant Personnel

A. Technically Competent Persons (TCPs)

Technically Competent Persons (TCPs) identified in the Code include four (4) different individuals: the Authorized Signatory (AS), the Authorized Person (AP), the Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) and the Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE). They have responsibilities in communications, recordkeeping as well as construction safety operations scheduling. The Code of Hong Kong empowers these personnel to apply their technical knowledge in their respective fields of expertise for the safety of the construction sites. By doing so, the government of Hong Kong maintains a high level of standard regarding the safety and security of all construction sites within Hong Kong. However, certain criteria for qualifications in accordance with the Code of Hong Kong will have to be followed so as to make sure that the best and only the highly qualified ones are selected. This process will also allow the process of training to be unified, which will significantly bring down training costs.

It is interesting to know the basic innate characteristics of the TCPs involved in construction site safety management which contribute towards the development of their effective image.

·        Mental Stability

Mental stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of the correct decision as well as in the construction site safety management and development of the processes accompanying it. It is important for the TCPs to remain updated with the latest developments in the construction sites to be able to stay aware and knowledgeable in all safety management issues.

·        Performance and Credibility

The production of their best construction site safety management outputs comes as a result of well-funded construction site safety management and development activities. The strong performance of their safety and security measures in the construction sites could also be linked to the effective strategic planning and human resource mobilization of the TCPs. Thus, the TCPs’ credibility increases as their performance becomes better.

·        Construction Site Safety Planning and Strategy Formation Capabilities

Construction site safety management planning and strategy formation nowadays has created the need for TCPs to become aggressive especially in the area of marketing themselves. This is because the access to strong distribution channels is critical for their continued existence.

·        Decision-making abilities.

Upon arriving at the correct decision or choice, the TCPs now gains confidence in their ability to make critical construction site safety decisions or choices especially when their integrity is on the line. Thus, the TCPs will now search for even more challenges and opportunities where they could further enhance their decision-making abilities regarding construction site safety management issues.

·        Holistic Mindset of Construction Site Safety Management Issues

Through the exposure to various puzzling construction site safety management issues, the TCPs along the process are able to develop a holistic mindset regarding the construction site safety management issues surrounding them. The TCPs now become a keen observer of the truths and lies surrounding the issue being tackled, instead of relying on mere hearsays. The continuous pursuit of the truth behind the puzzling construction site safety management issues enables the TCPs to consistently practice and enhance a healthy and holistic mindset which makes it difficult for detractors to give influence. Because of this holistic approach, the TCPs are able to effectively select the right choice and continue to maximize this potential for future use.

The four (4) TCPs are the following:

The Authorized Signatory (AS) refers to the individual designated by the registered contractor to perform his / her duties and functions for the purposes of the Buildings Ordinance, and given power by the contractor to act on his behalf to gain total control of the contractor’s construction site safety management structure for the project.

The Authorized Personnel (AP) refers to the individual designated by the Code to routinely inspect and satisfy, in accordance with the supervision plan, that the contractor’s construction site safety management system is congruent with the part of the supervision plan prepared by the Authorized Signatory.

The Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) refers to the individual empowered by the Code to perform construction site structural engineering data assessment, evaluations and design calculations, concrete and steel structure design, confirmation of construction site frameworks, and even construction site cost evaluations. They will also perform the revising of construction site drawings, preparation of analyzed calculations as well as report preparation, technical reports and other documents. They will sometimes become the leader of individual construction site teams, where they will be tasked to mobilize their project staff. Together with other TCPs, they conduct ocular construction site inspection and observation.

The Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE) refers to the individual tasked by the Code to do the routine task of applying geotechnical engineering techniques, procedures & principles on a wide variety of construction site safety management projects. This TCP typically has an excellent background in construction site mechanics, shallow and deep construction site foundations, earth structures, construction site materials calibration, construction site monitoring and evaluation.

B. Purchasing and Buying of Safe and High Quality Construction Materials

Buyers and purchasing agents are tasked to evaluate construction material suppliers on the basis of price, quality and service support. They review catalogs as well as the construction industry and company publications in order to help them in their search for the right construction material suppliers. Fortunately for them, a majority of this information can be easily accessed in the Internet. They also do some researching about the reputation and background of the construction material suppliers and may also do some advertisements regarding the foreseen purchase actions in the hope of soliciting bids. At meetings and conferences, they perform the examination of construction material products as a safety precaution, the evaluation of the productive and distributive capabilities of the construction material suppliers, and the discussion of business considerations that have the possibility of influencing the construction material purchasing decision. As soon as all valuable information about the construction material suppliers is gathered, the placement of construction material orders and contracts are started to be awarded to those construction material suppliers who are able to meet the needs of the purchasers. The typical contracts range for several years and may even have the stipulations of the range of construction material prices, which would allow the purchasers to reorder whenever necessary (Dulaimi et al. 1999).

In the Code of Hong Kong, however, there is a clear distinction between the work of a buyer and that of a purchasing manager. Purchasing agents and buyers focus mainly on the daily purchasing tasks. They specialize in construction materials. Purchasing agents perform the tracking of the conditions of the construction materials for safety, trends in their prices, as well as the future of the markets. Purchasing managers, on the other hand, are in charge of the more complex and critical construction material purchases and handles a team of purchasing agents.

C. Production Safety Planning

Production safety planning is a necessary function indicated in the Code. In most construction companies this process is often very difficult because of the fast rate of change and the occurrences of unplanned events. Most companies also use several methodologies depending on what the situation demands and the price of the construction materials. Nevertheless, the objectives of the production safety planning do not change: efficiency, effectiveness and safety (Everett, 1999).

Production safety planning is being implemented by the Code in order for its activities and resources to be coordinated over time. This enables the construction firm to achieve overall safety in all of its operations with minimal resource utilization. Production safety planning also enables the construction firm to monitor the progress of their safety plans at regular intervals and maintain their control over operations. Production safety planning according to the Code involves four elements: scheduling, labor safety planning, equipment safety planning, and cost planning.

• Scheduling involves the specification of the beginning, the length or the duration, and end of the planned activities geared towards achieving overall safety within the construction site.
• Labor safety planning involves allocating the necessary personnel and delegation of responsibilities and resources to ensure the overall safety of all construction workforces.
• Equipment safety planning involves identifying the types and needs in terms of safety of the equipments being used in the construction site.
• Cost planning involves determining the costs and the possibility of their occurrence in terms of achieving the overall safety within the construction site.

D. Construction Site Safety Analysis

The occurrence of construction site safety analysis within the construction sites of Hong Kong reflects the growing difficulty in the management of most Hong Kong construction firms that require the safe use of valuable construction resources such as money, materials, equipments, and people. This is perhaps the reason why construction site safety analysis is being emphasized in the Code in order to determine the most effective ways to coordinate these resources through the application of analytical methods derived from fields of studies such as mathematics, science, and engineering in order to create the safest construction site possible.

Through this process, safety concerns and problems within construction sites are solved in different ways and alternative solutions are then relayed to the construction firm’s management concerned. The management then selects the appropriate course of action in line with their goals. More often than not, construction site safety analysis is concerned with complicated issues such as top-level construction safety strategy, construction safety resource allocation, and designing of production facilities and systems for construction site safety (Gans, 1981).

Construction site safety analysis actually may vary according to the structures and philosophy of the construction firm. But according to the Code, it centralizes construction site safety analysis in one department. Construction site safety analysis may also have the possibility of working closely with top level construction site managers in order to identify and solve a variety of safety problems.

No matter what the type or structure of the construction company is, construction site safety analysis operates under similar sets of methodologies in order to carry out the analysis to support the construction company’s goal to improve the overall safety of its construction sites. The process is started by the description of the symptoms of a construction safety problem, followed by the formal definition of the problem. For example, a construction site safety analyst might be questioned regarding the most effective safety precaution for every needed part on a production line. Also, the analyst might be asked to determine the optimal number of emergency tools needed to be kept in inventory (Garza et al. 1998).

E. Construction Site Engineering

The Engineering Department of the construction site determines the best ways to utilize its basic factors of production in the safest ways possible. These resources include the construction site’s people, materials, information, and energy needed in the production. Engineering is the bridge that links the goals of management and safe operational performance. They are concerned with the increase in productivity through the proper management of people and choosing the appropriate methods of construction site organization while maintaining a high level of safety (Hammer, 1989).

According to the Code, the construction site’s engineers perform the careful analysis of the construction site’s materials and their requirements as a safety precaution. In this process, they make use of various mathematical methods in its operations research to meet the requirements. They also develop systems of management control in order to aid in the planning of safety precautions and measures in cases of emergency situations. These systems are eventually subjected to improvements for the effective implementation of the safety plans of the construction site.

The construction site’s engineers perform the tedious task of selecting which among the various construction site locations have the best combination of raw construction materials availability and safe environment. This time, engineers make use of computers for simulations and robots for controlling various activities and devices. They also are in charge of the development of systems and programs for safety.

Critical Construction Site Safety Management Improvement Factors

For Hong Kong construction sites to become effectively safe, the following construction site safety management improvement factors are critical:

·        Financial Stability

Financial stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of construction site safety management and development activities. In the construction industry, it is important to remain updated with the latest construction site safety management developments to be able to stay competitive in the market.

·        Construction Materials Performance and Price

The safety of the construction sites is dependent on well-funded construction safety management and development activities. The safety of the construction sites could also be linked to their cost-effectiveness. However, the construction firm has to be aware of the positioning in terms of process so as to maintain satisfactory profits margin and remain competitive in the market.

·        Safety Strategy and Implementation

High construction site safety awareness among the clients has created the need for aggressive lobbying of safety policies, and access to strong distribution channels is critical for the introduction of new safety precautions.

Benefits of Efficient Construction Site Safety Management

·        Economies of Scale and Scope in manufacturing and construction site management and development.

·        Unique Quality Construction Sites owing to heavy emphasis on Construction Site Safety Management

A construction company’s commitment to construction site safety management & development activities has always been one of the top strategies to remain competitive in the construction market (Hinze et al. 1995)      

·        Differentiated Construction Site Safety Strategies

Through the production and establishment of different safety strategies originating from the construction site safety management and development activities, the construction company is able to create its own firm-specific advantages. The continuous pursuit of construction site management and development processes enables the company to produce a steady stream of originally different construction site safety strategies which makes it difficult for competitors to find substitutes. Because of this differentiated approach, the construction company is able to strengthen their construction sites, which enables them in turn to maximize the returns on construction site safety management and development expenditures.

SYNTHESIS

Deriving from the analysis between the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong, operations management and capabilities of the winery involved, many strategic options would become imperative. It is therefore essential to evaluate these strategic options as to whether they are appropriate to the issues addressed, whether they are feasible enough to be implemented and their acceptability to key stakeholders.

There is definitely a need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in capabilities of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong. While the code’s construction site safety management involves focusing on its core competencies with construction site position following its resource base, the construction firms of Hong Kong that will follow this will be put into a disadvantageous position should they choose to neglect both the macro as well as the construction environment. Therefore, construction firms in Hong Kong have to be aware of the latest construction site safety management changes, as well as changes in political, economic, legal and even demographic trends in order to develop the outside-in capabilities, such as market sensing, customer linking, channel bonding and technology monitoring (Kartman, 1997).

The advantages enjoyed by most Hong Kong construction firms may come in the form of increased revenues. Knowing what the market demands and the latest construction site safety trends could help these construction firms fully exploit their research and development capabilities to come out with construction site safety strategies and measures which are not only cost-effective but also high in quality. The strategic option can even be used as marketing tool where the focus is on staying close to the construction firm’s clients and listening to their feedbacks. On the flip side of the coin, there will be huge mobilization of resources involved, and the associated risks bestowed on the construction firms of Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, the mentioned strategic option seems the most practical in the wake of globalization, since there is a sudden shift towards a more integrated and independent construction industry in Hong Kong. The key stakeholders too should not have any objections so long as the construction firm’s core business and construction site safety strategies are not threatened. By virtue of most Hong Kong construction firms’ centralized control of their construction site safety strategies, it is being expected that major barriers should not exist in carrying out such an option except additional time may be required given the scope and span of the construction firm’s operations.

Understanding the strategic importance of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong is something that all construction firms have to be familiar with. Construction firms in Hong Kong normally practice a centralized and globally scaled configuration of construction site safety operations and capabilities. This allows information dissemination to be retained.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A tie-up or merger with various local construction firms in Hong Kong offers tremendous benefits in terms of access to their construction site safety management policies, infrastructure and even their resources. However, every independent construction firm must not lose sight of their core competencies while pursuing these tie-ups. Otherwise, the image of every construction firm in Hong Kong might be put in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the collaboration of construction firms in Hong Kong with their major competitors can be seen as a ridiculous move at first.  However, upon close examination, this move could pave the way for Hong Kong construction firms to improve even more their construction site safety management policies and strategies. The bottom line is both sides would be able significantly gain in such an alliance. Hong Kong construction firms’ strengths in construction site development combined with the construction site safety management capabilities of their competitors can transform them suddenly into an unbeatable force to reckon with. One possible setback, however, is the differences in the cultures of the construction firms involved. Another possible setback could be whether any of Hong Kong construction firm’s competitors has the need to form alliances.

The third option also focuses on alliances, but this time with either one of the leading organizations specializing in construction site safety management. The benefits of these alliances should outweigh the costs in the long run.

In terms of appropriateness, all three options are able to directly address the current issues mentioned. However, the question remains whether construction firms in Hong Kong could be able to implement any of these options, and whether these options can be acceptable to the key stakeholders. Any merger or alliances may also involve the sharing of expertise. Hong Kong construction firms have traditionally relied on the inside-out approach. It is important to note that any merger transactions would have many implications on the construction firm’s values and culture as well as the resources. The key stakeholders definitely would be concerned with such options and need to be convinced of the positive aspects. Somehow, Hong Kong construction firms will be able to overcome this barrier in managing strategic changes in the process of implementing any of the above mentioned strategic options.

CONCLUSION

The results of the analysis carried out on the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong indicated very significant effects, even amidst the threats of unrest. Therefore, we could conclude that this Code could still be expected to improve faster than average.

The review of the Code’s construction site safety management capabilities and resources revealed very little inconsistencies regarding the strategies of most Hong Kong construction firms. This is coherent with their traditional inside-out approach. However, the need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in approaches becomes imperative now for these construction firms.

The analysis among the Hong Kong construction industry environment as well as the construction site safety management and capabilities of their construction firms revealed certain gaps, most of which are biased towards the environment. However, these gaps paved the way towards determining a number of recommended strategic options to secure the competitiveness of these construction firms.

Also, the construction firms of Hong Kong have to find a balance between adherence to internal forces within the management and to the changing forces of the environment in order to implement such strategic construction site safety options.