Barriers and Facilitators to Veterans’ Transition to Civilian Work Force in Lawton, Oklahoma
More than 200,000 Armed Forces veterans retire annually because of harsh battleground experiences in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq (Robertson, 2013). However, a majority of veterans find it considerably difficult to transition into society and live effectively with the rest of the civilian community. According to Baert and Balcaen (2013), 66% of veterans leaving the military report having a challenging time transitioning to the civilian work force. Furthermore, Worthen and Ahern (2014) establish that approximately two-thirds of armed forces veterans are faced with numerous challenges.
These challenges make some individuals give up on integrating successfully into the society moreso the civilian work force. Empirical literature demonstrating disconnects between military experience and the civilian labor market exists. This indicates that their transition is limited by various factors including veteran stereotyping that associates veterans with post-traumatic disorder, mental illness and addictions, inability to translate job experiences from the military to the civilian environment and civilian work force and limited knowledge of human resource professionals on hiring and retaining veterans (Iran and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 2011; Lampka & Kowalewski, 2017).
In addition, veterans’ skewed view of the civilian work force makes it difficult for them to effectively transition. According to Lampka and Kowalewski (2017), veterans often lack adequate preparation for a transition to new jobs, suffer from culture shock due to changes in the environment, are incapable of transferring their skills to the new job, and lack knowledge in the search for civilian jobs. This calls for the development of strategies that will ensure that veterans can effectively reintegrate into the civilian work force and contribute to nation building as civilians.
Transition to civilian work force
This study will explore how Army veterans can effectively transition into the civilian work force in Lawton, Oklahoma, and effectively live with the rest of the civilian community. This chapter will provide an introduction to the topic and hence set the pace for the research. Secondly, it will provide an overview of the literature concerning the transition of Army veterans into the civilian work force. It will also determine the scope of study by identifying the population of study, what will be studied and the expected outcomes of the research.
The ever-rising number of the population of service men and women leaving the military and rejoining the community results in an increase in the number of veterans in our society (Andrew, 2017). In 2015, the Veteran Administration reported that 21 million adults in the U.S population were veterans. This number translates to about 7% of the civilian population in the U.S that is non-institutional (Chalabi, 2015).
Additionally, Chalabi also asserts that more veterans have been employed since 2014 shown by the reduced number of unemployed veterans. Most civilians do not understand the magnitude of the challenge that civilians face in the transition back into civilian life. A transition is an event that results in a change which affects a person’s routines, habits, and relationships (Anderson & Goodman, 2014). One of the most famous transitions in the America society is the transition of military veterans to civilian life (Anderson & Goodman, 2014). Transition, just like all forms of change, causes anxiety or stress to the veterans (Anderson & Goodman, 2014).
Anderson & Goodman (2014) noted that the biggest source of frustration for veterans during their transition is the adaptation from the structured military atmosphere to the less structured civilian atmosphere. This is because the change calls for a change in attitude and mentality which create a wide range of emotional demands for the veteran. It is evident that to join the civilian workforce after a military career can be both stressful and exciting time.
The operations and the culture of the civilian work force may significantly differ from military career experiences. Therefore, it is essential for the retired military personnel to be patient as they adjust in new civilian positions, co-workers and work environment. The everyday workplace stressors include the feeling of disconnected. Retired military personnel may occasionally feel disconnected when working with people who never had military experience
References
Anderson, M., Goodman, J., (2014). From military to civilian life: Applications of Schlossberg model for veterans in transitions. Career planning and adult development journal
Chalabi, M. (2015). What percentage of Americans have served in the military. FiveThirtyEight. com.
Contreras, C. G. (2011). What is occupational therapy’s role in the transition of returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Master’s and Doctoral Projects, Paper 155. Retrieved from http://utdr.utoledo.edu/graduate-projects/155[Accessed on March 22, 2016].
Safety Standards in Product Design Goals of Ethical Companies
Safety regulatory measures and policies are often considered basic tenets and requirements in product design that ethical organizations put into place to ensure that their products comply with the stated standards. As consumers increasingly turn out to be dependent on engineered products, the element of product safety and liability has turned out to be of global significance. As imbued in several companies, the ethicality of product safety and accountability is addressed by considering global trade standards and practices. The scope of product design as highlighted in design research and practice has successively changed – from a focus on material aspects to a focus on the intangible, from functions to pleasure, from goods to services and values
In this regard, organizations need to ensure that they prioritize the adherence to these measures and requirements by ensuring that their products meet the enshrined safety standards (Langerman, 2015). Meeting the established safety precautions or standards remains an essential aspect of product design; however, it is insufficient. Familiarity with the foundations and principles of the utilitarian model of ethics reveals that to underscore an action as ethical requires one to determine whether an action maximizes the highest level of positive outcomes for several people while on the other hand minimizing all the adverse outcomes to the least number.
As provided in this case, ensuring that an organization’s product meets the established safety standards may yield the highest favorable outcomes for consumers and minimize the negative repercussions that may pose a threat to the lives of the consumers. According to Langerman (2015), ethical organizations before engaging in launching their products often ensure that pilot tests are conducted several to ensure that they meet the prescribed safety and precautionary measures. However, it is essential to establish that it is often challenging for firms to conduct a 360-degree inquiry or research on their products.
Therefore, this creates the rationale behind faulty products, posing a need for an organization to ensure that products meet and satisfy the needs of the customers (Langerman, 2015).Arguably, meeting safety measures may not be sufficient in product design. Product safety professionals in light of this hold on to more profound convictions regarding the importance of ensuring that the consumers and their companies are provided with the best efforts that support the design, manufacturing, and distribution of products considered safe for consumption.
Specific Stories that would make Doug’s Presentation Interesting: Doug, as provided in this case, may consider including the case of Ford in ensuring that his presentation is appealing or attractive. As provided in Ford’s current operations and planning, it is established that the organization sort after measures driven towards launching their lightweight automobile that was incredibly affordable in price for the consumers. The company president provided specifications that the designers were required to adhere to in the unit’s production.
In other words, the production unit needed to have ensured that the Pinto weighed 2000 pounds and would cost consumers close to $2000 and other related expenses such as advertisements. However, this unit’s production was met with a flaw following the lack of compliance with the federal safety standards established for the production of such a model (Tidwell, 2000). One of the significant problems that were sighted was in regards to the fuel tank that was prone to rapturing when the car was at maximum speed. This occurred following an investigation that occurred after a dreadful accident that left six occupants in the vehicle dead after the rapturing and explosion of the fuel tank.
Doug would resort to the application of the principle of universalism. According to this principle, the authority of an ethical standard is mainly determined by the level in which a concern or an act treats people, supporting the claim that moral principles often hold for all people and not merely for a section of individuals (Tidwell, 2000). From the tests conducted on this automobile, it was later evident that Ford was in full awareness that its vehicle’s gasoline tank was faulty and prone to explode when the cars were at top speed or its rear collided.
Given this, the company failed to recall these units to correct the situation and was unable to warn the consumers on the effects of the car. Therefore, it reveals that safety measures and standards are ethically vital in organizations, establishing the essence of compliance.
Product Design Goals of Ethical Companies: Likely Possibilities from the Case
As provided in the case above, there are several likelihoods regarding the safety standards of ethical companies’ product design goals. Firstly, ethical organizations may resort to ensuring that their ethical practices are connected to their corporate social responsibilities. Therefore, this establishes that ethical organizations owe their customers, employees, the community, and their shareholders’ safety. These remain fundamental in the fulfillment of their corporate obligations and sustainability.
Utilitarianism provides a straightforward approach that organizations may use to arrive at moral decisions that weigh the cause of their actions in specific situations (Tidwell, 2000). To determine what organizations need to do in cases, such as that of Ford, there is a need first to underpin the courses of their actions. Secondly, organizations may need to determine the foreseeable benefits and consequences of each of their actions for the highest number of people affected.
Lastly, firms may resort to the choice of actions that may provide the greatest of all benefits after taking consideration of the involved costs. In a nutshell, the ethicality of product safety and accountability is addressed by considering global trade standards and practices that guide and provide frameworks that organizations need to follow.
References
Eryılmaz, E. (2016). Applied Ethics: The Secular and Utilitarian Approach. Turkish Journal of Business Ethics, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.12711/tjbe.2016.9.0011r
In today’s business environment, obtaining well-planned and flawlessly executed marketing strategies is vital for prosperity, attracting, and retaining more customers.
Marketing strategies
Marketing Strategies
In today’s business environment, obtaining well-planned and flawlessly executed marketing strategies is vital for prosperity, attracting, and retaining more customers. Although marketers have, in the recent past, shifted to one-to-one strategies, Nunes & Merrihue (2007) argue that such approaches may be insufficient. Their insufficiency is based on the fact that they require a considerable upfront investment, including implementing software applications for managing customer relations. Additionally, Nunes & Merrihue (2007) indicated that such marketing approaches are time-consuming and necessitate coordination of multiple parts of the organization.
These requirements can be daunting for companies that seek to remain highly reactive to a rapidly changing environment and have been associated with disappointing results due to improper integration of their use with the corporate strategy (Nunes & Merrihue, 2007). Nonetheless, several alternative solutions exist that may boost company sales, feature product value, and facilitate a brand’s growth. Among these solutions are mass marketing strategies that companies should use to grab the attention of the customers.
The first mass marketing strategy that companies should use in grabbing the consumers’ attention entails leveraging social media and other online platforms. Using social media and online marketing platforms, companies would have an environment in which they share pictures and videos regarding their products and further engage their customers through comments and feedback. This engagement with customers would foster building brand loyalty and further elevate customer service (Indeed Career Guide, 2020). For instance, by posting videos of the production process and images of the finished product, companies would grab the consumers’ attention and urge them to check out other varieties available in their outlets in distinct locations
Close to social media marketing, blogging would serve as a second strategy suitable for organically attracting customers online and delivering high-quality and educational content. Companies should provide relevant content/details to help their customers make appropriate buying decisions or learn about other services offered.
Similarly, guest blog writers may be featured to authenticate and confirm the value of the products offered within a specific company (Indeed Career Guide, 2020). Alternatively, companies can write posts that address questions from the most technical to the most fundamental issues and showcase practical answers for their readers. For instance, when introducing a new product/solution to the market, a company may write a blog, including pictures and videos, on how it works and the problems it is intended to address.
SEO Marketing Strategies
The third option that may be appropriate for mass marketing in today’s business environment entails applying and maximizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO). When consumers search online for a specific product, keywords and phrases facilitate locating the item, availability, price, and other relevant information. Therefore, companies should ensure that their websites or product pages feature keywords and phrases that place them in the first few pages of search engines such as Google.
The effective use of keywords in their website or product page would suffice to answer the consumers’ inquiries, provide test titles that pique user’s interests, offer comprehensive material, and further inform the audience about more products or details (Indeed Career Guide, 2020). For instance, a company selling a unique beauty product online should use specific keywords in creating content about the item, which allows consumers to learn about its availability, uses, price, and other relevant details.
Even though other unique and equally effective mass marketing strategies exist, these three approaches would play a fundamental role in reaching a large population of potential consumers and retaining them based on their customer service contentment.
National Appliance Inc Logistics Case Analysis. According to Marchet, Melacini, Perotti, & Tappia (2016), correlations exist between organizational internationalization choices and logistics operations.
Logistics Case Analysis
National Appliance Inc Logistics Case Analysis
According to Marchet, Melacini, Perotti, & Tappia (2016), correlations exist between organizational internationalization choices and logistics operations. Expressly, the authors point out that logistics serve as crucial enablers for company internationalization, which further contributes to a significant increase in logistics network complexity. Today, society is characterized by an increased demand for flexibility and speed, which require organizations to understand that their logistics strategy serves as a vital aspect of the overall operations and further contributes to achieving corporate objectives (Marchet, Melacini, Perotti, & Tappia, 2016).
In this case, National Appliance Inc has been operational for the past 35 years. During the past 15 years, they have experienced increased growth in their share of the products due to the provision of high-quality products at lower prices. This growth has been coupled with vertical integration in the company’s supply and marketing channels. Nonetheless, the company’s expansion into an international market, Paris, is characterized by various strengths and limitations, especially in logistics planning.
More precisely, the strengths associated with Mr. Reard’s international transportation plan include vast experience and considerable expertise in domestic transport management and logistics. These essential components have been acquired through the company’s successful transportation of their products domestically for the past 15 years, contributing to a significant reduction of transportation costs (Li & Sun, 2014).
Additionally, the plan formulated by Mr. Reard portrays strength based on the control and close monitoring of transportation activities via trucks, which allow him to remain in close contact with the drivers. As a result, this strategy fosters increased flexibility in services and the employment rate for many drivers. Besides, potential delays in truck transportation can be quickly addressed than other modes of transportation. Simultaneously, shipment of goods internationally from New Jersey to LeHavre, France, could significantly reduce transportation costs for the company compared to airplanes (Cook, 2016).
Conversely, Mr. Reard’s plan is characterized by several weaknesses that include a considerable distance between the United States and Paris. If the products are transported via shipping, they will take at least four weeks to reach the destination. As a result, the costs incurred during this period would significantly increase the lead times, ultimately affecting its price. Specifically, transportation of the finished products from the different plants, Memphis, Minneapolis, and Omaha, would significantly increase the costs and contribute to long lead times (Cook, 2016).
Besides, hiring an international transportation manager to take charge of Paris operations would lead to increased costs as he/she would demand a high salary. These shortcomings are coupled with the fact that Mr. Reard and his staff lack the necessary international experience and may thus be ill-equipped to prepare the plan.
An alternative plan that should be presented to Ms. Jameson entails:
Establishing a central hub between the three plants to facilitate management and assortment of the products and direct dispatched to New Jersey port to minimize the transportation costs and ensuring quality
Use rail transportation as the most reliable, timely, less costly, and risky mode in Europe for bulk products
Shift to shipment of the products from New Jersey to LeHavre, France, coupled with the relevant insurance before dispatching of the goods
Avoid hiring a transportation manager since it is not elaborately established whether doing business with the Paris distributor is on a contractual or regular basis
Engagement management in laying out the operational terms between the Paris distributor and National Appliance Inc
Visual Representation
Logistics visual representation
National Appliance Inc Logistics Case Analysis Conclusion
As a justification for the strategy applied in Mr. Reard’s case, the international transportation plan formulated above focuses on cost reduction and the maintenance of quality and timely delivery of the company products to the end-user. Essentially, the central hub established will play a pivotal role in ensuring accuracy through the assortment and management of the products before they are dispatched to the New Jersey/New York plant.
This way, the lead time will be significantly reduced, and the goods meant for transportation to Paris will be readily available, fostering timely delivery to the final consumer. Nevertheless, this strategy harbors some shortcomings based on risks and losses associated with railway transportation. Additionally, in case of potential delays, accidents, or power outages, monitoring the transportation of goods becomes a challenge and can deter other sectors of the logistics and transportation process. Contrastingly, using trucks to transport goods may be effective but take more time.
References
Cook, T. A. (2016). Managing growth and expansion into global markets: logistics, transportation, and distribution. CRC Press.
Li, X., & Sun, X. (2014). Operations Management of Logistics and Supply Chain: Issues and Directions. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/701938
Marchet, G., Melacini, M., Perotti, S., & Tappia, E. (2016). Shaping the international logistics strategy in the internationalisation process. International Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Resilience, 2(1), 72. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijscor.2016.075914
The case has to establish the compensation for traumatic stress as a result of death caused by negligence of a careless driver. The rules are very clear pertaining to this case. The question is whether the driver of the car is answerable to problem of traumatic stress that is being experienced by the three individuals. The other issue is whether the driver owed the victims the duty of care. The tort principles of negligence can therefore be applied in this case since the drivers conduct was that of negligence hence generated traumatic stress and that the illness was not farfetched when we apply the Wagon Mound test.
The rules therefore requires the complainants to have suffered traumatic stress that is easily recognized and if the victim is a secondary complainant, then should have suffered from shock, the traumatic stress should have been foreseen that the complainant would eventually suffer from traumatic stress as a result of the negligence and that the stress can heal if it was as a result of fear of physical injury to himself. The victim ought to prove that the suffering is as a result of traumatic stress. Very minor stresses like grief are not accepted in the court. In most cases the cases that have been listened to include reactive stresses and also stresses after a trauma. The evidence from the expert is also important in order to prove that the complainant has really been affected.
Damages are in general only recoverable where the recognized psychiatric illness was shock-induced. What is required is “a sudden assault on the nervous system or “the sudden appreciation of a horrifying event, which violently agitates the mind .The law does not in general provide recovery for psychiatric illness brought about by an accumulation of more gradual assaults upon the nervous system. A person who has had to cope with the deprivation consequent upon a bereavement,20 a spouse who has been worn down by caring for an injured husband or wife, and a parent made distraught by the wayward conduct of a brain-damaged child are not able to claim for psychiatric illness suffered as a result.
In the case of Hinz and Berry, the court of appeal entertained a case in the award of 40000 Euros as a compensation for psychiatric stresses. Lord Pearson came up with five reasons why he thought the victim was stressed up. One is sorrow and mourning the loss of the husband, worry about the well being of the children, stresses about money due to the death of the sole bread winner, adjusting to a new way of life and also shock as a result of watching the accident happen. Lord stated that only the issue of witnessing the accident take place qualifies to be compensated since the stresses could not have taken place if the victim did not witness the accident happen.
Those who come to rescue the individuals involved in an accident are also protected under the law in case of any injury as a result of drivers negligence. As with the case of Cardozo J in Wagner v International Railway Co. It is stated that when an accident occurs, automatically rescuers have to come. The law therefore protects this type of reaction which is natural. The law states that this form of reaction is very normal. The law therefore protects them so as not to discourage their actions.
In the case of Chadwick v British railway’s the principle equally applied to the traumatic stresses that came after. This application was eventually approved by Lord Wilberforce in Mcloughlin. The extent to which this law applies is illustrated in Rapley V P 6.10 European Ferries.
The victims therefore ought to receive compensation since their lives have completely changed as a result of the traumatic stress/psychiatric stress. The rescues is well protected under the law. Further, the family member is also considered as a beneficiary since they witnessed the accident taking place hence traumatic stress/psychiatric stress.
Psychiatric stress Case Study 2a
The moment one agrees to offer advice to another party, a special relationship is established since he is relied upon for special guidance. The person therefore assumes the responsibility of advice. When a court is determining special relationship, the court will look at whether the complainant relied on the experts opinion, whether the professional knew that the complainant was relying on him for the advice In the case of Hedley Byrne & Co. Ltd. –v- Heller & Partners Ltd [1964] AC465 2 it was okay for the victim to rely on the professional for advice. Under the proximity test the Supreme Court ruled that it is reasonable for the party affected to get compensation
Psychiatric stress on Case Study 2b
In the case of Berg v. General Motors Corp.,57 which was a case touching on the changes in the a pre-tort reform case, the supreme court in the US the Washington Supreme accepted the payment of damages as a result of negligence. In this case, Berg purchased a vessel which eventually did not give him the service. He sued the company thus general motors for selling him a machine which did not work and caused him a lot of economic losses. Berg sued the company for negligence. The court ruled that the manufacturer was not exposed to further law suits since he was protected by the warranty.
The other case on psychiatric stress involves Stuart v. Coldwell Banker Commercial Group who sued builder of Condominium units so as to compensate for the economic losses for causing economic losses. The builder was accused of negligence. The damages were therefore direct thus the cost of repairing the machine. The judges ruled that when negligence results into risky conditions, the purchaser of the product should be compensated in tort even though the buyer only lost money. The decision in Stuart case does not concur with the Tort changes of 1981. However, it goes against the previous court’s decision in Berg v General Motors Corp. thus the court allowed the victim to be paid the profits as a result of the manufacturer’s negligence.
Psychiatric Stress Case Study 2c
The case of voluntarily accepting responsibility outside a formal contract was first heard in the courts in the UK when there was claim for the compensation of an economic loss and also in the decision of the House of Lords in Hedley Byrne v Heller. In this case of psychiatric stress, a court decided that a bank can be found responsible for the information it provided without bearing in mind its usual clients.where it was decided that a Bank can be liable for a negligent information supplied without consideration to a regular client. In the more recent case of Henderson v Merrett Syndicate Ltd12, Lord Goff, in looking for the principle which underlay the decision in Hedley Byrne, referred to passages in the speeches of Lord Morris and Lord Devlin in that case including a passage in the speech of Lord Devlin where he considered the sort of relationship which gave rise to a responsibility towards those who act upon information or advice, and thus created a Duty of Care towards the person so acting. Lord Devlin had said: “From these statements, and from their application in Hedley Byrne, we can derive some understanding of the breadth of the principle underlying the case. We can see that it rests upon a relationship between the parties, which may be general or specific to the particular transaction, and which may or may not be contractual in nature. All of their Lordships spoke in terms of one party having assumed or undertaken a responsibility towards the other.”
In White v Jones13 (see infra) Lord Goff stated again that the Hedley Byrne principle was “founded upon an assumption of responsibility.” In Galoo Ltd (In liq) & Others v Bright Grahame Murray (a firm) and another14 the Court of Appeal set out to identify the difference between the facts there and those in its previous decision in Morgan Crucible Co Plc v Hill Samuel Bank Ltd15, that allowed the recovery of an economic loss. The question was when is an adviser, e.g. in this case, an auditor, in close proximity with a person suffering loss by relying on his negligently false advice or information? The answer given by the Court of Appeal in Galoo was, when the auditor ‘intends’ that the third party, a particular identified person, will rely on it16. Thus the bidder relying on the auditor’s accounts of the target company in Galoo had his claim dismissed, because, although he was personally known to the auditor, it was not ‘intended’ by the latter that he should rely on his accounts. The leading judgment of Glidewell L. J. relied on Lord Denning’s so-called ‘classic statement’ in Chandler v Crane Christmas & Co. 17. The auditor’s ‘intention’ was meant as referring to his knowledge, and willingness, of the reliance of the plaintiff, not any willingness to inflict on him financial injury through such false information. It must be noted here that a professional making a false statement in the course of doing his every day job, on the subject-matter of his expertise, will find it hard to shift a presumption of negligence in the error. The idea of a ‘voluntary assumption of responsibility’ was used to explain the importance of ‘intended reliance’, and in Galoo it was turned into a new concept of a ‘voluntary inter-personal’ relationship, said to fall short of being a contract only because of lack of consideration proceeding from the plaintiff to the defendant in return for the advice or information18. In Coulthard and others v Neville Russell (a firm)19 , the Court of Appeal, in another case concerning the civil liability
Psychiatric stress Case Study 3:
Lena, Rasmus and Martin have a case against Apollon which led to their injuries. The employer’s duty of care law focuses on the responsibility of the employer to protect the employees. The employer has to ensure the working area is safe. The enterprise and Regulatory act 2013 also comes into play. So as to succeed with this case under the common law, the three employees will have to show that the injury was foreseeable and that the common laws which provides for standard care were neglected.
The employers liability and public liability claims covers all cases below 25,000 euros. The law applies to cases involving accidents that occurred before or on July 2013. Section 69 of the enterprise and regulatory changes 2013. According to this act, all accidents which happen from 1 October 2013, the civil liability is not about breach of guidelines at the workplace even the criminal proceedings can be launched.
Psychiatric stress Case Study 4 a
The judge will calculate the lump sum award for the damage based on the type of damage and also based on the opinion of the expert on the side of the victim. The age of the victim, extent of the damage and also the ability of the claimant to recover quickly in case of an injury. The damage can be compensatory where a person is compensated for breach of agreement, special damages where a victim is paid the money lost, quantum damages where the victim is compensated after proving that the defendant actions caused him to lose money and also the general damages where someone is compensated money for an injury that does not involve money.
The proximate cause involves a case where compensation as a result of damages to the victim is governed by the principles of law. The damages have to be as a result of the accused bad behavior. This principles applies to the recovery of all damages thus contract or tort.
Psychiatric stress Case Study 4b
The common law requires the victim to be paid all the damages at once. This implies that analysis of the losses ought to be done before and during the prosecution of the case. However, this can be challenging since the victim has no room for appeal if the condition of damage worsens. The award can also be too low or too high since so many factors are considered during the determination process. Furthermore, there is the issue of delay since the compensation can only take place after the whole process of prognosis is finalized. The victim should therefore present the case in a timely manner lest he faces challenges of lateness in court. This has to be done once for both the past and future damages. The victim cannot in any case split the case to present it on separate occasions. The best scenario could therefore be for the victim to be paid periodically.
Psychiatric stress Case Study 4c
In order to realize a reasonable award of damages as a result of negligence, the court ought to consider several factors. The most obvious thing is that Tort law is not the same as criminal law. Torts can be caused by negligence or criminal behavior and also cases revolving around tort have very low threshold of prove. The complainant will always get compensation even if the accused person was acquitted in an earlier criminal case. For instance, O.J Simpson was released in a case where he was accused of murder but found to be guilty of tort due to causing death wrongfully.
Punitive damages as a result of psychiatric stress are never given in order to compensate the victim but rather to send a warning to the accused and any other person from repeating the same mistake. Punitive compensation is therefore given to people who were reckless in their actions. In the case of Liebeck v McDonald’s restaurant (1994) an old woman was burnt with tea which led to very serious burns. Lie back tried to plead with McDonald to pay fo the hospital bills but Mc refused. Through scrutiny, it was discovered that McDonald’s coffee caused very severe damages to other clients. The court asked the hotel to pay for the damages. The court gave Lie Back $2.7 as a punitive damage compensation.
The duty of care on psychiatric stress revolves around the case of Mrs Donoghue who was bought ice cream and ginger beer. The ginger however, had some dead snail which had started decomposing. The case was successful and led to the development of the modern law on negligence.
The court also need to look at the damage. The case of Hughes v Lord Advocate [1963] AC 837. The boys went to play in the manhole that had been left after works of excavation. The hole had been closed and covered with some paraffin with a lamp. The boys went with the lamp inside the hole and led to a very serious explosion. The court decided that since the burns were seeable, and the explosion was not foreseeable, the boys ought to be compensated.
Vicarious Liability as pertain psychiatric stress in the case of Mohamud v WM Morrison Supermarkets Plc [2016] UKSC 11. A supermarket employee who worked at the fuel station attacked a customer due to provocation. The customer had insulted the employee using racist terms. The Supreme Court ruled that the supermarket was responsible for the employee’s violent behavior to the client and ruled out the defense argument on psychiatric stress.
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Reducing nursing alarm fatigue
Introduction
In the healthcare setting, clinical alarm fatigue management failure is often as a result of nursing mistakes relating to complexity of the system. Telemetry technicians as well as nurses are occasionally affected by clinical alarm fatigue which hinders their capability to respond to the clinical alerts in the monitors (Sowan et al, 2015). Often, these practitioners are inundated with a significant number of visual and audio alerts which makes them ignore or fail to see the pertinent clinical alarm.
According to a qualitative research done by Dressler et al (2014), fatigue alarms rate from about 187 alarms per day in a single bed, 88.8% of which are false positives. This high rate has been a nuisance and a distraction in the healthcare setting as they can lead to increased number of mistakes in patient care. They are also a cause of panic and stress to patients who may be trying to rest as well as recover from illnesses and surgeries. Therefore reducing nursing alarm fatigue is much needed in the healthcare setting.
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Problem statement
The rate at which false alarm fatigue go off has remained to be a huge problem for telemetry technicians and nurses in charge of monitoring alarm signals in the telemetry room. These nurses and technicians are faced by a barrage of alarms and alerts during their shifts which makes them ignore the alerts at times. As a result, these practitioners may ignore a true positive alarm that needs immediate action leading to detrimental safety complications on the patient (Sowan et al, 2016).
Purpose of this study
The main aim for this study is to investigate whether healthcare organizations can minimize the amount of fatigue alerts in the telemetry rooms by applying the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) method. Failure to respond to true actionable alarms has led to serious patient injuries and even deaths in the healthcare setting (Christensen, Dodds, Sauer, & Watts, 2018).
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Significance of the study
This research is important because it informs the healthcare practitioners on how to minimize the severity of non-actionable alerts that nurses and other clinicians face during their shifts. Reducing the number of false positive alarms will create an environment that can improve the practitioner’s awareness of the alarms thus decreasing alarm fatigue (Cho, Kim, Lee, & Cho, 2016)
Research Questions (PICO)
How does an organization’s infrastructure, culture, technology, and practices influence a strong alarm management plan?
How can the elimination of false alarms such as premature ventricular contraction (PVC) and low amplitude GCG complexes lower the number of non-actionable alerts in the telemetry room?
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This qualitative research investigates how the healthcare system can minimize the number of alerts that cause fatigue among nurses as well as telemetry technicians to enhance patient safety. This paper uses peer reviewed papers from credible sources retrieved from databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE/EBSCO, Proquest, and HEALTH SOURCE/NURSING/ACADEMIC EBSCO.
The key terms that were used in this research includes clinical alarms, alarm fatigue, and physiologic monitor alarms. The timeline for this research was publications that dated from 2012 to 2019. The inclusion criteria for this research study included qualitative and quantitative studies that discussed how to reduce false positives in the telemetry room. A total of 46 research articles were reviewed though only 10 were used as the rest were duplicates or did not include detailed information.
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Reducing nursing alarm fatigue
Results
Srinivasa et al. (2017) and De Vaux et al. (2017) carried out quality improvement projects using the PDSA methodology in an effort of minimizing the severity of false alarms that nurses and technicians are exposed to in a single shift by revisiting the alarm alert typology. While De Vaux et al. (2017) used direct observations based on the alarm codes to develop concepts, Srinivasa et al. (2017) captured data using electronic software tools to capture data.
The two research studies investigated the PVC alarms and asserted that these alarms go off when physiologic monitor peaks irregularities in cardiac rhythms. During the beginning of physiological monitoring, most healthcare practitioners treated PVCs using various interventions or medications. However, recent research shows that cardiac irregularities are basically benign and are not treated.
Nonetheless, even after this discovery the PVCs alarms were not removed from the physiologic monitoring system. These two researchers concluded that PVC alarms should be removed from the physiologic monitoring system to reduce alarm fatigue among the practitioners.
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In their research, Walsh-Irwin and Jurgens (2015) also investigated how the healthcare system can reduce false alarms by adopting better cultures and patient care systems. These researchers carried a research that involved monitoring physiologic alarms before interventions and after the application of certain physiologic monitor leads following improved skin preparation.
Walsh-Irwin and Jurgens (2015) analyzed the collected data before and after the skin care intervention in an effort of determining whether the number of alarms reduced or accelerated. The statistical data that was collected in this research showed that proper skin preparation results to a reduced number of false positive alarms. The healthcare system should therefore adopt cultures that ensure proper skin preparation in patients to reduce the number of false alarms in the telemetry room.
Paine et al. (2016) also carried out a quasi-experimental research to investigate how healthcare organizations can reduce the number of false positive alarms among patients. This research examined topics such as the relationship between nurse response time and alarms exposure, non-actionable and actionable alarm propositions, and important interventions that help in the reduction of false alarms frequency.
This research established that the actionable alarms raged between <1% and 36% across many healthcare organizations in the United States. This research also found that there is a considerable correlation between alert exposures and the time that nurses take to respond to the alarm.
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In another experiment, Pelter, Fidler, and Hu (2016) investigated the probable impacts of a low-amplitude QRA complexes on asystole alarms that are false positives. Low-amplitude QRS complexes occur when limb complexes lead to less than 5-10 millimeters in the precordial leads. This qualitative study involved 82 patients who were observed in a period of 31 days.
The research suggested that there was no significant statistical data to having a false positive asystole alarm when a 12-lead ECG measured QRS complexes that were low amplitude. This experiment demonstrated that the low amplitude QRS complex alarm can be eliminate from the physiologic monitor.
Discussion
The themes that are evident in the above research studies provide insight to the healthcare’s struggles to apply PSDA methods that can manage alarm alerts. The studies establish that most alarms are not actionable and are a source of disruption and fatigue among nurse and therefore there should be active efforts to minimize the number of false positive alarms because they result to alarm desensitization and important alerts can be ignored as a result (Model for Improvement, 2018).
The research studies also establish that modifying alarms to ensure that only actionable physiological changes are recorded is a good of reducing alarm fatigue. Pelter, Fidler, and Hu (2016) clearly show that interventions are also a safe way of reducing the number of non-actionable alarms.
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Conclusion
In essence, alarm fatigue is a huge problem that puts patients in grave danger and a practitioner can ignore an actionable alarm thinking that it is a false positive. As such, adopting a PSDA methodology to reduce the number of false alarms will enhance the opportunities for practitioners to respond to the actionable alarms as well as reduce alarm fatigue. The healthcare organizations should create an environment that provides meaningful information to telemetry room monitors.
Reducing nursing alarm fatigue
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References
Cho, O. M., Kim, H., Lee, Y. W., & Cho, I. (2016). Clinical alarms in intensive care units: Perceived obstacles of alarm management and alarm fatigue in nurses. Healthcare informatics research, 22(1), 46-53.
De Vaux, L., Cooper, D., Knudson, K., Gasperini, M., Rodgerson, K., & Funk, M. (2017). Reduction of nonactionable alarms in medical intensive care. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 51(s2), 58-61.
Dressler, R., Dryer, M. M., Coletti, C., Mahoney, D., & Doorey, A. J. (2014). Altering overuse of cardiac telemetry in non–intensive care unit settings by hardwiring the use of American Heart Association guidelines. JAMA internal medicine, 174(11), 1852-1854.
Paine, C. W., Goel, V. V., Ely, E., Stave, C. D., Stemler, S., Zander, M., & Bonafide, C. P. (2016). Systematic review of physiologic monitor alarm characteristics and pragmatic interventions to reduce alarm frequency. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 11(2), 136-144.
Pelter, M. M., Fidler, R., & Hu, X. (2016). Research: Association of low-amplitude QRSs with false-positive asystole alarms. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 50(5), 329- 335. Srinivasa, E., Mankoo, J., & Kerr, C. (2017). An evidence‐based approach to reducing cardiac telemetry alarm fatigue. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 14(4), 265-273.
Walsh-Irwin, C., & Jurgens, C. Y. (2015). Proper skin preparation and electrode placement decreases alarms on a telemetry unit. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 34(3), 134- 139.
Sowan, A. K., Tarriela, A. F., Gomez, T. M., Reed, C. C., & Rapp, K. M. (2015). Nurses’ perceptions and practices toward clinical alarms in a transplant cardiac intensive care unit: Exploring key issues leading to alarm fatigue. JMIR human factors, 2(1), e3.
Walsh-Irwin, C., & Jurgens, C. Y. (2015). Proper skin preparation and electrode placement decreases alarms on a telemetry unit. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 34(3), 134- 139.
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VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
The Victorian equal employment opportunity law stipulates volunteers’ rights. The law states that, volunteers in not for profit and non-governmental organizations should have equal protection against harassment and damages as the other paid employees. Volunteers are important recourses for NGOs and NFP organizations. Most of these charitable organizations are run and managed by volunteers (Taylor, 2011).
They offer their services free of charge to the organizations that deliver charitable programs to disadvantaged countries and communities. They have no interest in financial compensation. Most of them derive personal satisfaction from offering their services free of charge to charitable organizations. The importance of volunteers is attached to their contribution towards achieving an organization’s mission and objectives. According to Ralph (2006), qualified volunteers should be retained through motivation. They can be encouraged by training incentives and rewards.
CHARACTERISTICS OF VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
Volunteers are very important resources for NFP and NGO’s. They are expected to deliver their services like the other employees. They are not entitled to any payment by the organization. There services are considered to be of good faith and charitable (Farmer & Fredor 1999). The fact that they are not entitled to monetary compensation, does not oblige inefficiency and lack of commitment. They work voluntarily, they cannot be forced to work, they can stop their services any time and the organization can dismiss them any time.
Volunteers should be willing to learn and train in order to acquire the necessary skills and qualification required in the organization. Choudhory (2010) found out that, most of them have different professional backgrounds that may not correspond to the nature of the organizations work. They should be flexible to acquire appropriate skills and experiences that are necessary through training.
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Taylor (2001) states that, volunteers do not have tenure of employment and when unproductive they are dismissed by the organization. The organizations objectives should be achieved through volunteers who should be willing and are committed to provide their services to the respective organization. They should be flexible in delivering their duties, some organizations work in risky and hardship areas, these calls for volunteer resilience and endurance.
Volunteers should be productive, efficient and motivated in carrying out their duties. Transparency and accountability is an important aspect in volunteering, they should be able deliver their services in a diligent and honest manner (Boraas, 2003).
Agreements between the volunteers and the organizations are not legally binding. The organization is not obligated to act in accordance to the volunteers’ specifications and the volunteers have no legal obligations with the organization. However, some organizations provide insurance cover for the volunteers, such covers shield against work related injuries and liabilities. In an occurrence of losses or damages, such organizations are liable to cover for the respective damages.
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According to Vitner & Yodfat (2008), organizations may award volunteers minimal payments as incentives but the organization is free from obligations. They can be entitled for allowances, rewards and should be reimbursed for their out of pocket expenses. They can also receive non monetary benefits like free air tickets and free access to services provided by the organization. Volunteers are entitled to work in good working conditions and in safe environments like the other paid employees. The equal opportunity Act protects their rights.
These charitable organizations have their responsibilities to fulfill. Qualified volunteers with proper skills, experiences and interests should be recruited so as to reduce turnover rates. The organization should provide proper training and orientation to volunteers. Proper induction facilitation should be enhanced so as to enable volunteers to work towards achieving organizational objectives.
RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
Non for Profit and Non governmental Organizations have significant intentions of attracting and recruiting qualified volunteers. In order to establish long- term productivity and relationship between the volunteers and the organization, volunteers should have appropriate skills, interests and qualities that correspond with the objectives and mission of the organization.
Attracting and recruiting volunteers with these characteristics, ensures good performance, such volunteers have high chances of being retained. Once qualified volunteers have been recruited, it is important to specify and delegate duties, responsibilities, expectations and tasks between the organization and the volunteers.
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Recruitment of volunteers depend on the organizations specifications regarding skills and competences. Background checks are also considered during recruitment. Background checks vary in accordance with the nature of the work the volunteer will be entitled. Volunteers working with children, elderly and disabled individuals should have distinct background check. The nature of the organization should correspond with the background checks.
It was established by Bruney (1999) that during recruitment, a written agreement is not necessary. However an agreement stipulating the roles and responsibilities is initiated between the organization and the volunteers. These will help to resolve any disputes concerning obligations between the volunteer and the organization. An organization should not take anyone as a volunteer if it believes he is incompetent and cannot perform the required tasks.
A volunteer may take action against the organization if he is discriminated in respect to personal characteristics. The Victorian Equal opportunity and Human rights commission stipulate laws that protect the volunteers against discrimination.
TRAINING VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
Training of volunteers is very important in ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. Most volunteers do not have a background of professionalism in their assigned line of duties. Training is necessary towards achieving important organizational objectives. The aims of training volunteers include; maintaining long term motivation and orientation of duties and responsibilities to the volunteers. Volunteers are equipped with tools, experiences and exposure in their line of duty, further more leadership lessons and skills are facilitated through training (Courtney 2001).
Training volunteers is an aspect of supporting, attracting, rewarding and retaining volunteers. It enhances improvement in performance and quality in service delivery. Volunteers from different backgrounds with diverse needs and duties are catered for through training and proper orientation. Companies that train their volunteers attract potential volunteers; this is because motivation is provided through training and careers development. An organization that trains its volunteers is committed to supports its volunteer’s welfare and needs for career development.
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According to Johnson (2007), volunteer training involves either formal or informal training. The training is administered through out the volunteers’ lifecycle. Informal training involves induction programs while formal training involves college training for a specific period of time. Organizations train their volunteers according to their specific needs. Important aspects to be included in training include, determining the training needs, establishing the training objectives, designing, implementing and evaluating the training program.
DESIGNING A TRAINING PROGRAMFOR VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
A training program should be designed according to the organizations’ needs. Important aspects to be considered when designing training program include, determining the type of training to be administered, identifying the facilitators, determining the content of the program, sourcing for the appropriate materials and determining the setting through which the training will be facilitated. Settings for training may include, on job training, classroom or in the field training (Zullo, 2011).
Individual volunteer needs should be considered when designing training programs. Suitable training should be administered to different groups of people. Younger and older volunteers should be trained differently according to their needs and duties. Volunteer’s diverse cultural settings should also be considered (Nagbhushanam & Sridhar, 2010).
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Implementation of the training is the most important stage of volunteer training. The training contents should be appropriate and to be delivered effectively. Facilitation and coordination of the training is very important because it determines the outcome of the program. The success or failure of the program will be determined by carrying out an evaluation on the effectiveness of the program.
Evaluation questionnaires are usually used to collect feedback from the program participants. Criticisms, suggestions and proposals are obtained from the evaluation. According to Thomas (2007), criticisms from the participants can be used for continuous improvement in future trainings. A strategy can be formulated from the strengths and weaknesses established from the program.
It was observed by Allhyari (2000) that, evaluation should be carried out to determine if the volunteer target competency was achieved. It is very important in determining the effectiveness and reliability of the program. Volunteer training should be an on-going process. Volunteer’s skills and competencies should be frequently updated to suit the rising needs of the organization. Through training volunteers will be able to achieve career development and leadership skills.
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MOTIVATION AND RETENTION OF VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS
Not for Profit and Non-governmental organizations should develop strategies that will enable them retain and motivate their volunteers. The success of such organizations highly depends on the workforce which majorly constitutes the volunteers. Many NFP and NGO’s have experienced a significant percentage in losing volunteers. This emerging trend has necessitated the need for motivation, so as to retain volunteers. Elshaug & Metzer (2001) established that, most volunteers serve briefly in their respective organizations.
Such organizations fail to provide sufficient motivation to retain the volunteers. Recent studies show that older volunteers most likely serve longer than younger volunteers. The younger volunteers have 20% lower retention rates than adult volunteers. The retention rate in adults is high up to 69.9%.
Various organizations employ different motivation strategies. It has been established that proper recruitment and motivation strategies leads to successful strategies for retention. Retention is affected by barriers and factors which discourage or encourage volunteers. Major barriers that discourage volunteers include risky and costly nature of their work, lack of appropriate skills and experience, insufficient time, poor working conditions, poor reward systems and lack of personal and career development (Odenheirmer, 2011).
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Volunteer retention can be achieved through various strategies. Frequent training is a strategy that motivates volunteers. Their personal and career development needs are enhanced through training. Another strategy to ensure volunteer retention relates to attraction and recruitment strategies, the recruitment process directly relates to retention. Recruiting interested and qualified volunteers improves the retention rates. Other important factors that contribute to volunteer retention include proper skills experience and qualifications, improved reward system, flexibility, recognition, leadership roles and career development.
Low volunteer retention is a vital problem that such organizations face. High rates of volunteer turnover affect the capabilities of these organizations in service delivery. In order for these organizations to achieve their missions and goals volunteer retention must be achieved. Proper working relationships should be enhanced between the volunteers and the organization (Ralph, 2006).
VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS: VOLUNTEERING AND ITS BENEFITS
Vitner & Yodfat (2008) argued that, despite the current trend of low volunteer retention rates, enormous benefits can be derived from volunteering. Individuals are able to acquire more skills and career development through volunteering. One of the greatest benefits of volunteering is the impact it creates on the community. Charitable services and activities offered by NFP and NGO’s are aimed at improving the status of the community. Most of these organizations’ activities address social and development needs in the community. The disadvantaged countries and poor nations are the major targets of these organizations.
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Volunteers are able to expand their social skills, make friends and create networks through wide interactions with the communities. Some individuals derive personal fulfillment and satisfaction through community service. These individuals attach themselves to the society and are determined to impact positively on the society. Such individuals desire to give back and may commit their own resources to improve the community. Recognition and appreciation in the community provides personal satisfaction (Zullo, 2011).
Career development is enhanced through volunteering. Individuals are able to acquire important work place skills such as problem solving skills, teamwork, project management and task management through voluntary exposures. Individuals with these qualities have high employability rates and a competitive advantage in career development. Professional experience is acquired through volunteering. Such experiences are useful in acquiring long-term professional career. Furthermore, volunteering may lead to a well paying job in similar organizations.
VOLUNTEERS IN NFP AND NGOS: BARRIERS TO VOLUNTEERING
Recent studies show that voluntary services have declined drastically. The perception that volunteering is charitable and has no monetary benefits has prevented individuals from volunteering their services in charitable organizations. The most significant barrier against volunteering is lack of time. Individuals who could be willing to volunteer are committed in their families or in other activities (Boraas, 2003). The notion that volunteering requires a long-term commitment is another challenge. However, most individuals dismiss voluntary work because it has no monetary benefits.
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Economic conditions and needs have severely affected voluntary work. Voluntary work has no monetary benefits yet economic conditions are worsening. There is high demand for money, which dictates the preference for individuals to work in paying institutions. The impact of economic changes has forced employees to multi-task with various employers. Such employees hardly find time to volunteer in charitable organizations.
Voluntary work is associated with lots of risks and costs. Some organizations work in hardship and risky areas. Volunteers are exposed to risks of injury, death, financial loss or legal action. These risks discourage potential volunteers from joining charitable organizations. Thomas (2007) observed that, technological advancement has impacted on voluntary work. Potential young volunteers spend most of their time operating gadgets. They prefer to try out new things and very entrepreneurial. The young generation lack commitment in voluntary work because it is very involving and have no substantial benefits.
Odenheirmer (2011) suggest that, charitable organizations should implement strategies to reduce the barriers to volunteering. Organizations should reimburse volunteers out of pocket expenses and should be able to provide incentives such as transport allowances among other incentives. Allocating roles according to individual’s preferences and interests is another strategy.
Adequate training and support should be provided to volunteers as well as their needs should be considered. In the case of organizations administering charity in risky areas, insurance covers should be secured for volunteers. The covers will shield against any losses and damages that may arise due to the nature of the work.
Charitable organizations should initiate programs that will facilitate successful volunteers to be absorbed in to long-term career opportunities. This strategy is very effective in attracting and retaining volunteers. They will be able to gain professional experience in their line of careers giving them competitive advantage as compared to the other potential recruits.
This strategy addresses their long- term objective of professionalism and career development. Organizations that implement these strategies are advantaged in volunteer retention. When volunteers are motivated and satisfied, the retention rates will be high (Courtney, 2001).
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In conclusion, volunteers are very important resources in the community. They constitute the major work force in charitable organizations. The fact that they are not entitled to any monetary benefits does not authorize any neglect, mishandling, harassment and frustrations on the volunteers. Organizations should adopt appropriate attraction and recruitment strategies in order to draw many volunteers. Proper motivation and retention strategies should be employed to reduce volunteer turnover rates.
REFERENCES
Allahyari, R. A. (2000). Visions of charity: Volunteer workers and moral community. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Boraas, S. (2003). Volunteerism in the United States. Monthly Labor Review, 126(8), 3-21
Brudney, J. L. (1999). The effective use of volunteers: Best practices for the public sector. Law and Contemporary Problems, 62(4), 219.
Choudhury, E. (2010). Attracting and managing volunteers in local government. The Journal of Management Development, 29(6), 592-603. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621711011046558
Courtney, R. (2001). Strategic management for voluntary nonprofit organizations. New York: Routledge.
Elshaug, C., & Metzer, J. (2001). Personality attributes of volunteers and paid workers engaged in similar occupational tasks. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(6), 752-63. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199837239?accountid=45049;
Farmer, S.M., & Fedor, D.B. (1999). Volunteer participation and withdrawal. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 9(4), 349-368.
Johnson, J. A. (2007). Getting and staying involved: What motivates volunteers in a non-profit organization? Capella University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 111-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304720694?accountid=45049;
Nagabhushanam, M., & Sridhar, M. (2010). Voluntary Organizations – Growth, Trends and Challenges. Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal of Management, 7(2), 143-166.
Odenheimer, M. (2011). Integrating Volunteers In- to Long-Term Sustainable Development. Journal Of Jewish Communal Service, 87(1/2), 81-87.
Ralph, C. (2006) “Recognising current competencies of volunteers in emergency service organisations”, Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 18 Iss: 7/8, pp.451 – 463
Thomas, C., Newell, J. N., Baral, S. C., & Byanjankar, L. (2007). The contribution of volunteers to a successful community-orientated tuberculosis treatment centre in an urban setting in nepal. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 21(6), 554-72. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777260710834346
Vitner, G., Shalom, V., & Yodfat, A. (2008). Training volunteers for the elderly in israel. Industrial and Commercial Training, 40(4), 216-225. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00197850810876271
Zullo, R. (2011). Labor unions and charity. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 64(4), 699-711.
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Technical evaluation of a project
Managing the design and construction of an electrical power station for a community of 20,000 resident
Abstract
In any project, it is imperative that proper planning is done before designing and construction of an electrical power station. The stakeholders in this project are diverse and all of them should participate in the whole project in order to ensure that it is given support. This project is based on three fundamental factors that need to be considered in evaluating the authenticity and appropriateness of a project.
These include technical, economic and environment. It is imperative that evaluations on these is conducted and even put into consideration in the designing and construction of this project to ensure that it is successful. The literature review covered demonstrated the importance of ensuring that these three issues are well investigated in designing and construction of the power station. The research design used to solicit views included use of questionnaires and interviews that enabled success of the project.
Outline
Introduction
Problem identification
Objectives and aims
Literature Review
Economic evaluation
Technical evaluation
Environmental evaluation
Research Methodology
Assumptions and limitations
Results
Findings
Potential for future direction
Conclusion
Reference list
Managing the design and construction of an electrical power station for a community of 20,000 resident
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Introduction
Before designing and carrying out any construction work, it is imperative that proper planning is done to ensure that the project meets the objective set. Designing and construction of an electrical power station for a community of 20,000 residents should be carried out with precision and proper planning. In such project, the three major factors that need to be considered include technical, economic and environmental factors. These three are crucial in determining whether the project will be set up and be able to provide or meet the intended goals and objectives. This project report is analyzed in four major areas, introduction, literature review, research methodology, and the results of the study.
Technical evaluation of a project
Problem identification
Designing and construction of an electrical power station not only requires enough skills, and expertise of the constructors but it requires consideration of various factors. For the project to be viable there is need to ensure that factors such as economic, technical and environmental are factored in the whole process of designing to ensure that the project is able to meet the set standards.
Many projects may be viable in one area but not in another area. For instance, setting up of an electrical power station in one location may improve the economic status of the people in the area but due to environmental factors such as poor weather conditions the project may not be viable. It is therefore important that all three factors, which interrelate, are considered to ensure viability of a project. Many projects fail to achieve their objectives and goals because of the lack of proper management in term of design and construction hence the need for more research to find out the best ways to alleviate such problems.
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Objectives and aims
The objectives and the aims that the project seeks to achieve include:
To investigate on the need for considering economic factors in designing and actual construction of a an electrical power station that supports 20,000 residents
To establish the significance of considering technical capabilities in the construction of electrical power station
To investigate why environmental factors are important factor in designing and constructing of an electric power station
To find out appropriate ways to ensure that an electrical power station is designed and constructed to meet the objectives and goals of the residents
Literature review
Under this review, various, issues will be discussed relating to the management and construction of the electrical power station that is able to serve a population of 20,000 residents. The variables to guide the literature review include; technical, economic, and environmental factors when designing and constructing an electrical power station. Evaluation of a project on these three attributes makes the designers to incorporate all of them to ensure that the project upon its completion satisfies all the stakeholders concerned.
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Economic evaluation
In these modern days, availability of electricity is one of the preconditions of ensuring that society functions and thrives forward. Electricity is used in various areas, including, household use, running of information and communication technologies, and even in industries.
According to Wagner & Antonio (2012),availability of electricity is important in facilitating industrialization, which provides employment to many people (p. 20). Electricity also stirs development in a given area because it contributes to the sprouting up of informal sectors such as blacksmiths that plays a pivotal role in the general economy of the country.
Various forms of energy provide electricity to the locals and industries. These electricity may be generated from, water, wave and tidal, wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear power energy just to name but a few. These different forms of energy are then converted to electricity at a central location from where distribution is done. The cost of every kind of designing and constructing the station varies due to the logistics involved.
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According to El-Kordy et al. (2002), it is important to evaluate the economics of energy systems basing on the four forms of cost; maintenance costs, capital costs, fuel costs and external cost (p. 319). In deigning the electricity power station, the cost of maintenance should be considered to ensure that the project is sustained over a considerable duration of time. This cost includes repair, human capital to ensure that the station is well manned to protect it from external distractions and costs that are related to proper functioning of the station.
Capital cost is the initial costs that require the station to be set up in a given area. The company or the contractors should put in priority or budget sufficiently for the start up costs to ensure that the project is initiated and completed within the required period. External costs involve any other costs incurred during the process of setting up and operating the electricity power station.
Electrical power station
It is also important that economic parameters such as inflation and escalation of rates, discounts and taxes be considered when designing and constructing power station for the 20,000 residents. Inflation may affect the progressive of a project causing a stall due to lose of value of the funds that reserved for the project. It is therefore important that such considerations are put in the mind of the designers especially if the project is going to take long time before its completion. Therefore, future sums of money should be discounted based on the inherent risks of future events not turning out to be as planned (Zati & Toosi, 2011, p. 22)
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. It is also important that electrical energy generation costs are calculated, plus all other installments of the power plant to be known during the designing of a power station to serve a certain population. The cash flow of such project includes expenditures in relation to acquisition of land, fuel and maintenance costs and the construction costs.
This costs should be broken into units to enable the constructors know the estimated amount of money required. Some of the cost analysis tools that can be used include cost benefit ratio, total-life cycle cost, levelized electricity generation cost, net present cost and unitary present average cost among many others (Gokcek & Genc, 2009, p. 2732)
When it comes to economic evaluation, it is also important to consider the economic impacts that project will have on the residents or the consumers of the electricity. Economic benefits should surpass the negative aspects that the project brings to the users or the clients (Wagner & Antonio, 2012, p. 22). When the project is designed, it should be able to improve the living standards of the people by enabling them to develop and grow in terms of their level of developments.
The benefits associated with setting up an electricity station in a given locality or a community should be to benefit the locals economically. Electricity is a cheap source of energy compared to other sources of energy at home and even in industries. Furthermore, the station should be able to serve all the residents with adequate supply of energy to enable them carry out their duties well.
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Technical evaluation of a project
Therefore, in designing the project, all these issues need to be factored to ensure that the residents as well as the company benefits from the station. The company will accrue some benefits from the charges they levy on the consumption of power, but they should also provide enough power to serve the entire target population.
Technical evaluation of a project
Electrical power station
Technical evaluation of a project ensures that all the necessary details that can ensure successful completion of the project are put into consideration. In technical evaluation, it is important for the designers and the constructing company to take note of all the issues that surrounds the project (Zati & Toosi, 2011, p. 23)
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Technical evaluation encompasses many areas of considerations in the designing and construction of an electricity power station. The team should evaluate its capability and expertise to know if they have the required skills and competence to finish the project successful. This is a very important factor in the project. The availability of work force to carry out the project is vital.
Technical evaluation should also be carried out to determine the durability of the equipments and the long life of the assets, their performance and price stability to find out whether the project is sustainable or no (Zati & Toosi, 2011, p. 22). Other technical evaluation include, finding out whether the area has enough rivers or dams to be exploited for power production during emergencies.
Technical evaluation is therefore important in ensuring the success of a project of this nature. The costs and logistics of setting up and constructing an electricity power station must be well defined and known to enable the construction team to finish the project successful. For the project to be sustainable, maintenance costs should be provided to ensure that in case of any problem immediate action is taken to remedy the solution. For instance, vandalism of electric equipments should be controlled through installation of CCTV to ensure that those involved are pursued and persecuted (Gokcek & Genc, 2009, p 2732).
Technical evaluation of a project
Environmental evaluation
According to Zati & Toosi (2011) environmental evaluation or assessment, if paramount before any project is undertaken (p. 24). This is not exclusion to the electricity power station. The station, even though, is important to the survival of the people in the area, it is necessary for the effects it has to the environment be accessed. The location of the station will have to be assessed before construction work begins to ensure that there are no future environmental effects to the resident (El-Kordy et al. 2002, p. 318)
Some of the environmental concerns associated with projects of setting up and constructing an electricity power station includes, effects of the exposed cable to the people in the area, power shocks and outages, rugged landscape that poses threats to the stability of the electricity lines and re-channeling or overuse of water depriving the local residents water to carryout their farming activities. These are environmental concerns that should be investigated and assessed to determine the magnitude or impact that they have on the residents before constructing the power station.
Summary of the Literature Review
Various stakeholders need to be consulted in the designing and construction of an electricity power station. These stakeholders include the government, the construction company, the residents and any other important party. This ensures that consensus is reached as well as it ensures that all the logistics concerning project are put into consideration. The three factors; technical, economic and environmental are important and should be scrutinized to allow the successful completion of any project.
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Research Methodology
Research methodology is the procedure and processes that the researcher uses to gather information, analyze and present data. The nature of the project required use of survey descriptive method. This method allowed the study to gather information through questionnaires, interviews and observations from the relevant stakeholders that the project affected.
The residents or the population where the project was to be set up were sampled through simple random sampling method to give a sample size that was representational of the entire population. 100 respondents responded to the questionnaires and interview questions.
The research design was descriptive survey method, which allowed questionnaires and interviews that sort to know how the residents viewed the project in terms of economic, technical and environment implications. This method was used because it can be repeated for verification. The information gathered was then analyzed and presented in the pie charts, graphs and table for ease of interpretations.
Assumptions and limitations
During the study, it was assumed that the respondents came for the areas where the project was to be set. The information that was collected was taken with a lot of confidentially and was assumed to be true and to the best knowledge of the respondents
During the study, there were a number of limitations that the researcher faced. One of the limitations was inadequate time to carryout an extensive research on how the residents felt about the setting up of the power station in the area. Furthermore, the fact that, the population was very large, the sample size was not enough to elicit the views of the larger population hence a limitation to the study.
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Technical evaluation of a project
Results
The study findings helped the researcher to make decisive decision on the appropriate ways to design and constructing the electricity power station in the area. Results of the study were presented in the form of tables, and graphs.
Findings
From the study, it was revealed that, economic factors were important in designing and construction of the electricity power station in the area. Most respondents said that, the establishment of the station was welcome because it could spur economic growth in the area. It was also going to improve their living standards since they were going to use the power to do their domestic chores and other works at a low rate.
Yes
No
Percentage
Important of evaluating economic factors
80
20
100
Percentage
80
20
100
Table 1.1: Economic evaluation
Figure 1.1: Economic Evaluation
The table illustrates the importance of evaluating the economic factors before designing and constructing an electrical power station. Form the table, 80 percentage agreed that evaluation was important while 20 percent were of the contrary opinion.
Furthermore, the findings showed that, those projects that were designed and constructed after enough economic evaluation were carried out were sustainable and provided economies of scale to both the resident and the company. Most of the respondents supported the notion that, economic evaluation was essential because it was through such information that sufficient data on the viability of the project was to be determined.
When it comes to technical evaluation, the study finding showed that indeed it was paramount for an assessment to be carried out during designing and construction of the power station to know the logistic and the issues that pertained to the projects.
Technical evaluation ensured that the project was completed at the time set because it allowed the project designers and constructors to understand the issues they needed to handle first before embarking on others.
On environmental evaluation, many of the respondents said that, this was a very important area to consider because, their health and environment was important than anything that could put it at stake. However, they were in support of the project because, it had minimal effect on the environment.
Therefore, by gathering this information, and getting the views of the residents, the designers and constructors were at liberty to begin their project. This is because they got support from the stakeholders and from their visibility and surveys, the area was suitable since it could impact on economic, and had less implications on the environment.
A table showing the total cost of setting up an electrical power station
Item/Material
Quantity
Price per unity
Total Price in US dollars
Survey
2000
Land
2 acres
20000
40000
Equipments
100000
Human capital
100
500
50000
Maintenance costs
100000
Table 1.2: Cost of setting up a power station
Instruments that is required to support the residents and the costs
Instruments
Number
Total cost in US dollars
Transformers
3
600000
Lightning protectors
50
100000
Vehicles
4
400000
Cables
100metre
500000
Reading Metres
1000
200000
Table 1.3: Instruments required
Figure 1.3: Instruments required
Cost of setting up the power station
Section of the station
Cost in US Dollars
Walls
200000
Signs
15000
Foundation
200000
Fences
50000
Alarm system
10000
Total
475000
Table 1.4: Cost of setting up the power station
Figure 1.4: Cost of setting up the power station
The total amount of power that will be consumed
The station expects to produce 40kWhz of electricity in the year that will be enough for every homestead and the local industries in the area.
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Potential for future direction
From the study, it is important for any individual or organization to carryout a survey on their project before designing and carrying out the project. Not all projects are suitable in certain areas and therefore, these factors should be put into consideration. Therefore, further investigation need to be carried out on how communities influence the design and construction of a project.
Conclusion
It is imperative for any company or individual to carryout a survey before designing any carrying out a project. Planning is vital as it allows an individual to assess the benefits and the costs of the project. This allows for proper planning and implementation of the project.
Gokçek, M., & Genç, M. S, 2009, “Evaluation of electricity generation and energy cost of wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) in Central Turkey.” Applied Energy, 86(12), 2731-2739.
Zati, A, & Toosi, E, 2011, “Technical evaluation-economic execution of hydroelectric project at micro scale.”America journal of scientific research, Issue. 16, pp. 20-25.
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Structure of academic writing
Writing an academic essay can be an uphill battle particularly when you are not sure where to begin. Thankfully, once you learn the structure of academic writing it might make it easier to write your paper. Also, a good structure can be applied to almost any kind of academic writing, including advanced thesis writing.
It is worth noting that a successful academic paper requires a lot more than just structure. For instance, a good essay topic is important. Also, how you organize your content and the research you put in is equally important. Finally, do not hesitate to rewrite and edit your draft until your essay is perfect.
Now, we will explain the basic structure of academic writing and how you can apply it to your essay.
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Understanding the structure of academic writing
Regardless of the nature of your academic paper, there is a basic structure of academic writing. The accepted way to structure your paper means that it should have the following:
an introduction,
a body, and
a conclusion
Now, this structure is relevant whether you are writing a simple admission application essay or a postgraduate thesis.
Tips for Writing Your Essay Introduction
Your introduction is an essential part of your essay because it sets the tone for the rest of the paper. It also tells the reader what to expect from the academic paper as a whole. Therefore, you need to place careful thought into the crafting of your essay. Below are a few tips to help with writing your essay introduction.
Build context for your essay
Firstly, build context. One of the most common and successful ways of building context for your essay is through storytelling. Basically, you want to give the reader a brief background about the subject matter. This helps the reader to understand the context of the essay.
Include some facts and figures
Secondly, include facts and figures. Facts are a great way to get attention because they give your subject matter a more solid form. Without facts, your proposition may remain vague in the mind of the readers.
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Define key concepts
Thirdly, define key terms. The introductory section is where you can offer key definitions of terms used in your paper. This helps the reader to better understand the context in which you use certain words and terms.
State the aim of the essay
Fourthly, describe the purpose of the essay. You can do this by talking about the structure of the essay and stating what it is about. Your essay could be to prove, analyze, describe or compare. Explaining the purpose to readers helps them to know what to expect.
State the thesis statement
Finally, it is very important to firmly state the thesis statement in the introductory section. This serves as an introduction to the paper.
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Tips for Writing the Body of your Essay
Think of the body of your essay as the meat of the academic paper. This is an important part of the structure of academic writing. Here are a few tips to guide you.
Understand the type of essay
It is important to note that there are different types of essays. An essay could be argumentative, analytical, critical, descriptive, or a blend of all four types. Once you understand the type of academic paper you are working on, it will help you to structure your paragraphs.
Write in paragraphs
Subsequently, the body of the essay will be in the form of paragraphs. It is important to remember to break up your writing into paragraphs. This makes for easier reading.
Again, it is worth mentioning that each paragraph should contain a single idea. It is not good form to mix several ideas in a single paragraph and could lead to confusion.
Use topic sentences
Topic sentences are a great way to help you organize your thoughts as well as the idea for the paragraph. Thus, you are advised to begin your paragraphs with a topic sentence.
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The Conclusion
This is the final part of your paper and is used to present a powerful argument for your thesis statement. Write your conclusion by:
– Stating the thesis statement again
– Reviewing the main topics
– Summarizing the main points
– Concluding your argument
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