Failures That May Occur in a Distributed Systems Essay

A distribution systems is a collection of processors that have a common goal for their system. Some examples would be SOA-based systems, massively multiplayer online games and peer-to-peer applications. The distributed system is software systems in which components located on network computers. This systems communicate and coordinate through passing messages. This systems interact with each other to accomplish a common goal. This processor will contain their own local memory. Undeliverable Messages Failures This is where a message is undeliverable due to either the recipient is down when a message arrives or the sender and recipient are in different components of a network partition Communication Failures Will stop processes at other sites to stop communicating Site Failures When a site experiences a system failure, processing stops abruptly and the contents of volatile storage are destroyed (Microsoft Research, 2012). Network Partition Failure This is a network fragments into two or more disjointed sub-networks within which messages can be sent, but between which messages are lost. Centralized systems are completely opposite of a distributed system, where a distributed system is a collection of processors which contains their own memories and communicate together through various lines. A centralizes system allows certain functions to be concentrated in the systems hub, plus it can be easily accessed from all points (Wikipedia, 2012). After a failure has occurred certain actions must be taken, depending on what the failure is will help to determine what actions need to be taken. Site and communications failures manifest themselves as the inability of one site to exchange message with another site. When you have a failure one the first  steps is to have a handshake procedure. Handshake is where two sites communicate between each other to set parameters so normal communications over the channels can begin. After the failure has been isolated than we would start to fix the failure. When the systems has a failure than it must initiate the procedure which will allow the system to reconfigure. This will allow its primary function to fail and reset to a simpler function, mitigating any unacceptable failure consequence. It will control the system without forcing sacrifice desired, but uninsurable, capabilities. After the system reconfigured it will go through the recovery phase and be integrated back in to the system. Network partition is where all paths between two sites contain a failed or broken link. The network partition will divide the operational sites into two or more component, where ever two sites within the component can communicate but cannot communicate with the components in other sites. When the links are repaired, communications is reestablished between the sites where messages could not exchanges messages thereby merging components. Some was to reduce the probability of a network partition is to design a highly connected network, where the failure of few sites and links will not disrupt all the paths between any pair of sites, This requires the use of more components and cost more money. Sometimes the networks topology is could be constrained by other factors, like geography and communication medium. We are limited in the way we can avoid partitions networks. There are a lot of advantages of having a distributed system. Like being able to connected remote users, have higher speed and for the most part it is reliable the system need to know how to handle the errors and failures correctly so it can fix them quickly and easily. References Microsoft. (2014). Distrbuted Recovery Chapter 7. Retrieved from http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/philbe/chapter7.pdf Wikipedia. (2014). Centralized Systems. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralized_system

Ethics Case Study: Homeless Man Essay

Case Facts: We decided to discuss the case of the homeless man provided in the textbook. Here are the case facts: A homeless man attempted to save a woman that was being attacked in New York City. In the process he was stabbed. He was visibly bleeding on the sidewalk for over an hour, as people walked by, took pictures and stopped to look at him. One man shook him. No one attempted to help him, stay with him, or call emergency services. The homeless man died on the sidewalk. Obligations, Duties and Rights: After reading the initial facts of the case, we discussed the obligations, duties and rights all held by the passersby and viewers of the situation. They are as follows: Every passerby has the right to their personal safety and health, as well as the right to remain silent and anonymous. Given these undeniable rights, every passerby also has the moral duty and obligation to report a witnessed crime to the authorities. They also have the duty to work towards maintaining the safety and well-being of their community. Along with this duty, comes to obligation to support and protect the most vulnerable among this community. Consequences: Our group further discussed the implications of the situation and the associated consequences, both intended and unintended, positive and negative. Following are the consequences that could have occurred if the passersby had chosen to offer aid to the homeless man: First, the man’s life could have been saved. Another outcome would be the finding and persecution of the criminal. Another, would be setting a positive example for the community, in turn promoting the safety of the community as a whole. Another positive consequence could be acting as a catalyst for future laws to be enacted aiding the community. Finally, a positive outcome from helping the homeless man would leave the passersby with altruistic emotions. Negative consequences that could result from refusing to aid the homeless man would include: The homeless man dies and the criminal escapes, potentially continuing to harm more members of the community. Another consequence includes the public losing a sense of security as well as the passersby having the uneasiness and uncertainty of not knowing the outcome of the situation if they chose to walk away before his death. Finally, if the passerby chose to walk away, they face the negative consequence of feeling of regret upon denying their personal morals and obligations. Moral Ideals: Having analyzed the facts, obligations and consequences of the case, the moral ideals that we have extrapolated are: Justice, integrity, loving kindness, and courage. Justice, â€Å"denoting the evaluation of situations according to their merits, fairly and without prejudice, as well as giving each person his or her due.† The best way to carry out justice in this situation would have been to ensure that the criminal was found and prosecuted, and protecting the life of the homeless man. Integrity, the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles regardless of who is watching, is the second moral principle that we have decided best relates to this case. If the passerby had acted with integrity, he/she would have opted to stay with or somehow help the homeless man to insure that his life was saved as opposed to denying their moral obligation in walking away and choosing to ignore the situation. The next moral principle is Loving kindness, â€Å"doing unto others as you would have them do unto you,† or simply the Golden Rule. If the passersby had showed loving kindness, they would have felt empathy towards the homeless man as a fellow human being and would have ensured that he received aid, as they would have wished someone do for them if their roles were reversed. The final moral ideal that we felt most applied to this case was courage, â€Å"consisting only in conquering fear and in withholding the body from flight no matter what the risk of pain. We felt that this moral ideal applied to the case, as it would require the passersby to ignore their rights to safety as humans and allow their obligations to aid the man override their sense of fear and insecurity. If the passerby had maintained this ideal of courage, they would have approached the homeless man and helped to save his life.

Marriage Proposal

A Marriage Proposal (sometimes translated as simply The Proposal, Russian: ) is a one-act farce by Anton Chekhov, written in 1888-1889 and first performed in 1890. It is a fast-paced play of dialogue-based action and situational humour. Characters Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubokov, 70 years old, a landowner †¢Natalia Stepanovna, his daughter, 25 years old Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov, 35 years old, a neighbour of Tschubukov, a large and hearty, but very suspicious landowner Plot synopsis Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov, a long-time neighbor of Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, has come to propose marriage to Chubukov's 25-year-old daughter, Natalia. After he has asked and received joyful permission to marry Natalia, she is invited into the room, and he tries to convey to her the proposal.Lomov is a hypochondriac, and, while trying to make clear his reasons for being there, he gets into an argument with Natalia about The Oxen Meadows, a disputed piece of land between their respective properties, whi ch results in him having â€Å"palpitations† and numbness in his leg. After her father notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then sends Ivan out of the house. While Stepan rants about Lomov, he expresses his shock that â€Å"this fool dares to make you (Natalia) a proposal of marriage! † This news she immediately starts into hysterics, begging for her father to bring him back.He does, and Natalia and Ivan get into a second big argument, this time about the superiority of their respective hunting dogs, Otkatai and Ugadi. Ivan collapses from his exhaustion over arguing, and father and daughter fear he's died. However, after a few minutes he regains consciousness, and Tschubukov all but forces him and his daughter to accept the proposal with a kiss. Immediately following the kiss, the couple get into another argument. Themes The farce explores the process of getting married and could be read as a satire on the upper middle class and courtship.The play points out the struggle to balance the economic necessities of marriage and what the characters themselves actually want. It shows the characters' desperation for marriage as comical. In Chekhov's Russia, marriage was a mean of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions or to satisfy social pressure. The satire is conveyed successfully by emphasizing the couple's foolish arguments over small things. The main arguments in the play revolve around The Oxen Meadows and two dogs called Ugadi and Otkatai. Performance history The Proposal was successful in its first runs in St.Petersburg and Moscow, and quickly became popular in small towns across Russia. [1] Tsar Alexander III liked the play when he had it performed for him. [2] Chekhov himself thought farces were not really worth much as literature; before its success, he called The Proposal a â€Å"wretched, boring, vulgar little skit. â€Å"[3] He advised its director, Leontiev, to â€Å"roll cigarettes out of it for all I care. â€Å"[3] When Vassar College staged The Proposal in the 1920s, they performed it three times in one evening, each with a very different staging: â€Å"as realism, expressionism, and constructivism. [2] In the second version, played closer to tragedy, the actors were masked, and in the third the actors were all dressed in work suits in a playground, tossing a ball between them. [2] In 1935 in the Soviet Union, the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Vsevolod Meyerhold combined The Proposal with Chekhov's other short plays The Bear and The Anniversary to form a three-act play called 33 Swoons that demonstrated the weakness of the pre-revolutionary intelligentsia. [4] [hide]v †¢ d †¢ eWorks by Anton Chekhov Biography †¢ Bibliography PlaysPlatonov (1881) †¢ On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (1886, 1902) †¢ Swansong (1887) †¢ Ivanov (1887) †¢ The Bear (1888) †¢ A Reluctant Tragic Hero (1889) †¢ The Wedding (1889) †¢ The Wood Demon (1889) †¢ A Marriage Proposal (1890) †¢ The Festivities (1891) †¢ The Seagull (1896) †¢ Uncle Vanya (1897) †¢ Three Sisters (1901) †¢ The Cherry Orchard (1904) NovellasThe Shooting Party (1884) †¢ The Steppe (1888) †¢ The Duel (1891) †¢ The Story of an Unknown Man (1893) †¢ Three Years (1895) †¢ My Life (1896) Related articlesChekhov's gun †¢Analysis of Anton Chechov's play.Plot of courtship of Lomov and neighbor's daughter Natalya. Importance of land and money to the characters. Reasons for their constant fighting. Depiction of the rual social system and its relationship to the characters. The play as a metaphor for marriage as a continuing battle ground. †¢From the Paper: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ In the short play â€Å"A Marriage Proposal,† Anton Chekhov describes the odd courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbor's daughter. Lomov and the woman he wants to marry fight before he can make his proposal, fight while he proposes, and fight after she agrees to marry him.They tend to fight every time they speak to one another, and while this alarms her father at first, he decides that the two just like to fight with each other. In the end, the father calls this last fight the â€Å"beginning of family happiness,† though it is doubtful that a couple can fight all the time and achieve anything like bliss. The meeting between Lomov and Tchubukov suggests one sort of neighborhood arrangement, for Tchubukov could not be friendlier and more delighted to see Lomov, happier being asked about the marriage, and more positive about Lomov's prospects. †¢A Marriage Proposal is a text play written by Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, and then it is translated into English version by Hilmar Baukhage and Barrett H. Clark. The story is initiated by the explanation of setting in the text play which takes place in the reception room at Tschubukov’s country home, in Russia. T here are merely three characters involved in this text play namely: Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubukov (Natalia’s father), Natalia Stepanovna (Stepan’s daughter, 25 years old)), and Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov (Stepan’s neighbor who falls for Natalia).The plot of the text play has been so hilarious and entertaining. It simply enlightens readers that two people who fall in love each other can never be entirely united if they cannot take the edge off their own selfishness. †¢Each character actually holds different identifying features but in general we can conclude that they share the same attitude, i. e. egoistic, stubborn, and high self-esteem. They stick to their belief that the meadows—thing which is being tightly debated belong to their own family.Tschubukov, in fact, agrees to the marriage proposal proposed by his neighbor toward his daughter. But gradually he changes his mind when Lomov starts the debate that the meadows belong to his family. Indeed, Na talia and her father get mad. They simply yet totally debate and argue trivial matters such as dogs and meadows. The ultimate goal, the marriage proposal, should have been achieved earlier if Lomov doesn’t start the debate and Natalia doesn’t respond to every trivial matter in which Lomov states, for they both are fully aware that they love each other. The segmentation of this text play only consists of a single scene. It most likely leads the readers to come up with the idea that it is easily-to-read text play. In this text play, dialogue, as the most prominent primary text, plays a very significant role, for it provides the readers with funny and entertaining dialogue among the three characters. These kinds of dialogue will simply make the readers understand the text comprehensively because readers seems to enjoy a lot a text play with witty and amusing dialogue rather than serious and complicated ones.Comedy is the generic convention of this text play, for the indic ation says so—the humor mostly comes from the three characters’ arguments about the meadows and the dogs. The story also employs a tone of irony. Those three characters wish the marriage to be held and done but their insensitivity almost postpones the marriage. As a whole, the story is ended by an open ending. It remains blur to where the story will go but at least, the dispute is resolved. †¢ Anton Chekhov has a unique writing style. He goes to the extreme to prove a point, in this story capital punishment.In true life, I doubt that a person who would stay imprisoned for fifteen years voluntarily. Also, a bet like this one would have been considered as not authentic, because these gentlemen were having a heated discussion where violence could have possibly taken place. Also both men were young and hot tempered, they made their decisions irrationally without much thought of the consequences this bet does. The banker underestimates his fortune, and is too proud to rethink his offer. The lawyer is also a senseless young man who is a zealot and does not value life as much as his cause.Another style Chekhov’s writing’s have is the intense physiological transformations each character †¢ †¢was going through. One moment, which was very apparent, was the banker thinking of the ways of killing the lawyer. He debates in his mind whether to kill him. Slowly he agrees to kill the lawyer and premeditates the murder. The banker believes that the murder would be blamed on the watch and that the lawyer had become so weak that he could easily killed him without struggle. Chekhov was able to weave the thoughts of a character into something dark and evil. He discovers the human personality at its worst.Another issue Chekhov approaches is greed. Perhaps, the lawyer had taken the bet partially because of the money was worth; the whole story revolves around greed. Also another scene where greed was present was when the banker was speculati ng how to pay off the lawyer. â€Å"Why didn’t t †¢ Genre denotes a systematic way to categorize literature. The term might be considered academic jargon; however, it produces up a set of expectations that allow us to judge literature. These expectations or criteria also allow us to compare with other literature in the same as well as different genres.In spite of these expectations, genre does not dictate a set of rigid rules; in fact, genre is more descriptive than prescriptive. Problems in defining genre often arise because there are frequently sub-genres: romantic comedy might be considered a sub-genre of comedy, revenge tragedy of tragedy and gothic horror of horror. It becomes increasingly difficult to see where one sub-genre ends and another begins. Also these categories are seldom pure. For example, Hamlet, a revenge tragedy, includes aspects of romance and even a comic scene or two.Our popular culture makes defining genre challenging because what is vital one da y might disappear the next. An example of this is the current insistence upon a happy ending. Since tragedy is often characterized by an unhappy or â€Å"right† ending, according to Aristotle, popular culture no longer welcomes the tragedy with the relish it did at other times in history. Our Town being the exception that comes to mind, as well as the one-man shows. Poetry makes frequent use of this voice. In Daddy by Sylvia Plath, the author address â€Å"Daddy† throughout the poem.Shannon Chamberlain's use of Aesop's fable The Parrot and his Cage was another example of this single voice narrative. A second voice option is the drama or dialogue that involves talking between two characters with no narration. All of the plays we are reading in class fit this category as well as Stacy Burleson's example of Merlin as a legend in film. Finally, the combination of the narrator plus dialogue is just as it seems, a narrator talks to the audience (or reader) but the characters talk to each other. The TV shows The Fugitive, Dragnet, and Twilight Zone come to mind as examples of this.Narrative genre, by contrast, focuses on the storyline or plot. Tragedy frequently introduces a problem, there is struggle for control, finally a realistic and often unhappy ending that resolves the problem. Examples of this include: Romeo and Juliet (Sylvia Duncan's presentation), the recent Academy Award winner American Beauty and Moby Dick (Doris Herrmann's presentation). Comedy is another plot or storyline that usually deals with a less significant problem, there is an attempt to solve it, but the ending often brings people together.Examples of comedy are: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest, A Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov, and the movie Sixteen Candles shown in class by Laura Peterson. Romance may center [or conclude] on a transcendence where the problem often includes separation, a journey or adventure might be included. [The plot of romance would be the s truggle to achieve this transcendence or goal. ] Characters are more predictable and are frequently good or bad with very little complexity. The excerpt of Sleepy Hollow shown by Cara Skinner is an example of this. true] Pygmalion and Shakespeare in Love might fit her; however, these characters do show considerably more depth than the norm. [This is a good reminder of how good any genre can be. ] Satire pokes fun at a social situation or institution and assumes the audience is familiar with what is being satirized. There is usually a less serious tone than with the original. Examples are seen in the play within a play in MidSummer Night's Dream. [good] Political cartoons and Moliere's The Misanthrope also display elements of a satire.ThePlay, â€Å"A Marriage Proposal†, shows how consideration of property and even our pride in property override other feelings and emotions like those generally associated with love and marriage. Even marriage is prompted by economic considerati ons, not by emotions. ;nbs p; Stepan Stepanovitch Tschubukov and Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov were neighbours in a village. Natalia Stepanovna was the daughter of Tschubukov. Lomov a man of thirty five wanted to marry. He thought Natalia was good at farm work and she was not bad looking. So he came to the house of Tschubukov one evening to propose to Natalia.Naturally he was in his best clothes befitting the occasion of a marriage proposal. Tschubukov received him cordially in his reception room. Like every young man going to make a marriage proposal Lomov was also excited and nervous. After some nervous stammering, he told Tschubokov that he wanted Natalia’s hand in marriage. Tschubokov was very excited and happy at the proposal. He went out and sent Natalia into the room to meet the suitor. Natalia was not told of the purpose of Lomov. Natalia and Lomov began to talk. ;nbs p; Lomov was more nervous as he was facing the bride. He made a strong preface before coming to the proposa l.He told Natalia about how the Lomovs and the Tschubukovs had been good neighbours on good terms for many years. In this context, he mentioned that his meadow touched the birch woods of Tschubukov. Natalia was surprised to hear that the meadows belonged to Lomov. She claimed that the plot of land belonged to them, the Tschubukovs. A bitter quarrel ensued. Lomov claimed it belonged to him and Natalia too claimed it to be theirs. Lomov forgot his original purpose. They called each other names, even though a little while ago they were full of good neighbourly feelings. Tschubukov came in and heard their quarrel.He too claimed that the meadow belonged to him. The quarrel grew even bitterer. They called each other names and began to expose the scandals of each others’ families. Lomov had a weak heart. He used to have palpitation in the heart. He was excited and he fainted. He rose and left the house. At this juncture, Tschubukov remarked that such a fool had dared to come seeking the hand of Natalia. ;nbs p; The moment she heard that he had come to propose to her, Natalia changed her tone. She asked her father to bring back Lomov. Her self interest overruled all other considerations like her loyalty to her family.Lomov came back. Natalia was all politeness. She even conceded that the meadow belonged to Lomov. After all, if they were married, the meadow would come to be hers only. Lomov informed that he would go hunting after the harvest. He was sorry that his dog Ugadi limped and he began to praise his dog. He thought that a hundred and twenty five roubles that he had paid for it was very cheap for such a good dog. Natalia, however, thought that it was a very high price because her father had paid only eighty-five roubles for their dog Otkatai, which was a better dog than Ugadi. nbs p; Lomov disagreed and asserted that Otkatai had a lower jaw and Ugadi was a far better dog than Otkatai. Once again their pride in their dogs led to another quarrel. Tschubukov came in and joined the quarrel. Lomov once again got excited and he fainted. Tschubukov who knew the importance of getting his daughter married, at once joined the hands of Natalia and Lomov and declared that Natalia agreed to the match. Natalia too, declared that she was willing and Lomov declared that he too, was happy. Tschubukov shouted for champagne to celebrate the intended marriage.

Personal Finance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Finance - Case Study Example This would have the effect of reducing payments for the renters insurance. The personal life insurance and disability insurance would also have the effect of reducing Mark’s motor vehicle insurance. As a result of economic cycles, the value for their shares investment might fluctuate and it would be best if they invested in fixed income investment as it involves less risk. This is one of the best ways to cater for any speculative risk such as investment risk (Dalton et al, 2015). Mark and Ava should consider having an emergency fund as a form of self-insurance. This can also assist them manage their risks. It is very evident that the emergency fund has to be created from funds that can be shrank or by cutting their expenditure. The Lanes can create an emergency fund by reducing their expenditure on entertainment and vacation. They can also reduce their expenditure on clothing and channel the money to a bank account which will be used as an emergency fund. This kind of fund should be easily accessible due to its nature thus the need for it to be either in liquid cash or cash equivalent instrument. The Lanes can also consider paying their credit card debts on time so as to avoid unnecessary cash outflows in the form of interests and fines. Part of the couple’s income from investments can be channeled to the emergency fund and the rest be reinvested for future incomes and to grow the investment (Dalton et al, 2015). A debt management and pay down plan for he Lanes would involve identifying all their debts which are paid monthly quarterly, half yearly and annually. The next step would be to prioritize the debts in order from the smallest to the largest debts they have. This order should consider the debt magnitude and not the interest rates involved. The reason for this is that it is easier and quicker to clear smaller debts and this will give them motivation to be clear even the larger debts. The next step in the pay down plan

Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Drugs - Essay Example In the second case, the EU also passes a (fictitious) directive on the right of all residents to high speed broadband by Jan 2014. This includes the duty to replace all existing broad band connections with modern connections to the new fibre optic system. The Directive is to be implemented by Member States by July 2013. The UK Statutory Instrument implementing the directive says that ‘all connections within private buildings will be replaced with modern connections.’ The connections are being changed by a subcontractor; Sparky Ltd. Sparky has been given a wide discretion as to how they complete the job as long as they are finished by December 2013. They are given details of all current broadband users so that they can contact them to arrange changing the connections. Martin’s small IT business leases part of a building used by the local secondary school. This is a public building. Sparky therefore refuse to replace the connections as they are only required to repl ace connections in private buildings. As a result, Martin loses business to operators who are able to offer high-speed broadband. The EU law should be able to assist both Bob and Martin. In the case of Bob, the regulation passed by the EU requiring that current copper wire network gets replaced with fibre optic cable by December 2013 is a type of EU law that is directly effective. Worth noting, however, is that the responsibility to enforce the EU regulation does not rest exclusively with the EU. EU law does not just come up with legal rights and obligations for member states; this was famously said by the Court during the Van Gend Loos case that obligations are also imposed. According to the legal system developed by the treaties of EU, a distinction is made between national and international law; the reason the system is in existence is because it was created by member states through

Current Public Heath Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current Public Heath Issues - Essay Example This disease in a healthy, productive work force of the country is a major problem for the government, as it has to spend increasing amounts of funds on their treatment and care, while earning hands have decreased. For the past four decades, there was an encouraging decline in the spread and attack of CVD (Heart Disease May Be On The Upswing 2008), which led to the hope that there was finally a check on it, and still a chance for recovery from this problem. However, this hopeful trend lasted just till 1995 (Heart Disease May Be On The Upswing 2008). ... Discussion: in this study carried out on 425 people in Minnesota, US, who had died of unnatural causes, researchers found shocking evidence that CVD is on the rise again, and this time it is affecting a lot of young population as well. This study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Heart Disease Might Be On The Upswing 2008) in early February 2008, and explored the trends and the causes behind this upsurge. The age group of the cases under study ranged from 16 to 64. What was surprising was that out of the younger cases, 8.2% had high-grade heart disease, and 83 percent had clogged arteries, marking a beginning of coronary artery disease, which puts them at a risk of developing major heart problems as they age (Heart Disease May Be On The Upswing 2008). Researchers are yet trying to establish firm causes of this upswing of CVD, especially among the younger population. They are especially not sure how and to what extent do obesity and diabetes play a role in increasing the occurrence of CVD among young people. However, they have confirmed that recent trends and changes in the lifestyles of the people are the major causes of this rise. There has been an increase in the sedentary lifestyle of people, owing to the introduction and the spread of computers, which has led to a decline in their physical exercise (Heart Disease May Be On The Upswing 2008), and computer related activities like playing games and working solely on computers, such as typing jobs. Another study

Report in Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report in Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example But coming to the festival is not an easy task it involves a decision, fair bit of travel, standing in long queues and the determination to stay in a city of music and music loving people. Motivation plays a pivotal role and getting people to the festival (Motivation, Mood and Involvement, n.d). People have different acquired needs and in order to fulfil these needs they perform different actions. When a need is unfulfilled it creates tension and the drive towards the goal. Similarly, in our case, people who are fond of music have many unfulfilled needs such as somebody wanted to be a singer but could not likewise someone else might want to become a guitarist but cannot due to different reasons. Furthermore, others may have a need to listen to quality music, attend a concert, see a live performance and feel the excitement of dancing to music with thousands of other music lovers. Therefore, when these needs are not fulfilled people turn to social events such as the Glastonbury festival, to feel better, even if their ultimate goal cannot be reached. They will substitute their ultimate goal with a new goal and hence will feel relieved by accomplishing the newly set goal. As a result, a positive motivation is created towards the goal, i.e. the festival. Similarly, some people may have emotional motives to attend the festival yet others may be pulled towards it due environmental arousal (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2004). This can be explained using the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people have ego and social needs to cater to (Maslow, 1943). Attending the world’s biggest performing arts and music festival may fulfil the ego needs of some die hard music fans. Likewise, others may end up coming to the festival because of their social needs, such as peer pressure and affection (Maslow’s Hierarchy, 2009). On the other hand, when the needs of people are not fulfilled

Westpac Banking Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Westpac Banking Corporation - Essay Example Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, it is a major international banking and financial services group employing over 30,000 people. ANZ began its operations as the Bank of Australasia in the 1830s. During its evolution, ANZ has transacted (merged and acquired) with dozens of banks to arrive at its current standing. ANZ today is the largest bank in New Zealand with assets over $335 billion. ANZ is a publicly listed company and has a footprint in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Pacific, UK/Europe, India and the USA. The year 2006 marked a golden year for Westpac with profitability surging to $3.6 billion, which is 16% higher than the previous year (ANZ Company Profile). Â  Established in 1874, Bank of Queensland is Australia’s fastest-growing retail bank with a network of over 200 branches. It ranks among top 150 listed companies in Australia. In the year 2006, Bank of Queensland reported earnings of $82 million, a 21% increase over the previous year. The earnings surpassed expectations of the management as well as shareholders. Â  Westpac’s approach to corporate governance is based on a set of values and behaviors that ensure transparency and fair dealing and protect shareholder interests. The Board at Westpac monitors local as well as global developments in best practice corporate governance particularly to analyze their ramifications for Westpac. Â  The Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX) listing rules require listed entities like Westpac to furnish a statement in their annual report whereby the company discloses the extent to which it has complied with the 28SASXCGC Best Practice Recommendations for the reporting period, and to justify any variances observed. Â  

Community Assessment and Care Planning in Medication Compliance Essay

Community Assessment and Care Planning in Medication Compliance - Essay Example The assessment of the adverse side-effects of psychiatric drugs shall also be discussed in this paper. These issues are discussed in the hope of coming up with improved quality of life and improved treatment and interventions for mentally ill patients. The assessment of mental health patient is seen from the initial admission or consultation of the patient. From the initial visit, which includes recording the agreement of the patient to Mental Health Care Service, history-taking, mental state examination, assessing associated risks and any co-morbidities, and the formulation of the diagnosis, there are various issues and concerns that may manifest (Thomas, 2006). Assessment is vital to patient diagnosis and treatment. Good assessment makes for good medical practice because it is the jumping off point to further investigations on patient symptoms and manifestations. It is also the basis for suitable and prompt action and referral. These decisions in patient care would not be properly made if not for good assessment. Assessment of the mental health patient is vital in the course of their illness because â€Å"people with mental illnesses are likely to have their physical health needs poorly managed and are less likely to have their blood pressure, cholesterol, urine†¦checked† (Colbeck, 2008). The assessment of the mental health patient is not wholly focused on the initial examination of the patient. The assessment of the adverse effects of psychiatric medications is also crucial in caring for mentally ill patients. The CNS Forum (2004) discusses various tools of assessing the neuroleptic effects of psychiatric drugs being used by different clinicians and mental health caregivers. These tools are briefly described forthwith. First, is the Simpson-Angus Scale which is used to assess extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS). It is based on the observations made by the mental health professional.

The operation of your State Disaster Management System and its new Essay

The operation of your State Disaster Management System and its new state of the art Emergency Operations Center - Essay Example What would we do? Or maybe what could we do? Thus, if in the manner that we cannot prevent things to happen, then what we can do and must to is to be ready and prepare ourselves in any calamity that comes into our way. What matters during these times would be our lives and that we must know how to take care of ourselves up to the point that we can be at ease to our security. One of the most basic yet effective ways would be self-preparedness because even though we are already in the era of advance technologies, we cannot still rely on these most of the time and consider this as our secondary option, so to speak. There are times that the government was delayed in rescues and we cannot deny the fact that there are flaws also in the materials being used. There are also cases regarding these like for example the Dumas, Arkansas Tornado wherein the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does not supply enough quality trailers needed. One of the most efficient and effective method used that was observed is the people empowerment method educating the citizens to manage themselves in times of calamities and disasters. What we do in here is to give free seminars, actual-case demos, the do’s and don’ts and first aids lectures to ensure maximum security of the citizens. In this way, they are at least competent to manage themselves and that these will help them a lot in times of troubles. People Empowerment Under our law, there two main agencies that are in-charge of management disaster control namely: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Executive cabinet of Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE) that was established by the US Congress. In line with the DHS, the Citizens Corps (a voluntary organization) seeks to mitigate disaster and prepare the population for emergency response through public education, training, and outreach. What our state do is to give seminars and actual-case demo to at least make our citizen prepare when an unexpected things occurs. We target the youngsters in schools and teach them what they would do in times of calamities. An example would be earthquake drills, first aids and alike. We target class rooms and young people because these are the ones that mostly freak-out when disasters happen. Also, in school or university, we expect a massive population in which students outnumbered the school staff. Thus, they must know what they do to avoid things that could make the situation worst. One thing that we aim is to evade circumstances like stampede during evacuation in times of earthquake. We educate the people to know their responsibility and make them cooperate to make our disaster management system work in its full level. Moreover, we highly recommend the people to update themselves of the weather condition that the state has to prepare the things that they will need if worst cases happen. We do not st op in people empowerment alone, though we consider this as one of our best option in disaster management, still we equip our state with facilities that could easily reach out our people and backed them up to maximize their protection. We used the latest tools and gadgets that are known to be more efficient in recuing other people. The mobile emergency response support that is responsible to provide information regarding

Contribution of Organizational Culture to Change management Essay

Contribution of Organizational Culture to Change management - Essay Example When considering the influence of culture in the change management process, certain factors often emerge that include the management or leadership style preferred by the workers. In addition, the workers may demand for an active participation in the change management process since such changes impact on their lives both at the office and at home. When effecting change in an organisation, the culture embraced by the management and employees is important in ensuring that the new plans introduced in an organisation achieve their goals.Among the organisational culture that is often adopted during the change management process is empathy. Empathy as a process associated with the management of organisational change creates a strategic environment for improved communication. In addition, empathy improves understanding that exists between the change agent and the personnel working for the organization. The change agent further need to understand their employee’s concerns by establishi ng an empathetic relationship with them. This is important especially during periods of effecting changes in the organisation.Developing empathetic relationships with workers assist managers to anticipate any discontent among their employees. In addition, it is the manager’s role to support their employee’s and makes them feel valued in times of making changes in an organisation. Empathy further allows the change agent to understand the employee’s needs and this helps the managers to plan for the change process.

Examine the way Mildred Essay Example for Free

Examine the way Mildred Essay He pointed in their direction with everybodys eyes following his finger. Taylor wants everything to become very sultry through this quote, Through the settling dusk three figures ambled with assurance across the wide lawn. R. W. and Melvin on either side of T. J. As they came closer Cassie could see that his clothes were different, they werent tatty like they were at the start of the book. Thanks to theft the clothes he wore were wealthier. T. J foolishly brags about the clothes that the brothers have bought him, Look see what they give me. Proudly he tugged at his suit coat. R. W. and Melvin are secretly mocking him, Melvin nodded, a condescending smirk on his face which was lost on T. J. Cassie can see that the brothers are mocking him but T. J. can not, stupidity is blinding him. He is very gullible. T. J. continued to boast about how he was R. W. and Melvins best friend, and they would get him anything he wanted. Anything including a pearl handled pistol. T. J. had wanted this for ages, he had shown it to Stacey and Cassie in the Barnetts Mercantile, the day they went up to Strawberry. On that day he had told Stacey and Cassie that he would, sell his life for that gun. He claimed that it would offer protection. Eventually his attraction to guns led to his undoing. R. W. demanded T. J. then to hurry up and enter the pickup truck so they could head down to Strawberry to retrieve his gun. Yet he didnt turn and leave immediately he stood on his own undecided for while. Cassie watched him, she felt sorry for him standing there looking, desolately alone. But in the end he turned his back on them and went with the two white brothers. This action is very final. Mildred Taylor now compels me to feel sorry for T. J. like Cassie did. I am made to think, how sad that he made the wrong decision. How sad that he didnt stay where he belonged. Later that night it became hot and all the Logans were at home asleep. Apart from Cassie who couldnt get to sleep, she was able to hear the distant thunder. As she was just about to drop off, she heard light tapping coming from outside and decided to creep out of bed to see what it was. She discovered that it was T. J. knocking on the boys bedroom door calling, Hey, Stacey, come on wake up will ya? Stacey opened door and both T.J. and Cassie slipped in. When T. J. speaks there is a lot of repetition and pausing used which creates much sadness. Help me Stacey. Help me get home I cant make it by myself. R. W. and Melvin had beaten up T. J. and as a result his stomach was becoming a deep blue-black. Stacey refused to take T. J. anywhere until he had told him why the brothers had done this to him. T. J had no choice but to tell Stacey and Cassie his story of the event. After he had left them at church himself, R. W. and Melvin had gone straight to Strawberry to retrieve the gun from the mercantile store but it was closed. This was when we learn about R. W and Melvins true motives for befriended T. J. They persuaded the young boy to squeeze through the window to let them in. With the window being so small in size only a small skinny boy like T. J. could have been able to fit through. To stop anyone from being able to identify the two brothers they cleverly covered their faces with dark stockings and their hands with gloves. So if someone were to see them they would have immediately assume that they were black. When the three boys were all inside the shop R. W. broke the glass which the gun was encased with an axe and handed it to T.J. R. W. and Melvin then went towards the wall cabinet where Mr. Barnett kept the money. R. W. had to hit the lock on that protected the cabinet a few times before it broke. Then right when Melvin had the metal tin filled with money in his hands Mr. Barnett and his wife appeared from upstairs with a flashlight. Mr. Barnett shone the flashlight at all three boys, he recognised T. J. but not his two black accomplishes. Once Mr. Barnett noticed that the cabinet had been broken into he entered into a rage and went for Melvin. They both struggled to obtain the metal box until R. W. hit Mr. Barnett over the head with the axe. Mrs. Barnett attempting to protect her husband flew at R. W. but didnt get far. He slapped her right across the face this made her stumble and hit her head. All three boys ran outside T. J. was so frightened foolishly that he threatened to tell everybody at home what happened. This is when R. W. and Melvin had beaten T. J. Fortunately T. J. managed to find someone who was filling to give him a lift back to the Logans. Cassie suspiciously questioned T. J. if he was telling the truth. T. J. was in such a desperate situation that he admitted to everything. I admit I lied bout tellin on your mamma, but I aint lyin now. We feel sympathy for T. J. he is seriously injured, his face his pale, his eyes glazed and coughs up blood. Hurt T. J. begs Stacey not to inform his Grandmother about it, for his family will only be dragged into the predicament. Stacey please! You my only friend aint never really had no true friend but you Look at how late it is before T. J. can see the truth. In the end Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John and Little Man walked T. J. back home. Straight after T. J. had arrived home, the white men including R. W.and Melvin parked outside the Avery household. As soon as the white men had found out about the incident in Strawberry with Mr. Barnett they were ready to cause havoc. They started to pound the Averys door with their rifles screaming abuse, We want that thieving, murdering nigger of yalls. When they saw that nobody was leaving the house R. W. broke a window at the side of the house so that several other men could enter. A few seconds later the front door was flung open as Mr. and Mrs. Avery were dragged out by their feet, the small girls thrown out of the window and the older girls spat upon. Then finally T. J was dragged out of the house on his knees, his face smeared with blood. Here Taylor forces us to picture the horror of the situation, mans inhumanity to man. Soon after this, headlights of two cars appeared one of vehicles stopped at Harlan Grangers home and the other at the Averys. Mr. Jamison a white lawyer jumped out of the car aiming to save the situation. He remained calm and told the men to hand T. J. over to him and the sheriff so they can take care of it. But the men refused to listen to reason and Mr. Jamison was warned off and accused of being a nigger lover. We must admire Mr. Jamison for having the courage to stand up to all those angry and violent men for what he believes is right. The sheriff is the introduced into the scene with a message from Harlan Granger. The sheriff quotes, He say yall touch one hair on that boys head while he on this land, hes gonna hold every man here responsible. The white men did not take the news well until Mr. Kaleb had the idea to take the boy somewhere else and hang him. He also refers to Mr. Morrison as, that big black giant of a nigger so that they can hang him also. Someone then refers to Mr. Logan as, the boy he working for thinking that the white men might as well hang him too. By speaking of Mr. Logan in such a tone that he calls him boy displays total lack of respect. The Wallaces clearly think that they are above the law that they believe they can go against the sheriffs word. Also because of the incident with T. J. the Wallaces now had the opportunity to gain revenge on the Logans. The Logans stood didnt approve of how the Wallaces treated the black people. Therefore stood up for what they believed in and took trade away from the Wallace store and shopped in Vicksburg, with the support of Mr. Jamison. All the while Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John and Little Man had never left the scene they sat quietly behind a bush and watched. But when they heard Mr. Morrison and their fathers name mentioned Stacey sent his three younger three siblings along home to warn his parents. Cassie protested against Staceys request she was worried that her older brother would do something stupid in a desperate attempt to save T. J. She made him promise that he wouldnt do anything drastic before she eventually left him alone to inform her father of what was happening. T. J. does not deserve it but Stacey has a protective nature of man. It just demonstrates what type of man Stacey really is. On Cassies way back home with the boys Taylor describes the weather. Thunder crashed against the corners of the world and lightening split the sky. Again we are made to observe the parallel between the storm in nature and the storm between the black and white people. Most importantly we are made to notice that there is mention of thunder and lightening but none of rain. When the three children arrive home their parents are furious with worry and are about to whip the children for having the cheek just for leaving the house. However their intentions soon change after Cassie informs them of what is happening back at the Avery home. Mr. Logans first reaction to the news is to go down to the Avery home and do whatever he can to protect T. J. even if it resulted in him being hung himself. He trots straight to their bedroom to fetch his gun. The wisdom of Mrs. Logan tells her husband, Get Harlan Granger to stop it. She knows that all to do is persuade Harlan Granger to say the word and all of the men would stop. T. Js predicament brought out the best in the Logan family. Their need to protect one another, their need to show love and care for one another. Before Mr. Logan leaves to go and save T. J. there is more proof that the storm is ominous. A bolt of lightening splintering the night into a dazzling brilliance. As the bible says, Men love the darkness, so their evil can be committed. This is because night is a time of darkness, which symbolises evil. Light and brilliance symbolises good. A while after Mr. Morrison and Mr. Logan had left the two women and children were all sitting in the main room. When Mrs. Logan smelt smoke she rushed outside to find that the cotton fields were on fire. The Logans land and Grangers land was right next to each other so if there was fire on one patch it was most likely to spread to the other. So back the Avery home Mr. Jamison had jumped in his car and blocked off the road so that none of the men could get passed with T. J. When suddenly Mr. Granger came flying out of his house yelling, Theres smoke coming from my forest yonder! Give that boy to Wade like he wants and get on up there! Like Mrs. Logan had predicted all that was needed to save T. Js life was to have Mr. Granger say the word. That night both blacks and whites worked together side by side to save the land. Following the fire Mr. Jamison visited the Logan house to see Mr. Logan and warned him that he should keep out of the T. J. situation otherwise people will think he should lose more than a quarter of his land. Or somebody might just get to wondering about that fire. Here we are made to assume that it was Mr. Logan that set his own land on fire, in a sacrificial attempt to save T. J. Mr. Jamison. Also came with some bad news Mr. Barnett had died that morning this would mean that because T. J. was the only person identified, he would get accused of murder. If found guilty he would serve a death sentence. Stacey and Cassie were both devastated when their father told them this information. Stacey was extremely hurt by the news that he ran off into the woods. He knew that their wasnt any evidence at all to find T. J. innocent and he would ultimately die. The problem with T. J was he never thought before he acted, which had some serious consequences. Also he didnt have any common sense to see what was really going on around him, he became blind to the obvious. Finally I think T. J. was overall an attention seeker thats the reason why he done the things he did. He wasnt obtaining enough attention at home so he looked for it somewhere else. But unfortunately he looked in the wrong places and it ended him into to trouble, which ultimately ended him. N:\MyDocuments\RollofThunderHearmyCry. doc Ebonni Chabala 10R Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Causes And Consequences Of Youth Homelessness Social Work Essay

Causes And Consequences Of Youth Homelessness Social Work Essay Homelessness has had a history in the UK far back from the 7th century, when the kings would pass laws to punish vagrants. Ever since then the number of homeless still rises and falls, and has taken a much vast shape, enrolling the youth into it, and not just the adult homeless. Even though, in principle, the UK has adhered to the code of housing legislation ever since the first legislation of 1977, followed by the current legislation of 2002, it is worth noting that housing and homeless legislation does not apply to all parts of UK. The decentralised local governments of the four countries of UK have been vested with the responsibility of providing for the homeless, although Northern Ireland is no longer a decentralised government. This dissertation will set out to examine the causes and consequences of youth homelessness in UK, simultaneously researching into the corresponding government initiatives to house and rehabilitate these young homeless people. The age group covered in this paper is 16-25 years old. Homelessness has been an important issue in the UK, as is evident from the housing of homeless legislations to date. It is an issue which still demands strong consideration and interventions by the government and the voluntary organisations at the macro level, and family and friend at the micro level, to help prevent youth homelessness. The paper will explore the legislative context in the UK vis-Ã  -vis the work of non-profit organisations and government agencies. The paper will also delve into the details of interventions by the civil society organisations/charities in addressing the issue of youth homelessness and examine the role of social workers in the given scenario. The dearth of social housing facilities and lack of support from family and friends has led to youth living in homelessness. There are very many factors causing homelessness, which will be explored in this dissertation as we move to the succeeding sections in detail. To name a few would be those of the collapse of relationships, women fleeing abusive homes, being evicted from homes, alcoholism, and they want of complete autonomy from parents for example. However, it is important to understand that though the causes of homelessness can be categorised into social, economical, political and policy level factors, the reasons for youth homeless could also be viewed and should be viewed as individual factors. Hence, it is important to find out in detail what leads to these situations and makes them robust factors of homelessness. This paper will inspect in detail all such factors causing homelessness and consequences thereupon the youth, referring back and forth to the legislative actions and their effectiveness, and the kind of role social work can play in stabilising their lives and ensuring their welfare. Acknowledgement Dissertation structure Chapter one will be the introduction to the issue of youth homelessness in the UK. The key concepts of this subject will be defined as well as terms relevant and important in providing clarity for better comprehension of the issue. The introductory chapter will also detail the significance of this topic and the legislative context of the issue, along with the kind of work being done by the voluntary organisations and the government in dealing with youth homelessness. Chapter two will review the literature of past ten years, comprising of journals, articles, legislations and books dealing with the issue of youth homelessness, and their contribution to the understanding of causes and consequences of this issue. Reviewing literature would also help us compare and contrast the profile and nature of youth homelessness, whether it has changed over time. This chapter will also discuss the scale of youth homelessness in the past decade, by investigating into the most recent statistics of a unique nationwide study conducted in the UK, in 2008, by Joseph Rowntree Foundation and delve into an in-depth research of the issue through several journals, namely of Joan Smith, Isobel Anderson and Julie Christian (2003), Thomson, (2004), Pleace et al (2008) and Quilgars et al, (2004 2008), Mary Ellen OConnell (2003), Graham Tipple and Suzanne Speak (2003) and Sean A. Kidd (2006). I will also use these journals since the authors have written on the issue of housing the homeless extensively, which helps us in grasping the issue in totally. Moreover, in this section, I will also assess the importance of having a theoretical knowledge base in dealing with such issues as issues of youth/adolescent behaviour. Chapter three will look at the present role and interventions of social workers into this whole issue of youth homelessness and the limitations of social work practice in holistically dealing with the issue. Chapter four will present case studies which will help analyse the problems, causes and consequences for the homelessness of these individuals in relation to the already reviewed literature; vis-Ã  -vis their experiences of the same. Chapter five will be provide a closure to the paper by summarising the overall discussion undertaken in this dissertation and the role social work can play in the context of youth homelessness. However, role of social work will keep featuring throughout the paper, but certain specific discussions will be take place in this chapter to conclude the dissertation. Rationale The aim of this paper is to investigate the subject of youth homelessness; its causes and consequences on the youth aged 16-25 years of age, with a focus on difficulties they face in living their lives without any family support, more so when they are not equipped with life skills and emotional support, along with financial instability. There are multidimensional factors that create such situations where the youth find themselves homeless, marginalised, victimised, exploited and excluded. My interaction with such youth during my twenty five days field work placement at the Framework has motivated me to further explore the subject of youth homelessness, with focus on the causes and consequences that make them vulnerable and hence homeless. This interaction and exposure to the youth problems turning them into homeless youths made me curious to study the issue in detail, investigate and articulate experiences of such youths, who have either undergone or are currently facing social exclusion and being all by themselves at a young age. The unavailability of family support adversely impacts their entire existence, driving them towards precarious forces, such as unemployment, substance abuse, lack of development skills and so on. Strictly sticking to the topic of my research, I will be addressing important subsidiary question, such as the efficacy of the current legislations and government initiatives to curb youth homelessness, and the corresponding social work practices and interventions of the voluntary organisations in this whole issue. This paper will investigate the occurrence of the issue on social, personal, legal and policy levels. Reference shall be made to a range of literature, comprising recent articles, journals, studies, legislations and information gathered from the organisation I did my field work at, to support my own field work experiences with the available evidences in literary form and statistics. One such piece of reference would be the study conducted across the country, Youth Homelessness in the UK, (Quilgars. D et al, 2008), which reveals that despite significant policy developments across the UK to address youth homelessness in recent years, most particularly the extension of priority need groups and a new emphasis on the prevention of homelessness, 75,000 young people experienced homelessness in 2006-07. This scenario and inadequacy of policies and legislation in ending youth homelessness instigated me to choose the subject, to examine the magnitude of the problem and its ramifications. Under the Childrens Act 1989, children of this age group of 16-18 years are children in need of care and protection and are all entitled to welfare and development services from the local authorities in cases where they either dont have parents or have them but there are threats to childs existence in their presence. Yet, many youngsters in the UK are living in threatening circumstances, which certainly has a direct implication on the countrys overall economy and human resource as well. Lastly, I will use and analyse the given problem in the light of some case studies that I documented during my field work, which gave me an opportunity to listen to the real life experiences of a few homeless young people and how they have been assisted, to what extent by social work practices and organisations they came in contact with. This will also help establish a link between theory and practicality when social workers counter people with real issues unfold before them. Chapter 1 Introduction Food, clothing and shelter are the basic needs of any individual born to live. Anything less than these basic pre-requisites can expose human beings to threats to well-being, psycho-social imbalances and economic instability, each have its implications on the individual. While food is required for one to live and adequate and decent clothing to cover oneself, shelter is most important for ones safety and personal space. Absence or insufficient provision of any of these basic needs can result into insecurities and decreased morale. According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, fulfilment of the basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep and warmth is essential for people to move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security. All other needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met (Cherry, 2010) Therefore, it is important to acknowledge what impact homelessness can have on young people in fulfilling the other basic needs and developing their potential. Homelessness in the UK has exceeded the mere meaning of being without a roof by several folds. A person could be homeless even if he may possess a family house if that home is not conducive for the stay of the person. Since this paper will focus on youth homelessness, it is important to understand the legal definitions of homelessness in the context of young people and build the ideas around it, which this paper seeks to do. Although it is difficult to estimate the exact number of homeless young people in the UK due to their high mobility, yet the recent estimate as per the 2006-07 study in the UK, (Quilgars, et. al, 2008) tells us that at least 75,000 young people experience homelessness. This is an estimation based on the number of youth connected to organisations providing housing services and hence, many go un-estimated (Robinson and Farrington, 1999). There have been two predominant approaches used to explain youth homelessness. These are called the individually based perspectives and structurally based perspectives (Hutson and Liddiard, 1994). The former viewing youth homelessness as a result of an individuals own mistakes, which render him/her homeless, such as not paying rent or not obeying their parents. This gets them into the situation where they lose their homes and become shelterless. In contrast, the Structural perspective understands youth homelessness as an outcome of social factors and inequalities that impact individuals, such as the effect of poverty (Giddens, 1998). These approaches are important to underpin the contemporary scenario of youth homelessness and will be referred to in the course of the dissertation. Legislations, on the other hand, provide a framework for all social actions to operate in line with the set standards and procedures, defining the problem in a legally accepted way. Prior to the passage of the Homeless Persons Act 1977, the liability of providing for the homeless people was entrusted with the social services department in its entirety. This Act later shifted the responsibility onto the district (local) housing department focusing on the shelter needs and not the families unmet needs that rendered them homeless (Smith, 2003). Definition of Homelessness and some vital statistics Even though in principle the UK adheres to the code of housing legislation ever since the first legislation of 1977, yet it is worth noting that housing and homeless legislation does not apply to all parts of UK. The decentralised local governments of the four countries of UK have been vested with the responsibility of providing for the homeless, although Northern Ireland is no longer a decentralised government. (Quilgars, et al 2008) In the UK, the definition of homelessness is not just that of an individual being without a roof and/or living on streets. It is much broader than this and anyone seeking accommodation in a friends house, staying in a hostel, or living in overcrowded or unsuitable accommodation is classed as homeless. This may be because the person does not have any rights to stay where he/she live or even of his/her own family home is unsuitable for stay. (Need Reference) A person is homeless if he or she has no accommodation which they are entitled to occupy and which it would be reasonable for them to continue to occupy. (Brayne and Carr, 2005, p.700). The Homelessness Act of 1996 laid down parameters for qualifying as being priority needs group for those seeking assistance from local authorities. Under this legislation, the priority needs group did not include the youth aged 16-24 years. There was no provision for this category of young generation that was increasingly being lost to homelessness and problems that emerged from being homeless. A pregnant woman, person residing with dependent children, vulnerability induced by old age, mental illness, physical disability or other special reasons were culminated into the priority group; having priority need for accommodation. By the virtue of this Act, the local authority was duty bound to provide temporary accommodation (usually Bread Breakfast), while they investigated their application. The 1996 homelessness legislation on the whole did not have provisions for the youth homeless, where it could have included under the category of age induced vulnerability. The 16/17 year old homeless were brought under the purview of 2002 applicable in England and Wales, while the Homeless Act 2002 was followed by separate legislation in Scotland in 2003, and in North Ireland (Smith, 2004). The 2002 definition also included those lately released from prisons or youth custody and previous members of armed forces and those with a history of care. UK homelessness education has emphasised on two types of housing situations for defining its homelessness. These are, the occupancy status and security and insecurity of the tenure. The 2002 legislation has included all forms of violence leading to homelessness through loss of the right to a home into the definition, which was earlier limited to only domestic violence in 1996 Act. (Smith, 2003). Homeless legislation right from the first one in 1977 till 2002, have created a national framework for defining homeless over the last 25 years. Homelessness legislations and the government initiative for rough sleepers across the UK have also fundamentally shaped the definition of homelessness. There are three categories for defining homelessness in the UK, which are; Statutory Homeless, Non-statutory homeless and Rough Sleepers (who sleep in the open or uninhabitable places like sheds etc.). Statutory homelessness refers to the applicants to whom the local service authorities owe the duty of housing because they fulfil the criteria of being in need and vulnerable, hence fitting into the priority needs group. The existing data, though inadequate, estimates that at least 75,000 16-24 year olds experienced homelessness in the UK in the year 2006-07 alone. The largest group of statutory homeless were the young people at 43,075 of 75,000. Many young homeless children of this age bracket are found to be with dependent children themselves, particularly those from18-24 years of age. Scotland and many urban areas of the UK tend to report rate of statutorily homeless young people. Young girls qualify to be more in this category of statutorily homeless than young men (Quilgars., et al 2008). Of the 8,300 pregnancies among girls conceiving before the age of 16 in 2008, two-fifths resulted in births and the other three-fifths in abortions. Teenage motherhood is eight times as common amongst those from manual social background as for those from managerial and professional backgrounds (Conception statistics, ONS England and Wales) and ISD Scotland, Great Britain; updated Feb 2010). The non-statutory homeless are those who lose their accommodation due to their own mistakes, such as those who fail to pay their rent and therefore lose their hold over the accommodation. Such category does not fit into the eligibility criteria of seeking housing support from the local authorities. Of the estimated homeless youth in 2006-07, 31,000 were numbered to be non-statutorily homeless young people using Supporting People services during the given year. Qualitative evidence tells us that on a whole considerable number of young people have experienced rough sleeping (sleeping in open spaces) over the course of a year than on any given night in the UK. The combined total of estimates and counts of rough sleepers in England in 2010 was 1,247; this comprised 440 from the 70 authorities that conducted a count and 807 from the 256 authorities that provided estimates (Rough Sleeping England Total Street Count and Estimates 2010, 23 July 2010). Local Authorities were especially challenged by the voluntary organisations and welfare advocates on the issue of young single homeless because such a high proportion of the young single homeless living in hostels, having a history of local authority child care. The voluntary agencies and welfare advocates observed that many young homeless also fell qualified as priority need under the Homeless Persons Legislation because they were vulnerable (Smith, 2003). In 1996, a Youth Homelessness Action Partnership of NGOs came up with their own wider definition of youth homelessness, which was also based on the housing situations of youth. Their definitions included those immediately homeless and/or rough sleeping (on streets, dilapidated buildings, and includes those who spend periods rough sleeping, and other periods on friends floors or hostels); those living short term with friends or in direct access hostels (short-term accommodation); those doubled up living with relatives or friends (hidden homeless); and those who may be asked to leave their accommodation or whose accommodation is temporary including those living under licence agreements (insecure accommodation and lodgings) (Youth Homeless Action Partnership, 1996). Thus, the housing situation has been considered to a great extent to shape up the changing definitions of homelessness and youth homelessness. There have been several studies focusing on different types of homeless situations. The Homelessness Act 2002 is certainly an extensive Act that has taken into account the youth who are so much at risk of losing their family home more so after attaining the age of 16 years and even when the children turn 13 years old. The UK, being a child rights country, has set up structures and systems to assist and support the youth in resuming a steady life. Much stress is thus laid on inter agency and coordinated efforts of the government and NGOs/charities in evolving strategies to combat and tackle the issue. There are many agencies, both voluntary and government that have instituted or funded the institution of hostels for these homeless youth, consequences of which will be dealt with in the coming sections on the causes and consequences of youth home lessness. (Need reference) Significance of the study This dissertation is has its own significance, whereby it will look at the whole issue of youth homelessness at four levels, the social, personal, legal and state policy level. Thereafter, it will discuss the far reaching adverse impacts this has had and continues to have on young people that also bring all the legal actions and their efficacy, role of authorities concerned and family structure in the UK under a scanner. Legislative Context The Childrens Act 1989 made strong recommendations of housing the young people who move out of the local authorities care, This Act gave a new dimension to the social work practice in the context of youth homelessness. Children aged between 16-17 years were designated as children in need. This bound the local authorities to provide accommodation to these homeless irrespective of the fact under whose jurisdiction they fell, or was it the Social Service Departments or district authorities duty to do so. This age group was accepted as the priority need group. The new legislation of 2002 also expanded its circumference accepting this age group as highly vulnerable and hence to be served on priority basis. (www.legislation.gov.uk ). Prior to the 2002 Act, the authority had a duty to house those applicants of which they were convinced were households/individuals in the priority need group, as set out in section 189 of the 1996 Act. However, by section 197 of the 1996 Act, the authority would simply limit its role to that of an advisor by enabling the people in need of accommodation find other alternative suitable accommodation by themselves. The 2002 Act repealed this section and made it obligatory for the authorities under section 193, to secure suitable accommodation for applicants who are eligible, homeless through no fault of their own, and have a priority need. This duty was limited to two years by the 1996 Act; the 2002 Act removed this 2 year limitation. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/7/notes/division/3 ). The 1996 Act provided that allocations could only be made to those accepted as a qualifying person and placed on the housing register maintained by the housing authority. This requisite was removed by the 2002 Act. The Act requires all applications to be considered by authorities, including applications for a transfer of accommodation from existing tenants. (www.legislation.gov.uk). The 2002 legislation amended the definition of violence by encompassing all kinds of violence that leads to homelessness. It mandated the local authorities to conduct homelessness reviews in their areas and come up with strategies to combat it, and work in collaboration with the voluntary and statutory organisations to deal with this social menace taking toll on youth well-being in the UK. The local housing authorities were permitted to offer accommodation to the non priority need homeless households as well. From the onset, the policies and legislation emphasised on the preventive aspect to curb homelessness, particularly youth homelessness. Pilot preventive schemes have included Safe in the City and Safe Moves (Nistala and Dane, 2000; Safe in the City, 2000; Quilgars et al., 2004). A new National Youth Homeless Scheme (NYHS) was launched in England in 2007, a central scheme to tackle the issue, led by the YMCA and Centrepoint. This comprised innovative prevention strategies to reduce youth homelessness, and work with those who already homeless. Supported Lodging exemplar schemes in 2007/08 for knowledge sharing on experiences gained by working with authorities for developing such schemes where need arises (CLG, 2007a). Joint projects with Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to explore how youth homeless could be reduced were undertaken by the central government. This focused on age wise intervention strategy for children ranging from 16-17 years old homeless youth and those at risk, care leavers (18-21 years old) who are homeless or potentially homeless, children in households living in transient shelters and the children in intentionally homeless households. All these circumstance possessed the power to make these children vulnerable to homelessness. Through Safe Moves, an early intervention model was devised to deal with the problem by using peer monitoring, family mediation and life skill training with young people aged 13-18 years to prevent homelessness. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, young people at risk due to financial insecurity and sexual exploitation are also described as priority need group by guidance to legislation. Wales has set the age limit for this group at 18-20, whereas North Ireland and Scotland have not set any specific age limit. Additionally, Scotland also includes this age group youth involved in substance misuse as priority need group. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 extended rights of temporary accommodation to all single (non-priority) homeless people for the first time and the 2003 Housing Act enables the Scottish ministers to abolish the priority need test to provide accommodation services to all those assessed homeless. Scotland is also setting out to achieve the target of abolishing priority need by 2012, thereby giving all homeless people including the youth, the right to permanent re-housing (Code of Guidance on Homelessness, Chapter 6, 2005). England also has a target to abolish Bread and Breakfast accommodation use to emergency situations only for 16-17 years old. Support programmes were also introduced across the UK in 2003, to help local authorities and service providers ensure independent living of the homeless and hence socially excluded in general and youth people at risk and vulnerable to other related problems (which will be discussed in the following chapter 2) by imparting life skills training, vocational trades as employment skills, housing support, tenancy etc. Local authorities have enhanced the number of supported housing schemes that provide bed-spaces for those with mental health problems, physical health problems, learning disabilities, alcohol or drug use problems etc. (The Supporting Peoples Programme, available at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmcomloc/649/649i.pdf ). The Every Child Matters framework and introduction of Child Trusts arrangements have improved the range of indicators across the country. Childrens Commissioners have been established in each country, known as Children and Young People Commissioners in Scotland and North Ireland. Also, lately in England, emphasis has been laid on the role of parenting (Social Exclusion Task Force, 2008). Leaving care acts have also extended the obligation of the social services to provide care leavers with accommodation till the age of 18 years across the UK. However, there are pros and cons of every development that takes place. In fact, it will be most opportune to discuss as I move along in my work whether its the disasters that lead to development or the vice versa. Though youth homelessness is not a disaster, i.e. it would technically not fall under any defined parameter compounding to a disaster, natural calamity or a man-made one. Nonetheless, seeing the level of risk a youth is posed with at a fragile age, where all the other problems follow her or him being without a family home, is not less than a disaster for that young child, perhaps a situational and human made disaster. To a certain extent, these developments and expansion in facilities by the government and voluntary associations to the young homeless children, who actually leave their families to live a precarious independent life has in some way aggravated youth homelessness and the misuse of the term homeless. My 25 days field placement made me learn how the youngsters, particularly the teenage girls under 16, got pregnant to just acquire accommodation, away from home. Hence, it is very important to maintain equilibrium to counter the issue and not aggravate it, by default though. It is here that the role of social work takes precedence in mediating the situation at the very initial stage. The law making bodies of the nation seems to have grasped this urgency to work at the preventive aspects and not just intercede at the curative level, as a result of which preventive measures for Homelessness are being talked of in the legislation of 1996 and 2002. It is extremely important for the authorities to work on the prevention part along with rendering services and relief to the needy. The next chapter shall now focus on reviewing the relevant literature on this topic to give a better understanding of the issues that face young homeless people. Structure of the study-what will be covered in the subsequent chapters Chapter Two: Literature Review Introduction Coverage of the study/ Criteria of literature (like what source I am going to use eg-journal article, books ,research and year) Causes of youth homelessness Consequences of youth homelessness 5-Similarities and Dissimilarities between proposed problem and existing studies Scope of relevance of theoretical knowledge Chapter summary Chapter Three: Social worker vs. homeless youth Organisations working on homeless issues Role of social worker in dealing with homeless youth in UK In the 1980s, the voluntary organisations challenged the legislation for not considering the young single homeless, whose number was increasing rapidly in the hostels. Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 2002 extended its reach by amending the previous 1996 legislation and covering the young single homeless and those aged 16-17 years by designating them as priority need group. Homelessness has always been defined in different ways by the voluntary organisations, which entails different aspects. Voluntary organisations have stressed on including the single homeless people into the category of homeless and many such categories from time to time. Therefore the problem of youth homeless is a manifestation of wider social and economic reasons primarily. There are a range of personal and social circumstances that land youth into such situations (Scottish Executive, 2002; OPDM, 2005; Cabinet Office, 2006; DSD, 2007). Anybody can face homelessness, however, it the socially and economically marginalised and those hailing from poor families are deemed to be much vulnerable in coping with such situations. Such situations for homeless youth have often led to them losing their jobs and education, after moving away from their mooring. However, these progressive changes in the homelessness laws in the country have partly resulted from the NGOs and charity sector lobbying with the government, based on research into the needs of homeless people that has been undertaken in the UK.(need to understand the use of this paragraph in legislative heading) Limitations in social work practice Chapter Four: Analysis of the problem Case studies Analysis of the problem Chapter summary Chapter Five: Discussion Introduction Implication of the social work practice Chapter summary Future research

Psychological Theories in Business and Organisations

Psychological Theories in Business and Organisations Leadership and the Multiplier Effect There is strong evidence that leader behavior is related to employee happiness. For example, charismatic leadership is strongly related to subordinate job satisfaction (DeGroot et al. 2000), and leader-member relationships is also strongly related to job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Gerstner and Day 1997). Likewise, trust in the leader is a strong predictor of satisfaction and commitment (Dirks and Ferrin 2002) as is the appropriate level of autonomy displayed by leaders (Baard et al. 2004). According to research by Sy et al (2005) positive managers are more accurate and careful in decision making as well as being more personally effective and imbuing those around them with greater positivity too. Crucially, Kopelman et al (2006) suggest the positive leaders create upward emotional spirals which help colleagues cope better with change. Thus, if there was one thing an organisation could do to foster engagement it would be to have flourishing leaders. Stated in the opposite way, the point seems more stark; if it is the leaders who are disengaged then the organisation is very unlikely to flourish. Flourishing: the source In its simplest form, positive psychology is about accruing a body of knowledge that is useful to people who want to live a good, happy and long life. Reflecting on the entirety of this study, it could be stated that positive psychology comprises much more than ‘positive thinking’ but that it perhaps starts with positive thinking. Further, just as an individual’s personal experience of being at their best reveals their potential, so the study of flourishing in an organisation reveals the highest potential of the whole organisation. Cameron et al (2003) suggest that excellence always exists, even in the most dysfunctional organisations. The ‘secret’ lies in tapping into the source – the positive core, the people resulting in higher levels of engagement, motivation and productivity. This opens up a deeper line of enquiry – how does the organisation tap into this positive core? The debate between the sources of eudemonia and hedonism is, arguably, unnecessary. The research literature is rife with examples of where the two entwine. Indeed, pairing pleasurable emotions in the ‘here and now’ (hedonic) with adaptive activities that will sustain future happiness (eudemonic) is evolution’s way of ensuring that humans engage in the behaviours necessary for our survival (deWall, 1996). Perhaps therefore, the distinction between the two should be about their roots. Flourishing at work is an umbrella concept that includes a large number of constructs ranging from transient moods and emotions at the person level to aggregate attitudes at the unit level. In the workplace, happiness is influenced by both short-lived events and conditions inherent in the task, job and organization. It is further complicated by influences at individual level such as personality and the fit between what the job/organization provides and the individuals expectations, needs and preferences. Understanding these contributors to happiness, together with recent research on volitional actions to improve happiness, offer some potential levers for improving happiness at work. Flourishing People Create Flourishing Organisations Masten (2001) describes flourishing as ‘ordinary magic’, suggesting that it is available to everyone. It is important to note that the benefits of feeling good are not because such feelings allow individuals to play down, ignore of distort negative information. Rather positive affect leads people to be able to consider many aspects of a situation simultaneously, make evaluations and choose behaviours responsive to the situation. Gaffney (2011) suggests there are four elements of flourishing: challenge, connectivity, autonomy and using one’s valued competencies. Further, Gaffney suggests these core components are enhanced by what is termed a ‘mental life’, an alignment of an individual’s thinking and feeling that are on the same wavelength. Gaffney’s point is that it is easy to explain goals, purpose and values in a cognitive way. In many organisations, values posters adorn the walls. In my role as a trainer, I have had rather too many di scussions with exasperated managers, paraphrased along the lines of ‘They [the employees] don’t get it! They are not living by the values on the posters!’ And herein lies the point; to function at one’s best one needs to feel a connection and however positive the organisational environment, however interesting the work and however transformational the leadership style, these will merely increase the odds of engagement. True and long lasting engagement has an internal source which lies within an array of attitudinal choices and mental constructs created by the individual. It is hoped that most staff will have experienced feelings of engagement. For some staff, these feelings arise circumstantially; they are effectively waiting for the right conditions in which to engage. The flourishing employees are less inclined to wait. Instead, they tap into a set of intentional strategies which allow them to take personal responsibility for feeling good. Further, these within person strategies, when written down, appear to be simple and straight-forward. One suspects that the biggest single factor highlighted by this study, that of consciously and deliberately choosing to be positive, stands out as common sense. However this research has uncovered that such strategies are by no means common practice. It may be that one can become psychologically disconnected from one’s best self. The busyness agenda and impediments of modern life (discussed in chapter 1) have resulted in a reactive approach to life rather than an introspective (inside-out) approach that is conducive to flourishing. Just as the key to individual flourishing is to understand and put effort into function at our best, so it is with organisations. The traditional organisational focus has been on deficit management, eliminating weaknesses and solving problems. This is important, but flourishing organisations must go further and, according to Cameron (2013), they must focus on what is ‘positively deviant’, i.e., what is ‘outstanding’, what is already working and what is world class. In line with Cooperrider’s (2005) work on Appreciative Inquiry, this provides a dramatic shift of focus. The Cult of Happiness What exactly is ‘organisational culture’? Cameron (2013) suggests it refers to taken for granted values, expectations, collective memories and implicit meanings that define an organisation’s core identity and behaviour. Thus, ‘culture’ reflects the prevailing ideology that people carry inside their heads. It provides unwritten and usually unspoken guidelines for what is acceptable and what is not. The wider point of creating an organisational culture conducive to flourishing is that an organisation cannot ‘force’ an employee to be engaged. Thus, by implication, the suggestion is that the organisation alone cannot create a culture of engagement because ‘engagement’ is partly an internal concept. Therefore if push motives such as ‘forcing’ are out, it may be that pull motives such as ‘allowing’ or ‘encouraging’ are in. Being religious is associated with elevated happiness. In a survey of 163,000 people in 14 European countries, 84% of church goers rated as ‘very satisfied’ with life compared with 77% of non-church goers (Inglehart, 1990). The suggestion is that religion provides a framework of meaning as well as a collective identity and a reliable social network for people with like-minded views and values. Thus, ultimately, it is the strong social connections that provide happiness in a religious context. The result is the rather powerful effect whereby individuals give up their weekends to attend their place of workshop, for free. While religion was not born out as a major factor in happiness in this study, there exists a wider analogy. It may be that the challenge for organisational designers is to create a similar cohesiveness, akin to a ‘spiritual home’ where, instead of religion, employees are bonded by a common purpose and/or pervading sense of ‘why?’ The organisation creates a sense of community where high quality connections are the norm and where individual employees are playing to their strengths. In short, the challenge is to create a culture in which employees want to be part of something worthwhile and where engagement is not forced, but rather, it flows. Continuing the religious metaphor, it may be that this sense of higher purpose and internal buy-in is, indeed, a more enlightened way to create flourishing organisations. ‘Neuroplasticity’ The relatively stable basic affective state of happiness refers to the momentary level of happiness that an individual typically experiences the individual’s ‘set point’ (Williams Thompson, 1993). The implication is that this component ensures that different individuals may experience different levels of happiness when all other factors are held constant. Although all individuals can experience a range of emotions at different intensities, there is a tendency for these to return to their idiosyncratic ‘set point’ (Diener et al., 2006). Diener et al (2006) argue that one’s happiness set point is determined by the individual’s sense of identity which is in turn determined by their psychology. In short, most people think like the person they perceive themselves to be (e.g., victims get stuck in ‘learned helplessness’, winners have a winning mentality, confident people behave confidently, etc.) The question therefore arises, is it possible to change one’s mental habits and/or one’s sense of personal identity? The concept of neuro-plasticity (Goleman, et al, 2003) suggests the brain is always learning. Siegel (2007) states that â€Å"Where attention goes, neurons fire. And where neurons fire, they can re-wire† (p. 291). This capacity for the brain to be reconfigured opens up the possibility for genuine and permanent personal change If one’s brain has an element of neuroplasticity it may be that the ‘set point’ is nothing more than a ‘familiar point’. It raises the possibility that with some mental dexterity and a little effort, one may be able to alter one’s ‘normal’ or ‘familiar’ level of happiness. In terms of this study, the NonH+ mean happiness is 6.77 (sd = 1.41, std error mean = 0.07) and the H+ mean is 8.29 (sd = 0.51, std error mean = 0.75). Thus, inquiring into the mental strategies of the H+ group and applying them to the NonH+ group could conceivably result in an increase in the ‘set point’ of 22.5%. As argued in earlier chapters, the knock-on behavioural effects of such an increase would achieve significant business results. Beliefs This comment, taken from an H+ respondent, provides a succinct account of the main findings of the difference between the H+ and NonH+ respondents: â€Å"I see the world differently to them.† (male, organisation W) Thus if reality depends, at least in part, on how one views it, it becomes less of a surprise that external circumstances account for only 10% of total happiness (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon Schade 2005). Indeed, Lyubormirsky (2007) prefers the phrase â€Å"creation or construction of happiness† to the more popular â€Å"pursuit of happiness† â€Å"since research shows that it’s in our power to fashion it for ourselves.† (p. 15) Further, if ‘reality’ is linked to mind-set and self-identity, then Dweck’s (2006) work on fixed and growth mind-sets becomes more salient. Dweck purports that those of fixed mind-set believe their capabilities are already set whereas a growth mind-set is conducive to self-improvement through effort. Dweck suggests that a growth mind-set is not dismissive of innate abilities, recognising that â€Å"although people may differ in every which way – in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests or temperaments – everyone can change and grow through application and experience† (p. 12). Further, Dweck purports that those with fixed mind-sets often miss opportunities for improvement and consistently underperform while those with a growth mind-set watch their abilities move ever upward. Cultivating Organisational ‘Games-Makers’ Organisational culture is one of the most important predictors of high levels of performance over time (Cameron et al, 2011) and for ‘culture’ one should read ‘people’. Organisations that flourish have developed a ‘culture of abundance’ (Cameron 2013) which builds the collective capabilities of all members. It is characterized by the presence of numerous positive energisers throughout the system, including embedded virtuous practices, adaptive learning, meaningfulness, profound purpose, engaged members and positive leadership. Various studies point to abundance culture and organisational success (Cameron, Mora, Leutscher Calaro 2011; Cameron Plews 2012) Achor (2013) uses the term ‘franchising success’; identify something that is simple and easy to copy. Achor uses the example of the ‘10/5 principle’, supplanted from the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain to an American hospital. This simple notion of smiling at anyone who comes within 10 feet and making eye contact and giving a positive greeting to anyone within 5 feet is cited as an example of ‘franchising success’. And while sceptics might point to the 10/5 principle is cosmetic, false or, indeed, overly American in tone, Achor reports a different reality. When the behaviour becomes contagious it changes the reality and the feeling of the hospital. Achor reports that staff were smiling and this was ‘franchised’ to patients and visitors. Crucially, this new behaviour became normalised, embedded in the hospital’s culture. It is difficult to find British examples. Although not examined academically, anecdotal evidence exists within the London 2012 Olympic games-makers. Volunteering to give up their own time, with a clear vision to make London 2012 the best ever games, they are perhaps the outstanding British example of franchising positive affect. Positive Psychology: The right science for the wrong reasons? Reflecting on 5 years of study and taking the learning in the round, it is difficult not to have a nagging doubt about the upsurge of interest in the science of positive psychology. The business imperative is strong and this may be the source of my doubt. It could be that positive psychology is the right philosophy but for the wrong reasons. Organisational behaviourists are using the science of happiness and well-being to create workplaces that are engaging and fun, where people can experience a sense of meaning and value. The underlying public sector mantra that lies behind the science is that by creating these conditions, employees will therefore work harder. In austere times, maintaining levels of service with fewer staff is the cost-efficient Utopia of squeezing ‘more from less’. And while this makes perfect sense at one level, treating people well because it is good for the bottom line is, perhaps, the wrong reason for treating them well. In the recommendations, I spoke of a more enlightened way of conducting organisational behaviour. Enlightened organisations may be the ones who take a leap of faith and conspire to treat employees well because that is absolutely the right thing to do. This research points to happiness being a conflux of genetics, circumstances and internal strategies. According to Lyubormirsky (2007), the ‘circumstances’ element of the happiness pie is a rather insignificant 10%. Therefore, tweaking the structure, altering the appraisal system, or providing gym membership and a dress-down Friday, are all having a tiny effect on individual happiness. Much more salient are the mental habits that employees choose (or do not choose) to bring to work. This points to organisational culture spreading in a more viral way, because happiness and its contagion is about sustaining new thinking and behaviours, rather than processes. Rather than command and control, this is more about influencing people to want to change. Statistical analysis suggests the data for this study is reliable. Thus, I can confidently state that a sense of personal choice stands as a central tenet of flourishing. The organisation may well engender this sense of personal choice if it is seen to be doing things for the right reasons. Therefore, the focus naturally shifts towards ‘meaning’. The H+ community feels a very strong sense of meaning and purpose which is reflected in flourishing behaviours. The hyper-dyadic nature of affective contagion means that other employees will ‘catch’ the new feelings and behaviours. This points towards a paradigm shift away from culture change being a ‘top down’ or even a ‘bottom up’ process, towards an ‘inside-out’ phenomenon. Trying Times There is a dichotomy at the heart of positive psychology. The science is both supremely complex and effortlessly simple. The pig iron quotation that heralded the start of this chapter seems somewhat disingenuous towards the pig-iron worker. It is perfectly possible to couch the subject in such academic terms so as to lose the average worker. Yet, at its heart, the constituent parts of happiness remain simple enough for everyone to understand. The concept of ‘consciously choosing a positive attitude’ and ‘making an effort to do so’ seem simple enough. It may be the lack of cognisance that a choice is available or the subsequent effort involved in sustaining an H+ attitude that is more problematic. It may well be that some occupations are inherently more purposeful and carry greater meaning. However, this report suggests that if the aforementioned pig iron worker chooses to be positive and engages in positive mental strategies, if s/he can find meaning in their work and have challenging tasks, stretching personal goals and, moreover, if handling pig iron plays to their strengths, then engagement is more likely. In terms of context, this research project was almost cancelled on the grounds of ‘right research, wrong time’. The head of organisation B1, who turned out to be a strong champion of this research, stated somewhat sardonically, in a meeting prior to phase 1; â€Å"This is an interesting time to be measuring motivation.† Her point was that the challenges of the 2008 banking crisis and the subsequent knock-on effects of austerity would make happiness and engagement more challenging than ever. Bearing in mind the finding that H+ employees deploy more strategies and work those strategies harder it could be that conducting this research in such challenging circumstances was exactly the right time. It could be that in trying times the key to flourishing is to try even harder.