British Airways

Introduction British Airways was started in 1974 as a result of merger between two airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA). BA is known to be one of the Leading Airlines in the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By the year 2001, the company had approximately 360 aircrafts and operates in ninety seven countries covering 270 destinations. BA owns stakes in other airline companies such as Australia’s Qantas and Iberia from Spain. Business within the global market demands a great change within the operational and management practices of international business companies. Management team should ensure maintenance of excellent working conditions within companies. They should have the ability of creating new business models for the purposes of satisfying current human needs and at the same time for profitability purposes. Implementation of up-to-date business plan and appropriate business models ensures change in image of business companies. Great level of confidence and creativity is required for the purposes of achieving the expected financial goals. SWOT analysis of British Airways Company British Airways Company Strengths Asset of 360 aircrafts Skillful and Professional workforce Strong brand name Use of modern IT, fleet and ground facilities Stable financial base Weaknesses Poor customer services Downsizing Highly hierarchical bureaucratic structure Serious communication gaps Absence of clear market orientation Opportunities Wide customer base in 97 countries Joint ventures Threats Internal politics External political instability in crucial destinations Global recession Terrorism Problem definition British Airways was faced with the threat of terrorism, since there was plan to shoot down any aircraft in space. The company was also faced with financial prob lems with the prediction of low revenue growth within successive years. This would be as a result of political instability within the Gulf and economic downturn which would affect international traveling. These shortcomings gave the management of the airline very hectic time leading to loss of working esteem amongst workers.Advertising Looking for essay on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More British Airways Company was previously known to comprise of highly motivated staff. The merger of BOAC and BEA created some administrative and operational conflict amongst the staff leading to poor service provision. The two different cultures from the two airline companies could not merge easily. This is since each of the airlines served different class of passengers jeopardizing the culture of working as a team. There was pronounced blame-game amongst workers since no one was accountable for the poor services rendered (Vedpuri swar 1). There was sign of intense internal politics caused by the presence of massive workforce. Reward system also involved lots of politics since employees were rewarded based on political affiliations instead of performance measures. Justification The management team within BA Company kept on changing CEOs due to reform issues. This signified instability on corporate culture from within the company. The CEOs barely served for five years, Bob Ayling served for four years but failed to achieve on the implementation of the reform agenda. This was especially on cutting costs and creating conducive working environment for workers. Rod Eddington on the other hand concentrated on empowering the staff and maximizing costs on premium travels. The existing war within the Middle East threatened BA operations in 2003. Politics were as a result of serious communication gaps existing across the organization and the authoritarian kind of management.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time the structure of the airline Industry within Europe tends to offer high priced services to consumers, ignoring the plight of the middle and low income earners. There’s need to consider consumers from all market segments through offering of affordable, cost-effective and quality services to various destinations covered by BA. Such like considerations requires thorough restructuring of the various companies within the airline industry. Customer services within viable market niches needs to go beyond consumer expectations and cover wide population segment. Critical Analysis The British Airline industry suffered a lot due to its unfairness in dealing with work force and consumer prices. Expansion and success of BA is basically based on comprehensive business plans and financial models. Part of the success also lies on BA’s ability to spend higher pe rcentage of its operations on air which automatically results into profitability based on the level of efficiency. The nature of BA’s organizational structure was of prime importance since it determined the nature of communication, delegation of duties ensuring good social and interactive environment. (Vedpuriswar 13). British Airways at some point implemented the strategy of sharing its profits amongst all the employees which provided a good incentive for motivation.Advertising Looking for essay on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the previous strategy provided by ‘Survival plan’ on cutting down on employee salary increment and any other leisure activities could have easily led to demotivation (Vedpuriswar 7). The major challenges within the airline industry are high competition and high operation costs. The other challenge as outlined was availability of massive workforce that the company was unable to support efficiently. However, BA ensured that all employees receive quality training enabling professional execution of duties. Previously all employees including pilots were considered to operate within the same level as any other employee including managers. Such consideration at some point led to unrest situations amongst the pilots (Vedpuriswar 9). Installation of modern technology facilities enabled easier communication and also encouraged freedom of expression amongst employees. The new management structure encouraged bottom-up style of management, where junior employees executed th eir duties with minimum interference from the top management team (Vedpuriswar 10). The management team ensured existence of cooperate culture which encouraged team work and integrity within workplace. The kind of positive attitude created within the work environment focused on customer-oriented services is capable of ensuring high productivity levels. The issue of reducing the workforce occurred on several occasions during recession periods. However, this was a good initiative capable of cutting the cost on operations. The idea of giving more attention on prime class of service within the flights and inclusion of on-line services assisted BA in improving the customer base. Other measures undertaken to cut the costs included reduction in coordination activities with other airline companies. As portrayed from their management strategies British Airways prefers strengthening of good employee relationships rather than forming unions. However, recruitment should be done based on profess ional qualifications and integrity of character. This enables easier implementation of training programs and also ensures maintenance of discipline work environment. The company’s integral culture has been maintained through organization of behavioral trainings and team building outings. Employees are considered crucial part of the company, hence recruitment and promotion activities done based on credentials and not political affiliations as previously experienced. Alternative Courses of Action In order to save BA from the spiraling losses and bankruptcy, King introduced ‘survival plan’ which was stemmed with tough immediate measures. One of the actions was downsizing the workforce, freezing salary increment, reducing the number of destinations as well as closing two engineering bases within a year. The plan also aimed at causing massive cuts on administrative duties (Vedpuriswar 5). Setting of an aggressive marketing team, assisted on the issues of marketing and customer services. The change in the management structure necessitated efficiency in communication across departments and coherence between operational activities and services rendered. Profit sharing program was also introduced for the purposes of motivating employees. Besides, the staff had to undergo thorough training in order to boost corporate culture and management practices (Vedpuriswar 5). Taking employees through trainings such as Putting People First (PPF) and Managing People First helped improving the corporate culture since employees were able to work with positive attitude and treat fellow workers with respect. This action also helped in building new leadership skills and stable managerial behavior (Vedpuriswar 7). Team building workshops were organized, installation of feedback programs undertaken. BA through the leadership of Ayling worked on creation of new image brand for the airline company which replaces the traditional designs. Expansion and renovation plans inc luded renovation of terminal at JFK airport, improved of entertainment services, offering on-line services and entering into partnerships with other airlines (Vedpuriswar 9). In place of workers union within the Company, efficient channels of communication were created. This was provided by proactive communication team acting as a voice between management and subordinates. The team was endowed with the responsibility of setting salary scales and also putting personnel management into check. On the other hand diversification of skills is necessary and leadership tactics of the management team. Various means can be invented for the purposes of dealing with economic downturn; this includes forming joint ventures with discount airlines. Evaluation of Alternatives The operations of British Airline to different destinations of the world market including Middle East brought to consumers affordable alternative means of travel. Stiff competition from other established airlines requires thoro ugh review of BA’s structure for the purposes of capturing both high and low market segments. In addition to sharing of profits, the management should think of granting employees the opportunity of buying shares from BA’s stock. This would ensure high level of employee satisfaction and hence help in improving the nature of the social environment within the workplace. Such culture of rewarding employees’ inputs based on their innovative and creativity offers conducive environment for invention. Transacting business with single plane manufacturer for long periods of time and reducing fuel consumption levels assist in cutting down expenses. Solution The management should adhere to the proposals on recruiting based on individual’s professional qualifications. At the same time the art removing bureaucratic hierarchy helps in efficient management practices. The company requires installation of modern and sophisticated equipment to assist in operational practice s. The issue on cost of fuel can be tackled by hedging and sealing contracts from the various suppliers. Lots of emphasis should be placed on enriching internal culture in order to counter the wave on economic crumbles and other external pressures. Reports reveal that Airline companies stand as some of the multi-million companies providing their shareholders with reasonable returns originating from massive asset background. Airline companies especially British Airways is identified as one with strong and liquid balance sheet. Most of the achievements can be attributed to the nature of their facility expansion, increasing trend in customer base and the company’s policy and strategy concerning acquisition of properties. The aggressive nature of BA management team and acquisition policy remains a threat to the rest of the companies within the airline industry. However, environmental threat presents one of the potential operation risks the company since they have to regulate thei r level of carbon emissions based on different policies laid by companies. British Airways can as well utilize the long-term growth strategy based on its strong operational performance as well as potential acquisitions. The company’s growth profile and assets makes it outstand as one of the leaders within the industry. Conclusions and recommendations The culture within the workplace determines the level of success of the Company. Emphasis should always be placed on marketing activities and customer care services. Success of BA as a Company could be attributed to excellent management tactics derived from frequent trainings and also professional marketing principles. The growth was evident after implementation of reasonable organizational structure and reinforcing the communication channels including marketing strategies. Such programs ensured increased earnings per share on an annual basis. Maintenance of a corporate culture encouraged mutual co-operation amongst employees hen ce providing avenues to high performance levels. Airline industry despite being capital intensive venture is also considered to be highly risky. This shows that efficient operation within the industry requires higher margins for proper running and maintenance of equipment. The rising demand for airline services, calls for quality and efficiency in management and marketing strategies. Conclusively, even though there seems to be significant increase in profitability of BA Company, improved customer-oriented services is constitutes big percentage of the margins. The lucrative margins makes the stocks of Airline companies more appealing to investors, hence call for high productivity levels. Works Cited Vedpuriswar, AV. British Airways: Leadership and Change, ECCH Collection, Hydershad: ICFAI Knowledge Centre, 2003. This essay on British Airways was written and submitted by user Sebastian Berg to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. British Airways Introduction This report gives a comprehensive overview of the business organization processes of British Airways (BA). Several aspects of the organization’s structure, including the structural style, management style, leadership style, motivation style, organizational design, organizational control structures, and the organizational culture constitute this analogy.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This assessment will be an interesting analogy of British Airways because the company experienced managerial and leadership changes in the recent past. For a long time, British Airways has been the national flag bearer of the United Kingdom (UK). The airline is the largest airline in the country, based on its fleet size and international presence. It operates in 160 destinations around the globe and has a market presence in more than 70 countries (Ganesh 1999, p. 269). BA’s inception occurred after four small and large airline companies (BOAC, BEA, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast airlines) merged (Meyer 2007). Before 1987, the government ran British Airways, but in the same year, it was privatized as part of the British government’s efforts to seize control of most of its national corporations (McGowan 2011, p. 3). After the privatization, British Airways was able to expand its operations to new locations and new market segments. Currently, the airline is part of the one world alliance, which is an association of several airline companies including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Canadian airlines (Meyer 2007). British Airways also operates under the International Airlines Group (IAG) and its association with this business outfit marks its participation in the London Stock exchange. Company Structure British Airways is a public limited company with three subsidiaries: British Airways city flyer, open skies and Bri tish Airways World cargo (Plunkett 2009). The BA city flyer is a franchise of BA and operates a domestic fleet of airlines in the European market (from the London city airport) (Plunkett 2009).Advertising Looking for report on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The subsidiary carries passengers, cargo and mail. Open skies is also a fully owned subsidiary of British Airways with operations in France and America. The subsidiary started operations in 2008. Though Open skies was rumored to offer only business class services (during its inception), it also offers economy class (which later upgraded to premium economy class in 2009) (Plunkett 2009). The subsidiary is however not part of the one world alliance (which its parent company (BA) is a member of). Since the aviation market is a competitive industry, BA was motivated by internal changes in the business environment (changes in consumer tastes and preferences) and external forces (competition) to transition its ownership from a government-run corporation to a private-run corporation (Raktabutr 2007). For example, since BA was a government-run company, it was difficult to change its travel fares according to the market environment. In this regard, it was difficult for BA to compete with its rivals. This transition (from government to private ownership) marked the main legal change for BA but it also set-forth a series of other organizational changes such as organizational culture changes, corporate culture changes, mission statement changes as so on.. Model Application Lewin’s change model is widely applicable in BA’s company transition from a government-run organization to a private-run entity. As noted in previous sections of this paper, the transition from a government outfit to a private organization marked significant changes in the company’s structure. Lewins model explains that, organizations often undergo three sta ges of transition: â€Å"unfreezing, movement and refreezing† (Cummings 2008, p. 23). These stages have different effects on the organization and their employees. British Airways underwent the three stages.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on British Airways specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the unfreezing stage (as a response to market changes), BA had to unfreeze its operation patterns which were characterized by strong government control. This was a strategy formulated by the organization’s management to manage change. The second stage of Lewin’s model (movement stage) also occurred in BA’s transition because the organization’s management was determined to disseminate its ideas to lower-level employees. To support this transition, BA introduced a new set of programs such as the employee bonus system and the opening of a new airport terminal at the company’s main operat ing hub (Heathrow) to synchronize employee tasks with the management’s vision. The company also invested a lot of money in purchasing a new training facility at Chartridge house to improve the synergy between the company’s management and its employees (Raktabutr 2007). The last stage of Lewin’s model is the refreezing stage. BA transition is characteristic of this stage because it tried to cement its new organizational changes by creating a new behavioral system to support the changes. For instance, a new performance appraisal system, which was designed to recognize employee excellence (concerning customer service and marketing), was established (Raktabutr 2007, p. 12). By implementing these changes, it was expected that the company’s employees were going to be motivated to implement the new organizational changes to receive monetary rewards. To complement these changes, BA introduced new symbols that were printed on employee uniforms, company aircrafts, and other public places of display to symbolize the company’s new commitment (customer service). The motto â€Å"we fly to serve† was part of the new changes adopted by the company during this transition (Raktabutr 2007).Advertising Looking for report on air transport? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leadership Control Styles Due to the sheer size and extent of BA’s operations, BA’s leadership has often practiced the autocratic leadership style (Northouse 2009). This autocratic leadership style is the main reason for BA’s poor performance between the year 1996 and the year 2000 (Raktabutr 2007). In fact, BA’s shares plunged by close to 40% during this period (Raktabutr 2007). Basic company values such as customer quality and service excellence eroded because of this leadership style as well. However, with the overhaul of BA’s operations, the company is now synonymous with the transformational leadership style. The company’s CEO, Willie Walsh, first introduced this leadership style because previous systems and procedures were not effective (Rivers 2010, p. 2). Some of the operational changes mentioned in previous sections of this study highlight the changes made by Willie Walsh after he took over the leadership of the company. The rigid h ierarchical leadership structure reduced to reflect the CEO’s vision of operating an efficient company. BA’s hierarchical structure is now very simple. It only has one level of distinction between the top-level management and the bottom-level management (Raktabutr 2007). This management structure supports the company’s transformational leadership style because it has made it easy to pass down the CEO’s enthusiasm of the organization to bottom-level employees. This management framework has also made it easy for the company’s CEO to have a â€Å"detail team† to help him realize the organization’s vision. After evaluating the transition from the autocratic leadership style to the transformational leadership style, we see that BA’s leadership transition is explained by the contingency theory of leadership. The contingency theory explains that prevailing environmental factors determine the type of leadership style to be adopted. Acc ording to the contingency theory, there is no leadership style, which is suitable for one organization (Rivers 2010, p. 2). Different situations demand different leadership styles. It is also from this basis that the contingency theory explains that organizational success does not only depend on the leadership qualities but also the loyalty and performance of the followers (plus the environmental support). BA was initially operating in a highly rigid environment dictated by little or no competition and a lot of government control. This situation supported the autocratic leadership style. However, when the market liberalized and the company was privatized, the company’s leadership style changed to transformational leadership (Rivers 2010, p. 2). This transition is explained by the contingency theory as described above. How Management and Leadership Styles Affect the Direction of the Business BA’s management and leadership styles are bound to affect the direction of the company because they are the main wheels behind the efficiency and productivity of the company. Furthermore, the realization of BA’s organizational goals highly depends on the leadership and management styles of the company (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). Considering BA operates in a highly competitive industry, there needs to be constant innovation and improvement of customer service. These elements require a constant change of operational processes but considering BA is a large organization, initiating change may be difficult. It is at this point, where management and effective leadership need exercising to ensure the company implements such changes. This analogy presents a guiding role for management and leadership styles because managers and leaders show the rest of the employees where the company is heading (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). Through effective management and leadership, employees are bound to get the confidence to undertake their tasks and ultimate ly realize the organization’s goals. This confidence materializes best if leaders and managers show the subordinates that their roles are crucial for the organization. Furthermore, optimum productivity occurs if management shows the lower-level employees how they can achieve such goals. Complementary to this role is the role of leadership and management to build morale among employees (Management Study Guide 2008, p. 1). A high morale materializes if a sense of cooperation develops between the employees and the management. Leadership styles and management styles create this synergy. Comprehensively, an organization’s direction is outlined by its leadership or management styles because both aspects determine the productive levels of the organization. In addition, an organization’s leadership style is likely to improve an organization’s level of competitiveness because it defines the blueprint of where the organization should be (viz-a-viz its competitors). Company Culture Types of organizational Culture Depending on the nature of organization, different companies adopt different organizational cultures. Tharp (2009) observes that there are four main types of organizational culture: collaborative, creative (adhocracy), control and competitive (market) cultures. The collaborative culture is a friendly and open type of culture. This type of organizational culture is very inclusionary and it perceives leaders as mentors or parents of one big extended family. In this type of culture, group cohesion is paramount and relationships are forged for long-term benefits (Tharp 2009, p. 7). Teamwork, participation and cohesiveness are also highly emphasized in this type of culture because there is a strong concern for people. The creative culture lays a lot of emphasis on innovation and risk taking because the philosophy of â€Å"thinking out of the box† is highly emphasized. Individualism is also encouraged and success is measured by being a leader among many (Tharp 2009, p. 7). The control culture is different from the creative and collaborative cultures because it defines a highly structured form of interaction between employees and their bosses. There is also a lot of emphasis on rules and procedures because stability is perceived to be the ultimate goal of organizations that adopt this culture (Tharp 2009, p. 7). Finally, the competitive culture focuses on job completion. There is a lot of push from leaders that run organizations that adopt this culture because the ultimate goal of such organizations is job accomplishment. The idea of winning is a major unifying factor for employees and managers (Tharp, 2009, p. 7). BA’s Organizational Culture After understanding the above leadership styles, it is important to note that, BA applies the competitive organizational culture. The competitive organizational culture was adopted after the company was privatized. BA’s emphasis now lies on being the best airl ine company in the region. For instance, after privatization, BA changed its corporate mission objective from â€Å"safety† to â€Å"competition†. This is a response to the competition in the aviation industry. Now the company focuses on being effective and high performing. Similarities between BA and Secondary Data Concerning the competitive organizational culture, BA’s organizational culture bears many similarities with secondary research information (regarding the competitive culture). In books, it is mentioned that the competitive organizational culture emphasizes a lot on success and accomplishments while British Airways also strives to show that it is succeeding. For instance, the company now focuses on posting good profits (De-Witte 2000, p. 501). This push to post good profits is part of a move to keep the company afloat, amid growing employee tensions and increased shareholder demands. Furthermore, existing literature outline that, leaders in organizati ons that adopt the competitive culture are hard-driving and demanding. BA’s leadership exudes these traits because it puts a lot of pressure on its employees to show results. Part of the pressure emanates from past periods of failure, which have seen BA suffer significant losses in revenue. Motivational Framework BA uses financial rewards to motivate its employees. This motivational framework is mentioned in earlier sections of this paper where BA’s bonus program was introduced to cement the company’s operational changes by focusing on customer service and quality. This motivational framework defines the scientific management theory, which was advanced by Frederick Taylor (Waring 1994, p. 1). The theory proposes that, people are mainly motivated by financial reward. The theory also maintains that, people are not naturally motivated to work, and they need rewards to boost their productivity. Complementarily, Maslow theory of motivation also outlines BA’s m otivational framework because it explains that workers strive to satisfy basic needs before they satisfy higher-level needs such as safety needs and self-actualization needs. Maslow’s theory categorizes worker needs on five levels as outlined below: (Waring 1994, p. 94) Incidentally, these needs are often satisfied through financial upgrades. For instance, if a worker has already satisfied basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, they need more money to satisfy the next level of need (safety needs). This motivational dynamic therefore supports BA’s motivational framework because workers strive to improve their productivity to get more bonuses, and consequently satisfy higher-level needs. BA and the workers benefit here. Conclusion Weighing the findings of this report, we can see that BA’s organizational culture and processes are influenced by its transition from a government entity to a private entity. However, BA’s new organizational culture (bas ed on competition), is expected to increase the company’s odds of being an industry leader, as it was before. The competitive organizational culture (coupled with the company’s motivational framework) is set to increase the company’s profitability. The scientific management theory seems to affirm this success because it lays a lot of emphasis on guaranteeing company success if an employee reward scheme is employed. BA’s organizational structures therefore outline the blueprint for its future success. BA can improve its future profitability if it focuses on product innovation strategies to meet varying customer group demands. Most of BA’s competitors (such as Emirates airlines) are reaping huge profits from such strategic shifts. The product innovation strategy has also worked in other industries where a company understands its different customer groups and develops new products to meet these needs. Finally, to improve the company’s profitabi lity, BA needs to adopt more hedging practices. For instance, the unstable price of crude oil may significantly affect the company’s bottom-line. Hedging such a cost is likely to improve the company’s prospects of posting good returns. Such a strategy has worked with other airline companies such as Southwest airlines. BA’s success will be guaranteed in this manner. References Cummings, T. (2008).  Organization Development Change. London, Cengage Learning. De-Witte, K. (2000).  Organizational Culture. Michigan, Psychology Press. Ganesh, G. (1999).  Privatisation Competition And Regulation In The United Kingdom:  Case Studies. London, Mittal Publications. Management Study Guide. (2008).  Importance of Leadership. Web McGowan, R. (2011).  Privatize This?: Assessing the Opportunities and Costs of  Privatization. London, ABC-CLIO. Meyer, S. (2007).  Acquisition of EasyJet Plc. by British Airways Plc. London, GRIN Verlag. Northouse, P. (2009).  Lead ership: Theory and Practice. London, SAGE. Plunkett, J. (2009). Plunkett’s Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry. Almanac 2009 (E-Book): Transportation, Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies. London, Plunkett Research, Ltd. Raktabutr, T. (2007).  Analysis of Organization: British Airways. Web. Rivers, M. (2010).  British Airways Strike Can Be Averted. Web. Tharp, B. (2009).  Four Organizational Culture Types. Web. Waring, S. (1994).  Taylorism Transformed: Scientific Management Theory Since 1945. London, UNC Press Books. This report on British Airways was written and submitted by user Aria N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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My Laissez-Faire Leadership in the Refugee Camp Site - Coursework Example Laying down a proper leadership framework should be characterized by optimization of resources, reorganization of growth opportunities among the employees and implementation of proper plans for achieving growth. My future work environment would be an organization where employees will be given importance to the extent as they are the most valuable assets of the organization. The employees will be motivated enough to work with integrity and honesty and perform to their utmost level without being watched or controlled. In order to build such a working environment, the set of core values chosen to be inspired within the organization will include; Integrity, Commitment, and Dedication.We intend to be the nation’s most competitive organization in terms of our products.In order to attain excellence, our manpower will be completely motivated and equipped with the required skills and the prompt responsiveness to the client’s requirements is our primary goal. We consider all memb ers of the organization as an essential and most valuable asset and ensure the betterment of each member to the utmost level.Competencies and skills play a vital role in a successful manager as well as a leader. The proper implementation of leadership framework enables a leader to support the business at large and this is possible through comprehensive personal effectiveness that encompasses management change as well as the promotion of simultaneous innovation within an organization. Working in a conducive and well-organized environment will be my preferable working condition and integrity value should be encountered under my leadership to enhance good managerial facet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would prefer to work in a refugee campsite. Most of the refugee camps have displaced people facing potential permeation dangers, especially from terrorist activities. However, the need of education is the key aspect of the people leaving in these camps, and through proper implementation of leadership framework including; Integrity, Commitment, and Dedication, will see people in these camps admire and value the importance of education to the present community.

The use of Critical Reflection in Nursing Practice

The use of Critical Reflection in Nursing Practice Nursing practice is a complicated phenomenon, and usually something which has many dimensions. Nurses can develop better understanding of the ways in which they practice, the influences on their practice, and of their responses to challenging situations, through reflection on that practice, and, specifically, reflection on critical incidents. The use of reflection in nursing practice has been established as an important learning and development tool. Not only has it been described as an effective means of engaging in professional and personal development through self-assessment and self-evaluation (Gustafsson and Fagerberg, 2004 p 271), it is also known to be a way of looking at the quality of practice, and questioning how things are done (Bowden, 2003 p 28; Coutts- Jarman, 1993 p 77). Nurses usually use reflective models to guide their practice, as placing a structure on this process makes it more purposeful (Gibbs, 1988, online; Rolfe, 2005 p 78; Jones, 1995 p 783). Price (2004 p 4 6) also argues that reflection is a patient-centered activity, and one that is linked to the development of critical thinking. The NMC (2004 b), the professional body that governs nursing practice and sets the standards for nurses, states that nurses should: Act to ensure the rights of individuals and groups are not compromised; manage risk to provide care which best meet the needs and interests of patients, clients and the public; review and evaluate care with members of the health and social care team, and others; share experiences with colleagues and patients and clients in order to identify the additional knowledge and skills needed to manage unfamiliar or professionally challenging situations; contribute to the learning experiences and development of others by facilitating the mutual sharing of knowledge and experience. This assignment shows how the author has attempted to adhere to these guidelines through this process of reflection. WHAT The author witnessed a member of staff putting medication in the food of a confused and sometimes aggressive patient who regularly refuses their medication. The member of staff was crushing tablets and putting them into the patients food. This patient, an elderly and confused person, is someone dependent upon nursing staff for support with all of their activities of daily living (Farley et al, 2006 p 46). They are difficult to communicate with and it is not possible to get informed consent or true compliance from them. However, the medications were necessary to maintain their state of health, address their mental condition and prevent exacerbations of chronic conditions (such as hypertension). The author was moved to question this practice, and asked the nurse about this, but the reply was rather defensive. It seemed that they believed this was the only way to administer the medications and that it was for the patients own good. SO WHAT To begin with, the author felt that it was important to question this occurrence, because they found it ethically challenging. While the author understood the need to ensure the patient had had their medication, this occurrence challenged previously acquired understanding of informed consent and respecting the rights and dignity of the patient (NMC, 2004a, online). Acting in the best interests of the patient, however, is another requirement of nurses, and in this case, it was easy to see that they did need the medication and that it would help their subjective feelings of wellness to some extent. However, the author would also question how far this would improve their state of being, because with their cognitive impairment, they might not be able to recognize the difference between subjective measures of sense of wellbeing. The main issues in this scenario revolve around the competence of the patient and their ability to give consent (Hedgecoe 2008). The issue of consent is central to nursing practice, particularly in relation to ensuring the patient care is client-centred (DoH, 2001, online; NMC, 2004a, online). The autonomy and dignity of the client is at stake when one considers providing or enforcing care without consent (DoH, 2001, online). Veitch (2002) offers an authoritative overview of the practical issues involved in consent and advises that it is the dividing line between treatment and assault. (Veitch 2002 Pg 11). This is a very important issue to consider, because, as already discussed, the NMC (2008, online) requires nurses to only act in the best interests of their patients. That means being proactive, providing information to the patient, and communicating with them as best they can, even when there are communication difficulties. Veitch (2002) also goes on to comment that Consent is not just the signing of a document prior to undergoing a procedure, it is a hugely complex area with legal, ethical and practical components and all of these are brought into sharp focus when they are compounded by degrees of reduction in cognitive function (Veitch 2002 Pg 22). The problem here is that the patient, who is suffering from vascular dementia, cannot really be considered fully competent to make decisions about their care. They are cognitively impaired, and in need of significant care, surveillance, assistance and input in order to maintain basic levels of health and functioning. As such, this issue highlights the plight of such individuals, because they are occupying a cognitive world which is disconnected from reality, and within which they are unable to reason or understand what is being asked of them (Bowler, 2007). However, in this case, the scenario is taken to be in a residential care home. This means that one could reasonably assume therefore that the patient is not severely cognitively impaired and may suffer from fluctuating degrees of impairment (Bowler 2007). To this extent, the situation may be helped by considering whether they were happy to take the medication when they were less confused. If the patient is normally happy to take their medication when they were cognitively aware, the legal considerations become easier as Lord Donaldson has stated, in legal statute, that if a patient is judged not to be competent then the healthcare professionals who are responsible for their care are also responsible for making a decision that they believe is in the patients best interests and in line with a decision that they believe the patient would have made if they were competent to make it at the time. (Donaldson 1993). It would appear, therefore, that perhaps the actions of the nurse in placing the medication covertly in the patients food is excessive, and may be motivated by expedience and convenience rather than the best interest of the patient. It might be that, as may be the case in many circumstances, preconceptions about patients, and even stereotyping and prejudice, could be affecting actions here, because despite the egalitarian nature of the nursing profession, there appears to be ongoing ageism in clinical practice (DoH, 2001, online). According to the Department of Health in the National Service Framework for Older People (DoH, online), older people are often subject to preconceptions and prejudice because of ageism, and this ageism can be quite subtle, and pervasive in our modern society. Even those who deal extensively in the elderly may be prejudiced towards them, or have some degree of innate ageism (Gunderson et al, 2005 p 167). With the ongoing focus on patient-centeredness (DoH, 2 001, online) and on ensuring patient safety through the highest standards of care (DoH, 2004, online), this author would argue that actions which occur as a result of prejudicial preconceptions are quite likely to place patients at more risk. In this situation, the nurse may possess such preconceptions but be unaware of them, but this action could place the patient at risk. If someone else came along and asked the patient if they had had their medication (obviously in a more lucid moment), the patient would say no, because they would be unaware that this had occurred. Therefore, the patient could be overdosed because a second dose might be given. The ethical considerations that arise from this particular scenario are not the same as the legal ones, although there are large areas of both overlap and concordance of views (Lo, 2005). Hippocrates has been cited as stating that one should first do no harm. (viz Carrick 2000). This is the basis of the Hippocratic Oath which is taken by all doctors in the UK, and also the basis of fundamental principles of healthcare and professional practice. This is effectively translated into the Principle of Non-maleficence which means that the healthcare professionals must ensure that the patient is not harmed. An aggressive and confused patient may well be in danger of harming themselves and suitable treatment can be considered as justified in this context (van Uffelen, Chinapaw, van Mechelen et al. 2008), but it is questionable how much harm would occur due to this refusal to take the medication. The author would question whether it would not be more appropriate to allow the patient time to return to a more lucid state and then give consent for the medication, complying with their care themselves. This would respect their autonomy, and would also mean that the care given was not entirely bound by routines within the residential home, and would mean a patient-centred approach (DoH, 2001, online). The Principle of Beneficence can also be considered here, and it should be noted that this Principle is coloured by the circumstances of the event being considered. One could argue that the use of medication to ease the patients apparent distress is doing good under the terms of this Principle. If the overall aim of nursing practice is to act in the best interests of the patient, then it may be necessary to take such action, and to take responsibility for making such a decision, if it can be fully established that these actions are only done because it is better for the patient. This author would argue that in this situation, if the decision to put the medication in the food is just about expedience, about it being more convenient and manageable for the staff, then this would not be acting within the principle of beneficence. It is important to not just continue with standard or routine practice just because everyone does it. The balance in this situation is between beneficence and m aleficence, and is therefore relating to the motivation of the individual. Is the nurse doing this to avoid having to spend time and energy persuading the patient to take their medication? Or is this simply the best solution because otherwise the patient will not take the medication and will become ill as a result? More details about this would be required to fully understand the ethical challenge here. It would seem that the major problem with hiding medication in food is deception. Although it may be considered a practical expedient, It would not be an appropriate course of action if the patient was rational and competent, so consideration is required as to why it would be considered appropriate just because they are not competent and rational at this time (Wong, Poon, Hui 2007). Therefore, it is appropriate for the author to have questioned this practice, at this time, and to explore the parameters and dimensions of this action (Hargreaves, 2004 p 196). This area of intervention is fraught with difficulty and should not be entered into lightly. If a decision is made by the healthcare professionals to give the medication, it should be recorded in the notes together with the reasons for that decision and it should be given. If the patient will not take tablets then alternative routes of administration should be considered (Welsh and Deah 2007). It is not appropriate to overtly deceive or mislead the patient as doing so contravenes any concept of personal autonomy and dignity (NMC, 2004a, online; NMC, 2008, online). ). However, it may be that this course of action has been agreed with relatives or next of kin who have responsibility for the patient, which clouds the debate somewhat. There appears to be a fine line here between ethical and unethical practice, and therefore, it is important to clearly understand and justify why this course of action was taken. It would also help if nurses could address their own prejudices and potential bias about certain patients, through critical self examination and reflection (Daly, 1998 p 323). This would also help develop critical thinking skills (Daly, 1998 p 323). Nurses could then reflect critically on these kinds of actions to explore if there are not perhaps alternative approaches which could be used, such as providing the medication in a different form, one that is more palatable to the patient. It is not possible to easily define what the right course of action is in these circumstances, but if the nurse adheres to the principles of client centred practice (DoH, 2001, online), it should be easier to evaluate the motivations for these actions and therefore understand the ethical impact of this situation. However, it wo uld also be important to consider the theoretical basis for this, and for nurses in this particular care environment to discuss this practice and come to some consensus relating to the ethical issues and the ethical principles which arise from this kind of situation. NOW WHAT As part of this reflection the author will now try to draw together conclusions about the scenario described and discussed above, evaluating it as a whole. Having reflected on this scenario, it is apparent to the author that there is a lot to be learned from the situation. To begin with, it highlights how complex even simple nursing actions can be, particularly when they address ethical issues. The primary ethical issue in this scenario relates to the autonomy and capacity of the patient, and the motivation for the actions of the nurse involved. Autonomy is a key ethical principle, and respecting the rights and the individuality of the patient is central to professional nursing practice. Patient-centered practice is an ideal, but it should be a fundamental principle and in such a scenario, using patient-centeredness as a benchmark for evaluating care could be a useful way of analyzing whether nursing actions are ethical or not. In this scenario, the author would argue that the nurse should have taken more time with this particular patient, and should perhaps have considered how to provide the medication safely without challenging her autonomy quite so much. It is obvious that deception is a concept and practice that is incompatible with the fundamental principles of nursing and health care. This author has learned from this that covert actions are inacceptable, and if this situation were to arise again, they would feel empowered to challenge it, and to take action, to turn the focus back onto the rights of the patient. It is also important to consider the balance between the factors surrounding what constitutes the best interests of the patient. There will always be an ongoing negotiation, in situations when the patient is not fully competent, but if the nurse adheres to ethical principles, they will provide patient-centered care and this must, ultimately, meet the individual needs of the patient. This process of reflection has been a significant learning journey for the author, because it has broadened and deepened their understanding and insight into ethical challenges they face in their daily work and practice. Reflection, guided by a constructive model, has helped the author to analyze and evaluate this situation, and to explore the parameters of the ethics and philosophies which apply to it. The author has found that carrying out this reflection has not only enhanced their understanding of this situation, and of the complexities of the ethical questions raised by it, but also enhanced their critical thinking skills. Ethical decision making in nursing appears to be something that is hard to pin down, as ethical questions often leave a degree of confusion about the right and the wrong thing to do. Such is the case here, but the author has learned that there is literature to inform the nurse about the rights and wrongs of the more ambiguous ethical dilemmas, and that using such information can aid understanding and improve future practice.

Abi Abdulkalam Essay

Political views In his book India 2020, Abdul Kalam strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into a knowledge superpower and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regards his work on India’snuclear weapons program as a way to assert India’s place as a future superpower. It has been reported that there is a considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him.[8] Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology. He has proposed a research program for developing bio-implants. He is a supporter of Open source software over proprietary solutions and believes that the use of open source software on a large scale will bring the benefits of information technology to more people. Aerospace engineer After graduating in Physics from St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli, Abdul Kalam graduated with a diploma in Aeronautical Engineering in the mid-1950s from the Madras Institute of Technology.[10] As the Project Director, he was heavily involved in the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). As Chief Executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (I.G.M.D.P), he played a major part in developing many missiles in India including Agni and Prithvi although the entire project has been criticised for being overrun and mismanaged.[11]. He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999. Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted during this period and have been associated with Kalam although he was not directly involved with the nuclear program at the time. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay Awards and honors On April 29, 2009, he became the first Asian to be bestowed with the Hoover Medal, America’s top engineering prize, for his outstanding contribution to public service. The citation said that he was being recognised for: * making state-of-the-art healthcare available to the common man at affordable prices; * bringing quality medical care to rural areas by establishing a link between doctors and technocrats; * using spin-offs of defense technology to create state-of-the-art medical equipment; and * launching tele-medicine projects connecting remote rural-based hospitals to the super-specialty hospitals. It added that he was an eminent scientist, a gifted engineer, a visionary, and a humanitarian.[12] On 13 September 2009, he was awarded the International von Kà ¡rmà ¡n Wings Award.[13] The Government of India has honored him with some of the country’s highest civilian awards: * Padma Bhushan in 1981 * Padma Vibhushan in 1990 * Bharat Ratna in 1997 for his work with the ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Indian government. Kalam was the third President of India to be honored with a Bharat Ratna before being elected to the highest office, the other two beingSarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain. He is also the first scientist and first bachelor to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan. After his tenure as the President he is now a visiting professor at J.S.S. University, Mysore. He has agreed to deliver a minimum of four lectures every year. Books and documentaries Kalam’s writings * Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam by A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari; by K. Bhushan, G. Katyal; A.P.j. Pub. Corp, 2002. * Scientist to President by Abdul A.P.J. Kalam; Gyan Publishing House, 2003. * Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; Penguin Books, 2003. * India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Y.S. Rajan; Penguin Books India, 2003. * India-my-dream by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; Excel Books, 2004. * Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal Transformation by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; TATA McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, 2004. * Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the Purpose of Life by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Arun K Tiwari; Ocean Books, 2005. * Children Ask Kalam by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; Pearson Education, ISBN 81-7758-245-3 * Indomitable Spirit by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, 2006 * The Scientific Indian: A Twenty-first Century Guide to the World around Us by APJ Abdul Kalam and YS Rajan Biographies * Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam by S. Chandra; Pentagon Publishers, 2002. * President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by R. K. Pruthi; Anmol Publications, 2002. * A. P. J. Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India by K. Bhushan, G. Katyal; A.P.H. Pub. Corp, 2002. * A Little Dream (documentary film) by P. Dhanapal; Minveli Media Works Private Limited, 2008.[14] * The Kalam Effect: My Years with the President by P.M. Nair; Harper Collins, 2008. * My Days With Mahatma Abdul Kalam by Fr.A.K. George; ISBN No:978-8190452953; Publisher: Novel Corporation, 2009. References 1. ^ A Brief Biography of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 2. ^ â€Å"Former presidents†. Government of India. 3. ^ Bidwai, Praful (23 June 2002). â€Å"‘Missile Man’ as India’s President†. http://original.antiwar.com. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 4. ^ â€Å"Kalam was real people’s President: President’s bodyguards†. Hindustan Times. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 5. ^ Perappadan, Bindu Shajan (2007-04-14). â€Å"The people’s President does it again†. The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 6. ^ Pruthi, R. K. (2005). â€Å"Ch. 4. Missile Man of India†. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Anmol Publication. pp. 61–76. ISBN 978-8126113446. 7. ^ Sen, Amartya (2003). â€Å"India and the Bomb†. In M. V. Ramana and C. Rammanohar Reddy. Prisoners of the Nuclear Dream. Sangam Book. pp. 167–188. ISBN 978-8125024774. 8. ^ â€Å"Kalam, the author catching on in South Korea†. 9. ^ â€Å"India leader advocates open source†. 10. ^ Missile History 11. ^ â€Å"Missile plan: Some hits, misses†. 12. ^ â€Å"Former President Kalam chosen for Hoover Medal†. Indiatimes (New York). 27 March 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2010. 13. ^ Caltech GALCIT International von Kà ¡rmà ¡n Wings Award 14. ^ â€Å"Documentary on Kalam released†. The Hindu. 2008-01-12. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 15. ^ My Days With Mahatma Abdul Kalam, ISBN 978-8190452953 Retrieved 2010-07-01 Gandhian Missile Man Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam * Achievements Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabhudin Adbul Kalam, was born on the 15th October, 1931, at Rameshwaram in TamilNadu. He did his B.Sc. at the St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, and DMIT in Aeronautical Engineering at the MIT, Madras, during 1954-57. He joined the DRDO in 1958. During 1963-82, he served the ISRO in various capacities. As Project Director, SLV-3, he was responsible for carrying out design, development, qualification and flight testing of 44 major sub systems. In 1982, as Director, DRDO, was entrusted with the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. He conceived the programme cnstituting 5 major projects for meeting the requirements of the defence services and for establishing re-entry technology. The development and successful flight test of Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, Nag, and Agni established the indigeneous capability towards self reliance in defence preparedness. The successful launching of ‘Agni’ surface-to-surface missile is a unique achievement which made India a member of an exclusive club of highly developed countries. Thus, through SLV and Guided Missile Programme a solid foundation has been created in the indigeneous testing and development of high technology Aerospace Projects. An Advanced Technology Research Centre, called Research Centre Imarat has also been established by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as an extension of DRDL to undertake development in futuristic missile technology areas. He has also established a unique 3 tier management structure to integrate and commit technologists, academic institutions, Industries etc. As a crowing glory to all his achievements, he was appointed Scientific Advisor to Raksha Manthri and Secretary, Dept. of Defence Research and Development. He is a member of Indian National Academy of Sciences, Astronautical Society of India and many other professional bodies. He has published two books. Awards * He has been Awarded with the India’s Highest civilian Award â€Å"The Bharat Ratna† in 1997. * Starting with Anna University’s first D.Sc., Honoris Causa, he has received many such including the one given by IIT, Bombay, BHU and others. * Other prestigious awards include Dr.Biren Roy Space Award, Om Prakash Basin Award for Science and Technology, National Nehru Award, Arya Bhatta Award. * Dr. Abdul kalam, is praised as a welder of people and a Gandhian Missile Man by R.K. Laxman, in his cartoon in â€Å"Times of India.† * As a humanitarian and with his extreme simplicity, easy access, he has become a National Hero. He loves Tamil poetry and is interested in carnatic music. He has himself written poems in Tamil. He adores his Gurus of MIT and cherishes his education and training at MIT.| Return to Home Page Dreams To Ignite Young Minds India has to have vision to become a developed nation. A good dream for our young people is the vision. Can we ignite our young minds? These are the thoughts that frequently ‘fire’ the mind of India’s missile man– this year (1998) Bharat Ratna awardee Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. In an interview to Science Express, the man who built biting molars and awesome muscles into India’s missile programme outlined the vision he has of India of tomorrow. â€Å"Whenever there is a goal, the dynamics of performance changes, Technology is the economical strength of the nation†, says soft-spoken Kalam. â€Å"India has people of high calibre and intelligence. The only thing required is more facilities in our labs, government funding and good leadership in scientific areas.† After a pause, he fires another missile: â€Å"Most importantly, determined youngsters.† No wonder he advices the youth of the country to â€Å"dream, dream and dream and conver t these into thoughts and later into actions.† Kalam’s advice to the youngsters of the nation is to â€Å"think big† . â€Å"We are a nation of a billion people and we must think like a nation of a billion people. Only then can we become big.† Dr. Kalam’s, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and Secretary, Defence Research and Development is the second scientist to receive the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, after the late Dr. Homi Jehangir Baba. This genius attributes his success to his parents and the team which worked relentlessly to achieve the goal. Science, according to him, is a global phenomenon. He feels there are a few areas where India can develop its core competence. These areas are software engineering, computer products and design, agriculture and food, aviation, defence research and space technology and chemical engineering. â€Å"This will lead to a highly beneficial economic and social progress for the nation,† says Kalam. The man who said, â€Å"Friends, you now have the fire to torch the Agni† turns out to be extremely shy. His love for the Bhagavad Geetha and the long mane almost gives the missile man the halo of a saint. In fact, his views on technology and life make him the copy book saint of science armed with Brahmastras and the power to heal wounds. That is another passion of Kalam-using missiles that maime and kill to give a fresh hope to the disabled. In a U turn, Kalam has not shied in using the technology behind fire-spewing missiles to build artificial limbs and spring-like coils called stents to keep the heart vessels open. He is one of those scientists who aims at putting technology created by him to multiple use. He used the light weight carbon-carbon material designed for Agni to make calipers for the polio affected. This carbon-carbon composite material reduced the weigh t of the calipers to 400 grams (from its original weight of 4kgs.) Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS, Hyderabad) was the birthplace for the defence technology spin offs from Kalam’s labs via the DRDL (Defence Research and Development Laboratory), DMRL (Defence Metallurgical Research Lab) and the RCI (Research Centre Imarat). â€Å"It was a great experience to see, in the orthopaedic Department of NIMS, how the light weight caliper could bring happiness to the polio affected†, remembers Kalam. Another important event that took place in Hyderabad is the development of the Cardiac stent. Cardiac stents are used during a Balloon Angioplasty. The clogged arteries are opened up using a balloon and stents are inserted to prevent the vessels from collapse. â€Å"The stent developed by us costed much less (he is modest not to say that the cost is less than half) than the ones imported,† explains Kalam. Kalam says there are many more avenues wherein defence technology can be used for a social cause. The technology used for defence imaging systems can be used for medical imagery which is yet another value product, he says. â€Å"We are also working on a cost-effective lighter substitute for the Jaipur foot,† he adds. He is of the opinion that a mission oriented programme should be chalked out where in medical equipments and their maintenance should grow out of indigenous technology, thus making us self reliant. But personally, given a chance would he rather opt to use technology solely for social purposes or continue with his missile programmes? â€Å"If India has to become a developed nation it has to have overall development. That includes the field of medicine, defence technology and everything else,† says Kalam in a matter-of-fact tone. Having rolled out sophisticated missiles at regular intervals, Kalam is now striving to make the reusable missiles dream a reality. Like the space shuttles, the reusable missiles can carry war-heads to a pre-determined target, de liver the fire power and return for another run. The reusable missile’s close ‘cousin’ is Nishant – the Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) or a one-time-use missile that can thumb its nose at even sophisticated radars. Many of Kalam’s pet projects like the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and several other defence ventures under his command, are poised for a quantum leap next year. According to a status report of major ongoing projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headed by Kalam, the development of the five indigenous missiles under the IGMDP is progressing as per schedule. â€Å"Agni† missile, the crown of the IGMDP, is being given top priority and DRDO scientists have been able to indigenously produce carbon-carbon composite material which could withstand temperatures upto 3500 degrees celsius during the flight of the missile. UNI quoting Defence Minisry sources said production of 150-Km range â€Å"Prithvi† missile for the Army had already commenced and two flight trials of the 250-Km range, Indian Air Force (IAF) version, â€Å"Prithvi† had also been completed. User trials of the other three missiles under the IG MDP – the 9 Km short range low level quick reaction Trishul for the three services, the 25Km medium range surface to air missile â€Å"Akash† with multiple target handling capability, the third generation 4Km range anti-tank â€Å"Nag† missile – were slated to commence next year. In many ways, the â€Å"Akash† missile is emerging as a key weapon which is being developed by the DRDO as it employs ram rocket propulsion to facilitate carrying of bigger pay loads. ‘Akash’ is the key in the sense that ram rocket technology is also to be employed by India for the futuristic reusable missile systems. As far as the current status of India’s ambitious Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was concerned, the second LCA was under integration along with the simultaneous development of technology demonstrator TD-1. Several new technologies had been established with regard to the LCA. They included carbon fibre composite structure, control law for unstable aircraft, digital fly-by-wire control system and advanced computing system. The Kaveri engine had been developed and was undergoing evaluation. Its integration with LCA was expected in early 1999. No country can throttle India’s missile programme despite technology denial regimes, believes Kalam. An important aspect of â€Å"the integrated guided missile development programme was identification of critical technologies and their indigenisation as the missile technology control regime was primarily directed at India.† Elaborating on his future plans, the senior most serving defence scientist referred to the Technology Mission 2020 which proposes to change the national status from a developing one to a developed one and involve 500 people from academia, industry and government. He also spoke about working on a 10 year self-reliance programme in defence technologies. Kalam was born into a family of modest means in Rameshwaram, a small town in TamilNadu. It was his father who wanted him to take up science in the college. After graduating from St.Joseph College, Tiruchirapalli, he joined the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) to specialise in Aeronautical Engg. This was indeed his launching pad for this promising young man who was destined to become the father of Indian missile programme. After a brief stint in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), he joined the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) in 1963. While at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, he developed the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) which put the Rohini Satellite into orbit. He later re-entered DRDO at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, as the director and this is where most of the research and development of his missile programmes were conceived and created. In his hour of glory, the missile man remembered his parents, co-workers especially at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and a Hyderabad-based defence research laboratory, besides teachers who collectively contributed in various ways towards this achievement.

Waves On Pregnant Women Health And Social Care Essay

Waves have been applied to many of import processs presents. In this article I am traveling to look into the application of moving ridges on pregnant adult females. One of the really of import subjects is the application of echography in antenatal medical examination ; therefore I would concentrate on this subject and discourse its rule and advantages among other different methods of antenatal medical examination. However moving ridges do non merely conveying benefits to pregnant adult females, but besides injury. There are some electromagnetic moving ridges ( or EM moving ridges ) which may be harmful to both the female parents and the foetuss, such as X ray. Yet, will pregnant adult females truly have an increased hazard of abortion after holding an X-ray? Recently there are besides concerns about the consequence of wireless moving ridges and microwaves on gestation. In this article I am traveling to look into them one by one. Obstetric Ultrasonography Ultrasonography refers to the usage of ultrasound. Ultrasound is longitudinal moving ridge, it has the same velocity as hearable sound moving ridge in air, which is 340ms-1. The chief difference between hearable sound moving ridge and ultrasound is that ultrasound has a frequence beyond hearable scope of homo, which is around 20 Hertz ( 20 Hz ) to 20 kHzs ( 20 kilohertz or 20,000 Hz ) . Normally the frequence of ultrasound used in antenatal medical examination is ranged from 1.6 to 10 MHz ( MHz ) , depending on what constructions of the foetuss are being examined. Ultrasound with lower frequence can perforate deeper into organic structure tissues, because the higher the frequence, the more supersonic moving ridges are being absorbed alternatively of reflected, therefore while analyzing deeper tissues like the liver and kidney, ultrasound with lower frequence ( around 1.6-6MHz ) is used. In the echography, ultrasound moving ridges are emitted by a device called transducer. Actually the term transducer refers to a device which converts one signifier of energy into another, so there are tonss of types of transducer. In the echography, an electroacoustic transducer is used to change over electricity to breathe and have ultrasound ; therefore to be more exact, the device used is besides called an ultrasound transceiver. The transducer is placed on the venters of the pregnant adult female, the ultrasound emitted penetrates the tegument and so reaches the fetus and other internal variety meats of the female parent. The moving ridges are so reflected back to the transceiver, the transceiver senses the moving ridges and converts them into images. An ultrasound transceiver: hypertext transfer protocol: //l.b5z.net/i/u/6062479/i/transducer_tn.jpg beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.chesapeakeultrasound.com/ultrasound_products An echography: hypertext transfer protocol: //gulfcoastmri.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/sonogram-human-foetal-fetal-ultrasound-scan-at-22-weeks-mono-1-anon.jpg Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //gulfcoastmri.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/obstetric-ultrasonography/ In instance that the pregnant adult female is in early gestation or corpulent, she can undergo transvaginal echography, which a investigation is placed in the adult female ‘s vagina. Sometimes the trial is besides carried out if the pregnant adult female has got unnatural vaginal hemorrhage or pelvic hurting. This type of echography has the similar rule as the echography mentioned above. Some female parents may desire to see the pulse of their babes, they can transport out the Doppler echography. It has fundamentally the same rule as the echography except the ultrasound is farther enhanced by Doppler Effect. Generally the foetus ‘s pulse can be detected after 7 hebdomads of gestation, therefore the blood flow of the foetus can be detected every bit good. The blood flows in a circulation in the organic structure of the foetus, the Doppler echography can therefore observe the alteration in waies of blood flow by Doppler consequence and see if the circulation is normal or no n. This can be done by mensurating the alteration in the frequence received in the transceiver. In fact there are a few more types of prenatal medical examination, such as amniocentesis and chronic villus trying. However, the echography is the safest manner for diagnosing. The echography merely involves a transducer puting outside the female parent ‘s venters, while amniocentesis and chronic villus trying necessitate mechanical incursion and trying inside the female parent ‘s womb or venters, this increases the hazard of abortion during the trials. Despite this fact, echography can merely give an early diagnosing of the female parents and foetuss, it can non handle anomalousnesss or familial diseases. Harmonizing to the trial conducted by RADIUS survey group in 1993, research workers found that obtaining echography has no significantly negative consequence on cut downing perinatal morbidity or mortality among the foetuss or the female parents. Furthermore, the sensing of anomalousnesss really did non change the result of newborn babes. Therefore it is of import to a dmit that echography is merely a trial whether the foetuss are healthy, but non a intervention to anomalousnesss. Harmful consequence of X ray X ray is an electromagnetic moving ridge with a wavelength ranged from 0.01 to 10 nanometres ( 0.01-10 x10-9m ) . It has a velocity of 3Ãâ€"108 ms-1 in vacuity. In fact, X ray is normally used in medical interventions, such as radiation therapy of malignant neoplastic disease and medical imagination engineering. X ray is produced in an X-ray tubing. In the X-ray tubing, negatrons are accelerated by using a high electromotive force. Electrons so collide with a metal, and the sudden slowing of negatrons consequences in the emanation of X ray. An X-ray tubing: hypertext transfer protocol: //hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/imgqua/xtube.gif Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/xtube.html X ray has high ionising power, therefore there are many people worrying about the harmful effects of holding an X-ray diagnosing, particularly pregnant adult females. It is true that a really high dosage of radiation from X ray may ensue in radiation illness. Prolonged and uninterrupted exposure to X-ray besides increases the hazard of malignant neoplastic disease development, and in pregnant adult females, there may besides be a hazard for the foetus to develop childhood malignant neoplastic disease or even abortion. However, it seems that the harmful effects of exposing to X ray are exaggerated. The serious harmful effects mentioned above are merely the consequences of high dose in a short period of clip. There are different sorts of X raies, one type is used in scanning or diagnosing, one type is used in handling malignant neoplastic disease. The energy stored in different types of X raies is different. For normal X-ray scanning, the dose is highly little. The captive dosage of X ray is measured in rad, which 1 rad = 10Ãâ€"10-3 J kg-1 = 10-2 J kg-1. If a pregnant adult female is holding a chest X ray, the estimated fetal dosage is about 60 millirads, the dosage is about 290 millirads for an abdominal X ray. This is rather a low value, as the dosage from the radiation from outer infinite is around 90-100 millirads. In fact, the hazard of the foetus holding oculus abnormalcies or mental deceleration additions merely when the dose exceeds 10 rads, therefore it is really rare that pregnant adult females suffer from harmful effects by the X-ray radiation. Harmonizing to the American Academy of Family Physicians, by and large X raies are safe even for pregnant adult females, and harmonizi ng to radiotherapists, no individual diagnostic X ray has a radiation dosage important plenty to do inauspicious effects in a underdeveloped embryo or foetus. Normally physicians will non inquire pregnant adult females to undergo an X-ray scanning, unless when it is pressing and necessary. It is besides suggested that pregnant adult females should state the radiotherapists about the gestation, so that radiotherapists can set the radiation degree to better protect the female parents and the foetuss. To reason, many people are afraid of holding X-ray scanning when they are pregnant, but in fact the hazard is non that high if we compare the dose to the exposure to outer infinite radiation. An X-ray movie demoing gestation: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.neurobodyfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/xray-pregnancy.jpg Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.neurobodyfit.com/x-rays-are-safe-during-pregnancy/ Concerns of wireless moving ridges and microwaves Besides X-ray, some people are refering about the consequence of wireless moving ridges and microwaves on gestation. In fact the consequence of these two types of EM moving ridges is even less than X ray. There has been a survey look intoing the relationship between exposure of wireless moving ridges and microwaves of female physical therapists, and the ratio of abortion. Due to occupational usage, physical therapists are really frequently exposed to medical equipment breathing microwaves diathermy and wireless moving ridges. Harmonizing to the survey, research workers compared the uneven ratios between those pregnant physical therapists and other pregnant adult females. The consequences showed that the hazard of abortion was non associated with reported usage of diathermy equipment, therefore people need non worry excessively much about this issue. A microwave diathermy: hypertext transfer protocol: //image.ec21.com/image/medicm/oimg_GC04993002_CA04993086/Microwave_Diathermy_HM-801C.jpg Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //medicm.en.ec21.com/Microwave_Diathermy_HM_801C — 4993002_4993086.html Decision Waves have been widely used in medical equipment, and there are several applications of moving ridges on gestation. Ultrasonography is the most common and the safest method of antenatal medical examination. Though it can be used in diagnosing, it is unable to handle diseases in foetus. Many people concern about the side effects of utilizing X-ray, microwaves and wireless moving ridges, nevertheless it is in fact really safe because the dose of radiation is highly little. Therefore people need non worry excessively much about the hazard of abortion caused by exposure to these moving ridges.