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Healthcare Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN:     EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

Many service industries discover that when workers are satisfied, the clients are satisfied as well and the economic performance of the organization is improved. Organizations want to evaluate and understand the relations among investments in systems as well as employees, the internal performance measures for example employee productivity and satisfaction and exterior performance.Our organization found out that employee contentment, consumer satisfaction plus financial performance are connected (shellenbarger 1998).

We found out that the significant elements in the service plan in our organization were to devise and develop jobs to boost employee satisfaction in addition to also investing in staff training. The fairly high labor in the organization necessitated us to focus our interest on developing the vital labor component. A key factor that we realized in enhancing this plan is that engaging of service staff in activities that deliver the service idea, processes as well as outcomes is essential. Relationships between customer and employee contentment have been observed in numerous industries (Hallowell and Schlesinger 2000) but are particularly important in high-contact service industries like hospitals.
High contact services are those in which clients directly relate with the service organization or the service personnel for an extended period (chase 1981). Superior employee knowledge and skills are looked-for in high-contact services since uncertainty in service encounter creates a need for staff that can make constant and numerous nonprogrammed decisions. We are motivated to make significant efforts to develop job as well as work systems, individual knowledge and skills, and interpersonal skills for our workforce so that they in turn can deliver high-quality services. We want to make the management of our internal service quality a function of employee development and management. These components of employee growth, the internal systems and programs that sustain the service employees we believe are the key ingredients in a plan for internal service superiority in high-contact settings. Hallowell and Schlesinger (2000) believe that these fundamentals include staff selection, workplace design, training, work design, policies as well as procedures, goal placement etc. 
We wish to develop these internal services so that we could help our employees do their jobs effectively.A critical constituent of a high contact service policy is the organization of the relationship between service employees with customers (Brown & Swartz 1989, Schneider, White & Paul 1998; Gould- Williams 1999)The organization’s mission and vision is to improve the welfare of the organization by ensuring that the employees working conditions are of high quality. We believe that if we engage in employee development activities such as training motivation recognition then we are bound to get their satisfaction which is positively related to customer satisfaction. With all these in place then the organization will realize increased profits.

 CONCLUSION

This strategic plan will present us with an insight into strategies and systems that must be planned to sustain workers in the organization and demonstrate how significant these systems are in predicting employees’ outcomes plus satisfaction, output, effectiveness and turnover. We believe that investing in employee growth systems including work systems training and progress and staff well being can foretell an increase in employee outcomes given the close associations between these two constructs. We have also seen the need for service strategy that embraces employee development systems as a means for driving the performance of the organization. With all these kept in place then we are sure to realize the success of employee development in the organization.

REFERNCE

 Brown, W.S and Swartz, T.A (1989) An Analysis of Professional Service Quality, a journal of marketing

Chase (1981) the customer contact approach to services: theoretical bases and practical extensions, operations research

Gould-Williams, J (1999) the impact of employee performance, cues on guest loyalty, perceived value and service, a journal of quality service industry

Hallowell and Schlesinger (2000) service profit chain: intellectual roots current realities and future prospects. Sage. Thousand Oaks. CA

Schneider, B, White, S, and Paul, M (1998), Linking service climate and customer perception of service quality. Applied Psychology journal

Shellenbarger, S (1998). Work and Family. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones and Co, Inc.

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Progressives Redefining Childhood

To What Extent Did Progressives Redefine Childhood, And Use Issues About Children To Advance Their Legislative Programs For Reform.

The Progressives believed that service to the ordinary people was the right business of government. They worked closely with the politicians to develop programs that would be of benefit to workers and consumers including the disadvantaged. One of the critical legislations passed in 1911 session when Governor francis McGovern was in office, entailed the first nations compensation program for workers with laws that regulated factory safety and limiting working hours for both women and children in the effort of protecting the workers’ safety and health. Another program entitled that labor departments could issue health and safety policies without having to refer to the legislature.

The poor sanitation, healthcare, housing and widespread misuse of child labor in the factories that was observed in the immigrant communities during the great wave of industrialization, became the reformers focus to attack economic systems that allowed those conditions to prevail.The movements pushed changes of the Social Efficiency towards education so that students could have a focus in life rather than working in the factories and industries. These ideas were to integrate the child’s life into the family interaction which was important for the development and growth of the child’s education. Effective social centers were to provide a safe playing ground where children could interact with one another under monitoring and supervision by a trained professional. The social centers could be used for other purposes to counteract divisions of class status in the community coupled with racial issues within neighborhoods. Progressives supported private and legislative action to help in the social justice system reforms.
Some of the laws enacted included child labor laws that were designed to protect and prevent overworking children in industries and give them opportunity to attend schools to gain knowledge more naturally and maturely (Rauchway 2001). This would liberate potential back warding of the young generation of children without proper education. Other issues that affected child growth were neglect cases from drinking parents who never took care of the basic needs like food, clothing, shelter and proper beddings. Even though the parents worked steadily, children were found to be emaciated from apparent starvation. Houses were desolate with filth all over mostly with one bed for the entire family. Education of these children would alleviate them from grim futures and social injustices that would see them plummet into community rejects because of bad social practices like robbery, drug abuse and alcohol, rival ethnic wars in sharing of resources, misuse by political persons to accomplish political ends.Many of the Progressive reforms were partially or totally achieved during the period from 1880 to 1920, and other reforms were implemented during the New Deal of the 1930’s.
During the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth amendments of the constitution instituted in a national income tax, provided for the direct election of senators, gave women the vote, and established national prohibition of alcoholic beverages. The movement also fought for racial equality in the progressive era where there was increased demand for new workers in Northern factories because of lynchings and ethnic riots as the northern cities were racists in mind. Although the Keating Owen Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, child labor in the manufacturing and mining declined significantly during the twenties.
Influenced by public reaction to the Progressive efforts to document the harmful effects on child workers, states raised the age of compulsory school attendance and prohibited child labor in the most dangerous industries. Progressives were successful in their efforts to get federal government help for poor mothers and babies with early childhood intervention that were inclusive of changes in health care, emphasis of family care and intervention, mainstreaming success with failures and also definitional issues and perceptions towards children with mental retardation, policy and legislative changes.
The Sheppard Towner Act appropriated money to be used by states for the improvement of maternal and child welfare. Although the act was always controversial and expired in 1929, the number of infant deaths declined greatly during the 1920s. The use of pasteurized milk became widespread by the 1930s, and better understanding of the role of vitamins improved the nutritional advice given to mothers. Finally, the progressive idea about “mothers’ pensions” to help poor women support their children was enacted in a slightly different form, aid to dependent children, as part of the Social Security Act of the 1930s.In spite of the Progressives’ faith that all problems involving children could be solved, however, there are still homeless children, children without access to proper medical care, children living in dangerous environments, abused children, and child workers in agriculture. Nevertheless, today a network of state and federal laws protects most children, and the general public accepts the idea of childhood as a distinct, sheltered time of life.
 Reference:

 Rauchway, E. 2001. The Refuge of Affections: Family and American Reform Politics, 1900-1920. New York: Columbia University Press.

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Theorist Research Paper

DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY

The developmental theories present a framework designed for thinking concerning the growth of humans, their maturity as well their learning. Have you ever wondered what motivates the thoughts of humans and their conduct? These theories of development will assist us give an insight into individuals and the society at large

 Freud’s stages of psychosexual development.

According to Sigmund Freud, personality is mostly in children by about the age of five years. The early experiences of a person play a major role in the progress of their personality and will go on to influence their conduct in their grown-up life.Freud held that an individual’s personality develops throughout a sequence of stages during early days in which the fulfillment of the individual becomes focused on certain erogenous areas.  The psychosexual energy was described as the motivating force behind a person’s behavior. Completions of these stages successfully result in a healthy personality. If certain issues are not through at a certain phase then an individual can become stuck. This is where there is continual focus on a previous stage. One will not progress toward the next psychosexual stage if the difficulty is solved. The following are the stages in Freud’s theory.

The oral stage

During this period the infant’s main source of contact occurs through the mouth. The mouth is essential for consumption plus the infant derives satisfaction from oral stimulation throughout gratifying actions like tasting as well as sucking. The infant in this period then develops confidence on his caretakers and consequently a sense of faith and reassurance.The only problem at this stage is that if fixation occurs because of weaning then the individual would have problems with dependency or violent behavior. Oral fixation can be capable of also resulting in drinking problems, smoking or yet lead to nail biting

Anal stage

During this stage Freud argued that the libido was to control the bladder as well as bowel movements. The main problem in this stage is teaching the kid on using the bathroom; the child has to be taught to control himself/herself. Accomplishment in this phase occurred on after the parents knew how best to approach bathroom training. Parents who praised and also rewarded their children for appropriately using the lavatory had affirmative results. Individuals who have had positive experiences at this stage became resourceful adults, capable and more fruitful. Those who have negative experiences or the parents had improper parent responses in an anal-expulsive character where the person develops to be disorganized, have a destructive personality or become inefficient.

The Phallic stage

During this stage Freud observed that the prime focus of the libido is on the genitals. Kids begin to discern the differences between males with females. Boys start to perceive their dads as rivals to their mother’s love and they develop thoughts of wanting to posses their mums. However the child worries that they will be punished by their dads resulting to a fright Feud termed as castration nervousness. Freud on the other hand believed that girls experienced penis jealousy. In the long run kids become close to the identical sex parent as a way of getting to posses the other parent. But Freud believed that a solution to penis envy has never been found as all women remain stuck in this stage.

 The latent stage

In this stage the libido interests are censored. The growth of the self-esteem and super ego add to this period of quiet. The period starts as soon as the kids go to school and have more worry for peer relations, hobbies and new things that interest them. This is the period or discovery in which the sexual power is there but is directed to areas such as societal interactions and academic pursuits. Freud describes this stage as vital in the development of social and communication skills and self-assurance.

The genital stage

This is the final stage of psychosexual development and the person develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. While the earlier stages focused only on individual needs, there is increased interest of the welfare of others in this stage. If an individual had positive experiences in the other stages then he should one be caring well balanced and warm towards other people. The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas

Piaget’s theory of Cognitive development

This premise describes the cognitive growth in children. Cognitive developments involve changes in cognitive procedure and abilities. According to Piaget and Inhelder (1969) cognitive growth entail processes based on events and later progresses in intellectual operations.

The key concepts in this theory

Schemas- this describes both the psychological and physical events involved in understanding as well as knowing. Schemas are a class of knowledge that helps an individual to interpret and comprehend the world. Piaget believes a schema comprise both category of knowledge plus the process of receiving that knowledge. As experiences take place this fresh information is used to adjust, change or add to the previously existing schemas

Assimilation- this is the practice of taking in fresh information to include already existing schemas. The process is however rather subjective as we are likely to alter experience or information to fit with our preexisting values.

Accommodation- this part of adjustment involves changing or shifting our existing schemas as a result of new information. Accommodation thus involves changing existing schemas or thoughts, as a outcome of new information or experiences.

Equilibration- Piaget argued that all kids try to strike a sense of balance between assimilation as well as accommodation, which is achieved during equilibration. As they progress it is imperative to maintain equilibrium between adaptation and accommodation. This helps to clarify how children are capable of moving from one stage the next. Piaget (1932) categorized four stages where children grow through them. They were the sensorimotor stage. This is between birth and two years old. The child interacts with his environment through physical interaction. The child in this stage builds concepts about reality but they don’t know that the objects still exist even when they are out of site. The second stage is the preoperational which includes ages 2-7 years. At this stage the kid is not able to conceptualize theoretically and needs solid objective situations. The third stage is the concrete operations which includes children of ages 7-11 years. In this stage the child starts to create rational structures through conceptualizing. The child develops conceptual solving problem skills like solving arithmetic equations. Lastly is the formal operations stage which begins at age 11-15 years. In the stage the child has developed conceptual reasoning because they now posses cognitive structures.

 ENVIROMENTAL THEORY/PSYCOLOGY

This premise examines the interrelationship involving the environments and human conduct. It explores dealings between persons and groups as well as their physical setting. It provides a prominent place to ecological perceptions attitudes, evaluations plus representation of accompanying behavior. The turf of environmental psychology describes the environment very broadly including everything that is natural on the globe as well as the public settings, built environments, learning environments as well as   informational environments. One should be able to have a model of human nature that predicts the environmental settings under which humans will conduct themselves in a decent and inspired manner if the problems concerning human-environmental relations are to be solved. With the models in place an individual can be able to manage protect design and/or bring back environments that enhance reasonable behavior, foresee what the likely result will be once these conditions are not met and present solutions. This field explores different issues like the outcome of environmental strain on human performance, common possessions, resource organization, human information processing way-finding in difficult settings, as well as the promotion of long-lasting conservation behavior.

Recurrent Elements in Environmental Psychology

Attention- Understanding the human conduct starts with perceiving how people discern the environment. This includes two types of stimuli, those that unwillingly, even distractingly control human notice and those that things, thoughts or places toward which humans must willingly and with some attempt direct their understanding

Perception and cognitive maps- how people visualize the natural plus the build environment has been of interest from the start. Information is kept in the mind as spatial networks called cognitive maps. The structures connect one’s remembrance of experience through perceptions current events, emotions, and thoughts. It’s through these impartial networks that individuals know and reflect about their surroundings, plan and carry out their plans

Preferred environments- individuals tend to look for places where they can experience competence plus confident, and also where they can create sense of the environment even as they are also occupy in it. Being concerned and wanting to discover an environment requires that it has difficulty and anonymity. Preserving, restoring in addition to creating a preferred surrounding are thought to boost a sense of well being and behavioral efficiency in human beings.

Conservation behavior- ecological psychology has played a key role in bringing mental knowledge to bear upon the issue of mounting an ecological sustainable society. This field explores environmental attitudes principles perceptions in addition to diverse intervention techniques designed for promoting environmentally correct behavior

Participation- this field is devoted to enhancing civilian involment in reinstatement efforts, environmental design and organization. It deals with promoting citizen understanding of the environmental activities while ensuring their early and true involvement in the design, organization in addition to modifications of the environment.

Environmental stress and coping- humans can modify their physical or societal setting to build more accommodating environments where they can control flow of information or strain inducing stimuli. They can also tolerate the stressful period, incurring psychological costs that they can deal with afterwards.

CROSSOVER THEORY

This premise is from a periodical of managerial psychology. Many studies in management psychology have looked at the characteristics of the job environment that might influence the job strain or staff engagement. These studies though overlooked an essential source of the staff’s well being, individuals in the immediate environment through which the employees frequently interact. At work they include colleagues and at home they consist of relativesIt involves transmission across persons, whereby work demands and their resultant strain, or job resources as well as consequent commitment. Crossover pressure or strain experienced by those at work may lead towards stress or strain being experienced by their spouse at home.

Prior studies have acknowledged several mechanisms that may clarify crossover including quality of interaction with the spouse personal differences in receptiveness to emotions of others as well as similarities among the employee and the other individual with whom they work together.Bakker and Demerouti (2009) carried a study among Dutch working couples and tested Westman and Vinokur’s (1998) study that compassion moderates the crossover of job engagement. The outcome showed that perspective taking slows down the relationship between the women’s and men’s job engagement. Hartel and Page (2009) present theoretical and convenient insight into the method of crossover with the proposition that affect strength as an important illustrative mechanism of crossover. They suggest that individual differences that have an effect on intensity may moderate and or may perhaps explain the crossover of distinct emotions such as pleasure and fear in the place of work

CONCLUSION

All of these theories talk about human beings and either with their environment, how they change with time as they develop and what are key factors that make individuals to behave in a certain manner. All these theories have however one thing in common that there is a co-relation between the individuals and also that they depend on one another. They also learn of gain knowledge throughout their life.

REFERENCES

Bakker, A.B. Westman, M, Hetty van Emmerik, J.I (2009). A journal of Managerial Psychology. Emerald Group of Publishing.

De Young, R (1999) Environmental Psychology

Freud, S. The Life, Work and Theories of Sigmund Freud

Golledge, R and Gaoling, T [Eds]. (1993). Behavior and the Environment: Psychological and Geographical Approaches. North Holland. Amsterdam

Kaplan, R and Kaplan, S (1982). Cognition and the Environment. New York. Praegeo

Piaget, J (1932). The Moral Judgment of a child. New York. Harcourt. Brace Jovanovich

Piaget, J and Inhelder, B (1969). The psychology of the child. New York. Basic Brook

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Organisational Behaviour

 There is a distinction made between organizational theory which is oriented toward a macro approach examining the organization’s structure and environment and organizational behaviour concerning itself with the behaviour of individuals in organizations in aspects like satisfaction, motivation and performance. This distinction is reinforced by academic disciplines that foster each perspective. Understanding organizational theory, research and action is fundamental to organizations because they are primary vehicles for accomplishing administrative work and defining social structures in the organization. The macro approach theory study organizations on how they adapt in addition to strategies and structures that they utilize to guide them. Organizational behavior encompasses the study of organizations from various perspectives in methods and levels of analysis.

The business environment and the organizational relations are important because of the open systems which are influenced internally or externally and depend on environmental support (Osborn 2005). Organizations become increasingly dynamic and flexible on the positive side while integration and coordination of organizational activities requiring extra time and more effort. Some of the specific contributors to the study of organizational behaviour include;Frederick Taylor(1917) who attempted to study human behaviour at work using a systematic approach and developed scientific management theory which entailed four fundamental principles that included: performing a task in the right way, matching workers with tasks, supervising and rewarding as motivators and management in control and planning.Max Weber (1947) expounded on Taylor’s theory by stressing the need in reducing ambiguity in organizations in establishing clear lines of control and authority.
His theory recognized that it was important to divide labour, specializing and hierarchical structure of power to insure stability and uniformity. The theory had a shortcoming in explaining why people were motivated to work only to gain economic rewards than performance. Group and team development in the organization will affect the development of the organization in managing change impacts that defines the success of the business. Organization development activities intervene in the interactions in the peoples’ systems such as formal and informal groups, work culture and organization design to increase their effectiveness. Formal groups are usually defined by the organization structure in the process tree of command, with designated job coursework and establishing tasks. Informal groups’ alliances are mostly formed by employees on the same flat chain that are neither formally structured nor determined by the organization.
Team building refers to a number of activities by an organization to improve team performance in the various departments in a business context (Berwick 2007). It is an important factor in environment and specializes in ensuring self development, leadership skills, positive communication and being able to work together like a team in solving problems in the organization and between employees. The work environment focuses on personal goals and recognition without the achievements of individual employees. In methods for team building, new context is used to enable change and development outside the norm activities of the organization. To facilitate this, the organization should make clear goals of what they expect from their workforce, the team must have clear ideas on what needs to be improved with consideration of the general age within the team. Group development will aid the team in understanding new dimensions and environments where people will come up with initiatives and have considerable authority to chart their own steps. Team members will acquire qualities in emotional stability, extraversion, openness and cooperation.
Benefits from group development include improved communication, identifying the strengths of team members and utilizing them, improving team output, motivation and collaborating effectively with group members. Team building sits on the theory of organizational development and team management which refer to ways, tools and processes for coordinating a team toward a specified goal as well as mitigating and overcoming challenges to team work. The SWOT analysis provides useful information in regard strengths and weaknesses with comparison to opportunities and threats that will aid the organization in effective team play.Motivation in organizational behaviour is a combined process that arouses and maintains human behaviour in the direction of attaining a goal. It is initiated by a psychological or physiological deficiency or need.  This is done by managers to induce others to produce results desired by the organization. Motivation is determined by drives and motives where drives are basic determinants of human behaviour activated by deprivation and aimed at satiation while motives influences human behaviour to pursue particular goals because they are socially valued. This can be attested by the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model which describes the level of each need or want.
Motivators create job satisfaction and motivating an individual to superior performance and effort, achievement, responsibility, growth, recognition in the work itself leading to job enrichment and enlargement as illustrated by Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory in hygiene factors and motivators. They are essential to keep the employees satisfied. Performance leads to satisfaction which is dependent on the person’s motivation levels, abilities and skills and on the role perception. In turn motivation will lead to organizational development which is an organizations effort in increasing its effectiveness and viability. It is a long range effort, ongoing and systematic process to implement, understanding and managing organizational change in its interdisciplinary nature. The main objective is to improve an organization’s ability in handling internal and external functions and affairs like enhanced personal and group interactions, more suitable leadership styles and trust among organizational members. Individual differences and perception are driven by the Equity Theory where people make social comparisons between themselves and others with respect to two variables namely outcomes which entail pay, status or benefits and inputs which entail time, skills, qualification or effort.
When employees perceive the ratio of their outcomes with others to be equal then a state of equity exists or otherwise there is equity tension. The process tries to explain external and internal attributions made by people to explain how motivation affects role perception or differences. The MARS model identifies role perception, motivation, situational factors and abilities that influence a workers voluntary behaviour and resulting performance (MARS model). Ability is an individual’s capacity to accomplish various tasks in a given job which is determined by intellectual abilities like deductive reasoning or perceptual speed. Situational factors or individual differences are either internal or external factors in the organization which cover time, demographics, people, social and economical aspects. Example of cultural differences in particular roles, perceived and interpreted through external learning before being enacted will result to role conflicts reducing the effective workforce of a sales team which might decrease the over-all objective of the company. Individual differences also stem from organizational culture in beliefs and values that influence organizational members.
Every organization has a different culture which encourages direct communications with other employees no matter what the level on the organizational chart they are. Other company cultures may expect workers to only do their job and not give input at all which is because of common perception errors. Organizations should encourage diversity in the modern world of global business and multicultural era that alleviates differences in society based on subcultures into the structure of the organization (Francesco 2005). Communications exist in both formal and informal ways whether directly or indirectly. Formal channels follow the organizational chart and command from top down while informal communications tend to be more open and spontaneous. International dimensions of organizational behaviour deals with multiple issues relating to behavioural aspects within companies in a non-domestic environment. This develops multinational or multicultural viewpoint on organizational behaviour and human resource management in an international background. It helps the organization in facing pertinent issues like culture and how it affects employee performance, use of cultural differences to improve key organizational functions, major frameworks for understanding culture, work values, dialogue, cross-cultural conflict resolution, teams and human resources management (Peterson 2004).
The field of cultural orientation will provide a model for gaining, understanding and predicting the results of cross cultural encounters in different demographics. New discoveries are being made about why individuals act in the manner they do and ways to enhance communication in making decisions in organizations that will be effective in dealing with cognitive styles in the work place, that is, how information is organized and processed, the negotiation strategies of what is accepted as evidence, the value systems that is basis for behaviour and business practices and etiquette. There are major organizational trends associated with international dimensions of organization which include;Globalization which is increasingly affecting global sales in manufacturing, research and management in businesses with increased global labour market because of reduced expenditure with quality of international transportation and communication improving combined with search for less dominated markets and exploiting costs and differences in experts in the region.Diversity, where the personnel are getting more assorted culturally, racially and sexually with the basis of both innovation for communication problems.
This has led to the need of coping with various styles of interaction, presentation, dress and physical appearance with change in demographics and the globalization in the labour market.Flexibility can be seen in systems and processes in the organization in workers who can respond differently to diverse situations when there are fewer comprehensive rules and procedures. There is also superior autonomy and support for initiative in the business organization, customization of employment relationships in telecommuting, job sharing and lifetime employability. This is due to differentiated customer needs thus becoming a source of competitive advantage as diversity increases in the workplace and fast pace in technology and markets. The organization is Flat, that is, few levels of management therefore employees are empowered to make critical decisions in the workplace with fewer differences in responsibility across levels. This has been enhanced due to the need of quick actions, making it helpful to empower workers to make decisions with need of less managers, and changes in information technology means reduced communication in middle management.
Globalization has intensified rivalry which has led to the need of reducing or cutting costs.Networked and express communication has increased across unit and firm boundaries not following chain of command in other basic platforms in the organization. This has enabled cross-unit team structures in outsourcing and downsizing of organization hierarchy and structures to enable fast relay of information across the organization to beat strategic alliances with competitors and others. The structure will also aid in close coordination among firms and information sharing across the board contact with customers.Customization and decentralization has led to newer information technologies which includes groupware and distributed computing. This has been attributed by change in customer needs as competitors put counter offers and with more complex products requiring improved integration in the manufacturing process, design and marketing activities.Therefore management of people in the workplace is an essential part of the management process to comprehend the significant importance of employees in the organization with the human aspect and the organization as being synonymous.
To achieve high organizational effectiveness and efficiency, firms should take employees as partners and will stand a high chance of being successful (NIH 2004). Smaller organizations can exhibit more organizational proficiency because of less bureaucratic systems of management. But it is not always as the case as sometimes the organizations have less clear goals with incomplete systems. They usually do not have as many comprehensive systems in place for the workers and can create inefficiency and often conflicting methods created by employees without the management’s strategic plan. The organization will be effective as to the degree to which it achieves its goals, make employees satisfied and committed to their jobs with effective motivation at various levels. Organizational learning is becoming a fast paced global business environment today where organizations have to adapt quickly to new and arising threats and opportunities (Karash 2002). The methods used by the organizations to cope and strategize in the dynamic changing environment will directly affect the efficiency and speed of the company at all levels of employment in their capacity to produce results.
New products are created with the demand of new markets that are arising and being serviced with suggestions from employees; require new strategies in organizational workplace to contribute to the process of learning and initiating development in the competitive market.  In conclusion, depending whether the organization is geared toward profit or non-profit, use of motivation and utilizing the talents of the different employees with different cultural backgrounds and in different demographics, will be vital in the ever changing business world. Understanding the organizational behaviour will be a major factor in boosting and increasing opportunity and success in the new environment. Gaining the awareness of the organizations culture will be necessary to further continued diverse growth as the organization employs a culture of diversity with open communication in play. It is important to take care of the organizational culture to make sure that it is compatible with the strategic goals of the organization.

   Reference

 Norman, J (2007). Rethinking Organisational Behaviour: A Post-Structuralist Framework.

Article: Team building exercise, Berwick Advertiser (Berwick upon Tweed, England); December 28, 2006

Schermerhorn, J. R., Jr, Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2005). Organizational

Behavior (9th Ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 Francesco, A.M & Gold, B.A. (2005). International Organisation Behaviour, 2nd Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Peterson, B. (2004) Cultural Intelligence: A guide to work and life with people from other cultures .London: Intercultural Press.

 NIH (2004). Organisational Effectiveness and Efficiency.

 http:// clinicalcenter.nih.gov/about/profile, Retrieved on Jan 5 2010

 MARS Model http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/public, retrieved on Jan 5 2010.

 Karash, R. (2002). What is a “Learning Organization”.

http://world.std.com/lo/ Retrieved on Jan 5 2010.  

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Consumer Attitude Change and Drug Abuse

 

Marketing is a gradual process. It involves obtaining consumer needs and wants, building of consumer products and services, promotion of the consumer products, building of strong consumer relations, adding value to the product as per the consumer changing needs and finding the means by which the company or the organization will retain the customers within the company. The aim of marketing is customer satisfaction. Organizations use marketing as a means of increasing the market share of a product and finally increasing the overall business profits. For marketing to be effective the customer is always placed at the center of all decision making processes. (Kotler, 2008)Marketing is a field of study that is changing constantly.
The evolution of marketing has seen it changing from the business perspective alone and into a social perspective. Social marketing is a branch of marketing that focuses on the effect of a product or service to the overall social wellbeing of a community. Social marketers are using the marketing strategies and techniques as a means to solve the societal problems that are being experienced by the community at large. Marketing strategies for a long time now have been used to spread the word on the spread of HIV/AIDS, the effects of drug abuse, effects of environmental conservation among others. (Kotler, 2008)

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Many problems are affecting the society as a whole. Among the problems that are facing the community is the problem of drug abuse especially among the youth. Drug abuse is a subject that has raised eyebrows among many institutions in the communities. Churches, government institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations and businesses as a whole are taking it upon themselves to fight the rampant increase in drug abuse. (Cockett, 1971)Drug abuse is often related to drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is a crime in many nations and it is also referred to as the drugs and alcohol crime. Drugs that are potential for trafficking are cocaine, heroin, morphine and amphetamines. These drugs are classified as illegal to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute them in most countries. Therefore drug trafficking is the possession, manufacture or the distribution of this illegal drugs.This possession, manufacture and distribution of the drugs named above is what is referred to as drug abuse and it is contrary to law. Illegal drugs fall into different categories, inclusive of legal medicines obtained illegally.

Sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction but generally, the penalty for illegal drug possession and sale varies from a small fine to a prison sentence. (Stephens, 1992)In most countries drug trafficking and drug use is prohibited; the reason being that drugs adversely affect the health of the abuser and in the overall leads to crime. Sharing of needles that are used to inject the abused drug into the body system, lead to the spread of conditions such as HIV and AIDS. The aim of this case study is to focus on the rising trends of drug abuse in Hong Kong specifically and to relate it to marketing. Many institutions in Hong Kong have tried and different means have been used to contain the rising trend but with very minimal success. The case study is therefore aimed at intertwining the concept of rising drug abuse with that of marketer’s consumer attitude change, with the aim of determining whether consumer attitude change can be a solution to the increased drug abuse in Hong Kong. This is by carefully analyzing the rising trend of drug abuse in Hong Kong critically scrutinizing the statistics and evaluating the marketing strategies aimed at attitude change as solutions to this rising trend. (Rugh, 2002)

1.3 Objectives of the Study

  1. To determine the rising trend of drug abuse in Hong Kong.
  2. To analyze the strategies for consumer attitude change.
  3. To establish the effect of consumer attitude change on drug abuse in Hong Kong

Chapter Two

Literature Review

2.1 Trend of Drug Abuse in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is among the countries that have for a long time being alarmed by the rising rates of youth drug abuse. Government institutions together with other non governmental organizations have combined there forces to combat this rising trend. Their aim is to ensure that they make a better life for next generations to come in Hong Kong. (Cockett, 1971)According to a survey that was carried out by the Anti-narcotics department of Hong Kong the rate of drug abuse among the youth in Hong Kong has continued to rise wildly and uncontrollable irrespective of the measures that has been put ahead. By the beginning of the year 2009, according to the Narcotic Division the number of youths who were engaged in drug abuse had risen to an alarming rate of almost 9000. Out of this rate a total of more than fifty percent of the drug abuser were below the age of 21 which compared to a survey that was carried out previously in the year 2006 has increased drastically.

The other half of the percentage of individuals who were above the age of 21 but were still involved in the drug use also admitted of starting the habit earlier in life. (Myers, 1980)In Hong Kong among the many volunteering groups and organizations that are involved in the fight against drug abuse are the Zheng Sheng Association and the New Being Fellowship. These two groups are aimed at rehabilitating the individuals and encouraging those who are addicted to drugs to come forward. The group is involved with counseling and de-stigmatization of drug abusers and it is still involved with statistics to determine the trend. (Stephens, 1992)In a study that was done in the year 2008, the number of individuals who were in both centers a very high number of them were still in there secondary education levels, and to be specific that total amount covered almost five percent of the overall secondary schools in Hong Kong. The centers then carried out a further assessment whose results indicated that among the students who were in the rehabilitation centers, most of them claimed that the drugs were being sold within the school compounds which made it very easy for them to access and to get refills whenever they needed them.
It was then determined that the number of this students were part of the schools that were ranked in Hong Kong as the best performing schools entirely. (Rugh, 2002)Drug abuse has adverse effects not only to the individual but to the society at large. Drug abuse alters and distorts the mind of the abuser which in turn leads to other crimes and ethical behavior by the youth. According to a survey that was carried out in the rehabilitation centers a figure that was close to fifty percent of the drug abusers said that they had been convicted for more than one crime. In the same findings those who are drug abusers blamed their addiction to the need to be recognized and the need for belonging to a certain class or peer group. Others claimed that drugs help them to relieve stress, unease and tedium. (Cockett, 1971)These statistics served as an eye opener to the government of Hong Kong and other institutions that were more than ready to reduce this rising rate of drug abuse. As a result a campaign was launched all over Hong Kong to serve as an educational basis for the drug abusers and other citizens on the adverse effects of drug abuse and encourage them to quite the habit and come forward for help as a step to improve their own health and the health of the society. Myers, P. (1980):

2.2 Drugs abused by the Youth in Honk Kong

Many studies have been carried out by different groups and individual researchers to determine the kind of drugs that are being abused by the youth in Honk Kong and the reasons as to why these specific drugs are being abused. One such a research was carried out by the Narcotics division in Hong Kong indicated that a larger number if the youths abuse in comparison to the psychotropic drugs. In the same finding it was determined that the smallest number of the drug abusers abused both kinds of drugs. Heroine is less accessible and more expensive in comparison to the other psychotropic drugs. In Hong Kong the regular psychotropic drugs are ketamine, ecstasy and the commonly known ice which is also referred to as marijuana. (Cockett, 1971)Psychotropic drugs are very common due to their ease of manufacture in laboratories making it very difficult for the government to monitor their productions and their distribution. Heroine on the other hand is very difficult to find especially since its raw materials are unavailable making its production limited to only certain areas of the country. Heroine can be easily tracked by the government through its distribution and promotion strategies.

(Rugh, 2002)Heroine is also very expensive in comparison to psychotropic drugs with a difference of an average of HK$27. Another reason as to why the youth abuse the psychotropic drugs in comparison to Heroine is that Heroine has a higher consumption rate when compared to the other drugs. Those who are addicted to heroine have to consume it more than fifty times in a month and those who consume psychotropic drugs need to consume them four times or less in a month. (Myers, 1980)The psychotropic drugs due to the reasons that have been named above fully satisfy the needs of the consumers. It is easily accessible, cheaper in price and quenches the urge and satisfies the need of the consumer. This explains why the consumption of these drugs is rising significantly among the youth especially in their school compounds. (Stephens, 1992)

2.3 Consumer Attitude Change

The decision of a consumer to purchase a certain product or a service depends on numerous factors. This factors are numerous due to the fact that human beings are very different and thus there needs and interests differ from one person to the next. The factors that prompt these differences range from image, motivation, attitudes and perceptions. These factors influence a consumer’s decision when it comes to choice of brands. In a broader sense, other than the factors that have been named above other factors that affect consumer behavior are influence from family members, cultural influences, social cultural influences and group reference. (Wiggins, 1992)Attitude is the umbrella that covers and influences the highest percentage of consumer decisions when it comes to choice of brands. An attitude is a permanent like or dislike that is attributed to certain brands or services. An attitude can be defined as a judgment or an opinion or in greater sense a verdict that is placed on an object. An attitude can either be positive or negative.

(Eagly, 1989)In marketing terms, an attitude is a perception that could be either positive or negative that is permanently engorged in the mind of a consumer as a result of prior experience, knowledge from family and friends and the overall cultural beliefs of an individual. Attitudes just as mentioned above are permanent but that does not mean that they cannot be changed. With the correct procedures an attitude can be changed either positively or negatively. Marketers use promotional and advertising techniques as a means by which they change the attitude that a specific group of people have on a product or a service. (Chaiken, 1995)The ABC model is believed to the developmental model of an attitude. ABC is an abbreviation that stands for Affect, Behavior, and Cognition. The three factors mold an individual’s or a group’s attitude towards a product. Affect is related to the emotional reaction that is attached to a product. When a consumer observes a product, what are the emotions that run through their mind concerning that product? For example if the product is a television set from Sony does looking at the product make the consumer feel the desire to purchase it or does it not even move a muscle?Behavior can be defined as the message that is passed by an individual either verbally or non-verbally concerning a certain product.
The tonal variations, the body language the actual purchase of the product among others are some of the behavioral intentions that build an attitude. The C in the abbreviation stands for cognitive. Cognitive response is ejected by the beliefs that are borne by an individual or a group of people in relation to a product or to a service. Cognitive response is built through direct know-how or familiarity or learning from observation. (Higgins, 1996)Nostalgia is one of the factors that build a lasting attitude. Nostalgia in the simplest terms means the good old days. It is the urge to enjoy something that happened in the past. When related to consumer purchasing behavior nostalgia means that lasting image and feeling at the back of a consumers mind as a result of purchasing or consuming a certain product. When individuals consume a certain brand from a company and then later purchase another one of the same kind but of different making a comparison is done between the two. The better product between the two leaves nostalgia. It is the conception that is held after a consumption of a certain product.
(Loewenstein, 2007)An attitude is formed through a related number of stages; these are the vague stage that is created out of advertisements, learning from friends and family. It is a fantasy kind of attitude that is formulated even before the individual decides to consume a product or a service. The second stage is the decision stage where the individual decides maybe while at a supermarket counter to take one product and to leave out the other one. At this point the attitude is clarified in comparison to the first stage. Next, is the experience itself. This is the actual experience while consuming the product or the service. For example that experience after visiting a sauna in a certain hotel. The attitude that was vague becomes clearer and the invalid once are cleared.The fourth stage of image formation is the post attitude. At this stage the individual reminisces about the feeling that they had while enjoying the product or the service and form lasting ideas and attitudes about it.
These feelings range from negative feelings of regret where the individual wishes he never consumed the product, to positive attitudes such as nostalgia where in the mind of the individual the consumption is recorded as the best thing that has ever happened and the consumer longs to have more of that and even better.Different researchers have undertaken studies and projects on the two variables of this study as different aspects. No secondary information has been derived that combines that topic of consumer attitude and the reduction of the rising cases of drug abuse. In the next chapter the researcher will seek to intertwine the two concepts and to come up with valid findings on whether changing the attitude of youth about the consumption of drugs will reduce the abuse significantly. (Rugh, 2002)

Chapter Three

Discussion of Findings

3.1 Consumer Attitude Change as a Driver towards

Reduced Drug Abuse in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong governments in collaboration with other volunteering organizations and the non governmental organizations have thrived to reduce and maybe even totally do away with the rising drub abuse behavior among the youth. The campaigns that have been put across through out the country in Hong Kong have not been very successful in dealing with the rising problem. The youth are abusing the drugs at a very tender age and the drugs are being more available on a daily basis. (Sanders, 2006)Consumer’s attitude change is one of the policies that if properly formulated, implemented and evaluated will result into a lasting reduction in the drug abuse habit that is very rampant. The youth who are involved in drug trafficking and drug abuse view themselves as very cunning, crafty and sly. They feel that they cannot be caught by the police and their school administration because there motives are planned prior to the actions. They feel that there actions help themselves to feel the sense of belonging and they feel lifted as their stress and depression is reduced by the addition. On the other hand they view there lives as very risky but once they survive without getting caught they feel heroic among their friends and other traffickers and abusers. (Rugh, 2002)

Attitudes contribute very highly an individual’s behavior. When individual’s have a specific attitude towards a subject or an object it drives them to behave in a certain manner. Certain psychologists have criticized the relationship between an attitude and a behavior. They state that other than attitudes there are numerous other factors that affect an individual’s behavior and reaction towards an object. To some extent this argument is true but holding all other factors constant attitudes influence behavior greatly. (Fazio, 1986)For an attitude to affect a behavior it has to be specific. A vague attitude towards drug abuse cannot influence an individual’s consumption of drugs. The youth who are highly involved in drug abuse have a specific attitude towards the drug.

They know exactly how it makes them feel after the consumption because there attitude is related to direct experimentation. Having a specific attitude towards an object makes the response accessible. This is because it is very easy to access the behavior that will result from education or information regarding certain consumption. (Williams, 1986)When asked about the drug abuse and the production, drug abusers usually possess a denial response. The consumption of drugs is often held in top secret, individual vow not to expose themselves and in that effect they cannot disclose there fellow abusers. This is a specific attitude. In order for the government and other organizations to fight this uprising abuse, it is important that they understand the specific attitude that is attached to this addiction. (Stephens, 1992)

Chapter Four

Recommendations and Conclusions

4.1 Recommendations

Changing the youth attitudes on drug abuse is a process that requires a given number of steps. Step one requires that the government and the institutions involved in the marketing strategy focus on identifying values, impressions and fondness in relation to certain drugs. It is important to identify the factors and the variables that influence the decision by an individual to start partaking drugs.Earlier in this research we determined that the youth of Honk Kong have their interest and their preferences inclined onto psychotropic drugs. The reason being that these kind of drugs are readily available and they are cheaper in comparison to heroine. Psychotropic drugs are also less addictive and therefore require a lesser amount as consumption to sustain the addiction and the behavior.

It is clear that the youth at this tender age are not financially acquainted and therefore they rely on the cheaper option. Step two of the attitude change requires that the institutions come up with ways in which they can amend the attitudes that have been inscribed in the minds of the abusers. In this case the abusers have a positive attitude towards the intake and the injection of the drugs. They feel that without the drugs they cannot live a happy life. They believe that the drugs make them happy and help them forget their disappointments and make them recognized among their peers.Step three requires the identification of means of changing the attitude towards the desired attitude. To do this it is important that the ideas and the beliefs that drugs make you happy and that if you do not abuse drugs you will be abandoned by friends should be changed completely.

Students and the youth should be advised and educated on other ways and means to revert from feeling lonely and depressed. They can be introduced to certain games either indoor or outdoor that keep them occupied and games that are enjoyable. Students should also be encouraged to go on school trips and be involved in other extra curriculum activities that will keep them involved and destruct the from the habit.Educating the youth about the adverse effects of drug abuse is also one of the means by which attitudes regarding consumption of drugs can be changed. This can be done in rehabilitation centers where the addicts will meet others who have been addicted to the drugs and together they will go through the healing process.

4.2 Conclusion

Attitudes affect behavior. Behavior affects the choice or the decision made concerning purchase or consumption of an object or a product. Marketing strategies of attitude change have taken a different turn and they have evolved towards the social perspective. The society is faced with numerous problems and despite different measures that have been put across none of them has truly succeeded.In Hong Kong drug abuse has been on the rampant in the last couple of years. The government and the voluntary institutions have come up with campaign strategies to curb the rising rate but the campaigns have however not been successful to date. This is clear from the statistics in 2009 where the youth are abusing drugs even in the school compounds.Marketing consumer attitude change can be an effective tool towards the decrease of drug abuse. Changing the attitude of the youth regarding the consumption of the drugs clearly indicating its adverse effects the health of an individual and to the development of the society is a successful tool. The government should only seek to ensure that the policies are identified, formulated, implemented and evaluated smartly.

This research has been successful it has provided the answers that are necessary to hind the objectives of the study. The case of increased drug abuse in honk Kong has been studied in depth and the concept surrounding it explained carefully. The strategies that are important for attitude change have also been studied and laid out clearly. The intertwining of both concepts has also been undertaken and the results and the findings are those that are measurable, specific, achievable, and realistic and time bound.Further research can however be done on ways in which the limitations of changing attitude can be made. Individuals are resistant to change and this is always a limitation for undertaking any kind of implementation that requires the change of behavior. When this is done the issue of the youth and drug abuse will soon become a thing of the past and the government of Hong Kong will be in a position to continually develop the country as a whole, since one of the stumbling blocks will have been cleared.

References

Bill Sanders (2006): Drugs, Clubs and Young People: Sociological and Public Health Perspectives (Page 109-120): Ash gate Publishing Ltd.

Breckler, S., & Wiggins, E. (1992): On Defining Attitude and Attitude Theory: Once more with feeling: In A. Pratkanis, J. Breckler, & A. Greenwald (Editions.), Attitude structure and function: Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum pp. 407-427

Chaiken, S., Liberman, A., & Eagly, A. (1989): Heuristic and systematic information processing within and beyond the persuasion context: In J. Uleman & J. Bargh (Edition.), Unintended thought (pp. 212-252): New York: Guilford

Douglas Rugh (2002): Substance Abuse: A Global View: World View of Social Issues: Greenwood Publishing Group (Pgs 35-40)

Eagly, A., & Chaiken, S. (1995): Attitude strength, attitude structure and resistance to change. In R. Petty and J. Kosnik (Edition.): Attitude Strength: (pp. 413-432): Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Fazio, R. (1986): How do Attitudes Guide Behavior? In R. Sorrentino & E. Higgins (Eds.): The Handbook of Motivation and Cognition: Foundations of social behavior (pp 204-243): New York: Guilford Press

Fazio, R., & Williams, C. (1986): Attitude Accessibility as a Moderator of Attitude-Perception and Attitude-Behavior Relation: An investigation of the 1984 presidential election. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 505-514.

Gene Stephens (1992): Drugs and Crime in the Twenty-First Century: New Approaches to Old Problems: Futurist Publishers.

Green Britain, Colonial Office, Hong Kong, Government Information Services (2008):  Hong Kong Colonial Reports: University of California

Higgins, E. (1996): Knowledge Activation: Accessibility, Applicability, and Salience: In E. Higgins, & A. Kruganski (Editions): Social Psychology, Handbook of Basic Principles (pp. 133-168): New York: Guilford Press.

Kotler, Philip; Gary Armstrong, Veronica Wong and John Saunders (2008): Marketing defined: Principles of marketing (5th ed.)

Loewenstein, G. (2007): Affect Regulation and Affective Forecasting. In Gross, J. (Edition): Handbook of Emotion Regulation (pp. 180-203): New York: Guilford.

Myers, I. & Myers, P. (1980): To the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1986): The Elaboration Likelihood model of persuasion. In L. Berkowitz (Edition): Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Volume 19, pp. 123-205): New York: Academic Press.

Richard Cockett (1971): Drug Abuse and Personality in Youth Offenders: Butterworth Publishers.

Tesser, A. (1993): On the Importance of Heritability in Psychological Research: The Case of Attitudes: Psychological Review, 100, 129-142.

      

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