Hospital visit-socioeconomic issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospital visit-socioeconomic issues - Essay Example contingent on where youre from, as in certain countries the healthcare and welfare systems are functioning properly and fulfilling their purposes to the best degree possible, while at the same time there are entire countries that lack appropriate systems, causing extreme socio-economic problems. When we mention socio-economic problems relating to hospital visiting, we generally talk about not having a health insurance. The sad reality of today is that there are so many people without a decent health insurance, and when they are in need of proper medical care, they cannot get the proper medical services and treatments due to their lack of money. This may seem absurd of false but in reality this is very common and millions today still dont have health insurance. This leads them to fend for themselves when it comes to medical treatments they need. The first and best example I have to provide regarding this matter is that of my seventeen year old cousin with her ear infection. The socio-economic problems in her case were quite apparent. She, who came in due to a very painful middle ear infection, also suffered greatly because she couldnt open her mouth fully. Her infection was so severe that the doctor stated that she had to go to an ENT specialist. Clearly, specialists cost money, and the amount one has to pay for them is obviously greater than that one has to pay for regular hospital services. My cousin subsequently didnt want to go to the ENT specialist. The reason for her hesitance is that she doesnt have a health insurance. This means that shell have to pay very large sums of money in order to go see that specialist. This is probably a sum she simply cannot afford. I wanted to help her so much, but there was nothing I can do for her! Usually, when talking about socio-economic problems in this regard, we are talking about people from a lower social class (immigrants or people with a different ethnicity than most people in the country in the case of modern

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay Example for Free

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay The motion picture Osama really has the capacity to move anyone’s heart. Unsurprisingly, it garnered awards and commendations from several award-giving bodies in the film industry (Ebert 500). However, the bonafide intention of this motion flick is for the world to know the story of women under the Afghanistan Taliban regime. Moreover, women and young girls suffered so much misery under the sadistic governance of Taliban people. Real life story such as this reflects that women from some parts of the world have little freedom or truly there is no liberty at all. We are on the era where everything seems so easy to achieve and women have the power to rule things within their hands. However, many female individuals including Afghan women take so many years before they can do something for their own welfare. Afghanistan is severely devastated from the past hostilities and so as the Afghan women. No doubt that Afghanistan is one of the most poverty-stricken countries on earth. Nevertheless, the mortality rate of both maternal and child are extremely below par which is considered to be the second highest among nations in the world. Women’s literacy is beyond acceptable rate for the reason that they are not given enough education. So to speak, only few female individuals are given the chance to study and participate in building the nation. During the Taliban’s dictatorship, female population is strictly discriminated in many aspects. Women and girls do not have enough access to employment, education and most especially to health care facilities. Inadequate medical assistance worsens the circumstances of pregnant women and newborn child. Malnutrition among Afghan people also increases every month and the unacceptable governance of the Taliban regime aggravates the present condition. There is a very small portion of female population who are lucky enough to receive informal primary education. Even the education system of the opposite gender is also affected by the prohibition of female employment because most of the educators are women. Since the Talibans take charge of the Afghan government, education system starts to descend. Apparently, fewer educated individuals mean lesser chance of getting a descent job. Women are not able to travel or wander alone so those widowed women and single women who participate as the head of the family are well affected. A male relative must accompany a female family member at all times or else the latter will be captured and put into jail. Another thing that disregards women’s contribution in building a nation is when a decree was issued by the Taliban regime banning women from driving vehicles in any form. Women’s seclusion in their homes is an obvious chauvinism of the Taliban government. Several reports of harassments and physical assaults are also perceived among Afghan women. The closing stage of Osama breaks my heart. As I see the finale, my mind starts to contemplate what would happen to Osama now that she has to be a wife of an old man. Osama’s so young to live through things which are not really meant to be. She must not be in that situation. Moreover, she must still be studying or perhaps enjoying her life as a kid. Women are not objects that can compensate a person’s debt to other people. Women are part of this world, they give life. Their presence is very significant in each and every one. Without these women, there will be no tomorrow. Mr. Siddiq Barmak, the director of the film leaves the viewer to hang into something that would strengthen one’s hope and faith. He believes that life is a journey and each road leads us to a situation where we need to choose what we think what’s best for us. He clearly reminded the spectators that though we’re on the side of the world where we only see how the sun shines and sets, there is also another half of the world who could not get a glimpse of the sun until now. He effectively strikes a chord to wake up the other side of world to lend a hand to let the dying Afghan women and children to experience freedom and live a normal life. Warfare among women and children must be ended and democracy among people must win to end this kind of battle. The battle to raise children and women’s welfare isn’t over. This is just the beginning – when realization takes place. Work Cited Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008.

Third World Debt: Causes and Solutions

Third World Debt: Causes and Solutions Brief: 191234 Title: Third World Debt: Africa A detailed analysis of the third world debt problem in Africa, focusing on the problems, causes, and possible solutions to alleviating third world debt in Africa. INTRODUCTION Developing economies in Africa are facing a tough time. They are obliged to make principal repayments and interest on the external loans accumulated over the decades when they should have been spending their meagre resources on investing in health and education of their citizens, and development of infrastructure to fuel growth. In 2000, Africas external debt totalled US$ 334.3 bn, equivalent to 58% of its GDP (Siddiqi, 2001). With debt and interest payments occupying a high per cent of GDP, it results in lower spending on development. The severity of debt problem can be judged by the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa receives US$ 10 bn in aid but has to make annual loan repayments of US$ 14 bn, resulting in net outflow of foreign currency before loans and investments[1]. In 2005, Nigeria paid US$ 12 bn to the Paris Club of creditors for partial debt cancellation[2]. Millions of Africans live on less than US$ 1 per day; US$ 12 bn would have gone a long way in improving their life style and developing the infrastructure required for future growth. The severity of debt problem in Africa is so much that the All-Africa Conference of Churches has called this debt a new form of slavery, as vicious as the slave trade[3]. Rich countries and world financial institutions, mainly World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have started debt relief initiatives in the last decade. The High Indebted Poor Countries and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative are steps in the right direction. These initiatives have resulted in debt reduction in many African countries and allowed their governments to spend more on social welfare. But still more is needed both in terms of relief under above initiatives and also through other initiatives like reducing trade barriers for poor countries. This document studies the reasons behind third world debt in Africa and subsequent growth of it. It then looks at some of the prominent effects on the citizens of the affected economies. It also suggests some of the solutions that can be employed in reducing the external debt of the third world countries in Africa. Successful handling of debt will lead to better lives for millions in Africa. THE REASONS BEHIND THE THIRD WORLD DEBT Debt transfer from colonizing states. The initial debt of third world countries arose from the unjust transfer of the debts of their colonizing countries. This was imposed on them when they acceded to international sovereignty. External debt of the newly independent countries amounted to US$ 59 billion in 1960[4]. Not only the amount was high for economies just starting on development but the interest rate was set at 14 per cent. Such a high interest rate made it more difficult for governments of poor countries to make capital repayments. Odious debt. World financial institutions are to be blamed for lending money to countries with dictators and undemocratic governments, knowingly well enough that most of such lending will not be used for benefits of public. Joseph Stiglitz says that when the IMF and World Bank lent money to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruler Mobutu, they should have known that most of the money would be used for personal enrichment of Mobutu (Stiglitz, 2002). Many times the reasons behind such lending are geopolitical to ensure alignment of the third world countries with the developed countries. Now citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo are repaying loans that were never used for their benefit. Unregulated lending. During the high oil prices of 1970s, Arab nations deposited their excess cash with Western banks. Western banks then lent it to the third world countries without doing proper due diligence on the use of funds or the capability of the third world countries to repay in future. Mismanagement of projects. Projects, executed with foreign loans, were not managed properly resulting either in incomplete projects or projects with high over runs and time delays. Creditors didn’t do a responsible job in monitoring of the projects. INCREASE IN THIRD WORLD DEBT Over decades, external debt of the third world countries has increased because of the following reasons: High interest rate. Not only the principal loan amount was high for economies just starting on development but the interest rate was set at 14 per cent. This rate of interest is high and makes it even harder for developing countries to make loan repayments and simultaneously spend on development. Devaluation of third world currencies. External loans are to be repaid in the hard currencies of the developed countries. Over time, the currencies of third world countries have devalued significantly compared to currencies of developed countries due to high inflation and high deficits in poor countries. The decline in local currencies means that the third world countries have to work harder to repay external loans. SOCIAL AND ECONOMICAL IMPACTS HIV/AIDS. Africa is suffering heavily from AIDS and is home to two-thirds of those living with the disease worldwide[5]. Only a few in Africa have access to the treatment and rest suffer in agony due to their governments’ inability to make healthcare payments. This is because a significant part of their national income is spent on debt repayment. The rapid increase in AIDS will have a prolonged social and economic impact on the continent. As a result of governments’ inability to stop spread of AIDS and proper treatment, future governments’ will have to pay a much higher price for treatment. Also poor health will result in lower economic growth. Insufficient money for development. Given the priority of debt repayment over development projects, the governments of the third world countries are not left with enough resources to spend on much needed infrastructure development. These countries are very low on social development and need financial assistance to implement welfare plans. Reduction in debt will free money that can be used for better health and education facilities. Some of the benefits achieved in recent past because of reduction in debt are as follows: Reduction in debt has allowed Ugandan government to offer better educational facilities and it has more than doubled school enrolment in Uganda. Vaccinated half a million children against killer diseases in Mozambique Provided extra resources for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in different countries in Africa[6]. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS More aid to the third world countries. The amount of development assistance to the third world countries has been falling not only in terms of real amounts adjust for inflation but also in terms of percentage of developed countries income (Stiglitz, 2002). If rich countries are keen on helping poor African countries achieve better living standards then they should increase the amount of aid. Aid as grant rather than as loan. In a G8 meeting in Genoa, President Bush proposed that up to 50% of aid to developing countries should be given as direct grant rather than as loans (Veseley, 2001). Grants would help the third world countries spend more on health and education without the burden of future loan repayments. Veseley suggested that the issue of giving grants is subject to local politics at the developed countries. During recessions and higher unemployment, the governments of the developed countries would be reluctant to offer grants. Debt forgiveness. After decades of paying a high percentage of their GDP and exports to meet external loan repayments and yet no where near to either finishing off those loans or bringing them to such low levels where most of the GDP is used for development, the third world countries need debt forgiveness otherwise they simply cannot grow. In some countries the debt service is more than a quarter of exports and in some countries it is as high as half of exports (Stiglitz, 2002). The rich countries, under the ownership of World Bank and International Monetary Fund, launched Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative in 1996 with the aim of ensuring that no poor country faces a debt burden it cannot manage. The rich countries will cancel the debt of poor countries who meet stringent economic conditions set out by the creditors and monitored by World Bank and IMF. In the 2005 G8 summit, rich countries agreed to cancel the debt of 14 African nations. Zambia is one of the countries to be short listed for debt cancellation. In 2003, Zambia spent twice as much on loan repayments as on healthcare. In January 2006, Zambia’s debt was reduced from US$ 7.1 bn to US$ 500 million[7]. The partial debt cancellation under HIPC has allowed the government to offer free healthcare to its citizens. The Jubilee movement in 1990s played a major role in focusing attention on debt relief. It put international pressure on IMF and rich nations and as a result, by the end of 2000, 24 countries passed the IMF threshold requirements for debt cancellations (Stiglitz, 2002). In 2005, the world financial bodies also launched the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) which allows for full relief on debts by the IMF, the International Development Association of the World Bank, and the African Development Fund[8]. Though MDRI offers 100 per cent debt relief it does not offer any parallel debt relief by governments or multilateral institutions beyond the above three. IMF announced in December 2005 that it will grant 100 percent debt relief to 19 countries, most of them from Africa, under the MDRI amounting to about US$3.3billion[9]. This was matched by World Bank in July 2006. Though HIPC and MDRI initiatives are light at the end of tunnel and raise hopes of debt cancellation, yet they are far from the full action required to take care of debt problem. The poor countries are required to meet stringent economic conditions before they can be offered partial debt cancellation. Not all of the developing countries in Africa are in a state to meet tough fiscal conditions because of poor state of their economies. Putting more fiscal measures in place would deprive their citizens of even bare minimum standards. As of result of tough conditions, only about a quarter of African nations have qualified for HIPC and MDRI. Even after debt cancellation for 14 countries, African countries still owe over US$ 200 bn to rich countries and they would still have to pay US$ 14 bn every year in debt repayments to rich countries[10]. The deal would result in annual saving of about US$ 1 bn, which is not enough considering that US$ 14 bn is still payable every year. Also the deal proposed under HIPC doesn’t cancel 100% of debts of any country. The debt cancellation will be 79% for Uganda and 48% for Mozambique[11]. Partial debt cancellation is better than nothing but the governments would still have to make debt repayments when they could have used the money for development. Rich countries to open trade to poor countries. Agriculture is the most important occupation in the third world countries and it is the biggest employer in Africa (Veseley, 2001). Most of the developed countries give subsidies to their farmers. These subsidies result in not only lower agricultural exports to the developed countries but also to other countries. The poorest countries account for less than 1% of the world’s food exports (Veseley, 2001). Doha round of trade talks is focused on removing the agricultural subsidies in US and Europe. The World Bank estimates that if subsidies and trade issues are resolved in the Doha round, then it would generate extra gains in real income of about US$ 20 bn by 2015 to developing countries (Siddiqi, 2006). Mr James Wolfensohn, ex-President of World Bank said that the most important step for development of poor countries is for rich countries to open their markets fully to exports from the developing countries (Veseley, 2001). Stiglitz notes that so unfair has the trade agenda been that Sub-Saharan African countries were actually made worse off as a result of the last round of trade negotiations (Stiglitz, 2002). A reduction in agricultural subsidies would increase exports from African countries and allow them better chances of not only GDP growth but also in meeting IMF criteria for HIPC and MDRI debt relief. CONCLUSION The third world countries in Africa are heavily burdened with debt and significant part of their foreign exchange earnings and new loans are used for repayment of principal and interest on previous loans. The third world countries are paying for legacy issues and are not left with money for the development work on health, education and generation of employment that is needed urgently. The government of developing and crippled economies in Africa are spending their hard earned money on meeting debt repayments when ideally they should have been spent on provision of health issues like HIV/AIDS, education and generating employment opportunities. Rich countries and world financial bodies have taken initiatives under HIPC and MDRI schemes to reduce the debt burden of the third world countries. In 2005, 14 African nations were short listed for debt cancellation. 19 countries qualified for debt cancellation under the MDRI scheme. Countries are already seeing benefits of lower debt repayments in terms of better health and education facilities. But still a lot more needs to be done. HIPC offers only partial relief. Also some of the economic conditions imposed under HIPC will make it difficult for the African governments’ to offer free services to their citizens. The rich countries should offer more aid as grant rather than as loan. Also they need to reduce subsidies and open up their economies to poor countries. This would not only help reduce the debt of the third world countries but also increase their GDPs. BIBLIOGRPAHY Siddiqi, M (2001) . â€Å"Africa hanging in there†, African Business, London, Sep 2001, Iss. 268, Pg. 16 Siddiqi, M (2006). â€Å"Crunch time for world trade deal†, African Business, London, Oct 2006, Iss. 324, Pg. 32 Stiglitz, J.E. â€Å"Globalization and its discontents†, Penguin Books, 2002. Veseley, M. â€Å"Will Bush back words with deeds†, African Business, London, Sep 2001, Iss. 268, Pg. 20 [1] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [2] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [3] â€Å"Campaign to cancel Africa’s debt†, http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/debt_more.php, 2 Dec 2006 [4] â€Å"Third World Debt A Continuing Legacy of Colonialism†, http://www.southcentre.org/info/southbulletin/bulletin85/bulletin85.htm, 2 Dec 2006 [5] â€Å"The G8 and Africa: Reality Check†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1985type=15issues=1027, 2nd Dec 2006 [6] â€Å"The debt crisis and the jubilee campaign†, http://www.jubileeusa.org/edpacket/intro.pdf, 2nd Dec 2006 [7] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006 [8] â€Å"Debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative†, http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/hipc.htm, 2nd Dec 2006 [9] â€Å"IMF to extend 100 Percent Debt Relief for 19 Countries Under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative†, http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2005/pr05286.htm, 2nd Dec 2006 [10] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006 [11] â€Å"Africa out of the Limelight: The Debt Crisis One Year After The Gleneagles G8†, http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=readdocumentid=1954type=15issues=2, 2nd Dec 2006

Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay examples -- Papers Gay Marriage Hom

'Would legalization of gay marriage be good for the gay community?' Sam Isaacson wrote an article analyzing the opinion of the gay community on legalizing same sex marriages. It is somewhat of a controversial issue with the gay community whether or not marriage is a good thing. He divides the community into two groups: integrationists and liberationists. The controversy is caused because of these two different philosophical views. The integrationists want to be as normal as can be. They want to 'integrate' themselves into society. On the other hand, the liberationists cherish their gay culture with their own customs and values. The integrationists want gay marriage and the liberationists object to same sex marriage. Isaacson's belief is to consider the objections of the liberationists. However, he believes that legalization of marriage would benefit gays and society. The liberationists do not care for being part of the ?normal? society. They believe marriage would take away from their way of living and would show that marriage is the right way to live. Isaacson states, ?...

Should Smoking be banned in all public places?

Smoking came to Britain Should in the 1600's but only started to become fashionable in the nineteen sixties and seventies. The main attraction to smoking came from the idolisation of pop-stars and supermodels that smoked, but did not know the risks. Today we do know the risks, so why do so many still smoke? One reason is that many people who smoke started when they were young teenagers, when they did not understand the risks associated. Instead, their only aim was to have the right ‘look'. Others may have been driven through the desire to appear older. Teenagers may also have started to smoke due to the influence of peer pressure. Statistically, not many people begin smoking at a later age. Usually the reason behind starting to smoke as an adult is due to work related pressure or simply stress. Statistically, there is a greater percentage of women smoke than men this is due to using smoking as a slimming aid. Hundreds of people die from smoke related diseases each year. Deaths caused by smoking are six times higher than the 20,170 deaths arising from: road accidents (3,444); poisoning and overdose (2,663); other accidental deaths (8,986); murder and manslaughter (503); suicide (4,379); and HIV infection (195) in the UK during 1998.World-wide, about 4 million die prematurely each year as a result of smoking. Smoking has more than 50 ways of making life a misery through illness and more than 20 ways of killing you. In general, smokers endure poorer health than non-smokers. It has been estimated that, in England, 284,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to disease caused by smoking, occupying an average of 9,500 hospital beds every day. In addition, smoking related illness accounts for 8 million consultations with GPs and over 7 million prescriptions each year. The most common cause of death through smoking is lung cancer; this is when tar builds up within the lungs stopping them from functioning properly. So why should non-smokers inhale this fatal smoke? It is said in one year passive smoking was found to be linked to more than 1,000 deaths in London from coronary heart disease. Passive smoking is the inhaling of smoke from other smokers. Roy Castle is an example of someone who died from passive smoke. He died of lung cancer through the inhaling of smoke whilst playing his trumpet in a nightclub, yet he never smoked himself. From hearing this information of passive smoking, should smoking be banned in public places? The government in Singapore has already made that decision. Smoking in Singapore is banned in all public places; smokers are forced to use especially built rooms with huge extractor fans to stop the smoke getting out. This is quite extreme; however Singapore is clearly helping others stay healthy. My personal feeling is that smoking shouldn't be banned from all places, but I do feel there should be designated areas for smokers and non-smokers. I believe that non-smokers have the right to sit in a non-smoking area to avoid inhaling smoke of others, they should not have to put up with the smell or health risk smoking contains. Currently, one debate focuses on smoking in the work place. Many companies are eradicating smoking in their offices and also some are choosing non-smokers over qualified smoking candidates. Also companies are considering to force their smoking employees pay for additional health insurance. I agree with this as companies should not pay the costs of someone's habit, as smokers are fully aware of the cost of their habit both health wise and financially, they should pay the cost not others. Looking from a smoker's perspective, the following points should be taken into consideration. A public ban on smoking is a removal of choice in an age that seeks to empower the individual. Smokers are not purposely trying to make non-smoker's lives a misery, many smoke outside for the convenience of those who do not want to inhale the smoke fumes. Restaurants, public-transport facilities and shopping centres are predominantly smoke free. There are only a handful of areas in which people are free to smoke, including bars and nightclubs. One may also look at car fumes as being a similar problem to smoking fumes. Cars produce harmful Carbon Monoxide fumes which are consumed by individuals rather than the driver of the car. In the same sense should cars be banned from public places because they also produce harmful fumes? This point can also be said of alcohol and factory fumes, both of these either are harmful to the environment or someone's health. Bearing in mind that smoking is an addiction, it is important not to isolate smokers. People who smoke shouldn't be made to feel like social outcasts, so provision should be made to cater for them. No pocket of society should be excluded; this could be paralleled to the Jews in Germany. In other continents for example Spain, smoking in public places is not frowned upon. There are no restrictions on where you can and cannot smoke. This shows that smoking in public places has already been dealt with in this country to an extent that smokers are seldomley annoying the non-smoking public. Restrictions in the U.K already seem extreme in comparison to other countries and if restrictions become any worse, we might be excluding tourists as well as British smokers to our society. Some people only smoke socially on weekends, it de-stresses people and is a stimulant which encourages conversation (where alcohol is a depressant). If there is a ban on smoking in all public places, pubs and nightclubs would lose most of their profit. People would not want to go out if they were not able to smoke socially. Passive smoking is inconclusive evidence; we can not prove that inhaling others smoke is in fact harmful. So passive smoking might not cause all non-smokers health problems. In conclusion I don't think smoking should be banned in all public places, as that would exclude smokers in our society; however I do believe more designated smoking areas should be introduced especially in pubs and nightclubs. In today's society were acceptance and compromise are two key principles, exclusion of any sub group would seem to go against the grain of social thinking.

The Chartered Management Institute Leadership and Management Case Study

The Chartered Management Institute Leadership and Management Case Study Introduction The Chartered Management Institute, CMI, is a UK based organization with the mandate to provide both practicing and would be managers with the best management and leadership skills. Being the only chartered organization in the UK that is devoted to improve management and leadership practice, the magnitude of CMI’s mandate cannot be underestimated.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Chartered Management Institute Leadership and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is assumed that, while only a fifth of managers in the UK have the necessary professional requirements, it is expected that at least 0.8 million new management positions are likely to be created by in five years’ time (CMI, 2010). This statistics comes at a time when management has been declared as the biggest profession in Britain. CMI is an organization that draws best practices from established customs such as th e National Occupational Standards. Using these standards, CMI is able to set the best benchmarks for both corporate and individual clients. CMI’s main aim is to promote the attainment of the best leadership and management skills. Due to its successes, CMI’s expanding membership currently stands at 86000 individuals and about 450 corporate members. These figures were taken in 2010. CMI is not a mere leadership and management accreditation body. It is an organization that creates real value for its clients through practical lessons. To attain this, CMI has a variety of mechanisms through which managers can attain the best leadership and management skills. As such, CMI’s training is designed from mentorship programs, case studies and extensive research. CMI delivers its training program both formally and informally, mostly through on the job training, e-learning among other mechanisms. CMI offers the Chartered Manager Award but only to those managers who demonstrat e competence in at least 6 key management skills. As such, CMI is a very critical body in not only in improving management and leadership training but also in acquisition of desirable professional qualification for managers What are the benefits of well trained and qualified managers to employees, businesses and the UK economy? CMI main mandate, as previously stated, is it to ensure that managers attain the best management and leadership skills. Coincidentally, well trained managers accrue numerous benefits not only to employees but also to businesses, and by extension the UK economy. The table below highlights these benefits. On employees On business On the economy Leadership Well trained managers lead to improved employee motivation, which improves employee productivity, better performance, increased efficiency , reduction in absenteeism as well as improved employee health Well trained managers attract and retain top talent Qualified managers inspires trust and improved empl oyee attitudes Qualified managers improves the willingness of employees to accomplish job tasks; this effectively improves employee participation, enables employees to have a say in decision making and creates a very high level of employees satisfaction Qualified managers encourages sharing of ideas, creativity, innovativeness and ingenuity Employees are equipped to understand consumer demands and thus improve quality standards Employees have an increased level of awareness of duties and expectations, leading to increased ownership of work related tasks Employees are involved in setting and delivering of goals, strategies and objectives Employees gain a deeper understanding of the company’s vision, mission and direction in which the business is headed. Employees are motivated to do things right Derives employee commitment to their duties and the entire wok process Improved employee productivity leads to positive impacts on UK business in that Businesses achieve positive reput ation Reduction in cost of doing business Reduction in employee turnover Improved job attendance rates Improved business performance Businesses attain a professional and productive environment The attainment of growth and development of businesses Businesses are able to meet demands of employees Businesses attain their goals, objectives as well as meet business strategic plans Increased business profits; a 10% increased investment in employee improvements programs results in 1,500 pounds annual profits per employee Employees who do things right and are committed to their work leading to the improvement of firm’s competitiveness The UK economy and retains global competitiveness Improved service delivery leading to satisfaction within the British consumers base The UK economy grows as a result improved performance by UK employees as well as business enterprises 10% increased investment in employee improvements programs leads to 1.8 million pound annual income Management Abili ty to effectively manage, organize and coordinate employees. Effectively measure employee performance Effectively gains and retains control of employees leading to increased adherence to instructions Qualified managers enable employees to accomplish urgent and risky tasks Employees find work related activities rewarding Employees are able to think for themselves and are willing to be involved in decision making Businesses are able to attract and retain talented employees Improved employee performance that fits with a company’s business plans Business are able to meet strict deadlines while overcoming difficult challenges Risks and hazards are managed without delays Business are able to make and meet future forecast and plans Improved performance across industries which effectively increases their ability to meet the demands of the UK economy What is the relationship between leadership and management? Leadership and management involve the organization and control of people and physical resources for the attainment of a company’s goals. Nevertheless, the difference between Leadership and management is best captured through their definitions. While Leadership enables managers to direct a team to willingly utilize its capabilities, management on the other hand, involves organizing team members as well as other resources for the purpose of the attainment of set goals.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This implies that leadership and management have a relationship and that they are not exclusive of each other. According to the Chartered Management Institute CMI, management is divided into three major categories, and involves making forecasts and planning, controlling individuals within the team, directing the utilization of all resources as well as issuing instructions to team members (CMI, 2010). Management also involves contr olling the work process and the activities therein and correcting team members for the purpose of the attainment of set objectives. There are three subcategories of management, and in each of them, managers ought to develop leadership skills as follows. For senior managers, leading and inspiring employees is of crucial importance. Middle level managers also need to lead their teams to attain set objectives while junior level managers ought to start learning team leadership skills. Leadership on the other hand, enables the attainment of these objectives with minimum obstructions. Leadership involves enhancing the capabilities of team members, while establishing and effectively communicating to the team the direction in which the team is headed. While this usually leads to higher productivity, it nevertheless involves influencing team members to be willingly engaged in the work process. As a result, leadership usually attains high level productivity for the each of the team members. S ubsequently, the overall team performance improves. Thus, while management involves the control and organization of resources, leadership influences employees to be willingly involved in the work process. This leads to improved productivity. Why do effective managers need to acquire leadership skills? From the assertions made above, it is evident that effective managers do not necessarily possess leadership qualities. This therefore underlines the need for effective managers to develop leadership skills. CMI asserts that modern day managers not only need to enhance their management skills but also need to develop leadership skills. This is to enable them to meet demands of an evolving profession. So far, it is evident that by acquiring leadership skills, managers are able to motivate their employees to achieve beyond expectations. Leadership skills enable effective managers to use their influence to the extent that they motivate employees not only to work willingly but also to own t he responsibilities entrusted to them. This improves satisfaction with their work and positively the level of productivity. As explained earlier, effective management involves organizing resources, as well as controlling the work process and the activities there in, in line with the plans and forecasts of the organization. However, the global economy has increasingly become competitive. Firms require more than effective managers to survive in an increasingly competitive atmosphere.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Chartered Management Institute Leadership and Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This further underscores the need for the development of leadership skills amongst managers. Leadership is also crucial for senior level managers especially in six key areas. Leadership skills enables senior managers to inspire trust amongst members of an organization, effect change within the organization, un derstand and meet the demands of the consumer, management of information for best outcomes, as well as personal management. Additionally, leadership enables senior managers not only to manage resources and the work process but also to ensure that very high quality outcomes are achieved and maintained (CMI, 2010). CMI’s assertion on effective management is not a mere theoretical gimmick. CMI provides a practical example by citing the achievement of one of its members, Justin Skinner. A PhD holder in Math and Statistics, and intending to move into a senior management position, Skinner undertook a diploma course in management (CMI, 2010). This resulted to not only becoming a better manager, but also leading his team to also out perform others within the industry. Thus learning how to manage people is necessary but learning how to lead them is essential. Management styles A survey conducted by CMI indicates that most managers use inappropriate management styles. CMI asserts that most of the managers in the UK fail to understand that different tasks require different management styles. As such, managers fail to adjust their management style according to the nature of the task at hand. This kind of approach leads to undesirable outcomes. CMI aims to equip managers with skills that enable them to adopt the most appropriate management style that ensures desirable response from employees. To illustrate the usefulness of adapting different type of management style for each task two scenarios are here in outlined. The first scenario involves a team that enjoys working together and whose purpose is to introduce changes in the working practice. This type of a scenario requires a type of manager able to engage employees to the maximum, while building trust within the team. As such, theory Y manager seems appropriate for this type of task. The appropriateness of theory Y managers for this scenario is necessitated by overarching perceptions about employees. Unlike theo ry X managers who believe that employees dislike work, have to be pressed and controlled to attain set objectives, theory Y managers perceive employees as capable of thinking for themselves and able to make the right decisions for the team as well as for themselves. Theory Y managers also believe that employees can generate useful ideas and are able to manage themselves.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Two issues from this scenario make theory Y managers most appropriate; team work and change management. According to CMI, one of the key competencies that effective managers ought to develop is the ability to encourage creativity, ingenuity and innovativeness, and effectively drive change. Doing this requires the type of manager capable of inspiring trust within the team as well as encourages employees to share new ideas that generate innovative solutions for work related challenges. Additionally, theory Y managers perceive employees as people who want to be fully engaged in the task and therefore create the necessary environment for employee engagement. This not only allows for team work but also for shared ownership of the task (CMI, 2010). Having outlined the qualities of the appropriate type of manager for this scenario, it is thus important to outline the type of management style most appropriate for theory Y manager. CMI outline four basic types of management styles, two of wh ich are the most appropriate for this scenario. These are democratic and laissez faire styles of management. Laissez faire is especially useful for a team of highly skilled experts and thus employees have the freedom to make decision. However, laissez faire is likely to result to loss of control within the team and therefore breed chaos. Since employee commitment is one of the urgent needs in this scenario, the need for democratic management seems to override laissez faire management style. Democratic managers encourage equal participation of all employees. They also share information indiscriminately with employees, which effectively achieves employee’s commitment (CMI, 2010). This enables the managers to create the necessary environment through which the team is able to effect change. Scenario two involves a potentially hazardous task that requires urgent action. This scenario is the opposite of scenario one in that it requires less creativity but strict adherence to instru ctions. As such, obedience rather than innovativeness is the most urgent need in this scenario. This requires a manager who is able to effectively control employees especially in accomplishing difficult and potentially hazardous tasks. Thus, unlike theory Y manager, theory X manager is the most appropriate for this scenario. In addition, theory X manager ought to employ the type of management style that enables the issuance of strict instructions without negotiations. As such, in a potentially risky situation, theory X manager is able to retain control within the team and as such ensure the attainment of set objectives without any objection from team members (CMI, 2010). As such, autocratic management style is the most appropriate for this scenario. The effectiveness of CMI’s chartered status in improving management training Acquisition of leadership and management skills is necessary for managers if firms are to remain relevant in a competitive global economy. CMI provides n ecessary opportunities for the acquisition of such skills. To do this CMI has developed an effective qualification framework that leads to the attainment of the ultimate management status, the Chartered Manager Status. Chartered Manager Status is very effective in improving the training of managers in the UK. To attain this status, CMI has developed a training regime that enables managers to acquire skills. This is done through numerous avenues that increase opportunities for leadership and management training. Is also involves both formal and informal training. For instance, CMI conducts on the job training which gives managers a chance to learn from experience. Additionally, CMI offers e-learning opportunities for managers willing to learn theoretical principles of effective management. This is besides the social networking opportunities offered within CMI training programs, and through which CMI implements its mentorship program. Within its management training program, CMI has de veloped a very effective assessment criteria based on extensive research and case studies (CMI, 2010). This ensures that the assessment criterion through which the Chartered Manager Status is attained is not only accurate but also leads to the most desirable outcomes. In offering all these opportunities, CMI underlines the importance of the Chartered Manager Status in improving management training within the UK. It is also imperative to note that the attainment Chartered Manager Status involves the acquisition of multiple management skills. As explained earlier, CMI has identified six areas where managers ought to develop key competencies. The six key competencies are purpose driven leadership, the ability to institute change by tapping on people’s creativity, the ability to identify and meet customer demands, personal development, information sharing as well as meeting and sustaining very high quality standards. A manager has to demonstrate all these skills before Chartered Manager Award if offered. The Chartered Manager Status is the highest professional standard for managers and comes at a time when, according to CMI, only a fifth of the managers in the UK are properly qualified. The attainment of its 1000th member in 2010 is not only a milestone in increasing CMI membership but also in increasing the number of accredited managers within the UK. As such, Chartered Manager Status is very effective in improving management skills. Chartered Manager Status also allows managers to understand the skills they possess, those they need to acquire and how to effectively utilize them in different contexts. The relevance of CMI in developing management training Management is the largest profession in Britain, and will continue to generate new job opportunities in the near future. Managers have over the years gained skills through job experience, meaning that it is likely to take a longer period of time before managers gain all the relevant skills. In a world tha t is increasingly becoming competitive, there is need for managers to have the necessary skills before they enter into the job market. Additionally, the acquisition of such skills ought to be based on best practices that ensure the attainment of the most desirable outcomes. There is also need to have a standardized criterion through which managers within the UK are trained. This is the primary reason why it is important for British managers to have accredited organization such as CMI supporting them. CMI supports managers in the acquisition of the highest level of management and leadership skills. To attain this objective, CMI follows a variety of accredited standardization qualifications based on National Occupational Standards. CMI uses such standards not only to set the benchmarks for which its leadership and management training programs are based but also to design assessment criterion. Additionally, the same standards are utilized by CMI to measure the performance of managers. Besides this, it is important to note that CMI is not a mere leadership and management accreditation body. CMI aims at giving the best value to its members, especially individual managers. CMI delivers best value through an array of practical lessons it offers not only during training but also through their management careers. The Chartered Manager Award is one of the accredited methods through which CMI instills best management and leadership skills. Since CMI realizes that not all managers can be served through Chartered Manager Award, it has put in place other mechanisms through which it helps practicing and would-be managers to acquire the best leadership and management skills. These include its mentorship program, e-learning opportunities, networking events, on the job training among others. While this increases opportunities for managers to gain the best management and leadership skills, managers ought to realize that such opportunities are rarely available outside CMI’ s domain (CMI, 2010). As such, managers willing to gain the best management and leadership skills have no option but to seek help from CMI and other similar institutions. Reference List CMI. (2010, Nov 05). The importance of effective management. The Times. Retrieved from slideshare.net/cmi_managers/the-importance-of-effective-management