The primary purpose of this assignment is to reflect on the results of self-assessment, which is based on the conceptual framework developed by the National Center for Cultural Competence. The form for the self-assessment task is retrieved from the Center’s website, and it is entitled The Cultural Competence and Linguistic Competence Policy Assessment (CLCPA). One of the framework’s principal premises suggests that “achieving cultural competence is a developmental process at both the individual and organizational levels” (“Cultural and linguistic competence,” 2006, p. 1). Thus, this assumption was taken into account while I was performing the self-assessment task.
It is appropriate to state that completing this task was a considerably challenging yet very thought-provoking experience. The CLCPA self-assessment includes questions related to several areas of concern to obtain a sufficient amount of information about corporate policies and personal beliefs. These areas are the following: knowledge of diverse communities, organizational philosophy, personal involvement in diverse communities, resources and linkages, human resources, clinical practice, and engagement of diverse communities (“Cultural and linguistic competence,” 2006). For each of these topics, I answered several questions, the number of which was varying from topic to topic.
The most important result of this self-assessment is that I became aware of the aspects in which I was less competent (personal involvement and engagement of diverse communities). I found out that I am relatively well acquainted with the organizational philosophy and clinical practices related to diverse communities. However, the questions related to personal involvement helped me to realize the fact that I was not aware of the wide variety of the means to improve the public health and understand communicational needs of these communities. In conclusion, I should state that this self-assessment task had a considerably positive impact on me as a nursing professional.
Reference
Cultural and linguistic competence policy assessment. (2006). Web.
“Rivers Of Blood And Money” Article By Burden
Summary of the Source
The colonization and Nazi activities during the Second World War may seem separate events that took unique courses. However, Burden argues that it is possible to draw a parallel between the two. It is easy to identify commonalities in these events. When the British and German powers moved to Africa and other regions in South America and parts of Asia, one of the most common ideologies that they used was the superiority of the race. The ideology made it easy for these colonial powers to eliminate any form of opposition in these foreign lands using brute force. In East and West Africa, the British forces killed thousands of locals who tried to resist colonialism. In southwest Africa, Germans used the same force to ensure that they exerted their control in the region. These events were precursors of the holocaust in Germany (Pawlikowski 6). The European community had embraced a feeling that the inferior races did not deserve the rights enjoyed by the majority (superior) race.
Evaluation of the Source
The article takes a different approach when analyzing the issue of anti-Semitism and events before and during the holocaust. When the European powers came to Africa, they emphasized the concept of racial superiority. Many Africans were massacred in their land as the colonial powers took control. The same pattern was witnessed in various other parts of the world that were colonized by the European powers. The culture of eliminating opposition or people considered to be less deserving was developed long before the Second World War and it was not uniquely German. It was common in the United Kingdom, France, and Russia (Shaw 13). The source explains that events during the war only provided a perfect opportunity for the German rulers to eliminate a section of the society that was considered undesirable by the majority. In Africa, the colonial masters justified these murders by stating that their focus was to crush any resistance to their territorial expansion.
The world order at that time made it possible to commit such atrocities without any consequences (Pawlikowski 5). As the author notes, one can easily compare the Herero Genocide with the Holocaust. It explains why a section of the political class in Germany has rejected the fact that genocide ever occurred in the country. To them, events that happened before and during the Second World War were not out of the ordinary. It had happened in the past (during the colonization) and it had no consequences. It was strange for the perpetrators that the world now demanded justice for victims of the holocaust. The source primarily warns against allowing social injustice to be deeply entrenched into society. If it is not addressed in time and a proper manner, it may have serious consequences in society, such as the holocaust in Germany.
Relationship to Other Sources
This source, just like many other sources reviewed in this report, traces historical events that led to the holocaust. This article agrees with the source Genocide as Social Practice: Reorganizing Society under the Nazis and Argentina’s Military Juntas that holocaust was made possible because of the culture of superiority that had been created in this society.
Possible Use of the Source
The source will be used in the argumentative essay to explain the possible reasons why the society in Germany did very little to avert the holocaust. The process of arresting Jews was facilitated by local people. Society had become so radicalized that it was difficult for the society to stop the Nazi government from committing the atrocities.
Works Cited
Burden, Thomas. “Rivers of Blood and Money: The Herero Genocide in German Southwest Africa.” The Student Researcher, vol. 2, no. 2, 2017, pp. 2-25.
Pawlikowski, John. “Christian Anti-Semitism: Past History, Present Challenges: Reflections in Light of Mel Gibson’s the Passion of the Christ.” Journal of Religion & Film, vol. 8, no 1, 2016, pp. 1-15.
Shaw, Martin. “Book Review: Genocide as Social Practice: Reorganizing Society under the Nazis and Argentina’s Military Juntas.” Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal, vol. 9, no. 3, 2016, pp. 183-187.
Operations Management: Factors And Approaches
Importance of Operations Management
Operations management is critical for any business because it can be used for effective and efficient work that ensures the possibility to meet the overall business objectives and reach successful performance. To prove this fact, it may be advantageous to consider the ways the most typical goals can be achieved:
Profitability
Control costs so that they are not ahead of the revenue. Operations management controls quality, production, inventory, and logistics. In this way, it ensures that the number of clients who are willing to buy offered products increases and their loyalty improves, which affects profit. Production is efficient and associated costs are adequate. Inventory is managed so that raw materials are appropriate for finished goods. Finally, transportation is not too expensive and does not hurt products (Merritt 2017).
Customer service
Maintain customer satisfaction that is critical for revenue. Operations management makes certain that contact with clients is maintained so that the company obtains their feedback and becomes able to alter its products or services so that they meet changing needs and demands.
Employee retention
Create a productive working environment that affects retention positively. Operations management ensures that the company’s values are shared among the personnel and opportunities for further education, performance improvement, and career development are available.
Change management
Make certain that the company is dynamic and able to deal with challenges (Root 2018). Operations management presupposes that critical changes and their necessity are identified. Employee perceptions of alterations are considered, and the personnel is encouraged to implement them in practice.
Such approaches in operations management as TQM and Six Sigma make it possible to provide products of consistent quality. Thus, they ensure successful operations and customer loyalty. Without them, companies can face financial problems and fall behind their competitors because of clients’ dissatisfaction with products. Thus, operations management is critical for organizational performance and the ability to reach its goals.
External Environmental Factors
External environmental factors of a fast-fashion industry affect operational management and associated decision-making. For instance:
- Competition influences the ability to reach clients. It makes leaders develop unique offerings and increase brand awareness.
- Government policies may restrict the sales of some products, so managers need to look for foreign markets or limit their product range (Professional Academy n.d.).
- Natural forces may limit natural resources and make leaders alter their spending objectives.
- Social and cultural forces can determine the color and type of clothes used by clients, so managers need to gather information about them beforehand to ensure that products meet customer needs.
- Demographic factors, such as age and sex, affect the identification of the target market and define what products are likely to be bought.
- Technological changes require leaders use new tools for product creation. Moreover, they presuppose the necessity of employee training.
Approaches to Operations Management
Operations management can be practiced using the following approaches:
Six Sigma
It is a technique for process improvement focused on quality. It requires the identification and overcoming of issues in manufacturing and other business processes. Leaders deal with the selection of projects, development of charters, allocation of resources, change implementation, and evaluation (Role of leadership in Six Sigma 2018).
Lean production management
It is a set of principles needed for the transformation of organizational operations and used on a long-term approach. The focus is on customer value, continuous improvement, and people. Leaders operate as coaches who control teams and provide guidance to achieve goals (Lean management n.d.).
Queuing
It is a process that affects end-user waiting time. Leaders ensure team productivity, which streamlines operations. As a result, clients do not need to wait for the products they need because everything is managed timely (Queue management 2018).
Reference List
Lean management: the role of lean leaders n.d.
Merritt, C 2017, How operations management enhances corporate profitability.
Professional Academy n.d., Marketing theories – PESTEL analysis, weblog.
Queue management 2018.
Role of leadership in Six Sigma 2018.
Root, G 2018, 10 most important business objectives.