Saturday, December 28, 2019

Uk Supermarket Financial Analysis - 5179 Words

Blue CLASS, Group 4 | J Sainsbury plc | Financial reporting and analysis assignment | | | | Group members: Daryush Arabnia Petra Buckley Luca Buonocore Sudarshan Mohanasundaram Jingsi Yang Chapter1 Short description of the activities performed J Sainsbury plc is a leading food retailer in the United Kingdom. J Sainsbury plc was founded in 1869 and today operates a total of 934 stores comprising 557 supermarkets and 377 convenience stores. It jointly owns Sainsbury’s Bank with Lloyds Banking Group and has two property joint ventures with Land Securities Group PLC and The British Land Company PLC. The Sainsbury’s brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food.†¦show more content†¦s | 9,850 | 85.13% | 9,185 | 83.21% | 8,631 | 84.44% | | Total assets | 11,571 | 100.00% | 11,038 | 100.00% | 10,222 | 100.00% | LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | 2011 | % | 2010 | % | 2009 | % | Short-term liabilities | Short-term trade payables | 1,836 | 15.87% | 1,782 | 16.14% | 1,728 | 16.90% | Short-term other payables | 511 | 4.42% | 461 | 4.18% | 508 | 4.97% | Short-term accruals and deferred income | 250 | 2.16% | 223 | 2.02% | 252 | 2.47% | Taxes payable | 201 | 1.74% | 200 | 1.81% | 202 | 1.98% | Short-term borrowings | 74 | 0.64% | 73 | 0.66% | 154 | 1.51% | Short-term derivative financial instruments | 59 | 0.51% | 41 | 0.37% | 56 | 0.55% | Short-term provisions | 11 | 0.10% | 13 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.19% | Total short-term liabilities | 2,942 | 25.43% | 2,793 | 25.30% | 2,919 | 28.56% | | Long term liabilities | Deferred income tax liabilities (refer to problem 4) | 344 | 2.97% | 327 | 2.96% | 284 | 2.78% | Long-term other payables | 3 | 0.03% | - | 0.00% | - | 0.00% | Long-term accruals and deferred income | 117 | 1.01% | 106 | 0.96% | 92 | 0.90% | Long-term borrowings | 2,339 | 20.21% | 2,357 | 21.35% | 2,177 | 21.30% | Long-term derivative financial instruments | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 0.02% | 8 | 0.08% | Long-term provisions | 62 | 0.54% | 66 | 0.60% | 57 | 0.56% | Retirement benefit obligations | 340 | 2.94% | 421 | 3.81% | 309 | 3.02% | Total long-term liabilities | 3,205 | 27.70% | 3,279 | 29.71% | 2,927 |Show MoreRelatedIntroduction to J. Sainsbury Plc910 Words   |  4 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comparative analysis   Ã‚     Ã‚  Financial Ratio Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gearing/Financial Risk   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evaluation of Financial Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction The objective of financial reporting/statements is to provide information about the reporting entity’s financial performance and financial position that is useful to a wide range of users for assessing the stewardship of the entity’s management and for making economic decisions. This is a report on the operations of J. SainsburyRead MoreA Brief Note On The Uk Supermarket Industry1575 Words   |  7 Pagesfollow, first a brief introduction of the analysed industry; the UK supermarket industry with a concise facts about the size of this industry in the UK, then analysing the macro environment of the UK supermarket industry by using the PEST framework that analyses the Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors, which has a direct impact on the UK supermarket industry. After that the micro environment of the UK supermarket industry will be analysed in depth by using the Porters Five ForcesRead MoreThe Grocery And Supermarket Chain Essay1643 Words   |  7 Pagescustomers’ needs (Geunes 2004, p.218). The grocery and supermarket industry develops quite fast in the UK for the past few decades. There are more than 86,000 grocery physical stores operate in the UK now that range form supermarket chains to superstores, convenience stores and trad itional retailing stores. Different supermarkets are concentrate on particular market segments in the UK. For instance, Tesco is the most famous British supermarket chain that focuses on middle level markets. Waitrose isRead MoreSwot Analysis : Tesco s Cut Throat Competition 1649 Words   |  7 Pagessuffered a dramatic decrease in its market share and profits (Ruddick, 2015). To avoid this, SWOT and PESTLE analysis needs to be constantly updated (Marcousà © et al. 2003: 61). According to Marcousà © et al. (2003:61) a SWOT analysis â€Å"identifies internal strengths and weaknesses of the business, and highlights the external opportunities and threats†. Mullins and Christy (2013:91) state, â€Å"PESTLE analysis is a technique of analysing the external environment influences — this includes the Political, EconomicalRead MoreMarketing Environment Analysis Of Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc1330 Words   |  6 Pagesexamination, will first include a marketing environme nt analysis of Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC for both the internal and external environment of the company. Secondly, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis will be conducted followed by strategic recommendations concerning the company’s future operation. Prior to the above-mentioned contents of this assignment is a brief description of Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC’s profile. Last but not least, a paragraph at the endRead MoreEssay on Marketing and Consumer Ethics of the Sainsbury Company1237 Words   |  5 PagesSainsburys is committed to the continuous improvement and development of its products, as it understands quality is of paramount importance to customers. It is apparent that economy range products can target the price conscious customers. Sainsburys Supermarkets always try to provide high-quality products, value of money. In addition to a wide range of quality food and grocery products, many stores offer bread braked on the premises , delicatessen, meat and fish counters. Price Price is a sensitiveRead MoreWal Mart s Largest Retail Chain Of The United States1233 Words   |  5 Pagesgeneral merchandise, toys and financial services (Wal-Mart’s ASDA 2011). The company is struggling hard now to get into the pace of intense competition in the UK Markets (BBC Business News 2013). Wal-Mart’s ASDA continues to grow and started the launch of more than 100 new local Asda’s Supermarkets in 2012-2013 around the UK, which brings everyday low prices closer to home (Gabi T. 2013). Wal-Mart’s Asda is a very important player in the British Grocery Market, (UK Grocery News. 2014). Asda operatedRead MoreInternal And External Factors That Affect The Companys Future Prospects1289 Words   |  6 PagesAll in all, the company’s financial position is very bad in 2015, which was quite well in 2014 and in 2013. 2014 was assumed as the best year with respect to net profit and cash flow from operating activities. On the other hand, year 2015 was w ell in financing activities only. Similarly, 2013 was the year when the company achieved best assets and equity amount in comparison of past three years and it also played well cash flow from investing as the rest of the year were with the higher negative amountRead MoreTma02 Outline Who Are the Winners and Losers in a Consumer Society1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe aim of this essay is to explore who the winners and losers are in a consumer society by looking at how status is affected by choices as a consequence of economic position. The essay also examines how major stakeholders, such as supermarkets and suppliers, impact that judgement and the global environmental consequences. Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 1899) began to outline how the leisure classes demonstrated status through possessions. However, with increasing affluenceRead MoreFinancial Analysis and Market Updates Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesFinancial analysis and market updates: Bull points †¢ The company has a high PE ratio , which is the highest in the sector , net income and total revenue gradually increased during last 4 years , though there was the financial crises Bear points †¢ Low estimated earning per share and low return on investment as well . Fist week updates performance Dates 2010 Open close high low monitor 1st Week 13-17/02 13.25 13.9 14 13.2 4.91% News: Second week updates performance Dates 2010 Open

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) - 1789 Words

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a group of developmental disorders. ASD is a complex disorder and each individual that suffers from it has a unique set of conditions. The symptoms of individuals with ASD vary in severity. (Lilienfeld et al., 2017, p. 603) The autism spectrum includes classical autism, Asperger s syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). These disorders all involve social and communication difficulties, as well as repetitive behaviours and narrow interests. Considering Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological developmental disorder, parents and caregivers can detect signs of autism†¦show more content†¦Firstly, autistic individuals have difficulty understanding what is happening around them. The lack of understanding could be dangerous to their own well being and safety. This lack of understanding and awareness is largely d ue to their inability to communicate effectively with others and interpret social cues. Further, this causes autistic individuals a lot of anxiety and insecurity on a day to day basis (Gillot et al. 2001). They try to relieve this stress and anxiety by performing repetitious behaviours (i.e. rocking). In more extreme cases, an autistic individual may also throw tantrums that involve kicking, and biting. This may be hard for their parents, families and caregivers because autism isn’t a physical disability so the public may be quick to judge them for such â€Å"odd† behaviours (Groden et al., 1994). The public may think that the parent isn’t properly controlling their child. As an adult, the autistic individuals’ public tantrums may be attributed to crazy behaviour. This may lead to the individual and his/her family to be isolated (Autism Bedfordshire, 2016). This just increases their already high anxiety and may lead to mental issues such as depression. Ad ditionally, as adults, individuals with ASD are associated with increased risk of violent offending compared with the general population (Langstrom et al., 2009). Furthermore, the inherent variability that exists when considering a spectrum disorder makes it difficult to have one set treatment for theShow MoreRelatedAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1722 Words   |  7 Pagesin every sixty-eight births are diagnosed with the Autism spectrum disorder in other words (ASD), which is about one percent of the world’s population. And that more than three point five million people in America live with a person who has the Autism spectrum disorder. We all know that Autism is a spectrum disorder in which an abnormality is developed in the brain. It is a long life condition that has no cure for itself. People who have Autism face many difficulties in their communication and theirRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1441 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a hereditary neurodevelopmental disorder. Like many other psychological disorders, it is commonly misunderstood in popular culture. Many allude to it casually, often equating it with crippling social awkwardness and disability when it is in fact a spectrum disorder with many degrees of severity. It is somewhat of an enigma within the scientific community as well; there are many things we do not know about ASD and there is ongoing research to learn moreRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1569 Words   |  7 Pagesdiagnoses for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occur has seen a dramatic growth in numbers. With diagnoses for ASD increasing, more siblings are also being found to have grown up with a sister or brother with autism spectrum disorder. Previous studies have shown no consensus on whether or not siblings of persons with ASD are at risk for negative effects. However, patterns of anxiety among these siblings are being examined to see if charac teristics of a child with autism spectrum disorder and their parentsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1535 Words   |  7 PagesHow Autism Influences the Interactions with Others There is a little boy that gets up every morning and goes to school. He goes home to his parents after school each day. He eats, sleeps, and plays just like any other child. There is one difference. He sees the world in a unique way than most other children not affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The boy’s life and actions are a bit different and can be challenging for him. He needs understanding parents, family members, and teachers. Autism SpectrumRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1444 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder Dustin S. Staats University of Central Oklahoma â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as just Autism, is a disorder that affects about 1 in 68 children here in the United States.† (Facts about ASD) This is a pretty high prevalence and the number is continuing to rise. â€Å"Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant impairments in behavioral, communication, and social aspects of everyday life.†(Facts about ASD). The intellectual functioning ofRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1369 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Introduction I don t think people understand how unique children with Autism are or the demands of caring for a child with Autism is. In order to grasp the effect of this disability has on a child or their family it is important to understand the characteristics of a child living with Autism. So for you to understand I will be talking about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Autism in a childs life. I will be talking about what autism is, the history and descriptionRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1587 Words   |  7 Pages Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder  (ASD) Purpose: My audience will learn the importance of recognizing early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children. Thesis: It is important to understand the early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and why early intervention is the best treatment. Introduction: Gain/maintain attention There is a television show I like to watch called â€Å"The Big Bang Theory, maybe some of you have seen it. This show focuses on the relationships between a group of friends, someRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) Essay1168 Words   |  5 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction (ninds.nih.gov). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a very complex developmental disorder and the term ‘spectrum’ was added to the original term simply known as ‘Autism’ due to the wide range of symptoms associated with the disorderRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1852 Words   |  8 PagesThe following paper is going to cover the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using research and data collected from various authors and journalists the paper will describe the different variations of autism and discuss the impact autism has on a person- in society, at home, in the classroom, and in their careers. Beginning at infancy, autism has a major impact on not just the child but their family’s life as well. The child’s lack of ability to interpret social cues, gestures, and expressionsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1801 Words   |  8 PagesAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted, repetitive behavior (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), and is associated with impairments in executive functions. Autism Spectrum Disorder is also defined as a group of disorders that impair an individual’s ability to understand and engage in the give-and-take of social relationships. (Boyd, 2015) Autism is a well-known

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Use and develop systems that promote communication free essay sample

There are many groups of people a Manager needs to communicate with in order to do the job effectively and efficiently. Staff need to be one of the first and most important groups. A Manager running a 24 hour service must recognise their staff are the promoters and advocates of the service in a Managers absence, next would be the service users themselves. Any service will have other health professionals attached, such as GP’s, OT’s, speech and language therapists. Families need to be included in any changes, or plans for the service, and close friends of individuals. Case Managers, commissioners and if registered, CQC all must be kept current, along with Operation and Regional Managers of the organisation. 1. 2 Communication in a service has to be constantly monitored and adapted if not proving to be effective. A communication book is an excellent communication tool, staff make a note of any appointments, telephone calls, meetings that have happened during their shift. When staffs come on duty they must first read the communication book, and then sign each entry. This way the Manager can be sure all staff has had the information. Staffs have a handover period of time, as one shift goes off duty, and as the next shift start. It is important to have a process, for example if working in a nine bedded service, start with room 1 and discuss anything relevant to that service user, then room 2 etc. That way no one individual is left out, this can often happen when there has been an incident surrounding 1 or 2 people, the handover can then be dominated by the incident and things can be forgotten. Handover sheets are a CQC requirement. This will indicate who is leading the shift, fire officer, first aider and who is responsible of medication. It will have a detailed list of jobs required, and staff sign once these have been completed. Within the handover sheet will be other forms that may need completing depending on the happenings of the day or the day of the week. This could include, water temperatures, menu planning, laundry, house shopping. Incident sheets are also mandatory, and can lead a change of outcome or procedure. Each service should have a procedure to follow when completing an incident sheet, and a list of people who the require a copy of the completed form. Supervision is a more person centred form of communication, as is Annual Performance Reviews of staff. Staff meetings are a place where roles and responsibilities can be agreed, and Managers can see which individuals are on board with a possible change, and who may need support/training. Emails are now a major part of communication in a service, and can be almost immediate if waiting for a response, a good way of ensuring emails have reached, and been read, are to attach a response flag to the email, this will indicate to the sender that the email has been opened. House meetings are an essential way for staff to learn if there are outstanding issues within the home, some service users prefer to speak when in a group, they need the safety net of others. Advocates often hold meetings in the service, and service users decide if they would like staff present. Service Managers should liaise with the advocate to ensure any issues or concerns raised can be addressed. Reviews of individuals are held every 6 months, case Managers, family, friends, other health professionals and any relevant day care units are all invited, this is an arena for goals and changes to be set in motion. Each service user will have a key worker, a member of staff who is responsible for the necessary paperwork for that person. The key worker will update the care plan, a person centred document which holds all the information on each individual. Any changes to routine, health, medication are recorded and notes for each review are made from the information gathered in the plan. As a Manager of a registered service all of the paperwork and policies and procedures in the home will be inspected annually by an inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The Care Standards Act 2000 introduced regulations to protect the privacy and dignity of people receiving care. it has put in place an independent regulatory system regarding care services. This can be challenging for the staff of a service as the CQC standards can be conflicting with the commissioners (the borough that are paying for the individuals to live in each home) standards. Alongside this organisations can have uniform paperwork that is expected to be in place, the Operations Manager to the service will do a monitoring visit to each home on a monthly basis, and could ask for a procedure to change, or to implement a new piece of legislation. The Manager would then need to send a copy of the proposed change to both the CQC and local commissioner for approval. Another challenge to effective communication is part time employment. Waiting for a response to something urgent, when the person concerned is not back at work for 2 days is frustrating. It also means effective handover periods and staff communication is essential. This is when the communication book, and minutes to meetings that have taken place, are vital. They support the lines of communication. Staff sickness is a challenge, if short notice and agency staff has to be used, this puts pressure on the permanent staff member, as they have to ensure the temporary staff is aware of their duties as well as carrying out their own responsibilities. Some long term members of staff can show reluctance to change, and communication can break down, especially if a relatively new member of the team has an idea. Staff can dismiss the idea, or believe the ‘old way works fine’. Families can also believe they know what’s best for their siblings/children, even when they possibly haven’t lived together for years. The service user may be involved in a relationship or an activity they do not wish their family to know about, and this can cause families to challenge staff as they believe staff are hiding things or withholding information they believe they should be party to. 1. 4 Please see 2. 3 1. 5 Everyone responds in different ways to a situation. A good Manager will know their staff team and their service user group and will choose the correct way/time to communicate with them. An individual with a hearing or speech problems will respond to being in a small group or one to one session when being faced with an important issue to be discussed, Makaton or sign language can be used, or a pictorial aid. To increase awareness to sign language a ‘sign of the week’ could be introduced. The individual who uses signs can choose a word that is important to them, or a word they use most when excited or upset and their verbal communication lets them down. This can be put up in pictorial form on the notice board, and discussed with both staff and service users, staff can encourage everyone to use this sign. It gives the home another passage of communication. Managers who have something important to discuss with their team may prefer to have a meeting off site, and if faced with a new approach or major change a team building day or training course may be useful. Some families liked to be informed of anything that is happening to their loved one, and they like to speak to the Manager to assure them. Others may not need that level of contact and may email occasionally for an update. As a Manager you will know the families and if an email or phone call avoids conflict make a note in your diary weekly/monthly to contact a family member. This can ensure the families don’t speak directly to the service user and cause unnecessary upset. Staff who have been on annual leave or away sick should be given time on their return to read all necessary paperwork in order for them to be up to date in the happenings of the service. Ensure staffs sign all entries they have read, this is evidence for the Manager all information has been passed on. Head Office requires certain administration details, sickness, annual leave, pay increments. These types of details are recorded monthly on a ‘staff return’ form and processed at head office. 2. 1 All service users must have an up to date Care Plan and Assessment of Needs from the Care Manager in compliance with the Community care Act 1990. Care plans are the core of any service, and should be updated each time there has been a medical visit, one to one discussion, planning any changes to routine. These are always reviewed by CQC, commissioners and your own organisation. The object of a care plan is to ensure every need of the individual has been looked at and is being met. It should look at the person, not the disability, it should be looking at always promoting independence while always considering the person involved. An assessment of needs, which can also be referred to as a skills analysis, is a very useful document. It can monitor progression and deterioration and action can be taken to reflect this. This should be updated yearly, however if at any time the staff feel action should be taken outside of the time scale of one year, a meeting would be called to discuss an action plan and this would be acted upon. Risk assessments are an essential part of any care plan. They underpin the independence of each person and ensure all aspect of the situation has been discussed and any risk eliminated. As result this could show the risk is too great, this should not mean the idea ends here, it should be an opportunity to look at others ways to reach a positive outcome. Positive outcomes are what CQC and commissioners want to see, if you can show the process through the care plan, risk assessment and one to one meetings you can ensure all inspectors your duty of care to the service user was foremost in all planning. Each service user has the right to an annual review which should be attended by their case manager, or a reprehensive from that organisation. Due to restraints on time this is not always the case. Managers should ensure the review takes place and the minutes are forwarded if unattended by social services. This is the opportunity for service users to discuss the previous year, they can invite anyone they wish to attend, and minutes are recorded. Service user meetings should be held monthly, again these minutes will be inspected by CQC and the commissioner as these meetings are a requirement in the CQC standards. These meetings can be open to discuss many things, choosing colour schemes for the home, furniture or re designing their rooms and garden. When a communal room is due for an update the service users will agree on a scheme that pleases them all. This would also be noted in their care plans, their particular preferences and with regard to environment including any cultural needs. 2. 2 All of the communication systems in place in any service are only effective if they are being used. Managers should be monitoring these systems and ensuring they are working correctly. If it is practise for each member of staff to sign entries in a communication book, Managers should question why, if this is not happening. Use supervision sessions with staff to discuss why a procedure has been over looked and constantly update a system that appears to be struggling. Have a procedure that works for you to monitor systems in your home. Use your electronic diary to schedule monitoring a practise, or the desk diary. Have a list on your desk to check a different system each day or week. Use your staff, delegate through supervision or team meetings a different policy or procedure to each member of staff. It then becomes their responsibility and you can look at the effectiveness of this in supervision sessions. It is important to remember you are part of a team and staff should be as responsible as the Manager in wanting all practises to be upheld. 2. 3 An issue when working for a large organisation is the office hours of head office staff. To ensure you can get the response you need, take time to put a list together of the working hours and direct telephone numbers for key people for your service. Evidence is essential when working in a busy service, if you have a new policy or procedure to introduce, make a list of all staff in your service, including casual staff. Put this in front of the policy and through the communication book ask staff to sign next to their name once they have read the policy. Managers can then check the sheet to see who has read it without having to ask each staff member, or write another reminder. Discuss training at each team meeting, record this on to a training matrix. You can use the system to highlight to you when mandatory training is needed, and if this can be attached to your company intranet, it can also show you of any future training courses relevant to your staff and service. Attend your local forums; this is an excellent way of meeting other service providers and passing on good practises. Monitoring other services within your organisation is another good way of sharing good working systems and staff attending team meetings at other homes can bring on answers to a problem or concern that has arisen in your service. Use large distribution lists on your email. Most organisations will have all service Managers under one heading, email your query to everyone at once, someone may have already have the answer/form /system you require. 2. 4 If you are part of a large organisation, utilise the wealth of knowledge and experiences. Use your regional meetings to record the specialised fields your colleagues have trained in. Have a list of email addresses and telephone numbers, this can be delegated to staff, not everything needs to be led by the Manager. If you know of a service where someone who worked in a particular service before and has firsthand knowledge of a situation, ask the key worker of the individual you want to support to contact them. Make sure you give the member of staff the time to visit if necessary, and give them a slot at your next team meeting to feed back to the rest of the team. Training can come in all sorts of guises. Use health care professionals attached to your service, most speech therapists will come in at your team meeting and give some advice on the way to support an individual. These can sometimes be more useful than a whole training session as they are person centred because you all know the service user you want to support. Include the service users in training where relevant. Fire safety, food and hygiene, health and safety are areas that are important for everyone to be aware of the risks. It promotes independence for the individual and empowering for them to be involved in the running of their home. 3. 1 Partnership working in any service needs to be built on a mutual trust and respect. Once you have this within your relationship it ensures good honest practise. If you have attended a meeting, always ensure you leave the meeting with a clear understanding of what is expected of you and what you expect from others. Give yourself a time limit to work to and if that isn’t looking possible be sure to contact the parties involved so they are aware of any delay. Use organisational paperwork whenever possible, this will be useful for whoever is monitoring your service if they are responsible for several different homes, their time within your service will be limited. It can be better spent than trawling through forms if they know what to look for monitoring can be simplified. Know your role and the role of other professionals attached to the home. Don’t waste time discussing an issue with someone who cannot support you, go directly to the individual who is responsible and who within their role can best help you. Do not be afraid to challenge, it can be healthy in partnerships to be honest and tell someone directly what is it you need from them. You do not always need to like the person you are dealing with, but you can respect their position and the role they play. 3. 2 Sharing records through email is can be an effective way of communication and it’s fast. However always be mindful of who can have access to information that could be confidential. Use the response system on your email so you have a record to show your email has been read. Using uniform paperwork is effective, but if it’s not completely suitable for each of your service users adapt it and as long as you share the changes with all relevant parties this should be acceptable. Evidencing through your service is a common and effective way to communicate your needs to others, you can show the system works/fails by having the evidence at hand. One to one meetings are still a much needed form of communication, this is where you build your relationships with individuals, emails and telephone calls are easier once you have met. Agree on a frequency you are going to communicate, make a note of when you next need to contact the relevant person. Good working partnerships are essential to ensure the rights outcomes you want for your service. 3. 3 All of the communication system previous mentioned, can be adapted to best fit the needs of the individual service user. Use your team meetings to throw open a discussion, brain storm concerns the team may be experiencing. Be ready to welcome new ideas and often you will find yourself in the role of mediator. Look at everyone’s point of view before make any decisions that will cause a major change. Be ready to compromise and adapt the original idea, perhaps with reviews attached to the change. Ask everyone to monitor the concept and bring their findings to the next meeting. Always set timescales and be sure everyone is on board with this. Ask individual people you are liaising with their preferred method of communication. Someone may be happy to correspond through emails only, while others may prefer a meeting or telephone call. Know your network of professionals and use them. Don’t be afraid to ask their advice or support when faced with a situation which is new to you. People would rather be able to help than be waiting for a piece of work you may not have even started. 4. 1 Managers are bound by standard 9, in the Care Standards and article 8 of the Human Rights Act. This clearly states what information is required and how to store the information. Records will need to be kept in a secure place in accordance with the standards, and any information stored on a computer should be accessed with a password only by the Manager or named person. As employers, you will need to be aware of the data Protection Act (1998) Data Protection Act (1998) An employer holds personal data on all employees and service users (in the case of the care industry) and therefore has to adhere to the Data Protection Act. An employer must respect confidentiality at all times and: †¢Process personal data fairly and lawfully †¢Ensure personal data is, adequate, relevant and not excessive †¢Ensure personal data is accurate, and where necessary kept up to date †¢Ensure personal data is not kept for any longer than is necessary †¢Process personal data in accordance with the rights of the individuals to whom the information relates. †¢Ensure that personal data is not transferred to a country outside the EEU (unless the country to which the information is to be sent ensures and adequate level of protection for data. Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act enables people to gain access to information held by public authorities in two ways: †¢Publication Schemes – every public authority must make some information available through publication schemes. A publication scheme is both a public commitment to make certain information available and a guide on how that information can be obtained. †¢General Right of Access – people have a right to make a request for any information held by a public authority and the authority has to comply with the Act by responding. This right came into force on the 1st January 2005. Although these are clear guidelines on sharing information, confidentiality can still be an issue within a home. Families are questionable, they believe they have a right to their relations personal details and do not understand if they are not given all of the details. As a Manager your duty of care lies with the service user, and if they have asked for some of their information not to be shared, you must adhere to their wishes. However, there may be a time when it’s necessary to share something, if a service user tells you something you know is harmful or even abusive, you must pass this on. In this instance you must tell the person, who has disclosed this to you, that for their own safety you will be telling either ‘the Manager, senior staff on duty, Care Manager etc’. 4. 2 Another way to have yourself prepared for such an event is to have an Authorisation to Discuss Form. This can be explained and discussed with the service user, their family and Care Manager prior to them moving in, and once this is signed it becomes a safety net for you if such a situation should arise. Remember who is present at the meeting. Not everyone might need to know all of the items on the agenda. Be mindful if someone is at a person’s review, representing their day care for example, they can be asked to leave once they have had their item discussed. If you have an inspection from CQC, either a planned inspection or an unannounced, they will and can look at everything within the service. Any paperwork to do with the service users must be available and any staff information. Staff files must be kept in a locked cabinet and only the Manager should have keys. However there has to be another person, in a Managers position, who can be on site in 20 minutes with keys. So in the event of the Manager being out of the service and not able to get in, either annual leave or sickness, the Inspector can access the files. Some organisations have an agreement with CQC and all staff files can be held centrally, if your organisation has this agreement, it takes the responsibility off the Manager. An Inspector will visit Head Office annually and view all of the files at the one time. 4. 3 At the end of the day all of the procedures and policies you have in place are there to ensure you are providing the best service possible for the service users in your home. Inspectors, Care Managers, commissioners and families will want to see evidence that the service user is at the heart of the service. You can show this with minutes to house meetings, setting up an informal chat with the Inspector and a service user, or through an advocate. These methods are effective because the service user remains in some control as what they divulge. It can be like living in a gold fish bowl for the service user, they are aware everyone coming in to the service can read personal and confidential information on them. While it is necessary to have a complete picture and can be dangerous if details are left out, remember if you are using a member of staff from an agency, that you possible won’t see again, they may not need to have all the details of all the service users. You can use a ‘pen picture’ of individuals. This can give an overview of the person but not include personal details. This works well when there are two or more staff working together, the contracted staff who knows the service well can guide the agency staff through the shift. UNIT 1 USE AND DEVELOP SYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE COMMUNICATION There are many groups of people a Manager needs to communicate with in order to do the job effectively and efficiently. Staff need to be one of the first and most important groups. A Manager running a 24 hour service must recognise their staff are the promoters and advocates of the service in a Managers absence, next would be the service users themselves. Any service will have other health professionals attached, such as GP’s, OT’s, speech and language therapists. Families need to be included in any changes, or plans for the service, and close friends of individuals. Case Managers, commissioners and if registered, CQC all must be kept current, along with Operation and Regional Managers of the organisation. 1. 2 Communication in a service has to be constantly monitored and adapted if not proving to be effective. A communication book is an excellent communication tool, staff make a note of any appointments, telephone calls, meetings that have happened during their shift. When staffs come on duty they must first read the communication book, and then sign each entry. This way the Manager can be sure all staff has had the information. Staffs have a handover period of time, as one shift goes off duty, and as the next shift start. It is important to have a process, for example if working in a nine bedded service, start with room 1 and discuss anything relevant to that service user, then room 2 etc. That way no one individual is left out, this can often happen when there has been an incident surrounding 1 or 2 people, the handover can then be dominated by the incident and things can be forgotten. Handover sheets are a CQC requirement. This will indicate who is leading the shift, fire officer, first aider and who is responsible of medication. It will have a detailed list of jobs required, and staff sign once these have been completed. Within the handover sheet will be other forms that may need completing depending on the happenings of the day or the day of the week. This could include, water temperatures, menu planning, laundry, house shopping. Incident sheets are also mandatory, and can lead a change of outcome or procedure. Each service should have a procedure to follow when completing an incident sheet, and a list of people who the require a copy of the completed form. Supervision is a more person centred form of communication, as is Annual Performance Reviews of staff. Staff meetings are a place where roles and responsibilities can be agreed, and Managers can see which individuals are on board with a possible change, and who may need support/training. Emails are now a major part of communication in a service, and can be almost immediate if waiting for a response, a good way of ensuring emails have reached, and been read, are to attach a response flag to the email, this will indicate to the sender that the email has been opened. House meetings are an essential way for staff to learn if there are outstanding issues within the home, some service users prefer to speak when in a group, they need the safety net of others. Advocates often hold meetings in the service, and service users decide if they would like staff present. Service Managers should liaise with the advocate to ensure any issues or concerns raised can be addressed. Reviews of individuals are held every 6 months, case Managers, family, friends, other health professionals and any relevant day care units are all invited, this is an arena for goals and changes to be set in motion. Each service user will have a key worker, a member of staff who is responsible for the necessary paperwork for that person. The key worker will update the care plan, a person centred document which holds all the information on each individual. Any changes to routine, health, medication are recorded and notes for each review are made from the information gathered in the plan. 1. 3 As a Manager of a registered service all of the paperwork and policies and procedures in the home will be inspected annually by an inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The Care Standards Act 2000 introduced regulations to protect the privacy and dignity of people receiving care. it has put in place an independent regulatory system regarding care services. This can be challenging for the staff of a service as the CQC standards can be conflicting with the commissioners (the borough that are paying for the individuals to live in each home) standards. Alongside this organisations can have uniform paperwork that is expected to be in place, the Operations Manager to the service will do a monitoring visit to each home on a monthly basis, and could ask for a procedure to change, or to implement a new piece of legislation. The Manager would then need to send a copy of the proposed change to both the CQC and local commissioner for approval. Another challenge to effective communication is part time employment. Waiting for a response to something urgent, when the person concerned is not back at work for 2 days is frustrating. It also means effective handover periods and staff communication is essential. This is when the communication book, and minutes to meetings that have taken place, are vital. They support the lines of communication. Staff sickness is a challenge, if short notice and agency staff has to be used, this puts pressure on the permanent staff member, as they have to ensure the temporary staff is aware of their duties as well as carrying out their own responsibilities. Some long term members of staff can show reluctance to change, and communication can break down, especially if a relatively new member of the  team has an idea. Staff can dismiss the idea, or believe the ‘old way works fine’. Families can also believe they know what’s best for their siblings/children, even when they possibly haven’t lived together for years. The service user may be involved in a relationship or an activity they do not wish their family to know about, and this can cause families to c hallenge staff as they believe staff are hiding things or withholding information they believe they should be party to. 1. 4 Please see 2. 3 1. 5 Everyone responds in different ways to a situation. A good Manager will know their staff team and their service user group and will choose the correct way/time to communicate with them. An individual with a hearing or speech problems will respond to being in a small group or one to one session when being faced with an important issue to be discussed, Makaton or sign language can be used, or a pictorial aid. To increase awareness to sign language a ‘sign of the week’ could be introduced. The individual who uses signs can choose a word that is important to them, or a word they use most when excited or upset and their verbal communication lets them down. This can be put up in pictorial form on the notice board, and discussed with both staff and service users, staff can encourage everyone to use this sign. It gives the home another passage of communication. Managers who have something important to discuss with their team may prefer to have a meeting off site, and if faced with a new approach or major change a team building day or training course may be useful. Some families liked to be informed of anything that is happening to their loved one, and they like to speak to the Manager to assure them. Others may not need that level of contact and may email occasionally for an update. As a Manager you will know the families and if an email or phone call avoids conflict make a note in your diary weekly/monthly to contact a family member. This can ensure the families don’t speak directly to the service user and cause unnecessary upset. Staff who have been on annual leave or away sick should be given time on their return to read all necessary paperwork in order for them to be up to date in the happenings of the service. Ensure staffs sign all entries they have read, this is evidence for the Manager all information has been passed on. Head Office requires certain administration details, sickness, annual leave, pay increments. These types of details are recorded monthly on a ‘staff return’ form and processed at head office. 2. 1 All service users must have an up to date Care Plan and Assessment of Needs from the Care Manager in compliance with the Community care Act 1990. Care plans are the core of any service, and should be updated each time there has been a medical visit, one to one discussion, planning any changes to routine. These are always reviewed by CQC, commissioners and your own organisation. The object of a care plan is to ensure every need of the individual has been looked at and is being met. It should look at the person, not the disability, it should be looking at always promoting independence while always considering the person involved. An assessment of needs, which can also be referred to as a skills analysis, is a very useful d

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Towards Logic Sustainability Communication -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Towards Logic Sustainability Communication? Answer: Introducation Effective communication skills in business are important as it facilitates sharing of information between people substantially contributing to commercial success. The following paper will provide me an opportunity to understand my communication skills and further scope for improvement. The paper will also provide literature review and action plan based on my communication skills. The first tool is nonverbal immediacy scale self-report (NIS-S) that help to understand cues or behaviours signalling positive feelings towards other people. This test comprises of 97% non-verbal communication and help to measure individual differences in nonverbal immediacy expression (Zhang and Witt 2016). There are twenty six behaviours for one to rate on how often a person exhibits taking 4 to 8 minutes to complete. The numbers range from one to five comprising of never (1), rarely (2), occasionally (3), often (4) and very often (5). After adding the scores of twenty six statements describing how I behave or talk with others, the scores are added as per the given statement numbers in step 1 and step 2. In the final step, 78 are added to step 1 minus step 2 and final score is obtained. The result norms for females show that score more than 112 shows high nonverbal immediacy and below 92 shows low nonverbal immediacy. For males, a score above 104 shows high immediacy levels and sco re below 83 shows low levels. After I conducted the test, I scored 85 marks. This score illustrated that I have moderate level of nonverbal immediacy and depicts that I use body language and gestures while communicating with others and at the same time I try to maintain eye contact while talking to others. The second tool is Personal report of public speaking anxiety (PRPSA) that works on communication apprehension. The test data are reliable and greatly focus on public speaking anxiety being an excellent measure that centres anxiety during public speaking that is described through 34 statements that one make about themselves (Niles et al. 2015). The numbers range from strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4) and strongly agree (5). In the step 1 and 2, item scores are added as per the statement numbers given in step 1 and 2. In the final step, the total in step 2 is subtracted from 72 and step 1 total is added to it. The moderate levels are 98-131, low levels are below 98 and high levels are above 131. After I conducted the test, I got 99 marks that indicated moderate level of public speaking anxiety. This result show that I am not so anxious and emotional and physical emotions does not interfere while I present speech or presentation scoring moderate levels. Howeve r, I need to develop my communication skills to overcome central fear of being evaluated or scrutinized by others. The third communication tool test that I undertook was talkaholic scale. This scale is used for measuring compulsive communication. This tool helps to measure ones ability to talk depicting highly verbal and being less talkative in presence of others (Malachowski, Martin and Vallade 2013). The tool designates people being highly talkative in qualitative form that make people ineffective or effective communicators evaluated by others. People who score high are designated as leader being more competent and having more positive perception on others. The scoring is done from one to five ranging from strongly disagree, disagree, neural, agree and strongly agree. There are 16 questions and scoring is done accordingly in step 1 and step 2 for the prescribed items to be added. In the final step, the total score is obtained when 12 is added to step 1 score and finally subtracted from step 2 total. The result norms include score between 30 and 39 being borderline talkaholics who are able to co ntrol their talking and above 40 show true compulsive communicators. After I conducted the test, I got a score of 17 that is below the range of 30-39. This depicts that I have low compulsive talking depicting my ability to control my talking most of the time avoiding situations when it is difficult to control talking. The fourth communication tool that I undertook was Personal report of intercultural communication apprehension (PRICA). This tool is designed to address ones communication apprehension in the context of intercultural competence (Blume, Baldwin and Ryan 2013). In the general communication apprehension, intercultural communication competence is important as in todays world, business is going global and people need to interact with others from different cultural backgrounds. In this tool, there are 14 statements that frequently measure communication competency to converse with people belonging to different cultures. The scoring ranges from strongly disagree to strongly agree followed by disagree, neutral and agree. For computing PRICA tool, scores are added as per statement numbers in step 1 and 2. In the final step, from step 1 score, 42 is deducted and added to step 2 total score. The scoring ranges from 14 to 70 and score below 32 indicates low intercultural communication competency. High intercultural communication is obtained above 52 and range between 32 and 52 indicates moderate intercultural communication levels. After conducting the test, I scored 29 in total that indicates low intercultural communication competency. This result showed that I am not able to communicate well with people from other cultural backgrounds with low cultural insensitivity and require development of intercultural communication competency skills. The last tool is Self-perceived communication competence scale (SPCC). This tool help to measure the ability of an individual to communicate effectively in various situations as same person may be competent to communicate in some situation as compared to others (Rasekh, Zabihi and Rezazadeh 2012). There are twelve statements that indicate situations where one communicate with people in various situations as per competence. Presumption includes zero being completely incompetent and 100 being competent. The situations include public, meeting, group, dyad, stranger, acquaintance and friend that are important contexts in business where people interact with various alliances in varied situations. The SPCC score computation is done by adding the subscores for the above mentioned situations and total obtained is divided by 3. High SPCC scores obtained indicate higher self-perceived communication competence in communication contexts like meeting, public, dyad and group and receivers like acq uaintance, strangers and friend. After I conducted the test, I analyzed that I got moderate results in SPCC scores and after adding mean score was 73.2. This score depicts that I need to develop my self-perceived communication competency to interact with people in various situations in business. After conducting the communication tool tests, I realized that I lack skills while interacting with people from intercultural backgrounds and low self-perceived communication competency. The first issue is that I lack cross-cultural communication skills in intercultural interpretations and in understanding individuals from other cultural backgrounds in business context. I lack the ability and subscribe to idea that people coming from across the globe require cultural sensitivity while conducting business on a global scale. The second issue that I face is lack of self-perceived communication competence where I fail to interact with people in various communication contexts as well as with variety of receivers. I scored moderate in all the communication contexts and need to develop my communication skills so that I communicate effectively in different business contexts. The two recent professional interactions that I witnessed in last 12 months that made me analyze my key communications issues requiring development is discussed in the subsequent sections. During my placement, I was assigned to work with a team who came from China. I was assigned with the duty to interact with them and lead the team. While interacting, I noticed that I was unable to approach them in understanding their concerns that left them devastated and frustrated. I was unable to socialize with them and establish relationships that made them comfortable with the team. I lacked empathetic listening skills that affected my performance during the placement. This situation made me realize that I am not cross culturally aware in communication with people that gave rise to offence and misunderstandings causing a breakdown in communication. Therefore, I realized that I need to develop my intercultural communication skills as it affects my job performance and break down the communication crucially affecting business relations on shared culture. During my placement period, I was assigned to give a presentation in meeting summit. The meeting comprised of 15 people held in the conference room comprising of people from other countries. During the meeting, I was unable to deliver my presentation properly. I fidgeted and stammered in between the lines and avoided eye contact with the audience. I lacked the ability to get connected with the audience and froze in one spot during the meeting presentation. I was not at all comfortable while delivering my presentation forgetting about the needs of audience. I was very nervous and as I stammered, the audience did not get a clear idea of what is being discussed or expected from the meeting. I was speaking incoherently and require further development and practice. Therefore, from this instance, I realized that I need to develop my self-perceived communication competency to interact with people during meetings, group discussion and conversing with friends, strangers and acquaintances. Communication skills are important aspects in communication. Depending on the nature of business, one needs to interact with people or customers around the globe. Many situations come up in daily business life where one need to negotiate and this communication style reflecting ones business negotiation and best presentation skills. As per the communication models developed, it states that this process involves sending messages, encoding, receiving and decoding with synthesis of information and meaning. Effective communication permeates every level of experiences and behaviour of human that makes them a good orator speaking to audiences. According to Shannon and Weavers Model, called the mother of all models, there are three elements in communication comprising of sender, channel and receiver that is two-way communication and effective between sender and receiver (McQuail and Windahl 2015). Another model, Schramm model of communication, communication is a two way process where sender and receiver get involved in sending and receiving messages taking turns. The model explains that after encoding, a message is sent to the receiver who decodes being the decoder (Nwagbara and Reid 2013). The model suggests that process of encoding and decoding are important aspects in communication process. Encoding involves converting of data to information sent to receiver. After data reaches receiver, it is being decoded and data interpretation takes place. This data is called message transmitted through medium. The above two model illustrates that effective communication is required from both ends; sender and receiver. If sender lacks in conversing, this results in failure to establish relationships that may affect message that is being conveyed. From these models, it is clear that intercultural communication and self-perceived communication competency are important in effective communication. Intercultural communication skills are important in business, advertising and marketing. As business is going global, it is important to have effective cross cultural communication allowing working with people from different cultures working together as a group (Shuter 2012). Intercultural communication theories are stated that distinguish various strands with effective outcomes. Co-cultural Theory referred as co-cultural communication is interactions with co-cultural members while communicating with others (Castle Bell et al. 2015). This theory lays the foundation for intercultural business communication focusing on effectiveness of sender or speaker in fulfilling intentions for achieving organization outcomes through social interactions. Cultural dimension theory by Geert Hofstede promotes cultural communication highlighting that cultural conflicts arise during global business communication (Minkov and Hofstede 2012). In todays global world, behaviour and way of thinking of people are different as culture is conditioning. Culture is rooted in peoples background distinguishing one group from others. This theory provides theoretical framework for analysing cultural differences (Minkov and Hofstede 2012). Five dimensions like individualism vs collectivism, power distance, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term vs short-term orientation are stated in this theory to understand the factors underpinning cultural differences. According to DrÃ… ¾aji? (2015) intercultural communication business is an important issue in global business and requires international cooperation between the organizations. Global business becomes successful when people are well acquainted with intercultural competency skills reaching proficiency in foreign languages in the professional arena. As the global economies are evolving, business need to be done with variety of cultures becoming an irreversible necessity. Therefore, it is important to put an emphasis on cross cultural communication and cultural sensitivity enhancing success and productivity of business (Penbek, Yurdakul ?ahin and Cerit 2012). Intercultural communication competence (ICC) and sensitivity help people to respect other cultures and in improving level of engagement in the international business interactions. A study conducted by Okoro (2012) stated that corporations can compete successfully in the global marketplace as they sustain their competitive advantage through adequate demonstration of acculturation or cultural imperialism. When employees are trained in group or interpersonal relationship communication and most importantly, intercultural negotiation skills, it helped to maintain competitiveness in the global business world. Deficiencies in intercultural etiquette through sensitivity, cultural awareness and reciprocity help to achieve adequate success in global business (Washington, Okoro and Thomas 2012). According to Stahl and Tung (2015) in international business, cultural insensitivity can result in adverse outcomes affecting business relations and productivity. It is crucial for business organizations to emphasize on various cultural aspects helping organizations to achieve organizational goals and success. As stated by Bargiela-Chiappini, Nickerson and Planken (2013) in business organizations, types of communication and involved entities are crucial while conversing with delegates. Proper understanding and use of language required during business help to achieve competitive advantage and organizational goals. According to Martin (2015) intercultural communication is not only homogenous and has implications on culture conceptualizations acknowledging contested culture natures, intercultural interactions and multi-cultural identities. Intercultural encounter is being explained in this paper stating that experiences taking place between people coming from different countries require interpersonal cross-cultural skills (Martin and Nakayama 2015). A cultural dialectical perspective helps in better understanding of cross cultural conflicts that different people face in business world. A proper understanding of cultural competency undertaking dialectical perspective is crucial in enhancing cultural sensitivity and tolerance. The application of above mentioned theories or behavioural aspects can be done in a way as it helps to explore intersections of communication, power and culture. According to Orbe and Roberts (2012) the intercultural communication theories shape an individuals behaviour and provide a critical-interpretive framework in understanding various contemporary norms of cross-cultural communication. According to Neuliep (2012) measures of ethnocentrism and intercultural communication apprehension are significant parameters and are negatively correlated with communication satisfaction and uncertainty reduction measurement. These significant factors are important in intercultural interaction that takes place during business process. Oommen (2014) published a paper stating that highlighting the fact that in context to cultural adaptation, intercultural communication apprehension and social support influence intercultural communication alleviating psychological stress due to acculturation having implications for cross-cultural business communication. From the above literature review on intercultural business communication, it can be concluded that cross-cultural communication is crucial in global business that impact business and communication across cultures. In the similar way, self-perceived communication competence is also important in effective business communication that is discussed in the next section. Self-perceived prediction and beliefs greatly influence ones performance and abilities to communicate in various business contexts as suggested in literature. Communication is a broad scenario where there are various variables and elements that impact the communicational competence of the different individuals. In addition, among the different communicational patterns and attributes, self- perceived communication is a very important personality trait that helps in both your personal and professional development. According to the Carbaugh (2013), it has to be understood that self- perceived communication traits involve a lot of elements and overlapping traits itself and hence having efficient self perceived communication can be tricky for many. On a more elaborative note, self perceived communication could be very broadly defined as the competence levels of an individual to a variety of different communicational contexts and situations. For instance, self perceived communication judges the ability of an individual to communicate in different collective and individualistic settings, elaborating how effectively one can communicate in settings like professional meetings, or personal gatherings along with one to one communicational skills. For example, considering the corporate point of view, this attribute will judge how one can perform confident and assertive communication in professional groups, along with engaging conversational communication with professional acquaintances on a one to one level (Teven et al. 2010). According to the theory of self- perception, the attitude of the individuals in different situation and settings are crucially indicative of the contextual communication skills that the particular individual is privy to. According to the Shahbaz et al. (2016), the link between the attitude and response to different contextual situations is the foundation of the communication that the individual will be able to engage in. Hence, the personality traits or attributes like self- confidence, critical analytical thinking and assertive communication is the basic elements of variables that dictate the level of self- perceived communication that in might have. Hence, it can be safely deduced that the low or moderate self- perceived communication is directly related with low or moderate self confidence, critical analytical thinking and assertive communication skills (Croucher 2013). According to the interpersonal communication theory, the ability of a particular individual to communicate effec tively and efficiently depends on the perception of the contextual setting by the individuals involved in the communication. Hence, according to the Scollon, Scollon and Jones (2011), the method of social exchange will depend completely upon the perception of the communicator and his ability to align his perception of the communication need and his confidence and assertive or engaging conversational skills (Ga?ajda 2012). Hence, on a concluding note, it can be mentioned that the self- perception of the contextual settings are extremely important for the any corporate professional for optimal career growth and development. Moreover, the three elements required to build this ability optimally will require the individual to build on the set of three key soft skills, confidence, critical analytical thinking and assertive or engaging conversational prowess (Shahbaz et al. 2016). And the professional development plan of action for building on the self perceived communication skills must focus on improving these specific traits individually. Action Plan Skills that need to be developed specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timeframe The lowest of the scores received in the self evaluation tool has been the intercultural communication, indicating that the most flawed quality in me is the lack of abilities to undertake efficient intercultural communication hence the most important personal developmental goal for me is to enhance my intercultural communication skills The most important fact associated with the concept of intercultural communication is the understanding and respect for different cultures and their customs (Samovar et al. 2014). Hence, the specific strategy for this development al goal is for me research different cultures and their traditional underpinnings to understand and respect different cultures. In order to undertake a thorough extensive research on the cultural diversity, I will utilize different journal articles on effective intercultural communication and cultural competence. After the extensive research, I hope to be able to underpin a number of key qualities and variables, which I then plan to implement on the workplace scenarios that I encounter. I will attempt to have a personal feedback session from my co-workers to measure the progress that I am making. I would like to mention that the feedback will be easy to attain through weakly communication and the researching is also easily attainable for me. The relevance of the strategies are optimal as the researching will enhance my knowledge and understanding of the different cultural backgrounds and how to incorporate culturally competent practice that I can implemented in the organizational culture (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). Along with that, it has to be mentioned that the researching can be done in the leisure times hence it will by no means affect my everyday performance and productivity. Achieving this developmental goal will take me 2 to 3 months to complete it. According to the self evaluation tool, the self perceived communication is the section where I scored very moderate in. Hence the next developmental goal will focus on enhancing my self-perceived communication. Self perceived communication can be enhanced with emphasizing on different responses on differential communicational contexts (Neuliep 2017). The lowest scores received by me were in the meetings, communication with strangers and acquaintances. Hence the I will undertake specific online courses to enhance my confidence and assertive communication skills. I will attempt to maintain a documented track on my progress in these two attributes along the courses, so that my development can be measurable. I think this developmental goal and its corresponding strategies are attainable as the online courses will not affect my job responsibilities and will be completed in my weekly offs. The lack of confidence and assertive communication are soft skills that can only be developed with professional assistance (Samovar et al. 2014). Hence, the strategies are completely relevant and will help me overcome my shortcomings in my personality traits effectively and rapidly (Neuliep 2017). This development goal can be easily achieved by me within 5 to 6 months. Gantt chart: Activities Week 1 Week 3 Week 5 Week 8 Week 12 Week 16 Documentation of progress with reflective journal writing Researching Taking online communication courses Taking feedback from the co-workers Start implementing on personal and professional life Table 1: Gantt chart (Source: Self-developed) References Bargiela-Chiappini, F., Nickerson, C. and Planken, B., 2013. What is Business Discourse?. InBusiness Discourse(pp. 3-44). Palgrave Macmillan, London. Blume, B.D., Baldwin, T.T. and Ryan, K.C., 2013. 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Perceived Competence and Communication Apprehensionthe Affective Variables of Willigness to Communicate in L1 and Fl. InICT for Language Learning Conference Proceedings. Malachowski, C.C., Martin, M.M. and Vallade, J.I., 2013. An examination of students' adaptation, aggression, and apprehension traits with their instructional feedback orientations.Communication Education,62(2), pp.127-147. Martin, J.N. and Nakayama, T.K., 2015. Reconsidering intercultural (communication) competence in the workplace: A dialectical approach.Language and Intercultural Communication,15(1), pp.13-28. Martin, J.N., 2015. Revisiting intercultural communication competence: Where to go from here.International Journal of Intercultural Relations,48, pp.6-8. McQuail, D. and Windahl, S., 2015.Communication models for the study of mass communications. Routledge, pp.16-20. Minkov, M. and Hofstede, G., 2012. 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