Process Centered Organizations Essay

Process Centered Organizations are planned to create maximum value, innovation and development. A Process Centered Organization can sustain its processes at a high level. A process centered organizational design sorts out the best blend of structure and process. By carrying out a process-centered cycle, healthcare organizations can achieve their goals by changing the way workflow is defined and the way the people working in these organizations perceive their roles. In all healthcare organizations, the focal point is the patient. From a patient’s perspective, how much he or she is valued is important. Healthcare organizations around the globe are making efforts to satisfy their customers in the best possible ways. But modern times require these organizations to engage in the use of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques and systems to improve and direct processes towards creating value for the patient. One such example of a healthcare organization is Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC), Bangor, Maine. The organization in fact received the 2008 HIMSS Davies Award. This prestigious award is given to selected hospitals in the United States for effectively using information technology to improve the safety and quality of patient care. EMMC represents an immaculate example of how to apply and make use of electronic health records (EHR) along with other technologies in order to ensure delivery of quality and evidence based healthcare. The EHR system was installed as part of EMMC’s Patient First Initiatives Program. This was an effort to provide high quality patient care by changing care delivery, adopting a patient-focused culture and implementing a technology plan to support the care delivery process. EMMC’s use of data derived from its healthcare IT systems is a shining example of how to drive performance improvement, quality and improve care in response to state and national reporting requirements. †(HIMMS news, 2008) Eric Hartz, MD, EMMC chief medical information officer, says this award is a crowning achievement for EMMC’s employees. He emphasized that in the end, it is the patients of the region who will benefit from EMMC. The organizations staff worked hard for nearly a decade to implement the most advanced computer systems on the market to allow instantaneous sharing of health information among all healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care. â€Å"When the software that was currently available wasn’t doing the job we wanted, we challenged our vendors to work with us to build something better. It has been a tremendous collaboration†, said MR. Hartz. The services offered by these new systems are incredible. For example they improved ratio from electronic to hand written orders from 5:1 to 14:1. It eliminated 160 minutes from order writing to pharmacy receipt of orders, plus the average time for pharmacist review decreased 52 percent, from 50. 8 minutes to 24. 3 minutes. It also decreased overall medication incidents by 27 percent etc. (Cerner, 2008) The new systems in EMMC offer decision-support to help guarantee that patients receive the safest and best care achievable. EMMC’s providers and staff spent numerous hours working on the clinical systems to continuously make them better. They involved themselves and participated with the organizations experts in the information systems department and this allowed them to streamline all their processes and improve employee productivity. After several years of preparation, improvement, and execution, the nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals adopted advancements in information technology. They are now helping to bring the latest advancements and technology in patient care to the people who arrive at the doorstep of their hospital from any side of Maine. In process centering, processes are not newly created by organizations; in fact existing processes are modernized to meet the organization’s goals. What process centering does is to modify the perception and bring the process into focus. And this is exactly what EMMC did in order to provide higher levels of satisfactions to their patients and customers.

John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men - 1243 Words

Loneliness is an emotion of isolation and no hope or dreams in life, which is what John Steinbeck achieves by portraying this through the characters in his novella Of Mice and Men. The main characters are affected by loneliness in their own different way throughout the novella. rf The loneliness is maintained by the challenges that the characters have to face, and they sustain those challenges of being inhumane towards each other. Crook, a figure in the story who experiences discrimination encounters the challenge of race, due to the book’s setting in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Crook is a black American man who is excluded from activities and has to occupy a room in a stable, and he is not allowed in the bunkhouse for it is only for the white men. Crooks tries to defend himself by saying â€Å"You got no rights comin in a colored man s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all† (Steinbeck 4.80). but Curley s wife replies: â€Å"Well, yo u keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy, it ain t even funny (Steinbeck 4.81). At this point, he resorts to backing down and replying â€Å"Yes, ma’am (Steinbeck 4.81). He acknowledges the fact he will be and always has been discriminated against because of the certain colour of his skin. Equally important, Candy who is described as a tall, stoop-shouldered old man †¦ He was dressed in blue jeans and carried a big push-broom in his left hand (Steinbeck 1.18). His right hand is simply aShow MoreRelatedJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1248 Words   |  5 PagesIn Steinbeck s novel Of Mice and Men, He uses imagery many times to create a realistic setting and plot. Steinbeck’s depiction of migrant workers and their daily complications during the depression are objectively precise due to his use of imagery with idioms, dreams, nature, loneliness and animal imagery. The main theme of the book transpires to be loneliness and fate. Whi le George and Lennie, the main characters have a synergetic relationship, fate steps in and does away with their dreams, whichRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men897 Words   |  4 Pagesthat we possess. Many people feel certain emotions based on events that have taken place in their lifetime or how they were raised throughout their childhood. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, he portrays the feelings of isolation and loneliness in three different characters. George’s isolation is illustrated in Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men. George expresses many hard feelings towards Lennie at the opening of this story. â€Å"‘...you’re a lot of trouble,’ said George. ‘I could get along so easy and soRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1080 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I want you to stay with me Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.† The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck shows the relationship between two migrant workers in the 1930s, George and Lennie, along with the other members on the new ranch that they began working on. Georgie and Lennie dreamed of following the American Dream and owning their own patch of land and the novel revolves around the dream and the obstacles that stand in their way. Lennie, a strongRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1286 Words   |  6 PagesThe realistic fiction novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck expl ains the journey of two migrant farm workers. Lennie and George are forced to overcome the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression around 1938. This makes jobs even harder to come by because everyone wanted one. Lennie and George were kicked out of Weed and they now work at a ranch in Soledad. At the new farm the friendship between Lennie and George becomes harder to maintain. The people on the farm are all different shapes, sizes, andRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men2167 Words   |  9 Pagesjobs. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George Milton and Lennie Small wander through California in search of a new job that would help them make enough money to live their American dream on â€Å"the fatta the lan’†(Steinbeck 14). George and Lennie’s hard work and determination is not enough for them to live their dream. Lennie has a mental disability that slows the two friends down from living their dream; they have to run from job to job because of Lennieâ €™s unintentional actions. Steinbeck incorporatesRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1360 Words   |  6 Pagesfeeling, thinking and acting in everyday life. In the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a duo of farmers, George and Lennie, search for work wherever they can. Their dream of having a farm of their own is coming into reach, while George has to wield Lennie away from the temptation of Curley’s wife and the reality of what Lennie can do. John Steinbeck uses characterization to illustrate the nature of human existence. Steinbeck portrays George as a man who tries to help, and helps others soRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1448 Words   |  6 Pages In the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck discusses the idea of loneliness and how people who work at the ranch have no family and no future in lives. He indicates that all people at the ranch are lonely, but he specifically uses a few characters to highlight their state of being lonely and more miserable than the others. He emphasizes the loneliness of ranch life during the Great Depression, and shows how people are willing to try and find friendship in order to escape from the state ofRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1205 Words   |  5 Pagesand the time period of John Steinbeck s novella, Of Mice and Men, exemplifies the idea that people from minorities are held back from achieving their version of the ‘American Dream’. This goes to prove not everyone will overcome the overbearing tidal waves of their hardship s, which makes the American Dream nothing more than a dream to them. Crooks, the black stable hand, faces discrimination due to his skin color as this unfortunately was common in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck uses Crooks’ situationRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men968 Words   |  4 PagesSolidifying the theme of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the protagonist George expresses his significant loneliness despite a strong kinship with his friend Lennie, â€Å"’I ain’t got no people†¦ I seen the guys that go around the ranches alone. That ain’t no good’† (41). Published in 1937, amidst the horrific turmoil of the Great Depression, Steinbeck’s novella struck a sensitive chord with readers. Set in the heart of California’s Central Valley, this story follows two men, George and Lennie, as theyRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1387 Words   |  6 Pageslanguage. Soledad is also town in which Of Mice Men takes place. The entire novel displays the idea of solitude. Alon g with the presence of loneliness in this story, John Steinbeck also ties in the idea of companionship through the everyday lives of individuals. The correlation of loneliness and companionship in the lives of these characters, along with the diversion of lifestyles consistently shows. Of all the many themes of the book, Of Mice and Men, the most important theme is the theme of loneliness

Case Study Analysis Jess Westerly at Kauflauf GmbH

 ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Case Study Analysis: Jess Westerly at Kauflauf GmbH Geethanjali Ramesh Northeastern University Date: 03- 13-2016 CMN 6000: Introduction to Organizational Communication Summary Jess Westerly is the assistant product owner of CRM applications for computer and office supply wholesalers and retailers at Kauflauf. It is a fast-growing provider of subscription enterprise software headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. Being new and outsider Westerly tries to implement a change in sales call patterns and failed. She introduced and explained the changes to the sales department through a memo that outlined her directive and explained the reasons behind it. Field consultants (FC) immediately offended and complained about the†¦show more content†¦Westerly’s email shows the following issues: (i) She emailed the memo directly to FCs and copied Roeder and RSDs. Therefore, according to Kauflauf’s organization chart in the case she doesn’t have an authority over FCs and she neither discussed about the implementation with RSDs, (ii) No evidence in the case that all FCs and RSDs know Westerly, as she is new to the company. According to case, Wes terly, failed to build rapport with FCs and RSDs before attempting the change, (iii) Email was drafted formally and it sounded orderly but company was following informal network. Her email was orderly because she sent out the new guidelines for allocating FCs time with clients without discussing with them. As we know from the case that FCs experienced the supportive climate around themselves (with RSD’s, Clients, product development, customer support). All the above issues show that Westerly did not display elements of supportive climate with the FCs during the implementation of change in sales call patterns. According to Zaremba (2010) â€Å"Supportive climate is likely to encourage interactions and the flow of information†. And also Redding described â€Å"the â€Å"ideal supportive climate† as Supportiveness, Credibility, Confidence, Trust, openness, Participatory decision making, Emphasis on high performance goals (SCOPE)† (Zaremba, 2010). Therefore, Westerly couldn’t earn the cooperation from FCs as she failed toShow MoreRelatedJess Westerly at Kauflauf GmbH6650 Words   |  27 PagesJOHN J. GABARRO COLLEEN KAFTAN Jess Westerly at Kauflauf GmbH On November 21, 2011, after months of explaining, defending, and reshaping her stalled change initiative for sales call patterns at Kauflauf GmbH, Jess Westerly finally got approval from the director of sales, Klaus Kristoff, to try again. Westerly was the assistant product owner of CRM (customer relationship management) applications for computer and office supply wholesalers and retailers at Kauflauf, a fast-growing provider of subscription

Lady Lazarus, by Sylvia Plath - 1110 Words

â€Å"Lady Lazarus† is a poem by Sylvia Plath, written in 1962 shortly before her death in early 1963, and published posthumously by her husband, poet Ted Hughes, in 1965 in the collected volume Ariel. â€Å"Lady Lazarus† is a poem about suicide as a rebirth, and was in part inspired by Plaths own life and draws heavily on Plaths lifelong struggle with bipolar depression and suicidal feelings, and uses holocaust imagery to paint a bleak portrait of suicide and hopelessness. Sylvia Plath was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932 to a German immigrant college professor and his graduate student-turned-wife. The early years of Plaths life were comfortable, spending much of her time near the seaside. After losing her father in 1940, Plath and her†¦show more content†¦The title of the poem, â€Å"Lady Lazarus,† is a reference to the biblical story of Lazarus of Bethany, a man brought back to life by Christ as a demonstration of his divine power to non-believin g onlookers. (The Holy Bible, King James Version, John 1-44.) The speaker in the poem compares her near death experience and suicide attempts to a resurrection or rebirth, such as in the story of Lazarus. In the first stanza the speaker declares that every ten years she dies, drawing an eerie parallel to Plaths own life. At eight, Plath lost her father and this sparked an immense resentment towards him and strong feelings of alienation throughout the rest of her life; this was her first â€Å"death,† and the speaker declares this death an accident in stanza 12, lines 2-3. Her second â€Å"death† was intentional. (stanza 13) This â€Å"death† came at age twenty when Plath attempted suicide for the first time. The speaker in the poem says that this death was meant to be permanent and she did not wish to be â€Å"reborn.† (stanza 13, line 2.) The third and final death was Plaths suicide at age thirty, only a few months after â€Å"Lady Lazarus† was wr itten. In a way, Plath hinted at her worsening mental state through this work. In stanza seven, the speaker says she is only thirty, as was Plath at the time she wrote this poem. The speaker alludes to coming suicide attempts by comparing herself to a cat with nine lives, indicating thatShow MoreRelated`` Lady Lazarus `` By Sylvia Plath1491 Words   |  6 PagesSomehow, my generation became the most desensitized at the same time it became the easiest to offend. This is why I love the poem â€Å"Lady Lazarus† by Sylvia Plath so much. In the midst of the 20th century Plath touched on topics of depression and suicide in such a shameless way that, it is capable of evoking emotion most modern forms of expression fail to reach. To do this Plath masterfully uses imagery that creates a sense of repulsion and dread that only work to add to the general tone of the poem. AdditionallyRead MoreLady Lazarus By Sylvia Plath1807 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Lady Lazarus† By Sylvia Pl ath There are several ways to look at the poem, Lady Lazarus and one of those ways is that it could be looked at suicide and also about someone who is obviously emotionally troubled with this self-fulfilling satisfaction in killing herself. It’s like a prophecy that needs to be fulfilled and she does so every so often; at least every decade. Also, the poem could be said to be about someone with a severe mental disorder which explains the radical behavior of the suicidalRead MoreSylvia Plath Essay Lady Lazarus1395 Words   |  6 Pages__Lady Lazarus__ Sylvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus is an incredible metaphor of rebirth; the whole idea of a new life from death. Plath throughout her life was suicidal and many of her most famous works revolve around the ideas of death being a new beginning and a way of escaping enslavement from many various factors that bind us to life. There is nothing different about this poem from all of Plath’s other works. She as always represents her life troubles through a worldly event in this case the HolocaustRead MorePoem Analysis of Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath3011 Words   |  13 PagesPoem Analysis: Lady Lazarus In American culture, suicide is considered to be one of the darkest taboos. It has the particular quality of being equally gripping and repulsive. Although suicide is seen as overtly morbid, gruesome and disturbing, it has made many people famous. Sylvia Plath, the illustrious 20th century poetess, is one of them. Sylvia Plath was born on October 27th, 1932 of two parents in a middleclass household in Boston. At a very young age, she demonstrated great literary talentRead MoreLady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath - Poetry Analysis1110 Words   |  5 PagesLady Lazarus was written by Sylvia Plath. On a literal level, this poem is about death and attempting suicide. It is most likely that it was written from Plaths personal experience as she was known for her suicidal nature. This poem has 28 tercet stanzas. There is no clear rhyme scheme yet rhyming can be found throughout this poem, for example I have done it again/One year in every ten, so there is an irregular rhyme scheme. Literary devices such as end-stopped lines and enjambment are alsoRead MoreAnalysis Of Sylvia Plath s Lady Lazarus 1661 Words   |  7 PagesFunny: Sylvia Plath’s Use of Humor in Lady Lazarus Humor and Sylvia Plath are words not generally heard in the same sentence. Although her poetry is widely read, we as a society tend to associate her writing with the inherent darkness in her words, and we tend to ignore everything else, particularly with regards to the poetry she wrote near the end of her life. The morbidity in her writing is most definitely there, but it is often expressed using humor. I will be examining Plath’s poem Lady LazarusRead MoreAnalysis Of Sylvia Plath s Poem Lady Lazarus 838 Words   |  4 Pages In Sylvia Plath’s poem,†Lady Lazarus†, she utilizes symbols to highlight the major themes that can be observed in the story, the different sufferings and deaths that humans have to go through in life. She connects the symbols such as the holocaust to the theme through description and explanation; she uses symbolism with a cat, as well. Plath also focuses on the suffering that Lady Lazarus has to go through in life by comparing it to a holocaust. She compares the struggleRead MoreImagery in Poems â€Å"Daddy† and â€Å"Lady Lazarus† by Sylvia Plath1470 Words   |  6 PagesIn poems of Sylvia Plath, entitled â€Å"Lady Lazarus† and â€Å"Daddy† some elements are similar, including used hostile imagery, gloomy atmosphere as well as recurring theme of suicide, but the poems differ in respect of the speaker’s point of view and attitude towards addressed person or unfavorable surroundings. These elements are employed by Plath in order to intensify the impact on her audience and convey all extreme emotions. Another issue that is considered to be worthy of thinking over is the questionRead MoreAnalysis Of Sylvia Plath s Daddy And Lady Lazarus 931 Words   |  4 PagesSylvia Plath lived from 1932-1963, dying at the age of 30. In her short life, however, she witnessed Wo rld War Two and the Cold War. Both of these events inimitably influenced her life and writing style, which can be observed in her works â€Å"Daddy† and â€Å"Lady Lazarus†, where she uses Holocaust imagery to draw connections between her life and the lives of the Jewish people held captive in concentration camps. Through her use of imagery she tackles personal and political issues encapsulating feelingsRead MoreEssay Imagery In Poems Daddy And Lady Lazarus By Sylvia Plath1447 Words   |  6 PagesIn poems of Sylvia Plath, entitled Lady Lazarus and Daddy some elements are similar, including used hostile imagery, gloomy atmosphere as well as recurring theme of suicide, but the poems differ in respect of the speaker’s point of view and attitude towards addressed person or unfavorable surroundings. These elements are employed by Plath in order to intensify the impact on her audience and convey all extreme emotions. Another issue that is considered to be worthy of thinking over is the question

Teachers Point of View Free Essays

As a high school teacher I have to be a facilitator-guide and a sage who imparts knowledge. I believe that teaching and learning are creative and very social. Based on my understanding, in order for some students to become productive learners; teachers should understand what is occurring inside students minds. We will write a custom essay sample on Teachers Point of View or any similar topic only for you Order Now As well, as what methods will help retain and retrieved that knowledge. Cognitive principles relates to how information is process in the mind (referred to Atkinson-Shiffrin model pg. 159). In addition, cognitive also deals with how the mind stores, organizes, retrieves and incorporates new information. The following are some of the ways I incorporated cognitive principles to my classroom, through metacognition ( schema) , rehearsal , elaboration ( activating prior knowledge) , note taking , verbal learning ( Paired- associate , serial , free-recall) , and analogies. Students now a day has a very short attention span, as a teacher I have to become eclectic. In the constructivist classroom the teacher becomes a guide for the learner, providing bridging or scaffolding (mediated learning), helping to extend the learner’s zone of proximal development. Constructivist theory relates to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, social interaction helps the student learn. The student is encouraged to develop metacognitive skills such as problem solving skills and reflective thinking. The self-sufficient learner is essentially motivated to generate, discover, build and enlarge their own framework of knowledge. In my classroom I observed and applied constructivist through cooperative learning, discovery learning, self- regulated learning and mediated learning. I will start my class by pre-assessing my students, to check their prior knowledge (cognitive theory of elaboration). If my students are having difficulty remembering what they learn from previous classes, than I will start scaffolding. I will give the students prompts, so that the prompts will trigger their short term memory (working memory). The prompts will give them a foundations and than they built on it and hopefully becoming independent learner. Mediated learning is applied in my class, I will show them how to perform a lab and than they will mix chemicals on their own. Their product or conclusion should be similar to my expectations. Another method that I applied in my classroom is cooperative learning. According to Vygotsky’s, students working with their peers will allow them to think out loud (private speech) and work in a thinking zone where they are comfortable at. If some of my students understand a concept that I am teaching I will break my class in groups. In each group, each member is at different cognitive level and they will assist each other. They will discuss, check each other understanding and see the concept from a different point of view. Another method that I utilized is â€Å"Group Investigation†. Each group will pick a topic and they will discuss, learn about that topic and than present on that topic. One of the methods that I incorporated cognitive theories is through verbal learning. In my class, if we encounter a lesson or word that is hard to remember we will associate it to another word. For instance, when we covered the Periodic Table students will associate the elements symbol to its name by using an image (Paired –associate learning through imagery). Another verbal learning is memorizing the elements name in alphabetically order or based on their weights, if in alphabetically order they will create a name or sentences based on the first initials of the elements (serial learning through initial-letter strategies). But the most effective way that I noticed in my class is free- recall. They will memorize the elements or body system in no particular order. Another example how cognitive is incorporated in my class is repetition, practice and elaboration. My students’ will practice a week before exam while other will practice a day before the exam. If my students want to benefit from what the practice they have to practice (study) everyday (distributed practice) rather than cram study. Elaboration is when they have to paraphrase. They will take a concept and than translate it to their own words, to check their understanding. When they are paraphrasing they also visualize what they are paraphrasing, because Paivio’s theory of memory stated that to retain something it has to be verbal and visual (dual- code). Graphic organizer is another technique that I applied in class; this allows the students to retrieve prior knowledge and applied it to their current classwork. There are a lot of techniques, for examples note taking, underlining, analogies, summarizing etc. But if the students are not using this techniques and the teacher is not incorporating different techniques the student will be limited. In conclusion, both constructivist and cognitive theories go hand in hand. There are different types of memories short term and long term (flashbulb, semantic, episodic memory) but for these memories to be activated there must be some stimuli that will trigger the activation. To retain the information the student has to use mnemonics (different memory strategies) but if information is meaningful it will be a schema in the brain. To trigger the working memory teachers should scaffold or student becomes self-regulators. But not all memories will be retain some are forgotten based on Atkinson-Shiffrin model How to cite Teachers Point of View, Papers

Process A Pattern In Culture Essays Julian -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Process A Pattern In Culture Essays Julian? Answer: Introducation ROHEI Corporation is one of the major consultancy service firms that is based in Singapore. One of the major aim of the company is to nurture the global workforce. This will help them to get the proper opportunity with the Singapore workforce. The behavior of ROHEI Corporation is that of the style of process culture. The company focuses on diverse process work that can help in the matters of dealing of all types of issues (ROHEI, 2018). Hence, the company manages to imply the process culture at the workplace that aims to improve upon the existing workforce by establishing logical links within the workforce. This is also considered as a major essential culture within the workforce of Singapore. The company therefore follows the work culture of diversity. Reason for choosing the culture One of the essential character of the process culture is to deal with the issues within an organization relating to strategy implementation. It also provides the opportunity to have flexibility within the workforce that is needed in the process of implementing changes. The ROHEI Corporation will thus be able to sync with the overall business environment within Singapore. Effective tools of communication can also be implicated and thereby enhancing the act of swift information sharing that is believed to be an essential part of process culture. The employees within the organization will therefore able to have better levels of network (Manners Steward, 2017). The leaders and the managers within the process culture will also get the opportunity by being a part of the process culture to identify the issues that are encountered at each levels. Successful implication ROHEI Corporation has successfully applied the elements of process culture by inviting workforce of different cultural and ethnic background. Dedicated trainers and practitioner have been appointed by the company to promote the importance of cultural awareness within the workforce (ROHEI, 2018). Hence, the employees get the opportunity to interact with different people from diverse background. This is help in the process of skill enhancement that is believed to be one of the major part of the process culture. The company also have effective sustainable measures to deal all future cultural challenges. Reference: Manners, R. A., Steward, J. H. (Eds.). (2017). Process and pattern in culture: Essays in honor of Julian H. Steward. Transaction Publishers. What Organizations Can Learn from Singapore Culture - ROHEI. (2018).ROHEI. Retrieved 28 January 2018, from https://rohei.com/blog/what-organizations-can-learn-from-singapore-culture/ Who We Are - ROHEI. (2018).ROHEI. Retrieved 28 January 2018, from https://rohei.com/who-we-are/

Understanding the Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown through the Perspective of Human

The 21st century will not only be defined by technology but also by the existence of complex organisations that leverage advances in the field of information technology, computers, and advanced management techniques. This is the reason why a corporation can have a main office in London but can do business all over the globe 24 hours a day and seven days a week.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Understanding the Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown through the Perspective of Human specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Aside from that the needs of a growing population such as urban centres that can hold tens of millions of people also necessitate the creation and maintenance of complex and gigantic structures such as those that deliver water, electricity and gas. The intricate systems that these structures contain multiply the probability of errors. Although there is a system of checks in place these types of faciliti es cannot afford malfunction or human errors. One good example is the nuclear facility in Three-Mile-Island that experienced a meltdown. The cause of the malfunction is linked to what managers now call as â€Å"human factors† and a clear understanding of what it means can help prevent future problems of this magnitude and potential consequence. Human Factor Before going any further it is imperative to get a clear understanding of the impact of human factors on the organisation, technology, and work and safety aspects of a nuclear plant. An excellent backdrop for this study is the definition for this concept as seen below: Human factors is a multidisciplinary field that draws on the methods, data, and principles of the behavioural and social sciences, engineering, physiology, anthropometry, biomechanics, and other disciplines to design systems that are compatible with the capabilities and limitations of the people who will use them. Its goal has been to design system that use human capabilities in appropriate ways, that protect systems from human frailties, and that protect humans from hazards associated with operation of the system (Moray Huey, 1988). This definition was the by-product of assiduous work in the field of nuclear regulatory research. This is research initiative, prompted no doubt by mishaps and other problems encountered by those working under the U.S. nuclear program. The compact definition has to be unpacked in order to appreciate the multidisciplinary aspect of human factors research.Advertising Looking for assessment on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Firstly, all of the supporters of human factors research are in agreement that it simply impractical and unwise to focus on one or few fields when it comes to designing a safe and efficient system, especially when it comes to critical operations such as those that can be found in aviation or nuclear facilities. Se condly, it is not enough to simply increase the scope of study. There is a good reason why they included not only the integration of social and behavioural sciences; they also found the link between these fields and those of engineering, physiology, anthropometry, and biomechanics. Human factors research looks at the people behind the organisation as well as the technology required to accomplish what seems to be a humanly impossible task such as the monitoring and maintenance of critical systems. And finally, the definition suggests that no matter how technology has advanced there will always be a need for human expertise, the human touch is required to keep an operation to run smoothly. But this has another side to it. Due to the participation of humans in the creation, implementation and upkeep of a complex systems such as a nuclear power plant then that particular system is prone to error. Therefore, the purpose of human factors research is to design systems that are well-suited to the capabilities and limitation of the staff and operators handling and maintaining that system (Moray Huey, 1988). This is expounded even further by the realisation that human talents, perception, expectation must be considered into the design or training strategies to prepare those who will use the system. Another major purpose of human factors research is to develop a system that is protected from human frailties (Moray Huey, 1988). It is an acknowledgment that although humans can sometimes outperform machines, for example machines only do what they are programmed to do but can never make adjustments to changing conditions – but at the same time there are limitations to what the human body can do. Machines are not prone to fatigue but humans have limits that can be measured and factored into the design of the system.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Understanding the Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown through the Perspective of Human specifi cally for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Finally, human factors research is not only limited to manufacturing high-quality products and services but it is also about protecting humans from the inherent hazards of a particular system (Moray Huey, 1988). In the case of Three-Mile-Island the potential hazard is the radioactive material within the two nuclear reactors. If radioactive radiation leaks into the atmosphere the first group of individuals who will suffer from contact with radioactive materials are going to be the staff and operators and then if there is a nuclear meltdown then the whole community near the nuclear plant and so their safety must also be included in the overall design. Three-Mile-Island: Review of Facility In September 1978 the people of Pennsylvania took notice of a dedication ceremony for the newly completed nuclear power plant built in an island accessible through the Susquehanna River and it was called after the name of its location and known hereafter as the Three-Mile-Island Nuclear Power Plant (Derkins, 2003). It is located a mere 15 kilometres away from Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania (Derkins, 2003). Americans are used to such announcements and it can be argued that no one had a premonition of what would follow; before the tragic event that would occur months later, a nuclear power plant is deemed safe and efficient. There was usually no drama involved. But this one is different. The said nuclear power plant is comprised of two units, two reactors and designated as follows: TMI-I was constructed at the northern end of the island in 1968 while TMI-2 was constructed just south of the first unit and it was started in 1969 (Derkins, 2003) The first unit, TMI-1, was completed in 1974 and immediately began to generate electricity but for the second unit, TMI-2 encountered construction delays and did not start generating electricity until 1978 (Derkins, 2003). It should have been a warning for t he operators but this was not uncovered because of the absence of an effective HRA tool. The Control Room and Plant Equipment Design The control room was designed in such a way that it will alert the operators if there were problems but in 1979 a complex system like this one can only do so much. So in the midst of an impending crisis a loud horn was heard by the operators and the control panels began to light up like a Christmas tree.Advertising Looking for assessment on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More But there was no way to differentiate what was trivial and what was critical, the flashing lights added to the confusion but never guided the operators to the real cause of the problem. If only they knew that a critical component a relief valve has malfunctioned. This valve controls the pressure of the reactor coolant and by staying open it reduces the amount of reactor coolant in the system. However, the only way for the operators to know this is to walk behind a seven-foot high instrument panel to discover that the coolant was dangerously low but it was not convenient and practical to keep on walking back and forth from the centre of the control room to the back of the control panel and so it was easy to miss it (Walker, 2004) The operators relied on a less reliable system. They installed a signal light in the control panel and when it is lighted then it means that the relief valve was open and if it was not lighted then they assume that the relief valve was closed (Walker, 2004). The operators were unaware of the failure of the relief valve and so they made the assumption that the pressure in the reactor was still high and therefore there was enough coolant within TMI-2 (U.S. NRC, 2010). This is the reason why the reactor generated tremendous amounts of heat that at the end melted the core. Aside from the human factor and the complex operation requirement needed to run the nuclear plant, another major factor that has to be considered in order to understand why the Three-Mile-Island debacle occurred is the use of a technology called â€Å"pressurized water reactors† also known as â€Å"PWR† (Walker, 2004) This type of technology was most common in all the reactors built before the 1980s (Walker, 2004). But for Babcock and Wilcox the reactor manufacturer commissioned to build TMI-1 and TMI-2 there is no other way to build a reactor other than the use of PWR (Walker, 2004). This is significant because there is a critical part of the design which is called the Pilot-Operated-Relief-Valve (â€Å"PORV†) and it can be found on top of a forty-foot high container called a pressurizer but when it malfunctioned there was nothing that was installed to alert the operators that it has stayed open or stayed close (Walker, 2004). In other words it was the weak link in the design. This is how the PORV was supposed to work: if the pressure in TMI-2 rises rapidly so the pressurizer is overwhelmed by the sudden build-up and so it was designed to open to release cooling water and therefore reduce the pressure build-up (Walker, 2004). At first this is what happened when other parts of the system malfunctioned at about 4:00 AM, March 28, 1979 (Walker,2004). However, ten seconds later when the pressure and heat levels were back to normal the PORV was supposed to close as designed but in this case it did not close and coolant was oozing out of the reactor (Walker, 2004). The problem with this scenario is that this was not the first time t hat a PORV was stuck open, especially in TMI-2 and yet no one took time and effort to fix the problem or redesign the whole system. It was revealed later that this type of problem is common in nuclear reactors designed by Babcock and Wilcox. In fact what happened in Three-Mile-Island was replicated two years earlier in a similarly designed system at a nuclear plant named Davis-Besse (Walker,2004). The only difference is that in that case an operator was aware that there was a problem with the PORV because it stayed open and so he immediately took action to close the relief valve (Walker, 2004). In the case of TMI-2 no one knew about this problem if they did then they would have automatically went to the PORV monitor and closed the relief valve when needed. Due to the error there was no adequate cooling for the reactor and as a result the nuclear fuel overheated and the core began to melt (U.S.NRC, 2010). Human Error Types and Models There are three types of errors based on psycholog ical error mechanisms and these are listed as follows: 1) error of omission; 2) error of commission; and 3) psychological error (Verma, Ajit, Karanki, ) This is a good starting point for understanding human errors because it clearly differentiates error based on what the person did while working in a nuclear facility and the third one is the error due to lapses in memory, attention failure, and perception failure (Verma, Ajit, Karanki, 2010). These explains some of the basic errors committed in the workplace, factory or even in a nuclear facility. It is also helpful in designing a fail-safe system for planners to be acquainted with the different types of actions based on work complexities (Verma, Ajit, Karanki, 2010). These are widely known as: 1) Skill based actions; 2) Rule based actions; and 3) Knowledge based actions (Verma, Ajit, Karanki, 2010). If these are linked to human errors then slips and lapses usually occurs when it comes to skill-based actions, during routine well -practiced tasks that does not require conscious effort (Strauch, 2004). In addition there are also rule-based mistakes and knowledge-based mistakes. In the case of the former, the operator or manager applied the wrong rule. In the case of the latter the operator or manager did not posses the correct knowledge and did not have the experience to deal with a novel situation presented to him or her (Strauch, 2004). The last one can explain what happened to the Three-Mile-Island accident. The Three-Mile-Island Accident is not the result of error of commission. There was no deliberate act that resulted in failure in fact the operators had no idea what was going on, they were inundated with information and system signals that they do not know what was trivial and what was critical so that they could be guided to do the next crucial step. The incident was also the result of error of omission because the operators are all competent engineers and workers who had a clear understanding of how the system works. For instance if a supervisor told them that the relief valve was stuck and needed to be closed they would immediately know that the PORV should be closed to restore the correct amount of coolant in the reactor. But they were not privy to this information. Thus, the Three-Mile-Island incident was the result of a psychological error in the sense that it was a failure in perception. The engineers and operators thought that they were dealing with loss of water, clogged condenser etc. but the truth is there was only one critical problem that they had to address and everything could be reset to normal and yet they were unaware, the limitations of their knowledge about the Wilcox and Babcock designed nuclear plant brought them to the edge of a major disaster that could have taken hundreds even thousands of lives. Human Reliability Analysis The best HRA tool that is best suited to analyse the weakness, potential problems of a nuclear power facility is what is commonly know n as the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction because it combines task and event tree analysis and more than that it was originally designed for the nuclear industry (Attwood Crowl, 2007). The effectiveness of THERP is seen in how it thoroughly evaluates the task at hand as well as help in developing an event tree analysis that will map out for the managers and operators of a nuclear facility what will happen if this particular steps is omitted or if a particular function failed. An event tree analysis which also serves as visual aid in the mastery of complex systems will provide an overview of the nuclear facility and its various operations. This simply means that THERP will predict what will happen in the event that a particular action is committed or omitted or if a fail-safe system did not function as designed. Other HRA tools are also effective but there are some that are reactionary in the sense that it makes recommendations based on what has happened in the past. For ex ample one HRA established a formula wherein he said that for every 10 near misses there will be an accident (Hughes Ferret, 2005). This gives the impression that managers will have to look at patterns and recognise the problem. This may work in other fields but should not be recommended for use in a nuclear facility. In a nuclear power plant something wrong can happen without precedent – it is sudden and catastrophic – there would be no time to evaluate and then make recommendations. The risk is too high to be entrusted to an HRA tool that is not as thorough as THERP. Human Factor Integration The Human Factor Integration is an important step because it is the systematic process for identifying and tracking as well as resolving human factors related issues so that planners and system engineers can create a system that balances the impact of human talents and limitation and technology (Strauch, 2004). In the case of the Three-Mile-Island incident a correctly done HFI wo uld have prevented the problem. An event tree analysis as well as task analysis was completed so that even if the operators were confronted by a novel problem they would still be able to solve the problem and not overwhelmed with various signals and information that did not make sense to them. They would have designed a control room that allow them to see every instrument and every signal that needed their attention should be displayed prominently. The HFI Plan Babcock and Wilcox, the firm that was contracted to build the Three-Mile-Island nuclear power plant should have created a human reliability analysis and the tool that they should have adopted is the THERP. If this was accomplished then they would have created a task analysis and at the same time an event tree analysis. They were able to train the support group, the operators and engineers on what to do in case of major failures but there was no system in place to deal with novel problems. And the reason for that was simple; t here was not HRA that was conducted that could have predicted human error and other forms of mechanical failure. Using an event tree analysis the operators would have known what would happen every step of the way. They are not only aware of the major components of a complex system but they would have been made familiar with the sequence of events and how the failure of one component will lead to what kind of effect. The use of THERP would have exposed the weakness of the system. In the case of the Three-Mile-Island accident the weak link is the design of the PORV signal. The signal was basic, a light that was turned on signified that the valve was open and when the light is not on then it means that the valve was close. The engineers who designed the system did not consider the possibility that the signal light may fail. They also did not consider the possibility that the operators will simply assume that that the valve was closed based on the absence of light coming from the instru ment monitoring the PORV. The one who designed the system did not consider what would happen in the event of multiple malfunctions and what it would look like inside the control room. The control room was supposed to be the eyes and ears of the engineers with regards to what is happening within the nuclear reactor. Yet it was poorly designed. A good HRA tool will determine not only the effectiveness of the control panels to convey data but to transmit data in a way that could assist the operators to deal with the most critical issue and the most critical issue during that time is not the problem with the heaters or the mechanical failure of some components of TMI-2. The most critical issue is the lack of coolant inside a super-heated reactor. Conclusion The Three-Mile-Island incident could have been easily avoided if an effective HRA tool was used even before construction of the nuclear plant was given the go signal to proceed. By using an HRA tool such as the THERP the engineers an d operators would have known that a very simple valve would play a crucial role in the meltdown of the reactor. This means that the signal that is coming from this valve should have been displayed prominently in the control room. Aside from that there should have been a more sophisticated means of alerting the operators that the valve has malfunctioned. They should not be made to rely on a simple mechanism just like the light signal coming from an obscure mechanism situated behind the control panels. The THERP would have given them a heads up when it comes to unprecedented events. They would have predicted the probability of human errors and mechanical failure so that they could create system to deal with potential problems. For instance, the signal connected to the PORV should not be a simple light bulb it should be a gauge that provides an accurate reading and it must be displayed prominently in the control room. Thus, a quick glance of the controls will immediately alert the oper ators that coolant was leaking out of the reactor. References Attwood, d. D. Crowl. (2007). Human Factors Methods for Improving Performance in the  Process Industries. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Dekker, S. (2005). Ten Questions About Human Error: A New View of Human Factors and  System Safety. New York: Routledge. Derkins, S. (2003). The Meltdown at Three Mile Island. New York: Rosen Publishing. Hughes, P. E. Ferret. (2005). Introduction to Health and Safety Work. Oxford: Butterworth- Heinemann. Moray, N. B. Huey. (1988). Human Factors Research and Nuclear Safety. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. U.S. NRC. (2010). â€Å"Backgrounder on the Three-Mile-Island Accident.† Retrieved from https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html Strauch, B, (2004). Investigating Human Error: Incidents, Accidents, and Complex Systems. UK: Ashgate Publishing. Verma, A. S. Ajit, D. Karanki. (2010). Reliability and Safety Engineering. London: Springer. Walker, S. (2004). Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective. CA: University of California Press. 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