Thursday, July 25, 2019

How recruitment and selection are tied to strategic HRM Essay

How recruitment and selection are tied to strategic HRM - Essay Example The top management domains have long understood that if strategic HRM is properly instituted upon, there is no reason why there can be anything missing within the recruitment and selection quarters, and more so when the focus is on doing things in the most appropriate manner and bringing about value for the sake of the organization in the long term duration (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright 2009). However this is easier to suggest here because strategic HRM requires strict vigilance and control by the human resources management department and the top management within any organization. In essence, any organization would dearly require that its strategic HRM takes care of the recruitment and selection matters because this is an important provision of value and quality in the form of the employees who are inducted within the organization. Hence recruitment and selection regimes are very closely tied in with the strategic HRM aspects as discussed above. Works Cited Noe, Raymond, Holle nbeck, John, Gerhart, Barry & Wright, Patrick. Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rhetorical Analysis Prompt - Essay Example Certain logos, ethos and pathos, are the techniques used skillfully to state the author’s point and to convince the audiences. The author bases his argument upon the fact that there has not been a definite answer to what the relationship between the human mind and the physical world could be. He claims that people should start viewing their perspective of consciousness differently because they have been unable to link the human mind to the physical world. He says that perhaps people do not possess an inner feeling in the manner they think they do (Michael 1). The author of the article seems not to understand how the human brain goes beyond its usual duty of information processing to a rather complex mission of being aware of information. He supports this claim by giving an example of how the human brain perceived white color. Newton discovered that the white light is an amalgamation of multiple colors of observable spectrum. He, therefore, fails to understand the brain process that purifies the white color or white light. He then concludes that people operate under the assumption that the white light or white color is pure as a result of the hypothesis of the brain. For this reason, he asserts that the theories of knowledge are based on peoples intuitions about awareness. Just like the assumption that while light or white color is pure, peoples intuitions concerning consciousness are derived from the unreal and incorrect information computed in the human brain (Michael 1). Michael’s argument about the relationship between brain activity and awareness is a convincing piece especially with the help of numerous argumentative elements applied in the article. For instance, the article captures rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos and pathos) in the sense that he makes the article worth reading. He captures the concentration of his readers and vivifies his arguments with the use of practical and evidence-based examples. The

The Money as the Appropriate Measure of the Policy Literature review

The Money as the Appropriate Measure of the Policy - Literature review Example However it is incorrect to regard the money as the appropriate measure of the policy towards the increase in the interest rates, the interest rates are based on the supply of bonds, and rate of interest is regarded as the return on bonds, through bonds the evaluation of the liquidity effect can be exercised. The measurement of the money can be exercised through the non-borrowed reserves; the purpose of injecting the money cannot be achieved through the withdrawal of say, Treasury bills. The injection of money can also be exercised through the purchase of long-term bonds, and this is expected to develop an impact on the short-term rates. The bond market risk is associated with the occurrences when the agents allocate the funds towards the bond market without any evaluation and analysis of the purchasing and selling price of the band afterward. Such concerns are imminent because asset markets are considered to be incomplete and segmented. The risk within the bond market based on the supply of the bonds is experienced when the agents and dealers are willing to invest their resources in the trade market. The buyers are the expected beneficiaries when the bond-supply shock is positive, the positive effect is based on the lower prices of the bond as compared to the expected prices, and when the expected rate of return has been crossed. Therefore within the bond market business, the dealers are expected to make a good fortune, and 'any real consequences are distributional because the shock has favored some agents at the expense of others'. The expansion and growth of the bond market are expected to determine the time perio d associated with the downgrade within the bond market the time is considered to be the major dimension, and the expansion of the bond market is based on the 'relationship between the indicators and the downgrade'. In the case of banks, the relation between the market indicators which include rating changes, abnormal stock returns, and the proportion of equity owned by institutional investors and bank insiders and supervisory information have failed to explain the supervisory assessments and bond ratings, and for this purpose, the equity indicators have been ignored. It was reported that the 'bond spreads with particularly poor supervisory assessments reducing spreads and vice versa', therefore the market is based on the market discipline i.e. supervisory assessments. It was investigated that market prices incorporate additional information as compared with the accounting variables, and therefore influence the ratings of the respective bonds, however there is no variance in the future prospects and worth of the bond, it is the debt market indicators which have predictive power to influence the performance and operations of the bond market. Â  

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The Gender of the Travestis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Gender of the Travestis - Essay Example Interesting a topic, Kulick undertakes to study the lives of the travestis and their general take on the question of gender identity. So to what gender do travestis belong to? Kulick, through a series of illustrations and interviews with volunteer travestis, gives comprehensive details about the travestis. Surprising as it can be for a person changing his or her gender, to the travestis, it is a norm. Most people who hear of travestis the first time think of them as being abnormal. They are somewhat an in-between gender, completely lost from the normal life and perhaps they live in a world of their own, away from reality. Kulick candidly suggests: â€Å"We see reality like it is, they [travestis] don’t. They live in a world of fantasy.† (p.94). Kulick finds out that travestis are not generally accepted in their homes or families. Once they start on the journey to becoming travestis, often at the age of as low as ten, they are no longer wanted by their parents. Their spirit growing stronger, most aspiring travestis will choose to leave their families and go out on their own, and some are forcibly expelled (p.59). Kulick gives an example of Keila, a travesti who chose to leave their home at the age of thirteen (p.59) and went to live alone, this time too choosing a female name. This tells about the pains the travestis are determined to endure to be fully free, or else to belong to the ‘gender’ of their choice. That is not the end: â€Å"Travestis consider that males are males and females are females because of the genitals they possess.† (p.193). This derives a strong conviction, on their part, that they should retain their genitals – it does not matter the genital one possesses and at least they respect God’s thus creation of genitals (p.193) – so the travestis never remove their penises.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Employee Recognition Programs Essay Example for Free

Employee Recognition Programs Essay All business entities, big or small, have human resource. Commonly known as employees, these people are an organization’s most valuable asset. These are individuals within the firm who serve as the organization’s human capital and work toward achieving the goals of the company. Without human workforce, establishments will not be able to perform its day-to-day operations. Even if an organization is not labor intensive, it is incontestable that a firm still needs human resource to manage and look over its undertakings, and continuously thrust the company towards proper administration, profitability and success. The improvements and changes in the industry and economy besides increased awareness of employees as a valuable resource has changed the focus from controlling to managing this resource† (Purdy, 2007). As more and more organizations rely on human workforce, there is now the need to manage the most dynamic resource of a company, who are its employees. Recruiting the right kind of employees and training them to become productive are not only the seeming obligation of a company. But more importantly, keeping these employees motivated will not only enhance them personally but will encourage high performance, which will benefit the organization as well. â€Å"Employee morale within an organization has a direct impact on the satisfaction level of its customers and the company’s ultimate success† (Fretwell, 2002, p. 1). For that reason, companies perform different kinds of employee recognition programs that will significantly improve employee morale. One very important detail to remember is that the leader of the organization must have the ability to identify and recognize decline in employee morale, factors causing such, and acceptance of this condition. After which, there are many feasible areas to work on to be able to work out and tidy up the problem. It is very crucial to start with the management. One of the most important steps is to correspond. Communication is always important in maintaining a smooth professional relationship between employees and the management. Encourage the employees to come forward with issues, suggestions, conflicts, complaints, and feedbacks. Listen carefully; do not leave the employees hanging. This way, management will be able to know clearly what factors are causing the employees to perform in such a way that disintegrates their work. Also, they will be able to know the multiple viewpoints of the employees, which if properly attended to, may have the effect of high morale. This method has always been simple and costs nothing at all! Plus it provides a powerful solution to morale problems. Once the leaders know the problem, it is easier to find probable solutions and ways of improving the esteem of the employees. Make sure the employees have a clear understanding of their professional goals within the organization. Keep them up to date about the business, making them feel more involved. Encourage creativity and be consistent in the administration of rules and policies. This way, the employees will not feel they are being treated with prejudice once they get penalized for mistakes. Make them understand what they are going through. However, sometimes, letting the employees do they own work is what they need. They want to feel they are trusted to get their work done. Teambuilding can also help eliminate negative feelings and actions by fostering respect among employees. The power to make decisions help employees realize their importance to the company, and this increases the esteem of the employees. Also, in order to get work done, and done right, the leaders of the organization need to give the employees the skills and tools for them to complete their tasks. This includes giving them support and the training that they need in order to improve or hone their abilities. Management must also identify and nurture those people who perform well and must groom them for leadership roles. At the same time, it has to identify and help the average performers to improve themselves and their productivity. Acknowledging the work of the employees always gives them a reason to work harder and become recognized, making them even more enhanced and productive. Simple awards may do, like what establishments often offer, like â€Å"Employee of the Month† awards may be a step towards recognizing the employees’ hard work. Moreover, giving promotions to excellent and highly improved workers enable them to boost their confidence in terms of their work and push them to work even harder. Provide a better working environment by assuring the safety of the employees while at the workplace. This gives them the guarantee that they are well taken care of by the management. Higher financial remunerations, bonuses and benefits promote the value of loyalty from the employees to the organization. With better compensation, employees are able to give high regard for their work and tend to become satisfied of what they are doing and whom they are working for. Develop incentive programs that improve both employee attitude and attendance rates. Most often, lack of incentive is the reason why employees do not get motivated to work. Examples of this programs include â€Å"the ability to cash-in unused sick days at the end of a specific period, allowing employees to leave early one Friday per month of perfect attendance, bonus pay for periods of perfect attendance, and gifts such as savings bonds or gift cards for periods of perfect attendance† (Bushman, 2007, p. 4). Most importantly, beyond putting into primary importance the achievement of success and profitability is the need to take care of the organization’s people. If the employees believe that their bosses do not care either about the task or them, then they will not care either. And naturally, the company and its operations will suffer. Building morale in an organization may not be as hard as one thinks The key to motivating employees is having them feel valued and appreciated by their superiors and within the company that they working hard for. It requires for each and every employee to feel a sense of achievement in career, a sense of belonging at the workplace, a sense of contribution to the organization, and a sense of appreciation for their involvement in the pursuance of the organization’s goals to achieve high employee morale, and eventually higher productivity and overall success.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Human Resource Information System

Human Resource Information System This paper generates propositions analyzing the association between Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) and the reliance, pharmaceutical industry places in the technology and models the effect of those associations on HRIS implementation success. It gives information about the human resource management at different levels and how the information technology is used in human resource department to fulfill all its functions with ease. It also gives information about the aspects that help in effective and optimal use of Human Resource Management system and effectiveness in integrating the HR activities with IT. It gives the idea of the uses of different modules of HRMS and other software related to Human resource management. It says about the margins of error and the performance level of current HRMS. It provides with the clues about the challenges faced by most of the pharmaceutical companies in which HRMS assists them to successfully deal with it. It enlightens the pros cons and the outcomes of usage of human resource information system used in pharmaceutical industries. This system adds value to the Human Resource functions but also changes the competencies that define the winning of human resource professionals. This paper also generates the importance of HRIS in Novartis International AG. It also explains its various challenges while implementing the system in the company. Introduction The main use of technology advancement in the corporate has driven the change of means, needs and styles of working. When advanced work effectiveness and output, falling in line with time management agendas and devotion to punctuality guidelines, there are more profits to employees effectively, and best utilization of available resources and a successful deal with corporate. The term, Human Resource Management System (HRMS) or Human Resource Information System (HRIS), matches to all the features in the business system. HRMS is the procedure engaged by the combination of better ways of technological development with conventional ways of the human resource mode of functioning. A Human Resource Management System or Human Resource Information System (HRIS) or HR system is the systems and processes between human resource management (HRM) and information technology (IT). HRM is a discipline which blends its basic HR functions and processes with the information technology. HRMS software was provided by the PeopleSoft.Inc. Earlier, most of the administrative jobs constituted tiresome practice of manual paperwork like determining payroll, tracing data, conserving the collection of database, maintaining and evaluating productivity records, keeping employee personal information, addressing issues and resolving conflicts and scrutinizing employee welfare schemes have now become a simple, time-saving and cost-saving process. There are other functions such as monitoring and retrieving periodic employee performance, planning, controlling and coordinating activities, organizing tables, figures and statistics and evaluating them. This technology is used as a device to make the work environment simple, standardized and user-friendly. Importance of Information System to HR Better safety Better service Competitive Advantage Fewer Errors Greater Accuracy Improved Communication Increased Efficiency Increased Productivity More efficient administration More opportunities Reduced labor requirements Reduced costs Superior managerial decision making Superior control The Human Resources Department needed more management-level information and support to encounter all the expectations. These practices have now begun to branch into the different trends that makeup many organizations today. The huge part of human resources is now E-business. Many companies have implemented a web-based system known as the Oracle Human Resources Management System which helps data access through centralized core HRMS system, enabling companies to control and measure their workforce potentials and allows them to manage risk by recording and monitoring compliance with statutory, regulatory, and industry requirements relating to their employees. The stronger use of technology has allowed HRM professionals to invest more time in counselling, selecting, and coaching managers and front-line supervisors. History of HRIS 1950s virtually non-existent 1960s only a select few 1970s greater need 1980s HRIS a reality in many organizations 1990s Numerous vendors, specialties Aspects helping in effective and optimum use of HRIS HRIS is useful for the employees according to their needs. It can be accessible by adding or modifying the modules and also by offering different facilities to them. Also, HRMS is The best means by which the employees of different departments within the company can communicate. It gives information to support and analyze the companys continuous development. It establishes the level of knowledge which is helpful for upgrading the process and research-based practices. It creates the companys planning agenda and defines its decision making process. It Verifies validates the companys mission statement. Effectiveness in integrating the HR activities with IT To prevent from moderating data and viewing information, a role based security is designed. To make the functionalities easy, various functional roles are available which provides ways of data recording, forwarding, reporting and authorizing. It helps to record and view information for different plant, locations, department and employee. HRIS have different segments categorized as modules like payroll module, HR management module, training module, employee self-service module, etc. The maintenance work consumes less effort due to its different way of designing. Uses of different modules There are different types of HR modules in Human Resource Information System, and they are as follows: Payroll module: This module mechanizes the pay process and calculates different deductions and taxes, by gathering information on employee presence and their work timings. It helps to generate periodic pay checks and employee tax reports. For calculating automatic deposit and manual checks, data is generally available from the human resource department. It contains all employee-related dealings as well as all the information is combined with financial management systems. Benefits administration module: Employee benefits programs such as encompass insurance, compensation, profit sharing and retirement of the employees are being tracked and managed by this system for the organizations. HR management module: This module covers different aspects from application to retirement. All the basic information of the employees such as their demographics, address data, selection, training and development, capabilities, skills, compensation records and other functions are recorded with the help of this module. This module helps the system to offer the facility to read applications and enter appropriate data to specific database fields, informs employers and helps to provide position management and control which are not in use. Human resource management systems work is mainly the job placement, recruitment, training, compensation, evaluation and developments of the people working in the company. Mainly, industries use computer based information systems to create pay checks and payroll results; to maintain personnel records and information of the employees; and training and developing the employees. ATS module: Nowadays, online recruiting has become very popular as the key method of employment by the human resource department. This helps in gathering potential and eligible candidates for the available positions in a company. ATS module generally helps in the following ways: It investigates personnel usage in a company ; recognizes potential applicants for the available positions; It helps in recruiting through company-facing entries; It provides help in hiring through online recruiting sites or publications which is marketed to both recruiters and applicants. Training module: It offers the system for the companies to help in managing and tracking employee training and growth efforts. This system is generally known as a Learning Management System and it is a stand-alone, that permits the HR to track all the information of the employees regarding their education, qualifications and skills, as well as recording their training courses ,books, CDs, etc. whichever are available to improve their skills in different areas. Thereafter the employees are registered for the appropriate courses which are offered at a particular dates with specific sessions, with delegates and training resources by which they are being recorded and managed within the same system. The learning management system helps the managers in approving training, budgeting and arranging together with performance management and appraisal metrics. Employee Self-Service module: This module is useful for the employees of the companies to ask question to the human resource about HR related information. They can also perform HR transactions through the system such as querying about their attendance records from the system without asking the HR personnel. This module also provides service to let the upper managers approve overtime requests from their subordinates without disturbing the functions of HR department. Benefits to the Employees The ways in which employees can be benefited by the HRMS are as follows: Identification of employees key skills for retention excellence. Automated and precise performance appraisals promote healthy relations. Expedite employees recruiting process. Multitude data pulling from single entry can cut in various reports. Helps building a successful environment where employees strive to perform well and exceeding their goals. A collegial flexible work place, Employee input in to how the work gets done, trust in senior management and lack of hierarchy flexible work arrangement. Web-based management system can streamline improvement plans by collaborating creation, implementation and monitoring phases. Help manage workforce and resources. Focuses and aligns staff development and resources. The margins of error The margin of error for the HRIS system is very minimal. The HRIS system maintains and updates its form of modifications or additions of HR modules on a regular basis. The performance level of this system is ideal. Unique areas where the pharmaceutical company uses HRMS effectively The HRMS system, implemented in various pharmaceutical companies, is highly sophisticated and provided with latest versions. Consultants who are expertise in making the software, seeks suggestions and advice on the implementation of the HRIS software in their own company. All the pharmaceutical companies customize its HRIS as per the needs and requirements of the personnel and staff. The unique areas where the pharmaceutical company uses the HRMS effectively are: It contains all the personal information of the employees such as their training, experience, education, leave, job description, pay description at a single point of access. All the information about the leave allocation and movement can be easily drawn with the help of it. It helps in searching appropriate applicants for the available vacancies and in the interviewing process. It is also helpful in managing the insurance of the employees easily. It is important for the growth of the employees which are under their respective training given for their skill development. It is helpful in development of the employees performance appraisal system. It is also helpful in managing all the policy documents at a single source depository. It is also used to do online survey about the companys environment by the employees. By the help of this software, an employee gets the benefit of suggesting any useful advice for the companys well-being. It facilitates with an extra benefit to the employee by notifying about the urgent and critical notices or important messages from a single point. It gives an access to collect opinions easily, fast and with security and confidentiality companywide. It can be used as a budget allocation and consumption tool. The long term benefits The HRMS software is a customized tool and due to this reason, it had very high level of flexibility and the company gets the advantage of adding more features and HR modules according to their specific needs of the management and employees. This provides the company to communicate the employees with their respective departments even better day-by-day. Recently online HRMS newsletter is introduced which enables the employees to share news and information. Through this, it is involving the employees to participate in sharing and gaining knowledge and capabilities with the other departments of the company. Reasons why HRIS fails sometimes Unclear goals/objectives System solves the wrong problem Improper vendor/product selection Low user involvement Planning overlooks impact on clerical procedures Lack of HR/functional expertise in designing Underestimate conversion effort Management- unrealistic expectations Lack of overall plan for record management Lack of flexibility and adaptability Misinterpret HR specifications Poor communication between HR/IS Inadequate testing The HRIS software is sold by different vendors. Some of the contacts of the vendors are PeopleSoft, Oracle HR Applications, Ascentis Software, Eric Systems Inc., Infinium, and Spectrum. Novartis international AG case Now, lets take the case analysis of Novartis International AG. It is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland with 140 branches worldwide. Around 100,000 associates work in this company. This company manufactures drugs such as diclofenac, carbamazepine, letrozole, methylphenidate, etc. There were various issues that Novartis faced regarding its Human Resource System. Some of the issues are as follows: Significant priority of the company was to implement a firm wide HRIS that would convert many of transaction-based HR core processes to an internet-based system. HRIS project was an integral part of Novartis long term strategy for improving overall HR service delivery to the organization that would result in a full HR transformation. A gap in the infrastructure priority was the lack of a global HR information system. Managers in the company were unable to figure out quickly how many HR associates were working at Novartis. Lack of number of associates within the company to fill the leadership position. The existing IT systems within Novartis were not up to mark. Centralization or standardization of HR data. No consistent standards. No consolidated database. Difficult in supporting in the businesses in identifying, moving, and tracking talent. Multiple fragmented systems. Exposure for many small vendors with non-integrated niche application. Exposure to legal/regulatory non-compliance. Employees are feeling stretched because of initial post-merger integration. The top internal issue is little centralization or standardization of HR data. The company operated in 140 different countries. Due to lack of HRIS in the company, the company has many loop holes such as no consistent standards, no consolidated database, and no ability to provide data in form to reflect their matrix structure whereas has difficulty in supporting the business in identifying, moving and tracking talent etc. So, with the implementation of new HRIS, the company will be able to solve the problem easily and allow the managers and HR professionals to respond to the business challenges. The top external issue is the Shifting of HR role from functional expert and transaction processor to strategic partner and change agent. The implementation of HRIS system will enable the HR transformation. It will cut down most of the administrative activities of the HR managers leading to be an evolution of the basic role of HR in the company. There will be requirement of more skilled and professional HR associates who can act as a strategic business partner and change agent. Major challenges faced by Novartis in implementation of the HRIS: 1. The HRIS effort represented a major transformation in the fundamental role and responsibilities of the HR function within Novartis. 2. The new system changed the relationships of HR professionals with their business partners. 3. HR associates expected to play a more strategic, consultative role to the business. 4. Technical challenges for system implementation such as web enabling, SAP R/3 -a core transaction processing system, SAP business warehouse (BW), an enterprise HR portal solution etc. Competencies needed by the HR professionals at Novartis for using HRIS The HR professionals at Novartis should have more human resource knowledge; understand their business and its language. They must have expertise in staffing, development, compensation, etc. They must be able to deliver innovative HR practices that add value to the company. HR professionals need to be effective, able to detect trends and early signals and initiate flexibility in fast changing environment. With implementation of HRIS, the HR professionals have to be a technology expert to deliver services to employees and help them to understand the new system. They must be proficient in using technology to collect data and producing it more strategically valuable information. Hence, HRIS is very essential in the companies all over the world providing better safety, competitive advantage, fewer errors, greater accuracy, improved communication, increased efficiency and productivity and reduced labor requirements.

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies Bernard F. Richards Explain the importance of culturally appropriate health policies. Lederach (1995) defines culture as â€Å"the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them (p. 9). Damen (1987) notes that culture can be defined as â€Å"learned and shared human patterns or models for living day-to-day living patterns and include thoughts, styles of communicating, and ways of interacting†. This incorporates sociocultural factors such as race and ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation among others. The WHO (2014) notes that â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society. An explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future which in turn helps to establish targets and points of reference for the short and medium term. It outlines priorities and the expected roles of different groups; and it builds consensus and informs people.† It is a truism that a community or society is a complex construct with individuals who can be hurt, who have varying needs and respond differently to any intervention initiative. This signals the need for health policies to be crafted in a culturally appropriate manner in order to impact individuals and his community. Studies have shown that culturally-appropriate health policies produce valuable results and assist in driving the accuracy of diagnosis, improve the likelihood of acceptance and adherence to the recommendations made and could possibly prevent or minimize the inappropriate use of health care facilities like clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centers. Experts have concluded that a modifications in health care delivering systems that are culturally oriented will promote quality improvement and should be applied at all levels of planning and execution. It is also suggested that a culturally appropriate health policy will have the effect of assisting in the reduction of any racial, ethnic or social health disparities. In this regard, effective communication must be an important consideration. In order for any policy to effective they must be enunciated and disseminated in a clear, simple and precise manner. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (2010) notes that an operational plan moves a static prevention policy from being mere words written on a piece of paper into an effective and affective construct ready for action. Cultural appropriate health policies speak to the affective and contemplate the ability of systems to deliver patient care to a population or society having diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors and eliminating any disparities in health care. Although policies that improve the quality of care have both direct and indirect cost they can be used to improve quality and improve behavior at the level of the individual. It is also known that a society where the population is healthy has a higher propensity to generate wealth and wellbeing. Explain how one can develop a policy so that it gets the support of the community. Public health agencies worldwide are engaged in formulating policies and developing strategies to promote health within populations. Population health begins at the community level where smaller sub-groups can be targeted and engaged. However, to effectively execute strategies, support from stakeholders, including the community, is pivotal. An important consideration then is how promote the view of the strategy being ‘our policy’ rather than that from an outside, disconnected entity. Before formulating the policy, a thorough research of community dynamics is important. Campbell (2010) explains that anthropology is vital to public health practice. Such research provides information which will fuel the understanding of a community’s cultural beliefs and ideology regarding health related issues and practices (pgs. 76-77). Knowledge of community beliefs and practices can better guide policy makers in formulating health interventions that will be more accepted and supported by community stakeholders. According to Pittet (2001), a major factor contributing to change resistance and compliance is ignorance. People are more likely to accept something they have been involved in and can associate with. Stakeholders should be educated as to the health problem that exists in the community and why change is necessary. Involvement from these grass root stages will promote greater acceptance policy as community members will see that addressing the problem is the responsibility of individuals and the community as a whole. Resistance is possible at any stage of the change process. Therefore, open and continuous communication should be fostered with the community. Rabinowitz (2014) purports that fostering community support for health policy is a continuous process. New information at every stage, from formulation to implementation, should be shared with the community. Additionally, community stakeholders should be actively involved in the specific health interventions governed by the policy. Additionally, publicly lauding the successes of the interventions will draw further support from even sectors that initially against the program. Explain how you might engage the community to be part of the voice when developing a policy Health policy comprises methods put in place by health agencies to promote a particular health outcome (Cherry Trotter Betts, 2005). The health care system consists of a number of forces acting to impact the system for their interest. These forces include political entities as well as private and public sector groups that have the capacity to impact the health care system and influence the health policy-making process. Policy specialists advocate that political interface occur when individuals participate in the decision making process and cooperate in actions to improve said process. Mention must be made of the numerous stakeholders who have an interest the outcome of a health care policy who employ different means of activism to shape the health system. Public policy is described as a governmental act which embodies a response to health needs. According to Gregory, Hartz-Karp and Watson (2008), community engagement is a process whereby the community is involved in all stages of policy planning and formulation. With respect to health policies, community engagement implies fostering participation with community members in the development and execution of policies that will affect community health. Factors included comprise health service delivery, budgetary allocation, and wider issues affecting the health system. The community contributes meaningful and valuable input in any health related strategy. Therefore, effective collaboration with these stakeholders will serve as a major driving force behind any policy aimed at positively influencing health. The process of community engagement requires strategic actions at several levels. These levels include information gathering, education, discussion and partnership. To effectively put in place policies to counteract sources of ill-health in a community, it is important to first uncover what health issues exist. Coulter (2009) explains that health needs assessment is a methodical technique by which the health issues affecting a population are uncovered. This facilitates consensus as to the priorities that exist which will gear the allocation of resources (p. 11). This is usually one of the first steps in health planning and community engagement and facilitates formulation and application of steps to counteract such inequalities. Knowledge equips one with the necessary information to fuel informed action. Furthermore, active dialogue with community representatives will inevitably foster cooperation. Practical ways to secure the informed participation of the various groupings of a population being served is through small groups interactive talks, church promotion and school base interactions, spot meetings and though the development of literature and health education materials which reflect their level of health literacy and cultural norms. In developing a policy that gets the support of the community it is necessary to engage community representatives in the planning meetings whether as part of a swat or focus group or even formally as board members. This ensures ‘buy in’ by those they represent since they will have a voice at the formulation stage of the policy process. Engagement should endeavor to uncover what will work in the best interest of the jurisdiction being targeted, aid in the achievement of the stated policy, assess what resources are needed, how those resources should be allocated and utilized in the implementation of the policy, fairness and equity and effectively how the policy reflect the values of society. When all these elements are factored in the process then the much anticipated shared value can be a reality. It has also been noted by researchers that increasingly the population of society has become very diverse and experience huge disparities in health. As we grapple with the severe differences in race, gender, ethnicity, and negative experience in the socioeconomic status of the world community research shows that health policies affect the health behavior of individuals, their socioeconomic standing and their work environment. Health policies therefore must be carefully planned, implemented and evaluated. They must also be inclusive and seek the involvement of stakeholders. The DHHS (2010) discloses that the U.S. health expenditure is by far more than for any other nation however, this has not demonstrated superior results. Analysts have suggested that one of the possible reasons for this unfavorable outcome might be a failure to actively involve the population in strategic planning and execution. It can be concluded that in order to develop a policy that gets the support of the community the overarching principle is a merging of the efforts of policy makers and the community individuals who must regard the policy as relevant to their needs and are able to see the benefits they offer. References Campbell, D. (2010). Anthropology’s contribution to public health policy development. MJM, 13(1), 76-83. Cherry, B. Trotter Betts, V. (2005). Health policy and politics: Get involved! In B. Cherry S. Jacobs (Eds.) Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends management (pp.211-233). 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Emerg Infect Dis, 7(2), doi:10.3201/eid0702.700234. Rabinowitz, P. (2014). Gaining public support for addressing community health and development issues. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the-public-agenda/gain-public-support/main. World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Health policy. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/health_policy/en/