Regency Grand Hotel Essays

Regency Grand Hotel Essays Regency Grand Hotel Essay Regency Grand Hotel Essay The following case study illuminates the dilemma of the employees undergoing the management changeover following its acquisition by an international group. In the earlier set-up, the employees were expected to follow the orders of their managers without questioning them. Initiatives to solve problems at personal level were discouraged and it led to lack of innovation and risk-averse behavior. Eventually, the hotel staff got accustomed to the style of management over the past fifteen years, and it made the work go smoothly with minimal number of conflicts. However, the recent sale of the hotel to a new American group introduced an altogether new style of administration to the employees. The management style of the new GM was entirely opposite to what the staff was familiar to, and it caused problems bringing the hotels performance and reputation down the drain. Problems The problem of the Regency Grand Hotel entails a number of factors in its failure to meet expectations of its new management, though the challenges did not exist previously. As it is observed that there are some significant challenges in managing the workplace In changing business environment. Following this, Becker did not employ a communication strategy that supported the dissimilarity between management and employees and their different cultures. The unclear decision making process and power hierarchy. Lack of proper analysis of the chances of success of the strategy of empowerment. Lack of proper coordination within the management team, when trying to implement the empowerment strategy. The Hotel also faced the challenge of social emotional conflicts among employees. Contingencies of power such as source of power were not clearly outlined. These issues resulted in high levels of stress, absenteeism and turnover. Communication and Culture: Communication and Culture Prior to the take over, The Regency Grand was Thai owned and operated. While weighed down by the internal processes the census was one of understanding and fitted in within the cultural bounds. The American conglomerate conducted little research into the culture as reflected by Becker’s appointment and utilization of predetermined strategies ill-suited to an already successful business. English is becoming the common business language in Thailand (Chakorn, 2006). Verbal and written communication differs greatly between the two cultures, amplifying the need for Active listening. Implementation of organizational change: Implementation of organizational change in times of change within an organization, it is essential for the management team to ensure that employees are actively involved in the process of change. Becker introduced his new policy to the directors of the organization. He however, found himself all alone trying to implement the empowerment practice. Involving employees in the decision making initiatives is crucial. The purpose of this is to make them feel part of the organization (Lynn, 2008). The empowerment criteria employed by Becker enabled assimilation of employees in the decision making process. Their contributions were however, not profitable to the organization. Involve staff in change Involve staff in decision making Ensure staff feel included in organization More successful organizational change Organizational Culture and Change : Organizational Culture and Change Organizational culture exists where a set of cognitions is widely shared by members of a social unit and comprised of fundamental assumptions, values, behavioral norms and expectations, and larger patterns of behavior (O’Reilly, Chatman Caldwell, 1991). Employees at the Regent had an organizational affiliation to the Hotel, adding to the organizational culture. O’Reilly, Chatman and Caldwell (1991) indicate that individuals will choose roles, occupations and organizations based on congruency with their own values. Organizations tend to recruit individuals who are likely to share their values. When Becker implemented changes in job roles and organizational structure, without maintaining a congruency in values, this may have lead to changes in the organizational culture. Person-culture fit will increase commitment, satisfaction and performance. To ensure this is implemented, it may be necessary to adjust aspects such as hire new staff with similar values, or help existing staff to see congruency between their values and those of the organization. Personality : Personality â€Å"Cultures shape the expression of traits but not their levels† (Hofstede McCrae, 2004, 74). Personality traits have been found to have a significant role in influencing job choices and work values (Berings, Dufruyt Bouwen, 2004) Therefore, these traits should be taken into account, both when hiring employees and when designing and redesigning job roles. Big Five Personality Traits: Big Five Personality Traits Through research, five primary personality traits have been found to account for personality variations in society (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg Coulter, 2006). These traits are: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. Teng (2008) indicates that Schneider and Bowen (1985) found that personality traits of service employees can predict service quality. By hiring employees with personality traits in mind during the selection process, organizations are better able to create a suitable job-personality fit, and therefore improve profitability. Personality Trait requirement comparison (Adapted from Robbins et al, 2006) : Personality Trait requirement comparison (Adapted from Robbins et al, 2006) Personality Trait requirement comparison – cont. : Personality Trait requirement comparison – cont. Working effectively with personality traits: : Working effectively with personality traits: Although personality traits are intrinsic, it is possible to assist employees to display desirable behaviour in a range of circumstances through effective training techniques and skill building. Individual variations in preferences for different organizational cultures are associated with interpretable differences in personality characteristics (O’Reilly et al, 1991). The redesign of roles, responsibilities and reward systems to encourage desirable outcomes will increase congruency between individuals’ self-perception and person-organizational-fit, thereby improving the high staff-turnover situation as well as job satisfaction. Unclear power hierarchy : Unclear power hierarchy Another major issue encountered at the Regency Grand Hotel which affected the organizational culture was the problem of unclear power hierarchies which lead to staff not understanding their role clearly in the decision making process. Employees were given empowerment but this proved to be problematic as staffs were unable to discern between what constituted a major or minor problem. Staff found that in many cases when they did make a decision it was later overturned by supervisors. One part of the process of empowerment is impact. â€Å"Empowered employees view themselves as active participants in the organization; that is, their decisions and actions have an influence on the company’s success† (Mc Shane, 2008, p. 185). Becker introduced empowerment but this part of the process was distorted as the employees felt that their decisions were not valued and often overturned. Additionally, Becker stated he would not tolerate the same mistake twice. Staff now found it easier to revert back to their old ways of passing all problems over to their supervisors. This was directly counteractive to the plan of â€Å"allocating more decision-making authority to front line employees† (McShane, 2008, p. 192). This further reduced the effect of empowerment. Job Design and Role Ambiguity: Job Design and Role Ambiguity Employees were uncertain of the types of issues that were to be considered â€Å"Minor† and â€Å"Major†. Without clarification, they continued to refer problems to management. Jobs that have ambiguous demands, jobs that have too many demands, and jobs that do not allow the employee to participate in work related decisions are likely to hinder attempts at successful performance, thereby frustrating higher order needs† (Beehr, Walsh Taber, 1976, 42). This frustration results in reduced effort and motivation. They go further to state that â€Å"Effort toward quality is related to role ambiguity in that concern with the quality of one’s work is not maintained if it is unclear what constitutes task success†(Beehr et al, 1974, 46). Supervisors were unsure and reversed employee decisions to refer them on to higher levels of management. Role Conflict: The front-line staff were expected to experiment and be creative in dealing with situations at work, but were only allowed to make a mistake once. This resulted in reduced learning capacity as employees began behaving defensively in order to avoid reprimands for errors. Reduced Job Satisfaction: Increase in customer complaints, increase in absenteeism and employee turnover. Intra-organisational relationships suffered as trust was lost and fear reigned. Poor reviews due to declining levels of customer service. Role ambiguity: Role ambiguity Role ambiguity was another issue for the Hotel. â€Å"Role ambiguity can be defined as a lack of information needed to perform the role (Pearce, 1981; Cooper et al. , 2001). This issue can lead to many problems. â€Å"Employees who experience role ambiguity tend to perform at lower levels than employees who have a clear understanding of job requirements and what is expected of them. Likewise, role ambiguity is reflected in employees uncertainty concerning appropriate actions in commonly occurring job situations. It explicitly results when employees are not clear concerning the amount of authority they have and when they do not know others job performance expectations† (Boles Babin, 1996, as cited in Ussahawanitchakit, 2008). What is my role? What are my responsibilities? What are my functions? Who is my supervisor? What are the delineations of my role? Where is the information I need? Where is the information I need? Do I have the power/control to do this? Role ambiguity: Role ambiguity According to role theory, role ambiguity will result in coping behaviors by the uncomfortable employees in organizations that may attempt to solve the problems by avoiding stress, or to use defense mechanisms for changing the real situation. Therefore, ambiguity will allow an employee to be dissatisfied with his role in the organization, change reality and reduce his performance (Rizzo et al. , 1970). It can be seen in the case of the Regency Grand Hotel that due to the lack of clarification of the role each employee played within the organization stress resulted. This stress lead to an increase in staff moving toward the defensive tactic of pointing the finger at other employees therefore disowning any problems they may have encountered themselves. Recommendations for defining roles and reducing ambiguity: Recommendations for defining roles and reducing ambiguity The remedy for the situations that have evolved within the hotel is to clearly define each person’s role and make them aware of the importance their part plays in the overall operation of the hotel. Ensure employees are aware of their responsibilities. Additionally to define what is a major and minor problem and make it clear to members of staff who has the power to make decisions at each level, would also be of great assistance. For example if a problem arises at the front counter with a customer which would incur a minimal cost to the organization this could be handled by reception staff with little impact on the supervisor and within a much faster time frame causing less inconvenience to already disgruntled customers. This could be achieved by removal of the ‘same mistake twice rule’ that Becker introduced. In this way employees would truly feel empowered to make decisions that would have an impact on the organization thereby feeling that they were an important part in the hierarchy that exists in the hotel. Address Managerial / Supervisory level employees’ concerns at losing power. Reward them for encouragement and development of front-line team results. Job Satisfaction Aspect: Job Satisfaction Aspect Job satisfaction is essential for the work. Steven Travaglione (2007) note that happy workers are generally more productive. The initial management run by the Thai investors provided attractive employment packages e. . high salaries and bonuses. The performance was however, not impressive. The empowerment practice introduced by Becker reduced the bureaucratic governance. Employees were now able to interact freely with the top management. Becker interacted with employee and solved their problems. Nevertheless, there was an increase in the number of complaints and mistakes made by employees. Job Satisfaction Recommendations: Job Satisfaction Recommendations An audit process should be implemented to ensure change in strategy is adopted effectively. Open communication and feedback is required to ensure management is aware of the situations and any recurring issues that may require further investigation. Employees will respond well to feedback on their actions, this will assist with the learning process. Employ a risk manager, they do one on one coaching/counseling with employees to help with their concerns and be a impartial person to talk to when frustration arise and learn coping skills for the working at the hotel, this would have been great for when they did the changing of owners for a easy transition. Recommendations: Recommendations As front-line employees have not had power to make decisions in challenging situations in the past, it may be necessary to implement training sessions to improve skills when dealing with these situations, for example, conflict resolution courses, customer service training. An audit process should be implemented to ensure change in strategy is adopted effectively. Reward employees for correct/suitable actions – note rewards may be as simple as verbal encouragement or â€Å"Employee of the Month† titles. Open communication and feedback is required to ensure management is aware of the situations and any recurring issues that may require further investigation. Employees will respond well to feedback on their actions, this will assist with the learning process. Motivation: Motivation is a fundamental aspect of improving the quality of performance of the work force. The Regency Hotel management aimed at developing motivation among employees. However the employees were not motivated. Increased frustration, stress, job dissatisfaction and high turnover were some of the factors that demoralized employees. Encouraging innovativeness and reativity among employees is an essential component of a successful organisation. The free environment provided by the organisation was not effectively utilized by the employees. The performance of the organisation depreciated as a result. Motivated staff Improved performance of organisation Motivation Recommendations : Motivation Recommendations As mentioned earlier, reward employees for correct/ suitable actions – note rewards may be as simple as verbal encouragement or â€Å"Employee of the Month† titles. Team Building events, going on vacations with other employees to train up with other employees from the other hotels in the chain. Whenever the emphasis is on positive feedback it is a good idea to provide feedback in both public and private settings. When employees are recognised and encouraged in public, it acts as a natural stimulant for others who are close enough to see or hear whats taking place. Monthly training to empower and motivate the employees and sub management to have more skills and coping strategies in stressful/pressure situations. There is never an end to training, employees can also better themselves and that betters the organisation as a whole. Stress management seminar’s, motivation seminar’s, new skills seminar’s as they say knowledge is power and the more knowledge their employees have will create more motivation and improvement in their work and the hotel efficiently. Team building : Team building Team building enhances the capacity for an organisation to perform tasks faster and effectively (Steven Travaglione, 2007). Through empowerment employees were supposed to be more united. Employees were instead more divided and constantly in conflict. The empowerment policy was basically enacted for the purpose of improving the organisations performance. Complaints from customers were frequent The deterioration in service provision captured media attention. Team Building Recommendations : Team Building Recommendations Communication Exercise: This type of team building exercise is exactly what it sounds like. Communications exercises are problem solving activities that are geared towards improving communication skills. The issues teams encounter in these exercises are solved by communicating effectively with each other. Goal: Create an activity which highlights the importance of good communication in team performance and/or potential problems with communication. Problem Solving/Decision making exercises focus specifically on groups working together to solve difficult problems or make complex decisions. These exercises are some of the most common as they appear to have the most direct link to what employers want their teams to be able to do. Goal: Give team a problem in which the solution is not easily apparent or requires the team to come up with a creative solution Planning/Adaptability Exercise: These exercises focus on aspects of planning and being adaptable to change. These are important things for teams to be able to do when they are assigned complex tasks or decisions. Goal: Show the importance of planning before implementing a solution Trust Exercise: A trust exercise involves engaging team members in a way that will induce trust between them. They are sometimes difficult exercises to implement as there are varying degrees of trust between individuals and varying degrees of individual comfort trusting others in general. Goal: Create trust between team members Stress and case relationship : Stress and case relationship All of the factors identified in the Regency Grand Hotel case contribute to the high levels of stress, and resulting symptoms of stress: absenteeism and high turnover. Research supports the findings above by citing that open upward and downward communication; supporting creative organisational cultures by encouraging new ideas and mistakes that naturally ensue; clear and constant feedback (Baptiste, 2009); structured job design and work organisation; and well managed organisational change (Redfern, Rees Rowlands, 2008) are all elements that help reduce the levels of stress felt by employees within an organisation. According to Redfern et al. , (2008, p. 288) negative stress occurs ‘when the pressure placed upon an individual exceeds the perceived capacity of that individual to cope’. They offer a definition of stress by describing it in the following way: ‘stress releases powerful neurochemicals and hormones that prepare us for action to flight or flee† (Redfern et al, 2008, p. 288). Results from recent studies highlight some of the possible reactions of negative stress within organisational settings: ‘stress related problems among workers contribute to dysfunctional organisational consequences such as decreased organisational commitment, increased absenteeism, and high turnover’ (Chiu, Chien, Lin and Hsaio, 2005, p. 839). These reactions have been strongly experienced as symptomatic of issues at the Hotel. Visual depiction of case stressors and results in staff : Visual depiction of case stressors and results in staff New management Organisational change Unclear decision making hierarchy Communication problems Espoused versus enacted values – issues with creative organisational culture Lack of feedback Cultural clash between management and employees Issues with job design Stressors Release of powerful neurochemicals and hormones Possible outcomes Reaction Fight Flight Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel : Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel Physical activities such as exercises like jogging, aerobics, walking, and circuit classes can be implemented as lunchtime sessions which not only benefit employees by reducing stress levels and stress related illnesses but also work towards strengthening the social and team aspects of work. Research shows that the regular undertaking of such activities in an organisational setting has many positive effects on resilience to stress. For example physical well being is improved, as is mental alertness, decision making abilities and job performance. Relaxation technique classes also introduced to the Hotel staff would, assist with coping with mental and physical manifestations of stress. Classes that teach employees deep breathing skills, meditation, and yoga echoes the benefits of exercise with additional advantages such as restoring energy and vitality (Treven and Protocan, 2005). Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel : Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel Much research has been undertaken on how learning and development programs within the workplace can add to employees resilience to stress (Redfern et al. , 2008). Programs such as: Lifestyle programs which educate employees on the advantages of balanced diets and a regular exercise regime Time management kills within a job role to ensure that goals are met with minimal stress (Shuttleworth, 2004) Specific training for managers to ensure they have the skills to control their own stress levels as well as track those of their employees – this particular training will have the added advantage of buy in from the management perspective to develop an appropriate culture at the Regency Grand Hotel as well ensuring that the managers act as role models for their employees (Shuttleworth, 2004) In addition to the exercise, relaxation techniques and learning and dev elopment solutions, it is recommended that Employee Assistance Programs be introduced to the Hotel, this program offers employees a service whereby challenging situations can be discussed with counsellors and psychologists who can provide tools that will embed coping mechanisms (Trevern and Protocan, 2005). Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel : Recommendations for introduction into the Regency Grand Hotel In addition to the exercise, relaxation techniques and learning and development solutions, it is recommended that Employee Assistance Programs be introduced to the Hotel, this program offers employees a service whereby challenging situations can be discussed with counsellors and psychologists who can provide tools that will embed coping mechanisms (Trevern and Protocan, 2005). Recommended stress reducing strategies Physical activities Relaxation techniques Learning and development solutions Employee assistance program Conclusion : Conclusion The majority of problems experienced during the acquisition of the Regency Hotel may have been avoided or at least reduced dramatically through effective communication strategies, incorporating a comprehensive feedback loop to ensure understanding of changes and new requirements on an organisational level as well as individual level for all employees. Cultural, personal and organisational aspects should be taken into account; and changes to job design and job roles should be made clear to ensure successful adoption of the new system. At this stage, the Regency hotel is in a state of flux, with reduction in staff retention, profit and reputation. Effective change management strategies as outlined in this presentation should now be introduced to assist the employees to build a new Organisational Culture and incorporate the Empowerment strategy.

Provincial Bird Emblems of Canada

Provincial Bird Emblems of Canada Each of the provinces and territories of Canada has an official bird emblem. There is no national bird of Canada. The Official Bird Emblems of Canada Alberta Provincial Bird Great Horned Owl BC Provincial Bird Stellers Jay Manitoba Provincial Bird Great Gray Owl New Brunswick Provincial Bird Black-Capped Chickadee Newfoundland Provincial Bird Atlantic Puffin NWT Official Bird Gyrfalcon Nova Scotia Provincial Bird Osprey Nunavut Official Bird Rock Ptarmigan Ontario Provincial Bird Common Loon PEI Provincial Bird Blue Jay Quebec Provincial Bird Snowy Owl Saskatchewan Provincial Bird Sharp-tailed Grouse Yukon Official Bird Raven Great Horned Owl On May 3, 1977 Alberta adopted the Great Horned owl as its Bird Emblem.   It was the popular winner in a vote amongst Albertas school children. This species of owl is native to North America and live in Alberta year round. It was meant to symbolize a growing concern for threatened wildlife.   Stellers Jay The lively Stellers Jay was once voted most popular bird by the people of British Columbia. The locals like the bird so much that on December 17, 1987, it was made the provincial bird. While these birds are considered pretty to look at their bird call has been described  as harsh.   Great Gray Owl Manitoba is one of three provinces to choose an owl for its provincial bird. The great gray owl is a native of Canada but is often seen in the Manitoba region. Its known for its large head and fluffy feathers. The wing span of this bird can reach an impressive four feet.   Black-Capped Chickadee Following a contest by the Federation of Naturalists in 1983, the black-capped chickadee was chosen as New Brunswicks provincial bird. Its one of the smallest provincial  birds and, compared to others like the Gyrfalcon, is rather tame.   Ã‚   Atlantic Puffin Newfoundlands adorable provincial bird is the Atlantic Puffin. It was a good choice seeing as almost 95% of North American Puffins breed along the Newfoundland coast. This is the only breed of puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean.   Gyrfalcon In 1990 the Northwest Territories chose a bird as rugged as their terrain  to represent them. The Gyrfalcon is the largest falcon breed on earth. These fast birds come in a variety of colors including white,  gray, brown and black.   Osprey Nova Scotia also chose a raptor for its provincial bird. After the peregrine  falcon, the Osprey is one of the most  widely found raptor  species. This bird of prey has powerful reversible outer toes, that it uses to catch fish and small animals with.   Rock Ptarmigan For its provincial bird, Nunavut picked a common game bird known as the Rock Ptarmigan. This quail-like bird is sometimes referred to as a snow chicken. These birds are popular in Canada and Japan.    Common Loon Despite its somewhat silly name, the Common Loon is the largest in the loon family. The provincial bird of Ontario belongs to a breed of bird known as divers. This is because they can be seen diving into the water attempting to catch fish.   Blue Jay The popular North American bird known as the Blue Jay is the provincial bird of Prince Edward Islands. It was chosen by popular vote in 1977. The bird is probably most widely known for its stunning blue color.   Snowy Owl Surviving on a steady diet of lemmings the Snowy Owl is the provincial bird of Quebec. This beautiful white owl can be seen hunting during the night and day. It was chosen as the provincial bird in 1987. Sharp-Tailed Grouse In 1945 the people of Saskatchewan chose the sharp-tailed grouse as its provincial bird. This popular game bird is also called the Prarie Chicken.   Raven In 1985 the Yukon choose the Common Raven as its provincial bird. These highly intelligent birds can be found all over the Yukon territory. The Common Raven is the largest member of the Crow family. This bird is important to the First Nation People of the Yukon and many stories are told about them.

The Pros and Cons of the No Child Left Behind Act Essay

The Pros and Cons of the No Child Left Behind Act - Essay Example Yet, along with the greater emphasis put on student performance has come nationwide accountability and the unethical measures that school districts have implemented to meet the new federal guidelines. The NCLB Act was designed primarily to aid poor, minority, and immigrant students by implementing testing standards and assuring no child was falling through the cracks and being left behind. To support this effort, the bill appropriated $650 million to be used by the states to instruct English language learners. This was a 50% increase in funding for these efforts over previous years (Crawford). In an era when education funding has suffered from so many cutbacks, the additional funding was a decided benefit for schools, especially with high immigrant populations. However, the new formula used to distribute the money resulted in the least populated states, such as North Dakota and Alaska, receiving a reduction in funding. This has resulted in fewer English Learner programs for Native Americans that are enrolled in public schools in these states (Crawford). The NCLB Act requires that all students be tested at regular intervals to measure their progress in Math and English. School district funding and administrative control are dependent on acceptable results of this testing. This approach is well intentioned and can benefit the student by holding the schools accountable to their purpose, teaching the students. While the results of this testing have been unimpressive for the general student population, it has benefited students in the lower grades that are enrolled in an English Language Learner program (National Center for Educational Statistics). While forcing the schools to produce results, especially among the most challenged students, the Act has also had unintended consequences in this area. Because school funding is based on these results, districts have been anxious to exploit loopholes that may exempt many students from the testing requirements. During the most recent reporting period it was reported that the scores of two mill ion students were omitted due to technicalities. These were the poorest performing students and it can be inferred that they were minority and immigrant students, the ones that NCLB was written to protect. (Bass, Dixon, and Feller). The NCLB has given the education system uniform guidelines and standards that can be used to compare our past performance and gauge the success of our schools. It helps to identify which programs work and which ones fail. The goal of testing all students fairly is a great advantage if implemented correctly. However, when school funding, bonuses, and school control depend on the results of these tests, it becomes known as High Stakes Testing. Teachers are put in a position to "teach the test" at the expense of other equally important material. Measuring student progress may become meaningless under the current guidelines as Armein and Berliner report, "... the harder teachers work to directly prepare students for a high-stakes test, the less likely the test will be valid for the purposes it was intended". It has also been reported that Latino students have been encouraged to drop out of school to avoid taking the test in a school's effort to raise overall test

It is written in the word file that i have upload Essay

It is written in the word file that i have upload - Essay Example It was the notion of many individuals in the world in the early years, that in order to increase the production of honey from bees one just needed to create a conducive environment for many more beehives. In the current days, the process of bee keeping has become very complicated, a process, which entails several, processes (Perman, 2012). For better results of beekeeping, the practitioners should combine both the scientific and the technological and practical skills to their knowledge of beekeeping. Eventually, the word apiculture describes the scientific process of beekeeping as a very comprehensive and technological enterprise. Human beings made their first hives, which varied in sizes and their main intention was to increase the production of honey. After they had trapped enough bees that made enough honey in the hives, such hives collected five gallons of honey. The colonies of bees in the hives were first killed before the harvesting of honey and later removed all the honeycomb s from the hives. This way of collection of honey shows that the people’s main interest was honey and they did not think of the consequences they pose to the colonies of bees (Tietenberg, & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2004). This method is unreliable since it endangers the survival of bees. Later on, in the nineteenth century, the beekeepers experimented making the beehives using wood. The beehives were made into wooden boxes and inside the boxes were plated which divided the boxes for easy addition and removal of boxes and in order to control the activities of the bees. This method proved to work because people could do the harvesting of honey without killing the colonies of bees thus promoting the process of beekeeping (Pearce, J, & R, 2011). There are different types of honeybees. They include the European Honey Bees and the African Honey Bees among others. The scientists believe that the African Honey Bees will dominate and especially when the regular honeybees interbreed with the Africanized honey bees, the Africanized honeybees dominate. This shows that there is a likelihood of the Africanized honeybees to dominate and migrate to Arizona and other parts of the world. Therefore, the individuals who want to indulge into beekeeping should permanently change their view on the Africanized honeybee. They should also learn the habits of bees so that they can be able to take precautions and to be able to support their efforts of beekeeping. Bees are very important insects that human beings greatly depend on them. In order for an individual to be able to understand the threat posed by the bees, they should start by understanding the behaviour of the honeybees. These insects are very essential to human beings and thus their destruction will affect several activities of a human being. The honey bees aid in pollination of many crops that human beings farm and consume as food thus it is a very essential agricultural component. In an y case, as long as the bee colony does not negatively affect animals and human beings, the bee colonies should prosper and grow wide (Pearce & Golen, 1984). The European honeybees differ greatly from Africanized honeybees. They may appear to look similar but they have very different behaviours. The Africanized honeybees have a tendency of swarming more frequently as compared to the European

Socio Cultural Factors In Child Development Education Essay

Socio Cultural Factors In Child Development Education Essay Children are the future of every nation and people have always strived for helping them to reach the most of their potential in the life span. Todays children have more complex needs which should be fulfilled for their proper level of development. In this work we will try to overview three well-known theories of child development and analyze the similarities and differences between them, as it is very topical to know already existing theories to evaluate properly modern approaches to child education; and find out the essence of interaction of cognitive, physical and emotional development of children to realize the importance of knowing o their needs. Lev Vygotsky focused on the socio-cultural factors in child development which he considered the most valuable. He stated that most of knowledge which every child gets in the course of his development is provided by a wise and experienced tutor (mostly parent or teacher). The tutor provides the child with both verbal and nonverbal instructions which the child is meant to follow. And natural curiosity of the child helps him to do this. Vygotsky believed that higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes.  [1]  Moreover Vygotsky maintained that that social learning had a tendency of preceding development. Vygotsky was sure that learning was a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function.  [2]   Also Vygotsky developed a system of higher mental functions. These functions are developed from the cultural tool, which are got by children unconsciously, in the process of getting the cultural, historical and other information through the verbal and nonverbal interaction with a tutor. In the process of development children learn how to use these cultural tools. Higher mental functions include: attention, verbal thinking and memory. It is interesting that among all the mental tools Lev Vygotsky considered language as the most specific and important one. On the one hand it is a necessary mean to provide children with verbal instructions, while on the other hand it serves as an effective means for intellectual adaptation of a child. Private speech according to Vygotsys theory helps children to make needed strategies to their activities  [3]  . Thus, language is nothing else, but a boost for thinking and understanding. Jean Piaget Jean Piagets theory of child development is cognitive and is based on the system of stages of cognitive development of a child. Following this system we may recognize such stages as: Sensorimotor stage (0 -2 years). At this stage children investigate the environment around them with the help of their sense. They also start learning how to master the things around them. For example, they get to know that if to throw an object it will fall and make some kind of noise. During this stage children realize that even if the object is not near them it still doesnt stop existing. Preoperational stage (2 7 years). This stage is mainly characterized by childrens inability to see things from the different point of view, but their own one they are very ego-centric. At this stage children learn how to use language to describe objects in the world. Concrete operational stage (7-11). During this stage children can already think logically and predict the sequence of their actions. They also can classify objects into several categories. Formal operational stage (11+ years). At this stage children may think abstractly and can plan their actions through hypothesis. Moreover they are deeply concerned about the future. The key concept of the developmental theory of Jean Piaget is that nature is dominant over nurture.  [4]  Out of his system of stages of cognitive development of children we see that the first stage is sensorimotor one. At this stage the infants movements, physical and intellectual lack precision and his activities and attention are dominated by external stimulation  [5]  Piaget underlines that the initial instincts including the influence of sight, taste, touch, and hearing- of people are the most powerful and it is they which make their personalities on the whole. Jean Piaget believes that children are no less intellectual than adults, but they think differently. From the very moment of birth of each child he has to do a lot of things: to understand how people interact and how the whole world works, therefore we suppose that they are less mentally powerful. Indeed, children have more intricate brain abilities than adults, so if to take this suggestion as a starting point it is possible to overestimate our methods of teaching and educating. Arnold Gesell The maturational theory of Arnold Gesell, which is characterized by biological perspective, is based on the belief that every child has a specific plan or programme within his body as for his development. Gesell was convinced that heredity or nature has a primary influence on the development of a child. Gesell is known for establishing certain norms for children at every stage of their growth and developed the so-called gradients of growth. Among them we may find: motor characteristics, personal hygiene, fears, emotional expression, play, school life, ethics, and philosophic outlook  [6]  . Gesell believed that the development of the child through either education or play should be spontaneous. He suggested that through the course of evolution children inherited some kind of code which prescribed their actions and needs, so if a parent wants to help his child o find his life path the most effective way would be to let the child choose it himself. The key similarity in the developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Arnold Gesell lies in their belief in the dominance of nature over nurture  [7]  . Both theorists also developed original systems of measuring either the stages of child development or the indicators of their growth. Moreover it is needed to point out that all the three theories are promoting effective interaction of tutors and children in the process of their development although according to each of the theories their work is differently directed. Unlike Vygotskys thought that social learning should obviously precede the development Piaget considered that learning was less important thing in the child development the main influence instead he saw in nature. Also it is necessary to mention that Vygotsky paid much more attention to the socio-cultural factors in child development than other theorists  [8]  . Although the theories of Gesell and Piaget are alike in many aspects, the difference is that Piaget underlined the major influence of sensorimotor stage on child development while Gesell believed much in heredity, i.e. Piaget maintained that the child cannot enter the next stage until he fulfills the previous one, while Gesell was sure that child would be whom he ought to be due to the biological scheme within his body. Analyzing the theories of child development makes us ponder over importance of effective interaction of cognitive, physical and emotional interaction in the process of development of children. In the matter of fact unless all these aspects are properly accomplished the child has fewer chances to realize him or her in life as it is needed. Cognitive development refers to memory, concentration, attention and imagination  [9]  . It helps children to do well at school, dream, pretend what they will be in future, model different life situations, understand and use symbols, count and even write compositions. On the whole cognitive development is necessary for a child to solve their problems at every stage of their development. Proper physical development is responsible for childrens coordination, motor abilities and other physical skills. Emotional development helps children to possess such traits as self-regulation, self-sufficiency, self-concept and proper self-esteem  [10]  . If only the previous aspects of development are in proper level child has chances to make a positive and healthy self-image. The main point is that poor physical development may influence badly the level of attention or even memory of a child which would certainly lead to problems at school and thus to under-self-estimation. And vice versa: if a child is poorly developed emotionally he may be passive and ignorant which will lead to poor physical and cognitive development  [11]  . Therefore interaction of physical, emotional and cognitive development is of primary importance both for tutors and children. Evidently knowing the principles of forming of the childs personality is of great importance both for parents, teachers and psychologists. Unless we know the needs of the child or an adolescent at the particularly stage of his development we will hardly be able to help him. Knowing the key milestones of the development at childs age group it is possible to evaluate his or her physical, cognitive and emotional development and find the best way fro every concrete child to improve each aspect. It is far more important nowadays, when children have access to the media, computers and Internet and can themselves find all the answers(as it seems to them) to their questions, so they seldom ask their tutors how to solve their problems instead they make decisions by themselves, often no the most reasonable ones. In such situations it is particularly valuable to be aware of the peculiarities of development of children at this age and what problems most of them usually face. It goes without sayi ng that knowing norms of children and adolescents will help to find adequate advice to promote children to reach their potential in life. All the three theories of child development proved to be reasonable and useful. We found out that Lev Vygotskys theory was based primarily on socio-cultural factors of development. The theorist believed that learning preceded development and that made the main difference between his theory and the theory of Jean Piaget who was sure that the childs potential depended on the development of his senses and instincts first of all. Another prominent theorist Arnold Gesell was sure that nature dominated over nurture too and his key concept was that heredity was absolutely responsible for the development of particular child. Gesell and Piaget even developed their own systems of evaluating of either the stages of child development or the indicators of their growth. Although the theories differ in many aspects, every of them is directed on effective interaction between tutors and children and that is the key value of every of them. It is important to be able to realize the needs of children an d adolescents to help them in reaching their potential. In this process it is necessary to each a well-organized interaction between cognitive, physical and emotional development of children.

Cerebro Vascular Accident Health And Social Care Essay

IntroductionStroke or Cerebro Vascular Accident is the rapid loss of encephalon map ( s ) due to the perturbation in the blood supply. This is caused by ischaemia resulted from the obstruction of blood supply or a bleeding. The obstruction can be due to any thrombosis or arterial intercalation which consequences in deficiency of O and glucose to the encephalon country and it can take to decease of encephalon cells and encephalon harm. This frequently consequences in an inability to travel one or more limbs on one side of the organic structure, inability to understand or explicate address, inability to see one side of the ocular field etc. Stroke is a medical exigency as it causes lasting neurological harm, complications and even decease. ( WHO, 2008 ) Stroke is a life altering event that non merely affects the handicapped individual but besides their household and attention givers. Effective showing, rating and direction schemes for shot are good established in good developed states, but these schemes have non been to the full implemented in India. ( American Health Association, 2009 ) Stroke incidence and prevalence are indispensable for ciphering the load of disease and for be aftering the bar and intervention of shot patients. WHO estimates the figure of stroke events in some selected European states such as, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland is likely to increase from 1.1A million per twelvemonth in 2000 to more than 1.5A million per twelvemonth in 2025 entirely because of the demographic alterations. ( Truelsen et al. , 2006 ) The prevalence rate of shot is higher among the Asians. In India it is about 250-300/10000 population per twelvemonth. The National Commission on Macro-economic and Health estimated that, in India the figure of shot rate will increases from 1,081,480 in 2000 to 1,667,372 in 2015. In 1998, the overall age adjusted prevalence rate for shot is estimated to lie between 84-262/100,000 population in rural and between 334-424/100,000 populations in urban countries. The Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the one-year shot incidence of India will increase from 91/100,000 in 2015 to 98/100,000 in 2030. ( Ezzati et al 2004 ) It has been estimated that by 2021 the shot related disablement counts in 61 million, and 52 million of which would be in developing states. Harmonizing to recent surveies, 55 % to 70 % of shot subsisters become to the full independent by 1 twelvemonth and 7 % to 15.7 % remained wholly disabled. Among those who had speech disfunction, complete recovery was reported in 47 % of instances, and there was no betterment in 12 % . Dysarthria was commoner than dysphasia. Post Stroke ictus was observed in about 2 % of instances. ( Banerjee & A ; Das, 2008 ) In 2005, 400 to 800 shots per 100,000 populations in globally. 5.7 million Deaths and 15 million new acute shot instances are reported yearly. Globally, over the past four decennaries, the one-year age- standardised shot incidence rate has decreased by1.1 % in high income states but it has been increased by 5.3 % in low to middle income states. ( Feigin 2009 ) The mortality rate of shot is decreasing or stabilising in developed states. It was estimated in 2000 that, the shot accounted for 0.9-4.5 % of entire medical admittances and 9.2-30 % admittances in neurological wards. 12 % of all shots occur in people less than 40 old ages. Previous shot is the major ground for the shot in those who aged more than 65 old ages. It is estimated that 2 % decreases in overall shot mortality in India will ensue in 6.4 million fewer deceases over 10 twelvemonth period. ( Dalal et al. , 2007 ) There are chiefly two types of shot comprises ischaemic and haemorrhagic shot. Ischemic stroke histories for approximately 75 % of all shots which occurs due to thrombus that blocks or diminishes the blood flow to the portion of the encephalon. A haemorrhagic shot occurs when a blood vas on the encephalon surface ruptures and fills the infinite between the encephalon and skull with blood ( subarachnoid bleeding ) or when faulty arteria in the encephalon explosions and fills the environing tissue with blood ( intellectual bleeding ) . Both consequence in deficiency of blood flow to the encephalon and a buildup of blood that put excessively much of force per unit area on the encephalon. ( Swadron, 2010 ) The clinical effects of shot can be named based on the arteria involved. This includes infarct in the anterior intellectual arteria ( ACA ) , in-between intellectual arteria ( MCA ) , posterior intellectual arteria ( PCA ) and basilar/vertebral arteria. Middle intellectual arteria and basilar arteria are most frequently involved in shot. Entire Anterior Circulation Infarcts ( TACI ) had 100 % incidence of Dysphagia, followed by Partial Anterior Circulation Infarcts ( PACI-36 % ) , Posterior Circulation infarcts ( POCI-33 % ) , and Lacunar infarcts ( LACI-18 % ) . 67 % of bleedings had post-stroke Dysphagia. ( Sundar et al. , 2008 ) Dysphagia ( trouble in get downing ) is resulted if the shots occur in the in-between intellectual arteria or internal carotid arteria or vertebral or basilar arteria. Dysphagia can be seen in 65 % of the patients with shot. If non identified and managed it can take to hapless nutrition, pneumonia and increased disablement. Aspiration is the major job associated with Dysphagia. ( Stroke connexion magazine July/august 2003 ) Approximately 30 % of the patients who had one-sided shot have dysphagic symptoms and a similar per centum have been reported in encephalon hurt patients. It is estimated that between 29 and 50 % of acute shot subsisters are dysphagic. Early bedside appraisal of Dysphagia is indispensable to forestall aspiration hazard in shot patients. ( Smithard et al. , 2003 ) Asiatics were more likely to develop Dysphagia after shot. InA theA strokeA group, the adjusted odds ratio ( OR ) with 95 % assurance interval ( CI ) forA DysphagiaA was significantly higher for Asians than whitesA inA New York ( OR=1.64 ; 95 % CI, 1.50-1.79 ) and California ( OR=1.69 ; 95 % CI, 1.34-2.13 ) . The adjusted OR was somewhat but significantly higher for inkinesss than whitesA inA New York ( OR=1.15 ; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.28 ) . ( Fernandez et al. , 2008 ) The relentless dysphagia can take to malnutrition in the shot patients. The presence of malnutrition in station shot Dysphagia is runing high. The overall odds of being malnourished were higher among topics who were dysphagic compared with topics with integral get downing ( odds ratio: 2.425 ; 95 % assurance interval: 1.264-4.649, A P & lt ; 0.008 ) . ( Foley et al. , 2009 ) The higher incidence of Dysphagia increases the hazard of aspiration. In a prospective survey 60 patients were assessed clinically and underwent a bedside water-swallowing trial and videofluoroscopy within 72 hours of shot. Twenty-five patients ( 42 % ) were seen to draw out in the videofluoroscopy ; of these 20 % did non hold open Dysphagia as detected by a simple water-swallowing trial. Aspiration is most common in the early period following acute shot as a consequence of Dysphagia. ( Kidd et al. , 1993 ) Harmonizing to American Health Association ( 2006 ) , the primary bar of shot is of import because more than 70 % of shots are primary events. This includes behaviour alteration such as decreased smoke, intoxicant and salt ingestion forms, increasing fruits and vegetable ingestion and physical activity. ( Gupta et al, 2008 )Need FOR THE STUDYStroke is one of the prima causes of decease and disablement in the universe. Approximately 20 million people in each twelvemonth will endure from shot and 5 million of these will non be survive. Community surveys from many parts show rough prevalence rates for shot in the scope of 90-222 per 100,000 individuals. The Global Burden of Disease ( GBD ) Study, in 1990, reported 9.4 million deceases in India, of which 619,000 deceases were due to stroke, proposing a mortality rate of 73 per 100,000 individuals. The worldwide incidence has been quoted as 2 per 1000 population per twelvemonth, and about 4 per 1000 population in the people aged 45-84 old ages. The developing states histories for 85 % of planetary deceases from shot. With mention to the functional damages, 20 % of the people will necessitate institutional attention after 3 months and 15 to 30 % being for good disabled. ( Bhat et al. , 2007 ) Analysis of early deceases after shot is of import, as some deceases may be preventable. A survey on 1073 back-to-back shot patients showed 212 deceases within the first 30 yearss, leads to a mortality rate of 20 % . Early mortality after shot exhibits a bimodal distribution. One extremum occurs during the first hebdomad, and a 2nd during the 2nd and 3rd hebdomads. The high proportion of deceases in the first hebdomad is due to transtentorial herniation. After that, deceases are due to comparative stationariness ( pneumonia, pneumonic intercalation and sepsis ) predominate, striking towards the terminal of the 2nd hebdomad. ( Silver et al. , 1984 ) Dysphagia is common after shot. The appraisal of Dysphagia was made by utilizing standardised clinical methods in patients with acute shot. Dysphagia was more frequent in patients with haemorrhagic shot ( 31/63 vs. 110/343 ; P = 0.01 ) . In patients with ischaemic shot, the engagement of the arterial district of the entire in-between intellectual arteria was more often associated with Dysphagia ( 28.2 vs. 2.2 % ; p & lt ; 0.0001 ) . Multivariate analysis disclosed that shot mortality and disablement were independently associated with Dysphagia ( P & lt ; 0.0001 ) . The frequence of Dysphagia was comparatively high. Dysphagia assessed clinically was a important variable foretelling decease and disablement at 90 yearss. ( Paciaroni et al. , 2004 ) In acute ischaemic stroke the Dysphagia occurred within 48 hours after the oncoming of the first symptoms. After exigency infirmary admittance, three patients underwent neurological clinical rating and clinical appraisal of get downing. One of the patients presented functional swallowing, while the other two had mild and moderate oropharyngeal Dysphagia. The findings substantiate the literature informations sing the badness of the neurological status and the manifestation of Dysphagia. ( Favero et al. , 2011 ) Dysphagia and hapless nutritionary position occur often after shot. On clinical scrutiny 52.6 % of survey patients ‘ demonstrated Dysphagia and 26.3 % were identified with hapless nutritionary position. Dysphagia, based on clinical appraisal, was associated with shot badness ( National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, OR 4.6, 95 % CI 1.6-13.1 ; modified Rankin Scale, OR 12.3, 95 % CI 3.2-47.4 ) and with functional unwritten consumption ( OR 29.2, 95 % CI 8.4-101.8 ) , but non with steps of nutritionary position ( Mini Nutritional Assessment, OR 1.0, 95 % CI 0.4-2.8 ) . Nutritional steps did non correlate with swallowing or shot badness steps. It confirms that dysphagia and hapless nutritionary position are prevalent in patients with acute ischaemic shot. ( Crary et al. , 2006 ) A population based long term follow up survey was conducted to find the Dysphagia nowadays in the first hebdomad of acute shot associated with long term result. Dysphagia was assessed within 1 hebdomad in the shot patients and they were followed up annually at 3 months for 5 old ages. And they found that the presence of Dysphagia during the acute stage of shot associated with hapless result during the undermentioned old ages, particularly at 3 months. The survey related the dysphagia with increased institutionalization rate. ( Smithard et al. , 1997 ) An experimental prospective survey on 87 patients admitted with acute shot in the University infirmary of South Manchester to happen out the relationship between the side of shot and the presence of aspiration on videofluoroscopy. They undertook the patients for encephalon CT scanning and repeated videofluoroscopy. The survey concluded that the go oning aspiration might be related to the side of intellectual lesion. ( O'Neill, 2000 ) A survey conducted to happen out the incidence of Dysphagia in shot patients who were admitted in neuro rehabilitation unit. The survey compared the clinical bedside appraisal and videofluoroscopy to specify any correlativity between Dysphagia and clinical features of the patients. They enrolled both ischaemic and haemorrhagic shot. They concluded that Dysphagia is seen in one tierce of the shot patients who admitted in nuero rehabilitation unit. The class of Dysphagia correlated with the dysarthria, aphasia, low FIM and degree of cognitive operation. They found that the big cortical shots of non dominant side were associated with Dysphagia. ( Caterina 2009 ) A prospective survey in 121 patients utilizing standardised bedside appraisal and videofluoroscopic scrutiny was done to foretell the relationship between Dysphagia with the result and complications after shot. The presence of aspiration, mortality, functional result, length of stay, topographic point of discharge, happening of chest infection, nutritionary position and hydration were the chief result steps. It was found that the unnatural sup on appraisal had a higher hazard of aspiration and hapless nutritionary position. The presence of Dysphagia was associated with an increased hazard of decease, disablement, length of infirmary stay and institutional attention. ( Morris, 2000 ) Assorted get downing techniques have consequence on the nutritionary result of the shot patients. The interventions such as unwritten motor exercising, different get downing techniques, placement, and diet alteration aid to better the nutritionary form depend on the patient status. About 38 shot patients between 53 to 89 old ages of age with subjective ailments of Dysphagia and oral/pharyngeal disfunction were underwent swallowing intervention. The consequence revealed that the betterment in get downing map was associated with betterment in nutritionary parametric quantities. ( Elmstahl et al.,1999 ) Exercise based Dysphagia therapy can better the functional and physiological alterations in get downing public presentation of the grownup with chronic Dysphagia. After 3 hebdomads of intense exercising based Dysphagia therapy swallowing was improved. Physiological alterations after therapy imply an improved neuromuscular operation within the swallow mechanism. ( Carnaby et al. , 2012 ) The progressive linguistic exercising plan helps to better the swallowing map. A prospective cohort interventional survey suggested that the linguistic exercising plan helps to better the swallowing in patients with linguistic failing and get downing disablement. ( Robbins et al. , 2007 ) The clinical poster of the research worker leads to detect the shot patients. Investigator observed that one tierce of the patients who are holding shot developed get downing and feeding troubles which later result in aspiration pneumonia and add hazard to their life. All of them require dietetic alteration and half of them in demand of nasogastric or gastrostomy tubing for feeding support. This affect the nutritionary position and increase the length of infirmary stay and later affect the patient ‘s quality of life. This induce an involvement in the research worker over the peculiar country, â€Å" Post Stroke Dysphagia † . It gives a strong thrust to seek for the direction of Dysphagia in Post Stroke patients from diaries and besides from the life experience in the wards.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMEffectiveness of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance among patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia at KMCH, Coimbatore-14AimThe aims of the survey a re to, Assess the Swallowing and Feeding Performance of patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. Determine the effectivity of Selected Nursing Interventions on Swallowing and Feeding Performance in patients with Post Stroke Dysphagia. Associate the Swallowing and Feeding Performance with selected demographic and clinical variables.OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONSPOST STROKE DYSPHAGIA It refers to the trouble in get downing irrespective of the country of encephalon harm, ischaemic or haemorrhagic shots among the station shot patients. SWALLOWING Performance It refers to the ability of station shot dysphagic patients to get down, which is assessed by utilizing Gugging Swallowing Screen ( GUSS ) graduated table and the patients are graded as mild, moderate, terrible and no dysphagic based on the mark obtained. Eating Performance Feeding public presentation implies the capableness of the station stroke dysphagic patients to go through the liquids, semisolids and solid nutrients from the oral cavity to the throat, and so into the tummy and it can be assessed by the Functional Oral Intake Scale ( FOIS ) to categorise the patients as either tubing dependant or entire unwritten consumption. SELECTED Nursing INTERVENTIONS Selected nursing intercessions refer to the nursing activities which include get downing exercisings such as Shaker exercising and Hyoid lift manoeuvre and Positioning during the swallowing to better the swallowing and feeding public presentation of the patients with station shot dysphagia.Hypothesis:H1: There is a important difference in the Swallowing and Feeding Performance before and after the execution of Selected Nursing Interventions in Post Stroke Patients with dysphagia.Premise:Patients with cerebrovascular accident suffer with changing grade of Dysphagia. Swallowing exercisings strengthen the swallowing musculuss.

The Definition and Purpose of the Zero Article

In English grammar, the term  zero article  refers to an occasion in speech or writing where a noun or noun phrase is not preceded by an article (a, an, or the). The zero article is also known as the  zero determiner. In general, no article is used with proper nouns, mass nouns where the reference is indefinite, or plural count nouns where the reference is indefinite. Also, no article is generally used when referring to means of transport (by plane) or common expressions of time and place (at midnight, in jail). In addition, linguists have found that in  regional varieties of English known as New Englishes,  omitting an article is often done to express non-specificity. Examples of the Zero Article In the following examples, no article is used before the italicized nouns. My mothers name is Rose. I gave her a rose on  Mothers Day.Every mile is two in winter.This plant grows in  sandy soil and on the edges of swamps.David Rockefeller was authorized to hold the position of director of the Council on Foreign Relations. The Zero Article in American and British English In American and British English, no article is used before words such as  school, college, class, prison  or  camp  when these words are used in their institutional sense. The students start school in the fall.College provides opportunities for students to learn and meet new people. However, some nouns that are used with definite articles in American English are not used with articles in British English. When I was in the hospital, I often wished there were fewer hours in the day.[American English]When Elizabeth was in  hospital, she was occasionally visited by her parents.[British English] The Zero Article With Plural Count Nouns and Mass Nouns In the book English Grammar, Angela Downing writes that the loosest and therefore most frequent type of generic statement is that expressed by the zero article with plural  count nouns  or with  mass nouns. Count nouns are those that can form a plural, such as dog or cat. In their plural form, count nouns are sometimes used without an article, especially when they are referred to generically. The same is true when the noun is plural but of indefinite number. Dogs love to run around outside.The boy loves to play with toys. Mass nouns are those that cannot be counted, such as air or sadness. They also include nouns that are not usually counted but that can be counted in some situations, such as water or meat. (These nouns can be counted using certain measurements, such as some or much.) Clean air is important for a healthy environment.The man was overcome by sadness when he lost his home. Sources Cowan, Ron.  The Teachers Grammar of English: a Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2011.Downing, Angela.  English Grammar. Routledge, 2006.Platt, John T., et al.  The New Englishes. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1984.