The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study Essay

The use of behaviourism theories on a social work case study - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the beginnings of social work are focused on the principle of providing aid to the people. There is minimal change in this perception, but it has shifted from the individual reformation to collective views. However, the central purpose remains to be the responsibility of helping the people, whether individually or collectively as one society. The vitality of social work practice has been never more emphasized with the prevalence of change and threats on each and every member of society. The most common concern of this discipline is the alterations of relationships and social institutions such as the family, which greatly affects the children. In response, theorists, psychologists, and social workers continue the study of human behavior and cognition to formulate methods and theories as a foundation for alleviating the effectiveness of social work. The use of the assumptions of behaviourism to empiricism is useful in examining the resul ts of the intervention. This demonstrates that social work practices grounded in this theory help provide better social work measures for both service provider and users. The case for this study is in Case Study No. 2 involving Gemma the 15-year-old daughter of Kitty and Tony and the sister of the nine-year-old Jake. Gemma is from a broken family with an absentee father, who left them after the discovery of Kitty’s extramarital activities with another woman. Gemma was once a promising child with good academic records.

An American Gaucho in Argentina Essay Example for Free

An American Gaucho in Argentina Essay I. Identification of Problems With the development of economic integration globally, man is beginning a new era of global negotiation. Cross-cultural business negotiations that between business people who from different countries with different mentalities and cultures are becoming more and more frequent. At present, people gradually concern the problems, which are triggered by cross-cultural business negotiations. American Great Plains Foods was a manufacturer and marketer meat products that was founded in 1896. It grew into international company that people relied on for Great Plains strong brand. Comidas Gaucho is well-known Argentina food processor which was targeted by Great Plains look into forming an alliance for South American market. Peter Fuller was sent out as Great Plains representative to reach a cooperative agreement with Comidas Gaucho. Peters Argentina trip which takes place over a period of three days, is not as what is originally expected. The main reason for the failure of Peters Argentina trip is that a lack of understanding Argentina business etiquette, as well as cultural differences. Peter ignored the cultural differences of cross-cultural business negotiations had a significant impact. Most of the problems in case are caused by the lack of understanding of Argentinian advance by Peter. For example, wearing a short shirt, Peter appeared in Ezeiza International airport is filled with people who are wearing coats, which is sufficient to prove that Peter didnt prepare at all for his Argentina trip. II. Analysis and Evaluation The chart below is based on Hofstedes five cultural dimensions (Geert-Hofstede, 2014). We can see one of the largest score difference is on uncertainty avoidance between Argentina and U.S. According to Hofstede, â€Å"Uncertainty Avoidance is referring to a lack of tolerance for ambiguity and a need for formal rules and policies. This dimension measures the extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations.† (Hofstede, 1980) The UAI was designed to test how comfortable are people with changing the way they work on live (low UA) or prefer the known systems (high UA). With high score of 86, Argentinian senior managers tend to focus on the daily  operations of the organization. They advocate conscientious with strict formal management system, the decision-making are must talking to the experts. However, on the uncertainty avoidance, the United States at a score of 46 which is roughly half that of Argentina. American senior managers are willing to spend more attention to the organizations strategies, the managers tend to use their personal experience and intuition to make decisions. In this case, Peter was anxious to make a showing alliances and intentions. Even Comidas Gaucho managers eschewing his proposal, or they cannot make such important decision in any time soon, Peter have tried to established the strategic alliance with Comidas Gaucho out many times. As mentioned before, Comidas Gaucho is a high UA organization which is like a precision machine, its parts match exactly an integral part of. The staffs in all levels of the organization are work in close conjunction with each other to eliminate uncertainty the maximum extent possible. However, Americans have consciousness of competition. As well as they pursuing speed and profits, which created American businessman resolutely commercial style. They will try to shorten the time in all aspects of the negotiations, and strive to make each a negotiation can be a quick fix. The one true measure of how a negotiation process, is depends how many problems have solved. Americans have a unique sense of value for time: time is money. It is reflected in the use of English words, such as: Time is on, it is kept, it can be borrowed, it can be used, it can be saved, it can be spent, it can be wasted, it can be lost, it can be given, it can be killed, and so on. Americans schedule decide what they do, what not to do, and what need to be done first. Time totally weaving a network of American life, decisions and coordinates the relationship between the Americans. Peter was very dissatisfied with Comidas Gaucho representatives late, but Jorge is irrelevant. Concept of time in some South America countries are not so strong, late for them is not unforgivable. According to Creegan (2012), â€Å"the Argentines descended from the boats†, most of Argentines are descendants of European migrants, with emphasis on British and Italians (Creegan, 2012). Thereby, Argentine business man generally pay attention to clothing, demeanor and generous rules. Peters casual attire is not perceived as appropriate in doing business. He also overlooks some other business etiquette of Argentina. Argentine are eager to share their yerba mate with  the guests, but Peter shows obvious objection of the yerba mate, while Argentine would see this as Peters disrespect for the local traditions. Argentine run away from the controversial issues as politics and religion issues, but Peter discussed the sensitive matter Falklands with Jorge around their dinner tables. (Durrer, 2006) III. Recommendations People often think that others ideas will be roughly the same as themselves, but it is dangerous for cross-cultural communication. In the process of cross-cultural communication, the negotiator have to constantly remind ourselves that people have different cultural backgrounds, different customs. Peter must learning to observe Argentine culture, also need to contrast Argentine culture with American culture, in order to gradually improve his cross-cultural awareness. Patience is very important during do business with Argentine. Peter cannot expect the strategic alliance could be formed by one meeting. Peter could accepted what Eduardo suggested. May be Eduardos Iowa trip could promote the two companies agreement. References Creegan, J. K. (2012). The Argentines Descended from the Boats: Migration in Argentina Retrieved from: http://www.argentinaindependent.com/top-story/the-argentines-descended-from-the-boats-migration-in-argentina/ Durrer, H. (2006). Ways of Perception. On Visual and Intercultural Communication. White Lotus Press, Bangkok, 2006, ISBN 974-4800-92-5. Anonymous. (2014). What about Argentina? The Hofstede Centre. Retrieved from: http://geert-hofstede.com/argentina.html

Defining Environmental Philosophy Essay -- Environmental Philosophy En

Defining Environmental Philosophy The Greek word 'philosophy' means literally the (filial) love of wisdom. But 'wisdom' is not a commonly used word in our society so we need to make some effort to locate its meaning. What is indicated by the tradition in which philosophy seeks wisdom rather than merely knowledge or justified belief? While Plato and Aristotle did not agree on the basis of wisdom, they clearly did agree that wisdom is acquired with age and that it transcends mere knowledge about the objects surrounding us in the perceived world. Without stretching the issue too far, I also think it can be said that they agreed that wisdom, in the end, is fundamentally moral. It is not surprising, then, that contrasting wisdom with knowledge usually finds our examples of wisdom on the side of suggesting how something should be dealt with best. Consider a simple example. The courses in a particular department have been scheduled at specific times and in particular places. There is much in this matter that we can know or at least have justified belief about. We can know the scheduled times and places by reading in the official course schedule; and we can believe that the chair of the department got the assignments to the Registrar of the college on time so that they could be included in the schedule. On the other han d, whether or not the department has acted wisely in making these choices transcends the facts of the matter and requires deeper consideration of many issues. It should be clear, in saying this, that "acting wisely" means acting for the best. How can we ever know what "acting for the best" is in a given situation? If we carry the example, above, a little further, we can get some ideas. The selection of a particul... ...n to pose them. First, are there values to us in identifying and studying natural environments? Hence, does preservation of natural environments matter? Second, is there an ethics of balance in which humans are mutually involved with all the other objects of the world? As mentioned earlier, I believe that many of the answers will be found in literature and art before they are found in the arguments of professional philosophers. And the reason for this is that writers and artists have taken the lead in trying to understand the nature of land as a "place" and in trying to understand the nature of place as human "home." Ethics is essentially a conversation. To include nature in ethical conversations demands a vocabulary of nature --- hence, a keen awareness, detailing of observations, and an enthusiasm for description of the natural world that environs and includes us.

Leadership and Learning

In his life, the writer of this paper was able to know several leaders who are both supportive and excellent in their own ways of leadership. As a result, the writer decided to take bits of their styles to learn from and implement into his own eclectic style. Yes, basing from experience, even the bad leaders have something to teach the present learning of the new leaders of this era, certainly, they unintentionally show us what not to do. Looking back to reflect on his learning’s has enlightened the author of this paper to a plethora of areas in which the writer himself incorporated small aspects of how each of the leaders in his past have managed their employees and company. The style that the writer has come up with is one that he intends to use to produce quality management in his workplace. As for a fact, quality leadership is very important in almost any organization. The author of this paper thus defines quality leadership, or effective leadership as the innate ability to consistently motivate a staff of employees towards attaining the objective of an envisioned mission statement. However, several books authored by different leaders have many definitions of the term leadership. Within the content of this paper, the writer will illustrate the key components of quality leadership and the approaches that are taken in order to achieve it, including the different leadership styles and managerial traits. The writer will also elaborate on the plan to implement the knowledge that he has gained from the class and how it will benefit organization as well. Where to begin In order to evaluate what styles to implement, the writer needed to determine what theories and approaches would benefit him in upholding the mission statement in his current position. An organization trying to live up to its mission statement needs individuals who are effective and competent leaders. Thus, in order to have good leaders,   an organization has to have a clear and concise vision as to where it wants to be. As stated in the text, â€Å"like definitions of leadership, conceptions of leadership effectiveness differ from one writer to another† (Yukl, 2006, 9). In the writer’s perspective, an effective leader must recognize what is minor and what needs to be strongly improved within the existing management and leadership systems within an organization. In order to attain the level of quality and effectiveness that the organization deems acceptable, certain behaviors must be displayed. These characteristics should be congruent to being more proficient in pursuing and achieving the objectives of the entire organization. The first behavior to be discussed is the participative leadership. This style of leadership works extremely well in a setting such as the correctional facility that the author of this paper is working with. This approach as indicated by the book, â€Å"participative leadership, delegation and empowerment are subjects that bridge the power and behavior approaches to leadership† (Yukl, 2006, 82). This style can be exercised in particular, through engaging oneself in a constant dialogue with his peers, subordinates, administrators, team members, and outside treatment providers. As an effective leader using participative leadership, the writer would continually ask questions, probing all levels of the facility for input to ensure that everyone feels empowered and involved. This particular approach has worked well for the author thus far; as for a fact, it has earned the respect of his subordinates and peers as well towards his position in the organization. Earning respect has created a record of success that has propelled the author into a new position with higher responsibility in the face of uncertainty. Being a participative leader has allowed him a little breathing room in a period of upheaval at his own facility. Using this approach has instilled self-confidence in the writer’s subordinates, making them effective followers (Yukl, 2006, 137). Having effective followers has led to a decline in late night emergency calls, or calls to deal with otherwise trivial issues with a youth or any client that the organization deals with particularly. The staff now being effective followers will take the initiative and make decisions to deal with these trivial issues. Participative leadership is the main ingredient for the writer’s successful management style. There are other contributing factors as well. Creative visioning and creating a verbal picture of expectations, instilling belief in my abilities, and influencing others to commit to maintaining our mission statement are some of the other factors attributed to my success. All these procedures coupled with a willingness to take risks, especially when faced with adversity is the recipe for an environment conducive to efficiency. Power and influence Another area of concentration to becoming a more effective leader would be the area of power and influence. In order for the writer to continue on his path to a successful career, he certainly needs to be open to new ideas, insights, and revelations that can lead to better ways of accomplishing goals. He also needs to have control over the type of power that the writer chooses and thus exercise in actual leadership performance to employ at different times. There are five base types of power in the French and Raven power model, which includes reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, and referent power. Reward power would work in attempting to maintain fidelity in the use of our evidence based curriculum as it would allow the writer the ability to reward staff members who accept the directives that the leader particularly placed on them. It may take the form of praise, cash, a good review, recommendations, choice of the next assignment, or any number of things that encourage the desired behavior from a staff member. Coercive power could prove useful as it is the opposite of reward power, but would be used differently than discipline because it is personal where discipline may not be much applicable enough to improve the organization’s structure. The subordinate can learn from discipline, where coercive power does not provide an opportunity for employee improvement by learning. Coercive power threatens subordinates with something unpleasant or even stressful so that staff will submit to the directives given. This is a power that would be used as little as possible, due to the detrimental effects it has on the respect for the leader. In the daily milieu at the writer’s facility’s legitimate power is very important because this is in compliance of the social conditioning. Most employees have the notion of rank, which is a designation of who has power over whom. This has advantages because it decreases the second-guessing of assignments and directives because employees feel obligated to comply. The next type of power expert power is one that is frequently employed by the author of this paper. This is the power that comes from knowledge and experience that is appropriate for the current situation. For example, a physician has expert power over patients due to the years and years of education, training, and practice that he or she has completed. This same individual may not have expert power in other areas, such as administration or management. Individuals with expert power may need to adjust their approach in situations where they do not have expertise, but are expected to lead. When a problem arises on the living unit and the author of this paper is called in, to make a decision, he enters a situation where he is in a position to use expert power. This is due to his years of experience, and the many training seminars he has attended over the years. This is the reason why this particular leadership power is one of the most effective preferences of the writer. Last but certainly not least is referent power. As a leader with referent power, that author is the one that others refer to In particularly owing mutual respect. This respect comes from a successful record of accomplishment over a period of time involving common interests between individuals. This is why subordinates according to the text, â€Å"comply because he/she admires or identifies with the agent and wants to gain the agent’s approval† (Yukl, 2006, 148). Having a proven record of achievements carries a tremendous amount of influence with subordinates as well as with colleagues. This mutual respect is paramount in having a positive and productive work environment. Having said all of that, the writer finds himself deciding to implement each of these types of power in order to achieve his goal of having an eclectic style of leadership. Now more than ever the writer needs to employ many different approaches and styles into his daily managerial duties. With all of the recent chaos in the writer’s facility, he has found himself behind the eight ball so to speak. The writer feels that it is important to implement all five of the different kinds of power so that he can be proficient in the appropriate use of power and have a positive influence over his subordinates. Gaining and maintaining influence over employees is a difficult task if the leader is not careful. In this situation the writer would have to first visualize specific, measurable and attainable tasks that when achieved, will allow the writer to feel affecting and appreciated by others as being a positive influence. Next, the writer would need to identify the tools, or resources, that he already possesses as an influential leader. These resources would be the factors that assist in displaying my knowledge or power in a situation. Unfortunately, due to modesty and lack of awareness many leaders do not use or are even aware of the internal tools at their disposal. In this case, the writer is well aware of his internal resources to increase his influence positively over my subordinates. Some of the tools that the writer has at his disposal are intelligence, good judgment, knowledge of the industry, past success in institutional settings, and of course charisma. In order to achieve success in using the internal tools the writer has, he would need to use proactive influence tactics (Yukl, 2006, 166). To do this the author of this paper would implement rational persuasion first. This technique involves managing his subordinates using valid, rational reasoning. When addressing employees, the writer would carefully in a clear, unemotional and orderly manner, explain issues, ideas and protocols. Then he would be sure to solicit their questions and concerns, then explain any uncertainties and proposed discrepancies in a manner that they could easily comprehend. Remaining unemotional about the objectives that need to be achieved, the subordinates would come to regard the writer as an effective leader. The Multiple linkage model gives a great starting point for growth. To be a good leader, the author of this paper must know his subordinates and be aware of their abilities, and knowledge of the task. A clear and concise job description needs to be provided for the employees to ensure clarity. As the leader, the writer would need to define the roles of subordinates and direct them on what, how, when and where to do different duties. The need for a set criterion for employees to follow is essential as Max DePree states in his text, â€Å"at times in business, the congruence of principles and practice-or their incongruence-comes sharply into focus† (DePree, 2004, 113). In laymen’s terms the defined guidelines need to be clearly defined and enforced.  Ã‚   Using this style, writer would influence subordinates to internalize the values and beliefs of the organization. Then over a period of time the subordinates would develop the desired skills and traits through choice and training. This, along with the styles, theories and approaches discussed earlier will help the writer to develop into an effective leader who through learning will have a powerful influence over the subordinates under him. Conclusion This course has given the writer many different tools that he can implement at a moment’s notice, to help him become an effective leader in his own organization.   This will have a tremendous impact on his professional life particularly in helping him in continuously upholding his integrity in his profession. This will also help him maintain congruence and consistency in his personal life. The writer has come to realize that there is no secret recipe or any formula to become an effective leader. It is a process of trial and error, successes and failures. Thus, the author of this paper can never stop trying, and with practice, he will certainly increase his chances of success in leadership by absorbing all the information that is passed on to him by other leaders who ought to inspire him continuously. It is important for the writer to remember that no one style of leadership is appropriate for every occasion or situation. In addition, the author of this paper must ensure his awareness of a situation and how others perceive his approach. There must be readiness to choose the leadership style that is the most appropriate for the occasion. When a leader has the proper tools in place to effectively run a department, or facility they can use these tools for guiding the organization towards its mission statement. Since beginning this class my awareness of how remarkable the art of leadership is has grown immensely. The writer can now say without a doubt that he has chosen the correct career path. References: DePree, Max. (2004) Leadership is an art; New York, NY: Random House Inc. Yukl, Gary. (2006) Leadership in Organizations; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.               

Everest Report Essay

The Everest simulation is a group and team exercise that encourage us to play a unique role of a team of hikers, attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The simulation is designed so that members are dependent on each other and are encouraged to work collectively in order to achieve the highest team goal outcome possible whiles simultaneously completing as much personal goals as the members can. The purpose of the report is to anyalyse the team experience while applying a range of subjects, concepts and theories that is learnt in the course â€Å"managing people and organization† to out experience, illustrating the 1. Group and teams 2. Power and Conflict 3. attitudes, perception and personality The simulation requires team members to be able to lead, to participate and to communicate and motivate each other effectively while making critical decisions in response to different situations and circumstances in each stages of the simulation while considering the different information each members received and the conflicting or opposing interests of each members. The experience gives us a first-hand insight into working as a team, it has enabled us to identify the benefits and the potential problem of working in a team or work group in the contemporary and dynamic business environment. We experience how conflict, power, collective thinking, and attitudes can be managed and influence to either benefit the team performance or hinder it. The Everest group simulation is a web-based simulation/ exercise produced by the Harvard Business School Where five or six students are placed into a formal group and each are assigned individual, unique and vital role to play by the system. Additionally, each individuals are given specific goals/mission in respect to their roles. The students are encouraged to work collectively as a team of hikers attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest, whilst completing as many team and individual goals as they possibly can. The simulation covers a range of subjects, concepts and theories that is learnt in the course â€Å"managing people and organization†, illustrating the 4. Group and teams 5. Power and Conflict 6. attitudes, perception and personality The simulation requires team members to be able to lead, to participate and to communicate and motivate each other effectively while making critical decisions in response to different situations and circumstances in each stages of the simulation while considering the different information each members received and the conflicting or opposing interests of each members. GROUPS AND TEAMS Using Tucker’s five stages of group devleopment as the basis on describing the Everest Simulation. The forming stage began when every students were randomly assigned to a temporary team of 5 or 6 for the purpose of completing the everest simulation. During the tutorial, the team members had the chance to briefly introduced themselves and then proceed to discussing the team contract and at the end, members exchanged personal information as described by Tuckman (Maples 2008) . There was anxiety as we were stangers at first, curiosity of how the simulation experience will look like, and positive expectation for the team, as desrcibed by Lacoursiere and Spitz (Tuckman 1977). It is important to note that when using Tucker’s five stages of group development(Tuckman 1977) to describe our team experience, our team did not proceed sequentially from one stage to the next ie. from forming to storming, norming performing and lastly adjourning, as described by Tucker (Tuckman 1977). Rather, our group tends to occasionally regress back to previous stages of group development; as our team is always moving back and forth between the storming, norming and performing stage. The storming stage occured when our team were discussing the team contract. This stage is described by Tuckman as characterised of intragroup conflict (Tuckman 1977) For example, Everyone had their own opinions on which communication tool to use before, during and after the simulation and had their own preference on the location to meetup to run the simulation. We proceed to the norming stage when conflict of opinions are identified during the team contract. Noting that we were all strangers, the team contract discussion went smoothly as everyone was demonstrating a positive attitude and behaviour with agreeableness driven by the desire to get along and to be accepted by one another, and to avoid any serious potential conflict.Tuckman described this procces as devleoping group cohesion (Tuckman 1977) (Maples 2008) .The day and time to meet for the simulation was established rather quick as no one was traveling or had conflicting schedule. Although there were few suggestions of location to meet up prior the simulation, a solution came up rather quickly. The team decided to use communication tool, i.e. mobile phone or email before and after the  simulation as to discuss any further issues/problem prior and after the simulation. However most of the time our communication is via email. For the day of the simulation, the whole team member agreed on meeting and communicating face to face. We regressed back to the storming stage when prior to the first stage of the simulation, roles are given to us i.e. Leader, Marathon runner, environmentalist, photographer, physician and observer; and individual and team goals are assigned. In this stage, new problems and issues are addressed and conflicting opinions are voiced out by each member. i.e. How is the team going to simultaneously meet the team goals and personal goals as well as reaching the summit while avoiding being rescue. We move forward to the norming stage again when when roles and relationship has been accepted and familiarized, and personal goals has been reviewed as described by Tuckman (Maples 2008); team contract was also refereed back to in order to remind some members of how we are going to proceed throughout the simulation. During this stage, there was cohesiveness, cooperation and collaboration as described by Maples (maples 2008) between members as everyone wanted to achieve our primary goal of reaching the summit as a team. Our team undergo the performing stage when completing round 1 of the simulation after problem have been solved and final decision have been made (maples 2008). However, our team regressed back to the storming stage when new problems occurred at round 2 and new conflicting opinions are raised by team members. This trend of going back and forth between storming and performing stage continue to occur as our team progresses to each new rounds, new problems are presented such as frostbite or changing health condition forcing our team to regressed back to the storming stage. Unfortunately the end results of team goals and my individual goals indicated a bad performance by our team. This is the adjourning stage of our temporary group where the Everest simulation is completed, roles and duties are terminated as described by Tuckman (Maples 2008), and the members are concern with the disengagement and termination of the group as described by Braaten (Tuckman 1977). To some  members, there is some sense of achievement i.e. 2 out of 5 reached the summit, to others, there might be some sense of regret as we know we could of done better. After the simulation, we continue to discuss about the simulation experience via email and face to face. Analysis on experience based on groups and teams It was beneficial that our team agree to meet face-to-face rather than communicating virtually when running the simulation. It reflects the fact that our team is considered a future team described by Algae as having little experience as an intact team or share no past history with team members but expects to have an extended future with fellow members. (Algae 2003) Furthermore, the simulation is designed so that each members are interdependent of each other due to their roles and task in the simulation; as a result, our team is motivated to be open and trusting with one another during the simulation and tend to share information prior the simulation and during the early stages of the simulation similar to the argument of Algae. (Algae 2003) Our team has also set certain standards and norms during our team contract discussion which members are expected to follow, i.e. expected individual attendance, being punctual and participate and engage in discussion and active listening; we believe that the later(participation) will benefit our team decision-making process during the simulation. While our team tends to be open and communicative during the early stages by expressing their opinions and generating diverse alternatives for decision making, we tend to be less engage in decision making during the later stages of the simulation. Consequently, 3 out of 5 of our members were rescued off the mountain after round 3. I suspect that we have fallen into the trap of group-think where some of the members adopt an agreeableness personality and therefore may have contribute to poor decision making as described by Charles (Charles 1997). As we are a self-managing team, evidently we tend to be cohesive and emphasized excessively on majority voting and support our team goals rather than our own personal opinion therefore contributing to  the occurrence of group-think, and this is similary argued in Charles article (Charles 1997) Additionally, I felt that we have also forgotten about the team contract and the norm that we have set which states we must contribute to the decision-making process, as we do not occasionally refer back to the contract. What could have been done to reduce group-think is to develop a strong group norm/culture that values debate and disagreement from group members and to continuously promote and encourage team-think characterized of divergent views, open expression and discussion of collective doubts (Charles 1997). Power and Conflict Analysis of experience based on power and conflict To what extent of power each member has wasn’t important as members were treated with equal importance as the simulation is designed so that we are interdependent on each other. Furthermore, we agreed to adopt a shared leadership therefore everyone would feel equal, valued and involved. Although the leader was assigned to have the higher power due to his higher position in the hierarchy within the team, team members did not express any concern or demonstrate any negative attitude in response to his role. According to Bachrach, Baratz and Dahl, power is define as the ability to influence others to do something that it would not otherwise have done (politis 2005). By accepting this definition, our team did not exercised power enough to promote conflict during the simulation. Our team tends to hold a strong traditional view of conflict where conflict is seen as a problem that should be minimize or suppressed rather than the contemporary view of conflict where differences in opinions, alternatives and opposing views can be a positive sign teams in terms of decision making, as stated by Hellriegel (Darling 2001). As a result, our team only engaged in numerous minor level of conflict. For example, during the team contract discussion, members freely and comfortably expressed their different opinions of locations that they find suitable to meet up. The fact that we  are all strangers, gives us the incentive to avoid high level of conflict that may offend personal feelings and threaten relationships. As we progress through further rounds, I notice how it took a relatively shorter amount of time to make the final decisions in response to new problems and to proceed to the further stages. For example, when distributing the canister prior to proceed to the summit, there wasn’t a single opposing view by any of the other team members. This may indicate that the team members have continuously avoid conflict. Consequently, we did not achieve a high proportion of our team goals and my own personal goals. This trend supports Chen’s study and Song’s argument that adopting an avoiding conflict management behavior reduces team’s innovation performance. (Chen 2012) Culture may also play a part in our attitude towards conflict as we are all of Asian heritage; as Chen argued that â€Å"Chinese managers rely on an avoiding style because of their relatively high value on conformity and tradition; but US managers rely more on a competing style because of their relatively high value on individual achievement.† (Chen 2012) Something that is noteworthy from our team experience is the connection between avoiding conflict management and group-think which both occurred during our simulation, Cheng argued that adopting an avoiding behavior makes it very difficult for team to create open discussions or generate alternatives for decision making as seen in our team experience and therefore leads to the occurrence of group-thinks. (Chen 2012) As a result, What was lacking in our team is the persistent promotion of conflict in the later stages of the simulation; Consequently, it lead to a avoiding behavior and higher occurrence of group-think. Amason noted 2 types of conflict, cognitive conflict, that improve team’s effectiveness by encouraging team members to participate in decision making and generate variety of ideas and opinions; and affective conflict, that hinders team effectiveness by provoking hostility and distrust among members. (Amason 1995). The leader should have consider using his legitimate  power to promote cognitive conflict and encouraged members to comfortably and freely voice out objection or opinions. As I identify myself as an introvert, I tend to have a habit of not voicing out my opinion or express my view that may be in conflict with the other members decisions; this has happen in some occasion during the simulation. For example, when the environmentalist and myself are both in a weak condition, the doctor suggest that medicine should be given to the environmentalist and I agree without considering the situation for myself and the environmentalist. Another example, is when the leader announce the distribution of canister, I didn’t question his method however I was concern; consequently I did not make it to the summit as I ran out of oxygen. As Webb hypothesized, extroverted persons would participate more actively in group interaction than would introverted persons (Webb 1982) I find myself valuing personal feelings in surface level and tend to have strong view about traditional conflict therefore have the urge to avoid conflict. Attitudes, Perception and Personality Analysis of experience based on attitude, perception and personality During early stages of the simulation, our team was demonstrating a positive personality and attitude towards the simulation and other team members with openness and trust. Consequently, We were promoting organizational citizenship behavior(OCB) while simultaneously avoiding any workplace misbehavior. This is supported by Chiaburu findings that emotional stability, extraversion and openness promote higher citizenship relative to conscientiousness and agreeableness (Chiaburu 2011). This behaviors was partly due to the fact that the simulation was a one off event and therefore there is no second chances if we make a potential mistake due to any misbehavior; we don’t want to mess up or leave a bad impression especially since we are considered as future teams with no past history or relationship with each other(algae 2003). Another reason may be that we are all from an Asian heritage and therefore we tend to relate to each other easily. One of the problem with the design of the simulation is that the roles were assign to us without our preferences. Therefore the leader was unable to consider our personality and values that would best fit the 6 available roles and unable to initiate structure, that is, defining and structuring roles of group members ( Kerr 1974) For example, the observer was more involved in decision making and had a more proactive personality in comparison to myself and therefore may have done a better performance if assigned to another role. Although her role exclude her from running the simulation, she tend to be highly involved and felt that she had gain a job satisfaction. What some of the members such as myself lack is a proactive personality and attitude in later stages. This pro-activity that is characterized of people who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action. Perception can be a dangerous factor that may have hinder our team outcomes. Although there wasn’t a time limit established for the simulation, our team perceived a time limit for the simulation therefore felt a need to rush in the process. Evidently, in late stages, we tend to accept choices straight away without coming up with alternatives, decision making felt relatively faster as we progress through further rounds. In some occasions, information is perceived as of no relevance or we tend to underestimate or overlook the information given. For example, we think too highly of our health status and as long as we are not critical, we will be fine. Consequently we ignored the frostbite warning, our doctor got rescued due to a severe frostbite. The members also perceived that the leader know what is best for the team and has experience leading, and therefore we do not voice out. The same example, when our leader was distributing the canister, no one question his judgment. However, little do we know that the leader may be inexperience or have limited knowledge like us in regards to leading as he was only given the role during the simulation and had no time to plan. Additionally, while our team tends to be more analytical and calculative in the early stages, our team tends to be more risk taking in the later stage;  For example, we have strong support for our goal to reach the summit as a team rather than sacrificing any of our members therefore canister was distributed to everyone however subconsciously, I knew that both me and the environmentalist wouldn’t make in with the limited canister, neither me nor her would wish to offend each other by asking one another to sacrifice , as a result, both me and the environmentalist ran out of oxygen . Conclusion The Everest simulation was a beneficial experience by providing me insights into the team environment. Through the simulation, our team was able to apply theories and knowledge learned from the course Mgmt 1001 to practical use in team situations, demonstrating the relevance and logic behind these theories. The experience has enable us to identify the benefits and the potential problem of working in a team or work group. The benefit includes effective communication, collective thinking, cognitive conflict, generating diverse alternatives and opinions while the potential problem includes ineffective communication, conformity, group-think and affective conflict. Ultimately, it depends on the teams ability to manage this issues in order to achieve high performance and effective decision making..

The Dynamics of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency †Health Essay

The Dynamics of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency – Health Essay Free Online Research Papers The Dynamics of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency Health Essay Alcohol is an extremely dangerous substance, not only does it do a lot of damage to the drinker physically and emotionally, it also harms others around them such as family, friends and the society in general (Gmel, Rehm, 2003). This essay will look at the dynamics of alcohol, addiction, past and present approaches of alcoholism and the neurological networks of alcoholism. According to Steve M. (2000) â€Å"alcoholism is a dynamic and progressive illness, which may take years and even decades to develop into an easily identifiable condition.† Alcoholism appears to have three main stages that show the gradual step toward alcoholism. These stages consist of exposure or experimentation, which is almost like the first introduction to alcohol, many people are usually under the legal age when they first learn about or have a taste of alcohol. The second is learned, habitual-behavioural reliance, this is the stage when alcohol is used to party, relax, flirt or even reward oneself. The last is chronic dependency; this is when alcohol dependency is stretched out over a long period of time (Steve M, 2000). These stages are all different, yet they all have some sort of similarities that overlap each other which can make it hard to see what stage a person maybe up to or past for that matter (Steve M, 2000). Medical Library (2003) states that â€Å"Addiction is a dependence on a behaviour or substance that a person is powerless to stop.† There are many factors that influence an addiction these are such things as genetic factors, drugs, some which are generally more addictive then others, or social learning meaning that the environment in which one is in may have a major influence on an addiction (Medical Library, 2003). Addiction is extremely hard to break for some people and takes a lot of will power. There are two main types of addiction the first being substance addiction, which include alcohol, smoking, illegal and legal drugs. The second is process addiction this includes excessive shopping and spending money, over eating, or even gambling (Medical Library, 2003). There have been many different approaches to alcoholism over the years, this is because there is always new research and ideas found that helps in understanding alcohol, how it may occur in people and why it does in some and not others. In the past alcoholism has been seen as a moral disorder, therefore people who where classified as alcoholics had been considered to have a weak character (Steve M, 2000). Yet it is not only society who thought this of alcoholics it was also the church and AA. Although society now accepts different theories on alcoholism, the church and AA still believe in the past theories and perceptions, as they believe that alcoholism can only be over come through â€Å"spiritual awakening and the belief in god and a higher power† (Steve M, 2000). The more modern approach to alcoholism is that it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, alcoholism doesn’t care who it attacks, just like diabetes, you could be wealthy or poor, married or not married it doesn’t matter. Research now shows that genetics and environmental factors play a major part in alcohol and it addictiveness, it is believed that it is easily past down through generations of families (Medical Library, 2003). In the last thirty years of research the theory that genetics play a part in alcoholism has been proven. One type of research done to prove this theory was that of adopted children. It showed that children who had alcoholism through out their biological families and who were separated at birth from their parents seemed to have a higher risk of becoming addicted to alcohol then other children in the same situation whose biological parents where not alcoholics (Cross, 2004). Dopamine is a substance produced in the body which gives a feeling of well being when it is stimulated, so when there is a deficiency in dopamine in the body the opposite will happen. The theory in relation to alcohol is that people with a deficiency in dopamine are more likely to drink alcohol as it stimulates dopamine production and gives a sense of pleaser (Peele, 2004). The neurological networks of alcoholism have been shown to be a major part of the modern approaches to alcohol abuse and dependency; this is because it traces the path of alcohol through the body, allowing researchers to see what effects alcohol has on the brain. Alcohol works on neurotransmitters, the dopamine system is affected the most. This neurotransmitter is the one which provides the pleaser rush felt by people in life. It is what makes eating and drinking feel so good (Steve M, 2000). When there is a deficiency in dopamine the body has to find other ways to get pleaser and therefore will find anything that gives a good feeling. This is where alcohol plays a part as it stimulates more dopamine receptors and makes that body feel that alcohol is an important substance and that it needs it constantly (Steve M, 2000). Alcoholism is an illness that many people in this society suffer from whether one believes the past approach or the present. Alcohol and its dynamics are extremely large and sometimes complicated as it can stem into other illness and therefore become an even larger problem. It can weave its self through the physical and psychological traits and there for be an unclear illness (NIAAA, 2001) . References Cross, C., The welcome trust. Genes and alcoholism (2004). Retrieved October 7, 2004, from wellcome.ac.uk/en/genome/genesandbody/hg06f013.html Gmel, G., Rehm, J. (2003). Harmful alcohol use. Alcohol Research Health, 27(1), 52-62. Medical Library, Addiction (2003). Retrieved October 7, 2004, from chclibrary.org/micromed/00036220.html National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism getting the Facts (2001). Retrieved October 8, 2004, from niaaa.nih.gov/publications/booklet.htm SOS, Factors in the causation development of Alcoholism. (2000). Retrieved October 7, 2004, from secularsobriety.org/causes.html The Stanton peele addiction website (2004). Retrieved October 8, 2004, from peele.net/faq/p3waves.html Research Papers on The Dynamics of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependency - Health EssayThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic EngineeringBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAW

Measurement Issues Associated With Conditional Reasoning Tests Indirect Measurement and Test Faking

Measurement Issues Associated With Conditional Reasoning Tests Indirect Measurement and Test Faking The purpose of the study This is a comprehensive study of the psychical attributes of behavior in organizations. The study aims at exploring a new methodology that has been developed to aid in analyzing and assessing the hidden motives behind behavioral patterns of organizational employees. According to the authors of the article, Conditional Reasoning Tests are favorable since they reduce cognitive biases in the measurement of hidden motives.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Measurement Issues Associated With Conditional Reasoning Tests: Indirect Measurement and Test Faking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The biases are associated with the ancient self-report surveys that have been used for an extended period. Conditional Reasoning Tests utilize indirect measurements that help to reduce the chances of a person knowing that his or her personality is being subjected to a test. According to the authors of the article, Conditional Reasoning Tests are used to measure an attribute of organizational behavior that is critical, yet it has been sidelined for a long time by corporate managers. While CRTs avoid measuring the mental capabilities of employees in organizations, they are designed to unearth the motivations behind certain behaviors that are exhibited by organizational employees. Such behaviors are founded in the personalities of individuals and steer the kind of responses and actions that they take in the organization (LeBreton et al., 2007). LeBreton et al. (2007) seek to ascertain that Conditional Reasoning Tests are subjected to measurement issues that are bound to affect the manner in which the tests are portrayed by the respondents. Therefore, the study is split into three tests that are aimed at exploring all the measurement issues that come with CRTs. The first study focused on the essence of sticking to indirect assessments in the administration of CRTs. The second study explored the possibility of result faking by the respondents when the assessment purpose was withheld. The third study focused on the comparison of tests for aggression in CRTs. The argument in the study As observed in the preceding section, the researchers in this article aimed at exploring the seemingly newer method of determining the behavioral patterns of employees by factoring the relative test of personality without the knowledge of the respondents or the employees. The authors dwell on two main perspectives of applying the Conditional Reasoning Tests in organizations. These are the relevance of holding to indirect assessments while applying the tests and the implication of withholding assessment tests on the nature and validity of responses that are given by the respondents. The authors also try to bring out the essence of utilizing the Conditional Reasoning Tests in organizations, as well as the issue of managing impression in organizations as it comes out in traditional methods of manag ing behaviors in organizations like self-report surveys.Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An exploration of literature by the employees indicates tendencies by the employees to justify their behaviors even when such behaviors appear to be irrational to other people (LeBreton et al., 2007).  According to the authors, the variation in the behaviors of individuals has a profound effect on the work practices within organizations. This reiterates the need to determine the causative factors for the conduct of employees. This is what is explored by the authors in the article. Hidden elements of individual personalities play a critical role in shaping the nature of actions and interactions of people in organizations. The hidden elements of personality can be effectively brought out through the application of Conditional Reasoning Tests as opposed to the use of self-report surveys , which seem overrated in the contemporary psychological organizations (LeBreton et al., 2007). Findings of the research The structuring of the research into different parts helped to ascertain the varied degrees of the validity of the application of CRTs in determining the motivational factors behind certain behaviors. The findings of the research point to the fact that Conditional Reasoning Tests are more efficient that self-report surveys as they depict the influence of personalities of individuals on latent motives behind their behaviors. Individual reasoning, which has a profound impact on the behavior of an individual, is shaped by the inward personality of the individual depicted by the level of aggression. Individuals with higher levels of aggression portray behaviors that are bound to be harmful to other employees, yet they still seek to rationalize the set of behaviors that they represent. Such individuals are called justifiers who are identified through the deployment of the Justification of Aggression Scale used in CRTs. The findings indicate that there is no relationship between the cognitive ability of an individual and the conditional reasoning test (LeBreton et al., 2007). LeBreton et al. (2007) observe that the disclosure of the assessments’ purpose in CRTs results in the faking of responses and it is undesirable in identifying the underlying motives for behavior. The study indicates that the nature of response to self-personality survey reports by job seekers and the incumbent employees is not isomorphic to the character of employees. Employees are bound to fake their behavior when they learn of the real purpose of the CRTs. Faking is highly minimized in CRTs when indirect measurement is embraced. This makes the CRTs attain the attribute of identifying the reasons behind certain behaviors and the modalities of controlling such actions.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Measurement Issues Associated With Conditi onal Reasoning Tests: Indirect Measurement and Test Faking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Relating the outcomes of the study to the workplace The contemporary workplace is confronted with a lot of issues, most of which emanate from the behavior of employees in organizations. This study explores a founded model of identifying the psychological motivators of the actions of people in organizations. Organizational behavior is a crucial attribute of organizational performance that implies the essence of understanding the behavior of employees by corporate managers. The employees are considered to be critical resources in the discharge of organizational practices, thus identifying and moderating the behaviors of employees is a crucial determiner of the mood of a given workplace. Understanding the personality of employees through the deployment of Conditional Reasoning Tests can help in understanding the characters of employees. This determines t he individual and interactive behavior of organizational employees. This means that this study is useful to organizational managers, especially the managers who deal with human resource development (LeBreton et al. 2007). How the study can be integrated in the employee selection process Employers continuously seek employees who can match certain tasks in organizations. It is, therefore, important to determine the employees who are best suitable to perform given tasks if an organization wants to attain a desirable level of performance. The process of recruitment is important in any organization since it determines the nature of employees who are captured by an organization. This study depicts a model that can be used to ascertain the personality of recruits, as described in the recruitment process in organizations. Most employees have a tendency of hiding specific attributes of behavior when seeking employment opportunities in organizations. In such cases, an organization may be pred isposed to the practice of such employees later. To avoid such a situation, Conditional Reasoning Tests can be applied as a way of developing a platform on which the behavior of employees can be determined by the managers of the company. Individuals who are highly aggressive can be assigned to tasks that match such level of aggression as determined by the CRTs. Continuous assessment of the personality of employees is critical because contemporary organizations exhibit a high level of dynamism that may sway the behavior of employees. Personality profiles for given sets of jobs can be easily set by basing on the findings of this research. With conditional reasoning tests, the faking personality test results are highly reduced (LeBreton et al., 2007).Advertising Looking for report on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weakness of using only using self-report personality This research attempts to exhibit the validity of utilizing Conditional Reasoning Tests as opposed to the use of self-report personality, which is considered to be inefficient in determining the personality of individuals and their influence on underlying motives and behaviors. The explicit use of self-reports is subjected to some weaknesses that raise the rate of faking results in personality tests. Self-report surveys directly measure the personality attributes of individuals; thus, the level of faking of personality results is quite high. Self-report personality tests have been found to portray results that do not reflect the real personalities of individuals, thereby predisposing organizations to fake characters. Feelings, thoughts, motives and attitudes of individuals tend to be hidden by the individuals who seek to protect some attributes of their behavior. Specific self-report personality tests may take a relatively long ti me, resulting in the loss of interest and tiredness on the side of the employees and causing them to give incorrect responses. Therefore, it can be argued that such tests are subjected to either good faking or bad faking (LeBreton et al., 2007). Reference LeBreton, J. M. et al. (2007). Measurement issues associated with conditional reasoning tests: indirect measurement and test faking. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 1-16.

The Simple Guide to Effectively Describing The Setting of Your Story

The Simple Guide to Effectively Describing The Setting of Your Story How to Describe the Setting of a Story Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. One of the toughest nuts for any novelist to crack is where to start. How do I know? Well, two-thirds of my 192 published books are novels, so I’ve faced this dilemma nearly 130 times. Trust me, it doesn’t get easier. But there are common errors to avoid. I know because I’ve made them. And because I love asking agents and editors what mistakes they see in beginners’ manuscripts. Ready for the most common error? The apparent feeling that you must start by describing the setting of your story. Setting is important; don’t get me wrong. But we’ve all been sent napping by novels whose covers and titles promise to transport us, and yet begin with some variation of: The house sat in a deep wood surrounded by†¦ Gag. Pro tip: Readers have little patience for description. In fact, they often skip it to get to the action. If your main question is how to describe the setting, I have a simple answer: Don’t. But, you say, I have to establish where we are and set the scene, don’t I? Yes. Like any other reader, I like to get an immediate feel for where and when things take place. But we writers make a mistake when we make that- describing the setting- a separate element. If you do it at the beginning, you should do it for every scene in a different setting, right? Sorry, but that will quickly transport your reader from slumber to death. Well, you say, how do I set the scene without describing it? You don’t. But you make description part of the narrative, part of the story. It will become almost invisible, because mentions of what things look and feel and sound like will register in the theater of the readers’ minds, but they will be concentrating on the action, the dialogue, the tension and drama and conflict that keep them turning the pages. In the end they won’t remember how you worked in everything they needed to fully enjoy the experience. Consider these setting examples: Describing the setting of a story before starting the action: London in the 1860s was a cold, damp, foggy city crisscrossed with cobblestone streets and pedestrians carefully dodging the droppings of steeds that pulled all manner of public conveyance. One such pedestrian was Lucy Knight, a beautiful, young, unattached woman in a hurry to get to Piccadilly Circus. An eligible bachelor had asked her to meet him there†¦ I shouldn’t have to inform you that such an opening is all telling, no showing, and that the question of how to describe the setting has been answered, but not correctly. Describing the setting by layering it in tothe story: London’s West End, 1862 Lucy Knight mince-stepped around clumps of horse dung as she hurried toward Regent Street. Must not be late, she told herself. What would he think? She carefully navigated the cobblestones as she crossed to hail a Hansom Cab- which she preferred for its low center of gravity and smooth turning. Lucy did not want to appear as if she’s been tossed about in a carriage, especially tonight. â€Å"Not wearin’ a ring, I see,† the driver said as she boarded. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Nice lookin’ lady like yourself out alone after dark in the cold fog†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You needn’t worry about me, sir. I’m only going to the circus.† â€Å"Piccadilly it is, Ma’am.† First, the location tag, flush left before the first paragraph, saves us a lot of narration which can be used to let the story emerge. And yes, the second sample is longer, but that’s because we’re not telling, we’re showing. The reader learns everything about the character from the action and dialogue, rather than from just being told through description. So try the technique you’ve likely heard about since the day you decided to study writing: Show, Don’t Tell You’ll have to remind yourself of this daily for the rest of your life, but once you add it to your writing toolbelt, you’ll find it adds power to your prose and keeps your reader’s interest. The key, as you can see from the examples above, is to layer in your description. Maybe when Lucy meets her new gentleman friend, he grabs her and pulls her into an alley, saying, â€Å"Come here where no one will see us.† There she might scrape her knuckles against a brick wall and wish both hands were free so she could tighten her coat against the wind. Incorporating description that way- showing rather than telling- can alone revolutionize your novel. Apply This Setting Technique Immediately and see how it picks up the pace and adds power. It will force you to highlight only the most important details, triggering the theater of your reader’s mind. If it’s not important enough to become part of the action, your reader won’t miss it anyway. But you’ve read classic novelists who use description exactly the way I’m advising against. What gives? Two things: 1- If those novels were written before TV and movies (let alone smart phones), they were aimed at audiences who loved to take the time to settle in with a book for days at a time. 2- If those novels were written in our generation and still succeeded with that kind of writing, it’s because the author is a master. If you can write at that level, you can break all the rules you want. I can’t, so I’ll stick with what works for today’s readers. How about you? Need help writing your novel?Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Still confused about how to describe the setting of a story? Give me examples from your own work in the comments below.

Successful Implementation of Electronic Health Information Technology Assignment

Successful Implementation of Electronic Health Information Technology - Assignment Example ting the EMR system in the hospital include quick processing of information, accuracy of information, completeness and relevance of information, increased information security based on authentication rules, and data consistency. Today, electronic health records have become an important aspect of a healthcare organization based on its role in successful completion of all tasks using the information appropriately collected, stored, retrieved, and analyzed by the electronic medical record systems. The collected information can be used by different health departments in the decision-making processes. Before actually purchasing and implementing the system, the management of my hospital conducted a survey to know the viewpoints and concerns of all indented users of the system including nurses. This reason behind this was to make every user well-informed about the working and need of the new system, as well as to address the concerns of all users. Nurses were particularly included in the survey because the management believes them to be an important role player in the overall information management system. Nursing personals play a dynamic role in the successful adoption of healthcare information systems (Hsiao, Chang, & Chen, 2011, p. 150). When the system was purchased in our hospital, the management conducted a two-week training program in which all users including nurses were provided with all relevant information about the system. Moreover, the users were also given practical training of using the system. As an end user, I feel that I have played my role in selection and planning of the new HIT system. Several issues can occur if the management does not take into account the concerns of nurses while planning for any new system. For example, if nurses are not informed about the new system before purchasing, the management can never know the exact requirements of the system as the result of which they may need to purchase another system in a short time. Similarly, if

Environmental issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Environmental issue - Research Paper Example EPA is also responsible for introducing water quality standards against which water containments can be measured and its use can be regarded as admissible. According to the statistics provided by EPA, there are more than 160, 000 public water systems that are responsible for providing drinking water to American users (EPA n.p). However, the question arises if this law and its clauses are strict enough to prevent and control contamination of drinking water through nature and man-made resources. One of the major reasons behind drinking water contamination is hydraulic fracturing (Tiemann and Vann 38). Although hydraulic functioning is admissible by many states due to increasing requirement of energy sources however environmental agencies and NGOs have been raising their concerns about effects of drilling and fracturing methods on the nearby water supplies. Along with increasing consumers’ complaints, there have been number of studies that have supported the findings related to n egative impacts of hydraulic fracturing over drinking water. Tiemann and Vann further assert that EPA is responsible for safety of drinking water; therefore it should also be given authority over natural fuels extraction methods. Conflicts between two federal bodies will only result in delays in procedures required for protection of drinking water supply. ... Another reason shared by Duhigg (n.p) behind drinking water contamination is dumping of industrial waste in drinking water reservoirs. However, states do not have the authority to levy any fines or punishments on these industrial units. Hence, suitable authority given to state government is fairly important if EPA and American Federal government wish to secure the drinking water supply (ECOIssues n.p). In addition to that, water contamination is higher due to use of fertilizers and dumping of animal feces in the farms especially in the states where farming is a main source of income. SDWA does not apply to private water suppliers however research of EPA has found strong level of contamination in bottled water supply as well (Duhigg n.p). Another major issue that has lead to low prevention of drinking water contamination is limited authority of EPA on protection of underground resources. Where pumping of environmental CO2 into ground has been projected as a viable solution for green h ouses gases emission and depletion of ozone, there are no major researches that can provide a final verdict over impact of such gas pumping in the ground and its related impact on quality of drinking water (â€Å"Selected Regulatory and Legislative Issues† 20). Another major issue raised by Tiemann is limited infrastructure funding (3). Since public water systems require continuous maintenance and upgrading, the concerned departments and state offices require a consistent flow of funds to meet requirement of SDWA. Failure to do so would result in formation of funding gap that would lead to compromised public water supply. These concerns grow further when communities are involved. Due to high number of public communities, it is difficult for state governments to ensure that SDWA has been

The Future of Wireless Technology Research Paper

The Future of Wireless Technology - Research Paper Example As wireless technology is going to bring about a major change in every aspect of life – from entertainment to carrying out global business transactions, it is necessary to understand the importance of wireless technology. Advent of Wireless Technology The development of wireless technology may seem to be a recent phenomenon, but the fact is that the first step towards any form of wireless communication was through the discovery of electromagnetic waves in the early 1800s by Hans Christian Oersted through a compass needle ( Dubendorf, 2003). Later works of Michael Faraday and Maxwell also contributed to electromagnetic. In late 1800s, Graham Bell developed a photophone, where communication was done through light beams which mere modulated (Dubendorf, 2003). The first radio waves were created by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 with the help of an oscillator and found out that these waves could be transmitted and revived with the help of appropriate devices. Such a device was developed by Jagadish Chandra Bose during the 1890s and he made an important contribution to the understanding of millimeter length of waves (Dubendorf, 2003). ... In the 1940s, the technology advanced as two-way radio systems came into existence. During World War II, wireless signals were used by the US Military for coordination in terms of sending plans and providing instructions (Brodsky, 2008). Post 1960s, the focus of the research was centered around making the telephone wireless, and the telecom giant AT&T worked on features such as elimination of push to talk and implementation of automatic dialing (Brodsky, 2008). The 1970s and 1980s were eras centered on mobile technology as it marked key events such as development of digital voice technologies such as GSM, CDMA, implementation of AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Services) in 1983 as the first cellular service and so on. By 1986, the public had adopted the wireless technology with open arms as the cellular subscription reached 2 million (Brodsky, 2008). The 2000s can be considered to be the era of mobile telephones, wireless data communication through wi-fi,bluetooth, cellular data and mobi le satellite communication and computer interface devices. Wireless Devices Today Wireless technology is an avenue that is witnessing rapid advancements with new inventions emerging one after the other. Wireless technology operates through various mediums such as radio technology, communication through microwaves through reception antennas, through infrared, with the help of ultrasonic communication as well as through electromagnetic waves (O'Brien & Marakas, 2008). On hearing the term wireless, most people associate it with cellular technology. However, the wireless devices today expand beyond just cellular communication. This section highlights some of the

Watsons Caring Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Watsons Caring Model - Essay Example More so, professional nurses need to attend to patients with a positive regard and show them unconditional acceptance. Most importantly, Watson suggests that nurses need to spend time with the patients, which he calls caring moment. Watson believes that competent nurses and how they attend to patients makes the patients to feel secure; therefore, according to Watson’s caring model, nurses caring relationship with patients positively relates with the patients quick recovery, quality life and prolongation of life. Watson’s model argues that caring is the essence of nursing as it helps patients to find hope and meaning in sickness and suffering. This essay explores Watsons caring model focusing on the concepts and sub concepts of the theory, the generality of the theory and how it is applied across the culture, and lastly the impacts and its continuing influence. The key components of Watsons caring model include â€Å"carative factors, a transpersonal caring relationship, and caring moments or occasion† (Lachman, 2012). To begin with, carative factors include showing love, kindness and concern displaying sensitivity to oneself and other people’s. More so, carative factors covers understanding and accepting other people’s emotions, feelings and perceptions and convincing them to share their feelings and views, and also establishing supportive and protective environment for the patients. Furthermore, providing basic human needs, spiritual as well as the existential needs of the patient and effectively use interpersonal communication skills to establish trusting and caring relationships also serve as part of carative (Basford and Slevin, 2003). Watson caring model suggest that patients need to be helped in the creative use of self as part of caring (De and Anderson, 2008). Nevertheless, a transpersonal caring interaction c omes in when both the nurse and patient are looking

Agency and business organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Agency and business organizations - Assignment Example The type of a business organization determines how it is operated and managed. The different types of business ventures have different structures and are differently managed. The laws that govern their operations also have some little differences. Examples of business organizations include: sole proprietorships, franchises, partnerships, limited liability partnership, limited liability companies, joint venture, syndicate, joint stock companies, business trusts, cooperatives and corporations. Sole proprietorship A sole proprieto0rship is a form of business entity that is formed and managed by one person. This business has the advantage of simplicity information, as it does not require long formation procedures. The owner also has the advantage of enjoying all the profits and faster decision making. Moreover, sole proprietorship businesses also have the advantage of tax simplicity and the owner will not be required to make complex tax return to the authorities (Bouchoux, 2007). Despite the advantages, sole proprietorship business also suffers from several drawbacks. First, this form of business entity faces challenges in acquisition of capital for its projects. The major drawback of this business however is the fact that the owner has unlimited liability on the losses and risk of the business. The owner and the business is the same entity and therefore losses and risks of the business are completely borne by the sole owner. In addition, sole proprietors businesses face management problems, as the owner has to work for many hours and sometimes lack the skills required in managing the business (Bouchoux, 2007). ... Partnership businesses have the advantage of easy procedures in formation, combined skills, and efforts, ease of raising more funds from the partners and the moral support from the members in the partnership. The partners can therefore share the risk and losses that might arise from the operation. The various limitation of partnership business include: long procedures in making decisions as all the partners have to be consulted, partners are also individually responsible for the actions of other partners. Moreover, partnership business involves the sharing of profits, unlimited liability on the partners and limited lifespan (Markman & Lesonsky, 2010). The death or disagreements can always result into the dissolution of the business. Limited liability partnership LLP is a form of business organization that has the characteristics of both a partnership and a limited liability company. In LLP, the partners’ liability is limited and the partners are not liable for the action of ot her partners. The partnership will remain liable on its assets and the LLP is considered a different entity. This form of business organization has the advantage of limited liability on the partners and the flexibility in operation just like in the general partnership. LLP the disadvantage of difficulty in the formation and in the filing of returns. This makes the business be complex to manage and operate. The government might also closely monitor the operation of the partnership. Limited liability Company This is a form of business organization in which the owners have limited liability and blends the characteristics of both partnerships and corporate structures. The business is a separate legal entity and the members’ liability is limited to the proportion of the unpaid shares.

Watsons Caring Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Watsons Caring Model - Essay Example More so, professional nurses need to attend to patients with a positive regard and show them unconditional acceptance. Most importantly, Watson suggests that nurses need to spend time with the patients, which he calls caring moment. Watson believes that competent nurses and how they attend to patients makes the patients to feel secure; therefore, according to Watson’s caring model, nurses caring relationship with patients positively relates with the patients quick recovery, quality life and prolongation of life. Watson’s model argues that caring is the essence of nursing as it helps patients to find hope and meaning in sickness and suffering. This essay explores Watsons caring model focusing on the concepts and sub concepts of the theory, the generality of the theory and how it is applied across the culture, and lastly the impacts and its continuing influence. The key components of Watsons caring model include â€Å"carative factors, a transpersonal caring relationship, and caring moments or occasion† (Lachman, 2012). To begin with, carative factors include showing love, kindness and concern displaying sensitivity to oneself and other people’s. More so, carative factors covers understanding and accepting other people’s emotions, feelings and perceptions and convincing them to share their feelings and views, and also establishing supportive and protective environment for the patients. Furthermore, providing basic human needs, spiritual as well as the existential needs of the patient and effectively use interpersonal communication skills to establish trusting and caring relationships also serve as part of carative (Basford and Slevin, 2003). Watson caring model suggest that patients need to be helped in the creative use of self as part of caring (De and Anderson, 2008). Nevertheless, a transpersonal caring interaction c omes in when both the nurse and patient are looking

Williams Syndrome - Genetic Pediatric Illness Research Paper

Williams Syndrome - Genetic Pediatric Illness - Research Paper Example   After some time, A.J. Beuren came across his own set of 11 patients who also had the same symptoms as described by Dr Williams in the past. Thanks to his contribution to the study of what was then an unknown illness, the disease was named after the two men who contributed the most its understanding, Williams-Beuren Syndrome. However, the illness has also come to be known by other illnesses over the years. Physiopedia (2011) lists the other names as follows: Dr. Aneal Khan M.D., who authored an article regarding Williams Syndrome for Medscape Reference (2011) described the clinical manifestation of the illness to include; â€Å"a distinct facial appearance, cardiovascular anomalies that may be present at birth or may develop later in life, idiopathic hypercalcemia, and a characteristic neurodevelopmental and behavioral profile†. The disease does not seem to afflict anyone specific gender, ethnicity, race, or socioeconomic background. However, it does seem to be most prevalent among children, affecting 7500 of every 20000 births. The most common symptoms of the birth defect according to Dr Rob Hicks (2011) include but are not limited to: Various in-depth studies of the illness link Williams Syndrome to the genetic makeup of an individual. Dr Rob Hicks (2011), author of â€Å"Williams Syndrome† for BBC Health explained that WS afflicted individuals most often have a defect in the DNA chain of chromosome 7 with about 26 genes deleted from its long arm. Unfortunately, chromosome 7 is one of the most important elements of the human gene as this particular gene is tasked with the manufacture of the protein elastin which according to Dr Hicks (2011), is â€Å"is responsible for providing strength and elasticity to blood vessel walls. â€Å" Babies born with Williams Syndrome are often underweight upon birth with difficulty in gaining weight and have certain development defects such as speech problems with the ability to speak not becoming present until the age of 3. However, the most concerning matter of this illness is the widespread Cardiovascular complications associated with it.  Ã‚  

Mckinsey Accounting and Engineering Advisors Essay Example for Free

Mckinsey Accounting and Engineering Advisors Essay The firm was founded in 1926 by university of Chicago professor, James (â€Å"Mac†) McKinsey, it was called â€Å"accounting and engineering advisors†. Mac started recruiting experienced executives and training them in the integrated approach he called his General Survey outline. In Saturday morning sessions he would lead consultants through an undeviating sequence of analysis – goals, strategy, policies, organisation, facilities, procedures and personnel – while still encouraging them to synthesize data and think for themselves. McKinsey’s mission was to help clients make positive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance and to build a great firm that is able to attract, develop, excite, and retain exceptional people. Bower’s vision of the firm was: â€Å"one focused on issues of importance and top-level management, adhering to the highest standards of integrity, professional ethics, and technical excellence, able to attract and develop young men of outstanding qualifications, and committed to continually raising its stature and influence. Above all, it was to be a firm dedicated to the mission of serving its clients superbly well. Bower also articulated a policy that every assignment should bring the firm something more than revenue – experience or prestige for example. Bower and his colleagues believed that well-trained, highly intelligent generalists could quickly grasp the issue, and through disciplined analysis find its solution. The firm grew extraordinarily domestically in the 1950’s which provided a basis for international expansion that accelerated the rate of growth in the 1960’s. Offices opened in London, Geneva, Amsterdam, Dà ¼sseldorf and Paris. McKinsey was now a well established and highly respected presence in Europe and North America. To Gupta the task of knowledge development had become much more complex over the past decade or so due to three intersecting forces: †¢ In an increasingly information and knowledge driven age, the sheer volume and rate of change of new knowledge made the task much more complex †¢ Clients expectations of and need for leading edge expertise were constantly increasing †¢ The firm’s own success had made it much more difficult to link and leverage the knowledge and expertise represented by 3800 consultants in 69 offices worldwide. Gupta believed that knowledge is the lifeblood of McKinsey. How does knowledge create value for McKinsey and Company? Creating value for a firm means performing activities that increase the value of goods or services to consumers. McKinsey does this by trying not only to ‘serve its clients but also to develop its consultants’. Bower and his colleagues believed that well-trained, highly intelligent generalists could quickly grasp the issue, and through disciplined analysis find its solution. Because of the use of knowledge management one of McKinsey’s clients managing director reflected on a certain outcome that â€Å"their value added was in their access to knowledge, the intellectual rigor they bring, and their ability to build understanding and consensus among a diverse management group.† In 1980 when Gluck joined the central small group that comprised the firm office he proposed that â€Å"knowledge development had to be central, not a peripheral firm activity; that it needed to be ongoing and institutionalised, not temporary and project based; and that it had to be the responsibility of everyone, not just a few†. Gluck was trying to build a shared body of knowledge throughout the firm. Even though doing this may be costly Gluck was hoping the benefits would outweigh the expenses. Knowledge had created value for McKinsey and Company through that its client’s impact studies indicated that the new knowledge structure led to a longer-term focus on deeper understanding of issues. McKinsey and Company’s use of knowledge throughout the firm helped build long lasting client relationships. Gupta believed that knowledge was the core factor in being successful in the long run. Knowledge is a fundamental value for the McKinsey and Company. Even though focusing on developing knowledge throughout the firm may lead to less client work Gupta argued that it was still worth it and would increase value for the firm in the long term. Critically evaluate the company’s soft knowledge management strategy. I.e people. Soft knowledge management is â€Å"less quantifiable and cannot be captured codified and stored easily† (Kidd, 1994; Skyrme, 1998) Tacit knowledge is an example of soft knowledge. Tacit knowledge â€Å"cannot be easily communicated and shared, is highly personal, deep rooted in action and in an individual’s involvement within a specific context. It is commonly referred to as ‘the knowledge in people’s heads†. â€Å"Soft knowledge becomes accepted by virtue of informal authority and consensus within the group.†(Hildreth, Wright and Kimble, 2005). Gluck felt that there was a need to adjust the firm’s knowledge development focus. He believed that â€Å"knowledge is only valuable when it is between the ears of consultants and applied to clients problems.† Knowledge is less effectively developed through the disciplined work a few than through the spontaneous interaction of many. He changed the more structured â€Å"discover-codify-disseminate† model to an â€Å"engage-explore-apply-share† approach. Which is, a more loose approach. Even though McKinsey had adopted hard knowledge approaches, it still relied heavily on soft knowledge components, such as personal networks, old practices like cross-office transfers and strong ‘one firm’ norms like helping other consultants when they called. Unlike the hard knowledge approach the transfer of knowledge with the soft approach is not through databases and ‘Knowledge Resource Directory’s† it is a more informal method. It is when the older staff of the firm helps and teaches the new comers by sharing their experience an d knowledge.

Dealing with Substance Abuse in Mentally Ill Patients

Dealing with Substance Abuse in Mentally Ill Patients Alizah Al-aman In a course of time the brain has developed in a way to ensure our survival. This survival system incorporates brain’s unique reward system liable for satisfying person’s essential desires (Horvath, n.d.). Unfortunately, substance use is operated within these reward systems that engages an individual in addictive activities. According to Edward (2000) substance use is the hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. It is the dependency that deteriorates individuals physical and mental health. Consistent with the continuum of chemically mediated responses, substance use is a maladaptive coping manifested by frequent use and dependence of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs (APA 2000, p. 198; Stuart, 2009). WHO reported that globally 3.86 billion people are involved in substance abuse in which US has the utmost prevalence whereas in Pakistan it is prevalent among 6.4 million people (Stuart, 2009). If substance use co-occurs with any mental illness it’s regarded as dual diagnosis. Literature proposes that roughly 50% of the people with psychiatric problems also suffer from substance abuse disorders (chrome et al., 2009). In UK three quarters of drug and 85% of alcohol service users have mood and anxiety disorders (NIDA, 2007). It’s a dilemma that which problem occurred first. However precipitating factors like loneliness, family disturbances, psychological illness, illiteracy trigger substance use in psychiatric clients (Donald Gail, 2009). In my view to resolve the misery of such pain and mental illness people engage in substance abuse which grants them pleasure as highlighted in the below mentioned scenario. On my clinical rotation at C0 ward in AKUH, I encountered a middle aged patient with the dual diagnosis of depression and drug abuse. He was a chain smoker since 30 years and recently had angioplasty. According to the patient he developed gastric ulcers 5 years back for which a local physician prescribed him Inj. Nubain. He wasn’t conversant that the drug should be used till certain time as associated with the risk of addiction. Patient continued taking that medication and developed addiction. The medication not only lessened his pain but made him calm and relieved during his depressive episodes. After angioplasty he was constrained for not using that drug which results intense craving. Patient became unmanageable and restless. Then he was admitted in C0 ward but intense craving made his situation worst resulting in tremors, sweating, insomnia, hypertension and mydriasis. When I visited that patient, he verbalized â€Å"I need drug, am very restless, this craving will end my life† so to reroute his mind and lessen his suffering, I along with OT members planned to engage that patient in different activities. We taught him some coping strategies and there was a mild change observed in his performance and condition after psychotherapy and cooping. Glancing the social context in light of scenario, substance abuse is judged as bad deed because it violets societal norms and values by precipitating ferocious acts, poverty, family disturbances etc. In the above case unmanageable behavior lead the admission of the client in ward. In contrast some communities illustrate acceptability too. Furthermore Canadian mental health association (2006) and Steve Susan (2003) proposed the comparable fact that patients with dual diagnosis can provoke violence and peace less situation in a community by sevenfold as well as for those who are caring or living with them. Moreover substance use is 65% prevalent in mid adulthood and my patient’s age was in same age group which predisposed him towards this (Stuart, 2009). Furthermore religion exhibits a fundamental role in an individual’s life. In Islam alcohol is forbidden that’s why researches highlighted less incidence of alcohol abuse in Muslim society whereas higher incidence in western world (Haider Chaudhry, 2008, p.82). Beside this in Pakistan opioids and marijuana is predominantly abused (UNODC, 2013). Opioid use primarily grants relieve in mental illness but its withdrawal encompasses acute depression, chronic craving, tremors, sleep problems, high BP and dilated pupils as evident in my client’s case (Stuart, 2009). Moreover marijuana also serves as a source for decreasing negative symptoms in schizophrenic clients however in response it exacerbates their suffering (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2011). Survey conducted in Pakistan summarized that 53.6% of the adults smoke shisha (Sameer et al, 2012; Khan, 2010). This percentage illustrates the acceptability of tobacco and shisha in eastern world that results psychosis in individual’s already predisposed for developing it (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2011). Bhang use is also predominately practiced in Indian festivities that generate euphoric and hallucinating effects as encompasses psychotomimetic substances (Thacore, 1977). In Western world and Roman Catholics drug abuse is more socially acceptable in females but referred unmasculine in males whereas the consumption of alcohol is considered masculine (Donald Gail, 2009). In US the extreme alcohol use is the 3rd leading cause of death and it also precipitates mental illness by triggering depression, euphoria, mood disorders. Its unavailability would end up leading general depressant withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore 43% of people in US are tobacco abuser however smoking opium is marked deviant (Donald Gail, 2009). Tobacco smoke is twice more common in depressive clients while thrice in schizophrenic patients. Besides granting pleasure it amplifies the chances of relapse in psychiatric patients (Ash, 2013). So while assessing the client with dual diagnosis HCW’s should take these sociocultural aspects in consideration. When my client tried to drop the addiction, he felt intense craving. Craving is evidently depicted in the light of neuroadaptive model as prolonged use of drugs induces specific alterations in the brain cell or neurotransmitters which regulate neural drives and grant pleasure. During abstinence neuroadaption consequences in imbalance in brain function which results craving and this craving is accountable for relapse in individuals (Eliason et al., 2007). Interventions for such clients could be executed within individual, institutional and community level. In my patient therapeutic interaction assisted me to perform MSE effectively. Dealing with craving was challenging nevertheless I taught him some coping techniques, mind diversional exercises. In addition the intervention that can be carried out is drug testing and if the patient has severe withdrawal history so referral can be made to detoxification program (Stuart, 2009). Furthermore the nurse should develop awareness about the state and feelings of substance abuser in order to eradicate biasness in caring. Assessment of withdrawal symptoms should be carried out every shift. On institutional level integrated treatment for dual diagnosis verified as evidence based practice (Stuart, 2009). My client was treated simultaneously for both depression and substance abuse. Moreover medicines should be administered to alleviate craving as Methadone was been administered to my patient for plummeting his craving. Moreover individual counseling and CBT prove as a constructive approach for client’s rehabilitation and relapse prevention. Since 2000 AAS is also working for the rehabilitation of substance abusers using the same treatment methodologies such as psychotherapy and drug toxification Besides AAS there should be more rehabilitation centers in those areas where substance abuse is more prevalent in order to restore mental health. Community level interventions would embraces the conduction of school base awareness programs and workshops for eradicating the risk of substance abuse from initial ages and making individuals realize that substance use is not the accurate coping for alleviating mental illness. Developing religious and social norms would converse an obvious message for drug avoidance in mentally ill clients to whom religion serves as a protective factor. Moreover campaign against substance use on national level would present as example for people in recognizing the harmful effects of it (Reno et al., 2000). Implementation of strict Governmental policies and legislation on consumption and sale of alcohol and illicit drugs can help in reducing the occurrence of dual diagnosis. Detoxification and methadone maintenance programs can be arranged in communities with the assistance of governmental authorities (Stuart, 2009; Reno et al., 2000). In conclusion, substance abuse can co-occur with mentally illness which impact an individual’s life dreadfully. To get rid of this is difficult but not impractical. Diverse prevention strategies and early detection would assist its control and management. Moreover strong motivation from family, health care providers and especially self can immensely facilitate the individual to cope up and live a healthier life (Harrison, 2006).