Saturday, August 31, 2019

Curriculum for Teaching Social Skills

Teaching social skills to young children is a difficult task under any circumstance however when the children are suffering from emotional or behavioral problems it seems to interfere with this process and make it much more difficult. There are several known answers through curriculum that can help educators to be able to work on social skills with students who are facing either emotional or behavioral problems or both. Through the use of these curriculums there can be great benefits to both the students and the teachers.The teachers will benefit in being able to work on social situations with the students in their classrooms and in being able to communicate the strong need for social interaction in life. The students will benefit by being able to work on building friendships, trusting others and really finding a way to communicate how they are able to do these things. Curriculum Options for Teachers One of the problems that have often faced teachers who are working with children who have emotional or behavioral problems is that they are unable to communicate their social needs to the teacher.These students have a hard time being able to express their need for friendship, the need to describe feelings or the ability to be able to communicate any of this to others. Through information that has been gathered by researchers it has been concluded that these students need direct intervention into their ability to socialize with others. There have been multiple suggestions as to how this can happen and what would be a good way of introducing social skills to these students. There are many different methods and ways that this can be done.One way that has been shown to be successful is one on one interaction with the students and role play into specific situations. Obviously the situations have to be mild and can not be too involved or too intense but rather something that is on the same thinking level as the students involved (Vaughn, Sinagub, and Kim 2004). Success f or the students who were experiencing these emotional and behavioral problems has drastically depended on the type of curriculum that was used to introduce and teach social skills.One study looked at story problems as a way to teach these skills to students who were suffering from emotional problems and this study showed a drastic improvement in these students having the ability to communicate with each other. The students were better able to understand through the story the idea of how one might feel or how reactions of theirs can be harmful to others. However, the students were unable to comprehend these same ideas and beliefs when they were just discussing them and not hearing them in a story (Rahill and Teglasi 2003).There could be many conclusions drawn from these examples and this type of curriculum. The idea is that the students have the ability to understand and comprehend what is being said about things and how they are interacting with others. When the student is not force d to look at the whole picture and is used to just getting glimpses they are unable to realize the overall impact of issues, however when they are exposed to the entire story or belief then they are able to understand the entire story and can reason as to why the others are feeling the way that they are.Without this ability to reason the student would be unable to successfully communicate with others and could not be thought of in the same social light and category as if they were able to understand these issues. Another great option for teachers to use in the classroom to teach social skills is to be trained in how to incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into the curriculum. By using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT the student is learning how to control their own behaviors and emotions.This is probably one of the best options for students who have behavioral or emotional problems as it is a way for them to learn how to be able to control things themselves without warnings o r discipline. There are a number of ways that this treatment can be integrated into the classroom. One thing is for sure though that teachers need to be aware of the therapy and how to properly integrate it into the classroom prior to using it in the classroom setting.If they are not competent and they try to use it there are many things that could go wrong and the children could be emotionally damaged in some way as with all therapeutic processes. This subject has been widely researched. â€Å"During the past two decades, researchers have found that cognitive strategies can decrease disruption/aggression and strength pro-social skills† (Daunic, Smith, Brank and Penfield 2006, 123). To better understand the benefits of CBT being integrated into the classroom it would be important to understand some basic facts about CBT.CBT is basically a way of self control where the student is taught how to control their negative behaviors or emotions in order to prevent behavioral issues. Through CBT the student would learn how to understand when they are reaching a point where they are going to react in an inappropriate way and they would be able to monitor themselves and talk themselves down. For younger students this would prove to be more difficult to learn but by learning the process young the students would be able to carry it over into their current lives and how they react in most situations.With this process being taught in the classroom there might even be further benefits in the student’s home and other extracurricular activities as the student would apply some of the same lessons and principles to the situations that they were involved in at these locations. All of these advantages could be gained and getting needed training is not difficult for educators and something that they can discuss with their superiors and school boards. There are other forms of intervention that could be used in the classroom curriculum.With students who are suffering fro m autism there are special skills and curriculums that could be offered to help with their behavioral difficulties. There is a call for a new curriculum that would be an advantage to all students with emotional and behavioral difficulties and not just those who were suffering from autism. For the most part articles that are written on this subject point out that no current curriculum is available for this issue and that there are some key components that would need to be featured if there were to be a curriculum.Of the many key components that would need to be considered one is to â€Å"make the abstract concrete. † Students who are suffering from emotional and behavioral problems often have a hard time being able to understand the abstract thoughts that are often a part of teaching social skills. By making concrete examples that these students can understand there is a higher likelihood that they will apply these principles to their own interactions on a social level. Anothe r area that is needed is â€Å"structure and predictability.† Having a classroom with a set routine is something that is important as when students are taken out of a routine situation they often have anxiety and with behavioral issues anxiety often ends in the student not being able to communicate his or her needs and having a breakdown in the classroom. By having â€Å"engaged transactions† the students would be able to learn what their overall needs were and would be able to practice communication and social skills with one another.Through â€Å"scaffolded language support† the students would be able to work on better using language and communication in a way that all people would understand. â€Å"Multiple and varied learning opportunities† might seem as though it would be repetitive or boring for the students however for students who are suffering from emotional or behavioral problems this might just be exactly what is needed for them to understand. By planning â€Å"’other’ focused activities† in the classroom it would allow the students a break from learning social skills and could promote a better understanding of the skills during future lessons.Looking at â€Å"fostering self awareness and self esteem† is also important as it would show each child that he or she is special and would encourage them to believe in their own self worth. Another area that needs improvement is that the teachers need to focus on having â€Å"select relevant goals. † When teachers try to teach students with emotional or behavioral difficulties too many things it threatens to worsen their condition and can cause them to have multiple additional problems with what they are already having.Some other teaching methods like â€Å"sequential and progressive programming† are also a huge advantage as are â€Å"programmed general and ongoing information. † All of these practices and initiatives can be easily added to most curriculums in the classroom and could really have great advantages to the students who have emotional and behavioral issues (Krasny, Williams, Provencal, and Ozonoff 2003). Benefits to Teachers for Using a Curriculum to Teach Social Skills There are many benefits that can be seen by teachers who are choosing to teach social skills and social skill improvement to students who suffer from emotional and behavioral problems.Some of these are that there is an increased focus on the student being able to perform and being able to interact with others in a positive manner. Through this the student would be able to interact with the teacher in a more positive manner as well. These skills would also help there to be fewer disturbances and disruptions in the classroom which is a great benefit for the teaching in her ability to control her classroom. Benefits to Students for Using a Curriculum to Teach Social Skills There are also many advantages for the students who are working on learning social skills.The students are able to take advantage of these skills and these areas because they are learning how to communicate better with others. Communication is such an important part of our world and the world around us and without communication one would suffer in many areas of life. Also there are valid reasons why friendships can really aid in a student’s overall behavioral and emotional issues and students who have more friends are less likely to have these types of problems. If a student learns these new social skills they are likely to have more friends, do better at home and in school and overall be in trouble less often.Conclusion In conclusion, it is important that teachers be taught the necessary skills needed to integrate certain behaviors into the classroom. The teachers need to be able to integrate programs into their curriculum that will teach students with emotional and behavioral difficulties the much needed social skills. These much neede d social skills will improve the student’s lives in so many ways and will help the students to be able to be better behaved and more successful in a number of areas of their lives. References Daunic, A. P. , Smith, S. W. , Brank, E. M. , and Penfield, R. D. (2006).Classroom-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention to Prevent Aggression: Efficiency and Social Validity, Journal of Social Psychology, 44(2), 123-139. Krasny, L. , Williams, B. J. , Provencal, S. , and Ozonoff, S. (2003). Social Skills Intervention for the Autism Spectrum Essential Ingredients and a Model Curriculum, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 12(1), 107-122. Vaughn, S. , Sinagub, J. and Kim, A. (2004). Chapter 10 Social Competence/Social Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities: Interventions and Issues, Learning about Learning Disabilities, (3rd ed. ), 341-373.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Bullet in the Brain” by Tobias Woolf Essay

In â€Å"Bullet in the Brain† (1995), Tobias Woolf conveys the story of a man named Anders, a book critic, who experiences one final memory after being shot in the head by bank robbers. The story begins with Anders entering a Bank in the closing hours and criticising the long lines and bad service. Then, two bank robbers hold up the bank and end up shooting Anders in the head for his arrogant behavior. Woolf then goes on to explain his last memory as he is dying from his wounds. The bank robbers dialogue is important. The different ways that Wolff depicts the Robber’s dialogue greatly influences the tone of the story. Wolff’s way of using peculiar responses from the bank robbers is almost like a death trap for the critical Anders. He dares to taunt the robbers and makes ironic remarks on their usage of words. â€Å"Hey! Bright boy! Did I tell you to talk.. Did you hear that. Bright boy. Right out of the killers†(Anders202). Anders finds their words distinc tive enough that he needs to make a comment about it. By ignoring what the robbers do and say he makes the situation worse as the robbers start to lose their head because of him. A nervous robber is much more dangerous than a calmed one and Anders would consider this but he does not. He doesn’t realize that he just put the  people in danger as well as himself, even when he was asked to be quiet by a woman next to him. The woman is aware of the seriousness of the situation unlike Anders and tries to save her and maybe the others’ life as well. A person who does not take care of a dangerous situation is foolish but in this case Anders does not take care of the others’ safety as well and considers the criticism more important than the people’s life around him. Wolff also brings out a humorous tone with the robbers dialogue. He uses explicit words that give readers a more vivid image of the robber’s personalities. The words let readers get a sense of the persona they have. In one scene the Wolff writes, â€Å" You like me, bright boy?..You want to suck my dick†(202). Obviously, this shows the robber has a childish type of humor. One can also say this type of humor is more consistent with someone young rather than an older person. Instead of Wolff explaining the characteristics of the robbers, he lets the readers figure it out  themselves. Wolff gives little detail about the characteristics of the robber. The ammoniac smell coming out of his mouth gives a sense that he is under the influence of some type of drug. His twitching eye rather reveals that he is just extremely nervous or he is just high on drugs. Lastly, The way the robbers address the people inside the bank is important to the topic. It brings out the aggressive tone. It was a good way to act like professional robbers and make people think if they try to be a hero in this situation they will be  shot. â€Å"One of you tellers hit the alarm, you’re all dead meat. Got it?† (201). The robbers uses really demanding words to terrorize the people. They are also able to take down the security and put him on his knees. This strategy not only takes down the banks best line of defense, but it also lets the customers and workers acknowledge that they mean business and will hurt somebody that gets in their way. Nobody thinks they are a hero and can break up three or more people especially if they are holding guns in their hands so this tactic works very well except that Anders is there. Anders is there and makes them really adrenalized as he also makes the situation more dangerous. Anders’ behaviour is clearly blameable for the actions taken by the robbers. The aggressive tone did not even pass through Anders’ mind and he did not hesitate to make a remark. His own happiness and joy in finding imperfectness in everything led to his downfall. It would be very reasonable to say the Anders triggered his own downfall but the robbers style of communicating also ignited the situation. Anders criticizes everything and the style of talking that the robbers conversate with was clearly distinctive enough for Anders to have a comment about it. Their dialogue provoked Anders. Who knows if there would have been a different approach of conversating from the robbers, then the story could have had a different ending.There will be no happy end for this story and Anders behaviour adds oil to the fire and make him responsible for his own death.

Social construction gender

The Social Construction of Gender Associated with Disordered Eating Patterns. In the US alone, there is reported to be over 1 million malnourished cases. Of all the above, a significant percentage are self-imposed malnourishment, which implies that, they do not occur as a result of lack of nutritious food but rather as a result of the rush for beauty. More than ever before, women want to look and feel thin and ‘small’. This is what is in the contemporary times viewed as beauty. The media, community as well as peers have all contributed to the development. This paper explores the concept of thinness as reflected in the contemporary society especially the role of eating disorders in the endeavour for beauty. 1. Introduction The social construction of gender has been attributed to numerous challenges facing women since time immemorial. Numerous happenings which influence or affect human beings have been given a social interpretation and therefore resulting onto the coining of the term â€Å"social construction†. The term basically refer to those belief widely held by the society which influence the interactions. In reference to gender, social construction refers to the social process in which men and women are subjected to different conditions in an endeavour to understand better how each one functions as well as the interconnection between the two genders. Social construction aims at looking at the effects the differential treatment of women has on their social life as well as their cultural practices. Although not widely researched on, social construction of gender had much influence on eating patterns. The fact that modernization has yielded much pressure on today’s human is a point to the fact that social construction is in action in almost all spheres of life. Unlike in the fact when beauty has not so much tied to one’s body weight/mass. The 21st century has seen a rise in the emphasis given to being slim especially on the part of women although overweight, obesity or under weight are problems that affect both gender, not is worthy noting that much of the emphasis on keeping fit in the sense of remaining slim is usually used in regard to women. From a gender perspective women are under much pressure to look and keep’ smart. The reason why majority want to remain slim is due to social pressure which stems from the fact that many cultures and especially the western culture value slimness and views it as a lading quality of beauty. The following discussion focuses on self-scheme less space as well as lack of voice as basic concept which advances social construction of gender. On the other hand, the discussion analyses gender identity from a woman perspective while at the same discussing the valuable concepts such as the power associated with beauty as well as the pressure of period the community at large as well as the effects these have on women. . Self-Schema This refers to the experiences of people in regard to their interactions with the society. Self-schema has been defined by, Lorber, & Farrell,(1991) as the organization of personal information all related to one experiences all of which have an impact on what people do and focus on. In regard to social construction, self-schema may refer to how wome n perceive and describe themselves. Such may include women role in the family women and leadership, women and beauty, which is the main focus of this paper. Schema in human beings is concerned with beliefs, pas experiences in life. In case of women various schemas can be attributed to eating disorder. These includes, what the society holder as the ideal weight, what the society beliefs to be the ideal height the ideal hair colour, the idea colour as well as what the society holds to represent heavily. The above contribute to childhood experiences as well experiences in teenage, early adulthood as well as late adulthood as well as late adult shapes ones mind set on many issues. For instances whether a lady perceives herself as beautiful cut, attractive or one of the above is greatly influenced by what she has undergone in life. The experiences shape beliefs over perception of the general public. In regard to women and dietary habits any consistent staring aimed at an overweight or round figured lady can lead to the lady believing that the stares are as a result of her body size, shape or figure and this further contributes to social construction of women. Self schema depends and is shaped by a woman’s experiences and at the same by stimuli in the society such as reactions from people, fashion, attitudes as well as cultural and environmental factors. Self schema on the other had is determined by the company or peers of a woman, the environment whether office or human environment. Determinants of self schema in women. Experience, how often a woman has been subjected to particular self-schema in women. Experiences of how often a woman has been subjected to particular self-schema determine how one is likely to respond or react. Importance of self-schema in women. While self schema could sometimes be detrimental to a woman’s health, the fact that some self-schema is represented positively is worth noting. Of particular interest to feminists is the fact that women who result of self-schema hold high opinions of themselves are more likely to resist social pressures which cause many women to confirm to society’s expectations which are mostly anti feminine. Problems of self-schema Self-schema can cause a number of problems to women. Such may include the development of stereotypes which revolve around certain attributes being assigned to specific groups of people. For instance, there exists, a stereotype about the western woman being slim and tall as apposed to African who are viewed as plum and short. Stereotypes can lead to misconceptions of facts and a lack of clear interpretation to meaning this in turn results into women suffering especially if the stereotypes come in the way of woman development issues. A. Disappear/Less Space A prejudice concerning a woman as not being beautiful for instance may put the particular woman at a disadvantage when it comes to making choices especially in her social life. For instance where prejudice of a woman in terms of her appearance and shape is dominant, chances are that the woman is more likely to suffer and be at a disadvantage compared to others who are not subjected to the prejudice. . Woman’s gender Identity Self schema may be problematic in that, they may lead to a woman being discriminated against in light of her beauty or lack of it. Since society mostly conceptual ones beauty a physical appearance, a woman may be discriminated against as account of her physical looks. This in turn may cause numerous effects in that the woman who is not equally physically endowed may miss out on opportunities she rightfully qualifies for. Woman gender identity From a gender perspective a woman has been portrayed as the weaker sex. Although it is hard to trace the origin of this common belief, it can be attributed to the domination of man in most spheres of public life such as politics and religion. Also the religious teachings of many religious have perpetrated this understanding in that their teaching which often call for nor-compromising adherence preach about how a woman should be submissive to a man. This has had the greatest impact in the lives of more women than any other factor, for instance, a woman is more likely to be denied a place in some churches or religious purely because of the fact that the particular religion teachers that. Power of beauty Power of beauty has been known to bring down ever the mightiest in the society. From the biblical records of King Solomon to Samson, from presidents to kings, beauty has been cited as one of the greatest assets the female gender has at its disposal. Even at household levels, beautiful women have a high bargaining then not so beautiful woman, for a beautiful woman, the beauty acts like a fall-back position and one is likely to use it to her advantage. However beauty as a gender concept is given different interpretation from culture to culture as well as from society to society, however, the immense power those of the females who are beautiful yield makes them at bargaining. The concept of beauty and the emphasis accorded to it has meant it more of a tool of bargain than it is a natural gift endowed to a woman. Women are investing in healthy and nutritious foods as well as seeking services of beauty consultants. Overall, the role of diet and food in beauty can not be over-emphasized. To remain beautiful, at least according to American standards one has to keep close watch on their weight, this has in turn has contributed to eating disorders. This is a big blow to proponents of health. Unlike in the past, currently the once promising trends as far as malnourishment cases in the society are concerned have started to revert and more cases of malnourishment are being reported. It is common knowledge that nowadays; women are keen to ‘keep fit’ at all costs. However, what makes the topic of interest and concern to social constructionist is the fact that the problem does not reflect in men as much as it is reflected in women. This phenomenon has led to feminists calling far changes in the way beauty is perceived in the society so as to alleviate the impeding danger of malnourishment. Recent happenings in some beauty events early this year clearly illustrates the extent to which the problem has become another challenge for governments and other stakeholder such as health departments. Role of media Media has been termed as one of the strongest agent of change in the 21st century. From the internet to television adverts, mobile phones and computer technology. Media in all its forms whether print or electronic is the vehicle through which the society mostly utilizes in communication. For instance, in advertisement, the medial constantly portrays the beautiful women as that who is slim slender or not weighing a lot. Due to its power of communication, audiences often fall for what the media passes across and only a few take the time to review it and give it a critical review. Thus, the media has in some sense been misused to misconstrue facts and there has altered meanings of some concepts such as beauty. On the other hard, media can be used positively to rectify the negative perception inculcated in minds of people especially about what entails beauty. The media can come up with programmes aimed at advancing a different dimension, which perhaps de-emphasises sliminess and concentrates on other aspects such as beauty of the heart as well as beauty of being truly health through use of natural means such as healthy food, and exercises. Role of community/Team In terms of beauty at least every one grows knowing a beautiful colleague. It is hard to fail to arrive at consensus on who is beautiful than, who usually the judgement does not need experts but each society is socially constructed in such a way that, it has attribute and even values which as highly associated with beauty, it is these values than the community and ones peers hold about being beautiful and what is beauty that, make the role of community and peer central to the understanding of beauty. The society especially peers have enhanced the constructing of beauty as thinness is that, even in most cultures, being overweight is more revered than being under weight. This clearly points to the fact that, thinness has been taken to be a synonym for beauty and vice versa. Conclusion As long as society continues to give more power to thinner women, eating disorders will continue. Women are expected to look and act a certain way in order to have a small portion of the power men have. As feminist we must help create a society that avoids discrimination. Eventually that is the only way that we will help alleviate many issues women deal with, such as eating disorders.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Thinking critically Simulation Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thinking critically Simulation Review - Essay Example importance weighing, intuition, and imagining were all problem evaluation tools and techniques that were encountered in one form or another somewhere in the simulation. I would have probably used the same techniques, only I would have added the following to the mix: cause-and-effect diagrams, check sheets, group think, multivoting, value analysis, and visualizing. Adding visuals such as diagrams and check sheets can help a wider audience to understand the plans that are to be implemented. They are also a better form of organization for a business to follow. They allowed managers to see the big picture before making any major decisions that could affect hundreds of peoples’ lives. The also let managers consider what could happen if they choose to go in a certain direction rather than in another. This step is a very important part of any strategic planning process. Growth necessitates change. If a company wishes to grow and become profitable, they have to learn to make plans and stick with them unless the risk outweighs the benefits. The outcome reached in the simulation was not much more than to continue as usual, and this simply will not work for the long-term. Things are not going to get any better, and will in fact get much worse, if the store chooses to take this route. People in the company, especially management, simply cannot continue to be afraid of change. If they resist it too much, chances are that they will go under in a very short period of time. This is definitely not the goal of the company. The proposed changes would allow management to consider the benefits and risks in a much deeper light. When this is done, better strategic decisions can be made. It is difficult to make good judgment calls without hardcore and factual data written, drawn, or printed up where managers can physically look at it and evaluate the consequences of their actions. There are several major problems that are presented in the simulation. The junior

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Vygotskys Socio-Cultural Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vygotskys Socio-Cultural Theory - Case Study Example In order to address this need, this paper uses Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and Erikson’s psychosocial development theories in analyzing a child’s observed behaviors and coming up with proposed activities and lessons that would assist the child in his process of development. Â  The child observed for this case study is a boy named Samuel. He is five years old and is currently at Kindergarten level. He is from Mexico and he moved to the US about a year ago, when his parents separated and his mom decided to get a job working as a waitress in the US. He lives in Queens with his mom and an older brother, and they are enjoying a middle-class level of lifestyle. At home, the language spoken is Spanish. In school, he is undertaking the Dual Language program. Â  Based on the observations I have made about Samuel, his main problem is in terms of his Linguistic limitations. In a number of situations, Samuel attempted to participate in group discussion and every time he answers incorrectly, he demonstrates signs of sadness and insecurities. It can be seen from his actions that Samuel is strongly intimidated by his classmates. He is easily discouraged when he makes mistakes and the results to just keeping to himself. Â  Another notable observation about Samuel’s situation in class is that the teacher doesn’t pay much attention to him. Although the teacher is encouraging in the sense that when Samuel makes a mistake, she is quick to tell him that committing such mistakes is ok, it is noticeable that the teacher does not exert much effort beyond that. Samuel’s eagerness to learn is apparent but the teacher does not seem to be paying him much attention. Because of this, Samuel is not as outgoing as other children his age. During the writing sessions, he simply draws pictures of toys and people.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Positive Accounting Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Positive Accounting Theory - Research Paper Example The predictions of real world situations help small businesses in choosing the appropriate accounting policies that would help them in advancing. The predictions of positive accounting theory with regards to the real world situation go a long way in assisting firms to react positively to new standards of accounting introduced by the legal bodies. Moreover, the overall objective of the positive accounting theory is to enable firms to predict and understand their accounting policies choices. The theory also puts into consideration, the economic consequences of the policies on the firms and the economy in general. Positive Accounting Theory Small businesses organize their operations in an efficient manner using the positive accounting theory, which helps firms in maximizing economic opportunities for growth and survival in the business world. Due to the need for business operations efficiency, firms will need to minimize contract related costs. Ordinarily, contract related costs include negotiation costs, monitoring and renegotiation costs with regards to accounting variables in terms of financial ratios and net income accounting information. Minimization of contract related costs fully relies on the mandate of a firm in choosing the most appropriate accounting policies with regards to its operations. ... environment, appropriate accounting policies and contract related costs minimization may be comprised by the opportunistic interests of the company’s management. Political cost hypothesis The political environment is proved to interfere in business operations in many cases, thus affecting managerial decisions with regards to accounting policies. The more a company faces political costs, the greater the chances that managers of a particular firm will choose accounting policies that alter current reported earnings to future expected earnings. This is mainly because current reported earnings that depict high levels of profits will certainly lead to political interferences that may influence incorporation of new government regulations and tax charges. These interferences are relevant to both small and large businesses though growth and stability of small businesses may be greatly hampered as compared to large entities that are stable. Small Businesses Positive accounting theory ap plications help managers in spearheading growth and development of small businesses, which play an important role of creating employment and growth of Gross Domestic Product. Governments such as the United Kingdom federal government have enacted policies and programs that assist small businesses to develop. Strategies have been outlined by governments of developing countries and trade organizations to facilitate growth of small businesses. Banks have also played a big role in growth and development of enterprises through loans and involvement in policy formulation and innovations. Moreover, best accounting policies that have been practically efficient in spearheading corporate development have been implemented. The existing variations in different economies directly impact on the differences

Monday, August 26, 2019

Domestic Terrorism History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Domestic Terrorism History - Term Paper Example The terror acts carried out include violent demonstrations destroying property, using any weapon that harms life especially use of grenades, poisonous gases, machine guns and others. Domestic terrorism can have gross effects on a nation as those carrying out the attacks are living among the people they want to attack. A government should be aware of the possible risk of terrorism from within and take the necessary precautions. The American government is wary of domestic terrorism more than any nation. The government comprises of several states coming together to form one hierarchical ruler -ship. The issue of mixed race also increases the chances of occurrence of domestic terrorism as one race rises against the other (Hewitt, 2003). Different religions all demanding a voice exist .Human right activists are very assertive and can stage demonstrations to air their grievances or influence one group of people against the other. With all these possible risks of terror from within, the int elligence unit has a responsibility of ensuring that the people enjoy security and peace. Domestic terrorism therefore still poses a great threat to America’s security. In the recent past, several cases of domestic attacks appear in police reports. There was the case of a man who tried to harm people in a large building with poisonous gas. Luckily, police arrested before he could execute his mission. A different case in record was when a group of people broke windows of democratic offices expressing their dissatisfaction with the services they offered. These people demanded more from them. Reported also are several other cases of people plotting out attacks and making orders for materials for use in such attacks. Other Americans reported to oppose some military activities staged a protest. According to Cleto (1999), other reports of domestic violence are cases whereby scientists face accusations of engaging in bio-terrorism either intentionally or accidentally. In such cases, chemical toxins or harmful biological materials are released into the environment, harming human or the environment. These scientists compromise on the rules of bio-security and therefore leak material. In other cases, potential terrorists gain entry into laboratories and access hazardous material. According to the rules of bio-security, such material should be inaccessible. This type of terrorism can cause gross negative effects on the environment and on man. Scientists are educated on the procedures or ensuring responsibility. In addition, they should be more aware of the people gaining entry into research laboratories. The research laboratories are fitted with a tight security system to minimize entry of unauthorized personnel. Despite all these prevention measures, bioterrorism poses a risk of harm in America. After America managed to defeat al-Qaeda, a new form of domestic terrorism evolved. Members of this group have been attempting to buy Americans, train them, and supply th em with weapons. These Americans can therefore plot terror attacks in their own country with little suspicion. Non-patriotic Americans can agree to an agreement of this type and therefore pose a threat to society. A terror attack of this type is risky as it is not easy to identify such individuals. Another form of domestic terrorism occurs when the military are involved in extra-judicial killings. In this case, the military that is supposed to protect the people harms the people. Cases like these may occur

Sunday, August 25, 2019

International Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Trade - Essay Example Most of the countries participate in such trades. The US exports high tech goods such as aircrafts, chemicals and ammunitions and at the same time it imports consumer goods, which are traded internationally at much lower prices. Usually, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment has a direct correlation; that is to say, employment or new jobs in the country rises in tandem with the growth in GDP. Gross Domestic Product, in the economic parlance, is the measure of goods and services that are produced in the country. GDP is the sum of the incomes of all the residents within the country. It is also measured by adding all kinds of spending such as government spending, investment spending and consumer spending. All exports generate incomes at home and they are part of GDP. Imports do not form a part of the GDP as they generate incomes abroad. For many years in US, imports exceed exports. That means domestic markets suffer in the goods that are imported. For example, steel import disrupt s domestic steel industry resulting into a closure of many units and the loss of jobs. The government often imposes tariffs on certain products to make imports costlier safeguarding domestic industries. At times, the government resorts to quota system and restricts imports within predetermined quota for a given country. This is usually found in textiles and garments business where quotas are allotted to the countries beyond, which they cannot send material into US. Tariffs restrict international trade as they are one kind of tax on imported good and make imports costlier. The university students in US are not benefitted as consumers of other industrial goods because education industry in US is a big exporter. A huge number of students from other countries enroll in US universities for study and research by paying huge tuition fees in US dollars and spend in US for their essential needs during their learning. Since 1930s, many countries have supported free trade among nations by redu cing tariffs. That is how the process of globalization has progressed at the rapid pace and world trade touched to the tune of almost $12,400 billion by 2009 (International Trade Statistics, 2010 p.12). World Trade Organization (WTO) works toward reduction of tariffs and smooth flow of goods and services among the nations. The WTO also works to discourage retaliatory taxes among nations. When two countries trade their currencies form a relationship for transaction to place. It is true that exchange rates between two currencies are governed by the demand-supply dynamics of the currencies that arise due to trade between two countries. When US imports more Chinese goods and exports less to China, a trade gap also called balance of payments is created causing more demand for Yuan against dollar. When this continues for a long, dollar tends to depreciate against Yuan. In 2011, the US exported goods worth $103.93 billion to China while imported goods worth 399.36 billion creating trade ga p of $295.5 billion. The trade gap was $273 billion and $226.8 billion in the year 2010 and 2009 respectively. The figures reveal that the trade gap is constantly on the rise and the reason for this is that the China produces hosts of goods at much lower the cost compared to the producers in US. The US consumers have benefitted a lot due to these

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Present savalescu's argument harmless wrogdoing using the nuclear Essay

Present savalescu's argument harmless wrogdoing using the nuclear acident case - Essay Example The professor equates the case of the nuclear accident to selection of embryos otherwise referred to as procreative beneficence (Mills, 65). He argues that a poor country can invest in nuclear energy in order to provide heat and light. Nuclear energy then changes the citizen’s lifestyle since citizens can now enjoy their lives more by staying awake for longer periods. After sometime, a break down in the nuclear plant emits radiations to the environment and causes harm to the population. Majority of children born after the nuclear accident suffer pregnancy complications and physical abnormalities. Savalescu points out that objecting the nuclear accident is like admitting to harmless wrongdoing. He argues that children born after the nuclear accident would not have been born if the government did not invest in the nuclear plant. He argues that the nuclear accident was wrong but the population not severely harmed unless of death cases. According to Savalescu, if the population ob jected the accident then they have no right to object his concept of procreative beneficence. According to Holland (81), Savalescu justifies killing in order to save lives. ... Savalescu argument in relation to nuclear accident refers to using â€Å"preimplantation genetic diagnosis† (PGD) to select genes not affected by the nuclear accident. Nuclear accident not only results to body abnormalities, but also affects future generations. Nuclear accident affects the genetics composition of adults’ genes, which can affect future generations by inheriting the undesired genes (Mills, 27). In this case, Savalescu calls for use of the PGD to select embryos while destroying the nuclear affected embryos. However, the use of PGD is only possible when used with in-vitro fertilization (IVF) where fertilization of the ova and the sperm cells occurs outside the body before implanted into the female’s body. Savalescu arguments for harmless wrongdoing are logical since it may result to improvement of a child’s life. According to Savalescu, nuclear affected genes may affect the lives of the born children. This is because; the children born will ha ve physical abnormalities hence may not live a good life. According to Oakley (192), applying Savalescu theory of selection of embryos may help to prevent the unborn child from living a miserable life. Parents can prevent their children from the effects of the nuclear emissions by selecting the non-affected genes. This helps to control the effects of the nuclear accident by preventing the inheritance to future generations. Savalescu’s arguments help in evaluating the embryos with the highest chances of survival (Mills, 66). Procreative beneficence is crucial in evaluating the best genes that are likely to survive and live the best life. The parents then neglect the weaker genes that are not likely to survive. This will ensure the elimination of the problem of infant mortality

Friday, August 23, 2019

Analysis of Police Corruption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Police Corruption - Research Paper Example The police department is constructed under the constitution and mandated to provide security and ensure all laws of the land have adhered. When the police are engaged in corrupt activities, they break their mandate. In responding to this, corrupt officers are arrested and charged in the court. This has been very effective in ensuring that the officers are responsible for all their actions. Through corruption, the police deny the citizens some rights like the right to protected by a law-enforcing agency. This is clearly stipulated in the constitution. In some corrupt police dealing, they collude with criminal for them to carry out their activities effectively. In covering up their activities, these officers may undertake the arrest of innocent people. This raises questions as to where the security of the citizen could be upheld. This leads to reduced trust in the operations of the police offices. Since the citizens may lack the sound background to bring forth their claims, various hum an rights groups have been on their rescue. They have made it possible for various reforms to be made which has gradually improved the interaction between the police and the citizens (Forst & Dempsey, 2011). Corruption is conducted in the police force in numerous ways. Bribery, which entails the exchange of a benefit between police officers, is the most common form of corruption. This is evident in traffic rules violation and illegal sale of drugs. Though this acts, the police officers propagate crimes rather than curbing it. In response to this, the root causes of the crime have been investigated and various strategies implemented. Since the public promotes the vice through producing bribes, they should be educated on the possible repercussions that may befall on them once they are identified. Therefore, in ensuring that the vice is completely gotten rid of, proper coordination between various stakeholders is necessary. Causes of police corruption Lack of professionalism by police officers in the conduction of their activities is one of the main causes of the increase in corrupt activities.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Health Care Reform - Essay Example The subsidies will enable the low earners to purchase private health cover. The legal provision also creates room for the development of exchanges for individuals that will be willing to buy cover. The bill also expands accessibility to health insurance by prohibiting insurance firms from denying cover to anyone based on pre-existent conditions (Andrews, 2012). The bill also makes provisions for the creation of an experts’ panel to limit reimbursements to only effective treatments and offer incentives to providers as a way to persuade them to â€Å"bundle† their services instead of charging by singled out procedures (Andrews, 2012). The reform redefines the way Americans purchase health cover by requiring all Americans without employee cover to buy privately provided health insurance cover or pay a tax percentage of 1%-2.5% (Andrews, 2012). Americans that cannot afford cover and do not have one from employers will either go into Medicaid/Medicare or receive tax credits to make the private purchases. Financing of the Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care act will be funded through government funding, taxes and budget cuts. The taxes will include 9% from Medicare and unearned income tax on earnings above $250 000. The taxes will be levied on a sliding scale. Therefore, the more one earns, the higher the taxation. Insurance companies and employers with over 50 fulltime employees will be taxed to fund the plan. Taxes will also be implemented for medical supply companies and pharmaceuticals. Modest estimates by the non-partisan congressional budget office from 2010 showed that health insurance companies would pay $2 billion, medical suppliers would pay $2.3 billion, and pharmaceuticals would pay $2 billion by 2011, and this amount was expected to go up to $10 billion by 2017. Reduction on wasteful spending is also expected to contribute to the budget. The taxes designated. The efficiency that the bill introduces is also expected to cut costs and incr ease efficiency, and therefore; contribute to the offset of the costs incurred. Influence in Legislation and Policy Making The policies relating to Federal changes on pre-existent conditions’ coverage in insurance made a significant part of the overarching initiative, which led to the legislation of the act. Generally, Democrats, liberals and physicians were supportive and still persist in supporting health reforms related to this major reform (Harrison & Gerard, 2010). On the other hand, insurance companies, Republicans and conservatives were opposed to the reform proposal, and they have been actively seeking to repeal on the act that contains the reform details. The opposing forces are still actively attempting to change the main elements of the act. In the initial stages of the proposed reforms, the public was overwhelmingly supportive based on statistics from public opinion polls. However, currently the public is fairly split on the issues surrounding the reform process ( Harrison & Gerard, 2010). Notably, there were also various advocacy organizations that supported the legislation of the act. These included the â€Å"American Association of Retired Persons† (AARP) (Roy, 2012). The Potential Effects of the Affordable Care Act on the Economy The act presents a number of welcome economic effects as well as some unwelcome economic e

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay ‘Jem’s growing up now and you are too,’ She said to me. ‘we decided to have some feminine influence! ’ (I. ch. 13) In To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist is Atticus Finch, a father of two children named Jem and Jean Louis â€Å"Scout† Finch. His wife died when his children were very young. Atticus is quite an old, wise, white man. The book was set in the early 1930’s and it was very common for white men and women to be very racist towards others who aren’t the same race as them. But, Atticus was not like most of the white men and women. He was very kind to everyone not matter what their race was. It seemed as if he didn’t believe in racism. In the book, Atticus was a lawyer for a black man named, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. He did everything he could to win that trial. But, deep down Atticus knew he would not win because Tom Robinson wasn’t a white man. After the trial ended, he still had to stay strong for his children even though he was worn out. Above all, Atticus was a widower and he was taking care of two growing children on his own. Although, he was a single father, he did raise his children correctly. He taught them not to be racist to others; he always knew exactly what to say. His children were growing up quickly and they needed a feminine figure in their life and that’s not something Atticus could on his own. That’s probably something Atticus will always struggle with. No matter what, children will always need a mother and a father in their life. Atticus was full of knowledge and whenever his children had a question, he would always answer perfectly. In chapter 28, Jem and Scout got attacked by Bob Ewell. Jem got knocked unconscious and Atticus stayed by his bedside until morning. I’m sure he didn’t even sleep. He’s willing to sacrifice his sleep for his children because that’s how good of a father he is. I’m sure he stayed there to make sure Jem wasn’t in pain or he wanted to be there right when Jem woke up. In conclusion, Atticus being a single father really will affect him and his children. Although, his children try not to show it, it is hard growing up without a mother. It just doesn’t balance correctly. Atticus taking care of his children by himself could affect his health at a great deal because he’s not so young, and taking of his children is very, very tiring.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Working Women and Stress

Working Women and Stress Gender-specific work stress factors, such as sex discrimination and balancing work and family demands, may have an effect on women workers above and beyond the impact of general job stressors such as job overload and skill under-utilization. Discriminatory barriers to financial and career advancement have been linked to more frequent physical and psychological symptoms and more frequent visits to the doctor. The most effective way of reducing work stress is through organizational change in the workplace. This holds true for reducing work stress in female and male workers alike. Workplaces that actively discourage sexual discrimination and harassment, and promote family-friendly policies, appear to foster worker loyalty and attachment regardless of gender, studies indicate. Organizational changes effective for reducing job stress among women workers include expanding promotion and career ladders, introducing family-support programs and policies, and enforcing policies against sex discrimination and sexual harassment. 2.28 The article Women in Construction: Occupational Health and Working Conditions, finds that: Women may receive less on-the-job safety mentoring than men from supervisors and co-workers. This can create a potentially dangerous cycle in which tradeswomen are asked to do jobs for which they are not properly trained, then are injured when they do them or are seen as incompetent when they are unable to do them. Women in construction have reported harassment and verbal abuse by co-workers and isolation on the job severe enough that some women have looked for other employment. Patterns of work-related construction fatalities differ for men and women. For example, women construction laborers are at higher risk than male laborers of death from motor vehicle injuries, but less likely to be at risk of death from falls, machinery related injuries, or being struck by objects. Further research is needed to determine why these differences exist.(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html) (14) 2.29 In one study relating to MSDs, NIOSH worked with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to examine interventions for reducing discomfort among IRS data entry workers, the majority of whom are female. NIOSH found that periodic rest breaks throughout the work shift reduced musculoskeletal discomfort, while allowing workers to maintain job performance. (15) 2.30 According to NIOSH ,Stress at work is another issue of concern., stress at work is a growing problem for all workers, including women. In one survey, 60 percent of employed women cited stress as their number one problem at work. Furthermore, levels of stress-related illness are nearly twice as high for women as for men. Many job conditions contribute to stress among women, according to NIOSH. Such job conditions include heavy workload demands; little control over work; role ambiguity and conflict; job insecurity; poor relationships with coworkers and supervisors; and work that is narrow, repetitive, and monotonous. (16) -2.31 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine(2005) show Health care expenditures are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress. 2.32 Encyclopaedia of Occupational Safety and Health (2001) with title Job Stress and Health: What the Research Tells Us; 2.32.1Cardiovascular Disease Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 2.32.2Musculoskeletal Disorders On the basis of research by NIOSH and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper- extremity musculoskeletal disorders. 2.32.3Psychological Disorders Several studies suggest that differences in rates of mental health problems (such as depression and burnout) for various occupations are due partly to differences in job stress levels. (Economic and lifestyle differences between occupations may also contribute to some of these problems.) 2.32.4Workplace Injury Although more study is needed, there is a growing concern that stressful working conditions interfere with safe work practices and set the stage for injuries at work. 2.32.5Suicide, Cancer, Ulcers, and Impaired Immune Function Some studies suggest a relationship between stressful working conditions and these health problems. However, more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn- 2.33 NIOSH(2001) research has identified organizational characteristics with title Stress, Health, and Productivity Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil-that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in todays economy. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and intentions by workers to quit their jobs-all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line. Recent studies of so-called healthy organizations suggest that policies benefiting worker health also benefit the bottom line. A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace. NIOSH research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity. Examples of these characteristics include the following: Recognition of employees for good work performance Opportunities for career development An organizational culture that values the individual worker Management actions that are consistent with organizational values(19) 2.34 St. Paul Fire and Marin(2007) Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings.(Journal of Applied Psychology) one with title Stress Prevention and Job Performance Program activities included (1) employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. 2.34.1 In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities. 2.35 According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics(2004), workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days. 2.36 Northwestern National Life Insurance(1992), Minneapolis, 1992, as reported in Work in America, Vol. 17, No. 6, June 1992.] Employee burnout: Causes and cures, Part 1: Employee stress levels, GENDER WORK AND STRESS In a survey carried out in 1992 of nearly 1,300 full-time employees in a random sample of private companies in the United States, it was found that gender, among other factors (the level of the employee in the organization, income, occupation and family situation), accounted for differences in job stress at the workplace. The survey found that stress affects women more than men, and that they are significantly more likely to report burnout, stress-related illnesses or a desire to resign from their jobs. The researchers suggested several reasons for this. In the first place, women are often paid less than men for their work, even if they have college degrees. Many organizations also lack policies which respond to family issues. Single women with children, along with low-paid college graduates, are at highest risk of burnout. Some 50 per cent of single women with children reported burnout, compared to 31 per cent of married women with children. [ 2.37 European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2001)reported these figures in Research on work-related stress, The following are recent estimates which related to the cost of work-related stress: In the United Kingdom, it has been suggested that over 40 million working days are lost each year due to stress-related disorders; In Australia, the Federal Assistant Minister for Industrial relations estimated the cost of occupational stress to be around A$30 million in 1994; In the United States, over half of the 550 million working days lost each year due to absenteeism are stress-related. 2.38 Several recent studies by ILO(2004) have highlighted the links between work-related stress, violence at work, the abuse of drugs and alcohol and tobacco consumption. These studies tend to suggest that stress at work plays an important role in the development of negative individual and organizational factors and forms a common element linking working conditions, substance abuse and violent acts. There appears to be a significant correlation between difficulties in relaxing after work and negative emotions such as fear, helplessness and failure. Stressful work may contribute to the development of a desire among workers to reduce tension by drinking, using drugs and other harmful substances. Alienating work has negative consequences for the development of a healthy human personality and can result in a range of problematic behaviours at the individual level, which may include the destructive use of alcohol and other substances, as well as depression and a deterioration in normal affective life. Stressful conditions may also constitute an antecedent to an episode of workplace violence. (ILO) (http//www.ilo.org/public/English/safework/index.htm). $2.39 University of utara(2004), Malaysia, school of accounting, Report on job stress among professional accountants working in selected public firms, a Malaysia case, replicates and extends earlier studies on job stress in public accounting conducted in UK and Britain. It is done through an extensive review of literature on job stress and field study using the same questionnaire utilized in the earlier two studies with a little modification to suit Malaysian context. The study seeks answers to what may be the sources of stress. Psychological outcomes and moderators of the stressful situation in selected public accounting firms and whether there exist significant linear relationship between job stressors and mental strains. Further more, it attempts to find out whether different from sizes, functional areas and position levels differ significantly in the stressors confronted and strains experienced by public accountants. The finding indicates that stressors faced by most respondents are quantitative workload, variations in workload, responsibilities for persons and travel, very few reports confronting role conflict and role ambiguity. As for the mental strains, respondent do not show that they are experiencing any except for job and workload dissatisfactions and pay inequity. It is also found that more than 10 percent of the respondents feel that they have job autonomy and that they do not possess the type A personality traits. (24) 2.40 A research report in Saudi Medical Journal , (2003) titled Job satisfaction and organizational commitment for nurses found that nurses in public hospitals are slightly satisfied and committed to their hospitals. Besides, satisfied nurses tend to have a higher degree of commitment than less satisfied ones. 2.41 A report in journal of health(2003) with title stress and suicide in nurses revealed that the relation between stress and suicide remained U shaped.when the job stress and home stress are combined,five fold increase in risk of suicide among women occurs.risk of suicide among high stress women is more compare to low stress experience by women. 2.42 School of Health Science (2002), Blekinge Institute of Technology Karlskrona, Sweden entitled The stress experience of nursing staff in intensive care therapy, concludes that stress contains amongst other the element of moral there is shortage of nurses in the health care and organisational structure too impede nursing performance to avoid the negative consequences of stress for nurses moral support is required. In ICU stress and complex situation are common for all nurses, the stress implication are sometime ethical issues, morbidity and burn out, the report revealed. 2.43 Queensland University of Technology(2002), thesis with the title THE INFLUENCE OF WORK STRESS AND WORK SUPPORT ON BURNOUT IN PUBLIC HOSPITAL NURSES states that Australian nurses reported low to moderate levels of work stress, moderate levels of work support and moderately high levels of burnout. Work stressors, were the main predictors of Emotional Exhaustion, Conflic. Changes in the objective conditions at work have had major implications for nurses subjective experiences of work, with increasing numbers of nurses feeling stressed and as a consequence, are opting to work part-time or leave the profession . 2.44 HSJ HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL (2005), REPORT CARRYING THE TITLE FACTORS INFLUENCING STRESS AND JOB SATISFACTION OF NURSES WORKING IN PSYCHIATRIC UNITS A strong negative relationship was found between clinical leadership, inter-professional collaboration, and stress and job satisfaction. Although a positive relationship between clinical leadership and nurses job satisfaction was found, the association between clinical leadership and quality of inter-professional collaboration is unclear. The association between these variables and job satisfaction is positive but tenuous. In addition, a positive but weak relationship was revealed between the clinical leadership and the quality of relationships amongst nurses. Organisational issues, lack of nursing staff and patient care were found to be related to ward type mental health nurses stress emerged as mediating variables between stress and job satisfaction. A hypothetical model of the relationships between these variables is presented for testing at a future study. 2.45 A research study by Deptt of medicine (2006). University of Ottawa, enitiled, prevalence of burnout, job stress and job satisfaction The findings are that medical personnel are experiencing burnout and high levels of stress and that large numbers are considering leaving or decreasing their work hours. This is an important finding for the cancer care system, where highly trained and experienced health care workers are already in short supply. 2.46 A research paper, School of Health Care Practice 2006, Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford, Essex(2009), UK, entitled Workplace stress in nursing: a literature review,finds . Workload, management style, professional conflict and emotional cost of caring and leadership style, lack of reward and shift working are the main sources of stress for nurses for many years. Stress management programe should concentrate on stress prevention as well as how organization should takle this vital issue. 2.47 The Graduate College University of Wisconsin-Stout(2005), a Research Paper with title OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS,concludes that The Weiman Occupational Stress Scale, introduced in 1978, is designed to measure perceived levels of occupational stress. The mental health counselors involved in completing the survey instruments scored an average of 2.57 on a five point scale, with past administrations of the Weiman Occupational Stress Scale having yielded a baseline score of 2.25. The mental health counselors in this study scored on average 13% higher than the calculated WOSS baseline. employees in publicly funded institutions (Winnebago Mental Health) experience greater perceived work stress than those counselors in privately funded clinics. 2.48 Research survey conducted by Carol Brewer(2000) has shown that new nurses face considerable professional stress and would benefit from improved nursing management Newly licensed nurses considered their jobs difficult, and they worked long hours: 51 percent worked voluntary overtime, 13 percent mandatory overtime. Sixty-one percent were assigned to nights, evenings or rotating shifts. Nearly two-thirds 62.78 percent said their work interfered with family life on at least four days a month, according to the results. Survey participants also reported a somewhat hazardous working environment: a quarter of respondents sustained at least one needle-stick in a year; 39 percent at least one strain or sprain; 21 percent a cut or laceration, 46 percent a bruise or contusion, and 62 percent reported experiencing verbal abuse on the job. A quarter found it difficult or impossible to do their jobs at least once a week due to inadequate supplies, the study showed. 2.49 An Exploration study of Job Stressors of Clinical Nursing Instructors in Taiwan(2001) found that clinical nursing instructors work-related stressors include inadequate role occupancy, increasing work demands, deficient role preparedness, lowered role control, insufficient role support, and role bargain. When a clinical instructor with lowered role control experiences more stressors, the situation of role stress will deteriorate. Role support and role bargain are the buffers of work-related stress to adapt clinical instructors for the rapidly changing educational and medical environment. Consequently, adequate role credibility for role occupancy is a necessary strategy for reducing clinical instructors work-related strain during organizational rapid change. 2.50 European Journal(2005) of Social Sciences ,article entitled Link between Job Stress and Job Satisfaction,Show that there is a significant negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. According to Stamps Piedmonte (1986) job satisfaction has been found significant relationship with job stress. One study of general practitioners in England identified four job stressors that were predictive of job dissatisfaction (Cooper, et al., 1989). In other study, Vinokur-Kaplan (1991) stated that organization factors such as workload and working condition were negatively related with job satisfaction. Fletcher Payne (1980) identified that a lack of satisfaction can be a source of stress, while high satisfaction can alleviate the effects of stress. This study reveals that, both of job stress and job satisfaction were found to be interrelated. The study of Landsbergis (1988) and Terry et al. (1993) showed that high levels of work stress are associated with low levels of job satisfaction. Moreover, Cummins (1990) have emphasized that job stressors are predictive of job dissatisfaction and greater propensity to leave the organization. Sheena et al. (2005) studied in UK found that there are some occupations that are reporting worse than average scores on each of the factors such as physical health, psychological well-being, and job satisfaction. The relationship between variables can be very important to academician. If a definite link exists between two variables, it could be possible for a academician to provide intervention in order to increase the level of one of the variables in hope that the intervention will also improve the other variable as well (Koslowsky, et al., 1995). 2.51 A Study of Job Stress and Job Satisfaction among University Staff in Malaysia a research article(2007) investigates the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. Inverse relationship exist between job stress and job satisfaction The determinants of job stress that have been examined under this study include, management role, relationship with others, workload pressure, homework interface, role ambiguity, and role conflict. 2.5 Faculty of Education(2001),University of Ibadan, article, Effects of Job Stress ,states that stress has negative effect on health, physical and mental,work behaviour,and performance,satisfavtion level. 2.53 Heavy workloads, difficult students and lack of resources are stressing out Australian teachers(1999). Many also experience stress from increasing violence and bullying. In one recent year, 274 teachers in Victoria were either assaulted or threatened by students and another 70 were attacked by colleagues. Over the past five years , 910 teachers in Victoria and 1150 teachers in New South Wales have filed worker compensation claims for anxiety,depression,nervous breakdown and other stress related symptom. Union leaders say these figures are just the tip of the iceberg: Teacher are very reluctant to proceed with those claims because it just adds another problem and additional stress, explains Australian education union president John Gregory Teaching in Australia may be stressful, but the profession seems to be under siege in the Uk , Janice Howell a primary school teacher in Newport (South Wales)is one of the casualties. She initially had the assistance of an English language teacher but that teacher took long-term leave with no replacement. Unable to cope with 28 kids, 11 of them with learning or behavioral difficulties, Howell had a nervous breakdown. After recovering several months later, Howell complained to the school about the intolerable stress. Rather than providing support, the school added two more troubled kids to Howells class. One student, new to Wales, ran away one morning and was seen playing near dangerous mudflats. Although he was taken home safely, no one told Howell until the end of the day. This led to Howells second breakdown, ending her career. From being a confident, well adjusted teacher who enjoyed her job I became depressed and dysfunctional, says Howell for the first time in my life I did not want to go to work. It got to the stage that I was physically unable to enter the classroom.(DD) 2.54 Nebuo Miuro (1999) quoted in the book about stress that employees are under a lot of pressure from his employer to get a new restaurant ready for its launch. The interiors fitter from Tokyo worked late, sometimes until 4.30 in the morning. After one such marathon, Miuro caught a few hour sleep, then return for another long day. But he didnt get very far. The 47 year old suddenly took ill and keeled over while picking up his hammer and nails. He died a week later. The corners verdict was that Miuro died of Karoshi_death by overwork. Karoshi accounts for nearly 10000 deaths each year in Japan. Research indicates that long work hours cause an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking, poor eating habits, lack of physical exercise and sleeplessness. This result in weight gain, which, along with stressful working conditions, damages the cardiovascular system and leads to strokes and heart attacks. Karoshi came to the public spotlight in the 1970s when Japans economy was booming, but the countrys current recession is making matters worse.companies are laying off employees and loading the extra work onto those who remain. Performance based expectations are replacing life qtime employment guarantees, putting further pressure on employees to work long hours. Many also blame Japans samurai spirit culture which idolizes long work hours as the ultimate symbol of company loyalty and personal fortitude. Being exhausted is considered a virtue explains a Japanese psychiatrist. So far, only 17 percent of Japanese companies offer over stressed employees some form of counseling. However the Japanese Government has launched an advertising campaign encouraging people to call a Karoshi hotline for anonymous help. The families of deceased workaholics , including Nobuo Mauros relatives are also taking action by suing the employers for lack of due care.(dd) 2.55 A report (2001) entitled Job Stress and Burnout Among Canadian Managers and Nurses: examined the relationship of job stress with burnout and its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, lack of accomplishment and depersonalization), job satisfaction, organizational commitment and psychosomatic, health problems. Job stress was significantly correlated with overall burnout and its three dimensions and job satisfaction in both samples. In the nursing sample, job stress was also significantly correlated with psychosomatic health problems and organizational commitment. Moderated multiple regressions only marginally supported the role of gender as a moderator of stress-burnout relationship. 2.56An articl (2001) on Occupational stress experienced by male and female employees indicate that there are statistically significant differences in the stress levels of employees based on their gender. With females experiences more stress then male. And physical conditions are considered as a most stressful factor for females. Male experiences less stress with physical conditions. Women were found to experience more stress then male. They are more affected by physical conditions such as noise, lightning etc Top of Form 2.57 Journal of Managerial Psychology(2006), report on Occupational stress in different organizations , a Saudi Arabian survey(2006) The main source of stress for employees working in private organizations is the lack of knowledge about their performance evaluation results, while this is not the case for employees working in public organizations; Saudi employees have the highest levels of stress, with Arabs second, Asians third, while Westerners (Europeans and North Americans) registered the lowest levels of stress; employees who are less than 30 years old experience the highest levels of stress; employees with six-to-ten years of experience show the highest levels of stress; and there is a significant inverse relationship between educational level and stress level. Top of Form Bottom of Form 2.58 An article on Occupational stress and depression in Korean employees (2001). Inadequate social support and discomfort in occupational climate is a better predictorof depressive symptoms than organizational injustice in Korea, indicates that the newlydeveloped KOSS has cultural relevance for assessing occupational stress in Korea. 2.59 Department of Psychology Applied Psychology research study(2008) University of the Punjab, OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND JOB PERFORMANCE, indicated Workload, co-workers and repetitive work are identified as the major factors causing stress. It is concluded that there is moderate level of stress with significant difference in different departments however affect of stress is found on job performance in the selected organization. 2.60 About Occupational Stress and Employee Control (1992) Industrial psychologists discovered that how much latitude employees have at work their control over job-related decisions affects their health, their morale and their ability to handle their workload. Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham (1976) reportedthat control (in terms of job-provided autonomy) enhanced motivation and growth in blue collar, white collar and professional positions. Then, in 1979, Robert Karasek(1979) found that workers whose jobs rated high in job demands yet low in employee control (as measured by latitude over decisions) reported significantly more exhaustion after work, trouble awakening in the morning, depression, nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia or disturbed sleep than other workers. When workers facing high demands had more control, their stress was lower. This major insight into how occupational stressors affect health and well-being has led to ongoing improvements in the workplace. For example, many organizations have implemented programs designed to enhance employee control. 2.61 Colegio Oficial de Psic.logos (2007) s article OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND STATE OF HEALTH AMONG CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRISTS revealed that the stress among mental health professionals (staff and trainees). Results showed that psychiatrists experienced less stress than their colleagues, and suggest specific associations between situational stressors and state of health. In particular, frustration in carrying out their work is linked to high levels of self-reported symptoms in psychologists. 2.62 A reprt presented by European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs, European Union (2007) states that work-related stress affects at least 40 million workers in its 15 Member States and that it costs the European Union approx. 20 billion annually. It is now widely acknowledged that stress at work is a very common problem and that it has a very high cost in terms of workers health, absenteeism and lower performance. 26% of workers who reported an injury or illness felt that they suffered from stress while at work in the last 12 months, and that this percentage rises 2.63 A Report titledEffects of Job Stress on Health, Personal and Work Behaviour of Nurses in Public Hospitals (2006), Department of Social Work, Faculty of Education,University of Ibadan, Nigeria,established that job stress has significant effect on physical and mental health of the nurses. It also established that there was a significant difference in personal and work behaviour of highly stressed nurses and less stressed nurses. Based on these findings,it was recommended that the government (Federal or State) and Hospital Management Boards should improve the welfare of the nurses. It was also recommended that their morale should be boosted by involving them in policy or decision-making concerning their welfare or care of their patients. Their salary should be reviewed and that they should be promoted as at when due. Work-home interference among nurses: reciprocal relationships with job demands and healt. The higher nurses job demands, the higher is their level of work-home interference and the more likely is a general health deterioration over time, in turn giving rise to higher job demands and work-home interference, which may even aggravate the nurses general health, and so on.( Research study by University of Ibadan, Nigeria 2006)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Swot Analysis Of China Telecom Marketing Essay

Swot Analysis Of China Telecom Marketing Essay In this chapter, we will perform SWOT analysis to each company mainly based on their annual reports, as well as forecast their future trends and external environments development in the coming years through their future strategies and news. SWOT summarizes the key issues from the business environment and the strategic capability of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development. This can also be useful as a basis against which to generate strategic options and assess future course of action. (Johnson, G.2008) Strengths: characteristics of the business, or project team that give it an advantage over others Weaknesses (or Limitations): are characteristics that place the team at a disadvantage relative to others Opportunities: external chances to improve performance (e.g. make greater profits) in the environment Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project 6.1 SWOT analysis of China Telecom Strengths Absolutely leading broadband resources and network infrastructure in China. They have very strong advantages in fixed communication field  [1]  . Strong abilities in the development of new business because their affluent network resources and various business types. The first telecommunications operator in China to publish Cloud computing strategy and solutions  [2]  . To innovated the data traffic marketing model, through strengthening sales and marketing to enhance customers experience and cultivating users habit of usage to increase data revenue  [3]  . They will strive to enhance their strengths in innovation, service, efficient centralisation and operation management, and take more solid steps towards the goal of being a world-class integrated information service provider so as to create more value for shareholders  [4]  . China Telecom owns a great mount of customers in China, and they have good customer relationship. With 77 million wireline broadband subscribers and 126 million mobile subscribers  [5]  , they have a great advantage in the market share. China Telecom has advanced service quality; they build the Group Customer Service Center to supply more perfect services to their customers  [6]  . Weaknesses As a state-run company, it has a heavy social responsibility. There are more than 400 thousands employers working in this company, and the company also have a duty to help some backward areas build communication networks, as well as do investment in the basic network facilities. So the companys operation cost is very high  [7]  . Complex organization structure of the company leading to their market reaction speed is relatively slow, and the cost of innovation is high  [8]  . The starting point of Chinese new network development is lower than the European countries. The channel of distribution is weak because of the limitation of state policies and profession  [9]  . The companys strategy only focus on the current operation, the lack of long-term strategy and strategic planning talents make the company be weak in the overall situation  [10]  . The recently network infrastructure cannot supply specific services to customers because China Telecom has advanced network infrastructure which are mostly used to meet the demand of general service, not based on the actual market demands. Opportunities In 2011, Chinas mobile telecommunications market has gradually migrated from 2G to 3G services. With accelerated growth in 3G services, the market potential was huge  [11]  . China has launched its own domestic 3G mobile technology standard TD-SCDMA, which will challenge CDMA2000 and W-CDMA  [12]  . Government determination to invest in Chinas telecommunications industry ensuring that it becomes innovative  [13]  . With 1.3 billion citizens, the size of the telecom markets is the biggest. China is actively expending its political and economic ties with major emerging markets, which contribute China Telecoms Strategic cooperation all over the world  [14]  . At present, 3G service and wireline broadband service are still in a period of high growth. The commercialization of new services such as mobile Internet, Cloud computing and Internet of Things is further accelerating, which will open up a new area for the Companys development  [15]  . Threats Since 2010, the governments investment in 3G will be reduced gradually, and the development of the telecom industry will be driven mainly by consumption  [16]  . In recent years, a lot of foreign companies solicit telecom talents in China by high-salary or high-welfare policy. As a result, the brain drains of China Telecom become serious  [17]  . In China, there are relatively strict limitation by industry policies in the aspect of business license, Internet services and telecom fees etc. In the present China telecom market, the control of inequality has restricted the development of China telecom  [18]  . The telecom market is becoming saturate and competition between domestic telecom companies become more intense  [19]  . The integration of the information industry and intensifying market competition in China. 6.2 SWOT analysis of Royal KPN Strengths KPN is ranked amongst the most sustainable European telecommunications companies for the second year in a row  [20]  . The number of households that KPN can serve with fiber services has grown sharply  [21]  . Strong Operational Performance in terms of telephony services  [22]  . The strong KPN brand. KPN has a number of other consumer brands in different countries, because they have a varied customer base which calls for a suitable range of products and services. KPN will strengthen their market positions in the Netherlands by an enhanced focus on product and service quality, a more efficient organization and a tighter policy on costs. KPN will create a nimble organization by simplifying the organizational structure and by offering a clearer set of products and services in both the business and consumer markets in the Netherlands. KPN aim to increase the customer base for fixed and mobile telephony and see particularly good opportunities for the fiber network. They will continue their Mobile International Challenger strategy in the coming years. Weaknesses Business market size declining due to price pressure, continued rationalization and macroeconomic impact  [23]  . Concentrated revenues from Netherlands, with other geographies contributing very less in terms of profits  [24]  . Customers lose in traditional mobile service because of new Internet communication services  [25]  . Lost market share to competitors in the mobile sector due to what customers perceive to be high prices and inflexible service packages  [26]  . Market reaction speed is relatively slow, leading to a downtrend in the operation revenue  [27]  . Opportunities Strategic acquisitions- opportunities across the globe, and the company said that KPN will continue to explore all strategic options  [28]  . Increasing demand for the more profitable 3G services, variety of 3G services also supply more broad development space to KPN. 4Gs springing up request the support of a sustained investment  [29]  . The sharp rise in mobile internet usage, as is data usage, the telecom and ICT landscape is continuously developing  [30]  . The growing range of new and profitable services based on internet protocol  [31]  . Technological opportunities from Smartphone, tablets, fiber and cloud services  [32]  . Threats Competitive pressures from its more global competitors. The European local telecom markets tend to saturate. Regulatory issues across Europe. Due to MTA (Matanuska Telephone Association) impact, the regulation about Roaming and Spectrum may lower KPNs growth in ARPU  [33]  . Increasingly substitute text messages or voice calls with instant messaging or voice over internet protocol services such as Skype  [34]  . European debt crisis and looming recession impact the companys business and corporate market, lead to consumer confidence declining. NMA (National Media Association) starts an investigation regarding possible collusion of mobile operators on propositions in the mobile market. Regulator OPTA announces to put KPN on close supervision further to alleged violations of obligations based on the Telecommunication Act  [35]  . http://wenku.baidu.com/view/7cef4a070740be1e650e9af6.html à §Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¾ 6.3 SWOT analysis of Deutsche Telekom Strengths The widely basic network facilities across all over the Europe and strategic partnerships  [36]  . Bid amount of customers with high loyalty and upscale markets. A leading Internet service provider with more than 25 million broadband subscribers and strong performance of broadband services  [37]  . Absolutely leading technology advantage in telecom industry and comprehensive business services. It is placing a wide range of products and services in the Telekom cloud  [38]  . The global famous brand with broad market distribution and their business services provide all over the world  [39]  . They will continue to invest in key growth areas despite unfavorable regulation. They are building modern broadband networks both wireless and wireline, which makes them a major contributor to the online society. They are focusing on innovation- with some areas, such as mobile internet and cloud computing, already generating substantial revenues  [40]  . They will be investing in modernizing the network and continuing their efforts to establish T-Mobile as the carrier that offers customers the best value for money. Weaknesses High operate pressure from the companys high debt  [41]  . Fast expand lead to the companys scale is too bid, as well as the market reaction speed is relatively slow. Relatively lower service quality than the other leading telecom companies in Europe  [42]  . The cost of management is too high because of the corporate merger and acquisition in recent years  [43]  . Competition from other European and global operators means little market share growth. The falling fix-line business markets make a big loss in companys revenue  [44]  . Limited presence in Asian markets  [45]  . Opportunities Germany is the largest national economy in Europe and the consumption level is high  [46]  . The fact means that Deutsche Telekom has a comfortable development environment and business markets. Germany has Europes largest telecom market, with average penetration in the broadband and mobile sectors  [47]  . High data volumes, a booming smart phone market and customer demand for high-speed networks in local market  [48]  . Corporate merger and acquisitions over the world. Increasing demand for the 3G services and new networks technologies such as 4G and mobile internet usage  [49]  . Positive outlook for cloud computing. According to experts, in 2020 many companies will no longer have their own servers and instead switch to cloud  [50]  . The development of modern wireless technologies highlights their original technical advantages  [51]  . Threats Government intervention. Government intervention could put downside pressure on the stock and increase political risk. Unfavorable regulation and the imposition of special taxes in some countries in Southern and Eastern Europe  [52]  . Difficult economic situation in Europe as well as the huge challenges that Deutsche Telekom are facing in telecom industry- continuing intense competition in their core business with network connections. Depression of European telecom industry and the local market tend to saturate. The shortage of talent in Germanys telecom industry  [53]  . Users demand for the service quality is becoming higher and higher  [54]  . Increasingly substitute network services threatened the traditional business. 6.4 Conclusion In concluding, we can see from the SWOT analysis, China Telecom is one of the worlds largest telecom provider due to the Chinas huge population and potential market, so the companys advanced technology, innovation ability, as well as 3Gs spring up in China will bring a huge business value to China Telecom. This is meaning the same huge potential investment opportunity for the investor. It will be a very good period to invest in China Telecom. Besides, Mobile Internet, Cloud computing and Internet of Things will open up a new area for the Companys development. That is all the good news that brings investors more benefits from their investment. But Chinas telecom business is immature relatively because the late start and China Telecom as a state-run company has a heavy social responsibility and limited develop environment. For investors, invest in state-run company means they will meet more investment restriction. High operating costs, strict limitation policies and increasing competit ion will be huge challenges to China Telecom. That also means more investment risk for investors. According to the chairman of China Telecom, Wang Xiaochus report in 2012, China Telecom is aiming to be the world-class integrated information service provider. To enhance their strengths in innovation, service, efficient centralization and operation management will be China Telecoms core strategy in the future. Royal KPN is a leading telecom provider of Netherlands, with strong operational performance especially in telephony services. It will be a strong advantages at present when the demand for varies of telephony services is growing rapidly. The companys stable development strategies make it be one of the most sustainable European telecommunications companies. So it can be seen that invest in KPN is favorable and safe. Then, increasing usage of new communication technologies such like mobile internet will make a lot of business opportunities to the company. Besides, Companys acquisitions and telecom services across geographies will further promote the companys development. We believe that KPN will attract more investors as the development of new communication technologies and the companys extension strategies. But the competition from other European telecom companies means limited market shares, as well as the saturated market and regulatory issues across EU, giving huge pressures to the company. Besides, global economic slowdown and debt crisis in European also make adverse influence to the companys development. For investors, the saturated telecom markets and floundering economy in Europe means they will get relatively few returns when they invest in KPN at present. And the debt crisis in EU also leads to investment risk. In the coming years, we can see from KPNs new strategy 2011-2015, they will promote the Strengthen, Simplify and Grow strategy and ambitions towards their goals in 2015, aim to give more favorable product and services to customer. Deutsche Telekom is the largest telecommunications company in Europe with widely basic network facilities and strategy partnerships. A lot of investors prefer to choose Deutsche Telekom because its global famous brand with broad market distribution and their business services are provided all over the world. High telecom technology, high loyalty customers and upscale markets make the company have strong competition powers among the increasing competitors in Europe. So invest in Deutsche Telekom is general considered to be reliably. But undue corporate merger and acquisition strategy, as well as the companys high debt make high operating pressures to the company. These adverse factors in companys operation will threat the profit returns in the investors investment. Also as an EU country, regulatory issues, strict competition and debt crisis in Europe will be big challenges to the company. In the future, Deutsche Telekom will continue to invest in key growth areas despite unfavorable r egulation. They are building modern broadband networks both wireless and wireline, which makes them a major contributor to the online society. They will also focusing on innovation with some areas, such as mobile internet and cloud computing. In general, all of the three companies have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Increasing competition, saturated markets and regulatory issues are the situations which the telecom industry must to face with. How to balance the increasing demand for new network services and the loss of traditional business will be the key points to every telecom provider. For investors, despite we can see that invest in China Telecom will have much potential due to the increasing demands for new services, but the immature telecom markets and limited develop environment in China mean higher investment risk than the other two companies. Invest in KPN and Deutsche Telekom are both considered to be safe and reliably, because their strong brands, advanced network facilities and technologies. We can see that, be contract with the adverse economic environment and regulation in Europe, KPN relatively well development strategies help them reduce many losses, and meet more business opportunities in new technical demands. Deutsche Telekoms low market reaction speed and high cost lead a higher loss in their traditional communication services. So we prefer to choose KPN for investors to do investment due to the companys sustainable competition advantages and future development strategies.