Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Leading Group Challenges Paper

There are many important elements of organizational behavior in a criminal justice or security agency. These elements of organizational behavior are guidelines to organization hire valuable employees with values, morals, and ethnics. Commitment to ethical behavior one of the elements among others that will be discuss in this paper. Commitment to ethical behavior is when unethical behavior and illegal business practice in an organization is publicized.This is element that is use in the criminal justice and security agencies because the public and businesses trust the agencies to perform their duties with professionalism, morality, and diligence. The public sees through the media about police officer who have been caught breaking the law and conducting unethical behavior while on and off duty. The public has the see that the agencies are not tolerating unethical behavior from their personnel official because to restore the public's faith in the agency.Importance of human capital is an element use because employee love to know that they are being value by the organization he or she is employed with. Human behavior is very complex in an organization because of the demographic increase in the country, which results in employees with different cultures and background. This makes it hard for other employees to sustain success, so experience, knowledge and commitment to people plays a major part in sustaining that success. This true when it comes to a criminal justice and security agency where they come into contact with different cultures and backgrounds on a daily basis.Pervasive influence of information technology with penetration of computers and communication in all aspect of the workplace, it is important for a organization to keep up with the advancement of technology in the criminal justice and security agency. Technology is playing a major role in how criminals for committing crimes, which is why there has been a increase in cyber crimes because a criminal can bedazzle money, commit identity theft, and launder money from anywhere there is a computer with a capability to commit the transaction, even sex offenders are using cyberspace to search for victim.Many law enforcement agencies has development special division and hired computer experts to help combat the increase of cyber crimes. Emphasis on teamwork is a very important element in organizational behavior in the criminal justice or security agency. Many criminal organization are starting to work together to goal of making a huge profit in illegal activity, which is making it difficult for law enforcement to infiltrate and investigate a criminal organization because most of the criminal organization have knowledge of law enforcement personnel around their local area.Law enforcement agencies have teamed up and used other undercover officer from different local, state, and federal agencies to infiltrate and investigate illegal activity by criminal organizations. The United States may a lso team with agencies on an international level to help combat international criminal organization, in an effort to stop terrorism, drugs, human trafficking, and etc. Most organization have develop an element called a mission statement. A mission statement describes and helps focus the attention of organizational members and external constituents on the organization's core purpose.This is use in the criminal justice and security agency use mission statement for the success of the organization and better serve the community or businesses that they have agree to serve and protect. Demise of command-and-control because the handling of new environmental pressure and demands are proving incapable of a traditional hierarchical; organization are replacing them with a flexible structures and participatory work setting fully, which value human capital.Criminal justice and security agencies hierarchical are adapting to flexible structure to appreciate the value of human capital to keep the m oral high within the organization, and with the hierarchical still in place complaints and incident can be reported to a supervisor. Respect for new workforce expectations this is when the new generation of workers are not tolerating of hierarchy, more informal, and status is the least of their concerns.Organization are supporting their workers by paying more attention to helping the new generation balance their work responsibilities and personal affairs. This is true in the criminal justice and security agency, because employee must be totally focus on the mission statement an agency can't afford for an employee's job performance to suffer because of personal issue, so some have set up programs or counseling to help their employees deal with their issues. An agency knows personal issues can affect the value, morals, ethnics, and professionalism of the job.

Economic problems in the USSR after the Second World War Essay

â€Å"Neither Stalin, Khrushchev or Brezhnev successfully addressed fundamental economic problems which increasingly dogged the USSR after the Second World War† How far do you agree with this statement? After the war, the USSR was destroyed both physically and economically. The challenge for Stalin therefore was to attempt to rebuild the USSR, particularly focusing on industry and the economy in order to ensure that Russia would remain a world superpower. By the end of Brezhnev’s era however, the situation was very different. The country had undergone a period of stagnation whereby the economy had failed to improve and grow over his period in power. This was due to his lack of willingness to implement new policies in preference of a â€Å"period of stability†. I would suggest that although Brezhnev achieved very little, changes were implemented under both Stalin and Khrushchev. However, these changes were often not always overly successful. Stalin did attempt to address the economic damage that the war had caused and therefore try to rebuild the economy. One way in which he did this was to alter the systems in place already in order to tackle the new problems faced. For example, he addressed the growing complexity of the economy by creating more economic ministries. Further than this at the end of 1947, he adapted Gosplan in order to make it more focused on the economy and therefore limited the State Planning Commission to only planning (therefore transferring its previous responsibilities to arrange the necessary supplies elsewhere). He also adapted where investment was distributed to after the war such as early investment after the war went to regions which had been occupied by the Germans (for example, Donets Region). Stalin also created new policies in order to boost the economy and increase production, in the form of the fourth year plan. This was successful in the way that it effectively produced large amounts of raw materials such as coal (149 million tons in 1945 to 261 million tons in 1950) and oil (19 million tons in 1945 to 40 million tons in 1950). He used shorter term targets for individual enterprises to meet. P Kenez said â€Å"even if we take into consideration the exaggerations built into soviet statistics, it is still indisputable that the Stalinist methods worked, and that the speed of reconstruction was impressive†. Overall the USSR managed to produce a 75% increase on the production of 1940 which shows its extensive success and therefore disagrees with the statement that as a leader he failed to address the economic problems faced. Although it can be suggested that Khrushchev faced less of challenge than Stalin, he still introduced new economic policies which had wide spreading effects. An example of this is introducing the minimum wage in 1956 which guaranteed the workers an increased standard of living and prevented exploitation. Foreign trade hugely increased under Khrushchev due to his extended relationship with the west. Two thirds of the foreign trade was with Comecon countries in Eastern Europe which was also beneficial for communist relationships. Unlike under Stalin, Khrushchev successfully addressed the poor living standards and increased these considerably. Although they were still backwards in comparison to other western countries, for example in 1964, only 5 in 1,000 citizens owned a car; his policies combined with the recovery of the USSR since 1945 did mean improvements were made. Working conditions also improved with shorter working hours, more holidays, better pensions and other social benefits. Khrushchev is often blamed for his failings in agriculture (as addressed below) but John Keep suggests that he at least â€Å"kept peasant affairs at the centre of attention for an entire decade. No other ruler had ever done so, or would do so†. This is evidence that Khrushchev did address some of the problems that the USSR were facing at the time. Filtzer also stated that that these reforms were based on the assumption that agriculture would receive many more resources than he would obtain due to them being diverted to other sectors of the economy. Arguably then Khrushchev did attempt to address these issues. Brezhnev’s time in power is often described as an â€Å"economic stagnation† due to the failure in economic growth at this time. However, he did introduce a limited number of new policies which had equally limited successes. He successfully addressed that Khrushchev’s destructive agricultural policies should be reversed, for example in September 1965 Khrushchev’s sovnarkhoz reforms of 1957 were ended. He did successfully increase foreign trade though, for example exporting oil and gold natural resources from Siberia and the period of dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente led to the high priority of western technologies being imported. Although the Stalinist economic reforms successfully improved output there are also criticisms that can be raised as evidence that Stalin failed to address the economic problems. The fourth year plan is accused to have been inflexible as it focused on heavy industry rather than light consumer goods. These items were what the country really needed after it had been damaged by the war but instead industry was based on government priorities. Further than this, the emphasis was put on quantity rather than quality and therefore many of the goods produced were not of the highest quality. For example, in order for factory workers to reach their targets, they would produce more pairs of shoes of small sizes as this was quicker and had smaller production costs. Stalin also introduced a currency reform which was generally unsuccessful. It made life difficult for the workers as it reduced how much money was in circulation and therefore consumer products such as clothes and shoes were even scarcer than during the war. Due to the reform the black market became more active which increased corruption and crime. It is also suggested that Stalin’s economic policy was less successful towards the end of his time in power. The fifth five year plan should have begun in 1951, yet it was not drafted and approved until October 1952. Perhaps Stalin’s significant failure within economic policy was in agriculture. Despite the huge interruption of the war in production, Stalin did not focus on this policy area. Instead the peasants were treated badly and the amount of state procured grain increased to 60-70% of the harvested grain produced. Investment into agriculture also failed to be addressed. These problems lead to food shortages which further increased the problems of the black markets. Alex Nove suggests that Stalin’s final years were â€Å"ill judged interventions of authority, excessive centralisation of decisions, insufficient investment and lack of adequate incentives†. Khrushchev introduced many new reforms to try to improve industry which were fairly unsuccessful. The Sovnarkhoz reforms ended up causing another layer of bureaucracy and just formed an alternative competition (between regions rather that industry). The black market also grew under Khrushchev as it intervened to satisfy repressed demand. Arguably Khrushchev’s biggest failures were within agriculture however. He insisted upon forming his own policies without any experts advice and then pushed them through bureaucracy rather than trialling them out to see if they would be successful. An obvious example of this is the Virgin Lands Campaign whereby land that was not suitable for crop growth was used for extra agricultural land. Although it did enjoy initial success the weather conditions soon destroyed any crops that had grown and the campaign had to be abandoned. Many of Khrushchev’s failures are attributed to him personally, especially the lack of effective planning of the reforms and the confusion which sometimes arose. Therefore he can be partly personally blamed for the failures to address the economic problems faced by the USSR. The failures seen within Brezhnev’s era are not so much destructive but rather a period of stagnation whereby the economy failed to improve. Evidence of this is found in the NMP (net material product) fell from 10.2% in 1950 to 3.6% in the 1980s. It has been suggested that the leadership didn’t have an accurate view of economic performance as they were not educated well in economics and GOSPLAN was inefficient at reporting findings. An example is one of the â€Å"top† producing factories did not in fact exist when GOSPLAN attempted to give them an award for production. In fact the â€Å"factory† was run on the black market. Brezhnev’s defence costs also affected the economy adversely. By 1980 the USSR was spending more on defence than the USA even though their economy was about one third of the size! Perhaps his largest failure was not to address the problems with the centralised planning system where many of the economic problems initially sprung from. Under Stalin this was successful but by this time the economy had become far too complex to be centralised. Industry also failed to modernise. For example, using the policy of â€Å"storming† was used whereby old equipment was run non-stop until the end of the plan which damaged equipment and wasted resources. Thompson suggests that â€Å"in structural terms, soviet planners by 1980 had arguably created the world’s largest and most advanced nineteenth-century economy†. In conclusion, the extent to the leaders successfully addressed the economic problems in Russia was variable under the different personalities. Stalin arguably faced the biggest challenge and due to the fact he did manage to increase production to such a large extent suggests he was the most successful. Although Khrushchev did not solve all of the problems faced, and his agricultural policies caused more harm than good, he did attempt to address the problems that the USSR were facing. On the other hand, Brezhnev’s rule did not show any improvement, and further than this he did not show any attempts to improve the problems. For this reason Brezhnev can be suggested to be the least successful.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Language of poetry Essay

When looking at the language used by a poet when creating a poem it is important we do this with a number of things in mind. What kind of image is the poet attempting to create in our thoughts? When was this poem created? How is it structured and punctuated? What context has it been written? and also how does the poet want us to feel when reading the work? No matter how long or short a poem may be the language used when creating it will be vital as to deciding how we respond to the poem. It is not just what the poet is trying to say but how they are attempting to say it that will define how this poem resonates within us. There are many reasons why an author might choose to use some words instead of others. A poet might choose words for the way they sound, compliment other words, shock value, for the tense they are in or even for the perspective they want to use. For the purpose of this essay we will be looking at three American poets with the intent of studying the language used in their works in order to better understand the meanings of these poems and to also figure out why they were written in a certain way. Look more:  first poem for you analysis essay When looking at the language used in each of these poems we will be looking out for many of the things mentioned above to aid the investigation into the language within them. The first poet that we will look at is William Carlos Williams and in particular his poem â€Å"This is Just to Say†. Just like all the poems he has written it is a short piece which is created using simple words and sentences that can be easily understood by the reader. The poem is full of enjambment and this means that we put particular emphasis on the words â€Å"breakfast, â€Å"delicious†, â€Å"so sweet† and â€Å"so cold†. If we didn’t observe the enjambment in this poem it would more than likely be mistaken for a short note for someone’s sister, mother, wife or father. The way that enjambment is used in this poem has a profound effect, it is a poem written in the past tense, and one that relies heavily on the creation of an image in the mind of the reader. This poem successfully creates that image nearly to the point where we can almost see the drops of moisture on the plums as they glisten in the sunlight prior to being devoured by the writer. How the poet uses enjambment enables this strong creation of an image. He uses the words delicious, sweet and cold to great effect and their placing within the poem adds hugely to how they aid this. They are all grouped together in the last section of the poem and this means we are quickly bombarded with a triple whammy of descriptive words in what is a very short poem. It is also important to note how Williams says the plums are â€Å"so† sweet and â€Å"so† cold rather than just sweet and cold. This little word has a huge effect and it compounds in our minds just how sweet and cold they really were and as such, one might even feel a desire to have the plums themselves if reading the poem on an empty stomach. The poem is structured in one long flowing sentence that is broken up into three sections of three lines, this structure makes it easy to digest and understand. The poem â€Å"Woman Poem† by Nikki Giovanni is about a black woman and what her life is like. The woman wants things in life; the men will not let her have what she wants. The author, Nikki Giovanni uses several poetic aspects in the poem. Throughout the poem she uses synecdoche’s to make her point, for example: â€Å"me getting fat as a hog† being used to describe gaining weight. The imagery created by this poem helps to describe the way that men hold her back. It is a completely different poem to the one investigated above but again it relies heavily on imagery along with words with a real sense of shock value to get a message across to the reader. The language of this poem is language of oppression, frustration, anger, devastation and hopelessness and the images it creates are such too. It describes the life of a black woman in the 1960s and when doing so she describes a yearning to be â€Å"free†. Free from the constraints of what she describes as a male dominated society, one where she almost feels as if she has been castrated. She does not mean this literally but the use of the word â€Å"castrated† is symbolic to the genuine feeling of being powerless she feels almost as a dog being castrated would. She is using words as a means of venting and conveying her feelings and it is obvious to see the emotion attached to what she writes. The third stanza reads: â€Å"it’s a sex object if you’re pretty and no love or love and no sex if you’re fat get back fat black woman be a mother grandmother strong thing but not woman gameswoman romantic woman love needer man seeker dick eater sweat getter fuck needing love seeking woman† This stanza is the one within the poem which is the most image provoking. The language used is vulgar and not everyday conversation etiquette. She most likely uses language of this sort on purpose in order to grab the attention of the reader and highlight her plight as a woman who can be regarded by men as merely an object for sex. She repeats this process throughout the poem to great effect using words like â€Å"whore† and â€Å"black dog†. As a whole this poem is difficult to read and find meaning from but when carefully studied it created in the mind an image of hopelessness for women. One of an existence devoid of happiness, an image compounded by the final lines which read: â€Å"face me whose whole life is tied up to unhappiness cause it’s the only for real thing i know† The third poem to be investigated is â€Å"Poppies in July† by Sylvia Plaith. This poem was written in July 1962. At this stage of her life, Plath’s marriage to Ted Hughes was in turmoil, and she was suffering from a severe bout of depression. < http://sylviaplathnotes. wordpress. com/poppies-in-july/>. With this poem she enables us to have an insight into the turmoil and pain she felt inside. The colour red is prominent and this symbolises anger and rage. The images created in the mind are very dark, vivid and disturbing, imitating what her thoughts were when she created the poem. At the start of this poem we are informed that bright red colour of poppies reminds the poet of the burning fires of hell. The poppies swaying in the breeze remind the poet of flames flickering. She begins to show a desire to self harm, thrusting her hand among the â€Å"flames† to see if it burns but there is something about these flowers that she cannot touch. This is the reader’s first real insight into the pain Plath must have been feeling. Throughout the poem we are reminded of her desire to cause harm to herself. Later in the poem she describes outward appearance of the flowers again, this time with a simile. Now she likens them to the wrinkled, red skin of a bloodied mouth rather than the flames of hell. This violent imagery is another hint towards her desire to self-harm. Continuing the idea that there is something about these flowers she cannot touch, she now states that she is unable to touch their fumes and enquires about their opiates. This represents a longing for heroin or opium which is a drug created from poppies. Complex imagery is used, referring to her mouth as a means of taking the drug. Exclamation marks indicate just how desperate the poet is getting. She needs these drugs and she needs them now! Throughout this poem there is a recurring theme of desperation from the poet, desperation for obliteration through drugs or self harm, it relies on graphic imagery to get the point across and gives us an idea of the darkness encased within the mind of the poet. She closes the poem with the words â€Å"colourless, colourless† which might represent how she feels her life and marriage have become. Through investigation of the above poems we are able to come to numerous conclusions regarding the language used within them. The first poem is nothing more than a short piece but it still manages to create not only a powerful image in the mind but also a longing for the peaches described within! The last two poems investigated however are far more deep and sombre affairs. They offer us a real window into the souls of their creators. The language used in each of these is powerful and it is impossible to read them without being left with a real sense of the turmoil felt by both these women. They both utilise the shock value element of language to make their poems that bit more hard hitting and employ similar punctuation techniques also. Through doing this investigation into language of poetry we can now understand how the language used by the poet is vital when it comes to determining the feelings we are left with having read a poem.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Hospitality Technology Applied to Hospitals Essay

Hospitality Technology Applied to Hospitals - Essay Example To this end, the hospitality industry, including the airlines and the hotels, are in a constant struggle to introduce new ways to achieve the mentioned goal. This paper purports to discuss some of the new advancements in technology that the airlines have incorporated worldwide to provide for an improved customer experience through improved hospitality and operational management. The airlines have, of late, put an end to paper tickets by encouraging their customers to book tickets online and by checking their bookings through online softwares and databases (3 Big Tech Changes). The latest advancement in this category is an attempt to replace the boarding passes with electronic system of bar codes, so that passenger check-ins can be expedited, and there is less traffic at the airport terminals (3 Big Tech Changes). For this purpose, the major airlines all over the world have started the practice of recording the passenger’s cell phone numbers when they make reservations (3 Big Tech Changes). The airlines then send a bar code to the cell phones via text message, and also to the email address (3 Big Tech Changes). The customers have the option of either printing the emails, or brining their cell phones with them when boarding the planes. The company then checks the bar codes that the passengers have on their cell phones or email print outs(3 Big Tech Cha nges), which therefore, serve as the boarding passes. On 15 January, 2003, Saudi Arabian Airlines opened their first ever option of online booking to the public (MacAllister). This is a major step in the advancement of a key international as well as Middle Eastern flight company, falling currently at number fifteen on the list of the International Air

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Organizational Personnel Policy Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Personnel Policy Critique - Essay Example In this case a person from one department will opt to undertake the duty that is supposed to be undertaken by a person of another department. In most organizations that are there the Human Resource Department will never miss. At the same time there is the project Management Department. Between these two there ought to be a relationship of some sort and there should be no conflicts especially when it comes to the work that is to be done. Even though the HR department will be the one having control over the workforce that is there, the PM department is the one charged with the responsibility of overseeing the workings that are undertaken by the individuals in the HR department. For this reason it is somewhat more influential in comparison to the HR department. However, there are other instances when the PM department will have little or no say on the issues that are affecting the firm. One such instance is when the workers of the firm down their tools or get involved in a go-slow. Even though the PM department supervises the projects that are to be undertaken, it is the HR department that will head out and try solve the issue at hand. Another issue in which the PM department has no say is when the working conditions of the employees are deplorable or not conducive. In this case also it will be the duty of the HR department to try once again and address the matter. What these examples show is that even though the PM department may have some influence in the firm, the HR department still has a lot of control in the sense that it is the department that is handling the workforce that is associated with the firm. The PM, however, can have some influence over the undertakings of the HR department. For example, it is the PM that will give instructions and directives on the way a particular task or project is to be undertaken. At the same time it is the PM department that will hold the employees of the firm

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Entrepreneurial Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurial Marketing - Essay Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4d Viral marketing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4e Recommendation and conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Abstract The paper gives an alternative conceptualization of entrepreneurial marketing. It gives a review on the issue of entrepreneurial marketing as one of the tools which many business ventures have applied today in the production of goods and services hence can strategize the mselves well in the global market. There are so many forms/approaches on entrepreneurial marketing but my interest is on the entrepreneurial approaches to promotion in both advertising as well as selling their products to the customers. This marketing approach has widely been applied by many business ventures both small and large and these businesses have been successful. In my research, have taken a review of the three articles on promotion which include; the guerrilla marketing, buzz marketing and viral marketing as a marketing strategy by entrepreneurs. Introduction According to American Marketing Association (2007, pp 243), entrepreneurial marketing can be defined as business function of marketing its products and services and this is achieved by taking in to account the following aspects: innovativeness, proactiveness, risk taking and the pursuit of opportunities without putting in to consideration the resources currently controlled. Our definition suits both the small and the large scale business ventures who would wish to compete effectively in the large market. Once goods and services have been produced, customers have to be informed about the new product in the market. This is only achieved by coming up with a marketing strategy to put your product in the market. Entrepreneurial marketing describe the marketing activities for both small and large scale business ventures. Given the large share of the economic activities, entrepreneurs have developed a fresh field of research on the marketing strategies which ongoing as well as the new ventures can adopt given the competition in the global market today. EM describes the marketing activities which these firms develop irrespective of their sizes and age (Brotherson 2008 pp142). Our research on entrepreneurial marketing explore that it can be implemented and for any firm to perform well, then it has to put in to consideration the various marketing strategies which differentiate the firm from the others. Ma ny firms today produce similar products and services and the only way entrepreneurs can be able to compete well in the global market is by coming up with marketing strategies and work towards achieving those strategies. Competition in the global market today is stiff hence entrepreneurs need to strategize themselves so that they can compete effectively given the limited resources they have (Chrisnail 2005). According to Aldrich (2007 pp124), it is obvious that most new ventures are not ready to be risk takers, not innovative but more rather imitative. They are not ready to incur any losses but what they do is that, they try to imitate the products ready in the market. A good example to explain this is Sony Company which produces most of the

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Human Nature Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Human Nature - Coursework Example It is a happiness of following own nature and fulfilling own higher idea and purpose. The feature, commonly shared by all the people, according to Aristotle, is the reason. Ability to reasoning lies at the core of human beings. Rational capacities impose person’s capability to explore the world and support and focus own decisions and acts. Thomas Aquinas supposed that moral law is a part of the universal divine plan. There are innate tendencies of human nature that have to be enhanced and thus promote the greater good. He stressed the importance of liberty of knowledge and freedom of choice. There are some conflicting points regarding the moral law. For example, according to Darwin’s theory, poor and weak deserve their suffering as the natural law in evolution theory states that the strongest survive. Health care seems to be contradicting. All the people have both people and animal natures. This means all the people contain some degree of aggression for survival. Thus, there are joint collective values for common good and survival, while other aspects may involve competitiveness, destructive features, etc. All the living creatures and systems are aimed to develop. It is seen through all the species. Systems and creatures evolve and become more complex. Eudaimonia means revealing and fulfilling own concept. Finding own role, in which a person may both achieve own happiness and promote the greater good for the maximum quantity of people is probably a natural law, which is imprinted into the human nature.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

IN THE ESTATES OF NICKY AND LYDIA GRAY Case Study

IN THE ESTATES OF NICKY AND LYDIA GRAY - Case Study Example However a practitioner must advise the executors to publish an advertisement in the London Gazette and in the news paper having circulation in the district where the respective assets of the deceased are situate, for any liabilities owed by them. This is a requirement under section 27(1) of the Trustee Act 1925. As per what is known as Benjamin order 1, if it is not practicable to advertise, court should be approached for an order to distribute the estate assuming that all debts have been ascertained.2 As per s 34 and schedule 1 of Administration of Estates Act, it should be ensured that all debts are paid with due diligence, formal discharge or receipts for payments should be obtained and obtain a clearance certificate for tax liability on the estate of the deceased from the Capital Taxes office, and ensure that Department of Social Services does not have any claim on the estate,3 In addition any mortgage debt should be paid after payment of funeral expenses.4 Since it has been ment ioned that the Greenfield 'was left in trust for life ', it should be examined whether exemption from inheritance tax can be claimed under Trustees Act. The gift of violin to Beatrice will be exempted from Inheritance Tax if value is below 3,000, even though the deceased Nicky Gray had not survived for 7 years from the date of gift for availing exemption from the said tax. As the value of the Nicky Gray's property is said to be 500,000 as per the offer the executors in trust have received which is in excess of the 300,000, it is subject to Inheritance tax. The value of other assets also must be added to this value to compute inheritance tax which at present is 40% of the nil rate band of 300,000 for the year 2007-2008 and 350,000 thereafter upto April 2010. The executors may liable to pay the inheritance tax within six months of the testator's death and then only apply for Probate with evidence of having paid some or all of the tax due. The executors also should apply for probate in the probate court either in Principal Registry in London or in an applicable district probate court as the case may be and obtain a probate order from t he court. This is an authority conferred by the court on the executors to deal with the estate of the deceased in accordance with their Will. This will also help get access to Lydia Gray's bank account on being produced at the identified bank. Nicky Gray's Will Nicky's Green filed house is to be held in trust by Howard and Elaine Gray for life and then what ever is the remainder of the house will go to Alan Gray. Since Alan Gray is also one of the executors, he took the probate but is not taking any action. As Howard Gray and Elaine Gray who are ninety years old, they better appoint Administrators on their behalf to carry out the Will's administration. Subject to clarification regarding exemption from inheritance tax, it is only after the payment of inheritance tax, the court will issue grant with which the executors can deal with the property. The executors in order to pay the inheritance tax have to borrow money or meet from their own funds initially. They have to maintain an account for every beneficiary to see. They can distribute the balance amount of the estate after deducting the tax so paid and other expenses incurred and other liabilities paid if any. Under

Effect of music during worship sevice Term Paper

Effect of music during worship sevice - Term Paper Example This "Effect of music during worship sevice" essay outlines the role of music during praying. From the findings, music during worship is necessary since worship starts with a vocal praise and helps the worshippers enter presence with God through exalting him (Stringer, 2005). Music during worship will establish the mood thus enabling the congregation to value both faith and feelings towards the creator (White, 2010). Musical rhythms have deep personal associations for worshippers thus act as a reference point during worship (Leonard, 1990). Music during worship facilitates revelation since Christians believe that revelation that is both natural through human experience and also supernatural through praise and worship (Smith, 2004). However, majority of the Catholic respondents see music as not essential during worship and they do not necessary express their freedom through bodily movements, but through prayer (Hauerwas & Wells, 2011). From the above findings, it is clear that a major ity of the Churches incorporate music during their worship regardless of whether in an urban or rural setting. Since contemporary music is the most preferred type of music, some Christian denominations like Methodist, Baptism and Non-denominational will have to enhance the quality of the music in order to attract more congregation (Macquarrie, 2003). Music provides the worshippers with a freedom to express their deep feelings about their God through dancing, joy and lifting of hands (White, 2006). Music is a means of exhortation since some anthems and solos are purely geared at exhortation thus worshippers will be able to express their personal testimony with their God thus acting as both worshippers and the preacher (Foley & Bangert, 2000). Praise through music humbles the worshippers since it is a sign of adoration from the creator thus something dynamic usually happens in the souls of the singers (Kurtz, 2008). Music

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

What is desistance and how can it be explained Essay

What is desistance and how can it be explained - Essay Example Desistance can be classified as being either primary or secondary. Primary desistance refers to behavioural changes while secondary relates to changes in identity. Secondary desistance works best for people with a protracted history of heinous crimes because a change in identity would be more effective compared to a mere behavioural alteration. In as much as desistance is based on a personal opinion, the social setup also has influences. People would be compelled to desist from or prolong criminal acts by the manner in which society views them and how the individual sees his or her place in society. If the society is positive about former criminals, the probability of the individuals desisting from crime is higher (Weaver, 2012, p. 351). The aspect of intervention in the desistance process works towards initiating hope and motivates the offenders that are ready for the cessation of crime. Interventions can be done by professionals at a personal level or through social networking that is able to reach many individuals at the same time. Therefore, interventions inculcate and develop individual self-determination and individual strengths. In addition, the state policy on criminal matters adversely affects desistance. For instance, in a situation where the policies seem to be hard on criminals, desistance is frustrated because such individuals are not motivated to turn away from offences. To understand the explanation of desistance, it is imperative to comprehend three factors. Firstly, the correlation between age and committing offences, secondly, the reason behind the commencement of the desistance process and lastly, the motives that cause people to desist from crime. Age is a vital factor as far as desistance matters are in question. For instance, crime or offences reduce with age. An individual is less likely to commit crimes during his or

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Awarding, Negotiating and Administering Contracts Research Paper

Awarding, Negotiating and Administering Contracts - Research Paper Example The program could be simple or complicated even though it is supposed to specify what the performance outputs of the statement of work are supposed to be (Garrett, 2007, p. 3). At the same time, the program is supposed to define the technique used to carry out the analyses. This saves time and reserves since the COTR is not observing the ordinary, scheduled proportions of the contract, instead of the COTR is aiming of the leading outputs of the contract. The contract administration program is also supposed to contain a quality assurance (QA) monitoring plan as a subsection. This is necessary when executing the program since the advancement of such a contract plan offers a systematic outline and technique for the COTR to assess services and commodities that dealers are needed to furnish. The QA plan is supposed to aim at the value of the commodity supplied by the contractor and not on the steps taken or processes utilized in order to deliver that commodity. It comprises of suitable us age of pre-planned assessments and random spontaneous reviews (Garrett, 2007, p. 3). When a contract is allocated to administration under the watch of the government, the contract administration staff is supposed to perform contract administration roles according to the terms of the national law, and the contract expressions too. The appropriate protocols of the servicing agency should also be observed when implementing these contract roles lest else settled for in an interagency contract. Another step included when executing a contract administration program is negotiating cost changes and the implementation of auxiliary contracts beneath the cost accounting principle articles (Garrett, 2007, p. 3). Defining the appropriateness of the contractor’s accounting method makes his or her system’s adequacy in the course of the whole phase of contract performance become vital. The suitability of the accounting method of the contractor and the affiliated interior control coord ination, together with the contractor agreement with the cost accounting standards (CAS) have a huge impact on the value and legitimacy of the contractor information. As a result, the government is supposed to provide a feedback on its administration inaccuracy of the contractor and contract enactment (Murphy, 2009, p. 71). The implementation of a contract administration program also involves the analysis and assessment for practical suitability and the contractor’s logistics support, sustenance and modification agendas. The contractor ought to also report to the contracting workplace any insufficiencies noticed in details. The contractor ought to also perform industrial assessments of contractor price plans (Garrett, 2007, p. 3). The analysis and review of the contractor-suggested industrial and design researches and submit remarks and commendations to the contracting headquarters as needed. Any change plans made to the contract ought to be reviewed by the contractor for sui table categorization, and when needed, the need for practical appropriateness of design, productivity, and the effect of value, dependability, program and price. Correspondingly, the contractor is supposed to submit remarks to the contracting headquarters. The execution of the contract administration plan also involves helpful effort in assessing and creating commendations for reception on refutation of disclaimers and nonconformities (Garrett, 2007,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Jane Elliott Essay Example for Free

Jane Elliott Essay This was one of the most inspirational and educational documentaries that I have ever personally watched. A third grade teacher, Jane Elliott divides her class by blue and brown eyes to teach about discrimination and how it affects people in our society. People in society are taught many things in their lifetime, but when it is experienced first handedly they have a different perspective about it. When speaking with the class about Brotherhood week and what it meant I was shocked when Jane Elliott asked the class â€Å"If there was anyone that we did not treat like a brother† the classes first instant response was black people. There was no hesitation in answering this question. They even used the word â€Å"Nigger†. This is a prime example of how prominent discrimination was at that time, and it is just as prominent in our society today. African Americans currently score lower than European Americans on vocabulary, reading, and mathematics tests, as well as on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence. This gap appears before children enter kindergarten, and it persists into adulthood. It has narrowed since 1970, but the typical American black still scores below 75 percent of American whites on most standardized tests. On some tests the typical American black scores below more than 85 percent of whites (Jencks, 1998). African Americans scoring lower on test could possibly be the results of discrimination. Jane Elliott proved this point in her documentary. On both days, children who were designated as inferior took on the look and behavior of genuinely inferior students, performing poorly on tests and other work. I feel that this experiment would be beneficial and should be performed in our school systems to help children experience discrimination, and the feelings of demoralization on a first Page 2 hand basis by using the same method Jane Elliott used by segregating children by eye color. I believe if this experiment was performed in schools today that there would be positive effects, such as improvements in student attitudes, elevated general testing scores, higher standardized test scores and less racial fighting between students. A Class Divided is a documentary that I feel everyone should view no matter what race or ethnicity a person might  be. Whether we realize it or not, everyone is prone to some form of discrimination and prejudice. The United States is such a diverse country, so most Americans are not part of the dominant group; therefore due to being a minority, we undergo a feeling of inferiority. This documentary presents us with a different view on the color of someones skin. After viewing this, a person will hopefully be less likely to focus on the differences they have with other people and see people all as equals. This topic was of great interest to me due to the fact that I witness discrimination many times a day. Even I, as a white American woman, who is married to someone of a different nationality, faces discrimination. This documentary will help those who do not face discrimination and prejudice in their everyday life, realize what it is like to be on the other end. I believe that racism, discrimination and prejudice are more explained through sociological theories. This does not make it acceptable, but it gives better understanding. Scapegoat theory, holds that prejudice springs from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantage (Dollard et al., 1939). The culture theory, some prejudice is found in everyone (Macionis, pg 281) This was proven by Bogardus (1925, 1967; Elsner, McFaul, 1977) with the social distance studies that found that people felt much more social distance from some categories than from others (Macionis, pg 279). The conflict theory, this theory relates Page 3 to today’s society. Shelby Steele (1990) explained that minorities themselves encourage race consciousness in order to win power and privileges. She also stated that this strategy may bring short-term gains, that such thinking often sparks backlash from whites or others who oppose special treatment on the basis of race or ethnicity. I believe that there is a lot of hostility and discrimination in society today between white and blacks due to the conflict theory.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Emotional Intelligence And Healthcare Leadership

Emotional Intelligence And Healthcare Leadership Development of emotional intelligence in healthcare has been slower to progress than in other industries. This paper defines emotional intelligence and describes benefits related to developing the attributes of emotional intelligence. It explores physician, clinical, ancillary, and administrative use cases documenting the benefits of implementing emotional intelligence awareness. In addition, it describes how emotional intelligence can positively impact healthcare executives in leading their organizations to retain talent, improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Emotional Intelligence Healthcare Leadership A lot of research has been conducted on the topic of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity for effectively recognizing and managing our own emotions and those of others (Pharmaceutical Information, 2007). The Harvard Business Review (HBR) released a number of articles which examine emotional intelligence. As described in the HBR article What Makes a Leader there are five key components to emotional intelligence including knowing ones emotions (Self-Awareness), managing ones emotions (Self-Regulation), motivating self (Motivation), recognizing the emotions of others on the team (Empathy), and developing / handling relationships (Social Skills), (Goldman 2004). Publication of emotional intelligence research started in 1990 and since that time companies have been working to integrate emotional intelligence into their employee selection processes (Freedman 2010). This work started in non-healthcare related industries and is increasingly stressed in healthcare beh avioral development today. In an article by the journal BMC Medical Education, Emotional Intelligence is the set of abilities (verbal and nonverbal) that enable a person to generate, recognize, express, understand, and evaluate their own, and others, emotions in order to guide thinking and action that successfully cope with environmental demands and pressures(Birks, Mckendree, Watt 2009). Are emotional intelligence attributes just a performance metric fad utilized by senior leadership to stimulate change within the organization? Or does it lead to enhanced effectiveness of healthcare executives and the organizations they lead? One of the reasons emotional intelligence is critical to success is that it is effective in handling stress. Healthcare is a multifaceted, evolving and stressful environment. Managing the stress of change management in healthcare is a skill that healthcare leaders must acknowledge. A study was performed at a large urban hospital with professional midwives and obstetricians. It found that emotional intelligence is predictive of performance 66 percent of the time, of stress up to 24 percent and of stress management 6.5 percent of the time. This study found in examining senior leadership in relation to the focus group that emotional intelligence made the biggest difference in the supervisory and leadership roles (Freeman 2010). This provides indication that emotional intelligence actually is more important to recognize as one is in transition to higher management and leadership levels. Another study performed indicated that emotional intelligence can actually be improved throughout life. The study focused on supporting staff of a large healthcare center. It utilized an emotional intelligence test focusing on emotional sensitivity, maturity, and competence. This study measured the ability to respond to interpretation of human expressions with empathy and scored competency of self-control against age / maturity. Findings revealed that maturity of emotional regulation tends to be after the age of forty and that emotional sensitivity grows with experience (ie. age) as well. The study also found a significant difference in the perception of emotion intelligence between gender showing that both men and women have equal ability to increase emotional intelligence but that women tended to be stronger than men as it relates to empathy and self-regulation (Freeman 2010). This provides evidence that emotional intelligence is learned with experiences. Therefore healthcare leade rs can influence supporting staffs development of emotional intelligence in handling operational stress management. It is important to ensure the development concentrates on the right part of the brain to achieve successful results. Emotional intelligence training must focus on the limbic system which requires motivation, extended practice and feedback on behalf of the student to advance capabilities (Goleman 2004). Healthcare leaders need to recognize the importance of emotional intelligence competency in order to make it a part of their organizations culture. There are a number of case examples showing that healthcare executives believe that their own development of emotional intelligence is imperative to successful implementation of initiatives for their organization. For example in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine designed an exploratory study in order compare leaders and physician perspectives with respect to required leadership qualities. The purpose of the study was to gauge what is necessary to develop current and future leaders. This study centered on leaders that expressed interest in gaining new academics and leadership skills. They structured interviews to gather data from leaders and found that both developmental and established leaders agreed that knowledge, people skills, emotional intelligence and vision are all characteris tics required for leaders to be successful. The interviews indicated that healthcare poses unique leadership challenges and the complexity of healthcare institutions is greater than other industries with respect to training. Physicians tend to be far less willing to receive direction and collaborate on training necessitating the need for healthcare leaders to possess mature emotional intelligence skills; especially in areas such as empathy, self-awareness and self-restraint. The study provided evidence that leaders need and desire emotional intelligence training. Healthcare leaders admitted in the interviews that often one is promoted based upon academic and clinical accomplishments. Therefore they lack and desire training in other skilled leadership competencies such as emotional intelligence. The leaders agreed that knowledge is important however 70 percent stated that emotional intelligence was the most admired attribute (Taylor, Taylor, Staller 2008). Healthcare leaders agree that emotional intelligence is important element for leadership. But there is also evidence that leaders should promote development of emotional intelligence for their clinicians as well. A study published in the March 2011 issue of Academic Medicine highlighted a study performed by Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. It was established in order to quantify if there is a relationship between physician empathy and clinical patient outcomes. Researchers measured 29 physicians associated with 891 diabetic patients by utilizing the Jefferson Scale of Empathy as an instrument to measure empathy. The scale rated and provided a physician score on their empathy awareness based on the context that patient care requires a cognitive attribute that involves understanding and intention to help. After scoring the physicians empathy skills, the study compared them with the patients ability to control hemoglobin Alc and LDL cholesterol levels. The study concluded that good control of A1c and LDL levels was significantly better with patients associated with physicians having high empathy scores than with patient of physicians with low empathy ratings. This suggests that empathy should be a key component in overall physician competence (Jefferson University Hospitals 2011). As referenced in a research study documented in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM), healthcare policy and practices are trending towards emphasizing the principles of patient-centered care. Providing patient-centered care is a multi-dimensional concept which addresses patients needs for information, views the patient as a whole person, promotes concordance and enhances the professional-patient relationship(Birks Watt 2007). There is a variance in the level of patient-centered care provided by professionals practicing within healthcare organizations. Healthcare executives are therefore interested in ways to improve patient-centered outcomes. Training professional staff on emotional intelligence generates self-confidence, sensitivity to patient needs and trustworthiness. These attributes can actually play a part in improving outcomes (Birks Watt 2007). Evidence of this is documented in JRSM where a study involving 30 physicians and 138 patients provided evidence that emotional intelligence plays a role in patient satisfaction. An extensive study involving 213 dental students found that perceived stress is lower when the student possesses higher emotional intelligence scores. Decreasing stress levels help to retain talent and quality nursing staff is extremely important in patient-centered care. A correlation between low emotional intelligence scores and nursing burnout and attrition was found based on study conducted on 380 nurses. It indicated that emotional intelligence can improve the working relationships within the healthcare culture; increasing the likelihood of retaining talent (Birks Watt 2007) A Clinical Connections journal article written by Erik Swensson, MD, FACS agrees with the premise that emotional intelligence improves healthcare culture. He emphasizes the continual challenge for physicians and leadership professionals to routinely coach and hold peers accountable. The article stresses the need for professionals to possess emotional intelligence skills involving self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Healthcare professionals need to move away from protecting our own and towards helping our own, he stated. Emotional intelligence establishes a foundation for building a caring environment and establishing a culture of collaborative safety (Swensson 2012). The International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine and Public Health suggests that making emotional intelligence a core competency for the healthcare professional will result in enhancing clinician-patient relationships. Patients feeling empowered, knowledgeable and in control of their healthcare tend to make healthy lifestyle modifications. Clinicians whom are trained in emotional intelligence skills can help patients with self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. This requires time to listen to patient concerns (ie. empathy). Enhanced relationships will thereby result in an increase in desirable health outcomes (Coelho 2012). Cultivating the patient-clinician relationship may affect a patients emotional intelligence on initiating legal action against providers because the patient is part of the care solution and overall more satisfied with the care provided. Research indicates that more satisfied patients are the less likely they are to take legal actio n. Therefore cultivating emotional intelligence may be a mechanism towards a reduction in healthcare legal cases and costs associated. Todays healthcare environment demands pay for performance. Healthcare executives need to expand their overall emotional intelligence competencies in order to recognize and expect these attributes in leaders and clinical professionals within their organization. Executives have to establish and take ownership for their culture. In doing so they must consistently demonstrate the leadership qualities they expect to be exhibited by their administrative and clinical staff. As evidenced in the studies described above executives will benefit by investing in their own emotional intelligence education and should extend it to all levels within their organization. Doing so will provide a caring culture, reducing healthcare costs, retaining talent, and motivating clinicians to provide excellence in patient care.

An Analysis of Beyond Parental Control (BPC)

An Analysis of Beyond Parental Control (BPC) Over the years, parents seeking Beyond Parental Control (BPC) order from the Juvenile Court has increased drastically, in particular during economic downturns. When Singapore was gripped by an economic recession from 2008 2009, the number of applications for BPC increased. 744 applications were filed last year, compared to 720 in 2008 and 673 in 2007 (Eisen, 2009). In any case, it is worthy to note that the perennial issue has seen an increased in delinquent girls forcing parents to apply for BPC and handing over to the court to take control of their daughters. This essay will attempt to discuss the background of BPC and critically analyse the issues faced by the parents and youth. The second part of the essay will define the relevant theories which will be applicable to the issue and relate examples to further illustrate the theories. Thirdly, media effect and their role of reporting the juvenile crimes especially on the problematic girls will also be discussed upon. Last but not l east, recommendations on the way forward for juvenile crimes and prevention methods will be deliberated. Background and Trending of BPC In light of the increasing juvenile crimes over the years, the Beyond Parental Control order was instituted in 1997 and Singapore is the only country in the world which instituted such an order to deal with juvenile delinquency (Balhetchet, 2010). According to Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports (MCYS, 2010), Children Beyond Parental Control refer to children below 16 years of age who is observed to display certain behavioral problems in school or at home. The gathered statistics proved to be alarming as the number of BPCs applied by parents or guardians has tripled over the last decade. In February 1999, one of the Subordinate Court research bulletins (1999) highlighted that an average of 200 BPC complaints were lodged at the Juvenile Court annually. However, in comparison, an increasing trend of BPC applications was observed for the past 3 years (2009: 744, 2008: 720, and 2007: 673). Moreover, the statistics gathered seems to suggest that an economic downturn between 2008 to 2009 could have attributed to the incremental trend. This was also observed during the recession in 2001 when the number of applications for BPC doubled from 244 to 598 cases in the following year (Eisen, 2009 Serene, 2010). According to another set of statistics from Singapore Police Force, there was an increase of 1.2% in the overall crime rate for the last 2 years (SPF, 2010). Elsewhere in United States, while arrests of male juveniles have increased since 2002, statistics for female juveniles have spiked alarmingly. According to US federal statistics in 2003, 25% of the arrested juveniles were females. In comparison to ten years ago, female juveniles only clocked approximately 10% of the arrest made by the police (Geoffrey, 2005). Social Demographics of BPC cases One of the researches conducted by Subordinate Courts in 1999 studied on 379 BPC cases. To understand the nature of the complaints filed, the study includes their family and social backgrounds and demographic profiles. From the research, 49% of the juveniles parents were married, while a substantial figure of the juveniles parents were either divorced (37%), widowed (7%), single parents (3%), separated (3%) or cohabiting (1%). Most of their parents are low-skilled workers and the average household income is less than $2000. The reported figures somehow lead to the assumption that more than half of the BPC cases came from low income and broken families. Most of the parents already spend so much time earning for a living so that the earned money can be given to their children. As they have been working and tend to neglect their children, they have little energy left to gain their attention and communicate with them (Serene, 2009). However, Dr Carol Balhetchet, director of Youth Service s at the Singapore Childrens Society feels otherwise. She shared that the generation has evolved and in recent years, most of the problematic children who face court orders or under warrant arrest by the police come from a complete home (Joan, Chia, He Ong, 2008). Similar to Dr Carols claim, 69% of new probation cases (according to MCYS) in 2006 involved delinquent youth who come from 2 parent families. Another worrying data collated from the study by Subordinate Courts revealed that a total of 65% of the BPC cases were committed by girls whereas male only constituted the remaining 35%. Although a recent trending (as of Sep 10) by Youth Services Centre as elaborated by Dr Carol during a face-to-face session with her, revealed that BPC cases involving girls has generally decreased over the decade (boys: 49% and girls: 51%), 267 BPC cases (out of 523 cases) involving girls is definitely of a concern not only to parents, but to the society as well (Balhetchet, 2010). The next part of the essay will critically discuss and analyze some of the causal factors and problems faced by parents, the children and the society. Why did it happen and who to blame? One may ask, why are some of the girls wilder and getting into trouble? According to a social worker, the sharp increase of problematic girls could be a result of changing attitudes towards bringing up daughters (Roaul, 1997). While parents claimed that they will raise their daughters no differently from their sons, studies by experts have shown that boys and girls are nurtured differently due to the fact that by virtue, boys and girls behave differently due to the genetic differences (Ames Haber, 1989). Boys are perceived to be active and often get into trouble, but when their daughters behave similarly, parents gave up and hand them over to the Court. This may breed resentment in the girls and inadvertently cause Parent-Child relationship to be severely strained. Henceforth, the girls may run away from home and skip school (Roaul, 1997). A typical case is that of a 13-year old girl whose parents applied to the Juvenile Court for BPC order when she is reported to have skipped schoo l and hang out with men twice her age. She became resentful and stay away from home when she is aware that her parents have handed her to the Court (Radha, 2008). Moreover, girls running away from home are often susceptible to committing a variety of crimes, such as shoplifting, rioting, theft and even to the extent of prostitution to survive (McCormack et al., 1986; Phelps, McIntosh, Jesudason, Warner, Pohlkamp, 1982).When a child commits a deviance act, parents tend to ask why do you do that? Based on the Control and Social Bond theories, control theorists hypothesize that crime and deviancy is a natural occurrence in the society simply because all human beings have an innate to commit crime (Jones, 2009). Therefore, when parents need to deal with their deviant children, they should explain to them Why you should not do that. Similarly, Hirschi (1969) claimed that there is no requirement to explain why people commit such acts because delinquency is not caused by beliefs that requ ire delinquency but rather, it is only possible by the absence of effective beliefs that forbids delinquency. In essence, child nurturing starts from young and good child rearing practices will definitely facilitate positive socialization process within the family and the childs circle of friends. Conversely, bad parental skills and negative influences are contributing factors to deviancy acts committed by their children. Studies have revealed that the quality of parent-child relationships is largely associated with some of the high-risk health behaviours such as consumption of alcohol, smoking, drug abuse and sexually risky behaviors. For instance, several large-scale pediatric surveys have discovered that parents who are smokers themselves are more likely to have children who smoke (Green et al., 1990). Another research by Berk (1997) has shown that family members behavior and habits, socialization patterns, environmental influence and a childs inborn personality traits will shape the childs cognitive development and behavior as they grow up. In addition, positive parenting styles with a balance of control and warmth are very beneficial to the childs development in which a rational and consultative approach by parents and children rights are mutually agreed and respected (Subordinate Courts, 2001). On the contrary, parents who are only interested in making money and neglect their children unknowingly must bear the responsibility when their children are recalcitrant and belligerent. A study by Ozawa and Loh (2000) analyze that most fathers of the juvenile offenders appear to be uninvolved, neglecting and permissive towards their child. Generally, fathers, being the bread winners of the family are often not involved in their childs growth and development. The treatment for gender differences is that fathers tend to exert more authority on boys whereas for girls, fathers are usually more permissive and leave it to their mother to handle. As for mothers, they ar e generally observed to be permissive. Although mothers tend to be more caring and loving, their permissive attitudes could ultimately lead to teen delinquency because they may not be exercising control over their children and thus indirectly allowing them to continue with their misbehavior. From the analysis made by Ozawa and Loh, it appears that a deadly combination (which is common in the society) of permissive-neglecting and uninvolved father, matching with a permissive mother is a formula for disaster to happen at home. What we can hypothesize is that low control of children especially female juveniles can potentially lead to delinquency. Behavioral Problems of Youths Nevertheless, looking at another perspective, the parents may not be entirely at fault because the children could be influenced by the environment. According to the Anomie and Strain theory, Merton (1997) described the materialistic dream of being successful and wealthy. Not everyone is entitled and have the opportunity to achieve the goal. Hence, this dissonance between the goal of being wealthy and the structural limitations that prevent people from achieving the goal causes strain within the community. Such strain will therefore cause people to commit deviant acts illegitimately to achieve such desires. As the cognitive development of a juvenile is still premature at this stage, the thought of committing crimes to fulfill certain desires will supersede the moral values that are taught in the school. Accordingly to statistics, the top 3 crimes committed by juveniles are shoplifting, theft and rioting (Subordinate Courts, 2004). When they are in need of money, they will resort to st ealing, extortion and bullying, and prostitution for girls. Typically, a case of a 13-year old girl joined a gang and inherited all the bad habits such as smoking, drinking, glue-sniffing, stealing and rioting. When her father applied for Beyond Parental Control and eventually remanded in Girls Home, she was only 14 year-old (Joan, Chia, He Ong, 2008). Besides that, more girls, as young as 10, are also experimenting with sex. In 2006, teenagers constituted 12,000 abortions that were done in Singapore. Girls who turned to prostitution gave reasons such as financial problems and needed money to buy branded goods. For instance, a 15 year-old girl who needed money and turned to prostitution was pregnant (Carolyn Kimberly, 2009). Many girls have reported that sexual exploitation has somehow affected their eventual entrance into prostitution (Silbert Pines, 1981). At times, they might have been wronged or abused by their parents or guardians as much as they have done wrong. Take it for instance, a girl who had run away from home, was molested by her father before she turned to prostitution. Before she was even 16, she has had slept with countless men and contracted Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) (Serene, 2010). But in the eyes of the law, having sex with girls below 16 years old can be charged for statutory rape. If found guilty, offenders can be jailed up to 20 years and fined and caned. More parents are giving up on their delinquent daughters than sons and seeking assistance from the Juvenile Court. According to the Research Bulletin from Subordinate Courts (1999), some of the more serious delinquent behaviors that were encountered are beyond control, running away from home, involve in gangs, taking drugs and unlawful sexual experiences. Other problems such as rude and violent to teachers, smoking and play truancy in school were also observed in the study. Another aspect of delinquency is the youths exposure to various media such as the internet. In the current Information and Communication Technology (ICT) era, the child and even the parents are constantly engaged in their I-phones, laptops and internet. Because of such exposure and freedom to use the internet, Professor Winslow, a psychiatrist said that teenagers find it a thrill in obtaining and watching pornography on the internet and they are far more sexualized (Shuli, 2008). Besides that, coupled with lack of parents or adult supervision and boredom, things can get complicated when teenagers are left alone. Even when parents are at home, they have little energy left after a long day at work especially when both parents are working. Some parents faced the difficulty of gaining their childrens attention, who even if they are physically at home, are preoccupy with their online games, chatting with friends online and surfing the internet. Gone are the days where children and parents share a family phone, television, or even computer (Serene, 2010). Problems and issues between the children and parents begin to escalate when there is a lack of proper communication as well as mutual trust and support. The cognitive development of a child is largely dependent on their parents. Juvenile delinquency is often traced back to the youths family and social life. Other than trust and support, parents must show that they are keen to engage in their children. Such care and concern from parents would definitely enable their children to open up and share their woes and problems (Jonathan, 2010). Besides medias influence on juvenile, cyber bullying among girls is another worrying trend, abetted by the constant usage of the Internet and mobile phones today. Victims are exploited and bullied by unknown culprits hiding behind the computer screens. For example, on the blogs, victims are abused using expletives and obscene messages, pictures are vandalized and vicious rumours about the victims are broadcasted and made known to everyone. Studies made by Janssen, Craig, Boyce and Pickett (2004) proved that these groups of people are often victimized. In addition, children who are labeled as having lower levels of social acceptance and higher levels of social rejection among their peers are often found to be victims of bullies as well. (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Bjorkqvist, Osterman, Kaukiainen, 1996). As the internet is easily available and as simple as one click, the bully does not need to face the victim and their doings can spread like wildfire (Joan, Chia, He Ong, 2008). However , cyber-bullying does not constitute to be a crime. Where cyber-bullying could be serious and consequential, it may be relevant and appropriate for the law to step in to impose penalties on bullies. Under the Penal code, the only law that can be associated is Non-Physical Acts under Section 13b of Cap 224 where offenders display any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting may be fined not exceeding $2000 (Singapore Statutes). Likewise for other countries like Australia, under the NSW Crimes Act, harassing or intimidating a school student while the student is at school is considered a criminal offence. But this offence has its limits as it can only be applied to traditional off-line bullying and activities happening in school (Abrahams Dunn, 2009). Although laws are institutionalized, but such laws do not bring charges to cyber-bullies. That is why victims have been reported to retaliate against the bullies, in horrifying ways elsewhe re (Boulton, 1993). In one of the reports by United States Secret Service cited by Dake, Price, and Telljohann (2003), students who were involved in those deadly shooting in United States cited bulling as one of the strong motivation factors to commit such crimes. The report highlighted that 25 out of the 37 school shootings examined, involved attackers who felt marginalized, bullied and persecuted before the attacks took place. Some even reported that such bullying and harassment had in fact been ongoing for awhile (Dake et al., 2003; Mayer, Ybarra, Fogliatti, 2001). On the other extreme, there were cases reported that children committed suicide after being bullied by classmates. In fact, numerous cases of such incidents have been reported in the media (Kumpulainen et al., 1998; Smith, Talamelli, Cowie, Naylor, Cauhan, 2004). Medias Influence and Portrayal of Crimes Even in Singapore, a newspaper reported a 16-year old girl who committed suicide after being bullied by classmates for several years (The New Paper, 26 September 2005). Sometimes, one may wonder why such incidents were not spotted by the schools especially by the teachers. Had this incident be spotted by the teachers timely, it could have been prevented. In such incidents, the medias portrayal of crime transmits a strong signal to the public and at times, may have amplified the deviance. Such messages are crucial to serve as a warning for schools or parents to observe their children if there are certain tell-tale signs that indicate their children have encountered bullying cases. However, medias amplification of a criminal or deviance acts may result in moral panic and warrant greater scrutiny by the relevant authorities. The generation of moral panic will instill fear and public outcry within the community. For example, the recent incident of a teen who was hacked to death by 4 yout hs at Pair Ris Downtown East, amplified the criminal act (Straits Time reported the incident 5 days in a row in the headlines) and cause public outcry on such incidents (The Straits Time, 31 Oct 4 Nov 10). This would have an effect on the judges as they cannot ignore public opinion and hence might be influenced when passing the sentence (Jones, 2008) in view of media or public pressure. Studies from Leslie (1964) and Stan (1972) have shown that media is seen as an agent of deviance amplification and has the capability of influencing the publics opinion. In fact, the media does not have a role in the criminal justice system and they are supposed to only disseminate to the public about certain crimes and the governments official response to such crime. The media often uses phrases like the public is alarmed by or the public demands that. Ironically, the editors or journalists do not have a direct line to the publics opinion and they are seen to be the creators of opinion and not refl ecting the right message. An interview with a few people from the public does not necessarily represent the opinions from the entire population or the nation (Jones, 2008). Punishment and Treatment of Youths Beyond Parental Control As highlighted previously, Singapore is the only country that has instituted BPC order in Juvenile Courts. Essentially, these children are neither criminals nor offenders, but their rebellious and uncontrollable behavior may warrant serious attention by parents in which they apply to the Court for assistance to manage their children. By doing so may adversely strain or affect the parent-child relationship if such complaint made to the Court is successful. When the parents or guardian of a child can prove to a Juvenile Court that they are unable to control the child, the Court judge, under the Children and Young Persons Act Cap 38 Section 49, may order the child to be (1) remanded to an approved home not more than 3 years or (2) placed on Statutory Supervision for a specified period, of up to 3 years, under the supervision of a social worker (Subordinate Courts, 1999). Punishments meted out by such system are usually acted as a form of deterrence to juvenile from committing wrong doin gs and may eventually commit more serious crime when they grow up. Therefore, this kind of system is more inclined towards a classical approach as this theory is very policy oriented and concentrates on establishing and operating a criminal justice system that is rule-based, consistent and predictable (Joyce, 2006). End of the day, classicism focus on the act rather than the person committing. Unlike a criminal justice system where criminals are punished for their wrong doings, BPC act is not classified as a crime. As such, classical and positivist approaches are usually applied to such acts. During the process of the BPC application (which is seen to be positivist approach), parents and child will be advised to seek further assistance and treatment in the school or other social services such as Family Service Centre, Community Development Council, religious institutions and Youth Service Centre. Besides that, the child can also be referred to Beaconworks (a 6-month structured progr am) for counseling program. In addition, the Juvenile Court Judge has the prerogative to send both the parents and the child for additional counseling program with Singapore Children Society for a 4-week program (BPC, 2009). Rather than focusing on the law and the offence committed, the positivist approach (during the BPC application) looks into the contributing factors leading to deviance act committed by juvenile. It advocates treatment and rehabilitation over punishments (Jones, 2008). Ultimately, a deviance act may not be a product of rational choice but, rather, due to factors such as prematurity, influence from parents and peers over which juveniles have no control in. As youths who are still undergoing the process of growing up and maturity, the BPC order, which perceived to has a combination of punishment and treatment approach is appropriate and will therefore reduce overemphasis on rationality and idealistic, and yet do not overly concentrating on healing and treating the juvenile when the need arises. For example, when the child do not learnt the lesson and continue her delinquent act despite efforts made to treat her, the Juvenile Court will order her to be remanded in an approved Girls Home. Certainly, to prevent juvenile from leading astray and eventually being convicted, prevention measures must be implemented to arrest such situations from further developing. Recommendations and Preventions Problems and heated argument arise when there is a lack of communication and mutual support between youths and their parents. The development of a child is very much dependant on whether both the parents and the child have mutual understanding and support. When Juvenile delinquency is traced back, it is often the actions of the parents that ultimately will affect how the child behaves (Jonathan, 2010). If a child has established a positive relationship with the parents, it is postulated that they are more likely to disclose information to parents (Trost, 2000). Therefore in order to do so, parents must constantly show that they are keen in the childs interests. In essence, parents who are warm and supportive in interactions with their children are more likely to establish a positive parent-child relationship. In addition, it is also noted in one of the studies conducted by Steven and Daniel (1998) where greater parental involvement will improve the childs academic performance in scho ol. To put myself in a position of the role of parents, we should play an active role and constantly involved in our childs education, consistently demonstrating good parenting skills, interested in the childs development and show love, tender and care to their children. Furthermore, education, socialization and transmission of good values to the child should take place within the family environment. Values such as filial piety, respect, honesty, responsibility, contributing to the society, are critical building blocks that parents must advocate to their child (Zaleha, 2005). Nevertheless, youths cannot be strapped and controlled by parents all the time. Excessive control of their child might result in counterproductive and could lead to recalcitrant and belligerent behavior. Sometimes heavy-handed methods may not work for stubborn and strong headed youths. Therefore, parents should explore other methods and avoid using authoritarian style to deal with their child. Sometimes, treating yo uths as adults may be useful and they are given sufficient time and space to ponder the consequences of their actions (Ng, 2010). While parents play an imperative role in child nurturing, many are still being blamed for being incompetence in handling parenting challenges of this era. Increasingly, parents are facing difficulties domestic issues such as stabilizing their marriage, generating sufficient incomes for the families, taking care of their children and at the same time educating and nurturing them (Zaleha, 2005). However, such issues should never be part of parents excuses to dish out their parental responsibility to others such as appointing a guardian for their child, grandparents or even to the government. According to Dr Carol, too many parents are seen to farm out their parental responsibility to the State. In 2007, out of the 676 parents who applied for BPC orders, only 44 parents agreed to join the Beaconworks counseling program. Most parents cited reasons such as wor k commitments and since the counseling program is targeted for their child, they see no reason attending. One of the suggestions would be mandate parents to attend such counseling programs together with their children because parents may not realize that they also require professional help. In order for a mandatory counseling program to be effected, the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) is recommended to be reviewed and amended to exert tighter rein on parents. Another recommendation would be imposing fine on parents if they fail to fulfill their parental responsibility. In UK, parents of delinquent children are fined up to  £1,000 (S$2,670) if they fail to improve their childrens behavior. Current in CYPA, parents may be fined if they fail to comply with any court order pertaining to BCP cases. Perhaps the Juvenile Court can look into imposing such orders into the CYPA to deter frivolous and irresponsible parents (Radha, 2008). Conclusion In summary, ever since BPC order was introduced in 1997 to curb juvenile delinquency, the number of applicants for BCP cases has increased drastically, from an average of 200 complaints in the 90s, to an average of 700 cases over the last 3 years. However, it is worthy to note that although number of BPC applicants has increased, the number of BPC cases awarded by the Juvenile Court has dipped dramatically in the recent years. According to Dr Carol, more than 50% of the BPC applications were dismissed due to lack of concrete evidence to proof that the child is beyond parental control. In most cases, the child could return to normalcy after counseling sessions are conducted. While it is unclear that the statistics gathered can commensurate to the effectiveness of BPC order, the uniqueness of BPC order in Singapore does help and enable juveniles to build self-confidence, self-esteem, positive outlook and instill sense of social responsibility. Besides that, counseling and training prog rams for parents and youths such as Parent Management Training, Parent Support Group, Youth Mentorship Support Program, Beaconworks Program and etc were introduced by the Singapore Children Society to assist parents and youths in terms of counseling, psychological or psychiatric consultations and more importantly, to harmonize the parent-child relationship that might be strained previously.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Ethics and Medical Practice Essay -- Medicine Healthcare

Ethics and Medical Practice Since Alasdair MacIntyre's landmark book, After Virtue, there has been renewed interest in the role of the virtues in the moral life and attention paid to reappropriating the Aristotelian notion of a "practice." (1) Recent reappropriations of the virtues and virtue theory in medical ethics have contributed to conceiving more adequately the nature of good medicine. In this paper, I wish to explore some of these insights and the special relevance the notion of a practice has in an account of good medicine. Yet, I want to suggest, too, that much remains to be done. This renewed attention to the virtues needs to be supplemented by a similar reappropriation and transposition of the notion of nature in order to navigate successfully the Dardanelles of an ahistorical essentialism and the Bosphorus of a historical relativism. (2) Practices are essentially cooperative endeavors. In order to satisfy some need, individuals perform certain acts in the hope of relieving some distress or of attaining some object. Rarely if ever, though, can either be done through one's own efforts alone. When we act, we participate in already expected and agreed upon ways of doing things, and our participation in them is structured in large measure by mutual sets of expectations to which we hold each other accountable. Because it makes possible the attainment of desired goods on a regular basis, this pattern of cooperative human activity is itself a good. For this reason, Bernard Lonergan termed the actual functioning of human institutions a "good of order." (3) While particular goods may satisfy some human want or need, the regular and recurrent enjoyment and the ordering of human action are themselves distinctly valuable. ... ...ysician, and the Ethics of Medicine," p. 246, and Pellegrino and Thomasma, For the Patient's Good, Chapter 9, p. 118. (20) See Lonergan, Method in Theology, Chapter 3, p. 80. (21) See Kai Nielson, "Critique of Pure Virtue: Aniadversions on a Virtue-Based Ethic," in Virtue and Medicine, pp. 133-150. Robert Veatch's criticism is, in part, similar (see his, "Against Virtue: A Deontological Critique of Virtue Theory in Medical Ethics," in Virtue and Medicine, pp. 329-345). If one defines virtue as a praiseworthy habit or characteristic, then it may very well be the case that what is praised is in fact neither good nor right. For this reason, the virtues must be defined not in terms of praise and blame but in terms of the ends of medicine and the good it seeks. (22) Lonergan, Insight, Chapter 18, p. 629.23 See MacIntyre, After Virtue, Chapter 12, p. 139.121

Friday, July 19, 2019

How the Media Distorts Male Self-Perception Essay -- Exploratory Essay

How the Media Distorts Male Self-Perception Women are insecure. They constantly diet and scrutinize their bodies. They fall victims to the anorexically thin models appearing in the media. Why do men have it so easy? For years these questions are what women asked themselves. In a world where appearance is everything, women have been the main source of all the hype concerning the image and body. Advertisements have been criticized for years about putting the pressures of the â€Å"perfect† body into the heads of millions of women. Up until a few years ago, it was believed that only women had the eyes of society on them. Now the scales are balancing. More men are beginning to feel pressured, by the same society, to have a muscular body and to portray a perfect male image. However, some men are taking this pressure to the extremes. The media is having a negative effect on the way men view their bodies making them feel as if they need to look like the models shown, which can often result in muscle dysm orphia. Through exposure to the media, primarily advertisements and movies, the physical appearance of the male body has drastically changed, from barely seeing the torso to men in their briefs. In past decades, the male body was portrayed in a â€Å"rugged† sort of way (Luciano 4). It didn’t matter how many muscles the man had or the degree of atonement, but the way that the man carried himself. He was his own seller in a busy market. If he wanted to appear tough and manly, the way he presented and carried himself would make all the difference. For example, in the first two Rocky films, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is â€Å"beefy† yet buff (Law). He is the idol of women portrayed as ... ...s in Magazines.† Journal and Mass Communication Quarterly. Autumn 2002: 697-711. ABI/INFORM Global. Proquest Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA. 11 Feb.. 2003 . Luciano, Lynne. Looking Good: Male Body Image in Modern America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001. Olivardia, Roberto. â€Å"Muscle Dysmorphia in Male Weightlifter: A Case Control Study.† American Journal of Psychiatry. Aug 2000: 1291-6. ABI/INFORM Global. Proquest Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA. 11 Feb 2003 . Pope, H.G.. â€Å"Muscle Dysmorphia: a New Syndrome in Weightlifter.† British Journal Of Sports Medicine. Oct. 2002: 375-8 Expanded Academic ASAP. Infotrac. Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA 11 Feb 2003

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Family and Gender Relations :: essays research papers

Assignment One – Short Essay ] Topic: Family and gender relations Drawing on the concepts of globalisation and globalism discussed in your textbooks and the Reader, address the following question: Does globalisation represent a radically new period in human history? Jan Scholte (2000:39) wrote about globalisation, that the only consensus is that it is contested. â€Å"People have held widely differing views regarding definition, scale, chronology, impact and policy (Scholte 2000:39). Use of the term globalisation is high and yet a common understanding of its meaning and where it fits in the history of mankind is frequently vague and based on assumption rather than evidence (Scholte 2000:1). Using one definition from many, of globalisation and globalism and the changes through history that sociologists have used to make sense of the phenomenon, this essay will demonstrate that while globalisation represents both a new and old period in human history, it can only be called radical in its recent state. The working definition of globalisation used in this essay, has been separated from Jan Scholte’s five broad definitions (2000:15). Deterritorialisation or supraterritorioality is based on the process of change to geography in which territorial boundaries become less important (Scholte 2000:16). This concept encompasses all other definitions that Scholte identified, as it has a wide focus which allows each to be occurring because of this change in geography. Robin Cohen and Paul Kennedy’s definitions of globalisation (Cohen and Kennedy 2000:11) are not in opposition with the concept of supraterritoriality, describing it ‘as the ways in which the world is being knitted together’ and ‘the objective, external ties that bind us together’. To fully understand globalisation it is necessary to differentiate it from globalism. It is described as the ‘subjective realm’, unlike globalisation which refers to a series of ‘objective changes in the world that are partly outside us’ (Cohan and Kennedy 2000:34). To simplify, this describes the collective way in which the world views itself as a result of globalisation. Globalism is seen as a result of globalisation and as such quite a new phenomenon (Cohan and Kennedy 2000:34). It is quite important to make this differentiation as many times when writers are referring to globalisation as new phenomenon they are using examples that are in fact forms of globalism, a distinctly different concept. Is globalisation a new or old? Opinions on this tend to cross over while identifying different phases. Cohen and Kennedy believe that globalisation can be traced back through history, but that its processes have accelerated in recent years (Cohan and Kennedy 2000:34).

Dysfunctional Organizations Are Like Dysfunctional Families

Quality, timing, and cost will all usually be less favorable than planned. Projects will be routinely delayed, costs will routinely be revised upward, quality will be at risk of being forgotten in the quest for profitability and timeliness, products will be at risk of many and/or severe defects, and customer satisfaction will lag behind more capable and less dysfunctional competitors. Similarly, a dysfunctional family will have parallel problems with achieving its goals.An imbalance of power is a frequent cause of dysfunction in families. Imagine: a family with several children embarks on a big project, a trip to Ocracoke Island, for xample. If one child is more demanding, needy, or otherwise exceptional, and the family has developed a dysfunctional behavior pattern centered on that child, things will be disrupted and plans will not work out. The child may have to stop at every rest stop, and take a long time getting back into the car, delaying progress on the trip.The father may kno w the ferry schedule for getting to the island, and know when the family needs to be at the dock, but he may not be able to change the child's behavior, nor the behavior of the mother who caters too much to the demanding child. Random and unanticipated delays caused by the child, who has no understanding of the constraints the father faces, make them late and they miss the ferry, incurring additional cost of a night's stay on the mainland. An imbalance of power is also a problem for large companies.I have worked for companies in which one top manager or one function, product styling, for example, can cause a nearly-perfect parallel to the dysfunctional family. The product styling group knows when they need to finish the design, but their Job is to make the product look attractive, and they have so any people involved, from multiple levels of the organization, that they can't get it done on time. Top managers come through the studio to look at the new design, but, many having been en gineers and designers in the past, they each see something they feel needs to be changed.Since they don't come through the studio until the design is supposed to be nearly complete, their suggestions set back the design process, and the design is late. The engineers who have to integrate the design with functional parts are left to play â€Å"catch-up† with their designs, involving late changes, vertime, and a huge amount of rework to recast financial fgures, get revised quotes from suppliers, re-time the plans, etc. , etc. The suppliers, too, have to change their plans and designs and renegotiate with their suppliers in turn, and are delayed as well.Packaging, marketing materials, sales and service training classes, and many other efforts are all set back. Even if top management is understanding and â€Å"lets well takes sa'. n. y management at the top, executives or parents, to limit dysfunctional behavior and keep things on track. In my five different careers I have seen this same asic pattern repeated over and over, becoming nothing more than the standard way of doing business for some organizations. The only mitigating force I know of is having really sa'. . y upper management who understand how such things happen and are willing to actively work to avoid them. A smart top manager can rein in the overzealous designers, for example, and understand the principles of diminishing returns and the need to understand when â€Å"roughly right† is good enough. Similarly, the skilled parent can understand the problems caused by favoring one child over nother, and carefully manage the behavior of the individuals in the family so that the familys overarching goals are met.Maybe it's Just my experience, but I have seen that such skill and savvy are all too rare. Ethnic or national culture can be a significant factor in instances of dysfunction. Interestingly, management sa'. n. y and parenting skill are heavily influenced by cultural factors. In Western cultures where there is a strong value placed on individuality, managers can acquire the â€Å"gunslinger† mentality, which makes them think they have to do everything themselves and be the best at everything.With such managers collaboration and communication can suffer and, while they may be stars in their own right, the organization can suffer from the conflicts and snafus that will result. Similarly, in a strongly patriarchic culture, the father, feeling like he must be the all-knowing authority, may ignore the small child who hears the tire rumbling as it starts to go flat, and as a result miss the ferry due to a shredded tire and the time required to fix it.Organizations can become dysfunctional by promoting those who do extremely well. Some businesses promote engineers and designers who create great products to high level management ositions, and then some wonder why the organization does poorly. I have often noted that many engineers take this career direction because they don't like dealing with people, and would rather â€Å"stick their head in a machine† and make it work as nearly perfectly as possible than negotiate with other people.To take someone who, by their nature, hews to Jobs that avoid interaction with people and put them in a Job that requires excellent people skills is asking for trouble. They will not only be uncomfortable and unhappy, but they may not understand interpersonal and organizational behavior well, struggle, and not do a very good Job. At the same time, to go back to engineering would be a terrible demotion and pay cut, so they are stuck, often for decades, in a position for which they are only marginally suited.Many parents, like many executives, were never suited or well prepared for their roles. Similarly, many parents become that by accident, perhaps through lack of proper attention to contraception, or through social imperatives – older family members who lobby hard for grandchildren, for example. S ome parents had tough childhoods, for example, and never had the chance to witness good parenting as children, yet they ften find themselves responsible for a family with children and (perhaps) a spouse, and even elderly parents that need their care.In a society with little focus on or cultural knowledge around good parenting, they will be severely challenged to run a family effectively or avoid the mistakes that were perpetrated on them as children. Dysfunction tends to stick around and follow organizations and families. Thus, in creep in over time, and propagate forward from one generation or regime to the next. It is for this reason that sometimes a board of directors of a corporation will dismiss ot only a CEO but many of his reports as well, and bring in fresh management talent from outside the company to try to instill a new culture.While this is drastic and difficult in a business organization, it is even more difficult and disruptive to a family, and usually involves social service organizations and courts intervening in ways that may or may not produce better long term results for the family members. In both cases the situation must be extremely bad before such changes can be Justified, and a majority of such situations probably are never very well addressed.