Monday, September 30, 2019

Counselors as Companions and Ethics in Human Services Essay

In this article the counselor states: â€Å"I found that when working with such clients, my role as counselor is more akin to a special type of travel companion who is willing to understand and respect the process of walking along a sacred life path. This is the only way I can effectively help a client explore the deeper dimensions of the self that are being challenged. As the hero’s companion I must be willing to share in the client’s pain as well as new, and oftentimes unexpected, discoveries.† (Halstead, 2000) The counselor learned that he needed to be a companion not a guide. He also learned that no matter how hard a situation is or no matter how many times someone tells you that you cannot do something, if you have the willpower and want to, you can overcome anything you encounter on life’s journey. As the counselor, we must show the client that we are there for them and not tell them what they should be doing or how they should handle a certain situation. In the future, I feel the counselor will be more supportive of the decisions his clients make. As a counselor, we may sometimes feel that the client should do something one way and try to push them towards it but in the end the client really does know what is best for them. There are so many people like Steve in The Hero’s Journey, who are told they will never be able to do something and they work hard, overcome every obstacle thrown their way and prove everyone wrong. I believe that everyone we come in contact with changes us in one way or the other. I believe everyone has a story that can help the next person. I have a best friend who called me one day and was telling me about this girl she knew who had lost everything, kids, house, car, job, everything someone can  lose, she had lost it. My best friend starts telling me that this girl had turned to drugs, prostitution, living on the streets and had also mentioned suicide a few times. My best friend told me that she felt like if this girl was to hear my story then it would help her so I told her to bring this girl to my house. They get to my house and I immediately wanted to cry because when I looked at this girl, I seen what I looked like eleven years ago. She was about 5’11 and maybe 100 pounds, her face was sunk in and you could tell she had not had a shower in a long time. I got her something to eat and drink and then told her my story. I told her about how I was raised Pentecostal by my grandmother who taught me right from wrong. I never wanted for anything growing up and had a family that loved me just like she did. When I turned 18 years old, I started doing drugs, prostitution, being beaten almost on a daily basis by a man who I thought loved me, being rapped on several occasions, almost killed three different times, dying from a drug/alcohol overdose but the doctors were able to bring me back, being sent to prison while I was pregnant for something I didn’t do, having my son in prison and losing custody of him and how I turned my life around when I got out of prison. While I am telling my story to this sad and lost girl, she is crying the whole time and I know it is because she is just a younger version of me. I was told that I would never be anything but a failure at life and would never amount to anything but looking at my life now, you would never know that I had went through any of that unless I told you. Today, this girl has her kids back, a beautiful home, making about $50,000 a year, a husband who truly loves her and she says it is because my story gave her the strength she needed to turn her life around. When we got done that night, she looked at me and said, â€Å"Thank you for sharing your story with me, it has given me the hope and strength that I have been looking for to turn my life around. I wanted to end my life and just be done with it all.† That night she promised me she was not going to stop fighting and she didn’t. So yes, I believe with all my heart that most people you come in contact with change you in some way. Steve states in the article that, â€Å"I really grew up because of all this. Before the attack I was going nowhere. Now I have a direction.† (Halstead, 2000) His challenges gave him a greater sensitivity to others needs who were  recovering from strokes and brain injuries. (Halstead, 2000) I believe that having a counselor who believed in him also helped Steve to not give up. Steve had been told by doctor after doctor that he would always be limited to things he would be able to do. Having just one person tell him that he could do anything he put his mind to, gave him the extra push he needed to overcome those limitations the doctors had given him. I feel that both Steven and the counselor benefited from this relationship. When Steve’s psychiatrist called the counselor, I do not feel the psychiatrist had a right to discuss Steve with the counselor without his permission. I do feel the counselor did right by not going into details about his sessions with Steve and waited until Steve returned to school to speak with him about it. However, when the counselor seen that Steve was depressed and thinking about suicide when he received his fall semester grades, the counselor had a responsibility to Steve to seek help from someone else. In the Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals it states that â€Å"if it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or to others as a result of a client’s behavior, the human service professional acts in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals. This may involve seeking consultation, supervision, and/or breaking the confidentiality of the relationship.† (National Organization for Human Services, n.d) If I ever have a client that is thinking about suicide, I will talk to my supervisor and ask for his help in coming up with a plan to help my client, maybe ask my supervisor to sit in on a session with me and talk to the client as well. Because of the personal nature of their work, human service workers at all levels are held to a code of ethics that protects the rights and dignity of clients and establishes standards of practice. (Sessoms, n.d) The National Organization of Human Service ethical standards places a responsibility on human service workers that have for their clients, the community, colleagues, employers, the profession and the human service worker themselves. The National Association of Social Workers approaches ethics through a core set of values, which include service, dignity and worth of the person, social justice, integrity and competence. (Sessoms, n.d) Reference Halstead, R. W. (2000). FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: COUNSELOR AS COMPANION ON THE HERO’S JOURNEY. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/detail?vid=2&sid=5b062172-ddf2-4c9d-a107-d6387c05f54b%40sessionmgr198&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aph&AN=2768884 National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals Sessoms, G. (n.d.). Code of Ethics for Human Service Workers. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://http://work.chron.com/code-ethics-human-service-workers-8132.html

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Should we negotiate with terrorists?

Terrorism is a worldwide problem that has devastating effects.   It deprives people of the freedom to travel and enjoy themselves for fear of terrorist attacks.   It subjects innocent people to assaults, kidnappings and murders as they are used as pawns in deadly political games. The question of whether a government should negotiate with terrorists has been widely debated.   Some think it is beneficial.  Ã‚   Others think it does more harm than good.   This paper will explore some arguments both for supporting and against negotiation with terrorists. Arguments supporting negotiation with terrorists Saving lives The most obvious and immediate advantage of negotiating with terrorists is the saving of lives.   If terrorists hold many innocent people hostage in exchange for the fulfilment of their demands, then negotiating with them would most likely result in the expeditious saving of those people. This view supports the idea that everything should be done to save a life. Enables communication, learning and understanding of terrorists. Negotiating enables communication with the terrorists and can therefore lead to a greater understanding of them, as well as a greater capacity to influence them, which may help resolve the conflicts between the terrorists and the government and may even open the way for peace.   Communication with terrorists can also aid in acquiring valuable intelligence that can be later used against them. Al Qaeda appears to be open to negotiation Some experts have argued that Jihad is a defensive doctrine, and the attacks against the West should be understood as retaliatory, provoked attacks which would cease if the West gives in to their demands of reduced military presence in Islamic countries, political and military aid to Israel, and aid to other Middle Eastern countries (Zalman 2007). Ayman Al Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s deputy leader, has said words that suggest a willingness to negotiate.   He stated in December 2006 that the United States will be negotiating and failing in Iraq, until it is ‘forced to return to negotiate with the real powers’ (Zalman 2007). All solutions must be tried before terrorist groups obtain nuclear weapons An argument for negotiation is that it can put a halt to terrorists before they obtain nuclear weapons. There are constant indications that Osama Bin Laden is searching for nuclear materials (Zalman 2007), and it can be argued that everything should be done, including negotiating, to stop the threat of nuclear war which of course would result in an enormous amount of innocent deaths. Arguments against negotiation with terrorists. More lives are saved in the long-run The biggest reason to not negotiate with terrorists is that it serves as an incentive for terrorists to keep making demands, in this way encouraging more terrorist activity. In the long run, if terrorists know that governments will not negotiate with them, they are unlikely to keep making demands.   For example, during the terrorist school siege in Beslan, Russia did not negotiate with the terrorists.   It can be argued that the people who died in Beslan would not have died if Russia had negotiated with the terrorists and had given them what they wanted.   However, in the long run, Russia disencouraged terrorists from holding schools ransom or trying similar stunts by showing them that such attempts to negotiate are unsuccessful. Negotiation is ineffective and a sign of weakness Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda are considered to be radical Islamic extremists who seek the destruction of all negotiations with the United States and its allies (Zalman 2007).   Therefore, negotiating with them would be ineffective.   Moreover, it will be seen as a sign of weakness and would encourage them to exploit it. Negotiating with terrorists rewards terrorist activity and destabilizes honest political systems By negotiating with terrorists, a government can be argued to be rewarding terrorists for their violent behaviour, something which should never be done.   If terrorists are given what they want, they will come back and ask for more. Furthermore, negotiating with terrorists erodes and weakens the value of non -violent and pacifist means of achieving political change (Zalman 2007).   Negotiation with terrorists destabilizes political systems by encouraging terrorists to keep making demands, and establishes a dangerous precedent (Zalman 2007). Terrorists may not honor the terms of their demands Terrorists cannot be trusted to comply with the terms of a negotiation.   Truces with terrorist groups don’t always hold, as has been the case with Israel and Hamas, and with Spain and ETA (Zalman 2007). Furthermore, even a truce with a terrorist leader, for example Osama Bin Laden, does not guarantee that the entire worldwide Al Qaeda terrorist group will honor the terms of the truce.   This makes negotiating harder and less effective. Bibliography Zalman, A. (2007). Why Not Negotiate with Terrorists- -Pros and Cons of Talking to Al Qaeda. (Online) Retrieved April 2 2007. http://terrorism.about.com/od/globalwaronterror/i/NegotiateQaeda.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

My Handsome Boy Named Scooter

My Handsome Boy Named Scooter Judith A. Bell ENG 121 Thomas, Cooper December 2, 2012 One gorgeous summer day, I decided to stop in our local Humane Society and peep in on the new dogs. It was love at first site, my handsome boy Scooter sat in the corner of the last cage I peered in. Our eyes met and we both knew he was coming home with me that very day. I put a brand new bright neon green collar and leash on him as if he and I were pro’s, it fit perfectly. I then knew we were off to a beautiful start of our relationship. I just knew we were going to become the best of friends forever.On the car ride home, he sat so adorable in the seat next to me. We both were so excited to get home, we could barely wait. It felt like we were on pins and needles all the way there. After arriving to Scooter’s new forever home, I immediately went to work on setting up the house for a puppy. Laying down puddle papers, food, and water down in certain spots is necessary. So, He could easily get used to his surroundings. He could even tell me from the start, with his amazing nose, where I put his treats. He put his front paws on the cabinet and started barking.The next day, we went out in the back yard to let Scooter experience the alluring long bladed grass. He ran and ran until his itty bitty body was plum wore out. He slept like a newborn baby that night, and from that point on, every night in his bed witch was as soft and plushy as mine. Another morning, Scooter awoke with a blissful look on his face, so I decided to capture the moment and go for a peaceful bike ride. The next thing I know, I hear a yelp like I have never heard before. He somehow got his cute little nose/mouth in the spokes.I immediately saw bright red blood, so we rushed off to the animal hospital. The vet took a look at Scooter; he then turned to tell me he lost two teeth. I felt terrible and started to cry. That’s when the vet whispered, Scooter will be just fine. I was so elated, and read y to go home. After a few months of pure bliss for us both, Scooter started running out of our yard to chase cars going by. The next thing I heard was an extremely high yelp again. A small orange as the sun, car hit my handsome boy. I tried to scoop him up to see how horrific his wounds were.I became very upset at what I saw, his back left leg was terribly hurt and that familiar smell of blood was present. This time Scooter needed stiches and a cast. The vet again whispered to me, he is a very luck boy, and must have nine lives. And again we returned home to recover from his wounds. He never has gotten the full use of his leg back since. Right away, my husband put a fence up around our whole five acres. Now that a few years have gone by my handsome boy is slowing down. He uses three legs as if he was born that way.This just shows me, that no matter how bad things can get, we can overcome anything but death. And, my handsome boy and I will be there for each other, for the rest of our lives. `All in all, my handsome boy Scooter has gone through terrible accidents, but I will always treat him as if he is my child. I rescued him, and I will continue to cherish and love every moment we have together. I recommend that everyone should adopt at least one dog in their lifetime. There will never be a dull moment, and the love you exchange is unbelievable. My handsome boy Scooter will hold a piece of my heart forever.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The varying role of IHRM in different MNCs Essay

The varying role of IHRM in different MNCs - Essay Example IHRM related learning and training â€Å"The overall purpose of human resource management is to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong, 2006, p.14). Human capital development, then, should be the focus of the definition of international human resource management, a difficult objective in a multi-national organisation that deals with customers and employees with varying values and different operational standards in environments that demand different regulatory compliance. Human resources involves maintaining flexibility and focus on the internal dynamics that drive or hinder organisational success as it relates to people development. â€Å"It emphasizes teamwork and employee commitment through the development of a strong value system that promotes corporate identity† (Panayotopoulou & Papalexandris, 2004, p.499). The main goal of IHRM is to establish a highly motivational environment and employee support related to merit awards, equal opportunities, involvement , empowerment, communication and individual or group development (Panayotopoulou & Papalexandris). This is especially true in an MNC where cultural values often conflict and a system is required to gain unity and harmony among differing employee attitudes and motivational preferences. It was first necessary to define the objectives of international HRM in order to determine best practice methodology for the MNC as it relates to people development and/or job satisfaction. In relation to organisational learning, especially as it pertains to training, conflict is a major consideration of the HR manager. van Dam, Oreg & Schyns (2008) identify that there are many psychological mechanisms that drive employee attitude as it relates to change leadership. It is leader-member exchanges and the perceived development climate that are the major concerns of IHRM leadership especially in an environment where a merger has just occurred where participation and trust in management require intensive focus (van Dam, et al.).In the MNC, especially a recently merged entity, change is constant and evolution of business practices are on the forefront of business development. Thus, in order to provide training that will be embraced by diverse employee or management groups or ensure organ isational learning, removing the barriers to success that are caused by change resistance are of considerable concern. For instance, one of the most fundamental issues arising in a recent merger or acquisition at the MNC is the restructuring of technology either through

Thursday, September 26, 2019

English essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English - Essay Example This indicates that the value on nutrition is very high, thus, influencing the trend of the consumer’s choice of diet (Hoyer & Macinnis, 2008). Humans have a tendency to pursue what is pleasurable for them and to avoid things that can be painful or upsetting (Mooij, 2004). This is the hedonistic nature of man that governs his behaviors and actions, and influences his decisions. This greatly influences that buying behavior of man, which when studied and analyzed can be helpful for understanding the trends that will be beneficial in creating new products or improving current products. This indicates that hedonism is influential in the choice of purchases of a consumer. This signifies that consumers tend to be attracted to those products that they consider pleasurable or beneficial for their wellbeing. It is then, important to consider giving the consumers what they need in fulfilling this value. Having the nutritional value of the food the restaurant serves implies value for the consumer’s needs. Whether the dish is nutritious or not, it allows the consumer to understand and to know what they eat, and the implications of what they are eating. With this, consumers feel that their needs and wants are served, and that their choices are important for the management of the restaurant. Giving out the nutritional value does not necessarily mean that the restaurant needs to indicate this in the menu. What is important is that there is nutritional value on the dishes within the restaurants that the customers will be able to notice. There is awareness that there is such information within their grasps and it will be their choice whether or not to check it. This will allow the restaurant to minimize loses, when the customer chooses not to order say a high-priced item which has more calories than usual but satisfies his craving for sweets because of the information

Rules of Engagement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rules of Engagement - Essay Example According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, ‘In military or police operations, rules of engagement (ROE) determine when, where and how force shall be used.’ The rules of engagement are designed so as to ensure that uncontrolled violence is prevented, civilian casualties are minimized and the conflict does not escalate. However, restrictive rules of engagement undermine the ability of the military or police to resolve a conflict, as, according to many critics of the war, was the case in the US invasion of Vietnam (1959). The US president at the time, Lyndon Johnson, in order to contain the conflict set down strict rules of engagement that hindered the forces from striking or utilizing force in certain areas. This was done in order to thwart the perceived threat of Soviet or Chinese intervention and to gain support at home. President Johnson wanted the conflict to be restricted to South Vietnam, although aerial bombings in North Vietnam were allowed at certain point in the war. He believed the war was a counter-insurgency battle and the rules of engagement thus were justified. The Secretary of Defense, Robert Mcnamara, authored the rules of engagement. He saw the Vietnamese invasion as a ground war and thus saw little use of the US air force. Thus, the rules of engagement he designed restricted the aerial fighting the most. Mcnamara too saw the entire conflict as a counter-insurgency battle and thus tailored the rules of engagement to be such that most military strategies and moves were to be self-defensive. It was not until the Gulf of Tonkin incident in the August of 1964 that U.S. air strikes were allowed to be more aggressive. It is no surprise that the rules of engagement set down by the civilian suits in the government were not very popular with the military strategists. General William Westmoreland was a key architect of the military strategy. In order to avoid further disaster, he forbade any unit smaller then 750 men from

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Delayed Suprachoroidal Haemorrhage Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delayed Suprachoroidal Haemorrhage - Article Example aphakia or anterior chamber intraocular lens. Few other predisposing factors have been identified. These are old age, diffuse arteriosclerosis, glaucoma itself, suprachoroidal haemorrhage in the fellow eye, and a very short axial length or high myopia. However, the most significant causal factors has been identified to be postoperative hypotony. This may result from sudden inordinate decompression of the eye on the face of glaucoma, particularly when the surgery is initiated when the intraocular pressure has yet not been stabilised (Howe, L.J. and Bloom, P., 1999(5)). Mechanism: The exact mechanism that triggers such complication is unknown. Since the bleeding occurs due to rupture of the choroidal blood vessels, an increase in the transmural pressures of the choroidal vascular arcade that can be precipitated by elevated blood pressure, low intraocular pressure, or combination of both may be the probable causal mechanism. Once blood accumulates in this space, mainly created by the accumulated blood itself, there is almost no way that it gets reabsorbed unless the underlying cause of hypotony is treated. There is associated breakdown of blood-aqueous barrier across the pigmented epithelium. Thus, this blood settles beneath the retina in the posterior segment of the eye. This reduces the visual acuity since this precipitates a retinal detachment (Berke, S.J., Bellows, A.R., and Shingleton, B.J., 1987(6)). Prognosis: Fortunately, delayed suprachoroidal hemorrhages following glaucoma surgery may go unnoticed in most of the cases as they are more subtle, anterior, and shallow. The most significant complication out of untreated suprachoroidal haemorrhage is loss of useful vision in about 40% of cases. On the other end of the... Caution should be exercised when operating on patients with known risk factors since with haemorrhage, there is decrease in the logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution visual acuity from 0.72 to 1.36 that was statistically significant compared with controls. 12. Syam, P.P., Hussain, B., and Anand, N., (2003). Delayed suprachoroidal hemorrhage after needle revision of trabeculectomy bleb in a patient with hairy cell leukemia. American Journal of Ophthalmology; 136(6): 1155-1157

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Growth as grotesque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Growth as grotesque - Essay Example There are many ways in which an object may be grotesque; however, all of these ways stem from the fact that the very thing that makes an object grotesque is the fact that there is something about the object that clashes with our perceived ideas of normality: â€Å"While consistency of grotesque forms is clearly not to be had, certain elements seem to appear more frequently than others† (462). Inherent in this is the idea that the grotesque’s existence is dependent upon the existence of so-called â€Å"normality.† In other words, the grotesque cannot exist without normalcy. In this way the grotesque can be viewed as an outgrowth or extension of that which is considered to be normal. All of the ensuing works present aspects that illustrate an augmentation of a pure form; that is, they contain subject matter that is anomalous to what is considered a normal state of existence of the given subject. All of the images initially appear as out of the ordinary, possibly even freakish in that they obviously lie outside any perceptions of normal aspects of their existence, yet upon a more scrutinized look, remain in a standard setting which would be part of our standard association with typical and conventional forms of our understanding of reality and the everyday. This feature catches us off guard and disturbs us in the same way any alteration of ones usual expectations does. An unexpected downpour of rain, the unpredictability of the stock market, even such a mundane situation as a friend showing up at your door unexpectedly, all cause us fear and anxiety in that they twist our usual expectations of the established convention of the flow of life. Equally important are the intricate details of what embodies such unassumed forms, bastard forms on a pure surface. It is this feeling, a certain ambivalent sense of push as well as pull. It is at times disturbing, yet simultaneously comforting. It is anxiety and serenity, like a sickness working its toils within the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Religion in The Lord of the Rings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religion in The Lord of the Rings - Essay Example J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has always been a highly regarded book among fans and critics alike, but when it was made into a movie trilogy it became a cultural phenomenon. The themes in The Lord of the Rings are powerful and universal in their nature and although religion is not explicitly mentioned, religious undertones can be observed throughout both the book and the movie. Urang agrees when he states, â€Å"The Lord of the Rings, although it contains no ‘God’, no ‘Christ’, and no ‘Christians’, embodies much of Tolkien’s ‘real religion’ and is a profoundly a Christian work† (180). Perhaps the success of The Lord of the Rings as a religious medium is due to the fact that it is subtle in its Christian themes and isn’t what one might call a â€Å"preachy† Christian book. One theme that we find throughout The Lord of the Rings is the longing that many of the characters have to return to a former age where the world was a better and happier place. For instance, Gimli longs to see the former glory of the home of his ancestors. The elves also long for a return to the Elder Days before evil and darkness came into the world. Basically, there is an overall tone that the world is in a â€Å"fallen state.†... Because Christians believe the world is in a broken and evil state, there is a need for someone to rise up and save the world from permanent darkness and despair. Three characters in the Lord of the Rings who fit this â€Å"Savior† role are Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo. Gandalf is very God-like and is similar to Jesus. When he falls in Moria, he descends to the lowest parts of the earth. He then has a great struggle with an evil foe. When he defeats the Balrog, he is at the peak of a mountain. Later, he is transformed and becomes Gandalf the White. Similarly, as the Bible says, Jesus Christ descended below all things so that he could rise above all things. After he ascended to heaven he returned to earth as a resurrected and exalted being. Gandalf is also Christ-like in that he guides and counsels Frodo and other members of the fellowship along their journey. Similarly, Christians believe that Christ is always with us, guiding and counseling with us in our own lives. As Frodo s ays in the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, â€Å"I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way.† To which Gandalf responds, â€Å"I will help you bear this burden† (2001). Christians believe that Christ does something similar when we choose to embark on a worthy task; he bears our burdens for us so the journey is not so difficult. Another instance where Gandalf shows Christ-like attributes is when he casts out the presence of Saruman from the King, Theoden. This is similar to the Bible when Christ displays his ability to cast out devils. After Gandalf casts off Saruman’s influence, Theoden is healed and his mind is cleared. Christ is also a great healer and restores people to their proper selves. Aragorn possesses

Sunday, September 22, 2019

One Day on the River Essay Example for Free

One Day on the River Essay Elijah has grander and more dangerous dreams. Having been largely acculturated by a residential school upbringing before escaping into the forest to live with Xavier and Niska, he has acquired the dubious skills of public relations and boastfulness as much as the crafts of the hunter. His English, learned from the nuns, is impeccable, and he makes his mark among the men in the trenches as much by the flash of his storytelling as by his murderous midnight prowls in no man’s land. Gradually Elijah becomes imprisoned by two great obsessions: a need for morphine, whose use is rampant up and down the lines, and an insatiable hunger for killing. Some French soldiers suggest that if he really wants to gain respect for all his kills, he should scalp his victims as evidence. He decides to do so, much to Xavier’s disgust. In counterpoint to the exploits of Xavier and Elijah, Boyden interweaves the story of Niska, told as she paddles her wounded nephew back home after the war is over. Niska is part of the sad but admirable remnant of traditional natives who refused to enter the reserves in the 19th century, choosing instead to live by their wits and traditional teachings in the woods. Subject to what modern medicine would call epileptic seizures, Niska is deemed by her tribe to have inherited her father’s skills as a shaman and a windigo-killer. Since windigos manifest themselves in humans who have practiced cannibalism, getting rid of them involves what white society would call murder, and indeed Niska’s father was executed as a murderer by the white courts. The constant crossing of the moral lines between the worldviews of native and white society is one of the many strengths of this fascinating novel. At one point, hunkered down in his sniper’s nest, Xavier indulges himself (and the reader) in a contemplation on the number three, which he sees as an obsession of his white commanders. There’s the front line, the support line, and the reserve line, for starters. There’s the infantry, the cavalry, and the artillery. Off the battlefield, there’s food, then rest, then women. In church, there’s the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Not to mention the superstition about lighting three cigarettes with one match, a prime metaphor for courting danger in the Great War. But then Xavier suddenly remembers Niska’s traditional teaching, that those who are dying must walk the three-day road to death, and he wonders â€Å"if we share something, some magic. Maybe it will help me get through all this.† The real war hero, Peggy, makes a brief cameo appearance in the novel, which may not have been a wise choice on the author’s part. The characters of Xavier and Niska and, to a slightly lesser extent, Elijah are full to the brim with life – they’re quite satisfying and believable as they are, and need no further stamp of authentication.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

European Studies Essays Welfare State and the European Nations

European Studies Essays Welfare State and the European Nations Welfare State and the European Nations â€Å"The phrase ‘welfare state’ was first used in the late 1930s, to distinguish between the policies of the democracies and the war state of European dictators† (Spicker, 2003). From the late nineteenth century, features of a welfare state began emerge in parts of Western Europe. The first European country to put in place a welfare state was Germany in 1883. The then Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck introduced a mandatory national accident and sickness insurance law. The insurance was financed by state subsidy (Spicker). A welfare state is â€Å"a state where more than one half of all government expenditures are devoted to social policy, as opposed to the economy, the military, law and order, infrastructure and other traditional functions of the state† ( Spicker, 2003). Judt (2006) defines a welfare state as a state which is primarily concerned with dispensing welfare to its citizens. Such states spend the bigger proportion of their public expenditures on welfare. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers According to Gough (2006), welfare states in Europe were established during the Second World War. Their main purpose was to tackle the five evil giants that were facing most of Europe at that time. These evils included: Poverty: Because of the war, many people were sick, jobless or widowed hence were poor. Diseases: Despite many people being sick, they could not afford to seek treatment. Ignorance: At that time, school-leaving age was 11. Most children were forced to drop out of schools because they could not afford to pay fees. Squalor: Majority of the population lived in poor housing facilities (slums) because council houses were inadequate. Idleness: As a result of the war, most people lost their jobs and became unemployed. The welfare state was therefore established to ensure that children stayed in school; free medical treatment for all was introduced; new council houses were built and more towns established to provide better housing facilities to the slum dwellers and more industries were started to help reduce the unemployment rate. There are several objectives of a welfare state. Equitable distribution of wealth and resources: Welfare states used progressive method of tax collection whereby people with higher incomes paid more taxes and those with lower incomes paid less tax. This method of taxation helped in reallocation of public money and shifting of resources from the resource-rich regions to resource-poor regions. This was effective in achieving regional balance and in narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor (Spicker, 2003). Income and standard of living maintenance: People can temporarily or permanently be rendered incapable participating in the labor market. This can be due to old age, or sickness. This normally results in loss of income for themselves and their families. But in a welfare state, income maintenance was assured whether or not someone was working. This was normally â€Å"achieved through a variety of public insurance schemes,† (Judt, 2006). These included deductions from an employee’s salary, contributions made by the employers and the state. These deductions and contributions were deposited into an insurance fund from which individuals were entitled to certain benefits, depending on the level and the number of contributions made. These â€Å"insurance schemes covered unemployment, sick pay and old age pensions,† (Gough, 2006). Helping the disadvantaged groups: welfare states started programs to assist those groups that were considered worse-off than others. Gough (2006) says that: For instance, European countries have taken specific measures to combat rural poverty; support families with children; provide for re-training and early retirement in industrial problem regions; assist especially those with structural employment problem (the long-term and older unemployed; youth unemployment). Provision of a public safety net was another objective of welfare states. Welfare States ensured that each individual enjoyed â€Å"a minimal level of decent human existence if no other resources are available,† (Gough, 2006). In the pre-industrial era provision for such individuals was mainly done by â€Å"local charities, communities, nobleness oblige, and the churches †¦ on a much smaller scale† (Gough). Most Welfare States used their welfare policy as a form of economic governance. According to Gough (2006), â€Å"the economies of continental Europe, often called organized market economies, are characterized by a more pronounced role for the government in the economy †¦.† Unlike in other states, the different economic sectors were usually in harmony rather than in competition with each other. This contributed to the overall economic organization and stability, and is the reason why such economies were often labeled ‘organized market economies.’ Welfare states put up policies aimed at poverty eradication. Such programs included Medicaid and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). However, such programs were not popular among the majority of the population because they only served the marginalized people who comprised a smaller proportion of the population. The creation and development of the welfare state followed different patterns in each of the European countries. The men behind the European welfare state shared Keynes’s view which he voiced before his death in 1946. Keynes said that â€Å"after the World War II, there would be a craving for social and personal security in Europe. And there was. The welfare state was constructed primarily as a security revolution rather than a social revolution,† (Judt, 2006) The German welfare system was based on the three main principles. The first one was â€Å"subsidiarity.† This principle holds that â€Å"services should be decentralized or independently managed† (Spicker, 2003). The role of the state was limited only to areas which could not be covered by other means like military services. In Germany, high income earners were not covered by the main social insurance system; they were left to make their own decisions. Economic development was another principle surrounding the German welfare system. Provision of social services was based on this principle. This was clearly evident in â€Å"the close relationship of services to people’s position in the labor market. Social benefits were earnings-related, and those without work records found that they were not covered for important contingencies† (Spicker, 2003). Additionally, the state’s spending on welfare had to be directly related to the principle of economic development and growth. Welfare state in Germany was originally established by Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck who introduced the principle of ‘corporatist structure’. According to Spicker, 2003: This principle was developed by Bismarck on the basis of existing mutual aid associations, and remained the basis for social protection subsequently. Social insurance, which covered the costs of health, some social care and much of the income maintenance system, was managed by a system of independent funds. The French system of welfare was regarded as the most generous welfare system. It involved provision of a wide range of social services, rendering it very complex and expensive to maintain it. In France, the welfare system was â€Å"based on the principle of solidarity,† which was declared in the first article of the French Code of Social Security (Spicker, 2003). However, the term â€Å"solidarity† was ambiguous and was used in different circumstances to mean different things. To some people, solidarity referred to cooperative mutual support whereby people who benefited from national welfare schemes were expected to contribute on an equal basis. To others, solidarity meant interdependent relationships, â€Å"common action, mutual responsibility and shared risks† (Spicker, 2003). The Swedish Welfare System was viewed as an ideal form of welfare state. The system offered institutional care in that it offered â€Å"a universal minimum† (Judt, 2006). Like all welfare states, the Swedish government offered benefits to the unemployed, the sick people, and retired citizens. However, for a long time this welfare system was not effectively practiced because as Judt (2006) says, â€Å"the Swedish population had a strong tradition of entrepreneurship and hard work and continued to work hard even though they now had the option to live off government.† However, with time, people adapted to the welfare system. The welfare state of the United Kingdom was established by William Beveridge in 1942. The aim of the state was to curb the social problems that British citizens were facing due to the effects of the Second World War. The government took the responsibility of providing for its people. This policy resulted in high government expenditure and an increase in the state’s key responsibilities. In addition to the provision of the basic services (education, health, housing and employment) the state also increased â€Å"regulation of industry food and redistributive taxation† (Gough, 2006). Most Welfare States did not last long because of various reasons. The first major reason was the nature of taxation and the salary structure. In most welfare states, the social benefits and salaries for the low-skilled workers were among the highest in the world, whereas those for the high-skilled workers were lower compare to those of other countries. Additionally, the high-skilled workers paid much higher taxes than the low–skilled workers. This attracted more low-skilled workers into these states, becoming a burden to the Welfare State. The issue of immigration also led to the collapse of the welfare state. Because of the social benefits a welfare state offered, it attracted people from the low income countries. Fjordman (2006) notes that â€Å"†¦ they experienced †¦ disintegration with the introduction of mass immigration of persons who did not have the cultural background necessary to uphold the welfare state.† Lastly, the nature of the services that a welfare state provided contributed to its collapse. Education and health services especially are â€Å"ones on which people wish to spend more money as they become richer. Old age and retirement pensions imply that the government would have to spend more as the population ages† (Fjordman, 2006). Because of this, the ratio of public spending to Gross Domestic Product was high and it became practically impossible to meet all the social demands of its citizens. REFERENCES Fjordman, C. The Welfare State: The Root of Europe’s Problems. The Brussels Journal. 2006, March 08 Gough, I. European Welfare States: Explanations and Lessons for Developing Countries. University of Bath http://64.233.169.104/search? Judt, T. The Future of Decadent Europe. The Globalist. 2006, June 02. Spicker, P. The Welfare State. Centre for Public Policy and Management: Robert Gordon University http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm

Friday, September 20, 2019

Business Essays Company Strategy Business

Business Essays Company Strategy Business Company Strategy Business Your company has a clear goal and a solid strategy you have the right people in the right places you have great ideas and the resources to execute them. So does your competition. Over the past decades, the role of economic organizations in society has been approached from various perspectives and alternative conceptualizations of business have been introduced (Grant, 2005; Skurnik, 2005). The traditional idea of business is that an efficient organization is formed to produce profit (Ansoff, 1965; Drucker, 1958). Lately, the concept of business, including the objectives and strategies of business companies, has been dominated by the idea of profit maximation for investor owners (Grant, 2005). Strategic management researchers have been proponents of the theory that provide support to the relationship between the environment, firm strategy, structure, and performance. Several management researchers of the likes of Dill (1958), Chandler (1962), Lawrence Lorsch (1967), Jurkovich (1974), Miles Snow (1978), Porter (1980, 1985), Bourgeois (1980, 1981), Hambrick (1981, 1983), Dess Davis (1984), Dess and Beard (1984), Mintzberg (1988), Miller (1986), Hamel Prahalad (1991), Kotha Valdamani (1995), and others have directly or indirectly made attempts to theorize the effects of single or multiple constructs, visvis the firm environment, strategy, and structure on firm performance. These efforts have led to the incremental development of the strategic management literature that stress on the relationships between the constructs mentioned above. The levels of strategy, i.e. corporate level, business level, and functional level have been defined by management theorists in order to identify and conceptualize the differences in approach in managing firms across these levels of company hierarchy. Corporate level strategies focus on what businesses should the company invest in, in order to satisfy the interests of the stakeholders and to maximize the value of stockholders investments. The focus here is on issues pertaining to firm growth and liquidity (e.g. Kim, Mauer, Sherman, 1998), which influence stockholders satisfaction. On the other hand, business level strategies entail ways in which a company would seek to attain competitive advantage through effective positioning. It should be noted that these positioning strategies of companies would vary depending on the industry setting (Hill Jones, 1995). In corporate finance, although business level strategies are not defined as positioning strategies, the objectives of these strategies and their effects are considered within the diversification and liquidity concepts of corporate strategies. The objective of functional level strategies is to achieve competitive advantage through strategies directed at improving the effectiveness of functional operations within a company (Hill Jones, 1995; p. 12). Note that in corporate finance the functional level strategies are considered as aggregates reported as part of the financial statements of individual business units, which are then analyzed in connection to the corporate strategies. It should also be noted that the business and functional strategies are impacted by the way in which corporate strategies are formulated. Although it may be argued that a bottom-up approach of defining functional level and business level strategies will not entail the effects of corporate strategies on functional and business level strategies, in reality firms define their resource allocation strategies first by taking into consideration the effects of these strategies on overall corporate performance. Once the resource allocation decisions are formulated at the corporate level, managers at the business level can then identify the appropriate strategies to meet the objectives laid out by managers at the corporate level. Management theorists have suggested that in order to achieve competitive advantage, the firm should achieve a fit between the environment, strategy, structure and controls (Jennings Lumpkin, 1992). Effective strategy formulation and implementation lead to the attainment of performance objectives identified by the stakeholders of the firm. Whereas the concept of fit between the environment and strategy is important in order to achieve competitive success, Hamel Prahalad (1991) suggested that strategic intent is the key to achieving success as compared to strategic fit, the paradigm that most management theorists followed until the late eighties. The authors suggest that strategic intent is about building new resources and competencies to tap future opportunities as opposed to the strategic fit perspective of achieving a fit between existing company resources and current environment opportunities. Hierarchical Levels of Strategy Corporate Level Strategy The corporate level strategy entails decisions made by corporate managers to insure that company stakeholders are satisfied at all times. With this as the goal, the managers at the corporate level of company hierarchy decide to invest in business(es) that result in long-term profit maximization and increased returns to the firms stockholders. Corporate strategies entail two distinct dimensions that include measures pertaining to growth (Zook Rogers, 2001) and liquidity (Kim et al., 1998). Corporate managers decide what businesses to invest in and how liquid the assets of the firm should be to maximize the value of the firm, both in the short and long term scenario. Business Level Strategy Business level strategy applies to the unit level of the organization and is referred to as those strategies that are applied at the strategic business unit (SBU) level. SBU level strategy is formulated and implemented by business level managers, who are also referred to as unit level managers or general managers. While this may be the case in the manufacturing industries, the hospitality industry general manager does not necessarily formulate these strategies, rather they are instrumental in the implementation of the strategy. The formulation of business level strategies is entailed in the corporate strategy when the corporate managers define the positioning of the firm. Since business level strategy is a result of market segmentation and positioning strategies, the generic strategies of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus (Porter, 1980) result from the way corporate managers conceive the orientation and positioning of the product during the time of its inception. This logic also applies to the Miles Snows typology of prospector, defender, analyzer, and reactor. These generic typologies are a result of the corporate level managers positioning strategies, and the budget allocated to the units to pursue that strategy. In this regard, the hospitality industry is different from the manufacturing industry in terms of the distinction between the three levels of strategy. There is an overlap in the decisions made at the three levels, with the corporate level influencing the decisions of the unit level and the functional level. This may not be apparent by scrutinizing the organizational structure; rather, this results from the job responsibilities that are entrusted to the different levels of management hierarchy, especially the business and functional level. Functional Level Strategy Functional level strategies are those strategies that are initiated by the profit /support centres of an organization. These centres are individual functions that result when activities that are similar in their characteristics and objectives are grouped under a given function. Each separate function should have its own goal and objective, and functional managers formulate strategies to attain those goals and objectives. To be competitively superior to other firms, functional level managers strategize to attain superior efficiency, superior quality, superior customer responsiveness, and superior innovation (Hill Jones, 1995). Although hospitality researchers have posited that manufacturing based strategy theory may not be applicable to the hospitality industry (Murthy, 1994), it can be argued that strategies professed by management theorists have been generalized to apply to any given industry. Strategy has been defined very distinctly in strategic management theory. For instance, according to Chandler (1962), strategy is the determination of basic long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals. Hofer Shendel (1978) defined strategy as the match among organizational purposes, resources, skills, environment opportunities and risks. Similarly, Thompson Strickland (1981) defined strategy as the manner in which an organization accomplishes its objectives through the formulation of means, matching and allocating resources, and directing its effort to produce results. On the other hand, Bourgeois (1978) defined strategy in terms of a firms relationship with the environment to achieve its objectives, while Mintzberg (1981) defined the term as a pattern in a stream of decisions or actions. These definitions are important for the literature as it defines the domain of strategy in terms of its literal meaning as well as the direction of research efforts that it influences. Although the above definitions of strategy may differ in literal meaning, the underlying theme common to all is the ability of the organization to meet its objectives by directing its efforts in a resourceful manner, aligning them to the developments in the external environment. Having identified this theme in the definition of strategy, it becomes essential to identify whether each individual research domain within the field is a proponent of this ideology professed by eminent researchers. To do so, it is essential to pinpoint the orientations of the sub-domains in the field of strategy.Strategy, in general, refers to how a given objective will be achieved. Consequently, strategy in general is concerned with the relationships between ends and means, that is, between the results we seek and the resources at our disposal. Strategy and tactics are both concerned with formulating and then carrying out courses of action intended to attain particular objectives. For the most part, strategy is concerned with deploying the resources at your disposal whereas tactics is concerned with employing them. Together, strategy and tactics bridge the gap between ends and means .Strategy of an organization is the roadmap towards attainment of its long term goals and objectives. Organizational strategy consists of planning, organizing, execution, and control activities. Strategic management process facilitates in the operationalization of strategy. Strategic thinking has been much influenced by military thinking about the strategy hierarchy of goals, policies and programmes. Strategy itself sets the agenda for future action, strategic goals state what is to be achieved and when (but not how), policies set the guidelines and limits for permissible action in pursuit of the strategic goals, and programmes specify the step-by-step sequence of actions necessary to achieve major objectives and the timetable against which progress can be measured. A well defined strategy integrates an organizations major plans, objectives, policies and programmes and commitments into a cohesive whole. It marshals and allocates limited resources in the best way, which is defined by an analysis of a firms unique strengths and weaknesses and of opportunities and threats in the environment. It considers how to deal with the potential actions of intelligent opponents. The importance of strategic management for the development of regions is growing, together with the effort of the regional representatives to increase the performance and competitive advantage of their regions. Individual countries, regions, cities, and towns compete among each other especially in the acquisition of economic subjects, which create and stabilize new jobs, thereby influencing prosperity and the standard of living of their residents. Strategy choice is a component of strategy formulation that entails identifying the strategic alternatives in tandem with the firms strengths and weaknesses. Since strategy is about identifying the appropriate courses of action, these alternatives vary depending on the hierarchical levels of the organization confirmed by, for instance, Hofer Shendel (1979), who point out that strategy content varies with the level of organizational hierarchy. The hierarchical levels identified by various management theorists in the strategy domain are functional level, business level, and corporate level strategies (Hill Jones, 1995) . The strategic management model suggests that intended strategy is an outcome of certain distinct actions taken by firms. These actions can be categorized as the product of a firms external analysis and internal analysis (Hill Jones, 1995). The external analysis is about understanding the firms external environment to identify opportunities and threats. This analysis includes analyzing the firms remote environment domain, task environment domain, and industry environment domain in order to identify the forces driving change and their impact on the organization during a given time period (Olsen et al., 1998). On the other hand, the internal analysis entails pinpointing what the strengths and weaknesses of the firm are in order to identify the quantity and quality of resources available to the organization (Hill Jones, 1995). The concept that entails analyzing the firms external and internal environment and subsequently identifying the appropriate strategy comes under the strategy formulation sub-domain of strategy research. On the other hand, the sub-domain that deals with designing organizational systems and structures in order to put the strategy into action is termed as strategy implementation. There are three levels of strategies in the organization viz. corporate strategy, business strategy, and functional strategy. The term strategy proliferates in discussions of business. Scholars and consultants have provided myriad models and frameworks for analysing strategic choice (Hambrick and Fredrickson, 2001). For us, the key issue that should unite all discussion of strategy is a clear sense of an organizations objectives and a sense of how it will achieve these objectives. It is also important that the organization has a clear sense of its distinctiveness. For the leading strategy guru, Michael Porter (1996), strategy is about achieving competitive advantage through being different delivering a unique value added to the customer, having a clear and enactable view of how to position yourself uniquely in your industry, for example, in the ways in which Southwest Airlines positions itself in the airline industry and IKEA in furniture retailing, in the way that Marks Spencer used to. To enact a successful strategy requires that there is fit among a companys activities, that they complement each other, and that they deliver value to the firm and its customers. The three companies we have just mentioned illustrate that industries are fluid and that success is not guaranteed. Two of the firms came to prominence by taking on industry incumbents and developing new value propositions. The third was extremely successful and lost this position. While there is much debate on substance, there is agreement that strategy is concerned with the match between a companys capabilities and its external environment. Analysts disagree on how this may be done. John Kay (2000) argues that strategy is no longer about planning or visioning because we are deluded if we think we can predict or, worse, control the future it is about using careful analysis to understand and influence a companys position in the market place. Another leading strategy guru, Gary Hamel (2000), argues that the best strategy is geared towards radical change and creating a new vision of the future in which you are a leader rather than a follower of trends set by others.The idea of strategy has received increasing attention in the management literature. The literature on strategy is now voluminous and strategic management texts grow ever larger to include all the relevant material. Our premise is that a firm needs a well defined sense of its mission, its unique place in its environment and scope and direction of growth. Such a sense of mission defines the firms strategy. A firm also needs an approach to management itself that will harness the internal energies of the organization to the realization of its mission. Historically, views of strategy fall into two camps. There are those who equate strategy with planning. According to this perspective, information is gathered, sifted and analysed, forecasts are made, senior managers reflect upon the work of the planning department and decide what is the best course for the organization. This is a top-down approach to strategy. Others have a less structured view of strategy as being more about the process of management. According to this second perspective, the key strategic issue is to put in place a system of management that will facilitate the capability of the organization to respond to an environment that is essentially unknowable, unpredictable and, therefore, not amenable to a planning approach. We will consider both these views in this text. Our own view is that good strategic management actually encompasses elements of each perspective. Corporate strategy defines the markets and the businesses in which a company will operate. Competitive or business strategy defines for a given business the basis on which it will compete. Corporate strategy is typically decided in the context of defining the companys mission and vision, that is, saying what the company does, why it exists, and what it is intended to become. Competitive strategy hinges on a companys capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses in relation to market characteristics and the corresponding capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of its competitors. According to Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and the reigning guru of competitive strategy, competition within an industry is driven by five basic factors: Threat of new entrants. Threat of substitute products or services. Bargaining power of suppliers. Bargaining power of buyers. Rivalry among existing firms. Porter also indicates that, in response to these five factors, competitive strategy can take one of three generic forms: (1) focus, (2) differentiation, and (3) cost leadership. Business strategy focuses on how a company competes in a selected industry over markets. The core of the business strategy can be captured in to a question How should we compete? (Grant, 2005: 22-23). Thus, business strategy is closely related to the concept of competitive strategy (Porter, 1987), which is about creating competitive advantage in a chosen industry. Competitive strategy means choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value (Porter, 1996, 1987). Corporate strategy defines the breadth of the company in relation to an industry and markets, where it competes; it answers the question What business should we be in? (Grant, 2005: 22-23). According to Porter (1996), deciding which target group of customers, varieties, and needs the company should serve is fundamental in developing a strategy. Strategy can be neither formulated nor adjusted to changing circumstances without a process of strategy evaluation. Whether performed by an individual or as part of an organizational review procedure, strategy evaluation forms an essential step in the process of guiding an enterprise. For many executives strategy evaluation is simply an appraisal of how well a business performs. Has it grown? Is the profit rate normal? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, it is argued that the firms strategy must be sound. Despite its unassailable simplicity, this line of reasoning misses the whole point of strategy that the critical factors determining the quality of current results are often not directly observable or simply measured, and that by the time strategic opportunities or threats do directly affect operating results it may well be too late for an effective response. Thus strategy evaluation is an attempt to look beyond the obvious facts regarding the short-term health of a business and appraise instead those more fundamental factors and trends that govern success in the chosen field of endeavour. Strategic thinking has been much influenced by military thinking about the strategy hierarchy of goals, policies and programmes. Strategy itself sets the agenda for future action, strategic goals state what is to be achieved and when (but not how), policies set the guidelines and limits for permissible action in pursuit of the strategic goals, and programmes specify the step-by-step sequence of actions necessary to achieve major objectives and the timetable against which progress can be measured. A well defined strategy integrates an organizations major plans, objectives, policies and programmes and commitments into a cohesive whole. It marshals and allocates limited resources in the best way, which is defined by an analysis of a firms unique strengths and weaknesses and of opportunities and threats in the environment. It considers how to deal with the potential actions of intelligent opponents. A firm competes with a large number of other firms in the business environment. The firm has a two-fold objective. It has to attain its long-term goals in the most efficient manner. At the same time, the firm has to deliver higher value to its customer as compared to other competing firms to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. The roadmap consisting of a comprehensive plan towards achievement of the aforesaid objectives is known as organizational strategy. Strategy, in general, refers to how a given objective will be achieved. Consequently, strategy in general is concerned with the relationships between ends and means, that is, between the results we seek and the resources at our disposal. Strategy and tactics are both concerned with formulating and then carrying out courses of action intended to attain particular objectives. For the most part, strategy is concerned with deploying the resources at your disposal whereas tactics is concerned with employing them. Corporate identity merges strategy, culture, and communications to present a memorable personality to prospects and customers. The term is closely linked to corporate philosophy, the company s business mission and values, as well as corporate personality, the distinct corporate culture reflecting this philosophy, and corporate image. The main objective of corporate identity is to achieve a favourable image among the company s prospects and customers. When a corporation is favourably regarded this is likely to result in loyalty. If the corporate identity is the self-portrayal of a company, then the corporate image is the perception of an organization by the audience. The closer the corporate image is to the corporate identity; the closer the public s perception of a company is to how the company defines itself, making for superior corporate communication. For example, most companies have access to the same technology. If they want to further distinguish themselves, the strategy must rely on another factor than technology: the user experience. As the audience s focus changes constantly, corporate strategies must move in the same direction as the customer. Products are the most important spokespersons for any brand or company. Therefore, the key to defining your corporate identity resides in how well a company communicates its visions and values by means of the identity and image of its products, always keeping the target audience involvement in mind. There is no one best way of strategy. The planning approach can work in a stable, predictable environment. Its critics argue that such environments are becoming increasingly scarce, events make the plan redundant, creativity is buried beneath the weight and protocols of planning and communication rules. Furthermore, those not involved in devising the plan are never committed to its implementation. The second approach emphasizes speed of reaction and flexibility to enable the organization to function best in an environment that is fast-changing and essentially unpredictable. The essence of strategy, according to this view, is adaptability and incrementalism. This approach has been criticized for failing to give an adequate sense of where the organization is going and what its mission is. Critics speak disparagingly of the mushroom approach to management. (Place in a dark room, shovel manure/money on the seeds, close the door, wait for it to grow!) Inconsistency in strategy is not simply a flaw in logic. A key function of strategy is to provide coherence to organizational action. A clear and explicit concept of strategy can foster a climate of tacit co-ordination that is more efficient than most administrative mechanisms. Many high technology firms, for example, face a basic strategic choice between offering high-cost products with high custom-engineering content and lower-cost products that are more standardized and sold at higher volume. If senior management does not enunciate a clear, consistent sense of where the corporation stands on these issues, there will be continuing conflict between sales, design, engineering and manufacturing people. A clear, consistent strategy, by contrast, allows a sales engineer to negotiate a contract with a minimum of coordination the trade-offs are an explicit part of the firms posture.Rumelt (1988). A strategy is a set of objectives, policies and plans that, taken together, define the scope of the enterprise and its approach to business. Rumelt suggests that three questions are central to the challenge of strategy evaluation: Are the objectives of the business appropriate? Are the major policies and plans appropriate? Do the results obtained to date confirm or refute critical assumptions on which The strategy rests? He further suggests that strategy must satisfy four broad criteria: Consistency. The strategy must not present mutually inconsistent goals and policies. Consonance. The strategy must represent an adaptive response to the external environment and to the critical changes occurring within it. Advantage. Strategy must provide for the creation and/or maintenance of a competitive advantage in the selected area of activity. Feasibility. The strategy must neither overtax available resources nor create insoluble problems. Strategic management represents the collection of methods and approaches that are applicable to the regulation of regional development. This process can include the following: Defining the mission of the development of the region it depends on visions, values and expectations of the key implementing entities. Setting the strategic and performance objectives the objectives might comprise e.g. social development of regions, development of infrastructure, improvement of environmental aspects of the life of the local population, better territorial distribution of economic activities in the region etc. Formulating strategy (determining strategic alternatives, their evaluation assessment and selection) we seek to answer the question of how to meet the future objectives. Also essential is to use the results of both the external and internal environment analyses (situation analysis) Introducing and implementing the selected strategy (strategy implementation) this component is related to the further elaboration of regional development strategies into more detailed programs, measures and activities. The success of the strategy implementation depends to a certain degree on the motivation of all the stakeholders and apart from other things it is also associated with the level of culture in the community Evaluating results and proposing corrective measures (strategic control) it serves to ascertain the success rate of the selected strategy and also signals the necessary changes at whichever stage of its implementation. Basic requirement of this process is to increase competitive advantage of the regions in the long run. We can define the regional competitive advantage as the ability of the region to produce products and services, which will be able to compete on the international market, while securing and maintaining the incomes of its inhabitants. Managing risk at the organizational level is considered to be the key to the longterm survival of firms. According to Busman Van Zuiden (1998) there is a growing recognition that coordinating and financing all facets of organizational risk effectively is critical to maximizing success, whether that success is measured by shareholder value or, in the case of not-for-profit, educational or governmental institutions, by the range and quality of provided services (p. 14). Furthermore, the authors point out that because of the speed at which the organizations external business environment is constantly changing, managers are required to keep pace with this change through effective monitoring of the developments that increase the risk exposure of firms. Bibliography Bourgeois, L. J. (1980) Strategy and environment: A conceptual integration. Academy of Management Review, 5, 25-39. Bourgeois, L. J. (1981). On the measurement of organizational slack. Academy of Management Review, 6, 29-39. Busman, E. R., Zuiden, P. V. (1998). The challenge ahead: Adopting an enterprise wide approach to risk. Risk Management, 45(1), 14-17. Competitive Strategy (1986). Michael Porter. Harvard Business School Press. Chandler, A. D. (1962). Strategy and structure, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Dill, W. R. (1958). Environment as an influence on managerial autonomy. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2, 409-443. The Concept of Corporate Strategy, 2nd Edition (1980). Kenneth Andrews. Dow-Jones Irwin. Lawrence, P. R., Lorsch, J. (1967). Organization and environment. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Jurkovich, R. (1974). A core typology of organizational environments. Administrative Science Quarterly, 3, 380-394. Olsen, M. D. (1980). The Importance of the environment to the food service and lodging manager. The Journal of Hospitality Education, 4(2), 35-45. Olsen, M. D., West, J. J., Tse, E. C. (1998). Strategic management in the hospitality industry, Boston: Wiley. Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines. Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Harvard Business Review (Jan-Feb 1993). The Discipline of Market Leaders (1994). Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Addison Wesley. Jennings, D. F., Lumpkin J. R. (1992). Insights between environmental scanning activities and Porters generic strategies: An empirical analysis. Journal of Management, 18, 791-803. Miller, D. (1986). Configurations of strategy and structure: Towards a synthesis. Strategic

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Elements of Magical Realism and Fantasy in The Donkey Prince :: Donkey Prince Essays

Elements of Magical Realism and Fantasy in The Donkey Prince      Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Donkey Prince" is a short story written by Angela Carter in 1970. Carter is an English novelist. Her story is a mixture of fantasy, myth, and magical realism. I do believe that fantastical literature and magical realism are related in a lot of ways. As I read through the magical realism and fantastical novels, I noticed more similarities than differences.    Briefly, the story I read was about a young prince being transformed into a donkey. It was one of the witchcraft stories where the young boy/girl had to retrieve a certain thing to be transformed back into his/her normal self. A role of magical realism was played as well as fantastical literature. "Bring out the apple," said Terror. "I would give my name, my rank, and my reputation, as a warrior to possess even a quarter of your magic"(32). Magical Realism and fantastical literature are brought together by the fantasy of a young boy being transformed and the magic that would make that transformation happen.    The main character in this story is a donkey named Bruno. He played a magical role by being able to be a prince donkey. What was magical about the whole story was the people and creatures look at each other in different ways. As on earth, here in real life, people do not get the real magical idea of life.    This story gives a perfect example of what Faris says about John Updike's statement ,"Magical realism combines realism and the fantastic in such a way that magical elements grow organically out of elements portrayed"(Faris 163). Some of the elements are the donkey prince, Wild Men mountain, birds that sang, and a magic apple. A person could get a realization of magical realism and fantastical literature even by reading a children's story. Doing so takes an imagination in the adult life as well as the childs'. I think if a person does not involve the fantastic and the magical realism, the story is not as good.    The material that I read about fantastical literature stated that fantastic is portrayed as the indistinguishability between the real and the unreal. It has a preoccupation with style and an interest in transforming "the common and everyday into the awesome and the unreal"(Flores 114). This statement, to me, is a good comparison coming from two different views.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Philosophy of Teaching Essay -- Philosophy of Education Teachers Es

My Philosophy of Teaching In the field of education there could arise many philosophical ideas of each individual teacher. Many of the past philosophies have been and still are used in today’s education programs, such as the Socratic method. My philosophy will also contain some of the many philosophies of the past and possibly the future. I will state the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of public education, method, and curriculum according to my own philosophies, which also may be based the philosophical ideas of previous individuals. The nature of human beings in my opinion, as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is that all human beings are born innocent. We are born into the world without the knowledge that is to be acquired throughout time. When it comes to the nature of knowledge however I do not agree with Rousseau. I believe that each person should construct his own knowledge at the same time as he memorizes other knowledge. In other words, the student should learn and memorize what he has been taught; yet at the same time hold his own opinions and philosophies in mind as well. I believe that the nature of knowledge is also purely relative; it does depend upon the person, place, and time. Not every student is going to be the same. One might not be able to learn in a larger classroom than another might; he may require special attention possibly for the reason that he may have a learning disability, or possibly a short attention span. The overall purpose of education in my opinion is for survival in today’s society and economy. For one person to survive comfortably in this computer –based world of today, one would require skills in mathematics, English, science, and ma... ... retain the lessons. From past experiences I have observed that if the teacher involves the students in the lesson, the children forget that they are learning and realize that they are having fun. This area of participation is important in elementary schools for the purpose of accomplishing the goals in which almost every school sets forth. It also allows the children to feel in control of their thoughts and opinions. My professional development plans include a wide variety of experiences with children in general and in the education field. In the above paragraphs, I have made it clear what my expectations are in terms of the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of education, method, and curriculum. I do however, expect them to be subject to change after I have completed the required field experience or my own professional experience. My Philosophy of Teaching Essay -- Philosophy of Education Teachers Es My Philosophy of Teaching In the field of education there could arise many philosophical ideas of each individual teacher. Many of the past philosophies have been and still are used in today’s education programs, such as the Socratic method. My philosophy will also contain some of the many philosophies of the past and possibly the future. I will state the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of public education, method, and curriculum according to my own philosophies, which also may be based the philosophical ideas of previous individuals. The nature of human beings in my opinion, as well as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is that all human beings are born innocent. We are born into the world without the knowledge that is to be acquired throughout time. When it comes to the nature of knowledge however I do not agree with Rousseau. I believe that each person should construct his own knowledge at the same time as he memorizes other knowledge. In other words, the student should learn and memorize what he has been taught; yet at the same time hold his own opinions and philosophies in mind as well. I believe that the nature of knowledge is also purely relative; it does depend upon the person, place, and time. Not every student is going to be the same. One might not be able to learn in a larger classroom than another might; he may require special attention possibly for the reason that he may have a learning disability, or possibly a short attention span. The overall purpose of education in my opinion is for survival in today’s society and economy. For one person to survive comfortably in this computer –based world of today, one would require skills in mathematics, English, science, and ma... ... retain the lessons. From past experiences I have observed that if the teacher involves the students in the lesson, the children forget that they are learning and realize that they are having fun. This area of participation is important in elementary schools for the purpose of accomplishing the goals in which almost every school sets forth. It also allows the children to feel in control of their thoughts and opinions. My professional development plans include a wide variety of experiences with children in general and in the education field. In the above paragraphs, I have made it clear what my expectations are in terms of the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of education, method, and curriculum. I do however, expect them to be subject to change after I have completed the required field experience or my own professional experience.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Financial Service and Industry

Asset Transformation Purchase primary securities by selling financial claims (secondary securities) to households Secondary securities are more marketable BECAUSE Less information asymmetry Less monitoring costs More liquid Less risky Without financial intermediaries, households will find direct investments in corporate securities unattractive due to information/monitoring costs, liquidity cost and price risk.Thus flow was funds are less, little monitoring and risk of investments would increase.Specializes of financial institutions General areas (LIP TM) Liquidity services Information services Price- risk reduction services Transaction cost services Maturity intermediation services Institution- specific (McCall) Money supply transmission Credit allocation Denomination intermediation Intergenerational transfers Payment services Information costs Agency costs 0 costs relating to the risk that firm owners and managers use savers' ends not in the best interest of the savers Financial ins titutions collect funds from households in order to avoid free- rider problem (incentive for information collection and monitoring), reduce costs of information collection and monitoring and to develop new secondary securities to more effectively monitor borrows.Liquidity and price risk Financial intermediaries provide secondary claims to household savers – high liquidity and low price risk and invest in these illiquid and risky sectors Advantage of financial institutions managing liquidity and price risk Diversification (due to size of funds) Development of better risk management techniques Disadvantage of delegated institutions Intermediary services are not free Agency issues Risk management Monitoring financial institutions Other special services Reduced Transaction Cost, I. E. Economies of scale Maturity Intermediation 0 Ability to bear the risk of mismatched maturities of assets and liabilities.Credit Allocation (Depository Flu) – Financial intermediaries are the major source of finance in particular sectors of an economy: residential real estate (US and UK), farming (Australia) . Intergenerational Wealth Transfer or Time Intermediation (life insurance, superannuation and pension funds) Payment Services – IFS provide efficient payment services to the society. Denomination Intermediation – Give individuals indirect access to large denomination markets (Money market managed funds, Debt-equity managed funds, Unit trusts) The Transmission of Monetary Policy (Banks) Financial intermediaries are widely used medium of exchange in the economy.Intermediaries' liabilities play significant role in the transmission of monetary policy Money supply in Australia (Don't need to know these term 0) MI : currency + bank rent deposits by private non-bank sector MM: currency + all bank deposits by private non-bank sector Broad money: MM + net borrowing of Non-bank IFS from private sector Specializes and Regulation Financial institutions receive spe cial regulatory attention Negative externalities caused by IFS is costly to households and firms using financial services Special services provided by IFS Institution- specific functions Example: money supply transmission, credit allocations, payment services Australian Regulation System The traditional industry- based regulation entailed separate regulators for individual industry sectors – banking, insurance and security firms. Asses 0 Australia's current financial regulatory framework originated from ‘Financial System Enquiry (Wallis Committee), Australia switched from industry-based regulation to function- based regulation. This introduced 3 regulatory agencies, each in charge of specific functional responsibilities. This reform was necessary as the distinction between the activities of different types of financial institutions was becoming more vague and also because of the overlap in regulation and grey areas.Reserve Bank of Australia (ARAB) 0 Responsible for the development and implementation of monetary policy and for overall financial system stability Australian Prudential Regulation Commission (PARA) 0 Responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of the financial services industry Regulation of deposit- taking institutions Life and general insurance Superannuation Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIA) 0 Responsible for market integrity, consumer protection across the financial system and ensures equal and fair access to financial services. Protects against abuses (example: insider trading), lack of disclosure, malfeasance, breach of fiduciary responsibility.Major types of regulation(Scale) Safety and soundness regulation Consumer protection regulation Credit allocation regulation Investor protection regulation Monetary policy regulation Entry and chartering regulation 1. Risk reduction Encouragement for intermediaries to diversify assets Disclosure of large credit exposure 2. Minimum capital requirements 3. Safety valve Central banks' open market operations to provide exchange settlement fund 4. Monitoring and surveillance The ARAB directly controls outside money and the bulk of the money supply is inside money (deposits). Regulators commonly impose a minimum level of cash reserves to be held against deposits. Cash reserves add to intermediaries' net regulatory burden. There is no explicit liquidly requirement in Australia but Flu' liquidity management policy need to be approved by PARA.Supports lending to socially important sector Example: US' Qualified Thrift Lender test (QUIT) set a minimum amount of loans made to residential mortgages to quality as Thrift Entry Regulation Regulations define scope of permitted activities under a given charter Increasing/ Decreasing entry barriers affect profitability of existing competitors. High direct/ indirect entry costs result in larger profits for existing companies Future of Regulation Implications of SGF questioned – more regulations or more efficient regulations The major provisions include expanding and centralizing powers for Federal agencies, more restrictions and disclosures about risk taking activities by financial institutions and enhancing protection of investors and consumers. The changing dynamics of specializes Potential secular trend away from intermediation by investing directly in primary securities Decline in the relative cost of direct securities investment Growing sophistication of investorsFalling costs of information acquisition and transaction Credit Risk: Individual Loan Risk Types of loans 1. Commercial and industrial loans Short term (1 year) – financing the purchase of real assets, new venture start up costs Syndicated loans 0 financing provided by a group of lenders, usually to finance large commercial and industrial loans Secured/Unsecured loans Fixed/Floating rate Spot loan 0 borrower takes down the entire loan amount immediately Loan commitment 0 can taken down anytime any amo unt, as long as within a maximum loan amount and a maximum period of time predetermined Commercial paper 0 unsecured short- term debt instrument 2. Real estate loans 3. Individual (consumer) loans 4.Other loans, such as, government loans, farms loans Calculating the gross return on a loan Factors affecting the promise loan return Loan interest rate = Base/Prime lending rate (BRB) + Credit risk premium (m) Direct fees (f), such as loan origination fee Indirect feeds, such as, compensating balance requirement (b), reserve requirement Credit Risk and the Expected Return on a Loan 1 -p = probability of default 0MAYBE there is a negative relationship between k and p, however k and p are not independent. As return (k) increases, the probability (p) that the borrower pays the promised return may decrease. Simply increasing k does not lead to a higher return (r). As a result, IFS usually have to control for credit risk – price/promised return and the quantity or credit availability d imensions. Retails Loans Size = Small Higher cost associated with collection of borrower's personal credit information Control credit risk through credit rationing – limit the total exposure/amount loaned Wholesale Loans Different interest rates to compensate for different levels of risks Credit rationing to limit credit exposure Measuring credit risk 1.Qualitative credit risk models Borrower- specific factors Example: reputation, leverage, volatility of earnings, collateral Market- specific factors Example: business cycle, level of interest rate 2. Credit scoring models Calculate a score as a proxy of borrower's default probability Sort borrowers into efferent default classes The scoring model should establish factors the help explain default risk and evaluate the relative importance of these factors Major models 1. Linear probability model 1 if default, otherwise Weakness: the estimated default probability Z may lie outside of [0,1] Employing linear probability model is not often used as superior statistical 2.Logic model Overcomes weakness of the linear probability model using a transformation that restricts the probability to the [0,1] interval 3. Linear discriminate models Altar's Z score model for manufacturing firms Z 2. 9, highly quality loans, low default risk Z Term structure based methods Under market equilibrium, expected return of a risky loan = risk- free rate (after accounting for probability of default (1 -p)) Assuming a zero default recovery rate 0 p(l+k) = 1+1 p: probability of repayment k: return on the corporate debt I: expect return on the risk- free treasury security Example: What is the default probability for a one- year corporate bond? 10% expected return on the risk- free treasury bond k= 15. 8% expected return on the risky corporate debt p = 0. 95 Therefore the probability of default is 0. 05 Realistically, the Fl lender can expect to receive some partial repayment even if the borrower becomes bankrupt. Alton and Ban estimated that when firms defaulted on their bonds in 2002, the investor loses 74. % on average. = recovery rate when default occurs (1 – p) y (1 + k) = payoff to Fl when default occur p (1 + k) = payoff when no default Marginal default probability 0 probability that a bond will default in any given year t Conditional on the fact that the default has not occurred earlier = Marginal probability of default in individual periods Example: 2-period bond Default probability in period 1 Marginal default probability in period 2 Cumulative probability of default over 2 periods We can extract from these yield curves the market's expectations of the multi- period default rates for corporate borrowers Example: Yield Yield Year 1 Year 2 T- Bonds Corporate Bonds 15. 8% One year forward rate on risk- free T-bonds One- year forward rate on corporate bonds 0 The expect probability of default in year 2 0 4.Mortality rate models Marginal mortality rate (MR.) Forward- looking 0 extract expected default r ates from the current term structure of interest rates Backward looking 0 analyses the historic or past default risk experience, the mortality rates, of bonds and loans of a similar quality Non- default probability in year 1 the probability of the loan surviving in the 2nd year given that default has not occurred during the firs year, I. E. Prop(default in year 2 | survive yearly) Cumulative mortality rate (CM) Cumulative probability of default MR. is based on historic or backward-looking data, and it is highly sensitive to the period over which the Fl calculates the Mars. 5. RAZOR models It is based on market data.ROAR concept – balanced expected interest income against expected loan risk Loan approval 0 RAZOR > benchmark return on capital, example: return on equity One year net income on a loan 0 (spread + fees) * dollar value of loans outstanding Loan risk 0 duration or loan default rate Method 1: Use Duration to estimate loan risk The percentage change in the market value of an asset such as a loan is related to the duration of the loan and the size of the interest rate shock Capital at risk (Vary approach) 0 the potential loan Los under adverse credit scenarios 0 Increase in risk premium under adverse credit scenarios Example: Suppose we want to evaluate the credit risk off $1 million loan with duration of 2.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Care Of Ald Patients Health And Social Care Essay

In this assignment, I shall choose a patient from my arrangement, this will be backed with a principle for my chosen patient. This will besides do reference of the importance epidemiological information, within this I will show an apprehension of the aetiology of common long term conditions. I will exemplify the nursing model used and physical, psychological and societal appraisal of my selected patient. In relation to the appraisal this will besides include the needed attention of patient being discussed. I have selected a patient from a South London Healthcare Trust. In order to keep confidentiality anonyms have been used to protect the patient ‘s individuality. The ( NMC ) emphasises that we as nurses, must esteem people ‘s rights to confidentiality CHECK ( 2008 ) . Mr B is 51-year-old adult male. He works as a bricklayer on a edifice site. He has two boies whom are aged 21and 25. He is separated from his married woman who is the biological female parent to his two boies, and now has a new spouse. His avocations are ; reading, socializing, and disbursement clip with his boies. Mr B is a really pleasant gentleman who enjoys his life, and makes the most out of it. Mr B admitted to gorging on intoxicant occasionaly. Mr B became dependent on intoxicant, and was diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease in 2006. After go toing many support groups, which helped him a great trade, he became clean and free of intoxicant dependence. Sadly, his Dendranthema grandifloruom lost her conflict to malignant neoplastic disease his Dendranthema grandifloruom. Intelligibly, Mr B found this difficult to cover with, and accordingly turned to alcohol as a header mechanism.EpidemiologyI feel that alcoholic liver disease ( ALD ) is going progressively common in acute infirmary scenes, this may be due to the immense addition in orgy imbibing. Harmonizing to ( NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries, intoxicant abuse in England is prevailing, 33 % of which are work forces, and 16 % of adult females, which may hold damaging affects to their wellness. ( EBP ) . I believe my chosen subject will assist both my hereafter practise and my ain apprehension of ( ALD ) . ( ALD ) is highly common in England. Approximately 90-100 % of people who drink the exceeded recommended bound have alcoholic fatty liver disease ( National Health Services Choices 2009 ) . These statistics single-handedly are highly high, which accordingly means that Mr B is immense hazard of roll uping ( ALD ) . It is known that every bit much 1 in 5 people who drink, will develop liver cirrhosis ( NHS Choices 2009 ) . Immediately this places Mr B at an unmeasurable hazard of roll uping liver cirrhosis, as he was chiefly admitted to hospital with inordinate ingestion of intoxicant. It has been found that work forces are more likely dice from liver disease, this may be because their intoxicant consumption is much greater than adult females. However, this demonstrates that Mr B ‘s hazard of mortality is going peculiarly refering. The mortality rate of alcoholic liver disease has risen by over two-thirds ( 69 % ) in the past 30 old ages, which makes intoxicant one of the most common cause of decease, together with high blood force per unit area, and smoke. This is a significantly high addition in the figure of deceases related to alcoholic liver disease. Subsequently, this contributes to many factors associating to Mr B ‘s alcoholic liver disease, it is evident that his mentality is highly hapless harmonizing to these statistics. Evidence has been found that there is a high prevalence in developing liver cirrhosis in people age 40 or over. Furthermore, as Mr B is over the age of 40, which indefinitely shows he is a high hazard of developing liver cirrhosis. As there is a high prevalence of grownups who consume intoxicant in ( U.K ) , every bit much 90 % ( REF ) . This entirely does non stand anybody in good position, allow entirely Mr B as he has a history of intoxicant abuse. There appears to be a immense spread in recognition of the day-to-day benchmark, and if people measure there alcohol units ( National Statistics 2006 ) . Mr B ‘s deficiency of instruction demonstrates that is unable to construe how much he is advised to imbibe, which may hold led to his inordinate imbibing. 1 in 16 people are admitted to hospital with intoxicant related unwellnesss ( ref2 ) It is known that greater intoxicant consumed, the higher hazard of unwellness, such as oesophageal malignant neoplastic disease, which increases significantly one time the intoxicant consumption exceeds more than 3 drinks per twenty-four hours ( NICE/Health Development Agency 2005 ) . Mr B ‘s old consumption of intoxicant indicates that may be a possible hazard to oesophageal malignant neoplastic disease. This presents a secondary hazard to him as he already has ( ALD ) .Q.1 AssessmentAny intervention and care given must be given with the patient ‘s ain demands and penchants should be taken into history. A patient with an acute unwellness should be made cognizant that they have the right to do informed determinations about the attention that receive, together with their health care professionals. However, if a patient does non hold the mental capacity to do determinations themselves ( Dep artment of Health 2001 ) . Nursing is to advance wellness, mending, growing and development, and to forestall disease, unwellness, hurt, and disablement. When a individual becomes sick or handicapped, nursing is guaranting that a individual ‘s hurt and agony is kept to a lower limit, and enable people to grok and to cover with their unwellness or disablement, its intervention and effects. When decease is foreseeable, the rule of nursing is to guarantee that the best quality of life is maintained until its terminal ( 2003 ) . An appraisal is a methodical, purposeful and synergistic procedure that strengthens every characteristic of nursing attention ( Heaven & A ; Maguire 1996 ) . This is where a both nurse and patient indentify the patient ‘s demands and anxiousnesss, whereby individualized attention is given. Roper-Logan-Tierney theoretical account specifically for nursing is widely used in pattern throughout the United Kingdom, it is besides used in many nursing schools, which demonstrates the relation between theory and pattern in nursing ( Roper et al 2000 ) . Although all 12 Activities of day-to-day life ( ADL ) are every bit of import when measuring a patient, I shall merely do reference of a few due to the limited sum of words. Mr B Obs Initially B ‘s external respiration was absolutely within normal scope. However, as his status deteriorated his external respiration was compromised. It was inevitable that he required O therapy, to assist help his external respiration. In order for his lungs to have sufficient sum of O ( o2 ) , it was of import he was sat vertical. His respiratory rate was 35 breaths per minute. The deepness was hapless, which was apparent due the fact of the attempt he used to take a breath in and out. Royal Marsden CHECK It is cardinal that patients observations are obtained on the initial appraisal or at the clip of their admittance, which will assist place any important alterations their observations. ( Nice 2007 ) . Elimination is another activity of day-to-day life, which I felt was compromised. Mr B had a urine catheter, to help him with go throughing piss, and so we could detect his end product closely. Fluid balance is critical when a patient is acutely ailing, it is of import that this is observed ( ref ) . Mr B was able to travel to the lavatory independently on admittance to infirmary. As he became acutely ailing, this became more of a battle, and he was unable to make this himself. I felt his self-respect was compromised due to his illness/condition deterioration. However, I managed to keep this to the best of my ability, esteeming his self-respect throughout my clip caring for him. The Nursing and Midwifery Council ( NMC ) emphasises that we as healthcare professional must handle people who we care for as persons and esteem their self-respect ( 2008 ) . This meant that he was unable to extinguish independently, which accordingly diminished his independency. In order for Mr B to recover his mobility, we had to chiefly handle his ( ALD ) , so he could so reconstruct this. Harmonizing to ( NMC ) It is critical that we support people in our attention, guaranting they care for themselves, in order to heighten and keep their wellness ( 2008 ) . I felt that Mr B ‘s mobility was another ( ADL ) which was doing a immense concern. As Mr B was in the acute stage of his ( ALD ) he became encephalopathy, which caused his mobility to diminish ( ref ) . His reduced mobility was holding a knock on consequence on his independency, doing him to go farther down and withdrawn. Mr B ‘s physical wellbeing was doing a immense concern. His hepatic brain disorder induced by the harm to his liver, which depleted his mobility. Hepatic brain disorder is a neuropsychiatric, whereby the liver has been harm due to inordinate imbibing. In hepatic encephalopathy ammonium hydroxide is non being converted into carbamide, which should usually be excreted by the kidneys, accordingly it so enters the systemic circulation ( Zimmaro & A ; Sawchuk, 2004 ) . Ref med n surg Consequently to Mr B holding alcoholic liver disease, he had oesophageal varices. This is whereby a composite of Byzantine venas at the inferior terminal of the gorge, are enlarged and swollen as a consequence of the portal high blood pressure. If left untreated Mr B may be capable to an oesophageal or stomachic variceal rupture, which may do hypovolemic daze ( ref ) . HB As Mr B has portal high blood pressure, this means he is a high hazard of a Gastrointestinal bleed ( GI Bleed ) . A ( GI ) bleed is where portal high blood pressure occurs when there is an obstructor in the intra- or extrahepatic circulation ( REF ) . Psychologically I feel that Mr B ‘s physical demands were been depleted due to his chronic condition/illness. On admittance to infirmary, Mr B was highly malnourished, dehydrated and presented with self-neglect, which was provoked by his overly imbibing. Harmonizing to Maslow ( 1943 ) , these are all basic physiological demands. Mr B had late lost his Dendranthema grandifloruom to malignant neoplastic disease, which led to imbibing intoxicant overly. He felt he ne'er grieved decently, or spoke to anyone about his loss. I feel that this was a important contributing factor to his backsliding. Ref bereaves ) . Prior to his mourning he had been clean and free of intoxicant. Attending a support groups for alkies, such as alcoholic anon. may hold prevented his backsliding * ( REF ) . Consequently, this may hold helped him to get by with the loss of his Dendranthema grandifloruom, and assist beef up his ability to get the better of his alcoholic dependence. Mr B feels that he is socially excluded from society as he has been unable to work due to his illness/condition. As a nurse, it is cardinal that I help in back uping him, so he feels included in society, which may be done so by reffering him to an occupational healer. ( OT ) consume Whilst measuring Mr B, he disclosed that when he was turning up his pa consumed intoxicant overly. He feels that this had a immense impact on him, act uponing him follow his pa behaviour. It is known that if a people have parents ‘ who misuses intoxicant, so they have greater hazard of following these traits ( ref ) . Preventive steps will assist ease Mr B in act uponing his kids from following his drinking civilization. Socio-economic background may hold immense deduction in the execution of the effects of inordinate ingestion of intoxicant. I feel that this may be a immense barrier for Mr B to hold on the constructs of the damaging effects of intoxicant abuse. As a health care it is critical that I simplify the possible long term wellness effects of inordinate intoxicant comsumption. ( Ref )Q3.Required attentionAt present, there is no national service model ( NSF ) for liver disease patients. The primary attention trusts view in liver patients, is that they are non a immense precedence. Specialists stressed that liver patients are being left out on National Health Service ( NHS ) financess, which means that they will be at greater hazard ( REFFFBBC ) . However, there is National Institute Clinical ( NICE ) Guidelines in topographic point in order to assist supply quality attention to those enduring with ( ALD ) . Shaw et al indentified an assessment tool for patients enduring with intoxicant backdown, which establishes the badness of their backdown, and what appropriate intervention is required ( 1981 ) . The assessment tool used is the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Withdrawal ( CIWA-A ) , which is scored Mild-20.4, Moderate 24.2, and Severe 29. In regard to the appraisal tool, Mr B had a assortment of the typical backdown symptoms, which were ; shudders, sudating, hallucinating, and agitation, which meant he scored 20 & gt ; .Nonetheless, this presented a important hazard, if left untreated may take to complications. Mr B was treated as per protocol, which is ; Librium is benzodiazepine minor tranquilizers drug, which is used for short-run anxiousness, and should non be used long-run ( bnf 2010 ) . Harmonizing ( NICE ) guidelines the protocol intervention for anxiousness is 10 mgs Three times daily ( TDS ) , and may increased if necessary to 60-100 mgs daily in divided doses. The dosing government is a fixed dosage, get downing on twenty-four hours one at 20-30milligrams ( MGS ) four times daily, twenty-four hours two 20-30mgs three times day-to-day, twenty-four hours two 20-30mgs twice daily, and twenty-four hours four 20-30mgs one at bedtime. There is besides a symptoms triggered dose as required ( PRN ) , this depends on the badness of the symptoms. Benzodiazepine acts on receptors in the cardinal nervous system ( CNS ) to originate the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid ( GABA ) , which is a neurotransmitter. ( GABA ) receptors have at least two benzodiazepine receptors, which are named BZ and BZ2, when stimulated they enhance the repressive action by the ( GABA ) ( Alan et al. 2004 ) As Mr B ‘s brain disorder was impacting his degree of consciousness, it was significantly of import that we carried out his neurological observations. Neurological observations is whereby an appraisal and rating of an person ‘s unity and map of an person ‘s nervous system ( Rowley & A ; Fielding 1991 ) .CHECK WEB His status has meant that he is temporarily paralyzed, doing his musculuss to weaken, decreasing his physical strength. As a consequence he may potentially necessitate physical therapy. ( ref ) Education can be An probe that may be done to discourage if there is any obstructor in the portal venous system is an angiography, which establishes the cause and site of obstructor. It is besides critical that Mr B has an endoscopy, which will uncover gastro-oesophageal varices. It is of import that Mr B ‘s haemoglobin is closely monitored, this will bespeak if there is any signifier of bleed or obstructor ( Miller et al 2006 ) . PHARM Ascitess is another clinical manifestation of hepatic cirrhosis. It is where serous fluid is repeatedly produced in the peritoneal cavity.. This is when an accretion of fluid in the abdominal pit enters quicker than it can be returned to the circulation by the capillaries and lymphatics. If this is left untreated, the accretion of fluid will compromise Mr B ‘s critical variety meats, doing it hard for them to map. One of the mechanisms of ascites is hypoalbuminemia, whereby the liver is unable to synthesise albumen. It is of import this fluid is drained from the abdominal pit. There are two interventions which are used to run out this extra fluid. One is, an anti-diuretic called spriolactone, which is a loop water pill. Ref bnf This is done so by the interpolation of an ascitic drain. ref Anderson et al defines that the disposal of whole blood or any of its constituents into the blood stream, to rectify or handle any clinical abnormalcies ( 1994 ) . Mr B was given Human Albumin Solution ( HAS ) transfusion to modulate is hypoalbuminemia. Harmonizing to the ( BNF ) 20-25 % of concentrated solution of ( HAS ) may be used to obtain a diuresis in hypoalbuminaemic, it is of import whilst a patient receives this plasma replacement, their unstable balance is closely monitored ( 2010 ) . FBC REF Patients with alcohol-related liver disease are frequently malnourished, which accordingly has disadvantageous effects in their endurance ( Mendenhall et al.1984 ) KEISER MODEL As intoxicant abuse is going a immense load on the national wellness service ( 2000 ) . NICE guidelines stated that when such patients present themselves to hospital, it is of import that they are referred to the appropriate health care professional, which will guarantee they receive equal support ( 2010 ) . On admittance Mr B was referred to the intoxicant specializer nurse ( ANS ) , who deal with the intervention, after attention, and followup. Mr become nutritionally depleted as a consequence of his intoxicant liver diease, it was indispensable that was introduced some signifier of nutrition. ( Lechtenberg & A ; Warner ) states that Nutritional support must be offered, and see implementing a nasogastric tubing eating ( NG ) ( 1992 ) . KIASER MODEL The Kaiser theoretical account is to assist guarantee that there is a strategic and systemic attack towards those with ( LTC ‘s ) . It focuses in instance direction on the most vulnerable people with ( LTC ‘s ) . Mr B degree of attention is disease specific direction, which is ( flat 2 ) , this encompasses tracts and protocols. As mentioned earlier in the assignment there is presently no ( NSF ) for people with alcoholic liver disease. However, there are ( NICE ) guidelines to help in supplying attention for people with ( ALD ) . Mr B was populating independently prior to his admittance, with no input from multidisciplinary squad ( MDT ) . Planing the discharge on Mr B meant I had to look at the wider facets of his illness/condition. I feel that the execution of societal services would be highly benifical to Mr B. A referral to a liver nurse specializer I feel that Mr B would profit from a support group such as alkies anon. , which may assist diminish his hereafter admittances to infirmary. The Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project ( ANARP ; Department of Health, 2005 ) identifies three classs of alcohol-use upsets. The clinical grounds reappraisal showed that benzodiazepines were more effectual than placebo for the bar of craze tremens and intoxicant backdown seizures26. The mean cost for handling patients with AAW across all trusts in England and Wales was estimated to be ?219 per in-patient day181. Acute intoxicant backdown hypertext transfer protocol: //www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Alcohol-Related-Problems.htm barr A. Drink: a societal history London 1998? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ref orford j. inordinate appetencies: psychological position of dependences 2nd edition chichester: wiley 2001 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Physiotherapy/Pages/How-does-it-work.aspx You must back up people in caring for themselves to better and keep their wellness Shaw JM, Kolesar GS, Sellers EM, Kaplan HL, Sandor P. Development of optimum intervention tactics for intoxicant backdown, I: appraisal and effectivity of supportive attention. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1981 ; 8:382-389. British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. British National Formulary. 58 erectile dysfunction. London: United kingdom: BMJ Group and RPS Publishing ; 2009. DO NOT REF BELOW hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.co.uk/books? id=q4qMwXJm4iwC & A ; pg=PR13 & A ; dq=Roper+N+etal+ ( 1996 ) +The+elements+of+nursing+a+model+for & A ; hl=en & A ; ei=BPYDTfPxJoyU4gbfwsWTCg & A ; sa=X & A ; oi=book_result & A ; ct=result & A ; resnum=1 & A ; ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA # v=onepage & A ; q & A ; f=false Fatty liver disease is reversible. If you stop imbibing intoxicant for two hebdomads, your liver should return to normal. Alcoholic liver disease is widespread in England. It is estimated that: 90-100 % of heavy drinkers have alcoholic fatty liver disease oneA in fourA drinkers with fatty liver disease will develop alcoholic hepatitis one in five drinkers with fatty liver disease will develop cirrhosis A heavy drinker is person who on a regular basis exceeds the recommended hebdomadal bound for intoxicant ingestion. This isA 3-4A units of intoxicant a twenty-four hours for work forces, andA 2-3A units for adult females. Womans are more likely to develop alcoholic liver disease, but work forces are more likely to decease from it, perchance because work forces tend to be heavier drinkers. In 2008, there were 4,764 deceases in England and Wales due to alcoholic liver disease. Three-fourthss ofA these were work forces. Death ratesA linked to alcoholic liver disease have risen by over two-thirds ( 69 % ) A in the lastA 30 old ages. This makes alcohol one of the most common causes of decease, along with smoke and high blood force per unit area. Fatty liver disease and hepatitis can develop at any age. Cirrhosis normally develops in people aged 40 or over.A However, instances of cirrhosis have been reported in people of all ages, including adolescents. NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries, intoxicant abuse. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cks.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/Alcohol_misuse Aped hypertext transfer protocol: //www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp? ID=1027 & A ; Pos=1 & A ; ColRank=2 & A ; Rank=1000 Roper N etal ( 1996 ) The elements of nursing a theoretical account for hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nmc-uk.org/Nurses-and-midwives/The-code/The-code-in-full/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12995/48989/48989.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_103161.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2660977.stm Heaven C.M. & A ; Maguire P. ( 1996 ) Training hospice nurses to arouse patient concerns. Journal of Advanced Nursing 23, 280AÂ ±286. International Council of Nursing ( 2007 ) www.ICN.ch/definition. Anderson, K.N. , Anderson, L.E. & A ; Glanze, W.D. ( explosive detection systems ) ( 1994 ) Mosby ‘s medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, 4th edition. Mosby, St Louis, MO. Galbraith, A, Bullock, S, Manias, E, Hunt, B & A ; Richards, A92004 ) Fundamentalss of Pharmacology, Second Edition, Essex, Pearson Education Limited hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11810/35950/35950.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_103653.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/78569/001998.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/93/5/291.full Mendenhall CL, Anderson S, Garcia PP et Al. Short-run and long-run endurance in patients with alcoholic hepatitis treated with oxandrolone and Pediapred. New England Journal of Medicine. 1984 ; 311 ( 23 ) :1464-1470. Lechtenberg R, Worner TM. Entire ethanol ingestion as a ictus hazard factor in alkies. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 1992 ; 85 ( 2 ) :90-94