Course Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Course Project - Research Paper Example Walmart is regarded as America’s largest grocery store. It is claimed by the company that more than 245 million customers visit the 10800 Walmart stores in more than 27 countries across the globe (Walmart, 2013c). The company offers electronic commerce website in more than 10 countries and employs more than 2.2 million staff worldwide. The company generated revenue of $466 billion in the fiscal year 2013. In the year 1945 the concept of goods being offered at lowers prices was evolved by Sam Walton. He opened the first Walmart store in the then year 1962 in Arkansas which was a result of his visionary leadership (Walmart, 2013b). The company has categorized into 3 major divisions; Walmart stores, Sam’s club and Walmart International. The author has been asked to serve for the post of the finance manager in the reputed company. Although the company is one of the most profitable companies of USA it is still facing certain dilemmas in allocation of budget and expenses. 1.2 Problem Statement Although, Walmart is regarded as one of the most reputed and largest retailer of the world it has sparked controversy regarding its management practice. Some of the human resource issues that has made the company a target for criticism are gender discrimination, wage inequality, bribery etc. It is observed that Walmart are facing various challenges due to lack of implementation of an effective human resource system. The wage inequality system is often a result of lack of well defined wage and salary system in Walmart. More than 2000 women employee of Walmart in 48 states have claimed that the management of Walmart practiced gender discrimination (Hines, 2012). In the year 2011 the women employee had filed suit against the company management for denial of promotion and low pay (Levine, 2012). The women employees had even claimed that the men who held less seniority position than the women employee were promoted first. The US Supreme Court had declared that the wage system was not systematic and smooth in Walmart. This is because the regional polices for wage administration are different in the stores of Walmart. Walmart had agreed to their varied wage incentive plans in different regions and had to pay compensation damages worth $111.7 million to women employees of London(Hines, 2012). 1.3 Research Questions Based on the problem statement and objectives of the study the following questions were formulated. Each of these research questions will be addressed accordingly. 1. How can an effective salary and wage administration improve the efficiency of the employees? 2. How can an incentive plan improve the morale of the employees? 3. What contemporary human resources theories can help in promoting a congenial work environment? 1.4 Literature Review Wage &Salary Inequality in Walmart Wages and Salaries are linked to the productivity of the organization and have a direct influence on the efficiency of the employee. Walmart has been accused of wage and salary inequality practices several times in spite of being one of the most profitable companies of the world. It has been observed that the Walmart management pays $8.00 on an hourly basis with 32 works per week which equals to $256 per week (Santa Clara University, 2004). This calculation shows that

Market Orientation Benefit an Organization Essay Example for Free

Market Orientation Benefit an Organization Essay Definition of Market Orientation : A business approach or philosophy that focuses on identifying and meeting the stated or hidden needs or wants of customers. See also product orientation and sales orientation. Market orientation perspectives include the decision-making perspective, market intelligence perspective, culturally based behavioral perspective, strategic perspective. Developing a Market Orientation: An Organizational Strategy Perspective. International Journal of Research in Marketing, and customer orientation perspective. Corporate culture, customer orientation, According to them, the marketing concept is a business philosophy, whereas the term market orientation refers to the actual implementation of the marketing concept. They added that a market orientation appears to provide a unifying focus for the efforts and projects of individuals and departments within the organization. On the other hand, the market orientation as the organization culture that most effectively and efficient creates the necessary behaviours for the creation of superior value for buyers and, thus, continuous superior performance for the business. As such, they consider market orientation as an organisational culture consisting of three behavioral components, namely, i) customer orientation, ii) competitor orientation and iii) interfunctional coordination. Product Orientation : A business approach or philosophy in which whatever a company makes or supplies is the focus of the managements attention. See also market orientation and sales orientation. Customer Orientation : 1. General: A party that receives or consumes products (goods or services) and has the ability to choose between different products and suppliers. See also buyer. 2. Quality control: Entity within a firm who establishes the requirement of a process (accounting, for example) and receives the output of that process (a financial statement, for example) from one or more internal or external suppliers. An organizations strategy that combines all of its marketing goals into one comprehensive plan. A good marketing strategy should be drawn from market research and focus on the right product mix in order to achieve the maximum profit potential and sustain the business. The marketing strategy is the foundation of a marketing plan 1. General: A motivating force that compels action for its satisfaction. Needs range from basic survival needs (common to all human beings) satisfied by necessities, to cultural, intellectual, and social needs (varying from place to place and age group to age group) satisfied by necessaries. Needs are finite but, in contrast, wants (which spring from desires or wishes) are boundless. See also Maslows hierarchy of needs. 2. Marketing: A driver of human action which marketers try to identify, emphasize, and satisfy, and around which promotional efforts are organized. Sales Orientation : A business approach or philosophy that focuses on promoting sales of whatever a company makes or supplies, through marketing and sales calls. See also market orientation and product orientation.

Female Genital Mutiliation

Female Genital Mutiliation Female Genital Mutilation According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, means partial or complete non-therapeutic removal or injury of each of the external female genitals for religious or cultural reasons (utz-billing Kentenich 225). FGM is an injury, physical and mental harm towards women and girls. Female Genital Mutilation has existed for over two thousand years, and over 125 million women and girls have experienced FGM in about 30 countries (Wilson 2013). It happens to 2 million girls every year (utz-billing Kentenich 226). FGM is performed mainly in Africa. (utz-billing Kentenich 226). A narrative coming from the article from Bulletin of the World Health Organization describes a real story, â€Å"I was just seven years old when I was cut,† said Leyla Hussein, a British woman of Somali origin. â€Å"The first thing I hears was my sister screaming. Then it was my turn. Four women held me down while they cut my clitoris. I felt every single cut. The pain was so intense – I blacked out.† (Shetty,Priya 6). Instruments that are used to execute FGM are unsterilized knives, razors, scalpels, pieces of broken glass, and so forth, or sterilized instruments under medical conditions (utz-billing Kentenich 226). The ages of girls/women when they undergo circumcision differ regionally (utz-billing Kentenich 225). In Ethiopia and Nigeria, 7- to 8-day-old babies are mutilated. In Somalia, Sudan and Egypt, girls, between 5 and 10 years old, experience circumcision. In some regions in East Africa, women undergo the circumcision during the wedding night, in some regions in West Africa during their first pregnancy (utz-billing Kentenich 225). There are four types of FGM in practice. Type one (clitoridectomy) means â€Å"removal of the clitoral foreskin†; type two (excision) stands for â€Å"removal of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minor†; type three (infibulation) stands for â€Å"removal of the clitoris and the labia minora and majora†; other types such as â€Å"pricking, piercing of clitoris or vulva, scraping of the vagina†, and so forth, are classified as type four (utz-billing Kentenich 226). Many of women and girls who have undergone some forms of FGM suffer severe mental, physical and social consequences. Women will suffer different types of physical consequences of FGM, such as â€Å"bleeding, wound infections, sepsis, shock, micturition problems, fractures, and so forth, as well as undertaking chronic physical problems like â€Å"anemia, infections of the urinary tract, incontinence, infertility, pain, menstruation problems, dyspareunia, and so on (utz-billing Kentenich 225). Mental consequences of women after undergoing FGM include the feelings of â€Å"incompleteness, fear, inferiority and suppression† that have a great impact on the whole life of women (utz-billing Kentenich 227). FGM also causes sexual problems such as loss of sexual desire caused by dyspareunia and reduced or no ability to have an orgasm are confirmed (utz-billing Kentenich 227). According to the record from Utz-billing and Kentenich, women have some symptoms of â€Å"chronic irritability and nightmares’, and woman also have a higher risk for â€Å"psychiatric diseases† such as â€Å"depressions, psychosis, neurosis and psychosomatic diseases† (utz-billing Kentenich 227). Ground on the interview study done by 47 women in Senegal, over 90 % of patients count FGM as a traumatic experience and depict feelings of â€Å"helplessness, fear, horror and severe pain†; 78% did not expect the intervention; nearly 80% had â€Å"severe fear or affective disorders† after FGM (utz-billing Kentenich 227). FGM is deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of a society (utz-billing Kentenich 225); in some cultures or societies, FGM is being performed since the mists of time. Female Genital Cutting is a social norm, which means that men and women often support FGM without question since it is a conventional practice that has occurred in communities from generations to generations (orchid project website). FGM serves the encouragement of the patriarchal family system and can be an instrument for birth control (utz-billing Kentenich 226). FGM is considered as being closely connected with cleanliness, virginity, healthiness, beauty and morality (orchid project website). In some societies, the mutilated genital is a symbol of feminity, of transition from girl to woman and of beauty (utz-billing Kentenich 226). In some communities, the girl who does not experience circumcision is considered as â€Å"unclean and sexually promiscuous†(orchid project website). On the other side, many communities believe that a girl needs to be cut in order to marry well; even though mothers do not want their daughters to be mutilated because of her own painful experience, she is less likely to quit the practice as a result of â€Å"social sanctions in place† (orchid project website). In other words, the girls who are cut will have a good marriage because the goal is to guarantee moral behavior and faithfulness of women to their husband, and it also promotes purity and enhances fertility (utz-billing Kentenich 226). On this basis, FGM also serves for protection of the woman from suspicions and disgrace (utz-billing Kentenich 226), and the girls will be thought to be cleaner, more fertile and will be a virgin until her wedding night (orchid project website). In addition, economic reasons play an important role in practicing FGM. â€Å"Parents get money for the pride proportionally to the degree of the operation† (utz-billing Kentenich 226). Women who experienced FGM have good incomes and have a high social status (utz-billing Kentenich 226). Based on the research which a total of 500 Nigerian women answered the reasons for FGM done by utz-billing Kentenich, we could know that 95% response that FGM is executed for cultural and traditional reasons; 49% said that FGM helps to prevent promiscuity; 18% answered that not mutilated vulva is ugly; 11% believed that FGM prevents the death of male newborns; 9% claimed that the reason to perform FGM is due to pressure of relatives; 6% reported religious reasons (utz-billing Kentenich 226). Concerning human rights, none of the cultural, religious, or social reasons for the performance of FGM could be accepted, since FGM has no health benefits and always leave women with lifelong physical and emotional trauma, and FGM objects women the right of freedom from bodily detriment. FGM is already condemned by many international organizations; the fight to end FGM is now global, with international agencies such as WHO, the World Medical Association, the UNESCO, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICER), and so forth (utz-billing Kentenich 228), and has strong support from governments. Looking back to history, international pressure to end FGM has been aggrandizing since 1997, when the WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA issued a joint statement calling on governments to ban the practice (Shetty,Priya 6). The commitment was renewed in 2008 and, in 2012, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to enhance efforts towards the elimination of FGM (Shetty,Priya 6). Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Belgium have specific laws that ban FGM (utz-billing Kentenich 228). Africa, Egypt, Benin, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bisson, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and the Central African Republic are in the course of e liminating the practice of FGM with specific laws (utz-billing Kentenich 228). Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia also have laws against FGM (utz-billing Kentenich 228). For instance, in Germany, FGM is regarded as a simple, dangerous, serious bodily injury, manslaughter, or maltreatment of wards; offenders who execute FGM can be sentenced to 15-year imprisonment (utz-billing Kentenich 228). Throughout history, the very first international seminar about FGM was held in 1979, â€Å"recommending the adoption of clear national policies, establishment of national commissions, intensification of general public awareness, and TBA education† (Wilson 27). After several decades of doing cross-agency evaluated studies, papers, and articles recommending methods to eliminate FGM, and holding many conferences, six key factors for waiving FGM have become well recognized by NGOs and government bodies as good practice. These six key elements are â€Å"a non-coercive, non-judgmental human rights approach†, â€Å"community awareness raising of the harmfulness of the practice†, â€Å"the decision to abandon needs to be collective†, â€Å"requirement of community public affirmation of abandonment†, â€Å" intercommunity diffusion of the decision†, and â€Å"a supportive, change-enabling environment† (Wilson 27). Based on the six key factors mentioned above, ascertaining the most effective and suitable strategies for eliminating FGM has become a controversial issue referring to moral, disease, and legal models (Wilson 27). Furthermore, according to Diop, in order to effectively end FGM, â€Å"human rights-based education programs should be continued, legislation against FGM should be enforced and funding both locally and nationally for initiatives to end FGM should be increased† (Priya Shetty 7). Adopting a commonly stands, some argue that practicing FGM should be condemned and punished by legislation; however, formal legislation is considered as a poor instrument in terms of cultural change (Wilson 27). Moreover, the legislative approach does not work effectively. The situation is that several sovereign states have legislation which outlaw the practice of FGM, either as a specific criminal act or as an act of bodily hard or injury, and many states have an extraterritoriality clause which makes it unlawful for their citizens to go abroad to let FGM practice (Brown, Katherine, David Beecham, and Hazel Barrett 3). UK’s Female Genital Mutilation Act (2003) only applies to those who have permanent residency rights, so people having temporary residency visas, such as students, undocumented migrants and asylum seekers, and so forth, are uncommitted (Brown, Katherine, David Beecham, and Hazel Barrett 3). Therefore, as Diop said, legislation against FGM should be tougher and b e enforced so that FGM can be effectively solved. In other words, what governments should do is to implement appropriate legislation and policies to keep girls from being taken overseas and undergone the circumcision. Simple education campaigns that are designed to impart knowledge on the disadvantageous health outcomes of FGM can be problematic as well, although these education campaigns do a little work (Wilson 27). Women in some countries are not given the same educational opportunities as men. In other words, women have very little power; if they want to end the cycle of mutilation, they would be left behind and would be in trouble (Emily Deruy News). Since FGM is deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of a society, women fear that if they do not make their girls cut, these girls would not be good for marriage, which would make their lives be full of exclusion and poverty in many places (Emily Deruy News). Advocating education can be a possible solution for ending FGM. Education could lead women to the labor market, which would have an impact on weakening traditional family structures. School should be playing an important part in raising awareness of FGM. An education program adopted by every school can provide a breakthrough in cultural attitudes (Nursing Standard 35). School can also impart knowledge to girls from people from different cultures and from mentors who do not support FGM; in the meanwhile, girls may be less likely to continue the cycle of mutilation (Emily Deruy News). Not only women and girls should be educated, but also men and boys should be educated. Educating men and boys about the harm and risk of FGM is considerable. One report released by UNICEF presents data demonstrating that in many countries where FGM takes place â€Å"most women and men think the practice should end† (Priya Shetty 6). But the problem is that even though men want the FGM to end but th ey have to follow it because of social reasons (Emily Deruy News). On this point, the status of women should be increased via education so that women could have abilities to fight for themselves; however, increasing the status of women is also a complex and deep problem involving culture, societies, and tradition. Public declaration for ending FGM could be a possible solution. According to David Adam, â€Å"by spreading the message of abandonment along their social networks, neighboring communities are introduced to the idea of abandonment, often reducing or even removing resistance to the idea† (Priya Shetty 7). This solution works effectively. For example, the very first public declaration took place in Senegal in 1997, and since then the number of community abandoning FGM has grown exponentially (Orchid Project website). Moreover, communities in Guinea, Somalia and the Gambia have done public declarations of abandoning practice, which is good, and other communities are declaring as well (Orchid Project website). In addition, FGM messaging that encourages abandonment can be introduced in the social media, which could draw attention to people all over the world and let people start focusing on FGM (Orchid Project website). Also religious leaders, government officials, celebrities, and superstars can take good advantage of their influential voices in order to contribute to support FGM abandonment (Orchid Project website). Not only NGOs and governments want to abandon FGM, but also churches in Kenya are uniting in effort to end female genital mutilation. The Kenyan bishops and other faith groups are combined together to form a committee to help to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (National Catholic Reporter 6). Since â€Å"the church is interested in promoting values and cultures that will enhance human life†, what they have done is to sign the national plan for the clergy to outlaw the execution of FGM, and they consider FGM as a â€Å"retrogressive† practice which â€Å"degrades a woman’s life†(National Catholic Reporter 6). So the churches in Kenya think that FGM must be stopped. In short, compared to what NGOs and governments have done, churches do not have great influence on ending FGM, but churches play a helpful role in assisting to end FGM. Overall, those people and organizations that do not support FGM are always trying to find some ways to stop FGM; however, what they have done does not effectively play a part in ending practices in short term, but their efforts do work. Whereas, the progress in ending FGM is slow. On the basis of data from Priya Shetty, the rates of FGM in a few countries are decreasing. In Kenya, these rates in women aged 15- to 49- year-old fell from 38% in 1998 to 26% in 2008; in the Central African Republic, rates fell from 43% in 1994 to 24% in 2010 (Shetty,Priya 6). After several decades of effort by every single movement of abandoning Female Genital Mutilation, according to the UNFPA/UNICEF Joint Program, 10,000 communities have abandoned Female Genital Mutilation all over the world, which is a good sign (Orchid Project website). This phenomenon occurs in the countries, such as Senegal, Mauritania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria (Orchid Project website). This data tells us that attitudes towards FGM have been changing in countries, even though it is not that obvious; however, this means even if the execution of FGM is still universal, there is a change in opinions taking place, which could help to pave the way for further action (Orchid Project website). In the light of Orchid Project website, some countries in West Africa made huge progress on FGM abandonment. For instance, over 5,500 villages have abandoned FGM in Senegal (Orchid Project website). It is still sad to know that more than 3 million female infants and children are at risk for undergoing FGM annually (Sipsma 120). The existence of FGM gives these innocent girls and women lifetime pain and injury. I think the existence of FGM is so ridiculous, and it is also ridiculous that women and men in some regions still subject to practice because of tradition, culture, and society, even though they all think FGM should end. Good thing is that some West Africa countries, like Senegal, stop executing FGM and attitudes towards practicing FGM is changing as well. According to this current trend, I could say confidently that ending FGM is a long-term program and is just around the corner, if every single person, NGO, and government continues to work on the projects of ending FGM whole-heartedly. Work Cited Brown, Katherine, David Beecham, and Hazel Barrett. The Applicability Of Behaviour Change In Intervention Programmes Targeted At Ending Female Genital Mutilation In The EU: Integrating Social Cognitive And Community Level Approaches. Obstetrics Gynecology International (2013): 1-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. Churches Unite In Effort To End Female Genital Mutilation. National Catholic Reporter 39.26 (2003): 6. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. Emily Deruy, â€Å"How Realistic Are the New ‘Solutions’ to the Female Genital Mutilation Epidemic?† ABC News (2013). http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/realistic-solutions-female-genital-mutilation/story?id=19750777singlePage=true> Web. 11 Dec. 2014 â€Å"Orchid Project†, http://orchidproject.org/category/about-fgc/why-fgc-happens/> Shetty, Priya. Slow Progress In Ending Female Genital Mutilation. Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 92.1 (2014): 6-7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. Sipsma, Heather L., et al. Female Genital Cutting: Current Practices And Beliefs In Western Africa. Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 90.2 (2012): 120-127F. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Dec. 2014. Utz-Billing, I., and H. Kentenich. Female Genital Mutilation: An Injury, Physical And Mental Harm. Journal Of Psychosomatic Obstetrics Gynecology 29.4 (2008): 225-229. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. Wilson, Ann-Marie. How The Methods Used To Eliminate Foot Binding In China Can Be Employed To Eradicate Female Genital Mutilation. Journal Of Gender Studies 22.1 (2013): 17-37. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

Church And State :: essays research papers fc

Church and State The theory of evolution is at odds with the views of many religions, and many people want to allow a religious view of creationism to be taught in the public school system. The foundation of evolution is based upon the belief that the origin of all ordered complex systems, including living creatures, can be explained by natural laws without the initiation or intervention of God. A person who believes in the biblical model of creation is viewed by some non- believers as a naive, narrow-minded religious fanatic who is not willing to look at the observable evidence with an open mind. Because the evolutionary idea of origins has been so widely accepted by the scientific community, many people have reasoned that the creation model should be completely rejected without fairly examining its claims. Even many Christians who have deep trust and faith in the Bible have never really understood the claims of the creation account (McLean 11). Over the past several years, a great deal of controversy surrounding the creation-evolution issue has been generated by scientists who have based their claims on the creation model and have been willing to let their reputations stand. Creationists have openly requested that when the discussion of origins occurs in the public school system, both the model of creation and evolution be presented side by side. Initially, scientists and educators who have accepted the theory of evolution without question were reluctant to pay any serious attention to creationism; however, it has now become apparent that substantial numbers of people are taking creationism seriously. Many evolutionists view this trend as a serious threat to the advancement of science and have vowed to do everything in their power to stop the teaching of creation in the public school system. Most evolutionists now view creationism as nothing more than a particular version of fundamentalist Christianity with no valid scientific content. One hundred-fifty years ago such a theory for the origin and history of the earth and life would have been termed absurd. Today, however, those who reject the idea of random evolutionary processes being responsible for designing life and shaping the geological features of the earth are termed religious, unscientific fanatics. Today, throughout the industrialized world, the moment children are able to respond to their environment, they are constantly bombarded with the doctrine of evolution. Faith in the biblical concept of creation by the hand of God is ridiculed and rejected by the secular system of education. Humanistic thinking widely accepts evolution as fact, even though "The all-too frequent picture of evolution as a progression from ameba to man, is, and always has been, utterly

Corporate Strategy: British American Tobacco

British American tobacco is one of the world’s renowned multinational organizations that has managed to create a strong corporate brand name and has through various products across the many markets created strong product brands. The success of the company can be attributed to many individual factors though all of them condense to form the company’s strategic corporate policy.A corporate strategy can be said to be a culmination of all the other strategies such as marketing, expansion, etc integrated into one with the single goal of achieving the company’s mission, vision and objectives.The corporate strategy adopted by any organization thus gives a general direction of where the company is headed in the long term and in the near future. In this paper, we discuss the corporate strategy adopted by British American Tobacco since the year 2003. Specifically the paper discusses the initiatives adopted by the company in recent times and compares them to theoretical mode ls proposed by modern management experts and learned in class.In addition the paper looks the company’s environment in terms of competition and proposes additional models and theories that the company can adopt in the face of increasing awareness of corporate social responsibility and anti-smoking legislation.Company overview The parent company is located in the UK with 47 other factories operating outside the UK spread out globally in 40 countries. There are also associate companies with a global presence. Its tobacco products are sold in over 180 countries with varying market shares with the highest being over 50%.The company employs over 3. 5 million people globally. According to the 2007 financial year report, the company has other 16 associate factories in 10 countries. Globally, according to the company’s website, it enjoys over 17% dominance in the market and over 60% in the UK market through its various brands. The company has over 300 brands in its portfolio a nd among the major product brands in the global market are Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent, and Pall Mall.This paper discusses BAT’s corporate strategy and looks at how its strategy has positioned it in the market in reference to the prevailing business environment and competition. Vision statement: â€Å"Our vision is to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility†. This is further expounded by the company’s goals generalized as â€Å"Our goals are to grow our brands and the value of the business, to improve productivity and to embed the principles of corporate responsibility around the Group†. Mission statement:Our goal is to create long term value for our shareholders by consistent achieving of superior quality returns from the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and to remain the world’s leading tobacco company as measured by market share, by commitment to quality, and by our own ability to meet the needs and interests of our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate in. The company’s growth strategy has four main pillars which were unveiled in 1995 as growth, productivity, responsibility and winning organization.In the path of growth the company has utilized several strategies that we can attributed to the success of the company in the journey towards achieving its goal. Over the past five years for example, the goal of increasing shareholder value was most exemplified with the increase in investment returns by 294% according to the current company CEO, Paul Adams. By combination these specific company values with the company’s goals, we get an idea of where the company is headed to. As of the company’s annual report of 2007 presented in November revenue was ?7,312m representing a 1% increase from the previous year’s and profit from operations was? 2,304m representing a 19% rise form the previous financial year. To achieve this and the company’s long-term objectives and other endeavors the company has visualized a growth path that will seemingly keep in on the way to achieving its vision. Again, the fact that there is empirical evidence of the success of the company as shown by the increase in investors returns in the last five years, there are specific strategies that this paper discusses as the drivers behind the implementation of the company’s strategy.According to the report from the Guardian newspaper the growth of the company’s stock market performance is as shown below (Obtained from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/britishamericantobacco) Strategic fit of the company Drucker (2008) defines strategic fit as the matching of the mission strategies of an organization to its internal structure and external environment. In this context, we limit our study of the company to corporate social responsibility, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions and look at how they have played the role in achieving the company’s set goals mission and vision.Strategic alliances In the business world, alliances are either formed by competitors or complimentary industry in order for the involved companies to strengthen their position in the market or achieve some common objective such as fighting competition and reducing costs. As such, BAT has been using its international presence to forge alliances with a number of players in the tobacco industry in various markets. In the recent past BAT entered into an agreement with one of its competitors, Phillip Morris International to manufacture and distribute some of the company’s brands in specific markets.On another case, BAT has entered into agreement with Imperial Tobacco to manufacture and distribute some of Imperial’s brands in Africa such as Embassy brand. Such alliances have enabled the involved partners to concentrate their efforts in specific markets while at the same time having their bands represen ted. Though this idea may seemingly appear to be benefiting Imperial Tobacco only, it on the other hand helps BAT to fully employ its resources in such markets. Mergers and acquisitionsEarlier this year the company acquired Danish conglomerate Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (ST) for? 2. 01bn. This is in addition to the taking over of another Turkish manufacturing company, Telkel for ? 860m. Now, such acquisitions are meant to expand the operations of the country and presence in the global tobacco market. Currently holding 15% of the total global market, the vision of becoming the global leader in the manufacture of tobacco products looks achievable.According to the company vision as to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility, the idea of forming mergers and acquiring already existing companies in new markets not only indicates the financial strength of the company but the ability of the management to identify potential growth opportunities in making of such decisions.The acquisition of ST was according to the company’s CEO made in order to acquire a new market segment of the non smoking market as oral tobacco, Fielder & Lundgren owned by ST. This non-smoking tobacco is aimed to be introduced into markets where there are strict regulations.This comes in the wake of increased pressure from health organization bodies calling on the restriction or total banning of smoking in certain areas. Therefore, the company is strategically positioning itself in the non-smoking market by acquiring already established brands in the market with strong brand names and subsequent strong brand equity.Corporate responsibility In October this year, BAT was included among the top leaders in the field of corporate responsibility reporting by a leading corporate social responsibility consultancy firm, Salter Baxter, a move that has received a lot of criticism.The company still insists that its inclusion in the list is in recognition of its strong p olices in corporate social responsibility as spelt out in the company’s corporate ideals of operating responsibly. Michael Prideaux, the company’s director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs says that â€Å"If a business is managing products which pose health risks, it is all the more important that it does so responsibly†. BAT’s corporate responsibility agenda is articulated in three directions as environmental management, globalization and human rights and regulation and lobbying.Similarly, the company’s health and science department is involved in researching into the development of less harmful products. This is most necessary as health reports have continuously highlighted the dangers of smoking and the devastating effects it has on non smokers through second hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization report on global smoking released earlier this year, it showed that the number of smoke related deaths in the US alone for 2007 wer e in excess of half a million.When faced such glaring facts, the company has had to give its fair contribution in educating the public and more so warn their target market of the dangers of consuming their products. Through as ironical as may seem, BAT has gone ahead and introduced a science website http://www. bat. com/science that delves into research findings on the dangers of smoking and related issues. Again the company has complied with stringent regulatory measures put in place to protect the public from exploitation by players in this industry such as BAT. PEST analysisThis analysis seeks to identify the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors affecting a given company in this case BAT. Political This pertains to how the company is structured in order to comply with the government policy in the country of operation. Given that BAT is a multinational company with its brands in about 190 countries, it has had to comply with diverse government polices that have varying effect on the operations of the company. Its operations in Russia are at the moment facing a great threat after being targeted by the country's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor.Early September this year, Gennady Onishchenko, director of Rospotrebnadzor accused BAT of â€Å"misleading consumers† and infringing on their rights on the basis that the company was marketing its products as less harmful specifically targeting the light and super light brands. This is just one of the many political challenges that the company facing.Other instances that are worth highlighting the tough taxes imposed on tobacco and tobacco products in many countries. Economic factors The company operates generally in large scale to produced around 850 billion cigarettes a year among other tobacco products.Economics of scale have thus favored the company and contributed greatly in achieving the growth that the company desires. In addition to this, presence of the company in many ma rkets cushions the company from making losses in case of decreased sales in on market that may be caused by a variety of factors.Socio-cultural factors The culture of smoking as a fashion statement is the greatest driver in sales for tobacco companies in general. Unfortunately, the same idea is being used in campaigning against smoking which is greatly affecting sales for BAT and other tobacco based companies.On the other hand, there are some traditional believes and practices that profess the goodness in smoking of unprocessed tobacco leaves thereby denying the industry a huge chunk of the market. Technologic factors A lot of research is being directed towards analyzing the harm of tobacco and more so tobacco smoke.As such BAT and players in the tobacco industry are constantly faced with the challenge of improving their manufacturing and processing units in order to comply with the requirements of reducing the harmful content of tobacco. SWOT analysis This test seeks to analyze the external and internal environment of BAT.It is one of the methods that Drucker (2008) proposes for analyzing organizations.StrengthsStrong leadership and planning has enabled BAT to recognize threats and thereby partnering with other players for mutual benefit. This as aspect as a strength has been the driving force behind the strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions as discussed earlier.BAT recognizes that â€Å"customer is king† through market research and subsequent product innovation to identify the selling trend in the market.BAT as a group has interests covering different regions and categories thereby enabling it to have more stable cash flow prospects.It has a portfolio of brands meeting demands for upscale, mid-scale and economy tobacco consumers covering a wider market segment.International experience; diversified portfolio, great locations for major factories in tobacco producing regions and superior quality products also make count as some strengths of the c ompany.WeaknessesThe company has failed to alienate itself from the legal tussles pertaining to smokers suing the company for damages obtained from consumption of the company’s products. BAT has suffered a lot legal battles in courts where the company has been forced to compensate consumers for damages. As such the company has become an easy target for legal â€Å"bounty hunters†.Its presence in many markets presents a management challenge in that a lot of resources are utilized in the harmonization of organization’s policies and strategies.OpportunitiesWith BAT’s experience in operations, there are numerous opportunities in spreading operations over in new markets such as the most recent one targeting the Scandinavian market.As a dominant brand in the UK market, BAT has the opportunity of influencing the market to have benefit through strategic decisions such as being the price setter.The company’s experience in research and development of less ha rmful tobacco products presents the company with an opportunity to market her brands as the less harmful alternative to relatively harmful brands in the market.ThreatsThe tobacco industry is faced with strict environmental laws which increase costs of production and impact on the general productivity of the players.The increased awareness on the dangers of smoking may lead to contraction of the market for the industry.Increased deaths and illnesses from tobacco use are rapidly decreasing the market for the industry.A report by the Guardian says of BAT â€Å"it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit (smoking)†.Political uncertainties in foreign markets are forcing BAT to with draw operations such as in North Korea and Burma where the company has already withdrawn from the markets. Competitor analysis There are two main competitors for BAT in the UK market: Gallaher Group and Imperial Tobacco Gallaher Group It is the fourth largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the global market. It has its headquarters in Switzerland and it operates in 80 countries around the world.The company owns Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut Cigarettes brands among many others. The company reported a 5. 0% increase in net sales as of 2006 to stand at ? 2. 74 billion. In this market it faces competes with BAT and Imperial Tobacco. Due to stiff competition in the UK market, its share volume in the market has been on a decline while its international operations are on the rise. In 2006, it distributed over 18. 8 billion cigarettes in the UK market. Imperial Tobacco The company has its headquarters in Bristol and is second to BAT in the UK market and fourth in the global tobacco market.The company prides itself in top of the range brands and is has the best two selling brands in the UK as Lambert and Butler and Richmond. Other brands in the market are Embassy, Escort, Camel, Drum, Windsor Blue etc. It dominates the f ine cut market with a market share of about 63% as of last year. The company reported net revenue of ? 8. 69 billion for the 2007/08 financial year with increase in profits in excess of 30%. The company has adopted a corporate strategy very similar to BAT and thus poses the greatest threat in the market.It recognizes its core objectives as sales development, cost optimization and efficiency improvements and effective cash management. Success or failure of these strategies is further evaluated through key performance indicators which have been identified as earnings per share, total shareholder returns, cash conversion rate, cigarette market share, volumes, operating margin and productivity. The company’s shareholder returns have increased by 106% in the last three years surpassing FTSE expectations by 74%. Its growth path according to the company’s official website is as below.The growth in financial strength o the company and the ability to gain investor confidence sh ows that the company is set to offer even more competition to BAT. Comparing this growth path with that of BAT, then it will be probably a matter of time before BAT loses out its market position in the UK.The future of BAT The prevailing economic crisis is presenting financial and management problems to many businesses. The ability to survive the crisis and move on will be used greatly assess the strength of many businesses and indicate investor and consumer confidence levels. As it is, the current situation for BAT is not promising.The company is being accused of targeting the youth in their marketing efforts and thereby losing consumer confidence and criticism from various quarters. Negative reports such â€Å"as BAT's main product, cigarettes, is so deadly that just to maintain its 15% global market share, it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit† carried in the Guardian do not do any good to the company. This was in addition to being accused of targeting teenagers in international markets such as Nigeria and Brazil. Therefore, it would seem that the company has to reconsider its marketing strategies.Developing a new marketing strategy and adopting strategic means to â€Å"sanitize† the corporate brand name will prove essential in the way forward in markets where the company is losing ground and facing criticism. Again, the company has not been according to accusations very keen on following some of the rules and regulations governing the tobacco market in different markets. Other concerns for BAT affect the whole industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been spearheading the fight for tobacco use citing the numerous health problems and deaths emanating from the habit.In 2007, claimed that if the current smoking trend continues, the world will contend with 10 million deaths annually as a result of tobacco use. In addition WHO reports that smoking causes 61% of all TB illnesses globally (Hooper, 2004). Companies such as BAT again have been forced to limit their marketing strategies by regulation such as the banning of public advertisement of cigarettes or romanticizing or fashioning smoking in any manner.Works cited Drucker, P. , Management, Transaction Publishers, Birmingham, 2008, p. 286, 456 Elion, S., Management strategies: a critique of theories and practices, Kluwer Academic, London, 1999, pp. 212 Robinoof, M. , Ending the tobacco holocaust, Elite Books, London, 2007 Hooper, M. , Tobacco industry: Do ads and new products still target teens? Congressional Quarterly, CQ Press, London, 2004.The Guardian http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2007/apr/26/smokeandmirrors Additional information on the above obtained from Official BAT website http://www. bat. com/ Official Gallaher Group website at, http://ir. gallaher-group. com/ Official Imperial Tobacco website at, http://www. imperial-tobacco. com/.

The Secret Life of a Real Halloweener [Interview]

The Secret Life of a Real Halloweener [Interview] Something unbelievable happened right the week before Halloween! Searching the internet weve bumped into the real Halloween idolator. Yup, he does exist. His favourite holiday is Halloween and not without reason. Apart from being a Halloween fan, Jonathan Wojcik is an artist, a toy collector, an armchair biologist and owns a monstrous blog. So, this extraordinary person is our next interviewee and we are going to find out as much as we can about his unusual Halloween philosophy. And if you missed our previous interview about Halloween with Katy Gilroy, dont forget to read it right after you finish with this interview! What to start with? Lets start from the very beginning, actually! How did you happen to become the fan of Halloween? I was born on Halloween, and all my life took an interest in strange creatures, whether fantasy monsters or real-world insects and marine life. Its just been that way as long as I can remember! Now, its clear. Halloweener by birth! I guess, your attitude to the celebration is different from others. What do you think is the main idea of Halloween? People have always enjoyed things that scare them, especially children. Halloween is a celebration of horror and fear, which are as important to almost every aspect of human culture as anything else could be. Entire civilizations revolved around the mysteries of death and the supernatural, and ghost stories are one of the oldest narrative genres known to man. Have you noticed some evolution of Halloween celebration through the years? Did you like the old traditions better? Or do you find some new trends more interesting? Halloween has grown a lot in popularity since I was a kid. Its much more often celebrated by adults than it was just twenty some years ago, although many forms of celebration have strayed from what made it so fun in the first place. Adult costumes tend to be either sexy or an attempt at humor these days, or pop-culture references. Dressing up to look cool, creative and scary is a rarer art. What was the most memorable Halloween celebration for you so far? Probably, just trick or treating as a child. I had to be taken to other towns because we lived in the middle of nowhere, and I always had the most elaborate, creepy outfits most houses had seen. I always picked out the big, freaky monster masks and combined them with a lot of other things, like real bones and tattered cloth. I am sure you dressed up a lot, but can you remember your best and favourite Halloween costume? Only last year I made a full-body brain creature with giant eye stalksI just didnt really have anywhere to take it. Lets move from the costumes to the places. What do you think is the best city to celebrate Halloween? I love the haunted houses and hayrides in Maryland and Pennsylvania where I grew up. Otherwise, I havent often had the chance to attend any big, public celebrations. And the food do you have your favourite Halloween food? Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite year round, but the Peanut Butter Pumpkins are even better. Theyre plumper, with a higher peanut butter to chocolate ratio. Now, reveal us some of your personal Halloween traditions. You must have those, unique and different from common ones? Beside doing articles and artwork online, I have a tiny little coffin decoration that opens up to show a skeleton inside. I leave it closed until August 1st, which is the start of Halloween season for me, and close it back again in November. As youve already mentioned the artwork what kind of Halloween craft do you make? And what is your favourite kind of Halloween art? I have a method of making gooey monster sculptures out of insulation foam. They were even featured in an art show once! I may be sharing the process soon as a seasonal blog post. Sounds awesome! So, you make up a lot (like, thousands) of spooky characters. Do you have your favourite monster? Every iteration, reinterpretation, homage and parody to The Fly. Flies are possibly my favorite animal with their weird looks and habits, and theyre so unlike humans that mashing them together always results in something weird and fun. And the final question is simple what are your plans for the upcoming Halloween? This year I debuted a new comic online and will be sharing some special art and writing on Halloween itself. Otherwise I think I was invited to a party, but Im not a huge party person. Mostly, I like to stay in and watch horror cartoons! Thanks, Jonathan, for sharing your unique view on the Halloween phenomenon! Got interested in Jonathans Halloween artworks? You are welcome to leave comments, ask questions and suggest ideas below!

the wicked shall inherit the e essays

the wicked shall inherit the e essays In the movie Pennies from Heaven there are many characters that lead unscrupulous lives. These characters seem as if they are unable to separate the real world from the song-like dream world in their heads. This alternate reality seems to enable them to behave terribly, and then think nothing of it. In fact, this movie seems to portray that the worse a person is, the better everything turns out for them. The main character in this movie is a man by the name of Arthur Parker. Arthur is the perfect example of this; he is a very selfish character. He demonstrates how selfish he is right from the start of the movie. In the beginning he lies to Joan in order to take her inheritance. Arthur wants to buy a store and start a business selling records. He tells Joan that he went to the bank and the manager said, Borrow what you like. A fellow like you is no risk, no risk at all. Joan questions him by asking. Is that true Arthur? He then makes her feel bad for not giving him the money by saying, I said I dont want it. My wifes got some cash and shell support me. Since Joan questioned Arthurs honesty, it is obvious that he has deceived her in the past. As a matter of fact she was right to question him, because he was lying to her. He didnt go to the bank until after their discussion, and when he did go he was turned down. Another time Arthur acted deceitfully was when he pretended to be sweet and innocent regarding Eileen Everson. When he first met her he was in a music store, after she left the owner made the comment, You know what she needs dont ya? Arthur pretended to be upset at this when he replied, Dont talk about a lady like that. On another occasion Arthur was in a bar with a few companions and let on that he met a girl. They ask him a few questions regarding whether or not he had sex with her. Their questioni...

The Invisable Man essays

The Invisable Man essays The novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison explores the issue of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through the main character. In the novel, Invisible Man, the main character is not giving a name. In our paper we will refer to him as the Protagonist. Ellison explores how unalienable rights cannot be obtained without freedom from the obstacles in life especially from one's own fears. In the novel Invisible Man, several major characters affect the Protagonist. One of the major characters is Dr. Bledsoe, who is the president of the school. Dr. Bledsoe had a major effect on the main character, because the Protagonist idolizes him. "He was every thing that I hope to be," (Ellison 99), but the Dr. Bledsoe degrades him when we says "Why, the dumbest black bastard in the cotton patch knows that the only way to please a white man is to tell him a lie" (Emerson 137) and calls him a Nigger. In addition, the Protagonist grandfather had a major effect on him. The ! Protagonist's grandfa ther last word, "Live in the Lions mouth" (Ellison 16) has a lasting effect on him throughout most of the novel. Finally and most important, Ras the Destroyer, whom the Protagonist fears whom along with Dr. Bledsoe in a separate encountering calls him "a educated fool" (Ellison 140). The first encounter of the Protagonist own fears is introduce when his grandfather' s tells the Protagonist to go against the white man by "overcome 'em with yeses" (Emerson 16). These words haunts the Protagonist when he is kicked out getting kicked out of college. When Dr. Bledsoe kicks him out of college, the Protagonist reflects on his grandfather last words "undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death^"(Emerson 16). For a moment, the Protagonist wonders if his grandfather might be right. However, due to the Protagonist fear of failure, the Protagonist doubts his grandfather wise words, because he does not want to believe that his role in life is to undermine the white ma...

Microsoft Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Microsoft - Case Study Example Along with this Microsoft excel and Microsoft word are both consider as the leaders in their respective markets, and at that time both the Microsoft products took away the leadership from their leading products. Microsoft on the other hand also leads all the applications suite market along with its office system, because there were many other products that aimed at the business market. (Msters, 198, no page) The first ever product, which Microsoft created, was one of the versions of basic language for the very first computers known as Altair 8800. At that time Microsoft also continued to be a leader in the area of software development market along with its visual STUDIO NET and also MICROSOFT SQL. These both above-mentioned services are used in order to create much better known software, which also runs on the Windows operating system. Apart from this Microsoft are also considering as a target for anti-competitive practices, it is also consider as one of the most powerful and also most successful software companies ever formed. Furthermore there were many companies which have no doubt tried to bring this company down but they all failed. Because Microsoft is a company, which continues to further, expand in future. Microsoft known is one of the best companies in the field of information technology. Bill Gates the owner of Microsoft presented such types of information technology related products, which are proved very much advantageous for us. Different kinds of operating systems which are now used very much frequently are much more advantageous and beneficial for all of us. The operating systems invented by the Microsoft are such kind of the operating system, which provides deep insight knowledge for each and every customer or for those who use it frequently. (Msters, 198, no page) Microsoft has done really a great job; it has provided us much different kind of facilities with the help of which we can do various tasks in just a second. It's only because of it that now we are able to perform different kinds of duties and tasks very easily. MAIN BODY This part basically includes the inventions, which are done by Microsoft. Disk operating system, which is also known as DOS, was a perfect kind of operating system that helps a lot the company to find its first real success. It was only the disk operating system (DOS) with the help of which Microsoft gained a huge success, and this huge success made Microsoft one of the best worldwide company or organization. Later on during the transition of MS DOS to windows, Microsoft gained more and more success and this success allowed the company also to attain ground on the application software competitors. (Msters, 198, no page) Later on in 1993, Microsoft also released a windows known as windows NT 3.1, which is known as a business for an operating system along with this the windows 3.1 was also termed as an user interface but apart from this it was an entirely different and unique operating system. Microsoft is considered as an innovative and also a creative organization or a company, because behind the success of each and every company there is a special thing which is used in order to gain more and more suc

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Research, design and write a journalistic piece - Essay Example Anorexia is serious and the accusation is even more so. This makes an objective review of the facts for determination of innocence or guilt an important responsibility. The fashion industry and media shape societal perceptions of beauty, further functioning to influence self-image. Fashion models are invariably thin and, from the purely medical point of view, unhealthily so. Yet, rather than draw attention to this fact, the media acclaims the beauty of these models and upholds them as the ultimate personification of the ideal. The consequences, as Tierney (2001) explains is that the more impressionable of the young girls and women unquestioningly accept the unrealistic images of beauty propagated by the media as the absolute criteria of beauty and try to attain the ideal. The media has equated beauty with thinness and society has unquestionably accepted the correlation between the two. Given the considerable emphasis which society, which almost every single individual within, places on beauty, it is hardly surprising the countless women are striving towards the attainment of that ideal. The problem with doing so, as Thompson (1990) points out is that the ideal, as propagated by the media and the fashion industry, is twenty percent below the weight which science has defined as the healthy minimum.

Study of a nursing theory ( choose a nursing theorist ) for use in Research Paper

Study of a nursing theory ( choose a nursing theorist ) for use in practice - Research Paper Example One such theorist is Jean Watson who developed and conceptualized the "Theory of Human Caring". According to Watson (2009), "nursing is a lifetime journey of caring and healing, seeking to understand and preserve the wholeness of human existence, and to offer compassionate, informed, knowledgeable human caring to society and humankind." In this essay, application of Watson's theory to clinical nursing practice will be exercised for better understanding of the concepts of the theory. Context of development of theory Jean Watson, an imminent theorist and nurse educator has contributed immensely to the nursing profession. Her most popular conceptualization of nursing profession is the Theory of Transpersonal Caring which is commonly known as the Theory of Human Caring. The nurse educator was born in West Virginia. She graduated from the Colarado University and completed Master's degree from the same University. Her specialty was psychiatric-mental health nursing. She did her Ph.D in cou nseling in psychology. She is currently a distinguished professor at the Colarado University. She is the founder of the Center for Human Caring located in the same city as the University she is employed at (Cara, 2003). The theory is the output of the professor's experience in the field of psychology, mental health and counseling, her specialty subjects during her post graduation and doctorate degrees. This theory emphasizes the humanistic aspect of the noble profession of nursing based on principles of scientific knowledge acquired through education, learning, research and training. Thus, this theory is very important for the profession of nursing both theoretically and practically. Watson (2009) opined that "the ability to resolve conflicts between what nursing is and what nurses supposedly do, may be the most critical challenge for the discipline and for the profession’s survival into this millennium." Watson strongly believed that resolution of conflicts at all levels of society is crucial, because; such conflicts can affect health care at any level (Cara, 2003). The theory of Human caring was brought out in 1979. According to Watson, nursing is a profession that is distinct from other health related professions. Based on this distinct nature of the profession, she defined, ascertained and opined about the distinct role of the profession in the caring for humans who are sick. Infact, this theory defined the role of nurse. According to the theory of Human Caring, nurses impart care by establishing a good relationship with the patients and also their relatives (Sitzman, 2007). Nurses have to treat patients by including all aspects of life, the mind, body and spirit and not just deal with physical ailments of the body. Thus, nurses are expected to provide holistic care to the patient. It is because of holistic care that various needs of the patient like spiritual, emotional, psychological, economical and physical needs of the patient are met. The theor y strongly upholds the fact that nurses must display acceptance towards patients and their relatives in an unconditional manner and whatever treatment is instituted is done with positivism. Nurses are expected to cause health promotion and well-being through appropriate knowledge concerning the medical condition of the patient and also through medical interventions. Above all, it is expected that

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies Literature review

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies - Literature review Example In doing this therefore a variety of models are used. Two basic models are used on which this discussion is going to be based on: the Delphi technique and scenario planning. The Delphi technique and scenario planning The Delphi technique is a kind of survey that makes use of the intuitive knowledge of experts in a given field. This technique is therefore flexible and provides a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative results which are important for planning. The technique involves rounds of surveys in which experts are asked questions concerning a given topic. Their varied opinions are then analysed and extremes are generated. The experts with these extreme opinions are asked to explain the reasons as to why they settled for the opinions (Armstrong, 2001, pp. 127-129). The rounds continue in this manner until a consensus is achieved. Feedback is very important in the whole process which must take place at the end of each round. Scenario planning on the other hand has also rec eived a lot of attention from scholars with very little consensus on the exact meaning of the term. Cutting across the major definitions of scholars it is possible to say that scenario planning is seen as a strategic management tool that is used to describe sets of future environmental conditions which are uncertain and upon which decisions have to be made to address them. However there is a strong agreement among scholars that scenario planning is not a prediction but rather a tool that makes visible the large scale forces that are usually uncertain due to the ever changing nature of the world so that a planner can recognize them and act on them on the verge that they do happen (Lindgren & Bandhold, 2003). Combining the Delphi technique and Scenario planning It is of great importance that before combining the techniques a thorough understanding of the various design approaches is made of both techniques to find out how the Delphi technique can fit into the approach used by the scen ario planning method. The scenario planning method has various approaches and this is because of the various schools of thought that are in existence. The technique actually involves a number of approaches each with stages that range between six and ten. There are three approaches that have been used widely and these are: the intuitive logic, trend impact and cross impact approaches. However later on, the last two approaches were combined by Bradfield et. al (2005) into one method called the probalistic approach and introduced the la prospective school as the third school in scenario planning (Bradfield, 2005, pp. 795-812). A closer examination of these approaches reveals they have varied stages that could be seen to serve the various interests of the authors with very little consensus on what should be the common approach. Each of these approaches is seen to work in the same manner with the other though there exist slight variations. Nowack, Endrikat & Guenther (2011: 1606) in thei r research identify one generic approach that cuts across all the three schools and which was built on the generic foresight approach proposed by Bishop et. al. The approach is divided into six stages for it to be complete and includes two main phases of scenario planning which are: scenario development and scenario transfer. In the first phase the planner sees various states of the future while in

Walkable Streets; Good City Forms Annotated Bibliography Essay

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Diversity in the work force. HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity in the work force. HR - Essay Example (Hubbard) In the modern business context, it is widely considered that the existence of diversity at the workforce and the effective management of such help in augmenting the profit position of the companies. It is seen that the diversified workforce helps in formulating strategies for marketing activities. Moreover, the diversified workforce also helps in citing effective problem-solving techniques. The diversified workforce group also enables the organization to innovate newer products and processes. The above facts are dealt with in an elaborative manner. (Hubbard) The modern practice of trade and commercial activities reflect the effect of globalization in them. It is because due to the restructuring of the communication industry the world has been reduced to a global village. Moreover, the opening up of the markets has led to the business organizations to cater to a large number of customers spread throughout the world. The global image brought about in the firms has greatly helped in increasing of sales and revenue due to widespread business expansion. The Japanese Car Manufacturing companies are becoming conscious of the fact that in United States the women consumers in the automobile segment are fast increasing. Again, the industrial sector focusing on the consumer goods segment is also widely conscious that American population is gradually being filled up with immigrants from several Asian and Latin American nations. Thus, a general advertisement or marketing strategy made for a product or service in America lapses in drawing proper atte ntion from the diversified American population. (Hubbard) The enhancement of the performance parameters of the firm based on revenue generation and profitability is increasingly related to the increased participation of the diversified workforce in problem-solving exercises. It is found that the workforce consisting of people coming

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies Literature review

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies - Literature review Example In doing this therefore a variety of models are used. Two basic models are used on which this discussion is going to be based on: the Delphi technique and scenario planning. The Delphi technique and scenario planning The Delphi technique is a kind of survey that makes use of the intuitive knowledge of experts in a given field. This technique is therefore flexible and provides a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative results which are important for planning. The technique involves rounds of surveys in which experts are asked questions concerning a given topic. Their varied opinions are then analysed and extremes are generated. The experts with these extreme opinions are asked to explain the reasons as to why they settled for the opinions (Armstrong, 2001, pp. 127-129). The rounds continue in this manner until a consensus is achieved. Feedback is very important in the whole process which must take place at the end of each round. Scenario planning on the other hand has also rec eived a lot of attention from scholars with very little consensus on the exact meaning of the term. Cutting across the major definitions of scholars it is possible to say that scenario planning is seen as a strategic management tool that is used to describe sets of future environmental conditions which are uncertain and upon which decisions have to be made to address them. However there is a strong agreement among scholars that scenario planning is not a prediction but rather a tool that makes visible the large scale forces that are usually uncertain due to the ever changing nature of the world so that a planner can recognize them and act on them on the verge that they do happen (Lindgren & Bandhold, 2003). Combining the Delphi technique and Scenario planning It is of great importance that before combining the techniques a thorough understanding of the various design approaches is made of both techniques to find out how the Delphi technique can fit into the approach used by the scen ario planning method. The scenario planning method has various approaches and this is because of the various schools of thought that are in existence. The technique actually involves a number of approaches each with stages that range between six and ten. There are three approaches that have been used widely and these are: the intuitive logic, trend impact and cross impact approaches. However later on, the last two approaches were combined by Bradfield et. al (2005) into one method called the probalistic approach and introduced the la prospective school as the third school in scenario planning (Bradfield, 2005, pp. 795-812). A closer examination of these approaches reveals they have varied stages that could be seen to serve the various interests of the authors with very little consensus on what should be the common approach. Each of these approaches is seen to work in the same manner with the other though there exist slight variations. Nowack, Endrikat & Guenther (2011: 1606) in thei r research identify one generic approach that cuts across all the three schools and which was built on the generic foresight approach proposed by Bishop et. al. The approach is divided into six stages for it to be complete and includes two main phases of scenario planning which are: scenario development and scenario transfer. In the first phase the planner sees various states of the future while in

Diversity in the work force. HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity in the work force. HR - Essay Example (Hubbard) In the modern business context, it is widely considered that the existence of diversity at the workforce and the effective management of such help in augmenting the profit position of the companies. It is seen that the diversified workforce helps in formulating strategies for marketing activities. Moreover, the diversified workforce also helps in citing effective problem-solving techniques. The diversified workforce group also enables the organization to innovate newer products and processes. The above facts are dealt with in an elaborative manner. (Hubbard) The modern practice of trade and commercial activities reflect the effect of globalization in them. It is because due to the restructuring of the communication industry the world has been reduced to a global village. Moreover, the opening up of the markets has led to the business organizations to cater to a large number of customers spread throughout the world. The global image brought about in the firms has greatly helped in increasing of sales and revenue due to widespread business expansion. The Japanese Car Manufacturing companies are becoming conscious of the fact that in United States the women consumers in the automobile segment are fast increasing. Again, the industrial sector focusing on the consumer goods segment is also widely conscious that American population is gradually being filled up with immigrants from several Asian and Latin American nations. Thus, a general advertisement or marketing strategy made for a product or service in America lapses in drawing proper atte ntion from the diversified American population. (Hubbard) The enhancement of the performance parameters of the firm based on revenue generation and profitability is increasingly related to the increased participation of the diversified workforce in problem-solving exercises. It is found that the workforce consisting of people coming

The Rape of the Lock Essay Example for Free

The Rape of the Lock Essay The Rape of the Lock is an outstanding mock- epic in the English Literature written by Alexander Pope. It is considered a humorous poem, as well as a combination of the classical models of epic and satire. Since the poem is based on an actual incident among Pope’s acquaintances, he is persuaded to write the story to mock his friends so they do not take the situation too seriously. Besides, the author focuses on the upper class in London, which seems to have lost the value of important matters. First of all, it can be said that the upper-class characters portrayed in The Rape of the Lock, especially Belinda, are mocked because it seems that they are narrow-minded as regards their ideas about the society where they live and they do not take into consideration important subjects. In the poem, Belinda is so concerned about her beauty that when the Baron cuts a lock of her hair she gets furious: â€Å"Then flashed the living lightnings from her eyes, / And screams of horror rend the affrighted skies.†(canto 3, lines 155-156). Belinda feels frustrated not only because she is humiliated in public, but also because being beautiful in that society means power. Her anger can be related to the fact that ladies used to devote much time to their beauty, spending hours at the dressing table; the â€Å"altar’s site,†(1.127). Apart from that, dancing and playing cards were major events to win the heart of a gentleman. Similarly, men had no concern with significant matters either as they were interested in being powerful, getting more money and flirting with ladies. The Baron, for example, the male character in the poem, feels victorious when he cuts Belinda’s lock: â€Å"`Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine, ´ / (The victor cried); `the glorious prize is mine!†(3.161-162). As the characters focus on trivial matters as if they are truly meaningful, their flaws and weaknesses are exposed in the poem. By means of exaggeration, the author pretends to make the readers laugh at their own defects to moralize some ideas in society. The pair of scissors given to The Baron by Clarissa is referred as â€Å"A two-edged weapon†(3.128) to make fun of the situation. In addition, the fact that Belinda’s hair is cut is not a serious incident but she is in despair since it is her valuable possession. In the poem, Clarissa states that although â€Å"frail beauty must decay, / Curled or uncurled, since locks will turn to gray,† (5. 25-26), it is important to keep a sense of humor. Similarly, The Baron is quite extravagant and exhibits a childlike behavior when taking revenge that he clearly proclaims: â€Å"So long my honor, name, and praise shall live!† (3.170). It is possible to observe that he is not able to accept the fact that he has been defeated in a game by a girl. Apart from that, the card game between Belinda and The Baron is perceived as a real battle between two armies, with â€Å"halberds in their hand† (3.42). As a conclusion, it is clearly shown in the poem how society has lost the ability to value what is really important in life. It seems that the characters cannot decipher between serious events and insignificant ones. The rape of Belinda’s lock of hair, for instance, is an unimportant incident since she could have experienced a worse situation. Moreover, it is worth analyzing this poem as it reflects how ridiculous any society can be when it takes into account events, which do not really matter in life. Individuals should open their eyes to be able to value simple things that happen in our daily lives.

Mental Status Examination

Mental Status Examination In order to thoroughly evaluate, Jason it would be very helpful if a Mental Status Examination is conducted. The MSE would give insight to the examinees thought process, thought content, perception, and cognition. Also, the examiner would be able to document the examinees appearance, mood, and affect. A semi-structural interview style may be the best approach to conduct the MSE. This approach would have standard questions but also give an opportunity for the examiner to build a rapport with the examinee. Therefore, the examiner could create an environment that would promote comfort and ease which should allow the examinee to become less guarded. A review of material that could unveil indicators of potential maladaptive behavior would be useful to enhance the examiners understanding of the examinee. Information such as prior psychological assessments and medical records would be very helpful components in unveiling indicators. This information would uncover any medical or psychological problems previously identified that could have contributed to the examinees behavior. Since it has been revealed that the examinee is taking the medication diazepam, it would be beneficial for the examiner to conduct research on the side effects and its reaction with other drugs. Perhaps, the results from a blood toxicology test would definitively determine all the drugs in Jasons body at the time he was arrested. This drug related information can give valuable indications that could explain the examinees behavior. A review of the examinees family psychological and medical history could give data on hereditary traits that could have added to the examinees behavior. In addition, a review of the examinees criminal record could give a timeline of how Jasons criminal activity progresses or digresses over the years. Thus, a review of the examinees criminal record could give insight to trends in the examinees maladaptive behavior. Other sources of information that could pose as good use are results of an intelligence test such as the WAIS-III and a personality test such as the MMPI-2. The WAIS-III will examine Jasons vocabulary level, abstract thinking, concentration, immediate memory, judgment, alertness to details and a host of other intelligence measures (Kaplan Saccuzzo, 2005). In essence, the WAIS-III will show if Jason is able to act with purpose, to think logically and to deal effectively with his surroundings (Kaplan Saccuzzo, 2005). The MMPI-2, on the other hand, measures Jasons tendency to possess some type of psychopathy. The MMPI-2 is a self- report that examines Jasons level of over concern of bodily symptoms, level of depression, level of over dramatization, level of psychopathic deviates, level of paranoia, level of schizophrenic tendencies, and level of impulse control (Kaplan Saccuzzo, 2005). It should be noted that the MMPI-2 only gives a hypothesis of psychopathy and does not give a diagn osis. An extensive psychological examination would be needed in order to properly diagnosis the hypothesis. Lastly, collateral contacts which is information gathered from individuals closely associated or related to the examinee could give useful information to the examiner. Some of the individuals that could be interviewed are family members, employers, co-workers, friends, and neighbors. By interviewing people in different facets of the subjects life the examiner can get an idea of how the subjects behavior diverges in different environments. In turn this would give the examiner a wholistic view of Jasons psychological state. Provide a possible multi-axial diagnosis (based on all five (5) axes of the DSM-IV-TR) for this individual. In narrative form, describe your differential diagnostic thought process used to reach your hypotheses. What additional information would you need for each of the possible diagnoses in order to confirm your diagnoses and rule out the others? Axis I of the DSM-IV-TR multiaxial assessment lists clinical disorders and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). One clinical condition that can be considered is Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Code Number 312.34) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This is an Impulse-Control Disorder that is characterized by discrete episodes of failure to resist aggressive impulses resulting in serious assaults or destruction of property (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The DSM IV-TR states that individuals who suffer from Intermittent Explosive Disorder usually exhibit signs of feeling upset, remorseful, regretful or embarrassed after an aggressive incident (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). It has been reported that Jason has had problems controlling aggressive impulse in the past. The vignette notes that signs of remorse were seen after aggressive incidents in the past such as after Jason threatened his Aunt with a knife it was reported he was remorseful about the incident. Also, after stabbing the victim, Jasons act of covering the body could be interpreted as a sign of remorse. Before Intermittent Explosive Disorder is officially diagnosis other clinical condition should be ruled out. One condition that can be considered is Jason ingestion of several different types of substances in a 24-48 hour time period. The vignette suggests that Jason may have had diazepam, acid, and alcohol in his system at the time of the offense. As suggested previously, a toxicology test will definitively indicate the substances present in Jasons body at the time of his offense. After it has been determined that Jasons behavior was not induced by a reaction to a substance a diagnosis of Intermittent Explosive Disorder can be more confidently suggested. The second axis on the DSM-IV-TR multiaxial assessment lists and describes personality disorders and signs of mental retardation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The examiner can explore the possibility of Jason exhibiting signs of Borderline Personality Disorder. The DSM-IV-TR describes Borderline Personality Disorder as a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects and pronounced impulsivity. Jasons parents assert he did not develop stable peer friendships throughout his formative school years. In adulthood, Jason did have a girlfriend and the relationship was described as a stabilizing influence; however the relationship was short-lived. Once Jasons relationship with his girlfriend dissipated he reacted by causing havoc at his grandmothers cottage. It was noted that several cottages were destroyed and vandalized cottages. This outburst of uncontrolled emotion and aggression after a break-up is typical behavior of a person suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. The DSM-IV-TR states that patients with Borderline Personality Disorder à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ experience intense abandonment fears and inappropriate anger even when faced with realistic time-limited separation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Although the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder gives an onset of early adulthood, Jason may have displayed traits of the disorder in his early teens after the death of his maternal grandfather. It is reported that Jason initiated his use of Marijuana and begin to steal from his parent the same year his grandfather died. This behavior may have been indicative of his inability to handle separation from someone he had idealized which is a characteristic of someone suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. However, the DSM-IV-TR does specify that young adults with identity problems and that may be involved in substance use could fleetingly display behaviors that might falsely give the impression of Borderline Personality Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Therefore, observation and more in depth research on Jason would be needed to definitively diagnosis Borderline Personality Disorder. An analysis of Jasons results from the MMPI-2 could give insight for a more conclusive diagnosis. Another thing to consider in diagnosing Jason with Borderline Personality Disorder is that approximately 75% of individuals diagnosed with the disorder are women. Therefore, Jason being diagnosed with the disorder would place him as a minority and the diagnosis under careful consideration. The third axis on the multiaxial assessment details general medical conditions that could affect ones psychological functionality (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). It has not been reported that Jason suffers from any specific physical condition that could affect his psychological functionality. However, a thorough review of his medical record would be needed to definitively exclude any medical conditional that could have attributed to his behavior. Some of the areas of medical concern would be head injuries and diseases that affect the nervous system. These types of medical conditions are widely known to affect a persons psyche. It is known that some of our emotions are regulated through the frontal lobe of the brain. For example, individuals that have endured an injury to the frontal lobe may have anger management problems or trouble controlling their emotion. The fourth axis focuses on psychosocial and environmental problems such as problems with primary support group, occupational problems, educational problems and economic problems (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Jason appears to have problems maintaining meaningful relationships. Jasons break-up with his girlfriend could have been a contributing catalyst in his aggressive behavior. This break-up may have disrupted Jasons support system and caused him to have feelings of abandonment. It can be inferred that the abandonment could have caused him to have feelings of instability and lack of control. The examiner would need to discuss Jasons feeling regarding the break-up during assessment sessions in order to confidently report its association with the offense at hand. Another issue that can be explored is Jasons inability to maintain attendance while in formative school which continued into his inability to maintain attendance at a job in adulthood. This inconsistent attendance could be related to Jasons substance use which indirectly affects his ability to productively operate in his social environment. The examiner would need to delve into Jasons substance use and feelings of his self-image to address this issue. The fifth axis quantifies a functionality level the use of the GAF scale ranges from 0-100 with 0 being inadequate information and 100 being superior functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2000.) Jason shows signs that he could hurt others or herself. He is very coherent of his surroundings. However, Jason has difficulty remembering details regarding the stabbing. The examinee appears to understand place, time and current events. On the other hand, Jason has difficulty being self-sufficient and maintaining a job which is partly due to his substance use. Thus, Jason has a mid-level GAF with a range of 40-60. Legal Theory and Application Using information from the provided vignette, describe the background, current presentation, and behavior of the client from a perspective which takes into consideration theories of offender and/or victim psychology and personality/psychopathology theories to support your position. (Do not simply restate the clients presentation from the vignette. Provide a theoretical-based discussion of the client that will later help guide your suggested treatment approach. For example, if you were going to recommend Gestalt treatment, you would provide a theoretical formulation from a Gestalt perspective in this section). A suitable way to explain the existence of maladaptive behavior such as over exertion of aggression as presented by Jason is through the Diathesis-Stress Model. The word diathesis means, in basic terms, a physical condition that fashions a person more than usually susceptible to certain diseases (Merriam-Websters online dictionary, n.d.). Thus, the Diathesis-Stress Model says that each person inherits certain physical weaknesses to problems that may or may not surface contingent on what stresses occur in his or her life (Eberhart, Auerbach, Bigda-Peyton, Abela, 2011). Thus, the diathesis-stress model would say a person may have a neurotransmitter malfunction but the symptoms of this malfunction will not surface unless some life stressor is presented. A life inflicted stressor could be abuse, neglect or simply disappointment. an informative diathesis-stress analysis when defendants who appear to be functioning fairly well at present are claiming temporary insanity at the time of an alleged offense. Current indications of characterologically limited resources for coping with stress, combined with obviously stressful circumstances or surroundings at the time of an offense, increase the likelihood that a defendant might have experienced a transient episode of cognitive incapacity or behavioral dyscontrol. Conversely, the better the coping resources shown by a defendants current test responses, and the less stress the defendant appeared to be experiencing prior to and during the commission of an alleged offense, the less likely the person would have been at that previous time to suffer a psychological breakdown accompanied by loss of cognitive or volitional capacities. (Goldstein 132) Describe the psycho-legal standards and/or definitions for each of the following: competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity. Identify and describe one or more landmark case(s) for each standard (at least three cases total). Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a persons adjudicative competence, risk and insanity, and any additional items that might be especially important to focus on in the provided vignette. A person is competent to stand trial if there is an understanding of the trial process, the ability to assist counsel for defense, and the ability to make important decisions to waive constitutional rights (Poythress, 2006). The standards of competence were created during the landmark case, Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402 (1960) (Bartol Bartol, 2008). During this case it was concluded that the defendant has to have sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him in order to stand (Bartol Bartol, 2008). However, since competency can change, if Jason shows signs of incompetency he can be medicated to restore competency even if he does not want to take the medication. This forced medication for competency was established in the court case United States v. Sell (2003),which held that if certain requirements are met, those defendants adjudicated as incompetent to stand trial might be medicated contrary to their will for the solitary resolution of instituting or restoring trial competency (Goldstein, 2006). It should be noted that the case Jackson v. Indiana (1972) established the limitations on the duration of commitments for competency restoration. This court ruling stated that, due process requires that the nature and duration of commitment bear some reasonable relation to the purpose for which the individual is committed. In other words, incompetent defendants cannot be held indefinitely if there is no likelihood that the defendant will be restored and criminal proceedings resumed. T hey can, however, be committed to mental institutions under the civil law (Bartol 161-162). The establishment of criminal responsibility is contingent on the sanity of a person at the time of their alleged offense (Goldstein, 2006). Being sane at the time of an offense can be delineated as being able to recognize the criminality of ones illegal actions and understand the wrongfulness of the behavior (Goldstein, 2006). A Forensic psychologist could examine Jason using psychological instruments that support the right/wrong test for sanity or the Irresistible Impulse test for sanity. The right/wrong test also known as the MNaghten Rule, gives emphasis to the cognitive elements of human beings (Bartol Bartol, 2008). First the person must be aware and know what he or she was doing at the time of the illegal act (Bartol Bartol, 2008). Second the person must know or understand right from wrong in the moral sense (Bartol Bartol, 2008). The right/wrong test has no degrees of incapacity; therefore a person is either right or wrong, with no gray area. On the other hand, the Irresistible Impulse test considers that a person may be aware of the wrongfulness of their conduct, be aware of what is right or wrong in a particular set of circumstances, but still be incapable to do right in the face of overpowering forces from irrepressible impulses ( Bartol Bartol, 2008). In other words, certain circumstances cause the person to uncontrollably commit a crime, almost like a wild beast ( Bartol Bartol, 2008). The court system has established that if a person was not in control of his or her mental processes at the time of the offense, then there are grounds for absolving that person of some or all responsibility for the offense (Bartol Bartol, 2008). However, each jurisdiction differs in the extent they accept both these criteria. (Bartol Bartol, 2008). For example the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) 16-3-2 states, A person shall not be found guilty of a crime if, at the time of the act, omission, or negligence constituting the crime, the person did not have mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong in relation to such act, omission, or negligence. Also, the O.C.G.A. 16-3-3 states, A person shall not be found guilty of a crime when, at the time of the act, omission, or negligence constituting the crime, the person, because of mental disease, injury, or congenital deficiency, acted as he did because of a delusional compulsion as to such act which overmastered his will t o resist committing the crime. These two statutes institute a standard for mitigating circumstances in criminal responsibility and thus ground work for the insanity plea. If it can be established that Jason was in fact suffering from some form of a delusional compulsion then it can be argued that there are mitigating circumstances to his criminal responsibility as established by O.C.G.A. 16-3-3. Bartol and Bartol define risk assessment as the initiative in which clinicians offer probabilities that a given individual will engage in violent or otherwise antisocial behavior based on known factors relating to the individual. (Bartol- criminal behavior ,649). In 1976, the California Supreme Court created what many thought to be the national standard for mental health professionals when a client presents a threat to an identified person. In Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976), the highest California state court ruled that the psychotherapist of a feasibly violent patient had a duty to protect any person identified as a potential victim ( ). The California Supreme Court ruling brought forth the idea that societys necessity for protection overshadowed a clients right to confidentiality ( ). The Tarasoff case answered the question of what responsibility therapists had to third parties in cautioning them of potential injurious behavior from their clients. However, over the years many states have rejected the ruling in the Tarasoff case. Despite the questionable statutory duty to warn, many practitioners have incorporated the standard set by Tarasoff as a standard of practice. (Bartol- criminal behavior 269) The APA Code of Ethics section 4.05 (2002) gives reference to this idea of a duty to warn by indicating that psychologist may disclose confidential information without the consent of the individual to protect the client/patient, psychologist or others from harm. Research and Evaluation Describe tests or assessment procedures you would employ to address these forensic issues (competence to stand trial, risk of dangerousness, and insanity) (you may refer to these from the Psychological Theory and Assessment Section A. if you already covered them there), and discuss what your anticipated conclusions would be based upon information provided in the vignette. The examiner can use a three prong evaluation to determine if the examinee is competent to stand trial. The first prong evaluates if the person is able to understand the roles of the various officers of the court. The second prong evaluates if the person can understand that he or he is charged with a crime and could possibly go to prison or be put on probation. The last prong evaluates if the defendant can rationally and effectively assist his or her attorney to aid in defense. Numerous assessment instruments have been developed in an attempt to quantify and measure trial competency. One tool that has become popular is the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) (Steinberg, 2003). This is a forensic assessment instrument created to assess the three abilities thought to be described in the Dusky standard for competency which are understanding, appreciation, and reasoning (Steinberg, 2003). The MaCAT-CA is comprised of 22 items that break down into three subscales to delineate the three abilities before mentioned (Jacobs, Ryba Zapf, 2008). At this time, Jason appears to be competent to stand trial based on the fact he is literate, is able to give written consent for the evaluation, and is able to rationalize that something adversely could happen depending on the courts perception of him. To officially establish competency in Jason the three prong examination as described previously would have to be administered. Risk assessments have two components the raw numbers from an actuarial tool and values (Szmukler, 2003). Numbers refer to the probability that a confrontational occurrence will transpire in a certain period of time (Szmukler, 2003). The methods in calculating these numbers are mathematical and statistical (Szmukler, 2003). Basically numbers are just the results from a risk assessment instrument. A recently developed risk assessment instrument is the Historical/Clinical/Risk Management (HCR-20) scale; developed by Christopher Webster and his colleagues (Webster, Douglas, Eaves, Hart, 1997). The HCR bases its predictive power on three major areas: past or historical factors, clinical or current factors, and risk management factors. The HCR contains 10 historical items, 5 clinical items, and 5 risk management items, for a total of 20 items. The historical items include previous violence, which, as we have learned, is one of the strongest predictors of future violence. Another historica l or H item is young age at first violent incident (Webster et al., 1997, p. 267). In other words, a persons young age at the time of the first violent incident can predict a violent pattern will persist into the future. Early maladjustment at home, at school, or in the community is another predictive H item. Other H items in the HCR-20 are relationship instability, employment problems, substance use problems, and major mental illness (particularly psychotic or mood disorders). Clinical or C items include lack of insight, negative attitudes (antisocial, hostile, angry), and active symptoms of major mental illness (Webster et al., 1997, p. 263). Active symptoms of serious mental illness that include delusional systems characterized by sadistic fantasies and homicidal and suicidal ideation are especially related to violence prediction. Risk management or R variables are related to the future circumstances of the individuals they are evaluating-that is, whether the person being evaluat ed is likely to have adequate housing, meals, daily activities, and finances. Research suggests that individuals without these basics are at higher risk for violence than those who have these needs managed and taken care of. Examples of R items are lack of personal support, noncompliance with remediation attempts, feasibility of future plans, and stress. The researchers of the HCR-20 find that the historical (H) items are the strongest for predicting future violent behavior (Webster et al., 1997), and C items are second strongest (Borum, 1996). The HCR-20 is still relatively new and will need ongoing research before it receives widespread acceptance as a valid risk-assessment instrument. (Bartol criminal behavior 275) Values represent the methods of connecting a value to the risk and deciding what should be done about the potential risk (Szmukler, 2003). Thus, values can be seen as the rate at which violent acts occur in the population of interest. This value is significant to the predictive abilities of any risk assessment instrument. This value is sometimes known as the base rate. Using only the information from a risk assessment tool without considering the environmental factors or population can make an assessment skewed. The base rate takes into consideration the population of which the assessed individual is apart. If the rate of violence in the population is low it should naturally lower the possibility of at risk behavior. A simple explanation for this logic is that the individuals of this low violent rate population may not have ideologies that comprise of violent behavior. This lack of cognitive thoughts of violence and lack of examples of violent acts lower the individuals potential to act violently. Therefore, it is possible that a risk assessment tool that is standardized based on a larger more diverse population can render results that show high risks for violence for an individual in a smaller less diverse population. An overall view of both the raw numbers from the assessment and a consideration of the populations base rate would give a better result in calculating risk assessments. Thus, the risk assessment tool gives a hypothesis or educated prediction for a potential risk and should be completed. The base rate gives direction and depth to the hypothesis. Thus, both components are needed and valuable to the assessment. Develop one empirically supported therapeutic treatment plan for the client in the vignette. Please make sure you identify the name of the theory your treatment plan is based on and summarize the empirical evidence with appropriate citations to support your treatment choice in working with this client. Be sure to discuss the effectiveness and limitations in working with this particular client (including effectiveness/limitations in working with this particular clients background using the above theories and treatment plans) A treatment plan following a Cognitive behavioral therapy model could be used to help Jason with his cycles of aggressive behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic modality that combines various aspects of several different therapeutic approaches including behavioral, cognitive, rational, emotive, and others. The hallmark of CBT is the assumption that distress is a result of improper or faulty cognitive framing that provides the foundation for self-defeating thoughts that lead to maladaptive behaviors. Over the last couple of decades CBT has been the focus of extensive research aimed at validating its theoretical foundation and therapeutic techniques. Much of the research reports favorable outcomes within a variety of settings as CBT is often considered among the most diverse therapeutic modalities available to practitioners. (Hanser 116) Most research concludes that it has been reasonably successful or shows considerable promise in reducing recidivism in violent offenders and serious repetitive offenders (Gacono et al., 2001). However, one of the major shortcomings of the current research is the overreliance on self-report measures to determine treatment gain (Serin Preston, 2001). Although self-report information is important because it may reflect an offenders self-perception, it is also fraught with many serious problems, especially when administered under duress within a correctional environment. (Bartol 623). Cognitive behavior therapies (CBT) rely on changing individual behavioral patterns by changing the persons thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. CBT emerged during the past 30 years as a result of dissatisfaction with the theoretical and empirical bases of strictly behavior therapy approach. CBT has become the preferred treatment approach for dealing with certain groups of offenders, including sex offenders, v iolent offenders, and a variety of persistent property offenders. Bonta and Cormier (1999) rightfully note that, The research on the cognitive-behavioural treatment of offenders has led to wide acceptance of this approach as the preferred method for treating offenders. (Bartol 621-622) Interpersonal Effectiveness What factors or cultural considerations would you take into account in rendering diagnoses, case conceptualization, and treatment planning? What other cultural factors may be salient for this client? In a psychological examination for diagnosis and treat culture can have an impact on the exhibition of psychological disorders and the examiners interpretation of the behavior being exhibited. Also, information being gathered from an assessment for diagnoses can be misconstrued if the examiner does not have a good understanding of the cultural social practices of the person being examined. The examiner should obtain as much cultural information on the client as possible before a diagnosis or treatment plan is created. The cultural Also, if the clients cultural background is tremendously outside the realm of the examiners understanding it may be wise to consult with an expert to help reduce the cultural impediment. Some of the issues that affect diagnosis in regards to culture differences are the clinician attitudes, beliefs, and biases. No one is exempt from having bias beliefs, thus an examiner should fully inspect his or her biases before being involved in a psychological assessment. The bias could skew the examiners report and make the assessment invalid. For example if a clinician is diagnosing an individual from a different cultural background and does not have an clear understanding of the customs of that culture then the clinician may interpret some behavior as being adverse. However, the person may just be following the customs of their culture. Thus, multicultural competence is of major importance in case conceptualization. Another cultural impact on diagnosing and creating treatment plans is language barriers. Since language is the primary source of communication the examiner and the client must be able to properly communicate in order to obtain information for the assessment. Language barriers are not just limited to different languages sometimes the examiner and examinee may have different understandings of words or phrases. Of greatest concern to assessment is the notion of conceptual equivalence or whether the underlying construct (construct definition: an image, idea, or theory, especially a complex one formed from a number of simpler elements. ) holds the same meaning across groups. A common example of difficulty is when one group defines (i.e.specific behaviors as mental illness or psychopathology while another group views the same behaviors as normative) and not associated with a cluster of diagnostic symptoms. The APA(American Psychological Association) created a set of guidelines known as the Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists to move towards more multicultural competence individuals. These guidelines aid in recognizing b