Mexican Immigrants Self Management And Diabetic Control

The foundation of the United States was built on migration. Every year new immigrants are coming into the country. Grieco et al. (2010) stated that in 2012 there were 11.7 million immigrants from Mexico living in America. Diabetes among Mexican immigrants have been increasing over the years, and now have the highest risk of getting diabetes (Barcellos, Goldman, Smith, 2012; O’Brien, Alos, Davey, Bueno, Whitaker, 2014). In regards to this, one hypothesis for the escalation is that later generations of Mexican immigrants, specifically the second and third generations, due to the exposure and overstressed relationship with assimilating to a new culture (Afable-Munsuz, Mayeda, Pà ©rez-Stable, Haan, 2013). It was studied by Afable-Munsuz†¦show more content†¦When it comes to diabetes there are no pros about this health problem for anyone. Conversely, there are many cons to this issues. Most importantly, this disease has many complications, and one major complication i s heart disease (CDC, 2015). Also, individuals with diabetes are fours time more likely to die due to heart disease, and is the top cause of death (CDC, 2015). According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2014), individuals of Hispanic descent have more complications and disability from diabetes, and there is high importance to reduce this among this population. However, another con, is that there is a lack in resources for Mexican immigrants in self-management of diabetes. A study by Schneiderman et al. (2014), found that 47.9 percent of participants did not have health coverage, and 41.3 percent of participants did not know about their diabetes disease. Staggering results show that there is a need for support in various areas in management of diabetes. As a result, my stance on this rising issue, is that diabetes can be managed with adequate resources, education and collaboration, especially in incorporating folk beliefs, that will lead to healthier lives for Mexic an Immigrants (CDC, 2015; Gordon, 1994). Furthermore, two ethical principles that are raised by this health problem are justice and autonomy. Health insurance is a major issue in when it comes to Mexican immigrants getting the proper care they

The Working Poor Invisibe in America Essay - 1513 Words

Regardless if we are aware of it or not, not many Americans live the supposed American Dream of having a nice car, big house, well paying job, and have a secure family. In the renowned novel The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler he captures those Americans who live invisible in America that work so hard to suffer from the psychological effects of poverty. Not only does Shipler do that but he also indirectly talks about the â€Å"American Myth† and the â€Å"American Anti Myth through the lives on these individuals.† In The Working Poor Shipler goes on to explain both of the myths. Shipler states that the American Myth â€Å"still supposes that any individual from the humblest origins can climb to well-being† (Shipler, pg.5), but†¦show more content†¦It is just that the individuals in this novel are scattered along this spectrum of polar opposites, that each person’s life â€Å"is the mixed product of bad choices and bad fortu ne, of roads taken and roads cut off† (Shipler, pg.6). The debate on welfare and other social policies has been shaped by the question on â€Å"how to define the individual’s role in his/her own poverty† (Shipler, pg.7). The poor have less control over their private decisions; their personal mistakes have larger penalties, and their personal achievement only bring back a small reward. What many people do not realize such as employers is that the poor lack â€Å"hard skills† like the use of a computer and â€Å"soft skills† like interacting with people and peers. In the novel there are many Americans that depict the â€Å"American Myth,† for example Ann she was typical of the low wage working people ( Shipler, pg. 24-25), but the thing is Ann did not point fingers of blame at anyone, she excepted that she got herself into the situation that she is now. Even though she knew that the credit card companies rates were high she made the option of u sing them, but that is not because she had a choice or not but only because she had to. The lease on Ann truck was about to expire and her ex husbands child support of $100 was about to stop because her daughter was about to turn 18. Ann only had one option left which was bankruptcy but then she found

Risk Management and Financial Institutions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Risk Management and Financial Institutions. Answer: Introduction The report here discussed about the effective management of risk through discussion of the concept of risk, processes adopted for measuring and ranking the risk and the strategies adopted for effective project risk management. There is also discussion about the appropriate practices responsible for minimizing the project risk with theories, examples and arguments. There is also a critical analysis of the theories, concepts and models for practicing the project risk and procurement management. Further, there is also discussion on how the knowledge from the theories of project risk and procurement management can be used for developing insights and sort out current problems. The report also gives an overview of the complex models of Project Risk and Procurement Management along with a systematic analysis and creative synthesis of ideas Identification, understanding and evaluation of risk are required in business management otherwise; businesses can undergo dreadful consequences. However, most people relate the concept of risk with health, death or injury but there are many other types of risk that business face (Aven 2012). Risk can be categorised as risk of harm and risk of detriment. The risk of harm often related with something that is living like the natural environment or a person. However, in business context, the risk of harm relates to an injury incurred by people involved with the business that can be people from the management or employees. The risk of detriment refers to some kind of economic loss that the business incurs (Halbert and Rouanet 2014). This kind of risk includes split in an organization, loss of property or loss of stakeholders. Detriment risk is therefore responsible for causing damage of a major kind. Thus, it is important for the managers of any business to manage and identify risk so that consequences of risk reduced. How Risk Is Measured and Ranked The basic step for measuring the risk for business is to have a clear understanding of the risk. Following the mentioned steps can help in measuring and ranking of the risk (Brownlees and Engle 2012): Identification of the risk: It is necessary for the business to identify the kind of risk it undergoes which includes strategic risk, compliance risk, operational risk, financial risk or reputational risk. Estimating the Likelihood of the Risk: After identification of the risk it is very necessary to identify its likelihood by measuring it on a five-point scale like quite unlikely, very unlikely, medium likely, quite likely and very likely. Estimating the Impact of the Risk: After the identification of the risk it is very necessary to estimate how the risk will affect business. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate whether the risk have minimal impact, low impact, high impact, medium impact and devastation impact. Through creating a Scorecard for the Risk: Creating a scorecard for the risk helps in summarising the risk and its relative impact on the business. Strategies for Project risk management adopted for preventing project risks from occurring and thus minimizing the impact on the project in case any kind of risk occurs. The existence of project risks attributed to uncertainty (Larson and Gray 2013). There always remains a possibility where something unknown or known might pose a hindrance in achieving the project goals. The strategies adopted can therefore, act as a rescue in handling such risks. The project manager should therefore undertake four basic strategies for effective project risk management. These are as follows: Identification of the Risks: The identification of any risk that might have an impact on the business is very necessary. Possibility of any risk can be identified either by brainstorming, interviewing, going through risk profiles, going through historical data, through assumption analysis and through work breakdown structure analysis. Assessment of the Risk: Once the potential project risk identified it is very necessary for the project manager to determine the risks that need to be managing on an immediate basis since these are the risk that will have major impact on the project. Along with this, the manager also needs to identify its likelihood. Identifying Risk Response Development: There are however four response strategies for every risk that includes: By avoiding the risk: There are certain changes needs to be made in the project plan for avoiding risk. For instance, this can be done by either shortening or extending the schedule, reducing scope or changing the strategy of the project. Transfer the Risk: This involves passing of the risk to a third party. However, it does not change the nature of the risk but the responsibility of managing the risk goes to some other party. These include insurance, warranties, guarantees, performance bonds and fixed price contracts. Mitigate the Risk: This implies reducing the impact or probability of risk event. Risk mitigation may be done by simplifying the processes, safety training and choosing stable supplier Through Accepting the Risk: This is a scenario when the project team does not undertake any changes in the plan in dealing with the risk. In such cases, the manger is also unable to choose appropriate response strategies for the event Ensuring Monitoring and Controlling Risks: This involves implementation of the risk response strategies, monitoring the events that are responsible for the trigger, tracking the identified risk and identification of new risk. Appropriate Practices for Minimizing the Project Risk There are huge benefits of risk management in a project as it allows the business from unnecessary monetary loss (Kerzner 2013). In addition to this, minimizing the threats to projects also allows the project manager to ensure timely delivery along with quality results demanded by the sponsors. There are however, certain golden rules which if followed can minimize the project risk. These are as follows: Making Risk Management a Part of the Project: For minimizing the impact of project risk it is important to ensure that risk management becomes a part of the project plan. This will not only save cost but also lead to successful execution of the project. Most professional companies make risk management as a part of their day-to-day operations Identification of the Risks in the Early Stage of the Project: Identification of the risk at the initial stages of the project also helps in minimizing the project risk (Kendrick 2015). In order to do so, the manager must interact with the team members and other people outside the project who might help in risk identification due to experience in a similar scenario. Ensuring Proper Communication about the Risks: There should be a constant communication about the risk with the team members. This will allow the members of the team to understand its importance and impact and discuss any new risk that they can observe. Considering Both the Opportunities and Threats: There have been instances when modern risk approaches have focused on positive risks that have lead to project opportunities. Therefore it is necessary on the part of the managers to not only identify the project threats but also the opportunities as they make the project more profitable, better and faster. Clarifying Ownership Issues: The task of the manager does not end with the identification of the risk. The project manager in order to minimize the risk must assign a risk owner who will undertake the responsibility for optimizing the risk. Prioritising Risk: There are certain risks that have higher impact than others. Therefore, it is very necessary to prioritize the risk that causes bigger losses (Osei-Kyei and Chan 2015). The risk with lesser impact can be prioritizes based on a criteria or sometimes gut feeling. Through Analyzing the Risk: The project manager should risk analysis at various levels of the project. A detailed analysis of the risk helps the manager to understand the magnitude of the impact on cost, product and quality Planning and Implementing Risk Responses: Implementation of risk response activity that adds value to the project. This act of the manager will not only prevent the occurrence of threat occurring and at the same time minimize negative effects. Registering Project Risk: The project manager must maintain a risk log that enables him in viewing the progress. This method also acts a communication tool for informing the stakeholders and team members and stakeholders about the whereabouts of the project. Tracking Risk and Associated Risk: Through tracking of risk the project manager can actually focus on the current situation of risks (Klauer et.al 2014). This will help him to identify the risk that and affect the project value. Theory versus Practice of Project Risk and Procurement Management Project risk management is a thoughtful process of decision-making. The alternative being the scenario that involves reckless decisions making not based on careful observation of facts and involves risk (Alexander 2013). Thus, management of risk requires a methodical approach. Therefore, project risk management defined as a formalized disciplined approach that includes a set of processes for sound decision-making. On the other hand, procurement is a process that is usually adopted in private and public sector organizations. There process of procurement also involves five different categories of risk that includes (Hayes 2014): Technological Risk: These risks involve non-completion, under performance or false performance of the service procured due some technical glitch. Societal or Organizational Risk: Societal risk refers to the lack of acceptance of change by the users within the society. Organizational risk on the other hand refers the failure of the organization that undertakes the process of procurement. Market Risk: This refers to the risk involved in the demand and supply side. Financial Risk: In public procurement the financial risks are of twofold, first refers to the uncertainty in achieving target cost and the second refers to the ability of securing funds. Turbulence Risk: This risk refers to those that emerge from an unpredictable situation that forces the managers to reassess, prioritise and change expectations. This may lead to further dysfunction. The case study here discusses about the conduction of a risk management workshop by risk manager of a project (Kerzner, 2013). Thus, a meeting was held between the project manager and risk manager to undertake discussion on the project scope, project objectives, process incorporated, efficiency, deliberation and workshop participants. Based on the discussion risk identification which depends on the following factors like the time allotted for the project, number of participants and quality of participants, the project manager, scope of risk management. The risk manager developed a risk rating matrix after discussion with the project manager which enabled him to analyse the qualitatively. This approach of analysis is not only simple but also quick. However, the members of the workshop also readily accept the qualitative approach. The purpose of analysis of the risk is for prioritizing risk so that the higher ranking risk can be effectively taken into account by the management. In this case study, it was found that members of the workshop could determine strategies for treating high and extreme risks only. However, expectation for low or moderate risk can be effectively be handled by the management based on instinct or certain business criteria. Theory and practice matches in terms of use of source as common risk classification structure and effectiveness of group process. Therefore, in contrast to the theory, the practice needs to segment objectives of the project into product factors and process, use checklist after undertaking the process of brainstorming and the depend of risk on various factors. There is also need for interchanging the ability of events and causes on a frequent basis, greater weight age on consequences than the likelihood, carrying out partial analysis in exact circumstances since risk depends on various factors. Thus, the theory however clearly put an emphasis on the need for flexibility in one of its approaches allotted for the process of risk management (Haimes, 2015). Applying Knowledge of Project Risk and Procurement Management for Developing Insight and Solve Problem The theory and practice puts forward important techniques and concepts that are necessary for understanding the core competencies of risk related to project management and procurement management (McNeil, Frey and Embrechts 2015). This will enable project managers in preparing an accurate plan for risk and procurement management for their project. The managers will also be able to put use the techniques and tools for identification and resolving risk in their projects. They will also develop an ability to link risk and procurement concepts to the framework of the project. In other words, proper knowledge will also ensure them to adopt a reflective and professional approach for managing their project (Hull 2012). The knowledge will also enable the managers in effectively using oral and written communication about the risk factors of the projects at a professional level. Further, proper knowledge will also enable managers to critically think and synthesize any complex data related to th e project. Nowadays, project risk and procurement management considered important for an organisation because without proper understanding of it, a firm is not being able to define the objectives of project for the future (Fernndez-Diego 2013). However, if the project objectives of a company are determined without considering risks then there might be chances of losing the direction whenever a risk strikes. Therefore, in recent years companies have incorporated risk management departments. The role of the team working for the department is to come up with strategies that help in guarding the risk, identification of the risk, execution of the strategies and motivating employees in cooperating with the strategies (Caron 2013). Larger organisations face more risk so they should have strategies that are sophisticated. Moreover, they should also allow their risk management team for accessing the risk that might pose as a hindrance to the business. These risks cause adverse affects to the business and therefore needs prioritization and treatment accordingly (Taylor, Artman and Woelfer 2012). Therefore the goal of the risk management team is thus to ensure that the company only opts for risks that will not pose a barrier in achieving the primary objectives. Critical Analysis of Project Risk and Procurement Management in Complex Projects Complex projects in the field of aerospace, nuclear power, transportation and information technology brings in substantial challenges. The challenges include cost escalation, technical problems and legal disputes. These projects are therefore, quite vulnerable when it comes to performance (Pryke and Smyth 2012). The complexity arises due to multiple stages of design, procurement, construction, testing, changing requirements of the customers, performance priorities, government regulation and standards and delays in discovering rework. The complex projects are so much in trouble due to their complexity and hence are difficult to handle even under suitable circumstances. Due to the uncertainty factors these factors also involve certain amount of risk. The challenge of risk management in dealing with such complex projects includes systematic analysis of the risk, incorporating strategic control in exposing the project risk and undertaking a continuous learning process (Thamhain 2013). Until recently, it was found that there was insufficient systematic analysis of past problems related to complex projects. Even the project managers lacked tools used for analyzing and controlling such projects. The outcome of a complex project measured in terms of technical performance, timeliness, cost, quality, social impacts and value for money. However, the sources of risk for such projects depends substantial impact on the project outcome and the surrounded uncertainty (Kendrick 2015). Thus, to ensure project risk management of complex projects systems dynamics used as a powerful tool assessing the performance (Wilensky and Stroup 2013). Thus, through the adoption of system dynamics techniques, computer simulation models of various projects developed. However, system dynamics not only addresses the dimension of the complexity explicitly but also provides an answer to many critical questions related to performance. The scopes provided by the system dynamics methodology not only make it an effective but also an appropriate tool for strategic risk management. Thus, system dynamics model can act as the basis for identification and control of significant project risk (Flyvbjerg 2013). The steps however includes: simulation with a previous project, establishment of a baseline for performance for the project under consideration, identification of the sensitivities of the performance, identifying the major risk sources, analysing the sources that would lead to reduction of the risk, evaluating tradeoffs for performance /risk, preparation of contingency plans. However, the manager of such projects admitted that another category of risk is quite prevalent in such projects (Yoo et.al 2013). This includes, lower than expected availability of labour regionally, high attrition rates amongst workforce, slower delivery of vendors, slower perception of the management in dealing with the variations in actual productivity, slower rate of rework wherever required. Thus, such projects the managers can reduce risk through identification of five potential areas (Iossa and Martimort 2012.). These include proper scheduling, proactive workforce management, pursuing of aggressive test program, building customer relationship and incorporate improved technology. Conclusion The report ends with a critical analysis of project risk and procurement management for complex projects. Here the report discusses how complex projects have higher risk due to uncertainty. The report also deals with a section where the knowledge of the project risk and procurement management used for developing insight and solving current problems. The report also discusses about theory versus practice of project risk and procurement management. Further, there is discussion about the appropriate practices adopted for minimizing the project risk. There is also discussion about the effective risk management along with an explanation of the concept of risk, ways for measurement of risk and strategies for project risk management References: Alexander, K. ed., 2013.Facilities management: theory and practice. Routledge. Aven, T., 2012. The risk concepthistorical and recent development trends.Reliability Engineering System Safety,99, pp.33-44. Brownlees, C.T. and Engle, R.F., 2012. Volatility, correlation and tails for systemic risk measurement.Available at SSRN 1611229. Caron, F., 2013. Project Risk Management. InManaging the Continuum: Certainty, Uncertainty, Unpredictability in Large Engineering Projects(pp. 67-74). Springer Milan. Fernndez-Diego, M., 2013. Project Risk Management. InProject Management for Environmental, Construction and Manufacturing Engineers(pp. 75-90). Springer Netherlands. Flyvbjerg, B., 2013. From Nobel prize to project management: getting risks right.arXiv preprint arXiv:1302.3642. Haimes, Y.Y., 2015.Risk modeling, assessment, and management. John Wiley Sons. Halbert, L. and Rouanet, H., 2014. Filtering risk away: Global finance capital, transcalar territorial networks and the (un) making of city-regions: An analysis of business property development in Bangalore, India.Regional Studies,48(3), pp.471-484. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Hull, J., 2012.Risk management and financial institutions,+ Web Site(Vol. 733). John Wiley Sons. Iossa, E. and Martimort, D., 2012. Risk allocation and the costs and benefits of publicprivate partnerships.The RAND Journal of Economics,43(3), pp.442-474. Kendrick, T., 2015.Identifying and managing project risk: essential tools for failure-proofing your project. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Kendrick, T., 2015.Identifying and managing project risk: essential tools for failure-proofing your project. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Kerzner, H., 2013.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Kerzner, H., 2013.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Klauer, S.G., Guo, F., Simons-Morton, B.G., Ouimet, M.C., Lee, S.E. and Dingus, T.A., 2014. Distracted driving and risk of road crashes among novice and experienced drivers.New England journal of medicine,370(1), pp.54-59. Larson, E.W. and Gray, C., 2013.Project Management: The Managerial Process with MS Project. McGraw-Hill. McNeil, A.J., Frey, R. and Embrechts, P., 2015.Quantitative risk management: Concepts, techniques and tools. Princeton university press. Osei-Kyei, R. and Chan, A.P., 2015. Review of studies on the Critical Success Factors for PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) projects from 1990 to 2013.International Journal of Project Management,33(6), pp.1335-1346. Pryke, S. and Smyth, H., 2012.The management of complex projects: A relationship approach. John Wiley Sons. Taylor, H., Artman, E. and Woelfer, J.P., 2012. Information technology project risk management: bridging the gap between research and practice.Journal of Information Technology,27(1), pp.17-34. Thamhain, H., 2013. Managing risks in complex projects.Project Management Journal,44(2), pp.20-35. Wilensky, U. and Stroup, W.M., 2013, April. Networked gridlock: Students enacting complex dynamic phenomena with the HubNet architecture. InProceedings of the fourth annual international conference of the learning sciences(pp. 282-289). Yoo, Y., Boland Jr, R.J., Lyytinen, K. and Majchrzak, A., 2012. Organizing for innovation in the digitized world.Organization Science,23(5), pp.1398-1408.

The recent European sovereign debt crisis, with particular focus on the Greek case

The financial crisis of 2008 affected the entire globe. One of the major outcomes of the crisis was the increase of public debt in many countries. Such potent economies as Germany, the UK, France, etc. had to face significant financial issues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The recent European sovereign debt crisis, with particular focus on the Greek case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time such peripheral economies as Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc. were in danger of complete collapse. Thus, in the period of 2007-2010 gross debt/GDP ratio â€Å"increased by 62.3% in Ireland, by 38.2% in Greece and by 36.3% in Spain† which is the largest increase (Kouretas Vlamis, 2010, p. 392). Admittedly, many countries face the same problem, i.e. increase of General Government Debt (see Fig. 1). However, it is clear that Greece had the most severe crisis (Young Semmler, 2011). Fig.1. Percentages of General Government Debt in Some Countries of Eurozone. It is necessary to note that Greece has suffered a great economic turmoil. The government had to implement various austerity measures. However, some of these measures have proved to be ineffective. It is possible to state that Greece should undergo a number of political, economic and social changes to overcome the aftermaths of the crisis and make sure that such a devastating crisis will never occur.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Interestingly, Greece was one of the fastest growing economies in the entire Eurozone in the early 2000s (Kouretas Vlamis, 2010). However, mismanagement of financial flows led to the increase of private debt. The government tried to decrease private debt with the help of loans, which led to increased public debt. Combined with severe global financial crisis increased public debt became on e of the major reasons of the economic crisis in Greece. Thus, in the late 2009 analysts expressed concerns about a sovereign debt crisis which led to the crisis of confidence (De Santis, 2012). In its turn, it affected other weak economies in the Eurozone. In 2010 the situation worsened and the International Monetary Fund provided â‚ ¬110 billion bailout to the country. In 2011 the IMF agreed to provide another bailout of â‚ ¬130 billion. However, the Greek government had to undertake certain measures. There were lots of talks about the second bailout as Greeks were against austerity measures suggested by the Eurozone leaders. There were a lot of riots in the country. The election which took place in June 2012 was regarded as decisive as the new government was to decide whether to use the plan offered by other European countries. However, the election proved to be quite unsuccessful as the new government failed to form the necessary coalition to develop a plan to follow. Now there are increasing talks about the so-called ‘Grexit’. It is possible to define several reasons for the failure of the measures undertaken. In the first place, Greek government’s activities were erroneous. Thus, increased public expenditures caused the crisis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The recent European sovereign debt crisis, with particular focus on the Greek case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Greek government should have reconsidered the amount of these expenditures. Thus, according to Eurostat (2012) while Eurozone leaders cut their public expenditures during the most difficult periods in 2008-2009, Greece steadily increased these expenditures (see Fig.2). Fig. 2. Public Expenditures of Some Eurozone Countries on Labor Market Policies (% of GDP). Secondly, it took too much time for European countries to understand that the sovereign debt crisis in Greece was to be handled at once (Kouretas Vlamis, 2010). However, the Eurozone leaders hesitated. A lot of discussions were held and countries of Eurozone failed to foresee possible outcomes of such a severe crisis in Greece. Notably, Kouretas Vlamis (2010) point out that it was quite difficult to estimate the real conditions of the Greek economy as Greek governments often provided wrong data. Even when countries of Eurozone agreed that Greece needed help, they could not come to a single decision on what exactly could be done (Kouretas Vlamis, 2010). The researchers also note that even when the financial aid was provided, it could not be the necessary solution as European countries which had common currency (euro), had different monetary policies including tax policies, wage policies, budgetary policies, etc. (Kouretas Vlamis, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is also important to note that cultural peculiarities did play an important role in escalation of the financial crisis in the country. Thus, Young and Semmler (2011) state that when Eurozone countries faced the crisis, many of them chose severe austerity measures. For instance, Germany cut public expenditures considerably (see Fig.2). However, the Greek government was not capable of implementing austerity measures. Greeks were also uneager to comply with austerity measures offered by the Eurozone leaders (Young Semmler, 2011). There were lots of riots. People protested against rising taxes, low wages, low pensions, etc. Interestingly, according to Eurostat (2012) the unemployment rate in Greece was not very high compared to other countries (even compared to the Eurozone leaders) (see Fig. 3). However, Greeks insist that austerity measures are far too severe. Fig. 3. Unemployment Rate in Some Eurozone Countries. The Greek government was in a very difficult position as the Eurozo ne leaders demanded implementation of austerity measures while Greeks demanded governmental support. Many people were waiting for the election which took place in June 2012 (Nadeau, 2012). Democratic forces won, but the election has not led to any outcomes as the new forces failed to form a coalition. Therefore, the Greek government is not ready to choose a path. Now many European analysts consider the so-called Grexit. Some claim that Greece should leave Eurozone as this will positively affect Eurozone as well as Greece (Buiter, 2012). Of course, there are people who think Grexit will negatively affect economies of other Eurozone countries. Supporters of the Grexit claim that this is the only way out, and it is rather inevitable. Admittedly, Greeks have already obtained certain financial support from Eurozone countries. However, Greeks are still reluctant to comply with the rules offered by the Eurozone leaders. This inability to follow the rules makes any other help meaningless or even harmful for economies of other countries. It is clear that the IMF or European Bank cannot afford allocating funds in such a thoughtless way. The Eurozone leaders should understand that Greece will follow the plan which can help the country overcome the crisis. Basically, the Eurozone leaders want Greece to follow their own ways, which have been quite successful. For instance, austerity measures have saved Germany from severe financial constraints and made the country one of the Eurozone leaders. Nonetheless, as has been mentioned above, Greece is too different. Greeks are eager to remain in Eurozone. They want to receive financial help. However, they are not ready for the austerity measures offered. They are still protesting and expressing their discontent with these measures. It is necessary to note that recent elections have confirmed that Greeks will not comply with the rules set by Eurozone leaders. Democratic forces have won. More so, the present leaders claim they are r eady to lead the country using Eurozone leaders’ paths. Therefore, Antonis Samaras, Greek Prime Minister, states that Greece should accept the rules offered as this will help the country overcome the crisis (Nadeau, 2012). However, the Prime Minister has failed to form a coalition so far. This can only mean that the country’s political forces cannot come to a single solution. Of course, it is possible to try to form coalition, but now Greece has the only way out. The country needs one more election. However, this time it is essential to make people reconsider their future in the Eurozone. Political forces should have particular programs to follow. Greeks should understand that their exit from the Eurozone is inevitable. As has been mentioned above, the single European currency is not backed up by a single monetary policy (wage policy, tax policy, etc.). Euro has proved to be inappropriate for Greece. The country should return to drachma which can positively affect the development of the country’s economy. First, it will enable Greeks to work out their own way out. They will not need to comply with the plan which is unacceptable for them due to various political, social and cultural peculiarities. Thus, Greek economy will be separated, so-to-speak. This separation will enable the economy to become a somewhat closed system. Greeks should not rely on other countries’ assistance any more. However, it is important to note that Greece should not leave the EU. Greece should remain a part of various European organizations and incentives. Though, there should be a particular distinction between cooperation and complete reliance on external assistance. Basically, Greece should start from scratch. The first step is to hold another election. People as well as politicians should understand that it is time to cooperate. It is time to forget about any ambitions or personal goals. The country is to be led by a strong political force. The government should not be afraid of launching austerity measures. Of course, these measures should be appropriate. It is also necessary to reintroduce drachma. This Greek currency will help the country become competitive on the global scale. Though, some claim it can be associated with certain risks, the reintroduction of the national currency is inevitable. Of course, this process should be controlled by the government. Reintroduction of drachma should be implemented in several stages. Greek economy should be prepared for the change. In fact, it is necessary to note that all the countries of the EU should turn back to their national currencies as this will lead to financial balance. As has been mentioned above, the countries have different financial policies. It is but natural currencies should also be different. Perhaps, in future the EU countries will manage to work out a common policy (wage, taxes, budgeting policies). This will enable the countries to introduce a common currency. In fact, common currency should be one of the final stages of integration. In case of the Eurozone, introduction of euro was quite a hasty decision. However, there are also positive outcomes as now it is clear that the EU is not ready for a common currency. As far as Greece is concerned, the country should also pay special attention to private debt. The Greek government should not try to decrease private debt at the expense of public debt as it will inevitably lead to another sovereign debt crisis. It is important to note that private debt in Greece can be handled without loans. Fig. 4. Private Debt in % of GDP. Thus, according to Eurostat (2012) other Eurozone countries (even Eurozone leaders) have higher rates of private debt (see Fig. 4). Kouretas and Vlamis (2010) note that private debt was increasing in the period of the economic boom. Therefore, this process is inevitable and it should be handled accordingly. On balance, it is possible to note that the recent European sovereign debt crisis in Greece was caused by a number of reasons. On the one hand, the country failed to cope with the increase of private debt. The government tried to solve the problem with the help of loans from other Eurozone countries. On the other hand, Eurozone countries failed to address the urgent issues which contributed to escalation of the crisis in Greece. Finally, even financial support of the IMF and European bank did not work for the country as Greece was unable to accept the plan offered by Eurozone leaders. Of course, there are specific measures which can be undertaken to help the country overcome the crisis. Firstly, the country should have another election. Secondly, the country should reintroduce drachma. Finally, Greece should not try to handle increase of private debt at the expense of public debt. It is also important to note that the two latter measures can help other Eurozone countries overcome the aftermaths of the financial crisis. Reference List Buiter, W., (2012). Ra ce to save euro will follow ‘Grexit’. Financial Times. Web. De Santis, R. A., (2012). The euro area sovereign debt crisis: Safe haven, credit rating agencies and the spread of the fever from Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Working Papers Series. Web. Eurostat, (2012). Statistics. Web. Kouretas, G. P. Vlamis, P., (2010). The Greek crisis: Causes and implications. Panoeconomicus, 4(1), 391-404. Nadeau, B. L., (2012). No ‘Grexit’ after Antonis Samaras and new democracy win Greek Election. The Daily Beast. Web. Young, B. Semmler, W., (2011). The European sovereign debt crisis: Is Germany to blame? German Politics and Society, 97  (29), 1-24. This essay on The recent European sovereign debt crisis, with particular focus on the Greek case was written and submitted by user Alaina Hatfield to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Plaths Parent Problem The Bell Jar and Poetry free essay sample

This paper addresses Sylvia Plaths bizarre life and poetry. Included are sections on her obsession with death, her mothers estrangement and her turbulent marriage to poet Ted Hughes. The early life of Sylvia Plath was torturous, spent in an unhappy household after the death of her father, at the age of eight. She never fully recovered from the loss, acutely aware due to the strained nature of the relationship with her mother. Her literary works all serve as an outlet to vent her anger at her deceased father, and societal-obsessed mother that focused on appearance.

The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal

The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal Introduction The Enron Scandal, uncovered in 2001, was one of the largest accounting frauds in history. The fraud occurred as a result of accounting gaps and poor financial reporting which allowed top executives to conceal billions of debts from failed deals and projects. The company’s CFO and other executives not only lied to its BOD and audit team on risky accounting norms, but also pressed Arthur Andersen to ignore the issues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arthur Andersen was handling Enron’s auditing activities during this period. As a result of the Enron scandal, shareholders lost billions of dollars and the company was eventually declared bankrupt. Arthur Andersen willingly surrendered its licenses to practice auditing in the US and sold most of its practices (Healy Palepu, 2003). As a result of the scandal, a number of regulat ions were implemented by the government to prevent similar activities from happening again. The most common piece of legislation implemented was the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. Sarbanes–Oxley Act This act was signed into law in 200 and hence sometimes referred to as the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. The act set new or improved standards for all American-based public company boards, management and public accounting and auditing companies (Kuschnik, 2008). The act was enacted following a series of accounting scandals by large corporations in the US, including Enron, Tyco International and WorldCom. The scandals cost shareholders and tax collection agencies billions in dollars, affected share prices, and led to the collapse of some of the companies. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act comprises of 11 titles ranging from supplementary management board roles to criminal penalties, and compels the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement the outlines of the act. Key prov isions of the act include disclosure controls, improper influence on conduct of audits, disclosures in quarterly reports, evaluation of internal controls, and criminal penalties for violating the provisions of the act (Farrell, 2005). Under disclosure controls, the Act sets out internal processes aimed at ensuring accurate financial reporting. The signing officers must verify that they are â€Å"responsible for establishing and maintaining internal controls† and the officers must have assessed the efficiency of the firm’s internal controls as current three months prior to the report (Kuschnik, 2008). Further, external auditors are obliged to provide their opinions on the effectiveness of the internal controls during financial reporting (Kuschnik, 2008). The title on improper influence on conduct of audits states that is illegal for an officer (or any other person acting under the commission’s mandate) to partake in any activity meant to falsely sway, force, infl uence, or misinform any independent public or certified accountant undertaking audit of the financial statements of that company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Under the title on disclosures in quarterly (or periodic) reports, the Act requires the disclosure of all material off-balance sheet items. The SEC is further expected to monitor the use of such instruments and whether accounting doctrines have been thoroughly adhered to in the use of such instruments. Finally, under evaluation of internal control, management is obliged to give an â€Å"internal control report† that confirms the management’s role of setting up and maintaining an acceptable internal control structure and techniques for financial reporting (Kuschnik, 2008). The report must also contain an evaluation as of the end of the most recent financial year of the firm, of the efficiency of the internal control structures and processes. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act has been commended by a number of financial industry experts, quoting enhanced investor confidence and more precise periodic and fiscal financial reports. References Farrell, G. (2005). America Robbed Blind. Texas: Wizard Academy Press. Healy, P. M. Palepu, K. G. (2003). The Fall of Enron. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(2), 7. Kuschnik, B. (2008). The Sarbanes Oxley Act. Business Law Journal, 18(6), 64 – 95.

Sociology Applied 4 (Social Class and Stratification) Essay

Sociology Applied 4 (Social Class and Stratification) - Essay Example In the game rules, the lower class also received the least amount of salary. This reflects upon real life where those who fall under the lower class are victims of poor or minimal pay (Walter, 108). During the game, I experienced minimal mobility as a result of playing under the lower class. My social stratum in the game ensured that I remained fixed to the bottom and mostly experience downward mobility. My game experience reflects the real life experience of people who belong to the lower class. People in the lower class have minimal chance of making it in life due to the minimal chances they get presented with in life. For example, in the game, the lower class only gets one chance to throw the die when trying to get out of jail compared to the other classes that to throw two dice or more. This gives a parallel experience by those in lower class in real life who get minimal chance to get out of hardships. Belonging to different classes impacted on the economic and social interactions during the game. The first interaction occurs when taking turns to play the game. The lower class is the last to make a move after the working class. The only interaction between those in the upper class and lower class was economic (Water 96). This took place as the upper class controlled the bank and its functions. The upper class controlled the bank and thus forcing the other classes to rely on him to provide economic services during the game. The conflict/ social conflict theory best explains the overall perspective of the game. The division of the game into classes provides unfair advantages to various participants. The conflict theory distinguishes the society into various classes, which compete for the scarce resources (Walter, 132). This reflects in the game as the participants get classified according to social classes. This theory also states on how the elite control the poor and weak in the society. In the game, the upper class had more ability ad responsibility

Phonetics Lab work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Phonetics Lab work - Assignment Example say it one time in this paragraph. She say [à °Ã‰â„¢] ‘the’ at the end of the paragraph. All other times she say either /d/ or /s/. She use /d/ instead of /à °/ at the beginning of word and /s/ instead of /à °/ at the end of word. She changes the voiced dental fricative /à °/ to a voiced alveolar stop /d/ at the beginning of word and she changes the voiced dental fricative /à °/ to a voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ at the end of word. The Mandarin phonetic chart show that there is not /à °/ in the language. This maybe why speaker cannot say it. The speaker has trouble saying the front, close-mid vowel /É ª/ and say /i/ instead. /i/ is a front high close vowel. So the speaker raising the front, close-mid vowel /É ª/ to a front high close vowel /i/. The vowel chart for Mandarin show that there is no /É ª/ in the language. This may be why speaker cannot say it. Although she did use /r/ in some words such as [frÊÅ'm] ‘from’ that should be [frÉ’m], [brÊÅ'zÉÅ"] ‘brother’ that should be [brÊÅ'à °Ã‰â„¢], [rÉ›z] ‘red’ that should be [rÉ›d], and [tren] ‘train’ that should be [trein], she left it out in the words above. So she has trouble pronouncing the alveolar trill /r/ and leaves it out many times. She has trouble using the alveolar, lateral approximant /l/ and leaves it out in these words. She can use it some places such as [slà ¦bs] ‘slabs’ that should be [slà ¦bz], in [smal] ‘small’, and in [wil] ‘will’ that should be [wÉ ªl]. Same as the Mandarin speaker, the Thai speaker has trouble saying the front, close-mid vowel /É ª/ and say /i/ instead. /i/ is a front high close vowel. So the speaker raising the front, close-mid vowel /É ª/ to a front high close vowel /i/. The vowel chart for Thai also show that there is no /É ª/ in the

PROSTITUTION -this is for health ethics and law in Canada class Essay

PROSTITUTION -this is for health ethics and law in Canada class - Essay Example This theory fits very well with the argument supporting it, as it teaches that individuals have a duty and a responsibility of acting accordingly regardless of the consequences that will precede their actions (Longworth, 2010). The utilitarian ethical theory states that the choice that yields the greatest benefit to a majority of persons is the choice that is ethically correct. It places the locus of what is wrong and right solely on the outcome of choosing ones interest actions taking into account other peoples interest. The theory is against prostitution law in an effort of reducing suffering or negatives outcomes to the society. The principle based theory focuses on main principles of ethics such as respecting the person’s autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence practice. Thus, it calls for unethical stoppage of prostitution to protect human dignity (Irvine, Osborne, Shariff & Sneiderman, 2013). The ethics of care theory, on the contrary, is in support of prostitution. From the theory, it is important to understand the various degrees of dependence of each individual, as it is essential to consider different situations in an effort to safeguarding and promoting the specific interest of the victims involved. Many individuals see sex work as unethical yet for them; it is a source of live food, and they cannot survive without. This has been supported by moral relativism source of morality that is concerned with the moral judgment’s differences across different cultures. It acknowledges that individuals in one way will disagree about what is ethically moral, but nobody emerges objectively wrong or right (Fisher, 2013). According to subjectivism source of morality, subjectivism is according to the truth condition of utterance that â€Å"prostitution is wrong† from the moral human standard. Thus, it disapproves of the act subjecting it to be morally unethical practicing it. From objectivism based on authority source of

Lifestyles of K-Pop Authors

Lifestyles of K-Pop Authors Kpop or Prison? South Korea is a sovereign state in East Asia, with many rules of etiquette and customs based on traditional Chinese ways, but moulded into a unique culture through industrialization, urbanization and westernization. The author, Sonja Vegdahl Hur stated that lurking behind the sometimes stoic Korean faà §ade is a multitude of emotions. However, in the Kpop industry idols are expected to show a profusion of emotions but have to refine them in order to create an image of complete perfection, this is to attract audiences and conform to the trends in their society. Kpop is a genre that originates from 1980s South Korea and is heavily based on audiovisual content and a fusion of foreign musical elements. They present idols in a debut showcase which consists of television broadcast promotions and online marketing instead of radio. But to get to the stage, idols must go through a tough training period for sometimes many years. Sixty years ago Korea was a war-torn country but is now flourishing. This has been achieved through hard work which has been transferred to education. But the globalisation of an already competitive system has caused too much stress from a young age.   Is being diligent in Korea worth the cost of their mental health? These companies obviously use idols dreams against them as in order to be the best, entertainment industries put idols through gruelling periods of dance, vocal training, learning many languages and instruments. Granted, this method does have strengths; the ingrained idea that success is key to a good life, no matter the cost is a great motivator, but is living their dream worth the stiff price in health and happiness? I dont think so. The proof is in the West. Many artists are extremely popular like Beyoncà ©, yet they never had to learn difficult dance routines or another language to rise to the top. But, this also shows where culture differs, the image of perf ection is not necessarily as important in the West as it is in Korea. Idols are mostly required to dye their hair, wear contacts and get double eye-lid surgery to remove the epicanthic fold in order to appear more perfect and European. All idols participate in music shows such as Inkigayo (like our MTV music charts) where all digital sales, physical album sales, streams and music video views are totalled up and the winner gains the trophy this is vital for the group survival in the industry as if their popularity is in constant decline with hardly no wins the company will most likely drop them and this usually means theyll lose their homes and source of income as its all provided by the company, yet they still have to pay a large proportion for it. Trainees are constantly disciplined by the companies theyre signed under. An ex-SM Entertainment trainee revealed, If you dont improve but youre pretty they tell you to stay underwater and hold your breath for 5 minutes and make you sit in a V and drop basketballs on your stomach when you breathe. This is apparently to encourage the trainee to work harder but it breaches human rights as Korean law prohibits such practices of inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. A famous law suit emerged in 2009. A popular group TVXQ, took their management to court over a 13 year contract which ended with success and the ruling prompted the Fair Trade Commission to bring a model contract in an attempt to improve standards. Another ex-trainee, Stella Kim was interviewed by Le Film Magazine and specified her ordeal during the period she trained under SM; If you were deemed overweight, then you would be weighed in front of everybody and shamed for it. Howbeit, the training affected her even aft er she quit, she went through a stage of anorexia and at her lowest point weighed 90lbs at 5ft 7 along with Korean students at her college in America recognising her and calling her ugly or fat. This shows that training in Korea needs to be reformed as the current method creates idols to develop feelings of self-worthlessness with a distorted set of social values. Soloists and groups need fans in order to keep gaining popularity. However, some fans go overboard and develop a harmful fixation on idols. In Korea theyre called Sasaeng fans. These people are notorious for engaging in actions that inaugurate an invasion of privacy. For example, a member of JYJ, Yoochun found that his home and parking lot had CCTV cameras installed by Saesangs. On the other hand is the opposite extreme, anti-fans. This refers to the torment of idols where people construct organisations to mentally and physically threaten idols. They have committed many crimes and go to extreme methods such as, Yoon Kye-Sang from the group G.O.D who received a drink adulterated with bleach and laundry chemicals which was drunk by his mother, who had to hospitalised. Idols are heavily criticised for appearance in Korea as there is a massive expectation of perfection. A case with girl group Red Velvet, included comments against their youngest member, Yeri who was only 17 at the time, w here netizens internet citizens wrote derogatory sexually explicit comments about her on a live show. In comparison to Western artists, Kpop idols work considerably harder for a little amount of freedom and profit. A comment on a website, Quora mentioned that, Kpop isnt about selling music its about selling idols people that fans worship.   Furthermore, Kpop artists are overworked; F(x)s Krystal collapsed on stage due to fatigue as sleeping only 2 hours a day became too much to handle, whilst forced to perform. Even after training life for idols is still stressful and difficult. 9MUSES ex-member, Sera mentioned in the documentary, No one treats me as a human being. But idols have to abide by the contracts and stick with the companies until it ends. The contracts allow the companies to take away human rights and basic freedoms which any ordinary person would have. For example, the right to contact family and under the Korean Labour Standards Act it says working hours per week should not exceed 40 hours. In the i-D Magazine (fashion culture magazine), 2NE1 member CL stated, You have to be perfect. You have to perform well, you shouldnt date anyone and fans have a standard image, especially with girls because boys can date anyone.   This conveys the issue of sexism in Korea. Statistics from a picture on Instagram revealed that there was at least a 10 million Won ( £6839.32) pay gap between male and female idols. An actress, Jang Ja Yeon, age 29 committed suicide and explained in a let ter that her former agency CEO, Kim Sung Hun had forced her to meet influential people at parties to provide sexual favours in order to keep her job. In conclusion, Kpop life and training is far worse than artists from Europe. They have more freedom and arent always faced with the difficulty of being from a different nation. To improve conditions, I think companies could (and should) let their idols sleep more, eat, wear and sing what they want. To be more equal, both genders should be paid for doing the same thing and whilst training be allowed more free time to rest and be treated more like a human being and not an object to gain the company more money and fame. Whilst netizens complain about idols low health, they should in fact criticise their companies more in order to make a change and the industry must realise that the combination of extremely high standards and a lifestyle that makes those standards impossible to meet wont make idols happy or able produce content to the best of their ability. Therefore, they deserve better working conditions. Bibliography Primary Source: Culture Shock! Korea, by Sonja Vegdahl Hur, published October 1st 1992 Date read: 30/09/16 Primary Source: i-D Magazine, CL versus Jeremy Scott, published April 22nd 2013 Date Read: 19th September 2016 Primary Source:   9 Muses of Star Empire, Documentary DVD, made in 2012 Date Watched: 24th August 2016 Secondary Source: http://www.asianjunkie.com/2016/02/19/stella-kim-who-was-almost-an-snsd-member-talks-about-her-time-in-korea/ Le Film Magazine interview Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://nextshark.com/stella-kim-snsd-interview Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35368705 Date accessed: 19th September 2016 Secondary Source: http://seoulbeats.com/2012/04/open-world-entertainment-and-the-ugly-side-of-kpop/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/suicides-in-korean-entertainment-scene-5-celebs-who-took-their-own-lives Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.kpopbehind.com/2014/03/kpop-behind-scenes-kpop-idols-trainee.html Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: http://kpopsecrets.tumblr.com/post/61623658107/confessions-of-an-ex-sm-trainee Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.wattpad.com/192489278-my-experiences-as-kpop-trainee-temporary-trainee Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/ex-sm-entertainment-trainee-reveals-the-reality-of-trainee-life/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://extrakorea.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/how-k-pop-trainees-are-mistreated/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/07/13-extreme-accounts-of-sasaeng-fans Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/interactive/11-extremely-disturbing-sasaeng-stories-idols/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/netizens-mock-red-velvet-calling-them-pig-velvet-claiming-they-all-got-fat/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/03/netizen-calls-red-velvets-joy-dirty-because-of-her-sweat-stain Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/04/red-velvets-yeri-gets-hate-from-netizens-again Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/09/red-velvets-yeri-encountered-sexual-and-hate-comments-during-live-broadcast Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/news/idol-group-abused-agency/ Date accessed: 02/10/16 Secondary Source: http://beyondhallyu.com/k-pop/k-pop-slave-contracts-a-closer-look/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://seoulbeats.com/2012/06/at-odds-idol-working-conditions-and-the-entertainment-biz/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.koreaboo.com/video/9-shocking-times-idols-fainted-collapsed-stage/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://antikpopfangirl.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-differences-between-k-pop-and.html Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-major-differences-between-the-K-pop-industry-and-the-American-pop-industry Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-cultural-differences-between-South-Korea-and-the-USA Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.mykoreanhusband.com/tag/cultural-differences/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://kpopselca.com/forum/general/i-just-feel-like-kpop-is-soo-unhealthy-after-reading-this-t27173/ Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/61110/20150810/former-exo-members-tao-luhan-and-kris-treated-unfairly-due-to-ethnicity-chinese-stars-get-mixed-reactions-from-fans-on-social-media.htm Date accessed: 01/10/16 Secondary Source: http://listverse.com/2015/05/19/10-horrifying-realities-from-the-world-of-asian-pop-music Date accessed: 03/10/16 Secondary Source: http://874422525907122389.weebly.com/blog/how-korean-idols-are-mistreated Date accessed: 03/10/16 Secondary Source: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130513111334AAZODVC Date accessed: 01/10/16

Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees

| Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees| Awesome| Julia Gao Helen HuHannah Hung Chimeme Pan Johnson SunMandy WongYidi YuElaine Zhu| | 4/15/2013| | Motivation in Economic Downturn for Surviving Employees 1. Executive summary The global economy experiences a downturn every five to ten years nowadays. During such financial crises, organizations might have to face the issue of lay-off in order to reduce cost and survive from the downturn. Apart from the negative effects on the unemployed, those survivors also go through a hard time.This report has firstly investigated possible negative effects on remaining employees. It is found that survivor syndrome, including five major types, occurs among survivors. Besides, four relevant solutions for managers are provided to minimize the negative influence on remaining employees and to support future development of the company. Lastly, current issues and concerns with respect to motivation maintenance are also discussed for feasib ility. 2. Introduction During the financial crisis, many organizations are downsizing and laying off their employees.A major factor that contributes to the failure of most organizations to achieve their objectives after downsizing is that they do not adequately and effectively address the â€Å"people factor† related to surviving employees throughout the process. In other words, most companies focus on comforting the leavers instead of concerning the negative effects on the survivors. Survivor Syndrome is a mental condition that occurs when people perceives themselves to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not.In the field of management, it refers to the negative psychological and physical impact that originations’ layoffs bring to the remaining workers (Cascio, 1993). In this report, we identified 5 major negative effects on survived employees and provide possible solutions to the managers. 3. Major negative effects 3. 1 Psychological effect s 1. Job insecurity. Survivors wonder how long they will be able to keep their jobs, and they worry that they are not prepared to find work elsewhere, or that there are no comparable outside jobs.Since survivors are at the risk of losing jobs, they no longer regard themselves as an integral organization member, as which they are responsible for the future of organization. 2. Depression, anxiety and fatigue. The process is demoralizing and stressful for the managers who must lay off employees, as well as for employees who lose friends and colleagues. After the layoffs, more work and more pressure to perform, mentally and emotionally drained after survival. 3. Reduced risk-taking and creativity.Many survivors are afraid to face challenging jobs, accept a new task, or discuss a work-related problem for fear that they expose themselves to criticism or poor performance appraisals and become the target of future layoff. As a result, they are receptive to their status quo as being â€Å"s afe† instead of taking initiative. 4. Distrust and betrayal. Doubts may arise about the wisdom of the layoff choices when survivors believe that someone laid off is more capable than a remaining one.The feeling of unfairness can lead to worries about the transparency of organization operation thus causing distrust and possible job-hopping. 3. 2 Physical effect Apart from the psychological negative effects, layoffs may also influence the physical health of the survivors. Great pressure and heavy workload can have a bad impact on employees’ immune system. Under this situation, people are probably to have more physical symptoms, like stomachache, headache and cold. 4. Solutions for managers The following are four solutions provided to minimize negative effects on survivors. . 1 Open Communication Research has proposed that procedural justice, which is the perceived fairness of the process used to determine distribution of rewards, has a critical role to play in the managem ent of employee organizational commitment, trust in the corporations and turnover intentions. Hence in times of uncertainty and fear, increasing the perception of procedural justice is the key to rebuild trust and confidence among the employees and hence combat the Layoff Survivor Syndrome. This could be achieved through open communication. . 1. 1 Communicate about the downsizing Managers could pursue promoting perceived fairness and transparency through openly addressing the downsizing event, explaining explicitly and honestly the rationale as well as procedure for the layoffs and illustrating how the action of downsizing will lead to future organizational success. Open-book management, a strategy that is designed to help facilitate the communication process, is widely adopted by many recognizable corporations such as the HSBC Group and Cathay Pacific during downsizing.Through disclosure of the detailed business and financial information, the practice provides employees with insigh ts into the company’s situation and hence the rationale for layoffs. Moreover, the approach empowers employees to take ownership of their work as they are now fully aware of the implications of their actions on the company’s performance. As a result, they are motivated to take the initiative to help reduce cost. Furthermore, managers should be candid about the potential drawbacks of the policy.For instance, while downsizing inevitably leads to increased workload and prolonged working hours that create an overwhelming stress for the survivors, timely and quality communication with the employees about their new roles and responsibilities is hence imperative to help them better manage the pressure and maintain employee morale and productivity. 4. 1. 2 Communicate about the future Goal Setting Theory clearly demonstrates that working towards a goal is a major source of job motivation.Effective communication about the organization’s post-layoff goals and visions is t herefore important in maintaining and strengthening employee commitment. Regular update on the organization’s long term strategies will further reinforce trust and confidence among the employees, as not only does the action assure them that the leadership is actively solving the problems, but also conveys a clear message that they are being valued and respected by the company. While open ommunication should be encouraged at all levels, special attention should be devoted to the group of employees who are highly skilled and professional in their field due to their great inclination to leave for greener pastures in times of uncertainty, as well as those who are personally affiliated with the laid off as they tend to experience the greatest emotional toll from loss of their co-workers. 4. 2 Job reassignment Job reassignment means to redesign individual roles according to their talents and background.Job reassignment is essential in clarifying everyone’s duty in order to a ssure that the company can still function normally. And in another aspect, proper job reassignments may also to some extent reduce the negative effects on survivors such as job insecurity and anxiety. 4. 2. 1 Job design Here are some suggested actions for job redesign, including combining tasks, creating natural work units, establishing internal or external client relationships, expanding jobs vertically, and opening feedback channels.The actions mentioned above provide the survivors with more and better opportunities to develop their skills and to take the responsibility. Since the workload of individual survivor usually becomes heavier, what managers can do might be making the job more motivating for the survivors. They will help the survivors to experience the meaningfulness of their work, and also have higher working satisfaction. It will also be able to keep survivors from feeling passed over during the downsizing; they must be assured of their value, which will reduce their jo b insecurity. 4. 2. Training and supporting programs Besides job design, managers should do a lot more work in order to assure that job reassignment is being carried out successfully, in which training and supporting programs should be offered. Sometimes in the haste of layoffs, employees are shifted to new assignments without appropriate preparation such as job insecurity and lack of confidence in competency. It is found that â€Å"people are uneasy because they are not sure what they are supposed to be doing, who they should be accountable to, or if they are doing a good job†(Wexley & Silverman, 1993).In the wake of a downsizing, managers are suggested to sit down with each employee to help clarify his or her new role. Employees need to know what expectations have changed and how those changes may have an impact on their daily work. Research shows that most employees find great comfort in knowing exactly what they're working toward and exactly what's expected of them. Addit ionally, a large portion of anxiety is caused by lacking confidence in competency. Survivors worry that they will not be competent in their newly restructured job functions that the survivors do not ever possess.So immediately after layoffs, employees should be trained on how to handle new tasks or responsibilities. 4. 3 Pay-for-performance As the expectancy theory states motivation= expectation *instrumentality * valance, in relation to effort, performance and rewards. Therefore, we suggest the pay-for-performance scheme to work alongside this theory. The general idea is rewarding through the recognition of work done by overachievers, thus encouraging performance levels. There are, however, several takes to this approach according to Stephen O’Bryne. . 3. 1 Pay versus target pay is tied to performance Some companies believe that pay-for-performance is best reached by awarding compensation when the performance level is above a target level, thus a decrease if it is below targ et level. Companies such as Procter and Gamble are known to use this method. For example, in its 2010 proxy statement, P&G describes pay for performance this way: â€Å"We pay above target when goals are exceeded and below target when goals are not met. † 4. 3. 2 Pay doesn’t go up when performance is poorThis method defines pay for performance in terms of performance and pay changes. In its 2008 U. S. proxy voting guidelines, ISS said it would vote against compensation committee members when â€Å"the company has a pay ­for ­performance disconnect,† defined as an increase in pay coupled with a decrease in performance. 4. 3. 3 Pay versus market pay is tied to performance Adopting target pay/prior year pay as a benchmark for assessing pay-for-performance has led some companies to focus on market pay instead.Companies such as Dow Chemical and CSX agree that superior performance should lead to above market pay and poor performance should lead to below market pay . 4. 3. 4 Pay percentile equals Performance percentile If a company provides target levels of pay at or above a particular percentile but the performance does not meet the percentile of peer companies, the firm should redesign its compensation strategy to align it with the organization’s compensation. This can help the situation as it recognizes the efforts of individuals and thus boosting the general morale of the employees.Limitation in this approach lies in deciding the target levels. For example, some companies may adopt a needlessly high target pay level which may result in the rewarding of poorly behaved executives with pay levels that, albeit lower than those for well performing executives, remain above the market. 4. 4 Individualized recognition and reassurance People have social esteem needs such as recognition and belongingness. Employee recognition and reassurance is a critical issue especially when a company is dealing with downsizing, where the survivors are both physically and psychologically affected.Here are 4 detailed ways to raise employee recognition. 4. 4. 1 Offer reassurance whenever possible Recognition is the essentially positive feedback that lets employees know they are valued and appreciated by their  co-workers, supervisors and the organization. Employee recognition could be raised from daily works to formal events. Certainly, special tasks, important meetings and awards presentation are good chances for creating employees’ sense of belongings and self-actualization. Apart from those formal situations, bonuses and prizes, daily appreciation and reassurance are also important.By sending thank-you email or a handwritten note of praise, employees would feel that their hard work is being rewarded. Then, they will be more motivated and continue to work harder (Murdock, 2010). 4. 4. 2 Provide counseling for survivors for further development Counseling can take the format of buddy program in which manager acts as mentor and employee as mentee. Manager may meet with employees on an individual or small-group basis to devise a personal plan for goal achievement. By doing this, the survivors will be aware of the opportunities they still have remaining in the company.Besides, a feedback system can also be established where the employees give feedback about their progress in achieving individualized goals and managers help to evaluate and make improvement on their plan at the same time (Boyd, 2013). The program serves as a channel for mutual communication in the company. Therefore, remaining employees can release the distress brought about by downsizing. 4. 4. 3 Continue to communicate, especially one-to-one Individualized communication would be a modified way to boost morale based on different personality type of employees.By communicating with employees individually, managers are able to understand their feelings and problems and offer helps to improve the situations (jobsDB HK, 2007). Also, they could rea lize employees’ personalities and take them into account when designing plans for reducing negative effects from lay-off. For instance, for an employee with need for affiliation according to the Three-Needs Theory, he/she probably prefers a social event to renew his/her personal network. As a result, surviving employees could be easily motivated. 5. ConclusionThis report discusses 5 negative effects on employees who have survived organization’s layoff and the corresponding solutions. Layoffs due to the financial crisis can lead to physical problems and a series of negative psychological effects including job insecurity, depression, anxiety and fatigue, reduced risk-taking and creativity, distrust and betrayal. Facing such a situation, open communication, job reassignment, pay for performance, and individualized recognition & reassurance are the four corresponding solutions suggested. However, the real situation is much more complicated, where more issues should be take n into consideration.One concern is the diversity of workforce. Different employees have different values, backgrounds, making it challenging for managers to identify and satisfy their needs. Another concern is the culture difference. Most current motivation theories are based on the situation in the United States and managers cannot assume that motivational programs well fit in their own case. Therefore, it is suggested that managers should incorporate local cultural factors and personal characteristics when dealing with the downsizing negative effects. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Cascio, W. F. (1993).Downsizing: what do we know? What have we learned. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 95-104. [ 2 ]. Wexley, K. N. , & Silverman, S. B. (1993). Working Scared: Achieving Success in Trying Times Jossey-Bass. [ 3 ]. Murdock, K. (2010). Boosting Morale of Employees Important During Tou gh Times: How You Can Do It in Three Easy Steps. The Washington Post. [ 4 ]. Boyd, J. (2013). How to Motivate Employee Performance. eHow. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/how_5996416_motivate-employee-performance. html [ 5 ]. JobsDB HK. (2007). Boost Staff Morale. Retrieved from http://hk. jobsdb. com/HK/EN/Resources/EmployerArticle/morale? ID=500

Australia Pre-Primary Education Industry Essay

Rising Traction of Private Players to Foster Growth of Australia Pre-primary Education Industry: Ken Research The pre-primary education and childcare markets in Australia have showcased separate growth trajectory over the years. The pre-primary market in Australia is an emerging market characterized by the rising awareness about the quality early childhood education and care amongst parents. Although the public spending on the pre-primary education in Australia is amongst the lowest spending countries in the OECD, the government has taken substantial steps to promote the access and the importance of the pre-primary education amongst the masses. The regional pre-primary markets in each of the state or territory differ from another as the governing system is decentralized. Henceforth while the market-run kindergartens account for a dominant share in the states such as New South Wales, Victoria and Queens land, in states including Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, a vast majority of preschools are government funded and run. Subsequently, the format of education and age-group of the children varies accordingly. The childcare market in Australia is a developed and matured market and is marked by a high degree of fragmentation. The childcare market caters to children aged up to twelve and has experienced a steady growth in the last six years, propelled by high demand prevailing in the market. In the last few years, childcare market has been increasingly recognized by the government as a means of increasing women’s employability in the workforce. Henceforth, various provisions such as Child Care Rebates, Child Care Benefit have been provided, which has encouraged increasing enrollments in this sector. The market revenues of the childcare market have increased from USD 7,081. 6 million in FY’2008 at a CAGR of 5. 6% during FY’2008-FY’2012. The marketplace of pre-primary education and childcare industry in Australia has witnessed a growing number of market players after the fall of the market leader ABC Learning in FY’2008. A majority of the ABC centers was taken over by Goodstart Learning, a nonprofit organization, which accounted for ~% of the market share of the childcare market in FY’2012. Other major players include G8 education and KU children services. The market has showcased an increasing number of profit-making players over the years, owing to the growing attractiveness of the market. With the increasing number of Long-day care centers providing preschool education, the pre-primary education market of Australia has been reflecting signs of growing integration with the childcare market. As the number of nuclear families and women workers has grown in the Australian economy, the dependency on child care has also consequently increased, leading to many preschools providing child care services as well. The report â€Å"Australia Pre-primary Education and Childcare Industry Outlook to FY’2017† provides detailed overview on the pre-primary education and childcare industry from various perspectives. The report encloses a comprehensive analysis of the various segments of the market reflecting the present scenario and future growth affected by changing industry dynamics in coming years. Additionally, the report also entails information about the public and private sector initiatives, rational analysis of the macroeconomic factors, along with the profiles of the major market players of the pre-primary education and childcare industry. The report will help industry consultants, companies and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in future. For more information on the industry research report please refer to the below mentioned link: http://www. kenresearch. com/education/pre-school-education/australia-pre-primary-educationresearch-report/398-99. html The report titled â€Å"Australia Pre-Primary Education and Childcare Industry Outlook to FY’2017Increasing Influx of Private Players to Foster Industry Revenues† provides a detailed analysis of the preprimary education and childcare industry covering various aspects including market size of pre-primary education and childcare markets in terms of revenues, enrollments, establishments and number of teachers, and market segmentation on the basis of gender and region-wise enrollments and type of funding institutions along with ongoing trends in the industry. The report also includes competitive landscape and profiles of the major players operating in the industry. The future projections are included to provide an insight on the prospects in the Australia childcare market. The pre-primary and childcare industry of Australia is a diverse market which has undergone significant changes over the years. The pre-primary education and childcare markets in Australia are distinguished by the age-group of the target population and the mode of education. The childcare market of Australia is a matured market serving to children aged up to twelve. The type of services provided in the Australian market is quite diverse catering to the various needs and requirement of the families. The revenues of the child care market have grown strongly over the years, with supply largely keeping in pace with demand. Over the past years, child care in Australia has evolved from a form of early learning and education to a key mechanism to support labor force participation. The market for the childcare is competed by private businesses, communities and government run centres. The pre-primary education market of Australia is an emerging market marked by low penetration of the services. The enrollment rates for the children aged 3 and above are still very low. The formats and settings for preschool education in Australia vary from one state or territory to another with departments of education responsible for governing the preschool sector each state. Consequently, the market setting of pre-primary education sector is assorted, with Queensland being one of states which has mandated the admission in the pre-primary education for young kids. Preschool programs in Australia are run by both government and non-government services, including community preschools and child care providers. The competitive landscape of the Australia pre-primary and childcare industry is quite fragmented which has witnessed increasing market entries over the years after the fall of ABC Learning in FY’2008, the market leader the industry. Presently, the childcare market of the industry features a number of players which operate on non-profit basis. However, the increasing influx of the profit-making players has been driving the revenues of the market in recent years. Goodstart Learning, G8 education and KU children services constitute some of the major players of the industry. The pre-primary education and childcare industry in Australia has been witnessing growing integration of the pre-primary and childcare markets with the increasing number of Long day care centers with preschool programs in the country. Preschools with childcare facilities are increasingly becoming a common phenomenon, with increasing trend of customized services being offered by the providers. Computer-based education has also entered into the preschool segment, reflecting the increasing quality of the education imparted.

buy custom Assessment of the Role of Silence in Business Interactions essay

buy custom Assessment of the Role of Silence in Business Interactions essay Silence influences either negatively or positively in the field of communication. It can make or break relationships, create discomforts and tensions, or lead to peace and calm. Silence can denote either yes or no. The apparent silence is not really a void it is a powerful means of communication; you are sending out a message to the other one through your clothes, facial expression changes, and even the way one is sitting this all indicate boredom, interest, animosity, or indifference. Even without making any efforts, the volumes of information pass to and fro through silence. Silence is the opposite of talking. But it is not negative it is not omitting out anything in communication. Silence does not become a barrier to communicating (Panko, R 2009). Silence is a vibrant tool for the communication in business. Business is basically a deal involving money and goods transactions that will ultimately benefit both parties as well as the community. With both parties trying to squeeze out the maximum tempers might easily get frayed. But a good businessman knows that growling is received from nowhere. Here silence is invaluable as it leaves the issue pending and unanswered, and yet a message is conveyed being more powerful than blunt words (Applbaum 2004). Communication may be either verbal or non-verbal. Under the latter, facial expressions, postures, gestures and voice tone are included. These are the important tools in business interactions. A small businessperson can use it for getting across a message or to interpret a message that has been received. Sometimes, however, the non-verbal communication contradicts with the verbal one in a sense that silence is more evocative and truer than the string of words. A study provided by Herta A. Murphy together with Herbert W. Hilderbrandt has noted this in Effective Business Communication. In fact, from 60% to 90% of the gist of content can be conveyed through the silent clues. Hence, the importance of silence in business communication should not be overlooked but given due its importance (Andrad 2004; Mitchell 2004; Stafford 2004). In the non-verbal communication, three elements are present the appearance, the body language, and sounds (not words). As with the oral communication, in the non-verbal interaction the appearance has an impact on the dress code, make up, grooming, hairstyle, etc.; this could play its part in drawing the attention of the listener. The dcor of the room too will have a telling effect on those people listening (Barr 2000). The body language, in particular facial expressions, can convey direct messages that the verbal part of communication will not be able to give. The expressions flitting across the face show up the hidden emotions that could be in contradiction with the spoken words. Gesturing and posturing as well are the important conveyers of messages; they are being more evocative than words. For example, a manager speaking with his feet on the table could indicate confidence and determination, while an employee leaning forward on the table to listen could mean that he or she is interested. However, the continuous use of gestures and postures could be distracting and disturbing while betraying nervousness (Berkovitch 2006; Narayanan 2006). Thirdly, the non-verbalsounds play an important part in interaction: the tone, the rate, and the volume of voice and even laughter clearing of ones throat or humming can be communicative by its nature. The effect of scent and physical contact like the pressure during a handshake can speak volumes silently. The total silence can convey a gap in understanding and even some harsh feelings, while discussing face-to-face (Chamberlain, K 2009). People rarely think that failing to act is a kind of communication. The non-verbal communication, unlike the verbal one, is not organized. Currently, the studies are being carried on the information dispatched through the non-verbal means. Communication means the transferring of information from one person to another one. The majority spends nearly three fourths of their waking time communicating their thoughts, knowledge and view points to others. Many fail to note that the bulk of this transfer is through some non-verbal means and not through writing or talking (Benton 1994). The silent way of communicating is through an eye contact, the voice tone modulation, posturing, etc. It also refers to the clothes one chooses to wear or the silence that is intentionally kept. The non-verbal cues, while interacting, are given more importance than the verbal ones. For instance, a person might wish you to be well but the expression in his eyes does not say so; his clenched fists belie his animosity although words may be honey coated (Chamberlain, K 2009). Silence is often beneficial while interacting in business circles and at workplaces. Attention is drawn invariably to the silent person during his speeches. Silence can control anger; and this is vital in the business world where emotions have to be tempered while handling deals and difficult situations. Silence represents a passive dissent although no direct challenge is thrown (Chamberlain, K 2009). Silence can be used not to greet an unwelcome intruder without being explicit. By being silent the astute businessman can avoid a topic without commitment. Silence can cut a short irrelevant chatter that wastes the time. Silence can indicate that the subject is a taboo. To be a top grade leader of the team, the manager has to successfully interact with other members. Silence is one such methods of communication (Foss, NJ 2005). Distance is a factor. The gap between one person and the other one signifies either attraction or a status depending on the milieu or the cultural background. Orientation is another factor. It means how the one is presented frontal, sideways or sometimes showing a rear portion implying volumes. For instance, cooperators sit side by side while competitors sit facing each other. Posture is another point to note. One may slouch, while the other one may be sitting or standing erect. The crossing of legs and arms akimbo also convey emotions. This communication sends the message of formality or relaxation during the exchange of communications (Mason, M 1999). Physical contact is vital. The shaking of hands, the pat on the shoulders, the embrace, the pushing back all are laced with the inner language. It conveys either an intimate feeling or a sense of rejection. Then, there are the all powerful facial expressions, the smile, the frown, the raised eyebrow, the yawn and the sneer. Duuring the interaction, the facial expressions keep continually changing, and the recipient constantly notes it. Across global cultures, the facial expressions more or less convey the same type of meaning. The movement of hands conveys its meaning as well (Berkovitch 2006; Narayanan 2006). Some of the meanings are specific to certain cultures, while others like the clenched fist have a universal connotation. The importance of eye contact cannot be over emphasized. The eyes are the windows of the soul. They convey interest, indifference, boredom, hatred, or warmth (Andrad 2004; Mitchell 2004; Stafford 2004). Kinesis or body language is one of the best ways to gauge the managerial potential of the executive. It is more important to note what he is doing rather than listening to what he is saying. This is an analysis of movement. If one extends a hand straightly during the interview, or if one leans forward, then the person can be a good operator for any organization that requires the injection of energy to bring about a radical change (Galbraith 2000). While shaking ones hands if one stands up straightly then the person is good at selling whether himself or the company in which he is employed. If, while talking, the person occupies extra space with moving around the arms, then he is both good as an informer and listener. Such an individual will be ideal for an organization that needs a change in the direction it is leading (Panko, R 2009). Many are now learning to rehearse these movements to make an impression but when there is the disharmony between the facial expression and the limb movement the cat gets out of the bag and the trick is exposed. Spacing is an important factor. Those higher up in the ladder will keep a bigger gap and will keep to the improved protection of the territory; they will not have any difficulty in invading the territories of those lower ones in the rung of the ladder (Mason, M 1999). Silence can be communicated through the environment tables, chairs, desks, bookshelves, and the like drawing into its ambit the design of the office. Some cut up the office into impersonal and personal areas. This betters the purpose for which the particular space is utilized. The size of the desk, for instance, indicates the status and the position of any user. The window numbers, the carpet quality and the wall paintings all silently convey a message. Another factor is how long the one is being silent. How much time do you need to allow your staff to speak; how long will you keep them waiting, and do you stick to the time-schedule? In a healthy business atmosphere, there is a balance among all these elements (Foss, NJ 2005). In conclusion, it should be noted that many find silence as oppressive and rush in with uncalled for the words to fill such kind of void. Thus, it is better to say nothing if you have nothing to say rather than rattling like an empty vessel. But it is the silence of Socrates when he said he did not know anything that cost him his life. Thus, we see that silence is not a vacuum but pregnant and poignant with its meaning much more than the empty vessels making a lot of noise. The executives in the corporate sector are now becoming more and more aware of the significance of silence through the non-verbal communication. They are engaging professionals into the field to do the analysis. Buy custom Assessment of the Role of Silence in Business Interactions essay

Relation between Amnesia and Consciousness

Relation between Amnesia and Consciousness Abstract Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. Human beings exhibit different behaviors. The behavior that an individual portrays is controlled by the mind because people act as per their thoughts. People have different personalities whereby another dislikes a behavior, which one cherishes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Relation between Amnesia and Consciousness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The term consciousness is defined as the state of mind in which one is aware of what he/she is doing. Conscious persons control his mind in determining what to do and what not to do and the time. Since the person acts in his right senses, he is accountable for results of his actions. There are some instances in which people act out of consciousness. An individual can get involved in a very bad act but he does not know whether he has committed any sin. Consciousness involves prior plans because people act according to their plans. The state of mind determines the condition in which one performs his actions. Amnesia is a condition in which memory is lost totally or partially. The term memory is used to refer to the remembrance of things, which happened sometimes back as well as keeping in mind events taking place presently. The Limbic system is a region in the brain whose function is to retrieve memories already stored in the brain. The limbic system is composed of hippocampus, amygdale and the cortex. The lymphatic system enables the functioning of the endocrine system as well as the feelings and emotions (Holland, 2003). If the lymphatic system is interfered with, amnesia is likely to occur. Since Amnesia deals with mind, it is important in the scientific study of consciousness. Literature Review Chapter Overview The scientific study of human and animal behavior is referred to as psychology. Psychology is also concerned with the methods that affect and change the behavior of pe ople. The study of behavior and processes of mind is collectively referred to as psychology. Psychologists are mainly interested in the study of behavior and characteristics of people. A study of psychology includes issues that take place from individual’s day of birth to death. Psychology became a discipline on its own in the 17th century during Greeks time. During this time, Rene Descartes a French philosopher introduced the idea of dualisms, which asserted that human body is made up of two different parts, the body and the mind.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The study of mind was supposed to be independent. Nature versus nurture theories of human behavior also explain the role played by psychology. According to the nature theory, human behavior is genetic. During the process of mutation, character traits are passed from the parents to the child so that the child behaves much more like the parents. The nurture theory is based on the assumption that human behavior depends on the environment in which an individual is brought up. Background Modern psychologists use scientific methods to study human behavior as well as his thoughts. Physiology has contributed a lot towards the emergence of psychology as a discipline. In the study of brain and behavior, physiologists applied scientific methods in an attempt to understand human behavior and thoughts. Wilhelm Wundt founded psychology in 1979. He started the first Experimental psychology lab at Leipzig. In his book, â€Å"Principles of Physiological Psychology†, he defined psychology as the study of human consciousness. He aimed at carrying out research to understand internal processes of mind .He used a method he referred to as introspection. Introspection is the process through which an individual examines and reports his/her thoughts, feeling and impressions for a period. It invo lves observing the functioning of the brain to understand the laws that govern the mind. The process occurs consciously in mind. The behavior that individuals display is based on the thoughts. Behaviorists who suggest that psychology should base on objectives and ways, which can be measured, have criticized the method. Psychologists shifted their attention from consciousness and sensation to measurable behavior. There are two major schools of thought in psychology. Structuralism was founded by Edward Titchener, a former student of Wundt founded the first major school of thought .Structuralism is the perception that mental experiences is made up of simple events. Structuralists are mainly concerned with the components of mind. Structuralists argue that consciousness of human beings can be divided in to smaller parts. Structural psychology aimed at describing consciousness in its basic elements, putting together these components and determining the relationship to each other as well a s their relationship to the nervous system. Edward classified sensations and thoughts as the major components of mind. The method used in structuralism was unreliable. This is because of the use of subjective methods in the study of the structures of mind. It is also blamed for emphasizing much on the internal behavior, which cannot be observed daily. There is no actual way of measuring internal behavior.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Relation between Amnesia and Consciousness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Functional psychology is concerned with the process through which the mind acts and functions instead of what it contains. Functionalism was advocated for by William James and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. It was a reaction against structuralism. They used systematic and accurate ways of explaining the processes of mind. In addition to elements of consciousness, functionalists were als o interested in studying the purpose of behavior. They also dealt with differences between people, for instance, people have different levels of understanding in schools. Functionalists wanted to know reasons behind this. Amnesia is related to scientific study of consciousness. This is because the behavior that an individual exhibits depends on the state of mind. Amnesia affects the consciousness of an individual because it changes the way in which the brain functions. When people loose memory, they loose the control of their brain and therefore do things unconsciously. For example, mad persons do things unconsciously. They do things, which can never be done by a person in his right senses. Such people walk naked and eat food remainders from garbage. They are not in control of their mind and therefore do not have the knowledge that what they are doing is wrong. Such people have already lost their awareness. Consciousness is therefore influenced by amnesia. Amnesia is related to cons ciousness in the sense that if an individual is amnesiac he is likely act unconsciously (Blackmore, 2005). There are three main categories of human memories. After the creation of a memory, it is stored regardless of the time duration. There are many events, which take place in people’s lives, and if they are accommodated in the brain, it will be overworked. These stages help in sorting the information so that the most important things are permanently stored in the brain. They are sensory, short-term and long-term memory. Sensory memory involves the remembrance caused by stimulus received through the senses. People may remember something after seeing it (iconic memory), hearing a particular sound (echoic memory) or even touching it (haptic memory). Sensory memory is short term as events, which are of importance at that particular time, are stored in the brain. In short- term memory information is stored for a limited time. The capacity of remembrance is low such that only few things are stored. Valuable information is transferred from the short term to long-term memory so that they are retained for remembrance after a long period. This memory stores large volumes of data. For example, the information that students learn in schools is stored permanently in their brains. This helps them later during their exams (Blackmore, 2005).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the process of remembering something, information is willingly retrieved from unconscious level to the conscious mind. People are different in remembering where some people remember various things better than others do. Some people are said to have good memories while others poor. People who have problems of remembrance and are physically fit, it is not an implication that the whole memory system is damaged, part of the memory system is not functioning. When an individual keeps books on the drawer before going to sleep, the mind should register where the books were kept. One should pay attention to the storage place or else he will not remember the following day. The information is stored in the mind for future retrieval. If the memory system is working well, the person will find it easy to remember the following day. Difficulties in remembering may be due to lack of proper registration of the storage place, failure to retain what was registered in ones mind or poor memory retrie val. The above stages are very important in ensuring proper remembrance Relation between amnesia and consciousness. Distractions during encoding can make an individual to forget (Blackmore, 2005). Amnesia comes in different forms. The most common form is called anterograde amnesia. It involves the inability to retain and recall events, which happened after the condition. Patients find it hard remember things that have just happened in their lives. If you ask them of their last diet, they will not be in a position to tell. Another characteristic of those patients is their tendency to talk of disorderly things. They may be explaining things, which never happened, in the real sense. In this case, their minds are full of fabricated events. Dementia and Alzheimers diseases have such characteristics. Some Patients forget the events, which took place before the beginning of Amnesia. This is called retrograde amnesia. It mainly occurs because of head injuries. Some patients lose memory of t he events in the previous hours completely. This condition is mostly found among the old people. The conditions disorient the patients so that they keep asking the same questions repeatedly. Those people may not know where they are, what they do and some cannot tell their names. Other mental diseases like madness contribute to memory loss (Elchenbaum Cohen, 1995). Amnesia is also caused by drug abuse. Excessive usage of drugs affects the brain so that the normal functioning of the brain is affected. Most drugs are harmful to human health. Tobacco and alcohol for instance affects the lungs making the breathing system difficult. When persons become addicted, they concentrate much on the drugs. In many cases, drug addicts do not have control on their actions. When they are under the influence of the dugs, they do things, which they cannot remember the following day. They cannot remember the words they utter once they come in their right senses. Stress also contributes to memory loss. When one is stressed, there is low concentration on what is done It is difficult for example for a student to understand what is being taught by their teacher if he is under stress. The student is likely to forget what is taught in class at that particular time (Eichenbaum Cohen, 1995). Critique In future, psychologists should employ accurate measures of explaining the behavior of human beings. This is because functional and structural theories of explaining human behaviors are not accurate. Even though amnesia leads to unconscious actions, some individuals take the advantage and prevent not to be aware of their actions. For example, many drug addicts pretend that they do not know they previously did when drunk. Some are so chaotic when drunk after which they complain not to have any knowledge on their actions. Most of them just prevent not to be aware but in the real sense, they know what they are doing. However, some like mad people do not pretend, as they do not have control ove r their actions. They even do some things, which are harmful to themselves like garbage. According to me, a research topic on the ways of ensuring that people’s actions are really unconscious should be done. This research will differentiate those people who do things out of pretence from those others. This will be of great help because many people do things and pretend not to have done but they are actually aware (Eichenbaum Cohen, 1995). Conclusion Studying the psychology of consciousness is important because it helps in understands the behavior of amnesiacs. Amnesiacs do not have control on the things they do .They do things unconsciously. For instance, mad people usually do abnormal things. They eat dirty foods, dress indecently among other abnormal activities. This is because they have lost their memory of differentiating the right from wrong. For the elderly people, their level of retrieving information is very low. As they grow old, the level of their understanding goe s down. They forget easily, an effect that can lead to wrong steps. In conclusion, amnesia and consciousness are intertwined because they affect each other. Loss of memory leads to unconscious actions so that the person is not conscious about the action he takes. Conscious individuals are accountable for the actions they take while unconscious individuals are not (Parkin, 1997). References Blackmore, S. (2005). Consciousness: A very Short Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Blackmore, S. (2005). Conversations on consciousness. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Eichenbaum, H. Cohen, N. (1995). Memory, amnesia, and the hippocampus system. New Jersey, NJ: MIT Press Holland, O. (2003). Machine consciousness. Washington, DC: Imprint Academic Parkin, A. (1997). Memory and amnesia: An introduction. London: Psychology Press.