A Meeting of Giants

Imagine that you are a participant in a panel discussion with Sigmund Freud, Carl Rogers, Albert Bandura, and Albert Ellis.The discussion is facilitated by a moderator who asks questions for each of you to answer according to your different theories of personality development and change. How would you and each of the other four panel members answer the following questions? (Note: Construct the answers for the other panel members based on your understanding of their theories. Your own answers will reflect your personal opinions and beliefs, and may include â€Å"bits and pieces† of other theories).The panel was finally assembled on that wet cold day in December.   I was feeling a bit sheepish to be in the company of such great scholars.   Sigmund Freud, Carl Rogers, Albert Bandura, and Albert Ellis were mighty powerful company for me to lock wits with.   However, I believed that my opinion was just as important and plausible as there own.   I was just reaching for my wa ter glass when the moderator called us to order and begin immediately with the first question.Question 1How would you explain the differences in persons regarding their reactions to authority? Why do some persons appear to follow all the rules of others, while other persons appear intent on living by their own sets of rules?Dr. Freud:The human being is essentially a sophisticated energy system.   That energy is channeled, flows, or is blocked by a number or different behaviors.   The goal of all these behaviors is of course pleasure.   Energy will always find the path of least resistance that leads to pleasure.When this energy is constrained or rerouted by societal demands, such as rules and taboos, that energy must be vented in some way.   Some individuals are more apt at releasing this energy in a positive manner, while others are more confounded by it.Some individuals forfeit there pursuit of pleasure and lead guilt ridden and often miserable lives although they appear to be socially compliant.   Others allow their natural propensity to pursue pleasure to guide their lives and are normally much happier, although society may feel they are living by their own rules.Dr. Rogers:I beg to disagree with what my colleague Dr. Freud has stated.   His theories are often rooted in sexual drives and motivations.   However, the greatest human drive is the single goal towards self-actualization.   It is not necessary to postulate on which particular pleasure principle an individual is seeking to understand why they buck authority.Those individuals that resist authority have simply grown from a less complex being into a more complex one.   The less complex we are, the more authority we may feel we need.As an individual matures and develops, they become more complex and may seek to break the bond of authority for a greater life experience.   Those who go along with the status quo perhaps see their lives in the light that they have achieved what they can and there is no need to push further.   We all simply seek to maintain and improve who we believe we are and the live experience in general. (Pervin, Cervon, & Oliver, 2005)Dr. Bandura:Self-efficacy has a great affect in self-development, perseverance in the face of resistance, resilience to trauma, and decision choices at crucial junctures in life.  Ã‚   The rejection of authority is no greater than it is seen among adolescents and young adults.The ability to control and regulate self-efficacy is core to the ability to self-manage ones motivations, desires, and responses.   Beliefs of personal efficacy are what cause an individual to adopt certain self regulatory standards (Bandura, Caprara, Barbaranelli, Gerbino, & Pastorelli, 2003) If a person believes that they are useful in society they are apt to be more law abiding and compliant of authority (Bandura et al., 2003).   When other individuals feel as if their self-worth is low they are less likely to respect authority a nd will live as they see fit because of their standing in society. (Pervin et al., 2005)Dr. Ellis:Self-evaluation leads to depression and repression, and avoidance of change.   The best thing for human health is that we should stop evaluating ourselves altogether.   There is often concern for individuals because of their self image and societal pressures.These two are more likely to be in agreement than in conflict.   The key is to see behaviors for what they are.   Is there anyone who likes authority?   Of course not we all have some disagreement with being told what to do by someone else.   However true this may be it is not the authority that causes problems for most individuals it is the irrational beliefs that adherence or rejection of this authority will lead to some dire consequence.This in itself may cause individuals to have one reaction or the other to the rule makers.   Some may choose total compliance in hopes that life remains stable, or what appears to be total anarchy and disrespect for any authority because it has no affect.

Maintaining Healthy Lifestyle Old Age Health And Social Care Essay

IntroductionUnder the fast gait of societal life and the deterioration of life environment, people are enduring from semi-health and disease such as high blood force per unit area and cholesterin. The inordinate usage of medical specialty and medical intervention is a facile solution, which can non bring around the cardinal job. Keeping a healthy life style into old age, nevertheless, is a cardinal solution. This essay is aimed to sketch and measure grounds that people can keep a healthy life style into old age. The essay foremost analyzes the unhealthy life style to bespeak importance of a healthy life style ; the essay will further sketch the benefits of keeping a healthy life style into old age.Problem in life styleBy keeping a healthy life style, people are able to minimise their emphasis and execute expeditiously in their work every bit good as prevent a batch of diseases in every phase of life. Macqueen ( 1998 ) suggest that a healthy life style should includes following elements: A nutritionally balanced diet, sufficient relaxation and slumber, regular exercising, merely a moderate consumption of intoxicant, minimum usage of non-prescription drugs including coffin nails, emotion support and societal contact minimisation of emphasis. However, a figure of people still can non see the importance of keeping a healthy life style into old age. BBC News has reported a crisp addition in the â€Å" lifestyle malignant neoplastic disease † , for illustration tegument and liver malignant neoplastic disease in Scotland. Harmonizing to the statistics, the rates of malignant melanoma have increased by 68 % in work forces and 71 % in adult females with a rise of 51 % of liver malignant neoplastic disease in males from 1998 to 2008. As suggested by Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, it was strong apparent that â€Å" lifestyle pick † would do rises in malignant neoplastic disease. ( BBC, 2010 ) Harmonizing to the UK National Statistics on life style and behaviour, there are a high prevalence of unhealthy life styles such as smoke, imbibing and fleshiness. It shows that 24 % of grownups ( aged 16 or supra ) in England were classified as obese in 2006, which is a 9 % of addition from 1993, with 3 % of adult females and 1 % of work forces were likely to endure from morbidly fleshiness ( NHS, 2008b ) . Similarly, 28 % of grownups aged 16 and above are reported smoke in 2008 in England. This figure is the same as that in 2007 ( NHS, 2010 ) . It is suggested there are close linkage between Smoking and dirking and bosom disease. Different from smoke, which are considered as no possible wellness benefits to people, moderate imbibing is regarded as aid to protect people ‘ bosom ( Westcott, 2010 ) . However, statistics besides shows that 40 % of males and 33 % of females had rummy more than the day-to-day recommended figure of unite on at least one twenty-four hours in the hebd omad prior to interview. 23 % of work forces and 15 % of adult females had rummy more than twice the recommended day-to-day consumption. ( NHS, 2008a )Benefits of keeping a healthy life styleThe development of modern medical scientific discipline makes people more cognizant of their organic structures. The benefits of a healthy life style are going progressively evident, which is good to people of all ages, weights or societal position. There are several benefits for people to keep a healthy life style into old age. By keeping a healthy life style into old age, people are able to achieve good wellness and cut down the hazards of unwellness and hurts. Frequent exercisings can better their staying power, strength and flexibleness. A balanced and varied diet can supply people with needful foods and energy without acquiring weights. Besides, regular exercising and balanced diet are able to cut down blood force per unit area, lose weight and lower the hazard of diabetes development and bosom disease. A healthy life style can supply many benefits that medical specialty can non. It is able to ease the consequence of medical intervention. Harmonizing to the survey of Kelley, et. Al. ( 2005 ) , aerophilic exercising and opposition preparation can efficaciously take down LDL-C of patients. Furthermore, this decrease will is enhanced by weight loss and diet, but mitigated by weight addition ( Kelley, et. Al. 2005 ) . By keeping a healthy life style into old age, people are able to populate a longer life. As people get aged, the physical conditions are going weaker and weaker. However, though a healthy life style, they are able to beef up their physical status. It helps people live a longer life. As stated above, a healthy life style helps people maintain good wellness. In other words, people are able to cut down their disbursal on wellness attention and physician visit. By keeping a healthy life style into old age, people may hold better control of their life. Peoples maintain a better organic structure status and physical map, which helps them work better in their calling and live a better life. For illustration, insomnia is a job that bothers a batch of workers. By keeping a healthy life style, people are able to bit by bit better their sleep form. With adequate remainder and slumber, they feel energetic in the daylight and execute better in their calling. With a better physical visual aspect ( for illustration, slimmer ) , they look better and experience better about themselves, which enhance their self-image and self-pride.DecisionGood wellness is non a trade good that one can buy from a infirmary or a drug shop. However, it can be obtained though keeping a healthy life style for a life-time. Keeping a healthy life style into old age does non intend one have to be trained like a professional jock. Nor, it is something can be done nightlong. The secret lies in doggedness. If one support reiterating the healthy life style he has chosen, he will bask the benefit Oklahoman or subsequently.

My dear friend

I hope you are enjoying your stay in the United States and that you are receiving a good education.   I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the problems of our kingdom and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.   I have so few opportunities and liberties here that I feel that moderate Islamists may do a better job of governing our country than the princes.   Let me try to explain how I feel. Like many of our generation, I have had trouble finding work.   During the oil boom of the 1970's, employment was more secure and the government was able to grant extensive welfare benefits to citizens of the kingdom.   More recently, however, the economy has stagnated.   In 1998, for example, we had 27% unemployment! I feel that the economy is suffering due to our reliance on oil.   Despite the fabulous wealth it brings to the country, the oil industry can only employ a certain number of people.   Since oil is essentially the only thing that our country produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment other than the government itself, which is dominated by the royal family and its network of friends and cronies. Despite all the wealth gained from oil, the royal family Has not invested the wealth into other sectors of society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Americans, and buy loyalty from the population by providing free social services.   Despite all this wealth, however, our country has not given greater freedoms to its citizens. Our kingdom has always relied on an alliance between the al-Saud family and the radical Wahabi clerics.   One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).   The clerics give the king legitimacy, and in return the kings lavishly fund the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations. I feel that this alliance is bad for our country.   Our country needs to be freer.   Both the royal family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.   Both groups benefit by denying power to other people.   I have come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is bad for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us basic freedoms.   It is also bad for the world as a whole, because it leads to terrorism. Many Wahabis have turned against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is not sufficiently Islamic.   They feel that the government is too corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.   Osama bin Laden is the most infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   Even though he attacked America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Muslims who do not deserve to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina. The threat to the Saudis from its radical citizens became clear shortly after I was born.   This was a major turning point in the history of our country.   When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many feared that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.   Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle Saddam Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union. King Fahd rejected bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t very realistic any way.   Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.   Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and liberate Kuwait.   Even though Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow the American military into the kingdom infuriated many radical Islamists. I must say that, as a proud and independent man, I would like to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.   I don’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s just that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would like their military to leave our land.   Many people, however, feel much more strongly about this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia. As my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.   Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.   We now have a confrontation between the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is able to govern our country effectively. Although I disapprove of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.   Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.   Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!   The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to fear most. For years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the world.   They knew that some of these groups used the money for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.   I don’t know why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family. So, my friend, our government has failed to diversify the economy beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.   These are very serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å"reform† will illustrate my grievances.   In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic Law of Government by decree.   The law spelled out the nature of the government.   The government was a hereditary monarchy, a model that was popular centuries ago in Europe.   The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.   In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the consultative council. Here are my problems with this attempt at reform.   Firstly, the Basic Law was enacted by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.   Secondly, the law simply spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, especially the king, has all the power in Saudi Arabia. The consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.   Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.   Secondly, the council â€Å"consults†; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.   So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t even have any authority!   This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all. My friend, our country has no constitution, no bill of rights, no independent courts or media, and no direct representation for its citizens in government.   This is not the type of country I wish to live in.   Here is what I feel must be done. I do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.   We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by civil war and anarchy after its repressive government was thrown from power.   If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.   For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.   Iraq has shown us that dictatorship is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can prevent massive terrorist attacks. The answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.   We are all Muslims here, it is true.   Islam was born in Arabia.   The prophet lived and died here.   Mecca and Medina are here.   We are the very cradle of Islam.   However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Saudis. I have simple desires, my friend.   Like most people on earth of every race and religion, I want simply to live my life in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.   We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of death only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, mostly fellow Muslims, than they are in governing. As much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.   They would likely be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.   The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å"purity†.   They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.   They wish to recreate a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.   This is a very dark wish.   We should not be naà ¯ve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power. The solution, I feel, lies with moderate Islamists.   Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.   There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and political participation.   The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize. As I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.   The important aspect then is to ensure that reform is directed through moderate clerics rather radical Islamists.   We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries! My vision of a government of moderate Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.   Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.   This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will inevitably turn on you. As we know, friend, our land is the heart of Islam, and any government we have will be responsible for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the yearly pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.   We must also, however, understand that many Muslims look to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion. More moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.   They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.   Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be competent as stewards of the state.   Equally as important, they are respected by the society.   One of the many lessons we have learned from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep roots in the communities they represent. The first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.   This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visiting the United States.   An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.   Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding document rather than being up to the whims of a king. An Arabian constitution might make more room for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.   It would represent a power greater than the king.   It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.   These would include such elementary abuses as arrest without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.   For the first time in Arabia, there would be a limit on the powers of the government. This may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but imagine what a large one it would be for our country!   Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!   Can you imagine if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America†?   This is no way for a country to be run. I hope the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.   However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.   Be well, friend. Sources Cleveland, William L.   A History of the Modern Middle East, second edition.   Boulder: Westview Press, 2000. Hiro, Dilip.   The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Carol & Graff Publishers, 2003. Husain, Mir Zohair.   Global Islamic Politics, second edition. New York: Longman, 2003.      

Social DQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social DQ - Essay Example It can be disingenuous to look at science as free of values as from the practices of good sciences only more immediate values concerning norms and customs may pursue. A comprehensive study into the theories and practices reveal that science is not let off from ethical behavior. Science captures the kind of behavior that is in interest for ethics. Gender and creed have not been the only component to mould good sciences but regional origins religious believes and traditions, social class and personality traits have major contributions too. Scientific values and ethics can permeate through society and social classes. Human psyche is habitual of assimilating the scientific values with other ethics and values. In the practice of good sciences, the operation of concrete facts in always in coherence with social values and ethics. Improbabilities and human interpretation causes some tribulations in applying scientific values. Sciences do not generate new ethical principles but its practices impart information and explore the matter inside them. Some technologies influence values in a more subtle manner. (Allchin) (Goguen, 2003) More often drug abuse starts while trialing and testing the affects of different drugs.

IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS THE FOUR THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS FOT THE Essay

IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS THE FOUR THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS FOT THE POTENTIAL CAUSES OF PEDOPHILIA - Essay Example These explanations include emotional congruence, blockage, sexual arousal, and disinhibition theories (Bartol & Bartol, 2014). The underlying pillar of theories of emotional congruence is the assumption that pedophiles exhibit childish emotional interests and as such prefer an environment that suits children. Theories of emotional congruence try to figure out why a person would find it emotionally pleasing to relate sexually with a child. These theories highlight the existence of a match between the emotional needs of an adult and the features of a child. Most emotional congruence theories have a psychoanalytic background and center around arrested psychological development where pedophiles see themselves as children. The arrested psychological development perspective explains why pedophiles exhibit emotional pleasure when relating with children. Another perspective of emotional congruence theories argues that due to loss of efficacy and low self-esteem, pedophiles fancy social relations with children as it makes them feel powerful and exert control over the relationship (Bartol & Bartol, 2014). Sexual arousal theories try to find out why some physical characteristics of children sexually arouse pedophiles. Pedophiles tend to generate sexual arousal from certain characteristics of children that a normal man would not generate. Penile tumescence measures sexual arousal to sexual fantasies of children. One group of these theories argues that it is a normal childhood experience to engage in sexual play with playmates. However, pedophiles find the childhood experience to be more emotionally pleasing than adult sexual experiences. Consequently, the pedophile may dislike adult sexual contact and in the process end up masturbating while fantasizing on the pleasant childhood sexual experiences. Masturbation not only becomes an avenue of releasing sexual tension but also strengthens the attraction to children. In the end,

Lab report Finite Elements Analysis of Beam Structural Element Essay

Lab report Finite Elements Analysis of Beam Structural Element - Essay Example The ANSYS Workbench Platform is simulation software used to conduct an analysis or to solve a broad scope of engineering design optimization, computer software development, and mathematical problems. The success of innovative engineering designs can be attributed to the ability to test objects for performance through computer generated applications. The applications allow designers to forecast the success and dependability of a design before it is used in the real world. ANSYS software was created to improve ‘speed, cost effectiveness, and innovation’ (ANSYS, 2013). According to its designers, ANSYS software ‘enables organizations to predict with confidence that their products will thrive in the real world’ (ANSYS, 2013). The ANSYS Workbench platform is the framework for a suite of advanced engineering simulation technology (ANSYS, 2013). The Workbench enables Simulation Driven Product Development with the following components: The objectives for the study include recognizing the scope of Finite Element Applications by creating engineering elements using simulation software. It will also provide experience using the ANSYS platform. A mesh created for Finite Elements possesses a tetrahedral, a pyramid, hexahedra, or a prism. For this study, the hexahedra is used. The mesh for the beam consists of rectangles and triangles. (See attachment) The Bending moment was as expected for the size of the slab. The deflection was also in a normal range. When the beam bends, it loses its original shape and develops internal stress. Compression occurs inside the curve of the beam; and tension occurs on the outer side. In the past, testing the density of materials was much more complicated. Technology has broadened the capabilities for engineers to analyze stress and the composition of materials. CAD applications have provided design concepts for engineers for years. However, the simulations available today such as ANSYS

Clinical Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clinical Depression - Essay Example In men the symptoms are found to be depressed mood, loss of interest in activities that give enjoyment, changing appetite, feelings of guilt, helplessness, suicidal intention, loss of interest in career, changing jobs, etc In women the symptoms are found to be sudden loss and gain of weight, physical pains and aches, emotional behavior, crying etc. However the loss of appetite and feeing of sadness and suicidal ideation are found to be seen as common for both men and women. The website called Healthyplace.com [2006] has found that â€Å"While women may cry, become withdrawn and gain or lose weight, men may abuse alcohol or drugs, work or eat exclusively and or become violent to themselves or others, among other things† This clinical depression is otherwise called as the major depression. People get a feeling of sadness continuously. It seems to attack people of the age group 25-50. But recent studies over the topic says that it might people at any age. Clinical depression exists in an individual for about six to nine months. But if not treated it might take a long journey and leave such prolonged stay might attribute to the abnormalities in the body condition. The causes are found to be ambiguous, but scientists have analyzed that genetics, biological and psychological reasons could be added to the cause for depression. Stress is discovered to be the major cause for this disease. This stress might arise form an individuals’ social and occupational and other areas of functioning. The chance of psychological effect over the development of this disease seem to be less as there are other causes that might contribute to the disease. The biological reason is that of the dysfunction of the neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters transmit signals between the cells in the brains. The chemical imbalance that occurs in the neurotransmitters leads to the depression. The level of the neurotransmitters affects the mood of

Security Policy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Security Policy Analysis - Essay Example Greater emphasis is also placed on personal accountability and responsibility of cyber security. Section 111(a) stipulates the supremacy of the Act in accordance with other laws relating to cyber security. According to my personal view, this section mimics the supremacy of the Constitution. It distinctly states how the Act, shall supersede very provision, statute, regulation, state rule, that expressly commands comparable cybersecurity practices developed for the purpose of protecting critical infrastructure. The policy is important in dealing with information security program management. It stipulates the structure for various agencies on now to prevent, assess and even manage cyber security risks. Additionally, it provides a network for federal agencies and other stakeholders to communicate and discuss new developments in cyber terrorism. According to Borene, every federal agency has a distinct role in policy enforcement. On a general basis, each party is tasked with being at the forefront of responsible global cyber engagement, enhancing information sharing and facilitating efforts to increase awareness, training and education to the general population (Borene, 2011). The lack of clear policy enforcements leads to cyber terrorist attacks on government agencies, loss of information and privacy and loss of billions of dollars on an annual basis. One such incident is the cyber-attack on Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross in February 2015. Even though no medical information was compromised, the incident breached notification laws at the state level. When technology moves faster than policy, there are many cases of financial loss and exploitation, such as the period before the establishment of the open data policy, an open source project by the U.S

Strategic Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Strategic Business Analysis - Essay Example In this paper, the discussion would revolve around the current state of the security management market in United Kingdom. The objective is to provide an overview of the UK security industry and this had been done taking into consideration one of the leading banks of UK – Abbey National Plc.UK security companies and their services are world leaders, achieving success with equipment and services in overseas markets, particularly in America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. The UK security industry was worth  £4.37 billion in 2002, divided into electronic security  £1.4 billion, physical security  £331 million, police and public services  £63 million and manned security  £1.79 billion. The first study that looked at non-public policing sector was perhaps that undertaken during the 1980s by Stephen and Shannon, which investigated the increasing significance of the private security industry in Canada (Stephen and Shannon 1981, 1982, 1995). In the UK, similar stu dies illustrating the importance of the private security industry were also undertaken around this time (Robert 1993; Anthony 1965). The next stage of research was the recognition there was also a wide range of voluntary, public sector and quasi-public sector organizations engaged in security management (Chandler 1962; Stern and Stalk 1998). Such has been the change in the focus of the study of security management that, today; much of the literature now considers the ‘pluralisation’ or ‘fragmentation’ of security (Bayley and Shearing 1996; Chandler 1962).

Political Obligation Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Obligation - Thesis Example The basic thesis is that obeying the law enables people to be more free within their actions than not. Rousseau's The Social Contract was a highly influential treatise on hos a society based upon laws should work, and why it does actually work. It is a firm foundation for why people should obey the law. Within this work Rousseau suggests that the individual person gives up certain freedoms in return for the protection of society as regards much larger freedoms. For example, most people try to obey traffic laws such as stopping at a red light. This might be seen as a curtailment of their freedom to drive their car wherever they want whenever they want, but obeying red light laws preserves a much greater freedom: that of surviving your journey. Thus the individual gives up a small right in return for a much greater one. The "contract" that thus ensues between the individual and society is one that is "social" in nature. The individual agrees to obey the laws and the State, in the form of the government, police force, justice system etc. agrees to provide an environment in which people are as safe as possible and free to go about their own business. The social contract can also be understood by a consideration of those societies in which it is not present. Thus in times of anarchy, such as a civil war, individuals are free to "do" virtually whatever they want as law and order has broken down. Does this imply more freedom In a theoretical sense perhaps, but the reality of the situation is that most people are afraid for their lives much of the time. The law of the jungle is no law at all. Does this imply that the modern society, as exemplified by advanced Western countries, with sophisticated justice systems and capitalist economic paradigms are totally favorable One giant of philosophy, Karl Marx, would suggest not. Karl Marx suggested that laws were generally a codified means by which one class (the ruling) keeps everyone else (ie. you and me) in check. Marxists in general recognize that for society to function efficiently, there needs to be social order. However, they believed that in all societies except the Communist one, laws were designed to be of advantage to the wealthy. Thus the famous Marxist dictum that "property is theft". It is interesting to note that even for Marx laws were necessary, as was public obedience to them. It was the nature of those laws that Marx disagreed with, not the fact that they should exist at all. One reason the individual may find for obeying the law is the tendency for "labeling" to occur within society.Labeling theory suggests that the labels we give to individuals effects how they eventually act. Thus if a person comes from a gender or racial group that is perceived to be criminal, then they are more likely to act in a criminal way. The converse is also true - if you come from a supposedly law-abiding group - within American society, white upper class would be an example, then you are less likely to become a criminal. Having a system of theoretically objective laws in place stops such stereotyping as much as is possible. If people obey those laws then labeling is much likely to occur. For example, this author was once stopped in bookstore for acting in a supposedly suspicious manner. While I did not fit the classic profile of a "criminal", I was acting as one in the eyes of store security and so was stopped and eventually searched. In my situation I was labeled as a

Joking Apart Essay Example for Free

Joking Apart Essay Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark (Robert Bathurst) and Becky (Fiona Gillies), who meet and fall in love before getting separated and finally divorced. The twelve episodes, broadcast between 1993 and 1995, were directed by Bob Spiers and produced by Andre Ptaszynski for independent production company Pola Jones. The show is semi-autobiographical; it was inspired by the then-recent separation of Moffat and his first wife. Some of the episodes in the first series followed a non-linear parallel structure, contrasting the rise of the relationship with the fall. Other episodes were ensemble farces, predominantly including the couples friends Robert (Paul Raffield) and Tracy (Tracie Bennett). Paul-Mark Elliott also appeared as Trevor, Beckys lover. Scheduling problems meant that the show attracted low viewing figures. However, it scored highly on the Appreciation Index and accrued a loyal fanbase. One fan acquired the home video rights from the BBC and released both series on his own DVD label. (more) Recently featured: Stonewall riots – Hippopotamus – Ten Commandments in Roman Catholicism

Character Development in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Character Development in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Writers usually make use of and incorporate certain literary elements into their novels in order to make character development possible. Literary elements—Conflict, Theme, and Symbolism—were employed by Twain, Austen, and Potok in varying levels as well as executed using their own literary styles and techniques in order to show the characters development and growth throughout the novels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck braved that eras social conventions (including his own personal prejudices) by associating with a black man and later helping that person escape from slavery. Jane Austens Emma is a lighthearted story about a young womans disastrous foray into the pursuit of romantic matchmaking. It shows how Emmas false presumptions can conflict with the real intentions of the people whose lives she meddles with, and how her misguided actions can create unfavorable results. In Chaim Potoks My Name is Asher Lev, the young man, Asher, was embroiled in the clash between his passion and the sensibilities of his family and religious congregation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents social conditions and attitudes during the late 1800s in America, particularly that towards racism. It chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Huck wherein he faces numerous moral and ethical dilemmas. And just like Twains novel, Austens Emma is a study on the sensibilities and social norms of her time. It tells the story of Emma, a rich and beautiful girl with a lot of idle time on her hands. Although she lives a trouble-free life, it is uneventful and devoid of excitement—she is a woman, hence, she has no true career prospects. But then Emma discovers that she has a knack for matching couples. She discovers that this endeavor provides her with great amusement so she goes off pairing up the people around her. Lastly, Asher, in My Name is Asher Lev, struggles as he is confronted by two cultural influences—that of the Orthodox Jewish subculture that he grew up in, and that of the pervasive, secular Western culture. He is presented with the dilemma of choosing between art and his religion. Just like Hucks and Emmas stories, Ashers story chronicles his quest for truth and self-discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many authors use the element of conflict to bring about and affirm certain facets of a protagonists character.   In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck faces the conflict between the societys expectations and what his conscience tells him is right when he is given the opportunity to help Jim, a black man, escape. He struggles to see beyond the black stereotype—what the society has taught him to be right. In the end, Huck chooses to follow what his conscience dictates—that Jim is a human being who deserves the same rights as everybody else. He admits about Jim: I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n (Twain, 1999, p. 141). In the end, Huck developed a pure, undiscriminating sense of morality that many people of that era did not posses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel Emma, the conflict lies in Emmas inability to understand the true desires and intentions of the people around her, including her own. Emma does not realize this, and fancies herself as a good matchmaker, and as Austen describes in one episode, Emma was amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which often arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for ever falling into (Austen, 2003, p. 89). Ironically, what Emma thinks of other people (as evinced in the previous sentence), actually applies to her. In the end, Emma realizes that its no good making decisions for others   and manipulating their lives because only they know and therefore should decide whats best for them. This discovery also leads her to mature and develop emotionally, and in the end, makes her realize what her heart truly desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novel, My Name is Asher Lev, Potok portrays the kind of pain and emotional anguish one can carry when one chooses to embrace those things that come in conflict with ones upbringing and religious ideologies. In a lecture wherein he reveals the analysis to his novels, which included My Name is Asher Lev, Potok states: â€Å"Ideas from this secular world inevitably impinge upon an individual born in a church community or a synagogue community, especially when that individual embarks on a college experience† (Potok, 1896, par. 7). As a young boy, Asher tries to break free from the conservative Hasidic community that shuns the very thing that he was passionate about—art. However, his dream is met with condemnation from almost everyone around him, including his family. The following litany succinctly expresses the kind of backlash and emotional turmoil this conflict has brought upon him: So strong words are being written and spoken about me []: I am a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of shame upon my family, my friends, my people; also, I am a mocker of ideas sacred to Christians (Potok, 2003, p. 3).   Another point of conflict deals with Ashers relationship with his father. Amidst the weight of the conflict bearing down on him, Asher chooses his own path and tries to discover his own truths. By confronting these issues, he grows as a human being, artistically and emotionally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One dominant theme in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that of racism and slavery. The novel is set in a time where blacks are considered to be no more than property. As the story develops, so does Hucks character and value-system. Eschewing the societal and cultural norms of the time, he adopts a different moral outlook towards the people around him, especially when he decides to help a black man escape from slavery. In a climactic episode, Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson, Jims owner, to tell her where Jim was, but then tears up the letter and says to himself: â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell† (Twain, 1999, p. 193)—here, he finally decides to ignore social convention and help Jim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marriage is a major theme in the novel, Emma. In the 1800s, marriage was one of the most important concerns for women, especially since they were financially dependent on men and could not have their own careers. Emma takes this into consideration when planning her match-ups and decides on unions which will yield the best material benefit for both parties. However, Emma eschews the idea of marriage for herself—when her father tells her not to do any more match-making, Emma replies: I promise you to make none for myself, papa; but I must, indeed, for other people. It is the greatest amusement in the world! (Austen, 2003, p. 10). But in the end, she realizes that she too can fall in love, after all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One important theme in My Name is Asher Lev is that of Individualism. This was explored in the context of Ashers adolescent struggle to assert his identity in an environment that rejects the very thing that makes him stand out. When an uncle compares his work that of Chagall, he replies: â€Å"No, my name is Asher Lev† (Potok, 2003, p. 313). Asher is a visionary and has prodigious painting skills, but he is pressured to conform to the conventions of his society.   He tries to discover his role as an artist and reconcile it with his faith—this paves the way to his personal development, not to mention the realization of his gifts significance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Twains novel, the Mississippi river figures greatly in the story. It is used to symbolize life; the rivers ebbs and flows—its movement—shows the ever-changing nature of life. The changing tides causes Huck and Jim to come in contact with different people and situations. It represents mans capacity to change—the same way Hucks attitude and personality changed to embrace the greater morality regarding human existence. Its also a symbolic representation of freedom—in the confines of the raft, they are safe. They are in a world where laws do not apply, far from the reaches of society. Huck says: â€Å"We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft†Ã‚   (Twain, 1999, p. 107).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Emma, charades and word games are symbolic of the misunderstandings in the story. The same way that its hard to guess the intimations and desires of the other characters in the novel, word games are meant to be elusive—one   can easily go wrong and perceive a totally different meaning. In a gathering, Frank makes words for the ladies to decode, but each lady attaches different interpretations to them. Such is Emmas situation: she does not perceive everyones feelings correctly so she makes a lot of false assumptions. This is more evident when she tries to hook-up Harriet and Mr. Elton—she construes Mr. Eltons words and actions as proofs of his adulation for Harriet, when in fact it is Emma the he is interested in. When she finds out, she woefully reflects: The picture!—How eager he had been about the picture!—and the charade!—and an hundred other circumstances;—how clearly they had seemed to point at Harriet (Austen, 2003, p. 106).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism, particularly those in paintings, also plays a significant part in the novel, My Name is Asher Lev. Paintings were used to convey the abstract and intangible; Asher said: â€Å"I worked for – what? How could I explain it? For beauty? No, Many of the pictures I painted were not beautiful. For what, then? For a truth I did not know how to put in words. For a truth I could only bring to life by means of colour and line and texture and form† (Potok, 2003, p. 369) In his controversial painting, Asher uses the crucifiction scene as a symbolism of his mothers sufferings, much to the chagrin of his religious community. But even with all the antagonism towards art, he feels that painting was but a natural way to express his feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Literary elements give writers the means to project the qualities as well as develop the personalities of their characters. All protagonists in the aforementioned books were presented with points of conflict that each of them must address and contend with. Various symbolic representations, those that attribute certain intangible meanings to things, events, and other sensuous manifestations, were also utilized in order to highlight the protagonists personal issues and struggles. Thematic concepts tell what the stories are about and help reveal how each character progresses. References    Austen, J. (2003). Emma. New York: Oxford University Press. Potok, C. (2003). My name is Asher Lev. New York: Random House. Potok, C. (1986). On being proud of uniqueness. (J. Gladson, Ed.) In La Sierra University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   website. Retrieved July 24, 2006, from http://www.lasierra.edu/~ballen/potok/Potok.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   unique.html. Twain, M. (1999). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Oxford University Press.

The Internal And External Validity And Reliability Psychology Essay

The Internal And External Validity And Reliability Psychology Essay This chapter contains a description of the research methodology proposed for this study, including a restatement of the purpose and research questions. The chapter is organized with categories pertaining to the instrumentation, data collection, research methodology, ethical concerns, and explanation of the statistical procedures used for a descriptive quantitative analysis. The purpose of this study is to examine the opinions and attitudes of the Colorado Mental Health Institutes clinical staff regarding the perceived value of the Crisis Prevention Institutes Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program used to manage violence in the hospitals inpatient treatment settings. This will be accomplished through the use of a survey designed to assess the perceptions of those charged with providing direct care to the mentally ill population of the Institute regarding the effectiveness of the Crisis Prevention Institutes Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program to prevent and manage violent behavior . Designing an attitudinal survey in order to quantify results can be a challenging task depending on what is being measured and selecting the appropriate assessment methodology. Most forms of assessment test large sample groups, with divergent sub-groups to contrast and compare in terms of scores (Thorndike Thorndike-Christ, 2009). The subject areas in the survey that will be used for this assessment are of a non-comparative nature, meaning that each item is scaled independently of the others as opposed to comparing them to each other. The numbers used in the scale will indicate the relative position of items, but not the magnitude of difference between them. With respect to these parameters and limitations, this study will present the survey scores of the participants, along with calculations as to their range and central tendency. In addition, inferences will be made as to factors that may have influenced the scoring choices made by the respondents. In the fields related to education and social science, research exploring the attitudes, feelings, and lived experiences of the respondents is often conducted through the use of a survey methodology. Research data gathered in this manner can be categorized into four types measuring scales containing different information that determines the method of statistical analysis (Stevens, 1946). Perhaps the simplest though least statistically descriptive measurement scale is termed a nominal scale, in which a name or number is assigned to the value of the data for identifying purposes. Numbers used in a nominal scale have no particular order, magnitude, or significance in value other than for the purpose of identification, and though this scale of measurement yields little in terms of detailed statistical information, there is less potential for error secondary to the simplicity its structure (Stevens, 1946). In contrast, an ordinal scale is a level of measurement that does provide a differentiation and value in the numerical assignment (Stevens, 1946). Values can be determined by the ranking the assigned numbers in either an increasing or decreasing fashion, dependent on the design and purpose of the research instrument. An example of this would be 5 point ordinal scale used for an assessment of pain utilizing an increasing design. The number 1 would indicate the least amount of pain experienced, with the number 5 ascribed to the highest level of pain experienced; and the numbers in between reflecting differences in experiential magnitude. Although in this example the level of pain would be indicated by the numerical assignment, the difference in the numbers in the ranking would not necessarily be equal or precise, and the differences between any two rating numbers would not indicate a specific interval. Thus, an ordinal scale may be considered to be a more sophisticated method for measu rement than a nominal scale, yet be less precise for in providing specific information in terms of magnitude than with other levels of measurement such as interval or ratio scales. Researchers seeking this type of information might use an interval scale, as there are equal spaces between any two values which will provide more specific data than with a nominal or ordinal scale. As the distance between any two positions on an interval scale is of a known size, this method allows for the use of arithmetic operations, and the scale might be used for measurements pertaining to temperature, dollars, out to for, nor anything in which there is a direct measurable quantity with equality in units (Stevens, 1946). As with temperature, zero does not represent the absolute lowest value, and therefore inferences regarding the ratios of data cannot be made as an interval scale does not have a true value of zero (Thorndike Thorndike-Christ, 2009). A level of measurement that does possess a true value of zero and has the property of ratios has some similarities to an interval scale, and is called a ratio scale. The corresponding ratios on the scale have the same meaning and th e value of zero absolute, as in a measurement of height and weight (Thorndike Thorndike-Christ, 2009). The ratio scale can provide more specific information than the other levels of measurement; however, its complexity can be a factor in terms of the potential for research error. All four of these levels of measurement can be used singly and at times conjunctively in the design of a rating scale instrument dependent on the type of research being conducted. Therefore, the selection of a particular level of measurement is a fundamental concern for the researcher, as the success or failure of a research endeavor may lie in making an appropriate choice, as the subsequent types statistical analyses for each are varied and differentiated. Likert and Likert-Type Rating Scales The level of measurement most appropriate for this quantitative statistical study is an ordinal scale. As the focus of this study is on staff members attitudes, trying to render subjective and what might be considered qualitative data into quantitative measurements requires a method for categorizing responses. At the same time, care must be given in considering whether a particular scale item can be measured in terms of the distances between any two numbers in the rating scale. In 1932 Rensis Likert created and developed a methodology often used to assess feelings, attitudes, and opinions by providing a rating scale structure that addressed this concern (Likert, 1932). This method has widely utilized and adapted in many venues including education, social science, marketing, and a variety of other applications with empirical research evidence that confirms its reliability and validity (Abdel-Khalek, 1998; Chow Winzer, 1992; Maurer Andrews, 2000). This evidence further suggests that r ating bias is reduced and the reliability of the rating is highest when a 5 or 7 point or higher rating scale is used (Stennet, 2002). As a result, a typical Likert scale typically has 5 to 7 categories with 3 or 4 point scales often considered too few, particularly when parametric statistical methods are applied (Garson, 2002). The categories in a 5-point Likert scale is often coded as 1- Strongly Disagree, 2 Disagree, 3 -Neutral, 4 Agree, and 5 Strongly Agree, with percentage and nonparametric statistics used for analysis. The simplest form of Likert scale is analyzed in a summative manner; with the mean value of a Likert-item found by adding the number of responses to a Likert-item and dividing it by the number of points used for the rating scale. Whether or not Likert scales can or should be analyzed using parametric versus nonparametric tests is a source of ongoing controversy within the statistical community (Acock Martin, 1974). Efforts to quantify responses using paramet ric tests have led to an adaptation in scale design from the classic Likert model, to what is termed a Likert-type scale (Clason Dormody, 1994). A Likert-type scale differs from a Likert scale in the statement questions being singular in the response alternatives, allowing for the data to be treated as interval scale data for parametric statistical analysis (Brown, 2000; Clason Dormody, 1994; Cliff, 1984; Hodgson, 2003). With this approach, the mean score of Likert-type data from each question or statement could be compared using a t -test, though factors related to data distribution, sample size, and number of rating choices would need to be considered (Clason Dormody, 1994). This translation of ordinal rating scale data into that of an interval scale for the use of parametric statistical methods underscores the controversy identified by Acock Martin, 1974). As previously described in the levels of measurement, ordinal scales are ranked with no specific measurable difference or distance between the numerical categories, and statistical calculations used to determine the mean, standard deviation, and patterns of correlatio n may result in inaccurate research findings (Harwell Gatti, 2001; Miller, 1998). In the classic Likert scale design numbers to provide order and ranking, but since the actual distance and origin between the numbers is unknown, then it cannot be scored in an additive manner save to indicate the central tendency and range of the responses (Dawes, 2008). This supports the contention that non-parametric test should be used for a quantitative analysis, though it could be argued there are methods that would be more statistically accurate and valid, such as ordinal regression techniques (McCullagh, 1980). Furthermore, the calculation of the mean scores for the ordinal data would need to be established in order to be statistically valid in a analysis using parametric tests (Trochim, 2006), whereas those arguing against this approach contend that the median but not the mean can serve as a measure of central tendency (Trochim, 2006). For this study, the calculations for will exclude the mea n, though the mode, median, and range of the score distribution will be presented. Data Analysis A descriptive quantitative research methodology will be used for this study through the use of a survey that was designed to collect data from the direct care providers at the Colorado Mental Health Institute. A survey methodology is often used for data collection from a specific population or from a sample of the population (Robson, 1993). Within the realm of psychology, surveys are used for gathering data about individuals, groups and organizations, and larger social networks (Rossi, Wright, and Anderson, 1983). Most Americans have participated in some form of survey in an either online or in a paper format whether in an educational, social science, political, or marketing research context. Many organizations have employees participate in satisfaction surveys, and surveys in general have become a sort of social barometer for monitoring the publics attitudes and opinions. Often surveys target a specific population, with a sample survey focusing on subgroups determined by a variety o f factors such as gender, race, geography, political beliefs etc. dependent on the nature and focus of the subject areas studied (Rossi, Wright and Anderson, 1983). The advantages and strengths of using a survey methodology for gathering information are that they can be of a qualitative or quantitative design, and be easily administered to gather information quickly and inexpensively (Leary , 1995). In the past, this was frequently accomplished through the use of paper and mailed surveys, with the latter method used particularly when large populations were being surveyed. With advances in communication and digital technology, surveys can be conduct via electronic formats as varied as those associated with phones and computers. Other frequently used research methodologies such as personal interviews can be more time and cost intensive than with the use of a survey instrument, and anonymity and confidentiality of the respondents can be more difficult to control. These factors strongly influenced the researchers choice of a descriptive research methodology utilizing a survey instrument to assess the Colorado Mental Health institutes clinical employ ees attitudes, feelings, and lived experiences related to the crisis intervention training program the organization has utilized for 25 years. Few attitudinal surveys have been conducted regarding this specific subject area, and a review of the literature did not reveal any studies concerning the long-term impact of this type of training on the culture of a mental health organization. The Colorado Mental Health Institutes 2008 Safety Survey Another key factor that sponsored this researchers interest in designing and administering an attitudinal survey was a review of a safety survey conducted at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in 2008. The Colorado Mental Health Institute currently uses a survey methodology for exit interviews with clients that are discharging from the facility, as well as surveys designed to gauge employees job satisfaction. The Institute has only conducted one survey that concerned the subject area of crisis intervention training being focused on in the proposed study for this dissertation. The purpose of the survey was stated thusly: In light of the high number of patient to staff assaults in fiscal year 07-08, the hospital focused the annual Failure Mode Effects and Analysis on the Management of Assaultive Patients, and assembled a workgroup to perform the analysis. The hospital director suggested a staff survey specific to perceptions of safety to be done as part of the work on reducing assaul ts (Colorado Mental Health Institute Safety Survey, 2008). Although the survey provided some interesting results, there was no data regarding the internal and validity of the survey instrument. Thus, the results are highly questionable in terms of these factors, and the survey cannot be considered quantitatively accurate, though it can provide useful information for developing a more scientifically accurate instrument by analyzing its improper design. It is important to note that in 2008 the Colorado Mental Health Institute had eight treatment units as opposed to the four that currently provide service for adults, with the closure of geriatric, adolescent, and children services in recent years. 2008 Survey Methodology There were approximately 240 surveys distributed to the direct care staff members, with 224 surveys submitted by participants indicating a 93% return rate. The survey focused on the aggregated responses of nurses, Mental Health Clinicians, and Public Safety Officers (security) as the providers with the most direct care contact. The survey used a 5 point Likert scale shown below: Table 1. 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree The safety survey was comprised of four questions: I feel safe working with patients on my unit. I feel safe when I float to another unit. Crisis management training is useful/helpful in preparing me to deal effectively with agitated and escalated patients. I feel adequately trained to deal with assaultive patients. There was one open-ended question, asking What further training do you feel would be beneficial to prepare you to work with the various patient populations at the Colorado Mental Health Institute and the assault risks they present? Table 2. Colorado Mental Health Institute Safety Survey, 2008. The survey presented tables illustrating findings specific to each treatment unit similar to the one above. They are not included in this study for the sake of brevity, however, it is important to note that there was some disparity between the different populations responding to this survey and a slight difference between the teams and disciplines. These differences were small enough to lend credence to the aggregate results. Overall, the highest scored variable was I feel adequately trained to deal with assaultive patients at 3.96. The lowest scored variable was I feel safe when I float to another unit, at 3.21. CMT is useful/helpful in preparing meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ registered at a middle value at 3.21. All of the scores ranged between neutral and agree, and appear to have been derived using a summative method. The following tables further illustrate these findings (Colorado Mental Health Institute Safety Survey, 2008): Table 3. Table 4. There were only twenty responses to the open-ended question, What further training do you feel would be beneficial to prepare you to work with the various patient populations at the Colorado Mental Health Institute and the assault risks they present? Some of the responses did not specifically address training, for instance; several respondents said they needed more staff. Other respondents asked for training specific to patient populations, age group, and diagnoses. Several respondents stated that there should be an orientation to any units before floating (i.e. working on unfamiliar units). In addition, some respondents felt that they just needed more training, or more practice. Analysis of the 2008 Safety Survey Considering that this survey uses a 5 point scale the variable indicating 3.21 when employees float might have to do with the reaction of working in a different treatment setting with patients, staff, and conditions with which the employee is unfamiliar. The 3.96 rating ascribed to feeling adequately trained is relatively high, though there is a disparity when contrasted with the 3.21 rating of the perception of crisis management training being useful. The fact that all the readings are neutral or higher would support the contention found in the literature review that some form of crisis management training is more beneficial and preferable to having none at all. The middle score for crisis management training and the tenor of some of the individual comments suggest a performance gap with regards to the training process. This may have had to do with the crisis management training approach, the amount of practice and experience an employee has with using the techniques, or the assessm ent methods utilized to evaluate employee competency. However, these inferences are merely based on conjecture as the reliability and validity of the research instrument was not established. In addition, using only four Likert-items the survey design seems too limited in scope to gather a comprehensive overview of the employees attitudes and opinions. Therefore, the results are subject to interpretation, lacking in specificity and clarity, and cannot be considered as valid and reliable empirical evidence. Data Analysis Methods for the Proposed Survey The data analysis for the proposed survey for this study will begin by examining the surveys for correctness and completeness, and then numerically coding the responses into a database in the PASW-18 software (Predictive Analysis Software) and performing an analysis of descriptive responses. Surveys that are incomplete will be were discarded from the analysis, and the frequency tables and descriptive statistics will display the results relevant to answering the research questions. As described previously, the calculations will exclude the mean, though the mode, median, and range of the score distribution will be presented. A Chi-square test will conducted to determine if a relationship exists between frequencies, although it will not indicate the strength or positive/negative direction of the relationship. This is consistent with standard statistics guidelines for using the non-parametric tests that will be used in this study as opposed to parametric tests; for as Jamieson (2004) adv ises, the appropriate inferential statistics for ordinal data are those employing non-parametric tests, such as chi-squared, Spearmans Rho, or the Mann-Whitney U-test1 because parametric tests require data of interval or ratio level (p. 2113). As the numbers in the survey that will be assigned to Likert-items fall into the ordinal measurement scale, the descriptive statistics will include a mode or median for central tendency and frequencies for variability, and the inferential non-parametric tests will follow Jameisons (2004) recommendations, including Spearman s Rho to detect linear relationships and Kendalls tau-b for any increasing or decreasing relationship between the Likert scale questions. Data Collection Crisis intervention training is mandated for those staff members at the Colorado Mental Health Institute that provide direct care for clients residing in inpatient settings. In addition, those members in the Institutes administration that oversee this care are also involved in biannual trainings. Therefore, the sample population will consist of 210 clinical staff members, with the surveys distributed in the upcoming training review for the clinical staff members at the Institute. Although attendance for this training is mandated for employees, it will be made clear that participation in the survey is voluntary, with the anonymity of the participants made clear to addressing the issues regarding confidentiality. The respondents will be assured that the survey is anonymous and confidential, though they will be given the opportunity to provide information regarding their respective disciplines, years of service, level of education, and gender. Once the data has been collected, the resul ts will be recorded and statistically analyzed using PASW-18 software. Prior to the distribution of the surveys during training review, the purpose and importance of the study will be announced in each of the treatment units team meetings, and posted for all clinical staff members via the Institutes intranet e-mail service. Research Questions/Hypotheses _____ Describes specific research questions and hypotheses (where appropriate) that _____ Are clear and succinct _____ Are congruent with the Statement of Problem _____ Are answerable/testable _____ Correspond to the number of variables of interest _____ Have hypotheses that correspond to research questions _____ Are clearly stated _____ Are open-ended (not yes/no questions) Population and Sample The sampling frame for the survey consists of 210 members of the Institutes direct care staff, whose treatment teams multidisciplinary structure are comprised of management staff, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapeutic recreation specialists, occupational therapists and mental health clinicians. Although these disciplines function within a team context, there are differences in terms of power and status, as well as their amount of direct client care. Examples of these differences in station are the administrators, psychologists, and psychiatrists that comprise the upper echelon within the teams, with middle managers functioning as liaisons between the lower ranking team members and those higher up in the organization. The social workers on the team have a middling status with regards to power and prestige; with nurses and mental health clinicians representing the lowest status with the greatest amount of patient contact, though having the least contact with the hospital administration. Although this last factor is interesting from an organizational point of view, it is even more relevant in terms of the study as those staff members having the most direct contact with clients are the most likely to encounter and intervene in violent situations occurring on the inpatient units. Ethical Concerns There are ethical concerns inherent in any form of research study, particularly those involving the use of human subjects. To address these, procedures for protecting confidential and anonymity in data collection, analysis, reporting, and storage need to be developed and described. The researcher must be competent to perform the research procedures in order to reduce the risk of causing harm to human subjects, and the reputation of the sponsoring organization as well as the organization were the study is being conducted (Welman et al., 2005:182). For this proposed study, the researcher has completed the coursework for the Doctoral Program in Organizational Psychology at the University of the Rockies. This course of study has been grounded in the orientation and practice of conducting research, utilizing different kinds of research methodologies, undergoing training relative to conducting legal, ethical, and appropriate research procedures, and applying qualitative and quantitative an alysis in a variety of projects under the tutelage of qualified instructors at the doctoral level of education. There are a number of safeguards implemented by the University the Rockies to ensure that ethical concerns are addressed in an appropriate manner, including a requirement that the student completes two courses related exclusively to proper conduct and methodology in the research process, as well as the ethical research guidelines that need to be understood and followed. Throughout this training, the importance of the researchers work needing to be authentic and built upon his or hers own ideas have been emphasized, citing the use of other peoples ideas and data to avoid plagiarism. In addition, it has been made clear that providing data that is falsified or misleading is inappropriate and unethical. To ensure appropriate ethical standards are followed, student researchers at the University the Rockies are supervised by a committee of three psychologists, one serving as the committee chairman who works closely with the student. Finally, if the committee supports and approves the research proposal, it is reviewed by the Universitys Research Review Board and Institutional Review Board to ensure that the proposed study is original, contributes to the body of work in the field of psychology, and is held to the highest ethical standards. Factors related to the fairness of the proposed survey pose some ethical considerations. It is important that respondents understand the language used in the survey, and efforts have been made to make sure that each item is clear and easily understood. The specificity and clarity of the survey items was tested in the pilot study to assess if the respondents knowledgeable in the subject area interpreted each item in the intended way, and that this intention is made clear. The survey items are of a relatively simple construction reviewing concepts revisited frequently throughout the training process. Efforts have been made to design a survey that meets the validity and reliability standards discussed The possibility of ethical concerns arising for the respondents in this proposed study are reduced secondary to the anonymous and confidential nature of the survey; and that the previously, and the survey will be conducted with the same time parameters and conditions for all participants. voluntary participants being surveyed are employees as opposed to the Institutes clientele. Nevertheless, individuals participating in the survey may question the viability of keeping this information confidential, and worry that an honest and full disclosure of their views and feelings regarding the subject area may negatively impact their status within the organization. Efforts will be made to neutralize this factor by giving the respondents an accurate description of the study, and pointing out the potential benefits for the organization by improving the welfare and safety the Colorado Mental Health Institutes clients, as well as those charged with the responsibility of providing their care. The results of the study will be made available to all members of the Colorado Mental Health Institute, including any results that are associated with researcher error. Instrumentation The survey proposed for this study was designed to gather data based on the proposed research questions, and provide information to make appropriate conclusions and inferences based on empirical data. The instrument was designed to measure each respondents opinions, attitudes, lived experiences regarding the perceived value and effectiveness of the Crisis Prevention Institutes Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program to manage violence. The attitudinal scale that will be used in the study will be based on a Likert scale, which is often used as a form of summative scale. The design is formatted using a variety of Likert scales with statements that the respondent evaluates by expressing their general level of agreement or disagreement. The scales proposed for this study to assess respondents perceptions of the Crisis Prevention Institutes Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program effectiveness will use a 5-point Likert design. The survey is anonymous and voluntary with no identifying inform ation, though clarifying information such as gender, years of service, occupation, and years of education will be requested. The Likert-items for the survey targeted three general areas: 1) training objectives and content, 2) method and training context, and 3) usefulness and knowledge transfer. In the first category, 8 Likert-items refer to specific aspects and components in the training process. The second category contains 7 Likert-items that concerns applications of the training outside of the training event, as well as how it integrates with other training initiatives sponsored by the Colorado Mental Health Institute. The third and final category contains 6 Likert-items that are designed to explore employee attitudes regarding the training in terms of its relevance and utilization in real-life situations. Table 4. shows the rating scale that is used consistently throughout the survey, and for each of the three described categories. Table 4. Rating Scale. 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree The survey has been reviewed by a panel of experts (committee members), who offered recommendations to make the Likert-items more specific and measurable, and then was administered to a screening sample of five people comprised of subjects similar to those who will eventually participate in the survey for this study. The inclusion of the neutral Neither Agree or Disagree category was included to avoid forcing the respondents to choose a response. The numbers of choices on a 5-point scale will present an odd number of choices, allowing respondents to remain neutral. The decision on whether or not to include a neutral category in a survey has been debated, with a decision either way potentially impacting the assessment results (Mogey, 1999). The participants in the screening/pilot sample will be excluded from the final pool of respondents for the survey, which was designed to be completed no more than 10 minutes of time. Some of the considerations in constructing the survey include res pondents possibly being influenced by the way they have answered previous questions, in terms of establishing a pattern that they feel the need to break. In addition, some members may desire to take extreme options but instead temper their responses with more moderate ones. This can be sometimes a challenge in terms of testing in a psychologically oriented environment, where participants are adept at finding and arguing dichotomous and often opposing viewpoints. Internal and External Validity Establishing the reliability and validity of the survey instrument proposed for this research study is fundamental as it is created as opposed to a published instrument. Suskie (1996) describes a questionnaire or survey as reliable when it elicits consistent responses from the participants, and this can be accomplished by providin

Inequality and Coalitions Size Essay -- American History, Revenues

The interrelations of social segregation and Inequality have been largely studied by several authors (Fernà ¡ndez y Rogerson, 1996 y 1997; Bà ©nabou 1996a y 1996b; Gravel y Thoron, 2007; Durlauf, 1996). Nevertheless, the majority of these studies have concentrated in demonstrating the possibility of a segregated equilibrium. This last is understood as the formation of consecutive clubs, ordered in accordance with a variable that represents the social position of the economic agents. In the majority of the studies, this variable is the wealth of the persons or his human capital. The problem with this kind of models is that they do not study the effect of the income distribution over the degree of segregation. As a result, they can't answer questions like the following: the size of the coalitions decrease with the degree of wealth inequality? In a society, the size of the coalitions formed by wealthy agents are bigger than the coalition of the poor ones? This is an important weakness of this type of literature. In effect, the collective interrelation inside coalitions can determine the accumulation of social capital and human capital, and it is well-known that the both are essentials factors in economic development (Benabou, 1996a; Glomm y Ravikumar, 1992; Fernà ¡ndez y Rogerson, 1996; Durlauf, 1996) Some authors as Bà ©nabou (1996th) and Glomm and Ravikumar (1992) compare the economic and distributive outcomes of integrated versus segregated societies. That kind of analysis is relevant to analyze problems such as the benefits and cost of public versus private education. Nevertheless, it is not very useful in analysing other problems as the determinants and the consequences of Social segregation. In this paper, we study t... ...artition. Jehiel and Scotchmer (1997 and 2001) characterise the free mobility equilibrium. However, they do not introduce heterogeneity in the distribution of wealth, and they suppose a very unrealistic utility function (linear). Moreover, their distribution of characteristics of agents is very narrow (uniform). Finally, they have not made the comparative static exercises required to understand the relationship between the heterogeneity of the agents and the degree of social segregation. Most of the models that demonstrate the existence of a consecutive core equilibrium, use super additive and cooperative games. (Greenber y Weber, 1986; Demange, 1982 y 1994). However, this kind of model have two defects. First, although they demonstrate the existence of a consecutive equilibrium, they do not analyze the effect of inequality on the size of coalitions.

Essay --

Connor Peterson Miss. Cota Survival October 19th, 2013 The Tools of a True Survivor Jeannette Walls had a horrific childhood that truly brought out the survivor in her. Jeannette had troubles with her family, friends and siblings but she was not hindered by the difficult situations and the choices that she had to make. In order to survive she to had be resourceful and use what she had to her advantage and also learn to adapt to any situation. Through it all she had the drive and purpose of a true survivor. Her survival tools of Ingenuity, Adaptability and Purpose helped her to grow into the person she is today. Ingenuity is one of the survival skills that Jeannette possessed throughout her childhood. She continued to find new ways to accommodate herself in different situations. One such example is when she made herself braces because her parents could not afford them. Since she did not have the money to get them, Jeannette invented a clever way to make homemade ones. These braces (worn only at night so no one would know) were made from rubber bands and a coat hanger. In the survivor tool kit it describes ingenuity with, â€Å"you find novel uses and applications for everyday objects†(324). Jeannette’s braces clearly exemplify this quote. Ingenuity is also described as, â€Å"Bricolage: the art of building things from whatever materials are available.†(324). Jeannette used everyday objects such as rubber bands and a coat hanger to make a complicated set of braces. Besides from making braces, she also made her own catapult. Bullies would throw rocks at Jeannette and her brother on their walk home from school and then ride away on their bikes. Having limited resources, Jeannette used an abandoned mattress and some springs she found as ... ...n high school and she was striving for big goals, working hard to achieve them, and overcoming countless obstacles. Even when her father stole that piggy bank money she did not give up. Her purpose in life helped transfer her into adulthood. Without this determination and sacrifice, seceding into a successful adult would have been much more challenging. Each survivor has a set of tools at their disposal that can be used throughout their lifetime. Jeannette was able to overcome staggering odds to with her ability to use almost anything to her advantage and by being able to bend to the situation around her and constantly change. And finally, by having a drive in life that is simply incomprehensible, a drive and purpose so deep we cannot even begin to fathom its depth. Jeannette used these techniques to conquer her life and overcome every obstacle that stood in her way.

Personal Freedom and Nonconformity in Kobo Abes Novels :: Kobo Abe Literature Society Freedom Essays

Personal Freedom and Nonconformity in Kobo Abe's Novels â€Å"No man or woman is wooed by theory alone.† (WITD 32) In declaiming the ability to woo by theory, Kobo Abe betrays his desire to do exactly that. Trained as a physician, Abe has a mindset which leans toward the scientific method: one of hypothesis, experiment, result, and conclusion. In this case, the original hypothesis posed that a man could woo by theory alone, the experiment was the attempt of a wooing guided by theoretical principles, the result a failure, and the conclusion drawn is that such a wooing is not possible, disproving the original hypothesis. We see in this procedure not only Abe’s predilection for theory and introspection, but we also are provided a glimpse at the motivations of a man who would initially believe in a theory of wooing, a concept which to many might seem an obvious contradiction. His novels, indeed, is rife with the contradictions that have been Abe’s trademark, and it is in his attempt to unify these various contradictions to prove a common theme of personal freedom and nonconformity that the novels gain the greater part of its power. In The Woman in the Dunes, Abe describes the nature of reality: the individual reality, wherein it ultimately springs forth from the unconscious mind, and the social reality, where the individual reality, at least in terms of its manifestation, can be either suppressed or encouraged by the type of society in which the individual lives and works. It is a complex attempt to unify these two realities, and to reach a sort of accord whereby the individual self can find expression and participate in a meaningful manner in the social reality. In other words, he is attempting to bridge that chasm, the gap that separates the constricting perception of day-to-day social reality from the larger and far less stable absolute reality, of which the day-to-day social reality is but one small part. Abe deals with these themes through the image of the sand. The sand is formless, and yet it becomes a barrier blocking the protagonist’s attempts at escape. It sucks moisture from his body, but also traps it, causes wood to rot, and, in the final pages of the story, becomes a massive water pump. Abe uses sand imagery as a means to convey both the absurdity of the social day-to-day reality as well as a means by which an almost Zen-like meditative state is induced in the protagonist, through which he may achieve a higher level of consciousness.

Bonnie & Clyde Film Analysis

The 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde took many liberties with the infamous couple's true story. It is to be expected coming from Hollywood but is nevertheless disappointing if you're looking for accuracy and fact. From their meeting all the way to their death scene the film is riddled with inaccuracies and half-truths. In the life accounts of Bonnie and Clyde, the couple met at a friends house, becoming inseparable. In the film, a cocky and arrogant Clyde is creeping around outside of Bonnie's house, casing out her mothers car to steal.Bonnie catches him and goes with him to town and watches him rob a grocery store before jumping into the car to escape and molesting him as they speed away. After watching the documentary, the first few scenes in the film seem overly forced and unbelievable. I'm sure that was all added for dramatic effect and to garner interest in their story, however it seems to me that instead of stealing out of necessity and frustration as Clyde had started out, the film seems to show him acting out of pleasure.The film skips completely around Clydes Back story and the reasons why he is robbing in the first place. They don't seem to take much account of his criminal past and prison time except to mention him cutting off his toes twice. The film also would lead you to believe that Bonnie is slutty and wild in nature, someone who is always craving more out of life and can only find it by running around with Clyde shooting people. I think in the effort to make this film seem exciting and grand the producers left out the important information about how Bonnie and Clydes relationship really grew.They left out the mention of all of the love letters the couple exchanged that undoubtedly deepened and pushed their love for each other along in life. As a matter of fact they didn't show or allude to any separation of the couple at all in the film. While the film did stray and change their story, they did ad some interesting imagery leading up to and during the death scene. In Bonnie's poem about her and Clyde she uses the line â€Å"If they try to act like citizens and rent them a nice little flat, about the third night they‘re invited to fight by a sub-guns rat-tat-tat†.In an ironic twist the producers end the movie with the couple being killed while trying to do a normal good citizen type deed. It is after Clyde stops to help W. D’s father with his tire that the couple is killed in a hail of gunfire. The editing in the death scene also shows a flock of birds being startled from the tree row right before the gunfire starts. You see the birds take off and watch as Bonnie looks to the birds and trees, and can see the recognition on her face that something is very wrong.In her poem Bonnie also mentions pigeons along with spotters and rats, in reference to police or â€Å"the law†. Fitting then that the pigeons take off from the trees that the cops themselves are hiding in, making Bonnie and Clyde aware that somet hing is about to happen. One of the central themes that you can follow in the film and in Bonnie and Clyde's real lives is the idea of family. You can see that Bonnie and Clyde kept a tight knit group in the film and in life. Clyde taking on a father figure to Bonnie as well as a lover of sorts.Clyde's brother Buck was his literal brother and also seemed to act brotherly toward the group as a whole, He helped them along and offered encouragement. His wife Blanche was the motherly conscious of the group, trying to get them to stop and act right. W. D. In the film was a composite of several characters, acting as kind of a slow little brother at times and also filling the role of some of Clyde's prison buddies. The film portrayed W. D. As someone who blindly followed Bonnie and Clyde, admiring and emulating them in an effort to impress them and make himself a needed member of the group.Bonnie and Blanche did not get along, but Bonnie went so far as to take on a motherly role to Blanche as well in the film, comforting her and in one scene, caring for the wounds to Blanches eyes, It is also hinted at in the film that W. D. Had a crush on Bonnie or thought to impress her in some way. Also noticeable is how the group really does need each other, They each fill a familial role and are always looking out for each other during their gun battles with the police. It is seen many times in the fact that they are constantly slowing down the car to let one of the group jump in as they escape.In many of the car scenes you can see them holding onto each other, tending to their various wounds. In one scene in particular you can witness the love that both W. D. And Clyde both share for Bonnie as she is hit by gunfire and laying out in a field. W. D. And Clyde both appear distraught and steal a car before carefully picking Bonnie up and taking her away. This leads to W. D. Taking the couple to his fathers home and insisting on their care, When his father insults the pair in conver sation with W. D.And criticizes his son for a large chest tattoo he has gotten, the producers make a big deal to show how indignant W. D. Gets about it, stating that Bonnie thinks the tattoo is great and then defends his friends to his father. The last bit of difference between real and film that didn't go over well with me was how the film depicted the death scene. It is made very apparent in life and in the film that Bonnie and Clyde desperately needed each other emotionally in a very real way. Throughout their time together from words and actions it is made plain that they love each other very deeply.It is also simple fact that they did indeed die together side by side in the car. In the real photos you can see Clyde in the drivers seat slumped over and riddled with bullets. Bonnie physically rests against him on his right shoulder in death, the two are physically touching in their final moments. The film took that away from them, depicting Bonnie as dangling upside down out of t he car while her lover is outside of the car laying face down in the dirt. Overall, I think this was one of the biggest differences between the film and life that should not have been altered.

Leadership strategy that supports organizational direction Essay

Organizations need leadership strategies in order to create confidence for employees and other stakeholders that there is a clear direction in which the organization aims to head. Understanding leadership culture is the first stage to creating an effective leadership strategy; the next step is to assess the relationship between staff and their leaders and bring emotional intelligence into play, this will become a necessity for leaders in creating their strategies (Gordon n.d). The retail store Diamond relies on different leadership and management theories but the selected theory of discussion is the Open Systems Theory. The impacts of different theories of management and leadership used within the retail industry is countless. A retail company like Diamond utilizes multiple theories in order to achieve their organizational goal but the dominating theory is the Systems Theory. Setting strategies relies on a time frame, and as such elements and resources must be allotted within the set time. The preeminent strategy that supports organizational direction is recognizing the culture which Diamond operates and the dominant leadership style. The Open Systems Theory allows managers to examine patterns and events in the workplace and will be helpful in coordinating agendas to work as a group for the complete goal or mission of the business rather than for insulated departments in achieving the organizational goals and keeping progress on track (Hawthorne 2015). This allows Diamond to manage and control its budget and will make a considerable amount of profit for the organization. Leaders who rely on emotional intelligence will take into account the feelings and needs of the staff and other stakeholders within Diamond. Being compassionate to staff and stakeholder allows the leader to connect with and grow a relationship throughout the organization, thus creating synergy. The leader can make an assessment on their thoughts on Diamond, how the leader can improve the company so they enjoy working there. This tactic will be helpful due to the fact that this is a motivational exercise and staff will gain a sense of belonging and pride. Staff will work more diligently, productivity will inevitably increase and profit will be maximized. Granted, this new leadership strategy with take some time to implement and be fully functional but with the use of a good change management model, the transition will feel  natural to the staff over a period of time. Reference Gordon, Jon. ‘Developing Positive Leaders, Organizations And Teams’. Jon Gordon Blog. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. Hawthorne, Madison. ‘Management Theories & Concepts At The Workplace’. Small Business – Chron.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.