Collaborative Governance, Citizen Participation, And...

Introduction Admittedly, it is important to have an effective government for the growth and development of a nation. Equally, it is important to maintain a democratic government. While there are different ways of understanding what constitutes a democratic government, in public administration, democratic government can be viewed as a government that is responsive to the perspectives of its citizens and exhibit responsibility to the citizens. This can be promoted by the public institutions and public administrators (King, Feltey, Susel, 1998). They can use various processes to ensure a democratic government including collaborative governance, decision making, citizen participation, administrative reforms, and budgeting. This paper seeks to discuss and analyze the efforts that the public organizations and the public administrators can make with regards to collaborative governance, citizen participation, and decision making to maintain a democratic government. Collaborative governance Public organizations and the public administrators have an important duty of promoting and maintaining democratic government especially by ensuring good governance. Social and economic development can be achieved through good governance. Collaborative governance is a primary component of good governance (Ansell Gash, 2008). Admittedly, public management reforms are fundamental to improving the abilities of various nations to address issues that touch on democratic government. Some of theShow MoreRelatedParticipation Of A Democratic System Of Governance1575 Words   |  7 PagesParticipation is more of how the youths conduct themselves during election in helping them make informed decisions. Participation requires that the youth be at the Centre of decision-making processes. This is critical because in a democratic system of governance, rule by the people is the underlying and founding principle of democracy. Engagement is about making them become agents of change, helping them asce nd to decision making institutions. Opportunities for youth to participate in politicalRead MoreSocial Capital : An Organization And The Power Of Action Of Individuals With Common Goals1472 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Capital Social capital is a set of relationship rules between the parties that make up a society. These rules define the participation, the organization and the power of action of individuals with common goals. Although the concept of Social Capital is not new, it became known only from the work of Robert Putnam, published in 1993: Making Democracy Work: Civic Tradition in Modern Italy. Initially the concept had been defined as a set of social relations marked by goodwill and friendlinessRead MoreRole Of E Governance On Administrative Efficiency And Combating Corruption2110 Words   |  9 Pages Role of E-governance in administrative Efficiency and Combating Corruption Abstract: Administrative efficiency and Corruption have been the matter of growing interest for any Government of a country. Increasing efficiency and decreasing corruption are very much important for good governance and better development of a country. Because organization’s effectivity, productivity, depends on administrative efficiency. The objective of this paper is to find out the role of E-governance in AdministrativeRead MorePublic and Citizen Participation in Process Development Achievement: Advantages and Disadvantages3209 Words   |  13 PagesPUBLIC AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN PROCESS DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 1.0 INTRODUCTION PUBLIC AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION A definition of participation: for the purposes of this note a useful definition of public or community participation is that adopted by Stoker (1997) for ‘political participation’ (following Parry et al, 1992): members of the public ‘taking part in any of the processes of formulation, passage and implementation of public policies’. This is a wide-rangingRead MoreEffectiveness the Implementation of Peace and Order Ordinance at Barangayn7685 Words   |  31 Pages13 Masagca, J. T., Masagca, M. T. Chunxiang, M. (2009). Enhancing Governance of the Barangay: Reflections of Academics, JOAAG, Vol. 4. No.2 Enhancing Governance of the Barangay: Reflections of Academics  Ã‚   Jimmy T. Masagca 1  Ã‚   Manrico T. Masagca 2 M. Chunxiang 3 Abstract This paper presents the insights of selected academics on local governance of the Barangay, the basic political unit (BPU) in the Philippines. Participants were pre†selected and their representations were determined using the ethnographicRead MorePolicy Models Or Frameworks.. The Assignment Seeks To Explore1523 Words   |  7 Pagesrespect to the issue. Scott, (2010) argues about the theory of collaborative advantage which proposes that improved results can be attained by facilitating networked collaboration between public, private and various stakeholders rather than count on internal resources. Most of the New Zealand policy frameworks are derived from that aspect or perspective, which is based summarized by the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi such as participation, protection and partnership. Housing Legislation AmendmentRead MoreCivic and Citizenship Education in Malaysia2711 Words   |  11 Pagesthe work of public institutions, whether local, national or international; and to participate in the cultural life of the community and in public affairs. Wherever possible, this participation should increasingly link education and action to solve problems at the local, national and international levels. Student participation in the organisation of studies and of the educational establishment they are attending should itself be considered a factor in civic education and an important element in internationalRead MoreDigital India2389 Words   |  10 Pagesdigitally empowered society and knowledge economy DIGITAL INDIA What is Digital India? ï‚ § ï‚ § ï‚ § ï‚ § Digital India is a Programme to prepare India for a knowledge future. The focus is on being transformative – to realize IT + IT = IT The focus is on making technology central to enabling change. It is an Umbrella Programme – covering many departments. ï‚ § It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them is seen as part of a larger goal. ï‚ §Read MoreWomen on Corporate Board of Director14863 Words   |  60 Pages1.0 Introduction In this decade, we have seen an increase in women s participation in the board of director. Previously, we can see around the world, every board of director of a single company led by men only. But, over the time, women are slowly absorbed into the board of director and they play a great role as well as a good impact in the improvement of the company. A new study suggested that, putting women on boards of directors is a good way to make companies more profitable and better governedRead MoreDefinitions And Historical View Of Gartner4346 Words   |  18 Pagesknowledge city would instil a sense of attachment and ownership in the minds of its people through actively involving them in developmental activities and would permit the public to articulate their thoughts and criticisms, hence transforming the citizens into active stakeholders in the city’s development. On the other hand, knowledge economies are built through the reconstruction of current cities and urban settlements in order to act as knowledge hubs, hence, strengthening the key constituents that

Persuasive Speech Healthy Lifestyle - 1231 Words

Topic: Healthy Lifestyle Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to live a healthier lifestyle Thesis Statement: We have all seen these people and we know that they want to get more fit, but they have trouble losing the weight. Introduction: Attention Gaining Device: Have you seen that guy at a restaurant that is quite obese and is always looking to around to see if someone is watching them? Have you seen the guy that is embarrassed every time he goes to work out at a gym because he thinks people are always staring at them or making fun of them? (Thesis) We have all seen these people and we know that they want to get more fit, but they have trouble losing the weight. Relevance: In the U.S. today, people are becoming more likely to become overweight or obese every day and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down unless each individual does something about it. Credibility: Many of my friends and people I know are struggling with obesity and just need a little help to get them going. Preview: To begin, I would like to tell you exactly what obesity is. Then, I will give you info and stats about obesity in the U.S., what is causing this epidemic, and explain why people are choosing fast-food over healthier options. Last, I will share ways to stop this trend of obesity. Transition: The first thing I would like to explain is what obesity really is. Body: I. Obesity is becoming a more common phrase when speaking about the American lifestyle, but many people don’t actually knowShow MoreRelatedRegulating Food Advertising and Freedom of Speech Essay906 Words   |  4 PagesEssay 2, Summary and Response Regulating Food Advertising and Freedom of Speech Perspectives on Advertising and Children Summary— As the author of article â€Å"Regulating Food Advertising to Children,† Margo G. Wootan proposes, â€Å"Responsible food marketing to children must address not only how food is marketed but also which foods are marketed to kids (334).† She believes that even in the absence of government control there should be some guideline for food marketing to actRead MoreChildhood Obesity And Its Effects On Children1188 Words   |  5 PagesCertain consumer behaviors adopted by children affect their mental and physical health. Studies have shown that there is a link between what children see in advertisements and the lifestyle choices they make. Studies also showed that children who viewed advertisements showing healthy eating were more likely to engage in healthy eating habits (Carter and Maria). There are large amounts of advertisements for foods and drinks high in fat and sugar. Many studies show that there is a link between childhoodRead MorePrinciples Of Health Promotio n And The Nurse s Role As Behavior Change Facilitator1502 Words   |  7 Pageshealth education and behaviour change towards health. This description coincides with Dahlgren and Whitehead’s Social Determinants of Health (1992) where the individual’s health is not only limited to medical factors but it is largely influenced by lifestyle – rooting from its social factors from familial, societal to national level. In this regard, the vital role of the nurse as a health promotion practitioner is to uphold individual’s autonomy by increasing their knowledge about how the body functionsRead MorePersuasive Speech : Effects Of Obesity1297 Words   |  6 PagesCorey Knoble Effective Speaking Professor Traci Alexander Persuasive Speech Why America Needs to Get in Shape Children now spend more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen whether it be a television, computer, smartphone, or playing video games (cite). No I didn’t stutter, no I’m not exaggerating, seven and a half hours a day, can you believe that? As sad as it is, I’m unfortunately not surprised. Society continues to rapidly evolve as we continue to become consumed by technologyRead MoreThe Effects Of Consumerism On Children s Lives1522 Words   |  7 Pagesthan the one their parents grew up in. Consumerism plays a significant influence in children’s lives, including technology. This has led to over usage of technology as a reason for increased health issues in children, and basic building blocks of healthy development being ignored. Children are no longer interested in creative play, which is vital to problem-solving, learning, imagining and thinking. Instead, children can often be found sitting in front of a television, for up to seven hou rs a dayRead MoreVegetarian Is The New Prius Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom a gas guzzling vehicle to a fuel efficient hybrid. What’s more, Freston’s expression â€Å"We are eating our planet to death† (802) improves the logic of her claim by using an emotional appeal. Overall, Freston employs logical compare to provide persuasive appeals and adopts honest sources to make a strong argument; as a consequence, her article is strong enough to gain all audiences’ trust. Throughout Freston’s selection, her personal features are stated indirectly. The preface wrote by LunsfordRead MorePersuasive Speech On Smoking1591 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Smoking is the most preventable leading cause of death in the United States and causes many health risk such as lung cancer, and heart and blood vessel complication. My main purpose of this persuasive speech is to convince people that smoking is harmful for themselves, the people around them and their wallets. In 2015 and estimated of 36.5 million people were current smoker (Jamal, A., King, B. A., Neff, L. J., Whitmill, J., Babb, S. D., Graffunder, C. M., 2016). In addition smoking doesn’tRead MoreInformative Speech : Genetically Modified Organisms1535 Words   |  7 PagesJenna Persky Persuasive Speech Outline Topic: GMOs (genetically modified organisms) Audience: Speech class of students ranging from freshman to seniors, some may have prior knowledge of GMOs. General Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose: To persuade the people to stop eating GMO’s and eat organically. Thesis Statement: These human and environmental consequences are what lead people to eat organically. Today, there are a few points I would like to discuss with you all. 1) Introduction A) AttentionRead MoreExcessive Television Viewing Essay1459 Words   |  6 Pagesexistential issues and since television plays a major role in our existence it becomes an issue. The days are long past when we could consider TV to be an innocent, innocuous part of daily life or a casual baby-sitter. It is a powerful, persuasive teacher and a primary companion for children, many of whom spend more time in front of the television than in school. Considering that some members of the average family watch more than seven hours of television per day, it is notRead MoreEssay about Advertising and Childhood Obesity2520 Words   |  11 Pagesand out. But in a society that is so obsessed with looking good and thus, thin, how are these children getting so large? Advertisements. The news has been attacking advertisements aimed at children, and rightfully so, they are showing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits in a socially acceptable way. Children watch cartoons. Simply put, this statement has held truth for many, many years. Saturday morning cartoons have been a staple in the American household for a while now, and in between these

What I Believe In †Beliefs that Frame My Outlook on the World Free Essays

We humans are entitled to have our own beliefs. These beliefs serve as our guiding principles in living our lives. They also help in building and framing our outlook towards the world we live in and towards our relationships with other people. We will write a custom essay sample on What I Believe In – Beliefs that Frame My Outlook on the World or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our beliefs can determine our character and can give reasons as to how we should live our lives every single day. What I personally believe in is actually very simple and basic. I believe in the power of doing something good to other people. For some reason, I grew up believing that if I do an act of goodness, life would be good to me as well. It is not as if I am asking or expecting for something in return every time I do something good. It is not that way. I just believe that showing an act of kindness and concern to others adds meaning into my life and it helps me feel good as well. This belief had helped me gain a better outlook in life. It feels good to receive a sincere smile from other people and even strangers whom I try to help – whether it is just a tiny gesture of offering a seat in the bus or picking up something that they have dropped. For me, an act of goodness – whether great or small – makes life more fulfilling. It warms the heart and makes the world seem happier and safer. I believe that a person can never be wrong if he chooses to do whatever is good. There are many opportunities for us to show an act of goodness every single day if we just look around – helping an elderly cross the street, donating something to the charity, participating in an environmental project, volunteering at a community centre and offering our companionship to someone who is in need of a friend; and many others. Even without exerting any conscious effort, I know that there are still a lot of ways for me to do something good like being patient while waiting in line at the fast food counter, being nice to the waiters and waitresses in restaurants, saying â€Å"thank you† to that security guard that opens and closes the door for me at the bank and by simply saying â€Å"I’m sorry† and â€Å"Please† all the time. I consider patience and good manners as virtues that I need to practice everyday in order to instil them in my character. Imagine if every person on earth would attempt to do an act of goodness everyday. There would probably be lesser troubles for people. The world can become a better place and we can set good examples to the younger generation. Whether we accept it or not, choosing to do what is good and showing kindness to others can go a long way. By doing so, we are already uplifting, inspiring and helping others in ways we can never quite expect. It is like touching other people’s lives and giving them hope that goodness still exists and there are ways to spread it out to the others. From another perspective, I believe that doing something good everyday of my life will help me have a good life as well. I have this idea in my mind that doing acts of goodness all the time has its paybacks. As I have mentioned earlier, this is not associated with me asking for something in return. It simply means that I believe that there is such a thing as good karma. It is like leaving the rest to the forces of nature that exist or to fate; or to our Creator. It does not really matter which, what or who is responsible for the payback. All I know is that in life, goodness has its own price. As long as I am a good person, I can expect pleasant things to come my way. Life has its own twists and turns and this is something that is known to all of us. Sometimes, things do not always turn out as expected. I have experienced this to a great extent. While I am at my life’s mission of spreading goodness to others, one of the people whom I helped had betrayed me. This person has hurt me and despite of the good things I have done for him, he chose to pay me back with betrayal and deception. Another instance was when I decided to join a very worthy cause. I ended up being accused of something I did not do. I became a victim of injustice. Despite of all the help and effort I exerted for that particular project, I was accused of being on the negative side. Indeed, both experiences had been extremely disappointing and yes, painful to some extent. I would be a hypocrite if I would say that these specific events in my life did not shake my belief. In fact, there were days when I asked myself if I should continue being good to those who had hurt, betrayed and accused me. Is it still worth it to believe in the power of goodness? Should I continue believing that goodness can conquer all the negative things in this world? I was taken aback at how people can easily use and judge others. However, later on, I came to a realization that every person goes through several challenges and trials in his lifetime. That is the essence of living. My beliefs are my guiding principles on how I would live my life; but I should not expect other people to also believe whatever it is that I believe in; or expect them to follow my principles. Each person is unique and has his own beliefs. There will be times when the act of goodness that I do will not be reciprocated. That is my challenge and it is something that I should learn to accept. I also have to acknowledge the fact that people do not act and think alike all the time. Things will not always go my way or turn out as expected. The outcomes of my beliefs can either be favourable or unfavourable. Still, there is nothing wrong with believing that â€Å"goodness equates to goodness† regardless of everything. Thus I still believe in the power of doing good things to others. In conclusion to this personal insight, I simply want to state that our belief gives meaning to our existence and moulds our character. In my case, I find fulfilment and pleasure in doing something good to others – like showing some concern, expressing love or extending an act of kindness. I know that there will be times when my belief will be tested or challenged and I can easily lose my grip. However, as long as I know that what I believe in is right and just, life will find a way to pay me back. References http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=4538138ps=sa How to cite What I Believe In – Beliefs that Frame My Outlook on the World, Papers

Transplanting Human Rights Norms

Question: Briefly describe about advising the Government whether the proposed Bill will comply with the Human Rights Act 1998. Answer: The present report is related with the bill that the Home Secretary wants to introduce for the purpose of amending the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011. The proposed bill will allow the authorities to either place a person under indefinite detention or under 18 hours a day home curfew if the Home Secretary believes that such person is considering traveling to Syria. Under these circumstances, an attempt has been made in the present report to see if the proposed bill is in accordance with the provisions of the Human Rights Act, 1998. For this purpose, apart from the Human Rights Act, 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as well as the relevant case law or legislation introduced after 2001 have also been discussed. According to the Human Rights Act (HRA), the human rights that have been provided by the European Convention on Human Rights have to be considered as a part of the UK law in three methods. Therefore, the Act requires that the UK law should be interpreted, in a way that it complies with the rights provided by the HRA, so far as possible. On the other hand, if any Act of the Parliament has breached these rights, the courts can announce that such legislation is incompatible with the rights.[1] However, it needs to be mentioned that such a situation does not have an impact on the validity of the law. The reason is that the sovereignty of the Parliament has been maintained by the HRA and therefore, it is up to the Parliament to decide if the law needs to be amended or not. The HRA also makes it prohibited that any public authority should act in a particular way that can be considered as being incompatible with human rights, except where a statutory duty requires the public authority to ac t in that particular way. Therefore if the rights of any person have been disturbed by the public authority, proceedings can be initiated by such party against the authority. In this way, the HRA is different from the Bill of Rights of the United States or from the German Basic Law because these legislations contain the rights and at the same time, also allow the courts to declare the legislation as unenforceable if it is found incompatible. On the other hand, the long-standing doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty has been preserved by the HRA.[2] As a result, only the Parliament can decide if such legislation has to be amended or repealed.[3] Such situation is directly in contrast with the provisions of European Communities Act, 1972, according to which, the UK law can be overridden if such law is in conflict with any EU law that is directly enforceable. Therefore it can be said that a dialogue model has been adopted by the HRA as in this case, the Parliament has allowed the courts to indicate if any particular legislation is not compatible with the human rights but at the same time, it is up to the Parliament if and how it is going to respond. Therefore while dealing with the question if a particular legislation is compatible with the HRA, the courts are required to consider the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) but only so far as the court thinks it to be relevant.[4] It also needs to be mentioned that this does not bind the courts in UK but it needs that the courts should allow for the significant judgments as is the case for example with the common law rules related with statutory interpretation. Under these circumstances, it can be said that the HRA plays an important role, along with the Joint Committee on Human Rights, in ensuring that the Parliament upholds and promotes the fundamental rights and freedoms provided to the people. An important provision that is present in the HRA for the purpose of ensuring that any proposed bill complies with the provisions of HRA, section 19 mentions that the Minister in-charge of a legislature, is required to provide a statement before the Second Reading of the provision according to which, it has been mentioned that according to the opinion of the minister, the Bill complies with the human rights or that the Bill is not compatible with the human rights but still the government wants to continue with the it.[5] An Executive Statement has to be made by the Minister who is going to introduce the bill and contains the personal opinion of the Minister although such statement is not binding for Parliament or for the courts.[6] However the intention behind the introduction of the need for a statement related to the compatibility of the bill by the Minister has been introduced with a view to encourage Ministers that they should study the human rights consequences of any proposed B ill before it has been introduced. At the same time, the statement of compatibility may also result in triggering a prompting debate in the Parliament regarding the compatibility of the draft legislature with the human rights. At the same time, the Explanatory Notes that accompanied the Bill also contain elaborate information regarding the reasons why the legislature complies with the human rights. The meaning of the situation is that detail policy justification for the proposed Bill has been provided that had been informing the parliamentary debate on the draft legislation. It has been mentioned by section 3, HRA that as possible, the primary legislation as well as the subordinate legislation has to be read by the courts and implemented in such a way that is complies with the ECHR rights. This requirement that needs that the laws should be interpreted in such a way that is compatible with the human rights is applicable to who is going to interpret the law, including a public authority that is acting under the law or the courts.[7] In the same way, this requirement related with interpretation of the law is applicable to all legislation which includes the laws that have been passed before the HRA came into force.[8] However the use of the term so far as possible to do so has imposed a significant qualification on this requirement. The courts have not been provided the power to make new laws because any interpretation by the courts has to be consistent with the Act that is being interpreted. In this regard, it has been mentioned in section 3(2) HRA that th is power related with interpretation of the legislation does not impact the validity, operation or the implementation of any Act passed by the Parliament. In case the Act of the Parliament prescribes that subordinate the decision also needs to be introduced like an Order or a Regulation, that is not compatible with human rights, section 3 will not have an impact on such subordinate legislation. However if it was possible to draft the subordinate legislation in a different way and as a result, it may comply with human rights, the subordinate legislation can be struck down by the courts.[9] This is consistent with the current power of the courts to strike down the subordinate legislation that does not fall within the power of the primary legislation due to the reason that the subordinate legislation does not enjoy the equal status as enjoyed by the primary legislation that has been comprehensively deliberated by the Parliament. In this regard, it has been mentioned by section 4, HRA that in case a higher court like the High Court or the Court of Appeal comes to the conclusion that any provision present in an Act of Parliament is not compatible with the human rights, such court can make a declaration regarding the compatibility of the Act. In this declaration, it is stated by the court that according to its opinion, a particular provision of the legislation is not compatible with human rights. At the same time, it has been specifically mentioned by section 4(6) that such declaration of incompatibility by a court will not have any impact on the validity, operation or the enforcement of such legislation. Therefore, in such a case, the law will not be changed automatically even if the court has made a declaration of the compatibility. Only the Parliament can take a decision if it wants to amend the law or not. In the present case, the home secretary wants to introduce a Bill for the purpose of amending the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act, 2011. However the provisions of the proposed bill appeared to be contrary to the rights granted by the ECHR that have been assured by the Human Rights Act, 1998. At the same time, the HRA also requires that the Minister should present a statement for the second reading of the Bill that the legislation is compatible with HRA or that the legislation is not compatible but still the government wants to go ahead with the Bill. References Amos, Merris (2013). Transplanting Human Rights Norms: The Case of the United Kingdom's Human Rights Act Human Rights Quarterly 35 (2): 386407 Chalmers, G. Davies and G. Monti, European Union Law 2nd edn (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010) Gallop, Nick in The Constitution and Constitutional Reform p.60 (Philip Allan, 2011) Hoffman, David; Rowe, John (2006) Human Rights in the UK: an Introduction to the Human Rights Act 1998 (2nd ed.). Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson Longman Moller, Two conceptions of positive liberty: towards an autonomy-based theory of constitutional rights (2009) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 757 Lord Neuberger, Forward, in D. Hoffmann (ed), The Impact of the UK Human Rights Act on Private Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011) Phillipson, Gavin (2003) Transforming Breach of Confidence? Towards a Common Law Right of Privacy under the Human Rights Act Modern Law Review 66 (5): 726758 Dworkin, Laws Empire (Cambridge, Ma.: Harvard University Press, 1986) Case Law Campbell v MGN Ltd [2004] UKHL 22, [2004] 2 AC 457

The Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay free essay sample

This paper analyzes and examines Recuerdo and Love is Not at All; It is Not Meat Nor Drink, two of Edna St. Vincent Millays most compelling and well-known poems. The following essay compares Millays Recuerdo and Love is Not at All; It is Not Meat Nor Drink which serve as compelling and vivid reminders that our lives are short and that we have two choices in life to ignore our emotional needs in favor of obtaining material possessions or to make finding and maintaining love an integral part of our lives, one which in our darkest hour will provide us with invaluable comfort and serenity. Edna St. Vincent Millay is one of the greatest twentieth-century playwrights and poets. Unlike most poets who try to (and often succeed at) achieve and maintain success by writing poems which are vague or filled with unnecessary verses and/or words, Millay uses ordinary words to describe one of lifes most extraordinary and precious gifts, i. We will write a custom essay sample on The Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page e., love. For while most individuals often place undue weight on attaining material possessions, few of these individuals recognize and nurture love when it is presented to them.

Distillation Lab Report Essays

Distillation Lab Report Essays Distillation Lab Report Paper Distillation Lab Report Paper If the boiling points are too close, this method will not work because the two compounds will begin evaporating at close temperatures and will condense down to the receiving flasks at relatively the same times. This will not create an ideal separation. The apparatus used for this type of distillation is longer than that of a simple distillation experiment because this kind of apparatus creates more efficient separation. This happens because the fractional distillation apparatus is longer, and allows for several simple distillations to occur within the column itself to more accurately separate liquids. The inside of the column is said to have theoretical plates, or equilibrium stages that are created by the vapor and liquid stages of a compound that create this accuracy. The column must also be insulated with cotton and aluminum to reverent any heat loss that may lead to inaccurate temperature readings or even effect the evaporation of the different compounds. When heating the stillest, blameless heating should be used along with a magnetic stirrer. This is important to control the temperature of the mixture and keep the heat smooth and constant. Heating the mixture too fast could result in no fractionation in the column and lead to no separation. Likewise, if the mixture is heated too slowly, the vapors might now make it all the way to the condenser, and the liquid will fall back into the stillest. Fifth mixture is heated correctly and constantly, the vapors should condense through a condenser and into a receiving flask. This condenser should have water running through it at all times to keep it cool and keep the condensed vapor flowing down into the receiving flask. As a whole, the entire apparatus works perfectly for two different volatile liquids with 40-ICC boiling point differences because as the liquid with the lower boiling point is distilled out, the higher boiling point liquid will remain in the stillest as the other is evaporating and distilled. Then, it will be able to evaporate later as the temperature rises, after the other has more than completely distilled out. As I conducted this portion of the experiment, I noticed that while taking the three fractions, fraction A filled up the full 15 ml and continued distilling through fraction B, and eventually stopped. Because of this, I hypothesized that all of fraction A and most of fraction B consisted of the low boiling point compound. As I raised the temperature of the hotplate, I was able to collect fraction C, and I predicted that it was composed of mostly the high boiling point liquid. To test this, the experiment called for the use of gas chromatography. The chromatography would not only show the relative concentrations of each impound in the fraction, but could also help confirm the identification of the compounds we thought were in the fractions based on the temperatures that each liquid boiled. Before trying to guess the correct compounds of the mixture, one must run each individual fraction through the machine to clearly see the composition of each. Gas chromatography works because as the liquid runs through the machine, its different components run through and exit at different times due to changes of temperatures that measure high and low boiling points. The machine records these using peaks of retention time that identify these different components. After obtaining this data, there was enough information to choose a reasonable match for each of the components. Once both the fractions and the guessed compound were mixed, the retention recordings should not differ in the number of peaks because ideally the compound mixed should have the same retention time as one of the other previous peaks. If the compounds were to differ in the number of peaks, then it shows that another compound must be present with different properties. As I conducted this portion of the experiment, guessed cyclopean for my low boiling point liquid and toluene or heptanes for my high boiling point squid based on the fractional distillation observations. For cyclopean I mixed it with fraction A, since it predominantly consisted of my low boiling point liquid, and observed two peaks in my results. Therefore I concluded that cyclopean was the low boiling point liquid. However, for the second liquid I guessed heptanes first, and my results showed three peaks. Knowing that I had guessed wrong, I tested toluene mixed with my fraction C and only got two peaks. The high boiling point liquid proved to be toluene. In conclusion, my results all matched the main ideas and theories presented in the experiment.

Review of health news article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of health news article - Essay Example This article is very relevant to our course for many reasons. One, it is not enough that we gain sound knowledge of diseases and finding ways to cure them; moreover, we must see how these diseases afflict the mindset of society. Although media has its own noble intentions to inform the public, it must not declare ahead before public health officials have properly disseminated such information. Dr. Colfax was valid in his argument that protocols should not change in treating people with AIDS. It can be inferred from his statement that medical professionals have different attitudes in treatment especially when resistance has developed. For one, training for doctors and other health professionals are not yet adequately prepared by the government for this kind of scenario. Assuming it becomes a mini-epidemic, government officials would start blaming those responsible for this issue while patients suffer in the midst of the controversy. In short, the government’s health agency should immediately prepare programs that can arrest the growing problem. Training and funding must be given importance so that the situation would not go out of hand. Although training and research does not seem much of a concern to America, we cannot deny the financial burden this problem can add to the growing health insurance concerns. Indeed, the AIDS problem has become complicated. The article also noted that this kind of situation is a challenge for developing countries which is an obvious statement. However, we must realize that many migrants from developing countries have also settled in this country. In fact, San Francisco has a high rate of migrant population which makes their problem our problem too. Lastly, I am hopeful that advances in the field of research would be able to arrest this problem. The only unfortunate thing is the affordability of these new drugs so that poor people with drug-resistant strain of AIDS would be able to access medication

The Current Evidence of Human Evolution (Human Biology essay) Essay

The Current Evidence of Human Evolution (Human Biology ) - Essay Example Unlike in the past, modern humans have created complex communal structures that are composed of many competing and cooperating groups, from individuals’ families to states. Social communications between humans also have established wide diversity of traditions, values, ethics, laws and social norms which all form human society’s basis modern humans have showed a bigger appreciation for aesthetics and beauty which when joint with the wish for self-expression, it has led to modernizations like music, literature and art. Modern humans are largely distinguished for their numerous desires to comprehend and influence the earth in search of answers to of explaining and manipulating normal phenomena through religion, science, mythology and philosophy (Cremo, 2010, p.49). This curiosity is what has enhanced the development of skills and advanced tools; modern humans are the only species that are currently known to clothe themselves, cook their food, build fires, and develop and enhance other numerous technologies (O’higgin &Cohn, 2000, p.89). This is unlike in the past where species dint use to light fires, eat healthy and nutritious food clothe t hemselves or know how to use any modern tools which shows that human beings have evolved over many years and are still evolving. Modern humans also pass their knowledge and skills to future generations through continuous education. Modern humans are genetically different from early human because of the increased rate of evolution which is as a result of increase growth of human population and their movements into new environments like cities, where most are taken as major subject to emerging natural collection pressures (Cunnanes & Stewart, 2010, p83). Evolution of human is characterized by various essential morphological, behavioral, physiological and developmental changes that have occurred since the split between chimpanzees and the last human being’s ancestor. The

Did Oracle's purchase of Sun Microsystems increase HP's and Dell's Essay

Did Oracle's purchase of Sun Microsystems increase HP's and Dell's interest in 3Par (company). Explain - Essay Example This made it the direct competitor of companies like IBM (which was already its competitor before this acquisition), HP, CISCO and Dell. One of the major benefits of acquiring Sun has been the entry of its Java programming language as well as the Solaris operating system in the possession list of Oracle. This is an important platform for much of Oracle’s work (Goodwin 2009). Oracle has also now entered the hardware segment of the industry. It can now package its software products with Sun’s hardware to help boost sales which is a direct competition to IBM and HP. Dell is also aiming to achieve such integrated solutions for its customers. Sun’s MySQL database has provided further strength to Oracle. This will help the company expand the number of users that utilize Oracle database products. This is true especially from the point of view of entry into the small-to-midsize businesses where it had a significantly low presence (Schiff 2009). With the ownership of Sunà ¢â‚¬â„¢s StarOffice through this acquisition, Oracle can now even attack the laptop/desktop market which will be a direct threat to the MS office application of Microsoft (Schiff 2009).

Strengths And Limitations Of CBT For Social Phobia Psychology Essay

Strengths And Limitations Of CBT For Social Phobia Psychology Essay Social phobia, also known as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is considered as one of the most common psychological disorders on its own, and also as a comorbid disorder (Kessler, McGonagle, Zhao, et al., 1994). Current research literature suggest Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) as the first treatment choice for social phobia, unless in the case where the client opt for medication or if the client is suffering from comorbid depression or another psychological disorder that makes medication essential (Veale, 2003; Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006; NICE guideline, 2004c). The aim of this paper will be to discuss the application of CBT in the treatment of Social Phobia. However, it is important to emphasise that it will not attempt a detailed discussion on the historical development, or theoretical frameworks of CBT. These aspects of therapy will be emphasised, discussed and analysed where necessary, to comprehend its practicality in the treatment of social phobia. Furthermore, the scope of this paper will be limited to examining the use of CBT for treatment of adults with social phobia but, it will not focus on treatment of social phobia in children and adolescent groups. CBT was initially developed by Aaron T. Beck as a structured, short-term, present-oriented psychotherapy for depression, directed toward solving current problems and modifying dysfunctional thinking and behaviours (Beck, 1995). The basic assumptions of cognitive model suggest that distorted or dysfunctional thinking that influence the patient/clients mood and behaviour is common to all psychological disturbances (Beck, 1995). CBT is a collection of therapies that are designed to help clients suffering from phobias, depression, obsessions compulsions, stress disorders, drug addictions and/or personality disorders. CBT attempts to help people identify the situations that may produce their physiological or emotional symptoms and alter the manner in which they cope with these situations (Smith, Nolen-Hoeksema, Fredrickson, Loftus. 2003). The effectiveness of CBT has been widely tested since the first study on treatment success in 1977 (Beck, 1995). Westbrook, Kennerley and Kirk (2007) stated that CBT has many features common to other therapies. However, they acknowledged that CBT is different from the other psychotherapies with some distinguishing characteristics. This therapeutic approach is a combination of Behaviour Therapy (BT) and Cognitive Therapy (CT). However, these will not discuss in detail. However, as a result of having been evolved from a combination of both BT and CT, modern CBT consist important elements of them both. Westbrook, et al. (2007) presents the CBT model of viewing problem development. For instance, individuals develop cognitions (thoughts beliefs) through life experiences (mostly based on childhood experiences, but sometimes with later experiences). These can be functional (ones that allow making sense of the world around and deal with life issues), as well as dysfunctional beliefs. Most of the time, functional beliefs permit individuals to reasonably cope well with life situations. Whereas dysfunctional beliefs may not cause problems unless/until encountered with an event or a series of events (also known as critical incident) that violates the core beliefs or the assumptions, to the extent of being unable to handle ones positive/functional beliefs. This situation may activate the negative/dysfunctional thoughts over the positive thoughts resulting or provoking unpleasant emotional status such as anxiety or depression. Thus, Westbrook et al. (2007) highlighted the interactions between negative thoughts, emotions, somatic reactions, and behaviours as responses to different life events. These dysfunctional patterns lock the individual into vicious cycles or feedback loops resulting in the perpetuation of the problem. Focussing on the effectiveness of CBT as a therapy, the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline recommends CBT for several major mental health problems including depression (NICE, 2004a), generalised anxiety and panic (NICE, 2004c), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NICE, 2005). Furthermore, Westbrook et al. (2007) highlighted the findings of Roth and Fonagy (2005) in their book What works for whom? a landmark summary of psychotherapy efficacy. This book presents evidence on the success of CBT as a therapy for most psychological disorders. However, though there is evidence supporting the successfulness of CBT for numerous psychological disorders, CBT has some limitations as well. Firstly, it is not suitable for everyone. One should be committed and persistent in finding a solution to the problem and improving oneself with the guidance of the therapist (Grazebrook Garland, 2005). Secondly, it may not be helpful in certain conditions. Grazebrook Garland (2005) mentioned that there is increasing evidence of the successful therapeutic use of CBT in a wide variety of psychological conditions. However they pointed that there is a great need for further research to gather evidence on the therapeutic success of CBT in these different types of psychological disorders. Social Phobia Social Phobia is categorised as an Anxiety Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (2000). This disorder is characterised by persistent excessive anxiety and fear of scrutiny by others, often accompanied by anxiety symptoms such as tremulousness, blushing, palpitations, and sweating (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). The DSM-IV-TR (2000) presents the following diagnostic criteria for social phobia (SAD). Marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to perceived scrutiny by others. This includes the fear of embarrassment or humiliation Exposure to feared social or performance situations that almost invariably provoke anxiety. This may even take the form of a panic attack. In the case of children, the anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, or shrinking from social situations with unfamiliar people. The person recognises that the fear is unreasonable and that it is excessive. However, this fear and knowledge may be absent in children. The feared social situation or the performance is avoided or else it is endured with intense anxiety or distress. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or fear causes significant distress or impaired functioning. Fear or avoidance are not due to another psychological, or physiological condition (e.g., a personality disorder such as paranoid personality disorder, a specific phobia, or due to the influence of substance use/abuse) Specify generalised, if the fears include most social situations (e.g., these may range from initiating or maintaining conversations, participating in small groups, dating, speaking to authority figures, or attending parties hindering most parts of a personal social life) According to the criteria stated above, social phobia can be generalised or non-generalised, depending on the breadth of social and performance situations that are feared. While generalised social phobia hinders a vast range of social and performance situations, non-generalised social phobia may hider/restrict only performance of some social activities or engagements. According to health statistics from year 2002, social phobia affects 3% of the Canadian adult population (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). In USA 13.3% of the population suffer from social phobia at some point in their life (Kessler et al., 1994). Statistics indicate a life time prevalence of about 8% to 12% making social phobia one of the most common anxiety disorders (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006; Kessler, et al., 1994). Apart from being a high prevalence disorder, social phobia is also known to have a high comorbidity, specially substance abuse and/or alcohol dependency (Schadà ©, A., Marquenie, L., Van Balkom, et al., 2008; Amies, Gelder, Shaw, 1983; Schneier, Johnson, Hornig, Liebowitz, Weissman, 1992). Kessler et al. (1994) stated that while the lifetime prevalence of social phobia is as high as 13.3%, the prevalence reported in a 30-day period is between 3% 4.5%. In addition, other similar conditions, such as shyness, behavioural inhibition, self-consciousness, selective attention and embarrassment are seen to be correlated with social phobia (Beidel Morris, 1995; Beidel Randall, 1994; Leary Kowalski, 1995; Rosenbaum, Biederman, Pollock, Hirshfeld, 1994; Stemberger, Turner, Beidel, Calhoun, 1995). According to Schneier, Johnson, Hornig, et al. (1992), comorbidity of two or more psychological disorders, is also fairly common with social phobia. Research has also indicated that social phobia is also characterised with a higher frequency of suicide attempts (Schneier et al., 1992). Focusing on the impact of the disorder on the quality of life, social phobia is described as an illness of missed opportunities, because its early onset hinders future social progression such as marital success and career growth (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). The authors of this article stated that these individuals were less likely to be well educated, belong to lower socioeconomic status, and are possibly unmarried. In addition, they also suffer greater functional, health, and physical impairments than individuals without social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). Thus the disorder has a significant impact on the quality of life, in particular, socially and emotionally. Emphasising on this point, the authors of this article highlighted that in a community health survey in Canada, people with social phobia were twice as likely to report at least one disability day in the past two weeks, compared to people without social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2006). Aetiology of social phobia can be traced to Bio-Psycho-Social factors (Smith, Hoeksema, Fredrickson, et al., 2003). Looking at the neuro-biologic factors, research data up to date, provides evidence of dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic systems (Stein, Tancer, Uhde, 19992; Tancer, Stein, Uhde, 1993; Yeragani, Blalon, Pohl, 1990). However, Stein, Tancer, Uhde (1995) stated that the evidence for these neuro-biological factors in the predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation is far from clear. The authors also present the same regarding the effect of antidepressants on social phobia stating that further work is warranted, although preliminary evidence indicates that antidepressants are not entirely effective on social phobia. From a cognitive-behavioural perspective, a person with social phobia develops a series of negative assumptions about themselves and their social world based on some negative experience (Kessler, et al., 1994). These assumptions of behaving inappropriately and being evaluated negatively and/or being humiliated will give rise to anticipatory anxiety that precedes the social situation adding an extra source of concern and perceived danger. Preoccupied with these fears, clients with social phobia have difficulty focussing their attention on the social cues or their own strengths that help them to effectively cope in the phobic situations. In addition, biased memory and focused attention towards negative signs will prevent the individual from perceiving the positive signs (e.g., acceptance, success, admiration) giving rise to performance deficiencies. These may contribute towards producing patterns of negative interactions that may further contribute to the perpetuation of the phobic con dition experienced at the time (Elting Hope, 1995). These explanations are similar to the generic CBT model, of problem development. Thus the research by Kessler et al (1994) has provided supporting evidence to the general CBT explanation and theoretical framework of problem understanding, assessment and treatment. Another dimension of the aetiology of social phobia is the lack of social skills and/or the lack of awareness of ones own social skills. According to Hill (1989), clients with social phobia vary widely in their knowledge of socially appropriate behaviour skills. Many of these individuals seem to have adequate social skills when assessed in a non-threatening environment such as the clinicians office, but they fail to use these skills when laden with anxiety in an unfamiliar social situation that is perceived as threatening. Hill (1989) further described that there is another group of individuals suffering with social phobia who may be unaware of socially appropriate behaviours in certain situations and therefore encounter repeated failures and disappointments. Thus, Hill (1989) suggest that apart from medication and/or conventional CBT, individuals in this group will benefit more from specific training in social skills either through role playing or modelling as appropriate. In addition to the above dimensions, there are developmental and psychodynamic issues associated with the aetiology of social phobia as well. In this view, children who are rejected, belittled, and censured by their parents, teachers or peers may develop feelings of low self-esteem and social alienation (Arrindell, kwee, Methorst, 1989). The authors of this article further stated that clients with social phobia tend to report, having had hypercritical parents. The article further examine the condition of social phobia from a psychodynamic perspective hypothesising that avoidant behaviour may be caused by an exaggerated desire for acceptance, an intolerance of criticism, or a willingness to constrict ones life to maintain a sense of control. Furthermore, they claim that traumatic embarrassing events may lead to loss of self-confidence, increased anxiety, and subsequent poor performance, resulting in a vicious circle that progress to social phobia. Concentrating on treatment seeking behaviours for social phobia, Hill (1989) highlighted that clients rarely see a physician for symptoms relating to social anxiety. More often seeking help will be for conditions such as substance abuse, depression or any other anxiety disorder (e.g. panic attack). Treatment for Social Phobia As mentioned above, social phobia is the result of biopsychosocial factors. Thus, the treatment choices may also vary which may include pharmacotherapy, and/or different types of psychotherapy. Veale (2003) stated that treatment choice for social phobia is up to the client to decide. Medication is indicated if it is the clients first choice, or if CBT has failed or if there is a long waiting list for CBT. Similarly, pharmacotherapy becomes the choice of treatment when social phobia is comorbid with depression (Veale, 2003). Considering the first treatment choice, UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) does not have a specific guideline specific for social phobia. However, in its guidelines for anxiety disorders (NICE, 2004), it recommends pharmacotherapy as treatment if the client opts for medication, or if the client opts for psychological treatment, CBT is given as the first choice of therapy. NICE guidelines (2004) too recommend CBT as the first choice of psychologic al therapy for generalised anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence provides evidence that CBT is more effective than no intervention and that CBT has been found to maintain its effectiveness when examined after long term follow up of eight to fourteen years. This can be used as a cost and time effective therapeutic intervention in group settings and most clients have maintained treatment gains at longer terms (NICE 2004). It further stated that CBT is more effective than psychodynamic therapy and non-specific treatments. Apart from CBT, clients who receive anxiety management training, relaxation and breathing therapy have been proven to be effective compared to having no intervention. Apart from CBT, Veale (2003) also discusses Graded self-exposure as a psychological therapy for social phobia. This therapeutic intervention which is based on the learning theory hypotheses has been the treatment of choice for social phobia for many years. However, as this method of therapy using exposure to previously avoided situations in a graded manner until habituation occurs was only successful with limited amount of clients, alternative approaches such as CBT have become a more frequent therapy choice. NICE guidelines (2006) on computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (CCBT) for depression and anxiety recommend CCBT for mild depressions and anxiety disorders, including social phobia. With reference to two Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and two non-RCTs comparing CCBT (programme for panic/phobic disorders FearFighter) with therapist led CBT (TCBT) the NICE guidelines recommend the use of CCBT for mild phobic/panic disorders. When results of CCBT and TCBT were compared after a three month period of therapy for global phobia, both groups showed statistically significant improvement. Similar results were shown in two non-RCT studies too. When these scores were compared with a group who received relaxation techniques as therapy, this third group did not show statistically significant improvement while the other two groups (CCBT TCBT) did. However, it must be noted that the RCT and the non-RCT studies does not report clinically significant improvement. Nevertherless, the dropout r ate of FearFighter group was twice as many as the TCBT dropout rate. However, from a positive point of view on the practicality of CCBT on phobias, delivery of FearFighter programme at the clinical setting for one group, and the other group having access to the programme at home over a 12 week period showed that both groups showed statistically significant improvement in all measures (NICE guidelines, 2006). In terms of client satisfaction too there was no statistically significant difference between TCBT and CCBT (NICE guidelines, 2006). Thus, though further research is warranted to evaluate the clinical significance of CCBT for social phobia specifically, the NICE guidelines recommend CCBT as a choice of therapy for mild levels of depression and anxiety disorders. In addition to the observed effectiveness of CCBT, NICE guidelines also recommend it as a cost effective therapy alternative. Thus, CCBT for social phobia at mild levels could be useful at a practical level too. In a study by Rosser, Erskine Crino (2004), the researchers studied the treatment success of CBT with antidepressants and CBT on its own as treatment for social phobia. The results did not show a statistically significant difference in the treatment progress between the two groups allowing the researchers to conclude that pre-existing use of antidepressants did not enhance or detract from the positive treatment outcome of a structured, group-based CBT programme for social phobia. Application of medication and CBT is common practice in treatment for social phobia (Rosser et al., 2004). Yet, there are not many studies that have studied the combined effectiveness for social phobia. Citing Heimberg (2002) Rosser et al., (2004) describe that there are three possible outcomes from combining medication and CBT. Combined treatment may produce a better outcome than each treatment alone, by potentiating the gains achieved by CBT and also reducing relapse rates following the discontinuation of medication. Alternatively, there may be no difference between the combined approach and each approach individually, if both therapies (pharmacotherapy and CBT) are sufficiently powerful on their own. Also, depending on how individual clients attribute treatment success, effectiveness of CBT might be detracted by medication in a combined approach of treatment. Referring to literature on treatment success for social phobia Rosser et al., (2004) highlighted that combination treatment (CBT and pharmacotherapy) or pharmacotherapy alone has not been found to be of significant advantage. CBT has mostly been successful in overcoming symptoms, minimising relapses and also effective in terms of cost minimisation (Rosser et al., 2004). Focussing on the conclusions Rosser et al. (2004), there were no significant differences between the combination treatment (CBT antidepressants) and CBT alone could be interpreted in different ways. It is possible that since antidepressants and CBT are both re asonably powerful treatments individually, and thus a combination of the two did not contribute to a significantly to improve the outcome. Alternatively it may be that the group who were already taking antidepressants may have been prescribed with the medication because they were more severe in terms of social phobic or depressive symptoms prior to commencing treatment programme. Thus, it may be possible to argue that the combined therapy may not have contributed to a significant improvement compared to the group that that only received CBT, because there was a difference in symptom severity between the two groups. In addition there was no control in allocating (randomly) participants and or having a control over the medication dosage. Thus, the research findings of the study are subjected to the limitations of these variables that were out of the researchers control. However, it has to be noted that it does not devalue the comparative treatment success on the CBT (alone) group. The researchers of this study therefore emphasise the need for further research on combined therapy for social phobia as in real life clinical settings most clients are on medication while receiving CBT. Moreover, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) recommends CBT combined with medication as a widely used successful treatment method for social phobia. However, while recommending the above, they also emphasise the need for further research in this regard as the current data reveals mixed results. According to available evidence and theoretical considerations they suggested that some methods of combination could provide short-term benefits, but long-term decreases in efficacy compared to either treatment alone. In this paper Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) emphasised that most research on the effects of CBT combined with medication had the common research gap of failing to control the medication dose and the allocation of participants in to random samples. However, the authors of this paper emphasised that in most studies combined therapy for social phobia had not shown significant evidence of treatment success compared to either pharmacotherapy or CBT. Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) highlighted that there is supporting evidence to the treatment success of combining CBT with relaxation training. While mentioning this, they also noted that relaxation training alone has not proven to have any clinically significant benefit for the clients. Thus, it is when combined with CBT that clients have had a successful experience with relaxation training. Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) stated that all forms of CBT aim to reduce the experience of fear through modification of avoidance and other maladaptive behaviours, thoughts, and beliefs (e.g. through exposure with cognitive restructuring). Thus, in the process of therapy most clients may experience an increase in stress and negative affect and distress in the short-term, but the modification of these earlier components of these earlier components of a behavioural-emotional chain leads to reduction of symptoms over time. In regard to combining treatment methods with CBT as treatment for social phobia, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) highlighted the fact that all treatment methods have its own limitations and strengths. Thus when combining two therapies (either pharmacological and CBT or CBT with another psychotherapy), the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the two approaches could be magnified, depending on the nature of the combination. Hence, Rodebaugh Heimberg (2005) stated that an empirically supported method of combining medication and CBT for social anxiety disorder is yet to be established, although under varied circumstances clinicians use different combinations of CBT along with other psychotherapies and medication to maximise effectiveness on a case by case level. Concluding Remarks As discussed in this paper, social phobia may literally be a common mental disorder and it is categorised as an anxiety disorder under the DSM-IV classification system (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). While being highly prevalent, it is also a disorder that may have a large impact on a persons quality of life, hindering opportunities for personal growth and/or social interaction/relationships. Therefore, it is an important area of study and clinical practice in mental health, which has the aim of improving the lives of people suffering from this disorder, and minimising its effect on the society. Research literature on social phobia recommends certain types of medication, and CBT as a psychotherapeutic intervention as the first choice of treatment for this debilitating condition. As it is out of our scope, this paper did not pay detailed attention to the types of pharmacotheraputic interventions that may successfully be used to control symptoms of this disorder and enable clients live a healthy life. From a psychological perspective, CBT is widely recommended through evidence based research as the first choice of psychotherapeutic treatment for social phobia. As discussed in this paper, evidence on the successful combinations of therapeutic methods at present denotes the need for further research in order to determine the best combinations for successful treatment. Another area that needs similar attention is combining different types of psychotherapies with CBT as treatment for social phobia. Focusing on CBT for social phobia, although there is supporting evidence for therapy success, and though it is widely considered as the first choice of psychotherapy for this disorder, it is not always successful with all individuals. Thus, form a practical point of view, it is important that clinicians are able to tailor and combine different therapeutic methods (pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy), not only to maximise treatment success, but also to make it useful with different types of clients/clients from different background and life-experiences. Furthermore, although CBT is recommended as the first therapy choice, there are practical issues regarding meeting the demand for services. This becomes an issue in terms of finance as well as in terms of the limited amount of professionals available to deliver treatment. Some successful methods of overcoming these difficulties would be Group CBT for social phobia and CCBT. However, it must be emphasised that these issues become a much grave problem in countries where psychotherapists trained in CBT are rare, and even methods such as CCBT could be unaffordable and inaccessible for certain groups. In addition, there are also limitations in being able to use programmes such as CCBT in countries where English is not used, or it not the first language. Thus, from a global perspective, the use of CBT as a therapy choice is practically challenged due to limitations of resources and trained personals, leavening pharmacotherapy as the most practical mode of therapy for a large numbers of people suffering from social phobia. To conclude, it must be stated that continued research on the successful use of CBT as a therapeutic tool for social phobia and other disorders should be continued as it proves to be a successful therapy for many psychological disorders (Westbrook et al., 2007). Thus, it can be stated that CBT is a useful and successful therapeutic intervention for social phobia. The practical use of it could be further improved through continued research, and through therapist training programmes to meet the demands for therapy, as it would further increase the effectiveness of CBT as a therapy for social phobia.

Bonobo Chimpanzee - 1st Person Essay :: essays research papers

A Day in the Life of a Bonobo Chimp Before I show you the first page in my daily journal I must first give you some insight about my kind, the pygmy chimps, or bonobos, as I prefer to be called. I prefer to be called a bonobo rather than a pygmy chimp, because my kind are not chimpanzees, we are practically humans, 99.6% genetically the same to be exact. So please do not refer to me as a pygmy chimp. Were as far from chimps, as chimps are from gorillas. Here is the lowdown on my fellow bonobos and I. Males and females look just about the same, except for the obvious, which will be talked about much more later in my story. My kind has black hair covering their entire body, excluding face, hands, and feet. Children have a white spot on their tail stub, while elders’ hair gets gray with age (another one of those human characteristics). Though we do share the same long arm, short leg characteristic as our inferior relatives, the chimps, we have a more slender body structure than them. We are much smaller than regula r chimpanzees, where the ignorant name pygmy chimp comes from, about 2  ½ to 3 feet tall, but weigh between 65 and 90 pounds, males weighing more. In a daily meal depending on the season we eat everything from fresh fruit and honey to termites, worms, and even small reptiles and squirrels. When the season gets hot and dry we must eat the stems and roots of plants. From the humans I have talked to I have learned that my kind is endangered, or for all of the idiotic chimpanzees, there aren’t very many of us left. One woman has told me that we are endangered because of our high expectations of living standards. We wouldn’t think of living anywhere besides the secondary tropical lowland rainforests in Zaire. She told me another reason that my kind was endangered was because of something called, â€Å"poaching.† I had no clue what that meant, but after she explained it I was shocked to find that animals other than leopards hunted us. Finally before this female human left I asked her why she wasn’t afraid of me and my kind, and she told me that we seemed much more relaxed than any other animal she has ever seen. I though about this for only a second, and I knew why (told later in the story).

Osim International

Contents 1. Introduction to Osim International4 2. Competitive Strategy4 3. Company value chain4 3. 1Innovation5 3. 2Operations Management5 4. Non-financial analysis5 4. 1Corporate Social Responsibility5 4. 2Consumer Sentiments6 4. 3Corporate Culture6 4. 4Customer Retention and Growth6 5. Global outlook7 6. Industry outlook of healthy lifestyle products7 7. Comparison between Osim and its competitors8 8. Osim Financials8 8. 1Company’s Financial Ratios8 8. 2Market Prospects9 8. 2. 1Osim on its own9 8. 2. 2Osim vs. Selected peers (VGO, Best World, Ogawa, Jacks)9 8. 2. 3Osim vs. STI10 8. 3Projected Performance10 9. Conclusion11 Appendix A12 Appendix B16 Appendix C19 Appendix D24 Appendix E25 Appendix F26 ? 1. Introduction to Osim International Osim International Ltd. (Osim) is a Singapore listed company; a global leader in the healthy lifestyle products industry. It has been led since its inception by CEO Ron Sim, the company’s value driver, instrumental in bringing Osim to where it is today, greatly influencing its vision, mission and values with his personal touch. The company has expanded to more than 1,100 stores in more than 30 countries worldwide. Within the next 3 to 5 years, they plan to open over 50 outlets and further expand their subsidiaries, GNC and RichLife. . Competitive Strategy In view of the current economic situation, Osim seeks to cautiously and optimistically ‘focus on building profitability, positive EBITDA and operating cash flow’ . Even though they have exceeded sales expectations so far this year, this may be challenging given that they operate in a niche market easily affect ed by consumer sentiment and other global events. Osim feels a strong balance sheet is integral to meeting this aim, achievable through enhanced operational efficiency and outlets being leaner and more effective in sales. With Brand Osim, they desire an image that is one with (the) healthy lifestyle’ . This demonstrates their aspiration to not only be the market leader, but to also be the brand with the best recall and association. Furthermore, Osim adopts a two-pronged approach of innovation and growth; creating demand through innovation and development to support the anticipated US market recovery and the Chinese markets’ expansion. There is also focus on their most important resource, employees; training and empowering talents with emphasis on corporate culture alignment. 3. Company value chain Osim’s value chain involves two main processes: Innovation and Operations Management. . 1Innovation Research and development (R&D) is a process given much emphasis as Osim strives to release new and relevant products to create demand and to keep a technological edge above its competition, resulting in products such as the iDesire and iMedic amongst others. This has won consumers and its efforts were rewarded in 2008, voted as Asia’s most preferred brand for massage ch airs . This is also inculcated in their brand image with their desire to include ‘intelligent innovation’ . 3. 2Operations Management Operations management includes Osim’s manufacturing and retail arms. Upon subjecting raw material to their respective manufacturing processes, Osim creates a product that it believes will add value for consumers and entice them to pay a premium to obtain their desired quality of life. Its retail arm works with an aggressive marketing department to promote their products. Whilst costs are high, the perceived product value added is proportionately high. 4. Non-financial analysis 4. 1Corporate Social Responsibility Osim aims to encourage a positive attitude towards healthy lifestyles. Osim Triathlons in various Asian countries , and the Osim Singapore Masters are some sporting events it has sponsored. While Osim promotes itself as a lifestyle brand, for example, through the promotion of the uSqueez leg massager which appeals to triathletes, they have also donated to the Children’s Cancer Foundation and supported an endowment fund with the NUS Business School . Osim has also demonstrated accountability to society by recalling its products twice . The urgency to recall defective products has shown Osim’s commitment to civic responsibility. However, the recall affected Osim’s reputation as customers were put through the hassle of claiming damages. Despite this, Osim’s branding remains strong and is still one of the world’s most reliable providers in its industry. Accountability to investors was also demonstrated when they came in runners-up in the ‘Most Transparent Company Award (Commerce)’ in SIAS Investors’ Choice Award. 4. 2Consumer Sentiments In a 2008 survey by Synovate , Osim attained the ‘No. 1 Healthy Lifestyle Products Brand’ in consumers’ minds across Asia. The findings show Osim’s strong Asian customer base and affirms its effective branding as a leading provider of innovative products with design and quality, performance, and safety standards. Furthermore, massage chair sales in China has maintained good growth with easy-to-buy payment schemes. 4. 3Corporate Culture A strong corporate culture inculcating positive thinking has been used as a tool to survive market movements. This tool is behind the entrance of new innovations and the extension of Osim’s reach into the global market. Besides this, substantial shareholdings by key management ensures management goals are correctly aligned with that of shareholders’ . 4. 4Customer Retention and Growth In 2005, Osim was rated by Nielsen Consumers as the number one brand in seven attributes . Osim is also a member of Superbrands . To date, higher end products are made in Japan, a country recognized for its quality and precision . Mid-tier to lower end products are manufactured in China to reduce costs. Although manufactured in China, Osim ensures reliability and quality of these products. The market share gained from the provision of quality products has been shown in the same Synovate survey as mentioned above. Osim has also invested heavily in marketing, often publishing its advertisements in various media to increase its brand presence. These include centrespreads in major newspapers as well as television commercials, reigning in celebrities such as S. H. E and Fiona Xie. This fortifies their brand’s credibility, with the aim of converting new customers and retaining current ones. In a way, they have already created a strong and secure customer base and exclusive attention can be placed on gaining additional market share within the region and globally. 5. Global outlook Since the global recession, the market has rebounded with the STI currently trading around 2,600 points, a level last seen a year ago . We are currently believed to be in the accumulation phase , with economic growth expected in the coming years. Global markets have stabilized while key export markets such as the US and Europe remain fairly weak . A rapid recovery is in line for Asian economies, but continued soft private demand means that fiscal and monetary measures must be sustained to ensure continued growth. 6. Industry outlook of healthy lifestyle products Osim’s business efforts are concentrated on an increasingly affluent Asia , especially in countries like Singapore and China, where there is greater focus on lifestyle and well-being. Health is a greater concern as busier schedules reduce exercise time. As Asia’s aging population finds new ways to improve their living standards, more may turn to increasingly relevant healthcare products. However, the lifestyle industry is most vulnerable to fluctuations in business cycles. With the downturn, spending is either decreased or cheaper alternatives are sought. 7. Comparison between Osim and its competitors Osim’s main competitors in the health-food industry provide competition to its subsidiary, Global Active Limited. Its main recognized competitors in the massage products markets include OGAWA, OTO Bodycare and Panasonic. Osim thus relies heavily on innovation, aggressive marketing and quality to distinguish its products from its competitors, leveraging on the fact that consumer preferences are easily influenced. Another form of competition comes in the form of imitations and inexpensive Chinese products that respectively devalue Osim’s brand and provide viable substitutes. This forces Osim to differentiate itself as a premium product and introduce a secondary brand, NOVO, to woo consumers with its affordability. With the expected future growth in the healthy lifestyle products industry and Osim’s stronghold on its base consumer markets, we expect Osim to continue outperforming its competitors, especially in its core business function. 8. Osim Financials 8. 1Company’s Financial Ratios Osim’s profitability ratios have been weakening over the last 5 years, with sharp declines from 2006 onwards. Profit margins dropped from the healthy region of 9% to 0. 6% in 2007 and finally into the negative in 2008. Other returns ratios like ROA and ROE have also dropped significantly from 2005 onwards. Osim’s sales fell from a high of S$623million in 2006 to S$457million in 2008. The low profitability ratios suggest that the company is not effectively utilizing its assets and shareholder investments to generate sales and profit, which is a cause for concern for potential investors. Its dwindling sales and profitability can be attributed to fierce competition from imitations, as mentioned above. Also, Osim spent S$149million to acquire 55% of Brookstone Inc. in 2005, which did not work out well, as Brookstone’s losses dragged down Osim’s profitability from 2006 onwards. Osim’s liquidity ratios, despite the poor financial performances in the past few years, have remained relatively stable. Current ratio has stayed consistently above 1, bar 2007, which implies that the Group is able to meet its short term liabilities with its short term assets. Interest coverage has been falling sharply, primarily due to the fall in operating profits. In order to continue its repayment of interest charges, profits have to improve. 8. 2Market Prospects 8. 2. 1Osim on its own Generally, share prices have been on a strong downward trend since 2006, with MACD crossing below zero for most of the period. Osim’s share price plunged 98% from a high of S$2. 06 in 2006 to a low of S$0. 05 in the start of 2009 before showing signs of recovery, rising from below S$0. 10 to the recent stability of around S$0. 45, an increase of more than 400% during the period from March to September 2009. The recent bullish trend has also been reflected in the strong divergence of the MACD over zero. 8. 2. 2Osim vs. Selected peers (VGO, Best World, Ogawa, Jacks) During the last 5 years, Osim fared poorly compared to its industry peers. It was the worst performing stock out of the 5 selected companies over the period from 1Q07 to 1Q09. However, focusing our attention on more recent developments, Osim’s share price has been outdoing that of its competitors significantly, due to its strong recovery since 1Q09. Osim’s stock has risen at a higher rate, and been the best performing in terms of absolute value. Another interesting factor is the recent significant increase in insider trading, with senior management aggressively purchasing the company stock and subscribing to excess shares through the company’s rights issue . Together with the hints of recovery from recent financial figures, the purchase of shares by Osim’s management and confidence shown in the company might just be the confirmatory signal of their turnaround in fortunes. 8. 2. 3Osim vs. STI On a 5-year basis, comparing the performance of Osim’s share price against the STI, we observe that generally, it has been underperforming relative to the STI. The period between mid-2005 and early 2007, which coincided with Osim’s best financial performance, saw the company outperforming the market. Since 1Q07, it has been underperforming by a large margin until the recent superior performance relative to the STI starting from April 2009. 8. 3Projected Performance Judging from the 9 month 2009 figures, sales appear to continue sluggishly and we estimate the total sales for 2009 to be inferior to that of 2008. However, EBITDA has increased by 16% as compared to the same period last year. Having fully written down the investment in Brookstone, future losses need not be accounted for, and Osim’s profit before tax is expected to improve to around S$33million for 2009, a marked improvement from 2007 and 2008. Projected profitability ratios also suggest signs of recovery with ROA and ROE estimated to be around 9. 02% and 21. 36% respectively. Liquidity ratios for the Group remain healthy as well, as at 30 Sept 2009. Post restructuring, Osim has emerged leaner, significantly cutting down expenses over the past 2 years. Hence, if sales pick up in the future, we should see a return of the high profit margins realized in the past. Osim’s current Net Asset Value (NAV) per share is S$0. 14. Compared against the average share price of around S$0. 45 over the past 2 months, the Price-to-book ratio is about 3. times, implying that the stock may be overvalued. However, the general price-to-book ratio for an average company is 7 times , showing that Osim’s share price may still rise in the future. 9. Conclusion With Ron Sim at the helm and the alignment of the senior management with company objectives, Osim stands poised to achieve its goals in the short term with its aggressive marketi ng and focus on a strong balance sheet during this time of economic uncertainty. They have earned the trust of consumers through the provision of quality products and good corporate governance. While they have effectively lowered costs, revenue remains sluggish. They plan to improve this through expansion in emerging markets as well as to take advantage of Brookstone’s strategic positioning in American markets. Whilst having derived ways to compete effectively, and with the industry expected to grow, private consumption will still be depressed amidst this period of economic recovery due to a lag effect. Defining a medium to long term as between two to five years, we thus projected that Osim, on its own will continue to be profitable as a going concern. While we recognise that outside the industry, there are many superior alternatives that have the potential to generate far better returns, which is beyond the scope of this report, we recommend that with regards to an investment solely in Osim or in the Healthy Lifestyle Products industry, Osim is clearly the worthwhile choice to invest in. Appendix A Profitability Ratios 20082007200620052004 Profit Margin (%)-21. 780. 65. 429. 299. 2 ROA (%)-46. 580. 868. 0510. 214. 6 ROE (%)-141. 921. 9619. 8728. 9726. 16 Cash Flow/Operating Revenue (%)-17. 984. 957. 8911. 812. 6 Profit Margin (%)-21. 780. 65. 429. 299. Profitability ratios measure the return earned on a company's capital and the financial cushion relative to each dollar of sales. Osim's low profitability ratios in recent years are a cause for concern. However, much can be attributed to the economic crisis and the write-off of Brookstone in 2008. Liquidity Ratios 20082007200620052004 Current Ratio1. 090. 951. 021. 111. 87 Quick Rat io0. 480. 450. 450. 671. 38 Interest Coverage-19. 052. 067. 751750. 95 Current Ratio1. 090. 951. 021. 111. 87 Generally, despite the poor performance posted in 2007 and 2008, Osim's Liquidity Ratios remained relatively stable. This implies that there are no issues regarding the solvency of the company and resources are available to meet its obligations. 20082007200620052004 P/E Ratio (%)n. a. 103. 6422. 415. 2912. 48 Dividend Payout Ratio (%)0219. 4332. 2315. 3415. 39 P/E ratio is an indicator of perceived value of a stock. Osim's unusually high P/E ratio in 2007 is due to the low EPS resulting from the poor performance posted in that year. Osim has been consistently paying out dividends until 2008. Hence, should performance improves in future, investors should expect to receive dividend payouts. Appendix B Projected Performance -Month Key FinancialsEstimated Figures for 2009 Sales335. 9450 EBITDA33. 845 Profit before Tax24. 533 Net profit16. 121 Full year figures for 2009 determined based on pro-rating 9-month figures to get conservative estimates. (in $millions)9mth 20099mth 2008% change2009 Estimated20082007200620052004 Sales335. 9346. 2-2. 98%450456. 7523. 7622. 9502. 5332. 2 EBITDA33. 829. 116%453935. 476. 754. 545. 4 Profit before Tax24. 5-19. 5225. 64%33-92. 25. 443. 651. 435. 3 Net profit16. 1-26161. 92%21-99. 53. 735. 845. 630. 8 (in $millions)9mth 20099mth 2008% change2009 Estimated20082007200620052004 Sales335. 9346. 2-2. 98%450456. 7523. 7622. 502. 5332. 2 EBITDA33. 829. 116%453935. 476. 754. 545. 4 Estimated Financial Ratios for 2009 (With Balance Sheet as at 30 Sept 2009) Profit Margin (%)4. 67 ROA (%)9. 02 ROE (%)21. 36 Current Ratio at B/S date1. 16 2009 figures suggest Osim is on the road to recovery. Projected Profit before Tax show improvement compared to 2008 and 2007, though not to the extent of 2006's high. Compared to 1st half of 2008, 2009 has shown improvement in EBITDA even though sales continue to be weak. .Charts with Projected 2009 Ratios Appendix C Osim Stock Charts 5-Year 1-Year Comparison against STI 5-Year 1-Year Comparison Competitors 5-Year 1-Year -Year Absolute 1-Year Absolute Appendix D Insider Trades Announcement DateBuyerNumber of Shares (Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ000) 23/2/09Ron Sim2002 13/3/093466 17/3/09953 27/3/0996150 31/3/09200 1/4/09200 6/4/092700 9/4/096500 Subtotal112171 23/2/09Peter Lee320 13/3/09950 31/3/09550 9/10/09270 Subtotal2090 23/2/09Richard Leow300 23/2/09Ong Kian Min1618 24/2/091000 2/4/09752 23/2/09Michael Kan300 2/4/09218 23/2/09Charlie Teo300 27/3/09365 6/4/09100 2/4/09Khor Peng Soon16 Subtotal4969 Total119230 Appendix E ? Appendix F Japan’s quality in manufacturing was taken from Fundamentals of Composites Manufacturing: Materials, Methods, and Applications by A. Brent Strong

Donating blood essays

Donating blood essays Nowadays blood donating becomes more and more common and takes a more important part in medical treatment career. Fresh and healthy blood is needed everywhere. Many people join the group of donating blood, to consider that to be an obligation for a member of the society. But there are some difficulties for this good action to spread all over China. Because of the notion errors of some Chinese people, it is hard to be universal. Many people thought that donating blood could have terrible impacts on their bodies, for example, some think that will do harm to their eyes and ears, some think that will make their bodies very weak, even some girls think that donating blood will have their weight putting on. Alll that thoughts seem to be silly. Actually, blood donating will not do harm to your health, but will refresh you blood and make you healthier. Some people like to donate on their birthday or special occasions, celebrating their good health with others. Give the gift of life - give blo od. It is a gift you can keep on giving. So where do these blood go to? May be the blood is now travelling in a baby ¡Ã‚ ¯s body, or just beating strongly in a leukemia patient ¡Ã‚ ¯s heart, some blood might be used for the people who need it. I think the volunteer donors may gain a special feeling of happyness from blood donating, and I am sure that I will join the group of those blood volunteer donors. ...

The Role Of Bobby Kennedy Throughout The Cuban Mis Essays

The Role Of Bobby Kennedy Throughout The Cuban Mis Essays The Role Of Bobby Kennedy Throughout The Cuban Missile Crisis Introduction On the morning of Tuesday October 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy was reading the Tuesday morning newspapers in his bed at the Whitehouse. Not twenty fours hours before, McGeorge Bundy, Kennedys national security adviser, received the results of Major Richard S. Heysers U-2 mission over San Cristobal Cuba. In light of recent mysterious Soviet and Cuban activities developing in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, the presidents administration had given the order to conduct reconnaissance missions over the island of Cuba. In particular a fifty-mile trapezoidal swath of territory in western Cuba was to be looked upon under intense scrutiny. A CIA agent reported in the second week of September that this stretch of land was being guarded closely by Peruvian, Colombian, and actual Soviet soldiers. There was a real reason to be suspicious of the activity in western Cuba. The first of this U-2 reconnaissance mission would reveal a shocking discovery.(Chang & William p.33-47) The U-2 reconnaissance reports that Bundy received in full detail two 70-foot-long MRBMs at San Cristobal. The news that Bundy would eventually have to expose to President Kennedy would sound alarms not just in his administration or in the United States of America, but throughout the entire world. Bundy did not tell the president that night. He opted to allow him a good nights rest, the last he would have for some time, as it turned out. Bundy felt there was nothing the president could do about the missiles that night anyway, and he would need to be sharp the next morning.(Brugioni p.68) Besides Bundy and the leadership of the U.S. intelligence community, Dean Rusk and his team at State, as well as McNamara and the deputy secretary of defense, Roswell Gilpatric, received word of the U-2s discovery before going to bed on October 15. Kennedys discovery of the missiles could wait till the next morning.(May & Zelikow p.24) Thus on the morning of October 16, while Kennedy was lying in bed, Bundy informed that the U-2 mission that flew over Cuba had spotted two nuclear missiles and six missile transports southwest of Havana. Before the summer of that same year had ended, Khrushchev had made the twin promise that nothing will be undertaken before the American Congressional elections that could complicate the international situation or aggravate the tension in the relations between our two countries, and ensured the president through his own brother Robert F. Kennedy, the attorney general of the United States and the presidents closet advisor by means of a back channel, that only defensive weapons were to be placed in Cuba.(Brugioni p56) This last and final statement left the young attorney general and the entire administration to believe that no offensive nuclear missiles, and certainly no weapons that were capable of hitting any target in the continental United States were being placed in Cuba at this ti me.(Chang & William p67) The news brought to the Kennedy administration in the form of the U-2s telltale photographs made nonsense of both of Khrushchevs pledges. But most importantly the Soviet Union had equipped Cuba with an arsenal of Soviet nuclear missiles despite a presidential statement only a month early that the United States would not tolerate such a situation in the Western Hemisphere. Kennedy felt personally insulted by the deployment of these missiles.(Fursenko & Naftali p.193) He thought that he had done everything possible to defuse and smooth over tense relations with the Soviet Union even before he took office in 1960. This devastating news from Cuba would result in the tense period in Cold War history to date and perhaps its tensest period in the entire history of the war. Kennedy decided limit the information regarding the devastating news from Cuba to as small a group as possible. This group would come to be known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or as it would later be known and shortened to simply Ex Comm.(Brugioni p.45) This would be the group of Washingtons sharpest and most influential minds that would more or less decide the fate of the nation and the world. A heavy responsibility would be carried on their shoulders. If they failed they

Ethics and Law in Business and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics and Law in Business and Society - Essay Example In this stage of moral development, the individuals engage in actions of retaliation, vengeance. These actions are filtered by the individuals according to the level of satisfaction desired by the individual. For example, if one scratches somebody’s skin, there is supposed to be an act of retaliation. The third stage of moral development demands the conformation from the society on the good behaviors and approval of not engaging into bad behavior. This stage of confirmation leads to moral development for which the individuals would be ready to co-operate with other members of the society and engage in self sacrifices. For, the individuals engage in providing personal favor to other people for want of social confirmation. The fourth stage of moral development identifies conformity to the law and order. Most of the individuals reach this stage after showing due respect to the judiciary and the maintenance of social order. For example, the law and order in the society leads to th e prevention of crime and enhances the path of justice. This influences the right behavior among the individuals of society. The fifth stage of moral development leads the individuals to the path of restoration of human rights as a social contract (Gibbs 89). These are rights that the individual demands in the social conditions of existence. For example, right to speech and opinion is a human right that is conferred by the society on the individuals. The sixth stage of moral development leads individuals to realize the importance universal ethical principles. In this stage, the human beings spread the message of equality, moral and ethical values and the duties of being the followers of God. For example, Mohandas Gandhi reached the sixth stage of moral development and spread the message of Ahimsa. Answer 1 b The model of Kohlberg can be applied to corporate culture which could lead to ethical behavior of the managers. The managers could learn the importance of the various stages and apply the knowledge to trigger actions expected from the employees through moral development. The sense of punishment in the corporate culture would allow the managers to enforce urgent decision for benefits of the company. The work culture could be made healthier with the sense of interpersonal communication and approval among the employees. The sense of social conformity and ethical principles could be addressed by manager to implement better code of conduct in the corporate environment that is required to develop a responsible work force. Answer 1 c The main objective of business is not only to earn profits but to earn the profits in an ethical ay and perform the social responsibilities. However, relativism exists in the work culture where policies of business ethics are undertaken by the corporate houses. However, despite the practices of business ethics for building a good image in the society has flaws in the fact that these practices of ethics are often influenced by the man agers. This has led to the development of frauds and misreported figures. Thus personal interest should be curved and organizational interests would need to be given foremost importance for genuinely incorporating business ethics in the work culture. Answer 2 a As viewed by Aristotle, Kant, the philosopher’s approach to ethics might help in doing things in the right way. The principles of ethics define the set of actions that are