Monday, September 30, 2019
Family Essay
INTRODUCTION A family is the most important social group to which a person could belong to. Our families teaches us about the importance of knowledge, education, hard work and effort. It teaches us about enjoying ourselves, having fun, keeping fit and healthy. It teaches us all the social and moral etiquettes which a person learns and they learn them because of their family environment. The conditions in a family very much affect the livelihood and working of an individual. There for making your family very important. PREVIEW There are so many reasons why a family is important.à A family is what a person has been around their whole life they have helped that person even if that person doesnââ¬â¢t notice, the family has helped. and no matter what there is a bond between each person in a family a love that you canââ¬â¢t quite explain even when someone in the family has done something to hurt you no matter what happens you will love them even if you donââ¬â¢t think so now. But that is not what this speech is about, I will be focusing on how a family helps; 1.)shapes the personality, 2.) develops emotional strength, and 3.) can work as a support system. BODY I.It shapes the personality. Now how dose our family shape our personality? A.Well since childhood, we are taught be in accordance with the family traditions and cultures which have been going on since generations. B.The basic principles of life and lessons to live it nicely are also given to us by our family. C. The social, moral, and educational background decides the present and future of the child and that is decided by the family, especially the parents. (Transitional Phrase: It is the family which helps us to grow well and deal with the challenges of life because of how our emotional strength was developed). II. When the family goes through a hard time or a joyous time all the members of the family go through it and that is how our development of emotional strength is started. A.When family environment is good and stress free, then the mind of an individual remains delighted and free of any pressure. B.But if the family is broken or if there are continuous familyà problems every now and then, this leads to serious mental stress. C.This in turn, has difficult effects on the education, career and future of a person. In other words, the emotional strength of a person and our ability to overcome crisis situations for the most part depends on how we have been brought up. (Transitional Phrase: When a family is well put together the and family members encourage us to do something we will certainly feel confident about whatever it is even if we are not that great at that certain thing.) III. Whenever we are looking for support we always look to those that we know will support us and so when our family works as a support system it will certainly help us a lot. A.And in order to do any job well, a person needs some backing or support to keep their confidence level high. B.Family is the biggest source of this because the family members know that person better than anyone else. therefore they know what is right for the individual and what is not and family should tell you what is not good for u or what they know you certainly cant do. C. If the family always help and encourages that person and that person can trust them then they and will go to them for advice or support trusting them to help them and trusting their judgment if they should or shouldnââ¬â¢t do something. D. Most importantly the family will always be with a person, even in the worst times of that individuals life the family will go through it with them. CONCLUSION Therefore ââ¬Å"Cherish your life, Cherish your health, Cherish your family, and Cherish your friends. For these are the things that money canââ¬â¢t buy and will define your true wealthâ⬠.-unknown Appreciate your family because when everything goes downhill your family will be right there with you. And some people donââ¬â¢t have that, some people have to deal with struggles on their own and have a hard time because they do not having a family to help them go through it, yes they might have friends that will help them but there friends donââ¬â¢t have the deep connection that you have with your family they havenââ¬â¢t gone through all that you have because they havenââ¬â¢t been at your side as your family has. You might think that your brothers and sisters havenââ¬â¢t gone through the same thing that you have but there is such a deep connection between a family that they have dealt with you and how you take the situations. There is a reason why God gave you your family and not justà a friend that you know for a couple of years. there is a reason why you will have them in your life forever. However as I said before there is so much more but now is not the time for that, for now I hope you can see how a family is important because of how it helped shape the personality, develop emotional strength, and works as a support system. Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions but our roots remain as one. So ââ¬Å"No matter how bad things get, no matter how wrong things go, family will always be there! So treasure the family you have and donââ¬â¢t take them for granted!â⬠- Nishan Panwar
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Overstretched European families up against the demands of work and care Essay
Care Policies Introduction à à à à à à à à à à à Care is defined as provision of what is appropriate for welfare, health, protection and maintenance of something or someone. Care policies are acts that that guides people to seek serious consideration or attention so that they can carry on with their daily activities in an appropriate manner. Care policies must be unique to the type of service being offered and be developed in cooperation with the service community. Policies are developed depending on the need or conditions. However, the policy has to be introduced to the community and explain the future plans of development. The main concern is to know how to develop policies that meet the needs of the society. à à à à à à à à à à à In various parts of the continent there has been a reverse of roles whereby women are getting involved in paid employment. This has altered the traditional role of the father as the breadwinner of the family since this model presume that women can be dependent to care for children, frail and older relatives as well as disabled family members. The paper seeks to acknowledge how care policies are developed. The paper focus on the relationship connecting how constituencies formulate care claims and the manner these care policies are prepared and delivered in diverse regional, national and historical perspective. The main focus is on the care policies for employed parents in Europe, but it also briefly analyze policies for unpaid careers and disabled citizens. à à à à à à à à à à à The paper aim at providing an explanation within particular framework of the rapport between ; the connection of claims based on the needs of those who receive and those who provide care, the logics and political frames which are concerned to meet care needs, as well as the implications of such policies to distinct care providers and care receivers. The policy should be consistent with the values, goals and the mission of the service to be provided. The policy should as well be applicable to the management structure as well as the type of service being provided. The care policy should also follow the format used in other policies. There should also be regulatory and legislative mandates governing the policy as it apply to the type of service. This among other factors will determine how well the policy addresses the need and thus provide the service in the best way possible. Every year organizations are called upon to review their policies and procedures so that they can meet the required terms. à à à à à à à à à à à The book Gender and social policy in a global context by Razavi and Hassim explain how economic and social rights have been traditionally prepared and modeled by the procedure of economic and political change, and by design and normative postulations of social institutions. The book reveals that these assumptions and processes are in depth gendered even in phases where official political parity has been achieved. The book uncovers the gendered structure of the society and it highlights the significance of thinking ahead of markets and states in societal provisioning, also incorporating interaction analysis between social institutions, especially family and society. Though there have been a lot of radicalization in the care and balance of work in many communities, the book shows in many circumstances these alterations have been reestablished rather than masculinity wrinkled inequalities. In order to acknowledge the results, it is important to explore the rapport between the values and presuppositions on which social institutions are represented in different nations and the approaches in which they have structured work access and burdens to entitlements. à à à à à à à à à à à Policies and procedures describe how care providers can plan to operate their program. Working parents in Europe have easy access to openly funded schemes offering superior care. European countries provide appropriate alternative models of child care. However, different European countries have different systems of child care policies. For example, French child care is anticipated basically as early childhood education and is free to all kids despite of the socio-economic type. In France, many children are registered in the full-day and undergo same national scheme, with the same prospectus and their teachers are paid good salaries by the same state bureau. On the other hand, Denmark offers a ââ¬Å"non-school modelâ⬠with a primary aim of helping working parents not to educate their children. In European countries child care expenses are considered as a social liability and are funded by the public. European countries also highly rega rd the Family leave Act as compared to other nations such as United States. European legislative board also emphasizes on the number of hours that parent work as a significant factor that moulds the approach of how kids are thought about and people providing the care. European working parents work for few hours and weeks so that they can have time to care for their children. This is a very important step since parent care is not easy since it requires full attention. It poses very difficult to balance time between office work and taking responsibility as a parent. à à à à à à à à à à à The rates of maternal employment are high in European countries, but parents are able to balance between work and family responsibility. There are three major care policies for working parents in Europe which are: publicly provided or subsidized early childhood care and education program, paid parenting leaves that allow parents to care for their children without forfeiting their income or jobs, and working time policies that increase alternatives for part-time, reduced-hour and high-quality employment. Collective-bargaining agreements and legislation forbid employers from mistreating part-time employees. European care policies that protect parental time are attached with superior public early childhood care and education program. In unison these policies back up provision of safe, developmentally nurturing care for kids since birth until the beginning of their primary school. In Sweden, working parents are entitled to 15 months paid paren tal leave and the parents also have statutory right to work for at least six hours a day until their children turn 8 years. European countries acknowledge the importance of parent care since the parent is the childââ¬â¢s first teacher. Parent care is very crucial since it will shape the child development process. à à à à à à à à à à à In conclusion, European care policies are far much better off as compared to other countries such as United States. In European countries child care expenses are well thought-out as social responsibility and are funded by the public while in U.S. parents pay for child care services. European countries formulate care policies to protect the working parent by offering alternatives such as part-time, reduced-hour and high-quality employment. These care policies in European countries are very crucial to working parents since they help the parent to balance between work and family responsibility. References Boca, D. (2007). Social policies, labour markets and motherhood: a comparative analysis of European countries. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. DrobnicÃÅ'Ã
â, S. (2011). Work-life balance in Europe: the role of job quality. Houndmills, Basingstoke Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. KroÃÅ'Ãâ ger, T., & SipilaÃÅ'Ãâ , J. (2005). Overstretched European families up against the demands of work and care. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell. Razavi, S., & Hassim, S. (2006). Gender and social policy in a global context: uncovering the gendered structure of ââ¬Ëthe socialââ¬â¢. New York: Palgrave Macmillan The European Model. (n.d.). What we can learn from how other nations support families that work. Retrieved May 29, 2014, fromhttp://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Europe/European_Model_Families.html Source document
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Explain Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality development
Sigmund Freud practiced as a psychiatrist in Vienna in the late nineteenth century. He mainly treated neurotic middle-aged women and his observations and case studies of these women led Freud to propose a theory of personality development. The main basic principle of his study suggested that adult personality is the result of an interaction between innate drives (such as the desire for pleasure) and early experience. Freud proposed that individual personality differences can be traced back to the way the early conflicts between desire and experience were handled. These conflicts remain with the adult and exert pressure through unconsciously motivated behaviour. Freud's theory proposed that the mind can be divided into three main parts. These are the id, ego and superego. The id contains innate sexual and aggressive instincts and works alongside the pleasure principle, which searches for immediate satisfaction. The ego is the conscious, rational mind and works on the reality principle. Last is the superego. This is the conscience and knows between right and wrong. These can be related to personality s each person may be dominated by a part of the mind. For example, people who are dominated by their Id are said to be ââ¬Ëerotic' and seek pleasure. Freud also defined stages of psychosexual development. These stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. If a child experiences severe problems or excessive pleasure at any stage during development, this can lead to fixation which can then lead to differences in personality. Regression can also occur if adults experience stressful situations. Freud believed that both fixation and regression play important roles in determining adult personality. A good example of this can be seen in children that become fixated on the anal stage. They feel that they can control their bodily functions and enjoy retaining faeces. Fixation on retaining faeces can lead to an anal retentive personality type. This type is characterised as being clean, orderly and obstinate. Ego defence is also a process involved in the development of personality. There are a variety of defence mechanisms used as protection by the ego. Denial is a very good example of this. This is refusing to accept the existence of a threatening event e.g. some patients suffering from a life-threatening illness may deny that the illness is affecting their lives. Freud saw these defences as unhealthy and believed that they affecting personality development. Much of Freud's work was supported by other research evidence whereas others conflicted with his work. Evidence supporting Freud's theory of fixation was published by Rosenwald (1972). He found that people who scored high for anal retentiveness were reluctant to put their hands into a brown substance resembling excrement. This suggests that anal retentives do have anxieties about faeces. Freud's theory can also be used to explain ââ¬Ëinconsistency' (ââ¬Ëpart of me wants to, but the other part doesn't'). it also largely omitted social influences and promoted a deterministic, biological view. Also criticisms of Freud's theory include that Freud conducted his study on middle-classes white Viennese women and so is hard to generalise for other cultures.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Sexual attractions in the client - therapist relationship - Psychology Essay
Sexual attractions in the client - therapist relationship - Psychology - Essay Example apist has an intrinsic responsibility to understand this and be able to handle it - which means finding his or her own sexual gratification elsewhereâ⬠¦ It is far better to assert your own boundaries than to transgress those of the client. (par. 13) Three most important features describe the context in which the client-therapist relationship takes place: ââ¬Å"there is an expectation of trustworthiness, an unequal power relationship exists and the interaction occurs under condition of privacyâ⬠(Feldman-Summers, 1989, cited in Hall, 2001, p. 512). First, trust is expected, because it is this trust that makes the therapist-client relationship possible. Trust on the part of the client is what makes him/her divulge even the deepest secrets in his/her life/self believing that his/her therapist would bring him/her ââ¬Å"towards a healthy mind and healthy lifeâ⬠(Borden, n.d., par. 14). On the other hand, trust on the part of the therapist is more to him/herself that he/she could fulfill his/her responsibility to his/her client. Second, the relationship between the client and the therapist could never be equal, as the client relies almost fully on the expertise of the therapist. In fact the therapistââ¬â¢s power over h is/her client basically comes from the following sources: (1) aesculapian power ââ¬â ââ¬Å" the power that the physician possesses by virtue of her training in the discipline and the art or craft of medicine;â⬠(2) charismatic power ââ¬â ââ¬Å"the personality characteristics of the physician;â⬠(3) Social power ââ¬â ââ¬Å"arises from the social status of the physicianâ⬠(Brody, 1992, cited in Hall, 2001, p. 513); and, (4) ââ¬Å"hierarchical power, the power inherent by oneââ¬â¢s position in a medical hierarchyâ⬠(McMillan & Anderson, 1997, cited in Hall, 2001, p. 513). Thus, it is of vital importance that a ââ¬Ëneutral, safe placeââ¬â¢ be established for the client to be fully free allowing a therapeutic alliance to grow (Simon, 1999, cited in Hall, 2001, p. 512). And third,
Thursday, September 26, 2019
SWOT Analysis of Wal Mart and Carrefour in China Essay
SWOT Analysis of Wal Mart and Carrefour in China - Essay Example Also, being a globally renowned company, the company can face a number of issues politically as well as other external factors. The company also faces high levels of cost competition across the country. Carrefour is one of the worlds second largest and the largest retailer in Europe. The company has been in the Chinese markets for the past few years and has opened as many as ten stores in China at the end of 2010. The main strengths of the company here include its strong global brand name and brand image. Also, the companyââ¬â¢s strong experience and knowledge of the industry provides it with an upper hand. Also, since Carrefour has been in China since 1995, the company has strong suppliers and strong contacts within the country. The weaknesses of the company, however, include lack of strong and well-integrated systems within the country. Carrefour uses the strategy of adopting the country as many small markets instead of one large market. This leads to a lack of a strong integrat ed system for the company. In terms of the opportunities, Carrefour has a strong opportunity to enter into the development of small stores across the country as well as to use their strong relations with the suppliers to expand its business and increase the number of stores, considering the size of the Chinese markets (Carrefour). Finally, in terms of the threats, it is clear that the company also faces high levels of threats from other competitors like Wal Mart and also the small local retailers.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FINANCE AND TRADE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FINANCE AND TRADE - Essay Example The Enron Corporation before its collapse was one of the largest global company which had its hands in the sales of natural gas and electricity, commodities like bandwidth internet connection and provided other financial and management services. Failure of corporate governance can be due many reasons. In financial terms if a company owes more than it earns over a significant time period and is not able to carry out trade then it faces a corporate failure. Failure can also occur due to institutional failure in which a group of managers fails to tackle major issues of the company. An important factor behind the collapse of corporate governance is the financial crisis. ââ¬Å"The Enron failure demonstrated a failure of corporate governance, in which internal control mechanisms were short-circuited by conflicts of interest that enriched certain managers at the expense of the shareholders.â⬠(Enron: Corporate Failure, Market Success, 2002). A complete reevaluation of corporate govern ance practice in the United States became important after the fall of Enron. The financial goals of a corporate sector are mainly maximization of share holderââ¬â¢s wealth and the maximization of corporate wealth. The wrong financial decisions taken by the authorities leading to a ââ¬Ëdubiousââ¬â¢ financial transaction also contributes to the failure of corporate governance. The free market situation which emerged as a result of liberalization and the process of privatization of public sector got questioned after the breakdown of the Enron. ââ¬Å"The failure of the corporate governance system should be viewed as the failure of the corporate internal control systemâ⬠(Dewan, 2006, P. 51 An effective system of corporate governance has both internal and external aspects that have to be sufficiently responsive if governance is to succeed. ââ¬Å"Different internal and external influences address different issues within an organizationâ⬠(Hafner, 2010, P. 6). Absence of an appropriate internal governance system which leads to an inefficient financial and management performance may also contribute to the breakdown of corporate governance as happened at Enron. Failure of External governance system which has the responsibility to warn the company about the future market situations to do its duty may also contribute to the failure of the corporate governance. The power in the hands of the company given by the corporate rules to influence the policy makers and hence the government has been another reason for the corporate failure. The collapse of corporate governance was not just rooted in poor managerial performance but the entire corporate department plays a major role in ruining the corporate ethical values and principles. But the primary responsibility for the failure of corporate governance lies with the executives and the managers. If the operations management were allowed to work according to the corporate norms then the tragedy of the Enron c ollapse might not have occurred. Effective regulation and oversight, restrictions on campaign financing, and an arms length approach of government in dealing with business may have prevented the breakdown of Enron. ââ¬Å"Enron situation taught a lesson about the main reasons for such failures and not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. The Enron situation was the focus of a massive investigation that led to significant changes in corporate governa
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Severe Storm exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Severe Storm exam - Assignment Example It is because of this movement that a derecho is referred to as a; ââ¬Å"straight-line wind damageâ⬠. Derecho winds originate from downbursts. They possess almost similar characteristics. The inherent difference is that; derechos assume a curved shape, while downbursts maintain horizontal dimensions of approximately 4 to 6 miles. Winds in a derecho have must be greater than 57mph for them to be considered as severe wind gusts (according to the National Weather Service). There are three different types of derechos: serial derencho, progressive derencho, and boundary waters-Canadian derencho. The serial derencho originates from multiple bow echoes in a wide squall line. The progressive derecho originates from single bow echoes in short line of winds and thunderstorms. The Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho develops from a narrow progressive derecho in the bow echo system. The ââ¬Ëderecho triangleââ¬â¢ is extensive; from Minneapolis to Dallas to Pittsburgh. Derechos occur mostly in the late spring and summer seasons. They take place along two axes: the extensive ââ¬Å"corn-beltâ⬠region; from the upper Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley and from the mid Mississippi Valley to the southern plains. They are not common during autumn and winter. If they occur during these seasons, they are experienced in eastern Texas to the south eastern states. Isolated derecho have been experienced in the western United States during the spring. In the mid-Atlantic, derechos are mostly experienced in the warm season. They take place on the fringes of great heat waves. Large-scale heat waves provide conditions that are conducive for the development of derechos. The heat waves and derechos are linked by an Elevated Mixed Layer (EML); mid-tropospheric layer of air that develops over the elevated arid terrain. Emls exhibit steep reductions in temperature with height. These temperature differentials enhance
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Employment Laws in UK Replacing the Collective Laissez-Fair System Essay
Employment Laws in UK Replacing the Collective Laissez-Fair System - Essay Example This paper illustrates that before the introduction of the statutory employment law what was commonly in use was the laissez- fair that lost its significance later after the introduction of the statutory laws. This has made the collective bargaining to lose its significance considerably and instead the statutory laws have become more important. This has resulted into the emergence of new employment patterns in addition to employment disputes. This is clear indications that in the modern day workers depend on law rather than on the collective bargain. The rise of groups lobbying for the rights of workers has continually attacked the tenets of laissez faire through the enforcement of the labor laws. Laissez faire, which advocates for equal competitive chances for all hence survival of the fittest is currently seen as discriminative, offensive and unfair. Not only has individuals and organizations come up with new strategies, but the government has also come up with strategies aimed at protecting the consumers and investors. These regulations deal a great blow to the capitalist nature of businessmen as dictated by the laissez-faire policy. According to the Labor & European Law Review Index, there are articles, acceptable by the law that dictates on the associations at the workplace. Among the regulations in the index are the age regulations. This dictates that investors cannot hire children of a given age. Moreover, there are conditions that have to be fulfilled before an investor can hire women, children or the disabled. This restricts the freedom granted by the laissez-faire where one can hire whoever has the skills to complete the task at hand. Another challenge posed by the LERL is the employment rights, equality, and compensation. As it is widely accepted, Laissez faire is centered on the benefit of the investor but not the employees. It encourages manipulation of the workers as long as they fulfill the demands of the employer. An incompetent worker is automa tically dismissed. However, with the coming of the regulations, these freedoms are curtailed. The freedom of information means that the workers are no longer regulated. Access to information means that the workers are fully aware of their rights. They are therefore empowered to fight for their rights. On the other hand, the employersââ¬â¢ hands are tied as the labour regulations allow for such. Therefore, the employer ceases becoming the top-most authority, as is the case in laissez-faire. The employer also cannot fire the workers at will since that would be a breach of contract and the employer can be arraigned in court for that. Through these regulations, the employer loses the much control that is availed by the laissez-faire system. The UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has also formulated policies that are aimed at bringing a balanced and sustainable growth. On the face of it, this may seem like a great idea, but not in the eyes of investors who believe in the Laissez faire. Under these policies are some policy areas of interest. According to the BIS, these areas include business law, better regulation, consumer issues and business sectors among others. These are the key areas that threaten the continuity and functionality of the laissez faire system. Of greatest impact is the business law. This law is divided into segments which dictate how various functions in a business entity should be carried out. This alone inhibits the freedom of investors. Furthermore, these regulations call for corporate governance. This comes in line with the corporate social responsibility.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Financial Markets & institutions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Financial Markets & institutions - Assignment Example (Lurà ¹e 15) Example; 100.00 Euros are provided by a company for a period of one year at rate of 3 per cent. At the end of the year it expects to receive 1030.00 Euros. However, the bank supposes 10 per cent rate inflation in the next year it will want 1133.00 Euros. The interest rate expected by the bank will sum up to 13.3 per cent. Treasury Bill (T-Bill) are simple market securities issued by the government. T-Bills are short-term securities used by the government to collect money from the public. In purchasing of T-Bills, the holder will pay a price that is less than the face or par value of it. (Kawai 16) T-Bills mature after three months, half a year or after a year of issuance. The government will then pay the holder the full face value. T-Bill provides guarantee and safety returns because it has full back and faith of the government. Investors lending money to the government get their money back with interest. Limited access is one of the drawbacks of T-Bills. Investors who need to withdraw their money before the maturity dates are reached have to pay a penalty. T-Bills have little returns because of lees maturity period mostly not more than one-year thus low amount of interest. (Kawai 21) The banks or credit unions issue certificates of deposit (CDs) to holders who have deposited funds to the bank. CDs limit the holders from withdrawing the funds when in need of cash until a set period of time elapses. When one has to withdraw fund from the bank a penalty is incurred. CDs are secured form of investments and they offer high amount of returns. CDs are not prone to risk, pensions and instability. Disadvantages of certificate of Deposits are that they require a high amount of initial capital than that for saving account. Investors obtain little returns from CDs thus a drawback. Companies create corporate bonds by giving debts with the aim of raising capital. Bond provide fixed amount of income and
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Marialyn Essay Example for Free
Marialyn Essay My First week in bank of Makati makes me so tired but still I am grateful because we got the opportunity to have an on-the-job-training with a prestigious kind of bank. I was assigned near the tellerââ¬â¢s area. In my first tasked Maââ¬â¢am Noreen the branch operations head, assigned me to encode the account name and account number of clients exclusive only for the past two years. I was also assigned to stamp the liquidated receipt paid by the bank as their expenses and etc. I also had a time to socialize with some employee. In the following days, my tasked are still the same. I continued to encode the remaining sets of accounts then I stamp customer information forms. I was also assigned by Maââ¬â¢am Dianne the marketing sales associate to paste the invitation cards and cut designs for the candle holder which will be used for the opening of the new building that the bank of Makati will be moved. Those invitation cards will be given to their selected clients. I was also assigned to arrange receipts according to its serial number. An hour before the duty end the manager treat us a snack for us to relieve our stress. In the second week of our on the job training, during its first day we already moved to the new and better building of Bank of Makati which is located at Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland Matina Davao City. We have a little celebration together with the manager, employees, visitors and other officers from the main office. When we went back to our work, one of the employee who is assigned in loan operation department told me together with my co-trainees to count the documents by hundred. As I get back to the department where I truly assign, Maââ¬â¢am Noreen instructed me to arrange the files sealed in the long enveloped and cleaned it. The next day I encode another set of account name and number of clients. After that I was task to arrange again the files sealed in the enveloped the same routine that I made the other day since the branch operation head told the utility man to transfer the drawerââ¬â¢s placed then I take off the envelop and I arrange it back to its original placed. I was also tasked to stamp letters which will be given to the clients and then I make sorting for the serial number of sealed enveloped, it seems that it is confidential I cannot saw whatââ¬â¢s inside of it. I also helped my co-trainee to cut the slips in check accounts that will be used by the teller. In the following days, I was tasked to cut small pieces of labeled papers which has a content of bankââ¬â¢s name and its new address, it will be used as label to those envelop that will be delivered to the clients. After that I paste those pieces of papers that I cut and I inserted the letters inside of it and then I sealed. I also cut another pieces of papers which has the content for requirements purposes and I arrange it to the small box. At afternoon, I was tasked to put check marks in the customer information forms, specimen signature cards, payroll debit authorization amp; etc. so that it would be easy for the clients to know the things that they only needed to fill up. I also arrange bundles of transmittal form according to its places. It was quit tiring and confusing because after separating the transmittal form according to its places, weââ¬â¢re going to arrange it also by dates in descending order. In my third week, during its first day I continued sorting the transmittal forms which I started last week. I was also instructed to cut pieces of labeled papers that will be used by the teller in wrapping cash such as 500 and 1,000 bills, and then I continue doing it after lunch. I was also tasked by one of the employee assigned in loan operation department to look the certificate of registration of selected clients. After that I was assigned by Maââ¬â¢am Dianne to fold letters for the clients and sealed it to envelop. The next task was looking for those selected names in a two bundles of sheets. I was also instructed by Maââ¬â¢am Noreen to her by e-mail the things that I encoded last week. For the following days I was tasked to crash out the wrong information regarding the terms and conditions in time deposit/special savings account in the customer information forms, I think that were about hundred of forms. I was also assigned to stamp bundles of envelop and then I also answered telephone calls and I make sketch lines in log book for clients information purposes. In the next day my tasked are still the same as yesterday which is the crashed out thing in the customer information form but the difference was this time I crashed out the already filled up forms by the clients while yesterday it was the unfilled up ones. The next tasked that was assigned to me was to fold letters and sealed it to an enveloped. After that I continued my tasked which is the crashed out thing again and that was my assigned work for the whole afternoon and a whole day in the next day. In the last of my duty for this week, Maââ¬â¢am Dianne let me joined with their official business travel or what they called OBT. We went to nearby places in Davao City in which our target market was the regular employees, encouraging them to avail the newly created loan system of the bank of Makati. It was quit tiring but enjoy because I get the chance to observe them the actual way on how to market a loan. For this week, my first tasked was to sort and alphabetized the signature cards, that was my assigned work for the whole day. On the second day, I helped my co-trainees in their assigned department to sort and arranged bundles of files. Then the next day I was tasked to check and arranged the documents in customer information form and after that I go back with my co-trainees and helped them to continued their assigned work since the other day. At afternoon, one of the employees in loan operation department asked me to get inside the vault and look for the registration card of those listed names that she gave to me. Since I was absent last Friday I have to comply it in Saturday and in that day I was tasked to stamp, sort and arranged the signature cards, arranged other files, sorting and arranging receipts. In this week my tasked was to arranged files, I inserted those customer information forms inside the enveloped in alphabetical order. I was also told to make corrections for those unwanted information in customer information forms. In Tuesday I was asked to encode receipts and sort it after. I also cut withdrawal slips that will be used by the teller. In Wednesday, I continued to cut withdrawal slips and that was my work for the entire day. In Thursday I was assigned to cut another sets of slips, after that I was tasked to pull-out certificate of registrationââ¬â¢s (CRââ¬â¢s). In the last day of the week I helped my co-trainee in their assigned department in segregating documents namely the Dacion en Pago or Deed of Sale. For this week, I was with my co-trainee in their assigned department. We arranged documents and I was also assigned to pull-out certificate of registrations. The next day I together with my co-trainee was instructed to look for the document of a specific customer. In Thursday, after one amp; a half day of looking for the document in almost a hundred of bundled sheets at last we found it. The next thing we did was to insert those sealed envelops to its original placed. In the last day of ojt for this week I was assigned in the vaultââ¬â¢s area, I arranged and sort files. I was also assigned in loan operation department; I was tasked there to look for the documents listed in a 3 sheets of bond paper. Mission Statement We value our role in economic development We exist to help more people: I. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet. A. Has the practicum/fieldwork experience helped you prepare for a job in the business field? Why or why not? Yes, the practicum experienced helped me prepare for a job in the business field because it gives me learning about the real scenario of how to work in a bank, in which they taught me those duties and responsibilities that I will be used in preparing for a job someday. With that, I could I could say that those learningââ¬â¢s from where I had my practicum motivates me to be ready in the actual world of workplace. B. Which of the courses you have taken were of the most value during the Practicum? Of all the courses that I have taken the most valuable during the practicum was the Total Quality Management (TQM), which talks about on how to manage things in a proper way because in the work that I have undergo I was assigned in encoding, stamping, filing, arranging documents and from those worked that I have encountered I have learned to see to it that everything must be in the proper way. It should be organized and orderly done. C. What could your company/job supervisor have done to improve your practicum/fieldwork experience? My supervisor helped me to become a good listener, alert, and patience in every tasked that she gave to me. She made me become a good listener in the sense that I should see to it that in every words that she says, I must directly and clearly understand it. To be alert that in every assigned work I should have the enthusiasm or willingness to do and lastly she made me become patience, that whatever loaded work that will be given to me I shouldnââ¬â¢t be get mad or be high tempered. D. What could you have done to improve your practicum/fieldwork experience? The thing that I have done to improve my practicum experienced is to gain willingness in every tasked that will be given, because if thereââ¬â¢s a willing power of a person thereââ¬â¢s a big possibility to make the worked done properly E. What skills/competencies were you required to use in your fieldwork that: . 1. You felt prepared to do: The skills that I have required to used in my fieldwork that I felt prepared to do, are my skills in encoding, sorting, arranging bundles of documents even the ability to make conversations with clients and faced their concerns. 2. You felt unprepared to do: The skill that I felt unprepared to do was to market loans and making business transactions. Because I think I am not yet ready for that, I need to undergo an experienced for me to be ready. F. What other courses or learning experiences would have helped in the Practicum? The other learning experiences that have helped in the practicum was our subject in Marketing Management which tackled about on how to market products or services, reminds me in the official business travel that I have joined together with the selected employees from the bank where I did my on-the-job-training. From which I saw the actual scene on how to market loans. The other subject that helped me in the practicum was our Management 3 which talks about the ethical behavior, helped me to behave in a descent way and treat one another fairly even if a person is lower than your position G. What suggestions can you make to help improve the Practicum Program? I suggests that if
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Mobile Phone Technology: Beneficial Or Harmful?
Mobile Phone Technology: Beneficial Or Harmful? No doubt, the last few decades have witnessed remarkable progress in technology. The telecommunications industry in particular has rapidly expanded. Over the years, the application of technology has increased economic activity in many countries. A vibrant telecommunications plays key role in business, trade and commerce. Mobile phones offer people convenience by saving time. Mobile phone has many features such as calls, short message service (SMS), multimedia message service (MMS), chat messengers which make it easy to disseminate information to an individual or group of people. In addition they can be used to report emergency situations. On the other hand, the use of mobile phones does not come without disadvantages. Driving while on the phone could be risky. Mobile phones are used to perpetrate crime and other tragic events in society. There are also claims that mobile phones may have some negative health implications. This essay will discuss positive and negative features of mobil e phone, during that it will highlight some of its progression from the past until the present. Mobile phones were first introduced into the UK in the mid-1980s. There was a small group who attracted by mobile phone whereas a significant number of subscribers. However, with the introduction of digital networks (The Global System of Mobile Communications, GSM) as well as the entry of additional service providers into the market in the 1990s, the number of subscribersà [1]à increased. The GSM technology as an operating system has over 340 networks in 137 countries, Stewart, W (2000). Since the late 1990s the use of SMS or text messaging has witnessed extraordinary growth. In Norway, for example, it is reported that approximately 280, 000 text messages are sent every hour in a country that has a population of only 4 million, Ling, R (2004). SMS is the preferred medium of communication among teens because it offers unique benefits: it is more cost effective than voice telephony; it does not require the immediate attention of the receiver. The major disadvantages are that it is relatively difficult to draft a message and the message length is limited to 160 characters. In addition to short messaging, multimedia message services (MMS) allows users to send and receive pictures, drawings, music and the likes. Now with the arrival of smart phones with internet facilities, the mobile phones industry has created a mobile information society (The Economist, 1999). It is apparent that the main advantage of mobile phones is their convenience. According to Ling, R (2004), mobile phones help to coordinate activities on the fly and provide flexibility in the planning of the days tasks. It enables people to check and respond to mails as well as pay bills online wherever they are. Apart from making payments, many customers can now monitor and manage their bank accounts through their mobile phones. Even in shopping, they play a vital role; customers can place orders by dialling the shopping malls or receive information about special offers through their mobile devices. Those who like watching movies can dial to find out what is on the local cinema and reserve their tickets. In emergency situations, the use of a mobile phone may reduce the time it takes to alert emergency services of a motor accident, a fire incidence or other dangerous occurrences including crimes (Stewart, 2000). Thus mobile phones help in the safety and security of lives and propert y. Furthermore, mobile phones facilitate work functions. In fact, mobile technology is said to be revolutionising the way people work as it saves time and gets work done even when workers are mobile. Many companies now operate a virtual work place as an alternative to expensive physical structures and office facilities. This is very common with companies that have an ever-widening workforce. It can be argued that mobile phones work best for itinerant managers or business executives, consultants, and travelling salesmen as the core of their functions have to do with establishing key business relationships and partnerships. Thus mobile phones make relationship building easier. However, frontline workers often express their dissatisfaction with virtual communication, stressing that it hinders creative interaction and makes them feel isolated. Mobile phones are not only useful to corporate sector workers, but also to blue collar workers. Plumbers, house builders, security workers, taxi drivers and other casual workers also make use of mobile phones in carrying out their day to day work activities. In addition, mobile technology helps in social networking and keep people more closing than in the past for example, friends and families become more rely heavily on mobile devices to keep contact and arrange dates or appointments. Ling (2004) notes that mobile telephones have improved social interaction and access to peer group especially among teenagers in Scandinavia, Italy, Japan, Korea, and many other countries. But the use of mobile phones is often abused by teens. For example, recent reports indicate that some teens share nude photos and other offensive images among themselves. Others put themselves at risk by talking and driving with a hands-free ear piece. To students, mobile phones can act as instruments of sleep disturbances or annoyance, distraction, depression, and mood swings all of which can impair concentration and academic performance (CRC health group, 2010). Another disadvantage of the explosion of cell phones is that it supports group behaviour rather than individualism (The Economist, 1999). It is from this behaviour that many people have connived to use cell phones to perpetrate crime such as sending scam mails, hacking into official business websites and emails, making fraud attempts, and a host of other tragic events. For example, the negative use of mobile technology was prominent in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in United States. Mobile phones also pose adverse health effects to its users. Ki Park (2006) opines that the radiation emitted from a mobile phone itself can be harmful, especially if the device is not properly handled physically. A lot of attention is currently being paid to research on the possible health effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters in order to be able to advise the public and proffer recommendations for possible improvements. (Stewart, 2000) Despite these numerous disadvantages, mobile telecommunications continue to offer huge economic benefits to many countries; they contribute to employment and tax revenues in UK. They also facilitate trade and commerce. For example, many businesses now send e-adverts to customers through their cell phones. These adverts usually come in the form of text or recorded voice messages, introducing a product or service in anticipation of securing a bargain. Such adverts are mostly tailored to suit the customers demographic and geographic characteristics and can be monitored so that advertisers are able to know how many customers are responding. For over a decade now, mobile devices such as telemetry have been used to monitor the performance of machines. Mobile phone companies are now making efforts to improve the way people manage their money by turning phones into electronic wallets and mini ATMs so that mobile phones will become a device that one cannot do without. Some smart cards now al low users to load their phone with electronic cash, make purchases from vending machines and parking meters through wireless receivers. Many banks now allow their customers to manage their bank accounts and trade shares over the airwaves. It is a whole new world of convenience! The developments in mobile technology over the years have brought about ease of communication and convenience to many people in various segments of society: homes, schools, businesses, banks, shops, restaurants, work places, and the economy at large. The extraordinary range of services performed by wireless devices offers a great insight into the future of mobile phone technology. Although there are potential disadvantages posed by mobile devices including addiction, abuse, perpetration of social vices, and health hazards, the benefits of mobile technology far outweigh any costs that may arise from its use. Fred Bailey: An Innocent Abroad Analysis Fred Bailey: An Innocent Abroad Analysis The purpose of this report is to analyse the problems faced by Fred Bailey and his family to adjust to the cultural differences in Japan, our main aim of this report is to provide solutions to Fred in convincing his family, to create a good understanding with all the employees in Tokyo office to emerge as one of the fastest growing offices in the world. 1.2 SCOPE OF THE REPORT: This gives a brief explanation about the Japanese culture that American directors need to learn. For this analysis, we use Hofstedes dimension index to compare the different cultures as they also affect the work place environment. By the effective use of this analysis, Fred should come up with some new ideas to convince his family and finish his assignment in Japan that was assigned to him from his head office in Boston. In this case study, we have identified three major issues faced by Fred Bailey in Japan. Let us see the three issues using the Hofstedes Analysis. 1.3 CASE BACKGROUND: Kline Associates, where Fred Bailey was employed in Boston was a large multinational providing professional consulting services for regulated financial institutions with offices in nineteen countries. The company was established in 1997 with its head office in Boston. One fine day, Fred was called for a meeting with one of the partners of the firm. As the meeting commenced, Fred came to know that the meeting was not regarding the project that he finished successfully, but about a good opportunity to work in the companys relatively new office in business district of Tokyo. Fred was really excited to work in Tokyo with many incentives offered to him like a sugar coated pill. The incentives offered to him were really worth three times the gross salary he gets in Boston. He was offered a promotion which had a tag of last step in position before becoming a partner for the firm, free education expenses for his children, car accompanied with a driver, expenses relating to the shipment of their things to Tokyo and an expensive house in the main commercial spaces of Tokyo. These mega offers really overshadowed the problem that he did not think of facing it in the present. In this case study, we will analyse the problems faced by Fred using Hofstedes Dimension of Index and provide a good solution for his success in completing the project. 1.4 REPORT OUTLINE: The major three problems faced by Fred in Japan are examined by using Hofstedes cultural dimensions. These issues identified have a direct impact on the progress and success of the firms office in Tokyo. After the analysis, recommendations are given to make the firm one of the fastest performing among the other established firms. 2 BODY OF TEXT: 2.1 IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS The strong cultural difference between the two countries of Japan and America created many problems to arise in the life of Fred Bailey. Fred Bailey was not only upset with the procedures in the office but also had some family problems with his wife regarding the life in Japan. Let us see the issues faced by Fred in Japan. The communication between the American and the Japanese employees were poor. Fred found that the Japanese employees in the firm were not organised and didnt give any particular reply for the problems in the firm. Family problems faced by Fred in Japan. Mrs Fred Bailey found the lifestyle of Japan very expensive and awkward to pass through. This created many problems during their stay in Japan. In fact Mrs. Bailey had made up her mind to get back home with her children in Boston. Fred Baileys poor management strategies which resulted in delay of the projects for the top clients from Japan. 2.1.1 COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS FACED BY FRED BAILEY: At the first instance of the general meeting held by Fred, he didnt notice that the American and Japanese staff didnt sit together. The response got from the American staff had lots of different opinions about certain things in the firm which may fit or may not fit in Freds ideas regards to some problems. But he did get unclear answers from the Japanese staffs rather got vague answers from them. This made Fred complete the meeting and conclude that the meeting did not achieve his objectives in finding out problems in his ideas. 2.1.1.1 ANALYSIS: The firm consisted of seven Americans and thirty three Japanese staff. Fred Bailey had organised for a general meeting with his subordinates. The meeting was to discuss his plans for the future directions of the company office for achieving their goals. At the very instance, Fred was not serious about the American and Japanese staff sitting separately. The reason for the issue is because of the strong cultural differences between Japanese staff and the American staff in the firm. The high individualistic ranking of 91 states that the people with individualistic attitude and relatively doesnt bond with others. The people in American show a self reliant attitude and aimed at fulfilling their goals in the firm. As the Americans have an high individualistic attitude, Fred did not take the matter of American and Japanese staff sitting separately into consideration. This was also a major issue which influences the team work and coordination among the staffs. As he didnt take this issue ser iously, he was not able to get clear answers from the Japanese staff as he didnt know their mind or know either their language. Fred also failed to get innovative ideas from the employees because the Americans and Japanese staff didnt work as a team. This also might be a good reason for the delay in any projects they come across as Americans and Japanese staffs give two different ways of handling the situation. After the individual meeting with every staffs, Americans were positive and gave different opinions to make his ideas successful. On the other side, Japanese staff gave vague answers. This denotes that the Japanese were not completely aware of what Fred had put front. This shows that Japanese staff are not self reliant and did only depend on the orders from their leaders for any work in the firm (J. Stewart Black, 2010, p.2). This is resulted for their firm to do badly in their returns during his regime as a director. This effect was felt in the firms performance when the client had not responded to the companys next project with them even after several months. 2.1.1.2 RECOMMENDATIONS: Fred should come up with some social activities in the firm to encourage team work between American and Japanese staff. Fred should organise individual meeting with the Japanese staff to understand their problems and motivate them to participate in the companies decision making activities. Fred should have discussed the structure and problems involved in the firm with the Ex-director of the Japans office who had moved to well established office in England. Fred should conduct meeting in regular intervals of time to analyse and improve the results of the firm. Feedback from the employees should be taken in to account for the progress of the firm. 2.1.2 PROBLEMS IN FREDS FAMILY: After a month of their stay in Japan, Jennifer complained to Fred about several issues. She told that it was very tough to get day-to-day items like quality beef, maple syrup and peanut butter. She also complained that she had no knowledge about the language they speak, so she was not able to read the road signs or to order a specific food in a restaurant. She told that she had no one to talk to rather than a American club in downtown and the also other products cost two to three times than in U.S. (J. Stewart Black, 2010, p.2). These problems combined with that of their childrens quality education made Jennifer take some aggressive decision to leave Japan. 2.1.2.1 ANALYSIS: Jennifer was not enthusiastic as Fred at the beginning, when he told about the great opportunity for him in Japan. Jennifer thought that it would be difficult to cater their childrens education abroad. She also stated that their oldest son Christine would be getting promoted to middle school the year after. Other than that she had also thought of going to a part time work in the field of fashion designing in which she has her degree in. (J. Stewart Black, 2010, p.1). But Fred explained about the huge opportunity like the firm would bare to provide a car, rent free house, cater the costs of their childrens education expenses and overseas compensation that would equal three times his annual salary had convinced her to fly with him to Japan. According to Hofstedes dimension, America has a high dimension of masculinity (62) compared to the world average. From this we can state that America experiences high states of differentiation of roles in gender. The male in America are more dominant and possess a more power than women. So the situation turns in favour of the decisions taken by male which are away from women. But the present situation has gone worse and Jennifer was adamant on returning home. Jennifer was really frustrated with Japanese people in not understanding anybody or not able to find the things she wanted in store, not able to drive or read road signs. The main reason for this may be because the Freds family had no time to explore the Japanese culture and people. Although their children were doing well with their education, she questioned Fred as this assignment was also like the thing he has taken up in the past. So she had compelled Fred to leave Japan and return to their home country. Because of these stre ss from his family, Fred is in a dilemma about the proceedings in his work. 2.1.2.2 RECOMMENDATIONS Freds family should have learned about the Japanese culture before their proceedings to Japan. They should have known about their geographic conditions that prevail in Japan. As the same problems arises with the expatriates managers , Fred should have left his family in his home country and taken short breaks often to fly back to America to spend time with them. This might left him to focus properly on his job commitments in Japan. Fred should have allocated time to spend with his family in regular intervals. He should have gone for short vacations with his family to wipe out the stress in his job environment. Jennifer, in her spare time should have taken initiative to learn the Japanese culture and language. 2.1.3 FREDS POOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Fred Baileys was preparing for a meeting with one of their important clients for a big project. There are two issues to be discussed in this section. The meeting was headed by Fred, Ralph Webster and Kenichi Kurokawa from Kline associates. The client had four members for the meeting between the firms. As the meeting progressed, Fred explained to the client about the expenses and costs for the project. As there were no responses from the Japanese clients, he proceeded to the summary of the project to end the meeting. After several months of the meeting, there was no response about signing of the deal with the Japanese client. So he was frustrated and ordered Ralph to alter some proposals in the project and resubmit it to the client. But after recommendations from Ralph, this duty was assigned to a research associate Tashiro Watanabe. He was assigned to complete the duty within a weeks time. And when the time arrived, Ralph came to know that Tashiro would not be able to finish it within time. This got Fred frustrated about the communication with the Japanese employees. (J. Stewart Black, 2010, p.4). 2.1.3.1 ANALYSIS: Fred found himself very much frustrated with these problems in the firm. This was because of the strong cultural differences between the two countries. Americans expect clear communication and mostly depended on the speaker to delivery the message. But, on the other hand Japanese depend on hidden communication skills and placed responsibility on both the speaker and the listener. Fred believed that, if an opinion or idea has to be transferred to another person, speaker held the complete responsibility in making the listener understand. This was totally different in case of Tashiro, he assumed that Fred would know the things that Tashiro had been going through even if he could have explained it clearly. The problem was caused because of the different communication styles and assumptions between the two cultures. After a week later when asked to Tashiro about his failure to do the duty on time, Tashiro complained that he had told them about it. But, Fred or Ralph was not able to get his answer which was told not told openly. This problem could have been easily identified if it could have been a Japanese manager taking up this issue. Due to these problems, Fred was frustrated with the Japanese customers and employees. 2.1.3.2 RECOMMENDATION: Fred should have assigned a Japanese manager for completing this proposal in time rather depending on a American manager. Fred should have some knowledge about the cultures and behaviours of the Japanese customers and employees. Fred should have tracked the progress of the report in regular intervals and have suggested some valuable points to Tashiro. Fred should have formed a separate team of Japanese employees to propose the project to the clients as they might have known their culture and behaviour more clearly than the Americans. 3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAST PARAGRAPH: Japan is considered as a major power which has the second largest economy in terms of GDP and purchasing power parity. Japan is the only Asian country to be a part of the G8 countries. It is a developed country which focuses mainly on consumer electronics. The country also enjoys high standard of living among the other developed countries. The above paragraph clearly signifies the power of the Japanese people. Fred after looking out from the window, he saw the highway full of traffic and the vehicles didnt move even after the traffic lights were changed. This can be also the same problem faced by his firm. The firm was not able to perform well because the head positions of the firm were headed by the American expatriates who didnt know about the Japanese culture and understandings. Now, when we see the underground passage of the road, which is the most advanced in the world, it moved hundreds of people to their homes without any problems. This signifies that firm could have been productive and could have attained the spot of fastest growing firm in the world if the top management were the Japanese employees in the firm. This is because the Japanese people could have handled the situation in a different way and could have solved the problems that were faced by the company. It gives a clue to Fred that, the top management should be comprised of Japanese mangers assisted by an American. This could have solved many problems easily without coming to this situation. 4. CONCLUSIONS: Freds assignment was to stay in Japans office for three years and complete all the assignment put forth to him. His mission was to establish the Japans office as the fastest growing company in the firm. The problems in the firm and in his family arise because of the cultural differences between the two countries. The top management in U.S. should come up with some plans to solve the issues or by helping Fred in solving them. Kline Associates should have made the American managers and the analysts to learn the local culture of Japan to perform well in the firm. As we know from the past that Japan is a super power and only the people in that country have made that happen. This states that Japanese people are effective and hard-working if directed by the correct person who understands them and helps them. 5. IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPLICATIONS: Kline Associates management should train the expatriates about the host countrys culture, they should come up with training sessions which will help Fred and other American to avoid initial cultural shocks. Vision of the company should have been discussed with all the employees in the firm, so that the performance of the firm could have improved. At regular intervals, the performance should be measured and this testing team should be headed by a Japanese employee. This could improve the gap between the two cultures. Americans would come to know about the Japanese culture by conducting these team works.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria
Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria Madness in culture: is mental disorder universal? This paper will look at the issue of madness in culture, looking at the issue of whether mental disorders are a universal concept, with particular reference to the Nigerian culture. As Sadowsky (2003) argues, the crude maxim ââ¬Å"what is mad in one culture might be considered sane in anotherâ⬠described the approach to ââ¬Ëcultural psychiatryââ¬â¢ research regarding mental illness for many years; that psychiatric disorders were viewed relatively suggested that these disorders were no more than cultural constructions and thus not ââ¬Ërealââ¬â¢ diseases (see Sadowsky, 2003; p. 210). In his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Sadowsky focuses on madness, insanity, as a social process. Whilst not denying the reality of madness as an illness, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, â⬠Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathologicalâ⬠(1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ââ¬Ëinsaneââ¬â¢ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, this essay looks at how madness in Nigeria evolved in the colonial period, and beyond, and how madness was understood within a colonial framework. The essay then moves on to look at cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria, and genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural and historical differences in understanding madness within a colonial context, using examples from Nigeria. Finally, syndromes that come and go, such as hysteria and delusions, will be discussed, using the example of persecution delusions from studies of two mental asylums in Nigeria, as discussed in the work of Sadowsky (1999). The history of madness in Nigeria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ââ¬Ëlunatic asylumââ¬â¢ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky (1999) provides a review of madness in Nigeria, from colonial times to independence. Sadowskyââ¬â¢s argument in his 1999 book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, is that through developing an understanding of these institutions, it is possible to come to understand ââ¬Å"the struggles within the colonial state over the use of asylums, negotiations in colonial society about the definitions of insanity, the processes which led to confinement and release and the formation of specific psychiatric discourse (p. 9). The book provides an examination of how, when and, most importantly, why Africans were defined as insane and the ways in which definitions of insanity were related to the political context pf colonialism (Stilwell, 2000). Sadowsky (1999) does not argue that colonialism caused insanity but, rather, argues tha t the content and expression of madness reflected the pressures, stressed and strains brought on by colonial rule, thus providing a social history of insanity in a colonial setting. As Sadowsky (1999) argues, the debate surrounding psychiatric labeling theory must be centered on the ways in which mental illness is a construct of ââ¬Å"the particular historical formationsâ⬠(p. 112); colonial asylums could be placed on a spectrum from ââ¬Ëcustodial and coerciveââ¬â¢ to ââ¬Ësupportive and therapeuticââ¬â¢, although the vast majority of mental asylums in colonial Nigeria were crudely coercive, due to the cross-cultural barriers and the different perceptions of social relations as held by African patients and colonial medical staff and authorities. It was only well in to post-colonial times that subtler forms of social control and therapeutic practice evolved. Cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria As has been seen, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, ââ¬Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathologicalâ⬠(1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ââ¬Ëinsaneââ¬â¢ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, the cultural context of madness, in terms of understanding madness from a culturally relativistic viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of colonialism, is fundamental in understanding the cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria. Accounts of madness and understanding the responses to madness in a colonial Nigerian setting cannot be understood, interpreted, without also fully understanding the historical, social and political setting at that time. In general, however, it can be seen, from Sadowskyââ¬â¢s work, that madness was treated, in a blanket manner, as a response to colonialism, as a manifestation that the ââ¬Ëprimitiveââ¬â¢ Nigerians could not cope with modernization and that, as such, delusions, deliria and hysteria were almost to be expected, as a reaction against colonialism. Responding to these outbreaks of madness with force, by opening asylums and confining ââ¬Ëthe madââ¬â¢ to these asylums, with little actual medical care, was a way in which to ââ¬Ësilenceââ¬â¢ the ââ¬Ëmadââ¬â¢ and to be able to continue on with the aims and practices of colonialism. The genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural/historical difference Mental illness is currently well understood, and treated, as that: an illness. However, as has been shown by Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), within a colonial context in Nigeria, mental illness was often only understood in the context of colonialism i.e., mental illness was understood as a reaction to the modernization brought about by the colonizers, which, it was hypothesized, the ââ¬Ëprimitiveââ¬â¢ Nigerians could not cope with, leading them to madness. However, as Sadowsky (2003) points out, ââ¬Å"even within colonial governments, there were some who believed, in some degree, in cultural relativismâ⬠¦.I discovered many administrators who believed that building asylums was a bad idea because Europeans could not know what madness was to Africans, and that, therefore Europeans should not be imposing alien cultural formsâ⬠(p. 211). Thus, at least within the context of colonial Nigeria, madness was not understood, or treated, as an illness, rather as a response to coloni alism, and the debate surrounding madness and its genetic and physiological bases, and the different cultural or historical manifestations of madness were not entered in to during colonial rule. Syndromes that come and go hysteria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ââ¬Ëlunatic asylumââ¬â¢ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky argues in his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, which uses first hand accounts of delusions of the mentally ill, as gathered from actual case histories of these two mental asylums, the ââ¬Ëravingsââ¬â¢ of patients are important historical documents in that they can be used for social analyses, showing that the social context of colonization fostered the development of certain kinds of delusions, especially delusions of persecution. Such madness, Sadowsky argues, threatened the colonial worldview, and, to some extent, colonial power, drawing attention, as they did, to the structures and inherent contradictions of colonial power, and, as such, the psychiatric environment tended to class any actions that threatened colonial ideology as ââ¬Ëmadnessââ¬â¢, such that, as Sadowsky argues, the ideologies of colonial medical staff reflected the anxieties and insecurities of the colonizers themselves (Sadowsky, 1999). As Sadowsky states, ââ¬Å"the content [of delusions] repeatedly referred to specifics of Nigerian colonial history: religious conversion, foreign domination, the changing justice systemâ⬠¦and the struggle for independenceâ⬠(1999; p.115). Conclusion According to Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), historically, madness in Nigeria seems to have been understood entirely in terms of colonial power, in terms of madness being understood as a reaction against colonial rule, not as an illness per se, and, as such, madness was not treated objectively, but as one more manifestation of dissatisfaction against colonial rule. The ââ¬Ëmadââ¬â¢ were thus treated almost as dissenters rather than being treated correctly, as ââ¬Ëillââ¬â¢ individuals. No more is this highlighted than when accounts of treatments for delusions are given in Sadowsky (1999) as taken from individual case histories. As shown in these histories, medical staff often played a purely custodial role, not a medical role, with only modest therapeutic programs being offered, if any at all (Sadowsky, 2003; p. 211). It was with some trepidation, and opposition, that mental asylums were set up at all, in a colonial Nigerian context, with little medical help being offered, an d these asylums quickly becoming overcrowded, with squalid living conditions (Sadowsky, 2003). Thus, as has been seen throughout this essay, based on the work of Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), which looks at madness in colonial times in Nigeria, the understanding of madness in culture is an extremely relative matter, perfectly illustrated through the study of this time period and in this place, which explained madness as a product of colonial rule. Madness, as we understand it now, is obviously not culturally relative and is a universal concept: it is an illness, which needs correct treatment in order to overcome the illness. If this had been understood during the period of colonial rule in Nigeria, the many years of suffering for many thousands of insane individuals would not have had to have been endured: they would have received correct, timely, treatment and would not have whiled away their lives being little more than captives in colonial asylums. References Sadowsky Jonathan, Psychiatry and colonial ideology in Nigeria, Bulletin of the History of Medicine,71 (1997):94-111. Sadowsky, Jonathan, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Sadowsky Jonathan, The social world and the reality of mental illness: lessons from colonial psychiatry, Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2003, 11(4):210-4. Stilwell, S., ââ¬ËImperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria by Jonathan Sadowskyââ¬â¢, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 31(2) (2000): 322-323.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
SING SING SING Essay -- Essays Papers
SING SING SING I used to always go over to my grandparentââ¬â¢s house and watch my grandfather go crazy over this ââ¬Å"Jazzâ⬠music. He explained to me that it wasnââ¬â¢t Jazz unless it swung like the greats. I listened to a song ââ¬Å"Sing Sing Singâ⬠the other day from one of my Jazz collections that my grandpa gave to me and realized that their was so much energy and pizzazz in this music. He explained to me that it was all put together by a guy named Benny, and I understood why. Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David in 1909, one of twelve children, grew up in a Chicago ghetto with his family, who fled Russian anti-Semitism. Encouraged by his father, an immigrant tailor, to learn a musical instrument, Goodman took up the clarinet at a young age. From the start, he displayed an exceptional talent. Before he was in his teens, he had begun performing in public. He received his first true clarinet and musical training from a local synagogue, then continued practice through Hull House, a social-service agency for the under privileged children of the Chicago. The most important of his teachers, at the school, was Franz Schoeppe, a classical instructor from the Chicago Musical College who ignored jazz and stressed in his students the discipline and respect for classical music. After his father died, fourteen-year-old Benny helped support his family by playing at a Chicago neighborhood dance hall and working locally for two years. In 1925, Gil Rodin, who was then with the band led by Ben Pollack, heard him. Goodman was hired by Pollack, then working in California, and the following year made a triumphal return to Chicago as featured soloist with the band. Goodman remained with Pollack until 1929, when he became a much in-demand session musician in New York. When the band was between jobs, Goodman jammed with members of the Austin High Gang who introduced him to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the Dixieland clarinet style of Leon Rappolo. After his 17th birthday Benny made his first recording with Pollack's band with the tune, "He's the Last Word." Benny also played in the bands of leaders such as Red Nichols (from 1929 to 1931), Isham Jones, and Ted Lewis. During the early 30s Goodman played in bands led by Red Nichols, Ted Lewis, Sam Lanin and others. In 1934, Goodman led a dance band that performed regularly on the national radio show "Let'... ...ible, but included among others, Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Georgie Auld, Ziggy Ellman, Charlie Christian, Red Norvo, Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, George Wettling, Pee Wee Irwin, Miff Mole, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, and Cootie Williams. "The Benny Goodman Story," a film made in 1955, depicted Benny Goodman's life, and Benny recorded the sound track for it. In the 1950s to the 1970s he made several overseas trips and played at selected engagements with a small band. One such trip was to Russia in 1962. In January 1978 he returned to Carnegie Hall to do a Concert. The tickets all sold out the first day. His last studio recordings were made in January 1986. References Collier, J. Benny Goodman and the Swing Era. New York: West Publishing Company, 1989 Connor, R. and Hicks, W. B. G. on the Record: A Bio-Discography of Benny Goodman. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1969 Dance, S. The World of Swing. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. Klauber, B. The World of Gene Krupa. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1991. Schuller, G. The Swing Era. New York: McGraw Hill, 1989. Stewart, R. Jazz Masters of the '30s. New York: W.W. Norton, 1972.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Internet Taxation and the Expansion of E-Commerce Essay example -- Tax
Internet Taxation and the Expansion of E-Commerce Internet taxation is an issue concerning different aspects of the Internet and its taxing. The taxes include: (1) taxes imposed upon Internet access fees, (2) sales taxes charged to online businesses selling to other businesses, and (3) sales taxes charged to consumers buying from a business. This is a very important issue as Internet sales continue to increase and as more business is conducted over the Internet. Because of this, revenue is not being pumped into state and local economies as much for lack of purchasing at local stores, and economiesââ¬â¢ revenues are suffering as a result. Taxes could be imposed on Internet purchases, but this would in turn affect those businesses who conduct their business online, either business-to-business or business-to-consumer, and those consumers who shop online. Internet Taxation: What it is and Why it is Important As already stated, Internet taxation is the imposition of taxes on Internet access fees and taxes that could be added to goods, services, properties, and information purchased over the Internet. In 1998, Congress passed the Internet Tax Freedom Act which established an Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. This Commission was set up to study federal, state and local, and international taxation and tariff issues concerning purchases over the Internet, and everything else along with electronic commerce. Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, is ââ¬Å"any transaction conducted over the Internet or through Internet access, comprising the sale, lease, license, offer, or delivery of property, goods, services, or information, whether or not for consideration, and includes the provision of Internet access.â⬠(The Internet Tax... ...mmission on Electronic Commerce, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.ecommercecommission.org/ITFA.htm Lassman, Kent 2001, The Internet Tax Freedom Act: Congress Could Put an End to Tax Confusion, The Federalist Society, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.fed-soc.org/Publications/practicegroupnewsletters/telecommunications/tc020102.htm Maguire, Steven Dec. 12, 2000, RL30431: Internet Transactions and the Sales Tax, Congress, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/ Science/st-65.cfm?&CFID=19433234&CFTOKEN=43272686#_1_3 Nellen, Annette Sept. 26, 2001, Overview to E-Commerce Taxation Issues, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/ facstaff/nellen_a/ECTaxUpdate9-01.doc Taxes-Background on Internet Taxation, January 2001, Association of American Universities, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.aau.edu/sheets/InternetTax.html
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
End of Life Peace Without Pain
End of Life: Peace without Pain Jacqueline R. Reviel Loyola University New Orleans End of Life Peace without Pain Pain management during end of life care is crucial to the comfort and peace of the patient and their family. ââ¬Å"With better pain control, dying patients live longer and better. Pain shortens life. Relief of pain extends lifeâ⬠(Zerwekh et al. , 2006, p. 317). The nurse must educate about (a) disease pathology, (b) signs & symptoms, (c) interventions, (d) medications, (e) alternative therapies, and (f) supportive care, related to end of life care. Pain management involves understanding the pharmacological issues, and management issues surrounding opioid drugs used for pain control. The identification of (a) nursing diagnosis, (b) implementation, and (c) education are essential in keeping the patient and family comfortable and at peace. Pathology, Signs and Symptoms End of life presents with specific pathology which can cause extreme pain and discomfort. The bodyââ¬â¢s organs begin to shut down as death approaches hypoventilation causes hypoxemia and hypercapnia in turn increasing the workload of the heart as it tries to oxygenate the vital organs. The kidneys and liver begin to fail and toxins begin to build up. The heart fails as it canââ¬â¢t keep up with the demand. Zerwekh (2006) lists specific signs and symptoms associated with death (a) reduced level of consciousness, (b) taking no fluids or only sips, (c) decreased urine output, (d) progressing coldness and mottling in legs and arms, (e) irregular labored breathing; periods of no breathing, and (f) the death rattle. Diagnosis & Interventions Diagnoses related to end of life care are (a) Ineffective tissue perfusion, (b) Alteration in comfort, (c) Activity intolerance, (d) Impaired gas exchange; (e) Ineffective breathing patterns, and (f) Decreased cardiac output. Interventions are attached to each diagnosis and a plan of care is established for the patient. Interventions for alternation in comfort include (a) spiritual, (b) pharmacological, and (c) alternative methods. Ineffective tissue perfusion involves (a) positioning, (b) O2, and (c) fluid management. Activity intolerance is managed by pacing periods of activity with rest. Impaired gas exchange is managed by decreasing fluid shifts with medication. Ineffective airway clearance is helped by (a) positioning and (b) suctioning to clear the airway. Disturbed thought processes interventions are (a) reorient the patient, (b) supporting family, and (c) visitors at times when the patient is most alert. Interventions are tailored specially to the patientââ¬â¢s needs and their disease process. Pain management ââ¬Å"Dying does not need to be painfulâ⬠(Moynihan et al. , 2003 p. 401). Holistic pain management is crucial during end of life care. Terminally ill patients can have (a) physical, (b) spiritual and (c) emotional pain. Providing comfort is important in decreasing suffering. Emotional pain can be addressed by (a) laughter, (b) memories, and (c) touch. Spiritual pain can be helped with (a) prayer, (b) meditation, (c) talking, (d) listening, (e) pastoral care, and (f) providing the last rights. Physical pain is managed pharmacologically and with alternative comfort measures. Opioids are given to treat severe pain at the end of life. Parlow (2005) used nitrous oxide to control incident pain in terminally ill patients with positive results. Pharmacological issue related to pain management Pharmacological issues surrounding pain management are (a) issues of addiction under medication, (b) legal repercussions, (c) respiratory effects, and (d) side effects. Zerwekh (2006) sums up the fallacy of addiction by stating persons with addiction take their opioids to escape life, whereas persons with pain take their opioids to live life more fully. These issues and lack of knowledge often cause Physicians to under medicate during end of life care. The nurse needs to have full understanding of how opioids work and how to adjust the medications to control severe pain and break though pain without entering into (a) legal issues, (b) respiratory depression and (c) side effects. Complementary and alternative therapies Along with the pharmacological methods to keep the patient comfortable there are many alternative method the nurse can use and teach the family to assist with; giving the family the gift of caring for their loved one and feeling like they are helping. The patient also benefits from the touch and interaction from his or her loved ones. Therapies such as (a) massage, (b) therapeutic touch, (c) guided imagery, (d) aromatherapy, (e) hypnosis and (f) relaxation, are just a few alternative therapies used. Supportive nursing care Often when a family member is dying their loved ones do not know what to say or do and often feel helpless. While providing care for the patient the nurse engages the family in the care and breaks down the fear that they canââ¬â¢t touch the dying patient. The nurse encourages the family to (a) gather, (b) share, and (c) grieve. The family and patient are educated to end of life care so they know what to expect and can recognize it. By giving the family these skills it is a gift so the family has time to say goodbye and to spend the last days in peace not in fear and chaos. The nurse manages symptoms so the patient and the family can concentrate on each other. Oââ¬â¢Brien (2011) stated one of the best ways of providing spiritual support in this situation is to allow the patient and family to verbalize their feelings; for the dying person ââ¬Å"one of the greatest spiritual giftsâ⬠a nurse can give is to listen (Burns, 1991, p. 1). Patient & Family education Education gives the patient and the family great power and strength to face the path ahead and not be fearful of the process. Discussion around key information such as (a) the patientââ¬â¢s wishes, (b) spiritual care, (c) visitation, (d) pain control, (e) disease process, (f) multi organ failure, (g) specific signs and symptoms, (h) interventi ons that can be provided, (i) interventions the patient may not want, (j) comfort care, and (k) funeral arrangements, must take place with the patient and their family. Patients may believe that pain is to be expected and education informing them that comfort will bring them quality time to spend with their loved ones and to not suffer in silences is vital. Encouraging the family to (a) hold their love ones hand, (b) stroke hair, (c) massage, and (d) talk to them until they take their last breath, is all education the nurse encourages. The nursesââ¬â¢ role is to (a) support, (b) pray and (c) answer question that might arise. Conclusion Caring for patients as they die involves (a) a great deal of knowledge, (b) compassion, and (c) caring, on the nurseââ¬â¢s part. Effective pain management decreases suffering in the terminally ill patient and can make all the difference in how the patient arrives at the end of life. The nurse must be versed and comfortable with the many issues surrounding end of life care so she or he can advocate for the needs of the patient and their family. The nurseââ¬â¢s role in (a) educating, (b) providing spiritual care, and (c) physiological care, to the patient and their family during this very important and stressful time plays a huge part in the comfort and peace that they experience as they journey down the path of loss and grieving. References Moynihan, T. J. (2003). Use of opioids in the treatment os severe pain in terminally ill patients-Dying should not be painful. Mayo Clin Proc. , 1397-1401. O'Brien, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in nursing: Standing on holy ground. Sudbury, MA: Jones ; Barlett Learning. Parlow, J. L. (2005). Self-administered nitrous oxide for the management of incident pain in the terminally ill patient: A blind case series. Palliative Medicine, 19: 3-8. Zerwekh, J. V. (2006). Nursing care at the end of life: Palliative care for patients and families. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company. LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS NURS 384: End-of-Life Issues Paper Student: _Jackie Reviel__________________________Semester:_Fall__Year:_2011__ Directions: The purpose of this paper is to examine end-of-life issues. Write a 4-5 page paper on one of the topics that are suggested in your syllabus. Focus the paper on the care of the terminally-ill patient; education of patient and family, and supportive nursing care. Use ast least 4 references (current text and articles) for this assignment and format paper in APA style. Criteria: End-of-Life Issues Paper| Max. Points| Score| 1. Describes terminal Illness. Include pathology and signs and symptoms| 15| | 2. Identify palliative care/interventions associated with illness| 15| | 3. Address pharmacological issues related to terminal illness| 10| | 4. Address complementary and alternative therapies | 15| | 5. Describe supportive nursing care related to terminal Illness. | 15| | 6. Discuss at least 5 nursing diagnosis taken from those listed in the North American Diagnosis Association. 15| | 7. Provide key information to be discussed with patients ; families on terminal illness. | 15| | Total Comments: Faculty Signature: _______________________________Date:_______________________ LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Evaluation of Communication Skills Student: ________________________________Semester: ____Year: _____ Skill in communication is defined as the ability to: (a) effectively express ideas through a variety of media, (b) use communication technology to enhance personal and professional functioning, and (c) use the group process for the purpose of achieving common goals. Note: Your grade on Communication Skills will comprise 10% of your final course grade. You will be rated using a scale of 0-10, where ââ¬Å"0â⬠indicates no credit and ââ¬Å"10â⬠indicates maximum credit for the item indicated. | Writing Criteria: Nursing Research Critique Paper | Score| 1. Use appropriate language and erminology. | | 2. Use correct sentence structure and paragraphing. | | 3. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | | 4. Demonstrate knowledge of relevant content areas. | | 5. Express ideas clearly and convincingly. | | 6. Organize ideas logically. | | 7. Use APA format correctly. | | 8. Overall effectiveness of the written work in meeting identified goals. | | Communication Skills: Pt s earned (_____)/ 80 pts = _____% Letter Grade:____ Percent of Final Course Grade: [Pts earned (____)/ 80 pts =___%] X 10 = ____% Comments: Faculty Signature:____________________________________Date:______________
Monday, September 16, 2019
Nintendo Case Study
Case Analysis Part 1 Introduction Case 7 of the textbook titled Essentials of Strategic Management looked at the video game pioneer Nintendo. The title of the case is Nintendo's Strategy in 2009: The Ongoing Battle with Microsoft and Sony and was written by Lou Marino and Sally Sarrett. The case begins by describing how Nintendo faced serious competition from Sony and Microsoft in the video game market. As Sony had created the Playstation and Microsoft came out with the Xbox, Nintendo had taken a backseat in terms of new video game consoles.Through the years however, Nintendo had created many popular devices used for gaming such as the Nintendo 64 and numerous versions of the DS. As Nintendo prepared to release the Wii game system, many said that it lacked the graphics and user experience that their rivals had and it appeared as though it would be a market flop. To the surprise of many critics and competing companies, the Wii was a huge success setting records for total sales.Current ly Nintendo is seeing reduced demand and reduced sales due to the recession but they continue to release new features and games and analysts say that ââ¬Å"the only limitations of the system were the limitations of the designer and the user-leading most to believer they considered the possibilities endlessâ⬠( ). Nintendo's Strategy In it's early years, Nintendo's strategy was to bring video game experience most commonly found in public venues such as the Donkey Kong arcade game into the users home.This differentiation strategy proved highly successful for Nintendo as they were the first to give the user an affordable gaming console with many different games available for the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES. This continued with the release of numerous versions of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS as users could take their games with them anywhere they went which was unheard of from rivals such as Sony and Microsoft at the time. As competition grew with Sony, Sega, and Microsof t, Nintendo's strategy seemed to move towards a cost strategy. They began creating onsoles such as the GameCube to compete with disk operated consoles by their competitors but at a cheaper price. This move turned out to be unsuccessful for a number of reasons, the main one being their lack of graphic capabilities. From here Nintendo began differentiating themselves again. Nintendo set out to design a console that would revolutionize the way people played games and the Wii was born. People that had never played video games before such as women and the elderly could now find games suited for them that were easy to understand and fun to play.Users could play games that got them up and moving to promote a healthier lifestyle as well as interact with others. For Nintendo to be successful in the future, this differentiation strategy appears to be the best route to follow. Strategic Leadership The strategic leadership surrounding the Nintendo organization appears to be ahead of their time in some aspects. Although they are not coming out with consoles directly aimed at competing with that of Sony and Microsoft, they are however releasing cutting edge technologies into their products.From the dual screen on the DS which allows users to sync up with others to play head to head to the Wii with a Bluetooth activated controller, Nintendo is constantly changing the video game industry. The marketers at Nintendo understood that ââ¬Å"too many powerful consoles can't coexistâ⬠because they would eventually lead to their own collapse ( 375 ). By creating something completely new for users that rivals aren't reaching, Nintendo was able to gain control of a relatively untouched market segment. Nintendo is known for its differentiation from the normal gaming systems and this attracts a completely different crowd than Sony and Microsoft.Stakeholders in the Nintendo company know this and this is what ultimately attracts them to their organization just as the stakeholders for Sony or Microsoft are attracted to the strategies of competing to be the best in terms of graphics and realistic gaming experience. If Nintendo was to change and try to compete on the same levels as Sony and Microsoft, they would more than likely lose many of their investors because this differentiation is what keeps Nintendo ranking among the top gaming companies.
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