Effects Single Parents Families

Task1 Research question What is the impact of being raised in a single parent family on students of the Corinth Secondary School? Rationale I chose to research this topic because it hurts me to see my friends from single parent families fall by the way side. I believe that they fall by the way side because the absent parent is inconsiderate. He (she) never took the time to think of the many difficulties and challenges the single parent would have in raising that child, not only in disciplining, but also by not having sufficient money to feed the child and not being able to provide that child with basic school materials.To me, it is very disturbing to hear some of the stories from children of my age group who come from single parent families, for instance, having to miss school because his/her parent was not able to provide for hi/her because of a huge financial strain. Time after time, I see some of my friends with their uniforms unkempt and their stomach crying out for food. It does not make me feel any better when I hear and see those things happening around me in society and particularly at my school. Objectives This School Based assessment seeks to: Identify the effects on children who are raised in a single parent family. * Identify the effect of single parent families on the academics of children within those households. * Suggest solutions to help teenagers of single parent families cope with the effects of being raised in a single parent family. Task2 Method of investigation In order to collect data for my School Based Assessment, I have decided to use the printed questionnaire because: 1. The method is inexpensive 2. The data collected is easy to analyze 3. The identity of respondents remains confidential Task 3QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions: please place a tick in the brackets ( ) next to the response you wish to select. 1. Sex Male ( ) Female ( ) 2. Age Group 12- 14 ( ) 15-18 ( ) 18-20 ( ) 3. Do you have any younger siblings? Yes ( ) No ( ) 4. If yes how many? 1 ( ) 2 ( ) 3( ) other ( ) 5. Who do you live with? Mother ( ) Father ( ) other ( ) please state†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. How often do you see your other parent? Often ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 7. I have a good relationship with my other parent.To what extent do you agree with this statement? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 8. How often does your other parent spend quality time with you? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Rarely ( ) 9. Does your other parent provide you with your basic needs? Always ( ) Occasionally ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 10. If you selected â€Å"occasionally†, â€Å"seldom† or â€Å"never† in the previous question, why is this so? Small income from one parent ( ) Parent just does not care ( ) 11.Does your other parent provide you with love? Always ( ) Occasional ( ) Seldom ( ) Never ( ) 12. Do you believe that yo u live in a stable home environment? Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) 13. How do you rate your performance at school? Excellent ( ) Very Good ( ) Good ( ) Poor ( ) 14. Do you believe that being raised in a single parent family affects your academic performance? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 15. Do you believe that living with one parent leads to children becoming delinquents?Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Agree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( ) 16. Are you able to balance your responsibilities at home with your time to do school assignments? Always ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 17. Are you regularly in trouble at school? Very often ( ) Often ( ) Sometimes ( ) Never ( ) 18. Do you think that the Government should develop and implement more policies to assist single parent families? Strongly Agree ( ) Agree ( ) Disagree ( ) Strongly Disagree ( )

Confessions of an Economic Hit man Essay

Set#1, Q2) The individual actions that Perkins takes are often influenced by larger social forces and institutions. What are the major social forces and institutions that shape his life? How did these forces and institutions shape the choices that Perkins faced? Do you see specific points in his life when Perkins could have made different choices? Perkins say’s that he was an economic hit man. What we do is not, in essence, illegal, but it should be. We find third world countries with some resource that can be developed and then give a huge loan to that country. The money, however, never goes to that country, but to our own companies within that country–companies that benefit only a few very rich people (Perkins, 2005). In many of these countries, you build a power plant or something that devastates the land, and the lines go only into the big cities, not to the farmers, peasants, etc. These people also don’t benefit from the ports and highways we build because they don’t have boats and they don’t have cars, and yet the whole country is left with a huge debt, and the money to pay the interest alone is being taken from education, healthcare, and other social services. In the end, the country can’t pay its debt, so we â€Å"hit men† go back to the country and take our â€Å"pound of flesh,† (Perkins, 2005) forcing them to sell their oil or some other resource to us for very cheap. It’s interesting that people think that other countries that have sent troops to Iraq in support of us have done so out of principle, but they were essentially blackmailed into it because they owed us so much money. The average person in these countries is actually worse off because of these projects, not better (Perkins, 2005). These projects do contribute to an increased Gross National Product (GNP) and total economic statistic of the country, but the well-being of the majority of people in these countries is not reflected in the GNP, because the GNP reflects the output achieved by the upper classes that own the business, industry, and commercial establishment. That process of making loans should be illegal. If Perkins say’s that he were a banker it would be illegal if Perkins say’s that he enticed you into taking a loan that Perkins say’s that he knew you couldn’t afford. But done on an international basis, it is not illegal. So economic hit men do not do illegal things. We are distinct from the â€Å"jackals† who do in fact do illegal things, like governments, and other activities that are extremely disruptive, yet incidentally, extremely effective. When Jaime Hurtado of Ecuador was assassinated because of economic hit men including me, and when Omar Torrijos of Panama was assassinated for the same reason in 1981, suddenly the peoples’ spirits in these two countries plummeted, especially since their spirits were soaring with the election of these leaders. The jackals are very effective not only in that they topple these governments, but they break the spirits of these people. (Perkins, 2005) Historians have long known that U. S. policy was to overthrow governments that challenged our political power or restricted or interfered with the ability of our international corporations from making big profits. They point to our role in Guatemala, Chile, Iran, etc. Its pretty well established that we were involved in trying to overthrow Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 2002; in fact, the administration has admitted that. We certainly know what we’re doing in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Afghanistan, so it’s well established that the U. S. government gets pretty in tries. â€Å"When the jackals fail, young Americans are sent in to kill and to die. † (Perkins, 2005) Perkins personal involvement or the involvement of other individuals in the book are well documented, so the only real question one could have is: â€Å"Did John Perkins really do this, or was it someone else who did these things? (Engler, 2005) But if someone actually took the time to look over all of the documents–Perkins passport for example–they would walk away without the shadow of a doubt that Perkins say’s that he was involved in doing these things. Let me add that it doesn’t serve anyone’s interest to be in denial. What we need to do is understand our mistakes and set them right. This will allow us the opportunity to move forward, start fresh, and create a better world. So, rather than denying the things we have done, we should focus on what we can do to set things right, and create a model that reflects the ideals of what Perkins say’s that he was brought up to believe America is all about. When Perkins say’s that he was an economic hit man these things weighed on Perkins conscience. Perkins say’s that he struggled with them. In Perkins heart, Perkins say’s that he came to understand that what Perkins say’s that he was doing was really bad. After being a hit man for over ten years, Perkins say’s that he was in the Caribbean on St.John’s Island and while on a boat, Perkins say’s that he saw a sugarcane plantation that was grown over with bougainvilleas. As Perkins say’s that he sat there, Perkins say’s that he realized that the plantation was built on the bones of thousands of slaves, and that our entire hemisphere was built on the bones of millions of slaves, and then it struck me that Perkins say’s that he too was a slaver, that Perkins job as an economic hit man was promoting a different form of slavery, and Perkins say’s that he just had an epiphany, and realized that Perkins say’s that he could no longer do this. (Engler, 2005) Set#2, Q4) Was Perkins himself responsible for the banking disasters he claims he caused? Why or why not? Perkins writes that he is aware that people like Tom Friedman are telling us that America’s role in the world has been extremely positive and that we’re not doing a favor to anyone by telling them that economic development isn’t doing good, because economic development is the only path towards human realization and building a hope that might counter the despair that leads to a 9/11-type atrocity (Perkins, 2005). Perkins say’s that he would agree that economic development is very important, provided that it reaches the poor people. Otherwise the Friedman argument is a little bit like saying that slavery in the United States pre-Civil War was good because the slaves from Africa came to a civilized Christian country and they had food and housing on the plantations. But they were slaves! You could make the point, as people did in those days, that their conditions were better than those in Africa, but Perkins say’s that he think that’s a very irrational argument. That’s the same argument you could make about people in third world countries today, that they are better off now working in the sweatshops living off of two dollars a day. The point is that economic development since the 1970s has been very detrimental to the poor. They’ve been pushed out of the villages in which an ethos of collective responsibility guaranteed that people would do all they could to care for each other, even while being â€Å"dirt poor. † (Perkins, 2005) The quality of their mutual support never showed up in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but it meant that far fewer people had to sell their children into prostitution or slavery to have â€Å"enough†(Perkins, 2005) to eat or a place that felt reasonable to live. In monetary terms, of course, the gap between rich and poor since the 1970s has more than doubled. (Perkins, 2005) That is not to say that economic development is wrong–we need more economic development, but it needs to be done in a way that helps the people on the bottom rung. It is not true that raising the economies of these places affects all the people there positively. What is true is that mostly the rich profit, while everyone else gets poorer. So we need a new view on what economic development really is. The extremes of poverty and inequality are connected to widespread support for terrorism and rebellion around the world. Perkins say’s that he have never met a terrorist who wanted to be a terrorist. They are terrorists because their land has been destroyed by oil plants or hydro-electric plants. â€Å"We can trade in that old nightmare of polluting industries, clogged highways, and overcrowded cities for a new dream based on Earth-honoring and socially responsible principles of sustainability and equality. † (Perkins, 2005) They become terrorists because they don’t know what else to do. Or they witnessed this happening to others whom they cared about, even if they themselves were not economically suffering. Of course, there are fanatical leaders that exploit this desperation in people. There will always be killers and sociopaths, but people like that don’t have any power unless there is a large grassroots following that relates to what they are saying. For example, Osama Bin Laden is Muslim, and South America is primarily Catholic (Perkins, 2005). Yet, you travel to South America and you see pictures of Osama Bin Laden, because people relate to him as a David standing up to a Goliath. These people are desperate, and unhappy with the situation today. So this gap between the rich and poor has created a tremendous amount of anger and hatred. There is a tremendous amount that we can do. Perkins say’s that he is very optimistic that we can turn this all around, that we can create a sustainable, stable, and peaceful world. We must realize that the only way our grandchildren can inherit this is if every child born in every corner of the planet has the same opportunity to make this happen. We are a very small planet at this point. Corporations today basically run the geopolitics, so we must change the corporations. They control the whole world in a very significant way, and yet they are incredibly vulnerable to us in that they rely on us to buy their goods and services and provided them with employees, and we have been extremely successful in changing corporations whenever we put our minds to it. Just recently major food chains did away with Tran’s fat because we demanded it. We are really successful at turning corporations around when we try, but now we must take this up a notch. Instead of just cleaning up rivers and protecting the ozone layer, we have to demand that they no longer orient their profits to benefit a few rich people, and that they make it their goal to contribute to a better world for us and our children. (Engler, 2005) Perkins say’s that he know this will happen because Perkins say’s that he know a lot of CEOs, and none of them want to see rainforests destroyed, or terrorism, or Florida covered in ocean, but they are all operating under the idea that their mandate is to make greater and greater profits for their shareholders. But that is not their mandate. They can still make their profits, but their mandate is to make a better world for all of us. In the final analysis, each of us must follow our passions and talents to create a more sustainable world. We take different paths, but we can all work towards the same end (Perkins, 2005). Why should corporations just continue to be able to go out a plunder? They should be responsible to bigger bodies than just their stockholders. Perkins writes that he is struck by the statistics that during WWII, big corporations contributed about 50 percent to our income tax, and in 2001 it was something over 20 percent. In recent years it’s been under 10 percent. Some of the most profitable and powerful corporations don’t pay taxes at all, and some get a tax credit despite how profitable they are. Ultimately, the corporations have to be willing to pay their dues.

Job dissatisfaction Essay

1.What symptom(s) in this case suggest that something has gone wrong? In this case, there are few symptoms clearly stated that something has gone wrong for this company. These symptoms can be classified into two main areas; one is the negative feedback from the customers and another one if from its own employee’s job dissatisfaction. As stated in this case, the customer services business has grown doubled in the past five years as the advancement of technology allowed employees to investigate most software and hardware system faults from the center through remote monitoring. However, as the business grows, there are possibility of increasing work load and pressure that causes the rise of those negative feedbacks from both customers and employees. First of all, the symptoms that suggested something had gone wrong includes the company was unable to live up through their customer’s expectation. This is shown by the increasing complaints regarding poor quality service by customers. Customers have commented that employees seem indifferent to the client’s problem, not enthusiastic in assisting and helping them. Besides, they also commented that they are receiving slow response to their problem where solving their issue requires the involvement of more than one department. This might due to poor procedure flow. Moreover, their customer also commented that employees are lacking of knowledge regarding client’s unique information technology system infrastructure. There are more symptoms being detected in employee side which include increased in employee resignations above industry average and employee referrals become rare. Employees are complaining about monotonous work where the work is lacking in variety and interest. Employees also commented that they are disconnected from the consequences of their work, where the outcome of their service is not made known to them. Conflicts that frequently occur among employees with different departments also a symptom that showing appropriate action must be taken by the management. Employees also complaining about the stress level are increasing when serving dissatisfied clients. It is clearly that the company is experiencing some growth; however, the management needs to find a solution to solve the arising issue where their employees are lacking of motivation in their job. However, the executive team’s decision to raise pay rates for its customer service staff and the vested profit-sharing plan does not improve the employees’ work performance or customers’ satisfaction. 2.What are the main causes of these symptoms? The main cause of these symptoms is the lack of motivation among customer service employees. As according to the results of employee survey and informal comments given by employees, we can conclude that most of the employees do not meet their job satisfaction. This is the main factor for the lack of engagement in doing their task, ended with poor performance in their customer service. The work effectiveness is strongly affected by employees’ work motivation and job satisfaction. The lack of motivation among customer service staff is caused by several factors which include the boredom from monotonous work, feels disconnected from the consequences of their work, conflicts with other departments and the stress serving unhappy clients. All of the above causes are leading to job dissatisfaction among employees which then driving poor quality service to their customers. They are lacking of common goal in their task. The relation between those factors and motivation level among employees can be explained by the Job Characteristic Model. According to Job Characteristic Model, five core job dimensions, skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback from job, produce three psychological states among employees and lead to higher level of internal work motivation, job satisfaction and work effectiveness. From the employee survey and informal comments, it is clear that the job is lack of variety and lacking of feedback from job. In addition, problem within the structure of the company causing conflicts between departments. This might due to lack of proper channel of communication from the time of query have been made by customer and the ticket is issued until the problem has been resolved. Besides, high quit  rate and lower productivity among new employees is another reason causing poor quality service to customers. The overall scenario does not improve but turned worst instead when the management takes the wrong approach in solving the problem by rising employees pay. The problem and causes of the poor quality service is not been analyzed and identified, thus there is no positive impact by just rising pay rates to customer service staff. This can be further discussed as ineffectiveness of reward. The reward given is not linked to the work performance; as the results, employees do not experience the positive emotions even when they receive higher pay or incentive from the vested profit-sharing plan. 3.What actions should Yakka Tech executives take to correct these problems? Yakka Tech executives should take few actions in order to correct these problems. These actions mainly focus on three parts, first is on boosting up employees job satisfaction to increase their job motivation. Secondly, the management should implement a better and more organize system for the flow of query between departments. Thirdly, the Yakka Tech executives should reconstruct the reward system in order to improve reward effectiveness. These problems must be properly addressed and analyzed before the company implements new solutions. Management shall gather more information regarding the factors causing employees job dissatisfaction which results in poor quality service. Productivity among employees is strongly related to their job engagement and job motivation. As in this case, the executives should establish a goal setting plan in order to help employees have a clear goal on their job which help in motivating the employees. By setting a precise goal can also help to motivate employees to stay in track. In addition, the executives can establish a feedback system to promote communication between management and staff. Set a regular employee survey, group meetings or other feedback system to enable employees to share their thoughts to the management. This is to allow the management to detect those areas that need improvement to have better employee engagement. An organized system is vital in any organization in order to promote smooth work flow. Yakka Tech should implement a better and more organize system to solve the communication problem between departments and the flow of query between departments. A clear procedure of work flow should be set and made known to all departments that involve in addressing customer’s problem. Moreover, adequate training for new employees and ongoing training for employee is important. This is to keep employees skills up-to-date and increase productivity. Reconstruct the reward system to promote reward effectiveness. The rates of pay do not increase productivity, but employee engagement does. The executives should come out a better incentive scheme to motivate their employees. For example, reward is given to employee who receives good comment from their customer or annual bonus is given to the team when the complaints rate is lower than the benchmark. The reward given should be always linked to the employee performance and the management should provide relevant reward the valued by their employee.

Theological Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Theological Anthropology - Essay Example We shall thus consider that which is common to all faiths in terms of morality and then proceed to take this a step farther and liberating it from the traditional perspectives to encompass a broader view of humankind. In seeking to understand the morality of any given actions, it is helpful to use some sort of compass in which to judge any action as purely moral or not. In order to not bias the discussion to any one faith, we will apply a method that virtually anyone will be able to accept yet does not invoke the singular nature of any one faith. The most general and acceptable rule of this nature that has ever been attempted is to be found in Kant's categorical imperative. The categorical imperative would denote a requirement that is absolute and unconditional and whose authority must exert itself in all circumstances. According to Kant, we can distill the categorical imperative into three basic precepts: 1) Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law; 2) Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means; and 3) Every ra tional being must so act as if he were through his maxim always a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends. That is to say, any moral law that can be considered as a categorical imperative is one in which you can will it for everyone and is not limited to any person or group of people; what applies to the prince must also apply to the peasant and vice-versa. Next, we must focus on deontological ethics by necessity since to do otherwise would allow actions for expediency and outcome rather than the morality of the actions themselves. Each and every other person must be treated as an end and not a tool. in other words, there can be no inhuman use of human beings as tools to accomplish a goal. They themselves are the goal since the morality of an action cannot be separated from its application to every human being and in no way can this be interpreted as using one human being fore the benefit of the other. Lastly, this law must be considered as one in which all human beings, barring none, act as equals in enacting this law as a means of harmonizing the moral kingdom, thus bringing about a state of perfect moral equality among all humankind. Critics of this approach tend to follow the consequentialist schools of thought, in which the ultimate goal is looked at and not necessarily the means to achieve it. This approach to morality is faulty in large part because it ignores a critical aspect that Kant himself did not make much use of, but which has increasingly important as we see people trying to follow a moral code and failing miserably. The categorical imperative seems admirable in theory, but unworkable in practice, so thus people often ignore the internal aspects of the requirements in favor of practical success. The missing element in consequentialist theories and the element that makes many people view the categorical imperative as unworkable in practice is, in fact the focus on the external world rather than recognizing

Strategic Assessment of Raleigh Cycle Ltd Case Study

Strategic Assessment of Raleigh Cycle Ltd - Case Study Example Business Environment The cycling industry in the United States of America (USA) had generated revenue of 6 billion dollars in 2005 (Wales 2009b). There are countless bicycle manufacturers around the world that compete for sales. A recent report dated 28th October 2009 listed 172 primary bicycle manufacturers (Wikipedia 2009). However the market is huge as stated by a 2009 report by Business Exchange which indicates a growth in the industry with 3.8 million people in the USA riding bicycle daily to work (Rickman 2009). This statistic is also supported by another statistic that indicates there are currently 450 million bicycles in China (Johnson 2007) and 16 million bicycles in Netherlands (Cycling in the Netherlands 2009). Hence capturing a customer would plausibly not be difficult. This notion is also supported by the fact that fuel prices constantly fluctuate (Shanghai Daily 2009) thus cycling offers an alternative mean of transportation. But some manufacturers reported losses. Shimano's net income fel t 58% in 2009 (Le 2009) and Dorel's revenue drop 8% in that same year (Reed Business 2006). These 2 contrasting statistics indicate that the business environment of the cycling industry is mixed. Assessment of Raleigh 2 Past and Current Strategies of Raleigh Cycle Ltd. In 2001 Raleigh's parent company went bankrupt (Teather 2007). But by the year 2004 the company's sales were increasing due to the reintroduction of the 'Chopper' (Teather 2007) but their market shares were decreasing and it was predicted to decrease until the year 2010 (Teather 2007). Different strategies were employed during the 122 years life span of Raleigh. From the period 1887 till 1943, the company employed the strategy of expansion and diversity. This is evidently shown as... This essay assessed the strategy employed by Raleigh Cycle Limited. Not only that the business environment of the company were also analyzed. The researcher of this paper thoroughly dissected the company and mentioned the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company. Several key factors that affect the growth and profit of the company were outlined. This paper ended with comments upon the sustainability of the current strategy and obstacles and hindrances faced by the company. Raleigh’s current aim is to increase sales and regain the share of the market. Mark Gouldthorp, the Managing Director of Raleigh, in his statement stated that focusing too much upon competitors would make Raleigh’s products similar to the competitor’s products. Thus Raleigh is currently employing a strategy of improving the quality of their products, while not concentrating too much upon their competitors. The researcher stated that in certain cities, there are few or no dedicate lanes for cyclists to commute. This can be denoted as a governmental issue since the government has the authority and initiative to appoint or construct such lanes. This situation exists throughout the world and companies have to be prepared to face these consequences. Even encouragements from companies like Raleigh are insufficient if higher authorities have contrasting policies. According to Kotler, this is a typical company-government relationship that one should take into account before venturing into business

Young Adult Couples' Decision Making Regarding Emergency Contraceptive Essay

Young Adult Couples' Decision Making Regarding Emergency Contraceptive Pills - Essay Example The work was published in the journal of nursing scholarship in 2011(Beaulieu et al.). The concern over the presence of cases of unwanted pregnancies motivated the study regarding the reluctance of young couples in using Emergency contraceptive pills. The researchers constructed sets of salient conditions to guide the research. These conditions touch on contraceptive use, decision making among couples, views between men and women over the use of ECPs, a woman’s autonomy, and relationship power. To enhance the validity and credibility of the study, the researchers employed the use of face to face interview as a research method. Qualitative research was most appropriate for this social research (Weinberg, 2002). Open ended questions were employed to collect data which comprised of personal views. Despite the availability of other research method, the researcher chose face to face interview. This was recommendable because this method enables the research to create a rapport with participants. The authors have clearly stated objectives of the study using an explanatory title, in the abstract, introduction and through the arguments stated in the report. The title briefly summarizes the whole topic. By reading the topic, a reader automatically gets a good snapshot of the entire study. The authors introduce the topic of unwanted pregnancies by providing definitions and reasons for its occurrences. They later state the reasons why it was necessary to explore this subject, and the necessary steps and methodology utilized during the study. He also introduces all concepts discussed in the report clearly using simple language. All the supporting literature is recent, hence, relating the issue with current discussions and ongoing debate regarding contraceptive use. They also state the importance of this study by stating the concerns surrounding the issue. Despite the fact that ECPs safely prevent unwanted pregnancies, it is confusing why young couples refrain from us ing them. These contraceptives also suit the needs of young people and are available for their use. So it remains unclear why young people do not avail themselves for their use. This study was different from past studies because past studies centered on women as the primary decision makers of regarding contraceptive use. However, this study took a different perspective of focusing on the couple, and not just women. Couple dynamics looks at the dominance of men in reproductive health decision making. Men dominate these decisions because they too, do not want unplanned pregnancies and experience the pressure for sex. To give the article more credibility, information is provided from other fields that relate to the study. Information is concerned with developmental antecedents, which influence decision making in relationships. In this analysis, the authors connect the article theme to other factors that are fundamental to providing more insight to readers as to the importance of the st udy (Beaulieu et al., 2011). The article is written in simple and clear language, which makes it easy to read and understand for anyone with basic education. The author has portrayed facts in an organized and clear manner, supporting every argument with appropriate resources. These resources provide in depth information on the subject and prove the information’s credibility. The article has been organized into section, each section covering a specific aspect of the study. In addition, there is congruence among different sections. All the sections serve to build up arguments that support the study. Right from the abstract and the introduction, the author has introduced participants in the study; mentioning the people concerned over the issue, past studies and reports over the issue, p

Internet Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Exercise - Assignment Example ired state) and, at the same time, are health conscious and do not prefer putting on additional calories by eating meals from fast food chains(the desired state) (Kraft Foods Global, 2012). The problem, therefore, is individuals who have difficulty in arriving at ideas on what to cook (the actual state) and how as well as customers who are looking for particular tips on how to cook a particular meal (the desired state). These individuals prefer to cook themselves (to avoid the weight gain that comes from fast food products), however, they are pressed for time and therefore want easy to cook recipes. Another area of problem recognition is that this ad indirectly also focuses on customers who want to cook their family favorites, perhaps on a weekend (or Sundays), and who do not prefer going out to restaurants for the same. Problem recognition is triggered also by the fact that it is meant for those customers who are looking for quick recipes to entertain their guests for a lunch or hi- tea. Upon reading this magazine, customers hope to find remedies to their problem in the form of the recipes and tips provided in the magazine for particular meals. By clicking on this ad, customers are directed to immediate subscription via payment through a variety of online options (Kraft Foods Global, 2012). Hence, by just a few clicks, customers get access to their favorite magazine without having to go and buy it physically from a store. As far as company advertisements are concerned, I have been fascinated by the cutting edge technology that Apple offers. The ad that triggered problem recognition is that of MacBook Pro with Retina Display featured on Apple’s website (Appendix 2). In this case the problem recognition has arisen out of opportunity recognition where the desired state was enhanced due to changing circumstances in life and career. Owing to progress in academic and professional life I have been inclined to use high-tech gadgets that enable me (and customers like me)

Obesity Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Obesity - Dissertation Example Obesity is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as a condition of increased body weight that is caused by an excessive accumulation of fat. Obesity has also been termed the new â€Å"epidemic† in both adults and children. In 1998 the World Health Organization (WHO) designated obesity as a global epidemic (Anrig, 2003). Healthcare professionals can measure the percent of body fat in children by using Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated from a person’s height and weight and provides a reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems. Establishing healthy habits in youth can help prevent many health problems later on in life which will drastically reduce the costs of healthcare. For this reason many public health professionals are interested in working with school systems to reach children in school settings. If we look back over the past 50 years we can see dramatic changes in the way children play, eat meals, and soc ialize. Today lifestyles are busier but less active. (See table 1 in appendix A). Since 1950, the amount of nutritional information available to the public has roughly doubled every seven years. In the years between 1950 and 2000, â€Å"obesity rose by 214% until today, where 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese† (Weiss, n.d.). Even though technology has taken away the need for most physical activity, there must be steps taken to provide cost effective solutions and provide a healthier lifestyle for children that will lead to healthy adults. The good news is that schools nationwide are becoming aware of this epidemic and are working with health professionals by taking steps to provide a healthy lifestyle for children. Schools can play an important role in improving the health of children and the adults they will become. Children generally attend school 5 days a week throughout the calendar year. During childhood and adolescent years habits develop that determine physical activity and eating habits. These health habits will determine the development of such diseases as cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes which are now major causes of premature death and disabilities in the United States and the Western World. Public Health professionals are very interested in funding school based programs that can provide a foundation for lifelong healthy behaviors and greatly reduce the burden of these preventable health conditions for both individuals and society as a whole. There is largely an unmet need for effective school-based programs that promote healthy behaviors. It has not been an easy task engaging these partnerships for many reasons, one being funding. With the embracing of these school based programs by public health professionals, it is imperative that these programs be rigorously evaluated to show effectiveness. To be considered effective these programs must undergo systematic measurement and an alysis using solid research methods and study designs. The Center for Disease Control’

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeland Security - Essay Example Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF’s contractor, Science Applications International Corporation. The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, shares the blame for the project’s failure. The ‘investigative data warehouse’ was added to combine several of the FBI’s crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau’s requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI’s prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism. Poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems. The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn’t manage case overflow and doesn’t substitute for an effective case management system.It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn’t have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project was funded for US $379.8 million. ... replace the obsolete Automated Case Support (ACS) system. Instead, the FBI's VCF would become the most highly publicized software failure in history. Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF's contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC.) The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, lacking IT management and technical expertise, shares the blame for the project's failure. The 'investigative data warehouse' was added to combine several of the FBI's crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau's requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI's prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn't manage case overflow. and doesn't substitute for an effective case management system. It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn't have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project, later called Trilogy, was funded for

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels Essay

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels - Essay Example The Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, is considered as one of the most important production units of the organization. The production process developed in the particular unit is analyzed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the potentials of the Group to reduce this unit’s costs without affecting the Group’s performance or the quality of the products involved. At the same time, the unit’s logistic process is reviewed focusing on the fact that the various parts of the firm’s cars are coming from different places in Europe and are assembled in Brussels to be then sold all around the world. 2. Production process in Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels 2.1 Description of the process In order to understand the performance of the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels it would be necessary to present primarily the key characteristics of the production unit involved. Then, the production process should be analytically described, as all of its phases. Finally, the phases of the process that are of key value for its success, meaning the cost management techniques and the quality management techniques as used in the specific production unit, should be further analyzed, followed by suggestions as of their potential update or alteration for supporting the increase of the Group’s performance. Volkswagen Group incorporates a high range of brands (see Figure 1, Appendix). This means that the terms of operation of the Group’s production units internationally need to be carefully reviewed, so that delays or failures in regard to the quality of the products (cars) are avoided. In Figure 2 (Appendix) the monthly deliveries of the Group are presented. It is made clear that the orders of customers in... This essay focuses on the examination and the analysis provided by the researcher, on the topic of the production process of a well-known corporation - the Volkswagen Group. The researcher of the essay discusses the processes that are employed in the Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels. These processes are reviewed and evaluated emphasizing on the effectiveness of unit’s quality and cost management. The essay aims to show that the production processes used by the Volkswagen Group organization are well organized despite the fact that the logistics management of the organization is quite challenging, since the parts of cars are sent to the firm’s unit in Brussels by various places across Europe and have to be assembled so that the finished product is promoted to the European market. It is concluded by the researcher that the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, meets most requirements of a successful production unit. Still, certain changes are required so that the performance of the unit to be standardized in the long term. The evaluation of the effectiveness of a production process is quite important for estimating the current and future potentials of the organization involved. The review of the production process in Volkswagen’s production plant in Brussels has revealed the strengths of the specific process. It is also assumed that the firm’s performance in the global market, as reflected in its financial statements is highly related to the high performance of the production plant in Brussels.

The Impact Of Social Networking On Business Research Paper

The Impact Of Social Networking On Business - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the ever changing fashion trend influences the people around the globe the way they dress and how producers design apparels suited to the prevailing market need. Business therefore is simply a matter of creating trends, understanding consumers and their needs and building long-term relationship for profit-generating activity. These are some of the essential elements that need to be mastered in business, but one of the most important factors that need to be considered in great detail is consumer behavior as it has important business implications (Deutsch, 2010). This reason that for many years, business significantly improved the way it is conducted and it continuously seeks to understand consumer behavior. Today, business is an integral part of the social changes as social networking is developed over time and as found to be of great advantage on business activity. Consumer behavior in particular is integrated in the modern social change. For instance, Facebook as a renowned social networking site is not only a venue for friendship-related activities, but in creating business in particular as it is currently patterned in the principle of how social behavior functions. This is evident in its website where it is clear how each individual interacts with each other with particular messages. Social networking site dates back to its humble beginning in 1971 when the first email was sent, and it remarkably improved until 1995 where online contents can be published with freedom, which brought forward the inception of Friendster in 2002, Myspace in 2003, Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2006 and in 2008 Facebook bested them all based on the number of users and online visits per day (Onlineschools.org., 2011). This remarkable innovation and evolution in social networking have important business implications and this is the point the proponent discusses in this paper. Social networking Social networking is an innovation in business for the following reasons . The first point is its ability to disclose significant information that would be important to some people around the globe. As a result, it has the capacity to augment an individual’s network of contacts (Wilson, 2009). For instance, a person who looks for someone interested in conducting business may be able to

It Is Not Natural for Young People to Feel Stressed Essay Example for Free

It Is Not Natural for Young People to Feel Stressed Essay 1) Stress It is not natural for young people to feel stressed and hopeless about the situations they face. All young people want is to be happy, to make a real difference they need our help to develop a more positive mental attitude and to understand that the real source of their happiness or their stress and to develop the inner strength and confidence to deal with any situation, however challenging, is an important goal. Many young people today put too much emphasis on materialism as a source of their happiness and need our help in understanding the importance of ones inner values example sharing and caring, moving away from us and them and using their resources to help others respecting the rights of others interdependence and our reliance on others compassion and forgiveness gratitude. It is unrealistic to expect young people to be able to avoid conflict and that is why we need to teach them how to seek a win/win resolution to conflict. This involves helping them to look at situations from different perspectives, not just their own. Young people also need our help in making full use of the opportunities that come their way. Many young people do not have self belief and need our help in identifying their strengths and past successes. This requires different thought processes that involve the young person distancing themselves from strong emotions in order to analyse situations using clarity and objectivity to see what is actually happening, to assess what needs to be done and to develop a strong sense of purpose. This was the young person is able to act out of a clear awareness of their situation not out of anger or fear. They have a better chance of remaining calm in adversity and will have developed their inner strengths. Young people are no different to us, they want to overcome stress. There is no simple technique that will guarantee a calm and peaceful mind because each young person is different and lots of factors are involved e.g. the young persons background, the support they can draw upon, health, education. What you can do is help young people to challenge the way that they think and in doing s o improve their attitude, outlook and approach. You can help young people to develop the inner discipline they need to identify those factors which lead to stress and those that help develop a calm and peaceful mind. Then it is a matter of simply helping the young person to experience firsthand the benefits of eliminating the negative factors and of cultivating the positive. Benefits are likely to include increased flexibility and creativity, being more open and willing to reach out to others. This approach does not only benefit the young person but their family, school or workplace and society as a whole. Each young person will have their own baseline of happiness and no matter what good or bad things happen to them they will return to this level of happiness. This baseline can be influence by how the young person sees a situation e.g. by comparing themselves with others they see as more fortunate their baseline happiness goes down. But if they compare themselves with those who are less fortunate it goes up. Research has also shown that when young people use their resources to help others their baseline happiness goes up. It can be helpful to explore with young people which thoughts they find he lpful and which are harmful. Similarly they can explore which emotions and behaviours are helpful and which are harmful in terms in terms of the levels of stress experienced both short and longer term e.g. which behaviours provide temporary relief and which bring lasting happiness. There are a variety of approaches and methods that can be used but it takes time and the repeated application of these techniques so that the young person becomes familiar with what is happening, is able to identify the lessons learned and apply them when making decisions. It takes time for a young person to reflect on what brings lasting happiness and to reset their priorities and align their resources and efforts to what is truly of value and what gives their life meaning. Relationships are important to young people but it is often difficult for them to connect with others without fear and apprehension, they can be a major source of stress. Young people need help to understand how interconnected and interdependent we all are and how being open and flexible, sharing problems can bring down barriers and reduce feelings of isolation. Intimacy is important to our physical and psychological well-being. Young people need our help to understand the true meaning of intimacy i.e. the sharing of ones inner self with another. They also need help in finding opportunities to broaden their definition of intimacy by including friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and even strangers, opening themselves up to opportunities to bond. One way is to explore with young people how they feel when they meet somebody who is friendly and what are the practical benefits of this e.g. can turn to this person if I need help. You can then develop it further by exploring what it means to be the person who needs help by encouraging the young person to put themselves in the other persons place and explore how they would react using their imagination. Then taking it one step further by encouraging the young person to let go of their own viewpoint and to develop an awareness and respect for the other person feeling. Another approach might be to encourage the young person to look for similarities in their own lives and those of others. It is a relationship in which we recognise that the young person is a fellow human being with the same need to live a less stressful life and one where we are willing to reach out and offer human affection, warmth, friendship and sensitivity to young peoples feelings. One of the major sources of relationship stress is the nature of power within the relationship. It can be helpful for young people to explore the sources of power, role and relationships before moving on to look at the feelings, what is shared and where there are connections. This approach is especially helpful in relating to each other as individuals, appreciating and valuing each others contribution. It is important to invest time in getting to know the young persons basic characteristics as an individual before trying to relate at a deeper level i.e. beyond the superficial, willing to share the ups and downs of their lives, to demonstrate a responsibility and commitment. Building relationships with young people underpinned by feelings of compassion not only benefits young people it will also improve your own physical, emotional and mental health. You will feel calmer and will be less likely to suffer from depression. You will also have higher feelings of self-worth Organ Transplant An organ transplant replaces a failing organ with a healthy organ. A doctor will remove an organ from another person and place it in your body. This may be done when your organ has stopped working or stopped working well because of disease or injury. Not all organs can be transplanted. More than one organ can be transplanted at one time. For example, a heart and lung transplant is possible.Not everyone is a good candidate for an organ transplant. Your doctor or a transplant center will do tests to see if you are. You probably are not a good candidate if you have an infection, heart disease that is not under control, a drug or alcohol problem, or another serious health problem. People who need an organ transplant often have to wait a long time for one. Doctors must match donors to recipients to reduce the risk of transplant rejection. This is when the recipients body turns against the new organ, causing it to fail. People who have transplants must take drugs the rest of their lives to help keep their bodies from rejecting the new organ. Ironically, the increasing success rate of organ transplant procedures is one reason that organ transplant waiting lists have risen so dramatically since the late 1980s. The first organ transplants, performed in the late 1950s and 1960s, were characterized by high mortality rates; a major problem was that patients’ immune systems often rejected the foreign organ. The introduction of the drug cyclosporine in the 1980s helped mitigate this problem, and organ transplants subsequently became less experimental and more routine. Statistics indicate that in 1998 organ transplant procedures were successful 70 to 95 percent of the time, depending on the organ being transplanted. With these increasing success rates, more doctors have recommended the procedures. However, raising awareness about organ donation is a slow process, and the need for more organs is immediate. Thus the biggest dilemma facing the transplant community is, â€Å"How can the number of organs available for transpla nt be increased?†One proposal is to reverse the current system in which doctors must obtain a patient’s (or his or her family’s) consent in order to remove organs after death. Under a policy of â€Å"presumed consent† all patients would be presumed to want to become organ donors unless they explicitly state otherwise. Presumed consent proposals have consistently been met with strong opposition, however, on the grounds that they violate an individual’s right to make medical decisions for themselves. â€Å"Mandated choice† or â€Å"required response† policies are less extreme alternatives to presumed consent. Advocates of mandated choice policies argue that rather than waiting for people to volunteer for organ donation, hospitals or government organizations should require individuals to state their preference about organ donation, perhaps when they obtain their driver’s licenses or file tax returns. Texas, Colorado, and several other states have implemented required response policies, but, on average, rates of organ donation have not risen dramatically as a result. Researchers are also working on developing artificial organ s. As of February 2002, five people have received fully self-contained artificial hearts. The artificial heart has rarely been used because it is still highly experimental and because recipients must be willing to have their own heart removed to make room for the artificial replacement. Although there are many technical hurdles to overcome in the field of artificial organs, researchers are hopeful: Various laboratories in the United States and around the world are developing artificial hearts, lungs, livers, pancreases, bladders, and blood.In addition to developing artificial organs, scientists are working on techniques to grow human organs from a patient’s own cells. Instead of waiting for a donor, for example, a patient in need of a heart transplant might one day only have to wait until researchers can grow one in the laboratory. Some of the research involved in tissue engineering is tied up with cloning and stem cell research, and thus raises ethical questions. Such research is also at the cutting edge of biotechnology, and therefore it may be decades before it bears fruit. Nevertheless, the medical community is eager to explore this potential solution to the organ shortage. Although tissue engineering, artificial organs, and xenotransplantation provide hope for the future, the thousands of people currently on organ transplant waiting lists are counting on altruistic organ donation. The field of organ transplantation is one of the miracles of modern medicine, but its power to save lives depends directly on the availability of organs. CAUSES AND EFFECT ESSAY Obesity refers to excess amount of body fat, more than what is considered healthy for a given height. Generally, obesity is more in females than males because men have more muscles than women; muscles burn more calories than other type of tissues that have tendency to accumulate fat. Obesity has many predisposing factors like genetic, lifestyles and emotional factors, which may result on serious health problems. Obesity has been a serious issues that happening among us. According to the reports, Malaysia was being ranked 6th in the Asia with high obesity issues in 2010. Obesity is always being misunderstood by the people whereby they think overweight is considered as obesity. However, obesity is about having too much fat in the body. It is related with the eating patterns and habits which play an important part in order to live a healthy life. Therefore, obesity occurs with different causes and lead to several impacts on an individual. Do you know what the causes of obesity are? We never think about the causes of obesity, but they are very simple and common because it depends on the good habits that we have. If we count all the causes that provoke obesity maybe there are a lot, but we only need to focus on some of them. Because of emotional problems, bad eating, and the lack of exercise many people are overweight. The first cause is concentrated on emotional problems because sometimes they eat a lot to forget the problems or to relieve a feeling of emptiness. Many overweight people eat all the things that they see on the refrigerator because they feel alone, they try to full their body with food because their soul feels so bad and they need attention. Overweight people do that action to attract people’s attention because they need that other people to help them. Bad eating is the next cause that provokes obesity. Overweight people always eat junk food and it is the main cause why they increase their weight. They never eat fruits or vegetables, but always eat hamburgers, hotdogs, coca-cola, and others. This kind of food gives them more weight, in addition, gives them more problems. Overweight people eat because they need to eat, but its gluttony. The final cause is the lack of exercise which is important to reduce weight. People most of the times spend hours watching TV and don’t do anything that help their health. The lack of exercise is common in overweight people due to they can’t play, run, and they get tired very fast. Even when they can’t do exercise, they need to try doing a little bit because it’s so important to lose weight. We know that emotional problems, bad eating, and the lack of exercise are some of the causes of obesity. If we don’t pay attention to them, we will be exposed to many problems. This problem can be eradicated if we avoid all the things that cause obesity because we need to take care of our lives. Obesity affects the individual and the country. The biggest effect is on the individual. First of all, being overweight has health risks. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. The quality of life suffers, as it is difficult to enjoy exercise or move. Another result is lack of self-esteem. This can lead to depression, eating disorders and crash diets. The country is also affected. It becomes very expensive for the government to provide advanced medical care such as heart transplants. Unhealthy citizens are also less productive. and their children learn poor eating habits. Obesity or even being overweight has serious effects on the individual and the society. Both need to take action to examine the causes of this problem and find solutions. Obesity, because it alters the relationship between the lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm, has been expected to alter respiratory function. Non-smoking, young adults with spirometry, lung volume measurement by nitrogen washout, and single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide . Changes in respiratory function were of two types, those that changed in proportion to degree of obesityexpiratory reserve volume and those that changed only with extreme obesityvital capacity, total lung capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation. When compared with commonly used predicting equations, we found that mean values of subjects grouped by degree of obesity were very close to predicted values, except in those with extreme obesity in whom weight (kg)/height (cm) exceeded 1.0. In 29 subjects who lost a mean of 56 kg, significant increases in vital capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation were found, along with a significant decrease in single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Because most subjects fell within the generally accepted 95% confidence limits for the predicted values, we concluded that obesity does not usually preclude use of usual predictors. An abnormal pulmonary function test value should be considered as caused by intrinsic lung disease and not by obesity, except in those with extreme obesity. In conclusion, obesity is a major problem which founded in every economic class and has a lot of complications .Obesity can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, including a variety of foods, especially grain products, vegetables and fruits. The diet should be moderate in salt and low in fat and cholesterol. Reinforce the need for regularly physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Obesity has brought a lot of disadvantages or negative impacts internally and externally in our life. Everyone should have start to concern with their health condition and daily lifestyle from now on to avoid obesity. A balance diet and regular exercise would be th e key of a healthy lifestyle. CAUSES AND EFFECT OUTLINE Introduction Obesity refers to excess amount of body fat, more than what is considered healthy for a given height. Generally, obesity is more in females than males because men have more muscles than women; muscles burn more calories than other type of tissues that have tendency to accumulate fat. Obesity has many predisposing factors like genetic, lifestyles and emotional factors, which may result on serious health problems. Obesity has been a serious issues that happening among us. According to the reports, Malaysia was being ranked 6th in the Asia with high obesity issues in 2010. Obesity is always being misunderstood by the people whereby they think overweight is considered as obesity. However, obesity is about having too much fat in the body. It is related with the eating patterns and habits which play an important part in order to live a healthy life. Therefore, obesity occurs with different causes and lead to several impacts on an individual. Conclusion Obesity has brought a lot of disadvantages or negative impacts internally and externally in our life. To sum up, everyone should have start to concern with their health condition and daily lifestyle from now on to avoid obesity. A balance diet and regular exercise would be the key of a healthy lifestyle.

Ethical Dilemma During Community Nursing

Ethical Dilemma During Community Nursing This reflective account will discuss an ethical dilemma which arose during a placement within a community setting. To assist the reflection process, the Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle which encompasses 6 stages; description, thoughts and feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan will be used which will improve and strengthen my nursing skills by continuously learning from both good and bad experiences, and develop my self confidence in relation to caring for others (Siviter 2008). To comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct (NMC) (2008) and maintain confidentiality all names have been changed and therefore for the purpose of this reflection the patient will be referred to as Bob. Bob is a forty four year old man who has been receiving aggressive and invasive treatment for several months in the form of chemotherapy in an attempt to cure his Hodgkinsons lymphoma cancer. Throughout the treatment Bob remained positive that he would be able to put the worries behind him and live a normal life with his partner and teenage daughter. However, Bob was unable to control his body temperature, which was a possible sign the chemotherapy had not been successful and was offered further investigations to establish his prognosis. Whilst my mentor who is a Community Matron, was talking to Bob, his partner Sue took me to one side and asked me if the investigations revealed bad news would it be possible to withhold this information from Bob because she felt he would not be able to deal with a poor prognosis and would give up hope. Prior to Bobs original admission the possibility of f the chemotherapy failing was discussed but he refused to consider this was an option and was convinced the condition could be treated successfully. I explained to Sue that this situation was outside of my area of expertise but with her permission would discuss it with my mentor and ask her to contact Sue at a mutually convenient time to discuss further. My mentor contacted Sue and advised her that she would discuss the situation with Bobs Consultant once they had received the results of his tests. However, my mentor diplomatically informed Sue that she has no legal right to insist that information be kept from Robert (Dimond 2005). As expected Bobs test results concluded the chemotherapy treatment was unsuccessful. Considering what he knew of Bob, the consultant agreed it would be advantageous to withhold the diagnosis from him. Therefore it was agreed to discuss Bobs test results with his partner. Thoughts and feelings In the first instance I felt that the Consultant was ethically wrong to withhold the results of the investigations from Bob and not necessarily acting in his best interests. I felt that in order to ensure Bobs rights were protected and to give him the opportunity to be involved in his own plan of care he should be informed of the outcome of the tests. Bob had the capacity to consent and as during my placement would be acting as an advocate for him. I felt that if I was in Bobs position, I would want to know what the outcome of any investigations were and it did not seen right that the diagnosis would be documented in his records and his family and possibly friends around him would be aware of his diagnosis whilst he was kept in the dark. I felt that if we were to visit on a regular basis that I would feel very uncomfortable knowing something that had been kept from him and possibly have to lie to him or avoid answering directly when asked difficult questions. I also felt that his fam ily were taking away his freedom to make an informed choice about his forthcoming care. Analysis Evaluation Barbosa da Silva (2002) defines an ethical dilemma as: A situation where a person experiences a conflict where he or she is obliged to perform two or more duties, but realizes that whoever action he or she chooses will be an ethically wrong one. Kuupelomaki and Lauri (1998) and Roy and MacDonald (1998) agree that health professionals are faced with many ethical dilemmas when caring for terminally ill cancer patients and communicating the diagnosis and subsequently prognosis is one of the most common dilemmas experienced. Alexander et al (2001) state that it is not unusual for relatives to ask a Consultant to withhold information. Kenworthy et al (2002) say that these requests are made out of compassion and love. However, Rumbold (2002) disagrees and suggests it is often the relatives who are unable to cope and have difficulty in coming to terms with the impending prognosis. Dimond (2005) agrees and adds that withholding the truth can be harmful or lead to a conspiracy of silence but may be justifiable if it is in the patients best interest not to know. Buckman (1988) also appears to agree pointing out receiving bad news can have a negative and drastic effect on a patients view of their future. The mentor acted in the correct manner speaking to Bobs consultant and agreeing with him to withhold the diagnosis from the patient. Dimond (2005) states that Nurses have a duty to adhere to the Consultants decision even when they are in disagreement. The Consultant made a professional decision to discuss the diagnosis and prognosis with Bobs partner. Rumbold (2002) identifies it is the correct decision to give information to family members when it is deemed that it is not medically advisable to inform the patient. Although patients may insist on being told of their diagnosis Consultants have the power to withhold information, there is no clear right in law even if the patient is exercising their right under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Dimond 2005). However, Harris (1994) argues that for Consultants to act in such a way is paternalistic. Paternalism is when others believe they are acting in the individuals own best interests, whilst not affording them individual control over their own life, although concern for the individuals welfare is paramount, it omits respect for the individuals autonomy (Harris, 1994). However, Tingle and Cribb (2005), argue that there are two types of paternalism. Hard paternalism is acting on an individuals behalf because they feel qualified to do so, whereas soft paternalism is about making decisions on behalf of the individual whilst they are unable to exercise their own autonomy and feel they are doing so in the best interests of the patient. My feelings were that Robert had a right to know the truth about his diagnosis, this is identified by Tingle and Cribb (2005) as a deontological position, whereby obligations and duties to tell the truth overrides the justification of behavior, even when that action can be justified to be in the best interests of the patients. The principles of beneficence (promote goodness) and non-malifience (cause no harm) are fundamental ethical principles surrounding the decision to tell or not to tell a patient the truth regarding their diagnosis (Alexander, Fawcett, Runciman, 2001). Rumbold (2002) identifies that health professionals should act according to the principles of beneficence and non-malifience, and states that withholding information or telling a lie is unethical and denies the individual autonomy. Rumbold (2002) argues that autonomy enables the individual to think, decide, and make decisions freely and independently based on information given. Nevertheless I felt that Bob could not be autonomous when he did not know the truth regarding his diagnosis and thus denying him the right to make informed decisions surrounding his death. Although my values and beliefs differed from the Consultants, I was aware that I had to uphold his decision. Essentially, the consultant has clinical responsibility for patients Rumbold (2002). However, Kenworthy, Snowley and Gilling (2002) state that professionals who override an individuals autonomy for doing good a dilemma exists. A dilemma can be described as a variance between personal beliefs, feelings and principles where different answers to a situation exists, although several courses of action may be taken each can be morally justified (Royal College of Nursing, 2000). Essentially the courses of action that could have been taken for Bob were to tell the truth or not, both positions could be morally justified, to tell the truth would enable Robert to be autonomous, however withholding the truth prevents Robert losing hope. Saunders (1991) however argues that healthcare professionals need to question whose needs they are seeking to meet. This is supported by McCarthy (1996) who states that healthcare professionals have a tendency to assume they know what there patients needs are. This made me feel that the Consultant and my mentor were colluding with Roberts wife and subsequently they were meeting her needs by withholding information thus ignoring Robertss right to be autonomous. I therefore found that I was involved in a personal ethical dilemma related to veracity (truth telling) honesty and withholding information (Begley and Blackwood, 2000). Fry and Johnstone (2002) believe the principle of veracity lies with the individual not to deceive or tell a lie therefore tell the truth to others. Research in to truth telling and patient diagnosis carried out by Sullivan (2001) suggests that ninety-nine per cent of patients want to be informed of their diagnosis and felt that Doctors had an obligation to tell them the truth. However, ten Have and Clark (2002) argue that when diagnosis is imparted abruptly it can provoke denial, impair adaptation and psychologically harm the patient. McGuigan (1999) states that it is difficult to predict how patients will react to bad news, she suggests that the procedure for news should be slow, this then enables the patient time to absorb information given. I believed that Robert had a right to know and felt that we would not be unduly harming him by informing him of his diagnosis. Anxiety, fear of death are all obvious signs when patients face life threatening illness Mason (2002). This is supported by Golds (2004) research who identifies that patients rarely suffer greater anxiety, depression, sadness, or despair on being informed of their diagnosis. Open honesty is encouraged by McGuigan (1999) who believes that as a result of being informed patients have a greater trust in the healthcare professionals treating them and are able to communicate more effectively with relatives and healthcare professionals as a result. This is agreed by Seale (1997) who advocates that an open awareness of diagnosis affords the individual to have control over circumstances surrounding their death. I had been reflecting over the situation and realised it was too complex for me to handle therefore I sought guidance from my mentor. Although she would normally take a deontological position, she informed me that she was taking a utilitarian position in this case therefore acting within the principle of beneficience (do good) and acting in the best interests of Robert. Tingle and Cribb (2005) state that individuals who act on the principle of utilitarianism are acting in a way which yields the greatest happiness to all parties concerned regardless of the motives for taking these actions. My mentor and I also reflected on the conversation she had with Roberts wife prior to his test results. It was felt that Robert was currently in denial and telling him of his diagnosis could potentially harm him, he may lose all hope therefore she was adhering to the principle of non-malificence (prevent harm). Research carried out by Kubler-Ross (1969) (although an old reference it is still used today in Kenworthy, Snowley, Gilling, 2002), identified denial as being the first stage of adjustment to the prospect of death by patients, she believes that individuals deny the reality of the situation and are unable to face up to the prospect of death. She also argues that it is the retreat in to denial that isolates the individual and as a consequence, communication is compromised between patients and healthcare professionals. Kubler-Rosss research has been endorsed by Buckman (1988) research however he suggests that patients go through reactions as opposed to stages. Nonetheless, Evans and Walsh (2002) identify that it is often the healthcare professionals feelings of helplessness with the situation that leads them to believe that patients who hope for a cure are in denial of their disease. Nevertheless, Kenworthy, Snowley, Gilling (2002) argue that it would be unethical and damaging to forc e a patient in to facing the truth about their diagnosis. I therefore realised that it would be unethical and be detrimental to force Robert to face the truth about his diagnosis, if we took away his hope of a cure we would only leave him with fear. Mason (2002) believes that in terminal illness hope and fear are synonymous to each other if hope is taken away patients are only left with fear. She also states that a patients hope is fundamental and something to be protected. This is supported by Buckley and Herth (2004) who identify that hope of a cure in terminal illness is immeasurable. In addition, Mason (2002) argues that hope is an individuals right and even in the final stages of death patients hold on to hope. Conclusion Reflecting back we had not actually lied to Robert as I had once presumed, although he was aware that further tests had been carried out he had never enquired about the results. I believe that if I were ever faced with this type of situation again I would be more conscious of my patient feelings, listening and hearing what they are saying, thereby my approach would be more holistic rather than clinical. By analysing my decisions I realise that I was blinkered and had stuck rigidly to the NMC (2004), not fully appreciating that the NMC (2004) has policies and parameters for which a registered nurse can work within, which enables a nurse to be proactive and use their professional judgement (Seedhouse, 1998). Next time I would not be judgemental but look at the surrounding issues related to decision making. I had condemned the Consultant and my mentor for their decision and believed they were acting paternalistic, however I realise their decisions were based on their knowledge of Robert in addition to their experience and expertise. Benner (1984) suggests that an expert has the expertise and principles from which to make informed decisions based on their experience, training and practice which enables the expert to be holistic in their approach to patient care of which the novice has yet to gain and develop. Reflecting over my decisions and feelings made me realise that I was a complete novice. This is supported by Benner (1984) (in Baillie 2001), who states that novices have no basis from which to apply their principles it is only in a clinical setting that experience can be gained, however novice can also be applied to nurses working in unfamiliar surroundings. I now believe that I was guilty of paternalism believing my own beliefs and values were right. I had assumed that Robert needed to know of his diagnosis if he was to be autonomous. To conclude I now realise that in terminal illness it can be question of when to inform the patient of bad news. I believe that Robert was clearly not ready to accept the truth at that time therefore withholding information had been the right decision. Arguably Robert was autonomous, it was his decision to hope for a cure therefore it would have been unethical and morally wrong to take that away. However, the circumstances surrounding this decision could only be applied to Roberts situation. I believe that as a Nurse I will be involved in ethical dilemmas again however I feel that now I my decisions will be based on each unique patient recognising their own individual needs and wants. By using the Gibbs (1988) reflective framework cycle it has enabled me to analyse, question, move forward, learn and make sense of my actions. I am now aware that reflection is a continual learning process in nursing. Rather than condemn myself where I think I have failed I have been able to turn it in to a positive learning experience and apply this newly gained knowledge in to my future practices Action Plan

Essay On Corporate Social Responsibility Accounting Essay

Essay On Corporate Social Responsibility Accounting Essay The term stakeholders means a party that can effect or be effected by the actions of the business as a whole and they are the group of members without whose support the organisation cannot exist or they are the interested parties who is keen to know what the business is doing. In this situation the stakeholder is Steve Morgan who is the controller of the Newton Industries and is interested in production cost reports. What are the ethical issues involved in this situation? Steve Morgan is involved in the ethical issue as he did not inform the management that the advertising cost is expensed in the current period the net income wouldnt be overstated and this would help the financial managers to make decisions and maintain effective control over resources. What would you do if you were Steve Morgan ? Managerial Accounting or management accounting is a set of practices and techniques aimed at the providing managers with financial information to help them make decisions and maintain effective control over corporate resources. So, if I was in Steve Morgans position I would had recorded the advertising cost as expense in the current period , so as to not to overstate net income. BYP 3-6 Who are the potential stakeholders involved in this situation? The term stakeholders means a party that can effect or be effected by the actions of the business as a whole and they are the group of members without whose support the organisation cannot exist or they are the interested parties who is keen to know what the business is doing. In this case the potential stakeholders are Jan Wooten who is department head in the Moulding Dept. And Tony Ferneti who is quality control inspector of moulding department and are interested in saving the companys money. What alternatives does Tony have in this situation? What might the company do to prevent this situation from occurring? Tony has two alternatives in this situation, first alternative is that pass through the inspection and on to the Assembly Department all the units that had defects non-detectable to the human eye. The second alternative is that Tony can reject all the units that had defects. The company can lower the wages of the employees so that the employees will be extra vigilant and will be careful. Also the company could use the extra money after lowering the wages in providing the employees a better training and could avoid such situation in the future. Part B: Essay on corporate social responsibility CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business is related to the obligation of companies and other business organizations to increase their positive influence and reduce their negative activity toward society. In that sense, while ethics is a matter for each individual in the business field, social responsibility is related to the influence of an organizations business decisions on society. One of the most significant principles on which modern business is based is that of an organization based on responsibility. Organizations must take responsibility for their role in society. Corporate Social Responsibility is becoming an increasingly important activity to businesses nationally and internationally. As globalization accelerates and large corporations serve as global providers, these corporations have progressively recognised the benefits of providing CSR programs in their various locations. CSR activities are now being undertaken throughout the globe. The rationale for CSR has been articulated in a number of ways. In essence it is about building sustainable businesses, which need healthy economies, markets and communities.(megatrend) The key drivers for CSR are: Enlightened self-interest creating a synergy of ethics, a cohesive society and a Sustainable global economy where markets, labour and communities are able function well together. Social investment contributing to physical infrastructure and social capital is increasingly seen as a necessary part of doing business. Transparency and trust business has low ratings of trust in public perception. There is increasing expectation that companies will be more open, more accountable and be prepared to report publicly on their performance in social and environmental. Increased public expectations of business globally companies are expected to-do more than merely provide jobs and contribute to the economy through taxes and employment. The concept of corporate social responsibility has been standardized and today represents an integral part of integrated management systems. The principles connected with existing definitions of corporate social responsibility consist of the following: taking part in community life, accountability, sustainability, transparency, ethical behaviour (without corruption), honesty and inclusion. Socially responsible companies adhere to the triple result approach, keeping in mind the social, economic and environmental influence of their business operations. (Weygand, kimmel kieso. 6th Ed, p 21) Framework of CSR CSR is important, as its a starting point towards building CSR into management control systems. The different phases are also named steps. This is done because the framework works as a continuum where different steps follow one another and a step cannot be skipped when heading to a system working in day-to-day work and helping to reach set goals. In step three the management control system is shaped and it represent the processes, systems and tools by which the management guides the organizations and its employees behaviour to fulfil the set strategy and targets. To facilitate management actions management should get proper reporting of the step three. After attaining CSR outcomes these outcomes can be reported to the stakeholders via CSR reporting. The steps will be used to analyze the empirical results of the study. The stage of alignment of CSR into management control systems in the case companies will be analyzed according to this framework. In this internal control the role of a ccounting plays a very important concept. Corporate social responsibility and important of accounting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ CSR is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ CSR is the process by which managers within an organization think about and discuss relationships with stakeholders as well as their roles in relation to the common good, along with their behavioural disposition with respect to the fulfilment and achievement of these roles and relationships Several concepts related to CSR, which apply to the accounting areas: Environmental Management Accounting, Social Environmental Accounting and Environmental Reporting or Social Responsibility Accounting. These concepts link CSR to the accounting system, arguing for the importance of such aspects in the work of accountants. Very well informed businesses and non-profit organizations environment seems aware of the importance of good CSR practices. CSR developed a portal presenting and advertising very well the experience of CSR and international organizations in this area. Such companies in our country have initiated several projects and initiatives. CSR-related concepts influence significantly the accountancy profession for example, Environmental Management Accounting is the management of environmental and economic performance via management accounting systems and practices that focus on both physical information on the flow of energy, water, materials, and wastes, as well as monetary information on related costs, earnings and savings. (tkf.org.in) Managerial accounting is reflected by both physical information on the use, flows and destinies of energy, water and materials, and monetary information on environment-related costs, earnings and savings sides. It has such application fields as: assessment of annual environmental costs/expenditure, product pricing, budgeting, investment appraisal, calculating costs, savings and benefits of environmental systems, environmental performance evaluation, indicators and benchmarking, external disclosure on environmental expenditures, investments and liabilities. As this shows, and we will further develop, it is then imperative that all parties involved in the accounting domain consider fostering such competencies in accountants, for the overall good of the society. Managerial Accountability is an international standard for social responsibility, created by Council on Economic Priority Accreditation Agency with the goal of securing an ethical source of products and services. This standard is of a voluntary character and can be applied to any company, regardless of size and branch of operations. Also, the standard can either replace or be a supplement to companies or industries with a specific code of social responsibility.(amfiteatur.economic) Part C: Essay on budgeting Budget: Is a formal written statement of managements plan for a specified future time period, expressed in financial terms. It represents the primary method of communicating agreed-upon objectives throughout the organization. Once adopted, a budget becomes an important basis for evaluating performance. It promotes efficiency and serves as a deterrent to waste and inefficiency. (Weygandt, Kimmel Kieso, 6th Ed, p 384) Some employees will question the need for a budget. The procedure of budget preparation is at times seen as difficult, and it is not constantly clear how the attempt that is required leads to any fruitful production. Furthermore, budgets can be seen as imposing constraint that is hard to live with and establish goals that are difficult to meet. Despite these dismal remarks, it is very important that organizations carefully plan their financial affairs to attain financial achievement. These plans are normally expressed as budgets. A budget is detailed financial plans that quantify future expectations and actions relative to acquiring and using resources. (Principles of Accounting) In small organization, formal budgets are an unusual object. The individual management/owners likely manage only by reference to a common mental budget. The person has a good sense of estimated sales, costs, financing, and asset needs. Each operation is under direct oversight of this person and confidently she or he has the capacity to keep things on a logical course. When things dont go well, the management/owners can normally take up the slack by not taking a pay check or engage in some other form of financial requirement. Of course, much small business eventually is unsuccessful anyway. Explanation for unsuccessful are several and varied, but are often pinned on undercapitalization or insufficient resources to sustain operations. Many of these post-mortem assessments reflect a failure to adequately plan! Even in a small company, a reliable business budget/plan can often result in anticipate and avoiding terrible outcomes. Medium and big organization consistently relies on budgets. This is likewise true in business, government, and non-profit organization. The budget provides a formal quantitative phrase of opportunity. It is an essential aspect of the planning and control process. Without a budget, an business will be highly unproductive and ineffective. (Principles of Accounting) Advantages of Detailed Budgeting: There are several advantages of detailed budgeting for business which are. First of all creating a budget is a long term perspective so it enables to think in a long term and moves away from making short term goals. It also allows thinking long term financial position and profitability of a business no matter if the planned budget doesnt successes. (Accounting Tools) Making a detailed business budget allows to pin point where the company generates it most of the revenue as in many cases it is easy that the management looses the most profitable aspect. It forces management to consider to whether it should let go non productive part of business and which new one to invest in. (Accounting Tools) Budgeting allows business to think what the key purpose of the business is and to forecast environmental factors that may affect the performance of the business. This forecasting enables to develop strategy to overcome different environmental pressure. (Accounting Tools) A detailed budgeting allows business to look forward what future cash flows will be required for the expansion of the business and from where to generate funds in order to meet the future growth needs. (Beyond) Formulating a budget also allows you to evaluate the performance of the business. Where the business is now and where to be and how to get there. It provides step by step information which is helpful in reaching where the business wants to be. Without budget it is very difficult to evaluate the current performance of business. It measures the planned performance with actual which gives a complete and true picture of the business. (Weygandt, Kimmel Kieso, 6th Ed, p 385) Budgeting enables managers to decide where to allocate funds as cash are always limited. Whether to invest in fixed assets to increase production for matching future demands or to invest in working capital. It also enables business to decide which asset is worth investing. (Beyond) A realistic established budget enhances the probability that the business will successes because it contains all the essentials and targets that have to be accomplished and also enables the business owner to according to the planned activities. (Accounting Tools) In addition detailed budgeting also helps to formulate different department goals and different functional goals. The functionality of all the departments are necessary to run the business mechanism. Basically budget creates a harmony among the entire department prevailing in a particular business. (Principles of Accounting) A budget is not only useful for owner or managers of business but it is also useful for the investors. Budgets helps investors to check if the business have enough potential and if the business if worth investing. Investors see the budget to find out what are the goals of business and investing in that particular business will maximize the probability of better return in terms of interest. (Accounting Tools) Budgets are not just useful in comparing your own performance with the planned one but it is also useful in comparing the performance of your business with the overall industry, like what are the labor rate prevailing in the market, what price to charge from customer, what volume to sell in order to get maximum revenue. (Accounting Tools) Conclusion: A strong budgeting system serves as an effective planning and control tool that allows a business to plan its short term and long term strategy towards achievement of its short term and long term goals, by: Setting up targets for individual departments of the Company, Checking and ensuring the availability of necessary resources for the achievement of the said targets, Streamlining the goals of different departments with that of the organization, Monitoring the actual performance against the budget, Adjusting the performance deficiencies by referring back to the budget Adjusting the budget where required by incorporating the changes in the working environment, and Continuously planning for effective and better performance. All in all a budget is a system of governance that enables the management to build up the business by adequately planning its each move in the market and maintain a pro-active approach in its business that serves as a plus point in a competitive business environment if managed effectively and intelligently. (Weygandt, Kimmel Kieso, 6th Ed, p 385 386)

Free Glass Menagerie Essays: The Characters’ Weaknesses and Strengths :: Glass Menagerie essays

The Characters' Weaknesses and Strengths in The Glass Menagerie In an interview, Tennessee Williams once said, "I have always been more interested in creating a character that contains something crippled... They have a certain appearance of fragility, these neurotic people I write about, but they are really strong." In Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, the strengths and weaknesses of the characters is the focus of the play. There have been several critics who have raised interesting points concerning this subject. Critic Judith J. Thompson takes the stance that Amanda's "embodiment of 'The Great Mother'" is blinded by her weakness of an unrealistic world (p. 17). She states that Amanda's character is made up of "the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, the seductive young witch, and the innocent virgin" (Thompson 17). She supports her theory with the incident in which Amanda says that she had seventeen gentlemen callers in one day. Thompson goes on to say that the "exaggeration of the number of Amanda's beaux recalls fairy tale and legends of romance in which the princess is beleaguered by suitors until the ideal knight or prince returns" (17). Here, Thompson shows that Amanda's weakness is living in a sort of dream world which overwhelms her intentions of being a "Great Mother" (Thompson 17). A second critic, Joseph K. Davis, takes the stance that Laura's weakness overpowers her ability to be sensitive. Davis divides the dramatic pattern of The Glass Menagerie into two parts. Part of the pattern is "the dramatization of men and women by a display of their fragmented, tortured psychologies" (Davis 192). He states in his analysis of The Glass Menagerie: "His [Tom's] sister Laura tries to live in the present, but her crippled body and grim prospects in the secretarial school overcame her fragile sensibilities" (194). Davis implies that, like Amanda, Laura's weakness consumes her ability to live in reality and her sensibility, her one strength. A third critic, Tom Scanlan takes the stance that Tom's weakness is overcome by his strength. Tom is easily entrapped and persuaded into situations that he may or may not want to be which weakens his character but his strength is greater than this weakness. The critic states that "the reappearance of Tom as narrator force the reader back to the present" (Scanlan 99). He shows the reader that Tom's strength is the ability to keep in touch with reality. Free Glass Menagerie Essays: The Characters’ Weaknesses and Strengths :: Glass Menagerie essays The Characters' Weaknesses and Strengths in The Glass Menagerie In an interview, Tennessee Williams once said, "I have always been more interested in creating a character that contains something crippled... They have a certain appearance of fragility, these neurotic people I write about, but they are really strong." In Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, the strengths and weaknesses of the characters is the focus of the play. There have been several critics who have raised interesting points concerning this subject. Critic Judith J. Thompson takes the stance that Amanda's "embodiment of 'The Great Mother'" is blinded by her weakness of an unrealistic world (p. 17). She states that Amanda's character is made up of "the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, the seductive young witch, and the innocent virgin" (Thompson 17). She supports her theory with the incident in which Amanda says that she had seventeen gentlemen callers in one day. Thompson goes on to say that the "exaggeration of the number of Amanda's beaux recalls fairy tale and legends of romance in which the princess is beleaguered by suitors until the ideal knight or prince returns" (17). Here, Thompson shows that Amanda's weakness is living in a sort of dream world which overwhelms her intentions of being a "Great Mother" (Thompson 17). A second critic, Joseph K. Davis, takes the stance that Laura's weakness overpowers her ability to be sensitive. Davis divides the dramatic pattern of The Glass Menagerie into two parts. Part of the pattern is "the dramatization of men and women by a display of their fragmented, tortured psychologies" (Davis 192). He states in his analysis of The Glass Menagerie: "His [Tom's] sister Laura tries to live in the present, but her crippled body and grim prospects in the secretarial school overcame her fragile sensibilities" (194). Davis implies that, like Amanda, Laura's weakness consumes her ability to live in reality and her sensibility, her one strength. A third critic, Tom Scanlan takes the stance that Tom's weakness is overcome by his strength. Tom is easily entrapped and persuaded into situations that he may or may not want to be which weakens his character but his strength is greater than this weakness. The critic states that "the reappearance of Tom as narrator force the reader back to the present" (Scanlan 99). He shows the reader that Tom's strength is the ability to keep in touch with reality.