Monday, September 30, 2019

Case Study †Profitel Inc Essay

Decision maker: Lars Peeters, along with his team of executives Question 1: Which perspective of leadership best explains the problems experienced in this case? Analyze the case using concepts discussed in that leadership perspective. Leadership is defined as the collective effectiveness and successes of organizations members by influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute. In this case Lars Peeters, newly appointed CEO of Profitel, fails to maintain his role by lacking key ingredients central for effective leadership. Together with his executive team he hired from his previous employment, weaken Profitel’s image and success with customers, government leaders and even employees. Listed below are perspectives of leadership I have identified in this case that best explain the problems at hand: Contingency Perspective– Lars had not diagnosed Profitels’s situation thoroughly and adapted their style and objectives to fit that situation. Instead of using the employee’s thoughts and insights as a powerful recourses, Lars went ahead with his team of executives and implemented his strategies disregarding any feedback. Behavioral Perspective– Although Lars displays task-oriented behavior by pushing company to reach a certain goal, he lacks in people-oriented behavioral skills. This could explain for his disregard to his subordinates trust and lack of employee morale. Transformational Perspective– Lars failed to create a strategic vision for Profitel. By using one he could have build employee morale by increasing commitment and rewarding based on performances. Questions 2: What can organizations do to minimize the leadership problems discussed above? In this case Profitel’s broad based there to hire Lars as CEO based on reputation rather than focusing on how his expertise could benefit their company. Lars took incentive in implementing all major decisions without others input or involvement. The board of directors seemed to have minimal role in the company’s development and should have taken more precautions like overseeing major decisions. Also they should have evaluated his internal performance through feedback from employees and external performance through customers.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Comparison of Conrad’s and Achebe’s Presentation of Africans

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, both take place in the heart of Africa and center around the idea of colonialism held by the European powers in 19th century. The differences between the two novels are ironically as apparent as â€Å"black† and â€Å"white†. As we begin to think about why Conrad and Achebe have used so different tones on such a similar subject, we feel like we are solving a mystery plot. While reading Heart of Darkness we feel as if we are led through a never ending, dark, damp, gloomy and stinky corridor and the novel ends in an atmosphere which is darker, gloomier and filled with hostile people or maybe creatures. After reading Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, immediately our minds revert to a nearby region in Africa, to Umuofia, and we begin to think whether Nigeria is on the same continent as Congo, and if these dark creatures staring at the boat from the riverbank, are really related to Obierika, or even to the never smiling Okonkwo, who are in our minds sharing palm-wine and breaking kola seeds. Conrad’s and Achebe’s different approach to the themes of â€Å"voice of Africans†, â€Å"presentation of colonizers† and the â€Å"effects of colonialism† distinguish the two works from each other. The voice and presence of Africans differ clearly in two works because Conrad is looking through the perspective of the colonizer and Achebe, from that of the colonized. As stated in the introduction, Conrad has been dreaming of seeing the â€Å"dark continent† since childhood and has managed to go to Congo with the ambition to explore it. Marlow, just like Conrad, has always had the interest in maps and he decides to go to this journey after seeing Congo’s map on a shop window. As Marlow says when he is telling his story, â€Å"It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery- a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness,† (p 22) we can realize that the mysterious land he was expecting to see didn’t end up being enjoyable and frightened him. We know that when Conrad first travelled to Congo, he was actually shocked with what he saw; but although he was surprised and horrified, he thought all the savage acts of white men as a part of reality and a necessity to keep this colony functioning. The way he refers to natives as â€Å"black things†, â€Å"criminals† or â€Å"unhappy savages† with no indication of pain in his feelings shows that, as a â€Å"civilized† European who is a stranger to this new land, he convinces himself very easily to the idea that the Africans should be treated as â€Å"savages†. When he sees a young African reclining against a tree with sunken eyes, waiting for his death, it is not his condition that strikes him the most but he is more interested in where he might have found the white thread tied around his neck. Also when he admits to himself that the accountant had â€Å"verily accomplished something difficult† (p 37) by teaching a native woman to do the station tasks, we once again understand that he doesn’t see them as of his equal and in some sense regard them as primitive beings with no intellect. Even if Conrad, as a writer who has become a citizen of Great Britain, one of the leader countries of colonialism, regards all the atrocities in Congo as dark memories, he does not help the African voice to be heard and does not provide any chance for an African to express himself properly, except a native’s words, â€Å"Mistah Kurtz, he dead! † (p 112) On the other hand, Achebe is no stranger to this land. He is in fact one of the dark mysterious figures, watching Marlow's boat, sailing up the river. Naturally he has a very different story to tell. In Heart of Darkness, we are given a surreal view about the Africans. On the contrary, Achebe's success, is presenting them as human beings, with names, no different in characters and in feelings than other people living in any part of the world. Although their customs might sometimes seem inexplicable to us, such as the oracle ordering Ikemefuna to be killed for no reason and villagers following his order, they still carry the same feelings any person would. After Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo who has loved him like his own child, cannot taste anything for two days because of his sorrow. Similarly, after Okonkwo is exiled from the clan, Okonkwo’s friends destroy Okonkwo’s barn and hut as part of a tradition with no hatred in their hearts. But later on Obierika, Okonkwo’s best friend who was among those people, questions his friend’s punishment. Even though the Africans presented in Things Fall Apart identify themselves with their culture and have to follow the rules set by their ancestors, they always show the reactions expected from any person. These people share the same concerns, affections and flaws as every â€Å"human being† whereas Conrad, chooses to present them as primitive creatures or rather dark threats. As the boat sails on the river in Heart of Darkness, we are reminded of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth where in similar dark surroundings, the scientists encounter extinct creatures whereas in Things Fall Apart, we get a chance to observe the richness of the Ibo culture and look at Africans from an objective point of view. The comparison of how the colonizers are presented in two novels portrays clearly the recurring opposition between â€Å"civilization and wilderness†. This time, Conrad, openly displays the sinister intentions of the colonizers, their greed more openly than Achebe. When the reader is told about how experienced agent Kurtz is in collecting ivory, how cruelly the Africans are used as labor force and are forced to work until they become exhausted, wear out and starve to death, it is seen that the so-called â€Å"civilizing† mission of the colonizers is actually destroying the Africans. We understand clearly that the colonizers are after wealth, which in fact does not belong to them. Moreover, in both works, there is the irony about the colonizers, who are supposed to be representing â€Å"civilization† but instead acting way more primitively than the colonized Africans who are considered as â€Å"savages†. In Heart of Darkness, Mr. Kurtz who is admired and even worshipped by the Europeans, is collecting the heads of the natives and performing very brutal actions to acquire his ivory. Company Doctor’s comment stating that any change the men undergo in Congo is internal (p 27), is a foreshadowing to the transition Kurtz goes through in the jungle. â€Å"Wilderness† has changed him; he is no longer a member of a civilized society having lived together with the natives in wilderness. Also, when the Manager claims that Kurtz’s â€Å"methods are unsound† (p 101), we start questioning the accuracy of the Manager’s own methods. The company responsible for extracting ivory is operating under a hierarchy, with many business principles so since Kurtz is a part of this chain, it can be argued that the methods of the colonizers are also as â€Å"unsound† as Kurtz’s. When Marlow agrees with the Manager and says that he sees no method at all in Kurtz’s actions, we can understand how Kurtz, as a colonizer has separated himself from civilized methods. Therefore, there is the contrast in between his reputation as a remarkable agent among colonizers, and his denial to play the game by the rules of a civilized society. On the other hand, the colonizers in Achebe's Things Fall Apart, are given a more humane approach. They, like the natives are described as ordinary people whom you can meet on the street, in your everyday life. Their most apparent feature are their arrogance and in fact their lack of knowledge and understanding. Achebe also emphasizes the irony about Africans turning out to be more civilized than the colonizers in many ways. When there is a confrontation between missionaries and Africans caused by Mr.  Smith, the new intolerant leader of the church, Ajofia’s words, â€Å"We cannot leave the matter in his hands because he does not understand our customs, just as we do not understand his. We say he is foolish because he does not know our ways, and perhaps he says we are foolish because we do not know his,† (p191) show that in fact the villagers are wiser, more mature and more â€Å"civilized† in way of thinking than the colonizers. Africans can accept to be wrong in certain points, whereas the colonizers disregard anything outside their own agenda. Even if Heart of Darkness gives us a better opinion about the cruel and uncivilized characters of the colonizers, Achebe also portrays the destruction of African villages so dramatically that in general, we can say that both works demonstrate the corrupted souls of the colonizers effectively. The destructive effects of colonialism are presented both by Achebe and Conrad, but Conrad does not bring up the criticism of colonizing a country, whereas Achebe underlines its tragic results clearly. At the time Heart of Darkness was published, there were many people in the world who thought that there was nothing wrong with colonialism and in fact it was the right move to take for a powerful country. It was believed by many that the natives were nothing but savages. Therefore, what Conrad says about colonialism, is well ahead of his time, but still the argument of whether he had to go along with the idea of seeing natives as â€Å"dark savages† , is of course questionable. From the beginning of the novel, Conrad shows the suffering caused by colonization through Marlow’s observations. We see natives each having an iron collar on their neck, all connected together by chains, empty paths that were used to belong to villages in which the population had cleared out. All these unpleasant images show the devastating results of colonialism but since Marlow, who experiences these brutalities with his own eyes, does not reach to the conclusion that all these are a result of human greed, it is not possible to say that Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a direct critique of colonialism. However Achebe, having lived in a colonized country, knows what it feels like to have lived under the command of others. He intentionally emphasizes the presence of a government, besides the church and shows that the white man, does not only want to convert the natives to Christianity or take away their ivory and gold but also wants to rule them. Achebe does not hesitate to show how Okonkwo’s own people, although they might not be from his own clan, have joined the colonizers and are serving them as their messengers. When the messengers tell the villagers that they should pay a fine of two hundred and fifty cowries to release the several arrested men from the clan including Okonkwo, they plan to keep the fifty cowries for themselves and give the rest to the district commissioner who had initially decided on the fine as two hundred cowries. As it is seen, colonialism has not only caused the suffering of many Africans but also it created such a corruption that the people of the same land ended up betraying and fighting against each other. Even if both writers have based their story on the terrible outcomes of colonization, Achebe, as a representative of the African voice emphasizes the moral tragedy that leads to the formation of a chain of never-ending treasons between Africans. Colonization may work for the benefits of the colonizers, but for those who are being colonized, it gives only suffering, death, loss of identities, in short destruction and humiliation. The general attitude displayed by the colonizers, in justifying their actions, is their claims of bringing civilization to savages, faith and order to cannibals, technology or health care to the poor or ignorant. The fact that Heart of Darkness, begins on the river Thames, right in the heart of London, the river described as calm and beautiful, and moves into Congo river, its waters rough, full of dangers, dark, threatening, offering nothing but unexpected and unknown menaces, shows us the exact mentality of the colonizers, as they view Europe and Africa. It is a clear account of how they believe that, their civilization is superior, giving them the right to expand their interests to wherever they see fit. A boat trip on the Congo River, according to them, is a measuring device which will reveal how primitive the Africans are. The further you travel, the degree of primitivism rises. Just as Thames River is the antithesis of Congo River or Africa, with Conrad, Achebe's characters show that the Africans are not subhuman or part of a different species, but are members of the human race with their flaws and virtues. Achebe's last words in Things Fall Apart are â€Å"The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger†, the name of the commissioner’s book, is the very cliche colonial powers live by. It is in fact the most tragic ending to these sad stories of shattered lives, erased cultures and a whole continent torn apart, by colonialism.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Organizational Behavior (OB) Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Behavior (OB) - Thesis Proposal Example Top executives take the decision to carry on, discover the desirable preferred behaviors, generate the plan, and offer the capital for the change program. Middle management mostly makes â€Å"actionable top management’s plan† (Robbins & Judge, 2010, p. 89) and then executes the plan. Directors go along the plan’s lead as well as assist the workers in their efforts to perform in the needed way. Workers perform the preferred behaviors that expectantly bring about enhanced efficiency as well as competence and offer the response regarding how the plan has to be adapted to develop the organization’s capability to act in the innovative manner. These days, managers must recognize as well as apply the understanding of behavioral psychology in addition to the examples from intellect to deal with organizational behavior change productively. In the earlier period, efforts on behavior change that has concentrated on the structural phases of organizations have scientifically failed because they have ignored the reality that modification does not take place without individuals altering their view, attitude, and behavior. It has been well known in psychosomatic research that a stressful psychological condition starts when individuals find that their values are contradictory with their acts - something known as cognitive conflict. The implication for this discovery for organizations is that if employees have faith in its general use and it is in accordance with their personal life goals, they will be likely to modify the behavior. Employees must as well appreciate the function of their actions in the â€Å"unfolding drama of the company’s fortunes and believe that it is worthwhile for them to play a part† (Duncan & Covey, 2012, p. 122). It is not sufficient to inform human resources that they will have to do things in a different manner. Anybody leading a key change plan should take the time to â€Å"think through its story† (Duncan & Covey, 2012, p. 123) - factors that

Friday, September 27, 2019

Events management. Belgiums creative products in London Essay

Events management. Belgiums creative products in London - Essay Example Concept of the Event The concept of the event involves the process of promoting Belgium’s creative products in London. The ten disciplines ascribed to creative arts such as visual arts, cinema, gastronomy, dance, design music, publishing, architecture, fashion, and digital arts will be promoted in London through a combination of different activities. First, international artists from Belgium will be selected to perform in the main event in London. The artists will be selected because of their interests in exploring the international market through Belgium’s creative art. Second, mini events will be held in different parts of the city to inform the population regarding the Belgian creative arts industry. Moreover, the events will encompass a display of visual arts, gastronomy, dance styles, and different tenets of the of Belgian fashion industry. Thirdly, exhibitions of the creative art products from Belgium will take place in some major hotels in London to enable the audience to appreciate the country’s creative products (designboom architecture & design magazine, 2015). Finally, the organisers will organise a trip for various individuals to Belgium. The participants of the trip will include individuals who display in-depth knowledge of Belgium’s creative products (Rafanelli, 2015). The artist who will be selling their products at the venue will retain 80% of the earnings while the event organisers will keep the 20 %.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Financial Trends Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Trends Paper - Essay Example Also if we were to analyze the debt/equity ratios the decreasing leverage of the company has correspondingly increased not only its profitability but also increasing return on assets and increase in the net profit margin (money central, ten year summary). The article I am summarizing was published in Economist "The ones that get away: Accounts are increasingly more art than science". The author introduces the argument that although net profits of Amazon, online retailer, had fallen substantially while that of Sprint, telecom, had increased significantly share prices rose for both companies (Economist, 00130613). Author quotes Enron and WorldCom and stresses that people have become shy of profitability figures as these figures tend to be "malleable" (Economist, 00130613). There is a further argument that these errors start to creep in because companies are increasingly making use of estimates in their financial statements. The accrual method of accounting where expenses and revenues are entered into accounts when "incurred" (Economist, 00130613) have made the issue difficult and to compound it fair value accounting practices have introduced their own difficulties.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Discounted cash flow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discounted cash flow - Essay Example One of the valuation tools that analysts use to determine the stock valuation is discounted cash flow. They try to determine current value estimating future cash flows. Cash Flow is taken into account while making all estimations. Cash Flow (Free) gives far clear picture about the company for it takes into account the change in working capital as well as all investments made during the period. It can be expressed as under. Cash Flow = Net Profit+ Depreciation/Amortization-Expenditures-changes in working cap. Analysts take into account cash flows because it is difficult to manipulate while earnings can be manipulated and adjusted. (Free Cash†¦) When estimated cash flows are discounted to the present value as per the cost of capital for the number of years of operation, it gives a clear picture for the benefits accrued from the investments made in the company. Mathematically, it can be expressed as Present Value = CF1/(1+K)+ CF2 / (1+K)2 +CF3/ (1+K)3 +.......[TCF / (K  - R)] / ( 1+K)n-1 CFi = Cash flow in the year 1, 2, 3†¦ K = discount rate TCF = Cash flow in the terminal year R= growth rate assumption beyond terminal year n = the number of years including the terminal year In short, above model gives the present value of the company based on the cash flow estimates of the future. DCF analysis implies that the company is worth all the cash that can be made available to the investors in the future. Future cash flows are discounted to the present value so that comparison becomes possible on investments made and benefits accrued. All future benefits of the investments made accrue at different time intervals, for example, at the end of year 1, 2, 3, and so on. Methodology and formula is same for all the analysts yet end results will differ for the following reasons. 1. The Discount Rate taken into calculation will be different for different analyst. The discount rate is usually the cost of capital. Each company is made of debt and equity in its capital st ructure. The cost of debt can be known easily as per the going rate in the market but estimating the cost of equity is a bit complicated task where each analyst applies his or her judgment. The equity is shareholder’s money and not without the cost. It has also certain indirect cost implications. The share holders of the company expect to obtain a certain return on their equity investments. Equity is a risk capital and depending upon the general economic conditions of the market, share holder wants certain minimum return over and above risk free return available to them in the market. If the company does not meet shareholder’s expectation, they will simple exit from the company. That will cause the fall in the market price of the shares. In other words, the company must give some minimum return to the shareholders to maintain the price of shares in the market. This is, in a way, the cost of equity for the company. Every analyst will have own perception on this cost of equity. Thus, each analyst will have some different discounting factor in their mind. This will also vary as per the economic conditions of the country and risk factors associated with the company. 2. Cash Flow Forecast is another critical parameter where two analysts estimate always differ. It is always easy to forecast the cash flow for a few years down the line but it is not possible to have these estimates without error beyond few years. Each analyst’s perception about future market conditions and overall economic scenarios come into play. Some analyst may have a cautious approach in estimation of future cash flows while other may be a bit liberal or optimist in the projections. It is obvious that this will have a bearing on the valuation of the stock and cause variance on valuation of the stock. (Free Cash†¦) 3. The Growth Rate beyond the terminal year is a long visionary assumption. Farther we go, more difficult it becomes to arrive at the agreement on values. When company reaches to the maturity cycle after a few years of operation, it

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Construction management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Construction management - Assignment Example To correct this and improve productivity I proposed that the targets and goal be realistic that the workforce is able to achieve. If this was not possible then an increase in the workforce was necessary to ensure that the delays are over. Lean system has the clients in mind and by so doing; the system is able to create the customer and not what is available and easy for production need whatever. Value streaming is also a special characteristic that makes lean system sufficient Ahmed (2010 p.g 34). The system is able to identify where recourses are less and come up with situations where the recourses are wasted and there is need for the recourses to be minimised for maximising their use. With lean production system, we get to know the flow of the recourses and the cash. To keep with customer demands, lean production system is able to come up with pull, which is effective in identifying and combining the total efforts that the customer and the worker use. No one is perfect but we can always strive for perfection. We make this possible by the lean system, which provides an environment for the managers to try to work perfectly. We can as well use Lean construction services to improve our production. Lean construction provides clear goals on developing basic practices and goals regarding the project, which we are working on. The operating system is able to create awareness as well as understanding the project goals. We are also able to interact with various companies who are experiencing the same problems and know how they have dealt with their own problems Ahmed (2010 p.g 34). To reduce any risk o overrun and liquidated damages, we have to use the cost plus the fixed percentage contract. In this type of contract, we are able to receive the actual fee of the construction job and a fixed fee that will act as the profit. This will in return give us a reduced risk of any liquidated risk. If we are

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Culture Effects in Women Performance at the Public Agencies in Research Proposal

The Culture Effects in Women Performance at the Public Agencies in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example The rulers enforce the Islamic law in handling the state’s executive, administrative and judicial functions. The country’s most significant natural resource is oil and the main business areas are oil refinery, jewels etc. Development plans and policies are based on the Islamic values. Background of the Study: All Saudi Arabians are Muslims and some are included in a minority of Shia. They are following Handbali School of Islamic law. The women may not have any rights like men in the society. They have limitations to enter in to the society. They are not allowed to drive and without permission of male guardian (Muharam) they will not travel abroad. â€Å"Women are employed in girls' schools and the women's sections of universities, social work and development programs for women, banks that cater to female clients, medicine and nursing for women, television and radio programming, and computer and library work. Sections of markets are set aside for women sellers. However, only about 7 percent of Saudi Arabia's formal workforce is female† (Saudi Arabia, 2011). The separation is considered as the mechanism for sexual modesty. Their status is high in the family, in their role like mother or sister. A significant number of women are succeeding in academic, business, literary production etc, even when facing restrictions to public. This is because of the gaining popularity of women’s literature than earlier times.... The social and cultural rights of Saudi females are circumscribed by the values of sexual segregation that leads to restrain or limit their activity. Working in Saudi Arabia is a challenging factor, especially for women. Saudi Arabian culture and values are different it is highly oriented with Islamic religion. Their dresses also express religious piety. It must not be very fit for body and it must not attract any attentions. â€Å"Like a woman's clothing, a woman's role in Saudi Arabia culture is largely dictated by the prevailing religious beliefs. Unlike in the West, where a woman's equal partnership with her husband is at least given lip service, a Saudi marriage is often arranged† (A Women’s Perspective on Saudi Arabia Culture, 1995). Aim and Objectives: 1) To identify the various cultural barriers faced by the women in performing the public agencies in Saudi Arabia. 2) To identify the how the cultural values of Saudi Arabia affect the performance of women in publi c agencies? 3) To identify the various problems faced by the women in Saudi Arabia. Significance of Study: Saudi Arabian women are facing a big challenge to perform in public agencies. They feel like tied in the home. They do not have permission to enter in to the society or to be active in any economical or political field. The traditional culture and law make them feel bad for themselves. Western countries are giving high consideration to women’s opinion and participation. They do not face any restraints in entering in to the society and can travel at night also. They are self-sufficient and work in high positions in various organizations. Saudi women, also, have the urge to become independent and self-sufficient and they yearn for those things. But there are

Sunday, September 22, 2019

How to Be a Better Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to Be a Better Writer - Essay Example To become a better writer, a person should adopt a regular habit of writing. One should follow a routine of trying to write done at least a paragraph every day. The ability of writing can further be enhanced if a person gets his writings checked by someone who has more knowledge and expertise in the field. This will assist the writer to know his faults and correct them in future work. A person can also meet professional writers and take their guidance and learn from their experiences.To become a better writer, a person should adopt a regular habit of writing. One should follow a routine of trying to write done at least a paragraph every day. The ability of writing can further be enhanced if a person gets his writings checked by someone who has more knowledge and expertise in the field. This will assist the writer to know his faults and correct them in future work. A person can also meet professional writers and take their guidance and learn from their experiences. Reading can also pr ove to be very beneficial for the writer and assist him in developing better writing skills. This is because in this way a writer can go through different ways of writing and understand the way of which he is the most comfortable. Vocabulary is also an essential part of writing as it enhances the pool of words which the writer can use in his writing.  

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Personal Development Essay Example for Free

Personal Development Essay On starting this module I was quite looking forward to undertaking it. There seemed to be a number of issues that appealed and as it has a personal perspective to it the appeal was greater. During this assignment I hope to be objective in my findings and evaluate my discovery on personal development within the three perspectives. I also like to understand the impact on the different perspective and how the influence both personal an professional growth. 1. Apply the three theoretical perspectives in relation to personal development.   Psychodynamic:  Freud is the founder of psychotherapy, treatments such as free assocuation and analysis of the id, ego and superego were the way to deal with the consciousn/ uncocious psyche. Howerver current practitioners continue to use Freuds approaches albeit with more supportive techniques. It is now understood that psychotherapy is more effective when it leads to incresed self-knowledge and awareness. Other maintain object relations are more suited to change habitual practices. In terms of the three theoretical perspective on my own personal development, I have identified the following in Psychodynamic: Altruism: I have on many occassions put aside my own emotional needs by meeting to the extream the needs of others, more times than often meeting their needs FIRST.  Avoidance: I have openly spoken of how I use avoidance to distance myself from a person or situation. It prevents me getting personally involve or attached, and has been a tacktic used since childhood.  Compensation: I overcompensate my disability (dyslexia) by studying as many subject as possible usually all at the same time. At the time it seem irrational, but personaly there is a need to prove I am a person having a disabilty ..I am not disabled (or stupid) Denial: I am in denial about so many thingsI dont know what they are!  Idealization : I idealise about all the things I am going to accomplish, albeit far from the realilty of me being able to do so. I often think it is about me being a dreamer and creative, the reality is it To dream the impossible dream  Introjection: I was once told, If you walk like a General, talk like a general and dress like a General people will treat and repect you like one. I often do that and give the impression of being calm, logical, organised etc, when most of the time I am nervious irrational and disorganised (especially on the inside). The personal impact is one of acknowledging my defenses and growth towards the ideal self in order to form a theraputic alayance with the client.  The impact on the client is will be based on my appraoch having acknowledge within myself the transference and changes I am experiencing.  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):  This theory is the type of psychotherapy that is used in treating depression, anxiety, phobias and other kinds of mental disorder. CBT can help you to change how you think and what you do. These changes can help you to feel better. Unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on the here and now problems and difficulties. Instead of focussing on the causes of your distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve your state of mind now. Because CBT concentrates on behaviour this can be best dealt with when the client understands what views are held as rational and what perceptions are irrational.  A central aspect of Rational thinking is that it is based on fact, not simply our assumptions made. Often, we upset ourselves about things when, in fact, the situation is not like we think it is. If we knew that, we would not waste our time upsetting ourselves. I am trained to use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy when working in PST (Psycho-Sexual Therapy) and find it a difficult practice in as it sometimes conflicts with my personality and approach. Here is how Ive identified CBT for my personal development.  CBT is based on the scientific fact that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviours. I am a great thinker and within my development have taken on the positive comments a member of the group has brought to my reflection. This is considered the fastest in terms of results obtained. (Average number of sessions around 16). This is very difficult for me, as I often get bored and impatient when the client is not making process. I am also a perfectionist and very strict in my expectations of the completing a task in such a limited time scale. I am learning not to be so hard or impatient with clients. Having said that this model compels me to work in a logical and cognitive state and the group in their observation of me often identifies this. The personal impact CBT will have for me is one of being direct and functioning in Adult ego state. This will enable be to practice being logical and direct as the model requires. (Not critical parent or perfectionist)  The impact on the client will be that they will feel confident and at ease in my intervention. Being able to rationalise and undertake homework to bring about change.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Scientific Method Applied To Forensic Science Environmental Sciences Essay

Scientific Method Applied To Forensic Science Environmental Sciences Essay Forensic science is often described as a science about patterns of crime mechanisms, about collection of information about the crime and its participants, about rules of evidence gathering, researching, evaluating and applying, and eventually about those media and methods based on this knowledge necessary for judicial scrutiny conduction and crime prevention (Raton, 2003). It makes it natural for this science to use not only specific forensic methods, but general scientific method tested by time and different branches of natural and physical knowledge as well. The term scientific method means a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested (Flexner Hauck, 1987). The matter is, many scientists fail to build a fundamental theory of how scientific method is applied to forensic science, while it is extremely important to differentiate the way it is applied to this science and the way it is applied to other sciences, as they differ to a great extent. Forensic sciences study the past and not the present, Dr. Thomas Young explains (Young, 2009). The first stage, observation and description is intended to find out and completely reflect what happened. The activity of observation requires efficient and intentional direct perception of objects and phenomena with the use of senses. It includes the study of materials and products, structures and textures. It is especially significant during inspection, search, and other investigative actions. The purpose of observation depends on the character of the object or phenomena we examine. Sometimes we reveal some thing; sometimes we look for certain characteristics, properties and features this thing possesses. In other cases it can be the behavior of the suspect, accused etc. (Davis, 2005). According to these criteria, some facts revealed during observation and procedurally fixed can have the significance of evidence, while others (like the behavior of a defendant during the interrogation) can be just a kind of material to build versions. In this way the task is to describe a set of de fined circumstances, to reconstruct the picture of the crime or a tort, to recreate the intricate variety of past conditions as full as possible, paying attention to timing and order of events. The prerogative are the actions intended to reveal and fix the traces of the crime or tort that change fast and the evidences which can be easily lost or changed on purpose. When the expert has enough data to see what took place, he formulates a hypothesis or several of them to explain the observation. This process can be also called versification we look for versions. The gnoseological aspect interprets version as a form of transmission from unawareness to knowledge about the investigated event. Thats why it is defined as a form and process of reflecting material world phenomena and empowering the objective nature of a studied object by thought itself. The process of cognition doesnt put borders between logical, psychological and cognitive aspects as they are all the parts of one process of mentality (Shafer, 2008). To have scientific power, hypotheses should be theoretically substantiated, allow specific order of verification and applicable methods to check the version. Hypothesis is a driving force of science development; hypothesis is one of the forms of science. Apart from the general theory of forensic science, the expert should apply his own professional experience. This stage is based on application of different logical constructions as an instrument. It is closely connected with the next action, consisting in building up predictions of other phenomena or concluding results. The media and methods of forming forensic predictions are intended for practical cognition of certain social phenomena which is a crime and aim at solving the question of guilt or guiltlessness of the subject. Hence they are to correspond to the strict criteria of reliability, legality, morality and acceptability. Each result, each consequence concluded from the proposed version should be carefully verified. Until the version is disproved and rejected, each fact logically coming from it should be checked in the light of its correspondence to the reality. Some part examined does not give the reason to take the version as something objectively true. If the examination provides contradicting data, you should never stop the tests. All the reasons of divergence should be found out. Falsification is an essential constituent of the scientific method. The hypothesis should be ideally either disproved or falsified. If there is a possibility to disprove the hypothesis, the scientist can discard it and turn to another, more correct hypothesis. Alternatively, if the hypothesis is confirmed by the experimentation and the following observation, it still does not mean this confirmation proves the truth of the hypothesis, Thomas Young claims (Young, 2009). Among the other methods, some statistical methods (generating quantitative results) are applied. Though they are not very popular and, according to the results of the survey, only 7% of respondents rely on them. Quantitative methods dont receive wide practical use because they fail to take to account individual features, and because this systems are not developed that well at all (Shafer, 2008). The last and the very important stage includes the application of such scientific method as experiment. It is usually based on scientifically conducted test performed to study the verified phenomena and its links with other phenomena. The particular feature of the experiment is possibility and necessity to interfere in the process of testing, studying the phenomena from different sides and in different conditions. Through investigation experiment is applied in various forms. One of the most effective methods affirmed by the theory of forensic science is parallel (simultaneous) testing by several independent experimenters. It means that other investigators are permitted to check and try to falsify the hypothesis proposed by the scientist. This procedure provides the most optimal tempo of investigation and economization of working time of the team. It is also efficient to check up several versions across. Gradual verification threatens to take more time and even ruin precious evidences , miss the procedure deadline of investigation. Considerable rule of examination consists in the following: test should go on until the version is disproved or until we achieve the situation when we can consider it to be the objective truth. The scientific method turns an assumption on any fact into a reliable piece of knowledge when we can prove this is the only fact to give such results. The hypothesis also turns into reliable knowledge when it is proved that all possible reasons of some fact except one are ruled out. The forensic version is right under the following circumstances: If all possible suppositions concerning the circumstances of the crime under detection were taken into account and no new data bring new versions. For instance, if there are three versions of murder (willful homicide, manslaughter, or an accident), disprove of the two versions except the first doesnt prove the willful murder is true. It can turn to be a mistake and truth nay be in the suicide version missed by the investigator. All the versions proposed concerning the situation were verified and all of them except the only one objectively proved were disproved and thrown away. All the consequences (circumstances) logically concluded from the proved version were thoroughly studied and revealed by confirmation. The version confirmed is absolutely coordinated with other circumstances of the case. Only in the case all the conditions listed are observed, the version can be admitted as the one corresponding to reality and expressing the objective truth (Flexner Hauck, 1987). Eventually, when the hypothesis is confirmed repeatedly through times over time, this hypothesis has all the chances to become a theory. When we say a theory, we mean a common principle used by scientists to explicate phenomena and make predictions of further events. All in all, we have seen the systematic approach provided by the general scientific method when applied to the forensic science. At the same time it is necessary to remember that forensic science itself is often defined as the application of science to law. It goes without saying, it is not ideal at all and has its own disadvantages consisting in certain limitations, but still it has demonstrated its sustainability in the sphere of crimes. The scientific method has proven itself over time to be a reliable way to arrive at real, measurable, observable truth, Dr. Thomas Young proclaims (Young, 2009).