Corporate social responsibility motivations and country factors Essay

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important issue for all businesses around the world. CSR covers economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities of firms. Explain the factors that may motivate an MNE to adopt CSR in its international business strategy and operations. How might the country context influence the types of CSR initiatives undertaken? Support your answer with real world examples or cases. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has existed for a long time, it has garnered attention only in the last two decades as an important aspect of doing business. Academic research on CSR has evolved over the years, indicating a change in how CSR is viewed as time goes by. In the earlier years of CSR research, academics sought to identify a link between CSR and financial performance (Aupperle et al. 1985; McGuire et al. 1998), as though CSR had to be rationalised in order to exist. But moving forward to the present, CSR has been undoubtedly recognised as a need by many organisations, and research has shifted from discussing â€Å"macro social effects to an organisational-level analysis of CSR and its impact on organisational processes and performance† (Lindgreen and Swaen 2010, p. 1). In other words, CSR research has moved from questioning the â€Å"why† to â€Å"how† of doing CSR, reflecting the growing prominence of the practice. CSR involves the â€Å" economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time† (Carroll 1979, p. 500). These programs are designed to fulfill a basic economic or social need as expected by the community, honoured by the company in goodwill so as to position oneself as a positively value-driven entity (Swanson 1995; Wood 1991). CSR initiatives can be derived out of self-interest, or external pressure from institutional economics (Meyer and Rowan 1991; North 1992) or when a company decides to rise above its economic function to help and aid stakeholders (Trevino and Nelson, 2004). While there are many reasons for a company to engage in CSR, it ultimately assists the corporation in enhancing its legitimacy (Wood 1991) and fit with society at large (Zensisek 1979), creating a symbiotic relationship between stakeholders and companies (Tuzzolinio and Armandi 1981). Unfortunately, CSR has no consensus definition (Dahlsrud, 2008). It is important to recognise from this that CSR  is a complex and multilayered concept that requires examination from various angles. In this essay, CSR will be understood as a firm’s obligations to act responsibly to all possible stakeholders in the market environment. This essay will now seek to explore the motivations behind pursuing CSR programs by a business organisation, d etermining how various stakeholders and the general public can influence this decision and how the broader country context can affect how a company participates in CSR. In the corporate world, companies are fully engaged in CSR initiatives, with more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies addressing CSR issues (Esrock and Leichty, 1998), reflecting that CSR is more than an ethical or ideological necessity, but also an economic one. As such, more companies today have realised that â€Å"not only doing good is the right thing to do, but it also leads to doing better† (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004, p.9). While it was infamously argued previously that the main purpose of a company was to make profits and thrive economically (Friedman 1970), enterprises now have the option to do so and at the same time, contribute meaningfully to society at large. The reasons for a MNE to engage in CSR initiatives are multiple. Stakeholder theory (Donaldson and Preston 1995) can be used as a skeletal framework to understand where demands for CSR arise. Demand derives from two main groups: consumers and stakeholders. Stakeholders of a company include its investors, employees, suppliers and even the local environment that it is located in. The consumer demand for CSR will be addressed first. CSR engagements may result in producing a good that has socially responsible attributes, such as dolphin-free tuna or a non-animal tested product. It could be in less obvious means, such as a clothing company not ultilising sweat shops or child labour in producing its goods. When consumers buy products that bear such attributes, they believe they are â€Å"indirectly supporting a cause and rewarding firms that devote resources to CSR† (McWilliams and Siegel 2001, p. 119). Consumers are able to identify better with a company that engages in CSR activities and feel a stronger connection or attachment to such firms. Consumer oriented CSR also involve intangible attributes, such as reputation. Having a strong reputation has been linked to attracting more customers, retaining and motivating employees, gaining favour with analysts and the media amongst many more reasons (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004). CSR has come to matter in building a reputation for corporations. The Reputation  Institute ranks the world’s most reputable companies based on the RepTrak ® system. RepTrak ® analyses seven dimensions of corporate reputation: Citizenship, Innovation, Governance, Workplace, Leadership, Products/Services and Financial Performance (Reputation Institute 2013). Of which, three of these dimensions (citizenship, governance and workplace) fall into the CSR category, and analysis has shown that â€Å"42% of how people feel about a firm is based on their perceptions of the a firm’s CSR practices† (Smith 2012, para. 6). The Body Shop, Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s are some examples that stand out in their respective industries having built reputations centring on socially responsible practices. Hence, it is easy to see why consumers drive the demand for companies to engage in CSR activities. Stakeholders too, demand for CSR for various reasons. McWilliams and Siegel (2001, p.122) have posited that employees will support  "progressive labour relations policies, safety, financial security, and workplace amenities, such as childcare. Workers are searching for signals that managers are responding to causes they support†. Nintendo has numerous employee well-being programs in place where all employees can receive support in various aspects of their lives. Free training in life-saving skills and first aid, and subsidies for work safety shoes, transportation costs and even gym memberships are provided to help employees achieve work-life balance and a better well being (Nintendo, 2013). It has been observed that CSR initiatives in a firm typically lead to greater employee work satisfaction where job attitudes are improved and productivity is increased, and is used as a way of attracting talents to a company (Bhattacharya, Sen and Korschun 2012). Valentine and Fleischman (2008) have observed that CSR also plays a part in mediating the relationships between ethics programs and job satisfaction. Taken holistically, effective organisational ethics and CSR activities will incite more â€Å"positive beliefs in the fir m, as well as the immediate work context and culture† (Valentine and Fleischman 2008, p. 167). As observed then, employees play an important role in creating a demand for CSR in firms as they stand to benefit from such programs intrinsically. For both stakeholders and consumers then, CSR programs create an organisational identity that becomes relatable. When companies engage in CSR that underpins their mission and values, stakeholders are able to see an element of themselves in the organisation,  which leads to increased support for the company. As already observed, this can lead to stronger purchase intention in customers, or increased job satisfaction in employees. The largest motivation to pursue CSR for a company though could lie in developing a competitive advantage. While CSR could be executed simply by donating to charities as corporate philanthropy, some firms have recognised CSR as a strategic tool to use and develop in order to answer not only a societal need, but a business issue as well. Strategic CSR is now a form of social innovation, and by answering crucial problems in society that leads to real, long-lasting change; a company will reap the benefits of a better workforce, a new market or higher consumption while adding value to society (Kanter 1999). The need to recognise that economic and social objectives are not distinctively opposing but complementary will lead to CSR that can potentially bring about a social benefit and improve competitiveness (Porter and Kramer, 2002). There are two main business advantages that arise from CSR. Firstly, it presents an opportunity to test out a new technology. Secondly, it provides the opportunity to build political capital by influencing regulations, presenting itself as a market leader or to strengthen relationships with government officials (Kanter 1999). This was exactly what Bell Atlantic did through Project Explore by going into schools to test out their new High-bitrate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL) technologies with personal computers in the early 1990s. This provided a test ground that would get their technology into the real world and also presented itself as a demonstration site to political leaders for Bell Atlantic to petition favourably for their proposed statewide technology communications plan (Kanter 1999). Bell Atlantic managed to help schools by providing them with computers and new technologies, bettering education and technology literacy, while still achieving a business agenda. The competitive context of a company and its business environment can benefit greatly when economic and social goals are seen as mutually linked. Porter and Kramer (2006) identify four key areas strategic CSR can affect competitive context positively: factor conditions, demand conditions, context for strategy and rivalry, and lastly, related and supported industries. Improving education, in the case of Cisco, enabled them to educate students in computer skills that resulted in a high quality, yet cost effective curriculum due to Cisco’s expertise. Whilst all students from Cisco’s Networking Academy may not work for Cisco, the industry at large benefits. Furthermore, well-trained network administrators who graduate from The Cisco Network Academy create demand for higher quality service and solutions (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85). CSR can influence in the creation of a more productive and transparent environment for competition (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85), such as Transparency International, where corporations have pledged to disclose and deter corruption in the world. This aids in building fair competition and higher productivity. Finally, a company can benefit by supporting a related industry. For example, American Express funds travel and tourism academics in the recognition of its reliance on the hospitality industry for travel-related spending on its credit cards (Porter and Kramer 2006, p.85). These examples show how CSR can result in tremendous payoffs when executed effectively. While immediate stakeholders c an drive the motivations for CSR initiatives, it is important to consider how the country a company is operating in can affect how CSR activities are chosen and implemented. The different social and cultural differences in each country should be salient enough for managers to acknowledge that CSR cannot be entirely universal, especially in the case of global MNEs. Furthermore, different social needs and problems will be inherent in each country. For example, the prevalence of AIDS/HIV is critical in South Africa. As such, it is only appropriate that companies with a presence in South Africa address this issue; with the likes of Toyota, Sappi and Mercedes-Benz deploying CSR programs that help employees tackle the pandemic of AIDS/HIV. British Petroleum (BP) (BP 2013), a global oil company, undertakes CSR initiatives that are identified as locally relevant, tailoring to the needs of their host communities and societies. A quick glance of their case studies shows various CSR programs ranging from workforce rights in Brazil to community relations in Turkey. While addressing locale-specific issues would be the most effective method of CSR, other factors may e ncourage or hinder such intention. The legal environment can affect the way CSR is implement in a country greatly. It changes either through strong intervention whereby social responsibility is legally stipulated, or a severe lack thereof, which leads to voluntary action by other players (Campbell 2007). France and Brazil are two examples par excellence of how the government can play a key role in creating CSR  demand, albeit in opposite directions. The French government has influenced how CSR has developed and emerged greatly by playing an active role in passing legislation, amongst other policies that requires French companies, including subsidiaries of international firms, to be socially responsible and accountable (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 448). On the other hand, Brazil’s history of a military government has fostered a passive environment where innovation is stifled, including that of encouraging improvements for society (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.449). As such, private actors such as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are most active in Brazil to encourage CSR programs to Brazilian companies. While the legal environment can affect how CSR is implemented in a country, it can also affect what type of CSR is initiated. Although France has passed mandates to enforce listed companies submit reports on social and environment impacts, the main area of concern belies in employment rights (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 450). Similarly, Brazilian companies are also strongly focused on employee relations and well-being, that being the key principle of CSR in Brazil (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 451). CSR then is only translated into one dimension of obligation and other dimensions, though equally pressing; take a backseat in the case of France and Brazil. Different priorities in a country culturally can affect how CSR is implemented. In such scenarios, international NGOs come in and encourage other concerns to be addressed. This helps to bring harmony to the imbalance within the CSR activities focused in countries such as France and Brazil. For instance, international environmental NGO, the World Wildlife Fund, has collaborated with French companies to allow the use of their logo, one of the most recognisable brands in the world, on products that meet their standards (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.452). This has encouraged firms in France to meet environmental standards that was not previously crucial in CSR portfolios. Through this, French companies are more receptive to practicing CSR that is not inherent to their usual procedures. Despite the particularity of each country and how CSR is ideally done based on local demands, the reality of the matter is that CSR is not always practiced this way. Global MNEs typically have general and universal guidelines on what CSR activities should be undertaken in host countries, and most managers have to be given permission to pursue local CSR from the parent company . Universalism in CSR practices by MNEs creates linearity and  coherence for all stakeholders, but can result in less powerful CSR practices. On the other hand, localised programs may end up being fragmented or ad hoc. There is undoubtedly differing perspective on which approach is preferable, as each holds its argument convincingly (Muller 2006). As suggested by Husted and Allen (2006) then, the key difference between global or local CSR is the community that demands it. Another key factor that affects the way CSR is conducted is the development of CSR in a globalised world. It has been recognised by scholars (Gugler and Shi 2009; Jamali 2010) that CSR is fundamentally Anglo-Saxon both in history and development. Hence, CSR has a strong presence in the United States and United Kingdom, but is still lacking in both conceptual and practical thinking in countries based in the Southern hemisphere. Jamali and Ramez (2007) has noted that numerous issues with CSR in the Lebanon context. Firstly, CSR is typically executed in tangent to the parent company’s mission and values. While it is not necessarily a bad move to have a universally applicable CSR issue identified by a parent company, this may lead to a lack of agency by foreign subsidiaries to pursue CSR that is truly important in a specific context. Hence, CSR in Lebanon is still largely based on altruistic means and charitable giving, which is considered a low-level and basic method of implementing CSR. Interviewed companies by Jamali (2007) did not track the performance of its CSR outputs, showing that CSR is not implemented for a genuine purpose of serving a long-term positive impact to society, but to address the obligatory needs in order to build a positive corporate image. Due to the lack of understanding from global perspectives and North-driven ideology, countries may derive value and meaning from CSR in their own terms (Gugler and Shi 2009). China has come up with their own standards because of the dilemma of being the â€Å"world’s factory† and cannot comply with various standards demanded from different suppliers, it becomes too costly to be effective. In this instance, the Chinese government has developed various rankings and best practices for Chinese companies, and goes as far as prohibiting international certifications unless approved by the right local authorities (Gugler and Shi 2009, p.15). By doing so, Chinese companies do not face foreign pressure to comply with standards that are unfeasible for their modus operandi. Overall, this essay has shown that there are numerous motivations for companies to practice CSR. Answering demands to  achieve higher satisfaction in consumers and employees, helping to build a reputation and in its most strategic form, creates a competitive advantage for companies are some of the benefits that a company can yield through effective CSR. While there are numerous ben efits of conducting CSR, CSR implementation is highly diverse due to the various legal, socio-economic and cultural factors that each country brings. Furthermore, due to the development and history of CSR, CSR is still very much in its infancy stage in the Southern hemisphere and pressure to develop a CSR programs similar to current ones in the Northern hemisphere becomes unrealistic and untenable. As such, other actors such as international NGOs may step in to realign and create focus for different needs, or countries may come up with their own compliance standards as a global benchmark to ease doing of business internationally. This has shown thus far how CSR is highly complex as a practice, varying from simplistic to more complex approaches, and once again changing within localities due to the needs and issues to be addressed. As CSR continues to develop, one should take notice of how CSR might change in developing countries and how globalisation continues to affect how companies may choose to conduct CSR. References: Aupperle, K. E., et al. (1985). â€Å"An empirical examination of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability.† Academy of Management Journal 28(2): 446-463. Bhattacharya, C., et al. (2012). â€Å"Using corporate social responsibility to win the war for talent.† MIT Sloan Management Review 49. Bhattacharya, C. B. and S. Sen (2004). â€Å"Doing better at doing good: when, why and how consumers respond to corporate social initatives.† California Management Review 47(1): 9-24 BP (2013). â€Å"Sustainability.† from http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability.html. Campbell, J. L. (2007). â€Å"Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility.† Academy of Management Review 32(3): 946-967. Carroll, A. B. (1979). â€Å"A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance.† Academy of Management Review 4(4): 497-505 Dahlsrud, A. (200 8). â€Å"How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions.† Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 15(1): 1-13 Donaldson, T. and L.  E. Preston (1995). â€Å"The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications.† Academy of Management Review 20(1): 65 Esrock, S. L. and G. B. Leichty (1998). â€Å"Social responsibility and corporate web pages: self-presentation or agenda-setting?† Public Relations Review 24(3): 305-319. Friedman, M. 1970. The social responsibility of business is to increase profits. New York Times Magazine, September 13: 32–33, 122, 124, 126. Gugler, P. and J. Y. 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Development and Analysis – Case study

The case study is about the challenge in the classroom in my working experience. It is about two twin boys who were in my class, whereby I was the class teacher. The boys were really bullies, rude, lazy and very abusive. They used to abuse me, their teacher, other teachers and the other pupils. These boys really stressed me to a point that I was not even concentrating in what I was supposed to do. The father of the twins was a member of the school board and taking complaints to him all the time about the bad behaviors of the boys could cost me my job.The twins could interrupt many learning sessions by making noise, abusing and beating other children, and even saying that if I report them to their father, nothing could be done as he was a member of the board. The behaviors of the twins affected the other children who went home and told their parents about it. The parents responded by calling me and coming personally to school to complain on how the twins are affecting their children f rom learning and how the class teacher and the school management had been unable to contain twins.The case was challenging to my career and was degrading the name and status of the school in general. A quick and faster action had to be taken to contain the situation. Decisions had to be made whether for better or for worse since a lasting solution was needed. The boys had to be counseled and their behaviors modeled and at the same time the pupils in my class had to be counseled. The best solution for this was to apply the behavioral modeling to the twins whereby model looks closely at the behaviors of the victims, by going back by collecting data on their behavioral history.The behavioral modeling is meant to assess at the behavioral patterns of an individual from the past and relate to them to the present, know why individual is behaving in that strange manners, whether the causes for the behavior change could be the family, environment, the friends, the workplace or the community and then look for strategies that can assist in correcting the behavior and was done in the following ways; a) Initiating a session-the counselor should first initiate a session for discussion. He/she should introduce him/herself to the twins so that they could be aware of who they are going to discuss with.The initial rapport will determine on how the discussion will flow. The counselor should tell the twins what he/she expects from them and the boys should be given time to decide if they will be willing to talk but should be given options. b) Isolation- the twins should be isolated from other children. The counselors should in isolation with the twins study their behaviors and know what is really happening. He/she should dig deep into the past history of the twins, the behaviors of the family and the circumstances that have made them to behave like so.This information can only be gotten from the twins when they alone with the counselor whereby they have the freedom of expressing t hemselves freely. When victims of the same circumstance are mixed with people of the same problem it becomes very difficult to get information from them because those who are with them may influence their answering to the questions asked. Isolation does not mean that the twins should be completely isolated from other children or the family but put in isolation when talking to the counselor.The counselor must also make sure that the isolation process does not affect the twins but improves their concentration during the discussion exercise. c) Find out about the historical background of the family/ information gathering- the consultant should critically look at the behavioral patterns of the twins’ family before making conclusions. Are there other members of the same family who are still in school and have the same behavior? The counselor should find out whether if the had been counseled previously and if there was any impact.It will be necessary to know the behavioral patterns of their parents and then relate them to those of their children. d) Show the paternal and maternal love-the counselor should at his/her level best the paternal and maternal love to the twins. The twins may be missing the love and attention of the one or both parents, and this has made the twins to become uncontrollable as there is no one to control them and show them love and affection. Every person needs the love of both parents to grow and develop normally and if the twins are missing the love and absence of their father or mother or both of them, their mind set and behavior will change.e) Become closer to the boy- the counselor should develop a very close relationship with the twins. He/she should make sure that the twins are comfortable with him/her all the time they will be spending together. The counselor should not be sympathetic to the twins as this will worsen the situation but should make sure that they understand that what they are doing is wrong and they should be read y to change their behaviors so that they will be able to interact and mix freely with the rest of the other children.They should be told that their behaviors are affecting the whole class and that parents of the other children are complaining of their behaviors. The counselor should also involve the friends of the twins to find out more about the twins behavior when they are together. The friends should be encouraged to talk to them on changing their behavior pattern and they should at the same time tell them the consequences of their bad behavior in a friendlier manner.If the twins feel that they are insecure when they are being counseled, they should be taken to a place of their choice, but should be given options or else they will dictate the situation. This will give them more freedom to express themselves and will build confidence and trust between them and the counselor. The consultant must also involve the family members who should be urged to become closer to the twins. The parents should be told Without any fear of the bad behaviors of their children and how this has had a negative impact to the other children and to the school.The family members and friends should play a bigger role in modeling the behavior of the boys through being closer and talking positively to them on how good behaviors and manners come with good rewards. Having gone through all these steps, the twins in their minds will be in a position to condemn their bad behaviors and see the need to reform for the better. Behavioral change is a long term process which needs a lot of patience and perseverance. The above actions will help solve this crisis and also create a good learning environment for the other children and at the same time ease my work as the class teacher.

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Strategic Technology Planning - Research Paper Example This is after American Express created a custom customer service Facebook page. From the page, cardholders can conveniently ask about services offered and also make their complaints. The research analyzed online platforms used by major and minor companies in handling online marketing. The content conveyed in these platforms was also analyzed to determine whether they had any aspects of marketing or were just general information. According to Grant (2014) internet marketing is a tool that can be used to elevate a company within hours if well used. The world is actively talking online. The results indicated that the social media is the main platform used by companies to carry out online marketing. This paper research also discusses the use of Apps for smartphones, tablets, pads and other telecommunication gadgets. In as much as people are using the internet, attracting them to your platform is very essential. Marketing would only make sense if the target clientele is able to receive your message. The recommendations from this research are that companies need to diversify their online marketing and use other platforms like emails and blogs. Companies also need establish internet marketing departments and adequately fund them in order to facilitate their activities. Marketing is a very dynamic aspect in any business. Every day, new strategies are developed and implemented to ensure companies are active in the competitive market. Companies have been forced to allocate majority of their budget into marketing than any other area. Millions have been invested into marketing. This is necessary for any company that wants to make profits (FK Publications, 2013). According to (Taube, 2014) in 2013, the top 100 biggest advertisers in the US used a staggering $109Billion in marketing. Traditional modes of marketing are slowly being replaced by new and advanced modes. The main driving force behind this is the internet. With internet, one is connected to the

Urban planing and policy law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Urban planing and policy law - Coursework Example Most cities across the world carry almost more than half of the total population, hence the decisions made by governments, business community and individuals have fundamental impacts on cities consequently on the populace. This requires policies to moderate such decisions and subsequent policies. Secondly, critical challenges need to be solved to secure lasting production and sustainability. Te complexity of these urban issues calls for a national approach, which is articulate and well understood to guide city development and expansion for the sole purpose of improving urban lives. For continued prosperity and wellbeing of the city population, the governments should ensure that, the cities meet the needs of the present and future cohorts and sustaining economic expansion without compromising the natural resources. For these reasons, the National City policy becomes a fundamental element of having a healthy city population. Transportation Policy Pressure of the continued growth of pol lution adds pressure on the existing resources and facilities. In the past, high population in cities has congested roads and this led to expansion to fit the ever-growing population. However, this option is proving to be unsustainable due to the growing cost of building roads. In addition, there is less appropriate land for new roads. According to the vision 2030, most nations across the globe have resolved that urban transport policy and development should not be a one-body orientated, but instead distributed to diverse organizations to help come up with viable policies, which can solve the current trends in transport (INTERNATIONAL ITF/OECD SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS AND POLICY, 2010). These efforts might not provide the same service to every person but each urban resident will enjoy access to a reasonable standard of service. It is imperative to note that, incorporation of regional and local transport systems promotes competent modes of the transport. For instance, the pas senger reform policy is fundamental in planning transport services at the municipal borders and across other regional. This uniformity across municipals and other regions help in improving the universal level of transport systems and thus adding the value of attractiveness of public transport services to users. Urban polices on transport systems are significant both in the main cities and around the suburbs. Majority of the populace lives in the city suburbs, which are far from the services and jobs. This implies the as day counts, journeys to work, schools, supermarkets, social places among others are increasingly becoming distant. Hence, policy development on transport systems should be concentrated on solving challenges such as a reduction of dependency on the car and stopping urban fragmentation (INTERNATIONAL ITF/OECD SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS AND POLICY, 2010). The overall essence, of the transport policy should be focused on land use planning, which will provide consid eration on the impacts on traffic and divide between diverse modes of travel. Some of the fundamental aspects of urban transport policy include Vehicle efficiency and emission

Case 9-B Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case 9-B - Assignment Example The National Enquirer is known as a tabloid focusing on celebrity gossip, news and crime stories. If a candidate who is waiting to be interviewed reads the National Enquirer instead of the company annual report, it reveals the preference of the candidate for reading materials which are unsubstantiated and without value. If a company annual report is read, instead, the recruiters would gauge that the candidate is interested to know more about the company which he/she plans to serve. Driving habits reveal an aspect of one’s personality, especially in terms of handling unexpected situations. When a person drives, his mind automatically shifts to routinary behavior and can be seen as a significant manifestation of one’s job performance. In the case, the candidate lost his temper when his car was hit by another vehicle despite it being his fault. It revealed his poor road etiquette initially and possible inability to handle conflicts and difficult situations on the job. These recruiters emphasize the need to stay focused on the recruitment process by putting everything else out of one’s mind. The ultimate objective of recruitment is â€Å"to find qualified employees who fit well into the culture of the organization† (DuBrin, 2008, 303). Therefore, graduates seeking entry-level technical and professional jobs must be at their best during the interview process and be prepared to listen and respond,

Project Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Management - Research Paper Example PM has appeared as an efficient tool for addressing the intricate needs as well as requirements of present business environment. Moreover, PM is a type of management discipline which strengthens various economic activities of a company within an industry. Project Management Institute (PMI) is an internationally recognized not-for-profit membership organization for the profession of project management. PMI consists of 600,000 members as well as official document holders in over 185 nations (Bialaszewski 1-17). There are various phases or processes of PM by which a project should be managed in various steps and these entire steps are interrelated with each other. Project is managed by planning, implementing, monitoring and controlling procedures. The first step is the initializing process, where objective and scope of project is clearly defined. The objective of the project depends on the business requirement (Bialaszewski 1-17). The second step is planning process. ... Moreover, in this phase, project manager is responsible to analyze whether or not extra fund is required for executing the project (Bialaszewski 1-17). The fourth step is controlling procedure; as in this step project manager is responsible for controlling as well as rescheduling the entire project to keep the process on right track. Essentially, in this stage, customers’ deliverables are created as well as project manager is accountable for quality pledge and deliverable signoff (Bialaszewski 1-17). The final step is the project closing stage. In this stage, reflection on the success of the project takes place. It is reviewed that what kind of possible changes if any would be implemented if similar project is conducted in future (Bialaszewski 1-17). Communication is one of the most important aspects within a team to make sure of best potential outcomes. When PM processes are utilized in order to complete a project, an effective communication is essential within a team. From t he first stage of PM process if the planning thoughts are not communicated in a timely, accurately and relevant way then there would be a considerable obstruction in the completion of any project (Bialaszewski 1-17). ‘Emotional Intelligence’ is one of the crucial aspects than ‘Intelligence Quotient’ in envisaging leadership success. A project leader is assigned to work with members of various attitudinal types in order to complete a project, thus the project leader needs to demonstrate the quality of emotional intelligence in decision making (Bialaszewski 1-17). Time management and cost are the two necessary considerations which are intrinsic to quality of any project. Moreover, inefficient

Ritalin Abuse Essay Example for Free

Ritalin Abuse Essay The pharmaceutical industry, working with the government and organized psychiatry, claim that such drugs as Ritalin, are a safe treatment for ADHD. School systems and courts have pressured and even forced parents to give stimulant drugs to their children. But hidden behind the well-oiled public relations machine is a potentially devastating reality. The problem with ADHD or ADD is already not whether or not ADHD is a subtype of ADD, but rather the problem is whether or not we should be medicating our children with drugs such as Ritalin. Questions like the following often arise when discussing the issue: Are the side effects worth getting our children under control? Are all the children who are on Ritalin on it for just cause or are the drugs being abused? What does the future hold for these children who are using Ritalin and other stimulants? All these questions leave parents wondering if they should put their young child on medications and what it will do to their future. Millions of children are prescribed the stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Metadate for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the hope of controlling behaviours described as hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. These medications decrease restlessness, improve attention span, increase the ability to focus, decrease aggressive outbursts and improve social interaction. They are thought to work by adjusting the brains chemical balance and reversing under-arousal, possibly by increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters. About 75 % of children with ADHD respond well to stimulant medication with improved attention at school and increased academic productivity (Kidd, 2000). Ritalin, the most commonly prescribed stimulant for ADHD, peaks 1 to 2 hours after its taken and effects last about 4 hours. For maximum benefit its taken three times a day, seven days a week in order to sustain home as well as school interactions. (Some find that although the afternoon dose eases home relationships, it may exacerbate side effects such as poor appetite and insomnia. ) A slow-release form taken in the morning may last the day (at least 6 to 8 hours). A few develop drug tolerance and need increasing doses to suppress symptoms. (High amounts may have some growth-retarding effect, requring a drug change. ) Side effects of Ritalin can include headaches, insomnia, reduced appetite and weight loss, stomach aches, occasional tics (grimaces, nail biting), a zombie-like stare, obsessive over-focussing (becoming over-engrossed) and emotional constriction (for instance shown by drawings where everything is miniscule or shoved tightly into a corner). Omitting the 4 p. m. dose might overcome the sleep problems but at the cost of disrupting home and family life. Most side effects can be avoided by giving smaller doses. Some children object to the roller-coaster feeling while on the drug, and want to feel normal again, leading to a drop-off in drug-taking. Some hate the idea of having their behaviour controlled; and some parents oppose the idea of mind-altering drugs for their kids (Kidd, 2000, p. 20). In any case, there are always some ideals that do persuade parents into giving their children stimulants. The one of the appeals, and usually a selfish one, is that the drug gets their child under control. Parents who are fed up with their child and their behavior think that there is no other way of getting their child to behave and automatically look for a drug to get the situation changed sometimes when the child hasnt even been diagnosed with disorder yet. The appeal greatens when guilt settles in. Parents sometimes feel responsible for their childs outbreaks and by giving him or her a drug it makes the parents feel as if something chemically is wrong, and isnt because of the childs upbringing (Brink, 2004). Besides short-term benefits for Ritalin, some studies show that there are some long-term ones as well. In 1988 scientists found improvements in cognitive functions in reading performances. Though it wasnt positive, and is also very controversial if the drug itself was creating the improvement or if it was the drugs ability to reduce the disorders symptoms, which helps the child focus, but in the end, there still was an obvious increase in learning. Though frustration of child obedience, previously mention guilt, and hope for better grades often play a vital role in the decision of whether or not to put ones child on medication, there are some outstanding negatives that also make an impact on parents choices on the matter. One of the major problems with Ritalin is the side effects the medication causes its users. As mentioned before, these include effects as minor as stomach pains, sleep loss, loss or appetite and irritability. But side effects can be as serious as facial tics, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. (Hancock and Wingert, 1996) Other sever symptoms include increase in blood pressure, nausea, hypersensitivity, and temporary decrease in bone growth (White and Rouge, 2003). In February of 1996, the Food and Drug Administration released a study done on mice that showed that Ritalin might even have the ability to cause a liver cancer (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). It is being feared by many physicians that Ritalin is being overly prescribed to children. Some doctors are seeing patients that have been told to have ADHD, but in reality have other problems such as learning difficulties or depression. Parents often even ask doctors for Ritalin, even when their child does not have a need for it, but the childs parents want to see his or her grades rise. Some doctors even admit to giving children the drug without doing much background checking of the child or any psychological tests that may prove the child has other problems. (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). ADHD is diagnosed without much hoop jumping. There are sixteen different symptoms that ADHD is connected with, and if the child has eight of them then all too often he or she is automatically considered to have ADHD; often without taking any other disorders or problems into consideration such as anxiety or depression (Donnelly, 1998). It seems as though parents are able to get their children the drug almost at demand. If they feel their child is in need of the stimulant, there is little stopping them from receiving it. Skepticism of ADHD and stimulants continue getting more serious when taking in some of the statistics. One fact that may change someones thoughts on the disorder is that 8 in 10 children with ADHD are boys (Donnelly, 1998) But does anyone put into consideration that girls develop and become mature faster than boys? Or is it being forgotten that kids are just kids and are not always going to act as teachers and parents desire? Another issue relating to Ritalin is the possibilities of unknown long-term effects that have not yet been discovered. There have not been any long-term studies done on children who have taken Ritalin. Since ADHD cannot be tested by blood tests or any other kind of testing, there is always the chance that children are being misdiagnosed and receiving stimulants for a disorder that they do not have (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). Children sometimes have symptoms that seem like ADHD but arent at all. The child can have problems such as chronic fear, mild seizures or even chronic ear infections, all of which may make adults assume the child has the disorder, but in reality has something completely different. Often problems at home make children act up as well. There maybe an abusive parent at home that makes a child be difficult in the classroom. In cases like these the child is not in need of drugs, but needs counseling (White and Rouge, 2003). The concept of ADHD and its medications are really hard to justify. There are some very valid reasons for putting children on the drug, especially helping them pay attention in school and having the same opportunity as the rest of the children in their classes. But the side effects are just mind boggling. I think even the slightest chance of some of these side effects mentioned would want parents to search for alternatives for their children and keep them away from the drug. Another problem about ADHD is the fact that doctors cannot find anything psychically different from the children diagnosed with the disease from those that are normal. Dr. Thomas Millar, a retired Vancouver child psychiatrist, goes as far as to say that ADHD is a mythical disorder(Donnelly, 1998, p. 2). He also says that the problem is not hyper children, but rather its poor parenting. Children that act as children do- easily excited, short attention spans, and hyper (all symptoms of ADHD)- are not considered to be acting as normal children, but rather as children with a disorder . I think Dr. Millar put it best when he said, If Tom Sawyer was around today, hed be Ritalin, as would any other normal boy in literature. Today, parents dont have any idea of what child behavior ought to be. Parents who start giving their children this drug at ages as earlier as two, I think, are looking for quick fix and are being lazy. How can parent decide that a two year old is being hyperactive (White and Rouge, 2003)? Most two year olds are active and have little to no attention spans. I think this only teaches children that drugs are the answer to all our problems. By putting a child on a mind altering drug at such a young age, when he or she has not even started school yet, it leaves a parent with very little evidence or reason for their action. The child does not have schoolwork yet, and has little need for paying attention for long periods of time, so what does this child need the drug for? Because the child is difficult and more active than a parent wishes? It almost seems as if parents want to change their childs personality and make their childhood less interesting. I think its very important that parents do not view Ritalin as the first and only way of calming their child down. All in all, Ritalin is a very controversial drug in our country because of its side effects and the insecurities of diagnosing ADHD. The drug carries very important help for children who are struggling to pay attention and without a doubt do have a disorder. But the number of children who are on the drug for the wrong reason is a scary thought. Are we become so impatient with our children that we do not want to take the time to discipline or help them through their problems? Have our children become so bad that we are willing to risk their health so they calm down and do not embarrass us? Our society needs to learn more about this drug that too many of us are so quickly giving to our children.

Medical Card System Data Warehouse

Medical Card System Data Warehouse Muhammad Nadeem   S.No Title P.No 1 Introduction (What project is about) 3-4 2 System Overview, Data architecture and storage, 5-6 3 ER-Diagram, OLTP-Architecture,Master / Slave Medical Card System 6-10 4 MCS OLTP, MCS data, storage,MCS Business Module or Services process: 11-14 5 Request Flow, Data repository, MySQL 15-19 6 Data warehousing 19-27 7 Service improvement 28 8 Statistical Analysis 29-30 9 Summary, conclusion, Learned 31-35 10 Appendix 36 Introduction: A Medical Card is a plastic card, about the span of a Visa, issued by the HSE. Individuals who hold a Medical Card are qualified for a scope of Health Services for nothing out of pocket. Sometime recently, 2009. Therapeutic card framework was a decentralized and comprising littler wellbeing sheets. Since, they are isolated to each others, It was making taking after oddities. Duplicate Medical cards. GHOST Medical cards System deficiency Increasing Complexity Budget deficit in health budget Lack of staffing and System expertise To determine these issues the HSE, choose to incorporated Medical card framework. They gather master from every wellbeing board and accumulate in Dublin. On framework level, it was a major perplexity mass before centralization. The reason was every wellbeing board has their own medicinal card framework on a few innovations like prophet, SQL server and so forth. A Single Medical card framework was running on ORACLE, SQL, MYSQL and MUMS thus on rely on upon the decision of wellbeing board. There were loads of reports and Hauge paper works was included and it was night horse to handle it. To, determine this issue The HSE made a system to gap information into three databases, for example, ORACLE, MongoDB. Each of the database has there on noteworthiness. The HSE additionally choose to making and dealing with their own information distribution center. There was an alternative accessible for cloud benefits but since of the way of information. The HSE fabricate their own information product house. The HSE utilized Mongo DB since it is a record situated database and what it does, it is intended for even versatility. Because this, if your database develops, you can basically include more equipment or more assets from the cloud. 2.1 MCS System Overview: The Medical card system data were divided into following: The data from new medical card forms was divided in 3 parts. First data was Manual filled application which was later typed in the system. The data come from Legacy system and loaded into new system. That sort of data required big ETL. Third was supporting documents. The size of data was 2 tetra bytes per month 2.2 MCS Data Storage: The data was storing in following technologies: MongoDB Neo4j ORACLE MYSQL hybrid system (HyPer) MongoDB MySQL Oracle Neo4j Document-oriented Cross-platform support Reliable database OLTP Supports JSON format. Stored procedures Advanced Index Compression JSON and XLS format No DBA SQL/PSM Approximate Count Distinct Indexes by using Apache Lucence Flexible replication for shading across nodes. Triggers. Attribute Clustering supports full ACID Multi-version concurrency Cursors Automatic Big Table Caching UI for CQL consistency in complex transactions Updatable views FDA Support for CDBs Native GPE(Graph Processing Engine). Dynamic queries and powerful aggregates. Online DDL Full Database Caching (CRUD) operation Index support and ap/reduce functions Information schema In-Memory Aggregation Access by Java, Spring, Scala 3.1 MCS Database Architecture 3.2 MCS OLTP Architecture   Ã‚   Master / Slave Medical Card System One index per city Growth by shredding into 2 and 3 Master build index every 10 minutes Use indexes and pearl code for to generate XML Build versioning and rollback segment Slave pull the indexes via resync and reload Use pre-forking config Hardware was dual proc, dual core AMD opterons with 32 GB RAM 3.3 MCS OLTP: Medical card OLTP systems are used for order new application, Medical card transactions, customer relationship management (CRM) etc. Such systems have many users who conduct short transactions. Database queries are usually simple, require sub-second response times and return relatively few records. An important attribute of medical card OLTP system is its ability to maintain concurrency. To avoid single points of failure, MCS OLTP systems is decentralized. MCS data-model-self-governing and planned to professionally handle accidental, ad hoc queries in an analytical system environment. We are using Mango DB, Neo4j, Oracle, MySQL along with legacy System like MUMS. The Size of the data per week is 1 tetra byte. We have Online replication. HSE have hot backup and full disaster recovery model implemented. HSE have one cold server run in Waterford region which they used as cold backup. HSE policy to store data in multi places so in case of disaster recovery will be easy. 3.4 MCS Data: It consists on the following: Client personnel and Medical History such as Client name, address, ppsno and GP information GP registered within certain county Hospital information such as OPD, ANE etc. CWO in each area Pharmacies and registered Pharmacies HSE Local offices 3.5 MCS Data storage: MCS data store on different devices and system as following: Quantum StorNext scale-out file system. NetBackup product. NetBackup is integrated with copy data management, Veritas Resiliency Platform and Veritas Information Map. MySQL MangoDB Neo4j Oracle 4.1 MCS Business Module or Services process: FOR NEW APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL APPLICATION 4.2 MCS Request Flow 4.3 MCS Flow 4.4 MCS Data Repositories 4.5 MCS My SQL 5.1 MCS Data Warehousing: Relationships between DSS/BI, database, data management DSS/BI: transforming data into info to support decision making MCS (Medical Card System) operational data and DSS/BI data differ What a data MCS (Medical Card System) warehouse is, how data for it are prepared, and how it is implemented Multidimensional database Database technology for BI: OLAP, OLTP Examples of applications in healthcare 5.2 MCS BI: Extraction of Knowledge from Data 5.3 MCS DSS/BI Architecture: Learning and Predicting 5.4 MCS DSS/BI DSS/BI are technologies designed to extract information from data and to use such information as a basis for decision making Decision support system (DSS) Arrangement of computerized tools used to assist managerial decision making within business Usually requires extensive data massaging to produce information Used at all levels within organization Often tailored to focus on specific business areas Provides ad hoc query tools to retrieve data and to display data in different formats 5.5 MCS DSS/BI Components Data store component Basically, a DSS database Data extraction and data filtering component Used to extract and validate data taken from operational database and external data sources End-user query tool Used to create queries that access database End-user presentation tool Used to organize and present data 5.6 MCS Main Components of A DSS/BI 5.7 MCS DSS/BI: Needs a different type of database A specialized DBMS tailored to provide fast answers to complex queries. Database schema Must support complex data representations Must contain aggregated and summarized data Queries must be able to extract multidimensional time slices Database size: DBMS must support very large databases (VLDBs), Wal-Mart data warehouses is measured in petabyte (1,000 terabyte) Technology: Data warehouse and OLAP emphasize speed, security, flexibility, reduce redundancy and abnormalities. 5.8 MCS Operational vs DSS Data 6.1 MCS Data Warehouse The Data Warehouse is an integrated, subject-oriented, time-variant, non-volatile database that provides support for decision making. Usually a read-only database optimized for data analysis and query processing centralized, consolidated database periodically updated, never removed Requires time, money, and considerable managerial effort to create 6.2 MCS OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) Advanced data analysis environment that supports decision making, business modeling, and operations research engine or platform for DSS or Data Warehouse OLAP systems share four main characteristics: Use multidimensional data analysis techniques Provide advanced database support Provide easy-to-use end-user interfaces Support client/server architecture 6.3 MCS OLAP vs OLTP: Online Transactional Processing (OLTP) emphasize speed, security, flexibility, reduce redundancy and abnormalities. Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) multi-dimensional data analysis advanced database support easy-to-use user interface support client/server architecture 6.4 MCS Multidimensional Data Analysis Goal: analyze data from different dimensions and different levels of aggregation 6.7 MCS Multidimensional Data Analysis Techniques Data are processed and viewed as part of a multidimensional structure Particularly attractive to business decision makers Augmented by following functions: Advanced data presentation functions Advanced data aggregation, consolidation and classification functions Advanced computational functions Advanced data modeling functions 6.8 MCS integration OLAP with Spreadsheet 6.9 MCS easy-to-Use End-User Interface Many of interface features are borrowed from previous generations of data analysis tools that are already familiar to end users Makes OLAP easily accepted and readily used 6.10 MCS Client/Server Architecture Provides framework within which new systems can be designed, developed, and implemented Enables OLAP system to be divided into several components that define its architecture OLAP is designed to meet ease-of-use as well as system flexibility requirements 6.11 MCS OLAP Architecture Designed to use both operational and data warehouse data Defined as an advanced data analysis environment that supports decision making, business modeling, and an operations research activities In most implementations, data warehouse and OLAP are interrelated and complementary environments 6.12 MCS Facts Numeric measurements (values) that represent specific business aspect or activity Normally stored in fact table that is center of star schema Fact table contains facts that are linked through their dimensions Metrics are facts computed or derived at run time 6.13 MCS Dimensions: simple star schema 6.14 MCS Attribute Hierarchies in multidimensional analysis 6.15 MCS Star Schema Representation 6.17 MCS Multi-dimensional database 6.18 MCS Star Schema 6.19 Snowflake schema 7.1 Service improvement MCS Outcome Database Center for Medical Service More than fifty community health centers contributed to this database. 547,719 transactions 13 Outcome indicators, 72,541 episodes of treatment, 17,205 patients, 108 therapists, 48 institution 8.1 Statistical Analysis MCS Difference in Clinical Services Improvement: Young and Old patients 8.2 Compare Cancer Incidence of Dublin County to Carlow County from 1996-2000 9.1 Conclusion: A Medical Card is a plastic card, about the size of a credit card, issued by the HSE. People who hold a Medical Card are entitled to a range of Health Services free of charge. In this project, we have seen a change of centralized medical card system with the help of NOSQL and RDBMS changed the service outcome. HSE have Mongo DB which make it suitable for this kind of project is it is Schema-less. A document can have any number of key/value pairs. Instead of using a schema, documents of the same time (for example, documents representing blog posts) all have a similar set of key/value pairs. Second, a database which HSE have here is Neo4j graph database. The reason why they have used Neo4j because it provides OLTP and supports Jason and XLS format. Another reason to use Neo4j is it is Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) operations working on a graph data model. MCS data-model-self-governing and planned to professionally handle accidental, ad hoc queries in an analytical system environment. We are using Mango DB, Neo4j, Oracle, MySQL along with legacy System like MUMS. The Size of the data per week is 1 tetra byte. We have Online replication. HSE have hot backup and full disaster recovery model implemented. HSE have one cold server run in Waterford region which they used as cold backup. HSE policy to store data in multi places so in case of disaster recovery will be easy. The MCS Data Warehouse is an integrated, subject-oriented, time-variant, non-volatile database that provides support for decision making. Usually a read-only database optimized for data analysis and query processing. centralized, consolidated database, periodically updated, never removed. It is Requires time, money, and considerable managerial effort to create. Relationships between DSS/BI was studied in detail along with, database, data management. We have explored the DSS/BI: transforming data into info to support decision making. The MCS (Medical Card System) operational data and DSS/BI data differ from which we have used to test the system. We have explored what data MCS (Medical Card System) warehouse is, how data for it are prepared, and how it is implemented Multidimensional database. The Database technology for BI: OLAP, OLTP. Examples of applications in healthcare. During this project, we were Combining Data Warehouse (OLAP) and GIS.OLAP: handles large data, fast retrieval multidimensional, multilevel aggregation, analyses/data mining on huge complex databases. IS: visualization and spatial analyses. Visualization and Analysis: Charts and Maps + Statistical Analysis. The outcome we have from the MCS Database is we have center for Medical Service More than fifty community health centers contributed to this database. The transaction span to 547,719 transactions. WE have 13 Outcome indicators, 72,541 episodes of treatment, 17,205 patients, 108 therapists, 48 institutions. 9.2 Learned: During completing this project, I have learned following: NOSQL MongoDB, Neo4j Installation and deployment OLTP in detail I have studied Data Warehouse comprehensively I have Learned about Data Analysis such as Statistical Analysis NoSQL and SQL have both their significance depend on what you want to do. It was a great learning curve and extend my horizon about technology There is a lot to learn the especially field in IT things a rapidly changing. RDBMS are good to work but they will not answer for all your IT needs. MongoDB and Neo4j are emerging technologies and best fit for the system like the medical card. During, my lab I have come across the term like horizontal scalability It is the capability of a system, network, or process to cover a rising sum of work, or it is potential to be magnified in rank to accommodate that increase. For object lesson, it can refer to the capability of a system to increase its total output under an increased load when resources (typically hardware) are added. Another, an inserting term I have discovered is a document database. Although it was covered in a lecture but not so clear. Hereafter working and installing it make quite a sense. 9.3 Problems/Issues For MongoDB, it is hard to work on command prompt Download inteleJ IDEA and configured and that will make the job easier. Available online: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/#section=windows I have tried to install Oracle NOSQL and there were no windows version All process required extra expertise in Linux and Unix and one point I gave up Installing/configuring process in case of MongoDB and Neo4j is very simple and straight forward. Neo4j is quite straight forward to install and work. Once installed the Neo4j you need to look around how to run Neo4j. it is almost hard to run Neo4j on http://127.0.0.1 instead if you run it on http://localhost:7474/browser/ on your browser window. Command structure not so great, as long your system gets complex, the query process of Neo4j is getting complex as well. IT required previous Knowledge of Jason. If there is a problem in query design, Neo4j prompt for the mistake, but if you have query structure problem or logical error there is no error message. Like all technology, you need to memories a lot. There is no toll-like workbench for help. If you have previously worked with RDBMS like oracle or MySQL it will take a while to get a hand on Neo4j. 10.1 Appendix: http://www2.seas.gwu.edu/~bell/csci243/lectures/data_warehousing.pdf http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/mc/ http://www.hse.ie/eng/ http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data-analysis.html https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140728161327-51272350-what-is-collection-in-nosql-databases-specifically-in-mongodb https://Neo4j .com/why-graph-databases/ http://www.w3resource.com/mongodb/nosql.php http://www.tutorialspoint.com/Neo4j /Neo4j _features_advantages.htm http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/top-five-nosql-databases-and-when-to-use-them.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uFY60CESlMlist=PL6gx4Cwl9DGDQ5DrbIl20Zu9hx1IjeVhO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE6G5BX8GG0list=PL1zjgLKnHOtga1W4cdyjxRbliw4-n84hR http://dist.Neo4j .org/Neo4j -manual-1.4.M03.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE6G5BX8GG0list=PL1zjgLKnHOtga1W4cdyjxRbliw4-n84hR

Case study Mental Illness and Addiction

Case study Mental Illness and Addiction Describe substance abuse and how it differs from substance dependence. Substance abuse is when an individual Overindulgences in an addictive substance (New Oxford American Dictionary. According to the Neurobiological Causes of Addiction, substance abuse is a Maladaptive pattern of drug use leading to impairment or distress presenting as one or more of the following in a 12 month period of time (Erickson Wilcox 2001): Recurrent use leading to failure to fulfill major obligations Recurrent use which is physically hazardous Recurrent drug-related legal problems Continued use despite social or interpersonal problems and the person has never met the criteria for substance dependence (Erickson Wilcox 2001). A person that has a substance dependence is when an individual uses a substance despite the negative affects that may occur, such as: withdrawal, and compulsive behavior. According to Erickson, Drug dependence is a maladaptive pattern of drug use, leading to impairment or distress, presenting as three or more of the following in a 12 month period (Erickson Wilcox 2001): Tolerance to the drugs actions Withdrawal Drug is used more then intended Inability to control drug use Effort is expended to obtain the drug Important activities are replaced by drug use Drug use continues in spite of negative consequences When an individual has a dependence to a substance the individual has a psychological and physical attachment with the substance. It is this link between the drug and the body / mind that can have devastating and lasting effects on the individual who has the dependence. 5 pts Some recovery/treatment programs stress total abstinence as a goal, while other advocate harm reduction. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each approach? Abstinence is like to what it sounds the individual is not allowed to partake in the substance that they are addicted to, and these types of programs are effective, but the individual has to be willing to devote themselves to the program. Some of the advantages of abstinence can include getting the individual healthy physically and mentally. The positive side of abstinence is that the individual is no longer destroying personal property and committing crimes to finance their addiction. Therefore, abstinence keeps people out of the legal system including serving time for criminal crimes and dealing with the court system for loosing custody of their children. 12 step recovery groups such as AA and NA advocate for abstinence to give people what they call, Recovery and a change for a better life that is free from active addiction (Personal communication, Wright. J, 2010) Abstinence provides a support group that allows the addiction to be normalized, and allow the individual to link up with other people who are slaves to a dependency. The individual is able to have an since of empowerment by being surrounded by others, who are able to keep the individual in check on their addiction and personal goals. The disadvantages of abstinences, Are most disturbing is the way abstinence can segregate mentally ill persons from being able to engage in treatment. This is because many people have diagnoses that require Benzodiazepines, Amphetamines and even Methadone which treatment providers believe to be highly addictive. There is a theory that a person in treatment can engage in services if they are high on prescriptions (Personal communication Wright. J. 2010) The main program for abstinence is AA or NA and they are based on spirituality, this could be a conflict for some of the individuals who are in treatment, because there religion may contradict that of the programs. It is also important to remember that the individual has to want to change their life for this program to work. AA and NA also tell the individual that they have no power over their addiction, it does not allow the individual to have a feeling and since of empowerment. It seems to take the power away for the individual and p uts all the focus on the addiction. Also AA and NA preaches the idea that you have to go to the meetings every day and that you will always be an addict and that you can never be without the addiction and that you can never over come the addiction. Also they have to be willing to alter their lives and commit themselves to the program: fully. Harm reduction is a good alturnative to abstinence for individuals who cannot stop their use because they are psychologically dependance to the substance. Harm reductions can include such ideas and concepts like, using the substance less, using the drug every Wednesday or even changing out their needles for clean ones. Some of the following are advantages and disadvantages according to the 2007 Journal of Drug Issues in English and American Drug Clients (K. Phillips, h. Rosenburg A. Sanikop). Harm Reduction Advantages and Disadvantages Interventions Advantages Disadvantages Methadone Reduces/eliminates/stabilizes illicit drug use facilities detox/relives withdrawal More addictive and worse withdrawal then heroin, Substituting one addiction for another. Substitute Amphetamines Known potency, Content.Decrease need for street drugs. Crime reduction Could encourage to use more on top and OD Diversion to black markets. Needle Exchange Disease Prevention, Removes temptation to share or reuse (needles) Disease Prevention Lower rates of AIDS and STI Community harm/inappropriate disposal, Makes it easier to inject. Encourages use Drop in Centers Safer environment NOS, OD prevention/ Prevents harm treatment facilitation Encourages drug use/Risk compensation. Place where drugs can be sold. Lofexidine Eases pain of withdrawal non-opiate alternative Encourages detox/eases withdrawal Doesnt help enough with the withdrawal symptoms Drug has specific side effects Naltrexone Temptation resistance Relapse prevention because use is waste of money Relapse Prevention/ helps user quit, blocks the effects of Heroin Can be used as a weapon, Clients wont take it In the states, Harm Reduction therapy has a stigma attached to it that some clinical practices and professionals have attached to it, detouring individuals with substance abuse issues to use Harm Reduction. This type of therapy also does not assist with co-occurring dependancies that the individual may have. It tends to focus on the chemical that the individual is addicted to and not the cause of the dependancy. It does not allow for the individual to isolate and get to the root of the problem, however, it does save money in the medical and prison systems. The needle exchange, was started after the out break of HIV and AIDS and the number of individuals who were diagnosed with HIV and AIDS has gone down since the needle exchange was influenced. As well as the number of individuals who are in prison for substance abuse has gone down because there are treatment programs that include methadone that can help the individual come off their addiction to an opiate. 5 pts Alcoholism has been described as a bio-psycho-social disorder. If you were performing an assessment of a defendant what factors would you look for in the client history? Bio-psycho-social is broken down into the following: Biological Addiction: is addiction that runs in the families and there maybe genetic involved in the process of addictions, but some of the individuals have a biological predisposition to addiction Psychological Addiction: That addiction is a learned behavior. This can include, domestic violence and learning how to use a drug. One becomes obsessed by the PLEASURE that the substance can provide. Social Aspect: Environments that individuals grow up in and that environment may reinforce addictive behaviors. It is these concepts that create the bio-psycho-social theory, it is an idea that is steeped in the theory of person in environment. It takes in account the individuals biology, psychological health and social wellbeing and support to fully understand the root of the persons addiction. According to the Handbook of Forensic Mental Health ( D. Springer A. Roberts 2007 p. 350-352) the following are questions and information that you have to gather in order to be able to fully complete an assessment: Presenting Problems: Record current problems as reported by the youth, family, referral source and any pertinent others, Include the history and development of the problem, circumstances surrounding the problem and the previous attempts to solve the problem. Development (birth to current age): describe prenatal care, birth, achievements of developmental milestones, delays and birth defects. Family Background: describe the family constellation, family functioning and communication. Include socioeconomic, educational and occupational information. Describe family childrearing and parenting tactics. Academic History: Describe previous diagnoses and the history of psychological problems and services. Include medication history and any history of self-injurious behaviors and or suicide attempts. Psychological History: Describe previous diagnoses and the history of psychological problems and services include medication history and any history of self-injurious behaviors and or suicide attempts. Substance Abuse History: Describe the youths use and abuse of all substances; include the length, method, and location of use and the families history of substance use. Juvenile Justice or Legal History: Describe previous encounters with the juvenile justice system and the history of illegal behaviors and status offense. include timeline, type, and circumstances of offense as well as the family history of legal problems. Violence and Abuse History: Detail psychological, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse of the youth and include a timeline. Identify perpetrators and describe whether the abuse occurred in or outside of the family. Describe any family or dating violence that the youth perpetrated. include any other traumas that the youth was exposed to. Medical History: Describe the history of medical conditions diseases and medication of youth Include the family history. Cultural History: Identify the ethnicity and rase of the youth and family include any issues noted regarding bicultural identity, immigration status, language barriers, acculturation and discrimination. Lethality: Clearly identify any concerns with lethality of the youth either towards him or herself or others and describe the plan for addressing this lethality. Bio-psycho-social is a holistic approach when dealing with an individuals addictive behavior. It is based on a continuum approach, that is supported by a since of empowerment. It allows the individual to understand why they many have started to be addicted to a substance that is plaguing them, and gives them the tools that is needed to understand their addiction and how to prevent themselves from relapsing. 5 pts Historically, a number of theories or models of alcoholism have evolved. What are these models and what is their relevance for today? These models give a guideline and help create an understanding in why people become addicted to specific substances. These models range from biological reasoning to environmental, but they are all linked in trying to discover why people become addicted to substances: they all strive to create a public understanding of addiction. They do not try to make excuses for those who are addicted, but they try to understand why addiction occurs. Theoretical Models of Alcohol/Drug Abuse From the Concepts of Chemical Dependency by: H. Doweiko Moral Model Temperance Model Spiritual Model Dispositional Disease Model Core Element The individual is viewed as choosing to use alcohol in problematic manner This model advocates the use of alcohol in moderate manner Drunkenness is a sight that the individual has slipped from his or her intended path in life. The person who becomes addicted to alcohol is somehow different from the nonalcoholic. The alcoholic might be said to allergic to alcohol Educational Model Characterological Model General Systems Model Medical Model Core Element Alcohol problems are caused by a lack of adequate knowledge about harmful effects of this chemical Problems with alcohol use are based on abnormalities in the personality structure of the individual Personal behavior must be viewed within context of social system in which they live The individual use of alcohol is based on biological predispositions such as his or her genetic heritage brain physiology and so on. (Harold Doweiko. 2009. pp. 30) The models that have the most relevance for today has to be the medical model and the general systems model. Because by looking at the person in a holistic way we can understand that the individual is affect by addiction in three ways: biologically, psychologically, and socially and those two theories envelop those ideals. I think that when you understand the individuals biological and social characteristics, you will understand there addiction. 5 pts In describing the neurobiology of addiction, the term neuroplasticity is used to describe what brain process? Neuroplasticity is when the brain is altered due to chemicals, and it is forced to change in order to adapt to the chemical. When the chemical has been removed from the individual withdrawal starts to occur, because the brain has a difficult time functioning without the substance it has been forced to adapt to. Because the brain is good at making adjustments the body is capable of adapting to the toxic chemical, and the body learns how to function with the additive. Without the chemical the body has to alter itself to relearn how to function without the chemical. 5 pts Dr. Eugene Prochaska has developed a treatment approach based on Stages of Change. What is the thinking behind this model and how it is used in treating substance abusers? The purpose of this model is to understand how the cognitive and behavioral approaches affect the individual who is addicted to chemicals. According to Porchaska the, Purpose (of) the transtheoretical model (TTM) of health behavior seeks to bridge the cognitive and the behaviorist approaches by positing a series of stages in modifying behavior; in only some of these are cognitive processes pertinent and The model includes four main constructs: the sequential stages of change; processes which people typically use to facilitate change; decisional balance, which predicts whether change will occur; and self- efficacy, the persons confidence they can make changes (Prochaska. 1985. pp. 1). Stages of Change Stages of Change and the Transtheoretical Model By: E. Prochaska Stages Description Pre-contemplation The person has no intent in changing the behavior, usually within the next six months. This maybe due to lack of information or confidence. The person is unmotivated and will resist discussing or thinking about making the change. They are not ready for interventions. Contemplation The person expresses and intention to take action within six months. They are aware of the benefits and cost of making the change and this balance may keep them in the phase for a long time. They are not ready for an intervention that expects immediate action. Preparation The person intends to take action in the immediate future. They typically have a plan of action and they have taken some preparatory action. They are ready for traditional action interventions Action The person has specific changes to their lifestyle Maintenance The person works to prevent relapse; during this phase their confidence increases as they continue with their new lifestyle. Termination In principle the maintenance stage will lead to a phase in which the person is no longer tempted to revert to their former behavior and the change is complete. This model suggest that in order to over come an addiction you have to go though a linear model. I do not think that the individual with the substance abuse has to go though all these steps in order to kick the habit. I also believe that this model places all the blame on the individual because it does not take into account the individual biology and or the environment that the individual is surrounded by. The thinking behind this model is that these are the stages that an individual who has a substance abuse dependency must go though in order to become clean and if they are able to follow this model they will finally be able to kick the habit. 5 pts How is crystal meth different from other stimulants such as cocaine? What are some of the long-term effects associated with meth use? According to the Powerpoint provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (SHMHSA) the differences between methamphetamine and cocaine are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cocaine effects: 1 to 2 hours. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Methamphetamine effects: 8 to 12 hours. More intense rush or initial pleasure (I would add.) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Withdrawal from methamphetamine can cause more intense symptoms and last longer. The Long term psychological effects of using meth are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Confusion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Loss of ability to concentrate and organize information à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Loss of ability to feel pleasure without the drug à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Paranoia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Insomnia and fatigue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mood swings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Irritability and anger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Depression à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Anxiety and panic disorder à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Reckless, unprotected sexual behavior The more sever psychological effects can include: Hallucinations Severe depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts Episodes of sudden, violent behavior Severe memory loss that may be permanent The chronic physical effects are: Tremor Weakness Dry mouth Weight loss/malnutrition Increased sweating Oily skin Sores Headaches Severe problems with teeth and gums Sever Physical: Seizures Damaged blood vessels in the brain/stroke Damaged brain cells Irregular heartbeat/sudden death Heart attack or chronic heart problems Kidney failure Liver failure Tweaking Infected skin sores 5 pts â‚ ¬Ã‚ ³Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ µÃ¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ³Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ µ Citations Department of Health and Human Services. SHMHSA.(Year unknown) Session 4: methamphetamine and cocaine, TCRIM 361 Summer 2010. University of Washington Tacoma. Doweiko, H. (2009). Concepts of chemical dependency: psychological models of substance use disorders. Brooks/cole cengage learning. Belmont CA. ISB: 13-978-049550580-8 Erickson, Carlton K. and Wilcox, Richard E.(2001) Neurobiological causes of addiction, journal of social work practice in the addictions, 1: 3, 7 22 DOI: 10.1300/J160v01n03_02 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/ J160v01n03_02 Phillips, K., Rosenberg, H., Sanikop, A. (2007). English and american drug clients view of the acceptably, advantages and disadvantages of treatment and harm reduction interventions. Journal of Drug issues, 37(2), 377-402. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Prochaska, J. (1985). Stages of change and the transtheoretical model. Springer W., Roberts A., (2007) Handbook of forensic mental health with victims and offenders: assessment, treatment, and research. Springer Series on Social Work. New York. ISBN: 0826115144 Wright. J. (2010, Aug. 8). Personal communication. University of Washington.

Freuds Concept of the Uncanny Essay -- Freudian concept of the uncann

When a person experiences chills or goose bumps as a reaction to something strange or unusual, they are being affected by a sense of uncanniness. The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud endeavored to explain this feeling of uncanniness in his essay entitled â€Å"The Uncanny†. Freud’s theory focuses around two different causes for this reaction. Freud attributes the feeling of uncanniness to repressed infantile complexes that have been revived by some impression, or when primitive beliefs that have been surmounted seem once more to be confirmed. The first point of his theory that Freud discusses in the essay is the repression of infantile complexes that cause an uncanny experience. Freud uses E.T.A. Hoffman’s short story, â€Å"The Sandman†, to explain the idea of repression of infantile complexes. The story centers around the character of the Sandman, who steals the eyes of children. Freud states that the fear that the character Nathaniel feels towards the Sandman has more to due with an infantile castration complex than with the actual fear of losing his eyes. In Freud’s theory he states that the â€Å"Study of dreams, phantasies and myths has taught us that a morbid anxiety connected with the eyes and with going blind is often enough a substitute for the dread of castration†(Freud 383). If Freud’s belief is true, than it is Nathaniel’s fear of castration that causes him in the end to go mad and throw himself from parapet. Nathaniel’s fear is embodied in the character of the Sandman, whom Freud says represents Nathaniel’s father, and thus is the cause of his fear of castration. The Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex would also be affected by Freud’s theory. When examining Oed... ...s the knowledge of something in the recesses of our memory that is unattainable in any definite sense. Freud does indeed succeed in explaining two very important causes of uncanniness, and they are easily identified in literature and in society. Freud believes that uncanniness is a result of repressed infantile complexes and also the confirmation of primitive beliefs. Freud’s observations are important because they help us better understand our reactions and our fears, which in turn help us better understand ourselves. As long as people continue to gain some sort of pleasure from enduring this sense of uncanniness, writers and film makers will continue to use Freud’s methods to bring about the uncanny. Works Cited Freud, Sigumund. "The Uncanny." Literary Theory: An Anthology. Ed. by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. New York: Blackwell, 1998.

Jourody Free Essay Importance of the Journey in Homers Odyssey :: Odyssey essays

Importance of the Journey in Homer's Odyssey In the Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus's main goal was to reach home. Even though all of his thoughts were turned towards his home and family, he learned many lessons along the way. Odysseus's greatest learning experiences were in his journey, not his destination. One of Odysseus's biggest challenges was to resist temptation. The first temptation Odysseus and his men encountered was the sweet lotos plant, "They fell in, soon enough, with Lotos Eaters, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet Lotos to out friends..." (IX. 98-100). Eating the plant did not seem like a bad idea, but resisting was a much wiser option, ."..but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotos, never cared to report, nor return: they longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland" (IX. 101-104). If they had eaten the plant, they never would have gotten home. Another great temptation they had to withstand was the Seirênês. The Seirênês would tempt the men to them with their beauty and music, "Square in your ship's path are Seirênês, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by..." (XII. 101-104). If men did not resist, they would fall into the Seirênês' clutches and die, "Woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy, crowding about him, home from sea; the Seirênês will sing his mind away on their sweet meadow lolling..." (XII. 50-54). The biggest temptation that Odysseus had to defy was from the sea nymph, Kalypso, "I fed him, loved, him, sang that he should not die or grow old ever, in all the days to come" (V. 1420143). Kalypso wanted to have Odysseus as her husband, but all he could think of was home, "Meanwhile he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom to the nymph; he cannot stir, cannot fare homeward..." (V. 15-17). Odysseus resisted, and was not completely unfaithful to his wife. If he had not resisted temptation, he would have been on the island of the Lotos Eaters, dead, or without a wife. Next, Odysseus learned that greed would never result in any good.