John Locke s Theory Of Self And Personal Identity Essay

John Locke a seventeenth century Philosopher uses a number of thought experiments in his 1690 account, ’An Essay concerning Human Understanding’. He uses these thought experiments to help explain his definition of the self and personal identity. The thought experiments that are used, go some way in explaining his opinions and in clarifying the role that memory plays in defining the term. Although defining personal identity was and still is a complex subject and not all philosophers share the same views. The term ’personal identity’ is described in the text book ’as what, if anything makes a person the same person despite changes over time’ (Warburton, N,2011, p.18). Locke’s thought experiments are essential instruments in explaining that when a man or woman has no memory or consciousness of events that have occurred, their personal identity is altered quite significantly. Locke aims to show that a person’s consciousness is what makes them, them. And that the biological body that their consciousness inhabits is not always connected. These opinions are talked about throughout his account and it is clear that John Locke feels that memory is imperative to personal identity. In John Locke’s description of the thought experiment the little finger; he discusses the differences that can occur when a part of a human is removed and becomes its own individual body. Locke states that ’If the consciousness went along with the finger when it was cut off’ that the finger could not denyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Locke And The Problem Of Personal Identity1622 Words   |  7 PagesProblems in Philosophy John Locke and the Problem of Personal Identity Personal identity, in a philosophical point of view, is the problem of explaining what makes a person numerically the same over a period of time, despite the change in qualities. The major questions answered by Locke were questions concerning the nature of identity, persons, and immorality (Jacobsen, 2016). This essay will discuss the three themes John Locke presents in his argument regarding personal identity, which are, the conceptRead MorePropelling Rational Thought Over Compelling Empiricism1459 Words   |  6 Pagesintend to examine the rationalist philosophy of Rene Descartes and fundamental empiricism of John Locke’s philosophical arguments, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, his identity and attempt to explain distinctions between the two. As I lay the framework of my argument it is important to understand the precepts that serve as the underpinning for the views considered by Descartes and Locke respectively. Rationalism and empiricism are two modes of thought that have been adoptedRead MoreEssay about The View of Self1177 Words   |  5 PagesThe View of Self The view of the self and the theory of personal identity are one of the most interesting topics in the world of philosophy. It attempts to answer the question as to what makes the person now the same person that existed a year (or any period of time) ago. The world is constantly evolving and becoming more technologically proficient; ones identity is becomingRead MorePersonal Statement : Personal Identity1267 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Identity Many ancient philosophers were fascinated with the idea of the personal identity. This is often referred to as the â€Å"self†. The â€Å"self† is considered to be something that is not physical, therefore the search to discover the â€Å"self† is not concrete. With the â€Å"self† being something that has no physical element, many philosophers have different opinions on what the â€Å"self† is and how it functions. â€Å"Someone s personal identity in this sense consists of those features she takes to â€Å"defineRead MoreIs Personal Identity in the Mind of the Beholder?795 Words   |  4 Pages Personal identity is a very controversial aspect of life. Who are we? What defines us? According to John Locke, psychological continuity is what defines our personal identity. Locke discusses the case of the prince and the cobbler to help shape his theory. However, I absolutely disagree with Locke’s theory. Locke’s theory of personal identity creates many problems, such as the duplication problem. By reformulating Locke’s theory of personal identity, we still come across these problems thatRead MoreThe wonders of self awareness1468 Words   |  6 Pages Self-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. In philosophy An early philosophical discussion of self-awareness is that of John Locke. Locke was apparently influenced by Renà © Descartes statement normally translated I think, therefore I am . In chapter XXVII On Identity and Diversity of Locke s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding he conceptualized consciousness as the repeatedRead MoreHume Personal Identity Essay1032 Words   |  5 Pageswe are and how we became the person that we are today. Although many people believe that from the time we are born, we begin to develop our own personal identities that will differentiate us from everyone else within the world, others believe that our identities are a consequent of the influences that we encounter throughout our lives. Personal identity is the concept that you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your life. This also includes aspects in your life that you do notRead MoreDifferences, Or The Rudiments Of Non Identity827 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferences, or the rudiments of non-identity (Strawson 36). Identity is not a special type of relationship of the substantial essence, and knowledge is, in the Locke s point of view, knowledge about the type of relationship and the essence, since we are talking about identity, forms, mechanisms of its maintenance. However, the specificity of the â€Å"identity† categories as forms of knowledge is not absolute; it has almost all the features which are inherent to other forms of knowledge such as conceptsRead MoreAnalyzing the Views of Mackenzie and Schechtman on Personal Identity1655 Words   |  7 Pageson Personal Identity Introduction The concept of personal identity or personhood is a very complex area of philosophy that challenges our most basic understandings of mind and matter. Philosophers have generally settled into either the school of mind, or consciousness, and the school of body. As our ability to study the mind grows, through developments in psychology and neurology, consciousness-based theories have come to dominate the discussion of personal identity and body-based theories appearRead MoreEssay on Consciousness As Determined Th1030 Words   |  5 Pagestheir physical surroundings, pain and even a wish or fantasy. In short a creature is conscious if it is aware of itself and that it is a physical and emotional being. Consciousness is a psychological condition defined by the English philosopher John Locke as quot;the perception of what passes in a man’s own mindquot;.1 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Consciousness is defined and perceived differently in many psychological view points. For instance the earlier views around the 19th century was diversely

The History Of Social Work In Vietnam. Each Country Has

The History of Social Work in Vietnam Each country has a unique history for the development of social work. While social work was first started in Amsterdam and later introduced in the United States in the late 1800’s, other countries are starting to develop social work practice more recently (Zastrow, 2010). At the completion of multiple decades of war, Vietnam could start implementing social work practice. It is important for foreigners who plan to work in Vietnam to be aware of the history of social work practice. Having an awareness of the history would be able to show the case workers the progress being made and where advocacy is going to be needed in the future. Learning about the history will also be able to give insight about the†¦show more content†¦Because of the influence of institutional programs today, the Social Work Education Enhancement Program (SWEEP) team trained on proper institutional care (Hines, et al. 2015). While South Vietnam was experiencing independence in between 1945 and 1954, social work was being introduced (Oanh, 2002). This happened by the creation of Caritas School of Social Work, which was organized by the French Red Cross. The social work organizations were serving Vietnamese through large French organizations. During the American neo-colonial period Vietnam split at the 17th parallel. At the time of the split, multiple social agencies were implemented by the United Stated to benefit South Vietnam (Oanh, 2002). Organizations like Catholic Relief Charities and International Rescue Committee were assisting with the movement of refugees from the north (Oanh, 2002). During the split, there was differences between social work in the North and the South (Hugman et al., 2009). The North’s focus was the socialist system with mutual care in families and communities. Work was different in the city compared to the country side. The city was focused on the Youth Union and the Women’s Union, while the country side focused on medical services, child care and programs. (Hugman, et al., 2009). In the south, the focus was on programs which were sponsored by European government. They were programs based on children’sShow MoreRelatedTaking a Closer Look at Vietnamese Culture Essay1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnamese culture is one that is complex, from the years of war until today where the country, its culture and economy is booming. Vietnam has had its ups and it downs, but the country’s ability to recover and rebuild is important and has played a significant part with where they stand today. Let’s get into the complex meaning of culture and then explore Vietnam and its culture. If you search the word culture, there are various meanings that will arise. Culture is the total of the inheritedRead MoreEconomic Development As A Tool Of Foreign Policy759 Words   |  4 Pagesregions. 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In general, Ten-Point Manifesto was an notable embodiment of the shared values of the global revolutionaryRead MoreLosing Vietnam On The Home Front1672 Words   |  7 PagesNick Smith U.S. History A Mr. Nance March 23, 2016 Losing Vietnam on the Home-front Forty six years have passed since the United States officially stopped their involvement in Vietnam. Not since the Civil war had the country been so torn. Every American family was impacted, losing husbands, sons, and daughters. Over fifty thousand Americans were killed and many more still suffer deep physical and emotional scars . Veterans took their own lives, were treated as social outcasts, or ended up onRead MoreThe Effect of Vietnam War on the Soldiers1679 Words   |  7 Pages The Vietnam War was the longest and the most unpopular American war of the twentieth century. The United States was involve in the Vietnam from 1944 to 1973, but it was only during the last years that the U.S deployed ground troops (Lawrence 1). For the first time the United states was the aggressor. Vietnam is situated thousands of miles from the United States, so Vietnam was not a direct threat to the United States’ safety. The Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh seem to look up to the United States,Read MoreReligious Conflict in Muslim Countries Essay1276 Words   |  6 Pagesserious challenge to civil liberties as well as democratic countries all over the world, Muslim countries are to bipolarities within themselves. One of the most expressed forms of the conflict in many Muslim countries today takes place between secular and Islamic discourse. While the secular wing of the debate is sometimes represented the state elite, the media and / or the military, the Islamic language be st expressed between the religious and social groups, if the chance given, in the political partiesRead MoreVietnam Culture Dimension Of Vietnam Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesVietnam Culture Dimension Each country will have the own culture. As the country Vietnam is a country living in feudalism. Vietnam has a distinctive culture and ancient associated with the history of the formation and development of the nation. Vietnam has a rich culture and diversity in all aspects. Vietnamese people have many different festivals along with community significance, and sustainable confidence in the different beliefs about religion. Ability to Influence Power distance dimensionRead MoreMaya Lin Vietnam Veterans Memorial Analysis1276 Words   |  6 Pagesfamous for her sculptures and land art. Her most famous work, the Vietnam Memorial, was chosen in a contest, and her designs both mesmerized and angered many people. Since them, works and designs she has created for competitions have been mainly memorials and remembrances based on historical events. Her works are intended to use the natural texture and geology of the space around the monument to its advantage in its creation. 2. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a non-profit organization, beganRead MoreEducation in Vietnam vs America Essay1219 Words   |  5 Pages2014 Education System in Vietnam versus in America â€Å"The United States system of education that has been created for students in Kindergarten through High School is the best educational system in the world. No exceptions. No disclaimers. No doubt. It is simply the best† (Pat Quinn). This means that in many other countries, especially developing countries, the education systems are still old, and Vietnam is one of those countries. Although Vietnam’s education system has improved, the limitationsRead MorePaul Nguyen. 20Th Literature. Mrs. Hildebrand. 2/20/2017.1254 Words   |  6 Pagesdepending on how hard Boxer can work, everyone else will work differently. But it only sounded good when the Old Major gave a speech about it, â€Å"All animals are equal† but when it came to practice, things started to get cracked, slowly. Socialism gives the higher classes a chance to overpower and control the lower class because the government will determine the mean of the products and the needs of the working class. This wi ll lead to unfairness in the working class because each person will have different

Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: 1. Examine and critique an aspect of the companys performance with regards to fulfilling the needs within society.2. Analyse the companys current corporate image.3. Highlight both areas of achievement and those requiring improvements. Do not focus only the positive or negative aspects.4. Examine and discuss the impacts and implications of the companys action on society and stakeholders.5. Provide youre on balance recommendations conclusions about the companys performance in society. Answers: 1. Toyota Company puts huge emphases to reach out to the social needs and the values the importance of the community surrounding their operations. The giant corporation makes decisions that directly affect the community and adds to their social responsibility. Among the lead activities to promote their social awareness and responsibility is the employee engagement. The employees play a huge role in the development of an assessment that aims to cover the needs of the intermediate society. The functions that Toyota carries out in their self-termed social contribution entail the protection of the environment, the emphasis on traffic safety, education engagements as well as giving back to the society as a whole[1]. The processes seem to be a normal expectation to the common person referring to the profits that the car manufacturer makes and with the steady lead in the car manufacturing industry. As early as 2003, there was the development of the Community Spirit Program that focused on t he capacity building for non-profit members, offers eminent support for the business goals of all the involved parties, delivers benefits that would offer long-term sustainability and encourage employees and dealership. However, the program offered minute chances for the participation from the employees of the firm. 2011 saw the birth of the Toyota Community Foundation to combat the missing evaluation from the employees of the firm. The task of the appointed champions would to give input to what the community and social needs would entail to the manufacturing firm. The growth of the new foundation associated itself with disaster relief where there was a concrete connection to the matching donations from the employees. Moreover, there was an establishment of a community and employee fund that offered and still offer grants to the communities via partnerships with the local governments. The efforts get simplified and more diversified from the presence of fifty-two manufacturing plants in twenty-seven countries globally. Each plant in the diverse countries has tasks from the head offices to promote and deliver results of the social responsibility and facilitate social needs of the communities around them in their performance statuses. The company additionally offers employment to the people in regions where the firm establishes its manufacturing plants in efforts to create employment to the locals, and in a collective role with the local governments to increase the national income. Moreover, the firm announced a contribution towards sustainable development to boost its relations with the stakeholders. In August 2008, the move translated to the firms CSR policy. The policy traces efforts of contribution through sustainable development and takes into account the gradual environmental changes and the ever-increasing societal interests in the CSR. The specific input to the community has their commitment to respect the people by honouring the cultures, history, custom s and laws of each region the firm has an operational plant1. In addition, Toyota focuses on finding safer, superior, and cleaner methods that satisfy the needs of the specific society to provide sustainable mobility. Importantly, Toyota vows not to take any form of bribery from any individual or institution and adds to maintain their fair and honest relations with the governmental institutions and with the authorities governing the public. Their fulfilment of the social needs leads Toyota to spell out that they actively engage and promote the social contribution activities that reinforce societies and give continued support to enrich the societies. The fulfilment happens in collaboration with individuals and with partners. 2. The current representation from the corporate Toyota to the world is that of a customer first image. The firm puts emphasis on the needs of the customers, with common phrases and ads that deliver the same image. The events leading to a strong brand creation to put the customer is king[2] mantra dig to the events that lead to the death of four people as the accelerator pedal stuck in a floor mat. The accident occurring in 2009 saw Toyota recall 3.8 million vehicles on November 2 and 400,000 vehicles in a recall four weeks after the incident. The effects of the accidents damaged the then positive image for the customers. Subsequently, the negative attitude from customers rose to 22 percent and the positive regard from the consumers fell by five points to settle at 78 percent. The recalls were not over since on January 21, 2010; the gigantic corporation recalled over two million vehicles following complaints about the accelerator pedal sticking in the cars without floor mats. There w as an additional recall of other vehicles with an array of diversified faults. Following the recall and subsequent loss of trust from the consumers, the firm propelled a new motto Moving Forward in an attempt to push the new agenda and image of the fresh start and desire to communicate with the customers for a better future. The new motto also played a double role to revive the firm from the natural calamities in Japan and Taiwan at the period. A combination of smart pricing and intelligent artisanship works to create the new image for the customers, and the methods work due to the increase in the sales and growth of the firm over the past decade. Launching new models and running ads across mainstream media place the image of the firm at a new perspective to the eyes of the motor customers. Moreover, there was the establishment of the Toyota Marketing Japan Corporation and Toyota Motor Sales and Marketing Corporation dedicated to offering more efforts to advance genchi and genbutsu- and improve on the consumer based marketing engagements. In addition, the new extensions geared the strength to reform the operations of the sales and the development of the new models from the firm. Creation of ads to cover an extensive frequency of up to seven times in a year offering different ads for the various models changed the image completely to the current customer is king corporate image. 3. Toyotas Areas of Achievement The up trick in the manufacturing success of Toyota goes to the low prices of fuel, economies getting stronger and the huge customer demand for Toyota automobiles. Toyota manufactures over fourteen models in over twenty-five nations. Apart from the huge economic and financial growth of the firm, a huge milestone in the manufacturing industry lies within the provision of current technological and engineering discoveries that guarantee safety and promote efficiency. Toyota plays top leagues in promoting safety and promoting the efficiency. The invention of green cars, recalls inspecting and correcting major faults in the models, and the inclusion of safety procedures in all of the models acts as a leading milestone for the company. Apart from the engineering aspect Toyota pushed immensely and achieved the customer trust through the production of the numerous and correction of errors in the released car models. Toyota grew the image to form a positive image for their customers. Hence, t he growth in the customer demands the Toyota models all over the globe. A huge milestone and achievement from the gigantic firm are the increase in the viable ways that connect the firm dealers networks. The firm develops a special focus on manufacturing economical cars with a hinting range of the luxurious giants. Areas That Need Improvement I feel Toyota needs to take initiatives to reform the corporate culture. They need to revitalize the venture spirit through the direct reformation of the consciousness to align with the Global Vision[3]. The introduction of cars that meet the local needs in the ever-evolving markets should be a priority for the firm. Performing those tasks will improve the global market share by a ten percent sure increase from the gigantic car-manufacturing firm. In the innovation for the development of better basic performance cars, the firm should aim to synthesize the design and the planning process to produce better and simplistic performing cars. It is also a thought for Toyota to improve on the Six Sigma, the quality of the car, and offer less focus to the lean of the car, the focus on time3. The firm will benefit even more from the continuous upholding of their improvement culture in their car manufacturing DNA. The production of green cars and fuel-saving automobiles is a region that needs c onstant improvement in anticipation to the changing dynamics of the world supply of petroleum commodities. 4. The recognition that Toyota has to the importance of involving the stakeholders and the society leads them to put more and more emphasis on the creation of rules that govern their CSR operations. Among the impacts of the firm engaging in the society and having a healthy relationship with the stakeholders, is the strong and positive image of the firm in the communities. The day-to-day decision-making process has a variable input from the stakeholders and the society and in so doing; the firm meets and operates within the expectations of all the parties involved[4]. Additionally, the firm has an easy time following the compliance procedures set in the locations of the manufacturing industries. To such regards, Toyota does not expose itself to risks of penalties and fines, legal costs, potential closure of operations, loss of corporate reputation, or even less productivity due to frequent and subsequent inspections. The sustainability creates financial value to the firm through the s ystem of enhanced revenues and the lower costs of operating business from the integration with the society and their social needs. The revenues increase from the increased sales created by a god corporate reputation, and the low operation costs originate from the fewer processes improvements and a declined rate of fines and penalties. The increased moral obligation for Toyota acts as an obligation from their engagement with the society and their needs and with the inclusion of the stakeholders in the decision-making process. The corporate leadership of the Toyota firm increases their efforts in the mandate to protect the environment in the locations with their manufacturing facilities. Their obligation to protect the environment promises to control some pollutants to protect the community and the environment at a long short4. In so doing, the firm achieves two goals with one direct motive. Their moral standard and respect for the community surrounding their business ensure they prot ect the environment in their manufacturing process and at the same time provides a financial advantage from the sales of less-pollutant automobiles. Various stakeholders such as the customers have an open forum to engage with the company through the various response lines and social media outlets. The advantage that Toyota has over other motor manufacturing firms is the open channels to which the customers can contact the firm. Impacts include an improvement of the customer satisfaction activities and improved dissemination of information upon customer request. The relationship with the customer produces positive results in the creation of a positive brand and retaining the loyalty of the customers5. Engagements with the employees by having open channels where the employees can develop and express their creativity in the production and design of the automobiles places Toyota ahead in the processes that strengthen the labor management within the firm[5]. In addition, the open interac tion improves the workstations, improves on the working cultures, and promotes the evaluation and planning activities for the various labor categories of the leading car manufacturer. Relations with the business partners and the shareholders produce relations that are mutually beneficial based on mutual trust and improve the management of the firm by allowing open and quality dialogues respectively. 5. Toyota is on the path to global leadership in car manufacturing in the world. The current situation places Toyota as the leading firm that incorporates the opinion of the stakeholders in the daily decision-making process. As a result, the company maintains strong corporate societal responsibility procedures that look into the varied interests of the stakeholders. The current state of the firm is one that maintains a strong and effective corporate responsibility and one that maintains an emphasis on the business advantage to the global automobile market[6]. Conclusions of the activities of the activities of the company show that the macro-environment factors associated with the firm provide immense opportunities to the firm. Hence, the firm should put effort on development of products to grasp a hold of the available opportunities. Additionally, Toyota should upgrade on the operations of its business and improve the market presence to exploit the opportunities present. Improving on the measures and frequencies of technology and encouraging more innovation will combat the internal threats the firm faces from the widening wealth gap and the increased activities of cyber crimes on a global platform6. Moreover, the presence of stiff competition gives Toyota an opening to come up with innovative capabilities that will steer it ahead of the existing competition from rivalry car manufacturers[7]. The organization of culture and optimization of the structural functions of the firm is a recommendation to maximize the flexibility of the firm in the process of decision-making and the combined role of solving existing problems[8]. Bibliography Alsop R, The 18 Immutable Laws Of Corporate Reputation (Free Press 2014) Amasaka K, Science TQM, New Quality Management Principle (Bentham Science Publishers 2012) Ferguson E, 'Toyota PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis Recommendations - Panmore Institute' (Panmore Institute, 2015) https://panmore.com/toyota-pestel-pestle-analysis-recommendations accessed 23 May 2016 Japan In The Bluegrass (University Press of Kentucky 2001) The Global Achievement Gap (The Global Achievement Gap.) 'Toyota Global Site | Stakeholder Engagement' (www.toyota.co.jp, 2016) https://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/society/stakeholder/ accessed 23 May 2016 Zokaei A, Creating A Lean And Green Business System Schermerhorn J, Management (John Wiley 2010)

Making Memories free essay sample

â€Å"Jump! Just jump!† My instructor yells to me as I near the gaping crevasse. â€Å"Its a LONG way down!† I scream back against the wind. My legs are shaking in fear, but the summit of Mt. Baker towers just over the next ridge. I muster my courage and I jump and, my foot slips! But, I catch myself, I’m just fine. I smile, move forward and finish the climb. Life isnt lived in a book, not even in a textbook! How can it be that many of my friends have studied AP Environmental Science, but have never gone camping; they build robots and have studied Physics, but have never used a power tool, and they have driver’s licenses, but have never used jumper cables? Webster tells us that adventure is â€Å"participation in exciting undertakings†. I’m not sure Webster would consider using a power drill an â€Å"adventure,† but I did. We will write a custom essay sample on Making Memories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was the first in line to drill, to experiment, and to find a way to use my new skill. â€Å"Zane, hold onto the rope on the front like you are riding a bull in a rodeo,† my Dad explains as he positions me on the front tube of the river raft, â€Å"If you fall, fall INTO the boat! OK?† â€Å"Got it!† I reply excitedly. Three minutes later, he fishes me, disoriented and cold, but smiling and exultant, from the icy water. I’m not an adrenaline junkie. I’m not constantly seeking thrills. Safety is always at the top of my priorities. I check my ropes. I stay away from big animals. I know how to swim, and I ALWAYS wear clean underwear. I don’t just step into the unknown recklessly; I plan and I prepare for my adventures. â€Å"All right. Just one more screw.† *clink* â€Å"There we go, it’s off!† I yell from inside the hood of my soon-to-be electric car. â€Å"Let’s get it out of there!† Mark grunts as he begins to crank the hoist lifting the motor out of the car. I scratch an itch on my forehead, probably smearing it with grime, â€Å"if this adapter spline works, maybe we can get the new engine in before dinner!† I was not a courageous kid. I was shy and conservative. I had trouble simply asking for water from a waitress. Slowly, one interaction at a time, (some by happenstance and some through my Dad’s â€Å"gentle encouragement†) I grew more courageous. That doesn’t mean I’m not afraid anymore. Spending every penny in my bank account to buy parts to build an electric car and leaving home for college are scary! But I’ve come to believe that, as the framed picture in the bathroom at home quoting Helen Keller says, â€Å"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing†.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Executive summary This paper looks into the general concept behind the LCC analysis, its importance and purpose of such an undertaking in any organization setting.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Life Cycle Cost Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The analysis is based on the case study of a chain store company, which specializes in the sale of household goods such as furniture, electronics, kitchen appliances and furnishing items. The chain store has more than 2000 products that are distributed in different outlet stores throughout UK (Chandler 2004). The analysis entails the introduction of a new inventory system for the company with the intention of streamlining record keeping in the organisation. The rationality of the system lays on its ability to monitor all entries, hence ensuring that the company’s data is up to date at all times. This makes it easy for the company to compile reports , and further serves to boost accountability. The focus of the analysis is on the alternative support options that are likely to improve on the sustainability of the system. For this study, three options were identified which included corporate management, insurance and manufacture’s support. To come up with the most efficient method in terms of cost, the three options were analyzed. During analysis, the author identified the pros and cons of each identified option. The life cycle cost for the options spanning a period of 8 years was also taken into consideration. Based on the results of the analysis, manufacturer support was identified as the most appropriate approach because of the costs and effectiveness of the support instrument.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introduction According to Langford (2007), the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is a tool used to evaluate the overall cost of a system or a specific product over its entire lifespan. This method allows one to identify with the elements entailed in the lifespan of the system and thus helps in the calculation of the costing of each incorporated element. The main purpose of employing the LCC analysis is to identify the most cost effective approach that caters for all the required resources over the entire lifespan of the system. This therefore provides an essential systematic approach for identifying the required elements and quantifying them thus accessing the available alternative options before employing the most qualified option in terms of cost effectiveness (TAM, 2004). Ghoshal and Greeff (2004) assert that it is essential for all companies to employ the LCC analysis on any new systems that they need to incorporate in the organization. Such an action would allow the company to identify any substantial costs that the business is likely to incur in future. As such, Ghoshal an d Greeff (2004) recommend the LCC analysis should be implemented right from the design phase of any new project that a company intends to undertake. By using such an analysis, the company would be in a good position to comprehend the extent of costs related to research and development, production, operation and support and product disposal as illustrated in figure 1.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Life Cycle Cost Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Figure 1: Typical life cycle cost Typical life cycle cost (Mtain, 2009) With reference to LCC analysis, this research work looks into the acquisition of a computerized inventory system for a chain store. The main purpose of this inventory system revolves around managing the acquisition of merchandise and the sale of the same. This system will therefore concentrate on managing procurement records for the different outlet stores of the chain store. The study partially intends to verify claims by JTC (1999) that alternative support options can be utilized to improve on the sustainability of the system. Background information According to MÃ ¼ller (2003), an inventory is as a representation of a company’s raw materials, work in progress or finished goods that are ready to be dispatched into the market. An inventory can be simple or complex depending on the companies mandate and the amount of goods received or activities that take place in the company’s premises per day.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This therefore indicates that the bigger the company in terms of production, the more complex the inventory system. The amount of money invested in the system determines the nature of the inventory. An inventory system is important for organizations that face the quagmire of poor cash flow, poor management of information, poor communication between different departments or units within the organization, and poor management of lead times (Toomey, 2000). Highly efficient inventory systems help organizations to meet their objectives especially in regard to meeting customer satisfaction, and realising a return on invested capital. The case study in this case is a chain store, which has 260 outlet stores within the UK market. The mandate of the company is to supply household furniture and related appliances. Among the items stocked in the different stores include household electronics, kitchenware and in house furnishes. The chain store range of products is more than 2000. With this high number of products and outlet stores, inventory management is quite a daunting task. Over the years, the chain store has heavily relied on a computerized system of inventory. Notably however, different stores uphold different inventory keeping method, hence meaning that the outlets are not synchronised. As such, compiling this information into one system located at the headquarters has brought about many discrepancies and conflicts since different outlets have employed different systems. Further, it takes a lot of time before the company can come up with an annual report on sales due to the high number of sales units arising from the different stores that need to be incorporated into the headquarters database. Based on the aforementioned reasons, it is imperative that a centralized inventory system is put in place in order to stream line all the inventories entered in each outlet store. Thus, the main objective of setting up an efficient computerized inventory system lies in the ab ility of the system to be predictable. This will actualize the ideal situation of any given company by building capacity on proper planning based on the inventory records (MÃ ¼ller, 2003). Further, the system will improve the chain store ability to study the trends of how the goods are selling at specific outlets and thus making it easy to predict market trends without necessarily succumbing to fluctuations in demand for the products. This will also help the chain store to manage all its inventories from a central place and thus reducing on the cost of inventory systems as opposed to establishing different systems for the different stores (Toomey, 2000). The systems will encompass a high-tech version of the inventory. This type of inventory system allows the headquarter to monitor the inflow and outflow of goods at all the outlet stores like an online stock exchange market through a centralized system. The rationality of the system works on an instant entry basis meaning that every entry entered in the inventory system from any outlet store reflects immediately on the main system located at the headquarters. All that is required is some support computers in the outlets and scanners that are used to read the codes of the items being stocked into or out of the stores. The support computers will then be networked with a main server at the headquarters. This will ensure that all information scanned in the different stores is sent directly to the server, with the store retaining a copy of the data of the items. This way, the chain store will have inventory data for all the outlet stores at any given time. Figure 2: System operation System operation (Toomey, 2000) The implementation of an inventory system is anticipated to incur costs for concept and definition, design and development, manufacturing and installation, operations and maintenance and finally disposal costs. All this costs are calculated based on all outlets included and on the anticipated lifespan of this system, which is set at 8 years. Figure 3: Inventory system lifecycle analysis for 8 years Inventory system lifecycle analysis for 8 years (MÃ ¼ller, 2003) Sustainability of the system According to Bell and Morse (2008), sustainability of a system refers to the ability of a given system to maintain its production capacity at a level that is equal or greater than the average output associated with the system. With reference to this inventory system, sustainability refers to the capacity of the system to streamline the inventory of the chain store. Bell and Morse (2008) illustrate that it is important to define the space and time over which sustainability of the project can be met. In this case, space is defined as the overall perimeter that includes the area covering all the outlet stores affiliated to the chain store. Time on the other hand refers to the lifespan that the system is expected to serve the company efficiently. In this case, the time estimation is approximately eight years. Figure 4: System sustainability within 8 years with constant space System sustainability within 8 years with constant space (MÃ ¼ller, 2003) The main purpose of this research is to conduct an LCC analysis on the support services that can be utilized in ensuring the sustainability of the project. Among the identified support services include insurance, manufacturer support and the use of corporate management. These support systems are essential for the continuous monitoring on the system performance. Ideally, close monitoring will enable the company to remedy any situations that may compromise the optimal performance of the system. Corporate management Bhatia (2000) asserts that cooperate management involves the organization and functioning of a given management team to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. It involves proper planning, designing, outsourcing implementation and evaluation of projects in progress. This in house initiative can work to towards enhancing the sustainability of the system. The advantage of this approach includes its capacity to promote proper planning and designing of the system. This can be achieved by employing specialists in the designing, implementation and evaluation phases of the project. The amount of time and innovation employed in the realization of the system project will dictate the extent of opportunities and threats depicted by the whole system. Thus, the management should ideally to maximize on improving efficiency and sustainability by dealing with any anticipated difficulties before the onset of the project. The success of cooperate management in ensuring system sustainability is determined by the attitudes and dedication of the respective decision and policy makers in the organization (Bhatia, 2000). Therefore, the success or failure of the project is highly dependent on the type of leadership in the organization and the effectiveness of communication strategies within the organization. Ins urance Services According to Outreville (1998), insurance refers to the protection/cover from a threat that would otherwise jeopardize the functioning of the system. There are many risks associated with such a system. They include the risk of loss of data, system malfunction, lack of coordination from the outlet systems with the headquarter system, among others. For purposes of protecting the overall mandate of the chain store, it is important to insure the system against obvious or unforeseen risks. The main disadvantage of this approach is entailed in the fact that the organisation will have to guard itself from major losses in case the system malfunctions. While as the insurance cover guarantees compensation should such an occurrence materialise, it is worth noting that the company will have to pay monthly premiums to the insurer. As such, the setback of this support service is the expense incurred in the event of insuring the system. This is attributed to the fact that most insu rance companies charge a lot of money to insure such systems. Further, in the event that the system functions properly without any malfunction, it is not possible to get a refund of the already paid out money to the insurance company (Albertini Barrieu, 2009). Manufacturer’s Support Manufacturer’s support can be realized through after sales services that can either be provided by the manufacturing company on a free arrangement, or at a subsidized price. Such services are intended to maintain the system and support its running. The support services can be in form of spare parts, repairs, servicing, or system buffers among others (Hill Jones, 2008a). Most manufactures offer such services as an incentive to entice their clients while others view this as a business opportunity to further the mandate of the manufacturing company. The advantages of this support strategy involve the subsidized fee for spare parts and any needed repairs. This is attributed to the fact that m ost manufacturers tend to retail spare parts and their services to loyal consumers at a lower price as compared to the market price. Further, manufacturers are better placed to deal with emerging issues of their own innovations thus improving on the internal validity of their services and thus the improved sustainability of the system (Hill Jones, 2008b). The limitation of this approach is that working with one specific manufacturer can compromise the efficiency of the system. This would especially be the case when the manufacturer service provider is not fully conversant with the functioning of the system. The fact that some manufactures retail their spare parts and support systems at a very high price, presents yet another disadvantage. According to Hill and Jones (2008b), high prices discredit the rationale of out sourcing the purchase of spare parts or repair services. Accessibility to manufactures support may be limited by distance difference especially when the manufacture is not able to access all the chain store outlets. Conclusion From the LCC model developed for the analysis of the life cycle costs of the different processes and activities involved in the acquisition, implementation and management of the new system, it was clear that there were different costs to be taken into consideration for the whole system to be effective and worthwhile (JTC, 1999). Since the system would spare the company losses previously incurred due to miscalculations and lack of proper records, it would serve as a major milestone to the company’s performance. As such, the system is highly recommendable since the disadvantages associated with its implementation do not surpass the benefits the company would earn from it. Notably however, the investment alone cannot help solve the problems of the company. Hence, there is a need for the company to invest more into the maintenance, management and operation of the system in order increase the life cycle of the system. The analysis has shown that the manufacturer support, method of maintenance, and support are all appropriate since the system is relatively cheap and involves fewer risks (Chandler, 2004). Recommendation The company should implement the system and use the manufacturers of the system to provide the required maintenance and support services. This way, the system costing will be free from unplanned costs and cushioned against frequent economic changes. As TAM (2004) observes, systems that are cushioned from unnecessary running costs and needless market forces stand a higher chance of providing their implementers with optimal benefits spanning their (systems) entire life cycles. References Albertini, L., and Barrieu, P. (2009) The handbook of insurance-linked securities. Sussex, John Wiley and Sons. Bell, S., and Morse, S. (2008) Sustainability indicators: measuring the immeasurable? 2nd edition. London, Earthscan. Bhatia, R. (ed) (2000) Encyclopedia of corporate management, New Delhi, Anm ol. Chandler, F. (2004) Life- Cycle Cost Model for Evaluating the Sustainability of Bridge Decks. Web. Ghoshal, R., and Greeff, G. (2004) Practical E-manufacturing and supply chain management, Oxford, Elsevier. Hill, C., and Jones, G. (2008) Strategic management: an integrated approach, 9th edition. Ohio, Cengage. Hill, C., and Jones, G. (2008a) Strategic management theory: An integrated approach. Boston Houghton Mifflin. JTC (1999) Life cycle costing: an application guide. Web. Langford, W. (2007) Logistics: principles and applications. New York, McGraw-Hill. Mtain, A. (2009), Life Cycle Cost Analysis. Web. MÃ ¼ller, M. (2003) Essentials of inventory management. New York, Amacom. Outreville, F. (1998) Theory and practice of insurance. Massachusetts, Kluwer Academic Publishers. TAM (2004) Life Cycle Costing Guideline. Web. Toomey, J. (2000) Inventory management: principles, concepts and techniques. Massachusetts Kluwer Academic Publishers. This research paper on Life Cycle Cost Analysis was written and submitted by user Haylee Michael to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Actions vs. Words Essay Example

Actions vs. Words Essay Example Actions vs. Words Essay Actions vs. Words Essay Abstract There are various types of communication, the most common form of communication is verbal. Verbal communication is used on a daily basis, but there is non-verbal communication that could contradict the words being stated or written. In this paper, I will examine such contradictions in verbal and non-verbal communication in my office. I will also examine various types of listening skills important for deciphering non-verbal communication. Non-verbal Communication – Actions vs. Words Verbal communication is very important in the business world, but it is often the non-verbal language that accompanies the verbal communication that determines what is taken from the conversation. A person may verbally confirm that they are fine with a situation, but their non-verbal communication (body language) may convey otherwise. Concept To Promotion is typically a very smooth running organization, there are very conflicts among the team members. There is also limited opportunity for discipline. I was recently included in a meeting in which two team members were being reprimanded for a conflict that had been handled poorly. These two individuals have dominant personalities, which means that they both want to be in charge of the assigned task, which led to conflict among the team. The meeting included the company president, the human resource director, the individuals involved and myself. I was asked to the meeting as I am the warehouse supervisor and one of the individuals involved was a warehouse employee. These employees each thought that the work should be performed according to their own schedules without regard to the requirements of the company. The specific task assigned was a direct mailing for a large electronic corporation. According to USPS and UPS standards shipments will not be accepted for next day delivery after 5 P. M. on normal business days excluding holidays. The individual in charge of the project was to process the file, print labels and postage for the mailing. The warehouse employee was to pull the mailings and apply the labels to them in time for them to ship. The file was not being processed in a timely fashion and causing the warehouse employee to rush and still not be able to meet the deadlines. During the meeting each person was addressed individually in regards to their behavioral choices and interaction within the team. Both individuals indicated verbally that they understood the situation and how the disagreement should have been handled. I did however observe one individual rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, which indicated to me that she felt that the meeting was a waste of her time because the other individual was clearly at fault for the situation. This particular individual did not take criticism well and was offended by the conversation in the meeting. I am sorry to say that this particular individual did not take what was said to heart and was fired due to repeat issues. I believe that if this individual were pulled into a private conversation with her manager or the president regarding her non-verbal communication during the meeting and been assured that this was a serious situation. Her manager should have confirmed that this type of behavior would not be tolerated and if continued it could lead to termination. This individual would have greatly benefitted from direct communication in which the seriousness of the situation was laid out in clear terms, which could leave no room for interpretation. Listening skills are also important when interacting in a business environment. A manager must be able to not only listen to verbal communication, but non-verbal communication as well. This would help to ensure that situations such as the one outlined above be avoided. If the individual’s manager had picked up one her body language during the meeting the situation could have been dealt with more effectively. Managers should be taught how to listen to non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expression and attire in order to effectively manage subordinates. It is very important that managers pay close attention to a subordinate’s non-verbal communication in any situation, but especially in a discipline setting. By addressing non-verbal communication as well as the issue at the same time a manager can be assured that the individual understands how serious the situation is and how to handle future situations to ensure that there will be no further discipline required. Communication when dealing with subordinates should include mainly words with denotative meanings. This will help the manager be certain that the individual understands what is expected and these expectations will be met.

Strategic Mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategic Mangment - Essay Example Every member had performed their tasks carefully and honestly. Meeting had been organised whenever required and all members had attended those meetings. The team development procedures had been accomplished by three phases. At the initial phase, every member had met with the other members and learnt about the challenges of the project work. Every member had agreed on shared objectives and embarked upon the designated responsibilities. Members had acted quite individually at the initial phase and were very attentive. In the second stage, there was certain disagreement among the members regarding different ideas and approaches that would be taken in completion of the project. In order to deal with the conflict issue, I had taken the part of leader in the team and judged the opinion of majority of team members. In the third phase, the team had been harmonised with the overall objective of the project and become a successful operative group. During the meeting there was certain confusion about the role that will be played by the members throughout the project. I had allocated the tasks to the members and specified the time for completion. Finally, the presentation was completed appropriately with commendable contribution of every member. As a leader, I had the task to observe the writing of each member and check if they are moving on the right path or not. Other members had parts to analyze, write, and edit the papers appropriately. I used to merge the tasks of others into single entity. One of the main challenges faced by the team was related to finding appropriate materials from valid sources. Every team member including me worked hard to search for appropriate materials which can be used to analyse the subject. Nevertheless, there was lack of understanding between team members and if there was enhanced communication between them the working process would have been improved significantly. Presentation Strengths and Weaknesses An excellent strategic management pre sentation requires five aspects. Firstly, understanding about the topic is vital. If the research is inadequate and the fundamental knowledge cannot be gained, then the presentation will also be imperfect. Therefore, in our project we had done vast research on the topic so that every member understands all aspects regarding the subject. A good presentation comprises of using vital phrases which is important for describing the topic. The significant points of the project need to be carefully identified and presented with bullet points but the number should not exceed a certain limit. Meanwhile, in our project we had incorporated adequate bullet points to describe vital factors of the subject. In order to develop an excellent presentation a team must avoid unnecessary writing on the slides. We had used very limited writing in our presentation and used modest words to describe every point and image. The slide show is intended for conveying verbal performance. The number of slides is vi tal for making an admirable strategic management presentation. Using huge number of slides can develop hastening situation to jump into other slide quickly. During our observation in presentation rehearsal, we had understood the disadvantage of using large number of slides and thus we had limited our presentation slides to thirteen only. For an effective strategic management presentation the design is very important. Thus, in our presentatio

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Software Tools for Qualitative Research - Assignment Example The latest version is the NVivo 10 designed to interact with social media platforms (Bazeley & Jackson, 2013). NVivo is able to preserve styles in their original documents forms including documents in non-English language. NVivo has containers called nodes, which can be assigned demographic data or attributes of features (Bazeley & Jackson, 2013). According to Bazeley & Jackson (2013), the nodes can further be rearranged in hierarchies, or be merged with similar nodes to form a single node for general representation. The occurrence of multiple sources which share common characteristics can also be grouped together to form various distinct classifications (Bazeley & Jackson, 2013). Schà ¶nfelder (2011) wrote that demographic information such as gender and age can be easily imported from external sources in form of text file or spreadsheet formats. NVivo10 further integrates automatic connection to face book, twitter, and LinkedIn datasets for the purposes of patterning data (Bazeley & Jackson, 2013). Bazeley & Jackson (2013) further added that, the package also has querying tool, which can be used to interrogate qualitative data to test theories or generate new information. With NVivo10, one can run dynamic modelling system to represent a project in real time or capture the project at a specified point in time using the static model (Flick, 2009). MAXQDA was developed from winMAX software tool, which had been designed in late 80s (Schà ¶nfelder, 2011). With MAXQDA, one is able to create and import texts in rich text format (Schà ¶nfelder, 2011). Referring to Flick (2009), MAXQDA software tool is able to extract text document from the internet by just dragging the documents from the websites and dropping them on the programs interface. Most objects and documents can also be imported in the form of embedded objects of the file

Presumtion of Innocent Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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A Data Collection Methods Psychology Essay

A Data Collection Methods Psychology Essay 3.0 Introduction In chapter three, all the data previously collected will be analysed to test against the hypotheses. The result generated will show the relationship between the 4 independent variables and stress. Research design, data collection methods, sample design, research instrument, construct measurement, data processing and data analysis of the study are also discussed in this chapter. 3.1 Research Design In this research, the researchers analyse the unit of undergraduates in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. They are analyzed using cross-sectional studies based on the relationship between stress and undergraduates stress factors. Survey is conducted to collect data because this research covers a large numbers of target respondents in different geographical areas (Sekaran, 2003). Besides that, research design can be altered during data collection stage of the survey (Groves, 1989). Moreover, survey is cost efficient and quick (Zikmund, 2003). Self-administered questionnaires will be distributed to the undergraduates in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor and collected immediately upon completion. 3.2 Data Collection Methods Primary and secondary data firm the basis of this research which provides helpful and appropriate information in this study. Primary data is gathered from the respondents through questionnaires. On the other hand, researchers collected information from online information databases as the sources of secondary data. 3.2.1 Primary Data Malhotra (2007) defined primary data as the information collected for the first time specifically for a research project. These data collected originates from first-hand experience called as primary data (Zikmund, 2003). Questionnaire is one of the standardized and familiar methods of most of the researchers where data are obtained without bias. As mentioned in Zikmund (2003), questionnaire is the main tool to gather opinions, perception, direct expression and descriptions from respondents and make the data more comparable and amenable for analysis. Hence, self-administered questionnaire is researchers choice to collect primary data in order to increase the dependability and simplicity of data in this research. According to Ministry of Higher Education (2010), most universities and colleges are located in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (Appendix A). Hence, primary data was collected from respondents through 250 sets of questionnaires which were distributed randomly by hand in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. According to Ministry of Higher Education (2010), most of the undergraduates are located in selected target universities. The targeted universities included public universities such as Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and private universities such as Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Unisel Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR). Around 10 minutes are spent by each target respondent to complete the questionnaires which are immediately collected under the supervision of researchers. 3.2.2 Secondary Data According to Sekaran (2003), secondary data is the information from previously published or compiled sources by researchers for certain purposes which are related to historical data to support our research study. Secondary data included scholarly books, articles in journals, textbooks, government and private sources and online information database. Furthermore, obtaining secondary data is easier, cost and time effective but such data may be obsolete and inaccurate to fulfil researchers requirements in of present investigation compared to primary data (Zikmund, 2003). From the beginning of research, secondary data is used to review the similar literature study from online information databases such as EBSCOhost, JSTOR and ProQuest and other databases provided by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)s website. In addition, Internet search engine such as Google Scholar is also used by researchers to develop other related material in this research. 3.3 Sampling Design 3.3.1 Target Population This research focuses on the study of stress factors among undergraduates in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Therefore, the target population will be the undergraduates in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. 3.3.2 Sampling Frame and Sampling Location There is no sampling frame in this research and the questionnaires will be distributed at universities in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Since most of the universities (Ministry of Higher Education, 2010) are located in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor respectively, the researchers have chosen these two areas to conduct their study. The location of Malaysian universities will be showed in Appendix A. 3.3.3 Sampling Elements The sampling elements are the undergraduates studying in universities in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. They will be randomly selected for questionnaires survey as suicide cases for undergraduates in Malaysia are getting serious (Kok et al., 2011). 3.3.4 Sampling Techniques Besides that, quota sampling will be targeted at public and private universities and at 64% (160 questionnaires) and 36% (90 questionnaires) respectively since the figures provided by the Ministry of Higher Education (2008) indicated that the numbers of undergraduates in public and private universities are 247,881 and 140,669 students respectively in 2007. 3.3.5 Sampling Size To determine the regression of sample size, Green (1991) indicated that N>50+8m were N is the sample size and m is the number of independent variables. Since, there are 4 independent variables in this study, therefore m is equal to 4. Hence, n=50+8(4)=82, which means that the sampling size required should be more than 82 target respondents. However, according to Denscome (2007), usually the research sampling should involve between 30 to 250 cases. Therefore, researchers will distribute 250 questionnaires to the target respondents for more accuracy in results. 3.4 Research Instrument Questionnaires method is an efficient technique for collecting data in which the respondents need to answer a set of questions presented by the researcher in order to obtain information (Zikmund, Babin Griffin, 2010). In addition, Sekaran (2003) defined that questionnaire is a pre-planned set of questions for respondents to answer which enables the researches to know exactly what is needed and how to evaluate the variables of interest. Normally, the self-administered questionnaires can be personally distributed to the target respondents by hand. Besides, in order to ensure that the questionnaires components and measurement scales are properly designed and are easily understood by respondents, a pilot test had to be conducted. 3.4.1 Questionnaires Design Self-administered questionnaires are chosen to conduct the study in this research. Researchers distribute questionnaires to respondents and collect them after the response. This method is used because the direct contact with respondents. The whole process is done fast, efficiently, ensuring richness of data and involving a large numbers of respondents (Rattray Jones, 2005). Questionnaires method is a better way to make comparison and judgment then interviewing respondents (Field, 2003). Besides, closed-ended questions are used to construct standardised questionnaires in order to reduce bias and assist researchers in coding the information and simplify the data compilation process. English is international language and widely used in Malaysia, hence it is used in designing the questionnaires. 3.4.2 Pilot Test According to Zikmund (2003), pilot test is a small assessment designed to investigate the logistics and obtain information prior to a larger study in order to improve the questionnaires quality and efficiency. The pilot test can disclose the deficiencies of the questionnaires before proceeding to large scale studies. Researchers have distributed 30 questionnaires to the target respondents from UTAR to test the reliability and internal consistency of the questionnaires in order to ensure whether it is comprehensive and able to implement the real survey. 3.5 Constructs Measurement 3.5.1 Scale Measurement In order to enrich the description in research, the most common way is to perform measurement which is a process of assigning numbers to the research objects (Brown, 2011). There are four types of measurement scale which includes nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scale. Each of these scales has its own functions and helps to differentiate the variables. There are three types of measurement scales used in this research which are nominal, ordinal and interval. Nominal scale is categorizing by assigning number labelling to objects based on its nature, for example measurement on genders. Subsequently, ordinal scale is categorizing data by ranking or order, where datum are expressed orderly such as firstly and followed by. Interval scale is to show order of things, however the equal intervals between objects represents equal differences. Likert scale is a form of interval scale where it is the most suitable to describe opinion measurement (Brown, 2011). In this research, a five points Likert scale is used by dividing the interval scale into five points to distinguish the degree of agreement and disagreement in each statement. The pointer starts from number 1 to number 5 which represent strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree. Moreover, the questionnaires are divided into Section A, Section B and Section C. Section A consists of demographic profile of the target respondents, the questions of which are designed to collect their demographic information such as gender, age, race, and so on. Section B investigates the factors of stress of the undergraduates using the 5 point Likert scale. The scale is used to examine the agreement of the four independent variables that influence students perceptions about their selection of stress factors of stress that contributes to stress. In Section C, questions on current level of overall stress of undergraduates are being used to examine how significant the factors of stress will influence their stress by using the 5 point Likert scale. 3.6 Data Processing The raw data collected from survey questionnaire need to be analysed in order to provide useful information in resolving the research questions. All data collected are needed to undergo a series process before it can serve the purpose of being analyse. This data processing is a process that includes questionnaire checking, data editing, coding, transcribing and cleaning before the analysis made (Zikmund, 2003). 3.6.1 Questionnaire Checking Questionnaire checking is a process that identifies, corrects, and resolves any errors or problems which may occur in the questionnaires. The questionnaires are being checked and amended numerously to ensure error free, followed by an approval from the supervisor to ensure the questions asked are of highest quality, appropriate and comprehensible by respondents. 3.6.2 Data Editing Data editing is performed to ensure high accuracy of the data. Missing data is being discarded while extremely contrasting data is being removed to ensure consistency and to prevent any undesirable results outcome. 3.6.3 Data Coding Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program requires all data to be in code form, so the data are being coded before being keyed into. Therefore, prior to the questionnaire distribution, data coding are being done by assigning code to each option of answers in the questionnaire. In the research questionnaire, respondents are required to fill up their demographic profiles. Coding was being made on each question with the first answer on each question coded as 1 while the second answer is coded as 2 and so on. For example, in Section A the first question is on genders and the answer is either male or female. The code for male is 1 while female is 2. Subsequently, Section B requires respondents opinion regarding five different stress factors in their daily life. The five different stress factors also known as independent variables include financial issues, academic issues, social support issues and time management issues. As for Section C, the questionnaire focuses questions regarding stress level for the past four weeks of respondents life which are the dependent variables in the research. Both sections require respondents to respond to their level of agreement and disagreement by using the 5 Likert scale. The 5 levels of agreement are: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. The code for strongly agree is 5, agree is coded as 4, neutral is coded as 3, disagree coded as 2 and lastly strongly disagree is coded as 1. 3.6.4 Data Transcribing After all questionnaires are retrieved, the answers to the questionnaires are converted into code data which are subsequently being keyed manually into Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for further analysis. 3.6.5 Data Cleaning With the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), the checking process is enhanced ensuring consistent data. Any extreme data is easily identified and replaced with a more consistent data. Furthermore, missing data can to be detected thus ensuring no data is missed out during transcribing process. 3.7 Data Analysis The Computer program that is being used to analyze questionnaire data is Statistical Package for the Social Science program (SPSS) which includes descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. To ensure that target respondents have a clear understanding of the questionnaires, a pilot test will be conducted before distributing them to respondents. 3.7.1 Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analysis consist of measurement of mode, mean, frequency, range, standard deviation and variance. The researchers use it to analyses the demographic data in the questionnaires (Han, 2010).The research data will be summarized by calculating the average, frequency, range and standard deviation. Consequently, mode, mean, frequency, range, standard deviation and variance are calculated based on the interval scale of 4 independent variables and dependent variable. 3.7.2 Reliability Test A reliability test will be conducted to make sure the measures are free from error. Cronbachs Alpha reliability test model is selected to measure the reliability of the questionnaires and 0 to 1 is used to assess the reliability of data collected. According to Nunnally and Bernstein (1994)s study (as cited in Krishnan Ramasamy, 2011), an alpha of 0.7 is an acceptable reliability coefficient level and acts as the minimum requirement for validity. 3.7.3 Normality Test Normality test is used for the purpose of checking the normality of the data set (Archila, 2010). When the sampling size is more than 100, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is used to test the normality of the sample data. The p-value will indicate whether the data is significantly different. When the p-value is more than 0.05 the data set could be assumed as normal (Islam, 2011). 3.7.4 Inferential Analysis Inferential analysis using Pearsons correlation and multiple is used to test whether the hypothesis is substantial. 3.7.4.1 Pearson Correlation Pearsons correlation measure the degree of interrelation between the dependent and independent variables (Mudelsee, 2003). Doss and Kamery (2006) mentioned that Pearsons correlation is used to test whether the relationship between variables exists. Hence, it is being used to determine whether the relationship between the financial issues, academic issues, social support issues, time management issues and stress faced by undergraduates exist. The relationship depends on Pearsons correlation outcome. The range of outcome is between -1 to 1. Positive outcome indicates a positive relationship between variables and vice versa. 0 outcome indicates no relationship between both variables (Doss et al., 2006). 3.7.4.2 Multiple Regressions Multiple regression analysis will be used for identifying which independent variable influences dependent variable the most (Hair, Babin, Money Samuel, 2003). Multiple regressions are able to examine the relationship between dependent and independent variables (Orme Buehler, 2001). Hence, it is used to evaluate the relationship between financial issues, academic issues, social support issues, time management issues and stress faced by undergraduates. Since the researcher used interval data measurement scale on dependent and independent variables where both variables are parametric, the general equation for the multiple regressions is (Yount, 2006). Therefore, the multiple regressions equation in this research is developed as 3.8 Conclusion This chapter consists of research design, data collection methods, sampling design, research instrument, constructs measurement, data processing and data analysis which are used to collect data for analysis. In chapter four, the researchers will examine the pattern of and analysis of the result which are collected from relevant target respondents.

Relating The Odyssey to our Lives :: Homer

Getting somewhere is not just the destination, but even more so the journey. The goals are our destination and obstacle and temptations litter the voyage. Like Odysseus, achieving these goals is not a cinch. Obstacles must be faced or avoided, and temptations should be resisted. Our entire lives we all try to accomplish our own personal goals. Like Odysseus, we all have long-term and short-term goals to realize. In life, we all want something we long for and will work relentlessly until we reach that objective, like Odysseus’ ambition to reach his wife and son in Ithaca. Of course we all have minor, transitory goals such as building a house or finishing an essay. Some instances of Odysseus’ secondary goals are him escaping the Cyclopes and keeping his men from eating the lotuses. Personal goals, however, will manage to be interrupted in one way or another. On our journeys we all must resist, or give into, temptations that may hinder our ascent to our goal. All people give into temptation at least once in their lives. One time that Odysseus gave into temptation was when he listened to the Sirens’ songs. We don’t always collapse into temptation, like when Odysseus wanted so badly to kill the suitors but forced himself to wait for the right time. Another time Odysseus defied temptation was when he refused to reveal himself to the people but ceased expose himself until he felt it was the right time. Temptation is not the only thing to obstruct our expedition. We all face obstacles in our life like Odysseus did. A common obstacle in life is a person that you clash and don’t get along with. A good analogy for this in Odysseus’ quest was when he had to evade the Cyclops. Also, people don’t always evade the people and problems that get in their way, but face them. One case of this is when Odysseus had to confront Antinous. Relating The Odyssey to our Lives :: Homer Getting somewhere is not just the destination, but even more so the journey. The goals are our destination and obstacle and temptations litter the voyage. Like Odysseus, achieving these goals is not a cinch. Obstacles must be faced or avoided, and temptations should be resisted. Our entire lives we all try to accomplish our own personal goals. Like Odysseus, we all have long-term and short-term goals to realize. In life, we all want something we long for and will work relentlessly until we reach that objective, like Odysseus’ ambition to reach his wife and son in Ithaca. Of course we all have minor, transitory goals such as building a house or finishing an essay. Some instances of Odysseus’ secondary goals are him escaping the Cyclopes and keeping his men from eating the lotuses. Personal goals, however, will manage to be interrupted in one way or another. On our journeys we all must resist, or give into, temptations that may hinder our ascent to our goal. All people give into temptation at least once in their lives. One time that Odysseus gave into temptation was when he listened to the Sirens’ songs. We don’t always collapse into temptation, like when Odysseus wanted so badly to kill the suitors but forced himself to wait for the right time. Another time Odysseus defied temptation was when he refused to reveal himself to the people but ceased expose himself until he felt it was the right time. Temptation is not the only thing to obstruct our expedition. We all face obstacles in our life like Odysseus did. A common obstacle in life is a person that you clash and don’t get along with. A good analogy for this in Odysseus’ quest was when he had to evade the Cyclops. Also, people don’t always evade the people and problems that get in their way, but face them. One case of this is when Odysseus had to confront Antinous.

Social Science Study Guide

Study Guide: Intro to Social Sciences Anthropology: * How culture contributes to the make-up of humanity * Science of people (origin, classification, distribution, races, physical character, culture) * Emphasis on cultural relativity, in-depth examination of context and cross-cultural comparisons * Anthropologists: Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead * Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research * Fields: Biological/physical anthropology, Sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, anthropological linguistics Sociology: Studies the actions of members within a specific society * How people organize themselves in groups, institutions and associations * Fields: Demography, criminology, gender studies, social stratification * Sociologists: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, George H. Mead * Both quantitative and qualitative research methods Psychology: * Science of mental processes of a group/individual * Used in counselling to business * Fields: Developmental psychology, abnorm al psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, organization psychology, cognitive psychology, personality, neuroscience. Psychologists: Sigmund Freud, Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, John B Watson Sociology * One area of society affects another directly or indirectly * Ideology of society influences marriage, economics, love, freedom, politics * Sociologists seek to make sense of the beliefs and values of the personalities interacting within the complex society that is continually being recreated. KARL MARX (1818-1883) * Study society using a scientific method to try to predict social outcomes (Marxist theory) * Production is essential for the advancement of society A few individuals will control the majority of the resources and production * Conflict in his theory: division of social class one person’s status is elevated while other workers are forced to make money. * Labour Theory of Value: human productive power will be exploited in order to maximize pr ofits for the bourgeois. * Proletariat produces goods valued at more than they are being paid rich getting richer. * Money is the driving force in our society * Businesses are exploiters, cannot see positive nature of the bourgeois TALCOTT PARSONS (Structural Functionalism) * As much as things change they stay the same Believed society will create structures within itself that will help with its basic functioning requirements * Our society will work to achieve a homeostasis where equilibrium is achieved * Every aspect of society contributes to the successful function of another aspect. (Relies on each other) * When a system breaks down, it is necessary for other components in society to take over or assist the malfunctioning social structure. * Ex: Legal system * Structural functionalism: Does NOT look at social change; deals with the maintenance of a society (seeks normality, equilibrium).GEORGE H. MEAD (Symbolic Interactionism) * Symbolic interactionism: Focuses on how humans inte rpret (define) each other’s actions. Their response is based on the meaning which they attach to such actions (not the actions directly). * Individuals learn and react from interactions within a society. * People influence their surroundings and shape the development of a society. * Society shapes the individual as he/she is shaping the society. * Analyses from the â€Å"standpoint of communication as essential to the social order†, not individual psychology. FEMINISM Liberal Feminists: Examine social institutions, equal access to increase women’s influence on society. * Radical Feminists: Focus on the exploitation of women. Seek to change the patriarchal social structure through complete structural changes. * Marxist Feminists: Focus on women’s labour being underpaid. * Social Feminists: Focus on the overthrow of the capitalism; believe it is the root problem of inequality of sexes. Fields Demography * Demography is the scientific study of human populati ons-their size, composition and distribution across an area. * Fertility, mortality, and migration.These three processes influence how people inhabit the earth, form nations and societies, and how they develop culture. Criminology * Criminology is the study of the criminal justice system and the law enforcement from a social and individual perspective. * Focuses on the behaviour which may have caused the criminal to violate a law, and seeks its influences, whether it is psychological, social or cultural. Gender Studies * Gender studies seeks to analyse gender identity and gendered representation in the fields of psychology, political science, sociology, media studies, human development etc. Gender studies investigates the physical and biological gender differences between sexes, nationality etc. Psychology * Study of human behaviour. * Examines actions, responses, how someone reacts under specific conditions, how this individual affects society. SIGMUND FREUD * Creator of psychoanal ysis * Human behaviour is driven by desires and the suppression of these desires. * Mind has three areas: Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious * Personality is motived by drives= Id (part of the unconscious mind) * Superego= socially conscious of all decisions Ego= mediator between Id and Superego * Too much Id= not worry about social responsibilities; engage in dangers, breaking social rules. * Too much Superego= too uptight, too worried about social expectations and rules * Freud view human development as progressing through stages of development where the main conflict deals with an erogenous zone of the body. * Human development is understood in terms of changing focuses of sexual desire. B. F SKINNER (Operant Conditioning) * Interested in outward behaviour; believed that our personality develops because of external events. He used a rat experiment to show the idea of positive reinforcement; praise for good behaviour has the highest chance for producing long-term behaviour chang e. * Humans develop their behaviours due to a set of rewards that promote activities being repeated and reinforced. * Skinner believes that Operant Conditioning is good tool to promote an individual to make changes in their behaviour. IVAN PAVLOV (Classical Conditioning) * He wanted to see how the mind could be conditioned to make the body respond to the possibility of an event occurring. * Ex: Salivation reaction of a dog to a meat powder ERIK ERIKSON (development stages table) Believed that at a certain stage of someone’s life there are tasks (milestones) to achieve in order to have a healthy development. * Unlike Freud, he believed that a person can pass through a stage and not get â€Å"stuck† at a certain level of psychological development. Fields Developmental psychology: Developmental psychology is the science of studying developmental growth in humans over the course of their life span-from conception until death. Neuroscience: Neuroscience psychology is an int erdisciplinary field which applies the knowledge and study of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and networks of sensory nerve cells.Abnormal psychology (deviance): Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies deviant (unusual) behaviour, emotion and thought. Personality psychology: Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that strives to determine how different personality traits and tendencies influence our thoughts, behaviour and actions and makes each human unique. Clinical psychology: Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology which applies scientific, theoretic and clinical knowledge in order to assess, prevent, predict and to treat abnormal behaviour, ysfunction or mental disorders in order to improve the individual’s well-being and personal growth. Social psychology: Social psychology is the study of individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behaviour and how they perceive and influence others. Organizational psychology: O rganizational psychology is the scientific study of employees, workplaces and businesses. Cognitive psychology: Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology which studies the mental processes including how people learn, remember, think, perceive and solve problems. Anthropology * Science of studying people and their culture. Anthropologists pose important questions concerning the continuation of poverty, racism, violence, and social inequality around the world. FUNCTIONALISM (Margaret Mead) * Understanding how social institutions fill social needs. * Every custom or practice in society provides a form of stability for the entire system. * All aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc. —serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long-term survival of the society. * Having established laws, customs, and agreed upon practices provides a sense of predictability and stability within a society. In order to understand a society, researchers must under stand the function of social institutions and their respective contributions to the stability to their society. * A critique of functionalism is that all institutions are considered to provide stability, when this is not the case. * Ex: The presence of family violence produces instability in the culture with a difference in power among the different sexes. STRUCTURALISM * Reinforcement of a norm or a value increases the acceptance of the practice within a given society. * Cultures, viewed as systems, are analyzed in terms of the structural relations among their elements. Structuralists believe that meaning is produced and reproduced within a culture through activities and various practices that show their significance. * For example, North American society values the concept of romantic love and close friendship. This social idea is reinforced through media and national celebrations. Ex Valentine’s Day. * Different societies' institutions reinforce different values. Fields Bi ological/physical anthropology: Biological anthropologists seek to understand how humans have evolved and what affect that has had on our behaviour.Sociocultural anthropology: Sociocultural anthropology examines social patterns and practices by studying and comparing human societies across the world. Archaeology: Archaeology is the study of past people, cultures, and civilizations through the analysis of material remain, ranging from artefacts and evidence of past environments to architecture. Linguistic Anthropology: Linguistics is the study of languages; how they are formed, evolved, and how it has interacted and contributed to a culture.

Health care for transpersons Essay Example

Health care for transpersons Essay Example Health care for transpersons Paper Health care for transpersons Paper Transgender healthcare is an emerging phenomenon because these lifestyles are evolving rapidly in today’s modern world. Unlike other people, transgender persons require specific health care due to their peculiar circumstance. In the United States of America, most people are covered by some form of health care plan. These plans cover only basic health care needs. Transgender persons are in need of various peculiar surgical procedures, namely: phalloplasty (the construction of a penis), metoidioplasty (enlarging the clitoris), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), etc. Vitale (1) writes that there are various considerations which transgender persons need to take into account before embarking on a procedure like Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS). Top on the list of these considerations is funding. Where will they get the finance to pay for the surgery? Recently the struggle for coverage of transgender health by insurance companies has found its way to Facebook, where people are urged to register their protest against this denial of fundamental rights. On the page it is affirmed that corrective surgery is a necessity not just a cosmetic procedure. Many transgender people are denied coverage by insurance companies although their condition is a medical necessity. Most insurance companies refuse to cover transgender health because such surgery is considered cosmetic, therefore not a necessity. A refusal to grant insurance cover to transgender people can have disastrous effects. Lombardi and Van Servellen (291-296) find that a lack of health insurance and the financial difficulty which transgender people face can lead them to turn to non prescription drug. Thus it is important to assess insurance issues as they affect transgender health care. Problems associated with Transgender Health Care Firstly, the first problem with transgender health care is access. Finance determines access. In other words, the patient has to pay to have the specific surgical procedure performed. This is where insurance companies come in. They need to collaborate with employers in order to provide the needed insurance cover. In the study, â€Å"Serving the Health Care Needs of Transgender Students,† Beemyn (7-8) identifies three pressing concerns of transgender students namely: accommodation, bathrooms and healthcare. Of these three, Beemyn (8) notes that healthcare is the least addressed on most campuses in the US. The study finds that transgender students often have negative experiences at designated health centers where personnel do not address their needs. Thus, most of them turn to health care facilities off campus if they can afford it or go entirely without healthcare at all. Transgender people face a lot of health issues. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality (2) a partial list of transgender health issues includes the following: Violence, HIV/AIDS and other STD prevention and treatment, Substance abuse prevention and treatment, Depression suicide, Lack of health insurance, Lack of health insurance coverage for trans health services, Gender identity disorder (GID) as the principal diagnostic means determining access to trans health services, Lack of FDA approval for transgender hormonal therapy, Injection silicone use, The misclassification of sex reassignment surgery as experimental Furthermore, in their Schilder et al (1643, 1659) found that in a survey of 47 HIV positive men in Vancouver, all the transgender ones of the lot worked in the sex industry. Although this cannot be linked to lack of insurance cover on the face of it, there exists a remote relationship. As a vulnerable group, transgender people need support in order to live production lives. With adequate support, they will disprove stereotype. One of the vital support systems which transgender people need is health insurance that will give them access to quality health care. Comparisons are often drawn between transgender people and people from other groups who need essential medical treatment similar to what is denied to transgender people by insurance because it is considered cosmetic. The group, Transgender at Work argues that if Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is given to post menopausal women (under insurance cover), it is discriminatory to refuse insurance for the same HRT treatments to transgender people.