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Introduction The net present value is a more accurate method than the payback period and the accounting rate of return when choosing between two mutually exclusive projects.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Day-Pro Investment Options specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main weakness of the payback period and the accounting rate of return is that they do not consider the time value of money. The two methods may not be used to accurately account for the cost of capital. The net present value profile supports the NPV method with capturing a bigger picture using multiple discount rates. Payback approach The payback approach considers the length of time that it takes to recover the amount used as capital through cash flows (Kinney and Raiborn 654). When one project needs to be selected, the project that provides the shortest time to generate the amount used for the investment is preferred. In the payback period, longer time periods increase the uncertainty associated with the investment (Kinney and Raiborn 654). Uncertainty is a type of risk. The payback period for the Synthetic Resin project and the Epoxy Resin project are shown below. Table 1 Table 1: Synthetic Resin Payback Period Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Net cash flow ($1,000,000) $350,000 $400,000 $500,000 $650,000 $700,000 Cumulative total ($1,000,000) ($650,000) ($250,000) $250,000 $900,000 $1,600,000 Payback period 0 1 2 period ends = 250,000/ 500,000 = 0.5 of a year Table 2 Table 2: Epoxy Resin Payback Period Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Net cash flow ($800,000) $600,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $200,000 Cumulative cash flow ($800,000) ($200,000) $200,000 $500,000 $700,000 $900,000 Payback period 0 1 Period ends = 200,000/ 400,000 = 0.5 of a year The negative values are indicated in bracket, and the positive values are in the normal format. The payback perio d ends at the point where the cumulative cash flow becomes positive. The remaining amount is expressed as a percentage of the cash flow in the period that the cumulative cash flow becomes a positive value. It gives a value in the proportion of a year.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Table 1 indicates that the Synthetic Resin project has a payback period of 2 years and 6 months. Table 2 indicates that the Epoxy Resin project has 1 year and 6 months as its payback period. The Epoxy Resin project has a shorter payback period than the Synthetic Resin project, which makes the Epoxy Resin project more favourable. The Epoxy Resin project provides less risk by having its cash flows received earlier in the project life. It is one of the advantages of the payback period because it leads to a choice that reduces uncertainty. It may make the company choose the project that may incr ease liquidity during the early stages of operations. Liquidity refers to the cash needed to cover routine transactions in the short run. One of the limitations of the payback period is that it does not consider the stream of cash after the payback period. In the Synthetic Resin plan, the cash flows in Year 4 and Year 5 are ignored. The ignored period gives an additional amount of $2,500,000 for the Synthetic Resin project and $2,100,000 for the Epoxy Resin project. Another limitation of the payback period is that it does not consider the cost of capital, which is the opportunity cost of utilizing capital. The payback period ignores the time value of money. It makes a dollar received in the first year to have the same value as a dollar received in the final year. In everyday investment processes, money borrowed is paid with an interest. Money deposited in banks provides an interest. The capital invested in the projects could earn Day-Pro an interest by depositing it in a bank or pur chasing bonds. The long-term Treasury bonds are considered risk-free. The firm could generate profit without engaging in any business. The Epoxy and Synthetic investments have to provide a higher rate than that which can be acquired by purchasing a risk-free bond. If Day-Pro is borrowing money to invest in either of the projects, payback period cannot be used because it does not consider the cost of capital. Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) ARR is an approach that measures the annual rate of receiving net income. It gives the average income as a percentage of the initial investment (Mowen, Hansen and Heitger 606). ARR is calculated by adding the net income in the five years, and dividing by the number of years. The streams of net income and the ARR are shown below.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Day-Pro Investment Options specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More ARR = average income/ initial investment (Mowen, Hans en and Heitger 606). Table 3 Synthetic Resin Average Rate of Return Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Average Income Net income $0 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000 $450,000 $500,000 $320,000 Investment ($1,000,000) ARR 32.00% Table 4 Epoxy Resin Average Rate of Return Year Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Average Income Net income $0 $440,000 $240,000 $140,000 $40,000 $40,000 $180,000 Investment ($800,000) ARR 22.50% The decision process requires the projects to have a minimum ARR of 40%. None of the two projects has met the minimum requirement. The firm should not invest in any of the two projects. The problem with the decision-making process is that the minimum rate of return has been set at a very high level that the two projects or others will be unlikely to meet. Very few projects have such a high rate of return on investment. The ARR indicates the average rate of return on the investment annually. The time v alue of money is not considered. Its weakness in failing to include the time value of money may divert capital from more profitable investments. The ARR is inaccurate in a business environment where projects are usually funded with borrowed capital. The ARR fails to capture the cost of capital. Mowen, Hansen and Heitger (606) discuss that ARR’s reliance on income is a weakness because net income can be manipulated by managers. The Net Present Value (NPV) Profile The NPV profile is a graph that displays how net present values are distributed for different levels of discount rates. Bierman (68) explains that the discount rates can stretch from zero to a reasonably large number of discount rates. In the calculations, the interest rates start from a discount rate of 0% to 45% (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The NPV can be plotted with fewer points, but more points increase the accuracy of the trend line. Emphasis has been laid on the horizontal axis because it holds the internal rate of return (IRR). The IRR is found at the point where the NPV is equal to zero (Hansen, Mowen and Guan 719). The NPV is equal to zero on the horizontal axis for all values of discount rates. The NPV profile has been formed by finding the NPV at different discount rates before they are plotted. The table below and the graph are part of the NPV profile. Table 5 NPV Profile Discount rate Synthetic (NPV) Epoxy (NPV) 0% $1,600,000 $900,000 2% $1,433,277 $821,315 4% $1,281,831 $748,791 6% $1,143,938 $681,792 8% $1,018,103 $619,763 10% $903,021 $562,214 12% $797,553 $508,715 15% $655,227 $435,237 30% $149,614 $158,666 40% ($64,348) $31,231 45% ($148,112) ($21,106) Graph 1 The crossover point is at a rate of about 31%. The crossover point is the discount rate at which both projects prov ide the same net present value. The IRR is the rate at which the curves intersect with the horizontal axis (Bierman 68). The Synthetic Resin project has an IRR of approximately 37% and the Epoxy Resin project has approximately 43%. It becomes easier for Day-Pro to choose between the two projects depending on the side of the crossover point on which the discount rate falls. If the discount rate is less than 31%, then Synthetic Resin is more favourable because it provides a higher NPV. If the discount rate is higher than 31%, then Epoxy Resin provides a more favourable condition because it provides a higher NPV. However, the Synthetic Resin project provides a wider range of values at which it is better than the Epoxy Resin. Epoxy Resin is favorable at higher discount rates. Most businesses use discount rates that are around 10%, which may match the cost of capital. It makes Synthetic Resin project more favorable than the Epoxy Resin project to the firm. The main advantage of net prese nt value is its integration of the time value of money. Day-Pro may be able to consider using borrowed capital because the NPV will account for the returns that are used to cover the interest paid on borrowed funds, and returns to owners’ equity. Hansen, Mowen and Guan (719) explain that the NPV measures the additional value that the project generates for investors in the firm. It aligns itself with one of the objectives of the firm, which is to increase shareholders’ wealth. An NPV of zero indicates that the firm has met the cost of capital requirements (interest), and the cost of the investment (principal). The IRR does not indicate the value that is being added to shareholders’ wealth in absolute terms. Day-Pro cannot find out the amount of wealth that will be created using IRR because it uses relative terms (Hansen, Mowen and Guan 723). Another advantage of the NPV is that it considers all the cash flows during the operation of the business, which is differe nt from the payback period (Peterson-Drake 1). It considers the risk in investment by using lighter weights on amounts that are further into the future. The NPV corrects the weaknesses of the payback period and the ARR. One of the weaknesses of the NPV is that it does not provide an estimate of the annual rate of return. However, it is a weak limitation because the NPV considers capital in excess of the required rate of return. Another weakness of the NPV method is that the required rate of return can be selected subjectively (Peterson-Drake 1). The NPV profile reduces the weakness of subjectivity by providing a wider range of possible discount rates. Conclusion The NPV profile corrects the weakness of the NPV approach associated with the subjectivity of choosing the discount rate. The NPV accounts for the time value of money, which is usually applied in all sources of capital. The NPV indicates the value of wealth that is created by the project to the owners of equity. The NPV is a better method than either the payback period method or the ARR. Works Cited Bierman, Harold. An Introduction to Accounting and Managerial Finance a Merger of Equals. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, 2010. Print. Hansen, Don, Maryanne Mowen and Liming Guan. Cost Management: Accounting and Control. 6th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Kinney, Michael and Cecily Raiborn. Cost Accounting: Foundations and Evolutions. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Mowen, Maryanne, Don Hansen and Dan Heitger. Cornerstones of Managerial Accounting. 3rd ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Peterson-Drake, Pamela. n.d. Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Capital Budgeting Techniques. n.d. PDF file. 23 May. 2014. http://educ.jmu.edu/~drakepp/principles/module6/advdistable.pdf. Appendix Appendix 1 Discounting factors Year 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 15% 30% 40% 45% 0 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1.00000 1 0.98039 0.96154 0.94340 0.92593 0.90909 0.89286 0.86957 0.76923 0.71429 0.68966 2 0.96117 0.92456 0.89000 0.85734 0.82645 0.79719 0.75614 0.59172 0.51020 0.47562 3 0.94232 0.88900 0.83962 0.79383 0.75131 0.71178 0.65752 0.45517 0.36443 0.32802 4 0.92385 0.85480 0.79209 0.73503 0.68301 0.63552 0.57175 0.35013 0.26031 0.22622 5 0.90573 0.82193 0.74726 0.68058 0.62092 0.56743 0.49718 0.26933 0.18593 0.15601 Appendix 2 Net Present Values Synthetic Resin Net Present Value Year Net cash flow PV 2% PV 4% PV 6% PV 8% PV 10% PV 12% 0 ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) ($1,000,000) 1 $350,000 $343,137 $336,538 $330,189 $324,074 $318,182 $312,500 2 $400,000 $384,468 $369,822 $355,999 $342,936 $330,579 $318,878 3 $500,000 $471,161 $444,498 $419,810 $396,916 $375,657 $355,890 4 $650,000 $600,500 $555,623 $514,861 $477,769 $443,959 $413,087 5 $700,000 $634,012 $575,349 $523,081 $476,408 $434,645 $397,199 NPV $1,433 ,277 $1,281,831 $1,143,938 $1,018,103 $903,021 $797,553 Synthetic Resin Net Present Value  Ã‚   Year Net cash flow PV 15% PV 30% PV 40% PV 45% 0 ($1,000,000) (1,000,000) (1,000,000) (1,000,000) ($1,000,000) 1 $350,000 304,348 269,231 250,000 $241,379 2 $400,000 302,457 236,686 204,082 $190,250 3 $500,000 328,758 227,583 182,216 $164,008 4 $650,000 371,640 227,583 169,200 $147,042 5 $700,000 348,024 188,530 130,154 $109,209 NPV $655,227 $149,614 ($64,348) ($148,112) Epoxy Resin Net Present Value Year Net cash flow PV 2% PV 4% PV 6% PV 8% PV 10% PV 12% 0 ($800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) 1 $600,000 588,235 576,923 566,038 555,556 545,455 535,714 2 $400,000 384,468 369,822 355,999 342,936 330,579 318,878 3 $300,000 282,697 266,699 251,886 238,150 225,394 213,534 4 $200,000 184,769 170,961 158,419 147,006 136,603 127,104 5 $200,000 181,146 164,385 149,452 136,117 124,184 113,485 NPV 821,315 748,791 681,792 619,763 562,214 508,715 Epoxy Resin Net Present Value Year Net cash flow PV 15% PV 30% PV 40% PV 45% 0 ($800,000) ($800,000) (800,000) (800,000) (800,000) 1 $600,000 $521,739 461,538 428,571 413,793 2 $400,000 $302,457 236,686 204,082 190,250 3 $300,000 $197,255 136,550 109,329 98,405 4 $200,000 $114,351 70,026 52,062 45,244 5 $200,000 $99,435 53,866 37,187 31,203 NPV 435,237 158,666 31,231 (21,106) This case study on Day-Pro Investment Options was written and submitted by user Ishaan T. 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.

Thomas C. Kinkaid - World War II US Navy Admiral

Thomas C. Kinkaid - World War II US Navy Admiral Early Life Career Born in Hanover, NH on April 3, 1888, Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was the son of Thomas Wright Kinkaid and his wife Virginia. An officer in the US Navy, the elder Kinkaid saw service at the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts (now University of New Hampshire) until 1889 when he received a posting to USS Pinta. A sea-going tug, Pinta operated out of Sitka and the assignment saw the entire Kinkaid family move to Alaska. Subsequent orders forced the family to live in Philadelphia, Norfolk, and Annapolis before settling in Washington, DC. While in the capital, the younger Kinkaid attended Western High School before departing for a preparatory school. Eager to follow in his fathers path, he sought an appointment to the US Naval Academy from President Theodore Roosevelt. Granted, Kinkaid commenced his naval career as a midshipman in 1904. A standout on the crew team, Kinkaid participated in a training cruise aboard Admiral David G. Farraguts former flagship, USS Hartford while at Annapolis. A middling student, he graduated ranked 136th in the 201-man Class of 1908. Ordered to San Francisco, Kinkaid joined the battleship USS Nebraska and took part in the cruise of the Great White Fleet. Returning in 1909, Kinkaid took his ensigns exams in 1910, but failed navigation. As a result, he spent the remainder of the year as a midshipman and studied for a second attempt at the exam. During this time, a friend of his father, Commander William Sims, encouraged Kinkaids interest in gunnery while the two served aboard USS Minnesota. Retaking the navigation exam in December, Kinkaid passed and received his ensigns commission in February 1911. Pursuing his interest in gunnery, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School in 1913 with a focus in ordnance. During his time in school, the US Navy commenced the occupation of Veracruz. This military action led to Kinkaid being posted to USS Machias for service in the Caribbean. While there, he took part in the 1916 occupation of the Dominican Republic before returning to his studies that December. World War I With his instruction complete, Kinkaid reported aboard the new battleship USS Pennsylvania in July 1916. Serving as a gunfire spotter, he received a promotion to lieutenant the following January. Aboard Pennsylvania when the US entered World War I in April 1917, Kinkaid came ashore in November when he was ordered to oversee the delivery of a new rangefinder to the Royal Navys Grand Fleet. Traveling to Britain, he spent two months working with the British to develop improved optics and rangefinders. Arriving back in the US in January 1918, Kinkaid was promoted to lieutenant commander and posted to the battleship USS Arizona. He remained on board for the remainder of the conflict and took part in the ships efforts to cover the Greek occupation of Smyrna in May 1919. The next few years saw Kinkaid move between assignments afloat and ashore. During this time, he became an avid writer on naval topics and had several articles published in the Naval Institutes Proceedings. Interwar Years On November 11, 1924, Kinkaid received his first command when he took over the destroyer USS Isherwood. This assignment proved brief as he moved to the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, DC in July 1925. Elevated to commander the following year, he returned to sea as gunnery officer and aide to the Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet, Admiral Henry A. Wiley. A rising star, Kinkaid entered the Naval War College in 1929. Completing the course of study, he attended the Geneva Disarmament Conference as a naval adviser to the State Department. Departing Europe, Kinkaid became executive officer of USS Colorado in 1933. Later that year, he aided relief efforts after a severe earthquake struck the Long Beach, CA area. Promoted to captain in 1937, Kinkaid took command of the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis. Completing his tour aboard the cruiser, he assumed the post of naval attachà © in Rome, Italy in November 1938. His portfolio was expanded the following year to include Yugoslavia. War Approaches From this post, Kinkaid provided accurate reports regarding Italys intentions and preparedness for combat in the months leading up to World War II. Remaining in Italy until March 1941, he returned to the US and accepted the somewhat junior post of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 8 with the goal of garnering additional command experience in the hopes of achieving flag rank. These efforts proved successful as Kinkaid performed well and was promoted to rear admiral in August. Later that year, he received orders to relieve Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher as commander of Cruiser Division Six which was based at Pearl Harbor. Traveling west, Kinkaid did not reach Hawaii until after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7. In the days that followed, Kinkaid observed Fletcher and took part in the attempted relief of Wake Island but did not assume command until December 29. War in the Pacific In May, Kinkaids cruisers served as the screening force for the carrier USS Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Though the carrier was lost in the fighting, Kinkaids efforts during the battle earned him the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Detached after the Coral Sea, he led his ships north to rendezvous with Vice Admiral William Bull Halseys Task Force 16. Uniting with this force, Kinkaid later oversaw TF16s screen during the Battle of Midway in June. Later that summer, he assumed command of TF16, centered on the carrier USS Enterprise, despite lacking a background in naval aviation. Serving under Fletcher, Kinkaid led TF16 during the invasion of Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. In the course of the latter battle, Enterprise sustained three bomb hits which necessitated a return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts, Kinkaid recommended that American carriers carry more fighter aircraft to aid in their defense. Returning to the Solomons in October, Kinkaid oversaw the American carriers during the Battle of Santa Cruz. In the fighting, Enterprise was damaged and USS Hornet was sunk. A tactical defeat, he was blamed by the fleets aviation officers for the carriers loss. On January 4, 1943, Kinkaid moved north to become Commander, North Pacific Force. Tasked with retaking the Aleutians from the Japanese, he overcame complicated inter-service command relationships to accomplish the mission. Liberating Attu in May, Kinkaid received a promotion to vice admiral in June. The success on Attu was followed by landings on Kiska in August. Coming ashore, Kinkaids men found that the enemy had abandoned the island. In November, Kinkaid received command of the Seventh Fleet and was appointed Commander Allied Naval Forces, Southwest Pacific Area. In this latter role, he reported to General Douglas MacArthur. A politically difficult position, Kinkaid was appointed due to his success at fostering inter-servic e cooperation in the Aleutians. MacArthurs Navy Working with MacArthur, Kinkaid assisted in the generals campaign along the northern coast of New Guinea. This saw Allied forces conduct over thirty-five amphibious operations. After Allied forces landed in the Admiralty Islands in early 1944, MacArthur began planning for a return to the Philippines at Leyte. For the operation against Leyte, Kinkaids Seventh Fleet received reinforcements from Admiral Chester W. Nimitzs US Pacific Fleet. In addition, Nimitz directed Halseys Third Fleet, which included the carriers of Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers TF38, to support the effort. While Kinkaid oversaw the assault and landings, Halseys ships were to provide cover from Japanese naval forces. In the resulting Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 23-26, confusion arose between the two naval commanders when Halsey moved away in pursuit of a Japanese carrier force. Unaware that the Halsey was out of position, Kinkaid focused his forces to the south and defeated a Japanese force at the Surigao Strait on the night of October 24/25. Later that day, elements of the Seventh Fleet came under heavy attack by Japanese surface forces led by Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita. In a desperate action off Samar, Kinkaids ships held off the enemy until Kurita elected to withdraw. With the victory at Leyte, Kinkaids fleet continued to assist MacArthur as he campaigned through the Philippines. In January 1945, his ships covered Allied landings at Lingayen Gulf on Luzon and he received a promotion to admiral on April 3. That summer, Kinkaids fleet supported Allied efforts on Borneo. With the end of the war in August, Seventh Fleet landed troops in China and Korea. Returning to the United States, Kinkaid assumed command of the Eastern Sea Frontier and sat on a retirement board with Halsey, Mitscher, Spruance, and Admiral John Towers. In 1947, with the support of MacArthur, he received the Army Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his efforts to aid the generals advance through New Guinea and the Philippines. Later Life Retiring on April 30, 1950, Kinkaid remained engaged by serving as the naval representative to the National Security Training Commission for six years. Active with the American Battle Monuments Commission, he attended the dedication of numerous American cemeteries in Europe and the Pacific. Kinkaid died at Bethesda Naval Hospital on November 17, 1972, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery four days later. Selected Sources World War II Database: Admiral Thomas C. KinkaidUSNHHC: Admiral Thomas C. KinkaidArlington Cemetery: Thomas C. Kinkaid

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Plan - Essay Example In addition, the paper will analyze the initial and long term expenditures required for the successful running of this wonderful business, so that the services could be provided in an elegant way, and the business could win unflinching applause from all corners, and could observe a splendid expansion within some particular period of time. The service aims to focus on its clients and customers, which are the most important factor in the success or failure of any business. The report also makes suggestion to the AER food company an expansion business plan on the basis of which it would launch its business in other areas too, where it could be visited by the walking clients; and the workers, managers and personnel could take some light diet at noon, afternoon and night, and the public can also visit it with family and friends as an exquisite place of sitting as well as a gorgeous source of complete entertainment. AER will be a magnificent food service, which is going to launch its services with the aim of providing the people with swift and healthful food on economical rates under an environment, which is extremely calm, quiet and pleasing for sitting. And where one can have light chit chat, personal meeting or family gathering free from the noise and tension of the outer-world. Hence, the aim behind the establishment of such a food service that could give the message of peace and comfort to its clients at a walking distance from their workplace. To arrange a completely entertaining atmosphere, where the visitors could watch TV, read periodicals and newspapers, listen to the music and entertain themselves with the company of family and friends by taking delicious foods of various kinds Mission Statement: The mission statement established by the intellectual owner Miss Kanhnika is: â€Å"We present highly hygienic and extremely delicious fast food under such an elegant and restful atmosphere, where you can relax, rejoice, dine and discuss

Human Sexuality Topic (You can pick one from the sample topics in the Research Paper

Human Sexuality Topic (You can pick one from the sample topics in the instructions) - Research Paper Example des the acceptance of homosexuality into the society that involves sexual attraction to the same gender and in this case, the relationship between two males. Developing an understanding of this sexual orientation is important because there is conflicting literature regarding its existence. While there is a school of thought that believes homosexuality is as a result of genetic predisposition, opponents to this sexual orientation view it as behavioral. Homosexuality has been there since time in memorial and is now a visible reality within the society as another form of sexual orientation. In respect to ethical considerations, the question that linger in minds of many people emanate from a secular versus a religious point of view regarding same sex attractions. In the religious circles, homosexuality is a sin considering the belief that God’s plan for sexual relationships was between a man and a woman (Guittar and Pals 53). However, from a secular point of view every person has a right to choose the sexual orientation he or she desires. In secular terms, the society is liberal and nobody should question the behavior of another person as this amount to invading privacy. However, while homosexuals consider  their sexual orientation  as  normal behavior, the question that lingers in mind of many is why they hide their sexual orientation. In case it is a normal occurrence. Homosexuals are not always open and free about their sexual orientation partly because of personal reasons or fear of stigmatization. The topic of homosexuality is an important area of discussion because it is part and parcel of the modern society and in some western countries homosexuality is now legal. In this respect, it is important to understand the origins of homosexuality so as to avoid the conflict being witnessed between religious and secular views regarding homosexuality (Wright and Bae 492). While homosexuality has existed for ages, it is a sexual orientation that no one likes to talk

Hamlet and death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hamlet and death - Essay Example Disputes among political power houses and rival gangs are also highlighted by the speaker. This is a community just like any other and there were interest from rival groups as to who were superior so as to gain control of the community. Cultural Revolution and resumption of Chinese and Japanese relation is heavily highlighted in the red sorghum novel. This was an attempt by their leaders to get the two groups together and leave harmoniously. The speaker uses a style written in first person characterized by briefness without any chronological order of events. The story was aimed at bringing people together after long fought battles which many people lost their lives and it came up with strategy of getting food, water, life among other basic things harmoniously (Moet all 90). Is a paly of Italian culture which is based on real life occurrence between an Italian rail road worker and anarchist Giuseppe pinelli who died after he was thrown at a police station in Milan police station after he had been accused of bombing a bank but he was later cleared of any wrong doing Unlike the red sorghum novel which is based on true story, this is fictional work created by the author. It starts with a police inspector interrogating a suspect in the first floor who was smarter and the officer could not find anything from him. A judge was brought and meeting scheduled in the fourth floor of the same building, with a journalist probing the incident in attendance. The play ends where the journalist leaves the room and maniac later escapes (Fo et al 2002 356). The two instances were among the leading drama in the world. Though the later were fictional occurrences, it was well done by the author and the play was later performed in various countries across the world. The former is work based on true story and it also attracts success wherever the novel was

Mental Health of Children with HIV

Mental Health of Children with HIV Chapter 1 Introduction Women are more at risk of acquiring HIV infection than men in sub-Saharan Africa mainly due to Gender inequality, this relatively increases the risk of children acquiring HIV through mother-to-child-transmission [1]. According to available statistics about 30% of babies born in sub-Saharan Africa to HIV positive mothers will themselves be infected with the virus either through childbirth or through breast-feeding [2]. From recent data there are about 3.2 million children living with HIV, 91% of these children living with HIV are found in sub-Saharan Africa [2]. The WHO recommendations stipulates that children below the age of 5 diagnosed with HIV should be placed on ART regardless of what their CD4 count is, 28% of these children living with HIV worldwide, requiring antiretroviral treatment (ART) currently have access to these drugs [2]. Since the onset of the epidemic, most of the children with perinatally acquired HIV in low and middle income countries do not live past infancy [3, 4]. However, results from recent research shows that life expectancy has improved and 36% of these infants live up to 16 years of age [5]. Likewise, strategies employed to screen pregnant mothers and test infants and children at risk for HIV infection, as well as the advances in ART, has improved the quality of life and ensure HIV positive children live longer [6, 7]. However, these children will have to face the challenges of living with a chronic illness, requiring tremendous social support for long, to enable proper development both mentally and physically. For example, recent studies indicate that living with a life-threatening and stigmatizing illness is also difficult and creates great psychological distress for children with HIV [8]. Children living with HIV are often confronted with fears/thoughts about their own death, most of them are stigmatized and discriminated against [8]. Consistent evidence also shows cognitive difficulties for HIV positive children [9]. 1.2. Background and Context Mental disorder is progressively becoming an important global health concern and the leading cause of disability globally. Depression an ordinary mental disorder, currently afflicts about 350 million people, both adults and children worldwide [10]. An increasing number of mental disorders are ranked among the leading causes of disability in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Burden of Disease 2004 [11]. War, poverty, deprivation, marginalization and deracination are among the key social determinants of mental health identified as prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) [12-15]. This in turn increases the prevalence of depression in this region, though the number are under-reported. Despite the clear indication that mental health is a huge public health concern in SSA, it has consistently been neglected, due to the preponderance of communicable diseases, malnutrition and other perinatal disorders. Adults living with a chronic illness like HIV, are prone to psychosocial and psychological stressors so are children living with HIV. They are faced with anxiety associated with living with a chronic illness and the possibilities of death from the infection. High on the list for psychosocial stressor, is the issue of discrimination and stigmatization, as well as struggles with other challenges like malnutrition, poverty and diminished social support [15]. Evidence from studies have shown that children suffering from chronic diseases are more prone to developing mental disorders than their peers that are healthy. In one study [16] involving children with epilepsy, it was suggested that healthy children were less likely to suffer from mental disorder than those with epileptic conditions that had increased risks. Another study [17] showed minders of children with sickle cell disease reported more emotional and behavioural abnormalities among these set of children. Studies from other region of the world have shown that there is a relationship between HIV and mental illness. It has been shown [18] that early abnormalities in children’s neurological development is attributable to HIV infection and no other factors like environmental and biological risks. The association between HIV and neurological impairment is well researched in children. Learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder [19, 20], behavioural abnormalities [21-23] and cognitive discrepancies [24, 25] are all associated with HIV infection in children. The Pediatric Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) in their study reported increased risks for psychiatric hospitalization for children living with HIV compared to other children without the infection [26]. It was also suggested that children with perinatally acquired HIV infection may be susceptible to certain mental disorder due to the effects of HIV infection on neurological development. They a lso stated that there is a likelihood of increased mental illness among these children as they progress in life. Result from a study conducted by Mellins et al.[27] that examined psychiatric indicators in children between the ages of 9-16 years with perinatal HIV infection, showed that 11% of the children had oppositional defiant disorder and 13% diagnosed with conduct disorder. Moreover, other studies have shown that perinatal HIV infected children are at greater risk of experiencing abnormalities in brain development [28], these abnormalities include delayed motor and cognitive development [29] and in some cases short-term amnesia and mental retardation as a result of the infection [30, 31]. A study [32] of Ugandan HIV positive babies followed over a period of one year, showed that 30% of the babies on ART exhibited impaired motor functions while about 26% of the babies displayed impaired cognitive functions, this is in contrast with 5-6% of HIV negative babies that exhibited the same conditions. Papola et al. [33] in their study, collected retrospective data on 90 school children living with HIV, in order to examine their developmental and needs. From their findings 44% of the children’s range of intelligence were below average or average, while 56% had language impairment. A similar finding were replicated by Bachanas et al. [32], result from the study showed that HIV-infected children had lower WISC-III scores and abysmal academic performance. They also exhibited significant psychological functioning deficiency. 1.3. Research Project and significance With increasing access to ART, the number of children born with perinatal HIV infection getting to adolescence and adulthood has increased tremendously. These children in most cases share stressors experienced by other children living with other chronic illness, like long term medical hospitalization and treatment, and agonizing life experiences. Notwithstanding the burgeoning evidence and psychosocial consequences of living with a chronic disease, there are still dearth of studies that have investigated the mental health concerns of children living with HIV in SSA. Most research elsewhere focuses on the effect of ART treatment and prevention of HIV. Though, there is an increasing cognizance of the likelihood of increased risk of mental health disorders for people living with HIV in the long run, owing to biomedical changes occasioned by ART and environmental risks. Based on the glowing evidence from research on correlation between substance abuse, risky sexual behaviours and mental health disorders, it is then pertinent to understand the association between mental health and children living with prenatally acquired HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, especially because of its unique environment and the high prevalence of the social determinants of mental illness in the region. This is necessary to inform mental health treatment and prevention programmes. 1.4. Study aim To review and provide a synthesis of research on the mental health and psychological functioning/outcomes of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV, corresponding risk and protective elements, treatment modes and areas of vital need for future research and interventions. 1.5. Organization of the Thesis This thesis is organized as follows. Chapter 1 deals with the scope and objectives of the thesis, it gives a brief background of children living with perinatal HIV infection and the current trend, the mental health issues associated with living with HIV/AIDS. Chapter 2 deals with the methodology, the literature search and identification of studies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction, quality assessment and procedures used in the analysis. Chapter 3 presents the study findings. Chapter 4 presents the general discussions of the study findings, including limitations of studies included. And also the limitations of a systematic review study, strength and weakness. Chapter 5 gives the concludes and summarizes the study, giving possible intervention to address the emerging mental health concerns for children living with HIV/AIDS, as well as recommendations and identified areas of future research. Chapter 2 Literature search A systematic literature review was conducted using the theme â€Å"children living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and mental health†. The study included studies up until July 2014. The research focuses on papers dealing with children living with HIV/AIDS and the effects on their mental health. The aim is to harness these research papers on the above-mentioned theme, and discuss the subject, present a summary, and highlight areas of future research needs. This informed by the body of evidence suggesting that in the long run, perinatal infected HIV children are liable to mental health issues, arising from factors such as environment, genetics, biomedical and familial [30-33]. Nonetheless, in the course of these research there are dearth of studies using the mental health as outcome and perinatal HIV infection as exposure in SSA. Hence, terms relevant to the review theme were discovered and used in finding the required papers. Studies on children living with HIV and mental health outside sub-Saharan Africa were not included in this review. It is not clear as explained in some studies, whether the mental health condition experienced by HIV positive children is neurologically or psychological. This might be a limitation of this review. A comprehensive search of online database for published articles on mental health and psychological functioning of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV was conducted. The electronic databases includes: PubMed, EBSCOhost and Science Direct, MEDLINE, Psychinfo, PubMed, JSTOR and Google Scholar. In addition to the online databases, unpublished articles, theses and internal reports will also identified by citation snowballing from the initial journal articles. Data was collected between January 2014 and July 2014 from the databases. The search terms used, identified through MeSH include: mental health, psychiatric/psychological, emotional and behavioural problems, perinatal HIV infection, paediatric HIV and adolescence. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria The initial search returned one hundred and eleven studies relevant to children in sub-Saharan African living with HIV and mental health concerns, restrictions were applied in terms of age, geography and study methodology. Only studies that included children between the ages of 1- 15 years were included. Studies conducted outside sub-Saharan African countries were not included. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included if the primary research was on HIV infection as exposure studied, the researchers had a control group or standardized psychological instrument, mental health disorder/symptoms was the key outcome studied. Only English language articles were included. Out of the 111 studies selected only 10 that were relevant to the review was selected. As the main aim of this review was to focus on well-grounded findings the mental health and psychological functioning/outcomes of children who are perinatally-infected with HIV, only papers that included both subject were selected. Exclusion of studies outside the geographical area of interest were only performed at a later stage, to ensure that relevant studies that did not stipulate their geographical emphasis in their keywords were not excluded. Figure 1. Inclusion and exclusion used in systematic review. Data Extraction Children were classified as infected or uninfected based on their seropositive or negative status. The final synthesized materials were evaluated based on the research methodology employed, age range, and the outcomes from the study. To assist in the analysis Microsoft Excel was used. A content analysis was performed. As the studies used in the systematic review is small, a meta-analysis could not performed.

Project Management Summary Essay

Strategic portfolio management plays an intricate part in project management. Through this paper, the reader will gain a stronger understanding of the relationship that strategic portfolio management plays in project management. Strategic Management Relation to Project Management Project management involves several parts, but the meaning must be understood first. â€Å"Project management is the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of company resources for a relatively short-term objective that has been established to complete specific goals and objectives† (Kezner, 2013, p4). Knowing this allows the project manager to implement steps toward achievement of the defined goals and objectives. Part of these steps has to do with strategic management. Project management is strategically managed to advance the corporation’s organizational goals. Strategic management insures the right initiatives are pursued and supported with resources. Strategy today needs to align to a more fluid nature of business environments. It has to be flexible enough to adapt constantly to changing external and internal conditions. The relationship between strategic portfolio management and project management is a very important relationship. Strategic management compliments project management in that it attempts to ensure success by way of doing things at the most opportune time. If a company attempts something too early or too late then possible negative consequences may occur. Projects, within programs or portfolios, are a means of achieving organizational goals and objectives, often in the context of a strategic plan. Although a group of projects within a program can have discrete benefits, they can also contribute to the benefits of the program, to the objectives of the portfolio, and to the strategic plan of the organization. Conclusion As stated at the beginning of this paper â€Å"strategic portfolio management  plays an intricate part in project management†. The reader should now have a stronger understanding of the relationship that strategic portfolio management plays in project management. References Kerzner, Ph.D., H. (2013). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (11th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection. Project Management Institute. (2013). A guide to the project management body of knowledge. (PMBOK guide). Newtown Square, Pa: Project Management Institute.

Interventions for Sexual Issues and Dysfunctions Essay

Interventions for Sexual Issues and Dysfunctions LaShawnda Ogle Walden University The Wilson’s are currently experiencing some sexual dysfunctions, a condition that can cause a lot of distress during intercourse (Hecker & Wetchler, 2010). In the case study Mrs. Wilson has been diagnosed with having Vaginismus. Vaginismus is known for causing some severe pain and as a result causes the female to avoid sexual activity (p. 377). It’s formally defined as the involuntary spastic contraction of the outer one-third of the vagina. There can be treatment techniques. The two sexual therapy interventions I would suggest for the Wilson’s are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and a medically treated approach using a vaginal dilator. The one intervention method suggested for Mrs. Wilson would be that of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. According to Hecker & Wetchler, (2010), women with vaginismus can show fear and have some anxiety with the thought of penetration. In order to help decrease those fears and anxieties CBT may help Mrs. Wilson’s sexual satisfaction increase as well as her over all well-being: addressing not only the physical pain or discomfort of sex but also the psychological aspects. For example: there are cognitive strategies such as: sexual exercises and relaxation techniques that can be applied with CBT in order to help relieve the pain associated with vaginismus (Hecker & Wetchler, 2010). CBT can also offer some coping skills along with restructuring a person’s way of thinking. Another intervention treatment method for sexual disorders such as that of Mrs. Wilson is more of a medically treated approach. Hecker & Wetchler, (2010) suggest a vaginal dilator as being a useful technique for modifying a conditioned response. Vaginal dilators are used to teach control of circumvaginal muscles (p. 377). In order to use these dilators they are generally supplied to people from a doctor’s office with or without the presence of the person’s partner. The private space offers the opportunity to help decrease the fear and anxiety with sex so that penetration can occur. The similarities of both CBT therapy and the medically treated approach using a vaginal dilator are that they both focus on calming the painful symptoms associated with sexual discourse in females. Another similarity with the two interventions is that they both offer suggestions in how to cope and deal with the shame and/or guilt associated with sexual dysfunctions. The only differences are the methods used to intervene. CBT focuses more on the cognition of dealing with negative thoughts that often occur with sexual disorders. The vaginal dilators focus on ways to relieve the stress without the conditioned fear response (p. 377). A challenge with using CBT therapy and vaginal dilators is that it encourages having both partners actively involved (Hecker & Wetchler, 2010). Sexual intercourse and dysfunctions can be a touchy subject that does not resolve itself without partner interaction, so getting both partners together could be somewhat of a challenge. In order to know whether or not a treatment intervention is working, both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson need to report the improvements in the symptoms of Mrs. Wilson. I would also like to know from both partners if increased enjoyment has occurred after treatment, in order to know whether or not my treatment interventions were working. Nonetheless, getting both partners together to discuss a sexual dysfunction is something I see as a challenge. References Hecker, L. , L. , & Wetchler, J. L. , eds. (2003). An Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy (1st ed. ). Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Clinical Practice Press.

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay (Contexts and Representation) Essays

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay (Contexts and Representation) Essays Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay (Contexts and Representation) Essay Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay (Contexts and Representation) Essay Essay Topic: Frankenstein Explore the way in which different contexts affects the representation of similar content in the texts Frankenstein and Blade Runner. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, whilst separated by 174 years, feature very similar content which can be seen by comparing the two side by side. Coming from different contexts, they both express their anxieties about technology, which is shown through a man made creature, and they both exhibit a strong valuing of nature. However due to their different contexts, these ideas are represented differently. The medium of production is clearly different, as is the representation of the creature and whether or not they are able to assimilate into society. In both texts the responder is meant to sympathize with the creature but through different ways. Frankenstein, published in 1818, presents a monster unable to assimilate into society due to his grotesque appearance. This is reflective of the gothic element of the time, whilst he also exhibits parts of the Romantic Movement as well as the Age of Enlightenment. In contrast, the 1992 film, Blade Runner, has replicants that are a product of the DNA technology and cloning coming to fruition at the time of the movie’s release. The clear contextual differences effect the final presentation of texts despite the fact they deal with the same universal themes. The contexts of Frankenstein and Blade Runner affect many ways in which they represent their ideas and on the most basic level, a key difference would be their medium of production. Both creators chose to use the most popular medium of their time; for Shelley that was a novel, for Scott, a film. : At some level, this choice also reflects some aspects of their stories. In Shelley’s case, the novel places a value on literature, which is shown in the monster’s discovery of the novels and his own valuation of language, which he considers â€Å"a godlike science†. In contrast, Scott clearly felt film was the best medium to display the future and the advancements in technology that would occur. In order to emphasise this, he focused highly on cinematography, vividly portraying the setting through his camera work. The effectiveness of this can be seen in the opening aerial shot of Los Angeles, in which a slow panning long short of great structures of lighting and advertising overlay the concrete skyscrapers, many of which look reminiscent of buildings from the 1980s. It is worth noting that whilst Blade Runner is based on Philip K. Dick’s 1969 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Blade Runner achieved a must higher level of recognition. This could quite possibly be due to the fact Dick chose to express his idea in a novel rather than a film. In this way, the texts different contexts show that whilst they have the same aims, they are presented differently for in order to reach the greatest amount of people. Despite the contextual influences that are very apparent in both these texts, they both use a man-made creature as a centrepiece for their work. Regardless of the fact 170 years separated the texts both Shelley and Scott were fascinated by the notion of humans creating life. In both cases, this seems to have stemmed from an anxiety about technology. In Shelley’s instance, the Romantic Movement had been progressing for twenty years as a reaction to the age of enlightenment and reason. With the industrial revolution coming to fruition in the late 1700’s, many people had growing apprehensions about technology and the fact it could replace humans. Shelley uses this idea with regards to Frankenstein’s monster and his creation stems from galvanism, a scientific theory being explored at the time, involving the use of electricity to bring about movement in a dead creature’s muscles. The result of this is a creature that cannot assimilate into society, as is seen in his first thought upon seeing the monster in chapter 5 â€Å"No mortal could support the horror of that countenance † This vivid explanation is a feature of Gothicism, not unlike the style of Edgar Allen Poe. His inability to assimilate into society is also a feature of Gothicism, which dealt with many supernatural elements and creatures that were easily discernible from humans such as werewolves and ghosts. The grotesque appearance of this character is used to show part of Shelley’s apprehension about technology and is expressed differently to Scott’s interpretation due to the contextual influences. Scott’s depiction of the Replicants in Blade Runner is very different from Shelly’s depiction of Frankenstien’s monster as a result of its different context, however, this representation is equally sceptical about the advances in technology. Whereas Shelley created a creature that was unable to assimilate into society due to his grotesque appearance, Scott uses creatures which are described as â€Å"more human than human†. This is reflective of the unprecedented growth in technology during this period, particularly in communicative and medical fields. DNA testing was first used by Sir Alec Jeffreys in 1984 and mice were the first mammals to be cloned in 1986. Scott was clearly influenced by these advances and believed that we may definitely reach a stage in which we had to delve into a psychological test, the Voight Kampff test, in order to distinguish between human and replicant. The fear society has of them is evident in their treatment, and the derogatory terms such as â€Å"skin-jobs†. The similarity in the way society views these creatures and Frankenstein’s creature is uncanny, despite the different contexts. The notion of morality and ethics also plays a strong part of both Frankenstein and Blade Runner and the questions posed by the text’s authors are conveyed in very similar ways. The question relates back to the advancements in technology, asking whether â€Å"just because we can do this, does that mean we should? † In Frankenstein, Shelley poses this question through the monster’s narration in the central chapters. The hatred he portrays for his life can be shown in his quote â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator. Why did I live? † which he uses to open Chapter 16. This notion is also explored due to the fact Shelley positions the reader to feel sympathy towards the monster rather than Victor. When the monster begins his tale in chapter 11, his story evokes sympathy from us with his emotive and poetic language. His story makes us feel empathetic towards him, rather than Victor. From the beginning of the monster’s narration â€Å"A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me Shelley writes the monster’s dialogue as sophisticated, poetic, contemplative and also logical, which combines traits of romanticism and the age of reason into one. The sophistication and thematic structure of his words is clearly part of the Age of Reason, as opposed to the exploration of his sense, which pertains to the influences of Romanticism and this combination of the two prominent philosophy groups of t he time helps to make him appealing to both social spheres. This helps to make create empathy for the creature and in turn, evoke moral and ethical questions about his creation and treatment. Similarly to Frankenstein, Blade Runner puts forward the moral and ethical questions associated with creating life and advancing technology in general. In the same way Shelley evokes sympathy for the creature in her novel, Scott also makes his replicants more deserving of our sympathy. In the scene used to depict Zhora’s death, in which a slow motion camera captures the terrifying scene of Deckard shooting her in the back as she smashes through glass walls in a desperate attempt to live. The eye-level shot used here gives the feeling that the viewer is really observing the â€Å"retirement† and the inhumane way in which she is killed. This desperate attempt to escape and live, shows how the replicant’s value their life so much more that the humans. A good contrast to this is Tyrell’s death in which the camera gives us a close up of Batty picking up Tyrell and killing him. Whilst Tyrell screams in agony at the pain Batty causes him, he makes little to no attempt to live. The icing on the cake is in the film’s climax, when Batty selflessly saves Deckard from death, even though moments earlier, Deckard had shot and killed Pris. This act of empathy defies the humans stereotype that the replicants are unable to show empathy for other living creatures. Scott also uses the Post-Modernistic technique of intertextuality â€Å"I think Sebastian, therefore I am† to make us question what the difference is between humans and replicants. These questions of morals and ethics are very similar to the ones posed in Frankenstein, however due to their contextual differences, they are expressed through different means. The importance of nature is also a mutual theme that is expressed differently due to the different contexts of the two texts. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses the romantic style of poetic imagery and Victors first person narration of the scenery to emphasize the beauty of his surroundings. He tells us that the Alps â€Å"gave wings to the soul and allowed it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy. † Contrasting to this is Scott’s emphasis on nature and the lack thereof. From the opening pan of a decaying and burning city, we see very little flora and fauna throughout the entire movie. The wealthy are able to afford real animals as pets and the rest buy counterfeits. It is also worth mentioning that the Voight Kampff test always centres around nature, showing that the humans clearly value it, and expect that the replicants do not. The use of this lack of nature stems from the emerging beliefs of the 1980’s that the environment was decaying due to global warming, and that it was also being destroyed for city areas as part of the new wave of globalisation. Both these ideas of nature’s beauty come from different contexts and are presented differently, but have the same overall message of how beautiful and precious nature is. The texts of Frankenstein and Blade Runner, whilst created in different era’s, convey mutual concepts a nd concerns about the future of humanity. Though presented through different mediums, they both deal with the concept of creating life and the ethical and moral issues raised by doing this. In both cases these questions are raised by evoking some sort of sympathy for the creature rather than the creator. Finally they both deal with the beauty and value of nature in very different ways, and this stems from their contexts. The similarities in context, juxtaposed by their representations due to context are made clear once we evaluate these texts side by side.

The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology

The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology Introduction: What is social psychology? Social psychology is a scientific discipline in which social scientists attempt to look at the influence of other people on an individual’s feelings, behavior, and thoughts. In most cases, the presence of other people in an individual’s surrounding is taken to be actual, implied, or imagined (Fiske, 2010, p. 4; Sanderson, 2010, p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, social psychology revolves around the study of social influence, which is the impact of other human beings on others, and thus people tend to do what others (in their immediate environment) are doing at a given period in time. As a result, the human being(s) that influence one or more persons in the social set-up constitute a social situation. Therefore, social situations can be anything from one person (bystander) to a group of people (students in a classroom). This paper seeks to analyze the core characteristics of social psychology before looking at the concept of situationism and its relevance to social psychology. Finally, the paper will look at the core social motives and their significance to the field of social psychology. The core characteristics of social psychology There are four core features of social psychology including broad scope, cultural mandate, scientific methods, and search for wisdom (Fiske, 2010, pp. 29-34). As noted in the foregoing discussions, the fact that social psychology entails the study of the social influence makes it have a broad scope in many aspects. Here, it is important to note that social influence exists because people are always motivated to exist and/or comply with different social situations. For instance, social influence is the driving force behind fashion dynamics, career choices, politics, and sports among other human activities or b ehaviors. Therefore, since social psychology aims at looking into each of these social activities relative to the conduct of the human beings involved, its scope is not limited to only a few items. As a result, for one to adequately cover the topic of social influence there is the need to break it down into manageable subcategories, which will then form the basis of scientific experiments and other investigations. On the other hand, social psychology is culturally mandated in that its evolution/development is pegged on cultural changes, which in turn implies that people will devise different social motives in order to survive in the ever-changing/diverse cultures in the contemporary societies.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, in the recent past, if one wanted to predict the behavior of another person, and in turn explain why the latter acted in whichev er way, the explanation will be based on religion or tradition. However, with emergence of social sciences, human behavior can be examined and elaborated on the basis of scientific methods, theories, and hypotheses. Simply put, social psychology and other social sciences provide various scientific explanations, which underpin social behavior and cultures in the contemporary society (Fiske, 2010, p. 33). Further, scientific methods form the integral part of social psychology in that they aid the development of theories and their validation in order to provide the scientific understanding of human behavior. Moreover, the knowledge base informing social psychology is based on various aspects of the scientific methods including techniques, methodologies, analyses, and standards. Finally, scientific methods supply the research strategies needed in social psychology. For instance, it is common practice for social psychologists to carry out experimental and observational research studies w hile observing some stipulated procedures and standards before making final statements about the influence of people on others (Fiske, 2010). Accordingly, the goals and objectives of any research survey under the field of social psychology are based on the need to search for wisdom. Here, since social psychology intends to tackle practical social issues, it is obvious that the scientific knowledge put forth is meant to build on existing knowledge and making the whole society knowledgeable. Most importantly, the practical implications of the knowledge gathered from scientific investigations form the key goal of almost all social psychology experiments. Hence, it is widely believed that if people are made to understand how and why people influence others, perhaps the negative implications of social influence will be ameliorated at some point. Overall, the scientific knowledge obtained in social psychology fits into the much needed wisdom in the world today (Fiske, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Core Characteristics of Social Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Situationism The concept of situationism underlies the scientific relevance of the social context in investigating social influence. Unlike the belief that social behavior is occasioned by individual personality, Fiske (2010, p. 7) posits that social behavior is a product of people’s immediate surroundings (social context). Therefore, experiments conducted by Lewin and his students have shown that the impact of situations on social behaviors surpasses individual personalities. In most cases, situations tend to be democratic in that social situations will always influence all the people involved irrespective of their personalities. Therefore, social situations can be used to predict social behaviors. Unlike ordinary people, social psychologists find situations to be more important than personalities in in vestigating people’s behavior because of various reasons. First, ordinary people tend to over-rely on personalities more than situations in explaining human behaviors. Secondly, it is widely accepted that the study of personality is a complex topic that should be studied as a single entity. Moreover, personality theorists tend to disagree on the methods of measuring personality. Thirdly, the personality-based explanation of human behavior is deficient in terms of measuring/predicting specific behaviors in a random situation. Sometimes, situations and personalities taken together have been found to be more accurate in predicting specific behaviors. Therefore, as scientists, social psychologists find it more appropriate to engage the concept of situationism in explaining and predicting behavior because it is a concept that is usually underestimated in most studies (Fiske, 2010, p. 10). Core social motives As noted earlier, for people to survive in a given group, there is the ne ed to devise ways (social motives) that fit into the existing social situation. Therefore, social motives are the fundamental psychological processes, which inform people’s behaviors, feelings, and thoughts in the presence of other people. According to Fiske (2010), the major social motives are trusting, understanding, belonging, controlling, and self-enhancing. These motives are the product of the interaction between personality and situations unlike other personality predispositions, which predict consistent behaviors irrespective of the underlying situations. Therefore, each of these core motives is important to social psychology because they inform different psychological analyses.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Here, studies have shown that a motive is the driving force behind the behavioral characteristics of a person existing in a given situation (life space). Furthermore, certain defining characteristics of a situation serve to facilitate or hinder the behavioral changes in a person (Fiske, 2010, p. 15). Accordingly, the situational characteristics acquire either negative or positive values (Valence) depending on an individual’s perception of the situation. Therefore, there is evidence to suggest that the social motives underlie situationism, which as earlier stated, is an important concept in social psychology. Moreover, social psychologists agree that a person’s motives characterize a psychological situation relative to that individual’s interpretations, and thus form the basis of situationism. Accordingly, social motives are important in explaining, describing, and unifying various seemingly independent lines of psychological research in that they inform specific theories and research methodologies in social psychology (Fiske, 2010). However, despite that the motives have not been adopted into research as a framework, there seems to be widespread acceptance of the five motives by both social and personality psychologists. As a result, there is the need to devise ways of incorporating these motives as a framework in future studies involving human behavior and social influence. References Fiske, S.T. (2010). Social beings: Core motives in social psychology (2nd ed.). River Street, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Web. Sanderson, C.A. (2010). Social psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Web.

Management and ecommerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management and ecommerce - Essay Example I want to assume the risks and opportunities of being an entrepreneur. According to Kuratko (153), entrepreneurs risk their effort, time, funds and reputation by taking up an opportunity to venture into a specific entrepreneurial course. However, it would be appreciated that the higher the risk, the higher the returns on investment as beneficiaries pay a premium price. Therefore, instead of being risk averse and continue making meagre or no returns on investment, I would rather take the entrepreneurial informed risks and opportunities availed and have a chance of reaping greater benefits in return. 3. Insurance can be a costly expense, especially for a company that isn’t profitable. Explain the different types of insurance that a small business can obtain, and identify which ones you think are crucial, which are not, and why. The Association of British Insurers documents various insurances for small businesses. General liability insurance protects the business from liability claims with regards to injuries, accidents, negligence claims, slander, libel and cost of a lawsuit defence among others. Property insurance cushions against losses from damage to business assets and stock through fire, burglary, theft and consequential causes. Thirdly, business interruption insurance protects against lost revenue when unexpected occurrences lead to the incapacitation of the business. Money insurance protects against losing money to fraudulent employees, theft while on transit and even fraudulent directors. Finally, worker’s compensation, mandatory in many states, protects the business in case of claims arising from injury to employees. Property insurance, worker’s compensation and general liability insurance are crucial. This is because property insurance protects the business from losing its foundation – stock and assets. Worker’s compensation and general liability

Health Management - Managing the aftermath of an adverse safety Essay

Health Management - Managing the aftermath of an adverse safety incident - Essay Example When the patients are not treated with the highest safety standards, they are likely to record dismal results in their performance. For instance, when the patients are not living in a highly hygienic place, they are likely to contact other diseases which will affect their health. Similarly, there is a need for health practitioners to offer services at the right time and at the right place. For instance, some patients need emergency services and should be given priority whenever they check into an institution. Such people need urgent care and services as their situation is extremely out of control (Khatri Hughes LC, Chan and Mark, 2009: 28). However, when the situation is not given priority, the person is likely to succumb to the injuries since the situation is getting worse. For instance, a person that is profusely bleeding needs urgent care. It is openly expressed that a person that is profusely bleeding needs to be given ample care and first aid. This will stop the bleeding and the person will be in a stable condition. However, when the bleeding continues for a long time, the person is not likely to survive. The body fluids will be at minimal levels, which is detrimental to a person’s health. There are a number of incidences in the health sector that openly display the need for safety measures in the profession. In most instances, the incidences are caused by human error. The people working on the patients are erroneous and end up making a mistake. Some mistakes are controllable while others are not controllable and could affect the life of the victim. However, in bizarre cases, the consequences of the incident are adverse and this could lead to death of the victim. These calls for undivided and focused attention from the medical practitioners and the nurses in the profession to ensure the patients are given steadfast services (Hurwitz and Sheikh, 2011: 21). The errors