Discrimination Model of Supervision Essay

School counseling is a complex and demanding component of the counseling profession. With an increase of social and emotional stressors, children and youth of today face numerous challenges. These challenges ultimately affect children in school. With an increase of suicides, drug abuse, gang involvement, and violence amongst youth, a high demand for school counseling supervision is needed (Henderson, 1994). Parents and teachers often turn to school counselors for guidance in helping troubled youth. Effective supervision is a benefit for novice as well as experienced school counselors. However, there is a lack of supervision in school counseling in comparison to clinical counseling (Wood & Rayle, 2006). Duties of school counselors have increasingly become much more vast due to cost reduction in education, retirement, increase in student enrollment, and an increase in societal issues such as the economic recession. Many novice and experienced school counselors are facing many more problems in the schools today than ever before. The lack of qualified supervision provided to school counselors force those in the profession to rely on self judgment, consultation, and having ethical knowledge about certain situations that may arise (Henderson, 1994). A study conducted by Wiggins (1993) found â€Å"more than 28% of the total group of experienced counselor participants were independently rated as low in effectiveness, 10 years previously, they were still rated in that manner and still employed as counselors† (p. 382). This study reinforced the urgency in the need for supervision for school counselors. If an effective supervision model was put in place, surely after 10 years, an improvement in performance by these experienced counselors would have been documented. According Herlihy and Corey (1996), the ACA Code of Ethics stated school  counselors have a responsibility to monitor their effectiveness, seeking supervision when appropriate. Despite this mandate, an enormous majority of professional school counselors are not involved in any clinical supervision once they are employed as a school counselor. Luke and Bernard (2006) proposed â€Å"using a 3 (focus of supervision) x 3 (supervisor role) x 4 (CSCP domain) matrix for an effective school counseling supervision model which is described as an extension of Bernard’s (1979, 1997) Discrimination Model† (p. 283). The discrimination model was initially created as a teaching model for use with apprentice supervisors. It is a theoretical model and is based on technical eclecticism. The discrimination model focuses on three separate foci of the supervisee’s competence: intervention skills; conceptualization skills; and personalization skills. Three supervisory roles are also a focus: teacher, counselor and consultant (Ladany & Bradley, 2010). The school counselor model of supervision with the discrimination model is the chosen model employed for my school counselor supervision practice. Intervention, conceptualization, and personalization skills are the three identified areas of focus (Ladany & Bradley, 2010). Intervention skills are the observable counselor behaviors and activities that the supervisee utilizes in the counseling relationship. Such skills are described as everything from a simple head nod, greeting of the client, to how the supervisee utilizes empathy and other counseling skills. The next area of focus, conceptualization skills include the counselor’s ability to choose an appropriate intervention, to make sense of what a client is presenting, to find and organize client themes, and to establish process and outcome goals. Finally, personalization skills are observed by the supervisor and focus on the individuality of the supervisee. Personalization skills include the personal style and chosen theoretical approach to counseling by the trainee, which includes personality, cultural background, countertransference, and the connection with clients served (Ladany & Bradley, 2010). Although some conceptualization and personalization skills may be observed directly, they are more often interpreted by the supervisor and initially require discourse between counselor and supervisor to become clear (Luke & Bernard, 2006). The supervisor’s roles consist of three areas of focal point. They include that of a teacher, counselor, and consultant. The role of a teacher by the supervisor includes the supervisor providing instruction, modeling, giving feedback, and conducting evaluation to assist the trainee in developing growth (Ladany & Bradley, 2010). The supervisor employing the role of a counselor involves the supervisor asking supervisees to reflect on an activity, on their thoughts, or on their internal reality. When supervisors adopt this role, they are not telling supervisees how to proceed; rather, they are assisting the supervisee to take advantage of a critical moment for reflection (Luke & Bernard, 2006). Lastly the supervisor serves as a consultant. In this role the supervisor and supervisee collaborate and share responsibility for the supervisee’s growth. The supervisor acts as a resource and encourages the supervisee to trust their own thoughts, insights, and feelings in their work (Luke & Bernard, 2006). The extension of the discrimination model to better adapt to the needs of school counseling supervision incorporates four domains: large group guidance; responsive counseling and consultation; individual advisement; and programmatic planning, coordination, and evaluation, also known as systems support (Gysbers & Henderson, 2001). These four domains are identified by the American School Counselor Association as the key components of an effective comprehensive school counseling program. Implementation of the discrimination model of supervision begins with the incorporation of the four domains of the comprehensive school counseling program. First, the supervisor identifies which of the four domains or a combination of domains will be the focus of supervision. When examining the three major areas of focus of the discrimination model, an additional set of skills are reviewed as it relates to intervention, conceptualization, and personalization skills (Luke & Bernard, 2006). When observing the use of intervention skills in counseling and consultation; classroom guidance skills, conduction of a needs assessment, and the ability to coordinate initiatives for staff would be additional focus during supervision. Similarly, conceptualization skills would include the supervisee’s  understanding of the relationship among various activities conducted by school counselors, planning a school wide function, deciding which components would be most helpful for a career day, developing a plan for evaluation of services, and choosing a developmentally appropriate classroom intervention. Finally, supervisee personalization skills would include how novice school counselors conduct themselves in a variety of contexts that is not limited to just individual counseling, such as leading large groups and asserting themselves in advocacy situations (Luke & Bernard, 2006). The implementation of the discrimination model of supervision in a school setting for novice school counselors mirrors the same frame work that is used for supervising clinical work but extends the focus of supervision to include the intervention, conceptualization, and personalization skills that relate directly to the four dimensions of a successful comprehensive school counseling program. Supervisors’ roles also expand using the discrimination model of supervision in school counseling. Supervisors use the four dimensions of the comprehensive school counseling program to assist with the development in particular skills not only in counseling interventions but also in advising sessions and negotiations with parents and school administrators. Supervisors assist supervisees in reflections and feelings about district-sponsored mandated programs and how these thoughts and feelings impact their performance (Luke & Bernard, 2006). Supervisors utilize all roles as teacher, counselor, and consultant and may need to change focus depending on the intervention and skills being developed. In conclusion, this extension of the discrimination model of supervision for school counselors prove to provide beneficial guidance and assistance to novice school counselor professionals. This model of supervision helps to combine the counseling and therapy focus seen mostly in clinical supervision with the requirements of school counseling skills needed to operate an effective comprehensive school counseling program. References Gysbers, N. & Henderson, P. (2001). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: A rich history and a bright future. Professional School Counseling, 4, 246-256. Henderson, P. (1994). Supervision of school counselors. ERIC Digest. Retrieved from ERIC Database. (ED372353). Herlihy, B. & Corey, G. (1996). ACA ethical standards casebook 5th ed. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Ladany, N. & Bradley, L. (2010). Counselor supervision 4th ed. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Luke, M. & Bernard, J. (2006). The school counseling supervision model: An extension of the discrimination model. Counselor Education and Supervision, 46(4), 282-295. Wiggins, J. D. (1993). A 10-year follow-up of counselors rated high, average, or low in effectiveness. The School Counselor, 40, 380-383. Wood, C. & Rayle, A. (2006). A model of school counseling supervision: The goals, functions, roles, and systems model. Counselor Education & Supervision, 45(4), 253-266.

Flight to Darwin, number 3105, now boarding

White knuckles, sweaty palms, this single seat in a line of 9 is my only safe zone, all of five minutes and we are inseparable. This aching fear, holding me down to my seat, my safe zone. Final call for flight number 3105 to Darwin. This was the day, this was the time, and this was the place where I came face to face with my biggest fear. Glued to my seat, I thought why? Why am I so afraid? Why am I sitting here, in an airport terminal unable to move from this relatively uncomfortable, plastic seat? It’s not right. I look to my surrounding, fellow flyers. Children, the elderly, mothers and fathers, all willingly ascending from their relatively uncomfortable seats, to board a completely reliable aeroplane. Such a miniscule task in one’s life journey, and I can’t even stand up. A crippling fear of flying has left me without dignity and courage, ashamed and embarrassed. But my thoughts are interrupted by the comforting sound of one of the flight attendants. â€Å"Sir? † she says, â€Å"is everything ok? Your flight is here for you†, a speechless reply on my behalf indicates that im not ‘ok’, parking herself on the seat next to me she utters, â€Å"there’s nothing to be afraid of, the skies are blue, no winds in sight, a simple, scare-free trip†. †¦ â€Å"Im trying, I really am, but I just can’t work up the courage to get up and board that god damn plane† I attempt to explain. She returns with â€Å"Nelson Mandela once said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear†. I don’t know what happened there and then, but a strong epiphany occurred in that infant mind state I was entranced by, I wasn’t without courage because of my fear of flying, I was without courage because I wasn’t doing anything to overcome that fear. â€Å"For a flight attendant, you are one wise woman† I proclaimed to her. She just smiled at me and walked on to the plane, as if she knew I would follow her steps. Three deep breathes, to calm myself and double as a countdown as I rise. Stand up, chin up and smile from ear to ear. What seems like such a small achievement to most, a small step in a day to day activity, was an accomplishment of immense proportions for me. Forwarding to the gates of the plane, I get my ticket scanned, and travel down the seemingly elongated tunnel connecting to the side of the plane, greeted by the wise attendant; I embrace her luminescent, comforting aura and place myself into my allocated seat. A somewhat comfortable seat, leather exterior, cushioned interior, cup holders, earphone input, food tray and pillow. A reassuring safety speech enlightens the paranoia. The pleasant smiles beaming from the flight attendants render that this trip will be like any other average trip; no interruptions, no problems, no worries. But the slightest of fear was still sneaking through my mind, past the comforting seats, past the safety speeches, and past the wise flight attendant, and the clenching noise the doors made as they sealed closed only boosted fear through my veins. At that point in time a few traditional deep breathes were my only remedies I could think of, but not nearly enough. This time though, I was a wiser man, recalling what the flight attendant quoted. â€Å"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. † Replaying it over and over in my head, like a broken record. Courage is not the absence of fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And on and on†¦ Until I looked to the front of the plane, chip up, a few more deep breathes and smiled†¦ An hour and I half later, no interruptions, no problems, no worries. I walked off that plane, proud. A feeling like never before, a feeling of true courageousness. And standing there just outside that Darwin Airport in the taxi zone, I thought about how this is my new safe zone, my serenity until a new challenge awaits, however great or miniscule it may be, it is nothing compared to the courage of one’s soul .

Garrowby Hill by David Hockney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Garrowby Hill by David Hockney - Essay Example The essay "Garrowby Hill by David Hockney" explores the life and works of British artist David Hockney, keeping the main focus on the canvas â€Å"Garrowby Hill†. It is really a hedonist canvas every inch of its surface. Our eyes can’t get away the winding road that seems to be moving by itself. The sense of movement is present in all the canvas as its dynamic composition suggests. The vibrant colors give life to the painting, and we feel a joyous vibration of optimism when we stare quietly at â€Å"Garrowby Hill† by David Hockney. The blue curved street on the foreground goes happily deep into the background where we lose sight of it. There is a lonely pine tree at the left side of the foreground. On the other side there is a line of trees going along the road. The geometrical fields are intelligently placed. Green is the predominant color as it is the color of Nature. But coloring in this painting has a deliberate sense of humor, of sensuality, springing from a free-spirited soul. It is obvious that this is not a realist canvas as its coloring and its imagery are a product of the artist’s imagination along a more interpretative line of painting. David Hockney was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, in 1937. He is a painter, draftsman, printmaker, photographer, and designer. He attended Bradford School of Art from 1953 to 1959. Later on he was an outstanding student at the Royal College of Art, where he studied from 1959 to 1962. At the beginning of his career, he used to do abstract painting.

The Relevance of Attachment Theory and Mother-Infant Bonding to the Essay

The Relevance of Attachment Theory and Mother-Infant Bonding to the Practice of Music Therapy - Essay Example The Attachment Theory The attachment theory was postulated by a British psychiatrist named John Bowlby and it was further elaborated on by his colleague who an American developmental psychologist is named Mary Ainsworth (Sigelman & Rider, 2009, p. 406). â€Å"The theory was grounded primarily on ethological theory and therefore asked how attachment might have evolved† (Sigelman & Rider, 2009). This theory also derived some of its concepts from psychoanalytic theory as stressed by Sigelman and Rider (2009). â€Å"According to Bowlby , an attachment is a strong affection tie that binds a person to an intimate companion; moreover, it is also a behavioural system through which humans regulate their emotional distress when under threat and achieve a sense of security by seeking proximity to another person† (Sigelman & Rider, 2009, p. 407). In addition, Bowlby argued that just as infants are programmed to respond to their caregivers, adults are biologically programmed to resp ond to an infant's signals; accordingly, it is rather daunting for an adult to ignore a baby's cry or fail to warm to a baby's grin (Sigelman & Rider, 2009). ... motional adversity in childhood; in both cases Bowlby supposed that the children went on to develop a range of behavioural, emotional and mental health problems (Oldfield et al., 2008). Central to the thinking of attachment theory is that a child has to believe that an attachment figure is present both psychologically as well as physically; Bowlby discovered that an attachment figure who was physically present and yet emotionally absent could arose similar feelings of anxiety and distress as an attachment figure who physically absent (Oldfield et al., 2008). Significantly, for children to thrive they need a close, continuous care-giving relationship: an attachment figure who is available and responsive to their needs as stressed by Oldfield et al. (2008). In relation to the attachment theory, music therapy, for example, has been a known measure in helping adopted children to deal with their tragic experiences in the past that may have been liable for their present behaviour. â€Å"M usic therapy, being an important non-verbal medium, allows children to go back to the early moments in their life and to process their daunting experiences† (Oldfield et al., 2008). In addition, the non-verbal nature of music therapy enables adoptive parents to respond to their adopted child in a new way, persuading the child to value their new family; working in this way enables a child to become more securely attached as they develop trust and security in their adoptive parents (Oldfield et al., 2008). In lieu of this process, the music therapist functions as the facilitator in building healthy relationships within the family (Oldfield et al., 2008). The Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth is a significant figure in the attachment theory of Bowlby for the reason that she studied attachment

WTO And Environmental Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

WTO And Environmental Protection - Essay Example This essay stresses that WTO plays as a protector and promoter of free trade while at the same time respecting the necessity for environmental protection and the rights of individual nations to set their standards. There main environmental debate that WTO is involved in revolve around two issues – one whether WTO should be concerned with disputes and litigations concerning environmental protection at all and the other that WTO is actually used as tool by nations to by-pass environmental concerns and indulge in rapid and unsustainable development. This paper makes a conclusion that it is seen in several cases that were brought to the WTO that accuses nations were employing domestic environment related laws to mete out discriminatory treatment to different countries. In the cases of the US embargo on imports on shrimps from India and other Asian countries and of the US embargo on tuna from Mexico it was seen that US used its domestic laws in a discriminatory manner. Similarly, in the case of Venezuela gasoline imports, the US appeared to be favoring its domestic gasoline refineries over the imports under the guise of its Clean Air Act. In all the three circumstances, WTO took the trade perspective that US should not be allowed to use environmental protection laws as a ruse for benefiting some favored nations and discriminating against others or in order to provide benefits to domestic producers.

Primary and Secondary Education in Wales and England Essay

Primary and Secondary Education in Wales and England - Essay Example In fact, British started the first educational institutions of most of the countries with the network of their missionaries, which has helped in the spread of English as a world language. However, the scope of this essay is restricted to the "social, economic and political factors that have influenced the changes to Primary and Secondary Education in Wales and England since 1944". 1944 was a landmark year in the history of the education system in Wales and England. The education act of 1944(also known as Butler Act, named after Rab Butler who formulated the act) completely changed the existing scenario of the Primary and the Secondary education system. It placed the education system under Ministry of Education, which hitherto was nonexistent and increased the role of the minister to include promotion of education in England and Wales. The act made Education free but compulsory. It raised the school leaving age to 15; suggested free milk, transport, and regular medical check ups for all the students. The entire Voluntary Schools most of which were owned by the churches were converted to, either aided, or 'controlled'. To advice the minister on the matters connected with education two Central Advisory Councils for Education, one for England and one for Wales were established. Although it maintained that Religious Education was a statutory requirement, it gave t he parents a free hand to decide their children's participation in it. It made the appointment of a Chief Education Officer a mandatory requirement for every LEA and divided the responsibility of management of education between the central government, the LEAs and Institution governing bodies. The government did not get involved in the process of making the curriculum which was left to the institution governing bodies mainly head teacher. The 1994 education act was based on the reports of Hadow (1926), Spens (1938), and Norwood (1943) all of which were suggestive of grouping of children based on their intelligence through exams (Roy Lowe (ed), 2000). Hence, it introduced the 'Tripartite System' of having Grammar Schools, Secondary Modern Schools, and the Secondary Technical Schools. Grammar school was for the most intelligent of the student lot, the Secondary Modern Schools for the ordinary majority and Secondary Technical Schools were for those with technical aptitude. The Labour party, which came into power with a huge majority after the Second World War, implemented most of the provisions of the 1944 Education Act. Several sections of the act were deleted one by one in the later years through legislation and it was completely repealed by 1996 Education Act. Even though Britain was occupied with mammoth restoration efforts after the Second World War, the government in power under the leadership of Clement Attlee was obsessed with the creation of so called 'welfare State'. Ellen Wilkinson the first Minister of Education post-war aggressively pursued her ambition of implementation of provisions of 1944 education act without much success. Some of the reports which were made after the 1944 education act recommended further changes in the education system. Percy report (1945) recommended inclusion of technical education in universities and Barlow Report (1946) recommended increase in number of seats for science students in universities. The first Clarke report (1947) School and life

PR campaign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

PR campaign - Assignment Example The institution’s mission statement has played an important role in guiding it towards excellence performance through the fifty years that it has existed since its inception. The institution believes that it’s upon this mission statement that it will transcend greater heights into becoming one of the universities with a global influence on various issues that affect the normal lives of people. The institution has done a lot to ensure that it lives to its vision; it has combined the efforts of all its stakeholders to ensure that staying on course on this vision remains a matter of top priority. The vision statement that the institution has found a lot of self-esteem in it reads as follows; In order to live and achieve its vision, the institution intends to rely on the majority youthful population that characterizes the student population, the excellent and strategic location that keeps it within reach to many students. At the same time, the excellent association between the student body and the faculty proves to another vital ingredient in achieving the vision, thus establishing itself as one of the forerunner institutions in the United States of America The university enjoys a corporate culture that is characterised by active and free interaction among students and the faculty representatives. The institution has committed to admitting different student from all walks of life in a bid to encourage cultural interaction and diversity. The university has derived a lot of strength from the fact that it is providing an environment that values different races and knowledge sharing. This is something that seems to add impetus in the efforts being done towards innovations and inventions in the different areas the university address. The institution enjoys state of the art technology that is used in instructional

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 164

Assignment Example The value is to be recorded as $215,000 on the debit side, whereas $90,000 is to be credited. According to Jivraj, the customized computer should have been recorded as a miscellaneous expense, but the product, whether with resale value or not is an asset and thus a crediting of the assets account (computers) should have been emphasized by Juma. Additionally, depreciation was to be recorded by division of the total value by six years, as a straight line method was used to evaluate the value of the transaction. The value of the building should not be recorded both in terms of lower costs and fair value, but rather should be recorded as appreciation or depreciation in the capital gains account. Juma and Jivraj have widely varying ways to record these transactions. The transaction does not involve the exchange of cash and thus should not be recorded as three separate expenses which will be credited thrice. However, the total value is to be recorded in both accounts as $60,000. It can only be recorded in the accounts receivable accounts. Additionally, the amount should not be recorded as an amount received as Jivraj proposes, but rather a different approach should be recorded, such as the inclusion of the expense and recording it in the accounts payable as well. The written sales order should not be recorded according to Juma because there has been no exchange of cash. However, this transaction can be recorded as inventory for the computers. However, another approach that can be used is recording these transactions in the accounts receivables bracket. The main reason this is the case is due to the fact that the amount of cash has not exchanged hands and Jivraj records the amount as if it has already

Do Animals Have the Right to be Free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Do Animals Have the Right to be Free - Essay Example What did human do today? They use mice in laboratories for experimentation – they will electrify them, or they will do whatever to satisfy their studies or assumptions about the welfare of human beings. Non-humans are â€Å"means† to save human beings, is that justifiable? Is that fair enough to let them suffer and die just to save us? For some reason, we will insist that our lives are more valuable than those of the mice and cats, but it's not good enough to let them suffer to death. A cat has injected a chemical just to prove something, the poor animal suffers – can we also let human suffer like that? Therefore, what's my idea about animal liberation? Animals should be treated just like us. Even it's inevitable to consider them as food and kill them for that purpose, but we would take extra consideration about their â€Å"suffering† in the long run. Experimentation and tortures of animals should be banned in all places with very few exemptions. Their suf fering somehow means life to us – in case of medical practices, yet, let's put some limitations. It's not really good to see this practice so â€Å"common†, and even medicals students commonly do this as a habitual practice. Can we at least abide a just law for animals? Factory farm animals, for instance, are like machines and robots, they are confined, they are deprived of anything as if they are simply machines that produce food for us. Did you ever realize why chicken have wings? Because they are designed to be flying animals.

Native Americans and Early American Colonists Essay Example for Free

Native Americans and Early American Colonists Essay Grade school and even beginning level college history classes have taught early American exploration from a largely one sided view of the conflict between early explorers and Native Americans. The traditional image of the Native Americans as the sole victims, is an oversimplification of the conflict that existed between early explorers, settlers and Native Americans. Through the readings from Columbus, Bradford and some selected Native American writings, the traditional view of the Native American victim will be challenged and a broader view of the conflict will be presented. Columbus set out to explore a new land under the Spanish flag to bring riches and fame to Spain and the throne. In his letter to Santangel, Columbus (1493) explained how he hoped to find â€Å"great cities† and â€Å"king[s]† but instead found a primitive people and settlements he described as â€Å"small hamlets† that he viewed quite devolved from the bustling civilizations of Europe (pg. 26). One can clearly see, that Columbus’s hopes of finding rich kingdoms and cultures were dashed; instead his presence was met with resistance from the â€Å"Indians†. This relationship with the natives was described by Baym et. all (2008) as â€Å"disordered and bloody† (pg. 25). These natives were mistreated even though one could argue that they â€Å"threw the first punch† but, as Baym et. all (2008) describes earlier in the chapter, the Natives were not merely victims. They strategically used alliances with explorers and settlers to further their own interests and disputes with warring tribes and peoples. William Bradford (1897) describes quite a different account of his coming to the new world. He was part of a group of â€Å"pilgrims† seeking religious freedom. He likens their arrival to the new world, to the story in Acts were the apostles are met with such aggression from barbarians â€Å"who were readier to fill their sides full of arrows† (pg. 60). Later on in his account, he describes an attack they received from the natives he described as â€Å"enemies† (pg. 64). Later on in his account, Bradford (1897) describes some awful events surrounding early accounts of settler and native interactions in which the Native Americans treated the english as â€Å"worse than slaves† and were sent around and â€Å"ma[d]e sport with† (pg. 70). One last important viewpoint to give credence to is that of the Natives themselves. This account is unique and oftentimes not told. The first story mentioned is that of the freeing of John Smith as a ceremonial act that the natives hoped would earn them respect from the English. This instead had the opposite effect and eventually brought about an attack from the natives which killed over 500 colonists. In a speech from Pontiac (1763) he expresses concern over his people forgetting their heritage and blaming the English for the polluting of his people’s culture and beliefs. He holds the English in complete responsibility and calls for their blood. The traditional view of the natives as the sole victim is an oversimplification of the problems revolving around immigration and cultural diversity. Just from these three personal accounts from the time period we have three very different views of the issue. So, to say that one peoples are the victim is a gross oversimplification and misrepresentation of history. Columbus, C. (1493). Letter to Luis de Santagel Regarding the First Voyage. In Baym, N. (Ed. ). (2008). The Norton Anthology of American Literature (seventh ed., pp. 24-28). New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company, Inc. Bradford, W. (1897). Of Plymouth Plantation. In Baym, N. (Ed. ). (2008). The Norton Anthology of American Literature (seventh ed. , pp. 57-74). New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company, Inc. Pontiac (1763). Speech at Detroit. In Baym, N. (Ed. ). (2008). The Norton Anthology of American Literature (seventh ed. , pp. 208-209). New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company, Inc. Baym, N. (Ed. ). (2008). The Norton Anthology of American Literature (seventh ed. , pp. 1-218). New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company, Inc.

Reflective Diary on Change Management

Reflective Diary on Change Management ABSTRACT This report states my individual reflection during the process of learning CHANGE MANAGEMENT module. This covers personal viewpoint of my experience on the issues of change. The later part of the report argues on the constructive and destructive role of resistance as a part of change process. This analysis is applied to the organization (water utility) where change has been experienced. INTRODUCTION It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change- Charles Darwin to cope with a changing world, an entity must develop the capacity of shifting and changing of developing new skills and attitudes, in short, the capacity of learning A De Gues, The Living Company This report has been written as a part of my module course work to state my personal views and experience on various issues of change. The report also emphasizes on the resistance to change and its impact on the change process. I was a bit tensed before the module started because as a database student I had no prior knowledge of change management but after the completion of the module I have gained pretty good knowledge on change management in an organization and issues involved in it. In todays economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid, because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics. There are 2 types of work in an organization viz. normal delivery process, where the main business of the organization is done and the change activities, whereby necessary change is made to the business and the way it is done. Change externally appears to be changing jobs, places, products etc. but actually occurs first inside peoples heads. It has both positive and negative effects. Change Management can be defined in 3 ways: The Task of Managing Change: It is the task of managing change. Managing change itself has 2 meanings. Firstly, it refers to the making of change in a planned and managed or systematic fashion. The aim is to implement new methods and systems in an ongoing organization. This type of change occurs in information system development projects. Secondly, it refers to the response to changes over which the organization exercises little or no control. An Area of professional Practice: There are change management experts/change agents who claim that they help clients manage the changes they face or help the clients make changes. A Body of Knowledge: There is large, reasonably cohesive albeit elective body of knowledge underlying the change management practice and on which most practitioners agree. It consists of various models, methods and techniques, tools, skills and other forms of knowledge. All the practitioners are integrated by set of concepts and principles known as General Systems Theory (GST). WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? From the course module Change management and Systems Implementation I have learned: Definition of Change management: As described above. Nature of change: Before implementing change the nature of change is analysed. Three various levels of change are understood viz. Alpha Level Change Beta Level Change Gamma Level Change The Change Process: The process of change has 3 basic stages: Unfreezing Changing Refreezing This is based heavily on Kurt Lewins Adoption of the systems concept of homeostasis of dynamic stability. Force-Field Analysis: identify driving and restraining forces and try to increase the driving forces and reduce the restraining forces. Human Issues in Change Resistance to Change. Change Diagnosis. 7- s Framework. Culture and Strategy in Change Management. Strategy safaris. Various personality types involved in CM. From the overall module, the topic Resistance to change excited me a lot. I enjoyed that session in class and have also done extra reading and research on that topic from web. The later part of the report describes my views on various issues of Resistance to Change in any organization and how I applied those issues to the organization where change has been experienced. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: Resistance is an inevitable response to change and will exist in any organization. It may happen at all levels of an organization. It is the action taken by individuals and groups when they perceive that a change that is occurring as a threat to them. It can stimulate healthy discussion. Resistance is the last thing management wants during change process. In many instances if pervasive, resistance to change will have detrimental effects for the whole program. It may bring the change into disaster or worse collapsing the whole organization. It must not be ignored. Resistance may take many forms, including active or passive, overt or covert, individual or organized, aggressive or timid. Initially resistance was seen as an unfavourable thing a harmful problem that must be immediately resolved in anyway in order to achieve a successful change. In the early days Management experts agreed that resistance will bring nothing but unconstructive consequences to management as there was lack of support from people especially at management level. Waddell in her journal Resistance: a constructive tool for change management (1990) has found that resistance to change has long been renowned as a negative factor that may influence the success of any change process. She was supported by many experts like McGuire in her journal How to manage change (2003), Mabin in Harnessing resistance: using theory of constraints to assist change management (2001), Teare in Learning from change (2002), Karyn in her case study identifying resistance in managing resistance to change (2002) and Dym in his PhD paper Resistance in Organisations: How to Recognise, Understand respond to it (1999). Mabin found a survey that reveals the prerequisites for a successful change vision, mission, culture, communication and leadership. If those pre-requisites are not met the whole change will fail due to what is often termed as resistance to change (Mabin, 2001). Teare from his analysis of different scenarios of changes argues that the best suited managers are those with entrepreneurial type who would examine problems as whole, willing to take risks to challenge conventional practices and view change as an opportunity rather than threat (Teare, 2002). The 4 factors for failure in managing change are: Lack of consistent leadership. De-motivated staff kept in the dark. Lack of capacity: budget cuts, no spend-to-save policy, short-term approach to investment, stressed out staff working hard just to stand still. Lack of initiative to do something different. McGuire listed 4 key factors for success when implementing change within an organization: Pressure for change demonstrated senior management commitment is essential for change. Leadership is getting others to do what they want to do because they want to do it Eisenhower Pressure is the 1st thing that triggers change and it may come from external or internal organization (McGuire, 2003). A positive message should be communicated throughout the organization of the need and the case for change. Senior management should be supportive both privately and publicly and their commitment and the drive for change is essential if momentum is to be maintained for effective implementation. Teare concern was more on organizational de-layering (Teare, 2003). A clear,shared vision must take everyone with you. This is shared agenda that benefits the whole organization. Business are nothing more or less than organizational of people trying to a jointly defined future Professor Howard H Stevenson, Harvard Business School. The managerial level of the organization should not only work towards the change process but they have to be able to see the vision and institute the change plan to finally achieve this vision (McGuire, 2003). Teare suggested that organization must focus on its desired outcomes during the change process. The managers should be motivated with recognition of their achievements and should participate in change learning process. Exploring Capabilities Provide the resources time and finance. More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause Jim Cathcart According to McGuire organization should analyse its capabilities in dealing with change. It needs to know its existing capabilities, the abilities those may be required during the change process (McGuire, 2003). Action Plan plan, do, check, act and keep the communication channels open. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit Aristotle Follow the management methodology PLAN DO CHECK ACT A handy formulae to deal with resistance positively and effectively is D x V x F = R, where: D = Dissatisfaction V = vision F = First (or next) steps R = Resistance to change This says that Dissatisfaction, Vision, and First Steps are all necessary in order to overcome Resistance to change. The model most commonly used to illustrate elements of change and resistance to change is lewins force-field analysis: According to this model, pressing for change threatens stability and thus increase the power of forces maintaining the system. The most effective way to bring about change is to reduce the forces of resistance. Both forces (change and resistance to change) exist within the system and if the system depicts an interaction, the forces need to be conceptualized as interactive. According to kotter and Schlesinger (1979), there are four reasons that certain People Resist Change: Parochial self-interest some people are concerned with the implication of the change for themselves and how it may affect their own interests rather than considering the effects for the success of the business. Misunderstanding communication problems and inadequate information. Low tolerance to change certain people are very keen on security and stability in their work. Different assessments of the situation some employees may disagree on the reasons for the change and on the advantages and disadvantages of the change process. The main reasons for employee resistance are A lack of awareness about the change i.e. when the reason of change is unclear. Ambiguity where it is about costs, equipment, and jobs can trigger negative reactions among users. Comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown. When the proposed users have not been consulted about the change, and it is offered to them as an accomplished fact. When the change threatens to modify established patterns of working relationships between people. When the communication about the change timetables, personnel, monies, etc. has not been sufficient. When the benefits and rewards for making the change are not seen as adequate for the trouble involved. When the change threatens jobs, power or status in an organization. Fear of failure. Personality conflicts. Loss of status and/or job security. Lack of tact and/or poor timing. Disruption of cultural traditions and/or group relationships. The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still. People have no role models for the new activity. People fear that they lack the competence to change. People feel overloaded and overwhelmed. People have healthy scepticism and want to be sure new ideas are sound. People fear hidden agenda as among would-be reformers. People anticipate loss of status or quality of life. People genuinely believe that the proposed change is a bad idea. The different ways to deal with resistance to change are: Facilitation and Support: Where people are resisting change due to adjustments problems, Managers can head off potential problems by being supportive of employees during difficult times. Managerial support help employees deal with fear and anxiety during transition period. Education and Communication: Where there is lack of information or inaccurate information and analysis. Educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort, this reduces unfounded and incorrect rumours concerning the efforts of change in the organization. Participation and involvement: Where employees are involved in the change process emotionally. When their hands are dirty, they realize that dirt is not so bad, after all. They also justify their involvement to themselves and so persuade themselves that is the right thing to do. Negotiation and agreement: When the other person cannot be easily persuaded, then they have to be given order. The manager has to sit them down and ask what they are seeking. Work out a mutually agreeable solution that works just for them and just for you. Manipulation and Co-option: Where the other tactics will not work or are too expensive. Co-option involves patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for the appearance sake rather than substantive contribution. These leaders can be given symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Explicit and Implicit Coercion: Where speed is essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resistance to change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. Depending on the degree and type of performance gaps, different organizational change interventions are designed to conserved resources and effectively close those gaps. The best way to understand resistance to change is to use the change management worksheet. This should be filled out separately by people in an organisation and then discussed. This tells the reasons why people in your organization resist change. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN BRITISH GAS : British Gas was formed in 1940 and it commenced its operation in 1948 with the mission of supplying gas in Great Britain. By 1950 it became one of the monopolies among the various gas providers in the market. There vision is to be a leading supplier of energy and related services in there chosen market and to build position in Europe. There mission is to create value for there share holders and to provide cost effective services for optimum satisfaction of the customers by enabling good environment. They view them selves as partners with there customers, suppliers and share holders by creating value and prosperity for all the stake holders and there respective community at large. The main aim for change in this company to improve customer service in order to save time and improve corporation competitiveness. BRITISH GAS IN THE PAST In the past British gas had very complex system. The staff has to use different software for different queries. Customers services are not up to the mark as the salutation and DPA was very lengthy and customers has to wait for long time in the queue to get there queries resolved. There were different department for different services. British gas followed the strategy safari planning school. The new changes and implementations include drastic change in IT, better customer service user friendly software, maintaining integrity, training and recruiting new staff and providing more choices to the customer. The level of change in British gas is Alpha change. The alpha change includes implementation of effective software in order to improve customer satisfaction, improved IT infrastructure which leads to success in their business. Through the change is small its implications are large. From the Force-Field analysis, the driving forces and restraining forces are identified. The driving forces include: Customers willing to change to the new system. Later support from the staff (Willing to work overtime to get trained to new software.) though there was initial criticism. Instant approval by management members to change the present system. The restraining forces include: Few staff unwilling to adapt to new software as they have to get trained again. Requires extra investments for developing, installing and maintaining new software. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: As a customer service agent working in british gas I have experienced this alpha level change of software in the implementation of queries from the customers. The change was declared by higher management people (My team leader) very suddenly. There was a mixed reaction from the staff, some have welcomed the idea but few opposed it. There was a initial criticism in the staff because of the following reasons: Comfort with the way things and fear of unknown. Fear of failure. Personality conflict. Lack of awareness. People had no role models. The change was surprise. Parochial self-interest. Unwilling to adopt new system. Misunderstanding. Different assessment of situations. Though there was initial criticism, the staff later cooperated very well in the change process as the management as taken necessary steps to deal with resistance like: They had facilitated the staff that had trouble working overtime to get trained to the new software. They educated the staff the reason for change and benefits of new software (how it will be better to them.) They got the people involved in the change process by encouraging them to take part emotionally. They had to sit down and work out mutually with the staff on the implementation of change. As there was pressure of drive from the management, communicated there vision to the staff in an understandable way and supplied the various available resources and acted upon the change towards its successful implementation. The staff later realized the advantages of new software as it reduced most of their work upon acting the queries from customers and made their job very easy and welcomed the idea without any contempt. CONCLUSION: After completion of this module I gained enough knowledge about the concept of Change Management and its implications. I enjoyed the module thoroughly. This knowledge will be very much useful for me in the future understanding of the change process in any organization I work for. The various concepts covered in this module have been very useful. The case study has given a practical experience of what all I have learnt in this module by providing a real-life scenario.

In Defense of Elitism Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"In Defense of Elitism† Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dominant theme in this essay appears to be this: post war social changes such as offering increased university admission promote the view of egalitarianism in education. The author’s main issue with â€Å"secondary† education is the sheer numbers of our population that the United States as a whole educates. According to Mr. Henry, the United States educates nearly thirty percent of high school graduates who go on to a four year bachelor’s degree. He believes that the increased number of graduates has led to a workforce of mediocrity. In the author’s comparison to other leading countries, the United States has academic standards and achievement requirements which do not directly insure that this nation’s youth are job ready with a four year degree. Mr. Henry’s theory states that the United States as a whole needs to restrict college admissions to only half of those who would seek degrees. In the essay, the author is of the opinion that by reducing the number of degree seeking students, a nation can improve quality and the value of a college education. To decrease the quantity of students would in the long run increase the quality of education. The author sees the necessity of restricting higher education to include only those who have demonstrated at an early age in the educational process the ability and ambition to pursue a higher education. In his opinion, following this process would allow only the more intelligent or ambitious of students into college, therefore assuring a competent post graduation workforce. Would severely limiting admission achieve the steep goals the author believes it will? Mr. Henry states that in order for the job market to sustain ample job opportunities for university graduates, those chosen should meet strict educational standards early in the education process. Without these measures, he believes, the American education system will continue to degrade as everyone will become equal, with none terrible and more importantly, none great. Mr. Henry asserts his belief that in a watered down workplace, complacency is only eclipsed by averageness. For an individual to progress and excel through college, it takes a certain measure of drive to achieve the necessary academic quality. This drive requires its recipient to work harder and achieve better grades, more income... ...ity of a four year education; those restrictions would also deny the opportunity of higher education to many who could achieve even greater success than those who had been chosen. Throughout history, there are stories of ordinary individuals who rose up to live extraordinary lives. To not allow someone the opportunity to achieve their potential would serve not only to separate the classes farther, it would also cause the stagnation of our economy. Jobs would be easier for the chosen educated, as there would be less competition. The truth is, it is that very competition that pushes every sector of our economy, driving companies to make better products or offer better services. Without competition, industries quit moving forward and better products don’t get engineered. It is clear to me that returning our education system to one in which only the chosen few were admitted would actually cause far more damage to society than the danger the author speaks about. If someone choo ses to take the necessary steps to achieve greatness, no one should be able to hinder them except themselves. Work Sited Page Henry. William A â€Å"In Defense of Elitism† NMR, 171-175 Prentice Hall, NJ In Defense of Elitism Essay -- essays research papers â€Å"In Defense of Elitism† Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dominant theme in this essay appears to be this: post war social changes such as offering increased university admission promote the view of egalitarianism in education. The author’s main issue with â€Å"secondary† education is the sheer numbers of our population that the United States as a whole educates. According to Mr. Henry, the United States educates nearly thirty percent of high school graduates who go on to a four year bachelor’s degree. He believes that the increased number of graduates has led to a workforce of mediocrity. In the author’s comparison to other leading countries, the United States has academic standards and achievement requirements which do not directly insure that this nation’s youth are job ready with a four year degree. Mr. Henry’s theory states that the United States as a whole needs to restrict college admissions to only half of those who would seek degrees. In the essay, the author is of the opinion that by reducing the number of degree seeking students, a nation can improve quality and the value of a college education. To decrease the quantity of students would in the long run increase the quality of education. The author sees the necessity of restricting higher education to include only those who have demonstrated at an early age in the educational process the ability and ambition to pursue a higher education. In his opinion, following this process would allow only the more intelligent or ambitious of students into college, therefore assuring a competent post graduation workforce. Would severely limiting admission achieve the steep goals the author believes it will? Mr. Henry states that in order for the job market to sustain ample job opportunities for university graduates, those chosen should meet strict educational standards early in the education process. Without these measures, he believes, the American education system will continue to degrade as everyone will become equal, with none terrible and more importantly, none great. Mr. Henry asserts his belief that in a watered down workplace, complacency is only eclipsed by averageness. For an individual to progress and excel through college, it takes a certain measure of drive to achieve the necessary academic quality. This drive requires its recipient to work harder and achieve better grades, more income... ...ity of a four year education; those restrictions would also deny the opportunity of higher education to many who could achieve even greater success than those who had been chosen. Throughout history, there are stories of ordinary individuals who rose up to live extraordinary lives. To not allow someone the opportunity to achieve their potential would serve not only to separate the classes farther, it would also cause the stagnation of our economy. Jobs would be easier for the chosen educated, as there would be less competition. The truth is, it is that very competition that pushes every sector of our economy, driving companies to make better products or offer better services. Without competition, industries quit moving forward and better products don’t get engineered. It is clear to me that returning our education system to one in which only the chosen few were admitted would actually cause far more damage to society than the danger the author speaks about. If someone choo ses to take the necessary steps to achieve greatness, no one should be able to hinder them except themselves. Work Sited Page Henry. William A â€Å"In Defense of Elitism† NMR, 171-175 Prentice Hall, NJ

More Respect for Life and Fewer Cluster Bombs :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

More Respect for Life and Fewer Cluster Bombs    Many people's reactions to the atrocities of September 11 have gone from disbelief, to sadness, to anger, quiet or otherwise. We commonly hear that we have received a declaration of war, and should respond accordingly. This essay outlines my arguments for restraint.    The moral case. Morality should be universal. If attacking hostile governments by killing civilians is "evil" and "the very worst of human nature," then it is no better for the U.S. to do so than for Afghanistan to.    The terrorists who attacked the U.S. last week haven't spoken up, but probably would describe U.S. foreign policy with "evil," "cowardly," "despicable," and other words that Bush used. They believe that political ends and avenging wrongs from a foreign military justifies killing enemy civilians, even if their support for the government was only indirect. Analogously, Bush's speech stated that: "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." Calls for a spectacularly bloody retaliatory strike aimed loosely towards the billion Muslims in the world are increasing, while dissent has been muted. Mountains of historical evidence document America's tolerance for heavy "collateral" damage when attacking the infrastructure of a demonized enemy, such as Saddam or Milosevic.    Tuesday's tragedy demonstrated America's surprising physical vulnerability, but, perhaps more disturbing, our response threatens to show a moral weakness that will be much harder to justify in hindsight.    The practical case. In Israel, extremists on both sides use terrorism and "random" violence for ends which are neither desperate nor irrational -- they aim to derail peace efforts and provoke a violent response on the other side that will cause moderates to reject compromise and side with extremists. "Jew" or "Arab" loses meaning in the face of the deeper struggle between hatred and tolerance, though typically only events such as Yitzhak Rabin's assassination by an extremist Israeli shock people into remembering. These oft-forgotten and crucial lessons from terror sound like Sunday school truisms: "the aim of violence is to beget further violence" and "blood cannot be washed away with blood."    These principles must sound a little other-worldly after Tuesday's atrocities, but there is no other time when it is more important that we remember them. Pausing to note that we can prove very little about the motivations of

Hubspot: Inbound Marketing Essay

HubSpot is an online marketing software company that utilizes inbound marketing, a system which pulls prospective customers to a business and its products. Although inbound marketing has been highly successful and the company has reached its milestone of 1,000 customers, HubSpot is now faced with the dilemma of which direction to steer towards, while considering the viability of inbound marketing at a larger scale. HubSpot must decide whether to target the Marketing Marys (MM) segment, the Owner Ollies (OO) segment or both. We recommend that HubSpot focus on the OO segment. Our strategy is to actively grow this market segment, lower the churn rate and increase the retention rate. By targeting this segment, it will help HubSpot further its goal of becoming an industry leader in the Leads, Analyze and Qualify Traffic sectors of the inbound marketing industry. Our recommendation is based on quantitative analysis which showed that the OO segment is more profitable than the MM segment. Considering the $1000 acquisition cost of OOs and their current pricing, the breakeven for this segment is 2 months. In addition, the lifetime revenue for the OOs is estimated to be $1. M (Exhibit B). In contrast, the breakeven time calculated for the MMs is 9 months with an estimated lifetime revenue of $1. 6M. In addition to quantitative analysis, we also considered qualitative factors in determining our recommendation. We determined that inbound marketing should remain the primary marketing system because it is a user-friendly and a cost efficient product and most importantly, it is HubSpot’s guiding philosophy. Inbound Marketing, a core value and strength, will continue to differentiate HubSpot from its competitors as it grows. In choosing to target the OO segment, we are assuming that OOs will continue to migrate to HubSpot’s hosted content management system at the same rate. The plan is to foster the OOs through retention programs and an improved quality customer service department. The company can lock the customer into a one-year contract at a discount or offer initial free consulting services. In addition within this timeframe, HubSpot’s salesforce will promote the advantages of migrating to the CMS system. We considered alternatives such as targeting both OO and MM segments or focusing solely on the MM segment. However, according to the company product timeline, it takes more than 3 months to develop new products and processes so the alternative of targeting both segments was rejected. As a new company, HubSpot has limited resources to service the diverse client base, which will cause product growth to lag behind servicing customers’ needs. In the long run, this will put the company at a less competitive position in the industry. Additionally, we also considered targeting only the MMs because this segment realized the most growth during the last four months of 2008, perhaps indicating long term growth potential. We rejected this strategy as a result of our expense breakeven analysis: it takes 4 ? times longer to breakeven with MM customers than it does with OO clients (Exhibit B). Finally, while we realize that the shift in focus could potentially lead to loss of market share within the MM segment, we believe that the gain in OO segment will offset the loss in the long run. In conclusion, we recommend that HubSpot target the OO segment. We identified HubSpot’s goals as growth within the OO segment, a lower churn rate and an increased retention rate. HubSpot can accomplish these objectives by promoting the CMS system and implementing a new customer contract initiative. As the company moves towards accomplishing these goals, it will no doubt become a market leader in the online software marketing industry.

Medical Use Of Body Massage Health And Social Care Essay

Body massage is a monolithic topic and includes many different types of technique and has a huge history of usage. Research, controlled surveies and clinical surveies have been undertaken in this field. Some of the most of import instances and noteworthy surveies will be discussed in greater inside informations subsequently. Although this essay will discourse â€Å" Swedish massage † in the most portion, it is helpful to discourse the field of complementary therapy as a medical system in a whole, along with the interchangeably used word â€Å" holistic † and the statement as to whether this is justly termed when in usage or non. â€Å" Complementary † therapies, although a reasonably recent add-on to conventional medical systems in the Western universe of normal Orthodox medical interventions, and they have a long and full history of usage in the Eastern universe. Natural therapies Complementary therapies are defined by Sairam ( 2007 ) as: â€Å" A system of alternate therapies, analogue to patterns in modern medical specialty. Treatments and therapies are frequently in concurrence with conventional medical specialty. † ( Sairam ( 2007 ) . Complementary therapies are now estimated costing: â€Å" $ 60 billion a twelvemonth and rise. In France, 75 % of the population has used some signifier of what is frequently called complementary medical specialty. That figure is about 50 % in the UK, 42 % in Canada, and 35 % in Norway. † ( Murcott, 2006 ) . The Ernst et Al, ( 2008 ) gives a wide definition of the term complementary therapies in the Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine: Complementary medical specialty is diagnosis, intervention and/or bar which complements mainstream medical specialty by lending to a common whole, fulfilling a demand non met by orthodoxy, or diversifying the conceptual model of medical specialty. † ( Ernest et al ( 1995 ) ) . Complementary therapies are now freely available on the NHS by referral by General Practitioner, the NHS web site discusses what it believes the definition of complementary therapies should include: â€Å" Complementary medical specialty ( or therapies ) is used to mention to those methods which can be used aboard or to ‘complement ‘ conventional medical specialty, but the differentiation between alternate and complementary medical specialty is non absolute and may depend on the context. Many people now use the term complementary and alternate medical specialty ( CAM ) to include both attacks. † ( NHS grounds web site ) . A word that is seen to be used interchangeably with that of complementary or alternate therapies is the word â€Å" Holistic † . The true significance of holistic or holistic theory from â€Å" The Collins Concise Dictionary † is: â€Å" ( in medical specialty ) the consideration of the complete individual in the intervention of disease. † The term â€Å" holistically † , is used by a variant sums of healers and professionals who either agree or disagree with the term being used in massage therapy, as the true significance of holistic is to handle the whole organic structure or the organic structure as a whole. Practitioners of Swedish massage would ignore massage and the term â€Å" holistic † being used together, they would most likely answer that massage is used for specific jobs, complaints and due to illness, hurt of other signifiers of harm to the musculus. The healers of such subjects would include that handling the organic structure as a â€Å" whole † would hold to include facial interventions and this would travel really much against the grain of specific signifiers of massage, which is used for handling specific jobs ( e.g. hurt due to overdrive of the biceps brachii musculus ensuing in a musculus failing of which is treated by massage ) . Therapist handling musculus hurts would justly r eason that to utilize facial massage to help the biceps hurt would be like sewing pants up with a knitting acerate leaf. So overall the sentiment of handling clients with a massage that is considered holistic, is non precisely the right term and would be better suited when discoursing other complementary therapies such as aromatherapy or reflexology. To to the full implement the word holistically into a intervention, it must suit into one of the classs of holding an consequence on one or more of the, psychological, physiology and physical factors and with this significance massage is non a â€Å" entirely, Holistic † intervention. Introducing the essay capable massage, it should be stated that many healers believe that massage is non a topic which can be used under the header of complementary therapy, and should that rub down should be wholly separate to this subdivision of health care. However, it seems in this twenty-four hours and age anything that goes against the â€Å" conventional † and Orthodox interventions of the western universe is now a complementary or alternate therapy. To to the full implement the word holistically into a intervention, it must suit into one of the classs of holding an consequence on one or more of the, psychological, physiology and physical factors. The significance or interlingual rendition of massage comes from the Arabic â€Å" Mass significance to press, â€Å" the Chinese phrase â€Å" anmo and amma † to intend the â€Å" imperativeness – hang-up † and tuina significance to â€Å" push-pull † . † ( Fritz ( 2009 ) ) . While the Greek use the term â€Å" massein † which is translated as knead and the Arabic â€Å" mass'h † to intend imperativeness quietly. Among the most noteworthy mentions to the definition of massage it is described really similar from century to century, Holey and Cook ( 2004 ) gives a assortment of definitions as to what is a usher to definitions on the topic, in â€Å" Evidence – Based Curative Massage † a assortment of different definitions are given: â€Å" Massage is the term used to show scientific uses which are performed by the custodies of the operator upon the organic structure of the patient†¦ and is a natural method of reconstructing the portion, either locally or by and large injured, to its normal status. ( Ross ( 1907 ) . â€Å" †¦ massage may be described as a scientific manner of handling some signifiers of disease, by external uses, applied in a assortment of ways to the soft tissues of the organic structure † . ( Goodall- Copestake ( 1926 ) ) . â€Å" †¦ massage uses may be stationary or progressive ; they may be variable in strength of force per unit area exerted, surface country treated and frequence of application † . ( Westland ( 1993 ) ) . Massage has been used by many civilizations and is besides known as the â€Å" laying on of custodies † from Christianity. But massage is something that as human being is natural in our being and mind, when a individual hurts themselves the natural action is to rub the country. Massage has a huge history, from Country to Country and from civilization to civilization. Massage has been used within the Chinese tradition for many centuries, developed from every bit early as â€Å" A.D. , 589-617 † , ( Fritz ( 2009 ) ) , the Chinese tradition uses the methods of kneading and musculus uses to alleviate different types of wellness job or unwellness. Handss were the first most common signifier of tool for supplying this type of pattern to the organic structure, but developing this therapy, came adding tools like little acerate leafs to specific countries â€Å" medians † to the organic structure to impart and unblock energy. Based on the original Chinese impression of â€Å" chi † and the blocking of the 12 acmes that impair good wellness, were taken and adapted by the Nipponese techniques of massage and what the Chinese phrase â€Å" Qi † the Japanese termed â€Å" Ki † . Parry ( 2010 ) explains that â€Å" †¦ if Ki is fluxing swimmingly around the medians, so the individual will remain in good wellness. † ( Parry ( 2010 ) . The Nipponese massage, Shiatsu, is said to replace and equilibrate the â€Å" Qi † , or the critical energy that flows throughout certain â€Å" medians † of the organic structure. In Indian medical specialty the intervention of â€Å" Ayurveda † is given to patients. It is debatable to discourse this type of therapy as complementary due to the fact it is â€Å" Ayuvedic † medical specialty that is usually used. The term â€Å" Ayuvedic † treats the organic structure as a whole and non dividing each symptom individually. This type of Indian medical intervention has been has been common topographic point for centuries and so much so, Ayuvedic patterns are built on to conventional, Western known infirmaries. The usage of massage in this therapy is to chiefly to detoxicate and liberate up the musculuss of the organic structure. The type of massage Indian Ayurveda physicians use are to hike energy degrees and usage motions named â€Å" shampooing † ( Gould ( 2004 ) ) , to help this consequence. The Greek ‘s used massage therapies to help recovery and assist preparatory exercisings for jocks, but most of import were the interventions given to gymnasts, making a new system of massage techniques for helping preparation strength. A celebrated Grecian doctor, Hippocrates ( 460-370 BCE ) , taught that massage and touch, specifically in a certain ways, utilizing gestures like stroking and rubbing, benefited the bosom and blood circulation of a patient as a proviso for mending. It is documented that: â€Å" Rubing can adhere and loosen, can do flesh and cause parts to waste ; difficult friction binds, soft friction loosens ; much friction causes parts to blow, moderate friction makes them turn. † ( Hippocrates 460-370 ) Hippocrates the â€Å" Father of Medicine † ( Braun and Simonson ( 2005 ) inspired a huge sum of professionals to research more the effects of massage. Roman doctor, Galen ( 130-201 CE ) added to the instructions of Hippocrates by discoursing how specific motion techniques could profit the bosom and circulation, ensuing in the fix of hurts quicker. Galen was instrumental in the apprehension of musculus fibres and stroking motions which aided wellbeing. Another â€Å" initiation male parent † , Per Henrik Ling ( 1776-1839 ) , a Swedish born healer took the instructions of the Chinese and Greeks and developed the impression of massage as a mending force earnestly. Ling, travelled the universe larning different massage techniques, he based his surveies specifically with gymnasts. He took what he learnt from the Eastern universe and developed the â€Å" Ling system, Swedish Massage, or the Swedish motion remedy † ( Salvo ( 2003 ) ) which we may now give voice as â€Å" Swedish Massage † . Ling used his massage rules when set uping the Sweden â€Å" Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics. â€Å" ( Salvo ( 2003 ) ) . Ling ‘s instructions were categorized into four different techniques of motion, ( 1 ) aesthetic, ( the cognition and usage of feeling or emotions, ( 2 ) educational, ( learning the organic structure how to keep its ain position ) , ( 3 ) medical ( rectifying certain defects in the organic structure ) and ( 4 ) armed forces ( usage of toughening the organic structure musculuss ) and besides included the footings given to different types of motion, like that of â€Å" active † and â€Å" inactive † . Dr Johan Mezger ( 1838-1909 ) , used the work of Ling and began calling techniques of massage such as â€Å" effleurage † and â€Å" tapotement † . Further to this work, Dr Emil Kleen took techniques further and discussed the motions effects on the assorted organic structure systems. Kleen ‘s book â€Å" The Handbook of Massage † gave a elaborate system of session lineations and specific safety recommendations. In the United Kingdom during the early 1900s, the term â€Å" massage † had been overly used in the incorrect footings, and were symbolical with the solicitation and pattern of â€Å" harlotry † ( Braun ( 2005 ) ) and houses of discredit, this was the distressing position of the British Medical Association ( BMA ) . The BMA was the first to show dismay towards the massage therapies. The constitution of The Society of Trained Masseurs ‘ in 1894 gave manner to healers holding to hold specific makings to pattern safely and outlined demands that healers must hold a on the job cognition of anatomy and physiology. This was so changed to the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses and so The Chartered Society of Trained Massage and Remedial Gymnastics. However, the United States of America embraced the usage of massage and used the footings otherwise, the word massage went from strength to strength and massage healers were extremely qualified and trained professionals. Two really influential people in the USA who provided grounds for massage therapy working within the health care systems, was Dr. George Taylor ( 1850 ) who took the massage techniques of Ling and reproduced them, he established the Remedial Hygiene Institute. Deems taylors used the Ling system and worked around it he represented his surveies as â€Å" Movement Remedy † . The other influential author was Dr John Harvey Kellogg ( 1842-1953 ) , he specialized in the intervention of massage and gave documented surveies in American sanatariums â€Å" analyzing mechanical, automatic and metabolic effects of massage on the different systems of the organic structure † , ( Braun ( 2005 ) ) . Kellogg ‘s book â€Å" The Art of Massage † 1895 gave det ailed anatomical mention to rub down applications. His work was an outstanding influence of massage during this period and is still used extensively today. As illustrated the historical background to massage is huge, during the past century massage has been given expansive prestigiousness and has found its ain manner into the Orthodox medical patterns that are used today. The National Health Service ( NHS ) are now more significantly altering their referral system and include assorted types of complementary therapy, included is that of massage. Many nurses and nurse practicians hold excess preparation certifications and making to utilize massage in their attention of patients.

Stop Online Piracy Act

ORAL PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT July 2012 Name: Baiza Class: English 1-2 General Topic: Piracy (Intellectual Property Rights) Specific Research Area: â€Å"Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)† ————————————————- ————————————————- Information Report Proposal Analytical Research Question: This report aims to discover the different views on the benefit and harm of Legalizing Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) on the United States Government, Entertainment Industries, High Tech Companies and Internets users.Thesis: To discover how â€Å"Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)† brings benefit and harm to both High Tech Companies and Internet Users. OUTLINE OF REPORT [Note form] 1. WHAT is the issue? Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) * A bill that will allow the United States authorit y to block webpage that distributes on stolen materials * Combat online piracy * Protect the copyrighted material and censorship of the Internet * Prevent sharing or purchasing of copyright products online without authorizes permission from the produces 2. WHY is it of significance? * Protect intellectual property online Stop foreign webpage that sell counterfeit goods and let people stream and download the goods at no charge 3. WHO is involved in the issue? * United States Government * Blocking of webpages that provides link to private sites * Fines users that post copyright materials * Entertainment Business Industries * Losing profit of selling own products * Foreign thieves/Owner of the pirated sites * Stealing copyright materials * Earning revenue by selling copyrighted materials * Internet users * Wont be able to download music, video and etc. without charge * Online Search Engine/ High Tech Companies Will be blocked when other users post a link to pirated site * Generate loss in advertisement profits 4. WHAT started the debate? The debate started when: * Foreign thieves steal and sell American inventions and products and keep the profit to themselves. * The foreign thieves costs the US economy more than $100 billion annually * Result in loss of thousands of jobs. 5. WHAT are the differing opinions on the topic? 5. 1 Enforcing Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) brings benefit to Entertainment Industries. 5. 1. 1 – Increase in economy * American intellectual property industries provide million high-paying jobs . 1. 2 – Protection of intellectual property * Increase in revenue * Reduce/Discourage American cities to purchase from foreign thieves 5. 2 Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) brings harm to High Tech Companies and Internet User. 5. 2. 1 – Shut down of Major Internet Companies * American search engine provides links to pirated sites, which will cost the Internet Service Provided to be shut down. * Freedom of speech is affected 5. 2. 2 â⠂¬â€œ Censorship and Blocked of Webpage * Limited webpage to gather or find information * Difficulty to communicate with other countries Working bibliographyBennett, R. (2011, December 2011). Protecting Americans from Web scams. New York Post. Retrieved from http://www. nypost. com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/protecting_americans_from_web_scams_lvOOEKJEqzpjGIAW43mIXP Carr, D. (2012, January 1). The Danger of an Attack on Piracy Online. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2012/01/02/business/media/the-danger-of-an-attack-on-piracy-online. html? pagewanted=1 Sigal, I & MacKinnon, R (2011, December 14). Online Piracy Laws must preserve Web Freedom. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition. cnn. om/2011/12/14/opinion/sigal-mackinnon-copyright-internet/index. html Smith, L. (2011, December 14). Setting the Record Straight on SOPA. The Hill. Retrieved from http://thehill. com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/199385-setting-the-record-straight-on-sopa The New York Times. Copyrights and Internet Piracy (SOPA and PIPA Legislation. (2012, February 8). Retrieved from http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/copyrights/index. html? 8qa US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. (2012, January 20). Statement from Chairman Smith on Senate Delay of Vote onPROTECT IP Act. Retrieved from http://judiciary. house. gov/news/01202012. html? scp=2&sq=lamar%20smith&st=cse ————————————————- Student’s Signature: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Lecturer’s Signature: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Date: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Hj/Was/mufy/2012 ———————————————†”- Oral Presentation Proposal Argumentative Research Question: Should â€Å"Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)† be enforced? Thesis: YES, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) should be enforced. ————————————————- Argument 1: Increase in United States Economy Foreign thieves cost the United States’ economy more than $100 billion annually and result in loss of thousands of jobs * Entertainment industries are not able to sell their own products due to these foreign thieves Argument 2: Protection of Intellectual Property * Hard work is wasted because users can easily download the goods of the entertainment industries online through pirated sites * Blocks and censors’ webpages that provides these pirated sites links and the authorities can take immediate action on theses thieves. Refutation: 5. 1. 1 – Censorship and Blocked of Webpage

Alzheimers Speech

http://www. nia. nih. gov/Alzheimers/Resources/images. htm I just passed out a blank card to everyone I would like you to draw an analog clock that reads the time 4:45, hang on to this piece of paper and I’ll explain it a little bit later. You might be wondering why there is a picture of an elderly woman on the screen. Well, that lovely old woman Is my grandmom and she was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about 6 years ago, she was my inspiration for this speech . Mayo Clinic defines Alzheimer’s to be a disease that causes brain changes that gradually get worse.Alzheimers is the most common cause of dementia dementia is a group of brain disorders that cause progressive loss of intellectual and social skills, severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. There are 2 types of Alzheimer's, the most common is called late onset alzheimers which symptoms of the disease emerge after age 65, the other is called early onset alzheimers, this occurs in a small amount of people who develop the disease in their 30s 40's and 50s When a person has Alzheimers the brain slowly loses its ability to make and retrieve memories and process information.A friend's name that was once familiar now eludes them, a recipie that they used to make all the time now is impossible to remember, family members names are and even a spouces face are forgotten. Mood and personality changes can also occur, most of the time you will notice increased anxiety or agression.. although sometimes you will notice that person become more introverted and quiet eventually this DZ makes it impossible for people to exist without the help of others. That help often comes from the family members or an assisted living facilityAn easy way to explain this dz is to think about an old light bulb in a lamp, in the beginning its on.. then sometimes it flickers until eventually it is off. So what exactly is going on in the brain that causes it to flicker and finally turn off? The brain w orks by sending signals. Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters allow the brain to communicate with each other. People with Alzheimer’s have a decreased amount of neurotransmitters, they also develop deposits of plaques and the fibers in the brain begin to tangle. This prevents the cells from working properly.Over time the brain begins to shrink and all of these factors put together cause a steady decline in memory and mental function. Earlier I had you draw a clock showing the time 4:45 on it. This is actually one of the many tests that are administered to people who are suspected to have Alzheimer’s. There is no specific test for Alzheimers the only way the dz can be diagnosed with complete accuracy is after the person has died and a microscopic examination of the brain reveals the characteristic plaques and tangles that I talked about earlier With that in mind, Hopefully the clock you drew looks like this (picture of clock on screen).For a person who is believ ed to be suffering with Alzheimer’s their clock looks something like this. This picture actually shows you the progession of someone with Alzheimers, you can see that the first clock is correct and as time goes on the image becomes more disorted. When my grandmom was diagnosed with alzheimers I didnt think much of it, I thought that she could just take some medicine and she would get better but Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death mong the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed There are just drugs to help cope with the secondary aspects of alzheimers like becoming anxious or nervous. Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person's identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find h is or her way home. This DZ is something that is close to my heart and i would just like to thank you all for listening.

The Wanderer

I sat there on the bus, contemplating the abnormal events of the day and staring at the thick snow that lay outside. It was a long bus journey back to my house and I had a long time to spend with the not particularly talkative driver. I think the driver had become accustomed to my presence as I travelled on the bus every Friday night. He would always let me on the bus without charging me and wait for another ten minutes and see if anyone else got on, which they never did. I had not, for as long as I remember had a conversation with him, and had for a long time now forgotten the sound of his voice. The only sound I would hear on a typical journey was the quiet grumbling of the bus driver and the loud roaring of the buses engine. Nobody got on the bus this late at night. I was as I was saying, contemplating the events of the day, when I was interrupted mid thought by a more pressing realization. The bus was now stopping. This may seem a very normal thing for a bus to do, this bus however never stopped except for myself. The bus had stopped to let on another passenger. I looked forward to this, as my usual journey would include no human interaction. The passenger was a man, that I guessed to be in his mid thirties. I took a quick look up and down him. I looked up and down him again with a bit more detail. No snow, he must have been standing at the bus stop for a little while, as buses never come on time, yet he had avoided getting any snow on him. My own boots were cased in a think slushy mess, but his fine black shoes were hardly even wet. My jeans and thick jacket, which I was quite fond of, were no longer covered in snow but were wet from the snow that had melted in the comfortable warmth of the bus. His trousers that had been ironed to perfection and the suit that he wore were both black as midnight and looked of incredible quality. The man himself was bald and was cleanly shaven; he was yet to face me as he was talking to the bus driver. He carried nothing in his hands but kept his body still with his arms by his sides while talking. I started to hear their conversation after I was done scanning his person. â€Å"Shame that it had to happen isn't it?† The bus driver said in a burst of conversation. This in itself came as a shock to my system; it was such a long time since the bus driver had spoken in my presence. What was a real shock is what came next. â€Å"Yes, the poor elderly lady must have been quite shaken by the ordeal.† replied the stranger. His voice was eerie. He talked normally of course, but that was the problem, it was too normal. He voice stayed at the same volume and pitch all the time, he didn't change the level of excitement in his voice. He had no accent, he spoke perfectly and I was surprised to find that the bus driver, who had a strong accent, could understand him. It was then I realised that they were in fact talking about what they had interrupted me thinking about. Earlier in my day I had witnessed an attack on an elderly lady. A young teenager had an interest in her handbag and its contents. My good nature combined with my belief that today's youth should not be able to do as they please, caused me to leap into action. I had started shouting at the young boy and walking towards him, I expected him to run away and that to be the end of it. I pushed the boy back from the old lady and told her that she would be okay and should hurry home. It was after this as I was swinging round to give the boy a stern talking to, that I felt a sharp blow to my neck and then it was black. I woke up about two minutes later with a bit of a sore neck but otherwise unharmed. The stranger walked down the bus and sat at a seat just in front of mine. I had seen his face as he walked down but there was nothing interesting about it, apart from the fact there was nothing interesting about it. He sat with the same amazingly straight posture as when he was standing. â€Å"Where you gettin' off then?† the driver cried down the bus. â€Å"Crescent Road† the stranger replied. â€Å"Oh, surprise surprise† the bus driver chuckled to himself. The stranger didn't understand what the bus driver was talking about but I did. The bus driver still only had to make the one stop because mine and the stranger's stops were in fact the same. I thought this to be a remarkable coincidence. I returned to watching the snow falling gently outside. The night sky seemed to give me the impression that tonight was different in some way to every other night. I was snapped out of this small trance by the stranger standing and making his way to the front of the bus. Fortunately he was on the bus to remind me that at some point I would have to get off, and up I leapt. The bus pulled in to the stop as I staggered to keep my balance. The stranger moved to the side to let me past and to say thank you to the driver. I got off the bus and stepped onto the crisp snow that had just fallen. The stranger followed and we started on our way home. The stranger barged past me and started to walk briskly. I thought this to be quite rude and so I started to walk just as briskly to catch up with him. Even when in a hurry the man walked with impeccable posture. â€Å"I much prefer the summer to this.† I said jokingly in an attempt to spark a conversation. The man simply took a deep breath and proceeded to walk more slowly. I walked beside him, he looked quite troubled. I felt compelled to try and comfort him. I reached to put my hand on his shoulder as my brain prepared my next sentence. He stopped. His head darted in the direction of my face. It was not that he was looking at me, more that he was looking exactly in my direction. His look was empty and cold. He continued on his way and I kept my distance, I hoped he would enter one of the houses that we were passing but he didn't. He continued to wander the same way as I was. He wandered across the small road we came to and up onto the footpath that lead up to my cul-de-sac. The road was known for being dangerously icy. The path was also terribly dark and had trees along either side. This was all well and good during the daylight hours, but at night however the trees took on a more sinister presence and seemed to position themselves to block out the view of the moon or any other source of light. In front of me was the man, no more than five metres away. I could only just make out his suit and trousers. I could only just make out his shape. He was getting further away from me. I was trying to navigate the slippier parts of the path. â€Å"Are you having as much trouble as I am?† I exclaimed trying again to get the attention of the wanderer. â€Å"Don't be silly† the wanderer turned and said. I could only just make out his face and was unsure whether he was talking to me or himself. Before I could come to this decision he turned and started the brisk walking again. I followed to catch up with him and was looking for him through the black screen that was in front of my eyes. I hit the ground. It hurt and I was catching up on what had just happened. I had tripped up on the shape of the wandering man. He had fallen in on the ice and from what I could see had hit his head off the ground. I leant over to help him up but was knocked away as he lifted himself off the hard frozen ground. He held his hand to his head, and I was now quite worried about him, he looked like he had hit the ground with some force. He looked very frightened and was almost running along the road. We exited the small wooded path and to a fork in the road. I could see my house from here it was the first in the cul-de-sac on the right. The wandering stranger made his way along the road to the left and I felt it was my duty to follow him and to see if he was okay. Luckily for him his house was not far along the road and he entered the front gate of an impressive looking building, the wanderer had found his home. He left the gate open for me and I entered the garden. He entered the house and I followed. I stood in his porch as he rushed upstairs. I heard the sound of running water and I assumed that he was cleaning himself up. He returned a short while after and came slowly down the stairs. He was talking to a woman which I can only presume was his wife. â€Å"I am fine really, I just got a bit shook up along the path there† the man said. â€Å"I do worry about you, you know† Replied his wife â€Å"Look what happened to that kind gentleman in town today. He helps an old lady get her handbag back and gets beaten to death† I stood there baffled, and felt a shiver down my spine. I started to feel myself slipping away as I struggled with the events of the day. I had stopped wandering, I had found my home and I knew where I had to go†¦

Internet Banking (E-Banking) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Internet Banking (E-Banking) - Essay Example This paper will analyze the concept of E-banking. More specifically, it will try to provide answers to the following questions in relation to E-banking. What is E-banking? What are the advantages and Disadvantages of E-banking? How are people accepting and using E–banking?Internet banking is another concept of web based banking. The deployment of whole sale or retail banking services can also be referred to as E-banking. It involves individuals, and corporate customers. The deployment of whole sale or retail banking services can also be referred to as E-banking. It involves individuals, and corporate customers. E-banking involves payments and settlements, bank transfer, household lending, documentary collection and credits and card businesses. E-banking services and products are accessed by customers who own accounts with E-banks. Customers make a request for information and conduct most of their retail banking transactions through computer, television and cell phones . E-bank ing also describes the electronic connection between customers and bank so as to help in preparing, managing and controlling financial transactions. From a broader perspective, electronic banking is the provision of banking services through other means rather than the physical bank branches. E-Banking provides financial services to customers through various means. These means include home banking, telephone banking, Internet banking, mobile banking and Automated teller machines .(Sarlak and Asghar, 2010). The driving force behind the adoption of E-banking by banks is to provide high interest rates and reduce service charges on the customers’ saving accounts. E-banks help to eliminate costs associated with virtual banks branches. This increases competitive advantage of e-banking with other banks (Sarlak and Asghar, 2010). Advantages and of E-banking Internet banking has numerous advantages as discussed below. More efficient bank rates The absence and reduction of virtual branc hes to serve customers has reduced overhead costs. This allows banks to pay higher rates of interest on customer savings and consequently, reduces charges on the loan rate on the mortgage and loans. Some banks have resorted to offering a high yield certificate of deposit (CDs), high yielding checking accounts and even non-penalty certificate of deposit (CDs) for making an early withdrawal. Additionally, minimum deposits are required to open bank accounts. The bank accounts do not carry any minimum balance or service charges (Koskosas, 2012). Customer Convenience E-banks operate full time at various locations provided internet connections are available. Electronic banks operate 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year if internet services are available. Mobile phones are used by customers to access services. The real-time accounts information and balances are readily available through the internet. Banking transaction services are made easier, faster, and more efficient. The changing of ma iling address by a customer on his or her account facilitates the updating and maintaining of a direct account. Through account update, the request of market interest rates and ordering of additional checks is made easy (Koskosas, 2012). Services E-banks have more websites that provide more feature than the website of physical banks. These features are forecasting and budgeting tools, financial planning capabilities, loan calculators, investment analysis tools and equity trading platforms- banks website also offer online tax forms, tax preparation and free online bill payments (Koskosas, 2012). Mobility Internet banking services are mobile. This means one can access them even when traveling. The designing of new applications, smart phones and other mobile accessories has improved mobility of E-banking services (Koskosas, 2012). Transfers Money can easily be transferred from the physical banks account in various branches