Anorexia Nervosa :: essays research papers fc

Might you be able to envision being so terrified of food and the chance of putting on weight that you would really starve yourself? Food and eating are joys of regular day to day existence we underestimate. Having the life of an Anorexic individual fills you with the steady dread of one thing†¦.becoming fat.      Eating issue, for example, Anorexia Nervosa are gradually holding a piece of the female juvenile to youthful grown-up populace. In spite of the fact that, Anorexia Nervosa has just been open since the 1970’s, records of the turmoil return similar to 1689. Thomas Morton, an English doctor, examined subjects with a confusion he called the â€Å"wasting† sickness. He had two cases, which were fundamentally the same as. One was an eight-adolescent yr. old young lady and the other was a six-teenager yr. old kid. The two subjects had comparable indications. The two of them had a solid absence of hunger, affectability to frigidity, and outrageous trouble. The young lady in the end starved herself to death; notwithstanding, the kid recovered (Gordon 12-13).      Through out the hundreds of years there have been numerous instances of young ladies â€Å"fasting†, and not because of strict purposes. In the 1870’s the confusion turned into a subject of progressively clinical concern. It occurred around the time two specialists, Sir William Gull and Charles Lasegue, at the same time distributed papers on various cases managing self-starvation (Alexander-Mott &Lumsden 101-102). Gull really concocted the term Anorexia Nervosa, on the grounds that he trusted it was an anxious sickness. The two specialists note four unmistakable attributes with each case. The entirety of the patients experienced significant levels of hyperactivity. Every one of the patients prevented the presence from claiming the turmoil. Additionally, they each had impossible to miss mentalities toward food. At last, every patient had neurotic family connections (Gordon 13).      Years following Gull and Lasegue’s disclosures, research proceeded on this impossible to miss issue. Lamentably for an extensive stretch of time Anorexia was mistaken for Simmond’s Disease, an endocrine issue. Thus, for a little while Anorexia victims were being recommended an inappropriate drugs, for example, thyroid concentrates (Gordon 14). At last, in the 1930’s the two issue were recognized.      In 1973 a lady who prepared in therapy, named Bruch, composed a book on dietary problems. Bruch had recently labored for three decades with Anorexic and stout patients. She saw that Anorexics had three fundamental qualities. The first was a mutilated self-perception, a misperception of fat. The second was the powerlessness to distinguish needs, especially hunger, yet additionally the entire scope of feelings. The last trademark was an inclination of incapability, absence of self-esteem (Matthews 30).

How did the Cold War begin Essay

FIRST Robotics and Alumna-hood

FIRST Robotics and Alumna-hood The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an annual Robotics challenge for High School students. I wont describe the program itself in too much detail, since Chris and Natnael did it justice here and here, but its worth mentioning that I was on a FIRST team for all four years of High School. It was a huge part of my life. I initially joined FIRST because my eighth grade science teacher who I honestly believe is the reason I am now at MIT encouraged me to. From what I remember, there were about ten students on the team that season; we traveled to New York for the regional, and raised travel funds by making presentations to companies. I tagged along and watched, wide-eyed, as the upperclassmen in our sponsorship group boldly asked panels of businesspeople for money. For the three years to follow, I was on that sponsorship team: we wrote presentations and delivered them to companies and my schools Board of Trustees. I realize now that knowing how to explain why ones cause is worth supporting is just as valuable as having the practical skills entailed in that cause, whether its building a robot or performing science research at a university. All hope is lost for the latter if you cant do the former. Of course, those practical skills are valuable, too. My freshman year, I wanted to become a programmer, but we had too many of those already, so to my great disappointment I was put on the build team. I picked up a saw for the first time, and made a gazillion horrible uneven diagonal cuts before finally converging on the correct method to saw in a straight line. I learned to use a tap by accidentally snapping off the tap while it was still inside the bar. I sat quietly by myself for fifteen minutes, too scared to tell anyone, until finally our other mentor came over, took a look, and said ah, it happens. I remember tasking myself with sorting out all the nuts and bolts into little compartments based on size it took me and my friend an entire two-hour build session. The next year, a number of our programmers graduated, and there was suddenly room for more but I was no longer interested, because I loved black and greasy being a regular color for my hands. I loved finding aluminum sha vings in my hair and sawdust on my jeans. I had grand plans for our team. I was going to become team captain, and lead us to glory and victory: we were going to start the first UK regional, and win the Chairmans Award (the most prestigious award FIRST offers its teams.) I did become team captain, in my junior year, as well as coach for our drive team. I wrote an essay for our Chairmans Award application, about our plans to bring FIRST to Europe, and about how our team brought students together who would otherwise never have met*. *This is a story that could have an entire post to itself. In a nutshell: our team was made up of kids from my school (an American school) as well as kids from the British school across the street. When I got to 9th grade, I was told to be wary of kids from that British school, because they were dangerous. Later, some of my best friends on the Robotics team were from that school, and told me about the stereotypes they used to have of us: rich kids with no street smarts. We put all that aside to build robots, and only experienced any friction when we tried to mimic each others accents. We never won a regional. We never started a UK regional, and we never won the Chairmans Award (take heed, people who think you have to win Robotics competitions in order to get into MIT!) I remember standing on the field with the drive team during my junior year, heartbroken and at a complete loss for what to do or how to react, having just lost very narrowly in the quarterfinals to what I felt was a great injustice. We were so close! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TIME WE SPENT BUILDING THAT ROBOT? No? Let me tell you. Yes? Let me tell you anyway. During the six-week season, we spent four hours a day in that build room. We were there all day Saturdays and snow days and holidays. To have all that work comes to no tangible reward was painful and bitter. Also, as team captain, it felt like I hadnt delivered. I was furious with myself and with the rest of the team, who were cheerful and upbeat as we drove to the airport. Why werent they upset? My petty answer was that they didnt care as much as I did. My friend Sophias (much more perceptive) answer, which she delivered calmly and patiently while I freaked out, was that the others were upset, too, but werent letting it weigh them down. That day, I learned the distinction between being flippant and being upbeat. I also learned that taking defeat well means taking it with a smile, and without trying to be the judge of what is or is not fair. Have I made the point that one learns a lot more than how to build a robot by doing FIRST? Have I mentioned that my senior year was when we and our robot hit an all-time low? I graduated and passed over the reins, on that low. I cant really describe how scarring that was. Im still mortified whenever I visit the team and my old mentors; its hard to look them in the eye. This weekend, my team is competing in the WPI regional. Its very strange to watch a group of people (many of whom are strangers at this point, since I graduated two years ago) complete tasks that my friends and I did two, three, four, five years ago. During the day, the team unpacked the robot and ran tests while I fidgeted impatiently through Statistical Physics recitation, Quantum Physics lecture, Astronomy lecture, and Studies in Drama class. While I booked it over to Worcester, the team ate dinner and debriefed. On Friday, I sat in the stands for all our qualifying matches, and was blown away by our performance. This is, without a doubt, the best robot our team has ever built. Its weird to see a team be better in your absence. At the Awards Ceremony,  I was texting an old team-mate to fill him in on the excitement when the MC announced that it was time to give out the Entrepreneurship Award. Whatever that meant. I wasnt really paying attention, haunted by memories of the missed Chairmans Award, when suddenly I heard for their business plan to start a regional in the UK what? I snapped my head up so fast that it almost sailed off my neck. the Entrepreneurship Award goes to our friends from across the pond, Team 1884! Oh. My. God. I stopped mid-text and gaped at the MC.  I was totally stunned. To be honest, the rest of the team looked stunned, too, but I think I took stunned to a different level. Earlier this year, it turns out, the kids  won an £11,000 grant from Google Rise to start new FIRST LegoLeague teams in London, with the idea that by getting kids invested in Robotics early, they can start enough FRC teams to hold a local regional. They laid all of this out in a very professional-looking business plan. Immediately, my fantasies of running up to collect an award with the team disappeared. This wasnt my victory at all: it was the victory of  a new generation of team members. They filed down to high-five the judges and collect their trophy, while I stood in the stands screaming and applauding. On their way back, I stood and high-fived each of them in turn. My place was to congratulate, not to be congratulated, but I still felt honored. That evening, over dinner, I overheard someone mention  2010 (my senior year.) The guy talking used to be on the team with me, and is now one of our most beloved mentors. He was telling the younger members about that season, in a thoughtful reflective way. That year, he began, we hit rock bottom. My stomach clenched. But we needed to do that we needed that year, because we realized that we never wanted that to happen again. Since then, weve improved so much. We needed that year to reset we wouldnt be this good without it. I thought about how we used to finish building the robot at the last minute; during my junior year,  we spent something like fifteen hours on the robot the day before it had to be shipped. We arrived at 10am and worked until 1am. I remember bleary eyes, kids calling their parents, parents calling their kids, the thought I probably shouldnt be wielding a drill in my state, the thought its weird to see teachers at this hour. Now, the robot gets finished well ahead of time, which gives the drive team the opportunity to practice. My years felt very experimental: we floundered and struggled to find an effective way to structure our build season, and never really hit on it. We never figured out how to saw in a straight line, if you will. We didnt build a winning robot: we built a team. I mentioned that we had something like ten members during my freshman year I remember having 60 sign up at the beginning of my junior year. We took 30 kids to the regional this year, all of whom had an important role to play during build season. We created Middle School LegoLeague teams (the younger version of FRC) and began to mentor them now, those kids (including my sister!) are juniors in High School and leading  the team to new heights of success. When my sister was appointed coach, she sent me a Facebook message asking for advice. I was suddenly struck by the cyclical nature  of the student-alumni system. You learn, and you move on, but then you come back and help facilitate that learning. You share your mistakes, what you wish you had known at the time, and then hope that those you advise do better than you, so that when they move on, they can update and add to what you had to say. Together, you build up a collective network of alumni experience that makes the students’ experience better every year. Middle School kids get excited about robots, become High School kids who make Middle School kids get excited about robots, and then graduate to become mentors who return and teach the High School kids to solve problems. This morning, I said goodbye to the team and took a train back to MIT campus. I followed their matches via phone and the Internet. Two incredible victories, one defeat and a 9th place finish. For those of you who dont know: the teams that finish in the top eight are the alliance captains for the quarterfinals. They pick two other teams (which can be each other) to join them. The quarterfinals, therefore, take place between 8 alliances of 3 teams each. The first alliance tends to be strongest, because the first place team is on it and gets first pick however, they also get last pick, so things tend to balance out. This is how picking works: the alliance captain says something like Team [Alliance Captain] would like to invite Team [Invitee] to join Alliance [#]. Then, by some weird FIRST tradition, a representative of the invitee gets up to the microphone and (unless they dont want to be on that alliance) says Team [Invitee] graciously accepts. Realizing that this doesnt actually make sense (graciously accept? what?) I got up to the mic during our 2009 regional and said gratefully accepts instead. At 11:45am, when alliance selection began, I opened the webcast and pressed my ear to my computers speakers. First pick went by. Second pick went by. Third pick went by. Fourth pick went by, and by this point (because of inter-captain picking) we had been bumped up to being alliance captains. We were therefore guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals. Fifth pick arrived, and one of our top choice teams invited us to join their alliance. YES! I heard my little sisters voice. Shes now in the same grade that I was, back when I accepted our alliance offer. Team 1884, she said, in a voice that many have commented is creepily similar to my own, gratefully accepts. Bring it on, elimination rounds its worth mentioning that our team has never progressed farther than quarterfinals. I desperately want to publish this within the next minute, before the lunch break ends and the matches begin, because I want to make the point that I dont care at all what happens next. Dear Team 1884, YOU ARE THE BEST GROUP WE HAVE EVER HAD. Ever. Your robot is fantastic and you have done fantastically. Im sorry that I cant be there in person to watch the match, but I have the webcast open right now and I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU! Also, I didnt quite finish this post in time; the MC just announced your name to kick off the match. Im screaming and applauding from a bench in the middle of the sidewalk. Please know that whatever happens, I could not be more proud to call myself an alumna of The Griffins. Gratefully yours, Anna Post Tagged #FIRST robotics competition

Understanding Business Organisations - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2442 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Contents Task 1.3 Technology Advisory Group.3 Task 2.4 Project plan..4 Task 3.5 Organisation structure5 Management profile..6 Task 5.7 Organisation targets and objectives..7 Task 6.13 Formal communication.13 Task 7.15 Managing Virtual Teams..15 REFERENCES16 TASK 1 The government has an important role to play in providing easy, low-cost access to information. Numerous studies and reports call for a more coordinated access for businesses to information on markets, industries and regional economies. In this case, most SMEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s want better information about the local and regional economy to help position their businesses and raise competitiveness. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Understanding Business Organisations" essay for you Create order Therefore, there is an urgent need for these government funded organizations to play the role of considering a more formal mechanism to listen to the needs of businesses, improve access to information and ensure they provide partial electronic services to people and small businesses through Government portals. The stimulation of the SMEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s by these funded organizations can reduce the level of unemployment and contribute to a more equal distribution of economic powers. The development of the SMEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s is important for the social and economic development of the country, since they increase competitiveness and mobilize idle funds to productive aims. The business community (the SMEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s) has unique information needs that need to be addressed with a specifically designed information system integrated in the National Treasury, Kenya Revenue Authority, Home Affairs State Department and Immigration Office. A multi-faceted approach to information provision is necessary because of the variation in needs, literacy and business prospects. Training needs of both the business managers of the SMEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and information specialists should be identified and recommended as part of the business information system design. TASK 2 UNIT: Understanding Business Organizations TITLE: Technology Advisory Group Task 3 Organization chart for T.A.G ORGANISATION STRUCTURE The structure adopted is functional organizational structure which will involve organizing the activities of the advisory group around areas of specialization. This approach involves a considerable amount of process standardization within the organization, with the real decision-making authority centered at the top of the organization. EFFICIENCY INTO OPERATION BY THE STRUCTURE the organization will achieve significant efficiencies in terms of process flow and management methods as the staff will be allowed to focus on one s pecific functional area to the exclusion of all else. It is ideal for the organization because it is easier to monitor and update the training of employees when they are focused on narrow functional areas. The organization will also use this approach to cultivate a group of extraordinary specialists who can strongly impact the functions of the company. KEY MANAGEMENT PROFILE Administration and Finance Their role is to provide a general oversight of the operations of the organization.The team will consist of a General Manager, Finance Manager with 1 administrator and ICT Manager with 1 administrator. This team will be responsible for effective planning, delegating, coordinating, staffing, organizing, and decision making to attain desirable profit making results for the organization (Sayles 1979). Marketing and PR Their function is mainly to increase sales for the organization. Assigned here will be the Head of Marketing, two(2) executives inMarketingand two (2) executives i n PR. As the teams begin to work together they need to come up withconcrete and up-to-date plans to maximize profits while creating long-term customers as well as adding value to the product and our services. IT Consultantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"They play the role of advising businesses on how best to use information technology to meet their business objectives.Two(2) Senior Consultants will be in charge. In addition to delivering advice, four(4) Middle-Level Consultants and four (4) Junior Consultants will oversee the workshops that will look at the technologies that can be underpinned by Superfast Broadband. They will work hand in hand with five(5) IT Trainers, two(2) website administrators and two(2) graphicdesigners to manage, implement, deploy, and administer IT systems of the organization. TASK 5 BUSINESS PLAN FOR T.A.G The intentions of Technology Advisory Group is to offer clients with an all-inclusive assistance through free consultancy and specialist advice on busin ess prospects offered by Superfast Broadband In the form of articles and blogs written by IT specialists.The three year goals for Technology Advisory Group are the following: Achieve break-even by Year 2. Establish along-term contract with the Central Government. Establish a minimum of95% customer satisfaction rate to establish long-term relationships with our clients and create word-of-mouth marketing. T.A.G has established a status for quality work and plans to continue to heighten its image in the trade. The organization endeavors to become a well-known benefactor of IT related guidance to SMBà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s through the following: Increasing service backings by consolidating specialist workshops which will look at the technologies that can be fortified by Superfast Broadband, including Cloud Computing, collaboration and interactive websites. Increasing obtainability and accessibility to present and future customers through a range of pamphlets and case studies that give hands-on insights into the enactment of Superfast Broadband by small businesses Crafting innovative, unique, and cost-effective interpretations to hitches currently met by customers. Technology Advisory Group has established community calendaring and groupware applications for use by the organization. This will support in providing a modest, convenient tool for the organization and staff to consolid ate, plan, track projects and workshops. T.A.G will leverage its profile-raising services to help offer secondary income streams as the organization will inaugurate induction of free email services, business directories, and other related services which will entice current and prospective customers to our offices and workshops. These will be used to generate advertising proceeds, as well as increase publicity of our range of services. To generate sales, T.A.G has incorporated the use of direct marketing which will focus on Trade Shows. T.A.G will partake in selected local and national shows that will provide an opportunity to develop exposure. This is a very effective tool in creating responsiveness and stimulating lead activity.And also Contact Campaigns as this initiative will encompass various methods of reaching potential customers to generate interest, followed by direct mail to the potential customer. The organization has a well-articulated human resources strategy wh ich ensures that labor regulations are stringently followed and that all pamphlets relating to labor law are upheld hence confirms that the employees are exceedingly inspired to ensure that they are industrious. T.A.G has articulated human resources scheme that is in line with those that directly deal with intensifying through attainment. Strategies that should be put to ensure that the company achieves further growth Marketing strategy The organization has to put more exertion in having access to the global market. It should put more effort in advertising of its services to other parts of the ecosphere that it has not accessed the market. It should discover probable market such as other African republics. T.A.G should upturn the number of workshops and virtual assistance services and through this; the company will offer its customers with a choice of service to pick from. The organization should guarantee that its branding and packaging are of high standard and should chan ge with customers change in taste and fashion. The company should contemplate using publicizing tools such as S.W.O.T analysis in guaranteeing that it retains its control of limited market and as a means to subsist in an atmosphere that has stiff competition. Information system strategy Technology Advisory Group should deliberate on using more than one software when executing a given assignment. The administration should concoct a way in which the systems are incorporated. This is to warrant that proficiency is upheld and the work done is precise and can also certify that fraud activities are curtailed. Human resources strategy The organization should also upturn the number of university fresh alumni who are undertaking management drills. This is decisive in that it will advance new skills and different concepts from these graduates and this will support the Technology Advisory Group in development. It is persons who make an organization to grow therefore, to ensure that T.A.G has a stout pool of human resources, it should contemplate efficient in training for employees to keep them informed on new skills so that the enterprise can keep pace with other major conglomerate corporations in relations to human resources. Competitive Edge The Technology Advisory Group should emphasis precisely on facilitating small and emergent businesses exploit their potential for accomplishment by distinguishing itself in the following means: Cost-effective personal interaction with IT consultant presence: T.A.G should target new expanses with local consultants, permitting it to personally cooperate with small businesses without needing to bring consultants to the region. A diverse network of consultants and alliance partners: By relying on a nationally circulated talent base harmonized to work together tenuously, the organization should be able to bring together an assortment of skills to encounter the needs of its clients. Positioning Statement The Technology Advisory Group delivers much needed skills and experience to small to medium business initiators to help their businesses embrace the Superfast Broadband. Our services are bespoke specifically to the distinctive needs of small to medium businesses and focuses on up-to-date citations of specialist suppliers of Superfast Broadband and allied services that can advance overall business performance. With a scarcity of available talent plus the usual budget pressure usually associated with small businesses, our services provide a cost-effective substitute to attaining faster communications inorder to advance the ways in which they do business. The Technology Advisory Group will position itself as the prominent marketing and management consulting firm focusing solely on small businesses. Projected Profit and Loss Key expenses will comprise the cost of payroll for the growing staff, marketing to endorse the Superfast Broadband in the community, and the organizations rent and devaluation. The organization will show a revenue in the first year which will continue to propagate. This is anticipated due to the high gross margins of marketing internet broadband to small and medium businesses Annual sales projection Annual sales projection Task 6 Formal communication Communication is the process through which one person conveys information to another person through applicable medium. These are the major communication systems implemented as these terms are used recurrently in organizations. Upward communication Is the process of information travels from lower to higher ranks in the hierarchy.Various mechanisms can be implemented by T.A.G to facilitate upward communication. Examples, Suggestion boxes, group meetings and participating in decision-making. This is maintained to get feedback to managers from employees. Downward communication Is the process of information flowing from superior to subordinate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" from managers to operating staff.Itis related to the hierarchical structure of the organization as messages seem to get large as they travel downward through successive levels of the organization. Example, annual reports, notices and employee performance feedback. Horizontal communication Flow of messages across functional areas shared among people on the same hierarchical level of an organization. This form of communication facilitates for problem solving, task coordination between departments and project teams. How can intranets and groupware help improve communication? Intranets Organization information can be warehoused centrally and retrieved at any time due to superior internal communications. sharing of resources and best practice as virtual groups can be deliberated to expedite information sharing and collaborative working improved customer service better access to accurate and reliable information by your staff leads to heightened levels of customer service forms can be accessed and completed on the computer, then forwarded as appropriate for approval, without ever having to be printed out, and with the benefit of an audit trail Groupware It facilitates users to post ideas, questions or suggestions on given themes of discussion as it allows users to engage with other members of the group thus enhancing business alliances. It permits users to send messages to other members of the organization and outside of the organization. It ensures that users can retain online calendars viewed by other colleagues to assist with the arranging of meetings and project planning as users are able to identify when members are available or times when they are consumed with other tasks. Task 7 Managing virtual teams Virtual teams are defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“affiliated individuals using computer-mediated telecommunications to share information electronicallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk, Gibson, 2009, p. 54). Challenges posed by virtual teams in managing individual teams Physical Observation Limitations managers are physically limited to observe their employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ performance and efforts, and how to implement effective methods for going about measuring productivity, building trust, and managing teams given their particular constraints (Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson,Tesluk, McPherson, 2002). This renders the manager unable to provide constructive performance feedback and harness the full potential of the team. As a result, monitoring and measuring performance remain problematic and sources of concern (Kurkland Bailey, 1999). Overemphasis on Output Evaluation Evaluation of virtual team performance is a challenge when managers directly focus on outcomes rather than process especially when those results prove difficult to measure and observe.Therefore, Managers cannot accuratelyascertain performance due to reduced capability toobserve and monitor the process. Employee Equity and Organizational Justice Issues Virtual team members may feel organizational injustice when compared to those who are present in the actual workplace. Professionally, employees fear that being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“out of sightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  infers being à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“out of mindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  fororganizational rewards thus becomes a significant challenge whenevaluating members of virtual teams against those at the physical office (Kurkland Egan, 1999). Recommendation on how T.A.G will address this challenges Increasing Information Flowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"the virtual team project manager should institute mutual knowledge among team members through team building activities and grant members access to evocative project documentation, which lists acronyms and other project specifics important for team members to understand (Davis Khazanchi, 2007). The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Balanced Scorecardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the virtual team manager should create an all-inclusive balanced scorecard based on T.A.Gà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s priorities when evaluating performance. This may consist of the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s values in the fields of growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. This enables managers to have a far more transparent understanding of the effectiveness of their virtual team and create more standardized methods of evaluating future virtual team performance. Reference: Boddy, D. (2005). Management: An introduction. 3rd edition.England, Pearson education, Prentice Hall. Campbell, D Craig, T. (2005).Organizations and the business environment.2nd edition.Oxford, UK, Butterworth-Heinemann. Davis, A., Khazanchi, D. (2007). Does mutual knowledge affect virtual team performance? Theoretical analysis and anecdotal evidence. American Journal of Business, 22(2), 57-65. Kirkman, B.L., Rosen, B., Gibson, C.B., Tesluk, P.E., McPherson, S.O. (2002). Five challenges to virtual team success: lessons from sabre, Inc. Academy of Management Executive, 16(3), 67-69. Kurkland, N.B., Bailey, D.E. (1999). Telework: The advantages of working here, there anywhere,and anytime. Organizational Dynamics, 28(2), 53-68. Mullins, L.J. (2010). Management and Organizational behavior.9th edition.England, prentice hall financial times. 1

High Performing Innovative And Creative Individual With...

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY High-performing innovative and creative individual with over 20 years of experience in a competitive and fast-paced technical environment. Participated and led several intensive product developments. Dependable Product Developer bringing management experience and a willingness to take on added responsibility to meet tight deadlines. Enthusiastic team player with a strong work ethic and advanced complex problem-solving skills. Engineering Manager dedicated to continuous process improvement in the face of rapidly evolving and changing markets. Extremely results-oriented and proactive in addressing and resolving problems. Talented leader focused on process improvement and on-time project delivery. Developed multiple products with DfX principles with objectives such as cost, manufacturability, serviceability, maintainability and usability. Tech-savvy Project Manager versed in all aspects of project management from inception to completion as well as a very good technical know-how. Excels in recruiting and talent acquisition, as well as process re-engineering and improvement. SKILLS ï‚ § Multi-discipline Product Engineering ï‚ § Product Development ï‚ § Engineering Management ï‚ § Project Management ï‚ § Cross-functional Team Leadership ï‚ § Deadline-oriented WORK HISTORY HIFINITE SYSTEMS - San Diego/San Francisco, CA Medical startup focusing on optimizing hospital processes by collecting patient data from Medical IoT sensors Management Consultant, May 2016 – CurrentShow MoreRelatedEmployee Engagement Is The Active Pursuit Of These Objectives Essay1160 Words   |  5 PagesJob involvement is the degree to which an employee is engaged in and enthusiastic about performing their work. 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Rico Act Essay Free Essays

The RICO Act has been an important component in addressing organized and white collar crime. Write a five page (double-spaced) essay that summarizes the RICO Act and its impact on organized and white collar crime. Be sure to support your thoughts with information from our readings. We will write a custom essay sample on Rico Act Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Rico Act Essay The term â€Å"Rico Act† stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Codified as chapter 96, Title 18, of the United States Code which was passed by Congress in 1970. The purpose of the Act was to eliminate the ill-affects of organized crime on the nation’s economy. The Rico Act provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The RICO Act focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows for the leaders of a syndicate to be tried for the crimes which they ordered others to do or assisted them in doing. It closed a perceived loophole that allowed someone who told a man to commit a crime such as murder, to be exempt from the trial because they did not actually do it or were physically involved. Racketeering is defined as the process of forming or running an organization to operate or commit or otherwise execute ongoing criminal activities. For example the drug mafia planning and executing drug traffic in an organized manner. Such crimes are generally illegitimate business when a person commits crimes such as extortion, loan-sharking, bribery, and obstruction of justice in furtherance of illegal business activities. The definition of a â€Å"racketeering activity† means any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act), which is chargeable under State law and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. There are a number of illegal and prohibited activities listed in the act and are as follows: Prohibited activities listed in Section 1962 of the Rico Act. a) It shall be unlawful for any person who has received any income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of an unlawful debt in which such person has participated as a principal within the meaning of section 2, title 18, United States Code, to use or invest, directly or indirectly, any part of such income, or the proceeds of such income, in acquisition of any interest in, or the establishme nt or operation of, any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. A purchase of securities on the open market for purposes of investment, and without the intention of controlling or participating in the control of the issuer, or of assisting another to do so, shall not be unlawful under this subsection if the securities of the issuer held by the purchaser, the members of his immediate family, and his or their accomplices in any pattern or racketeering activity or the collection of an unlawful debt after such purchase do not amount in the aggregate to one percent of the outstanding securities of any one class, and do not confer, either in law or in fact, the power to elect one or more directors of the issuer. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person through a pattern of racketeering activity or through collection of any unlawful debt to acquire or maintain, directly or indirectly, any interest in or control of any enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce. c) It shall be unlawful for any person employed by or associated with any enterprise engaged in, or the activities of which affect, interstate or foreign commerce, to conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of such enterprise’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity or collection of unlawful debt. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to conspire to violate any of the provisions of subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section. Under RICO, a person who is a member of an illegal enterprise or organization that has committed any two of 35 crimes including 27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes, within a 10-year period, can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of â€Å"racketeering activity. RICO also permits a private individual harmed by the actions of suc h an enterprise to file a civil lawsuit and collect monetary damages. Despite its harsh provisions, a RICO-related charge is considered easy to prove in court, as it focuses on patterns of behavior as opposed to criminal acts. Although some of the RICO predicate acts are extortion and blackmail, one of the most successful applications of the RICO laws has been the ability to indict or sanction individuals for their behavior and actions committed against witnesses and victims in alleged retaliation or retribution for cooperating with federal law enforcement or intelligence agencies. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of bringing organized crime members to justice, ten years passed before the first RICO convictions were obtained. Throughout the 1970s crime families continually fought for power over the many racketeering enterprises that brought in huge sums of money. The National Conference on Organized Crime in 1975 estimated that mob related racketeering reached about $50 billion a year in the United States. An example of a popular case where the Rico Act was used to bring down a criminal organization was the numerous arrests of members of the Gambino Crime Family. The Carlo Gambino family was one of New York’s most powerful in the American Mafia. It was successfully weakened by convictions obtained under the RICO Act of 1970. Under Gambino’s leadership, family rackets spread into new areas. Starting in the late ’50s, they engaged in large-scale drug trafficking. The Gambino and Lucchese families put a stranglehold on illegal activities at JFK International Airport, effectively boxing out all competition. Gambino bought into all kinds of legitimate businesses such as pizza parlors, meat markets, restaurants, construction companies, trucking firms, dress factories, and nightclubs, and used them as fronts to facilitate illegal operations. Battles for power and control between crime families resulted in numerous murders. Members of one family would assassinate another’s boss. The family of the assassinated boss sought revenge by murdering a member of the offending family. Murders were also committed to prevent a crime member from testifying in a trial. The first convictions of American Mafia members under RICO began in 1980. Numerous gangsters were convicted for a variety of racketeering offenses. In 1985 the bosses of all five New York City Mafia families were convicted under RICO and each received at least one hundred years in prison. In 1992 Salvatore â€Å"Sammy the Bull† Gravano testified in court against his boss, John Gotti, head of the Gambino crime family at that time. In doing so he broke the sacred code of the Mafia, the code of silence barring every Mafia member from ever testifying against another Mafia member. Gotti was sentenced to life in prison. His brother Peter Gotti took over the family but was sentenced in April 2004 to nine years in prison. From our reading, we also learned that Rico can provide other benefits to local, county, state and federal law enforcement. As stated by Osterburg and Ward, page 632, â€Å"Through asset forfeiture provisions the government can confiscate money, houses, cars, boats, planes, electronics and weapons. This has not only impacted on the specific criminals targeted, but in many jurisdictions has been used as a means for law enforcement to expand their own efforts. In my own department, we use the proceeds from asset forfeitures to purchase vehicle equipment and bullet proof vests. Summary For decades, law enforcement strategies have focused on identifying and prosecuting the leaders of criminal enterpris es. Members may be charged or arrested for relatively minor infractions. Charges for even small infractions can provide prosecutors with the leverage to conduct further investigations of the group. The goal is to get â€Å"smaller fish† to â€Å"flip† and testify against the heads of the organization. The ultimate aim is to disrupt the group as a whole. Since the inception of the Rico Act, thousands of arrests and convictions have been handed down against members of organized crime. All five New York crime families have been disabled by Rico convictions and numerous other crime families have felt the sting. There has been mixed reviews on the total effectiveness of the Rico Act, but most will agree that there seems to be no end to organized crime and those willing to engage in criminal activity and enterprise. References www. ricoact. com/ricoact/nutshell. asp RICO – What Happened Next . . . – Crime, Family, Mafia, Families, Organized, and American http://law. jrank. org/pages/12394/RICO-What-happened-next. html#ixzz1XrNLl9Gg http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/gangster_outlaws/family_epics/gambino/3. html www. justice. gc. ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2005/rr05_5/p5. html. Osterburg and Ward. , Criminal Investigations, A Method for Reconstructing the How to cite Rico Act Essay, Essays

Mis on Fmcg Essay Example For Students

Mis on Fmcg Essay A management information system (MIS) is a system or process that provides information needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems are regarded to be a subset of the overall internal controls procedures in a business, which cover the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures used by management accountants to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. Management information systems are distinct from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities in the organization. Management Information Systems (MIS) is a field of science that studies on (1) How better we can manage technologies (2) How better we can design information systems, in order to enhance a firms effectiveness, efficiency and profitability. A strong MNC presence in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) sector, the existence of a wide distribution network, intense competition, the availability of key raw materials, lower labour costs, and a presence across the entire value chain have resulted in a thriving market for FMCG companies. The sector will grow by over 50 percent in rural and semi-urban India by 2010. With the opening up of the Indian market to foreign players, Indian companies have increased their use of IT as a business tool. Indeed, it has become an essential element for these companies to understand the needs of their customers and handle their employees. Many FMCG companies need to consolidate their information base that’s been accumulated from different sources. As these companies have operations spread across India, the major problem they are facing is data integration. In order to bring efficiency to their processes, they are deploying different IT solutions to keep online information about their manufacturing plants, distribution points, distributors and retailers. After identifying the need for integration, companies are deploying software to increase operational efficiency. IT solutions expose weak links in the value chain, increase departmental inter-action, improve processes, and speed-up decision-making. Enterprise hardware continues to keep its lion’s share of IT spending by FMCG companies. Area in the enterprise hardware segment is networking, the demand curve of which is also moving upwards. Many FMCG companies are using PDAs for capturing data either from the supply chain or from retail outlets, especially in rural areas. Growing ERP market As per the survey, 27 percent of FMCG companies invested in ERP last year, while 93 percent are planning to invest in the coming fiscal. Companies are deploying ERP systems to optimise the distribution network and improve delivery mechanisms. Implementing IT solutions has led to an improvement in the service levels of these companies vis-a-vis their dealers through the redressal of potential stock-out situations. This has also been made possible due to better visibility of sales, inventory and production in progress data. While companies such as HLL, Eveready, Britannia and Samsung India are depending on vendors to implement the solutions, LG Electronics has deployed solutions developed in-house. Meanwhile, Britannia recently upgraded its SAP application to mySAP, and integrated the same with Lotus Notes. T S Purushothaman, Britannia’s Corporate Manager for IT and Systems says, â€Å"The factors that we focus on while taking the decision to purchase are financial strengths, experience, team strength, customer base and references from others. Outsourcing down Maintenance of IT infrastructure is the principal area of outsourcing among FMCGs, but the trend has gone down. Last year 30 percent of respondents from this sector had outsourced their IT activities; this time around only 22 percent of them intend to do so. The most important factor influencing outsourcing is the desire to reduce costs and focus on core competencies. The factors that companies look at while deciding to outsource are the consultant’s specialisation, vendor’s specialization and reputation, and also the expenditure involved in the process. Unsere Sprache hat's verdient EssayIn data warehousing, data mining and the BI segment, FMCG enterprises invested 20 percent in the previous financial year and 47 percent intend to do so this fiscal. â€Å"The FMCG sector has been very technology-savvy, and is an early adopter of IT. Today, on one hand, we have global companies operating in India, but on the other hand we also have many Indian companies operating globally. Business application solutions have enabled these companies to globalise rapidly, and roll out processes which are fine-tuned to the requirements of each geography. † In the CRM segment, 20 percent of FMCGs have invested and 33 percent will invest in this fiscal. 0 percent have invested in SCM and 47 percent going to invest in 2006-07. Most FMCG giants are investing in SFA. Purushothaman head of Britannia continues, â€Å"Technology remains an integral part of our business. We need to upgrade our technology in line with the constant changes that occur. As compared to the investments made in 2005-06, we are planning to invest 20-25 percent more in 2006-07. Our business aspirations invariably necessitate investments in technology. Our customer demand and business growth have invariably been serviced with periodic technology upgrades. We are confident that technology will continue to help us ramp up business volumes while keeping operational costs low. † On its part, Eveready spent nearly Rs 6 crore last year and would like to increase the investment this year. Elaborates Choudhury of everyday: â€Å"We are planning to implement Stocky from Botree for our distributors. This solution will help us get the secondary market’s pulse on a daily basis, and would be a significant step in understanding our vast distribution network consisting of 4,000 distributors and two million retail outlets. It would also integrate with our management information tools and help us understand which markets are doing well and which need improvement. † As 72 percent of large enterprises have a well-documented security policy in place, only 18 percent want to invest in security devices, hence there is not much demand for such devices in the coming financial year. But ERP vendors should come up with new solutions to tap the growing market as 93 percent of the respondents to the survey said they would invest in the coming year.

Essays on Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard free essay sample

At first filled with shame, his officious father soon realizes just how profitable his son’s supposed spirituality can be. His mother, meanwhile, finds in the orchard relief from traditional Indian family life and middle-class respectability by devoting herself to creating increasingly exotic curries. All goes well until the local monkeys start to drink. Plans to rid the orchard of their unwanted hullabaloo multiply and eventually go completely awry, but not before Sampath is released from the endless cycle of demands. Transformed into a guava, he is last seen being carried towards the sacred Himalayas by the hungry monkeys. This story, by the daughter of novelist Anita Desai, works best when the pacing is as fast as the author’s touch is light, as it surely is in the final thirty or so pages. When it drags, stylistic tics become annoyingly apparent, the narrative too slender to support even a novel this short, and this talented author’s indebtedness to other writers, from Narayan and Salman Rushdie to Italo Calvino, Jerzy Kosinski and Gabriel Garcia Marquez the sign not of postmodern play but of youthful derivativeness. We will write a custom essay sample on Essays on Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

A Guide to Nouns

A Guide to Nouns A Guide to Nouns A Guide to Nouns By Mark Nichol A noun was traditionally described as â€Å"a person, place, or thing,† but some definitions further specify what can constitute a thing, including an action, an idea, a quality, or a state of existence. This post discusses types of nouns and other issues related to nouns. Classes of Nouns Abstract and Concrete Nouns Abstract nouns are those that refer to concepts or ideas, such as justice or evolution. By contrast, concrete nouns represent physical entities that can be observed by one or more senses; examples include apple, dog, and house. Some nouns have both abstract and concrete meanings- for example, a pillar is a column that serves as a commemorative object or a structural support, but by extension, the word refers to a figurative concept related to the latter sense: a principle, for example, that is part of the identity of an organization. (In addition, a person may be referred to as a pillar of the community, but although person is concrete, the person does not literally provide structural support for an edifice.) Collective Nouns A collective noun is one that, despite the lack of plural inflection, refers to a group (as in the case of committee) or to an entity consisting of multiple members (for example, government or police). In American English, such terms take a singular verb form unless the emphasis is clearly on the constituents of the collective, as in â€Å"The staff were pleased to hear about the new workplace policy,† though many writers (and editors) are more comfortable with a revision that more explicitly focuses on the individuals, such as â€Å"Members of the staff were pleased to hear about the new workplace policy.† Compound Noun A compound noun is one that consists of two or more words. Compound nouns may be closed (warlord), hyphenated (mind-set), or open (â€Å"post office†). Generally, a compound of more than two words is hyphenated, as in jack-in-the box, but a proper name consisting of more than two words is almost always open (â€Å"Royal Canadian Mounted Police†). Countable and Mass Nouns Countable nouns are those that may take an indefinite article (a or an) or a plural form, or be combined with a numeral (such as three) or a counting quantifier (such as several). Countable nouns include car, finger, and event. Mass, or uncountable, nouns, are those that do not have these properties, such as blood, equipment, and information. Many nouns have senses as both countable and mass nouns. For example, rain is an uncountable phenomenon, but one can refer to a succession of rains. Proper Nouns A proper noun is one that denotes a unique entity, such as a specific person (John), place (Earth), or thing (iPhone). Writers frequently err in capitalizing generic descriptions thought to be specific. For example, a person might be described as â€Å"a Marketing Director†; though the person does in fact hold that job title, it is not unique to that person (although it is capitalized as part of the entity description â€Å"Marketing Director John Smith,† which is unique). Similarly, one might be said to have â€Å"earned a Master’s Degree†; although the diploma that documents conferring of the degree is unique, a degree demonstrating mastery of a particular academic discipline is distributed to numerous people, and thus the word is generic. In addition, words that, as part of a specific appellation, are capitalized are sometimes erroneously capitalized in isolation, as in â€Å"the Committee.† This style is common in content published by institutions and organizations (and sometimes codified in their house style guides) that refers in shorthand to a particular committee, and it is a tradition in legal text, but in most other contexts it is considered an error. Considerations About Nouns Nominalization and Conversion Avoid the jargonistic overuse of noun forms of verbs in place of the verbs themselves, itself known jargonistically as nominalization, to make sentences more concise, direct, and accessible. (For example, â€Å"effect a transposition† is easily replaced by transpose.) A related issue is conversion, by which a verb becomes a noun (as in the use of take in â€Å"We filmed the scene in one take† or â€Å"What’s your take on that?†). Many conversions are unobjectionable in isolation, but take care not to let them overwhelm your prose. Noun Plagues One obstacle to clarity, prevalent in business content, is the use of multiple nouns as adjectives describing a terminal noun, as in â€Å"The topic of the webinar is compliance risk management program governance.† Avoid such strings of nouns-cum-adjectives before a noun, which many people may read haltingly because even if they are familiar with the terms that constitute the phrase, they will not know until they reach the actual noun that they have come to the end of it. Revise the phrase to reflect a more relaxed syntax so that it can be read with relative lack of effort: â€Å"The topic of the webinar is governance of programs pertaining to compliance risk management.† Plural Forms English is maddeningly inconsistent, especially in forming plurals. For example, the plural of avocado is avocados (avocadoes is a variant), while tomato is rendered tomatoes in its plural form. (These words derive from the same language, Nahuatl, and as in the case of the name of the language, the ending sound of both native words is l, but they took different paths through Spanish.) Other problematic words include those ending in y and some words adopted from Greek and Latin; for example, plural endings for some Latin words (such as antenna and index) vary depending on sense. Another complicating category is compound nouns (such as fathers-in-law). When in doubt, consult a dictionary. (And, to be safe, when not in doubt, consult a dictionary.) Other types of nouns that may require writers to consult with a dictionary (or a style guide) so that plural forms are correctly rendered include plurals of proper nouns and for abbreviations, letters, and numerals. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsCapitalization Rules for the Names of GamesEspecially vs. Specially

Quantitative Finance Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Quantitative Finance Analysis - Term Paper Example It is important to note that the influence of using highly specialized quantitative techniques is on an increasing trend mainly due to its ability to provide inferential statistics. The results are inferred in a highly prà ©cised and accurate manner, which lead the quantitative analysts to sort out the different aspects attached with the behavior of a financial decision. This report highlights various kinds of scenarios in which the specialized quantitative techniques are applied in order to sort out the behavior of the financial decision taken under that scenario. Specialized techniques such as regression, correlation, NPV, IRR, yield to maturity, annuity, etc are utilized to analyze the different scenarios. Net Present Value Background Information This question inquires about the viability of an investment opportunity such that the opportunity requires $10,000 to be invested today. The cash inflows from this opportunity will be derived in such a way that $500 will be received after one year, $1,500 after two years and $10,000 after ten years. With reference to the particular technique of Net Present Value (NPV), the viability of this opportunity is asked whether the opportunity is attractive if interest rates are 6% and 2% respectively. Theoretical Background Net Present Value (NPV) is the technique, which mainly works on the concepts of time value of money. According to time value of money, the money received in future time does not have the same worth, had that money received today (Brigham et al, 2010 pp. 380-81). If that future money is brought back today, it would have lesser worth. NPV is the technique that works on the basis of cash flows such that the initial investment is deducted from the discounted cash flows. The resulting answer provides the estimated amount of benefit earned or loss incurred in case of opting the investment opportunity. In case if the NPV is found to be positive, it means, that the investment opportunity is financially viable and hence should be accepted. In case of negative NPV, the investment opportunity is not up-to-the-mark and it should be rejected. Computation Years 0 1 2 10 Investment (10,000)    Cash Inflows 500 1,500 10,000 Discount Factor (6%) 1.0000 0.9434 0.8900 0.5584 D iscounted Cash Flows (10,000) 471.70 1,334.99 5,583.95 NPV (2,609.36)          Years 0 1 2 10 Investment (10,000)    Cash Inflows 500 1,500 10,000 Discount Factor (2%) 1.0000 0.9804 0.9612 0.8203 Discounted Cash Flows (10,000) 490.20 1,441.75 8,203.48 NPV 135.43          Interpretation From the above stated results, it can be observed that if the interest rate is set to be 6% to discount the later coming cash inflows, it would result in negative NPV of $2,609.36. Since the negative NPV states that the investment opportunity is not attractive enough to be accepted, therefore it should be rejected. On the other hand, if the interest rate is trimmed to only 2%, it will generate positive NPV of $135 from the same cash flows. This positive NPV reflect that the investment opportunity is financially viable and it should be accepted. Question 2 Present Value Annuity Background Information This question pertains to annuity such that a house is to be purchased on mortgage basis. The actual cost of house is $350,000. However, the buyer is willing to pay $50,000 as down payment. For the rest of $300,000 the buyer wants to pay the amount along with the interest payments in next 30 years at 7% interest per annum. The buyer wishes to pay loan in 30 equal installments, which should include principal amount

Political science USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political science USA - Essay Example Jacob regarding the term limits of members of Congress. Mr. Jacob promotes the idea of limiting the terms of members of Congress. His view is based on a series of facts; at a first level, it is noted that the political system of USA favors the control of the government by the public; on the other hand, such initiative would be supported by the majority of USA citizens; in this context, the limitation of terms of members of Congress could be aligned with the principles of the USA political system but also with the public’s view on the specific issue. On the other hand, the reference to the US political history regarding the existence of term limits shows that the specific scheme has been proved to be particularly effective when being used ‘at other levels of government’ (Mr. Jacob, case study); more specifically, it is explained that term limits is not a concept foreign to the USA political system; the specific scheme is already used by state governors and state legislatures across USA – it is also ‘the law of the land for the President’ (Mr. Jacob, case study); the use of this system in the cases described above has helped to promote fair competition and reduce ‘partisanship and special interest influence’ (Mr. Jacob, case study). On the other hand, Mr. Jacob notes that Congress has a conflict of interest and for this reason it would be very difficult for the specific scheme to apply – in fact, most of the members of the Congress would be expected to be negative towards the r eform of the Constitution in regard to the term limits of the members of the Congress. The above fact has been verified by the views of the members of the Congress as these views have been published in the media but also as they have been reflected in their vote on the specific subject. Under the above terms, the three-terms limit is suggested – a suggestion aligned with the view of the voters in Colorado who

A Mother Diagnosed With Cancer Psychology Essay

A Mother Diagnosed With Cancer Psychology Essay At that time, cancer for me and probably for anyone else was an unknown monster who spared no life when it hits you. There were endless nights full of hope for her recovery. At night before I would doze off to sleep I would look at her closely. She still had that same pretty face, beautiful eyes, lovely shaped lips and brilliant mind. But deep inside, it was too painful to see my ever energetic mother lying in bed with all the tubes in her body. Too hurtful to think that all we had shared, our plans might come to an endà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This is an adolescent daughters account of her journey with having a mother diagnosed with cancer. Dealing with maternal cancer can cause distress and anxiety because this illness is usually associated with poor prognosis, agonizing pain, negative effects of the treatment, and low survival rates. Cancer is considered by many as a silent killer, which unsuspectingly ravages the body from within. It can be a stressful experience, not only for the patients themselves, but also for the entire family. Every member of the family, especially the children, has to adjust to the emotional burden, physical demands, and lifestyle changes which cancer brings about. The occurrence of cancer has alarmingly increased throughout the years, affecting and claiming many lives around the world. It has been estimated that around 12.2 million people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide (American Cancer Society, 2007). It is also projected that the number of cancer cases and deaths will continue to escalate in the future. New cancer cases are estimated to increase from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million in 2030 (WHO, 2008). Based on the worldwide proliferation of cancer cases, this disease is now considered to be a major health problem. In the local scene, it is estimated that one in every 1,800 Filipinos will suffer from cancer every year (Philippines Breast Cancer, 2008). Based on the 2005 Cancer Facts and Estimates (cited in A Look at Cancer, 2007), approximately 39,929 men and 32,917 women were diagnosed with cancer that year. Consistent with the worldwide trend, the number of cancer patients in the Philippines is also expected to increase in the coming years. The most common cancer sites for both men and women are as follows: lung, breast, liver, cervix, and colon (A Look at Cancer, 2007). Young and middle-aged women are at great risk of developing cancer. According to Hamouy (2007), statistics show that females have one in three chances of getting cancer in their lifetime. This risk is also due to the drastic increase in the number of breast and cervical cancer cases, which are commonly and specifically associated with women. The breast is the most common cancer site among Filipinas. As of 2008, the Philippines had the highest reported cases of breast cancer in Asia, even surpassing other European countries (Philippines Breast Cancer, 2008). Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent type of cancer among Filipino women (World Health Organization, 2007). According to the Department of Health (cited in DOH Launches, 2008), approximately 10 Filipinas die from cervical cancer each day. Women diagnosed with cancer belong to various age groups. However, findings consistently show that cancer risk is positively correlated with age (Baum Andersen, 2001; A Look at Cancer, 2007). This puts older women at greater risk for developing this dreaded disease. In the past years, majority of cancer cases were diagnosed at 50 years old or at a postmenopausal age (Bobadilla, 2006). Unfortunately, there has been an increase in the occurrence of cancer among women in their midlife (Bobadilla, 2006) as well. Recently, the battle against cancer has started to affect younger women. A significant number of women who belong to this population are mothers. It is estimated that 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer has one or more dependent offspring still under her care (Faulkner Davey, 2002). The growing incidence of cancer among younger mothers means that more families are being challenged to cope with this disease. Mothers diagnosed with cancer are faced with various issues in the different facets of their lives. On a personal level, their concerns include experiencing the physical rigors of the disease and treatment, emotional issues, and preoccupation with existential matters. Aside from these, they also have additional sources of stress such as meeting the demands of being wives, mothers, and professionals in their respective fields. Being diagnosed with cancer at this stage in ones life can be stressful and in some cases, traumatic. This can be attributed to the pressure of having to fulfill different roles despite the physical and emotional demands of the disease. Mothers with cancer are forced to shift their role from taking care of their family to the one being cared for. In effect, although a maternal cancer diagnosis is experienced as a personal crisis, it also makes a great impact on the whole family system. These families are put in a predicament wherein they have to adapt with the changes and stresses brought about by maternal cancer. As the patients roles as a mother and spouse are disrupted, dealing with the illness becomes a shared crisis within the family. The husband and children are forced to adapt with the situation by handling the responsibilities which the mother could not perform, while dealing with their own emotional distress. The stressful nature of the situation puts other family members at risk for psychological distress, especially the children. In families dealing with maternal cancer, the adolescent daughters are expected to assume the responsibilities of the mother. In the Filipino culture, daughters are reared to help out in domestic chores and assist the mother with her duties (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998). Thus, when the mother is not well enough to carry out her responsibilities, adolescent daughters take over in caring for the family. This additional burden makes adolescent daughters the most vulnerable to experience psychological distress. Such circumstances subject the daughters to witness drastic physical and emotional changes in their mothers, disruption in their daily routines and changes in family roles. Aside from sharing the burden with their family, the daughters are also faced with the challenge of dealing with the developmental demands of being an adolescent. They may experience a variety of emotional responses, the most common of which are depression and anxiety, as a way to cope with their stress. Parents may fail to recognize the distress their daughters are experiencing due to preoccupation with the treatment and their own distress. In effect, the emotional issues harbored by the daughters may not be addressed appropriately. In the field of psychological research, a large body of studies had already been devoted to investigating the effects of cancer on the different aspects of a patients life. It has only been recently that researchers also recognized the need to shift their attention to the children of cancer patients. It is in this vein that the focus of this research will be centered on adolescent daughters whose mothers have cancer. This research will look into the psychological impact of maternal cancer on adolescent daughters, specifically in terms of emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. The mothers perceptions regarding how their daughters are dealing with situation will also be explored. It is also of interest to know how maternal cancer affects the relationship between the mother and adolescent daughter. Review of Literature Impact of Parental Cancer on the Family Cancer was found to be associated with psychological distress. Much of past research on cancer has focused mainly on the psychological impact of cancer on the patients themselves (Veach, 1998). Researchers have acknowledged that it is also necessary to look into the effect of cancer within the context of the family. Family Systems Theory The family is defined by Buckley (as cited in Papadopolous, 1995) as a system made up of sets of different parts which are interdependent and interconnected. A change in one part causes a change in the entire system. It is comprised of several subsystems which characterize the existing relationships within the family such as parental, marital, and sibling relationships (Faulkner Davey, 2002). According to the family systems theory, the condition of one family member influences the condition of other family members. It proposes that all the subsystems within the family interact and affect each other (Faulkner Davey, 2002; Papadopolous, 1995). The members of the family operate in a way that it maintains a balanced level of functioning, also known as equilibrium. The well-being of the family members and the familys functioning depend greatly on the interaction of the subsystems (Faulkner Davey, 2002). Due to the dynamic and interdependent nature of the family system, the roles and psychological functioning of individual members can affect the whole system. A role change initiated by one member will alter how the rest of the members play their roles. In this case, the whole system has to make corresponding changes in their behavior in order to compensate for the disruption in the roles among the members. This adjustment has to be made in order to regain the familys equilibrium (Jolley Mitchell, 1996). In the same way, a members psychological functioning is strongly influenced by ones interaction with the other members (Oster Caro, 1990). In families which are under a great deal of stress, the child is vulnerable to everything that is going on between the parents. The tension or conflict within a family can also induce distress within the child, whether the child is directly exposed to the stressor or not (Sokolova, n.d.). The Filipino Family The Philippine society is familial in nature (Jocano, 1995). Filipinos recognize that the family is the most basic institution in the society and is at the center of the affairs of the community. The high regard given to the family can be seen in the strong and pervasive influence this institution exerts towards individuals. According to Jocano (1995), the Filipino family is superordinate over the members. The life of each member is strongly influenced by the dynamics within the family. An individual must involve the family in decision-making and resolution of important issues. This is because the entire family is affected if something happens to its member, regardless of whether this occurrence is positive or negative. Thus, the Filipino family tends to be protective of its members, as a way to preserve not only the individual but the entire system as well. In order to uphold the traditional Filipino family system, cultural ideals which guide ones behavior are instilled in the individual. These ideals are learned through rearing practices and adherence to the societys norms. The following standards are honored and imbibed by traditional Filipino families: kapwa, damdamin, anddangal (Jocano, 1995, p.7). Kapwa refers to establishing interpersonal relationships which are based on equality and empathy. Damdamin on the other hand, deals with valuing others peoples emotions and striving in order not to hurts the feelings of others. Lastly, dangal, pertains to honoring and respecting others. Despite the changes in the society, in light of modernization, Jocano (1995) found that many Filipino parents continue to inculcate the following cultural ideals to their children: paggalang, which is giving respect to people and venerated customs; pagbabalikatan, which is empathizing and sharing the burden of others; pagbabayanihan, which is cooperating w ith one another; and pagmamalasakit, which is being considerate and concerned with other peoples welfare (Jocano, 1995, pp.7-8). The Filipino family is also described to be bilateral (Jocano, 1995). This refers to the establishment of close relationships with relatives from both the sides of the mother and father. An individuals level of affinity towards the maternal and paternal relatives are said to be equal. This bilateral characteristic of the family makes the relationships within the family system wider and more intertwined. In effect, the typical Filipinos concept of family is not only limited to the nuclear family structure, which is comprised of the parents and their children, but also includes the extended family which includes the relatives from both sides. By going beyond the immediate family, the individual can draw support and security from both the immediate and extended family. Jocano (1995) considers this close kinship among Filipinos as a significant source of strength. This provides an individual with an assurance that there will always be someone to count on when problems arise. The close ties among relatives and the ideals which families uphold influence the structure of Filipino households (Torres, 1995). It is typical for a nuclear family to share a roof with a few relatives and a nonrelative, which is usually the househelp. This is true, most especially for middle class urban families. In some cases, nuclear families who belong to the same clan reside in separate dwellings which are close in proximity. By maintaining geographical nearness, the extended family and its members are able to strengthen the support that they derive from each other. Carandang (1987) applied the family systems approach within the context of Filipino families. In line with Western theories on family systems, she suggested that any stress experienced by one member can be vicariously felt by the other members. Each of the family members responds to this stress by acting out in their own unique way. It has to be taken into consideration that the Filipino family is usually comprised of immediate family members, as well as extended relatives. There is also greater emphasis on maintaining close emotional bond among the family members. This nature of Filipino families makes it a more dynamic and complicated system. In effect, the children are challenged to gain recognition so as not to be lost within the larger system. This makes the children the most vulnerable members of the family because they can be easily affected by the stresses experienced by the family (Carandang, 1987). When the family is in the middle of a crisis, there is a tendency for the children not to directly articulate their feelings, especially if these are negative and are felt towards the adults in the family. In some cases, these stresses are manifested through the childrens behavior. Carandang (1987) found out that regardless of the socioeconomic status of the family, the children play the role of the familys protector. Being the protectors, the children absorb the familys stress and respond through their behaviors. In the Philippine setting, the familys tagasalo (Carandang, 1987, p. 47) or the one who takes care of the family is considered to be at risk for developing distress. Older siblings, most especially the daughters, are commonly expected to fulfill the role of being the familys tagasalo. Daughters are groomed at an early age to assist in tasks which are domestic and nurturant in nature, such as household chores and caretaking duties. By the time Filipino daughters reach adolescence, they are expected to become mother substitutes (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998, p.155). With this new role, adolescent daughters assume a considerable number of their mothers household responsibilities. The study of Go Tian (2003) supports Carandangs premise that daughters are more likely than sons to assume the role of the tagasalo. Based on her research among Filipino college students, females exhibited higher tagasalo traits than males. In contrast, Udarbes (2001) research proposed that the familys tagasalo is not necessarily related to the childs gender or birth order. Her findings suggest that the tagasalo generally possesses the following characteristics: strong sense of responsibility, good listener, nurturant, peacemaker and a strong need for control. Traditionally, women are considered to be central to the functioning of the family. This is due to gender role socialization, which dictates that women are expected and trained to take care of household matters (Liwag, Dela Cruz, Macapagal, 1998). As the major female figure in the family, the mothers main role is to handle domestic responsibilities at home. Thus, when a mother is diagnosed with cancer, the family adapts to the situation by assuming the responsibilities which the mother could not handle. This burden is often passed on to the adolescent daughter, who had been trained since childhood to carry out domestic chores. The impact of cancer within the Filipino family was evident in a local study done by Gorospe (2002). A cancer diagnosis affects the different aspects of a patients life, as well as the rest of the family members. The debilitating effect of cancer on the patient can cause a disruption in routine, changes in lifestyle, and limitations in performing ones responsibilities. Thus, the patient and his family are confronted with overwhelming changes which they have to adjust to. As a reaction to these changes, the entire family undergoes a process of emotional distress characterized by disbelief, denial, and initial resistance to the diagnosis. The roles within the family also have to be re-assigned in order to compensate for the changes related to the patients inability to fulfill ones role. Family Changes Brought About by Parental Cancer A mothers diagnosis of cancer is not an individual struggle. The entire family is subjected to the repercussions of dealing with maternal cancer. According to Robinson, Caroll, and Watson (2005), cancer within the family can be considered as an emotional crucible. This is the shared experience in which the family goes through a series of emotional adjustments. Such experience has been described as both draining and empowering, not only for the cancer patient but for all the family members. The profound stress brought about by the illness affects the relationships and interactions within the family. As a response, the family members reactions are manifested through their behavior and emotions (Sargent, 2003). Parents diagnosed with cancer reported that due to the illness, they were unable to spend time with and address the needs of their children (Walsh, Manuel, Avis, 2005). This was supported by the study of Faulkner and Davey (2002) which revealed that parental cancer can lead to impaired parenting. The demands of the illness made both the healthy and ill parents less available to their children, emotionally and physically. There were also cases of less communication, decrease in supervision, and lack of consistency in discipline and nurturance. Such disruption in the family system undeniably exposes the children to many psychological stressors such as: threat of permanent loss of parent to death, temporary loss of parent due to the treatment demands, and changes in family roles and routines (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003). This may result in adjustment difficulties and psychological consequences, thus, making the children vulnerable to the impact of having a parent with cancer. Cancer blurs the roles in the family. The study of Walsh, Manuel, and Avis (2005), which investigated the impact of maternal breast cancer on the family, revealed that because the mothers were not well enough to perform their usual responsibilities at home, they had to transfer some of their family duties to their spouses and children. Generally, adolescents in the family had to take on more responsibilities at home, such as household chores and caregiving tasks for their younger siblings and the ill parent (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Visser, Huizinga, Van der Graaf, Hoekstra, Hoekstra-Weebers, 2003). Aside from dealing with worry over the ill parents condition, the adolescent children in the family felt that their lives were complicated due to the additional responsibilities they had to carry out in order to augment the deficiencies caused by maternal cancer (Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005). Psychological Adjustment Among Adolescents of Cancer Patients The psychological effects of maternal cancer on children are widely investigated. The qualitative study of Forrest, Plumb, Ziebland, and Stein (2006) reported that children already suspected that something was wrong even before they were told about their mothers diagnosis. They based this suspicion on the mood and behavior changes in their mother. Upon knowing about the maternal cancer diagnosis, the adolescents experienced emotional distress. The initial emotional responses were shock and disbelief, followed by devastation and intense feelings of sadness (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Davey, Gulish, Askew, Godette, Childs, 2005). Compas, Worsham, Ey, and Howell (1996) assessed the emotional distress experienced by children of cancer patients by looking into their depression and anxiety. Their distress arose from their considerable worry about their mothers health and fear of losing their mother from cancer (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003; Davey, Gulish, et al., 2005; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Kristjanson, Chalmers, Woodgate, 2004; Walsh et al., 2005). In some studies, adolescents were also concerned with the possibility of potentially inheriting the cancer (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003; Walsh et al., 2005). The adolescents emotional difficulties partly stemmed from feeling powerless over their parents illness. The adolescents felt that they did not have control over the outcome of the diagnosis and treatment, which in turn also affected the moods and accessibility of both parents (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). Another cause of the adolescents distress was witnessing their parents pain. Some of the adolescents reported that they were bothered by the side effects of chemotherapy (Forrest et al., 2006). They had to adapt to seeing their usually healthy parent slowly become weak and ill (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). The positive effect this had on the children was that they became more empathic towards their ill parent. They were also more tolerant and understanding of both their parents, who exhibited increased irritability and moodiness (Davey, Askew, et al., 2003). This was consistent with the findings of Kristjanson et al. (2004) which revealed that the adolescents were sensitive to the suffering of their ill mother. The teenagers expressed that they felt guilty because their own lives were normal, whereas their mother was enduring the painful physical and psychological consequences of cancer. They were able to empathize with their mothers suffering but they expressed guilt about their own situation. A local research done by Tantoco (1992) examined the issues confronted by terminally ill mothers and their eldest offspring. Results revealed that the eldest children exhibited considerable anxiety during the process of dealing with their mothers illness. Many of the participants described their journey as an emotional roller coaster ride (Tantoco, 1992, p.73). This experience compelled them to prioritize their mothers condition. This forced them to put other aspects of their lives, such as studies, work, and heterosexual relationships aside. Given that the eldest children focused much of their attention on their ill mother, they became sensitive to their mothers physical, emotional, and mental anguish. The children shared that they had difficulties in dealing with their ill mothers emotional outbursts. Despite this, the eldest in the family also felt the need to give emotional support, security, and assurance to their ill mother. Another source of the eldest childrens stress was the ir informal role of being next to their parents in terms of responsibility and authority. Being the eldest, they had to take on additional household responsibilities, including caring of their ill mother and younger siblings. These extra tasks required them to make personal sacrifices such as not being able to engage in their usual adolescent activities. Aside from emotional problems, behavioral changes were also observed among children of cancer patients. Increased crying, clinging, difficulty in sleeping, and changes in the intensity of talking were some of the behaviors which children engaged in after their parent was diagnosed with cancer (Visser et al., 2003). There are inconsistent findings in terms of the childrens school performance. Some adolescents showed a decline in their academics and attendance (Visser et al., 2003; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007. This was due to their inability to concentrate during school hours because of their preoccupation with their parents illness and the disruptions in their routine (Visser et al., 2003; Forrest et al., 2006). However, some adolescents actually performed better in school even though they were dealing with parental cancer (Visser et al., 2003). Positive behavioral changes also surfaced as the adolescents were dealing with their mothers cancer. The adolescents expressed that they appreciated their mother more even when the diagnosis and treatment were over. They showed this newfound appreciation by constantly checking on how the ill mother is doing, wanting to be physically close, paying more than usual attention to mothers needs, and wanting to offer support (Visser et al., 2003; Davey, Gulish et al., 2005). Some adolescents also reported that they took over their mothers role even if it meant an increase in their responsibilities. This contributed to their perception that they were older than their years, after having gone through that experience (Davey, Gulish et al., 2005). Daughters whose mothers have cancer also became more involved with the medical aspects of the treatment. Even though they were less convinced that things will work out, they took more initiative in handling the medical concerns of their mother (Gilbar Borovik, 1998). According to Grabiak, Bender, and Puskar (2007), the behavioral adjustment of adolescents rely heavily on the emotional condition of both parents and on the family functioning. When both parents display symptoms of depression, adolescents tended to show increased behavioral problems. Between the two parents, maternal depression exerts a stronger influence on the childs behavioral functioning. It was also found that adolescents who experienced difficulty with behavioral adjustment perceived their families as having poor quality of communication, responsiveness, and involvement. In the aspect of social functioning, the study of Osborn (2007) found no evidence to suggest that social competence is negatively affected among children of cancer patients. In a few studies, adolescents of cancer patients even reported handling their social lives more effectively than those from the norm groups (Osborn, 2007). This favorable social functioning may be attributed to the strong social support which the adolescents actively seek and maintain. Common sources of social support were family, friends, school counselors, teachers, and support groups (Davey, Askew, Godette, 2003; Grabiak, Bender, Puskar, 2007; Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al., 2005). Adolescents felt that their peers were positive sources of support with whom they could talk openly about their feelings and fears. However, some teenagers expressed that their friends had difficulty empathizing with their situation. They felt that their friends could not really understand what it is like to have a mother diagnosed with cancer. This feeling further highlights the sense of isolation which the adolescents sometimes feel. They felt more consoled when they talked to peers who were also experiencing the same adversity (Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al., 2005). Similarly, Filipina adolescents place importance on having strong social ties. Being more emotionally involved in relationships and having higher levels of interpersonal needs, warmth, and sensitivity are important factors which contribute to the finding that female adolescents are less lonely than their male counterparts. Their need for interaction actually reduces the feelings of loneliness because Filipina adolescents have a richer source of social and emotional support (Jimenez, 2009). Adolescents of Cancer Patients in Comparison With Control Groups Several studies compared the psychological functioning of adolescents whose parents have cancer vis-a-vis a control group. Inconsistent findings were found. A number of studies reveal that adolescents of cancer patients and the control group did not significantly differ in terms of emotional, behavioral, and social functioning (Brown et al., 2006; Harris Zakowski, 2003; Hoke, 2001; Huzinga, Van der Graaf, Visser, Djikstra, Hoekstra-Weebers, 2005; Osborn, 2007; Visser, et al., 2007). The similarity in the levels of psychological distress between adolescents of cancer patients and the control group can be attributed to the childrens efforts to mask their true feelings. They were aware that their parents were already under a great deal of stress. The adolescents showed that they were not affected by the situation so that their parents would not worry about them. This was their way of protecting their parents from additional stress (Visser et al., 2007). Although no significant differences were found in terms of psychological distress, a percentage of the adolescents of cancer patients exhibited scores within the clinical range. In the study of Houck, Rodrigue, and Lobato (2006), one-third of the adolescents whose parents have cancer reported clinical levels of posttraumatic stress in response to their parents illness. In addition, approximately 25% to 30% of the adolescents in both the studies of Visser et al. (2007) and Huizinga, Van der Graaf et al. (2005) reported clinically elevated scores in internalizing and externalizing problems. Internalizing problems refer to turning ones emotions inward. This is manifested through withdrawal, somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression. On the other hand, externalizing problems are more noticeable ways of dealing with stress because they are reflected through ones behavior. This can be in the form of socially unacceptable, delinquent, and aggressive behavior (Visser et al., 2005). Consisten t with the abovementioned, Osborn (2007) proposed that adolescents of cancer patients generally did not experience higher levels of psychological distress compared to reference groups. However, they were slightly at increased risk for internalizing problems. Some studies found that adolescents of cancer patients are more emotionally distressed than those from the control sample. The research of Grabiak et al. (2007) revealed that adolescents whose parents have cancer displayed a significantly higher level of anxiety compared to the age-normed sample. Visser et al. (2003) supported this claim as their study found that when compared to a control group, adolescents dealing with parental cancer exhibited significantly higher stress-response symptoms, which included avoidance and intrusive thoughts. In another study, adolescents of cancer patients also displayed significantly higher levels of perceived risk for developing cancer than adolescents who have healthy parents (Harris Zakowski, 2003). Despite this, it is interesting to note that these two groups did not differ in depression and anxiety. Hoke (2001) found that adolescents coping with maternal cancer did better in their social and academic endeavors when their mother was more distres sed. This is in comparison with adolescents in the control group who did less well when their mother was more distressed. The results also varied depending on the t