ASDA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ASDA - Essay Example Management, another problem, was too busy putting up stores and playing or having fun hiding themselves from the realities of the daily store activities. The buying department buys what it wants without asking what the marketing department and the store managers their inputs as to what to buy, when to buy and how many they will buy There are too many red tapes. What should Archie Norman do Archie Norman should talk (Elliott et al, 2002) with some key personnel of the company, from the top management down to the lowest ranking employees. He should also ask questions from walk in customers and passersby why the will or will buy or what they think of the company. Based on these facts, he will now come up with counter measures that will bring back the customers and the morale of the employees. The red tapes must be removed by reducing or terminating redundant top management people. He must help bring up the declining stock market price of ASDA shares (Exhibit 3) by institutionalizing major reforms in inter-departmental communication. What changes should Norman make, when, and in what order should be make them Archie Norman must institute many drastic changes NOW, not tomorrow, to improve the financial performance of ASDA. Most of its store outlets must lower their selling prices to bring back droves of its former loyal customers who could not afford the sudden increase in prices.The ASDA increased its upscale offerings to corner the rich client's market segment. The rich clients prefer to shop with upscale store which carried high end brands. A few branches of ASDA located near rich neighborhoods can still continue with its upscale offerings to continue serving its rich clients. Another change that Archie Norman will have to do is to call a general meeting of all its rank and file employees. The financial problem of the company will be brought out and each will submit before the meeting ends their comments, suggestions, and complaints.A select committee will be formed composed of the managers of each branch and other upper level management staff. They will now come up with projected (or forecasted) income statements and balance sheets. The forecast will be brainstormed by the different departments involved such as the finance department ( to give assurance that enough cash inflow will be available to pay its obligations when they become due), the buying department ( the buying department must only buy what the marketing department asks them to buy), marketing department ( the marketing department will make sales forecast based on its historical (past) sales trend and its new and more vigorous promotional ventures ( advertisements in the tri-media [ radio, t elevision, newspaper] to drum up sales), store managers ( each store is treated a cost center meaning they have to forecast their own sales and expenses and to explain why there is an increase or decrease in the assets, liabilities, capital, income and expenses for each month).Those top manager who have not performed well with no hope of improving will be retrenched after reviewing the results of the psychological tests given to them.All ASDA stores will now have a fast food corner. Since the customers have declined for the past few years ending 1991( Exibibit 4 sales per square foot of only 519), A fast food chain that will rival Mcdonalds inside an ASDA store will cater to

Environmental analysis Essay Example for Free

Environmental analysis Essay Rivalry Competition in the US video rental industry is fierce. There are actually several different segments of players within the industry, like rentals who establish physical store locations and rentals who serve mail-orders, but these different segments are competing to gain the same market share. Blockbuster reveled that the business actually has a small profit margin, due to the high cost of building and equipment maintenance. Furthermore, the movie rental industry has a stagnant market condition, or in simple words, the market does not reveal any meaningful growth within the years. This means the only way to grow is by taking away a piece of competitors’ market share. Thus, competition is s serious issue for Blockbuster because in one hand, the company cannot afford to loose more market share due to its minimum profit margin, and in the other hand, Blockbuster would also need to experience some kind of revenue growth. Ironically, competitors of Blockbuster also possess the same obsession. As a result, price war is the only way to determine which player would lead the market. Unfortunately, most of the players in the industry has already sustain heavy operational and maintenance that they cannot afford to reduce rental prices. In addition, most of these players have also minimum promotion budget because of the small profit margin. Today, competition industry enters a stage where all the players are stagnant in most of its departments (Brem, 2002). Not all movie rental industry can survive in a long term, especially if the industry is online. With the recent tightening in the market, some executive and investor are challenging Blockbuster.com to show some results: higher revenues, more customers, perhaps even a profit. This is should become tough news for Blockbuster. com who have spent most of their money on expensive advertisements, PR campaigns, or websites that look attractive. The full integration of Blockbuster. com online and in-store programs planned for next year will enable them to provide their customers, young and old, with unmatched convenience, service, selection and value. If a customer is in their store and wants to return a movie they rented online, Blockbuster.com will be able to accommodate them. If a member rents primarily in-store, but wants a hard-to-find title Blockbuster. com does not typically carry in store, they will be able to go online and get it. It is a matter of maximizing convenience and choice (â€Å"About Blockbuster. com†, 2006). Blockbuster has not been watching these developments lazily. It has launched its own online rental service in response to the competition, despite the set-up costs and the fact that it could take revenue away from its retail operation. It has also introduced a number of initiatives, such as a part-exchange deal on VHS tapes, and is currently exploring offering an in-store download service. †¢ Buyer Power Due to the stagnant market and the need for huge economies of scale to reach profit, buyers of the video rental industry has quite an influential power. In a nutshell, by choosing to go to which rentals, buyers will determine which one will reach profit within the financial period and which one will fall below targets. The increasing use of Internet becomes the power of buyers that soon force Blockbuster to provide online services. To change itself from a zone of movie rental store into an â€Å"anywhere-anytime† entertainment destination that eventually will enable customers to rent, buy or trade movies and games, new or used, in-store and online, Blockbuster initiatives to continues their accomplishment as the online rental service company (â€Å"Blockbuster goes broadband, streams movies to TV†, 2001). Blockbuster. com becomes the business through information technology (I. T. ) marketing. Because of the online marketing Blockbuster can live and breathe. They can get more competitive, lower their costs, and provide better service through continuous improvement of the I. T. marketing (â€Å"BBI: Profile for BLOCKBUSTER INC. †, 2006). However, as online retail, marketing efforts of Blockbuster. com could be even more effective if they asked the consumer for a dash of personal information. So far, businesses were hoping that personalization technology would serve as the equivalent of a best friend who just happened to have all the same tastes in products and services. More consumers are choosing to rent online, which has no late fees and have the movies mailed to them. It makes Blockbuster. com has increased their membership (â€Å"Blockbuster goes broadband, streams movies to TV†, 2001). The only way for movie-rental stores to continue operations is to rise to the challenge and shift their business model to stay practical. To develop a substantial share of the online rental business by the end of next year, Blockbuster. com is providing rental plan and their practical understanding marketing. It should help Blockbuster. com to be more successful in the next period. Movie distributors and the large chains, such as Blockbuster, Inc.directly negotiate revenue-sharing agreements covering most titles distributed by the upstream (â€Å"BBI: Profile for BLOCKBUSTER INC. †, 2006). Personalization and community features are very important. Blockbuster. com should allow film fans to rate films and write reviews to help inform other users. In addition, Blockbuster. com need to have a management team with bags of expertise, which they believe differentiates us from the competition. †¢ Supplier Power Suppliers of the industry generally have little power over the Blockbuster. The prices of inputs are nearly identical for most suppliers and there is no price discrimination because of the widely available substitutes. †¢ Threats of Substitutes The video rental industry is actually facing quite significant threats from various substitutes. Examples of substitutes are: pay-per-view, video-on-demand, streaming on-line videos, etc. All of these alternatives are delivering the same product in a quite similar quality, which means that they contribute notably to the tension within the video rental industry (‘Videotape Rental’, 2004). Barriers of EntryAnalysis of the industry indicated that Blockbuster is actually enjoying significant level of entry barriers. First, as mentioned earlier, the industry generally has a small profit margin, which means that a huge economic of scale is required to create a profitable business. This is caused by the high operational and maintenance costs, profit sharing agreement with studios, etc. Second, Blockbuster enjoyed a positive image due to its long-time presence and its popularity within the US market. Both of these factors ensured the triumph of Blockbuster against any newcomer. Most of these conditions however, are now becoming obsolete. This is true partly due to the presence of internet. As internet shopping becomes more popular, mail-order rentals like Netflix gain notable attention from the market. In addition, Blockbuster made the mistake of not providing enough copies of popular and recent movies, which ultimately get customers to think of going to alternative rentals. Another factor that reduces the entry barrier is the popularity of DCDs over the old VHS which no longer require negotiating revenue gain agreements with studios (Brem, 2002; Wagner, 2003).

Influences in the Teaching Environment Essay -- Psychology, Behavioral

Influences in the Teaching Environment In this country, many rookie teachers do not succeed in the first two years of teaching due to poor classroom management. They have forgotten the essentials of running a smooth classroom, maintaining appropriate and consistent discipline and the overall pressures of teaching. Worst-case scenario, they never learned the essentials of classroom management. Since behavior management is one of the primary areas of concern for classroom teachers each year, it is important to learn if only the basics of classroom management and how to deal with typical behavioral issues as they arise. Learning these basics may eliminate job burnout and increase teacher survival. Harry Wong’s CD, How to Improve Student Achievement, addresses classroom management in a way that most haven’t done before. According to Wong, â€Å"all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place† (Wong, 2003), includes appropriate classroom management, not just appearances. Wong goes into further detail of four principles in which classroom management is premised upon – communicating clear expectations to students, having an established discipline plan that states behaviors that are expected, having consequences and rewards, and having daily routines or procedures (Wong, 2003). For this assignment, I will identify ten possible negative classroom behaviors, how they influence the classroom, and how they might be changed by different applications. Negative Behavior 1. Lack of organization, order, or overall structure within the classroom. 2. Poor communication between the students and the teacher. 3. Student behavior is pre-empte... ... receive no sense of acceptance. Reference Charles, C. M. (2008). Building classroom discipline (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon Rosas, C., & West, M. (2009). Teachers Beliefs about Classroom Management: Pre- Service and Inservice Teachers' Beliefs about Classroom Management. International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 5(1), 54-61. Rosene, D., et. al., (2009, Summer) Would you like to be a student in your classroom? Science Scope, 32 (9) 6-7 http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumps tart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e05ffc7b82686c1ca7acd468603eceb398af35e5 a69f3ca0f3cf48932421f8401&fmt=H Wong, H. K. (Speaker). (2003). How to improve student achievement [CD]. New York: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc. Influences in the Teaching Environment Essay -- Psychology, Behavioral Influences in the Teaching Environment In this country, many rookie teachers do not succeed in the first two years of teaching due to poor classroom management. They have forgotten the essentials of running a smooth classroom, maintaining appropriate and consistent discipline and the overall pressures of teaching. Worst-case scenario, they never learned the essentials of classroom management. Since behavior management is one of the primary areas of concern for classroom teachers each year, it is important to learn if only the basics of classroom management and how to deal with typical behavioral issues as they arise. Learning these basics may eliminate job burnout and increase teacher survival. Harry Wong’s CD, How to Improve Student Achievement, addresses classroom management in a way that most haven’t done before. According to Wong, â€Å"all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place† (Wong, 2003), includes appropriate classroom management, not just appearances. Wong goes into further detail of four principles in which classroom management is premised upon – communicating clear expectations to students, having an established discipline plan that states behaviors that are expected, having consequences and rewards, and having daily routines or procedures (Wong, 2003). For this assignment, I will identify ten possible negative classroom behaviors, how they influence the classroom, and how they might be changed by different applications. Negative Behavior 1. Lack of organization, order, or overall structure within the classroom. 2. Poor communication between the students and the teacher. 3. Student behavior is pre-empte... ... receive no sense of acceptance. Reference Charles, C. M. (2008). Building classroom discipline (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon Rosas, C., & West, M. (2009). Teachers Beliefs about Classroom Management: Pre- Service and Inservice Teachers' Beliefs about Classroom Management. International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 5(1), 54-61. Rosene, D., et. al., (2009, Summer) Would you like to be a student in your classroom? Science Scope, 32 (9) 6-7 http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumps tart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e05ffc7b82686c1ca7acd468603eceb398af35e5 a69f3ca0f3cf48932421f8401&fmt=H Wong, H. K. (Speaker). (2003). How to improve student achievement [CD]. New York: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

Patterns for College Writing Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I spent the night before contemplating how I was going to get out of school on Thursday.   There was a social studies test I didn’t study for and I just could not bare another day of dodge ball.   On the morning of September 11, 2001 I woke up â€Å"sick†.   I pleaded with my mother, and took a fake trip to the bathroom because I was going to â€Å"vomit†.   Finally, I was allowed to stay home.   At 6:00 am,   I was ordered to go back to sleep and I did.   I looked forward to my day alone as I lingered between sleeping and waking pondering how I was going to fill my day with – snacks, computer games, and loud music. September 11, 2001 began as a childhood scheme and it ended with me growing up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I dozed much of the morning and awoke to the sound of my brother’s radio alarm going off.   It was Thursday and he shouldn’t be home.   I pouted as I slowly got out of bed to see if I was truly alone.   I walked down the hall and stopped briefly at the bathroom and then into my brother’s room.   He was gone, and the alarm had been set wrong.   The people on the radio droned on and on.   I wandered around the room hoping to find a magazine that I let brat borrow weeks ago. As I was on my knees peaking under the bed the words on the radio became clear.   I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†.   Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears.  Ã‚   I got to my feet and for the first time since being a child, I felt real panic. The sort of panic you feel when you are four and you have wandered away from your parents.   Once I caught my breath I made my way to the family room, frantically searching for the remote.   I turned on the television to MSNBC and the first image I saw was a man jumping from a broken window of one of the twin towers.   I was baffled and this would be the image that would haunt my dreams, my waking memories, and what it meant to be an American.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I heard the details over and over again.   The errorists had hijacked three planes and deliberately crashed them into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.   The video clips played again and again on the news.   The smoke filled horizons around the crumbling buildings.   Paper was flying everywhere and the sound of heart broken people wailing in the background filled the screen.   I stared and there were moments where I thought it might be a movie and all I had to do was change the channel.   The phone must of rang a dozen times before I answered it   It was my mother on the other end, asking me again and again if I was ok.  Ã‚   She told me she would be home soon.   I waited, though I did not know for what, and watched.   The Towers were now in flames as the reporters spoke in what seem like whispers.   Their words almost silenced but the sound of a city slowly dying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I remember hearing the back door open and close, and my mother sitting down next to me.   It was the first time since I was a child that she held my hand and I let her.   Stunned, we sat together as the news reported that at 8:40 am the terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center.   It was hard to comprehend.   My mother cried and I cried too except on the inside.   I watched her body shake as she twisted her ring around and around her finger.   My mother, who could out talk just about everyone we knew, was speechless.   It was then that I understood – she was scared too.   I hugged my mother and told her everything would be all right.   I told her we would be safe and that we had each other.   I made us coffee and we spent much of the afternoon talking about what happened, what could happen, and what we would do.   What we spoke about most was â€Å"why†.   Why did the terrorists hate Americ a?   Why did people kill other people for no apparent reason?   Comforting my   mother in the ways she had comforted me for so many years, came unexpectedly to me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the next few months we followed the story as did the world.   I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that weren’t clear to me then and certainly aren’t clear to me now.   Suddenly video games and staying home from school just weren’t important anymore.   Dodge ball did not seem so bad.   Instead of hiding from my parents I sought them out, wanting to discuss my day and theirs together.   I do not believe what does not kill us makes us stronger.   However, I think that what does not kill us makes truly value what we have in life and to realize how much our family and friends mean to us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My family and I became very active in volunteer activities especially with the Red Cross.   We donated bottled water, clothing, blankets, and food.   Our community held local charity events to raise money for the victims of September 11 including those firemen and police officers who gave their lives in the fires of 9/11.   It was the first time I or my family had ever become involved in activities that did not directly benefits ourselves.   The sense of community and patriotism that was built in the months following the terrorists attacks still exists with me today.   We now volunteer regularly as a family for a number of charities.   Through the destruction of the Twin Towers, I finally understood my place and role in society.   Not as a bystander but an active and willing participant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives and I gained my independence from childhood fantasies.   Before that Thursday in September, I never thought about life and death.   I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms.   Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself.   Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on it’s own land.  Ã‚   Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole.  Ã‚   We cried together and we healed together.  Ã‚   To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming. Bibliograhy Berne, S. (2004). Ground Zero. In S. Mandell, and Kirszner, L. (Eds.), Patterns for College Writing: A   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rhetorical Reader and Guide (pp. 158-161). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Literary Analysis Essay

To write a good story, not only ideas take place. You need to use literary devices in order to provide a good story. The best mentor to look up is Sue Monk Kidd. She used a lot of literary devices in her story which is called The Secret Life of Bees. The three main literary devices which she used throughout her story are: epigraphs, character development and allusions. â€Å"Heat would make a person do strange things.†(112).Specially we see this when is described Lily’s hard life without the main person of her, without her mother. Since her mother died she is an orphan and her father doesn’t care for her even though she has her nanny that loves her. Not only she needs her mother to care for her or love her, but also she needs her in daily life to help her going through her childhood and teenage problems that every single person goes through. The most common literary device which you will see, while you read the book are epigraphs. This is shown in the beginning of every chapter, giving the readers many hints and some sort of warning of what might be happening in the story. This is an optional device which you choose to use. But it put epigraphs to give you clues on what she will talk next. This is one example: â€Å"A worker [bee] is just over a centimeter long and weighs only about sixty milligrams; nevertheless, she can fly with a load heavier than herself.† –The Honey Bee (257) The Secret Life of Bees. This foreshadows you that the main character who is Lily, a 14-year-old girl, is carried too much responsibility on her shoulders, about what she’s going through. Other device that develops ones story, being the most important device in my opinion, is the character development. It pictures the things that the character goes through and how they change throughout the story, most of the characters change a lot during the whole book .Character development explains every detail, until the final touch that that character goes through. We see the main character Lily develops so much through this story. In the beginning we see her as an innocent girl, which she does everything to find out more about her mother. Last but not least†¦allusions. Why is it important to put them in your story? Allusions as you know, is the reference of something that has happened in history,that everybody knows about. If you put them in your story, you make  your story real. You make the readers feel it, actually live it. Sue Monk Kidd uses allusions to help you understand what is going on in more details. That’s what you should do. Some of the allusions which are very important to be named is where the author put in THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. This automatically touches your brain by telling you that this was in the 60’s and that the colored people where fighting to win their rights. Also adding, it brings you that feeling that you think you’re living in the story, being able to relate in anyone’s everyday life. Another allusion is the WAILING WALL which May writes on it every time somebody dies. In conclusion to this, Allusions help the story by allowing the audience to relate and apply these reasoning’s in their lives. Briefly explained, the three literary devices which would be good to include in stories are: epigraphs, character development and allusions. This brings your story to a point that the reader believes they are actually living the story, feeling every single detail of it. So, all in all, literary devices increase more use of detailed writing and allows people to understand what is going on.

The Complexity of Compounds

The Complexity of Compounds The Complexity of Compounds The Complexity of Compounds By Mark Nichol A site visitor asked about the correct usage of a word used to describe meetings held in a face-to-face format rather than in a classroom-seating orientation. Is such a gathering a round table, or a roundtable? When describing a piece of furniture with a circular surface, we write â€Å"round table.† But as often occurs when a quotidian term develops a new sense, the treatment changes. Unfortunately, this development is haphazard and inconsistent, partly because we are within the transition zone for much of our vocabulary, and various dictionaries may diverge in their treatment of a specific term. However, the predominant form for the sense of â€Å"face-to-face group meeting† is now roundtable. (But maintain distinctions for various senses: â€Å"King Arthur’s Round Table was literally a round table as well as an assembly of his supporters, at which they not only feasted but also held roundtables.†) This type of evolution occurs often in commercial and organizational contexts. Other open compounds undergoing such a transformation include â€Å"life cycle† (to describe the cyclical nature of products and systems) and â€Å"road map† (in reference to the course an organization takes for itself or for a product or service). However, in the biological sense of â€Å"life cycle† and the literal cartographic sense of â€Å"road map,† these compounds remain open, though that status may change. (See this post, which describes the life cycle of compound words.) Why does this change occur? Humans have a natural tendency to simplify or consolidate things, including language. And in an open system such as language development, it is easy for nonstandard terminology (slang, jargon, and so on) and treatment (abbreviation, contraction, capitalization, spelling, and so on) to take hold and prevail. When writers make assumptions without verification about how compound words are styled- including such transitional forms as by-product and mind-set, styling them byproduct and mindset- those forms replicate virally as others see them in published materials and uncritically employ them. That is the process of evolution by which â€Å"round table† will almost inevitably become roundtable not just in organizational jargon but also in everyday use to describe household furniture, and by which lifecycle and roadmap are likely to someday apply in all connotations, and by which byproduct and mindset will become standard. But the tipping point for these forms has not yet arrived, so continue to refer to reputable sources and observe the â€Å"round table†/roundtable distinction as well as the others noted here. 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingTen Yiddish Expressions You Should Know"To Tide You Over"

The Obama Presidency Essay

The Obama Presidency Essay Free Online Research Papers Certainly when it comes to the 2008 presidential election senator Barack Obama is at the top of the list. Barack Obama was the fifth African American senator in the united state’s history and the only African American currently serving in the United States Senate. Senator Obama had just served three years in the Senate in Illinois before his announcement to run for the presidency. But after November 3, 2008, America Brought about change and for the first time in American history elected the first African American president, Barack Obama. In my opinion, he is a highly motivated speaker and is an advocate for a better America. President Obama was a candidate that branched out to all political parties. Upon reading me Obama book CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN I came across some interesting policies and political challenges that we as Americans are facing in this critical time. The main political view that drew my attention was that precedent’s Obama plan to strengthen civil rights and fight for a fairer justice system, end racial profiling and protect the right to vote just reminded ones self of all the injustices that we as a nation still have to overcome. The American people could have not nominated a better man. Barack Obama’s record speaks for itself. President Obama has worked to promote civil right and fairness in the criminal justice system throughout his career. As a community organizer, Obama helped 150,000 African Americans register to vote. As a civil rights attorney, Obama litigated employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and voting right cases. As a senator, Obama passed one of the countries first racial profiling laws he has been a leading advocate in protecting the rights to vote and helping to reauthorize the voting rights act and leading opposition against discriminatory barriers to vote and will work to enforce civil right laws. All of this you ask. How or what does the election of Barack Obama, the first African-American President, means to me and my family. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, Today is your answer President-Elect Barack Obama could not have said it better. When he talked about all the people who had hopes for this nation, being the rich and the poor the Democrats and the Republicans, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay striate, disabled and not disabled. ALL PEOPLE. This change has been a change that has affected the entire world. Not just for this nation, This has sent a message to all the world that we are a great people. I came from a dominant white family growing up, in a town where I had never seen any African American people. My family had no ties to any black African Americans at all. So as I grew up, I grew up in a very poor neighborhood. I can remember my parents saying something about a big recession and I can remember President Regan. I never really paid attention, probably because I was a kid who didn’t care. I do remember growing up poor though. My parents had a hard time when we got sick. We didn’t have medical cards, because we were poor that we could just go to the doctor. We just didn’t go. My mother was a kind of an old witch doctor. She would give us all kinds of tinctures and herbal remedies she grew in her garden. This was not because she wanted too but because of necessity. Health care has been bad in our nation for some time. I believe I was eight and now I am 40 and we still have the same maybe even worse health care problems. Instead of it costing 25.00 to s ee a physician it costs 75.00 and without insurance, the office wants payment up front. It’s not just the doctors and physicians. The drug companies are horrendous also. If you are elderly or on a fixed income, it is almost impossible to purchase medication that costs 120.00 per bottle. Sure Walmart has 200 prescriptions for four dollars each but how often can you be so lucky to get the ones on their lists. It’s not just the medical field. It’s the gas industry, the auto industry, the electric companies the gas companies, the housing industries. People left and right are losing their homes to foreclosures. Our economy is in turmoil our recession is the deepest it’s been in 30 years. And this all affects me and my family and friends. Out of the blue, we have a presidential nominee who is from a lowly birth, A son of a single mother, who grew up raised by his grandmother. Like so many other ordinary poor Americans, and who, just so happens to be biracial. I know the papers and media relate to President Barack Obama as a Black Man, but in reality, he is Mixed. Now in my adult life, this means everything to me. Ten years ago I met an African-American Man whom I found I had more in common with than any one man, white or black. I had been married to a man with a mental illness for 12 years and suffered from poverty and lack of medical treatment for him. Finally, after 12 years I could not deal with the problems of being indigent and nomadic, moving from one town to another, poor and dragging my children with me, one school after another. I finally settled down and decided to stay. I got a home in a local low-income housing program where my rent was free and I was given a supplement for the utilities. I had four daughters whom I worried about mentally, physically and emotionally. All was working well for me. Then I met Lee, a Black man one of the only Black men in my town. At the time there were only two living in this small very racist town of about 3,000 people. I tried to have Lee move in with me the housing program administrator made every effort to keep Lee from moving into my house with me. Finally, I was evicted because he was caught on my property by a neighbor who told. All this for his being black. We moved to another house in the same town. After being together for several years we decided to get married. In turn, we then had four children together. Going through all of this, was the one thought, how will my children be accepted, Will my children be accepted. Especially in this town. Year by year more Blacks have moved into my town and the acceptance is growing. My children go to school with six other mixed interracial black/white children. The interracial problems in our society as I see it depends a little on where you live. If you live in the southern states, the racist problems are high. Both for black and for white. For Mixed interracial children are still looked down upon, treated as not equal in mental abilities as white Caucasian children. We like to think that we have gotten past this element of racism but it truly exists. And for me, I didn’t see it until I had mixed children and married a Black man myself. I have been turned down for jobs, turned away from churches, friends have turned me away for being with a black man. Even my own family has turned me away first because of my choice to marry a black man, second because of my choice to have children with him. Our society has come along way from the days of Slavery, but some of the same old feelings and ideas still exist segregation still exists in different forms. Now in the 2008 Presidential Election, we have a Mixed interracial nominee who talks about all the problems in our society, he understands how it is to be poor. To scrape for food, to fight for heat in the winter, to stand in long lines for food, and medical care. Not just for the poor but for the elderly and for all of our nations people. We NEED a change. We need some kind of a monumental movement to push us in a new direction as a nation and as a people. What kind of a society will my children grow up in? I won’t be here forever. How will my daughter and my son be treated in school and in society as an interracial American? For this has plagued me since I found out I was expecting them. Now as the Elected President Barack Obama, we as a nation have overlooked his color, herd his words of encouragement and hoped that this Man of color can take us into a new generation of Pride in ourselves, overlooking the color of ones skin, to come together as a nation and as a people. Whe ther Barack Obama is for you or not, the message is for everyone. Get involved, believe you can make a difference. Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. In all of this, it is my hope that we made the right choice. This is how I believe that. The election of Barack Obama has affected me and my family, and also my nation. Research Papers on The Obama Presidency EssayMr. Obama and IranEssay on â€Å"I have a Dream† Dr KingEmployment Law EssayEmmett Till BiographyThe Equal Rights AmendmentRacism and InjusticeLegalization of Same Sex MarriagesBooker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-BarnettCash or Card?Government Funding Essay

Requirements and Training for Becoming a Forester

Requirements and Training for Becoming a Forester Of all the professions, forestry may be the most misunderstood of the lot. Many kids and adults who ask me about becoming a forester havent a clue that it takes a four-year degree which includes college-level math, biology, and statistics. The stereotypical picture is of a job spent in the forest, or in fire towers, or hunting and fishing and saving campers lost in the wilderness. However, professional foresters are not the people who do these jobs but have been trained to supervise these activities as well as managing forest regeneration activities, keeping the forest healthy, and optimizing the commercial and aesthetic potential of the forest. I want to put a more realistic face on the profession of forestry. The Requirements forBecoming a Forester A bachelors degree in forestry is the minimum educational requirement for professional careers in forestry. In many of the U.S. states and most of our  federal government, forest management jobs can be  a combination of experience and appropriate education may substitute for a four-year forestry degree, but job competition makes this difficult. Still, for industrial employment or becoming a state registered forester, you must have a forestry degree which leads to professional registration in many states. Fifteen States have mandatory licensing or voluntary registration requirements which a forester must meet in order to acquire the title professional forester and practice forestry in these states. Licensing or registration requirements vary by state  but usually demands a person to  complete a 4-year degree in forestry, a minimum period of training time, and passing an exam. Places to Geta Forestry Education Most land-grant colleges and universities offer bachelor or higher degrees in forestry. At this writing, 48 of these programs are accredited by the Society of American Foresters. The SAF is the governing authority for curricula standards: The Society of American Foresters (SAF) only grants accreditation to specific educational curricula that lead to a first professional degree in forestry at the bachelors or masters level. Institutions request SAF accreditation and offer curricula that have been found to meet minimum standards for objectives, curriculum, faculty, students, administration, parent-institution support, and physical resources and facilities. SAF approved curriculums stress science, mathematics, communications skills, and computer science, as well as technical forestry subjects. Just loving working in the woods is not a very good reason for becoming a forester (although it should be considered a necessity). You have to like scientific course study and be willing to develop your science skills. Foresters generally must enjoy working outdoors, be physically hardy, and be willing to move to where the jobs are. They must also work well with people and have good communications skills. You probably ought to realize as well that you ​may work your way out of the woods as you gain more experience and knowledge. Most colleges require students to complete a field session either in a camp operated by the college or in a cooperative work-study program with a Federal or State agency or private industry. All schools encourage students to take summer jobs that provide experience in forestry or conservation work. Possible Electives Desirable electives include economics, wood technology, engineering, law, forestry, hydrology, agronomy, wildlife, statistics, computer science, and recreation. You certainly have an extremely wide choice to zero in on a small subset discipline of your choice. Forestry curricula increasingly include courses on best management practices, wetlands analysis, water and soil quality, and ​wildlife conservation, in response to the growing focus on protecting forested lands during timber harvesting operations. Prospective foresters should have a strong grasp on policy issues and on the increasingly numerous and complex environmental regulations which affect many forestry-related activities. Professional Foresters Are Expected to Address Public Issues Foresters are now expected to address the public and write in the print media. While it has been a problem to find good speakers that present the professional forestry in the past,  it is now more important than ever to present to a group the standards and philosophy of forest management. Thanks to BLS Handbook for Forestry for much of the information provided in this feature.

Working in Partnership in Health and Social Care Essay

Working in Partnership in Health and Social Care - Essay Example Working in healthcare involves undertaking diagnoses, treating and preventing injuries, illnesses and mental impairments in people. These services require the skills of competent professionals; nurses, doctors, psychiatrists and pharmacists. Healthcare may be provided in health facilities or even at home. Working in healthcare usually involves provision of primary, secondary or tertiary care. It may also involve providing healthcare services at home, conducting medical research, formulating health care regulation and administration, financing or improvement of technology used in provision of care to patients such as X-ray machines or CT scans (Norman, 2001). Working in social care on the other hand involves taking measures that will improve the well being and quality of life of an individual or a community. These measures may include intervening whenever there is a crisis, or a social injustice has been meted on individuals that are not empowered enough to fight for their own rights. It also involves research and educating people on their human rights and civil liberties. Research in social care focuses on public administration, counseling, psychotherapy as well as all areas of human development. Most importantly, social care involves organizing communities to work together towards tackling challenges that affect them. Organisations that offer health and social care constitute members drawn from a wide range of professions such as education, medicine, law, philosophy, psychology and theology (Norman, 2001). They also draw members from local, national, regional and inter-continental areas. Effectiveness of Partnership Relationships in Health and Social Care Working in partnership is inevitable in health and social care due to the overlapping nature of some of their roles (Weber, 2001). It helps foster consultation, job sharing and shared ways of working together to solve common problems. However in pursuit of these partnerships, health and social care providers need to clearly identify their roles and responsibilities and how they complement each other so as to avoid conflicts (Weber, 2001). Partnership is essential since it helps in the success of several stages that will ultimately lead to effective service delivery. This section is dedicated to discussing these stages. The first role of partnerships in health and social care is planning. This is the most crucial stage in which health and social care strategies, priorities and objectives are set. Planning is essential since it gives an overall direction of activities that the organisation will have to undertake to meet its goals. The second role of partnerships is shared commissioning and integration of service delivery. Once the need for a service to the people has been established, partnerships come in handy to not only make the commissioning and service delivery swift but also easy. The third role is development of health and Social Care Workforce (Weber, 2001). This is another area i n which partnerships are important. They help in the employment, retention. Another area is monitoring, review and regulation. Partnerships also lend a hand in review of services delivered, inspection of registered facilities such as children’s homes and nursing homes for the elderly and making sure that they conform to the set standards. Partnerships also are effective in lobbying and learning. Research and practice has shown that the challenges facing health and social care delivery can be tackled best through joint and collective learning. This is the final and most crucial effectiveness of partnerships. They enable and encourage the participation of all members of the organisation to deliver services so as to meet the requirements se (Weber,

Marketing strategy implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing strategy implementation - Essay Example Since the products are intended to be high end, they will not be priced lowly in a manner to comprise this fact. On the contrary, under pricing will raise doubts among the consumers as to the quality of the products (Kotler & Keller, 2006). The promotion strategy will justify the cost. It will make the customers appreciate that they are getting what they are spending their money on. The rationale of this strategy is based on the intended themes of the advertisements. The themes of the commercials will not concentrate on areas like how long lasting or portable the products are. Instead, they will be designed to create a picture of ownership experience and appeal to the status of using such products. This will have the effect of reducing comparison with the competition’s products (Laermer & Simmons, 2007). A generic product-market comprises an extensive collection of products which fulfill a general, nonetheless similar, need (Kotler & Keller, 2006). The product-market boundaries will first be distinguished by identifying particular needs that a range of products will satisfy. Although customers may have the same needs, they will not always satisfy them in the same way. Therefore, product-markets are often diverse and contain different user groups with different categories of related products (Kotler & Keller, 2006). The product-market will match the customers to the benefits of the products. It will be formed by a set of products that may be substitutes in usage situations similar to the models of benefits sought by different groups of customers. The boundaries will then be distinguished by categories of products that satisfy generic needs and the targeted customers (Kotler & Keller, 2006). The products are closely related because the customers regard them as substitutes and the fact ors and elements used in production are similar. For example, two cosmetic gels in the same product line may differ in that one irritates the skin, and the other

Personal development as a strategic manager Dissertation

Personal development as a strategic manager - Dissertation Example Most of these refugees come from Eastern Europe thus the school is characterised with children joining at different times of the year. Because of this attribute the school has a higher number of pupils in the school who require specialist help. My role within the organisation is at a senior level as ‘Reading Consultant, the main duties include, teaching, delivering specialist reading intervention programmes and supporting teaching assistants delivering targeted support to children who are underachieving . My key area of management in this institution is the responsibility to develop Reading throughout the school. My work also involves working closely with parents and the community as well as developing partnerships with local schools. Taking into account the nature, scope and the underlying problems in this primary school it is evident that there is need to adopt specialised skills in order to execute the underlying task and responsibility in this organisation. 1.1. Organizatio n Strategic Direction STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATION The goals and objectives of this institution are :- To provide exceptional and inspirational teaching across a broad and intellectually stimulating curriculum. To offer excellent pastoral care in a school that is safe, healthy, secure and environmentally aware. To raise the profile of the school as a centre of academic excellence. To offer all children the opportunity to explore and develop their talents through the provision of extra curricular programme. To optimise the use of the school’s resources including staff, ICT, infrastructure, land and buildings for the benefit of current and future pupils To enhance the school’s facilities for sport, music and the performing arts. To strengthen partnerships with the newly established children’s centre. According to Mintzberg on his research on the roles of strategic manager on the perspective of organisation strategic direction, the categories of strateg ic management roles that he provides includes interpersonal, decisional and informational. It is important for managers to possess the relevant skills and experience to perform the underlying roles. Interpersonal roles mainly involve relationship of managers and the stakeholders within and outside the organization. These roles include being the organisational figurehead in which the acts as a symbolic head with unique status and authority and this involves myself speaking to the community on issues mainly education, and learning matters. Secondly concerns leadership where the subordinates are lead and this may involve indirect interpersonal role which include supporting teaching assistants and overseeing the adherence to the time table. Under this there is liaison where the manager effectively manages the information centre where network skills are enhanced, activities involved are collaborating with the local schools to enhance sharing of resources, expertise and skills. Decisional roles include managers acting as entrepreneur in which they initiate changes that aims at improving the organisational projects at various levels. Disturbances handler is another role where the manager is expected to deal with staff and any form of activity to stabilize the organisation, this include harmonising the learning process among children from various ethnic groups. Strategic managers also make decisions regarding the resource allocation making

Virtual Team Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virtual Team Management - Essay Example There were essentially two teams that worked in co-existence. The experience was a learning one because it taught me as an individual how to get along with people in the form of a virtual team. This experience also instilled in me the confidence to interact with people of my age and position to acquire new knowledge domains and thus get acquainted with the changing trends in the world of IT and indeed the business realms. I learned a number of different subjects during this virtual team experience which happened on a sudden basis. I did not have any prior experience of such a virtual team but this experience taught me quite a few aspects which are very dear to me now. The IT manager at my end told us beforehand that the individuals within the virtual teams, who would show outstanding attitudes and a habit to do things as they are asked of them, would be provided with additional incentives. This was my job for a very short time but I gained quite a lot. The virtual team management experience was also interesting because it asked all of us team members to be treated as one group rather than as separate individuals. Whatever the one team said was automatically perceived as our collective word and thus the whole approach brought in quite a few positives for the organization. It made us feel contented with what we were doing and how we were carrying out tasks and activities whilst being a part of the virtual team management experience (Ocker & Fjermestad 2008). The encouragement to do something new and novel was always there, and this was one of the reasons why I enjoyed the whole virtual team management set up. I am aware that this demanded quite a lot of time and space for the virtual team, and thus it would be reasonably sound that I shall gain more knowledge about such IT related subjects in the future. In this day and age, it is always good to know a thing or two about the IT set up architectures and since I am very interested in such discussions, one

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married Essay

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married in the United Arab Emirates, what are these problems and h - Essay Example Their traditional cultural and religious practices often clash with their contemporary thinking, as it still influences their personalities. This creates confusion and chaos in their marital relationships. Finding solutions to end marital problems in UAE requires counselling, educating and creating awareness about the responsibilities of marriage among the youth of Emirates. In the traditional patriarchal society of UAE, women are expected to be obedient, domesticated, and willing to attend to the needs of everyone in the family. In a marital relationship, she is particularly responsible to take care of: physical, sexual, emotional and domestic needs of her husband; children; and in-laws. Carrying out domestic or household chores is the sole responsibility of the womenfolk. Men are the traditional bread earners of the family, and therefore their decisions cannot be challenged by their wives. While this traditional patriarchal system has survived through ages, the 21st century woman i s breaking this concept. â€Å"Emirati women in 2010 were ranked number one in terms of gender equality among the whole Arab world and our ranking internationally was 103. This is a big leap,† said Shamsa Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of the DWE. (Chowdhury, 2011 April 02, Khaleej Times Online ) The society of UAE is mostly governed by Islamic laws, also called sharia and family laws pertaining to marriage and divorce are handled accordingly. Muslim men are allowed to have four wives at the same time and they can even marry non-Muslim women. However, they have to bear the financial expenditures of all their wives and children. They are the ‘providers’ of their wives and children and in return their wives are supposed to be absolutely chaste, obedient, and available to satisfy their sexual and domestic needs. United Arab Emirates is one of the advanced countries in the entire gulf region. Exposure to foreign lifestyle due to tourism, foreign media, multinational organizations with its multinational work force and education has gradually changed the social system of Emirates. The youth has responded well to the social changes and they find it implausible to fit the traditional practices in their modern and contemporary lifestyles. The most adverse affect of the clash of civilizations has been on marital relationships. An increase in the divorce rate has been recorded in UAE during the past few decades. â€Å"According to latest available statistics, the UAE leads GCC states in divorce rates, which hit 36 per cent, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'†. (Emirates 24/7, March 04, 2011) Many reasons have been cited for this, among which infidelity, patriarchal system, dowry, inability to understand each other’s personal, emotional, physical and financial needs are prominent. A divorce not only shatters a family but creates social instability as well. 2. Premarital problems: Marriages in the traditional UAE society are arranged by elders or p arents of the bride and groom. Family or cousin marriages are usually preferred as social status is considered as an important aspect of marriage. Financial aspects might become a cause of pre-marital problems as the girl’s family has to arrange for dowry and the overall wedding expenses can go really high. This puts undue strain on the budgets of both the families and might create discord between the married couple. According to Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State and Head of the State Marriage Fund,

Leadership Theory and Ms. Mayme Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Theory and Ms. Mayme - Research Paper Example He is either appointed by the senior levels of management or elected by the group. However, a leader can not have all the skills required of the role. The best situation will be to have as a leader someone who is flexible but firm. When it is required, he will let the leadership act to the others. According to Kouzes and Posner (1995), leadership begins where management ends. The management system of reward and punishment will give way to the innovation, individual character and the courage of conviction of a leader. Management skills alone are not enough to create success in an organization. Leaders are needed to seek out areas to improve. They enjoy challenges and taking them head on. Leaders are motivated and expected to challenge existing paradigms. The Theory X and Theory Y were first proposed by Douglas McGregor in his 1960 book The Human Side Of Enterprise. In his theory, there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. According to McGregor, Theory X is the authoritar ian style of leadership while Theory Y is the participative style of leadership.(Hindle, 2003) Theory X assumes that the average person dislikes work and will avoid it he/she can. In business, leaders must counteract an inherent human tendency to avoid work. Therefore most people must be forced with the threat of punishment to work towards organizational objectives. The average person prefers to be directed. He chooses to avoid responsibility. He is relatively unambitious, and wants security above all else.

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married Essay

Martial relationship having problems before and after getting married in the United Arab Emirates, what are these problems and h - Essay Example Their traditional cultural and religious practices often clash with their contemporary thinking, as it still influences their personalities. This creates confusion and chaos in their marital relationships. Finding solutions to end marital problems in UAE requires counselling, educating and creating awareness about the responsibilities of marriage among the youth of Emirates. In the traditional patriarchal society of UAE, women are expected to be obedient, domesticated, and willing to attend to the needs of everyone in the family. In a marital relationship, she is particularly responsible to take care of: physical, sexual, emotional and domestic needs of her husband; children; and in-laws. Carrying out domestic or household chores is the sole responsibility of the womenfolk. Men are the traditional bread earners of the family, and therefore their decisions cannot be challenged by their wives. While this traditional patriarchal system has survived through ages, the 21st century woman i s breaking this concept. â€Å"Emirati women in 2010 were ranked number one in terms of gender equality among the whole Arab world and our ranking internationally was 103. This is a big leap,† said Shamsa Saleh, Chief Executive Officer of the DWE. (Chowdhury, 2011 April 02, Khaleej Times Online ) The society of UAE is mostly governed by Islamic laws, also called sharia and family laws pertaining to marriage and divorce are handled accordingly. Muslim men are allowed to have four wives at the same time and they can even marry non-Muslim women. However, they have to bear the financial expenditures of all their wives and children. They are the ‘providers’ of their wives and children and in return their wives are supposed to be absolutely chaste, obedient, and available to satisfy their sexual and domestic needs. United Arab Emirates is one of the advanced countries in the entire gulf region. Exposure to foreign lifestyle due to tourism, foreign media, multinational organizations with its multinational work force and education has gradually changed the social system of Emirates. The youth has responded well to the social changes and they find it implausible to fit the traditional practices in their modern and contemporary lifestyles. The most adverse affect of the clash of civilizations has been on marital relationships. An increase in the divorce rate has been recorded in UAE during the past few decades. â€Å"According to latest available statistics, the UAE leads GCC states in divorce rates, which hit 36 per cent, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'†. (Emirates 24/7, March 04, 2011) Many reasons have been cited for this, among which infidelity, patriarchal system, dowry, inability to understand each other’s personal, emotional, physical and financial needs are prominent. A divorce not only shatters a family but creates social instability as well. 2. Premarital problems: Marriages in the traditional UAE society are arranged by elders or p arents of the bride and groom. Family or cousin marriages are usually preferred as social status is considered as an important aspect of marriage. Financial aspects might become a cause of pre-marital problems as the girl’s family has to arrange for dowry and the overall wedding expenses can go really high. This puts undue strain on the budgets of both the families and might create discord between the married couple. According to Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State and Head of the State Marriage Fund,

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example This entire process is usually known as the decision-making procedure of the consumers. These particular activities – parts of the decision-making of the customers – are influenced by various factors that include cultural, social, group and personal aspects. The importance of decision-making of the customers is that it helps the consumers to identify their needs in order to fulfill their objectives (Williams, 2012). In this paper, the evaluation of the stages of the decision-making procedure that the customers go through in selecting whether to purchase the Crispy Baby Snacks product or not from the business market of Oman will be taken into concern. Moreover, the analysis of the most significant social and personal factors in relation to the purchase decision for this particular product will also be portrayed in the discussion. Critical Analysis Decision-Making Process The various stages of the decision-making procedure of the consumers include recognition of the need, gathering information about the product both internally and externally, assessing the alternatives, making purchase-related decisions, and, finally, creating post-purchase assessment (Haubl & Trifts, 2000). In relation to the initial stage of the customers’ decision-making procedure, it can be stated that the customers recognize their need to provide nutritional and delicious Crispy Snacks to their babies and thus start to collect information about the different snacks products which are available in the business market of Oman. This particular behavior of gathering information about the availability of the snacks products ultimately leads them to assess the other alternative products in the business market. After the evaluation of the alternative products, the consumers make the decision to purchase Crispy Baby Snacks product for their babies. In this context, it can be stated that the continuous use of the product, i.e. the Crispy Baby Snacks, ultimately leads to dissatisf action or satisfaction of the consumers about the product. This particular activity of the customers also leads to the rejection or repetitive purchase of the product by a considerable extent. The post-purchase evaluation decision stage of the consumers depends on the acceptance or the rejection of the products available in the business market of Oman. The customers are satisfied with a product only when their expectations are met. In this regard, in relation to the Crispy Baby Snacks, the various expectations of the customers include the quality, flavor, and, most importantly, the cost. While using the particular product, on the basis of the aforementioned aspects, the consumers comply with the decision-making stage of post-purchase evaluation (New Age International, n.d.). Influencing Factors Social There lie various significant factors that influence the purchase decision-making procedure of the customers. In this context, one set of the factors can be deemed as the social factor that includes the group or the social segment to which the customer belongs. The buying patterns of the customers are ultimately influenced on the basis of the aforesaid social aspects. It has been observed that the consumers’ decision-making procedure, as regards the Crispy Baby S

Traffic congestion Essay Example for Free

Traffic congestion Essay Introduction Traffic congestion is one of the most compelling global problems especially in developed cities. London is among those cities which suffer from the traffic problems. According to the London city council, Londons population was 8. 17 million in 2011. By the year 2011, every 100 people in London owns 60-65 personal cars, which means cars have been the prior transportation tools for local people (Blythe, 2005). Frequently using cars as vehicle contributes to the traffic problems. As the rapid growth of population, the rate of car ownership would reach to a higher level hich is a severe test to the environment. According to Hickman et al (2010), Approximately 25% of carbon dioxide(C02) emissions is contributed by transport tools. Obviously, traffic problem is a magnificent cause of the environmental damage. Although some relevant policy has been implemented to reduce the congestion, traffic problems still exist across the capital with the growth of population and employment. (Transport Committee, 2008) According to Transport Committee (2008), Londons traffic speeds are below average speeds of global cities such as New York nd Singapore. Meanwhile, the population and the demands of Jobs in London are predicted to reach to a high level by 2025. The location of the additional Job will force a large number of people to go through the city at peak hours, which is a severe challenge to the local traffic situation. (Transport Committee, 2008) Thus, light rail transit systems (LRT) could be the ideal solution to traffic problem. However, the high cost might limit the scale of this method. Electronic toll collection system (ETC) is regarded as another option with relatively low cost.

Defining And Understanding Crisis Intervention Social Work Essay

Defining And Understanding Crisis Intervention Social Work Essay We live in an era in which crisis-inducing events and acute crisis episodes are prevalent. Each year, millions of people are confronted with crisis-inducing events that they cannot resolve on their own, and they often turn for help to crisis units of community mental health centers, psychiatric screening units, outpatient clinics, hospital emergency rooms, college counseling centers, family counseling agencies, and domestic violence programs (Roberts, 2005). Crisis clinicians must respond quickly to the challenges posed by clients presenting in a crisis state. Critical decisions need to be made on behalf of the client. Clinicians need to be aware that some clients in crisis are making one last heroic effort to seek help and hence may be highly motivated to try something different. Thus, a time of crisis seems to be an opportunity to maximize the crisis clinicians ability to intervene effectively as long as he or she is focused in the here and now, willing to rapidly assess the clients problem and resources, suggest goals and alternative coping methods, develop a working alliance, and build upon the clients strengths. At the start it is critically important to establish rapport while assessing lethality and determining the precipitating events/situations. It is then important to identify the primary presenting problem and mutually agree on short-term goals and tasks. By its nature, crisis intervention involves identifying failed coping sk ills and then helping the client to replace them with adaptive coping skills. It is imperative that all mental health clinicians-counseling psychologists, mental health counselors, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, and crisis hotline workers-be well versed and knowledgeable in the principles and practices of crisis intervention. Several million individuals encounter crisis-inducing events annually, and crisis intervention seems to be the emerging therapeutic method of choice for most individuals. Crisis Intervention: The Need for a Model A crisis has been de ¬Ã‚ ned as An acute disruption of psychological homeostasis in which ones usual coping mechanisms fail and there exists evidence of distress and functional impairment. The subjective reaction to a stressful life experience that compromises the individuals stability and ability to cope or function. The main cause of a crisis is an intensely stressful, traumatic, or hazardous event, but two other conditions are also necessary: (1) the individuals perception of the event as the cause of considerable upset and/or disruption; and (2) the individuals inability to resolve the disruption by previously used coping mechanisms. Crisis also refers to an upset in the steady state. It often has  ¬Ã‚ ve components: a hazardous or traumatic event, a vulnerable or unbalanced state, a precipitating factor, an active crisis state based on the persons perception, and the resolution of the crisis. (Roberts, 2005, p. 778) Given such a de  ¬Ã‚ nition, it is necessary that crisis workers have in mind a framework or blueprint to guide them in responding. In short, a crisis intervention model is needed, and one is needed for a host of reasons, such as the ones given as follows. When confronted by a person in crisis, clinicians need to address that persons distress, impairment, and instability by operating in a logical and orderly process (Greenstone Leviton, 2002). The profetional, often with limited clinical experience, is less likely to exacerbate the crisis with well-intentioned but haphazard responding when trained to work within the framework of a systematic crisis intervention model. A inclusive intervention allows the novice as well as the experienced clinician to be mindful of maintaining the  ¬Ã‚ ne line that allows for a response that is active and directive enough but does not take problem ownership away from the client. Finally, a intervention should suggest steps for how the crisis worker can intenti onally meet the client where he or she is at, assess level of risk, mobilize client resources, and move strategically to stabilize the crisis and improve functioning. Crisis intervention is no longer regarded as a passing fad or as an emerging discipline. It has now evolved into a specialty mental health  ¬Ã‚ eld that stands on its own. Based on a solid theoretical foundation and a praxis that is born out of over 50 years of empirical and experiential grounding, crisis intervention has become a multidimensional and  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡exible intervention method. However, the primary focus of crisis literature has been on giving aid and support, which is understandable given that the first concern in the aftermath of a crisis is always to provide assistance (McFarlane, 2000), not to conduct systematic research (Raphael, Wilson, Meldrum, McFarlane, 1996). Experts in crisis intervention have focused on practical issues such as developing intervention models that manage postcrisis reactions (Paten, Violanti, Dunning, 2000), with little attention being given to the development of theory (Slaikeu, 1990). Slaikeu stated that crisis theories are more like a cluster of assumptions, rather than principles based on research that explain or predict the effect of crises on individuals. Ursano et al. (1996) agreed, stating that clinical observations and implications derived from mediators of traumatic stress have guided interventions, rather than theory. Although these efforts have increased the understanding of the nature of crises, a need exists to mo ld these assumptions and observations into theory. The field of crisis intervention is predicated upon the existence of the phenomenon of psychological crisis. Because crisis intervention is the natural corollary of the psychological crisis, this review begins with a definition of the crisis phenomenon. Definition of crisis by Caple Crisis occurs when people encounter an obstacle in achieving the important objectives of life. This obstacle and cannot be overcome by means of customary methods used dealing with difficulties.  This results in a state of disorganization and confusion, in which made numerous unsuccessful attempts of solutions. Moreover, the crisis resulted from the problems on the road practically important in achieving objectives, obstacles where people feel that they are not able to overcome through the usual choices and behavior. (1964) by CARKHUFFA and Berenson Crises are crises so that the affected people do not know any ways of dealing themselves with the situation (1977) by Belkin Crises of this personal difficulties or situations that deprive people of ability and prevent conscious control of his life (1984) by Brammer Crisis is a state of disorganization in which man is confronted with the destruction of important objectives of life or profound impairment of their life cycle and methods of dealing with stressful factors.  The term crisis typically refers to a sense of fear, shock and experienced difficulties in connection with the disorder, and not to the same disorder (1985) by MARINO Crisis develops in clear stages: a) the situation is critical, which controls whether the normal mechanisms for dealing deal with difficult enough; b) the mounting tension and disorganization accompanying this situation excess capacity it affected people to cope with difficulties; c) the situation requires reaching for the extra resources (ex. professional counseling); d) may prove necessary referral to a specialist who will help in removal of serious personality disorder (1995) by Badura-Madej The crisis is transitional state of internal imbalance, caused by critical event or life events.  This condition requires significant changes and decisions. (1999) The Chinese word for crisis presents a good depiction of the components of a crisis. The word  crisis  in Chinese is formed with the characters for  danger  and  opportunity. A crisis presents an obstacle, trauma, or threat, but it also presents an opportunity for either growth or decline.   Crisis is self-defined , because crisis is any situation for which a person does not have adequate coping skills. Therefore, What is a crisis for one person may not be a crisis for another person. In mental health terms, a crisis refers not necessarily to a traumatic situation or event, but to a persons reaction to an event. One person might be deeply affected by an event, while another individual suffers little or no ill effects. Crises may range from seemingly minor situations, such as not being prepared for class, to major life changes, such as death or divorce. Crisis is environmentally based. What is now a crisis may not have been a crisis before or would not be a crisis in a different setting.   Basic Crisis Theory: Since Lindemanns (1944, 1956) seminal contribution of a basic crisis theory stemming from his work in loss and grief, the development of crisis theory has advanced considerably. Lindemann identified crises as having: (1) a period of disequilibrium; (2) a process of working through the problems; and (3) an eventual restoration of equilibrium. Together with the contributions of Caplan (1964), this work evolved to eventually include crisis intervention for psychological reactions to traumatic experiences and expanded the mental health fields knowledge base in applying basic crisis theory to other types of crises experienced by people. In addition to recognizing that a crisis is accompanied by temporary disequilibrium, crisis theorists identify the potential for human growth from the crisis experience and the belief that resolution may lead to positive and constructive outcomes such as enhanced coping abilities. Thus, the duality contained in a crisis is the co-existence of danger and opportunity (Gilliland James, 1997). One part of the crisis state is a persons increased vulnerability and reduced defensiveness. This creates an openness in people for trying different methods of problem-solving and leads to change characterizing life crises (Kendricks, 1985). Expanded Crisis Theory: While expanded crisis theory, as we understand it today, merges key constructs from systems, adaptation, psychoanalytic and interpersonal theories (Gilliland James, 1997), the advent of systemic thinking heralded a new way of viewing crisis states. By shifting away from focusing exclusively on the individual in crisis to understanding their state within interpersonal/familial relationships and life events, entry points and avenues for intervention significantly increase. Systems theory promotes the notion that traditional cause and effect formulations have a tendency to overlook the complex and difficult to understand symptomlogy often observed in people in crisis. Especially with younger populations, crisis assessments should occur only within the familial and social context of the child in crisis. More recently the ecological perspective is gaining popularity as it evolves and develops into models of crisis intervention. From this perspective, crises are believed to be best viewed in the persons total environmental context, including political and socio-economic contexts. Thus, in the United States, mobile crisis teams primarily responding to adult populations use an ecological model. Issues of poverty, homelessness, chronicity, marginalization and pervasive disenfranchisement characterize the client population served (Cohen, 1990). Ecocsystem Theory: Most recently an ecosystem theory of crisis is evolving to explain not only the individual in crisis, but to understand those affected by crisis and the ecological impact on communities. For example, the devastating rate of suicide and attempted suicide in Inuit youth reverberates through their communities on multiple levels. Ecosystem theory also deals with larger scale crises from environmental disasters (e.g. oil spills) to human disasters (e.g. Columbine school shootings). Applied Crisis Theory: Applied crisis theory encompasses the following three domains: Developmental crises  which are events in the normal flow of human growth and development whereby a dramatic change produces maladaptive responses; Events such as birth, which is a crisis both for the mother and the infant, the onset of puberty and adolescence, marriage, the menopause, and so on as we progress through the biological stages of life, are known as developmental crises, These differ from situational crisis in that they necessarily occur at a given point in development and everyone has to pass through them. This goes along with Eriksons theory of personality development, in that personality continues to develop through life, changing radically as a function of how an individual deals with each stage of development. There are several causes of developmental crisis. One cause is a deficit in skills that can keep a person from achieving developmental tasks or turn a predictable transition into a crisis. For example, if a parent does not have the skills to be a parent, having a baby could become a crisis situation. Developmental crisis can also occur when the individual is not prepared for milestone events, such as menopause, widowhood, etc. Another cause is when one of lifes developmental transition is perceived by the individual as being out of phase with societys expectations. Examples of this could be leaving home, choosing a partner, marrying, having kids, and retiring. Situational crises  which emerge with the occurrence of uncommon and extraordinary events which the individual has no way of predicting or controlling; Traumatic events which might or might not happen at a given time. These could either be major catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods, etc., which could affect a whole section of society. In other words occurs in response to a sudden unexpected event in a persons life. The critical life events revolve around experiences of grief and loss. like loss of a job, divorce, abortion, death of a love one, severe physical or mental illness, or any other sudden tragic event. One characteristic of situational crises is their sudden onset and unpredictability. While a struggle with developmental issues usually builds over time, situational crises strike from nowhere all at once. Unexpectedness is another factor of situational crises. People generally believe it wont happen to me, and are blind-sided when it does happen to them. Emergency quality is another characteristic of situational crises. When a situational crisis hits, it needs to be dealt with immediately. Situational crises also impact the entire community. These events usually affect large numbers of people simultaneously, requiring intervention with large groups in a relatively short period of time. The last characteristic of situational crises is the presence of both danger and opportunity. Reorganization must eventually begin. This reorganization has the potential for the individual to emerge on either a higher or lower level of functioning. Existential crises  which refer to inner conflicts and anxieties that relate to human issues of purpose, responsibility and autonomy (e.g., middle life crisis). It is a stage of development at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose or value. An existential crisis is often provoked by a significant event in the persons life marriage, separation, major loss, the death of a loved one; a life-threatening experience; psycho-active drug use; adult children leaving home; reaching a personally-significant age (turning 30, turning 40, etc.), etc. Usually, it provokes the sufferers  introspection  about personal mortality, thus revealing the psychological repression of said awareness Each person and situation is unique and should be responded to as such. Therefore, it is useful to understand the crisis from one or more of these domains in order to understand the complexities of the individuals situation and to intervene in more effective ways. One would also tend to see a younger population with developmental and/or situational crises (Gilliland James, 1997). Due to the duration of the crisis, we may distinguish Acute crises Chronic crises Stages of a Crisis In order to articulate the elements of a responsive mobile crisis service a conceptual framework of the stages of crisis is presented. There is agreement in the literature that most crisis interventions should last about one to six weeks (Caplan, 1964; Kendricks, 1985). This suggested time frame is based on identifiable stages of a crisis. Frequently cited in the literature (Gilliland James, 1997; Smith, 1978) is Caplans four stages of crisis: Phase I The person has an increase in anxiety in response to a traumatic event;  if the coping mechanisms work, theres no crisis;  if coping mechanisms do not work (are ineffective) a crisis occurs. Phase II In the second phase anxiety continues to increase. Phase III Anxiety continues to increase the person asks for help. (If the person has been emotionally isolated before the trauma they probably will not have adequate support a crisis will surely occur). Phase IV Is the  active crisis   here the persons inner resources supports are inadequate. The person has a short attention span, ruminates (goes on about it), wonders what they did or how they could have avoided the trauma. Their behavior is impulsive unproductive. Relationships with others suffer,  they view others in terms of how can they help to solve the problem. The person feels like they are losing their mind,  this is frightening Be sure to teach them that when the anxiety decreases that thinking will be clearer. While others have proposed slightly varying stages, there are commonalties in understanding that crises are time-limited, have a beginning, middle and end, and that intervention early in a crisis can produce stabilization and a return to the pre-crisis state. No intervention, or inadequate intervention, can result in chronic patterns of behavior that result in transcrisis states (Gilliland James, 1997). Transcrisis: the original crisis event becomes submerged into the unconscious and re-emerges when anxiety is re-experienced. A woman who experienced rape will re-experience problems with being sexually intimate with a man and experience problems in intimate relationships. Crisis stages can be distinguished from mental disorders in that the person in crisis can be described as having normal and functional mental health before and after the crisis. Additionally crisis tend to be of limited duration and after the crisis is over, the clients turmoil will frequently subside. There however persons who can stay in crisis state for month or years. Such individual is described as being In transcrisis state. Its also possible for transcris state to lead to the development of anxiety and other tipes of mental disorder (ex.PTSD). Crisis Intervention Crisis intervention is the form of psychological help, that is focused on therapeutic contact, concentrated on the problem, that caused the crisis, limited in time, when the person is confronted with the crisis and has to solve it. That kind of help lets us reduce the crisis response and minimize functional impairment. (Badura-Madej, 1999) Crisis intervention is emergency first aid for mental health (Ehly, 1986). Crisis intervention involves three components: 1) the crisis, the perception of an unmanageable situation; 2) the individual or group in crisis; and 3) the helper, or mental health worker who provides aid. Crisis intervention requires that the person experiencing crisis receive timely and skillful support to help cope with his/her situation before future physical or emotional deterioration occurs. Crisis intervention provides the opportunity and mechanisms for change to those who are experiencing psychological disequilibrium, who are feeling overwhelmed by their current situation, who have exhausted their skills for coping, and who are experiencing personal discomfort. Crisis intervention is a process by which a crisis worker identifies, assesses, and intervenes with the individual in crisis so as to restore balance and reduce the effects of the crisis in his/her life. The individual is then connected with a resource network to reinforce the change. HISTORY Crisis Intervention Origins of crisis intervention, should be found in the topics related to the suicide prevention, the development of environmental psychiatry, as well as a vocation to life services dealing with emergency psychotherapeutic assistance for victims of traumatic events, such as: war or natural disasters (Badura-Madej, 1999). The roots of crisis intervention come from the pioneering work of two community psychiatrists-Erich Lindemann and Gerald Caplan in the mid-1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. We have come a far cry from its inception in the 1950s and 1960s. Speci ¬Ã‚ cally, in 1943 and 1944 community psychiatrist, Dr. Erich Lindemann at Massachusetts General Hospital conceptualized crisis theory based on his work with many acute and grief stricken survivors and relatives of the 493 dead victims of Bostons worst nightclub  ¬Ã‚ re at the Coconut Grove. Gerald Caplan, a psychiatry professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health, expanded Lindemanns (1944) pioneering work. Caplan (1961, 1964) was the  ¬Ã‚ rst clinician to describe and document the four stages of a crisis reaction: initial rise of tension from the emotionally hazardous crisis precipitating event, increased disruption of daily living because the individual is stuck and cannot resolve the crisis quickly, te nsion rapidly increases as the individual fails to resolve the crisis through emergency problem-solving methods, and the person goes into a depression or mental collapse or may partially resolve the crisis by using new coping methods. A number of crisis intervention practice models have been promulgated over the years (e.g., Collins Collins, 2005; Greenstone Leviton, 2002; Jones, 1968; Roberts Grau, 1970). The goals of crisis intervention are relatively limited, relate to the immediate crisis situation and are the following: Reduction in disequilibriurn or relief of symptoms of crisis Restoration to precrisis level of functioning Some understanding of the relevant precipitating events Identification of remedial measures which the client can take or make available through community resources. Connecting the current situation with past life experiences and conflicts Initiating new modes of thinking, perceiving feeling and developing new adaptive and coping responses which are useful beyond the immediate crisis situation, leading to an emancipated maturation and empowerment. Basic Principles While there is no one single model of crisis intervention (Jacobson, Strickler, Mosley, 1968), there is common agreement on the general principles to be employed by EMH practitioners to alleviate the acute distress of victims, to restore independent functioning and to prevent or mitigate the aftermath of psychological trauma and PTSD (Butcher, 1980; Everly Mitchell, 1999; Flannery, 1998; Raphael, 1986; Robinson Mitchell, 1995; Sandoval, 1985; Wollman, 1993). 1. Intervene immediately. By definition, crises are emotionally hazardous situations that place victims at high risk for maladaptive coping or even for being immobilized. The presence onsite of EMH personnel as quickly as possible is paramount. 2. Stabilize. One important immediate goal is the stabilization of the victims or the victim community actively mobilizing resources and support networks to restore some semblance of order and routine. Such a mobilization provides the needed tools for victims to begin to function independently. 3. Facilitate understanding. Another important step in restoring victims to pre-crisis level of functioning is to facilitate their understanding of what has occurred. This is accomplished by gathering the facts about what has occurred, listening to the victims recount events, encouraging the expression of difficult emotions, and helping them understand the impact of the critical event. 4. Focus on problem-solving. Actively assisting victims to use available resources to regain control is an important strategy for EMH personnel. Assisting the victim in solving problems within the context of what the victim feels is possible enhances independent functioning. 5. Encourage self-reliance. Akin to active problem-solving is the emphasis on restoring self-reliance in victims as an additional means to restore independent functioning and to address the aftermath of traumatic events. Victims should be assisted in assessing the problems at hand, in developing practical strategies to address those problems, and in fielding those strategies to restore a more normal equilibrium. The practice of crisis intervention, typically consist of the following (Badura Madej, 1999): Providing emotional support to facilitate the reaction to emotion; Confronted with the reality and countering tendencies to deny and distorted to form at the moment the most important problem to solution; Assess the current ways of coping in terms of their adaptive nature; Referring to good coping strategies or creating new strategies; A plan of assistance. Characteristics of a crisis intervention (Badura-Madej, 1999): Assistance as soon as possible after the critical event, preferably at the time, when the existing ways of coping are exhausted with crisis, and new constructive behaviors yet not created to provide the support reduces the risk run adaptive ways of coping; Focus on the situation and the current problem associated with the crisis (the here and now ), taking into account the individual history of man (analysis of this story helps to understand the nature and depth of the crisis reaction) Emotional support, often also material support (accommodation, shelter, food, drinking, etc.) to ensure a sense of security to the person in crisis; A large intensity of contacts (depending on the situation) and sometimes even daily; Time limit (6 10 meetings) flexibility in assisting interactions from the directive operation, client collaboration, to the non-directive action; Mobilizing the natural support system for people in crisis, cooperation with other institutions, providing possible support from institutions to holistic approach to people in crisis (eg, OPS, police, etc.). Crisis Intervention Models (Gilliland and James, 2005) Practice and intervention literature indicate the usefulness of certain general theoretical models for the construction of concrete measures for persons in crisis.  Belkin (1984) proposes a classification includes equilibrium model, cognitive model and psycho-social model of transformation (Gilliland and James, 2005). Equilibrium model Equilibrium model indicates a basic fact of the continuum balance imbalance, which differentiates functioning non-crisis and crisis.  Persons in crisis, experiencing state of disorganization, lack of balance of basic psychological functions, are not able to effectively use their customary ways of coping and methods of solving problems. The aim of the intervention from the point of view of equilibrium model is to assist the client in regained pre-crisis equilibrium.  therefore the use of this approach is the most justified in the initial stages of intervention, when a person has no sense of control over himself and course of events is confused and unable to take adequate decisions and appropriate action.  Until the client does not recover even though part of the capacity to coping, the main effort should be directed to stabilize the condition of the person.  Only then it is possible to use his abilities to cope, and other internal and external resources to solve a crisis problem.  Equilibrium model considered is the cleanest model of crisis intervention (Caplan, 1961; for: Gilliland and James, 2005). Cognitive model The cognitive model of crisis intervention is based on the premise that crisis are rooted in faulty thinking about the event or situations that surround the crisis not in the events themselves or the facts about events or situations (Ellis, 1962). The goal of this model is to help people become aware of and change their views and beliefs about crisis events or situations. The basic tenet of the cognitive model is that people can gain control of crisis in their lives by changing their thinking, especially by recognizing and disputing the irrational and self-defeating parts of their cognitions and by retaining and focusing on the rational and self-enhancing elements of their thinking. The messages that people in crisis send themselves become very negative and twisted, in contrast to the reality of the situation. Dilemmas that are constant and grinding wear people out, pushing their internal state of perception more and more toward negative self-talk until their cognitive sets are so negative that no amount of preaching can convince them anything positive will ever come from the situation. Crisis intervention in this model can be compared to work on rewriting your own program by the client, which on a positive Coupling back and repeat the exercise in self-assessment of the new situation, be able to change emotions and behavior in a more positive and constructive. Cognitive model can be used in practice when the client has already regained some sufficient level of psychological stability, allowing where appropriate perception, drawing conclusions, making decisions and experimenting with new behaviors. Basic concepts of this approach are fond in the rational-emotive work of Ellis (1982), the cognitive-behavioral approach of Meichenbaum (1977), and the cognitive system of Beck (1976). Psychosocial transition model Psychosocial transition model is another useful approach to intervention in crisis.  This model is based on the assumption that man is the result of the interaction between the genetic equipment, and the learning process, setting the social environment. Both people and their environment and social influence processes are subject to constant change. Therefore, crises may be related to both internal and external (psychosocial, social and environmental) difficulties. The purpose of crisis intervention, as seen from this perspective, is to help, cooperation with client in an adequate assessment of both internal and external circumstances influencing the emergence of the crisis, as well as assist in the selection of effective alternatives to the (clients) existing, inefficient behavior, inappropriate attitudes and inefficiencies how to use the resources of the environment in which I live. To obtain a stand-alone control over his private life customers can be needed for obtaining adequate internal mechanisms to deal with difficulties, as well as social support and environmental resources. The Psychosocial transition model does not perceive crisis simply an interal state of affairs that resides totally within the individual. It reaches outside the individual and askes what system need to be changed. Systems such as family, peer group, work environment, religious community are examples who can also support or interfere with the psychological ada