Addiction is a Disease Essay

Addiction is all around us. It may be that cup of coffee in the morning for the caffeine stimulation, the cigarette that is smoked for the nicotine, or an alcoholic drink used to relieve a stressful day or situation. For some, the addiction may not be to a substance, but to compulsive behaviors such as gambling, playing video games, or shopping. Consequences to addictions can impact an addict’s physical or mental state. Addiction can also have detrimental impact on the people that surround them. Watching a relationship fall apart because a person has an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or another addictive behavior is a sad thing to happen to anyone. Unfortunately, those with addictions usually won’t admit they even have a problem and that they need treatment until it is too late. Some addictions have less severe consequences, such as addiction to caffeine for the stimulation; others take it to the other end of the spectrum, such as using illegal drugs like cocaine or heroi n which completely deteriorates their physical and mental health. Addiction should be looked at as a disease because it is chronic and does not subside without treatment. Symptoms can be progressive, and just as disease surfaces repeatedly, addiction has a high level of relapse. Furthermore, addiction can be treated. Addiction is a disease whether it is an addiction to substances or certain behaviors. Addiction is a common word known to many, but many don’t realize that addiction is a disease. â€Å"Substance abuse has been conceptualized and generally accepted to be a disease resulting from a biologic vulnerability triggered by a combination of psychological, social, and environmental factors† (Vocaturo 393). Addiction and disease have corresponding definitions. More commonly a disease is thought of as an illness of the body or something we acquire involuntarily such as diabetes, cancer or Alzheimer’s. â€Å"If addiction is truly compulsive and addictive action is not voluntary, then addiction has a much stronger claim to be a disease† (Perring 194). According to dictionary.com, disease is defined as, â€Å"a disordered or incorrectly functioning part of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment or any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society.† Addiction is a mental disease. According to  Dictionary.com, addiction is defined as, â€Å"the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.† Behavioral addictions are compulsive actions with examples being gambling, shopping, video gaming, and those with OCD. â€Å"The behavior has an effect of decreasing anxiety and result in a positive mood state or high, similar to substance intoxication† (J.E. Grant et al 234). What happens in the brain during addiction is that the brain learns poor coping mechanism for stressful or unfavorable situations. In the brain, a series of events happen during addiction. Addictions are a coping mechanism which plays a role in the reward system felt in the brain. The brain’s dopamine system transports serotonin, the good feel hormone. Whatever the addiction, it causes a chemical in the brain called dopamine to surpass normal levels which results to feelings of pleasure. â€Å"The most integrative and common feature of addictive agents is their capacity to cause psychomotor activation. This most common feature is seen as forward locomotion which is the unconditional response to positive reinforcement† (Calabrese 599). This then causes the brain to want it over and over again. Although there are different kinds of addiction, all have a common goal: to make a person feel good. This then becomes more important to a person than anything else despite the consequences. The brain then becomes reliant on this false surge in dopamine brought on by the addiction, and the brain’s ability to naturally produce dopamine greatly decreases. This then results in lack of control when the same outcome can no longer be established. This leads to increasing dosage or behavior to try and achieve the same high or to possibly better it. Substance addictions leave the body constantly craving a good feeling despite the consequences they may have. In order to understand the real mentality of someone with addiction/s is to examine a person in a philosophical and psychological way. All types of addictions should be looked at from a philosophical and psychological point of view. Those in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy often compare their views to show the similarities of addictions whether they be substance induced or behavioral. â€Å"Behavioral science experts believe that all entities capable of stimulating a person can be addictive; and whenever a habit changes into an obligation, it can be considered as addiction† (Alaghemandan  et al 290). Some addictions can affect people physically. Caffeine and nicotine provide prime examples. The body’s physical state becomes dependent on its effects and causes withdrawal symptoms without use. One of the main differences in behavioral and substance addictions is that behavioral addictions have no apparent physiological or physical withdrawal symptoms. It is not the physical body that is addicted, but the feeling that one gets mentally. The physical body is only affected by the dependency of the substance itself, while the addiction itself is more damaging psychologically. Addiction isn’t about will power. When looking at addiction for a neurological point of view, there are a series of chemical reactions going on. Dopamine is a good-feel hormone produced in the brain when satisfaction is gained chemically by substances or by a self-gratifying act. When substances such as drugs and alcohol are used or certain behaviors are performed, a person experiences an unnatural high, so to speak, which is many times greater than the natural reward system produced in the brain. Some individuals may be more susceptible to getting hooked on this feeling. Certain people can be specifically more vulnerable than others to taking on an addiction. The vulnerability to addiction can be due to their genetic dispositions. â€Å"With prominent advances in whole genome sequencing, the search for genetic variations underlying drug addiction is continuing at an escalating pace; however, genetic factors likely explain about fifty percent of the risk for addiction† (Maze and Nestor 99). Some believe that one can have an addictive personality. An addictive personality will always be susceptible to having at least one kind of addiction. Quite subsequently, an addictive personality type is addicted to addiction itself. If one addiction was given up, another one would be taken on, moreover, it is commonly found for an addicted person to be addicted to several addictions at the same time. This increases the level of the individual suffering, and no matter what the addict ion, it disrupts the brain’s natural reward system, which is the route to a pleasurable feeling. The addiction itself is the mental state created from taking on any addiction. â€Å"Studies have shown that those with behavioral addictions and those with substance use disorders both score high on a self-report measure of impulsivity and sensation-seeking and generally low on measures of harm avoidance† (J.E. Grant Et Al 234). It is extremely hard for a person addicted to a substance or behavior to break the  addictive cycle. Getting over addiction is dependent on the type of addiction. Trying to break certain addictions may be simply in avoiding a social environment that may tempt a person towards a certain addiction. Others may benefit from medications and psychological treatment. Research has shown, regardless of whether behavioral or substance addiction, replacing or substituting with a positive beneficial addiction to start learning to associate a positive coping mechanism to the triggers that onset the addiction. It is difficult to overcome, and an addict is always going want to feel good with an act or substance. While the severity differs between addictions, some are manageable in day to day life, while others have catastrophic effect in their lives which is why addictions should be treated as a disease. There are many attempted treatments that are sought after in breaking addictions. Some people may go to counseling sessions and some go to support meetings which help them realize the adverse effects the addiction has brought into their lives. Behavioral therapy is another way treatment is sought out. In behavioral therapy, the addiction does not need to be specific to one drug or behavior, but is used to address the use of multiple addictions. It is the disease of addiction that the therapy addresses. Other therapies are pharmaceutically administered to relieve the feeling one may get from a substance. Medications are less prescribed with compulsive disorders; however, it is believed that if the addiction was brought on by depression and/or anxiety, prescribing medication can be helpful to alleviate these symptoms. A combination of behavioral therapy and medication has been seen as helpful as well. Therapy should be an ongoing process for someone with addictions. There will always be triggers that could possibly cause a relapse. There is great difficulty in giving up an addiction without taking on another. Can an addict ever not have an addiction or can it ever be learned to live without addiction? Relapse is the reason addiction is a chronic disease. While some addictions can be tolerated, others unfortunately have detrimental effects on their lives. In order to achieve a successful long term recovery, treatment sought out should address the specifics of each individual’s needs. Changes must occur in one’s life that is physical, social, and psychological in order to be successful in recovery. â€Å"Although different factors will determine someone’s vulnerability to addiction, integrating individual vulnerability to  addiction across different research disciplines is likely to provide the greatest advances for intervention and prevention efforts† ( Le Moal and Swendsen 73). But the question still remains, why would someone continue to choose an addiction over their own health? Addiction is an extremely powerful disease. The mind should always overcome the body which is why some people speculate that addiction is a choice and not a disease. However, is addiction really just a choice? â€Å"Most of the best-known criticisms of the disease concept have argued that addiction is not a disease because addictive behavior is voluntary† (Perring 194). An exercise addict may dispute the term disease in their addiction. Although their behavior is compulsive, exercise is indeed a very healthy habit to have and does wonders for the body. An exercise addiction may be healthy; however, those who must exercise each and every day regardless of need, are still exhibiting compulsive behaviors. In their mind this activity must be performed each and every day no matter what. â€Å"If you are an exercise addict, it is quite obvious that some of the effects of this particular addiction are positive† (Round Table 7). Exercise is the most contradictory of all the addictions. Mentally they are addicted to the act, but addiction is still a disease, not a choice. There are two areas of the brain that involve choice. The first area is the ventral striatum, or nucleus acumens, which is a structure that motivates a person to go after a goal that they may have or want. This is where addiction and cravings come from. The second area is called the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. This area is what considers consequences of the actions. There are impulses that go from one area to the other through synapses. Triggers can cause alterations of these impulses. They are altered the most by the cycle of addictive thoughts and behaviors. Choice can be thought of as an adaptive process. Brains adapt to our experiences, so the choices that are made change with time. Addiction is an experience to which the brain also adapts, but too rapidly, too thoroughly, and too permanently. Understanding these neural changes is essential for understanding how â€Å"choice† gets hijacked by addiction. That doesn’t make addiction a brain disease. It’s more of corrupted learning process or a nasty adaptation. And like any other adaptation, it is the foundation of the fleshy hardware we carry around in our heads. While it is true that the addict may have a choice in whether or not to use drugs or to give in to  behaving a certain way, craving is not a choice. If a craving gets bad enough, even the strongest willed person gives in to their addiction. The brain strives to survive and this cannot be ignored. A big reason why skeptics view addiction as a choice is the inability to truly understand the realness of cravings in addiction. While some may speculate that addiction is a choice, addiction is a disease and should be treated as such. Addiction has many defining terms that correlate to disease. Addiction to substances or behaviors produce uncontrollable cravings to which one cannot ignore. Addiction is extremely hard to overcome for anyone but can be treated with th e correct type of therapy much like other diseases. Whether a person is addicted to caffeine, nicotine, drugs, alcohol, gambling, exercise, or any other compulsive behavior, their addiction is a disease. Works Cited â€Å"Addiction.† Dictionary.com, LLC. (2012) Web. 27 Sept. 2012 http://www.dictionary.com. Alagheandan, Hamed, Seyyed Salman Alavi, Mehdi Eslami, Masoud Ferdosi, Fereshte Jannatifard, and Mehrdad Setare. â€Å"Behavioral Addiction versus Substance Addiction: Correspondence of Psychiatric and Psychological Views.† International Journal of Preventive Medicine 3.4 (April 2012). Web. 27 Sept 2012. Calabrese, E.J. â€Å"Addiction and Dose Response: The Phsychomoor Stimulant Theory of Addiction Reveals that Hormetic Dose Responses are Dominant.† Informa Healthcare (2008) Web. 27 Sept. 2012 â€Å"Disease.† Dictionary.com, LLC (2012) Web. 27 Sept. 2012 http://www.dictionary.com. Gorelick, David A., Jon E. Grant, Marc. N. Ptenza, and Aviv Weinstein. â€Å"Introduction to Behavioral Addictions.† American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse (2010).Web. 27 Sept. 2012. Maze, Ian, and Eric J. Nestler. â€Å"The Epigenetic Landscape of Addiction.† Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1216.1 (Jan. 2011). Web. 27 Sept. 2012. Moal, Michel Le, and Joel Swendsen.â€Å"Individual Vulnerability to Addiction.† Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2011). Web. 27 Sept. 2012. Perring, Christian. â€Å"Bridging the Gap between Philosophers of Mind and Brain Researchers: The Example of Addiction.† Brain, Mind and Consciousness 2011). Web. 27 Sept. 2012. â€Å"Round Table: When is an addict not an addict?† New Statesman (18 May 2007). Web. 27 Sept. 2012. Vocaturo, Loran C.. â€Å"Substance Abuse.† Medical Management of Adults with Neurologic Disabilities (2009). Web. 27 Sept. 2012.

Develop Marketing Streategies Essay

The company is named Houzit Pty Ltd, it is a retailer for home wares. Houzit is a chain of homewares stores in Brisbane that specializes in bathroom fittings, bedroom fittings, mirrors and decorative items.. It is a growing business. It has 15 stores in Brisbane area, with all stores being managed and coordinated from their head office in Milton. It has 150 staff members. The analysis of each of the aspect of the company overview is provided under the following heads. Strategic direction and Organizational objectives STRATEGIC DIRECTION The strategic directions of Houzit can be ascertained from the company’s vision and mission. Houzit is a national retail brand that is satisfying the home makers’ needs by providing them unique, wide variety of quality homeware products with an easy payment procedure. The mission of the company asserts that the organization is planning to move towards enlargement of its business by ensuring its presence in all the major cities of Australian market by the year 2020. The basic focus of the company is on three parameters: Quality, Unique items and Selection In this post modern era every organization should direct their marketing strategies in way that the strategic goals could be achieved smoothly and efficiently. Strategic direction is a course of action that leads to the attainment of the set goals of a company. It is also the vision of the company that is necessary for success in giving direction for employees to follow in order to achieve set goals. Setting strategic direction involves finding a target direction and committing to get there.  It begins with developing a clear vision for a company thereby increasing its competitive advantage. Mission and vision of a firm Mission is what the firm is, whereas vision is a forward-looking view of what the organization wants to become. Mission statement may include a vision, business definition and values and/or statements about an organization’s purpose. >By 2020,Houzit will have a significant retail presence in home wares in every Australian capital city >Starting with 15 stores in the Great Brisbane area and growing to 100 Australia wide. >Houzit will be a national retail brand, catering to the needs of home makers with a range of unique, high quality home wares made accessible to all through our easy to manage payment plan. Therefore some marketing opportunities have to be analyzed in reaching its goals, so the manager has to provide brief summary evaluating two alternatives, including the benefits and risks associated with each option and finally recommending for the opportunity most likely to produce results. ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES Here I outline the following marketing objectives: >To bring an annual sales increase of $ 5 million by moving the sales figures from $15 million per year to %20 million per year during the next three years period. >To enhance the list of loyal customers from 10,000 to 15,000 >Considering Brisbane as a potential market, brand recognition need to be established so that one out of every 3 people will recognise the Houzit brand in a random survey that is conducted in 18 months’ time. Current size, capabilities and resources of the organization ORGANATIONAL SIZE The size of the organization occupies 1,000-1,500m2. CAPABILITIES Capabilities: Each of the Houzit store has a capacity to generate the following sales breakup Bathroom fittings: 30% Bedrooms furnishings: 35% Mirrors and decorative items: 20% Lighting fixtures: 15% The organization is able to manage a high customer loyalty among repeat customers as it is a valuable assets for any organization. Moreover they can exceed competitors by offering in quality, range and accessibility. RESOURCES OF THE ORGANIZATION HUMAN RESOURSES Houzit has the valuable assest ,that is human resources ,15-20 fulltime employees along with number of casual workers .Staffs works are excellent with highly skilled and knowledgeable about home wares. PHYSICAL RESOURSES Especially for a commercial urban district Houzit possesses a great retail space that is bright, functional and efficient. Gaps between the objectives and the current capabilities and resources Gap analysis serves as the tool that will help to decide between multiple marketing options (Precision Group, 2009). The objectives that are set by Houzit are difficult to be achieved with the current capabilities and resources. It is because company has limited number of employees. In addition to it, the focus with which company operates to have its stores as bright and comfortable for shopping is not in alignment with the legislations that are put forth by the government. In this manner Houzit will have a gap between the objectives set for the company and the current strategies, capabilities and resources of the company. Opportunities With the help of external environment analysis, a company will be able to develop a list of opportunities and threats that are provided by the environmental factors (David, 2006). This section of task 1 highlights the two major opportunities for Houzit along with their analysis. Two marketing opportunities that meet the objectives and the evaluation of risk and benefits of each opportunity are: * A growing market in high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of Houzit’s offer. * Increase sales opportunities outside of our target area-greater Brisbane. Marketing mix Houzit’s marketing mix is comprised of these following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service.

Indigenous Religions

Indigenous religion refers to those religions which are native to indigenous peoples around the world. They are â€Å"descendents of the original inhabitants of lands now controlled by larger political systems in which they may have little influence. † In the second chapter of her book, Living Religions, Mary Pat Fisher takes the position that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways and not religions. Lifeways are â€Å"a particular approach to all of life. Some of the reasons Mary Fisher believes that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways are that they are not a â€Å"separate experience like meditating in the morning or going to church on Sunday. † She also believes that to be considered a religion there should be a written testament and that a religion should be built around that scripture. In addition, Fisher thinks that the way indigenous practices are passed down, through oral stories that contain â€Å"symbols, metaphors, and humor,† is changing the story of these practices causing them to no longer be â€Å"fossilized. However, religion is defined in Fisher’s book as â€Å"a particular response to dimensions of life considered sacred, as shaped by traditions. † In my opinion indigenous spiritual practices should be considered religions because they are traditions and spiritual beliefs, even though they are different than Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions. For example, A Catholic nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to a spiritual life following God just as West African groups have devoted themselves spiritually to the orisa. Additionally, Christians have a routine of going to church on Sundays, many Native Americans have a certain time of the year, usually at the Summer Solstice, to perform the Sun Dance which lasts four to eight days. Also, Just as indigenous spiritual practices have symbols, religions have symbols, such as the Bible. Religion to me is what beliefs you have about life, death, and everything in between. It is your faith and purpose. Why are we here? Who created us? Similarly as we have a set of beliefs to answer these questions, indigenous people do too.

The Organization System - Organizational Change and Stress Management Term Paper - 1

The Organization System - Organizational Change and Stress Management - Term Paper Example The response to the first and the ninth question indicates that physical exhaustion is the major reason which is pushing me towards job burnout while mental exhaustion is also taking over as indicated by the response towards the second and the last question. Everybody experiences job burnout at one point in their career. It is a kind of job stress which affects a person physically as well as emotionally. A person feels utterly exhausted and doubts his abilities and competence. Job burnout was identified in the early 1970s and since then has become a topic of study with researchers and psychologists trying to determine the various causes and factors which often leave a person frustrated and drained. Job burnout is a global problem but is treated differently in different societies. In some countries it is considered a social problem while others treat it as a medical problem. At first it was thought that job burnout was restricted to those workers involved in human services such as nur ses, policemen, social workers and legal workers etc. However, as further studies were carried out, it was noted that job burnout was not restricted to people associated with social and health services only; even entrepreneurs, managers and white and blue collared persons suffered from a deep sense of depression and depletion in their jobs (Schaufeli et al, 2009). Job burnout reduces productivity as the worker begins to question his own talents and abilities and fails to come up with any useful contribution let alone face challenges. Although job burnout is quite common and is a hazard that plagues every occupation, the professionals who suffer from this emotional trauma the most are those associated with the police department and nursing. Pines (2005) devised the Burnout Measure or the BM method comprises of twenty one items pertaining to feelings and attitudes such as physical exhaustion; feeling weak or sickly and losing sleep; emotional exhaustion such as feeling depressed and h opeless and mental exhaustion such as feeling worthless like a failure and disappointed with people (Pines 2005). The answers were judged on a scale of 1 to 7 with responses ranging from never to always. According to Pine, a score of 4 indicates a burnout. The BM is the most commonly used burnout inventory and also enjoys a high internal consistency. A study of correlation between various work stressors and BMS scores in table four showed that the work environment factors contributed strongly towards burnout. The people examined were Israeli Jews and Arabs who were involved in police work force, nursing or were MBA students. Table 4 showed the responses of the police workforce and it is evident that the personnel are experiencing high job burnout which may affect the safety in jails and prisons. Poor working conditions, under staffing which means working under pressure to complete tasks such as cell searches, inmate count, paper work, security rounds and apathy and lack of interest from superiors led to job dissatisfaction and growing negative feelings. The Burnout Measure devised by Pines is the second most important measure of job burnout; the first one being the Maslach Burnout Inventory which according to Schaufeli is the â€Å"gold standard to assess burnout† (Schaufeli et al, 2009). Researchers and practitioners view burnout differently; according to some, exhaustion is the only force behind job burnout

Critical evaluation of financial markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Critical evaluation of financial markets - Essay Example As stated by Bolbol & Omran (2003) in their paper on stock market emergence in Arab countries, a change in the technology and output mix of the indigenous industries will require the stock markets to allocate the resources to the industries more efficiently. This is because stock market activities provide an effective way to check the performance of the new firms in the event of any opinion divergence in the manner it is managed. At present in the Arab countries there are stock exchanges in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan, Dubai, Bahrain Abu Dhabi, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Among these countries it is said that the Arab stock markets are dominated by five countries in terms of active and large markets- Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia. On 3 June 2006 a resolution was passed in Libya which paved the way for the creation of the Libyan stock market, set up as â€Å"Syarika Musahima† with capital strength of LD20 million split i nto 2 million shares of 10LD per share. The headquarters as per Article 2 of the resolution was decided to be Tripoli with main branch to be set up in Benghazi. Levine & Zervos (1996) used a dataset of 47 nations for the period 1976 to 1993 to highlight that the stock market liquidity is an important predictor of real per capita gross GDP growth, physical growth in capital and growth rate in productivity. This highlights the importance of the establishment of Libyan Stock Market for the authorities in Libya1 The banking system in the country comprises four major banks which are either fully owned or in majority ownership of the Libyan Central Bank. This list of banks includes Wahda bank, Jamahiriya Bank, Umma Bank, Sahara Bank and National Commercial Bank. These banks comprise nearly 90 percent of the assets related to the Libyan banking sector. All these banks have capital strength of minimum 100 million Libyan Dinars with the two of these banks on the verge of privatisation. The f inance availability in the local market is frugal. The Libyan banks provide limited number of financial products, loans are granted based on personal rapport and the managers of the public banks do not seem to have any incentives in portfolio expansion. Scarcity of financing is a major deterrent in local development impeding the completion of the projects and the initiation of new projects. Presently the banking system in the country is undergoing a modernisation program to improve the existing products or services, handling of non-performing assets, promotion of the use of payments in modes other than cash and establishment of new accounting standards2 Reforms in Libyan Financial Sector The Libyan government is jointly working with reputed international organisations to facilitate improved transparency in the financial sector, chalking out plans to bring in international credit rating agencies in the country to evaluate the domestic financial instruments and the recently

The Relevance of Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Relevance of Buddhism - Essay Example The main goal of Buddhism is to reach the ultimate state of Nirvana, which is through the negation of rebirths and end the human suffering, which is attached to the soul. Siddharta Gautama, who died in the year 400BC, taught the attainment of salvation through the application of an ethical code of conduct, unselfish behavior, ceremonies, devotional practices, meditation, reincarnation of worldly matters, study, physical exercises, cultivation of wisdom and the negation of suffering by understanding the true meaning of our natural phenomena. CIA, The World Factbook shows that While Buddhism is quite popular amongst people in the Asian countries; it also has branches across the globe. It is also believed that Buddhism has over 400 million followers across the world. At present, Buddhism is subdivided into two forms and has two main distinct branches. First being the Theravada branch that is a form of Buddhism which is mostly followed in the Southeastern regions of Asia. And second, the Mahayana that is a form of Buddhism which is widely followed throughout East Asian countries. Theravada is a Sanskrit word which means â€Å"way of the elders† (Reynolds, 2009). Founded in India, spreading in the third century BCE, through to Sri Lanka and Burma then to Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam and most recently to Indonesia and Australia. It is the oldest surviving Buddhist school and is a closely guarded school that is supposed to be the closest to the original teachings of Buddhism and is the main religion of Sri Lanka. It is widespread in South East Asia, wherein countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Thailand have been following its practices for centuries.

Product Comparisons among three Separate Retailers Assignment

Product Comparisons among three Separate Retailers - Assignment Example The second shop is located at the bus terminal. The business targets people who are about to travel or those embarking from their journeys. The owner deals with home theatre systems in addition to phones. This is an advantage when compared to the first shop due to a variety of goods for sale. The shop has services such as educating the consumer on how to utilize the product. The strategy aims at the achievement of customer loyalty with the store. The customers who buy more than one phone get discounts and rewards, as a strategy, to encourage more purchases. The third shop is located at the airport. The target market consists of tourists and domestic professionals. The consumers buy such goods before boarding the flight or due to local network compatibility issues. After sell services provided, such as internet configuration, enables the owner be competitive in the market. The other advantage is the availability of product variation of the electronics. The other strategy that the retailer employs is the ability of the business to stay operational for longer hours. This is because the airport is in operation all the

Alzheimers Disease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alzheimers Disease - Research Paper Example Alzheimer’s disease, also known as Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT), is a progressive and irreversible neurological disease of the brain that results in loss of memory. It is known to impede intellectual and reasoning skills and cause changes in personality and behavior thereby affecting daily life and activities (Nordqvist, 2009). Dementia is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain disease and conditions. It therefore affects ones social and occupational functioning. It is estimated that nearly 35 million people worldwide from all racial, economic, and educational backgrounds suffer from Alzheimer’s (Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, n.d.a). Out of these nearly 5.3 million people live in the United States of America (Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, n.d.a). This disease is mostly known to affect people over the age of 60 years but it may also affect people who are in their 50s and rarely those younger than that.This disease has been named after a German neuropathologist and psychiatrist called Alois Alzheimer who first identified ‘presenile dementia’ in 1906. Emil Kraeplin, who was one of the foremost German psychiatrists of that era, later coined the term ‘Alzheimer’s disease’ – naming it after his colleague (Maurer, Volk, & Gerbaldo, 1997). Alzheimer’s is a term that is still used to refer to the most common cause of senile dementia.   It is believed that plaques and tangles develop within the structure of the brain. during the course of this disease which causes the brain cells to die (Nordqvist, 2009). These abnormal changes in the brain worsen over time, eventually affecting many functions of the brain. The disease is known to advance in stages, progressing from mild forgetfulness and cognitive impairment to extensive loss of mental abilities (Nordqvist, 2009). In the advanced stages, people tend to be come fully dependent on others for every area of their daily needs. The most common cause of death among those affected by this disease is infection like pneumonia and pressure ulcers ((Nordqvist, 2009). People suffering from Alzhiemer’

MGT 3190 Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MGT 3190 Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example This strategy along with others that have to do with market segmentation and brand positioning for maximum customer satisfaction has been used by the Mattel Company in order to evolve a strategy that is best suited for the purpose of an entry level product in a diverse global market. Therefore, a good entry-level strategy for the Mattel Company has involved introducing the fact that Barbie has an international face as it can be modified to cater to any kind of culture or country. In this regard, there has been long-term growth through the management of the immediate and other short-term risks. In this case, the main risk came from losing its exclusivity, which can be tackled through the direct investment strategy. (Finnigan, 2001) The Japanese market did not take very kindly to the Mattel Company's Barbie. This was basically due to the fact that the Japanese market did not understand Barbie with her long legs and wide chest. The physical attributes did not conform to the general attributes of Japanese women. This was a major problem apart from stiff competition from the doll names Takara which was a huge success in the Japanese market. Despite trying to strike a partnership with Takara, Barbie did not do very well. (Chonko, 1999) In order to do better business, Mattel could have first of all changed the way Barbie looked, to a certain degree. Even though, its priority list speaks of countries like UK and Australia as strategic places for expansion, internationalisation in today's world would mean a westward as well as an eastward growth owing to the fact that the East is booming and almost at par with the West as far as politics and economies are concerned. As an entry point mode, a company dealing with such products needs to make a more individualistic statement so as to avoid cheap imitations, which is what happened in the case of the Japanese market when it came up with its own 'Japanese Barbie' after the agreement between Mattel and Takara fell through. This calls for a mix of passive as well as consumer centric activities at the location as well as around it for better cultural orientation and market segmentation. For this, it is important to touch the pulse of the target consumers by being accessible to them distance wise and culture wise. Therefore, it will be found that for an entry level product in an international market, exploring the retail market is the best option. The direct investment strategy is the best one for the entry mode strategy. According to the entry level mode strategy, it is important for the product to take the characteristics of its target market into account apart from the investment plan it will follow in the course of going international. (Walter et al, 1988) In this regard, the entry level mode can be applied to find the areas where there is competitive advantage so as to find variations in the large consumer base that this product can enjoy in Japan. This will assist the company in finding an appropriate contractual or intermediate strategy that may be customised to fit into the Indian market in terms of segmentation. With franchising, licensing and other activities that will promote an

Middle-Range Theory of Chronic Sorrow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Middle-Range Theory of Chronic Sorrow - Essay Example This is the theory in a nutshell and the article expands and repeats it throughout, using certain keywords: Antecedents, Loss Situations, Disparity, Trigger Events, Affected Individuals, Family Caregivers, Bereaved Individuals, Management Methods, (Internal and External). Most of what is written is easily understood and contains a great deal of common sense. The repetitive nature and volume of information may actually only serve to confuse that understanding. Taking each keyword and explaining it simply makes the article more accessible and easily absorbed. Antecedents: These are basically the events leading up to chronic sorrow developing. They have similarities with loss situations, disparity and triggers, all seem to be intertwined resulting once again in confusing repetitions. A good explanation of these by Lindgren et al ., (1993) and Teel, (1991) is as follows: Loss Situations: Only three are emphasized, these being, ongoing or chronic loss, (described as 'ongoing') such as chronic illness or having a physically or mentally disabled child; loss suffered by caregivers as they watch loved ones suffer and deteriorate, and also their own loss of a normal life; finally, loss through bereavement, (described as 'circumscribed), death of a a loved one and the change of roles the sufferer may encounter as a result of this loss. Disparity: The Disparity: The person's current reality is different from what they would like it to be. A gap between the 'actual' and the 'desired' state exists, and as the loss may be experienced periodically, so too is the grief. The gap cannot close and so the grief keeps returning. Trigger Events: Closely linked to disparity, these are situations that bring the realization of the loss into focus and depend on whether the loss is chronic for an individual, or as a caregiver, or due to bereavement. A chronic illness which causes deterioration may bring on the sorrow for that person. Parents seeing a disabled child failing to reach 'normal' milestones will suffer, as will a bereaved person on the anniversary, birthday etc. of the lost loved one. Affected Individuals: As has already been stated, these are sufferers of chronic loss conditions, caregivers and bereaved individuals. The article is repeating the model, key factors and concepts, when it has already identified the people and conditions which bring about chronic sorrow. Management Methods - Effective Internal and External: Once again, the common sense of these is almost lost by the huge amount of words used in the article. However, the information on coping 3. mechanisms is well presented, giving the reader easy access to vital tools for identifying ways to help and support, as well as understanding of the condition and the needs of individual sufferers. Internal Management Methods: These include a

Environment analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environment analysis - Essay Example There are certain external factors that have exerted immense pressure on the company and internal factors that have propelled it to its current position. This paper will discuss both the internal and external factors that affect the HTC Company. The internal environment of an organization comprises of resources, capabilities, and the core competencies. Some of the company’s resources include valuable partnerships, especially with companies such as Microsoft. Moreover, HTC Company has exemplary, innovative design skills exhibited by the employees. This means that the HTC Company prides itself with employees who are committed to innovation. They are always willing to try out creative ideas and participate in collaborations forming teams that have served to bring new products on board. In addition, the employees have an exemplary talent and skill in hardware design and manufacturing. These aspects define some of the resources that HTC Company has. The highly innovative employees define a rare resource for HTC Company giving it a competitive advantage over other companies (Segan 57). The HTC Company has some outstanding capabilities such as research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. These capabilities have contributed to the company’s success in the past and are also likely to propel HTC to further success in the future. In addition, HTC has a strong value chain analysis with primary activities that have propelled it to success. For example, the company’s product design, manufacturing, and value chain in marketing research are some of the leading primary activities. Core competencies define HTC’s basis for competitive advantage. One of the leading core competencies is research and development (Flannery 37). The company excels in this aspect and invests 5% of its revenue to foster research in an effort to create new products. HTC;s product design also qualifies to be an additional core competency. This

SWOT Analysis Essay Example for Free

SWOT Analysis Essay The strength of the company mainly lay on its popularity and its wide range of network. Blockbuster had realized these strengths and has taken advantage of them to the full extent. Advertising and in-house promotion have been performed quite successfully in maintaining the image and popularity of Blockbuster, particularly in the eyes of US consumers. Today, the company has also developed a popular presence on the internet and it has help to increase Blockbuster’s competitive advantage against its competitors (Lieberman, 2004). Blockbuster’s weaknesses include its high cost of operations and maintenance, limited stocks of popular movies and insensitiveness toward recent developments in the industry. Financially, the company needs to reduce operational costs of its stores, because it decreases operating profit into minimum profit or even losses. Strategically, blockbuster needs to maintain awareness of what competitors are doing and develop new programs to attract customers. Within the stagnant market, the company could not afford to miss-out on new development in video rental marketing and sales. Opportunities Opportunities for blockbuster come in several packages. The first is in foreign investments. The company which already has a significant presence and popularity in United States could easily gain market share in Europe or even developing countries that crave American products. Another opportunity is increasing customer service by recording customer preferences in corporate data. †¢ Threats One of the apparent problems in the video-rental industry is related to copyright issues and legal aspect of the business. Players within the industry are threatened by the presence of many illegal download centers on the internet. Sales have already been reported decreasing due to the prevalent of illegal downloading activities. On the other hand, video rentals have the obligation to pay legal fees for every title it possess which prevent them from competing with the decreasing costs of downloading movies through the internet. II. Conclusions This paper has elaborated the performance of Blockbuster Inc by using the environmental and SWOT analysis. From the financial perspectives, the company shows the declining performance due to cost of rental revenue was recorded to increase while sales were decreasing. The companies also experience the hardest force from industry that faces several technology alternatives for seeing movies. The situation causes the company to experience declining revenue into $5. 7 billion in 2006. In terms of sales, 2006 actually revealed a declining performance, but it is still much better compare to 2002. Vertical analysis on the other hand, described a tendency of financial development. Blockbuster records more than $5 billion in 2006. In terms of sales, 2006 actually revealed a declining performance, but it is still much better compare to 2002 sales (Blockbuster Inc, 2006). The undulating Blockbuster performance has caused the undulating performance as well. Furthermore, from the environmental analysis, we find that movie rental industry has a stagnant market condition since the substitutes of products are vastly available from the video download via iPod and the free sample of video at www. youtube. com, for instances. Although the company faces threat for their future business, still, they have the strong brand when expanding into foreign market especially the Europe. III. Recommendations Following professional guidance along with taking advantage of the internal and external analysis previously performed, we will then formulate several of the foreseeable solutions and suggestions. These general suggestions to increase Blockbuster’s operational efficiency are ones that might already exist within the corporate strategy, but requires further attention and development: †¢ Providing Employee with Access to Required Information Employers always suggested that employees should do their best to satisfy customers and generate a rebuy or revisit. Ironically, some employers are doing this without equipping their employees with the proper tools to provide customers with satisfactory services. Those tools could be sufficient training, guidance in the workplace or access to sufficient information. Block buster should pay attention particularly to the latter tool. By developing a customer preference list, employees could help customer pick-out movies that they would like. This would not only increase customer retention but increase employee working satisfaction.   Improve Employee Satisfaction and retention People that have the best knowledge on how to enhance the operational efficiency of a rental operation are the employees. Employers should spend time and effort ensuring that employees are performing their functions with sufficient motivation to recognize efficiency opportunities if they see one. Most workplaces are trapped with poor efficiency performance because they never let employees provide them with suggestions and insights. Develop Long-term Technology Plan. One of the recorded mistakes of Blockbuster is not to create their presence in the internet when they should have. An untimely entrance to an extremely competitive market could well mean no entrance at all. To prevent similar occurrences, Blockbuster should develop a long term technology plans where managers of the company formulate long term objectives of the company and then revise a technological plan based on the formulated goals. †¢ Reducing Rental Centers For a more radical solution, the company could simply reduce the amount of retail locations to reduce operational cost. Instead of building and maintaining stores every 5 blocks, the company could otherwise increase the technology investments in remaining stores and provide customers with state of the art customer services. †¢ Rent-out Spaces Furthermore, in locations which are not contributing sufficient profit, Blockbuster could rent the space for external businesses. This has been a normal practice for many gas stations or other business settings when they have unproductive space within their facilities. Other opportunities could be gained from partnering with other video-rent retailers. Partnering with other Retailers Instead of building new stores and increasing operational costs, Blockbuster could otherwise try to create alliances with other existing resources retailers. An example of those retailers could be the grocery chains. Blockbuster could sign a leasing agreement with the grocery store and perform operations within the grocery store. There are two main advantages of this plan, first, Blockbuster will only need to pay for the lease instead of building and maintaining another building, and second, Blockbuster could benefit from gaining access to customers of the grocery store. If the first implementation of this strategy is successful, Blockbuster should begin to consider the benefits of moving all of Blockbuster’s retail locations into grocery stores. Bibliography About Blockbuster. com. 2006. 08 Mar. 2006 http://www. blockbuster. com BBI: Profile for BLOCKBUSTER INC. 2006. Retrived February 20, 2008 from http://www. finance. yahoo. com/q/pr? s=BBI Blockbuster Inc; Investor Relations – Various Press Releases; 2005-2006 http://www. blockbuster. com Brem, Lisa and Narayanan, V. G.2002; That’s a Wrap: The Dynamics of the Video Rental Industry; Harvard Business School Case 9-102-051. Lieberman, David. 2004. â€Å" Blockbuster jabs back at rivals†. USA Today. â€Å"Videotape Rental. † 2004. Encyclopedia of American Industries. U of Florida Business Lib. , Gainesville, 20 July 2004 http://www. galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/BCRC. Wagner, Holly J. â€Å"2003: a breakout year for previously viewed: top previously viewed retailers. † Business Company Resource Center (2004). U of Florida Business Lib. , Gainesville, 20 July 2004 http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/BCRC.

Progress On E Commerce In Pakistan

Progress On E Commerce In Pakistan Electronic commerce e-commerce was often thought simply to refer to buying and selling using the Internet; people immediately think of consumer retail purchases from companies such as Amazon. But e-commerce involves much more than electronically mediated financial transactions between organizations and customers. Now it is broadally defined as all types of electronic transactions between organizations and stakeholders whether they are financial transactions or exchanges of informaion or other services. (Cheffey, 2009). The Internet is a force for change, creating new business economies (Lambert, 2002) and altering considerably the worlds economies (Rayport and Jaworski, 2001). The literature stresses the importance of such new technologies to the economy as a whole and to SMEs in particular. Although, Martin and Matlay (2003) contend that such wide-ranging beliefs over the Internet have yet to be supported by any empirical evidence. Tidd et al. (2001) consider the Internet to be one of the defining symbols of twenty-first century innovation that has transformed our conceptual notions of how we value knowledge to new economy. E-commerce has become well over 100 billion dollars market with a growth rate of almost seventy percent per year (Aamir Atta 2008). It is not very costly investment to do business on internet. It is estimated that in near future, almost 25% of the traditional business will be converted into internet business. The business and the corporate world, suitably supported by the IT industry, already stands shifted, which is estimated to exceed $400 billion this year (Dr. Mushtaq A. Sajid 2003). At the end of 2008 nearly 1,596 million people or 23.8 % of total populations of the world had access to the Internet. This represents an increase of 342.2% over the year 2000. Asian countries account for 474.9 % growth while rest of the world grew by nearly 280.7 % in the same period (The Internet Coaching Library, 2009). This is a departure from the post-industrial business age that is typified by physical goods, towards a knowledge led economy where service, information and intelligence are the main currencies (Rayport and Jaworski, 2001). There have always been new economies (Clayton, 2002). What makes this innovation different are four distinct characteristics: immediate access to world-wide markets of information; better speed to market; the transformation of business processes; and the shift in the balance of power between suppliers and customers as information becomes more widely available. It is suggested by most studies that e-commerce runs through four steps. The first step is to let the world know about your existence through building your own website. The website contains useful information about your company, the product/services you sell and other related information, which certainly increases the chance to of your success. The second step involves convincing customers to loose their pockets and buy your product/services online. Adoption of advance level of software capable of handling orders is required in this step. In the third step, the business is managed by improving inventory management and last but the most important step is to provide payments facility through online banking partnership between buyers and sellers, which is the most difficult and complex part of e-commerce (Nissanoff, Daniel 2006). The most widespread and admired forms of e-commerce are business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumers (B2C). Government-to-citizens (G2C) and Business-to-government (B2G) and are other forms, running on the internet but with low steam. However, the use of earlier two still dominates the internet (Chaudhury, Abijit; Jean-Pierre Kuilboer 2002). E-commerce in Pakistan In the underdeveloped societies only a few businesses have attempted e-commerce and most have failed to identify economic benefits considering it a waste of time and resources. There is no convincing and detailed study of e-commerce opportunities in poor societies. Most of the parameters, which have contributed to the growth of e-commerce in developed countries, are missing in these underdeveloped societies (Shahid Mahmood 2008). According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), internet access has been available in Pakistan since the mid-1990s. PCTL started offering access via the nationwide local call network in 1995. By early 2006 Internet penetration remained low. There are 18.5 million internet users in Pakistan as of June 2009, which is 10.4% of total population. It was 0.1% in 2000 with total internet users of just 134,000 (Internet World Stat 2009). Since we are now promoting global e-commerce in Pakistan, it should be known to us that almost 78% of the e-commerce activity takes place in the USA. This is obviously not possible without the use of internet in that country (Attock News 2010). Pakistan can make good use of this opportunity with proper planning and execution. To begin with, let us focus on the domestic front before going all out for the global market. Currently the growth of c-commerce in Pakistan is vulnerable by various factors. The pace of growth is slow due to some barriers. It is therefore inevitable to remove these barriers for E-commerce to grow in the country (Business Recorder 2008). A survey about e-commerce in Pakistan was conducted by propakistani that found some hard realities about current status (Teabreak 2008). However, in contrary to my findings, Mr. Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi, CEO of a US based firm get Pakistan.com in an interview says that he sees a lot of activities of e-commerce in the country these days. Committees are formed to discuss various issues and educational institutes are doing seminars. All this may look good on the surface but I still feel for successful adoption of e-commerce we need a greater commitment from regulators and private sector. The key is not identifying the need the key lies in the speed of execution. Unfortunately we are lagging behind other economies in the region in this regard (Getpakistan.com). Progress on E-commerce in Pakistan Pakistan is one of the fifteen members of Asia Pacific Council for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport aiming to support the United Nations Centre, a non-governmental organization that promotes trade facilitation, electronic business policies and activities in the Asia-Pacific region (Ecommerce Journal 2009). Global Technology Forum identifies some developments made so far made in this area by the government (Ebusinessforum 2006): Almost 4,000 bank branches are computerised, many of them offer online funds transfers from overseas. E-merchant accounts were permitted by State Bank of Pakistan in February 2001 but due to inadequate infrastructure and security concerns, only Citibank offered these accounts to a limited number of business sectors. In December 2005, the Central Board of Revenue (CBR), the tax authority, started online tax facilities including online tax returns. The Information Technology and Telecommunications Division was established in July 2000. The purpose was to provide various e-commerce related incentives to industry and the provision of resources for educational and infrastructure building. The National Information Technology Policy was launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology in August 2000. As per latest information, the total spending (by the government and private sector) on information, communications and technology in Pakistan was US$10bn during 2005/06. Various e-commerce projects and programs were started in both public and private sectors in August 2006. The government had planned new IT and e-commerce projects worth well over PKR 4.5bn up to 2007. The government further aimed to produce 100,000 graduates a year in IT studies from the seven new IT universities it has already set up (Global Technology Forum 2006). The Lahore Chamber of Commerce Industry (LCCI) has recently signed a Memorandum of Undersanding (MoU) with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to improve productivity by providing tailor-made IT solutions to Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country. PITB will arrange IT Workshops for the staff of the companies in SME sector to develop human resource and businesses in accordance with global IT advancement. Both partners has further agreed to promote awareness about IT parks among business community to explore potential for joint ventures related to technology with foreign computer firms (Aamir Attaa 2010). They have further agreed to improve the strategy to integrate IT into businesses. This will no doubt pave the way of e-commerce for SMEs. The book entitled Secrets of Electronic Commerce (ITC 2009) addresses issues such as understanding of various technical terms, devising electronic commerce strategies, protecting consumer privacy and intellectual property, sending electronic signatures and generating traffic for small/new web sites. SMEs in Pakistan Martin and Matlay (2003) suggest SMEs are a heterogeneous and complex mix of economically active units. Most working definitions of SMEs emanate from the Bolton Committee report of 1971, which defines a small firm as independent, owner managed and with a small market share. The Bolton report offered a variety of statistical definitions, namely that the size of the firm was relevant to the sector it was in and that in certain sectors it was more suitable to classify the size of the firm by the number of employees. The use of so many definitions has its critics who argue that it impedes statistical analysis. Such criticism is often dismissed by claiming that these definitions all have their different uses (Beaver, 2002). Pakistan is more closed to Germany to define the limits of company to fit under SME; with maximum 250 employees, paid up capital of Rs.25 million (USD 0.3 million) and annual sales of up to Rs.250 million (USD 3 million). The Federal Government, in line with the econom ic development of Pakistan may, from time to time modify the eligibility criteria as it sees fit. All providers of services receiving funding from the Government may define more narrow scopes for specific targeting purposes. Moreover, different institutions have set their own criteria to define SME. In Pakistan, SMEDA (Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority), established in October 1998, is a premier institution of the Govt. of Pakistan under Ministry of Industries and Production, to take on the challenge of developing Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. It thrives to provide an enabling environment and business development services to small and medium enterprises. SMEDA is not only an SME policy-advisory body for the government of Pakistan but also facilitates other stakeholders in addressing their SME development agendas (SMEDA 2009). In a survey report arranged by Asian Development Bank (ADB), it has been revealed that Pakistan has become the slowest-growing country in South Asia during the last decade. Large scale manufacturing has recovered significantly in the last couple of days, but there are still concern about its sustainability, spread and robustness. Small and medium scale industry has not made a corresponding recovery yet (Bari, Cheema, Haque 20 05). They have mentioned seven constraints in the growth of SME in the country but none of them covers e-commerce. SME growth in not inhibited by technological barriers to entry (Kemal 1993). E-commerce for SME Issues Challenges E-commerce is an issue-driven field. The issues that concern us are those with the potential to throw weighty spanners in the works of ecommerce players. They form aspects of a climate that affects all players equally. Open legal, technical, and cultural issues have the power to flex the architectures of the best-prepared ecommerce player (May P. 2000). The author in his book has identified some issues e.g. (1) Legal issues such as Intellectual Property, Responsibility Privacy, Regulation Taxation, (2) Technical issues such as Platform risk, Communication disconnect, Skills and (3) Market issues. In this context, we will therefore, try to find issues being faced by SME in Pakistan to adopt e-commerce. Numerous studies into the use of e-commerce in SMEs recently have been of an exploratory and qualitative nature (Drew 2002). While there is rapid growth and development of dot-coms and the new economy, SMEs in developing countries have been slower to adopt e-commerce than their developed countries (Intrapairot and Srivihok 2003). Moreover, there are several issues that have been raised in recent SME literatures, which include: Exploring the advantage and disadvantage of e-commerce in Thai SMEs (Intrapairot and Srivihok, 2003) The importance of e-commerce infrastructure in facilitating the e-commerce adoption initiatives for SMEs in developing countries (Jennex et al. 2004, Stylianou et al. 2003). The use of e-commerce by manufacturing sector of Italian SMEs (Santarelli and DAltri, 2003). Adoption attributes that may affect e-commerce use in Brunei SMEs (Seyal and Rahman 2003) Factors influencing e-commerce adoption decisions in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand (Lertwongsatien and Wongpinunwatana 2003) The use of e-commerce in Australian SMEs (MacGregor et al. 1998). In addition, the business press and trade journals have also given coverage to many of the issues faced by SMEs in moving into e-commerce (Matlay and Addis 2003, Phillips 1998, Schlenker and Crocker 2003). However, there are some issues that have received very little attention in research to date, such as: Framework that helps SMEs evaluate the strategic use of e-commerce as well as guiding the adoption process. Assessment of e-commerce application and post adoption experiences in different sectors of Pakistans SMEs. There is limited research on how businesses have integrated e-commerce strategy into existing business strategy, although authors (such as Doherty and McAulay 2002) have suggested it is important that e-commerce investments be driven by corporate strategies. Strategy Developing an e-commerce strategy requires a fusion of existing approaches to business, marketing, supply chain management and information systems strategy development. In addition to traditional strategy approaches, commentators have exhorted companies to apply innovative techniques to achieve competitive advantage. Around the start of the new millennium, many articles, fuelled by the dot-com hype of the time, urged CEOs to innovate or die (Chaffey 2009). Strategy defines the future direction and actions of an organization or part of an organization. (Johnson and Scholes 2006) define corporate strategy as: the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a changing environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations. It can also be described as an organizations sense of purpose. However, he notes that purpose alone is not strategy; plans or actions are also needed (Lynch 2000). E-commerce strategy share much in common with corporate, business and marketing strategies. The organizations have different levels of strategy, particularly for larger or global organizations (Johnson and Scholes 2006). They have not expressly stated about strategy for SMEs but since they have mentioned that larger orgnizations do have different strategy, therefore, we can assume that strategy of SMEs must be different. However, the difference in strategies is not the core of our debate here. We should be familiar with the integeration of e-commerce strategy into existing strategy. One might question why the presence of e-commerce has expanded very rapidly in recent years. The answer is simply because of the opportunities and benefits that are evident from the current implementation by many organisations. The concept of strategic use e-commerce through the utilisation of Internet software and services also endeavours to link Internet use with opportunities it offers to the firm (Sadowski et al. 2002). It further recognises that the strategic potential Internet use allows exercising the control over the bounds of relationships and interfaces used in relationships between customers and the business, which are also related to the firms strategies. E-commerce has offered a variety of potential benefits both to SMEs and large business. Numerous studies claim their findings on the benefit and impact of e-commerce. Those findings are summarised into the following points (Chan 2001, Schneider 2002): E-commerce offers unmatched savings in terms of transaction costs The reduction of cost in advertising and promotion Speed communication between buyer and seller Companies can shorten their traditional supply chains, minimise transport obstacles, and reduce delivery costs. Physical limitations of time and space are removed. Despite the attractive benefits that SMEs may obtain from adopting e-commerce into their business, SMEs possess significant problems in identifying the appropriate application of e-commerce and its strategy due to the lack of knowledge and planning. Consequently, it is hardly surprising to witness that most of the SMEs owner/managers will finally develop their strategy through a trial-and-error method. An assessment of success factors for e-commerce strategy implementation in SMEs has been produced by Jeffcoate et al. (2002). They suggest 11 critical success factors, which can also be usefully applied to larger organizations: 1. Content: The effective presentation of a product or services 2. Convenience: The usability of the web site 3. Control: The extent to which organizations have defined processes that they can manage. 4. Interaction: The means of relationship building with individual customers. 5. Community: The means of relationship building with groups of like-minded individuals or organizations. 6. Price sensitivity: The sensitivity of a product or service to price competition on the Internet. 7. Brand image: The ability to build up a credible brand name for e-commerce 8. Commitment: A strong Motivation for using the Internet and the will to innovate 9. Partnership: The extent to which an e-commerce venture uses partnerships (value chain relationships) to leverage Internet presence and expand its business. 10. Process improvement: The extent to which companies can change and automate business processes. 11. Integration The provision of links between underlying iT systems in support of partnership and process improvement. Adoption E-commerce has introduced new opportunities for small and large organizations to compete in the global marketplace. Many experts have noted that one of the biggest changes introduced by electronic communications is how approaches to transmitting and transforming information can be used for competative advantage. The electronic commerce provides significatn opportunities for many businesses to build closer relationships with their existing customers and suppliers online to help achieve customer retntion. Its usage by stakeholders can significantly reduce costs while providing a new, convenient channel for purchase and customer service. Organizations can build lasting relationships with their stakeholders by providing high-quality online services. We should assess the impact of e-commere on our market place and organizations (Cheffey 2009). Business adoption of e-commerce and e-business is driven by benefits to different parts of their organization. First and foremost, they are concerned how the benefits of e-commerce will impact on profitbility or generating value to an organization. The two main ways in which this can be achieved are: Potential for increased revenue due to extended reach to a large number of customers, repeat transactions among existing customers and encouraging loyality. Reduction in cost achieved by delivering services electronically. This includes staff clost, transport and material cost such as stationery, etc (Cheffey 2009). Until a few years ago, the academic literature was giving very little information on why SMEs adopt e-commerce. However, now rather more information could be found on the broader aspects of information and communication technology (ICT) adoption and the use of the Internet in general. Thus, the reasons for ICT, Internet and e-commerce adoption by SMEs are complex and often interrelated. It is thought that much of this early adoption of the Internet was motivated by a mixture of management eagerness, the need for better communications and that for most businesses it presented an affordable admission price to world markets prior to establishing more important business relationships (Simpson and Docherty 2004). Although Dixon et al. (2002) found a lack of any empirical research on the effect of ICT on SMEs and of the modest amount that there was much of it involved cross-sectional studies rather than longitudinal comparisons. The comparative wealth of research in the area of ICT adoption (compared to e-commerce) suggests that an SMEs inherent qualities of size and flatter organisational structure make them more predisposed to facilitating innovation. According to Tidd et al. (2001) the major factors for successful innovation are a mixture of having a dedicated and motivated individual, usually the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and paying attention to a multitude of good management activities and attitudes. This includes the ability to predict and respond to the business environment and industry changes. In part this concurs with Cragg et al.s (2001) view that SMEs with a CEO with a penchant for Information Technology (IT) and innovation would be more likely to adopt IT. Cragg et al. (2001) concluded that three issues that were likely to have an effect on the take up of the Internet by SMEs was the perceived benefits, organisational readiness and external pressures. However, Dongen et al. (2002) argue that much of the literature supposes that ICT adoption is for opportunistic reasons, based on cost, rather than for strategic reasons. Van Beveren and Thomson (2002) point out that the most cited reasons for e-commerce adoption tend to be those based upon the companys size and their perceived importance of e-commerce to their business purpose. While Daniel and Myers (2002) found that as a company grows in size it becomes more difficult to communicate with customers and this leads to the adoption of e-commerce. Although the work of Bodorick et al. (2002) did not focus specifically on SMEs they suggest that e-commerce readiness and adoption are likely to vary by industry sector. Martin and Matlay (2003) found that micro-businesses that focus on providing business services w ere more likely to adopt ICT than similar sized manufacturing firms while Daniel and Myers (2002) found that the older the SME the less likely they were to use e-commerce. Kalakota and Robinson (2001) see the adoption of e-commerce as more of an external pressure brought about by a new type of customer value proposition of what they want, when and how they want it and at the lowest cost. Daniel and Myers (2002) and Dongen et al. (2002) found that responding to competitors was also likely to be an important driver towards the adoption of e-commerce. Timmers (1999) uses Michael Porters five forces model to argue that e-commerce creates almost perfect competition as barriers to entry are reduced, transaction costs lowered, customers are able to obtain better access to information, customer driven pricing is possible and all with the minimum of legislation and regulation. In addition, low entry costs leading to an early return on investment whilst safeguarding such investment was seen as a major attraction of e-commerce (Timmers, 1999). Daniel and Myers (2002) found that the overall reason for the adoption of e-commerce by SMEs was to enhance c ustomer relationships either through improving customer services, developing the brand, seeking out new customers or to allow for discourse with customers. The notion was that these businesses better understand how competitive differentiation can be achieved by developing superior customer relationships. Kalakota and Robinson (2001) have similar views claiming that through the use of e-commerce companies can become the best, most recognisable and also the cheapest. That is, e-commerce can create opportunities for a combination of differentiation and cost leadership strategies to be employed (Campbell-Hunt, 2000). Cragg et al. (2001) found three types of perceived benefits namely, relative advantage, communication (over more traditional methods such as the telephone) and as a business tool i.e. something that is a part of everyday business. Cragg et al. (2001, p. 172) argue that: Those that have not adopted the Internet must seek a business benefit, for example they may pursue advant ages over traditional methods of advertising. More pragmatic advice can be found in the literature targeted at small businesses and which praises the benefits of e-commerce from both the business and customer perspectives (Bradshaw, 2001). For example, e-commerce allows businesses to trade and receive payments online non-stop and leaves customers satisfied because the business is always open. In addition, e-commerce has other benefits such as lowering the running costs of the business, allowing access to a wider market and saves time for the customer who will also feel in control (Bradshaw, 2001). It has been suggested that some small businesses only exist because of moving onto the Internet and the notion of the Internet as a salvation for some businesses appears to be a relatively new idea (Wroe, 2002). Barriers Cheffey (2009) explains about a DTI study conducted in 2002 evaluating some of the barriers to e-commerce, specially to B2B, which remain valid today. The reason of cost is the most important factor, following by some other factors, eighteen in total, which can cause hurdles in the growth of e-commerce in the industry. Adoption of e-business by established SMEs is generally less han that in larger businesses. This is principally a consequence of he negative attitude of managing directors and CEOs o the business benefits of information and communication technology. Our study will highlight the barriers to e-commerce, if there are any, in the country hurdling in the adoption by SMEs. Tunyo (2008) highlights some barriers to the e-commerce in the country. He says that the size of e-commerce in the country is small and also uncertain at the moment and the growth of e-commerce is hampered by a number of factors and it is inevitable to remove these hurdles for e-commerce to grow in the country. The major barriers are; Misconception about e-commerce Mistruct Traditional nature of society Literacy rate Access to internet services Lack of e-transportation services Poor distribution channels The study will conclude with an overall assessment of the current status of the adoption of e-commerce by SMEs and forecast of the future of e-commerce in this sector.

Analysis Of Anne Franks Diary

Analysis Of Anne Franks Diary Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl takes place between June 12, 1942 and August 1, 1944 in Amsterdam, Holland. Specifically, it takes place in their Secret Annex which is hidden behind a bookcase in Mr. Van Daan and Mr. Franks office. The place is cramped with many people, and they must be very quiet so they do not blow their cover. There are workers working in the building where they are so any noise they make is a risk. Characters Anne Frank is the narrator of the book. She is a young, teenage girl of the Jewish faith. The story takes place during the holocaust, so Anne and her family are hiding in a Secret Annex. Anne was a very popular girl in school with both boys and girls. Wanting to be a writer when she grows up, Anne loves to read and write. Margot Frank is Annes sister and three years older. She is quieter and more serious than Anne. Margot gets along better with their parents and becomes closer with Anne throughout the book. Otto Frank is Anne and Margots dad. He is the one who arranges their hiding spot in the Secret Annex. Mr. Frank is modest and quiet with a very close relationship with Anne. He teaches her most of her subjects including Algebra and English. Edith Frank, Anne and Margots mother, has a horrible relationship with Anne. She does not fit the image of what a mother should be according to Anne. It seems as though she always takes Margots side which really ticks Anne off. Peter Van Daan is the son of another family hiding with the Franks. He appears to be boring at first to Anne, but soon enough they fall in love. Peter is a bit older than Anne, but that doesnt stop them from having a relationship. He starts to cling to her and Anne finds out he does not like religion. Both of these are reasons why Anne eventually dumps him. He does not even make the smallest attempt to change his ways which disgusts Anne. Petronella Van Daan is Peters mom. She does not get along with Anne at all. In fact, she criticizes Anne constantly and flirts with Mr. Frank which really gets Anne mad. However, Anne finds her easier to talk to than her own mother. Hans Van Daan is Peters dad and Mrs. Van Daans wife. He often criticizes Anne like most of the adults. Albert Dussel shares a room with Anne and is the last one to arrive in the Secret Annex. He was a dentist before he went into hiding. Anne likes him at first, but soon she discovers his true personality and has an opposite opinion of him. Occasionally, she would do things to annoy him on purpose. A secondary character in the book is Peter Wessel, a young man who Anne crushes on. Anne often dreams of Peter and once dreamt of him touching her cheek. She hopes that they can be together when it is safe to come out of hiding. Plot Anne Frank is a normal teenage girl living a perfectly normal life until she finds out that the dictator of Germany, Adolph Hitler, is executing all Jews for no good reason. Her and her family are forced to go into hiding so the Nazis dont take them away to concentration camps. They hide in an attic behind a bookcase in Mr. Franks office. They call it the Secret Annex. The three members of the Van Daan family (Petronella, Hans, and Peter) and Mr. Dussel, a former dentist, also hide with the Franks for their own safety. The rising action is when the family is sitting around the radio listening to the news about the ongoing war. They hear that things are getting better and the war is on the verge of ending. However, unknown to the Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel, things really arent getting better. The climax of the story is when Hitler was informed that there are Jews hiding in an annex. Hitler sends Nazis to go and find them. The eight of them are discovered and they are no longer safe. The falling action is when the characters were taken off to concentration camp. They knew they were probably going to die, but tried to look on the bright side. They all were separated except for Margot and Anne who stayed together. The resolution is when Miep finds Annes diary left in the annex. She was looking around in the room after they had been taken away. Miep saw a plaid cloth and went to pick it up. The diary, she soon learned, was under the cloth and an inspirational diary at that. Theme(s) I believe the main theme is isolation in two different ways. The first is physical because the Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel are physically cut-off from the rest of the world. It is just the eight of them cramped inside a small annex. They cannot go outside, they can barely even make noise, and they lived on the same foods for a while. They are isolated from the outside world. The isolation theme of this book is also mental because Anne feels isolated from her family and friends hiding in the secret annex. Even while all eight of them are in the same room, Anne feels cut-off from most of the people there, especially her mother. Inside Anne, she is as far away from her mother as she can be, even if theyre sharing a chair. Anne feels the same way about Mrs. Van Daan and others hiding with her: isolated. Conflicts The conflict of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl involves the Germans and the Jews. The story takes place in the middle of World War II and the Holocaust. The Germans, or Nazis, are executing all Jews under Adolph Hitlers command. Jews were sent to concentration camps, which is the same as saying death row. A lot of Jews were sent into hiding, but most were discovered by the German army. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel are hiding from the Nazis in this book. Those hiding in the Secret Annex were avoiding concentration camp, extreme torture, and death. They did not have a choice to hide unless they wanted to die, and would not have a choice to go to the camp if they were found. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel must keep their cover, stay quiet, and wait in hiding until the war is over and it is safe for a Jew to walk the streets in Holland. Important Passages Anne says, I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I think this is a very inspirational quote. Anne is facing death at an unknown time, yet she is still very positive. This should instigate use to stay positive. The next time we are faced with a difficult situation and are down with pessimism, we can think of Anne Frank. This innocent girls problem was probably ten times as worse as what we are facing; nevertheless she still looks on the bright side as should we when facing an obstacle. Anne also say, Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a persons character lies in their own hands. I think this is a good passage from the book because it explains that you should be your own person and you are in the drivers seat of your life. You can be whatever you want to be no matter what others tell you. I think this is good advice for a lot of kids. Even though others can guide you through life, ultimately you make your own decisions about your life. You control your life, use it wisely, do what you love, and have fun doing it! Vocabulary Florin: a cupronickel coin of Great Britain, formerly equal to two shillings or the tenth part of a pound and retained in circulation equal to 10 new pence after decimalization in 1971 Palpitation: an unusually or abnormally rapid or violent beating of the heart Gibe: to utter mocking or scoffing words Opklap: Dutch type of bed, which folds against the wall to look like a bookcase with curtains before it Wangle: to bring about, accomplish, or obtain by scheming or underhand methods Faze: to cause to be disturbed or disconcerted Calligraphy: highly decorative handwriting Finicky: excessively particular or fastidious Saboteur: a person who commits or practices sabotage Paragon: a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence Universal Connection Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is about an entire race of Jews being executed just because they are Jewish. Racism in the world today is comparable to the Holocaust because they were both discrimination against a race for no good reason. Now in most cases racism today is not as extreme, but it is still racial discrimination. It was wrong back then and it is wrong now. This is a connection between the book and the world today. I can make a personal connection to this book because I sometimes feel as if adults are out to get me when they criticize me. All kids hate being criticized by adults and find at least one adult annoying, including me. Anne had bad relationships with the adults there and I know how she feels because Ive been there before. Sometimes, you just want to talk back to a teacher or scream at a coach, but what makes it worse is you know you cant. Anne felt this way in the book and Ive felt this way before in life. This is how I connect to this book personally. Reflective Questioning I would ask Anne Frank so many questions if I had the chance when she was alive. I would ask things like what was it like hiding for years, did you ever think you would be found, and what went through your mind when you were found. However, I think the first questions I would ask are, Did you ever think your diary would be published and have millions of copies sold? If you knew you did, would you have added anything or taken anything out before its publishing? I would ask that because a lot of what she wrote was personal and I would hate to share all of my personal feelings and thoughts with millions of strangers all around the world. I would like to know if she felt the same. I would rate this book a five of ten. It wasnt one of the worst books I have ever read, but it was clearly not one of the best. I do not like stories that date that far back; I like books that are more modern. Also, I found it boring that it was the same thing every day: they ate the same foods, she writes her adoration for Peter, she complains about the adults, and she writes that she will one day be free. Another reason I did not like it is that it was too slow and took too long to read. I understand it is a classic, and the fact it is a true story is unbelievable. However, it is just not my kind of book. I prefer a book easier to relate to, or a book about a subject I am interested in.

Template for Departments Injury and Illness Prevention Program at the University of California, Berkeley :: essays research papers

Template for Departments' Injury and Illness Prevention Program at the University of California, Berkeley (Note: This template was downloaded from the web site of the Office of Environment, Health & Safety at the University of California, Berkeley, http://ehs.berkeley.edu/. The forms mentioned in this template can also be downloaded from the web site. Click on â€Å"Injury & Illness Prevention Program† under the â€Å"Services, Programs, & Compliance Assistance† heading on the EH&S home page.) Departments at the University of California, Berkeley can use the following template to create a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that meets the requirements of state law. (Each department at UC Berkeley is required to have its own IIPP.) Putting the written program into action will help to ensure a healthful and safe workplace for department employees. To use the template, replace any italicized text with your department's specific information. Then send a copy to the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) at 317 University Hall #1150 for review. (You may also send it as an e-mail attachment to ehs@uclink.berkeley.edu.) EH&S will review the draft against applicable legal requirements. The next step is to put the program into action. An IIPP's benefits will be realized only through effective implementation. University of California, Berkeley (Department Name) Injury and Illness Prevention Program (Date adopted) University of California, Berkeley (Department Name) Injury and Illness Prevention Program TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE II. RESPONSIBILITIES III. IDENTIFYING WORKPLACE HAZARDS IV. COMMUNICATING WORKPLACE HAZARDS V. CORRECTING WORKPLACE HAZARDS VI. INVESTIGATING INJURIES AND ILLNESSES VII. EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING VIII. ENSURING COMPLIANCE IX. RECORD KEEPING X. CAMPUS SAFETY RESOURCES APPENDICES University of California, Berkeley (Department Name) Injury and Illness Prevention Program I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE It is the policy of the University of California, Berkeley to maintain a safe and healthful work environment for each employee (including student and contract employees), and to comply with all applicable occupational health and safety regulations. The (Department Name) Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) is intended to establish a framework for identifying and correcting workplace hazards within the department, while addressing legal requirements for a formal, written IIPP. II. RESPONSIBILITIES ( Department Head's title, and name) (Name of department head) has primary authority and responsibility to ensure departmental implementation of the IIPP and to ensure the health and safety of the department's faculty, staff and students. This is accomplished by communicating the Berkeley campus's emphasis on health and safety, analyzing work procedures for hazard identification and correction, ensuring regular workplace inspections, providing health and safety training, and encouraging prompt employee reporting of health and safety concerns without fear of reprisal.

Plastic Surgery Essay -- Plastic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery

Have you ever considered having plastic surgery? After reading this paper you might want the surgery or you might not. Plastic surgery, a form of art, can reconstruct your body and renew your confidence but can you accept the risks involved?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Plastic surgery ranges from one- thousand dollars to three- thousand dollars or more depending on the surgery (Body fat reduction: Suction-Assisted Lipectomy). There are plenty types of plastic surgery. One type is called liposuction. The best candidates for liposuction are of relatively normal weight with pockets of excess fat in particular areas. They should be physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations. An important thing is to have firm and elastic skin. â€Å"Loose, drooping skin won’t reshape to your body’s new contours, and may require an additional procedure to surgically remove the excess skin. It will leave visible scars'; (Liposuction).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you decide to go through liposuction try diets and weight loss programs. If you can’t loose a certain buldge then liposuction is a good alternative (Thigh Liposculpture). Liposuction is started by making a small incision, (about half an inch or less), in the skin, often in or near the buttock crease or a previous scar. The small suction rod, called a cannula, is inserted and connected to a vacuum source with a suction tube. The vacuum sucks the fat out and leaves everything else intact (Thigh Liposculpture). Usually the surgery takes about an hour or two, but the time required may vary considerably from thirty minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of work your having done. â€Å"If your procedure is not too extensive – that is, if no more than one and a half pints of fat and fluid will be removed – liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia, which numbs the area, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy'; (Lipos uction).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A benefit of having liposuction done is that fat is removed and gone forever. It can offer a new shape for people who thought it was impossible. â€Å"Liposuction will not, however, prevent you from gaining weight in the future, and will not keep you fit and in shape. In order to assume good skin contour, you must be conscientious about wearing the support garments recommended be your doctor'; (Thigh Liposculpture). Does the fat come back? â€Å"Fat cells are not though to regenerate, and ... ...ressed because she saw other women with breast and cleavage she used to have. So she decided to go through reconstruction. The danger of silicon gel was circulating widely so she went to a doctor that reconstructs breast from a women’s own body fat (Nemeth, Mary).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reconstruction by using the woman’s own body fat is dangerous. First, the surgeon opens your abdomen and cuts through your muscles. They have to redirect your arteries and take the fat out. Then, the surgeon reconstructs their breast with the fat. As Carolyn Haltrecht said, â€Å"It took me the whole summer to admit to myself that I’m not very happy with the way I look and there’s nothing wrong with plastic surgery'; (Nemeth, Mary). According to Marcia Angell, â€Å"Polls indicated that the great majority of women with breast implants were pleased with the results'; (Angell, Marcia).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, There are many risks involved in plastic surgery. Although you look like you have always wanted to after plastic surgery, is it worth all the possible effects that could take place? Think hard before you make changes on your body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In short, you cannot meet the future if you look like the past'; (Neimark, Jill).

Pastor

Often many times within a church family such as Grace with over thirty five hundred partners there are bound to be conflict. Any environment whether large or small we are all people, with personalities that some time come together in a manner that does not always show the church family in the best of light. I find people look at livers as we are designed to be different and we are in a way.We as believers are called to be different, yet we are people. This transformation comes not from our doing but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This paper will outline a situation at which such an instance was brought to light. The manner in which the situation was handled by the pastoral staff, and finally, the outcome from the situation as well as the change that took place due to the situation. In order to understand the situation we must talk about the background behind the situation. A few years back Grace Covenant Church had a pastor by the name of Karri.Pastor Karri and my mother got along quite well. As far back as I could remember Pastor Karri and my mother hit it off like sisters. Pastor Karri daughter would come over to my mother's house unannounced and stay for the day Just to sit and talk. Quite often Pastor Carrie's daughter would find herself at my mother's house to take a load off in between classes. Pastor Carrie's daughter Jollied was going to college located in Statistical located about five minutes away from the campus. Jollied would stay hours at a time after she was done with school. I found this to be quite out of the ordinary.Sometime my wife Jessica and I would go up there to see my mom Alba and stay for some time. We would arrive there to find Jollied already there; she would end up staying as long as I did. I remember one time she stayed there until the sun went down. I often asked myself â€Å"why would she stay here this long†? It would seem that Jollied did not want to go home. My mother kept her promise never to bring u p situations that were talked about, and I know it was the hardest thing for my mother to do because she loves to talk. My mother is a talker. She can keep a person on the phone until you fall asleep and she will not even know you fell asleep.One day my mother did break the bond of silence and confided in me on a particular situation. My mother began to unfold the situation that struck her in the heart and she did not know how to handle it. I told her that I would never speak of it, so I will honor my promise to her. Needless to say the situation came out within the pastoral staff and LEAD team in the church. It was brought to our attention due to the pastoral staffs need for us to come together in prayer. The conflict that arose was a preference in the way things should be handled within her family by a pastor within the Grace Covenant family.A situation had broken out with Pastor's Carrie's daughter. The denominational hierarchy as well as the pastoral staff wanted the situation t o be handled in a manner that would not bring to light a situation that could be looked upon by the church partners and the denomination as a pastor that did not know how to maintain control of their family. Here is where I have the problem with the situation and the handling of it within the denomination. People fall short all the mime, that is what missing the mark is.When people in the church family miss the mark those people are not shunned or set aside as outcasts? Those people choose to confess the sin that brought them down, repent of their sin, are forgiven because God is a merciful God and they are led on a Journey which leads them back to the fold of God's arms. My question is very simple, given this circumstance. If the daughter of a pastor was the causing the situation would it not be in the best interest of the church to bring all parties in the situation in and try to come too place where leaning can happen in the pastor's family as well as the church family?The pastor al staff was being told by the denominational board to handle the situation one way, and the pastoral staff its self wanted to handle the situation anther way. Here is where the conflict resided for about six months within the church. Pastor Peripheral and the church staff wanted the healing process to be held within the family before it became worse. The church had come together the way a family should in times of trouble. There was conflict between the denomination and the pastoral staff, coupled gather by the conflict between the pastor Carrie's feelings and her daughter.This tension and conflict brought much division into the church for some months. While the pressure continued to escalate within pastor Carrie's family, as well as the church for the situation, there were grumblings of tension being felt with other staff and volunteers. As I look back at the situation I saw things happening that should not have been happening. John 17:1 1 states Jesus prayed that all believers wo uld be one. Jesus did not want conflict to arise within His people. I could not understand why the research was pushing so hard to have resolve in this issue, in the manner they choose.The back and forth went on for a few and finally Pastor Karri put in her resignation. I firmly believe this was not the right way to handle what had gone yet, this is what took place. I think what really bothered me about the whole situation looking at it in hindsight is all the secrecy that took place. I guess I would have understood if the conflict was interpersonal, that is one thing. This conflict seemed to rest along the sides of organizational views. Could I have less than all the information I believe this could be true.I also look back at the way the pastoral staff handled the issue with Pastor Derrick and I see the staffs willingness to invite the body of Grace Covenant into the sorrow that had taken place. On the other hand Grace Covenant pastoral staff went in front of the church one Sunday and told the body effective immediately Pastor Karri will no longer be on staff at Grace. The reason that was provided was a â€Å"difference of views†. I do not know about you but that was not enough for me. Especially that pastor Karri was overseeing the entire woman's spieling group.This did not settle easy with me nor did it settle with many partners either. As with any conflict within the body of Christ, many women left the church over the decision that took place. My mother and many others stayed due to a trust which developed over time for the pastoral staff to conduct themselves in a manner that promotes God's glory not their own. I can see the growth throughout the pastoral staff from one incident to the next. In regards to Pastor Carrie's incident the staff was very tight lipped about what the reasons for her leaving the church.The pastoral Taft noticed the disruption this kind of activity had upon the cohesiveness of the body at Grace. This type of discord and unk nown within the body would spread like a poison within the body. The pastoral staff did not want this at all. We fast forward months later and the situation with Pastor Derrick arises and not to have a lingering cloud over the body at Grace the truth in all its ugliness was brought out into the open. There is growth and one would say conflict prevention within the body through the two examples. Personally I cannot think of a way to prevent conflict.As I mentioned in my peeing statement. We are all people with different personalities. I do however believe the way to which we conduct ourselves in the midst of conflict is a direct reflection of Christ in our lives. Our example of this is our Lord and Savior Jesus. When the soldiers came to take Him away in the garden of Statement He did not put up a fight. Even as Peter cut Off soldier's ear, Jesus told him â€Å"those who live by the sword die by the sword†. At the center of conflict Jesus remained in peace. He is our example o f living amongst personalities that are different from ours yet living in as one.