Psychology, Theology and the Spiritual Life in Christian Counseling Essay

1. This paper is a book review that will deal with the above work by McMinn and the nature of Christian counseling in general. The work is a whole is designed to be easily read, and reads very quickly at the price of sophistication. Its ultimate purpose is one of integration on wto levels: first, the integration of the â€Å"broken† person back into loving relationships, chiefly with God, who is a God of healing, and second, the immensely important integration of theology with the aims of counseling. Counseling without God is a far less complex affair than Christian counseling. The secular counselor can be safely utilitarian, whatever helps heal the person might be tried or advocated. However, with Christian counseling, the idea of integration is all important. Christians have a specific view of the personality that cannot be ignored in counseling. These ideas on the human personality is based around our inherent sinfulness and â€Å"brokenness. † (McMinn, 1996, 32). This is central, all of humanity is in need of counseling of some sort, but the final end of counseling, that of union with God in and by healthy relationships with other persons, provides far more difficult challenges than the more utilitarian secularist. Furthermore, the idea of the integration of the ego out of its sinful (yet natural) drive to self-sufficiency (cf. 35-40ff) is another specifically Christian idea when coupled with the important idea of Grace, the Grace that is, by its very function, a healing balm. Hence, the counselor must also know how to â€Å"give way† to grace, grace that is not in the control of the counselor. The notion of the â€Å"abuse of power† so important to the chapter on â€Å"Sin†is precisely not realizing the fact that the Christian counselor must act as a conduit of grace and not its â€Å"dispenser. † Thus, the counselor that does not realize this gap, the gap between the counselor and the will of God for the broken victim has failed in his duty. The grace for the believer is always present, and Christian counseling must have a sense that his duty is to help the victim find it. The basic thesis of the book is sound from a theological and a psychological point of view: the modern secular mentality stresses ego satisfaction and ones â€Å"control† over ones life. But this is little more than the institutionalization of original sin: this is the problem, not the solution. This desire, natural to fallen man, to be self-sufficient is the root of all psychological problems. Hence, the work takes this fundamental insight through the various ideas that develop in the process of counseling: prayer, scripture, forgiveness, etc. Each concerns itself with bringing the patient to a fuller understanding of the nature of his alienation, both from others an from God. 2. In the section on prayer, I was struck by several things, things that I recall myself going through. I was always taken aback by the attacks on prayer by both mainline psychology and society at large: why would one pray if God is all knowing? Of course this is not an easy question, and the church fathers dealt with it in some detail. I began to see prayer as being of 2 kinds: the intercessory prayer, or the literal meaning of prayer in the sense as â€Å"to ask. † This is not a part of Christian counseling to any great degree. But the second form of prayer, that of communion and oneness, is. The prayerful meditation of the ancient monks has healing properties even apart of belief. Prayer, as McMinn points out, reduces stress, creates a bond with the counselor, and places the problems of man in a theological context (66ff). The same might be said for his section on Scripture: is not Job an excellent case study for the Christian counselor? Is not David and his sins even better? (Cf. 100) It seems to me that the development of my own prayer life since being involved with counseling has more to do with dealing rather than asking. , In other words, it seems to me that pure prayer is not about asking for things: God knows what we need. Pure prayer is about dealing with that which God has given us in our own development. Suffering is no a bad thing with a prayerful attitude: it permits us to reject the world and its comforts, and to seek our rest in God alone. Christians involved in counseling should avoid, as my experience has shown, treating prayer as a means of â€Å"getting† things. This can lead to disappointment and a belief that God is merely a great cosmic vending machine that exists to grant wishes. I recall my older view that prayer was about â€Å"getting,† instead of â€Å"dealing. † Prayer as a means of communing with God in the midst of suffering is both a very Christian idea as well as a powerful tool in counseling Christians. 3. A major issue that arises from reading this book is the difficulty of the task. The author is writing for a popular audience, and hence, can not get into the deep psychology and theology necessary to make his this work. Theology is the highest of the sciences, and this is because the understanding of Christ as Logos gives both the efficient and final cause of creation, including our minds. The Logos is the being of all things so far as they exemplify a cosmic reason, an interconnectedness that makes nature understandable and law-abiding. But our problem arises, both as Christians and as counselors, when we are forced to deal with the affects of the fall: a nature that bears God’s energy (though not her person), but is only poorly reflected in our minds that have been darkened by sin. Christianity has been worried about this healing since St Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine, who have dealt with the church and the Christian life as primarily a psychological affair, an affair of the consciousness, but a consciousness whose own drives seek to obliterate God and his presence in the interests of self centeredness. The very nature of the book in question cannot get into these issues except in trite examples. The book needs to build upon Christ as Logos before any serious psychology can be done. Putting this differently, the point is that Christ is to be found in the human mind in that it bears traces, fingerprints of the creator, but the creator as the Son, the image of the Father. The cosmic reason found in all things. This is an ontological problem, one that needs to inform all Christian psychology. Th reality is that this book is far too simple, far to â€Å"easy† and cannot gt to th heart of the matter. 4. In terms of action, I want to take from McMinn’s section on Scripture. This is likely the most valuable part of the work, and Scripture, to say the least, is only rarely considered a bok of counseling or psychology. Yet, the scriptures are saturated with psychological insight. Hence, my action here is to begin bringing scriptural sources into counseling. Even with secular patients, the Bible, even if the patient does not necessarily believe its divine origin, still contains many positive and negative examples for people to consider. The sins of David, including murder, are helpful is showing the example of repentance and the fact that a spiritual giant like David can be so flawed. I might say the same of Noah, after his drunkenness. God can forgive anything. The prophets such as Jeremiah or Amos were all persecuted for their beliefs and complete refusal to compromise. For people to be treated harshly because of their faith is something Christ explicitly mentions as the lot of the Christian: scripture is about God’s presence amidst a world that does not recognize him, whether it be the establishment of Judah or the Jewish Pharisees. The Christian Will suffer–there is no getting out of that, it is built into the process of both living and counseling. Christ Himself is such an example. Therefore, in dealing with patients, the Scriptures will be the central component in counseling for the examples they contain: examples of righteous suffering, but suffering with a purpose. Suffering with a purpose is bearable, suffering for no reason is not,. There is not a major figure in the Scriptures that is not persecuted for one reason or another by a world that does not understand te godly life. For us as counselors, nothing can be more important, useful or inspiring.

Group Speech

Today we would like to talk you about finding a more a healthier you. First I will start off with discussing the physical fitness aspect. (Khrys) Next I will be discussing the basic guidelines for eating healthy. (Corey) Thirdly, I shall discuss how to reduce and cope with everyday stress. (Derek) Lastly, I will explain to you the affects that drugs have on your well being. Body First (Ken)Everyone wants a nice body. As men we want to look like those bodybuilders with the veins sticking out and biceps as big as a basketball.And women, they dream of having the perfect hourglass figure like the models in Victoria’s Secret commercials. Pretty much its those who seem to live at the gym. 1. Edward Laskowski from mayo clinic in Rochester Minn. says, â€Å"A lot of people lives start with, 1) you get a bit fat, 2) start to hate the way you look, 3) hit the gym with vengeance, 4) start to look noticeably better, 5) loose motivation and stop working out for a few weeks, and last start all over again. As shown many feel that exercising makes them tired. For most people the feeling of sweat and fatigue is just not natural.Though it is proven that exercising boosts your energy level. Exercising and increasing the heart rate helps carry vital nutrients and oxygen to tissues in the body. 1. Cardio workouts help increase your heart rate. The increase in rate helps blood flow throughout your body carrying oxygen to the muscles being used. 2. Iron is what forms many proteins and enzymes in the body for proper functioning and maintaining a healthy body. Iron is what binds with hemoglobin’s, which is a protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.With all this in mind the body should feel fatigue after exercising. Working out in the morning has best results for daily function. Through the day you will wake up, resulting at the end of the day you will feel tired when it is time to sleep. Also since you have a much deeper sleep, the fallowing day you shall be more focused on what you need to be doing. A. Strength training is a very important aspect. And yes even for women. Ladies don’t worry it is impossible for you to build like a man without using steroids. As a beginner, first off, learn proper technique.Once you have taught the muscles how to properly support weight other than your own body, keep it light and keep it tight. This will help prevent injury from occurring. 1. Start with a single amount of repetitions. You don’t need to be like the body builder at the gym. Do a set 10-12, at the end of the last 2 or 3 you should be struggling. 2. Start slow and with the basics. Stick to squats, dead lifts, bench, pull-ups, sit-ups etc. till you have strengthened yourself. Last and most importantly, rest. The body needs rest and as well plenty of water.When working out the body breaks down muscle fibers leaving you sore sometimes the next day. Next (Khrys)The food and the physical activity we c hoose, will affect our health, and how we feel today, tomorrow, and hopefully in the future. Most of us here today might be eating enough food, but not all of us are eating the correct foods, therefore depriving our body of the vital nutrients we need to stay healthy. A great example of this is in a documentary called â€Å"Supersize Me†. This movie shows the affects of eating breakfast lunch and dinner at McDonalds for thirty consecutive days.Not Good. According to the Department of Health and Human Services the average American diet is too high in calories, sugars, fats, cholesterol, sodium, animal protein, and alcohol, and too low in complex carbs, dietary fiber, fruit’s, vegetables, and water. The key to feeling better today and healthier for tomorrow starts with a good eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low fat milk and milk products. Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. And is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.There is also a correct number of calories you should eat each day, this number depends upon your age, activity level, and whether or not you’re trying to gain, maintain, or lose weight. You can calculate your number on www. healthierus. gov/dietaryguidlines. With healthier eating habits, you can reduce the risks of many chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and increase your chances for a longer more enjoyable life. Thirdly (Corey)In a recent study by the associated press. out of 10 students say they endure stress often and 1 out of 5 students say they deal with it most or all of the time. So it affects us some how or another. Either you or your friends. If not dealt with in the right way stress can lead to more stress and can lead to more unhealthy choices. People we all have problems its how you deal with it that makes it stressful or just another problem. From helpguide. org I have ways to help reduce stress. First identify the sources of stress. Guys this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Some say start a stress journal.Second look at how you cope with the stress. There's the unhealthy way of dealing with stress. Like smoking, drinking to much, overeating or under eating. Then learning how to deal with it the healthy way. Thirdly avoiding unnecessary stress if there someone who gives you stress how about spending less time with him or her. College can be stressful so you don’t need any extra stress. 4th if something can’t be change like having a child to deal with try altering the situation. Like expressing your feelings instead of bottling them up, being more assertive and being open and willing to compromise.If asking someone to change their behavior be willing to do the same. 5th adapt to the stressor if there something you cant changed like a boss. Then try to focus on the positive. Adjust your standards trying to do everything perfe ct is a set up for more stress. 6th Accept the things you can't change. Some stress is just clearly unavoidable like deaths of a love one you cant change that. Sharing your feelings is huge. Learn to forgive bottling up emotions about what someone did to you or someone else does more harm then good.Its like the saying drinking poison and hoping the other guy dies. 7th Make time for fun and relaxation. There healthy ways to do this. Like going for a walk, spend time in nature, Call a good friend, reading a book, watch a comedy. Laughter is a cure people for stress. Lastly is adopt a healthy Lifestyle like exercise regularly, eating a healthy diet, Reduce caffeine and sugar, avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. And Lastly (Derek)Drugs (the effects of drugs on your body, more specifically, the most common drug in use†¦ ) Caffeine Increases energy/concentrationCaffeine was put on rat neurons in vitro (suspended in water) and was found that dendrites would grow, and then retract wh en the neurons got used to the caffeine. Relieves indigestion, stress and hyperactive disorders May aggravate illnesses and disorders causing bone loss over time, temporary hardening of arterial walls (atherosclerosis) undue chemical stress on the brain [wikipedia] Causes low energy and apathy between uses, and of course is addictive, as well as carries the side effects of: anxiousness excitability restlessness dizziness rritability inability to concentrate gastrointestinal (GI) aches headaches that don't seem to go away trouble sleeping weight gain higher risk for diabetes Alternatives Mate (to wean you off) contains a little over half the caffeine of coffee, but in a slightly different form, called mateine. has been shown to lessen the tendency towards obesity induced by a high-fat diet. LDL-cholesterol reduction (that's the bad kind) Uses in treating heart disease contains antioxidants which are good for nearly everything B-vitamins (if you want to quit completely) nergy good for skin and and nucleic acid production (cell regeneration) We have the affects of drugs In conclusion we discussed four key aspects to finding a healthier you first we covered the physical aspect, Next we discussed the basic guide to eating healthier; Thirdly we explained how to cope with daily stress and Lastly we indulged in the effects drugs have on our well being. We hope you all gained something good from our speech, thank you for your time.Work Cited1) â€Å"1 in 5 undergrads is constantly stressed†msn. com[http://www. msnbc. sn. com/id/23693229] The associated press 2008 2) Smith Melinda, Jaffe-Gil Ellen, and Segal Robert â€Å"Stress Management how to reduce, prevent, and cope with stress† Help guide, October 2010. http://helpguide. org? mental? stress_management_relief_coping. htm3) U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. gov4) U. S. Department of Agriculture. gov5) Health. gov/dietaryguidlines/dya2005/document/pdf/brochure. pdf6) Editor. â€Å"10 Reaso ns to Work Out That Have Nothing to Do With a Sexy Body. † PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement. Pick the Brain, Apr. -May 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. .7) â€Å"What Does Iron Do? † A 2 Z of Health and Beauty. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. .8) â€Å"Cardiovascular Disease Statistics† American Heart Association. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. Caffeine's Effects on Health. (n. d. ). Go Ask Alice!. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from www. goaskalice. columbia. edu/1485. html Ellis-Christensen, T. , ; ed. O. Wallace (n. d. ). What are the Negative Effects of Caffeine?. WiseGEEK. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from www. wisegeek. com/what-are-the-negative-effects-of-caffeine. tm Positive and Negative Effects of Caffeine. (n. d. ). HubPages. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from www. hubpages. com/hub/Positive-and-Negative-Effects-of-Caffeine Caffeine. (n. d. ). Wikipedia, the Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from en. wikipedia. org/wiki/caffeine Yerba Mate. (n. d. ). Wikiped ia, the Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Yerba_mate B-Vitamins. (n. d. ). Wikipedia, the Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from en. wikipedia. org/wiki/B-vitamins

Book Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Report - Assignment Example Marginalized Americans retaliated via employing severe and unequaled efforts to regain their dignity, which encompassed students’ movements comprising of daring youths like Young Americans for Freedom (Young Americans for Freedom) besides others (Foner 1046). The period between 1960s until mid 1970s, marked the most decisive era in America’s history that yielded to the start of marginalized recognition, which the current natives are enjoying. This was an explosion of what the then parents were experiencing due to â€Å"want† (deprivation), which prompted them bow to the white man’s orders for survival, though, teaching their children to defy. Hence, the child’s advice, though accompanied by a contradicting parents’ action, â€Å"My Dad taught me never to bow my head to nobody.† But sometimes Daddy’s head was bowed: frequently Daddy was destroyed (p. 268). Marginalization, inequality and continuous call for white’s rule de fiance by the parents besides other rights activists pioneers, prompted the students to demand their recognition tirelessly. Consequently, surprising Americans who kept wandering what has â€Å"got into† the students. ... For illustration, hotels and even public transport buses where the whites used to assume the front seats. Besides, the people’s realization regarding the state’s mandate to intervene and improve its natives’ lives, it fueled numerous uprisings, owing to the contrary to its dealings. They contended, that when the government interferes with the work of the market economy, tends to reduce the moral and physical strength of the nation; that when it takes from one man to bestow on another, it diminishes the incentive of the first, the integrity of the second and moral autonomy of both (p. 271). Unfair treatment and favoritism based on racialism prompted the marginalized to declare and believe that, liberty can exist only when free citizens can concertedly defend their rights against all enemies (p. 271). Civil rights’ activists like Malcolm x and other like minded who deemed that it is impossible for the oppressor to grant equality to the oppressed, also fueled severe uprisings to demand what was due to the segregated people. Consequently, continuing to the late 1970s where the American regime not wanting to tarnish their global reputation yielded to the diverse uprisings’ demands regarding equality. For instance, the initial sign was Birmingham’s events in May 1963 that overwhelmingly forced Kennedy to ban discrimination in public where its related Act attained legality during the Lyndon Johnson’s regime. Since, America by having internal wrangles entailing inequality among its natives could not declare itself the champion of freedom. Feminist movement (Redstockings) that emerged during 1969, though, short-lived had an immense influence that is evident presently. Redstockings identified male

Managing bullying and harassment in the workplace Research Paper

Managing bullying and harassment in the workplace - Research Paper Example 2. Discussion and Analysis Let’s give a brief discussion about bullying and harassment. Bullying based on sex, gender, race, ethnicity, color, language, cultural background, socio-economic background, physical impairment, and etcetera, comes under the concept of discrimination. For example, age discrimination includes bullying such as not selecting an old age candidate for a job posting, abusing an old employee, firing or demoting him, not providing him employee incentives, or preferring others to him when it comes to important decision-making and problem-solving. Quid pro quo is the situation in which the person’s employment status is decided based upon his response to the sexual advances by his employer. It can also be described as â€Å"do this and I’ll do that for you†. Reverse quid is the situation in which the employer behaves like â€Å"do this or I’ll do that†. This more generally involves threats and punishments. Hostile environment is the environment that results from offensiveness shown by the victim as a response to unwelcome sexual conduct from the harasser, and this situation starts hindering the victim’s job performance. ... 3. Literature Review Branch, Ramsay and Barker (2013) conducted a research on workplace bullying. They assert that researchers have long been formulating theories and explanations about bullying and harassment at workplace, especially after the emergence of the concept of school bullying. They state that although workplace bullying and harassment have become widely known aspects of organizational cultures, yet organizations face challenges in implementing management strategies to manage these. Workplace bullying and harassment not only affect the victims but also have hazardous impacts upon the bystanders. Hence, it becomes necessary for the organizations to consider all impacts of workplace bullying and harassment in order to work out such strategies that cater with the needs of not only the victims but also the bystanders. Deery, Walsh and Guest (2011) studied the effects of workplace bullying and harassment on job satisfaction. Their research sample consisted of nurses in British hospitals. They compared two types of harassment: insider harassment that came from seniors and co-workers, and outsider harassment that came from patients. They also studied the effect of anti-harassment policies on workplace environment. They concluded that the nature of bullying and harassment changed with the nature of the harasser (insider or outsider); however, anti-harassment policies were found to have a profound impact as they resulted in considerable decrease in the harassment incidents at the workplace. This research helps understand that anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies at the workplace are crucial if the aim is to reduce workplace bullying and harassment. Bentley et al.

Process Controller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Process Controller - Essay Example The most important of these requirements is safety. This is primary, in order to ensure the well being of the people in the plant and for its continued contribution to the economic development. The operating temperatures, pressures, concentrations, etc. should always be within allowable limits. Quality is also an important factor. A plant should be producing the desired amounts and quality of the final product. Moreover, the various types of equipments have constraints inherent to their operation. Such constraints should be satisfied throughout the operation of the plant. The plant must also conform to the market conditions that are the availability of raw materials and the demand of the final products. It should be as economical as possible in its utilisation of raw materials, energy, capital, and human labour, hence, operating at minimum cost and maximum profit, striking a right balance between both to give an optimal performance. Also, various federal and state laws may specify co nstraints on temperature, flow rates of effluents, etc. to be within certain limits, keeping environmental regulations in mind. (Stephanopoulos 3) All these requirements dictate the need for a good design, which is accomplished through proper selection of controllers, plant design parameters, etc. Different controllers have different effects on the response of the controlled process. The type of feedback controller to control the given process hence forms the first step of controller design. The second design question is â€Å"How do we select the best values for the adjustable parameters of the feedback controller chosen?† This is known as the Controller Tuning Problem. Various performance characteristics such as Overshoot, Rise time, Settling time, Decay ratio and frequency of oscillation of the transient could be used as the basic criteria, while designing. The designer must strike a subjective balance between the different

Emotion and Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotion and Perception - Essay Example Once we have such level of awareness, we can then proceed to doing things that would be helpful to us in the future. For example, if we shall be able to identify, in light of these three factors, what causes us to be angry, we can be able to reduce the instances that we are angry. Therefore, studying these things is very important. For the purpose of this paper, we shall examine the different roles that sensation, perception, and emotion play in social interactions. By reading Jeffrey Zaslow's article "Pursuits: Happiness Inc," we shall try to situate these factors using three examples from the article: At David's Bridal, management believes the usual theory that the happier the workers are, the better are their performance. This is actually debatable, and many studies have been conducted on this area, but we shall not discuss whether this is true or not. We shall just assume this for the purposes of discussion. Zaslow (2006) cites in his article the study conducted by Positive Psychologist Martin Seligman about the direct proportionality of resilience and happiness. Thus, David's Bridal made a decision that if it wants its sales people to be happy, it must train them to be resilient. To encourage resilience, Zaslow reports, these sales people were taught to focus on the things "that would bring them joy." People perceive things differently. ... With that in mind, no specific instruction was given to the sales people of David's Bridal. Just focus on what will give them joy. Individual differences play on what will make someone resilient and happy. Different strokes of perception and emotion for different folks. These sales people were also taught about "emotion regulation," "impulse control," and "learned optimism." (Zaslow 2006) Emotion Regulation helps them not to be frustrated when it appears that a bride will not buy from them, or that they were unable to close a deal. Impulse control is another aspect of emotional intelligence. By having control on their emotions, such sales people are better able to draw on their creative energy and think of ways to handle their difficulties well. Whirlpool and Sensory Logic For this section, Whirlpool is intertwined with Sensory Logic. Whirlpool hired Sensory Logic to test its products before launching them to the market. Sensory Logic studies the reaction of their subjects by videotaping them. In this case, Sensory Logic was able to determine whether a particular subject is happy or not based on indicators as quick as a millisecond. According to the article (Zaslow 2006), Sensory Logic studied how subjects sensed and perceived the geometric patterns of the Duet products of Whirlpool. Accordingly, Sensory Logic was able to determine whether a particular subject was lying or not. Zaslow further adds that this is better than a focus group. Subjects provided information that Whirlpool needed, not what subjects think that Whirlpool wants to hear. In the end, Whirlpool changed some patterns in their products based on the feedback they got. Therefore, we are able to see that the roles of sensation, perception, and emotion played on the success of Whirlpool a s a

Introduction to Organisations and Management Essay - 9

Introduction to Organisations and Management - Essay Example The structure is strictly hierarchical and there is a long history of conflict with the unionised workforce that comprises the majority. There seems to be an issue of trust between management and workers. The changing business environment is putting pressure on the company to achieve more with less. The company has a number of issues in its ability to manage existing and new business requirements due to internal capability limitations – poor inter-department communication and coordination, lack of flexibility among teams and poor internal control mechanisms. The leadership is, in the meanwhile, focusing on personal plans. Watson represents a company that has omitted the task of creating a vision or strategy for itself. The owner believes in responding to situations after they arise, an attitude that runs through the organisation and stifles the capability of talented resources. This is demonstrated in the absence of unified focus at all levels in the company and that of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œclarity to business units’ to provide direction (Johnson, 2008, p. 304). The H&M Consulting Group employs a highly-skilled specialised workforce that can cater to business requirements of a diverse client group. The company is following a strategic path of inorganic growth through acquisitions and recruitment. The company follows a networked structure that utilises specific talent in teams to manage projects. Sophisticated information technology is utilised for effective coordination between and within project teams and to ensure resource availability to achieve project requirements. The workforce is self-directed. H&M has laid down well-defined mission and value statements and the workforce is focused on ensuring commercial success while taking care that core principles are met. The leadership is in constant contact with relevant issues with respect to corporate responsibility and seeks to find ways to ensure that it contributes to these larger goals. H&M represents a globa l organisation that draws strength from a strongly networked employee base. It represents a structure that is transnational as defined by Bartlett and Ghoshal as possessing ‘strong geographic movement†¦ global product responsibility necessary to achieve global efficiency†¦ worldwide functional management†¦ vital to worldwide learning’. Translated into management tasks, this includes ‘legitimising diverse†¦ capabilities, developing†¦ flexible coordination, building shared vision’ (Hoecklin, 1995, p. 42-43). Analysis The case is analysed on the parameters of organisation design, team work, leadership and management style and culture. Organisation design and structure The key to competing in a changing environment lies in the capacity to differentiate one’s offerings from the other players in the market. Differentiation may be based on niche service offerings that cover specific market needs or a diverse offering that covers var ied ones. Watson operates in the automobile components sector and has not opted for a strategy based on differentiation. H&M operates in a number of sectors that require specialised knowledge and skill thereby creating a niche for itself in a wide setting. The method to implement a strategy based on differentiation is through a careful assessment of the value chain within as well as among competitors and designing the organisation structure. Organisation structure that is based on the view of the value chain

Business Economics 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Economics 1 - Essay Example Today I wasted minutes and gas looking a free space and when I saw it somebody else also wanted it. Harry wanted it but I was an inch ahead of him, so I had the right of way. If he wanted it very badly he could have paid me. Nothing is free in this world; as the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In economics we deal with the problem of scarcity, and all of us try to beat this problem so that we can get what we want. An economist (Arnold 5) says that a rationing device is needed for society to enable its members to get what they want. A common rationing device is money (dollars), and you are out there in front if you have money. Thats why we study to earn a degree (to earn more money later), and thats why some work instead of studying for a degree (to earn money now). Is parking free at the mall? It is free for those who come early or for those who are lucky that somebody has just come out to vacate that space. It is not free for those who dont get it. While opportunity cost is a concept used when we make choices, here the situation is forced on one, and yes, there is a cost, because you could have spent the time (and the gas) elsewhere where you could gain some utility. I said that I got slightly ahead of Harry, so I had the right to the parking space. Suppose we got there at exactly the same time? We could have settled it with a display of intimidation: If I were bigger and more muscular, if my car was a Mercedes-Benz and Harrys was a Kia, or if he could see that I had a gun; or in a spirit of fairness, we could have tossed a coin, or done something similar to break a tie, and I would have said thats what life is like. Theres a lot of chanciness in the world in which we live. If we arrived at that point at the same time and I needed the park first because I would lose an important opportunity by missing an appointment, I would not wait for the tossing of a coin. I would pay Harry an

Islamic Finance & Critical Success Factors Essay Example for Free

Islamic Finance Critical Success Factors Essay I Would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who contributed their time and effort and provided their insight in enabling the compilation of this report, it is with much regret that all of their names cannot be mentioned individually here, however special mention needs to be made of certain individuals, without whose input this report would have not been possible. Mr Baratha Devanarayana course coordinator and project supervisor of the Advanced Diploma in Business Management programme at the National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) for the support and advice given in content structuring and format design of the report. Would also like to mention Mrs Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and Mrs Shamshed Akhtar, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan whose knowledge and valuable insight on the Islamic finance industry as leading professionals in the field have provided the basis on which the compilation of this report has been made possible. Executive Summary Islamic finance is a financial system based on Shariah law or Islamic law which mandates the prohibition of charging or payment of interest encourages risk and profit sharing between all parties to a contract and emphasizes the need of ethical investment which contributes to the greater good of society as a whole. Islamic finance is now one of the fastest growing financial segments in the international financial system today with an estimated annual growth rate of 15 to 20%. Industry assets worldwide are currently estimated to be between $1. 3 trillion and its industry assets and overseas portfolios are estimated to reach 4 trillion in the medium term. Diverse financial products and services, progress in developing regulatory frameworks and enhanced international linkages are driving industry growth. The critical success factors for Islamic finance to foster the growth of the industry, the application of these critical success factors and there potential applicability in the Sri Lankan context will be analysed, a comparison between Islamic finance and the conventional system on some basic indicators for competitiveness, social development and development finance will be made and the Sri Lankan and regional potential of Islamic finance will be analysed as the research undertaking of this study. The progress that has been made on certain aspects of the Islamic financial system both locally and globally, the importance of Sri Lanka fostering the growth of the Islamic finance industry are some of the issues discussed in this study. As a prelude to the research part of this study the recent developments of Islamic finance both globally and locally and the historical development of Islamic finance will be looked at to facilitate an understanding on how the system has evolved from a single institution a few decades ago to a global industry with a global presence spreading from the Middle East to Asia and the West.

Sop for Commerce Essay Example for Free

Sop for Commerce Essay I Priyesh Kulkarni completed my Graduation in Bachelor of Commerce (Honors Course) in It taught me how to manage financial affairs, prepare balance sheets, etc. I liked the commerce field so I decided to do masters in that field. In I completed my Masters degree in Commerce. While doing the masters degree I joined our own finance company where my work was totally related to the finance field. Along with that I did Post Graduate Diploma in Management, again specializing in Finance and completed it in While doing the job I thought about getting some acquaintance with the computers so I did Advanced PC Applications from NIIT in and a training program from Indira Gandhi National Open University in C, C++ and JAVA in I am an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), the certificate provided by Oracle Corporation, USA. I did 2 projects in oracle. One was about Banking System and the second was about the Super Market. The Banking system was small software that handled all the transactions regarding bank, which provides the account holder information, and handling day-to-day transactions. This software automatically updates the account holder’s account mentioning the current balance in his account. The super market was sophisticated software, which stored the information regarding customer, products, vendors and credit card. This software also generated various bills like invoicing bill, receipt bill and customer payment bill. After doing these many courses and 2 projects in computers I found that my interest towards computers has increased further. Moreover, now in every industry knowledge about IT is required. So I discovered that either I have the option to do Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) from India itself or go outside India to get a good Masters degree in computers. As in India, MCA is for three years, which I thought, is not feasible for me. So I decided for the second option i. e. doing MS in Computer Science from USA, which is a two year course. Further, MS in computer science is a professional degree worldwide and it will be easier for me to fulfill my dreams of becoming a software professional and getting a good job in India. Moreover, by doing this course from USA I will get an international l exposure and it will also enhance my overall personal development.