University of hertfordshire objectives

University of hertfordshire objectives Abstract In this assignment project me discuss and construct a Management Strategy that considers the University of Hertfordshire financial and non financial behaviour. A major part of the project is to develop a strategy that could identify the complications at the management level. This model is for the University of Hertfordshire to review and discuss its vision and mission while keeping the objectives of the University in mind. The project will identify the key attributes and criteria fo reviewing the strategy. Moreover the project develops the mission, vision and measures to be notified and followed by the University by considering the organizations ethical, cultural, enviromnental, social and business background. It will help to proactively make good management and therefore reduce loss of revenue and market share. This ultimately will lead to improved communications locally as well as globally as well as greater returns. The Techniques will utilize the latest research techniques and co nsider Universitys corporate objectives and business rules. The process discussed in this assignment is called â€Å"Strategic Planning and Implementation†. Keywords- Strategy Management, Planning, Vision, Business Behavior and Research Techniques 1) Introduction In todays highly competetive environment (business), planning that is budget oriented or forecast based are not that efficient. The University must engage in Strategy Management Planning that clearly defines and assesses the objectives of the university and evaluates the progress of the university. Strategic management is a level of managerial activity under setting goals and over Tactics. Strategic management is closely related to the field of Organization Studies and provides overall direction to the enterprise. According to Arieu (2007), â€Å"there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context.† â€Å"Strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly [i.e. regularly] to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment.† (Lamb, 1984:ix) The following definitions, when combined, characterize a comprehensive strategic planning process. Strategic planning is: a rational analysis of the opportunities offered by an environment and of strengths and weaknesses of the firm, and selection of a match (strategic) between the two which best satisfied the objective of the firm (Ansoff, 1976). the process of determining what an organization does, what it will do in the future, and how it will manage to do it. (Bryson, 1988). disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide an organization, what it does and why it does it (Bryson, 1988). the continuous process of making present entrepreneurial (risk-taking) decisions systematically and with the greatest knowledge of their futurity; organizing systematically the efforts needed to carry out these decisions; and measuring the results of these decisions against the expectations through organized, systematic feedback (Drucker, 1974). 1.1) Structure of the process- Management Strategy: Strategic Formulation would be the process of the following steps: Mission and Objectives What we want to become and what we aim to achieve. Principles The objectives and the commitments of the University that guide us. Environmental Scanning Factors like global, national and state contexts, education sector, various social and business trends, outcomes and gaps. Strategy Formulation- Strenghts to the opportunities identified and competetive advantage Strategy Implementation- Implementing: budget allocation, procedure. Evaluation and Control- Monitoring and Adjustments required. Developing the strategy would help the University to be acclaimed as International University recognised for innovative and original ideas and exploring and enriching those ideas to enrich individuals, their commitments and the environment. 1.2) Criteria for Reviewing Potential Options: In the delivery of the Universitys Vision, Mission and Aims, choices must be made on where to invest resources (including people, effort, money and infrastructure) to achieve strategic objectives and the associated benefits, and to minimise risk (Sue Hybart, 11 April 2006). The Universitys strategic planning cycle illustrates the process leading from setting strategic objective through option review to making choices upon which specific implementation plans are built. Establishing criterias for strategic investment looking across all areas of the University: Analysis of the System education and its implications Sustain national and international recognition for excellence and enterprise Promote ethical practice in education and research as an integral part of the University culture Maintain a leading research performance through outstanding scholarship,ground-breaking discovery, collaborative networks and commercialised outcomes. Strengthen and sustain a reputation for excellence in learning and teaching through innovation and quality student outcomes. Advance the Innovation Campus as a successful space for developing new ideas and applications through University-business partnerships Strengthen connections to the community through improved channels for interaction and mutually beneficial projects. According to Chan (1993), higher education institutions utilizing strategic planning have five characteristics: a shared and inspiring vision that defines an institutions identity and desired position in the marketplace; a well-done strategic framework that directs institutional energies and activities; an institutional commitment to enrich external environments throug manifesting its values; a widespread strategic thinking capability that prevails over a rigid, formal an centralized planning process; a supportive value system and climate that emphasizes participatory governance and empowers participants within the institution. Moreover there are certain key areas which need to be considered:- Assess the ease of realisation (closure of gap) based on: Distance between current position and aspiration, Investment (funding, time, and other resources) required to close gap on sustainable basis, consideration of market attractiveness and consideration of opportunity cost and risk assessment. Details of administrative support and link to the University. Modifications and support from the staff members. Working in collobatation for the university would act like as an useful tool and it would generate more help and a systemetic way of approach leading to better understanding of the management and their results and analysis. Moreover one of the important factor would be the involvement of the students in learning and their life at University. Moreover to achieve excellent, internationally recognised outcomes, the University should continue to focus more on promoting the ability, creativity, and commitment of the staff at the University. These criteria help in business and enterprise international outlook, and would help in learning and teaching research along with the practical experience and knowledge gained to students and the staff members. According to Mockler (1995) though strategy formulation is very central to understanding strategic management, it does not sufficiently provide a concrete direction for action. This can only be provided by strategy implementation. This view suggests that strategy implementation poses even more difficulties than strategy formulation. However, a basic framework can be derived to serve as a road map to strategy formulation (Mezias, Gringer and Gruth 2001; Hills and Jones 1995; Mockler 1995). 2) Vision, Mission, Objectives and Measures 2.1) PEST Analysis An environment in which the University operates can be expressed in terms of the following factors: Political: It would include various government regulations and legal issues and define various norms and rules under which University operates. It includes tax policies, employment benefits and laws, trade restrictions and tariffs, political coherence among the staff and the students and environmental regulations. Economic Factors: It would and affect the universitys cost allocation. Some key examples are economic growth, interest rates etc. Social Factors: Social factors includes the cultural and demographic aspects. These factors affect customer needs and the size of potential markets. Some factors include health consiousness, career attituded of the students, age distribution and class strength. Business and Technology factors- They can be very important as they may run the other factors. They can lower the barrier to entry, reduce minimum efficcient production levels, including: R and D activity, rate of technology change atc. 2.1.1 SWOT Analysis: Swot analysis helps in matching the resources and the capabilities to the external world in this competetive era. As dicussed on (http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/), a firms strenght are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competetive advantage.Examples include, strong names, cost advantage, and exclusive access to high grade natural resources. It can be determoined by SWOT matrix which is a very good indicator of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (Bradford and Robert W. Duncan). 2.2 Vision and Mission: Starategy Management Plays into role if the Vision and the mission are defined within the constraints of the guidelines by the University and the Faculty. Vision- To become an international University that is recognised and known for originality, enterprise and its ethics in focussing, exploring, transfering and applying knowledge to enrich its students and the individuals, their communities and the environment. Mission- Our mission is to excel through Research and teaching of world-class innovative standard and impact,learning environment that supports, informs and inspires our diverse student community,Staff initiative, enthusiasm and commitment to the Universitys goals, Collaboration and enterprise that provide innovative and timely ideas and solutions for the University and its community partners (Mockler (1995)). University share a commitment to promoting and celebrating excellence through initiative, enterprise and achievements that take society forward in an intellectual way and the freedom for opinion. It is very important to maintain the integrity, mutual respect and collegiality among the University. Moreover Students from all over the world having different cultures, ideas should stand together for the development of the University. It is very important for the University to foresight the quality and accountability as an institution by mutual development and community partnership. Moreover equal monitoring plays a vital role where students from all over the world are studying. The University is commited to developing graduates who are informed, independent learners, problem solvers, effective communicators, and responsible towards the society and to themselves. 2.3) Objectives and Measures for evaluation: The university can and have set the goals and objectives as parameters for a progress towards the vision: 1. Excellence and innovation in learning and teaching Graduates equipped to contribute to society and the workplace An active, collaborative and flexible learning experience for students Quality programs relevant to the evolving needs of students and the community An international focus in learning and teaching High quality teaching 2. Excellence and innovation in research Research of high quality and impact at an international level Enhanced capacity to attract external grant funding Quality research student scholarship and training Strong partnerships with external organisations to achieve mutually beneficial research outcomes Enhanced capacity for commercial research and commercialisation of research outcomes 3. Dynamic engagement with our communities A University that is accessible, outward reaching and responsive to its communities Strong reciprocal relationships that enrich our communities Integration of community engagement in our academic activities Enhanced educational aspirations and higher education participation in our regions 4. Students engaged with learning and University life Students engaged as members of the University community Efficient and professional management of each phase of the student experience A social and physical environment where all students can participate in University life Effective communication between students and the University 5. A university of international outlook and achievement A community with a diverse and rewarding global perspective and culture A university of choice for international students International recognition for quality, standards and outcomes 6. Versatile, skilled and committed staff An adaptable workforce with skills aligned to strategic directions A supportive, rewarding and equitable work environment 7. Business capacity to advance the achievement of our Vision Decision-making based on sound planning, governance and quality processes Strategic deployment of resources and information A sustainable and reliable infrastructure Plan for the Implementation of the strategy In this section I would be decribing about all the 7 objectives mentioned in the last heading. Moreover I would be explaining the strategic priorities, key indicators of the performance and the plan which could help in the betterment of the University and its members. 3.1) Development and Creation of the strategy Goal 1 The University is committed to providing its diverse body of students with an engaging internationally oriented atmosphere and learning experience. The priority is to promote ethical education as a part of culture, maintaining the reputation of the University and ensuring that graduates and undergraduates are committed to their employers for their knowledge and skills attained at the University. Strategy Goal 1- University must integrate the development of Graduate into the curriculum at any level and standard. University should develop, focuss and implement institutional approaches for analysing the attainment of Graduate Qualities so that University can know what skills are their students gaining. University should continue to give priority to developing the capacity of students and embed the outcomes of the Academic Integrity Project. University must provide opportunities that equip students for employment in a global labour market. University should optimise the mix of delivery methods to enhance the learning experience of students across all teaching locations and facilities to provide a physical environment that is engaging, collaborative and flexible. An international focus would help them to develop their knowledge and skills lobally and would help them to compete in a larger scale. Key Indicators- Learning and Teaching Performance Student Perception Employer Perception International Recognition

Multimedia in the Palm of your Hand :: Technology Technological Papers

Multimedia in the Palm of your Hand Hand Held Video Games Hand held video games have been around since 1991 when Game Boy came out with the first hand held video game. When Game Boy hit the market it sold about fory eight million copies worldwide. Video game systems are a big part of are popular culture right now. We have seen many advances in the hand held video game industry since 1991. Game Boy has recently come out with a new colored Game Boy called Vitual Boy. The Virtual Boy uses two, tiny mirrored screens. Along with two screens they used two different colors, red and black, to produce a 3-D effect. This game console came out in the U.S. in 1995 but was not a success at all. Game Boy will now try again this year to build of their success in 1991. Nintendo is now coming out with Game Boy Advance. Game Boy Advance (also known as GBA), will be coming out this year and will sell for about $80-$90. You the consumer will have fifteen games to chose from which run for about$30-$40. You will also be able to use your old Game Boy games to play on the GBA. The GBA has fifty percent bigger screen and fifty percent better battery life. Nintendo says that the built in screen will have a sharper picture than the 64-bit consoles connected to a regular television. We are seeing Nintendo trying to build off their big success of the original Game Boy. Many people do not see Game Boy as a computer. Nintendo’s software company called Gametek has developed a program that you can take your Game Boy and turn it into a personal organizer, spell-checker, or even a travel guide. Sega which came out with the colored Game Gear system, also sell an attachment that will convert your Game Gear into a television . Music at Your Fingertips Portable MP3 players have come a long way in just a short period of time. Soon cassette and CD players will be considered as stone-age devices. Right now there are more than 50 different kinds of MP3 players ranging from simple to high-tech. Yet, the question that still remains is why are these players so popular?

Internal Corporate Communication Strategy

Therefore, the main objectives of the campaign are: To encourage all employee to be receptive to changes and new regulations within he East Coast and to be confident in implementing these changes. ; To promote a sense of social Identity within East Coast as a whole. To meet these objectives, the strategies put forward are: 1. To develop employee engagement, particularly in regards to changes in safety regulations, therefore dramatically decreasing the amount of accidents within 12 months. 2.To ensuring all internal corporate communications is company-wide and therefore cementing the East Coast social identity and removing the feeling of territory. 3. Promote awareness of the ‘EUREKA' changes recently undertaken by East Coast, ensuring all staff understand and feel comfortable acting on the new service within six months, with feedback opportunities during and after the changes. The tactic to Implement these strategies Includes a company-wide webbing and smaller meetings with a m ore focused discussion.It also recommends a company email network be arranged to make contact with all employees easier, as the current system Is dated and not efficient. Evaluation Includes feedback forms to monitor opinion and accident records to monitor and tangible changes. East Coast Main Line Company Limited Background East Cost Main Line Company limited (East Coast) is a train service provider that runs 1 55 train Journeys every weekday and has approximately 2,800 employees.The main train line runs from London up the Eastern side of the UK up to Edinburgh. (East Coast, AAA, p. 3) An owner of East Coast is a company named Directly Operated Railways, who are responsible for overseeing the activities of East Coast on behalf of the government. The structure of the organization Is hierarchical (see appendix 1) and contains a HRS manager and also a Head of Communications, both of whom would be Interested In the Internal corporate communication of East Coast.The 2011/2012 corporate objectives of East Coast are summarized as: ; To sustain and build on the successes IT 2 To make significant improvements in those areas where we need to -particularly in terms of operational safety; ; To place East Coast, amongst the best, if not second to none, within the Industry, in terms of safety. ‘ East Coast (2011, p. 3) These objectives appear vague and are not specific enough to show the real intent for East Coast during 2011/2012).The objectives do not say how the success will be measured and are not specific enough to East Coast; aside from the reference to feet, these objectives could apply to any organization. Sundry and Buck (1996, p. 43) explain that the more specific the objective, the easier it is for employees to understand what is expected of them and what they should be aiming at achieve, the East Coast objectives would be difficult for an employee to use for direction. For the year 2011/2012 East Coast Managing Director, Kate Boswell, has outlined 17 corp orate strategies for the organization to work towards (see appendix 2).This does not include the 27 other strategies that relate to specific areas within the business. Abram and Klein (2003, p. 1) state that a company's strategy should be able to be summed up in Just a few sentences and so the strategies set out by East Coast are possibly too extensive, though they are all specific, realistic, measurable, achievable and time- relevant and this is clearly explained in a small table that is given for each objective (see appendix 2). Newcomer (2010, up. 41-848) comments that the definition of a stakeholder now ‘extends well beyond the traditional concept of shareholders to include employees, suppliers, customers, trade unions, communities, etc. ‘ and by naming employees points out the importance of internal stakeholders. The three main internal stakeholders that East Coast should consider include: ; Board Members All employees Owners, including the government body ‘Di rectly Operated Railways' Currently East Coast has a quarterly internal magazine that is distributed.Messages and information is distributed by a printed letter being placed in each employee's tray at the main train station they work in, a relatively dated approach. Communication between depots and between different crews is limited as they do not currently have an opportunity to speak to one another. Before this campaign is implemented, search should be conducted to show a starting point to compare results at the end of the campaign. Research should include current opinion research of employees and accident records. Internal Corporate Communication Objectives Spirits and Swedes (2003, up. 0-71) outline the three basic aims of all internal communication; ensuring the information being communicated is understood, accepted by employees, with acceptance of the messages content, intent, relevance and merit; the majority of employees achieve the motivation, direction, information, or par ticipation intended by the message; and the aim of improving internal dialogue s achieved, which will then have a rippling effect on other areas of the business, such as product quality, sales, performance and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.This campaign will not consider any other area of internal communication, only Internal corporate communication. Internal corporate communication and its position among other internal communication areas is shown in the Internal Communication Matrix proposed by Welch (2007, up. 177-198) and gives possible internal corporate communication goals for an organization, such as to ‘promote awareness of its changing organization' and promote commitment to the organization' (see appendix 3). Internal corporate communication is concerned with communication to all employees from a top level.Throughout a welcome pack available on the East Coast website (2010), East Coast make regular references to the relationship they strive to create with staff. Page four states that they want to make East Coast a great place to work by keeping staff safe and encouraging employees to work as a team. On page five, four key values are outlined that all East Cast staff should aim to be. These are; be focused; be insistent; be human (placing people in the centre of the business); and be progressive.The board of East Coast also has an Employee Director to ensure that issues surrounding employees and employee communication are at a board room level (East Coast, Bibb, p. 5). Argentina (1996, p. 80) notes that organizations have ‘become more focused on retaining a happy workforce with changing values and different demographics, they have necessarily had to think more seriously about how they communicate with employees' and this is obviously something that East Coast has taken seriously.The objectives suggested for East Coast to ensure they work awards the corporate objectives of the organization (outlined on page 4), therefore ensuring inter nal communications is seen as a management function, are: sense of social identity within East Coast as a whole. Internal Corporate Communication Strategy A key theory for internal corporate communications is Media Richness Theory, especially in a large corporate such as East Coast. Media Richness is defined by Sock (2010 p. 0) saying ‘in this theory, different media are classified according to their degree of richness, which varies depending on the degree to which media incorporate certain characteristics. Four main characteristics define the richness of a medium, according to media richness theory. Two of them are the medium's ability to convey multiple communication tools (such as facial expression and intonations) and enable immediate feedback on the message being conveyed (a characteristic of synchronous communication). The other two†¦ Are the medium's support for language variety and personalization of the message. Daft and Lange (1986, p. 560), two of the main Medi a Richness theorists, give prominence to the first two characteristics, claiming the remaining to characteristics are related to the first two. Face-to-face communication is the richest type of communication, while communication such as email is seen as lean and as impersonal, though this is criticized by Sock (1999, p. 13-19), who states that the theory is too deterministic and technological development means Tanat email Ana toner electronic communication Is richer than assumed by the theory.However, this criticism was put forward by the Journal of Information Technology Impact and so may have a vested interest in encouraging the use of electronic media. East Coast may want to consider Media Features Theory (El Chainsaw and Markus, 1997) which found that people choose heir media dependent on its easiness of use and its effectiveness. This gives electronic media a prominent role in communication, especially in large organizations, where traditional media is no longer the norm.Media Features theory puts emphasis on modern media, which as seen as more appropriate within organizations as it is extremely time effective. However, Media Richness Theory would argue that though electronic media may be more time effective, it does not guarantee that the message will be seen by the target audience as many people do not read generic emails. East Coast should consider the level of media richness of different immunization channels when planning on implementing the recommended internal corporate communication strategies detailed below. 1.To develop employee engagement, particularly in regards to changes in safety regulations, therefore dramatically decreasing the amount of accidents within 12 months. Irishman (2011, p. 32) states that all strategies should be ‘SMART' (Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic and Time relevant). This strategy is specific as it is outlines the main area where employee engagement is required, East Cost staff need to be interested in safety issues to ensure best practice is achieved. The amount of accidents is recorded and therefore the strategy is measurable, it will look at any changes that have occurred over the 12 month period.The strategy is agreed upon as it is related to a corporate objective and so it something that the whole organization is working towards. It is realistic as there are no tangible barriers; internal communicators have access to every member of staff to ensure the message reaches them all. The strategy is time relevant as a 12 month time guide is given. 2. To ensuring all internal corporate communications is company-wide and therefore meeting the East Coast social identity and removing the feeling of territory.This strategy aims to increases the social identity within East Coast. Information provided by Module Partner (2011) found that different depots all have their own social identity, and communication between different depots is limited. Seaports (1989, up. 20-39) explains that socia l identity is vital to ensure all staff feel part of the team. Currently different depots at East Coast receive their internal communication at different times, by unifying these and creating company-wide internal corporate miscommunication this will increase the sense of social identity. . Promote awareness of the ‘EUREKA' changes recently undertaken by East Coast, ensuring all staff understand and feel comfortable acting on the new service within six months, with feedback opportunities during and after the changes. This is SMART because it is specific to the new Eureka system that has recently been introduced at East Coast which involves a complete overhaul of the way the first class service is ran. The strategy is measurable as it states that there will be feedback opportunities to evaluate and measure the success of the communication.It is agreed upon as the EUREKA system NAS already Eden put Into place, tons strategy Is to ensure sat TTT are comfortable conducting the agr eed upon system. It is realistic as the internal corporate communication needed to fulfill this strategy will benefit the employees as it will assist them with implementing the new system. However it has proposed a change to the psychological contract, which, according to Welling (2007, p. 29) must be negotiated carefully to ensure staff does not feel they are not being asked to do more without receiving any compensation in return.The strategy is time relevant as it is even a six month guideline to have promoted the changes. Internal Corporate Communication Tactics Tactics used to implement these internal corporate communication strategies, and therefore achieve the internal corporate communication and corporate objectives, should consider Uses and Gratification Theory. Uses and Gratification theory is defined simply by Tenth and Yeoman's (2009, p. 225) as a theory focused on not what media do to audiences but what audience do with the media. It states that the audience use the medi a to meet their different needs, which can include to help fit in tit social groups (much like Social Identity Theory discussed previously), East Coast should aim to make their internal corporate communications a key part of the East Coast social identity. Possible tactics for East Coast to use to achieve their goals are detailed below. ; According to Media Richness Theory, face-to-face communication is the richest communication channel and so this should be the best practice to aim for.However, the style of the East Coast business means that employees work shifts, seven days a week and so it would not be appropriate to have a company-wide face- o-face meeting as it would disrupt normal service. However, as a strategy of this campaign is to reinforce social identity among employees, it would be hinder the aim to have different times for communication, especially as Fitzpatrick (2002, p. 60) says that a message should be available to all recipients simultaneously.Instead it is to be recommended that all staff are given an access code to an online Webbing' (an online seminar) to view a top company director outlining and discussing new changes in both safety and the EUREKA system, with comment thread available for staff to add their views and comment. This should then be followed up with smaller groups (maximum 50 people) being put together dependent on employees work schedule, ensuring that people from different depots are mixed in each group, and then holding more targeted sessions to go over these changes and discuss them in more detail.Currently staffs are told about meetings via a letter being put in their individual tray at their main train station, though discussions with the Module Partner (2011) found that these are often left unchecked for months at a time, and so it may be more efficient if staff email network was arranged to help implement all internal corporate communications. This would save time and cost and would ensure that all staff receives the message intended for them at the same time and makes other areas of internal communication simpler, therefore encouraging the East Coast social identity.In keeping with Media Features Theory also, it means that an efficient and easy to use communication channel is being used, email, as employees could access their emails from home. This should then be followed up with documents to reiterate the messages of the seminar and Webbing' and should also be discussed in the internal magazine. This help to fulfill the objectives and strategies laid out previously In tons report It takes people out IT tenet current social groups Walton ten organization and encourages them to mix with other members of staff.It helps employees feel confident in implementing the changes that have come with EUREKA and with the regularly updated safety regulations, therefore improving service and safety. This would set up a new format for internal corporate communication to be carried out, along with the internal magazine that is already in place. Internal Corporate Communication Evaluation Watson and Noble (2007, p. 39) detail the value of evaluation within planned communication, and say that it is important as it tells directors what is working and what is not, once again helping to cement communications as a management function.To evaluate this campaign, East Coast should ensure research is done before implementing the campaign to have a base to compare the results with. After the allotted time frame given in the strategy is complete final evaluation will have to be conducted (as well as continuous evaluation throughout to ensure any required changes are made). Feedback forms will be given to all employees to measure how nonevent people feel about the changes and to receive feedback on the communication in general so that any changes can be incorporated next time.The feedback forms should be multiple choice questions with room for comments also. This data can then be quantified to hopefu lly support the basis for the campaign. This should then be compared with research conducted at the start of the campaign to display any changes in opinion. Internal corporate communicators should also monitor the comments left on the webbing page and take into account any issues raised here. They should gather the information and monitor the opinion of the employees, which should be compared with the opinion research conducted at the beginning of the campaign.

Emotional Intelligence Ch. 3,7,11,13 Psychology Summaries

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Chapter 3: When Smart is Dumb Throughout this chapter Goleman argues that a person’s IQ has little to do with their success in life. For example, someone with extremely high SAT scores who parties his way through college could take ten years to finally get a degree whereas a person with mediocre scores but studies diligently in college will earn his degree in four years. Emotional intelligence can be very beneficial throughout life. With the ability to understand others and the outcomes of situations puts one in a better standing when it comes to facing the â€Å"vicissitudes of life† regardless of your academic standing. This chapter correlates well with our teachings in AP Psychology because it†¦show more content†¦One’s level of empathy is loosely related to SAT and IQ score, they are merely incidental. This furthers my knowledge when it comes to empathy because now I am able to realize the importance of listening to the signs of certain emotions arou nd me. Also, it proves that more academically sound people usually have less emotional intelligence which makes empathy on of their lesser traits. An empathetic person is very good at reading people. This correlates quite well with what I have learned about intelligence so far. Chapter 11: Mind and Medicine A lot of times we can cure ourselves from sicknesses. Well, say some scientists. This is called â€Å"attitude-will-cure-all† which is the notion that by oneself thinking happy thoughts, having a positive attitude or somehow blaming themselves for getting sick in the first place. This argument causes widespread confusion but on the other extreme there is another notion of illnesses. That medicine and emotions are two completely separate matters; one does not affect the other. Usually people think of medicine as curing the disease as they forget what illness is; patients experience with disease. By thinking this, one doesn’t think twice about their emotional state. Patients don’t believe that their attitude has nothing to do with their medical problems. Where in fact, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle which is why if we go to the doctor and he tells us how

Depictions of the Afterlife - 1060 Words

The afterlife as a residence for souls after death has long been a topic of discussion and debate. This idea intrigues many. As Christians we believe that heaven is a place where believers go where life there will be a continuation of their present life, while hell is a place of judgment and punishment where many experience severe treatment. Direct experience is the only way individuals can experience these concepts, but once we obtain the experience it cannot be shared. This ultimately makes us want to know more leading many to visualize the afterlife. Starting with the earliest Greek Epics, such as The Iliad, society has imagined an Underworld, a place beneath the Earth where souls go once the body dies. Our thoughts and expectations about such an idea have changed over time; the idea of the Underworld continues in many Greek and Latin poems and it still used today (Spiegel). The best descriptions of the afterlife are found in Dante’s Divine Comedy. In his first book, The In ferno, Dante explores Hell, a place in which sinners dwell after they die. His account is mainly taken from Book VI of Virgil’s The Aeneid, which describes Aeneas’s journey into the Underworld to visit his father. These two works, written many years apart share similar ideas about life after death and it makes us consider the changes in society’s thoughts over these times. There are obvious differences found between these two stories and they correlate with the different beliefs society has about theShow MoreRelatedComparison Between Etruscan And Roman Art1357 Words   |  6 Pagesmore retrospective memorialization through the depiction of the couple in a state of regularity the Roman Mummy of Artemidorus presents a more prospective approach concerning the deceased through the emphasis of funerary practices. The Sarcophagus with reclining couple from the Banditaccia necropolis, Cerveteri, Italy, ca. 520 BCE portrays the subjects in their ideal state of life. 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Essay on The Main Obstacles to Peace - 2660 Words

The Main Obstacles to Peace There has been violence in the Middle East for the past 60 years, and there still seems to be no hope of a compromise between the Palestinians and the Israelis. In order for a peace settlement to work, both sides must agree to it, and must overcome the four main barriers which stand in the way. They must reach a compromise over the city of Jerusalem, showing it should be controlled by both peoples because of the joint history between them, the attitudes and expectations should try to be fulfilled, which would destroy the extremist movements on both sides of the conflict, but more importantly, it has to see a solution for the refugee crisis in this area of the world,†¦show more content†¦The Jews recently have begun settlement building in the West Bank, encouraged by Ariel Sharon, (he was the housing minister in the 1970s but now the Prime Minister). Today around 400,000 Israelis live illegally on the Palestinian lands, despite Resolution 242 passed 30 years ago making the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip illegal. This is why most terrorism happens in these areas, in order to scare the Israelis into defeat. A Recent example of this was in October 2003 when the Israelis launched a tender for the construction of 550 new homes in the Jewish section of the West Bank- there was much protest from the moderate Palestinians but very soon there was a huge increase in the violence on the West Bank. Therefore, since any compromise involves one side giving up or not getting enough of the land they both see as rightfully belonging entirely to them, any peace deal will inevitably leave both the Israelis and the Palestinians unhappy. The Second barriers to peace are the extremists on both sides in this conflict. These people want 100% of the land and wouldnt be happy with anything less than the whole of Palestine to themselves. 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Mental Health Concerns in an Old Adult

Question: Write an essay on "Mental health concerns in an old adult". Answer: Introduction Cognitive abilities are the skills we use to do our daily tasks, be it simple or complex. With age this ability deteriorates. Cognitive changes or impairment was once considered an inevitable part of aging. But in severe conditions it can lead to an abnormal state, dementia. There is evidence that cognitive impairment is associated with poor social and work outcomes, and an early treatment has potential to change functional outcomes of illness. Older adults are always at a risk of cognitive changes which demands a prompt action so that their quality of life can be made better (Tatari et al, 2011). About 20.5 percent old adults experience mental health concerns but only two of three get proper treatment. Dementia is the most common such condition and about 5 million old adults (65 and older) suffer from Alzheimer. Nevertheless many other symptoms like depression and anxiety go unnoticed in old patients. The older adult, whose age is 65+ suffers from fatigue and has lost interest in recreational activities. He is mostly sad and in depressive mood, sleeping pattern has also changed. He is confused and has a big time trouble taking decisions. Further he suffers from memory loss or short term memory. These are some of the warning signs which were brought into notice to the healthcare providers by his family. Fortunately there is a test which screens and assesses the mental state of an old adult who reflect any mental health concerns which is called MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination). The old adult has a strong educational background hence this test can be easily performed on him. It consists of 11 questions measure test in which the maximum point is 30. There are some advantages as well as disadvantages of the test. It doesnt require any specialized training or equipment and can be performed very easily as it takes just 10 minutes to examine the patient. It is the most reliable and wi dely used test to rule out mental diseases in older adults. The disadvantage is that this test is considerably affected by the factors like age, education, culture. In severe dementia cases recording changes becomes difficult (Lancu Olmar, 2006). The old adult is hence brought to continue with the test and accordingly consider the goal of treatment for him. This test evaluates five cognitive functional areas: Orientation, Registration, Attention and Calculation, Recall, Language. The procedure to conduct Mini Mental State Examination to assess the five areas on him is as follows: Orientation (score-10): This area of the test assesses the memory of the old adult. Ask the older adult about the date, day, month, year followed by the season. For each correct answer award one point. Then ask him about the country, state, or anything related to the place and give him one point each for the correct answer Registration (score-3): Call name of any three objects slowly. Tell the patient to repeat object names one by one. Give the score depending on the names recalled. Suppose the patient doesnt name all the objects correctly then continue saying the object names until the patient gets it right. Make a note of how many trials patient took to recall the names. Attention and Calculation (score-5): Starting with 100, tell patient to count backward by seven. After patient answers five tell him to stop. Give points depending on the correct answers. Alternatively, the older adult can be asked to spell world backward. Score again depends on the letters spelled correctly (e.g., 5 points for dlrow, 3 points for dlorw). Recall (score-3): Ask patient to recollect the names of the three objects stated above. Note down the scores. Language (9 points): For this show the old adult a pencil and a wrist watch and ask him what he sees. Award one point each for correct naming. After that, give patient just one chance and tell him to repeat this sentence (No ifs, ands, or buts.). Points are given. Give a command in three stages to the patient. In your hand take a paper, fold it, and keep it on the floor. For every command understood correctly give one point each. Write on a paper, Close your eyes. Big enough letters should be there. Ask patient to do what the paper says. Give the score if he does close his eyes. Tell patient to write a sentence on a paper. The sentence must be written promptly and shouldnt be senseless. Grammatical mistakes or incorrect punctuation is negligible. Ask the patient to copy this figure as it is: Interpretation: As a result of the five areas test, the older adult shows cognitive impairment which means according to MMSE data the patient has mental illness. He shows traces of confusion, indecisive patterns. He is not able to think properly and cant pay attention. At the same time older adult shows considerable low memory symptoms and recalling issues. In general, according to MMSE score, 24 or any score greater than that is considered as normal cognition, 9 score or less than that is considered severe, 10 to 18 points is moderate and 19 to 23 is mild cognitive impairment. As per the score, this patient may have some degree of dementia along with other mental diseases as well. Diagnosis of this cognitive impairment in a person indicates significance of the treatment that he should undergo and especially in these severe cases an early intervention is important (Brooker, 2004). This mental illness care treatment highlights three main perspectives i.e., management of challenging behaviors, mainten ance of cognitive functions and reduced emotional disorders. Each and every area has potential to improve the quality of life which in turn also affects those providing care (The royal college of psychiatrists, 2007). The older adult, along with the diagnosed mental illness, also has a history of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and bipolar disease. He experience obsessive thoughts which are often sadistic, creates anxiety and uneasiness. For this to counter he gets into compulsive behavior. He may have at times depressive mood and sometimes may feel super energetic. The older adult who demonstrated cognitive impairment from the MMSE data may have delirium as well which is also known as an acute state of confusion and frequently occurs in people with dementia (Gagliardi, 2008). It causes emotional breakdown at times and the patient may have poor memory, trouble sleeping, difficulty recalling or uttering words and severe disorientation. Further the diagnosis depends on symptoms observation e.g., Onset: Delirium starts showing in a short time while dementia begins with small symptoms which slowly worsens. Attention: Being non-attentive in delirium is quite significant while a person with dementia is generally alert during the first stages. Fluctuation: Symptoms of delirium fluctuate throughout the day whereas in dementia thinking skills and memory remains constant throughout the day. MMSE results for patients with delirium are different. It very soon accompanies acute mental illness in the older adult. The decrease of two or more points in MMSE determined the development of delirium (Nayeem et al, 2005). The older adult having delirium may undergo examinations to assess their mental thinking ability, attention etc., which can be done with screening or tests as mentioned above. There can be tests related to neurology (e.g., vision, coordination, balance and many reflexes check) as well as physical exams (urine or blood tests). Many other physical conditions such as pneumonia, asthma can interfere with normal brain functioning. Medications like blood pressure medicines and abusive drugs can further worsen the cognitive abilities. The older adult who is suffering from mental illness according to MMSE data may score low grades because of the delirium condition since low vision may impact the complex commands given. Similarly poor coordination and reflexes can get low scoring in registration, attention and calculation areas of test. The very first goal of treatment in delirium and mental illness is to identify, control or reverse any symptom. The treatment basically depends on the reason causing delirium after which the focus is solely on providing the best environment for the patient to benefit physically and mentally. Stopping unnecessary medication to end confusion can improve cognitive function (The New York times, 2016). Also, patient should be taught to stay away from substances which can worsen confusion e.g., alcohol, drugs, narcotics (such as morphine, codeine), central nervous system depressants. The patients treatment includes component like support therapy and medicinal management. Fluid and nutrients intake should be taken care of as the patient might not be able to maintain a balance. Such older adults if diagnosed at an early stage for any sort of mental illness or chronic disease, they can be benefited with the course of treatment and their quality of life can be made far better. Conclusion Older adults after a certain age are at a risk of developing many physical and mental problems which can affect their cognitive abilities. Many factors like psychological, biological decide the level of mental health of a person. Dementia affects a persons ability of memory and thinking capacity. It states a confused state of a person. According to WHO, around 47.5 million people are affected with dementia worldwide. Early diagnosis is very crucial to set goals of treatment. Both medicinal and psychological intervention is influential to counter this mental health. MMSE test consists of 30 points questions. It is an effective tool to rule out dementia, Alzheimers disease in a patient. It assesses five areas i.e., orientation, registration, attention, and calculation, recall, language. The older adult diagnosed with dementia can have some traces of delirium as well and differentiating them becomes sometimes difficult and necessary. The old adult having mental illness as per the MMSE d ata may have delirium because this state may demonstrate many physical weaknesses adding to low score in the test. Providing social care in long run to the old adults should be a priority and also to provide them mental health education at the same time. References: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician (1975). Journal of psychiatric research, 12(3), 189-198. Brooker, D. (2004). What is person-centered care in dementia?. Reviews in clinical gerontology, (13), 215-22. Gagliardi, J. (2008). Differentiate among delirium and dementia in elderly patients. Journal of ethics, 10(6), 383-388. Lancu, I., Olmar, A. (2006). The mini mental state examination. Harefuah, 145(9), 687-90. Nayeem, K. et al. (2005). Use of serial Mini-Mental State Examinations to diagnose and monitor delirium in elderly hospital patients.J Am Geriatr, (53), 86770. Tatari. et al. (2011). Mini mental state examination in first episode of psychosis. Journal of psychiatry, 6(4), 158-160. The royal college of psychiatrists. (2007). The nice-scie guideline on supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care. The British psychological society, UK.