Thursday, November 28, 2019

Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example Essay Example

Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example Paper Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Introduction When discussing the legalization of Marijuana, take a mechanistic view of one symptom of a much larger social problem. You cannot talk about legalizing marijuana without getting into discussions of other â€Å"Social problems†. I am talking about all other â€Å"drugs†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ prostitution, health care, social security, or just about any other issue that we as a country, and as a people are dealing with. For the purposes of this paper, I will confine, or rather use the legalization of marijuana issue as a model for how we can deal with this, as well as other problems that we are correcting as we approach the next millenium. The obvious arguments for legalization that are used, happen to be ones that the masses that make this argument usually resort to– the health and environment benefits. One argument that is hardly ever used, however, and the one that I wish to concentrate on, is the fact that the drug problems in this country, as well as the others that are listed above are included in the group of â€Å"SOICIAL PROBLEMS†. Think about that for a minute. What entails? A social problem is a problem that faces a society. Now I want you to think about your society. Not society, but your specific and immediate society. Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Body Paragraphs What does it consist of? Whom does it consist of? Immediate answers might be school, neighborhood, church, work, town, and family. In other words, we can define it as your community. Your community is your society, now exclusive of your friends and others you consider to be in your peer group who may actually encourage certain types of â€Å"Immoral† behavior. Who in your community would sit back and let you abuse your body and mind with excessive drug use? Schools would suspend; families could react with everything from tough love to ultimatums. Very rarely is it someone outside of your society that will reach out to you and give that helping hand. We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some ex-drug abuser’s testimony may spark the revelation in you to kick your habit. But it is your community that will help you. You see, put very simply, drug abuse is a â€Å"Social Problem† and more often than not your society will help you or ostracize you, depending of course on your particular situation. Thus, while you may not kick, you would certainly take steps to curb your habit from becoming obvious or debilitating to your life. Now what does this have to do with legalization? I’ll tell you. As long as the government is waging the war on drugs, in a poor manner I might add, society won’t. Society won’t because it doesn’t have to, the government takes care of it for us, so rather than discuss these issues with your child you can spend that time working, in order to pay the government to keep protecting your child for you. The problem with government intervention, stretching past drugs, is that the government is not a community, it is a large beaurocratic mess of forms, protocols, and so on. The reason for this is nothing more than the simple fact that the government tries to deal with everyone at the same time. What works in Peoria, Illinois on Tuesday may not work for Winder, Georgia on Wednesday. The government looks at us as a series of numbers and statistics and then they create the laws and regulations designed to effect the greatest number of people, or the majority. When the anomalies pop up into the equation, more structures and regulations are added to try and accommodate the new statistics. Let’s take a look at how this would work in a classroom. The exercise is simple– using just the first initial and last name of each of the students in a random class, as well as their social security numbers and the grades that they have received over the course of the current school year, divide the class into three groups. Every group is to write an evaluation of the study habits, and general scholastic performance of every student. Using that information, design a system to improve the class. Next, put all of this information together and try and apply it to the rest of the school, and then apply it to the entire school system. Now this is a very simplistic exercise and I acknowledge the fact that the drug problem is more complex, but this serves as an example of what happens when the government tries to use regulations to deal with a social problem. First of all, the information consists of nothing but numbers. The information tells nothing of whether a student was sick on the week he received a zero on a test, or what was happening in their private lives that could effect the grades received for a particular assignment. There are thousands of unique factors that contribute to each and every student’s individual performance. To try and look at just numbers and try to regulate behavior based on that information is not only a Herculean task, but also it is an almost impossible mission to accomplish. The sheer manpower that such an endeavor would take– gathering the information, collating, processing, analyzing, modifying, and then turning it over to a committee to decide how it is all going to be used is a never ending task. You’d have a better chance of gathering an infinite number of monkeys to write all of Shakespeare’s works, and It would take less time for the monkeys. (Haha) You can start to see the ineffectiveness of a large beauracracy trying to deal with problems that are so obviously needed to be dealt with by our social communities, in turn, social problems. Now if you asked the instructor of a class to summarize the scholastic performance of each of their students, chances are they are going to be able to tell you things. For example, when the student was sick, or whether or not they had difficulty understanding a particular segment or assignment, but otherwise do fine in class. Now ask that instructor what they would do to improve their classroom. It will probably work for that classroom or society if you will. Say for instance there is a window that opens onto a playground and the teacher says that a set of blinds to keep the kids from being distracted would improve class performance. Does that mean that all classrooms should have blinds on their windows? With marijuana, the problem is essentially the same. If you look at all of the kids who smoke marijuana as individuals you will see that the reasons and motivations for their use numbers in the thousands. You have peer pressure, escapism, or just simple experimentation and these are just a few to name. Later on, take a piece of paper and make a list of reasons for using drugs, such as marijuana. Not your reasons, just the reasons that anybody may feel at a given time. Now, similar to the first exercise, try and make a regulation that covers all of the reasons why abuse runs rampant. Now remember, these are the reasons you came up with, there are now 259 million other Americans with their own list of reasons why. You get the idea that the task on hand is an overwhelming one at the least. It is something that the government, any government anywhere, could never ever accomplish. This brings us back to the main thrust of this paper. Legalization of marijuana like any other social problem is just that– a social problem. And as a social problem, it is best dealt with within a society. Societies that consist of people who know you, care for you, and even love you. Given the chance, we as a people will in fact work out these and any other problems that we, as a society, and individuals are confronted with in our daily existence.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Evas Print Shop Essays

Evas Print Shop Essays Evas Print Shop Essay Evas Print Shop Essay Eva’s Print Shop: tripled bottom line operates as a social business and a corporate structure divided in terms of it’s two businesses some horizontal connection between the teams but not a clear functional structure hybrid between functional and divisional innovative features: social business (mohamed yunous) – integrating the production (commercial) and the teaching (social) business side – bringing in money to sustain the organization social side 2002 – they used to be funded by federal grants BUT caveat w. overnment funding required the trainees to be paid†¦ issue: these are homeless youth and they are being taken off the streets – giving them homes and are taught basic survival skills on how to live, and take care of themselves any kind of not for profit formula has strict guidelines which is why they switched because it was counter intuitive to the social goal. Case: Who: (names and position): Andrew Macdonald and the Advisory Bo ard (primary stakeholders) Eva’s initiatives What: (Key Issues): Whether or not to expand and if so how Why: (Root Causes): Funding Will the business side fund the social side? Need to help more at risk youth is pressing – growing problem When (Timeline): No, just as it works for the company Changing the funding has put some constraints on the economic business, BEP Analysis: (application of course concepts, models, theories): Performance: changing in funding formula away from government funding was made after 2005 strategic review – allowed Eva’s Phoenix †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. How did this impact its organizational design? Strategy: integration of its social and commercial elements of the enterprise – triple bottom line, includes environmental – uses Bullfrog Power Models: triple-bottom line effectiveness measures: goal approach – internal process model: how does the training side interact with the commercial side? How are conflicts resolved? resource model: by choosing bullfrog power, they may be paying more for their power but using homeless youth – they may be comprising their efficiency and quality Balancing Act between the 2 Professionalism – more professional you’re staff, the more you have to pay them Decision Criteria 1. ncrease youth participation 2. increase efficiency on the economic business side 3. feasibility and funding 4. keeping or increasing the synergy 5. no compromise the social or environmental objectives for the business objectives 6. complexity in the design structure 7. maintaining your volunteers Alternatives: 1. Keep the structure the same but tweak it, make economic more efficient (incremental efficiencies) 2. Grow the business using the same structure – just bigger 3. Grow geographically – replicating the model in different cities where there is a similar need 4. Separate the print shop and the social initiatives Evaluation of Alternatives 1. Incremental efficiencies will allow for more professionalism and customer focus – some basic training before anyone works in the print shop handling customer materials – meets a, b, c d 2. Growing the†¦ Recommendation/Implementation/contingency finding a suitable location – must find advisory board and volunteers securing funding to run a similar operation – finance volunteer finding customers and sales volunteer onnecting with volunteer agency in the designated city to source homeless youth and discuses details on how to manage the process hiring staff with the expertise needed to run both the print side and the social side create and accountability Constrains Budgetary issues Timelines Downside Risk: Failure of program – volunteer not committed Not find youth who are interested in staying and learning new skills Not enough customers Contingency: partner ing with a local social agency and try to implement the program using their infrastructure and recourse while providing your expertise

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Realism - Essay Example Various heated arguments have developed on realism and many scholars have come out their own construed versions of the perceived realism. Kenneth Waltz argues that all of the various explanations for the causes of war can be easily filtered into three images: that of man, the state and the international system. Applying Waltz’s logic to the realist camp, distinct categories of explanations can be readily identified. For example, traditional realism, with its emphasis on individuals, explains international phenomena and state behaviour from the point of view that human nature is intrinsically evil. Structural realism on the other hand throws out this assumption, and conducts an analysis based on the objective nature of the international structure, a system-level analysis. From the perspective of units of analysis, the different casual stories told by realist thinkers can be divided into three distinct categories: human nature realism, state-centric realism and system-centric realism2. Human nature realism, also known as biological realism, 3Donelly emphasizes man's biological abilities and intrinsically evil nature. Most classical realists (including the many modern political philosophers who have contributed to the development of realist thought), including especially Machiavelli, Herbert Butterfield, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Hans Morgenthau fall into this category. Morgenthau's theory is the best example of human nature realism in international relations. In â€Å"Politics among Nations†, Morgenthau. presents a systematic discussion of the basic principles of realism. The first of these principles consists of an assumption regarding the role of human nature in politics: politics 'is governed by the objective laws that have their root in human nature.' In Morgenthau's view, 'political man is a selfish animal, and all human behaviour tends towards the control of others.' As a result, battles over power are rooted in human nature and as such are central to politics.4 State-centric realism looks for explanations for international relations phenomena and state behaviour from the vantage point of individual states (including national attributes, national interests and domestic politics). It is generally thought that realism does not concern domestic aspects of politics, or that consideration of such domestic issues represents a step away from realism's core concerns. Griffiths. M (1999) this type of view though represents an obvious misunderstanding of realism. The neo-classical realism argues more explicitly that individual states should be integrated into the theories of foreign policy. Scholars working to these ends have attempted to establish a connection between the state and system-levels of analysis, and have emphasized the role of domestic factors in explaining how state behaviour leads to outcomes at the system level. From the writings of the mainstream neo-classical realists, states are still treated as the determining factors in the analysis of foreign policy and state behaviour, thus these theories are considered to be 'second image' theories.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Tourism and Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism and Modernity - Essay Example Tourism and Modernity The concept of the suburb was born with the birth of the railway as it suddenly became convenient for individuals to live with their families in the more spacious homes of the country and still make it into town in time to open their shops in the early morning and return home for dinner. In addition to opening up the economic frontier, these new technologies also made other new concepts available. â€Å"A hugely important development in the history of travel took place when the journey ceased to be regarded as an uncomfortable and possibly dangerous means to an end, and was appreciated instead as an expression of personal freedom and a route to re-definition of the self† (Jarvis, 2004: 84). The introduction of steam ships and railways meant that travel between countries was more available to a wider proportion of the population on both sides of the channel. As the tourism industry grew, making travel between countries easier, individuals given the luxury of movement represente d in the automobile gained even freer movement as they were suddenly able to determine for themselves start and stop times without sacrificing much of the speed of railway travel. Other innovations, such as the bicycle, led to the development of specialist tourism clubs. However, in bringing the railway to the various places and spaces of the country and the world, the individual identities of these spaces were subjected to the industrialized ‘factory system’ beginning with the need to standardize practice.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Our Biosphere, Our Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Our Biosphere, Our Future - Essay Example This study outlines that the solution is reducing the amount of non-biodegradable materials we use like Styrofoam and plastics. Truly, it is often a difficult task to make such broad changes, but we must for future generations. It’s all about the Golden Rule: â€Å"And as ye would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise†. If we would expect others to keep our air, food, and water clean for us, so should we do for them. To check our progress, we could measure the amount of non-renewable energy we use and the amount of non-biodegradable material in our landfills every year. We have specified the problem, offered solutions, considered ethics, and proposed measures. A concern for future generations should motive us against any future encroachments against nature. Hopefully, some of these ideas may be applied to help save nature for future generations of people.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Fundamentals of Marketing

Fundamentals of Marketing Kirsty Hayes, Bianca Jones, Chris Duffy, Tim Stone EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to gain further insight into AAMIs current position in the personal car insurance market and to identify suitable marketing strategies to meet the needs of current and future customers. Despite being the largest insurer in the motor vehicle market there are many new competitors undercutting insurance premiums, mostly through online sales and service. Current competition includes IAG, on policy, and Budget Direct, on a price point. Since the GFC consumers have shown to be more cautious but with higher expectations. Current measures of internet and social media use shows the incredible scope of data facebook is able to collect from target segments. Loyalty and time wasted choosing a company are the most important characteristics of insurance seekers. They are most likely to use trusted brands when not engaged in the process. Surveys also found Australia wide retention of insurance customers more than 50%, however 75% of customers are not likely to seek out a company but want to make the best purchase decision. A further 10% want convenience purchasing insurance. AAMI must maintain its focus on consistent, excellent customer service, and utilising facebook to identify and communicate with customers. The process of purchasing a policy and making claims must be refined further strengthening the AAMI brand. INTRODUCTIONLACE INFLUENCING This report aims to provide a summary of where AAMI is situated against its market competitors and help develop a marketing strategy to promote sustained long term business opportunities. The ABS (2016) estimated 17.7 million vehicles registered in Australia at the 31st October 2014 whilst Tiwari (2014) claims the Domestic Motor Insurance segment is worth 6 Billion dollars in premiums per year and is the largest is the Australian general insurance market. AAMI face a multitude of competition in the Australian Motor Insurance segment and this paper will identify two competitors, IAG group and Budget Direct. This report is broken into two major sections, the first will evaluate and analyse competition along with demographic and technological trends and understanding how these factors may affect business in both the short and long term. The second part identifies possible segmentation which is involved with purchasing motor insurance. Providing historic trend information from the market will help create a new marketing strategy. INSURANCE INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The insurance industry has had some significant hurdles in recent years, these have changed the way insurers need to market themselves and maintain profits. Buyers have become more cautious; expectations of products and services have increased since the global financial crisis (How Australian insurers can achieve profitable growth in a challenging market 2017). Pay-outs for natural disasters have increased in frequency and value due to climate change, effecting insurers bottom lines (Insurance industry and climate change 2017). With the large number of insurers in the market creating intense competition, each company needs to ensure they have the right mix of products and customers to maintain their overall profit. AAMI WITHIN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY AAMI positions itself as the customer focused and fun insurance company, to differentiate from other insurers and say they are the not very insurancy insurer using comical advertisements which attract younger consumers (AAMI 2017). It seems to be working for them, AAMI sits at number 5 of the top ten list of best insurance companies within Australia (Top Tens 2016). Below is a chart which shows AAMIs position within the market. RECENT TRENDS THAT IMPACT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY       Usage based insurance (UBI) While UBI is not a new concept in places like the US, it is only recently becoming common place within the Australian insurance industry (Dipak 2015). Things like pay-as-you-drive insurance, where customers only pay insurance for the kilometres they actually drive and pay-how-you-drive insurance, where customers get discounts for being safer drivers (Lukens 2014). This means customers can decrease their premiums to a rate previously impossible with other methods and feel like they have more control over what they pay. It also enables better identification of customer segments for future planning of products. The Internet of Things Still an upcoming trend within the insurance industry, as explained by Forbes (Morgan 2014) this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). Wearable technology for tracking heart rates, exercise, sleep patterns and more are being used in collaboration with health insurers. Sensors in cars are being used to calculate the risk of particular drivers by tracking speed, acceleration, and braking distance (Liew 2016). This information helps to speed up the claim process with more detailed information of accidents (Kumaresan 2016). For the insurance industry, this means more information available to calculate premiums and reduce risk for insuring specific customers. KEY COMPETITORS As Tiwari (2015) explains the Motor Insurance marketplace could be divided up into 4 segment areas. There are 2 major firms which own multiple companies and these are the Suncorp Group and the IAG Group with the rest of the industry made up from smaller competitors (image 1 gives a detailed example). Appendix A is an online comparison of comprehensive policies between NMRA, Budget Direct and AAMI. As Lamb (2016) highlights international firms need to take into account local domestic firms which are also fighting for a share of the market. Image 1 (image sourced from http://www.slideshare.net/ullyully/australian-car-insurance-market-analysis/6) IAG Group The IAG group is our biggest competitor and will continue to be into the future as they share a similar infrastructure to AAMI. IAG also have national leverage through their independent brands RACV, NMRA, SGIO and SGIC. IAG have a major focus on making the world a safer place (IAG Group, 2017). IAG products tend to balance between price, volume, and service. They have no major advantage over our brand. Budget Direct Budget Direct are a small player being very aggressive to gain major market share. They specialise in insuring low risk clients to keep premiums down (Budget Direct, 2017) thus sitting in the price sensitive area. They have some advantages for customers compared to AAMI on their standard comprehensive product such as offering a no claim bonus on windscreen damage. Appendix A provides a detailed summary. A KEY PLAYER OF IMPORTANCE Australias population is currently 23.3 million people with more than 15 million owning smartphones. According to Neilsen, we spend on average of over one hour per day using smart phones, of which 35% of the time is spent on social media. According to Forbes (2016), in the social media landscape, Facebook is the most popular site with more than 15 million users and in a survey by Sensis in 2016, for more than 12 hours per week so it makes sense that our advertising can reach more customers in an increasingly competitive market. By developing a partnership with Facebook, AAMI can target market segments differently using each groups interests based on data received from the company. Nadia Cameron from IDG (2016) identified raising of brand awareness and conversions as the major reasons for AAMI using Facebook marketing. Failure in this partnership would be fatalistic with over 1.7 billion users worldwide connected to Facebook. OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING THE INDUSTRY Technological Trends Online Applications AAMI has launched the AAMI Access ® Application which they have marketed as Insurance in your Pocket (AAMI 2016). It allows you to monitor and update your policies, make an instant claim and upload claim photos from your device, and allows claim and live repair tracking. As at 30 June 2016, there were approximately 22 million mobile handset subscribers in Australia (ABS, 2016) making the creation of an online application a great innovation as it allows an easier service for the consumer and the insurance agency and leverages off the fact that consumers are becoming more advanced in online technology. This is not the only application available from insurance companies but it will continue to grow in trend. Self-Driving Cars volvocars.com/au (2016) says that there are already self-driving Volvos on the road in Sweden and in 2017, there will be over 100 on public roads, and this will continue to grow. This trend will be crucial to car insurance companies as it will alter the way insurance is provided, calculated and it could make it more difficult to prove which vehicle is in the wrong. Demographic Trends Cars in Victoria The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) states there were a total of 1,944,688 motor vehicles in Victoria. Car insurers need to keep abreast of current trends and ensure ease and simplicity when dealing with consumers and insurance. SECTION 2: SEGMENTATION FRAMEWORK CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS In this section, we recommend a way that AAMI could segment their market so they can have more targeted marketing. There are many things a consumer will look at when deciding on a car insurance company. Global Reviews regularly conducts research into how a consumer purchases car insurance, and posted in May 2015, that 71% of consumers had a brand in mind before beginning their research, only 34% of these consumers still preferred that brand at the end of their research. However, AAMI was the clear leader in an unprompted recall at 73%. The research found that 74% are current customers when they choose a car insurance policy. Lamb (2013) says that goods and services that are purchased regularly are associated with routine response behaviour, showing that those who already have a policy with AAMI are more likely to continue to renew their policies with AAMI. A trusted brand is also a high priority when deciding on car insurance. The research shows that 53% trust the brand they chose (globalreviews.com 2015) and Lamb (2013) says that when consumers dont want to have to think too much about a purchase decision, they often revert to known and trusted brand names. Based on the secondary research, two different consumer characteristics have been identified that are important in the car insurance category. Characteristic Type of segmentation Description Why is this characteristic important to AAMI? Lifestyle How much time spent searching for car insurance Psychographic This relates to how much time consumers are willing to research different car insurance deals. This impacts how likely a new customer is to find Aami appealing and how likely an existing customer is to find a better deal elsewhere. Personality How loyal they are to a certain company Psychographic This relates to how often a customer is willing to change insurance companies. This impacts how likely a customer is to switch insurance companies if a better deal is found. Table 3. Consumer Characteristics of importance to car insurance purchase decisions SEGMENTATION FRAMEWORK Based on these two key characteristics one way that AAMI could segment their market into the following four segments: How much time is spent researching Little to no time researching Extensive researching How loyal they are to a certain company Very loyal Customers for life This segment contains customers which either do not have time to research or are not interested in researching different insurers due to loyalty to their current company. Great if you are their current company but difficult to get across from somewhere else. Knowledge is power This segment contains customers who have the time and drive to research different companies but who prefer to stay with their existing company. They are more likely to try to get a better deal with their current insurer than switch. Not very loyal Only if they have to This segment contains the customers who know they need insurance but dont waste time thinking about the details. They may perform a basic search and go with the insurer they notice first. Flashy adds will draw their attention. Simply the bestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. for less This segment contains the customers who will spend as much time as needed to search for the very best deal no matter who it is from. Having the details which set you apart from competitors on your website is key for these customers. Table 4. Proposed segmentation framework for AAMI. SEGMENT PROFILES The following information has been used to roughly estimate the size of each of these segments. In order to more accurately determine the segment size and segment profile, AAMI would be required to conduct further research with consumers. Generation Y is the most under-insured generation, with a World Insurance Report showing only 36 per cent, compared to 52 per cent of others (Han 2016) Studies indicate, 86 per cent of Australian consumers would only consider between one to three insurers when selecting their next policy (Martin 2016) A survey showed only 15 per cent of respondents believed it was essential to find the cheapest product (Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, p 4) A survey also showed that Australian insurers have retention rates of more than 50 per cent across the board (Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, p 7) DESCRIPTION Customers for Life Knowledge is power Only if they have to Simply the bestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for less Estimated % of consumers 50% 25% 10% 15% Expectation of segment to grow/shrink Shrink With more information on competing products being in social media this segment is expected to shrink. Grow With more ways now available for consumers to customise their insurance or barter with companies this segment is expected to grow. Constant Some behaviours will never change, time poor or uninterested consumers will always be a constant overall in any industry. Grow With more ways for consumers to easily find information on different companies it is expected that this segment will grow. Purchase behaviour They are not likely to seek out new insurers but would have no choice but to hear about new products through social media They want to make the best purchase decision but also believe that staying with one company is beneficial. They will make quick decisions on insurance if they feel they need to have it even though they dont really want it They will conduct thorough research to find the best deals available. Price and product is their drive, not brand loyalty. Brand Preference This group prefers well- known brands as they are more trusted and seen as a good choice for the long term, once they find an insurer they stick with them. This group also prefers well-known brands for the same reasons but are likely to switch between the big 4 or 5 insurers when necessary. This group has no specific brand preference. They may choose based on the insurers used by people they know or by which insurer comes up first in their low level of research. This group has no brand preference. It is not guided by friends and family insurers either. They go with whomever has the best deals in their eyes. Potential Profit Moderate At the moment the profit made from this segment would be high due to retention rates. However, with the segment set to shrink, potential future profit will decrease. High If Aami can get the correct product mix to appeal to price conscious buyers Profit will increase from these consumers, they prefer a big brand name like Aami. Moderate Once insured they are less likely to switch, the battle is getting them in the beginning, once with Aami they should be life-long customers. Flashy advertising is needed. Low This segment is always looking for better deals, if Aami arent the cheapest in the industry these customers will switch. This doesnt work with AAMIs customer service image. CONCLUSION The Motor Insurance Industry has never been the most exciting in terms of innovation or technology (Sahoo, 2015). Insurance companies have been slow to adopt technology and innovation into their programs. This is beginning to change because of the digital age that we live. With the population in Australia constantly growing the demand for motor vehicle insurance will always be high. With good branding and positive company exposure AAMI can maintain their presence as a major player in the market place. IAG group is a competitor we will need to constantly monitor as they pose the biggest threat to our overall market share. It is recommended that AAMI continue to invest in technological and social branding, making it easier for people to connect with the brand. Continual research needs to be done on consumer insights involving brand perception along with potential customers. This would benefit our industry segmentation profile and strengthen our framework criteria. APPENDIX REFERENCE LIST AAMI 2017, Did you know, AAMI, viewed 7 January 2017, https://www.aami.com.au/about-aami.html> AAMI Car Insurance 2016, AAMI Access ® App, AAMI, viewed 6 January 2017, https://www.aami.com.au/claims-policy/aami-access-app.html?cmpid=AMI:GI:PI:NPS:SEM:20111024:501matchtype=e keyword=aamief_id=WE5c3QAAAJReYgzb:20170113020025:s ABS 2014, Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia, 12 months ended 31 October 2014, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/mf/9208.0/ Accenture, How Australian insurers can achieve profitable growth in a challenging market, Accenture, viewed 8 January 2017, https://www.accenture.com/au-en/insight-australian-insurers-profitable-growth-challenging-market> Armstrong, G, Adam, S, Denize, S Kotler, P, 2011, Principles of Marketing, 5th edn, Pearson Australia, French Forest NSW Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Internet Activity Australia June 2016, ABS, viewed 6 January 2016, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Latestproducts/8153.0Main%20Features5June%202016?opendocumenttabname=Summaryprodno=8153.0issue=June%202016num=view= Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Population Clock 2 January 2017, ABS, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument> Budget Direct 2017, About Us, Budget Direct, viewed 2 January 2017, https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/about-us.html Cameron, N 2016, Why AAMI turned to Facebook mobile and segmentation to drive brand favourability, 2 May, CMO from IDG, viewed 3 January 2016, http://www.cmo.com.au/article/598954/why-aami-turned-facebook-mobile-segmentation-drive-brand-favourability/ Cowling, D 2016, Social Media Statistics, Social Media News, 1 February, viewed 2 January 2017, https://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-january-2016/> DeMers, J 20 August 2015, The Definitive Guided to Marketing Your business on Facebook, Forbes, 20 August, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/08/20/the-definitive-guide-to-marketing-your-business-on-facebook/#522f55fb2acf> Dipak, Sahoo 2015, Innovation in Australias insurance industry, The Australian, 10 September, viewed 3 January 2017, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/innovation-in-australias-insurance-industry-/news-story/e445f70d04dac6cdf29b077b1a6bc3a6> GlobalReviews 2017, How AU consumers research select a car insurance provider online, GlobalReviews, viewed 12 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/blog/how-au-consumers-research-select-a-car-insurance-provider-online/ GlobalReviews 2014, How do consumers research motor insurance providers and whos winning them, GlobalReviews, September 2014, viewed 3 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/reports/online-research-journey-how-do-consumers-research-motor-insurance-providers-and-whos-winning GlobalReviews 2016, Motor Insurance: Digital Effectiveness Report, GlobalReviews, viewed 4 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/reports/motor-insurance-digital-effectiveness-report> Han, Ester, 2016, On-demand insurance Trov launches in Australia targeting Generation Y, The Herald, 30 May, viewed 14 January 2017, http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ondemand-insurance-trov-launches-in-australia-targeting-generation-y-20160527-gp5u0g.html> IAG Group 2017, IAG About Us, IAG Group, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.iag.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/purpose-and-strategy Kumaresan, A 2016, Top 10 Trends in Insurance in 2016, Capgemini, viewed 9 January 2017, https://www.nl.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/insurance_trends_2016_0_0.pdf Lamb, C. W., 2016, MKTG3, 3rd Asia Pacific ed. s.l.:s.n. Liew, R 2016, Insurers set to track driver behaviour, The Age, 14 January, viewed 14 January 2016, http://www.theage.com.au/business/insurers-set-to-track-driver-behaviour-20160113-gm4x51.html?deviceType=text> Lukens, D 2014, 2014 Usage-based Insurance (UBI) Research Results for Consumer and Small Fleet Markets, Lexis Nexis, viewed 9 January 2016, http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk/downloads/whitepaper/2014-ubi-research.pdf> Market Forces 2017, Insurance industry and climate change, Market Forces , viewed 8 January 2017, https://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/insurance/> Martin, M 2016, Brand loyalty, a double-edged sword to the Australian insurance industry, Insurance Business, 24 October, viewed 14 January 2017, http://www.insurancebusinessonline.com.au/au/news/breaking-news/brand-loyalty-a-doubleedged-sword-to-the-australian-insurance-industry-225421.aspx> Mattro 2017, Top Ten Best Insurance Companies in Australia, The Top Tens, viewed 7 January 2017, http://www.thetoptens.com/best-insurance-companies-australia/> Morgan, J 2014, A Simple Explanation Of The Internet Of Things, Forbes, 13 May,viewed 9 January 2017, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#5e84bdb06828> Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, Target, p 4, viewed 14 January 2017, https://3-afa.cdn.aspedia.net/sites/default/files/uploaded-content/field_f_content_file/myths_vs_reality_whitepaper_anz.pdf> Sahoo, D 10 September 2015, Innovation in Australias Insurance Industry, The Weekend Australian, viewed 07 January 2017, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/innovation-in-australias-insurance-industry-/news-story/e445f70d04dac6cdf29b077b1a6bc3a6 Sensis, 2016, How Australian People and Businesses are using social media, Sensis, 1 June, viewed 1 January 2017, https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF> Smith, A, 31 October 2015, Mobile Mania! Australia spends on average more than hour a day on their smartphones, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.nielsen.com/au/en/insights/news/2015/mobile-mania-australians-spend-on-average-more-than-an-hour-a-day-on-their-smartphones.html> Tiwari, U, 2014, Australian Car Insurance Market ANALYSIS, Slide Share, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.slideshare.net/ullyully/australian-car-insurance-market-analysis/6> Volvo Car Corporation, Autopilot Travel calmer, safer, cleaner, Vo

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Theme of Death in White Noise Essay examples -- White Noise Don DeLill

White Noise Death is probably the most feared word in the English language. Its undesired uncertainty threatens society’s desire to believe that life never ends. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise tells the bizarre story of how Jack Gladney and his family illustrate the postmodern ideas of religion, death, and popular culture. The theme of death’s influence over the character mentality, consumer lifestyle, and media manipulation is used often throughout DeLillo’s story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps, the character most responsive to death is Jack Gladney. In fact, he is so consumed by his fear of death that his ordinary thought processes are often interrupted by the question: â€Å"Who will die first† (DeLillo 15)? In Jack’s mind: â€Å"This question comes up from time to time, like where are the car keys† (DeLillo 15). Jack finds the aura of death to be very noticeable and real, and he relies on his consumer lifestyle as an escape from his fear of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack uses the supermarket as his base for his consumer lifestyle and a place to escape, which is validated by the interpretation of his friend and colleague Murray Siskind. Murray views the supermarket as almost a holy place, an atmosphere with rays and â€Å"white noise† everywhere. It’s full of psychic data†¦.Everything is concealed in symbolism, hidden by veils of mystery and layers of cultural material†¦The large doors slide open, they close unbidden†¦.All the letters and numbers are here, all the colors of the spectrum, all the voices and sounds, all the code words and ceremonial phrases. It is just a question of deciphering, rearranging, peeling off the layers of unspeakability†¦. We don’t have to cling to life artificially, or to death for that matter. We simply walk toward the sliding doors. Waves and radiation. Look how well-lighted the place is. The place is sealed off, self-contained†¦. It is timeless†¦. Here we don’t die, we shop. But the difference is less marked than you think (DeLillo 37-38).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John N. Duvall, author of â€Å"The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo’s White Noise,† believes that â€Å"Murray’s interpretations become Jack’s convictions; Murray’s speculations, Jack’s experiences† (143). Drawing on Murray’s speculation‘s, Jack embraces Murray’s analysis as a truth and uses the supermarket as security, a place where colors and names always in the same place, a place where ... ... profoundly important questions about death, the afterlife, God, worlds and space, yet they exist in an almost Pop Art atmosphere(268).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By treating these false tracts of literature as some sort of god, consumers can escape the reality of death since the content is not in day to day, ordinary life. Death is a fear that has attacked the minds of man since the beginning. For years people have treated death as a unspeakable occurrence, and White Noise shows those desperate attempts through postmodern imagery. According to Don DeLillo, death is an assailant that creeps its way into the subconscious of society but is prevented from tainting the gratification of life by way of the postmodern army- technology. Works Cited Conroy, Mark. â€Å"From Tombstone to Tabloid: Authority Figured in White Noise.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critique 35.2 (1994): 97-110. DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Books 1999. Duvall, John N. â€Å"The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mediation in DeLillo’s White Noise.† Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  127-153. Maltby, Paul. â€Å"The Romantic Metaphysics of Don DeLillo.† Contemporary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literature 37.2 (1996): 258-277.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Homeless Veterans Essay

Abstract Homelessness has always existed in the United States, but only in recent years has the issue become a more prevalent and noticeable phenomenon. Homeless veterans began to come to the attention of the public at the same time. News accounts chronicled the plight of veterans who had served their country but were living (and dying) on the streets. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates about 250,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. (2012, pg. 4) My research will examine how homelessness is impacting our veterans and what interventions are available to homeless veterans. Introduction Whether it is wartime or peacetime, the men and women who serve our country live an unusual life style. Whether it is in the barracks or in the fields, military personnel form close alliances and bonds, which are necessary because they must depend on one another for survival. Once these veterans return home from the Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan war or even if they just decide to discharge honorably, they face a whole new set of problems. These problems can be as small as reintegrating with their family, finding a job or finding a place to live. An ongoing problem that our veterans learn to cope with is how to deal with combat issues such as physical and mental disabilities. Today’s veterans find that he/she has more difficulty because they are not looked at in the way veterans were looked upon in the past. America’s patriotism has changed. Men were drafted into the military with the promises for a better future because they served their country. The country got behind them because they were fighting a World War. But Vietnam was the turning point for our veterans and upon their return home, they became society’s problem. Many young veterans who returned home were between 18 – 31 years old. Some were physically wounded and some were physically disabled. These veterans were sent home to our veterans hospitals for treatment. There were also those who had mental health issues and some help  was given to them but not enough. Veterans were discharged much too quickly. Where were these veterans to go? Many tried to reintegrate into society by securing housing (apartment or room) and others tried to move back home with their families. However, many veterans faced considerable challenges as a result of their physical disabilities and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This caused many veterans to become homeless. First, society could not deal with veterans up close and personal and second, another reason was because the war haunted many veterans every day (PTSD). Therefore, for some veterans, they would rather live on the streets because they actually felt safer. According to data from Department of Veterans Affairs office of Inspector General, â€Å" veterans who became homeless after military separation were younger, enlisted with lower pay grades and were more likely to be diagnosed with mental disor ders at the time of separation from active duty.† (2012, pg. 4) Our veterans are our most important resource. We (Americans) do not live in a closed world anymore and when trouble comes to our shores, it is our veterans we depend upon to defend us. Our military is voluntary at this time and society and our government should protect and preserve their lives because without the veterans who would we count on? The military that protects us are strong, well trained, intelligent men and women who are willing to lay their lives on the line for their country. And for that reason, they deserve our respect, our support and our care. The social worker plays a major role in helping the veterans to stay connected to family and their community. The social worker’s role is to help the veteran and his family to access all resources that can be beneficial to the veteran’s recovery and a smoother re-entry back into his/her life. My research will attempt to answer the following questions: How common is homelessness among veterans?  What are the risk factors: gender, age, race and ethnicity, disability and how does it impact housing placement? What interventions are provided to address veteran homelessness? Do female veterans feel more isolated? Literature Reviews: Comparison of Outcomes of Homeless Female and Male Veterans in Transitional Housing Homelessness among female veterans is of national concern but few studies have been conducted on regards to how homelessness among female veterans differs from male veterans. The healthcare of female veterans has become an important priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as female veterans represent one of the fastest growing groups of new VA healthcare users. Studies have shown female veterans are less healthy and are in poorer mental health compared to male veterans, which has been attributed to barriers for women in accessing VA health services and allegations that the VA is male-dominated and not attentive enough to the needs of women (MacGregor et al. 2011: Weiss 1995, pg. 705). Homelessness among female veterans is a central issue as the VA strives to end homelessness among all veterans. Although women constitute about 8% of sheltered homeless veteran population, that number is expected to increase and women veterans have been found to be at higher risk of being homeless than their male counterparts (U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development & U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2009, pg. 705). The literature on homeless female veterans is small with only two previous studies identified in a comprehensive review. One study concluded that risk of homelessness is two to four times greater for women veterans (Gamache et al. 2003, pg. 706), and the other study found that compared to homeless male veterans, homeless female veterans are younger, less likely to be employed, more likely to have a major mental illness, but less likely to have a substance abuse use disorder (Leda et al. 1992, pg. 706). A small case-control study also found that sexual assault during military service, being unemployed, being disabled and having physical and mental health were risk factors for homelessness among female veterans (Washington et al. 2010, pg. 706). In the current study, the data used came from multi-site outcome study of homeless veterans enrolled in VA-funded transitional housing services (McGuire et al. 2011, pg. 706), through cross-sectional comparisons of homeless male and female veterans at the time of entry into transitional housing and examining outcomes 12 months after discharge. It is further hypothesized that, due to suggestions that there may be increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA health services, female veterans would have worse outcomes than their male counterparts after transitional housing. Traumatic Stressor Exposure and Post-Traumatic Symptoms in Homeless Veterans  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) recently reported that 13% of all homeless persons were veterans and an estimated 63,000 veterans were homeless on one night in January 2012. High rates of mental health problems have been reported in military and veteran populations. These problems may be related to trauma exposure and contributing to homelessness. Approximately 70% of homeless veterans have substance abuse issues and 45% are diagnosed with mental illness. (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) Combat exposure has been found to increase risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which in turn, is thought to increase risk for homelessness. One study examining the rates of PTSD pre- and post deployment in a combat unit found that rates of PTSD increased from 9.4% to 18%, suggesting that exposure to combat raised the prevalence of PTSD in the unit (Hoge et al. 2004). Military veterans may also have an elevated risk of PTSD as a result of noncombat military stressors, such as dangerous or unstable conditions, witnessing injury, death or atrocities. Military trauma exposure puts individuals at risk for both PTSD and homelessness, but it is less clear whether civi lian trauma exposure increases risk for PTSD and homelessness in veterans. In a study of Vietnam veterans, both PTSD and exposure to combat and other war-related atrocities indirectly increased risk for homelessness, whereas interpersonal violence, and other types of nonmilitary trauma appeared to have direct effects on risk for homelessness (Carlson t al. 2013, pg. 970). A better understanding of the types of trauma that homeless veterans are exposed to could help identify veterans at increased risk for PTSD and homelessness and inform treatment (Carlson et al. 2013, pg. 970). Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A Social Selection Perspective The dramatic increase in urban homelessness in the United States has included large numbers of veterans. As with other Americans, poverty, alcohol, drugs, mental illness and social isolation have been documented as the primary risk factors for homelessness among veterans. As would be expected of an age cohort effect, in 1986 – 1987 the overrepresentation was highest among veterans of ages twenty to th irty-four, and in 1996 the odds of being a homeless veteran were highest among veterans aged thirty-five to forty-four (Tessler et al. 2003, pg.509) In this article, the explanatory factors all derive from a social selection perspective that refers to the idea that individuals with personal  characteristics that would later put them at risk for homelessness were recruited to military service in disproportionate numbers during the early years of the all-volunteer force (AVF). Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Veterans: An Overview of U. S. Military If social workers are to serve veterans effectively and efficiently, a basic understanding of the United States military is essential. Despite a longstanding and intimate relationship between social workers and veterans, the profession has been criticized for the lack of veteran-specific practitioner resources. The literature has been characterized as providing little practical guidance while universities and professional organizations failed to develop and incorporate the curriculum, information and tools needed to prepare social workers to serve this special population (Savitsky et al. 2009, pg. 863). Recently more information seems to be revolving with additional resources becoming available through social work journals, the development of advanced practice standards for military social workers, as well as academic course and degree specializations focusing on military social worker (Zoroya, 2009, pg. 864). The common theme has been the importance of military cultural competency. The acknowledgment of military culture is complex and not well understood by civilians and continues to impact veterans after discharge. This article presents information in anticipation of a Department of Veteran Affairs funded research project with veterans experiencing homelessness. Also, the article presents a structural and historical overview of the United States military, the propensity to enlist in armed forces, military culture and training methods and outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of implications for social work practice. Generally, military culture differs from the larger society in the United States as it is paternalistic and maintains a strict hierarchy. The military is characterized by a collectivist approach; encouraging interdependency; group orientation and group cohesion. Highly criticized qualities of military culture include misogyny and homophobia. The integration of females into armed forces has been hampered by fear of cohesiveness among males would be undermined. Experience indicates servicewomen are no more vulnerable to stress than servicemen and are able to complete physical tasks required of them. Unfortunately, women are subject to gender-based bias, stereotypes and harassment, both mental and physical. Alarming incidences of sexual  harassment and sexual violence has increased in the military. A 2004 survey indicates 52% of women experienced sexual harassment while serving; 10% did not feel it would do any good and 42% feared they would suffer adverse consequences (Zeiger & Gunderson, 2005. Pg. 867). Although changing with the repeal of Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell, the military has been strongly criticized for banning homosexuals from serving opening (Herek & Belkin, 2006. Pg. 867). Reason being it would undermine unit bonds and effectiveness and that privacy could not be provided. Ultimately, it is important to note that the attitudes of heterosexual servicemen and women may not have been as biased against homosexuality as previously thought. The belief that gays be allowed to openly serve in the military had increased in recent years, indicating the obsta cle to integration was not the attitudes of servicemen and women, but of military tradition. Social workers encounter veterans in public and private practice and effectively serving them demands military cultural competency. Social worker must have a foundation of general understanding of the larger military, its basic history and the complimentary roles played by the different branches (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 871). Veterans will have divergent service experiences and their opinions regarding service could vary widely. The more the social worker knows, this will help develop rapport with the clients, facilitate a more individualized understanding of their service history and other relevant areas. In the end, it is likely that veterans experience ambivalence regarding military culture and service experience and some military-oriented traits may be viewed as problematic in civilian life. However it’s important for the veteran and the social worker to explore and interpret these issues with respect the veteran’s sense of affiliation with and attachment to the military (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 872). Thus, a review of the literature has revealed helpful information about: How common is homelessness among veterans? What are the risks factors: gender, age, race, and ethnicity and disability and its impact? What interventions are provided to address this homeless problem among veterans? Do female homeless veterans feel more isolated? This research study will examine the impact of these four research questions  from the most recent data from the Veteran Affairs transitional housing programs. Specifically this study hypothesizes that participants in the different VA-funded transitional housing services will: Is the rate of homelessness increased and/or decreased between homeless female and male veterans? Are there increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA services, in which female veterans would have worse outcomes than male counterparts after transitional housing? Sampling The research approach that will be utilized for my chosen topic is qualitative research. Qualitative research is flexible; it uses open-ended questions in interviews, participant observations and is often the best fit for diverse and at-risk populations such as homeless veterans whereas quantitative methods involve analysis of numbers; structured surveys, observations and examines existing information/reports. Also, in qualitative research, the research methods are not as dependent upon the sample sizes as in quantitative methods. Methodology Three major forms of VA-funded transitional housing service for homeless veterans will be included in this study: the health care for homeless veterans (HCHV) program; the grant and per diem (GPD) program and the domiciliary care for homeless veteran program (DCHV). The first two programs provide assistance to veterans through contracts with or grants to community service providers while the DCHV provides service directly through the VA staff at the local VA facility. Data were collected for a prospective, naturalistic study to compare these three transitional housing services across five different VA administrative regions (North, South, East, Wets and Mid-West). The study focused on 59 female participants and 1181 males. The female participant were Black (53%) or White (41%) and had a mean age of 43.89 years; while the majority of male participants were Black (59%) or White (35%), and had a mean age of 48.13 years. This information utilizes the variable of value (gender) and the constant (homelessness). Age is variable that can be measured by asking the participants to write down their age in the blank space. Procedures The data collection was conducted from May 2002 through September 2005.  Independent evaluators recruited, consented and conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with veterans in the transitional housing programs. Intake interviews were conducted before entering VA housing program, baseline interviews completed after admission and follow-up interviews were conducted 6 and 12 months after program discharge. Participation rate was very high (99.16%), and each participant gave informed consent. They were paid $10 for baseline interview and $25 for each follow-up interview. Measures When doing the initial intake interview, a paper form would be used to gather information from the participants to document their socio-demographic characteristics, combat exposure, housing and work history, psychiatric diagnoses, brief hospitalization history and a assessment of mental and physical health status. At baseline interview, participants were asked to complete a measure of the social climate of their residential care service. At follow-up interviews, a series of measures were administered to participants to assess: Housing: They were asked how many days in the last 30 days they have slept in different types of places such as housed (room or apartment) somebody else’s apartment; days in an institution (hospital, hotel or jail) and days homeless. Income and Employment: They were asked about their current employment pattern and classified as employed or unemployed; number of days they worked for pay and their employment income in 30 days. Also how much money they received from disability and public assistance. Substance Abuse Status: Alcohol and drug use in the past month. General Physical and Mental Health Status: Medical conditions were assessed with 12 questions that asked participants yes/no whether they had any of 12 common serious medical problems (e.g. hypertension, liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and orthopedic problems). Also includes an 8-item psychiatric composite scale which was used to assess general mental health status. Quality of Life: General quality of life and quality of social life were assessed. Residential Social Climate: At baseline, participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the treatment environment of their residential care program. Findings At intake the female participants were significantly younger; report more  psychiatric symptoms, more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders, has shorter histories of homelessness and less likely to be working than male veterans. Male participants were reported to have higher risk factors of homelessness due to substance abuse (70%) and PTSD (45%) due to combat exposure. Between one to six months in transitional housing services, both genders were showing improvement on employment income and overall psychiatric scores. At six months, female participants showed some decrease in employment and an increase in their psychiatric scores whereas the male participants continued to show improvements. After a one year period, female participants showed improvement in housing, employment and incomes, substance abuse use and general physical and mental health and quality of life compared to male participants. This suggests that homeless female veterans can benefit as much from transitional housing services as male veterans. Transitional housing programs and shelter have been predominantly male environment focused on serving men, in the VA context. But this study found that, after adjusting for multiple comparisons, there were no differences in how homeless male and female veterans perceived the social climate of their transitional housing program or in their overall clinical benefits. These findings suggests that VA efforts to improve services for women may be successful, but need to continue. Limitations One limitation of this study is the small sample size of homeless female veterans. Also we were not able to differentiate between female veteran who are caring for dependent children and those who were not. Validity is a standard that determines whether an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure and whether it measures it accurately. Accuracy is the key issue. Because of small sampling of female veteran participant, the question of dependent children was a valid observation. Reliability is the second key standard in determining if a measure is satisfactory. Reliability refers to the internal consistency of the measure. Dudley states that the connection between validity and reliability is triangulation. Triangulation is a process of using multiple methods to measure one concept. If it is determined that the results of one measure of the same variable are similar to the results from another measure of the same variable, they are triangulating the findings. They are deemed to be both valid and reliable  because they have similar results. (Dudley, 2011). Bibliography Carlson, Eve B., Garvert, Donn W., Macia, Kathryn S., Ruzek, Josef I., Burling, Thomas A. (2013). Traumatic Stressor Exposure and post-Traumatic symptoms in Homeless Veterans. Military Medicine, Vol. 178, 9:970-973. Dudley, J.R. (2011). Research Methods for Social Work. Second edition. Boston: Pearson Education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Gamache, G., Rosenheck, R., & Tessler, R. (2003). Overrepesentation of women veterans among homeless women. American Journal of Public Health, 93(7), 1132-1136. Herek, G. M., & Belkin, A. (2006). Sexual Orientation and Military Service: Prospects for organizational change and individual change in the United States. In T. W. Britt, A. B. Adler, & C. A. Castro (Eds.), Military Life: the Psychology of serving in Peace and Combat (pp. 119-142). Westport, CT: Praeger Security International. Hoge CW, Castro, CA, Messer SC, McGurk D, Cotting DI, Koffman RL. Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care. New England Journ al of Medicine; 351(1): 13-22. Leda, C., Rosenheck, R., & Gallup, P. (1992). Mental illness among female veterans. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 43(10), 1026-1028. MacGregor, C., Hamilton, A. B., Oishi, S. B., & Yano, E. M. (2011). Descriptive, development, and philosophies of mental health service delivery for female veterans in the VA: A qualitative study. Women’s Health Issues, 21(4), S138-S144. McGuire, J. F., Rosenheck, R. A., & Kasprow, W. J. (2011). Patient and program predictors of 12-month outcomes for homeless veterans following discharge from time-limited residential treatment. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,38, 142-154. Petrovich, James. (2012). Culturally Competent social work Practice with Veterans: an Overview of the U. S. Military. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22:863-874. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group Savitsky, L., Illingworth, M., & DuLaney, M. (2009) Civilian Social Work: Serving the military and veteran populations. Social Work, 54(4), 327-339. Tessler, Richard, Rosenheck, Robert and Gamache, Gail. (2003). Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A social Selection Perspective. Armed forces & Society, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 509-524. Tsai, Jack, Rosenheck, Robert A. and McGuire, James F. (2012). Comparison of Outcomes of Homeless Female and Male Veterans in Transitional Housing. Community Mental Health Journal, 48:705-710. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, & United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (2009). Veteran Homelessness: A supplemental report to the 2009 annual homeless assessment report to Congress. Washington, DC: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development: US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. Washington, D. L., Yano, E. M. Mcguire, J. F., Hines, V., Lee, M., & Gelberg, L. (2010).Risk factors for homelessness among women veterans. Journal of health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 21, 81-91. Zeigler, S. L. & Gunderson, G. G. (2005). Moving beyond G. I. Jane: Women and the U. S. Army. New York, NY: University Press of America. Zoroya, G. (2009, October 5). USA Today, p. 4a. More colleges develop classes on how to treat war vets.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Leader Philosophy

Leader Philosophy Introduction Ray (2006) observes that each organization in the current operational environment requires leaders who are holistic. This is because organizations not only operate with constrained resources, but also within an increasingly competitive and challenging environment. A substantial number of managerial theorists and experts argue that organizational leadership is crucial for success in organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effective organizational leadership is often drawn from the personalities and behaviours of organizational leaders. This means that organizational leaders are the determinants of the orientation of leadership in any given organization. Therefore, the value of leadership in an organization and the successful attainment of organizational goals through organizational activities are often facilitated by organizational leaders. In orde r to effectively facilitate organizational functions, organizational leaders ought to possess or rather adhere to a number of leadership principles. A combination of key leadership principles is a vital source of leadership philosophy. Leadership principles are a combination of character traits, resounding personalities and even behaviours that help organizational leaders to propel their organizations toward greater heights. There are numerous examples of leaders in the corporate world, who have utilized leadership principles and helped organizations to gain stronger corporate positions (Ray 2006). In this paper, it is argued that leadership principles are the main pillars upon which effective organizational leadership is built. This paper explores five key principles of leadership that can be utilized by an organization to build a leadership philosophy. The paper justifies the leadership principles by borrowing from behavioural theories, as well as founded examples of corporate lea ders who have utilized the principles to build legacies in corporate leadership. Linking leadership to leadership principles Before exploring leadership principles, it is vital to understand leadership from the perspective of an organization. Leadership is a combination of methods of management, which guides a given organization by offering it a given direction. This implies that leadership is not an event, but an activity. It entails the continuous combination of methods of overseeing the operations of an organization. In this case, methods refer to the series of practices that can be equated to the principles of leadership. Therefore, organizational leaders must be proactive in overseeing the processes and functions of the organization through the application of diverse principles of leadership. According to the behavioural theories of leadership, organizational leadership entails the management of people with diverse personalities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the application of a single principle can hardly result in the successful implementation of organizational objectives. Leadership, especially when it applies to an organization, entails the management of people, processes and assets. Therefore, leaders ought to possess a combination of different principles of leadership, which helps them to capture the critical attributes of leadership in the organization. Of greater significance is the ability of the leader to combine the diverse principles of leadership. Organizational leaders must be vigilant enough and know the most appropriate time to focus on a given principle of leadership. This is because organizations undergo various cycles, thus a given cycle in the performance of an organization may require a deeper application of a certain principle of leadership (Ray 2006). The principles of leadership are often attained th rough the leadership behaviours or traits of a leader. Leadership traits are vital for the development of leadership principles and effective leadership. This is the reason why some organizations prosper, while others do not perform remarkably. When they are effectively developed, leadership principles act as a basis on which organizational leaders implement the functions of the organization. In other words, leadership principles encourage best practice in the utilization of organizational resources to discharge organizational functions. When this is done, the leadership of an organization comes out as the main benchmark tool for organizational performance. This is how the leadership philosophy is derived from organizational leadership. The ability of a leader to set and enforce a given practice in the organization depends upon the principle of leadership that is set and used by the leader. Therefore, it can be said that the quality of leadership in an organization is a summation of the various principles of leadership that are embraced by the leadership of the organization. Therefore, leadership principles are the key determinants of the nature and quality of leadership in most organizations (Ray 2006). Leadership principles Leadership is a quality of management that is developed by organizational leaders. Organizational leaders develop their leadership competency by applying certain principles of leadership in their organizations. There is a wide range of leadership theories that have been theorized and discussed by a large number of leadership theorists.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Self-awareness According to Greg and Roni (2012), one of the most critical principles of leadership is self-awareness. Leaders must create conditions upon which organizational success is founded. One of the means through which such conditions are created is t he development of self-confidence by the leader. Self confidence is a behavioural trait of leadership that has been widely adopted by leaders in the seemingly challenging organizational environment. Self-awareness implies that a leader should be fully aware of his or her personality and use the personality to drive the organization to success. It can be likened to the ability of leaders to take risks while making investments. Confidence is one of the key features self-awareness. Confidence aids a leader to understand the essence of convincing organizational leaders to take risks of investing in certain courses. Organizational leaders are critical assets in as far as the formulation of critical organizational decisions is concerned (Greg Roni 2012). This is what can enable them instil belief in organizational members and other stakeholders of the organization that they are leading. It is argued that confidence plays a great role in the success of the leader. However, this only comes true when the leader himself understands the essence of confidence in their success, as well as the success of other members in the organization. Confidence helps a leader to look at challenges from a positive inclination. A leader ought to pay full attention to all the people, processes and situations in the organization in which he or she is leading. Confidence in the leader becomes stronger when the leader pays attention to all people, processes and situations within the organization (Greg Roni 2012). When the leader successfully handles several situations in the organization, the confidence of the leader grows (Tamkin et al. 2010). The quality of self-awareness grows from the organizational leader to the organizational teams throughout the organization. A substantial number of outstanding organizational leaders are often reported to spend most of their time with organizational teams. By virtue of spending time with organizational teams, talking to them, organizational leaders help instil courage and confidence in the organizational members. This inspires organizational members to increase their input when discharging their roles and duties in the organization. Richard Branson, who is one of the most renowned leaders in the corporate world, is reported to spend most of the time talking to and sharing experiences with organizational teams. Being a master of communication, Branson keeps informing the employees of the tasks they are supposed to discharge.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Branson has perfected this principle of leadership is such a way that his physical presence instils determination among the employees of the Virgin Group. This quality even goes beyond the employees of the company. Branson exudes the confidence of the organization among the media and the wider corporate world. Through the practice of the quality of the principle of self-awareness, Branson has come out as one of the most confident leaders. He has managed to attract the attention of the media and the customers, thereby enhancing corporate growth and expansion of the Virgin Group of Companies (Leadership Resource Group 2012). Visionary evangelism The second principle of organizational leadership is visionary evangelism. Organizational success lies in the ability of the organization to develop a vision and mould organizational activities towards the fulfilment of the organization’s vision. The vision of the organization is the foundation for success in the organization. According to James and Lahti (2011), organizational vision often depicts the idealized future state of that organization. The vision of an organization has a long impact on the long-term existence and performance of an organization than organizational strategies. Organizational strategies are founded on the vision of the organizations. This justifies the need for organizations to develop visions. More often than not, the vision of an organization is formulated by the leadership of that organization. To this effect, therefore, it is the responsibility of organizational leaders to communicate the vision of the organization both internally and externally. For any leader to be successful, he must be in a position to see beyond the normal or prevailing operations of the organization. This implies that the leader must be able to see the organization from the past, present and future. From this argument, it can be said that one of the most daunting tasks of organizational leadership is leading the organization into the future. This can only be attained when the leader of an organization crafts a sound vision for the organization. Therefore, visionary evangelism begins with the development of the vision (Lahti 2011). Zaccaro and Banks (2001) observed that a substantial number of organizations in the contemporary corporate world have been revising and readjusting their visions so as to capture the prevailing , as well as the probable future challenges. This point emphasizes on need for organizations to develop sound visions. The development of a sound vision could be a simple task. However, the main hurdle lies in the ability of the organization to communicate and implement organizational activities in line with the vision. This is what often separates the leadership of an organization from the other. The most pressing question that ought to be asked is how the leader of an organization can improve the image and the position of the organization through being the main advocate o f the organization’s vision. The first thing that should be done by the leader of an organization is to master the vision of an organization. An organizational leader frequently communicates with the public about the organization. The vision of an organization is a symbolic factor in the building of the culture of an organization. Through the embrace of the vision of an organization, the organizational leader helps an organization to gain a given identification in the market and the industry in which the organization operates (Zaccaro Banks 2001). Lussier and Achua (2010) opined that there are several known organizations that have portrayed the ability of leading through vision. One such example is notable in the leadership of Apple Incorporated under the leadership of Steve Jobs. During his tenure as the leader of the company, Jobs managed to instil the culture of innovation through crafting and enforcing the vision, which entailed creativity and innovation. Steve Jobs was at the centre of every activity in the organization, which was meant to propel the organization towards meeting its key objective of driving the market through innovation (Daft Lane 2008). Responsibility One of the most ignored, yet a critical principle of organizational leadership is responsibility. The principle of responsibility is closely related to accountability. The two qualities work in close relation. Responsibility in leadership begins with the search for ways through which the performance of an organization can be enhanced. It then trickles down to the acceptance of blame and correction, when the decisions or strategies hit the tough end. Therefore, responsibility is an elaborate quality of leadership. It entails the establishment of the workable strategies for the organization, as well as accountability for the outcomes of the strategies that are applied in the organization. The question of responsibility in leadership resonates from the fact that leaders are trusted wi th both the human and material sources of organizations. Therefore, they are supposed to account for the existence and application of these resources in organizational work and the subsequent outcomes (Epitropaki Martin 2005). This can be likened to the exercise of auditing in organizations, where organizational leaders often require explaining how they utilized organizational resources in meeting organizational objectives. However, sometimes the principle of responsibility in leadership is mistaken with the vice of covering up the negative aspects of organizational performance. This is a critical area of leadership basing on the argument that organizational leaders are supposed to be ambassadors of their organizations. Any person who is given the responsibility to spearhead a certain course becomes the main championing factor for that course (Hinrichs et al. 2012). The rationale behind the action of failing to expose aspects of negative performance within organizations is that the y may taint the image of the organization among the public. Therefore, any practices with such an intention could as well be termed as an act of irresponsibility in leadership. Responsibility calls for a complete observation and explanation of processes and actions taken by the organization. Risks and uncertainties are often accepted by organizations. As organizations keep operating, they can hardly avoid risks. Risks cause organizations to sway from their plans, thus they may fail to meet some of the goals. The essence of true responsibility in leadership is portrayed at the time when organizations are facing difficulties (Smith Sharma 2002). During this period, most leaders tend to dissociate themselves from the happenings. The sense of true leadership and the quality of responsibility is replicated at a point where organizational leaders are willing to stand the organization. Leaders are supposed to explain the causes of the wrong happenings and try to devise solutions to such s ituations (Hinrichs et al. 2012). According to Masi and Cooke (2000), empowerment is not only a responsibility of a leader, but also an important tool through which organizations attain desired relations between organizational leaders and their subordinates. The quality of a leader is often determined by the organizational employees. Employees or subordinates value leaders who engage them in leadership. The embrace of the culture of empowerment by organizational leaders helps to attain participatory or inclusive leadership. This is a behavioural tactic of organizational leadership. It creates the sense of ownership within the subordinates. Subordinates are motivated by the fact that they are given knowledge and responsibility to administer organizational factors. For quite a long time, organizations have used the quality of empowerment to manage performance. The practice of empowerment enhances the relationship between leaders and the subordinates. Empowerment can also begin by the virtue of the establishment of workable relationship between a leader and the employees. Such relationships result to psychological empowerment. This form of empowerment increases the level of employee commitment to the organization (Masi Cooke 2000). The other form of empowerment that is perhaps the most valid form of leadership in the contemporary times is offering employees autonomy and resources. Modern leadership values the equipping of organizational subordinates with all the desired resources and the necessary additional support, including skills and leaving the subordinates to discharge their duties, devoid of a lot of supervision. Employees are often left to work on organizational projects without much subordination from the leadership. Under such a case, organizational leadership only comes in at the latter stages, probably to assess the work that has been done by organizational employees (Masi Cooke 2000). This is the most desired principle of leadership that has been u sed by the leadership of organizations such as Microsoft Corporation. In Microsoft, Bill Gates believes in the principle of empowering organizational teams, which leads to invention. Empowerment is a principle that has proven to be effective in leading project work within organizations. The main challenge with the enforcement of subordinate empowerment is that organizations’ subordinates may take advantage of this, thereby failing to discharge organizational functions as required (Bednarz 2011). Tamkin, Pearson, Hirsh and Constable (2010) ascertained that true leaders believe in the growth of people and the organization though performance. One of the fundamental functions of organizational leadership is to spearhead the performance of tasks within the organization. However, this may be disputed by people who see leadership as an aspect of ensuring that the set processes and procedures are followed by organizational members. While this has some sort of truth, it is termed as a n archaic perspective of exercising leadership. The prevailing environment of management calls for transformational and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership dwells on bringing about change (Mannarelli 2006). Change is brought about through the continued observation of practices and making adjustments that are meant to improve the quality of performance. Leaders are assessed in terms of the amount of change that they bring about during their tenure. A sound leader has to be able to master the ability of each person within his circle of leadership. Different people have different abilities. This is because the ability of an individual is determined by a number of things among them the level of skills, the quality of resources and personal motivation among others. Through group and individual engagement with people, a leader becomes able to unlock the full potential of people. This aids to nurture the long-term value of the people in the organization, thereby enhancing the performance of the organization. Outstanding leaders learn how to mould the performance of people through the creation of growth opportunities. This often begins with the creation of trust between the leader and the people. When there is no trust in the leader, it becomes difficult for organizational leaders to create a learning environment (Tamkin et al. 2010). Communication is also a critical concept of leadership. Therefore, an outstanding leader must learn how to foster communication in the organizations. It is argued that communication is a critical concept of conveying messages to the subordinates. Through communication, the leader also gets feedback from the subordinates. Of relevance in organizational communication is the fostering of a communicating organization. By a communicating organization, it means that the leader has to open the channels of communication between him and the subordinates. At the same time, there must be communication between the subordinates as t his is one way through which the subordinates improve in the discharge of their duties. The offer of trust, which is one of the vital elements of encouraging performance in organizational teams, begins with communication. Outstanding leaders must go up to all odds to ensure that they foster interaction within the organization. Communication is the link through which trusting relationships are formed in the organization. Trusting relationships encourage honest interactions that are quite fruitful for the organization (de Vries, Bakker-Pieper Oostenveld 2010). As mentioned earlier, outstanding leaders must encourage open communication. Open communication here means that there should be clear channels of communication, where the leader can give instructions and receive feedback from the people. This implies that the gaps that can prevent organizational subordinates from communicating to the leader must be sealed. However, open communication is the quality of leadership, which only wor ks in organizations that embrace democratic principles of leadership. However, it has been observed that most organizations are adopting the democratic principles of leadership. Also, organizations that are still old to bureaucracy encourage feedback communication (Tamkin et al. 2010). Conclusion Leadership is a critical determinant of success in every facet of management. It is argued that leadership is an attribute of management, which is developed by a leader. This paper has explored the principles of leadership that can be used to develop a leadership philosophy by a leader. Leadership principles that have been explored in this paper include the pursuance of open communication, growth of people through performance, empowerment of self and subordinates, exercising responsibility and accountability, the embrace of visionary evangelism, and the exercise of self-awareness. In the paper, it has been observed that leadership is something that is developed through the combination of di verse attributes of management. In other words, it argues that no single attribute can form satisfactory leadership. This makes leadership a comprehensive exercise, thereby calling from the combination of different principles of leadership. As noted in the discussion, leadership principles are developed from the behaviours and traits of leaders. Therefore, there are a substantial number of leadership principles that can act as a basis upon which a leader can develop a sound leadership philosophy. These leadership principles interact, thereby enabling the leader to attain a desirable leadership philosophy. Reference List Bednarz, T 2011, Fostering an empowered organization. Web. Daft, RL Lane, PG 2008, The leadership experience, Thomson/South-Western, Mason, OH. de Vries, RE, Bakker-Pieper, A Oostenveld, W 2010, ‘Leadership = Communication? The relations of leaders’ communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing and leadership outcomes’, Journal of Business Psychology, vol. 25 no. 3, pp. 67–380. Epitropaki, O Martin, R 2005, From ideal to real: A longitudinal study of the role of implicit leadership theories on leader–member exchanges and employee outcomes, Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, pp. 659–676. Greg, CA Roni, R 2012, Self-awareness and the evolution of leaders: The need for a better measure of self-awareness, Journal of Behavioural and Applied Management, vol. 14 no. 1, pp. 2-17. Hinrichs, KT, Wang, L, Hinrichs, AT Romero, EJ 2012, ‘Moral disengagement through displacement of responsibility: The role of leadership beliefs’, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 42 no. 1, pp. 62-80. James, K Lahti, K 2011, ‘Organizational vision and system influences on employee inspiration and organizational performance’, Creativity and Innovation Management, vol. 20 no. 2, pp. 108-120. Leadership Resource Group 2012, Successful Leadership Sir Richard Branson. Web. Lussier, RN Achua, CF 2010, Leadership: Theory, application, skill development, SouthWestern/Cengage Learning, Australia. Mannarelli, T 2006, Accounting for leadership: Charismatic, transformational leadership through reflection and self-awareness, Accountancy Ireland, vol. 38 no. 6, pp. 46-48. Masi, RJ Cooke, RA 2000, Effects of transformational leadership on subordinate motivation, empowering norms, and organizational productivity, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 8 no. 1, pp. 16-47. Ray, TK 2006, Principles of leadership: Leadership management, Futurics, vol. 30 no. 1, pp. 52-71. Smith, PAC Sharma, M 2002, ‘Developing personal responsibility and leadership traits in all your employees: part 2–optimally shaping and harmonizing focus, will and capability’, Management Decision, vol. 40 no. 9, pp. 814-822. Tamkin, P, Pearson, G, Hirsh, W Constable, S 2010, Exceeding expectation: the principles of outstanding leadership. Web. Zaccaro, SJ Banks, DJ 2001, ‘Leadership, vision, and organizational effectiveness.’ In Zaccaro, S.J. and Klimoski, R.J. (eds.), The nature of organizational leadership, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 181–218.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essays

Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essays Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essay Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essay Essay Topic: Controversial â€Å"It was once believed that when you were born, you were a blank state and could be taught to learn different things in a variety of way† (Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012) In this essay I will be talking about the importance of study skills for higher education. I will be identifying the different skills that are used both personal and professional and also providing some evidence towards my findings. The main skills I will be touching on will be people skills, reflective and creative skills, writing skills and also time management. I will be exploring how these skills have an importance in the higher education and viewing their similarity and differences between them. Study skills are the strategies and the different approaches used in learning to develop better understanding and knowledge for a life time. It is an essential piece of material that is needed for better grades in an exam, assignment etc and tackles problems such as bad organization, time management or writing skills which are useful for a life time. There are many different study skills that can be used in higher education in order to gain a successful qualification for a successful job application. It is important indentify your own personal learning style and develop on all the important study skills that helps with your learning. The reason for this is because it helps you remember and learn more and new information. It also allows you to do well in your essays/assignments and exams you are undertaking. Once your learning style has been identified and used, it will provide you with the opportunity to move up a level. There are different styles such as: The Diver: like to get on with it and get it out of the way The Dreamer: like to think a lot and research thoroughly The Logician: like things to make sense and reasons The Searchlight: like to see the bigger picture and find everything interesting (Cottrell, S. 2008. Third Edition. Pg59-60) The Dearing Report (1997) states that â€Å"the key to future success of graduates ommunication skills, numeracy, use of ICT, learning how to learn† (heacademy. ac. uk) This report gives a clear understanding of the main skills need for a successful future. On the other hands in the theory of Gardner’s, H (1983), he believes that everyone should be able to find 8 different areas to help with their learning, which may identify what they prefer (Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012). The first skill I will talk about is People S kills. This skill has a combination of inter-personal skill, which means the ability to work well with others in a team/group, and also intra-personal skills, which means the ability to manage your own attitudes and emotions within the environment (Cottrell, S. 2003. Pg 115). A people skill involves being able to communicate well with others and adapting to others within the team and interacting well amongst others. This skill can be turned into academic skills by making connections with groups in class, listening well to others allowing everyone to talk, being assertive without demonstrating any form of anger etc. This is one important skill that is needed for higher education which can be developed further for a successful job in the future. My second skill I will talk about is reflective and creative skills. This is a thinking process that can put you in deep thoughts aiming to gain a better understanding. It allows you to make sense of what your putting together, go over what you have, make any judgements and changes needed and also weighing up what you have to get better balance which includes taking different things into account. In the book of The Science Good Study Guide, it states that â€Å"it is important that you take a systematic, analytical, strategic, and reflective approach to managing yourself and your studies† (Northedge, A et al, 1997, pg 16). Creativity plays a big role in study skill because; you need to identify what strategies are suitable for you in learning. With this you can be as creative as you can to help you in the process. The third skill is writing skills. This skill can also be combined with organisation as you will need to learn how to organise your essays and assignments e. . introduction, main body and conclusion/evaluation. Writing is another form of communication. In higher education, when writing an essay/assignment, you are communicating what you know and understand of what you have learnt in class. This is why writing skills is very important so you know what you’re writing is clear for the reader. However as Cottrell (2008) stated that writing a good assignmen t is a hard and challenging process but is a very rewarding aspect of your studying. Your writing skill is something that can always be developed as you grow (The Study Skills Handbook. 2008. Pg167) The last skill I will talk about is time management. This is one of the most essential skill needed, not only for higher education but also for every other thing in life e. g. job, appointments, lectures, meetings etc. you need to know how long it requires for you to do something. Time is special because you cannot change time. I believe everyone has the same exact time on their hands; it depends on how it’s being used by the individual. Most students like myself will complain and say there is not enough time for their work, however what I have come to learn is that if time is managed widely it helps a lot with what you need to do or what you desire to do. In higher education, when time is managed well, it helps set your priorities straight, become more conscious with your decisions and also learn how to become more productive each day. In conclusion, I have come to read and understand how important study skills are in higher education. The first thing is to identify what type of learner you are and focus on the most important study skills. I have come across some understanding that if you lack in your study skills, there is a low chance of gaining good grades meaning less chance of a successful job application. As stated in the Dearing report (1997) the four main skills needed for success in the future and also Howard Gardner’s theory explaining how creative you should be in different ways of learning such as finding 8 different areas to learn that may help with your learning. I believe that we learn something new every day giving us the opportunity to move up a level of intelligence.