Nurse-Led Implementation of an Insulin-Infusion Protocal in a Gender Research Paper

Nurse-Led Implementation of an Insulin-Infusion Protocal in a Gender - Research Paper Example The problem is an important one, as it will avoid the negative effects of hypoglycemia, which is a life threatening problem among ICU patients. Further, the problem has been the center of a contentious issue in ICU care. The problem is clearly depicted and the background information offered, including the case of concerns among doctors and nurses over increased workload due to SGC, and the deaths caused by hypoglycemia. The justification of the study is offered, as evaluating the existing degree of glycaemic control, which will lead to the implementation of an effective nurse-led SGC model. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the existing degree of glycaemic control, leading to the designing of an effective SGC approach, with regard to intensive insulin therapy. The main research question is: Can nurse-led implementation of an insulin-infusion protocol reduce the incidences of hypoglycemia and the workload resulting from a strict SGC model? The hypothesis of the study may be expr essed this way: An informed nurse-led implementation of insulin administration is more effective and safe in reducing adverse conditions like hypoglycemia among ICU patients. ... Finney is also cited, who discussed the adverse effects resulting from hyperglycemia at general intensive care, which pushed doctors to prescribe insulin levels of 4 – 8 for ICU patients through standard infusion. The author included the opposing study of Pittas et al, which showed that ICU patients subjected to insulin therapy were thrice, as likely to develop hypoglycemia as opposed to a control group. Another deviating study is that of Krinsley et al, which showed that hypoglycemia was independently related to mortality in an adult ICU. The literature review is thorough and organized, as it starts with supporting the background of study, to discussing the effects on not implementing the insulin protocol strategy: for instance the study by Krinsley et al, which talks of the relation between hypoglycemia and mortality. A majority of the references are current, thirty of the thirty-three falling between the 5 year bracket (age of source before writing of the health article; 1 falling between 10 year bracket and 2 falling under the more than 10 years bracket. This shows that the study presented information – not more than 10 years old, thus current for usage. The theoretical framework of the study surrounds the evaluation of the existing glycaemic control level and exploring the relationships between a nurse-led implementation of safe SGC approach to insulin therapy and the incidences of hypoglycemia and the workload resulting from SGC. The variables to be measured and the relationships to be explored are clear, thus the theoretical model is clearly explained. The model is also threaded throughout the report, as the discussion

Domestic violence Essay Example for Free

Domestic violence Essay I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. Competency Assignments Task 2 – Case Study CHCDFV301A Recognise respond appropriately to domestic family violence CHCDFV402C Manage own professional development in responding to domestic family violence NOTE: Read the case study below. Answer the questions listed below in your own words using the case study as the basis for your answers. Do not work or share answers with other students in this course when completing this assignment task. Assignment task 2: Due – Sunday 2nd February 2014 Case study – (approx 1200-1500 words) Case study You are a student support counsellor in a university. Judy, a first-year student of Aboriginal descent, comes to see you as she is struggling with her studies and says that she would like to talk to you about whether university is right for her. As you talk with Judy she tells you that one of the reasons she is struggling to study and finish her assignments on time is that she has had to take on extra work in the evenings and weekends to support her brother, who has moved in with her since he lost his job a couple of months ago. Judy tells you that she is happy to support her brother financially until he gets back on his feet but that it is difficult as she now needs to work the extra hours, as well as looking after the house and cleaning up after her brother and his friends, who spend most nights drinking and smoking in the house. Judy expresses concern for her brother who she says is very stressed since he lost his job and easily irritable. She wants to talk to him about getting another job and doing his share around the house, but she is anxious about doing so because he can get very angry. You notice that Judy has a cut on her head and some bruising on her arms but when you ask her about it she dismisses it, saying that sometimes her brother ‘talks with his fists’ and that she’s fine. 1.Explain your responsibilities as the counsellor in this situation. We must support, believe her, be nonjudgmental, have empathy and be congruent with Judy. We must not make judgements. Judy needs to know that this is not her fault and that there is programs and ways to help not just her but her brother, and this can be done without the police and him being put in jail, as this is the preferred way of her culture. Judy must be told about where we stand on confidentiality and let her know that in certain circumstance the counsellor has a legal duty to report. We must know our limitations on how we can help and refer Judy to the right place. 2. What legal issues  could be present in this situation? It is a criminal offence in Australia to be violent. However we have a duty of care and confidentiality that also needs to be considered. It is important to talk to clients who are experiencing domestic violence before reporting (if possible) so they feel supported rather than judged, this reassure them that they are not responsible for the violence but the abuser is. If the person is in immediate danger you must report it. Your organisation may have protocols and policies that address domestic and family violence that you must follow. All counsellors should be aware of domestic and family violence policies, this should be easily accessible at work. 3. What interrelated issues are present in this situation? Judy feels that she has a duty to support her brother as this is expected of her. Judy’s brother being unemployed, cultural expectations, having loss of self-esteem, having her brother be financially dependent on her and her brother having a drug and alcohol dependency are all interrelated issues. 4. What criteria would you use to assess risk in this situation? The primary rule of assessment must be to believe her, and start intervention, states Walker (1984, as cited in James, 2008). I would also need to assess, the severity of the situation, the client’s current emotional state, immediate psychosocial and safety needs, level of client’s current coping skills and resources. I would need to listen, be supportive, reinforce her right to her personal power and if Judy is safe in her environment, I would also inform her of what options and support there is for her. 5. What strategies would you use to help Judy? I would reassure Judy that it is not her fault, I would not make judgements about her situation or judge her on decisions that she makes. I would need to listen to what Judy has to say, be supportive and reinforce her right to take control and make decisions for herself. Letting her know that she can feel free to talk about her abuse. I would let her know that she is not alone and that there are others that have been in the same situation as she is in. I would help her to make a safety plan that she can put into action if needed. I would give Judy phone numbers that she can ring when she needs  to. Helping Judy feel safe and letting her know that she is not alone, will reassure her. 6. What cultural issues may you need to consider when working with Judy? I would have to consider Judy’s aboriginal background and the fact they we were brought up differently. We have different beliefs and cultures. I would need to be sensitive to Judy’s needs and cultural differences. 7. How might your own values and beliefs impact on your ability to work with Judy? How might you overcome these? I would need to make sure that I was emotionally and qualified to help in this situation. I need to make sure that I put my own values aside and not make judgements of Judy. I have to recognise my own limitations and to know when this is impacting on the counselling sessions. Being aware of my own perspective of the situation helps me to recognise my own biases and values. I could overcome them by talking to my supervisor, this will benefit me and the client. If I could not overcome my own values and beliefs I must refer the client, as the client would not benefit having me as a counsellor. I have to take into account of the law and any changes to legislation. 8. What aspects of this situation might a counsellor be required to keep records of and/or report on? I would need to keep records of her name, address, what happened, when it happened and what steps were taken. I would need to keep records of anything that may be used in a legal situation. If any police/medical reports were made. I would need to keep records of all domestic violence situations that I have been told about. 9. What referral options might you consider for Judy? Some of the options for Judy is the domestic hotline, aboriginal liaison officer, mental health, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service, drug and alcohol centre. I would find out if they have women’s patrols and sobering-up shelters in her area, as this would take into account her aboriginal background and remove her brother from the home without putting him in jail, I could also find out if there is a program that would help â€Å"heal† the offender. I would also advise Judy of Centrelink and the housing commission, as she and her brother may not be aware of the help that they could receive from them. I would give Judy a list of organisations who she could ring if she needed to. I would also speak to my supervisor.

Pros And Cons Of Biotechnology

Pros And Cons Of Biotechnology The Convention on Biological Diversity signed on 5 July 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Earth Summit) defines biotechnology: as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Understand the many disciplines that contribute to Biotechnology The main focus of biotechnology revolves around the use of molecular biology in the application of genetic engineering. Biotechnology encompasses many disciplines and relies on contributions from areas such as chemistry, computer science, mathematics, biology and engineering in addition to other fields such as economics and philosophy. Historic and current applications of biotechnology and its products Fermentation to produce foods Fermentation was discovered over 10,000 years ago and is widely considered to be the most ancient biotechnological discovery. Mankind was producing beer, wine, vinegar and bread using yeast. Lactic acid bacteria in milk and moulds were used to produce cheese. Modern food production still employs these processes but the cultures have been genetically refined and purified so that only the most desirable traits remain. Food preservation Preserving food through drying, salting and freezing was practiced even before anyone really understood why food spoiled in the first place. Louis Pasteurs research on the spoilage of win in 1864 was the first attempt to research food technology in a scientific manner. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) PCR is a technique in molecular biology use to amplify a few copies of a piece of DNA through thermal cycling generating millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence. This technique is used for a variety of purposes including DNA sequencing in cloning, analysis of hereditary genetic diseases or even in the identification of genetic fingerprints used in forensic science. Microbial biodegradation The elimination of pollutants and waste from the environment is a concern that has intensified in recent years as humanity strives to find sustainable ways to cleanup contaminated environments. Bioremediation harnesses the natural ability of microbial xenobiotic metabolism to degrade and transform a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons and metals. List and describe different types of biotechnology and their applications There are a number of jargon terms for sub-fields of biotechnology. Red biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in medical processes. Its applications include the production of antibiotics, vaccines and genomic manipulation to cure diseases. White biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in industrial processes. Its applications include using organisms to produce useful chemicals. The aim is to surpass traditional manufacturing processes by consuming fewer resources. Green biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in agricultural processes. Its applications include designing plants to grow under specific conditions or in the presence/absence of agricultural chemicals. One of its aims us to produce more environmentally friendly solutions separate from traditional industrial agriculture. Bioinformatics addresses biological problems using information technology. It plays a key role in areas like biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. Bioinformatics also helps in the analysis of functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics amongst others. Provide examples of potential advances in Biotechnology Red biotechnology, especially in the field of regenerative medicine, is poised to transform healthcare. Advances in genetics, stem-cell research and cloning promises a golden age in medical care for the future. Genetics is the principle science behind regenerative medicine. Recombinant DNA technology is currently applied in producing vaccines to combat hepatitis B and human-protein drugs to treat diabetes. New protein drugs are in development to treat a wider range of diseases. It is speculated that genes can be used to stimulate the growth of new tissue, and create antibodies to either suppress or enhance the immune system. This can be used to treat diseases such as arthritis and various cancers in the future. Regenerative medicine, unlike chemical based drugs that simply supports failing or damaged organs or tissues, cures disease while having less toxic side effects. Cellular biology plays a major role in regenerative medicine. Human cells are currently being used in a variety of ways such as growing blood vessels and manufacturing artificial skin. Stem cell research offers even more promising treatments. In the future, adult stem cells can be harvested, cultured, and reinserted to heal damaged tissue, bones, nerves, and organs for those suffering brain and spinal injuries. Adult stem cells have limited flexibility as they are often difficult to locate and activate, this means they are unviable in the treatment of a number of disease and injuries. Embryonic stem cells are easier to obtain and their plasticity offers greater therapeutic benefit. Regenerative medicine promises many benefits. Better precision in diagnostics means earlier and more effective medical interventions. The Human Genome Project and ubiquitous monitoring will allow medicine to develop an appropriate response to the onset of debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Effective therapies will affect the quality of many patients lives. Diseased or damaged organs can be repaired or replaced completely. This will prove a great boon for the worlds ageing population as it improves the longevity of human life. Reflect on how it affects you and the world There is intense debate over the development of medical biotechnologies. Studies in genetics, cloning and stem-cell research have sparked unflattering headlines. How do we balance the great hope of treating currently incurable conditions such as Alzheimers with the moral cost that many argue is to high? Will embryonic stem-cell research and therapeutic cloning mean a callous commoditization of human life at its most vulnerable stage? Or are attempts to restrict development in regenerative medication condemning countless individuals to needless suffering? Will the benefits of regenerative medicine be distributed evenly, or will only the wealthy be able to afford it? What will be the social effects of a society populated by genetically enhanced individuals of varying levels? Does this prospect mean greater or less regulation of regenerative medicine research? Admittedly, these questions each embody a number of issues that are contentious in their own right. And each of them requires detailed analysis and scrutiny. Such inquiries are themselves shaped by a bigger picture of religious, moral, social, and political convictions. To what end are the current and future developments in regenerative medicine directing us? And how do we judge whether this end is desirable? Commoditization of human life Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technique to produce human embryonic stem (ES) cells for research or therapy. The technique creates human embryos that serve as sources of human ES cells. In deriving the human ES cells, the cloned human embryo (enucleated human egg transplanted with somatic cell nucleus) is destroyed at the blastocyst stage. This technique has many significant applications for clinical applications and medical research. Human ES cells produced from unfertilized egg cells transplanted with a nucleus from a human somatic cell can serve as a renewable source of cells with varied applications. These cells are capable of self-renewal and can transform into any other type of cell in the human body. Human ES cells can also be used for research into in vitro studies of normal human embryogenesis, abnormal development, human gene discovery and teratogen testing. Therapeutic cloning involves the destruction of cloned human embryos. The moral controversy arises depending on what status cloned human organizes possess. I feel that there are 3 main responses to this question. Human being and human embryo are essentially different Human embryos are essentially different from human beings and have no status. Bonnie Stienbock stipulates that cognitive status is not a matter of species membership but rather the ability to think, feel and experience. Early embryos cannot feel or experience anything. Thus, nothing you do to an embryo, including the act of killing it, can harm its interests because embryos do not have any interests. Human being and human embryos are essentially the same Peter Garret, research director of Life, an anti abortion group in Britain states that therapeutic cloning is simply a form of technological cannibalism. The moral reasoning being that cloning a human embryo to harvest stem cells would be equivalent to creating an individual with the eventual aim of plundering him/her for body parts. To bring it in line with Steinbocks view, species membership is the core determining factor when deciding whether a human organism has cognitive status. Respect for human life The third response presents that view that while human embryos are not equivalent to human beings, they are still a form of human life and are deserving of respect. Steinbock stipulates that the significance of and importance of embryos is symbolic. The respect that we confer to human embryos is analogous to that we accord to dead bodies. A dead human body does not have interests by itself but we show respect for dead bodies by burying them in accordance with our social or religious views. We do this because the dead human body represents a person who has existed. Similarly, we can argue that respect should be accorded to human embryos because of its potential to become a human being. I do feel that the development of sound bioethics depends on according embryos, fetuses or babies some sort of moral significance and importance. But as these reflections show, advances in biotechnology lead us to explore the philosophical issues regarding how to develop and apply new medical and technological possibilities. There are conflicts regarding the moral standing of early human life, issues regarding the meaning of personal identity and the potential to become a person. The challenges of the future will not only be scientific, but will require careful grounding in bioethics. Post humanism The development of superior diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and enhancement techniques are sure to raise human life expectancy. Eminent researchers in the field of biogerontology such as Aubrey de Grey speculates that if accelerated aging syndrome such as Progeria can be fought as a disease, natural aging should fall along the same lines. Regenerative medicine can eventually thwart the natural aging process resulting in increased longevity. This is certainly within the realm of possibility, when all dysfunctional organs can continually be refreshed, we would have a substantially longer lifespan. If regenerative medicine is the first step in curing aging and subsequently, a declaration of war on human mortality, then an interesting issue is forced upon us. Should humans use technology to overcome or extend the limits of our mortality imposed on us by the evolution of human biology? When indeed these limits are overcome or greatly extended, then mortality is no longer a definitive feature of human life. In the absence of this defining feature, are human beings aspiring to become mere artifacts of our own engineering? I personally feel that much of the meaning and virtue in being human stems from our understanding of the finitude of mortal life. Much of the nobility embodied in human beings stem from procreation, a recognition that our future is shaped by and for our successors. Nothing good can come from continually extending the life of the progenitors. Preimplantation Genetics Testing and Eugenics Developments in reproductive medicine have provoked another range of questions, arising from the fact that techniques involving in vitro fertilization make it possible to examine and possibly alter the embryo prior to its implantation and development through fetal to the infant stage. This leads to what is known as the designer baby issue; imposing an ideal pattern on an embryo. The usual practice in clinics is to create a number of embryos in vitro and retain only those that meet the desired criteria. There are a number of situations where this procedure may be chose. It may be a matter of parents seeking to have a child free from a genetic condition known to be a risk in the family. However, groups representing the disabled claim that such selection disvalues disabled people. The same situation can be applied to selecting embryos by sex when the genetic condition involved is sex-linked. This would have broader impacts when sex selection is done for cultural or social reasons since this raises issues on the relative value set on male and female and the impact on the balance of sexes in society. Pre-implantation Tissue Typing (PITT) to produce a compatible donor for a sick family member takes the discussion onto new grounds. Many of them were covered in the film My Sisters Keeper and it raises questions about the exploitation of the resulting child and the violation of its own human rights claims. The spectrum of a new type of eugenics lies in the wait in any debate about designer babies. Scientists have rubbished the practice of eugenics as the convergence on a monoculture of ideal types may lead to elimination of traits that turn out to have evolutionary advantages. The issues that I have discussed have shown that there is a possibility of altering the embryos genetic structure either to eliminate some genetic diseases or, to promote sought-after characteristics such as intelligence or sporting potential. We are already screening various potential lives (embryos) in vitro to decide which should be given a chance at live and which should be allowed to perish. It is no longer the creation of live as we discussed earlier but the control, shaping and disposal of life that are at stake. This all leads to a brave new world of scientific eugenics. A variety of philosophers and scientists have argued for a developmental model of the legal status of the human embryo and foetus. The Roe vs. Wade decision held that pregnancy can be divided into 3 periods, corresponding to the degree that the foetus has been developed. The Supreme Court upheld that these periods correspond to an increasing standing of the emerging person in the human community. Yet the national debate continues and the lack of consensus about the status of the embryo has resulted in contradictory legal definitions in the US. Legality of embryo research varies from country to country as well. There is no clear guideline to the usage and treatment of embryonic material as there are too many fundamental questions that go to the root of humanity. Yet, I suggest that we apply the Kantian tradition of respect for persons and human rights that has been part of our history of civilized societies that balances. By all means, move ahead with stem cell research but let us be aware of all the issues surrounding it. Bioethics will continue to be faced with challenging questions, some of which we have not even conceptualized. In considered how to deal with moral issues, we should not narrow the range of persons who have moral responsibilities in determining answers. Both bioethicists and lawmakers must look to guidance from the public, not only from scientific and business interests. The public too have a special duty, which the media should assist in, to be well-informed in these complex matters.

Diet for a Capitalist America :: Health Eating Food essays

"Diet for a Capitalist America" In the book "Diet for a New America" John Robbins, stresses the importance of a healthier, more environmentally conscious diet. "A revolutionary document of truth and exposure. John Robbins, in a selfless quest to discover the extensive reprocussions of our eating habits and choices, exposes and tenaciously documents hidden facts, this work single handedly convince even the most stubborn anti-vegetarians to take a serious look at the effects of their choices. A must have for anyone who seeks lasting commitment to a more kinder and healthier life." Lance Zimmer This book creates an utopian vision of how the people of the world could soundly sustain themselves by eating grains and vegetables and conscientiously drifting away from our more consumptive and carnivorous ways. The book provides us with a possible and tangible solution to the problems of hunger, diseases and environmental destruction. The "Diet for a New America" is a tool at work to fight against the realities of the modern world, a world that lives on a 'Diet for a Capitalist America'. The reality of the mocking 'Diet for a Capitalist America' is an industrial diet created by our industrial world. The diet that most Americans subsist on today is one that has been created out of capitalism. If we look at a society built by capitalism and industrialism than we will see a diet, which is clearly representative of these ways. Our diet, the food we consume is clearly a product of our lifestyles. In looking at who we are and what we eat, we can see a reflection of the world in which we live. Looking back in time at human civilization prior to urbanization the human animal lived off of the land eating small animals, seeds, roots, seafood and wild fruit. This natural diet the diet that we evolved eating, is the healthiest diet for the human animal and one that we have been eating for the two million years before urbanization. Since than in the last 100 years, 50 years, even in the last 20 years our diet has changed tremendously as has the world. Society has moved from a feudal agrarian regionally oriented society to an industrial technical world encompassing society. At the time of the industrial revolution in England, people were recognizing fried potato, fried fish, white bread, hamburgers, chicken, crisps and other stabilized and processed plant and animal products as being what food is.

Research Paper on Spina Bifida Essay

There are many diseases in the world that affect the human body. In many cases people do not care or don’t become aware of all the diseases that can be harmful and possibly put their lives at risk. There is a great list of diseases that can impact our lives. For example, one of the diseases that I found to be sadly life changing is the Spina Bifida. Even though, the outlook for children with spina bifida has changed dramatically over the years; a study has shown that with appropriate medical care about 75% of children born with the most severe form of spina bifida will most likely live until their early adult years. What exactly is a spina bifida? Well it occurs when the fetus is growing in the womb and its spine doesn’t form correctly. Some of the bones in the spine don’t close to make their normal ring shapes around the spinal cord, and the opening that results causes one of these types of spina bifida: spina bifida occulta and spina bifida cystica- meningocele and myelomeningocele. The spina bifida occulta is a tiny opening that usually causes mild or no symptoms. Whereas, the spina bifida cystica-meningocele is a big enough opening so that some of the membrane surrounding the spinal cord sticks out through the opening. However, the most serious kind, in which some of the spinal cord itself sticks out through the opening in the spine is the spina bifida cystica-myelomeningocele. Some of the symptoms of this disease varies and depends on where along the spine the opening occurred or which type of spina bifida has occurred. Not only that, children born with spina bifida may have other nervous system disorders such as hydrocephalus or Chiari malformation. This disease occurs more frequently among Hispanics and whites of European extraction, and less commonly among Asians and African-Americans. About 95% of babies born with spina bifida have no family history of it. However, if a mother has a child with spina bifida, the risk of it happening again in a pregnancy is greatly increased. One of the reasons of this disease happens because of the deficiency of folic acid during the pregnancy stage. Although, the FDA mandated that all enriched cereal grain products be fortified with folic acid to help reduce the chance of spina bifida from happening. There are still some issues about adding folic acid to foods. The treatment for this disease consists of managing the symptoms that the person has, such as difficulty standing, walking, or urinating. Some people will be able to walk with crutches or leg braces; others may need a wheelchair to get around. However, children and adults with myelomeningocele have the most medical complications and need the most medical care. Even though, there is no complete cure spina bifida. The opening in the spine can be closed surgically either before or after birth, and this could reduce its effects on the body. Overall, spina bifida is the most common birth defect that affects a lot of newborns in the United States and other parts of the world.

Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Essay Example

Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Essay Example Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Paper Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Methodology Paper From early 1970s discussions about the utility, benefit and relevance of qualitative research methodology to the psychology field, in general, and counseling psychology, in particular, has taken a central position (Goldman, 1976; Hanson, et al. , 2005; Howard, 1983). More specifically, Bogard and Wertz (2006) observed that Gordon Allport, in 1942, first made the call for pluralism of research methods in the science of psychology when, in a monograph commissioned by the National Research Council, he encouraged researchers to explore alternative research methods instead of the over-reliance on quantitative methods. However, only in the 1970s did any significant movement in this direction started. The 1980s and 1990s saw significant discussions about the incorporation of qualitative methods in counseling research. The enlightment created by these discussions and the increasing number of qualitative papers, texts and articles that have ensued have considerably changed the face of counseling research, such that more than five decades after Gordon Allport made the first call for research diversity; Ponterotto (2005) strongly believes that counseling psychology is moving away from its primary reliance on quantitative methods to a more balanced reliance on quantitative and qualitative methods (p. 126). There is no denying the fact that research plays a primary role in any academic or professional field. For example, Polit, Beck, and Hungler (2001) defined research as a systematic inquiry that uses disciplined method to answer questions or solve problems (p4). It is obvious from this definition that the goal of research is to create relevant knowledge, to develop, refine and expand the horizon of what is known, and also attempt to proffer answers for the unknown, within the chosen field of study. Moreover, in professional fields like counseling, research studies do not only refine and add to what is known in theory and practice, but also empower the counseling psychologist to capably foresee and manage the complexities and dynamism of the social world (Laws and Marcus, 2003). However, the knowledge that can be gleaned from different research efforts depends, to a large, extent, on the research method adopted, and this in turn is shaped by the researchers worldview and philosophy of science. Stressing this point, Howard (1983) indicates that different core ontological assumptions held by researchers predisposes to the adoption of related assumptions about human nature. Beliefs about human nature then shape opinions about what kinds of knowledge are appropriate, which in turn, significantly determine the research methods adopted. The author argued that a worldview that perceive reality as concrete and humans as responders to this reality encourages positivist science and quantitative research methods. Conversely, a worldview that perceive reality as subjective interpretations of experiences and humans as adapting organisms encourages an interpretivist approach and qualitative research methods. The philosophy of objective reality and laboratory experimentation of the physical sciences has dominated psychology research as the gold standard for over a century. However, the numerous calls for a move towards a more encompassing view and approach to social research that started in the 1970s have severally highlighted the failure of the quantitative research approach to provide answers to social problems and guidance to professionals (Bogard and Wertz, 2006; Howard, 1983). Fishman (1999) noted that the problems with the over-reliance on quantitative methods first came to light during the turbulent times of the 1960s. During this period and the decades that follow, it became clear to many, Fishman argued, that psychology’s delivery on the promise of clear, objective answers to the problems of the complex, ambiguous troubles of the social world was scant at best (p. 371). Apparently, this realization fostered the emerging consensus that counseling research requires a shift in perspective to meet the needs of practitioners (Howard, 1983). The explosion of textbooks on qualitative methods; the the strong affinity for qualitative approaches held by many counseling students and professionals; and the Delphi poll of counseling psychology training directors in the United States that rated qualitative sophistication as one of the top trends for counseling research development in the next decade, most probably confirms Ponterottos claims and belief that counseling psychology is in the midst of a gradual paradigm shift. This paper intends to present further arguments to support Ponterottos assertion. The next section will attempt to explain Ponterottos position on the paradigm shift presently taking place in counseling research; this will be followed by an explanation of the epistemological and ontological differences that distinguish the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. Lastly, further argument will be provided to support and defend the claim that counseling research is experiencing a shift in perspective. The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Counseling Psychology Research Ponterotto’s Argument Ponterotto (2005) provided an elaborate argument on the need for, and the factors that expresses the movement towards a balanced reliance on qualitative and quantitative research methods. Presenting his recent observations and current perceptions (p. 126), Ponterotto argued that the field of psychology, in general, and counseling psychology, in particular, has been, for too long, dominated by the positivist and post positivist paradigms associated with quantitative research methods. This dominance, it is argued, is reflected in available course work, dissertations conducted and in published research reports. Ponterotto argue that such over-reliance on single research philosophy significantly reduces the potential for growth and also limits the knowledge base and practical relevance of counseling research. Therefore, by broadening the fields research scope to include interpretivist paradigms and the associated qualitative methods, counseling psychology will advance more rapidly as a scientific field. Ponterotto is not alone in his opinion. He shares the same sentiment with several other authors like Gergen (2001) who argued that the conception of psychological science commonly shared within the discipline is historically frozen and is endangered by its isolation from the major intellectual and global transformations of the past half century† (p. 803); and Goldman who has been calling for a revolution in counseling psychology for several decades. Ponterotto also observed that in recent times, the need to enhance and improve the level of qualitative research training available to students of counseling psychology has been emphasized by several stakeholders. The author argues that though the present level of adoption of qualitative research training is still low, it is on the increase. Highlighting the importance of the increase in qualitative research training students and scholars receive, Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) noted that graduate students and scholars start appreciating the richness of qualitative research methods and its potential contribution to the field counseling psychology. With such increase in interest, professional conferences start receiving proposals for qualitative research papers and eventually, journal editors and publishers start to take notice of the shift in the wind. The authors declare that from all indications, all of these have been happening already, signaling the slow, but determined shift in research perspectives. Lastly, Ponterotto observed that an increasing number of quantitatively trained counseling psychologist now adopt qualitative methods into their research programs. While the negative implication of this is that most of these counseling psychologists would erroneously be carrying out qualitative researches through a quantitative lens, on the other hand, this indicates the increasing awareness of and interest in, qualitative research methods. Since developing expertise in any philosophy of science or research method takes time, in a most cases, several years of study, it is apparent that this quantitatively trained counseling psychologist would become better qualitative psychologist with time. In sum, Ponterottos claim that the field of counseling psychology is in the middle of a paradigm shift is premised on these observations and perceptions. Fortunately, he is not alone in this thought; there are several observations from numerous authors to strengthen his contention. For example, Howard (1983) contends that there is a growing consensus that the prevailing concept of what constitute a good research is problematic, and that the problem calls for urgent solution. In the same light, Goldman (1976), declaring the need for a complete overhauling of counseling research pointed out that published research in counseling has, on the whole, been of little value as a base or guide for professional practice. Tied to largely inappropriate models derived from the physical sciences, much of the research has been trivial, atomistic, and obsessed with statistics and technical matters of research design (p. 543). Support for Ponterotto’s Argument In order to adequately explain Ponterottos idea of counseling psychologys shift from primary reliance to a more balanced reliance on qualitative and quantitative research methods, Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) set forth a couple of questions that should be answered. These questions include: when did the turn to qualitative research methods started in counseling psychology started? How much emphasis has been placed on qualitative research methodology? And most importantly, what should be made of the surge in interest in qualitative research methods with respect to the pre-dominance of quantitative methods? Is the presence of qualitative research methods now large enough to be considered a paradigm shift, as Ponterotto suggested, or alternatively, is it the case that the interest in qualitative method is still too low to be considered to have impacted counseling research significantly?. To answer these questions, the authors conducted a review of all the psychological literatures published throughout the 20th century. Although, as mentioned earlier, Gordon Allport is said to have made the first call to psychologists to adopt alternative research methods, and the social turbulence of the 1960s is known to have further aggravated the discontent with quantitative methods in counseling research, the 100year literature review carried out by Rennie, Watson, and Monteiro (2002) indicated that there were virtually no psychological literature related to qualitative research methods prior to 1970, with the exception of a some references to phenomenological psychology that appeared in some literatures. Apparently, with respect to the first question above, i. e. when the turn to qualitative methods started, once can infer that practical attempts to adopt qualitative research methods did not take form until in the 1970s and then 1980s and 1990s, although the discontent with quantitative methods could have started earlier. Portraying the gravity of the discontent with quantitative research methods that followed the social turbulence of the 1960s, Fishman (1999) observed that practitioners were caught between irrelevant and ineffective guidance from science and inviting courses of action suggested by reflection in the field but without justification by rational science (p. 371). The author observed that criticism of positivism and its associated quantitative methods developed independently from both the post-positivist and the phenomenological–hermeneutic–post structural schools of thought. Criticism from both angles pointed out that the continuous application of statistical and laboratory experimentation methods to social problems was not yielding the expected outcomes and that the over-reliance on theory testing and the hypothetico-deductive measures inherent in quantitative methods to real world situations that require context-sensitive methods, have considerably contributed to this failure. Again, the origin of the interest in, and application of qualitative research methods can be located in the increased social phenomena that psychologist had to explain and contain, starting the 1960s. While this did not immediately translate into the publication of qualitative papers, as the Rennie, Watson, and Monteiros study revealed, it provided the foundation for the growth experienced in the succeeding decades. Ponterotto attempted to indicate how much emphasis has been placed on qualitative studies in counseling psychology when he reported the Delphi poll of counseling psychology training directors conducted in the United States in which directors identified qualitative sophistication and methodological diversity as the two top trends for the next decade. While this alone is not enough to justify the increasing interest in and emphasis on qualitative research, the explosion of texts on qualitative methods and reports of qualitative studies add weight to the argument that increasing emphasis is being placed on how qualitative methods can better improve the field of counseling psychology. For example, Robins and others (2008) reported more psychology related journals have paid increasing attention to the potential contribution that qualitative studies can impact on the field of psychology. The authors suggest that as a result of this increasing support, increasing number of researchers have included qualitative research methods in their research programs and most of these studies have been able to highlight some very important and previously un-recognized factors that affect counseling practice. Although, there is no denying the fact that the attention and emphasis received by qualitative methods is still relatively low compared to the dominance quantitative method still enjoy; however, the growing interest and the fact that several quantitatively trained researchers have gone ahead to adopt qualitative methods either in isolation or by inviting and including qualitative researchers in their program points to a gradual shift towards balance emphasis on both research methods, as Ponterotto has suggested. Despite the potential shift towards a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in counseling psychology researches, one important issue that has generated hot debate and that could potentially hinder this paradigm shift is the paradigm-method fit known as the ‘paradigm debate’ (Hanson, et al. , 2005). The paradigm-method fit debate first surfaced in the 1970s and 1980s as the popularity of qualitative methods in counseling psychology became topical issue for discussion. The debate relates to the question â€Å"Do philosophical paradigms (e. g. , positivism, constructivism) and research methods have to fit together? † (p. 225).

Is Ghost Blogging Unethical

Is Ghost Blogging Unethical You didnt write that post, but you put your name on it. You hired a ghost blogger. Ghost blogging: one person writes the blog posts, but another person gets the credit, with or without disclosure that the blog uses ghost written posts. Does that seem wrong to you? Unethical? Some say thats an easy yes, but others, particularly in the public relations industry, say no. It depends on how you see your content, and how comfortable you are with a lie. 1. Ghost Blogging Ruins The Relationship Social media and blog content–its all about the relationship now, isnt that right? Were talking, were conversing, were engaging. Its all inbound marketing and in order for that to work, we have to be transparent and open and above all else, be concerned with connecting personally to our readers. In this strict definition, ghost blogging seems like a home-wrecker in our relationship with our audience. Blogger Dave Fleet has written an article about the  ethics of ghost writing  in social media, stating outright that it is unethical if it is undisclosed because it harms the relationship. Unlike ghost-written speeches, where the spokesperson lends their name and approval to the writing by actually saying the words, ghost-written blogs can be published without the named person ever seeing them. Fleet later wrote an article addressing ghost blogging directly, stating that it was wrong. Writing blog posts was part of relationship-building. When did outsourcing your relationships become  okay? Dave Fleet Maybe the question isnt whether ghost blogging is ethical or not, but instead, whether your blog is about relationships or information. Not All Blogs Are Relationships To play devils advocate, let me suggest that not all blogging is relationship building.   Some blogs are purely for information. Just as a writer publishes a book (paper or ebook), you buy it, you read it, you dont assume the author wants to start a transparent relationship with you. The information was the thing. Consider the many reasons people create blogs: Create and cultivate relationships. Develop their image and platform. Frame and speak on issues that affect them or their brand (self PR). Show themselves as thought leaders. Media catching (journalists contact them because of what they found on their blog) for attention. Communicate with the rest of the organization, or shareholders. A pure love of writing. Earning money from ads, sales, affiliates, etc. Attract search engines to their website where their business and products are found. Do all of these reasons really have to be considered relationships?  I know we are trained to think that way now,  but is it the only route? The trend and best practices youll hear now is that all content is framed in a relational and social approach. To be the devils advocate for a moment, I would suggest that it is also possible that you are only interested in relaying information and arent looking for a relationship (ask any seriously introverted writer about this). While you might see significantly different results than someone who views their content as relational, you are, at least, getting content on your site. If its good, youll still be found by search engines. Maybe thats enough for you.

Free Essays on The Conspiracy And Assassination Of 1865

The Conspiracy and Assassination of 1865 President Abraham Lincoln dreamt about his own death (Bishop 56). He even stated one day to his bodyguard, â€Å"Crook, do you know, I believe there are men who want to take my life? And I have no doubt they will do so† (Stackpole 10). Unfortunately, this dream and his thoughts became real. John Wilkes Booth initially made plans to kidnap President Lincoln; however, he changed his plans and developed a conspiracy with others to assassinate President Lincoln and other important government officers. John Wilkes Booth disliked President Lincoln, a Republican. Booth’s reasons for disliking the President included that he was seen as a possible threat to everything the South stood for, i.e., his stance against slavery, and his membership in the Republican party (Otfinoski 22). Booth was actually stunned when he found out that his brother, Edwin, had voted for Lincoln in 1860 and that he would vote for him again if and when the time came (Bishop 62). As a result of his feelings he initially made a plan to kidnap Lincoln and bring him to the South for a handsome ransom (Otfinoski 29). Confederate prisoners of war were to be released in exchange for the President, however, this plan failed because Lincoln changed his plans. After the failure of this initial plan, Booth proceeded with numerous others. Late in1864, a plan was devised to kidnap Lincoln during the summer while he was traveling on horseback from the cottage on the grounds of the U.S. Soldier’s home to Washington City. Their Selinger 2 plan was to halt the carriage containing Lincoln. Along with others, Booth planned to use chloroform or to gag and bind the President. Lincoln would then be transported out of the city into secessionist countryside that was southeast of Washington (Stackpole 10). Lincoln discarded this idea because of the weather. Booth abandoned the arrangement because Lincoln no longer went regu... Free Essays on The Conspiracy And Assassination Of 1865 Free Essays on The Conspiracy And Assassination Of 1865 The Conspiracy and Assassination of 1865 President Abraham Lincoln dreamt about his own death (Bishop 56). He even stated one day to his bodyguard, â€Å"Crook, do you know, I believe there are men who want to take my life? And I have no doubt they will do so† (Stackpole 10). Unfortunately, this dream and his thoughts became real. John Wilkes Booth initially made plans to kidnap President Lincoln; however, he changed his plans and developed a conspiracy with others to assassinate President Lincoln and other important government officers. John Wilkes Booth disliked President Lincoln, a Republican. Booth’s reasons for disliking the President included that he was seen as a possible threat to everything the South stood for, i.e., his stance against slavery, and his membership in the Republican party (Otfinoski 22). Booth was actually stunned when he found out that his brother, Edwin, had voted for Lincoln in 1860 and that he would vote for him again if and when the time came (Bishop 62). As a result of his feelings he initially made a plan to kidnap Lincoln and bring him to the South for a handsome ransom (Otfinoski 29). Confederate prisoners of war were to be released in exchange for the President, however, this plan failed because Lincoln changed his plans. After the failure of this initial plan, Booth proceeded with numerous others. Late in1864, a plan was devised to kidnap Lincoln during the summer while he was traveling on horseback from the cottage on the grounds of the U.S. Soldier’s home to Washington City. Their Selinger 2 plan was to halt the carriage containing Lincoln. Along with others, Booth planned to use chloroform or to gag and bind the President. Lincoln would then be transported out of the city into secessionist countryside that was southeast of Washington (Stackpole 10). Lincoln discarded this idea because of the weather. Booth abandoned the arrangement because Lincoln no longer went regu...

The future has begun Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The future has begun - Research Proposal Example Moreover, the process that food goes through when in the farm also determines on their quality. Natural nutrients for plants and animal produce the healthiest food for human beings. The use of chemical to enhance growth contributes to unhealthy effect when people consume such products. Underwood argues that the process of producing better beef have a cost to consumers. He says that Bryan Gilvesy beef is not just a beef like other, but a lean, tender and clean beef (Underwood). Underwood discusses the life of Bryan Gilvesy as an experienced farmer. He has worked in his farm for more than 15 years taking care of his longhorn cattle’s which have a diverse breed that overcome diseases and feed on a variety of plants. Moreover, the cattle’s do calve with minimum human interference. Therefore, the way into the future is likened to the work of producing good quality beef that have healthier nutrient that increases the nutrient taken by human

Business skills - Interpretation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business skills - Interpretation - Essay Example The United States segment is the least contributor to the company’s profits as its best performance is operation at break even point (Mowen, Hansen, & Heitger 2015, p. 122). All of the segments, however, reported volatile trends that also declined over the period. The following chart shows average profit contribution of all the segments over the considered years. The UK contributed an average of 61 percent of the company’s profits over the years and can be projected to continue being the main source of profits in the short run while The United States operates under losses and is likely to continue in the trend. The UK is the significant revenue generating segment and this explains its profit significance. In addition, revenues from the UK has the same trend as that of total revenue and this means that it is core to the company’s income. The trend in revenue is also less volatile and increasing, and an indicator of sustainable growth. The difference shows that expenses that the group incurs in its activities are more volatile than are revenues because profit is a factor of expenses (Porter & Norton 2012, p. 70). The existence of the UK as the source of revenue and the trend that suggest profitability in the other segments also means that the company can expand its operations in the UK and in the other segments, as an optimization strategy. The United States, unlike other segments, however, is not promising to the group as the following chart shows for average revenues.

Behavioral and Social Learning Approaches Personality Assessment Essay

Behavioral and Social Learning Approaches Personality Assessment - Essay Example In social learning, behavior is developed through the adaptation of behaviors that are mimicry of the behaviors that one is exposed to within one’s social environment. One of the more controversial, and by today’s standards, unethical experiments in behaviorism was conducted by John B. Watson on a subject he called â€Å"Little Albert†. Watson proposed that a natural and innate response that an infant would experience to loud noise was fear. Watson introduced a white rat into an area where an 11-month old infant was sitting. The child did not exhibit a natural fear of the rat and attempted to reach for it and interact with the rat. Then Watson would introduce the rat and at the same time strike an iron bar with a hammer in order to evoke a response. As predicted, when the rat would be let into the area with the child, the child would then automatically begin to cry, associating the rat with the fear he had felt at the disruptive loud noise (Slee, 2002, p. 57). very quickly, creating the association that relates to the response. The concept that an internal process does not associate with the way in which a person responds does not seem to be accurate as it discounts the importance of decision. The way in which one decides to respond may not be under full control, but that does not mean that it is not done through a series of decisions. As in the example of ’Little Albert’, his thought process could be, ’I see the rat’, I like the rat, but when the rat shows up, a loud noise that I don’t like is present’. Behaviorism suggests that the response is solely instinctual and developed as a pure response to stimulus. Gabriel Tarde developed social learning laws of imitation in order to explain behavior. The laws were: 1. Imitation occurs through proximity to others, 2. Imitation flows from the superior to the inferior, and 3. New ideas can become part of the fabric of culture as the customs become imbedded, while others

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How radio has influenced our lives - Essay Example This information plays an important role in the decisions that people make regarding different aspects of their lives. Such decisions include decisions on travel plans through the traffic updates that the radio is able to give, decisions on entertainment choices through the various options that can be given on radio and other important aspects such as healthcare and education. The public depends on the information on the radio to know the choices that they have in regards to important decisions such as healthcare plans and the best available education (Biagi 113). The radio is also an important source of information on controversial subjects. Through the educational programs that are aired on radio, the mass can get more information on the controversial subjects. The radio also has an important role to play on the buying decisions that are made by the different listeners. By giving the listeners information on different products available, the listener is able to make an informed choice or decision regarding the product that is most suitable for them. The radio has therefore has a positive impact on the lives of the public because of the ability that it has to pass across information for public

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World Bank and the International Monetary Fund - Essay Example Through lending money, the bank supports the ambition of developing nations to join the European Union. This is done through Country Assistance Strategy. Work Bank provides both technical and financial assistance to the developing countries based on the assessment of the priorities of the country, creditworthiness and past portfolio performance (Sadler, 2009). In addition, the World Bank maintains macroeconomic stability, fosters human development, promotes sustainable growth of private sector and improves business environment, and also improves governance and strengthens institutions via building inclusive and efficient public institutions. The role of International Monetary Fund in providing loans to countries is somehow similar to those of World Bank. The International Monetary Fund has a mandate to oversee international financial and monetary system as well as monitor the financial and economic policies of the member countries. This is done through surveillance which enhances international cooperation. The International Monetary Fund also puts up lending conditions that ensure borrowing countries will repay the loan and that the nation will not solve its balance of payment in a manner to negatively affect the international economy (Sadler, 2009). Summarily, International Monetary Fund fosters economic stability and global growth, and poverty reduction through

Take-home final exam of Korean Melodrama class Term Paper

Take-home final exam of Korean Melodrama class - Term Paper Example In the context of cinema, shinpa is used to describe the melodramatic films made mainly between 1913 and 1923. These films were the ones which had strong theatrical elements as compared to the pure film drama which was influenced from the western style. Shinpa films were criticized by the critics in the beginning but later the contemporary audience received them very well. The shinpa films were appreciated but then they suddenly disappeared. Today, they exist in some form (Gateward 44). Shinpa originated in Japan and it meant a new wave to the old plays. Filming in Korea was initiated by the shinpa troupes who adapted them from Japanese plays. This style eventually had a huge impact on the Korean cinema. Shinpa came as a modernization in the colonized Korea where the film and theatre combined and produced silent films with songs in the background. It also brought new concepts to the Korean cinema; the earliest being family conspiracies with an intellectual who has been sent abroad to study. This was the earliest and most evident characteristic of shinpa (Gateward 44). Contradiction between two values, describing pain and confusion to catch the attention of the viewers to bring them out of the old values and get them into new modern ones. The struggle between the two values or two feeling of a person is the shinpa form portraying the collision between traditional and modern Korea. The traditional Korean melodrama was largely influenced by the western culture as Korea was largely dependent upon the American economy and culture both. However, there were still many of the ideas that belonged to popular culture. Shinpa got hold of this culture and it started developing. Eventually, with the development of the cinema and the modernization, shinpa lost its control. Shinpa was considered to be a colonial hangover and it was forced out of cinema. Melodramatic films of families and youth took over and shinpa had disappeared. Shinpa’s stylistic elements

How radio has influenced our lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How radio has influenced our lives - Essay Example This information plays an important role in the decisions that people make regarding different aspects of their lives. Such decisions include decisions on travel plans through the traffic updates that the radio is able to give, decisions on entertainment choices through the various options that can be given on radio and other important aspects such as healthcare and education. The public depends on the information on the radio to know the choices that they have in regards to important decisions such as healthcare plans and the best available education (Biagi 113). The radio is also an important source of information on controversial subjects. Through the educational programs that are aired on radio, the mass can get more information on the controversial subjects. The radio also has an important role to play on the buying decisions that are made by the different listeners. By giving the listeners information on different products available, the listener is able to make an informed choice or decision regarding the product that is most suitable for them. The radio has therefore has a positive impact on the lives of the public because of the ability that it has to pass across information for public

Take-home final exam of Korean Melodrama class Term Paper

Take-home final exam of Korean Melodrama class - Term Paper Example In the context of cinema, shinpa is used to describe the melodramatic films made mainly between 1913 and 1923. These films were the ones which had strong theatrical elements as compared to the pure film drama which was influenced from the western style. Shinpa films were criticized by the critics in the beginning but later the contemporary audience received them very well. The shinpa films were appreciated but then they suddenly disappeared. Today, they exist in some form (Gateward 44). Shinpa originated in Japan and it meant a new wave to the old plays. Filming in Korea was initiated by the shinpa troupes who adapted them from Japanese plays. This style eventually had a huge impact on the Korean cinema. Shinpa came as a modernization in the colonized Korea where the film and theatre combined and produced silent films with songs in the background. It also brought new concepts to the Korean cinema; the earliest being family conspiracies with an intellectual who has been sent abroad to study. This was the earliest and most evident characteristic of shinpa (Gateward 44). Contradiction between two values, describing pain and confusion to catch the attention of the viewers to bring them out of the old values and get them into new modern ones. The struggle between the two values or two feeling of a person is the shinpa form portraying the collision between traditional and modern Korea. The traditional Korean melodrama was largely influenced by the western culture as Korea was largely dependent upon the American economy and culture both. However, there were still many of the ideas that belonged to popular culture. Shinpa got hold of this culture and it started developing. Eventually, with the development of the cinema and the modernization, shinpa lost its control. Shinpa was considered to be a colonial hangover and it was forced out of cinema. Melodramatic films of families and youth took over and shinpa had disappeared. Shinpa’s stylistic elements

Inventory Management System Essay Example for Free

Inventory Management System Essay Government Institutions decided to listen to the people living in North Triangle specifically in Sitio San Roque. Government agency officials handling this matter instructed the leaders of the 14 Organizations to build or create a whereas this can be their source of income in the event that they are going to grantrelocation or In City relocation. The main objective of San Roque Community Council Multi-purpose Cooperative is to provide extra income or even have job opportunity for the members. This is also to promote personal awareness, social development and empowerment of self-reliance that they would be able to provide stability for each family. When San Roque Community Council-North Triangle Alliance started the Multi-purpose Cooperative they had many struggles on how they are going to manage it efficiently and effectively. The main problem here is they are using manual encoding to record their members transactions, monthly report 3 and loans transactions. The reason behind this is many of them don’t have enough knowledge to navigate or use computer as their main tool. As mentioned earlier, they are using manual encoding as the main procedure to record all important details in their everyday activities or transactions. There are advantages and disadvantages on this type of routine, but in regards to positive side, only few can still be used like you will have a hard copy of all data of your members but in 21st century, this is no longer advised. As we all know computer is already a necessity and definitely it will make our work faster and easier. Multi-purpose cooperative composed of two types of business: Credit Cooperative and Consumers Cooperative. Transaction 1. Loans and payments 2. Cash flows (accruals and expenses) 3. Daily/weekly/monthly/ annual reports (incurred interest, profit and loss)updates 4. Membership process Only members of San Roque Community Council-North Triangle Alliance are qualified to become part of San Roque Community Council Multipurpose Cooperative. They should fill out the registration form and submit the necessary 4 equirements for identification. Let the authorize person validate it then after verification, pay the registration fee of 100 pesos. The member should contribute suggested or approved amount as their share or investment for the paid up capital. If the member successfully meet all the requirements needed and finished the registration process that’s the time the member is qualified for cash loan application and other privileges. Loan Process The member can apply for a cash loan b ased on the amount that he or she contributed. It has three (3) types of interests that will be incurred on the particular amount that was approved to release. Member can pay the borrowed money for a month that has 3% interest, for the 2 months installment basis, it has 4% interest, and lastly for 3 month pay it has 6% interest. It depends on the member which type of installment plan they would want to choose. This whole procedure is quite simple but if you look on the specific details it is very sensitive because it talks about money and activities are consist of small detail. 5 Theoretical Framework This project is based in the Framework of (IPO) Input, Process, and Output, this framework is proven many times, the (IPO) Input, Process, and Output is used in the process of inputting a data or information going to the process of manipulating the data and after all the processes it produce an output, relying to the inputs, for example: the input of the steel, aluminum, tires and other things related to the parts of a bicycle it will go to the process of assembling all the parts of the bicycle and soon the output is a new bicycle. The (IPO) Input, Process, and Output are helpful to our study, because the flow of our system rely to the inputs of data’s or information from the members and their needs to the Cooperative. 6 Conceptual Framework Figure 2. Shows the conceptual framework of the proposed system Conceptual Paradigm On the basis of the fore going theories culled from the review of related literature and studies, the researches paradigm that serves as guide to the study is the system’s approach or Input- Process-Output model device by Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert, Jr. 1995). According to this model, a system has flows information, materials, and energy that enter the system from the environment as inputs, undergo transformation processes within the system. And exit the system as outputs. A feedback is installed and is considered as the key to system controls. As information of the system proceeds, information is feedback to the appropriate people and perhaps to a computer, so that the work c an be assessed and if, necessary, corrected. As shown in the paradigm, the input variable includes the registration and consumers of the San Roque Community Council with the respect to the total number of their respective consumers. In the input variable registration, there includes the information of consumers and loan, the reason why loan is at the registration variable, is because of detecting the data about the consumers and total loans that they apply. Another input variable is the consumers, in consumers data there is from the grocery wherein all the data from the grocery are being monitored in the information if who are the members that are active in the grocery in consumers, it includes product and services that are done by the consumers in the grocery. Statement of Objectives The following are the objectives that serve as a guide in the completion of this thesis. Main Objective The Main Objective of this study is to develop a successful LAN based system that can be used by the San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative for their successful Monitoring system: Consumers cooperative Point of Sales (POS) System and Money Lending System. Specific Objectives 8 1. To develop sales monitoring system and money lending system that will utilize all the transactions of the San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative. 2. To design a system that will make the San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative more sufficient in their daily transactions such as: Registration, monitoring and inventory of sales, and cash loan and payment. 3. To evaluate a system that will increase its performance in terms of: a) Speed– all transaction is ease to access and less time consuming. b) Reliability – it is reliable because of its function like updates. c) Accuracy –Calculate the loans for the member, including the interest and penalties if necessary. To input correctly all the data of the member, for their loans, payments and credits. ) Security – A secured files of information of the members and their loans and also backup for necessary. e) Functionality – reliable software for the reports. f) Performance – the transactions such as registration, checking and validating of transactions, updates of weekly, monthly, and annual reports will increase its working performa nce. Scope and Delimitations of the Study Scope 9 1. The system covers daily transactions regarding the membership registration and monitors active and non-active members. 2. It is also intended for the manipulation and security of the loan transactions of the members. Delimitations . This system will not include the impact of organizational commitment on member’s performance. 2. This study is limited only to the output that the respondent from San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative that provide such as data and information that will come from the interview questionnaires distributed, as well as the information from the literatures that will be cited and reviews. Significance of the Study The development of San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative Sales Monitoring and Money Lending System can be linked with many significant results for those who are involved. A. San Roque Community Council Multi-Purpose Cooperative It could provide the Multi-Purpose Cooperative with an easy to maintain and access system. 10 B. Staff This will basically give convenience. It will provide outmost importance to the staffs since it will definitely lessen their workloads by providing them with easier encoding and maintenance procedures. C. Members It will provide secured information of each of the member’s transaction. D. System Developers The study can particularly help the proponents with a way to apply what they have learned in class and be able to extend their knowledge to the real world outside. With this, they can acquire additional insights that would enhance their skills and capabilities, which could be their stepping- stone to attain success in the future. E. Proponents – The study will help the proponents to improve their skills that will help them in the near future. Definition of Terms Cooperative- is an autonomous association of persons who voluntarily cooperate for their mutual social, economic, and cultural benefit. It is owned and managed by the people who use its services. Co-Maker Person  who, with other individual(s),  guarantees  a  financial commitment  (such as repayment of a  loan). He or she is  jointly and 11 severally liable, with other signatories (co-maker), for honoring the commitment in full. It is also called as co-guarantor. Local Area Network (LAN) – is a computer network that spans a relatively small area. Money Lending the act or occupation of lending  money  at interest Monitoring generally means to be aware of the state of a system. Point of Sale – is the physical location at which goods are sold to customers. It is more specific than the general building or store where something is sold, typically indicating the piece of technology which is used to finalize the transaction. Relocation is the movement of a large group of people from one region to another by state policy or international authority, most frequently on the basis of ethnicity or religion. Savings – the portion of disposable income not spent on consumption of consumer goods but accumulated or invested directly in capital. 12 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Introduction This chapter presents the different review of related literature and studies that the proponents used as a tool for them to fully understand the study. Foreign and Local Literature Foreign Literature Local Area Network Connection Local Area Network (LAN) consists of two or more personal computers or workstations, usually in a common office area, physically linked together by a common file server, (W. J. Kerr, 2009). Advantages and Disadvantages of Loan System Advantages Below are the advantages of getting a loan. These are also the reasons why many apply for it: 1. There is a loan for just about anything. If you are in need of money to purchase a house, you can apply for a housing loan. If you need a car, you can apply for a car loan. With all the loans available, you will be able to purchase everything you 13 eed. 2. It helps a person afford an expensive purchase. All of us wish to acquire a property. However, we do not have the amount of money to make the purchase. Loans allow us to do this. They lend us the money so that we can finally afford our desired property. 3. Payment is staggered, which makes it affordable. This enables the person to pay off the loan gradually. If a person has chosen a good deal, h e should be able to finish paying off the loan in the time specified. 4. One gets the funding he needs. If a person wants to start a business, he can do so by applying for a business loan. He does not have to wait for his savings to build up before he can start his own business. They can also use the amount they loan for investment purposes. Getting a loan is very helpful to start building your dream. However, you have to be very careful with your decisions. This is because of the problems you will possibly encounter if you mismanage your loans and other debts. If you have multiple loans, make sure to manage it well. Make sure that you manage your loans from the start. Keep in mind that loans have disadvantages too. Disadvantages Here are some of the disadvantages of having loans: 1. It is a long-term debt. This means that you have to deal with it for a 14 specified period, which means that you have to commit yourself to making monthly payments specified in your agreement for the period indicated to repay the loans. 2. If you miss payments, you will face serious consequences. You can face foreclosure or repossession of the property. â€Å"Manifesto for agile software development† Scott M. Lewandowski (March 2009) Monitoring Monitoring plays a vital role in determining sustainable information gathered, the developments, and strategy for the efficient overall management of the resource. Particularly, monitoring refers to examining business process and supervising transaction events inside a company. The main goal of doing this monitoring is to be able to prevent the system from being unavailable to the users and to quickly resolve problems as they arise. (Winberg, 2007). Local literature Computerized System to Business Technology plays a vital role in the business world. It provides the tools and functions on which almost all companies throughout the world run. With the advent of new technologies, the common use of computers and the boom of 15 he internet, practically all business activities use some form of technology. It can be said that without technology, many businesses would no longer be able to function. (Robinson, 2011) Visual Basic. NET â€Å"Visual Basic is not only a programming language, but it also has a complete graphical development environment. It has the ability to develop programs that can be used as a front end application to a database system, a nd serving as the user and displays formatted output in an attractive format†. (Wircken, 2008) All of . NET is truly revolutionary and gives programmers a much more capable, efficient and flexible way to write computer software. Visual Basic. NET is a key part of this revolution. (Mabbut, 2010) Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SQL Server 2005 has ability to partition tables and indexes have always been a design to improve performance and manageability in larger database. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 has adopted the database programming model hosting by the Microsoft. NET Framework 2. 0 Common Language Runtime (CLR). Net. CLR hosted inside SQL Server to improve performance, security, and reliability. (Sturo, 2007) Foreign and Local Studies 16 Foreign Studies Computers contribute to the productivity and efficiency to its user because it can run program that can surpass a manual system of operation. They also stated that computer are now playing big role not only in the office of big business enterprises but firms of smaller scale have already adopted to the modern changers there machine bring about. (Alberto et. Al, 2008) Computerization of business transaction is prevalent around the world. It has proven that is better to use than the manual system in improving routines and better turnaround of the method of processing transactions. The larger a business company becomes, the more it deals with many responsibilities and work that their employees could not entertain or serve properly the client. Using the manual system because time consuming, less efficiency to both management staff and client. (Cardinezet. Al, 2007) Barcode Scanner A barcode scanner is simply a graphical representation of data (numbers and or letters) the width of the black lines and white spacing is intentionally produced to represent the underlying data, (Wickes, 2009). Local Studies Monitoring System 17 Monitoring is important to production, by increasing individual performance and providing security for the company’s personal record. Monitoring is one of the major components of the company that it serves as a tool for controllership. It is therefore essential that we must know the meaning of monitoring, (R. Dela Cruz and A. M. Sia, 2010). â€Å"Computerized monitoring system is feasible in preparing fast speed and accurate in generating reports. It is economically feasible; that in a certain time, development cost will be outdone bythe profit that will derive from its application†, (A. Yu and Hojilla 2010). Computer Networks A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of computers and devices connected by communication channels that facilitates communications among users and allows users to share resources with otherusers. A computer networks allows sharing or resources and information among devices connected to the network. Computer networks can be used for several purposes: facilitating communications, sharing hardware, sharing files, data and sharing software (J. Wales, 2010). Network Based Application Application in which either the program you are using or the data you are working with or both reside on a network. Network applications use a client-server architecture, where the client and server are programmed to provide some 18 service to the client. The client is typically a desktop, laptop or portable device like on Apple iPhone. The server can be any of these, but is typically a computer in a data center (L. Press, 2009). Synthesis As the researchers studied the past researches and studies, they found some information that will help in developing their study. According to

Modern Structural Organization Theory: A Summary

Modern Structural Organization Theory: A Summary Introduction The â€Å"modern† structuralists are concerned with many of the same issues that the classical social structuralists were, but their theories have been influenced by and benefited greatly from advancements in organization theory since the second World War. â€Å"Modern† structuralists’ tenets are similar to Classical structuralists’ thinking: organizational efficiency is the essence of the organizational rationality, and the goal of the rationality is to Increase the production of wealth in terms of real goods and services. Structural organization theory is concerned with vertical differentiations (hierarchical levels of organizational authority and coordination, and horizontal differentiations between organizational units) such as those between product or service lines, geographical areas, or skills. The basic assumptions of the structural perspective: Organizations are rational institutions whose primary purpose is to accomplish established objectives; rational organizational behavior is achieved best through systems of defined rules and formal authority. Organizational control and coordination are key for maintaining organizational rationality. There is a â€Å"best† structure for any organization, or at least a most appropriate structure in light of its given objectives, the environmental conditions surrounding, the nature of its products or services, and the technology of the production process. Specialization and the division of labor increase the quality and quantity of production, particularly in highly skilled operations and professions. Most problems in an organization result from structural flaws and can be solved by changing the structure. The Most Important Theorists and Their Contributions Mechanistic and Organic Systems (Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker) The beginning of administrative wisdom is the awareness that there is no one optimum type of management system. They developed their widely cited theory of â€Å"mechanistic and organic systems of organization†, and Contribute to the creation of the â€Å"sociotechnical approach†. They found that stable conditions may suggest the use of a mechanistic form of organization where a traditional pattern of hierarchy, reliance on formal rules and regulations, vertical communications, and structured decision making is possible. Dynamic conditions(situations in which the environment changes rapidly) require the use of an organic form of organization where there is less rigidity, more participation, and more reliance on workers to define and redefine their positions and relationships. Either form of organization may be appropriate in particular situations. Characteristics of the â€Å"Mechanistic Management System† are: The specialized differentiation of functional tasks into which the problems and tasks facing the concern as a whole are broken down. The abstract nature of each individual task, which is pursued with techniques and purposes more or less distinct from those of the concern as a whole. The reconciliation, for each level in the hierarchy, of these distinct performances by the immediate superiors, who are also, in turn, responsible for seeing that each is relevant in his own special part of the task. The precise definition of rights and obligations and technical methods attached to each functional role. The translation of rights and obligations and methods into the responsibilities of a functional position. Hierarchic structure of control, authority, and communication. A reinforcement of the hierarchic structure by the location of knowledge of actualities exclusively at the top of the hierarchy, where the final reconciliation of distinct tasks and assessment of relevance is made. A tendency for interaction between members of the concern to be vertical (between superior and subordinate). A tendency for operations and working behavior to be governed by the instructions and decisions issued by superiors. Insistence on loyalty to the concern and obedience to superiors as a condition of membership. A greater importance and prestige attaching to internal (local) than to general (cosmopolitan) knowledge, experience, and skill. Characteristics of the â€Å"Organic Management System† are: The contributive nature of special knowledge and experience to the common task of the concern. The â€Å"realistic† nature of the individual task, which is seen as set by the total situation of the concern. The adjustment and continual redefinition of individual tasks through interaction with others. The shedding of â€Å"responsibility† as a limited field of rights, obligations, and methods. The spread of commitment to concern beyond any technical definition. A network structure of control, authority, and communication. The sanctions which apply to the individual’s conduct in his working role derive more from presumed community of interest with the rest of the working organization in the survival and growth of the firm, and less from a contractual relationship between himself and a nonpersonal corporation, represented for him by an immediate superior. Omniscience no longer imputed to the head of the concern; knowledge about the technical or commercial nature of the here and now task may be located anywhere in the network; this location becoming the ad hoc center of control authority and communication. A lateral rather than a vertical direction of communication through the organization, communication between people of different rank, also, resembling consultation rather than command. A content of communication which consists of information and advice rather than instructions and decisions. Commitment to the concern’s tasks and to the â€Å"technological ethos† of material progress and expansion is more highly valued than loyalty and obedience. Importance and prestige attach to affiliations and expertise valid in the industrial and technical and commercial milieux external to the firm. The Concept of Formal Organization (Peter M. Blau and W. Richard Scott) Social organization refers to the ways in which human conduct becomes socially organized, that is to the observed regularities in the behavior of people that are due to the social conditions in which they find themselves rather than to their physiological or psychological characteristics as individuals. Since the distinctive characteristics of these organizations is that they have been formally established for the explicit purpose of achieving certain goals, the term â€Å"formal organization† is used to designate them. They assert that all organizations include both a formal and informal element. The informal organization by its nature is rooted in the formal structure and supports its formal organization by establishing norms for the operation of the organization that cannot always be spelled out by rules and policies. It is impossible to know and understand the true structure of a formal organization without a similar understanding of its parallel informal organization. Organizational Choice: Product versus Function (Arthur Walker and Jay Lorsch) A manager facing the same basic question when he think about the form of his organization, whether to group activities primarily by product (various functional specialist working on a single product be grouped together under the same superior) or by function (all specialist in a given function be grouped under a common boss regardless of difference in products they are involved in). The manager should make choices based on these three criteria: Which approach permit maximum use of technical knowledge? Which provides the most efficient utilization of machinery and equipment? Which provides the best hope of obtaining the required control and coordination? The characteristics of manufacturing companies, the first are organized by product basis, and the other by function basis. For function based company: Less differentiation except in goal orientation. Integration is somewhat less effective. Confrontation of conflicts, but also â€Å"smoothing over† and avoidance; rather restricted communication pattern. Efficient, stable production, but less successful in improving plant capabilities. Prevalent feeling of satisfaction among the employees, but less feeling of stress and involvement. For product based company: Greater differentiation except in structure and time orientation. Integration is more effective. Confrontation of conflicts, open, face-to-face communication. Successful in improving plant capabilities, but less effective in stable production. Prevalent feeling of stress and involvement, but less feeling of satisfaction. They concluded that either structural arrangement can be appropriate, depending upon the organization’s environment and the nature of the organization itself. The Five Basic Parts of the Organization (Henry Mintzberg) Synthesized many schools of organizational management theory. Created a model of organizations with five interdependent parts: the strategic apex, the middle line, the operating core, the technostructure, and the support staff. Operating Core: the operators carry out the basic work of the organization. Strategic Apex: Those at the very top of the hierarchy, together with their own staff. The apex is charged with ensuring that the organization executes its mission. Middle Line: Managers that join the apex to the core. Middle line which transmits authority from the top to the bottom. Technostructure: The analysts carry out their work of standardizing the work of others, in addition to applying their analytical techniques to help the organization adapt to its environment. Support Staff: Supports the functioning of the operating core indirectly, that is, outside the basic flow of operating work. The interdependencies among the organizational members can be showed as: Pooled coupling: Members share common resources but are otherwise independent. Sequential coupling: Members work in series as in a relay race. Reciprocal coupling: Members feed their work back and forth among themselves in effect each receives inputs from and provides outputs to the others. In Praise of Hierarchy (Elliott Jaques) Managerial hierarchy is the most efficient, the hardiest, and in fact the most natural structure ever devised for large organizations. Properly structured hierarchy can release energy and creativity, rationalize productivity, and actually improve morale. Managerial hierarchy or layering is the only effective organizational form for deploying people and tasks at complementary levels, where people can do the tasks assigned to them, where the people in any given layer can add value to the work of those in the layer below them, and, finally, where this stratification of management strikes everyone as necessary and welcome. One of businesss great contemporary problems is how to release and sustain among the people who work in corporate hierarchies the thrust, initiative, and adaptability of the entrepreneur. Hierarchical structure has been the source of a great deal of trouble and inefficiency, the common complaint it face are: The excessive layering, too many rungs on the ladder. Information passes through too many people, decisions through too many levels. Few managers seem to add real value to the work of their subordinates. Hierarchies bring out the nastier aspects of human behavior, like greed, insensitivity, careerism, and self importance. Group authority without group accountability is dysfunctional, and group authority with group accountability is unacceptable. Group authority without group accountability is dysfunctional, and group authority with group accountability is unacceptable. Why Hierarchy? Managerial hierarchy is and will remain the only way to structure unified working systems with hundreds, or thousands of employees, for the very good reason that managerial hierarchy is the expression of two fundamental characteristics of real work: The tasks we carry out are not only more or less complex but they also become more complex as they separate out into discrete categories or types of complexity. The same is true of the mental work that people do on the job, for as this work grows more complex, it too separates out into distinct categories or types of mental activity. These two characteristics permit hierarchy to meet four of any organizations fundamental needs: to add real value to work as it moves through the organization, to identify and nail down accountability at each stage of the value adding process, to place people with the necessary competence at each organizational layer, and to build a general consensus and acceptance of the managerial structure that achieves these ends. Hierarchical layers depend on jumps in responsibility that depends in turn on how far ahead a manager must think and plan. He suggested as to make hierarchy work is to distinguish carefully between hierarchical layers and pay grades, and set up a different managerial hierarchy based on responsibility rather than salary. Companies need more than seven pay grades as a rule, many more. Technology as a contingency Factor (Richard M. Burton and Borge Obel) They covers technology’s effect on formalization, centralization, complexity, configuration, coordination and control, and incentives. They studied the effects that various dimensions of technology have on organizational design. The effects of technology assessed on six dimensions of organization: formalizations, centralizations, complexity, configuration, coordination and control, and incentives. Technology effects on formalization, propositions: If technology routineness is low, then formalization should be low. If technology routineness is high, then formalization should be high. If the organization employs many professionals, then Proposition 2 is not strong. If the organization is in the service industry, then the strength of proposition 1 and 2 is greater than if it is in the manufacturing industry. Retail and wholesale organizations can be expressed to fall in between. If the technology type is process(high automation), then formalization should be higher than it would be otherwise. If the organization uses modern information technology, then formalization should be high. Technology effects on centralization, propositions: If technology routineness is high and the size of the organization is small, then centralization should be high. If the organization is large and technology routineness is high, then centralization should be medium. Technology effects on organizational complexity, propositions: If the size of the organization is large and the organization has a technology that is routine, then complexity should be high(particularly horizontal differentiation). If the size of the organization is small and the organization has a technology that is routine, then complexity should be medium. If the size of the organization is large and has a nonroutine technology, then complexity should be high(particularly vertical differentiation). If the organization has a nonroutine technology, then the span of control should be narrow. If the organization has a routine technology, then the span of control should be wide. If the technology type is process(high automation), then complexity is high. Technology effects on configuration, propositions: If the technology type is unit, then it is more likely that the organization has a matrix configuration. If the organization has a nonroutine technology, then the functional configuration is not likely to be an efficient configuration. If the technology is not divisible, then the configuration cannot be divisional. If the technology is divisible, then it isn’t very likely that the configuration should be a matrix configuration. If the organization has a nonroutine technology, then it isn’t likely that machine or professional bureaucracy is an efficient configuration. If the technology isn’t nonroutine, then the configuration can’t be an ad hoc configuration. Technology effects on coordination and control mechanisms, propositions: If the size of the organization isn’t small and if the technology is routine, then coordination and control should be obtained via rules and planning, and a media with low richness and a small amount of information can be used. Incentives should based on procedures. If the technology is nonroutine, then coordination should be obtained via group meetings, and a media with high richness and a large amount of information can be used. Incentives should based on results. If the organization doesn’t have a dominant technology, then the technology structure recommendation should be discounted relative to other contingency factor.