Medicinal Practices from the American Revolution to the...

Medicinal Practices; American Revolution to the War of 1812 For centuries, war has consumed millions of souls. It has caused heartache and has torn families apart. Today, properly educated doctors and nurses can treat wounds and injuries with proper care, but this taken for granted assistance wasn’t always readily available. In the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, nearly 30,000 American soldiers died. However, rather than being killed on the battlefield, the majority of soldiers died while being treated in medical tents. More often then not, the work of doctors and surgeons resulted in worsening the state of their patients, frequently causing their death. Medical practitioners did more damage than deed to soldiers during the American Revolution to the War of 1812 because of their little attention to individual patients, housing for patients, poor work ethics and habits, lack of knowledge and because major medical advancements weren’t achieved for another half-century. Throughout the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, doctors gave little attention to individual patients which resulted in the death of many soldiers. Dr. Gregg Baran, a physician and reenactor asserted, â€Å"At the time of a battle its important to realize there’d be one surgeon and one assistant for perhaps as many as 1000 soldiers,† (PBS Video). How can a doctor be effective if they have that many patients to take care of? Statistics show they weren’t. After being hit with a musket ball, there was aShow MoreRelatedThe De Goya Y Lucientes1809 Words   |  8 Pagesin 1786. Six years later, he suffered an awful illness which ultimately left him deaf and shaped his future work. After Napoleon Bonaparte rose to prominence during the French Revolution, Spain was invaded due to its political and strategic importance to the French. Goya was able to capture the horrors he saw in his anti-war works produced in paintings and with intaglio prints which he didn’t make public. The throne of Spain was taken by Jose ph Bonaparte, Napoleon s brother, who was backed by a largeRead MoreMandinka Empire21578 Words   |  87 Pagesoffer here a theory of â€Å"cultural convergence,† as a corollary to Darwin’s natural selection, regarding how slave Creoles and culture were formed among the Gullah and, by extension, supported by other examples, in the Americas. When numerous speakers from different, and sometimes related, ethnic groups have words with similar sounds and evoke related meanings, this commonality powers the word into Creole use, especially if there is commonality with Southern English or the host language. This theory

Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder Among Adults With...

The journal article â€Å"Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder in Patients With Adult Anxiety Disorders† focuses on the prevalence of childhood separation anxiety disorder (CSA) in adults with one or more anxiety disorder, and whether or not there is a correlation between them. The authors clearly included their hypothesis, which states they presume there to be higher rates of childhood separation anxiety disorder among patients with various adult anxiety disorders than in adults with only one adult anxiety disorder. In addition, the authors included the operational definitions of comorbid anxiety disorders and childhood separation anxiety disorder. They defined comorbid anxiety disorders as having more than two lifetime adult anxiety disorders. The authors were more specific when clarifying CSA, which they defined as being diagnosed with excessive anxiety regarding the separation of those whom the child is emotionally attached to, as well as experiencing three of the nine sy mptoms listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for at least two weeks. The purpose of the study, according to the authors, is to further specify research already done on the correlation between childhood separation anxiety disorder and adult anxiety disorders, and to explore the possible relationship between other adult anxiety disorders and childhood separation anxiety. This research is practically important because parents’ whose children are diagnosed with childhood separationShow MoreRelatedSeparation Anxiety : A Type Of An Attachment Disorder1232 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom some type of disorders. Separation anxiety is one of them. According to the www.attachment.org website, â€Å"this disorder is a type of an attachment disorder that is usually observed by young children, who feel they are getting lack of affection and attention from parents or their caregivers due to separation.† I believe that many people feel unsafe being alone and they are afraid to be alone. However, due to inescapable situation or technology or laziness they fa ce separation, loneliness, and fearRead MoreAdult Separation Anxiety : A Psychological Condition1513 Words   |  7 Pages Adult Separation Anxiety: A Possible Link to a Missed Step in Development DeAndre Bright Evan Smith-Finney Amber Depew Brandon Eastwood CCBC Catonsville Psychology 103 April 3, 2015 Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder Separation anxiety disorder is â€Å"a psychological condition in which an individual has excessive anxiety regarding separation from places or people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment† (anxietypanichealth.com 2008). Individuals with this disorder typicallyRead MoreLiterature Review : Social Anxiety Disorder1149 Words   |  5 PagesUNIVERSITY MELBOURNE Literature Review Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescent Unit Title: Research Methods in Counselling Unit Code: APT 6006 Unit Teacher: Renzo Vittorino Student Name: Mirza Khushnood Ayub Student ID: s4530334 05/10/2015 â€Æ' This literature review is conducted to explore the social anxiety disorder, its Etiology, prevalence and finally putting focus on the need of a special treatment for adolescent with social anxiety disorder. Anxiety problems are the most common and widespreadRead MoreInfluence on Behavior and Psychological Disorders Essay658 Words   |  3 PagesPSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Presentation Influences on Behavior and Psychological Disorders Presentation Jocelyn F. Oatman Sofia Moran University of Phoenix Introduction to Psychology PSY 103 Michelle McCoy-Williams October 29, 2008 Influences on Behavior and Psychological Disorders Presentation The previous evaluation on the pathophysiology of anxiety constantly records the requirement for more examination on biological characteristics of childhood social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, andRead MoreDepression in Childhood and Adolescence Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesDepression in Childhood and Adolescence Until recently depression in children and adolescents had not received a great deal of attention. Increasing interest can probably be traced to a number of influences. Promising developments in the treatment of mood disorders in adults have played a role. In addition the application of diagnostic criteria in children has greatly improved. In everyday usage the term depression refers to the experience of sadness, or dysphoria, is also a centralRead MoreLong Term Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse1467 Words   |  6 Pagesmajor depressive disorder in early adulthood or throughout their lifetime. There is a fact that those who have experience in childhood sexual abuse were at higher risk for a range of psychiatric disorders in adulthood than those not reporting such abuse according to the research in US. Disorders included attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, drug abuse, nicotine dependence, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. The effectsRead MoreLiterature Review : Social Anxiety Disorder1633 Words   |  7 PagesUNIVERSITY MELBOURNE Literature Review Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescent Unit Title: Research Methods in Counselling Unit Code: APT 6006 Unit Teacher: Renzo Vittorino Student Name: Mirza Khushnood Ayub Student ID: s4530334 05/10/2015 â€Æ' This literature review is conducted to explore the social anxiety disorder, its Etiology, prevalence and finally putting focus on the need of a special treatment for adolescent with social anxiety disorder. Anxiety problems are the most common and widespreadRead MoreMental Illness Affects Numerous Individuals In America,1424 Words   |  6 PagesMental illness affects numerous individuals in America, with nearly 43.8 million adults in America living with a serious illness (Mental health facts in America, n.d). Many of these adults suffering with a mental illness also play the role of a mother, father, or caregiver. According to Costea (2011), â€Å"†¦31% of American women and about 17% of men have a 12-month prevalence of at least one psychiatric disorder, and of those 65% are mothers and 52% are fathers†. However, research focuses on the individualsRead MoreEssay on Attachment Styles and Eating Disorders1833 Words   |  8 PagesAttachment Styles and Eating Disorders There have been many studies over the years regarding attachment styles and eating disorders. This is due to the incidence of eating disorders increasing in numbers among young women in industrialized countries. This rise has been seen in the last three decades. Eating disorders are prevalent among young women but also include some young men as well. The studies used for this review pertained to women only. Researchers have demonstrated the correlationRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1734 Words   |  7 Pageschildren and young adults. The physical health and the ability to perform at school, work and in society, highly depend on the mental health of an individual (Ollendick 2012). The Australian figures of a burden of the disease show that mental health problems occur in approximately 14% of young people aged 4–17 years, and 27 % in the 18–24-year-old age range. Most mental disorders, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder( ADHD), anxiety disorder, mood disorder, psychotic disorder, begin during

Fun Home By Alison Bechdel - 1392 Words

In Alison Bechdel s Fun Home, there is a focus on a sculpted perception of gender roles produced by society and a great emphasis on how Bruce and Alison challenge these strict gender specific characteristics. Through Bruce’s femininity and Alison’s masculinity along with their homosexuality, they are able to go against the norms and the collection of rules set by society. It is also through their struggle with gender roles that one is able to understand their sexual orientation. Although Bruce and Alison seem fairly different from one another, there are elements that pull them closer together revealing their similarities. Throughout the book, Bruce and Alison both struggle with the concept of gender roles. For Bruce, he displays more of a feminine side going against the typical masculine male. Bruce’s preference for fashion and beauty shines a light on his femininity. Because of this, it becomes clear to Alison that her father is a â€Å"big sissy† (97). While most men gravitate towards sports, Bruce’s interest is more towards gardening. For instance, Bruce and his children play baseball in their yard, but as soon as the ball rolls towards the flowers, his attention instantly becomes â€Å"lost† (91) within the plants. During Alison’s childhood, Bruce is always one to fix her hair and dictate her outfits; Aspects that are dominantly feminine. While Bruce tries his best to mask this trait about himself, it is through Alison that he is able to openly â€Å"express† (98) a feminine sideShow MoreRelatedFun Home By Alison Bechdel954 Words   |  4 PagesIn her gr aphic memoir Fun Home, Alison Bechdel records her unusual relationship with her late father Bruce Bechdel and reveals her family secrets. Through Chapter Three she speculates about the reason of her father’s death after first knowing the catastrophe. By applying the allusion between writer Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s famous character Jay Gatsby, and her father, Bechdel effectively presents the tragic nature of her father that he lives in the fictional world created by himselfRead More`` Fun Home, By Alison Bechdel1163 Words   |  5 Pagespsychoanalytical study, Alison Bechdel’s, Fun Home, is a charming story about a girl’s search for identity within an unconventional family. The novel style autobiography frames Alison’s childhood and adolescence as she struggles with themes of sexual confusion, gender identity, and convoluted family dynamics. These ideas are explored through the examination of Alison’s relationship with her father, and their shared passion for literature. Early on in her childhood, Alison came to the realizationRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel1551 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, Fun Home, Alison Bechdel explores the Franciscan value of respecting the unique dignity of each person. Throughout the book, Bechdel’s father often challenges this value in his behavior with Alison. From a child development standpoint, these actions complicate the development of Bechdel’s identity. Fun Home follows Alison Bechdel’s childhood, showing both a prominent father-daughter relationship and Bechdel’s developing identity. Following the potential suicide of her father, the authorRead More`` Fun Home `` By Alison Bechdel847 Words   |  4 PagesAlison Bechdel’s comic book â€Å"Fun Home† is narrated by none other than herself who builds the narrative around her family and her life growing up. Then, years later, her father dies in a car accident, and despite not knowing if it was really an accident or a suicide, she occupies herself with finding a justification for his death. Now imprisoned with the task she put herself to, the narrator blames her father s shame and lack of happiness due to him being a homosexual, which she also discovered herselfRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel1518 Words   |  7 PagesAlison Bechdel’s memoir, Fun Home, is a compelling narrative in which Bechdel takes the reader through her life and gives insight i nto her relationship and the complex lifestyle her closeted homosexual father, Bruce Bechdel. However, her serious topic is told through the narrative of comics, images that literally put the readers into the moments of her life with her. Even though, the graphic images provide visual insight, Bechdel makes a conscious decision to include a multitude of literary allusionsRead MoreThe, Fun Home, By Alison Bechdel Essay2271 Words   |  10 Pagesof autobiography in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Fun Home is a retelling of Alison Bechdel’s life through the lens of her relationship with her father. However, because of what she considers to have been his suicide, Alison is left with an incomplete picture of who he was in life. By calling Fun Home an autobiography, Bechdel enters an autobiographical pact with the reader that ensures that what Bechdel is telling us is the truth. However, elements out of her control leave Bechdel unable to provide certainRead MoreFun Home By Alison Bechdel920 Words   |  4 PagesIn Alison Bechdel’s first graphic memoir Fun Home, the main focus of the story is Alison’s father Bruce, and her writing wrestles with how both of them came to terms with their sexuality and how they have influenced one another throughout this process. Bechdel does not get to have as many discussions with her father as she would like, however, because Bruce dies shortly after Alison writes home to tell her parents that she’s a lesbian. Aliso n frequently speculates if her father committed suicideRead MoreFilm Fun Home By Alison Bechdel1410 Words   |  6 Pages Alison Bechdel’s comic book Fun Home clearly portrays the importance of gender roles in the society. She mentions in her book incidents which illustrate as to how gender plays a major role in forming a person’s identity. Throughout the book, Bechdel suggests how the society has divided people into different genders on the basis of appearance, duties and behavioural expectations. The society as a whole needs to re-asses these gender roles so that people don’t end up ruining their life thinking aboutRead MoreFun Home by Alison Bechdel Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesFun Home Picking up the book Fun Home, one would imagine that the novel would embellish some sort of comical life story of a misunderstood teenager. Although the short comic-book structured novel does have its sarcastic humor, Alison Bechdel explains her firsthand account of growing up with the difficulty of living of finding her true identity. Alison was a teenager in college when she discovered that she was a lesbian, however, the shock came when she also discovered her father was homosexual.Read MoreAnalysis Of Fun Home By Alison Bechdel992 Words   |  4 PagesAnalytical Essay on â€Å"Fun Home† By: Alison Bechdel Even though a lot of thing events that happened to Bechdel was sad, dark, or scary she manages to use a very witty tone throughout the story reflecting on her personality. She believes dark events are not central to one’s life. She uses this tone as oppose to an angry tone because she never realized her family was any different until she was compared it to others. This strongly classifies Bechdel in the optimistic category of personalities. The

A Cultural Problem, an Economic Crisis - 1099 Words

In the past two years, Western society has experienced what many of its leaders have called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. At the very least, it has been the worst period of instability that our younger generations have ever seen in their lifetimes. But unlike other financial crises that have largely been triggered by external forces, such as the oil embargoes of the 1970’s, this latest one was a product of our own internal policies and practices; even more so, of our cultural outlooks on the very notion of finance, credit, and debt itself. Specifically, the financial crisis that has just come to pass was the result of the new culture of neo-liberalism and the hyper-individuality and debt-based consumption that it†¦show more content†¦This higher-level shift in the modes of production in Western society has been one of the major sources of the cultural shift that has led to our modern state of affairs. From Fordism to the post-war, entire fam ilies would form professional identities around the head of the household’s employer. With the shift in the modes and local of production that neo-liberal globalization however, the current generations cannot form such attachment or association. As Barry puts it, â€Å"the new flexible form of capitalism has transformed the work experience and as a result ‘people can’t identify themselves with a particular labour or with a single employer’†. So then, if someone of the current generation, by virtue of the neo-liberal system into which they have been born, cannot form a profession identity like their fathers or grandfathers had, what does that leave? Smart points out that, without the confidence or security that employment held before modern global neo-liberalism, people have increasingly formed their identities around their time off the clock. Personal and cultural identities have formed, indeed entire sub-cultures of society have formed around the activities that people choose to participate in when they are not working. Consumption of the goods that are produced by overseas markets has thus become the new economic culture of Western society, soShow MoreRelatedEu s Action Regarding The Syrian Refugee Crisis1641 Words   |  7 Pages Despite Luxembourg being the smallest member of the European Union, it is very vocal about its concerns regarding the Syrian refugee crisis since Schengen infringes of their sovereignty. How ever, Luxembourg is also the wealthiest and may be able to help provide for the Syrians. Luxembourg is very critical of the EU’s action regarding the Syrian refugee crisis. Luxembourg has offered to take in 400 refugees in the coming years (Turner). This is a small number compared to the amounts the other MemberRead MoreWorld War II : A Nation Of Devastation1260 Words   |  6 PagesThus, in order to trade, there were complicated exchange processes, in which countries would have to pay a fee to exchange their currencies, and then they would also have to pay a tariff fee to do business with the other countries (â€Å"The European Debt Crisis Visualized†). To make matters worse, World War II left the majority of Europe in a state of devastation. It appeared that the best way to resolve this devastation was to break down trade barriers and create a unified Europe, leading to the MaastrichtRead MoreThe European Migrant Crisis : Understanding A Historical Anomaly1562 Words   |  7 PagesKatie Gillis Kazue Takamura November 16, 2015 The European Migrant Crisis: Understanding a Historical Anomaly The influx of Syrian refugees to Europe in the past year has sparked what is being called the ‘European Migrant Crisis’ and has drawn attention and the concern of the international community. In spite of the majority of Syrian refugees remaining in the region (in either Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan) the arrival of over 700,000 refugees in Europe has tested the limitations of political infrastructureRead MoreMacro Environment Analysis1011 Words   |  5 Pagesand legal, economic, socio-cultural, technological and competitive aspects. Those factors included the controllable and uncontrollable variables which could influence the whole market and the target consumers. Political Legal Australia government help established trade policies to protect local clothing industries from imported good through high tariffs, quotas, and subsidies. According to Jayanthakumaran (2001), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Asia Pacific Economic CooperationRead MorePolitical-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions Essay932 Words   |  4 PagesPolitical-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions Author: Neil Fligstein in: American Sociological Review, 1996, Vol. 61 (August:656-673) personal summary Markets are social constructions that reflect the unique political-cultural construction of their firms and nations. The creation of markets implies societal solutions to the problems of property rights, governance structures, conceptions of control, and rules of exchange. These solutions are then linked to current perspectives in economic sociology:Read MoreCross Cultural Project : Puerto Rican924 Words   |  4 PagesTania Darosa Professor Livingstone Introduction to Cross-Cultural Project 9-30-15 Puerto Rican is the populations and residents of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a multi-ethnic state where home is different ethnic to people and nationwide backgrounds, but the result of some Puerto Ricans does not luxury their population as an ethnicity, but as a nationality with numerous civilizations and nationwide backgrounds including the Puerto Rican people. Puerto Rican is and notwithstanding its multi-ethnic structureRead MoreEuropean Immigration Policies And The Economic Crisis1225 Words   |  5 Pages European Immigration Policies and the Economic Crisis The Eurozone economic crisis began at the end of 2009. Essentially, the failure of the Euro caused huge problems in southern European countries (such as Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Italy). After the introduction of the Euro, these countries suddenly had the credit to borrow money like they hadn’t had before. They extravagantly increased spending with this borrowed money, which at first boosted the economy but eventually led to massive debtsRead MoreGlobal Science Case Study981 Words   |  4 PagesAklilu Reda How can Economic Anthropology Contribute to a more just World The anatomy of the global economic system, with its free market principles and econometrics based regulatory structures, spans the trajectories of successful wealth making and choices creating processes based on utilitarian assumptions founded in the heart of the capitalist economy. Throughout history, perhaps there is no powerfully affective, yet highly contested practice as the economy. It can be safely said that the economyRead MoreUs a Declining Superpower? Essay800 Words   |  4 Pagesabout 30 percent of global economic output. However, after it entered a new economic cycle from 2000 to 2001, the American share of the world economy has gradually dropped. At the same time, certain situations, including the â€Å"weakening of advantages compared to other countries,† have appeared in some main areas of the United States national power. This trend already started before the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, continued during the international financial crisis, and remains t oday. Is theRead MoreDomestic Terrorism And The Security Of The Us1040 Words   |  5 Pagesrelatively inactive and Americans as well as law enforcement agencies underestimated the threat of domestic terrorism. However, by the end of the 20th century domestic terrorism has started to grow in power that raised the problem of the understanding of the essence of the problem and elimination of the threat of domestic terrorism. To understand the essence of domestic terrorism, it is necessary to find accurate definition of the term. In this regard, it is possible to define domestic terrorism as

Organizational Change Reflective Learning Portfolio

Question: Describe about the context of change management, resistance to change and managing change. Answer: The Context of Change Management Central to todays organizational change and development are the theories of change management and creative practices developed decades ago by prominent theorists like Maslow, Lewin or Senge. Abraham. H. Maslow is without argument one of the most important psychologists that the world has seen. His hierarchy of human needs and the motivational theory are one of the most enduring contributions to the world. After Maslow postulated his hierarchy of needs theory, individual development became a good in itself. Self-actualization was considered a pre-requisite for a change management. According to the theory of motivation, a person who has his needs in the lower part of hierarchy met, would then progress further towards realizing his potential. This thought serves as a paradigm shift in forming the basis of good leadership and a successful management. One of the core premises that underpin the use of change management is motivation. Every concept about change all boils down to that one word. It is natural for people to become defensive or anxious at the prospect of a change which is something different from the routine a person is used to. Therefore, if an action does not primarily motivate people to put in the effort required to achieve the desired results, the probability of an improvement (change) gets lowered there. But motivation is not something that is achieved in a short run. While we must consider that the beginning of all successful journeys is bound to a little bumpy without motivation as a central part of the strategy, the entire process could easily fail. And as a leader implementing the change, it is his/her duty to carefully undermine the difficulties that go into a change process. A change process begins with preparation or planning, change management, reinforcing and finally evaluating the change. It is during the first step of this process that Maslows theory of motivation plays an important role. It is a leaders responsibility to make attempts to understand the physiological needs of those upon whom the change is inflicted and would be reflected. Any form of initial challenge would be posed by them and when theyre adequately motivated with all their hierarchical needs taken care of, initiating the change shouldnt be as difficult. We live in a world of unprecedented change. With businesses and organizations increasingly going global, competitive, complicated and unpredictable, change is something that has become inherently emergent. The continuous change has made organizations unstable, planned change is not the only kind that is acceptable. Purposeful, calculative and collaborative change processes are to be efficiently connected to unplanned, unexpected emergent changes. This requires immediate implementation as soon as a new trend is spotted. While a number of authors have attempted the what and how of changes, Kurt Lewin is the pioneer in the field. He identified three stages through which an organization traverses before the change becomes a part of the system: Unfreezing, Moving and Refreezing. The first step involves examining the status and requirement for change, the second denotes initiating the change by taking action and involving people and finally finalizing the changes and making them permanent. An expansion and modification to Lewins theory was provided by Rogers (1983) who described planned change to comprise of five phases including awareness, trial, interest, adoption and evaluation which was then further expanded by Ronald Lippitt (1958). These theories can be clustered together and while these theories are the best form of change implementation, it is a time consuming process considering all the stages of implementation. These may be suited for a business environment that is stable but during complex, dynamic period, a more quick thinking is required and emergent planning may be more suitable. Lewins Theory Rogers Theory Lippitt Theory Unfreezing Awareness Problem Diagnoses Motivation and capacity for change assessment Change agents motivation and resource assessment Moving Interest Evaluation Trial Selection of progressive change objective Appropriate role choosing for the change agent Maintaining the change Refreezing Adoption Termination of helping relationship Figure: Comparison between change principles Source: (Roussel, 2006) And these are the main limitations of the Lewins theory wherein the theory assumes an organizations environment as stable and these types of change management could be applicable in small-scale change products. Also, organizational power and politics have not been taken into account and is completely management driven. But the core theme of his work is that the group in which an individual is a part of influences his perceptions, feelings and actions and is most important in bringing about change whether it was at an individual level, group level or the organization level. His primary interest was in resolving conflicts through behavioral changes and to succeed he identified two requirements, an understanding of the formation and maintenance of groups and the motivation behind them and to change their behavior as required for the change. The criticisms on Lewins work could be a result of narrow interpretation of his work. His view of organization wasnt stable or fixed nor did he view change to be one-dimensional and his work demonstrates that he was aware of the limits to stability. Far from viewing change as predictable, he viewed it as an iterative learning process in which the final achievement would hold more value than the journey. His work recognizes that organizational transformation under certain conditions of crisis could be rapid but is limited to structural or technical changes while behavioral changes take time. Conflicts are an ongoing process and his approach with its basis on understanding, developing new insights, and testing solutions is relevant even in todays world of business whether in organizations or the wider society. Decision making in dynamic situation is complex especially when the decision-making process has indirect, delayed and have a number of effects. Yet, in organizations today, managers are constantly put in such situations where they are expected to act. According to the systems thinking approach of Senge (1990), its practice begins with understanding of feedbacks. This basic understanding will then pave the way in enabling people identify recurring patterns. This proves that managers no longer have the liberty of ignoring feedbacks nor misperceive them. And as the strength of feedbacks increase and the time delays happen, the performance in an organization deteriorates markedly. In his book, The Fifth Disciple, Senges relies on the concept of Mental Models which according to him are very important in paving the way in which an individual perceives reality which is in turn shaped by his/her view of the world. The systems perspective allows managers to look beneath the surface into the underlying structures of attitudes and behaviors which aids in gaining the necessary leverage to change which is not accessible by concentrating on only specific events. The basic aim is to achieve growth not by pushing for growth but by limiting the obstructions in the path of growth. But Senges principle is limited in that it did not explore the fundamental structural, social and economical limitations in the growth of an organization because doing so would have been contradictory of his basic goals. But still, the conditions for the operation of an organization are generalized in his book. This way of thinking can be defined as viewing the connections and relationships between things. Instead of considering the individual parts and pieces of an occurrence, systems thinking considers the interdependency between the parts and appreciates it as a whole. According to this theory, an organization is composed of a number of subsystems. The hierarchical needs, bureaucratic relationships, process flow, individual attitudes, perceptions, production, service, sales, quality control and assurance and a number of other factors. And any change to one subsystem will definitely have an impact on the other systems because of the interconnectedness of the subsystems. People in different levels of organization hold diverse perceptions on a particular action and that is what is appreciated in systems thinking perspectives. This leads to a recognition of the underlying structures and map them to the complexity of the change and understand factors that have remained invisible otherwise. Therefore, the three theories of change management arent dated but are still central to todays organizational change management but not as individual theories but are interconnected to each other. These theories are holistic in their view and applicable universally. As argued by Burnes (2014), the best theory for change management would be the one that brings different disciplinary angles together. The systems perspective is valid in its claim that the organization is divided into subsystems that are interrelated and while considering that, the systems theory may seem the best way to go about. But whether the change proposed is organization wide or on the systems of the organization, the ultimate change will have to be effected by the individual and group behaviors and would be reflected on them and in that case, the relevance and applicability of Maslows and Lewins theories cannot be ignored. Resistance to change Employee resistance to change is inevitable and at any point of time, a management must be prepared to respond to it. It is the individuals within the organization that are thwarted and affected by a change and they resist it primarily due to the fear of the unknown. That is, there is a general fear of the effect the brought about change would have on their job performance, their work place relationships and other factors associated with the job. According to Fine (1986), these individuals together have the power to thwart the implementation of any change. People need time to adjust to the changes and this fear of unexpected is more rational than irrational. Weinbach (1986), Malinconico (1983) demonstrate that individuals belonging to an organization are more accepting of changes when the organization management tries to ease their anxieties in a number of ways. These can be achieved by firstly letting the employees know in advance about the change plans. And in specific, the management must provide those employees that are directly affected by the decision with the complete information regarding the changes. And in any case, the management must continuously provide clarified answers to all of the employee questions and provide the employees with the time to reflect on the effect the proposed change will have on themselves and the organization as a whole. For instance, let us consider an example from a study conducted by two communication researchers. The study was about a government agency that had plans to move to a new office building. The workers in the office were old fashioned and used to working under the conditions present in the current building and even though the plan for change had been discussed within the senior management for a while, the plan was not communicated to the employees. The study was conducted by separating the employees into three groups where in one of the group would receive positive information about the change, the second group would receive negative information and the third group would have no information at all. Consequently, one group was informed that the new building would have better amenities and better furniture, the second group was informed that the environment in the new office would hinder privacy and third group was given nothing (Miller, 1985). As expected, the group that received positive information responded positively to the change but the surprising part was that the group that had negative information also responded positively compared to those with no information at all. This made it clear that, be it positive or negative information, sharing as much information as possible with the employees made them better adaptable to the change rather than keeping them in the dark. Another common reason responsible for resistance is when people are apprehensive of the new job-related expectations that a said change could bring. According to a study by Sagie et al (1985), emphasized that individuals who are more experienced at performing a particular job are more resistant to change than the lesser experience employee because theyre used to doing it in a certain way for a long period of time. Debra Shaw (1986) emphasizes on increasing employee participation to reduce resistance to change. People differ in ways they respond to change. Oreg (2003) established the concept of dispositional resistance to change which embodies the differences in reaction of different people. A scale called the RTC was used to measure dispositional resistance to change in which the structural and predictive validities of the resistance was measured. The studies demonstrated that dispositional resistance was related to yet very difficult from intolerance for secrets, aversion to risks, dogmatism or other traits. The trait, according to him comprised of four dimensions including routine seeking which involves the extent to which an individual relies on the stability of an environment, emotional reaction referring to the individuals reaction of discomfort and stress as a result of the change imposed, short-term focus which denotes the inconvenience caused due to individuals pre-occupation with the short term problems that the change might cause without looking into the bigger picture and cognit ive rigidity that refers to the stubbornness and a willful resistance to innovative ideas and changes. Dispositional resistance may prompt people to be not accepting of the changes even if the changes are docile and has a comparatively welcoming context (Jones, Jimmieson and Griffith, 2005). Another important notion crucial to the understanding of resistance is the depth of intervention. The notion was advanced by Harrison (1970) who identified some of the most important factors that have to be considered when making a choice about the depth of intervention. The depth here is associated with the extent to which a persons individual feelings or cognitions are identifiable and the degree to which an individual is emotionally involved in the change process. The depth of intervention choice and time will also depend upon the strategy involved in the change process. For instance, when considering a change in the organizational culture which is part of a fundamental change, the depth of intervention is to be pitched at a depth level and if it is done superficially, the level of resistance will be high and the change process is bound to fail (Jabri, 2012). The cognitive dissonance theory demonstrates that people who are inherently committed to a particular course of action will become insensitive to the potential benefits of the proposed change (Jermias, 2001). In his study, Jermias demonstrated that people refused to accept change even if they are faced with negative feedback on the current system. People who are in general convinced that they should decide objectively instead of being subjective still unconsciously make preconceived decisions towards the course of action to which they find themselves committed. And in applying these to principles to change management of an organization, if the proposed change is out of proportion to the general mindset of people concerned, the proposition is bound to be met with resistance unless a change in attitudes of those involved prevails (Burnes, 2014). And in cases where there is minimum level of dissonance, the resistance will be minimum and the attitude problems negligible. The scenario tur ns upside down in case of crisis situations when the attitude change among concerned people can be brought about rather quickly and a radical change is the only way to overcome dissonance. Involvement of employees can be explained by another concept called the psychological contract. For an organization to effectively implement change, an understanding of the employees is more important than they understand change. Employees of an organization are bound by a set of unwritten expectations based on a persons degree of self-worth and prestige and when it is threatened it leads to unrest. If a person employed in particular position, location or sector is suddenly transferred to a new position, it is imminent that he feels threatened and concerned about his job security, performance and convenience. Hence, psychological contract is another important area that has to be dealt with caution. Therefore, any proposed change by a company needs to be a well thought about plan including the level of employee involvement rather than a hasty situation that is bound to create unrest (Burnes, 2014). Managing Change While change may have been broadly classified as planned and emergent, there are other dimensions to change that find relevance in todays business environment. Transformational change identified by Kotter (1996) is a key type. In his first paper, Kotter identified eight key areas of concern that leads to an organizations transformation efforts to fail. And subsequently went to identify an eight stage process every organization must go through in order for their transformation to be successful. McDonalds is one such company that has undergone a number of transformational changes in recent years. Case Study McDonalds McDonalds underwent transformational change to reposition them in the food market and re-brand them. When the company faced increased censure due to the campaigns from anti-obesity and anti-junk food protesters, McDonald had to change its culture entirely to suit the growing needs of people that had suddenly become very different than what it was a few years ago. And the change was necessary to bring it back into profit. This change though broadly can be classified as emergent change, fits more prominently into the category of transformational change. It was not planned as McDonalds clearly did not see it coming and had to undergo a radical transformation. One of the major characteristics of transformational change that differentiates it from the other styles is the effort of the leaders to involve self-esteem, efficacy and confidence of their employees (Shamir et al, 1993). McDonalds transformation was at broad organization level wherein the organization adapted itself to the environment. The main vision behind McDonalds transformation was to become a health conscious food outlet as opposed to being categorized as junk food (Kapica, 2004). The company repositioned its products as being more nutritious and aligning itself to a new brand image of health and fitness. In the year 2003, McDonalds began this initiative and started serving salads. Their lifestyle initiative strategies included adding nutritional information about the food served in serving trays and their brochures and the year saw McDonalds selling hundreds of millions of salads (Boje and Rhodes, 2006). Jim Cantalupo, the then CEO and Chairman of McDonalds brought about the change my drastically changing the menu and introducing McSalads and launching campaigns for fitness nutrition. Governments and other influential health advocates around the world pointed to McDonalds as a reason for their obesity levels increase. America, the country native to McDonalds is the country with the most obese people. The ongoing Menu changes were then promoted with a new slogan, McDonalds. But not as you know it. The main aim here was to make changes to peoples thinking about McDonalds products and create awareness about the new products for which direct mailing of brochures was done to nearly seventeen million households in the UK. Another problem with McDonalds image emerged when in 2001 the company was accused of using natural beef extracts in its fries enraging vegetarians and Hindus around the world. The consumer base in those sections of the society felt cheated by the apparent misleading of the company even though the fries were never claimed suitable for vegetarians by the company. After a protest on the use of animal fats in the oil used for frying, McDonalds switched to using vegetable oil frying oil and to make up for the lost flavor because of the switch, natural beef flavoring was added to the fries before frying and this did not go well with vegetarian groups. The FDA at the time did not require the company to list natural flavorings in the nutrition table and this controversy came to light when an Indian origin vegetarian living in Los Angeles went to the Headquarters of McDonalds and learnt about the use of natural beef flavors. McDonalds also found itself subject to a number of lawsuits accounti ng to millions of Euros (Schlosser, 2001). The controversy then came to an end when the company admitted to the use of beef extract and claimed that it had never announced the suitability of the fries to vegetarians. They also declared a public apology for the confusion created (Davis, 2001). But strict compliance was followed in India and other Hindu and Islamic countries. And since beef is banned in India and is opposed to the religious beliefs of the people there, McDonalds changed their menu offerings customized to the needs of the country. The menu did not include pork and beef. Similarly, menus in other countries around the world were customized according to the preference of the local community. This transformational change made McDonalds to return back into profit books. Quite recently, the fast food giant also spent a billion in Canada for their brand transformation in the hope of reinvigorating its image in the country. The project will include renovating the stores to make the customers feel more inviting when they enter the outlets. The majority of the investment has been designed to make changes to the store interiors but a part is also accounted to making changes in the menu to include premium salads and healthy beverage alternatives. The company understands that the needs and wants of its consumer bases are changing continuously and adapting to the change is the only way for them to remain continually successful. It has also revised several of its locations as 24-hour operations (Moran, 2011). In spite of all the fast and convenient options and healthy menu option aimed at the baby boomers, the challenges that the company faces today are far more serious than they were a decade ago. Todays generations put calorie count and health ahead of everything else when it comes to their food choices and unfortunately when you think of low calorie food McDonalds is not the first place that comes to our mind. A major overhaul planned in the company features more fruits and vegetables. According to Don Thompson, chief executive officer of McDonalds, the rebranding strategy will look at the company from top to bottom in order to create better value for the customers, good service, effective marketing and adhere to sustainability options. In 2014, it was announced that the rebranding would take a year and a half to be effective. And as a most recent announcement, the company after facing a weak first quarter in the current year announced in New York city involving eighty eight restaurants that an isolated McDonalds delivery experiment where full menus will be available for delivery and some even with round the clock delivery options (Gasca, 2014). This McDelivery service is aimed at achieving a more competitive position. The company hopes to strip away the bureaucratic layers and attain a more effective decision-making model. The aim is to achieve a turnaround in the business (Soergal, 2015). Considering this, while the transformation change of McDonald was successful a few years back, it still has a long way to go before attaining the success it once enjoyed. References ABC News, (n.d.). McDonald's Sued Over Beef in Fries. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=93386 [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Boje, D. and Rhodes, C. (2006). The leadership of Ronald McDonald: Double narration and stylistic lines of transformation. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(1), pp.94-103. Burnes, B. (2014). Managing change. 6th ed. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall Financial Times. Davis, S. (2001). McDonald's admits using beef fat for 'vegetarian' French fries. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1331625/McDonalds-admits-using-beef-fat-for-vegetarian-french-fries.html [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Fine, S. (1986). Technological Innovation, Diffusion and Resistance. Journal of Library Administration, 7(1), pp.83-108. Fullan, M. (2006). Change theory: A force for school improvement. Centre for Strategic Education, Seminar Series, Paper No. 157. Gasca, P. (2014). McDonalds' Rebranding Strategy: Why the World's Biggest Restaurant Thinks It's Time to Tweak Its Recipe. [online] Inc.com. Available at: https://www.inc.com/peter-gasca/mcdonalds-rebranding-strategy-why-the-world-s-biggest-restaurant-thinks-it-s-tim.html [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Harrison, R. (1970). Choosing the Depth of Organizational Intervention. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 6(2), pp.181-202. Jabri, M. (2012). Managing organizational change. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, R., Jimmieson, N. and Griffiths, A. (2005). The Impact of Organizational Culture and Reshaping Capabilities on Change Implementation Success: The Mediating Role of Readiness for Change. J Management Studies, 42(2), pp.361-386. Lippitt, R., Watson, J. and Westley, B. (1958). The dynamics of planned change. New York: Harcourt, Brace. Liu, Y. (2009). Analysis and Evaluation of Organizational Change Approaches. IJBM, 4(12). Malinconico, S. (1983). Listening to the resistance. Library Journal, 108, pp.353-355. MILLER, K. and MONGE, P. (1985). SOCIAL INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE ANXIETY ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. Human Communication Research, 11(3), pp.365-386. Mitchell, G. (2013). Selecting the best theory to implement planned change. Nursing Management, 20(1), pp.32-37. Moran, A. (2011). McDonald's to spend $1 billion on brand transformation in Canada. [online] Digitaljournal.com. Available at: https://www.digitaljournal.com/article/311225 [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Mourdoukoutas, P. (2013). McDonald's: Three Strategies To Reignite Sales Growth. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2013/11/23/mcdonalds-three-strategies-to-re-ignite-sales-growth/ [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Oreg, S. (2003). Resistance to change: Developing an individual differences measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), pp.680-693. Oreg, S., Bayazit, M., Vakola, M., Arciniega, L., Armenakis, A., Barkauskiene, R., Bozionelos, N., Fujimoto, Y., Gonzlez, L., Han, J., HÃ…â„ ¢ebÄ kov, M., Jimmieson, N., KordaÄ ov, J., Mitsuhashi, H., MlaÄ iĆ¡, B., FeriĆ¡, I., TopiĆ¡, M., Ohly, S., Saksvik, P., Hetland, H., Saksvik, I. and van Dam, K. (2008). Dispositional resistance to change: Measurement equivalence and the link to personal values across 17 nations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(4), pp.935-944. Rogers, E. (1983). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press. Roussel, L., Swansburg, R. and Swansburg, R. (2006). Management and leadership for nurse administrators. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Sagie, A., Elizur, D. and Greenbaum, C. (1985). Job experience, persuasion strategy and resistance to change: An experimental study. J. Organiz. Behav., 6(2), pp.157-162. Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast food nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Shaw, D. (1986). Staff opinions in library automation planning. Special Libraries, 77, pp.140-151. Soergel, A. (2015). McDonald's Announces Major Restructuring Strategy - US News. [online] US News World Report. Available at: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/05/04/mcdonalds-announces-major-restructuring-strategy [Accessed 7 May 2015]. Weinbach, R. (2015). Implementing change: Insights and strategies for the supervisor. Social Work, 29, pp.282-286.

Reducing unemployment free essay sample

Unemployment is a huge problem. Unemployed workers are experiencing financial losses, and causing a burden on tax payers providing benefits to the ex-worker. The national economy suffers because of lower output and instead of gaining tax money, losing it. People in disparity for money resort to crime and the list goes on and on. According to the U. S bureau of statistics, the U. S has an unemployment amount of 16 million, with another 7 million under employed. That is the equivalent of the state of Pennsylvania and Connecticut combined. Millions of families in devastating crises and the huge loss in consumer demand. When the consumer demand is down, it discourages many business employers to hire or invest. A never ending cycle, only getting worse. The barriers to fixing unemployment are that we have dug our selves in such a big hole during the recession, making it hard to recover. Millions of people lost there jobs right while the next generation of high school and college students were looking. We will write a custom essay sample on Reducing unemployment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Almost every idea to fix unemployment has a downside. The more money the government puts into trying to fix the economy, the more debt we seem to get in. The government can’t let our debt exceed our total GDP, and that’s a major thing they’re worried about. Well, that’s a problem. The longer they wait to try and fix it the worse it’s going to get before it’s too late. Fixing unemployment is much harder than it sounds. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics builds data models of what he predicts will happen in the years to come with unemployment. He’s found with the methods that are going now; unemployment will drop to around 6. 6% by the year 2016. Lower than it is today, but nowhere near less than 5% like it was before the recession. A publisher named David Kestenbaum decided to go interview Zandi. He challenged him to fix the economy in the world on his computer to get back down to 5% by 2016. Zandi tried many different ideas: A long term deal of government tax increases+spending cuts = 6. 1% The euro surviving, Europe’s economy growing, and more export to Europe = 5.9% Gas prices drop by $20 a barrel = 1/10th % All of these ideas don’t drop it the rate enough. Next Zandi tried crazy ideas that most likely won’t happen but still tested them: Boost home prices by 10%, lend out more money and raise consumer confidence = still not under 5% A barrel of oil cut in half, Europe has a spectacular recovery, China keeps growing and Africa’s economy takes off=5. 2% The graph shows the rate from before the recession and 3 ways it can go into the future. After a catastrophic recession, it’s not always possible to fix things. The only thing we can hope for is a way to reduce it as much as possible The idea I found that would be most effective is subsidizing employers, especially and mainly small business owners, who instead of laying people off at times of need, reduce the work hours to keep employment. It makes it worth not laying people off and the government funded money goes right into the economy. How this works? Employers have two options at low times of demand. Either fire workers or reduce hours. If the company agrees to reduce hours, the government subsidizes at least half of the lost hours pay. This allows the worker to keep there job at reduced hours, while the company doesn’t lose nearly as much. With the employee still having a job, he/she doesn’t need to be put on unemployment benefits. They will still be making money to put into the economy on things they need to survive without relying on the government. Best case scenario this could work. Small businesses make up over 60% of jobs according to Derek Thompson. Subsidizing in these fields, as well as other large companies who qualify, in the long term can go a long way in preserving and creating new jobs. There’s no guarantee that the subsidizing will directly work to keep jobs or create jobs, and the government may be at a loss if the business ends up still going bankrupt. Businesses could cheat the system and say they need to fire people just to earn money so they can reduce hours of work. The company would have to be advised very carefully. This would create more government jobs, but at the cost of the government and tax payers. There’s really nothing to lose with this idea. The worst thing it just doesn’t work and the method is stopped being used. This idea has been put into action in other countries, the main one being Germany. After its recession, Germany used this plan to start up many of the small businesses that needed help to recover. Many economists have discussed this idea and really think it should be put into action.