Category: Uncategorized

Microaggressions

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Microaggression

Even though our culture has generally “condemned” overt acts of racism and discrimination, less apparent instances of these evils, referred to as “microaggressions,” continue to persist. Given the pervasiveness of political correctness in the modern era, overt displays of racism, sexism, and homophobia are increasingly frowned upon. Unfortunately, unconscious biases based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities may still exist and negatively impact how people interact with one another. Microaggressions were first identified in the context of racism, but research has shown that they can be directed toward any marginalized group. This includes people of color, women, the LGBT community, those with physical or mental impairments, and members of underrepresented faiths. Despite being “condemned,” overt acts of racism and discrimination nevertheless persist. While ignorance and misinterpretation are sometimes to blame for microaggressions, the subtle nature of these slights typically stems from our education. There are the talks many have with our loved ones and friends at home, college parties, and workplaces. They can be seen everywhere, from Internet memes and team mascots to pop culture and educational materials.

Many pick up microaggressions from the dominant society, which discreetly instills in us a disposition of suspicion, distrust, fear, and a desire to assert our own moral, behavioral, value, belief, and rational superiority over those of others. It’s the “common sense” held by those in power, and their shared worldview supports it. In many professions, society tends to presume that our motives are pure and that our interventions are always in the client’s best interests. Despite my best efforts, the identities covered in this issue are not meant to be representative of every imaginable group that faces microaggressions. This issue focuses on the harmful effects of microaggressions, but it should have done more to highlight the oppressed groups’ capabilities, an instinct for survival, opposition, and resilience.

Microbial Fuel: Potent Alternative Energy Resource

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Because of modernization of world there could be identified a number of problems out of which, destruction of resources and their depletion is the key one. In fact, as a consequence of blind exploitation of natural reserves (like; fossil fuels) their quantities have been reduced significantly thus; there is a huge demand of alternative energy resources. Another reason of such demand is pollution caused by over-exploitation of fossil fuels because of which, our surroundings are being destroyed in a quick manner.

To conquer such challenges, researchers are constantly trying to explore novel resources of energy that could be categorized as; renewable and eco- friendly. Though, it’s a fact that numerous such reserves have been discovered so far for instance; solar energy and wind energy, but according to experts, several limitations are also linked with them like; indefinite nature, technical obstructions, and questions raised by conservationists who consider safety of surroundings more important than development (Farrar et al., 2003). So; what I would like to suggest here is “Application of microbes for generation of energy”.

Indeed, microbes have been blessed by nature in terms of vast metabolic activities that could be shown by them. Even they can generate such chemicals via metabolic transformation of biomass (variable by nature as shown in figure) that might be utilized further for the purpose of power- generation for instance; bio-gas, bio-ethanol, bio-butanol, bio-hydrogen, and oilgae.

How these chemicals may be produced, utilized, and what are the positive and/or negative aspects linked with them it could be understood as follows: (a) Bio-hydrogen may be applied for electricity-generation in hydrogen fuel- cells, but its existing production cannot be considered sufficient because of the cost of reactors required for generation of photochemical, and due to the insufficient yields achieved through anaerobic fermentation, (b) Bio-ethanol can be produced predominantly with the help of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the substrates used by this creature as food are limited thus; it could be grown on a variety of food-sources only with the help of genetic engineering, (c) Production of Bio-gas may be performed via anaerobic biodegradation of waste organic stuff, but it can be used as fuel mainly in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, and (d) Oil can be extracted from Microalgae (well-known as; Oilgae) and could be utilized for construction of biodiesel, but it cannot be classified as an economical energy-reserve. In addition to above, lack of proper tools and techniques is another problem related with its development as energy resource.

Despite the fact that microbes’ based fuels have their own limitations, we may adopt Bio-butanol (can be generated primarily with the help of Clostridia which could exploit a number of carbohydrate resources to create such products that might be used for extraction of energy) as an alternative source of energy (Atsumi et al., 2008). Major advantages linked with this energy-resource are:

1. It can be mixed with gasoline at higher quantity than ethanol for its application in standard vehicle engines. Additionally, its energy content is almost equivalent to ethanol and it can be produced through a range of feed- stocks hence; might be termed as an outstanding economical choice.

2. Further, possibility of segregation of Bio-butanol from gasoline in presence of moisture is less in comparison to ethanol hence; it could be used with the help of existing industrial infrastructure without any alteration in facilities related with mixing, storage, and pumping etc. Additionally, its transportation is more convenient than other existing bio-fuels (Boehlein et al., 2009).

3. There is no need to use gasoline base blends (inhibit liberation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)) with it because, it does not increase the vapor-pressure when mixed with gasoline.

4. In addition to above, Bio-butanol is well-matched to present vehicle and engine systems because of which, automakers do not need to compromise on performance so that, the environmental laws could be obeyed (Hankamer et al., 2007).

Thus; in my opinion, Research & Development processes must be encouraged to improve this renewable, economical, and eco-friendly energy reserve with the intention that, we could not be compelled to start our return trip towards the age when approaches, practices, and/or tools were not advanced and we were destined to reside in caves.

References

Atsumi S., Cann A. F., Connor M. R., Shen C. R., Smith K. M., Brynildsen M. P., Chou K. J. Y., Hanai T., Liao J. C. (2008). Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for 1-butanol production. Metab. Eng. 10:305–311.

Boehlein S. K., Shaw J. R., Stewart J. D., Hannah L. C. (2009). Characterization of an autonomously activated plant ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. Plant Physiol. 149:318–326.

Hankamer B., Lehr F., Rupprecht J., Mussgnug J. H., Posten C., Kruse O. (2007). Photosynthetic biomass and H2 production by green algae: from bioengineering to bioreactor scale-up. Physiol. Plant. 131:10–21.

Topic: Management Accounting for Business Decisions

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Introduction

Management accounting is a system mainly utilized by the company managers to collect and analyze any accounting information purposely to be used for planning and reporting company matters. This information offers the managers with a basis to make logic business decisions that enable them to be better and fully equipped in their management roles and control functions. As opposed to financial accountancy information, the management accounting information is often confidential and utilized by the management body, worked out by reference to the requirements of the managers, regular using management information system rather by reference to common financial accounting standards (Management Accounting 1999). This assignment aims to study the changes impacted by Enterprise Resource Planning systems and Online Analytical Processing on management accounting practices.

Background Information

Management accounting has been described as a process that offers relevant information for organizational managers in basis of performance evaluation and planning. Atkinson et al (2001) perceives that, management accounting is a value adding progressing improvement process of operating financial and non-financial information, designing and measuring information system that directs the management actions, creates and holds up the cultural values which are essential in achieving the organization’s goals, motivates behavior and assists in tactical and operating goals. According to the previous researchers, management accounting ought to support organizations’ in ongoing organizational transformation and in making decisions. As brought out by Atkinson (2001), the functions of management accounting comprise of, strategic control, management control, customer and product costing as well as operational control. Operational control offers information regarding the performed tasks. Customer and product costing resolves the products costs and services generated for customers. Management control task assesses the operating unit and the managers work, while strategic control function centers on long term strategic decisions (Management Accounting 1999). Management accounting may also be referred as internal accounting; therefore, management accounting information refers or directs to the accounting information utilized inside the company. By tradition, accounting information has been long considered as financial in its nature. Dissimilar kinds of financial information entail for example, cost of manufacturing goods or services or cost acquired in any department. Nevertheless, management accounting information has commenced to also take in non-financial information subjective measures for instance, customer satisfaction as well as quality (Management Accounting 1999).

Impacts of ERP

Enterprise resource planning systems well known as ERP have made it possible for most organizations to take advantage of their business information. From the introduction in the mid nineteen ninety’s, adopters of enterprise resource planning system have highly increased (Zeng 2003). The major important factor that differentiates enterprise resource planning system from the former generations of information systems like material requirement planning and manufacturing resource planning is that, enterprise resource planning allows the organizations to incorporate business practices and optimize the available resources. As stated by Zeng (2003), an enterprise resource planning system is always flexible and has the capacity to respond to the changing needs that an organization may have in future. This system is able to support a range of organizational processes, as well as covering different modules for instance, materials management, human resource, sales and distribution and financial accounting. An excellent enterprise resource planning system is not limited by the organizational boundaries, that is, it holds up linkages to entities outside an organization (Zeng 2003). However performance of enterprise resource planning does not repeatedly offer any merits for the organization, although there are some noted benefits which include;

Managerial benefits, the enterprise resource planning system with their data analysis and databases capacities can enhance the decision making and performance improvement in operating divisions. Thus enterprise resource planning systems offers planning benefits to the management.

Operational benefits, an enterprise resource planning system computerize daily operational procedures and therefore, one could expect that the system provides benefits in terms of customer service, cost reduction and improvement in productivity (Zeng 2003).

Strategic benefits, an enterprise resource planning system can offer an organization IT- based cutthroat merits by helping in establishment of outside alliance with clients and by promoting business development, differentiation and innovation. This enterprise resource planning system generates an infrastructure which enhances an organization to cope up with future changes and also decline the IT costs and raise the potential to implement other applications.

Organizational benefits, an enterprise resource planning system improves the working patterns, communication and organizational learning among people, hence, improvement in the organizational culture is also attainable (Zeng 2003).

Some researchers have studied the impacts of enterprise resource planning systems implementations on general firm performance and the study of Hunton (2003) disagreed from others because Hunton compared enterprise resource planning system adopters with the non-adopters from different financial companies whereby he came to an identical conclusions as the others-there were no notable improvements in the financial ratios during the subsequent period of assessment.

Impacts of online analytical processing

Online analytical processing (OLAP) is an assortment of techniques that the organization can make use of to accomplish multidimensional analysis and toil with comprehensive data. Generally the online analytical processing enables the user to observe information in a range of dimensional views (Yazdifar 2005). There are online analytical processing systems that support management decision making, budgeting and reporting. It’s very beneficial in any management accounting department for it offers more flexible ways to access the data as compared to data warehouses. Its tools provide more highly developed reporting formats and offers possibilities to view the data from a variety of perspectives thus making the work easier (Yazdifar 2005). Data in online analytical processing environment is normally structured in a departmental format, this means that the department is well able to identify metrics that are pre-computed and hoarded in the online analytical processing system. Online analytical processing facilitates the querying of data, that is, it raises the level of aggregation and also depreciating the level of aggregation. It holds up departmental customization, hence, departments are in a position to come up with their own summaries on the similar data according to their requirements (Yazdifar 2005).

OLAP, ERP Systems and Management Accounting

According to studies, management accounting ought to assist organizations to cope up with coming changes in the business environment. It should enable the organization to recognize the requirements to undertake changes by suggestive of suitable measures (Tin, 2006). Equally very crucial, management accounting should not block the changes by putting an emphasis on performance measures that sustain the status quo. A researcher suggests that management accounting may lead to growth of custom based on former experience. Although these customs will assist the organizational to respond to identical kind of situations as encountered in the former periods, they lessen the organizations capability to respond to latest events (Tin, 2006).

At lower levels, the management accounting systems have traditionally centered on assisting middle level supervisors to supervise floor workers. The routine has, however, shifted from the managers’ supervision on the assistant to self regulating by the assistants (empowerment). At the senior levels, management accounting is used to organize the federal decision making and also to offer information for decision making in the decentralized organization. From this, we can clearly observe that, the online analytical processing and enterprise resource planning systems are being used as a way to assist the organizations to change (Tin, 2006). As laid down from the previous information, organizations performing in a regularly changing business environment calls for real time information which may somehow be structured into multidimensional contexts. Online analytical processing technology allows the user to produce multidimensional presentation of data in a data warehouses and generate cubes that systematize and summarizes the data permitting well-organized analytical querying. According to Jordan (1999), the implementation of an online analytical processing database lessened the time linked to forecasting, distributing and consolidating financial management reports. To add on, the online analytical processing database makes analysis of data more successful and competent, while at the same time lowered the risk of depending on a single individual to sustain the systems supporting the management reporting (Tin, 2006).

Conclusion

As explained from the above information the online analytical processing and enterprise resource planning systems have a direct or indirect impact on the management accounting. In spite of the benefits towards the management accounting, these two systems may also have a limitation. Although in different organizations the enterprise resource planning system implemented had resulted in organizational sovereignty or new tasks, these adjustments had not led to changes in the sense of management accounting (Neely 2001). Hence, the top benefits of these current systems for accounting have only mirrored in enhanced heap processing of documents, whilst no noteworthy improvements can be observed in decision making. A small impact of enterprise resource planning on the management accounting can be well explained by the fact that, a number of organizations who were in their early phase of implementation, were under pressure due to functionality issues which had left less time to dedicate on value adding features like management accounting. In addition the enterprise resource planning system may have a steady role and end up reinforcing the existing management accounting routines instead of developing them (Neely 2001). The impact of the changing business environment on management accounting may in future come with more advanced changes which will improve the management accounting by making the work easier accessible and faster.

References

Management Accounting (1999); The changing role of the management accountant and Its implications for qualification development, September 1998; 76, 8, pp. 68-69

Neely A, M. R. Sutcliff, H. R. Heyns (2001): Driving Value Through Strategic Planning and Budgeting, New York, NY: Accenture.

Tin, H. (2006). Management Accounting Practices And Management Accounts. Retrieved on 26 November 2010, Available at; HYPERLINK “http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0INPxMw6QDIJ:www.pafis.shh.fi/graduates/tinho04.pdf+The+Impact+of+the+Changing+Business+Environment+on+Management+Accounting+Systems&hl=en” http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0INPxMw6QDIJ:www.pafis.shh.fi/graduates/tinho04.pdf+The+Impact+of+the+Changing+Business+Environment+on+Management+Accounting+Systems&hl=en

Yazdifar, H and Tsamenyi, M (2005): Management accounting change and the Changing roles of management accountants: a comparative analysis between dependent And independent organizations, Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, Vol. 1, Issue 2.

Zeng Y, R.Chiang H and D. C. Yen (2003): Enterprise integration with advanced Information technologies: ERP and data warehousing, Information Management & Computer Security, Vol. 11, Issue 3 September 1998; 76, 8, pp. 68-69

Business Concept Report

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Business Concept Report

Introduction

Blanding fresh juice creates an environment where customers can quench their thirst in a naturally fresh drink. As such, my business idea and plans get based on the extensive production of freshly blended fruit juice and online delivery of the product to the market. Therefore, the paper analyzes the business concept report by determining market needs, solutions, proposed business models, competitors, and market plans.

Brief Description of Business Concept

A business concept is construed as a system that describes and defines new business ideas on the business initiative to strategize the production of new products for the customers or create a new company. My business concept gets based on determining ways of online delivery of blended fruit juices to consumers. Online fruit juice delivery is embedded in the ability to focus on the ideas that constitute the business purpose (Talukder, 2019). As such, the concept offers a high-level and quick summary of the organization’s goals, objectives, and missions. Through business concepts, the company can quickly identify the challenges consumer experiences.

The Market Need

My business idea will fill the void in the marketplace by introducing technology to the market. My product will solve the challenge of the low production rate that most businesses have exhibited due to poor infrastructural development. The current business in my surrounding has not introduced artificial intelligence technology in production (Borodavko et al., 2021). As such, the business needs to formulate contemporary technology that will mitigate the detriment of slow production and ineffective communication.

My Solutions

Introducing technology in the production process will enhance effective communication between the employees and management and interaction between the business and the customers. It also creates a mechanism through which data storage systems get technologically improved. Artificial intelligence in production will create a market internationally due to the intensification of communication and order of goods and services through online channels (Borodavko et al., 2021). My products target technology-oriented youths and opt for fast production and delivery of fruit juices. Most importantly, I am the perfect person to introduce the use of technology, especially artificial intelligence, to target my computerized clients hence creating a channel of increased production of blended fruit juices.

My Proposed Business Model

My proposed business models are the direct sales model and the advertising-based model. Direct sales provide an opportunity to deal with the direct client by offering essential goods and services to their satisfaction (Guo & Jiang, 2020). Also, the advertisement-based business model encourages online advertisement through the use of social media technology to reach a large number of target customers. Implementing technological advertising using social media like Facebook and Twitter enables a comprehensive marketing model.

Unique Value Proposition

My product is different from other products because it provides a natural taste of fruits. The blended juice is obtained from natural fresh fruits. An individual would prefer to buy my product because I offer a variety of fruit juices according to the customer’s taste. Also, I employ the new technology by using the electric-driven blender to improve the quality and quality of juice production daily. Notably, the juices are sold at affordable prices, enabling the customers to quench their thirst at a practical cost (Shamsudin et al., 2020). Through the online initiative, I offer door-to-door delivery that gets charged at lower delivery rates.

Succinct Competitive Analysis

My major competitors in the market are Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestle. The competitors provide the manufactured beverages that the clients consider fast food drinks. Majorly, Coca-Cola is vital in marketing because it is already established in global drinks. The weakness of the competitors entails the provision of manufactured beverages that are, to some extent, harmful to human health. Most importantly, the annual revenue of Coca-Cola is $36.59 Billion (Guo & Wen, 2021). In the United States., the market share of Coca-Cola is 43.7%. As such, I need to encourage an active marketing framework through innovative approaches in technology, production, and management to offer customers a variety of fresh fruit drinks to compete favorably with Coca-Cola.

Overview of My market Plan

My market will be critical to success by effectively identifying the target audience. After identifying the target audience, I will use the media mix optimization to target the audience on the ideal platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. My target audiences are workers in industries, youths, and students (Chambers, 2021). Through the generation of ads, the target customers will get informed through social media advertisements. Furthermore, social networking and the delivery of brochures physically to target consumers using the existing customers will promote business ideas.

Conclusion

Production and delivery of blended fresh juice is a business that requires a comprehensive analysis of the market and the use of contemporary technology in production and marketing. Analyzing the market entails determining the market needs and highlighting the solution to the business challenges. It also entails the determination of the practical business model for marketing and production, identifying the unique value proposition, overviewing the market plan, and competitive analysis.

References

Chambers, R. (2021). Social media marketing plan: developing an online brand persona. https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/171631Shamsudin, R., Zulkifli, N. A., & Zaman, A. K. (2020). Quality attributes of fresh pineapple-mango juice blend during storage. International Food Research Journal, 27(1), 141-149. http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/37561/1/15%20-%20IFRJ17900.R1.pdfGuo, R., & Jiang, Z. (2020). Optimal Dynamic Advertising Policy Based on Generalized Advertising Gains. http://2021.cswimworkshop.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cswim2021_paper_56.pdfBorodavko, B., Illés, B., & Bányai, Á. (2021). Role of artificial intelligence in the supply chain. Academic Journal of Manufacturing Engineering, 19(1), 75-79. https://www.ajme.ro/PDF_AJME_2021_1/L11.pdfTalukder, S. (2019). Corporate identity design for Cafe Ava’s fruit juice and drinks. https://repository.au.edu/bitstream/handle/6623004553/24220/AU-Student-Report-Fulltext-24220.PDF?sequence=2Guo, X., & Wen, M. (2021, December). Research on Competitive Strategy of Coca-Cola Company. In 2021 3rd International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2021) (pp. 2879-2885). Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/icemci-21/125965872

Abnormal Psychology Term Paper: Anorexia Nervosa (AN)

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Brief Introduction on Case Study

Sophia is a 19-year-old female who is currently living with her parents while she attends a local community college. Sophia is experiencing a persistent behavior in eating behavior. Sophia fears gaining weight, and therefore, she does not eat. Sophia’s eating disorder has caused her to have low body weight, dizziness, fatigue and sometimes nausea. She has frequent urination due to her dehydration. Her lowest weight was 70 pounds, which is 10 kgs. (At least 25% of her ideal body weight). Sophia’s parents noticed that she started losing appetite since she was a little girl while in elementary school. Every year during the holidays she would lose her appetite and her food intake would be very low compared to the other members of the family. The parents were very concerned about Sophia because they knew that the daughter may be developing an eating disorder that could cause harmful effects on her health.

Sophia did not change her behavior and as time passed, she started complaining about feeling cold, fatigue, low blood pressure, osteoporosis, fainting, nausea, dizziness, and low body weight. Her parents were not aware that their daughter has an eating disorder that is likely to cause complications on the future of the family. Sophia had been complaining about her low body weight and fatigue, but she did not go to get medical help or treatment because she was too embarrassed and afraid that her family would find out what she was going through.

Nowadays, many people are developing eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa (AN) due to many factors such as peer pressure, changing social environment, a lack of communication with others, stress and self-starvation practices. To address Sophia’s eating disorder, her parents brought her to the doctor. In the clinic, Sophia was examined, and the doctor concluded that she is suffering from an eating disorder. The doctor diagnosed her with Anorexia Nervosa due to the physical symptoms of low body weight and other physiological problems such as dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. The doctor told Sophia’s parents that she will be hospitalized in order to treat her eating disorder. Sophia was at first reluctant to be hospitalized because of her embarrassment when others would know about her condition.

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criterion

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition; DSM-5), Anorexia nervosa is the most severe eating disorder that is characterized by a distorted body image and the refusal to maintain minimum weight. Patients with AN are preoccupied with their low body weight, they think they are fat, they try to control their eating and discourage themselves from eating. However, if the patient fails to maintain a reasonably low body weight for an extended period of time, then he or she may be diagnosed with AN. DSM-5 defines maladaptive behaviors as an overall pattern of behavior that includes clinical features of “self-starvation” and “self-induced vomiting”, self-mutilation or engaging in harmful activities (antropophagia). The DSM-5 includes a subtype Diet Induced Anorexia, which is characterized by paraclinical features of self-starvation. In order to diagnose anorexia nervosa, the causes must be known and these causes must play a role in the development of the illness. In this paper, we will explore the possible causes that may lead to developing AN.

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that can cause a person’s weight to be less than 80% of what it should be for his/her age, height, and gender. People with Anorexia often have obsessions about food and calories, portions sizes etc., are afraid of becoming fat even though they are underweight and have a distorted body image that prevents them from seeing themselves properly (Kästner et al.,2021).

One can easily know that a person is experiencing Anorexia nervosa when he or she is not maintaining a normal weight and has a distorted body image. People who are suffering from this disorder keep their physical appearance as well as their weight as the center of their life. They tend to look at themselves excessively as well as others when they are in public places. They constantly weigh themselves in order to know their correct body weights and they regularly check their body size comparing it with others.

Anorexics may become compulsive exercisers in an effort to control their weight because they have a distorted body image that makes them view themselves as being fat, despite the fact that they are not (Kästner et al.,2021).

Etiology of Anorexia nervosa

The causes of AN are not only moderate but also psychological or biological. The psychological causes of anorexia include the following:

1) A desire to be thin, which is widespread in our culture. This desire may be due to various reasons such as peer pressure, but it also results from a lack of acceptance of one’s physical appearance by oneself.

2) Obsession with body image. Concerns about body image can cause people to develop an eating disorder. Having a high regard for appearance can create unhealthy competition and even lead to mood disorders such as depression or anxiety.

3) Depression is often associated with the onset of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A person may feel depressed and in turn, he or she might try to control their eating. However, when a person does not eat enough to feel full he or she may become more depressed.

4) Substance abuse is also associated with anorexia nervosa and it is likely that the two conditions share a common neural circuitry. Thus, many people recover from substance abuse after overcoming anorexia nervosa.

5) People who are genetically predisposed to being thin may be more at risk for developing anorexia nervosa. This is due to their body perception of what it means to be thin which will lead them deeper into the disorder.

Theorists suggests that there are certain biological and environmental factors that predispose a person to anorexia nervosa (AN). These factors or causes of AN may vary within the population in a variety of ways. Studies have shown that there is a link between AN and genetics. Not all people that have relatives with AN will develop an eating disorder, but these individuals are at a higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa. There is usually no family history of eating disorders evident in the first-degree relatives (parents, siblings) of someone with AN (Reed et al., 2021). However, it has been found in twins studies that there is a strong genetic influence on those who do develop AN. Various research showed that monozygotic twins were more similar than dizygotic twins, suggesting a genetic influence on vulnerability to AN. Twin studies have also shown that there is a strong genetic influence on the development of anorexia nervosa and AN (Dinkler et al., 2021).

AN is a chronic illness and causes people to withdraw from social situations, but there are many other symptoms that develop as well. Withdrawal may be the physical aspect, where individuals refuse to eat or even maintain adequate blood glucose levels and body temperature. Another aspect is the psychological aspect, where individuals find it difficult to be in social situations and communicate effectively with others. These traits put people at risk for developing a psychiatric disorder like anorexia nervosa and lead to further problems.

The article is a compilation of research on the causes and symptoms of anorexia nervosa, as well as a brief overview explaining what it is. This article will help readers understand this condition better. I also hope that it might give those who are struggling with the disorder some idea about how to beat it, should they choose to do so. It is my intention to create awareness and understanding about anorexia nervosa so that people can make informed decisions before making any important decisions or changing their lifestyle in order to avoid its consequences.

Impairment

The physiological symptoms of anorexia nervosa described in this article are extremely common, affecting over 50% of patients. It has a profound impact on their lives and is the principal cause of death from eating disorders. For these reasons it’s important to understand how anorexia nervosa affects each individual patient, as well as to recognize warning signs for those that wish to seek treatment. This can help reduce the number of deaths and prevent future cases of anorexia nervosa.

The main symptoms of anorexia nervosa are inappropriate food control and body image distortion, which can affect many other facets of everyday life. Other common symptoms include amenorrhea; hypersomnia; and orthostatic hypotension. A physician’s discovery of these physical symptoms is often their first indication that a patient has an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa can occur in individuals of any body type, any sex, and at any age (although the onset is typically earlier in females). Anorexia nervosa has been found to have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses (Kästner et al.,2021).

Two major factors are responsible for the increased mortality rate of anorexia nervosa. The first is the patient’s body weight and body mass index. These patients are typically at least 15% below normal body weight, with a BMI of 17 or less. Patients who suffer from anorexia nervosa often weigh 40-50% below normal weight (Kästner et al.,2021). The second factor is the patient’s refusal to seek medical treatment for their eating disorder. In a recent study, 75% of patients did not seek treatment for their illness. In addition, friends and family members of anorexics were not supportive in encouraging them to seek treatment (Herzog, 1994).

Physical complaints that are commonly found in patients who develop anorexia nervosa are excessively dry skin, hair and nails, excessive sweating which causes weight loss, nausea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration. Both men and women are affected by premature osteoporosis and heart muscle weakening. Chronic low blood pressure can cause acute cardiovascular collapse if not treated with medication. The lower the person’s body weight is the greater the potential risk of mortality.

Prevalence Rates

Anorexia nervosa is the primary form of eating disorder and the most severe. It mostly common among the females, typically during the adolescence and early adulthood. Anorexia nervosa starts with self-starvation. The person has an intense fear of gaining weight, they become consumed with body image, and they think that they are fat even though they are actually very thin. This disorder is caused by a combination of social factors, genetic issue, and life events – which could be anything from a traumatic childhood experience to being forced to diet as a child.

The lifetime prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa might be up to 4% among females and 0.3% among males. Anorexia nervosa is usually diagnosed in females. The diagnosis usually happens during adolescence or early adulthood. Research has found that the mean age of onset is between 16 and 18 years old. There are risks to those with anorexia nervosa, including poor health, injury, and death. More so, those with this disorder can have the possibility of taking their own lives because of the severity of their illness. Those with anorexia often lose a lot of weight very fast and even if they gain some weight after a period of time it never seems to be enough for them because everything looks so small to them.

The highest prevalence of anorexia nervosa is between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. The highest point of incidence is between the ages of 12 and 13 years old for girls. Anorexia nervosa is about 90% more common in females than males. The rate of mortality for anorexia nervosa is six times greater than the general population’s mortality rate. Most people with anorexia have a low body weight, but not everyone who has a low body weight has anorexia (van Eeden et al., 2021). Body mass index (BMI) is not a factor that determines whether or not someone has anorexia nervosa – it only tells how much body fat a person has.

Treatment

Different therapeutic interventions have been studied as potential treatments for anorexia nervosa .Cognitive behavioral therapy for people with anorexia nervosa (CBT-AN) is one of the most promising treatments currently available. However, the outcomes of CBT-AN may well be affected by the expectations of patients and their families. This study investigated whether parents of adult patients with AN expect that their children will improve after treatment for AN (Agras, 2019).

Data were collected from parents of children aged 10–16 years attending outpatient clinics for treatment for AN in three hospitals: Emergency Ward 3 in Princeton, NJ; University Hospital at Northwick Park, London, UK; and National Hospital, Singapore. Doctors and nurses treating patients with AN completed a semi-structured interview about their expectations for therapy outcomes following CBT-AN treatment (Agras, 2019). A self-report questionnaire was also used to measure parental expectations. The questionnaire contained items that were scored on a five-point Likert scale; scores on higher scores were indicative of higher expectations. Parents were found to have more positive expectations of children’s improvement after therapy than their doctors and nurses did. This study suggests that parents do expect the improvements they believe will result from CBT-AN, although they may expect these improvements to be slower than other clinicians hold them to (Dalle et al., 2020).

There was another study done by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, which has had many studies published that support CBT. This study focused on the importance of parent involvement in the treatment process. It was found that when positive parental involvement with therapy occurred, children showed less episodes of AN and weight gain than those who did not receive support from their parents (Agras, 2019). Many variables were studied to determine what factors were related to these differences (e.g., number and length of hospitalization, family dynamics).

Adolescents represent a prominent subgroup of individuals with AN. Their treatment approach typically involves psychotherapy in addition to family therapy. The most commonly studied psychotherapeutic method used in the treatment of adolescents with AN is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anorexic adolescent girls.

However, results from clinical trials of CBT-AN have been only partially positive; thus, there is a need to examine other treatment approaches.

Motivational interviewing is a non-confrontational counseling style used in motivational enhancement therapy (MET) that guides individuals through solving ambivalence and bolstering their motivation to change their maladaptive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Motivational interviewing has been used with adolescents with AN, and the results have been positive. Theoretically, motivational interviewing is based on the assumption that regardless of their motivation to change their maladaptive behaviors, individuals will only change if they engage in an active, objective process of problem solving.

Although there are positive studies regarding the use of motivational interviewing (MI) with adolescents with AN, there is also resistance to this research. Amongst this resistance is the concern that it may be too confrontational in nature, and as a result not be effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the doubts held by adolescents with AN, their parents and clinicians regarding the use of motivational interviewing. Participants in the study were interviewed alone, invited to participate in a diagnosis workshop, and subsequently interviewed about their opinions about motivational interviewing for adolescent girls with AN. The interviews were conducted between February through May 2012.

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is also another option to treating anorexia nervosa. This medication is also referred to as antidepressants. In many cases, this medication works well for the anorexic patient (Resmark et al., 2019). And then, the medications such as antipsychotics and mood stabilizers are used in conjunction with these types of medications to produce a combination of treatment that often helps improve anorexia nervosa symptoms. Other treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and family-focused treatments or social-skills training that focuses on communication and problem-solving between parents and children about weight issues. This therapy is also referred to as parent-child psychoeducation programs or family psychoeducation programs (Agras, 2019).

References

Resmark, G., Herpertz, S., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., & Zeeck, A. (2019). Treatment of anorexia nervosa—new evidence-based guidelines. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(2), 153.

Kästner, D., Weigel, A., Buchholz, I., Voderholzer, U., Löwe, B., & Gumz, A. (2021). Facilitators and barriers in anorexia nervosa treatment initiation: a qualitative study on the perspectives of patients, carers and professionals. Journal of eating disorders, 9(1), 1-11.

Dalle Grave, R., Conti, M., & Calugi, S. (2020). Effectiveness of intensive cognitive behavioral therapy in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(9), 1428-1438.

Agras, W. S. (2019). Cognitive behavior therapy for the eating disorders. Psychiatric Clinics, 42(2), 169-179.

van Eeden, A. E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2021). Incidence, prevalence and mortality of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Current opinion in psychiatry, 34(6), 515.

Reed, K. K., Abbaspour, A., Bulik, C. M., & Carroll, I. M. (2021). The intestinal microbiota and anorexia nervosa: Cause or consequence of nutrient deprivation. Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research, 19, 46-51.

Dinkler, L., Taylor, M. J., Råstam, M., Hadjikhani, N., Bulik, C. M., Lichtenstein, P., … & Lundström, S. (2021). Anorexia nervosa and autism: a prospective twin cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(3), 316-326.

BRING IT ALL TOGETHER

HSA 505

Distinguish the marketing approach that a health care marketer would take to handle products and services to a marketer of consumer goods.

Conduct research on the health care climate in your state and articulate how each of the pricing objectives impacts the health care system in your state. Provide statistical data when applicable and / or expected. Based on your findings, discuss the implications of your research.

Assume you are the decision maker of a health care firm and you need to communicate changes to the distribution strategies for products offered by your company. Devise a plan that outlines the communication strategy you would use to reach your main stakeholder groups. Be sure to identify the stakeholders.

Assess the advantage of each advertising classification

Craft a policy for health care marketing firms you would recommend to be used to avoid ethical violations in the areas of pricing, service, and advertising.

ANSWER:

Distinguish the marketing approach that a health care marketer would take to handle products and services to a marketer of consumer goods.

Introduction marketing in health care is going through dramatic change and reinvention due to the emerging trends in the industry, the emergence of social marketing, reform uncertainties, and a renewed emphasis on outcome, quality, and prevention. Executives in health care organizations are demanding greater impact as well as more returns on the market investments, and it is becoming more and more necessary that the marketers align their marketing efforts to the strategic objectives of their organizations, as well as with consumer experience and the incorporation communications across multiple channels and platforms. Marketing in health care thus requires professionals should adopt marketing approaches to proactive health care marketing with defined strategies, techniques, action steps, and tactics to enhance visibility, understanding, awareness, market share and profitability (Van Rompay & Tanja-Dijkstra, 2010).

Research has showed that marketing of products and services in health care differs a great deal from marketing of consumer products. It is important to note that marketing health care services and products present unique challenges that are not experienced in marketing of other consumer products and services. This is due to the fact that marketing of health care products and services tend to deal with health behaviors rather than purchasing behaviors, as is the case in the marketing of consumer products and services.

Marketing of health care products, as opposed to marketing of consumer goods entails education and awareness as well as behavior adoption or change. These factors are often challenging and can take time. To become an effective marker of health care products is at the end of the day more challenging compared to becoming an effective marketer of consumer products. Another difference is that a dynamic population normally influences marketing of health care products and services as well as related issues, advance in research and technology, and other factors in the external environment (Van Rompay & Tanja-Dijkstra, 2010).

Demographics, trends, policies and privacy have great effects on marketing of health care products and services, as compared to the marketing of consumer products. Change s in population affects marketing, not just in the “how” of marketing the products and services, but also on the “where” of marketing. There are various reasons that people change their health behavior as compared to how they change their purchasing behavior when dealing with consumer products. Marketers in health care products and services are tasked with the need to understand these changes as they affect their role and performance as marketers(Van Rompay & Tanja-Dijkstra, 2010).

Government policies tend to have more impact on health care products and services as compared to other consumer products. Thus, there is a greater demand placed on marketers in the healthcare sector to understand how the policies impact on their sector. Privacy issues are more common in health care as compared to the consumer sector. Understanding of laws and policies that govern privacy is therefore of paramount importance for marketers in the health care sector (Van Rompay & Tanja-Dijkstra, 2010).

Conduct research on the health care climate in your state and articulate how each of the pricing objectives impacts the health care system in your state. Provide statistical data when applicable and / or expected. Based on your findings, discuss the implications of your research.

There are various pricing objectives in the health care sector in New York. Most of the objectives are available and should be carefully considered, as some do not have any influence on health care products and services, while others have a negative impact. Health care organizations in the state are required to carefully consider the attributes of their products and services, as well as their market before making the decision as to the pricing objective to adopt. It is also important to note that the pricing objective adopted by an organization does not have to be used over and over, especially if it is not achieving the desired goals. In health care system in the state, the pricing objective is decided in accordance to the goals and objectives of the entire organization (Keller & Fay, 2012).

Four main pricing objectives are used in the health care sector in New York: survival, profit, sales and status quo. Survival as a pricing objective suggests that prices are not fixed and should be varied as long as they ensure survival of the organization. In the health care system in the state, prices are lowered most of the time to increase demand for services, but to a lever that survival of the organization is ensured. This mostly applies to the health care sector where the costs should not be too high such that some patients are unable to afford. Price has a direct as well as an indirect effect on profit.

Most of the health care organizations in the state are operated on a for-profit basis, and therefore pricing is performed in such a way that the organization remains profitable. At times, the objective might have a negative effect on the health care system where the prices are set too high to gain profits at the expense of affordability for those in need of the services. Sales-oriented pricing objective seeks to increase volume or expand market share. The sales that the organization seeks to make dictate the price of its products. This might have a positive or negative impact on the healthcare system depending on where the prices are set. Low prices to increase sales have a positive effect. A status quo price objective can be viewed as a tactical objective to encourage competitiveness on other factors, besides price. This objective has a positive effect as its focus is on maintaining market share, and can have a stabilizing effect on the health care system (Keller & Fay, 2012). This research is important in realizing how products are priced in the healthcare sector in the state.

Assume you are the decision maker of a health care firm and you need to communicate changes to the distribution strategies for products offered by your company. Devise a plan that outlines the communication strategy you would use to reach your main stakeholder groups. Be sure to identify the stakeholders.

The main stakeholder groups targeted by this communication strategy are the marketers and the customers. The marketers will be directly targeted for the communication such that they will deliver the message to the consumers. The following communication strategy developed aims at communicating the changes and distribution strategies to the marketers in such a way that the message will reach the customers. The main role of the communication strategy is to maximize sales through a communication of the changes directed towards this end (Grandjean & Guéguen, 2011).

The communication strategy

Good communication will not only involve telling people that you and your organization exist but it should be accompanied by the provision of quality products and services to the customers. In fact, people refer customers to professionals and organizations that they have confidence that they will deliver and this makes quality products and services more important than communication. Confidence is also not built on a one-time communication between professionals but rather on a long-term relationship and this is why professionals engaged in healthcare marketing are advised to join associations that bring professionals together. The key principle here is networking between professional as it is the only way that professionals in the same field can establish constructive friendship and come to build confidence on each other.

Branding is another tactic of marketing in healthcare. Branding refers to multiple aspects inculcated in marketing to ensure that a marketing firm or a marketer is different from others. It is doing things out of the ordinary and some things may be simple but make a marketing firm or an individual marketer of healthcare products and services to be over others. Being different does not mean doing big things that other people or organizations have not done but it is doing small things those other organizations or other people have ignored.

Context

The context of this communication is the change that is affecting the entire organization, and more so the marketing department. Marketing is therefore the policy area that is covered by the communication strategy. The implementation of the strategy is aimed at protecting the organization from any negative outcomes emanating from the change. this is a major change that have negative effects if not handled properly, but its main purpose is to boost the sales of the product and thus the profits of the organization.

One more essential element is the determination of the various groups of employees and the work that they do and to what degree they would be affected by the change in the event that it occurs. This way, the staff to be affected by the change shall be well informed on the effects of the change on their day to day operations, so that they may be ready and psychologically prepared to act in the event of the change. It is essential to note that organizational change can only take place effectively when the employees are committed to accept the change. Forcing the employees to accept the change is only good for a short term but results into more challenges for the human resource management.

Goals and objectives

The goals and objective of this communication strategy is to communicate the changes to distribution strategies to the marketers in such a way that the message will reach the customers. The cost of healthcare services and products influences the outcome of marketing. For example, cases of fraudulent billing which are very relevant in healthcare sector especially in the private sector has incapacitated marketing in the healthcare arena. Facilities that charge customers heavily have received fewer customers than organizations that charge their customers reasonably. Poor communication to the customers and stakeholders has also been a problem that has dwarfed marketing efforts and this need to be improved.

An area that may require changing in communication in healthcare marketing is communication between the producers of healthcare products and the distributors of these products. In many cases, customers require the distributors to explain the details of the products to them and many have been unable to explain the details to the customers appropriately. There is thus a need to first communicate to the people about these products before they go on marketing. As a decision maker in changing this particular area of communication, workshops and seminars will be used as the strategy to pass the message through to the distributors.

Message

The customers need to know that the distribution strategy that has been in use in the organization has changed. This will include the details of the new distribution strategy. The message will also include the communication of the implications of the change, in terms of such aspects as prices of the product.

Marketing in the area of healthcare is clustered into several levels and each level will require different approaches. For instance, there are health products which if they are made easily available may be abused by the consumers and for this reason they should only be taken under the prescription of a doctor. Other products may not have immense effects on the consumers and any person can market these. For instance, the exercise equipment which are health products may be marketed by any person as their use have no negative effects. On the other hand, medicines are required to be marketed by medics who have full knowledge of their advantages as well as disadvantages.

The massage though relayed through the marketers, has to reach the customers. For this, there will be use of customer-facing materials such as press releases, brochures, Web sites, and trade show presentations. The brochures will be distributed to the potential consumer, while the information will be available in the company’s website. The press release will be used to communicate the changes through the media. Healthcare services and products are crucial aspects that should not be taken lightly. Of late, there have been cases where some people have sold products to desperate patients that have turned to worsen their health rather than improving it. With multiple of organizations having been allowed to produce health products, monitoring their activities has been difficult and some of these organizations have taken this chance to exploit their customers.

Stakeholders

Besides the marketers and the customers, other stakeholder groups that will be impacted by this change are the suppliers of the products, and the invertors of the company. Therefore, these groups should also receive the message. Health of citizens is very important for any national development and sale of fake products makes the population to be unhealthy. The government should therefore intervene by regulating the production of healthcare products. If possible there is need to reduce the number of organizations producing these products to a manageable number. The pricing of these products should also be regulated as many of organizations mandated with provision of healthcare services have become notorious in being fraudulent. Healthcare is really an important sector and government should treat it as such.

Key activities

The marketers will be responsible for distributing the communication materials to the customers, and generally getting the message of the changes to them. The marketers are the determinants of the success of the change process. A marketer can also use the Internet to boost public relations, which is another model of marketing. In this model a marketer makes the firm known to the public and this can be through publications like free leaflets or magazines, research publications newspaper articles or even interviews in the radio or TV. This is a cheap way to advise as many of the tactics used in this model are not paid for. However, some like research publications require input of some resources that have been found to be few than what is used in other models of marketing.

Assess the advantage of each advertising classification

Advertising is the process of promoting products and services of a company via different mediums with the aim of increasing the sales of the product and services. Advertising achieves this aim through creation of awareness on the product as well as focusing on need of the customer to purchase the product. Universally, this process has become a very important part of the world of business. It is for this reason that companies are investing large parts of their income to the advertisement budget. It also plays an important role in building the product brand that in turn is important in achieving sales for the company (Bruce, Peters & Naik, 2012).

There are five main types in the classification of advertising: print, broadcast, outdoor, covert and public service advertising, each of which has its advantages. The main advantage of print advertising is that it is a popular media and has been in use for the purpose for a very long time. Newspapers, magazines, fliers and brochures remain effective means of communication. Print media also provides a relatively permanent medium of advertisement. Broadcast advertising has the advantage of reaching a wide audience, especially in the use of TV, radio and Internet. The Internet has the advantage of interactivity, and can also maintain the message for a relatively long time and the audience can view it any time he or she wants. Outdoor advertising make use of various outdoor tools to gain the attention of the audience. The billboards, kiosks, as well as events and tradeshows have the advantage of catching the attention of the audience, even though that might not be out to look for the message (Bruce, Peters & Naik, 2012).

Covert advertising is a unique advertising means where products or messages are ingeniously included in a TV serial or movie. Though there are no real ads, this method can be used in advertising different products to specific targets. The message targeted to a group that love a particular movie can be passed to the target audience alongside the movie. Public Service Advertising is used for public causes. These kinds of ads are advantageous in the health care sector to pass message on important issues like HIV/AIDS, disease outbreak, drug resistance or medical invention. It is also effective in passing message on prevention of diseases or events organized for medical purposes. They are more effective where the awareness of the general public is necessary (Bruce, Peters & Naik, 2012).

Craft a policy for health care marketing firms you would recommend to be used to avoid ethical violations in the areas of pricing, service, and advertising.

Carried out in a proper ways, ethical marketing in health care can increase profits, provide the cases and patients the organization desires, and build the reputation (brand) of the organization. However, in the increasingly competitive world of business, more and more health care organizations are involved in marketing to create awareness on their products and services, expand their market share, and generate the required revenue and profits for the organizations. However, the organizations are engaging in marketing for their products and services without consideration of the fact that they are different from other consumer organizations(Ruger, 2008)..

Generally, it is worth noting that the altruistic nature of health care organizations makes it inappropriate to engage in certain kinds of marketing that other companies engage in. given the fact that health care organizations should not market their services and products for the sake of financial enhancement, there are various ethical considerations that should be taken in marketing their products and services (Ruger, 2008).

Unlike other organizations, health care organizations should observe the ethical principles of honesty, fairness, as well as avoidance of conflicts. The consumer needs in healthcare are always a priority and should therefore come before the interests of the organization. In healthcare marketing, it is unethical for the message or the information to be false, unsubstantiated, misleading or deceptive, or information that mislead through omission of important details. While other organizations can get away with this, health care organizations are founded on the observance of the interests of the people in need and should observe that on all occasions(Ruger, 2008).

Any information to be disseminated to the consumers of health care services should be substantiated and completely factual. It is important to note that while other organization should also act in an ethical way in their marketing, the integrity of health care organization depends on ethical practice, this also being the foundation of health care service provision. Additionally, when unethical marketing is experienced, whether perceived or real, it can be damaging to the health care organization. It is thus important that all health care organization engage professionals who are trained, not only on how to market, but also on the ethics in health care marketing. Such training should also be carried out on regular basis to equip the marketers with what it takes to be ethical in marketing (Ruger, 2008).

References

Bruce, N., Peters, K., & Naik, P. (2012). Discovering How Advertising Grows Sales and Builds

Brands. Journal Of Marketing Research (JMR), 49(6), 793-806

Grandjean, I., & Guéguen, N. (2011). Testing a Binding Communication Strategy in a Company:

How Could Persuasive Information be more Efficient?. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 39(9), 1209-1216.

Keller, E., & Fay, B. (2012). Word-of-Mouth Advocacy: A New Key to Advertising

Effectiveness. Journal Of Advertising Research, 52(4), 459-464

Ruger, J. P. (2008). Ethics in American Health 2: An Ethical Framework for Health System

Reform. American Journal of Public Health, 98(10), 1756-1763.

Van Rompay, T. L., & Tanja-Dijkstra, K. (2010). Directions in Healthcare Research: Pointers

Prom Retailing and Services Marketing. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD), 3(3), 87-100.

Case study

Name:

Institution:

Date:

Abnormal Psychology

Based on the readings from the Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, Sam suffers from anxiety. The evidence to support this is through the DCM-5, which talks about distress as one of the aspects of abnormal behavior. A person shows signs of distress due to the disabling conditions that they are experiencing (Comer, 2011). I selected the model because from the case study, Sam’s experiences of abnormal behavior led to panic attacks, and he thought he was going to die. The case study also shows that his anxiety attacks caused him to dread being in public places. Information regarding the psychological conditions affecting Sam can be collected using the unstructured interview. The main reason for using this method is to have a better understanding of the client by creating an environment that allows him to express himself. The process proves to be convenient, but it has several limitations. Unstructured interviews are time-consuming, and the information gathered is bulky, making it hard to compile the data collected.

According to the case study, Sam experiences anxiety symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, racing heart and sweating. The clinical tests that can be used to determine Sam’s condition include a chest x-ray to determine the presence of fluids in the lungs and Echocardiogram which Sam’s doctor already performed. I selected these specific assessments because they are used to determine the cause of the anxiety attacks that Sam is experiencing. Therapy is one form of treatment that would fit the selected model. The treatment will be beneficial because it will reduce the feelings of distress associated with it. The goal of therapy is to improve mental health and improve relaxation of the mind. Based on the reading, “on being sane in insane places” (Rosenhem 1973) and the case study, I agree with Rosenham’s promise regarding mental illness.

References

Comer, R. J. (2011). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.

Rosenhan, D. L. (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179(4070), 250-258.

Management and Behavioral Leadership

Name

Institution

Introduction

The most important aspect to the successful running of an organization is its management. Good management results into efficient running of an organization including improvement of the workability and work quality of the employees. Due to this, several theories have come up to enable organization leaders to function more efficiently and for profit maximization. This paper, thus, reviews a behavioral leadership theory and functions of management that best fits the manager’s role and responsibilities in a precepted clinical setting.

According to Egner (2009), every institutional leader has the responsibility to solve individual problems through a dynamic utilization of personnel. His duty is to develop and maintain a culture that encourages work. As a result, the leader has to utilize more than only the functions of management. He or she should show concern for production as well as people.

In a clinic, organization, planning, controlling, and directing are the main functions of the manager. Quality work is crucial for the patients’ well-being and the medical practitioners have to be experienced and well conversant in their job descriptions. Planning involves the selection of programs, projects, or objectives appropriate for the type of organization. Furthermore, it also involves the procedures and policies for accomplishing them. Lutz (2010), on the other hand, states that planning should always come before the action. This then has to be combined with employee motivation and training so that they realize the organization’s target goals, including the mission and vision. The manager also has to overcome resource and political barriers. This goes together with being keen on identifying any deviations from the plan and doing the necessary planning for correcting the problem. Consequently, it is important to note that these management functions are not only for the top manager, but also for all leaders in the clinic. The managing director should however act as the head of all subordinate leaders.

Organization of clinical personnel occurs chiefly to achieve maximum coordination. This ensures efficient synchronization of staff, equipment, materials, methods, and timing. The customers in a clinic are mainly patients who have to be directed from one room to another and efficient coordination will always result to customer satisfaction and minimum chaos. Furthermore, Lutz (2010) states that well defined and logical organizations encourage savings in efforts and energy and minimize frustration. As a management function, organization entails the designation of specific duties to certain personnel and departments. It also defines their functions and specifies the links between personnel and departments.

In a clinical setting, diagrams, operating guides, and tables promote coordination of the staff, departments, and customers. However, it is difficult to keep them up to date and they give subtle coordination in fast growing, expanding, and dynamic enterprises. Another major cause of failure is delegation if authority to subordinates. A good delegator gives the ideas of subordinates a chance, allows the staff to make mistakes and learn from them, gives other subordinates the power to make decisions, and formulates an effective transfer of information over subordinates.

Behavioral leadership theory focuses on analyzing behaviors or actions that describe a style of leadership. With this aspect, leaders are required to work with a specific category of style that relies on their methods and actions used to fulfill the goals (Egner, 2009). However, the choice of suitable leadership criteria relies on the values and objectives of the individual making the evaluation, but different individuals have diverse values. Thus, the best approach is to include several criteria when researching on leadership effectiveness.

Egner (2009) recommends four criteria for leadership effectiveness. They include individual leader effectiveness, follower job fulfillment, follower fulfillment with leader, and group performance. The first criteria enables the assessment of the leader at an individual level on overall effectiveness. The second and third criteria enable coordination among the leaders and staff while group performance enables monitoring of all employees as a single unit.

Consequently, management also has to be made systematic by combining it with hub clinical procedures. For this to occur, leaders need to identify significant points in each project and ensure that the stakeholders are actively engaged. For the staff, formulation of unit councils is important to help them acquire a voice and make decisions. Furthermore, since clinical work involved listening and responding to patient issues, the staff should adopt a variety of qualities like good communication skills, good clarity and perception of the local language including community dynamics, and an answer oriented approach (Egner, 2010). Furthermore, respect and open-mindedness for the views of other eligible staff and a genuine obligation to individual position and organization goals are also important.

Conclusion

Generally, efficient and effective clinical practice requires the leaders to work together with the staff and stakeholders. If this can be integrated with proper management functions and behavioral leadership, then work will run smoothly and any arising problems will be easy to get rid of. Consequently, the staff should realize that they are all eligible in making crucial decisions regarding a patient’s well being and survival, thus they should not only rely on their leaders to make decisions although the final word should be the latter.

References

Egner, T. (2009). Behavioral Leadership – The Managerial Grid. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH.

Lutz, E. (2010). The functions of Management, Retrieved from,< http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/pguithe/the345/am1c.html> Accessed December 11, 2012

Michaelides, M. A., Parpa, K. M., & Zacharia, A. I. (2021). Effects of an 8-Week Pre-seasonal Training on the Aerobic Fitness of Professional Soccer Players. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 35(10), 2783-2789.

The article, “Effects of an 8-Week Pre-Seasonal Training on the Aerobic Fitness of Professional Soccer Players” represents a pre-season training period in soccer. This training period aims to develop physical requisites for competition. The primary method applied here is an experimental approach involving an eight-week pre-season training program. This program is meant to examine its impacts on the aerobic fitness of professional soccer players. The study of the physical characteristics of professional soccer players is vital for the advancement of the sport. In this sense, coaches and trainers need to evaluate what a player does with his body and how he does it. The anthropometry of a player has been used as an indicator for assessing the probable physical development of the athletes.

The study concludes that the significant changes in the process of adaptations that occur with this type of training can assist trainers and coaches in planning a successful pre-season training program. The physiological improvement in the aerobic capacity of the players was observed during this training period compared to the previous one. This indicates that they can adapt to new physical situations and environments, making them less vulnerable in sports later on. For example, it was observed that the per cent changes in heart rate were significant after eight weeks of training.

In this research project, two players groups were trained under the control condition, and another group qualified under the experimental situation. The exercise was performed according to a recommended program by their trainer, so it meant that they received full and individualized attention, which included exercises that affected the upper body, lower body, balance and coordination.

This research will benefit my weekly training program for both the male and female soccer players in my team. It suggests that I should have them under a more intense exercise program, as it will help them improve their aerobic fitness to a higher level. The program should begin from the pre-season training period, where I will focus on improving their endurance and speed. Speed training is more important for female players as they do not have enough speed compared to male players, which is why they cannot compete in fast-paced games. My weekly training program involves a combination of running and endurance training, which I will apply in their weekly meetings. The training program also includes a speed routine where I will focus on increasing the speed of my players. After the pre-season period, I should use the same speed routine and add some strength training sessions to enhance their overall performance.

This article aims to demonstrate how physiological adaptations in the aerobic capacity are achieved and improved during a pre-season training program, which is aimed to attain physical fitness and, later on, competition, the effects it has on performance in professional soccer matches.

Michelle Obama

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Michelle Obama

Many people come and go on this planet. Most of these people do not make the difference that touches people to the point where the people that they associate with admire them and view them as role models. I have several people I admire because of various traits and values that inspire me. However, I admire one person the most, and that person is Michelle Lavaughn, Robinson Obama. There are many reasons why she takes such an important place in my life and gains my admiration and respect. Michelle Obama is a great leader and possessed leadership qualities that inspire me. A leader is an individual who provides a beacon to others in the pursuit of a goal. For a person with leadership aspirations like myself, it is crucial to look up to somebody who has been proven to have the right leadership qualities that lead others around them to success. Michelle Obama possesses some of these qualities that have skyrocketed her into one of the world’s most admired women.

Michelle Obama is a charismatic leader with a strong character. Michelle Obama is the former first lady of the United States. She was married to arguably the most powerful man on the planet at the time, in Barack Hussein. Unlike other first ladies who are defined by their husbands’ titles and who shun away from the political spotlight, Michelle defined herself and stood out among her peers. She went out and was accessible to the American people in a way that had not been done previously. Also, she let people know that she was, in fact, like them figuratively speaking. Therefore, she touched many people’s lives by merely being there and speaking on social injustices against minorities who had no voice for themselves even when the issues were controversial confidence, especially among women.

Another reason I admire Michelle is the ability to inspire self-confidence among people, especially women. Michelle Obama is among the women who have time and time again represented and championed for women’s rights. She always speaks her mind, and I find her courage to be admirable. She had stood before thousands and delivered speeches that are well articulated and show just how much she is courageous. Any woman seeing her do so can tap into her strength and gain some confidence that they too can find their voice. Hence, she is an inspiration to so many women who look up to her for inspiration and guidance. She has not failed at that calling, proving time and time again why she is so admired.

I am one person who admires honesty, and Michelle Obama is one leader who has shown that she is honest. In her words, “We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square” (Snider, 2019). Michelle Obama has been honest about her intentions from the time I came to know her. She has stated her strengths and weaknesses without hiding them from the public. I cannot help but admire such authenticity to just be yourself without the fear of being judged. Her honesty is reflected in the dedication she puts in working towards her goals. 

Finally, Michelle Obama is a great overall mother and wife. That side is often overlooked owing to her incredible career. Michelle had raised a good family and provided support to Barack Obama when he needed the necessary support. Hence, this shows that she is a leader to the public and to her home to her family. She has solidified her place as the person who I admire most.

References

Snider, I. N. (2019). Self-defined: A Womanist Exploration of Michelle Obama, Viola Davis, and Beyonce Knowles (Doctoral dissertation, Wayne State University).