Category: Uncategorized

Interview and Counseling Intake Interview

Based On a Mock Trial

Jane Doe

University of Central Florida

Abstract

The first interview in a counseling session must cover many topics in a short period of time. The background of the client is one of the most important things to learn along with why the client initiated the session with the therapist. A mock interview was done to accomplish this first intake interview. The client brought forth a problem with depression, anxiety, stress, and marital problems due to the scenarios seen through his job as a LEO. Thorough communication throughout the mock interview the client was able to properly portray to the therapist certain ideas and feelings. Multiple interviewing techniques are accomplished through this mock interview to build rapport, understanding, and to find the goal(s) that the client wants to achieve through the journey of therapy.

Keywords: PTSD, (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), LEO (Law Enforcement Officer)

Interviewing and Counseling Intake Interview

Based On a Mock Trial

The mock trial was produced to show the ability of techniques and skills acquired and to use these techniques and skills in a real-life scenario. The mock client for this interview is a Law Enforcement Officer at a disclosed agency. Law Enforcement Officers face many problems throughout their job. One important aspect that is becoming more widely accepted is that LEO’s should see therapists whenever they feel they are having trouble processing their emotions due to the job and also after a critical incident. Many Law Enforcement Officers experience a variety of emotions. The client for this mock trial has mentioned feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. The client has also expressed having marital discord due to these emotions he is feeling. The interview techniques and skills expressed throughout will help lead the client to realize his potential goal(s).

Background

Interviewing and counseling have been used increasingly throughout the past century, but has been seen in simpler forms as early as the Enlightenment era in areas such as Egypt, Persia, and Mesopotamia (Hackney & Cormier, 2013, p. 2). A larger proportion of people in society today though have a misconceived notion about therapy. There are people that view people seeking therapy as being “broken” or “crazy”. This unfortunate misconception has shaped the view of therapy for quite some time. Unless you know the true process of therapy and the goals of therapy, many may keep this misperception. What some people may not know is that therapy, interviewing, and counseling is actually quite broad and can range from situations such as critical incident stress debriefings, work evaluations, marriage counseling, and of course individual counseling and therapy.

There have been multiple therapy techniques developed over the years, some have shown promise and stability while others haven’t been so successful. Depending on the success rate of these techniques determines if they become more universally accepted or if they get rejected through trial and error. Hackney and Cormier (2013) included a list of theory/therapy types and the proportion of counselors that prefer to practice them as cited by Prochaska and Norcross (2010), “eclectic approach (37%), followed by existential/humanistic theory (13%), cognitive theories (10%), person-centered therapy (8%), psychodynamic theories (8%), systemic theories (7%), and behavioral approaches (6%)” (p. 5). With this being said there are four main approaches that counselors use, these being the psychodynamic approach, the transpersonal approach, humanistic and cognitive/behavioral approaches (Hackney & Cormier, 2013, p. 2).

Most recently there has been a shift in how counselors are using these different therapy approaches and theories. There has been the introduction the eclectic or integrative approach to therapy. This is the combination of multiple therapy approaches/theories to use in practice on the clients (Hackney & Cormier, 2013, p. 5). This is a newer development with the realization that not one single approach may benefit the client. The therapist will learn the client’s personality and characteristics and then determine which combination of approaches would most benefit the client to reach his or her full potential and goal(s). Not only is it about the client though, the counselor must keep in mind which approaches he or she is comfortable practicing. All in all, not one client is the same and not every client is going to benefit from one individual approach, therefore the client could quite possibly be accessing a higher rate of success among his/her clients with the integrative approach.

Overview of Mock Interview

The first interview with a client is one of the most important and beneficial. It is a chance to not only introduce why the client has chosen to see a counselor, but it’s also a chance to begin building the client-therapist relationship. Building a rapport with the client is one of the more important techniques a therapist can accomplish. With this rapport, the client feels a stronger comfort level and is therefore able to open up to the therapist without feeling judged. Other techniques that are important for the client-therapist relationship and for communication to prosper is the ability for proper language use and sentence/question formation and keeping cultural differences and similarities in mind. Pauses and moments of silence are to allow the client to think, process, and elaborate or add additional information. The therapist should also use nonverbal communication, paraphrasing, and clarification to portray to the client a sense of understanding and confirmation.

Preceding the session with my client I overviewed the paperwork given to me about my client, just to get an idea of the basics of who I was about to see. I knew I was about to begin a session with a male client and I recalled part of an article I studied about counseling men, “The male experience is framed by context, power, character, personalities, and relationships, which are interwoven in complex ways” (Duffey & Haberstroh, 2014). This would beneficial to keep in mind. Now, some therapists may find some reasons as to why there may be a conflict with the client that may interfere with the session from being beneficial to themselves and the client; the therapist would possibly then refer him or her to someone else. “The counselor must also make an initial assessment of the situation, determine that his or her skills are appropriate to the client’s presenting concerns, and that the interaction of personalities and personal values are a good match for counseling success” (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). As I found no reason to not proceed with the interview, I welcomed my client into the room. The atmosphere of the room is exceedingly essential for creating that positive first impression. I made sure the client had a number of options as to where to sit, whichever would make him the most comfortable. I also made sure to not have any type of table or ottoman in between where the client would sit and myself. If there is an object between myself and the client, the client may feel as though I am closing myself off to them; that I am psychologically putting a wall between myself and the client (Hackney & Cormier, 2013, p. 20). The client also focuses on the therapists’ body language. Depending on how the therapist is sitting can determine the client’s comfort (Hackney and Cormier, 2013, p. 20). I made sure to sit in a position that wasn’t intense and wasn’t blocked, I made myself open and relaxed to give the client a sense of security.

After introducing ourselves I made sure to cover the confidentiality of our session, everything stays between myself and the client, unless under certain circumstances as explained through the ethics of counseling and therapy. I then began to explain that this initial interview was an in-take and history interview, rather than a therapeutic session. (Hackney & Cormier, 2013, p. 75). It is necessary to disclose this because many clients want an instant fix and they need to understand that it is a process and that process begins with the initial evaluation and history of the client. After all of this information was given, the in-take interview process began. I asked the client why he was seeking counseling and he advised me that he had begun to feel overwhelmingly stressed and anxious and was afraid that he was becoming depressed. Without going into too much detail about this at this stage I began to probe a bit about this and asked him when he thought these feelings began to start. The client advised me that the episodes began a few months after starting his career as a Law Enforcement Officer.

Moving forward from this I asked more about his background and history. This included history as a child, in school, relationships with parents and siblings, work history, marital status, etc. Making a mental note to myself in the session I recalled, “Counselors who seek to understand their male clients as unique human beings while being aware of the multifaceted aspects of masculinity can better conceptualize their clients’ needs and respond with accurate and genuine empathy” (Duffey & Haberstroh, 2014). Throughout all of this information given to me by the client I made sure to use appropriate nods, used nonverbal and verbal communication, showed empathetic regard to my client, and was also note-taking and recording the session for later use (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). When I was presented with information given that was ambiguous I would ask probing questions and ask the client to explain a bit further with specific instances and examples. I would also ask questions to allow me to lead and/or to infer feelings and emotions (Hackney and Cormier, 2013, p. 83). Along with these techniques, throughout the interview thus far I would in some instances, paraphrase what the client was saying once he finished speaking. This gave me the option to determine and confirm that I was correctly understanding the client’s communication, emotions, and situation given. Not only did paraphrasing give me the option to confirm understanding, but it also gave the client the opportunity to hear back what he said to help develop insight and giving them an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). After receiving all of the information necessary for the interview I began ending the session with my client. I asked him what he wanted his goal or goals for therapy to be and I also gave my feedback on his goal and goals as well with the problems presented in this session (Hackney and Cormier 2013, p. 82). I explained my thoughts about the session and what I thought would be beneficial to the client as well, which approaches to use based on the information given to me throughout his in-take interview and assessment (Hackney and Cormier, 2013, p. 82).

Presented Problems

Throughout the interview, the assessment of the background and history of my client was the first and foremost purpose of this in-take interview. But, briefly overviewing why the client was seeking therapy in the first place would also be a key factor into continuing the sessions. The client as mentioned previously described feelings of anxiety, depression, and intense amounts of stress. When probing I found that these feelings began and intensified soon after beginning his career as a Law Enforcement Officer. I found that there was a definite correlation between the two as he began to explain more about his job duties and experiences he has had while on shift.

When I asked the client questions about his marital status he did tell me that he was married. Through further questions the client and I began to understand that since starting his career as LEO there was also a correlation with problems in his marriage arising. He began to explain to me that he felt a lot of pressure and stress at work and situations he came across while working would greatly affect his mood. He would take these feelings home with him, but not open up to his wife, and as he said she began feeling shut out. He mentioned he couldn’t just shake away these feelings of sadness from certain calls during his shift and he then started having anxiety about how they were affecting him.

I have done some research about stress, anxiety, and depression with LEO’s previously but after this session I feel as though more research would be necessary to continue therapy sessions with the client to guarantee his benefit. I explained to him that he was not alone in feeling this way. I informed him that it was found that LEO’s that were married did in fact experience much higher levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression when compared to the LEO’s that were not married (Husain & Sajjad, 2012). I explained to him that I also felt as though it would be beneficial to him to participate in marriage counseling as one of his goals while also continuing therapy sessions individually. Not only do LEO’s experience stress, anxiety, and depression, but they are also highly capable of developing PTSD. Knowing this I advised the client that I would don’t believe he has PTSD, but that it is something that I would like to evaluate further. He agree with this and he also agreed to continuing individual sessions and also agreed that he would discuss marriage counseling with this wife.

Conclusion

The mock in-take interview and assessment was beneficial into understanding the appropriate techniques used in a therapy session. The techniques therapists used throughout their sessions with clients guarantee a positive rapport is built between the client and the therapist (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). With the rapport that is developed the client is therefore able to open and feel secure with this relationship. This secureness that the client feels is essential for successful therapeutic sessions in reaching the client’s ultimate goal(s). As counseling becomes increasingly universally accepted, the more people will understand its systematic ways of creating a more functional intrapersonal unity and interpersonal relationships and skills.

Works Cited

Duffey, T., & Haberstroh, S. (2014). Developmental Relational Counseling: Applications for Counseling Men. Journal of Counseling & Development, 92(1), 104-113. Doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00136.x

Hackney, Harold L., & Cormier, Sherry. The Professional Counselor: A Process Guide to Helping. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Husain, W., & Sajjad, R. (2012). Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Married & Unmarried Police Officers. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 43-47.

Lucas, T., Weidner, N., & Janisse, J. (2012). Where does work stress come from? A generalizability analysis of stress in police officers. Psychology & Health, 27(12), 1426-1447. Doi: 10.1080/08870446.2012.687738.

McCoy, S. P., & Aamodt, M. G. (2010). A Comparison of Law Enforcement Divorce Rates With Those of Other Occupations. Journal Of Police & Criminal Psychology, 25(1), 1-16. Doi: 10.1007/s11896-009-9057-8.

Miller, L. (2007). Police Families: Stresses, Syndromes, and Solutions. American Journal Of Family Therapy, 35(1), 21-40. Doi: 10.1080/01926180600698541.

VIOLANTI, J. (., CHARLES, L. (., HARTLEY, T. (., MNATSAKANOVA, A. (., ANDREW, M. (., FEKEDULEGN, D. (., & …BURCHFIEL, C. (. (0001). Shift-Work and Suicide Ideation Among Police Officers (English). American Journal Of Industrial Medicine, 51(10), 758-768.

Webster, J. H. (2014). Perceived stress among police officers: an integrative model of stress and coping. Policing, 37(4), 839-857. Doi: 10.1108/PIJPSM-06-2014-0064.

Paige Schulze

PCO-4203C-0W59

November 17th, 2014

Two Minute Transcript from Mock Interview

Therapist: You said that you’re a police officer and that you’ve been experiencing some feelings of sadness, anxiety, and that you’ve also been stressed. Do you think the two have anything to do with each other?

Client: I do. My job puts a lot of stress on me anyways and some of the situations I’m put in sometimes stick with me even when I go home.

Therapist: What do you mean by the situations sometimes stick with you? Can you give me an example or explain this more to me?

Client: Well, some things that I see are really hard to get over, they’re sad situations that involve young kids, or anything like that and it becomes something that affects my mood at home because I think about it a lot. I guess I wish I didn’t have to see it or I wish I could have done something more.

Therapist: Okay. I understand. That would be hard to let go. You mentioned to me that you were married. Do you talk to your wife about any of these feelings you have?

Client: Not really. (long pause for client to process and elaborate). I’ll tell her if I’ve had a more difficult day but I don’t go in to details about it because I don’t want her to hear all the bad stories. But I feel like sometimes I distance myself from her because of not wanting to share and I can tell that it upsets her and I can tell it’s causing some problems between us.

Therapist: I understand. You’re saying you don’t want her to have to hear all of the bad stories because of how sad they are? Is that correct?

Client: Yes.

Therapist. Okay. Have you tried telling her your emotions from what happened during the day, but not the actual story of what happened?

Client: I guess not. Usually I just say it’s been a hard day and leave it at that.

2022 Winter Olympics

Beijing’s dismissal of human rights violations marred the festivities and excitement around the 2022 winter Olympics. The human rights Watch has long accused the Chinese Communist Party of various human rights abuses. In recent years, there have been numerous leaked videos showing members of the Uyghur community being forced into detention camps. In addition to the persecution of individuals based on their religion and culture, the Chinese government has also been accused of mass surveillance and forced disappearances, attributes that amount to human rights violations. As the 2022 winter Olympics neared, the Chinese government vehemently dismissed these accusations and video evidence as manufactured lies. The Chinese government’s insistence that Taiwan is part of China and that foreign governments needed to desist from interfering with its internal affairs also aggravated the tensions around the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

While issues of China’s human rights abuses are of great concern, I believe that boycotting the Beijing 2022 winter Olympics would not be an effective means of holding the Chinese government accountable. Throughout history, boycotting the Olympics has had little to no effect on promoting positive change. The US government’s stance to implement a diplomatic boycott went largely unnoticed due to China’s Covid-19 strict rules that barred many people from attending the event as they did not meet China’s health requirements. Furthermore, despite maintaining a low international profile, the winter Olympic sponsors advertised and carried out their businesses, thus defeating the purpose of raising human rights awareness through boycotts.

To effect real change, governments and human rights organizations need to use more stringent approaches in dealing with the human rights abuses in China. For instance, governments worldwide could impose economic sanctions against the Chinese government. Compared to ineffective Olympic boycotts, economic sanctions could be more effective in forcing the Chinese government to address human rights abuses.

7117IBA Business Intelligence

Assessment 1 – Annotated Bibliography

Name and ID

Word Count = 2006 words

Introduction

From the case study in Assessment 1, one of the main pressing issues and opportunities emerging is how to use data and business intelligence tools to increase sale activities and help businesses to specifically increase accuracy and timeliness of its sales forecasts in target markets. According to Kiani and Standing (2018), business intelligence allows an enterprise to combine a number of business activities such as infrastructure, business analytics, data visualization, data mining and data tools with best practices to help push firms towards better decision making. The 21st century business environment demands businesses to have a comprehensive perspective of the organization in order to use all kinds of data to effect change, reduce inefficiencies, and adapt to the many market changes that may occur. For example, well-prepared organizations have only had to use business intelligence as a tool to adapt to the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on global businesses. Business intelligence have helped organizations in different sectors to make critical decisions relating to the need to make changes, reducing inefficiencies as one way of responding to the loss of business, and how to rapidly adapt to the changes in market demand and supply. Fan, Lau, & Zhao (2015) see business intelligence as an opportunity to transform data into business opportunities because it allows the creation of business strategies based on the data available and the processes available. The following article will be analyzed in a way to identify how businesses use business intelligence, how they collect meaningful data, and how these elements can all be converted into business opportunities and a competitive advantage for the organizations. The analysis will include the aim of the study, findings, and the recommendations made for the organization.

Annotated Bibliography

Loureiro, A. L., Miguéis, V. L., & da Silva, L. F. (2018). Exploring the use of deep neural

networks for sales forecasting in fashion retail. Decision Support Systems, 114, 81-93.

In this article, the authors explore the highly competitive fashion retail sector. Their focus is on how business in this industry are continuously developing strategies focused on staying ahead of the competition through gaining a competitive advantage. One of the critical aspects explored in the research is the role of artificial neural networks and the role this plays in helping business perform more accurate and timely sales forecasts. The aim of the study is to analyse the use of deep learning strategy and business intelligence to forecast sales within the fashion retail industry, helping to predict sales of new products in the future. The authors use real datasets to create practical scenarios for a fashion company. The article identifies the main variables for organizations in the fashion retail industry as including family, colour, fashion, segments, store types, price, expectation levels, and size. These variables inform the decision making process of the customer, therefore holding a lot of value for companies in order to predict sales for future products. The findings reveal that data analytics and business intelligence play a vital role in ensuring that organizations in the fashion retail sector gain competitive advantage. The study concludes that business intelligence models are valid tools that can be applied in predicting sales and further help managerial decisions in creating market strategies and ordering within the fashion sector. The study proves that sales forecasting is an issue in the fashion retail industry that can be solved using innovative and effective means such as use of business intelligence to tailor make solutions for specific organizations.

Stefanovic, N. (2015). Collaborative predictive business intelligence model for spare parts

inventory replenishment. Computer Science and Information Systems, 12(3), 911-930.

The article begins by acknowledging the complexities of the current business environment. There is a great challenge to supply chains in every industry when making different decisions relating to supply and demand. Optimal inventory decision making is critical for the success of supply chains and their management (Stefanovic, 2015). Despite the knowledge on the need for accurate and timely decision making in the supply chain, the article notes that businesses and supply chains are still relying on the use of traditional inventory management techniques. These techniques are inadequate when it comes to forecasting sales and predicting market behaviour in order to inform the decision making process. The paper, therefore, aims to show how data mining techniques can improve the supply chain management. By describing the business intelligence model, the article reveals that up-to-date and accurate information is availed for businesses, thus, aiding with better inventory management policies and decisions. The variables identified in the research include costs, prices, sales amounts, inventory level, market changes, and promotional activities. The study finds that supply chains generate a lot of data that may be challenging to integrate, analyse, and process. However, the complexity of using these big data can be made simpler by using business intelligence models to narrow down usage as per the business objectives. Business intelligence models positively influence the decision making process by converting the data into opportunities to create efficiencies in the supply chain and inventory management processes.

Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., & Zhao, J. L. (2015). Demystifying big data analytics for business

intelligence through the lens of marketing mix. Big Data Research, 2(1), 28-32.

One of the greatest disruptive technologies that has reshaped how businesses use data and business intelligence is big data analytics. Business intelligence, specifically, relies on business data analytics to acquire insights that inform the decision making process. Recent revolutions in the technology world, such as social media and e-commerce, enable consumers to generate a lot of data and a t a faster rate than before. As a disruptive technology, big data and its use have given some organizations a competitive advantage, in their marketing decisions as well as in the prediction of sales. It helps to accurately forecast consumer behaviour based on data generated and gathered on their culture, patterns, and tastes and preferences. The current study uses recent literature to investigate the big data analytics landscape through a marketing mix lens. Data sources are then identified, methods and applications analysed, and different marketing perspectives explored. The main variables discussed include people, promotion, place, price, and product, which make the basis for marketing intelligence. The article also proceeds to discuss a number of challenges that big data analytics places on marketing strategies and how business intelligence may solve the problems in the future. The article finds that it is important for businesses to select data sources that are suitable and appropriate to their particular goals because the data available for an organization continues to increase. Marketing intelligence must be informed by business intelligence conclusions that are attained through the matching of critical business processes to the goals and objectives of a business.

Vukšić, V. B., Bach, M. P., & Popovič, A. (2013). Supporting performance management

with business process management and business intelligence: A case analysis of integration and orchestration. International journal of information management, 33(4), 613-619.

One of the most effective ways to conduct meaningful research is to review cases in order to see the application of theory and empirical elements. In this article, the authors found that to stay competitive, organizations are using different methodologies that enable the measuring, monitoring, and analysis of their performance against other organizations. Performance management structures are implemented as dynamic and balanced solutions to provide support to the processes of making decisions, through gathering, elaboration, and analysis of information relevant to an organization. The integration of business intelligence and business process management to performance management is expected to spearhead the next generation of top performing organizations. The aim of the current research is to understand the extent of the service industry’s use of business intelligence and business process management to predict performance and to manage progress. The research study also aims to identify the differences between implementation of business intelligence in performance management within different industries, telecommunication and banking, against late and early adopters of the said technological advancements. The article found that the service industry in Croatia rarely utilizes the potential of technological advancements such as business intelligence and business processes management in their performance management. Instead, the study found that the service industry still relies heavily on traditional forms of performance management. The use of performance-related data is still seen as a waste of resources to firms that have performed very well in the past. However, the authors warn of the disruptive nature of business intelligence and the need for every firm in the service industry to use it as a way of gaining competitive advantage. The study only investigated multinational firms, yet, literature shows that even smaller organizations have not fully learnt to integrate data analytics and other forms of business intelligence into their performance management, to predict patterns and create policies that would favour the organization in the long run.

Jin, D. H., & Kim, H. J. (2018). Integrated understanding of big data, big data analysis,

and business intelligence: a case study of logistics. Sustainability, 10(10), 3778.

The authors begin by noting that efficient decision making is one of the best ways for organizations to create an advantage in their industries. To attain this, using business intelligence becomes a vital tool to drive organizations towards superior market positions and to have sustainable growth. The information and technology sector makes rapid changes and developments, organizations have now found ways to collect and analyze big data to improve their bottom lines. A problem occurs, however, in the definition of business intelligence and how organizations can effectively se them to improve their position, whether in sales or marketing. That said, the authors found that the main problem is how small companies can use big data and business intelligence to acquire the same levels of business advantage compared to bigger firms and corporations. The purpose of the study was to review literature on business intelligence and big data and its analysis to sow their convergence towards being an integrated decision making system. The article also explores how enterprises use business intelligence and big data in a case study of the logistics and sorting processes to create an advantage. The study finds that the value of business intelligence depends on the type of data collected and how it is used. Despite the data used for the study being derived only for a small information range, it is enough to make a conclusion regarding the importance of data analytics, big data, and business intelligence to organizations. These elements have made it easier for businesses to make decisions regarding their sales, marketing, inventory management, supply chain management, promotion strategies, and logistics.

Discussion

The articles reveal the importance of business intelligence to the modern business setup. According to Loureiro, Miguéis, & da Silva (2018), data analytics and business intelligence play a vital role in ensuring that organizations gain competitive advantage. Collectively, articles by Vukšić, Bach, & Popovič (2013) and Stefanovic (2015) find that business intelligence models are valid tools that can be applied in predicting sales and further help managerial decisions in creating market strategies and other firm processes within a given sector. The articles concur in defining big data and its use as a disruptive technology that provides organizations with competitive advantage, in their marketing decisions as well as in the prediction of sales. Similarly, Fan et al. (2015) interpret business intelligence to be an opportunity to transform data into business opportunities because it allows the creation of business strategies based on the data available and the processes available. With these affirmations identified, it is important that every organization work towards creating an environment that uses business intelligence to gain an edge over their competition through understanding their customers better.

Recommendation

It is recommended that ABC Retail Company uses big data and business intelligence approaches to improve its sales prediction, accuracy of information, and timeliness of information intended towards making future decisions. At present, the organization only uses a fraction of the business intelligence model and would improve its position by integrating business intelligence to its sales prediction and improving strategies that would affect its market.

Reference List

Fan, S., Lau, R. Y., & Zhao, J. L. (2015). Demystifying big data analytics for business

intelligence through the lens of marketing mix. Big Data Research, 2(1), 28-32.

Jin, D. H., & Kim, H. J. (2018). Integrated understanding of big data, big data analysis, and

business intelligence: a case study of logistics. Sustainability, 10(10), 3778.

Kiani Mavi, R., & Standing, C. (2018). Cause and effect analysis of business intelligence (BI)

benefits with fuzzy DEMATEL. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 16(2), 245-257.

Loureiro, A. L., Miguéis, V. L., & da Silva, L. F. (2018). Exploring the use of deep neural

networks for sales forecasting in fashion retail. Decision Support Systems, 114, 81-93.

Stefanovic, N. (2015). Collaborative predictive business intelligence model for spare parts

inventory replenishment. Computer Science and Information Systems, 12(3), 911-930.

Vukšić, V. B., Bach, M. P., & Popovič, A. (2013). Supporting performance management with

business process management and business intelligence: A case analysis of integration and orchestration. International journal of information management, 33(4), 613-619.

Interview: Economic Fraud

Introduction

In my interview, the topic will be based on Economic Fraud with a reflection on the Goldman. As a learner, I settled on this topic because it offers various instances that affect the current world situation. It has been realized that majority survive through ways that are not direct, and tend to make their huge income through marginalized people. Goldman Sachs is a renowned investor whose prime business is untouchable. It is alleged that Goldman held crucial information about mortgage investment that had direct impact on economic position of the stakeholders and shareholders. My interview therefore seeks to find out more information on such fraud occurred.

SiWei Fu is a major economic student in one of the American Institutes. I intend to interview him on the topic “economic fraud”. I met him in the institution and introduced myself to him. I later requested to interview him on the mentioned topic. Being an economic student, he stands a better chance to give detailed responses on various questions that I will ask. Below are a series of interview questions that I presented before SiWei Fu concerning my topic, economic fraud? Here’s how the interview went;

Interview

This interview will be based on both open ended and closed questionnaires. Responses will be based on the respondent’s interest and information given will rely on the ethical considerations of data collection and usage;

Me; what is economic fraud?

Fu; economic fraud is a broad perspective that aims to answer the question of what happens when economic well is violated against during a series of booms. This includes; lowering of prices of products by the producer during inflation. This constitute to unfair business environment thus economic fraud.

Me; how does economic fraud come about? Which are the most affected sectors in this case?

Fu; economic fraud cannot be forecasted, it is a conscious activity that one does during a given economic period, for example, inflation. The affected sectors are mainly; planning and monetary sectors. Services from these sectors are crippled to the core.

Me; briefly explain how Goldman Sachs took part in economic fraud

Fu; information is critical to any given investment. Goldman is alleged to have held critical information that belonged to firm at a time when it was most needed by the shareholders and stakeholders. This led to economic fraud.

Me; what is your opinion on the Goldman’s action that leads to economic fraud?

Fu; Goldman should have had the pleasure of sharing out the information with the general public as well as the shareholders at the time that it was required. Withholding of critical information led to the potential investors withdrawing their investment ventures.

Me; how long has Goldman Sachs been in the banking industry in America?

Fu; preferably 16 years of service.

Me; why their activities are considered fraudulent in the investment sector?

Fu; it scares potential investors away and affects the name of the company.

Me; tick where necessary

What is the current global economic fraud approximation?

1-10% 10-20%20-30% 30% and above

Do you agree that economic fraud is real?

YesNo

In conclusion, economic crisis has been identified as a key disaster that has derailed development in many countries and the entire world. These problems arise due to activities that are considered fraudulent by institutions that deal in direct operations of economic activities. Economic fraud therefore is considered a huge problem where most sectors lose their money. It is an activity that is brought about by unscrupulous investors who lack set goals for their deeds.

Work cited;

Sarna, David E. Y. History of Greed: Financial Fraud from Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2010. Internet resource.

Sjögren, Hans, and Göran Skogh. New Perspectives on Economic Crime. Cheltenham, UK: E. Elgar, 2004. Internet resource.

Smith, Greg. Why I Left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story. , 2012. Print.

Stich, Rodney. America’s Housing and Financial Frauds: Massive Financial Frauds Played Upon an Uninformed or Gullible Public. Alamo: Silverpeak Publishers, 2008. Internet resource.

(Name)

(Instructors’ name)

(Course)

(Date)

Introduction

This paper presents an interview with the famous portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz. The interview aims at gaining more knowledge about the photographer in terms of career, style and technique in photography, as well as, her perception about the current and future trends in portrait photography. Annie Leibovitz was chosen as the preferred portrait photographer for this interview, as she is one of the most sought after photographers in the industry today. Accordingly, her knowledge and professionalism in portrait photography makes her the most suitable candidate for the interview.

Interview with Annie Leibovitz

Interviewer: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Annie Leibovitz?

Leibovitz: Annie is a third-generation American, coming from a homogenous Jewish Background. My late father worked as a lieutenant colonel, and my late mother as a dance

instructor. I come from a family of six children, I am the third born in the family, and I have three children, Sarah, Samuelle, and Susan (Somerstein 1). I am also a professional Portrait Photographer

Interviewer: Why and how did you become a photographer?

Leibovitz: I became a professional photographer because of my artistic interests that I first

discovered as a little girl. I took my very first photos during the Vietnam War, and since then I have been hooked on photography (Somerstein 1). I became a professional photographer back in 1970, when the Rolling Stones magazine looked at my work and decided to sign me on as their photographer.

Interviewer: What does Photography mean to you?

Leibovitz: Photography is more than just a career for me, it is a passion, a way to relate with

the world. Photography is my life. When I take a photograph, I feel an essence of communication between me and the person am taking the photograph of. It is a new learning experience for me every time.

Interviewer: How long have you been a photographer?

Leibovitz: I have been a photographer since I was born. But professionally, I have worked as

a photographer since 1970 to date. That equals to about 4 decades now (Somerstein 1).

Interviewer: Most photographers and artists claim that it takes quite some time before getting

their “Big Break”. How long did it take you to “make it” in the industry?

Leibovitz: I cannot give you the actual date for when I “made it” but because my first

publicly accepted photograph was that of John Lennon during my time at Rolling stones, it would be safe to say that I “made it” in the 1980s, which was ten years after I started working professionally. So it took me around ten years before I got my big break.

Interviewer: How would you define your photography? What kind of photographs do you

take?

Leibovitz: I define my photography as iconic photography (Somerstein 1). This is because I center on taking

portrait photographs of those considered as the rich and famous in society.

Interviewer: With all other photography options available, Why did you particularly settle for

portrait Photography?

Leibovitz: Portrait photography has always interested me from time in memorial. This is

because, when I like something or someone, I take a photo of them. To me portrait photography is the best way to get to know people better, to communicate with them, and learn more about them. Portrait photography is reality, which is what I want to experience when I take photographs

Interviewer: Who were/are your biggest influences?

Leibovitz: In terms of following my dream, my biggest influence was my family. In relation

to photography, photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Frank Robert were my biggest influence (Somerstein 1). They have a way of using their photography as a toll for personal reportage. The photographs they take are merely a report of what is, no additions, no subtractions, just a graphical representation of reality.

Interviewer: We all know that you have worked for famous magazines such as the Rolling

Stones magazine and Vanity Fair. They have all been big projects for you and you have executed each project remarkably. Now, am curious, how do you get work? Do your clients look for you? Or are you the one who looks for them?

Leibovitz: In the beginning, I had to look for clients, I had to sell my projects to the industry

and for that reason, I needed to gather as many customers as possible for my work. I still do up to date but at the moment, it is the clients who come looking for me. They say I am good at what I do and they want me to take a portrait photograph of themselves

Interviewer: Marketing is a great tool for business especially in this industry. I know that most

artists and photographers need to market themselves to their customers if they intend to sell their pieces of work. How do you market yourself? 

Leibovitz: At the moment, I don’t really market myself because my work has become

familiar in the industry and most people now recognize my pictures from a distance. However, before I built a name for myself in the industry, I had to go out and market myself. Literally. I would walk up to clients, present my ideas to them, then wait for a phone call. Luckily I landed myself a job as a magazine photographer, and I did not need to do that anymore

Interviewer: You have been working as a portrait photographer for quite a number of years

now. You are one of the few photographers who have managed to keep themselves in the industry for a long time. What motivates and keeps you motivated to continue?

Leibovitz: My love for photography motivates me to continue working in the industry. Every

new photograph I take acts as an inspiration for the next photograph I will take

(Somerstein 1). When I look at my photographs, I am amazed at what I see, which, in turn, motivates me to take more photographs hoping that the next will be similar, if not better, than the previous

Interviewer: Having looked at some of your pieces of work, like the portrait of John Lennon,

portrait of Whoopi Goldberg and my personal favorite, portrait of Lance Armstrong, the multifaceted nature of your photography is evident. Some of your photographs appear hard to take with the basic camera. Do you mind telling us the kind of equipment you use during your photo shoots?

Leibovitz: I simply use a Camera. Nothing complicated 

Interviewer: Do you have a studio? Where is it located? And how important do you believe

that having a studio for a photographer like yourself is? 

Leibovitz: Yes I do have a studio, actually I have a number of studios in the states, New

York, San Francisco and the rest. Having a studio for a photographer is as important as having a hand calculator for the accountant. Much as one can calculate without it, the accountant still needs to go back to using it

Interviewer: Do you do more location or studio work? 

Interviewer: Staying current has been an issue for artists, especially photographers and most

have found themselves phased out from the 21st century. The trends keep changing, for example, everything has gone digital nowadays. As a photographer who has been around for four decades, how do you stay current? And do you struggle at this?

Leibovitz: Yes I do struggle with staying current. Most people do not believe this, as they

claim that my photographs seem to meet the ‘current’ requirements. My strategy for staying current is quite simple staying true to myself. I care more about taking pictures than being current, and surprisingly, that make me current

Interviewer: How has Digital changed business?

Leibovitz: For some it has, and for others, like myself it has not. The biggest change that

digital has brought in photography lies entirely on editing. One can take a photography in the studio and edit it to look like they were in a desert. I am not a big fan of digital photographs and I believe that computer photography is not photography at all (Somerstein 1).

Interviewer: In conclusion, have you ever considered taking a self-portrait of yourself?

Leibovitz: I would love to do a portrait of myself but I think taking a self-portrait is very

complex and difficult (Somerstein 1). I am so used to being behind the camera and taking the photographs that being in front of the camera is a bit scary for me.

Work Cited

Somerstein, Rachel. Annie Leibovit: Life Through a Lens. pbs.org, 27 October 2008. Web. 21

October 2011.

21900 Business Literacies and the Future of Work

Report Draft Peer Review

Criteria Comment

Introduction – Does the draft include elements of an engaging or catchy introduction? Does it Introduce the topic and include 1-3 supporting ideas? Is there a sentence that clearly states the report purpose and approach? The draft include elements of an engaging or catchy introduction. You begin your discussion with an interesting definition of digital literacy against how people interpret it. You offer supporting ideas from other scholars to provide credibility for your work. Your thesis statement is also very clear stating that “The rapid integration of digital by businesses and governments has created enormous opportunities, such as cyber security awareness, cutting cost for business and competitive advantage for digital firms and it has also been faced with challenges like resistance from employees and lack of clear plan and vision.”

Definition – Does the draft include a definition/explanation of the chosen topic? The draft has a number of definitions of digital literacy and of future of work. You then offer examples of how digital literacies apply to the current workplace, versus where scholars perceive the function to be heading in the future

Supporting evidence – Are there facts and evidence listed to support the key points? Are 1-2 charts/images/data included? Are citations and references to charts and supporting data provided? The draft contains facts and evidence listed to support the key points, including data and information on digital literacy. The information is also well cited and relevant.

Logical order – Generally, are ideas in the draft presented in a logical order? Does the conclusion re-state the statement of purpose? Does the conclusion recap the 1-3 supporting ideas of the introduction? Ideas in the draft are presented in a logical order. The draft begins by defining key terms then proceeds to apply these definitions in real-life situations. The conclusion also re-states the statement of purpose and recaps the supporting ideas of the introduction.

Comment on the strengths, something positive, or something that you like about the draft One of the main strengths of the draft is its application to contemporary business situations. The draft makes a connection between digital literacy and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where technology, and all of the functions around it, have changed how the workplace connects to a business and the employees.

Comment on an area of opportunity or idea yet to be explored, or something to develop further in the draft A better assessment of the role of digital literacy to future work should have had a more in-depth reaction regarding future concepts relating to work.

Comment on something that you don’t understand, or something in the draft that isn’t working I don’t understand why the role of digital literacy is presented as only being beneficial to an organization and not also to the employees.

200852 Innovation, Creativity and Foresight

Quarter 1, 2020 – WSU SCC

Individual Essay

“Developing Business and Social Innovation through Creativity and Foresight Methods”

<<Mindmapping>>

First name Surname (student id.), WSU email address

Abstract

Businesses cannot stay competitive without being innovative. When finding innovative solutions for business and social problems, creating new ideas, or brainstorming to solve problems, numerous creativity and foresight techniques can be instrumental. These methods provide tools for operationalizing creativity while serving as imperative inputs to business and social innovation. This report focuses on the use of one of these methods, namely, mindmapping in the context of developing business innovation. Mindmapping is an effective method as it allows people to think towards a particular flow to attain creativity and find innovative solutions for problems by organising their ideation visually and in brain-friendly ways (Elmansy 2015; Luenendonk 2015).

Background

In comprehending the significance of mindmapping in developing business and social innovation, it is crucial to delve into its history, typical application contexts, and justifications for its use in the current context.

History and Background Information

The use of mindmapping dates back to the third century when Porphyry of Tyros employed mind maps to abstract ideas presented by Aristotle, Picasso, and Leonardo da Vinci (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020). Later, diagrams that map information graphically using radial maps came into existence, advancing the mindmapping concept. In the 1950s, a British psychologist named Tony Buzan created schematic networks for hypothesising how human learning occurs, hence presenting it as a thinking method (Elmansy 2015; Luenendonk 2015). In the 1960s and 70s, Tony further propagated and schematised mind maps by providing authoritative accounts of using this technique (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020). Today, mindmapping has evolved to become an effective technique for producing ideas by association where tedious information is richly organised into memorable diagrammatic representations.

Typical Application Contexts

The mindmapping technique has numerous applications in business, scholastic, personal, and familial contexts. In education, mindmapping is essential in brainstorming, note-taking, summarising, collaborating in innovation sessions, and resolving complex ideas. In business, mindmapping is applied in retrieving information needed in enhancing and customising other applications such as social tagging systems, search engines, and expert search networks (Beel, Gipp, and Stiller 2009). In familial settings, mindmapping is useful in studying genealogies (See Appendix A), storytelling, conducting colour pen creativity sessions for children, and simplifying correlations, among others. In personal contexts, mindmapping helps in structuring, analysing, synthesising, and comprehending information and thinking critically to generate new ideas essential in innovation and creativity as Vygotsky (2017) suggests (See Appendix B).

Justification for Application in the Current Context

The use of mindmapping in developing business innovation can be justified based on the analysis of its advantages, drawbacks, preparations, additional activities and tasks, and associated costs.

Advantages

The use of mindmapping in business innovation brings about some research-supported merits one of which is efficiency where outcomes are produced faster. Also, mindmapping augments memory, retention, and meaningful learning (Greene 2019). Another advantage is that mindmapping leads to greater engagement, flexibility, speed, adaptability, focus, information conciseness, and transparency, leading to higher productivity (Mento, Martinelli, and Jones 1999). Mindmapping also simplifies the comprehension of complex problems, ignites resourcefulness, and enhancing planning (Greene 2019).

Limitations

The drawbacks of mindmapping are that it requires radical brains, following some tough rules, and can be time-consuming. Also, if not constructed and structured correctly, mind maps can breed confusion. Too large mind maps can also hinder one’s analytical proficiencies (Davis 2010).

Preparations

Four steps are involved in preparing for mindmapping or creating mind maps. The first is to determine the central concept. The second involves creating the fundamental idea-organisation structure that includes the main branches (Basic Organising Ideas (BOIs)). These BOIs are exemplified by branches diverging from the main concept outwards (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020). The third step entails generating the keywords related to the BOIs that will sit on smaller branches stemming from the main branch. The last step is to review the mind map, organise items systematically, and number the branches.

Additional Tasks and Activities

Some additional activities and tasks in preparing mind maps include using associations and hierarchy, engaging radiant thinking, using easy-to-recall keywords, colour, symbols, and images, and adopting a personal style (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020).

Costs

The costs involved in creating mind maps include the time used in generating the concept, branches, and drawing the map. Some financial costs could include the expenses for acquiring an online tool to create a mind map.

Using Mindmapping for Innovation

The business innovation concept I develop using mindmapping is the establishment of a digital business model for a consultancy firm. So, the main concept of my mind map is the digital business model (See Appendix C). The associated outputs towards realising an effective digital business model include the design, consumer relationships, disruptive innovation, model blocks, recommender systems, online research, social media, 5G networks, sharing economy, filter bubble, long tails, and privacy (See Appendix C). Each of these major outputs connects to minor output categories that relate to specific items and factors to consider when developing the company’s digital business model. By considering these factors, an innovative digital business model is developed to assist the company in improving its consultation services and attaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace innovatively, Mento, Martinelli, and Jones (1999) advocate. I used an online tool called Mindmup to generate this mind map and automatically saved it in PDF format.

Conclusions

The use of mindmapping in developing business innovation is imperative because it assists in unlocking the brain’s potential when discovering and developing new ideas about a particular concept. In this case, I used mindmapping to develop an innovative digital business model in which I gained the following key insights:

Key Insight #1: Enriched Visualisation

The mindmapping exercise helps one to tap into the power of visualising concepts, patterns, and insights relating to an innovative idea, communicate the key component of the idea and display them with clarity and simplicity.

Key Insight #2: Software Applications

While mind maps can be drawn using the hand, the adoption of online software tools and applications in generating them is imperative in that it broadens the scope of one’s mindmapping by permitting the inclusion of more thoughts and ideas.

REFERENCES

Beel, J, Gipp, B, and Stiller, J. O 2009, November, “Information retrieval on mind maps-what could it be good for?”, In 2009 5th International Conference on Collaborative Computing: Networking, Applications and Worksharing (pp. 1-4). IEEE.

Davis, M 2010, “Concept mapping, mind mapping, and argument mapping: What are the differences and do they matter?”, Parkville: University of Melbourne, Australia.

Elder, D 2016 May, “Look at your family in a whole new way: with a mind map”, Familylocket.com, viewed February 06, 2020, https://familylocket.com/look-at-your-family-in-a-whole-new-way-with-a-mind-map/.

Elmansy, R 2015, “How to use mind mapping for better thinking”, Designorate, viewed February 06, 2020, https://www.designorate.com/how-to-use-mind-mapping/.

Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020, “Mind maps”, Emerald Group Publishing, viewed February 06, 2020, https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/learning/study_skills/skills/mind_maps.htm.

Greene, J 2019, “7 Research-backed benefits of mind mapping”, Focus: The Creativity & Productivity Blog. Vaterstetten, Germany, viewed February 06, 2020, https://www.mindmeister.com/blog/mind-mapping-benefits-who-needs-mind-maps/.

Luenendonk, M 2015, “Techniques for Idea Generation: Mind Maps”, Cleverism.com, viewed February 06, 2020, https://www.cleverism.com/techniques-idea-generation-mind-maps/.

Mento, A. J, Martinelli, P, and Jones, R. M 1999, “Mind mapping in executive education: applications and outcomes, Journal of Management Development, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 1-25.

Vygotsky, L 2017, “Innovation and creativity”, Cambridge International University.

APPENDICES

<<Appendix A: Mind Map to Conceptualise a Family setup>>

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1: Family conceptualisation mind map

Source: Adapted from Elder (2016)

<<Appendix B: Visual Overview of Creativity and Innovation>>

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2: Visual Overview of Creativity and Innovation

Source: Adapted from Vygotsky (2017)

<<Appendix C Sample Landscape Set-up of My Mind map>>

In the monotheistic traditions, the idea of saints is to an extent similar that of the previous idea of the hero. They are similar in the sense that both act as a middle figure in the connection between humans and gods. In the Old testament the stories are mostly related to human figures who can best be put under the category of heroes. The heroes and saints are alike in establishing the human connection with the divine. Both are considered to be extraordinary figures, above common humanity and closer to divinity.

The difference between the two lies in the fact that while Heroes mainly represent external worldly adventures and were held as a source of pride, the saints represent internal spirituality. Still in a sense, saints are also considered heroes where they symbolize the heroic struggles and sacrifices on the way of fulfilling God’s will. For example, Moses may not be considered very similar to Hercules, still he is a human figure who experiences adventures while serving the community values and working to fulfill the God’s will. However, Moses is mainly a religious leader, a prophet and a law giver according to the Hebrew Bible and Quran. Even, in case of Christianity there is an important role of heroes, however instead of heroes, Christianity has used the label of saints. In Islam also, the idea of saints or prophets is to a degree similar to that of that of the heroes. The saints are venerated for their trust in God which never waned even in the face of sufferings. Quran mentions Jacob as a preacher of monotheistic faith and revers him for his extraordinary patience during periods of suffering.

Reference:

Religion: Three Religions One God (n.d.). In Global Connections. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/

Khan, A. (1992, October). The Review of Religions. In Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000129.html” http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000129.html

Introduction to Biblical Studies

Name

Institution

Year

Question 1

John’s gospel is different from the other three in the New Testament. That fact has been recognized since the early church itself. Whereas in the three synoptic gospels Jesus actually eats a Passover meal before he dies, in John’s gospel he doesn’t. The last supper is actually eaten before the beginning of Passover. John’s gospel that is rooted in the revival of the post Pentecostal church derives its teachings on the life of Jesus and majors on the aspect of repentance. The synoptic gospel is rooted in the life and acts of Jesus that looks at the various aspects of faith and Grace and also borrows from Paul’s ideas. There is a great sense of correlation between the Synoptic gospel and the deeds of the apostles that talk about and prepared what Jesus would emphasize in his teachings and works. In particular, the John’s gospel narrates the life and works of faith that are derived in the need to stay pure. John as an apostle thus majors on the works of grace and faith that are what covers a large part of the New Testament.

The synoptic gospel is more conservative and focuses on works that would prepare key figures like Paul further what Jesus would leave behind. Throughout the New Testament, the words of Jesus are well documented and shows an application of grace. According to John’s gospel, there are distinct aspects of faith and grace that amounts to one’s state of spirituality. While it is true that the gospel of John is rooted in grace and works of purity, the narrations given talk more of the life of Jesus as a son of God. The synoptic gospel mainly in he Acts and Luke lays the foundation for the works that the promised messiah would accomplish. The two sets of gospels however strike the core value of repentance that was the main message that John talked of in his gospel. John seen as the one sent to call on people to “prepare the way” invites a new direction into the teachings of faith and holiness. Just like in the acts of the Apostles, John links the meaning for holiness to repentance as the gateway to welcoming the messiah into the heart. One of the main ways the derived message resonates with other gospel is that John worked through various teachings to show how grace and holiness are compatible and dependent on each other.

Looking at the synoptic gospel, it is cereal that the message is derived from what would become the teaching of faiths and holiness that came through repentance. The aspect of Jesus eating Passover meal before he dies also differentiates the synoptic from john’s gospel. In the synoptic gospel, Jesus as the central figure in the teachings eats Passover before he is crucified. However, there is not account of Jesus taking the Passover before his death in the John’s gospel. These differences accounts what and how Jesus led his life and the foundation to what and how he derived his teachings. The value to holiness, repentance, and works of faith are largely empathized in the synoptic gospel as mentioned in the four books.

Question 2

The Bible records key instances and calls that define the relationship between mankind and God that was base don promises and covenants. In Abraham’s call through his strong faith in God, there is an incredible narration of how God wanted to establish a nation that would form a new chapter in creation. Abraham’s call by God to be the father of many nations under the name Israelites compares to the Messianic expectations because both signify God establishing a new race that would rule over the earth. Likewise, the genealogy of Jesus that runs through many generations traces back to Abraham’s call that ties many aspects of faith and covenants thus fulfilling what God told Abraham about a new nation under his name as the father.

In Nathan’s Oracle depicted in 2nd Samuel 7:4-17, the Bible records how God intended to make a covenant that would a establish a firm relationship and birth a new generation. Nathan announced to David how God was making a covenant with him that would last forever and usher in a new phase of direction through kingdoms and faith. There is similarity between Nathan’s Oracle and Abrahams’s call because both instances depict God striking a new agreement bae don faith and belief that would alter the course of events.

David who would lay the foundation to a new beginning running from the Old to New Testament is hereby the pillar that connects mankind to a new phase through Jesus that came through the Messianic fulfillment. Likewise, the messianic expectations that are depicted in the Gospel of Mathew have outlined the various aspects of derived holistic approach to God’s promise of establishing a new generation. The messianic expectations are also a reflection of what God promised Abraham that he would give him a new generation based on faith and grace. Through the New Testament, the Abraham’s call is fulfilled with the birth of a messiah that would affirm a strong promise that God through David’s line showed that he was working a new phase on his relationship with mankind.

The messianic expectations in the Gospel of Mathew defines a long-awaited messiah that would come from the lineage of David. In addition, the gospel of Mathew depicts a King who would come to unify the old and the New. Considering that the promised King would come from the lineage of David, this thus connects to Abraham call that was foretold in the Old Testament. Linking g both Abraham’s call and Nathan’s Oracle lays the foundation to the events that would shape the New Testament in terms of the coming of a new king. The promise given to Abraham about the coming of a new Kind through his decedents is thus revealed through David. Nathan who by this time is just a normal person is used to bring the news of a covenant that God would make to usher in a new age of faith, grace, and holiness.

Through the promises made in the Old Testament mainly to Abraham, more is revealed into what and how God would structure the life of his decedents who would undergo persecution and suffering. These events are also narrated in the book of Isaiah where the fulfillment the promises made in the earlier days would be launched. Abraham’s call and the depicted events that shape the messianic coming are thus the foundation to the new testament and the fulfilment of the God-Abraham covenant. God establishes various covenants that abide and fulfil through the events that unfolded both in the old and new testament. More is revealed though the coming of the messiah and thus the book of Mathew that ushers in a new age thus affirms the Abraham’s covenant and call.

200852 Innovation, Creativity and Foresight

Quarter 1, 2020 – WSU SCC

Group Report

“Sustaining, Regenerating, and Innovating Australia, 2035-45”

<<Working Theory Framework>>

First name Surname (student id.), WSU email address

Working Theory Framework

Towards the renaissance, innovation, and sustainability of Australia, 2030-45, land use will require critical considerations because sustainability and regeneration initiatives will require the proper utilisation of land resources. The working theory framework relating to land use in the Australia context derives from the theories of sustainable land use. These theories are founded on the premise that land-use practices should be economical, uphold environmental conservation, and encourage the use of contemporary technologies that drive effective and sustainable land utilisation. So, the working theory framework emphasises land management efficiency, land economics, land-use evaluation, land-use technologies and methodologies, land markets, and adherence to land-use regulations and policies as shown below.

Land-use Working Theory Framework

Land management efficiency

Land-use technologies and methodologies

Land-use evaluation

Land economics

Land markets

Land-use regulations and policies

Land-use Working Theory Framework

Land management efficiency

Land-use technologies and methodologies

Land-use evaluation

Land economics

Land markets

Land-use regulations and policies

The successful regeneration, innovation, and sustainability of Australia in the next 20-30 years will require addressing several land-use challenges. These challenges include land consumption demands and pressure on agricultural land due to population growth, land trading problems in the land markets, land management policy issues, and technology influences on land consumption. Looking at this working theory model diagram, the components of the framework will help in addressing these challenges adequately.

The establishment and deployment of effective land-use evaluation criteria will ensure that Australian land performance is assessed for specific purposes such as transport and housing infrastructure, agriculture, reaction, water management, and other purposes that need consideration during the execution and interpretation of land-use surveys (Giupponi and Zen 2016; Larsson 2010). Proper and efficient land management will involve applying a methodological paradigm of integrated models, methods, and classifications, sequential evaluation procedures, and indicator systems to determine proper land use for different purposes as Auzins, Geipele, and Stamure (2013) suggest. As regards land markets, the working theory framework emphasises that Australian land authorities should regularly update land-use regulations and policies to ensure they provide a firm foundation for ethical practices in the buying and selling of land. Land-use policies and regulations will also need revamping to provide a fundamental framework for ethical zoning, regional physical development, and efficient land resource usage towards realising as regenerated, innovated, and sustainable Australia.

This framework also highlights the need to employ land-use technologies and methodologies in land-use governance and management. New technologies in land-use governance will entail employing land consolidation and rehabilitation technologies (geographic information systems, global positioning systems, and remote sensing technologies), ecological planning and design of landscapes, and land information system to ensure optimal and socially desirable land utilisation that meet new population land demands. Other technologies will involve those used in analysing land use/cover change (LUCC). These include technologies for LUCC detection, forecasting, and monitoring, modelling LUCC spatial-temporal characteristics, predicting microclimate development, and biochemical and phenological responses to LUCC (Brown et al, 2012; Mallupattu, Reddy, and Reddy 2013).

Lastly, the framework reflects the essence of ensuring land economics. Land economics will encompass the management of land availability, prices, demand, consumption, and competition to ensure that these aspects influence the distribution, nature, and patterns of land use positively within the land market mechanisms for land sustainability.

REFERENCES

Auzins, A, Geipele, I, and Stamure, I 2013, ‘Measuring land-use efficiency in land management,’ In Advanced Materials Research (Vol. 804, pp. 205-210). Trans Tech Publications Ltd.

Brown, DG, Walker, R, Manson, S, and Seto, K 2012, ‘Modelling land use and land cover change,’ In Land change science (pp. 395-409). Springer, Dordrecht.

Giupponi, C, and Zen, M 2016, ‘Methods and tools for developing virtual territories for scenario analysis of agro-ecosystems,’ Italian Journal of Agronomy, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 9.

Larsson, G 2010, Land management as public policy, University Press of America.

Mallupattu, PK, Reddy, S, and Reddy, J 2013, ‘Analysis of land use/land cover changes using remote sensing data and GIS at an Urban Area, Tirupati, India,’ The Scientific World Journal, 2013.