Interest Groups Essay Example for Free

Interest Groups Essay They vary considerably in size and ideological perspectives. The strategies and tools employed by interest groups are not static, and they differ depending on the geographical scope of their operations and the resources they have. While many interest groups tend to address a wide range of issues, others deal with distinct issues. The life span of interest groups is also not static. In this case, some groups have long term objectives; hence, they remain active for long duration. For instance, the interest groups that aim at challenging policy issues and politics operate on a long term basis. On the other hand, some groups are usually initiated with an aim of achieving a particular end after which they are dissolved. For example, during elections, many groups usually emerge with an aim of ensuring that the process is handled according to the stipulated guidelines of the electoral process. A representative government is always formulated in manner that facilitates participation of contending interests, and at the same time it tries to mitigate the variance that inexorably accompanies faction competition. In the traditional creation of pluralism, contending interests work together by mobilizing resources and opinions in order to enhance effective formulation and implementation of essential public policies. â€Å"Institutions are formed to accommodate the inevitability of diverse and competing interest from becoming powerful enough to undermine the rights of others† (Wilson, 2009). This process is governed by constitutional provisions, which stipulate the nature of interest groups’ activities. Therefore, many interest groups that work together tend to stabilize political environment, and this enables them to forward their interests to the government. â€Å"This implies that the pluralist vision of politics is an ideal vision of interest group politics and political institutions† (Barber, 1990). The activities conducted by various interest groups can be used to differentiate them. For instance, some of them endeavor to address several public issues, while others have a narrow scope of private interests. There are two distinct types of interest groups, and they can be described as follows. First, we have public interest groups, and they aim at working on issues that benefit the general public. For instance, they support policies that provide equal opportunities that can be enjoyed by everyone in the society. However, the success of public interest groups may not be very substantial at an individual level since they aim at reaching out to many people. â€Å"Some of the major public interest groups in his category are National Taxpayer’s Union and Concerned Women for America† (Orman, 1988). The second category is referred to as private interest groups. These are groups which endeavor to challenge public policies in order to specifically benefit their members or individuals that support their interests. Nonetheless, the objectives and activities of private interests groups should not interfere with the welfare of other individuals. Political self interest is perceived to b e healthy for a political system. In the USA, there is a popular belief that contending interests make the society more successful. This is because bad policies are always eliminated when various groups compete against each other â€Å"Other examples of interest groups include business organizations labor unions, Professional associations, and Non Governmental Organizations† (Grossman, 2002). The Relationship between Interest Groups and Political Parties There is no great disparity between political parties and various interest groups, because they are both composed of individuals having common objectives and opinions. Apart from this, â€Å"they are similar in the sense that they both seek to challenge government institutions, elections, and they all make public policy choices† (Brunell, 2005). Nonetheless, there are significant variations between these two bodies. Generally, interest groups never directly support their own members to contest for public office, especially in a case where economic parameter is concerned. In most cases, interest groups never adopt overt party labels, which electors use to identify and express their political affiliations (Dulilio Wilson, 2011). However, some electors may link particular interest groups with specific parties in a general manner. For example, the Tea Party is often linked with the Republicans and the white conservatives. In the recent past, public interest groups that are ideologically driven have increased considerably (King, 2011). For instance, a there are some groups which have pushed the tax agenda in political circles. Another distinguishing factor is that interest groups have a limited focus, and they only handle specific issues of concern in the public policy. For example, â€Å"interest groups form around specific concerns like environment, free speech, tax reform, and labor standards† (Petracca, 1992). In contrast to this, political parties tend to focus on several issues. Moreover, political parties try to merge some of these facades under one â€Å"big umbrella†. In some circumstances, interest groups seriously struggle against political parties. For instance, some internal rivalries have been witnessed in key political parties that operate in Texas. When elections were conducted in 2000, several environmentalists who were members of the Texas Democratic Party massively supported Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, since they felt that Al Gore was less committed toward environmental issues. They labeled him â€Å"not green enough†. On the other hand, some Republicans have tried to make the party conservative by working against some of their Republican colleagues. This indicates that the interest groups tend to favor parties and politicians that support their interests, and they ignore those who are less committed in helping them. Interest groups always aim at maximizing policies, while political parties are usually trying to obtain many Congress seats. These competing interests influence the manner political parties relate with the interest groups. According Thomas Brunell, â€Å"interest groups have a preference as which party controls a majority of seats in Congress, which leads them to direct â€Å"sincere† and electorally useful money to this party† (Hay, 2001) When interest groups offer funds to the â€Å"other† party, they always fund it in a manner that is less effective. Interest groups usually execute this goal by offering strategic funds to this party as follows: provide little financial support particularly to the popular candidates who do not necessarily have to be funded in order to succeed in the elections. They can also choose to fund incumbent candidates who already have political clout. Therefore, even if these groups offer funds to these parties, they always do it in a biased manner, and they favor only the parties that are likely to push forward their interests. These funds enable their preferred candidates to run their campaigns smoothly without experiencing financial hitches. Apart from offering finances, interest groups also provide key information that enables their favorite candidates to be more competitive than other contenders. They also sensitize their preferred candidates on issues that always influence election outcomes. All these services are organized by interest groups with an aim of fulfilling their common objective of influencing election results and policies. The fact that these institutions have a relationship is therefore undeniable. These groups often forge close ties and pursue similar objectives in order to enhance their political clout. Nonetheless, they remain independent, and their nature of operation and design also remain different. â€Å"The space for action, speech and flexibility that is maintained in politics makes them much more political than interest groups† (Grossman, 2002). How Interest Groups Try to Influence the President and the Congress? Although interest groups do not directly have elected members in political offices, they do aim at fixing their members into appointed positions. They normally do this to enable them perform their state functions through mechanisms that support the desired policies of the interests groups that facilitated their appointments. The fact that â€Å"groups† operate as political players has always been recognized and examined, even if not properly understood. The manipulation of legislative processes by groups is a question that has not yet been answered, and it is still being begged. Between the period of the 1970 and 1980s, some â€Å"explosions† were witnessed in Washington, and researchers have wanted to clearly understand them. As many groups emerged in Washington, many people joined them, and the groups increasingly funded parties. The citizens at the same time criticized the roles of interest groups and joined them in large numbers probably to suppress the powerful corporate groups. The role of groups in policy issues seemed to have taken a new dimension, and everyone was keen to see how it happened. Therefore, it can be argued that group manipulation of the Congress can be identified by simply examining the development of legislation that a group is favoring. For instance, a group’s ineffectiveness in legislative process can be measured through its failure to intercept unpopular bills. In general, â€Å"interest group activities predict, at least in part, how far bills will progress through the legislative process† (Brunell, 2005). The term influence as applied in this context is quite narrow from the perspective of interest groups, and it is broad from a congressional perspective. Interest groups perceive influence as a process that should produce good policies or prevent undesirable policies from being adopted. However, a group does not have to obtain policies from the Congress that directly indicate their actual desires; rather a group’s influence is seen when the Congress makes or discards a policy, which is in line with the interests of a group. From a congressional perspective, influence emerging from interest groups can come in several ways. Interest groups are often said to have manipulated the Congress when its members are compelled or encouraged to change the course or provisions of a given bill in order to meet the demands of the interest groups. This influence might come in the form of a change of wording, a passage from a subcommittee, and not passing from a standing committee† (Orman, 1988). In this process, interest groups may lead to the change of legislation, and the president may not have the capacity to reverse the whole process of legislation, even if he does not like the content of the bill. On the other hand, the president can also manipulate the Congress by working closely with the interest groups. As discussed above, the law making process can be indirectly manipulated through elections. For instance, an incumbent President may pass some bills in favor of some groups so that he may get some support from them during the next elections. Besides this, interest groups may support pliable candidates whom they can easily manipulate during the law making processes. This symbiotic relationship between the interest groups and the politicians to some extent affect the capacity of both the president and the Congress to formulate effective laws. Politics in America has become complicated to many politicians. This is because interest groups have managed to seriously entrench themselves in politics and much of their attention has been geared towards influencing the White House. â€Å"Since the American President has come to play an increasingly important role in the public policy process, interest groups and their lobbyists now descend on the presidency with the same vigor as they descend on the congress† (Orman, 1988). In this context, the president is faced with the challenge of fulfilling the needs of the ordinary citizens and the interest groups. Interest groups have faced much criticism especially when it comes to policy issues. Its critics contend that most of the policy issues dealt with by interests groups have no connection to the desires of the public. The leaders of these groups have also been blamed for being dishonest because they always fail to fulfill the demands of their members. The weaknesses of the interests groups have been seen as one of the factors interfering with democracy in the USA. It has also been noted with a lot of concern that some political candidates have been seriously intimidated by some interest groups, and this further affects the reputation of the interest groups. Conclusion  The above discussion indicates that the American government is guided various institutions, which work together with an aim of building a more democratic society. The interest groups have been instrumental in addressing the plight of the public by ensuring that policy issues are handled properly. The effectiveness of the government has also been enhanced by the numerous contending interests. The American government has been able to adopt better policies due to the serious competition that exists among various institutions. These groups have played a fundamental role of widening the democratic space in America. The American government has been influenced by several groups over the years to an extent that some individuals refer to it as â€Å"a world of interest groups†. The interest groups should, therefore remain committed towards enhancing democracy and good governance. And I think those groups have same mission, its to make the government do something right like that should be. for example, national education thinks that the system of lesson in ur country have to be changed because it is not effective, so the collect the data to support their argument, and send it to government, and hope it will influence the policy.

Occupational Therapy Communication

Occupational Therapy Communication Abstract Occupational Therapy is a new and developing profession in the medical felid. Along with all other professions Occupational Therapy is unique to itself. It includes a specific way it is conducted and how the professionals act within the profession. Occupational Therapists need to have an understanding of the discourse, communication, resources and the style manual within the profession. Occupational Therapists also need to know and understand the history that pertains to the Occupational Therapy profession. Communication skills within the field are important for communication between others within the medical field and patients to the Occupational Therapist. Research Project DISCOURSE Academic discourse for every professional field is different. All professional fields use the same way of finding information for there discourse. This information is used towards new ideas and new research. The use of communication is an important part of discourse. Through the use of informal and formal communication professions find new ideas for research. Informal communication is done through emails, phone conversations and letters. Many professionals will use email as a way to communicate their writings that need editing or other ideas. Formal communication is done through academic journals and books. Professionals use formal communication for the use of discovering new ideas and new information for research. Professionals in the same field use the same discourse. Use of the same discourse consists of using the same communication language. Professionals also have the same understanding of there writings. Professionals with in the same field of work are considered professional communities. These communities count on each other for new information. 1 The profession of Occupational Therapy assists people in every day activities. Occupational Therapists help out the disabled and chronic ill patients. As an Occupational Therapist the core focus on helping someone is on their everyday activities that may be performed. As stated by Gelya Frank in the article Occupational Therapy Occupational Science Interdisciplinary Interest Group: A Proposal to the National Association for Practice of Anthropology, â€Å"Occupational therapy, therefore, is a profession whose focus is on enabling a person (i.e. individual client) or group of persons (i.e. group, community or an organization client) to access and participate in activities that are meaningful, purposeful and relevant to their lives, roles and sense of well being.†. (p 2) Occupational therapists are there for people who need assistance in being taught a task that might be difficult for them to do because of a disability. Writing documented records in Occupational Therapy follows the demands of ethics and laws in formal writing. The documentation of a treatment or consultation of the patient needs to be professional and well organized. Patient’s records are a private matter between the therapist and the patient. Records should be easily read. (p 3) There should be no use of negative words against the patient or the patient’s disability. Documentation in Occupational Therapy is thought to be one of the most difficult aspects of the profession. Documentation occurs after visiting with a patient, it must be clear and precise. Patients have the right to read their records from the Occupational Therapist. These records should be easily understood by patients. 3 (p 6) These documentations use keywords to point out important information from the Occupational Therapist. Included with the documentation of the visits with the patient should include a written painted picture of the patient that is easily understood by others. Professional Occupational Therapist and the patient should be able to understand the visit through the painted picture. Also included in documentation of patients are goals set by the patient and Occupational Therapist, and the plan for treatment decided by the Occupational Therapist. After every treatment there should be an evaluation of how the Occupational Therapist feels the patient is doing in the treatment plan.3 (p 5) Not only should the documentation include the painted picture, but the documentation needs to have meaning. In Pierre’s article, â€Å"Occupational Therapy as Documented in Patient’s Records,† one occupational therapist stated â€Å"There must be descriptions in running text in order to maintain a unique picture of a patient. Documentation must not be just a lot of words, but have content.† 3 (p 5) The information included in documentations should be considered extremely important and an Occupational Therapist needs to spend time considering the information needed for the documentation and the context of the writing. HISTORY Moral treatment was used as a treatment for the mentally ill. Moral treatment started in the 18th and 19th century in Europe and North America. Treatment of mentally ill patients in the early 1990’s included doing everyday tasks that included house work and other activities that were thought to help someone return to normal health. These everyday tasks were called occupations. An occupation is where occupational therapy received its name. Occupational Therapy is a therapy where patients do occupations to recover. These tasks included cleaning house, different craft projects and physical activities. (p31-31) William Tuke named and founded the ideas of Moral treatment. His ideas include treating mentally ill patients as if the patient is really mentally well. Through Williams’s ideas of moral treatment he started the making of asylums for the mentally ill. These asylums were used for housing and caring of the mentally ill. (p427) Figure one is a table of the principles of moral treatment. These moral treatment principles are the ideas from the article â€Å"The relevance of moral treatment to contemporary mental health care† according to Annie Borthwick et. Al. William was the founder of these principles for moral treatment.5 (p431) 5(p431) Through the ideas of moral treatment began the formation of Occupational Therapy. Many doctors had helped contribute to the creating and establishing of Occupational Therapy schools, hospitals, books and the fundamental ideas.4(p.30) In the early 20th century young doctors and nurses generated the idea of Occupational Therapy through using moral treatment as the foundation. There principal ideas included doing everyday tasks to help with the recovery of the mentally ill. This principal was similar to the principals of moral treatment. 4(p27) In 1917 a group of young doctors come together to plan a therapy process for people with metal illness. These young doctors formed the National Association for Occupational Therapy. 4(p27) William Rush Dunton, Jr. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medicine. He began his work with Occupational Therapy through the principles of moral treatment for the mentally ill. Dunton worked at the Sheppard Asylum. He used William Tukes ideas for moral treatment at the Sheppard Asylum. The Sheppard Asylum promoted William Dunton to be the director of Occupational Therapy for the mentally ill. Through his experiences William Dunton was a founder and leader of the National Association of Occupational Therapy. 4(p34) Adolf Meyer received his Masters in the area of neurology from a school in Switzerland where he was a native. He immigrated to Chicago after receiving his masters. Meyer believed in the connections someone’s mind and body had. He also believed that it required thinking to do actions. He did not agree with Freud’s ideas of the mind and body. He also believed everyone’s life story affected and contributed to the person’s attitudes and behavior. He believed that a mental illness was developed from flawed habits that were learned by the person. His care included changing the flawed habit that a mentally ill patient had. Through his treatments to his patients he made the work meaningful to them. His care included making sure the patient had good care, received enough rest, and socializing among others. 4(p33) Eleanor Clark Slagle attended Hull House which was part of the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy. She was enrolled in a course of amusements and occupations. This course work was founded by Meyer Meyer. Clark started programs like Meyers in Michigan and New York through out different mental health hospitals. During World War One Clark was asked by the Chicago Red Cross to help with the training of other Red Cross nurses on Occupational Therapy. The training included therapy for soldiers who would return from war from battle fatigue and injury. She developed programs for mentally ill people through Meyer ideas. These programs included walks, activates, exercise and small group meals. 4(p36) Clark and Meyer both provide their services on Occupational Therapy training. There services were provided at the John Hopkins University in the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic. 4(p36) Herbert James Hall graduated in 1895 from Harvard Medical School as a general practitioner. Hall thought that working with crafts would help mental ill patients. He believed that through crafts patients could not fail. This gave patients the feeling of becoming successful and not failing. Crafts also diverted the minds of patients from their mental illness. Hall was also the founding father of The Boston School of Occupational Therapy in 1918. Herbert also was an author of some of the first books in Occupational Therapy. 4(p28) Susan Elizabeth Tracy was a nursing student who attending and graduated from Massachusetts Horneopathic Hospital. While working at a hospital Tracy found that patients who participated in hospital activities improved faster than those who did not participate in hospital activities. Tracy used occupational treatment when she began practicing her own private nursing. Tracy started her own experimental study of occupations in a Jamaica Plain Hospital. Her courses are considered the first organized classes in Occupational Therapy education. Tracy believed that therapy needed to engage the patients in activities that captured there attention. These therapy activities also needed to hold some kind of meaning to the patients. 4(p38) In early Occupational Therapy it was believed the patients needed to have the motivation to recover. Early Occupational Therapy was based on therapy through occupations. Occupations included crafts, activities, games, and any physical activities. Early occupational therapy found it important that the occupation would pertain to the patient’s life. Occupational Therapy in the beginning also included the focus of how the occupation pertained to the patient’s life and health. Also the focus was on how the occupation could be used as a therapy. Motivation had a strong importance on emphasizing the occupations. Many doctors felt encouragement through therapy was also needed by the doctor and family members. 4(p43) During the 1940’s through the 1950’s there was a strong urge that Occupational Therapy take medicine in to consideration. During this time many Occupational Therapists were forced to go in coalition with medicine. Occupational Therapy field moved to the use of medical terms when caring for a patient. Occupational Therapist had to use concepts that were taken from the practice of medicine.4(p55) Starting in the early 1960’s Occupational Therapy changed because of new technology and more information of the human body. Occupational Therapists were able to detect psychological problems of patients because of the new theories of the human body. During this time body functions and impairments were clarified. In the 1960’s scientific terms were used in the occupational therapy work place. There was also a better understand the emotional issues with patients who were mentally ill. 4(p54-55) After the 1960’s Occupational Therapist realized that through the medical intervention many of the original ideas of Occupational Therapy were lost. Many doctors of Occupational Therapy found that there was no connection between the activities used in therapy compared to the names given to them from the medical terminology. Occupational Therapy almost lost its identity by trying to identity if self with medicine. Because of misidentification Occupational Therapists have gone back to the use of occupations as treatments as it was at the development of Occupational Therapy.4(p54-55) RESOURCES There are many resources offered to Occupational Therapist. Resources include websites, academic journals, videos, newsletters, and memberships to many Occupational Therapy organizations. Websites include the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, and National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Academic journals include American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of American Medical Association and other medical journals. The Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association website gives members many opportunities and special options. A member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association grants any Minnesotan Occupational Therapist access to many databases, libraries, videos, newsletters, and publications. These other databases include American Medical Association, National Association of Home Care, Sensory Integration International, National Rehabilitation Information Center, and American Academy of Pediatrics. Government Agencies are also offered through being a member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association Website. 6 These government agencies include Medicare, Medline, and Occupational Outlook Handbook. Publications are another Resource that Occupational Therapist can use for new information. 6 Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association website offers three publication links. These links include ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Merck Manual of DX and The Neuroscience Center. Other Occupational Therapy sites provided by the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association include Occupational Therapy Internet World, Skills for the Job Living, and Occupational Therapist.com. 6 Becoming a member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association includes other advantages. Members receive the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association newsletter quarterly. Students who are part of Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association attending to school to become an Occupational Therapist have the option of becoming a member. Student members have the opportunity to apply for scholarships. Members receive discounted prices in any conferences that are held for Occupational Therapist in Minnesota. Through the use of the membership members have the opportunity to communicate with each other for new information and new research options. Members of the association have voting rights to decide how the association will be organized and operated. A member also includes being recognized for contributions for Occupational Therapy within Minnesota. These are the main benefits for joining the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. 6 Another option on the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association web site includes employment opportunities. The site offers many job listings for the use of Occupational Therapist who are members of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. Other Occupational Therapists and businesses have the option to post job listings on the web site. 6 The American Occupational Therapy Foundation is another resource for Occupational Therapist. This resource supplies Occupational Therapist with opportunities for research funding. Through the use of this web site it was hoped to build a better understanding of Occupational Therapy science. There is also a scholarship provided for any Occupational Therapy student. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation provides awards for research in Occupational Therapy. The site provides recognition to Occupational Therapists that have shown renowned contributions for Occupational Therapy science. American Occupational Therapy Association helped to build the foundation needed to build the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. 7 National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. is a resource for graduated Occupational Therapist. Occupational Therapist must complete all required Field work along with the educational program to join the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy requires that Occupational Therapist pass there examination to be certified. This exam tests the skills, understanding and abilities of all Occupational Therapist. National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy is a non-profit organization that administers the certifying of Occupational Therapist. Along with the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association the American Occupational Therapy Foundation is a not-profit organization. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy is one of the many academic journals that Occupational Therapist can use. Included in this journal are researched peer-read articles from professional Occupational Therapist. These articles include information that is theory-based and theoretical research. Occupational Therapist can use this information towards new ideas; other research projects and there own patients. The American Medical Association Journal offers information on general medical reviewed articles. There main objective is to promote the art of medicine and to help make public health better for all. These journals provide Occupational Therapist with the newest research available to them in medicine. Other journals Occupational Therapists may refer to are journals based on pediatrics, autism, ADHD, learning disorders, psychology, and neurology. Depending on where an Occupational Therapist may work will determine which journals will be read. An Occupational Therapist working with children will read journals on pediatrics along with other medical and Occupational Therapy Journals. These are the many resources offered to Occupational Therapists. These recourses include academic journals, web sites, and organizations. Occupational Therapists have the option to join many organizations to better the understanding of Occupational Therapy science to others and to gain benefits for themselves. Through the use of these recourses Occupational Therapists communicate there new ideas and the new research information. COMMUNICATION To become a well developed and successful Occupational Therapist many qualities are needed. These qualities include great interpersonal, writing, grammar, public speaking, and computer skills. Some of these skills can be learned from other experienced Occupational Therapist and others are learned with work experience. During an email interview with Nancy Klassen, member of Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and an Occupational Therapist Registered(OTR) (written communication, March 2008), gave me a handful of information pertaining to the communication skills of Occupational Therapist. Through her experiences as an Occupational Therapist she has found that as an Occupational Therapist many qualities are needed. Through this paper many of her ideas will be shared with the readers. Interpersonal skills are required for Occupational Therapist to communicate with others who are involved with the patients care and treatment plans. Communicating with others includes children’s parents, specialists, educators, and childcare providers. An Occupational Therapist may need to have an informational meeting with parents and others involved in the client’s life to educate and instruct on the best treatment plan care for the client. An Occupational Therapist must be able to communicate in a tactful, clear way to make others understand the information given to them on the treatment of the patient (Klassen, written communication). Occupational Therapist will have opportunities to share research information with other co-workers. Communicating with other Occupational Therapist includes sharing new research information, medical information on clients, and discussions on client progression. As an Occupational Therapists who work in a team might have to give presentation on clients at team meetings (Klassen, written communication). Occupational Therapist may need to prepare and give seminars or presentations. During these seminars Occupational Therapist may have the option of presenting new research information, new program ideas and other ideas that may pertain to assisting other Occupational Therapist (Klassen, written communication). As an Occupational Therapist writing is a skill that will be used to write reports. Reports will be presented to other Occupational Therapist, social workers, schools, children’s hospitals, physicians, and the client’s parents. Other written material includes progress notes, and letter writing. During a clients treatment time with an Occupational Therapist progress notes or progress charts need to be taken. These reports are taken right after the treatment session with the Occupational Therapist. These reports are put in to the personal file of the patients. Evaluations may also be done on a patient. Evaluations are used for placement of a patient in school or other education programs that best fit the ability of the patient (Klassen, written communication). Proposals, handouts, and request are another type of documentation Occupational Therapist may have to write. An Occupational Therapist may have new ideas for research or treatment plans, which would require a proposal. Handouts are given to teachers, social workers, parent’s of the client, and others who may want to be educated on the treatment plan and the disability of the client. Handouts can include pamphlets, brochures, and medical research papers. Through the knowledge of an Occupational Therapist there maybe the need to request funding for a research program from the government and other non-profit companies that may support new research in Occupational Therapy (Klassen, written communication). Along with the requirement of writing proposals, progress reports, and handouts Occupational Therapist are required to have great grammar skills and spelling skills. Occupational Therapist Nancy Klassen thought it was important to have a vast vocabulary. Through the writings Occupational Therapist need to use vocabulary as an essential factor towards the credibility an Occupational Therapist may have. Grammar and a vast vocabulary are important to help with the explanation on treatment plans and other medical terminology that maybe used for the patients disability (Klassen, written communication). Presentations may need to be presented from Occupational Therapist requires public speaking skills. An Occupational Therapist needs to be able to give information to a group of other Occupational Therapist, parents, physicians, social workers, and educators. The wide rage of knowledge from the listens’ can not limit an Occupational Therapist on the information that is given to the group during the presentation. Presentations include presenting new ideas and new research to other Occupational Therapist. Another form of presentations includes delivering information on a treatment plan to the family and educators who interact with a patient (Klassen, written communication). Many Occupational Therapists communicate using telephone or email. Through the use of a computer email is an easy way to communicate with people within the same office or on a patient’s treatment. Occupational Therapist may need to get a hold of educators for a patient. The World Wide Web seems to be an easy and speedy way for interactions between different people (Klassen, written communication). Klassen, ORT, believes that social skills are the most important part of an Occupational Therapist. She felt that social skills can lead an Occupational Therapist to successfulness. Another aspect Klassen, OTR, felt Occupational Therapist must have the ability to teach the information in a meaningful and clear manner to others (Klassen, written communication). Through emailing Klassen, OTR, these are the ideas that she felt Occupational Therapist must posses to become successful in the medical field as an Occupational Therapist (Klassen, written communication). STYLE Each profession provides a style manual for that occupation. This means there are many different style manuals. Occupational Therapists use the American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA). AMA is on its 10th edition which was newly updated in 2007. American Psychological Association (APA) is a commonly used manual within colleges and high schools. APA is on its 5th edition which was updated as of 2003. Looking through these two different style manuals I found many differences. Some of the major differences included the use of terms, numbers, and the reference list. AMA is a medical manual which serves for a person who is in the medical field where as APA is used for psychologist and literature workers along with a few other professions. AMA seemed to focus more of the manuals attention on using measurements, numbers, statistic, typography, medical indexes, and manuscript preparation. APA focused more on the design, grammar, and gender12. AMA references are important within a research paper. Reference list provides readers with acknowledgements, where additional information on the topic can be found, and providing more support for a researcher’s paper. A reference list needs to be complete and in the correct format so all medical profession can understand the meaning of the reference page. Thoroughness of the reference page can aid another researcher to farther there knowledge on the topic read in the research paper. Within in the reference list misspelling of last names, Journal names, internet sites, along with incorrect page numbers. AMA style manual also suggest reading the primary source when writing a research paper where a writer may take a secondary source from another paper11. The reference list within an AMA style manual research paper should be number. Arabic number system should be used when doing the reference list. The reference list goes in order of from when the reference is used. This means that the first reference used would the first reference on the resource page. This does not involve using last name as an alphabetical order reference list. It is strictly by when it is used11. APA’s style manual is used to identify reference used within the paper. The reference list is only used to cite any sources used within the paper. As an author, of an APA format paper, there is a need to check over the reference list and cited sources to make sure both appear with in the paper. The citations with in a paper along with the reference list needs to be correct and the same for each reference. If there is a misspelled word or an incorrect writing within a manuscript the author of the paper is at cost for the mistake. The reference list needs to be in alphabetical order. Alphabetical order starts with the first author’s last name in a reference. If there are multiple authors with the same last name the next letter to use is the first initial of the first name of the author’s12. Abbreviations maybe used within an AMA style manual paper. If many abbreviations are being used within one paper it may become confusing for people reading the paper. Abbreviations are acceptable if one word will be used multiple times within the same paper. This will save space within the paper as well. Some instructors may put a limit on how many abbreviations may be used within one paper11. Ideal use of abbreviations includes numerous terms. Academic degrees along with certificates and some kind of honor can be abbreviated within a paper. Within the United States military titles are another form that can be abbreviated with in an AMA style manual paper. A few other potential words that can be abbreviated include days of the week, addresses, states, countries, and titles of people11. Within an APA paper many instructors prefer that abbreviations are used sparingly. APA instructors feel abbreviations affect the flow of a paper if to many are used. Abbreviations in a paper include measurements, time, and, chemical compounds. APA does accept abbreviations that are offend used. An example from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association included â€Å"IQ, REM, ESP, AIDS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 12(105). APA style allows the use of numbers to be kept as numerals and not written out in certain situations. APA style believes it is easier to follow numerals than written out numbers. A few instances where numbers can be kept as numerals include a mixed fraction, measure of time, temperature measurements, and a measurement of a currency12. Numbers that should be written out according to the APA style include the beginning of a sentence. This also includes if it is a title, or a heading. Other written out numbers include one when it is used as a pronoun within a sentence, and when a number is being used to rank items or people11. APA style’s rule towards the use of number includes written and numerals. If a number is below 10 it should be written out. If a number is above 10 it can be written out as a number. Within a paper numerals and written numbers can be combined. An example of this would be 6 million. The six is in a form of a numeral, but the million is written out11. AMA and APA style manuals have identical formats. Both of these styles include a title page for the article, an abstract, the paper, and than a resource page. Within the paper it is where the differences of these two different style manuals com into play. A paper written in the style manual AMA includes subheadings that are in all capitalized letters where as an APA style manual does not. In APA the first letter of the subheading is the only letter capitalized. The resource page for the style manuals is also very different. Each style manual has there own way to cite and reference articles11, 12. CONCLUSION Occupational Therapy is a great medical field that is used to help patients improve skills that maybe hard for them. It is also a challenging profession that requires the knowledge of many skills that will be used when working. Occupational Therapists discourse is important towards the building and developing of new research within the profession. Discourse is done through the use of different communication with other Occupational Therapist and other medical doctors. Occupational Therapy is a newer field that started in the early 1900’s. During the beginning Occupational Therapy was used for solders and mentally the ill. Through history Occupational Therapy has changed its way of caring and understand the use of occupations for patients. Now Occupational Therapy is used to assistant many other people who have disabilities. Many resources can be used by Occupational Therapist to gain more knowledge for the profession. There are many resources Occupational Therapist can use. Res ources include websites, academic journals, and Occupational Therapy associations. Occupational Therapists need to have a vast understanding and use of communication skills. A

The Main Types Of Social Enquiry Psychology Essay

The Main Types Of Social Enquiry Psychology Essay Research is the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.Main types of social enquiry. Social Inquiry provides students with a broad overview of modern social theory and approaches, addressing themes common across disciplines in the social sciences-especially sociology, politics, economics, and anthropology. Case study A careful study of some social unit (as a corporation or division within a corporation) that attempts to determine what factors led to its success or failure, report, written report, study or a written document describing the findings of some individual or group; this accords with the recent study. Cross sectional Cross-sectional research is a research method often used in developmental psychology, but also utilized in many other areas including social science and education. This type of study utilizes different groups of people who differ in the variable of interest, but share other characteristics such as socioeconomic status, educational background, and ethnicity. For example, researchers studying developmental psychology might select groups of people who are remarkably similar in most areas, but differ only in age. By doing this, any differences between groups can presumably be attributed to age differences rather than to other variables. Longitudinal Longitudinal research is a type of research method used to discover relationships between variables that are not related to various background variables. This observational research technique involves studying the same group of individuals over an extended period of time. Data is first collected at the outset of the study, and may then be gathered repeatedly throughout the length of the study. In some cases, longitudinal studies can last several decades. 1.2 Investigate research objectives in order to contribute to, modify and improve upon theory and practice Research objectives Research objectives set the purpose and focus of your research with the fundamental questions that will be addressed. Defining your research objectives means defining what do I need to investigate and how am I going to do it? Objectives are the single most important aspect of research design and implementation. They include individual, tangible steps that will be taken in your research. Your individual steps will revolve around a wider question or problem that youve defined. Often, objectives will be based on the findings of other research taking something someone else has investigated or theorised and focusing on a specific aspect of their findings to either strengthen or challenge them. Such follow-up research involves more than repeating research thats already been done. It aims to improve the understanding of a specific topic through asking what else needs to be evidenced before the research is meaningful, or what knowledge could be garnered from a more focused investigation, or scrutiny of the existing findings Dimensions to be measured Productivity Efficiency Effectiveness Objectives are converted into hypotheses and tested. If data analysis is positive the hypothesis is accepted and the theory hold good, conversely if the data analysis is opposite to the hypothesis it is rejected and the theory is not valid. The objectives would contribute to improve our understanding of the problem investigated Since objectives are identified through academic literature review the measurement of research objectives would lead to either consolidate existing theories or would lead to modification or improvement of existing theories and therefore current practice. 1.3 systematically analyse the main research philosophies of positivism and phenomenology. Research philosophies There are two kinds of research philosophies Positivism Positivism was a result of rejection of concepts that belonged to metaphysics, for example god. As sociologists found it different to explain things as also to test and prove, they looked for other ideas. They felt a strong need for social sciences to be more objective and verifiable as science subjects. Positivism arose as an alternative to metaphysics in an attempt to describe social phenomenon leaving aside what cannot be known or is beyond the scope of social sciences. Positivists are of the view that we can analyze and draw conclusions only what we observe. What we see and can measure forms the subject matter of positivism. Two of the most influential positivists are Durkheim and Comte. Interpretivism Interpretivism arose as scientists felt that human beings were not puppets to react to stimuli in a prescribed manner. They were active and purposeful and can respond to stimuli in different ways depending upon their interpretation. Interpretivists describe human beings as having intent and the power to interpret, they say that human beings have the capability to construct their surroundings rather than being a mere spectators to what is happening around them. These scientists stressed the thinking, intentions and behaviours of human beings more than positivists thereby drawing conclusions that were more realistic and perhaps more valid also. Interpretivists talk about shared consciousness as the brain behind many of the concepts in a society. Task: 2 2.1 Examine qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. When conducting a research, it is very important to decide on the methodology depending upon focus of study. There are basically two ways to go about an analysis, qualitative analysis  and quantitative analysis. There are many who cannot differentiate between the two concepts and think of them as same which is incorrect. If analysis can be thought of as a continuum, quantitative analysis lies at one extreme and qualitative would obviously lie at the other extreme. Research is the most important tool to increase our knowledge base about things and people. There are two important methods of doing research namely quantitative and qualitative research methods. Despite some overlapping, there is a clear cut difference between quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research As the name implies, this type of research pertains to studying social behaviour through techniques that have computational basis. The tools in a quantitative research are mathematical in nature, and measurements form the backbone of any quantitative research. These measurements provide the basis for observation and recording of data that can be later analyzed quantitatively. Rather than being subjective, quantitative research yields data that is more or less unbiased and can be expressed in numerical terms such as percentages or statistics that is easily understandable for a layman. Researcher utilizes the results to make generalizations about a larger set of population. Qualitative research This is a kind of research that employs different ways of gathering information without making use of any scientific measurement tools. For example, the sources of information could be varied like diary accounts, surveys, and questionnaires containing open ended questions, interviews that are not structured and also such observations that are not structured. The data collected through qualitative research is not expressed in mathematical terms. It is descriptive in nature and its analysis is also harder than finding ones way through a maze of statistical tools. Case studies and ethnography seem to be perfect for utilizing qualitative research tools. Qualitative vs Quantitative Research The design of study is not ready beforehand and develops and unfolds gradually in a qualitative research while the design and structure are already present in quantitative research Data generated in quantitative research is numerically expressed in percentages and numbers while data obtained through qualitative research is in the form of text or picture Data in quantitative research is efficient but may not be able to capture the true essence of human nature and behaviour while qualitative data in words can capture the human nature in totality Results of quantitative research are quantifiable while the results of a qualitative research are subjective in nature 2.2 critically evaluate the role of the researcher. Typically the researcher is expected to: take responsibility for finding out what is expected take the initiative in raising problems or difficulties help the supervisory team to ensure consistency discuss with the supervisory team how to make guidance more effective, including disability related concerns agree, organise and attend mutually convenient meetings, contribute to their agenda and circulate work in advance undertake research training as agreed and where need is identified undertake recommended reading produce written work as agreed comply with reporting procedures and inform supervisors of the progress of your research tell supervisors about difficulties you encounter in your work arrange for informal sharing of information and practice generate your own ideas set realistic deadlines ask if he dont understand decide when to submit the thesis and ensure that it is submitted on time Ensure that the findings complies with regulations. 2.3 systematically analyse qualitative approaches covering the following terms: Descriptive, Interpretive, Ethnographic and Naturalistic studies. Description According to Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, 1995, Giorgi, 1992, Wolcott, 1994, There is no pure looking with a naked eye, and there is no immaculate. Researchers seeking to describe an experience or event select what they will describe and, in the process of featuring certain aspects of it, begin to transform that experience or event. Although no description is free of interpretation, basic or fundamental qualitative description, as opposed to, for example, phenomenological or grounded theory description, entails a kind of interpretation that is low-inference, or likely to result in easier consensus among researchers. Even though one researcher may feature the feelings and a second researcher the events a woman reported in an interview, both researchers will likely agree that. In the case of two researchers describing ostensibly the same scene, one researcher might feature the spatial arrangement in a room, while the second researcher will feature the social interactions. But both researchers ought to agree with each others descriptions as accurate renderings of the scene. That is, with low-inference descriptions, researchers will agree more readily on the facts of the case, even if they may not feature the same facts in their descriptions. Interpretive According to the Wolcott 1994, interpretive, is the human perceptions, basic qualitative description is not highly interpretive in the sense that a researcher deliberately chooses to describe an event in terms of a conceptual, philosophical, or other highly abstract framework or system. The description in qualitative descriptive studies entails the presentation of the facts of the case in everyday language. In contrast, phenomenological, theoretical, ethnographic, or narrative descriptions re-present events in other terms. Researchers are obliged to put much more of their own interpretive spin on what they see and hear. There are certain types of phenomenological studies incline the researcher to look for, and interpret data in terms of, life world existential, such as Van Manen, 1990, claims that corporeality and temporality Such descriptions require researchers to move farther into or beyond their data as they demand not just reading words and scenes, but rather reading into, between, and over them McMahon 1996, Poirier and Ayres 1997 and Wertz 1983 analyse phenomenological study which is an excellent demonstration of the successive transformations from a participants description of an event to a researchers phenomenological description of that event. Although less interpretive than phenomenological or grounded theory description, fundamental qualitative description is more interpretive than quantitative description, which typically entails surveys or other pre-structured means to obtain a common dataset on pre-selected variables, and descriptive statistics to summarize them. Naturalistic observation Naturalistic observation is a research method commonly used by psychologists and other social scientists. This technique involves observing subjects in their natural environment. This type of research is often utilized in situations where conducting lab research is unrealistic, cost prohibitive or would unduly affect the subjects behaviour. Naturalistic observation differs from structured observation in that it involves looking at behaviour as it occurs in its natural setting with no attempts at intervention on the part of the researcher. 2.4 systematically analyse qualitative approaches including Independent observation, large samples, Development of hypotheses, Statistical analyses. Observation Qualitative observational research describes and classifies various cultural, racial and sociological groups by employing interpretive and naturalistic approaches. It is both observational and narrative in nature and relies less on the experimental elements normally associated with scientific research of reliability, validity and generalizability. Connelly and Clendenin (1990) suggest that qualitative inquiry relies more on appetency, verisimilitude and transferability. On the other hand, Lincoln and Guba (1985) emphasize the importance of credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability in qualitative studies. Large samples Any of the purposeful sampling techniques can be used in qualitative descriptive studies. Especially useful, though, is maximum variation sampling, which allows researchers to explore the common and QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTION unique manifestations of a target phenomenon across a broad range of phenomenally and demographically varied cases (Sandelowski,1995). Researchers like Trost, 1986 also choose to sample cases to represent a combination of pre-selected variables , or typical or unusual cases of a phenomenon, in order to describe it as it tends to appear or uncommonly appears. As in any qualitative study, the ultimate goal of purposeful sampling is to obtain cases deemed information-rich for the purposes of study. The obligation of researchers is to defend their sampling strategies as reasonable for their purposes. Task:3 3.1 examine the basic principle of research design with respect to objectives, plan, action, review, report. All research is different but the following factors are common to all good pieces of research. If the research aims to identify the scale of a problem or need, a more quantitative, randomised, statistical sample survey may be more appropriate. Good research can often use a combination of methodologies, which complement one another. The research should be carried out in an unbiased fashion. As far as possible the researcher should not influence the results of the research in any way. If this is likely, it needs to be addressed explicitly and systematically. From the beginning, the research should have appropriate and sufficient resources in terms of people, time, transport, money etc. allocated to it. The people conducting the research should be trained in research and research methods and this training should provide: Knowledge around appropriate information gathering techniques, An understanding of research issues, An understanding of the research area, An understanding of the issues around dealing with vulnerable social care clients and housing clients, especially regarding risk, privacy and sensitivity and the possible need for support. Those involved in designing, conducting, analysing and supervising the research should have a full understanding of the subject area. In some instances, it helps if the researcher has experience of working in the area. However, this can also be a negative factor, as sometimes research benefits from the fresh eyes and ears of an outsider, which may lead to less bias. If applicable, the information generated from the research will inform the policy-making process. All research should be ethical and not harmful in any way to the participants. Background Why is this research important? What other studies have there been in this area? How will this research add to knowledge in this area? Objectives What do you want to find out? What is the main question you wish to answer? What are the specific questions you will ask to address the main question? Are you going to do this research on your own or with others? Plan Who are you targeting in this research? How many people or case files do you intend to interview or read through? Where will the research take place? Will participants be clearly and fully informed of the purpose of the research study? How will you do this? How will participants be clear about the expectations of the researcher? Do you have an information sheet and a consent form for participants? Action It enables you to examine your own situation. It is a participatory process and allows for input from all those involved. It is collaborative. You work with colleagues and other participants to answer your research question. It allows for an ongoing process of selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ evaluation where you appraise yourself and your own performance. It assumes that you already have a great deal of professional knowledge and can continue to develop this knowledge and improve your practice. Review A review of the literature is an essential part of your academic research. The review is a careful examination of a body of literature pointing toward the answer to your research question. Literature reviewed typically includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative databases and primary sources. Sometimes it includes newspapers and magazines. Primary sources are the origin of information under study, fundamental documents relating to a particular subject or idea. Often they are firsthand accounts written by a witness or researcher at the time of an event or discovery. Secondary sources are documents or recordings that relate to or discuss information originally presented elsewhere. These, too, may be accessible as physical objects or electronically in databases or on the Internet. Report Draft the report from your detailed plan. Do not worry too much about the final form and language, but rather on presenting the ideas Coherently and logically. Redraft and edit. Check that sections contain the required information and use suitable headings, Check ideas flow in a logical order and remove any unnecessary information. Write in an academic style and tone. Use a formal objective style. Generally avoid personal pronouns; however, some reports based on your own field 3.2 critically evaluate the success of both qualitative and quantitative research projects using relative literature. Quantitative Research Quantitative Research options have been predetermined and a large number of respondents are involved. By definition, measurement must be objective, quantitative and statistically valid. Simply put, its about numbers, objective hard data. The sample size for a survey is calculated by statisticians using formulas to determine how large a sample size will be needed from a given population in order to achieve findings with an acceptable degree of accuracy. Generally, researchers seek sample sizes which yield findings with at least a 95% confidence interval (which means that if you repeat the survey 100 times, 95 times out of a hundred, you would get the same response), plus/minus a margin error of 5 percentage points. Many surveys are designed to produce a smaller margin of error. Qualitative Research Qualitative Research is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. Whereas, quantitative research refers to counts and measures of things, qualitative research refers to the meanings, concepts, definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and descriptions of things. Qualitative research is much more subjective than quantitative research and uses very different methods of collecting information, mainly individual, in-depth interviews and focus groups. The nature of this type of research is exploratory and open-ended. Small numbers of people are interviewed in-depth and/or a relatively small number of focus groups are conducted. Participants are asked to respond to general questions and the interviewer or group moderator probes and explores their responses to identify and define peoples perceptions, opinions and feelings about the topic or idea being discussed and to determine the degree of agreement that exists in the group. The quality of the finding from qualitative research is directly dependent upon the skills, experience and sensitive of the interviewer or group moderator. This type of research is often less costly than surveys and is extremely effective in acquiring information about peoples communications needs and their responses to and views about specific communications. Basically, quantitative research is objective; qualitative is subjective. Quantitative research seeks explanatory laws; qualitative research aims at in-depth description. Qualitative research measures what it assumes to be a static reality in hopes of developing universal laws. Qualitative research is an exploration of what is assumed to be a dynamic reality. It does not claim that what is discovered in the process is universal, and thus, replicable. Common differences usually cited between these types of research include. Task:4 4.1 define a research problem or issue by analysing current literature and management practice. Research problem It is one of the first statements made in any research paper and, as well as defining the research area, should include a quick synopsis of how the hypothesis was arrived at. This will lead to the proposal of a viable hypothesis. As an aside, when scientists are putting forward proposals for research funds, the quality of their research problem often makes the difference between success and failure. Defining a Research Problem Lack of force that drives the people to behave the way they do and they behave even in hardship. Qualitative research designs use inductive reasoning to propose a research problem.Reasoning Cycle Scientific Research This is called the conceptual definition, and is an overall view of the problem. Lack of motivation is like measuring abstract concepts, such as intelligence, emotions, and subjective responses, and then a system of measuring numerically needs to be established, allowing statistical analysis and replication. For example, motivation may be measured with a questionnaire from strongly disagree disagree dont know agree strongly agree 4.2 Examine the background and content of the research Early explanations of motivation focused on instincts. Psychologists writing in the late 19th and early twentieth century suggested that human beings were basically programmed to behave in certain ways, depending upon the behavioural cues to which they were exposed. Sigmund Freud, for example, argued that the most powerful determinants of individual behaviour were those of which the individual was not consciously aware. According to Motivation and Leadership at Work (Steers, Porter, and Bigley, 1996), in the early twentieth century researchers began to examine other possible explanations for differences in individual motivation. Some researchers focused on internal drives as an explanation for motivated behaviour. Others studied the effect of learning and how individuals base current behaviour on the consequences of past behaviour. Still others examined the influence of individuals cognitive processes, such as the beliefs they have about future events. Over time, these major theoretical streams of research in motivation were classified into two major schools: the content theories of motivation and the process theories of motivation. 4.3 Develop research questions to elicit facts, information, gaps in knowledge, and dichotomies in management processes and practices. Research questions and hypotheses narrow the purpose statement and become major signposts for readers. Qualitative researchers ask at least one central question and several sub questions. They begin the questions with words such as how or what and use exploratory verbs, such as explore or describe. They pose broad, general questions to allow the participants to explain their ideas. They also focus initially on one central phenomenon of interest. The questions may also mention the participants and the site for the research. 1. Determine if a mixed methods study is needed to study the problem 2. Consider whether a mixed methods study is feasible 3. Write both qualitative and quantitative research questions 4. Review and decide on the types of data collection 5. Assess the relative weight and implementation strategy for each method 6. Present a visual model 7. Determine how the data will be analyzed 8. Assess the criteria for evaluating the study 9. Develop a plan for the study I encourage mixed methods researchers to construct separate mixed methods questions in their studies. This question might be written to emphasize the procedures or the content of the study, and it might be placed at different points. By writing this question, the researcher conveys the importance of integrating or combining the quantitative and qualitative elements. Several models exist for writing mixed methods questions into studies: writing only quantitative questions or hypotheses and qualitative questions, or writing both quantitative questions or hypotheses and qualitative questions followed by a mixed methods question, or writing only a mixed methods question. 4.4 critically evaluate the project plan from the following perspectives: ethical, social, legal, stakeholders. Ethical and Legal When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and wrong, such as the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you). This is the most common way of defining ethics for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Even conducting our research we have to look into following ethical aspects: Honesty Objectivity Integrity Carefulness Openness Respect for Intellectual Property Confidentiality Responsible Publication Responsible Mentoring Respect for colleagues Social Responsibility Non-Discrimination Competence Legality Animal Care Human Subjects Protection Task: 5 Critically evaluate what implications previous research into the topic chosen have for the research proposal. Implications in research of motivation at work Following can be expected as implications in research of motivation at work. Lack of secondary data Some secondary data is limited and insufficient. Sometimes, external parties dont like to give their real idea about regarding their motivation. Draw backs in primary data collection It is very difficult. Because, all data not already available. Some data related people feels, attitudes or opinion. And next important fact is both of primary data have qualitative and quantitative behaviour. Both of data is dependents on peoples opinion. Time constraints Students have very limited time in their academic career and this research should conduct simultaneously with other learning activities. Therefore, It is difficult to handle all learning and research activities under limited time management. Financial constraints Due to cost involved mainly with the process of data collection, limited number of sources and the small size of sample area can cause biased findings which may mislead the results. 5.2 systematically analyse literature relevant to the content of the proposal. Great scholars Gardner Lambert, 1972 proposed that motivation is influenced by two orientations to language learning. An integrative orientation is typical of someone who identifies with and values the target language and community, and who approaches language study with the intention of entering that community. Such an individual is thought to have an internal, more enduring motivation for language study. Instrumentally motivated learners, on the other hand, are more likely to see language learning as enabling them to do other useful things, but as having no special significance in itself. Such learners will be motivated if they see language learning as having beneficial career prospects or something that will enable them to use transactional language with speakers of the foreign language. A second problem he argues is whether the integrative/instrumental conceptualization captures the full spectrum of student motivation. It may be that, for a given population of second language students, there are reasons for language learning that are unrelated to either of the two motivational orientations. I agree with Ely that it is not always easy to tell one from the other. For example, there are students who dont like to study, but they have to, because they have pressure from their parents, peers, teachers, and so forth. This is also a type of motivation which cant belong to either of the two motivational orientations. 5.3 Make conclusions regarding different approaches to and outcomes of research. Lack of motivation to learn is very striking thing in almost all of the schools in Japan. I believe some of the schools in other countries also face the same problem. One of the things I found through this literature review is that if we, as teachers, cant motivate students to learn directly, we should look at different ways to try to motivate them indirectly. For example, we should encourage them to be autonomous learner, increase their confidence, and try to get rid of anxiety they have in learning. That will lead to great motivation eventually, and thus lead to success in learning. One of the strategies we can use is need analysis. We must find out which aspects of L2 learning are personally valuable to students and must design tasks that support those aspects. For example, if students will go abroad, they will need to communicate with people in English, s

Essay --

.. Manny Pacquiao is one of the most famous and highest paid boxer of our generation. He is a modern day Rocky Balboa except he is actually the real deal. It is only fitting that he represents some of the today’s top companies in their ads. Even more so for what I would consider the biggest company of them all, Nike. It is only fitting as that is what all of this generation’s sports stars do if they are elite athletes. The top portion has a black background with a beam of light coming in from the top as if it’s all eyes on him where you see that the beam is hitting a boxer grasping the ropes as he is on his knees. The ropes were colored red, white, and blue with a red turnbuckle. The boxer acts almost as if he is praying with an invisible â€Å"audience† is surrounded around him. He was ripped with muscles from head to toe showing how strong and well off this elite boxer is. He wore red Nike shoes and white trunks with a golden eagle design and â€Å"pacman† written on the sash of his trunks. The bottom of the ad reveals â€Å"MP† with a crown or sun on top of the â€Å"M†, the Nike logo, a quote that says â€Å"Give Us This Day† and the date â€Å"12.06.08.† The boxer was the only thing that really catches your attention. Unless you are an avid boxing fan you would not recognize who the man is, but thanks to his nickname on his trunks and the â€Å"MP†, almost any person could get the idea. It looks as if he is in prayer, but that is because he always prays before and after he fights. How he is situated in the picture with his arms and legs spread like they appear as if he is creating a picture of himself Jesus was when he was crucified. This could imply Pacquiao as being a savior and that he is going to save the hopes of all the ... ...also a disadvantage due to him not actually fighting in the Philippines When the fight was announced many said that de la Hoya would win because he was a much more experience boxer. This ad shows Pacquiao’s hidden fears because knew he couldn’t underestimate de la Hoya, so to bring â€Å"his heat† he wears Nike shoes. The advertisement reveals, even when you face a big threat, with Nike you will be unstoppable. An advertisement can mean or stand for anything, whether it is simple or complicated. It can have famous people, animals, be various colors or be black and white. The reason why one picture becomes an ad is because it represents something exactly what the company wants. And that is for you to want to buy and wear Nike products. This Nike ad with Manny Pacquiao is a very enjoyable ad that is a great example of such a simple picture being effective.

Caviar Essays -- essays research papers

Caviar Settlers of America discovered sturgeon to be the most prolific fish of the North American continent. In the beginning of 19th century, the United States was the major producer of caviar in the world and produced 90% of the world's caviar. The American caviar industry got started when Henry Schacht, a German immigrant, opened a business catching sturgeon on the Delaware River. He treated his caviar with German salt and exported a great deal of it to Europe. At around the same time, sturgeon was fished from the Columbia River on the west coast. At one time, caviar was so common in America. It was served in saloons to encourage thirsty drinkers. Hudson River sturgeons were so plentiful that the flesh was referred to as "Albany beef." A nickel could get you a serving of the best caviar available in New York, and many of the most lavish establishments, including the Waldorf Astoria, offered free-flowing caviar as an amuse-bouche opening to an elegant meal. Caviar was also a common food in California during the gold rush days. Recently, the United States has made a strong comeback in caviar production. The U.S. Goverment says that the roe of sturgeon may be called simply "Caviar," whereas the roe of other fish can be called "Caviar" only if the name of the fish comes first. The following is a descriptive list of caviars made from American fresh water fish: American Sturgeon - Sturgeon resemble a prehistoric creature, but they are actually t...

Alchemy :: essays research papers

Alchemy, ancient art practiced especially in the Middle Ages, devoted chiefly to discovering a substance that would transmute the more common metals into gold or silver and to finding a means of indefinitely prolonging human life. Although its purposes and techniques were dubious and often illusory, alchemy was in many ways the predecessor of modern science, especially the science of chemistry. The birthplace of alchemy was ancient Egypt, where, in Alexandria, it began to flourish in the Hellenistic period; simultaneously, a school of alchemy was developing in China. The writings of some of the early Greek philosophers might be considered to contain the first chemical theories; and the theory advanced in the 5th century BC by Empedocles—that all things are composed of air, earth, fire, and water—was influential in alchemy. The Roman emperor Caligula is said to have instituted experiments for producing gold from orpiment, a sulfide of arsenic, and the emperor Diocletian is said to have ordered all Egyptian works concerning the chemistry of gold and silver to be burned in order to stop such experiments. Zosimus the Theban (about AD 250-300) discovered that sulfuric acid is a solvent of metals, and he liberated oxygen from the red oxide of mercury. The fundamental concept of alchemy stemmed from the Aristotelian doctrine that all things tend to reach perfection. Because other metals were thought to be less "perfect" than gold, it was reasonable to assume that nature formed gold out of other metals deep within the earth and that with sufficient skill and diligence an artisan could duplicate this process in the workshop. Efforts toward this goal were empirical and practical at first, but by the 4th century AD, astrology, magic, and ritual had begun to gain prominence. A school of pharmacy flourished in Arabia during the caliphates of the Abbasids from 750 to 1258. The earliest known work of this school is the Summa Perfectionis (Summit of Perfection), attributed to the Arabian scientist and philosopher Geber; the work is consequently the oldest book on chemistry proper in the world and is a collection of all that was then known and believed. The Arabian alchemists worked with gold and mercury, arsenic and sulfur, and salts and acids, and they became familiar with a wide range of what are now called chemical reagents. They believed that metals are compound bodies, made up of mercury and sulfur in different proportions. Their scientific creed was the potentiality of transmutation, and their methods were mostly blind gropings; yet, in this way, they found many new substances and invented many useful processes. >From the Arabs, alchemy generally found its way through Spain into Europe.

Customer Value Marketing Essay

This report based on the study of â€Å"Customer Value Marketing† starts with introduction section. We have mentioned the contents of the study in objectives of the report section. The methodology section deals with the means of preparation of this report and the processes that we have followed. Then the report describes the theoretical aspects of the study in the literature review. This section mainly consists of brief description about different important topics about customer value marketing. Finally in the last section, the report is concluded with findings, bibliography and appendix over the topic. The appendix section contains some International Journals on Customer value marketing. INTRODUCTION Today’s marketing process is highly customer focused. It is all about creating customer value and building profitable customer relationship. Customers are at the center of marketing process. The main theme of marketing is to create customer value and to capture value from customers in return. The goal of every marketer is to create more value for customers. Customers usually face a broad array of products and services that might satisfy a given need. Among these products or services, customers have to choose the products that give them optimum value and satisfaction. That is why creating customer value is considered to be the most important task to be performed by marketing today. The marketers do it through â€Å"customer value delivery system†, a system which is made up of the value chains of a company and its suppliers, distributors and ultimately its customers who work together to deliver value to customers. To deliver superior value to customers the marketers have to design a customer driven marketing strategy. The proper implementation of this strategy will give customers a perceived value, therefore, satisfaction. While buying a product or service, a customer is buying satisfaction. Highest value is derived when a customer is fully satisfied with his or her purchase. Today, value is considered to be an important constituent of relationship marketing and the ability of a company to provide superior value to its customers is regarded as one of the most successful competitive strategies for business. Hence, today’s marketing needs to be based on the concept of customer value. OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT This report mainly discusses the following subjects: †¢Customer Value †¢Customer Value Strategy †¢Customer Value Positioning Model †¢The implementation of Customer Value Strategy †¢Hypothesis Regarding Customer value †¢Propositions on Customer Value †¢Methods of Customer Value Assessment †¢Customer Lifetime Value METHODOLOGY OF THE REPORT The report in this study is basically a descriptive one. Here, both the primary and the secondary data are been used. The primary data has been collected from lectures given on this topic in the classroom. The secondary sources of data are our textbooks, various international journals & different websites. LITERATURE REVIEW Customer value strategy: Customer value strategy is doing things differently from the competitors and transferring different values to the customers. There are six principles of strategic positioning. They are: †¢Strategy should have the right objectives. †¢The value of positioning should be distinguished from the competitors. †¢Strategic thinking should be reflected from the unique value chain. †¢In order to pursue the uniqueness in certain areas, we must give up some of the other characteristics of products, services or activities. †¢Strategy should enable the effective integration of various activities. †¢Strategy should have sustained direction. Customer Value Positioning Model: A Successful business is always based on its selection of the target customers for value positioning. Customers can be roughly divided into three types, but for different customers have different types of value positioning model: †¢Customers are interested in up-to-dated, modern product. Organizations which meet the needs of these customers can orient the value on â€Å"product leadership†. For example, Microsoft, Hp. †¢Customers prefer cost-effective products and services. They prefer convenient purchase and high quality service. The organizations which aim at this target group of customers orient the value on â€Å"operational excellence†. For example, Wal-Mart, Fed-Ex. †¢Customers want to get exactly what they need, even if they have to pay a higher cost or wait a little longer. Companies which serve these types of customers are committed to improving â€Å"customer intimacy†. For example, Honda, British Airways. The implementation of Customer Value Strategy: Once the customer value strategy is established, the company must ensure the implementation of the strategy by committing everyone in the workplace to its objectives and building support system for it. For this the business must ensure the followings: 1.Strengthening management for core competency: The practice of a strong management system is a prerequisite for achieving customer value. A dynamic management system is needed so that the value strategy can be effectively implied. 2.Establishing culture of the company based on customer value: In order to achieve the strategic objectives of a company, it is necessary to develop a culture based on customer value so that the idea of customer value is deep in the heart of everyone in the workplace. 3.Establishing a highly integrated value system: A highly integrated value system means company’s self-reinforcing system of various activities. 4.Establishing an effective performance measuring system: While implementing customer value strategy, companies continuously measure the performance with goal. Therefore, company should have an effective performance measuring system so that any deviation can be analyzed carefully. 5.Establishing the network marketing system: With the help of network marketing system companies can understand customer’s needs in a better way and thus can strengthen the implementation of customer value strategy. Hypothesis: Rajagopal (2006) has established some hypothesis regarding customer value. They are as follows: †¢Higher perceived value acquired by the customer help consumers to determine their buying decision on the non-conventional products of unfamiliar brands in the market. †¢The brand value of the product is enhanced by developing the communication tools effectively by the firm which help augment the customer value by marginalizing the gap between consumer perception and product attributes. †¢The brand value, quality of the product, competitive advantage and price along with other relational variables determine the customer value. †¢The product attractiveness combined with the effective informational sharing and retailing services help augmenting by providing competitive advantage. Here are some other hypothesis by Weinstein and Abratt (2009): †¢There is a significant correlation between service received from a professional service and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between quality received and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between the image of a professional service and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between the prices charged and customer retention. †¢There is a significant correlation between overall value received from a professional service and customer retention. Propositions: Andreassen (1997) has made some propositions on customer value. They are: †¢Perceived quality is believed to have a positive impact on value †¢Perceived quality and value are believed to have a positive impact on customer satisfaction. Methods of customer value assessment: James, Dipak & Pradeep (1993), introduced some methods for assessing customer value. They are as follows: †¢Internal engineering assessment †¢Field value-in-use assessment †¢Indirect survey questions †¢Focus group value assessment. †¢Direct survey questions †¢Conjoint analysis †¢Benchmarks †¢Compositional approach †¢Importance ratings Customer Lifetime Value: According to Phillip, Mark & Robert (2004), â€Å"Customer Lifetime Value is the present value of the future cash flows attributed to customer relationship.† Therefore, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), also known as Lifetime Customer Value (LCV) or Lifetime Value (LTV) is the net present value of the cash flows recognized from the relationship with a customer. This is a parameter to determine exactly how much a customer is worth in monetary terms and therefore exactly how much a marketing department should be willing to spend to acquire each customer. According to Jason, Ashutosh and Roberto (2010), â€Å"CLV makes it possible to explicitly link long-term financial returns to marketing actions.† They think that CLV has been gaining significance for two reasons: First, many traditional marketing metrics are not sufficient to evaluate return on marketing investments. Second, customers are not equally profitable. So, it is necessary to understand customer value at individual level which can be done with the help of CVL. CLV is typically used to calculate the cost of acquisition of a customer. For example, if a new customer costs 50000 TK to acquire and his or her lifetime value is 60000 TK, then the customer is considered to be profitable. FINDINGS 1.Customer value helps to develop & manage customer relationship 2.Customer expectation and customer satisfaction are closely related with customer value 3.There are some principles of strategic positioning which can be applied in doing things differently from the competitors and transferring different values to the customers 4.Success in business depends on selection of the target customers for value positioning. 5.The practice of a strong management system is needed for achieving customer value. 6.Developing a culture based on customer value is necessary to achieve the strategic objectives of a company. 7.A highly integrated value system & effective performance measuring system is important for the implementation of customer value strategy. 8.Network marketing system helps to understand customer’s needs in a better way 9.Some hypotheses established by various scholars are helpful for delivering superior customer value. 10. Important methods should be followed for assessing customer value 11.Customer Lifetime Value explicitly links long-term financial returns to marketing action. It also helps to understand customer value at individual level. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Komulainen Hanna; Mainela Tuija; Tahtinen Jaana; Ulkuniemi Pauliina (2004) â€Å"Exploring Customer Perceived value in a Technology Intensive Service Innovation†, volume 20, page 27. 2.Ravald Annika; Gronroos Christian, (1996),†The Value Concept and Relationship Marketing†, volume 30, page 12. 3.Lia Chia Chi;(2003) â€Å"The role of Customer perceived value in Generating Customer Satisfaction: An E-business perspective† volume 5, page 15. 4.Lam Shun Yin; Shankar Venkatesh; Erramilli and Murthy; Krishna Bvsan, (2004), †Customer value, Satisfaction, Loyalty and Switching cost: An illustration from a Business to Business Service Context†, volume 32, page 20. 5.Rajagopal, (2006), â€Å"Brand value, Preferences and Customer value effect of Non-conventional utility products: An experimental analysis in Mexican market†, page 23. Weinstein Art and Abratt Russel(2009) â€Å"Marketing Intelligence & Planning† Volume 27 No. 5 page 19, 2009 6. 7. 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