Western Civilization Essays - Nazism, Free Essays, Term Papers

Monasticism Essays - Asceticism, Monasticism, Monk, Hermit

Asceticism Asceticism, actually being a loner, has come to portray the lifestyle relating to individuals living in segregation from the remainder of the world. These individuals are under strict guarantee and subject to a fixed guideline, as priests. The essential thought of religion is complete segregation from the remainder of society. The strategy they have embraced, regardless of what the exact subtleties might be, is for the most part sorted out parsimony. In the event that the methods of religion were taken in a wide enough sense it might be found in each strict framework that has accomplished a high degree of moral turn of events, for example, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions, and even in the arrangement of the socialist social orders at our present time. All through my learning in class, I have come to comprehend that the religious lifestyle is an austere one, yet I don't think saying the most punctual Christian austerity was devout is right. Considering the conditions in which the early Christians were put, for the main century or so of the Church's presence living separated from the assemblage of the unwavering was not feasible, it was viewed as about unthinkable. In any case, I get myself sure that asceticism, when it came, was minimal in excess of a gathering of thoughts beforehand in arrangement among Christians. For parsimony is the battle contrary to common standards, even with, for example, are simply common without being corrupt. The world wants and praises riches, so the plain loves and respects neediness. On the off chance that he should have something in the idea of property, at that point he and his colleagues will hold it in like manner, in light of the fact that the world regards and shields private proprietorship. In like way he works on fasting and virginity that in this manner he may disavow the permit of the world.

Animal-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

Animal-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is sometimes used in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Animals may be uniquely suited to help individuals with SAD, as they offer nonjudgmental support and a chance to learn about interactions with others.   History of AAT AAT dates back to the 1940s when an army corporal brought his Yorkshire Terrier to a hospital to cheer up wounded soldiers. It began in earnest in the early 1990s; however, it is still a relatively new field. AAT uses trained animals to enhance the physical, emotional, and social well-being of clients. AAT is defined by the American Humane Association as a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical health-care treatment process. AAT is delivered or directed by a professional health or human service provider who demonstrates skill and expertise regarding the clinical applications of human-animal interaction.   How Animals Are Used in Therapy for SAD Animal-assisted therapy does not follow one specific mode of treatment. For example, animals are included in everything from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to psychodynamic treatment.  The animal is there to assist in the therapeutic process, not to drive the process of therapy.   Animals used in therapy can be of all different types. Dogs and horses are the ones most people think of when they picture therapy animals, but even more exotic animals can serve in the therapy process. What role do animals play in therapy? There are several specific aspects of therapy for SAD that animals can help with: Animals can help you improve your self-esteem, develop social skills, and reduce symptoms of anxiety.In group therapy for SAD, animals may help to increase interactions between group members. Indeed, it is easy to imagine that a socially anxious group accompanied by a cute furry friend would be more likely to open up and talk to one another.In one-on-one therapy, an animal may help you to feel safer and build rapport with your therapist.  Animals such as horses and dogs pick up on cues in social relationships. Your therapist can use these reactions to guide therapy sessions. For example, your therapist may show you how your behavior (friendly or standoffish) will affect how the animal responds to you. This is a simple way to see how your behavior affects those around you.Research has also demonstrated that animals have a calming effect, reducing blood pressure and anxiety. Having an animal in your therapy sessions will help you to feel relaxed.Animals in therapy provide the opportuni ty to give affection and to receive it. This may be particularly helpful for children and teenagers struggling to find connections among family or peers.Animals in therapy may help to reduce depression and isolation. Among children, they may help in social expression.Finally, having an animal in your therapy sessions means that the focus is not all on youâ€"something that those with SAD may find overwhelming in the early stages. Animals used in therapy may work in any of the following settings: Nursing homesHospitalsSchoolsLibrariesCorrectional facilitiesRehabilitation centers Difference Between Therapy Animals and Psychiatric Service Animals for SAD Animals who assist with therapy are not the same as psychiatric service animals. Service animals live with individuals with psychological disorders and other disabilities to help them with activities of daily living, such as remembering to take medication or learning to identify the signs of an impending anxiety attack. Service animals fall under the protection of the American Disabilities Act (ADA) in this regard. Evidence Supporting Animal-Assisted Therapy There is a plethora of anecdotal information and case studies in support of animal-assisted therapy, but not much long-term controlled research has been conducted. A 1998 study published in the journal Psychiatric Services examined whether a single session of animal-assisted therapy reduced anxiety levels in 230 hospitalized psychiatric patients and whether these were related to their diagnoses. The results of the study showed that animal-assisted therapy was associated with reduced anxiety in hospitalized patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. A 2007 meta-analysis of 49 studies found AAT to be associated with moderate effect sizes in improvements in four areas: autism-spectrum symptoms, medical problems, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being.  Surprisingly, aspects of the participants and studies did not show different outcomes. Overall, the research on AAT shows that it has promise when used alongside traditional treatments for some problems that may be related to SAD, such as anxiety and emotional well-being. More rigorous controlled studies are needed to determine the best methods for applying AAT for maximum benefit. How Does AAT Improve on Traditional Therapy for SAD? The use of animals during therapy for SAD may offer several advantages: Increased oxytocin levels leading to lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Oxytocin is a social hormone that is positively affected by human-animal interactions.Children and teenagers can touch the animalsâ€"something that they may be missing in their livesâ€"whereas touch during traditional therapy would be inappropriate.  Animals are nonjudgmental. They dont know your history or situation or details that others can sometimes judge you for, like being out of work or single. They accept you for who you are, flaws and all. They are forgiving and happy to see you and are consistently happy. While therapists can hope to achieve the ideal of neutrality, animals are naturals at it.For children with selective mutism, a condition in which a child fails to speak in one or more situations because of severe anxiety, animals can make therapy less threatening and help them to stay in treatment longer. Who Should Not Receive AAT For most people with SAD, there should be no reason that AAT would not be suitable. However, if any of the following applies in your situation, then AAT may not be advisable. You have a strong fear of animals. You will need to work through this fear first, and even then AAT may not be helpful for you.You are allergic to certain types of animals (others may still be suitableâ€"even dolphins do AAT!)You have reduced immunity due to HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, or any immune-suppressive medications. Contact your doctor if any of these situations apply. How AAT Practitioners Are Governed There is currently no governing body that oversees AAT. However, organizations such as Pet Partners offer training of both animals and therapists. Dogs registered with Therapy Dogs International  must have yearly screenings by a veterinarian in order to participate in AAT.   In general, animals participating in AAT should be up-to-date on vaccinations and in good health. AAT Example What better way to illustrate how AAT works than with an excerpt from a case study? In this short excerpt republished from an article, licensed social worker Stephen Quinlan describes what it was like to use AAT with a child with selective mutism.   We made use of a tennis ball that I have in my office and had Layla first sit then wait while Charlie threw the ball. I then released Layla with an OK. She charged after the ball and returned it and I told her to drop. Charlie watched all of my doing this and then pointed to himself. I asked him if he would like to try. He nodded. To this point in treatment, Charlie had not uttered a single word to anyone. He was able to laugh and make sounds, but completely unable to speak. Si-t was the first word that Charlie sounded out in a choppy fashion. Wuh-ait, he continued, OO-KUH! he bellowed loudly. Layla again charged after the ball and Charlie screamed with delight. Duh-Ruh-op, said Charlie upon Layla’s return. In summarizing his experience, Quinlan notes that Layla had both set the bar for Charlie’s being verbal in session and given him a comfortable place to go back to when his anxiety was particularly high. Where to Find Animal-Assisted Therapy There are several options to try and find an AAT therapist in your area. Note that you may need to travel to the site where the animals work  rather than having the animal come to you. Contact the  American Humane Association  or the  American Counseling Association  to find out your options to receive animal-assisted therapy.Pet Partners  is a research organization that promotes animal-based treatments around the United States.Therapy Dogs International (TDI) is another organization that may be helpful to contact.

Essay on Quest for Identity in the Victorian Era - 1880 Words

Quest for Identity in the Victorian Era Who are you? said the caterpillar to Alice (Carroll 60). This was a question she could not answer. Why doesnt Alice know what constitutes her being? Humans desire completeness, and a solid identity. Up to the age of Darwinism, that void was filled by religious faith. But with the emergence of Charles Darwins theories on natural selection and survival of the fittest, Victorians were reevaluating their paths to righteousness. Without God as a foundation, what were lifes rules? Peter Bowler argues in Charles Darwin: The Man and His Influence that the old road to salvation had been damaged by one of Darwins greatest triumphs - being the catalyst for the†¦show more content†¦Victorians, in the quest to find who they were, were faced with the difficulty of choosing an identity. Victorians knew they could play more than one personality and almost had to due to the strict social codes within their society. Even a child, Alice was very fond of pretending to be two people (Carroll 13) and throughout Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland, she grapples with finding her true identity. As she speaks to the caterpillar, she says that she cannot explain herself because she has not been herself since falling through the rabbit hole (60). But if Im not the same, the next question is, who in the world am I? Ah, thats the great puzzle! (Carroll 19) Like Alice, other Victorians could not definitively be a personality and searched for an identity they conceived was the purest form. Such is the case in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Robert Louis Stevensons The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in which Dr. Jekyll attempts to flush every bit of his evil being into Mr. Hyde. As well, Dorian Gray wishes his portrait would acquire all the traits he desires not to attain. Both these men and Alice struggle with an identity crisis, questing for their ideal Victorian self. Seen as the answer to make the ideal self, drugs were becoming known as a cure and solid solution to problems in an unstable world. Even Alice travels toShow MoreRelatedAlice in Wonderland: A Curious Child1443 Words   |  6 Pagesis a representation of a middle class child in Victorian England. Victorian children were expected to be able to recite rules and lessons. Auerbach believed that Alice is a perfect example of the Victorian mindset and a way to see into ones psyche. Who dreamed it shows a part of the Victorian quest for the origins of the self that culminates in the controlled regression of Freudian analysis. It is quite funny how Carroll disagrees with the Victorian mindset yet he is part of the mindset. I agreeRead MoreEnglish Literature in the Victorian Era2737 Words   |  11 Pageslunatic man, Im a sane man fighting for his soul this quote from Bram Stoker’s- Dracula, illustrates and foreshadows that in the Victorian era, a quest for meaning was seen by the ma jority of society as ‘lunacy’, however the characters that Stoker uses, are represented ‘sane’, suggesting Stoker’s encouragement of a quest for meaning and purpose in the Victorian era of increasing uncertainty. Along with Stoker, Charles Dickens and Lord Alfred Tennyson also address the individual’s pursuit for meaningRead MoreJane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte2164 Words   |  9 Pagesequality were difficult for Victorian women, largely because of their gender, but also because they did not have any independent source of wealth. Published in 1847, Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Brontà « depicts the life of women during that time that were economically devalued and socially marginalized. Women were not seen as equals to men and being independent meant being free from the influences of others. The novel tells the story of Jane Eyre, a young Victorian woman on a quest to fulfill a sense ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr . Hyde, By Robert Louis Stevenson1323 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Victorian era, the United Kingdom underwent many social, political and economic reforms for a more modern society. These series of reforms are directly represented in the literature of the time. An excellent example is, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, which gives a direct image of what Victorian era was like with his writing style as well as the story itself. Specifically, Stevenson portrays exactly how Victorian social life commenced as well asRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde1382 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieve that honesty is one of the building blocks of a society and is what initiates trust between people; furthermore, the Victorian era was a time period in British history where rules and morals appeared to be strict. The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, a nineteenth century author who was one of the most acclaimed playwrights of his da y, is a play set in the Victorian time period that demonstrates how trivial telling the truth was. Different characters throughout Wilde’s play establishRead MoreLiterary Review of Bram Stokers Dracula Essay1230 Words   |  5 PagesWorld of Bram Stoker,† by Jennifer Dorn, declares that Stokers vision of the setting of London’s Victorian upper-class society, derived from his station in the acclaimed Lyceum Theatre and from his memories of summer travels to the cliff side fishing village of Whitby. In the novel, the Westenra’s reside in the quaint seaside village and it is also the port in which the counts embarks on his quest for blood, ultimately claiming the life of Lucy Westenra. Many diary entries in the novel describeRead MoreVictorian Literature Essay2858 Words   |  12 PagesViktor E. Frankl, the Austrian psychologist, once stated that â€Å"When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves†. A Victorian society condemned to a period of forced adjustment into a life of despotism, as a result of radical change and revolution, dictatorial upper-class tyranny and a life absent of pleasure and happiness, serves as an example of the great psychologist’s words. The industrialisation and development of Britain acted as a major catalyst forRead MoreAn Analysis Of Oscar Wilde S The Importance Of Being Honest1833 Words   |  8 Pageselaborate satire of the Victorian period views on marriage. First, there must be a basic understanding of the basic commitment we know as marriage. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, marriage is defined as the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. In modern times, marriage rates are declining and new family structures are becoming more common; however, in Victorian England, marriage was aRead MoreThe Exposure of Feminist Critique in 19th Century Literature: a Look at Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre1749 Words   |  7 Pagesimplicit, physical, and even made humorous or satirical. Charlotte Brontà «, a 19th century Victorian feminist wrote her novel Jane Eyre as a means of exposing the confining environments, shameful lack of education, and pitiful dependence upon male relatives for survival (Brackett, 2000). Charlotte Brontà « used literature as a means of feminist cultural resistance by identifying the underlying factors o f how the Victorian ideologies, gender and social construction of that time was limiting, and brings toRead MoreHeroism In Christina Rossettis Goblin Market1543 Words   |  7 Pages Literary works from the Victorian era offers an assortment of female characters, some of which could be described as stunted to modern readers for lack of complex narrative elements due to societal ideals and impositions on female characteristics while others, perhaps controversial in its time, have remained in the public consciousness years later for their complexities. Christina Rossetti’s 1862 Goblin Market has remained in the minds of readers and literary scholars for decades as it easily lends

Historical Context Women s Rights - 2000 Words

Historical Context: Women in India have few choices, especially when it comes to marriage. In fact, most marriages are pre-arranged from a young age. In addition, India has a long lasting cultural practice where women, and even young girls are traded for a form of dowry (â€Å"Rastogi†, 2006). The dowry would serve as compensation to the bride’s father for the loose of control and labour of his daughter after marriage (â€Å"Rastogi†, 2006). Essentially, the female is treated as property. This ritual considered to a grooms entitlement, and has been largely linked to the oppression, abuse, and violence against females (â€Å"Rastogi†, 2006). Yet it is not uncommon for the groom’s family to be unsatisfied with the dowry, especially at times if it is not fully upheld by the bride’s family. This is a large contributor the cruelty and sexual violence targeted to females in Indian society, and has also been linked dowry-deaths, where either her husband or his family c ommits the murder of a bride. Past Indian governments have accepted the damaging effects of dowries towards women and made it illegal through the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, yet the policy broadly defined the punishable aspect of the practice making it difficult to enforce (Shenk, 2007). As a result of the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 failing in implementation, the Indian Government passed two amendments in the 1980’s. The changes increased the severity of punishment, and made the demand of a dowry illegal thatShow MoreRelatedPortrayal Of The American Girls Professional Baseball League1638 Words   |  7 Pagesfrequent ties of historical context, movies draw upon real athletes, situations, and struggles. 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In order to prove the Jews innocent (so as to keep the taxes that the Jewish merchants provide), the king hires a group of detectives and doctors, including one woman, Adelia. Because she is a woman, sheRead MoreLiterary Theories And Literary Criticism1318 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature should be studied and interpreted in context with the author’s history as well as the history of the critic. †¢ Acknowledges that the author’s literature is influenced by his/her situations or surroundings. †¢ The critic’s response is also influenced by his/her surroundings, beliefs, values and prejudices. †¢ Shows how the author’s settings affected their work and how the literary work reflects on the author. †¢ Recognizes current cultural contexts, which helps critic’s to come to their conclusionsRead More A Revolution of Values: The Promise of Multicultural Essay1058 Words   |  5 Pagessegregation and was in high school during the start of civil rights movements. 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Same-sex couples have only recently been recognized under theRead MoreAnalysis A Look behind the Veil1476 Words   |  6 PagesMiddle-Eastern region gives an important value to it due to its religious and historical significance. Many authors from different countries debated about the pros and cons of wearing the veil. Audience: The primary audience is the people who don’t have much knowledge about the Middle Eastern culture. The secondary audience is the radical and extremist Muslims. Purpose: The authors’ purpose is to give an explanation about the â€Å"hijab†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s value in the North African and Middle Eastern culture. The authors listRead MoreAnalyzing Kessler-Harris and Scotts Views on Gender Issues1360 Words   |  5 PagesKessler Harris and Scott on Gender Issues Abstract Drawing on Joan Scotts Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis and on Alice Kessler-Harriss Just price, Free Market and the Value of Women, the following questions will be answered, How has the equality of women and men been expressed according to both Scott and Kessler-Harris? Why gender has become a useful category of historical analysis for historians? How different (other) historians view gender? What are Kessler-Harriss views

ITStrategy and Positioning for Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Free Essays

Introduction This assignment is constructed to consider a case study of an existing business and analyse its IT strategy and positioning for competitive advantage. A few hours were spent researching ideals into companies of interest to which I had to make sure it fitted in line with the assignment objective. The organisation that sparked my interest was Volkswagen Financial Services (UK). We will write a custom essay sample on ITStrategy and Positioning for Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) or any similar topic only for you Order Now This was because they are a large organisation which is vastly growing year by year and have a major influence in them motor industry. I also got the privilege of working within their customer experience department as a customer service advisor. Background Volkswagen Financial Services is a financial services provider in the Volkswagen Group. The company deals in a broad spectrum of automotive products including financing dealers and customers through leasing, corporate financing, vehicle fleet management to banking and insurance products. According to the 2013 report, the company has experienced a rise in the number of contracts in their portfolio from just under-8 million to over 8.8 million, a 10.9 percent rise. The Management Board Chairman Frank Witter attributes this growth to a 5 percent increase in number of vehicles delivered to more than 9.7 million. The company was also able to attract more customers with their financial services. As a leading financial provider for all things automotive sales within the umbrella of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, the company has developed key strategies to ensure they achieve their mission, which is â€Å"to support the sales of all Volkswagen Group brands worldwide and increase customer loyalty in a sustainable manner along the entire automotive value chain† (VW FS Annual Report, 2013). Volkswagen strategy statement is based on â€Å"customer-focus†, â€Å"pioneering† and â€Å"getting things done†. To ensure sustainable growth, the company pursues its strategy in three fronts: brands, markets and products. That is, developing new brands for Volkswagen Group, establishing new markets, and developing new products in existing markets. Volkswagen Financial Services continue to adopt a consistent customer relationship management (CRM) strategy in its customer care. As such, structures of the company and its processes have been aligned with customer groups and their unique requirements (VW FS Annual Report, 2013). Johnson et al (2013, p.69) describes strategy as the â€Å"long-term direction of an organisation.† A leading strategy theorist Michael Porter would refer to this as a competitive strategy that seeks to be different from competition, by â€Å"deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value† to the intended consumers (Porter, 1996, p.31). The Volkswagen Financial Services strategy can be considered to be based on what Porter (1996) describes as variety-based and needs-based positioning. However, Volkswagen Financial Services continual pursuance of consistent CRM strategy in customer care led the company to rethink its organisation structure and customer groups as aligned by the customer requirements. In attempt to support this organisational restructuring, the organisation required an IT structure to allow the company have a standard of customer data, standard and continuous process support right from customer support to subsequent processing and transaction execution, integrating existing transaction-related banking system without any additional extensive conversions. In order to meet these requirements, a product and division-oriented IT environment was implemented. Core applications and systems related to transaction-related banking systems where clients’ accounts and contracts could be managed were implemented. The implementations of these applications and systems isolated the various specific client data from each other making an integral view much more complicated and cumbersome. But the company solved this problem when they installed customer-oriented IT architecture in SAP CRM for a standard customer care and SAP NetWeaverTM as a system integration platform. Although Volkswagen Financial Services may have considered this a triumph in its efforts to strengthen their CRM-oriented strategy in customer service, it’s not a unique strategy that can strengthen their competitive advantage given its ease of adoption by competitors or new entrants. Le Pest C for Volkswagen Financials Services In order to comprehensively understand Volkswagen Financial Services strategic capabilities, it is significant to use the Le Pest C model (Brooks and Weatherston, 2002): LePestC Possible Issues at VW FS (UK) Legal Data security and privacy legislations and legal challenges Economic Low profitability due to decreased consumer spending power and inability to expand to emerging markets Political VW Financial Services AG, which inevitable controls its strategic decisions making process Environment/Ecologic Environmental pressure from regulatory authorities Social Change of consumer preferences, e.g. study shows that more consumers in Europe prefer to travel via train rather than personal cars Technological New technology that are likely to render the current ones obsolete and requires upgrade regularly Competitiveness Competition from financial companies and other auto dealers Legal: Data security and privacy have become serious challenges to many businesses, raising concerns with rise in big data and cloud computing initiatives. Auto suppliers like Volkswagen Financial Services Company collect and store highly confidential and sensitive customer data that may be at risk from data breaches. It must be noted that the company is networked not only internally but also externally through internet or other telecommunication connectivity. As such, the company needs to have a robust information security practices not only well documented in the form of information security policies but also ensure strict adherence to ethical standards to avoid legal suits. Moreover, the company needs to develop internal ethical standards in line with their business principles and treat it as part and parcel of the CRM strategies (Barreto, 2010). In case the company wants to use big data, it must strive to develop policy that informs the clients in advance to agree or disagree wit h such plans. Failure to develop such policies may attract legal suits from clients disputing the use of their personal data. The outcome of legal suits may be extremely costly to the company in terms of legal fees, unfavourable strict government regulations and reputation damage. Economic: Volkswagen Financial Services Company has experience the challenges associated with the economic financial crisis that started at the onset of 2008. Although the company considers rise in sales and number of client subscribed in the latest reports, the reduced disposable income is likely to affect the company negatively in the long run, given financial challenges affecting its major European market. Environmental/ Ecological: Auto suppliers like Volkswagen Financial Services face various challenges in maintaining extra-regulatory compliance with contractual clauses. Some of these clauses often require them to certify that the car parts of sale are free of asbestos, lead paint, chromium, and blood minerals among other banned elements (Mintzberg, et al., 2002). These regulatory compliance requirements are meant to ensure sustainability and protection of environment. Issues such as greenhouse gases that cause global warming, and waste management increases cost of production. Socio-cultural: Studies have shown that public transport in Europe is becoming more popular than passenger cars (Tyrinopoulos and Antoniou, 2013). This kind of finding may suggest that the change in trend is more associated with change in social preference. More significantly, the company has not managed to break into Chinese among other emerging markets with its financial services considering that Chinese consumers are cash-buyers rather than credit buyers, as noted by the company’s 2013 Annual Report. This cultural barrier has affected the company’s financial front in terms of sales return. Technological: there are technological challenges associated with auto and financial industries. The challenge with technology is that it changes every day, with new ideas propping up that may provide fast-moving competitors with better competitive advantage (Maritan and Brush, 2003). VW FS (UK) is one of the companies in this sector that suffers from the technological challenges. Competitive: competition from other auto suppliers is real. Although the company has gained competitive advantage with multi-brand CRM, there is likelihood that their major competitors will do the same. Strategic Capabilities of Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Strategic capabilities of a firm are those capabilities that lead to a competitive advantage. Mintzberg, et al. (2002) defines strategic Resources and competencies as the two components that define resource capability. Further, resources are those assets that an organisation own or can call upon to aid their progress. Competencies are the ability to deploy those resources effectively or to make use of the available resources to achieve a certain goal (Teece, 2007). In others words, resources are what is available and competencies are the ability to use these resources. Table: Representation of strategic capability of Volkswagen Financial Services Resources Competencies Machines, raw materials, products, patents, database, computer systems Physical The company has the means to achieve utilisation of plant, efficiency, productivity, flexibility, marketing Balance sheet, cash flow, revenue Financial That company has the means to raise funds and manage cash flow, debtors, creditors, etc. Managers, employees, partners, suppliers, customers Human The company has experience, skills, knowledge, and ability to build relationships, motivate others and innovate. However, it’s yet to exploit this ability to the maximum. (Brooks and Weatherston, 2002). If fully used, the above representation would lead to long term survival of VW FS, and subsequently strengthen their competitive advantage. Although the strategic capabilities should be dynamic enough, there is a clear indication that Volkswagen Financial Services’ is not as dynamic as required. The company should be able to recreate and renew its strategic capabilities according to the changing business environment. For example, while tangible assets, cost control, and quality maintenance are important capabilities that the company has embraced, there are more long term capabilities such as sensing, seizing and reconfiguring that are significant Using innovation to spur entrepreneurship Innovation and entrepreneurship is about creating the new- both new products and services and new business models and organisations (Johnson, et al., 2013). Creating value for firms and customers, innovation and entrepreneurship are fundamental to today’s highly competitive economies. But the decision to innovate and pursue new market leads through innovation can be a hard choice for organisations as has been demonstrated by Volkswagen Financial Services’ attempts to enter Chinese market. The company ought to have asked various fundamental questions such as: Will it be appropriate if they too pioneer in new technologies or rather be a fast follower (timing and relationship)innovation dilemma How should they react to radical innovations that threaten to destroy its existing revenues? In such a highly competitive industry, entrepreneurship is a significant aspect of any business. In other words, entrepreneurship is fundamental aspect of any business that wants to keep up with the changing business environment. It’s entrepreneurship that drives innovation. Innovation dilemma However there are innovation dilemmas that may affect a firm’s decision-making process. Many corporations face strategic dilemma on whether to innovate or note. Johnson et al. (2013,p. 239) describes innovation as the process of converting new knowledge into a new product, process or service and the putting of this new product, process or service into actual use. Another aspect of innovation dilemma facing VW FS is whether to adopt open or closed innovation. Porter (1996) describes open innovation as the process of deliberate importation and exportation of knowledge by a firm in their attempt to speed up and intensify innovation. Open innovation advocates for open exchange of ideas for quick better products to keep ahead of competition. Closed innovation is based on a firms insistence on making every innovative ideas internal, keeping everything secret from outside people. Volkswagen Financial Services Company seems to focus on closed innovation, which inevitably limits their ability to source for ideas. There is likelihood that this limits their ability to attract external skills or innovative ideas. Technological or business model innovation Most successful and progressive innovative activities do not necessarily rely on the latest or new science or technology, but involve reorganizing into new business by combining every aspect of a business (Johnson et al., 2013). A business model describes how an organisation manages incomes and costs through the structural arrangements of its activities. For example, when Ryanair decided to adopt the ultra cheap airline tickets, its business model innovation involved the generation of revenues via direct sales through the internet, thereby cutting out intermediary travel agents, while also using cheap secondary airports. Cheap airports and internet sales proved more significant than technological innovation. There are various ways of analysing a business model innovation, including the use of value chain, value net or activity network frameworks (Johnson et al., 2013). Typically, these frameworks are meant to direct managers and entrepreneurs to two primary frameworks for potential innovations: The product – a new business model may redefine what the product or service is and how it is produced. This concerns technology in relation to the value chain. The selling – a new business model may change how an organisation generates its revenue, with implications for selling and distribution. In the perspective of Volkswagen FS, the company’s value chain in terms of emerging markets has not picked up as anticipated. The emerging markets, unlike the developed markets are generally cash buyers. The company may consider using instalments payment model to establish its value chain within the emerging markets like China and India, with attractive product packages targeting the growing middle class consumers in these countries. Innovators and followers There are those who choose to lead innovations and those who follow. Barreto (2010) argue that first-movers often start from a positive note where because they get easy and quick sales early, experience fast growth and have the ability to establish the dominant positions. Examples of first-movers who have succeeded in this line are Coca Cola in soft drinks and Hoover in vacuum cleaners. However, there are many first-movers that have failed such as the powerful Microsoft which failed with its tablet computer launch in 2001. Nine years later, Apple swept the market with its iPad tablet computer. First-mover advantages and disadvantages First-movers are generally temporary monopolies. Their advantage exists where they appear better off than their competitors as a result of being first to market with a new product, process or service (Teece, 2009; Teece, 2007). There are five potentially more robust first-movers advantage: They can build on experience in a market and benefit from the accrued market knowledge and skills; They can scale faster and enjoy the early benefits; They have the opportunity for pre-emption of scarce resources; They can build early reputation, particularly because consumers have little ‘mind-space’ to recognise new brands that follows; They can exploit the buyer switching costs, by ensuring that their customers are locked with privileged or sticky relationships that later challengers may find too costly to adopt (Teece, 2009) However, Mintzberg (2002) observe that there are disadvantages for being first-movers as seen with Microsoft’s earlier failure with tablets. First is the free-riding factor. Late movers may find it easy to imitate first mover’s technology and other innovations at less expense than originally incurred by pioneers. Research indicates that the costs of imitation are only 65% of the cost of innovation (Teece, 2009). In addition, late-movers have the ability to learn from the errors made by first-movers, picking on what worked well and avoiding what did not work for their pioneer competitor. In other words, they may not make so many mistakes and be able to get it right first time unlike their pioneer competitor. Should Volkswagen Financial Services be a first or second? Managers and entrepreneurs often find it hard to choose either to be a first-mover or a follower. However, London Business School’s Costas Markides and Paul Geroski argue that the most appropriate response to innovation, especially radical innovation, is often not to be a first mover but to be a ‘fast second’ (Mintzberg, 2002). A first second strategy involves being one of the first to imitate the original innovator. According to Porter (1996) there are three contextual factors to consider in choosing between innovating and imitating: Capacity for profit capture. If a follower can imitate faster and efficiently, it can capture good profits. It’s more effective where the pioneer is not able to define the boundaries for intellectual property; Complementary assets. An organisation in possession of the assets or resources have the ability to scale up the production and marketing of the innovation; Fast-moving arenas. In situations where markets or technologies are moving very fast, and especially where both are highly dynamic, first-movers are unlikely to establish a durable advantage. The incumbent can respond to new entrants into the market by adopting disruptive innovation. As has been shown earlier, disruptive innovation can create substantial growth by offering a new performance trajectory that, even if â€Å"initially inferior to the performance of existing technologies, has the potential to become markedly superior† Winter, 2003). Incumbents can follow two policies to help keep them responsive to potentially disruptive innovation: Develop a portfolio of real options and new venture units. References Barreto, I. (2010). Dynamic capabilities: a review of past research and an agenda for the future. Journal of Management, 36 (1): 256-80. Brooks, I. and Weatherston, J. (2002). The Business Environment: Challenges and Changes. NJ: Prentice Hall. Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K., Angwin, D., and Regner, P. (2013). Exploring Strategy Text Cases. NJ: Pearson Education. Maritan, C.A and Brush, T.H. (2003). Heterogeneity and transferring practices: implementing flow practices in multiple plants. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (10): 945-60. Mintzberg, H., Ghoshal, S., Lampel, J., and Quinn, J.B. (2002) â€Å"The Strategy Process: Concepts, Context, Cases†,4th Edition, Prentice Hall. Porter, M. (1996) â€Å"What is Strategy?†, Harvard Business Review, November- December: 61-78. Tyrinopoulos, Y. and Antoniou, C. (2013) Factors affecting modal choice in urban mobility. European Transport Research Review. 5 (1). pp. 27-39. Teece, D.J. (2009). Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic management- organising for innovation and growth, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Teece, D.J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of sustainable enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28 (1): 1319-50. VW FS Annual Report (2013). Volkswagen Financial Services AG: The key to mobility. Winter, S.G. (2003). Understanding dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (10): 991-5. How to cite ITStrategy and Positioning for Volkswagen Financial Services (UK), Essay examples

Multi Disciplinary Team free essay sample

IntroductionWhat is a multidisciplinary team? Multidisciplinary team consist of staff from several different professional backgrounds. Who have ability to focus on different areas of complex problems associated with Intellectual disabilities. These teams respond to clients who need the help of more than one professional position. Multidisciplinary teams are often discussed in the same context as joint working, interagency work, and partnership working. in medical care and community care and Social care. Legislation and policy by governments have contributed to the increased and development of multidisciplinary teams in different areas such as Mental Health, Medical Care, and other areas of society.A multi-disciplinary approach involves drawing from multi discipliners to problem solves issues and rethinking outside the normal boundaries in seeking solutions or new understanding for complex situations. The multidisciplinary team is made up of professionals and carers some are skilled set professionals and others are trained in the skills of careering for the person with intellectual disabilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Multi Disciplinary Team or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Each working together to reach the same goal of providing support and help, enabling a person with intellectual disabilities to be able to reach a quality of life that leads to independent livingThe aim of this assignment is to investigate the multi-disciplinary team and what their role is in caring for a person with an Intellectual disability. I will explore the role of the carers members and show an understanding of supports needs by a person with an intellectual disability. By encouraging and promoting positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities will be explored. The intellectual disability I will be investigating will be Autism. As part of the assignment I will focus on care support for a person in a day care setting and the carers giving the care. A vision statement of Volunteers in supporting the person with intellectual disabilities shows what we need to aspire toBeing supported to live a life on ones own terms .Above all people have a deep rooted desire to belong ,to be in relationship ,to live with in the intimacy and security of their family and friends ,to be included in the greater life around them with all its attended possibilities for hope and fulfilment and to do so, to the greater extent possible ,on their own terms .The implications of this simple truth will determine our actions on behalf of all citizens with Intellectual disabilitiesIf we take this vison and ask a person with an intellectual disability what do they want. The probably say I would like to have a feeling of belonging to, have good relationships and the security of their family and friends making choices ,dignity ,and making a contributing to their community and feeling of self-worth .As part of this assignment I will carry out primary and secondary research which will involve an interview with a member of staff in a multi-disciplinary team, I will used information from the internet, journals and books . During my placement in St Cronans I got a better understanding of how the work is carried out by a multidisciplinary team. How their work impact with a person with intellectual disability working in the environment of the day care services. The carers themselves encourage dignity, independence, choice, relationships, self-respect, develop strategies in reduce levels of challenge behaviour. They meet the holistic needs of the person, self-respect, work on low self-esteem. There are many words to describe what is meant as respects for a person with intellectual disability.Irish constitution states all citizens shall be held equal before the law .Respect should be show to all people especially those who are in a care setting whether they have physical or intellectual disabilities . When people are treated with respect they have confidence in themselves and they grow in the confidence they are able to make decision and feel valued in society .It important to talk to the person first and not parents. Always tell the person about their care first as they are adults and should be treated as adults. If they can do things for themselves let them do it, dont say I will do it for you. Often the person will be willing do what they are asked to do. You must take time to get to know the person and their abilities. It will take time for the person to get to know you. Individuals with ID should have choice on how they wish to be cared for. The choice is not all individuals with ID would be in the position to make decisions Some may want to live independently get a job, integrate in the community, some may want to live in residential care setting or attend day care services and other want to continue to live at home. They should have the choice to make their own decision. Whatever decision they make it their choice to make gives them a feeling of control over their own lives.It shouldnt be unexpected for a person with ID to want to have a part or fulltime job to work in a supermarket or a cafà ©, they want to contribute to society. They have the same needs, dreams visions, emotions and feeling as everybody else. They want the same opportunities as everybody else. Having the opportunities to go to school, attend college, training, volunteering, activities in sports, writing, drama, own their own home. They should have the same chance as everybody else living a good life and having a job gives the individual a purpose in life and increase their confidence and self-worthThe individual with intellectual disabilities only have relationship with their parents and immediate family members and paid carer who look after them in the residential for day care centres Their circle of friends is small. Having a relationship with a person other than family is very important especially in the own age bracket gives them feel good factor, allows them to explore new emotions feelings opinions and builds their independence give then a wider circle for communication and building a network of support in making friends. In developing their interest in what friends do in hanging out. Building relationships is important part of people lives and is a way of interacti ng and a feeling of belonging in the community with other people.There are diverse types of intellectual disabilities Some can have mild levels of intellectual Disabilities. they can continue to live at home and attend day services for training and learning new skills i. e. garden, cooking, crafts. Some people might have more serve Intellectual Disabilities and need more professional help while continue to live in a residential care settingFor clients with intellectual disabilities support can come in diverse ways like a residential home such as St Anns where their medical care needs would be met by staff nurses and a programme of doctors, occupational therapist ,physiotherapist, dieticians, dentist, optometrists. For client with less sever intellectual disabilities who have access and can live in community homes where they can do things for themselves. In the community houses the carers assistants instead of the staff nurses who are there to aid the clients in their home environment. The clients can make choice in what they want to eat and what clothes they want to wear. they can go on day trips, shopping used public transport go swimming, walks getting involved in activities this is called social living. If they choose and have the capability to living on their own, they be supported by social worker or they may have support from a day care centre they are attending during the week such as St Cronans in Roscrea. The Mags and her sister Mary and Jenny attend St Cronans day care centre for intellectual disabilities they live in their own home attended by Mary Ryan their carer .She calls to their home in the evenings and in the morning, she provide help in paying their bills ,organising appointments to the dentist , hairdresser, optometrists, doctor and the chiropodist and she help in providing transport plus providing help with shopping .There is the provision of respite for clients who live at home with their parent. The respite can be with another family or in an institutional setting. Allowing the carer and the families a break, or a rest, a time to recharge, the client have a holiday and to engage with other people, change to their routine. People with ID who live independently wi ll always need support for either social workers or from a day care setting. I will investigate the role of a multi-disciplinary team in the overseeing the care of a child with Down Syndrome. When the child is born a multi-disciplinary team will be involved in giving the necessary skills to be able to attend school. The needs of the child will be assessed and the Health Nurse in the community will coordinate with the multi-disciplinary team. i e doctors, occupational therapist, speech therapists, physiotherapist, and the social worker in giving support and services to the child. Once the child reaches the age of five year the child will be assessed by a psychologists and medical doctor to decide on their mental and physical need and the level of care they needTo see if they have any underlined medical problems such as heart defect, hearing impairment, vison impairment. The physiological assessment will be done to evaluate the level of task and their ability to learn this will be important as it a deciding factor as to what school they will attend. The parent decides on what is the best choice for their child receiving the best education to live independently in the future. The child has the choice of attending main steam school or special classes in main steam school this depends on the needs of the child Depending on their disability if the have physical needs a SNA will be giving while attending school.Front Line Staff are social carer employees who work directly with service user including help from volunteers, students, additional staff, According to the HSE the multi-disciplinary staff is the Doctor, Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists Dietician, Occupational, Speech and Language Therapists, Dentists, Pharmacist.While on work placement in St Cronans I saw at first-hand how important the front-line staff is to the service users in the day care centre in helping them to build skills and support in daily tasks of cooking, gardening, music, reading and computer courses. I spoke with Val and I asked him what was important to the service users. He told me the unit provide a place of care in addressing any issue they might have in hygiene ,looking aft er the weight and diets and simple thing like company most the service users live at home, their circle of friends might only be family members .Val and Sue are in charge of the Green unit and responsible for all the client in the unit. They must see that client get their medication and care needs. They must make sure that client get exercise and fresh air , while I was there most of the client went on their walk around the building three times after lunch, also take part in football games .They also have to keep up with changes to their medicationThe role of the Dietician. Is responsible for the nutritional management of who are referred to themIt is a known fact that people with disabilities are at risk of nutritional problems each service user checked for the weight were given instruction to work on their exerciseThe physiotherapist works to restore the movement and function when somebody is affected illiness for a siabilityPhysiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future.It takes a holistic approach that involves the patient directly in their own care.OF THE CONVERSATIONThe Public Health Nurse complements all members of the multidisciplinar y team including the family Doctor by offering additional counseling, co coordinating other team members providing feedback both to the parents and the multidisciplinary teamIn the brief what is required of the Multidisciplinary team and supporting staff is made up of group of health professionals and support workers who work of a care plan in providing the services to the person The multidisciplinary team have import role as a team in meeting the objectives in providing a centered and effective care for the person. By supporting and providing the care and skills set in helping both the parents and the child with Down syndrome to achieve a quality of life and independence that is accredit to a normal child. Without the professional help the child with Down syndrome would not be able to cope with the stresses of life. Within the multidisciplinary team its important that each member communicated with each other regarding the individual person well being The Team worksNow I want to demonstrate thehttps://newyorkessays.com/essay-intellectual-disability/http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2005/10/27/how-to-work-in-multi-disciplinary-teams/http://www.fedvol.ie/_fileupload/Publications/Vision%20Statement%20for%20Intellectual%20Disability%20in%20Ireland%20-%20April%202009.pdfhttps://newyorkessays.com/essay-intellectual-disability/