Ap English Certainty vs/ Belief

Certainty Certainty is the belief in yourself that you can empower anything. Doubt is the fear of failure and is what the mass majority are overcome with. Certainty is the inner strength that everyone has, just not many want to express, that is why there are leaders and followers, strong and the weak, living and the dead. With inner strength your capabilities are limitless but when there is doubt, there is nothing. Doubt is one obstacle in a world filled with a plethora of them.Doubts are what control you from succeeding, they hold you back, tie you down , and strangle you from what you want , and just in the final seconds when your pulse lowers, your blood circulation is stopping , and you feel your hand trembling out of the fear, you grasp onto the only thing you have left , certainty. Certainty is your life support, it’s all you have left to live for, you cling onto and your ride through the storm on certainties back. It’s in that moment when you realize your life is ahead of you, and you’re certain of that. Doubt is your glutinous sin, and Satan is its master.You have to break free from its reins all that you’ve ever known and cling to certainty. With certainty you’re either in or you’re out. There is no equilibrium that you can find. Certainty is having 100% faith in something. It is the same as life, if you are certain with your life you are successful and can move mountains; doubt makes you weak and you are succumbed by the mountains. Leaders like this were Aristotle, a philosopher in physics, Benjamin Franklin, the inventor of electricity, and more modern leaders such as FDR, and JFK, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs. They saw the world through eyes of certainty.Certainty gave them the power to discover a new world. They took what others saw as impossible and made it possible. There was never a doubt in their mind that they wouldn’t conquer. Doubt overcomes many in the world today and it really is like an epidemic. Many doubt themselves before they try. This creates the 80% of the world and the 20%. The 80% are those consumed in doubts about their lives, but the 20% will conquer the world if they had the means. Certainty is the only inoculation for doubt. Take a little bit of certainty since there is much to go around and achieve what you never thought possible.

Psy 250

Biological and humanistic approaches to personality Jonathan G. Castro PSY 250 October 17, 2012 Andrew R. Moskowitz Biological and humanistic approaches to personality In our world there are different types of people with different types of personalities. There are many way to describe where they came from through biological or humanistic theories. In my paper I will describe biological factors that are influences to the formation to personality. I will agree to disagree with the theory of biology having an influence on personality. I will break down the basic aspects of humanistic personality theories.Last but not less I will express my opinion on biological and humanistic approach on personality are compatible. Biology revealed many aspects of how the human body works and what it needs to stay healthy. â€Å"In 1953 James D. Watson and Francis Crick discovered that DNA was structured as a double helix (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). This discovery was a huge accomplishment in the st udy of human biology. Charles Darwin took human biology a step further. Darwin used the fact that not one human being is the same to support his evolutionary personality theory.Darwin believes that humans are â€Å"people evolved directly from more primitive species (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). † For example, Brian G. Richmond and David S. Strait wrote an article called â€Å"Evidence that humans evolved from a knuckle-walking ancestor (Richmond and Strait, 2000). † This article explains that evidence has surfaced proving that humans could have once been gorillas. Psychiatrists’ who use the biological approach believe that your personality comes from your parents’ personalities. In other words, they believed your personality is genetic.When someone is born they have a strong foundation for certain personality. This is the belief we are all born with no personality and we learn what our personality is from our parents. Basically, it is saying that our per sonality is a learned behavior. It was theorized that â€Å"a natural selection has determined our personality† (Richmond and Strait 2000). We are not born with full fledge personalities when we come into the world. Instead, we are born with a temperament. This is susceptibility towards a certain personality. It does not mean that we keep the same personality all our lives. You can understand people’s temperament by watching children playing. They can be either inhibited or uninhibited. An inhibited child will seem withdrawn and a more of loaner and will watch the other children play instead of playing with the other children. An uninhibited child can start a conversation with another child and play along with the other children† (Richmond and Strait, 2000). A Darwinian approach to that idea would be that over time conditions in the environment caused some gorillas to no longer need to walk on their knuckles, no longer needed huge nostrils in their noses, and so on.Also in that group of gorillas it could have been a need for longer legs and slimmer body sizes for the sole purpose of survival. This, in turn, changed the way those gorillas behaved, furthermore, changing their personality, in which, the human being evolved. â€Å"It is important to note that unique results emerge when certain biological aspects of personality are combined with certain environments (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). † The same would go for two children raised by a quiet and withdrawn mother. The one child who inherits the mother’s introverted genes may grow to be like the mother.Whereas the outgoing child, may grow to be more family oriented focused on communicating with all family as a means of being more sociable. Raising those two children in a household with a more outgoing mother, could have caused a reverse outcome. Although this idea does seem to make sense Abraham Maslow believes in a humanistic approach to personality. The humanistic approach to personality focuses on the humanistic nature of the human being, in other words, the qualities of mankind that make humans different from animals.Humanistic people like Maslow believe that every human is born healthy, normal, and good. Maslow believed that all humans need to fulfill needs of human nature such as love, esteem, and self-fulfillment. Maslow believed that humans are like animals to a certain extent. In other words, humans need to feed themselves to survive, drink water to stay hydrated, and sleep to stay energized to survive another day. â€Å"Maslow argued that the correct social conditions are needed to encourage the highest level self-actualization†¦..We cannot usually fulfill our complete human potential and search for truth and beauty if we lack food, safety, love, and esteem (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). † The humanistic approach and the biological approach do have similarities, in which they agree that the human being has needs that should be fulfi lled but the two theories also have their differences. For instance, according to Friedman and Schustack the drive to grow and self-actualize is unlike the drives to satisfy hunger, thirst, or libido and thus relieve tension, in that it is not strictly necessary for survival.Maslow divided human needs into categories. These categories are physiological needs (basic biological necessities: food, water, sex, and shelter), safety needs (a sensibly predictable world), belongingness and love needs (psychologically intimate relations with other people), esteem needs (respect for oneself and for others), and self-actualization (peace with oneself) (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). Some psychologists, who believe in the humanistic approach to personality, do not question the realness of free will.Whereas psychologists who believe in the biological theory of personality, believe free will is not a real entity. Many modern biologists believe that humans are more intelligent than most animals but they do not believe that humans are at the top of the evolutionary tree. â€Å"Maslow and other humanistic psychologists were particularly irked by B. F. Skinner’s views of personality†¦ Skinner claimed to be studying human psychology by observing pigeons and laboratory rats (Friedman & Schustack, 2009). People who believe in the humanistic approach believe that no one is born in a way that hinders him or her from being a good person. People who believe in the biological approach to personality, express that a person cannot help what genes he or she are born with, therefore, cannot help being an angry person or mean spirited because he or she is born that way. The biological and humanistic approaches are just two of the six psychology approaches. The other four are psychoanalytic, trait, behavioral, and cognitive. These are the different approaches to the human personality.Each one describes how can we gain our personalities and what affects them. The approach used depe nds on the psychiatrists’ and the persons personalities. The effectiveness is determined by our personalities. I believe it is the psychiatrists’ responsibility to get to know the person to determine what approach will work best. In conclusion the humanistic approach to personality is somewhat similar to the biological approach to personality. I believe that personality is a formulation of humanistic and biological aspects that influence a person’s characteristics of his or her personality.I have gathered my own theory and have come to the conclusion that every person is a product of his or her own environment. References Friedman,H. S. & Schustack, M. W. (2009, July 15). Personality: Classic theories and Modern Research, Fourth Edition: Retrieved from University of Phoenix: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/ebooklibrary2 Richmond, B. G & Strait, D. S. (2000, march). Nature: Evidence that humans evoled from a knuckle-walking ancestor, Nature volume 404:Retri eved from http://www. nature. com/biology/personality

Reaserch Proposal, outline and theoretical framework Thesis

Reaserch Proposal, outline and theoretical framework - Thesis Example With a Rs. 200 billion investment, the industry now gives a total production of 39 million tons against only 17 million tons in 2002. The cement manufacturers added 8 million tonnes to the capacity and the total production are expected to be 45 million tonnes by the end of 2010. Cement Industry entered in the export market in a big way in fiscal 2007-08. The domestic consumption too has doubled over the last few years because of buoyancy in housing sector. The biggest advantage of domestic cement industry is the availability in abundance of limestone, which is its primary raw material. Local coal may be able to replace imported coal and there is going to rise in demand, both at home and in export market. However, rising trend is expected to be short-lived due to higher interest rates and inflationary concerns are likely to make it disadvantageous for the investors to enter the construction industry. The cement industry also has challenges to face like rising fuel costs (furnace oil, coal) and political instability as a main contributing factor for pushing up production cost. Cost of utilities, labour, transportation and financial charges have also increased simultaneously. Moreover recent recession in the Financing Sector and financial crises has badly affected the projects financed by Financial Institutions and especially stretch the construction activities. This thesis intends to examine these issues and see how they will impact on the company Lucky Cement Limited. How far will Lucky Cement be able to overcome the challenges facing it as a result of the changing economic situation? Will the global economic slowdown, combined with high interest rates, inflationary concerns and political instability pose a series problem for the company? The problems facing Lucky Cement Limited are closely related to the changing economy and this thesis will attempt a financial analysis of the company in

The Risks And Ramifications Of An Information Security Case Study

The Risks And Ramifications Of An Information Security - Case Study Example Communication between the company’s headquarters, offices and retail shops could be compromised from any angle given the size of the network infrastructure present in the organization. With such critical information as financial records and details entrusted to the organization, high-level information security is therefore imperative and mandatory. Constant network penetration tests will ensure improved security by identifying possible vulnerabilities that exist within the network system and recommending ways in which they can be mitigated before they are exploited by malicious hackers. The value of the information within the organization’s database is high thus the organization’s network infrastructure and security system are always at constant attack attempts. Alongside, risk assessment, a penetration test is valuable in validating the controls are in place and acting as required to protect the organization’s valuable assets (Conway & Cordingley, 2010). There are a number of guidelines in place to be used in developing an effective and beneficial network penetration test; the assets that are mostly targeted should be identified, the potential intruders and hackers, the likely routes used by the intruders to the organization and how exposed the assets are. The organization's core services such as firewall systems, password syntax, mail DNS, file transfer protocol systems (FTP), database servers, routers and web servers should be tested during a penetration test.... 2.0 Overview There are a number of guidelines in place to be used in developing an effective and beneficial network penetration test; the assets that are mostly targeted should be identified, the potential intruders and hackers, the likely routes used by the intruders into the organization and how exposed the assets are. 2.1 Scope of the test The penetration test is to be done within a time frame of one week, with the permission and knowledge of the organization’s Chief Information Officer. The organization's core services such as firewall systems, password syntax, mail DNS, file transfer protocol systems (FTP), database servers, routers and web servers should be tested during a penetration test. Wireless systems including other potential methods of accessing the network resources and obtaining information should also be included in the penetration test plan. The results of the penetration test will then be presented to the Chief Information Officer with recommendations that c ould help mitigate the risks and eliminate the vulnerabilities detected within the network infrastructure and security system. 2.2 Reconnaissance Reconnaissance involves gathering information about the system which will be used to gain access to the target systems. Passive steps such as social engineering can be used to achieve an effective and successful reconnaissance. The attacker utilizes social skills of interaction with the organization’s personnel in order to gain confidential information such as passwords. Such sensitive information as password, unlisted phone numbers and sensitive network information are always divulged by unsuspecting managers and employees. Through social

The Catcher in the Rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Catcher in the Rye - Essay Example Antolini. Holden alluded about being in a mental hospital. The whole novel revolves around rebellion, alienation and aggression in youth. This is why this book has been one of the most challenged books in all times. This paper discusses opposing ideas on whether the Catcher in the Rye should be banned in schools. Critics state that the narration includes offensive style, inappropriate language and sexual content at many places (Whitfield 1997). Despite the fact that the sexual content is not very explicit, still parents and critics support the fact that the book should be banned. The writer shows Holden thinking, talking and imagining about sex. These imaginations are a part of typical physical development of a teenager; still, it is inappropriate to teach such concepts in schools and relating them with such a sensitive phase as teenage so explicitly. Graham (2007: xi) states that â€Å"the novel was condemned by some readers for its use of expletives and for presenting as a hero an adolescent who drinks, smokes and engages a prostitute†, and parents think that children should not be taught that such concepts are an integral part of teenage. The sexual content accompanies obscene and offensive language. Again, despite the fact that the obscene language is very moderate, still parents would never want that their children should be taught such literature in school which contains even hints of such language. According to Jones (2007), â€Å"There are 224 instances where obscene language has been used in the book, with a few occurrences being the "F-word."† To mention some scholars, Agee (1999) and Frangedis (1988) also talked about how objections from teachers, parents and administrators came regarding â€Å"language or sexual content† (Agee 1999: 61) in the book. Another reason that makes us say that The Catcher in the Rye should be banned is that it contains occurrences where mild violence is shown. For example, Holden is shown being punched and attacked a couple of times. There are two indications of suicidal attempts as well. At one occurrence, Holden is shown overhearing somebody who was talking about a person trying to commit suicide through taking aspirin. At another place, Holden is shown talking about a boy who had jumped out of the window as suicidal attempt. John Lennon’s assassination was an incident that further gave this book a bad reputation (Rosenthal 1999). His murderer, Chapman, had asked him to sign a copy of the novel on the morning when he was assassinated. When the police caught Chapman and accused him of the murder, a copy of the novel was found in his pocket. Although there was no clear evidence that it was the novel that had inspired Chapman to commit the crime, yet the implicit connection was enough to make people argue about banning the book. Parents and teachers have always been concerned and looking for answers regarding what effects violence in literature can imprint on young developi ng brains. The Catcher in the Rye arrives with concerns relating to anxiety, dejection, brutality and aggression that develop in young minds. Critics are of the view that children tend to have less-developed ability of decision-making or critical thinking so they cannot realize what is wrong with what they are reading and their minds learn or absorb every act they read. Now, we look at the opposing ideas and see why some people think that the novel should not be banned. Banning a book means banning freedom of expression. The

Sense of Self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sense of Self - Essay Example His mindset concentrates deep and far away from the physical world. His plight for revenge against his uncle Claudius and his mother was delayed by his mindset being deep and far away from the physical world. He relates to other characters in the play through individualism of self. What makes Hamlet so distinctive from others is how he shows himself to others with all his human flaws. Every time Hamlet wakes up, his mind was preoccupied with his own thoughts something that intensifies his feelings and perceptions in everywhere he saw imperfections, worry, tension and confusion. This situation makes it impossible for him to solve his problems easily (Lee 174-178). Hamlet’ssense of self is shown his deep thoughts where although he knew Claudius killed his father and was not a noble king like his father, he does not want to kill him because he wanted to avoid civil war. Hamlet does not wish to plunge his country with chaos because of his own personal turmoil. He realized that this would happen when he kills Claudius. He also fails to combine the spiritual (in the form of his father’s ghost) with the situations that surrounds him every day. The ghost persuades him to take revenge of his father’s death but for him being a humanitarian and taking in to account his responsibilities as a prince and future king, hamlet avoids all this pressure to kill Claudius (Taylor 206). Hamlet was a thinking man, along the play he is shown to be always thinking about the things that lay ahead of him. Unfortunately, when the time to act came, he always pulled back because of his urge to believe. His capacity to think becomes a handicap to him rather than an advantage and the most painful or tragic part is that he was aware of his weakness. In act five scene one, Hamlet looked at the bones of many of the graveyards occupants including that of the great powerful Alexander and concludes that the

Discussion Board - JIT Just In Time Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board - JIT Just In Time - Assignment Example ion in small quantities, production based on the Masters schedule of production and orders, reduced wastage, improvement of production flow continuously, as well as improvement of quality of production and many more. This paper will narrow on Production in accordance with the Masters schedule of production and order as the key principle. This will be examined in relation to Pizza Pizzeria as a company that has adopted the principle. Production in accordance with the Masters schedule of production and orders is a principle that only makes production based on the orders received from the customers. The goal of this production is to ensure that the goods and services that are produced are all consumed by the customers and there is no wastage at all. This is the principle that Pizza Pizzeria has adopted in its production. The company only produces based on the orders that it receives from the clients. Though this mode of operation was originally meant for Pizza production, the company has extended this mode of production to the entire foodstuff it sells. This production has ensured that Pizza Pizzeria does not inquire any losses as a matter of wastage. The principle works positively to the company since even the customers are aware that they would have to wait for their food to be processed. Customers now make it their habit to use their premise as a meeting place where they can meet as they wait for their food to be ready. Beckford, C. L., & Campbell, D. R. (2013). Domestic food production and food security in the Caribbean building capacity and strengthening local food production systems. New York, NY: Palgrave

Chapter 13 discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 13 discussion questions - Essay Example Cases can be used to develop managerial leadership skills such as analytical decision making skills and increased understanding of situations that managers are commonly faced with. This method is good for demonstrating the fact that different people can react to the same situation in a variety of ways and helps trainees understand that there are multiple ways to approach a problem. Large-Scale Simulations allow trainees to analyze a situation and make decisions, however, unlike previous methods; this procedure allows them to experience the consequences of their actions. These simulations combine features of other training methods such as human relations cases, role-playing, in-basket exercise, and group problem solving exercises. They emphasize interpersonal skills, cognitive skills and decision making. The knowledge gained from this exercise can vary from increased individual self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses when working with strangers to reflecting the overall culture and relationships within a company when working with family or coworkers. Overall this method can be very useful in enhancing leadership skills. 2. Effectiveness of training depends on several key factors: clear learning objectives, clear and meaningful content, appropriate sequencing of content, appropriate mix of training methods, opportunity for active practice, relevant and timely feedback, high trainee self-confidence, and appropriate follow-up activities. Clear learning objectives – trainer should not only identify clear learning objectives, but also explain why training will help people improve their leadership effectiveness. Clear and meaningful content – trainer should focus on important things and include lots of examples to â€Å"facilitate comprehension and memorization of material.† Appropriate sequencing of content – should be organized in a way that will help the learning process, process from simple to more complex ideas and there should be a ppropriate intervals for rest between sessions to prevent trainees being overworked. Appropriate mix of training – Methods of training should be customized to compensate for differences in level of skill and knowledge, and should also take into account class size and time available to train Opportunity for active practice – there should be ample opportunity for trainees to practice new skills in order to aid in the remembrance of important points. Relevant and timely feedback – Feedback should be available from several different resources and should be â€Å"accurate, timely and constructive.† Enhancement of trainee self-confidence – trainers should be supportive of all trainees and encourage success and self-confidence. Praise, encouragement, and patience are necessary qualities for the trainer. Appropriate follow-up activities – A couple of options for this portion of training include holding a follow-up session after the training program has been completed or have trainees turn in projects that require them to utilize their recently learned skills. 3. Learning from experience is generally affected by amount of challenge, variety of tasks, and quality of feedback.

Logistics and operation managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Logistics and operation managment - Essay Example In addition to this inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling are all considered to be significant factors in the choice of technology of the organization. These processes help in determining that how much capacity must be needed by the firm, the schedule and all the processes related to inventory management that are required for manufacturing a great product or begin the production of an entire new product. Before discussing the imbalance between inventory management, capacity planning and scheduling, it is important to build some understanding of these production aspects. Inventory management can be defined as controlling and overseeing the storage, ordering and making use of the components that will be used by the organization in the manufacturing process, as well as controlling and overseeing the quantity of finished goods for sale. Capacity planning can be defined as the maximum rate of transformation system processes or produced inputs. It can also be defined as volume of output within the elapsed time or the production capability of a manufacturing facility. There are a number of factors that affect capacity such as the number and ability of workers, number of suppliers and machines, waste, defects, scrap, productivity, errors, preventive maintenance and government regulations. The capacity planning can be relevant for both the short term as well as the long operations of the org anizations. Scheduling can be defined as the process of controlling, arranging and optimizing the workload in the manufacturing or production process. It is used for allocating the machinery and plant resources, planning production processes, planning human resources and purchasing materials. It is a significant process for engineering and manufacturing, where it may impose a significant impact on the production of the organization. In manufacturing process, the major purpose of scheduling is to minimize the time and cost of production by

Cultural Features of China Today Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Features of China Today - Research Paper Example The people of China have been heavily influenced by these changes in China. This paper discusses some of those changes that signify the contemporary Chinese culture and society and discusses their impact on the people of China. One of the most remarkable changes the world politics has seen in the start of the 21st century is China’s rise of power. The culture of China today serves as a resource for soft power whose use has helped China surface as a powerful country in the world. â€Å"THE SOFT POWER OF A COUNTRY RESTS PRIMARILY ON THREE RESOURCES: ITS CULTURE (IN PLACES WHERE IT IS ATTRACTIVE TO OTHERS), ITS POLITICAL VALUES (WHEN IT LIVES UP TO THEM AT HOME AND ABROAD), AND ITS FOREIGN POLICIES (WHEN THEY ARE SEEN AT LEGITIMATE AND HAVING MORAL AUTHORITY)† (Nye and Jisi 25). One of the most important outcomes of the rise of China’s soft power that has affected the lives of the people of China is growth of multiculturalism. Chinese students are studying with fore igners in their own universities and colleges, and the streets and beautiful places of China have attracted the attention of tourists from all over the world. Overall, the exposure of Chinese people to the global scenario and foreign cultures has increased manifolds. This has helped the Chinese people easily integrate into foreign cultures and reap the benefits of studying and working in advanced countries. â€Å"WHILE THE VOICE OF AMERICA WAS CUTTING ITS CHINESE BROADCASTS FROM NINETEEN TO FOURTEEN HOURS A DAY, CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL WAS INCREASING ITS BROADCASTS IN ENGLISH TO TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY† (Nye and Jisi 26). The importance of soft power in China can be estimated from the fact that it has entered the official language of China. Hu Jintao, in the speech that he made at the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) 17th National Congress, emphasized upon a need for the CPC to â€Å"ENHANCE CULTURE AS PART OF THE SOFT POWER OF OUR COUNTRY TO BETTER GUARANTEE THE PE OPLE’S BASIC CULTURAL RIGHTS AND INTERESTS† (Jintao cited in Nye and Jisi 28). He recognized culture as a very important source of innovation and national cohesion whose significance in China’s strength has grown over the decades. Public diplomacy as a cultural trait has developed in China comprehensively and systematically. A major example of this is the cultural-cum-language center of China, the Confucius Institute that has been designed and established to increase the drive for learning the national Chinese language that has rapidly spread in the recent years all over the world. Similarly, â€Å"IN 2004, CHINA ESTABLISHED THE LEADING SMALL GROUP FOR FOREIGN CHINESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL, WHOSE OBJECTIVE WAS TO ESTABLISH 100 CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD† (Cho and Jeong 471). Such measures have facilitated the people of China a lot. Wherever they go in the world, they get to meet people who understand their language and c an communicate with them in their native Chinese language. This has helped the people of China overcome the effects of their deficiency of competence in the English language. â€Å"NOW, WHAT IS IN COMMON WITH NEW YORK, HAWAII, KANSAS, CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, FRANCE, SERBIA, SOUTH KOREA, EGYPT, AUSTRALIA, RUSSIA, AND RWANDA? ALMOST NOTHING, EXCEPT THAT THEY NOW HOST THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE, A LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CENTER MASSIVELY PRODUCED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AS ONE OF ITS LARGE-SCALE CHARM OFFENSIVES TO ENHANCE ITS SOFT POWER† (â€Å"Background Information†). Establishment of these institutes has helped the government of China strengthen the Chinese language as well as soft power. Concluding, two of the most important features of the contemporary culture of China include the increased use and

Eating Disorders Research paper Essay Example for Free

Eating Disorders Research paper Essay Eating disorders are considered critical attitudes, emotions, and eating behaviors. Minimized food intake, overeating, and the perceptions of body image, weight, and shape are some examples. There can be contributing factors and influences that develop the idea of an eating disorder. There are three types of eating disorders, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. The two most common forms are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, â€Å"25% of girls 12-18 years old were reported to be engaged in problematic food and weight behavior† And in men and boys, according to the website nimh. nih.gov, â€Å"one in four preadolescent cases of Anorexia occurs in boys, and binge-eating disorder affects females and males about equally†. While the causes aren’t concise, some contributions can be cultural, personal characteristics, stress events or life changes, family, peers, and media. Individuals of low self-esteem or feeling useless can be a big contribution. For most adolescents they tend to compare themselves to others and they can develop an eating disorder because of this aspect. For example if their friends have an eating disorder they may develop one because they want to fit it. Some adolescents can develop an eating disorder from a stressful event such as; teasing, transition from middle school to high school, or a more traumatic event like rape. Families can even contribute to a teen developing an eating disorder. If parents are fighting a lot or may be considering divorce, this can be stressful and some adolescents handle it by not eating or induce vomiting as a means to obtain control over their parents in the household or gain back the attention. If the adolescent seems to feel like their life is spiraling out of control, they may feel like an eating disorder is a way to gain that control back. Also family studies show that anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders do run in families. The heritability of anorexia nervosa is around 60%, and of bulimia nervosa can be 28 and 80%. For binge eating disorder currently it is 41%. According to some studies conducted across  countries eating disorders can be influenced by genetic factors. Another large contribution to eating disorders is our societal views. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, we develop these ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is acceptable according to our culture. To put this into perspective if our culture says your beautiful when you skinny, then some people believe that if they’re not skinny, they aren’t beautiful. Essentially since girls are generally valued for their appearance, they are likely the ones to internalize this idea into their thought process. The media also plays a role in the cultural and societal acceptance. A couple of examples that are very common are models and movie stars. Most often models are in every magazine, on every billboard, and in most commercials. Even T.V. shows like America’s Next Top Model gives children at a young age what the idea of â€Å"beautiful† is. Most movie stars aren’t overweight, which generally can contribute to both males and females being self-conscious about what the ideal appearance should be. There are three kinds of aspects that deal with the development of an eating disorder; behavioral, mental, and physical. The National Eating Disorder Association explains the more we focus on thoughts and feelings of our weight and how we look the more we may be missing out on life overall. When we focus on weight and body image, it can become an obsession, which can contribute to emotional and physical issues. The mental aspect of an eating disorder focuses on the opinion of yourself or your self- esteem. Self-esteem and body image both go hand in hand when it comes to one’s body. Eating disorders not only deal with the mental and behavioral aspects, but those of physical as well can contribute. Anorexia and Bulimia can lead to serious health problems such as kidney failure, heart problems, dehydration, and in excessive cases malnutrition, which can lead to death. A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that, â€Å"The mortal ity rate associated with Anorexia nervosa is twelve times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old.† Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which results in thinness through starvation. It has the highest mortality rate of any psychological disorder, although we know little about the causes of this disorder. Generally the standard cause of death includes both  effects of starvation and suicide. This is disorder is also known as a visible eating disorder, because most are noticeably thin, although some hide their thinness with big clothes or wearing layers. During this time this individual is not maintaining a normal or healthy weight for their age, height, or gender. Anorexia nervosa tends to have two forms first being starvation or restricting. These individuals reduce their caloric intake and increase physical activity to maintain an abnormally low weight. When your body goes into starvation mode, it can alter your body. The second form is either binge eating, purging, or can be both. When anorexia nervosa is in its early stage these behaviors were seen in over half of the individuals. During anorexia nervosa a person can come to weigh less than 85% of the ideal body weight. Anorexia tends to occur during early adolescence or 10-12 years old. People who suffer from anorexia suffer from not only physical illness, but psychiatric too. Some include cognitive impairment, body-checking, low self-esteem, self-absorption, ritualistic behaviors, extreme perfectionism, and self-consciousness. The two most common psychiatric illnesses with anorexia are depression and anxiety. Some physical symptoms that may occur or develop over time are electrolyte imbalances (sodium and potassium levels), osteoporosis (decreased bone density), lanugo hair, dry brittle hair, low body temperature, low blood pressure, slowed heart rate, growth retardation, bloating, constipation, fidgeting, and loss of tooth enamel and dentin, and dehydration. However, the official diagnosis of anorexia nervosa in females requires the absence of menstruation (amenorrhea), for at least three consecutive months. The deficiency of menstruation is a normal response to starvation and weight loss and the body will then shut down the reproductive functions. Treatment plans of Anorexia nervosa often depend on the individual’s needs which may include medical care and supervision, nutritional counseling and therapy. If they have had severe weight loss, hospitalization is essential to get them back to an appropriate weight. This individual will need assistance in developing new patterns of thought process in their eating patterns. The earlier detected the less treatment necessary. Depending on the individual and the amount of time they have had the eating disorder; treatment can take a short or long period of time. Each person varies in the recovering process of the disorder. According to the National  Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, â€Å"Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment. Only 35% of people that receive that treatment for eating disorders get treatment at a specialized facility for eating disorders.† Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by a binge and purge pattern. Unlike Anorexia, people who have Bulimia can be at a normal weight range, but still have that fear of weight gain and they are generally very unhappy with their body image, shape, and size. It is also an invisible eating disorder, because individuals are usually of normal weight or over-weight. It can be difficult to place a caloric intake on a binge, but most agree around 1,000 calories is the minimum; however it can be up to 20,000 calories. Bulimia, unlike Anorexia, usually occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood, about 18-22 years old. These individuals persistently follow the pattern of binging in combination with some form of compensatory behavior, which is intended to reverse the effects of the binge or prevent weight gain. Compensatory behaviors include actions such as; self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other agents, fasting, and excessive exercise. The behavior of Bulimia may not be obvious because they do it in secrecy, because they feel a sense of shame and sickness of what they did. This pattern of binging and purging most likely occurs several times a week. Some data addresses a theory that individuals born after 1960 are at greater risk for the disorder, because it is more of a â€Å"modern occurrence† than anorexia. Usually more common in urban areas which suggests that environmental exposure and social learning play a role in the development of this disorder. This disorder is 9 times more common in females than males. Coincidentally, people with Bulimia also have psychiatric and physical aspects. It is estimated that 80% of individuals with bulimia have another psychiatric disorder. The psychiatric features are depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, extreme perfectionism, self-consciousness, irritability, impulsive spending, shoplifting, and may or may not have substance abuse problems, although the most common are anxiety disorders, major depression, substance use, and personality disorders. The two most common personality features those similar to those who have anorexia nervosa, perfectionism and low self-esteem. People with bulimia are likely to be more impulsive and have higher stimulus or sensation-seeking behavior. They also have a  tendency to exhibit more erratic and impulsive traits. Some physical symptoms of bulimia include; dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, kidney problems, inflamed sore throat from purging, acid reflux, swollen parotid glands, gastrointestinal complications, irregular menstruation, constipation, bloating, sensitive and decaying teeth and tooth enamel from stomach acids. Like Anorexia the treatment for Bulimia is essential for the individual’s health. For Bulimia there are a few more options such as; reducing or ending the binging or purging pattern, nutritional counseling, and cognitive behavioral therapy, prescribing medication, and accessing reasons for the illness. About 70% of people who have the disorder of Bulimia recover from it. According to the DSM the criteria is specific for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, most people who have eating disorders do not meet the criteria. There is a different way of diagnosing these particular individuals which is by the Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). According to the textbook, Abnormal Psychology the â€Å"DSM-IV lists six examples of how the symptoms of EDNOS differ from those of the other disorders. Patients may have: 1. all features of anorexia nervosa except amenorrhea. 2. all features of anorexia nervosa except drastic weight loss. 3. all criteria for bulimia nervosa except frequency of binge eating or purging or duration of 3 months. 4. regular, inappropriate compensatory behavior after eating small amounts of food. 5. chewing and spitting out food (purging disorder). 6. binge eating disorder (binging without compensatory behavior.† Binge eating disorder is characterized by regular binge eating behaviors, but without the compensatory behaviors. Binge eating disorder or BED is a recent addition to the DSM, and is not yet an official psychiatric disorder. Since it was a recent addition little is known about its morbidity and mortality. Some research indicates that a person can be ill with BED for approximately 14.4 years which may suggest that BED is not just a temporary stage. The two most common forms of psychiatric disorders are depression and anxiety like most other eating disorders. Of females 3.5% meet the criteria of BED and of males 2%. BED is also found in approximately 5 to 8% of obese individuals. Eating disorders in females and males as discussed are not generally similar. In anorexia nervosa women and girls are more common to have this disorder than men and boys, essentially the ratio being 9 to 1. Many different theories  have been presented as to why it affects women more than men. The most effici ent theory is believed to be the increased pressure on females to have the ideal appearance or the â€Å"perfection† of the female body. Even though bulimia nervosa is also approximately 9 to 1, women to men can be somewhat sex-biased. Men tend to rely on nonpurging forms of compensatory behavior after binge eating, rather use excessive exercise. It is male athletes that feel pressured to remain thin and fit and focus on their weight and body shape excessively. For binge eating disorder the sex ratio is equally balanced. The developmental factors of eating disorders can assist in determining the causes as well. In anorexia nervosa it generally uncommon during childhood, although it is occurring increasingly. Bulimia nervosa is usually seldom conveyed before puberty. In anorexia nervosa the disorder itself and the associated symptoms can lead to isolation from peers and family. It can also have negative effects on the family emotionally and financially. The parents especially undergo extreme anxiety and struggle to understand why their children are doing this to themselves and their body. All this stress and financial difficulties with the expense of treatment can weaken or ruin a family’s functioning. For bu limia girls who develop mature figures earlier than their peers may develop disappointment, which can lead to earlier experimentation to design controlled eating and weight, which could very well increase the risk of an eating disorder. Binge eating generally begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. There are many treatments for eating disorders, the treatment goals for individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder differ somewhat, although there are some aspects in common. The treatment goal of anorexia nervosa are increased caloric intake and weight gain so later treatments for psychological aspects of this disorder can be dealt with more effectively. For bulimia nervosa the focus is on the normalization of eating, elimination of binge eating and purging, and improvement of the psychological aspects of the disorder as well. For binge eating disorder individuals who are overweight the goal is to elimination of binge eating and normalization of eating. Also either weight stabilization or weight loss can be effective. In anorexia nervosa inpatient treatment can be accomplished by having a disciplined team to succeed. The first and most important step is weight restoration. Weight is generally not the only  factor to consider some other crucial factors such as medical complications, suicide attempts or plans, failure to improve with outpatient treatment, interference with school, work, or family, and pregnancy. Inpatient treatment is very difficult for the patient and the family as the patient is feared of giving up the symptoms, essentially the patient could have developed a phobia of food. It is important for the doctor to create a safe environment to make the patient feel safe and to also obtain the patients trust to make the hospitalization a success. Biological treatments include medications to assist in the cure of the disorder or assist in decreased symptoms of the disorder. Medications prescribed for anorexia nervosa have shown to be ineffective currently. In bulimia nervosa fluoxetine (Prozac) has been known to decrease the core symptoms of binge eating and purging and associated psycho logical features such as depression and anxiety. The FDA approved the treatment of fluoxetine for the treatment of bulimia nervosa, but for no other eating disorders. Although fluoxetine reduces the symptoms it is still not found to reduce or have permanent remission on long-lasting effects. A treatment that is necessary but not a sufficient intervention for all eating disorders is nutritional counseling. An additional treatment that helps individuals change their thinking patterns that contribute to their problem is cognitive-behavioral therapy or (CBT). Recovery rates with CBT wavy from 35-75% at five or more years of follow-up. For anorexia nervosa some evidence suggests that CBT may reduce relapse in adults after weight has been restored. However it’s unclear how effective CBT is with individuals who are extremely underweight. For bulimia nervosa the basis of CBT is self-monitoring. The individuals keep track of what they eat, the situation they were in, and their thoughts and feelings. CBT focuses extensively on relapse prevention for all eating disorders. It is also an effective treatment for a binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorders may first be offered a help-book or an online cognitive-behavioral program online to use at their own pace. For the family theories of anorexia nervosa a family-based intervention is directed to change the dysfunction of the family. This therapy can assist the family in being around healthier and a place to have open communication. Some modern approaches to family therapy for anorexia nervosa include conjoint family therapy, separated family therapy, parent training, and the Maudsley method,  which focuses on parental control of the initial stages of renutrion. The seven values include working with experts who know how to help you, working together as a family, to not blame your child or yourself for the problems you are having, focusing on the problem before you, not debating with your child about eating or weight-related concerns, knowing when to begin backing off, and taking care of yourself because you are the child’s best hope. In conclusion I have discussed and explained the three types of eating disorders; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. I explained what factors can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. I deliberated three aspects of eating disorders such as the mental, behavioral, and physical. The analyzed the three eating disorders and gave a definition for each. I gave various personalities and other psychological dysfunctions that can come along with eating disorders. I expressed the sex ratios and developmental factors of eating disorders and explained the contributing factors for each. Also in discussing the symptoms of eating disorders lastly I identified some treatments that can assist in reducing symptoms and essentially preventing relapse. Some treatments that were acknowledged are inpatient treatment, biological treatments, nutritional counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and family-based interventions. Works Cited About eating disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website: http://www.anad.org/â€Å'get-information/â€Å'about-eating-disorders/â€Å'bulimia-nervosa/ Body Image: Loving Yourself Inside and Out. (n.d.). Retrieved from The National Women’s Health Information Center website: http://www.womenshealth.gov/â€Å'bodyimage/â€Å'eatingdisorders/ Eating Disorders. (2008). Retrieved from National Eating Disorder Information Centre website: http://www.nedic.ca/ Eating Disorders: anorexia nervosa, binge eating, and bulimia nervosa. (n.d.). Retrieved from U.S. Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health website: www.nlm.nih.gov/â€Å'medlineplus/â€Å'eatingdisorders.html Eating disorder statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Case Study Of The Virgin Group

Case Study Of The Virgin Group Virgin Group is made up of more than 200 companies, which employ nearly 50,000 people all over the world. The business has witnessed continual growth since it was started. The revenues reached a record mark of 10 billion sterling pounds in the year 2006. This reveals the magnitude and level of business in which Virgin Group is operating. The nature of leadership in existence in Virgin Group draws many features from the personality of Sir Richard Branson. The business philosophy postulated by Sir Richard Branson believes that the ultimate results of customer satisfaction and shareholders gain is the responsibility of every individual. He believes that if the staffs are kept happy then the customers are going to be happy meaning that the shareholders will be happy too (Branson 1998, pp. 14). Consequently, the management of Virgin Group does not fall in to any particular model. It has a unique management structure whose characteristics do not fit those of the existing models. The amalga mation of concepts makes it distinctive. A critical review reveals that the success witnessed by Virgin Group can be attributed to the uniqueness of its management styles. Management Theorists like F Taylor first created the concept of scientific management. This scientific concept postulates that there are six main features of management, namely; experiment, observation, selection, standardization, and training. Scientific philosophy of management expects that rewards and employee compensation should be pecked on performance and co-operation. Although some facets of this theory are outdated, some of its features are still applicable in the business structure of modern times. As a good illustration, Virgin group may be having what appears as a relaxed working environment but some features of scientific management are in the application. Such aspects of scientific management used in Virgin Group include training, selection, and payment pecked on results. Some employees are compensated because of their outstanding entrepreneurial ambition and innovative thinking. Outstanding performance in Virgin Group is not only measure by the amount of financial input an employee has brought but also creativity and ability to think outside the box. Another model of management is bureaucracy, which sees the organization of business as one unit. The pioneers of this school of thought believed that family practices could not be delinked from the organization. Therefore, there a need to merge family goals with those of the entire organization. Organizational goals of Virgin Group cannot be dissociated with those of Sir Richard Branson. This is enough reason to conclude that the management style in the organization has some elements of bureaucracy in leadership. Max Weber first formulated this kind of management approach. The impact of the entire society is given considerable attention by the management. In this model, the organization forms an integral part of an amorphous society. Despite having some draw backs, this model has found its way in to the Virgin Groups management style. In a bid to meet the needs of the society it is serving, virgin management give priority to the impact, its strategies will have on society. This is the reason as to why Virgin Atlantic, an airline company under Virgin Group, has been on the frontline on the crusade for environmentally friendly jet fuel. Furthermore, there is an element of administrative theory in the management of Virgin Group. Propounded by Henry Fayol, administrative theory view management as a chronological process comprising of planning, organization, training, and coordination of functions. This model represents the transitional theory between the traditional and modern models. It is characterized by rigid and mechanistic tenets. Virgin Group has a little bit of these management principles. It has deviated from it by allowing liberalized management at departmental level. However, at the departmental levels, there is a need to advance the principles of management. The thoughts of employees should remain to be customized to suit these principles. The management of Virgin group with a heavy weight is contingency approach. The decision-making and plans executions are done with close reference to the problem at hand. This has seen the group attain notable milestones in streamlining its management, which eventually translates in to revenues. In this management model, the dynamics of business environments is appreciated. It recognizes the fact that different environments require different management approaches (Damanpour1996, pp 694). Concisely, it is true to argue that Virgin Groups success story of many years is a factor of many things including it optimal management model. The group has been able to amalgamate the presets of every model to suit its present needs. What is emerging vividly from this global organization is the fact that the efficacy of management is determined by its ability to move away from conventional and rigid requirements. Moving with the trends in the market has been proven beneficial in optimization of profits. From the descriptions given above, it is evident that Virgin Group leadership is a transformational. In transformational leadership the management looks beyond the compensation to employees. The model, which is in use at Virgin Group, explores the inner factors, which enhance performance of employees through motivation. On the contrary to the transactional model, which look at compensation alone, transformational leadership looks at the way of achieving high-level loyalty and commitment from the followers. The brand in the name of Virgin was founded in 1968. Since then it has grown beyond borders and become a worldwide product. Its venture into many different industries is a true reflection of the success. Sir Richard Branson is the present chairperson of the group. He is well known for his stylish but competitive leadership skills. Many analysts and scholars attribute the success of Virgin Group to the creative leadership skills of Branson. In the process of expansion, he took over several risky ventures in a more to diversify and improve his business. In most of his business plans, he focused on minute segment of a specific market and provided quality products or services. This approach allows for creation of small monopolistic markets with high profit margins. One major contributor to Bransons success story is his ability to lead people in exploring innovative and profitable ventures. Therefore, the leadership style depicted by Branson is a topic to be investigated in the following discussions. The kind of leadership philosophy advocated by Branson has been infiltrate into the entire company. Sir Richard Bransons leadership style falls in the category of transformational. He has an outstanding ability of bringing out the best out of humanity. Interpersonal and relational skills possessed by Branson are impeccable. He has close touch with the day to day activities of various companies within his group. The most common feature that has made him achieve great milestones in business development is the ability to motivate and rally fellow partners in pursuit of a business opening. If the recent acquisitions are taken as an illustration, he managed to convince fellow stakeholders in adoption of a new strategy. In his ventures, he looks for people who are outgoing and willing to start new businesses. His capacity building nature has made him an admirable leader of modern business. His focus spans beyond the orthodox perspective of employees where the management expects the workers to perform to deserve compensation. The interest of Branson surrounds asking the question as to whether a partner or employee is optimizing his or her capacity. He is interested also with people who are willing to take risks and the best in their tasks. For a long time, he has succeeded in bringing out the best out of his staff, a core character of transformational leader. There is no doubt about the fact that Bransons success since 1970s is attributed directly to his attitude towards management of a team. In his approach, the barrier existing between the employees and management is broken. In fact, many people working with him approaches business issues with a philosophy of achieving through innovative thinking and not adhering to the preset rules. Because of the ideologies propagated by Branson, all participants in the organization share similar values. He formulated his own style of leadership, priding himself on integrating the employees in to his style and seeking their thoughts on ways of improving value to customers. Employees are expected to internalize these values and respond in accordance to them. Integration of corporate values in leadership strategies means that there is little interference by external forces (Werdigier 2007, pp. 4). Nevertheless, Sir Bransons approach does not mean that the employees are entirely dependent on the chairpersons thoughts. They are equally accountable of their actions like fellow employees under transactional leadership. In order to motivate his employees, Branson and his management team, especially human resources management department have systems of enhancing commitment of employees through bonuses, stock options and profit sharing, and internal promotion wherever possible. Apart from Sir Bransons input in the success of the Virgin Group, there is a contribution of organizational culture in the company. Organizational culture existing in Virgin Group in fairly complex. The Group serves more than 100 companies operating separately in the industries which are not entirely related. The common feature within ever company in the group is the glamorous Virgin Brand. The brand remains unchanged in all companies operating in different businesses. This is a similarity, which puts a heavy responsibility on each department or division to positively represent the brand. The image reveals an overall image of quality and innovation inherent in the group. Through the creation of an exclusive brand, the company has been able to consolidate and maintain desirable loyalty levels among the customers. The diverse business portfolio evident in Virgin Group businesses is helpful in building and maintaining loyalty in various industries. This is the main reason as to why the company has witnessed high levels of success. The managers in the company employ the concept of creativity to encourage employees to enhance their contribution to the group in whatever level of hierarchy. They discourage the scenario where employees sit back to execute instructions. Employees have the capacity of producing cutting-edge products, which the whole company will be able to deliver to the market. They can also formulate ways of improving efficiency in the company. This is an outstanding feature of Virgin Group. Every individual has a say when it comes to products development. The management style in application at Virgin Group encourages members of staff to be competitive. This will eventually build a desire in the hearts of employees to see the company succeed so that they can be recognized as contrib utors to new and innovative business model. There is no clear cut between management and leadership within Virgin Group. Transformational leadership emanates from executives and top managers in the company. There are harmonized goals set by Sir Richard Branson and fellow company executives. Various companies within the group will work towards achieving those goals. These ambitious goals range from utilization of new technology, expansion in international markets, joint venture with other existing companies and loyalty among customers. Goals formulated at this level of management are communicated to every employee in the company. This is a beneficial strategy, which gives every employee a task to accomplish in fostering the groups mission. The senior management implores the employees to output their skills in such a way that they are going to complement the company (Virgin Group n.d.). The notion behind this effort is to advance the philosophy that the entire benefits of the group will eventually lead to individual gains for ev ery person involved. The contribution to the group will ultimately result in rewards for managers, employees, shareholders, executives, and customers alike. One desirable feature of Virgin Group is its organizational structure. Through its structure the company has succeeded in overcoming the challenges related to expansion. An expansive organization like Virgin Group must explore ways of handling the massive information within the company. Through its flat organizational chart, Virgin Group Limited has been able to handle it expansive business portfolio with much ease. The reduction of horizontal chain of command means that interdepartmental communication is enhanced. As the level of hierarchy moves down, the lower levels of management tend to concentrate more keenly on the management of the company. Although leadership is always encouraged among the managers, it requires some levels of strict management to make sure that the task has been accomplished. Different divisions within the company have different management function. At Virgin Group, managers have several goals of wide scope. Because of the fact that different divisions of the company are specialized in their operations, well-trained and qualified mangers are required to manage it effectively. In most cases, managers employed by the company have a firm background in their sector of specialization. They must also prove that they are capable by showing a successful record of accomplishment. It is the sole responsibility of managers within Virgin Group to ensure that day-to-day operations needed to keep the division running are executed effectively. Organization is a vital ingredient in the success of Virgin companies. Since the group in an amorphous company comprising of several companies, organization is very critical in putting together the processes (Human Resources Magazine, 2003). To start with, the company has many goals to be achieved like expanding the global presence and building of customer loyalty. The top executive are responsible for determining these goals and making them available to the entire company. The same executive must ensure that these goals are achievable for them to be received well by employees. However, caution should be exercised to ensure that the employees are not underutilized. Challenging goals are important for employees to feel that they are engaged in meaningful tasks. Organization of these goals within the division will ensure that specific targets are made. Every division has separate and specialized goals aimed at increasing market share and improvement of product and services. As the hierarchy advances to the junior staffs, goals become more precise and short lived. The targets set at implementation levels are easily achievable because they are very specific. These specific goals are formulated by division managers with close reference to those of the entire group. This system of information transfer enables the company to remain on track on the journey to meeting the targets set by executives. Virgin is a living evidence for the fact that this kind of organization is a major prerequisite for business success. Breaking down of general goals in to actionable points is a desirable feature revealed in Virgins organization. A healthy and workable organizational structure witnessed in Virgin Groups businesses is attained with many varying strategies. Transformational leadership is one of these strategies that have seen the company attain great heights of success. This strategy enables people of diverse backgrounds and ability to share a common goal. Through working together, a team can combine its members efforts and work towards achieving a common goal. Transformational leadership gives everyone an equal chance to output his or her ability without reservations. A critical review of Virgin Group business reveals that its versatile and innovative workforce is due to the transformational leadership in place. This is in contrast with transactional leadership in which employees are compensated according to performance. The draw back with this kind of leadership is that it breeds greedy employees whose goal will be to amass rewards as much as possible (Gill 2006, pp. 63). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many things to be learned from leadership and management of Virgin Group Limited. The company has cut itself a niche in various industries. It has also proven that all things are possible with dedication and commitment. Through the able leadership of its Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, the management team has come up with a unique formula of managing large-scale businesses like Virgin Group. To a large extend, the success of Virgin Group is directly attributable to the input of Sir Branson. He has succeeded in opening a new chapter of management, which deviates from conventional methods (Robert 2000, pp.4). His liberal and all accommodating approach is desirable. There is a formidable blend between management and leadership. A critical review of these two elements reveals that there is no clears cut between the two: a feature that has worked well for the company.

Sources of stress in elite football players

Sources of stress in elite football players Sources of stress in elite football players. Abstract In this piece we shall look at stress, its definition, and its potential occurrence in the world of the professional football player. We will examine the possible sources and use current literature sources to support our assertions. Having done that we shall examine in detail the case of Mr Vasey, a youngster who embarked on a professional football career but did not make it onto the elite circuit. We shall examine his personal account for evidence to support or refute our assessment. If you read some of the tabloid newspapers, you could be forgiven for thinking that an elite footballer’s life is little more than huge amounts of money, fast cars, a succession of pretty women and endless adulation from mindlessly adoring fans when performing on the football pitch. Some of the more disreputable papers may also dwell on a slightly different (but generally equally false) aspect of their life, the drink, drugs, sordid sex romps in hotel rooms and gambling. The truth of the matter, in the vast majority of cases, is that the elite footballer is a finely honed athlete at the peak of his training. He is required to perform daily in training routines and in the gym, less frequently on the pitch, and put himself at risk of career threatening injuries on a regular basis. All this is done in the full knowledge that he has worked his way up a professional ladder to a comparatively short window of elite performance and that there are always many more hopefuls who are climbing up behind him either waiting to push him off or to watch him as he falls. You may regard the introduction as rather melodramatic, but it is intended to illustrate the very different perceptions that are commonly held about the lifestyles of the elite footballer. In this piece we are going to review the stresses and pressures that are commonly experienced by this elite group and also how they (generally) manage to cope with them. We also intend to illustrate the theoretical problems faced by the elite footballer with a real case study of a young man, Mr Peter Vasey who has gone a long way to becoming one of the elite group and then, for various reasons, which we shall discuss, decided not to pursue it further. Stress and Stress management We all think that we know what stress is and that we can easily recognise it. It actually proves to be a very hard item to define as firstly, it is important to distinguish between physical (biological) stress and psychological stress. The two are clearly related but fundamentally different. Secondly, stress is a multitude of different responses to a multitude of different potential causes. In this piece we are going to consider the various causes of psychological stress on elite footballers. In this context we can look for a definition of stress in a particularly informative article by Crampton et al. (1995) . She reviews the various definitions of stress. â€Å"Hans Selye (1956), a pioneer in stress research, has defined stress as the non-specific response of the body to any demands made upon it (Kreitner Kinicki, 1992, p. 597). It is considered to be an internal state or reaction to anything we consciously or unconsciously perceive as a threat, either real or imagined (Clarke, 1988). Stress can evoke feelings of frustration, fear, conflict, pressure, hurt, anger, sadness, inadequacy, guilt, loneliness, or confusion (Cavanagh, 1988). Individuals feel stressed when they are fired or lose a loved one (negative stress) as well as when they are promoted or go on a vacation (positive stress). While many individuals believe they must avoid stress to live longer, Freese (1976) argues that it is the salt and spice of life and that to have no stress we would have to be dead.† Selve defines the basic â€Å"biological† interpretation of stress while the Kreitner definition starts to incorporate the possible psychological elements that generate the biological responses. Clarke adds to our understanding by considering the psychological responses that can be produced by various stresses and Cavanagh modifies the definition further by introducing the concept of positive and negative stress. Freese makes the very perceptive comment that stress is an integral and inevitable feature of life itself. This particular insight can be taken rather further insofar as there are some individuals who find stress hard to cope with (non-copers) and others who appear to positively thrive in stressful situations (copers) In terms of our footballers under consideration, we must accept that stress can, and does affect performance as we shall discuss (see on). Basic psychological   theory shows us that individuals who are less than optimally stressed may not make enough effort to achieve their designated goal whereas those who are overstressed may not be able to concentrate on the task in hand and perform to their maximum capacity. In either eventuality it is clear that optimal performance is impaired. Equally it follows that there is an optimal amount of stress to achieve optimum performance. In practical terms, that â€Å"optimal amount† is only really possible to quantify in retrospect, and that is why many would describe the work of the team manager, coach and trainer as an art rather than a science. Haspels (2004) looked specifically at the levels of stress in pre- and post-match footballers. Unsurprisingly, he found that the highest levels of stress were found pre-match in an International game. One of the standard measures of stress in the resting subject is the cortisol level. Unfortunately physical activity also puts up cortisol levels so one of the major predictors of stress was rendered useless in this study. Haspels also found that the players performed best when their stress levels were controlled before the game   Work by Anshel (2001) looked at the causes of acute stress on the playing field and came to the rather surprising conclusion that the major causes of stress in that particular situation was consistently found to be receiving what was perceived to be a bad call from the referee and making a major physical error (missed kick etc.) When these eventualities occurred, the athletes concerned tended to make negative cognitive appraisals followed by an avoidance coping strategy. The same study also found that approach coping was most commonly seen after positive appraisals. These observations clearly support the transactional coping model. The use of appraisals and coping strategy was directly dependent on the perceived nature of the stressful event. Stress is an inherent part of football. It may, in part, be added to by the unrealistic expectations of the coaches, managers and the fans. Every team in the league is told that â€Å"this year the cup will be ours† at the beginning of the season and all the training, playing and motivation will be directed towards winning it. The reality, of course, is that only one team will win it. Continued stress has been cited as the main reason for many of the younger players (including our study subject) for their lack of enjoyment and subsequently leaving the game. It is interesting to note that many sources cite youth as one of the causes of acute stress on the grounds that the youngster may not yet have developed the physical sports skills and coping strategies that the older, more experienced players have. We will not consider this element further as our concern in this piece is primarily the elite footballer who, by definition, has already mastered his game. In broad terms, according to Lazarus (1999), coping with stress consists of a person’s conscious attempt at managing the demands and intensity of events perceived as stressful or improving ones personal resources (e.g., positive affect, confidence, self-control) in attempting to reduce or manage ones perceived stress intensity. He also observes that one of the critical factors in an athlete’s adoption of a particular coping strategy is their cognitive appraisal of the stressful event or situation. Lazarus sums up his appreciation of the coping response as an athlete’s ability to accurately appraise the situation and the subsequent use of an appropriate coping strategy as the critical factor in explaining an athlete’s physiological and psychological adaptation to stress in sport.  Ã‚   Method Our method of investigation falls into two parts. In terms of the stresses faced by elite footballers and their coping mechanisms, we have consulted, appraised and quoted authoritative literature on the subject. In terms of the real problems faced by Mr. Vasey, we have interviewed him and the results of the interview are appended to this piece as appendix I Sources of potential stress Clearly there are a great many sources of potential stress that our hypothetical elite footballer may face. Broadly speaking they can be categorised into:- Sport related stress.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance anxiety  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alpha male problems in a team game  Ã‚  Ã‚   Age  Ã‚  Ã‚   Competition stress   Ã‚  Ã‚   Constant motivation  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exercise dependence   Ã‚  Ã‚   Constant levels of fitness  Ã‚  Ã‚   Injury concerns   Ã‚  Ã‚   Dietary concerns  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drug monitoring concerns  Ã‚  Ã‚   Premature retirement Financial  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Living up to a perceived lifestyle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transient nature of   income  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Income dependent on continued performance Publicity related  Ã‚   Media attention  Ã‚   Family intrusion  Ã‚   Privacy intrusion Direct stress-related problems  Ã‚   Drink  Ã‚   Drugs  Ã‚   Relationship problems   Ã‚   Cognitive functioning   Let us consider each one of these potential stresses in turn Sports related stresses Performance anxiety In a well written and comprehensive article, Poczwardowski and Conroy (2002) discuss the stresses and coping mechanisms of elite performers. They categorise the various coping mechanisms into 36 sub-categories on the basis of direct interviews. The standard categorisations of problem-focused, emotion-focused, appraisal-focused, and avoidance-focused etc. were amplified and extended to cover a greater rang of detected strategies. For example   greater motivational changes after failure was reported by one athlete as a stimulus to train harder so as not to fail a second time. Stress can affect different sportsmen in different ways. Some appear to thrive and perform well, others find that it is a bar to optimum performance. Those elite footballers in the first category do not need any intervention as far as their performance in the game is concerned but an interesting study by Solberg et al. (2000)   looked at the use of different relaxation techniques pre- and post performance in elite athletes. They found that athletes who practised meditation-related relaxation techniques had their blood lactate levels returning to normal quicker than their non-relaxed counterparts. Contrary to expectation however, they found no significant difference in their levels of pre-exercise anxiety. Alpha-male problems in a team game This is an anecdotally reported phenomenon which does not appear to have been investigated from a scientific perspective. The typical alpha-male personality type is over represented in the elite footballer community. Aggression, speed, firmness of decision making, independence and rapid responses are all prized attributes of the elite footballer. These are seldom attributes that are seen in the personality types that are happy playing as an integral part of a team. Football, by its very nature, is played by a team of eleven on the pitch and off the pitch, a very much larger team is involved. Prima Donna behaviour, typical of the alpha-male, cannot be easily accommodated in such circumstances. It may be tolerated as long as the player concerned is delivering the results, but it can be an enormous cause of stress when the results stop being delivered. Age Footballers get older. In terms of their professional use, they age perhaps faster than professionals in other fields. There is a very narrow   â€Å"window of opportunity† for them to be at the top of their chosen field. To play at elite level for more than a decade is considered to be quite unusual. Part of the reason for this is the natural ageing process which is present in every other individual, but also there is the ever-present problem of both career threatening injury and also the huge wear and tear on the joints (see on) which can give rise to significant health impairment in later life. Turner et al. (2000)   examined this problem in some detail and their results make impressive reading. Their cohort were all professional footballers. 32% of whom reported having surgery on at least one occasion. Of those, over half had knee surgery and a quarter of those had complete joint replacements. 15% reported having hip surgery with another 9% awaiting surgery. Others in the group were having non-invasive treatments. Nearly half had physiotherapy in one form or another for injuries sustained during their career and over a quarter were having some form of analgesia or anti-inflammatory drugs for pain associated with football injuries. Osteoarthritis (OA) was diagnosed in at least one site in nearly half of the respondents and the vast majority of those were hips and knees. Significantly nearly 10% were registered as disabled due to OA and, very significantly, 72% of all respondents agreed with the statement   I am concerned with how OA may affect my body in the future, clearly a major source of potential stress.(Barlow et al. 2000) Although joint problems were, predictably, seen as the most common pathology, other morbidity was found. Neuropsychological problems were not uncommon, presumably related to episodes of concussion or repeated trauma such as heading the football. 10 of the group reported problems such as memory complaints, dizziness and headaches. Sport related problems included early retirement, enforced reduction in working hours or even a change to a sedentary occupation. Not only can all of this be viewed as a major source of stress to those who are suffering because of it, but also it must be stressful for the still-active player who may know what may be in store for him. Competition stress This is an area that has been extensively studied. Competition stress can be an enhancer for some players but equally it can be an inhibitor for others. There is a distinction to be made between the trait of anxiety and the state of anxiety which is quite significant and, to a large extent, is a reflection of the ability of the individual to cope with and handle the stress levels. Sanderson and Reilly (1983)   did the classic study in this field. Their target group were elite athletes. They found that the group of athletes who had the anxiety trait correlated highly with those who had high pre-race anxiety states and this correlated highly with the actual race performance. Very significantly, the greatest reduction in post-race anxiety levels was seen in those runners who performed well in their races. Constant motivation In order to maintain elite footballer status a player must find a source of constant motivation. Initially, in his adolescent training days, the motivation may be personal glory and the goal orientated drive that comes with wishing to achieve professional status. Having achieved that goal however, the player must then find other motivational drives to maintain his progress. For some, it drive comes from considerations of status and wealth, for others it could be the need for adulation and fame, others may have personal goals of achieving the pinnacle of their chosen profession, these are the achievement-junkies that are seen in any professional walk of life. Whatever the motivation, success invariable comes at a cost. Decisions, and therefore usually sacrifices, have to be made along the route of attainment and achievement. In this piece we are considering specifically the elite footballer who, by definition, has managed to achieve the peak of his career. We should perhaps also consider the   other athletes who by virtue of circumstance, situation, lack of motivation or perhaps even random differences in pre-natal myelination patterns, do not actually achieve the top of their profession. We shall discuss one such case in the case-study at the end of this piece. For every elite footballer, there are many who do not make the top echelon of players. There are arguably even more stress factors in this group who what to achieve but for one reason or another, cannot. As far as motivation is concerned, this is a major concern of every coach and manager in the country for reasons that we have set out above. Most premier teams will have psychologists who are motivational   specialists. Motivational theory is evolving at a rapid rate and reversal theory is the current â€Å"idea of the moment†. A particularly good book on the subject is edited by Apter (2001) . It deals with not only the current thinking on the subject but also the actual evolution of the reversal theory from its conception in the 70’s through to the applications of the present day. Significantly it also deals with the specific subject of stress engendered by the motivational process. It is a highly technical book and therefore we do not propose to enter into detail about its contents, but it highlights the psychological issues of burn-out, apathy and depression that are commonly seen in constantly ( and inappropriately) motivated players. In the context of elite footballers, there is a fascinating and short article by McNair (1996)   which looked at the effect of verbal encouragement on maximal effort output.   The game of football is anecdotally renowned for the aggressive verbal abuse beloved by many trainers, coaches and managers. One may argue that it is only a manifestation of their own frustrations and stresses that causes them to behave in this way and it is certainly a cause of stress to the players (clearly it is intended to be). McNair’s paper produces a cast-iron rationale for this â€Å"encouragement† as he found, by means of a very simply designed study, that verbal encouragement does increase the maximal output of skeletal muscle. Interestingly, while measuring the actual power output, he also measured the EMG tracings of the afferent nerves supplying the relevant muscles and found that verbal encouragement did not change the EMG readings, so the actual cause of the improvement was not ascertained but it was nonetheless real. Constant levels of fitness Constant levels of fitness are clearly a pre-requisite for an elite footballer. There may well be periods of injury where the fitness levels fall, but they must be quickly re-established in order to achieve optimum performance levels. Fitness, in general terms equates with earning power and job security for a elite footballer, so the overriding goal must be to achieve peak fitness at all times. This, in certain circumstances, can become an obsession (See on – exercise dependence) Exercise dependence Many studies have shown the exercise can give rise to demonstrable health benefits – both chronic and acute. There are some people for whom exercise actually becomes an obsession (Hurst et al. 2000). This is a real disease entity resulting in behaviour patterns that compel an individual to exercise despite the presence of obstacles. It also can produce both psychological and physical symptoms of withdrawal, if exercise cannot be taken (Pierce, 1994) ( Veale, 1995) (Thaxton 1982). These patterns are commoner in women and often associated with eating disorders but they are also seen in male athletes. Bamber et al. (2000)   has authored a paper which   produced a qualitative analysis of the whole issue. She found that elements of an eating disorder were always present to a greater or lesser degree, but that this was hard to quantify as many athletes will pursue closely monitored dietary regimes in any event. This syndrome is commonest in women, but does occur in men, particularly   it seems in those who have low self-esteem or a poor self-image. It may be thought that such traits are unusual in the context of elite footballers but perceived body image does not always reflect the true physique. Any experienced healthcare professional will tell you about the anorexic or muscle dysmorphic who perceives something quite different when they look in the mirror. It is commonly believed that such conditions are a result of compensation syndromes. People may have a need to try to excel in one area if they feel that they are in some way failing in another.(Bamber 2003) Injury concerns Injury is the footballer’s constant fear. Football is a fast and occasionally violent game with frequent body contact being an intrinsic part of the game plan. Injury can vary from trivial to catastrophic or even life-threatening. Most injuries will have an impact on the elite footballer either at the time of the injury or, as we have seen above, at a later stage in his life. We have referred earlier to the comparatively short earning window of the elite footballer and clearly there will be considerable stresses involved if that window is cut short for any reason. Because of the huge investment that the average elite footballer represents to any club, a huge amount of energy and resources are employed to get an injured player back onto the field of play. It has to be said that the vast majority of professional clubs act responsibly in allowing injuries to heal properly before returning the player to training, but there will be the inevitable pressure on the less-than-scrupulous coach to get the player back on the field before full recovery has taken place. This has costs to the player in terms of impaired performance and also in terms of long term problems arising from an incompletely healed injury. Ekstrand et al. (2004)   looked at the problem as a result of the 2002 World Cup. They cite one of the major reasons for injury as being the frequency of the matches in a packed calendar for the top players. Injuries which would normally be regarded as comparatively minor did not get the usual chance to heal completely before the next game was due to be played. This resulted in a rising accumulative total of injuries above what might otherwise be expected over a comparatively short period. The study found that, over the ten months of the World Cup games the average player played 36 matches. The top players form each team played, on average, 46 matches over the same period. The survey showed that the players who played in the World Cup matches sustained 29% more injuries than players from the same teams who did not play. 32% underperformed when compared to their normal standard. These players had played statistically more matches than those who were felt to have played better than expected. One major finding was that 60% of the players who had played more than one match in the week before a World Cup match were either injured or underperformed during the World Cup game. The clear inference from this study is that tiredness and physical burnout affects performance in elite footballers. At the highest levels, players, clubs and coaches should be aware that this is a real phenomenon. And, at the very least, is a considerable cause of stress to the players. Orchard and Seward (2002)   Took this concept a stage further and looked at the injuries sustained by the entire Australian Football League over seasons from 1997-2000. Their findings are a major source of concern to the elite footballer world. In a season each team of 40 players would expect to receive 39 separate injuries. Clearly some players would be injured more than once (The major predisposing factor for injury is a pre-existing injury). The injury prevalence of players missing through injury in a week was 16% with a recurrence rate of 17%. They found that the commonest injury was to the hamstrings, followed by ACL strains and then groin injuries. For an elite footballer who depends upon his ability to play for his income, these figures represent a great cause of potential stress. Before leaving this area, we should consider one other area of injury which we touched upon earlier, and that is the sequelae of concussion. Bloom et al (2004) looked at this particular problem in great detail with particular reference to the psychological changes that were observed to occur after the injury. After suffering a concussive injury, the elite footballer was found to suffer from a greater incidence of symptoms of isolation, pain,anxiety, and disruption of daily life as a result of the injury. The investigators found that a source of added stress was, unexpectedly, from other team members who appeared to be giving support but were subliminally putting pressure on the injured athlete to return to play. The investigators found a worrying number of unexpected psychological symptoms including anger, denial, depression, distress, bargaining, and shock. Clearly this needs to be both recognised and addressed if the impact of the injury is not to be a further source of stress to the injured footballer Dietary concerns The elite footballer must always be at peak fitness and as a result his diet must always be under scrutiny. Fitness generally needs a BMI in the region of 20-23. Significant weight gains beyond this range not only reduce performance levels but also increase the wear and tear on the joints. We have already discussed the extent to which the knee joint is stressed during football training and playing. Adding weight to this joint is clearly only going to add to the degenerative changes that occur. An elite footballer needs to be able to accelerate his body mass rapidly in a given direction. It follows that the greater the body weight, the greater effort is needed. He will know this both at a cerebral level and also at an instinctive level. He will know that if his weight goes up significantly then it becomes harder for him to run as fast and to turn as efficiently. The average elite footballer is therefore very careful with regard to his diet. The average man in the population can afford to go out for an occasional extravagant meal or the odd evening or two at the pub without worrying too much about the consequences. The consequences for the elite footballer are that, in doing such things he would have to reduce his calorie intake over the next few days in order to maintain the status quo. This again can become a major source of stress for many. As the years go by, the average male tends to become slower and to put on weight as a natural process. This insidious reduction in the body’s efficiency is obviously a concern to a footballer who will often try to combat this trend with ever more aggressive training programmes and dietary regimes – again another source of stress. Drug monitoring concerns A number of elite footballers have hit the headlines lately as a result of random drug tests, either through failing or missing them. Doping and drug-enhanced training is a fact of professional football life in the current climate. It follows that the regulatory powers have to be ruthless in their quest for a drug-free sport. The fact that some players do gamble against the odds and take performance enhancing medications and drugs is a reflection of the stress and pressure that they feel under to constantly perform. It equally follows that they must feel that their performance is not good enough if they need to resort to such measures. The problems do not stop at performance enhancing drugs. Stress and other factors may tempt a player to use drugs of a different sort. Recreational drugs are common in elite footballer circles. In support of this statement we would consider the paper by Turner (2003)   In which he states that a recently retired elite footballer claimed that 80% of elite footballers in Australia had either been offered or used recreational drugs. This statement was extensively reported in the Press and other sources quoted the figure as being nearer 30%. The truth of the matter will clearly never be known but it can be contrasted with the figure from the UK which shows that over 18% of all the positive drugs screening tests done on athletes are currently for recreational drugs. This can be put in perspective against the 35% positive findings for stimulants and 25% for anabolic agents Premature retirement Retirement is a fact of life for all workers.   As we have discussed earlier, retirement from active playing – and therefore from a high earning capacity tends to come at a much earlier age for a footballer. It is therefore a major incentive to keep playing at a high level for as long as possible. Retirement through the natural ageing process is something that the elite footballer obviously has to come to terms with. It is comparatively unusual for a top rank footballer to be playing into his forties. He may have the experience to play well, but he is always judged on his results, and the fact of the matter is that there will always be younger players who will generally be faster and filled with raw enthusiasm ready to jump into any vacant slot at the top. The elite footballer therefore knows that his playing days are always numbered. We have discussed earlier the problems faced by the elite footballer in respect of the ever-present danger of injury. Clearly a career-ending injury can come at any time. It can be career-ending because of a dramatic incident such as a major fracture of a major bone or it can be a more subtle process, a bad tackle gives rise to an ankle injury which, in turn gives rise to an unstable ankle that does not allow the pivoting action necessary for efficient play. It becomes obvious that the player is not performing as well as another player in the squad and therefore he is replaced with greater frequency and then he becomes dispirited and eventually dropped from the team. The end process is just the same in either eventuality – cessation of an active playing career and the concurrent loss of high earning capacity. The result can be devastating for a man who, in order to achieve elite footballer status, may well have devoted a substantial proportion of his adolescent and adult life to improving and perfecting his football skills. He finds himself effectively out of a job at an age where most men are still looking forward to at least twenty more years of productive work. The immediate openings for him are limited to training, coaching or managing, all of which are highly competitive as they have been filled by his footballing predecessors and generally, they are not as well paid as his previous career. The stresses and psychological traumas are all too easy to see if the elite footballer has not been particularly level-headed in his approach to the profession. The unlikely body of Windsor Insurance Brokers Ltd. published a study of an investigation into the career-ending incidents of professional footballers in the UK (1997)   which makes interesting reading. They did not analyse the actual levels of stress that we are concerned about in this piece, but their findings make sobering reading to the current generation of elite footballers.   It would appear that few elite footballers actually reach retirement age without a significant injury. That injury is responsible (either directly or indirectly) for the eventual d