My Sexuality Of A South Asian Society - 878 Words

On a sunny May summer day of 2011, my family immigrated from a small town of India with grandiose hopes and expectations of life and achievements. Moving to the United States required us to develop new identities and reshape the old ones to fit in. I chose to explore my sexuality in a South Asian society. Coming out as gay and my parents’ moving back to India led to my legal emancipation at the age of 15. Apart from being an immigrant, I was assumed to be financially independent and face the heightened disregard from my society for being gay. Amidst these pivotal challenges, I found solace in being part of the LGBT communities at large and the social gratification that came along. Working for the Human Rights Campaign and promoting the Equality Bill in Congress, I realized the widening disparities and inequities faced by my communities, especially by my trans brothers and sisters, in a health care setting. Despite some progressive moves in the right direction, we constantly face prejudice and ignorance regarding our unique medical needs, sexual health in particular. The amount of times I have to bluntly ask my personal physician for specific tests is surprisingly high; I can only imagine the trans experience at an Emergency Room. There are two main causes for such neglect: on one hand there is a lack of representation of the LGBT community in the workforce; on the other hand, our own preferences for LGBT professionals limits the exposure to the broader medicalShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Farewell My Concubine And The King And The Clown 1653 Words   |  7 Pageshomosexuality vary substantially across Asia. Surprisingly, there are two conflicting attitudes t oward homosexuality. Some Asian countries strongly condemn against homosexuality. Whereas, in some Asian countries visibly accept homosexuality. Judith Butler explained that gender is represented as a stylized repetition of acts or imitation. She described the categories of sexuality and gender as a form of performativity (Butler 1996, 368). This essay will explore and examine the experience of gender identityRead More`` Farewell My Concubine And The King And The Clown By Chen Kaige1197 Words   |  5 PagesSurprisingly, there are two conflicting attitudes toward homosexuality. Some Asian countries strongly condemn against homosexuality, whereas some Asian countries visibly accept homosexuality. Judith Butler explained that gender is represented as a stylized repetition of acts or imitation. She described the categories of sexuality and gender as a form of performativity (Butler 1996, 368). This essay will focus on China and South Korea and explore the experience of gender ident ity via to the socio-culturalRead MoreThe Human Mind And Behavior As Individuals And Small Groups984 Words   |  4 PagesA. Unlike psychology which focuses on leaning the human mind and behavior as individuals and small groups, sociology is the course to study human social relations and the society itself. Sociology focuses on explaining societal behavior by studying how gender, race, social classes, religion, socioeconomic status, and sexuality can associate with the overall culture. Example of sociology, social stratification, sociology will lean about how social stratification is formed and how it divides the peopleRead MoreBreaking The Cycle Of Child Marriage And Poverty1850 Words   |  8 Pageseliminating child marriage be more beneficial to societies in South Asia? Sweta Patel Breaking the cycle of Child Marriage and Poverty How will eliminating child marriage be more beneficial to societies in South Asia? Reducing the numbers of child marriage will allow impoverished South Asian communities to thrive. Child marriages often lead to the spread of HIV, infections, and increased sexual and domestic violence in South Asian societies. Most importantly, child marriage disempowersRead MoreSambia Social Interaction Essay1216 Words   |  5 Pagesoff into two male-female pairs. In this context, sexual interactions do not seem to reflect sexuality for women, as most interactions eventually end with the formation of heterosexual partners. Though a vastly different social context, in Sambia culture, men are able to similarly move from homosexual/ bisexual interactions to heterosexual interactions without any consequence to the perception of their sexuality. Homosexual interactions serve an important purpose in most stages of the men’s lives butRead MoreFar from Heaven Essay1206 Words   |  5 PagesFar From Heaven Far from Heaven is a film about a 1950s period. It deals with some issues such as race, sexuality and class. There is Cathy, the perfect mother and wife married to Frank, the successful and charming man, who works as seals manager in a big company, having the perfect life. Until Cathy, finds that her husband; Frank is a homosexual. She cannot divorce from her husband because she does not want to destruct her marriage. At the same time, she meets with Raymond, and she goesRead MoreThe Evolution of Self in Asian-American Women in the Us (Joy Luck Club)4993 Words   |  20 PagesEssay 2-The Evolution of Self in Asian-American Women in the US The conflict of a typical mother/daughter relationship exists in many cultures. This conflict for many Asian-American women was further exasperated as these women were forced to also deal with adjusting as first, second, and third generation Americans in a sometimes unwelcome society. As a child, Japanese-American Janice Mirikitani, was interned, along with her mother, at a â€Å"work relocation camp† during 1941in Rohwer, Arkansas (AmericansRead MorePersuasive Essay : Assisted Marriage2451 Words   |  10 PagesAlexander Gyenizse Jennifer Drake ENGL1301 08/DEC/2014 Assisted Marriage: A Potential benefit to western society. Arranged Marriage is perhaps one of the most shocking and stark affronts to western sensibilities. American minds, with their concepts of freedom and choice, would seem unable to grasp any benefit in a system which does not involve the complete free will and consent of both parties in a romantic relationship. The darkest images of arranged marriage paint in our minds the vision ofRead MoreAnalysis of My Personal Identity1331 Words   |  5 Pagesrace, class, gender, (dis) ability, and sexual orientation coexist on multiple, and often simultaneous levels, contributing to systematic social inequality. In situating myself, I am an East Indian woman born into a first generation immigrant family. My ethnic background is Punjabi; specifically, I am a Sikh. I am less privileged because I am a woman and I am raced. I am more privileged because I live in an economically developed part of the world, I have almost completed a post-secondary educationRead MoreThe Impact Of British Art On The World Of Art And Opportunities1677 Words   |  7 Pagesknown to be region based, but a lot of artist now prefer going to a different nation and grasp a different technique and skills. But when it comes to opportunities, for example; an Indian origin or South-Asian origin artist may be at a greater disadvantage as compared to the white artist in British society, mainly because of an unchallenged racial intolerance or partiality, and also because of the history of British colonies in Asia. History also plays a crucial role in such cases of racial discrimination

Symptoms And Symptoms Of Antisocial Personality - 1706 Words

Antisocial Personality Disoder or APD is a rare and unique disorder where people have a lack of moral character or empathy. They are not shown love and compassion in childhood and develop anger and hatred for the rest of the world. People with the disorder are only out for their own gain. There is little to help those with this disorder as many are criminals or murderers and it is hard to help those who do not care about anyone else. They tend to stray away from getting help and it leads to the disorder to get grow and fester. The symptoms of antisocial personality include a lot of hatred and any lack of remorse or compassion. â€Å"Cleckley’s (1995) classic diagnostic criteria for psychopathy include absence of nervousness, lack of remorse or†¦show more content†¦They also have a tendency to be manipulative to get what they want until they show their true colors in their actions in expending held in emotion. Generally, there are two factors towards developing antisocial personality disorder, and that is biological and environmental. Research has not come to a concrete cause of antisocial personality disorder but some risk factors for the disorder is lack of emotional attachment, growing up in disturbed homes, and child abuse can cause the disorder to develop (Black, 2016). If children grow up in homes of substance or child abuse it can cause the disorder to develop in a child. The environment creates a sense of loathing of the world, because they could feel as though the world has always done wrong by them. There are differences in the structure and parts of the brain of a psychopath. Dr. Adrian Raine, a Neurocriminologist, in a video tells one of these differences saying: â€Å"One of the key differences that we find in the brains of psychopaths, is that there’s a structural impairment to part of the brain called the amygdala. This is a part of the brain very much involved in th e generation of emotion† (Knowledge Boost Chronicles, 2010, 2:50). People who have the disorder have a deformity of their amygdala. As part of the brain, it can be structurally different at birth or can be deformed through brain damage. Another key difference is that there is limited activity in the prefrontal cortex or frontal lobe. A PET scan ofShow MoreRelatedAntisocial Personality Disorder And Young Children1647 Words   |  7 PagesAntisocial Personality Disorder Leads to Violent Acts in Young Children According to research antisocial disorder causes violent acts in children of a young age. Review of literature indicates that antisocial personality disorder is a mental condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This behavior is often criminal (Berger, 2014). It has been said that people who have experiences a traumatic event in their life many developRead MoreAntisocial Personality Disorder ( Adhd )1556 Words   |  7 Pagespeople believe that antisocial personality disorder is a faà §ade for criminals to receive lesser sentences by being diagnosed with a medical disorder. However, antisocial personality disorder is not just having and being a sociopathic person; it is a constant struggle. Antisocial personality disorder is a rare personality disorder with mental conditions that has short and long-term effects on a patient’s life. This literature review aims to characterize antisocial personality disorder by addressingRead MoreOverview of Antisocial Personality Disorder1160 Words   |  5 PagesCan antisocial personality disorder affect the life of a person with this diagnostic and their family members? In general, personality’s disorders affect the overall social functioning of a person, by eluding and eliminating any type of socialization; moreover, in the case of a chronic mental condition as an antisocial personality disorder the person with this diagnostic ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are negative and dysfunctional, affecting their positive and harmlessRead MoreAntisocial Personality Disorder711 Words   |  3 PagesAntisocial Personality Disorder is a psychological disorder in which an individual’s way of thinking and way of relating to others is dysfunctional and destructive. People with antisocial personality disorder usually have no regard for right and wrong and often disregard the rights and feelings of others (May o Clinic 1). They tend to antagonize and manipulate others for pleasure or personal benefit and often violate the law and end up in trouble most of the time, but show no remorse or regret forRead MoreAntisocial Personality Disorder, Slaughter, And Kashani Walker ( Hehehe )1596 Words   |  7 Pages Antisocial Personality Disorder Latoya Walker (hehehe) Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Introduction Conduct disorder is the primary identifying risk factor in childhood that may be recognized as an early sign preceding the eventual development of antisocial personality disorder in adulthood (Holmes, Slaughter, Kashani, 2001). Antisocial personality disorder possesses an array of proposed origins which include but are not limited to domestic, genetic, prenatal, and educationalRead MoreThe Silence Of The Lambs1017 Words   |  5 Pageshas is antisocial personality disorder. This disorder has also been known as sociopathy. According to (http://www.mayoclinic.org) this can be described as â€Å" a mental condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others harshly or with callous indifference. They show no guilt or remorse for their behavior.† Some symptoms of antisocial personalityRead MoreAntisocial Personality Disorder ( Sociopathy And Psychopathy Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesAntisocial personality disorder is a condition as to where the person that has the disorder tends to be manipulative, deceitful, reckless or malicious. Antisocial personality disorder, a lot like other personality disorders, is often put on a spectrum. Which in turn means that the disorder can often range in severity. The variables can range from committing small or insignificant acts of bad behavior, to potentially harming others and committing large scale crimes. For reference, psychopathy isRead MoreHimanka Wickramaratne. Soci 13314Gd. Rory Sommers. Psychopathology1747 Words   |  7 Pagesthe untreated mental illnesses (antisocial personality disorder and Schizophrenia) of Vince Li. The actions of Vince Li can be described by using a branch of psychology called psychopathology. Psychopathology is the study of mental illnesses in individuals. It uses scientific reasoning to help understand how a person’s thoughts and emotions incorporate with their behaviour patterns. In the case of Vince Li, he had two mental illnesses called antisocial personality disorder and Schizophrenia thatRead MoreThe Dark Knight Rises And Televis ion Series1499 Words   |  6 Pagesseries â€Å"Dexter†, the characters Joker and Dexter are attributed with the mental disorder antisocial personality disorder, creating the stigma that those with the disorder are â€Å"Psychotic killers† through their symptoms and actions, as well as their treatments and causes. The Joker is a fictional character in the movie series â€Å"The Dark Knight Rises† who is attributed with the mental illness, antisocial personality disorder. The representation of the Joker and his mental disorder is stigmatized, representingRead MoreThe Effects Of Antisocial Personality Disorder ( Aspd ) Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pageshealth disorder called Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Most of these professionals will agree that much more attention should be given to this matter since it can have fatal outcomes. The public and the media eye alike, might not realize the serious impact that this mental disorder can have on the general public. This literature review will examine what ASPD is, symptoms, possible causes, diagnosis, treatment, and how the public eye views this matter. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), is

Global Procurement and Supply Free Essays

GlaxoSmithKline:Sourcing Complex Professional Services Erin Edwards Global Procurement Supply April 22, 2018IntroductionGlaxoSmithKline also known as GSK is currently losing millions of the dollars annually in legal process. Normally, GSK always billed the law firms on hourly basis but this was not practical for the company. The team not had to research and innovate new ways to cut the spending through a new procurement process. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Procurement and Supply or any similar topic only for you Order Now GSK, GlaxoSmithKline uses an innovative approach to procure outside counsel by trading relationship based selection of law firms to an online reverse auction. However, the quality of the work, and selecting the right the law firm was a challenging hurdle to jump. GSK was willing to take up the challenge to come up with a better process of handling their spend.GSK is hit with a devastating suit and only has a certain number of days to hire a firm in time to respond. Their managing attorney Sophia Keating grapples with GSK approach to selecting suppliers. GSK employees ensured Sophia that this approach drives down cost and improves the quality of work submitted by the lawyers. Still skeptical about the process, she still runs process by comparing the competing firms and their bids. Furthermore, it was the decision by Harlow to outsource the services. GSK made strides to come up with the suitable options, and options to meet the criteria of less cost, and quality work. However, there were other concerns that could be discussed more broadly to avoid the pitfalls during the process. This case also describes the process in which this process was made and adopted beyond the implications for law firms and other service providers. Many processes seemed to only be adopted by selecting vendors for a variety of supplies and products but can be used for services also. This procurement process can be incredibly beneficial, especially streamline purchasing and tracking spend. This process can ensure a company pays the best price for goods or services, save time by choosing the most reputable vendors, and minimize order delays and mistakes. After getting early endorsement from the general counsel, Marty Harlow worked with GSK’s global external legal relations team (GELRT) in legal to develop a matter-specific, mini-RFP tool that enables in-house counsel to assess firms’ specific qualifications for a particular representation. The other main component of the OCSI is the electronic reverse auction which encourages fee competition among qualified law firms instead of hourly rates. GSK’s preferred firm roster work with procurement to draw up a shortlist of firms to invite to an OCSI event. GSK lawyers use a form-driven process to state as much detail about the matter as possible and these are passed to Harlow’s team for submission to firms. This case is very useful in talking about institutional change and how the procurement process can be adopted to many fields and services. Main Issues Uncontrollable Spending The company was spending millions of dollars annually on the spending on the legal matters. It was identified that there was also extra unnecessary cost incurred that could have been avoided through a better process that was more centralized. â€Å"More than a quarter of companies in the U.S. and UK spent over $5 million annually on litigation costs in 2012, and among healthcare companies that proportion was estimated to be 30%– 40%. Because legal fees had become a prominent line item in company overheads, top management in many companies pressured their general counsel (GC), the chief lawyer of a legal department, to rein in legal spending† (Gardner and Silverstein 2)There were some moments when the company even did not know about the spending on the legal matters, and legal department exceeded the budget sometimes. This was an issue many companies were being affected by, not just GSK. However, GSK noticed the high costs and need to be able to have a better centralized process. Therefore, it was challenging for the company to manage the spending on the legal matters and find another solid process that could not only cost less, but also provide quality services since quality is very important in the legal work. Relationship Vs. QualityGSK is engaged with the same law firms that they have had long relationships with. â€Å"One involved consolidating the number of firms with which their company regularly worked—sometimes ending long-standing relationships.† (Gardner and Silverstein 3) Relationship management is very key is long lasting business relationships, which has allowed GSK to be very successful with prior legal matters. However, through this process, the company would incur extra cost on the legal matters, because there is no cap on spend since it was tracked hourly. Since there was no centralized system to track the work and spend, GSK had no idea about the urgent matters and problems of the company. It is very important the firms that are selecting ensure that quality work is being completed without overspending. Cost does not always mean quality. GSK should have to risk quality during their cost for the best legal pursuits. Even though supplier relationship management is great, but it becomes challenges when spend is starting to become uncontrollable and unmanageable. Building closer relations with your strategic partners will minimize supply chain risks. Having strategic partners whose goals are aligned with business objectives are highly valuable and important to long term success.KPIsThere was not performance management in place to determine how the firm is performing. GSK did not have a quantifiable measure that is used to track and assess the status of the firm process. Every area of business especially complex professional services should have specific metrics that should be monitored. Having metrics will focus more on big picture financial metrics, which was an issue for GSK without the procurement process. The case does not mention how performance of the firms will be tracked. â€Å"GELRT leveraged technology to obtain?the information it needed to optimize financial performance and strengthen strategic planning. Matter management, electronic billing, and reporting systems were already in place within the legal department.† (Gardner and Silverstein 6) There is a lot of information about how GELRT uses technology to acquire information. The system is able to track spending, but there is no system in place to track KPIs.AnalysisThe process of sourcing involves the company to select suppliers for a product or service. The complete an evaluation of the supplier and finally contract with the supplier to deliver the required products or services. While procurement refers to the activity of getting the deliveries from the supplier identified and ensuring that the payments to the supplier are made. GSK adopting procurement process has helped make changes within their spend. â€Å"By 2006–2007, procurement had become heavily involved in the sourcing of many ancillary services. Harlow’s tough stance in negotiations saved GSK an estimated $23 million: $19 million from Legal Staffing/eDiscovery, $1 million from Court Reporting, and $3 million from Medical Records.† (Gardner and Silverstein 4) By taking the right initiatives in sourcing and procurement, GSK is able to see the benefits. Having a process in place will save the company time; ensure that one is getting the right solution to meet business needs. A procurement process will ensure you pay the right price and avoid overlooking vital steps that may come back to haunt the firm later. Procurement policies and procedures allow a business to arrange its buying strategy to its long-term goals and objectives. Procurement helps with a better chance to meet business goals. â€Å"This system reminds me of buying office supplies or landscaping services. Can it really be applied to a complex legal case like this one†¦.?† (Gardner and Silberstein 1) This is what Sophia Keating thought to herself when the idea of a reverse auction process was presented to her. The vendor selection process initially starts as part of a company’s strategy. A procurement process can measure the direct costs and the team timesaving achieved through better management. For example, GSK was very focus on their legal spend, which in turns means you need to select firms that would be able to handle the request in the right budget. The nice thing they had a selection of firms who meet their cost, quality and service requirements needs, but also add some firms who were new. After they shortlisted their firms, GSK was able to use OCSI for their quotes, terms and minimum service levels. Finally, review their proposals from the reverse auctions and reward the firm with the lowest number. Procurement increases an organization’s productivity by providing visibility into transactions.Benchmarking is the process of paralleling what companies are doing with what the best performing company in your industry is doing. In textbook, Purchasing Supply Chain Management describes bench making as, â€Å"Benchmarking is the continuous measuring of products, services, processes, activities, and practices against a firm’s best competitors or those companies recognized as industry or functional leaders.† (770) In Exhibit 3 of the case, you able to see how GSK compares with the other Law Firms Self-Assessment. Unfortunately, GSK managing attorney assessment does under perform in a couple areas like understanding business objectives, involvement of diverse team members, and reactiveness and creativeness. One of three types of benchmarking, process benchmarking compares operational processes. Performance benchmarking compares product or services, marketing and sales to determine how to increase profits. Short term benchmarking goals, produce quick results. But it is the long-term goals that help with the direction and strategies of the company that will make it more competitive in the market. Performance management is a performance controlling style that has grown increasingly popular with a variety of companies. Performance management is the process in which it challenges the company’s overall performance and abilities. It challenges them to bring their best foot and work forward. Performance manage usually involve setting goals, then evaluating their progress or work with a reward or penalty depending on how the firm or vendor performs. RecommendationsRun Reverse AuctionsA reverse auction is best used to obtain the best rate by embracing competition among firms bidding on price. GSK using this method will allow the law firms to compete with their best idea to win the business and also be within budget. The idea of reverse because during the auction makes sure the price drops. Price was definitely an issue for GSK previously because there was no way to track the spending. Using the method of reverse auction has a number of advantages. Some of the benefits of reverse auction is the amount of time it takes to make a decision. Before something that could takes months, can now be shortened into weeks or even days. Also, the bidders are able to see who their competition and how they compare to them. There is a lot more transparency when it comes reverse auctions. Law firms would calculate their preliminary prices and confirm the very lowest price they would go to secure the business. II. Conduct Routine Performance ReviewsPerformance management is a mutual agreement about how companies or individuals contribute to an organization’s goals. This is what OCSI can do for GSK. OCSI can act as a process of performance management and appraisals focusing on aligning GSK’s workforce, building capabilities, improving employee performance and development, and influencing better business results. GSK should complete annual performance reviews to evaluate the firms’ performance. This entails gathering feedback from co-workers and clients into consideration and observations by management. These assessments can be very detailed and elongated to include a review of the previous years’ evaluation and an assessment of services. Many firms may have the company complete an evaluation of their own performance that is then discussed during the evaluation and compared to the official evaluation. Monitoring gives the company an opportunity to make a course correction or adjust a timeline if it is needed so that the vendor will produce the desired outcome of successfully achieving goals. If GSK concludes the vendor has unacceptable performance, monitoring performance enables them to identify the problem early and get an opportunity to rectify before being evaluated incorrectly. III. Implementing a Performance-Based Incentive These systems are designed to retain top-performing vendors, motivate the desired performance, and control costs. If a company wants to pay for performance, it must define performance in very specific, objective, quantifiable terms, measure it and track it. Introducing a performance based incentive program with help firm collective help GSK reach their business goals and legal objectives. This really entices firms to align their work with the business goals. Having a reward for exceptional performance and penalties for poor performance really ensure that money is not being wasted but invested properly. IV. Routinely Fresh Preferred SuppliersIt is healthy to refresh suppliers and firms from time to time. If you consolidate your supplier base, it will allow better visibility over the billing process. It will be easier to track payments leaving the business and going to the suppliers, so any errors will be identified more rapidly. When you deal with less suppliers and vendors, there is less administration and paperwork to handle. This allows more time to focus on other areas of the business. When it comes to decreasing the number of suppliers GSK uses, it is best to control what’s best for the business. Above all, GSK needs to find the best overall fit so that there’s a steadiness between the time it takes to achieve their supplier base and the profitability of the business.Conclusion Procurement is should be viewed strategic function working to improve the organization’s cost-effectiveness. Procurement helps streamline processes, reduce service prices and costs, and identifying better firms to do services. It is essential to any business that purchases anything such as products or services. Since GSK buys services like other companies, then the better its procurement function works, the more money it can make. Typically, businesses buy products or services from multiple vendors. Procurement handles the details of procuring these purchases at optimal prices. Combining your strengths with stakeholder’ helps find new progressive solutions to remain successful in business and stay ahead of the competition. To maintain sustainable supply chain, procurement management has a profitable impact on a company’s processes. It helps avoid supply chain risks by better collaborating with vital partners and providing added value to diverse business practices. The bottom line: Performance management is an ongoing practice, not a yearly task. The success of an organization, if aligned to your organizational goals, will drive business results. References Capko, Judy. â€Å"Five Steps to a Performance Evaluation System.† Family Practice Management, 1 Mar. 2003, www.aafp.org/fpm/2003/0300/p43.html.Gardner, Heidi K, and Silvia Hodges Silverstein. â€Å"GlaxoSmithKline: Sourcing Complex Professional Services.†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 16, hbr.org/product/glaxosmithkline-sourcing-complex-professional-services/414003-PDF-ENG. Accessed 18 Apr. 2018.Markgraf, Bert. â€Å"How to Evaluate a Company’s Performance.†Ã‚  Small Business – Chron.com, Chron.com, 5 Feb. 2018, www.smallbusiness.chron.com/evaluate-companys-performance-67095.html. Monczka, Robert M., et al.  Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. South-Western, 2011.Wincel, Jeffrey P.  Lean Supply Chain Management: a Handbook for Strategic Procurement. Productivity Press, 2008. How to cite Global Procurement and Supply, Papers

The Bible Among Myths Essay Example

The Bible Among Myths Essay The Bible Among The Myths: unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? My Name BOBS 510: Old Testament Introduction July 6, 2014 Introduction The author, a research professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary by the name of John N. Oswald, attempts to explain the similarities and differences of the Holy Scripture and its teachings from that of the neighboring Ancient Near East beliefs. Moreover, he attempts to answer the question of how scholarly opinions of the disagreements found between Genesis and Babylonian accounts of the origins of the world. He points out how the modern-day scholars are now comparing the Bible to other religious documents and considering it as Just another mythical belief. Oswald credits this world-view change to a study of similarities between the Bible and like Near Eastern writings rather than before when perhaps more interest was placed on viewing the differences. These studies are explained In the first half of this publication and sub-titled The Bible and Myth. Wealth the second part of the book sub-titled The Bible and History, he collects the reader to ask questions about the authenticate of the Old Testament, or Is It even important that the Bible be historically accurate? Even if those inaccuracies are summarize the books overall theme, Oswald desires that his reader gives any evidence of accuracy the credit it is due. Not to be swayed by unsubstantiated conjectures that might diminish the focus of what is fundamentally true. His is not a request for us to look past the inaccuracies or to take a stance that if the Bible says its so then thats all there is to it. Mr.. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bible Among Myths specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Bible Among Myths specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Bible Among Myths specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Oswald asks the reader to allow the possibility of harmonistic and not Jump to any conclusions without allowing for the truth to veal itself in the scripture. Part I The Bible and Myth Chapter One The Bible In Its World In the opening chapter, Oswald looks into the diverse views of world creation and being. He compares and contrasts how Greek philosophy influenced the monotheistic culture of the Israelites which ultimately contributed to the Western world beliefs we know today. Early Greek philosophers reasoned that there is but one universe with a sole point of unification and not a powers with variable sources of creation. They taught that everything could be reasoned and that something could be so and not so at the same time. This belief conflicted with that of the world view of the Ancient Near East (ANNE). The world view supposed that existence on earth was the result of many unseen forces in the realm of the invisible. Apparently the Greek philosophers proposing this message didnt win over the acceptance of that culture and they found themselves forced out and into hiding, some taking their own lives thus ending the age of Greek philosophical thought. This struggle was displayed in the play Beach by the Greek playwright Euripides wherein the conflict is played out between the rational human-nature component acted out by men who were pitted against the women that played the part of the irrational side of Human existence. The men were killed by the women depicting the two opposing views could not coexist and the powers of many deities would dominate cultural thought. At about the same time, it seems that the Israelites were experiencing a similar battle of faith. The Hebrew believed that there was a sole Creator that rewarded and disciplined based on obedience to Gods will. This view was quite the opposite from that of the polymers thinkers and against the beliefs of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures that trusted in the parallel invisible world. Even them, the Hebrew held to their conviction of a monotheistic God and the prophets ability to predict the exile and return of the Israelites strengthened that resolve. Christianity was to be the compilation of Greek thought and Hebrew belief. The Greek logic provided cause and effect for the Hebrew creation theory of God. Finally acknowledgment that God is not the world and the world is not God. Logic and science working together. Oswald writes here that an able to stand alone. Together, the system provided value to the individual and the importance of history and why things are as they are. Closing out Chapter one Oswald laments the apparent modern reliance on rationalism and less on our God. History and the people are becoming less relevant and there is more emphasis placed on comfort, pleasure and self-preservation. Assaults hope is that the younger readers will realize this direction and reconsider the turn away from God and toward the enemy. Chapter Two The Bible And Myth: Oswald lays out the root for Biblical reality. He questions how the Bible can be included with the Ancient Near Eastern arguments as a myth when it is so radically different. The true question being the actual definition of a myth. Oswald allows that this question fully depends on the definition of the term. It is also important to grasp why there is a desire to place it in the mythological category to begin with. Here Oswald compares the many definitions of a myth. He assembles all the similarities possessed by each to redefine a true myth. Oswald provides allegory reasoning to establish that a definition too broad will result in a loss of validity. He explains that only to broaden the scope of the definition to suit (or include) the Bible does nothing to add credit to the validity of the meaning. Oswald ends this chapter with a immolation of definitions and has primarily grouped them into two categories. Within this the first, we find etymological, sociological and the literary. Primarily, Oswald wants the reader to know that to appropriately define a myth, you must have narrowed down the definition. In this category, the definition is narrowed down to that of Just characteristic rather than function or quality. Something with order and predictability. This section summarizes the attempts to provide more adaptive definitions and theories to define a myth led to commonality or continuity to describe the world-view. He offers that the philosophy of continuity states that all things are continuous and are one, defining that God and earth are one but separate. That said, an item made from earth is God. This is true for all religions except those beliefs which have derived from the Hebrew being Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Chapter Three Continuity: The Basis Of Mythical Thinking In this chapter we follow Oswald as he delves into the ideology supporting the supernatural aspects of myth. It provides that myth views are Just another way of tuning into reality than what we accept using Westernizes logic. By defining myth as all things continuous, there can be no distinction between the three realms of human, nature and divine. Oswald describes the term pantheism and how things that look and sound alike are considered the same therefore to worship an idol is to worship a God. Through this logic, mankind can alter the outcome of natural events by way of their idols. He states that this is the single most important aspect to the way of thinking that characterizes myth. It is believed that in Myths, a magic spell can disrupt the continuous nature of things, bringing chaos and disorder between through symbolism. It is fundamental in myth that all things begin with matter. In myth, humans exist to serve the gods. They have no significance in the mythical world. Personalities are exceptions to the norm creating chaos to the continuity. That world is a continuous circle coming and going nowhere at all times. Chapter 4: Transcendence: Basis Of Biblical Thinking The Bible, when compared to the surrounding ANNE, is radically different in how it approaches reality. The Old Testament, regardless of the historical statements being true or false, is consistent. Common Characteristics Of Biblical Thought: The two suggest differing traits in the Old Testament are monotheism and iconoclasm. Monotheism maintains that Yeah is the sole creator and separate from the world. The Hebrew people are the only culture ever to exist that believed in monotheism. Israel, which was less advanced in all aspects of culture then the surrounding ANNE, insisted on a monotheistic religion above all. Iconoclasm states that God cannot be made in any image or any created form. It is clearly stated and defined in the Old Testament (Ex. 20-4-5); muff shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. This belief is the basis of transcendence. God is not the world, God cannot be identified to the world, God cannot be recreated and God cannot be manipulated by the world. Other distinct characteristics that separate Hebrew thought from all other belief systems are: 1 . ) God is spirit and not matter which is the polar opposite viewpoint of myth. Myth states that matter is the basis of everything. 2. ) There was no conflict during the creation process. In myth creation evolves from chaos but in the Old Testament the world exists only because God poke it into existence. 3. ) The Old Testament has a very high viewpoint of humanity. In fact man is made in the image of God. God created man last and man is the apex of all creation. In myth humanity is an afterthought and the only purpose is to provide for the gods. 4. ) God is reliable and consistent. Yeah will bless people and be there for his people even when it is not to Gods advantage. In myth the gods are fickle and only self-serving. 5. ) God is supra-sexual which simply means God is not sexed. He is neither male nor female. He is spirit being and does not take on any raids of sexuality and sex played no part in the creation process. In myth gods comes into existence by sexual means. They have sex with each other to make other gods and also have sex with desirable women to make semi-gods. 6. ) Since God is not sexed in the Bible, sex is dissocialized in the Old Testament. God set clear boundaries to establish what is acceptable and what is forbidden when dealing with sexual relationships. Mythology uses all types of sexual rituals so that they can influence and manipulate the gods. There are no boundaries and anything goes. 7. ) The Old Testament also prohibits the use of magic. Sorcery of all kind is forbidden and may not be used to attempt to manipulate God in any ritualistic way. The attempt to manipulate God to gain self-interest is vile to God. You maintain a personal relationship with God though prayer and obedience. In mythology magic, sorcery and the individual is Just part of the continuous nature. The gods are only influenced through the rituals of society. 8. Humans relate to God though ethical behavior and to the disciplined obedience of God. What matters most to the Israelites is how people treat their parents, their children, their neighbors and strangers. They show their ointment to God by how they interact with others. God gives strict laws for his people to uphold and follow. Strict obedience to this covenant will create holiness for oneself bringing one closer to the holiness of God. Transcendence As The Underlying Principle: The underlying and most important distinction in the biblical understanding of reality is how God is in relation to the cosmos. In mythical thinking god is the cosmos or the cosmos is god. The source and the manifestation are indistinguishable and are continuous. In Biblical thought God is transcendent. God is not the cosmos and the cosmos is not God. God is separate and apart from the creation. This belief is completely contrary to continuity and distinguishes that God and heaven are not part of the natural world. The world is separate and only exists because God willed it into existence by his word. This is the law of transcendence that clearly shows God is other than the cosmos. Oswald established in this chapter that all the reasons which make something a myth are opposite from the biblical worldview of the Old Testament. The Bible can therefore not be considered a myth. This does not say that the Bible is true but it is definitely not a myth. One thing is rue; the Bible is unique and consistent which gives credence to the approach. Chapter 5: The Bible Verses Myth Ethics: In mythology there are two kinds of ethical misbehaving, offenses against gods and offenses against people. Most offenses against the gods deal in the magical realm with rituals or spells. It is an attempt to ward off the gods from interfering or to manipulate the gods to gain favors. The repercussion of the offense depends on the mood, reaction and the personality of the god at the time. Offenses against other people are another matter. It is a crime against the laws of society that have retrained punishments. In myth the laws are understood to be human creations. Therefore Judgment is by the people and there isnt reason to appeal to gods for help. In biblical thought, God has a covenant with man and all the laws for how people relate to God and to each other come from God through transcendence. One is either obedient or not to the law of God. There is no distinction between sin against God and crime against society. They are both lack of obedience to the written commands from God. What is unique is that the standard of the law and covenant with God is formed from the character of the one true Yeah. Another biblical thought on ethics to consider is that the expectations are clear to all. There are clear results from compliance or noncompliance by the individual. One can gain more insight into Gods nature by how one reacts ethically in the physical world. Things happen to a person because of what that person has done or is doing. It is no longer an unknown act in the divine world. Lastly, is the free choice from allowed by God, a persons choice can impact what happens; it is no longer Just a reflection from the other realm or from a cosmic event. Jerusalem fell not because other gods in the vine defeated Yeah, but because the people broke their covenant with God and God allowed the fall. It was a result of free choices and the consequences from those now turns to similarities between the Israelite belief system and other surrounding cultures of the ANNE. There are five main topics that Oswald reviews: 1). Similarities in Practice: Without question there are similarities in the practices of the Hebrews and their neighbors. One obvious similarity is that both had laws that were delivered to them from God. Another similar practice is the ritual of sacrifice and the ceremonial leanness associated with the practice. Still further is the set-up of the tabernacle and covenant with God which is almost identical to the Canniest sanctuaries. What makes the Hebrews stand apart is the obedience to the concept that if I do something to my neighbor it has a direct correlation to my relationship to God. The Egyptian, Canniest and Mesopotamia could not accept that if one stole from another person it was a violation to the creator. No matter how similar any of the beliefs or practices seemed, the deciding factor that separated the Hebrews was their relationship of the individual to God. There is a system of ethics that affect by ones behavior in all matters. 2. ) Similarities in Expression: There are references in the Bible to the cosmos and to other mythical things such as the Leviathan. Some argue that the Hebrews believed in the chaos of cosmos or continuity because of the mention of mythical things that are used as reference in the Bible. Oswald states the difference is that, the transcendent God is accomplishing his will through an obedient nature in a specific historic event. In a unique moment in time and space, never to be repeated, but also ever to be forgotten, God has worked redemption for is people. The Bible doesnt necessarily believe the myth of the surrounding cultures, but makes the point of the myth, to only break the myths validity, to make it absolutely clear it is God who prevailed. 3,) Similarities in Thought Patterns: There is a scholarly consensus that believes the Israelite religion is based on the principle of continuity which is similar to the surrounding ANNE culture. The Israelites abandon the belief system of continuity because of a cataclysmic event. It is further argued that the event was the exodus from Egypt and that all documented history of the Israelites prior to the exodus was rewritten to mirror the recent adopted transcendent God belief. The problem with this argument is that the Hebrew believes that God reveals himself through unique events and persons in time and space. The historical relevance is absolute and the inspired written word of God. It is contrary to the entire belief system of a transcendent God that defines the Hebrew thought. 4. ) Genesis: Is Genesis, especially the early chapters, written in myth? The problem with this thought is that the characteristics that define a myth are absent. There are not little gods, there is no continual creation that the world reflects, sex is not a part of the creation story, there is a high view of man not a low one and there is no conflict between order and chaos. Scholars have attempted to say that in Genesis 1:1 When God began to create the heaven and earth, the earth was without form and void. that Hebrews believed in a preexistent chaos. The second point scholars make to say that Genesis is a myth, is that the creation story is similar to the Babylonian. When observed closely the texts of the two stories do not really match. The majority of the Babylonian creation story focuses on the creation of the gods and the battle between gods for a supreme rule. They are only similar in a logical progression of how things were made The bottom line is that there is no conflict between good and evil or any heaven and on earth are because God willed it and commanded it to be so by his word. Psalms: There are many Psalms that can be construed as similar and describing pagan gods and viewpoints. Oswald demonstrates in Psalm 29, Psalm 68 and Psalm 104 the comparison that the author could be describing Ball instead of Yeah. Both are cloud riders and both control the rain. In all accounts it is clear that God is separate from the rain and storms, God is not the rain or the storm but apart from it. God is the maker and giver of all things. In myth there is no separation only oneness with all things. Ball is god, Ball is nature and Ball is the idol. Ball cannot be separate from the storm because of continuity Ball is the storm. Chapter 6: The Bible And History: A Problem Of Definition The main distinction of biblical Old Testament thought is that God interacts in unique non-recurring events in a specific time and place. The Bible contends that the events are factual and happened as written. The idea that human choice and actions can effect outcomes in the natural world and that these choices are non-repeatable and are aligned toward a single measurable universal goal are all unique and recorded in the Bible. Definitions Of History: Like a myth, history needs a clear definition. History can refer to the recording of an event, the study of the past or Just a connected experience of an event in time and space. Oswald reviews different definitions and interpretations of what history means and how it will refer to the Old Testament. Oswald then offers his own definition: A history is a narrative of a series f events revolving about human beings acting in time and space. Existing for the purpose of human self-knowledge, it purports to be an accurate account of all significant elements for the eventual outcome. History is about the accurate account of human beings. Understandings Of Reality On Which History Writing Depends: In order to establish the importance of history, it must be established that the belief in human free will and choice is absolute. If not then history doesnt matter. Oswald reviews six theological points and six historical practices of the ANNE that historic writings depend on: 1 . Humans are free and responsible. If there isnt free will and choice then everything is preconditioned and Just part of a continuous cycle. History and the knowledge gained from the study of history cannot change a predetermined fate of a future event. Choice is Just an illusion. 2. ) There is cause an effect to an event in time and space. Things are not Just by chance as a result from events in the invisible world. 3. ) Truth is absolutely necessary to establish order to study history. If an event in history never happened, what is the point of learning from the choices made by a person in that event? If there is only speculation and interpretation without fact, then the event is meaningless. 4. ) Humans are dynamic and goal- oriented. Humans must believe that we can change for the better. If we are Just part of a repetitive cycle there is no reason for goals and improvement. 5. ) Relationships within time and space have significance. If this is true then what happens in the physical world matters. If not relationships are all continuous and predetermined. 6. A consistent standard must be established to measure against. If there isnt a standard there will never be agreement and it all becomes meaningless. Omens: An men is a sign which foretells the results of a particular event or Journey. Omens diminish the value of free choice and lead to predetermination by the gods. In omens and meanings of their signs. King Lists: Is simply the names, lineage and length of eac h king being documented. Date Formulae: In ANNE it was standard practice each year to document the name of the ruling king with his title and announce what he accomplished within that particular year. Epic: Epics are narratives that reveal events of a hero on a Journey. Many of the characters have been found to be based on historic individuals with the feats based in fact. E. G. Ulysses was an actual character who fought in Troy and did have difficulty getting home. Royal Annals: These annals record in detail the events in each a kings reign. They describe in detail military conquest, building projects, interests and favorite topics of that king. Chronicles: Chronicles are an objective documented account of the life of a king describing his victories and defeats as well as his line of succession. It does not evaluate the value of the feats. Reasons For The Absence Of History Writing: Oswald outlines five reasons why there would not have been documented writings in the ANNE: 1 . Focus on NOW: If we conclude that the ANNE was founded on and believed in continuity then all that matters is the present. Nothing in the past or future influence or effect what was happening today. There was no need to document it. 2. ) Subjective Orientation: Historical writings gain credibility when written by an outside person. In the ANNE all is connected and one with each other so there is no outside or subjective opinion. There was no point to have it written by a neutral person as there is only me. 3. ) Multiplicity of Causes: In continuity there are infinite causes to an event. How the stars line up in the sky have more impact on hat happens then human free choice. What happens in the invisible world effects the physical world giving infinite reasons why it happened. 4. ) Determinism: Choice is just an illusion because of the cyclical and interconnected nature of reality. In reality there are no choices because everything is dictated by outside forces. What a person does is predetermined regardless of what they believe. What is the point to document and study an event if they have no future choice? 5. ) Preoccupation with Order and Security: The forces in the cosmos are constantly battling each other over good and evil, creating and destroying at all times. Chaos is always around whether in the physical, material or political world. Security is completely dependent on the outcome of the victory of order. The study of events from the past would have no impact on the battles waged in the cosmos which is where order and security is decided. The Bibles Unique Approach To Human-Historical Experience: 1 . Humans treated as Real Individuals: The Bible is radically different from other literature of the ANNE. The Bible uses characters that are real and human. Truth is found in the individual not in the normalcy of things, but in the character of that individual. The ANNE literature uses semi-gods and supernatural representatives which is contradictory to the Bible. The emphasis of the individual in the Bibl e is important and had no relevance in ANNE culture. 2. Failures and defeats Not Glossed Over: In the Bible both positive and negative traits of the individual character are highlighted. Failures are documented and Judged by God. There isnt glory in failure as in Greek heroic literature, Just lessons to be learned. 3. Significance of relationships: The Bible deals explores in detail, relationships with individuals and with God. It does not pass ever them as insignificant, but rather goes into them in detail from a purely neutral with Bathes was done and Judged by the transcendent Yeah. Yeah dealt with the result, but allowed the choice of the individual to be made. 4. Significance of Human Choice: The Bible states that it is human choice that shapes the events on earth, not a predetermined continuous force in the cosmos. A person can interact with God, but that person has the right to choose and the results are determined by the choice. 5. Developmental Relationships: The Bible relates past events to the present and compares the results. This is completely in contrast to the ANNE literature which only deals in the NOW. The writings are strictly to document the current reign. They do not demonstrate or compare one reign to the next one. There is no purpose to documenting as it is Just another repetitive report in an endless continuous circumstance. Implications of Transcendence For Israels View Of Human- Historical Experience: Transcendence is the belief that God is separate and not part of the world. This concept is a major difference in approach to all the surrounding ANNE. Transcendence makes it impossible to believe that human events correspond to mirror opposite invisible world. There isnt a connection between the two, what happens in invisible world doesnt affect the physical world. 1 Possibility of Transcending Events: Since God is separate and apart from creation, there is a space beyond this created world. Since this world is purposefully created by God who judges all things, then there is a reason to act beyond ones own self-interest. This concept is documented many times in the Old Testament with how the individual relates to the covenant presented by God. There is a force outside this world to Judge the events of the individual. 2. Impossibility of misleading God: God is all knowing and all is revealed to God. You cant fool God. In the ANNE the gods are part of the system, so they can be manipulated. I can document things that are not true because I can trick the gods. Not so with a separate God who created all and is transcendent. God knows everything and will Judge according to integrity of the individuals choices and actions. God used the Prophets to write the history of the Bible and to uphold Gods integrity. All of Israel respected and knew that the Prophets were chosen by God. The Prophets could write the truth without fear of consequences of man. In the ANNE culture if a person wrote something the king didnt like he could be killed. 3. ) A Simplified Understanding of Causation: In the Bible God is responsible for all and God has no rival. God is the only one to answer to and the cause of everything. Humans are personal and at the same time disconnected from God. Everything that a person chooses to do is either in defiance or compliant to God. This makes relationships with humans to God and humans to humans very significant. God wants our obedience and more importantly God wants a relationship with people. That is something that cannot be predetermined. 4. ) Speech as the Mode of Accomplishing Divine Purposes: God chose to communicate to his people by entering the lives of individuals through personal experiences and non-recurring historical events. Since God is not continuous, but separate from this world, one cannot participate in Gods life. Any attempt to do so is forbidden in the Bible as discussed in earlier chapters. So how does a person then participate in the life of God? By that person demonstrating an ethical character and obedience to Gods law, a person receives Gods blessing and approval. God reveals himself through the human important and how it is truthfully documented is extremely significant. That is why documented history is captured. History writing As Myth-Making: ANNE culture used nature to express myth in culture. Did Israel choose another mode for myth and use historical myth to express their faith? The answer is no. In pagan worship idols are made from nature and nature is the gods. All is continuous with each other. There is no separation. With Israel God is not the history rather the history is the people who experience God along the way. This is because God is separate and transcendent. Israel, like the neighboring ANNE, attempted many times to place God in a box to control God. Unlike the recurring continuous pagan gods of the ANNE, God liked to perform miraculous one-time events to keep the people on track. God also used the prophets to constantly remind the people that they were different and God was different. The Hebrew therefore, does not witness faith by retelling a fictional story or by a ritual of drama to recreate an outcome. The Hebrew recites how God intervened with individuals and the nation of Israel that was directed by God through the prophets. Chapter 7: Is The Bible Truly historical? The Problem Of History (l) The Bible is thought by many to contain historical-fiction. Is the Bible history like or is it historical fact? The bigger question is, are biblical accounts history and does it matter? Historians argue that history is accepted only if complete human responsibility for events and outcomes are present. Clearly events and outcomes of the Bible are not only human responsibility. Other historians now believe that history is accepted if the historical writing is for a divine purpose. Human involvement and choice is always involved but divine intervention explains what happened. Since there is no way to document the purpose and true nature of God, we are only left tit speculation. E. G. There is no way to prove biblical accuracy to the events of the exodus. So does that make the Bible a myth or historical fact? History as Revelation: INADEQUACIES: The Bible can be considered as history revelation. That is the interpretations of Gods actions in the Bible are through humans and are flawed but still bear witness to the revelation of God. Revelation Is Not Confined to Divine Action: James Barr argued, the problem with this explanation is that the Bible doesnt distinguish the division between revelation and witness to revelation. If there is a preference then the miracles all disappear and the reports of the events are not valid. If the only access to the events is the witness, then that source isnt trustworthy; there is no truthful access to the acts at all. If history is rooted in faith the history disappears. This argument states there is no revelation in the Bible. The Bible is Just speculation, a vehicle of history writing the Hebrew people chose to use. Divine Action in History Is Not Unique to Israel: Another attack on the uniqueness of the historical revelation of the Bible is that there

Management Accounting Case Assignment Essays

Management Accounting Case Assignment Essays Management Accounting Case Assignment Essay Management Accounting Case Assignment Essay Management Accounting Case Assignment BY Allele Case 8-28. Evaluating a Companys Budget Procedures. 1 . Identify the problems that exist in Ferguson Sons Manufacturing Companys budgetary control system and explain how the problems are likely to reduce the effectiveness of the system. The overall companys strategy is not well defined by executives and communicated to the management. There is no goal other the cost reduction at total company level as well as at departmental level. Managers dont see connection between expenses, revenues and overall companys profitability. As a result managers are frustrated because instead of help that budget is suppose to bring it creates problems. Managers dont participate in budgets development; it is purely a task of an accounting department which sets up performance goals for the company as a whole and all its divisions. Accounting department also controls the execution; other departments managers are completely removed from that process, they are only informed about their departments performance at the monthly meeting. It turns out that department managers are accountable for the results that they never truly omitted to. This approach would lower companys performance on the long run, when managers loose motivation they are not interested to deliver good results. Accounting departments has a very distant relationship with other operational departments; they concentrate on evaluating only financial goals, looking strictly at the numbers. They are only concerned with the cost reduction and continue to tighten the individual budgets once performance goal is met. At the same time it looks like budget tightening strategy may become unreasonable because at some mint the only way the department can meet the budget is by sacrificing its quality for quantity. If quality becomes an issue, it may lose customers and potentials profits. The way the managers performance is being evaluated does not seem to be fair. Managers are not recognized well enough if they met the budget or even saved more than expected. They are being rewarded with the tighter budget every time they achieve the goal. However if expenses end up to be higher than predicted, managers get a low rating during their monthly performance evaluation. The only motivation for managers to meet the budget is trying to avoid the low performance rating. With the current strategy managers are not rewarded for the good performance instead they are punished in both cases when they meet the budget and get the tighter goal or when they dont deliver expected savings and given lower performance rating which also affect their income. In this circumstance some managers may decide to leave the company and it may be hard to replace them, especially the most experienced ones. Company will incur the additional costs related to hiring the replacements. Operational processes are not well coordinated when special orders are given analysis being done to investigate the cause and no recommendations are made on how to avoid certain costs and improve the performance. The work between departments is not well coordinated either because all departments are over concerned with meeting their monthly budgets. The maintenance department chooses not to help machine shop to fix their broken equipment Just to save time they need to meet their own department budget. However at the total companys level expenses are higher because of idle time that loud be avoided if the maintenance department reacted to the problem on a timely manner. When departments can, they choose to first perform the Jobs that could be done with less time than budgeted; as a result the more important Jobs are being postponed. As a result the whole companys performance may suffer. Company would have to pay additional costs for idle time or for delaying Jobs that are more critical but require more time to complete then allowed by the budget. 2. Explain how Ferguson Sons Manufacturing Companys budgetary control system could be revised to improve its effectiveness. To be more efficient the companys budget has to be done for the whole company. Departmental budgets should not be separately developed and evaluated since they are all part of the same company. In addition to setting cost reducing goals, it also has to set up revenue and profitability targets. In addition to financial, it should have non financial measurements against which performance should be evaluated. The overall companys strategy has to be reflected in the budget goals. Budgeting has to become a common effort for all level of managers when every manager participates n the goal setting discussions, agrees on the goal and feels accountability for the result. While developing budget, a set of clear and specific expectations has to be prepared which will help managers to compare actual and budgeted results. Accounting department role has to change, instead of setting goals and controlling the performance it has to provide support to managers to help them to set up their own goals and provide with data supported by analysis to help managers to understand where the potential problems can be and make a decision on how to improve the performance. Variance analysis has to be done on a regular basis, all variances to the plan have to be investigated and explained, and then appropriate action should be taken to avoid the potential variance in the future. Variance investigation should be a common effort for managers and accountants because while accountants are responsible for the financial part, managers provide expertise into other operational processes that they are responsible for in their departments. All the internal processes and expenses have to be analyses, especially ones that affect two or more departments. This would help to avoid some costs. To achieve companys efficiency, all its internal Once budget is set it has to be reviewed and adjusted during every budgeting cycle. The tightening of the budget would only make sense if it does not sacrifice quality and does not lower motivation. Companys goals have to be realistic and could be revised if internal or external conditions change. Executives should also revise their performance recognition system and to tie individual managers clear goals to the results. Once manager understands the goals and feels his accountability he would be better motivated to meet these goals. Company should develop effective rewards and recognitions system other then budget tightening to increase managers involvement in companys performance and to retain its best employees. Case 108-5. Ethics and the Manager; Rigging Standards. 1 . How did Preston Lansing probably rig the standard costs are the standards set too high or too low? Explain. Since Lansing rigged the standards so that they were always large favorable variances it means that he was setting standard costs too high because positive variance appears when goods produced at the lower costs then standards. That is he way to artificially overestimate Costs of Goods Sold and underestimate Operating Income up until the positive variance is recognized. The way the costs are manipulated is when the positive variances are gradually recognized throughout a year showing increasing performance in second and third quarter and demonstrating the highest performance in the forth quarter. 2. Should Preston Lansing be permitted to continue his practice of managing reported earnings? This is an example of earnings manipulation and it should not be permitted. First of all Preston is being rewarded based on last quarter/year end results. The bonus would not be as high if the earnings were not manipulated. This creates an ethical issue for the company. Manipulation should not be rewarded. Income Statement does not represent a true picture of companys performance which may hide the existing problems. This is not acceptable from the external reporting prospective, when external users of the information are being misguided on companys true performance. 3. What should Stacy Cummins do in this situation? Stacy was concerned about her findings and notified the president of the situation, but did not receive his support. She could go further and bring it to the attention of the Board of Directors, particularly the audit committee, and outline problems that it may create for the company. It may not have desirable results since Board of Directors may already be aware about the issue but does not want to change anything in the current situation. If Stacks actions have no results and she feels insecure in the current situation she may choose to leave the company to avoid potential problems if any controversy arises as a result of companys unacceptable accosting practices and she may be liable for the professional misconduct.

The Guard Family

The Guard Family The Guard Family The Guard Family By Mark Nichol Guard is the basis of a family of words pertaining to protection; these terms are listed and defined in the post below. Guard, from the French verb garder (formerly also spelled guarder and warder), meaning â€Å"defend† and related to the Old High German term warten, meaning â€Å"take care,† has several senses: It refers to someone (or a group) assigned to protect someone or watch something or to the act of defending someone or keeping an eye on something, or the state of being protected. It also pertains to a protective component or device, to an athlete who has a defensive or protective role in competition, or to a defensive attitude, position, or state. One can be said to be on guard, or in a state of readiness, or to be off guard; the latter phrase is generally seen in the phrase â€Å"catch (or â€Å"caught†) off guard.† It is also a verb, and the adjective is guarded, guardedly is the adverbial form, and guardedness describes the state of being alert. Guard appears in the open compound â€Å"guard dog† and the closed compound guardrail. It is the root of guardian, a word describing a person in a protective role (such as an adult who serves as a surrogate parent for a minor); the state of being a guardian is guardianship. The phrase â€Å"guardian angel,† based on the notion of a protective supernatural being, now often refers to a flesh-and-blood person in such a role. â€Å"En garde,† taken directly from French, means â€Å"on (your) guard† and serves in fencing as a spoken warning for competitors to be prepared to defend themselves. Regard, as a noun meaning â€Å"consideration† or â€Å"judgment† (with the antonym disregard) or, as a verb, â€Å"consider† or â€Å"judge,† is from the French verb regarder, meaning â€Å"look at.† As a noun, it also has the sense of â€Å"respect,† and as such is used in correspondence in plural form as a sign-off. Self-regard refers to consideration of oneself or one’s interests. Regardless is an adjective with the sense of â€Å"in spite of† or â€Å"without consideration†; irregardless is an unfortunate and unnecessary variant careful writers will assiduously be on their guard to avoid. An advance guard or vanguard was originally a military unit that preceded the main body of troops into battle; the latter term now usually refers to a person or group at the forefront of a movement. Avant-garde is the French equivalent, borrowed into English with that sense but now figuratively describing an innovative artist, musician, or writer, or a work of art or literary or musical composition that is ground-breaking, or an entire creative movement considered as such. A rearguard, by contrast with a vanguard, protects a retreating force, and by analogy the word also pertains to resistance to an overwhelming phenomenon. â€Å"Honor guard† refers to a member of the military who has a ceremonial function or to a small unit of military personnel with such a role. Closed compounds with guard as the second element include bodyguard, referring to an individual assigned or hired to protect someone or to a group or unit in that role; lifeguard, originally a synonym for bodyguard but now the designation for a person trained to rescue people from a body of water when they are at risk of drowning; and safeguard, which means â€Å"something that provides protection.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceStory Writing 101Drama vs. Melodrama

Gordons Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gordons Health Assessment - Essay Example These functions relate to one another and can be used as evidence in making decisions on the outcomes of patient care. There are other factors that will affect the reliability of data that can be gathered in making health assessments that will be presented during the interview and physical assessment of the patient. Other factors such as physiological, psychological and even cultural factors can influence on how much or how little of the data can be gathered from the patient (Functional Health patterns, n.d.). Every patient will have different reactions when being interviewed about their health. Some patients may exhibit feelings of anger towards their health care provider stemming from previous encounters with other health care practitioners that left them with a bad impression. There is also the cultural aspect of the patient where they may find certain questions and medical practices opposed to their culture, tradition and beliefs. Others would be depressed about being or felling ill and refuse to cooperate. There is also the physical condition of illnesses where patients may be in too much pain or cannot give coherent answers because of adverse reactions to medication. The everyday stresses in the workplace can also affect the nurse that will be making the assessment. Personal conflicts and beliefs on culture and ethnicities can influence the way the assessment is being handled (Morrison & Ashley-Coe, 2001). Preparing for the interview is also a key element in making health assessments. Patient interviews need to be carefully planned. Interviewers need to get their patients' trust so that they can gather information as accurately as they can. As with any interview, it is important to maintain eye contact and avoid possible distractions. Learning from the patients' charts can give interviewers ideas on how to formulate questions for the assessment (Jarvis, 2004). It is the understanding of all these factors that can make a good health assessment, coupled with the theory of functional health patterns by Gordon. These functional health patterns divided into eleven subcategories can help in the evaluation of a patient's physical, emotional and psychological health. Case Study Maria is a female patient aged 60 years old with a history of diabetes and hypertension. For the past few months, the patient complained of having stomach cramps or indigestion and difficulty in sleeping. She also reported self medicating these cramps with over the counter medication but the symptoms was never alleviated. But she was not cooperative enough to submit herself to other lab testing in order to find out the cause of her stomach discomfort. She has been very diligent in taking her diabetic and hypertensive medication, but her blood sugar and blood pressure has been erratic. She attributes this to the discomfort that she has been feeling recently. The patient also reported having difficulty with her bowel movement where there were days where she could not void, the longest period being five days. There were two areas that had an impact on the patients' functional health or ability. These were Elimination and Sleep-rest. These two factors caused considerable discomfort to the patient and may be symptoms of underlying illnesses. For this, a comprehensive geriatric health assessment can be used in order to find