Friday, November 29, 2019

Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy free essay sample

Liberty University Summary In the article titled â€Å"Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy†, a discussion arises about the incorporation of scripture and prayer into the practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is widely supported by empirical evidence for treatment in a wide variety of psychological disorders (Tan, 2007, p. We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 01). The article discuses how to approach biblical Christian values in therapy and how to incorporate those approaches into CBT. Tan discusses the history of behavioral therapy throughout the years and the two main components of mindfulness. The two components of mindfulness include self regulation of attention and adopting a specific orientation (Tan, 2007). Tan then describes eight key features of a biblical Christian approach to CBT. The key features of this biblical approach include: agape love; unresolved past issues; spiritual meaning; the use of biblical truth when approaching organic problems; Holy Spirit’s discernment in bringing about healing; make use of community resources; use techniques that are biblical; use research before making definitive statements about the superiority of CBT (Tan, 2007, p. 102). Tan goes onto describe the two types of integration: explicit and implicit. Explicit integration deals with spiritual or religious issues in therapy, and uses spiritual resources in the therapeutic process (Tan, 2007, p. 68). Implicit integration does not incorporate religious or spiritual aspects into the therapeutic process. Tan describes his approach as explicit and has used this approach to reach a clientele with problems that include: phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, stress, burnout, anger control problems, marital and family problems, adjustment disorder, depression , bipolar disorder, epilepsy, pain, hypertension, and religious conflicts and issues (Tan, 2007). Tan goes onto explain how he assesses whether an individual will benefit from the use of prayer and scripture in therapy. In 1992 Tan developed a seven step model that has played an integral part in the healing of his clients. Tan believes that the model can be modified when necessary but that prayer and scripture cannot be used for clients that are psychotic or severely disturbed. The rest of the article explains subtle ways in which Tan incorporated biblical aspects into the therapy session. He notes that the appropriate use of Scripture in a Christian approach to CBT from a counselor who is sensitive to the needs of the client can benefit Christian clients through the use of scripture and prayer in the therapeutic process (Tan, 1996). In closing Tan states that prayer and scripture can be effective in a Christian approach to CBT and should be used when clients give informed consent for such an approach to be taken. Interaction My initial response to this article was finally. Finally Christians are developing empirically supported studies that support the notion of prayer, scripture and biblical aspects into the treatment process. This study I believe will open many doors to effective treatment and also help with people in their reconciliation with the Lord. I was happy knowing that this author stepped out of the box and approached this issue that has been traditionally overlooked by the scientific community. As believers we understand that truth comes from the Lord and that scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3: 16. Hebrews 4: 12 states â€Å"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart†. From this passage we can see that God’s word brings life and can break down the many barriers we put up. As counselors we come into contact with many people who are burdened, unhappy, and ultimately broken. We need to incorporate scripture into every aspect of our lives especially when dealing with broken people. Psalm 147:3 says â€Å"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds†. As counselors we can do our best to help our clients but ultimately God is the sole comforter and healer and we need to call upon him when serving the broken world. Understanding the importance of incorporating scripture and prayer has lead me to gain further understanding into this field and thus has encouraged me to expand my knowledge. I believe the design of the study was appropriate and has offered some great insight into the world of therapy with the incorporated Christian approaches. I do believe however that further investigations must be considered and further research and study will prove to be beneficial as this approach is fairly new to the scientific community. Application As a once broken individual myself I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of prayer and scripture in the healing process. It was only in communication with the Lord that I heard of his love and plans for my life. As I meditated on scripture I became more Christ like and began to feel his word breathe life into my broken soul. As a future counselor I believe it is important that I incorporate God, prayer, scripture, and biblical principles into all aspects of my life, including the counseling session. I truly believe that God will use me as a channel to serve between the healer and the broken. And it is with this concept in mind that I will seek the Holy Spirits wisdom and discernment in every counseling session. In order to remain culturally sensitive one must obtain consent from the patient in order to gain the right to incorporate scripture and prayer into the therapeutic relationship. Once consent is gained I would start the session with prayer asking for me to be sensitive to hear God’s voice and for the Holy Spirit to lead the therapy process as well as open the patient to healing and comfort. Above all I would pray that God’s love may be felt in the therapeutic relationship and that he fill me with his love for this client. I would also offer any scriptural references that can be beneficial in helping the client overcome their struggle as well as offer any other resources in the community that may be helpful. I will ask the client to meditate on the truth gained from scripture until our next session. I would close the session with a prayer of thanksgiving for what is revealed and the truth that can be found in God that will set us free from the troubles of this world. References The Holy Bible NIV. Tan, S. , Y. (2007). Use of prayer and scripture in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol. 26, No. 2, 101-111. Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy free essay sample Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy can be found in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity. The author, Stan Yang-Tan, covers the apposite use of applying prayer and scripture to the 30-year-old process of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (p. 101). With an array of psychological disorders, the availability of treatments is generous. However, CBT is methodically supported for the treatment of many psychological disorders. Through a purposeful integration of morality, Yang-Tan illustrates the life-changing power of prayer and scripture in Christian CBT. This article provides a momentous synopsis of behavioral therapy that consists of three major waves, traditional behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relatively contextualistic approaches (p. 101). The third wave of contextualistic approaches encompasses Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness Based Congitive Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Therefore, the expansion of CBT generates a projected mindfulness and acceptance through a two-component model. Yang-Tan proposes the two-component model of mindfulness, implicates self-controlled concentration on present conditions and espousing a distinctive orientation through openness, curiosity, and acceptance. We will write a custom essay sample on Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The author illustrates how CBT can be combined with the prayer and scriptural truth in effort to produce lifelong benefits, particularly for spiritual clients. However, making an irrefutable declaration about the advantage of CBT should include implementing a self-developed biblical model comprised of a process based on spiritual emphasis and influence. A counselor who adopts this model can integrate the reliability on the Holy Spirit through the approach of implicit or explicit integration in therapeutic circumstances. The appropriate use of the healing power of prayer and the intervention of scripture can be an effective part of CBT. Prayer and Scripture will therefore be key factors in this therapeutic process of healing and recovery. Reflection My initial reaction to the use of scripture and prayer in CBT was how necessary Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) must be for complete and effective treatment within CBT. Both of these treatments are rooted in Christian spirituality and allow the client to recognize their current circumstances and develop an outlook that will help keep an open and focused mind on results. Through the approaches of ACT and MBCT, prayer and scripture inevitably follow as a source of methodological rigor. Prayer is simply talking to God and is therefore a means of communication. Praying on behalf of another person or self (Intercessory prayer), praying in meditation (Contemplative Prayer), and praying specifically and listening and awaiting God’s response (Inner Healing Listing Prayer) are beneficial to the use of prayer in treatment. The Bible is the greatest example of God’s powerful words. Scripture offers comfort, clarity, correction, character change, cleansing, conviction, and healing (p. 108). For clients who trust in God’s word as the ultimate authority, it is imperative to assess the purpose and objective for using scripture. Knowing what God has to say about a client’s circumstances vs. what the client’s faith or church has to say forms cognitive thinking within the client. By referring biblical teachings and truths, the client can learn how to restructure flawed rational and irrational beliefs that do not support the efficiency of Christian approaches. The concept of ACT and MBTC is such a compelling method of treatment and respectfully governs the character for the therapist or counselor. Understanding how prayer and scripture affects the lives of clients will provide a strong foundation for counsel. Clients will not only understand how to personally apply prayer and scripture on a daily basis, but most importantly, worship God. My interest in researching how to Implicitly Integrate prayer and scripture in therapy peaked upon realizing the explicit integration appears to be more approachable. I do not want to limit my own competency, nor the benefit of the client. Gaining knowledge and skill in applying a method that is not as commonly used as Explicit Integration Therapy opens the window to use subtle biblical emphasis without the client feeling bombarded or perturbed. Application In a counseling career, I intend to rely on God as the sole means for guidance and understanding from the author of understanding, guidance, and counseling. Although I plan to use more explicit integration, I will always start the session with a new client by assessing the client and determining the necessity of prayer and scripture. Upon establishing the history, faith, spiritual practices, problems, and goals, I will take into account all information, and choose an approach suitable for the client. Although prayer and scripture offer healing and understanding, it is not necessary to use in each session. I would love to openly offer to use prayer and scripture through Explicit Integration, as this method is more aligned with direct healing and application from God. I want to help identify the exact needs of clients and seek the supplemental scripture to help work through the given circumstances. For instance, a client may need to find the balance of taking care of their personal life and own wellbeing versus meeting all of the needs of their family. God’s word tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, â€Å"I know the plans I have for you, plans not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future†. Prayer and meditation (Contemplative Prayer) on God’s word fills the mind with God’s enduring love and constant reminder of His grace, mercy and encouragement. The more cognizant I can help the client become of God’s word, the more transformed and renewing of the mind will take place. Jesus’ love light will begin to form changes and the client will soon witness the power of Jesus Christ in their circumstances and the proactive change that took place.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Critical Study of Human Resource Management (HRM) at Infosys technologies pvt The WritePass Journal

Critical Study of Human Resource Management (HRM) at Infosys technologies pvt Infosys, INTRODUCTION Critical Study of Human Resource Management (HRM) at Infosys technologies pvt Infosys, INTRODUCTIONBRIEF HISTORY AND PROBLEM IN DETAILINTERVENTION 1: INCREASING EMPLOYEE’S COMPENSATIONIntervention 2: TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES CONCLUSIONREFERENCES:Related Infosys, INTRODUCTION Infosys technologies is a leading outsourcing IT services multinational company having headquarter in Bengaluru, India and is having its branches and development centres in China, UK, Japan, Australia with a large workforce of 1,27,000 employees all over the world. They have a flat organizational structure HR structure directed by Nandita Gurjar with a few levels of management between software developers and managers, and thus the employees have more involvement in decision making. That is why, they have been rated best employer by business world/Hewitt. They offer software development, business consulting, product engineering, maintenance, integration systems and validation services to the companies like Microsoft, SAP, Google, Yahoo, Oracle etc. They are 2nd largest software multinational company in India after TCS with an approximately revenue of US$ 5.7 billion in 2010 and employees a chunk of skilled employees. Infosys created a great global picture of software outsourcing of India all over the world because of which they attracted a large number of talented engineers across the world. There has been a burgeoning growth in the workforce in recent years, Due to the interlinked and fantastic international HRM structure they were rated â€Å"Best companies to work for† by HAY group. Females contribute to more than 30% of their employees making them awarded by NASSCOM for gender empowerment. Their HRM have given importance to each employee and given a fantastic place in their company. Due to all this for last two decades they are attracting very talented engineers and software developers resulting in burgeoning growth of their organization. In recent time, they are getting big projects from big companies, for which they need skilful and talented employees. But in last four years they are dramatically facing the problem of attrition. A recent survey showed that in October-December quarter of 2010 there was 17.5% attrition, which is an alarming situation for them, that will affect their started projects massively. According to financial express, attrition has become a major trouble for them, and they need to solve it as soon as pos sible. The most striking point is the continuous increase in attrition rate in last 2 years, making it a big challenge to their HRM department. Interventions of solving this can be done by increasing compensation, training and feedback. BRIEF HISTORY AND PROBLEM IN DETAIL Infosys was founded in 1981 by N.R. Narayana murthy and six entrepreneurs with a very small capital of US$ 250, which was signed up with client Data Basics corporation in New York. And in same way in 1983,   it relocated its corporate headquarters from Pune to Bengaluru. After that they, opened their branch in USA.Subsequently, in early 1990s they introduced modern human resource management program and got a certification of ISO-9001, which was a great achievement for them. Also in the same year there shares were shared with public sector. Also, they opened a development centre in Fremont, Las Vegas , USA which was a significant milestone for the company. They were accessed at CMM level 4 in 1997 that was their global success. They started enterprise solutions also called packaged application practice. In same year its one big division â€Å"Infosys business consulting services was launched. Next year they opened offices in France, Hongkong and other development centres in USA, UK and Canada. A big achievement in their HRM was achieved when they were rated best employer for 3 consecutive years. In 200-2002. They were accredited with many other organizations like â€Å"MAKE† because of their innovative HRM structure. Its HR department made a massive increase in employees in next years. But after then it has been facing problem of attrition massively. The attrition rate is peaking   to a hight rate in the early 2010, in this period the attrition was 13.4%. According to NASSCOM website, there is huge demand of IT professionals in the past few years, hence the demand is too high, so there is a big reason to worry about attrition recently. With new and new projects coming up, the services need to be build up its skilful employee sale to meet the requirements. As the market is having more opportunities so either employees are leaving companies. During this quarter 7833 people left the organization that was like a backlash in the productivity. Usually in this quarter employees are started their MBA or MTECH degrees. About 90 left for higher education and 2215 left to join other companies. Company invest a huge amount on their training and in return they want certain required work, but surprisingly, they get the resignation letters from employees, which is a big loss for the company. Even their competitors like TCS and Wipro are also facing attrition of 21.7% and 14.4% respectively in last quarter of 2010. Though the IT bell added 14,624 new employees in 2010 during the quarter but there was alarming exit of skilful 6,618 employees taking the total to 122,468 till September 30 2010 . Infosys wanted   to g=hire about 10,000 more engineers in 2010 which has been highest record till now because of booming projects.Their HR head can put some strict and affective policies to reduce attrition. INTERVENTION 1: INCREASING EMPLOYEE’S COMPENSATION A very effective way to reduce the attrition is to increase their basic salary because most of the times, employee leave because of limited compensation and go to better paying companies. A perfect example is of HCL technologies which is a competitor of Infosys technologies also faced attrition of 30% in 2004.(Frauenheim A. , 2008). HCL’s leadership thus decided to focus on employees and followed A policy â€Å"goal of employee reforms by increasing transparency† made them understand that employee needed compensation and increments. So HCL decided to pay higher fixed salaries significantly to get valuable input from the employees. This policy was built to make trust in employees. Resulting in decline of attrition to 15% and their revenue jumped to 146% and production to US $ 1.9 billion in no time. Infosys today is as global as HCL, so they must follow the same way and increase compensation of employees. Their one more rival Satyam computer services pvt ltd was facing t he problem of attrition in July 2006. (Market watch, 2007). So they increased the employee’s wages by 18% hence reduced attrition rate and they managed to meet their productivity. One more example is of Microsoft who also faced attrition of 9% in fiscal year 2004 that made the HR worried when they were losing mangers, engineers and marketers. Their director of platform evangelism left for internet phone Skype technologies, for a better salary and a long list of employees were moving to Google. The reason was compensation and profits. So there were Microsoft compensation moves that made a hike in their salaries. And they rated their employers by top performers and the pay scale was decided by high performer to average performer.† It creates competition in the ranks, when people really want community† said Microsoft vice president, and thus they were able to retain their talented employees. (Green, J. 2005)   Similarly, Infosys can also divide the top performers a nd average performers and hike their compensation accordingly which will create a competition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to reach optimum targets to get better pay scale, resulting in self motivation. So by increasing compensation of employees will be a great way of reducing attrition. Intervention 2: TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES Training will make the employees comfortable with work and reduce their problems. Many times, employees are not able to adjust with their work and start losing the interest, in such cases they need a motivating and technical training. An article by Bob Harris says training an employee by building new ideas with learning experience to software developers will enhance confidence and loyalty in words (Harris, B. 2005). And thus training will impart a moral boost and build long term relationship with company and simultaneously competitive work. With training, proper positioning of employees in their work will develop a harmonious relationship in organization resulting in reduction in attrition and retaining skilful employees. (Goldenkoff, R. 2007) As a trainer we can avoid unnecessarily frustrating the techies by giving them that task which they are not capable of. And because of new technology coming up there is need to train them with new methods of developing software with less time consuming and with less errors. A better approach during training should be adopted to put no communication gap between trainers and the trainees, they should be exhibited with all the skills they need in their work. (Peter, A. 1977).Training to be offered timely and feedback on it is necessary especially on new policy and techniques, their conflicts with supervisors should also be considered and then resolved by mutual understanding in proactive training. Training should have a dual affect of new skills and personal relationship with supervi sors and managers. Motivation and encouraging toward the commitment toward work will create a sense of loyalty in the employee; as a result it will create a sense of responsibility and their own importance in their company. INTERVENTION 3: SURVEYS AND FEEDBACKS Significantly, employee’s feedback data can support exit data. Such as annual federal employee viewpoint survey that includes asking employees whether they are leaving the organization in next period and why (to know the reason). The responses of those who say they are considering to leave next year are-(1) they do not like the work, (2) they are not satisfied by reorganization they receive (3) they are not happy with the compensation.(Sitzmann, T 2010) Hence this will give a clear idea to the HR department about the exit reasons of their employees. A research has shown that positive effects of prompting, self-regulation, minimizes the doubts of both management and employees. Using the method of prompting questions and reflective approach to the queries resulted in decrease of attrition and created confidence in employees. (Korrapati, R. 2010) The intervention of questioning and answers from employees moderated attrition. A questionnaire can be given to the employees asking for the response of their basic needs in work, interested work, incentives, promotions and working shifts. The basic design for the surveys can be alteration in person interviews with telephones and mail out surveys periodically. (Lavigna, B. 2011).This will give a brief idea of their unmet need which can be fulfilled and van be helpful in retaining them in organization . Sometimes the employees are not happy with the manager, so the manager can be changed and instead of loosing employee. In some cases it is found that employees are not happy with workload and pressure, so the HR team can put more people on that work in order to equally distribute the work and put such kind of work that he can do. An article by national longitudinal survey says that by survey methodologies impact of attrition can be reduced. . If its I consistent with its objective, continuous rounds are there that totally consider each, the targeted incentive reasons data can be achieved, and finally longitudinal survey that convince and offer attention, making them confident that they are providing their study in a right way, and thus with all these attrition knowledge will be achieved helping in reducing attrition. (Randall, J.   2005) The HR will be retaining them for long term by meeting their needs.   With the help of survey and feedback from them, It will eliminate all th e unwanted shifts, and will lead to mutual co-ordination between management and organization, hence leading to satisfaction an reduction in attrition. If all these feedback are unbiased and done accurately, this will reveal all the pros and cons, bringing a clear picture of the organization CONCLUSION Overall, it is concluded that attrition is causing trouble for Infosys that is caused by unmet needs like overtime, stress; low fixed salary or low motivation in employees which can be solved by hike in compensation, feedback, surveys and training. We have to implement these way according to circumstance. Out of this feedback from employees is very essential that reveals the general idea to HRM, about the root of this problem which can be solved with discussion and meeting of these needs, such kind of responses will lead to future planning also and it will further reduce the future attrition. But, will it really solve the problem? Sometimes, the best surveys even do not work accordingly and employee still leaves the firm, so a proper planning has to be made during the feedback to get correct data and implement the solution carefully. Also, any confidential way of surveys and questionnaire should be implemented. Similarly the intervention of more compensation should be implemented in company. The better the work, the better he should be paid, because of the competitive world and new competitors, the HR have to visualize the correct pay scale for the employee when compared with similar talents and should not be biased.   Is it there any competition in employees regarding pay scale? How employees can be motivated to get more incentives?   .These questions should be in consideration of HRM and will result in positive effects. While training, the real motive of retaining the employee for long term has to be considered. What questions have employees in their mind? Will the training will be affected and will he be in company for more time after training? An effective and practical policy should be adopted which will work on this special project considering these, the HRM should go for training because if training does not solve the problem, what will be use of it? All these ways have to be followed by HR head Nandita Gurjar and monitor , the managers while doing so, if the ways are working they should continue in same way and if not they should be rebuild and closely monitored. Subsequntly, The HRM can make future planning also so that this problem will not occur and is the policies are periodically followed. Then only the HRM will be able to retain talented engineers in company for long term. Hence, through all these ways we can solve the serious problem of attrition in Infosys technologies which should be adopted by Hr department of Infosys technologies. REFERENCES: (1) Textbook: Global Human Resource Management. Managing people in developing and transitional countries authors: Willy McCourt. Derek Eldridge (2) Infosys: infosys.com/about/what-we-do/pages/index.aspx (3) Lavigna, B. 2011 Do you know who is leaving your company and why? vol 34 issue 1 p9-21. Accessed in Business source complete (4) Sitzmann T., Ely, K. and Brown K. ,2010 Sometimes you need a reminder Academy of management learning education, vol9 issue 2, p169-191, Accessed in   Business source complete (5) Randall J, 2005 The problem of respondent attrition: survey methodology is key. monthly labor, Vol , 128 issue 2 p63-70, 8p Accessed in Business source complete (6) Goldenkoff R. 2007 Home land security: DHS’s actions to recruit and retain staff and comply venations reform act.  Ã‚   GAO reports 2007 p1 76p Accessed in Business source complete (7) Korrapati R. and Edara V. 2010 A study of the relationship between software project success and employee job satisfaction.   vol 14 issue 1 p 22-25 Accessed in Business source complete (8)   Frauenheim, A. 2008 HCL technologies: Workforce management Volume 87 Issue 17, p25-25, 1p. Accessed in Business source complete (9) Market watch, 2007 Satyam: profit lag as attrition problem continues. Full Market watch Vol 6 Issue 4 p157-15 Assessed in Business source complete (10) Greene, J.et al. 2005 Troubling exists at Microsoft issue 392,p98-108, 9p Accessed in Business source complete (11) Harris, B, 2005 Bust attrition by fostering loyalty. SDM: security disturbance, Vol 35 issue 10, p130-130 1p Accessed in Business source complete (12) Peter, A. 1997 Downsizing strategies that minimize layoffs   American business review   Vol 15   issue 1 p57 By: Business source complete

Friday, November 22, 2019

Compare and contrast the 3 basic biology position of the 3 Essay

Compare and contrast the 3 basic biology position of the 3 philosophers Darwin, Dembski and Behe - Essay Example He is an American analytic philosopher who wrote a number of books about intelligent design such as The Design Inference, Intelligent Design: The Bridge between Science and Theology, and the Design Revolution. This concept of intelligent designed promoted by Dembski involves an argument that an overarching intelligence is responsible for the complexity of life that can be detected empirically. His concept of intelligent design is seen by the scientific community as a modern form of creationism, drawn from a traditional Christian set of religious belief attempting to portray itself as a science. . Michael Behe is also an advocate of intelligent design. He is an American biochemist and best known for his argument for irreducible complexity. According to him, some biochemical structures are too complex to be sufficiently explained by known evolutionary mechanisms and thus more of a result of intelligent design. However, his claims about the irreducible complexity of essential cellular s tructures have been discarded by enormous majority of the scientific community. The Theories Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is called natural selection. The theory stated that different species began from shared ancestors. Adaptations to different environments caused the differences in the organisms. The environment will determine which of the species are best fit to live and the traits of these organisms are passed down to new generations. New species are created out these traits. Decades of studies and observations led to the development of this theory. Intelligent Design is the negative argument of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. According to this theory, the forces of nature or something else are not sufficient to result to aspects of life or species. There must be an existing intelligent designer. According to this theory, the intelligent designer brought life and the natural selection have nothing to do with the appearance of the organisms we find today. Acco rding to William Dembski (1998), intelligent design can be formulated as a scientific theory having empirical consequences and devoid of religious commitments. The intelligent design can be discharged as a theory of information. According to him, information is not reducible to natural causes but best sought in intelligent causes (Dembski, 1998). Thus, intelligent design becomes a theory for detecting and measuring information, explaining its origin and tracing its flow (Demski, 1998). Michael Behe on the other hand wrote in his book Darwin’s Black Box that many biological systems are â€Å"irreducibly complex.† According to him, in order for these biological systems to evolve, multiple systems would have to arise simultaneously (Robison, 1996). Behe claims that these systems exist in Biology and the existence of â€Å"irreducible complexity† argues for an intelligent designer. The basic premise of the book is that  "Biochemistry has pushed Darwin's theory to the limit.   It has done so by opening the ultimate black box, the cell, thereby making possible our understanding of how life works† (Ussery, 2010). As Behe claims, life is so complicated, that it must have been created by divine intelligence, or at any rate gradual evolution could not possibly have created such complex systems (Ussery, 2010). Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Creationism and evolution have frequently competed since Darwin first proposed his theories of evolution and natural selection in his book

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Knowledge Management and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Knowledge Management and Innovation - Essay Example 855). This piece of research work critically examines the knowledge sharing theoretical models developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi to elucidate how this model has been implemented in a typical industry to apply KM to the innovation of a product. This paper compares and contrasts knowledge transfer models based on relevant literatures and empirical evidences. Knowledge Management and Innovation In the contemporary business contexts where markets, products, competition, technology, laws and consumers are rapidly changing, continuous innovation and effective practice of KM to support innovation has become a major source of competitive advantage (Aramburu, Saenz and Rivera, 2006, p. 157). Nonaka and Takeuchi (2005, p. 1-5), both are widely renowned as KM gurus, argued that Japanese companies remained as enigma for most Western business experts and they gave a new explanation of what made Japanese companies highly successful. ... ased on this explanation, the three major components of KM are creating the knowledge, sharing it and using the created or shared knowledge for organizational purposes. Some literatures have considered more components such as knowledge identification, knowledge collection, knowledge organizing, knowledge dissemination, knowledge evaluation and knowledge adoption or implementation (Mehrabani and Shajari, 2012, p. 166). Forster (2005) described that knowledge management is a generic term that includes certain process by which employees’ experience, knowledge, skills etc are gathered, shared and utilized and then converted to a system of collective organizational learning so as to improve organizational performance. Nonaka and Takeuchi perceived knowledge as a profound instrument that has effectually increased organization’s capability to implement right action from the evidences of Japanese companies. Knowledge has been categorized in to two; tacit and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is one that is embedded in a person through the forms of experience, knowledge, skill, talent, wisdom etc and this can be attained from imitation and practice. Explicit knowledge is information stored in documents or database (Lee, Leong, Hew and Ooi, 2013, p. 850). Literatures in the field of KM have clearly illustrated the profound impact of knowledge management on innovation. Most firms in contemporary business contexts find innovation as their grand strategy due to that consumers expect regular changes and advances in products (Pearce and Robinson, 2004, p. 207). Innovation is not merely an idea, but rather, it is the conversion of idea in to business functionality by establishing the idea in to reality (Endsley, 2010, p. 1). Many literatures including Boghani (2007), Lee et al

Monday, November 18, 2019

Assessing Media Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assessing Media Influence - Essay Example Readers, viewers and consumers of information should supply the necessary interpretation of stories and symbols to discover the relation of information and of its consumers. This is because a phenomenon unfolded in a television show could not be understood in itself but about how the meanings interacted and impacted to viewers or readers (Berger, 2005, pp. 10-28). Cultural norms, socialization process and ethical concerns have so much regulatory effect to determine the information’s acceptability or non-acceptability to the taste and standard of communication (Berger, 2005, pp. 60-120). It is therefore important for viewers and readers to be positively self-critical in absorbing the information. It should be the goal of every media consumer to combine analysis and creativity to effectively segregate the truth from myth and to free self from the victimization-effect of violent media production (Berger, 2005, pp. 2013-214). This is not just about words or video shoots at work. T his is also about responsible media consumption by unmasking the paradigmatic and syntagmatic meanings evoked differently (Berger, 2005, pp. 2013-214). Most media institution is not truly an independent entity. They are incorporated as either a public, private and rarely in cooperative in nature. As companies, they are also competing in sourcing and presenting information to gather more readers and viewers. The most attractive and those who have certain leverage in the market by possessing wider area of coverage will likely gain more advertisers (Croteau & Hoynes, 2006, p. 15-19). They are also for profit. Thus, consumers of information should be critical too about the kind of commercial products they introduced. Everyone knows that advertisements are used by corporations to leverage in introducing their products to the market (Croteau & Hoynes, 2006, p. 15-19). Media played much on its influencing capacity regardless on what products are introduced. The fees of advertisers are actu ally their most prevent concern and not the quality of products indorsed (Croteau & Hoynes, 2006, p. 20-68). While we agree that media is an avenue of free ideas, but it remained the info-consumers responsibility to ascertain whether goods popularized by the media are truly relevant for public welfare (Croteau & Hoynes, 2006, pp. 17-48; 192.) Lest, everyone should be reminded that nothing can blind an intelligent and responsible consumer to know which products in the market can be bought for healthy consumption. Moreover, while media is required to be impartial and independent in espousing views, but researchers observed evident tendencies for media to slant the reports and information to some interests, depending on what to their purview is the story worth tackling about in a day. Slanting, for some, have serious effects to public perception and such affect the models of social equilibrium where companies are in constant discourse with consumers. They criticized that media is biase d and are perceived to have favored certain groups of consumers than others. True, unbiased reports these days are hard to see, except for investigative reportage where all views and voices of stakeholders are put into serious consideration, thus, widening the relational and contextual meaning of a phenomenon discussed. The media has been also powerfully putting women

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Importance of Reading Books Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Reading Books Essay The joy of reading books cant be described in words. Its something that you can understand only by actual experience. There is much more to life than your work and spending time aimlessly with latest technology products. Reading books gives you that much needed break from the chaos in your life. It instills peace inside you, makes you relaxed and also exercises your brain in the process. When you read a book, it feels great to put yourself into a different world that the writer has created for you. Ask any avid reader about this and they too will agree that reading a book is same like watching a movie. When you spend hours and hours reading a book, creating a world with different characters in your mind, your imagination powers are sure to get a boost. Depending upon what you read, you will come out with the same experience as when you watch some really good movie. I have been a voracious reader ever since i learned how to read. Thats why i never get bored even being alone for a long time. I have found that reading books is the best medicine to kill boredom. What starts with reading story books, when you are a kid, turns into reading books for improving yourself as you grow older. From story books - technical management books - self improvement - spirituality and beyond, the journey is fantastic and you learn something with each passing day. You understand your thoughts and emotions more clearly. It makes you realize who you really are and makes your life more meaningful.Reading books will make you a better thinker and a better man. Thanks to technology you can easily find good articles to read on the internet. A great article can inspire and motivate you as much as a great book. Its not how much you read, but what you read which is more important. The only reason i recommend reading books over short articles is because when you spend hours with a thought or an idea then its more likely to stay with you for long time rather than when you spend just few minutes tinkering with it. Its easy to read a quote or an article for few minutes than discard it and continue with what you were doing. But when you invest your time in reading a good book, you end up spending at least a few hours reflecting on its contents as you read. Thus, its likely to stay with you for a longer time and have some positive influence on you. A good reader also varies his reading pace based on the content he is reading and what he wants to get from it. The purpose of reading news articles is different from reading stories, which is different from reading important documents. Over a period of time, you will understand how to vary your reading pace and comprehension based on what you read and what you want from it. Also, just reading good books is not enough. The way you read it is more important. When you come across a new idea or a different opinion, think upon it deeply. Dont accept it or reject it blindly. Try to reason with it and understand the writers point of view. Reflect upon the thoughts that come to your mind whenever you read a great book. You will know whether a book is great or not based on the thoughts it awakens inside you. As you continue this habit of reading and reflecting on what you read, you will start forming your own thoughts and values. It will challenge your mind and the thoughts, customs and traditions that you have grown up with. However, there is one thing which you should always remember when you make this a daily habit, as you are investing a part of your life doing it. Too much reading, without any thinking and action isnt of much use. When you know you are ready to do something its time to move to the next step. Act upon what you think is right and what you have decided to do. Its easy to get so much involved in the reading process, that you forget that the main purpose of reading is to make you a better person which can only happen when you act upon it. Just finishing one book after another without any real action from your side wont help you. What kind of person you want to be and what you would ultimately become depend greatly upon the type of content that you read and how much you act upon them. Reading articles that promote negativity, hatred and give wrong information is dangerous. Its better to not read anything at all than read such articles. Whether you read on some electronic device or prefer reading an actual book. Thats your personal choice. Personally, i prefer to read actual books whenever possible. I find that even after hours of reading my eyes feel fresh and full of energy. Thats something i dont find when i read too much on my computer. Before ending this article, i would like to summarize few important points and also suggest some Dos and Donts of reading: * Always read your content from a safe distance. Neither too close to your eyes neither too far away from your eyes. * Always prefer quality over quantity. Better to read one great book than hundred mediocre ones. * Understand properly what you have read and reflect upon it. * Dont accept anything blindly that you read but think for yourself and try to understand the reason behind whats been written. * Bookmark interesting pages for future reference. You never know when you will need them. * Sometimes it takes more than one reading to fully grasp some thing. Dont be disappointed if you dont understand a book in one reading. Maybe when you come back to it the next time, you will get it. * Focus completely on what you are reading. Dont think about other stuff while reading. * If possible, create a favorite spot in your house for reading books. You will feel more relaxed whenever you are there. * And above all, enjoy your reading experience. The habit of reading good content daily will act like an exercise for your mind and keep you mentally fit and flexible. If you have never given it a try then always remember that its never too late to start a good habit.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride You may well be wondering what the Bride is doing making a speech. Well, those of you who know me well, know that I always have talked too much and usually find a way to get my two cents worth in so it probably is no surprise! I also wanted to say thank you to those deserving in my own words. When I met Ray, I was totally off men and relationships, so it is a more than a little surprising to find myself standing here just under two years later! I have my sister to thank for this remarkable conversion, as she was the Cilla Black wannabe who got us together – with all the subtlety of Blind Date I might add. Her favorite trick was to invite Ray to come for drinks with her and I and then suddenly â€Å"remember† she’d left the iron on or hadn’t fed the cat or any other such nonsense. Of course this was highly embarrassing and cringe-making but I am so very grateful to Donna for knowing us both better than we knew ourselves, knowing that we should be together and putting us in each others’ lives. She has been a great Bridesmaid and she has helped a lot over the last few months; not least in the organisation of a top hen party - the details of which follow the time honoured code of â€Å"What goes on tour, stays on tour†! Donna not only is the best sister a girl could ever have but she is also my very bestest friend and has been my idol since I arrived in this world. Thank you so much for everything, not least for loving me. This is just a small gift as a token of our love and appreciation. While I am on thanking there are a few more that I would like to do and I promise to be brief! Firstly thanks to all of you for coming and thank you for the wonderful gifts – we’ll look forward to opening them when we get back from honeymoon. I know that most of you took time off work and travelled a long way to be here and I want to say how much it means to us to share our day with the family and friends that love us. Sadly not everyone could be with us and I would especially like to mention Ray’s Grandfather, George who sadly passed away last year and my favourite Aunt, Auntie Kissie who has been very ill and wasn’t well enough to make the journey.

Monday, November 11, 2019

It’s Also For Me Essay

Since I was in prep school, there is always a significant number of people who talk to me in English. And even if it’s not my prime vernacular, I try really hard to converse back. I have to admit that, most of the time, I have difficulties in understanding native English speakers as the use of slang is very popular here in the United States. I got the hang of it, though, by trying to learn the language on my own – whenever my schedule permits. I scan the dictionary every once in a while, read English short stories often, and ask my friends to talk to me in English whenever possible. These are the few ways I dig to acquire competence in writing and speaking in English, not to mention the fact that I never have had an English subject back in elementary and high school. Now that I plan to enter college, I need to pass the University Writing Skills Requirement (UWSR) as a requisite for a baccalaureate degree in my prospect university. This requirement is to measure a student’s competency in English writing. It’s a tough thing for me – that’s a given. But with my determination and persistence to hone my English skills (writing in particular), I am certain that I will be able to go through it and be admitted. Why not? This could also be for me! I want to prove to myself that even if I’m not a native English woman, I can put myself in a position where the natives are in – level myself to them, so to speak. I started writing in English in grade school. Even if my phrasing is bad, and most of my sentences consist of grammatical errors, I never forwent my desire to write. To strike a balance, though, I also write in my native language which is . I kept a diary and wrote a number of poems both in English and in . Back then, I remember I had troubles with my subject-verb agreement. I weren’t able to differentiate phrases from sentences, nouns and verbs, the past and present tenses and all that jazz. And as to speaking, I seemed to suck at pronunciation; I used to pronounce mad, mud and mod in the same way! But as I said, that was before. I am now pretty complacent of my English skills, more importantly in writing. I considered challenge every single encounter I had with a native English speaker. I tried to talk back with all confidence; and true indeed, each experience 0effected to an improvement in my skills. I am positive about satisfying the UWSR by taking the Writing Skills Test (WST) which will demonstrate my critical thinking and good analysis. I answered a few English-written essays before, analyzed a few texts and answered tough personal questions from previous mentors. These have greatly helped me in enhancing whatever level of English I possess. With these all together, I am confident to take the WST. Young optimist I am, I believe that language should never ever curtail a child’s longing to be educated in a good school. Education for me is something to be literally fought for – something a child, no matter how financially constrained, should not fail to have. Everyone is entitled to it. I AM ENTITLED TO IT. Source: Writing Skills Test. California State University-East Bay. Retrieved 06 March 2008 at http://www. testing. csueastbay. edu/uwsr/wst/wsthome. php

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Olladas Critique Paper War is a Tender Thing Final Draft

In the case of Disdain Rumples parents, It's both. How they choose to react to the situation is what determines their destiny. Disdain's mother shows indifference to a number of political issues in the beginning. Her character is stoic. The way she answers her daughters questions suggests she doesn't care about any of it at all. The film also introduces that Disdain's mother is Christian while her father is a Muslim. For Christians, the most important ideal is â€Å"to love your enemies and die in the pursuit of ringing them love†.On the other hand, for Muslims, it's fighting the enemies of Islam and dying as a martyr of Allah. Sacrifice is an important ideal in both religions but its meaning in each religion is completely opposed. â€Å"A Christian can never be in love with a Muslim†, she says as she talks about the conflict between Christians and Muslims and how it was at fault, in some way, for her separation with Disdain's father. Moreover, there's a certainty in he r voice, as if no one can have a say in her decision, when she makes up her mind to end heir marriage.But what one fails to recognize while watching her, what one may think is an act of selfishness, is actually an act of selflessness. â€Å"I'd rather we be separated and he be alive than we be together and he be dead. † These are the words of her mother that really struck me. Any woman who loves her husband very much has an extreme fear of losing him but in the film, Disdain's mother was able to cast out that fear because of her deep love. She prefers to be far from her husband so his life could be spared, so that he could be safe.Personally, saw the film as something astonishingly moving; how it was able to remarkably express that feeling of wanting and loving something or someone you know you cannot possibly have because of all the wars and religious conflicts; how the mother's strong yet affectionate personality captured the core and soul of the title itself; the way the s cenes were shot-?so very frank and forthright. Perhaps its simplicity-?having the camera record what everyone has to say without using special effects or requiring the people to wear make-up or to dress up-?is what makes it exceptional.The pureness of the idea about the coexistence betwixt love and war that Disdain Arum presents in the film is undeniably impressive. Everyone has a different definition of love. Love to one person is letting go even if it hurts. For others, love is to give something up for someone to be in a better situation. But for Disdain's mother, love is those two definitions put together. It is the very essence of the courage, especially in their situation, to do the right thing even when the cost is great. That, my friend, is fearless love.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow

The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow What could you accomplish if you had a week or two to focus exclusively on your writing, with all your needs taken care of, no interruptions, no TV or chores or kids to distract you? Your days and nights to yourself, with the time and space to work at your own pace, in your own way? In the historic arts community of Eureka Springs, two adjacent houses, surrounded For breakfast and lunch you can fetch supplies or leftovers, fill your basket and take it back to your room or kitchen. All suites have mini fridges and coffee makers. But dinners are special: Monday to Friday, Colony kitchen goddess Jana prepares beautiful and satisfying gourmet dinners for writers to share while gathered around a big table. It’s a time to socialize, unwind, process your work, get and share ideas in a creative flow. To qualify, one doesn’t have to be a published writer, have a bestseller, be famous or have an agent. The only requirements are to step up, fill out a simple application form, have a plan for what you’ll work on while in residence, and submit a sample of your work. Introspection and modesty dog the writer’s journey. Self-deprecating assumptions can stifle all forward movement: â€Å"Oh, I’m not a real writer. I’m not famous enough yet, eligible, educated, etc.† Our literary heroes have used those same disclaimers. And yet, given the opportunity and grace of uninterrupted time in a perfect environment, with solitude, support and meals, many residents astound themselves with the level of productivity they achieve and the quality of the writing they produce. But no one can write all the time. When it’s time to take a break from the printed page, residents only have to step outside the door to find beautiful trails to wander, or streets lined with Victorian and Queen Anne houses to stroll. The entire city of Eureka Springs is on the National Historic Register, and residents are very careful to preserve the historic accuracy of their homes and public buildings. Downtown streets are lined with galleries and funky little shops filled with hand-crafted and unique items. The Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library is worth a visit, and it’s only a half-mile stroll from the Colony. On weekends, when Jana is not preparing dinner, Eureka Springs offers more than 42 sit-down restaurants with all kinds of cuisines, from burgers to more elegant offerings. How much does this cost? The fee is $55 a night, including food, with a one-time Internet fee and a cleaning fee. That means you can get seven days and nights for $430. There is a one-week minimum stay and a three-month maximum. Check it out on the website, www.writerscolony.org, or visit the Facebook page to see what other writers say about it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/149738778602/?ref=br_tf The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow 515 Spring Street Eureka Springs, AR   72632 Ph:   479-253-7444 Email: director@writerscolony.org writerscolony.org/

Monday, November 4, 2019

Samurai Warriors Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Samurai Warriors - Research Paper Example It is a common fallacy to think of the Samurai as fierce warriors, since the best of them were great visionaries who pursued spiritual, artistic and cultural endeavors apart from their regular, prescribed duties. The samurai were people of the aristocratic warrior class, but after the 12th century, it referred to all the warriors who gained power in the 12th century and ruled national politics and society up to the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The transformation of the samurai from a purely warrior class began during the Tokugawa period. A very important part of the Samurai life was to engage oneself in literary and artistic pursuits. Some of the finest gardens, buildings, poetry, landscapes, especially the rock gardens, and paintings are the handiwork of the Samurai and the renowned tea ceremony as well as the Kabuki and Noh theaters were part of the Samurai legacy in the Japanese society. It was one of the prescribed routes given to them to reach their full potential and ultimately acquire the Way. The Samurai, in spite of being warriors, had some of the finest qualities to be found in men and writing about them Xavier said that â€Å"among barbarous nations there can be none that has more natural goodness than the Japanese†¦ wonderfully desirous of honor and rank†¦ however poor†¦ receive the same honor from the rest as if they were rich".

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Soil orders and their associated environmental elements Essay

Soil orders and their associated environmental elements - Essay Example Gley tundra soils are formed in the conditions of permanent water saturation and low temperatures. They are typical for landscape-geographical zones of the tundra, and located on plains illustrative of eternal frost. Another characteristic feature of tundra soils is their formation without great influence of the vegetation. â€Å"The exact character of these soils depends on the ground ice position, slope and the vegetation. If the slope is stable, peaty soils are formed due to slow organic and chemical action. In case of steep slopes, thin soils result† (Pujari). Considering the shallow depth of melting in summer ground, and below it the beginning of a frozen horizon, even a seasonal thawing layer is characterized by low temperature and is over-soppy with water, which cannot seep into the deeper land layers. All this slows down the activity of micro-organisms, decomposition cause of plant residues, and the formation of soils. For inhibit access of oxygen, tundra soils are fea tured with a bluish-grey gley horizon. The surface of tundra soils is often complicated with hummocky micro-relief. They are acid, poor in grounds, with scanty reserves of nutrients. Consequently, fertility of tundra soils is low. This is due to their relative youthful age and lack of activity of biological processes. As for the associated climate of gley tundra soils, it is subarctic with extremely long-lasting winter. As most of the tundra lies within the Arctic Circle, it experiences winter polar night. The severity of winter depends on the continentality. As a rule, the tundra practically has no climatic summer, or the latter comes for short time. The average temperature of the warmest month (July or August) is 50-59  °F. In summer all vegetation rises with the polar day oncoming (or the white nights in those parts of the tundra, where the polar day does not reach). May and September is spring and autumn. Tundra soils are characterized