An Analysis of Marijuana Legalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

An Analysis of Marijuana Legalization - Essay Example One might posit that the reason for such a differential has to do with the overall level of harm differential that exists between these two drugs; however, when one considers the fact that both drugs are ultimately damaging to one’s health – if inhaled – the level of differential between them, from a quality of health standpoint, is negligible. Within such an understanding, the following analysis will seek to compare and contrast the objective and subjective effects of both nicotine and marijuana. Moreover, an analysis of the different government policies and regulations that constrain their usage will be analyzed alongside a discussion of the health risks that utilizing these substances necessarily portend. It is the hope of this author that such an analysis will land the reader to have a more actionable and definitive understanding of current drug policy had whether or not it represents an effective and ethical response to issues of public health are evidenced within current society (Hendricks et al., 2012). Although it is not the place of this brief analysis to advocate a safe entirely new approach to drug policy within the United States, it is the hope of this research that a greater level of inference with regards to the appropriate response framework that government represents will be able to be inferred. A great deal of debate has centered on the use of marijuana as a means of treating a variety of medical conditions; most notably with regards to terminally ill patients that are working to deal with a host of pain management problems. However, the overall legitimacy of marijuana as both a drug and a treatment plan is an issue that is slightly more nuanced than either side of the debate would likely let on. The fact of the matter is that marijuana, when used to treat illness, has like any medical drug a series of pros and cons; i.e. benefits and side effects. Although marijuana is not unique in that its implementation has both a series of side effects and benefits, this analysis will attempt to categorize this, discuss their nature, and draw inference as to the overall balance sheet with regards to whether medical marijuana is worthy of continuing to be used as a drug due to the preponderance of its inherent benefits or should be discontinued as a drug/treatment as a function of the r isk it poses to the individual. With respect to some of the most important side effects that have been medically demonstrable, one has to note that the smoking of any substance provides a greatly increased risk of developing a host of cancers. These include but are in no way limited to the following: lip cancer, tongue cancer, cheek cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer but to name a few (Cohen 655). Similarly, it has been proven that smoking marijuana also demonstrably weakens the body’s immune system. This is of vital importance to many individuals who will be taking it to assist in providing them with a means to survive a given illness or extreme situation that requires such a method. In this way, the individual is likely to prolong the amount of time that they are suffering from an illness due to the fact that the prolonged use of marijuana has a negative effect on the total white blood cell count and the body’s inherent ability to fight off infection. In addi tion to the increased risk of a litany of cancers, the user is also at a highly increased risk of respiratory illness due to the fact that inhaling the smoke from even 1 joint per day can noticeably affect the bronchial linings in the air way which serve to protect the individual from a host of

Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tesco - Essay Example This move will deal with the bargaining power of clients so that clientele retention is attained in the supermarket sector. On the other hand, the supermarket should look into the switching cost to ensure that it is as low as possible. This may be accomplished through loyalty card or otherwise smartcards (Zentes, Morschett & Schramm-Klein, 2007, p. 85). In this case, loyal customers will earn discount points whenever they shop in the Tesco supermarket and in that case strive to shop more. The supermarket hence, should introduce more incentives to consumers. Similarly, motivation for customers can be achieved through the involvement of an upcoming sport which serves not only as a promotional strategy but also as a social responsibility. Every initial purchase in the food products should go hand in hand with discount vouchers to retain clients. On the other hand, the supermarket should consider bargaining power of competitors. It should be noted that the supermarket sector has grown si gnificantly and therefore dominance goes with large players in the business sector. For this reason, the supermarket sector of Tesco has to move into greater store and increase retailer concentration. This has to use a wide range of formats to gain the required dominance in the market scale. Since the purchasing power in the food industry today is concentrated on small numbers of retail buyers, the corporation should operate in a mature market. This implies that the supermarket should move into gathering important data on client preferences so that they can handle the increasing sophistication among consumers (Zentes, Morschett & Schramm-Klein, 2007, p. 94). Branding and reputation is as well an imperative idea to be embraced by the company. In such a case, Tesco supermarket should strengthen its brand through quality services to consumers. Branding has to maintain quality throughout their packaging activities. This will reduce competition as well as confusion among buyers (Zentes, Morschett & Schramm-Klein, 2007, p. 99). Similarly, there should be product and service re-engineering to enable better management of the food product lifecycle and efficiency in delivery. Based on this activity, the sector should focus on enhancing core ranges as well as introduction of quality products to clients. It is also recommended that the sector integrates IT in its operations. This follows the fact that contemporary business operations are in an increasingly dynamic and complicated environment. Innovation in the supermarket will be of great help to move the company from one level to another. In any section of the business, systems of control stock, inventories and delivery records are core to profitability of the business (Zentes, Morschett & Schramm-Klein, 2007, p. 100). The supermarket should therefore, focus on extranet systems to enable the sector utilize the internet in creation of proprietary and personalized information dissemination between the section and its part ners. The last thing this supermarket should consider is supplier management. Research indicates that Tesco relies on goods from overseas in which case suppliers are competitive on prices. The company should therefore, use many suppliers from around the world to reduce chance of shortage in supply. The relationship with suppliers, however, should be unique to gain their trust. Budget Distribution Summary Because of the ever increasing completion in the â€Å"

Organisational Flexibility | Literature Review

Organisational Flexibility | Literature Review This chapter reviews the literature on organisational flexibility, the different types that exists, and the different forms commonly seen in different organisations. The different forms of flexibility are discussed in section 2.2.3 using the classification provided by Looise et al (1998) Major studies reviewed, particularly the work of Atkinson (1984) focused on the fact that there are 2 main groups of workers within a firm: the core group and the peripheral group. The theory of the flexible firm made by Atkinson is at the centre of this literature review. It is discussed in section 2.2.4 followed by some empirical evidence of the use of flexibility in section 2.3 Theory An overview of the different types and known forms of flexibility used in organisations is discussed in this section. After that, an illustration of Atkinson model of the flexible firm is also provided in section 2.2.4 Definition of flexibility As defined by Looise et al, 1998 and Blyton and Morris, 1989, flexibility is the ability to adjust under fluctuating and uncertain circumstances. The concept of the flexible firm itself was originated by Atkinson in 1984 where he argues that there is a growing trend for firms to seek various forms of structural and operational flexibility. Searches he made at that time demonstrate that flexible working can provide an elastic and less rigid approach within most functions in an organization, through the use of strategies such as flexitime working, flexible labour rotations, multi-tasking, production flexibility and delivery flexibility. Flexibility strategies can also improve a companys competitive position on the basis that the meaning of flexibility is the ability to respond to changing market circumstances effectively. Types of flexibility According to Atkinson (1984), there are three main types of flexibility areas and they are as follows: Functional Numerical Financial Functional flexibility It is the ability of managers to extend the range of tasks a worker can perform. With functional flexibility, employees are said to be multi-tasking or multi-skilled. They are able to perform different tasks and functions within the same company as required by the management. It requires a well trained workforce with in-depth knowledge of the different areas of the company, its processes, and its prevailing culture. This practice is said to benefit both the employees in terms of job enhancement and the organization which avails a multi-skilled workforce at its disposition and ready to face rapid changes. An example in the hotel sector, a receptionist can check in/out guests in the morning and also cleans guests rooms as a chambermaid after the morning rush. This demonstrates the extent to which companies are given greater flexibility to act quickly and smoothly as a means of reacting to the problem of staff shortage. According to Atkinson (1985), functional flexibility may imply the same labour force changing its activities within the organization in both short term and medium term. Numerical flexibility Numerical flexibility can be defined as the ability of organizations to increase or decrease employment quickly in line with fluctuations in business demand, and to improve competitiveness of firms through adopting this flexible policy (Atkinson1984; Looise et al 1998; Ruiz-Mercarder et al 2001). With numerical flexibility, companies can easily increase or decrease its total number of workers in the short term to accurately achieve an exact coincidence between the needed workforce and that effectively employed. It is normally achieved through the use of different types of contracts and variations in the distribution of working time. When organizations use numerical flexibility policies, they tend to predict the requirements for human resources and then adjust their human resource supply accordingly. For this type of policy to be more effective and in order to achieve greater success in balancing demand and supply, organizations must imperatively have the ability to use employment and deployment. For example, in most hotels nowadays, the accounting and finance department tries to predict the number of tourist arrivals during different periods by using budgeting systems and then pass it on to the Human Resources department which decides whether there is a need to employ more workers on contract in order to meet the budgeted demand. Financial flexibility It is defined as the policy of adjusting employment costs in line with the demand for labour in the organization, and reflecting the supply of labour in the external labour market. It is therefore obvious that financial flexibility and numerical flexibility are closely associated which implies that certain forms of numerical flexibility inevitably lead to greater financial flexibility for the employer. More specifically, in terms of setting wage levels, financial flexibility means moving from uniform and standardized pay structures towards individualized pay systems. Financial flexibility usually involves a sort of performance based element of pay or simply based on merits. Sources of labour Between these three broad types of flexibility, that is functional, numerical and financial, Looise et al (1998) further classify flexibility strategies into a two-by-two matrix based on two considerations, the source of the staff (that is the acquisition of man power internally and externally) and the involvement of different skills (that is the requirement for staff to have one specific skill only or be able to work more than two positions). This two-by-two matrix is illustrated below. Table I Labour flexibility matrix Internal External Overtime Agency staff Quantitative Variable working time Short-term contracts Part-Time Flexible contracts Shift working Exchange of labour Labour pool Qualitative Job Rotation Detachment Multi-tasking Consultancy Multi-functioning Source: Looise et al (1998) Internal quantitative source of labour: Internal quantitative source of labour implies numerical flexibility. It represents the different ways a company can obtain a numerical increase in its labour force by looking within the organisation itself. (a) Overtime From Table I overtime is said to be an internal quantitative source of staff. Overtime is the term used to describe work undertaken on top of an employees normal contracted hours. Employees are normally paid at an enhanced rate for their overtime (usually one and a half time the normal hourly rate or even double time). Overtime is usually done voluntarily by employees as it is seen as a means of supplementing their basic wage. However, in some circumstances, it is compulsory. For many workers, particularly in white collar jobs and especially amongst professionals and managerial grades, there is no additional overtime payment, even working after normal contracted working hours. (b) Variable working time It refers to a situation where the employee is free to choose his or her working time. Usually, employers accept to make workers choose between variable working time as long as they attain a certain quota in their work as targeted by the management. (c) Part-time It denotes jobs where the number of hours is less than the standard working week. However, there is a problem when talking about part-time jobs. There is no general agreement on what constitutes a standard working week, although there are sometimes industry or establishment norms. It implies that the term part-time can be used to denote someone working a three hour week as well as someone working thirty hours a week. (d) Shift working Shift working is another internal source of quantifying labour. It allows establishments to work continuously by deploying a large workforce across three segments in the working day: early shift, late shift and night shift. In many instances, employees will rotate across these shifts from week to week. Internal qualitative source of labour Internal qualitative source of labour is more likely to be linked with functional flexibility. It encloses the different ways a firm can get working within the company itself to do different tasks. (a) Job Rotation Job rotation means that employees within a particular work area have the ability to perform a variety of tasks and will move from one to another at various times within the working day or the working week. This means that employees have to be fully flexible and able to perform different tasks when necessary during the working day. (b) Multi-tasking and multi-functioning Multi-tasking or multi-functioning implies that a worker can do other jobs apart from those assigned to him. For example, in the hotel sector, a person can work as barman and prepare cocktails and also work as cook in the kitchen. External quantitative source of labour External quantitative source of labour refers to the different ways a firm can become numerically flexible and get an increase in labour force by looking for workers outside the firm. (a) Agency staff Staffing agencies co-ordinate and engage with corporations, organizations and other clients, size up their  human  resources  needs and match their staff needs according to specific requirement. This implies that agency staffs are those persons who are registered to a staffing agency which in turn try to place them in certain specific jobs according to their qualifications. For example, if a hotel is looking for a cook with 2 years experience, it may contact the staffing agency which will look in its data base system for a cook with the experience necessary. (b) Short-term contracts Short-term contract jobs are jobs that have a definite end date. The length of the contract is specified in the contract itself. Short-term or contract jobs could last for one month, three months or even twelve months, depending on the nature of the job. Some people choose short-term jobs because they dont want to feel like they will be stuck in the same job for a long time. (c) Flexible contracts Flexible contract is another quantitative source of labour. It implies employing persons through agency staffs, employing freelance workers or casual workers or even outsourcing the work to specific agencies in the particular field of work required. An example in the hotel sector, instead of employing someone permanently to do gardening or cleaning, there is a gardening agency that provides workers for a certain time period. These workers would be paid directly by the hotel itself but will leave when the job is over. (d) Exchange of labour Exchange of labour is a system where an organization does not need to any recruitment and selection to obtain the necessary labour. Instead it looks within other companies most of the time within the same group of companies and take the best candidate according to requirements. In the hotel sector for example, lets say La Pirogue Hotel need a chef cook. Instead of recruiting one, the hotel will try to find one within the other hotels in the group, i.e. the Sun Resorts Ltd. (e) Labour pool Labour pool refers to a source of trained people from which labour can be hired. It is another external quantitative source of labour where companies can find trained people required for a particular job. The University Of Mauritius is a labour pool. When, for example, a finance company needs ten persons to work in a particular department, they may come to the University of Mauritius and choose the ten best finance students that fits their requirements. External qualitative source of labour It implies functional flexibility but the source of labour this time is outside the firm. (a) Detachment Professional detachment is about doing a task when you dont like it very professionally.  If a person is affected by the way the customers talk and that affects the way he or she is doing the job, then the latter are not professional in his work.  Professionalism is manifested when someone carry out the job when he does not like it at all.   Professional detachment paves the way for achieving excellence and avoiding a lot of unnecessary headaches that one will get from personal involvement. (b) Consultancy Consultancy is an arrangement where a specialist firm sells its services to other firms. For example, KPMG offer advice about matters like taxation or investment or management to other firms. Consultancy is therefore an external qualitative source of labour as the consulting firm will send workers to the other company and provide advice which may benefit the company in terms of better quality work. John Atkinson model of the flexible firm In the 1980s, debates around flexibility were focused on the model of the flexible firm proposed by Atkinson (1985). The most distinctive feature of Atkinsons model was the suggestion that firms started dividing their workforce into CORE and PERIPHERY workers. The model is illustrated in the figure below. Figure 1: The flexible firm Source: Atkinson (1985) The core group According to Atkinson, the most important part for a flexible firm is its core group. Core workers are full time, i.e. permanent employees who benefit of job security and high earnings. In return, they perform different tasks and work as flexible workers across different traditional skills boundaries. They are functionally flexible. The firm invests in these workers in terms of training and they develop new skills which make it possible for them to perform different tasks. Typical members of the core group include managerial and professional staffs and multi-skilled workers. The first peripheral group Outside the core group there is a great variety of peripheral workers. However, the first peripheral group is composed of full-time workers. As compared to the core group, these workers enjoy less job security and inferior career prospects. They are hired to do specific jobs usually of semi-skilled nature. Because workers within the first peripheral group are easily recruited and easily fired, firms can vary their number according to different levels of activity and hence become numerically flexible. In the hotel sector, a typical example could be a waiter or waitress. When there is too much work, more waiters are recruited and when the load of work goes down, again some are fired. The second peripheral group The second peripheral group is made of part-timers, people on job share, and a variety of temporary workers such as workers from agency staffs, people on short term contracts and also those on government schemes. These workers perform the same type of jobs as the first peripheral group and also give the firm numerical flexibility depending on fluctuating activities and hence allow to cope with uncertain growth. The only difference between these two groups is that the second peripheral group is made of part time workers whereas in the first peripheral group, workers are on a full time basis. Outside the firm (Self-employment/ sub-contracting/ increased outsourcing/ agency temporaries) There is a variety of external workers outside the firm who perform either routine tasks such as cleaning and security or very specialized ones. For example many firms employ external workers to do cleaning jobs or ensure the security. There are also sub contracts, agency staffs and home-workers. Home workers may be those working in areas of computing or networking and who can work also through long distances. With these external workers, firms are able to cope with predictable changes in their activities and therefore become financially flexible rather than numerically flexible as they enable the firm to limit financial commitment. Empirical evidence In this section, different studies pertaining to flexibility are illustrated. Some figures are provided to demonstrate the use of different forms of flexibility in organisations. The evidence for flexibility When Atkinson make the study, be based his model on evidence from case studies and surveys including the NEDC (1985) survey of 72 firms in the food and drink, engineering, retail and financial services industries. The NEDC, National Education Data Center, is a U.S agency responsible for providing policy-relevant analysis and reports derived from education data and indicators. It was created in the 1980s by combining offices from several federal agencies. The surveys and case studies identified widespread increases in numerical flexibility in the early 1980s. Surveys also included the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service survey the ACAS (1988). The latter demonstrated that there was also a slight increase in different forms of numerical flexibility. For example, it argues that sub-contracting was the most common and has increased in the manufacturing sector, in larger organisations and in parts of the public sector, such as health and civil service whereas job sharing was on an increasing trend in sectors such as banking where there are problems of balancing staffing and workload. Studies made also provide the evidence that the number of flexible employees increased. They were divided into two particular groups: part-time employees and self employed. In 1981 there were over 4 million people working part-time and in 1993, the number of part-time workers has nearly reached 6 million. The studies demonstrate that the increase in part-time workers occurred at the expense of full-time workers. In 1993 when the number of part-timers increased by 227,820 to a total of 5,998,112, full-time jobs declined by 275,464 to a total of 14,889,977. Over the period 1981-1993, the number of part-timers rose by 1.25 million while full-time jobs declined by 0.5 million. The proportion self employed in the U.K workforce also increased substantially throughout the 1980s at a faster rate than the increase in part-time employees. In the 1990s there were nearly 3.4 million self-employed, approximately 1/8 of the total workforce. Hunter and MacInnes (1991) study Hunter and MacInnes made a study in 1991 on a survey carried out by the Employers Labour Usage Strategies (ELUS). The results progressively focused on workplaces having the most marked tendency to employ peripheral workers. ELUS visited 877 workplaces which made use of peripheral workers of various kinds. Hunter and MacInnes then took a sub-sample of 39 of these establishments. They identified three groups of workers: First there was a set of skilled professionals and technical occupations comprising large numbers of freelance, agency staffs and self-employed workers. Second there was a group of manual and non manual workers who were seen by their employers as having a low level skill or as easily transferable. Not much learning and training were required to do their jobs. Some were on a temporary or a part-time basis Finally, there was a smaller group between the two others which covered both skilled and unskilled jobs that were dependent in some way on limited contracts. The conclusion made by Hunter and MacInnes was that employees have started extending their use of non-standard contracts and this demonstrate the progression of different forms of flexibility in organisations. Conclusion Researches on flexible work are relatively well established and at least since the work of Atkinson (1984) there has been much attention to the concept of flexibility in organisations. Flexibility is seen as a means to improve a firms competitiveness by lowering labour costs. The 2 most important types of flexibility that will be considered within the rest of the project are numerical flexibility and functional flexibility. These two concepts are very important as numerical flexibility tries to make the firm able to cope with increases in work by changing the amount of labour quickly in response to changes in the market and on the other side, functional flexibility make it possible for employees to carry on different tasks and hence reducing company labour costs. Evidences in Europe proved that many companies are more flexible since the 1990s and are actually looking for more and more better ways to be flexible and efficient both in terms of costs and productivity.

Criticism of Goldsmith’s, She Stoops to Conquer Essay -- She Stoops Co

Criticism of Goldsmith’s, She Stoops to Conquer In reading T.G.A. Nelson's critical essay "Stooping to Conquer in Goldsmith, Haywood and Wycherley" I have to say I that I was pretty scared. Drawing Freud to anything can really be scary according to almost anyone though, certainly in early criticism of "She Stoops to Conquer." As Bernard Harris says, "we should not discount unconscious forces in any comedy", but then he immediately drops the subject saying that "Goldsmith's main interest lies elsewhere."(325) The main focus of Nelson's essay seemed to be on the difficulty that certain men seemed to find "in achieving a satisfactory sexual relationship with a woman resembling the mother. "(319) This essay will look at what Nelson has to say about this Freudian ideology and bring to light my comments on the subject. Nelson begins by looking into some of Freud's essays and applying them to the characteristics describing the "Restoration rake. "(320) One example is how there is compulsive repetition in his relationships. Passionate attachments are formed again and again creating a long line of lovers. The preference for married women is also there, where another man claim the right of possession of her and yet the rake prefers her to one who is "disengaged. " Taking Goldsmith's play, Nelson uses it as the clearest example of Freud's theory. In his play, the character Marlow is very forthright in his dealings with those in a lower station, but with women of quality he becomes shy. Evidently, women of low social standing fail to qualify as 'modest women' for him and this fits closely into "Freud's description of the sufferer of selective impotence. "(322) Reading further it's found that the reason Marlow is so shy with those of hi... ... such an approach to a comedy traditionally, if tacitly, regarded as bland, inoffensive, and largely devoid of sexual content."(326) I applaud Nelson for the work and research he put into his essay; and I'm not saying that just because a play is a comedy, it can't have underlying feelings of repression or other factors involved in its creation. It's just on general principal then, having read Goldsmith's play and enjoyed it for itself while noting possibilities for his commenting on social/class order or the differences between city and country life, that I set aside Nelson's criticism of the play and leave it as it stands, untouched by Freudian ideology. Works Cited Goldsrnith, Oliver. She Stoops to Conquer. Dover Publications, NY: 1991 Nelson, T.G.A. "Stooping to Conquer in Goldsmith. Haywood. and Wycherley." Essays in Criticism. Oxford University Press.

Adolescent Counseling and the Significant Aspects of Counseling Our Youth

Adolescence is a developmental stage that is broken down into three stages. During this time, adolescents have a difficult time trying to find who they are and who they want to become. This is a time that adolescents may need to turn to someone else for help and guidance. For this reason Adolescent Counselors are extremely important and it can be both tricky and rewarding. There are many different important aspects that pertain to Adolescent Christian Counseling such as Rapport, Trust, Respect, Warmth, Empathy and Genuineness. To provide the appropriate and effective counseling to adolescents these aspects must be taken seriously. There are many different ethical guidelines to follow when dealing with adolescent minors that can be complicated but must be followed. Biblical values and personal values must also be intertwined into adolescent Christian counseling. To ensure one is a Competent Christian counselor, tools given to the counselor should be taken seriously and used in an efficient manor. Adolescent Counseling and the Significant Aspects of Counseling Our Youth â€Å"Adolescence is the developmental stage that lies between childhood and adulthood† (Feldman, 2011, p. 350). The Encyclopedia of Family Health, (2011) divides adolescence into three phases: â€Å"(1) early (10-13 years, marked by rapid physical changes with the onset of puberty), (2) middle (14-16 years, marked by the rise in importance of peer group values), and (3) late (17-mid-20s, marked by years of college or work after high school, increased decision-making capacity, and transition from full family financial dependence to limited monetary support and a goal of economic independence)†. As you can see there are many transitions that adolescents make during this time, which may be difficult for them to face alone. During this time adolescents are also trying to find themselves and who they are. Feldman, (2011) states, â€Å"During adolescence, questions like â€Å"Who am I? And â€Å"Where do I belong in the world? † begin to take a front seat† (p. 382). At times these questions are too much for our youth to handle so they seek counseling as a way to get through the tough times and explore themselves. Adolescents handle their struggles in different ways and have different methods in coping. Clinton & Ohlschlager, (2003) believe there are three common ways adolescents deal with their struggles. â€Å"They (1) hold them in, (2) act them out, or (3) work them through†(p. 68). Counseling is particularly important with those adolescents that want to work through their problems. They are ready to take responsibility for what has happened or what they are going through in their lives and they want to move forward and work through the struggles. Having the ability to help these adolescents is why the topic of adolescents is extremely important in counseling. Adolescents find it difficult to open up to people because of the fear of being judged looked at differently or what they say going back to their parents. They need someone they can trust, from an appropriate bond with and open up to. ‘Bond’ describes the system of positive attachments between the client and therapist, including trust, acceptance and confidence† (Campbell & Simmonds, 2011, p. 196). The bond that a counselor has with a client can set the tone for what is to come and rather or not the adolescent will open up to them. Warmth, Genuineness, Empathy, Respect, Trust, and Rapport are among the other important aspects of counseling adolescents. To have the ability to effectively counsel adolescents a counselor must have the ability to understand the adolescent and where the feelings they are having are coming from. This does not necessarily mean the counselor must agree, they just have to understand and be willing to look at it from the adolescent’s perspective. â€Å" The most important instrument you have to help adolescents is you (Parrott, 1997). Who you are as a person is critical in determining the effectiveness of your counseling† (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2003, p. 571). Understanding the client is not the only thing that is important to counseling adolescents. There are many different legal issues and ethical concerns in relation to counseling our youth and they are determined by the state the counselor lives in. You must be aware of rather or not the state requires an adolescent to have parental consent, the age they can consent to treatment for themselves and what types of treatment they can consent to. You must be aware of whether or not you should speak to the minor about informed consent and to what extent confidentiality takes place (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011, p. 187). There are many ethical concerns when treating minors and they should all be taken into consideration to be able to effectively counsel the adolescent as well as ensuring the counselor is following guidelines. The counselor’s values need to be a part of the counseling relationship with adolescents as well. Being a Christian Counselor one must be â€Å"deeply committed, spirit guided, servant of Jesus Christ, that applies their God-given abilities, skills, training, knowledge and insight to helping others move to personal wholeness, interpersonal competence, mental stability and spiritual maturity† (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011, p. 44). With that being said, the values of the counselor and the adolescent will help point the counseling sessions in a direction that the counselor as well as the client agrees with. Fostering an alliance with children may be more difficult because children rarely refer themselves for treatment, can be reluctant to enter therapy, infrequently recognize the existence of problems or agree with adults on therapeutic goals (Campbell & Simmonds, 2011, p. 196) Being able to share values with them and believing in the same things can help the client be more open with you therefore allowing you to help them. Major Themes Warmth Accepting where your client is coming from is a very important aspect in counseling, especially when dealing with adolescents. The key to nonpossessive warmth is acceptance. It is an attitude that does not evaluate or require change; it simply accepts the thoughts, feelings and actions of the client† (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2003, p. 572). Adolescents want to be heard and to feel as if the people around them care and accept them for who they are. It is very important for counselors to make each client feel important and make sure they know th at they matter. When adolescents feel as if they matter and that they are important, they will open up to the counselor making it easier to work through problems and the search of who they are. Adolescents are always searching for who they are and when a person in an important role can accept the adolescent for who they are, the adolescent may begin to accept themselves. Genuineness Just as a counselor can tell if someone wants to be in counseling, an adolescent can tell if you want to help them or not. Counselors want to be honest with their clients, show that they care and make it known they care about the wellbeing of the client. Counseling is sometimes a long process, therefore you need the adolescents to stay connected to you and feel as if they are accomplishing the goals you have set in counseling. When topics in which a counselor does not agree with come up, or when a counselor feels as if progress is not being made, they need to be truthful with the adolescent. â€Å"When counselors are genuine with clients that means they are being real with their clients and informing them accurately about the helping process. Rogers believes that genuineness is one of the important factors required to help people grow. Counselors need to be real and honest with clients in order for clients to see how they need to change and start making the steps to do so. Counselors need to be willing to be open with their clients and not afraid to challenge them when appropriate† (Smith, 2013). Adolescents are on a constant search for who they are; helping them find who they are often requires counselors to challenge their thoughts and actions. Being honest and showing that the counselor genuinely cares about the adolescent will help the therapeutic process. Empathy A client wants their counselor to understand what they are going through and have been through in their life. Understanding what the client is feeling and letting the client know you understand is very important in adolescent counseling. Adolescents want to be heard and they want you to understand the feelings they have to try and make sense of them. â€Å"As a counselor acquires an empathic understanding of a client, this awareness may contribute to effectively formulating and executing a range of therapeutic interventions† (Clark, 2010, p. 353). It has been shown that Peer Counseling is often very effective and expressing empathy is one of the main reasons that peer counseling is so effective (Geldard & Patton, 2007, p. 42). If Counselors need to possess the ability to relate to the client’s issues, concerns and feelings the way their peers do the counseling will be effective. Being empathetic to the clients needs, will allow the client to feel more comfortable and open up. Respect Respect is something that every professional relationship must have. â€Å" According to Gerard Egan, respect is the foundational value of counseling. Without it, the counseling process is likely to fail. Respect is not just an attitude we have towards someone; it is also a way of talking and acting. Respect is shown to someone when we honor a person through word or deed just for who they are, and it involves honoring their rights too† (Smith, 2013). Every person has the right to have their own beliefs, counselors must have the ability to respond in a respectful manner to those who do not have the same beliefs or values in which the counselor has. Respecting an adolescents beliefs and values can help and adolescent from withdrawing emotionally from the counseling process. Trust Trust is an important factor in every relationship we have in life. â€Å"In counseling there are two foundational prerequisites to counseling children; 1) Understanding your clients developmental level and 2) Building rapport and establishing trust with your client†(Adams & Paxton, 2013, p. ). Trust will take a client a long way in counseling and it is important that counselors not break that trust. Therefore they must be open and honest when it comes to informed consent and what the counselor can and cannot keep confidential. Adolescents face a lot of different battles as they grow into young adults and they may be shy, emotional and uncomfortable sharing certain aspects of their life. â€Å"When adolescents feel that they can trust an adult or advocate, or health education teacher, they know that their feelings are being considered and understood† (Thompson, 2011, p. 18). Every counselor needs to form a therapeutic alliance with his or her client and trust contributes a great deal to the ability to develop that therapeutic alliance (Therapist Perspectives, p. 198). Rapport Rapport has been described as â€Å"the relative harmony and smoothness of relations between people† (Spencer-Oatey, 2005, p. 96). Building a rapport should be one of the first goals in adolescent counseling. The fact that most adolescents do not want to be in counseling and are forced to be there makes first impressions extremely important. Counselors should begin building a rapport and establishing trust with their clients right away. When clients feel comfortable with their counselor and can relate to them they will open up to them. With adolescents this may make them see that counseling could be good for them and could be a positive way of getting them to come back to counseling and continuing the process. Important Legal and Ethical Issues When working with adolescents there are many different ethical and legal dilemmas that come into play with the counseling process. It is extremely important for every counselor to become familiar with their states laws pertaining to minors. In most states minors must have informed consent from either the parent or legal guardian, if that consent is not given the counseling must be court ordered (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011, p. 187). The law requiring minors to have the consent of their parent or legal guardian makes it difficult for counselors to keep what is talked about in counseling confidential. Therefore it is extremely important that every counselor be open and honest with his or her client and have them sign informed consent forms, therefore you know they understand the boundaries of their relationship. Counselors also have the responsibility to ensure that the adolescent clients understand the therapy process, if a client does not understand how the process works; the counselor is legally obligated to explain it to them. The ACA, 2005 states â€Å"When counseling minor clients or adult clients who lack the capacity to give voluntary consent to release confidential information, counselors seek permission from an appropriate third party to disclose information. In such instances, counselors inform clients consistent with their level of understanding and take culturally appropriate measures to safe- guard client confidentiality. There are certain situations when working with minors that may not require a counselor to have the informed consent of the parent, nor do they have to release the confidential information. Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2011, p. 187 state â€Å"Informed consent of parents or guardians may not be legally required when a minor is seeking counseling for dangerous dru gs or narcotics, for sexually transmitted diseases, for pregnancy and birth control, or for an examination following alleged sexual assault of a minor over 12 years old†. For instance in Virginia, a minor has the right to seek counsel when deciding if they would like to have an abortion or give their child up for adoption without consent of a parent or legal guardian (Smith, 2013). Counselors also need to include the adolescents in the therapy process and explain the different goals of therapy to them. Therapy is a relationship between the client and the counselor, and rather or not the client wants to be their they still need to be an active part of the process for counseling to be effective. Counseling adolescents becomes a lot easier when the adolescent, the counselor and the parents and or guardian come to an understanding. Because counselors are legally obligated to share information with the parents if asked, adolescents often do not open up to the counselor in fear of their parents finding out information. Having an agreement between all parties in the beginning of counseling about what information will be given to the parents may help the adolescent open up. However there are situations in which it does not matter what agreements have been made. The counselor is legally obligated to inform the parents if the adolescent is planning to harm himself or herself or someone else. However there are also laws that go the other way, meaning that if a client is at risk of harm if information is relayed to the parents or guardian, then the proper authorities need to be informed and the parents or guardians do not need to be informed. Ethics and issues in counseling can be very difficult. It is up to the counselor to stay up to date with the Ethical Guidelines pertaining to their field as well as the ethical guidelines in their state. It is also important to document everything therefore if a parent or guardian comes and says that the counselor failed to give information pertaining to a minor the counselor is covered. Documentation includes having client’s notes, and informed consent forms signed by both the adolescent and the parent or legal guardian. The counselor knowing and understanding their boundaries are key to effectively counseling and following ethical guidelines. * Biblical Values The AACC Ethics Code has 7 foundations or biblical values that Christian Counselors should follow to be a successful Christian Counselor. The first Foundation is to ensure that each counselor follows ethical guidelines, Christian counseling practice and caregiving activities. The second Foundation states that Christian Counselors should maintain a positive and committed relationship with the church. The third foundation is to maintain a spirited route to encouraging those to mature and develop a relationship with Christ. The fourth foundation states that Jesus Christ should be their first love, and respect everyone they come across in their career. The fifth foundation is to believe in the bible and what the bible says. The sixth foundation is to follow the religious rights of people. The last foundation is to is to represent Christ, the church and honor their commitments and obligations in both social and professional settings. Christian Counselors have been given the gift to help people through their troubled times. When helping adolescent’s Christian counselors must remember that they are guiding the future of our world. Christian counselors must stay close to the bible and close to Jesus Christ, ensuring that adolescents know and understand his word. Adolescents spend their time looking for who they are and their place in this world. It is the job of the Christian counselor to ensure each adolescent knows what their future can hold for them as long as they believe in God and the plan he has. By following the Foundations of Christian Counseling in both counseling sessions and in their non-professional lives, it becomes easier for the counselor to guide individuals down the right path. Personal Reflections I believe that Christian Counselors are one of the most important people adolescents can come into contact with. I believe that rather the adolescent wants to be there in the counseling room or rather they are forced to be there, that progress can be made as long as the counselor tries their best. Adolescents are looking for themselves, they are trying to find who they are and who they want to become in life. They need guidance and they need unbiased guidance at that. If the counselor knows him or herself and knows the foundational values of their practice, I believe they have the ability to guide each and every adolescent in the right direction. Adolescents look for ways to grow and someone to look up to. In their times of need they need someone to talk to that will respect them and help them through their situations without judgment. This is why I believe that first a counselor must build a good rapport with their clients. They must then look to build their trust and respect. Adolescents are more willing to open up when they believe you respect them and are not judging the decisions they have made in their lives. I also believe that it is very important to empathize with what they have gone through in their lives and what they are facing. The old saying, â€Å"Do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes† comes into play with adolescent counseling. The counselor may not know or understand everything the adolescent has done, but to be able to empathize with them is the key. Adolescents face many different problems in the world today, rather it is the struggle of getting good grades in school, having to play sports and so forth to get scholar ships or dealing with the hardships of their parents divorcing and so forth. There are a lot of problems that adolescent’s face that they did not ask for. They are left with the burden of so much that sometimes they just need an unbiased, professional to talk to and guide them through. Having the ability to do what the adolescents need you to do. It is also important to follow the ethical guidelines can sometimes put the counselor however in a bad place. This is where I believe that being open and honest with both the adolescent and the parents are the best way to provide a trusting relationship with your client. When I become a counselor I plan to dedicate myself to helping individuals with their hardships want to have the ability to work with the adolescent groups and help them through the troubled times they have faced in their lives. I believe that if I can follow the path in which God has led me down to this point, I will be able to do so. I believe that through my education of learning how to respond to different situations in counseling, learning the different ethical concerns and what the ethical guidelines are though my schooling that I will also become a Competent Christian counselor. I plan to use every tool given to me because it is my dream to help the young adults in need and guide them to a better, more Christian tomorrow. Conclusion Counseling adolescents can be an extremely difficult and taxing job. However having the ability to do so can help so many young adults in their journey to develop. Knowing your client, having a good rapport with them, developing a positive trusting relationship and a bond that cannot be broken is key to helping these young adults. Adolescents need guidance and they sometimes do not know where to get the appropriate guidance they need. Devoting your time to helping these individuals is such a reward. In doing so a counselor must ensure they are following the appropriate guidelines when working with these clients. They must also make sure they are using their personal values and biblical values in a professional manor to help guide. They must also remember, the most important instrument in counseling is the counselor (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2003, p. 571). References Adams, L. G., & Paxton, M. (2013). Counseling children and youth in times of crisis: Tips to achieve success and avoid pitfalls. American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Retrieved from http://apps.americanbar.org/litigation/committees/childrights/docs/CounselingChildrenandYouth.pdf Adolescent Counseling. (2011). In Encyclopedia of Family Health. Retrieved from http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com/entry/sagefamhealth/adolescent_counseling American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). (2004). AACC code of ethics: The Y2004 final code. American Counseling Association (ACA). (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from American Counseling Association website: http://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Business Buying Center Essay

A.Describe the different roles in a business buying center. Then identify each member of the buying group in a medium-sized company that purchases components and assembles small household appliances. A business buying center is described as all persons involved in any aspect of a company’s buying activity (source: page 186, Contemporary Marketing). A business buying center is also known as a decision making unit or DMU and can be further defined as a group of employees, family members, or members of any type of organization responsible for finalizing major decisions, usually involving a purchase (source: Financial Times Lexicon: http://lexicon.ft.com/decision-making-unit). In a business setting, major purchases typically require input from various parts of the organization, including finance, accounting, purchasing, information technology management, and senior management. Highly technical purchases, such as information systems or production equipment, also require the expertise of technical specialists. In some cases the buying center is an informal ad hoc group, but in other cases, it is a formally sanctioned group with specific mandates, criteria, and procedures. The employees that constitute the buying center will vary depending on the item being purchased. There are typically five roles within any buying center. For purposes of this assignment, a buying center for a medium-sized company that purchases components and assembles small household appliances could be described as follows: 1.Influencers who try to affect the outcome decision with their opinions. An Influencer would also set specific buying specifications for the company. This group would guide evaluation as well. 2.Deciders who have the final decision. The Deciders also choose the good or service. They may need to involve another person with more formal authority 3.Buyers who are responsible for the contract. Buyers also secure the good or service. 4.Users of the item being purchased. Users are the people who will actually â€Å"use† the good or service. 5.Gatekeepers who control the flow of information that all buying center members will review. (Sources: http://books.google.com/books?id=wAMsaLJoykYC&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130 and source: page 186 and 187, Contemporary Marketing)