CRM and Sales Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CRM and Sales Management - Assignment Example Secondly, the changes in the business environment may require adjustments in the approaches to the application of the 4Ps, which would mean that it is not the overhaul of the marketing mix that forms the solution to the ever changing business environment, but the approach in its application. Lastly, the continued application of the marketing mix limits the development of further market controllable factors, which are more plausible to suit the current marketing environment. In the light of this, it becomes essential to distinguish what informs the current business environment, and creates the prospective of fulfilling the marketing need; consumer satisfaction (Belohlavek, 2008 p23). In arguing out this case, this discussion supports the proposition that the marketing mix is inadequate in the changing marketing environment, and thus needs revision to incorporate the presently developed, yet vital controllable factors that are influencing the survival and suitability of a commodity in the market. The marketing mix is composed of four business environmental components, namely price, product, place and promotion. These components can be controlled in order to enhance consumer satisfaction, through a product offering that meets customers’ expectation in terms of its affordability, ability to satisfy the existing consumer needs, accessibility of the product to the consumers and the efficient channels through which the consumer is made aware of the product (Bowman & Gatignon, p12). The traditional proposition is that, if the product fulfills all the four aspects mentioned above, then it was suitably placed in the market, and thus would survive the tides of ever changing business environment. However, it has become apparent that the marketing mix is no longer sufficient to enable a product or any brand overcome the waves of the ever-changing business environment, since the customers’ needs, preferences and priorities are also constantly changing (Prenzel, 2010 p56). According to Professor Koichi Shimizu's 7Cs Compass Model, the concept of place is no longer the most relevant aspect of modern day marketing, but rather convenience (Luudicke, 2006 p72). As opposed to ensuring that the supply chain is most appropriate to connect the producer and the consumer, the emphasis is now making the purchasing experience for the consumers more convenient. For example, Amazon.com is one of the organizations that deal in offering its products over the internet, which has placed more emphasis on convenience than on place (Wenderoth, 2009 p87). This is because, such an organization does not rely on a physical distribution channel, but on the internet, which requires complete customer understanding, before a purchase is made from their site. While it would be most beneficial for the organizations offering physical tangible products to improve the supply and distribution chain, it would be more beneficial for the online organizations offering their pro duct over the internet to improve convenience and the purchasing experience of the customers (Burgers, 2008 p11). Therefore, while the distribution channels formed the basis of place as the component of the traditional marketing mix, convenience informs the basis of the digital and online marketing organizations. Therefore, there is a need to include convenience among the component of the marketing mix, to cater for the current growth in digital

Social Worker Burnout Studied

Social Worker Burnout Studied Social Worker Burnout Studied(Fall 2003) AUTHOR-ABSTRACT:For the past 30 years, researchers and practitioners have been concerned about the impact of work stress experienced by social workers. Although research on burnout has been a useful field of exploration, a new concern has arisen about work stresses specifically associated with work with victims of trauma. The concept of vicarious trauma provides insights into the stresses of this particular kind of work. Like the burnout research, early research on vicarious trauma has identified both personal and organizational correlates. In this article, the authors review the growing literature on the organizational components of vicarious trauma and suggest changes in organizational culture, workload, group support, supervision, self-care, education, and work environment that may help prevent vicarious trauma in staff. BODY: WHETHER SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY or providing services to individuals, families, and communities, social workers are fully engaged with todays social problems. This difficult work can take an emotional and psychological toll on the worker (Davies, 1998; Gibson, McGrath, Reid, 1989). This stress comes not only from responding to people in pain and crisis; characteristics of the organization also contribute to the stress (Sze Ivker, 1986). This occupational stress has been examined primarily in terms of burnout (Maslach, 1993), but recent research in the field of trauma has identified stresses unique to that work. These stresses have been conceptualized as vicarious trauma (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b). To date, most research has focused on the individual characteristics thought to contribute to vicarious trauma. There has been less focus on the organizational structures that may contribute. In this article, we draw on the research on organizational correlates of burnout as a background for examining the research on vicarious trauma and then outline various organizational strategies suggested by practitioners working with trauma survivors to prevent vicarious trauma. This discussion is informed by a qualitative study of counselors working with victims of domestic violence (Bell, 1998, 1999) that suggested the importance of the work environment, among other issues, in the development of vicarious trauma. Quotations by counselors from that study will be used to illustrate the discussion. Organizational Correlates of Burnout Maslach (1993) described burnout as having three dimensions: (a) emotional exhaustion; (b) depersonalization, defined as a negative attitude towards clients, a personal detachment, or loss of ideals; and (c) reduced personal accomplishment and commitment to the profession. Burnout has been conceptualized as a process rather than a condition or state, and some have theorized that it progresses sequentially through each of these dimensions (Maslach, 1993). Maslach and others have examined the individual, interpersonal, and organizational characteristics that contribute to burnout. Of particular interest to this discussion is the finding that organizations can either promote job satisfaction or contribute to burnout (Soderfeldt, Soderfeldt, Warg, 1995). Unsupportive administration, lack of professional challenge, low salaries, and difficulties encountered in providing client services are predictive of higher burnout rates (Arches, 1991; Beck, 1987; Himle, Jayaratne, Thyness, 1986). In dividual staff members suffer, and the resulting loss of experienced staff can diminish the quality of client services (Arches, 1991). This research has helped identify organizational supports that could be effective in buffering or mediating burnout and point to workplace characteristics that may also prevent vicarious trauma. Vicarious Trauma Recently, the occupational stress of social workers working with trauma survivors has begun to receive attention (Cunningham, 1999; Dalton, 2001; Regehr Cadell, 1999). Some authors are beginning to suggest that trauma theory has important utility in understanding the burnout experience of social workers working in child protection and with HIV-infected populations (Horwitz, 1998; Wade, Beckerman, Stein, 1996). Many theorists have speculated that the emotional impact of this type of traumatic material is contagious and can be transmitted through the process of empathy (Figley, 1995; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a; Stamm, 1995), as in this example from an experienced social worker talking about counseling women in a family service agency: Some times after a session, I will be traumatized.I will feel over whelmed, and I can remember a particular situation with a sexually abused person where II just didnt want to hear any more of her stories about what actually happened.She seemed to want to continue to tell me those over and over and I remember just feeling almost contaminated,like,you know,like I was abused. You know? And so I set limits withher a fter some super vision about that but tracked her in a different way.It hink it has an impact. Im just not sure of what(a squoted in Bell,1998) In the past 10 years, the emotional impact of working with trauma survivors has been examined under several constructs: compassion fatigue (Figley, 1995), secondary traumatic stress (Figley, 1993; Stamm, 1995), and vicarious trauma (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b). These constructs have been compared and debated (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a; Stamm, 1995), and a full discussion of them is outside the scope o f this article. The majority of the empirical studies in this area have used the vicarious trauma construct. For this reason, the term vicarious trauma will generally be used throughout this article unless another term has been used specifically in the research cited. Vicarious trauma has been defined as the transformation that occurs in the inner experience of the therapist [or worker] that comes about as a result of empathic engagement with clients trauma material (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, p. 31). Vicarious trauma can result in physiological symptoms that resemble posttraumatic stress reactions, which may manifest themselves either in the form of intrusive symptoms, such as flashbacks, night-mares, and obsessive thoughts, or in the form of constrictive symptoms, such as numbing and disassociation (Beaton Murphy, 1995). It may also result in disruptions to important beliefs, called cognitive schemas, that individuals hold about themselves, other people, and the world (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b), as in the following example from a young worker in a battered womens shelter: I think you see the worst of people, working herethe worst of what people do to each other. And I think when you do nt have proper resource stop rocess that,to work through it, to underst and it or put it in some kind of context, it just leaves you feeling a little baffle dabout whats going on out there, and the way things work in the world and your role in all of that.(asquotedin Bell,1999,p.175) Although some of the numbing symptoms of vicarious trauma bear some resemblance to burnout and may in fact result in burnout over time, research on therapists has also begun to establish vicarious trauma as a distinct concept from burnout (Figley, 1995; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a). Unlike the construct of burnout, the construct of vicarious trauma was developed from and is clinically grounded in trauma theory, specifically constructivist self-development theory (McCann Pearlman, 1990b). In several studies, burnout and general stress levels were not related to exposure to traumatized client s, whereas measures of trauma exposure and vicarious trauma were related (Kassam-Adams, 1995; Schauben Frazier, 1995). Thus, burnout alone does not appear to capture the effects of trauma as an occupational stressor. Although vicarious trauma may present with elements of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, it also has effects that are unique and specific to trauma work. Many professionals risk vicarious trauma through their contact with traumatized people or material that contains graphic images of trauma. Studies have indicated that approximately 38% of social workers experience moderate to high levels of secondary traumatic stress (Cornille Meyers, 1999; Dalton, 2001). In addition, emergency workers (Leseca, 1996; McCammon, Durham, Allison, Williamson, 1988; Wagner, Heinrichs, Ehlert, 1998), nurses (Joinson, 1992), police officers (Follette, Polusny, Milbeck, 1994), sexual assault counselors (Johnson Hunter, 1997; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Schauben Frazier, 1995), child protective service workers (Cornille Meyers, 1999), and trauma therapists (Chrestman, 1995; Follette et al., 1994; Kassam-Adams, 1995; Pearlman Mac Ian,1995) have all been documented as developing symptomology quite similar to acute and posttraumatic stress reactions as a result of their second-hand exposure to traumatic material. Recent studies of trauma therapists have begun to explore some of the factors involved in the development of vicarious trauma. Therapist exposure to traumatic client material has been found to be an important predictor for symptoms of traumatic stress and, in some cases, of disrupted beliefs about self and others. In a survey of 148 counselors, Schauben and Frazier (1995) found that those who worked with a higher percentage of sexual violence survivors reported more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and greater disruptions in their beliefs about themselves and others than did counselors seeing fewer survivors. The researchers tied these symptoms of trauma counselors to a number of factors. Most commonly, counselors said that hearing the trauma story and experiencing the pain of survivors was emotionally draining. Second, many counselors felt that the counseling process was more difficult when working with trauma survivors, who tended to have more problems trusting and working in a therapeutic relationship than clients who were not traumatized. Finally, some counselors found the work more difficult because of the institutional barriers within the legal, and mental health systems that their clients were forced to navigate. Similar findings emerged when researchers compared the stress level of sexual assault counselors with that of counselors who worked with a more general client population (Johnson Hunter, 1997). Not only did sexual assault counselors show greater evidence of stress, but their work stress also contributed to personal relationship difficulties at home. The impact of the therapists own history of abuse on current report of vicarious trauma are unclear. Pearlman and MacIan (1995) reported significantly more vicarious trauma symptoms in 60% of the therapists they surveyed who reported a personal history of trauma. However, Schauben and Frazier (1995) found that counselors with a history of victimization were not more distressed by working with survivors than were counselors without such a history. Pearlman and Mac Ian found that therapists without a trauma history were more likely to report intrusive imagery than those with a history. Follette et al. (1994) found that mental health professionals with a significant history of childhood physical or sexual abuse did not experience significantly more negative responses to child sexual abuse survivor clients than those without such a history. They also reported significantly more positive coping strategies. However, the comparison group of law enforcement personnel with childhood abuse his tories who also worked with sexual abuse survivors showed significantly more distress than the mental health professionals. The researchers hypothesized that the use of personal therapy by 59.1% of the mental health professionals versus 15.6% of the law enforcement professionals may have accounted for the difference. Increased time spent with traumatized clients seems to increase the risk of stress reactions in mental health professionals (Chrestman, 1995; Pearlman Mac Ian, 1995). Furthermore, spending time in other work activities decreases the risk. Having a more diverse caseload with a greater variety of client problems and participating in research, education, and outreach also appear to mediate the effects of traumatic exposure. Age and experience are inversely correlated with the development of vicarious trauma. Younger and less experienced counselors exhibit the highest levels of distress (Arvay Uhlemann, 1996; Pearlman Mac Ian, 1995). They may have had less opportunity to integrate traumatic stories and experiences into their belief systems, as well as to develop effective coping strategies for dealing with the effects of vicarious trauma than have older and more experienced therapists (Neumann Gamble, 1995). Such was the case of this experienced counselor who worked with battered women in the court system: It hink for somebody who doesnt do this type of work it would be extreme lystressful, but after twelve years, Ive justIve handled so many cases and dealt with so many people, I know my limitation sand the courts limitations and I just dont get as worked up about each case as I used to.(as quoted in Bell, 1999,p.117) vicarious trauma can be considered a type of occupational hazard in settings where there are high levels of traumatized clients. As a result, organizations providing services to trauma victims have a practical and ethical responsibility to address this risk. Implications for Agency Administrative Response The primary focus of discussion about the prevention of vicarious trauma has been on the individual (for a good summary, see Yassen, 1995). However, as with burnout, the organizational context of trauma work has been discussed as a factor in the development of secondary trauma. Several authors have written about their own experiences in agencies that serve traumatized individuals. They have suggested both prevention and intervention strategies in the areas of organizational culture, workload, work environment, education, group support, supervision, and resources for self-care. Each of these will be discussed in turn below. Organizational Culture The values and culture of an organization set the expectations about the work. When the work includes contact with trauma, they also set the expectations about how workers will experience trauma and deal with it, both professionally and personally. Of primary concern is that organizations that serve trauma survivors, whether rape crisis centers, shelters for battered women, or programs that work with veterans, acknowledge the impact of trauma on the individual worker and the organization. As Rosenbloom, Pratt, and Pearlman (1995) wrote of their work at the Traumatic Stress Institute, We work together to develop an atmosphere in which it is considered inevitable to be affected by the work (p. 77). It is not uncommon for feelings and reactions generated by trauma to leave the social worker feeling ineffective, unskilled, and even powerless. An organizational culture that normalizes the effect of working with trauma survivors can provide a supportive environment for social workers to ad dress those effects in their own work and lives. It also gives permission for social workers to take care of themselves. Yassen (1995) provided an example of a potentially harmful norm that can frustrate workers attempts at self-care: In some settings, it may be assumed that if employees do not work overtime, they are not committed to their work, or that clinicians who do not take vacations are more committed to their work than are others (p. 201). A supportive organization is one that not only allows for vacations, but also creates opportunities for social workers to vary their caseload and work activities, take time off for illness, participate in continuing education, and make time for other self-care activities. Small agencies might signal their commitment to staff by making staff self-care a part of the mission statement, understanding that ultimately it does affect client care. Administrators might also monitor staff vacation time and encourage staff with too much accrued time to take time off. Self-care issues could be addressed in staff meetings, and opportunities for continuing education could be circulated to staff. In social work agencies, which typically operate with inadequate resources and relentless service demands, such commitments, regardless of how small, are not inconsequential. Workload Research has shown that having a more diverse caseload is associated with decreased vicarious trauma (Chrestman, 1995). Such diversity can help the social worker keep the traumatic material in perspective and prevent the formation of a traumatic worldview (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a). Agencies could develop intake procedures that attempt to distribute clients among staff in a way that pays attention to the risk of vicarious trauma certain clients might present to workers. When possible, trauma cases should be distributed among a number of social workers who possess the necessary skills (Dutton Rubinstein, 1995; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Wade et al., 1996). In addition, social workers whose primary job is to provide direct services to traumatized people may benefit from opportunities to participate in social change activities (Regehr Cadell, 1999). Agencies that do not already provide such services might consider providing community education and outreach or working to influence policy. Such activities can provide a sense of hope and empowerment that can be energizing and can neutralize some of the negative effects of trauma work. Organizations can also maintain an attitude of respect (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b, p. 170) for both clients and workers by acknowledging that work with trauma survivors often involves multiple, long-term services. Organizations that are proactive in developing or linking clients with adjunct servicessuch as self-help groups, experienced medical professionals for medication, in- and out-patient hospitalization, and resources for paying for these serviceswill support not only clients, but also decrease the workload of their staff (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). Developing collaborations between agencies that work with traumatized clients can provide material support and prevent a sense of isolation and frustration at having to go it alone. Work Environment A safe, comfortable, and private work environment is crucial for those social workers in settings that may expose them to violence (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b; Yassen, 1995). Some work sites, such as shelters or agencies located in high-crime neighborhoods, are so dangerous that workers may actually experience primary trauma, rather than vicarious trauma. In a sample of 210 licensed social workers, Dalton (2001) found that 57.6% had been threatened by a client or member of a clients family, and 16.6% had been physically or sexually assaulted by a client or member of the clients family. Being threatened by a client or a member of a clients family was strongly correlated with compassion fatigue. Although it is more of a challenge in certain settings, protecting workers safety should be the primary concern of agency administration. Paying for security systems or security guards may be a necessary cost of doing business for some agencies that provide services to traumatized individuals. Failing that, agencies may consider developing a buddy system for coworkers so that if one worker is threatened by a client, another can summon the police. In addition to attention to basic safety, Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995b) have suggested that workers need to have personally meaningful items in their workplace. These can include pictures of their children or of places they have visited, scenes of nature or quotes that help them remember who they are and why they do this work. One hotline worker described her use of such an item: When itsare alintense call, I kind of hunch over the phone and kind of like focus here on my[computer screen]and I some times try to consciously tell my self to sit back and look at one of my pictures that I have up to remind me of happier times.(asquotedin Bell,1998) Agency administrators can encourage staff to make these small investments in their work environment. By placing inspiring posters or pictures of scenic environments (rather than agency rules and regulations) in the waiting rooms, staff meeting rooms, and break rooms, the organization can model the importance of the personal in the professional. In addition, workers also need places for rest at the job site, such as a break room that is separate from clients (Yassen, 1995). With a space such as this, the organization could address the self-care needs of staff by providing a coffee maker, soft music, and comfortable furniture. Education Trauma-specific education also diminishes the potential of vicarious trauma. Information can help individuals to name their experience and provide a framework for understanding and responding to it. Training settings, such as schools of social work, have a responsibility to provide this information to field interns entering placements where they will encounter trauma (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). Dalton (2001) found that social workers with masters degrees had lower levels of secondary traumatic stress compared with those with baccalaureate degrees. This difference suggests that the type of clinical training available in masters programs, such as information about client empowerment, self-care, and recognizing destructive behaviors, may be a missing but important part of training social workers in baccalaureate programs to prevent secondary stress and vicarious trauma. Efforts to educate staff about vicarious trauma can begin in the job interview (Urquiza, Wyatt, Goodlin-Jones, 1997). Agencies have a duty to warn applicants of the potential risks of trauma work and to assess new workers resilience (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). New employees can be educated about the risks and effects associated with trauma, as new and inexperienced workers are likely to experience the most impact (Chrestman, 1995; Neumann Gamble, 1995). Ongoing education about trauma theory and the effects of vicarious trauma can be included in staff training (Regehr Cadell, 1999; Urquiza et al., 1997) and discussed on an ongoing basis as part of staff meetings. Agencies can take advantage of the flourishing number of workshops on vicarious trauma at professional conferences in social work and other disciplines by sending a staff member for training and asking that worker to share what he or she has learned with the rest of the staff. This information provides a useful context a nd helps social workers to feel more competent and have more realistic expectations about what they can accomplish in their professional role. Preparation for a stressful event, when possible, protects individuals from the effect of stress (Chemtob et al., 1990). Learning new ways to address clients trauma may also help prevent vicarious trauma. Theories, such as constructivist self-development theory (McCann Pearlman, 1990a) on which the theory of vicarious trauma is based, maintain a dual focus between past traumas and the clients current strengths and resources. Working from a theoretical framework that acknowledges and enhances client strengths and focuses on solutions in the present can feel empowering for client and worker and reduce the risk of vicarious trauma. Group Support Both the burnout literature and the writings about vicarious trauma emphasize the importance of social support within the organization (Catherall, 1995; Munroe et al., 1995; Rosenbloom et al., 1995). Staff opportunities to debrief informally and process traumatic material with supervisors and peers are helpful (Horwitz, 1998; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Urquiza et al., 1997). Critical incident stress debriefing (Mitchell, 1983, as cited in Wollman, 1993) is a more formalized method for processing specific traumatic events but may be less helpful in managing repetitive or chronic traumatic material (Horwitz, 1998). Support can also take the form of coworkers help with paperwork or emergency backup. Time for social interaction between coworkers, such as celebrating birthdays or other events as well as organized team-building activities and staff retreats, can increase workers feeling of group cohesion and mutual support. Peer support groups may help because peers can often clarify colleagues insights, listen for and correct cognitive distortions, offer perspective/reframing, and relate to the emotional state of the social worker (Catherall, 1995). Group support can take a variety of forms, such as consultation, treatment teams, case conferences, or clinical seminars, and can be either peer led or professionally led. For example, shelter workers interviewed by Bell (1999) started a reading group and together read and discussed Pearlman and Saakvitnes (1995a) book, Trauma and the Therapist: Countertransference and Vicarious Traumatization in Psychotherapy With Incest Survivors. The group met after work on a regular basis. Group members learned about vicarious trauma and ways to deal with it in their own work and lives. The group cost the agency nothing, did not interfere with work, and provided an opportunity for workers to give each other much-needed support. Regardless of the form group support takes , Munroe et al. (1995) warned that it should be considered an adjunct to, not a substitute for, self-care or clinical supervision. There are some potential pitfalls of group support. One is the tendency toward groupthink and conformity (Munroe et al., 1995). Another is that members hearing about a coworkers distress may use distancing and victim-blaming as a defense mechanism. Peer groups and treatment teams also offer the opportunity for traumatic reenactments, such as splitting the group members into the roles of exploiter and exploited, that are so common in working with trauma survivors (Munroe et al., 1995). When groups are held within agencies, there is also the potential problem generated by conflicting roles in the group, such as a supervisor who is both supporter and evaluator or a coworker/supervisor who is also a friend. Finally, group members may be more rather than less traumatized by the necessity of hearing each others worst horror stories. Guzzino and Taxis (1995) have suggested a number of ways for members of such groups to talk about their experiences without further traumatizing group members through the use of psychodrama and art therapy. To further minimize the potential for problems in support groups, Catherall (1995) has suggested that group members discuss such a possibility before it happens and normalize the experience of vicarious trauma and its impact on the individual and the group. Supervision Effective supervision is an essential component of the prevention and healing of vicarious trauma. Responsible supervision creates a relationship in which the social worker feels safe in expressing fears, concerns, and inadequacies (Welfel, 1998). Organizations with a weekly group supervision format establish a venue in which traumatic material and the subsequent personal effect may be processed and normalized as part of the work of the organization. As one hotline worker said of the value of supervisory support in response to a stressful call: Its kind of like you have this big sack of rocks and every time you kind of tell someone about it you can, you know, give them a couple of your rocks and your sack gets lighter (as quoted in Bell, 1998). In addition to providing emotional support, supervisors can also teach staff about vicarious trauma in a way that is supportive, respectful, and sensitive to its effects (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Rosenbloom et al., 1995; Urquiza et al., 1997). If at all possible, supervision and evaluation should be separate functions in an organization because a concern about evaluation might make a worker reluctant to bring up issues in his or her work with clients that might be signals of vicarious trauma. Dalton (2001) found that 9% of the variance in her study of social workers and secondary traumatic stress was related to supervision. Her results indicated that the number of times a worker received nonevaluative supervision and the number of hours of nonevaluative supervision were positively related to low levels of secondary traumatic stress. In situations where supervisors cannot separate the supervisory and evaluative functions, agency administrators might consider c ontracting with an outside consultant for trauma-specific supervision on either an individual or group basis. The cost of such preventive consultation might be well worth the cost savings that would result from decreased employee turnover or ineffectiveness as a result of vicarious trauma. Resources for Self-Care Agencies can make counseling resources available for all staff that interact with traumatic material (Regehr Cadell, 1999; Wade et al., 1996). If there are many employees encountering the same type of trauma in the agency or within the larger community, agencies may consider the feasibility of forming a peer support group, as discussed earlier. Workers also need health insurance that provides mental health coverage (Rosenbloom et al., 1995). Following is a quote from one young shelter worker who was seeing a therapist to deal with some of the challenges of her work: Its nice to be able to talk to an other professional person, It hink, who underst and salot of the crazy things that can happen working in as helter. It hink when you try to talk with your friends about it or family, they are horrified at some of the stories that you comeup with, so it help stoget feed back from an other professional who says, Oh,I know what youretalking about. Ive been there, and yes, that is very horrible.And mainly just to vent, just to be able to speak about it. To get it out, so it doesnt disrupt my life in other ways;in my sleep patterns or things like that.(asquotedin Bell,1998) Wade et al. (1996) also recommended that in addition to providing resources for therapy, organizations should provide opportunities for structured stress management and physical activities. Organizations with limited resources might consider exchanging training on areas of expertise with other agencies that have experts in stress management. Again, sending one staff member to a confere nce or workshop to learn stress management techniques and then asking that person to present what he or she learned to coworkers is a cost-effective way to circulate this information throughout an organization. Organizing something as simple as a walking or meditation group during the lunch hour or after work might also contribute to staff wellness at no cost. In summary, the physical and cultural environment of work may prevent or predispose social workers to vicarious trauma. Additional research is needed to understand how and to what degree social workers may be affected by the trauma they come into contact with in the workplace and which workplace variables are most salient. Furthermore, how vicarious trauma impacts the social workers relationship with clients is another fruitful area for study. Research that helps to clarify the relationship between vicarious trauma and burnout would also be useful in providing a clearer theoretical framework from which to make agency decisions. Conclusion Working with clients who have experienced traumatic events challenges many of the beliefs held in the dominant culture about justice and human cruelty. Being personally exposed to these realities can take a toll on social workers emotional resources and may effect their perceptions and worldviews in fundamental ways. Personal knowledge of oppre

The Context and Contents of Priscianus of Lydias Solutionum ad Chosroem :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

The Context and Contents of Priscianus of Lydia's Solutionum ad Chosroem ABSTRACT: Priscianus of Lydia’s Solutionum ad Chosroem is a series of answers to questions asked at a philosophical debate held at the Sasanian court c. 530 CE. Priscianus of Lydia was one of seven non-Christian philosophers from the Byzantine Empire who journeyed to the Sasanian Empire to take part in the debate. Long overlooked in the history of philosophy, Priscianus of Lydia’s text represents a branch of Neoplatonism that survived for centuries uninfluenced by the official Christianization of the Roman Empire. Priscianus of Lydia was one of the last remaining representatives of non-Christian Neoplatonism in Late Antiquity. Solutionum ad Chosroem provides a record of the world of Neoplatonism shortly before it disappeared under a tide of officially Christian philosophy and theology. I discusses the context of Priscianus’ work and its relation to activities in the Byzantine Empire, such as Emperor Justinian’s suppression of paganism and the closing of th e Academy in Athens in 529 CE. I also discuss the specific contents of the Solutionum ad Chosroem, including questions on first principles, generation, natural history, and the relationship between the soul and the body. The Neoplatonic philosopher Priscianus of Lydia would have had an unremarkable career had he not been mentioned by the early Byzantine historian Agathias as one of seven Hellenic (non-Christian) philosophers who journeyed to the Sasanian court at Seleucia-Ctesiphon early in the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian (527-565).(1) These philosophers felt compelled to leave the Byzantine Empire because "they did not share the view of God prevailing among the Romans and thought that the Persian state was far better."(2) Although the Hellenic philosophers decided to return to Byzantine territory after a relatively brief sojourn at the Sasanian court, the philosophers did participate in at least one debate on philosophical questions attended by the shah himself and some higher ranking members of the Zoroastrian clergy. Priscianus of Lydia's contribution to this debate, Solutionum ad Chosroem, has survived in an edition edited by Ingram Bywater in 1886 and now difficult of access.(3) Bef ore considering the specific contents of Priscianus' surviving work, an examination of the historical context in which the work was written is necessary. The Context of Priscianus of Lydia's Solutionum ad Chosroem Agathias states that Priscianus and the other Hellenic philosophers travelled to the Sasanian Empire partly for religious reasons. Being pagans in an increasingly officially Christian empire had rendered their teaching positions more and more vulnerable.

Corruption in Bolt’s ‘Man for All Seasons’

Most of us, politically, mentally, morally, socially, live somewhere between the negative pole of Robert Bolt’s â€Å"terrifying cosmos [where] †¦no laws, no sanctions, no mores obtain† (xvi), the nadir of the human spirit and self, and the positive pole he finds in Thomas More, who makes, not only in oaths but in all his dealings, â€Å"an identity between the truth †¦ and his own virtue,† and â€Å"offers himself as a guarantee† (xiii-xiv) – a self which proves incorruptible by either promise or punishment. Near to More’s level of righteousness are his wife and daughter, though he feels the need to protect them from perjuring themselves, a corruption stemming from one of the hardest temptations, protecting their family from harm. Rich and Cromwell are nearer to the lower pole in the play, the former making the complete arc from innocence to its opposite, and the latter starting from a place of moral bankruptcy and guiding Rich there with him. In between is the political corruption of King Henry who won’t let â€Å"all the Popes back to St. Peter [get] between me and my duty† (54), and of Woolsey’s appeal to More along patriotic and anti-war lines. With the exception of More, and those who anchor themselves to him like his family and Will Roper, they are all, like the Boatman’s wife, â€Å"losing [their] shape, sir. Losing it fast† (28). Richard Rich is the play’s most developed exemplar of the gradual, and gradually accelerating, course t hat leads, through corrupt action, to corruption’s end-point: a shell without a self. As the Common Man, in the guise of Matthew, correctly predicts, Rich â€Å"come[s] to nothing† (17), despite his final worldly status, symbolized by his rich robes which, as that same Man says elsewhere of all clothing, say nothing about the man inside them, â€Å"barely cover[ing] one man’s nakedness† (3). Oliver Cromwell, a disciple of Machiavelli, and unashamedly corrupt, is Rich’s teacher and exhorter along that road. Rich is bullied into telling Cromwell information that might harm Thomas More, a betrayal. Cromwell uses this sin as a teaching opportunity – the more you give in to corruption (and therefore the less of you there is left to struggle against it), the easier it becomes: CROMWELL There, that wasn’t too painful, was it? RICH (laughing a little and a little rueful) No! CROMWELL That’s all there is, and you’ll find it easier next time. (76) Richard Rich sums up the teachings of Machiavelli, embodied in Cromwell, as quintessentially empty (though Rich is too fearful for his worldly status to be afraid of the legitimately fearful consequence of following those teachings): â€Å"properly apprehended, [Macchiavelli] has no doctrine. Master Cromwell has the sense of it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (13). In following Cromwell into philosophical corruption, Rich will reap the rewards of such pragmatism. More, at the apex of Rich’s ascent to influence and wealth (he’s been named Attorney General for Wales as a reward for perjury), reminds Rich that â€Å"it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world† (158). That word, â€Å"nothing,† both represents that he doesn’t gain anything worth having, and that he will, in consequence, add to the absence of his being – what he will gain is nothingness. The reasons Rich and Cromwell are tempted are simple in that they (the reasons) are particular to self-profit (More, and perhaps Bolt through More, would find that an ironic term): personal wealth, influence and power, and escape from suffering. Cardinal Woolsey tempts More with a form of corruption less black-and-white: not merely Cromwell’s short-sited â€Å"administrative convenience† (73), but a seemingly moral and patriotic act: possibly preventing a war of succession like the War of the Roses had been. â€Å"Oh your conscience is your own affair,† the Cardinal tells More, â€Å"but you’re a statesman! Do you remember the Yorkist wars? All right [my solution to this problem is, in that it isn’t perfectly moral,] regrettable, but necessary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (22). It is a dilemma: whether the good of a country (or the prevention of an evil to a country) somehow outweighs the evil of achieving that end by corrupt means. More’s â€Å"horrible moral squint† (19), as Woolsey calls it, sees through the Cardinal’s assumption that such corruption, simply because it has a good in sight for that greater self that is one’s homeland, won’t open the door to further corruption, as a precedent that many (as it affects many) will follow, that will in fact â€Å"lead their country by a short route to chaos† (22). The form of corruption with which Thomas More will have to grapple most desperately, and from which he will protect his family most carefully, is the temptation to act against conscience, not for personal gain, or for the sake of an abstract like ‘the common good,’ but for loved ones. More knows that temptation, in this case to perjure themselves for his own sake, might topple even the upright Alice and Margaret. For that eason, despite the anger and suffering his wife and daughter evidence at being kept in the dark, he never once opens his mind to them about those issues (the real reason behind his resignation, which lands them in poverty, and imprisonment over taking an oath, which deprives them of father and husband, and puts them in danger) – a relief he must have craved were they the picture of understanding. However, though they are not – he tell’s Margaret â€Å"the King’s more merciful than you; he doesn’t use the rack† ( 142) – he holds firm. This he also does for himself, never taking the oath and perjuring himself to God (as, he says, â€Å"what is an oath then, but words we say to God† (140)), though he knows his family will suffer his ultimate loss. For that reason, though, he can go to his death with a special tranquility, telling the headsman â€Å"you send me to God †¦ He will not refuse one who is so blithe to go to him† (160). We are left, then, with so many who died long ago, and the tale that history, and this play, tells of them. Richard Rich loses himself to corruption for purely personal gain, and while he lives with outward wealth, he is inwardly rotten, and ends in obscurity. Cardinal Woolsey, who ruthlessly pursues personal power and uses the same tactics in pursuit of patriotic goals, is remembered as an influencer of the policies of Europe, but, in the play, paves the way for greater evil, though he tries to stave it off by electing More Lord Chancellor. That evil is personified in Cromwell, a man with no morals, patriotic or otherwise. That â€Å"short route to chaos† More warns of shows up as well in the escalation of the scale of resistance Henry levels against the Church, eventually destroying most of the monasteries in England, and sparking a bloodily put down revolution. More, meanwhile, is an inspiration not only for his family, but has inspired conscience and nobility of spirit for almost five hundred years since his death, which is its own kind of immortality.

Effects of Globalisation on Economic Growth Essay

Discuss the effects of globalisation on economic growth and the quality of life in the Chinese economy. Globalisation is the progression towards a growing assimilation between different countries in order to gain a single world market. It strongly encourages overseas trade, the removal or the reduction of trade barriers to increase economic growth and development. Globalisation ultimately presents to everyone a world which is increasingly liberalized and market-orientated. Associated with globalisation there is increased and intensified competition and greater interdependence among countries. In numerous ways China has taken this opportunity and used it to its full advantage which has enhanced economic growth and significantly improved the quality of life. China’s influence in the world economy was minimal until the late 1980’s but we are now seeing China being one of the most independent countries and leading the manufacturing producing market. China started with a fragile economy with minimal infrastructure from frequent revolutions and invasions in 1949. In the early 1980’s, China’s economy was still extremely weak as a result of its inward looking government system of a socialist planned economy under the Mao government. This resulted in living standards below world averages and economic growth at nearly zero. China has risen from the edge of economic obscurity to lead the world in terms of economic growth, and this is done is just over a quarter of a decade. The People’s Republic of China has transformed from a planned economy into a socialist market economy and is now the world’s second largest economy to the USA being number one, by nominal GDP at $7.3 trillion and by purchasing power parity (PPP). â€Å"Pay attention to what’s going on in China. â€Å" – Jeff Mbanga – The Observer. China is the world’s most rapidly growing economy with their growth rates averaging 10% in the past 30 years. In the past decades there has been a significant increase in international trading and investments flows due to globalisation. This has led to high levels of economic growth. It was unusual in the 2007-08 Global Financial crisis how an industry was maintaining an average economic growth rate of 8.5% per year. In addition to  this China’s trade with other nations has expanded 16 times more. This is occurring due to their extremely low prices which are highly competitive and pleasing to the developed western world. Although with the recent European Sovereign debt crisis â€Å"Growth in China has slowed, but to a rate that remains the envy of the world, while Chinese industry continues its march onto the world stage.†- Time magazine. China’s financial system which is often regulated has promptly expanded due to monetary policy becoming increasingly fundamental to its complete economic policy as a result of globalisation. The outcome of this has resulted in banks distributing an increase in finance to its enterprises for investment, deposits for liquidity and also loaning money to the government which maybe then reallocated in providing infrastructure. The most significant result of globalisation has been the development of China’s import sector and has allowed the nation to become the second largest exporting economy in the world. The large export sector of extremely low cost goods and services has manipulated the trade currents of the world. Through China’s growth it has developed a stable-body of trading partnerships with raw material producers. An example of this is with Australia where 40% value of all products exported is worth around $40 billion. China is buying these raw materials to accommodate its largely growing urban-mega-cities and industries to produce new goods and create more low-cost goods and a more intensifying complex form of trade. Through constant trading globally, this has increased the aggregate demand. As of 2011 foreign direct investment (FDI) has exceeded from $US.100 billion in 2010 to $US.116.10 billion. This has occurred through the private and public growth in mining, construction trade and finance. This globalisation impact has also seen a shift in the population from rural areas to urbanised cities. This has led to a decrease in agricultural produce and an astonishing increase in industrial goods and services and alleviated a substantial amount of China’s absolute poverty. The Chinese government has embraced a series of strategic policies to address the challenge of economic globalization. These strategies started in 1978 after Chairman Mao’s self-sufficient economy plan. China began employing several reform strategies to enhance growth. This included stimulating the agricultural sector to allow them to sell a percentage on the free trade market yet hold a competitive position. In addition to this  citizens were given money incentives and tax breaks in order to start new businesses and allocated regions were created to encourage high levels of investment, increase exports and increase technology levels. Other reform strategies included Deng Xiaoping’s the rearrangement of the economic structure by increasing the development of the high technology sector and moving away from the agricultural sector; transformation of the pattern of economic growth by increasing power in IT education and sustainable development as well as additional progress of the outward-oriented economy by implementing â€Å"come in† and â€Å"go out† strategies. This is where the government encourages its enterprises to invest overseas. This has been demonstrated in Australia where Chinese investors have bought farming land and are now operating that land and are taking that product back to China. Also, the government consolidated reform in State Owned enterprises ( SOEs) and government administration with a view to establish a governing mechanism in compliance with international rules and practices. These policies noticeably ease China’s integration into the global economy and have proven effective as of 2010 where almost 50% of the total population was urbanised. It took only 22 years to increase from 17.9% to 39.1%; this was the same increase which took Britain 120 years. Similar to the â€Å"come in, go out† strategy. Chinas government has applied the promotion of overseas direct investment (ODI) allowing them to invest in the large pool of foreign currency. This strategy is fulfilling their economic growth mentality and development strategies. It was 2000 when China forwarded the ‘Go Global’ strategy which encouraged firms to invest overseas. Its objective is to utilise foreign exchange reserves to purchase or buy shares in foreign firms that seem profitable. Rather than building the foundations of investment in domestic firms, China has wanted to promote the development of internationally recognized brands such a Lenovo Group Limited which has its operational headquarters in Morrisville, North Carolina, USA and its registered office in Hong Kong. These reform strategies saw an upturn in economic growth rates to 9.8% annual average over the following years with this growth almost doubled from the pre-reform 5.3% shown in Figure 1. This created an influx of employment and income thus increasing the overall living standards of the economy. Foreign Direct Investment utilisation (come in and go out strategy) saw an increase of $2 billion to $92 Billion from  1985-2008 shown in figure 2. By utilising the globalisation transformation it allowed China to become exposed to global markets and increase trade and the profits made from globalisation. Figure 1. Economic development recognises both a quantitative growth measurement and important qualitative measures. A developing country is a nation with a low living standard, undeveloped industrial base and low Human Development Index. For a country to be classified as developed they have to fill a certain criteria. This includes a number of areas such as the GDP per capita, Safe water, Malnutrition, the number of poverty related deaths (malaria), Infant mortality and life expectancy. The Chinese government has grown concerns in these specific areas. In China the Human Development Index (HDI) has risen from 0.404 in 1980 to 0.682 in 2011. They are ranked 101st out of 187 countries with comparable data. The HDI has been on a steady increase since then, in 1990; 0.490 and 2000; 0.588. This shows that their overall standards of living have improved; other statistics show that their life expectancy: 73.5 years and at 0.843 out of 1; Education is at 0.623 with a compulsory 7.5 years of schooling whilst Australia is 0.981 with 12 years of schooling. This is due to policies similar to the reform of the health care system in 2005 where only 20% of the health care services would be in rural areas. This has seen China invest US $2.4 billion to rebuild rural medical centres composing of village clinics and hospitals. With relations to educational spending China has increased its spending by 20% in consecutive years since 1999 and now exceeds $100 billion. The reason China is outlaying an excessive amount of money it will build a more stable and productive population by producing skilled workers. This investment has seen a relief of absolute poverty declining 25% in rural areas. Shown in figure 3, the GDP per capita has increased drastically in 18 years which has allowed the standard of living to increase. China is still a developing country. Its service sector is relatively small and weak in comparison to its other sectors in the country and its counterparts in other countries. In addition to this in 2006 the eastern region covering 10% of  the land accounted for 55.7% of China’s GDP. Due to this uneven distribution of income this will decrease standards of living in other areas and major class seperation. â€Å"China has long been criticised for its incredibly uneven distribution of wealth.† Figure 4 highlights the success of the stimulating strategies as leading economies such as Germany and the US both experienced negative growth over the course of the Global financial crisis. The major cause for this is due to the Chinese government artifically stabilising the exchange rate to constantly produce cheap products. It was at this time that these cheap products continued to be sold to larger countries to fulfill their aggregate demand and thus China continued developing.Though with the US and Europe are in a substantial amount of debt, this has slowed the production with the Chinese production. It is said, if â€Å"China is to sneeze the whole world will catch a cold† Figure 3↑ Figure 4↓ With the extensive economic growth and the development the environment has been completely neglected as China concerntrates on its escalation in the economic world. Economic development officials often overlook envoronmental pollution, worker’s health and safety and simple public health in priority to enhance the living conditions of those in the area. The impact which china has had on its environment is illustrated through the excessive quantity of air pollution with 1% of the 500million; and growing, people who inhabit the cities. Although the breathing air is deemed safe by the European Union (EU), 1/3 of children are suffering from elevated blood levels as a result of the air quality. (Refer to picture 1.)Picture 1shows smog which is serious harm to health. It is a combination between smoke and fog and can inflame breathing passages, decrease the lung’s working capabilities, cause shortness of breth and pains whilst breathing. Regardless of these statistics China has spent $34.6 billion on clean energy and are now the leading investor of renewable technology. China is also the number one producer of carbon dioxide emitter and with conjunction to inda being the 3rd largest they account for 30% of the world’s emmisions. In conclusion globalisation is based upon nations becoming more integrated and reducing the trade barriers between nations. Although by increasing trade  this makes some countries dependent upon imports to create revenue by consumer consumption rather than utilising their comparative advantage. While by being so interdependent upon each other this will allow economic changes to ripple through and impact on other countries. Globalisation has obviously encouraged the majority of China’s accomplishments in assimilating into the global economy. The policies implemented have flowed through the economy and is showing signs of economic growth and quality of life in a number of areas. These policies will continue to promote economic growth not only for the temporary fixations but will be drawn-out for years to come. Through constructive motivation China is now moving towards clean energy usage, environmental sustainability and increasing the health of the nation and will soon be labelled a developed economy. Chinese economy essay Bibliography http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-10/29/content_15855250.htm 30/10/12- 12:44, Updated: 2012-10-29 21:18 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_People’s_Republic_of_China 30/10/12 12:54, last modified on 28 October 2012 at 17:41. http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2012/10/rebalancing-china?zid=306&ah=1b164dbd43b0cb27ba0d4c3b12a5e227 7/11/12 – 10:11 am, Oct 20th 2012, 12:11 by S.C. | The Economist http://business.time.com/2012/11/07/can-chinas-new-leader-prevent-an-economic-crisis/ 8/11/12- 1:50 pm, Nov. 07, 2012 – Time Magazine http://www.google.com.au/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=677&tbm=isch&tbnid=4kyBsA9wIHlN9M:&imgrefurl=http://blendedpurple.blogspot.com/2010/08/consumption-rate-china-gdp-1980.html&docid=PQa1gLnb9LbE6M&imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HfjiE1BoIuI/TFZ6oh4cqtI/AAAAAAAAAb8/cDQsjr3og-U/s1600/A006%252Bcopy.jpg&w=933&h=545&ei=mBmkUPrWFqqgigeq74G4Ag&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=381&vpy=159&dur=5207&hovh=171&hovw=294&tx=125&ty=76&sig=108432953463892850089&page=1&tbnh=131&tbnw=248&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:72 9:27am 15/11/12, August 2 2010-NA http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-01/18/c_131366513.htm 16/11/12-9:26am, English.news.cn 2012-01-18 10:35:11 http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Out_policy 2:07pm 18/11/12 last modified on 13 February 2012 at 22:36. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenovo#History