The Weighted Average Cost of Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Weighted Average Cost of Capital - Essay Example (Gallagher and Andrew, 2008) However, this point is only hypothetical, in reality this point is impossible to be obtained. What managers can do is get as much cheap debts as possible and avoid expensive equities. How do you get cheap debts A corporation should do whatever it can to reduce the value of its beta. The beta is a tool for decreasing the cost of capital.A stock with stable returns is less risky than a stock with fluctuating returns. A beta defines the amount by which a stock's returns are fluctuating. The value of returns fluctuates because of changes in present profitability and future expectations. So actions should be taken to keep them stable. (Steven M. Bragg, 2008) The costs and benefits of debts and equities must be evaluated properly. Other than this, the optimal level of capital varies from company to company and industry to industry. For example, a monopoly with very strong demand for a product can invest in capital to a higher extent than a company which is in a competitive market with lim ited resources and limited future prospects. (Gallagher and Andrew, 2008) Describe how uncertainty is calculated into cash flows. ... (Gallagher and Andrew, 2008) Describe how uncertainty is calculated into cash flows. Why should two projects with equal cash flows but unequal risks produce different financial results Would you prefer a low-risk, low-return project or a high-risk, high-return project, and why When cash flows are created, it is assumed that all cash flow will be exactly like you expected, but in real life the cash flow is different, for this reason we calculate uncertainty. (Johnathan Mun, 2005) One way to calculate uncertainty in cash flows is to use a discount rate that reflects the riskiness of cash flows. How do you choose the risk associated with cash flows By risk we are referring to uncertainties of future cash flows. (Gil Fried, Steven J. Shapiro, Timothy D. DeSchriver, 2007) A certain Discount rate (risk rate) is set that accounts for a percentage of cash flow that might not be there. Therefore, (1-Discount rate) is the proportion which will be there. The formula to calculate the discounted cash flow is as following: Discounted Cash Flow = Nominal Cash Flow * (1-Discount Rate) ^ Number of years Now suppose that Ben and Joe expect to have $1000 at the end of 5 years. Ben feels that the inflation would be high in the coming years so he keeps the discount rate (or risk rate) as 6 percent per annum while Joe keeps the discount rate as 4 percent. Financial results for Ben after 5 years would be $734 while the financial results for Joe would be $815. Therefore, this is how their financial results will differ. (12manage, 2008) All investors prefer less risk to more. They are also called risk averse and this is a law of finance. But being a risk averse does not mean that investors would not take risks. It just means that an investor is able to

Christian liberty Essay Example for Free

Christian liberty Essay According to the page, Martin Luther’s argument revolves around two basic proposition of liberty. Which states that: â€Å"A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none† (Luther). By this statement he meant that once a person is freed by Jesus Christ, there shouldn’t be any other thing that would have a true dominion on the person on earth. So if Jesus sets you free, indeed you are freed. He explained that man has two folds nature: the inner soul, the spiritual and the carnal, outward flesh. A Christian does not become righteous by doing anything that has to do with flesh but only by the faith in Jesus. Nothing on earth should have any influence on Christian liberty. The second principle was that a Christian â€Å"man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone† (Luther). The two propositions appeared to be contradictory but Luther was able to explain further on both making it clear. He asserts that only one thing alone is necessary for a Christian liberty and that is the Gospel of Christ. He defines Christian liberty as the freedom from the law putting it that the law is not meant for a righteous man. It is the belief in Christ that brings peace and liberty. While Freedom of the soul and its justification comes by faith alone and not by work, he said â€Å"it is evident that by no outward work or labor can the inward man be at all justified, made free, and saved† (Luther). In conclusion, Freedom comes when one belief in the word of God, that is one’s soul get freed and one become saved. Whereas, one get liberty after one has believed wholeheartedly in the Gospel of Christ, it is the word of God that teaches liberty. The freedoms mentioned by Martin Luther all have an element in common: they are all divine freedoms from things of the world. In contrast, Christians should be voluntary servants to God and other men, motivated by love for God and the changes made by salvation. Reference Luther M, Concerning Christian Liberty. Retrieved May 09, 2010 From http://homepage. mac. com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/mlchrlib. htm

Implications Career Counseling Based On Hollands Theory

Implications Career Counseling Based On Hollands Theory It is John Hollands view that career choice and career adjustment repre ­sent an extension of a persons personality. People express themselves, their interests and values, through their work choices and experience. In his theory, Holland assumes that peoples impressions and generalizations about work, which he refers to as stereotypes, are generally accurate. By studying and refining these stereotypes, Holland assigns both people and work environments to specific categories. Holland (1966, 1973, 1992, 1997) has published five books that explain his typological theory. Each book represents an update and a fur ­ther-refined version of earlier work in the development of his theory. The -August 1999 issue of The Journal of Vocational Behavior contains 12 arti ­cles which describe John Hollands 40-year contribution to career develop ­ment theory. Two psychological inventories were important in the devel ­opment of his theory: the Vocational Preference Inventory (Holland, i985b) and the Self-Directed Search (Holland, 1994). These instruments, in differ ­ent ways, measure self-perceived competencies and interests, which are an assessment of an individuals personality. Holland (Holland, 1997) recog ­nizes that his theory can account for only a portion of the variables that underlie career selection. He is clear in stating that, his theoretical model can be affected by age, gender, social class, intelligence, and education. with that understood, he go es on to specify how the individual and the en ­vironment interact with each other through the development of six types: Realistic Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Both individuals and environments consist of a combination of types. The Six Types Realistic The Realistic Environment The Realistic (R) environment makes physi ­cal demands on the person. Such work settings have tools, machines, or animals that the individual manipulates. In such a setting, individuals are re ­quired to have technical competencies that will allow them to do such things as fix machines, repair electronic equipment, drive cars or trucks, herd animals, or deal with other physical aspects of their environment. The ability to work with things is more important than the ability to interact with other people. Construction sites, factories, and auto garages are ex ­amples of environments that provide machinery or other things for Realistic people to master. Some Realistic environments require a great deal of physical agility or strength, such as roofing, outdoor painting, and pipe fit ­ting. These environments may be hazardous and may produce more phys ­ical illness or accidents than other work environments. The Realistic Personality Type Realistic people are likely to enjoy using tools or machines in their hobbies or work. They tend to seek to develop competencies in such areas as plumbing, roofing, electrical and automotive repair, farming, and other technical disciplines. They are apt to like courses that are very practical and teach the use of mechanical or physical skills. Realistic people are likely to have little tolerance of abstract and theoreti ­cal description Often, they approach problems, whether mechanical or personal, in a practical or problem-solving manner. They are likely to value Investigative The Investigative Environment The Investigative (I) environment is one in which people search for solutions to problems through mathematical and scientific interests and competencies. In such a situation, people are encouraged to use complex and abstract thinking to solve problems cre ­atively. Examples of occupations that offer the opportunity to use analyti ­cal thinking skills are computer programmer, physician, mathematician, biologist, science teacher, veterinarian, and research and development man ­ager. In each of these environments, cautious and critical thinking is val ­ued. Individuals are likely to need to use logic and precise methodical thinking in order to find solutions to problems in these fields. These jobs require that people use their intellect to work independently to solve prob ­lems. They are not required or encouraged to use human relations skills to solve problems, nor are they likely to need to use thachines. For example, a computer programmer .uses logic to figure out solutions to problems (an Investigative environment), whereas the computer technician works with machinery and may assemble it or fix it (a Realistic environment). The Investigative Personality Type The Investigative person is likely to enjoy puzzles and challenges that require the use of intellect Such a per ­son is apt to enjoy learning and to feel confident about his or her ability to solve mathematical and scientific problems. Such people often enjoy read ­ing about science and discussing scientific issues. They seek to work in ­dependently to solve problems such as mathematical or scientific ques ­tions. They are likely to enjoy courses in math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and other physical or biological sciences. They are not likely to enjoy supervising other people or dealing directly with personal problems, but they may enjoy analyzing or searching for solutions to psychological problems. Artistic The Artistic Environment The Aitistic (A) environment is one that is free and open, encouraging creativity and personal expression. Such an envi ­ronment offers much freedom in developing products and answers. Exam ­ples of occupations in which people can use creative and unconventional ways to express themselves are musician, fine artist, and freelance writer. Such settings allow people to dress the way they wish, keep few.appoint ­ments, and structure their own time. These work environments encourage personal and emotional expression rather than logical expression. If tools are used, they are used to express oneself (for example, a clarinet or a paint ­brush) rather than as a means to complete a task (for example, an electric drill or a wrench). The Artistic Personality Type The Artistic person likes the opportunity to express himself or herself in a free and unsystematic way, creating mu ­sic, art, or writing. Such people may use instruments to do this, such as a violin, the voice, sculpting tools, or a word processor. They are likely to want to improve their ability in language, art, music, or writing. Original ­ity and creativity are particularly important in expression. To use a painted by-numbers kit would be deeply offensive to an Artistic type, who needs and desires the opportunity to express herself or himself in a free and open manner. A pure Artistic type would dislike technical writing and would prefer writing fiction or poetry. Social The Social Environment The Social (5) environment is one that encour ­ages people to be flexible and understanding of each other, where people can work with others through helping with personal or career problems, others, affecting others spiritually, and being socially responsible. The Social environment emphasizes human values such as being idealis ­tic, kind, friendly, and generous. These ideals most commonly exist in the education, social service, and mental health professions. Examples of these occupations are elementary school teacher, special education teacher, high school teacher, marriage counselor, counseling psychologist, speech thera ­pist, school superintendent, and psychiatrist. The Social Personality Type The Social person is interested in helping people through teaching, helping with personal or vocational problems, or providing personal services. Social people enjoy solving problems through discussion and teamwork rather than through delegation. Preferring to talk and resolve complex problems that may be ethical or idealistic in nature, they often choose to avoid working with machines. They seek out envi ­ronments where they can use verbal and social skills, such as in education, welfare, and mental health. Enterprising The Enterprising Environment The Enterprising (E) environment is one where people manage and persuade others in order to attain organizational or personal goals. These are situations where finance and economic issues are of prime importance and risks may be taken to achieve rewards. In such an environment,- people tend to be self-confident, sociable, and assertive. Its an environment where promotion and power are important, and per ­suasion and selling take place. Examples of Enterprising environments are sales work, buying, business management, restaurant management, poli ­tics, real estate, the stock market, insurance, and lobbying. All of these en ­vironments provide the opportunity for power, status, and wealth. The Enterprising Personality Type The acquisition of wealth is particu ­larly important for Enterprising people. They enjoy being with others and like to use verbal skills in order to sell, persuade, or lead. They tend to be assertive and popular, trying to take on leadership positions. They enjoy working with people but prefer to persuade and manage rather than to help. Conventional The Conventional Environment Organization and planning best describe the Conventional (C) environment. Much of the Conventional environ ­ment is an office environment, where one needs to keep records, file pa ­pers, copy materials, and organize reports. In addition to written material, the Conventional environment includes mathematical materials, such as bookkeeping and accounting records. Word processing, calculating, and copy machines are the type of equipment that is found in a Conventional environment. Competencies that are needed to work well in a Conven ­tional environment are clerical skills, an ability to organize, dependability, and an ability to follow directions. The Conventional Personality Type. The Conventional person is one who values money, being dependable, and the ability to follow rules and orders. These people prefer being in control of situations and not dealing with am ­biguous requests. They enjoy an office environment where their values of earning money and following rules, regulations, and guidelines can be met. Their strengths are their clerical and numerical ability, which they use to solve straightforward problems in their environment; Their relationships they tend to be directed toward accomplishing tasks and establish ­ approach to problems. Hollands Theory and Implications for Career Counseling John Hollands typological theory of persons and environments is regarded as the most influential in the field of career counseling (Brown, 2002), but this has not carried over to the field of higher education and academic advising (Smart, Feldman, Ethington, 2000). This conundrum led us to explore whether or not Hollands theory and research were relevant and could shed light on the behavior and organization of college faculty and students, which could ultimately improve the effectiveness of academic advising and career counseling. This article summarizes the results of our exploration. As colleges and universities have grown in size, scope, and organizational complexity, some students have found it difficult to find a home (Astin, 1984). While students may identify with a student organization, residence hall, or activity program, we believe that the academic department is the entity where students are likely to find important mentors, peers, involvement, direction, and inspiration. Academic departments have an inherent, varied mixture of characteristics that are created by the interests and behaviors of the faculty. If students can recognize, differentiate, and understand these diverse academic environments and the faculty who dominate them with respect to Hollands theoretical model, we believe they are more likely to find a place within the university that will increase their satisfaction, involvement, and persistence. Hollands person-environment interaction theory is especially important to scholars and practitioners in education and psychology. John Holland pioneered in assessing the environments of colleges and universities and their influence on students. His research has been central in the development of knowledge about nonacademic accomplishments. Hollands Theoretical Contributions Many inventories and career assessment tools use the typology to enable individuals to categorize their interests and personal characteristics in terms of combinations of the six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional. Hollands typological theory (Holland, 1997) specifies a theoretical connection between personality and environment that makes it possible to use the same RIASEC classification system for both persons and fields of study or occupations. According to RIASEC theory, if a person and an environment have the same or similar codes, e.g., Investigative person in an Investigative environment, then the person will likely be satisfied and persist in that environment (Holland, 1997). This satisfaction will result from individuals being able to express their personality in an environment that is supportive and includes other persons who have the same or similar personality traits. It should be noted that neither people nor environments are exclusively one type but rather combinations of all six types. Their dominant type is an approximation of an ideal, modal type. The profile of the six types can be described in terms of the degree of differentiation (flat or uneven profile), consistency (level of similarity of interests or characteristics on the RIASEC hexagon for the first two letters of a three-letter Holland code), or identity (stability characteristics of the type). Each of these factors moderates predictions about the be havior related to the congruence level between a person and an environment. Persons and environments are typically described proportionally in terms of the most highly weighted three of the six Holland types, e.g., Lawyer, ESI; Accounting, CEI. The environments of college campuses, fields of study, work positions, and occupations can also be classified using the RIASEC system (G. Gottfredson Holland, 1996). Hollands early efforts with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and the American College Testing Program enabled him to look at colleges and academic disciplines as environments. It is important to note that RIASEC theory had its roots in higher education and later focused on occupations. However, almost any social setting, e.g., a family-owned business, a classroom, or a work group, might be characterized in terms of a RIASEC environment. Every aspect of the theory can be applied to different kinds of environments. L. S. Gottfredson and Richards (1999) traced the history of Hollands efforts to classify educational and occupational environments. Holland initially studied the numbers of incumbents in a particular environment to classify occupations or colleges, but he later moved to study the characteristics of the environment independent of the persons in it. College catalogs and descriptions of academic disciplines were among the public records used to study institutional environments. Astin and Holland (1961) developed the Environmental Assessment Technique (EAT) while at the NMSC as a method for measuring college environments. Success in measuring faculty and the curriculum led Richards to explore differences in environments in Japanese (Richards, 1973) and British Commonwealth universities (Richards, 1974), U. S. law schools (Richards, 1987b), and Historically Black colleges (Richards, 1987a). For example, Richards found that Japanese universities placed less emphasis on the Artistic area and more on the Realistic area than U.S. universities. The most recent instruments for measuring environments are the Position Classification Inventory (PCI; G. Gottfredson Holland, 1991), a direct theory-based measure of occupational environments, and the Environmental Identity Scale (EIS; Holland, 1997). These instruments make it possible to study college faculty directly and thus advance the study of academic disciplines and their effects on college students. Those who study or provide services to college students need to understand the importance of Hollands RIASEC theory. For example, Day and Rounds (1998) reported that the RIASEC typology was used similarly by ethnically diverse groups of U.S. students to organize information about their interests and options. This means that varied cultural subgroups in the United States have a sufficiently common social and educational experience that RIASEC theory and related practical applications can be applied to almost everyone. More recently, Tracey and Darcy (2002) found that college students whose schema for organizing information about interests and occupations differed from Hollands RIASEC structure had less career certainty and more career indecision. This finding suggests that the RIASEC hexagon may have a normative benefit regarding the classification of occupations and fields of study. Definitions Although the terms academic advising and career counseling are familiar, it is important to define them as they are used in this article. Ender, Winston, and Miller (1984) defined developmental academic advising as a systematic process based on a close student-advisor relationship intended to aid students in achieving educational, career, and personal goals through the utilization of the full range of institutional and community resources. The distinctions between academic advising and career counseling are primarily a matter of scope and emphasis. Career counseling is a broader, more comprehensive term not limited to educational settings. However, both functions involve a process of individual or small group interventions to help persons use information to make educational and occupational decisions that are consistent with their personal goals, values, interests, and skills. We believe that a theory that informs career counseling, such as John Hollands RIASEC theory, can also infor m academic advising. Academic advising is more narrowly focused on college and university students and life/career decision making related to curricular and co-curricular activities. Creamer (2000) defined it as an educational activity that depends on valid explanations of complex student behaviors and institutional conditions to assist college students in making and executing educational and life plans. Traditional Application of Hollands Theory in College Settings The most prevalent strategy used by scholars is to define achievement in terms of the further acquisition, growth, or development of individuals initially prominent characteristics; that is, the competencies, values, interests, and attitudes associated with their dominant or primary personality type. For example, in our recent book (Smart, Feldman, Ethington, 2000), Academic Disciplines: Hollands Theory and the Study of College Students and Faculty, we tested the validity of the congruence assumption by examining the extent to which college students with dominant Investigative, Artistic, Social, and Enterprising personality types who entered congruent and incongruent academic environments differed on their development of Investigative, Artistic, Social, and Enterprising abilities and interests, respectively. Separate analyses were conducted for each of the four personality types. Our findings provided rather clear support for the congruence assumption, though the evidence was decide dly stronger for students with Artistic and Investigative personality types than for those with Enterprising or Social personality types. The logic that flows from the traditional definition of achievement illustrated in our and others findings is that students who enter congruent academic environments are more likely to be successful and to exhibit higher levels of achievement. Conversely, students who select academic environments that are incongruent with their personality types are likely to be less successful or to manifest lower levels of achievement than would be expected. Education is of course a nurturing profession, and our task, especially as teachers and counselors, is to assist students in their efforts to be successful throughout their college experiences. Given the conceptual appeal of Hollands theory and the accumulative evidence in support of the congruence assumptionthough often of modest magnitudecounselors and others have embraced the theory in their efforts to assist students in their efforts to successfully navigate the complexities and challenges of their college experiences. In so doing, the typical advice given students is to select academic majors (i.e., environments) that are congruent with their personality types. The strategy is simple and straightforward given the exemplary instruments developed by Holland and his colleagues to assess students personality and academic environment types: simply (1) assess students personality types using such established instruments as the SDS or the SCII, (2) look up academic majors that are simi lar to the students personality types using such reputable references as the Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes (Gottfredson Holland, 1996) or The Educational Opportunities Finder (Rosen, Holmberg, Holland, 1994), and (3) advise students to select academic majors that are congruent with their personality types. This has been, in my opinion, the typical or traditional approach to research on the validity of the congruence assumption of Hollands theory and the use of his theory by counselors and others to assist students in the selection of academic majors in which they have the greatest likelihood of being successful and satisfied. All this is predicated on the selection of academic majors that are congruent with students initially prominent characteristics (i.e., their dominant personality types). The vision of a college education that evolves from this strategy is one characterized by assisting students to further develop their primary or dominant interests and abilities they had as freshmen. To venture from this tried and true path was assumed to lead to dissatisfaction, failure, and dropout. An Alternative Application of Hollands Theory in College Settings Something seemed amiss or disquieting to me as a result of such investigations of the congruence assumption in this manner. Our definition of achievement and the research strategies we employ are essentially silent as to what students who entered incongruent academic environments learned in those environments because our definition and strategy of learning or achievement focused only on students further development of their initially prominent characteristics; again, that is, the competencies, values, interests, and attitudes associated with their dominant personality type. This conceptual and analytical approach seems unfulfilling and problematic in college settings given that American higher education has historically sought to promote student growth and learning in a broad repertoire of competencies and interests. This repertoire is evident in the various taxonomies of college student outcomes developed by Bowen (1977), Lenning, Lee, Micek, and Service (1977), Ewell (1984), the Association of American Colleges (1985), and others. In addition, one need only examine the professed intent of higher education as manifested in their catalogues and in the growing use of performance indicators proposed by statewide coordinating agencies to assess the effectiveness of those institutions (Nedwick, 1996). Are students who enter incongruent academic environments really less successful and, as a consequence, their institutions less successful as well? My sense of discomfort led to two recent articles (Feldman, Smart, Ethington, 2001, in press) that are grounded in that portion of Hollands theory that is sociological in perspective and implicitly postulates a homogeneous pattern of reinforcement and reward by the respective academic environments irrespective of students levels of congruence with those environments. The approach is referred to as the socialization assumption or hypothesis of Hollands theory. Most important to remember here is that students success or achievement within the parameters of the socialization perspective is judged by the extent to which they grow in terms of the abilities and interests resistent and rewarded by their chosen environments (i.e., their academic majors) rather than enhancing their initially prominent characteristics. That is to say, for example, that while students who select academic majors that are incongruent with their personality types may remain the same or decline in their initially prominent characteristics, they may gain or grow in the abilities and interests reinforced and rewarded by their chosen academic major. This is a very different definition of students success or achievement within the parameters of Hollands theory than the typical or traditional approach discussed earlier (i.e., students ultimate satisfaction and success in college is dependent on their choice of an academic environment that is congruent with their personality type). Socialization Effects of Disciplines The research of Smart et al. (2000) was based on two ideas. First, faculty create academic environments inclined to require, reinforce, and reward the distinctive patterns of abilities and interests of students in a manner consistent with Hollands theory (p. 96). Second, students are not passive participants in the search for academic majors and careers; rather, they actively search for and select academic environments that encourage them to develop further their characteristic interests and abilities and to enter (and be successful in) their chosen career fields (p. 52). In the following paragraphs, we summarize findings relevant to these two ideas. Smart et al. (2000) sought to discover whether or not changes in students over four years were the result of their experiences in their major fields of study (academic discipline). They reasoned that faculty chose to be in academic environments, e.g., academic departments, because of their preferences and values regarding the goals of undergraduate education and their preferred ways of socializing students. Smart et al. held that faculty are the primary representatives of academic environments and the primary contributors to behavior patterns of students who choose those environments as majors. Students and Major Change Thus far, we have concentrated our analysis on the impact of four disciplines in socializing students toward the development of interests and skills predicted by Hollands (1997) typological theory. But what about the personal choices made by students in selecting a discipline? In order to study this phenomenon, Smart et al. (2000) classified students as primary or secondary recruits. Primary recruits were defined as students initially selecting a discipline and staying in that field over four years. Secondary recruits were those in a different major in the fourth year. When environments (percentage of seniors in each of the four areas) rather than entering students were examined, Smart et al. (2000) found that from 1/3 to 1/2 of the four environments were composed of primary recruits, and about half of the sample were secondary recruits, e.g., the seniors who had changed their majors. This means that almost half the seniors ended up in a discipline that was different from their initial choice. This was most notable in the Artistic environment where 2/3 of the students were secondary recruits from one of the other areas and did not intend to major in the Artistic area in their freshman year. About 1/3 of the students migrating into the Social area came from Investigative, Enterprising, or undecided areas. Students moving into the Investigative area were most likely to come from the Enterprising area, and vice versa. These data reveal the fluid nature of students major selections and the heterogeneous nature of the four environments with respect to t he students initial major preferences. Socialization in Relation to Student Characteristics The specific findings of Smart et al. (2000) regarding the impact of socialization for the four discipline environments with respect to student personality characteristics are summarized below. The variability in the socialization styles and the effects of the environments, as well as how socialization effected the students congruence with the environments are described. It will be recalled that a high level match between the person and the environment, e.g., Investigative person in Investigative major, indicates high congruence. Faculty in Investigative environments place primary attention on developing analytical, mathematical, and scientific competencies, with little attention given to character and career development. They rely more than other faculty on formal and structured teaching-learning, they are subject-matter centered, and they have specific course requirements. They focus on examinations and grades. This environment has the highest percentage of primary recruits. All students in Investigative environments increased their abilities and interests in this area, and this was even stronger if they were Investigative students at entry (primary recruits). Investigative students in disciplines outside of the Investigative environment did not increase their abilities and skills in the Investigative area. Artistic environments focus on aesthetics and an emphasis on emotions, sensations, and the mind. The curriculum stresses learning about literature and the arts, as well as becoming a creative thinker. Faculty also emphasize character development, along with student freedom and independence in learning. Varied instructional strategies are used. About two-thirds of students in the Artistic environment did not anticipate majoring in the Artistic environment when they entered college. Artistic type students were not more likely to initially select a major in this environment. On the other hand, Artistic students majoring in Artistic environments did have stronger interests and abilities in this area. Students majoring in Artistic environments did show large increases in Artistic abilities and interests, and this was true for both primary and secondary recruits. Artistic personalities not majoring in Artistic environments did not increase their self-rated interests and abilities over four years. Social environments have a strong community orientation characterized by friendliness and warmth. Like the Artistic environment, faculty place value on developing a historical perspective of the field and an emphasis on student values and character development. Unlike the Artistic environment, faculty also place value on humanitarian, teaching, and interpersonal competencies. Colleagueship and student independence and freedom are supported, and informal small group teaching is employed. The socialization effect of the environment was the smallest of the four areas studied and the effects were muddled by gender. Small increases were recorded for Social students in Social environments, but these were not much different from those for Social students in other environments. Social disciplines seem to have the least impact and Social students reported the least gains in related interests and abilities. Stated another way, the Social environments appear to be the most accepting and least d emanding of the four environments studied by Smart et al. (2000). The Enterprising environment has a strong orientation to career preparation and status acquisition. Faculty focus on leadership development, the acquisition and use of power to attain career goals, and striving for common indicators of org

Professional Boundaries Essay example -- Health, Nursing, Medical Dire

Introduction Nurses frequently work in situations where the boundaries of the nurses are being tested. Their respond to these â€Å"tests† is a matter of nurses and professional integrity, by virtue of the power inherent in their professional role are expected to do the right thing even it is not always clear what â€Å"doing the right thing† might look like. Similar to the fence around one’s yard or the walls around one’s house, metaphorically boundaries mark the parameters of the professional role. (Baron, 2001; Wysoker, 2000). According to Holder & Schenthal (2007), a broad definition of professional boundaries is the â€Å"limit which protects the space between the professional’s power and the patient’s vulnerability†. Professional boundaries are the spaces between nurses and patients, nurses and doctors or even nurses with others multi inter professional health worker. The power of the nurses comes from the professional position, increase of knowledge, advance of role and accountability. Establishing boundaries allow the nurse to control this power differential and allows the safe connection in other to meet patient needs. The government policy makers shown that nursing service are provided and to affect the career pathways and education. The policies are impacting on professional roles and boundaries in health care service. Nurses are becoming more individually on their own practice and they have been at the vanguard of new role development. The nursing profession has also been challenges by advances technology in health care. By becoming more knowledgeable about policy, legal and ethical standard decision-making, nurses can conquer these challenges. The demand of policy, legal and ethical standard would promote greater knowledge, acco... ...ere taken to protect nurses. Common practice here is medical directive. Medical directive means a medical instruction given to paramedic regarding medical management or procedure to perform to patient. The document should include the procedures approved that can be performed by nurse and endorse by the head of department. These documents also have to audit frequently to ensure it is updated and relevant with the current situation and demands. As conclusion, crossing a professional boundaries bring a lots of benefits and weaknesses. However, nurses must remember they are nurses all the time thus it is vital to seek advice early when problem around professional boundaries arise and as for the medical profession, they have to value nurse’s knowledge and expertise in order to shares experience, knowledge and skills for future development of healthcare practitioner.

Personal Statement on Nursing Essay

Nurses would do everything in their effort to make a patient feel better both emotionally and physically. That is also my ultimate goal. The aspiration to study nursing motivates me to study hard and read references and news extensively. My interest in nursing dates back to my years in high school. When I was a senior, I took an applied learning course in health studies, and score high marks in different subject such as medical, basic anatomy and basic life support. Honorably, I was also invited to demonstrate the skills of basic life support in the graduation ceremony. However, I did not want to go into the medical field. Nursing seemed to be the only field I want to go into. The University of Hong Kong is with a high reputation especially in Nursing and my interest in attending has deepened after I talked to students studying there. I am particularly impressed with the exchange program in nursing, which I know among the best in Hong Kong. To show my enthusiasm in nursing, I have taken related courses, such as health care assistance, physiotherapy assistance and first aid. I am also grateful to be able to work with some excellent nurses that really cared about their patients in practical training. Such experiences prepare me to further my studies in this field. Skills in communication and cooperation are the must a nurse should equip with. Being Stage Manager, supervising the work of whole backstage team, and captain of basketball team not only help strengthen my inter-personal skills, but also communication skills as well as leadership skills. In Form 6, I was invited to be the house chairperson, managing all the house stuff and organizing activities. It is a position, which enables me to develop an intimate relationship with house members and collaborate with other houses to hold some major events. I am an outgoing and cheerful person. My hobbies are wide-ranged, ranging from basketball, football and badminton to listening music, watching television and reading books. I will be proud to be able to share aspects of my life that are not apparent from my academic record. If I am offered a chance to study the program, I will do my utmost to complete the curriculum well and motivate others to be a good nurse.

Norman Morrison and The Things They Carried

War has such a violent nature that it has affected many individuals in many different ways. The most obvious of these is through the lives of the soldiers who experience it first-hand. However, even those who simply follow its progress and who have empathy for those in the wake of such mass slaughter are affected by the event. Because of the savageness in war and the resulting psychological and emotional effects of this experience on such war-ravaged men, many writers have tried to tackle the subject. Norman Morrison and The Things They Carried are two literary pieces that have reflected the gravity of warfare and its impact on men who have struggled with its violence. Tim O’Brien and Adrian Mitchell wrote pieces that resounded with their views on war. Both employed the use of the lives of their characters to get a point across to their readers. War is terrible. Its effects echo on in an individual’s life and the images of the terror of war is eternally implanted in the lives of those who survive it. â€Å"He was a slim, dead, almost dainty young man of about twenty. He lay with one leg bent beneath him, his jaw in his throat, his face neither expressive nor inexpressive. One eye was shut. The other was a star-shaped hole.† (O’Brien, 1998) The drive of both pieces is to show the effect of the deaths of those considered to be the â€Å"enemy† on those involved in the war. War is not indiscriminate hate but indiscriminate killing and both writers condemn these violent acts through their words. O’Brien (1998) shows this clearly through The Man I Killed while Mitchell (1997) does so through the life of a man, Norman Morrison, who fought the war every day in his heart, at home. The two works are very comprehensive in sharing with the reader the experience of the war and the experience of life after the war. Although the actions of these individual’s are clearly a result of psychological disorders, Tim O’Brien and Adrian Mitchell give their audience a look into the mindsets of those who are actually experiencing these events. It is not a trip into the mind of disturbed individuals who have lost control of themselves but rather it is a clear view into the life of someone who has experienced darkness and terror and who cannot, for the life of him, resolve it with the comforts and peace that he once knew. â€Å"All that peace, man, it felt so good it hurt. I want to hurt it back.† (O’Brien, 1998) Norman Morrison was a completely new aspect of the war that no one was prepared to see. Although the war’s effects on the soldiers were already clear, its effects on those left â€Å"at home† was not. Yes, there were those actively voicing out their concerns about the events, denouncing the war and demanding a stop to the violence, but how far did it go? How far did their empathy for those involved in the war go? Mitchell (1997) answers this for us, â€Å"He simply burned away his clothes, his passport, his pink-tinted skin, put on a new skin of flame and became Vietnamese.† Thus war became not only about those on foreign shores, not only about those holding the guns and the ammunitions. It became something more palpable. It became about everyone who was part of the countries at war. It became about the victims in the country where the war was happening and about those from the opposite country who felt not only for their own soldiers but also for the â€Å"innocent† victims. In conclusion, it can be said that both literary pieces spoke of war. Both presented it through the lives of individuals who were involved in the war. This involvement was broad and included all of those who empathized with the events involved in war and those whose lives were directly affected by the violence. The tragic deaths of those in the path of the savage war were the tipping point that drove many individuals to the brink. References O’Brien, T. (1998). The things they carried. New York: Broadway Books Mitchell, A. (1997) Norman Morrison. In Out Loud. London: W.H. Allen Publishers