Elephant Man :: essays papers

Elephant Man The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance, is a play about identity. It is a play about a man who is deformed, but constantly trying to live life as an ordinary person. The play begins with John Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, performing in a carnival freak show in order to make a minute amount of money for living expenses. In Scene VI, Even on the Niger and Ceylon, Not This, Treves brings in Miss Sandwich to become Merricks nurse. He explains to her that he has been let down so far by the other nurses he has introduced to Merrick. He prepares her for the sight of Merrick so that she will not react harshly when she sees him. Ironically she says, â€Å"Appearances do not daunt me.† Treves then offers her the opportunity to see Merrick for the first time and bring him his lunch. When laying eyes on Merrick, she becomes frazzled and bolts from the room, throwing the lunch tray into Treves arms. When Treves goes to speak to Miss Sandwich she states that no one will do the job. This scene contributes to the other scenes of the play because it is a prime example of how people react when meeting Merrick. Merrick struggles with trying to fit in mostly because of his low self-esteem as a result of the cruel reactions of people. People do not give him a chance and get to know him well enough to see the kind and gentle personality traits of John Merrick, all they see is his physical deformities and that alone scares them away. As the play goes on, people begin to look past his deformities and see that he is a true genuine person who has feelings like themselves. Merrick is given the chance to raise his self-esteem when he meets Mrs. Kendal. She is an actress who walks in with a smile on her face and is capable of sustaining the smile. She talks to him as if he is a human being and not a freak. She introduces many members of the elite class to John Merrick and they all react just as she did, looking beyond physical characteristics to the person he is inside.

Marks And Spencer Plc Commerce Essay

Get downing in UK as a penny shop in 1880s, Michael Marks and Top Spencer started the company we know today as Marks and Spencer plc. Simon Marks, the boy of Michael Marks took over the running of the concern and introduced the nucleus principals of the concern. The nucleus principals, which remained unchanged for most of their history, included the usage of simple monetary value policies, first-class quality of merchandises under the â€Å" St. Michael † trade name name, promoting and working with the providers straight to guarantee their procedures were modern and of the highest criterions and better the concern in efficiency and besides by organizing close relationships between the employees and the clients. By runing with a centralized distribution system and holding control over the full procedure, enabled to them have the same quality and make consistent shop experiences. This besides meant that the local shops were unable to run into the demands, as the directors were restricted in their powers. The powers seemed to be concentrated to the CEOs, who were besides the chair of the board of members. Sir Richard Greenbury, known for his strong sentiment and about allergic reaction to bad intelligence ran the company from 1988 to 1999. The jobs started in 1998, when the portion monetary values were hit badly, and the company was get bying with lifting costs due to the their trust on expensive providers in Britain ( while it seemed every other rival was outsourcing to Asia ) , increased competition in the market sections they were present and the traditional bureaucratic direction. After his surrender, the new CEO Peter Salsbury did small and lasted merely a twelvemonth, before being succeeded by Luc Vandervelde in 2000. Until his going in 2004, he made important alterations such as a new construct of â€Å" shop in shop † , recognition card fecilities, trueness plans, â€Å" Simple Food † trade name and the â€Å" Per Una † joint venture. However he excessively held the place of both the CEO and the chair. These alterations little consequence in the stock market, and many companies, who were their rivals were seeking to take over the company. Their commands were fought away and besides meant the debut of a new caput, Rose Stuart. Rose, made several more alterations, the most celebrated being the 11-point strategic program based their nucleus values of quality, service, trust and value for money. He made several cuts to halt blowing money, better efficiency and besides doing ascents in the shops. The public presentation was good, and in 2008, Ross officially took over the function of chair ( he was already the CEO ) , and despite being controversial. 2009 proved to be a twelvemonth of slow growing for the company, and this caused relationships between the board and the investors to go rancid. Ross, announced his connotations to step down as the CEO, nevertheless he would retain the place of Chair until 2011.Theory and constructsThe instance survey is based around alteration direction and the schemes involved. Every company faces alterations, and must do them to run into the demands of the concern. Many factors can convey about this alteration and influence it. The writers ( Witcher & A ; Chau 2010 ) depict one such model as the PESTEL model. It consists of: Political affairs such as the influence from the authorities, Economic factors that are caused due to affairs related to cost incurred, Social factors which are the alterations that are related to the alterations in the society, Technological factors which involve alterations in the engineerings that are invented and proficient alterations made in procedures, Environmental factors which are caused by environmental events or considerations of environmental impact, and in conclusion Legal factors which are alterations in the legal institutes and models. Harmonizing to the writer ( Henry 2008 ) the alteration influences can besides be described by the â€Å" Porter ‘s five forces model † , which can demo the success or failure of a merchandise or service. The five forces are: menace to new entrants, the bargaining power of the purchasers, the bargaining power of the providers, the menace of replacement merchandises and services and in conclusion the strength of the competition among the rivals in the market. These forces can be examined to measure the whether the company will be able to vie in the market, and put its resources. These factors have all influenced M & A ; S plc to do alterations. To do these alterations nevertheless a proper direction is required. The company can take many paths to recognize the alterations, and many attacks can be taken to implement the alterations. These are detailed in the subdivisions that follow.Aims of the assignmentThe aims of the assignment are to: Analyse the strategic paths taken by the company. Identifying the nucleus competences of M & A ; S plc. Analyze and discourse the types of alteration direction used in M & A ; S plc.II. Beginnings of competitory advantages of M & A ; S and routes takenCompetitive advantages of M & A ; S plcDegree centigrades: UsersuserDesktop ew.PNG Figure: Strategic Clock The archer scheme clock is used to do an analysis of the place of a company with its rivals. From the writers ( Needle 2010 ) and ( Thomson & A ; Baden-Fuller 2010 ) we understand that, the â€Å" Strategic Clock † is set against two factors, the â€Å" Perceived Value of the merchandise to the consumer † and the â€Å" Price † . It came from an earlier stiff theoretical account, by Michael Porter, which was seen as deficient. Companies can be analyzed utilizing this theoretical account, falling non merely in a peculiar section, but taking a assorted way. In the clock we can see, the low priced, low added value, which is focal point on supplying basic merchandises and minimal pricing. From at that place, we see the low priced, which is for companies supplying merchandises that are cheaper discrepancies of similar merchandises offered by their rivals. The intercrossed way is taken to set supply both a distinction factor and a low monetary value factor, which is me rely possible with high volume gross revenues. The distinction way is for merchandises which are offered merely to supply distinction, and the focussed distinction way allows the company to bear down higher by offering different, advanced and merchandises which are merely available from them. On the other side of the clock we see that hazardous, monopoly pricing and loss of market portion, which are all bad for the company, unless under extreme fortunes where the company has a monopoly over the merchandise. These schemes combine to organize of import factors to see in order for bettering the place of the company in the market. The paths taken by Marks and Spencer are based on the loanblend and distinction of its merchandises to acquire a competitory advantage in the market. These allow the company to be: Loanblend: The Company provides merchandises which are merchandises in a sensible cost, but due to its repute and the long history of attending to inside informations, the company is able to portray a higher sensed value for the merchandise. For this ground they are able to construct a trueness from the clients. Differentiation: In this path the company is supplying the client with a higher sensed value for the merchandises. They increase the borders of the merchandises and have been making so for some clip, basking higher net income borders. This distinction is based on the many factors harmonizing to ( Obitz 2009 ) such as image distinction which allows for the trade name image to distinguish their merchandises in the market utilizing the company ‘s image. Support distinction is where the company provides the clients with convenient and advanced services such as shopping hours, price reductions, shop layout etc. Quality Differentiation is where the company differentiates its merchandises based on the quality. This has been achieved by proper trading which is controlled by the company, the attending to inside informations of the demands of the merchandises and invention. And in conclusion the design distinction where the importance is to maintain it different and advanced in the marke t.CompetencesThe nucleus competences of M & A ; S plc can be identified as: The trade name is known for quality. This is one of the chief competences, which provide them with extra value from their rivals. From the early yearss, the company has been able to concentrate and command the quality of the merchandises it sells in the shops, from design, production and distribution. This allows for the merchandises at their shops to be of the highest quality and design. The merchandises of the company are known for their value for money. Although they are more expensive than their rivals, they are able to maintain the monetary values at a degree that is justified by the quality they provide. This can be important when competition with rivals who provide lower cost merchandises. The trade name of the company has been present in the market for a long clip. Therefore it is good known by about everyone. Due to this, they can vie with new trade names that are non so good known in the market, and hence demands to pass more money in advertisement. The company ‘s direction has ever been a closely knit clump. The work civilization at the company, being closely related to the clients can intend that the client service is better. This is of import to supplying the clients with a great shop experience. Other rivals might non be able to supply the same degree of client satisfaction. The company has been spread outing and is present in many states, with many shops. The shops are able to supply entree to many clients. This is an advantage for the company, in contrast with some of their rivals who do n't hold such a immense planetary range.III. Type of alteration employed by M & A ; SChange direction is an of import portion of any organisation. ( Harrington 2006 ) argues that, clients demand betterment and alteration in merchandises invariably, maintaining up to which requires the changeless focal point of any company to guarantee they run into these demands in an effectual and efficient manner. In add-on to this, the gait of alteration is increasing as the population of the universe is increasing. While points out that there are two ways in which alteration can be done. There are different types of alteration. The writer ( Martin 2003 ) point out these alterations as: Incremental Change: This type of alteration is when the company makes alterations as the demand for them rises. The demand comes from the consumers and is met in a uninterrupted manner. To enable this sort of alteration it is of import for the people involved to do accurate Hells about the types and graduated table of the alteration that is required and meets all the demands. Measure Change: This type of alteration effects the full organisation, and involves doing important alterations in one or many countries within the organisation at one spell. The alterations have a Domino consequence, which means that alteration made in one portion normally causes alterations to other parts of the organisation. For illustration, the company can present a wholly new merchandise or service in the market, which would intend a important alteration from its yesteryear. Transformational alteration: This involves the complete alteration of one concern procedure or the full concern as a whole. This is a radical alteration, which means a wholly different set of individuality and process. The alteration is deep and involves everyone in the company. An illustration of this type of alteration is a amalgamation between two companies that provide the same services, to organize a new company ( like in the recent instance of two Bankss in Oman, unifying into one ) . The alterations made in M & A ; S have been fundamentally incremental. Throughout their history, they have been doing alterations on a regular footing as the demand presented itself. For illustration, when the demand in the market appeared for betterment in engineering use such as recognition cards, the company made those alterations. Even more, when the company was confronting challenges and concern from the investors, the top direction was changed to let them to run into the demands as a company. In times of alterations in the market, and client demand for better merchandises, the company introduced the trueness card strategies, recognition card strategies and such. It would non be incorrect to state that they have failed to even run into the incremental alteration demands. However, they have besides made some measure alterations. During the term of Philip Green as CEO, the company closed down many shop, acquired Per Una trade name, cancelled many nutrient merchandises, and restricted their direction to do it more efficient. These were important alterations that were introduced to better the company and caused the first growing in gross revenues since two old ages prior. The company has yet to do transformational alterations, and they are right in making so. One of the cardinal competences of the company is its trade name value, which has been a symbol of quality and invention. Changing this would do a important strain to its fiscal stableness and besides do it to be at a disadvantage in the competitory market.IV. DecisionM & A ; S plc has had to do important alterations in their history. Organizations have to do strategic alterations due to the many factors that can be defined utilizing models such as PESTEL and Porter ‘s five forces. These alterations have to be managed decently to be effectual. As such, companies take waies, as M & A ; S did, to supplying their merchandises and being competitory in the market. Furthermore they have made these alterations in an incremental and few in a transformational mode to run into the demands of the consumers. We have been able to analyse and understand strategic alteration direction. Change is necessary for any concern, and of import for any organisation to win.V. MentionsHarrington, HJ 2006, Change Management Excellence: The Art of Excelling in Change Management, Paton Press. Henry, A 2008, Understanding Strategic Management, Oxford University Press. Martin, V 2003, Leading Change in Health and Social Care, 1st edn, Routledge. Needle, D 2010, Business in Context: An Introduction to Business and Its Environment, 5th edn, South Western Educational Publishing. Obitz, C 2009, Supermarket distinction in the UK: A theoretical and empirical probe, Diplomica Verlag. Thomson, N & A ; Baden-Fuller, C 2010, Basic Strategy in Context: European text and instances, 1st edn, John Wiley & A ; Sons. Witcher, BJ & A ; Chau, VS 2010, Strategic Management: Principles and Practice, CL Business Press.

Decision-Making Model Paper - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3037 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Psychology Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Decision-Making Model Paper Life is full of decisions. Some of them are trivial, like for example: should I choose this newspaper or another? Which kind of dish should I choose from the menu? Other decisions are hard to evaluate and vital, like for example: should I put my private life first or I should privilege professional aspects, should I take this new job opportunity to relocate somewhere else? Some decisions can affect many people, others only yourself. An appropriate decision making plays a major role in the success of any business management. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Decision-Making Model Paper" essay for you Create order The success of the business and projects depends on the decision making quality of the management and leadership. Making good decisions is fundamental to obtain a good performance in organization. There are some decisions that can have huge consequences, which can change the organizational roles and the company operation processes. The daily choices that organizations have to take are always subject to variations, this is a continuous process of making reactions and consequences; a circle in which each person has a role. Without an appropriate and good decision making, leaders and managers are not able to achieve projects and business objectives. Good decision making is not an easy task for a manager, because there are many potential factors that can influence the decision making process, such as environmental, cultural, economic and physiological factors. One of the main impediments and barriers related to good decision making is the lack of information, because in decision makin g if a manager takes a decision based on an improper or insufficient data this can have an impact on the success of the decision. In addition, without having a proper information, managers are not able to take correct decisions. Moreover, due to lack of time and resources, managers are usually unable to collect appropriate and sufficient elements and this obviously contributes to make bad decisions. Lacking of availability of sufficient, reliable and proper information also implies an impact on managerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s decision making. Another factor that may affect decision making is when managers have poor ideas. This is an impediment in a decision making situation because on the basis of poor arguments, managers will not take good decisions. Ideas play a major role in decision making, as on the basis of different ideas of a given problem managers take decisions related to the situation. In addition, if the idea is wrong the probability of succeeding is very low. For example, if a manager is looking for improving the profit, but is only focusing on cost reduction and cut expenses, this wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t work as he would expect in optimizing resources utilization and improving production in order to achieve higher profit. So, without good ideas and better solutions, managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ decision making is not effective for the business. The five steps of the decision making process that should be identified when facing a problem are: define the problem, generate and evaluate alternatives, decide course of action, implement the decision and evaluate the results. In this essay Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to present two different decision-making approaches. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m also going to describe a decision that I made while working for a previous company using the five steps of the decision making process and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ m going to highlight how critical thinking had an impact on that decision. The following model is a decision-making sc hema that I applied to reach a decision. FRAMING Clarify purpose and boundaries of the decision Gather information Identify who is affected by the decision Identify who is in charge to make the decision (an individual or a group) Identify what experience or knowledge is needed to make the decision Determine what information or resources are available on decision making process topic Define by when the decision needs to be made Communicate to affected parties who is in charge for decision making and the reasons for it DECIDING Define how the decision will be approved (consensus, voting, etc.) Use appropriate tools that support data gathering (affinity diagram, how-how, interrelationship digraph, fishbone, flowcharts) Make the decision through ideas and data integration, negotiation and ideas prioritization Identify who (individual or group) will implement the decision COMMUNICATING Summarize the rationale for the decision Communicate the decision, why it was done and the reasons for it IMPLEMENTING Define the steps in implementing the decision including completion timeframes Define the method to report when something is done and who will get the report EVALUATING Identify the process for assessing impact of decision We can define critical thinking as, The general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims, to discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases, to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do. In other words, critical thinking consists in being able to look at information critically. It implies asking questions about the information presented and then analyzing the answers. It means using the answers to create new ideas, solve problems, and make decisions. Critical thinking is imperative to making sound decisions using a decision-making modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . This was an example of a quite simple decision that I had to take in occasion of company department restructuration, while working for the previous company. Top management decided to swap and merge a few d epartments that were reporting to several managers, this was done mainly to reduce staff costs and optimize project organization flows, as few roles and departments were overlapping. I was chosen as manager for supporting and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“redesigningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  the new staff reorganization. I decided then to proceed step by step: The first one was to get acquainted with my team, the second was to involve managers of the other departments to understand if the teams were optimally organized, team activities, head counts, ongoing projects, internal problems, workflows etc. At the end of my analysis I had to revert top management with my findings on team organization, about what could be done in order to increase team efficiency and productivity, and I had to provide my hints on how to rearrange them. I decided then to use decision-making model to determine and evaluate what needed to be done, and if any organizational changes should to be done, if opt to merge departments with o thers, if hire or fire people. As part of the model framing process, I knew that I had to take the decisions alone and that this would potentially impact the company structure and business. However, I wanted to get the input also from the other managers, since they were more knowledgeable regarding the strengths of each team member and they were familiar with the dynamics, which tend to arise when working in groups. I did not want to inform, or announce, any implementation or changes too quickly to avoid any kind of shock, like having to report to a new boss or being relocated somewhere else or fired. In the deciding phase I met each individual manager for a face-to-face coffee break. I had previously prepared a list of questions that I was going to ask them, which I would cover during our conversation. I shared that my goal was to get to know each of them deeply and find out something more about their team, their feelings and thoughts about company businesses and activities. I also encouraged them to ask questions, in their turn. I questioned them about their perception concerning their position in the group, their development plans, and I requested them what they would have changed about the group if they were top managers. I spent about a week in order to be able to gather all the information through this process. I found out that the staff was organized fairly well, with a few exceptions, and the teams were working on almost the same topics (different resources from different teams were working on same topics waste of time/resources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and this was happening mainly because teams were not communicating to each other, so people were not informed that they were working on the same projects). The overall outcome was anyway really good and I decided to make only two minor changes and a major one: I decided to move two teammates to different teams within the same group and to merge two teams in order to increase overall productivity and efficien cy and to establish weekly meetings among team managers to avoid any double activities and to let all of them share weekly updates and results. As part of the communication phase I referred my proposed changes to top management, that validated my decision and I shared rationale behind my organization changes with them. Changes were implemented while talking on a new project for the teams. I spoke with the impacted colleagues, communicating that I needed their specialized skill sets in their new groups. They showed to acknowledge the news well and they continued to be satisfied on their new teams. I went on keeping periodic one-to-one meetings with my staff and the other managers. During those meetings I had to assess the impact of my decisions. Another kind of decision that I had I had to take was about my career plan. I spent the last 2 years working within finance field and this has had a great impact in a lot of ways, both in my professional and private life. I have been able to create a pleasant environment with my colleagues and have appreciated my collaboration with the company. They used to say and believe that the fundamental aspect in your job activity to perceive a great passion on what you do and enjoy while doing it. I have been able to follow the advice and in fact I continue to improve myself in order to effectively perform my work. It isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t easy to cope with the responsibility linked to making decisions within a company. Moreover making the right decision becomes even more painful when your own feelings are involved. Being in charge of international teams, my work implies examination and supervision of the work done by my teammates, work with different people across different continents, cultures, religions and ways of thinking. The job is not easy to do because there are people who will take it personally when you control some aspects of their work and their quality results. There are people, who answer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“yes, I g ot ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , even if they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t understand. Being involved in a few project reviews that include wide and complex projects is a very hard situation to manage, as my role sometimes involves decisions that may not be in favor of team mates. Moreover, it is sometimes hard understand their enrollment and support to the project tasks or their participation in different project aspects. I cannot avoid being deeply concerned with the situation and with its possible consequences in other people lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, because they have a personal direct report line and they know me. I still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t manage to accept the fact that some people could do things against the company without following assigned tasks. There are of course also decisions that need a proper judgement like when choosing between personal life and your work. A practical example is when you are faced with the problem of refusing an assignment because there is a family matters to attend. It might be the case that you choose to be absent from work in order to take some time for yourself. One of the hardest decisions that I had to take in these two years was about issuing an end contract review to one of my teammates. Thus part of my responsibility is to interview new candidates that will join my team and to monitor their results. One of them has been diagnosed with a mental disease and this was a piece of information they used against her. During her apparent ship she didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t show any sign of her illness. In fact I had found her an efficient and effective collaborator, thanks to of her patience, intelligence, and as well as willingness on learning and improving her knowledge in the field. After three weeks, and in reason of my recommendation, to give her access to widen her learning experience within the company operativity, the Compliance Officer decided to introduce her in the operation team as junior assistant for a period of two months. D uring her training, I was informed by her line supervisor that she experienced sudden attack of hallucination. The news took me by surprise and deeply affected me because I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t suspect such a terrible truth. Human Resources wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t acquainted at all regarding her health problem and for this reason they were unable to communicate me the results of her background inquiries. I was asked by her line manager to conduct a thorough evaluation of her case and consequently to report my findings on her status to company top management. In reason of this insufficient investigation carried out by Human Resources, I found myself in the unpleasant situation of not knowing how to proceed on her present status with our HR Dept. Of course there is a labor law that has to be taken in consideration concerning company protection. Her school reports were good like her previous professional experience, but her disease generated doubts in me about her ability to perform her daily tasks and the impact of her illness on other co-workers. The decision has to be done before the apprentice ship period ends. Through assessment, I finally decided to recommend closing her contract with the company, because of the effect of her mental disease to the general team results, or like the impact that high workload and pressure will result on her disease. I had to set aside my empathy, in order to privilege the whole company. She couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t afford too much pressure on herself, she would have suffered much more and this might not be helpful for her case. The working environment within the company is extremely competitive, thus I continually check my results and evaluate to invest in further education. I trusted the management and I set aside too much of my private life for the company but unfortunately in the end I was deceived. This disappointment made me doubt about management effectiveness to support me in any further career development. As long as I love my job and colleagues I work with, I have to consider carefully all options and evaluate other future possible alternatives. My frustrations started when I requested the management to let me lead different team operations, in order to be able to concentrate on my academic studies and simultaneously experience new challenges, since operations are a very demanding area of the financial companies undertakings. Being a business oriented person, I feel the necessity to look for more challenges and as Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m already in IT management since more than 10 years it no longer provides me the challenges and motivations I need. I thus asked the management to relocate me to other areas aiming to improve my skills in other ways. Unfortunately the request was refused and I was kept in the same position. Furthermore, my supervisor, our Chief Financial Officer resigned and a good percentage of his workload was transferred to me, without even opting for a promotion. I performed his functions as additional to mine, so at the end my job was involving multi-tasking activities. In a practical thinking environment, I was expecting a career advance or promotion, but unfortunately my request was put aside for more than three months. As a consequence Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m unsatisfied with my current job position and, at the present moment while experiencing a serious doubt concerning the decision whether to stay or leave the group. Management choice not to support me in impeding me to pursue my education has been a great disappointment to me. I was unhappy with the way in which the Human Resources dept. managed the situation and left me no option but to resigned and abandon the company. The decision to continue to work for the same company is very difficult for me because I loved the job and the people. The company has been my second home, but in a professional perspective. I have the impression that I am no longer in the right place because I now experience discon tentment, which would greatly affect the quality of my work if I stayed. I have taken into considerations a lot of options and alternatives for my future. I have different sensations about my resignation, because in many ways I am afraid facing the many changes that this decision may lead to after resigning. These uncertain include dealing with new companies, new working context and groups or new bosses. Moreover the fact that I might not find a suitable job immediately has given me a frustrating feeling of inadequacy and incompetence. I have been working for years and now I realize that I could be forced to stay at home with nothing to do. This prospective frightens me a lot, because I cannot stand idleness, even for a short period of time. All of these uncurtains must be solved, otherwise I wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t realize that I can still get a lot of satisfaction from my business life. I am still young and there are so many open opportunities just waiting for me. Therefore, my dec ision has been taken: I am perfectly determined to accept à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“job-hunting challengeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  again. I believe in my skills and possibilities to pursue and find the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“dream jobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  I am looking for. Consciously or unconsciously, decisions are taken daily, at work or at home. These decisions can involve and affects individuals, groups, or families. The more crucial a decision is, the more it requires thorough evaluation and critical thinking, counterbalancing the positive and negative issues it could lead too. Having a global picture is always good as it will help to become a good manager and improve the ability to make good decisions. A decision-making model is a good process to obtain optimum decisions. References: Critical Thinking (Bassham Irwin, Nardone Wallace) https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072879599/student_view0/chapter1/glossary.html

Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa Essay - 1432 Words

Psychotherapy for Anorexia Nervosa What is anorexia? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected persons life including emotional health, physical health, and relationships with others (Shekter-Wolfson et al 5-6). A study completed in 1996 showed that anorexics also tend to possess traits that are obsessive in nature and carry heavy emotional†¦show more content†¦If the counselor possesses a firm, understanding perspective, the client will more likely open up and share issues with the advisor. As long as the interviewer knows that the symptoms expressed by the client are due to the eating disorder itself (in this case starvation), the counselo r can grasp the problem in a tight manner. Other issues discussed between the interviewer and the client include past history of emotional disturbance, past medical history, family history, current family situation, family eating patterns, family attitudes about weight, and other personal history. Another important criterion that must be addressed is the presence or absence of past or present physical or sexual abuse because this is a significant determinant of a person possessing an eating disorder (Shekter-Wolfson et al 13). Treatment The first step in the treatment of anorexia is to aid the client in adapting a more standardized eating pattern. A dietitian may intervene at this point to assist the affected person to adopt more healthy eating behaviors. The counselors role is to gradually help the client begin to adopt a more normal eating style (Shekter-Wolfson et al 13). In all cases, however, there are six goals of any treatment process: 1) To treat the medical complications 2) To revive a normal state of eating 3) To provide guidance on nutrition and exercise 4) To alter distorted views through CBTShow MoreRelatedAnorexia Nervosa Is The Highest Mortality Rate Of All Mental Illnesses909 Words   |  4 PagesAnorexia nervosa is often misunderstood, and it is not a life style that people choose to have. Eating disorders are a serious illness. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Four out of ten people in the national survey reported that they either suffered or knew someone who had suffered from an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where the person does not eat or maintain a normal body weight, in order to have a skinny body (DSM-V). Most women areRead MoreEating Disorders Research Paper1148 Words   |  5 Pagestreatments and which ones better support for example anorexia nervosa in adult women. For specifically eating disorders a psychotherapy approach to treatment is primarily successful. According to the NEDA there are many â€Å"paths† that can be taken when choosing a psyc hotherapy program, but the therapies can be broken down into sections: family, non-family oriented, action, thought based, and most importantly evidence-based. Family based psychotherapies, such as Conjoint Family Therapy, focus on the familyRead MoreCauses Of Anorexia Nervosa1344 Words   |  6 PagesGiven that anorexia nervosa is associated with high rates of mortality, relapse, suicide, and a diminished quality of life, long-term prognosis does look very tragic, with recovery rates ranging from 25-70% (Guarda, 2008). The extant of anorexia nervosa long-term outcome studies have reported, â€Å"only one-third of individuals (37%) recover within 4 years after disease onset; this figure rises to almost half (47%) by year 10 and to 73% after 10 years post onset† (Zerwas et al., 2013). These statisticsRead MoreEating Disorders And Their Effects On Victims Of Them1281 Words   |  6 Pageswill be discussed in this essay, the first one being discussed is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is defined as an eating disorder in which people suffer an obsession over their weight and body image, resulting in self-starvation and exaggerated weight loss. Many suffering with anorexia severely restricted the types and amount of food they eat, and often view their underweight bodies as overweight. There are many causes of anorexia as a result of both biological and environmental factors. SomeRead MoreEssay Bulimia Nervosa1311 Words   |  6 PagesBULIMIA NERVOSA 307.51 (F50.2) Introduction Individuals diagnosed with bulimia nervosa undertake frequent binge eating, followed by expelling the food, typically by inducing vomiting, but also through exercising and the use of laxative agents, diuretics, and enemas (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The binge eating occurrences are often prompted by a negative perception of one’s body image, temporarily alleviated by the binge eating episode. Since the individual with bulimia nervosa is overanxiousRead MoreTaking a Look at Eating Disorders1708 Words   |  7 Pagesmental as well as physical health. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common types. Others are binge eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Classification: †¢ Anorexia nervosa (AN), †¢ Bulimia nervosa (BN), †¢ Eating disorders not otherwise specified †¢ Binge eating disorder (BED) or compulsive overeating, †¢ Pica The two most common types, Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are described below: Anorexia Nervosa: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorderRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa: Etiology, Treatment, and Related Information1871 Words   |  8 Pagesto discuss several basic topics regarding anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is and eating disorder with an incredibly high mortality rate characterized by low body weight and an obsessive fear of becoming overweight that occurs primarily in females after puberty, yet before the age of 40 years. Unfortunately, Not much is known about the causes of anorexia nervosa, but possible correlations are blood relation to a person suffering from anorexia nervosa, those who have recently experienced a stressfulRead MoreEssay on Anorexia1228 Words   |  5 Pages quot;Anorexia Nervosaquot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Bizarre, devastating, and baffling are three words that describe the anorexia nervosa disease. By definition, anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a normal-weight person diets and becomes significantly underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continue to starve themselves. The term quot;anorexia nervosaquot; literally means nervous lose of appetite. People with the disorder are suppressing a strong desire to eat, because they areRead MoreThe Effects Of Anorexia Nervosa On The Human Body1406 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects of Anorexia Nervosa On the Human Body Anorexia is a lack or loss of appetite for food as a medical condition and is also considered an emotional disorder categorized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. Anorexia is found in all people, male and female of any age and in some cases can be life threatening. The reason Anorexia and all eating disorders in general are important to study is because they are a significant part of society. Eating disorders also hold theRead MoreBackground History of Anorexia Nervosa1452 Words   |  6 PagesHISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA Anorexia nervosa’s (AN) first descriptions began during the twelfth and thirteenth century with the historical Saint Catherine of Siena (Deans, 2011). It is related to participating in religious functions and medieval practices of self-starvation (Deans, 2011). Furthermore, the death of popular singer, Karen Carpenter in 1983 created the societal awareness about the effect of anorexia nervosa and become widely known at the end of the twentieth century (Rader

The Innovator s Dna That Make People More Innovative

Introduction For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading The Innovator’s DNA. I was a little hesitant at first because the title alone says that it will be talking about being innovative. I didn’t really think I had an innovative bone in my body. The introduction and chapter one of the book tells us though that innovation can be practiced. The one thing that caught my attention is that the authors have been experimenting for years about finding out about what makes people innovative. The book gives us five â€Å"discovery skills† that make people more innovative. The discovery skills in the book are association, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting. This paper will be my personal action plan on how I am going to practice†¦show more content†¦Throughout the time I was reading this book, I learned that in order to practice with my discovery skills, I must diversify myself. So when I was thinking of a way that I could diversify myself while active ly observing, I thought of a few plans that I could follow through with. The first thing I am going to do in order to be an active observer is to try to observe something that I do not know anything about. As mentioned in the quote above, when you observe different things properly, you start to connect things. I have decided that I am going to start to try to become competent in something that is not business related. I have an Associates’ degree in business management and a Bachelor’s degree in business management. I also am going for my Master’s in business administration. I think it is safe to say that I am learning a lot about business. To become competent in something other than business, I plan to start off by buying a book unrelated to business and read that book in my spare time. I was thinking that I would buy a book that has to do with computers. I understand the basics of a computer because I have taken a college level computer class. I want to become competent in programming so that maybe I could make connections between b usiness and technology. The authors of The Innovator’s DNA use the founder of Salesforce.com as a great example of somebody who mixed his knowledge of technology and

Aesthetic Leadership in Clinical Nursing †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Aesthetic Leadership in Clinical Nursing. Answer: Introduction: Clinical leadership has been considered essential to client/ patient outcomes across all clinical settings (Ennis, Happell Reid?Searl, 2015). Transformational leadership has emerged as a dominant leadership style in the modern world. In recent times, the theory of congruent leadership has occupied the position for explaining clinical leadership in nursing. Due to the difficulties faced by the modern organizations, only one leadership style cannot be followed, irrespective of the situation (Porter-O'Grady, 2015). It is also evident that with the complexities of modern organizations, one specific leadership style cannot be the only model followed, regardless of the situation. For the purpose of overcoming the limitations of leadership models, aesthetic leadership is projected as the leadership style that does not oppose congruent leadership and transformational leadership model and reflects the validity of aesthetics and art to nursing (Mannix, Wilkes Daly, 2015). The requirement for more operative clinical leadership necessitates the review of leadership theories and frameworks that significantly influences the contemporary clinical leadership in nursing along with the availability of alternative leadership styles for consideration. The ontological and epistemological validity of art and aesthetics to the practices of nursing have been recognized by the nurses and therefore, aesthetic leadership can be considered for the purpose of addressing the failings reported in leadership in the world of clinical practice. The theory of aesthetic leadership is increasingly gaining power in the leadership studies but it is still not given enough importance in the context of clinical leadership in nursing. In the modern era, the nursing discourse is dominated by transformational leadership as the favored leadership model. Other leadership frameworks and theories such as authentic leadership, servant leadership, leadership practices, transactional leadership and situational leadership are applicable to the clinical setting to some extend but are not particular to clinical leadership. However, congruent theory is specific to clinical leadership and nursing (Stanley, Blanchard, Hohol, Hutton McDonald, 2017). The non- charismatic leadership theories such as charismatic leadership and transformational leadership operate with the intent of creating awareness and acceptance among the followers regarding the missions and goals of organization. The focus of transformational leadership is on the individuals and relationships. It also encourages the leaders to be visionary which in turn will enable them to inspire and empower others for sharing that vision with the help of effective communication. The leaders must possess personal and social emotional intelligence capabilities along with ethical behavior and capability of challenging the status quo for facilitating change in order to ensure effective transformational leadership (Hutchinson Jackson, 2013). The transformational leadership style supports increased organizational commitment, higher job satisfaction amongst the nurses, reduced workplace conflict, improved role clarity and reduced anxiety levels, emotional exhaustion and stress amid staff. Situational leadership model gave rise to congruent leadership which is well-known to take place when the use of a suitable business leadership style is made after gaining understanding of the aspects of followers, leaders and the setting (Fink-Samnick, 2017). The congruent leadership theory is more aligned with the authentic leadership and provides the means by which beliefs and values regarding nursing and care are imitated in the actions and activities of a clinical leader. Effective communication and interpersonal skills are required by the congruent leaders with respect to the emotional intelligence capabilities. It is argued that congruent leadership delivers a comprehensive base for clinical leaders. This is due to the fact that core values of nursing profession are reflected by congruent leadership and its main consideration is patient focused care (Harris, Bennett Ross, 2014). However, congruent and transformational leadership suffers from some limitations. When leadership is considered in context of clinical nursing, a variety of issues can arise for the clinical leaders while implementing transformational leadership style. For the development of clinical leaders in nursing, transformational leadership is not considered appropriate. Instead, congruent leadership theory is proposed for clinical leadership as the limitations identified in this context are irrelevant to clinical workplace. Aesthetic leadership is considered among the proven leadership theories that place emphasis on the followers and their opinions regarding qualities of the leader in follower-leader dyad. Aesthetic leaders emerge from the viewpoint of their colleagues and are not self- appointed (Block, 2014). In other words, aesthetic leadership takes into account the views of followers regarding the leadership qualities of leaders (Mannix, Wilkes Daly, 2015). It is considered to be focused on moral behaviors and is value- oriented. It is a manner of facilitating flow between administration, management and aesthetics fields in organizations where all such fields are provided equal importance. Aesthetic leader is regarded as the leader who possesses knowledge, known as tacit knowledge that bear a resemblance to aesthetic / sensory knowing and is obtained from profound experience that provides a logical explanation. Aesthetic leaders need to have the qualities of effective relational leaders particula rly at the time of negotiating with and between administrators and managers in an organization (Daas, 2015). They should take into account the management theories for the motivation of their followers along with systems theory approach to management which will allow interaction between people and the organization. Modern organizations suffer from a variety of complexities and therefore one specific leadership style cannot be followed, irrespective of the situation. In the culture and context of the clinical nursing world, aesthetic leadership is the leadership style that has the capability of supporting the effectiveness of clinical leaders specifically with the identification of the importance and relevance of art and aesthetics to nursing practice (Styron Styron, 2017). The significance of relationships in the follower- leader dyad has been recognized by all the three leadership models. As a model of leadership, aesthetic leadership does not oppose congruent leadership and transformational leadership and has the capability of overpowering some of the limitations of these leadership models. More balanced and holistic view of the follower- leader dyad is provided by aesthetic leadership with the help of its follower centric position. Clinical nursing suffers from the dominance of transformational leadership and still the requirement of effective clinical leadership is witnessed which means that the place of transformational leadership in the world of clinical practice needs reframing. Reframing of the place of transformational leadership does not imply discarding it as a valuable model of leadership. Instead of this, aesthetic processes and aesthetic leadership will be utilized for the purpose of overcoming the limitations of transformational leadership as a clinical leadership model (Marshall Broome, 2016). The aesthetic processes are emerged from symbolic, embodied and sensual elements that are shaped from the experiences and cultural perspective of an individual and its incorporation would minimize the moral and cultural limitations of transformational leadership style (Fischer, 2016). The centrality of the beliefs and values of a leader in congruent leadership theory is compatible with the focus on leaders t hat show a strong moral compass in aesthetic leadership. For the purpose of becoming a clinical leader expert, the consideration of central ideas around the beliefs and visible leader values of congruent leadership theory should be made (Ennis, Happell Reid?Searl, 2015). For example, in the context of mental health, nursing leadership is changed as a result of the deinstitutionalization of care for individuals with problems in mental health. This leads to the expansion of specialist roles like clinical nurse specialists and consultant nurses. Higher levels of skills are required by the clinicians who occupy such positions for the purpose of managing the challenging clinical situations. Such expertise can benefit from the professional maturity and aesthetic knowledge. As a result, the way in which flow of administration, management and aesthetic fields engaged in the distribution of mental health facilities is facilitated by aesthetic leadership, various benefits can be obtained by clinical leaders. Therefore, it can be concluded that leadership is a complex process which involves actions that are required to be interpreted subjectively and are affected by the forms of communication and politics. In the world of clinical nursing, it is evident that a single leadership style is not suitable for all contexts. The practices related to clinical nursing suffer from various complexities and therefore the requirement of an approach arises that is capable of maximizing the probability for progressive results for those charged with administering nursing care along with the receivers of that care. By way of considering aesthetic leadership for clinical leaders, the limitations of congruent leadership and transformational leadership could be reduced. The embracement of aesthetic leadership as an applicable leadership model creates the probability of incorporating aesthetics and art into clinical leadership and recognizing the ways in which the expert clinical leader is different from other leaders in clinical nursing. References Block, B. A. (2014). Leadership: A supercomplex phenomenon.Quest,66(2), 233-246. Daas, M. (2015). Leading with Aesthetics: The Transformational Leadership of Charles M. Vest at MIT. Lexington Books. Ennis, G., Happell, B., Reid?Searl, K. (2015). Clinical leadership in mental health nursing: The importance of a calm and confident approach. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 51(1), 57-62. Ennis, G., Happell, B., Reid?Searl, K. (2015). Clinical leadership in mental health nursing: The importance of a calm and confident approach.Perspectives in psychiatric care,51(1), 57-62. Fink-Samnick, E. (2017). The New Age of Bullying and Violence in Health Care: Part 3. Professional case management,22(6), 260-274. Fischer, S. A. (2016). Transformational leadership in nursing: a concept analysis.Journal of advanced nursing,72(11), 2644-2653. Harris, R., Bennett, J., Ross, F. (2014). Leadership and innovation in nursing seen through a historical lens.Journal of advanced nursing,70(7), 1629-1638. Hutchinson, M., Jackson, D. (2013). Transformational leadership in nursing: towards a more critical interpretation. Nursing inquiry, 20(1), 11-22. Mannix, J., Wilkes, L. Daly, J. (2015). Aesthetic Leadership: Its place in the clinical world. Mental Health Nursing. Retrieved March 28, 2018 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278737867_Aesthetic_Leadership_Its_Place_in_the_Clinical_Nursing_World Mannix, J., Wilkes, L., Daly, J. (2015). Good ethics and moral standing: a qualitative study of aesthetic leadership in clinical nursing practice.Journal of clinical nursing,24(11-12), 1603-1610. Marshall, E. S. Broome, M. E. (2016). Transformational Leadership in Nursing, Second Edition: From Expert Clinician to Influential Leader. Springer Publishing Company. Porter-O'Grady, T. (2015).Leadership in nursing practice. Jones Bartlett Publishers. Stanley, D. (2016). Clinical Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare: Values into Action. John Wiley Sons. Stanley, D., Blanchard, D., Hohol, A., Hutton, M., McDonald, A. (2017). Health professionals perceptions of clinical leadership. A pilot study.Cogent Medicine,4(1), 1321193. Styron, R. A. Styron, J. L. (2017). Comprehensive Problem-Solving and Skill Development for Next-Generation Leaders. IGI Global.

Reliability of the bible

The Bible is not just one book, but rather is a collection of many books that are historical, prayer, poems, epistles, prophecies and other kinds of books which were written by different authors. All these books are interrelated and they are compiled together to form the Bible which has one principal message of redemption of the human race.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Reliability of the bible specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Skeptics, agnostics and atheists have for a long time challenged the reliability of the Bible while trying to undermine its message and Christianity in general. Over time however, there has been the emergence of numerous apologists who have defended the bible’s reliability against the objections presented by these skeptics, agnostics and atheists. This paper seeks to explain the reliability of the Bible based on the questions raised by those challenging its reliability. Am ong the questions raised are: The reliability of the oral tradition on the basis of which the New Testament was written The ancient Jews had their customs, teachings and practices handed down from generation to generation by oral traditions and great emphasis was placed on accuracy and reliability. Jewish children would be introduced to oral material at an early age which would then be perfected all their lives hence ensuring accuracy and attention to detail. Those challenging the Bible argue that individuals were prone to forgetting and bias that would have distorted the original information2. However, the same information was taught to the community in general hence safeguarding it against faulty transfer to subsequent generations, as it is highly unlikely that the entire community would forget or exhibit the same bias. The authors of the Bible were also inspired by God and though they were allowed to write on their own personalities and view of events, they were guided by their b elief and the Holy Spirit rather than their own perceptions on the validity of the information. Their personalities in this case were evidenced where people like Isaiah wrote with a powerful literary style, medical over tones in the case of Luke, while Jeremiah wrote with a mournful tone. John on the other hand took a simple approach to his writing.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This ensured that though the Bible was written by different individuals, living in different times and coming from all walks of lives and classes, its message was consistent all through the whole text. It has continuity as there are similarities and relations between the different books. The bias of the gospel writers with theological motives Contrary to popular belief, people do not always distort history just because the author is giving an account of something he or she passionately beli eves in. Though everyone has a point of view, it doesn’t mean that the analysis of as a particular event is that people’s witness is expressed according to their point of view. In resent history the most accurate and reliable reports on events such as the holocaust were provided by the victims who were mainly Jews without being influenced by their views on the genocide3. The New Testament is mainly made of eyewitness reports on events and some of the writers actually gave up their lives so as to defend the truth that they had witnessed. They also included events that were quite embarrassing which rules out any bias that they could have had since they could have included flattering stories about their lives. Availability of archaeological evidence It is evident that a number of non-believers have questioned the authenticity of the Bible in which they have raised alarm as to whether the events that are recorded in the Bible have been archaeologically proven. In order tha t this question raised by these atheists can be answered well, it is paramount that the term archeology is understood with reference to the study. Archeology study refers to the study of things that were developed and used in the past by the early man. Therefore, this study aims at providing archaeological evidence that is meant to prove that the events recorded in the Holy Scripture are true. All the events in the Bible have been accurately and articulately proven so that the information contained in this book is reliable. Many archaeologists both Christians and non-Christians have set sort to put the matter to rest and this has proved and verified the information in the Bible over and over again.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Reliability of the bible specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the verification explanations that have been relayed by the archaeologists is the existence of the customs that were practiced by the people in the Bible and are still being practiced to date. There are places mentioned in the Bible and they exist today, names and events all have occurrences that have been dated. It should be noted that to date more than 25,000 sites have been discovered as they have been narrated in the Bible thus depicting the exactitude of the voluminous accounts narrated in the Bible. An example of archaeological evidence that has been discovered thus proving the reliability of the Bible is evidence of the Hittites community in the Bible. It is evident that many atheists had taken this account hostage as the basis of grounding their criticism, but archeological digs have been made and they uncovered the existence of the Hittites thus silencing the critics. Lack of extra biblical support Atheists have impelled that the Bible lacks references that would otherwise authenticate its legitimacy. They have greatly faulted the Bible as having failed to show conclusive evidence t hat is expected to prove that Christ lives and that all the accounts narrated about him are true. In order that this query could be resolved and the existence of Christ be authenticated, Christians have quoted a number of Christian and non-Christian extra biblical references that have set the record straight in authenticating the reliability of the Bible. One of the considerations that has been used to clarify existence of Christ in the Bible was the writing made by Clement. Clement was a prominent figure in early church in Rome and at one juncture in his writing as recorded in the book of Corinthians he cites quotes from the book of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is in this writing that he introduces those quotes as the true words of Jesus. Reasons for the accurate transmission of biblical information through the centuries The reliability of the Bible has been questioned by atheists in which they uttered that the biblical manuscripts that exist should not be trusted as there is a possi bility of them being delusional imagination of human beings. To counter this proposition there are manuscripts of the Bible that have overwhelmingly approved the reliability of the Bible as the Holy Scripture.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident that there are over 5600 partial and complete copies of the New Testament manuscripts of ancient nature. These manuscripts have been preserved and can be inspected to prove their authenticity. An example of the manuscripts includes the Chester Beatty papyrus manuscript that dates back to the third century A.D. This manuscript contains four gospels and the book of Acts. The magnitude of the evidence that has been collected to prove that the Bible can be relied on and thus sets a deathblow to the atheists who have constantly questioned the sources of the Bible and the evidence that supports its contents. The availability of variants in the Bible manuscript The magnitude of the biblical manuscripts has made atheists to raise questions on the reliability of the Bible. This happens because there are over 200,000 variants that have arisen in analyzing the contents of the manuscripts. To counter this falsehood, Christians who hold the Bible as the Holy Scripture have watered down this allegation. They have conceded that for sure there are over 200,000 variants that have arisen from the manuscripts. They hold that, despite this figure seemingly so high, for a levelheaded person this figure is negligible if they had been in a position to study the manuscripts. In a nutshell the evidence highlighted from the manuscripts is incredibly accurate and it holds that the manuscripts are technically accurate in narrating the accounts recorded in the New Testament as they had taken place during the time of Jesus and the early church. Therefore, Christians holds that the manuscripts should be trusted absolutely. In order that Christians could have down played the high figures of the variants that had arisen from a close analysis of the manuscripts, they have cited a number of things that could have contributed to the increase in variants that have been identified in the Bible. For instance, if a single word is misspelled in around 2000 manuscripts these results in 2 000 variants and this alone undermines the severity of the variant’s problem. Therefore, based on the example given above, Christians have legitimately held that over 99% of the variants that have identified in the manuscripts are of zero significance. It would not be prudent if any one justifies their criticism of the Bible based on this premises. This is not applicable because many of the variants have arisen either from the misspelling of a word or missing of a particular letter in the word. In order that Christians can justify the reliability of the Bible, they have tabulated all the variants that have arisen and when all the variants that had been identified were put in the table only 40 of the 200,000 were identified as of having real significance. It should however, be noted that none of the variants juxtaposes any of the paramount Christian doctrines or moral standards as they are spelt out in the Holy Scripture. Books that belong to the scriptural cannon Atheists hav e stated that no one can for sure acclaim that this or that book in the Bible certainly was inspired by God. To ascertain their belief they had cited the books of Jude, James, Peter, Hebrews and John as having been doubted once as being the inspired books of the Holy Scripture. To answer this proposition held by the non-believers, Christians have explained exhaustively on the criterion that was applied in discerning which book would be included in the Bible as the only God inspired books. It is evident that all books in the New Testament were subject to a five question canonical test4. The questions that were asked were: firstly, discerning whether the book had been written by a prophet or an apostle who was a believer of God. Secondly, discerning whether the message relied in the book was authoritative. Thirdly, was discerning whether the book in question relayed the message of God and aligns itself along the doctrines that had already been revealed. Fourthly was whether the book e vidently portrayed as having power of God as any inspired book would have to exhibit the trans-formative power of God to all the readers. Lastly, they sort to discern whether the book had been wholeheartedly accepted by the people of God. It is, therefore, prudent to conclude that God determined the canon and all the books that were written by the prophets and the apostles inspired by God are for sure the work of the Holy Scripture. This finding thus deflates the proposition that is held by atheists that some of the books in the Bible are not canonicals. It is evident that the oral traditions in the Bible are reliable as Christians have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that it was God’s will to have all His revelation written down as they took placed under the inspiration of the holy spirit. Both the old and the new testaments are the true cannons and they cannot be discredited by prejudicial or dissatisfied non-believers who do not have the underlying facts that form the f oundation of Christian faith. Bibliography Albright, William Foxwell. Archaeology and the Religions of Israel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. Glueck, Nelson. Rivers in the Desert: History of Negev. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. 1998. Ramm, Benard. Can I Trust My Old Testament? The Kings Business. New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1992. Rhodes, Ron. Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics. Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2006. Footnotes 1 Albright, William Foxwell. 2007. Archaeology and the Religions of Israel. 2 Glueck, Nelson. 1998.Rivers in the Desert: History of Negev. 3 Benard, Ramm. 1992. Can I Trust My Old Testament? The Kings Business. 4 Ron, Rhodes. 2006. Answering the Objections of Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics. This research paper on Reliability of the bible was written and submitted by user Jordan Jefferson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.