From Strategy to Business Essay Example for Free

From Strategy to Business Essay Strategy scholars have used the notion of the Business Model to refer to the ‘logic of the firm’ e how it operates and creates value for its stakeholders. On the surface, this notion appears to be similar to that of strategy. We present a conceptual framework to separate and relate the concepts of strategy and business model: a business model, we argue, is a reflection of the firm’s realized strategy. We find that in simple competitive situations there is a one-to-one mapping between strategy and business model, which makes it difficult to separate the two notions. We show that the concepts of strategy and business model differ when there are important contingencies on which a well-designed strategy must be based. Our framework also delivers a clear distinction between strategy and tactics, made possible because strategy and business model are different constructs. Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Introduction The ï ¬ eld of strategy has evolved substantially in the past twenty-ï ¬ ve years. Firms have learned to analyze their competitive environment, deï ¬ ne their position, develop competitive and corporate advantages, and understand better how to sustain advantage in the face of competitive challenges and threats. Different approaches including industrial organization theory, the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities and game theory have helped academicians and practitioners understand the dynamics of competition and develop recommendations about how ï ¬ rms should deï ¬ ne their competitive and corporate strategies. But drivers such as globalization, deregulation and technological change (to mention only a few) are profoundly changing the competitive game. Scholars and practitioners agree that the fastest growing ï ¬ rms in this new environment appear to be those that have taken advantage of  these structural changes to innovate in their business models so they can compete ‘differently’. IBM’s Global CEO Studies for 2006 and 2008, for example, show that top management in a broad range of industries are actively seeking guidance on how to innovate in their business models to improve their ability to both create and capture value.1 In addition to the business model innovation drivers noted above, much recent interest has come from two other environmental shifts. Advances in ICT have been a major force behind the recent 0024-6301/$ see front matter.interest in business model innovation. Many e-businesses are based on new business models e Shafer, Smith and Linder ï ¬ nd that eight of the twelve recent business model deï ¬ nitions they present relate to e-business.2 New strategies for the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ in emerging markets have also steered researchers and practitioners towards the systematic study of business models. Academicians working in this area agree that ï ¬ rms need to develop novel business models to be effective in such speciï ¬ c and challenging environments (see work by Thompson and MacMillan, as well as by Yunus et al. in this issue), and socially motivated enterprises constitute a second important source of recent business model innovations. Advances in ICT and the demands of socially motivated enterprises constitute important sources of recent business model innovations. While it has become uncontroversial to argue that managers must have a good understanding of how business models work if their organizations are to thrive, the academic community has only offered early insights on the issue to date, and there is (as yet) no agreement as to the distinctive features of superior business models. We believe this is partly because of a lack of a clear distinction between the notions of strategy, business models and tactics, and the purpose of this article is to contribute to this literature by presenting an integrative framework to distinguish and relate these three concepts. Put succinctly:  Business Model refers to the logic of the ï ¬ rm, the way it operates and how it creates value for its stakeholders; and  Strategy refers to the choice of business model through which the ï ¬ rm will compete in the marketplace; while  Tactics refers to the residual choices open to a ï ¬ rm by virtue of the business model it chooses to employ. To integrate these three concepts, we introduce a generic two-stage competitive process framework, as depicted in Figure 1. In the ï ¬ rst stage, ï ¬ rms choose a ‘logic of value creation and value capture’ (i.e., choose their business model), and in the second, make tactical choices guided by their goals (which, in most cases, entail some form of stakeholder value maximization). Figure 1 thus presents our organizing framework: the object of strategy is the choice of business model, and the business model employed determines the tactics available to the ï ¬ rm to compete against, or cooperate with, other ï ¬ rms in the marketplace. The article is organized as follows. In the next section we deï ¬ ne and discuss the notion of business models and present a tool to represent them, while the following section considers the stage two ‘choice’ in our framework, presenting and discussing the notion of tactics in relation to that of business model. The following section then moves back to examine the ï ¬ rst e strategy e stage, after which we revisit our process framework to integrate the three notions. We discuss the connection between strategy and business model, arguing that both notions can be clearly separated. A detailed example is developed in the following stage, followed by some concluding remarks. Business models Although the expression ‘business model’ has gained in prominence only in the last decade, the term has been part of the business jargon for a long time, its origins going back to the writings of Peter Drucker. Although (as Markides points out) there is no widely accepted deï ¬ nition, Magretta deï ¬ nes business models as ‘stories that explain how enterprises work’, and follows Drucker in deï ¬ ning ‘a good business model’ as the one that provides answers to the following questions: ‘Who is the customer and what does the costumer value?’ and ‘What is the underlying economic logic that explains how we can deliver value to customers at an appropriate cost?’ While not formal, her implicit idea is that a business model is about how an organization earns money by addressing these two fundamental issues e how it identiï ¬ es and creates value for customers, and how it captures some of this value as its proï ¬ t in the process. Amit and Zott’s deï ¬ nition, in contrast, is less broad (as it focuses on e-businesses) but more precise. Reviewing the contributions of several theories including virtual markets, Schumpeterian innovation, value chain analysis, the resource-based view of the ï ¬ rm, dynamic capabilities,  transaction cost economics and strategic networks they point out that each contributes elements to the notion, but that none, by itself, explains business models completely. They analyze a sample of U.S. and European e-business models to highlight the drivers of value creation, and present the following integrative deï ¬ nition: ‘A business model depicts the content, structure, and governance of transactions designed so as to create value through the exploitation of business opportunities.’ The content of a transaction refers to the goods or information exchanged, as well as to resources and capabilities required; the structure refers to the parties that participate, their links, and the way they choose to operate, and governance refers to the way ï ¬â€šows of information, resources and goods are controlled by the relevant parties, the legal form of organization, and the incentives to the participants.5 In this issue, they build on this deï ¬ nition to propose an ‘activity system perspective’ for the design of business models, arguing that activity systems capture the essence of business models and proposing two sets of aspects for designers to consider: design elements (content, structure and governance) that describe the activity system’s architecture, and design themes (novelty, lock-in, complementarities, and efï ¬ ciency) that describe its sources of value creation. The common thread across all of these approximations to the notion of busin ess model is well captured by BadenFuller, MacMillan, Demil and Lecocq in their deï ¬ nition ‘the logic of the ï ¬ rm, the way it operates and how it creates value for its stakeholders’, and we adopt their deï ¬ nition as the starting point for our argument. To make progress toward understanding business models, we ï ¬ nd it helpful to use the analogy of a machine e by which we mean a mechanical device that transmits energy to perform tasks. (Of course, real organizations are different from machines in many important respects, but the comparison is helpful, especially to our thinking in contrasting the notions of strategy and business models.) Any given machine has a particular logic of operation (the way the different components are assembled and relate to one another), and operates in a particular way to create value for its user. To be more concrete, different automobile designs have different speciï ¬ c logics of operation conventional engines operate quite differently from hybrids, and  standard transmissions from automatics and create different value for their ‘stakeholders,’ the drivers. Some may prefer a small car that allows them to navigate congested city streets easily, while others may prefer a large SUV with a powerful engine to enjoy the countryside to the fullest. Automobiles are made of parts wheels, engines, seats, electronics, windshields, and the like. To assess how well a particular automobile works or to create a new one one must consider its components and how they relate to one another, just as, to better understand business models, one needs to understand their component parts and their relationships. (We return to this analogy during the paper: readers will gain more value from it if they understand the design and building of the car as representing strategy; the car itself as the business model; and the driving of the car as the available set of tactics.)

The Fear Of Sex Offenders Criminology Essay

The Fear Of Sex Offenders Criminology Essay In previous years, the fear of sex offenders has led the public to believe a fallacy regarding sex offender treatment. The public often start to view anyone who commits a sexual offence to be a high risk sex offender. Society need to understand that some sex offenders are low risk offenders who are very unlikely to reoffend again. The public will easily say sex offenders should be thrown in prison and never let out again however this is an inefficient way in helping offenders to stop committing crime. Crime overall is a major problem around the world and a controversial debate that often brings up more questions than it answers. Explaining these criminal behaviours has become more complex as researchers have become aware that crime is a more complicated and confusing situation than they have previously recognized (Burke,2005). This essay is intended to dispel the myth of the untreatable sex offender. In addition it will also cover and provide conclusive evidence from programmes that sex offender treatment is not only possible but to a large extent is successful in reducing the recidivism of sex offenders. Before this is examined, this paper will briefly define what a sex offender is, what derives people to become one and how the government has tried to prevent sex delinquents from re-offending. A sex offender is a person who has committed a sexual crime, an act which is prohibited by the jurisdiction. What constitutes a sex offence or normal and abnormal sexual behaviour varies over time and place (Pakes Winstone, 2007). Every country has a different perspective on sexual crimes which makes their legislation vary; even the age of consent to a sexual act is a culturally based construction. The age of consent median seems to range from 16 to 18 years, but laws stating ages ranging from 9 to 21 do exist. This means that in some countries sexual activity is illegal and in some it is legal. Many people tend to think sexual offending mainly relates to adult rape or child molestation (Pakes Winstones, 2007), but there are many other types of sex crimes such as lust murder, internet grooming, sexual harassment, incest, etc. It is very difficult to distinguish the difference between sex offenders with non-offenders. It is presumed that many sex offenders have various sexual abnormal fantasies or an unusual high sex drive (Elsevier, 2007-PRINTOUT). People tend to believe most sexual offences are committed by strangers but the truth is most victims know their attacker and also they are not any different to normal people (CSOM). Most sex offenders are not mentally ill as shown in this article Fewer than 5% of people who commit a sexual offence suffer from a psychotic mental illness (Nota). Many theories try to explain why people commit sexual offences. Since sexual deviance takes several forms, no single theory maybe adequate to account for all aspects (Blackburn, 1993), Ellis (1989) identifies two major theories which will underline the most common approaches to as why a person may want to become a sex offender. Social learning theory suggests people learn and get exposed to certain things in life in which the person start to believe it is the right way to live life. This theory focuses on childhood experiences, especially within the family by either getting victimised by an adult at home or by getting exposure to pornography at a young age. This experience might lead them to being insecure and make them want to be in power instead of being the one subjected. The second theory Ellis supports is the Evolutionary theory which can also be known as the biological theory. This theory connects with genetics and male aggression. There is lacking evidence to support any theor y. Getting victimized by a sex offender can be very traumatising and psychologically damaging. The public and media seem to only worry about two types of crime which are both sex crimes; sexually offending against women or children. Sex offenders have been increasingly a focus of attention by the criminal justice system over the past decade (Thomas, 2000). In recent years, many countries have started to change their laws regarding sex offenders. The criminal justice system is strengthening the legislation and revising punishments as the public believe it is too lenient. Before the Criminal justice Act 1991, the laws on sex offences were very old; coming back from the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (Pakes Winstone, 2007). Next came along the Sex Offenders Act 1997, this Act made it easier to manage, and identify the offender on community release. Sex offenders had to register their addresses and names with the police which helped manage and protect the public. It was mainly prepared to reduce the risk within the public so every sex offender can be monitored for up to 5 years. In 1998 the Crime and Disorder Act (Section 58), paid attention to extending the post-release supervision of sex offenders to a maximum of 10 years for a prison sentence of any length, and Section 2 introduced the Sex Offender Order. A sex offender order is a civil preventative order made by a magistrates court on application by the police. If the police consider that a sex offender has acted in a way that gives reasonable cause to believe that an order is necessary to protect the pu blic from serious harm by him, then they can apply for an order. The order may place a number of prohibitions as necessary to protect the public from serious harm by that person. For example, he might be prevented from entering childrens playgrounds or visiting swimming pools. The breach of any of these prohibitions carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. ((This can be used to prevent sex offenders from going to specific locations))- legislation.go.uk)). Since this has taken place, the laws in 2003 changed which introduced longer sentences, which allow for lengthy periods of formal supervision in the community, and for high risk sex offenders the life sentence was put into effect (Pakes Winstones, 2007). The Sexual Criminal Act 2003 also redefined the meaning of rape by including penetration to the vagina, anus or mouth with his penis without lack of consent (legislation.co.uk). Internet grooming is defined to be illegal in this Act as well. This is when an adult trie s to arrange meetings and/or has sexual conversions online. So, what happens to those that are convicted? Nearly two-thirds of sex offenders immediately go to prison (Homeoffice, 2003c), the rest are taken care of by probation or supervision orders, fines and some are totally discharged. The ones who are convicted or charged are often required to record their names in the sex offender registry. These databases are classified into levels and are open to the public. A serious high risk sex offender must register for the rest of their lives whereas a low risk sex offender has to register for a certain period of time. There are many advantages and disadvantages of the Sex offender Registry. Some of the advantages are that the public can easily access information about sex offenders on the internet, citizens have the right to know if there is a sex offender in their area, and the right of innocent children and others to safety outweighs the right of sex offenders to privacy. The disadvantages are many records are often inaccurate or not updated, t his practice makes it hard for ex-offenders to look for a house or job and some seem to believe this information could lead to networking within sexual offenders. According to the Review of Sex offender Treatment Programmes (1998) the highest risk sex offenders appear to be characterised by the following factors: criminal history, convicted of diverse sexual offending (different victim ages, gender, or location), antisocial lifestyle, emotional loneliness, denial, psychopathic personality, low victim empathy and problem solving abilities and lastly sexually deviant arousal or fantasies. These criminals either being in prison, have been recently released from prison or have not been sent into prison at all run the same type of treatment programmes. A cognitive behavioural approach is mainly used or anti-libidinal medication (Perkins, 1998). The aim of the each programme is to challenge offenders distorted thoughts and reasoning in relation to their victims and to help manage their impulses by providing alternative courses of action which they view as being more rewarding (Worall Hoy, 2005). Many of the treatment programmes are taken place within group format unless the sex offender has a higher risk then it is a one-on-one basis. Sex offender treatment programmes require at least 80 hours of treatment (Evenden, 2008). In the last ten years, the British Prison Service has developed a largely group-based treatment programme for sex offenders to reduce crime rates (Thornton and Hogue, 1993), and this has led to the development of a national Sex Offender Treatment Progr amme (SOTP), which is now the largest of its kind in the world. The prison offender behaviour Programme Unit manages the SOTP. SOTP have made a criterion for all of the sex offenders in prison or attending programmes outside of prison. This criterion has ten characteristics which a sex offender treatment programme should have to be successful (Journal Site). Contains an explicit theoretical model of how the programme is meant to bring about change Includes a clear specification of the types of offender for whom the programme is intended Addresses a range of dynamic risk factors known to be associated with re-offending The treatment methods used are likely to have an impact on the targeted dynamic risk factors Skills are taught that will assist participants in avoiding criminal activities and facilitate their involvement in legitimate pursuits There is a rationale for the sequencing, intensity and duration of different programme components The programme is structured to maximize and sustain the engagement of participants There are clear links between the programme and the overall management of the offender There is provision to monitor programme integrity (is it being delivered as intended?) There is provision to evaluate the efficacy of the programme The main goal of the sex offender treatment programmes are that the person avoids committing another offence in the future. The offender must admit he is guilty for him or her to be a part of the program. It is a condition of acceptance into the programme, not agreeing is breaching the law and the offender can be sent back to prison. Many programmes follow this rule but it is not done everywhere. The programme expects the perpetrator to admit his mistakes, to talk about his unacceptable behaviour, expresses feelings, remorse for them and is agrees to apologize to the victim. To reduce reconviction rates many people suggest to also decrease the sexual arousal. Sexual arousal is one of the key factors which can lead to sex offending. Psychiatrists contribute to the treatment of sex offenders as well, not only prison officers and probation officers. Psychiatrists prescribe the medication, which has shown to reduce crime (Grublin, 2007). The most effective way to manage and supervise potentially dangerous offenders in the community is for the relevant agencies to work together. This partnership work is directed and governed by the national Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). The MAPPA was created nationally on 1st April 2001. MAPPA works with a number of other agencies are under a duty to co-operate with the Responsible Authority. These include: Children Services, Adult Social Services, Health Trusts and Authorities, Youth Offending Teams, local housing authorities and certain registered social landlords, Jobcentre Plus, and electronic monitoring providers. The purposes of MAPPA are to ensure more comprehensive risk assessments are completed, taking advantage of co-ordinated information sharing across the agencies and to direct the available resources to best protect the public from serious harm. MAPPA deal with the management of sexual and violent offenders convicted by a court of a relevant offence or those whose behaviour poses a significant risk of harm to the public. After a comprehensive risk assessment, a system comprising three levels is used to make sure that those offenders who may pose the highest risk, receive the greatest degree of scrutiny and oversight. Who are the MAPPA offenders? There are three categories of offender eligible for MAPPA. Registered Sexual Offenders (Category 1) sexual offenders who are required to notify the police of their name, address and other personal details and notify any changes subsequently; Violent Offenders (Category 2) offenders sentenced to imprisonment/detention for 12 months or more, or detained under hospital orders. Other Dangerous Offenders (Category 3) offenders who do not qualify under categories 1 or 2 but who currently pose a risk of serious harm. There are 3 categories include supervising the offenders, arranging meetings between agencies to see which type of treatment the offender needs, police surveillance, specialised accommodation, and/or to provide ongoing senior management oversight. In the last year, MAPPA in Cumbria has worked in partnership with Circles UK, a national charity set up to encourage the development of Circles of Support and Accountability. Circles of support and accountability was first introduced in Canada about 15 years ago. The purpose of this programme is to support and reintegrate sex offenders who are about to be put back into the community. This idea was introduced to the UK by the Quakers. Sex offenders are lonely people who feel isolated when they are released into the community. These types of feelings make them re-offend. Circles pay attention to employment, financial difficulties, isolation and loneliness (circle journal). Circles believe that the act sex offenders have committed may be monstrous but that doesnt mean they are monsters. They believe sex offenders needs to be shown care and humanity to help them avoid further offending. The individual becomes a core member of the Circle. They are expected to commit and open within the Circle. They also promise that there will be no more victims by his or (her) hand, and that he or she will follow the laid down release plan (print out). Circles do involve the police and probation officers if any problem arises. Circles take place weekly. They consist of four to six volunteers taken from different faith communities. Sex offender programs/strategies are administered in prison and/or in the community to manage sex offenders. Three common therapeutic approaches to treating sex offenders are: The cognitive-behavioral approach, which focuses on changing thinking patterns related to sexual offending and changing deviant patterns of sexual behavior. The psycho-educational approach, which focuses on increasing offenders empathy for the victim while also teaching them to take responsibility for their sexual offenses. The pharmacological approach, which uses medication to reduce sexual response. Research has shown that sex offender treatment programs tend to have a high percentage of offenders who are either expelled from or drop out of treatment. Higher risk offenders and those who are mandated to receive treatment are the most likely to drop out. Fewer individuals drop out of cognitive-behavioral than hormonal treatment. Offenders who are married and employed are more likely to complete treatment. Offenders who do not complete treatment are more likely to commit subsequent sexual offenses than those who do complete treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapies are known to be effective treatment interventions that have helped lower the recidivism rates. This is the most common therapy used within sex offenders. Most sex offenders are let off and released within the community under supervision before there sentence is completed. Some other type of sex offender treatment programmes that are taken place in America are the Sex Offender Groupwork Programme (SOGP) for adult male offenders whose victims are children. Specialist assessment is required for this intensive programme and Internet Sex Offender Treatment Programme (I-SOTP) for male offenders with convictions for internet only sex offences.   It is designed to reduce the risk of future internet offending and progression to contact sex offending. There is a tremendous need for effective interventions that can lower the recidivism rates of sexual offenders. EFFECTIVE? Whether sex offender treatment is effective in reducing recidivism continues to be debated and reaching firm conclusions on this issue is complicated by the lack of high quality studies. Longer programmes are perhaps predicable, more effective than short ones and programmes which teach offenders technique which they can utilize themselves, especially to prevent relapse, are also successful ( book) 172. Sexual recidivism is generally lower than general recidivism. Different studies used different criteria for sexual recidivism. Effectiveness for register -There have been many controversial arguments regarding the use of Sex Offender Register. Criminals who committed crimes before 1997, were not a part of this registry, criminals with acute risk to the public were exempt from the list and there is no national sex offender register (Pakes Winstone, 2007) Mention 2 cases MAPPA à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Treatment programmes have been researched regarding their impact on re conviction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The group work treatment programmes in prisons and in the community have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the re-conviction rates. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offenders successfully completing these programmes are 3 times less likely to be re convicted of a sexual offence and 5 times less likely to be re-convicted of a violent offence than offenders who have not completed the programmes. (NOTA) PART 3 There have been many debates about the rehabilitation process and its success rates. Circle of support reduced re ffending70% The Canadian model has proved to work. Re-conviction rates have halved and those who did re-offend committed less serious offences (paper). Conclusion In order to assess and treat a sexual offender effectively, therefore, one needs to obtain a realistic account of his psychosexuality , something that is notoriously difficult to do (Elsevier, 2007). or (Grubin, 2007). Maybe use another type of approach not only cognitive/behaviour but also psychotherapy and skills therapy to improve results. Programmes are constantly evolving as new information becomes available. Improvements will continue. Every step of this process is vital to reducing the risk a sex offender poses when he or she is returned to the community. Assuming every coach, every priest, every teacher is not likely to be a sexual predator, but that one could be and that you will not know if he is. Given that we cannot detect child molesters or rapists with any consistency, we must pay attention to ways of deflecting any potential offenders from getting access to us or to our children'(Salter,2003) Anthony Rice Long history of sexual and violent attacks Convicted 1989, given discretionary life sentence Released on life license Nov 2004 after 15yr prison term.Killed Naomi Bryant in August 2005 ROY WHITING The sex offender population is increasing and most of these offenders will be released into the community without having received any treatment.(((ARTICLE))

Development of Sports Psychology Program

Development of Sports Psychology Program In this essay I will formulate and validate a mental skills program. The foundations in which this programme will be created will be on the applied sport psychology of self-talk and imagery. The preferred result of this mental skills programme is to help a footballer improve their confidence in regards to their penalty taking ability, which will be achieved by applying the sport psychology theories of self-talk and imagery. I will also be critically analysing the selected mental skills for the program in this essay. Psychological skills training or PST is the use of organised practice of psychological skills to improve performance, and improve general happiness in their physical activity (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Gill (2000) provides a straightforward description of PST when he states that psychological skill training is a combination of methods which have been chosen for the purpose of achieving psychological skill needs. An individual may at times face new challenges or barriers in sport which repeatedly test the limits of their psychological skills and may even produce negative effects to their game (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Psychological skills training was developed to help the athlete or participant to overcome these problems and set them back on the successful path of achieving the goals set for them. There is no individual package for Psychological Skills Training, each stage or element must be sport specific or identifiable to the individual and must be based upon the individual’s psychological state. When attempting to put together a successful (PST) program it is important that you are able to recognize the difference between (PST) methods and (PST) skills. (PST) methods can be usually used as a tool to aid improving the (PST) skill and (PST) skills are the psychological attributes in which development is required e.g. concentration (Calmels et al, 2003). To maximise the effectiveness of your Psychological Skills Training program, Thelwell and Greenlees (2001) argue that a (PST) program will be more effective if there are a few mental skills employed instead of just one but they must be sport specific. Judging from the literature that has been published, it seems that the Soviet Union was the first nation to use mental skills training with their athletes and coaches way back in the 1950’s (Williams Struab, 2006). This proves just how long Psychological skills training has been used in sport, although systematic contents did not emerge until the early 1980’s when it grew to become the major focus for practice and research within North America. A common mistake in which coaches and athletes make is the factors in a sporting situation, with an example being losing concentration when attempting to take a penalty kick in football cannot simply be rectified by practising penalty kicks on a regular basis but more importantly by improving ones psychological skill as it is the individual’s lack of mental skills which usually lead to the penalty miss (Weinberg Gould, 2007). A perfect example of a footballer who is known for their goal scoring ability and dead ball situations is Lionel Messi. The link below shows Messi miss a penalty at a time where he had been a run of two attempts missed attempts in his previous matches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnuI3kYTyfc The psychological skills program in this essay will be centred on a 23 year old male professional footballer plying his trade in championship, who for the purpose of this essay will be referred to as Jerome. In the league in which he plays he is one of the deadliest strikers, who is used to putting the ball in the back of the net both in open play and in set pieces i.e penalties and free kicks which when awarded he is first in line to take. This being said he has not been successful in his last 4 penalty attempt which is very unfamiliar for a player of his track record. The player has confessed that he has lost confidence in his penalty taking abilities due to missing his last 4 attempts and is considering stepping down from his penalty taking responsibilities in the team. After much thought and analysis of the scenario, the psychological methods in which I have chosen for his personal skills training are imagery and self-talk as I believe these methods are most beneficial and effect ive in restoring the young footballer’s confidence in his penalty taking ability. The application of these chosen methods within his psychological skills training program will allow him to visualise himself scoring a penalty using imagery whilst using positive self-talk to assure himself that he can score as he walks up to take the penalty kick. Both self-talk and imagery are skills so to increase the chances of success for Jerome they must be practiced. One way in which Jerome could practise imagery could be a couple hours or match day morning before a game, he could spend a few minutes of his time picturing himself walking unto the football pitch, going through his pre-game warm up routine, in game situations i.e penalty kick, free kicks etc. Vealey and Greenleaf (2006) believe that this imagery method should enable the athlete to identify and understand particular behaviours and thoughts that they can actively engage in to begin to move toward their ideal self-image.’ Weinberg Gould (2003) state that In order to maximise the effectiveness of the exercise an athlete must assimilate all the various senses which are related to their experience. So Therefore it is important that Jerome try to imagine things that make him feel as though he is going through the experience e.g the feel of the grass on his boots, the feel of the ball on his feet, the noise from the crowd and generally anything which is familiar to him when he’s on the field of play. This type of imagery is described as â€Å"event-day† imagery. Vealey Greenleaf (2006) describes imagery as the process in which an individual creates or recreates an experience in the mind. These images will usually be of times of previous experiences or a completely made up scenario where the performer is successful in completing challenges or performing physical skills on the pitch (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). The use and effectiveness of imagery is maximised when the focus is placed on the individual using imagery to control his or her emotions. It is not uncommon to see an athlete freeze up or even at times lose control of their emotions. For the purpose of eliminate this issue, the athlete when using imagery must recreate or imagine a possible or previous negative experience for him or herself, once they have done this they must then remove that particular image from their mind and imagine the same situation but in a positive manner or outcome. By the use of imagery our young footballer Jerome will be able to imagine/ recreate a negative e xperience taking a penalty and then replace that experience with the desired outcome of him scoring the penalty kick, which may help greatly reduce the chances of Jerome ‘choking’ or minimising his performance due to prying emotions. Munroe et al (2000) contends that imagery can also be used to augment one’s sport skills, strategies, confidence and also maximise the chances of achieving set goals. Jerome could use this to rectify any errors or weaknesses within his play, which in turn will help him increase his confidence. Bandura (1986) indicated that experiences originating from one’s own imagination are an excellent source of situation specific self-confidence /self-efficacy. Imagery can be separated into two forms with these two training methods being either internal i.e. creating images in the mind or they can be external i.e. observing visual images (Weinberg and Gould, 2011). Research by Callow and Hardy (19972001) suggests that the use of external imagery could be better suited for the programme due to the athlete’s level of performance. This being said I will be focusing more on the internal training methods. One of the limitations of imagery is that some athlete’s do not have a great deal of imagery to begin with and as a coach it is pretty much impossible measure an athlete’s level of imagery as it is a mental process which cannot be observed. Morris et al (2005) expresses his belief in imagery stating that imagery is one of the most commonly used method of mental training for athletes. Imagery is an integral part of many mental skills programs as it offers vast range applicability with imagery also being applicable in a wide range of sporting experiences. Moritz et al (1996) states how the correct use use of imagery can help improve confidence through rehearsing mental images. Imagery can also be used by a number of different individuals ranging from elites or professionals and novices or amateurs. Imagery also can be built into and around an athlete’s daily routine or workday in order to suit the individual needs of the athlete. This being said it is important that the athlete be in a good state mentally before beginning the process of imagery. Gregg, Hall and Hanton (2004) explains that before an athlete attempts or begins any imagery sessions it is important that he or she be in a good frame of mind and must als o be in the right mood as this better prepares them for the sessions maximising the chances of success in the process. . Self-talk is another psychological skills training technique that will be assimilated into Jerome’s (PST) program. Hackfort Schwenkmezger (1993) define Self talk as the verbal dialogue in which an athlete can not only understand their perceptions and feelings but also evaluate how their feeling and then give themselves instructions or reinforcement. Self talk can be used both in a sporting environments e.g. the changing rooms, during competition before competition, after competition and in a non-sporting environments e.g. at home or a quiet/peaceful place. Landin and Herbert (1999) states that self talk can be separated into three different categories which are positive i.e. motivational, negative and instructional. Self talk can be separated into three different categories positive i.e. motivational, negative and instructional. Conventionally positive self talk is used to increase an athlete’s endeavour and to promote a positive attitude although positive self talk does not implement any sport specific target or task e.g. (a golf player can say to himself â€Å"im going to sink this putt† ). Instructional self talk can be used in mental skills training to assist in the maintenance of an athlete’s focus on task associated areas of their own performance with the desired outcome being that they augment the execution of a skill e.g. (â€Å"a footballer could say to himself to self to focus on his technique when striking the ball†). The third and final category is negative self talk and this can be described as when an athlete is over critical of them self which can decrease the athlete’s chances of achieving their goals, this can also lead to anxiety which can also bring an athlete’s performance down. A good example of negative self talk could be a footballer telling them self that their passing is below par or they do not have the ability to compete with the opposition etc. one limitation of self talk is that if an athlete does not fully focused they may become distracted as they could find themselves confused as their overloaded with stimuli. Self talk used correctly can be useful in a number of different tasks in sport, this being said it is important that the practitioner evaluate what would be the most suitable type of self talk for the selected task which will then maximise the chance of future performance augmentation for an athlete. Mikes (1987) suggests that there are six rules which can aid an athlete with performance implementation, these are as follows: First person should be used and present tense Keep phrases as short as possible and be specific The phrases should be constructive and positive Speak to yourself in a kind manner Phrases should be meaningful Phrases should be repeated frequently In consideration of all the bullet points stated there are also a number of other strategies which have been found to improve self-talk. Changing negative self-talk and thought stopping are some of the most successful strategies used in psychology in sport. The term Thought stopping describes the way in which an individual or disregards or deals with negative thoughts before they begin corrupt the mind-set of the individual which whether you’re an athlete or amateur could lead to a negative impact on performance. The term Changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk can be described as when an individual is coping with negative thoughts and then transforms them into positive self-talk which could change the mind frame of the individual as the athlete or amateur will be more than likely more motivated. Jerome could use this particular mental skills method of positive self talk before attempting to take a penalty or free kick simply telling saying â€Å"I will score† . Jerome’s psychological skills training program (PST) will be conducted in phases as he attempts to improve his confidence in his penalty taking.as previously stated the program will be based on the two mental skills training methods of imagery and self-talk. This program should be used and repeated for over 6 weeks as anything less could cause the effects of the skills training to be temporary. Phase 1 (Night prior to match)   Picture your customary match day routine as detailed as possible then once the match has ended picture yourself falling asleep. Phase 2 (Night prior to match) Picture yourself before kick-off walking with your teammates through the tunnel, the cheers of the crowd, while also trying to imagine or recreate how that makes you feel, then end the image with you falling asleep. Phase 3 (Training) Picture you on the pitch stepping up to take a penalty kick saying to yourself repeatedly â€Å"I will score†. Phase 4 (Night prior to match) Picture yourself going through your customary match day routine, then imagine as detailed as possible yourself in a game situation just about to step up to take a penalty telling yourself obscurely â€Å"I will score† you should then imagine yourself scoring the penalty and celebrating moving on to your customary post match routine then ending the image with you falling asleep. Phase 5 (Match) Prior to taking a penalty you should use imagery to picture yourself scoring and then use self talk saying to yourself obscurely and repeatedly â€Å"I will score†. After analysing the current evidence and research in imagery and self talk it is safe to say that both are effective practices. The psychological skills training program provided will allow for the chosen athlete to improve his confidence in his penalty taking ability if both the practitioner conducts the program correctly and the athlete participates in the program willingly and in the right frame of minds. Jerome should be able to improve his confidence with regard to his penalty taking ability. The development of Strong mental skills may help Jerome to perform at his maximum level and may also lead to him becoming a more consistent performer. Although, a number of limitations have been recognized that could affect the success of these types of programs. The person delivering the programme plays a key role in the success of the program as the person delivering the programme has to be able to correctly impart to the player the basics behind the use of these methods as lack of knowle dge of the methods could have a negative effect in the players motivation as they might start to lose faith in the methods. This could possibly lead to a decrease in effort from Jerome as motivation could play a key role in him being able to work on and maintain his ability to produce mental images. Another limitation that can affect the success of the program is the time spent on it as it is important that the athlete spend almost as much time practicing these skills as they do practicing their physical skills. A common mistake made in the application of these programmes is that the practitioner or athlete does not keep to the recommended time period which in order to augment and maintain not only their mental stability but also their confidence in these methods should be recurrently practiced throughout the football season. Reference list Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and actions: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Calmels, C. et al. (2003) Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences. International Journal of Sport Exercise Psychology. Callow, N. Hardy, L. (2001). Types of Imagery with Sport Confidence in Netball Players of Varying Skill Levels.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. 13 (1), p1-17. Gregg, M. Hall, C., Hanton, S. (2004). Perceived effectiveness of mental imagery. Manuscript submitted for publication. Gill, D. (2000) Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, 2nd edition, Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. Hackfort, D., Schwenkmezger, P. (1993) Anxiety. In R. N. Singer, M. Murphy, L. K. Tenant (Eds.), Handbook of research in sport psychology. New York: Macmillan. Moritz, S. Hall, C. Martin, K. Vadocz, E. (1996). What are confident athletes imaging?: An Examination of Image Content. The Sports Psychologist. 10 (1), p171-179. Mikes, J. (1987). Basketball fundamentals: A complete mental training guide. Champaign, IL: Leisure Press. Munroe, K. J., Giacobbi, P., Hall, C. R., Weinberg, R. S. (2000). The 4 W’s of imagery use: Where, when, why and what. The Sport Psychologist, 14 Landin, D., Hebert, E. P. (1999). The influence of self-talk on the performance of skilled female tennis players. Journal ofApplied Sport Psychology, 11, 263–282. Thelwell, R.C. and Greenlees, I.A. (2001) The effects of a mental skills training package on gymnasium triathlon performance. The Sports Psychologist, Vealey, R. S., Greenleaf, C. A. (2006). Seeing is believing: Understanding and using imagery in sport. In J. M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance 5th ed. (pp. 285-305). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing. Weinberg, R. and Gould, D. (2003). Foundations of sport exercise psychology (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Weinberg, R and Gould, D (2007). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology.. Champaigne, IL: Human Kinetics. Weinberg, R, and Gould, D (2011). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. 5th ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. p.247-362. Williams, J.M., Straub, W.F. (2006). Sport Psychology: Past, present, future. In J.M. Wiliams (Ed.), Applied Sport Psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (5th ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill

Pearl Harbor: Accidental or Political :: essays research papers

Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers, fighter planes, and torpedo planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. This sneak attack plunged the United States into World War II. The first wave, consisting of 183 planes, arrived at approximately 7:50AM. They had taken off from aircraft carriers about 200 miles to the northwest, a fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo (Thomas 3). The Japanese goal was to destroy the ships on Battleship Row and the airplanes on the ground at the Naval Air Station, Wheeler, and Hickam Airfields. Because it was a Sunday morning, most of the 780 antiaircraft guns were not manned. Many military personnel were on shore for the weekend and hundreds of others were still asleep on their ships. Did the U.S. Government know about the attack beforehand? Why were the warning signs not more deeply investigated? The Naval Air Station, Wheeler, and Hickam Airfields were the first to be hit by the Japanese to ensure the US had no ability to fight back. 212 of the fleets grounded airplanes were hit, and the 53 that were able to take off were shot down in the attack. The U.S.S. Oklahoma, West Virginia, Arizona, California, and Nevada were five of the 19 sunken or damaged U.S. ships. In the midst of the attack, 2,403 American military personnel were killed; including the 1,177 forever entombed in the Arizona. Another 1,178 were wounded. The U.S. did not inflict much damage to the Japanese during the attack. The Japanese only lost one midget submarine and 29 planes; 20 were kamikaze missions, 2 were mechanical malfunctions, and only 7 were shot down. December 8, the president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, addressed Congress and the American people. "Yesterday, December 7, a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan†¦" Congress declared war on Japan, and the US was dragged into World War II (Thomas 5). The warning signs of the attack were there, but weren't investigated. The 3 major warning signs that the Japanese were going to attack were the "East Wind Rain" message, the unidentified submarine, and the radar signals. On the morning of Dec 4, 1941 Naval Officer Ralph T. Briggs was on watch at the Cheltenham, MD, intercept station, when he received the startling and unexpected "East Wind Rain" message.

Essay --

Over the past century and a half, the spur of Bigfoots existence has questioned many researchers and non-believers alike. Extensive research and findings have sparked many to seek out if there is another creature amongst our woods. Bigfoots existence is limited to substantial evidence such as sightings, footprints, and somatogenic traces. Ben Radford the author of â€Å"Bigfoot at 50 Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence† explains effectively of the possible existence through extensive evidence and theories whether the beast actually resides among us. The theory of there being an ape like beast that walks through our wilderness all started with a 16mm film in Bluff Creek, California by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in 1967. The video displayed a tall, hairy human like figure trolling along a timber clearing walking briskly away from Patterson and Gimlin. The film ignited a craze amongst scientist and viewers to go on a conquest to prove Bigfoots existence. The 1967 film was never proven to be a hoax or real evidence and still today is a toss up. Personal sightings or eyewitness accounts make up what seems to be the most numerous amounts of evidence that’s been brought to attention. Sightings are not justifiable to whether â€Å" Squatch† is real no matter how many sightings are reported. The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society stores archives of Bigfoot reports across Pennsylvania for almost the past century. Locally, in Erie County, there has suspected to be several eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot encounters. People often confuse a Sasquatch with a bear or some other unknown animal that they may seem to not make out clearly. â€Å" Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable†(Radford 2002). Sure some people would not believe a person ... ... tested hairs and other parts for DNA and concluded that they fit into our family tree. â€Å" Those hair samples that could not be identified as known animal or human were subsequently screened using DNA testing, beginning with sequencing of mitochondrial DNA followed by sequencing nuclear DNA to determine where these individuals fit in the tree of life† (Ketchum 2013). The existence of Bigfoot isn’t quite certain to be real with the numerous accounts of acclaimed sighting and physical evidence that has been laid on the table for researchers to decipher. From my standpoint, Bigfoot is a cryptozoological creature that has yet to be explained that I’m not for certain about. Radford explained the facts whether the existence of Bigfoot is real or just a hoax. It’s just a matter of time when and where this mythological being will proven to be a new life form amongst us.

Tungkol Sa Mga Manggagawang Mag-Aaral

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennop, a small town in the Rhineland of Germany. His father was a wealthy textile merchant, his mother was a Dutch lady born in Appledoorn, Holland. During his boyhood years Wilhelm already had a passion for experiments, but above all he loved nature. In school he was not very successful, not so much because of his performance but because of his behavior. He had trouble with his teachers, resisting their authority which finally led to his dismissal. Wilhelm ended his school years without any certificate. Because he wanted to pursue an academic career, he had to find another way to achieve his goal. A friend suggested the newly established Poly-Technical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he applied himself and easily earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He did not know what he wanted to do with this degree, so for awhile he did nothing. He caroused with his friends. It was during this time that he met Berthe Anna Ludwig, who later became his wife. He decided to continue with post-graduate studies with the encouragement of Dr. August Kuntz. By studying hard and concentrating on the task at hand, he was able to obtain a doctorate in physics with a thesis on gasses. When Dr. Kuntz accepted a position at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, he persuaded Dr. Roentgen to go with him. In Wuerzburg he could not find work, so he tried his luck in two other cities. Eventually the Institute of Physics at the Wuerzburg University did offer him the coveted professorial chair, which he accepted, and in 1888 Professor Roentgen was elected Chancellor of the University. He taught during the day and spent many evenings experimenting in his lab. On the evening of November 8, 1895, while experimenting with electric current flow, using a spark conductor, he generated high voltages in a partially evacuated glass tube. The tube began to glow. He noticed that crystals of barium platino cyanide scattered on the table began to give off light when the tube glowed. An experienced researcher, he knew he was on to something. Further tests showed that paper, wood, aluminum and some other materials were transparent to these strange rays. Even at a distance of 2 meter the rays were still penetrating a wooden door. The professor realized that he was dealing with invisible electro-magnetic rays, which under certain conditions could stimulate certain materials to fluorescence. He exposed everything he could think of to these strange new rays, among them his weight box, a wire coil in a box and many different materials. He worked like a man possessed and he even slept in his lab. He found that lead glass is permeable to light but not to these rays, while wood stopped the light, but the rays passed through it. Then his thoughts turned towards bones. The bones seemed to screen the surrounding tissues. This monumental discovery enabled man to look inside the human body for the first time. Dr. Roentgen was uncertain of the nature of his findings, so he called this phenomena † X-Rays â€Å". He took a highly systematic approach to his studies and his experiments. He published a paper about the discovery and in December 1895 he held a demonstration with his first X-Ray pictures, along with one of his wife's hand. The discovery caused much excitement in scientific and medical communities throughout the world. Scientists in many countries started to experiment with these new rays, and progressive doctors very quickly used them as a diagnostic tool. A colleague, Dr. Kollicker, suggested in January 1896 to call these new rays after its discoverer. So it was done in Germany, a doctor orders a Roentgen picture, which is taken in the Roentgen Department of the hospital——- to this day. During the next decades it became obvious that X-Rays caused injury to various human tissue and to vision. Radioactivity was at that time not being related to these new rays. Many researchers developed radiation burns and cancer; more than 100 people died. These tragedies led to greater awareness of radiation hazards for health care workers. Early in the new century X-Ray equipment was being encased, and lead barriers and lead aprons were being introduced after the hazards became known. All this eventually led to a new branch of science: Radiobiology. In 1900 Professor Roentgen accepted a position at the University of Munich. One year later he received the first Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of X-Rays in Stockholm, Sweden. When his parents died, he inherited 2 million marks, which elevated him to the upper classes in the young German Empire. He traveled extensively with his wife to Italy and France, but most often they spent their vacation in Switzerland. He had fame and wealth and a feudal hunting lodge, but Dr. Roentgen was never really happy in Munich. He spent very little time furthering his research. Early in the century tuberculosis was still rampant. X-Ray examinations in mobile units throughout Germany detected the disease early and prevented it from spreading. Soon X-Rays were widely used in medicine, industry and cientific research. It became an important tool in the fight against cancer in the form of radiation therapy, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Today computer tomography is used in medicine and material testing. Since the 1960's X-Ray TV has enabled surgeons to monitor their operations. In the mid 70's micro-electronics entered the field of radiography. Today botanists use compute r tomography to examine trees for disease, and archaeologists to examine fossils, relics, artifacts and monuments. Dr. Roentgen once took an X-Ray picture of his gun. Perhaps he had a sense of things to come. One can hardly imagine airport security today without X-Rays. It is still the only devise that will detect an object of potential danger in luggage or on someone's person. X-Rays are not only generated here on earth; the universe has been full of X-Rays for billions of years. On June 1, 1990 an X-Ray satellite was launched to explore the structure and the developments of planets and the stars of the heavens. Dr. Roentgen's wife, Bertha, died in 1919 after a lengthy illness, during which he had virtually lived isolated in Munich. War and inflation had eroded his small fortune. Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen died four years later, on February 10, 1923 in Munich at the age of 78. His monumental discovery made a considerable contribution to the welfare of mankind. It also helps to unravel the secrets of nature he had loved so well. DISCOVERY OF XRAY. In late 1895, a German physicist, W. C. Roentgen was working with a cathode ray tube in his laboratory. He was working with tubes similar to our fluorescent light bulbs. He evacuated the tube of all air, filled it with a special gas, and passed a high electric voltage through it. When he did this, the tube would produce a fluorescent glow. Roentgen shielded the tube with heavy black paper, and found that a green colored fluorescent light could be seen coming from a screen setting a few feet away from the tube. He realized that he had produced a previously unknown â€Å"invisible light,† or ray, that was being emitted from the tube; a ray that was capable of passing through the heavy paper covering the tube. Through additional experiments, he also found that the new ray would pass through most substances casting shadows of solid objects on pieces of film. He named the new ray X-ray, because in mathematics â€Å"X† is used to indicated he unknown quantity. In his discovery Roentgen found that the X-ray would pass through the tissue of humans leaving the bones and metals visible. One of Roentgen’s first experiments late in 1895 was a film of his wife Bertha's hand with a ring on her finger (shown below on right). The news of Roentgen’s discovery spread quickly throughout the world. Scientists e verywhere could duplicate his experiment because the cathode tube was very well known during this period. In early 1896, X-rays were being utilized clinically in the United States for such things as bone fractures and gun shot wounds.

Why People Want to Study in My University

Why people want to study at FMI Plovdiv University Essay People study in Plovdiv University for many different reasons. I think the most important reason is to gain more knowledge and develop their skills in an area. Of course, there are also many other reasons that people study in the university such as to get more friends. These days, most jobs require people who are educated and have good job skills. Therefore, the people who want a good job have to study hard and at least graduate with a high education.I think that Plovdiv University is the right place to acquire an increased knowledge, especially professional knowledge for a particular job. The new, valuable experiences people get while studying at Plovdiv University are another good reason. Going to the university is so much different from high school, it’s like living in a new environment. For many students away from their home and family, the university is the new home where they’ll have an independent life.This is where they get’ll get to know new people, experience new things and prepare for the life in the future. So, besides the knowledge, people want to study here because they want to see what it’s like living in the real world. Plovdiv, as a big city, offers lots of new experiences and opportunities, especially for people coming from small cities. People want to study in Plovdiv university because of the variety of courses they can choose from, the quality of education they get, and the opportunities the big city (Plovdiv) offers after graduation.