The Effects Of Abnormality And Mental Illness - 1284 Words

Throughout my life, I have had a fair amount of exposure to abnormality, and mental illness. I was exposed early on to abnormality. My father, who spent 20 years of his life in the U.S. Navy, was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Disorder in 1995, following the riots in the camps of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1994. This is not my only experience with mental illness, although it was the most persistent experience I have had with abnormality. My mother went through severe depression when she turned 40. My sister was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at 18, while I was diagnosed at the age of 15. Lastly, my two best friends, Kylie and Liz, both have and cope with having a mental illness. From these experiences, I have concluded that the source of†¦show more content†¦The use of bloodletting or trephination as treatments however, would not be considered effective in modern practice, due to their dangerous outcomes. If there are any other factors that contribute to abnormality, it could b e possible that the chemicals found in our food, could contribute to abnormality. The other possibility is the amount of pollution in our air, could also be a cause for abnormality. Chemicals, hormones, and pollution all could potentially contribute to or be a cause of abnormality, but it is not certain. I believe abnormality results from environmental and psychological factors, because from what I have experienced and observed firsthand, that is what I have come to feel is true. My father, mother, sister, friends, nor myself were born with the mental illnesses, or disorders, we have come to live with. My father’s disorder developed due to traumatic experiences associated with his job. My best friend Kylie also suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to a traumatic event she experienced in her teenage years. Neither one had to develop this disorder, but through overwhelming circumstances, they did. The same applies to my mother, although her situation is different, du e to the fact that her grandmother

Essay on Managing Individual Behavior Bringing Out the...

Essay on Managing Individual Behavior: Bringing out the Best in People Victor Abraham Kargbo 18th July 2011 Critically evaluating the view that the only essential ingredient of a successful manager is the ability to handle people and relate in a caring and meaningful way to the individuals being managed, it is expected that managers have technical skills but the bigger test is in the way they manage people. This is perhaps the most critical and elusive skill set of all Weak people skills lead directly to lost productivity and ineffectiveness while strong people skills boost productivity and effectiveness and will propel your career forward like no other skill set will, this is why to succeed as a manager, you must know how to bring out†¦show more content†¦Having high responsibility and commitment to work is also a necessary characteristic of a co-worker and by way of illustration, a punctual member will help his or her team be successful in meeting deadlines which can also help him or her to overcome stress. Moreover, a co-worker who is highly committed to the task can achieve hi gh performance. When working together, it will be really annoying to other people if their colleague is always late or does not concentrate on the job. Therefore, commitment and responsibility are among the most appreciated qualities of a co-worker. Managers should encourage his or her employees to be committed to co-workers because this is one important benefit that the organization will enjoy and this process will prevent false assumptions and attributions made about others when those do something that adversely affects one’s own situation. Rewards is another way managers use to bring out the best in people, the organization I am currently working has used rewards to bring the best out of their employees. Standard Chartered is an international Bank who value and concern about operational risk, but for about two years ago the bank in Sierra Leone has not be doing well in terms of operational risk. However, this has been turn around by the present manager by giving out rewards to staff who when the risk team undertake their review and any unit happen to get a green, green willShow MoreRelatedDiabetic Care Plan For Diabetes1748 Words   |  7 Pageshealth care professional empowering and bringing awareness to the African American culture, can help reduce some of the complications associated with this chronic illness. Diabetes is one of the Healthy People 2020 topic and their goal is to â€Å"Reduce the disease and economic burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) and improve the quality of life for all persons who have, or are a t risk for, DM† (United States Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], Healthy People 2020, 2016). After reviewing this goalRead MoreLeadership Is The Process Of Guiding Or Directing An Organization1632 Words   |  7 PagesLeadership is the process of guiding or directing an organization. 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Building Flexibility Into Contracts Free Essays

The main rationale for building flexibility into an outsourcing contract is based on the premise that factors both internally and externally may change and thus impact the achievement of the desired objectives of the outsourcing. For example, the internal requirements of the sourcing organization may change during the outsourcing contract or another supplier in the supply market may achieve a technology breakthrough, which allows it to realize significant performance improvements. In the latter case, the establishment of a long-term contract with a competing supplier prevents the sourcing organization from accessing the superior capabilities of this supplier. We will write a custom essay sample on Building Flexibility Into Contracts or any similar topic only for you Order Now Therefore, incorporating elements into a contract that create flexibility can ensure that the desired benefits are being achieved from outsourcing and in particular, ensure that the sourcing organization is not locked into a relationship with an uncompetitive supplier. Likewise, building flexibility into contracts aids organizations in benefiting from the outsourcers’ cost improvements as they occurred, avoid lawsuits and save face in the future. Ways to Build Flexibility into Contracts McIvor (2005) related that flexibility can be achieved through either incomplete or incentive contracts. Incomplete contracting creates a situation in which parts of the contract can be renegotiated based upon changes in circumstances. It is mainly concerned with optimization over time, seeking to minimize the costs of adapting to the constantly changing conditions of the economic environment. There are a number of methods incorporating flexibility into a contract through incomplete contracting like price flexibility, renegotiation, contract length and early termination (Langfield-Smith, Smith and Stringer, 2000). Price flexibility allows prices to be renegotiated as circumstances change during the contract. Incorporating price flexibility means that all future contingencies do not have to be fully considered at the outset, as the buyer and supplier are aware that prices can be adjusted to reflect changes in circumstances. For example, changes in the requirements of the sourcing organization during the contract may necessitate an adjustment in prices. In renegotiation, mechanisms are incorporated into the contract that allow for renegotiation based upon changes in the business environment. The contract may include specific clauses under which renegotiation should occur including fixed calendar dates or changes in economic indices. Renegotiation often involves renegotiating more than price and can also focus on the terms of contract. The employment of shorter contracts can be employed to achieve flexibility. At the end of the contract period a new contract can be negotiated that reflects the current circumstances both internally and externally. Rather than have the five- to seven-year contracts of the last decade, contracts are now being broken into manageable timeframes which have short initial terms and options for extensions. Few organizations can predict their needs with any certainty over long lengths of time, thus it is prudent to have flexibility over the contract continuance. A clause may be incorporated into the contract that sets out the conditions under which the contract may be terminated. The omission of such a clause can result in considerable penalties in the event of the contract being terminated prematurely. Incentive contracting, on the other hand, involves incorporating mechanisms into the contract that allow the supplier to share any cost savings or profits generated through the outsourcing relationship (Dimitri, Piga and Spagnolo, 2006). Taking advantage of a contractor’s general objective to maximize profits by giving it the opportunity to earn a greater profit if it performs the contract efficiently lies at the core of incentive contracting. The essence of said contracting type is the effort by one individual or organization (the principal) to induce and reward certain behaviors by another (the agent). It has been the subject of considerable discussion in the economics literature, as incentive contracts are often employed to encourage performance improvements in the outsourcing arrangement in areas such as cost reduction and service levels (Bolton and Dewatripont, 2005). This type of contract stimulates the contractor to limit costs by leaving him a fraction of cost savings, but at the same time it reimburses him some money in case of cost overrun. The contract will include mechanisms that ensure the supplier shares any savings that are realized from performance improvements. Incentivization can create a more cooperative relationship between parties, overcoming the traditional adversarial approach to contracting. The purpose of the incentives is not just to motivate the contractor but to tie performance of all participants to the contract’s objectives. The proper use of an incentive contract aligns the priorities of contract participants who would otherwise have diverse motives. Potential Risks of Building in Too Much Flexibility Nowhere is the potential trade-off between control and flexibility more apparent than when it comes to designing the contract. As with anything that is too much, there are potential risks of building in too much flexibility into contracts. By having too much contract flexibility, short-term opportunistic behavior is more likely, which is why classical legal contracts remove flexibility by building in as much legally enforceable control as possible that protects both parties from such behavior. With respect to incomplete contracting, problems arise when any agreement is negotiated under conditions of incomplete or asymmetric information, risk and uncertainty. It has also been associated with certain organizational costs, as it needs to be revised or renegotiated as the future unfolds. John (2000) identifies three such types of costs: ex post costs of haggling over the terms of the revised contract upon renegotiation; those related to inefficient agreements caused by asymmetric information; and ex ante costs of not investing in relation-specific investments in fear of encountering ‘hold-up’ behavior upon contract renegotiation. Since it is impossible to write a complete contract that specifies what the agent is required to do in all contingencies, legal precedent is employed to determine obligations of the contracting parties that are not explicitly written into a contract. Familiar contractual forms have the advantage that there is a wealth of legal precedent concerning them. Thus, disputes are likely to be resolved speedily. More exotic contractual forms, for which there are few legal precedents, are more prone to costly and acrimonious legal disputes (Aghion and Bolton, 2002). Further, incomplete contracting discourages both relation-specific investments and value-enhancing agreements. When it comes to incentive contracting which operates on the theory of the carrot and the stick (there’s a financial carrot for a supplier for better than agreed-on quality, reliability, delivery or performance and a financial stick for worse than agreed-on levels of those parameters), the principle is attractive but the practice is another matter. Suppliers are reluctant to accept financial penalties, especially for reliability targets are not reached, and customers are reluctant to extend financial incentives to suppliers if agreed-on targets are not met. In incentive contracting, the risks’ amount, probability, and impact are major factors influencing the design of the contract since the main purpose of this is transferring the risks. As well, there are several limitations to incentive contracting, as it depends on a purchaser with the ability to specify performance, the possibility of meaningful performance measures that can be identified, agreed upon and implemented, the existence of resources to oversee and monitor performance, and the practical ability to take action, including replacing the contractor, where performance is unsatisfactory. The front pages provide too-frequent illustration of the ways in which contract incentives designed by the best and most well-intentioned experts may yield unintended adverse consequences. Incentives can divert attention from other important goals, work too well on their own terms, or encourage distorted reporting. WORKS CITED 1. Aghion, P. Bolton, P. (2002). On Partial Contracting. European Economic Review. 46, 745-753. 2. Bolton, P. Dewatripont, M. (2005). Contract Theory. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 3. Dimitri, N. , Piga, G. Spagnolo, G. (2006). The Handbook of Procurement. New York: Cambridge University Press. 4. Langfield-Smith, K. , Smith, D. Stringer, C. (2000). Managing the Outsourcing Relationship. Australia: University of South Wales Press, Ltd. 5. McIvor, R. (2005). The Outsourcing Process: Strategies for Evaluation and Management. New York: Cambridge University How to cite Building Flexibility Into Contracts, Papers

90s vs. 2000s free essay sample

Both decades are different in that the 1990’s had less technology, kids were well behaved and it was a more peaceful time; the 2000’s now have all kinds of technology, everyone has to have the newest phone or computer, a lot of kids are brats who want the newest video games and there’s a lot of security at places like airports because of so many terrorist attacks. The technology difference from both decades is huge, because all there was back then was vhs, cassette, and standard cable with 50 channels or so, a couple different types of cellular phones, dial up computers and so on. With technology today, everyone has a cell phone, most people have some type of computer or lap top, there are blu ray and DVD players, either cable or satellite television with high definition, smart phones with touch screens, high speed broadband, and cars that can tell someone when there veering onto a side lane. We will write a custom essay sample on 90s vs. 2000s or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Next is a big difference which is how different children act whether it is to adults, each other, or in public. In the 1990’s most kids had parents who were physically able to play with them; kids were creative and found so many different games or activities to do’ they were respectful to whomever they came into contact with because they were raised well. Now when looking at most children they either are crying in public with their parents screaming at them, playing on their parents’ phone or tablet, prefer to stay in the house to play video games online, and most parents don’t play with their kids anymore because they are either too hung up on their laptop or too tired from being fat. Finally going back to the 90’s everyone felt safer or not worried about some kind of terrorist attack like people do now. Back then airports didn’t need so much security; people didn’t have to worry about a crazy person shoot up a movie theatre or mall. Now on weekends certain malls require teens under age 18 to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21 because of gang violence over the years. These decades differences are very different, but are only a few contrasts between the two decades. The music and social era between these two decades is another difference. In the 90’s was an era that was mainly dominated by rock and booming hip hop music industry. This music was brought on to people with baggy or tight fitted clothing. People would walk around with their cassette players jamming out to their new favorite artist. Now in the 2000’s people mainly listen to their iPods or phones because it’s easiest to acquire music that way via wireless connection from the Internet. They also listen to rap or pop because everyone is about what’s mainstream and popular. People like to wear tighter and shorter fitting clothing now because that’s also what the popular fashion is. People in the 90’s communicated through telephone or just drove or walked to each other’s house to talk or do something. Now people rely on texting each other to find out where they are located and what they want to do rather than going to each other’s house, or calling because it’s not the same type of communication; a lot has changed. Technology and music has definitely made a huge impact on how people socialize and act. Overall I think the 90’s was a great era filled with a lot of memories and seeing a lot of changes happens. It was great being able to also grow up into the 2000’s because that was when technology really started to grow and so much was happening with the world. The advantages and disadvantages of growing up in each era are very different mainly because of all the changes, but a lot of them were good and some were bad. References The 1990’s. (2013). History of the 90’s. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1990s The 2000’s. (2012). Americas best history – U. S. Timeline 2000’s. Retrieved from http://americasbesthistory. com/abhtimeline2000. html

Behavior change theory

Behavior change theory Introduction According to the article, behavioral change is very vital in the development of good health and productive outcomes. Application of behavior change theory aids in inducing change of behavior among health workers. Essentially, the application of behavior change theory depends on factors such as changing multiple behaviors and medical adherence of individuals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Behavior change theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The implementation of evidence-based practices in changing the behavior of health workers is a complex task, as it depends on the ability of individuals to change their behaviors and the type of approach used. Application of behavior change theory is effective if an organization employs interventions that have their basis on past behavioral outcomes. Hence, the essay examines the validity of behavior change theory on healthcare centers, organizations, and society. Findings of the Study The study found out that the behavior change theory informs principles of positive behavior change and gives positive outcomes, which are not possible in practices that do not entail application of the theory in undertaking behavioral change programs among healthcare workers. In addition, the study established that application of designed interventions is effective when compared to the application of theoretical concepts. According to Cane, O’Connor, and Michie (2010), the application of behavior change practices greatly depends on the level of application and willingness of individuals to change their behavior. The study also revealed that some organizations do not apply the theory of behavior change effectively. For example, a study of 235 development implementation studies revealed that only 22.5% used the theories effectively (Cane, O’Connor, Michie, 2010). Hence, the findings refined and enhanced effectiveness of theoretical domain framewor k in assessing behaviors of healthcare workers. Importance of the Findings from the Study Despite poor application of the theories by some organizations, other research studies and organizations have successfully employed the theories and frameworks provided by the study. The study adopted theoretical domain framework and applied behavior change theory in healthcare systems.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the study applied behaviour change theory in elucidating how healthcare centers utilize theoretical domain framework in inducing positive behavior change among healthcare workers and the general population. For instance, in Denmark, UK, and Australia the research team applied the frameworks of behavior change theory to identify factors that facilitate or prevent successful implementation of behavior change programs. Additionally, in Australia, healthcare centers identified bottlenecks and facilitated application evidence-based principles in assessing causes of acute pains in the waist or lower back pains, and eventually gave informed solutions about the problems. Therefore, the findings from the study are very instrumental in the implementation of positive behavior change among individuals in both the healthcare centers and the society. Research Instruments, Design, and Participants The research instruments that the study employed are the questionnaires, both open and closed. Descriptive survey is the research design of the study as it entails administration of surveys among eligible participants. The eligible participants were individuals who are conversant with behavior change theory and are available in journal databases that are online. The selection was through email invitations using a membership invitation list. Out of the 101 invitations, 37 participants managed to complete the assigned tasks (19 open sort tasks and 18 closed sort tasks). Strengths and Weaknesses The strength of the study lies in the framework it employed, which is the theoretical domain framework. The framework uses a number of procedures that identify domains, establish the content of domains, and finalize the domain labels to achieve a refined framework of domains. These procedures are fundamental as they enhance internal validity of the results, which are helpful in the implementation of behavior change interventions in healthcare centers and other organizations. However, the study portrays a weakness as it only lays its attention on those respondents who understand the theory of behavior change. Thus, it implies that the study does not consider the views of potential respondents who do not have an understanding of the theory. Moreover, the study did not balance gender (27 women and 10 men), which compounds the outcome of the study. Hence, the method employed in the selection of participants makes the findings have low external validity.A dvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Behavior change theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference Cane, J., O’Connor, D., Michie, S. (2010). Validation of the theoretical domains framework for use in behavior change and implementation research. Implementation Science, 7(37), 1-17.

Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. The WritePass Journal

Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. Introduction Critically evaluate the contention that the active and effective involvement of stakeholders in sustainable floodplain management is desirable but difficult to achieve in practice. IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Environmental nuisance are usually multifaceted, vague, and have caused a lot of consequence on various places (WMO, 2007). This has called for a transparent process in decision making which is able to fit varying situation and embraces a multiplicity of ideas and principles (Affeltranger, 2001; Simonovic, 2000; Simonovic and Akter, 2006; WMO, 2007).   In achieving this, the involvement of stakeholders is increasingly being used and introduced in environmental decision making process from local to global level (Reed, 2008, 2009). The management of Floodplain comprises of different resource activities which are designed to reduce the effect of flood on people, environment and economy of the country (Simonovic and Akter, 2006). The management of floodplain play a major role in the protection of the socio economic development of a place (WMO, 2007). Achieving sustainable floodplain management, decision-making would involve an integrated reflection on the fiscal, environmental and soci etal consequences of catastrophic flood actions (Wurbs, 1999). Given economic consideration more concern in floodplain management, stakeholder’s involvement needs more attention (Affeltranger, 2001), while local community leaders, government agencies, policy makers, non- governmental organisations (NGO’s), and general public involvement should be encouraged in the making floodplain management choices (Affeltranger, 2001). The involvement of stakeholders exists under various names which include interactive governance, joint up process and participatory process (Healy 1997, Mason 2000, Edelenbos 2000 and Pollitt 2003). Stakeholders involvement is a multi-faceted phenomenon, viewed from hypothetical viewpoint, and is defined as â€Å"the early involvement of individual citizens in public policy making in order to explore policy problems and develop solutions in an open and fair process of debate that has influence on decision making† (Edelenbos, 2003), allowing other actors in a democratic society to participate in certain policy making decision (Chess and Purcell, 1999; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). Floodplain management decisions may be designed and made effective without the involvement of stakeholders, they cannot be effectively implemented without them (Affeltranger, 2001). Good governance as defined by kooiman, (1993) is a broad and present-day strategy, unfolding not mainly to the administration of the state but the method of communication between groups, societal actors, public and private institutions (Benn et al, 2009), and noted that the understanding between different stakeholders and the government does not assume decline of the state but rather, an interactive state, where public and private communication will lead to better organization and harmony amid a range of discipline (Benn et al, 2009; Pierre, 2000). The participation of stakeholders in water management has a very long tradition, stating the change witnessed in the UK, on the increase in stakeholder participation over the last 30 years in water related problems, and has been prompted by public concern (Patel and Stel, 2004). This brought a change in the role played by stakeholders’ participation in management of floodplain with the introduction of the water frame work directive (WFD) (Defra 2003). Orr et al, (2007) noted that the environmental agency in England and Wales relied on the alliance of a large scope of collaborators, making sure that they attain a successful implementation (Orr et al, 2007; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). For example, floodplain management in the Attenborough district tends to be on a large scale and would involve a lagre number of stakeholders, while the red river flood of 1997, which was one of the worst in record in many locations, as described by Simonovic and Akter, (2006), caused a widesprea d damage. The recommendations that resulted during participation could slow down or over-complicate the management process (Simonovic and Akter, 2006). Concerns over the participation of stakeholders, not living up to their claims, are being made (Cooke, 2001; Nelson and Wright, 1995) as opined by (Burton et al, 2004), that consultational fatigue could arise during the process of participation which are not always well organised, having the notion that their influence or participation do not have effect on decision made (Burton et al, 2004; Mazmanian and Nienaber, 1979; Stewart et al., 1984; Chess and Purcell, 1999; Reed et al., 2006). When this happens, there could be decline in the levels of engagement, putting their credibility of participation at risk (Reed, 2008, Reed et al, 2009). These drawbacks implies that the practice of stakeholders participation is not as easy as it may seem (Gerrits and Edelenbos 2004), as the involvement of stakeholders in the management of floodplain is complex and has a lot of dynamic issues (Gerrits and Edelenbos 2004; Baylis and Smith 1999). Consistency in stakeholders participation should move tow ards early engagement, providing an understandable information, transparent attitude, understanding the needs and interest of others by listening to them (Kothari, 2001), offering opportunities for participation with the purpose of making efficient use of time and resources which allows stakeholders to have a valuable contribution (Ludwig, 2001; Gerrits and Edelenbos, 2004). It is no surprise when the European commission (EC) demanded active interaction in the management of water, particularly when dealing with floodplain, and noted that the process should be consolidative through the water frame work directive (WFD), (Van Ast and Boot, 2003). Moreover, participation is seen as crucial in any programme of environmental governance (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003; Burton et al, 2004), especially in flood plain management as arguments in favour of participatory approach are more beneficial in the quality of decisions made and implemented, thereby increasing democratic content, (Bulkeley and Mo l, 2003). Claims regarding the arguments for stakeholder’s involvement in environmental decision-making can be categorized under normative and pragmatic arguments (Reed 2008). Normative claims argue that the participation of stakeholders reduce the likelihood of societal marginalisation where decisions affecting them can be promoted and enhanced for their benefits (Martin and Sherington, 1997), stakeholder empowerment (Greenwood et al, 1993; MacNaughten and Jacobs, 1997; Okali et al., 1994; Wallerstein, 1999), social learning and public trust in civil society in a transparent view as well as more holistic environmental decision (Richards et al., 2004; Blackstock et al., 2007), while pragmatic claims are focused on the excellence and robustness of environmental outputs (Reed 2008). It is also argued that the participation of stakeholders would increase or enhance a more robust research by the provision of inputs (Hansen, 1994; Reed et al., 2006, 2008; Yosie and Herbst, 1998), and that pa rticipation enhances better adaptation of technology to local socio-cultural and environmental conditions by meeting the needs of the locals, and also attaining higher quality decisions based on trust and a sense of ownership over the output of their decision, therefore reducing cost depending on the nature of their initiative (Martin and Sherington, 1997; Reed, 2007; Reed and Dougill 2007; Richards et al., 2004; Stringer et al., 2006; Fischer, 2000; Beierle, 2002; Koontz and Thomas, 2006; Newig, 2007). In spite of these frontlines, there is an expanding concern on the part of the public that the participation of stakeholders on the claims made have not been realised (Kothari, 2001), as the credibility of stakeholders have been questioned in terms of lack of knowledge to engage highly scientific and environmental debates (Fischer and Young, 2007). However, Fritsch and Newig carried out a study to evaluate the environmental policies on participatory processes, framework and environmental outputs of 35 cases of local and regional participation in North America and Western Europe and found out that, the most important goals of participants on environmental effectiveness was high interest in sustainable environmental benefits (Reed, 2008). Similar studies of fisheries management in Bangladesh and the involvement of 239 participants in environmental management decision-making were both noted to have improve the quality of decisions made, adding new analysis, innovation and ideas (Beierle, 2002; Sultana and Abeyasekera, 2007; Reed, 2008), but noted that the quality of decisions obtained from these studies relies on the quality of process that leads to it (Reed, 2007). Meagher and Lyall, (2007), cited the case of stakeholder participation in the development and funding of seed-corn, where the rate at which the collaborators responded was very fast (Meagher and Lyall, 2007). The information given to stakeholders in terms of deliberation in the decision making process would be beneficial in the quality of decided outcomes (Chase et al, 2004; Fischer and Young, 2007; Webler and Tuler, 2006). Stakeholders demonstrate different perceptions and have different relationship to natural hazards, thereby reflecting diverse socio-economic and socio-psychological background (Affeltranger, 2001; Zimmerman, 2001). The participation of stakeholder’s in floodplain management is a unique opportunity for government establishment to measure the possibility of local scheme for flood disaster improvement and management (Affeltranger, 2001), and also a new behaviour by participating stakeholders. In choosing stakeholders for policy decision making in floodplain ma nagement, careful attention must be paid to a diversity of stakeholders as asymmetry indicates the differences between various stakeholders. Therefore, with this in mind, right symmetry is an imaginary state that will not arise in practice, as initiatives achieved on paper often lacked ratification and implementation (Van Ast 2000b). The model laid down by the participation of stakeholders will certainly be different and uneven (Osborne et al, 2002). The level at which uncertainty becomes higher, participating in decision making becomes more complicated while those who make up the institution in the direction of handling uncertainty becomes more technical (Clark, 2002). In a recent study on climate change policy, issues have been raised frequently whether the scope for deliberation and the consensus outcomes from participation is a measure of success (Flyvberg 1998; Owens 2000; Borsuk et al., 2001; Kwok et al., 2001; Bender and Simonovic, 2000; Despic and Simonovic, 2000; Kacprzyk and Nurmi, 1998). Pellizzoni noted the conditions in which radical uncertainty is characterized in the techniques perceived under the risk and environmental issues deliberated by experts and non experts stakeholders may in fact challenge their decisions (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003), and also noted that outcome realised from the participation of stakeholders are not straight forward, stating that their involvement into guiding principle depends on the selection of political factors over which the stakeholders have little influence, (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003). Questions encountered on how participation should be institutionalised and organised and those involved should be taken into consideration, making sure decision made should not paralyse the programme, (Burton, 2003). Participation is not all about representing the people, but the value and ideas they carry (Bulkeley and Mol, 2003; Simonovic and Akter, 2005; Reed, 2008). Early participation from the beginning through conception, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of outcomes should be encouraged as early involvement and transparent information will lead to a certain level of quality and robust decision that could lead to success. References Affeltranger, B. (2001). Public participation in the design of local strategies for flood mitigation and control. International Hydrological programme. UNESCO, Paris. IHP-V, Technical Documents in Hydrology. No. 48. Akter, T., and Simonovic, S. P. (2005). Aggregation of fuzzy views of a large number of stakeholders for multiobjective floodplain management decision making. Journal of Environmental Management, 77 (2005) 133–143. Akter, T., and Simonovic, S. P. (2006). Participatory floodplain management in the Red River Basin, Canada. Annual Reviews in Control 30 (2006) 183–192. Ast J.A.V. (2003). Interactive water management in cross-boundary river system. Delft: Eburon. Ast J.A.V. (2003). 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Mechanical Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis A Prospective Study Essay

Mechanical Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis A Prospective Study - Essay Example The reader's attention is caught and the reader is encouraged to read the report further, even though the author has not noted anything about the implication of the results. In addition, the abstract is presented in the form of the summary. Introduction is quite long (occupies two pages out of seven) but the author has set a good basis for the research, its purpose and limitations. At the beginning of the article, the authors provide general information about plantar fasciitis: how and why it occurs, what are the symptoms, why it should be treated, what the outcomes of treatment/non-treatment and other factors that are necessary to understand the aim and results of the research. The authors have taken 5 studies of plantar fasciitis treatment: one of the studies was devoted to traditional treatment: anti-inflammatory therapy which is proved to be highly ineffective, the other four studies were devoted to the mechanical therapies with the majority of author agreeing that the mechanical treatment is much more effective and can lead to 100 % beneficial result. Currently there is the debate regarding which therapy is more effective. The last sentence of this section states "the purpose of this prospective, randomized study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different mechanical modalities -over-the-counter arch supports, custom-made orthoses, and night splints-used in the treatment of plantar fasciitis." Thus the authors have made it clear what the following section will be about. It is very important that the authors have not only provided the justification for the necessity and value of this research, they have also used evidence from already existing researches - more than 30 references have been made. However, the authors did not set the criteria for evaluation of the results for validity and reliability. From the other side, it has been stated that the results will be visible and can be reported by patients; therefore, the measurement is obvious. The literature review is long enough to include the major studies that are of interest to the reader and are closely related to the issue covered. The authors did not omit anything and covered both sides of the argument: traditional v. mechanical treatment of plantar fasciitis and made it clear that the traditional treatment will not be taken into consideration at all due to low rate of effectiveness. The selected samples of the sources are limited, but the studies mentioned are not only summarized by commented as well. Method and Sampling The method section is highly organized and clear. Authors have presented and discussed all factors that were taken into account during research. It is stated that there were 255 patients aged 21 to 70 with plantar heel pain without previous trauma, out these patients 65 percent were women. The selection was random and there is a note about why some patients were not taken into a study. The section gives the answers to all possible questions: in the introductory part the author have established the basis for selection of treatment therapies (rigid over-the-counter, injection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), duration, number of hours being on feet, pre-study examination, follow up and visits, random assignment to groups and receiving of the consent.