The Operation Of British Petroleum Commerce Essay

The Operation Of British Petroleum Commerce Essay This project examines the operation of British Petroleum (BP) in the light of established international business theories. Two major aspects are considered; Globalisation strategy and corporate social responsibility ethics. Although certain failings are highlighted BP is assessed to perform optimally on both counts. A conclusion is drawn and certain recommendations with respect to the style of research are made in the final section. Report Contents The report assesses the operations of British Petroleum to establish to which degree the operations of BP are in line with related management theory. The project starts with a brief introduction on the business of BP. This sets a stage and develops a context for further discussion. The second section discusses the research method adopted in the preparation of this project. Several methods are explored and the most feasible selected as the method of choice. The third section looks at BPs operations in two respects; international trade and globalisation strategy, and corporate responsibility and ethics. The final section of the project is a conclusion that summarises the main themes highlighted in the work, noting its achievements and limitations and sets the stage for future research. At this stage some recommendations are also made. Introduction British Petroleum (BP) is a global Oil and Gas company with its headquarters in the UK. It is one of the worlds largest businesses by virtue of its revenues. On is corporate website, it terms its self as one of the worlds largest companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemical products for everyday items. As of its financial year end 2009, it owned 22400 service stations around the globe, it owned operations in 30 countries around the world, it employed 80,300 people in different countries, it owned 16 refineries around the world (with the biggest in Houston Texas), it produces 2.3 million barrels per day and owned oil reserves of about 18.3 Billion barrels (BP web 2010) Research Methods This project aims to assess the operations of BP. It takes into focus two major issues in global business and strategy; International trade globalisation strategy and ethics including aspects of corporate social responsibility. The management literature proposes several qualitative research methodologies (Bryman, 2004). These methodologies include; surveys, questionnaires, case studies, focus groups, experiments and interviews (Bryman, 2004). Pursuant to the aims of this project, a case study approach is employed in which I consult several documents which discuss management theory (detailed in Hill, 2009) and I examine how their application in practice basing on the case of British Petroleum. I use the BP website as a core source to derive information for this purpose. Given the lack of resources, other research methods such as interviews, questionnaires and focus groups are impractical. The next section details the operations of BP and the related theoretical underpinnings. British Petroleums globalisation strategy Globalisation refers to the current trend where the world is becoming a global village by effectively inter-knitting, national boundaries are being relaxed and countries are increasingly dependent on each other for survival. Globalisation presents significant opportunities to businesses as well as challenges. Firms that can cope with the trend enjoy larger markets, cheaper resources and therefore higher profitability. Firms that are unable to compete efficiently are faced out. As highlighted above BP is a global company with a highly acclaimed globalisation strategy. The success of this strategy could be attributed several (three main) factors as discussed below. First-mover advantage The history of BP can be traced back to the establishment of the Anglo Persian Oil Company, a subsidiary of the Burmah Oil Company in 1909. This firm explored the Persian golf for many years and was converted to the British Petroleum company after the Second World War. Scanty reports show that the firm expanded tremendously by 1960 developing its operations beyond the Persian golf into North America. Most importantly it established a significant presence in the North Sea by being the first company to find Oil in Alaska (BP web, 2010). The above indicates the length to which BP has gone to establish itself as one of the worlds biggest and most successful companies. New Trade theory suggests that first movers can benefit enormously from certain economic and strategic advantages in terms of operations. The theory argues that for those products where economies of scale are significant and represent a substantial portion of world demand, the first movers in an industry can gain a scale based cost advantage that later entrants find almost impossible to match (Hill, 2009. p 187). First mover advantage can potentially explain the structure of the Oil and Gas industry. The industry is made up of few big players and many small players in the Western world where competition is free. In other countries such as Kuwait, Saudi, Russia, China, Iraq and Qatar competition in the industry is restricted and the major oil exploiters are government owned. BP has established itself in most of the western world due to its first mover advantage. It is able to cut costs in its operations and derive benefits from economies of scale and scope. Many firms can compete effectively in Oil exploitation, exploration, extraction and refining, and therefore they turn to engage in the provision of support services such as distribution or the derivation of chemicals for other manufacturing industries. Competitive advantage Porters findings on national competitive advantage can be extended to understand why BP locates in the regions it does. BP is a global firm but has operations at varying degrees in about 30 different countries world wide (BP web, 2010). Despite operating significantly in 30 countries, its products and services are available in over 100 countries (BP web, 2010). Porters diamond asserts that the degree to which a nation is likely to achieve international success in a certain industry is a function of the combined impact of factor endowments, domestic demand conditions, related and supporting industries and domestic rivalry (Hill, 2009. p 191). Hill (2009) argues that based porters theory a profit seeking firm should localize its operations in those countries where such activities can be performed optimally. BP operates in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America. In Africa, it operates in Joint Ventures with firms in Egypt, Angola and Algeria. Its choice to operate only in join ventures in this country can be explained by the political economy of these countries. These countries cannot be termed as full democracies and are often susceptible to civil crisis. Operating as a joint venture, curbs the firms risk in the event of a political crisis but allows it to enjoy the revenues to be derived from its operations. It also has a huge presence in the Southern regions of Africa but in these regions it engages more with the marketing of its solar energy concepts. This region is rich in natural resources (sunshine) but the development of energy networks is very poor. The countries in this region rely heavily on hydroelectricity which is usually not sufficient to provide for industries and households. BP also operates as joint ventures in Asia with operations in Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Malaysia. It manufactures lubricants and solar panels in China and India where labour is cheap. BP does not explore petroleum in Australasia. Its operations in this region are geared towards the provision of solar energy. BP operates as a stand alone entity in much of Europe. Its operations in Russia are partly owned (joint venture) by a Russian company. It has major exploration and production facilities in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Columbia. These regions are rich in natural gas and oil necessitating BPs localisation to the areas. Products Hill (2009) noted that Raymond Vernon developed the product lifecycle theory after his realisation that firms had to keep innovating in order to maintain a demand for their products and ensure growth in revenues. The theory can be used to explain the globalisation trends, innovation drive and product mix of British Petroleum. BP currently produces a wide range of energy products including oil, natural gas, wind energy, solar energy, bio fuels and petroleum based lubricants. Two decades ago, its primary product was Oil. Research and development in the industry has led to the introduction of cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy. These forms of energy are widely regarded as the future of the Oil and Gas industry. Speculators believe that at some point in time oil will be faced out as coal was faced out with the discovery of oil. BP has realised the fact that oil as a product has reached its maturity stage and its demand might diminish with the advent of new forms of energy. The firm has taken a colossal position in the new energy market by running a major portfolio of energy products representing the mix of all bespoke and innovative new forms of energy. Unlike televisions for example, Oil cannot be re-engineered and further developed. Innovation by modification is therefore difficult. BP has turned the focus on energy efficiency i.e. researching and developing ways in which energy can be saved. Instead of devising faster or stronger energy which might be impossible BP has turned the focus to the development of equipment and usage techniques that will save energy through low consumption. This encompasses innovation that fuels the demand for its products. Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility As Hill (2009) emphasized ethical issues in international business are brought about by political, legal, economic and cultural differences in between countries- what is considered normal practice in one country might be considered unethical in another (p. 124). The ethical challenge, I will argue, is significantly increased for global firms. BP for example operates in all the different continents of the world. In keeping with Hills argument ethics is relative and context dependent. In certain countries, it is ethical to employ young people. In the UK, all employees must be above the legal age of 18 to gain full employment. The legal age changes significantly between countries varying from 16 to 21. Most multi national firms deal with this challenge by devising a set of corporate values which govern their operations in all regions. BP web (2010) argues that the company is driven by four major values; progressive, responsible, innovative and performance driven. In terms of being responsible, BP asserts that We are committed to the safety and development of our people and the communities and societies in which we operate. We aim for no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment. This commitment can be seen in the fact that BP reporting covers all aspects beyond financial reporting including health, safety, human rights, environment and energy. BP is at the forefront of the cleaner energy debate. It does its bit by engaging in energy saving initiatives and constantly researching on cleaner ways in which energy can be produced and delivered. It has diversified strongly into the green energy industry engaging in the production of liquefied petroleum gas, fossil fuels and renewable energy. A major part of corporate ethics that has been pervasive in the management literature in recent years is corporate social responsibility. Hill (2009) argues that multinational corporations such as BP have power that comes from their operations and their ability to move production from country to country. Considering for an instance the revenues generated by BP annually, I find that the corporations revenues is higher than the GDP of many countries. Social responsibility advocates that managers should consider more than just the economic consequences of their decisions (hill, 2009). More importantly, importance should be placed on the social consequences of decision making. The European commission defines corporate social responsibility as A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis (EC website, 2010). It basically refers to the companys interactions with its surrounding communities and looks at how the company strives to promote development and social cohesion and participates in maintaining the environment within such communities. A firms community is a major stakeholder of the firm and thus needs to be considered. BPs financial reporting incorporates major aspects such as its social responsibility, its strive for cleaner energy, its contributions towards preserving the environment and its strive to improve sustainable extraction of energy. Communities take corporate social responsibilities seriously especially when it comes to Oil and Gas firms. This is largely as a result of the potential dangers that can arise from their operations with these communities. Recent crises have ranged from large explosions with severe casualties to major spillages with the destruction of flora and fauna. -A review of the BP 2010 Oil spill crisis BP faced a deep water horizon drilling rig explosion which killed 11 of its off shore workers and injured 17 other workers. The rig gushed out over 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Mexican Golf between April and July 2010. The spill was catastrophic and so were its effect on wild life, the fishing industry, the tourism sector and the surrounding neighbourhoods. In response to this BP set up a crisis management program. It publicly apologized for the distress it caused and undertook to foot the clean up costs. The company has currently set up a $20 Billion dollar fund to manage the after-effects of the crisis. During the crisis, BP showed effort employing several techniques to attempt to stop the leakage. It also arranged a compensation plan for those affected by the crisis. This attests to the fact that BP takes its corporate social responsibility and ethics very strongly. Hill (2009) also notes the social contributions or social investments of BP in Algeria. Hill notes that BP realised its communities in Algeria lacked clean drinking water and created two desalination plants to produce clean what for the public. To add to this, the company provided water cans to help residents transport water from plants to their homes. Conclusions Summary of findings This study has examined the operations of BP in the global context to see how certain management concepts are applied in practice. Two aspects; globalisation strategy and corporate social responsibility were reviewed. BP is found to have a sophisticated globalisation strategy which it has fortified over the years. This helps it to compete efficiently and to remain one the worlds leading corporations. Again, BP is found to have a robust stance towards corporate social responsibility and ethics. Its industry is hazardous and it is pruned to corporate disasters such as spills and explosions. BP has managed to keep these to a minimum and when they do occur, BP has taken necessary steps to manage the crisis and limit the damage Limitations This work is limited in the fact that it strongly relies on public information sources to assess the operations of BP. Several aspects could have been better scrutinized and invaluable insights drawn through other research methods such as interviews with key workers and focus groups to draw varied opinion. Due to the limitations in space (number of words) the aspects discussed can not be reviewed in greater detail. Future research Recommendations This research has examined BPs operations in light of established theory but has not confirmed if such a method of operation is optimal. It might be interesting to investigate whether the product strategy, globalisation strategy or their approach to ethics and corporate social responsibility affect their performance or contributes significantly towards the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. The limitations highlighted above also provide avenues for future research into the area. Several theories have been propounded in the management literature. Their understanding will only be facilitated by examining how these theories are applied in practice or by investigating the contributions of such theories to management practice. In light of this argument, this form of study is encouraged.

a separte peace :: essays research papers

Literary Analysis for A Separate Peace   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having a best friend means not to have jealousy of them, and to not wish to hurt them in any way. From reading this literature book, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, it proves that statement. The story is about two close friends whose bond becomes ruined by jealousy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gene felt extremely jealous of Finny. In the beginning of the story, the author tried to describe the inferior feelings of Gene. In the dorm rooms, Gene tried on Finny’s clothes as a symbol of wanting to live Finny’s life. While picking up the shirt, Gene said, â€Å"This is going to be my emblem† (18). That shows that he wants some artifact of Finny’s as his label to describe his personality. Basically, he wants to live Finny’s life.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finny was a down-to-earth, normal, peace making guy. While Gene played the role of a follower, Finny played the leader. When Finny tried to beat a swimming record and accomplished it, he wanted it to be kept on the low. Gene, on the other hand, wanted everyone to know therefore he would become popular. After beating the record, Finny said, â€Å"By the way, we aren’t going to talk about this. It’s just between you and me. Don’t say anything about it, to †¦ anyone† (36). By showing that Finny has to say something in the first place, he obviously knows Gene’s blabbering side of him. When Gene pushed Finny off the tree, it clearly showed how jealous he was of him. The boys have such an incredible bond that when Gene came to tell Finny that it was him who pushed him out of the tree, he did not even believe him. He said, â€Å"Of course you didn’t do it. You damn fool. Sit down, you damn fool. I’m going to hit you if you don’t sit down† (62). He became so angry and up-tight that Gene would say that, and he truly believed that he would never do anything like that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After falling out of a tree, Finny was taken to the hospital. When he felt lonely, he called Gene to talk, and to see if Gene had replaced Finny with another roommate. Once Gene answered â€Å"no†, Gelber 3 Finny became mad at himself for even thinking that in the first place.

Ford Motor Company :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Ford Company Our Hiring ProcessUnderstanding How We HireIf you’re passionate about a career with Ford Motor Company, you want to understand how and why we choose people to join our team. Our hiring decisions are based on an objective evaluation of your skills, experiences and competencies. What are we looking for? What should you expect? Here is a brief explanation of our process. A Two-Step ProcessHiring at Ford Motor Company is a two-step process designed to be quick, thorough and personal. The first phase is Initial Recruiting, which may involve a face-to-face meeting with a Ford recruiter. Its purpose is to review and assess your credentials, experience and background.The second phase is a more in-depth interaction with Ford Motor Company at a Leadership Conference. Conferences are weekend events at a Ford facility. If you’re invited to one of these weekends, you’ll know you’ve made the first cut. Then, based on your performance during the weekend, Ford managers will make a hiring decision. Read on to learn more about the two phases in the hiring process. Initial RecruitingInitial recruiting begins when you meet us--for example, as you explore this site. You can see if our working environment fits your style, find out about career programs and open positions, and read about who we are and what it’s like to work here.If you decide you’d like to join us, you answer an online questionnaire about your skills, experience and background. If this Web-based personal assessment shows you have what we’re looking for, we can invite you to a leadership conference.Some people meet us when we recruit on campus or at a career fair, and in some cases we conduct an interview instead of using our Web-based assessment.If y ou’re invited to a leadership conference, you’ll get on line to schedule your attendance. If you haven’t received an invitation, we continue to consider you for openings unless we notify you otherwise. Please log in frequently to see any new information on your personal page.Leadership ConferenceThe leadership conference is an expenses-paid weekend at a Ford Motor Company facility. This can be a big event, with dozens of guests like you meeting and interacting with Ford people. Our recruiters, managers and other employees will guide you through a series of activities to help you learn whether a Ford career is for you. The conference is an opportunity for both you and us to evaluate each other in depth.

The Brother Rice High School Community :: Christianity Education Essays

The Brother Rice High School Community High School is every Junior High students dream. It is a time in a student’s life where he/she receives a large amount of freedom as well as responsibility. Mom no longer accompanies the teenagers at the movies and one can even drive himself/herself there. Academics are important also because these grades determine if you are college bound material. But, are freedom and academics the only parts of a solid High School career? I myself believe that there is more to High School then freedom and academics. High School is also a time when young adults are entering into society as individuals. They are on their way to adulthood and their education during this time should stretch further than just an academic education. I attended a private high school known as "Brother Rice High School", where I received more than just an academic experience. When some people hear the word "Private" school they think of words such as: "Stuck up," "Rich," or "Snobby," but these are not accurate po rtrayals. One must look inside the doors of the school before making such negative connotations and if you did you would realize that this is not the case. Brother Rice High School is an academic institution that teaches young men academic fundamentals as well as Christian morals and social values. The Christian Brothers of Ireland, followers of Edmund Ignatius Rice, founded the school in 1960. Edmund Rice was bom in 1762. He was educated first at home, then in a 'hedge school', and finally in Kilkenny, Ireland. Mr. Rice married, and became a prosperous merchant and a leader of Catholic activities in the City of Waterford. After the death of Edmund's wife, he had intentions of entering a monastery on the continent, but the Bishop of Waterford encouraged him to stay in Ireland and begin a school for poor boys. The new school greatly effected the youth of Waterford that Edmund soon had requests to open schools in other cities. Pope Pius VII gave papal approval to the Congregation in 1820. Edmund took the name of Brother Ignatius and in 1822 Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice was elected the first Superior General of the new congregation. Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice died on August 29, 1844, at Mount Sion, Waterford. In 1997 Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II.

Walking Dead Syndrome

THE WALKING DEAD SYNDROME English 150 Instructor: S. Jone November 7, 2011 The Walking Dead Syndrome Introduction The Walking Dead syndrome is considered a rare disease. I believe everyone in this existence has a purpose on this vast place we call earth. However, there are people diagnosed with a syndrome who believe they have no soul or convinced themselves they are dead. The â€Å"Walking Dead Syndrome† is also commonly known as â€Å"Cotard’s Syndrome†. In this paper, I will refer this syndrome as â€Å"Cotard’s syndrome†. Cotard’s syndrome is linked with other mental illnesses which could explain a person’s state of mind of feeling non-existent in society. I will further discuss eight aspects of this syndrome: defining the Walking Dead Syndrome, defining mental illness, description of several mental illnesses associated with this syndrome, classifications of Cotard’s syndrome, analysis of patients, diagnosis of syndrome, and types of treatments available for patients. Defining Walking Dead Syndrome or Cotard’s Syndrome Many people I discussed this topic with never heard of the â€Å"Walking Dead Syndrome†. The Walking Dead Syndrome was first created by French neurologist, Jules Cotard, hence, named the â€Å"Cotard’s Syndrome†. He was a French neurologist who first described this psychiatric condition. First reference to the syndrome was made in the year 1880, when Jules Cotard gave a lecture in Paris. In this lecture, he described various degrees of the syndrome, while he said that a person who resorts to despair and self-hatred begins in the early stages of this disorder. With deterioration, the person might go to the extent of denying the very existence of himself or herself. There are detached from the sense of existence of self (â€Å"Cotard Syndrome† 2010). Patients portray themselves similar to the concept of â€Å"zombies†. Hollywood has portrayed horror and science fiction based movies on â€Å"zombies† or the â€Å"walking dead†. In the movies, zombies are typically mean and fond of human flesh, they groan and cannot talk, have incredible strength, and display rotting flesh. A zombie is physically identical to a normal human being, but completely lacks conscious experience. If we suddenly lost our minds, or consciousness our bodies might continue to run on for a while, our hearts might continue to beat, we might breathe while asleep and digest food. But without the contribution made by minds, behavior could not show characteristically human features. In the Urban Dictionary, 1999-2011, a zombie is defined â€Å"as deceased human being who has partially returned to life due to undeterminable causes. The brain retains base facilities, namely gross motor function. In its near-mindless state, it grasps no remains of emotion, personality, or sensation of pain. In rare cases, some of the reanimated have reflexively preformed routine activities from their past lives†. The people diagnosed with Walking Dead Syndrome have similar portrayals including not having internal organs and smelling of rotting flesh. A hypothetical analogy can be explained when most of us have woken up after a really good night out. Our first drive in the morning was motivated by a desire for food and coffee. If we as a society experience a chemical or radiological contamination, we might be experiencing the hangover from hell. Our higher thought would be destroyed, the neural system would be degraded, and leave just the body running on its primary functions. Defining Mental Illness Since the beginning of man, I think there has been mental illness, and chemical imbalance generates a huge part, and some people just do not have the ability to use parts of their brain for reason and logic. According to to Sorrentino, Wilk, and Newmaster (2009), a mental illness can be: â€Å"caused by a combination of genetic, biological, personality, and environmental factors, is a disturbance in a person’s ability to cope with or adjust to stress; the person’s thinking, mood, and behaviours are affected, and functioning is impaired †¦mental illnesses affect people of all ages, culture, and educational and income levels. The onset of most mental illnesses occurs during adolescence and young adulthood† (p. 641). Most mental illnesses are brought on by the stresses of life, money, property, and consumption. Having a mental illness varies from person to person and if you cannot go about your day as you normally would due to a condition then it is a mental illness. An example would be having an â€Å"anxiety disorder†, and if you cannot leave your house anymore due to petrifying fear, then there is clearly a problem. Unless of course you cannot recognize that you are having problems and you are posing a threat to yourself or others, then you can be forcibly placed under the guidance of a psychologist. Mental illness can be contributed to either biological, psychological, and environmental factors. The biological factors can be attributed to genetics or â€Å"mental disorders tend to run in families, suggesting a hereditary factor†¦the number of close relatives a person has who suffer from depression or other mood disorders is the best predictor of the likelihood that the individual will develop a mood disorder† (Boyd, Johnson, Bee, 2009, p. 385). In addition, psychological aspects can be contributed to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, and the environmental causes can be defined as a person living in poverty or substance abuse. Mental Illnesses Associated with Cotard’s Syndrome People diagnosed with the â€Å"Cotard’s Syndrome† have been treated for a mental illness or combination of bi-polar, delusions, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder, to name a few. The major mental illnesses are painful, pervasive, disruptive and usually disabling. Firstly, a â€Å"bi-polar disorder† is defined as â€Å"a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function† (Sorrentino, Wilk, Newsmaster, 2009, p. 651). Whereas, â€Å"delusions† are the â€Å"false beliefs that are firmly held† (Purse, 2011). An example is a person who has grandeur delusions or has paranoid tendencies. In the grandiose subtype, the person is convinced that he has some great talent or has made some important discovery, they have an inflated sense of self-worth. In addition, their delusions center on their own importance, such as believing that they have done or created something of extreme value or think they have a â€Å"special mission†. There is reference to another type of delusion known as â€Å"nihilistic delusions†. This type of delusion describes a person â€Å"focused on the individual’s body, including loss of body parts, being dead, or not existing at all† (Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, & Audenaert, 2011). Furthermore, Cotard syndrome created a new type of depression which â€Å"is described as anxious melancholia, ideas of damnation or rejection, insensitivity to pain, delusions or nonexistence concerning one’s own body, and delusions of immorality† (Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, & Audenaert, 2011). This type of delusion is a major attribute of Cotard’s syndrome. Thirdly, â€Å"schizophrenia† which â€Å"is an extremely complex mental health disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disturbances in thinking, and withdrawal from social activity† (Sorrentino, Wilk, Newsmaster, 2009, p. 55). News and entertainment media tend to link mental illnesses including schizophrenia to criminal violence. Most people with schizophrenia, however, are not violent toward others but are withdrawn and prefer to be left alone. Lastly, â€Å"schizoaffective disorder† is described as a â€Å"person having symptoms of both schizophrenic and bipolar disord er† (Purse, 2006). Some disorders will cause parts of the brain to stop performing their normal functions. These can leave people out of control and disoriented (not knowing what they themselves are doing). Classifications of Cotard’s Syndrome In its early stages, Cotard’s syndrome is characterized by vague feeling of anxiety with a varying time span from weeks to years. This anxious state gradually augments and can result in nihilistic delusions where denial of life or denial of body parts are the prominent features. The patient loses sense of reality. Despite the delusion of being dead, these patients show an increased tendency to automutilation (self harm) or suicidal behaviour. (Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, and Audenaert, 2011). A case studying involving 100 patients, in Debruyne, Portzky, Van den Eynde, and Audenaert, (2009) reveal three types of Cotard’s syndrome. The first is a form of â€Å"psychotic depression† in which anxiety, melanchonlia, delusions of guilt, and auditory hallucinations are the more prominent features. The second class is â€Å"Cotard’s syndrome Type I†, which is associated with hypochondriac and nihilistic delusions. The third type is â€Å"Cotard’s syndrome Type II†, which includes anxiety, depression, delusions of immortality, nihilistic delusions and suicidal behaviour are characteristic features†. However, in Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, and Audenaert, 2011, a case study conducted in 1999, identified three stages of Cotard’s syndrome. The first stage, germination stage, is characterized by important hypochondriac cenesthopathy and depressive mood. A diagnosis of Cotard’s syndrome cannot be made in this stage yet. In the blooming stage, the characteristic features of Cotard’s syndrome (nihilistic delusions, delusions of immorality together with anxiety and negativism) are seen. The last stage, the chronic stage is differentiated in two forms: one with persistent emotional disturbances (depressive type) and the second where depressive symptoms are less prominent (paranoid type) (as cited by Yamman, 1999). The two classifications described above have assisted in diagnosing of Cotard’s syndrome. The similar features displayed are nihilistic delusions, depressive mood, and anxiety. Analysis This syndrome does not affect a specific category of people. A study of 100 patients, revealed that â€Å"Cotard’s syndrome was diagnosed in 2 of 349 patients†¦taking into account only severely depressed older adult patients. In addition, the average of age of person studied was 52 years of age, however, the study also suggested that Cotard’s was occasionally described in children and adolescents (Debruyne, Portzky, Van den Eynde, Audenaert, 2009). Furthermore, according to Wani et al. , (2008), â€Å"this syndrome is typically related to depression and is mostly found in middle-aged or older people. In the analysis the following results were displayed: â€Å"depressive mood (89%), nihilistic delusions (69%), anxiety (65%), delusions of guilt (63%), delusions of immortality (55%), hypochondriac delusions (58%)† (Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, and Audenaert, 2011). Diagnosis The diagnosis reveals a psychological and neurological aspect of Cotard’s syndrome. The â€Å"depersonalization phenomenon† as described in Debruyne, Portzky, Van den Eynde, and Audenaert, 2009, is referred to using German erminology leib (body for me) and korper (body as such), korper becomes more prominent than leib and the body less associated with the self (leib), depersonalization onset can then occur. However, in depersonalization, the patient feels as if he or she is dead (in difference of affect), whereas in Cotard’s syndro me, the patient is convinced that he or she is dead (lack of feeling). Cotard’s syndrome is often associated with parietal lobe lesions. Compared with controls, patients with Cotard’s syndrome have more brain atrophy in general and more median frontal lobe atrophy in particular. Cotard’s syndrome may be associated with multifocal brain atrophy and medial frontal lobe disease. Neurological assessments were performed and findings resulted in patients affected by â€Å"parietal brain dysfunction† and structural brain abnormalities. Recent discoveries have indicated that Cotard’s syndrome was associated with multifocal brain atrophy and interhemispheric fissure enlargement. The interhemispheric fissure enlargement means â€Å"parietal lobe lesions† (Joseph and O'Leary, 2011) or bending in the frontal and occipital regions and this abnormality also been observed in schizophrenic patients. Others have described and enlargement of the third and lateral ventricles. In one patient, the patient was diagnosed with a schizophrenia disorder and a left sided hypoperfusion in the temporal, parietal and frontal lobes. The medical term of hypoperfusion is defined as a â€Å"decreased blood flow through an organ† (Meriam-Webster, 2011). In addition, the patient experienced improvements of the inferior frontal and left hypoperfusion and there was evidence of decreased hyperprofusion of the left temporal lobe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (cited in Debruyne, Portzky, Van den Eynde, and Audenaert, 2009). Treatments There are several methods utilized to treat mental health struggles. A patient can seek professional assistance by psychology or psychiatry therapy and/or the utilization of medication. If you lived in the 16th century with any undefined mental disorder, you were considered as â€Å"possessed by the Devil† and cast away to some godforsaken monastery dungeon in which monks would constantly pray for and exorcise you. The Catholic Church they used a methodical guidebook to describe all behavioral aspects and associations of witchcraft, satanism, etc. nd utilized this upon people who were suffered with mental or behavioral maladies, and it was not commonly understood in the Medieval and Renaissance periods. In the medieval ages, they were burned because they thought demons haunted the mentally ill. In later years, we willfully experimented on them, cutting into their bodies and brains to â€Å"fix them†, this was called, trepanation. The â€Å"evidence of trepan ation has been found in prehistoric human remains from Neolithic times onward. Cave paintings indicate that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures, migraines, and mental disorders† (Wikipedia, 2011). It is really disgusting and is the major reason that even today it is to some a badge of humiliation instead of just an illness. Complete recovery may occur spontaneously and suddenly as onset of Cotard’s syndrome. There are several reports of successful pharmacological treatment of Cotard’s syndrome. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is considered an important treatment option in Cotard’s syndrome. It is noted, in Debruyne, Portzky, Van den Eynde, Audenaert, 2009, that young patients use of mood stabilizers should be considered because Cotard’s syndrome in this population is often part of a bipolar disorder. Successful treatment with ECT and the patient with underlying major depressive disorder resulted in recovery of left and right temporal hypoprofussion and normalization of profusion in the frontal cortex was reported after treatment with antidepressants (Debruyne, Portzky, Peremans, and Audenaert, 2011). Please be aware that people who have true mental illnesses do suffer. They want more than anything to be able to feel and function like other people and they will actively seek help. The reality is that certain medications and treatments help those who are suffering from these conditions. Conclusion Mental illness is not a modern invention. The mentally ill have been recognized in one form or another by every culture we have a record of. How they were perceived and what their value is what has largely changed. Some people do not retreat into their minds as much as they are supposed to, while others spend all their time there. What we eat and breathe and drink affects our health and our brain, and a healthy individual's brain tends to have more to work with and develop all the right chemicals and nerve sheaths. A good parent with their strong sense of empathy realizes that their child is a thinking, growing human being and will always need that light touch that points them in the â€Å"right direction† and prevent them from getting â€Å"lost†. The right nature and nurturing are essential for a healthy development. Some cases of these disorders I believe could be a simple lack of the ingredients to solve this chemical imbalance. Given that our brain is constantly changing accordingly with the times, a chronic chemical imbalance quickly becomes more than just that, as the brain has grown and changed around this shortcoming. The kind of understanding you wish people had for those with mental disorders would be a universal understanding for all if people would look into themselves and observe their own thoughts and behaviors. We are our best test subjects since we have full access to all the â€Å"data†, and by observing ourselves totally (mentally, developmentally, chemically) we can apply our understanding to others and learn from the experience. People need to care about how people's minds work in general, understanding â€Å"you guys† would come with the turf, and communication with our angry neighbors would be much more effective since we'd all see where everyone is coming from. Philosophers have long contemplated human happiness, and how to live a â€Å"good† life, in harmony with our own nature. The problem is that humans do not really know what makes them happy, and what they think will, or will not, and instead they find contempt and superficial pleasures they believe will satisfy them. As a result, some people will not live a good and peaceful life that satisfies the majority of people. The fact is not everyone needs medication, but there are those who do. Some need it temporarily, some for a lifetime. Some simply need therapy, and some benefit from dietary changes. I believe understanding is the highest ideal we should seek to attain. Understanding and being honest with ourselves about ourselves and applying our own understanding to others may help us see that we are not as different as we'd like to believe. I believe that sense of commonality with all human beings can generate empathy, compassion and ultimately peace in all of us. It is when we categorize each other, ourselves, and place value on those categories then we breed hatred, ignorance and fear. References Boyd, D. , Johnson, Paul, Bee, Helen (2009). Lifespan Development. (4th Canadian Edition). Toronto: Pearsons Canada Inc. Cotard Syndrome. (2010). Disorders Central. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://www. disorderscentral. com/cotard-syndrome. html Debruyne, H. , Portzky, M. Peremans, K. , ; Audenaert, K. , (2011). Mind and Brain The Journal of Psychiatry. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from http://content. yudu. com/Library/A1t5r8/MindampBraintheJourn/resources/73. htm Debruyne, H. , Portzky, M. , Van den Eynde, F. , ; Audenaert, K. (2009). Cotard’s Syndrome: A Review. Current Psychiatry Reports. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from University of Calgary On-line Resources: http://www. springerlink. com. ezproxy. lib. ucal gary. ca/content/f43j790n7161432m/ Hypoperfusion. (2011). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/medical/hypoperfusion Joseph AB, and O'Leary DH. (2011). Brain atrophy and interhemispheric fissure enlargement in Cotard's syndrome. PubMed. gov. Retrieved November 6, 2011, from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/3759917 Purse, Marcia. (2011). Delusions. About. com. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from http://bipolar. about. com/od/definingbipolardisorder/g/gl_delusions. htm Purse, Marcia. (2006). Schizoaffective Disorder. About. com. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from http://bipolar. about. om/od/glossary/g/gl_schizoaffect. htm Sorrentino, Sheila A. , Wilk, Mary J. , and Newsmaster, Rosemary (2009). Mosby’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker. (2nd Canadian Edition). Toronto: Elsevier Canada Urban Dictionary. (1999-2011). Zombie. Retrieved November 6, 2011, from http://www. urbandictionary. com/define. php? term=zombie Wani, A. Z, Abdul, W. Khan, Aijaz, A. Babe, Hayat, A. Khan, Qurat-ul, A. Wani, and Taploo, Rayneesa (2008). Cotard's syndrome and delayed diagnosis in Kashmir, India. International Journal of Mental Health Systems.

Ethics †Meaning of life Essay

1. The Meaning of Life Connect your ideas on the essential meaning of life to the views of at least one philosopher. This philosopher can be someone whom we studied or can come from an outside source. You might connect your ideas in a harmonious or contradictory way. Utilize the academic resources aligned with this course to find a philosopher that coincides with or contradicts your own ideas. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from this week’s required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. What gives human life meaning? I think Immanuel Kant said it best when he asked the three question that make up what it is to be human. â€Å"What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope? † (Ch. 5. 4, Mosser) I think that it is what we do with our lives that make them worth living. The people’s lives that we touch and help are what give our own lives meaning. How should one act in the world once one realizes this meaning? One should follow the consequentialist theory. Meaning that one should make the choices that will bring about the most benefits to everyone not just one’s self. How do you know? I know by the feeling that is left after I help others. This feeling is what drives us to give, to help to reach out and continue helping others. Most of us do not enjoy the thought of others suffering, so it would make sense that they would enjoy seeing others happy. As they say happiness is contagious. References: Mosser, K. (2010). Philosophy: A Concise Intro. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. After watching Relationship of Philosophy to Other Fields, reflect on the relationship of philosophy to your life in terms of your future education and career What value does philosophy have? I am getting my bachelors in health care administration, in laments terms I will be the lady to hand you forms and answer immediate question when you come into a hospital. Having philosophy in my life will actually help by enabling me to help patients when they come in, by being better able to answer their question. Example: A patients asks: Why is it taking so long? My response: I having taken philosophy can respond by giving them an answer that would eliminate all why questions and would help them feel a little more at ease with their wait. How can people benefit from thinking more philosophically? They can benefit by broadening their way of thinking, which in turns helps understand more and see things from a different point of view. How does philosophy affect ethical issues? Philosophy describes how humans should behave while ethics describes what is right and wrong and how we should respond to the situation. Unfortunately they do not always go hand in hand. What significance does thinking and reasoning critically play in society, and in human flourishing? Thinking’s is what brought about the wheel or electricity. It is those that stop and ask why not, these are the people that flourish in society. It is using your brain to understand things not just what you can see but also what you cannot.

Prison Healthcare Essay

In researching healthcare in the prison system there seemed to be a definite difference in the type of regulated health care being given or even offered to prisoners. Prisons have state and federal laws that they must abide by in delivering health care services to their inmates. Therefore this paper will discuss the Federal Bureau of Prisons which came about in 1930 and was put together to deliver compassionate and open-minded care for Federal prisoners. In addition, the BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisoners) was implemented to change the prison health care services to be able to offer a more professional type of care. The government agency being discussed in this paper is known as the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The BOP’s head office is located in Washington D.C. and is part of the U.S. Justice Department. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is held accountable for the operation and administration of the federal prison organization. The main reasoning behind the BOP is to deliver a neutr al and sympathetic type of treatment for federal inmates in the United States penitentiary system. The BOP also provides inmates with any health care they may need in agreement with any Federal and State laws. The BOP is in charge of the protection and upkeep of roughly 200,000 centralized prisoners and is accountable for setting the standard for federal prisons dispersed through the U.S. The BOP starts out by deciding where a prisoner should be placed such as; what facility? The next thing BOP would then assess is the level of security needed for the prisoner and what type of counseling he or she may need while serving their time in prison? In addition to counseling services the prisoner will be assessed for any mental health issues at this time as well. After many of these types of questions are answered concerning the inmate the BOP will then assess what type of health care services the prisoner is in need of and too what degree they are needed. An example of this could be if a p risoner is in need of some type of Prison Health Care Agency 3 immediate surgery, then he or she would be put at the top priority level for care needed. These types of questions are quickly reviewed along with administration to determine where the inmate will need to serve his or her time. The reason for this statement is a prison’s inmate capacity along with the level of treatment able to be offered at a specific prison may influence a decision to place an offender at one location over another. According to the United States Department of Justice (2013), â€Å"the Federal Bureau of Prisons are responsible for confining federal offenders in prisons that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and secure† (Agencies). According to the Federal Bureau of Prison’s (2008), â€Å"as part of these duties, the BOP is able to control health care in prisons by being responsible for the delivery of medically necessary health care to inmates in accordance with applicable standards of care† (Executive Summary). The American Correctional Association has established nationwide principles connected to the safe, effective and professional operation of corrections facilities. These values are vital leaders in regards to the policies and procedures that defend the wellbeing and security of employees and inmates of the prison. These principles are frequently reviewed by a group looking over the standards. The amendments are grounded on decisions based by the court, practice sessions, and constitutional organizations. In order to comply with both federal and state laws, medical facilities or health care services must be provided at prisons and state-run correctional facilities. This type of task would require the combined efforts of several sections within the American Correctional Association which is primarily associated with the Administrative Services, Offender Operations, Support Services, and Health Services. In addition, things such as making financial arrangements for the construction and upkeep of medical faciliti es would fall to the obligation of Administrative Services and the Offender Prison Health Care Agency 4 Operations. In addition the Health Services at a prison are those responsible for the day to day procedures of the prison’s medical treatment centers. To make sure that the health care being provided to prisoners is meeting a high level of quality the American Correctional Association has required and expects accreditation and certification from any agencies regarding the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The NCCHC healthcare principles and standards are intended to assist things such as; prison healthcare clinics meet international and national standards of basic human rights. By November 29, 2007, the BOP had held 166,794 inmates in approximately 114 BOP prisons at 93 different sites (The Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2008). Also, throughout 2007 the Federal Bureau of Prisons was indebted around $736 million for health care being offered to prisoners in the United States. The Federal Bureau of Prisons continues to deliver health care services to prisoners chiefly by internal medicinal providers working by the BOP or allocated to the BOP from the Public Health Service, and ultimately constricted health care physicians which were the ones’ that delivered wide-ranging treatment or separate health care services offered for a single person (The Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2008). Then with adjusting or controlling the growing prices regarding health care and the various other services the Federal Bureau of Prisons executed resources that were intended to offer additional competent health care to prisoners. The Federal Bureau of Prisons exertions to get some type of control on health care in prisons began by learning the various steps a prisoner must go through before he or she is transferred or sent to their assigned penitentiary. To start off prisoners are sent to a prison established around the level of treatment that is needed by this particular inmate. According to the Federal Bureau of Prison’s (2008) â€Å"the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated an Prison Health Care Agency 5 audit to determine whether the BOP was appropriately containing health care costs in the provision of necessary medical, dental, and mental health care services; as well as effectively administering its medical services contracts and effectively monitored its medical services providers† (Executive Summary). To make sure that federal and state laws are being followed regarding health care facilities being offered at penitentiaries as well as state-run correctional facilities. For something like this assignment to take place would entail the joint efforts of numerous subdivisions inside the ADC, primarily Administrative Services, Offender Operations, Support Services, and Health Services. When it comes to planning and budgeting for the construction and maintenance of health care centers this is ultimately the obligation of the Administrative Services and Offender Operations. Therefore, the health care that is being provided to prisoners must be of a high quality and acceptable. In order to ensure that the quality of healthcare being provided to inmates is of a high quality and above criticism the ADC received certification from a self-governing agency to receive their accreditation which was the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). The healthcare standards that are in place by the NCCHC were envisioned to assist prisons with health care centers for their inmates as well as making sure to meet and follow the international and national principles regarding basic human rights. Inmates of all ages, race, color, creed and nationali ty are able to receive an equivalent standard level of treatment regarding ones’ health that is offered to the public that are not be held behind bars. According to Health Care in Prison (2013), â€Å"This general principle is outlined in Prison Service Order 3200, which states: The Prison Service in partnership with the NHS has a responsibility to ensure that prisoners have access to health services that are broadly equivalent Prison Health Care Agency 6 to those the general public receives from the NHS† (What Healthcare Services is Prisoners Entitled to). This means that prisons already provide health education, patient education, prevention and other health promotion interventions in that general context.† In addition, it is a requirement that each and every prisoner be able to find the penitentiaries’ policy statement regarding the health care services that are offered. In this policy statement it must be able to be viewed in a noticeable spot that is in an accessible location for all inmates. The policy statement must explain in detail what specific primary care, dental and specialist clinical services are available to prisoners, along with who is responsible for providing them (Health Care in Prison, 2013). All prisons must provide the policy statement to any prisoner who requests this information regarding the health care services available to them within a particular time frame. Prison Health Care Agency 7 References: Chen, S. (2009, November). Prison health-care costs rise as inmates grow older and sicker. CNN Justice, (), 1-3. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11- 13/justice/aging.inmates_1_prison-inmate-largest-prison-systems-medical-costs? Health care in prison. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.aidsmap.com/Health-care-in- prison/page/1503575/ The Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/BOP/a0808/final.pdf The United States Department of Justice. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/ag/