Example Answers to Strategic Human Resource Management Exam

Example Answers to Strategic Human Resource Management Exam Section A, Question 1 To what extent does the approach to Talent Management at Standard Chartered Bank display features of SHRM? Answer: By focusing heavily on its talent management program it can be clearly be seen that Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) is making the practice of SHRM as one of its key priorities. As can be seen from the article, the way SCB adopts its appraisal methodology is of a very strategic angle. By making it a global standard to conduct face-to-face performance appraisals every 6 months goes to show that SCB is reviewing its own performance management objectives to make sure that those objectives stay relevant and achievable, and that is a feature of SHRM. Being sensitive to different cultures by employing different appraisal methods also shows that SCB understands the importance of managers and staff identifying and dealing with real, actual problems in a way that is most familiar and effective to them. That is also another facet of SHRM as through such means, SCB is able to monitor its own competitiveness in the market. Through appraisals, SCB also classifies their employees into 5 categories ranging from high-potentials, to critical resources, then to core contributors, followed by underachievers and finally, underperformers. By doing so they are able to identify areas in which they are lacking and act upon it. Interestingly, as Geraldine Haley explains the classifications, it can be seen that SCB is already identifying the likely flow of talent in the bank and are taking actions to manage the flow. For example, when classifying certain employees as underperformers, Haley goes on to mention that this group of people do not fit the job requirements and they should be transferred to another role or be managed out. Clearly, whether the bank decides to place this group of employees in another role (which fits the idea of SHRM because by placing people where they perform best clearly benefits any company), or by managing them out (thereby reducing unnecessary manpower costs or replacement with a more pr oductive candidate), the intent behind both actions is clearly strategic in nature. The employee classification also allows the bank to understand the their potential and manpower mix which is critical because, the HR department would be able to plan in advance for staff mobility or develop different programs to help develop potential of their talents to another level. So far we are able to see that SCB does indeed view its employees as a strategic key asset in churning out profits for the bank. Yet another SHRM feature being displayed is the secrecy of employee classifications. As mentioned in the article, SCBs stance is that while they do not want certain employees to feel de-motivated and others to boast about their own performances, the whole point of the classification system is to inform managers that there might be actions required on their part to improve the situation. It is true that in SHRM, managers should not cause their staff to feel like they are being constantly monitored for poor performance because this will affect the staffs willingness to contribute towards the company. Again, either way, we see that the actions taken are closely linked to helping the organisation achieve its strategic corporate objectives. The classification system is also being used a guide for regional offices to strategically benchmark against one another to see where they stand. Ever since SCB has been experiencing a high staff turnover rate among newly recruited employees, a solution in the form of a global induction program named Right Start was implemented to curb this problem and they successfully brought down the rate of employees leaving by 5% (http://www.standardchartered.com/annual-report-07/en/business_review/people.html, 2008). SCB has also gone on to groom talents into leaders by means of providing coaching and self-help tools through various medias such as podcasts, videos and workshops. Another key concept is to allow talents to play to their strengths rather than on focusing on managing their weakness. As Hayley explains the strategic rationale on focusing on coaching talents with global roles in the bank, it is because a small 5% improvement from these top managers is enough to cause a huge positive impact on the banks earnings. Under the Best practice view in SHRM, there are 18 Key practices of which SCB can safely said to have achieved at least 50% or more: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). It can be concluded that SCB is investing so much resources towards its human talent management program simply because it views it employees as human capital for the organisation and understands the wisdom in developing and managing its employees in close relation to the values and objectives of the company so that an effective workforce can be grown, and groomed to achieve the strategic objectives of the bank. Word count (865) 1.2 Comment on the relevance of this approach in the light of the recent banking crisis? Answer: The banking crisis of 2008 was largely due to the fall of banking giant, Lehman Brothers (LB). If LB had adopted SCBs view of employees as human capital in the organisation, it could have at least minimised the loss to a certain extent. For one, discussions between employers and staff would have been more open and problem issues could have been brought up and identified at an earlier stage. Inefficiencies in the organisation would have been uncovered if there were a global compilation of performance like in SCB, where CEOs were able to benchmark their performances against regional offices. In a way, having a certain amount of centralised control through talent management would also enable the monitoring of LB companies globally. It is interesting to note that when a German subsidiary of LB requested that top management in the USA forgo multi-million bonuses as a sign of taking responsibility for poor performance, the request was immediately struck off at the first instance. It seems that top management either did not know or did not bother to care what was going on in its other global offices. Therefore it is important for companies to have a solid leadership and to achieve that, organisations must start to take the first step in acknowledging its employees as key assets towards enabling the company to achieve it strategic goals and objectives. Thereafter that, the companys HR policies should be dawn to include short and long term strategies that are inline with the companys corporate objectives. Companies should also consider which view the company would adopt in relation to SHRM. For example, does the company suit the Best Practice view, Bes Fit view, Best Fit Integration view or Resource based approach? Each has its own strengths and weaknesses but the company has to decide which is the most compatible and allow the company to achieve its goals. Perhaps the culture of a company should also be set as culture can deeply affect a employees willingness to contribute positively to the company. Every organisation aims to communicate its own objectives and goals to its employees so a to align the values and attitudes of the employees towards commitment in performance for the company, and in this respect, having an appropriate culture will greatly enable the employee to settle comfortably into the company and be motivated to perform well. Retaining talent is crucial in a companys route of progress and much effort should be put into talent management where employees will feel like that are an important part of a company that cherishes their contributions and seeks to develop and groom them for further growth in their career. With SHRM as the key basic guiding principle, companys should therefore seek to create a pool of talent that will steer it in the right direction, both in good times and bad. Word Count (473) 1.3 Why is it important to measure the impact of SHRM? What might be included in a evaluation strategy to measure the impact of SHRM in an organization to achieve strategic integration? Answer: It is important to measure the impact of SHRM because, firstly, strategies that are formulated into HR policies are closely linked to the strategic objectives of its organisation. The reason why this is so is because the company understands that attitudes and performances of its employees makes a significant difference towards achieving organisational goals. Therefore when an organisation decides to employ the HR unit as a strategically, resources are being invested to make sure the HR unit contributes towards the attainment of those objectives. In measuring the impact of SHRM in a company, there are 18 Key practices of SHRM might be used to ascertain the degree of SHRM present in the company: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). Other possible measurements could be in the form of appraisals where performance management objectives are being reviewed. Through the appraisals the organisation would be able to know how it is faring against the achievement of its own targets relative to the overall performance of the employees. Word count (287) Section B, Question 4 4. What are the main features of a Performance Management system? In what ways can organizations ensure that such systems fulfil strategically useful outcomes (30 marks) Answer: 4.1 Main Features of a PMS The main features of PMS are: PMS consists of business-led outcomes that may be assessed against definite business objectives; PMS is integrated with interlocking procedures and flows of information; There is a mix of quantitative and qualitative objectives; There is a focus on both system design and manner of implementation. Because PMS are sensitive to process and culture, it is hence flexible; PMS rely on a participative approach by mangers and staff alike, which can align with other organisational processes, for example, employee religions, communications and decision-making processes; Lastly PMS have a distinctive and adaptable quality of being people and systems-oriented (Source: University of Sunderland). There are 6 other features of PMS that links it to the overall business strategy of a company which might also guide organisations in ensuring strategic outcomes are met: Objective setting; Ongoing review of objectives; The development of personal improvement plans linked to training and development; Formal appraisal and feedback; Pay review; A competence-based organisational capability review (Source: University of Sunderland). 4.2 Ensuring PMS Fulfils Strategically Useful Outcomes The best way to ensure that PMS is able to fulfil strategically useful outcomes is for the organisation to be involved in the setting of performance objectives and thereafter measure those objectives. When setting clearly defined performance management objectives organisations can gear the scope and nature of the objectives to reflect the organisations own corporate goals. These performance objectives should also be linked closely to the individual employees as well as the organisations capability resources. When setting objectives, coverage should include competence and skill development, ability in meeting operational targets, and creating a suitable corporate culture. Objectives are generally defined into 3 categories: productivity and output related, job-related and person-related. For productivity and output related objectives, these are a measure of quantifiable output targets like: Cost reduction Achieving sales quota Meeting production volumes. For job related targets, these involve meeting the main objectives of the job laid down in its description according to the specified level of competence: Achieving main responsibilities and accountability. Meeting tasks as described in the job description. Meeting the obligations and service relationships to internal and external customers. For person related objectives, these affect the behavioural outcomes of the person performing his job, such as sharing knowledge an ideas with co-workers. Organisations recognise the importance of linking organisational culture with person-related objectives as it can help to bring about a positive change in the organisations culture. For instance, an organisation that wants to have a culture that is collaborative in nature will set objectives on employees and measure an employees research report on the number of references made to other employees work or the number contributions made by the employees colleagues in the report. This type of objective will change a person behaviourally so that he or she is able to meet the performance objectives. As organisations are beginning to shift away from individualistic performance objectives such financial goals and moving towards objectives which links the workforce to the corporate objectives or wider environment such as quality and effectiveness of business processes, other measurements are being introduced to maximise the potential and skill of the workforce through a commitment-oriented strategy. Thus, organisations have also realised that to engage the wider environment, they have to identify the relationship between the 3 key stakeholders an the organisation: Investors who require return on their investment through dividends; Customers who require quality and service for which they pay; And employees who require a healthy and rewarding working environment that provides job security (Source: University of Sunderland). Now that the inter-relationship has been identified, organisations are better able to communicate expected levels of competence from employees and will also be able to appropriately empower staff to deal with activities as a result of their integration. Lynch and Cross (1995), created a model that shows this relationship (see Figure 4.A). This model also identifies the broad measures and integration of objectives at each individual level. Figure 4.A shows The Performance Pyramid from Lynch RS and Cross (1995) (Source: University of Sunderland) 4.2.1 Appraisal Systems As the link between objectives and organisational resources are important, it must therefore be integrated with appraisal systems. Appraisals do the job of reviewing the performance management objectives, and it traditionally occurs annually between the manager and staff. However, as the need for objectives to stay relevant and achievable all the time, reviews of the objectives are beginning to occur more regularly. Hence it can be said that regular reviews also encourages the building of relationship and the occurrence of coaching through such regular discussions. In the design of appraisal schemes, there are 2 types of orientation schemes that emerge: the control orientation and the developmental orientation. In the control orientation approach, it is always assumed in a negative light that a senior entity in the organisation decides the goals, targets, objectives and rewards for the employees to achieve. This results in employees feeling insecure as they feel that they are being constantly monitored and may lead to a breakdown in commitment. Often, when adjustments are introduced to ease such worries, the appraisal scheme becomes ineffective as manager do not address real issues which may cause a loss in motivation or damage in relations between the manager and employee. Standardised controls are put in place so as to maintain consistency and equal treatment for all, however it sacrifices flexibility in the process. The level of impact is low on performance with the exception of a few existing high performers. Thus, this approach is effective when targets are clear and staff are used to it. The emphasis is not so much on enhancing performance through feedback and motivation but more on t he managements authority over the employees. In the case of the developmental approach, the manager is not in control whereas employees are the ones who take the initiative to address uncertainties in wanting to know how to improve themselves. Employees want to be helped and supported through problems and they learn through failures and success. The strengths in this approach include less resistance between the manger and staff, and being able to handle problems in an open way. Problems can also be dealt with on a more objective basis without souring relationships. Employees are also given high trust in their integrity. However, the weaknesses with this approach include less visible outcomes being produced and the manager has to take on a more consultative or counsellor role that they might not be able to perform well in. 4.2.2 Types of Appraisals There are a few types of appraisals which organisations may choose to adopt including the, self-appraisal, top-down appraisal, peer appraisal and multi-directional appraisal. Top-down appraisals are traditional and feedback is gathered from the staff while objectives come only from the top. The weaknesses of this type of appraisal are that too much emphasis is being placed on traditional organisational hierarchies. Favouritism might also be prevalent and employees might not have full knowledge in structures where managers posses a wide span of control. Self-appraisal methods are hardly used. It gives the employees more ownership and a much higher degree of participation in the appraisal scheme. Managers adopt a more supportive and advisory role where they engage in discussions with the staff on setting of objectives. In the upward appraisal model feedback is given from the bottom to top. Employees are often asked to provide such feedback anonymously. Organisations that use this method recognise the need to provide more effective working systems for employees to work more efficiently. In the peer appraisal model, members of the same team are being asked to appraise one another. There may be sensitivities involved when using this method as members might show favouritism to particular members or dislike towards certain members might be the reason for poor rating given. In contrast to the peer appraisal method, multi-directional appraisals sets up to obtain feedback from the outside of the team and it often also includes gathering feedback externally from customers. Its key strength is its being able to overcome the lack of knowledge from a single appraiser as it gathers feedback from many sources. However its biggest weakness lies in the lack of control over hostile ratings being given. Thus appraisals are also a tool to ensure that performance objectives meet strategically useful outcomes. Word count (1409) Section B, Question 5 5. Why are reward management systems critical to SHRM? How can organizations develop reward systems strategically? (30 marks) Answer: 5.1 Why Reward Management Systems are Critical to SHRM In strategic human resource management (SHRM), strategies that are being implemented into a companys human resource policies are closely connected with a companys main adopted strategy in order for it to aid in achieving company objectives. SHRM does so by means of recruiting, developing, maintaining and retaining an efficient, productive workforce. As employees make up a companys workforce, they should then be regarded as key assets in a company. Reward management systems are therefore critical to SHRM because they are used to reward and compensate employees in manners that impact employees positively for the company. For example, well-developed reward management systems uses rewards to motivate employees to grow and develop their potential, thereby increasing the quality of efforts contributed towards the company. Rewards and compensation systems are also critically used in aligning the culture, objectives and philosophies of the company with efforts of the employees, this allows employees to identify themselves as part of the company and thus strengthen their loyalty and commitment towards the company and its objectives (Sherman et al., 1998). In todays competitive environment where companies compete for talent and expertise, rewards play an important role in both the recruitment of talent and retention of long serving employees who have difficult-to-source tacit knowledge in their field of expertise. Having a flexible reward management system also means that a company is able harness other forms employment, for example, hiring of part-timers with relevant experience to temporarily fill in during short-term projects. 5.2 Developing a Reward System Strategically Rewards systems in companies practicing SHRM must obviously be strategic in nature. According to Lawler (1984), there are nine points to consider when making strategic decisions in developing reward systems in companies. The nine points are termed as follows: Base of rewards. Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. Market position. Internal versus External comparison. Centralised versus de-centralised reward. Degree of pay hierarchy. Reward Mix. Process issues. Reward systems consequences/integration. 5.2.1 Base of Rewards Salaries can be based on 3 options: The type of job a person undertakes. The persons contribution in the job. The knowledge and skill level people possess within the job. The 1st option is to pay based on the growth and development an individual undertaking a job. This is typically done through internally comparing a particular job with other jobs within the company using a job evaluation which measures the tasks that the job is required to perform. External comparisons could be used, whereby companies compare the wages offered by other companies against their own. Job based rewards are typically found in larger organisations where job and pay equity is predominant; an example would be jobs in the public service sector where job grading is used. The 2nd option is to pay based on the individuals performance within his or her job and is commonly implemented in cases where the jobs are small in number or job scopes that are distinct and pay has to be individual. Performance based pay is used to balance job demands and contributions made in order to motivate the individual to enhance performance. The 3rd option is to pay based on the need to acquire new s kills and knowledge so as to enable organisations to meet the new market challenges. 5.2.2 Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. This point considers the many types and ways of using incentives, whether as a part of an individuals salary or an additional portion. However, the main dilemma lies in reconciling strategic objectives with the use of suitable incentives to motivate and enhance employee performance and commitment to the company. Companies will have to decide the forms in which incentives will take and how it will be distributed as well as the positive and negative repercussions it might bring to the company or its employees. For example, substituting commission for a fixed bonus payout to sales employees might cause low-performers to be happy, while high-performers might become disgruntled they could have earned more on a commission scheme. 5.2.3 Market Position As labour markets are vulnerable to the economy, market trends and political influences, radical changes may happen anytime within the labour market. For example, if there is a labour shortage in certain industries, organisations would be forced to pay a higher wage to acquire the labour needed. As such, organisations are finding it difficult to sustain an internal sense of fairness that comes from a formal measurement of job equity within internal wage structures. Therefore, reward strategies need to be formulated to answer to such external uncertainties, and also be flexible (if it is not already so) enough to accommodate different wage schemes and levels when required. 5.2.4 Internal versus External comparison As reward systems are key to hiring, retaining and developing employees, it is important for a company to benchmark its reward policies against the external and internal environment. Hence, it is important for companies to understand the logic behind market rates of pay and benefit and to know where and how to collect data required to conduct pay and benefits surveys. These surveys are often conducted so that companies are able to rely on the information to make adjustments to current pay and benefit rates, thus staying competitive in their pay and benefit policies. Companies should also be able to present data in a meaningful manner so that proper analysis can take place. Job evaluaton (JE) is defined as a systematic procress by which relative worth of jobs are determined so as to establish which jobs will be paid more over others in the organisation (Sherman et al., 1998). The key features of JE are: A process which compares the relationships between jobs based on demand placed on employees. A process of judgement made by understanding of job descriptions and roles required to perform the job. A process of analysis after generating point factors from judgements, to enable job ranking. A process of structuring whereby job descriptions are formulated, problem solving, identifying key factors equivalent to job knowledge, and more. Score formulation also takes place to establish ranking, building wage structures and create job-grading systems. The important decisions to make in a JE are the selection of appropriate factors and their levels, as well as how value of factors will be expressed. 5.2.5 Centralised versus de-centralised reward Organisations often have to struggle to decide if reward systems should be managed in a centralised or de-centralised manner. Centralised controlling is tight and usually means a standardised rate of wage increment. This may cause employees to be less motivated and innovative in their contribution which becomes unhealthy for the company, this holds true for employees who belong to a business unit selling a varied number of products and services. In this case, it might be better having a de-centralised control of rewards system and empower managers with discretionary authority to reward employees accordingly, hence boosting morale. 5.2.6 Degree of Pay Hierarchy Pay hierarchies exists in organisations and reward systems are dependent on them to a large extent. Pay hierarchies show the distinct difference in power and often reflect career progression. However, organisations are gradually moving away from such distinct hierarchies in pay systems by formulating wage structures that encourages wage overlap and opportunities for increment. Graded wage structures are commonly used and though not all are exactly the same, they share common features such as: A salary grade allocated to a job based on an individuals contribution, the labour market and the degree of complexity present in a job. Salary bands or grade in which employees belong to and have to gain promotion in order to progress on to a higher salary band. Each band consists of at least minimum entry point, market or mid-point and a maximum point that employees can achieve. Salary bands are associated with each other; usually the maximum point of a starting salary band is the commencement of the next salary band. The degree of overlap will have to be determined by the organisation. As employees move up along the band, organisations will have to decide if employees move up to fixed points along the bands or should employees be allowed to skip certain points and progress at a faster rate instead. 5.2.7 Reward Mix Although pay is often identified to be the key ingredient in a reward mix, other benefits such as free annual health screening, pension schemes, certified-skill upgrades, use of company vehicles, etc, are just as useful in rewarding employees. When creating a reward mix, the challenge for companies is to identify the strategic reasons for having each benefit in the reward mix and their costs to the company. 5.2.8 Process Issues In the discussion of process issues, the 1st strategic issue to be considered is communication and transparency. As communicating pay objectives to employees clearly is important in achieving positive human resource results, the existing culture of companies usually decides how open the dialogs are. Traditional companies adopt a closed system and keep salary ranges unknown for purposes of pay review. Other companies with open systems often publicise the salary structure and criteria for which salary increment can occur. Open systems tend to instil confidence and fairness into employees as decision-making becomes more transparent and criteria are made known. The 2nd strategic issue concerns with employees degree of involvement in pay decisions. A company aiming to achieve a team-based operating culture and high employee involvement in all aspect of human resource management should consider allowing employees to be involved in determination of job salaries too. Companies adopting close -based systems usually applies HR policies onto its employees and ultimately, companies have to decide whether leveraging highly on employees trust and commitment or otherwise, is more suited to the companys culture. 5.2.9 Reward Systems consequences/integration As HR objectives change over time, so should reward objectives because rewards should be integrated into HR systems. And if the objectives are inline, then the integration between rewards and HR systems will serve well to make a positive impact on employees who in turn stays committed to churn out more positive contributions for the company. Word count (1700)

‘Resurrection Is More Likely to Be True Than Reincarnation.’ Discuss

Resurrection is more likely to be true than reincarnation. ’ Discuss In discussing this statement, we must first define the words resurrection and reincarnation to decipher what they mean. Resurrection is the act of rising from the dead or returning to life and reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body. There are many problems surrounding the two due to mainly religious beliefs. I will be focussing mainly of the religion of Hinduism as they believe in reincarnation, and Christianity which believes in resurrection.Reincarnation is a common belief in the eastern part of the world, with Buddhism as well as Hinduism, supporting the idea of rebirth. In Hinduism each person has an essential self which is called the Atman, and is eternal and seeks unity with God. At physical death, the Atman leaves the body and enters another at birth. The physical body is gone but the Atman remains the same. The status of the body that the Atman re-enters is depended on whether in the pre vious life the person was morally good or bad, if good it will be in a higher status body, and if bad will be in a lower status body.This cycle of rebirth, birth and death is called Karma which Buddhism also follows, except they do not believe in a soul, but instead the five skandhas which are woven together and make a person attract karma. These two religions are heavily followed in the eastern part of the world and so therefore it may be argued that because it is an accepted belief it is therefore normal to believe in such an idea, however in the western part of the world where religions such as Christianity are followed it is not as accepted.Some would also question the fairness of suffering in this life for something in a past life which they cannot remember and that punishment doesn’t have a value unless you understand what it is for; it needs to be associated with something. However, Hindus would argue that karma is not seen as a punishment; it is just bearing out the k armic fruits and is a part of the Natural Law, and if you can’t remember a past life, that is a sign of wisdom. There have been cases where reincarnation has been seen to be identified, for example by an American professor of psychiatry, Ian Stevenson.He wrote a book, ‘Twenty cases suggestive of reincarnation’, where he looked at cases where people had seen to be reincarnated from someone else in the past from India, Ceylon and Brazil. He used examples of children to make his judgement more reliable as they would not be influenced by society or money in such a way that adults might. In one case there was a boy, Imad, who talked about a family whom he used to live with, and the family had no connection to this other family at all.He gave the name of where he lived and the family name, events and people that he knew there, and could even direct them to the area of where he used to live. Stevenson later found out that a man, Ibrahim, had died there and which matched up to all the events that the man had seen. The reincarnation was not immediate but was nine years later. This extraordinary case gives strong belief that reincarnation is true. However philosopher John Locke studied Steveson’s book and suggests that the dead person has left behinf some psycic traces or husks and therefore has a ‘memory’ of the previous life, and is therefore not reincarnated.Reincarnation completely goes against the teachings of many other religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism as resurrection is the key to their religion. Without resurrection there would be no point to the religion. For Christianity, Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, so too will we come to resurrection at the end of time, when Jesus returns to the Earth. When the dead will rise from their graves and will be called up to God to be judged and the bad will then â€Å"go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life†.Fundamentali st Christians believe exactly what the Bible says and therefore will believe that we will rise again in physical forms as Jesus did. If this is the case, it implies that after death there is some sort of space and that they take up room, so where would this be? Would it have a climate or shelter? And famously Peter Cole said if we are all physical bodies then you ‘will have to queue to see Jesus’. Hick is a more modern philosopher, who came up with the idea of the Replica Theory. Despite not believing it himself, he described it as a thought process that tackles the idea of resurrection.If John Smith disappears from one place and appears in another with exactly the same DNA, personality and physical matter, we must conclude that this is the same man, John Smith. then let’s say if this happened, but instead of another earthly location, John Smith appeared in a resurrection world. It is the same man again, but in another world entirely. An issue with Hicks theory i s that, how would we be recreated in the other place, and surely a replica of someone would have exactly the same bodily problems as the original person. If someone was ying for example, their replica would also be dying as it is exactly the same. But Hick also brings up the idea that we have a new resurrection body created by God that is without earthly defects. A more viable answer to resurrection that some Christians believe is that the soul is resurrected and that spiritual body will live on. The idea that the resurrected body will be forever in eternal life links in with Kant’s idea of the Summum Bonum which is the highest good, in heaven, and suggests that because there is terror in the world, once resurrected with God, He will make everything alright.In conclusion, reincarnation seems to be more likely to be true than resurrection due to the fact that resurrection brings out more questions than answers to it, rather than a simple concept of karma. Studies have been exa mined with reincarnation, and not in resurrection which gives more evidence for the theory of reincarnation to be true. Reincarnation may seem prominent in many peoples’ lives without knowing it as deja vu may be a sign of this, which I can relate to myself.

The Discovery Of Antipsychotic Medication - 1300 Words

Since schizophrenia may not be a single condition and its caused are still unknown, current treatment methods are based on both clinical research and experience. These approaches are chosen on the basis of their ability to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia and to lessen the chances that symptoms will return. Antipsychotic medications reduce the risk of future psychotic episode in-patients who have recovered from an acute episode. Even with continued drug treatment, some people who have recovered will suffer relapses. Far higher rates are seen when medication in discontinued. In most cases; it would not be accurate to say that continued drug treatment prevents relapses; rather it reduces their intensity and frequency. The treatment of severe psychotic symptom reappear on a lower dosage, a temporary increase in dosage may prevent a full-blown relapse. (http://nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizoph.htm), National Institute of Mental Health The discovery of antipsychotic medication dates back to the 1940 s when researchers developed the first antihistamine drugs. The French surgeon Henri Lavorit soon discovered that one group of antihistamines, phenothizines, were used to clam patients before surgery while allowing them to remain awake. Laborite suspected that these drugs might also have a calming effect on persons with severe psychological disorders. There are also different types of therapy that can help a person will schizophrenia. They are Psychotherapy,Show MoreRelatedTreatments For Schizophrenia And Its Effects On Society1028 Words   |  5 Pageswith schizophrenia often rely on families and their environments for help them daily with daily tasks (NIMH, 2015). Schizophrenia causes symptoms: positive, negative, and psychomotor. Current treatments for schizophrenia are the second generation antipsychotic. Causes and symptoms vary between individuals. The causes of schizophrenia are unknown, however some researchers say it is caused by genetics (Piotrowksi and Tishauser, 2015). Some theories about the causes are biology, the brain’s chemistry (NMHARead MoreAnalyzing Biopsychological Disorders1522 Words   |  7 Pagesof antipsychotic medications. In 2008, The Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) trial discovered interesting information about the use of atypical antipsychotics over the use of conventional drugs. The CATIE trial indicates that the drug olanzapine offers more long-term effectiveness than more conventional antipsychotic drugs. The drugs risperidone, quetiapine, clozapine, and ziprasidone also displayed a longer treatment window than conventional antipsychotics. TheseRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Schizophrenia1504 Words   |  7 Pagesamount of psychotic symptoms, recovery time, and insight into their illness (Wang, Chien, Yip, Kartzias 2016). Patients who used this psychoeducation program were also being treated with antipsychotics, so it is important to combine the two for Jim. First-line medication for schizophrenia include antipsychotics such as risperidone (Stroup Marder, 2015). A study of risperidone determined that patients using the drug improved not only their symptoms, but their social function (Zhou, Zhu, Wang, Read MoreA Meta Analysis Of Schizophrenia Used By Heinrichs And Zakzanis1109 Words   |  5 Pagesin the delayed verbal memory and learning strategies domain contained more recently published studies. Lastly, the nonverbal memory domain studies were also published recently as well as having a high percentage of first episode samples on antipsychotic medication and tested outside of the United States (Mesholam-Gately et al., 2009). The attention domain was separated into three subcategories: processing speed, working memory, and vigilance. The subcategory, processing speed, maintained an SMD ofRead MoreSchizophrenia And Its Effects On Society1195 Words   |  5 Pagespsychiatrists investigated the etiology, classification, and prognoses of the various types of psychosis. At that time, the most common cause of the tertiary syphilis frequently overlapped with symptoms of what we call schizophrenia. This important discovery has served to illustrate how a psychological syndrome can be produced by an infectious agent. It has also sensitized researchers to the fact that similar syndromes can result from very different causes, and set for the current assumption that theRead MoreBipolar Disorder And Its Stages1296 Words   |  6 Pagesin the depressive state they tend to go back to the treatment medication prescribed, but on the other hand when in the manic state they steer away from the treatment medication because the individual can feel emotionally stable and self-confident in themselves (Jones, p.52-89). 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The people of Greece in ancient times even noticed that lithium salt in baths would calm someone with mania or cheer up someone with depression. As time went on more discoveries on the subject were made. In the 17th century there was talk of needing to find a treatment by Robert Burton and later on someone named Theophilus Bonet linked mania to melancholy and called it â€Å"manico - melancholicus†, which brought on the considerationRead MoreThe, Back From Madness : A Struggle For Sanity Essay1618 Words   |  7 Pagesthe time, who seemingly randomly began â€Å"hearing voices from the sky†. She chose to seek help and was prescribed clozapine, which is considered to be the most effective antipsychotic currently on the market (Moghaddam Javitt, 201 2). When this treatment was shown to be uneffective, Naomi was sent through a series of other antipsychotics until she became catatonic and was temporarily hospitalized. 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Can the United States Ever Be an Isolationist Country

Since George Washington’s presidency, the United Stated has declared itself an â€Å"isolationist† nation, in which they avoided any sort of foreign affairs with other countries. But can America ever be an isolationist country with the many conflicts with its long time rivals in Europe? Before America had authority in the world, stronger nations such as Great Britain, France, and other European powers had already established and expanded their powers abroad. It was not until the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that the U.S. started to gain in strength. This was the period that in American history which they tremendously expanded their influence to other, smaller, parts in the Western Hemisphere. But America was already an imperialist power beforehand, just not internationally, as evident in the Manifest Destiny where America was â€Å"chosen† to expand westward. The Spanish-American war proved to be one of the early examples of American involvement in international affairs, which they partook in the liberation of the Caribbean, Philippines, and Guam. Also their involvement with China and the succeeded lands from Spain also sparked relations with the world in which regulations were enacted, such as the open door policy in China, which made it more accessible to trade and keep European powers in check. The U.S. involvements in WWI also enhanced its involvement in international affairs and would lead America to further develop. As America was growing in power, they needed something inShow MoreRelatedThe World s Foreign Policy1593 Words   |  7 PagesAs the world turned over into the 20th century the threat of war could be seen throughout European countries. Tensions arising from alliances, the arming of nations, and the deep seated hatred still present from past loses were all too present. In late July of 1914 the powder keg that was Europe would erupt and the countries would be pushed into the fires of war. However, the United St ates of America would stand on the sideline for some time before becoming involved in an affair they had no careRead MoreWorld War Ii And The United States Economy. When People1296 Words   |  6 Pagesand the United States Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚   When people think about World War II, they normally associate it with Hitler, genocide, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and other negative things; however, there were some positive impacts it had on the United States. Economically, the United States and other countries around the world were devastated by the crashing of the stock market. Unemployment rate was at a high point, Hitler was gaining control of Europe, and we were trying to remain isolationists. 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The attack ofRead MoreAtomic Weapons And The Atomic Bomb1709 Words   |  7 Pagesatomic bombs on two Japanese cities, the United States of America announced that it was ready for a higher form of war, casting fear of disequilibrium and American imperialism across hostile regions like the Soviet Union--ultimately propelling the two superpowers into what is now known as the Cold War. At the start of World War II, the United States maintained that it was going to uphold its isolationist policy, a foreign affair tactic championed by the United State’s very first president George WashingtonRead MoreAmerican Diplomacy That Kissinger Notes And What Makes American Diplomatic History Unique?1466 Words   |  6 Pagesbecause America had two conflicting stances towards foreign policy. The first stance was the fact that they thought it was best to perfect democracy in America, and then just act as an example to the rest of the world. The second stance as Kissinger states is that America’s values impose on it an obligation to crusade for them around the world. In short America wavered between a tough decision of isolationism and commitment. Also the balance of power system was a tension in American Diplomacy becauseRead MoreRisks Involved with Drone Strikes816 Words   |  3 Pagesconsequential casualties incurred during the strikes and the overall moral is sues at hand. 2. WHY REQUIRED. Drone strikes are incredibly damaging to the United States’ international image and prestige; without a step away from remote killing, the leadership on high will continue to be met with resistance when attempting to establish military ties with countries that have a clear view on the violations and atrocities associated with drone warfare. 3. BACKGROUND. 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Upon the conclusion of World War II, it was erected and dedicated to â€Å"the Marine dead of all wars and their comrades of other services who fell fighting beside th em (US National Park Services). The statue was based on a photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of six marines raising the flag over Mount Suribachi after an arduous battle with the Japanese. The photo