Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad Proton

Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad Proton The company that is discussed in this essay is Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad (Proton) which is an automotive company that was founded in Malaysia on 1983. The company experienced increase in revenue from the year 2007 to 2011 and the sales of its cars is a major factor affecting revenue. Motivation level can affect sales performance, but it would not be the only factor. The goal of this essay is to explore the motivation level of Protons sales department in comparison with other factors affecting sales. Hence, the research question that arises is To what extent does the motivation level of Proton Berhads sales department affects its sales revenue? The methodology revolves around the use of survey among the Protons sales department staff and followed with an interview with one of the head of the sales department. Using the data obtained, motivation level of the staff is assessed using Herzberg Two-Factor Theory while the other factors affecting sales are assessed using PEST analysis. The conclusion was that Proton had implemented measures that help to motivate its employees, but there is a limit to how effective can motivation level affects sales as there are other factors involved such as quality and brand perception. The unresolved issue would be regarding the need of Proton to improve its quality and increase its employees motivation at the same time. 1.0 Introduction Issues regarding employees motivation had been one of the main focus of an organization as motivation can affect a certain company in many ways. Based on the book An Integrated Approach to Business Studies by Bruce R. Jewell, motivation can be defined as a factor or an influence that can drive people to behave in a certain way  [1]  . For a company, they would need a motivated workforce if they want their employees to sell well. The company in question here is Perusahaan Otomobil National Berhad(Proton) which is an automotive company that was founded on the year 1983  [2]  . Its product mix includes various categories of cars ranging from sedan, compact cars, hatchback, multi-purpose vehicle, and microvan  [3]  . Along its years of operations, Proton had been the target of scrutiny from the general public especially regarding its sales as there are criticisms to its sales  [4]  and after sales service  [5]  . One factor that can affect quality of sales service is motivation. Thus, the intention of this essay is to explore whether the motivation level of the Protons sales department had been a crucial factor affecting the companys sales revenue? Besides that, this essay would also discuss on how other factors could also affect sales revenue for Proton and how other factors could compare with motivation level in terms of its effects to sales revenue. From the questions that arise, the research question was formulated as follow:- To what extent does the motivation level of Proton Berhads sales department affects its sales revenue? 2.0 Methodology 2.1Data collection The main purpose of data collection for this particular essay is to measure the motivation level of Protons sales department. Thus, primary research had been carried for the sole purpose of measuring the motivation level of the employees. The two chosen methods were surveys and interviews. As stated before, with the data obtained, a qualitative deductive will be made to see how high or low the motivation of Protons employee. To deduce, the content theories regarding motivation used is Herzbergs Two-factor theory. 2.1.1*Details of Survey* A survey was designed in order to uncover information regarding the motivation of Protons sales department and the number of respondents was 15 people from the Enterprise Sales Team and R3 Sales Team which are a part of the sales department of Proton. The surveys question and its respective data are shown in Appendix 1. 2.1.2*Details of Interview* The interview was done with Mr. Hj. Roslan Hj. Mohamed which is currently the head of Eneterprise Sales Department of Proton. The interview question and its answers are shown in Appendix 2. 2.2 Analysis The analysis in this essay mainly revolves around the correlation between the motivations levels of Protons employees with its sales revenue. The findings will be discussed so that the extent to which the motivation level affects the sales revenue can be seen clearly. The next step is to see other factors that may be involved which can affect sales. To do this, Political Economy Social Technology (PEST) analysis will be carried out so that we can see the external factors that surround Proton. Further discussion will be carried out in order to see how big do the factors affect Protons sales revenue, and compare it with the internal factor which is the motivation level of employees. The end result would be a conclusion that will include suggestions and an unresolved issue. A simple 4 step flow can be seen below:- 3.0Main findings and analysis Determining the motivation level:- 3.1 Application of Herzberg Two-Factor Theory Based on Herzberg Two-Factor Theory, there are two aspects that define motivation which are the hygiene needs and motivators  [6]  . Fulfilling hygiene needs prevents employees from being dissatisfied while having motivators will ensure satisfaction of employees. This theory is chosen to determine the motivation level of Protons employees because of the two aspects mentioned that is evident in their working environment. Above is a table outlining the hygiene needs and motivators as outlined by Herzberg  [7]  . To determine the motivation level of the employees in Protons sales department, most of the points in the table will be discussed based on the findings. 3.1.1 HYGIENE NEEDS Relationship with supervisor Protons sales department employees feel that their supervisor listen to them and most felt that they are involved in the decision making process. They also feel that their supervisor give moderate attention to their work and most feel that their supervisor expectation of them is good in which it corresponds to their actual potential. Yet, some felt that their supervisors are bias in their work with some claiming that there is presence of so-called bosss pets and also gender biasness. Working conditions The employees of Protons sales department felt that the working condition is normal at best rather than good. Most felt that it is normal in their working condition to get positive feedback and constructive criticism. Still, some felt that office politics is present thus it could be a source of unhappiness regarding the working conditions. Salary It was found that the salary is high. This is due to the presence of many types of commission that helps to increase the payments received by employees such as finance commission, model-based commission, accessory commission, and insurance commission. 3.1.2MOTIVATORS Achievement Proton promotes the desire to achieve for their sales department by having seasonal monthly campaign. Employees will be given an incentive for achieving the target for a specific sales campaign. Recognition In Proton, the form of recognition comes in the form of a club membership that celebrates sales personnel who had sold 100 cars. Advancement Opportunities for advancement exist for Proton since it was found that an employee can advance into a sales manager in just 5 years. Growth Most of the employees agree that growing their knowledge and having opportunities for self-development is highly important for them but it can be seen that most of them thinks that the opportunities for self-development is not high but still present in the company. The presence of growth opportunities will lead to higher satisfaction for the employee. ANALYSIS OF MOTIVATION LEVEL Based on Herzberg Two-Factor Theory, to ensure employees are motivated, it is better to address the hygiene needs and then focus on the motivators. For Proton, the company had in a way provided a moderate working condition and the supervisors are having good relationship with their subordinates. These two factors fulfill the hygiene needs and reduce dissatisfaction in the sales department. Aside from that, the salary structure which is high also contributes to lower dissatisfaction for the employees. Although we cant say for sure that the dissatisfaction is completely addressed by Proton, but we can deduce that Proton had fulfilled some of the hygiene needs thus lowering the dissatisfaction among employees. For the motivators, Proton had also provided ample motivators for the sales department. We can see that Proton had provided its employees with adequate opportunities for them to receive proper achievement, recognition, advancement and growth. The presence of the motivators mention ed helps to promote satisfaction for the employees in the sales department. As a result, Proton had fulfilled the hygiene needs and provided motivators for its employees. It is hard to see whether the employees are highly motivated or not but from the discussion, it would be better if we deduce that the employees in Protons sales department is coined as motivated due to the low dissatisfaction and adequate satisfaction. 3.2 Establishing the relationship between motivation level and sales revenue Graph of growth of Protons revenue from 2007 until 2011 (Appendix 3) Judging from the graph, Protons revenue had improved for 5 years straight. As company that make cars, most of Protons revenue would come from the sales of their cars thus that is why the sales department plays a crucial role to ensure better sales. We had found before that the employees in the sales department are motivated because of the way Proton had addressed the hygiene needs and motivators. Due to the fact that the employees are motivated, it can be seen that their motivation level correlates with the increase in revenue. A motivated employee would definitely perform better when at work thus there would be higher sales compared to an unmotivated employee. As a conclusion, we could see that the motivation level had contributed to the increase to revenue. Yet, the underlying question here would be the need to establish the limit in which motivation level plays a role to the increase in revenue. Thus, the following questions could come into play:- 1. Are there any other significant factors that contribute to sales? 2. How about the state of the country Proton is in? Does it affect the sales? 3. Are there any outside factors, which are out of Protons control that contributes to greater motivation among employees? Thus, in order to uncover the extent to which motivation level plays a role, the next step would be to find the factors that affect Proton sales and determine its significance in comparison to the motivation level of Protons sales department. Determining the extent to which motivation level affects the revenue of Proton 3.3 Application PEST Analysis The use of PEST analysis is crucial in order to see the environment Proton is situated in. The findings would be analyzed regarding their significance to Protons revenue. Political Government discards protectionist policy  [8]   High excise duty for imported cars  [9]   Economy Low loan approval rate by Bank Negara Malaysia  [10]   Social Low average wage per individual  [11]   Technology Appearance of hybrid cars in Malaysia  [12]   POLITICAL Government discards protectionism with Proton thus removing Protons exclusivity in the automotive industry If a company is backed by the government, the cost of operation can be considerably lessened as there would be injection of funds by the government. This would ensure that the company can sell its products cheaper, thus garnering an increase in revenue. But what would happen if a company was stripped off from being protected by the government? For Proton, when there is no more protectionism by the government, the company would need to stand by its own thus it needs to channel its cost to their products. This will make the price of its cars higher. Still, if we look at the revenue, Protons revenue still increases despite the hike in prices. This shows that the removal of protectionism doesnt really affect Protons sales and the possible reason for this is either Proton had improved its quality or there are other factors that promote sales. High excise duty for imported cars Excise duty is one of the major factors that affect a cars price. In Malaysia, the excise duty for imported cars is imported as high thus increasing the prices of imported cars. National carmakers such as Proton and Perodua are at an advantage in terms of pricing because they can provide lower priced cars as compared to their foreign competitors. For Proton, its cars which are considered cheaper than imported cars would prompt price-sensitive consumer to buy their cars thus increasing their cars considerably. ECONOMY Low hire-purchase approval rate by Bank Negara Malaysia Bank Negara Malaysia is the national bank of Malaysia and it regulates the hire-purchase approval rate in Malaysia. Recently, the approval rate for hire-purchase differs from a carmaker to another, and for Proton it is rated as low. Not every customer can pay the full price of cars in the early stage of buying thus they would resort to hire-purchase. When the hire-purchase approval rate is low for Proton, customers cannot buy Proton cars thus they would proceed to other carmakers which has higher hire-purchase approval rate. Thus, this would reduce Proton sales. SOCIAL Low average wage per individual The worlds average wage is approximately RM 4440 ($1480) which is a stark difference compared to Malaysias average wage which is RM 1500 ($500). Due to the low wages, Malaysians wouldnt have enough purchasing power thus they would gravitate towards buying low priced products in order to save cost and sustain their living. Protons cars which are cheaper than imported cars would be a fine choice for most Malaysians thus this would contribute to more sales for Proton hence contributing to an increase in revenue. Yet, with the Economic Transformation Initiative carried out by the government, Proton would be threatened because the program was intended to increase the nationals average wage from RM 1500 ($500) to RM 4000 ($ 1333) which is closer to the worlds average wage. If the government initiative reached its goals, the purchasing powers of Malaysian would increase thus they would have a wide range of cars that is feasible for them to purchase. TECHNOLOGY Appearance of hybrid cars As the world is moving towards less use of fossil fuels in everyday lives due to pollution, hybrid cars is invented to cater for the environmentally conscious consumers. Aside from that, hybrid cars would save consumers a hefty sum of money because consumers would need to depend less and less on petroleum which is infamous for its constant rice of price. The appearance of hybrid cars in Malaysia and the governments incentive for Malaysians to buy hybrid cars is a probable factor that can affect Protons sales. Still, hybrid cars is still not many in Malaysia thus it would not be a major factor affecting Protons car sales yet. Other factors that affects Protons sales but outside the scope of PEST analysis PEST analysis is limited in the way it restricts the analysis of environment surrounding Proton towards political, economy, social, and technology. In reality, there are other factors affecting sales for Proton that should be considered. The factors could be internal or external and some of them have an effect to employees motivation. Before we discuss even further, look at the list of the factors below:- Quality of Protons cars Banks interest rate*  [13]   Pricing of used car market* Marketing methods Relationship between sales and after-sales Discussing the factors Quality of Proton cars Quality of products is undeniably one of the greatest factors affecting the sales of a product. With high quality, some product can even exist without the need of extensive marketing because there will be word of mouth, which is a great marketing method. Regarding Proton, the quality of its cars is questionable.. Aside from that, Protons car is also perceived as inferior and low quality as compared to its competitors especially carmakers from Europe, Japan and Korea. Thus, the quality of Protons cars is a huge factor affecting sales and it should be taken into great consideration when discussing about Protons sales. In term of employees motivation, the quality of Protons cars can affect its employees motivation level. It is a common knowledge that if you want to sell something, it would be best to sell the best to consumers. Why? This is because when we sell something that is high in quality; we would feel confident selling it because we know that our customers would love it once they use it. This is also true for the case of Proton. If the employees in the sales department of Proton know that the car they are selling is perceived as inferior and low quality, they would feel less motivated because they arent confident that their customer is receiving a good car. This is a good example of Expectancy Theory in which if sales personnel of Proton perceive that no matter how much effort they put into selling, they would know that the rewards will be far from their grasp. This is because even if their selling effort is great, they would not be rewarded with a successful sale of a car because they woul d feel that customers would probably not buy a low quality car no matter how good they are in trying to sell it. This shows how employees performance is also affected by the quality of products they are selling. Banks interest rate Banks interest rate for each car brand is different and will continuously change. If the interest rate for Proton is high, car prices will be high and customers will be more reluctant to buy, thus causing low sales. The opposite would happen if interest rate is low. The changes to interest will also affect the sales department employees. For example, a high interest rate would make car prices high and they would feel less motivated or confident selling the car. Pricing of used car market Pricing of used car market for a particular car brand also changes over time. If a particular car has high price in the used car market, the user of that car would be inclined to sell his car especially if the car is outdated. The opposite would happen if the price of a car is low in the used car market. For Protons employees, it was reported that they would feel more motivated selling a car to a customer who is seeking to replace their car which had been sold off as used car. This group of customers is called as the replacement buyers. Employees would feel motivated because it is easier for them to make the sale because cars are essential in everyday life and replacement buyers would feel greater need to buy a car as compared to buyers who already own a car. Motivation will convert to performance thus there would be higher sales. Marketing methods Proton marketing method revolves mostly on having direct contact with the public which is their prospect such as having activities in the showroom and shopping complex that involves the participation of the public. It is reported that the sales department employees like the direct marketing method because they like the contact with the public. Direct method of marketing is unquestionably a good way for marketing and can boost sales but for the case of Proton, the most evident benefits would be the increase to the sales department employees morale, thus there would be an increase in sales due to increased performance. Relationship between the sales team and the after-sales team The after-sales team of Proton is reported of providing low quality service to its customers and it could affect customers perception towards the brand. Still, the most important aspect about the after sales team is the relationship between the after-sales team and the sales team which is really crucial especially with regards to the sales team motivation. Sales personnel would be motivated especially during the act of selling if they know that whenever there is a problem after the customers bought the product; they can be confident that the after-sales team can handle it. For the case of Proton which has low quality after-sales service, we can probably deduce that the sales team motivation level will be affected because of low confidence towards the competency of the after-sales team. Conclusion We had started by acknowledging that the sales department of Proton is motivated based on the use of Herzberg Two-Factor Theory and the fact that the revenue increases from 2007 2011 shows that motivation did indeed prove to be a contributor to the revenue of Proton. The question that we need to really discuss is the extent to which motivation really plays a role to contribute to revenue, thus other factors that affect sales must be discovered. It was finally found that there are many factors that affected the sales of Proton and some such as the high excise duties and quality of Proton cars seemed to be a really major factor that affects sales. Thus, it can be concluded that motivation level of Protons sales department is a factor that affects sales but it is not the greatest factor. If Proton were to employ measures that can continuously improve its employees motivation, sales would increase but until a certain point when an increase of motivation wont increase the sales. This is because of the mentioned major factors such as Protons car qualities that hinder sales growth significantly. To really improve its sales revenue, there are some issues that Proton must address. External Factors Internal Factors 4.1 Issues and suggestion on how to handle it From the above diagram, we can see how the factors affecting Protons sales are sorted into internal factors and external factors. Proton should consider focusing on the internal factors because it is the factors that Proton can really control and directly improve. Thus, there are three issues that is internal for Proton and suggestions are given on how Proton can address the issues below:- 1. Product quality The quality of Protons cars is an issue that Proton should focus on addressing because customers decision to buy are mostly affected by quality. In order to improve its quality, one of the measures Proton could employ is improving its quality control method so that no inferior cars are produced. Aside from that, Proton should also maximise the benefits of owning Lotus by ensuring better technology transfer with Lotus and also devise more training that is catered to help Protons engineers to learn more from Lotus. 2. After-sales team quality The quality of after-sales is important in order to retain customers loyalty. If Proton doesnt improve its after-sales quality, customers will think lowly of the brand thus it would affect sales. It was found that Proton had made a fine decision by giving out proper training to its after-sales team recently but another factor that might affect the after-sales team quality is the salary of the after-sales team which is below industrys average. To counter the issue, Proton should either negotiate with its after-sales team or consider giving better wages or perks. 3. Employees motivation Although it was found that the employees of the sales department are motivated, yet there is still so much more Proton could do to really increase employees motivation. In Proton, there are issues that Proton should tackle such as biasness and lack of guidance in order to make the working environment a better place. Proton should also consider reviewing the Herzberg Two-Factor Theory so that the company can how it can reduce dissatisfaction even further aside from increasing satisfaction in the long run. A final note Although suggestions are given, only Proton knows best how it can improve itself because its internal issues can be tackled best from within their company. The unresolved issue here would be the issue regarding how Proton can really improve its products quality and at the same time increase its employees motivation so that more sales can be gained. If Proton were to devise a way to tackle the issue, then sales would definitely increase as a result. Word count : 3852 Bibliography 1. Chedet.cc 2. CLARKE, P. (2009). IB business and management course companion. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 3. Corporate.proton.com 4. En.wikipedia.org 5. Freemalaysiatoday.com 6. HAGEMANN, G. (1992). The motivation manual. Aldershot, Gower. 7. JEWELL, B. R. (1993). An integrated approach to business studies. London, Pitman. 8. KREITNER, R. (1983). Management. Boston, Houghton Mifflin. 9. Malaysia-chronicle.com 10. Paultan.org 11. Reganrajan.com 12. Thestar.com.my Appendix 2 Hj Roslan Hj Mohamed Head, direct and government sales operation Enterprise Sales Department ([emailprotected])Interview What is the reward package provided by Proton for its sales department employees? Generally, our reward package is similar with most companies. But, the main focus of employees when joining Proton would be the salary and commission structure of the company. Can you give a more detailed explanation about the salary and commission that you previously mentioned? I will be glad to. There are two basic positions the sales department non-executive (sales advisor) and executive (management). The non-executive or the sales advisor starts with a basic salary of RM300++. Sales advisor is similar to sales personnel and their remuneration lies within their commission is plentiful. There are 5 types of commission which are model-based commission, used car commission, financing commission, accessory commission, and insurance commission. There are also monthly and quarterly volume commissions. The executive or the management also has their own commission but the commission depends on the group they are managing. Essentially if his group succeeds, the executive will succeed too. What is the average payment that the sales advisor would receive each month? The amount is quite hefty. The average payment for sales advisors is usually RM7000 which is quite high. Is there any form of recognition sales advisors would receive after selling many cars? Yes, there is. It is called Club 100, which is an achievement club for sales advisor who achieved 100 sales. There are many benefits for the sales advisor who is a member of Club 100 such as having their own parking space. Is there any sales campaign held by Proton? Yes, there is and you could say that the sales campaign is one of the events that really motivate a sales advisor. A typical seasonal sales campaign would involve selling unpopular models. Any sales advisor who sold an unpopular model would be given a monthly incentive and that is the reason why they are eager to achieve success when a seasonal sales campaign comes. What do you think are some factors affecting motivation of a sales advisor? Well, there is a lot. One of them would be having many model ranges because sales advisor enjoy their work when they have many selection of cars that they can advise their customer to buy. Other than that, sales advisors love to sell zero problem cars which are top-notch and high quality. This is because they will feel excited selling it aside from not having to deal with customers complaints afterwards. They feel that it is hard to manage complaints about qualities because it is not they who design it. Lastly, sales advisor love selling new models too. How about the economy? Does it affect sales? Banks interest rate plays a big role here. When interest for car is high, people would definitely exercise caution before buying thus sales would be low and vice versa. You can see that when interest is low, sales advisors would be motivated because more people are inclined to buy thus increasing their chances of increasing their income. Talking about car prices, aside from interest, the pricing in the used car market also affects sales. For the public, when the price for used cars is high for their model, they would be inclined to sell it at that time so that they can buy new models. This group of people is called the replacement buyers which are the customers who buy a product in order to replace their previous items which had been sold off. You could say that when a specific model has high trade-in value in the used car market, people would be inclined to sell their cars and buy a new one to replace their own. A sales advisor would be motivated to sell cars when they know that the customers they are serving are replacement buyers. How about the leadership in the sales department of Proton? We apply autocratic way of leading as a way to manage employees in the staff department. This is what we call as the best practice approach because other leadership style is not suitable. Being autocratic doesnt mean that we need to compromise relationship between manager and the sales advisor. In Proton, sales advisors performance is closely monitored and they must sell a minimum of 6 units or they will be deeming as under perf

Political attack ads

Americans National University Political advertisements have been a pervasive part of politics In the united States since the dawn of television. Presidential candidates have been making an appearance In the living rooms of Americans since Dwight D. Eisenhower Introduced a series of short campaign ads to the world of television during his presidential race (livingroomcandidate. Org par-I, 2012).From the beginning researchers regarded television as a medium that had the potential to allow people to become more informed, and therefore more included leading to a nonpartisan democracy Chirurgic, Coleman, & Blubber, 2009). Individuals who, in the past, had limited access to current affairs have been able to gain a different impression of politics through the medium of television. As television became a comfortable medium for politics, electoral democracies became a game of â€Å"power, persuasion, monopolizing support for policies and politicians, and accumulating votes† (Chirurgic, Coleman, & Blubber, 2009).In this paper the writer will attempt to analyze the impact of political television ads on democracy. Throughout political history politicians have used an ray of methods such as speeches, advertising, and political rallies to obtain the winning vote, however political television ads became a popular theme in the race for president. Political attack ads are as old as television and made their first appearance in 1952 in which republicans would give one answer to one group and give a completely different answer to the same question to another group (Greer, 2006).Because of this the opposing party could not be trusted. Some of these ads had quite a lasting effect but none more than the President Johnny's ad â€Å"Daisy Girl† that sutured a little girl picking the petals off of a daisy then fades into a nuclear bomb going off (Greer, 2006). The ad was a response to Barry Goldwater statement regarding using nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War. Although t he ad was only aired once before being pulled from television, many believe It's Impact was what led to Johnson winning the presidential race In 1964 (Greer, 2006).For more than sixty years politics and television have existed In a state of reciprocated dependence. Politics provides the raw materials while television packages It, subtly reconstructs It, and livers It to the audience (Currently, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Political advertising has become an Indispensable campaign strategy and many people regard It as fairly obtrusive. Political advertisers are not liable to any regulatory organization, voluntary or otherwise, for the accuracy of their claims (lounger, Prior, 1999).Political ads are complaining about the objectivity of the comments made about them. While television has become a fundamental part of the political process it, in turn, has widely contributed to De-plasticization (Chirurgic, Coleman, & Blubber, 2009). Greer ascertains that poll after poll confirms that the e lectoral process is marked by cynicism and dissatisfaction with contemporary campaign discourse (2006). Nearly 60% of the public in the year 2000 was dissatisfied with how candidates conduct their campaign (Greer, 2006).The focus has moved from political discourse to the personalities and faces of political leaders. Because the focus has turned to spectacle rather than ideas the educational value of election campaigns has greatly diminished. Televised presidential debates have become a battle of physical style which has moved our culture towards a new way of conducting important business Postman, 2005). The lines between show business and political discourse become more blurred with each passing day. Americans tend to have a negative preconception towards political campaign ads.They are inclined to believe that such attack ads undermine not only the election but the democratic government as well. John Greer Author of In Defense of Negativity disagrees with this theory. Greer believe s that these political ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls as they are pitched battles for control of the government (2006). Greer points out that exaggeration in political ads not only apply to negative ads, but to positive election propaganda as well (2006).Many ads point out the positive aspects of a candidates race to become president such as President Reggae's advertisement of his tax cuts, however he failed to mention the tax increase he previously signed into law. This ad and other similar political ads were not labeled as misleading (Greer, 2006). Americans tend to assume that positive political ads are practical and truthful. Greer states that Bob Squire once said â€Å"most lies in politics are told in positive ads† (Greer, 006). This statement asserts that regardless of the content of the ad it is impossible to truly assess whether or not the ad is misleading.Political attack ad s have branched off from the television and people are now turning to the internet for their political news. The television trend is currently on a downward spiral. According to research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project the number of Americans going to the internet for their presidential election campaign news has increased by 23% since 2004 while those relying on television dropped by 4% (Pew, 2008). The most popular internet resources are blobs, comedy sites, government websites, candidate sites or alternative sites (Chirurgic, Coleman, & Blubber, 2009).Audiences are increasingly becoming active participants in public communication, as senders as well as addressees of mass-circulating messages (Chirurgic, Coleman, & Blubber, 2009). Through the internet medium American audience members can intervene and participate in political discourse with a gradation of value that was impossible even twenty years ago. Political advertisement, whether positive or negative, will always mom with a degree of fabrication that misleads one American or another.Political ads set the stage for campaigning and are what gets Americans involved in democracy whether it is a commercial you watched on Television or a Youth video. Americans have been able to gain a sense of involvement that was not possible offended by political attack ads, Greer believes that positive political ads can be Just as misleading if not more. Regardless of the general consensus, political attack ads have gotten the public more involved in not only their local politics, but their national politics as well. References Greer, John G. 2006).

Biopsychosocial Models for Schizophrenia

This paper will explore one of the most severe mental disorders, schizophrenia, with the goal of providing an actualized understanding of this disorder, including its etiology, course, epidemiology, diagnostic and treatment. Schizophrenia is characterized by an unadaptive pattern of general though and emotions, including delusions, auditory hallucinations, paranoia, disorganized thinking and disorganized speech. These symptoms cause a significant impairment in personal and social life.There are a wide range of symptoms that can be present in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, for which some researchers have questioned the validity of the concept of schizophrenia as a single disorder (Baier, 2010). Despite of the fact that the symptoms of schizophrenia continue to be considered as representing a unitary disorder, diagnostic manuals do classify schizophrenia into different subtypes: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated and residual. Diagnosis is usually made on cr iteria established by the DSM-IV-TR or ICD-10.This criteria make use of self-reported experiences and clinical judgments of mental health professionals. The etiology of schizophrenia, while not completely understood, is thought to be complex, as multiple factors seem to contribute to the development and the course of the disorder. While psychology-including abnormal psychology-has experience a significant increase of empirical knowledge in the last few decades, no other area of psychology research has developed as much as psychobiology (Baier, 2010).The technology available today allows researchers to scan brains-both topographical and functional; hence, ‘’schizophrenic brains’’ have been studied in order to seek out for structural or functional differences in contrast to ‘’normal brains’. Scientists have found several differences of brain structures in 40 to 50% of cases, as well as in brain chemistry during psychotic states (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009). Brain imaging technologies-such as PET and fMRI-showed functional differences in frontal lobes, temporal lobes and the hippocampus.Reduction in brain volume has also been observed in many cases, usually in the frontal cortex and the temporal lobes (Baier, 2010). Since neuronal circuits are altered, some scientists have proposed that schizophrenia is actually a manifestation of a constellation of neurodevelopmental disorders (Baier, 2010). The neurotransmitter which seems to play the most important role in the development in the manifestation of schizophrenia is dopamine, in the mesolimbic pathway (Baier, 2010).The dopamine hypothesis proposes that the excessive activation of D2 receptors cause the positive symptoms of schizophrenia (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009). The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is supported by data which proves the effectiveness of antipsychotics that block D2 receptors, but also on PET and SPET imaging. Nevertheless, as new medication with a different mechanism of action seem to have similar effects (Baier, 2010), the dopamine hypothesis seems to be reductionist. Glutamate also seems to play a role in schizophrenia, as schizophrenic individuals tend to show a reduced function of the NMDA glutamate receptor.Reduced function of glutamate is linked to lower performance on taks that require the frontal lobe and the hippocampus. Genetic data suggests that schizophrenia is highly heritable; apparently genetic vulnerability in interaction with certain environmental factors are a common cause of the disorder. Twin studies’ results estimate an 80% of heritability of the disorders. Concordance rates between twins are around 50% for monozygotic twins and around 17% for dizygotic twins (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).On the other hand, molecular genetic studies attempt to identify specific genes which may contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia. Until now, allelic variation of two genes show a stronger correlation with schizo phrenia: dysbindin (DTNBP2) and neuregulin (NRG1) (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009). Several environmental factors can contribute to the development and course of schizophrenia. Prenatal factors, such as obstetric complications, maternal malnutrition, maternal stress or even been born in winter or spring or are common risk factors for schizophrenia,though they do not represent factors of high-risk (Baier, 2010). Less-common factors for schizophrenia are increased paternal age and gluten intolerance. Studies with small samples have identified certain psychosocial factors that are likely to be risk factors for schizophrenia: living in urban areas, poor family environment, low socio-economic level, disrupt school behavior, low social competence and immaturity (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).Schizophrenia affects about 0. 7% of world population. It is slightly more common in males (1.4 times) and the usually ages of onset are 20-28 years for men and 26-32 years for women. Different countries have s lightly different rates of schizophrenia, which reflect the importance of environmental effects in the development of the disorder (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).Schizophrenia is a societal concern, as it cause considerable costs. Life expectancy is 15 years lower in schizophrenic individuals, in great part due to the comorbidities of the disorder, such as depression and substance abuse. Three-fourth of schizophrenics have disability with relapses (Baier, 2010).Most people with schizophrenia have an independent life, though sometimes they make use of community support. There is a high suicide rate in schizophrenic population, around 4. 9%, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that many schizophrenic also suffer from different forms of clinical depression (Baier, 2010). Modern treatment of schizophrenia corresponds to the bio-psycho-social paradigm. About all schizophrenics receive antipsychotics, many times in combination with psychological and social intervention.Antip sychotics are efficient at reducing positive symptoms, but fail to do the same with negative symptoms and with cognitive functions. There is evidence that a continue use of antipsychotics prevents relapse, but not longer than 2-3 years.Antipsychotics are classified into typical and atypical, and little evidence suggest that any of them is better than the other (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009). Typical antipsychotics tend to provoke a higher rate of extrapyramidal side effects, while atypical antipsychotics are associated with weight gain, metabolic syndrome and diabetes (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).Psychosocial intervention for those with schizophrenia include family therapy, cognitive remediation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, assertive community treatment, skills training, supported employment, token economic intervention and interventions for weight management or substance abuse. Currently new medication and psychotherapies for treating schizophrenia are been investigated. Minocyclineâ⠂¬â„¢s effects in schizophrenia, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, is currently under study, giving its great penetration into the central nervous system (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).On the other hand, nidotherapy is been applied by some clinicians; this therapy aims at changing the environment of schizophrenic individuals, in order to improve their capacity to adapt (Kneisl & Trigoboff, 2009).It is to be seen whether this new treatments will prove effective or not. As it has been showed throughout this paper, schizophrenia is a complex disorder, and it cannot be explained or treated from a reductionist perspective. Hence, most researchers and clinicians adopt a bio-psycho-social perspective, which reflects in theories of schizophrenia as well as in its management.

Calvanism Essay - 1318 Words

Calvanism We shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us, the Puritan John Winthrop wrote. The Puritans departed for the New World due to their beliefs that the Church of England was hopelessly corrupt and no longer stood for their way of life. They felt that they could create an ideal Christian society in a New World, which would be a model for others to follow. Some even compared themselves to the Hebrews and held the notion that they were founding the New Israel. (Brow) As religious laws had governed the people of Israel, so did the church regulate New England society. The Puritans had some of the most interesting beliefs of the early religious groups. Founded by the beliefs of John Calvin, the†¦show more content†¦They also wanted to maintain every bit of their philosophies and beliefs by the Bible. Puritans were reverent to the Bible as inspired by God. Their attitude was in complete submission; they felt that the Bible was God’s direct instruction for them to live by (Brow). They believed that by adherence to this basis would remove them from the chance of heresy. The Holy Scripture was their foundation. Upon this, they built their whole theology, society, and government. Puritan ideology consisted of a firm belief in Calvins Institutes, covenant relationships, and theocracy. Theology is essential to every religions belief. One of the most demanding religions, Puritan belief forced its followers to change their life in accordance to God’s Holy Word, only to guess that he could possibly be saved by God’s grace. The Puritan religion was based on five basic principles; supremacy of the divine will, the depravity of man, election, free grace, and predestination. Each having a distinct and overpowering effect on all whom followed. The Puritans, again following the teachings of John Calvin, adhered to the basic sinfulness (or depravity) of man, and the fact that some will be chosen through the righteousness of Christ despite their transgressions. No man can be sure in his life what his destiny will be. That statement summed up the basic elements of Calvinism. Within the basic points there are specialized points of Calvinism, which were strictly held by the Puritans. TheseShow MoreRelatedImpact Of The Protestant Reformation721 Words   |  3 PagesLuther, who actively protested and therefore made him an enemy of the pope and so was excommunicated. However, many people such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli continued Martin Luther’s protests and their theologies resulted in Lutheranism and Calvanism, which were both one of the major branches of Protestanism. Moreover, in c. 1524, millions of peasants rebelled against the nobles for equality and humanity. Many countries in Europe therefore followed this notion of reformation and therefroe leadRead MoreEssay on Roots Of Individualism In Euro1177 Words   |  5 Pagesright and power of the individual. As a reaction against rampant church corruption, Martin Luther publicized complaints against the church. Luther’s criticism sparked a revolution that resulted in the formation of several new religions—Lutheranism, Calvanism, Anabaptism, and Protestantism. These new faiths undermined the church as having an absolute truth because each religion claimed to have an absolute truth of their own, separate from their counterparts. One now had the option to freely choose hisRead MoreA World Lit Only by Fire Outline Essay8153 Words   |  33 PagesSwitzerland, seeking refuge from Erasmus (whom he had denounced) who denied him. 3. He wrote Expostulation about Erasmus; he was expelled from Basel. a. Moved to an island in the Lake of Zurich, where he died of syp- hilis at age 35. X. Calvanism A. Calvanism’s Foundation 1. John Calvin founded Calvinism in Geneve. 2. Calvanists were governed by a very strict set of rules. a. Nearly all forms of entertainment were forbidden. b. Anything that was deemed inappropriate was forbidden