Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Consumer Behaviour Double Jeopardy Essay Example for Free
Consumer Behaviour Double Jeopardy Essay The theory of Double Jeopardy is described as a behavioural phenomenon which relates to the size structure of a market (Bandyopadhyay, Gupta Dube 2005). This indicates that in any given time a smaller brand typically has fewer buyers compared to those of a larger brand as larger brands often have a higher percentage of penetration and market share (Ehrenberg, Goodhardt Barwise 1990). A brand with more market share indicates that consumers purchase these brands more frequently compared to other brands. There are a number of reasons why this occurs. For example firms offering products that a consumer perceives as better quality and value, will grow larger (Jacobson 1988). Also, a firm that creates power advantages by introducing inferior products which competitors cannot offer to customerââ¬â¢s also results in a higher market share. Careful analyses of all team membersââ¬â¢ individual purchases over the tracking period, it can be noted that a large number of different brands were consumed. By viewing the Duplication of Purchases Table for fast food, out of all the 11 types of brands, McDonalds and Max Brennars were the most frequently purchased brands resulting in a higher percentage of penetration and market share compared to other brands. This is because McDonalds and Max Brennars have multiple locations within Australia which provides better access to customers, both brands participate in extensive television and both brands provide regular promotions in order to make customers more alert and aware. These facts all enforce the theory of the double jeopardy; larger brands have more buyers and have a higher market share. To review the occurrence of the Double Jeopardy effect, Ehrenberg et al. (1990) states that there exists two market level explanations. The first market level consists of the differences in consumer exposure to the market mix efforts (price, promotion, advertising, point of purchase display, discount) of a brand. If a brand has less consumer exposure, it is more likely to suffer (Ehrenberg et al. 990) because they have fewer buyers and lower repeat purchase. Looking at the DOP tables for fast food, TGI Fridayââ¬â¢s and Koko Black displayed as the least frequently purchased brands. A reason why these two fast food outlets were the least purchased brands is because of their location as many customers may not have close access to it. Another reason is because there is not much advertising and promotion when compared to fast food outlets such as McDonalds and Max B rennars. The second market level relies on stochastic models of buying behaviour (Ehrenberg et al. 1990) which helps predict the Double Jeopardy trends for competitive brands. This is solely based on the heterogeneity in popularity such as the market share as earlier research shows that the average customer of smaller brands buys less, have lower favourable attitude and manifest lower loyalty than the average customer of larger brands (Ehrenberg et al. 1990).
Monday, August 5, 2019
The Garden Depot Recruitment Issues
The Garden Depot Recruitment Issues The Garden Depot originated from a family owned floral company in Barrie, Ontario expanded to a larger variety floral, gardening and lawn care products. Eventually, it ventured into landscaping business too. The current practice of the organization has made the business deteriorate. Experienced and reliable workforces were not attained in the organization as result of fluctuations in seasonal demands. The organization also faced in synchronization among departments. Family member employment in the organization also gives difficulty between employees to handle any matters with that individual. Finally is the inappropriate positioning of employee in the management position. As a recommendation, the best option to be implemented is by focusing on execution of specific departments such as management, marketing, customer service and inventory control. Individual departments will concentrate on their part of duties to develop the company. This development is attached with the employment of experienced and reliable workforce people rather than part time employees. This would create a stable business as there would not be any fluctuation in the work force. With the clear description of divisions and stable work force, Garden Depot is expected to progress in their business ventures. 2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The Garden Depots improper implementation of standardized staffing criterion has caused the main reason for its unsuccessfulness. The organization did not have permanent skillful employees but only seasonal ones. Another cause of this problem is pursuing an employee to perform multi- tasking without prior knowledge in the designated areas. The departments in the depot also do not have synchronization between them. Decision made in one department never known to the other departments. Another criterion is family member employment in the organization itself which causes complexity in handling matter with this individual. The organization is also facing inappropriate positioning of employee in the management position i.e. leadership problem. 3. ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM The cause of the problem is the improper recruitment that was conducted in the organization. This was the primary cause of the organization mishap causing the organization to have a fluctuation in the employee of the Garden Depot. Recruitment of seasonal student employees for these tasks has caused inconsistency in the work progress. Since these inexperience employees only join for a very short period, they do not really perform in their duties as a permanent employee. Besides that, these young needs someone superior to them guide them all the time which actually causes waste of valuable time compared to an experienced employee where can perform his or her tasks without any supervision. The second problem faced by the organization is the fact that most of the employees in organization were not recruited and the existing employees were taken off during off peak season this was the problem that has cause the inconsistency of the employees. As the business is mainly based in the summer season the off peak season are a mishap for the organization where most of the employees are discarded to cut cost and replaced with students and part-time workers, this causes lack of proficiency, making the organization quality and delivery inconsistent. With part time inexperience working handing during off and mid seasons making the routing employment cycle unstructured. With statistics, indicating 80% of the employees during the offseason are student who leave at the end of the summer to return to the school. Only the remaining 20% are the full time employees of the company which this cycle changing vice versa during peak season the quality and work process is certainly a question m ark in terms of the garden depot. As stated in the case there are not defined job responsibility for the staff its sort of like a open office process where the work is assigned as it comes to the organization and upon the employee availability. The third problem analysis was the recruitment of the family member which proved to be totally unhelpful for the business development as there was no proper qualification or business handling capabilities for the family member making the existing business more complex to handle and the fact the students were used in the real-time operation was proved to be a mishap in the organization. i.e. (Sinclair recruitment). Derek Sinclair, son-in-law of the owner, was appointed although he was not qualified for that particular position. His job scope was to organize and deploy landscapers to job sites, dealing with customers and responding to customer concern, invoicing completed landscaping and travelling to clients homes to quote jobs. This entire job was never his specialty or expertise as he was from a customers orientated background. Low knowledge on this tasks caused Sinclair facing difficulty to communicate with customers when they called, which led him to avoid answering calls. Besides that, Sinclair also faced problem quoting for a job as he was uncertain with the materials to be used. He was also not billing the finished landscaping jobs. The fourth factor is that there is no job description and a requirement criterion that was taken before the employees was recruited. Job responsibilities are not being defined at all in this organization. This causes the employees to be confused as to who is to do what and when to execute this task. Overall this confusion in the daily operation will lead to the downfall of the organizations performance. The main objective of a job description is to have a clear outline of duties and responsibilities to make the screening process as direct and focused as possible, which was certainly a lagging factor as there were no proper fixed employees to assign the job. student being the most control during the off season it certainly possess a great challenge in terms of curtaining a job description and specification that can match the organization all the year around. With job description being assigned the following could be achieved by garden depots, which are the factors it is missing curren tly. There is no cooperation of students and employees in the organization insight in existing responsibilities/roles. There is no enabling career moves within the organization, and the most critical is that there is no determination of amount of pay per function. The combination of all these creates a proper job description that is lagging in the organization currently. All these factor of the unstructured organization caused the fact that there was lack of customer satisfaction in the product base and the service provided to the consumers regarding the focus. 4. DECISION CRITERIA AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS The first solution would be to reevaluate all the staff and create a proper job description for the organization. Job description is to have a clear outline of duties and responsibilities to make the screening process direct and focused as possible. This will provide room for improvement in the cooperation vise by giving all members of the organization responsibilities which could increase of results by specification of responsibilities as each employee in the organizations has their own task to perform and justify. Secondly, creating departments to handle each and every division and recruit personals to partment. Each departments deployed will have their own responsibilities such as marketing department where they are to market out their services to the public. Human resource department would have the task of managing the organization where they will be involved in the employee payroll system, employee recruitment, providing trainings for employees in the organization and etc. By developing departments, job tasks can be divided evenly rather than only one departments slogging. Each department would have their superior and employees to manage themselves. Thirdly, using of experience and new staffs together to create a strong team in handling a task. In this way, they would exchange their views among each other which project a positive outcome. Older employees would exchange their views based on years of experience they have gone through. As for the new comers, they would be more advanced in the latest technologies designated fields. With the combination of experience and knowledge, the organization will tend to approach a positive progress. Since Garden depot is a service based organization, the management should deploy a customer service department. With this customer service department, they are able to analyze the customers need and requirement. Through client feedback and interaction, you can learn about what clients liked about the services provided and which areas you may need improvement in. Using customer service as a tool for continuous improvement often leads to customer satisfaction. It is the key performance indicator when measuring their success. Lastly, Garden Depot can also begin conducting formal appraisal system to monitor the employees job performance. Workplace appraisals actively involve employees understanding what is expected of them. By setting agreed objectives with your employer or line manager and then reviewing the results some weeks or months later, each employee is made responsible for their own performance. They are an opportunity to review strengths and weaknesses, to take an overall assessment of work content, loads and volume and to look back on what has been achieved already and to set goals and objectives for the following period. The element of an appraisal being used to ensure that the worker continues to do the job properly, there are many benefits to workplace appraisals as they are often the means by which employers review potential, and identify training and career planning to forward the career progression of the worker. Furthermore, they can also help employers to determine financial reward incen tives for a workers performance. Benefit from this appraisal is that some employees talk about work with their managers and these employers often and may not see the need for a formal appraisal system. Although regular dialogue between managers and workers should be encouraged, much will depend on the attitudes of individual managers and, if there is no formal appraisal system in place, some may neglect to keep on top of how their workers are doing. An appraisal system, therefore, can bring benefits in that it can develop a greater degree of consistency by ensuring that employers and employees meet regularly to discuss performance and potential. Experience has shown that this can encourage better performance from employees. 5. RECOMMENDED SOLUTION, IMPLEMENTATION AND JUSTIFICATION The whole organization lacks infrastructure and the complete revamp of the organization must be carried out in perspective of the employees to create the Garden Depot. The first step is creating specific departments for specific job only. This can be divided into management department, marketing department, customer service and inventory control department. The main role of the management will both address and handle the multifaceted needs of its employees through the provision of the other services, both in literal and social terms. In other words, it is responsible to ensure employees are provided for in terms of finances, health care and other related issues. Another key role of management is to listen to the concerns of employees. All issues dealt with by management at the organizational level have an effect on employees and thus must be made with their best interest in mind. It is important to let employees know via regular meetings that their needs and opinions are valued. Employees should feel as though they have the ability and right to approach management with any of the issues listed above and these statements should always be taken into account when management makes further decisions. In sun, management is the backbone of the organization as well as its eyes and ears and employees must have this stable presence to address in case of problems. As for marketing department, their main task is focusing on customers. Here they develop ways how to attract customers towards the organization. This can be done by putting up advertisements through Medias such as the internet, television and news paper about the services they are offering. They are also to find reasonable priced suppliers and vendors to reduce the expenditure faced by buying from one particular vendor. Another main role is to come out of new ideas on the landscaping concept. This innovative concept will be the key role of attracting customers to towards the organization. Customer service department is responsible to consult with customers about their service needs or their wants. They also analyze what the customer says they want and need and the last part of their task is troubleshooting services to best fit their needs and expectations. Without this department, it is complicated for the organization to know the customers need. Since this department is more focused in customer caring matter, this will help the depot to solve the Sinclairs problem where he does not answer customer calls. The third department is inventory control department. Here the inventory control employee is responsible for maintaining acceptable and accurate inventory levels. They must report shortages, overages and all inventory levels monthly for replenishment. This process ensures continued operations and avoids product or inventory shortages. The inventory control employee is responsible for classifying, labeling and warehousing all inventories for future use. They must keep accurate records of inventory levels and location for easy retrieval. This is critical in keeping the department organized and efficient. The inventory control person is responsible for communicating with all department managers and purchasing on inventory levels and locations. They must maintain a record of all transfers and disposal. The inventory section must implement and follow a control system to reduce damage, breakage and inventory obsolescence. This helps the Garden Depot issues on the stock missing prevented. Having all this departments in the organization is a must to help the business flow smoothly. In order for this departments to function, adequate amount of work force are needed which includes experienced and reliable people in the organization. No more seasonal work force should be employed which creates fluctuation in the business. With this strategic planning of deploying individual departments comprising of experienced and reliable forces, the Garden Depot should be heading towards a new business era with a strong strategies, vision and mission. This will help the organization including the bottom line have a clear mind on what they are wanting to achieve but this time with a clear pathway. 6. REFERENCES eHow (2010), Inventory Control, Job Description and Duties, online, URL: (http://www.ehow.com/about_5494754_inventory-control-job-description-duties.html) Brandxpress (2007), 9 Responsibilities of a Marketing Department, online, URL: (http://www.brandxpress.net/2007/03/9-responsibilities-of-a-marketing-department/#more-286) Article Myriad (2010), The Responsibilities and Role of Management in an Organization, online, URL: (http://www.articlemyriad.com/157.htm) Burke, W. Warner, and Bill Trahant,Traveling Through Transitions, Training Development, 1996, 50, 37 41.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Good Earth Olan Essay -- Essays Papers
Good Earth Olan Throughout The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, O-lan showed herself as a very humble woman. O-lan was a slave in the House of Hwang before her marriage was arranged by the Old Mistress of the House of Hwang. O-lan was faithful throughout the book to Wang Lung through harvest, famine, and even when Wang Lung brought home another woman. O-lan was a hard worker and worked even when no one told her to. She had wisdom that only a slave and a hardworking woman could acquire. Pearl S. Buck reveals many things that all show O-lan to be the humble woman she was. O-lan's physical appearance showed her as a very modest woman. When Wang Lung sees her, he stares at O-lan seeing that, "plain though her face was and rough the skin upon her hands the flesh of her big body was soft and untouched . . . her body was beautiful, spare, and big boned yet rounded and soft" (26). From her physical qualities, it is clear that O-lan isn't a spoiled woman who sits around all day, but a hard worker. She is described as an ugly, flat-footed, stolid-faced woman. Many times, Wang Lung secretly wishes that O-lan didn't have such big feet. During the time of this book, women's feet were bound so they would be smaller. O-lan had big feet because they were never bound. This was another aspect of Chinese life that seemed designed to make women suffer was the practice of altering the feet of girls so they could barely walk. The Chinese custom of foot binding was meant to please men esthetically and to enhance a man's status by showing he was wealthy enough for his wife or concubine not to work. O-lan said many significant things that showed her to be the modest woman she was. She was a very quiet woman. Though she spoke very few words, they meant so much. In the first part of the book, when the Ancient One asked O-lan if she was ready to head into the world with this stranger, answering in her "not loud, not soft, plain, and not ill-tempered" voice, she says, "ready" (17). Many times, O-lan is fearful of speaking. When it is the first time taking hot water to the old man, she tells Wang Lung fearfully, "'I took no tea to the Old One-I did as you said-but to you I . . .'" (27). O-lan listens well to Wang Lung, but fears that she is not doing her jobs correctly. O-lan's timidity when she first gets married is only natural for her situation. At the b... ...d" (36). Other characters in the novel said things about O-lan that showed her to be the modest woman she was. When Wang Lung was talking to his father, he said a lot shouldn't be expected of O-lan's appearance. He said, "We are farmers. Moreover, who has heard of a pretty slave who was a virgin in a wealthy house? All the young lords have had their fill of her." (18) O-lan was obviously a very bold and important woman in this novel yet never knew it. She would do what she was raised to do and try her best to make her husband happy. Through all her marriage, she helped Wang Lung to be one of the wealthiest men in his city. While O-lan endured many difficulties, she continued with her duties as wife through thick and thin. Whether it was her begging on the streets for food and money, or putting up with Lotus, her husband's concubine, O-lan remained a strong woman with good qualities until the day she died. While she usually had little to say, O-lan's impact on the Lung family is one that wont be forgotton. She accomplished all of her goals in life and fulfilled her marital duty in making Wang Lung very happy. Even after all this, O-lan still was a very modest woman.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Essay --
Innocence gained at birth, yet lost in seconds. The story of the lovers whose innocence was stolen away is a fierce one in The Things They Carried. Mary Ann Bell and Mark Fossie, a fairy tale come to life. Mary Ann started stealing the soldiers lives in Vietnam, Mark Fossie became uncomfortable, yet proud of her eagerness and fearless quest for knowledge. To Rat Kiley, ââ¬Å"...Mary Ann made you think of all those girls back home, how clean and innocent they all are, how theyââ¬â¢ll never understand any of this...â⬠(O'Brien 113). To the men she was: dreams, youth, an escape, the future all in one pink trimmed girl. Mainly, however, to her boyfriend, Mark Fossie, she was his future, his connection life after the war. Rat Kiley describes Mark Fossie as ââ¬Å"proud, yes, but also amazed. A different person, it seemed, and he wasnââ¬â¢t sure what to make of it.â⬠(O'Brien 98). When Mary Ann changed, and ultimately vanished, it is as if the war stole every piec e of Mark Fossie. Using this sophisticated complex love story enhances the sense of lost innocence. In the beginning Mary Ann and Mark contemplated what they would look like in the future, yet as the days went by her mindset changed. She became more interested on her new surroundings and less focused on her future as his wife. It was then that Mark Fossie began to mention her going home. He had been holding on to their future for his sanity, much to Rat Kiley's dismay "man, you must be deaf. Sheââ¬â¢s already gone" (O'Brien 107). However, she refused to leave. She claimed to be happier than ever in her life. Soon, the detachment grew between them. Mary Ann was immersing herself in Vietnam. Then one night she vanished with the Greenies. She was gone for weeks, one night Rat Kiley sa... ...bol of their innocence, and just as she became "dangerous and was ready for the kill"(O'Brien 111), the soldiers changed to become mysterious and cynical because of the war. A piece of the love story that vanished; the dreams and futures of the soldiers. They became tainted forever with terrifying images burning through their minds. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËWhat happened to her, Rat said, was what happened to all of them. You come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward itââ¬â¢s never the sameâ⬠(O'Brien 109). The things they saw; the things they lived, they couldn't retell, for no one would believe it. Mary Ann Bell and Mark Fossie represented the relationships lost due to the war, the loved ones that had forgotten or who would never understand the changes. They represented the dreams that had changed and been lost. They were the innocence and naivety turned to disparagement.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Irony, Ambiguity, Symbols, and Symbolism in Gullivers Travels Essay
Use of Irony, Ambiguity and Symbolism, in Gulliver's Travels à à à à Although it appears simple and straightforward on the surface, a mere travelogue intended solely for the amusement of children, Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift, proves, upon closer examination, to be a critical and insightful work satirizing the political and social systems of eighteenth-century England. Through frequent and successful employment of irony, ambiguity and symbolism, Swift makes comments addressing such specific topics as current political controversies as well as such universal concerns as the moral degeneration of man.à While he incorporates them subtly early in the novel, these observations and criticisms eventually progress to a point where they may shock or offend even the most unsuspecting reader.à In order to witness this evolution of presentation, one need only observe the development of the work's central character, Captain Lemuel Gulliver, as Swift has designed his novel in such a way that, as his aspersions harshen and intensify, so do Gulliver's actions and attitudes. à à à à à For instance, in book one, "A Voyage to Lilliput", when Gulliver finds himself lost in a world one-twelfth the size of his own, he proves himself to be quite naive and impressionable.à Although he is simply too large to perceive them in detail, Gulliver judges the country's inhabitants he meets to be as perfect and innocent as their toylike appearances.à He refers to the Lilliputian emperor, a being not even six inches high, as "His Imperial Majesty" and blindly agrees to perform any demanded service, even though he could easily overpower the tiny natio... ... throughout the story in the form of irony and satire, Gulliver himself offers a solution to his situation at the close of the novel.à He realizes that there is little he can do about being human; he simply must learn to live with himself. To achieve this, he suggests looking in a mirror as often as possible, not only so that he might learn to bear the sight of his own person but also so that he may be constantly remindedà of those shortcomings he seeks so desperately to overcome. à Works Cited and Consulted Backscheider, Paula R. A Being More Intense: A Study of the Prose Works of Buynan, Swift, and Defoe. New York: AMS Press, 1984. Carnochan, W. B. Lemuel Gulliver's Mirror for Man. Berkley: University of California Press, 1968. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. à Ã
Egon Schiele Biography
Egon Schiele (1890-1918) was a man concerned with issues of sexuality and death. Like other members of the Expressionist movement of the early twentieth century, he was fascinated with making his mental processes visible through his art. He wished to express his feelings about sexuality directly, rather than alluding to the subject as so many artists had done previously, artists such as Manet or Ingres. Instead, he took his cue from the influences of Rodin and Gustave Courbet, dealing with his subject directly, as he does in the piece Nude with Green Turban (1914). But unlike Courbet, who dealt with his subject in an effort to shock and influence the staid French Royal Academy, as in the case of L'Origine du Monde, 1866 (at right), Schiele explores the issue of sexuality in an attempt to express his own fascinations with the subject, irregardless of the opinions of others. In Nude with Green Turban, the subject is placed in a blank space. She is seemingly alone, so alone that there is nothing in the world of the piece except her. It's as if the viewer is meant to become part of the immediacy of her moment. Indeed, this may be what Schiele intends, having become lost in his own moment of artist to subject. Schiele owes much of this immediacy to Rodin's innovation of the continuous line drawing, and Schiele employs the method here. He has sketched her quickly, capturing her in her moment before going back to fill in the details. However, he has only completed the details selectively. Her shoes are well rendered, as are the shadows and fullness of her thighs and hands. In the turban as well, he has completed the small details of a knot, and filled it with the same color as the colors he's used as emphasis to the shadows her hands create. But her face is hastily done, her nose and closed eyes mere triangles. Her mouth is only the symbol of a mouth. She's as if she's a puppet, expressionless with no individuality. In so doing, he has removed the humanity from her, making her merely a body upon which her hands, and presumably the fantasies of the artist and viewer, play. I'm sure an argument could be made about how this is an example of the objectification of women within the early twentieth century and before. History has certainly shown repeatedly how women in art are mere objects for the male fantasy. What makes this different is how Schiele has not created her as a prize for whomever owns her, but has created her as an outlet for his own fantasy (and, I should hope, for hers). However, today I don't believe Schiele would be able to create such overt expressions of his fantasies without cries of outrage from the feminist community. Since the 1960's, women have progressed away from being objects and possessions, giving themselves a face and a voice within the western world. Today, Schiele would be forced to give his model a face, and perhaps a name. While much of today's art is as direct in its subjects as Schiele's art is, the mere suggestion of objectifying a woman in a sexual act is taboo. Instead, if Schiele were to give her a face, a name, and place her into a world other than the blank canvas of the viewer's mind, she would become, in effect, ââ¬Å"real. â⬠In becoming a ââ¬Å"realâ⬠woman, she would become an expression of femininity not being afraid to be feminine. She would become part of the world women inhabit, able to be claimed by women as one of their own. As she is now, she is a fantasy, a creature of male sexual expression. Much of the art today seems to be concerned with issues of fantasy versus reality. With the advent of the internet, more and more people are able to express their internal fantasies upon someone else. In this way, Schiele's work is extremely contemporary. People want to lose themselves within images, feeling the ideas of the artist, but I do not believe that most art patrons want their art to be as obvious as Schiele's. That said, I believe that Schiele's themes of fantasy and sexuality would be more subtle today. People want the slow glow of accomplishment that they receive in correctly interpreting a piece of art. Direct sexuality is outre and today's public seems to prefer a more subtle approach. Nude with Green Turban is a prime example of Egon Schiele's objectification of his subject, not out of line with the schema of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, portraying women as sexual objects of the male fantasy. With the women's movement of today, this theme would be handled in such a way as to include not only the male fantasy, but the female fantasy as well, by removing her objectification. She would become more real. In addition, the sexual subject would be more subtle in an attempt to reach all viewers, introducing an intellectualism that appeals to the female mind as well as the male, creating eroticism out of perceived pornography.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Dolores Krieger Nuring Theory
Dolores Krieger Therapeutic Touch Takoya Walker College of Coastal Georgia Biography Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN is a Professor Emerita of Nursing Science, New York University, and co-creator of Therapeutic Touch. She is a recognized holistic nursing theorist and pioneering researcher on Therapeutic Touch and the dynamics of healing. At NYU, her course Frontiers of Nursing has been taught since the early 1970's. One of the first nursing theorists to recognize holistic nursing as a viable nursing science, she was an early proponent and initiator of the term, ââ¬Å"The Renaissance Nurse. A member of Sigma Theta Tau, Dr. Krieger created five graduate programs in nursing science during her tenure at New York University. Internationally known, she has traveled extensively around the world presenting her theories, papers, presentations and seminars. With more than 400 professional papers and journal articles to her credit, she has been widely sought after as a radio and television personalit y. Dr Kriegerââ¬â¢s work in Therapeutic Touch has been credited with being the first healing method taught within a university system and the most researched form of hand-on healing to date.Therapeutic Touch is a nursing intervention and considered ââ¬Å"an extension of professional skills. â⬠Numerous doctoral dissertations and graduate studies have originated on Therapeutic Touch. With physicians, nurses and many other healthcare professionals practicing and researching Therapeutic Touch, it has become a widely accepted nursing intervention within our medical institutions. Therapeutic Touch is taught in hundreds of medical centers and universities, and is practiced in over 100 countries worldwide.At last count, Therapeutic Touch had been taught to well over 200,000 healthcare professionals. Besides continuing to write and teach Therapeutic Touch, Dr Krieger is involved in Deep Ecology and lives in a wildlife sanctuary she has created in Montana. (Krieger 2010)à à à à à Significant Accomplishments Dr. Krieger is well known for her Therapeutic Touch theory, which was developed in the early 1970s by Dolores Krieger RN, a professor of nursing.Krieger and co-founder and Dora Kunz stated that the human body is kept alive and vital by a force called prana (a Sanskrit term meaning vital force) and that this energy flows around and through the body and is channeled by chakras, a series of non-physical energy centers in the body. Whereas the original protocol was based on actual physical touch (Krieger, 1975), subsequent research claimed that similar results could be obtained without touching the patient (Quinn, 1982).Current practice is based on the assumption that the physical body is surrounded by an energy field that trained practitioners can detect, assess, and manipulate, and that imbalances in this energy field result in illness or pain, which TT can treat (Krieger ;amp; Kunz, 1989). Any variances or discrepancy can be felt with the hands, w ithout using physical contact and are normally described as a sensation of tingling, pressure, pulling, temperature changes, and energy spikes.Using the Technique A TT session begins with a centering exercise by the practitioner. This step is similar to a brief period of meditation or prayer, it is quieting the mind by focusing the attention, the Therapeutic Touch Practitioner (TTP) focuses within self and prepare to heal. Assessment is the next phase, in this phase the TTP tries to locate any imbalances in the patient's Human Energy Field (HEF).The last phase utilizes several techniques one is called unruffling, the TTP uses circular sweeping motions aiming to ââ¬Å"decongestâ⬠accumulated energy and either redistribute it to areas of lower energy, or rid the HEF of the excess energy by sweeping it down the body and off at the feet, shaking the excess off their hands (a motion similar to shaking water off the fingers) at the foot of the bed or table. (Begley S, 1999) The TTP can also perform Directing just to name a few. Directing is transferring energy between the nurse and client, or from one area of the clientââ¬Ës body to another.The last phase is reassessing the field. In this phase an assessment is made again to determine if ones desired goals were meet. The theory behind the technique Therapeutic Touch relies on four basic assumptions as working hypotheses 1) Humans are open, complex and pandimensional energy systems (Rogers); 2) In a state of health, life energy flows freely through the organism in a balanced, symmetrical manner (Kunz); 3) Human beings are capable of both transformation and transcendence (Krieger); and 4) Healing is an intrinsic movement toward order that occurs in living organisms and can be facilitated by practitioners.Life energy follows the intent to heal (Kunz). Application to Modern Nursing The modern nurse can implement TT has a relaxation method for their patient, which can help rid their bodies of anxiety that so oft en comes as a result of illness. It also would be would be very beneficial in hospice work since it promotes relaxation, reduces anxiety, and often alters a person's perception of pain. Therapeutic Touch can also significantly improve or eradicate the perception of pain. Literary Review Dr.Kriegerââ¬â¢s is the author of 12 books which she published throughout her career: Foundations for Holistic Health Nursing Practices: The Renaissance Nurse; The Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or Heal; Accepting Your Power to Heal: The Personal Practice of Therapeutic Touch; The Therapeutic Touch Inner Workbook; Therapeutic Touch as Transpersonal Healing; The Spiritual Dimensions of Therapeutic Touch; Therapeutic Touch: A Book of Readings; and Living the Therapeutic Touch: Healing as a Lifestyle which is her most popular book and have been translated into several languages.Conclusion The Therapeutic Touch theory is another way to offer ones patient a contemporary modality coupl e with traditional medicine or in the absence of it. This theory is a guide that enables the nurse to become one with his or her patient and become the instrument of healing. Therapeutic Touch teaches damaged energy field reflects its ailments in the physical body as ââ¬Å"dis-ease,â⬠not disease normally referred to in the medical terms, but instead itââ¬â¢s just a state of imbalance that alters the natural functioning of the individual.Generally, this results in the weakening of the body, a slowing down of the healing process, and an across the board decline in faculties. TT states we as Therapeutic touch practitioners can then remove the irregularities of the energy field which causes dis-ease, both as a preventative mechanism and as a treatment for manifested illness thereby centering the energies of that person. Summary I must admit Iââ¬â¢m not a full believer of this theory. I do agree that humans carry with them an energy field and I also believe in the biblical l aying on of hands, however in the bible it was the Holy Spirit that healed.Therapeutic touch, in my belief, places us in the rule of the shaman so to speak or Holy Spirit which allows us to move and even heal aliments that sometimes neither the Therapeutic touch practioner nor the client knew they had, which is hard for me to believe. Despite unbelief, my colleagues and I tried to feel this energy that so many have testified to, however I was unable to feel anything no tingling, no pressure, no heat, absolutely nothing.Reference 1. Begley S. The Energetic Language of Therapeutic Touch Cover Story Massage Magazine, Jan/Feb 1999 2. Rogers D. P. Application of Nonpharmacologic Methods of Managing Chronic Pain. Holistic Nursing Practice, 6(1) 32-40, 1991. 3. Krieger D. Therapeutic Touch: The imprimatur of nursing. American Journal of Nursing 75:784à 787, 1975. 4. Quinn J. An investigation of the effects of therapeutic touch done without physical contact on state anxiety of hospitalize d cardiovascular patients [dissertation]. New York: New York University, 1982.
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