Characteristics of the effective counselor Essay

I ‘d like to acknowledge the wonderful help that I received from one of the finest professors at Liberty University Online. I am very grateful to you, Dr. McCarthy, who provided me with the much needed suggested improvements and gave me the tools to complete this research paper. Thanks! Abstract The characteristics that make up an effective counselor are the personality traits that really define the counselor. Several leaders in the field of counseling have listed many of these personality qualities; self confidence, high energy level, optimistic, sense of humor, neutrality, flexibility, emotional stability, risk-taking experience, analytic thinking, creativity, enthusiasm, honesty, sensitivity, hope, self control, awareness, and knowledge. The research compiled in this paper confirm that it’s the richness of the personality that builds the effectiveness of the counselor. Being an effective counselor requires forming not just a solid relationship with your client, but an emotional experience, where the counselor works with the client in a supportive role to recognize and move through challenges as the goals are achieved. It’s the counselors and not the psychotherapists that must allow an emotional alliance and empathetic responses to their client’s issues. Overall, the most important personality qualities in any effective counselor seem to center on warmth, genuineness, compassion and empathy. These are the traits that will be addressed the most in this paper. These four traits seem to provide the purest motivation and seemingly guide the direction of the moral compass within the most effective counselors. The biggest obstacle is identifying how to increase these ideal qualities in oneself as a counselor. The answer seems to lie in a consistent daily practice of mind-body-medicine and self-care. Characteristics of the Effective Counselor Overall it’s the relationship that influences the therapeutic outcome and it’s the counselor’s personality and character that determine the depth and effectiveness of the therapeutic alliance with the client. Counselors that know themselves benefit their clients the most â€Å"†¦the single most important factor in effective counseling is the person-hood of the counselor, regardless of education, training, theoretical orientation, or counseling technique.† (as cited by Clinton, 2002). The personality and character of the counselor is the single most important variable, more important than the therapeutic techniques applied. Effective counselors possess a myriad of personal qualities that transcend their theoretical orientation and therapeutic techniques (Clinton, 2002, p. 185). In order to cultivate the best personhood, or personality of an effective counselor, the issue of identifying what these attractive characteristics or qualities are and how to increase and expand upon them becomes paramount. The combination of qualitative and quantitative measurement tools reflects the overall measure of effectiveness of a counselor. Body Effective Characteristics The classic works of Carl Rogers (1957) identified the need for presence, congruence, empathetic understanding and unconditional positive regard. Above all, he stated the importance of congruence by means of compliance between ideal self and actual self in his personality theory. The third condition is that the therapist should be, within the confines of this relationship, a congruent, genuine, integrated person. It means that within the relationship he is freely and deeply himself, with his actual experience accurately represented by his awareness of himself. It is the opposite of presenting a facade, either knowingly of unknowingly (Rogers, 1957, p. 97). The idea is to bridge the gaps in all directions, to include the therapeutic alliance gaps that separate the counselor from the client. The idea is to remove all disconnect and just experience each experience as a true and  authentic experience, without judgment and without preconceptions. Present moment awareness requires the therapist to take note of the elements that make up each experience, such as sensations, thoughts and feelings. Acknowledgment of these experiences without feeling the need to react or fix anything is critical. The Golden Triad The Golden Triad, or â€Å"therapeutic triad†, is one invaluable concept of effective counseling characteristics and lays down a solid benchmark for counselor’s to emulate and implement. The Golden Triad consists of the high display of warmth, genuineness, and empathy that effective counselors exude with their clients. The therapist’s persuasiveness, level of attention, understanding, support and encouragement all impact the results of the therapy with the client. It’s not just therapist’s ability to foster a positive relationship with the client, but specific needs and expectations for improvement must be met for the client (Clinton, 2002, p. 185). Frequently, genuine responses require more self-reflection and mindful attention. Self-reflection promotes awareness of feelings and knowing the appropriate moment to convey them to a client. Cultivating Empathy and Compassion The majority of counselors who ascribe to the values of holistic humanistic or existential approaches are less likely to avoid experiencing compassion and empathy as they enter and experience their client’s worldview, so that they can become vulnerable and understand how he/she experiences their world (Bowen & Moore, 2014, p. 18). Although the ability to be vulnerable with clients can yield both negative effects such as compassion fatigue or positive effects such as compassion satisfaction, it’s critical that the qualities of compassion and empathy are made readily available to the client in a balanced and careful manner. Being in a state of mindfulness helps to produce more balanced responses of empathy and compassion, without minimizing therapeutic presence (Campbell & Christopher, 2012, pg. 221). In order to help cultivate the many beneficial characteristics of an effective counselor, such as compassion and empathy, certain practices  should be implemented daily. Mind-body practices such as Yoga, Mediation, Qi Gong, etc. bring awareness and acceptance and help to foster a therapeutic and empathetic presence. The ability for a therapist to be present enhances the therapeutic relationship and promotes healing. The mindfulness presence increases the awareness and acceptance of their own inner experience as well as for the experience of the client (Campbell, 2012, pg. 222). Awareness and Acceptance This combination of awareness and acceptance seem to encourage less reactive behavior, by nonreactively recognizing thoughts, emotions and sensations as they arise. This practice also helps to communicate experiences and to be more present to their client’s inner experiences and sufferings in the same moment-to-moment awareness, which additionally helps clients express their body sensations and feelings. Mindfulness practicing therapists learn how to take their minds less seriously and not feel as though they needed to do something when feelings such as anxiety emerge. These mindfulness practicing therapists could also maintain a therapeutic connection with their client and become less reactive to their struggling client’s experiences, rather than sensing their own inadequacy and need to be in control (Campbell, 2012, pg. 221). The counselors freely chose if or how they were to respond to counter-transference. One choice is by acting as observers and just notice without judgment and without trying to suppress reactions to what was happening in the present moment. This mindfulness seems connected to an ability to tolerate silence and wait through it, allowing new experiences to emerge and genuine encounters to occur. This mindfulness presence allows clients to begin to experience their therapist as individual witness in the midst of their own vulnerability (Campbell, 2012, pg. 223). The Essence of Therapeutic Presence According to Rogers, three components exist in attempting to capture the essence of therapeutic presence: being open and available to all aspects of the client’s experience, being open to one’s own experience in being with the client, and having the capacity to respond to the client from the  experience. This therapeutic presence is more of a state of being rather than of doing and the beneficial influence of mindfulness extends to all participants in the therapeutic relationship (Rogers, 1957, p. 98-99). Two elements related to therapeutic presence that deserve repeating are attention and empathy, which have been shown to increase through mindfulness practice. Many practitioners of mindfulness report increases not only in attention and empathy, but in awareness, patience, focus, compassion, responsiveness, the ability to handle strong emotions, and less defensive, judgmental and reactive. (Campbell, 2012, pg. 213) One last concept to point out is that being in present moment awareness with the client occurs on four main levels; spiritually, emotionally, physically and cognitively and requires a deep knowledge of oneself, which can usually be attained through a consistent life-long commitment of integrating a daily exercise routine of mindfulness practices into a demanding schedule. These daily practices may not only induce relaxation states, but can profoundly alter our relationship to ourselves and our minds (Campbell, 2012, pg. 217). Conclusion To summarize, the most important tool that an effective counselor has is themselves. The characteristics of an effective counselor are directly related to the counselor’s personality and client relationship. Some key personality traits of an effective counselor are compassion, empathy, awareness, acceptance, warmth, genuineness as well as a congruent and fully integrated individual. One of the most effective approaches in which counselors can cultivate and nurture those qualities can be found in a daily mindfulness practice, which helps to maintain a more solid moment-to-moment awareness as the client experiences the world and the counselor maintains the role of present, nonjudgmental witness. With a consistent and daily practice of mindfulness exercises, the therapist begins to live more in the moment and less in a reactive state. By working continuously towards self-mastery and self-actualization, counselors can provide the therapeutic presence that positively impacts their clients’ growth and well-being. References Bowen, N., & Moore, J. (2014). Common Characteristics of Compassionate Counselors: A Qualitative Study. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 36(1), 17-29. Clinton, Timothy, and George Ohlschlager. Competent Christian Counseling. Vol. 1. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook, 2002. 184-186, 570-574. Print. Campbell, J. C., & Christopher, J. C. (2012, July). Teaching mindfulness to create effective counselors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(3), 213+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA297915507&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=dc53ce42d985ee78066b8600c33ca82c Rogers, C.R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21,95-103. doi:10.1037/h0045357

Differences Between Gods And Generals And Gettysburg

There are a lot of differences between Gods and Generals and Gettysburg even though these movies are to coincide with each other. Each film was funded by Ted Turner and though Gods and Generals was produced after Gettysburg the film is meant to be watched before Gettysburg as to follow in Chronological order. These films slowly start to be less funded as Ted Turner ran out of money to produce them, there was supposed to be a third film in the set but unfortunately he ran out of money before being able to produce it. Each film depicts different battles throughout the Civil War, most of the same main actors were used in both films, this allowed for continuity. One of the main differences between these films is that they are not based on the same battles therefore there is obvious discrepancies. One of the other differences is that while Gods and Generals focus on several battles over a two year span Gettysburg focuses on one battles over the course of a few days- a month. This allows for another main difference to rear its head, the difference of how in-depth each movie is about the battle(s). This becomes an issue in the films because although Gettysburg is only about the battle at Gettysburg and the preceding few days it is quite a bit longer. This combined with the multitude of battles shown in each film allows Gettysburg to go more in-depth with conversation and character development. To give a brief overview of each film, I will start with Gods and Generals. GodsShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The Civil War Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the years 1861 to 1865 the American Civil War took place and it is known as Americas bloodiest war. The cause of the Civil war was the debate between free states and slave states over the government trying to prohibit slavery. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States and ran on the platform to keep slavery out of the new unclaimed territories of the United States. 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Shaara wrote this historical masterpiece with the sole purpose of letting the reader know exactly how the war was for the men actually putting their lives on the line to get this great country of America to the stature it is today. In order to accomplish his goal of creating the ultimate historic journal of The Battle of Gettysburg, he went straight to the source. He went back and retrieved letters and documentsRead More Gods and Generals Essay examples901 Words   |  4 PagesGods and Generals The American Civil War was a military conflict between the United States of America (the Union), and 11 secessionist Southern states, organized as the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). It was the culmination of four decades of intense sectional conflict and it reflected deep-seated economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. Many books have been written on this â€Å"first modern war† describing how over 620,000 men were killed.

Ethical Dilemma about the Same Sex Marriage in Firm Balk at Gay Wedding by Koppel and Johnes Free Essay Example, 1000 words

The paper aims to delimit some ethical dilemmas, one of which is should the business maintain open and sincere relationships with the customers or it is possible to violate the free speech rights in the case expressing personal opinion will insult or contradict customer s beliefs. Similarly to other dilemmas, there could be different answers to this question, depending on the perspective a person uses. For instance, from the duty-based theory, saying the lies and serving a gay couple is morally wrong as the essence of deceit is immoral, regardless of what outcomes it could bring. (Shakil) However, from the stakeholder approach, such an attitude can be approved as it will be aimed at ensuring that the rights and interests of customers preserved. In addition, to my mind, it would also be relevant to address another dilemma: whether the decision not to have children should be tolerated and whether such marriages should be regarded as equal to those with children. Indeed, people may not give birth to children due to many reasons, such an illness, being infertile, or making a conscious decision not to do that. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Dilemma about the Same Sex Marriage in Firm Balk at Gay Wedding by Koppel and Johnes or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

The Field Of Organizational Behavior And Leadership

Introduction â€Å"Leadership is the most important topic in the world today. . . It plays such a pervasive role that it is easy to overlook its impact on our day-to-day behaviors† (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2012, p. 609). For this reason, it makes sense to study this subject in detail. Man does this so he can understand how to reproduce the processes and achieve the outcomes of great leadership. Even though leadership is thought of as a science, it is also an art which does not rely on solid facts, figures, hypothesis or theories—sometimes it’s just a gut feeling or an intuition one gets when the situation presents itself. As a leader, one must use intuitive instincts as well as facts and reason because leadership is complex and requires the use of many different action and behaviors in order influence others. Overview This paper explores topics from the field of organizational behavior and leadership. Part one of this paper provides my personal definition of leadership and the rationale behind the definition. Next, is the discussion of virtual teams and leadership, an emerging issue of leadership in the study of organizational behavior. Part two will highlight what I gained from this course, how I might apply what I learned and conclude with my personal plan of action. Part I Definition of Leadership. My definition of leadership is taken directly from the U.S Army; â€Å"influencing others to accomplish a mission, while taking care of people and improving theShow MoreRelatedWhy Leadership Is A Fundamental Part Of Organizational Behavior979 Words   |  4 Pagessupported leadership development They transformed their followers. (Kreitner Kinicki, 2014). 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Impact of the Construction Industry to Its Nation Free Essays

string(40) " of the construction sector as a whole\." Abstract Construction sector and construction activities are considered to be one of the major sources of economic growth, development and economic activities. Construction and engineering services industry play an important role in the economic uplift and development of the country. It can be regarded as a mechanism of generating the employment and offering job opportunities to millions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled work force. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of the Construction Industry to Its Nation or any similar topic only for you Order Now It also plays key role in generating income in both formal and informal sector. It supplements the foreign exchange earnings derived from trade in construction material and engineering services. Unfortunately construction sector is one of the most neglected sectors in Kenya. Although the construction sector has only a 2. 3 percent share in GDP, its share of the employed labor force was disproportionately large at 6. 1 percent in FY07. The construction sector is estimated to have grown by 17. 2 percent in 2006-07 as against 5. 7 percent of last year. The higher demand for construction workers is also reflected in a continued double-digit rise in their wages since FY05. Their wages increased by 11. 1 percent in FY07. Keywords: Construction Sector, GDP, Causal Relationship, Co-integration. 1. Introduction The construction industry plays an essential role in the socio economic development of a country. The activities of the industry have great significance to the achievement of national socio-economic development goals of providing infrastructure, sanctuary and employment. It includes hospitals, schools, townships, offices, houses and other buildings; urban infrastructure (including water supply, sewerage, 280 drainage); highways, roads, ports, railways, airports; power systems; irrigation and agriculture systems; telecommunications etc. It deals with all economic activities directed to the creation, renovation, repair or extension of fixed assets in the form of buildings, land improvements of an engineering nature. Besides, the construction industry generates substantial employment and provides a growth impetus to other sectors through backward nd forward linkages. It is, essential therefore, that, this vital activity is nurtured for the healthy growth of the economy. The main purpose of this study is to see whether growth in construction industry actually caused the economic increase or, alternatively, did economic expansion strongly contribute to construction growth instead? 1. 1 Global Distribution of Construction Output and Employment: Globally, c onstruction industry is regarded as one of the largest fragmented industry. An estimate of annual global construction output is probably closer to U. S $ 4. 5 trillion in 20041. The construction industry is also a prime source of employment generation offering job opportunities to millions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled work force. Global picture of construction output and employment in developing and developed countries can be seen in table -1 below. It can be seen from the table-1 that total construction output worldwide was estimated at just over $3,000 billion in 1998. Output is heavily concentrated (77 per cent) in the high income countries (Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australasia). The contribution of low and middle income countries was only 23 % of total world construction output (ILO Geneva2001). The data in employment situation table 2 tells a rather different story so far as employment is concerned. It can be seen that there was an excess of 111 million construction workers worldwide in 1998 and most of them were in the low- and middle-income countries. The distribution of construction employment is, in fact, almost the exact reverse of the distribution of output. The high-income countries produce 77 per cent of global construction output with 26 per cent of total employment. The rest of the world (comprising low- and middle-income countries) produces only 23 per cent of output but has 74 per cent of employment (ILO Geneva2001). ———————————————— 1 Source: Engineering News Record, USA 281 1. 2 Construction Industry in Kenya; The housing and construction sector in Kenya plays an important role in developing aggregate economy and reducing unemployment. It provides substantial employment opportunities as it contributes through a higher multiplier effect with a host of beneficial forward and backward linkage in the economy. The sector through linkages affects about 40 building material industries, support investment and growth climate and helps reduce poverty by generating income opportunities for poor household. It provides jobs to about 5. 5 per cent of the total employed labor force or to 2. 43 million persons, (2. 41 million male and 0. 2 million female) during 2003- 04 (Economic Survey 2004-05) Unfortunately the construction sector is one of the most neglected sectors in Kenya. It is at low ebb, which can be judged from the fact that per capita consumption of cement in Kenya is one of the lowest among the developing countries. 2. Literature Review: Construction in any country is a complex sector of the economy, which involves a broad range of stakeholders and has wide ranging linkages with other areas of activity such as manufacturing and the use of materials, energy, finance, labor and equipment. The contribution of construction industry in the aggregate economy of a country has been addressed by a number of researchers and valuable literature available on the linkage between construction sector and other sectors of the economy. Several researchers conclude that the construction sector has strong linkages with other sectors of the national economy. Hirschman (1958) first defined the concept of ‘linkage’ in his work The Strategy of Economic Development. He emphasized the significance of ‘unbalanced’ growth among supporting sectors of the economy as opposed to a balanced development of all interrelated economic activities (Lean, 2001). Park (1989) has confirmed that the construction industry generates one of the highest multiplier effects through its extensive backward and forward linkages with other sectors of the economy. It is stated that the importance of the construction industry stems from its strong linkages with other sectors of the economy (World Bank, 1984). However, interdependence between the construction sector and other economic sectors is not static (Bon, 1988; Bon, 1992). Strout (1958) provided a comparative inter-sectoral analysis of employment effects with an emphasis on the construction. Ball (1965) and Ball (1981) addressed the employment effects of the construction sector as a whole. You read "Impact of the Construction Industry to Its Nation" in category "Papers" Many studies (Fox, 1976; Bon and Pietroforte, 1993; Pietroforte and Bon, 1995) use the strong direct and total linkage indicator to explain the leading role of the construction sector in the national economy. . 1 Construction Industry and National Economy: Construction activities and its output is an integral part of a country’s national economy and industrial development. The construction industry is often seen as a driver of economic growth especially in developing countries. The industry can mobilize and effectively utilize local human and material resource s in the development and maintenance of housing and infrastructure to promote local employment and improve economic efficiency. Field and Ofori (1988) stated that the construction makes a noticeable contribution to the economic output of a country; it generates employment and incomes for the people and therefore the effects of changes in the construction industry on the economy occur at all levels and in virtually all aspects of life. This implies that construction has a strong linkage with many economic activities, and whatever happens to the industry will directly and indirectly influence other industries and ultimately, the wealth of a country. Hence, the construction industry is regarded as an essential and highly visible contributor to the process of growth (Field and Ofori, 1988). The significant role of the construction industry in the national economy has been highlighted by Turin (1969). On the basis of cross section of data from a large number of countries at various levels of development, Turin (1969) argued that there is a positive relationship between construction output and economic growth. Furthermore, as economies grow construction output grows at a faster rate, assuming a higher proportion of GDP. In a recent article Drewer returns to the ‘construction and development’ debate. Using data for 1990 similar to that assembled by Turin for 1970, he shows that global construction output has become increasingly concentrated in the developed market economies. He goes on to argue that this new evidence does not support Turin’s propositions. The issue of concern here is whether the construction sector and the aggregate economy are fragmented or mutually dependent, and whether construction activity contributes to economic growth and /or vice versa. Studies have shown that the interdependence between the construction sector and other economic sectors is not static but changes as the nation’s economy grows and develops 2. 2 Tools for Measuring Strength of Linkage: Two analytical tools, which most widely used for measuring the strength of the linkage, sector vise economic performance and production interdependence and to analyze economic relationships, are: (i) Leontief’s (1936) Input–output analysis and ii) The new econometric methodology developed by Engle and Granger Bon (1988) is one of the few researchers who applied the concept of Leontief input-output matrix to the construction industry. He considered the input–output technique to be ideal, for it provides a framework with which to study both direct and indirect resource utilization in the construction sector and industrial interdependence. He also found that the input–output tool can be used for studies of the construction sector in three broad aspects: employment creation potential, role in the economy, and identification of major suppliers to the construction industry. Rameezdeen et al, (2006), also used input283 output table to analyze the significance of construction in a developing economy and its relationships with other sectors of the national economy. With the popularity of the new econometric methodology presented by Engle and Granger, many modeling studies related to economic and financial issues have applied this new technique to analyze economic relationships. Green (1997) applied the Granger causality test to determine the relationship between GDP and residential and non-residential investment, using quarterly national income and gross domestic product data for the period 1959–1992. His results showed that residential investment causes, but is not caused by GDP, while non-residential investment does not cause, but is caused by GDP. He concluded that housing leads and other types of investment lag the business cycle (Lean, 2001). Tse and Ganesan (1997) is also used the same econometric technique (Granger causality test) to determine the causal relationship between construction flows and GDP using quarterly Hong Kong data from 1983 to 1989. They found that the GDP leads the construction flow and not vice versa. 2. Research Objective: The objective of the present paper is to examine the specific lead lag relationships between construction flow and gross domestic product (GDP). For obtaining this goal we will use annual data for construction sector and economic GDP of Kenya from 1950 to 2005. Granger causality methodology is commonly applied to investigations on the relationships among money supply, stock prices and inflation, but very few researchers tested the lin kages between the construction sector and the aggregate economy using this method. Here we will use the same approach to identify whether there is a unidirectional or bidirectional causal relation between construction sector and economic growth in the case of Kenya. In addition, we will use unit root tests to examine the stationarity of both series (construction sector and GDP) and co integration test will use to find out the existence of long run relationship between these variables. It is a powerful concept, because it allows us to describe the existence of an equilibrium or stationary relationship among two or more time series, each of which is individually non- stationary. . Methodology: A simple statistical and econometric analysis will be used to know the general properties of data and to see the relationship among variables of interest like construction sector (LCNS) and aggregate economy of Kenya (LGDP). This study uses time series annual data (1950 to 2005) to demonstrate the causal relationship between construction sector and GDP in Kenya. A time series i s a sequence of values or readings ordered by a time parameter, such as hourly and yearly readings. When time series data is used for analysis in econometrics, several statistical techniques and steps must be undertaken. First of all unit root test has been applied to each series individually in order to provide information about the data being stationary. Non-stationary data contains unit roots. The existences of unit roots make hypothesis test results unreliable. If the data are non-stationary, then frequently stationarity can be achieved by first differencing (Granger and Newbold, 1986) that is, obtaining the differences between the current value and that of the previous period. Once stationarity is determined, structural modeling of the variables or testing for causality can take place. The causality test aims to verify whether historical variations of the construction data follow or precede the GDP. To test for the 284 existence of unit roots and to determine the degree of differences in order to obtain the stationary series of LGDP and LCNS, Augmented Dickey- Fuller Test (ADF) has been applied. If the time series data of each variable is found to be non-stationary at level, then there may exists a long run relationship between these variables, LGDP and LCNS. Johansen’s (1988) co-integration test has been used in order to know the existence of long run relationship between these variables. A series is said to be integrated if it accumulates some past effects, such a series is non-stationary because its future path depends upon all such past influences, and is not tied to some mean to which it must eventually return. To transform a co-integrated series to achieve stationarity, we must differentiate it at least once. The number of times the data have to be differenced to become stationary is the order of integration. If a series is differenced d times to become stationary, it is said to be integrated of order I(d). However, a linear combination of series may have a lower order of integration than any one of them has individually. In this case, the variables are said to be co-integrated. The following section presents the results of the simple descriptive statistical analysis and then unit root analysis to study the stationarity of GDP and construction flow. Accordingly, we employ Granger causality methodology to investigate the lead lag relationships between the construction flow and the GDP. . 1 Data and Descriptive Statistical Analysis: The annual data for the period 1950 to 2005 is being used for empirical analysis. Construction industry flows (LCNS) and Gross Domestic Product (LGDP) data in local currency is employed to analyze the dynamic relationship between GDP and construction sector. All the variables are expressed in natural logarithms so that they may be considered elasticity of the re levant variables. We examine the contemporaneous correlation and check for the evidence of Granger causality between these two variables. Table-3 presents summery statistic of the data and table- 4 tell us that there is a strong correlation between construction sector and GDP of Kenya during 1950 to 2005. Annual observations of GDP and construction sector are taken from Handbook of Statistics of Kenya Economy, 2005 and various issues of Economic Survey of Kenya. Table 3 Descriptive statistics LCNS LGDP Mean 8. 605299 11. 98993 Median 8. 996238 11. 90110 Maximum 11. 87699 15. 62865 Minimum 4. 976734 9. 126524 Std. Dev. 2. 184803 2. 082374 Skewness -0. 140903 0. 195506 Kurtosis 1. 651252 1. 664931 Jarque-Bera 4. 429918 4. 515697 Probability 0. 109158 0. 104575 Observations 56 Apparently as the government is geared to enhance rural development in its development agenda, the construction industry faces the daunting task to be part of the development philosophy. The construction industry has to ensure that it has the capacity to deliver development projects as per the needs of the government and in the time scale specified. Many a development projects are in the pipeline, most notable, road projects, schools, police and teachers’ houses, boreholes, among many others. The construction industry would add value to the country’s development agenda through successfully undertaking the said projects. Certainly, the construction industry loses credibility, trust and reputation in the eyes of the publics if projects it undertakes do not live to the expectations of the people. The government’s rural development project could further spur the growth of indigenous construction companies which will in the end trickle-down economic benefits to the country and the citizens. The mushrooming of indigenous construction firms with capacity to handle large scale jobs will save the country from losing forex as most projects will be handled locally, hence requiring no need for forex to pay international construction firm. This could certainly write a new chapter in the history of the construction industry in the country. As the small construction firms will be developing they will certainly be competing for construction jobs in other countries within Africa and possibly beyond. This could make the construction industry a reliable partner in bringing into the country the required forex. The exposure of the construction industry abroad could as well play the ambassadorial role of marketing services that Malawi can offer in Africa and beyond. If one sector successfully storms the international market, other sectors stand an easy chance as they actually ride on the success of the pioneer service provider. References Anaman K. A and Amponsah. C, (2007). Analysis of the causality links between the growth of the construction industry and the growth of the macro economy in Ghana, Institute of Economic Affairs, Accra, Ghana Ball, C. M. 1965) Employment effects of construction expenditures, Monthly labour Review, 88, 154- 158. Ball, R. (1981) Employment created by construction, expenditures, Monthly labour Review, 104, 38-44. Bon, R. (1988). Direct and indirect resource utilization by the construction sector: the case of the USA since World War II, Habitat International, 12(1), 49–74. Bon, R. (1992). The future of international construction: secular patterns of growth and decline. Habitat International, 16(3), 119–28 Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR (1985–2002) Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR, Hong Kong. Bon, R. and Pietroforte, R. (1990) Historical comparison of construction sectors in the United States, Japan, Italy, and Finland using input-output tables, Construction Management and Economics, 8, 233- 247. Bon, R. and Pietroforte, R. (1993) New construction versus maintenance and repair construction technology in the USA since World War I. , Construction Management and Economics, 11, 151–62. Bon, R. , Birgonul, T. and Ozdogan, I. (1999) An input– output analysis of the Turkish construction sector, 1973– 1990: a note. Construction Management and Economics, 17, 543–51. Chen, J. J. (1998) The characteristics and current status of China’s construction industry, Construction Management and Economics, 16, 711-719. Dickey, D. A. and Fuller, W. A. (1979) Distributions of the estimators for autoregressive time series with a unit root. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 74, 427- -31 Drewer, S (1997) Construction and development: Further reflections on the work of Duccio Turin. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Construction Industry Development, Singapore 9- 11 December. Engle, R. F. and Issler, V. 1993) Estimating Sectoral Cycles Using Co integration and Common Features, Working Paper No. 4529, National Bureau of Economic Research. Field, B. and Ofori, G. (1988) Construction and economic development – a case study. Third World Planning Review, 10(1), 41–50. Fox, L. P. (1976) Building construction as an engine of growth: an evaluation of the Columbian development plan. Ph. D. dissertation, The University of North Carolina. Granger, C. W. J. and Newbold, P. (1986) Forecasting Economic Time Series, Academic Press, Orlando, FL. Granger, C. W. J. and Newbold, P. (1974) Spurious regressions in econometrics. Journal of Econometrics, 2, 111–20. Green, R. K. (1997) Follow the leader: how changes in residential and non-residential investment predict changes in GDP. Real Estate Economics, 25(2), 253–70. Harris, R. (1995) Using Cointegration Analysis in Econometric Modeling, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Hassan. S. A. (2002) Construction Industry. (Kenya) published by Economic Review 2002. Hillebrandt, P. (1985) Analysis of the British Construction Industry, Macmillan, London. Hirschman, A. O. (1958) The Strategy of Economic Development, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Hua. B. G. (1995). Residential construction demand forecasting using economic indicators: a comparative study of artificial neural networks and multiple regression School of Building and Estate Management, National University of Singapore ILO Geneva (2001), The construction industry in the twenty first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements, International Labor Office Geneva Lean, S. C. (2001), Empirical tests to discern linkages between construction and other economic sectors in Singapore, Construction Management and Economics, 13, 253-262 290 How to cite Impact of the Construction Industry to Its Nation, Papers

Contemporary Canadian Business - Cineplex Case Study

Questions: 1.Identify and discuss Cineplex's current business-level strategy. Is it working why or why not?2.Explain what types of diversification are seen in this case? How did Cineplex diversify?3.Which management philosophy do you think would work best for Cineplex? Explain with examples. Answers: 1. Cineplex is using a differentiation business level strategy to meet the needs of its customers amid high competition level in the entertainment market. The company focuses on superior quality and outstanding customer services. Conversely, the company focuses on developing diversified ways of reaching its customers, offering unique services, presenting itself as an exclusive and a prestigious image to the market. Through the differentiation strategy, the company has managed to decrease the competition rivalry in the market. Since 2012, many smaller theatres have been forced to close their doors amid high competition in the market from Cineplex (Kenny, 2009). 2. The company has applied three types of diversification strategies in its operations namely horizontal, concentric and heterogeneous diversifications. Cineplex used the horizontal diversification by digitalising all its current products to appeal to its current customers as well introducing new packages to them (Kenny, 2009). Through concentric diversification, the company has introduced new services by allowing its customers to download movies and watch them at their convenience, contracting big names such as Sony, Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros to avail a downloaded version of its products. The movies come in different types that allow the customers to watch using either tablets, desktops or smartphones. Lastly, the company applies heterogeneous diversification by acquiring smaller theatres that used to offer different services on its own with the aim of diversifying its portfolio (Wang, 2016). 3. "Focus on market diversification but keep up with the pace!!" The company has used diversification of its service portfolio to maintain customer loyalty and attract the new once. However, the company should be ready to offer new services to keep up with the customers' preference (Wang, 2016). References Kenny, G. (2009). Diversification Strategy: How to Grow a Business by Diversifying Successfully. New York: Kogan Page. Wang, J. (2016). The Wanda Way: The Managerial Philosophy and Values of One of China's Largest Companies. Tokyo, Japan: Lid Publishing.

Psychology Twin and Equal Environment Assumption Essay Example

Psychology: Twin and Equal Environment Assumption Paper Are people product of their genes or the choices made in there lives ? 2. Methodology Boucher first went to find sets of minimization twins who were separated early in life, reared apart for all of most of their lives, and reunited as adults. Each twin completed approximately 50 hours of testing on nearly every human dimension you might imagine. They completed four personality trait scales, three aptitude and occupational interest inventories, and two intelligence tests. In addition the participants filled in checklists of household belongings (such as power tools, telescope, original artwork, unabridged dictionary) to assess the similarity of their family resources, and a family environment scale that measured how they felt about the parenting they received from their adoptive parents. They were also administered a life history interview, a psychiatric interview, and a sexual history interview. All Of these assessments were carried out individually so that there was no possibility that one twin might inadvertently influence the answers and responses of the other. . Results / Conclusions These findings indicate that genetic factors (or the genome) appear to account for most of the variation in a remarkable variety of human heartsickness. This finding was demonstrated by the data in two important ways. One is that genetically identical humans (minimization twins), who were raised in separate and often very different settings, grew into adults who were extraordinarily similar, not only in appearance but also in basic psychology and personality. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology: Twin and Equal Environment Assumption specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology: Twin and Equal Environment Assumption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology: Twin and Equal Environment Assumption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The second demonstration in this study of the dominance of genes is the fact that there appeared to be so little effect of the environment on identical twins who were raised in the same setting. Heres Boucher and Lackeys take on these discoveries: For almost every behavioral trait so far investigated, from reaction time to religiosity, an important fraction Of the variation among people turns out to be associated with genetic variation. This fact need no longer be subject to debate; rather, it is time to consider its implications. . Discuss one example of the significance of the study or one criticism directed toward the research equal environment assumption (I. E. , Joseph, 2002). This argument maintains that many of the conclusions drawn by Boucher and Liken about genetic influence assume that MS and ADZ twins raised together develop in identical environments. These critics maintain that such an assumption is not valid and that fraternal twins are treated far more differently than are identical twins. This, they contend, draws the entire method of twin research as a determinate of genetic influences into question. However, several other articles have refuted this criticism and supported the equal environment assumption. 5. Discuss one example of subsequent research in this area or recent applications of this study. In 1999, Boucher reviewed the nature-nurture evidence from the Minnesota twin registries (Boucher, 1999). He concluded that, overall, 40% of the variability in personality and 50% variation in intelligence appears to be genetically based. He also reiterated his position discussed earlier that your genes drive your selection of environments and your selection or avoidance of specific personality-molding environments and behaviors. Research at the Minnesota twin centers continues to be very active. Some fascinating research has examined very complex human heartsickness and behaviors that few would have even guessed to be genetically driven, such as love, divorce, and even death 6. Reflection Discuss what you learned from the study This study explains how many people who have lived in non-comforting settings for example living with a alcoholic mother who did not raise you with norms or love end up being successful in life not following your mothers footsteps. Your Personality who you are comes in your genes and how you use them how you make decisions and the way you think is the choices you have made in life .