The Truth about Schizophrenia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Truth about Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects one in every one hundred people worldwide (2). It is defined as a psychotic disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied by various degrees of emotional, behavioral, and intellectual disturbances. There are numerous myths associated with schizophrenia, concerning what it is about, its causes, and the actions of those suffering from it. However, it is time to put these ideas to rest. There tend to be huge misconceptions concerning the causes of schizophrenia and the actions of those suffering from this disease. It should be known that this disease is not a form of demonic possession, nor is it caused by evil spirits or witchcraft. Although in Greek, schizophrenia translates as "split mind," it has been established that those diagnosed with the disease do not have split personalities (3). It is also a myth that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be violent. In general, people suffering from schizophrenia, as well as any other mental illness, are no more dangerous than healthy individuals (1). Though schizophrenics show a slightly elevated rate of crimes of violence, these are usually the ones who are not receiving proper treatment. Schizophrenia usually strikes people in their prime. Generally, men are affected between the ages of sixteen and twenty, whereas women are affected between the ages of twenty and thirty (1). Not only is schizophrenia an inherited disease, but is also considered to be genetically complex. Scientists say that an environmental "trigger" must be present as well to bring on the disease. Possible triggers include complications during the mother's pregnancy or delivery, in addition to prenatal exposure to virus, specifically in the fifth month in which most brain development occurs (1). It is believed that complications during pregnancy or delivery increase the threat of the disease, most likely due to damage of the developing brain. There are other factors at hand when determining the causes of a disease such as schizophrenia. In terms of biochemistry, sufferers of the disease appear to have what is referred to as a neurochemical imbalance. However, current medications for schizophrenia now target three different neurotransmitter systems; these being dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (2). Another cause of schizophrenia is the type of blood flow to the brain. Schizophrenics tend to have difficulty "coordinating" activity between various areas of the brain.

Self-Managing Teams at General Electric Aircraft

The organizational behavior issues that I addressed in this paper pertain to self-managing teams at General Electric†s aircraft engine assembly facility in Durham, North Carolina (hereafter referred to as â€Å"GE†). The article â€Å"Engines of Democracy† from Fast Company magazine is particularly interesting because the self-managed teams at General Electric fit the definition from our class text, Organizational Behavior (1998), almost perfectly. According to this book, â€Å"Among the management responsibilities allotted each self-managing team is that of continually assessing the work of the team and redesigning the jobs of the team†s members† (p. 152). Throughout the article, examples of job and process changes made at GE were noted. The majority of these changes were made to existing company processes prior to the opening of the plant, while the quest for continuous improvement has driven other changes since the facility opened. You will find various examples of these changes throughout this paper. Although our course text Organizational Behavior (1998) just touches on self-managing teams, the situation at GE seems to be a hybrid of not only self-managing teams (p. 152), but of quality circles (p. 151), and TQM (p. 150). I chose the article â€Å"Engines of Democracy† because I believe that self-directed work teams can be successful in many situations. Unfortunately, they do not formally exist at Commonwealth Edison (my employer), which is a traditional hierarchical company. I also chose this article because jets fascinate me. Simply stated, I am amazed by the fact that something that is so heavy is able to fly so high and so fast. In the article, Charles Fishman (1999) sums up my feelings when he states â€Å"That someone who lives in Topeka can decide on a whim to go to Tokyo, and be there in less than a day, is truly miraculous† (p.180). In this paper, I have highlighted several success factors at GE, and examples are included where it is appropriate. The success factors included are: (a) Team Dynamics and Job Satisfaction, (b) Employee Selection and Skill Level, (c) Work Methods, (d) Employee Pride and Motivation, and (e) Telling Remarks about Commitment. The research methods used to create the GE organization are most similar to the Explicit Theory. Robert Henderson and his managers were responsible for opening the GE plant in Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Henderson decided that the assembly work would be done in the most radical fashion possible. In researching how this would be done, Henderson and his team researched â€Å"best practices†, by visiting other factories looking for ideas and methods that would empower his employees with authority and independence (Fishman, 1999, p. 188). The GE organization also has a hint of the Action Research Method, although it does not appear that it was intentionally used in the development of the organization, nor do all of the stages of the Action Research Model apply to GE. The GE plant has a staff of 170 employees, and 1 plant manager. Teams are responsible for the production of engines from start to finish, and they are told only 1 thing – the date the engine needs to be on a truck. Team members handle all other facets of management. In the empowered atmosphere, decisions are made by consensus. The concept of teamwork is obvious, and a remark of employee by Keith McKee, who stated â€Å"I have 15 bosses – all of my teammates are my bosses† (Fishman, 1999, p. 192) is indicative of the work environment. In addition, the former plant manager, Paula Sims stated that â€Å"We call this the feedback capital of the world† (Fishman, 1999, p. 192). No one is exempt from feedback. Early in Ms. Sim†s assignment, an employee told her that there was no need for her to micromanage the employees, because when she told them to do something, it would get done. I find this refreshing. In Organizational Management (1998), job satisfaction is defined as â€Å"a pleasurable feeling that results from the perception that one†s job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one†s important job values† (p.107). Since the article makes no mention of the measurement of job satisfaction, I believe we can measure employee satisfaction by the turn over rate, which is less than five-percent annually. The article also includes some individual remarks relating to job satisfaction. For example, employee Pat Miller commented on previous jobs that he held, â€Å"†¦ I had not input at all-none. I†m much happier here. I [italics added] can change what goes on† (Fishman, 1999, p. 184). With members of the plant conducting interviews of potential co-workers, GE uses extensive interviews that encompass eleven skill areas to evaluate candidates. Interviews have been known to last 8 hours, and they include interactive exercises. It was also decided that all employees should be FAA-certified mechanics. This is the only GE facility that has such a requirement. The rationale behind this thinking is that candidates will already possess valuable training if they are hired. As stated by Robert Henderson, who was in charge of opening the facility, â€Å"That would mean that we†d start with a better caliber of employee †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fishman, 1999, p. 188). This remark fits the same line of thinking of another successful businessman, Ron Wolf, General Manager of the Green Bay Packers. Mr. Wolf stated in his book The Packer Way – Nine Stepping Stones to Building a Winning Organization, that the first of the nine keys to winning is to â€Å"hire the best†(Attner, Wolf, 1998). The GE workers strive to keep it simple. For example, the floor in an assembly building is painted blue, so when parts are dropped, they can be easily seen. To hold certain parts in place before they are permanently installed, technicians began using beeswax. Also, all tools have foam cutout areas so that they are not left out of place. This addresses both productivity and safety issues. The plant utilizes what GE employees call â€Å"multiskilling†, which means that all employees know all of the jobs. Derrick McCoy, a GE employee, stated â€Å"Multiskilling is how the place is kept together†(Fishman, 1999, p. 186). As Mr. Fishman (1999) mentions in the article, money alone can not motivate people to perform as well as GE employees have (p. 182). The book Organizational Behavior (1998) shows that Abraham Maslow would agree, as evidenced by his â€Å"Needs Hierarchy† (p. 83). Based on Maslow†s model, money would satisfy physiological and safety needs at best. Pride and satisfaction fuel motivation at the GE plant, as there are no performance incentives. GE team members are so proud that they sweep out trucks so that no damage occurs to their finished product while they are being shipped via truck. Mr. Fishman (1999) reports that GE employees believe that their job is not to make jet engines, but to make jet engines better (p. 202). Commitment and the drive for perfection is taken very seriously by GE employees. This is evidenced by comments like those of employee Bill Lane, who said â€Å"I†ve got a 3-year old daughter, and I figure that every plane we build engines for has someone with a 3-year old daughter riding on it† (Fishman, 1999, p. 180). Employee Duane Williams, referring to problems that workers normally complain about, said â€Å"†¦ well, we have a chance to do something about them. I can†t say, â€Å"They† don†t know what†s going on, or, â€Å"They† made a bad decision. I [italics added] am â€Å"they†Ã¢â‚¬  (Fishman, 1999, p. 186). Certainly commitment comes from self-esteem and being appreciated. Again, Duane Williams remarked that â€Å"I was never valued that much as an employee in my life.† â€Å"†¦ But here, I couldn†t wait to get to work every day. That†s no BS!† (Fishman, 1999, p.184). So how effective is this self-directed plant? The GE plant has not missed a delivery date on their CF6 engine in 38 straight months. The cost of producing the CF6 engine has been reduced by 30 percent since 1995, which is even more astonishing since this engine has been in production for twenty years. When faced with the challenge of reducing plant costs by $1.2 million, the â€Å"expense council† that was assigned to address this issue provided a proposal within 3 weeks. This plan ultimately superceded the plant manager†s plan that had been submitted earlier. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the team occurred when the plant was given the opportunity to build a new style of engine, the CFM56. From the time of the announcement that GE would build this engine, the team produced its first engine 9 weeks later. This was done at a cost that was 12% to 13% less than the Ohio plant, which had been manufacturing this engine style for years. Finally, the best tribute to the employees came from Robert Henderson, who even with the goal of making the plant as radical as possible, stated â€Å"I was just constantly amazed by what was accomplished here† (Fishman, 1999, p. 188).

Company Profile Of National Thermal Power Plant Essay

CHAPTER-1 COMPANY PROFILE National Thermal Power Plant, Kahalgaon Fig 1.1 Company Logo [1] 1.1 INRODUCTION NTPC, the largest power Company in India, was setup in 1975 to accelerate power development in the country. It is among the world’s largest and most efficient power generation companies. In Forbes list of World’s 2000 Largest Companies for the year 2007, NTPC occupies 411th place. NTPC has installed capacities of 29,394 MW. It has 15 coal based power stations (23,395 MW), 7 gas based power stations (3,955 MW) and 4 power stations in Joint Ventures (1,794 MW). The company has power generating facilities in all major regions of the country. It plans to be a 75,000 MW company by 2017. Fig 1.2 Company’s Production Graph [2] NTPC has gone beyond the thermal power generation. It has diversified into hydro power, coal mining, power equipment manufacturing, oil gas exploration, power trading distribution. NTPC is now in the entire power value chain and is poised to become an Integrated Power Major. NTPC s share on 31 Mar 2008 in the total installed capacity of the country was 19.1% and it contributed 28.50% of the total power generation of the country during 2007-08. NTPC has Fig 1.3 Company’s Contributions in power Generation [3] set new benchmarks for the power industry both in the area of power plant construction and operations with its experience and expertise in the power sector, NTPC is extendingShow MoreRelatedAmerica Needs For A New Utility Business Model941 Words   |  4 Pagesthat own the entire system from power plants to transmission and distribution networks to the meters on buildings. However, John Farrell’s December 2014 report â€Å"Beyond Utility 2.0 to Energy Democracy† for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) explains how the United States electricity system is dramatically changing. Electricity generation is shifting from coal and nuclear power plants that can power millions to renewables, such as solar and wind, that power a few hundred near-by homes. InRead MoreA Project Report on Working Capital of Bharat Pump and Compessor Ltd.8411 Words   |  34 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS ï  ¶ PREFACE ï  ¶ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ï  ¶ BOARD OF DIRECTORS ï  ¶ ORGANIZATION CHART OF BPCL ï  ¶ INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY ï  ¶ CUSTOMER OF BPCL ï  ¶ PRODUCT PROFILE ï  ¶ QUALITY ASSUARANCE ï  ¶ SWOT ANALYSIS ï  ¶ STRATEGY FORMULATION ï  ¶ MARKETING STRATEGY ï  ¶ MANAGEMENT PROBLEM ï  ¶ SEGMENTATION ï  ¶ RECOMMENDATION ï  ¶ PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHT ï  ¶ FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE REPORT ï  ¶ CONCLUSION ï  ¶ CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION ï  ¶ BIBLIOGRAPHY PREFACE The instrument of government owingRead MoreAlternative Energy Sources For Fossil Fuels2676 Words   |  11 Pagesall been used up, there is no chance of obtaining more. There are many types of alternative energy sources in the world that a renewable and may not be harmful to the environment. In addition to this, alternative energy sources have to ability to power large corporations as well as small businesses around the globe. Alternative energy sources are forms of energy that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels. There are many alternative energy sources that can be used in the placeRead MoreAssessment Performance of Public Utility in Nigeria: a Study of Nepa9699 Words   |  39 Pagesenterprises. It was argued that in some cases, government is the only organ seemingly capable of raising the needed capital to start up such enterprises (Yesufu, 1996 P. 339). Furthermore, public enterprises were better for stimulating and accelerating national economic development than private capital (Obasanjo, 1999p.1). However, judging by the experiences of many African countries, Kerf and Smith (1996.p.2) opined that public enterprises have established a reputation for poor performance. Such enterprisesRead MoreProject on Employee Retention9019 Words   |  37 Pagesattrition. This paper attempts to unravel this paradox study the various facets that surround this burning issue i.e. * factors that make employees stay in a organization * reasons why they leave * what could be done to make them stay with the company Let Us see what â€Å"Employee Retention† used to mean This entails understanding just a little history. The term â€Å"employee retention† first began to appear with regularity on the business scene in the 1970s and early ’80s. Until then, during the earlyRead MoreVideocone Marketing Strategy5422 Words   |  22 PagesIntroduction Videocon is a company that was floated by Nandalaji Dhoot in 1986 to launch India’s first superlative colour television in a collaboration with Toshiba Corporation Japan, has now claimed to be a $2.5 billion conglomerate (in market capitalisation). The company has two core activities, which include the manufacturing, assembly, marketing and distribution of consumer electronics and home appliances, and exploration and production of oil and gas. The company presently has seven operatingRead MorePROJECT ON BHEL CAPITAL BUDGETING17740 Words   |  71 Pagesto any other university for any other degree of diploma. (A. PAVANI) CONTENTS CHAPTER – I INTRODUCTION OF CAPITAL BUDGETING INTRODUCTION BHEL is the key industry in the Indian economy meeting the crucial power needs of the country. To win the competitive edge, every organization is much construction on the financial aspect of development. A finance manager s job begins even before a business actually comes into action and continues till the very end. AsRead MoreDddddddddddddddddddddddddd2594 Words   |  11 PagesConnect Campus Recruitment Drive Brochure Year 2010-11 Adani Campus Connect -10/11 Page 1 of 14 CONTENTS 1. Adani Group – Highlights 2. Group’s Diversified Portfolio 3. The Value Chain – Competitive Advantage 4. Business Profiles 5. Corporate Social Responsibility 6. Recruitment Selection Process 7. Compensation Benefits 8. Induction Programme 9. Career Progression Plan 10. Campus Feedback Mechanism Adani Campus Connect -10/11 Read MoreElectric Power Transmission7736 Words   |  31 PagesElectric power transmission Electric transmission redirects here. For vehicle transmissions, see diesel-electric transmission. [pic] [pic] 400  kV high-tension transmission lines near Madrid Electric power transmission or high-voltage electric transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to substations located near population centers. This is distinct from the local wiring between high-voltage substations and customers, which is typically referredRead MoreGraduation Training Report At Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited6173 Words   |  25 Pagesacknowledge the immense pleasure, brought about by my friends as they pursued their training along with me. We shared some unforgettable moments together. Thank you all. Table of Contents Abstract 1 1. BHEL – A Brief Profile 2 2. Introduction 3 3. Electric Machines Blocks (Block-1) 4 3.1. Turbo Generator 4 3.2. Large Size Turbo Generator 6 3.3. Components of Turbo Generator 6 3.3.1. Stator 6 3.3.2. Rotor 10 3.4. Ventilation