Category: Belief

Although a number of values shape my life, there are five values that are very important to me. These are my core values and include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. I received these values from my parents and major events that have shaped my life. Additionally, these values dictate my daily activities and how I relate to people in the society. For that reason, my core values signify things that outline my life. I will be discussing who I am in terms of important values that shape my personal belief system and decision-making framework that describes the direction of my life.

The key to happiness is maximizing pleasure and reducing pain. Happiness is an indication that my life has a meaning and that I can accomplish my goals. The pleasant moods and emotions brought about by happiness are very important to me. However, I must fulfill most of my aspirations in order to live a happy life. Therefore, the more desires I fulfill, the happier my life will be. Moreover, happier people are physically and mentally healthier. Consequently, happiness gives me the necessary strength and right frame of mind to face life. Happiness, hence, drives my success. As a result, my life becomes more satisfying.

A family brings about a feeling of being wanted and connected to my close confidants. Therefore, a family is very important to me. This is because I have people around me who I can look up to in times of happiness and sorrow. In this context, a family is not only my kinsmen but also people I can closely relate to. It will be very difficult for me to succeed without people who care and trust me. In addition, a family will take pride in my success and encourage me when I am down and out. Moreover, with my nuclear family close, I am guaranteed of a loyal support. For that reason, I believe that I am who I am because of my family.

Having friends will always be in the list of my core values. To me, friends create a social bond which has many advantages. To start with, friends help me overcome and interpret challenges. In addition, I continuously learn a lot of new things from friends. For instance, I discover new survival tactics in the various traits displayed by my friends. Moreover, friends help me socialize. This is advantageous to me because socializing offers some emotional support to me. Consequently, stress and depression associated with loneliness are not in my dictionary. Friends, therefore, help me cope with life in the best way possible.

As a human being, I seek satisfaction in all my undertakings. Pleasure, as a core value, is all about satisfaction. Moreover, pleasure generates happiness in me. For that reason, I am able to face life as a more contented person. However, not all things derive pleasure to me. Therefore, I prioritize my daily activities depending on the pleasure generated. This helps me live a more focused and efficient life. Pleasure, therefore, brings out the best in me. It makes me work very hard towards achieving my lifetime goals.

Financial security and stability is also very important value to me. Although money cannot buy happiness, it brings about contentment. God will only cater for my needs if I work towards my financial security and stability. This is because I need money to cater for my bills. This means that my survival solely depends on my finances. Additionally, financial security will enable me enjoy the good things of life and deal with emergencies. As a result, I will be able to live a happy and stable life. Financial stability will also help me have a fruitful life after retirement. Therefore, my life will never be the same again without this core value.

None of my core values can act independently. The interaction among the five core values is what dictates who I am. These values determine how I interact with other people and which strategies I apply in life. They are truly what drive my life forward. Therefore, knowing and acknowledging my core values brings about satisfaction in me. Furthermore, these core values also help me design my lifetime goals. They, thus, help dictate the direction my life will take.

In conclusion, I agree that values are important to my life. However, my core values mean a lot to me. My core values include happiness, family, friends, pleasure and financial security and stability. The pleasant moods and emotions brought about by happiness are very important to me. In additionally, a family brings a feeling of being wanted and connected to my close confidants. Furthermore, friends help me overcome and interpret challenges in life. Moreover, Pleasure generates satisfaction and happiness in me. Finally, financial stability and security brings about contentment in me. However, none of these values can act alone. Therefore, I require the right mix of these values in order to live a successful life.

Many people dream of becoming famous and successful personalities, achieving everything in life that one can only imagine. Someone aspires to earn millions of dollars; someone dreams of finding their soulmate and never part with them. Some people are careerists by nature, which means that achievements in the profession they have chosen are significant to them. My dream started small – I desperately wanted to learn English and to speak it perfectly. The dreams of billions of people living on our planet are united by one simple thing – perseverance. It is impossible to achieve success in any business if one does not put effort and determination. Even the most seemingly impossible goal becomes attainable if the person who aspires to it does not stop, despite the obstacles that arise.

I was born in Cuba, but at the age of 13, I moved to Cape Coral, located in Florida. Of course, I was fluent in Spanish, which was my native language, but I faced a problem in the USA – I needed to learn English to feel comfortable and free. I had a desire to become a complete and successful citizen of the United States, which was impossible without advanced knowledge of the language of this state. Nevertheless, despite my decision, this process was by no means quick and simple.

Learning a foreign language was arduous, although I found myself in a foreign language environment where all the people around spoke English. I had to study hundreds of new words, constructions, phrasal utterances, and symbolic figures of speech. My best friends for a while were reference books on grammar and tenses of the English language, which later allowed me to distinguish all the intricacies of the narrative of English literature.

It was challenging to read aloud, hearing my lousy pronunciation, in which a foreign accent is guessed. Moreover, I often had to deal with criticism from other people who expressed opinions about my successes and even criticized my achievements. Nevertheless, I did not give up, driven by the desire to improve my professional skills and work prospects. In addition, I was eager to increase my self-esteem by ceasing to be the object of criticism for other people, whose comments often embarrassed me and made me blush.

Still, all these difficulties and obstacles could not break my resolve on the way to achieving my goals and dreams. Despite the fatigue and tension, I did exercises, studied grammar, and read books in English to expand my arsenal of words and grammatical techniques. I believed in myself, and my strength showed perseverance and made a tremendous effort to get closer to my goal. After a while, I began to make much fewer mistakes, and even if I did, I stopped being embarrassed and ashamed of them.

I realized that mistakes are an integral part of any thorny path to a dream and that only those who do nothing do not make mistakes. I began to perceive other people’s criticism much more restrained and calmer, sometimes not paying attention to it at all. In the end, my efforts and time spent paid off in total – the English language ceased to be something terrible and unknown for me but became a friend and assistant.

This long and sometimes painful process of learning English has taught me many things that will undoubtedly help me in the future. I realized that I must always believe in my strength, and then I will succeed in any field. It came to me that the main ally in the fight against difficulties and learning a new business is determination and perseverance. No matter how impossible the task may seem, I can cope with it if I make an effort and believe in my skills.

Introduction

According to Walker and Avant (1995), concept analysis refers to the effort to illustrate and define a group of data and to elaborate its importance. The primary objective of concept analysis is to examine the main idea critically to identify the themes of the design. Concept analysis is widely used in the nursing field. It helps in the formulation of nursing procedures that are critical to alleviating human suffering. As education and knowledge continue to evolve, speculations are high that the connotations of varied concepts and models are likely to change.

Selected concept

This report seeks to critique the notion of health-related behavior concerning nursing practices. The article was written by Ruth Davidhizar and published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing in 2006. Health-related behavior is an important concept for nurses. Knowing and being able to envisage and control health behavior are all important if nurses wish to achieve patient participation and co-operation. Nurses spend most of their time with patients. Consequently, they are better placed to control health behavior. Optimal relation with patients is the product of careful implementation of the concept (Davidhizar, 2006).

The reason this article was selected was to help the nurses to understand the various health-related behaviors that contribute to the patient recovery process. Therefore, we strive to improve this behavior. A precise knowledge of the basis of behavior is critical to foresee change. What’s more, a precise knowledge of the cause is vital for the nurses to formulate mechanisms for dealing with health behavior.

Aims of the concept

Davidhizar (2006) compiled her article with two objectives in mind. First, she aimed at using the health belief model to identify health-related behavior, which nurses can exploit to engender patient participation and co-operation. Since nurses have close ties with the patient, they have an opportunity to influence the patient to participate in nursing procedures. Understanding health-related behavior would go a long way towards helping the nurses to establish an optimal relation with patients (Davidhizar, 2006).

The second objective of the concept of health-related behavior was to help nurses and medical practitioners to establish techniques for envisaging and addressing changes that might arise due to health-related behavior (Davidhizar, 2006). Nurses can make a noteworthy contribution to the patient recovery process by understanding all environmental and social factors that limit the healing process. They can determine these factors by understanding people’s reactions to disease screening, prevention, and maintenance.

Uses of the concept

The idea of health-related behavior has been used in numerous health-related areas. The concept has been used to “develop effective interventions to behavioral changes by targeting various aspects of the notion’s core constructs” (Alligood & Tomey, 2011, p. 74). According to Alligood and Tomey (2011), the concept of health-related behavior can be used to promote self-efficacy by offering instruction in particular health-supporting behaviors. The concept has been used in studying diabetes, nutrition, and breast health. Gutierrez and Long carried out a study in 2011 to determine how health-related behavior affects people who have diabetes. In the study, they looked at several factors that influence a patient’s behavior. These aspects include perceived susceptibility, benefits, severity, barriers, and self-efficacy. The study focused on the patient’s belief about diabetes, its gravity as a health problem, and how the beliefs influence health behavior. Moreover, the research focused on factors that contribute to a patient not following a treatment procedure (Davidhizar, 2006).

Nutrition beliefs influence people’s desire to be healthy (Conner & Norman, 1996). People with knowledge about nutrition demonstrate nutrition confidence. Such people have faith in whatever they always eat and are conscious of their health. What’s more, positive health beliefs make people change their eating habits and engage in physical activities. Eating habits and lack of physical exercise are considered as some of the health-related behaviors that lead to illnesses. Therefore, scholars and medical professionals pay considerable attention to nutrition and diet beliefs in a bid to determine their correlation with health. In the nutrition field, the concept of health-related behavior is used to determine what makes people adopt certain eating behaviors (Conner & Norman, 1996). Additionally, the concept is used to determine if there is an association between eating behaviors and health beliefs.

Many child-giving women are vulnerable to breast cancer. Moreover, the majority of women who have breast cancer do not realize until the disease becomes full-blown. Therefore, it becomes hard for the doctors to treat the disease, leading to women losing their breast. Medical professionals have identified breast self-examination (BSE) as one of the methods of preventing and detecting breast cancer. Nevertheless, still, many women do not practice breast self-examination to determine if they have signs of breast cancer. The concept of health-related behavior is used to educate women on the importance of BSE. According to Conner and Norman (1996), negative health-related behaviors like failure to run breast self-examination and to undertake mammography are some of the practices that perpetuate breast cancer. The concept of health-related behavior is used in the field of breast cancer to enlighten women on the benefits of self-examination.

Critical attributes

Walker and Avant refer to key attributes as “The structures that locate the occurrence of a concept” (1995, p. 39). The critical characteristics of health-related behavior include “Perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy” (Glanz, Rimer & Lewis, 2002, p. 46). Perceived vulnerability refers to an individual’s belief in the probability of getting into a circumstance. Perceived severity refers to an individual’s view of how severe a condition and its impacts are. Perceived benefits apply to an individual’s trust in the effectiveness of the prescribed actions to mitigate danger or severity of effects. The other critical attribute is perceived barriers, which refers to a person’s perception of the emotional and tangible constraints of the prescribed action. Cues to action are another essential attribute of health-related behavior, which means plans to trigger “readiness” (Davidhizar, 2006). Self-efficacy is the individual’s capacity to take action.

Model case

Davidhizar’s article gives an instance of youths who explain the reasons they prefer using condoms. Some of the youths argue that failure to use a condom may expose them to sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS. Others allege that the effects of getting sexually transmitted infections are dire enough to try to circumvent. However, some youths claim that they are unable to use condoms because they feel mortified to initiate the discussion about condoms with their partners (Davidhizar, 2006). The case model presents several critical attributes, among them, perceived vulnerability, where the youths believe that failure to use a condom would expose them to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The other critical attribute is perceived severity, where the teenagers think that it’s worth to avoid the impacts of STIs. What’s more, the quality of perceived barriers is also portrayed where the youths claim that they feel ashamed to discuss condom use.

Borderline case

Davidhizar (2006) gives an account of one youth who is sexually active. The youth uses protective measures all the time he engages in sexual activities and is confident that he uses them accordingly. Nevertheless, the youth complains that his partner is not faithful. He believes that the partner has other clandestine relationships, which might expose them to STIs (Davidhizar, 2006). The critical attribute in this scenario is emotional and not perceived vulnerability.

Related case

Walker and Avant (1995) claim that related cases, in many instances, lack critical attributes, but are linked to the concept. Such cases help to improve the importance of a concept. Davidhizar’s article gives a case of an individual who participates in physical activities and is conscious of his diet. He exercises regularly and makes sure that he takes a balanced diet.

What’s more, he always visits his doctor for advice on health issues. However, he was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The doctor told him that his case was hereditary, and it did not come as a result of poor eating habits or lack of exercise (Davidhizar, 2006). The issue here is the man’s inability to manage diabetes even after engaging in physical exercise and eating a balanced diet.

Contrary case

The opposite case spells out the meaning of the concept by focusing on what the concept does not entails (Walker & Avant, 1995). Davidhizar (2006) gives an example of a 35-year-old man who is a gym instructor. The man spends most of his time in the gym, which means that he exercises regularly. What’s more, he confirms that he highly values healthy eating. The man said that he had never shown any signs of diabetes, and the level of his blood sugar was always stable. The critical attributes are not manifested in this case. The man engages in activities that keep him healthy, and he is happy with his life (Davidhizar, 2006).

Antecedents and consequences of the concept

Antecedents refer to incidences that take place before concept realization (Walker & Avant, 1995). Contracting diabetes due to unhealthy behavior like the poor eating habit is antecedent to health-related behavior. Health-related behaviors may also manifest when a person is unable to manage his weight. Some of the consequences of health-related behavior include diseases like diabetes and obesity.

Empirical Referents

Experimental referents of health-related behavior are quantifiable happenings whose occurrence demonstrates the presence of the concept. In this case, health-related behaviors are identified by “preventive health behaviors, sick role behaviors, and clinic use” (Davidhizar, 2006, p. 469). A health-related behavior study shows that people engage in preventive health behavior when they feel vulnerable to diseases. The study was conducted on a group of immigrants vulnerable to Tuberculosis.

The concept in the research proposal

The concept of health-related behavior is used in the research project to determine how health-related behavior helps to avert illnesses. Most of the literature reviews call for scholars to come up with appropriate models to help in understanding health and how it is related to some behaviors.

Concept analysis in the research proposal

The idea of health-related behavior is used in research to elaborate on how health behavior can help in treating and averting various diseases. Moreover, it contributes to bringing out critical traits that are crucial for a concept.

Conclusion

According to the literature review, health-related behavior is critical to averting such illnesses as diabetes and obesity. Youths, immigrants, and the entire society are at the risk of suffering from diseases related to unhealthy behavior. Some of the critical attributes of health-related behavior include perceived vulnerability, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers.

Reference List

Alligood, M., & Tomey, A. (2011). Nursing Theorist and their works. Missouri: Elsevier.

Conner, M., & Norman, P. (1996). Predicting Health Behavior: Search and Practice with Social Cognition Models. New York: Open University Press.

Davidhizar, R. (2006). Critique of health-belief model. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 8(6), 467-472.

Glanz, K., Rimer, B., & Lewis, F. (2002). Health Behavior and Health Education. Theory, Research and Practice. San Francisco: Wiley & Sons.

Walker, L., & Avant, K. (1995). Concept analysis. In Strategies for theory construction in nursing. East Noewalk, CT: Appleton and Lange.

Introduction

Every person has a set of beliefs in life that determines their actions and decisions. These beliefs are either constructive or destructive depending on the effect they have on the believer’s outlook on life and the world. People develop beliefs from many sources. For instance, many people take up values that are instilled in them by their parents and guardians who act as role models and mentors. However, as they grow and develop their mental faculties, they start doubting and reviewing certain beliefs. Their life experiences, friends, and exposure to reality are some of the factors that contribute to such shifts in belief and attitude towards diverse occurrences in life.

Change in one’s belief system affects every aspect of life because the process of developing new viewpoints and turning them into convictions is critical. The conviction that destiny is determined by external factors is a common belief that many people hold. In my childhood, I believed that external forces such as society, the environment, family background, and the economy are the determinants of one’s destiny. However, different life experiences disabused me of that viewpoint later in life. Currently, I accept as true that destiny is predominantly determined by internal factors such as personal responsibility, discipline, grit, will, self-control, purpose, and persistence.

Main body

My perspective changed when I joined a high school where students are expected to be more responsible and accountable. Working on assignments, managing finances, finding passions and hobbies, creating relationships, resisting peer pressure, and managing time are critical factors that determine success in high school. I realized that external factors such as rules, school policies, teachers, and peer pressure had little influence on my life.

Factors such as self-control, discipline, focus, and willingness to work hard had a greater effect on my life. The view that destiny is determined by external factors was largely due to a lack of experience and knowledge regarding the recurrent dynamics of life. As a child, I had no means of testing the validity of the belief because my parents provided for all my needs. However, reality dawned on me after joining high school.

I had to start taking care of myself because of the transition from childhood to adulthood. For instance, I had to learn how to manage money and time well. The economy and rate of unemployment had little effect on my financial situation because it was primarily dependent on how well I spent money, the willingness to create a spending plan, and the readiness to prioritize my needs. On the other hand, academic performance was not determined by school policies and regulations but by the willingness and readiness to work hard in order to achieve my goals.

In high school, success is primarily determined by the individual rather than the effect of external influences on the individual. I learned this after several experiences that included failed friendships, poor academic performance, huge debts, poor health outcomes, and bad influence from peers. Initially, I thought that these outcomes resulted from factors such as inflexible school schedules, ineffective regulations and rules, inadequate time, bad friends, and harsh economic times. However, after receiving several warnings from the school’s management, I realized that change was inevitable.

The change involved a shift in the belief that external factors were responsible for my predicament. I was the main cause of the numerous failures and therefore changing my beliefs was the most potent route to achieving success. I had the freedom to choose friends and decide how to spend time and money. I started budgeting, scheduling time, and choosing friends wisely. These changes had exceptional outcomes that proved that internal factors were the main determinants of one’s destiny in life.

Conclusion

Stopping to think that destiny is determined by external factors has affected how I think about my other beliefs and ideologies. I have developed a habit of reviewing them often in order to determine their implication on my daily life. In addition, the experience has ameliorated my rationality because of the need to form personal opinions and convictions on different matters. Many of the ideas that I hold were picked up in childhood through observation and instruction. However, I have come to realize that most of them are limiting and narrow with regard to their ability to expand my thinking and outlook on life.

Ceasing to embrace that conviction has enabled me to develop new values that include personal responsibility, accountability, patience, determination, and purpose. These values affect the social, financial, psychological, and spiritual aspects of my life. In order to achieve one’s dreams, it is important to be deliberate, focused, and persistent. External factors play a role in determining one’s destiny. However, the aforementioned internal factors play the greatest role.

Embracing the belief that destiny is determined by external factors absolves individuals from personal responsibility and accountability because human beings have little or no influence on such factors. I have learned to deal with external factors through the sound application of proper principles in order to ensure that such realities do not compromise the attainment of my goals.

Introduction

As justly noted in the assigned readings, action research goes far beyond being purely theoretical (Ferrance 2000). True, the knowledge obtained through empirical, cerebral reasoning is a critical part of problem identification and goal setting. At the baseline, however, such research relies firmly on evidence, which is unattainable unless a sufficient amount of data is gathered through thorough and systematic fieldwork (Atweh, Kemmis & Weeks 1998).

The fundamental principles of action research are specifically applicable to teaching, where managing change based on a solid body of evidence advocating for or disproving the efficacy of this or that particular method is the only way to actual improvement (Dadds 2003; Hattie 2005). Some might argue that an imprudent step can turn the situation to the worse and aggravate an otherwise perfectly functional educational practice. As far as my personal experience is concerned, however, the place for improvement is always present. Besides, action research is designed so that it can prevent unwanted damage and achieve the goal of utilizing evidence-based and efficacy-tested practices.

Background

De La Salle College, where I had my latest placement practice, is a Catholic educational institution for boys. The College pursues the mission to ignite faith and provide the students with the set of skills necessary for them to become members of society. Preparing young men for the world, the College acquaints them with the values proposed by St. John Baptist de La Salle. These include respect for everyone regardless of their religious convictions, high-quality education, and striving for excellence, diversity and inclusion, social equality, and faith.

The College’s overall strategy for the following years is to continue promoting education in faith to form the staff around the Lasallian values, improve their appreciation of these values, use the Lasallian principles as a guide to foster the readiness to serve in students, and equip students and staff with everything they need to contemplate and reflect on socially significant issues (De La Salle College 2016).

In learning and teaching, the strategy mainly concerns improving the students’ academic performance through cultivating the atmosphere compliant with the needs of a diverse classroom and careful monitoring. The strategic steps the College is planning to take concern, namely, embedding the innovative leadership structure into the school’s mission and vision, selection and review of the best curriculum alternatives (specifically, with the inclusion of digital learning), alignment of the improvement plan with the staff’s capacities, and clear goal-setting (De La Salle College 2016).

As one can see, the College’s leadership is perfectly aware there is a place for improvement. My first-hand experience in teaching science to 7-graders and 9-graders allows me to point out some points that can be further explored and improved on the way to this overarching goal. The College complies with its vision to provide optimal education for students of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, which is to say I have had a chance to teach a diverse classroom.

While diversity as such does not seem to present any issues, classroom management can be complicated. A diverse classroom subsumes meeting the educational needs of every student without offending any of them, complying with their interests, and coping with their attitudes; at the same time, one must not disregard the College’s directive to promote faith-based learning and values. The major points for exploration and improvement, therefore, are students’ behavior management and time management.

Research Question and Rationale

The context of a faith-based educational institution, and the deeply philosophical values that the College promotes, hint at the necessity to develop a more insightful understanding of these values in students. At the same time, there is a need to develop a behavior correction program to enhance the students’ curricula compliance in the diversity context. The emerging practice of mindfulness seems to adhere to these requirements as it helps elaborate the students’ resilience paired with emotional control and non-judgmental attitudes (Pearce 2004; Riel 2016).

The present research proposal, therefore, will be focused on the practice of mindfulness embedded in curricular activities as a means of classroom behavior management in diverse religious contexts. The question can be formulated as follows: how can mindfulness training embedded in the curriculum of a faith-based educational establishment assist teachers in managing classroom behavior and time?

The rationale for the proposed research is that the practices of faith are densely intertwined with self-control and rule-abidance, and the techniques of mindfulness employed within the educational context can prove helpful in guiding a young person to self-consciousness and self-control; this, in turn, can ease the teacher’s task of presenting the curricular material and managing time.

Literature review

Mindfulness as such is a psychological capacity of being aware of one’s sensations and experiences, accepting them, and wishing to explore them holistically (Zenner, Herrnleben-Kurz & Walach 2014). As a practice, and until relatively recently, mindfulness training has been employed in a clinical setting rather than any other. It is known to have been used as a means of treating attention disorders and impulsiveness in children and adolescents.

Such deficiencies as ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and assorted forms of autism are known to have been treated with such training at varying times (Bögels et al. 2008). The training and interventions were specifically designed to increase awareness of the present and oneself in it, acknowledge the slightest changes in the mood and physical conditions, “listen” to one’s emotions and learning to cope, and finally, becoming aware of the others’ presence and starting to treat them holistically, with compassion and gratitude.

Mindfulness training did not begin its way into the education context until a few years ago. The first pilot studies have provided support for the tangibility of the results of mindfulness-driven educatory practices (Burke 2010). The training is known to have worked both with young adults and pre-adolescents (Schonert-Reichl & Lawlorm 2010). The techniques used in the curriculum were designed to improve the children’s emotional control and self-awareness. Indeed, there is a significant body of evidence proving that mindfulness teaches children the understanding of their emotions and strengths (Coholic, Eys & Lougheed 2012).

Integrating mindfulness into classroom activities – such as art – resulting in less emotional reactivity in children. In other words, the children were reported to have demonstrated more balanced emotional reactions than before the intervention was implemented. What is more, mindfulness can reduce the levels of stress in children and facilitate greater emotional flexibility (Santorelli 2014). The children who have at some point undergone mindfulness training are known to display enhanced social skills and communicability.

The dimension of mindfulness targeted at increasing the participants’ awareness of the others around them curbs antisocial behaviors, thus preparing them for a life in the society (Sklad et al. 2012). Considering that social life training is one of the ultimate goals of De La Salle College, the criticality of mindfulness to be embedded in the curriculum is understandable. What is more important in the educational context and for the goals of the present research, more recent findings evidence the overall improvement of the classroom behavior as perceived by teachers (Black 2014).

On the whole, the body of research on the subject of mindfulness serves to illustrate the improvement of emotion regulation skills in pre-adolescent and adolescent participants after the intervention. Complying with the needs of the students, the College caters to the well-being of each individual; at that, mindfulness can equip children and young adults with a set of tools to enhance their emotional and psychical well-being (Broderick & Metz 2011).

Since the first pilot studies were conducted, mindfulness-driven training has been frequently incorporated into educational curricula, which enabled subsequent studies to meta-analyze and review the best practices and even create compilations of sorts. As many as ten best programs accounting for the students’ emotional well-being from the point and through mindfulness are well-known and described, each possessing its nuances but united by the same core values, goals, and visions (Meiklejohn et al. 2012).

Several tests and assessment procedures gauging the rates, levels, and attitudes towards mindfulness in participants of various age groups have been created. Among them, for instance, and specifically relevant to the context of the present study, is the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale – Adolescent test (MAAS-A) (Brown et al. 2011). The tests are designed to assess the emotional control of the participants before and after the intervention and have been used in numerous studies.

However, to the best of my knowledge, no such tests have been ever used to estimate the mindfulness levels of students of faith-based institutions such as De La Salle College, which explains the relevance of the present research and its importance in the context of faith-based education with a mission to promote and encourage diversity.

Some studies suggest that school principals can look at corporate leadership for patterns to follow. For instance, leaders of some giant global corporations well-known and recognized for their game-changing approach, goal-setting, and decision-making practices can provide a good example of innovative leadership (Onorato 2013). Still, emotional intelligence in a leader is a valuable quality, especially in what concerns religion and experiences related to it. The reviewed sources suggest that mindfulness, when embedded in the curriculum, can assist the College on its way to improving the students’ performance by:

Helping them develop the ability to recognize their emotions and coping with them;

• Raising self-awareness, which is especially important in the context of religious studies, which require the ability to concentrate and hold oneself accountable;
• Giving students a sense of purpose and responsibility and balancing their emotive response;
• Helping the teacher manage time and control the classroom behavior;
• Preparing the students for social life by developing their compassion through the recognition of others’ emotions.

Research Plan

A short course in mindfulness consists of a set of procedures that are standardized to meet the need of any group of trainees but can be adapted if necessary. A tool such as this can be implemented as an extracurricular activity before the lessons start to acquaint the students with the new practice and help them concentrate on their studies to more effectively manage their behavior during the lessons.

Considering the reported success of mindfulness training, there are several authorized curricular activities and extracurricular drills for students of varying age groups. To successfully implement the changes in the students’ daily routine, especially in a diverse classroom with varying levels of comprehension as determined by their cultural backgrounds, it is suggested that a thorough introductory walk-through is taken. A procedure such as this is used to outline the basic rules of the training (which the students will later learn to use in the classroom) such as:

• Respecting oneself and the others around;
• One person talking;
• No name-calling, cross-talk, or back-talk;
• What happens at the class stays there, etc.

The topics covered by the mindfulness course can vary. It is suggested that a trial course within the faith-based context consists of the introduction, the body awareness session, emotion awareness or emotional intelligence session, mindful listening session, and transformation of negative beliefs.

An introductory session can be presented in the form of a lesson plan as follows:

The lesson plan given is a sample; other efficacy-tested materials can be found at databases devoted to mindfulness in teaching. Teachers are the key personnel delivering the sessions and guiding the students on their way to mindfulness. The trial course will consist of five lessons; it is possible to add a follow-up after each lesson to ensure the understanding is achieved and collect the feedback. To measure the success of the intervention, standardized tests such as MAAS-A are sufficient. The MAAS-A will provide the necessary data as it comprises 14 items to measure the mindfulness rates and can be correlated with the students’ well-being. The tests can be conducted pre- and post-intervention to evaluate the outcomes of it.

Conclusion

The method of action research will allow establishing the efficacy of mindfulness practices in the context of a faith-based institution and their impact on classroom management. The results of the proposed research will be sufficient in providing a body of evidence for the subsequent research in the same field. The program can be implemented easily and with little expenditures, which is in line with the College’s goals as outlined in their development strategy. It will not require excessive human resources or much effort while simultaneously bringing peace and concentration to the classroom.

References

Atweh, WF, Kemmis, S & Weeks, P 1998, Action Research in Practice: Partnerships for Social Justice in Education, Routledge, London, UK.

Black, DS 2014, ‘Mindfulness Training and Classroom Behavior Among Lower-Income and Ethnic Minority Elementary School Children,’ Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 1242-1246.

Bögels, S, Hoogstad, B, van Dun, L, de Schutter, S & Restifo, K 2008, ‘Mindfulness training for adolescents with externalizing disorders and their parents’, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 193-209.

Broderick, PC & Metz, S 2011, ‘Learning to BREATHE: A Pilot Trial of a Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents’, Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 35-46.

Brown, KW, West, AM, Loverich, TM & Biegel, GM 2011, ‘Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations’, Psychological Assessment, vol. 23, no. 4, 1023-1033.

Burke, CA 2010, ‘Mindfulness-based approaches with children and adolescents: A preliminary review of current research in an emergent field’, Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 133-144.

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Integrating faith and learning is a common practice in religious institutions. Faith and learning are intertwined such that when learning occurs without faith, knowledge is limited. Therefore, it is imperative for people to integrate the two to achieve greater knowledge. One area of learning that integrates scripture is marketing management.

The bible contains verses that address human attributes that are required in organizational marketing management. Kotter and Keller (2012) provide that marketing management is the process of formulating and organizing marketing strategies to control the organizational activities as well as allocate the marketing resources.

Character is a human attribute that is addressed by many Bible verses. For instance, the book of Mathew 7: 12 states that “therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, for this is the law and prophets.”

It is clear from the verse that good character entails treating people well in all aspects of life. In marketing management, entrepreneurs ought to give customers reasonable prices, satisfaction, and good customer care so that they can receive revenues or sales from the customers.

This is a simple marketing principle that comes with success when utilized optimally. Customers need constant attention to remain faithful and loyal to the business. Thus, marketers or businesses should handle their customers with respect so that they can develop a sense of belonging to the business, and hence become regular customers (Patterson, 2008).

Supplying the customers with valuable products and services naturally compels them to pay promptly and remain loyal to the business. In fact, this bible verse offers a golden rule, do good to your customers so that they will reciprocate in the same measure to the business. This is the reason organizations with character perform better in the long run even though they begin slowly.

Organizational reputation is better that profits gained in a short while. Marketing tempts marketers to lie over the quality of the product or satisfaction the customers will get if they buy the product (Patterson, 2008). This occurs when competition is stiff. However, the bible rebukes deceit as it brings self-destruction.

For instance, the book of 1Peter 3: 10 states that “for the person who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

For an organization to live long and enjoy constant income and profits, it must not lie to its customers over the products or services they offer. Deceit eventually destroys the business because if consumers discover that the products or services do not offer them 100% satisfaction as they were promised, they will not buy them next time.

However, if the business delivers the value it promises without deceit, it is likely to build its reputation and benefit longer from the profits and constant income from the returning customers.

According to Kotler and Keller (2012), releasing products or services into the market requires the organization to assure people the real value they will get by using the products or services. A true marketing message that addresses the product’s attributes such as durability, effectiveness, or high quality can produce good results than a false message in marketing management.

Conclusion

Integrating religion and marketing management is likely to produce excellent marketing and organizational reputation. Religion enhances morality and the development of good interpersonal values that are vital in marketing management. The marketing managers, who integrate religion with marketing management, end up building character that enhances better business performance in the long run.

References

Kotler, P. & Keller, K., (2012). Marketing Management, 14^th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Patterson, L. (2008). Marketing Metrics in Action: Creating a Performance-Driven Marketing Organization, 1^st Ed. Chicago: Racom Communications

Remaining strong and unwavering in the face of trials and challenges is one of the true marks of a Christian believer. Examining what gives members of the Christian community strength, one should point to the unique connection that each believer has to God due to the all-embracing love that the Lord has for all His children (Ebener & Smith, 2015; Kowalski & Westen, 2011). The specified connection is exemplified in the Scripture, where the grace and supporting nature of God is described in a very detailed manner. For example, in Romans 8:39, the Scripture tells the reader that there is no force that “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (The Bible, Romans 8:39, New International Version).

A similar sentiment is expressed in Philippians 4:13, where the continuous and unceasing support of God is interpreted as the main source of inner strength and the core of Christian resilience. By stating “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” the narrator establishes that God is the only omnipotent being (The Bible, Philippians 4:13, New International Version). Therefore, even though a Christian believer must develop strength and resilience to withstand temptations and other challenges to undergo spiritual purification, the eventual triumph should not be attributed to the individual entirely (David & David, 2017).

External Opportunities and Threats

The extent of economic prosperity and financial well-being of a community hinges on a great number of factors, which range from business-related ones to environmental issues and sociocultural trends. Therefore, when assessing the exposure to external threats, as well as the availability of opportunities for a certain city, one needs to take a wide array of factors from different aspects of the city’s functioning into account (David & David, 2017). This report considers Columbus, OH, which is currently experiencing an unprecedented rise in economic development. Although the city has been flourishing recently, the observed progress must be supported by ensuring that the key environmental, technological, legal, and sociocultural sources of support are utilized properly to sustain economic development and ensure that it continues in the future (Ebener & Smith, 2015). Unless the opportunity to spur the city’s development and take it under control is used, the observed spur in economic growth may end abruptly with little to no positive effect.

Table 1. Columbus, OH: Analysis of Opportunities and Threats.

In the modern setting, where a fast-paced lifestyle is seen as the default, and the importance of personal and professional accomplishments is prioritized, a range of people feel under tremendous pressure. The described state of emotional distress often leads to the search for simple, quick, and often harmful ways of relieving the accumulated tension and stress. As a result, a large number of adults and young adults become prone to developing the problem of substance abuse, ranging from alcohol to soft drugs such as marijuana to hard ones, primarily, opioids (Yazdanian et al., 2020). Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is an organization that extends assistance to women with addiction problems by offering them a path to recovery through spiritual and personal change.

Current Mission and Vision Statement

Presently, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) views the support of and assistance to women with chemical dependency and substance misuse issues as its primary mission. The organization’s vision involves creating a community where women feel safe and are capable of making a sensible choice by refusing the use of alcohol and drugs as the method of relieving their stress. Instead, the Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) seeks to provide the target demographic with a spiritual outlet and a source of their inner strength. Thus, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) will seek not only to assist women with substance misuse but also to provide learning environment for students that are willing to apply Biblical principles to support those in need within their communities..

The Nine Components of a Proper Mission and Vision

Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) customers are women with substance dependency and misuse issues. The organization provides its clients with spiritual, psychological, and emotional support, as well as counseling needed to guide them toward recovery. Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) presently operates in Columbus, OH, yet the organization may expand in the future to embrace larger markets and address the needs of a more diverse range of clients.

Since Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) focuses mainly on the provision of spiritual support, technology does not play a major role in the promotion of recovery. However, the organization does utilize the latest T and ICT tools to keep the dialogue with vulnerable groups and the community, in general, uninterrupted. In addition, advanced methods for addressing substance misuse issues are integrated into Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) service framework.

It is expected that the Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) will continue to grow and expand in the future. Since the problem of substance misuse in women is not specific to Columbus, OH, but is, instead, quite common across the U…, particularly, its impoverished areas, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) must consider reaching out to the specified population as well. The specified goal matches Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) current range of assets, namely, its funds. The organization is supported by donations from its students, clients, and community members.

In turn, the philosophy of the Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is rooted in the idea that the life of an individual is the most valuable and precious thing, which is why supporting every member of the community and especially its vulnerable groups is an essential goal to pursue. The described philosophical premise is interlaced with the foundational Biblical principles, which establish the sanctity of the human life as the ultimate truth that must be upheld at all costs. Specifically, it is stated that “God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple” (The Bible, Corinthians 3:17, New International Version). Therefore, the organization’s attempts at promoting the support and sustenance of human lives that are in danger of being destroyed, both physically and spiritually, must be considered a worthy and noble cause.

In addition, the self-concept of the organization in question is rooted in the idea of providing safety, support, and education. Therefore, customers at Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) will be placed in the setting of comfort and understanding, as well as encouraged to explore the spiritual aspects of the problems that they have been encountering. In turn, for students, the Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) represents a repository of knowledge concerning the management of the spiritual needs of women struggling with addiction problems.

In addition, the public image of Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is quite impressive since the organization has been reaching out to the community members by using a plethora of communication channels. Moreover, the organization accepts responsibility for the effects that it produces on the social context and the community, in general, as well as the environment. Specifically, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) expands its support to community shelters and local churches, while contributing to the development of sustainable solutions to the problem of assisting vulnerable women.

Finally, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) views its staff members as a crucial part of its functioning and its framework. By introducing education options to students and providing them with a chance at exploring the scholarly aspects of Christianity, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) provides the basis for building a team of devoted participants. Moreover, the organization manages to strike a perfect balance between seeking the solutions for meeting the needs of the target population, namely, women with addiction issues, and offering education to students that will evolve into expert counselors.

Customers Analysis

As emphasized above, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) views women with substance misuse issues as its primary audience and the demographic that needs consistent support. Considering the community in question, target customers can be characterized as women of varied age from lower income areas. The specified population is especially susceptible to negative influences due to the lack of opportunities for spiritual growth.

Products or Services Analysis

The Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio organization provides the support for women that suffer from addiction to substances. Moreover, the company offers education opportunities for students willing to become counselors and members of the support team addressing the needs of women with substance misuse problems. Given the lack of respective services in Columbus, OH, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) services can be considered essential and unique (David & David, 2017).

Markets Analysis

The market for providing education to future spiritual counselors is quite small, which is why factoring into it is likely to become quite a challenge for Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020). Nevertheless, due to the presence of a well-defined strategy and clear mission and vision, the organization has a chance at advancing in the Columbus, OH market (Kowalski & Westen, 2011).

Technology Analysis

Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) seeks to introduce innovative tools into its framework for communicating with its target customers, as well as students and community members. Therefore, the active use of social media is seen as a priority. However, additional use of innovative technology should be encouraged at Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) to ensure better data analysis and improve forecasting concerning possible changes in the trends of substance misuse among vulnerable groups. Specifically, digital tools for statistical analysis must be integrated into the organization’s performance.

Survival, Growth, and Profitability Analysis

The current rates of growth are moderately passable at Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020). Although the company does not show stellar financial performance, the current approach toward the allocation of funds and the management of key objectives helps to address the needs of vulnerable women while providing educational opportunities to students. Nevertheless, extra steps should be taken to increase profitability (Ebener & Smith, 2015). Namely, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) should attract sponsors by developing an awareness campaign.

Philosophy Analysis

The philosophy of Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is rooted in the foundational principles of the Christian faith and spirituality. Therefore, the notions of compassion, empathy, and love for others constitute its foundation. The specified principles guide Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) toward creating better conditions for vulnerable women.

Self-Concept Analysis

The current self-concept of Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) incorporates Christian principles and values to emphasize the significance of community support and spirituality as the source of inner strength and resilience. Thus, the opportunities for women struggling with addiction will be created. The organization perceives itself as a combination of a support center and the facility for providing education opportunities for students who seek to support their community members by offering counseling services. Therefore, the general self-concept of Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is quite sensible.

Public Image Analysis

Although Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is comparatively new organization, it has already managed to amass quite substantial amount of good will for itself as the beacon of hope for women fighting substance addiction. Due to the focus on the spiritual aspect of the recovery, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) is viewed as a Christin organization first. Therefore, the company also contributes to the enhancement of unity among Christian people within the Columbus community.

Employees Analysis

Presently, staff members at Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) display loyalty to the organization and compliance with Christian principles. Moreover, staff members show high levels of social responsibility and empathy toward the target population. Finally, employees consider education as a significant part of the organization’s functioning. Overall, the employees are motivated and loyal, which indicates that Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) has good chances at expanding within the Columbus community.

Revised Mission and Vision Using the Nine Components

Given the analysis conducted above, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) may need to consider revisiting its mission and vision. Namely, the current focus of the organization may need to be shifted toward the promotion of communication between community members and the enhancement of awareness and education. By increasing the levels of health-related and spiritual literacy of the target demographic, Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) will be able to prompt a positive change in women struggling with substance misuse issues, as well as women and girls at risk.

Table 2. Revised Mission and Vision.

References

Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio. (2020). About us. Web.

David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2017). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach (16^th ed.). Pearson Educations, Inc.

Ebener, D. R., & Smith, F.L. (2015). Strategic planning: An interactive process for leaders. Paulist Press Publications, Inc.

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Publications, Inc.

Yazdanian, M., Armoon, B., Noroozi, A., Mohammadi, R., Bayat, A. H., Ahounbar, E.,… Hemmat, M. (2020). Dental caries and periodontal disease among people who use drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Oral Health, 20(1), p. 44. Web.

Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio. (2020).About us. Web.

David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2017). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach (16^th ed.). Pearson Educations, Inc.

Ebener, D. R., & Smith, F.L. (2015). Strategic planning: An interactive process for leaders. Paulist Press Publications, Inc.

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Publications, Inc.

David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2017). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach (16^th ed.). Pearson Educations, Inc.

Ebener, D. R., & Smith, F.L. (2015). Strategic planning: An interactive process for leaders. Paulist Press Publications, Inc.

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Publications, Inc.

The opportunity to plan future steps and choices allows one to feel confident and creates a sense of purpose and orderliness in life, which is particularly true for academic progress. Since learning paves the way to the future career development and defines economic well-being of an individual, it is quite natural for a student to have a moderately detailed roadmap for future academic and professional endeavors (Ebener & Smith, 2015). Personally, I hope to explore entrepreneurship-related options after gaining an MBA by connecting the learned information to the wisdom of the Scripture and creating the services that will foster spiritual and economic evolution of my community (David & David, 2017). However, while relying to an extent on the road that I have charted for myself, I still recognize the fact that I am but a humble servant of God, and that He might have quite different plans for me, which is why I am open to the options toward which further developments in my life will guide me. The specified philosophy aligns with the sentiment expressed in Jeremiah (29:13): “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord.” Namely, the Scripture encourages humility and reliance on God’s will, which I am ready to embrace fully in my future professional development.

Potential Strategies: Analysis of a Current Scenario

Introducing an effective strategy that would allow an organization to thrive in a specific market is always a challenge, mainly due to the need to create the framework that would allow the competitive advantage of the said organization to shine. At the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization, which seeks to offer support and encouragement to women struggling with substance addiction, the focus on the search of a spiritual core as the key source of inner strength is deemed as one of the priorities and the foundational strategy (Ebener & Smith, 2015). Coupled with the enhancement of education among customers and students alike, as well as evidence-based research, the proposed framework offers a multifaceted approach toward managing clients’ needs.

The proposed strategy as the means of promoting the key service that the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) offers is quite effective. Namely, it appeal to the emotional state of the target demographic, specifically, the distress that they experience and the longing for comfort and reconciliation. Moreover, the framework in question contributes to the management of the core organizational processes (Abubakar et al., 2019). Namely, it allows viewing them as a cohesive whole, which is central for the successful management of organizational processes (Kappel, 2018). Moreover, the specified approach will allow recruiting new talent due to the expressive focus on education and the opportunity for expanding the theological discourse along with evidence-based research in psychology and counseling (Keefe-Cooperman & Brady-Amoon, 2017). The specified framework will also enable managers to establish a sufficient training option for participants (“Talent development: Training an all-star IT team,” 2015). Likewise, the presence of Christian values and the promotion of Christlikeness will allow managing employee relationships and building a comfortable workplace climate.

Moreover, the reward structure will be grounded not only in the financial benefits but also in the emotional gratification that staff members will receive while supporting wo men in need and offering them guidance and opportunity for spiritual development (David & David, 2017). With the principles of the Transformational Leadership in place, both clients and team members will gradually change, accepting the idea of personal growth and continuous learning (“Creating a continuous learning environment,” 2016). The specified change will become possible due to the constant communication facilitated by the chosen strategy aimed at fostering unity and faith. In turn, technology will play a tremendous role in the specified change, which is why the available resources must be allocated to develop a powerful communication channel (Smith et al., 2018). With the specified communication infrastructure, the organization will build a tremendous presence in social media, recruiting new staff members and extending assistance to vulnerable women within the community.

EFE and CPM Matrix and Analysis: Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio

As the EFE Matrix above indicates, the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization has built a rather sizeable competitive advantage that will help it to represent its services in a flattering light in the chosen market. Namely, the company has been offering support and assistance to women facing severe substance dependency issues by promoting the principles of self-care, collaboration, and spiritual development introduced in the Scripture. The emphasis on the use of the Bible as the source of emotional inspiration can be considered one of the vital advantages of the organization that encourage people to consider using its services in the first place.

In addition, the EFE Matrix has mentioned the ability to use community support and encourage togetherness and unity as the cornerstone principles of living in the target setting as an essential factor to be considered (David & David, 2017). The application of the EFE matrix also proves the significance of communication with the target audience as one of the main platforms for the successful launch of the program and its further implementation. The proposed solution is expected to become especially important for the community where the levels of poverty are particularly high since it will introduce vulnerable groups, particularly, women from disadvantaged backgrounds, to a limitless resource of spiritual support that they can use in order to overcome the emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges of fighting an addiction.

Furthermore, the therapy should focus on fostering the idea of relying on the power and omnipotence of God. Although the agency and independence of the participants must be encouraged in order to promote their faster recovery, the importance of recognizing the guiding force that God offers to His children should also constitute a critical part of the program. The specified aspect of the organization’s principles and core philosophies should also be deemed as one of its undeniable strengths. Namely, even in the situation when an individual encounters strong temptation, faith and belief in the unquestionable, immeasurable, and omnipresent power of God will shield one from succumbing to sin and failing to withstand the temptation. The descried factor, which is unique to the setting of the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio organization, must be recognized as its undeniable strength and the source of support for the participants.

At the same time, it is important to recognize the threats that the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization is likely to face in the target environment. The loss of faith and the development of a highly cynical stance concerning religion and the related ideas and philosophies is one of the primary external factors that may impede the promotion of Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) services to the target population. Indeed, studies indicate that, in the contemporary globalized setting, exposure to raw, unfiltered, and, therefore, often questionable information may undermine people’s ability to believe core Christian ideas and support its philosophy and values (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). On the one hand, the observed phenomenon may signify that the current approach toward promoting Christian beliefs could use adjustment and greater flexibility to ensure that the target audiences accept the proposed values and principles as a part of modern reality. On the other hand, the presence of temptations may be far too strong for some of the less prepared Christian followers, which is why support must be extended to the specified demographic. For this reason, the described threat must be recognized as critical to the current state of the Christian community and the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization, in particular.

In addition, lesser threats such as the social connections that vulnerable women develop prior to addressing the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization and that may affect them even after successful counseling, need to be mentioned. Specifically, the fear of judgment as the major factor determining women’s unwillingness to use the services of organizations such as Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) should be mentioned among the major factors restricting their chances to recover.

Nevertheless, by using the existing opportunities to their maximum capacity, a Christian leader will be able to spur a rise in the efficacy of Adult and Teen Challenge’s (2020) efficacy. Specifically, by introducing proper guidance and offering social support and Christian values as the source of resilience for vulnerable women with substance abuse issues, one will be able to address the specified social concern.

CPM

Similar observations can be made when considering the company’s CPM framework. Providing data for the quantitative evaluation of local business, support of the city members, and the development of the framework for promoting a healthier and a more resilient attitude toward managing the problem of substance abuse in vulnerable individuals and groups, particularly, women at risk.

The organization has also proven to produce a legitimately well thought-out solution to addressing the concerns regarding the current levels of awareness and the issue of low health literacy. Namely, by emphasizing the significance and the role of spirituality in keeping the clean record, the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization has introduced the framework for supporting its participants spiritually and guiding them toward improving their lives and health status. As a result, the extent to which the customers of the Adult and Teen Challenge practice agency and independence remains extraordinarily high, which creates foundation for the customers to remain sober even after the program is over.

The observed characteristics allow the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) to gain a strong competitive advantage in the Ohio community setting compared to its primary competitors. The latter, in turn, are represented by two major organizations offering women with addiction and substance misuse issues support and assistance. These are the Ohio Women’s Network (2020) and Women’s Recovery Center (2020), which provide extensive options for women struggling with addictions. Although the specified organizations also offer impressive support to the target demographic, they pale in comparison to the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) since the latter also provides spiritual support.

Despite having cutting-edge technology and therapeutic frameworks, the organizations in question pale in comparison to the support system that the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization offers since they fail to embrace the opportunities for spiritual support. Namely, although the specified organizations provide a rather impressive set of services and timely assistance, they tend to rely on the development of personal resilience rooted solely in the power of an individual, which is quite limited and not necessarily reliable (Ebener & Smith, 2015). Therefore, even with the innovative solutions that Ohio Women’s Network (2020) and Women’s Recovery Center (2020) offer, the threat of a relapse in their clients is quite high. In turn, Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) provides the framework that ensures compliance with the set standards.

Furthermore, the focus on the development of characteristics and qualities such as empathy, Christlikeness, and faith, can be deemed as the properties of the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) organization that make it distinctively unique among other similar institutions. Namely, by paying attention to body, mind, and spirit of its customers simultaneously, the organization has managed to build the goodwill and the reputation that has become the trademark characteristic of the Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020). Therefore, the introduction of the focus on promoting Christian values its target demographic, as well as keeping the levels of engagement and health literacy within the community high, Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) has managed to create the service that is likely not only to stand the test of time but also continue its progress. The observed advantages allow placing Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) rather high in the hierarchy of the existing organizations offering similar services to the target population.

Given the current situation observed at Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020), it is recommended that the organization should also focus on integrating innovative therapy- and technology-related solutions into its framework as well. While the spiritual aspect of Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio’s (2020) performance is very strong and allows creating a powerful competitive advantage, the organization appeals to be lacking a crucial component, namely, the focus on an innovation-driven approach. Namely, the latest and the most effective techniques and tools must be implanted into the management of customers’ needs along with the spiritual support and counseling services. For this reason, the current allocation of resources will need to be redesigned slightly to ensure that Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) can cover the expenses associated with purchasing ICT tools and integrating the latest therapeutic frameworks, specifically, the approaches based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A combination of CBT and spiritual practices will help the organization to embrace the full extent of customers’ needs and address them adequately, while providing a sufficient basis for the scholarly, evidence-based research on the application of spiritual development techniques for addressing substance abuse in women. Thus, Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio (2020) will have enough data to provide appropriate EBP techniques for meeting the needs of the target demographic and supporting them, while also supporting the development of academic research in the designated area.

References

Abubakar, A. M., Elrehail, H., Alatailat, M. A., & Elçi, A. (2019). Knowledge management, decision-making style and organizational performance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 4(2), 104-114. Web.

Adult and Teen Challenge Ohio. (2020). About us. Web.

David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2017). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach (16^th ed.). Pearson Educations, Inc.

Ebener, D. R., & Smith, F.L. (2015). Strategic planning: An interactive process for leaders. Paulist Press Publications, Inc.

Keefe-Cooperman, K., & Brady-Amoon, P. (2017). Psychology, counseling psychology, and professional counseling: Shared roots, challenges, and opportunities. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 6(1), 41-62. Web.

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Publications, Inc.

Ohio Women’s Network. (2020). Our history. Web.

Smith, S. A., Patmos, A., & Pitts, M. J. (2018). Communication and teleworking: A study of communication channel satisfaction, personality, and job satisfaction for teleworking employees. International Journal of Business Communication, 55(1), 44-68. Web.

Women’s Recovery Center. (2020). Programs and services. Web.

Thesis Statement

This paper assesses the significance of religion on customer selection by suggesting that devoting to a certain religious belief manipulates buying behavior considerably. This is in respect to two religious faiths, namely, Hinduism and Islam.

Introduction

Marketing literature indicates that religion is an important cultural element that manipulates both buying choices and behavior (Mokhlis, 2010). Though research has long identified the importance of spiritual value systems in both psychology and sociology, it has not so far recognized its function in buying study (Essoo & Dibb, 2004). While central values that provide communal distinctiveness are material in some cultures, religion has often granted the worth classification in which groups gather and in which their associates categorize themselves (Mokhlis, 2009). This religion aspect is known pretty well both historically and currently; therefore, it does not need to be explained more. The main categories to be assessed are religious affiliation and religious dedication in respect to Hinduism and Islam.

Discussion

The religious influence on community’s worth classifications and the effect of these worth classifications on customer conduct cannot be underrated. Therefore, religion manipulates the importance positioned on material being, the approach towards possessing, and utilization of commodities and services (Bailey & Sood, 1993). Occasionally, religious customs even forbid the application of some commodities and services, in general. For instance, Islam prohibits pork consumption, while Hindus are not allowed to eat beef. Religious affiliation, on the other hand, is the devotion of persons to a certain spiritual group, religious commitment, which is also known as religiosity. Additionally, religious affiliation is the extent to which beliefs, especially the religious values and principles, are embraced and practiced by a person (Mokhlis, 2010). In this regard, Muslims are considered comparatively hasty when it comes to shopping. They are also considered less enlightened about their buying. Hindus, on the other hand, are considered as coherent consumer group. Somehow, these outcomes fit with these groups’ religious attitudes. Muslims are considered to have a more philosophical view concerning life, while the inactive buying models assumed by the Hindus fit with their religious way of life (Essoo & Dibb, 2004).

When it comes to religiosity, an important feature of the Hindu religion is the approval of being intuitive into a particular social group, the anticipation, and enthusiasm to perform in accord with the standards of that social group. This shows a particular fatalism, or even powerlessness to transform things (Mokhlis, 2010). This fatalism and the significance of religious attitudes like self-discipline, composure, objectivity, and concern might show comparatively inert buying conduct. The outcome might be that pious Hindus do not bother to look for information to possess new commodities or to ask for excellent service or low costs. These attitudes could, to some extent, lead to inferior service and elevated costs (Bailey & Sood, 1993). When compared to Muslims, the consequences of their Islamic attitudes and performances affect the customer conduct. Religious Muslims suppose that the result of their actions is God determined, which might mean that religious Muslims could be better threat takers and pacesetters (Mokhlis, 2009). Thus, they might attempt novel products or novel trade supplies, since the result would depend on the determination of God rather than their individual doing. Due to similar motives, religious Muslims might have a minimal likelihood of engaging in looking for information, or be reactive to commercials (Bailey & Sood, 1993).

Conclusion

According to the research, religious affiliation and religiosity play a vital part in shopping conduct. However, religiosity tends to be stronger than religious affiliation (Essoo & Dibb, 2004), as the difference in shopping trends stems from religious level. Religious persons are more customary and conservative, perceptive, and grown-up. More so, casually religious persons tend to be trendier and more innovative. Muslim customers are more innovative and practical when it comes to shopping as compared to Hindus, who have an inert buying manner (Mokhlis, 2010).

References

Bailey, J. M., & Sood, J. (1993). The effects of Religious Affiliation on Consumer Behavior: A Preliminary Investigation. Journal of Managerial Issues. 5, 328-352.

Essoo, N., & Dibb, S. (2004). Religious Influences on Shopping Behavior: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Marketing Management. 20, 683-712.

Mokhlis, S. (2009). Relevancy and Measurement of Religiosity in Consumer Behavior Research. International Business Research. 2 (3).

Mokhlis, S. (2010). Religious Contrasts in Consumer Shopping Styles: A Factor Analytic Comparison. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly. 2 (1).

Scripture Interpretation

Leaders play a crucial role in running societal affairs and must exercise their power by following God’s word. Christians have bestowed leadership activities to the church leaders and other community elders who can serve and guide them. The Bible in the book of I Peters 5:1-4 gives guidance on how the elders should lead their followers. The Bible, in verse 1, states that the elders are witnesses of Christ’s suffering (Bible Gateway, n.d.). Verse two insists that leadership should be exercised without pursuing dishonest gains but with eagerness to serve (Bible Gateway, n.d.). The Bible verse can be applied to corporations that may take advantage of vulnerable consumers. Although the scripture expressly warns elders against dishonest behaviors, businesses can adopt the message from the scripture by avoiding mischief for their gains and not their clients. Therefore, 1 Peter 5:1-4 provides an ethical approach that corporations should adopt when handling uninformed consumers.

Scripture and Ethical Perspective

Ethics is crucial for business activities and enhances consumer trust. Although the Bible expressly mentions elders, the passage resonates with the textbook’s discussion on unethical business behaviors. Businesses should be cautious when selling their products to consumers who have little or no information about them (Mullins & Walker, 2013). Overpricing and wrong product prescriptions are some of the tricks that mischievous corporations use to exploit vulnerable clients (Rossi et al., 2021). Such an approach is detrimental to the consumers and the organizations (Mullins & Walker, 2013). Consumers may end up spending money on products that do not meet their needs. Consequently, they developed a negative attitude towards the company that was dishonest with them, destroying its reputation. Honesty is crucial for organizations that intend to benefit their consumers while making profits.

References

Bible Gateway. (n.d.). 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Mullins, J. W., & Walker, O. C. (2013). Marketing management: A strategic decision-making approach (8^th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill.

Rossi, M., Festa, G., Chouaibi, S., Fait, M., & Papa, A. (2021). The effects of business ethics and corporate social responsibility on intellectual capital voluntary disclosure.Journal of Intellectual Capital, 22(7), pp. 1–23.