Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Essay Example ho is suffering from OCD knows that he or she is reacting excessively but could not control his or her reactions (see American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The overt reactions of the patient in response to his or her thoughts and impulses often appear to be bizarre to the people around him or her. For instance, a person who is obsessed with fear of contamination or dirt may incessantly wash his or her hands until they are raw (Fireman B, Koran LM, Leventhal JL, Jacobson A (2001). Most people who are suffering from OCD are aware that their actions are irrational but they still feel compelled to do what they do to fend off the feeling of panic or morbid dread. (Elkin, G. David (1999). In the early days, OCD was seen more in the spiritual and religious context (Ross G. Menzies and Padmal de Silva C., 2003). A lot of people in the 14th to the 16th century view OCD as the work of the devil and can only be undone through exorcism (Baer, L.; M. A. Jenike & W. E. Minichiello, 1986). Although there were many patients who eventually recovered after being exorcises, a lot of these patients did not really get better (Ross G. Menzies and Padmal de Silva C., 2003). However, as time passed by, many people begun to see OCD as something that is out of the spiritual and religious realm. The French and the Germans brought forth the idea that OCD is a mental disorder sometime in the 1870s ((Ross G. Menzies and Padmal de Silva C., 2003). For years, medical professionals and researchers debated on the issue of what really caused OCD. Some suggested that OCD is a psychological disorder while other believer that it is of neurological origin. Sigmund Freud was one of the first to offer an explanation of what OCD is theorizing that OCD originates from the persons unconscious conflicts (Baer, L.; M. A. Jenike & W. E. Minichiello, 1986). Freud based his explanation of what OCD is on the clinical history of a patient who has a "touching phobia". According to him, where a situation remains

International Business. Multinational Enterprises Case Study

IBM as a Multinational Enterprises - Case Study Example IBM is one of the only nine companies in the Fortune 500 companies to be considered global. A company's recognition as being global is only measured by the percentage of their revenue from different markets. The three triad major world markets: North America, Europe, and Asia, are considered when companies are measured. According to the rules for a company to be called global, the revenue from each of the three major markets must be greater than 20% of the total revenue of the company (2006). In the case of IBM, it passed the test since IBM's revenue from all the three major world markets exceeds 20% of the total revenue. The company gets 42.7% of its revenue from North and South America, 32.7% from Europe, and 21.6% from Asia. Other big companies can be considered multinational enterprises, but not global companies. The number of countries IBM operates in, along with the vast availability of its products throughout the world is sufficient to conclude that IBM has a global reach. IBM interests the masses of other countries, and that is why it is the largest firm in its industry. IBM started to expand beyond national borders through the merger of its Canadian predecessors and establishing and maintaining a special relationship with its customers. According to the case presented, IBM expanded with speed and commitment into many different markets of the world. Contract manufacturing is outsourcing manufacturing tasks to other firms. In IBM's case, the company uses contract manufacturing to manufacture a lot of its products in different parts of the world. IBM's strategy is to remain a global company, and contract manufacturing fits in perfectly in IBM. Contract manufacturing allows the company to expand faster than if the company would manufacture everything directly from the host country. Furthermore, it saves a lot of money and time for the company because production facilities are not to be purchased, as it would be the case if IBM decides to manufacture them. It also involves getting the most out of the workforce. Local firms would know more about how to utilize their resources in the best possible way, and hence, local firms would a better job at managing local resources. Moreover, consumer tastes and demands differ in each country, so it is beneficial to use the knowledge of contractors about the home market. The contractors know mor e about the market for technological products in the home market. Furthermore, with specific assistance from IBM, the local firms can provide an IBM product with specific customization tailoring to the local population. Part of the reason for IBM's success in other countries is contract manufacturing. IBM would have to deal with a lot of issues such as location, availability of human resources and technology, training, market research, and government rules and regulations etc. To better minimize the risk of getting others to do the company's work, IBM has created six research centers across six countries to ensure that these centers conduct research in their region.