Questionnaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Questionnaire - Essay Example All fully engaged employees have a deep rooted bond with the organization and they develop feelings of loyalty, control, trust and empowerment at work. Such personnel are able to identify vital business opportunities required for growth and have the willpower of committing value added personal and emotional energies mandatory for excelling in the professional life (Sanders, 2012). For the organization, employee engagement is a crucial element as it enhances its efficiency which increases the customer satisfaction, lowers the employee turnover and boosts the productivity rate (ADP Research Institute, 2012). The questionnaire is designed to get your viewpoint about the organization’s working conditions. You are required to give honest, true and fair opinion about the following statements. In front of each statement, select the box which is an indication of your opinion related to the statement. The main purpose of all of these questions is to get an insight about the employee’s feeling about the work and value within the organization. With the help of this questionnaire, the company will be able to determine the effectiveness of employee engagement within the business and monitor the results over a period of time. ADP Research Institute. (2012). Employee satisfaction vs. Employee engagement: Are they the same thing? Retrieved February 24, 2014 from

Identifying the Major Causes of the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Identifying the Major Causes of the Civil War Essay The civil war happened between the years 1861 and 1865 when the history of the United States was still very young. It was a very costly war, leading to over 600000 casualties. Its origin can be traced to a number of causes, which I identify in this essay. First of all, there were tension between the North and the South due to economic and social differences (Catton, 1988). The economy of the south depended mainly on plantation agriculture, growing commercial cotton using slave labor. The north was industry-oriented, and this meant that two groups of people had to learn to live together. Secondly, there were ideological differences as some people were against according of greater rights for the state while others felt that more authority needed to be vested on the federal government (Catton, 1988). Many felt that the US constitution had given the state very few rights, and this led to conflicts. Third, there was continuous animosity between those who supported the use of slave labor and those opposed to slavery. These conflicts eventually spilled over to the Senate, and these tensions contributed to the outbreak of war. Growth of the abolition movement was another leading cause of the Civil War. The North generally opposed slavery while the South depended on it. African American slaves in the south started moving to the North where their rights were more recognized, and sympathizers there harbored them (Catton, 1988). This caused animosity between northern and southern states. Finally, the election of Abraham Lincoln, who was a supporter of the Abolitionist Movement, caused South Carolina to issue a declaration of secession Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia Louisiana and Texas soon followed suit, and action had to be taken to preserve the union (Catton, 1988).

Movement :: essays research papers

Movement Seven thirty in the morning and it already is 120 degrees in the shade. Mail call brings me no news from home. The word around Camp New Jersey is that we move into Iraq at 0400 hours tomorrow morning. This means that all mail will stop for the next two weeks. My mood is destroyed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four in the morning, I am checking my vehicles temperature as a drive out of Camp New Jersey and towards the Iraqi border. There is a news correspondent that told me he would get in touch with my family and relay any news from home, so I feel a little bit better. As the sun kisses the horizon, I see why there is such thing as religion in this world. The pink and orange stained clouds construct the most breathtaking ceiling in the horizon. For a few minutes I forget that I'm driving into a fire zone and feel as if I'm driving into the welcoming arms of some ancient God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eight twenty two in the morning, we are seventeen clicks into Iraq. The desert is a breathtaking sight. I can't help but think that I'm driving through the ancient kingdom of Babylon. These are the same sense that Moses crossed with millions of Jews. Molestina 2 The unforgiving landscape somehow seems defiled by this concrete and asphalt road.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nine forty two in the morning; and I see for the first time the image that would hunt my dreams for the rest of my life. There he is, a child that has not seen eight winters yet. He's begging for food on the side of the road. To him we are not the saviors of his country, or the monsters that are sure to kill his people; it's much simpler than that, to him all we are is possible meal, a chance that tonight he won't go to bed hungry. His parents are sitting in front of a small nearby hut, for them we're also a chance to eat, so they let their child continue. My thermometer reads 147 °; God only knows how hot the asphalt is under the child's bare feet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ten thirty three and the child is far behind. We have taken several casualties in the last thirty minutes. The ambush came from nowhere. But as I lay in the ground firing at the enemy so the medics can evacuate the wounded, all I can think of is how lucky I am.

Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays research papers

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE: THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES It was a brash, bustling, energetic country in which Hawthorne grew up and carved out his writing career. The covered wagons were rolling West, with signs that bravely declared "California or bust!" The first passenger railroad opened, and the trains went huffing and puffing along at the (then) incredible speed of 20 miles an hour. Jackson was elected president, throwing the conservative statesmen out of office and ushering in the age of democracy and the common man. It was an age between wars, when America, having beaten England for the second time--in the War of 1812--was flexing its adolescent muscles. Hope was in the air, and also a feeling of impatience with the imported, second-hand, European way of doing things. "Down with the past" might have been the slogan of the time. Americans sensed a fresh, creative task at hand in the building of a new country. It was a task that called for strong backs, clear eyes, and open minds. There were experiments in living going on to match the experiments in politics and technology. Starry-eyed intellectuals gathered outside Boston to thrive on a vegetarian diet at Alcott's Fruitlands. Thoreau conducted his own private experiments in a life close to nature at Walden Pond. Horace Mann planned to change the world by changing education. Where was Hawthorne while all this excitement was going on? In his bedroom in Salem, reading a book. You get the distinct feeling about this man that, so far as the great adventures of his time were concerned, he simply wasn't paying attention. Hawthorne was gazing intelligently off in another direction. Most of his generation looked expectantly toward the future. Hawthorne kept his eyes on the past. He was an introvert, almost a recluse, this native son of

Reaping What We Sow! Essay

Life’s measure of one’s experiences and blessings does not count to the mere fact of receiving it but, in the way how you have put on it or work hard on it. God’s blessing comes intentionally when you yourselves implant what God wants and follow his will unquestionably. It has been written on Galatians 6: 9 – 10 that â€Å" Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.Doing good to mankind is one way of our service to God. God has its own special way of intervening our inner being, yet we take hold of our own decisions and matter of facts. It has been said that Life transformations takes not an overnight snap of a finger, but a thorough process, slowly refining into an exemplar of becoming God’s ambassador in reaching out the non believers.. As I have quoted in the daily wisdom, there are two methods of planting. One is sowing seeds with meticulous care, making a hole in the ground for each little seed, or broadcasting the seeds, allowing them to till and land where they will. With Either of the method, if we sow the fruits of the Holy Spirit ( Galatians 5:22 ), then that is pleasant, good results will also come within us, However, I believe if we broadcast seeds of God’s love when we live the life He has planned for us. Inasmuch, we exhibit these seed all the time- especially in our homes and workplaces. Foremost, we must always ask the Holy Spirit to live through us, so that when we broadcast our seeds- they will be fruit bearing seeds- in the eyes of God and man. Remember, our spiritual crop will be faithful to our acts. We reap what we sow, God does not say we reap only when we sow a thousand acres of evil or good, but merely that whatever we sow, in whatever amount, will take root and grow. One single seed will sprout as surely as a million acres will. It just takes an ounce of effort and dedication to do God’s will.

Frederick McKinley Jones

Frederick McKinley Jones Frederick McKinley Jones was one of the most prolific black inventors and held over 60 patents at the time of his death. Some of his most important work changed the way we store and transport our food, and altered the transportation and grocery industries forever. Fast Facts: Frederick McKinley Jones Born: May 17, 1893 in Cincinnati, OhioDied: February 21, 1961 in Minneapolis, MinnesotaKnown For: Inventor who revolutionized the refrigeration industry and held over 60 patentsEducation: Orphaned at a young age, Jones had little formal education, but he taught himself automobile mechanics and became an engineerAwards and Honors: First African American elected to the  American  Society  of Refrigeration Engineers, and first African American to be awarded a National  Medal  of Technology (posthumously)   Early Years A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Frederick McKinley Jones was born on May 17, 1893, to an Irish father, John Jones, and an African American mother. By the time he was 7 years old, his mother had deserted the family, and his father sent him to live with a Catholic priest in a rectory in Covington, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. While in Kentucky, young Fredericks father passed away, essentially leaving him an orphan. When he was 11, Jones decided hed had enough of living with the priest, so he ran away and returned to Cincinnati. During his teen years, he found work doing odd jobs around the city, and soon found he had a natural aptitude for automobile mechanics. He also began to read a lot, although he had little formal education. At 19, he traveled north to a farm in Hallock, Minnesota, where he took a job doing mechanical labor on the farm machinery, and soon was able to obtain an engineering license. When war broke out, Jones enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was in high demand for his mechanical abilities. He spent much of the war making repairs to machines and other equipment, as well as maintaining communications systems at the front. After his military service ended, he returned to the farm in Minnesota. Inventions While living at the Hallock farm, Jones began to take an interest in electronics, and read as much as he could on the subject. According to Biography.com, When the town decided to fund a new radio station, Jones built the transmitter needed to broadcast its programming. He also developed a device to combine  moving  pictures with sound. Local businessman Joseph A. Numero subsequently hired Jones to improve the sound equipment he produced for the film industry. Numeros company, Cinema Supplies, was excited about Jones inventions, and within a few years, the two of them would form a partnership. Frederick McKinley Jones, inventor, refrigeration expert and cofounder of Thermo King Corp., holding a model of his refrigerated railroad car. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Mobile Refrigeration In the 1930s, it was risky to transport perishable products. Grocery shipments were typically limited to short distances; ice melted quickly, and any sort of  electronic refrigeration unit required a layover at a power source, which delayed delivery time. However, by 1938, Jones believed he had found a solution, and in 1940 he obtained a patent for the first practical transport refrigeration unit for the trucking industry. Jones designed a portable air-cooling device, which included an undercarriage gasoline motor sturdy enough to handle the jolts of long-distance travel. Early modifications made the units even smaller and lighter, and moved them to the over-the-cab mount that is still in use on refrigeration trucks today. Suddenly, people in rural or isolated areas could have access to fresh produce, meat, and dairy items all year long. Further advancements soon led to standardized refrigerated containers which could be utilized on a truck, ship, or train, all without the need of unloading and repacking. The transport refrigeration industry boomed with the creation of these refrigerated boxcars, all of which used Jones technology. Together with Numero, who sold Cinema Supplies, Jones formed the U.S. Thermo Control Company, which grew rapidly in the 1940s. During World War II, the company provided refrigeration units that were used to help preserve not only food, but also blood and medicine for the military. In addition, U.S. Thermo Control cooling products were built into the cockpits of bombers and ambulance planes, and also provided air conditioning to personnel in field hospitals. Near the end of the war, Jones became the first African American inducted into the  American  Society  of Refrigeration Engineers, and by 1949, U.S. Thermo Control- which later became Thermo King- was worth several million dollars. Throughout the 1950s, Jones did consultant work for the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Standards, and other branches of the government. Although he is best known for his work with refrigeration units, during his lifetime, Frederick Jones patented over 60 inventions. He created X-ray machines, small and large engines, and sound equipment for radio and film production, generators, and even a machine that dispensed paper tickets. Jones passed away in Minneapolis, after a battle with lung cancer, on February 21, 1961. In 1977, he was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame. Thirty years after his death, President George H.W. Bush awarded the National  Medal  of Technology posthumously to Jones and Numero, presenting the awards to their widows in the White House Rose Garden. Jones was the first African American to receive the National  Medal  of Technology. Sources â€Å"Frederick Jones.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 19 Jan. 2018, www.biography.com/people/frederick-jones-21329957.â€Å"Frederick McKinley Jones.†Ã‚  The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed, Encyclopedia.com, 2019, www.encyclopedia.com/people/science-and-technology/technology-biographies/frederick-mckinley-jones.â€Å"Frederick McKinley Jones.†Ã‚  Invent.org, National Inventors Hall of Fame, 2007, www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/343.html.â€Å"Frederick McKinley Jones: How Has He Transformed the Scene?†Ã‚  Richard G. (Gurley) Drew, www.msthalloffame.org/frederick_mckinley_jones.htm.

Iditarod History and Overview of The Last Great Race

Iditarod History and Overview of The Last Great Race Each year in March, men, women, and dogs from around the world converge on the state of Alaska to take part in what has become known as the Last Great Race on the planet. This race is, of course, the Iditarod and though it doesnt have a long official history as a sporting event, dog sledding does have a long history in Alaska. Today the race has become a popular event for many people throughout the world. Iditarod History The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officially started in 1973, but the trail itself and the use of dog teams as a mode of transportation has a long and storied past. In the 1920s for example, newly arrived settlers looking for gold used dog teams in the winter to travel along the historic Iditarod Trail and into the gold fields. In 1925, the same Iditarod Trail was used to move medicine from Nenana to Nome after an outbreak of diphtheria threatened the lives of nearly everyone in the small, remote Alaskan town. The journey was nearly 700 miles (1,127 km) through incredibly harsh terrain but showed how reliable and strong dog teams were. Dogs were also used to deliver mail and carry other supplies to the many isolated areas of Alaska during this time and many years later. Throughout the years, however, technological advances led to the replacement of sled dog teams by airplanes in some cases and finally, snowmobiles. In an effort to recognize the long history and tradition of dog sledding in Alaska, Dorothy G. Page, chairman of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial helped set up a short race on the Iditarod Trail in 1967 with musher Joe Redington, Sr. to celebrate Alaskas Centennial Year. The success of that race led to another one in 1969 and the development of the longer Iditarod that is famous today. The original goal of the race was for it to end in Iditarod, an Alaskan ghost town, but after the United States Army reopened that area for its own use, it was decided that the race would go all the way to Nome, making the final race approximately 1,000 miles (1,610 km) long. How the Race Works Today Since 1983, the race has ceremonially started from downtown Anchorage on the first Saturday in March. Starting at 10 a.m. Alaska time, teams leave in two-minute intervals and ride for a short distance. The dogs are then taken home for the rest of the day to prepare for the actual race. After a nights rest, the teams then leave for their official start from Wasilla, about 40 miles (65 km) north of Anchorage the next day. Today, the route of the race follows two trails. In odd years the southern one is used and in even years they run on the northern one. Both, however, have the same starting point and diverge approximately 444 miles (715 km) from there. They join each other again about 441 miles (710 km) from Nome, giving them the same ending point as well. The development of two trails was done in order to reduce the impact that the race and its fans have on the towns along its length. The mushers (dog sled drivers) have 26 checkpoints on the northern route and 27 on the southern. These are areas where they can stop to rest both themselves and their dogs, eat, sometimes communicate with family, and get the health of their dogs checked, which is the main priority. The only mandatory rest time however usually consists of one 24-hour stop and two eight hour stops during the nine- to twelve-day race. When the race is over, the different teams split a pot that is now approximately $875,000. Whoever finishes first is awarded the most and each successive team to come in after that receives a little less. Those finishing after 31st place, however, get about $1,049 each. The Dogs Originally, sled dogs were Alaskan Malamutes, but over the years, the dogs have been crossbred for speed and endurance in the harsh climate, the length of the races they participate in and the other work they are trained to do. These dogs are usually called Alaskan Huskies, not to be confused with Siberian Huskies, and are what most mushers prefer. Each dog team is made up of twelve to sixteen dogs and the smartest and fastest dogs are picked to be the lead dogs, running in the front of the pack. Those who are capable of moving the team around curves are the swing dogs and they run behind the lead dogs. The largest and strongest dogs then run in the back, closest to the sled and are called the wheel dogs. Before embarking on the Iditarod trail, mushers train their dogs in late summer and fall using wheeled carts and all-terrain vehicles when there is no snow. The training is then the most intense between November and March. Once they are on the trail, mushers put the dogs on a strict diet and keep a veterinary diary to monitor their health. If needed, there are also veterinarians at the checkpoints and dog-drop sites where sick or injured dogs can be transported for medical care. Most of the teams also go through a large amount of gear to protect the dogs health and they usually spend anywhere from $10,000-80,000 per year on gear such as booties, food, and veterinary care during training and the race itself. Despite these high costs along with the hazards of the race such as harsh weather and terrain, stress, and sometimes loneliness on the trail, mushers and their dogs still enjoy participating in the Iditarod and fans from around the world continue to tune in or actually visit portions of the trail in large numbers to partake in the action and drama that is all part of The Last Great Race.

About Arata Isozaki, Architect of Japanese New Wave

About Arata Isozaki, Architect of Japanese New Wave Arata Isozaki (born July 23, 1931 in Oita, Kyushu, Japan) has   been called emperor of Japanese architecture and an engineer of controversy.   Some say he is Japans guerrilla architect for defying conventions, challenging the status quo, and refusing to establish a brand or architectural look. Japanese architect Arata Isozaki is known for using bold, exaggerated forms and inventive detailing. Born and educated in Japan, Arata Isozaki often integrates Eastern ideas into his designs. For example, in 1990 Isozaki wanted to express a yin-yang theory of positive and negative space when he designed the Team Disney Building in Orlando, Florida. Also, because the offices were to be used by time-conscious executives, he wanted the architecture to make a statement about time. Serving as offices for the Walt Disney Corporation, the Team Disney Building is a startling postmodern landmark on the otherwise barren stretch of Floridas Route I-4. The oddly looped gateway suggests gigantic Mickey Mouse ears. At the buildings core, a 120-foot sphere forms the worlds largest sundial. Inside the sphere is a serene Japanese rock garden. Isozakis Team Disney design won a prestigious National Honor Award from the AIA in 1992. In 1986, Isozaki was awarded the prestigious Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Education and Professional Accomplishments Arata Isozaki studied at the University of Tokyo, graduating in 1954 from the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering. In 1946, noted Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (1913–2005) had organized what became known as the Tange Laboratory at the University. When Tange received the 1987 Pritzker Prize, the jury citation acknowledged Tange to be an inspiring teacher and noted that Arata Isozaki was one of the well-known architects who studied with him. Isozaki honed his own ideas about Postmodernism with Tange. After school, Isozaki continued an apprenticeship with Tange for nine years before establishing his own firm in 1963, Arata Isozaki Associates. Isozakis first commissions were public buildings for his hometown. The Oita Medical Center (1960), the 1966 Oita Prefectural Library (now an art plaza), and the Fukuoka Sogo Bank, Oita Branch (1967) were experiments in concrete cubes and Metabolist concepts. The Gunma Museum of Modern Art (1974) in Takasaki City was a more high-profile and refined example of his previous work- stacked concrete cubes- and the beginning of his museum architecture commissions. His first US commission was in Los Angeles, California, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in 1986, which led Isozaki to become one of Walt Disneys architects. His design for the Team Disney Building in Orlando, Florida (1990) put him on Americas Postmodernist map. Arata Isozaki is known for using bold, exaggerated forms and inventive detailing. The Art Tower Mito (ATM) in Ibaraki, Japan (1990) bears this out. An otherwise subdued, low-level arts complex has at its center a shiny, metallic array of triangles and tetrahedrons rising over 300 feet as an observation deck to the cultural buildings and the Japanese landscape. Other notable buildings designed by Arata Isozaki Associates include the Sports Hall, Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain (1992); Kyoto Concert Hall in Japan (1995); Domus Museum of Mankind in La Coruà ±a, Spain (1995); the Nara Convention Center (Nara Centennial Hall), Nara, Japan (1999); and the Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar (2003). In Chinas 21st century building boom, Isozaki has designed the Shenzhen Cultural Center (2005), the Hezheng Museum of Natural History (2008), and with Yasushisa Toyota hes finished Shanghai Symphony Hall (2014). Well into his 80s, Arata Isozaki took on the CityLife Project in Milan, Italy. Along with Italian architect Andrea Maffei, Isozaki completed the Allianz Tower in 2015. With 50 floors above the ground, the Allianz is one of the tallest structures in all of Italy. The modern skyscraper is stabilized by four buttresses. It was possible to use more traditional techniques, Maffei told designboom.com, but we preferred to emphasize the mechanics of the skyscraper, leaving them exposed and emphasizing them with a gold color. New Wave Styles Many critics have identified Arata Isozaki with the movement known as Metabolism. More often, Isozaki is seen as the catalyst behind the imaginative, Japanese New Wave architecture. Beautifully detailed and composed, often conceptually powerful, the buildings typical of this avant-garde group are strongly single-minded, writes Joseph Giovannini in The New York Times. The critic goes on to describe the design of MOCA: Pyramids of various sizes serve as skylights; a half-cylinder barrel roof covers the library; the main forms are cubic. The galleries themselves have a visual stillness about them that is particularly Japanese....Not since the French architectural visionaries of the 18th century has an architect used solid geometric volumes with such clarity and purity, and never with his sense of playfulness. - Joseph Giovannini, 1986 Learn More Arata Isozaki by Arata Isozaki and Ken Tadashi Oshima, Phaidon, 2009Japan-ness in Architecture, essays by Arata Isozaki, MIT Press, 2006The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma by Arata Isozaki, Phaidon, 1996New Wave Japanese Architecture by Kisho Kurokawa, Wiley, 1993 Sources: Metropolitan Museum of Art; Modern Architecture by Kenneth Frampton, 3rd ed., TH 1992, pp. 283-284; Arata Isozaki: From Japan, A New Wave of International Architects by Joseph Giovannini, The New York Times, August 17, 1986 [accessed June 17, 2015]; Interview with Andrea Maffei on the Realization of Milans Allianz Tower by philip stevens, designboom, November 3, 2015 [accessed July 12, 2017] [IMAGE CREDIT]

2 media commentaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

2 media commentaries - Essay Example cision to write down the carrying value of some of our building products businesses by $31.6m due to lower residential building activity and the inability to immediately recover the full impact of the carbon tax," Chairman Robert Milliner said. Mr. Partridge said that the past year had been particularly tough for the building products group, with the level of new homes being built falling to almost 30 year lows in the final six months of the financial year. $1.3 billion for around 1.4 million additional services for adults on low incomes, including pensioners and concession card holders, and those with special needs; who will have better access to dental care in the public system; and This is in addition to the $515 million announced in Labor’s 2012-13 Budget, which addressed public dental waiting lists, additional dental training and support for people in rural and remote areas.     Ã¢â‚¬Å"While Medicare and free hospital care have been basic rights for Australians for decades, millions of people in this country still go without adequate dental care,† Minister for Health, Ms Plibersek, said. Children from the age of two to 17 in Family Tax Benefit Part A-eligible families will be entitled to subsidized basic dental treatment, capped at $1,000 per child over a two-year period. The initiative aims to address dental decay in children, which has been increasing since the 1990s. â€Å"We know that poor childhood oral health leads to poor adult oral health, and has wide-ranging impacts on general health and wellbeing, including strain on our health and hospital system.’’ said Ms

Wall Street Journal Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wall Street Journal - Research Paper Example Discussion Insider trading has been viewed to be one of the common and widespread issues in this modern financial market. There were many cases that were reported regarding inside trading. According to an article written by Bray (2013), former director of Goldman Sachs named Mr. Rajat Gupta was accused of being involved in a case relating to the issue of insider trading. Mr. Gupta was being convicted for sharing business secrets that he has learnt as a board member of the company with hedge-fund executive named Raj Rajaratnam and other business members. Mr. Gupta was sent for a two year imprisonment for conducting this unlawful offense. It has been apparently observed that the issue of insider trading is highly unethical. People would be benefited from using insider information but it is not morally correct. It has been viewed from the article that apart from the imprisonment, Mr. Gupta would also have to repay $6.2 billion in regard to legal fees and expenses occurred linked with th e case of insider trading. It is quite significant to understand that insider trading is regarded as an unlawful as well as unethical activity as this affects the performance of the businesses by a greater level. It is ethically not correct for Mr. Rajat Gupta to conduct such practices as it violates the duty of trust as well as confidentiality of the company. Moreover, it has been observed that the penalty that has been imposed over Mr. Gupta is completely on the basis of the proofs that were presented on the court2. In this similar context, there pertains other case relating to the critical issue of insider trading. According to the case, it has been observed that the younger brother of Raj Rajaratnam named Rengan Rajaratnam was accused for conducting the activity of insider trading. In this similar concern, it has been viewed that he was mainly accused due to sharing valuable business information particularly to Clearwire Corp. as well as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. It can be aff irmed that by conducting this practice, he violated the confidentiality of the company that can be regarded as immoral as well as illegal. He made a profit of $1.2 million illegally from performing the activity of insider trading. The information about the illegal conduct that performed by Rengan was observed by the Foreign Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the telephonic conversation that was recorded between Rengan and one of his friend. Also, it would be worth mentioning that insider trading effects economy and might also lead to market crash at large3. Again in an article presented by Rothfeld, Eaglesham and Bray (2013), it has been noticed that one of the most well known investment firms i.e. SAC Capital Advisors LP would have to pay a huge amount of money for involving in two particular cases of insider trading. It has been apparently observed in this particular circumstance that the company has to pay more than what they have earned from the conduct of insider trading as a p enalty. Also, it has been viewed that a few of the employees of the company have been convicted relating t the case of insider trading in the past few years. Investigations revealed that Mr. Steven A. Cohen (founder of SAC) was guilty of sharing important inside information to Dell Inc and Nvidia Corp. The shared information aided the companies to avoid a trading loss of more

Is a college education worth it Pro thesis paper - 1

Is a college education worth it Pro paper - Thesis Example ses required for gaining sufficient educational background, benefits of college education beat financial difficulties that should be overcome in order to profit. College education allows making life more comfortable, successful and prosperous which is explained by directly proportional correlation of taken time/ trouble and further well-being. As a proof, comparing people who start working at once after school graduation and those ones who spend additional four years for gaining qualifications Baum, Ma and Payea investigated the following: â€Å"As workers age, earnings rise more rapidly for those with higher levels of education. For example, the gap between the earnings of full-time workers whose highest degree is bachelor’s degree and those of high school graduates grows from 54% ($15,200) for 25 - to 29-year-olds to 86% ($32,000) for 45- to 49-year-olds†(5). Entering a college, students obtain skills and abilities required to that area which is chosen for their future professions what makes them more appealing to the employers and what makes them more competitive in comparison with those who missed college education. Besides the qualification itself, students are learning to make researches, to work on improvement of those basics that they are proposed, to challenge common believes, to introduce their knowledge to real life. Even though someone may contradict that there is also such a thing like self-education that does not suppose being officially a student in some college, unfortunately, statistics can prove that self study carries to success only in exceptional cases. Making a decision on the necessity of entering the college it is not enough to be ruled by self-interest because willing to live in a better society, it is everyone’s obligation to make a contribution to that. According to the research of Baum and Payea, â€Å"in addition to increasing material standards of living, reduced poverty improves the overall well-being of the population. †¦ In

Management Experience in the Creative and Cultural Industries Essay

Management Experience in the Creative and Cultural Industries - Essay Example The first concept which is applied to setting up a new restaurant is based on the franchise requirements which are associated with IHoP. The building has to be free standing and should be an average of 5,000 feet, which seats 185 people. If it isn’t free standing, then it is required to be on an end – cap space, such as at the end of a shopping center. The site is also to be located in an area that has a minimum population of 25,000 and a maximum of 50,000 within a 3 mile population. The traffic which goes through the location should be 28,000 daily, which is specific to the area that the building is located in. It is also required to have a parking space for 50 – 80 people. The property terms are on a triple lease to own, which is based on a lease agreement which lasts from 20 – 30 years. The utility service requires gas at 2,000,000 BTUs, water at 2 inches and 55 pounds minimum flow pressure fire service. Electricity is required to be at 1,000 Amps and 1 20 / 208 2 phase 4 wire. The sewer should contain a 6 inch line minimum lateral (IHoP, 2010). The expectations with the franchise are followed by the establishment and main way in which the operations will work. The first aspect to this is safety. The safety for employees relates to keeping the place clean and free from slipping, spills, burns and other hazards while cooking or serving guests. To ensure this, safety standards will be required through both internal standards and federal regulations, such as continuously cleaning the floors and counter space as well as taking preventative measures while cooking (Almanza, 2004). The food safety will be added into this, specifically with the purchase, storage, handling, preparation, cooking, transport and service. Each of these stages has to meet specific regulations through a food management safety system. The purchase, storage and handling will be monitored by keeping the area clean and by

What difficulties might international non-native students have in Essay

What difficulties might international non-native students have in studying in an English Academic Culture at Undergraduate level How could these students best deal with such potential challenges - Essay Example As an example, Chinese students have a high respect for their teachers. They are not to question them or in other ways antagonize them because the teacher is the ultimate authority (Flowerdew and Miller 1996). This can be a problem for teachers in the West if they do not know this about Chinese people. This can also be a problem for the Chinese student in the Western classroom because when the teacher asks them to answer a question in class, it can be difficult and sometimes frustrating for the student and the teacher. Another challenge that non-native speakers can have is understanding their textbooks. In many situations, Western textbooks are used and often the lecturer does not use examples from the students culture. In this case, the student has no way to relate to the particular lesson. Flowerdew and Lindsay also point out that many non-native students have challenges understanding the material at a conceptual and linguistic level. They encourage lecturers to adapt their materia ls to their audience. They can do this by "adjusting their language and by simplifying and adapting what was in the set text" (126). It is important to also understand that non-English speaking students can have challenges that native English lecturers or professors may not understand at first. Robert Berman and Liying Cheng studied the perceived difficulties that graduate students had in moving towards their academic achievement. They found that both graduate and undergraduate students felt they had the most problems with understanding and speaking the language and that listening was easier than reading, writing or speaking in a different language (2000 28). They also found that the GPAs of these students suffered somewhat when they did not understand the language. In general, the non-native speakers who were in graduate school did better than those who were in undergrad. The difference between undergraduate and graduate could be that the

Management Experience in the Creative and Cultural Industries Essay

Management Experience in the Creative and Cultural Industries - Essay Example The first concept which is applied to setting up a new restaurant is based on the franchise requirements which are associated with IHoP. The building has to be free standing and should be an average of 5,000 feet, which seats 185 people. If it isn’t free standing, then it is required to be on an end – cap space, such as at the end of a shopping center. The site is also to be located in an area that has a minimum population of 25,000 and a maximum of 50,000 within a 3 mile population. The traffic which goes through the location should be 28,000 daily, which is specific to the area that the building is located in. It is also required to have a parking space for 50 – 80 people. The property terms are on a triple lease to own, which is based on a lease agreement which lasts from 20 – 30 years. The utility service requires gas at 2,000,000 BTUs, water at 2 inches and 55 pounds minimum flow pressure fire service. Electricity is required to be at 1,000 Amps and 1 20 / 208 2 phase 4 wire. The sewer should contain a 6 inch line minimum lateral (IHoP, 2010). The expectations with the franchise are followed by the establishment and main way in which the operations will work. The first aspect to this is safety. The safety for employees relates to keeping the place clean and free from slipping, spills, burns and other hazards while cooking or serving guests. To ensure this, safety standards will be required through both internal standards and federal regulations, such as continuously cleaning the floors and counter space as well as taking preventative measures while cooking (Almanza, 2004). The food safety will be added into this, specifically with the purchase, storage, handling, preparation, cooking, transport and service. Each of these stages has to meet specific regulations through a food management safety system. The purchase, storage and handling will be monitored by keeping the area clean and by

1918 Flu Pandemic Brings Higher Fatalities than World War 1 Research Paper - 1

1918 Flu Pandemic Brings Higher Fatalities than World War 1 - Research Paper Example The third section investigates the public health and medical issues at the times of the outbreak. Medical response to the pandemic is investigated in the fourth section and finally, the lessons learned from the outbreak are discussed in the fifth and final section. According to CDC (2006), the 1918 flu pandemic killed 2% of the world’s human population because of lack of sufficient knowledge about the virus and ineffective medical response. The 1918 flu pandemic provides important lessons for effective monitoring and management of flu outbreaks. Flu pandemics are serious threat to human existence, because of viral antigenic drift that produces new variant strains in every two to three years (Michael, 1998). Introduction The world today remains under serious threat of influenza pandemics. The last ten years have been characterized by outbreak of flu in different parts of the world causing deaths and widespread panic. Although the scale of the recent flu outbreaks do not compare with 1918 pandemic in terms of infections and fatalities, it is evident that the world population remains highly vulnerable to the infection. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2006) classifies influenza into three different categories. These include seasonal flu, avian flu and pandemic flu. Seasonal flu also called common flu is a respiratory infection that affects people frequently. Although there is a vaccine for seasonal flu, the immune system of most people is capable of fighting the infection. Bird or avian flu is a zoonotic infection transmitted from wild birds to human beings. The H5NI virus that causes avian flu is extremely infectious and fatal to domestic birds. The main medical concern of the avian flu is that currently, there is no effective vaccine against the infection and people do not have immunity. Finally, pandemic flu is highly infectious ailment affecting human beings and it has the potential of causing global outbreak and severe disease s (United States Department of Health And Human Services, 2006). People have minimal immunity against flu infection and therefore the disease is transmitted quickly across an expansive geographic area. In the last century, devastating flu pandemics were reported in different parts of the globe. CDC (2006) estimated that over 43 million people in the world died from flu pandemics in the last 20th century alone. Some of the major flu pandemics included the 1918 Spanish flu, the Asian flu pandemic in 1957 and the Hong Kong Flu of 1968. Historical Perspective of the 1918 â€Å"Spanish Flu† Pandemic Before investigating the historical background of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, it is important to interrogate the meanings of pandemic and influenza. Michael (1998;51) defines pandemic as an â€Å"epidemic of human ailment that occurs over a wide geographical area, crossing international boundaries and affecting large number of people†. There are different forms of pathogens t hat cause pandemics, including the current HIV/AIDS virus, influenza and in the past, the plague that infected and killed numerous people in the world around 14th century. Flu is the short form of influenza and it causes respiratory disorders in human beings. According to Barry (2004), the common symptoms of flu infection includes fever, muscle aches, cough and in rare circumstances, opportunistic infections such as pneumonia occurs in patients infected with the virus. Flu virus is one of the major causes of death and it affects people of all ages. Human beings are the primary hosts of the virus but it can also spread to domestic animals including horses, pigs and

Critical theory and professionalism Essay Example for Free

Critical theory and professionalism Essay In what ways can critical theory shed light on professionalism? This presentation explores how critical theory can provide a perspective for critiquing professionalism in education. In so doing the nature of the relationship between the professionalisation and social movement trends in education is addressed. An attempt at a definition of professionalism is going to be the focus of the first part of the presentation. Several concepts articulated within critical theory are discussed for their relevance to the issue of professionalism. The work of the Frankfurt School is underlined, drawing parallels to the work of Gramsci and Freire. In the final analysis, specific issues and questions raised by the perspective of Critical Theory are reflected upon as they apply to the professionalisation of education. The concept of professionalism Literature on professionalism is in its abundance. There have been many attempts at providing a clear definition, including the government-led agendas calling for higher degrees on professionalism in education. It can be noted at the outset that attempts at coming up with a definition of professionalism in education have struggled to agree on a particular one. Freidson (1994) has concluded that the use of the term professionalism is inconsistent. He argues that professionalism is ‘The Third Logic’, claiming that professions are occupational groupings that exercise relatively high degrees of control over the conditions as well as how they carry out their work. This kind of arrangement provides a mechanism for organising some aspects of social life in a way that properly deploys specialist knowledge. Professionalism is therefore viewed as a mode of social coordination and competes with, and provides some insulation from, both market and bureaucratic forms of organisation. It has also been viewed as â€Å"a state of mind† or ideology that reflects a way of thinking about the cognitive aspects of a profession and the characteristics that typify a professional (Van Ruler, 2005). In other words, in the case of teaching, professionalism is the cultural means by which we give meaning, purpose, definition, and direction to work as professionals and the place of practitioners in society. It can therefore be claimed that there is no universal agreement of the concept. It has been implored by some authorities for teaching to become evidence-based profession like medicine and law. Hargreaves, for example describes teaching as the â€Å"paradoxical profession†. He asserts that of all the jobs that are, or aspires to be professions, only teaching is expected to create the human skills and capacities that will enable individuals and organizations to survive and succeed. (Hargreaves, 2003). Carr (1992) has suggested that in this ‘extended’ view of educational professionalism, education and teaching are to be understood by reference to the elaborative network of public duties, obligations and responsibilities in which teaching as a social role is implicated. It can be asserted that if teaching is a profession, there has been an assumption that teachers should be equipped with capacities for autonomous judgement and the freedom to exercise this judgement. It could be considered inappropriate for politicians or employers to dictate to teachers what is or is not worthy of inclusion in the school curriculum, or what kinds of knowledge and skill are crucial for the professional conduct of teaching. It is with this view in mind that Flinders (1980) has argued that teaching is an open-ended activity. Helsby (1995) claims that professionalism is subject to geographical and cultural differences and it can be understood as relating to exceptional standards of behaviour, dedication as well as a strong service ethic. This view is supported by Bryan (2003) who argues that professional work can be seen to be increasingly influenced by politics. This can be justified by the claim that the policies of governments are ideologically driven, hence professionalism may be understood as constructs which develop in response to ideological influences. Thomas (2012) uses professionalism as a descriptor of a combination of teachers’ specific capabilities and knowledge, the purpose and ethical underpinnings of their work, the extent to which they are able to exercise independent and critical judgement, their role in shaping and leading changes in their field, and their relationship to other stakeholders. Despite the vicissitude of the notion of professionalism in education, standard analyses of how this concept can be applied in public services such as teaching and nursing have stressed the importance of specialist knowledge  and expertise, ethical codes as well as procedures concerned with training, induction and continuing professional development (Flexner, 1915; Larson, 1977; Langford, 1978; Eraut, 1994). Attached to this view of professionalism is the assumption that in exchange for a greater say in matters related to school and teaching, teachers are expected to submit to greater levels of scrutiny and work roles that go beyond classroom teaching (Stone-Johnson, 2013). In this exchange there is a shift of power whereby as the work of the teachers becomes increasingly professionalised, teachers appear to have surrendered degrees of professionalism. The critical project in education supervenes from the postulation that pedagogical practices are linked to social practices, and that it is the task of the critical intellectual to identify and address injustices in these practices. The Frankfurt School’s perception of Critical Theory was driven by an underlying commitment to the notion that theory as well as practice must inform the work of those who seek to transform the oppressive conditions that exist in the world. Their ideas influenced other great critical theorists such as Freire and Gramsci. If the notion of critical theory is to be linked to the debate on professionalism, it can be argued that the development of critical pedagogy out of critical theory has changed the way through which the role of the teacher is seen, particularly the professional position of the teacher in the society. It has been argued that there has been a widespread erosion of professional autonomy in recent years (Barton et al, 1994, Whitty et al 1998). This has been a result of the centralisation of control over all aspects of teacher’s work such as curriculum (National Curriculum, literacy and numeracy hours), assessment, (SATs, QAA/ Ofsted Inspections) and conditions of service (imposed by the employers in a controlled quasi-market regulated by centralist funding formulae, league tables and inspection regimes.) (Freidson, 2001). This can be corroborated by a survey of teachers carried by Helsby and McCulloch (1997) as it showed that the government onslaught of edicts and initiatives demolished professionalism. It has been argued the formulation of policy documents have positioned the teacher as fundamentally impotent in terms of curriculum design. The teacher  has been reduced to a mere curriculum deliverer. This is mainly to system of communication that is viewed as one-sided by educational critiques. Murphy and Fleming (2010) have attempted to deal with this issue by using the Habermas’ notion of communicative action. They argue that, for Habermas, the essential feature of communicative action is that it aims at reaching agreement. Furthermore in order for that agreement to be not only mutually acceptable but satisfactory, its participants must be willing to make and defend validity claims such as claims of truth, rightness and truthfulness. Habermas’ notion accedes to the fact that while validity claims are raised automatically in everyday communication, it is only when communication aims primarily at reaching consensus, and when participants provide reasons for their argument, that rationality actually manifests itself. It can be argued that in the case of professionalism, Critical Theory is meant to herald a liberatory education that empowers stakeholders, fosters curiosity and critical thinking, and provides a means for crucial successful bottom-up, top-down engagement in the political arena. The introduction of a prescriptive and centralised National Curriculum has greatly weakened the professional confidence of teachers, (Helsby and McCulloch, 1997). It has also left them uncertain of their ability to cope and of their right to take major curriculum decisions. This has resulted in the government having more control over the teaching profession, (Meyer- Emerick, 2004). Critical theory prefers to call this process ‘one-dimensionality’ of life. Thus this extended the existing understanding of power and its impact on the construction of knowledge. Gramsci was deeply concerned with the manner in which domination was undergoing major shifts and changes within the industrial western societies. He developed a theory of hegemony, whereby he sought to explain the manner by which these changes were exercised more and more through the moral leaders of the society (including teachers) who participated in and reinforced universal ‘common sense’ notions of what is considered to be truth in society. This is consonant with Foucault’s questioning of what he termed ‘regimes of truth’ that were upheld and perpetuated through the manner in which particular knowledge was legitimated within the context of a variety of power relationships within the society. Foucault’s perceptions of power is not  solely at play in the context of domination, but also in the context of creative acts of resistance and these are produced as human beings are interact across the dynamic of relationship and shaped by moments of dominance and autonomy. Such a viewpoint challenges the dichotomised standpoint of either domination or powerlessness of power as enticed by radi cal education theorists. Thus it can be argued that Foucault’s writing on knowledge and power shed light on a critical understanding of the teaching profession in relation to authority. More so it does open the door to a better understanding of power relations within the context of teaching practice.

Leadership Theories Of Bill Gates And Oprah Winfrey Management Essay

Leadership Theories Of Bill Gates And Oprah Winfrey Management Essay This paper serves to critically survey the various leadership theories and evaluate the leadership qualities of two prominent and successful business leaders in USA Bill Gates (Founder and Chairman of Microsoft Corporation) and Oprah Winfrey (Global Media leader). Chapter 2 describes the background of Gates and Oprah. Gates, from his early interests in computer programming, dropping out from Harvard by choice, to how he successfully transformed his software company, Microsoft, from a small start-up company to one of the worlds largest and most powerful corporations. On the other hand, Oprah, from her difficult childhood experience but early exposure to public speaking, to how her perseverance and self-motivation in doing her best in whatever she does, have brought her to become a global media leader (her own The Oprah Winfrey Show, her own Harpo Productions, her own O, The Oprah Magazine, etc.). Chapter 3 explores the evolution of leadership theories, from Great Man and Traits to the current Transformational Theory. Gates and Oprah leadership qualities are then listed and compared with earlier described leadership theories in Chapter 4 and 5. Chapter 6 covers the authors opinions and reasoned analysis about the leadership styles of Bill and Oprah before making the final conclusion in Chapter 7. 2. Background of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey 2.1 Bill Gates William (Bill) Henry Gates was born in Seattle USA, in 1955. His father was a successful attorney and his mother was a teacher. At age 13, Gates discovered his interest in software and began programming computers on a school computer at the private Lakeside School (Microsoft 2010). In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University but dropped out half-way as he wanted to concentrate on his start-up software business and did not want to miss the opportunity of developing software for personal computers. His company Microsoft, the worlds first microcomputer software company, was born in 1975. Gates later wrote, Our initial insight made everything else a bit easier. We were at the right place at the right time. We got there first (Krames 2003, p.157). In 1980, Gates was offered an agreement to provide the operating system (MS-DOS) for IBMs new PC. He secured his future by insisting that Microsoft retained the copyright to the system, so that he could also license it to other hardware manufacturers. This contractual masterstroke helped propel Microsoft into its position as the countrys largest software company. In 2002, Gates topped the Forbes 400 list of the worlds wealthiest individuals, with a personal fortune of $43 billion (Krames 2003). Gates handed the reins and the title of CEO over to Steve Ballmer in 2000, as Gates became Chairman and acted as Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation to help in developing next-generation products (Krames, 2003). Since 2006, Ray Ozzie has assumed Gates previous title as Chief Software Architect as Gates wanted to devote an increasing proportion of his time to the philanthropic The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (Microsoft 2010). However, Gates continues to serve as Microsofts Chairman and an advisor on key development projects after July 2008 (Microsoft 2010). Time Magazine named Gates one of the most influential people of the 20th century. For the fiscal year ending June 2007, Microsoft had revenues of US$51.12 billion and employs more than 78,000 people in 105 countries and regions (Microsoft 2010). Till now, Microsoft is still one of the worlds largest and most powerful corporations and currently ranked No.36 in Fortune 500 Companies list (CNN Money 2010). 2.2 Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey was born illegitimate in Mississippi USA, in 1954. She lived her first six years with her grandparents and was taught to read at an early age. Oprah began speaking in front of audiences since she was only 4 years old, touring local churches and reciting others sermons by memory (ONeil 2004). From age 6 to 13, she stayed with her mother in Milwaukee but suffered repeated abuse and molestation by her relatives. Her mother later sent her to live with her father, Vernon Winfrey, in Nashville. With strict rules and high standards, Vernon helped to turn her life around. He taught her that she always had to pursue excellence in order to succeed. Oprah absorbed that attitude and said, Theres no such thing as failure in my life, I just dont believe in it (ONeil 2004, p.13). Oprahs broadcasting career began at age 17, when she was hired by WVOL radio in Nashville, and two years later signed on with WTVF-TV as a reporter. She also attended Tennessee State University, received her Bachelor Honours Degree in Speech Communications and Performing Arts. Oprah moved up quickly and in 1978 discovered her talent for hosting talk shows when she became co-host of WJZ-TVs People are talking. In 1986, she began broadcasting nationally, via The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest rated talk show in television history. Shes now the host and owner of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which consistently wins high ratings, and the founder of the Harpo Productions, Inc. which produces her television shows and movies. Her O, The Oprah Magazine, launched by Hearst Publications in 2000, ranked in the top tier of new magazines for circulation and advertising, becoming the first magazine ever to be both Advertising Age Launch of the Year and Magazine of the Year (ONeil 2004). In 2003, Oprah became the first African-American woman to join the ranks of billionaires, as published by Forbes magazine for that year (ONeil 2004). From 2004-2009, she was the only woman to have been included in all six of TIMEs 100 Most Influential People in World lists. Today, Oprahs accomplishments as a global media leader and philanthropist has made her as one of the most respected and admired public figures in the world. 3. Theories on Leadership Critical Literature Survey Leadership definition and list of leadership theories According to Richard Daft (2008, p.4), leadership is defined as follows: Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes. The evolution of leadership theories started from Great Man and Trait theories to the present Transformational leadership. Kippenberger (2002) reflects the time-line of such evolution: Period Leadership Theory Up to mid-1900s 1900-48 1930s 1945-60s 1957-70s 1967- Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1978-Present Day 1982-Present Day Great Man Theory Traits Theory Lewins research into autocratic, democratic laissez-faire styles Behavioural Theory (especially Ohio, Michigan, Texas) Situational Theory Contingency Theory Charismatic Leadership Team Leadership Servant Leadership Transformational Leadership In search of Excellence thousands of management books on leadership Table 3.1 Source: Time-line figure from The Leadership Styles by Tony Kippenberger (2002) Great Man Theory Based on the belief that leaders are born with innate leadership qualities and destined to lead. This is no longer true in todays leadership concept. Trait Theory Arose from Great Man theory which assumed that people are born with inherited traits and so by identifying the list of traits of successful leaders, it was believed that people with such traits could subsequently be recruited into leadership position. However, there exists people with these traits but are not leaders or people without some of these traits but are leaders; making the results inconsistent and inconclusive. Therefore, researchers started to evolve the next two theories (Behaviorist and Situational). Stogdill (1974) identified the following traits and skills as vital to leaders: Traits Skills Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement-oriented Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant Energetic Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised Persuasive Socially skilled Table 3.2 Leadership Traits and Skills (Stogdill, 1974) Behavioural Theory Behavioural Theory looks at the behaviours of leaders instead of focusing on their inborn traits or capabilities. It believes that leaders can be made, rather than are born and behaviours can be learned more readily than traits. This opens the floodgates to leadership development and schools of researchers. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (cited by Daft 2008) illustrated that leadership behaviour could exist on a continuum reflecting different amounts of employee participation. Thus one leader can be autocratic (boss-centred), another democratic (employee-centred), and a third a mix of the two styles. However, Tannenbaum and Schmidt suggested that the leader might adjust their behaviours to fit the circumstances. John Adair Blake and Moutons Leadership Grid (cited by Daft 2008), as simplified in below table, focuses on production (task) and employee (people) orientations of managers, and combination of concerns between the two extremes. Leaders are rated on a scale of one to nine according to two criteria (Concern for People on vertical axis and Concern for Results on horizontal axis). The highly recommended and most effective style is Team Management as it rated High (for People) and High (for Task) and work accomplishment is from committed people while leader is committed to both people and task. Today, the consensus is that leaders can achieve a high-high leadership style (Daft 2008). Concern for People High Country Club Management TeamManagement Medium Middle-of-the-road Management Low Impoverished Management Authority-Compliance Management Low Medium High Concern for Results Table 3.3 The Leadership Grid (simplified) Situational or Contingency Theory Leadership style adopted is contingent upon situational factors such as the characteristics of the followers, characteristics of the work environment and followers tasks, and the external environment (Daft 2008). Leadership style that is successful in some situations may not be effective in others. Hence, in order to increase the likelihood of successful leadership outcomes, the leader has to fully discern the characteristics of tasks, followers and organizations and subsequently adopt the most effective leadership style. Fiedlers Contingency Model (Daft 2008) serves to diagnose whether a leader is task-oriented or relationship-oriented and match leader style to the situation in terms of 3 key elements (Leader member relations, Task structure and Position Power) which can be either favourable or unfavourable to a leader. Task-oriented leaders tend to do better in very easy or very difficult situations whereas relationship-oriented leaders do best in intermediate favourability. Hersey and Blanchards Situational Theory (Daft 2008) focuses on the readiness level of the followers to determine the effective leader behaviours such as Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating style. The Path-Goal Theory (Daft 2008) states that leaders are responsible to increase followers motivation by clarifying the behaviours necessary for task accomplishment and rewards. The four types of behaviours the leader can adopt are supportive, directive, achievement-oriented and participative styles and the two important situational contingencies are the personal characteristics of followers and the work environment. The Vroom-Jago Contingency Model (Daft 2008) focuses on varying degrees of participative leadership, and how each level of participation influences quality and accountability of decisions. The model has three major components: leader participation styles (Decide, Consult individually, Consult Group, Facilitate or Delegate), a set of 7 diagnostic questions (High or Low answer) with which to analyse a decision situation, and a series of decision rules. It also takes into account factors such as concern for time versus concern for followers development. Leaders can analyze each situation and answer a series of questions that help determine the appropriate level of followers participation. Charismatic Leadership Charismatic Leadership is based on leaders personal characteristics as a source of power to emotionally impact people by appealing to both the heart and mind. These leaders create an atmosphere of change, articulate an idealized vision of the future, inspire and motivate followers with an abiding faith. Team Leadership Daft (2008) believes that team leadership is based on three principles: Firstly, team leaders must create a vivid vision that is challenging and inspiring so that it provides a strong sense of purpose and direction. Secondly, team leaders must be willing to admit their ignorance or mistakes and the third principle is to provide support and coaching to team members. Transactional Transformational Theory James MacGregor Burns conceptualized leadership as either transactional or transformational in 1978. Transactional leadership is a transaction or exchange process between leaders and followers (Daft 2008). Transactional leaders recognizes followers needs and desires and then clarifies how those needs and desires will be satisfied in exchange for meeting specified objectives or performing certain duties. Thus, followers receive rewards for job performance, whereas leaders benefit from the completion of tasks. Transformational leadership is characterized by the ability to bring about significant change in followers and the organization (Daft 2008). Transformational leaders have the ability to lead changes in an organisations vision, strategy, and culture as well as promote innovation in products and technologies (Daft 2008). Transformational leaders stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve the outcomes and develop them into leaders. Transformational leadership is based on the personal values, beliefs and qualities of the leader rather than an exchange process between leaders and followers (Daft 2008). Recent studies support the idea that transformational leadership has a positive impact on follower development and follower performance. Avolio, Bass and Jung (Cited by Bass, 2006) have identified the four components of transformational leadership as: Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation and Individualised Consideration. 3.9 X (Female) Y (Male) of Leadership Liz Cook and Brian Rothwell (2000) convincingly describe the differences (structural, operational and chemical) in the brain of male and female, which attribute to their different thinking and act even when faced with similar leadership situations. Their interpretation (Cook Rothwell, 2000) is that the natural and genetic gifts that the average female and male brain brings to leadership are as follows: Feminine Masculine Relationship orientation Dialogue Listening Coaching Appreciation of paradox Interpersonal connections Social awareness Group working Multi-tasking Appreciation of distinction Action orientation Competitiveness Vision Inventiveness Risk-taking Target orientation Status quo challenge Desire to be the best Focus Structure and form Table 3.4. Average Female and Male genetic gifts Much of the debate in the 1990s spent time persuading leaders that it was good to be female and it was men who needed to change their leadership style to feminine-oriented leadership, with the emphasis on building relationship. Nevertheless, Cook Rothwell (2000) believed that leadership training should embrace the strengths of both approaches as the strengths of both sexes are needed to counteract the weaknesses that each sex brings to the leadership equation. 4. Comparison of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Qualities 4.1 Gates Leadership Qualities Gates possesses the following traits: Introvert, Intelligent, Knowledgeable, Aggressive, Charisma, Visionary, etc. Original vision when Microsoft was founded was a computer in every home. Oprah Leadership Qualities Oprah possesses the following traits: Extrovert, Intelligent, Self-Confident, Determined, Persistence, Excellent Communicator, Charisma, etc. Comparison of Gates and Oprah Leadership Qualities with Leadership Theories Both Gates and Oprah follows Transformational Leadership Theory 5. Comparison of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Qualities and with Leadership Theories/Models 5.1 Comparison of 6. Authors opinions about Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Styles A REASONED ANALYSIS AND APPROACH Comparison of Bill and Oprah Motivation and Empowerment, Communication, Teams, Diversity, Learning Organization, Ability in bringing about change Motivation: Employees satisfaction à   Customers Satisfaction à   Customers Loyalty à   Companys Profitability Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Leadership Communication Effective listening and understand why listening is important to leadership communication. Recognize and apply the difference between dialogue and discussion. Appropriate communication channel for your leadership message. Use communication to influence and persuade others. Effectively communicate during times of stress or crisis. Transformational and charismatic leadership 7. Conclusion Based on extensive reading and research on leadership books, the authors conclude that effective leadership really boils down to how each leader first understand himself and then his followers, his organization and all external factors (inclusive of awareness of diversity, cultural differences and fast changing environment) prior to adopting the appropriate leadership styles and behaviours to suit these situations. In other words, theres no one fixed style as his or her leadership style should vary as per todays rapid changing and diversified business world. Gates is a visionary whereas Oprah is a transformational leader.

Robert Oppenheimer :: essays research papers

Robert Oppenheimer To build a bomb capable of destroying entire cities at once they needed a person with a smart, fast and creative brain. That person was Robert Oppenheimer. Robert Oppenheimer was the brilliant scientist behind the development of the atomic bomb. While atomic bombs kill lots of people, the atomic bomb won the war against the Japanese (World War 2). This helped because we would not have stood a chance attacking the main island on foot. While Robert’s name has become synonymous with the atomic bomb there is more to the story than that. J. Robert Oppenheimer was born in New York City on April 22, 1904. After graduating from Harvard and studying under Ernest Rutherford at Cambridge University, Oppenheimer received his Ph.D. in Germany in 1925. In 1929, he returned to the United States to teach at the University of California Berkeley and at Cal Tech. Upon hearing of discovery of fission in 1939, Oppenheimer immediately grasped the possibility of atomic bombs. In 1941, he was brought into the atomic bomb project and was asked to calculate the critical mass of uranium-235, the amount needed to sustain a chain reaction. The next year he assembled a group of some of the best theoretical physicists in the country to discuss the design of the actual bomb. General Wesley Groves, the army officer in charge of the Manhattan Project, named Oppenheimer the scientific director of the program, and together they decided on Los Alamos, New Mexico, as the site for the nuclear weapons laboratory. Groves Mackenzie2 said of Oppenheimer, "He's a genius. A real genius...Why, Oppenheimer knows about everything. He can talk to you about anything you bring up. Well not exactly. I guess there are a few things he doesn't know about. He doesn't know anything about sports† (necularpages). The staff grew from 30 scientists to 5,000, all trying to finish work on the bomb before the Germans did. On the day of the test, Oppenheimer fully realized the enormity of what he had just accomplished. As he stood watching the mushroom cloud, he recalled later, a phrase from the Baghavad Gita, the Hindu scripture, floated through his mind, "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." This responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders, and when he met with President Harry Truman in 1946, he exclaimed, "Mr. President, I have blood on my hands." (necularpages) He set up a research station for the Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson Essay -- Soldier X Don L. Wulffson

Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson Plot I read the book Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson that takes place during the world war II period. The main character of the book is a 16 year old German boy named Erik Brandt. Although Erik lives in Germany he is also half Russian and speaks Russian very well. Erik does not want to be a part of Hilters Nazi army during world war II but he is forced to fight on the side of the Nazis. During one battle of the war is he forced under a tank during a large scale battle with the Russians. He has no choice but to change clothes and gear with the Russian soldier and be now becomes part of the Russian army. He spends some time in the Russian army and then he gets wounded. He gets send to a Russian hospital and meets a nurse named Tamara. He falls in love with her but then one day the hospital is bombed and he has to escape with her and out of Russia. The story comes to an end with Erik and Tamara escaping Europe and making to over the Atlantic ocean to the United States to have kids and live the rest of there lives. How this book relates to Social Studies The book Soldier X is all about world war II. The book talks about many of the bad thing during World War II. Such as things that happened during battles and Hilters ideas to kill all Jews. And to rid the world of Judaism. It also relates because it talks about the tensions between Russia and Germany. What I Learned from reading this book While reading this book I learned about many wo...

Operations Management London Zoo and Nottimham Castle Case Study

In today’s information age, it is important for businesses to take advantage of the available avenues to reach out to customers and potential customers. Tourist attractions such as London Zoo, and Nottingham Castle, are no exceptions of being in the age of constant information flows. These places want to attract visitors with their facility layouts and overall experiences, and to improve upon what they already have, they would need to optimize their products through well planned operations management. When one thinks of a zoo and a historic museum, it is very natural to think of both places as tourist attractions, but what they offer the visitors could be very different. The London Zoo offers patrons the experience of interacting with animals that we would otherwise have very little chances of seeing, while the Nottingham Castle brings the visitors back in time and allows them to feel and see the history. The zoo needs to attract people with their animal collections, while the Nottingham Castle needs to intrigue visitors with their well laid out tours, guides, and interesting historic facts. The purpose of this report is to describe how each of these places, the London Zoo and the Nottingham Castle, are run in terms of operations management, then to identify possible flaws and ways to improve upon their current operational methodology. Though these two places are both tourist attractions, but their appeals are unique to their own. The zoo offers exciting and dynamic interactions with live animals, so it needs to capitalize on the animals it has or through possible new animal acquisitions. The Nottingham Castle on the other hand should cater to what the visitors would be most interested in knowing about the place. To wrap up this report, a comparison between the two locations will be done. Nottingham Castle can trace its history back to 1067; the wooden castle was built by the Conqueror. In 1878, Prince of Wales opened it as a municipal museum and art gallery and it has since become one of the popular scenic spots in Nottingham city. According to Nottingham City Council website, Nottingham Castle is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. From March to September it opens until 5 in the evening. Although the Castle only provides parking for disabilities, public parking and railway station are all within 10 to 15minutes walk. In order to attract more visitors, Nottingham Castle has a Tuesday free entry plan for the local citizens. Other visitors can purchase tickets from 3 to 5. 5Pounds depending on different types of tickets. There is only one entrance into the Castle, therefore after visitors purchase the tickets; they have admission to any of the places inside Nottingham Castle which includes the indoor facilities: museum, art gallery and outdoor facilities: Victorian bandstand, playground. It can be seen that Nottingham Castle has both the educational and entertainment functions which are suitable for family leisure activity. Figure 1: Nottingham Castle process and layout diagram Source: BBC Local Nottingham Website Nottingham Castle is surrounded by walls, when visitors go into the castle gatehouse they will see a beautiful garden and the castle atop the hill. As can be seen in the Figure 1, Nottingham Castle has tried to arrange a route for visitors. Visitors usually are attracted by the Robin Hood statue just outside the castle before heading to the castle gatehouse to purchase the tickets. Once inside the Castle, visitors can access any facility to their likings and do not necessarily have to follow the route which is suggested by Nottingham Castle. According to BBC Nottingham local website, the route suggested by Nottingham Castle shown as below: Robin Hood Statue > Castle Gatehouse > Victorian Bandstand > Eastern Terrace > Guard Room > Dungeon 01 > Dungeon 02 > Long Gallery > Castle Roof > Soldiers Tunnel > Mortimer’s Hole > Cannon Position > Miller’s Cottage In this case, Nottingham Castle could be classified as process layout. This is because when visitors flow through the operation, they choose a route from facility to facility according to their needs. (Slack et al. , 2004) Nottingham Castle is considered a small Castle. The museum and gallery are all located inside the Castle. The space of the exhibition compare to many other museums is on the smaller side. The Castle Cafe and shop are not very busy during the day. Visitors normally spend one to two hours to see all the facilities. Therefore, the volume of its output is low. Moreover, when visitors go to the gatehouse, the staffs are not only selling tickets but also in charge of the gift shop. Slack et al. (2004) state that when the volume is lower, â€Å"the number of staff will be lower and therefore individual staffs are likely to perform a wider range of tasks† (p. 0) this situation can be observed at Nottingham Castle. It might cause visitors to wait in the long queue, because of the customers who want to buy gift and tickets have to wait at the same counter. Once the visitors are in the Castle, they can access many attractions. For adults, they can enjoy the art and historical display; children can experience the outdoor playground and some indoor displays which are design for kids on ground floor. Furthermore, Nottingham Castle hold different events and tours throughout the year. (Table 1) These information shows that Nottingham Castle provides high variety of services. However, when there is no special event, the outdoor facilities tend to be idle. The function of playground and bandstand will be low. Table 1: Nottingham Castle events and tours Events| Time| Outdoor theatre| June, July and August| Robin Hood Pageant| October| Christmas events including visiting Santa| Christmas| Fireworks| | Historical en-enactments| | Indoor and outdoor activities for families| All year long| Festivals and fairs| | Cave tours| Tuesday – Sunday| Private hire| | During the weekends, holidays and school vacations, the number of visitors will increase. In addition, the castle is closed on Mondays; the number of visitors can fluctuate greatly depending on the time of the year. Along with big crowds,variation of demands can arise. It is then crucial for the Nottingham Castle staffs to assist the patrons when necessary. Visitors do not need to spend for a long time to find staffs for assistant. The transforming resources such as: Castle, Museum and gallery are highly visible to the visitors. The second case in this essay is London Zoo. Since it opened in 1828, London Zoo has been one of the most favorite attractions in England. (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. ) Similar to Nottingham Castle, London Zoo adopt process layout as their operation layout type. Visitors do not have many limitations after they get into the zoo. Once inside the Zoo, not only staff and facilities are transforming resources but so are animals. Therefore, the collection of animals and their well-being is very important for the zoo. The average number of visitors during holidays, weekends and special events tend to be high. The number of visitors can peak at 18,000 people per day compare to 4000 to 6000 people on average. (Watt and Stuart, 1995) Base on these figures, the volume of London Zoo’s output is high. Moreover,London Zoo offers high-variety service. They have grown their animal collections and developed children’s zoo, education centre †¦etc. Additionally, questionnaires are sent out to customers to help them improve their daily operation. Although the volume of London Zoo is high, the Variation of demand is quite high as well. According to Watt and Stuart (1995), daily number of visitors fluctuated dramatically. The lowest and highest visitor numbers are 48 and 18. 000 people. London Zoo is predicted as a high visibility leisure facility. Most of the transforming resources are visible to the visitors. During peak periods, the zoo will hire more temporary stuff to help permanent stuff and thus provides customers a better experience. After carefully examining each facility's operations management, we can then compare and contrast them side by side. As discussed,the Nottingham Castle and the London Zoo have the same type of operation layout which is process layout. One disadvantage of process layout is customer queuing. (Slack et al. , 2004, p. 217) This issue is present in both of the two cases, especially during peak periods. London Zoo has queue everywhere, even the food in the shop is not up to the demand. Watt and Stuart, 1995) The other problem which appeared in author’s own experience was the clarity of flow in Nottingham Castle was low. Although visitors are free to choose their own route, the signposts in Nottingham Castle appear to be not clear. The unclear signposts sometimes confuse visitors; causing visitors to be unsure whether they have been to the all the facil ities on each floor. This problem match another possible disadvantage of process layout which is complex flow could be difficult to control. These two disadvantages both affect visitor’s experiences adversely. As we know customers’ satisfaction is crucial to any business sustainability and credibility. Therefore, improvement should be taken to upgrade their service quality. Refer to the difference between the four Vs in each facility. (Figure 2) Due to the size of the facility, London Zoo tends to have higher volume and variety to their outputs. Furthermore, London Zoo shows higher degree of visibility than Nottingham Castle. This is not only about contacts with the staff, but also higher visibility of the transforming resources to visitors. For instance, sometimes, visitors could have the chance to see workers feeding the animals. Hence,there is more interaction between transformed and transforming resources in London Zoo. Figure 2: Nottingham Castle and London Zoo Four Vs One common issue between both facilities is high variation in demand. This could lead to unstable financial statements and high unit costs. (Slack et al. , 2004) For leisure facilities, not surprisingly, the number of visitors varies from period to period. For example, during the summer vacation or school holidays, more families are willing to visit leisure facilities. The number of visitors will also get a boost when there are special events. This kind of unpredictable situation has a great impact on both places, especially the London Zoo. â€Å"On the Easter and August Bank holidays we can easily reach 10,000 people. † (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. 8) Having a huge number of visitors in a day might be a good thing on short term profits. However, fluctuation of visitors can be a challenging obstacle to formulate a long term plan for due to the uncertain demands between peak and down times without sacrificing the quality of product. The shortage of stuff and products can lower the service quality which directly affects its reputation. As London Zoo’s director Jo Gipps said: (Watt and Stuart, 1995, p. 12) â€Å"They (visitors) will spread their dissatisfaction or disappointment by ‘word-of-mouth’. The consequence will be that visitors will not return, and new visitors will not be attracted† Since London Zoo is a bigger facility than Nottingham Castle, the temporary shortage on staff and products in busy months should have more impacts on its overall customers’ experiences. Thus, having a plan to cope with the short term increasing demands is even more vital for the Zoo to include in its operations management. This essay described Nottingham Castle and London Zoo in terms of operations management. After identifying each of facilities’ characteristic, it can be found that the basic layout adopted by both is process layout. Since visitors are free to move inside the zoo and the castle, the layouts of facilities need to maximize the traffic flow and put down well indicated signs for the visitors. The appropriate management of the traffic flow and the demands that are associated with a big crowd of people is a major mission for both the Nottingham Castle and the London Zoo. To some extent, Nottingham Castle and London Zoo have many similarities. Continual developments are the keys to attract more visitors to both places. However, due to the size of the facility and the nature of services provided, London Zoo has a more complex and dynamic operation process. In order to be competitive among today’s competitive leisurely activities choices, The Zoo needs to constantly reinvent itself with new acquisition of animals, interesting promotions to keep its spot light in potential customers’ minds. Therefore, the important resource for the Zoo is new capital which can help it explore new developments. On the other hand, the Nottingham Castle is a historic museum. The beauty of the Castle is its originality. There is simply not enough room nor need for new developments, but what the Castle would need is better representations of the history and stories of the Castle. And these improvements should be implemented on the guided tours, and better trained staff members. This is obviously not a single way to manage both of these multifaceted leisure facilities. Each case is unique of its own and should require careful considerations before implementing changes that suite its best interest.

Production Manager Essay

Dawn’s Train of Thought Process Chart Activity Thought 1. Before Meeting the Sales Representative i. Objective of Meeting: to discuss whether it is best to buy additional equipment accessories. ii. What will the boss might say about if I decide to buy or not to buy? iii. I never made mistake in buying the equipment maybe my boss will trust me whatever I decide on the meeting. 2. Meeting the Sales Representative – Video Presentation. i. He looks ready, maybe he has a good point. ii. Okay, he comes prepared with the video. iii. The points are okay, but do I need that right now? iv. Maybe it is expensive, just by the look at the video. 3. After the Video i. How much will that cost us? ii. Okay, it seems a good cost-benefit offer. iii. But what will my boss think of me if I decide to buy? iv. I just bought this equipment. Can I justify it? v. Okay, I’ll take risk anyway benefits outweigh the cost. vi. I’ll just explain to the boss. vii. Okay, I will get and buy that accessory. What factors would have led Dawn to come to a different decision? Here are the factors that could have altered Dawn’s decision: (i) The Sales Representative is late; (2) The boss is not satisfied with the current equipment; (3) The company is under cost-pressure; (4) The boss and Dawn is not in a good relationship; (5) The Sales representative is not well dressed; (6) The Sales representative did not prepare a flashy video; and (6) The Sales Representative could not justify the cost versus benefits. Activity Thought 1. Before Meeting the Sales Representative i. Objective of Meeting: to discuss whether it is best to buy additional equipment accessories. ii. What will the boss might say about if I decide to buy when the equipment is not achieving its purpose. iii. How can I face the boss, this might be another wrong decision to add-up with our current status. 2. Meeting the Sales Representative – Video Presentation. i. He’s late. I have many things to do. ii. The video is lame. I have much better things to do. iii. I don’t think we need it at all.    3. After the Video    In this case, even before the meeting, Dawn has already stopped thinking whether to buy or not to buy because in the middle of the meeting he has already decided. What do you believe are the implications of `framing` on our judgments and on our attempts to influence others? Are there moral considerations? Why or why not? Manufacturing, business, even life and death decisions depends on how information is framed. However there is supposedly no problem with framing because it provides us confidence to convince people to buy, to believe, to be happy or to be sad, as long as our ulterior motive is good. Framing itself is not the problem—every piece of information communicated requires a frame to convey message clearly. The problem is a larger social issue which is usually done by the government, corporation, and individuals who want to deceive people in believing something else. Example, in the medical industry, hospitals or doctors might release statements that are framed in such a way to fool people. A few years ago, British women were informed that the use of the contraceptive pill leads to a 2-fold increase in the risk of thrombo-embolism. Many stopped taking the pill, which resulted in unwanted pregnancies and abortions. If the official statement had instead been that the pill increases the risk from 1 to 2 in 14,000 women, few women would have been scared. The problem here is that it framed in a general statement not showing any evidence or numerical study results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A lot of moral issues in these wrong framing incidents are happening everyday in our television. Media in their attempt to get higher rating tends to bubble a story and framed the headlines in such a way that people will be intrigue to watch. It often results to a different decision and perception of things aside from that which is supposed to be true. REFERENCE LIST    Frege, G. The Thought: A Logical Inquiry. Mind, New Series, Vol. 65, No. 259. July, 1956. October 10, 2008. From http://links.jstor.org Gigerenzer, Gerd, MD. ( ) Why Does Framing Influence Judgment? Journal of   Ã‚  General Internal Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 11. October 10, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   < http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgibin/fulltext/118885195/PDFSTART> Rieber R. (Interviewer). Dialogues on the Psychology of Language and Thought Plenum (Transcript]. 1983. Schweighardt, C. Thought Process Map for Six Sigma: What, Why and How. Isixsigma Website. 2000. October 10, 2008.

Field Trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Field Trip - Essay Example It plays an important part in the conservation of the Indian tiger. Open from the middle of November till mid of June, visitors can stay at Dhikala, which is located inside the Corbett National Park. Jeeps can be hired from Ramnagar, which travel to the Park and Dhikala. Buses also travel to Dhikala from the Ramnagar station. Alternately the route from Delhi - Moradabad, through Kashipur and finally Ramnagar, Corbett can be taken. The estimated distance is 280km, and the journey approximately takes 7 hours. [Jim Corbett National Park, 2002]. The reserve encompasses a total area of 1318.54 sq km. The area is divided into the Jim Corbett National Park, which constitutes about 520 sq km of the core area. The buffer region, covering 797.72 sq km of the total area is the reserve forest region. Elephant Safaris are the best way to explore the huge area of the reserve. Jim Corbett tiger reserve and National park geologically falls in the Outer and Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas. The park was known as the Ramganga National Park, after the tributary of Ganga that flows through the reserve from East till West, post India's independence in 1947. It was renamed as Jim Corbett National Park in 1956, to commemorate the memory of Jim Corbett. The "Project Tiger," conservation project to save the Indian Tiger and its habitat, was launched in 1973 from this park. The special attract Project Tiger The special attraction of the park is the Bengal Tiger, which is an endangered species. In fact the name of the park - Corbett, is after the famous hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett, who was known for the initiatives he took to save the tiger from extinction. "Project Tiger" was started with support from the World Wide Fund for Nature by Indian conservationist. The main objective was to protect the tiger from extinction. Corbett with its thick forest cover and plenty of "food" for the tigers - the number of animal species present and also replenished by the Ramganga acted as an apt destination for a natural habitat of the endangered species. [Riley 208] Geology The Chinji Stage and Kamlial Stage are the two types of geological formations that can be found in the Jim Corbett National Park. Red and maroon shades sandstones, sandstones of grey, purple and grey hues comprise the geological formations of the Park. The Chinji stage that characterizes the uppermost stage of the lower Siwalik geological formations consists of bright colored sandstones. The sandstones of the area are characterized by intercalations of siltstones. Geologists have estimated these to date back to the Miocene (varying between upper and mid) age. [Negi 50 - 51] The Garhwal group's lowermost formation is Rudraprayag. Black and grey colored slates and cherts; grey quartzite; compact, medium grained, grayish white and white quartzite comprise the Rudraprayag formation. Over the Rudraprayag formations are the Lameri formation. Divided into Lameri A, Lameri B and Lameri C these are mainly dolomite bands, slates and phyllites.

Business Ethics Managing Performance in an Ethical Company Term Paper

Business Ethics Managing Performance in an Ethical Company - Term Paper Example It may also take time and energy on behalf of management to implement an ethical culture. Most severely, they say, it can cost uncompromising damage to Performance Management in an organization (Aguilar). This paper discusses how performance is managed within an ethical company, what Performance Management means for a company and when integrated with Business Ethics, how it can improve business efficiency. It will discuss the challenges companies face while ensuring that their employees behave ethically, with special emphasis on the role of Directors and managers in cultivating that culture. Finally, the paper will discuss how performance is measured in relation to the business and its ethics. First off, we need to define what Performance Management means and what does it insinuate when applied in an organization. Performance Management refers to a system of processes whereby organizations engages its employees as either a team or individually in order to enhance over all organizatio nal performance and achievement of company goals and objectives (U.S. Office of Personnel Management). Companies around the world are trying to incorporate Performance Management in their organizational culture, but they still find it difficult to understand what it truly means and how to achieve it. Employee performance management involves managers to establish employee expectations and standards. They plan work and frequently monitor performance. They develop a culture of learning and development and give ample freedom to employees to show their abilities. Furthermore, they rate employee performance and provide summarized reports to higher management, prompting management to reward good performance. In addition, where managers are assessing employee performances, they are to incorporate business ethics in the culture and measure organizational effectiveness in an ethical enterprise. They need to take steps to ensure that people in their organization are behaving ethically without compromising on performance. There are many different strategies managers’ may apply to make sure that their employees are not underperforming and remain efficient. They may tackle a situation differently and adapt according to the calls of the circumstances. However, the best tactics managers have used historically to ensure performance is the Performance Appraisal. Initially, performance appraisal was only a tool to evaluate current productivity levels among employees. Studies have shown that this has gradually shifted to note an increase in productivity levels, as different factors motivate different employees. This is a huge role on the part of managers and Directors to conduct an ethical performance appraisal, as this does not only instigate worker efficiency but improves the overall organizational performance. In theory, this is a simple correlation, that is, a fair performance appraisal leading to a motivated staff leading to an efficient and ethical organization. Howe ver, it is not that easy in practice. Francis Aguilar, a Professor at Harvard University stress on the importance of ethical behaviour as a must for contemporary organizations. He points out that, employees as well as the customers are aware of, and expect companies to engage in ethical business practices. The Professor indicates that Corporate Ethics does not only motivate employee behaviour but alleviates the position and repute of the  organization in the customer's view. Ethics scandals such as Johnson &