Consequences of deception in romantic relationships Dissertation

Consequences of deception in romantic relationships - Dissertation Example When deception is detected, negative emotional reactions result, particularly when the lies exposed are considered to be significant. In Cole’s (2001) study, 256 individuals (128 couples) were used as the research sample. They were asked to complete questionnaires pertaining to their partner’s and their own communication behavior. The aim was to determine the link between the extent of interpersonal communication and the practice of deception. Moreover, the study examined the roles played by causes for deception such as reciprocity, avoidance of punishment, or deceptive fulfilment of the lack of intimacy in their romantic relationship. The use of deception is more frequently found where relational characteristics are at lower levels. Thus, deception appears to be used as a method for coping with relational problems, and greater use of deception is considered to be â€Å"an indicator of overall relational distress† (Cole, 2001, p.125). Cole’s (2001) research study also obtained certain results related to the outcome of deception. Primarily, the best relational outcomes arise from couples avoiding deception while at the same time trusting each other’s fidelity. However, when it becomes known that deception is being practised by one of the partners, there are negative outcomes for everyone involved. When there is a little suspicion, the other partner may be tempted to engage in deception too, thus sending the relationship into a downward spiral. This results in increasing deception by both the individuals, greater suspicion between partners, and progressive deterioration of the romantic relationship. The above study could have been made more useful through a greater focus on the outcomes of deception among the couples where deception was found, thereby providing evidence based results. The research study would need to extend over a longer period of time, to determine how each couple who had experienced deception between them, fared with the passage of time. This is because some couples may reconcile, while others may break up the romantic relationship permanently. In romantic relationships, fidelity is a serious concern for both sexes. Deception by one of the partners can have devastating results on the relationship. When the infidelity comes to light, the betrayed partner’s feelings of being let down can give rise to â€Å"unpleasant emotions including depression, anger, self-reproach and jealousy† (Shackelford, Buss and Bennett, 2002, p.299). Infidelity remains as the most serious cause for the dissolution of a relationship leading to divorce, and breaking up of the relationship is resorted to as the most common solution. On the other hand, not all couples break up their relationship because of a partner’s infidelity. Some individuals try to find out all the details from their unfaithful partner to determine the nature and

Paul Lutus Advertising Essay Example for Free

Paul Lutus Advertising Essay In his article entitled Consumer Angst written in 2007, Paul Lutus claimed that â€Å"No matter how true any single advertisement is, modern advertising, taken as a whole, tells a lie — that you need the thing being advertised. † To explain his point, Paul Lutus further claims that valuable consumer goods need not be advertised because it is a necessity by itself and no promotion is needed for it to attract and obtain sales. Moreover, he explained that the quality of the product should speak for itself and there is no need to â€Å"waste company’s money asserting the obvious†. In his above-mentioned arguments, Paul Lutus obviously focuses only on one aspect of advertising which is to sell. He missed to appreciate the other function of advertising which is to inform. Advertising, as defined by Wikipedia. org, â€Å"is the form of communication whose purpose is to inform potential customers about products and services and how to obtain and use them†. The primary purpose of advertising is to create public awareness about a certain product or service that is being advertised. It aims to communicate to the intended audience that such a product or service exists. As Taflinger (1996) claims â€Å"the basic purpose of advertising is to identify and differentiate one product from another in order to persuade the consumer to buy that product in preference to another. † Advertising is usually used to create a unique image that will be identified to a product or service. The message that is being communicated usually highlights the best features of the product – its uniqueness, usability, best characteristics, etc. – that will customer’s attention to it. After providing information on the product or service features, advertising’s goal is to entice customers to try out the product. It is therefore safe to claim that the end-goal of any advertisement is to generate sales in terms of product or service. However, while it is true that every advertising campaign is aimed at generating revenue for the brand that is being advertised, it is not proper to claim that all advertisements are lies. Even premium brands such as Nike, Armani, Prada and others do advertise their products. These brands are sought after and have all proven to be of good quality. But these brands still invest on advertisement. Advertising has become an important part of today’s business. With new products sprouting like mushrooms everyday, competition has become stiff and advertising has taken a big role in allowing the product or service to compete in the market. In his article entitled â€Å"Educating the Consumer about Advertising: Some Issues† Stephen Gotlieb (1991) explains that advertising â€Å"promotes competition among producers of products and services, keeps prices low through the development of mass markets, encourages store owners to stock a variety of items, supports free expression by funding media sources, and spurs invention†. The more you are seen and understood by your customers, the bigger chance you have to stay in the mainstream. It is therefore important to get you message through, so that your product or service gets noticed. Or else, your offer will just perish. Also, with the competition getting tighter, advertisers today cannot afford to rely on false claims for their products of services. With a lot of other options available in the market, a single wrong claim will trigger the customer to try out other product. It is the role of advertising to entice customers and encourage them to try out the product. Once the customer is convinced with the advertising claim and decides to avail the product or service, it is now the role of the product to prove itself and embody what is being stated in the advertising claim. It is therefore crucial to communicate the message that best embodies the product. Once advertised, the product or service is already exposed to t he public eye and scrutiny. Unless the customer has already tried out the product or service, their perception of the product will depend on the advertisement. It will either make or break the future of the product or service depending on how you position the message about the product. Therefore, while an advertisement is typically used to create or alter the consumer’s perception of a product and induce them into buying it, it cannot be said that it is Always  a lie. For obvious reasons, advertisements only highlight the good side of the products or services. We cannot blame the advertisers to do this. While they are obviously banking on the good side of their offer, we cannot accuse them of telling us a lie. The beauty of advertising is it gives the customers the chance to evaluate the competing products or services even before purchasing it through the product claims.

Western Influence on Japanese Business Management Essay -- essays rese

Japanese management: how the western influence and the 1990s crises have modified management practices in Japan, and in Japanese companies broadly speaking? Introduction Japan has been the second largest power in the world for several decades, now. As a quite remote island in Asia, its history and development shaped a country with its own way of thinking and behaving, and as far as we are concerned, with a great economy and a technological lead over its Asian neighbours. After the Second World War (WWII), Japan started from scratch, and its business succeeded very well, first on the domestic market and then on a world-scale. In the 1970s, Westerners were looking at Japan in awe, and tried to know how it could be such a good competitor in various sectors (e.g. electronics, car making and so on). The Japanese management myth was born to last. Some of the main characteristics are: participative decision making, bottom-up management, lifetime employment, "amae-dependency relationships", lean production, total quality management, total cost management, and infrastructure support. Though, since the 1990s, with intense globalization and several crises which impaired their economy, Japan companies have changed their way of running a business, but to which extent? One will try to tackle this issue by first analysing the core components of traditional Japanese management, and how it was shaped by culture and history. Then one will the influence it had on other countries, and reversely how Westerners made this style of management evolve into a new one. General background - Cultural elements Japan was quite isolated from the rest of the world for a long time, under the Tokugawa dynasty (17th and 18th), thus the inimitab... ...isation of work. History, too, fashioned Japanese management: the need for revenge after the humiliation of WWII was used in a very positive way to foster industry and achieve the Emperor?s dreams in a pacifist way, that is conquering Asia on an economic viewpoint. As a conclusive word one will cite Mauri Kaoru Kobayashi?s essay: in Japan, ?The traditional paradigm of organizational structure is no longer adequate for [its] long term survival... adult business education provision in private sector shows that employees are increasingly taking initiatives for their professional education rather than their companies? dictating what skills they should have?. Even though the core components of Japanese management are still present, today the country?s companies must their Human Resources policies evolve in order to keep a central position in the global market economy.

Leadership Theories

Abstract Throughout the history of education, leaders have used many different styles to lead faculty and staff. Leadership within the educational system has evolved over the years to become a more participative rather than a domineering style. The purpose of the paper is to explore in detail educational leadership theories. Educational Leadership Theories Leaders are not born; however, they do have natural traits that affect their abilities. In recent years, Educational accountability has been the focus of state and local governments.Federal and state achievement standards are being created for students as well as educational leaders. Now more than ever school districts are under pressure to increase student achievement. Leaders are being asked to provide specific documentation that student performance is part of the goal and mission of the schools. Educational leaders are being held accountable for the processes they establish as well as the success of their faculty and students. T hey are being required to implement strategies for measuring and reporting student outcomes and connecting those outcomes to the performance of teachers and schools.How a leader successfully runs a school directly impacts how successful students can be, this is second only to classroom instruction. Leadership entwines leaders’ faculty and staff and their influence, organizational objectives, change and people. Everyone is leading someone somewhere, but the question is where and how. In order to be a good leader one must be a good employee. Many scholars define leadership as one who plans, directs, or guides people toward a mutual goal. Leadership has been described as an influence relationship among leaders and staff who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes.The basis for good leadership is a respectable personality and unselfish service to employees and the organization. The best leaders are those who are deeply interested in others and can brin g out the best in them. Great leadership begins by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging hearts. In order for one to favor a leadership style, one must understand where the leadership styles originated. However, one may wonder if certain characteristics or traits are inherent in leaders.According to research, the 1940’s found that leaders maintain certain traits. These traits were based on physical and personality characteristics as well as intelligence and interpersonal skills (Sahin, 2004). The limitations of trait theory are that leaders cannot be developed through their skills and education (Sahin, 2004). Directive Leadership This style of leadership is considered job-centered. The job-centered (task-initiating structure) behavior focuses on the leader taking control in order to get the job done quickly.It relies heavily on faculty and staff taking orders from the leader instead of the leader offering much clarification or dialogue faculty and staff are inspired through threat of correction and reprimand. The directive leadership style offers several advantages: swiftness of task completion keeps group members from producing alternatives that influence the minority negatively, guarantees the leader is heard and informs staff when their conduct is undesirable. The disadvantages of the directive leadership style are: dissociates staff, non-development of employees and convenience.One might use this style of leadership when the faculty or staff is in danger of not accomplishing a task in a timely manner or in a crisis situation. Laissez-Faire Leadership The Laissezz-Faire leadership style places an emphasis on the staff centered attribute. Leaders who use this style fail their staff because they offer no positive or negative direction nor do they interfere at any time. Laissezz-Faire leaders renounce their leadership, giving staff a wide spectrum of decision-making which could lead to amplifying their power and influence.Leaders assume the staff will make decisions in a timely manner and handle whatever problems that arise. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using this style of leadership. It allows the staff members to develop a working relationship in an informal setting and generates an opportunity to be successful by making their own decisions. On the other hand, a staff member can dominate and take control which could lead the staff to make incorrect decisions and possibly have the staff reprimanded which would lead to negativity within the group; affecting the process and their motivation.Participative (Democratic) Leadership Participative leadership requires and encourages participation from everyone and shares decision-making for the betterment of the organization. Staff motivation is derived through obtaining self-image awards. Leaders reward staff through positive evaluations which in turn increases motivation and morale. There are some a dvantages and disadvantages to using this style of leadership. Leaders who allow employees to participate in decision-making showed improvement in relations and encouraged employee commitment. Coaching LeadershipCoaching theories of leadership assert that people will follow leaders who are inspirational. The leader will develop a working relationship such as teacher/mentor. The overall success of the organization depends on whether the mentor has the knowledge to strengthen the work relationship and create an environment where the mentee feels as though they are respected and valued. Coaching leaders are known to establish performance specifications and make sure they are accomplished by a given deadline, limit the contentment of employees and create a low amount of employee commitment.Collaborative Leadership The affilitative leader has the ability to motivate staff to surpass their own individual aspirations for the greater good of the district. The affilitative leader is a morall y responsible person who focuses on developing the moral maturity, values, and standards of his or her staff and strengthening their devotion to serve the well-being of others, their school, the district and the community. This leader is one who conveys a vision to inspire others sets long-term goals and emphasizes social and interpersonal skills.These leaders must possess high self-esteem, self-regard and self-awareness to effectively transform organizations and employees. Leaders with these attributes are highly admired, respected, trusted, and have a high level of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self- determination. They are usually regarded as role models and demonstrate high standards of ethical and moral conduct. There are pros and cons in using the affilitative leadership style. These leaders place an emphasis on team building, and empowering and developing potential in order to reach long-term goals.An Affilitative leader create and encourage a collaborative learning envir onment, improve morale, embraces accountability and conflict resolution, proactive towards change management, ignites communication and supports empowerment. These leaders also facilitate staff toward motivation and being involved in the vision they produce. Collaborative leadership is leadership shown by acting together to solve issues. It uses supportive and inclusive methods to ensure that all people affected by a decision are part of the change process. It requires a new notion of power†¦ he more power we share, the more power we have to use. The district that I am proud to be a part of has a variety of leadership styles. The leaders in the district are a compilation of Participative (Democratic), Coaching and Collaborative Leadership styles. However, this has proven to be effective at all 11 buildings within the district. My elementary building has seen drastic changed to the administration within the last 6 years. Finally, with a new superintendent as well as a new princi pal, the morale of the faculty and students far exceeds our expectations.References Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. Washington, DC. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from www. npbea. org/pdf/ISLLC/PRessRelease. pdf Mitchell, Douglas E. , and Sharon Tucker. â€Å"Leadership as a Way of Thinking. † EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 49, 5 (February 1992): 30-35. EJ 439 281. Retrieved November 1, 2010. From www. vtaide. com/png/ERIC/Transformational-Leadership. htm O’Leary R. , Bingham L. , Choi Y. Teaching Collaborative Leadership: Ideas and Lessons for the Field. Journal of Public Affairs Education. 16(4), 565-592. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from www. naspaa. org/jpaemessenger/Article/vol16-/05_16n04_OLearyBinghamChoi. pdf Sahin, S. (2004). The Relationship between Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles of School Principals and School Culture (The case of Izmir, Tu rkey). Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 4(2), 387-395. Retrieved October 30, 2010. from www. fedu. uaeu. ac. ae/Journal/PDF23/issue23-artical9. pdf Leadership Theories Abstract Throughout the history of education, leaders have used many different styles to lead faculty and staff. Leadership within the educational system has evolved over the years to become a more participative rather than a domineering style. The purpose of the paper is to explore in detail educational leadership theories. Educational Leadership Theories Leaders are not born; however, they do have natural traits that affect their abilities. In recent years, Educational accountability has been the focus of state and local governments.Federal and state achievement standards are being created for students as well as educational leaders. Now more than ever school districts are under pressure to increase student achievement. Leaders are being asked to provide specific documentation that student performance is part of the goal and mission of the schools. Educational leaders are being held accountable for the processes they establish as well as the success of their faculty and students. T hey are being required to implement strategies for measuring and reporting student outcomes and connecting those outcomes to the performance of teachers and schools.How a leader successfully runs a school directly impacts how successful students can be, this is second only to classroom instruction. Leadership entwines leaders’ faculty and staff and their influence, organizational objectives, change and people. Everyone is leading someone somewhere, but the question is where and how. In order to be a good leader one must be a good employee. Many scholars define leadership as one who plans, directs, or guides people toward a mutual goal. Leadership has been described as an influence relationship among leaders and staff who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes.The basis for good leadership is a respectable personality and unselfish service to employees and the organization. The best leaders are those who are deeply interested in others and can brin g out the best in them. Great leadership begins by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging hearts. In order for one to favor a leadership style, one must understand where the leadership styles originated. However, one may wonder if certain characteristics or traits are inherent in leaders.According to research, the 1940’s found that leaders maintain certain traits. These traits were based on physical and personality characteristics as well as intelligence and interpersonal skills (Sahin, 2004). The limitations of trait theory are that leaders cannot be developed through their skills and education (Sahin, 2004). Directive Leadership This style of leadership is considered job-centered. The job-centered (task-initiating structure) behavior focuses on the leader taking control in order to get the job done quickly.It relies heavily on faculty and staff taking orders from the leader instead of the leader offering much clarification or dialogue faculty and staff are inspired through threat of correction and reprimand. The directive leadership style offers several advantages: swiftness of task completion keeps group members from producing alternatives that influence the minority negatively, guarantees the leader is heard and informs staff when their conduct is undesirable. The disadvantages of the directive leadership style are: dissociates staff, non-development of employees and convenience.One might use this style of leadership when the faculty or staff is in danger of not accomplishing a task in a timely manner or in a crisis situation. Laissez-Faire Leadership The Laissezz-Faire leadership style places an emphasis on the staff centered attribute. Leaders who use this style fail their staff because they offer no positive or negative direction nor do they interfere at any time. Laissezz-Faire leaders renounce their leadership, giving staff a wide spectrum of decision-making which could lead to amplifying their power and influence.Leaders assume the staff will make decisions in a timely manner and handle whatever problems that arise. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using this style of leadership. It allows the staff members to develop a working relationship in an informal setting and generates an opportunity to be successful by making their own decisions. On the other hand, a staff member can dominate and take control which could lead the staff to make incorrect decisions and possibly have the staff reprimanded which would lead to negativity within the group; affecting the process and their motivation.Participative (Democratic) Leadership Participative leadership requires and encourages participation from everyone and shares decision-making for the betterment of the organization. Staff motivation is derived through obtaining self-image awards. Leaders reward staff through positive evaluations which in turn increases motivation and morale. There are some a dvantages and disadvantages to using this style of leadership. Leaders who allow employees to participate in decision-making showed improvement in relations and encouraged employee commitment. Coaching LeadershipCoaching theories of leadership assert that people will follow leaders who are inspirational. The leader will develop a working relationship such as teacher/mentor. The overall success of the organization depends on whether the mentor has the knowledge to strengthen the work relationship and create an environment where the mentee feels as though they are respected and valued. Coaching leaders are known to establish performance specifications and make sure they are accomplished by a given deadline, limit the contentment of employees and create a low amount of employee commitment.Collaborative Leadership The affilitative leader has the ability to motivate staff to surpass their own individual aspirations for the greater good of the district. The affilitative leader is a morall y responsible person who focuses on developing the moral maturity, values, and standards of his or her staff and strengthening their devotion to serve the well-being of others, their school, the district and the community. This leader is one who conveys a vision to inspire others sets long-term goals and emphasizes social and interpersonal skills.These leaders must possess high self-esteem, self-regard and self-awareness to effectively transform organizations and employees. Leaders with these attributes are highly admired, respected, trusted, and have a high level of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self- determination. They are usually regarded as role models and demonstrate high standards of ethical and moral conduct. There are pros and cons in using the affilitative leadership style. These leaders place an emphasis on team building, and empowering and developing potential in order to reach long-term goals.An Affilitative leader create and encourage a collaborative learning envir onment, improve morale, embraces accountability and conflict resolution, proactive towards change management, ignites communication and supports empowerment. These leaders also facilitate staff toward motivation and being involved in the vision they produce. Collaborative leadership is leadership shown by acting together to solve issues. It uses supportive and inclusive methods to ensure that all people affected by a decision are part of the change process. It requires a new notion of power†¦ he more power we share, the more power we have to use. The district that I am proud to be a part of has a variety of leadership styles. The leaders in the district are a compilation of Participative (Democratic), Coaching and Collaborative Leadership styles. However, this has proven to be effective at all 11 buildings within the district. My elementary building has seen drastic changed to the administration within the last 6 years. Finally, with a new superintendent as well as a new princi pal, the morale of the faculty and students far exceeds our expectations.References Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. Washington, DC. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from www. npbea. org/pdf/ISLLC/PRessRelease. pdf Mitchell, Douglas E. , and Sharon Tucker. â€Å"Leadership as a Way of Thinking. † EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 49, 5 (February 1992): 30-35. EJ 439 281. Retrieved November 1, 2010. From www. vtaide. com/png/ERIC/Transformational-Leadership. htm O’Leary R. , Bingham L. , Choi Y. Teaching Collaborative Leadership: Ideas and Lessons for the Field. Journal of Public Affairs Education. 16(4), 565-592. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from www. naspaa. org/jpaemessenger/Article/vol16-/05_16n04_OLearyBinghamChoi. pdf Sahin, S. (2004). The Relationship between Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles of School Principals and School Culture (The case of Izmir, Tu rkey). Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 4(2), 387-395. Retrieved October 30, 2010. from www. fedu. uaeu. ac. ae/Journal/PDF23/issue23-artical9. pdf Leadership Theories Abstract Throughout the history of education, leaders have used many different styles to lead faculty and staff. Leadership within the educational system has evolved over the years to become a more participative rather than a domineering style. The purpose of the paper is to explore in detail educational leadership theories. Educational Leadership Theories Leaders are not born; however, they do have natural traits that affect their abilities. In recent years, Educational accountability has been the focus of state and local governments.Federal and state achievement standards are being created for students as well as educational leaders. Now more than ever school districts are under pressure to increase student achievement. Leaders are being asked to provide specific documentation that student performance is part of the goal and mission of the schools. Educational leaders are being held accountable for the processes they establish as well as the success of their faculty and students. T hey are being required to implement strategies for measuring and reporting student outcomes and connecting those outcomes to the performance of teachers and schools.How a leader successfully runs a school directly impacts how successful students can be, this is second only to classroom instruction. Leadership entwines leaders’ faculty and staff and their influence, organizational objectives, change and people. Everyone is leading someone somewhere, but the question is where and how. In order to be a good leader one must be a good employee. Many scholars define leadership as one who plans, directs, or guides people toward a mutual goal. Leadership has been described as an influence relationship among leaders and staff who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes.The basis for good leadership is a respectable personality and unselfish service to employees and the organization. The best leaders are those who are deeply interested in others and can brin g out the best in them. Great leadership begins by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging hearts. In order for one to favor a leadership style, one must understand where the leadership styles originated. However, one may wonder if certain characteristics or traits are inherent in leaders.According to research, the 1940’s found that leaders maintain certain traits. These traits were based on physical and personality characteristics as well as intelligence and interpersonal skills (Sahin, 2004). The limitations of trait theory are that leaders cannot be developed through their skills and education (Sahin, 2004). Directive Leadership This style of leadership is considered job-centered. The job-centered (task-initiating structure) behavior focuses on the leader taking control in order to get the job done quickly.It relies heavily on faculty and staff taking orders from the leader instead of the leader offering much clarification or dialogue faculty and staff are inspired through threat of correction and reprimand. The directive leadership style offers several advantages: swiftness of task completion keeps group members from producing alternatives that influence the minority negatively, guarantees the leader is heard and informs staff when their conduct is undesirable. The disadvantages of the directive leadership style are: dissociates staff, non-development of employees and convenience.One might use this style of leadership when the faculty or staff is in danger of not accomplishing a task in a timely manner or in a crisis situation. Laissez-Faire Leadership The Laissezz-Faire leadership style places an emphasis on the staff centered attribute. Leaders who use this style fail their staff because they offer no positive or negative direction nor do they interfere at any time. Laissezz-Faire leaders renounce their leadership, giving staff a wide spectrum of decision-making which could lead to amplifying their power and influence.Leaders assume the staff will make decisions in a timely manner and handle whatever problems that arise. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using this style of leadership. It allows the staff members to develop a working relationship in an informal setting and generates an opportunity to be successful by making their own decisions. On the other hand, a staff member can dominate and take control which could lead the staff to make incorrect decisions and possibly have the staff reprimanded which would lead to negativity within the group; affecting the process and their motivation.Participative (Democratic) Leadership Participative leadership requires and encourages participation from everyone and shares decision-making for the betterment of the organization. Staff motivation is derived through obtaining self-image awards. Leaders reward staff through positive evaluations which in turn increases motivation and morale. There are some a dvantages and disadvantages to using this style of leadership. Leaders who allow employees to participate in decision-making showed improvement in relations and encouraged employee commitment. Coaching LeadershipCoaching theories of leadership assert that people will follow leaders who are inspirational. The leader will develop a working relationship such as teacher/mentor. The overall success of the organization depends on whether the mentor has the knowledge to strengthen the work relationship and create an environment where the mentee feels as though they are respected and valued. Coaching leaders are known to establish performance specifications and make sure they are accomplished by a given deadline, limit the contentment of employees and create a low amount of employee commitment.Collaborative Leadership The affilitative leader has the ability to motivate staff to surpass their own individual aspirations for the greater good of the district. The affilitative leader is a morall y responsible person who focuses on developing the moral maturity, values, and standards of his or her staff and strengthening their devotion to serve the well-being of others, their school, the district and the community. This leader is one who conveys a vision to inspire others sets long-term goals and emphasizes social and interpersonal skills.These leaders must possess high self-esteem, self-regard and self-awareness to effectively transform organizations and employees. Leaders with these attributes are highly admired, respected, trusted, and have a high level of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self- determination. They are usually regarded as role models and demonstrate high standards of ethical and moral conduct. There are pros and cons in using the affilitative leadership style. These leaders place an emphasis on team building, and empowering and developing potential in order to reach long-term goals.An Affilitative leader create and encourage a collaborative learning envir onment, improve morale, embraces accountability and conflict resolution, proactive towards change management, ignites communication and supports empowerment. These leaders also facilitate staff toward motivation and being involved in the vision they produce. Collaborative leadership is leadership shown by acting together to solve issues. It uses supportive and inclusive methods to ensure that all people affected by a decision are part of the change process. It requires a new notion of power†¦ he more power we share, the more power we have to use. The district that I am proud to be a part of has a variety of leadership styles. The leaders in the district are a compilation of Participative (Democratic), Coaching and Collaborative Leadership styles. However, this has proven to be effective at all 11 buildings within the district. My elementary building has seen drastic changed to the administration within the last 6 years. Finally, with a new superintendent as well as a new princi pal, the morale of the faculty and students far exceeds our expectations.References Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. Washington, DC. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from www. npbea. org/pdf/ISLLC/PRessRelease. pdf Mitchell, Douglas E. , and Sharon Tucker. â€Å"Leadership as a Way of Thinking. † EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 49, 5 (February 1992): 30-35. EJ 439 281. Retrieved November 1, 2010. From www. vtaide. com/png/ERIC/Transformational-Leadership. htm O’Leary R. , Bingham L. , Choi Y. Teaching Collaborative Leadership: Ideas and Lessons for the Field. Journal of Public Affairs Education. 16(4), 565-592. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from www. naspaa. org/jpaemessenger/Article/vol16-/05_16n04_OLearyBinghamChoi. pdf Sahin, S. (2004). The Relationship between Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles of School Principals and School Culture (The case of Izmir, Tu rkey). Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 4(2), 387-395. Retrieved October 30, 2010. from www. fedu. uaeu. ac. ae/Journal/PDF23/issue23-artical9. pdf

Difficulty paper

Difficulty Paper: â€Å"Near Taurus† In many respects, â€Å"Near Taurus† was a mystery text that perplexed my thought process as I read this masterpiece. For me, as an average reader, I found this piece to be a very difficult to understand; so much so that I can say this is one of the most difficult works I have ever read. The grammar, the stylistic language, the lack of information made the story that much harder to comprehend. However as I read this text multiple times to understand what is being conveyed, I am still grasping new information by reading in a different perspective.Here is what I came to understand of this story. Let's take a look at the very first line of this piece, â€Å"After the rains had come and gone we went down the reservoir† (13). This first line gives us an indication that this is an outside scenery and is beautifully introduced to us readers. The author Jumps straight into the scene and it made me contemplate as to where this setting could be at. I then looked back at the title and it hit me that this was outdoors, maybe on a mountain and the characters where looking to the stars. Taurus†, one of the constellations of the zodiac, is the main topic of this story. There are two people who are looking to the sky and are looking for the Taurus, but see other ones like Orion (13). The Taurus is usually seen in the winter season and is established when the boy says â€Å"the body won't show until the winter† (13). Nevertheless, even though the story was very short, it has still a lot that is uncovered and many passages that left me discombobulated.Initially, the narrator starts to introduce the characters in this piece, stating â€Å"Our voices were high†his, mine; soft, bright† (13). Then, like it was a bad habit, drops the characters description and traits. Why? Is it not important for us readers to grasp who and what the characters are like? Even during the end of the text, the narrator st ates about the boy in the story, â€Å"l could tell you his name. I could and would not† (13).Perhaps, it is done this way because it leads us readers to look for the surroundings and the setting of the story to make our own interpretations. During the end of this story, the narrator after talking about an incident with the boy, who was most likely teenage lovers with the narrator at the time, Jumps to the future and says â€Å"He died, that boy. Light-years! Ages and ages. And here I am: a mother, witness, a raiser of a boy' (13). The style and grammar and even the word choice in this line was very intriguing and confused me.When the narrator said â€Å"light years† and then â€Å"ages and ages† was interesting because she Just mentioned that the boy passed away. I felt that she still had some feeling towards this person, and it even made believe that the boys was the father of the boy she mentioned in that line. I was also confused at when she said she was a â€Å"witness. † What was she referring too? Was it the Taurus or did she witness love? Love because I believe this story is a love story because of the word choices of the narrator and scenery depicted in this story.Nonetheless this word choice chosen by the narrator I believe is fascinating but can confuse us average readers. Unlike many books that I nave read over the years, I believe this piece was very difficult and interesting at the same time. Even though the was less than a page, less than 300 words, I believe it said so much without saying much, which is unbelievable! The word play, the stylistic language and the lack of information was the primary ause of the difficult understanding of the text when reading it the first couple of times.However as I continued to break this seemingly unbreakable text, I started to look at it in a different perspective. I then understood as to what this piece meant, and the title played a great role. Furthermore, the way the author cho se not to introduce any real information about the characters and left us, the readers, to determine as to what we understand about the scene and setting is fascinating to me. This piece unbolted my mind and made me become a better reader I believe.

Free Essays on Management Competencies

Managerial Assessment of Proficiency Is the tool for identifying managerial strengths and needs. The Twelve Competencies ADMINISTRATIVE Managing Your Job COMMUNICATION Relating to Others SUPERVISORY Building the Team COGNITIVE Thinking Clearly Time Management and Prioritizing Listening and Organizing Training, Coaching and Delegating Identifying and Solving Problems Setting Goals and Standards Giving Clear Information Appraising People and Performance Making Decisions, Weighing Risk Planning and Scheduling Work Getting Unbiased Information Disciplining and Counseling Thinking Clearly and Analytically 1. Time Management and Prioritizing Ability to manage time, both your own and others. Includes such skills as negotiating priorities; exercising self-discipline; controlling interruptions by shaping the behavior of others whose priorities are not your own; being time-effective versus time-efficient. 2. Setting Goals and Standards Ability to manage activities and projects toward measurable goals and standards, setting theses jointly with others so as to develop their understanding and commitment. Includes the following skills: distinguishing among wishes, activities and quotas: reducing barriers to the goal-setting process; evaluating goals against the major criteria of effective goal setting; using goals to motivate. 3. Planning and Scheduling Work Ability to manage projects (one-time programs) and processes (ongoing work flow) by applying the major tools and techniques of management includes the following skills: analyzing complex tasks and breaking them into manageable units; selecting and managing resources appropriate to the task; using the systems and techniques to plan and schedule the work; setting checkpoints and controls for monitoring progress. 4. Listening and Organizing Ability to understand, organizes, and analyzes what you are hearing so as to decide what to think and do ... Free Essays on Management Competencies Free Essays on Management Competencies Managerial Assessment of Proficiency Is the tool for identifying managerial strengths and needs. The Twelve Competencies ADMINISTRATIVE Managing Your Job COMMUNICATION Relating to Others SUPERVISORY Building the Team COGNITIVE Thinking Clearly Time Management and Prioritizing Listening and Organizing Training, Coaching and Delegating Identifying and Solving Problems Setting Goals and Standards Giving Clear Information Appraising People and Performance Making Decisions, Weighing Risk Planning and Scheduling Work Getting Unbiased Information Disciplining and Counseling Thinking Clearly and Analytically 1. Time Management and Prioritizing Ability to manage time, both your own and others. Includes such skills as negotiating priorities; exercising self-discipline; controlling interruptions by shaping the behavior of others whose priorities are not your own; being time-effective versus time-efficient. 2. Setting Goals and Standards Ability to manage activities and projects toward measurable goals and standards, setting theses jointly with others so as to develop their understanding and commitment. Includes the following skills: distinguishing among wishes, activities and quotas: reducing barriers to the goal-setting process; evaluating goals against the major criteria of effective goal setting; using goals to motivate. 3. Planning and Scheduling Work Ability to manage projects (one-time programs) and processes (ongoing work flow) by applying the major tools and techniques of management includes the following skills: analyzing complex tasks and breaking them into manageable units; selecting and managing resources appropriate to the task; using the systems and techniques to plan and schedule the work; setting checkpoints and controls for monitoring progress. 4. Listening and Organizing Ability to understand, organizes, and analyzes what you are hearing so as to decide what to think and do ...

Influence of organizational image on outcome

Influence of organizational image on outcome It is true that the image of an organisation reflects its brain in terms of performance of the organisations. In university institutions for example, the organisational environment may create excitement and hence foster high quality education and learning.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of organizational image on outcome specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus the organisational structure and the management style adopted by the institutional may inspire and motivate the learning processes or may fail to encourage learning culture in students in the university. The aim of every university is to help learners acquire skills, knowledge and experience while also helping them become flexible in their thinking and conceptualisation so that they are able to meet complexities in their day-to-day lives. Universities therefore focus to help each student explore and recognize various alternative worldviews, practices, technologies and innovations among others. These desired changes in learners are achieved by involving all the personnel in the universities including lecturers and subordinates; the management, resources and the learners themselves. According to Beer and Nohria (2000, 140) an ideal organisation should be able to balance between the O and E strategies. This implies that an institution should be able to balance between meeting the needs of the students and the needs the university staff and be able to integrate the ideas of the organisation. The institution’s management should be ready to listen, debate and also willing to learn from both sides. The management should be ready to integrate the ideas of the university staff particularly the lecturers and technicians who constantly interact with the students as well as the students’ views on the direction of their learning. This means that the institution should be able to use the students and the university staff as the c onsultants besides the outside consultants to be able to ensure quality outcome in students. An institution’s image is also enhanced by the level of motivation it offers to the university staff and the students. Recognizing the performance and commitment of the staff in achieving the objectives of the university also encourages the students to follow in the footsteps of their lecturers and other staff who are working hard to help them achieve their goals. The staff may be given monetary rewards or other forms of rewards which encourage achievement of the organisational culture and objectives. The students on the other hand may be awarded scholarships, opportunities for exchange programmes with other universities in other countries or opportunities to represent the universities in forums and congressional meetings. The students hence practically learn the importance of giving rewards and various reward schemes that could be applied in their real working experience. According t o Beer and Nohria (2000, 140) giving of rewards represent a fair exchange of values between the institution and individuals in the institution.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The management’s commitment to providing of total-quality training programs to students and the university staffs also reflects the quality of outcome from the university (Morgan 2006, 106). The university’s commitment to provide resources to facilitate learning and the university’s openness to help learners experiment on their talents help promote diverse quality outcome. Universities should be able to access the status and the progress of every programme it offers to students and other customers and review them to be able to align them with the goals of the institution. It should also be able to review the capacity of its teaching staff as well as other staffs who suppo rt the teaching and learning process in meeting the objectives and be able to improve their capacities. When the university encourages experimentation through provision of adequate and modern facilities, the students as well as the university staff are better enabled to expand their knowledge, skills and experience and therefore they become very innovative and creative in tackling challenges. Besides, both the university staff and the students become more receptive to new ideas. In achieving the goals of the university as well as that of its stakeholders, the university has to eliminate the boundaries that may exist in its communication processes so as to achieve high-involvement of all the individuals in the institution. Reference List Beer, M., Nohria, N., 2000, Cracking the code of change. Harvard Business Review, 78 (3): 133-141. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Morgan, G., 2006, Images of organization, updated edition. California: Sage Publications.

Aisle and Isle

Aisle and Isle Aisle and Isle Aisle and Isle By Maeve Maddox When I came across this use of the word isle on a parenting site, I couldnt help wondering how common the error might be: many people share beliefs from one end of the isle, and some from the other. The context was an item about teaching children about differing political views without prejudicing them against right or left. The writers use of the word isle refers to the seating arrangements in the U.S. in which national representatives and senators sit according to party affiliation. In the U. S. House of Representatives, members of the Democratic Party sit to the Speakers right and members of the Republican Party sit to the Speakers left. A wide central aisle divides the well of the House. In the U. S. Senate, Democratic senators sit to the presiding officers right, and Republican senators sit to the presiding officers left. Metaphorically speaking, ones political opinions can be said to belong to one side of the aisle or the other. A Google search for one side of the isle brought up nearly seven million hits. Many of them were used in reference to small islands, like the Isle of Man, but a dismaying number of links led to texts in which isle occurred in a context that called for aisle. Many were being used in a political context: In the political space there are tons of examples that highlight this issue and they are often controversial. As I said they don’t reside on one side of the isle. Shy of a few misguided Republicans I think the blame for this debacle will lie 99% with one side of the isle. Where does each side of the isle stand on foreign aid? Other examples occurred in literal contexts in which the meaning was passageway between seats or shelves and not small island or island-like structure: If you are in a supermarket stand in the middle of the isle and stare at the products on one side of the isle (leadership training exercise) This [Amtrak] car offers what we call 2 1 seating, where there are two seat [sic] on one side of the isle and one seat on the other side. Perhaps, the most memorable scene of perplexing symbolism follows Alice, with a shovel against her shoulder, and Luc through the toy isle of a supermarket. On one side of the isle, Alice is staring at Barbie dolls (movie review) A little boy was part of his aunts wedding party. As he was coming down the isle during the ceremony (lead-in to a joke in which isle is used for aisle four times in six sentences) Isle derives from Latin insula, island. When it came into English in the late 13th century, the word was spelled ile. Aisle derives from a word meaning wing. (Old French ele, Modern French aile.) The s was restored to the English word ile in the late 1500s. By then, ile and ele/aile had become confused, perhaps from a notion of a detached part of a church (Online Etymology Dictionary), so an s found its way into aisle to match isle. Both aisle and isle are pronounced [Ä «l]. Seating charts for U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OU15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Human Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Right - Essay Example Values, such as freedom, equality and human dignity, are relevant to all societies and all times, but differ in their forms of manifestation and their roles in society. The term 'human rights' was born of Western cultural and historical traditions, but with the passage of time it has transcended the Western cultural boundary and become a universal symbol of human values. As a concentrated expression of diverse positive values, human rights enjoy unprecedented popularity today. However, each nation or culture has its own system and ways to achieve these values. People have different understandings of what human rights entail and what the approaches are to achieve them. These differences call for international cooperation and coordinated efforts of nations to promote human rights the world over. "Dialogue on human rights is a sensible means to surmount differences and reach consensuses." (Yunlong, 2006) During the last two years, one major 'human right' issue of conflict; was that of the Lebanese-Israeli conflict which initiated on July 12, 2006 .It had ignited loud criticisms. These criticisms were basically regarding the conflicts that had occurred because of the violations of the International Humanitarian Law. The international armed conflict and the laws which governed it were a major cause of debate. The issue was twofold: The relation of Hezbollah, the guerilla group, to the international humanitarian law, the treatment of the prisoners of war, the protection of the civilian's indiscriminate attacks and access to humanitarian relief. On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite armed group, launched an attack on Israeli positions, captured two Israeli soldiers on the other side of the Blue Line (the United Nation embarked line after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon on May 25, 2000). Nine Israeli soldiers were also killed. In response, Israel launched a large scale ope ration on Lebanon. The death toll of the ongoing conflict from August 1, 2000 has climbed up to 800 killed Lebanese civilians and 51 Israeli killed civilians. The Israeli army has been accused of disproportionate and indiscriminate assaults in its operations toward Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces said that they were doing 'everything to minimize' civilian casualties in Lebanon. The Hezbollah on the other hand launched its rockets randomly on targets within Israel and has been accused targeting civilians and civilian objects within Israel. The actions from the Hezbollah, as also from the Israel Defense Forces are reflecting the current opposing conflict between them, as they are also considered international humanitarian law violations. The second conflict in violation of the humanitarian law took place in Azerbaijan, which accused neighboring Armenia of breaching a ceasefire, regarding the dispute about the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, causing the death of an Azeri soldier. In this latest round of feuding between these two rivals, Armenia quickly denied the charge and responded with a counter-accusation that Azeri troops had killed an Armenian soldier. When these two former Soviet republics became

Transfer Wise Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Transfer Wise - Coursework Example For instance, Transfer wise would allow a user in Spain to have an access of his money which is being transferred from Britain without physically sending that money to Spain. This is by giving them a similar amount of money in Spain, whereby they swipe with another person in the United Kingdom (Engel, 2014, p. 173). This enables the users of the company to receive their money without paying the banking fees. However, the question to ask, is, if the services of the organization are legal?   The services of TransferWise are legal.  Ã‚     The evidence to this fact is when the Financial Regulator of the United Kingdom allowed the company to open offices in the country. The registration of the company occurred in England and Wales, and its registration number is 07209813 (Klein, 2014, p. 122).This is in accordance to the companies’ act of 2006, which mandates that every company operating in the country must have a registration. Furthermore, to avoid law suits, emanating from a breach of contract or misunderstanding, TransferWise makes it mandatory for the users of its services to agree with the policies of the company, before using its services. For instance, TransferWise recognizes the fact that someone may use the account of their customers without authorization.     To protect itself from lawsuits emanating from this situation, TransferWise has set a provision that it won’t be liable for any transactions that are conducted from the accounts of their consumers. TransferWise is also very concerned about the privacy of its users.

Assignment 1-3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment 1-3 - Essay Example And, if the cause is the significant turnover in the restaurant’s waiter or waitress pool, which is known to have taken place, then why is the turnover so high and what can be done about it? Thus, a research will help to better understand the problem with a view to resolving it. Customer satisfaction is a very important issue for most businesses. It is central to business success. So all possible means must be used to ensure that customers are satisfied. Our objective then is to first enhance our understanding of the problem, and we accomplish this by knowing more about it in detail through research using a systematic procedure. The issue is friendliness of the atmosphere, so we must devise a means of measuring this besides identifying the cause(s) of the decline. One possibility for obtaining this customer satisfaction measure would be to arrange a customer feedback mechanism involving a rating scale for friendliness and survey questions to encourage customers to disclose and pinpoint their reasons or what would help them to feel the atmosphere is friendly after experiencing a service at the restaurant. Secondly, the high staff turnover suggests there is an issue of demotivation or unhappiness with the working conditions. Hence, not only should a survey be conducted for the restaurant’s customers but also the waiter/waitresses must be interviewed to get insight into their thoughts, feelings and attitudes. In-depth interviews are advisable because there will be a small number of them and the deeper insight will be more valuable for addressing the root of the problem. This kind of research will be a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods i.e. it will be a mixed research study. The open questions on the customer survey and the staff interviews will be qualitative whereas the friendliness ratings and closed survey questions will be quantitative

A real world example of how science has been misused and report on the Essay

A real world example of how science has been misused and report on the subject - Essay Example e modern information technologies, which are obviously the by products of the growth of science, are very effectively employed by governmental agencies and the international bodies of administration. But, it is alarming to note that information technology devices are so effectively used by terrorists and criminals as well all over the world, which obviously is a serious misuse of science and its development. Two major areas where science has made drastic changes are in the fields of nanotechnology and information technology and there is no doubt that these are two areas where its misuse takes dominant forms. Between the two, scientific develops in nanotechnology assumes greater significance as many of the scientific inventions that led to the making of atom bombs, nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction has posed great threat to international peace and security. My attempt in this short essay is to deal with the misuse of science with regard to nanotechnology. Nano-science and Nano-engineering form the basis for nanotechnology. Nano-technology applies to many fields and its misuse can turn human life into misery. Developments in nanotechnology have given rise to the formation of new atomic and nuclear weapons. When Albert Einstein developed the theory of mass-energy equivalence, E=MC2; no one thought that it would pave the way for a nuclear age. But the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United states during the second world war (August 1945) was a shock to the international community and from then onwards we do find an international competition among world nations to be nuclear powers, and many have attained nuclear power so far. The great amount of funding spent on nanotechnology and related fields (very often in the name of national defense) by world nations is quite shocking. A research conducted by US nanotechnology consultancy revealed that â€Å"the total spending on nanotechnology R&D worldwide exceeded $8.6 billion in 2004. US

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

Studying abroad - Essay Example Problems encountered by international students should be given attention and solutions to help foreigners cope with their new environment and perform well in their studies. This paper will discuss some of these problems such as homesickness and the multi-cultural experiences of international students. Perhaps the most common complaint among foreign students is homesickness. Studies show that â€Å"students in America experience homesickness due to culture shock† (Harrison and Brower). The culture in America is definitely different from most foreign students especially those coming from eastern countries. It is not just the language that is different but the divergences in food, clothing, customs and practices are also quite astonishing to foreign students. This makes them long for familiar environments and people they have been used to. From the studies of Harrison and Brower, this separation anxiety has a strong correlation to psychological hardiness- â€Å"a personality variable that seemingly impact students’ adjustment to their often challenging and bewildering host cultures† (Harrison and Bower). The research of the shows that those who are able to adjust and actively involve themselves in whatever challenges individuals are faced with, experience less h omesickness. In addition, those who are able to act strong and able in their new environment are less stressed and therefore are able to cope with the demands of their host culture. Those who are resilient to changes are also found to be stronger in times of emotional and psychological troubles among foreign students. In contrast to the negative effect of foreign studies, there is also a great advantage especially with those who have strong psychological hardiness and are open to challenging experiences. According to Christine Lee, David Therriault and Tracy Linderholm, â€Å"multicultural experiences such as studying abroad are quantitatively and qualitatively

How Global Value Chains May Have an Impact on an Organization's Supply Essay

How Global Value Chains May Have an Impact on an Organization's Supply Chain Design and Corporate Alignment - Essay Example The global value chain encompasses functions which are strongly included and frequently managed on a regular basis. Thus, these functions can impact on the activities of organization in home as well as in other host countries where they perform the business operations. These impacts are pretty straightforward when an organization from one nation inaugurates a new industrial unit or engineering unit in other nation. A few of the impacts are more complex when an organization of one nation makes an agreement with an organization in other nation in order to coordinate production in plants. The impacts of global value chain are precisely seen on the supply chain design and corporate alignment of an organization (Schroeder, Goldstein, & Rungtusanatham, 2010). Value Chain and Supply Chain The idea of value was first created and promoted by Michael Porter in the year 1985. He had demarcated value as the number of purchasers who are prepared to pay for an organization’s products or ser vices (Chan, 2007). According to him, the value chain is the blend of nine common value added functions inside an organization which can deliver value to the consumers. On the other hand, the concept of supply chain first appeared in the year 1980. Supply chain describes the handling of material flow inside an organization from suppliers to the end users. ... Impact of Global Supply Chain on Organization’s Supply Chain Design Nowadays, globalization is no longer restricted to only products; it has expanded to other business aspects such as foreign direct investment, occupation and services among others. The global value chain is determined by the organization’s wish to raise competency, because increasing domestic competition and global market powers are facilitating organizations to become more effective with respect to cost of products and services. In this regard, a strong value chain can help organizations to enter new evolving markets and to improve access to strategic resources which can assist in tapping foreign business knowledge (Kleindorfer, Singhal, & Wassenhove, 2005). In order to cope up with the changes carried by rapid globalization, there is need for an accurate supply chain design. A properly structured supply chain design can enhance the internal network and flow of resources through it. With constant commo ditization of several goods, organizations require improved methods to differentiate themselves from other competitors. In order to compete in the global market, there is need for improvement through supply chain redesign. Therefore, global value chain can impact on supply chain design of organizations in order to fulfill the objective of cost minimization and to develop a more efficient value chain to stay cost competitive (Power, 2005). Impact of Global Value Chain on Corporate Alignment The global value chain is also related with the corporate alignment of an organization. The global value chain delivers the contents of organizational culture, management style,

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

Studying abroad - Essay Example Problems encountered by international students should be given attention and solutions to help foreigners cope with their new environment and perform well in their studies. This paper will discuss some of these problems such as homesickness and the multi-cultural experiences of international students. Perhaps the most common complaint among foreign students is homesickness. Studies show that â€Å"students in America experience homesickness due to culture shock† (Harrison and Brower). The culture in America is definitely different from most foreign students especially those coming from eastern countries. It is not just the language that is different but the divergences in food, clothing, customs and practices are also quite astonishing to foreign students. This makes them long for familiar environments and people they have been used to. From the studies of Harrison and Brower, this separation anxiety has a strong correlation to psychological hardiness- â€Å"a personality variable that seemingly impact students’ adjustment to their often challenging and bewildering host cultures† (Harrison and Bower). The research of the shows that those who are able to adjust and actively involve themselves in whatever challenges individuals are faced with, experience less h omesickness. In addition, those who are able to act strong and able in their new environment are less stressed and therefore are able to cope with the demands of their host culture. Those who are resilient to changes are also found to be stronger in times of emotional and psychological troubles among foreign students. In contrast to the negative effect of foreign studies, there is also a great advantage especially with those who have strong psychological hardiness and are open to challenging experiences. According to Christine Lee, David Therriault and Tracy Linderholm, â€Å"multicultural experiences such as studying abroad are quantitatively and qualitatively

Pathological Processes in the CNS and the Rest of the Body Essay

Pathological Processes in the CNS and the Rest of the Body - Essay Example Abnormal insulin signalling is not only involved at the glucose level but also at numerous degenerative processes. Another common feature of these two diseases is that their prevalence increases as age advances (Abbas, et al., 2009). This paper will review the common inflammatory and pathological processes in the CNS and the rest of the body. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. It is associated with the loss of cognitive functions like thinking, remembering and reasoning to an extent where it interferes with the patient’s day to day functioning (Russell, et al., 2007). Most patients diagnosed with Alzheimer disease are over 65 years old although the Alzheimer process can start earlier. In 2010, there were 27 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It is projected that by the year 2050, 1 in 85 people globally will be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (Holscher, 2011). Research has associated the disease with plaques and tangles in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by loss of synapses and neurons in the cerebral cortex and some areas of the subcortical regions. This leads to the loss in gross atrophy of the affected parts of the brain (Irwin, 2010). In Alzheimer’s disease, an unknown protein causes amyloid precursor protein to be divided into smaller fragments by enzymes in a process called proteolysis. One of these fragments becomes fibrils of beta-amyloid that form deposits in dense formations referred to as senile plaques. A protein called tau stabilizes microtubules. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau undergoes chemical changes and begins to pair with other threads that create neurofibrillary and disintegrates the neuron transport system (Thompson, et al., 2007). Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, the bodies of type 2 diabetes patients make insulin, but either the body does not use the insulin well or the pancreas does not make enough insulin.  Ã‚  

East Asian Art Essay Example for Free

East Asian Art Essay One mark of how developed a culture is its art forms. The arts are a large aspect or subdivision of a culture. So much of a culture’s beliefs and traditions are reflected of expressed in various art forms. Art is made by an artist, an artist’s way of seeing and interpreting things are dictated by the culture of the society of which he is a part of; this is the relationship of the arts and culture. They have a link that cannot be severed. Ancient art forms that are reflective of a societal culture can include architecture, calligraphy, culinary arts, dance, drawing/ painting, fashion, music, language, literature, sculpture, crafts, and theatre; all these are represent the rich culture of a society. Some new and modern art forms that have been brought upon by technology include film and photography. As for East Asia, in geographical context, it is the region of Asia covering 12, 000, 000 square kilometers, which is 28% of the whole Asian continent. Countries in the East Asian territory currently include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. East Asia being the home of some of the first great and influential cultures and civilizations, their ancient works of art would be a good area of study to understand how their culture developed. During the ancient times, the major societies that served as the cultural roots of the region are China, Japan and Korea. Understanding how their culture began through the events that transpired in the first 500 years of the Common Era that contributed to the development of their art can give us an insight on what their culture was and how the present culture of the region came to be.

Competition in the coffee industry

Competition in the coffee industry INTRODUCTION Today we stand witness to a new coffee era, one made up of Caffe Lattes, Espresso Macchiatos, Cappuccinos and Frappuccinos. Specialty Coffee is here to stay and no one will be more eager to tell you that than Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the worlds largest specialty coffee bar. The study of Starbucks Corporation leads one on a multifaceted journey through an organizations insinuation into a culture, its dominance of a market and its creation of a brand synonymous with loyalty, integrity and longevity. Ever since it first spread through the Moslem world in the sixteenth century, coffee has played a pivotal role in society by providing meeting places for intellectuals from all sides of life to converge. As coffee was slowly introduced to the European world it was recognized for both its sociability and its taste. Soon Coffee houses were prevalent throughout Europe and were the natural locations for political, literary and societal debate. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the mid-seventeenth century and replaced beer as New York Citys favorite morning drink. Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,635 stores in 49 countries, including 11,068 (6,764 Company Owned, 4,304 Franchised) in the United States, followed by nearly 1,000 in Canada and more than 800 in Japan. Starbucks sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks, and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the companys products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. Michael E. Porter provided a framework that models an industry as being influenced by five forces. The strategic business manager seeking to develop an edge over rival firms can use this model to better understand the industry context in which the firm operates. Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position: Industry Rivalry The dynamics of the industry rivalry within the specialty coffee industry has changed dramatically since 1987. Unlike the early days of the specialty coffee industry when Starbucks competed primarily against other small-scale specialty coffee retailers they now compete against companies of varying sizes and different exposures to specialty coffee. Starbucks competes with a variety of smaller scale specialty coffee shops, mostly concentrated in different regions of the country. All of these specialty coffee chains are differentiated from Starbucks in one way or another. Coffee Bean competes with Starbucks. They are similar to Starbucks in their attempt to create a third-place but distinguish themselves by creating an entirely different atmosphere. Where Starbucks strives to create an upscale European atmosphere, Coffee Bean tries to implement a more American feel to their coffee houses. Often they will use knotty pine cabinetry, numerous fireplaces and soft seating. Also they offer a barrage of magazines and newspapers as well as the guarantee of speedy service and free refills. In addition, they offer free WiFi, drive through accessibility and meeting rooms for rent. Through their subsidiary VKI technologies, they have become the world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of coffee making equipment and related products. In addition to these smaller scale specialty coffee companies, Starbucks must now compete against two of the largest companies in the fast food industry who have recently entered the specialty coffee segment. The first of these competitors is Dunkin Donuts, who claims to be the worlds largest coffee and baked goods chain. Currently, Dunkin Donuts operates about 5,500 franchises around the United States, 80 stores in Canada and 1,850 throughout the rest of the world. In the past couple years the franchise has put enormous emphasis on their coffee beverages. They serve coffee beverages in an assortment of types and styles including espresso, cappuccino and latte. They also serve their coffee in an assortment of flavors including French Vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon and numerous others. The largest industry rival currently facing Starbucks is the McDonalds restaurant fast food chain. McDonalds originated from a single San Bernardino, California hamburger stand, which opened in 1948, and has turned into what is now the worlds largest restaurant chain with over 14,000 restaurants in the United States alone. The key to McDonalds success has been the consistent quality standards they achieve for their food, coupled with their quick service and low prices. 10 years ago Starbucks and McDonalds were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum in the restaurant industry. However, McDonalds, encouraged by the success of its upgraded drip coffee, began testing numerous drinks sold under the name McCafe. Starbucks meanwhile, with its rapid expansion, was adding drive-through windows and numerous breakfast sandwiches, similar to the Egg McMuffins served at McDonalds, to their stores. These measures have drawn the two companies closer together as competitors due to an encroachment into the demographic consumer base made by each company. In summary, the current impact of the industry rivalry force created by the competition between specialty coffee retailers is very high, especially as contrasted to what it was at the time of Starbucks rapid expansion twenty years ago. The growth of the industry has slowed while the number of competitors within the industry has increased. Both of these factors, in addition to Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds high strategic stakes in the specialty coffee industry, have caused this change from weak to strong industry rivalry. Potential for New Entrants Another of the five forces in Porters model, which has changed significantly since the late 80s when we analyze the current environment in which Starbucks competes, is the potential for new entrants. As stated earlier, the primary deterrents to entry in the specialty coffee industry are the various barriers to entry. The economies of scale within the specialty coffee industry have increased as the size of the top players has increased. Companies such as Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds have national distribution channels through which they can transport their specialty coffee at a relatively low cost compared to potential new entrants who have no such developed distribution systems. These larger companies are also able to economize on their accounting operations and marketing budgets by facilitating their specialty coffee operations from the same department as for all segments of their businesses. Finally, these larger corporations are also able to reap economies of scale through their purchasing by negotiating long term contracts with coffee farmers and purchasing coffee beans in bulk quantities at discount prices. There is numerous cost disadvantages imposed on new entrants that are independent of the economies of scale considerations. As the industry matures, the ability to access distribution channels and select from the highest quality coffee beans has becoming increasingly difficult. Most of the favorable store locations within the larger metropolitan areas have already been occupied by current competitors within the specialty coffee industry. Additionally, many companies now have proprietary product technology involved in the production of their specialty coffee as well as lower per unit costs due to an experience curve. Product differentiation within the specialty coffee industry has moved away from the purely objective and defined traits such as the taste of the coffee, convenience of the stores and prices charged. The industry has progressed toward more subjective traits such as the ambience of the store, the social responsibility of the company and brand identification. Many companies have gained very loyal customer bases stemming from their past advertisements, customer service, objective product differentiations and early entry into the industry. All of this makes it more difficult for new entrants to gain a solid customer base. From the analysis above, it can be ascertained that the barriers to entry in the specialty coffee industry have increased substantially. As a consequence, the potential threat of new entrants has gone down. Since, the industry does not have large capital requirements, smaller specialty coffee shops are still prevalent throughout the United States and the potential for more of them to enter the industry is still present. However, these new entrants can be disregarded given the unlikely nature of their concerted expansion and the inconsequential effects they have singly on the overall demand in the consumer market. Substitute Products The force created by substitute products in the specialty coffee industry has decreased. Many companies that presented the specialty coffee industry with a threat in the form of substitute products have actually entered the industry and now compete directly by offering their own premium coffee selections. The primary substitute products still posing a threat to the specialty coffee industry are the caffeinated soft drinks offered by Pepsi and Coca-Cola. However, even these substitute products pose little threat to the premium coffee industry. In the past five years, studies done on the percentage of meals or snacks that included a carbonated soft drink as opposed to coffee have shown a reversal in consumer preference. Coffee has gradually gained preference over carbonated soft drinks. This is mostly attributed to the health concerns associated with carbonated soft drinks and the new evidence showing coffee as a relatively healthy alternative. Supplier Bargaining Power With the extensive growth in the specialty coffee industry, supplier bargaining power has changed in numerous ways. In 1987, when the first Starbucks was conceived, the farmers from whom Starbucks purchased its premium coffee beans were numerous, small and unconnected to one another. Currently, many of the farmers who sell to Starbucks and other premium coffee chains are united by an initiative known as fair trade certified coffee, which was organized by TransFair USA. Under this initiative, companies such as Starbucks are given the opportunity to advertise their coffee as being fair trade certified if they purchase from coffee suppliers that are democratically owned cooperatives. This initiative was designed to ensure that the coffee farmers would be compensated fairly for their crops. Their increased unity under this initiative worked as a positive externality by increasing their ability to exert bargaining power over their buyers. The fair trade coffee certification is looked at by consumers in their decision of where to purchase their premium coffee. Thus, although the farmers are still numerous and small they are now connected through the initiative launched by TransFair USA and act in some respects like one large entity. Although the farmers of premium Arabica beans are still in constant competition with the substitute Robusta coffee bean growers, their bargaining power is not significantly diminished by this threat due to the unlikelihood of a big premium coffee retailer adopting the substitution. When Starbucks first began purchasing premium Arabica coffee beans in the late 1980s, they executed purchases incrementally throughout the year. Currently, they lock their coffee suppliers into long-term contracts to dilute potential price volatility. These contracts have stipulations within them which place a financial burden on the coffee suppliers if they choose to supply a different company. By creating these switching costs for the premium coffee suppliers, Starbucks has diminished their ability to play one buyer against another, which decreases their bargaining power. A last component to the analysis of supplier bargaining power within the current specialty coffee industry environment is the threat of forward integration. Technically, the farmers can forward integrate by setting up smaller coffee shops and brewing their own batches. This is, however, extremely unlikely and has yet to occur. When comparing the bargaining power of suppliers today in the specialty coffee industry to the bargaining power of suppliers during the late 1980s, it is apparent that suppliers are more powerful today. The increased unity among the coffee farmers, decreased significance of specialty coffee retailers purchases as a proportion of premium coffee bean sales and increased importance placed on high quality coffee beans by the purchasers have all acted to increase the bargaining power of the supplier group. Although Starbucks has locked some of the coffee suppliers into long-term contracts not all suppliers are affected; thus, the supplier bargaining power is only ma rginally diminished by that tactic. Bargaining Power of Buyers The last component of Michael Porters five forces analysis to be applied to the modern specialty coffee industry is the force created by the bargaining power of buyers. The primary buyers in the specialty coffee industry remain individual consumers, who neither engage in concerted behavior nor individually purchase in large volumes relative to the total sales of a corporation such as Starbucks. Unlike the late 1980s, however, there are a few buyers who purchase in large volumes. These large buyers are typically other multinational corporations who choose to serve Starbucks brewed coffee in their offices. However, the effects of losing one of these buyers to a competitor would not be detrimental to a company with a large sales volume such as Starbucks. Neither the individual consumers nor the multinational corporations who purchase specialty coffee commit a significant fraction of their resources to these purchases. This makes the buyers less sensitive to price fluctuations and gives the players within the specialty coffee industry more control over pricing. This acts to decrease the bargaining power of both the buyer groups. The expansion of the specialty coffee industry created a wider array of competitors who offered high quality specialty coffee. This made it much harder for the players in the specialty coffee industry to differentiate themselves through quality and turned quality into the industry standard. In addition to the increasing quality standardization which specialty coffee has undergone, the buyers face no switching costs and have an enormous selection of retailers from whom they can buy. The buyers of specialty coffee do pose a credible threat of backward integration. This threat can be carried out if a buyer chooses to start a mom and pop specialty coffee store in close proximity to an established specialty coffee store. Same-store sales are roughly 20% lower in Starbucks stores located within a two block vicinity of mom-and-pop specialty coffee stores. The ability of buyers to backward integrate is enhanced by the availability of all information regarding the demand, market pricing, and supplier costs in the specialty coffee industry through sources such as the World Wide Web. With full information, the buyer is in a better position to ensure that they pay a favorable price and receive an appropriate level of quality from the product. The amount of bargaining power that can be exerted by the buyers within the specialty coffee industry has increased as a result of the availability of information regarding market variables. This along with the other previously discussed changes to the dynamics of buyer bargaining power has increased its overall magnitude from the level it was at in the late 1980s. Limitations of Porters Five Force Model Porters model is a effective tool used to identify whether new products, services or businesses have the potential to be profitable. However it can also be very illuminating when used to understand the balance of power in other situations. Porter argues that five forces determine the profitability of an industry. At the heart of industry are rivals and their competitive strategies linked to, for example, pricing or advertising; but, he contends, it is important to look beyond ones immediate competitors as there are other determines of profitability. Specifically, there might be competition from substitutes products or services. These alternatives may be perceived as substitutes by buyers even though they are part of a different industry. An example would be plastic bottles, cans and glass bottle for packaging coffee for Starbucks. There may also be potential threat of new entrants, although some competitors will see this as an opportunity to strengthen their position in the market by ensuring, as far as they can, customer loyalty. Finally, it is important to appreciate that Starbucks purchase from suppliers and sell to buyers. If they are powerful they are in a position to bargain profits away through reduced margins, by forcing either cost increases or price decreases. This relates to the strategic option of vertical integration, when Starbucks acquires, or mergers with, a supplier or customer and thereby gains greater control over the chain of activities which leads from basic materials through to final consumption. It is important to be aware that this model has further limitations in todays market environment; as it assumes relatively static market structures. Based originally on the economic situation in the eighties with its strong competition and relatively stable market structures, it is not able to take into account new business models and the dynamism of the industries, such as technological innovations and dynamic market entrants from start-ups that will completely change business models within short times. For instance, coffee and soft drinks is often considered as being highly competitive. The industry structure is constantly being revolutionized by innovation that indicates Five Forces model being of limited value since it represents no more than snapshots of a moving picture. Therefore, it is not advisable to develop a strategy solely on the basis of Porters models Haberberg and Rieple, but to examine it in addition to other strategic frameworks of SWOT and PEST analysis. Nevertheless, that does not mean that Porters theories became invalid. What needs to be done is to adopt the model with the knowledge of their limitations and to use them as a part of a larger framework of management tools, techniques and theories. This approach, however, is advisable for the application of every business model. CONCLUSION Any company must seek to understand the nature of its competitive environment if it is to be successful in achieving its objectives and in establishing appropriate strategies. If a company fully understands the nature of the Porters five forces, and particularly appreciates which one is the most important, it will be in a stronger position to defend itself against any threats and to influence the forces with its strategy. The situation is fluid, and the nature and relative power of the forces will change. Consequently, the need to monitor and stay aware is continuous. Some issues during the implementation of these Five Forces are crucially important for organizations to build long-term business strategy and sustaining competitive advantages rather than simply list the forces. Successful use of the Porter Model Analysis includes identifying the sources of competition, the strength and likelihood of that competition existing, and strategic recommendations for the action a company should take to in order to develop barriers to competition. Having applied Michael Porters five forces model to the specialty coffee environment which confronted Starbucks in 2007, a conclusion can be logically derived regarding how the proportional effects of each force on the competition within the specialty coffee industry has changed since 1987. Specifically, the force created by industry rivalry has gone from one grounded in strategies of differentiation and focus while discouraging price wars to an extremely competitive environment where differentiation is increasingly difficult and price wars are looming. The strength of the force imposed by the potential for new entrants has decreased as a result of more formidable barriers to entry. The bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers has increased as a result of increased unity among the suppliers and the accessibility of information to the buyers. The threat of substitutes is still insignificant given the continued declining sales of carbonated soft drinks compared to coffee and speci fically specialty coffee.

Chaucers View of the Pardoner as a Character Essay -- Geoffrey Chauce

Chaucer's View of the Pardoner as a Character In the Pardoner’s Tale, Chaucer presents the Pardoner in a particular light, and being a religious figure, this allows him to make a general statement about religion at the time. Chaucer’s view of the Pardoner as a character, and also as something to epitomise religion at the time, is evident from his use of vocabulary, his style, and by using strong imagery and description. In this way, Chaucer builds the character of the Pardoner as someone who is ironically deceptive and driven by his own selfish motives. A key theme that runs throughout the Pardoner’s Prologue is religion, and as the Pardoner’s proper role is to act as an intercessor between those who wish to repent and God himself, it is appropriate that Chaucer uses a great deal of religious lexis. There are many examples of this all through the text, such as when he mentions that the Pardoner carries ‘Bulles of popes and cardinals’ or ‘official documents’ signed by popes and cardinals. The plural use of the word ‘popes’ reveals a lot about the Pardoner in that it immediately shows his disregard and contempt for the clergy. Religiously, there is only meant to be one Pope and pluralizing the word devalues the pro-noun to a simple noun. The lack of determiners only further degrades the Pope as it shows no differentiation in these religious figures and others. They are simply the same and en masse, whereas, believers of the religion would disagree and be of the opinion that the Pope is the highest religious authority, but the Pardoner brings him down to basic levels and standards. Another example of lexis related to religion is when the Pardoner says ‘I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet’. This simile un... ...oner and Chaucer does not let his readers forget it as he gives continuous reminders throughout the text. Chaucer is not always so subtle in his presentation of the Pardoner. Near the end of the prologue, the Pardoner boldly asserts that ‘though myself be a full vicious man, A moral tale yet I you telle kan.’ The pardoner describes himself as we have aready been made to see him by Chaucer’s other techniques and here he admits it shamelessly, which only adds to the readers’ negative impression of him, in that he is not only deceptive, deceitful and ‘vicious’ but he also has no regret or remorse for his actions and attitudes, hence he is unlikely to change. It is ironic that the Pardoner admits to this characteristic of his and then claims that he will still be able to tell a moral tale, although his admittance also shows that he is aware of this irony.

Abstract of Investment Analysis

Investment Analysis is a classical application in Long-Range Planning. It deals with the investigation of uncertainties, the evaluation of alternatives, the answer to â€Å"What-if† questions. The study of how an investment is likely to perform and how suitable it is for a given investor. Investment analysis is key to any sound portfolio-management strategy. Investors not comfortable doing their own investment analysis can seek professional advice from a financial advisor. An analysis of past investment decisions. An investment analysis is a look back at previous investment decisions and the thought process of making the investment decision. Key factors should include entry price, expected time horizon, and reasons for making the decision at the time. For example, in conducting an investment analysis of a mutual fund, the investor would look at factors such as how the fund has performed compared to its benchmark. The investor could also compare performed to similar funds, its expense ratio, management stability, sector weighting, style and asset allocation. Investment goals should always be considered when analyzing an investment; one size does not always fit all, and highest returns regardless of risk are not always the goal. For any beginner investor, investment analysis is essential. Looking back at past decisions and analyzing the mistakes and successes will help fine-tune strategies. Many investors don't even document why they made an investment let alone analyze why they were wrong or right. You could make a proper decision, extraordinary events could lose you money, and if you didn't analyze it, you would shy away from making the same decision. Finally to conclude I made measurement for interpretation and better solution, which may helps the company performance.