Fleet Risk Management and Nigerias Transport System Dissertation

Fleet Risk Management and Nigerias Transport System - Dissertation Example The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of this country, along with recommendations for which the firm Risk Frisk Ltd. can introduce its software, the FleetRiskProfiler, which can help in the effective management of the transport system. Risk Frisk aimed to help organisations solve management problems and provide avenues for normal self-management. Before it makes its entry, the firm has to conduct a detailed study of the country that will touch on the risks, the causes of failures, possible costs, and find solutions for the problems. There are a number of transport firms operating in Nigeria in which Risk Frisk can conduct a joint venture in the implementation of the software FleetRiskProfiler. This paper used secondary research in acquiring data and information about Nigeria, ABC Transport, the local firm in which Risk Frisk Ltd. can conduct joint venture and other aspects of internationalisation and small-and-medium enterprises. Nigeria has many problems with its trans port system. Analyses of some lo

Single Sex School Essay Example for Free

Single Sex School Essay Segregated schools shoot up very rapidly around the world, furthermore, many sociologists and educationalists support that it is more beneficial for girls to study in a girls-only secondary school than in co-educational school. Actuallyï ¼Å'the disadvantages overweigh the advantages of choosing such schools. This essay will argue three disadvantages brought by single-sex school: poor socialization skills, skewed perception of gender roles and incorrect learning styles. To begin withï ¼Å'it is difficult for those who enter adult society after years of segregation to build meaningful friendships and even successful romantic relationships with opposite sex, according to the research published by Dr. Lynn Liben in 2011. Teenagers spend their formative years in the classroom developing skills that will help them maintain relationships throughout their lives. In addition, one of the chief aims of education is equip future citizens with all they require to take their places in adult society which is made up of male and female, it is clear that choosing single gender education is not a wise choice to access this purpose. Second, attending an all-girls school can teach female students a skewed perception of gender roles. On purpose, girls might avoid certain activities because those subjects are stereotypically too masculinized. Girls at a single-sex institution may ridicule each other for participating in activities like football or basketball. Female students can miss out on discovering new interests and talents by avoiding certain subjects altogether. Some Advocates of single-sex schools state that teachers can gear lessons toward a specific genders learning style. However, there is not enough research to prove that the learning styles of boys and girls differ enough to validate single-sex education. Also, not every boy and girl adheres to gender role stereotypes. Some girls are aggressive, and some boys are sensitive and shy. According to an article by Great Schools, gender-based learning styles prove ineffective and may even impair learning for students who dont fit the mold. In conclusion, girls in single sex schools might face disadvantages like poor socialization skills, skewed perception of gender roles and incorrect learning styles, so parents should be careful when they make decision of education style for their children.

An Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem 670 :: Emily Dickinson Poem 670 Essays

An Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Poem 670 Have you ever been scared by your own shadow? Or have you ever been walking home at night, and nothing unusual is happening, but you can't shake this feeling that some mass murderer is following close behind, waiting to strike? Maybe you are crazy. More likely, though, you become scared by thinking of old tales or stories, like all the people who have gone into the woods and mysteriously vanished without a trace. I knew one girl who saw The Blair Witch Project and had to sleep with all the lights and the TV on that night, and still to this day won't go traipsing into the woods. Emily Dickinson dealt a lot with the notion of us being more scared of ourselves than of our surroundings. This was from one of her more serious stages, unlike "Do" and "Autumn Rhapsody" (see the parodies here). "The Brain has Corridors-surpassing / Material Place-" Not too many people would rather meet a ghost than be within their own minds, but Dickinson challenges that notion, throwing out the idea that the thought or anticipation of a terrible event is much worse than the actual thing, like people who are afraid of needles. Most people, if you talk to them, will say they dread going to get a shot. Of course, if you approach them right as they come out of the doctor's office, they'll say it wasn't bad at all. Of course, they may be lying to save face. (A good way to tell is to look at their arm: if it looks okay, then they're telling the truth; if it has turned seven shades of blue and has swollen to the size of their neck, then they just got a tetanus shot and are bluffin g about it not hurting.) But who is "I"? Who is "ourself"? The question in itself seems quite simple, but is it? It's an interesting point that she raises, specifically within the phrase, "Ourself behind ourself, concealed-" Do we really know ourselves? How can we be behind ourselves? How many vague, rhetorical questions can I ask? Too many, obviously. Anyway, after some thought, I decided that Dickinson here is probably referring to the part of ourselves that we'd rather not know, or maybe a part of ourselves that we don't know just because we can't see it.

Roswell Crash Government Coverup :: essays research papers

Phenomena of the Roswell crash in 1947 July 8, is one the most famous incidences in our time, the reason we have computers, mobile phones, night vision goggles and Kevlar armor. All this was made possible within one year of the Roswell crash. Roswell crash was covered up for more than 30 years. Then, in 1978, ufologist Stanton T. Friedman restarted the investigation behind the Roswell crash. From what he fond out about the crash showed us that the governments' cover-up was a fraud and we have all the proof we need. In the Roswell cover-up they stated that the debris they found was parts of a weather balloon. A year later they confessed that they lied about the weather balloon and that the debris was part of a secret government project called ?Project Mogul? which was planed to spy on the Russians just in case of a nuclear attack and that they had to cover-up for the security of the nation. The ?Project Mogul? could not be part of a secret government project that cost the government more than $5 million dollars. The project it self looks like someone put together a big balloon kite thing from household things, and our reports also mention 3 people confirming that the RAAF (Roswell Army Air Field) got instructions to bribe some soldiers to pretend that they were part of the construction of the ?Project Mogul?. Even fake files have been made to prove it. In total RAAF bribed 10 people (entire ?Project Mogul? staff was composed of only 10 people) but 3 people mysteriously disappeared, 2 people were shot dead proclaimed for going AWOL, 2 more people still refusing to cooperate from the fear of what the RAAF might do to them and only 3 cooperated knowing they would die from natural causes, so they confirmed that there was a UFO and some of the 500 first hand witnesses said that they saw ?little people? on the crash sight. The government said that the ?little people? were not people, or in that case aliens, but test dummies from ? Roswell Crash Government Coverup :: essays research papers Phenomena of the Roswell crash in 1947 July 8, is one the most famous incidences in our time, the reason we have computers, mobile phones, night vision goggles and Kevlar armor. All this was made possible within one year of the Roswell crash. Roswell crash was covered up for more than 30 years. Then, in 1978, ufologist Stanton T. Friedman restarted the investigation behind the Roswell crash. From what he fond out about the crash showed us that the governments' cover-up was a fraud and we have all the proof we need. In the Roswell cover-up they stated that the debris they found was parts of a weather balloon. A year later they confessed that they lied about the weather balloon and that the debris was part of a secret government project called ?Project Mogul? which was planed to spy on the Russians just in case of a nuclear attack and that they had to cover-up for the security of the nation. The ?Project Mogul? could not be part of a secret government project that cost the government more than $5 million dollars. The project it self looks like someone put together a big balloon kite thing from household things, and our reports also mention 3 people confirming that the RAAF (Roswell Army Air Field) got instructions to bribe some soldiers to pretend that they were part of the construction of the ?Project Mogul?. Even fake files have been made to prove it. In total RAAF bribed 10 people (entire ?Project Mogul? staff was composed of only 10 people) but 3 people mysteriously disappeared, 2 people were shot dead proclaimed for going AWOL, 2 more people still refusing to cooperate from the fear of what the RAAF might do to them and only 3 cooperated knowing they would die from natural causes, so they confirmed that there was a UFO and some of the 500 first hand witnesses said that they saw ?little people? on the crash sight. The government said that the ?little people? were not people, or in that case aliens, but test dummies from ?

Psychology and Motivation Essay

What are some of the limitations of traditional approaches to motivation? Discuss this question, referring to at least three specific management theories and considering the historical context in which these ideas were developed or adopted. Motivation in general refers to the result of behavioral changes in reaction to internal or external stimuli. Analysis can be done at the individual psychological level too. The studies attempt to understand people’s behaviour and come up with general conclusions from individual cases. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009) Some classified motivation as either a product or a process (Winne & Marx, 1989). In viewpoint as a product, motivation refers to willingness, desire, or condition of stimulation. On the other hand, it can also be known as the cognitive and affective processes where level of motivation or goal-directed behaviour is determined (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). From this viewpoint, motivation refers not just to an end state, but also to the cognitive processes that control how the end state is achieved (Winne & Marx, 1989). This perceptive contradicts with the hypothesis to which one relates motivation with achievement or performance (Alexander & Winne, 2006). Numerous theories have been made on motivation. Some of the traditional approaches from most quoted theorists would be the classic theory from Frederick W. Taylor and the traditional motive approach pioneered by Henry Murray. Taylor advocated the theory that people will be extremely motivated if their reward is tied directly to performance. It creates assumption that one would choose the path that is most financially profitable and that money is the best motivation. Studies have shown that financial opportunity can definitely result in improvements especially in jobs with lower socio-economic rankings. It cannot be denied that money can motivate most people, but many have risen above it. Example would be religious missionaries, whereby they renounced financial security for greater spiritual satisfaction (Lorenzana, 1993). Murray’s work contributed most to the roots of the achievement motive tradition. Summarizing from his classic work, Explorations in Personality, he uses the concept of need, to explain motivation in two district senses. First, when  one is in a state of need, fulfilling end situations usually come to mind, resulting in one experiencing a sense of desire or wish. Desire will lead to intention and purpose and subsequently to strivings. Whereas the bulk of Murray’s theoretical attention focused on needs as motivational processes, he also used the term need to describe individual differences in hidden nature. In the second sense, a need indicates a potentiality or readiness to respond toward a particular end under particular stimulus conditions. The needs account for majority of motivated behaviour. Viscerogenic needs such as need for food that involves bodily tensions and satisfactions, and psychogenic need such as need for affiliation that involve psychological tensions and satisfactions are directly link to the achievement area. The first is the need of achievement, which he defined as the desire to accomplish something difficult; to excel one self and to surpass others, to increase self-regard by successful exercise of talent. The second is the need for in avoidance, defined as the desire to avoid humiliation, quit embarrassing situations or to avoid conditions which may lead to belittlement. Although for subsequent motivation researchers, Murray’s need proved too numerous and too broadly defined, his influence in the development of the field is unmistakable (Efklides, Kuhl & Sorrentino, 2001). The research and finding of Frederick Herzberg and Abraham H. Maslow is the basis of much of the work in the field of human motivation. In Year 1941, Maslow witnessed a pathetic and beggarly civilian parade, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, thereafter; Maslow developed his theories of motivation through observation by distinguishing the two types of motives: deficiency motives and growth motives. The previous involve drive reduction and filling an internal lack, while the latter correspond to a higher level of functioning, including pleasurable tension increases and fulfilling one’s unique potential (Ewan, 2003). Building on Murray’s work, Maslow form one of the most well recognized theories of motivation. He identified that there is a hierarchical relationship between the different needs that one have and the basic needs have to be met before the higher level of needs can act as behavioural motivators. The hierarchy of needs from the lowest to highest is: physiological (physical survival) needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem needs and self-actualization needs (Maslow, 1943) (Refer to Appendix 1). However, there were limitations to the hierarchy of  needs model. In reality, people do not work necessarily in accordance to the levels. They are less structuralizing in satisfying their needs. Many can overcome some needs not being met and go on to higher level. Different people with different cultural backgrounds and in different situations may have different hierarchies of needs too. Furthermore, his theory is almost non-testable. The concept is rather vague with many important questions unanswered such as all the needs to be included in each category. Although Maslow clearly states the characteristics of the self-actualizing individual, he has chosen these features primarily on his own subjective judgment using little objective statistical analysis. And due to the limitations, his perspective generated very little experimental research (Carducci, 2009). Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation was based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. (Hollway, 1991) In a research conducted by Herzberg and his associates on 200 engineers and accountants, they identified two groups of factors which give explanation on motivation known as the hygiene factor (job context) and motivator factor (job content). The hygiene factor consisted environmental factors such as salary, supervision, status, job security, working conditions, company policy and administration and interpersonal relations. They named this as hygiene factors as it aids to remove potential cause of dissatisfaction in job situation. Although these factors will not motivate people, they must, however, be present or dissatisfaction will arise. In the other group of factors, Herzberg and his associates revealed what they considered to be real motivators or â€Å"satisfiers.† These factors include the work itself, recognition, and advancement, the possibility of growth, responsibility and achievement (Lorenzana, 1993) (Refer to Appendix 2). In short, hygiene factors allow one to satisfy basic needs and avoid pain, while motivators reflect people’s need for esteem and self-fulfillment (Sargent, 1990). Herzberg’s were criticized by some researchers as the theory was largely based on research with accountants and engineers, so the findings may not apply to shop-floor employees or clerical staff (Sargent, 1990). The age group, gender, job scope and other significant factors might be overlooked in conducting the research. Besides, salary might be one of the motivation factors too, not just to settle dissatisfaction. One prominent attempt to show the connection between different models of motivation and managerial practice was made by  Douglas McGregor in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960). He wrote in his book that â€Å"Man is a wanting animal – as soon as one of his needs is satisfied, another appear in its place.† McGregor was greatly impacted by Maslow, building on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs framework, he came up with two sets of assumptions about people: Theory X and Theory Y. He strongly believed that effective leadership depends on mana gement assumptions about the nature of management and people in general (Sargent, 1990) Theory X stress that the average mankind is naturally lazy, dislike work of any kind and will avoid it whenever possible. One has no ambition and prefers to be led rather than lead and take responsibility. One can be self-centred and unconcerned to the needs of the organization. Moreover, he is gullible and not particularly bright or judicious. Worst, he is resistant to change. They need a mixture of carrot and stick to perform (Lorenzana, 1993) (Refer to appendix 3). Theory Y, on the other hand, defend that the average mankind is not laid-back, nor is he without urge to assume responsibility. He can be self-motivated, and find self-satisfaction in work if the right kind of environment is provided by managers. They are people not by nature passive or resistant to organizational needs (Lorenzana, 1993). One weakness of Theory X is that it exercises a form of social control characterized by strict obedience to the authority of the organization, and maintenance and enforcement of contro l through the employ of oppressive dealings including intimation and mockery of employees. Theory X and Theory Y could hardly be applied as perfect models in the real world. It cannot be accepted too literally due to the dichotomy of unrealistic extremes (Stevens, 2009). Back to where I started from, a more philosophical direction can be used to approach motivation as some theorists see motivation as a much more positive experience. Motivation itself can form behaviours that lead to increases in future motivation. Maslow’s concept of self-actualization could be applied within this framework (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009). Many theorists build on one another theory in aspiration to come up with a more comprehensive approach to motivation, as well as through the research of psychology and behaviour of one. Though there might be limitations to each theory, they are still vastly used by the modern organization, usually a mixed choices of theories. Substantial improvements in the effectiveness should be seen as the social science will continue to contribute to the devel opment of  motivation. Physiological Needs Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they are alleviated, we may think about other things. Safety Needs Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We need the security of a home and family. However, if a family is dysfunctional, family members cannot move to the next level because they have safety concerns. Love and belongingness have to wait until they are no longer in fear. Many in our society cry out for law and order because they do not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their neighbourhood. Unfortunately many people, particularly those in the inner cities, are stuck at this level. Need to Belong Love and sense of belonging are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performers appreciate applause. We need to be needed. We see numerous examples in advertising where our need for group belonging is tied to consumption of a particular product. Esteem Needs There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem which results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there’s the attention and recognition that comes from others. This is similar to the sense of belonging level; however, wanting admiration has to do with the need for power. People, who have all of their lower needs satisfied, often drive very  expensive cars because doing so raises their level of esteem. Self-Actualization The need for self-actualisations is â€Å"the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.† People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, aesthetic experiences, self-fulfilment, and oneness with God etc. It is usually middle-class to upper-class students who take up environmental causes, go off to a monastery, etc. (Maslow, 1970) Appendix 2: There are two classes of factors that influence employee motivation; intrinsic factors and the extrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors were also called the motivator factors and were related to job satisfaction. The extrinsic factors were called hygiene factors and were related to job dissatisfaction. Motivators (intrinsic factors) led to job satisfaction because of a need for growth and self actualization, and hygiene (extrinsic) factors led to job dissatisfaction because of a need to avoid unpleasantness. The negative or positive KITA or â€Å"kick in the ass† approach to employee motivation yields short- range results, but rarely generates any actual motivation. In fact, to call it an â€Å"approach to motivation† is to clearly misunderstand motivation as Herzberg understood it. KITA yields movement — the avoidance of pain — not motivation. Positive KITA, in the form of raises and incentives reduces time spent at work, inflates wages and benefits, and overemphasizes human relations. K-I-T-A techniques fail to instill self-generating motivation in workers. Job content factors, such as achievement and responsibility, are motivators, while job environment factors are hygiene or KITA factors. Motivators are the key to satisfaction. (F. Herzberg, ‘Management Review, 1971, pp. 2-5) Appendix 3: Theory X Theory X’s hard-line approach is grounded in coercion, implicit threats and intimation, close supervision, and tight command and control. Such an  approach typically results in hostility, purposely low output, and hard-line union demands. In contrast, a softer approach might produce an ever-increasing request for more rewards and ever decreasing work output. References Alexender, P.A, Winne, P.H 2006, Handbook of Educational Psychology (2nd ed.), Lawrance Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah: New Jersey, USA Carducci, B.J 2009, The Psychology of Personality, 2nd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, UK Efklides, A, Kuhl, J & Sorrentino, R.M 2001, Trends and Prospects in Motivation Research, Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands Ewan, R.B 2003, An Introduction to Theories of Personality, 6th ed., Lawrance Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah: New Jersey, USA Hollway, W 2001, Work Psychology and Organizational Behaviour: Managing the Individual at Work, SAGE Publications Ltd, London Lorenzana, C.C 1993, Management Theory And Practice, Rex Printing Company, Inc., Florentino St. Quezon City, Philippines Maslow, A.H 1970, Motivation and Personality, Harper and Row, New York Maslow, A.H 1943, A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, Vol.50 â€Å"Motivation.†, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica, viewed on 21Sep 2009, . Pintrich, P.R, & Schunk, D.H 2002, Motivation in education Theory research, and application, 2nd ed., Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River: New Jersey, USA Sargent, A 1990, Turning People On: The Motivation Challenge, Short Run Press Ltd, Great Britain Stevens, D.J 2009, An Introduction to American Policing, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC, USA Winne, P & Marx, R 1989, A Cognitive-processing Analysis of Motivation with Classroom Tasks, In C.Ames R.Ames (EDs.) Research on motivation in education (Vol 3.), FL Academic Press, Orlando

Roman Architecture Essays - Religious Architecture, Free Essays

Roman Architecture Essays - Religious Architecture, Free Essays Roman Architecture The architectural style of Rome was firmly rooted in the Hellenistic traditions. However, Roman architecture is probably more accurately reflected in the development of new engineering skills and secular monuments than the ideas of gods and perfection that birthed the Greek architecture. They introduced not only new ways to construct a more efficient building but also a entirely different purpose for the building to be built. While still holding the beauty that was so masterfully achieved by the Greek culture and adding their own practically and ingenuity, the Romans developed an architectural style that remains to this day. The Greeks people had a very good reason, in their minds, to build a beautiful piece of architecture; the worship of gods. Most all of the examples of Greek architecture that we know of today were temples. The gods were the driving force behind any major architecture of the Hellenistic period. This is not true of the Roman culture. Though the Romans did build temples to their gods, the Roman style was more predominantly seen in public dwellings and social gathering areas, such as basilicas and forums, than in their temples. In fact, a majority of the temples that the Romans built were nothing more than copies of Greek temples, with the exception of the domed Pantheon that will be discussed later. Also, the Romans included their emperors in the temples along with the gods and sometimes the temple was just for the emperor himself. Another major difference between Greek and Roman architecture was the purpose behind the building. Greek architecture was meant to be viewed as a piece of art work that was dedicated to the gods. This is easy to see from the ornateness of the outside of the building with the pediments and metopes and the rather drabness of the inside with the exception of the friezes. The Greek designed it as a sculpture in a sense, with all of the beauty to be viewed from the outside. This way of thinking is turned completely around in the Roman architectural style. Although the Roman building are beautiful on the outside, the true art lies on the inside with the many-colored walls and paintings that gave a sense of depth to the room. Also, the Roman architect was concerned with the lighting of the room so that the interior decorations could be seen clearly. These things were important to the Romans because their buildings were meant to be gathering places for the public. The basilica was one such of these types of buildings that was intended to be a gathering place for Romans citizens to hold meeting and perhaps even courts. Bathhouses and market places know as forums are yet other examples of the types of building that the Romans focused on making pleasing to the eye on the inside rather than the outside. Not only did the Romans differ on why to build a building but they also made drastic differences on how to build it. The Greeks used what is know as a post and lintel system of designing a building. This is basically the idea of standing to columns up and placing a beam across them. A very simple and easy construction but on the other hand not a very strong one. As the Roman civilization grew larger and larger the buildings they used for meetings and markets of course had to grow too. This presented a problem with the use of columns, because the big the building, the more columns needed to hold it up. Thus the Romans turned to engineering for the solution and the arch was born. By using arches instead of columns and beams, the weight of the structure was spread evenly out and toward the ground rather than directly down on the beam. This increased the amount of weight that could be supported in a single area and thus giving more room on the inside by taking away previously necessary columns, though they did keep some around for decoration. This invention of course changed the mindset on the construction of regular building that would have relied of columns, but it also was a stepping stone to another invention. The dome is nothing more than a network of arches that form an enclosed building. This is the theory that created the Pantheon, a circular dome that was the temple to the gods. It is one of the first of its kind and has stood for thousands of years while other building designed

Many Types of Drop-In Fuels

Many Types of Drop-In Fuels These days, it’s hard to find an organic material that isn’t being positioned as the next great alternative energy source. Rising to the top of the list are biofuels known as so-called â€Å"drop in† fuels – those renewable sources that can be used without major investment in infrastructure in the U.S. where storage and distribution has long catered to petroleum. That current investment in infrastructure isn’t small potatoes. There is about $7 billion in pipeline expenditures alone each and every year. Defining Drop-in Fuels What defines a drop-in fuel? The alternative fuels industry itself isn’t exactly clear, with some defining it broadly to mean any renewable fuel making use of at least some of the costly existing petroleum infrastructure. Others have taken a more narrowed approach. One of the most popular definitions is that drop-in fuels are those renewable fuels which can be blended with petroleum products, such as gasoline, and utilized in the current infrastructure of pumps, pipelines and other existing equipment.    Under such a definition, a biofuel would require some percentage of gasoline blender , derived from unique gasoline stocks, to form the fuel’s base. Examples of drop-in fuels defined in this way include the terpenes, butanol and isoprene, among other. Often, the technology is applied to diesel fuel, forming a biodiesel, rather than to gasoline. There are even some next-generation biofuels proponents who are developing mixtures of chemicals to form a biofuel without the gasoline or diesel base. Algae Most Common Drop-in Fuel With well over 50 companies investing in the development of algae as a biofuel, the little green plant reigns supreme among drop-in fuels. Yet, despite this general interest, most biofuels experts agree that at least another decade of research and technological breakthroughs will be necessary before this drop-in fuel is deemed commercially viable. That’s a long- and costly- trail ahead. As with most drop-in fuels, the challenges come in moving the technology from the lab to full-scale commercial production. An additional challenge with algae specifically has been the wide variance among algae and the extensive processing necessary. Butanol Also Sees Growth But algae isn’t the only show in town. Last year, a leading biobutanol company, Gevo, announced plans to acquire ethanol facilities in the Midwest and convert them to commercial production of the drop-in fuel isobutanol, also known as isobutyl alcohol.    The move was seen by industry players as a step forward in the development of butanol as an alternative drop-in fuel, with the company hoping to begin isobutanol production by 2012. Although able to make use of existing infrastructure, unlike algae, there is some concern over potential safety threats. Vapors can travel long distances and collect in low-lying areas to form an explosion hazard. However, its proponents are quick to point out the biofuel’s many fuel and chemical applications make it an attractive venture. Big player DuPont has also tested the waters of biobutanol as a drop-in fuel and plans to likewise rely on existing under-utilized ethanol capacity and conventional feedstocks as it gets its operations off the ground. The investment to retrofit existing ethanol facilities is more economical than building new structures and require only minor changes to the fermentation and distillation processes. Broadening Portfolios DuPont says it plans to follow a multi-step approach to drop-in fuel development, first focusing on n-butyl alcohol and conventional feedstocks before moving on to other drop-in fuels like isobutanol as well as non-feed crops, such as cellulosic feedstocks.    Yet another company, ButylFuel, LLC, has gone on record as having said it has now developed fermentation-derived biobutanol at a cost that is competitive with petroleum products. Its drop-in fuel can be blended at a variety of percentages with gasoline or diesel fuels. How competitive? The company claims it can produce its drop-in fuel from corn for about $1.20 per gallon. Like algae players who are benefiting not only from algae as a drop-in fuel, but from the many byproducts as well, research and development in other drop-in fuels sectors are looking at diverse portfolios of products, causing some to characterize this next generation of alternative fuels as a means to produce hydrocarbon blend stock that can have a multitude of applications.

Can Culture Be a Hurdle to Conflict Resolution

Can Culture Be a Hurdle to Conflict Resolution Introduction According to Tidwell (2001), conflicts are bound to occur in the course of individuals interacting with each other. As a result, various strategies and techniques that are aimed at dealing with such conflicts have been developed. Bargaining and negotiation are some of the conflict resolution techniques that have been developed. The objective of these techniques is to minimise the negative consequences that may arise from such conflicts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Can Culture Be a Hurdle to Conflict Resolution? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bercovitch and Jackson (2009) define conflict resolution to include the various formal and informal activities that are undertaken by parties involved conflict to limit the negative effects associated with conflicts. Some of the elements that identify individuals’ commitment to resolve conflicts include treaties, agreements, and handshakes amongst others . Negotiation is ranked as one of the most widely used methods of resolving conflicts in the international environment. Despite individuals’ commitment to resolve conflicts, negotiations may fail. There are numerous reasons that have been advanced to explain why negotiation processes fail. One of these reasons relate to existence of cultural differences. According to Avruch (1998), ‘culture is ranked as one of the most important features of all human societies, and potentially an aspect of all social relationships’ (p.24). Avruch (1998) further asserts that culture is one of the main barriers in resolving conflicts. The effects of culture are mainly evident in resolving conflicts within the international context. The objective of this paper is to evaluate how culture hinders conflict resolution. The two main aspects which have been analysed in the paper relates to communication and the decision making process. Additionally, the paper also evaluates how culture ca n be dealt with in order to enhance conflict resolution across cultures. Definition of culture Culture refers to beliefs, values and norms that are shared by a particular group of individuals. Carey (2006) asserts that culture can be defined to include a field of shared meanings. Culture provides individuals with a sense of identity. Understanding the prevailing cultural differences amongst individuals or parties involved in a conflict is essential in resolving conflicts. This arises from the fact that such understanding gives the parties charged with the responsibility of resolving conflicts an idea on the most effective conflict resolution framework to adopt. Carey (2006) further opines that culture has significant influence on the nature of relationship developed between parties involved in a conflict.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The relationship between cultur e and conflict The importance of cultural influences varies from one context to another. In the process of resolving conflicts, it is important for the involved parties such as the negotiators to understand the prevailing culture. This arises from the fact that misunderstanding cultural differences may lead to stereotyping, development of negative projection hence generating conflicts. Moreover, it is paramount for the parties involved in a conflict to possess adequate interactive experiences that will enable them mutual relationships. Tidwell (2001) asserts that violating cultural expectations in the process of resolving conflicts increases the intensity of conflict. According to LeBaron (2003), a strong and positive correlation exists between culture and conflict. Despite the high degree of correlation between culture and conflict, conflict resolution scholars have over the years ignored culture as one of the dimensions in conflict management. Culture is strongly associated with c onflicts. This arises from the fact that conflicts arise from interpersonal relationships. According to Ferraro (2008), culture has an impact on the way we attempt to resolve conflicts. Consequently, one can assert that culture is a key component in conflict resolution. Some of the conflicts that are evident in the modern society such as the Indian-Pakistan and the Palestinian-Israel conflicts are not only about independence and territorial boundaries. However, they portray deep cultural issues such as representation, acknowledgement and representation. Samovar, Porter and McDaniel (2012) asserts that culture cannot be separated from conflict despite the fact that it is not itself a cause of conflict. In conflicting situations, culture shapes individuals’ behaviours, attitudes and perceptions. The high rate of ethnic and religious conflicts being experienced in the 21st century has made culture to be considered as one of the key dimensions in conflict management (Bercovitch Jackson). Culture plays a critical role in the bargaining and negotiation processes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Can Culture Be a Hurdle to Conflict Resolution? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, it is important for negotiators to be sensitive to cultural meanings and symbols. According to Bercovitch and Jackson (2009), culture may act as a resource in resolving conflicts hence promoting peace. Conversely; culture may act as a barrier thus hindering achievement of a negotiated agreement. Analysis of how culture hinders conflict resolution Culture limits the communication process Considering the role of culture in the process of resolving conflicts, it is important to integrate the most effective response plans. One of the aspects that have to be taken into account in conflict resolution relates to effective communication. However, Samovar, Porter and McDaniel (2009) are of the opinion that culture may hinder conflict resolution by limiting effective communication. According to Jacoby (2007), managing conflicts across different cultures is a challenging task. This arises from the prevailing differences with regard to level of thinking, behaviour and language. Parties involved in the mediation process may not understand the feelings of the parties to the conflict. This may lead to creation of confusion amongst the mediators. Conflict resolution is only possible through an effective interpersonal communication process (West Turner 2011). To achieve this, parties charged with the responsibility of resolving conflicts must develop adequate cultural fluency. One of the ways through which they can achieve this is by familiarising themselves with the involved cultures’ communication processes, identities, meanings and roles. This will aid in minimising conflicts. In order to understand cultural differences, it is important to take into account four main components which include; Antic ipatory capability Expressive capacity Embeddedness Navigational capacity Anticipatory capacity refers to the process of being conversant with how culture shapes ‘common sense’. On the other hand, embeddedness entails appreciating the deep-rooted cultural assumptions while expressive capacity refers to the process of developing empathy towards other peoples’ feelings. Finally, navigation capacity entails developing a synergistic collaboration between individuals or parties involved in a conflict.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are numerous theories that have been developed to explain the relationship between culture and communication. One of these theories in the speech codes theory (Koontz Weihrich 2010). The theory asserts that interpersonal communication is dependent on the effectiveness with which the parties involved understand the prevailing norms, values and meanings. Additionally, the theory also postulates that culture shapes communication. According Earley and Ang (2003), speech code is composed of a system of rules, regulations, assumptions and symbols that are integrated in the communication process so as to generate meaning. The theory further asserts that people develop speech codes by interacting in various situations. The meanings generated through such interactions are both flexible and complex. Additionally, the speech codes created varies across situations and can result in development of diverse meanings (Singh, Jain Shakla 2010). In addition to the above relationship, communic ation reflects culture. This is evidenced by the fact that speech codes are developed from culture and form the foundation for the communication process. Rahim (2011) asserts that ‘because contexts affect the meaning of communication behaviours, different cultures have distinct speech codes’ (p. 50). Culture may hinder effective communication in the negotiation process. Tidwell (2001) asserts that effective communication must be ensured in the process of resolving conflicts. This means that conflict resolution process cannot proceed in the absence of effective communication (Tidwell 2001). Communication affects the conflict resolution process through three main ways. First, it influences the degree of collaboration between parties involved in a conflict. This occurs through the coordination that is developed between the parties involved. Poor coordination may result in failure of the negotiation processes (Mohammed White 2008). Despite the negotiation process being a d ifficult undertaking, it can be made possible by persuading the involved parties to collaborate. This is only possible if effective communication is integrated. Finally, the will to resolve conflict is in most cases created and nurtured via effective communication. Despite this, culture can hinder communication in a number of ways. First, culture limits the effectiveness of symbolisation and development of a world view (Carey 2006). Symbols have varied meanings across cultures. As a result, it is important for the parties involved to understand the meaning of symbols. Symbols are also used in communicating and perpetuating self-other-world conceptions and identities across generations. For example, North Americans may relate the Nazi Swastika symbol with Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust and concentration camps. Despite the fact that culture is comprised of shared meanings which are evidenced through symbols, some cultures may interpret certain symbols differently. Therefore, communicatin g across culture is a very challenging task (Koutoukidis 2013). This arises from the fact that each culture is characterised by unique symbols, rules and regulations which have to be respected and effectively interpreted in order to derive the correct meaning. Cultural differences may also result in creation of various forms of cultural biases which may hinder the communication process. According to LeBaron (2003), what appears to be common and right in one culture may be wrong and counterintuitive in another. LeBaron (2003) further asserts that cultural differences also influence the communication process through the choice of the communication medium. Some countries are characterised by a high-context culture while others are characterised by a low-context culture. High-context cultures are mainly evident in Central European countries, Africa, America, India, Asia and the Latin American countries. The communication process in such cultures is mainly based on the prevailing context . This means that the message is not specified. However, the parties involved in the communication process are required to interpret and filter the meaning of the message communicated. This is attained by analysing the physical setting, analysing shared meanings, and evaluating how the message is communicated (LeBaron 2003). LeBaron (2003) further asserts that meanings vary from one culture to another. Failure to appreciate the fact individuals’ associate different aspects with different meanings may lead to disagreements which might escalate into conflicts. As a result, the target audience has the responsibility of interpreting the message by reading between-the-lines. In such cultures, effective interpretation of non-verbal signals is paramount in comprehending the intended message. One of the major hindrances to communication with regard to high-context cultures is that it is subject to miscommunication. This arises that most of the intended message may not be adequately c ommunicated using non-verbal features and symbols (Bosma 2007). On the other hand, low-context communication is mainly evident in English and German speaking countries. Low-context culture stresses on the communication process being more direct or explicit. Subsequently, verbal communication forms the basis of communication in low-context cultures. Low-context communication is very effective in eliminating possible misunderstandings. However, one of the major limitations of low-context communication is that its confrontational nature may lead to escalation of conflict. Influence of culture in the decision making process Ramirez (2010) asserts that effective decision making is paramount in resolving conflicts. However, the decision making process in conflict situations is influenced by culture. This is well illustrated in low-context and high-context cultures. For example, in low-context cultures, the decision making process is mainly based on a factual-inductive style. Additionally, the decision making process in low-context cultures is less confrontational compared to high-context cultures. Cultural differences between low-context and high-context cultures impact the effectiveness of communication between subordinates and their superiors. This has the effect of affecting the relationship that is developed between parties involved in a conflict. How to deal with culture in the process of resolving conflicts In the process of resolving conflicts, it is fundamental for the parties involved to appreciate the prevailing cultural diversity. One of the ways through which this can be attained is by developing a comprehensive understanding of the individuals’ cultural traits, behaviours and ideas. According to Bercovitch and Jackson (2009), understanding these aspects plays a critical role in the decision making process. As a result, exploring the basic cultural aspects and assumptions is essential and should not be taken for granted. In order to develop a comp rehensive understanding of another parties’ culture, negotiators should evaluate various aspects such as their artefacts, symbols and signs. These elements play an important role in communicating cultural meanings. Negotiators should also invest in mechanisms that will enable them understand their counterparts’ communication styles. Bercovitch and Jackson (2009) are of the opinion that analysing the communication styles is important in developing a comprehensive understanding of cultural differences such as the non-verbal communication cues. Moreover, an analysis of social norms, timeliness, attitudes, shared values, rules and assumptions is also important in dealing with cultural differences (Bercovitch Jackson 2009). Conclusion The above analysis reveals that culture is a key component in the process of resolving conflicts. This has been achieved by illustrating the correlation between culture and conflict. A review of previous studies reveal that conflicts emanate from human relationships which is based on the culture developed. From the analysis, it is evident that culture can hinder the process of resolving conflicts through two main avenues. The first avenue relates to hindering communication which is one of the essential elements in resolving conflicts. Effective communication is essential in resolving conflicts in that it contributes towards development of a high level of coordination amongst the parties involved. However, culture may limit the degree of coordination between mediators and the parties involved in the conflict. The situation is made worse if the parties involved belong to diverse cultural backgrounds such as ethnic group, religion, level of understanding with regard to values, meanings, norms and behaviours. Failure to develop effective coordination amongst conflicting parties may lead to failure of the entire negotiation process. This highlights the importance of ensuring that effective coordination amongst the involved p arties. The paper has also reveals that conflict resolution can also be affected by the prevailing cultural differences with regard to communication. For example, some cultures are characterised by high-context communication while others are characterised by low-context communication. Such cultural variations may limit communication due to differences with regard to how the intended message is communicated and interpreted. Additionally, culture also hinders conflict resolution by influencing the decision making process. Different cultures have adopted diverse decision making processes. Such difference affect the relationship between the parties involved and hence the effectiveness of the process. To attain effectiveness in resolving conflicts across cultures, it is important for the parties involved to undertake a comprehensive cultural analysis. One of the aspects that mediators should focus on includes developing cultural fluency. In order to achieve this, mediators should concent rate on developing a high level of anticipatory capability, expressive capability, embeddedness and navigation capability. By focusing on these aspects, the likelihood of achieving a positive outcome in the conflict resolution process will be increased. This arises from the fact that all the parties involved will understand and appreciate the involved parties’ cultural differences with regard to communication processes, identities, meanings and roles hence taming conflicts. In summary, one can assert that culture should be considered as one of the most important elements in the process of resolving conflicts. Additionally, a high level of cultural awareness should be ensured when resolving conflicts across diverse cultures. Reference List Avruch, K 1998, Culture and conflict resolution, United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington, DC. Bercovitch, J Jackson, R 2009, Conflict resolution in the twenty first century: principles, methods and approaches, University of Michi gan Press, Ann Arbor. Bosma, T 2007, Effective leadership practices in cross-cultural conflict resolution; a qualitative study, ProQuest, New York. Carey, W 2006, New developments in combustion research, Nova Science Publishers, New York. Earley, P Ang S 2003, Cultural intelligence: individual interactions across cultures, Stanford Business Books, Stanford. Ferraro, G 2008, Cultural anthropology, Thomson, Belmont, CA. Jacoby, T 2007, Understanding conflicts and violence: theory and theory interdisciplinary approaches, Routledge, New York. Koontz, H Weihrich, H 2010, Essential of management: an international perspective, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Koutoukidis, G 2013, Tabbner’s nursing care: theory and practice, Churchill Livingstone, Chatswood, N.S.W. LeBaron, M 2003, Culture and conflict. Web. Mohammed, U White, G 2008, ‘Culture and conflict management; style of international project managers’, International Journal of Business and Management, vol. 3, no.5, pp. 1-9. Rahim, M 2011, Managing conflicts in organisations, Transaction, New Brunswick. Ramirez, A 2010, ‘Impact of cultural intelligence level on conflict resolution ability: a conceptual model and research proposal’, Emerging Leadership Journeys, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 42-56. Samovar, L, Porter, R McDaniel, E 2009, Communication between cultures, Cengage Learning, London. Samovar, L, Porter, R McDaniel, E 2012, Intercultural communication: a reader, Wadsworth Cengage, Boston. Singh, A, Jain, S Shakla, A 2010, ‘Cross cultural conflict resolution styles; an extensive literature review’, Asian Journal Of Management Research, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 130-147. Tidwell, A 2001, Conflict resolved; a critical assessment of conflict resolution, Continuum, London. West, R Turner, H 2011, Understanding interpersonal communication: making choices in changing times, Wadsworth, Boston.

External Environmental Scanning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

External Environmental Scanning - Essay Example Thus the wider objectives of army face six major macro environmental factors which need to be analyzed for threats and opportunities for effective outcome. They are: social; technological; economic; ecological; political; and industry trend. The primarily objective of the army is to inculcate sense of security amongst the citizens, wherever they are operating. Thus the knowledge of the socio cultural environment of the region becomes the most important issue that can be turned into an opportunity to gain confidence of the people and instill confidence. The advancing technology has been a boon as well as a bane for current generation. While it has greatly facilitated communication and has considerably increased the military capabilities of the army, it has also become a powerful tool for the terrorists to threaten the world at large. Thus the potential of technology needs to be exploited judiciously to gain leverage against the enemy. It is a very important factor because the market is driven by the demand and supply that is mainly dependent on the buying capacity of the consumers. The recession has placed huge financial burden on the nation’s economy and the army needs to be prepared to reduce its expenditure by promoting peace talks rather than military interventions that escalate the expenses. The fast depletion of natural resources and worsening environment brought about by the advancing technology has become a great concern for the environmentalist and people at large. The deteriorating environmental conditions have resulted in rapid climate change and natural disasters like global warming, tsunami, hurricanes like Katrina etc. The army must reduce its arms and promote environmental paradigms and help make the world a better place for the future generations. They are the socio-political environment within which the army has to operate and broadly comprise

English 305 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English 305 - Essay Example al. 67). Broadly, the types of criminal activities handled by the Wood vale sub-federal police department include the following; robbery with violence, domestic violence, carjacking and pick pocketing among other petty criminal offenses. Robbery with violence was rampant with 34% reported cases in the first quarter of the year in the months of January through to march. In the criminal investigating department, this was due to police departments’ leniency in the first quarter months to tackle robbery with violence criminal activities. In the second quarter in the months of March through to June, the robbery with violence cases reduced to 17% (Conser et. al. 91). This was because of stringent rules and regulations by the police department, which were aimed at reducing this criminal act. Domestic violence was also at a higher percentage at the beginning of the year. This, however, has reduced in the second quarter due to the adoption of the community policing policies. Psychologically and socially, the domestic violence criminal activities are more inclined towards the communities’ policing hence it was a good idea for the police department to take part in the community related criminal control mechanisms . Carjacking criminal activities have reduced from 54% to 30% while pick pocketing has reduced from 43 to 22 percent. The Woodvale groove region is a place in the woodlands thus most of the car robbery incidences are often carried out in this region. The inaccessibility nature of this area perhaps makes it easier for the car robbers to maneuvre their way into the woodlands. As the police department, over the second quarter of the year 2014, we engaged in various highway traffic operations. These operations aimed at the identification of cars and their ownership. These operations have reduced carjacking incidences. Lastly, pick-pocketing incidences have also reduced by 21 percent in the second quarter months of the year

See below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

See below - Essay Example It discusses the behaviors portrayed by the corporation. It also discusses and gives suggestions to the ways the corporation has to do to the environment. And finally, the essay gives the most important considerations a corporation has to consider. Having a strong desire for more wealth, possessions and power more than a person’s needs can lead to a person to do things that will harm other people just to satisfy that desire. Being greedy can lead a person to do actions such as sacrificing the safety, happiness and the rights of other people for the sake of satisfying one’s self. Monsanto is a big business that can be found all around the world. It is a corporation that has existed in the year 1901. A 42-year-old, John F. Queeny, whose job is to purchase under the Drug Company of the Meyer brothers started this business. The name was taken from the last name of his wife for the reason that the last name of his wife is well known to other people especially to the Germans that are responsible in supplying goods. During that time, they named their companies using their last names. They had been discovering and manufacturing products in connection to the farms and cattle for fast production that leads them to higher profits. From the very beginning, Monsanto Corporation has been claiming that their main purpose is for the sake of the farmers and for the environment. Their main goal is to help the farmers in every possible way in order to produce more crops. One of their goals is to use as little of the resources such as the soil and water as possible so that these resources will last a long time. But the corporation is the number one violators of their goals. They did the opposite for the sake of higher profits. They torture the farmers for the sake of profits by suing them to court and asked them large amount of money. The amount of money that both parties agreed to pay is not revealed to the public which means that the corporation is only

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, Assignment

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, of group decision making. What aspects should be avoided in multi departmental decision making in order for them to be effective - Assignment Example the success of any organisations are denoted by the strategic decisions made through initiatives such as group decision making and other strategic positioning plans. Nevertheless, specific aspects of decisions should be avoided in order to make departments effective. Stone (2013) articulated on core aspects that touches on sensitive matters and which should be avoided for effective running of organisations. In fact, Freeman (1999) further argued that group decision making can only yield good results if a set of conditions pertaining the group chemistry are met. It is evident that group members have different skills and competence. Thus, sharing of ideas and information on a particular issue can lead to more information and more comprehensive. The ground for the argument is many alternatives are provided and the most appropriate one is chosen from the list. This is unlike in situations where one individual is left to make decisions that affect a whole company or department. Chances of getting the best outcome are minimal when compared to individual decision making. In addition, the whole process becomes effective since issues related to revising the decisions made are minimal especially because the whole group is present or representatives are present during decision making. Thus, group decisions are acceptable by all since everybody is represented during the process. DuBrin (2012) conversely observed that, with group decision making, biases are eliminated especially those that come in as a result of lack of inclusion of the target individuals. In a broader sense, group decision making acts a training ground for subordinate and new members. They learn skills of articulating on matters as well as the importance of collaborative workforce. Further, group decision making is viewed as a democratic style of leadership, which is inclusive and accommodates views from all the parties and consolidate them before arriving into a single decision that suits everybody. Since

Did the New Deal work Why or why not Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Did the New Deal work Why or why not - Essay Example Hence, prompted intense debates that persisted during the New Deal’s implementation. However, the New Deal eventually realized its goals giving the president during then a firm base meant to response to his critics’ opinions boldly while citing the then improvement of economic sector in all aspects including people’s lives. The New Deal despite at its inception and during implementation faced numerous criticisms from disbelieving opponents, it worked efficiently evident in the way it met its economic targets. As Roosevelt stated, â€Å"substantial gains well known to all of you have justified our course (Roosevelt, â€Å"Relief, Recovery, Reform and Reconstruction†)†. In this case, gains encompassed numerous and varied improvements that characterized then economy besides heightening people’s welfare. The president was even elaborative in defending his strategy with statistics though hesitantly to mention because those whom he was telling espe cially his opponents knew much about them. They encompassed gain in â€Å"average weekly pay† and reemployment of numerous people especially by private sectors, hence his strategy not only was economic-focused but also touched on citizens’ lives. ... this led to reducing incidences of bankruptcy and uncertainties, which the state together with its industrial firms earlier experienced due to economic unpredictability. In this case, Walker’s sentiments aimed at arousing his audience’s thoughts concerning what used to be the norm in comparison to the economy after implementing the New Deal whose benefits they could measure and experience. Therefore, this acted as a wakeup call for the citizens and especially critics of the then idea to see huge federal’s amount of money that had gone into stabilizing the economic and emerged successfully. This was in alignment with the New Deal intentions, which many before its inception thought was ineffective. New Deal’s emergency gave birth to the rise of varied the then emergent agencies aimed at heightening citizens’ welfare irrespective of their respective political persuasions. According to Mooney, â€Å"†¦.the legislation passed in the first â€Å"Hu ndred Days† of the Roosevelt administration created an array of new federal agencies intended to organize the economic recovery (Mooney, 96).† Agencies in the entire framework of the New Deal comprised varied aspects whose intentions were citizen-centered, for instance, WPA. Since, each state’s economic progress is the measure of citizens’ welfare and ability to offset daily bills satisfactorily without compromising regime of the day’s financial goals. Therefore, through strategy the state not only managed to help the people but also met their respective goals through establishment of agencies, though critics seemed too â€Å"blind† to notice them. The inception and taking over of New Deal contrary to numerous debates successfully managed to change

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, Assignment

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, of group decision making. What aspects should be avoided in multi departmental decision making in order for them to be effective - Assignment Example the success of any organisations are denoted by the strategic decisions made through initiatives such as group decision making and other strategic positioning plans. Nevertheless, specific aspects of decisions should be avoided in order to make departments effective. Stone (2013) articulated on core aspects that touches on sensitive matters and which should be avoided for effective running of organisations. In fact, Freeman (1999) further argued that group decision making can only yield good results if a set of conditions pertaining the group chemistry are met. It is evident that group members have different skills and competence. Thus, sharing of ideas and information on a particular issue can lead to more information and more comprehensive. The ground for the argument is many alternatives are provided and the most appropriate one is chosen from the list. This is unlike in situations where one individual is left to make decisions that affect a whole company or department. Chances of getting the best outcome are minimal when compared to individual decision making. In addition, the whole process becomes effective since issues related to revising the decisions made are minimal especially because the whole group is present or representatives are present during decision making. Thus, group decisions are acceptable by all since everybody is represented during the process. DuBrin (2012) conversely observed that, with group decision making, biases are eliminated especially those that come in as a result of lack of inclusion of the target individuals. In a broader sense, group decision making acts a training ground for subordinate and new members. They learn skills of articulating on matters as well as the importance of collaborative workforce. Further, group decision making is viewed as a democratic style of leadership, which is inclusive and accommodates views from all the parties and consolidate them before arriving into a single decision that suits everybody. Since

Unnatural Causes Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unnatural Causes - Movie Review Example Social class and racism are not natural causes for sickness and hence the title of the film ‘unnatural causes’. The film is similar with other media that I have seen, read, and heard on the issues of health disparities and how it relates to one’s social class in that people in the lower social class are prone to disempowerment. Their economic status is low due to lack of the necessary resources and opportunities and hence they tend to get sick more often and their life expectancy is low. The people in this class are subject to chronic stress and cannot have access to better medical care services. They tend to get sick more often and hence live shorter lives. Exposure to chronic stress of race in a lifetime often leads to delivery of premature babies thus affecting health and life expectancy (California Newsreel, 2008). The film confirmed biases I had in regards to being poor rich, that wealthy people lead better, longer and healthy lives as compared to the poor (Haitkin, 2008). The question that surfaced for me during the film that I would like to know more about is how the health status of the low social class can improve. With America having the highest gross national product in the world, how can the poor have access to medical care and training on health issues? The statement that best describes what I learnt from the film is that health inequalities are not natural. This is because, health disparities that are because of racial and class inequities arise from the decisions the society makes (California Newsreel, 2008). As a future nurse, I propose that the society or the government should try to ensure that everyone gains access to health care regardless of their wealth in order to live longer and healthier

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Example for Free

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Before answering whether both poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge, one must first understand what poetry and science are and what they do. Poetry is an artists way of abstractly conveying his or her ideas through writing so as to stimulate the emotional side of the readers. Science on the other hand, is an objective way of clearly stating facts so as to stimulate the formal or fact craving side of the readers. Poetry presents an object in order to convey a particular message or feeling, whilst science merely presents an object objectively and describes how it is, clearly, in every way possible. Therefore, it is clear that the purpose of these two approaches is quite different. Furthermore, the ways of knowing in poetry and science are somewhat different. Poetrys ways of knowing are mainly emotion and language, while sciences are mainly language and reason. However, although they have language in common, both of them utilize language in different ways and for different purposes. As is obvious from above, both approaches aim to expand two completely different parts of human knowledge. Poetry aims to expand the aesthetic while science the scientific. Therefore, they cannot be assessed on their ability to expand human knowledge based on the same criteria but rather, they should both be assessed based on individual criteria in their own specific areas of knowledge and then compared after being assessed. Assessing them based on the same criteria would much be like comparing a desert with a main course, which would be wrong since they both have different purposes and, although the dessert may not be good at achieving the purpose of the main dish, it could well be excellent at achieving the purposes of a dessert. Since poetry tries to touch the readers emotional side aesthetically it must be scrutinized as an art. The purpose of art is to aesthetically touch an emotion which all people supposedly have. Through techniques specific to each art, good artists are able to do this, and this in itself is an expansion of human knowledge in that it causes people to be aware of their emotions. Humans have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us. (Matthew Arnold, The Study of Poetry) The purpose of Shakespeares Macbeth is not to scientifically understand how ambition can conquer one, nor is it meant to be a historical recount of the real Macbeth. It is a poetic story which is written so as people can empathize with the main characters and view their own life in terms of conquering their faults and sustaining their good. Another purpose of poetry is to represent human nature. This can clearly be seen through any of Roberts Frosts poems such as Out, Out which explains, better than any scientific paper ever could, the ability of a child to care so much about his desire to work and help society, and the lack of care his family experiences when he dies. Poetry presents human characteristics, the human thought, the human inner self, all compact into one verse and it is so powerful because when read, one immediately connects with it, and it touches each persons emotions in a way. Also, it so vividly depicts the nature of humans that it is a powerful tool through which people can express themselves, and in which people can relate to. It expands our knowledge of human nature and the way humans behave and the power of emotions and their effect on us. In Shakespeares Macbeth when Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits to unsex me [Lady Macbeth] here one feels the evil powers of ambition and its ability to overtake ones sane and rational thought. On the other hand sciences purpose is to clearly depict a situation or object. Science, in no way, should aim to touch the readers emotional side, but rather touch the readers rationality. Although some may argue that science does touch a readers side, it is not the main purpose of the writing, and is rather an effect of extreme love towards and passion for the subject. A scientific argument should not be ambiguous or differ from reader to reader, unlike poetry. There is no way for a scientific argument to be true to some people and false to others, for in science there is an absolute truth which the scientists are trying to attain. Although many may argue that poets are also aiming to achieve this absolute truth, it must be noted that each persons emotions are different and therefore there is no way to absolutely describe the way people think, react or behave. Biology, chemistry and physics have set laws and truths which, regardless of who or where you are, will be true. If the purp ose of poetry is, as we said, to depict human nature, then the purpose of science is to understand nature itself and how it works. When writing a piece the author must create a balance between ambiguity and precision and the language of a piece is directly dependant on the purpose of the piece. Poetry and science are completely opposite in the way that they try to balance ambiguity and precision. In poetry the ability to ambiguously use words is good since it allows one to think abstractly and allows different readers, with different mindsets, to interpret the piece in different ways. Therefore, in the case of poetry language, as a way of knowing, is created to be ambiguous so as to contribute to the knowledge and effect of the piece. On the other hand, in science ambiguity greatly impedes a work. It is not acceptable for a law or theory in science to be indirect and not addressing one specific point clearly.. Otherwise the law becomes obsolete, since if it is not understandable it has no purpose. There is no space in science for different interpretations of a law; the law has one purpose that it achieves and that purpose is set. It is not different for different people, or different nations, or different cultures. In the sense of multiple meanings, contrary to poetrys double entendres, scienctific writing cannot have any; the one meaning the author desires to portray must be directly stated so as to disallow ambiguity and interpretation. For example, water being comprised of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom is true independent if one is in the United States, Russia, or Australia. Also, it is true independent of ones age, race, background, nationality, religion, or any other factor which may change from person to person. However, poetry is quite the opposite. Poetry should be, and is, interpreted differently by different people. The meaning or truth behind poetry is fully dependant on all the factors listed above. An old person may have a completely different understanding of words in poems such as George Herberts The Pulley the double meaning of the word rest which can either mean the remainder or it can mean peace. The great difference between these two interpretations leaves the reader with the final choice to interpret the poem the way he/she wants and this is the intent of the poet. However, in science it is the intent of the scientist to clearly illustrate his/her point without any ambiguity as in science clarity is essential. In conclusion, it can be seen that poetry and science have completely different purposes and different means of attaining these purposes. Furthermore, each of these specific areas of knowledge means to expand different types of knowledge and pertain to different ways of knowing. However, one must realize that it is essential to have a balance between the scientific or factual knowledge, and the poetic/aesthetic knowledge or the emotional understanding of human nature. Therefore, in these terms science successfully expands its portion of human knowledge successfully expands its. Therefore, it can be concluded that each area of knowledge has equal success in expanding knowledge in its respective area. In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry its the exact opposite.(P A M Dirac) Do both the approaches suggested in the quotation enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge?

Studying X-ray Binary Systems

Studying X-ray Binary Systems 1.0 Mission overview (0.5 pages max.) In response to the recent XMM Mission, relating to a mission of studying X-ray binary systems, The XMM-Newton mission helped scientists in solving a numerous cosmic mysteries, starting from the enigmatic black holes to the details about the origins of the Universe. Observation time on XMM-Newton is provided to the scientific community, which is applying for observatory periods. The proposed orbit details provide an order of magnitude lower particle background than those of other missions like Chandra and XMM-Newton, which would allow the detailed study and analysis of low-surface-brightness diffuse objects. This proposed mission will be advancement on previous studies by the improvement in capabilities with response to scientific developments of the last few years and would match well with the goals set out in the recent call for ideas on x-ray observations. It can be also possible to increase the focal length of used micropore optics, which improves the high-energy response curve, hence this mission would thus be very highly significant in scientific and technological steps beyond Chandra/XMM-Newton and would serve important and timely inputs for the next upcoming generation of huge X-ray observatories like XEUS and Con-X planned for the upcoming years 2015-2025 horizons. This proposed next generation mission focuses on Image restoration technique as well as ultra high photon imaging using the concepts of morphological Image processing and enhancing image quality. All software and electronic hardware scientific research like VLSI design, SoC design are taken care in digital signal proc essing of the Image. The proposed mission is called N-XMM Mission (Next Generation XMM Mission). That comprises solutions for next generation imaging devices. 1.1 Instruments European Ultra high Photon Imaging Camera (EUPIC) The MOS CCDs, EEV type 22, have 600 x 600 pixels, each 40 microns square; they are frame-transfer devices and front illuminated. One pixel covers 1.1† with Image restoration technique. This instrument would work upon the quality of image capturing (i.e. Ultra high quality) and initial Image Rendering Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) – It contains 182 identical types of gratings. The gratings are supposed to be mounted at grazing incidence into the in-plane or classical configuration, where both the incident as well as diffracted X-rays lies in a plane that is perpendicular (900 angle) to the grating grooves. This instrument is helpful in spectrum sensing and processing of X-rays as well as determines the elemental composition of specimen that is to be analysed Optical Monitor (OM) The Optical/UV Monitor Telescope is mounted on the mirror support platform alongside the X-ray mirror module devices. It can provide coverage from 170 650 nm of that central 17 arc minute square region of the X-ray field, thus permitting routine multi-wavelength analysis and observations of Multi Mirror targets simultaneously in X-ray as well as UV/optical bands of frequency. This instrument helps in sensing simultaneous bands of energy waves that can be used for further analysis and can be digitally processed using SoC electronic devices in between only. 1.2 Mirror The main mirror of the telescope will be Deployable Mirror. This will allow the spectral instruments to achieve resolutions from 0.000005032 arcseconds to 0.005032 arcseconds in the optical region of the spectrum. 1.3 Cooling System The cooling system on board will be Passive, to achieve a temperature of 470 Kelvin. The minimum operating temperature required by the instruments is 40 Kelvin. 1.4 Comments? (max. 50 words) Cooling System is taken Passive because the satellite has a mass of 50 kg and passive cooling is best for mass of 50 kg of for EUPIC, RGS and OM with a temperature of 470 Kelvin R = 1.22 (lambda/D) where, R is resolution, lambda is the wavelength and wavelength for x-rays are ranging from 0.01nm to 10nm and D=0.5m. 2.0 Mass budget The total mass of the satellite will be 73 kg. The breakdown of the individual components is given below: Mass budget Satellite Structure: 50 kg Mirror: 3 kg Cooling System: 20 kg Instruments: 0 kg Total Satellite mass: 73 kg 2.1 Orbit Selection The satellite will observe from Lower Earth Orbit, at a distance of Less Than Thousand kms from Earth. The orbital period will be 90-100 minutes, and the maximum fuel lifetime for maintaining such an orbit is 10 years. The mission duration will therefore be 5 years. 2.2 Launch vehicle and site To reach orbit, the satellite will be launched on a Soyuz, operated by Roscosmos (Russia), from Baikonur, Russia. The maximum capacity of this launch vehicle is 8 t. 2.3 Comments? (max. 50 words) LEO Taken because it is having a desired launch cost and supports every cryogenic and passive cooling systems 3.0 Financial budget The total cost of the mission will be 257 million, broken down over the following areas: Cost breakdown Satellite Structure: 100 million Mirror: 12 million Cooling System: 5 million Instruments: Development cost: 117 million Launch cost: 120 million Ground control cost: 20 million Operations cost: 140 million Total mission cost: 357 million 3.1 Comments? (max. 50 words) Now advancement is required in image restoration techniques, morphological kind of image processing techniques and SAS analysis of DATA. In all these fields new software’s can be made and used for clearer details. 4.0 Technical Scientific Justification X-ray physics astronomy in space depends on the focusing of X-ray photons by low-angle scattering from fine shaped shells. In most of the cases this kind of optics contains two sets of nested concentric shells with their shapes identical and similar to sections of different cones. Two grazing-incidence scatters would result in focusing of the X-rays on the shell axis. The previous ESAs XMM-Newton mission had three mirror modules with outer diameter 70 cm, that too each having 58 nested shells that would be focusing on the X-rays onto CCD detectors some distance of 7m from the mirrors. XMM is in a highly eccentric orbit having apogee distance 114000km, perigee distance 7000km and inclination angle 39à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °. In this highly eccentric orbit, it is exposed to fluxes of electrons and ions of various high energies from Magnetospheric and Heliospheric sources. Big Data sets used for the analysis of different mission-critical engineering problems were produced by various scientific missions (IMP, SOHO, ACE, Equator-S, ISEE) which would never anticipate such applications N-XMM has its own on-board radiation monitor similar to that we had in X-NMM, to which there can be an early resistance in the project preparation. It would be an important resource on the spacecraft; Spacecraft operators would have a keen interest in the state of the space weather and hence would certainly use the predictions of particle enhancements. N-XMM wouldinclude the following types of science instrument: European Ultra high Photon Imaging Camera (EUPIC) 3 CCD cameras are used for X-ray imaging, high resolution spectroscopy, and X-ray photometry; XMM-Newtoncarries 2 MOS cameras and one pn. The gratings change the direction of about half of the telescope incident flux to the RGS detectors so that about approx. 44% of the original incoming flux sets to the MOS (Motor only sync) cameras. The EUPIC instrument at the focus point of the third X-ray telescope with an highly energised unobstructed beam; uses pn CCDs and hence is directed to as the pn camera. The EUPIC cameras perform task of extremely sensitive imaging analysis over the telescope’s field of view (FOV) of 25 arcmin and in the energy ranging from 0.11 to 24 keV with moderate spectral density (E/ΔE ~ 20-50). All EUPIC CCDs operates in photon counting mode with a fixed frequency and mode dependent frame read-out frequency Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) Contains two very identical spectrometers for the purpose of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy as well as spectro-photometry. Optical Monitor (OM) – Used for optical imaging, UV imaging and grism spectroscopy Comparison: XMM-Newton 6 15 0.15 15 4650b 40 Chandra 0.2 0.5 0.1 10 800 50 N-XMM 3.5 7 0.1 24 400 1.3 4.1 Figures/Diagrams/Tables for Technical Scientific Justification Figure.1 – Payload Design Figure.2 – Mechanical Design of XMM-OM Telescope Figure.3 – Schematic view of available orbits. Figure.4 – Images Taken by LASCO and EIT Figure.5 Optical Design of RGS Transmitter: Frequency range 2200 .. 2290 MHz Antenna output transmitting power +36 dBm (+2 dBm / 0 dBm) Transmitter modulation BPSK 4 Mbps Power consumption à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £30 W Receiver: Frequency range 2025 .. 2110 MHz Frequency 2058 MHz holding range à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ±100kHz Error bit rate Less than10-6@–105 dBm Receiver demodulation BPSK 256 kbps Power consumption à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £3 W Receiver sensitivity -105 dBm min @ error bit rate = 10-6 Antenna: Polarization circular/ RHC Covering Hemispherical Power max. 40dBm CW Impedance 50à ¯Ã‚ - Operational temperature -40 ° †¦ +120 °C Uplink frequency range 2025 †¦ 2110 MHz Downlink frequency range 2200†¦2290 MHz

The Abandonment of the Jews by David Wyman Essays -- Jewish Holocaust

The Abandonment of the Jews by David Wyman â€Å"To kill the Jews, the Nazis were willing to weaken their capacity to fight the war. The United States and its allies, however, were willing to attempt almost nothing to save them† (Pp 5). If we would have put half as much energy into loving the Jews as Hitler spent hating the Jews we could have made a great difference. Wyman’s book, The Abandonment of the Jews was very intriguing to me. Although I found it very thorough it left me wanting to know how something this horrible could have been allowed to happen. Although Wyman does discuss why more was not done, I am still horrified that this was allowed to happen. Wyman proves that the US should and could have done more to help the dying Jews. I found a reoccurring theme to be that a large problem was that Jewish people had nowhere to go. No one wanted them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book begins by giving a brief background into the setting of America at the onset of the war. It details an anti-Semitic America. It also explains most of the anti-Semitism as passive, which ordinarily would do little harm, but during a holocaust crisis became a reason for America’s inaction. The book then jumps right into the emergence of information that became available. The first major report was the Bund report. This estimated the number of victims to already be over 700,000. This report and the ones to follow were hard to believe. The state departments skepticism kept the news from reaching the media for several months. They were convinced that the deportations were for slave labor even though this explanation has huge flaws. As more reports of the mass murders developed they were finally confirmed, 17 months after the first killing began. One of the first steps taken was that seven different Jewish organizations came together to form the Temporary Committee. They decided on 5 steps of action and after obtaining them they dissolved the committee without much accomplished. Some of the steps included press announcements, a national day of mourning, and a meeting with President Roosevelt. The committee wanted action but had prepared no proposals. All they left with from their meeting with FDR was an agreement that the president would warn Germany of war crimes. This was the only meeting FDR granted to Jewish leaders. In December 1942 the UN Declaration was signed by the 3 main allies... ...to be able use this as an example and as a bargaining tool to convince other countries to do the same, but the small effort did not convince anyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The War Refugee Board may have saved as many as 200,000 Jews, but it was in no way as effective as it should have been. The two biggest downfalls were that it was not funded properly and it was established too late.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sad fact is that during the time when humanity needed our help the most we let red tape, fear and greed keep us from helping. Wyman suggests many options that were available to help that would not have harmed our military effort yet we refused to try. We are now stuck with this burden of not knowing. Unfortunately they were not American nor were they British. Even worse they were not only foreigners but also Jews. Wyman suggests this is a huge reason why we were not willing to save them. After reading this book the conclusion to a pageant meant to inform Americans of the Nazi atrocities has stuck with me. The corpse of a people lies on the steps of civilization. Behold it. Here it is! And no voice is heard to cry halt to the slaughter, no government speaks to bid the murder of human millions end(pp91).

Officer Class in Journeys End by RC Sheriff :: Journeys End Literature War Military Essays

Officer Class in Journey’s End During the World War many people found themselves in mid filled trenches eating rations and living with a host of creatures including rats, mice and many insects. There was however a group of people who did not sleep so rough, the officers, no matter what rank of officer you were you would sleep in a quarters with other officers and not with the men and you would have your own personal cook. Although the living conditions were not up to standards with even a one star hotel, they were easier to bear than what the soldiers had to. In this essay I will be talking about what you learn about the officers in the book â€Å"Journey’s End†. I will be discussing their hobbies and values. The officers shared the same kind of upbringing; all came from private schools and were highly educated. Raleigh and Stanhope both came from the same school and were friends outside school, often visiting one and others homes. Osborne and Trotter have been working in different jobs for a while before being drafted whereas Stanhope and Raleigh came straight from school into the officer’s life. Not much is known about trotter as he is not talked about much in the story but it is my assumption that he was also from a private school. Osborne and Trotter were both drafted as officers because of their professions; they are both regarded highly in society. Stanhope and Raleigh however were drafted as officers because of the professions of family members, Stanhope’s father is a vicar and Raleigh’s uncle is a senior officer, meaning he is most likely from a military background. In terms of age of the officers, Osborne is by far the most aged of the officers being called uncle says this quite clearly that they are mocking his age in a friendly manner. Though Osborne is older Stanhope is senior to him, many comments are made that Osborne should run the company but Osborne sticks up for the young commander. Although Stanhope is superior he values the opinion of his lower officers. It is clear from the conversations that they all enjoy sport, especially â€Å"Ruggers† or rugby as more commonly known. It shows that they are all abundant in physical strength and it shows that Stanhope has good leadership skills as he captained the cricket team in school. Osborne however trumps him by telling Raleigh how he capped for the England rugby team, but he swore Raleigh to secrecy so he may be lying about that. The officers are all fighting so that they can get back to their

Midterm Exam Business Valuation and Stock Valuation Essay

It is generally more expensive to form a proprietorship than a corporation because, with a proprietorship, extensive legal documents are required. (b) Corporations face fewer regulations than sole proprietorships. (c) One disadvantage of operating a business as a sole proprietorship is that the firm is subject to double taxation, at both the firm level and the owner level. (d) One advantage of forming a corporation is that equity investors are usually exposed to less liability than in a regular partnership. If a regular partnership goes bankrupt, each partner is exposed to liabilities only up to the amount of his or her investment in the business. (2) (TCO G) A security analyst obtained the following information from Prestopino Products’ financial statements: Retained earnings at the end of 2009 were $700,000, but retained earnings at the end of 2010 had declined to $320,000. †¢ The company does not pay dividends. †¢ The company’s depreciation expense is its only non-cash expense; it has no amortization charges. †¢ The company has no non-cash revenues. The company’s net cash flow (NCF) for 2010 was $150,000. On the basis of this information, which of the following statements is CORRECT? (Points : 10) (a) Prestopino had negative net income in 2010. ( b ) Prestopino’s depreciation expense in 2010 was less than $150,000. (c) Prestopino had positive net income in 2010, but its income was less than its 2009 income. (d) Prestopino’s NCF in 2010 must be higher than its NCF in 2009. (e) Prestopino’s cash on the balance sheet at the end of 2010 must be lower than the cash it had on the balance sheet at the end of 2009. Which of the following is most likely to occur? (Points : 10) (a) The required rate of return for an average stock will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (b) The required rate of return will decline for stocks whose betas are less than 1. 0. (c) The required rate of return on the market, rM, will not change as a result of these changes. (d) The required rate of return for each individual stock in the market will increase by an amount equal to the increase in the market risk premium. (e) The required rate of return on a riskless bond will decline.

Tale of Two Coaches

Running Head: Tale of Two Coaches and Leadership Tale of Two Coaches and Leadership Randal J. Reutzel Grand Canyon University: LDR – 600 October 27, 2011 Abstract Coaching and leadership seem to be synonymous with each other, in that if you’re a high caliber coach you must be a great leader, how else would you have achieved your success. While coaching in the NCAA division 1 basketball the goal is to win national championships, while also being a mentor to your students. Bobby Knight is a great basketball legend at Indiana, with a past of outrageous unacceptable behavior to the fans and to players, while also having one of the best collegiate records of all time. Coach Krzyzewski was also a great coach, was mentored by coach Knight and went on to be a legend at Duke. Coach K’s style of coaching was less dramatic and more heartfelt in his approach. Coach K’s was concerned for his player’s feelings and his style of motivating his players centered on less dramatizations on and off the court. Both Coaches were successful; one got into the heads of its players through coercive intimidation to be the best, the other through caring, talking and high levels of trust. Which coach is best depends on whom you ask and what perspective of coaching leadership style you prefer, or it could be a generational time difference or simply opposite styles that worked and produced results. Tale of Two Coaches and Leadership Leaders through time have on many occasions aligned their leadership styles to the great coaches either in the NFL or NBA. Does being a great coach and the techniques used by coaches translate into what leaders or managers should be leading employees by? Two great coaches with NCAA basketball championships, one mentored by the other, can have very different approaches and still get the results needed, winning seasons along with students who went on to great careers and have great respect for their mentors and coaches. Coach Bobby Knight led his teams through his relationship from a base of power. In the article from ESPN by Mike Puma, Knight was known for his tirades against players, referees and reporters as well as his brilliance to win games. Knight led his teams with complete control and nobody was second guessing his decisions, if they did it was with great conflict. He may have wanted to resolve the conflict but it was going to be on his terms. Knight led his teams with complete control from his position as the head of the team. He demanded certain expectations and rewarded this with play time or with sharp reprimands and punishment. His style was that of a managerial role, he demanded respect in that he held the position of power and he alone would be the master of activities and routines and this would influence players and the ultimate outcome. Northouse, 2010) Coach Knight led his teams with a history of demanding on others what he could not accomplish as a player. He developed a pattern of coercion that was demonstrated even off the court, by assaulting police during the Pan Am games or throwing chairs across courts. (Northouse, 2010) Coach Krzyzewski or â€Å"K† led his teams through his relations from a b ase of personal power, with no mistake he was the head coach. Coach K was mentored as a player and assistant coach for the military under Coach Bob Knight. Although Coach K went into the military, he was not of military mind, and this may have latter influenced his leadership traits. He dreamed of being a teacher not a military officer. (Bob Carter) What he learned from Knight was it took an unbelievable passion to be a leader, not Knights antics that put him into trouble more often than not. Coach K lead his teams and to championships through his role as a leader by inspiring and energizing the team, taking ownership in their actions. Grant Hill said coach K had a way of making people totally vested in the decision-making process, and that is what made him a great leader. Bob Carter) Traits of Coaching and Leadership Both coaches had specific traits that lead them to success, although one coach’s traits also lead to his demise while the other coach realized the passion needed and channeled his leadership spirit into more socially acceptable patterns. Coach Knight and Coach K were both intelligent and knew the intellectual struct ure of creating and leading great basketball teams. They demonstrated the ability to get talent and use that talent in different ways against different teams to win games and championships. Early in both coaches careers they knew what they wanted and what careers they wanted to pursue. To get to their end means of coaching they played the sport, learned from others and when through college level training. All of the training, and along the way making mistakes, they gained the confidence within themselves and gained self-esteem and self-assurance that they could make a difference. Coach Knight was given the opportunity through the army as a coach to demonstrate his style of leadership was the correct one. Coach K through the army was given the education, with his passion of basketball and mentoring from Coach Knight gained the self confidence to become what he wanted to be, a teacher and a coach. Determination for both coaches was that they wanted to be winners, leaders, and be a part of something great. Early in Coach Knight’s career even he stated that he only offered indentured servitude and unlimited practice. Early in Coach K’s career he was not an outstanding coach; others did believe in him and he gained self confidence with good players at Duke. Coach K again is quoted he learned from Knight the passion and amount of preparation it takes to be successful. (Bob Carter) Integrity is the ability of a leader to live and lead with some principles and take responsibility for their actions. The ability to possess integrity should build confidence in your team. Integrity is probably where the two coaches will separate their styles of leadership. Coach Knight through the years did several things to damage that integrity, through his actions in Panama or ways he degraded assistant coaches or lecturing teams with the use of props of soiled toilet paper. There were many times where his actions did not represent the role which he was given and he made little effort to change unless he was forced. Coach K built much of what he was on his integrity; he stuck up for his players many times. Once his team was graded by the student paper, it was the fact that the paper portrayed the players as instruments of entertainment and ego indulgence; this infuriated the coach, which he later apologized. What Coach K stood for was a caring, communication and trust within the team, and that was what he wanted for the whole student body, and why his fan base was so strong. The last important trait style of leadership is the ability for a leader to seek out good pleasant social relationships. The leader should be thought of as friendly, outgoing, courteous, tactful and diplomatic. Coach Knight, I believe, started out his career with these traits as he had to, through time, over confidence and ego caused him to lose most of these traits. People would say if you only know him like I do, but it was reported that he was known to be rude, defiant and hostile. (Bob Carter) Coach K on the other hand was exponentially known for his trait as having social leadership skills. He said you have to feel what your players feel in order to be a leader. A former player and now a coach Quin Snyder said that you give up ego to be a part of something special. (Bob Carter) Ego can and will get in the way of great social ability to lead a team and be a part of a team. Coach K has been and will be remember for his greatness, he possessed the most complete set of the 5 trait characteristics of a leader and it made him more accomplished and respected. Coach Knight lacked in the traits and his ego, temper, integrity came back to haunt him. He may be remembered more for his antics on and off the court than his record wins or development of players. The Three Skills of Coaching Success The three skills that are needed for success as a leader according to our reading from Robert Katz and Michael D. Mumford are Technical, Human and Conceptual. Through the levels of management different emphasis is required from each to be a great leader. In the situation of the coaches, they needed to possess top management skills where human and conceptual skills place more important than the technical aspects of the game of basketball. In the readings, both coaches knew the technical aspects of the game and surrounded themselves with knowledgeable assistances. Coach K’s emphasis was the human and conceptual aspects of his team and his responsibility to the school and its students. His kids needed to feel a part of something great and bigger than themselves and togetherness, this was demonstrated when coach K handed team phone numbers out and encouraged freshman to use them. (Mike Puma) Coach Knight demonstrated skills for the technical and conceptual skills; he had an ability to always figure out the best approach to win games against many different teams. Coach Knight is on record for being the youngest coach ever to win 600 games. He struggled with the ability to work with people that did not match his style or demands of doing exactly everything his way. He continually abused players and assistant coaches, while also getting in trouble in foreign countries. Leadership Grid Comparison The leadership grid from chapter 4, developed by Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton, is basically a grid of different leadership styles with the two axis x – horizontal measure is based for results and y- vertical is based on concern for people. I believe from the reading that coach K and Knight developed strong leadership styles based on one premise for winning, or results. What they did was go about teaching and leading the teams differently to attain those results. Coach K moved his leadership style around as he needed to according to the needs of players or the team. Based on his style he concentrated his style in the middle of the road, trying to balance the need to get work done and the team needs, but he strongly styled his effort in the direction of team management by surrounding his team with committed members and built relationships of trust and respect. Coach Knight directed his leadership style more as an authority-compliance manager. He expected things to be done his way, and everyone around him to carter to his needs, whether that was good for personal development or not. The win, and only the win, was what needed to happen and he stepped and plowed through anyone and by any controversial tirade he had to get there. He even said in an interview that if you’re being raped to lay back and enjoy it. I believe this was his way of saying to the interviewer about his tantrums – which everyone just needed to put up with him. When he goes wild he wants to not be held responsible for his actions and for everyone to shut up. (Mike Puma) Contingency Model for Coaches The question presented: were both coaches matched to their situation based on the model developed by Fred Edward Fiedler described as the contingency mode? I think the answer is both yes and no. The styles of leadership in this model are described as being a task motivated or relationship motivated leadership. From the reading both coaches were winning coaches, they both used different approaches to get the results. In this model Coach K was high on leader-member, but with strong tasks, and did this without enforcing his positional power. Coach K did well with this leadership style at Duke University. Coach Knight was more task structured, the requirements were clear and spelled out and Knight controlled everything around him. When things got out of his control, people and team mates suffered and things did not go well for the coach. This goes against the model in some aspects in that if you’re out of control the task relationship should work out better for this type of leader, but there are flaws in the model. This works well for someone with specific tasks like fixing a part or cleaning a sink. In the situation of coach Knight it was more ambiguous in the tasks that needed to be accomplished. He could not deal with ambiguity and his temper showed as he took it out on other people and team members. (Northouse, 2010) Situational Leadership II The two coaches showed evidence from both readings that they practiced some level of situational leadership. Coach K demonstrated that he stood up for his players and they knew they could trust him. When he gave the ball to Laettner to stuff a basket in the final seconds to win a championship he knew he had the skills and would get the job done. He wanted to win for the team not for himself and even said once, did you see their faces and how happy they are. (Bob Carter) Coach K led his team by the skills that the team had; he did not change them, he developed them. Coach Knight, I believe, also led teams by development and using skills in the appropriate areas. He did it in a fashion of sheer work and drive to hone the skill in each person to exactly the perfection he wanted. When he did not get it or thought they were not giving enough, there were consequences for all around. Coach Knight was low on the supportive and directive behavior quadrant; I do not think he felt comfortable or confident to manage from that perspective. (Northouse, 2010) He excelled from the more comfortable leadership position S2 with only fringes of S1 or S3, unless they were extremely successful. Path-Goal Theory The path-goal theory of leadership is by understanding and leading people through enhancing performance and satisfaction and then focusing on what motivates them. For both coaches and for the entire player, the goal was to win games and that is what everyone wants. Both coaches had to go out and get potential players and those player and coaches began a dialogue on what both wanted and how they were going to achieve it. I believe that players that were coached by Knight knew his style and methods that he used to win games. Even today people say you don’t know him like we do, meaning his methods to them were acceptable. Likewise, Coach K went out to get players and they knew what he was like and his methods. The players chose to go with the perspective school and accepted them based on learned knowledge. Both coaches led their players in a fashion that was in an achievement-oriented style to reach their highest potential for the best outcome – winning games. The players with the desire of external locus of control probably liked Coach K style of leadership. The external locus of control the subordinate likes to feel more in control of their destiny and maybe take part in the decisions; this would be a part of something special with players and Coach K. Coach Knight was a dominate leader and coach, in control of everything – external locus of control players would believe more outside forces are in control. Directive leadership would be best for these types of players as they like the idea of someone taking control. Both teams coached by either Knight or Krzyzewski demonstrated the task characteristics as both coaches and players needed to be able to perform on the floor during a game with independence as things happen fast. Both coaches needed their teams to function on their own with a high degree of confidence. They would use the skills taught to them to win the game. References Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications Bob Carter, Krzyzewskiville, ESPN Classic. From: http://www. espn. go. com/classic/biography/s/Krzyzewski_Mike. html Mike Puma, Knight Known for titles, temper, ESPN Classic. From: http://espn. go. com/classic/biography/s/Knight_Bob. html