Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Using Accents on French Capitals

You may have heard that capital letters are not supposed to be accented. This may be good advice, but, really, whether to use  accents  on French capital letters is entirely up to you. Most of the time they are not essential, and so most French speakers do not add them. In publishing, they have not been added either ever since Vogue magazine decided about 20 years ago that they were too small to be read in print and detracted from clarity and good design; much of the publishing world agreed and followed suit. That said, there are actually two instances when you should always use accents on capital letters: Avoid Embarrassing Misunderstandings or Mistakes Look at what happens when  an advertisement for  biscuits salà ©s (salted crackers) is written in all caps:  BISCUITS SALES, a LOL-worthy mistake that means dirty crackers. Yum!  Its so much clearer to write BISCUITS SALÉS, nest-ce pas? There are plenty of  examples of French homographs like the case above, words that are spelled alike (or almost alike) but mean different things, where failing to add an accent or accents could lead  to embarrassing results. Consider haler (to haul in) versus hà ¢ler (to tan); arrià ©rà © (backward) versus arrià ¨re (backlog); and interne (internal) versus internà © (an inmate in a mental hospital), to name a few. Proper Nouns: The Name of a Company or a Person. Its important to show respect to organizations and people by spelling their names correctly, as well as to make sure that the person who reads the name knows how it should be spelled. If you dont write the accent when the name is in all caps, your reader may not realize that there is an accent when that individual sits down later to write a letter to the person or organization in question. What the  Acadà ©mie Franà §aise Says Some people argue that it just makes more sense  to always use  accents on capital letters in French. And the august  Acadà ©mie franà §aise  agrees: On ne peut que dà ©plorer que lusage des accents sur les majuscules soit flottant. On observe dans les textes manuscrits une tendance certaine à   lomission des accents. En typographie, parfois, certains suppriment tous les accents sur les capitales sous prà ©texte de modernisme, en fait pour rà ©duire les frais de composition. Il convient cependant dobserver quen franà §ais, laccent a pleine valeur orthographique. Son absence ralentit la lecture, fait hà ©siter sur la prononciation, et peut mà ªme induire en erreur. Il en va de mà ªme pour le trà ©ma et la cà ©dille. On veille donc, en bonne typographie, à   utiliser systà ©matiquement les capitales accentuà ©es, y compris la prà ©position  Ãƒâ‚¬,  comme le font bien sà »r tous les dictionnaires, à   commencer par le  Dictionnaire de lAcadà ©mie franà §aise, ou les grammaires, comme  Le  Bon Usage  de Grevisse, mais aussi lImprimerie nationale, la Bibliothà ¨que de la Plà ©iade, etc. Quant aux textes manuscrits ou dactylographià ©s, il est à ©vident que leurs auteurs, dans un souci de clartà © et de correction, auraient tout intà ©rà ªt à   suivre à ©galement cette rà ¨gle.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Napoleon s Control Over Europe s Territory - 1103 Words

Napoleon’s Control Over Europe s Territory Napoleon Bonaparte will remain in the heart of many French nationals as one of the greatest military leaders that the nation has had when it comes to warfare history. In 1799, Napoleon launched a series of wars, which historians call, â€Å"Napoleonic Wars† in a bid to extend the territory of France in Europe. Many historians argue that the Napoleonic Wars were a continuation of the French Revolution in 1789. The revolution brought with it many changes, especially in the production of modern mass weapons. Napoleon s success came from his ideas of freeing Europe, massive army and leadership abilities. Napoleon, Corsican aristocrat, who was a minor, rose to the position of emperor in France because†¦show more content†¦These two battles indicated the strategic nature of Napoleon, as well as the supremacy of the French military in Europe. They were the turning point of his quest to dominate Europe and increase French territory. Napoleon’s success was because of several factors from his military wit to the incompetent nature of his enemies in Europe. When Napoleon rose to the position of an emperor, he became the head of a huge army battalion set up by his previous predecessor. The French army was a conglomeration of loyal citizens who were aware of the cause for their engagement in warfare. They were doing the fighting out of free will and did not act as mercenaries as was the case in the larger parts of Europe. Napoleon impressed on them that they were fighting to protect the gains of their industrial revolution, which was under threat from the outside enemies, and it was a matter of patriotism rather than advancing the ideals of Napoleon as an individual. Napoleon used his wits to create the revolution ardor among those in the military. According to those in the army, the only way to express the ardor was to engage in battles making Napoleon succeed in his quest to gain more territories in Europe (Gershoy 67). It was a vital reason for the success of Napoleon, as many of his enemies did not fight to annihilate success

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Night Creature Hunter’s Moon Chapter 19 Free Essays

I went into the bathroom, splashed my face with water, and brushed my teeth. My mouth tasted like something had died in there. My back was on fire. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 19 or any similar topic only for you Order Now I turned, twisting awkwardly, trying to see in the mirror above the sink. The long, furrowed mark pulsed bright red, as if infected. The scar had never bothered me once it healed. Sometimes I even forgot for an hour or two at a time. What was the matter now? I straightened, rubbed my hand over my face, and looked again. The scar was just a scar. Puckered. White. Healed. â€Å"Shit.† I was losing my mind. I threw on some clothes, retrieved my weapons, and left the apartment. The remnants of the nightmare faded as I drove into Crow Valley. It wasn’t as if I’d never had one before. I’d just never had one in the daytime. Which disturbed me. I’d been able to keep the nightmares at bay by sleeping when the sun shone. If that re-lief was gone to me, would I ever be able to sleep again? I didn’t want to think about it. So I didn’t. I’d become very good at pushing aside anything I didn’t want to dwell on. If I hadn’t been, I doubt I’d be functional at all. Crow Valley was as busy in the light of an October afternoon as it was empty of an October midnight. Folk of every age, shape, and color walked up and down the picturesque streets. Some even waved as if they knew me. They probably did. In small towns gossip traveled at the speed of sound. One of the reasons I didn’t stay long in any one place. I drove to Jessie’s apartment. It was nearly five o’clock. I’d slept, and dreamed, the day away. But since she didn’t go on duty until the sun went down, we still had time to do our job. Jessie opened the door before I even knocked, and shoved the fax into my hand. â€Å"About time.† â€Å"What’s up your ass?† She turned on me, and I blocked her punch with my forearm. She might have slammed me against the wall once, but that didn’t mean I’d let her do it again. â€Å"I’m in no mood to play nice,† I warned. â€Å"Bitch, bitch, bitch.† She stalked away, plopping onto the couch with a scowl. â€Å"What’s the matter with you?† I tried a more pleasant version of the same question. She glared at me. â€Å"Will’s not back.† â€Å"Did you call him?† â€Å"Cell phone’s off.† â€Å"Does he forget to turn it on?† â€Å"Every damn day.† â€Å"Then what are you worried about?† â€Å"Let’s see – werewolves, vampires, zombies, witches, and all sorts of other things I don’t even know about. Then there are car accidents, mass murderers, blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and various acts of God.† I blinked. â€Å"Gee, how do you sleep?† â€Å"When he’s not here, I don’t.† Now that I looked closer, there were dark circles under her eyes; lines of stress bracketed her mouth. She was really worried, and I couldn’t say that I blamed her. â€Å"Did you call any friendly state cops?† â€Å"You think I’m a fool? Of course I called.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"Nothing.† This was exactly what I’d been talking about when I said attachments were a bad thing. Jessie wasn’t thinking of werewolves and serial killers; she was thinking of Will. â€Å"If anything had happened, they’d know about it, Jessie.† â€Å"Then where is he?† I had no idea. But if I gave voice to any of my thoughts, she’d only try to slug me again, so I glanced at the sheet of paper in my hand. â€Å"Open Serial Killer Cases Where Cannibalism Is Suspected.† What a lovely title. There were only two. Herman Reyes and some guy named Louis-Francois Charone. â€Å"You said Hector was on here.† â€Å"Check out the place where they last saw Herman Reyes.† I did. Topeka – in the year my life ended. Hell. I lifted my gaze. â€Å"Then Hector is Herman.† â€Å"You tell me.† Jessie held out a photo. Dizziness rushed over me in a nauseating wave. Querida. The word whispered through the room. I swayed. â€Å"Hey!† Suddenly Jessie was there, catching me around the waist and holding me up. â€Å"I guess I don’t have to ask if that’s him.† I shook my head. â€Å"Here.† She yanked out one of the dining room chairs. â€Å"Sit.† I did. She shoved my head between my knees, none too gently. â€Å"Now breathe.† I hated taking orders, especially from her. But I hated fainting even more, so I breathed. A glass of water appeared between my feet. I sat up and sipped. Jessie leaned against the table reading the rest of the faxed report. She lifted her eyes. I waited for her to ask if I was OK, if I needed to lie down, take a pill, see a doctor. â€Å"I guess he changed his name,† she said. She was going to pretend I hadn’t nearly taken a nosedive onto her carpet. I was going to let her. â€Å"I guess. But why? Hector died in 1977. No one would think the two were the same man.† â€Å"Why take a chance?† â€Å"I suppose.† This explained why I hadn’t been able to find him anywhere that I’d searched. He’d no doubt changed his name again. Jessie continued to read. Her lips tightened. â€Å"What?† She looked at me, then back at the paper. â€Å"All of his victims have been the same type of woman.† I knew I wasn’t going to like this, but I asked anyway. â€Å"What type?† â€Å"Blond, petite.† â€Å"Hell.† Had Hector planned on killing me, too? Why hadn’t he? â€Å"Let me see that report.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I could make you.† She snorted. â€Å"I doubt that.† Since I was still dizzy and my hands were shaking, she was probably right. â€Å"He was a serial killer then and is a Weendigo now,† she murmured, â€Å"satisfying his need for like flesh in both forms.† â€Å"But how did he become a Weendigo in the first place? Isn’t that an Ojibwe warrior cursed by the great spirit?† I asked. â€Å"The great mystery.† â€Å"Whatever. Hector was a lot of things, but Ojibwe wasn’t one of them.† â€Å"I’m not sure how the whole cursed-by-a-mystery works. We’ll have to ask Will.† The reminder that Cadotte wasn’t back yet when he should have been caused a shadow of fear to tighten her face. â€Å"Do you think Hector’s here?† I blurted. â€Å"We’ll know soon enough.† â€Å"How?† She lifted the photo. â€Å"I show this to my deputy. El-wood is a nosy old coot. He knows everyone in Crow Valley. If Hector is in town, Elwood’s met him. We’ll nail Herman/Hector’s ass within a day.† I was glad she had confidence, because I didn’t. I’d dealt with Hector. He was one scary dude. And he was up to something. I just knew it. How to cite Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 19, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Inevitability of Allied Victory in Europe During World War Two free essay sample

However Allied victory eventually did become inevitable after certain turning points in the war, this essay will demonstrate how the two most important turning points, the Battle for Stalingrad and the entry of the USA into the war changed a possible German victory into an inevitable Allied victory. In essence this essay will show that the idea of total war and industrial gigantism do not guarantee victory in conflict. One must also ask themselves why Germany would have such a drive for war if Allied victory was conceived to be inevitable. After all what soldier would fight the unwinnable battle? Richard Overy states in Why the Allies Won that ‘no rational man in early 1942 would have guessed at the eventual outcome of the war’ . To appreciate the credibility of this statement and the probability of German victory, the early years of the war must be looked at retrospectively, and Germany’s position tactically, economically and socially must be analysed. Even though Germany was out-matched in production and numbers there is no reason to believe that the early years of the war pointed to inevitable Allied victory.WW2 in Europe was precipitated by many contributing factors. Widely accepted though is the idea that most Germans were resentful of the humiliating defeat in WW1 which in following, Germany was forced to sign the treaty of Versailles. Economic disaster ensued due to the large reparations the victors demanded. Thus it is not surprising that upon the Nazi Parties rise the German people immediately aggrandised Hitler, a wounded Linz Regiment corporal from the First World War who promised a mannish dream of another German Empire. Re-armament of Germany was soon to follow, in spite of the treaty’s prohibition of this, and a highly trained, equipped and motivated military war machine was built. Stats At this point Germany had 195 divisions 28 of which were elite armoured or panzer divisions, key elements in the army’s ability to fight a Blitzkrieg war. Hitler then moved to annex Austria and Czechoslovakia which he succeeded in doing while avoiding any conflict. Germany’s next move was to take Poland after signing a non-aggression treaty with Russia.Poland’s antiquated army fell in one month. The early years of the war saw the German war machine make crushing blows in Europe. Hitler’s blitzkrieg was ruthless and stunning to his enemies who found themselves caught in its path or more often cut off by its encircling tactics. After the fall of Poland the German Army turned south and fought a Blitzkrieg war through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and France. At this point Germany was undoubtedly tactically superior to every other nation on Earth. ‘The German Army had fought an amazing campaign.It had shown itself almost incomparable in defence as well as in offence’ It was positioned to take Britain and the Soviet Union. Hitler had assessed the French and British as weak. Although this assessment certainly was not representative of the courage and fortitude of the nations and even their military size it was however an accurate depiction of their readiness and tactical ability. France was ready having placed its army at the Maginot line to fight a war of attrition, however Germany on the other hand was not ready to fight a war of attrition and indeed would not. Using blitzkrieg and paratroopers the German Army encircled the Maginot Line, defeating the defenders and pushing the British Expeditionary Force out to sea at Dunkirk. Early in the war Germany’s economic might was very large but still not comparable to the allies. However this does not necessarily mean that defeat was an inevitable outcome. Hitler’s predictions of the German economic standing globally before the war would likely have given him a false illusion of Germans economic might.The statistics gathered caused him not to assess the USA or Russia as the potential superpowers or industrial giants they were to become, and rightly so. In 1936 America’s army was 110,000 men strong, its military spending was 1% of its annual budget and it had no independent air force and an unarmed navy The prediction was made that either country would not be able to mobilise an effective industry compared to Germany’s inside a four year time limit So is it reasonable to say that even economically Germany was facing a potential victory even though so many say this war was won by economics and economics alone?Not only did Germany have an impressive production capability already but it was sitting very close to potentially enormous deposits of resources, most notably the oil in The caucuses south of Rostov and Stalingrad. In 1941 German production of crude oil was 33. 4 million tons compared to Russia’s 110 million tons. Now at this stage in the war the USA was still not involved so German commitments even though on two fronts were only faced with a large pressure from Russia on the Eastern front.Certainly if Germany had taken the caucuses and their invaluable oil Russia would have been crippled and defeated? But also Germany would be standing in a much better economic position. Having developed an idea of Germany’s capability economically and tactically and proven that Allied victory at that stage was not inevitable it is now time to look at the turning points and why the German position became impossible. The summer of 1941 saw the war move east as the German army opened up an attack on the Soviet Union. Code named ‘Operation Barbarossa’ the attack achieved complete surprise.Stalin actually had to be convinced that the German army was attacking as he held faith in the non-aggression pact between the two countries. The war moved with incredible speed and with huge pincer movements that captured, killed and wounded whole Russian army groups. After making deep penetrations into Russia Hitler inexplicably ordered a halt on the advance before reaching Moscow and the momentum of the attack was lost. It was not until winter had passed and the warmer weather arrived in April 1942 that Hitler moved to take the initiative again.At this time Russian reconnaissance noticed â€Å"Germans were concentrating their forces on the southern part of the Central Front’. Hitler’s plan was to move south with the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army and take first Rostov and then Stalingrad which would have effectively cut off the caucuses and Russian oil – some 110 million tons of it . This manoeuvre in itself could have ended the war for the Russians. Without the caucuses and its oil it would have been impossible to mobilise the reserve divisions that hadn’t been decimated in 1941 during B arbarossa. Ultimately soviet defeat would have allowed Hitler to return his full attention to Britain and invading her. Some may argue that German defeat was always inevitable because of the eventual involvement of the USA. However the involvement of the USA would never have occurred if Britain fell. â€Å"Had the British opted for a negotiated peace or succumbed to invasion the USA would have retreated behind the walls of a ‘fortress’ America’ This was an entirely possible scenario if Stalingrad and the caucuses had been taken .This operation in essence would be a defining point of the war, but was the loss at Stalingrad inevitable and thus leading to inevitable Allied victory? Firstly the circumstances must be looked at. Hitler’s plan was to drive the 4th Panzer division directly south to Rostov, however he overestimated Rostov’s ability to hold and stripped the 6th Army of its armour and fuel as support for the 4th. Rostov was poorly defended and captured r elative ease. At the same time though Hitler ordered the 6th Army to march on to Stalingrad.This became a fatal decision. The 6th army was weakened and had been marching for 6 weeks. A sensible strategist would have halted the 6th and allowed its armour and elements of the 4th Panzer Army to link up. Strangely this seemingly simple idea that would have resulted in a much more decisive and strengthened force arriving at Stalingrad was not implemented and the 6th army was forced to fight in extremely unfavourable circumstances. Hence Germany unable to deliver the knockout blow to take Russia out of the war.They had involved their most experienced troops in a conflict which resulted in huge casualties and losses, meaning any attack on the western front would further stretch the German armed forces. And all the while they had failed to destroy the Soviet economy, which by the end of ‘41 had put itself on a war footing, one which Germany was never able to achieve. Following Stalingrad the German Army suffered massive defeats on the entire Eastern Front until finally they could fight no longer.Thus the turning point in the war was reached and the fate of the war seems to have been decided by Hitler’s compulsion and hasty decisions rather than the ability of the German army to fight. Because of Hitler’s loss at Stalingrad and his failure to capture the all important caucus oil as well as the destruction of the finest parts of his army an invasion in the West was now not only possible but imminent. The invasion came in in the form of the US army at Normandy.The Western front became a devastating arena for the Germans but was only so devastating due to the effects of the German losses on the Eastern front. Even though Hitler ordered his reserves to concentrate on defending the Western front, it was still now an inevitable outcome that the allies would be victorious. Even the Battle of the Bulge had little hope of long term success as the allies were transporting more supplies on to mainland Europe every day, at a rate Germany could not hope to match. By 1945 the Russian army had made it to Berlin and the war was over.In conclusion Allied victory in Europe only became inevitable after the turning points of Stalingrad and the US invasion. Hitler made a fatal and unforgivable mistake by not ensuring the Soviet Union was completely destroyed in Operation Barbarossa. If the invasion had been successful, an Allied invasion of Western Europe would have been close to impossible. Overall Allied victory was not inevitable but sat on a precarious balance that fortunately tipped in the favour of good rather than that of evil. BibliographyBest, A, International History of The Twentieth Century and Beyond, Routledge, London, 2008 Duiker, WJ, Twentieth Century World History, Thomson Wadsworth, Belmont, 2006 Grenville, JAS, A History of the World from the 20th to the 21st Century, Routledge, New York, 2005 Overy, R, Why the Allies Won, London, 1996 Petrov, June 22 1941 Soviet Historians and the German Invasion, Columbia, 1968 Strategicus, To Stalingrad and Alamein, London Strategicus, The War Moves East, London Stokesbury, A Short History of WW2, New York, 1980 Statistical Data from Olive

Friday, November 29, 2019

Mayor Of Casterbridge Essays (1841 words) - British Films

Mayor Of Casterbridge The Mayor of Casterbridge The Progression of Modernism During the first half of the 19th century English society was making the difficult transition from a pre-industrial Britain to modern' Victorian times. In agriculture, most of the transition took place around 1846 with the repeal of the corn laws. This allowed foreign grain to be imported into England for the first time. Consequently, the entire structure and methods of agriculture in Britain were greatly altered. Much of the action in Thomas Hardy's novel The Mayor of Casterbridge takes place during the years surrounding 1846. These were the years in which traditionalists took their last stand before being defeated in the name of progress. The contrasts between Henchard, a man relying on the traditional way of life and Farfrae, a man intrigued by modern ideas, illustrate the inevitability that progress and modernization will overcome tradition. The conflict of tradition versus modernization is shown through Henchard and Farfrae's contrasting approaches to business, their contrasting attitudes toward modernization and their changing roles in Casterbridge society. The contrast between Henchard and Farfrae's business attitudes demonstrates the conflict between the traditional and modern approaches to business. Michael Henchard and Donald Farfrae take very different approaches to bookkeeping and managing the employees of Henchard's Business. Henchard is a man who has an old-fashioned attitude toward business; he is unable to write properly and as a result his financial records are poorly kept and unorganized. The majority of his business records are kept in his head. Farfrae, however, is a young man who approaches business with a modern attitude. Farfrae keeps the business account books in perfect order: not hesitating to work late doing it. A light shone from the office window, and there being no blind to screen the interior Henchard could see Donald Farfrae still seated where he had left him, initiating himself into the managerial work of the house by overhauling the books. Henchard entered, merely observing, Don't let me interrupt you, if ye will stay so late.' He stood behind Farfrae's chair, watching his dexterity in clearing up the numerical fogs which had been allowed to grow so thick in Henchard's books as almost to baffle even the Scotchman's perspicacity. The corn-factor's mien was half admiring, and yet it was not without a dash of pity for the taste of anyone who could care to give his mind to such finnikin details. Henchard himself was mentally and physically unfit for grabbing subtleties from solid paper; he had in a modern sense received the education of Achilles, and found penmanship a tantalizing art. (p.72, The Mayor of Casterbridge) The conflicts between modern and traditional approaches to business are demonstrated through the contrasting business ethics of Henchard and Farfrae. Henchard, being an older man, is not as skilled at penmanship or mathematics and as a result his bookkeeping skills represent an older and more traditional method of maintaining business accounts. Farfrae, being from a younger generation approaches business in a more modern way. He keeps the financial records as accurate and as up to date as possible, making sure to go through old records and correct any mistakes that Henchard had made previously. Henchard's methods of business represent skills that are no longer in continual use. Farfrae is an example of how the advance of technology causes the loss of traditional, and valuable skills. In the same way, the conflict between traditional and modern approaches to business is demonstrated through Henchard and Farfrae's contrasting perspectives on how to manage employees. Henchard, the traditionalist, takes a stern approach when reprimanding employees, instilling respect into his employees through fear. Henchard punishes an employee for his tardiness. I don't want to hear it!' roared Henchard. Tomorrow the wagons must start at four, and if you are not there, stand clear. I will mortify thy flesh for thee!' But let me clear up my points, your worshipful-' Henchard turned away. He asked me, and he questioned me, and then 'a wouldn't hear my points!' said Abel, to the yard in general. Now, I shall twitch like a moment-hand all night long to-night for fear o' him!' (p. 94-95). A traditional form of respect for their employers found Henchard's employees fearing him as illustrated though Abel Whittle's reaction to

Monday, November 25, 2019

Running Head Organizational Behavior Case Study

Running Head Organizational Behavior Case Study Introduction Organizational behavior is a broad and interdisciplinary area in management, which relies on the research and ideas of many other disciplines which explain human interaction and behavior.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Running Head: Organizational Behavior Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such disciplines include psychology, sociology, industrial psychology, social psychology, anthropology and communication (MacGinins, n.d). The focus of organizational behavior is the study of organizational; design, management and effectiveness (Martin, 2005). Organizational behavior therefore involves the interdependences and interrelationships of various topics like motivation, emotions, change process, culture, power and control, ethics, management and leadership, job design and technology, organizational structure, conflict and politics, stress in groups and individuals, learning, and communicat ion which involves decision making and negotiations. Managers must therefore understand the relationships between all these topics, and see how they can strike a balance, to ensure that there is a conducive environment for the progress and survival of the organization (Martin, 2005). In this assignment, I will explore organizational behavior by the use of the case study of RR Feeds, Inc., which is a large feed processing plant located in North Dakota. I will identify the challenges, conduct an in depth analysis and provide recommendations to the Management team. Discussion Challenges facing RR Feeds, Inc One challenge facing the organization is that of economic down turn, which brings in the problems of financial instability for the company because it makes less profit as the expenses remain constant. This made the organization lay off some of the employees and cut spending, so as to survive. The other challenge is that of change of employees’ attitude towards the organizatio n. The employees no longer feel obliged to commit themselves to the organization, and that is why they are ready to do as little as they can for the organization.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The employees’ morale in working is greatly reduced due to lack of or poor motivation for them to dedicate their efforts to the organization. The management is faced with the challenge of enabling the organization to survive under the economic down turn, as they safeguard the welfare of the employees. This is a challenge of change management. In depth analysis The problems facing the organization can be attributed to change management. The organization has had a good history in its relationships with the employees and it’s clients for a long time. It usually gave bonuses to employees, and committed a lot of resources in various activities of the organ ization. The employees were very satisfied and they had a very positive attitude towards the organization. The levels of the employee commitment, motivation and morale were high before the economic down turn. With the onset of the economic down turn, which is a universal economic catastrophe, the organization was faced with the challenge of maintaining the status quo, in terms of giving bonuses to employees, and spending in organization activities. This made the employees change their attitudes and perceptions towards the management of the organization. The fact that some employees were laid off did not go down well with some employees, who sensed something fishy in the management of the organization. Their perception was that the laying off of some of them was aimed at victimizing them for their reduced morale in their work at the company. The key problem for the organization is how to effect and manage change within the organization, which is necessary for its survival. When chang e happens within an organization, each individual reacts differently whereby some embrace the change while others do not. †¦ However, the organization must survive despite the challenges. When the management started laying off some employees, cutting on spending and bonuses, it did so as a reaction to the external forces to the organization. The employees on the other side reacted to the change by reducing their commitment to the organization due to lowered motivation.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Running Head: Organizational Behavior Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recommendations to the Management Organizational change is always a challenge to many managers because they are faced with the challenge of maintaining the status quo for the organization in terms of employee satisfaction on one hand and retaining the organizational performance and output on the other. Mr. Nates idea of redes igning the jobs for the employees is one way of initiating the desired change to deal with the prevailing situation. This is because the jobs would be redesigned to enable one employee handle various tasks which were being handled by the laid off staff. However, the management will need to train the remaining staff on the extra fields or dockets, so that they may be able to discharge the duties effectively. The idea of reexamining the performance evaluation program and aligning it to the current organizational situation is aimed at bringing some changes in the manner in which employees are compensated for their labor. Chances are that the manager may come up with a contract performance system of working, in which employees are given some targets to meet, then get paid depending on how they meet those targets†¦.. This is different from the normal payment in which employees are paid after the end of each month without any targets set for them. The idea is good because it would en sure that the company divides its workload to the number of employees and attach some time frames under which those targets must be met, and then pay the employees depending on how they meet the targets. This can increase productivity and flexibility in the organization, because each employee will work hard to see that he or she meets the targets, so as to receive the payment. It would increase flexibility because each employee would set his or her own work plan, and develop a time table to accomplish the tasks. The employees may work hard to meet the set targets within a short time, so as to spare some time to engage in other income generating activities so as to supplement what they earn at the company (Martin, Fellenz, 2010). Regarding the stress levels and new employee behavior of low commitment to the company, the management should use Lewin’s three phases of change management namely unfreezing, transition and refreezing of behavior.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the unfreezing stage, the management should prepare the employees for the change through talking to them about the prevailing economic situations and how it is affecting the company, and therefore the need for the company to adapt and align itself to the prevailing economic situation in order for it to survive and remain in business. The management should then use push and pull strategies to prepare the employees for the change, which is implemented during the transition phase. At the refreezing phase, the management should refreeze the newly acquired behavior in line with the new work environment. This would make the employees satisfied and restore their confidence, loyalty and commitment to the organization (Lewin, 2011). Conclusion Organizational behavior is a very crucial field in management which is very broad in nature. Managers need to understand organizational behavior in order for them to be able to be able to deal with the dynamic nature of organizational environmen t, which keeps at changing. Organizational behavior entails interaction between the organization and the employees. One major challenge for organizations is how to deal with change, like the one which faced RR Feeds, Inc due to the economic down turn. In such cases, managers should borrow Lewin’s three phase strategy of dealing with change namely unfreezing, transition and refreezing of behavior, so as to align the employees’ behavior with the prevailing organizational environment (Lewin, 2011). References Lewin, K.(2011). Lewin’s Freeze Phases. Web. MacGinins, S.K.(n.d). Organizational Behavior and Management Thinking. Web. Martin, J. (2005).3rd ed. Organizational Behavior and Management. Andover SP10 5BE: Cengage Learning EMEA. Martin,J., Fellenz, M.(2010).4th ed. Organizational Behavior Management. Andover SP10 5BE: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Coral Eugene Watts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coral Eugene Watts - Essay Example Approaching the age of twelve, he started visualizing the torturing and killing of girls and young women. When he reached his teens he started stalking girls and there is a popular perception that he is believed to have killed his first victim before the age of fifteen. He was not a very good student and often received failing grades. He had also suffered a lot of harassment at school. During his eighth standard, he suffered from meningitis accompanied with extremely high temperature; which further affected his studies and he was unable to cope up with his class fellows. It is still not clear if this was the consequence of his brain damage or the persistent sleep problems that he faced after his illness. He was also having violent dreams in which he was trying to kill women, but these could not be considered nightmares because he enjoyed them. At the age of 15, he felt an urge to fulfill his dreams. During his psychiatric assessment, he admitted that he felt better after having one of those violent dreams. Coral finally graduated from high school in 1973, despite his poor result. He was brilliant in sports and found this an adequate way to release his built-up aggression. After graduation he got a football scholarship to Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. He got expelled only three months later on the charges of pestering and mugging women. He was also mix up in the atrocious murder of a female student but could not be convicted because of lack of concrete evidence. He was also arrested on the allegation of the sexual assault of Joan Gave aged 26 on June 29, 1969; while en route on his paper delivery and sentenced to a mental hospital in Detroit, the Lafayette Clinic. Upon evaluation he was found to have been enduring from a mild mental retardation. He had an I.Q. of 68 and has delusion thought processes. He was released from the Lafayette Clinic five months later. He worked for nearly a year at the Detroit Wheel Company as a mechanic. He then

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Company Law - Essay Example n be altered by special resolution.3 However, any alteration must comply with the provisions contained in the company’s Memorandum of Association and the current Companies Acts. The Memorandum sets out the objects of the company and what the company can do. Therefore in the event a provision of the Articles is inconsistent with the Memorandum it will be overruled.4 Any alteration of the company’s Article of Association must be conducted in good faith and for the overall benefit of the company.5 The underlying rationale is the extent to which the majoritys power is contained so as to prevent majority oppression of the minority. Put another way, the principles of common law and equity effectively bind the majority share holders in the manifest exercise of their powers at the expense of minority shareholders.6 The courts have consistently approached the question of alteration of a company’s Articles of Association with extreme caution. There are many variants that are potentially conflicting. For one thing a fine balancing of the company’s interests and the interests of the members of the company as a body is relevant. The doctrine of majority rule is as equally important to the court as is the protection of the minority from oppression by the majority. Since by virtue of Section 9 of the Companies Act 1985 a majority can alter or amend provisions contained in the Articles of Association, it is important to the court that this is not accomplished by discriminatory or fraudulent means or motives on the part of the majority. The doctrine of majority rule was introduced in Foss v Harbottle. The rationale behind Foss was that any difficulties within the structure of the company ought to be dealt with by ratification by the majority shareholders.7 Inherent in this principle is the courts’ recognition of the company’s right to alter its Articles of Association. Jenkins LJ said, ‘†¦where the alleged wrong is a transaction which might be made binding

Monday, November 18, 2019

Development of Comprehensive Integrated Marketing Communication Mix Assignment

Development of Comprehensive Integrated Marketing Communication Mix - Assignment Example Other than messages regarding the cure of the Prostate Cancer the charity should also develop messages about creating awareness in the masses. Stage 5: One should identify the channels and who to hit what stake holder. May be message for each stake holder is same but there is difference in approaching them so other than proper message identification of proper channel also matters. This also includes how the message development helps the supporters and teams of the organization to achieve the objectives of the organization and help them in creation of the awareness regarding the disease. Stage 1: Background – The UK Charity Sector The UK charities’ market is large, with more than 169,000 ‘main’ charities registered with the Charity Commission in June 20071. A ‘main’ charity is defined by the Charity Commission as one that is: â€Å"required to prepare accounts and to send an Annual Return to the Charity Commission or, if their income is less th an ?10,000, inform the Commission of changes to the information held on the Register of Charities.† Based on the latest available financial information reported by each of these ‘main’ charities, their total aggregate annual income, according to the Charity Commission, amounts to just over?46 billion. As would be expected, many of the charities are very small, with an annual income of less than ?10,000, which is below the Charity Commission’s reporting threshold. Although these are still required to keep accounts, they do not have to submit them as a matter of course to the Commission. Around 90% of total annual charity income is controlled by the largest 5% of the charities. These are all subject to more stringent annual reporting and audit requirements. There are 722charities with an annual income in excess...In assignment Development of Comprehensive Integrated Marketing Communication Mix, the author describes man principles and backgrounds of this moder n marketing trend in order to create critical outlook and answer next questions: How it can be used nowadays? Which can projects be realized with such method? With the example of different charity programms, the author decides to show the mechanism of this work: ''The UK charities’ market is large, with more than 169,000 ‘main’ charities registered with the Charity Commission in June 2017. A ‘main’ charity is defined by the Charity Commission as one that is: â€Å"required to prepare accounts and to send an Annual Return to the Charity Commission or, if their income is less than  £10,000, inform the Commission of changes to the information held on the Register of Charities.† Based on the latest available financial information reported by each of these ‘main’ charities, their total aggregate annual income, according to the Charity Commission, amounts to just over £46 billion. The charity can also have strategic alliances with the same organizations who are working in same area, the charity can get benefited from their strategies, fundraising strategies for example and it can also adopt their business model as replica if it is working on small scale'' This assignment will be helpful for those who study marketing in University. The theme of this work is more than actual and social acute for modern society and the world.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Sociology Essays Risk Society Theory

Sociology Essays Risk Society Theory Risk Society Theory What are the main features of Ulrich Beck’s ‘Risk Society’ theory? To what extent does it challenge the explanations of inequality based upon class, gender and race? This essay will give brief context to the term coined by Ulrich Beck (1992), ‘risk society’, before it discusses the main characteristics of Beck’s theory; risk, individualisation and reflexive modernity, characteristics that all intertwine with one another. Demonstrates a realist approach to risk, throughout some of his writings however he demonstrates a weak version f social constructionalizm. (lupton) â€Å"Society is increasingly preoccupied with the future (and also with safety), which generates the notion of risk† (Giddens 1999: 3). Ulrich Beck (1992) coined the term ‘risk society’, which is used to describe the type of risks that have primarily been created as a result of the industrialisation and modernisation processes. Beck (1992) examined the hazards of pre-industrial society to see whether they are just as damaging as the risks that we are facing in modernity. He concludes that we are not progressing towards a post-modern society as Baudrillard and Lyotard argue, but instead we are moving into an era that he calls ‘the second modernity’. He continues to say that ‘manufactured risks’ (Giddens, 1999), which are products of human activity, have possibly become more ‘deadlier,’ than the epidemics which plagued our society in the pre-modern epoch. However it is Elliot (2002) who states that Beck is not implying that we now live in a more hazardous society, but that he acknowledges the types of risks in society have altered. Beck et al (2003) states that modernity has not been replaced but that it has become more problematic. Beck (1992) however is not as pessimistic as other theorists such as Weber, Foucault or Adorno; he states that for society to evolve then modernisation must become ‘reflexive’. Therefore introducing ‘Reflexive modernity’ as a central feature of Beck’s ‘risk theory’, which is a process whereby development is attained through reform. At this point questions begin to arise because the concepts of post-modernity and reflexive modernity tend to overlap and thus it is necessary to explain the differences between postmodernism and second-modernity. Although post-modernity and second-modernity share some similarities, they have one clear distinction; second-modernity is focused more on evolutionary advances, thus reforming the society; rather than the radical idea that postmodernist put forward, the idea of revolution. ‘Risk’ itself, Beck argues has become increasingly central to our global society: â€Å"Indeed, in a world that could literally destroy itself, risk managing and risk monitoring increasingly influence both constitutions and calculations of social action† (Elliot, 2002: 8) He, like most of society uses the term ‘risk’ as a synonym for danger, a danger that is caused through the need of ‘controlling’ certain aspects of society, in aid of heightening social security (Elliot, 2002). However Beck (1999) had previously stated that ‘ultimate security’ is unattainable to human beings. This ‘new risk’ according to Beck differs from the ‘risk’ experience by pre-modern society; instead of ‘risk’ being generated by natural disasters, which were seen as a ‘stoke of fate’, it has derived through the evolution of technology, and individual choice. The latter is seen as crucial to Beck’s debate, as it â€Å"is societal intervention, in the form of decision-making that transforms incalculable hazards into calculable risks† (Elliot, 2002: 3) thus Beck’s theory of risk society has become a political debate. For Beck the â€Å"production of risk has become more important than the production of wealth† (Albrow, 1996: 9). Here Beck introduces another key element to his debate, the idea of ‘globalisation’. He argues that the risk of nuclear radiation, many modern technologies, the greater mobility of diseases, global warming, and invasive species affects everyone, globally. Supported by Elliot (2002) who points out; that Beck mention even; the rich and powerful are unable to avoid hazards such as global warming. Thus creating what Beck (1992) describes as the ‘boomerang effect’, which simple means that even those who produced or once profited from certain risks, will sooner or later be effected by them, thus, in effect, eliminating the element of class inequalities. Bringing the essay back to a more political content; class, race and gender have conventionally been seen as the main political conflicts within society; however Beck argues that this has been replaced with ‘new globalising conflicts’ (Elliot, 2002: 11). This universal theory that Beck has created states that no one is safe from the harmful risk that new-modernity predicted, it has emerged on a global scale, making boundaries seem irrelevant, and for Beck this global scale was a by-product of ‘reflexive modernisation’. Thus seen as a positive step forward on dissolving social inequalities, however with globalisation occurring, and the blurring of boundaries it led to social agents becoming more individualised. In pre-modern society it was stated that our lives were pre-destined, based on the chances given at birth. However under the notion of Beck’s ‘risk society’, he argues that society is reshaping its social structure and thus creating more individualised social agents, as he concludes: â€Å"individuals must then, free of these structures, reflexivity construct their own biographies†(Beck, 1992: 3), making individualisation another main feature of Beck’s theory. Individualisation, as Lupton mentions is the ‘private side of globalisation’ (2002: 83). Individualisation was seen as a positive step forward into post-modernity. However it is Elliot (2002) who states that individualisation itself has become problematic because what may be seen as beneficial to individuals today, can become problematic tomorrow. This is supported by advance technology being able to test the genetic health of the unborn, seen as a positive advancement, however it was argued by Beck and Beck-Gernsheim that it became problematic for the parents, as they saw it as a compulsory to use ‘such technologies’ in order to give their offspring the best possible start in life (1995). Individualisation leads to an increasing demand upon individuals, as well as increasing choice, especially as there has been a breakdown of traditional certainties that were originally structured through age, gender and social class, enabling society to be set free from the social forms of industrial society. Generating more risk including â€Å"unemployment or underemployment, marital instability and family breakdown, accompanied by high levels of anxiety and insecurity.† (pg 85). Therefore beginning to answer the second part of this question ‘†¦to what extent does it challenge the explanations of inequalities†¦?’ Inequality within society has always been a widely controversial issue; for Beck it is part of every day society, and thus is a feature for his theory of risk. As questions have been raised such as; are certain types/groups of people more affected by these ‘new risks’? Does that differ from the inequality found in pre-modernity? Beck does state that certain groups of people are affected more than others by the distribution and growth of risk. However ‘risk’ has not surpassed problems of inequality and distribution of goods, it has intensified them. For Marxist theoreticians the situation has became ambivalent; on the one hand income inequalities have remained unaltered, however the importance of the social class system seems to have been significantly reduced. He spoke of a new kind of capitalism; ‘capitalism without class,’ focusing more on the capitalism of the individual, the result is the problems of the system have lessened politically and transformed into a ‘novel of personal experimentation’ (Elliot, 2002: 7) allowing the ‘risk’ personal failure. Gender, Beck (1992) argued has also altered within society, there has been a breakdown of the strict stereotypical ideologies. This is primarily reflected through the increasing acceptance of divorce within society, which Beck argues is the ‘trap door’ through which women fall into ‘new poverty’ as their support and in essence stability is being reduced, and as a result; ‘risk’ has become part of ‘family life’. Equality therefore, is challenged by ‘risk’ because as a result of more decision making within the family, there has become more of a need for the correct balance of their desires of autonomy and self-expression, with their need for dependence and emotional stability that is established through the dependence of a secure relationship. For Beck refers to the ‘omni-dimensional’ (1992: 103) inequality of genders; arguing that the ‘epochal changes’ that we have encountered regarding law and education, are more apparent ‘on paper’ than the behaviour and beliefs of society, and rather than increasing equality, the paradoxical effect has intensified inequalities, with that new ‘personal risks’, like that of the insecurities related to employment and economy within new modernity. Individualization is therefore burdened with risk (ibid.).With the breakdown of many of the traditional certainties structured through age, gender and social class, a plurality of new risks are generated, including unemployment or underemployment, marital instability and family breakdown, accompanied by high levels of anxiety and insecurity. Life becomes less certain even while it is placed more under one’s control. This move towards individualization does not mean that social inequalities or structuring of opportunities through such attributes asclass, gender or ethnicity have disappeared. Rather, in the face of individualization the influence of these structures have become less obvious and acknowledged as affecting life chances. Inequalities have become primarily viewed as individualized, perceived as ‘psychological dispositions: as personal inadequacies, guilt feelings, anxieties, conflicts, and neuroses’ (Beck 1992b:100).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Tay-Sachs Essays -- Health Medical Medicine Biology Essays

Tay-Sachs Abstract Tay-Sachs is a disease caused by a mutation to the gene which codes for Hex A. Without Hex A, a cell cannot degrade GM2 ganglioside into GM3 ganglioside. This results in a build up of ganglioside’s in lysosomes of neurons. The result is varying degrees of mental deterioration. New DNA-based screening is currently being developed to replace the enzyme-based screening techniques that have been used since 1969. This will not only speed up the diagnosis, but also allow for earlier detection of Tay-Sachs by using the parents genotypes. Introduction Tay-Sachs disease is one of three autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disorders, collectively known as the GM2 gangliosidoses. They result from accumulation of GM2 ganglioside in lysosomes, primarily of neurons. The clinical symptoms of Tay-Sachs vary from infantile lethal neurodegenerative disease to less severe adult onset forms. The latter are often characterized by motor neuron impairments. The recognition of the high incidence of this disease among Ashkenazi Jews and the identification of the deficiency of hexosaminidase A as the basic defect were essential findings leading to the establishment of mass carrier screening programs for this disease [2]. Recently, research has focused on the DNA-based diagnostics that are anticipated to play a role in future carrier screening programs [1]. GM2 ganglioside hydrolysis The lysosomal hydrolase, beta-hexosaminidase, occurs predominantly in two forms, hexosaminidase A (Hex A) and hexosaminidase B (Hex B). Hex A is comprised of one alpha and one beta subunit while Hex B is comprised of two beta subunits [3]. While both subunits contain similar active sites, only the alpha subunit can hydrolyze GM2 gan... ... Gravel, R. (1990). The molecular basis of Tay-Sachs disease: mutation identification and diagnosis. Clin. Biochem. 23:409-415. 2. Navon, R., Proia, R. (1991). Tay-Sachs disease in Moroccan Jews deletion of a phenylalanine in the alpha-subunit of beta--hexosaminidase. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 48:412-419. 3. Gray, R.G.F., Green, A., Rabb, L., Broadhead, D.M., Besley, G.T.N. (1990). A case of the B1 variant of GM2-gangliosidosis. J. Inher. Metab. Dis. 13:280-282. 4. Meier, E., Schwarzmann, G., Furst, W., Sandhoff, K. (1991). The human GM2 activator protein. J. Biological Chem. 266:1879-1887. 5. Mahuran, D.J. (1991). The biochemistry of HEXA and HEXB gene mutations causing GM2 gangliosidosis. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1096:87-94. 6. Robbins, S., Ranzi, R., Kumar, V., (Eds). (1984). Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Co. 142-145.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Cango Video Analysis Essay

The speech Liz gave to the Hudson Valley Business Association was not organized. Recommendations: * Although Liz did not have a plan for CanGo initially she must realize what made the company successful and perfect that. * Liz need to effectively communicate her success but more importantly communicate how she plans to continue her success 3. Communication- a. Communication within the company is very poor and lacks substance. At this point meetings are a waste of time and money. The end result of meetings is non effective. Recommendations: * Before a meeting is conducted an agenda should be created and provided to all participants. This also provides the participants a chance to think about the upcoming meeting and helps prepare brainstorming ahead of time so that the meeting will be more organized and have a flow to it. 4. Prioritization- a. Nick has the inability to prioritize tasks and he is all over the place with his work Recommendations: * Research the use and purpose of a Gant Chart * Ask for some assistance in creating a Gant Chart * Understand how to adjust the chart to circumstance 5. Time Management- c. Currently the members don’t use time management and have no regard for each other’s need to meet deadlines and get tasks accomplished. Recommendations: * Set boundaries * Create a busy/not busy indicator * Utilize the meeting calendar and set times to discuss issues throughout the day* Pre plan 6. Financial Turmoil- d. CanGo is in a financial struggle right now with an unbalanced profit and loss. Without a sound financial foundation much else doesn’t matter. Recommendations: * Go over the books and determine where the financial problems are* Create an analysis * Discuss the potential dangers and success with a CPA * Create a financial plan and adhere

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Fall of Troy essays

The Fall of Troy essays Edith Hamilton takes the love story of Cupid and Psyche, Love and Soul, from a Latin writer of the second century A.D., Apuleius, who, similar to Ovid, creates beautiful, entertaining tales. Consequently, the author uses the Latin names of the gods. The story of Cupid and Psyche represents the determined love between mortal and immortal. Psyche, the daughter of a king, held a beauty which excelled her sisters and every other maidens on the earth. Her shining beauty made her seem a very goddess consorting with mere mortals (92). Her surpassing beauty, known all over the earth, caused men from across the world to journey to gaze upon her with wonder and adoration as if she beheld immortality. Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, could not even measure up to the loveliness of this mortal. Her temples neglected, Venus becomes enraged; all the praises once hers were now given to a mere girl destined some day to die (92). The jealous goddess immediately turns to her son Cupid, against whose arrows there is no defense (92). She commands the God of Love to make Psyche fall in love with the most appalling, unpleasant creature in the world. Cupid, however, falls in love with her and feels as if he had shot one of his arrows into his own heart (93). Not only does he fall in love with her himself, but he also prevents anyone from falling in love with her. Strangely, both her sisters, indisputably inferior to her, married kings. The beautiful Psyche remains solitary, only admired, never loved (93). Meanwhile, Cupid deceivingly allows Venus to believe that Psyches ruin will soon arive. Psyches father, disturbed by his daughters loneliness, travels to an oracle of Apollo to ask for advice. The god, whom Cupid had begged for his help, expressed that Psyche, dressed in deepest mourning, must go t ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Arguments for and Against Humane Meat

Arguments for and Against Humane Meat Certified humane meat has been gaining in popularity as the public learns more about factory farms. Some activists call for reforms and labeling of humanely raised and slaughtered meat, but others argue we cannot work on reforms and promote animal rights at the same time. Background In a factory farm, animals are treated as commodities. Breeding sows are confined in gestation stalls, pigs have their tails cut off without anesthesia, calves spend their entire lives tethered by their necks in veal crates, and egg-laying hens are debeaked and kept in cages too small to spread their wings in. The search for solutions has focused on two paths, one reforming the system and instituting more humane standards, and the other promoting veganism so that fewer animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered. While few animal activists disagree with promoting veganism, some believe that campaigning for reforms and humane labeling is counter-productive. Humane standards can either be required by law or instituted voluntarily by farmers. Farmers who voluntarily agree to higher humane standards are either opposed to factory farming or are trying to appeal to consumers who prefer meat from humanely raised and slaughtered animals. There is no single definition of â€Å"humane meat,† and many animal activists would say that the term is an oxymoron. Different meat producers and organizations have their own humane standards by which they abide. One example is the â€Å"Certified Humane Raised and Handled† label that is backed by the Humane Society of the U.S., the ASPCA, and other non-profits. Humane standards might include larger cages, no cages, natural feed, less painful methods of slaughter, or prohibition of practices such as tail docking or debeaking. In some cases, campaigns target retailers or restaurants instead of the actual producers, pressuring the companies to purchase animal products only from producers who raise the animals according to certain voluntary standards. One example is PETA’s McCruelty campaign that asks McDonald’s to require their producers to switch to a more humane method of slaughtering chickens. Arguments for Humane Meat People will continue to eat meat for the foreseeable future, so humane standards will ensure that the animals will have a better life than they have in factory farms now.Since some people will never be convinced to go vegan, humane standards are the only way we can help the animals who will be raised for food no matter what else we do.Humane standards will eliminate the cruelest factory farming practices. Humane standards have broad-based support, so goals are achievable. Many people are opposed to factory farming but are not opposed to eating meat or other animal products. According to Humane Farm Animal Care: A recent study on behalf of the United Egg Producers found that three out of four American consumers (75%) would choose food products certified as protecting animal care over those that are not. Humane regulations on a state or federal level provide relief to millions of animals.Humane standards are a step towards animal rights. By promoting humane standards, we persuade people to care about animals, which will lead some to vegetarianism and veganism. Arguments Against Humane Meat There is no such thing as humane meat. Using an animal for food violates the animal’s right to life and freedom, and cannot be humane. Calling some animal products â€Å"humane† leads people to believe that animals do not suffer on â€Å"humane† farms when in fact, they do. For example, male babies of egg-laying hens are still killed, and male dairy cattle are still killed. Also, HumaneMyth.org explains: At all farms, large-scale and small-scale, laying hens are killed when their production declines, typically within two years, as feeding these worn-out individuals cuts directly into profits. Often the bodies of spent hens are so ravaged that no one will buy them, and they are ground into fertilizer or just sent to a landfill. Some humane standards can be woefully inadequate, even by animal welfare standards. Giving animals enough room to spread their wings or turn around does not mean they will have enough room to fly or walk around. They will still be crowded and will still suffer.Requiring larger cages or larger pens will require more space and more deforestation than factory farms already require. Nine billion land animals are killed for human consumption every year in the U.S. Giving 9 billion animals enough land to roam would be an environmental disaster.Humane meat is not more sustainable than factory farming. The animals will require just as much food and water, if not more because they will be moving around more and exercising more.Humane meat campaigns sometimes send a confusing message. Nine years after declaring victory in their McCruelty campaign against McDonalds, PETA resurrected their McCruelty campaign in 2008 to make further demands.Instituting humane standards causes some vegetarians and vegans to start consuming meat and other animal products again. Spending resources on reform campaigns take movement resources away from campaigns to promote veganism.Humane standards do nothing to challenge the right of humans to use other animals and have nothing to do with animal rights. We should promote veganism instead of more â€Å"humane† ways of exploiting animals. Animal activists sometimes debate whether promoting veganism helps animals more than humane reforms, but we may never know. The debate is one that divides some groups and activists, but the animal agriculture industry fights both types of campaigns.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Group Design and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Group Design and Management - Essay Example According to Suh, (1995), Axiomatic design provides the designer with a theoretical foundation based on processes which are logical and rational thought. Axiomatic design can also be used to create Functional Requirements (FRs) and Design Parameters (DPs). The creation of these two ensures that all necessary elements of design are incorporated thereby making it possible to narrow down to possible solutions. The other elements of axiomatic design inline with these are the customer attributes (CAs) and Process Variables (PVs). According to Cochran, et al. (2000, p. 12), the customer domain is characterized by the customer attributes that the customer is looking for in a process, product, system or any other object to be designed. Cochran et al continue to clarify that customer attributes are specified in terms of functional requirements and constraints in the functional domain. Therefore, functional requirements represent the real goals and objectives of the design. Expression of how o ne need to satisfy the functional requirements is done by design parameters. Then lastly, systems variables are stated in the process domain incase in order to arrive at a design solution specified by design parameters (p. 13). ... 13). Application of axioms calls for breaking them down in a structure that is hierarchical. This therefore means that in order to engineer a design, there are three essential elements. These elements according to Suh (2001) are: the axioms, the structure, and the process of creating that structure. Suh (1990) suggests that the axioms are decomposed into rules upon which design is governed. Structures are decomposed vertically into design hierarchies and laterally into design domains (Suh, 1990, 2001). Suh (2001), states that the processes comprise of decompositions by zigzagging between the domains of designs downwards to the leaf levels or nitty-gritty. This simple means that it ends up with the most detailed fundamental level of the hierarchy of design, and the physical integration and composition of the final design. The playing field of design is understood to be the lateral decomposition while the rules of design are the corollaries, axioms, and theorems. The process domain and the customer domain represent the domains as a whole. The relationships between Design Parameters (DPs) and Functional Requirements (FRs) in physical and functional domains are emphasized by design exercises and the process domains. The process domain is used to check the existence of manufacturing processes and process variables that are reasonable. This is of great use in concurrent engineering. Tool design and manufacturing processes are recast as product design problems aligned with the right customer DPs and FRs. A good design calls for proper definition of FRs. It is not possible for the final design to be better than FRs. In addressing problems, there is usually a tendency by engineers to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

SOFT DRINK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SOFT DRINK - Essay Example Supply, Demand, and Equilibrium: Supply and demand is the main concept on which whole study of economics is based. The demand is known to be the quantity asked by the consumers or buyers and us usually backed by the ability and willingness to purchase the product. Demand has an inverse relation with the price which means that when the price of soft drink increases, it would eventually decrease the demand of soft drink. On the other hand, Supply means the quantity of the products offered by the industry or market at a certain level of price. Supply has a direct relation with price which shows that whenever the price of soft drink increases the supply will also increase. Equilibrium is a state where the demand and supply are equal. It means that the amount of soft drink being supplied is equal to the amount that is demanded by the buyers (McEachern, 2012). The diagram shows that equilibrium occurs when the demand and supply of the product is equal. This is the most favourable position as this is the most efficient point for an industry to be at. It means that the demand of the product is equally matched with the supply of the product (McEachern, 2012). Soft drinks are included in monopolistic market where the number of firms that operates in the market are many and provides differentiated products to the buyers. These products are not identical but are differentiated and each soft drink in the market is clearly differentiated from others. Entry and exit in this market is easy creating shifts in the market (McEachern, 2012). The possibility of shifts in demand and supply are as follows: Demand Changes in price When the price of soft drinks increases the demand for soft drinks will eventually decrease which means that the buyers will reduce their purchases. On the other hand when the price of the soft drink decreases the demand will rapidly rise. This shows that price has an inverse relation with demand which means that rise in price will lead to fall in demand (Ta ylor and Weerapana, 2009). Availability of substitute goods Demand is inversely proportional to the availability of substitute goods. This means that increase in substitute goods will decrease the demand of soft drinks. The more substitute products become available in the market the less is the demand for the product (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009). Changes in income The demand for soft drinks can also be affected by changes in the income. As income rises the demand for the soft drinks will ultimately increase and the demand curve will shift to right side. Similarly, when the income decreases the demand for the soft drink will decrease and the curve will shift to left side which shows deficit (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009). Supply Changes in price of goods When the price of soft drinks increases the supply for soft drinks will eventually increase (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009). Changes in price of related goods When the price of related goods increases the supply for soft drinks will event ually increase as there will be more demand for the soft drinks (Taylor and Weerapana, 2009). Changes in price of inputs The price of the inputs or ingredients used to produce soft drinks also causes the supply curve to shift. An increase in price of inputs will ultimately decrease the supply of soft drinks from the suppliers. This will be done to cover up the cost incurred by the suppliers due to increase in the prices of the inputs. Similarly, decrease in the price of inputs w

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Literature Review and Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literature Review and Report - Essay Example Succession planning is a process of identifying and developing people from within the organization with the potential to fill key leadership positions in the company. It increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available. It is now combined with leadership training and the processes together are very essential for the functioning of an organization. There are very many advantages of filling up the positions with existing employees, such as, they are already familiar with the values and the methods of functioning of the organization, the people of the organization already know them and thus it will be easier for them to fit in. Also, giving people such an opportunity ensures that they will work extra hard to get trained and developed so that they can fill in the gap required and aim for a promotion. Using internal employees also helps cut down on costs that would come up from the relentless head hunting acti vities for filling in a high post and gives out the message to the employees that the organization is closely knit and would rather give them the opportunities first. LITERATURE ARGUMENTS: Succession Planning Succession planning plays a very important role in regenerating a company's leadership, but quite often, the promises of traditional succession planning are not delivered. The whole purpose of succession planning in an organization, according to Leibman, Bruer and Maki (1996), is to develop a strong leader, not choose, but develop. This is because every organization has different needs and requirements from their leader. Allio (2007) insists that it is necessary to strategically build strong leadership teams in an organization, so as to meet these requirements. He discusses the importance of having good leaders in an organization and the effects that rogue leader can have. Barsh, Capozzi and Davidson (2008) on the other hand discuss the importance of the integration of innovati on into the strategic management of the organization. Leibman, Bruer and Maki (1996) write about the factors that play prominent roles in the development of these leadership teams. One of them is non discriminating hiring, which has led to work places being more diverse, in terms of gender, religious background, age group and ethnicities, all trying to balance home and work, to contribute to a better standard of living for the entire family. Thus, with increasing diversity in the workforce, it is essential that this factor be taken into account in the leadership development programs of organizations. Their research has shown that to achieve better results and higher productivity, corporations have begun to make changes in their structures. Allio (2007) adds to this view by stating, tall organizations are out, making way for a more lenient, flat structure that gives people greater authority and accountability, but also reduces chaos in the organization and encourages team efforts. Th is further contributes to the focus on preparing leadership team, rather than individuals. Also, having a team gives an organization more options and points of view. Barsh, Capozzi and Davidson (2008) provides an additional perspective that, this in some way makes the decision making process more efficient, if not easy, for the simple reason that more than one opinion is taken into account

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee as teaching material Essay Example for Free

â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee as teaching material Essay There have been plenty of opinions and discussions around the statement if the well-known novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee should be used as teaching material. A number of teachers have decided to use the book in classes but there are likewise several strong arguments for banning it in the education. Some claim that this is a novel that â€Å"every adult should read before they die†; while others prefer to say â€Å"this is a dangerous book†. Due to the somber, mighty but significant themes that the book brings up have resulted in that people have got an eye-opener if â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† is proper to occur in children’s hands. But the advantages weigh out the disadvantages. To kill a mockingbird should not be banned from schools since the novel reflects and includes the American segregated history in a trustworthy way that students can understand and as lively discussions likely will occur, possible repetitions from the past will be prevented. Since the release in the 1960s, the book has become a part of classroom study due to the instructive themes brought up in the book. Examples of these themes are racial injustice, courage, compassion and the destruction of innocence. However, due to the controversial nature of these themes, some schools have chosen to ban the book from education. Amongst these are the schools of the Canadian province Nova Scotia who defends their point of view with following statement quoted from the book â€Å"Bloom’s Guides: To Kill a Mockingbird – new Edition†: â€Å"The terminology in this novel subjects students to humiliating experiences that rob them of their self-respect and the respect of their peers. The word ‘Nigger’ is used 48 times [in] the novel†¦We believe that the English Language Arts curriculum in Nova Scotia must enable all students to feel comfortable with ideas, feelings and experiences presented without fear of humiliation †¦ To Kill a Mockingbird is clearly a book that no longer meets these goals and therefore must no longer be used for classroom instruction.† To not enlighten and discuss the true history may result into speculations around the not comfortable students and pointed them out because the school â€Å"is not able† to read the book because of them. Lately, ideas how to censor the novel has been presented. The author, speaker and public policy expert Anthony Jerrod discussed in the article â€Å"Should Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird be Censored?† if the â€Å"n† word should be replaced with â€Å"slave† in the book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† to be more adapted to today’s modern society. Jerrod claimed that critics mean that a modern copy â€Å"will result in more people being able to truly enjoy these narratives†. The risk with modifying the past can replace the emotions and the truly message Harper Lee wrote. Instead of erasing the history the society should focus on how, to in an accurate, way bring up the book’s content in a way black people can feel comfortable with. What we have done in the past can not be changed however we learn and comprehend from it. The book focuses on many sensitive themes that pupils may feel uncomfortable to read about. The fact that people in the novel are separated based on the skin color is upsetting in the modern society. In the book black people are discriminated which may lead to consequences as discomfort and pointed out while reading about it. Feelings, thoughts and ideas from the olden times become current once again. By realizing the surprisingly fact that it was only seventy-five years ago the occurrences took place in the society and not in an imaginary book, feels frightening. The elder perhaps remember how the segregation reflected their days in the past but the younger generations have not experienced it in the same extent and by removing the disrespect details it will result in further forgetfulness. â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† has become one of the world most famed books by a reason. The novel counts both as a fiction and a lesson in history and is therefore the remarkably accurate school material. When the class discusses the book the pupils might understand the segregation heightens and realize why this is a sensitive topic. The novel will not go in one ear and go out the other. The plot facilitates the reader to identify itself with the central figures leading to a greater understanding and empathy for the happenings. We have a responsibility to declare the inaccuracies we have committed. To use the original â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† in classes moves the discussion and development of equal rights, in several aspects, forward and increases the awareness of how we do not want our society.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Definitions And Theories of Teamwork

Definitions And Theories of Teamwork Definition: group cohesion is a dynamic process which is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its goals. Stages of development There are four stages of development a group will go through but the time it takes to go through each stage is variable. These stages are: Forming Storming Norming Performing Forming This is when everybody meets for the first time and starts to get to know each other. This stage can be used to test whether or not the team can gel together properly or not. In a team situation the coach may use small games or strategies to break the ice between the new group members. This can also be explained as the stage where new team mates get together for the first time in search of a common goal or cause. Storming In this stage each individual is fighting for there place in the team therefore it can be a stage of very intense intergroup competition. This intense competition may include rebellion against the leader, conflict between individuals or resistance to the way the team is being developed or managed and the tactics that are being adopted. Norming The players now begin to realise that they are all there aiming for the same goals and therefore either agree on a way of getting on in order to achieve these goals or they leave the group. Now the group starts to cooperate and work together to reach their common goals. The group now pulls together and the roles are established and become more stable. Performing This is the stage where the relationship between the players is well established and they all pull together with the aim to achieve their common goals. Issues of leadership and strategies are well established and agreed upon. When a new player joins the group a new stage of storming and norming will occur and the new players will either be accepted or rejected. This refreshing of the team can be a good shake up as it prevents the team from going stale. Successful teams seem to be settled and take in two or three new players a year to keep the team fresh but the introduction of too many players can disrupt the team and change the nature of the group completely. A good example of this is Manchester united in the 1990s where an influx of youngsters came up through the youth teams and the reserves to the first team. They had already been through the norming stage therefore they knew what norms were expected of them, this is why they achieved so much so quickly. They brought in two or three players each year to keep the team fresh and to help develop the team. The team started to decline in 2001/02 when they signed Juan Sebastian Veron as he was seen to disrupt the group dynamics and reduce the teams effectiveness. Social/task cohesion In sport different teams may have different skill levels therefore team cohesiveness may be the difference between two teams that might mak the difference between winning and losing. There are two types of cohesiveness. Social cohesion Task cohesion Social cohesion can be defined as a general orientation towards developing and maintaining social relationships within a group. (Carron, Widmeyer, Brawley, 1985) Task cohesion can be defined as a general orientation towards achieving a groups goals and objectives. (Carron, Widmeyer, Brawley, 1985) In sports coaches and players, coaches especially, should be more concerned with task cohesion than with social cohesion. An increase in task cohesion can help lead to success. This can be achieved by setting goals. This goal setting can play a major role in the development of the teams task cohesion and it will lead to the development of the players skills. Success is also important in the accomplishment of team cohesion. This success doesnt have to be winning it can also come in the form of achieving goals that have been set by the team. Goals can help significantly in the development of task cohesion. A good example of a team that has good task cohesion but no social cohesion is the New York Yankees team of the 1970s when they were constantly bickering but they still went on to win the world series several times. The more success a team experiences, the higher the cohesion. (Bird, 1977; Carron, 1982).http://www.fcbarcelona.com/imagenes/jugadores/futbol/Partidos/Liga-2005-06/Betis-FCB/240905_CronikaAlegria.jpg Carron (1982, 1988) model of cohesion Albert Carron came up with a system for studying cohesion within sport. This system looks at four areas: Environmental Personal Leadership Team factors Environmental This refers to the normal factors which hold a team together eg contracts and scholarships. Other factors include age and geographic closeness. Having team members of the same age living in the same area increases the opportunities for interaction and communication between the group. The size of the group will also affect cohesion because of the manufacturing of cliques. Smaller groups always tend to be more cohesive than larger groups. Personal This is in relation to each person within the group; there are major differences between each individual in the group. Carron has split personal factors into 3 separate groups: Demographic attributes eg gender Cognitions and motives eg anxiety Behaviour eg ability to follow rules Leadership This refers to the leadership and behaviour. The role of leaders is important in team cohesion in offering communication towards team goals. Another factor is the relationship between the team and the coach as a good relationship will ensure a more cohesive group. Team This includes desire for group success, group roles, group position and team stability. Carron believed that the longer a team have together and also have a desire for success show higher levels of cohesion. Shared experiences of success or failure are also essential in developing cohesion within the group, as it brings the team closer together. Model of Cohesion Cohesion and performance, what comes first? There have been numerous studies showing that there is a relationship between team cohesiveness and success. The better the team the more cohesive the team. What research has not shown whether or not these successful teams performed well because of the cohesiveness of the team or is the team cohesive because they have shared the experiences of winning. Both of these explanations may be correct. Slater and Sewell (1994) measured team cohesion in sixty university level hockey players representing three male and three female teams, early, midway and at the end of the season. This research has shown that early success resulted in late cohesion and early success resulted in late success. Slater and Sewell (1994) concluded that while early success related to later cohesiveness, the stronger relationship was between early cohesiveness and later success. They proposed that cohesiveness and success were mutually dependant. High cohesiveness Greater success Higher cohesiveness Low cohesiveness Less success Lower cohesiveness As you can see from the above model, the cohesiveness of a team early on in the season affects the success of the team which in turn affects the cohesiveness of the team later in the season. This study shows why one of the main priorities of a coach is to develop a highly cohesive team. Team cohesion is shown to be related to a teams success on the field. Although many studies have found that a teams cohesion was related to is subsequent performance, many other studies found that team cohesion had very little to do with how successful the team became. Success is related to the type of cohesion that exists within the team. More specifically, if your team has a high level of task cohesion, meaning that they play well together and remain united in the pursuit of the teams goals, then they are more likely to enjoy success. On the other hand, having a high amount of social cohesion, meaning that the team members are good friends and that they enjoy each others company, means very little in the way of predicting your teams performance. It has even been found that teams who are high in social cohesion play worse as a team. The key is not necessarily that your team members like each other, but that they are united in their efforts to achieve the team goals set forth at the beginning of the season. Higher levels of team (task) cohesion appear to be related to team success as the season progresses, and as the team becomes more successful, the degree of team cohesion appears to increase as well. Some might say the relationship between team cohesion and team success is a circular system. As team cohesion improves, so does the teams performance, and as the teams performance improves, it becomes more and more cohesive.It also appears that the link between a teams performance and its subsequent cohesion is stronger than the link between the teams initial cohesion and their performance early on in the season. The answer, according to previous studies in sport psychology, to the question whether performance or cohesion comes first, is both. http://www.baseballnews.com/features/teamchemistry.htm Building an effective team and developing cohesiveness Team cohesion is shown to be one of the most important factors in a successful team therefore is of vital importance that the coach encourages team cohesion, especially in societies such as Britain and the USA where people can be very self centred and dont care about the team. Coaches therefore figure out strategies to bring the team together, this is known as team building. Carron et al. (1997) came up with the following steps for team building. Each player should be acquainted with the responsibilities of the other team members. As coach, learn something personal about each team member and use it to gain cooperation. Gain pride in the sub teams within larger teams e.g. the defence Involve players in decision making to make them feel the team belongs to them. Set the team goals and celebrate when they are attained. Teach each team member their responsibilities and convince them of their individual importance. Allow team members to have disagreements. Prevent the formation of cliques within the team, by giving every member opportunities to perform and avoiding scapegoating. Use routines in practice designed to teach team members how dependant they are on each other. Highlight the positive aspects of play, even when the team is on a losing streak. Leadership in sport Definition: leadership can be defined as the behavioural process of influencing individuals and groups towards set goals. (Barrow, 1997) Trait theory of leadership Early research on leadership was based on the psychological focus of the day, which was of people having inherited characteristics or traits. Attention was thus put on discovering these traits, often by studying successful leaders, but with the underlying assumption that if other people could also be found with these traits, then they, too, could also become great leaders. In the 1920s researchers tried to show that characteristics were common to all leaders therefore to be a good leader you had to have these qualities inbuilt when you are born. This means that a person who is a good leader in one situation is a good leader in any situation. McCall and Lombardo (1983) researched both success and failure identified four primary traits by which leaders could succeed or derail: Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress. Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up. Good interpersonal skills: Sble to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics. Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise. McCall and Lombardo (1983) Stogdill (1974) identified the following traits and skills as critical to leaders. Skills Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement-orientated Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant (desire to influence others) Energetic (high activity level) Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised (administrative ability) Persuasive Socially skilled Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) identified eight characteristics which are associated with successful leadership. They are: drive, honesty, motivation to lead, self-confidence, intelligence, expertise in the purpose of the group, creativity and flexibility. Kirkpatrick and Locke then concluded that inspirational leaders do not need to be great men or women by being intellectual geniuses or omniscient prophets but they do need to have the right stuff and this stuff isnt equally present in all people Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) Behavioural theory This theory states that anybody can be a good leader by learning the behaviour of an effective leader therefore this theory says that the qualities of a good leader can be learned and developed through training and experience, contradictory to the trait theory this one is saying that good leaders are made and not born. As early researchers ran out of information in their research in personal traits of leaders, they turned to what leaders did, how they behaved and especially towards their followers. They moved from leaders to leadership and this became the dominant way of approaching leadership in the 1950s and early 1960s. Different patterns of behaviour were grouped together and labelled as styles. A variety of schemes appeared, designed to identify and develop peoples style of working. Despite different names for these schemes, the basic ideas were very similar. The four main styles that appear are: Â · Concern for task. Here leaders put emphasis on the achievement of concrete objectives (achievement of goals). They look for high levels of productivity, and ways to organize people and activities in order to meet those objectives. Â · Concern for people. In this style, leaders look upon their followers as people and can identify their needs, interests, problems, development and so on and be able to work around these to get the best out of them. They are not simply units of production or means to an end. Â · Directive leadership. This style is characterized by leaders making decisions for others and expecting followers to follow instructions, such as a team captain on the pitch giving instructions to the rest of the players on the field. Â · Participative leadership. Here leaders try to share decision-making with the rest of the players but when the need arises that a decision has to be made quickly then his attention turns back to directive leadership. Many of the early researchers that looked to participative and people-centred leadership argued that it brought about greater satisfaction amongst followers. However, as Sadler (1997) reports, when researchers really got to work on this it didnt seem to stand up. There were lots of differences and inconsistencies between studies. It was difficult to say style of leadership was significant in enabling one group to work better than another. The main problem may have been one shared with those who looked for traits. The researchers did not look properly at the context or setting which the style was used in. Is it possible that the same style would work as well in a group of friends? The styles that leaders can adopt are far more affected by those they are working with, and the environment they are working within, than had been originally thought. Interactional approach The interactional approach looks at the interaction between the person and the situation rather than the personality of the leader. This approach stresses the following points: Effective leaders cant be predicted solely on personality. Effective leadership fits specific situations, as some leaders function better in certain circumstances than others. Leadership style needs to change to suit the situation A good example of the way this theory works is; relationship orientated leaders develop interpersonal relationships, provide god communication and ensure everyone is feeling good within the group. However, task orientated leaders are concerned with getting the work done and meeting objectives. Stafford Browne et el. (2003) Critics argued that the continued focus on the leader, rather than the situation where leadership takes place, provided a limited view of leadership. This is why an interactional approach to leadership was developed. This took into account the leader, the situation at the time, the type of people who are being led and the interaction between them. This interactional approach is examined in the work of both Fiedler and Chelladurai. Fred E. Fiedlers contingency theory says that there is no best way for managers to lead. Situations will create different leadership style requirements for a manager. The solution to a managerial situation is reliant on the factors that are imposed on the situation. E.g. a coach may have to act on a situation such as player getting injured. He/she must get the suitable replacement. This is not planned it is an unexpected situation that has arisen and must be dealt with. (Woods 2001) Fiedlers Contingency model Fiedlers model assumes that group performance depends on: Leadership style, described in terms of task motivation and relationship motivation. Situational favourableness, determined by three factors: 1. Leader-member relations Degree to which a leader is accepted and supported by the group members. 2. Task structure Extent to which the task is structured and defined, with clear goals and procedures. 3. Position power The ability of a leader to control subordinates through reward and punishment. High levels of these three factors give the most favourable situation, low levels, the least favourable. Relationship-motivated leaders are most effective in moderately favourable situations. Task-motivated leaders are most effective at either end of the scale. Fiedler suggests that it may be easier for leaders to change their situation to achieve effectiveness, rather than change their leadership style. A good example of this approach was with Brian Mc Eniff when he won the 1992 All Ireland final with Donegal but has failed to do so since with rows in the camp between mentors and players. The leader was powerful but the relationship wasnt warm therefore pressure took its toll and he had to resign. Multidimensional model of sport leadership In 1978 Chelladurai proposed a multidimensional model of leadership developed on the basis of leadership theories and their effectiveness. Performance outcomes and satisfaction could be achieved by effective leader behaviours. This means that if things arent going particularly well the leader must stand and be counted and motivate his players to succeed. In this case the coach has to be able to change his leadership style to suit the situation. This model says that if a leader behaves appropriately for the particular situation and these behaviours match the preferences of the group then they will achieve their goals. The model Antecedents Leader behaviour Consequences 4. required behaviour 1. situational characteristics 7. performance satisfaction 5. actual behaviour 2. leader characteristics 6. preferred behaviour 3. member characteristics Situational characteristics The characteristics of the situation the group is in such as; size, type of sport or winning or losing, Leader characteristics The personal qualities of the leader such as; confidence, intelligence, assertiveness and self-motivation. Member characteristics The different personalities of different types of athletes such as; age, gender, ability and experience. Required behaviour The type of characteristics required from a leader in a particular situation. For example if a team is losing with 5mins to go, is it better for the leader to make the decision himself or discuss it with the group? Actual behaviour This is the behaviour the leader actually displays Preferred behaviour The preferred leadership of the team depending on the situation. Performance satisfaction This is the extent to which the team is satisfied with the performance of the group under this leader. A good example of this approach was with Brian Kerr when he was in charge of the Irish soccer team. He had a mix of different approaches between autocratic and democratic. Normally he was democratic with his more senior players making decisions and enforcing leadership. When things werent going to plan though he stepped in as the autocratic leader to set things right again. Leadership styles There are a number of different leadership styles that I will look at, some more successful than others. The different types of leader are; Autocratic authoritarian Democratic leadership Laissez faire Autocratic authoritarian This type of leader dictates to the group, he doesnt ask for advice, comments or ideas from the group. He is the one who makes all of the decisions. This leadership style has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that the members of the group can be directed towards purposeful actions even when stressed and exhausted. The disadvantage is that wise group members do not have the chance to input useful information into the group and thus they may find it difficult to motivate themselves. Democratic leadership This type of leadership encourages the involvement of the whole group as individuals and as a group. Participants are encouraged to give feedback, ideas and to help make decisions. If the group leader were to be absent then the group would be efficient enough to continue what they were doing on their own. The bad side of this style is that it can cause trouble when decisions need to be made quickly in an emergency. This type of leadership is usually the most successful. Laissez faire This style of leadership encourages group independence in the sense that the group makes their own decisions, the leader only gets involved when the group gets into difficulties or in cases of emergency. Lewin (1939) found that this type of group tended to become more aggressive with each other when things went wrong. Leaders in this type of group often fail to motivate the members of the group and fail to deal with a crisis.