Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Leonardo Da Vinci - a Worshipper of Nature's Divine Order Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci - a Worshipper of Nature's Divine Order - Essay Example Leonardo's name was actually Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci, though he was known throughout his life as Leonardo or Leonardo Ser Piero. 'Da Vinci' is simply a reference to the Tuscan village in which he was born. Referring to him as 'Da Vinci' is a little like referring to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery of Alamein as 'Of Alamein'or Joan of Arc as 'Of Arc'. It is strange that Brown calls him 'Da Vinci' consistently, despite the fact he apparently studied art in Seville and his wife is supposedly an art historian.The life and work of Leonardo, the archetypical 'Renaissance Man' for whom no branch of knowledge was allowed to remain a closed book, has proved endlessly fascinating to later generations. At one time he was known only as a painter, although many of his works by other hands were unknown and a number of inferior works by other hands were wrongly attributed to him. The full, amazing extent of his genius emerged only in quite recent times with the rediscovery of his notebooks and drawings. For a time, even Leonardo the painter seemed to be submerged by the weight of his new reputation as a scientist. Some readjustment has taken place since then. As a scientist and engineer, Leonardo's achievements, though staggering enough, have proved to be a shade less novel than once we thought, while at the same time a succession of brilliant art historians, beginning with Bernhard Berenson and Kenneth Clark, has made us far more knowledgeable about his art. Though Leonardo would have jibbed at such a judgment, he was and is, first and foremost a great painter; a man whose output was tiny compared with other geniuses of his time (a Michelangelo, a Raphael, a Titian) yet included possibly the two most famous paintings in history, the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Quota Printing Essay Example for Free

Quota Printing Essay The best things in life are free. However, anything that is provided without any controls attached should impose a certain degree of responsibility. This will ensure that the overall efficiency of the right can be maximized by all individuals concerned. In the case of the free printing abuse in the library, the best possible resolution is to implement an individualized imposition of responsible printing instead of simply making the facility available without limitations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible solution for the problem is to implement a quota for printing per student. Each enrolled individual will have to register first in the database in which they will have to input their complete name and student number. Afterwards, the library can impose a printing system which will allow each student to avail the first 50 to 100 pages (depending on the decision of the library) of printing free for the entire semester. The next pages thereafter shall be charged a definite amount of at least about five cents per page as noted in the article. This way, the students will have the responsibility to only use their free pages of printing in an efficient way which will help them become responsible. Moreover, five cents worth of printing page is still reasonable for any student’s budget allowance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the concern of having to wait long queue of printing, the library can install one more printing machine in the library. Because of the great savings in resources (paper, electricity, ink) and the possible accumulation of budget coming from the 5c/page beyond quota charges, is it possible to purchase another equipment to make printing faster for all the students who want to request for a printing job. Of course, the same implementation ruling should be provided to the second printer which will be connected in the single student user database for the number of printed page monitoring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is always an exciting experience to acquire something without any charges. But sometimes, it is inevitable to encounter inconsiderate individuals who would only want to abuse something that is free. In order to resolve this problem, it is always necessary to impose a definite restriction in free services to help each user become responsible. A simple limitation rule can greatly help a free system effective.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

european painting and sculpture :: essays research papers

European Painting and Sculpture The collection of European painting and sculpture comprises works of art from the twelfth through the early twentieth century. Ranging from paintings in oil on panel, canvas, or onyx through sculptures in alabaster, bronze, terra-cotta, marble, wax, silver, and painted wood, these works of art come primarily from Italy, France, Spain, the Low Countries (Holland and modern Belgium), Germany, Austria, England, and Switzerland. The collection of European painting and sculpture can be found on the first and second floors of the Ahmanson building and in the B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden. It includes masterpieces of European art from the Middle Ages through impressionism and the followers of Rodin. Renowned for an outstanding representation of Italian baroque paintings as well as for world-famous masterpieces like Georges de La Tour’s Magdalen with the Smoking Flame (c.1638–40), Rembrandt’s Raising of Lazarus (c.1630), Degas’s The Bellelli Sisters (1862–64), and Cà ©zanne’s Sous-Bois (1894), the collection also boasts paintings by Jacopo Bellini, Rosso Fiorentino, Veronese, Titian, Frans Hals, Rubens, Boucher, Fragonard, Hubert Robert, Tiepolo, Delacroix, Monet, Pissarro, and Gauguin among others. The sculpture collection is shown integrated with the paintings. The museum displays the only collection of medieval sculpture in Southern California and is famed for its Renaissance and baroque polychrome sculptures. Of particular note are the French eighteenth-century terra-cottas, with examples of the work of Tuby, Clodion, Chinard, and Pajou. The nineteenth century is richly represented with sculptures by David d’Angers, Rude, Carrier-Belleuse, Dalou, Falguià ¨re, and above all, Auguste Rodin, to whom an entire gallery is devoted. A selection of approximately 150 medals, from the Renaissance through the 1930s, is a representative group from the 1300 medals and plaquettes in the collection. GEORGES DE LA TOUR atopatop (France, 1593–1652) Magdalen with the Smoking Flame, c. 1638-40 Oil on canvas 46 x 36 1/8 in. (116.8 x 91.8 cm) Gift of The Ahmanson Foundation, M.77.73 Although Georges de La Tour spent his entire artistic career in provincial France, far from cosmopolitan centers and artistic influences, he developed a poignant style as profound as the most illustrious painters of his day. In his lifetime his work appeared in the prominent royal collections of Europe. La Tour's early training is still a matter for speculation, but in the province of Lorraine he encountered the artist Jean Le Clerc, a follower of the Italian painter Caravaggio. From this source likely came La Tour's concern with simplicity, realism, and essential detail. Mary Magdalen was traditionally depicted in her grotto or as an aged woman.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Bad Decisions Essay

I have realized recently that friends should not have any affect at all on the decisions you make in life. It does not matter whether you are a middle school student, high school student, college student, or even a grown and mature adult. Making a wrong decision at the wrong time can have many negative affects on life, I know because I’ve been there. A wrong decision might only affect you temporarily or it could stay with you for the rest of your life. It could cost you a job or could keep you from getting into the college you dreamed of going to your whole life. The bad decisions are too much to risk. In a way, decisions should be made & held responsible only by the person making them. You should always think of how they will affect yourself and others. Never let a friend or anyone else force you to make a choice that could wind up hurting yourself or anybody. Always be careful, it could be something that could stick with you for life. Even think about how it could affect your family and friends. Would they be embarrassed by this choice? Would they be proud to tell other people about what you have done? Decision making can be seen as hard but also a very important skill. Some people may view it as an easy everyday thing, but to some it is harder. It is not always naturally apparent to some. My grandfather would say some people are born leaders and easily make decisions and some just are just not gifted in those areas. People should just make sure to evaluate the situation previous to making a decision that could hurt you or others. Taking advice from friends can be helpful, just think it through and make sure it is really the best thing for you too. But, keep in mind friends don’t always know what is best for you. Sometimes they don’t realize how it can affect you and they don’t even do this on purpose. I can even admit seeing myself doing it sometimes. Then again, this picture will fade when having fun, but make sure you always have it at reach in the back of your head. You never know when something could go wrong and ruin your life and opportunities. It is very important to always think of your future and what you want to do later in life. If you have always dreamed to go to medical school and become a OB/GYN don’t go out and under-age drink at a party and then go driving. You think now that you would never do anything like that, but in the moment you never know. Lots of people get caught in the moment and make a mistake thinking that most people get away with it. But if you go out there and drive drunk and kill a perfectly responsible person who has good judgment and makes good decisions you will be forced to live with that for the rest of your life. You will have to face their family face to face and tell them that you are the reason they lost their loved one. You also have to say how it was because of a bad decision. You just got caught up in the moment and wound up killing someone perfectly innocent. It goes from talking or being funny in class to something as serious as killing someone. Just imagine yourself in that scenario. When it comes to situations like this , nothing is funny anymore, it serious. It might seem that when you are young there is nothing to worry about, that you’re untouchable and nothing will happen to you, but really everything you do affects your future. Not only because of your actions at that point but by getting use to making careless decisions some people never grow out of the habit. Before you know it, at 21 they are still the same people they were when they were 15. Bad decisions affect everybody , not just the person responsible but everyone around.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Solution For South African Energy Crisis Environmental Sciences Essay

This study investigates assorted sustainable energy beginnings in order to set up which beginning would be most dependable to run into the electricity demand of South Africa. Hydro-energy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were studied. Although an substructure already exist, for air current energy the study concludes that solar energy would be the most dependable renewable energy beginning. Modern societies across the Earth are dependent on the handiness of dependable electricity supply for the care of human and economical activities. Worldwide people are hence progressively concerned about the handiness and the sustainability of energy beginnings for the coevals of electricity. Presently in South Africa the topic â€Å" sustainable energy † is besides high on the docket. This study will look into the place of electricity supply in South Africa and the possible solution that sustainable energy beginnings might keep for South Africa. This study will foremost give a historical overview of the origin and the development of the electricity supply industry in South Africa. Then it will look briefly at the complex inquiries that electricity providers have to face. Finally the assorted types of sustanable energy applicable to South Africa, viz. hydroenergy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy will be discussed.2 Historic overviewThe history of the origin and development of the Southern African electricity supply industry is a absorbing topic. The proficient challenges, the interaction with Industry every bit good as political leaders is non new, but has been portion of electricity from the exchanging on of the first street visible radiations on the African continent in Kimberley on 1 September 1882, three yearss before the launching of the first commercial power station in New York. The history of sustainable energy in South Africa is in fact longer than most people would conceive of. Already in 1895 there were attempts to tap the hydro-energy potency of the Victoria Waterfalls. In 1895, forty old ages after Livingstone had discovered the Victoria Falls, Professor George Forbes arrived in Southern Africa. He was the interior decorator of the Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Power Station, which was at that clip the largest power strategy in the universe. With the Victoria Falls, non merely every bit broad as Niagara, but with dual the tallness, he could non neglect to be impressed by its possible as a hydroelectric strategy to provide the Witwatersrand with an abundant and inexpensive supply of electricity. Although the chief obstruction came in the signifier of the 1 000 kilometer distance over which the power had to be transmitted, a subordinate called the African Concession Syndicate was created in 1901. This mob was granted the exclusive right to tackle the Zambezi River for present and future hydroelectric power strategies. In malice of these readyings, the usage of H2O in the coevals of electricity would merely come much later ( Conradie & A ; Messerschmidt, 2000 ) .3 The complexnesss of electricity systemsDuring the argument in the media around the current crisis a few affairs became clear. First, it is non widely understood that electricity can non be stored and in the instance of renewable energy beginnings, that becomes a major challenge. The 2nd complexness that was ( and still is ) non widely understood, is the complex workings of the electricity supply. The coevals of electricity from power Stationss which are largely situated in the northern inside of the sub-continent and conveyed to the client by manner of 28 000 kilometer of high electromotive force and 250 000 kilometer of lower electromotive force lines, is besides hard to understand. The reconciliation of changing supply and demand requires the changeless attending of the National Control Centre and if the demand outstrips the supply, it is possible to see entire electromotive force prostration, similar to the state of affairs in the north eastern American continent on 14 August 2003 when the consecutive tripping of power lines by trees under power lines in three different countries lead to a electromotive force prostration of the transmittal system. This plunged big metropoliss like New York and Washington in partial darkness and metropoliss like Toronto in entire darkness. The full Restoration of the power system took about a hebdomad to finish. The term â€Å" burden casting † ( besides non understood by most ) is used to denote the sloughing of burden or electricity demand in order to forestall the 50 Hz frequence from dropping excessively low, ensuing in under-frequency tripping of power Stationss and entire electromotive force prostration.4 Sustainable energyFor many old ages South Africa has been, and still is, bring forthing some of the cheapest electricity in the universe. This was mostly due to the handiness of really inexpensive low class coal. With the lifting demand in the remainder of the universe for that coal, South Africans will decidedly experience the pinch. Because of this state of affairs the natural response is to look at pull offing the demand for electricity every bit good as investigate renewable energy beginnings. As can be seen in Figure 1, a figure of sustainable energy beginnings have been identified in the universe. These beginnings can be classified harmonizing to the type of energy they produce. The challenge for South Africa is to use those beginnings most fitting for the fortunes here. Figure 1: Sustainable energy beginnings identified worldwide ( Beginning: Renewable energy. The possible and the restrictions. 2008. [ Online ] . Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fraw.org.uk. [ 2009, December 15 ] . ) Two chief issues need to be considered when looking at the viability of alternate energy beginnings. The first is of class the proficient feasibleness of the undertaking. The 2nd is the cost at which electricity can be produced by the alternate beginning.5 HydroenergyOne of the most obvious renewable beginnings is hydroenergy. In many states, particularly in the Northern hemisphere, many electrical public-service corporations produce power in this manner. In the instance of South Africa, the state does non hold big rivers that can be used to bring forth electricity with.6 Current usage of hydroenergy in South AfricaAt this phase Eskom operates a figure of pump storage strategies that pump H2O into keeping dikes during off-peak periods and usage that to bring forth power during extremum periods. As such this is non a renewable beginning as it uses electricity from dodo fuelled power Stationss for pumping H2O.7 The Congo river as the energy provider for Southern AfricaOne instead ambit ious undertaking that Eskom is presently involved in is to use the hydroenergy from the Congo River. Harmonizing to its inaugural one-year study, the Western Power Corridor ( PTY ) Ltd ( Westcor ) ( 2008 ) proposes to tap the rich, big graduated table renewable hydroresources of the Western, Central and Eastern Corridor of Southern Africa finally. When to the full tapped, the magnitudes will transcend 100GW. This joint venture between the take parting national state-owned electricity companies of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and South Africa was signed on 7 September 2005 in Gabarone, Botswana. Harmonizing to Mr E Nelumba, Chairman of the Shareholders Steering Committee, Westcor was formed to develop the Western Power Corridor which includes the development of the 3 500 MW tally of river hydroelectric power works at Inga 3 in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . It will besides build power transmittal systems to incorporate with the national grids of the participating every bit good as the remainder of southern Africa. The concluding aspiration is to bring forth 10 000 MW at Inga 3. The Congo River has an estimated 100 000 MW capacity with 40 000 M3s per second and all possible sites are under examination to finally make the end of 50 000 MW of Grand Inga. This is larger than the sum installed capacity of the full Eskom system. Angola has besides indicated that their exploitable hydroelectric potency is about 18 000 MW of which merely 810 MW is presently used. One of the great challenges of this undertaking remains the transmittal of the power to the chief clients in the South. In order to reassign the power faithfully and economically it would be necessary to run the 4 000 kilometer power lines at electromotive force between 600 kilovolts and 1000 kilovolt. The engineering to be able to make this is still in its babyhood and is the topic of current research. To add to the quandary the environment that the proposed lines will track includes countries with some of the highest happening of veld fires and these have the ability to do breaks to the flow of power.8 Wind energyThe usage of air current as an energy beginning is likely one of the best known signifiers of renewable energy and successful commercial operations have been around for a long piece. Harmonizing to the IngenierbAA?ro fAA?r neue Energien air current coevals in Germany sums to 39 500 GWh ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . This accounts for more than half of the renewable energy in that state. The universe ‘s entire installed capacity of air current generators was 94 GW at the terminal of 2007 ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .9 Wind turbines in usage presentlyEskom commissioned three wind turbines between August 2002 and February 2003 at its Klipheuwel site North of Cape Town. Two Danish turbines and one French turbine, with a combined capacity of 3.16 MW, were installed to enable Eskom to compare the different design and operational features. To day of the month the installation has generated more than 15 GWh, which was fed into the grid at the Klipheuwel 11 kV/66kV substation ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . The single power, responsibility rhythm and cost features of each of the turbines are being collected in a engineering matrix that will finally incorporate a suite of Renewable Energy engineering options, with air current being the first. The tower dynamic features and quiver status supervising baseline measurings every bit good as the interaction between the grid and the generators have already been done. The production analysis will be used in the future selling of green energy ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .10 Variability in available energyAs with other signifiers of renewable energy, the variableness in the available energy is an issue that concerns the developers of these systems. Wind is no exclusion and in this instance an accurate finding of air current climatologies is required, based on several old ages of air current informations. A well-known survey carried out by Geernaert et Al ( 1988 ) used information of a 109 old ages ( between 1873 and 1982 ) and showed that fluctuations of up to 30 % from the average value can be expected from one decennary to the following. This information is important if it is considered that the installation may hold a lifetime of 20 old ages and longer. The available air current energy is of class besides influenced by topographical factors every bit good as variableness in air current speed due to height fluctuations. This makes the pick of the appropriate site a really of import issue.11 The hereafter of air current energyWith the valuable research done at Klipheuwel the hereafter for air current coevals seems bright. Eskom announced the building of a 100 MW installation on the West Coast close to Koekenaap in 2007. The EIA and commercial activities are good underway and building is planned to get down tardily in 2008. The installation will dwell of approximately 50 units runing between 1.5 to 2.5 MW and will be integrated into the 132 kilovolt system at Eskom ‘s Juno or Koekenaap substations. Based on the variableness d iscussed above and an energy use factor of 26 % , the installation is expected to bring forth 2 28G Wh per annum ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . Based on old experience the building of the installation will take about one twelvemonth to finish.12 Ocean current energyThe energy fluxes of the oceans have attracted the attending of applied scientists for a long clip and include the assorted signifiers.13 Continual moving ridge gestureThe continual moving ridge gesture that can power coevals devices. One illustration is the US $ 29.5m experimental installation of Scots Power at the Orkney Islands ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . The Pelamis system consists of four elephantine metal â€Å" sausages † , each 450 m long, bobbing on the moving ridges and each bring forthing 750 KW by turning the gesture into electricity via the pumping of hydraulic fluid through the articulations. By some estimations Scotland should be able to bring forth every bit much as 1 300 MW by 2020.14 Tidal energyThe gravi tative forces of the Sun and Moon consequence in the surface of the sea changing by about 2 m. This consequence can be amplified by up to 11 m due to the effects of bays and channels. It is this energy that is used by systems such as the tidal energy works at La Range in France with a capacity of 240 MW.15 Salinity differencesAlthough the salt differences between the ocean H2O and fresh overflow represent differences in chemical potency which may be harnessed through a suited membrane, this has merely been demonstrated on a little graduated table.16 Thermal differencesThe thermic differences between surface and deep H2O can be every bit much as 15 grades and a heat engine can be used to bring forth power. This construct, referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion ( OTEC ) has, nevertheless, a thermodynamic efficiency of merely 8 % and Eskom is presently measuring the usage of cold deep H2O as a coolant for coastal power Stationss, where its efficiency will be higher.17 Fast flux ing ocean currentsThe fast flowing western boundary ocean currents can hold speeds of up to 2.5 m/s which could supply a beginning of comparatively high power denseness for power coevals although there are no commercial undertakings presently under development. Eskom is actively involved in research on this topic.18 Energy denseness of H2OBecause the energy denseness of a medium is straight relative to its denseness and is a map of the speed cubed, the energy denseness for H2O is far higher compared to weave at comparable speeds. The denseness of H2O is about two orders of magnitude higher than that of air. This means that an ocean current is far more fecund as a resource compared to onshore air current. Due to the rough environment demands on an ocean current generator, it is assumed that for a commercially feasible undertaking, the energy denseness should be dual of that required of air current. This implies that currents with speeds of at least 1,5 m/s need to be found.19 Solar e nergySouthern Africa has over many old ages used the copiousness of sunlight to market the state as â€Å" Sunny South Africa † . It is hence non surprising that this signifier of energy is regarded by some as the chief beginning that can significantly act upon Eskom ‘s supply side.20 Solar panelsThe work about solar panels both photovoltaic and solar H2O warmers are good known and late Prof Vivian Alberts of the University of Johannesburg announced a discovery in the production of a new photovoltaic panel that will be up to 50 % cheaper than anything else on the market ( Venter, 2007 ) .21 Concentrated Solar Power ( CSP )Another exciting and advanced usage of solar power is presently being investigated by Eskom. The engineering referred to as concentrated Solar Power ( CSP ) uses sun energy to heat a mixture of 60 % Sodium Nitrate ( NaNo3 ) and 40 % Potassium Nitrate ( KNO3 ) to a temperature of 565A °C. CSP is besides regarded as the lone large-scale renewable engin eering with proved energy storage. The heat energy can be stored for up to 14 hours and is used to bring forth steam for the 100 MW reheat steam turbine at a unrecorded steam force per unit area of 125 saloon. This means that the works will be able to bring forth power for a full 24 hours during the summer solstice. An mean expected burden factor of 70 % is expected.22 DecisionAs the demand for electricity rises, a more sustainable energy beginning to replace the dodo fuel energy beginning was investigated. In South Africa research has been done in both the engineering and tackling electricity from renewable energy beginnings. The study showed that hydro energy, weave energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were investigated. Due to the changeless sunlight in South Africa, it appeared like solar energy would be the most dependable energy beginning.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Revision Essential Strategies and Techniques

Revision Essential Strategies and Techniques Excellent Tips on Revision Almost everyone knows how important revision is. The majority of students are very diligent about it, but it does not always work out as planned. As is the case with every aspect of ones endeavors at study, it is important to plan revision time in advance and make sure the time available is well-organized. Revision serves the following purposes:To ensure you understand the subject matter or topic you are being examined on To ensure everything you have learnt is committed to memory To get some practice in developing study plans and answering exam questions.In order to do this, you need to put your notes in order e.g. any essay notes, class handouts, and so on. These should be arranged into cohesive and convenient sets. This article offers tips on:creating revision plans ensuring revision is productive effective techniques continual revision, e.g., throughout every term and continuously during the year.Creating Revision Plans As with many things, the key to success is good planning. Here is some useful advice:Draft a timetable for revision activities It is best to begin revising well before exams start 5 or 6 weeks beforehand at least. Set realistic goals according to the time available to you and do not forget to include periodic breaks. Look at revision tasks and balancethem Divide your topics up and allocate them to particular days, making sure there is plenty time for all revision tasks. Look at the available time and balance it out between your different subjects and/or courses. Try not to be neglectful about subjects you find especially difficult or easy. Identify all main subjects or topics Work out which subjects or topics need revising for every course. As an absolute minimum, you should aim to cover double the number of topics, as there are questions to be answered e.g. eight topics for a four-question exam. Topics should be chosen according to: A particular courses content Your particular abilities and areas of interest Previous test papers Organize all revision materials Most students collect a myriad of notes from lectures, seminars and classes as well as from textbooks and academic journals. Additionally, you may have reference materials, handouts and photocopied texts to go back over. On top of all this, you will need past test papers, course books, and so on. All these materials should be well organized in good time.Making Sure Revision is Productive Techniques The three main methods of revision are:Taking and/or making notes Committing to memory Writing model or practice answers.The next section looks at each of these methods separately: Taking or Making Notes Please refer to the Taking/Making Notes section on our writing services website for more in-depth information on this activity. During each academic term and indeed throughout the entire year, students usually take a lot of notes from various lectures, classes, seminars, and reading materials. Now that it is time for revision, your primary goal is to find the best ways to memorize these notes:Physically arrange all notes in a logical, clear and sensible way so that you can easily navigate your way through them. Next, read through all your notes, highlight key words and phrases, and mark out important themes. Make up a color code system whereby you allocate specific colors to particular themes or topics. Color association is a good way for memorizing material and compartmentalizing it in the mind. Rewrite your notes in more concise form, narrowing the content down into portions that are easier to manage and digest. Your goal should be to condense each set of topic notes so that they fit on an index-size card. This transforms notes into a memory aid rather than several pages of information, arguments, facts, and figures. Mind mapping, concept maps, and spider diagrams are useful ways of condensing a myriad of information onto one page. They are also a good aid to visual memory.Remember that less is a lot more where note taking is concerned, at least for the purpose of revision! Committing Material to Memory This is a task that cannot be avoided if you are to do well in your exams. You simply have to be able to remember your course material. Therefore, you need to find an effective way to do this. You may find the following techniques helpful:Look three or maybe four times at your different topic notes. This should help fix them in your memory more so than a one-off approach. Envision certain notes in your minds eye before looking at them. Then, while you are reading, any forgotten material will come to the fore. Another good memorization aid is theCornell approach. With this note-taking system, you simply cover half a page of detailed notes and try to recall the material from key words, phrases, and questions. The mnemonics approach is another method you might want to consider. Here, you take the initials or certain letters from a word or phrase to create memory associations. For instance, if your topic is Shakespeares Most Famous Comedies, you could use the word TALL to memorize some of the names of the great writers works e.g.: T= The Merchant of Venice A= As You Like It L= Loves Labors Lost L= Loves Labors Won Get a mental picture of your subject or topic. Continuing with the example above, you could form a minds eye picture of a Shakespearean character or play you have seen to make associations. Mind mapping, concept mapping, spider diagrams and similar techniques are good for initiating visual stimulation so that points and lists can be remembered more easily. With notes condensed to a compact level, it is usually helpful to look over these at the last minute. However, please note that trying to learn new exam material immediately before an exam is not very helpful because it can cause existing knowledge to be replaced and it can cause the learner to panic and become confused.Writing Model or Practice Answers A key element of revising is writing model or practice answers to expected exam questions. This method helps you memorize materials, improves your critical thinking skills, and provides exam practice. Check out the Essay Writing section of our website and try to condense the process we describe into abbreviated form. You could use the following steps as practice:Undertake an analysis of previous exam questions Look at the way questions are worded in previous examination papers. Can you see the problem, task and/or keywords? Can you tell which approach is required? To work out the precise meaning, try rephrasing the task or question in your own choice of words. Come up with ideas The majority of exam questions require five or six main arguments or points (at least) in their answers. Most times these should be obvious from your reading materials and notes. Otherwise, consider the what, who, when, where and why questions to generate ideas. Noted authors and controversial opinions What is the most prevalent thinking on a particular topic? Does this thinking share any important similarities or developments? Your essay will be much improved if you can briefly sum these up, particularly if they help you figure out your own position. Look at the problem from every angle There are topics that should or can only be viewed from one angle. However, your essay should be better quality and you should get the attention of your examiners if you consider your topic from other perspectives, where appropriate or relevant. Double-check your work Once your draft answers are ready, go back over them checking for mistakes, irrelevancies, and ways to make arguments stronger. Try writing in an exam environment For practice purposes, try writing at the same speed you would in an exam situation. If possible, ask for other peoples opinions on your answers. Your course tutor or friends may be happy to look over your work. Revise Throughout the Entire Year Do not make revision an attempt at the last minute to compensate for previous neglect. It is extremely easy to forget earlier work when topics succeed each other at a rapid pace. It can seem there is little or no time for revision, but you should keep an eye on upcoming exams throughout the entire college year. Write notes so that they are well organized, easy to read, and comprehensible. File and label everything neatly. Maintain reading lists and reference lists. Keep a stock of previous exam papers and questions. Make a note of any outstanding tasks and/or investigative work. Avoid letting work build up. Even when you put time aside for catching up, it might not be possible to get the reading materials you need close to an exam. Read back over your notes from time to time. Use them to get a view of your course as it is at any given point. Create links between what has already been taught and what is still outstanding. End-of-course lectures are a good way of getting last-minute tips and advice.If you find any particular element of your course especially confusing, take time to review textbooks, previous exam papers, and notes. Look at your course in its entirety and try to put everything into perspective. Talking to your tutors and attending introductory courses and lectures can also help.

Monday, October 21, 2019

UK Position Paper Free Trade

UK Position Paper Free Trade UK Position Paper Free Trade Committee: Global Economics Topic: Free Trade Country: United Kingdom Free trade is when one country lowers, or removes, their trade tariffs and gives subsidies on exports and imports to other countries. Free trade is supposed to be a tool used by countries to obtain resources that are scarce in their country while making the most of the local resources that are available. Instead, large corporations in developed countries who mass produce goods use the free trade agreements of lower tariffs and subsidies to sell their goods in third world countries, which hurts local businesses. This results in an unequal distribution of wealth because the developed nations will exercise a protectionist policy when it come to agricultural trade, which happens to be third countries’ biggest export. These protectionist policies make it hard for third world nations to compete equally in the global market, and thus occurs the conflict of viewpoints on free trade. The first cause of this problem is the fact that third world countries strongly believe in the protectionist view on trade. This is because smaller third world nations know that the only way their domestic economy can grow is by limiting, or eliminating, foreign competition. By radically increasing the tariffs for imports in their country, this will decrease the international competition faced by local manufacturers, and will allow the the local economies to grow, thus increasing the country’s GDP and strengthening their economy. These countries are aware that with no tariffs large multinational corporations can come in and monopolize the market of their choosing, and that small local businesses are the only way their economy can grow. Developed nations also have caused problems with free trade by overemphasizing its importance. They often times blame the fact that third nations have not lowered their tariffs, and this is why their economy is so stagnant. But when third world countries open up their trading boundaries, large countries like the USA take advantage of these low tariffs. A 2002 study showed that the US exported wheat 43% below its production cost, creating tough competition for local farmers. This low export price faced from the US is what allows them to sell their goods at such a low price in the international markets, which consequently hinders the growth of local businesses and the overall economic growth of the country. The UN is in cooperation with the World Trade Organization to help moderate free trade negotiations between countries. In July 2009, the UN wanted to â€Å"resist all protectionist tendencies and rectify any protectionist measures already taken,† which shows that the UN leans towards a more free trading style between countries. They have mediated several hundred negotiations in the past such as NAFTA and other large international trade agreements. The UK strongly supports the concept of free trade as much of our economic strength depends on our trading relations with other countries. As a member of the European Union and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership the UK notes that strong economic ties with countries all over the world is the best way for an economy to grow. Countries can benefit from trade and investment with other countries while specializing in a specific good to export to other nations, thus increasing domestic production rates and strengthening the economy. A country like Iraq is

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Wood vs. Wooden

Wood vs. Wooden Wood vs. Wooden Wood vs. Wooden By Maeve Maddox Some adjectives with two forms often create doubt in native speakers. Take for example these uses of the words wood and wooden: Youll want to budget about $4/square foot for a wood deck Building a wooden deck over a concrete one 68 Wooden Deck Design Ideas Expansive wood deck with low wood railing using diagonal wood floor design Which is correct? â€Å"Wood deck† or â€Å"wooden deck?† Strictly speaking, wood is a noun and wooden is an adjective, as illustrated in this headline: Wood science and how it relates to wooden baseball bats In this example, wood functions as a noun: â€Å"the science of wood†; wooden functions as an adjective: â€Å"bats made of wood.† But although this â€Å"rule† of distinguishing between noun and adjective can be applied to wood and wooden–and possibly to wool and woolen–most of the -en adjectives that describe substances have become relegated to the realm of poetic or figurative language. The following examples show how the -en adjective forms were used in their older, literal senses: ash: ashen â€Å"The city had been one mass of colorOne great crumbling mass of ashen ruins was what we found left of all this.† brass: brazen â€Å"It grew dark, and they put candles on the tablescandles set in bright, new, brazen candlesticks.† flax: flaxen â€Å"the early-modern hemp industry was far more versatile than has been supposed and was capable of producing not only ropes and canvas, but also hempen cloth some of which could rival all but the finest flaxen cloth.† gold: golden â€Å"Three compartments divided the coffer. In the first, blazed piles of golden coin; in the second, were ranged bars of unpolished gold.† lead: leaden â€Å"The water was formerly conveyed by wooden pipes from these basins through all the streets, and a leaden pipe, inserted in the main, supplied each house.† oak: oaken â€Å"Pine lids were not put on oaken chests in England at this early period.† silk: silken â€Å"From an anecdote of Aurelian, who neither used silk himself nor would allow his wife to possess a single silken garment, we learn that silk was worth its weight in gold.† wax: waxen â€Å"One of the wedding presents had been a pair of beautiful white waxen candles.† In modern usage, the noun in each of these pairs serves also as an adjective. For example, brass for brazen and flax for flaxen: these tarnished brass candlesticks looked better suited to a flea-market stall than a dining table.   It was sometimes said that the flax rope was apt to break when a knot was made in the rope. The -en forms do survive in figurative contexts. Here are just a few: She’s a brazen woman and no mistake! (impudent) â€Å"They’ve caught us trespassing; we’ll have to brazen it out. (face the situation impudently) The dead man’s face had a waxen hue. (appearance of wax) The girl had laughing blue eyes and flaxen hair. (any light shade of auburn or pale yellowish brown) Keep an eye out for other examples of these -en adjectives in modern English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowThat vs. Which3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Understanding Business and Management Research Methods Coursework - 1

Understanding Business and Management Research Methods - Coursework Example When choosing a model, it is critical to know the theory being applied. Studies indicate that, behind every method, there is always a theory. This paper will discuss the three business and management research methods. The paper will start with the introduction, and then literature review, then analysis and evaluation of different methodological approaches, and finally highlight the main findings. In any research, it is always recommended to choose a single paradigm (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed) for a research work (Anderson, 2009). The selection is based on the pragmatic choices which are time, skills, and overall size of the project. The research methods are based on differences in the nature of reality, relationships to that being researched, role of values, use of language, and overall process of research (Bellamy, 2012). Research methodology is what constitutes a research activity. Bowerman (2013) distinguishes the three research designs as follows Quantitative research: This design is useful for exploring and understanding the meaning behind problems. Data is collected on the participants setting, and the researcher makes interpretation of the data collected (Bowerman, 2013). Quantitative research: The researcher tests theories by examining the relationship amongst variables that can be measured on an instrument to allow numbered data to be analysed using statistical procedures (Bowerman, 2013). Mixed methods: This design combines both qualitative and quantitative forms of research. It concerns the application of qualitative and quantitative methods in tandem, to allow the strength of the study to be greater than either a qualitative and quantitative approach (Bowerman, 2013). When undertaking a business research, a combination of different types and sources of data is required to derive strong findings. The types of data are qualitative and quantitative, and the types of sources are primary and secondary sources (Harwell,

Friday, October 18, 2019

Business Research and Writing Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business and Writing - Research Paper Example The purpose of this report was to evaluate the factors that must be considered before expanding the business on foreign soil. To evaluate the factors, the study focused upon taking the scenarios of other electronic organizations that geographically expanded their business without any difficulties. The thorough investigation of similar businesses led to an understanding the organizations must consider opportunities and growth prospects before expanding outside national borders. This can be clearly witnessed through the expansion of Sony. Not only did Sony focused upon the opportunities, but the company also held the confidence to succeed in the given market conditions. On the other hand, the case of Telefonica revealed that rather than focusing upon the opportunities, the Spanish company focused upon evaluating the similarities within the institutional and cultural characteristics in Latin America. Once it understood that both the countries shared similar characteristics, it expanded internationally despite the several criticisms against the geographic expansion. Lastly, the case of Mouser Electronics revealed that the evaluation of demand must be considered before expanding the business internationally. ... The products offered by the company have significantly enhanced the convenience factor of the customers, while providing the customers with additional value in their lives. To continually remain ahead of the competitors in the electronic market, Company G has always focused upon the offering of its competitors (i.e. the leading companies). This is primarily done to provide the customers with the best possible alternative in the market at comparatively lower cost than others. By assessing the tremendous demand of mobile phone and smartphone chargers in the market, Company G has introduced its own brand by the name of ‘ChargeOn’. The specialty of this charger lies within its convenience and small size. Within just half an hour, ChargeOn can charge any mobile or smartphone battery completely, while ensuring the maximization of battery life to significant level. Similarly, ChargeOn is a special charger that is water resistant. To perfectly meet the demand of the customers in the electronics market, the charger will be available in three ranges; standard USB jack, micro USB jack and mini USB jack. With outstanding opportunity to expand geographically, Company G has selected Canada for the expansion. The objective of this assignment is to evaluate the expansion of the company into Canada’s electronics market. To do so, the cases of other electronic organizations are taken into account to assess the factors that were considered before the expansion. A total of three cases have been evaluated. This has helped in the evaluation of best practices and factors that must be understood to significant level. The assessed information will then be used to help Company G to expand geographically to meet the needs of the customers through

Psychology Literature Review on Peer Pressure and its influence on Essay

Psychology Literature Review on Peer Pressure and its influence on females appearance schemas and body dissatisfaction - Essay Example Benedikt, Wertheim, and Love (2002) and Paxton et al. (2003) found that best friends' encouragement to diet increased dieting behavior among adolescent girls. Dixon, Adair, and O'Connor (2000) also found that peer encouragement to diet (separate questions were not asked for other friends and boyfriend) was associated with both body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviors among adolescent girls. However, there was no overall association between the dieting practices of friends and those of adolescent girls, although boyfriends' dieting behavior was associated with some aspects of their girlfriends' dieting behaviors. Keel, Heatherton, Harnden, and Hornig (2001) also found that although boyfriends influenced their girlfriends' body dissatisfaction but not their eating practices, best friends had a greater influence on their girlfriends' dieting behaviors. In contrast to these findings, Steiger, Stotland, Ghadiriam, and Whitehead (2003) found no difference among binge eaters, dieters, and no dieters in the eating concerns of family members. The authors suggested that rather than an actual eating disturbance, it may be a general tendency toward some form of psychopathology that is associated with eating disturbance among adolescent girls. A follow-up study by Steiger, Stotland, Trottier, and Ghadiriam (2000) indicated that there was some association between girlfriends' and best friends' eating concerns, but that the strongest influence on disordered eating among adolescent girls was psychopathological traits of friends. Other researchers have also reported that friends of eating-disordered adolescents did not differ from control-group friends on dietary restraint or eating disturbances (Evans & le Grange, 2003; Leon, Fulkerson, Perry, & Dube, 2003), although some studies have revealed a relationship between best friends' eating restra int and that of their girlfriends but not of their sons (Ruther & Richman, 2003; Scourfield, 2003; Thelen & Cormier, 2003). The results from the aforementioned studies demonstrate a lack of clarity in the extent to which best friends and boyfriends may influence body satisfaction and disturbed eating among adolescent females and girls, with a particular focus on girls. Furthermore, that research has focused on weight loss but neglected consideration of strategies to gain weight and increase muscle tone. These are strategies that may be particularly relevant to adolescent females, but the impact of peer feedback on these strategies has not been explored. It is important to determine the nature of the feedback provided to adolescent females, how it differs from that provided to adolescent girls, and the impact of this feedback on weight gain and strategies to increase muscle, as well as weight loss. Peers also seem to exert some pressure among

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Costco warehouse corp in 2012 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Costco warehouse corp in 2012 - Case Study Example This paper is going to analyze the success story behind this company and how it has managed to be very successful in 2012. 1. One of the strategy that this company has been able to utilize in order to attain success is to establishment of good employee relations. As a CEO Jim Sinegal managed to visit most of their stores. In a day he would visit 8-10 stores daily. As a CEO he was in charge to be a producer, director, and knowledgeable critic. The second strategy that this company has managed to use is the pricing. Following their mission, their pricing was aimed at encouraging customers to come to their shops. This means that their prices are always low. It is argued that the strong business relationship that Sinegal has with Wal-Marts CEO is a contributing factor to using this strategy. This is because Wal-Mart the largest merchandise producer in the US also utilizes similar pricing strategy. For quite a long time the pricing strategy for this company is to cap its markup brand name merchandise at 14% compared to other supermarkets which markup their merchandises at 20-50%. The company managed to desig n most of the basic products especially food to be equal or better quality than national brands. This was aimed at ensuring that the company provided quality goods at the least prices (Barrera). This strategy has been criticized by Wall Street Journalists as lowering the shareholders profits. However, the CEO of the company argues that their strategy caters for both the shareholders and stakeholders by providing them with quality products at the least costs while the company still makes higher profits. The other strategy that this company uses is the price selection. Most of the supermarkets like Wal-Mart would stock 40,000 or even 150,000. However, Costco’s strategy was to deploy only 3,600 active items in their shelves.

Traditional Thai Shapes, Lines and Curves, Especially in Buddhist Art Literature review

Traditional Thai Shapes, Lines and Curves, Especially in Buddhist Art and Sculpture - Literature review Example â€Å"Positive emotion† are ways that broaden habitual modes of thinking or acting which are represented by various thought-action tendencies from their own well being i.e. to optimize, to play, or to explore and to appreciate. Buddhism lays the basis for Thai cultures. Arts, whatever the type, act as tools to guide and persuade people to think and take action in a righteous way. As an ordinary person, one is still persuaded by the â€Å"religious defilements† such as beauty. Therefore, art forms are an obvious tool for myself to teach and direct the way people think from my experience in the work which has been experimented towards myself. My work portrays the perfect combination of concepts and related traditional Thai art components shown through the interplay of shapes that interact upon my emotion to being still and relief. I am mostly interested in a traditional Thai culture and the search on forms/shapes to find myself, as a wearer and a jewelry designer into a better condition of emotion. Jewelry is, therefore, the best medium to articulate these ideas since it extends beyond the body surface and has to be touched or felt from the close distance within the body, which can be reflected the mind. It is as though we must enter the wear’ personal space of mind so that this personal space aspect created will disclose stories. The shapes, which are created into jewelry pieces, can heal the wearer such as myself emotional asserting my intention. I can feel the smoothness and puff up to form of the porcelain when touching. The smooth feel and puff up form remind me of the importance of this emotional reflection, which is very personal to me in terms of shapes/forms that can have the potential to heal myself into a better condition of emotion.   

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Costco warehouse corp in 2012 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Costco warehouse corp in 2012 - Case Study Example This paper is going to analyze the success story behind this company and how it has managed to be very successful in 2012. 1. One of the strategy that this company has been able to utilize in order to attain success is to establishment of good employee relations. As a CEO Jim Sinegal managed to visit most of their stores. In a day he would visit 8-10 stores daily. As a CEO he was in charge to be a producer, director, and knowledgeable critic. The second strategy that this company has managed to use is the pricing. Following their mission, their pricing was aimed at encouraging customers to come to their shops. This means that their prices are always low. It is argued that the strong business relationship that Sinegal has with Wal-Marts CEO is a contributing factor to using this strategy. This is because Wal-Mart the largest merchandise producer in the US also utilizes similar pricing strategy. For quite a long time the pricing strategy for this company is to cap its markup brand name merchandise at 14% compared to other supermarkets which markup their merchandises at 20-50%. The company managed to desig n most of the basic products especially food to be equal or better quality than national brands. This was aimed at ensuring that the company provided quality goods at the least prices (Barrera). This strategy has been criticized by Wall Street Journalists as lowering the shareholders profits. However, the CEO of the company argues that their strategy caters for both the shareholders and stakeholders by providing them with quality products at the least costs while the company still makes higher profits. The other strategy that this company uses is the price selection. Most of the supermarkets like Wal-Mart would stock 40,000 or even 150,000. However, Costco’s strategy was to deploy only 3,600 active items in their shelves.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Combating compassion fatigue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Combating compassion fatigue - Assignment Example This eventually takes compassion and attention away from victims to the caregiver himself. Essentially, fatigue sets in for the provision of care; thereby jeopardizing the need to give compassion to victims. The cause of depression in caregivers that results in compassion fatigue could best be associated with excessive work that is deprived of rest (Ellard, Barlow and Mian, 2005). Anger Quick temperedness and erupted outburst of anger that is so sudden and uncharacteristic of a caregiver must be seen as a major sign that compassion fatigue is setting into the work and activity of the caregiver. As a care giver, come of the core duties that will generally be expected is the need to give compassion and solace to a heart that is deeply troubled and as such filled with so much inner anger (Day and Livingstone, 2003). When there is anger on the side of the caregiver then, this basic responsibility becomes jeopardized and compromised because it cannot be executed evenly. Once a caregiver b egins to be angry at the least provocation, the tendency is that the victim who decides care would even be angered at and so the level of compassion will be derailed. Such acts of anger are mostly caused by emotional factors that have to do with issues faced in the personal lives of caregivers (Forsythe and Compas, 1987). Absent mindedness Victims who go to the caregiver go to them with a thought that the caregiver is going to be an expert and a professional who is going to bare all the troubles that the victim brings on board. For this reason, it is always going to be expected that the victim would demand for constant attention from the caregiver. For this reason, caregivers who begin to have signs of absent mindedness when attending to victims and other people who are close to them must be aware of the possibility of compassion fatigue setting in. clearly, the caregiver would be absent minded because he or she has had a reduced degree of importance to the issue or case of the vict im and this is what compassion fatigue is all about (Albino et al., 2003). Taking too much work than a caregiver can genuinely deliver is a major cause of absent mindedness; especially when tiredness sets in. Sluggishness In the everyday delivery of their duties, caregivers are expected to be very sharp at what they do. Such acts of sharpness install a lot of confidence in victims. It also increases the trust that they have in caregivers. For this reason, any acts of laziness and sluggishness should be watched critically and be seen as a possible cause of the onset of compassion fatigue. Indeed, if there is no strength to carry out one’s duties and so the person begins to show signs of sluggishness at work, there is no way that person will be expected to deliver the same level or amount of compassion that he or she delivered to victims. Sluggishness is a direct reflection of tiredness and so tiredness and lack of rest could cause it. Stress Psychologists and other social comm entators have attributed stress to be a very emotional and psychological problem that comes with a tired mind. The mind as an organ in the body has its own roles and functions that it plays. Though it is known that the mind controls most activities and functions of the body, the mind also has its own limitations (Cortoni and Marshall, 2001). The mind cannot for instance be expected to be omniscient, knowing all things and doing everything at every

Monday, October 14, 2019

Turnaround Strategies Essay Example for Free

Turnaround Strategies Essay Emphasis is on speed of change and rapid cost reduction and/or revenue generation. Managers must prioritise things that give quick and significant improvements. Although used interchangeably, restructure is different from turnaround. ? ? Operational Turnaround The focus is on ways of improving the operation of the business and designed to halt the decline. Strategic Turnaround The focus is on adjusting the strategic focus of the business in terms of its Product/Market profile and halt the decline. ? Cost Reduction Strategies Asset Reduction Strategies Financial Restructuring Strategies Management and Cultural Change Strategies Revenue Increasing Strategies Product/Market Redefinition Strategies Turnaround †¢ Restructure †¢ Restructure is a course before failure to avoid failure An unsuccessful restructure may be followed by a turnaround. Turnaround is a course after failure †¢ 7 steps of Turnaround: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Crises Stabilization Management Changes Gaining stakeholder support Clarifying the target market Re-focusing Financial Restructuring Prioritization of critical improvement areas Aim: Regain control over the deteriorating position Focus: At this time focus remains ? Cost Reduction ? Revenue Increase Turnaround requires proper alignment of causes of decline and the solutions. Changes at top level management is required Reasons: ? Old management may be seen as the cause of the problem by the stakeholder ? Management with experience in turnaround is required ? Different approaches and fresh perspectives may be brought by outsiders ? In a situation of turnaround it is vital that key stakeholders are kept well informed and a clear picture is sent. The main stakeholders involve employees, bank of the organisation, shareholder group Assessment of power of different stakeholder groups is of vital importance. ? ? While turnaround it is very important to clearly segment the target market. This step gains importance due to the following reasons: ? Not identifying targeting the right target market may itself be the reason for turnaround. ? Leads to revenue generation A more focused approach from the management would lead to discontinue of products and services not suitable for the target market. This will lead to discontinue of products returning lower revenues. This will lead to utilizing opportunities more profitable. It is the reorganizing of a business assets and liabilities. Although companies can restructure for any reason, in most cases it is done when there are serious problems with the business, and to avoid bankruptcy liquidation. Financial restructuring would typically involve:? Changing existing capital structure ? Raising additional finance Renegotiating agreements with creditors ? Managers need to identify critical improvement areas ; prioritize them. They need to prioritize things that give immediate and effective improvement. TURNAROUND OF INDIAN BANK IN 2000 Known as the queen of turnaround management, Ms Ranajana Kumar, Chairman ; Managing director took a bleeding public bank out of successive losses. Situation prior of Ms Kumar:

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Impact of Management and Leadership styles

Impact of Management and Leadership styles Managers are who  do things right  and leaders are who  do the right thing The general concept according to my understanding from various literature reviews are that Leaders leads people and managers manage all things in organization, furthermore to my concepts the important point is that leaders are the people who bring changes in organizations and managers may be considered as people who sustain the day to day organisational activities. The main point in this task 1, to explain the link between Leadership and management of an organisation, here I am elaborating leadership and management of Martin McColl, this organisation having approximately 1,000 outlets and 50,000 employees across United Kingdom, the main focus of the company is on Books, Cards, Magazines, Confectionary, Toys and Drinks etc. Link between strategic management and leadership: Orders which are passed down from leader and the managers role is to pass orders down the chain of command A leader is described as someone who has the capacity to create a vision, and to translate it into action and sustain it (Bennis, 1989), this statement can also be justified as there are differences between management and leadership, although functionally they can be combined in the same individual (John Kotter, 1990). Leadership without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz, According to In business, we see an evolution of the concept of leadership. For decades, the term leadership referred to the people who hold top management positions and the functions they serve. In our common usage, it still does. Recently, however, business people have drawn a distinction between leadership and management, and exercising leadership has also come to mean providing a vision and influencing others to realize it through non-coercive means. Roosevelt says about link between leaders and managers that People ask the difference between a leader and a boss, the leader works in the open, and the boss in secret. The leader leads and the boss drive. This report review explains the relationship between leaders and managers that they perform on their position within the organization, they work together to achieve the goals of organization. Leaders think about goals and are active instead of reactive in shaping ideas. Managers act to limit choices. Leaders develop fresh approaches to long-standing problems and open issues to new options. A manager is a problem solver- what problems have to be solved and what are the best ways to achieve results? Link between leaders and management has strong impact in organization. Managers Managers administer. Follow the established course. Ensure that people do things. Ensure that people do things better. Leadership Leaders innovate. Establish the course that managers follow. Ensure that people want to do things. Ensure that people do the right things. Ensure that people do better things. Source: international business-society management by Tulder, Zwart. Example in McColl: As I explained the literature review above, I am evaluating these literatures with the help of Martin McColl example. Martin McColl under the Steve Leadership management is very successful. There is a strong link between leader and management. Leader and managers keeps link through video conferences, mails and telephone. Meetings for internal discussions are kept to a set of guidelines intended to maximize productivity, and minimize cost, to achieve a result. Focus is on external parameters, particularly the customer and the image of the company. Priority in Martin is given always to activity that enhances the customer experience, improves efficiency or increases revenue and profitability. There is an enormous level of mutual respect built between the leadership group and the teams. People are appropriately motivated, and rewarded for their performance based upon their motivational modality. It is important to remember here, that not everyone is motivated by a monetary reward, or a standard trophy. A Truly Great Leader understands this, and uses to their advantage. On 28 Nov 2010 major snow fall hits Scotland. There were problems with many routes. Managers must come on time thats managers responsibility. On the day of snow martin McColl managers came on time in all branches while travel was very difficult due to the heavy snow but all managers reached on time and have done their work because it was not easy for anyone to come out house. So that was a great achievement under the best leadership. Managers are also leaders. Link between leaders and management has strong impact in decision making in organization and this impact effect in every place and every area in McColl such as finance, marketing, policies. Impact of management and leadership style on Strategic Decision: Decisions are at the heart of leader success, and at times there are critical moments when they can be difficult Organizations all over the world are deeply concerned with understanding, searching and developing leadership. Regardless of the type of organization, leadership is discerned to play a vital role in establishing high performing teams. Leaders are facing greater challenges than ever before due to the increased environmental complexity and the changing nature of the organization. The current era not only demands having a competitive edge and sustained profitability but also the maintenance of ethical standards, complying with civic commitments and establishing a safe and equitable work environment. Leadership is one of the critical elements in enhancing organizational performance. Being responsible for the development and execution of strategic organizational decisions, leaders have to acquire, develop and deploy organizational resources optimally in order to bring out the best products and services in the best interest of stakeholders. In short, effective leadership is the main cause of competitive advantage for any kind of organization (Zhu et al., 2005; Avolio, 1999; Lado et al., 1992; Rowe, 2001) Decentralised structure: In Martin McColl autocratic leadership style portrays that manager retains as much power and decision making authority as possible. These leadership styles utilize different sources of power and impact differently on the levels and extent to which staff consider them as making a contribution to organizational decision making. Both the quality and extent of staff participation in decision-making tends to wane. Each store of  McColl  has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager senior managers have time to concentrate on the most important decisions. Collaboration with group members: Martin McColl leader makes decisions in collaboration with group members, often using majority rules or similar social decision schemes, whereas a consultative leader makes decisions, after talking with group members about their opinions. Empowerment: McColl managers tend to be more focused on productivity targets and achievement of objectives. Their power is based on their ability to achieve targets, often as a result of quick decisions. Decision making is a form of empowerment. In McColl stores Empowerment is increase motivation and therefore means that staff output increases. Knowledge skills: People lower down the chain have a greater understanding of the environment they work in and the people (customers and colleagues) that they interact with.   This knowledge skills and experience may enable them to make more effective decisions than senior managers. Faster Changes: Participative styles in McColl enabling departments and their employees to respond faster to changes and new challenges. Whereas it may take senior managers longer to appreciate that business needs have changed. 1.2 Example in Martin McColl: Martin McColl is UK based corporate company. Martin McColl has a democratic leadership where subordinates involve in decision-making. Company has a board of directors and Steve is a head of directors.   It is seen that Martin has authoritarian systems in which their people work as directed. Merger and acquisition continued in martin McColl. In 1998 Forbuoys acquired Martin Retail Group which was before RS McColl. In 1999 company launch new convenience concept McColls. In 2004 the company acquired Dillon stores. In 2005 company changed its name to Martin McColl Retail Group and now martin is the UKs leading neighbour retailing group. These changes allow leaders and managers to makes good decisions which give the strength to business. These changes brought many changes such as economic condition been changed, development changed, competition increased this changes brought new markets like stationery stores, specialist card shops. Furthermore supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys were selling everything that Martin did. So there was a big competition. Knowledge sharing and strong communication always been there so the strategy of Martin was focus on its core activities and increase, improving buying power sell higher margin items and makes their with sales of newer lines. Company have a wide variety of roles at two head offices in Scotland and Brentwood. Here company centralise core business divisions including Central Retail Operations, Trading, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Business System etc. In all these above cases, management and leaders realized that changes were occurred and react actively. And in all these cases, they responded only when the competition forced them to do so. Conclusion: In making decision, consider the fit between leadership style and the characteristics of organization. Even more important, remember that things change. Look for flexibility. The very best leaders are those who have learned how to shift from one leadership style to another as circumstances demand. If one candidate shows evidence of being able to move smoothly among several of these styles, that may tip the balance. 1.3: Leadership style adaptation to different situation: Leadership style is the typical approach of a particular person used to lead people. Management theorists try to discover one best leadership style for all situations. Researchers say that there are internal and external environments that have significant impact on leader effectiveness. For example in limited external opportunities leaders are constrained by competition, legislation, technology, changing markets and limited resources when making strategic decisions. Fiedler (1967), who conducted extensive research on the situational aspects of leadership effectiveness, identified factors that determine what style of leader performed best. He examined correlations between test scores of leaders and their performance related to situational factors. The relations-motivated leader performs best where the leader position is not strong. Task-motivated leaders perform best when the leader-member relations are good and the leader power position is strong. The latter category represents poor member relations and a weak leader who is attempting to deal with a poor situation. B ecause that situation is unfavourable, Fiedlers model would require a task-oriented leader to keep the situation from falling apart. An obvious alternative would be to replace the leader.   To deal with the issue of matching style to the situation, Vroom and Yetton (1973) developed an approach that deals with leader-subordinate interaction. He recognized that an effective style depended on situational variables including the leaders expertise, the task structure, and the employees willingness to accept a solution. They found that the key elements in sharing of leader power are the maximization of technical effectiveness and subordinate motivation or acceptance. If technical effectiveness is not crucial and motivation and acceptance are not important, the decisions are made by the leader alone. On the other hand, if the technical difficulties are important but motivation is low, the leader attempts to obtain more information. When technical effectiveness is unimportant but motivation and acceptance are high, delegation becomes a useful approach. Finally, if the problem is high on the technical level and there is a need for acceptance, then the decision is shared with the group. The situational determinants of leadership show that there is frequently, but not necessarily optimally, a consistency in the behaviour of a leader when he or she performs in different situations. As the organization grows, team building and the exchange of ideas become more important. Involvement tactics are used more frequently. Now the organizational units are formed and the biggest question is how the work should be divided. This requires negotiation. Once the company is into production, tasks are more routine, but time is critical. This calls for more direction. Throughout, indirection, enlistment, redirection, and repudiation may be used. The tactics and when to use them are summarized in Table 2. According to Daniel Goleman six styles of leading have different effects on the emotions of the target followers and each style appropriately as the circumstances. Which are: Visionary leader, Coaching leader, Democratic leader, Affiliative leader, Pace-setting leader, Commanding leader. As Goleman provides a good framework of leadership styles so I can say that its absolutely true that no leader always leads in a particular style but adapts to situations. Few styles are there including Goleman styles, these styles are generally the most effective. Attached table 1. There are five basis of power Coercive power, Reward power, Expert power, legitimate power, and Referent power. These five bases of power introduced by French and Raven in 1959. Among the five bases of power there are three bases in which the Steve leadership is founded. These are legitimate power, expert power and referent power. Through his position he is able to lead the companys people. His experience in the company makes him very knowledgeable of the company and its customers. He motivates people and constantly empowers them. He is also charismatic. Example of Martin McColl: Employee Relationship: As a participating leadership in the past few years Martin performance and profitability have been transformed by employee engagement; which show a clear improving engagement and improving performance of employee. Martin engaged employees indicate they have a good understanding of how to meet customer needs. Individual employees in companies with strong engagement strategies described to us how their working lives have been transformed for the better. Customer focused strategy: Martin leaders have vision thats why they set objectives of company and have customer retention strategy for this they having promotional sale and delivering newspaper. Martin McColl customers are familiar with what newspapers and magazines in their local store and know the prices they normally paid. As a result, Martin delivering ordered newspapers at their home. Early experiments in began and, by the end of 2008, Martin was making 200 deliveries a week in an area a very small beginning. Ethical behaviour: McColl leadership thinking ethically and behaving ethically in UK thats why they are taking responsible decisions. They reduced to use of plastic bags. Martin corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. Martin negotiating better promotional prices from suppliers that small individual chains are unable to match. The product and service development processes of the martin have been substantially re-engineered, to facilitate better management of product lifecycles and more efficient delivery of wide ranges of products to customers. Product activity has focused on enhancing core ranges and introducing quality products. Martins innovative ways of improving the customer shopping experience, as well as its efforts to branch out into finance and insurance have also capitalized on strong brand reputation Financial Environment: Under great leadership a strong financial performance has been shown by the company over the years, which underlines its strategic capabilities.   According to Data monitor (2010), Martin is a  £ 30billion turnover company recording an increase of 14.9% when compared to 2008. The foremost strategy that has been adopted by the company is the product and services customization in accordance with the market demands.   The efficiency in performance of the company over the last decade can be summarised with the help of growth in following key indicators (Fame, 2010) Diversity: In the past, Martin approach to emerging markets has tended to be almost exclusively from their own perspective, seeing them simply as markets, with little real empathy for the new customers needs and desires. One of the big problems is that the vast majority of senior managers in corporations come from the home county but Martin Company and their leaders always ready to cope with such diversity at top executive level. Environmental factors: In environmentally as Martin entered into more and more partnerships or joint ventures many of which are formed with companies from different cultures. So leaders who are able to create and sustain such relationships give their company a valuable collaborative advantage. In my view, this relationship approach to business represents a major challenge to Martin. By senior executives Martin establishing good personal relationships in which trust and mutual understanding can develop. Corporate culture Founding Vision Company ways of doing things Values system LEADERSHIP STYLES Different Situations Employees relationship Customer focused Production Financial Environment Diversity Environmental factors A good understanding of situation trains leaders to change their style, like a driver changes gear in a car. Martins success had come, despite many siren voices, from persevering with its original model, and Bradley, the companys chief operating ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cer, puts that down to the personal backing of Windsor, Martins low-key chief executive. One solidly based on experience, trust, and judgment. Conclusion Dynamic changing situations require different leader behaviours. These behaviours can take the form of patterns of behaviours termed leadership style, or leadership tactics. Selecting leaders with different leadership styles is inefficient. It is far more effective to select flexible leaders who have the capability of using different tactics under different conditions. While the leaders may occasionally learn to change their styles to suit the circumstances, leadership styles are likely to remain fairly stable overall. Therefore, a certain style affects the leaders/managers managerial decisions over extended periods, with a particular style being more effective under a specific set of circumstance. 2.1 Impact of Theories on organizational strategy: When we think about management and leadership, the image comes in our mind that these are powerful dynamic individual who commands people. Yesterday principles and theories are contemporary and sophisticated. Some overlap and gaps occurs. Current theories fill these gaps and after to study that people are dealing to current situation. There are many theories of management and leadership, these are defined as: Behavioural theory, Contingency theory, Functional theory, Great man theory, Situational theory, Trait theory, Transactional theory, Transformational theory. Major models and approaches are: Adaptive leadership and appreciative leadership Many leaders and managers have his or her own style. Some common styles are: Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Democratic, and Laissez-faire. There is a difference between theories and leadership models that leadership theory is an explanation of some aspect of leadership, these are used to better understand and control successful leadership and leadership model is an example for use in a given situation. Each one has strengths and weaknesses, and each one has its appropriate uses. Here I am selected two current management and leadership theories which are Transactional leadership and Transformational Leadership. Transactional and transformational leadership has been of great interest to many researchers in the current era. Adopting either transformational and transactional leadership behaviour helps in the success of the organization (Laohavichien et al., 2009). This might be the reason that different authors of the recent past considered transactional and transformational leadership as predicating variables and investigated their relatedness with other criterion variables. Both transformational leadership and transactional leadership help in predicting subordinates satisfaction with their leaders (Bennett, 2009) Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership theory has captured the interest of many researchers in the field of organizational leadership over the past three decades. This theory was developed by Burns (1978) and later enhanced by Bass (1985, 1998) and others (Avolio Bass, 1988; Bass Avolio, 1994; Bennis Nanus, 1985; Tichy Devanna, 1986). The major premise of the transformational leadership theory is the leaders ability to motivate the follower to accomplish more than what the follower planned to accomplish (Krishnan, 2005). Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985). Burns postulated that transformational leaders inspire followers to accomplish more by concentrating on the followers values and helping the follower align these values with the values of the organization. Research has also shown that transformational leadership impacts employee commitment to organizational change (Yu, Leithwood, Jantzi, 2002) and organizational conditions (Lam, Wei, Pan, Chan, 2002). Due to its impact on organizational outcomes, transformational leadership is needed in all organizations (Tucker Russell, 2004). Transformational leadership identifying and developing core values and unifying purpose, developing leadership and effective followership, utilizing interaction-focused organizational design, and building interconnectedness (Hickman, 1997, p. 2). Transformational leaders work to bring about human and economic transformation. Within the organization they generate visions, missions, goals, and a culture that contributes to the ability of individuals, groups, and the organization to practice its values and serve its purpose (Hickman, 1997, p. 9). These leaders are reliable leaders who generate commitment from followers which results in a sense of shared purpose (Waddock Post, 1991). The leaders ability to inspire, motivate, and foster commitment to a shared pur pose is crucial (Bass, Waldman et al., 1987). According to Bass and Avolio, transformational leaders display behaviours associated with five transformational styles wich are attached in table 4. Organizational culture: According to Schein (1985, 1995), the leaders beliefs, values, and assumptions shape the culture of the organization and these beliefs, values, and assumptions are then taught to other members of the organization. Schein also stated that leaders have the power to embed organizational culture through various methods such as mentoring, role modeling, and teaching. Bass and Avolio (1993). Organizational Vision Transformational leadership has four components: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985) which involves motivating people, establishing a foundation for leadership authority and integrity, and inspiring a shared vision of the future (Tracey Hinkin, 1998). Idealized influence and inspirational motivation are connected with the leaders ability to formulate and articulate a shared vision (Dionne, Yammarino, Atwater, Spangler, 2004). Transformational leadership creates a desire for people to work as a team, in an enjoyable and non-threatening culture, yet always with an expectation of excellence. It creates a How To approach to problem solving and development of new concepts, it allows for early warnings of imminent threats and weaknesses in the organization and strongly encourages celebration of strengths and aggressive pursuit of suitably qualified opportunities. Transformational Leadership is demonstrated from the highest level in the organization, and rewarded all the way through the management layers. It is charismatic, passionate and inspirational and attracts the very best candidates for available roles. Everyone in the organization clearly understands the culture, goals and expectations of the organization. Transactional Leadership: Transactional leadership is cantered on leader follower exchanges. Followers perform according to the will and direction of the leaders and leaders positively reward the efforts. The baseline is reward which can be negative like punitive action, if followers fail to comply with or it can be positive like praise and recognition, if subordinates comply with the intent and direction settled by a leader and achieve the given objectives. Four core facets of transactional leadership as described by Schermerhorn et al., (2000) are contingent rewards, active management by exception, and passive management by exception. Example of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership Styles: Bill Gates is a businessman, and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. Gates is one of the best known entrepreneurs of personal computer revolution. Steve jobs business magnate and inventor. He is well-known for being the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple. Both have Transformational leadership style but both transformation styles have different impact on business in same industry. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Leadership style: Bill Gates leadership is participative style because he involves his subordinate in decision making. He is a flexible person and he recognized his role was to be visionary of the company. Whenever needed he bring professional manager for managing and well structure of the organization? Gates is a strong and energizing person his enthusiasm, hardworking  nature, judgment skills reflect his personality. His motivating power and involving his friends to working with him became the success of Microsoft. On the other hand, Steve Jobs leadership is autocratic style, because he centralizes the authority, he never given a chance to subordinate to involving decision making. He thinks that whatever he do is right. His  relation with employees not good, he fails to motivate his employees in many times. Sometimes he acts as anti-Gates, and sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for his computer.  His cocky attitude and lack of management skills became a threat of APPLES succe ss. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both gave their heart souls to developing their vision to develop personal computer,  but the way they choose was different from other. Bill gates develop computer language new Altair 8080 pc which became the foundation of Microsoft. Bill continuously develops two other computer languages. When IBM develops their first pc and which need operating system to run the computer,  Microsoft develops MS-DOS for IBM. Gates adopting the changes very fast that are his enthusiasm vision and hardworking give him the success. Gates always recognized him as a visionary he always recognize professional management, he decentralize authority to make organization structure better. On the other hand Steve Jobs started apple computer which is hard ware making company. His vision to develop computer with affordable cost and easy to use. When Bill offer the basic to jobs then he rejected jobs proposal and try to develop their own basic without knowledge of programming, he fail and accept license with Microsoft basic. Jobs play duel personality sometimes he oppose Microsoft sometimes request Microsoft to develop software for their operating system. Jobs force people to choose between Microsoft-IBM operating system and his MAC-operating system. Lack of proper management skills and relation  with employees became a barrier of APPLEs growth. Impact of Management and leadership theories on organizational strategy. With the success of windows, Office Application and Internet explorer Microsoft became a house hold name and Bill gates became as business genius. Bill Gates adopting the changes very fast his innovative mind all time busy to developing products. Recent Microsoft develops a number of products like smartphone with loaded Microsoft window.   On the other hand APPLE goes wrong direction in 1990s. Because Steve Jobs is very slow to adopting changes thats the main reason falling the market share. When Jobs realize changes is the only way to survive the market then apple develops innovative iMac which is internet friendly stylist computer.  After sometime Apple gains market. With the iPhone, Apple TV,  and name charges job co are setting a new course for the outfit  once knows only for its computer. The new name and device represent APPLEs strategic shift away from its  origins as a personal computing company that has at point struggled both survive and to set the computing worlds agenda. 2.2 Leadership strategy that supports organizational direction: Transformational leaders also help in the acceptance of organizational change (Bommer et al., 2004) Transactional leadership style provides high satisfaction and organizational identification. (Wu, 2009; Epitropaki and Martin, 2005). Transformational and transactional leadership strategy support organizational direction in term of efficiency, reliability, innovation and adaptation, turnaround leadership etc. Efficiency: In apple company Transformational leadership more effective at creating and sharing knowledge at the individual and group levels, while transactional leadership is more effective at exploiting knowledge at the organizational level. Reliability: Computers are an important investment and in todays economy, more than ever, its important for consumers to know the reliability of the product they are purchasing. Apple  reliability  report, Rescuecom revealed that Apple scored the highest with 700 points, with Panasonic following in on its footsteps with a score of 489. In a descending manner, Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP were listed with scores cumulating 393, 299, and 184 points, respectively. Innovation:

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Scapegoating of Homosexuals as Threats to Society Essay -- Gay Les

Politics of Exclusion - The Scapegoating of Homosexuals as Threats to Society It is hard to believe that this bill is anything other than a thinly veiled attempt to score political debating points by scapegoating gay and lesbian Americans.-John F. Kerry The monster lulls reason into a night of unknowing in which sleeping leviathans do not lie.-Timothy K. Beal Introduction The scapegoating of homosexuals as monstrous threats to the order of society allows for their exclusion from institutions such as marriage, legal adoption, and The Boy Scouts of America. To reverse this discrimination, we must learn to make room for the chaotic queer monster, to perceive its presence not as threatening, but rather as inevitable, necessary, and vital to the dynamism of our culture. With this shift, we will have the means to create a politics of inclusion. In spite of the pluralistic and egalitarian principles that lie at the foundation of our nation, we live in a culture with little tolerance for deviation from what is considered to be the â€Å"norm.† We have created, and strive to maintain, an illusion of a uniform, ordered, and righteous American lifestyle. From this narrow conception of America, we gain a sense of solidarity and security. Consequently, those who pose a challenge to this ideal are pushed into the margins of society and excluded; they become second-class citizens. As a result of the threat they pose to this limited model of conventional order, gays and lesbians are chief among the subclass of secondary citizens. Unlike other marginalized minority groups, homosexuals are explicitly denied access to institutions central to American life and character, namely, the legal family unit and The Boy Scouts. For, if... ...26 February 2004 . [36] â€Å"Gay Men Lose Fight on Adoption Ban† New York Times On the Web 29 January 2004, 26 February 2004 . [37] Rebecca Walsh, â€Å"For the Family; Lesbian Couple Challenging Gay Adoption Ban in Utah† The Salt Lake Tribune 7 July 2003, 29 February 2004 . [38] Bruce Alpert, â€Å"Debate Grows Over Ban on Adoption by Gays† Newhouse New Service 1 April 2002, 29 February 2004 . [39] Alpert. [40] Alpert. [41] Alpert. [42] Alpert. [43] Walsh. [44] Walsh. [45] Linda Nicholson and Steven Seidman, ed. Social Postmodernism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995) 118. [46] Laura Benkov Reinventing the Family (New York: Crown Publishers, 1994) 145. [47] Beal 196 [48] Kantor 5. [49] Beal 10. [50] Beal 196.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Making Hotplates

Making Hotplates What changes in the work situation might account for the increase in productivity and the decrease in controllable rejects? According to the article, the company had 10 workers that were responsible for assembling hot plates with the appropriate tools. Each person was responsible for assembling a part of the hotplate instead of the whole thing. One person would start the hotplate assembly, when they were finished they would pass it to the next, who would begin their part, etc. When the company decided to make each person responsible for an entire plate, productivity turned around. The reasons for this turn around are less wasted time and a feeling of completing something by the workers. If worker #2 is faster than worker # 1, he will be waiting on #1 to finish so he can get started on his next one. In addition, many people want to have the satisfaction of finishing a product, and when the product is â€Å"theirs,† they will take more pride in making sure it is done correctly. The worker said, â€Å"Now, this is my hotplate† because he is proud of the work he has accomplished. They now have a sense of ownership when it comes to the hotplate, instead of apiece part of it. Empowering enables people to use their talents and capabilities, fosters accomplishment, invests in learning, finds the spirit in an organization and builds effective relationships, informs, leads, coaches, serves, creates and liberates† (Empowering Manager) What might account for the drop in absenteeism and the increase in moral? Going back to question 1, the reason for the increase in moral is the same reason the productivity increased. It is a sense of completion and satisfaction by the workers with the new assembly process. They feel like they are important to the company and they can now compete to see who produces the most and who produces the best product with rewards as an incentive to try to be the best. When you have a sense of completion, it makes you want to do the best you can. They were also told that if they did not like the new way of doing business they could go back to the old way. This made them feel as if they had some control over the situation and made them feel like their feelings matter, when before they did not have that. What were the major changes in the situation? Which changes were under the control of the manager? Which were controlled by workers? The biggest change with the making of hotplates is the assembly process. They went from an assembly line with the first person doing part, the next person doing their part until the last person who boxed it up to ship. The change put each person responsible for making the entire hotplate. By doing this, they increased morale and productivity. The managers were responsible for making the change from an assembly line and increasing the morale by doing so. Stevenson says that top management has â€Å"the ultimate responsibility for quality† (Stevenson, 2009, pg. 417). Stevenson also says one thing high quality does is in the workplace is yield higher productivity which they had after the quality of work changed for the workers. The workers were in control of the productivity increase. What might happen if the workers went back to the old assembly line method? If the workers went back to the old way of business, everything else would go back to the old way too. This means the workers would start missing days again, morale would drop, and the productivity would drastically decrease. This would happen because the quality of their work has decreased which would then decrease productivity all over again. Now that they have seen how important they feel when they are in charge of the entire hotplates, and not just parts of it, I feel things would be worse than before. References Stevenson, W. , (2009). Operations management (10th ed. ). New York : McGraw Hill/Irwin. The Empowering Manager Is†¦Briefcasebooks. com