Rhetorical Analysis – Arts in Public Schools

Funding for the Arts in Public Schools Rhetorical Analysis The arts, although important to be accessible to school children, has become a privilege for public schools due to budget cuts. In â€Å"Arts Education in Secondary Schools: Effects and Effectiveness. † by John Harland it is stressed that the arts ignite creativity that is crucial in childhood development. Likewise, in â€Å"Despite White House Report Advocating Arts Education, Budget Face Cuts. by Matt Phifer, published by ABC News, the importance of keeping the arts in pubic schools in addressed. Both articles effectively serve their purpose through a strong use of logos. Harland successfully wins his audience with his use of ethos and analogies, and Phifer has the same success through figurative language and expert testimonies. Right from the start, Harland makes his credibility clear. He states, â€Å"As an educator, a student, and a researcher†¦ †, this specific use of ethos is established early on to earn the reader’s respect.He continues to establishes himself by stating his report â€Å"was not only an accurate reflection of the children studied, but also of myself†. In addition, this peer reviewed article provides the reader with an over indulgence of charts, statistics, and report explanations to set a clear use of logos. Among the many charts provided, one of the most effective stand alone sets presents a side-by-side comparison of the average IQ of students who took arts courses as part of their curriculum, against those who lacked access to those courses.The chart is made very easy for the reader to comprehend and the remarkable data shows clear evidence in a larger average IQ among those who had substantial exposure to arts courses over those who hadn’t. Furthermore, Harland would take supportive statistics and flat out state them to his audience. For example he extended the data from his charts by stating, â€Å"In year 10, students with exposure to the arts had 67% higher intelligence scores than those without. †.Not only was clear evidence provided in this report, but a clear interpretation followed it, to make sure the audience was in complete understanding of the results. Harland also included some data that the common American might find to be irrelevant, such as, the rate of pay the teachers of arts courses may receive in contrast to that of teachers of â€Å"core classes† (math, English, etc;), however he pieced together clever analogies so his audience could not only relate to the information, but agree with it as well. His audience definitely had more knowledge on Harland’s point of view by the end of the report.In a popular article published by ABC News, â€Å"Despite White House Report Advocating Arts Education Budgets Face Cuts† by Matt Phifer, it is shown how important arts education is, what it has taught past generations, and why it is important for the future of our country. Phifer begins his article by providing his audience with specific background information and establishing a sense of knowledgeability towards his subject. This is followed up by straight up facts about the budget cuts the nation’s public schools will face.He explains to his audience how the No Child Left Behind Law had hurt a student’s ability to take more arts courses in conjunction with the regular curriculum. â€Å"A study found that 47% of respondents claim their art schedules were being interrupted more often†¦ † as well as, â€Å"the research showed arts-involved students usually perform 16 to 28 percent better than their peers who are not involved in the arts. † and also â€Å"The study showed a correlation between involvement in music and proficiency in math† are just a few of his very specific examples.His audience, who are most likely to be American parents, can definitely be intrigued by Phifer’s article, as it can lead them to want to make sure that arts education is accessible to their own children. To enhance the value of the statistics provided, Phifer also interviewed some key experts in this research. He provided claims made by highly credible sources. One expert testimony included, â€Å"You see the American flag, which is considered art. You see any piece of artwork say you see a Picasso, you know that that’s Picasso because you’ve grown up learning about the arts and being involved in art. this makes it clear that the absence of art would take away general knowledge. Surely, the audience can feel comfort in agreeing with Phifer, but also a disease towards their children’s future. Both articles provide strong evidence towards the claims they make. They convince their audience of their take on the situation and allow the reader to walk away from the article with more knowledge than they had before. The rhetorical devices used by Harland, and by Phifer were able to effectively lead their audience to understanding and relating to all of their evidence.

Leadership Management Essay

Introduction In this report, a research regarding leadership was conducted through observation and interviewing of an effective leader. The leader that was chosen for this research report is Tan Kee Boon Valdric. Valdric was a commissioned officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Singapore Armed Forces is a military organisation and its main purpose is to protect Singapore from any form of external threats. Upon commission, he was assigned to be the platoon commander for my platoon during national service in the 40th Singapore Armour Regiment (40SAR) and later on in our reservist unit at 473 Singapore Armour Regiment (473 SAR). By observing and interviewing him, the observation and interview results were compared with each other to see if there was any coherence in the results. These results were later compared in the reflection portion of this report to identify the complexities of leadership, the new understanding that was gained from this research and how undertaking this research and gaining new understanding of leadership would benefit my leadership abilities. Observation during National Service and Reservist As a platoon commander, Valdric would often plan and conduct many activities, exercises and trainings in camps. While planning for such activities, he would have to assign tasks to various personnel to complete the different tasks required of such activities. For instance, when conducting an Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), he would have to assign personnel to do various tasks required for the activity to proceed smoothly. When conducting such routine test activities in camp, he would often just assign tasks to soldiers in the platoon without further explanation as most of the people in the platoon are experienced and competent in doing the tasks. However, when assigning tasks to the newer inexperienced soldiers in the platoon, he would often give advices and guide them. For instance, when he was assigning tasks to the new batch of inexperienced sergeants who had just completed their training course, he would follow them and guide them accordingly on how to go about completing their tasks and encourage them. This changing leadership style based on the level of experience of personnel under him can be seen as a form of situational leadership II. Situational Leadership II is a model of contingency leadership in which leaders select different leadership based on their behaviour and the level of competency and capability of group members whom they are leading (Dubrin 2011). According to Blanchard (2010), situational leadership II model has four leadership styles which are namely directing, coaching, supporting and delegating which effective leaders adopt based on matching the level of competence of their group members. In Valdric’s case, when assigning tasks to the new inexperienced sergeants, he could be seen as choosing to exhibit a coaching leadership style which requires more supportive and directive behaviours and while assigning tasks to experienced personnel, he would exhibit a delegating leadership style which requires a less supportive and directive behaviour of the leader. Based on this observation, it could be seen that Valdric applies the Situational Leadership II model to alter his leadership style based on the level of competence and experience of his personnel. When problems or difficulty arises during activities or duties, Valdric would always keep calm and be open to suggestion for ideas and would accept any idea that sounds feasible in handling the problems or difficulties that arises. By keeping his composure and accepting feasible ideas suggested by those in the platoon, it can be seen as having self-confidence and flexibility which are some of the personality traits of an effective leader (Lussier & Achua 2009). On a few occasions, difficulties such as a sudden vehicle breakdown occurred during training. Instead of panicking, he kept his composure and called the sergeants and commanders together to discuss what they should do. Valdric would often decide upon a solution through participative discussion and consultation of personnel that are of lower ranking, usually the sergeants, in the platoon. During the planning of training programmes, which was something he had to do monthly, he would always discuss with the other commanders, the sergeants, in the platoon and decide on what training programmes they should include for the upcoming month. Participative leadership style in decision making is a style in which the leader would discuss and consult with members of a lower rank in the group before making a decision (Barman 2009). It can be seen that Valdric exhibits this participative leadership style through his use of participative discussion and consultation in planning training programmes. Valdric was always planning and thinking of ways to improve the platoon’s efficiency in terms of expertise skill levels and physical fitness which are crucial attributes required of soldiers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He would always plan new goals and visions to constantly improve the platoon’s expertise skill level and fitness and then communicate and inspire the platoon about the importance of constant. This constant seeking of improvement through creating new goals and visions to improve the platoon and efficiency of the military organisation could be seen as exhibiting a socialized charismatic leadership style. Socialized charismatic leaders are leaders who would use their influential powers to try and motivate groups and people in the organisation to improve organisation effectiveness and efficiency (Gardner, Avolio and Walumbwa 2005). Valdric’s desire to constantly improve the skill level of the platoon in order to help improve the progress and efficiency of the SAF is similar to a socialized charismatic leadership style. Interview Results An interview was conducted to find out more about how Valdric felt about his leadership characteristics and what he thinks are some of the leadership characteristics required to be an effective leader. Through the interview, a better understanding of his leadership characteristics and experiences was captured. From the interview, Valdric felt that some personality traits like self-confidence, trustworthiness and flexibility were key personality traits required to be an effective leader. He believed that self-confidence was required as he felt that leaders should have a certain level of confidence in order to lead. The second trait that he believed was a pre-requisite for effective leaders was trustworthiness as he felt that effective leaders need to build trust between his followers and himself in order to effectively lead them. Flexibility was another personality trait that he felt was important as he believed that leaders should be flexible so that they can change their leadership styles depending on the different environment and situation they are required to work in. Based on the interview results regarding personality traits, it can be seen that personality traits of self-confidence and flexibility are consistent of what with the observations results in which personality traits of self-confidence and flexibility was observed in Valdric. Another finding obtained from the interview session with Valdric was that he would change his leadership style based on the level of experience and expertise of the group members that he led. Valdric believed that group members who are inexperienced and lacking in skill required more nurturing and support from leaders and in such situations, leaders should give more specific instructions and support to help group members to gain experience and learn the skills required for the job efficiently. When questioned about another scenario in which he was leading a group which consists of experienced and skilled members, Valdric mentioned that he would switch to a less directive leading style in which he would be less specific in terms of giving instructions but he would continue to support his group members in terms of motivating them and encouraging them to keep the morale level within the group high. This finding is coherent with the observations results regarding how Valdric manages and assigns tasks to personnel in the platoon based on their level of experience. Based on the observation and interview results, it can be seen that Valdric uses the contingency approach to leadership to lead effectively. The alteration of leadership style based on the level of experience of the group they are leading is based on the situational leadership II model (Hellriegel and Slocum 2007). Valdric also felt that leaders should have different leadership styles and the ability to match the correct leadership style to the correct situation. He felt that given a situation, if the leader chooses the incorrect style to lead, it would wane the effectiveness of situational leadership. Another important role for leaders is decision-making for the group or organization. Valdric felt that decisions made by leaders would affect the effectiveness of the group or organisation which they are leading. In his opinion, the decision made by the leader should be a decision which is agreed upon by majority of the individuals in the group or organisation. To achieve this, Valdric mentioned that he often call for meetings with group members to discuss about issues and problems before he makes a decision. This was coherent with the observations results. Both the observation and interview results converge to show that Valdric uses group participation in decision-making. The use of such meetings to discuss ideas and suggestions before the leader makes a decision can be seen as a form of participative leadership style in decision-making. A leader exhibiting participative style involves his group members in the decision-making process by allowing group members to voice their opinions before the leader himself makes the final decision (Saxena 2009). However, Valdric mentioned that there are some disadvantages in the use of participative leadership styles during decision-making. In situations when there are a wide range of differing opinions in the group, it can be extremely difficult to obtain a consensus on a decision that is accepted by everyone in the group. Furthermore, he also mentioned that in situations when a decision needs to be made quickly, this leadership style would not be as effective as it tends to consume too much time before the leader makes a decision. Reflection and Improvement From this assignment, I have learnt about the various complexities of leadership through analysing and reflecting on the observation and interview results. From analysing the observation and interview results a comparison can be made between my findings regarding the complexities of various leadership styles and the theories taught in this leadership and management course. Based on my observation and interview results regarding participative leadership style, I learnt that although leaders exhibiting this style allows group members to have a feel of participation in the decision-making process and creates a sense of belonging to the group which further drives them to work harder for the leader, this style may become ineffective when there are various differences in opinion and it is often too time consuming. This is coherent with the theories regarding the complexities of democratic leadership style or participative leadership style. One of the common problem that leaders exhibiting participative leadership style during decision making was that such the use of such group meeting requires too much time (eds Muenjohn, Boucher & Tran 2010). This shows that what I have learnt and understand through the conducting of this research is coherent with the theories that I have learnt in this leadership and management course. Another similarity in finding which I have made from this research that is coherent with leadership theories is regarding the situational leadership II model in which leaders selects an appropriate style of leadership based on the level of experience of the members in the group which they are leading. From the observation and interview results, I have learnt that in order for situational leadership to be effective, a leader has to be flexible enough to change his leadership style to correctly match the situation. If a leader is not able to match his leadership style to the situation effectively, the effectiveness of situational leadership would be diminished and the use of this model for leadership could result in more problems rather than effectiveness. This is consistent with what was mentioned in the theories regarding the effective use of situational leadership styles such as the situational leadership II model. For situational leadership model II to be effective, leaders have to be able change their leadership style, in terms of supporting and directing, to match the level of experience of the group members they are leading (eds Muenjohn, Boucher & Tran 2010). A failure to do so would bring about an effective leader that would hinder the development of their group members or followers and indirectly affect the development of the organization as a whole (Blanchard 2010). Based on this, it can be seen that the findings that I have made regarding leadership styles such as participative leadership style and situational leadership is similar to what is taught in the theories in the course. In the process of conducting this research, I have learnt that many of the leadership styles are useful but they have flaws as well. Most leadership styles are effective if used at the correct time. However, if a leadership style is used inappropriately, it may bring about more problems and lead to leadership ineffectiveness. For instance, from this research, I have learnt that the use of participative leadership style in decision making is effective in helping the group makes a decision that is based on consensus of everyone. However, the use of participative leadership style in decision making may become ineffective when a decision has to be made quickly. One of the flaws of a participative style of leadership in the decision making process is that it often requires too much time before a consensus on the decision is made (eds Muenjohn, Boucher & Tran 2010). Other than the use of participative leadership style, the use of contingency approach of leadership styles would also lead to ineffectiveness if leaders use the wrong contingency leadership style for the wrong situation. For example, situational leadership II requires leaders to use appropriate leadership styles that can be more supportive or directive based on the level of competency and experience of the group members (Hellriegel & Slocum 2007). Based on situational leadership II, an effective leader would adopt a leadership style that is more directive and supportive when leading group members who are inexperienced. However, if a leader uses a leadership style that is less directive and supportive instead of one that is more directive and supportive, it may bring about ineffectiveness among the group due to ineffective leadership. In the process of conducting this research, I have understood that leading a group of people effectively is not a simple task. In order to be an effective leader, an individual has to learn how to effectively manage the group of people he is assigned to lead. In organisations, members of the organisations tend to have varying characteristics, working style, behaviour and experiences. Leaders would probably have to lead groups of people with varying characteristics or work with different groups of people throughout their lives. In order to be an effective leader, a leader has to be able to switch their leadership style to one that matches the people or situation they are leading in order to be effective. To be able to lead groups effectively regardless of situation, flexibility in a leader is required. According to Gamage (2006), effective leaders are usually flexible, allowing them to alter their leadership styles to one that is most appropriate and effective in whatever situation they are in. This means that for a leader to be able to use the contingency approach to leadership and be effective, flexibility is essential. Personally, other than the time I was serving National Service as a sergeant, I did not really have many opportunities to take on a leadership role. Hence, from this research, I have gained many insights that would be extremely useful for my leadership practice in the future. The importance of flexibility is one of the key takeaways from this research. During the time that I was serving National Service, I tend to use the same leadership style to lead my soldiers regardless of situation as I believed that it was the most appropriate and suitable leadership style for me. However, through this assignment, I learnt that there are many leadership styles that are effective and that a leader should be flexible to change their leadership style to one that best fits the situation in order to become an effective leader. Reddin (1970, cited in Gamage 2006, pp. 102) mentioned that the effectiveness of leadership styles depends on the situation. This means that leadership styles can either be effective or ineffective based on the situation in which they are used. If a leadership style is used in the wrong situation, it would be ineffective. However, if the same leadership style were to be used in an appropriate situation, it would be seen as an effective leadership style. What is important is that the leader needs to know which leadership style is appropriate for whatever situation they are given. From this, I have learnt that flexibility is an important trait that leaders should possess or develop and developing flexibility would allow me to be able to use the contingency approach of leadership styles better. Other than flexibility, another key takeaway that I have obtained from this research that would help me in my future leadership role was the understanding of using a contingency approach of leadership which requires me to select the correct leadership style for whichever situation in order to be an effective leader. Based on the theories taught in this course and the results of this research, I have come to an understanding that there are no ineffective leadership styles. All leadership styles are effective and the only reason why some people view certain leadership styles as ineffective is because they fail to match the correct leadership style to the situation (eds Muenjohn, Boucher & Trans 2007). From this, I learnt that there is no such thing as ineffective leadership style and that I should focus on matching leadership styles to situations in order to be an effective leader in the future. Conclusion In conclusion I believe that in order to be an effective leader, one must be able to understand the complexities of leading and how to handle these complexities. The leadership theories taught in this course and the insights gained from conducting this research has allowed me to gain a better understanding of some of these complexities of leadership. Some of the key takeaways that I have gained from this research were the importance of flexibility in a leader and the use of contingency approach to leadership style especially the situational leadership II model. The theories in this course have provided me with a basic understanding on leadership and through conducting this research, it further reinforced what I have learnt and understood from the course by allowing me to observe the application of some of the leadership theories. Through the observations and interview, I have learnt about various complexities of some of the leadership theories such as using a participative leadership style in the decision making process and the use of situational leadership II model. I believe that this understanding and knowledge that I have attained would greatly benefit me in my future endeavours as a leader. Reference List Barman, K 2009, Leadership Management: Achieving Breakthroughs, Global Indian Publications, New Delhi. Blanchard, K 2010, Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performance Organizations, FT Press, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Dubrin, AJ 2011, Essentials of Management, 9th edn, Cengage Learning, USA. Gamage, DT 2006, Professional Development for Leaders and Managers of Self-Governing Schools, Springer, Netherlands. Gardner, WL, Avolio, BJ and Walumbwa, FO (eds.) 2005, Authentic leadership theory and practice: origins, effects and development, Elseiver, USA. Hellriegel, D and Slocum, JW 2007, Organizational Behaviour, 11th edn, Thomson South-Western, USA. Lussier, RN and Achua, CF 2009, Leadership: Theory, Application & Skill Development, 4th edn, Cengage Learning, USA. Muenjohn, N, Boucher, C and Tran, N (eds.) 2010, Leadership and Management, Cengage Learning, Melbourne. Saxena, PK 2009, Principles of Management: A Modern Approach, Global India Publications, New Delhi. Appendix Interview Questions 1) What are some of the skills that you think a leader should possess? Why? 2) What are some of the traits that you think an effective leader should possess? Why? 3) What are some of the leadership roles that you think leaders have and which leadership role do you think is the most important? 4) When making decisions for your group as a leader, would you consult your group members before making a decision? Why? 5) Between building relations with group members and completing the task, which do you think is more important for a leader? 6) What are some of the ways by which you motivate people in your team as a leader? 7) How would you describe your leadership style as? 8) In your opinion, should an effective leader change his leadership style to match different situations or stick with the same leadership style for all situations? 9) When leading a group of inexperienced member, would you alter your leadership style to cater to them? 10) When leading a group of highly experienced and skilled personnel, how would your leadership style be different? 11) Do you think an effective leader should be more directive or supportive? 12) If there was a conflict among members in your group, how would you attempt to resolve the conflict? 13) Do you think that constant improvement is required for leaders and their groups to be effective? 14) Is effective communication required for a leader to lead his group effectively?

Being a Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Being a Manager - Essay Example Their rises through the ranks are discussed at length from their points of view as expressed during the interviews and in summary; it is found that the management escalator model fits with their career advancements. In any organizations, the role of management is crucial in ensuring the smooth running of activities and day to day operations, it is for these purpose that certain individuals; by virtue of their academic qualification, experience or both occupy management positions in most firms either formerly or informally (Reh, n.d). Specific duties of managers vary in different firms; nonetheless, managers are generally tasked with the responsibility of planning, monitoring and directing the efforts of a group of individuals place under him/her. They may direct works through supervisors or do it directly, however for one to be an effective manager, they needs must be familiar not only with the workers or supervisors, but also with the jobs, which they do. This is not to say they mus t be the best at any, or all the duties carried out by their subordinates many, who are specialists, however, they should have some understanding of the working of the different departments to be able to synchronize their activities as well as to direct the efforts. Managers specialize in is in knowing how to manage the resources at their disposal in their particular organizations and departments, and this mostly means human resource, however they also oversee the use of other resources such as money and equipment (York 2009, 185). In many organizations, managers emerge from the teams therein especially individuals who prove they have not only the requisite skills and experience but also leadership skills. Thus it is possible a specialist or technician to escalate to the top of the ranks and become a manager, they will apply not only their technical skills but acquired experience and judgment as well as familiarity with firm procedures to run their respective departments (Richard 20 01, 17). In this essay, focus will be on management and based on how the managerial escalator (Rees and Porter, 2001) applies to the career experiences of two managers who have made it to management levels from the bottom. The term managerial escalator refers to the progression of responsibilities in a firm gradually from technical or specialist to managerial positions gradually through time to help employees acquire the managerial skills while honing their technical skills. Initially, specialists spend a major fraction of their time in the organization engaged in their fields of specialization, however , the more competent specialist or those who show leadership potential gradually acquire supervisory duties, albeit informally at times. This is because leadership skills are necessary in a manager, these can be seen in their behavior and attitudes, and they are used to determine if he/she is capable of taking charge and responsibility of a team (Wilson et al, 2006, 21). The promotio n of the best performers can often be attributed to the fact that most organizations run on a reward system, however employees who gain academic credentials such as master’s degree substantial improve their chances of â€Å"escalation†. The transition from technician to management is takes time and this can be as much as 5 to 10 years or as little as one year, depending on the organization’s structure. Specialist may begin to acquire more responsibilities than their peers and even seniors based on their competence

Marketing influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing influences - Essay Example Color of the commodity is based on an individual’s preference of some specific range of colors. I at one time bought a television set which was manufactured by Samsung and it was painted black. I was attracted to this product due to the fact that I have had an inner belief that products from Samsung are the best in terms of electronic products. Price determines the purchasing power of an individual. Prices of commodities tends to vary depending on their qualities, design, level of competition in the market and quantity of the goods bought (Hoyer, et.al, 2013). If the quality is regarded to be low, the price will tend to be low, stiff competition in the market will guarantee low prices and low number of items to be bought will tend to increase the price and the reverse is true in each of the case. I was influenced by the low price of a glass table that did not have high quality. It did not last for a long time as after a period of two months, it broke down. I then learnt that cheap items are indeed very expensive in the long run. Promotion is a marketing strategy that is used to create awareness of a particular product so that it can gain popularity among them. Products that are under promotion have low prices so as to enable many consumers to have a first-hand experience on the products (Lamb, et.al, 2012). This is aimed at encouraging them to consider using the product in the future period thus developing strong marketing base for the product. I recently bought a mobile phone that was on promotion. The price was low and the quality was good. However, I discovered that it was restricted to only one mobile phone service provider that was doing the promotion. That marks one of the limitations of items bought while they are on promotion. The place in which a commodity is located will influence its marketing abilities. In places that are remote and not easily accessible, commodities will be sold at a high price due to the high cost incurred in

Staff Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Staff Motivation - Assignment Example For higher incomers, such as managers, job promotion and recognition are more important than money. In the contrast, low incomers are motivated be financial factors such as salary and bonus. Hertzberg (1968) two factors theory determines the motivation factors and hygiene factors do not motivate but create dissatisfaction if they are not present. In certain period of time, employees feel financially secured and better off financially; hygiene factor can be an effective motivator. Money loses its attractive as if motivational factors among managers. Managers may be not motivated by money, but by job promotion through achievement. They can be considered to be at the highest level of "motivational need". What's more, according to Hertzberg, working conditions is a hygiene factor, offering people unique incentives and morale boosters that contribute to a changing, exciting, and motivation work environment. Excellent work conditions would give them more job satisfaction and motivation. McClelland (1987) identified three major needs, which are achievement, power and affiliation. The findings from this study show that money is the most important motivator for workers at Jury's Inn, especially for low-income workers. Furthermore, the findings indicate that job promotion and recognition are important factors to motivate workers at Jury's Inn because job promotion and recognition are related tight to financial rewards. In addition, salaries and benefits, interpersonal relationships and offering incentives and morale boosters have been found as the main effective motivators. In order to support the aim, this working paper provided literature review, which including motivation theories, the critically analysis of motivation and reward system on workplace culture and work value. Moreover, for the sake of investigating the effective motivation; the relevant research methodology has been used. Studies of some of the best United States and Australian hotels (Gray, 1992) also suggest that the cement which binds skilled and motivated employees to their organization, who are thus more enthusiastic, more committed and potentially more productive than their competitors' employees, is clear and ongoing communication between hotel managers and their employees. The management of the Jury's Inn should also take the advantage of the communication process in order achieve the higher level of performance from the employees. A modern and a more permanent approach to motivation are through job enrichment (Wright, 2004). This involves putting meaning into jobs. In other words, it is putting Herzberg's two-factor theory into effect by building motivators into the job. These motivators include achievement, growth, responsibility, advancement and recognition. This approach can also work for Jury's Inn staff. According to the approach the hotel should plan to change the job contents of the employees in order to motivate them as explained by Ross (1998) in his article A practical theory of motivation applied to hotels. A number of research studies (Rothbard, 2001; Niehoff , Moorman, Blakely & Fuller, 2001; Bloom, Yorges & Ruhl, 2000) have indicated that the job content is an important factor in motivating people. So the content of a routine or repetitive task must be restructured to provide motivation to the performer of that job.

Top Origin and Destination Locations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Top Origin and Destination Locations - Essay Example Unemployment: the unstable conditions in Mexico due to lack of stable economy has led to an increase in the number of people unemployed yearly. This has facilitated the increase in the number of the Mexican citizens who migrant to USA to seek better employment opportunities. However, this is ironical due to poor skills the immigrants have in handling the jobs available. This leads to most of the immigrants finding themselves jobless even after migration to USA (Alexander, pg6). Wealth: Most of the people in USA are admired due to the perception that the people live in comfort and luxury. This has been a key factor that pull people to migrant to USA to seek these luxuries and comfort those citizens of the USA tend to enjoy (Alexander, pg5). Employment: USA for a long period of time has been acquiring employees from Mexico due to industrious nature of the Mexican citizens. Again the unemployment in Mexico has further contributed to their curiosity to migrant to USA to seek these opportunities for them to prosper in life in terms of wealth generation and happiness. In conclusion, the USA government tends to employ most of the Mexican due to their hand working character. Poverty: The level of poverty in Michigan is very high. This has resulted from poor governance and economic hardships in the state. Most of the cities in this state are very insecure and this discourages investment back into the state. Violence: This state has experienced lots of violence in form of murder, rapes, assault by the police and armed robbery. This has led to lose of hope for people living in this state propelling them to look for better places to live like Texas near Dallas. Texas is a state in USA blessed with lots of industries. The natural oils and gas are produced in this state creating lots of job opportunities for people. Besides employment opportunities, lots of income is generated in this

Assessment 1 The Report supply chian magement (SM2038) Essay

Assessment 1 The Report supply chian magement (SM2038) - Essay Example Supply chain management is deeply involved in the successful achievement of desired levels of productivity and profitability by any company or organization. One of the key factors of supply chain management process is purchasing. Gadde and Hakansson (1993) found that purchasing is seen as one of the key strategic functions to be performed by the management of any organization in order to achieve market domination in a competitive market. In my view, selection of suitable suppliers for a company is critically importance because suppliers are directly involved in the manufacturing process of any product as they supply the raw material to the company which plays its part while setting up the price for a product. Suppliers often charge different prices to the parts of the products that they supply to a company. A company should always select a supplier who should deliver the raw material and required parts of a product at an economical price to the company because it is very important for a company to set a competitive price for any product. And competitive prices can only be set up if cost of manufacturing of a product is less than then actual price of that product in the market. Ford (2002) found that the objective of selecting a suitable supplier in order to cut down the manufacturing cost of a product can be achieved by analyzing previous performances of various suppliers. Ayers (2001) found that the analysis regard ing suppliers should be based on the suppliers’ credibility, quality of the raw material that the suppliers provide to the company, and the price at which they supply the raw material. After a complete analysis, the purchasing manager should select a trustworthy and most credible supplier. Price of a product is always set up by determining the actual manufacturing cost of the product. If a company wants to achieve

Supply Chain Management of Marks and Spencer Essay

Supply Chain Management of Marks and Spencer - Essay Example The essay "Supply Chain Management of Marks and Spencer" examines supply chain strategies of one of the most famous retailers in the UK, Marks and Spencer (M&S). The paper will also discuss supply chain structure that the company has been designed to implement its supply chain strategy. At the time of its initiation, M&S did not face much competition as the number of market players was very small. However, over the years the number of retail firms has increased in the UK as well as throughout the world with increasing popularity if retail culture. With the increase in the level of competition, M&S felt it necessary to devise some effective strategies to deal with increased market competition. In order to sustain in an intensely competitive market, it is very much necessary to retain existing customer base and expand it over time. M&S has rightly recognized this need and accordingly have placed focus on delivering goods in the best possible manner to its customers. This strategy is very helpful in improving the profitability of the firm and fostering a huge competitive advantage in the industry. M&S have now emphasized on delivering high-quality up-to-date garments at fair prices to its customers. M&S has also realized that purchasing from overseas suppliers is the most effective way of saving costs. As one of its competitive strategies, the company emphasizes on redesigning its stores in such a way that they provide more comfort, more space, and more convenience to the customers at the time of their shopping and browsing.... M&S has rightly recognized this need and accordingly have placed focus on delivering goods in the best possible manner to its customers. This strategy is very helpful in improving profitability of the firm and fostering a huge competitive advantage in the industry. M&S have now emphasized on delivering high-quality up-to-date garments at fair prices to its customers. (Neef,. 2004; Hensher, 2001) To survive under extremely competitive environment, it is necessary to improve its operational activities, suppliers, logistic, designing of stores and so on. The old stocks should be cleared from the warehouses to give way for new stocks that are up-to-dated. Apart from this, it is also necessary to provide due consideration on packaging of the products. M&S has identified all these needs for improving its competitive strength in the market and has designed competitive strategies accordingly to meet these needs. (Neef,. 2004; Hensher, 2001) M&S has also realized that purchasing from overseas suppliers is the most effective way of saving costs as well as of providing the products to the customers at lower prices. Hence, it has abandoned its policy of confining to UK suppliers only. (Neef,. 2004; Hensher, 2001) As one of its competitive strategy, the company is emphasizing on redesigning its stores in such a way that they provide more comfort, more space and more convenience to the customers at the time of their shopping and browsing. (Neef,. 2004; Hensher, 2001) Supply chain strategy: For a large scale of business enterprises, Marks and Spencer, one of the famous retailer in Britain, had set a very big example. For a very long time, Marks and Spencer has been a leader in the industry where there is a team of local suppliers working

Role of Inflammation in the Development of Atherosclerosis Essay

Role of Inflammation in the Development of Atherosclerosis - Essay Example As the discussion highlights atherosclerosis is a condition in which the wall of the artery thickens due to accumulation of fatty substances like cholesterol and triglycerides. The condition affects arterial blood vessels secondary to chronic inflammation of the innermost wall of the arteries and is mainly caused due to accumulation of macrophages. Accumulation of macrophages is promoted by low density lipoproteins. Stiffening of arteries occurs due to formation of multiple plaques within the arteries. There are basically 3 groups of atherosclerotic lesions and they are progressive atherosclerotic lesions, nonatherosclerotic intimal lesions and healed atherosclerotic plaques. Certain preexisting intimal lesions have intimal thickening and fatty streaks and adult lesions can arise from these Intimal thickening mainly involves the smooth muscles cells which lie in a proteoglycan-rich matrix. In early lesions, moderate cell replication can occur, but in adult lesions, they are mainly cl onal. Fatty streaks are basically intimal xanthomata in which there is accumulation of fat-laden macrophages. These lesions have lesser number of smooth muscle cells and lesser number of T-lymphocytes. These are nonatherosclerotic lesions. In progressive atherosclerosis lesions, there can be stable or non stable plaques. The plaques have intimal thickening with deposition of lipid. But there is no evidence of necrosis. Smooth muscle cells and proteoglycans overly the area of plaques along with T-lymphocytes and macrophages. Healed atherosclerotic plaques are those which have had thrombotic lesions, but have recovered.  

William Cowper Essay Example for Free

William Cowper Essay I am writing to tell you all about my misfortunes I had last month upon my wedding day. My wife decided that after 10years of marriage that it was time to go on holiday for the first time. As you know, she is very conscious about money and extremely proud, so she brought a carriage for herself, our 3children, her sister and her child, and so I had to ride upon horseback behind them but no-one was able to know. So once the morning arrived, I kissed her goodbye and we set off. The horse was misbehaving; I could not control him at all, all the time he was bucking, trotting and galloping when it wasnt necessary and especially on stony roads, so I fell off about twice. Then Betty came running back to me and said that we had left the alcohol behind and so I tied it to my belt, one on each side so I was balanced and so I could try to not fall off of the horse. Once on my way for the second time, I finally got to some smoother road which became easier for the horse to ride upon. But instead of the easiness I believed this road would be it was the complete opposite, the horse got faster, he began trotting. I tried to get him to slow down but he wouldnt and the trot soon turned into a gallop, even though I pulled the reins and demanded him to stop. It was terrifying, I was holding onto the reins for dear life. He continued to do this for miles, even through the towns. The towns people even believed I was racing and so cheered me on. I was confused and it scared the horse so it again galloped off leaving me holding on for dear life. I finally reached where I was meant to be and where my wife and the rest of my family were waiting for me. We went past them and they shouted after me to stop as they were all hungry and wanted to rest but the horse kept going and wouldnt stop. We kept going until we reached the horses owners horse, and finally the horse stopped! I got off the horse and spoke to its owner. He offered me dinner at his home, but I declined his request as it felt stupid to be having dinner in a different town to my wife, especially on our wedding evening. We were about to set off again, when suddenly a donkey made a noise and the horse set off yet again. We went racing on again, and once more we passed straight through the town I was meant to be staying. This time my wife saw me going past and told a messenger boy that if he caught up with me and brought me back safely then she would give him half-a-crown. So the boy set off after me and tried to stop my horse three times by pulling at the reins. Unfortunately that didnt work, and the horse got more scared and so galloped faster and faster. We then went past some other people who thought I was a highwayman as I was riding away and the boy was chasing after me. They kept shouting at me stop thief and as I didnt they all joined in, in the chase. When we arrived at the town I was meant to being staying at they thought I was still racing and so cheered me on even more, as they thought I had won. Was indeed a very bizarre way to spend my wedding day, and although I regret being away from my wife on that day I do not regret anything that happened that day!

Young People And Crime Criminology Essay

Young People And Crime Criminology Essay The application by criminologists of the ideas summarised in this chapter tends to manifest in the form of multifactorial explanations for youth crime. However, in doing this, criminologists generally refrain from presenting a hierarchy of causes. The result is that immediate causes are cited (such as unemployment, racism, labelling, poor schooling), and reformist measures are advocated (such as training schemes, alternative school), but rarely are substantial changes to the social structure as a whole demanded. For those who wish to see major social change occurring, the questions of power and social interests are of paramount importance. Where multiple factors are at the foreground of analysis, the tendency is to respond to the phenomenon of youth crime through emphasis on developing specific projects and programs, More radical perspectives view such proposals as very limiting, unless they are linked directly to a wider politics of social change.   Critically examine how well criminological theory links with policy responses to juvenile crime. Illustrate your answer by reference to theory, a juvenile justice issue and a policy response.    When young people commit crimes, it is rarely seen that people ask the question why did they do this? The tendency is to respond to these acts by training schemes or to send the youths to alternative schools. The phenomenon of youth crime is responded to through an emphasis on developing programs and projects. Rarely are substantial changes as a whole demanded of the social structure. The root causes should be tackled effectively while the hierarchy are simultaneously attended to causes along the way with due priorities. A juvenile justice issue that is of importance in youth crime at the moment is young men and violence. There are many policy responses to this issue as there are many different causes to the problem. By analysing the many different reasons as to why the young men become violent, substantial changes can be made slowly to the social structure. This essay will demonstrate how criminological theory links to policy responses for young men and violence. There are many theories and explanations put forward as to why juveniles offend and commit crimes. These range from perspectives that emphasise individual offender choice whether to offend, through to those that emphasise social factors such as poverty, limited employment opportunities, and school performance in shaping juvenile criminal acts (Cunneen, White. 2007). These theories vary considerably. The classical theory and the individual choice is based on the purpose of punishment within the law is to deter individuals from impinging upon and violating others rights and interests. As individuals we are seen to have equal capacity to reason, and so we are seen responsible for our own actions. Thus the classical criminal policy focuses primarily on the criminal act and suggests equal punishments for equal crime. The positivism theory is that behaviour is determined. Individual behaviour is shaped by factors such as physiology, personality, social upbringing and others. The focus is on the individuals, who are seen to require treatment since they are not necessarily responsible for their criminality. Positivists concentrate on the offender and the offenders characteristics. A sociological perspective argues that in order to understand that nature and occurrence of crime, we need to look at the structure of the society that moulds and shapes culture and behaviour. Individual action is thus attributable to social causes, and crime can be seen as a matter of social pathology. Acts of violence have terrible and costly results for everyone involved, including families, communities, and society. Violence is a major part of some peoples lives, especially young mens lives (Cameron, 2000). Violence in the family has been made visible over the last 3 decades, largely as a result of enquires into domestic violence and child abuse. According to an article printed by the Australian Institute of Criminology about young men and violence statistics found that 6.2% of Australian women experienced either physical or sexual violence by a male perpetrator. These statistics are also an indication of the extent of violence towards children in families. Violence is characteristic of many families, and it has implications for how young men grow up, violence is learnt. In 1990, the National Committee on Violence referred to families as the training ground for violence. The Womens Safety Survey also found that 38 per cent of women who experienced violence by a current partner, and 46 per cent of women who had experienced violence by a former partner, said their children had witnessed violence (Cameron, 2000). Experiences early in life must have some influence on young men who exhibit evidence of violence later in life. Young men between the ages of 20 and 24 experience the highest rate of assault compared with the rest of the population. Not all families or young men are violent. Certain risk factors indicate the likelihood of behaving aggressively or engaging in violence. These include, having a history of violent behaviour, being male, being a young adult, having experienced difficulties in childhood, including inadequate parenting, troubled relationships within the family, low levels of school achievement, having problems of psychotropic substance abuse, especially problematic alcohol use and having severe mental illness, the symptoms of which are not being identified or controlled. Violence in the family is no longer considered a private issue. Moreov er, it has implications for broader social policies. Some young men are involved in a culture of violence, well beyond issues concerning the family. In 1998, almost 60 per cent of recorded assaults occurred outside of residences. Alcohol plays a part in a significant number of these offences. Some young men enjoy a fight; a fight can result from a trivial incident. Fights can relate to illegal activities, such as drug dealing, that do not allow young men to resort to legitimate forms of conflict resolution. As a result, groups may develop for protection. As members become hardened, for example, by experience in jail, they may view the world as consisting of the strong and the weak, and as a place of conflict and struggle. They ritualistically convey their ruthlessness and act brutally. In some instances, groups or gangs have emerged around issues of ethnic solidarity. While groups or gangs may emerge as a result of illicit activities, this is not always the case. Young men may feel safe in groups, and when police see three or more young men together they may define them as a gang. Violence occurs at school. Although Australia is fortunate enough to have been spared the school yard shootings, less lethal forms of violence are not uncommon. Bullying may or may not be intended to hurt and may take the form of physical, non-physical, or non-verbal action undertaken by the bully or by someone co-opted to do so. Bullying is hurtful and may have health consequences. Thus juvenile crime takes several forms and shapes. There are several policy responses available to deal with juvenile crime. Many young men need advice and direction on how to behave towards women and their peers, and they want to talk to you about it. An article discussing young men and violence identified many strategies that they believed would be effective and promising for policy development towards young men (Cameron, 2000). This article identified six prevention strategies. The first prevention strategy being related to parenting, education and support. Families were characterised as a location of conflict for many young men. They reported that early in their lives parents argued and violence occurred in the family. It is important to develop programs to support families in a rapidly changing society where the structures and relationships are often not available to support parents with child rearing. Also, pre-school programs, including parenting interventions, have reduced some childrens anti-social behaviour and delinquency. A number of programs have been implemented in Australia based on these principles. The second is focusing on interventions during childhood and adolescents. Research suggests that the greatest likelihood of success results from programs implemented with children before they reach adolescence. Further, programs should target multiple risk factors, including those at the level of the community, the family, the school, and the individual/ peer, which contribute to youth violence. Interventions at this age can also reduce school-yard bullying. This is an encouraging area of research, as school-based programs that address antisocial behaviour and delinquency generally have found that parenting training and skills based training with children can be effective. Drug use amongst young men was a major issue and a cause for violence. People got involved in drug use due to peer pressure and the requirement to fit in, and youth start it without knowing the harm that would result from regular use. Intervention programs in the area of drugs are most effective when undertaken in the family setting. Young peoples involvement in drug and alcohol use usually results from peer influences. Alcohol plays a significant part in violence that occurs in and around hotels. Success has been demonstrated and repeated in a significant Australian study that aimed to reduce the level of violence related to alcohol in and around licensed premises. By reducing, promotional activities which had brought about binge drinking and high levels of drunkenness resulted in reduced levels of violence. Many youth have generally poor relationships with the police. Police need to develop an understanding of the youth culture and take young people seriously. Police also need to be more understanding and open minded on youth issues, which would lead to mutual respect. Fairness should be a part of encounters with police and in criminal justice procedures. The benefit of legitimate policing can be seen in the area of domestic violence where it has limited the amount of repeat offending. The process of policing may have implications for how people see themselves in the broader society, and may result in compliance if they are considered to share values. The most common reason that violence does occur amongst youths is anger issues. Violence counselling or anger management services can also assist young men to break the cycle of violence. A number of Australian anger management programs are in place to assist young men, although the successes of these are unclear. This area of intervention is in early stages of development where considerable attention is being devoted to program development. Counselling and mentoring programs have shown promising rewards. Multi-systemic therapy programs individually tailored for the particular needs of young offenders, which include family, peer, school, and community interventions, have been demonstrated to reduce the level of reoffending. There also appears to be an effect on reducing violence, as there was also a reduction in the frequency of hitting someone. When violence occurs in the family or when the young men felt explosive and possibly violent and a danger to others, they said they did not have anywhere to turn. The sixth violence prevention strategy is creating recreational and sporting areas for youth to go to if when they have nowhere else to turn to. Recreation and sport are legitimate ways to expend energy. Young men would benefit from accessing to sporting and recreational facilities, such as skating parks and bicycle tracks. The success of the introduction of recreational activities as a means of stopping violence has not been assessed. The above policy responses are appropriate intervention strategies to help prevent young men from associating with violence. These policy responses are linked to one or more of the criminological theories in the juvenile justice system. The main criminological theories that are linked to these policy responses are the classical theory and individual choice; the positivism and individual criminal behaviour; and the sociological theories. While more than one of the response outlined are necessary in most instances, the policy response of parenting, education and support is one of better ones because it addressed the hierarchy of causes. A main reason that youths associate with violence is because they have not had a good upbringing in their homes. They have not had a pleasant and peaceful environment at home were family values and social norms are introduced and nurtured. Instead they grew up in a family which more than discouraged encouraged violence. Despite the fact that this policy response shows that it is difficult to introduce a program which demonstrates effectiveness in improving behaviour of adults, it in many ways assists young men in improving their own behaviour. It is important to develop programs to support families in a rapidly changing society where the structures and relationships are often not available to support parents (Cameron, 2000). This intervention has multiple factors and responded through specific projects and programs. However it did not identify and arrange the hierarchy of cause and responded to with a social structural change. Such structural change would include the families changing their behaviour, anger management and improving the relations with police, both sides taking responsibility and respecting each others rights and obligations. This should help eliminate all known factors of youth offending activates. The policy responses of the juvenile justice issue of young men and violence are closely linked to the criminological theories. However they are not addressing collectively the hierarchy of causes of violence of young men they are not linked to the wider politics of social change. REFERNCES: Cameron, M. (June 2000). Young men and Violence Prevention. Australian Institute of Criminolgy. No. 154. Chris, C White, R. Juvenile justice, youth and crime in Austrlalia. Third Edition.