Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Strategic Management - Essay Example On the other hand there are also those approaches that are conceptual in nature such as policy, stakeholder, issue management, and adaptive approaches. The process of strategy implementation can be divided into various phases: understand history, explore the situation, uncover issues, identify strategy, assess feasibility, and implement strategic change. Finally the differences in strategic management between private and public sector organizations can be mapped along three dimensions: value generation, resource allocation, and accountability and trust. A strategy is a mechanism through which an entity differentiates itself in a competitive arena. In nearly every industry and sector today, strategy has become essential to staying in business. In the past, a business could sustain itself with a fairly static mission and customer base. Today’s marketplace is larger and more competitive with a better educated customer base. Moreover it is constantly changing at an ever increasing speed. These conditions require business leaders to constantly adjust their strategies to remain competitive in the marketplace. Strategic management is the â€Å"formulation and implementation of strategic plans and the orchestration and carrying out of strategic activities of vital concern to the total organization† (Koteen, 1997, p. 24). Strategic management is based on the following three characteristics: Strategic management is a dynamic process in which strategies are aligned to enhance performance and procure desired business results. Strategic management is a continuous activity in which the strategic direction of the organization is determined and subsequently maintained. Strategic management involves regular decision making on a daily basis to deal with constantly changing situations and a challenging environment. Strategic management is the most popular form of

Approaches to Psychology Essay Example for Free

Approaches to Psychology Essay The psychoanalytic approach was started and developed mainly in Europe between 1900 and 1939 by Sigmund Freud, a Viennese doctor who specialized in neurology. As a doctor, he became interested in the field of hysteria the manifestation of physical symptoms without physical causes and became convinced that unconscious mental causes were responsible, and could be responsible for all mental disorders and even our personality. He created the theory of personality, and based his ideas upon intensive case studies of a considerable range of patients, especially his infamous study on Little Hans, a young boy who Freud carried out psychoanalysis upon. Bowlby (1946) applied Freuds theories when he used psychoanalysis on a large group of children with various ages on a study of habitual delinquency. The central emphasis is on dynamic, biological processes especially those taking place in the unconscious mind, and involves the idea of psychic determinism, i. e. Freudian slips. Freud said that we all have instinctual drives wishes, desires, needs, or demands, which are hidden and suppressed from the consciousness because society disapproves of their open expression. Freud proposes three main components of the mind; the id, the ego and the superego. The id operates on the pleasure principle and its goal is immediate gratification and reduction of tension caused by irrational impulses. The ego operates on the reality principle, and controls the id in its reaction with the world. The superego operates on the idealisation principle, with norms and values of society being internalised. According to this approach, we all undergo psychosexual stages oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital which gradually motivate the individual to focus on the libido, and can be linked with the Oedipus complex. The libido is described as psychic energy behind primary drives of hunger, aggression, sex and irrational impulses. Fixation at any of these stages can lead to behaviour in our adulthood reflecting earlier stages of our childhood, which are caused by unresolved conflicts. For example, fixation at the oral stage can cause adult behaviour that is centred on the mouth (eating, smoking, etc. ) The purpose of psychoanalysis was as a therapy to treat mental disorder by means of treating the unconscious mind. The methods that Freud used for investigating the unconsciousness were by means of case studies, and deep analysis and interpretation. Free association involves the uninhibited expression of thought association, no matter how bizarre or embarrassing, from the client to the analyst. Dream analysis involves the analyst attempting to decode the symbols and unravel the hidden meaning (the latent content) of a dream from the dreamers report (the manifest content). Freud used his theory to explain a number of topics. He explained that the development of personality came from fixations or defence mechanisms, and that aggression was caused by hydraulic drives and displacement. Abnormality was seen as the consequence of early traumas and repression, which subsequently could impair our moral and gender development, the latter being the result of the Oedipus complex. The psychoanalytic approach has been greatly influential within psychology, in areas such as psychotherapy and developmental theories, and also beyond in art, literature and other sciences, some 100 years since Freud first developed his ideas. His theory has had some experimental support in certain areas, such as repression and fixation. Freud introduced the world to the concept of the unconscious, and regarded his case studies like Little Hans and Anna O as firm empirical support for his theory. He thought his belief in determinism and detailed collection of data were scientific, yet many psychologists today argue that his theories and ideas are too biological, that is that they rely too much on the influence of basic instincts and physical drives. Most of Freuds ideas and concepts came from only a handful of results on the study of children. Freud could have allowed his own prejudices to shape his analysis, leading to no objective measures. His close interventions and feedback to the childs family could have changed the childs behaviour and that of its family. Psychoanalysis lacks rigorous empirical support, especially regarding normal development, and leads to reductionism, i. e. it reduces human activity to a basic set of structures, which cant account for behaviour. Freuds ideas have been accused of being irrefutable, and are therefore theoretically unscientific. Another approach to psychology is the behaviourist approach, which concentrates on the theory of learning and behavioural therapy, and tries to explain behaviour in terms of its relation to environmental events (stimuli), rather than any innate factors. The view that behaviour should be the sole subject matter of psychology was first advanced by the American psychologist John B. Watson in the early 1900s. His position came to be called behaviourism. He believed that psychologists could not afford to speculate upon the unobservable inner workings of the mind, since they are too private to be studied scientifically. For the behaviourist, much of their research focuses on objectively observable behaviour, rather than any internal process. The approach proposes that behaviour is radical, and that it is caused and maintained in this way.

Women Breaking Free From Their Traditional Expectations Essay -- essay

Women Breaking Free From Their Traditional Expectations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All throughout the early part of history women were portrayed as the inferior sex, because at that point in time, women were seen as beings only born to have children. Men didn’t think that women were capable of being anything other than a typical housewife. It was unthinkable that women would actually need an education, let alone earn a living, or become a leader. These ideas are revealed all throughout classical literature. Rarely was a woman seen as doing anything but being dominated by males in some form, whether she was a man’s submissive devoted wife, a sexual object, or a woman being punished for wanting her freedom. We finally begin to see women trying to break free from these traditional expectations and barriers through the lives of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, John’s wife in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Louise Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, and Songlian in Raise the Red Lantern by Su Tong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God shows how the lives of American women changed in the early 20th century. Janie Crawford is an example of a woman in society who follows her dreams, takes control of her soul, and finds her own identity in a male dominated world. After two marriages in which Janie is ‘owned’ by the men in the relationship, she finds that she can own herself. â€Å"Janie was an unusual protagonist for her time—black, female, independent, and strong† (Shafer). Janie’s first effort to free her soul is from her husband Logan Killicks. Logan works her like a mule, making her do house chores as well as outside work. When she finally realizes that she doesn’t want to spend her life as a slave or with someone that she doesn’t love, Janie runs away to be with a man she had met only a few days before. Janie faces reality and gets out from under Logan’s rule before she becomes consumed into his world. Again Janie is only a possession of her new husband, Joe Starks. He displays her like a medal around his neck. He is so jealous of other men lusting after his wife that he restricts her to always tend the store, leave fun situations, and wear a head rag to hide her beautiful hair. Janie slowly breaks out of the shell that Starks has molded her into when she verbally defies him in front ... ...oper place was in the home. Even the laws and literary writings reflected this position. As women became more educated, they began to seek their freedom and a voice in society. This movement to gain equal rights for women has been referred to as feminism. Slowly have we made our way in history, but profoundly do we take our stand in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Aull, Felice â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† The Feminist Press at the City Univ. of New York (New York) 1892 7 July 2000 http://mcip00.nyu.edu./lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/gilman87-des-.html Gribben, Alan. â€Å"Chopin, Kate† The World book Encyclopedia. 1990 ed. Maloney, Karen E. â€Å"A Feminist Looks at Education: The Educational Philosophy of Charlotte Perkins Gilman† Teachers College  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Record vol. 99. Spring98: 514 Roberts, Edgar V. Fiction/An Introduction to Reading and Writing.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987. 599 & 306 Shafer, Audrey. â€Å"Their Eyes Where Watching God† Harper & Row (New York) 1937 7 July 2000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://mchip00.nyu.edu/lit-mid-db/webdocs/webdescrips/hurston1137-des-.html Stolle, James. â€Å"A Cruel Tale From China—But What A Climax!† Albert Report/Newsmagazine,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6/21/93: 44

A Description of Cultural Patterns Essay

Cultural patterns are described as the preferred set of responses to different life situations. According to Kluckhohn and Strodbeck’s description of cultural patterns there are 5 dimensions or elements that address the manner in which a culture orients itself to activities, social relations, the self, the world and the passage of time. In the following reflection I will identify each one of these dimensions with the cultural patterns shown in my country. Starting with the activity orientation, which defines how the people of a culture view human actions and the expression of self through activities, we can identify the Puerto Rican culture as a â€Å"becoming† one. A â€Å"becoming† orientation refers to people who are predisposed to think of ways to change themselves as a means of changing the world. Although I do not fully agree on this identifying the Puerto Rican culture, I do agree on other views that the â€Å"becoming† cultures have toward work and play. For example Puerto Ricans do not have a â€Å"clear-cut† separation between work and their social lives. Often you can go into an office and find employees chatting with each other, talking with relatives over the phone or talking about their private lives in a business meeting. The Puerto Rican culture is more relaxed in terms of work compared to the Mexican, Colombian or European American culture, we specifically work for a means to an end and appreciate every second of our leisure time. The social relations dimension describes how the people in a culture organize themselves and refer to one another. In Puerto Rico the degree of importance we place on formality has changed through the years as different generations modify the way we address people. For example teenagers often refer to their elders as â€Å"you† instead of â€Å"sir† or they will say to someone who is serving them â€Å"give me† instead ofâ€Å"may I have†. The Puerto Rican culture generally does not give much importance to tittles, as they believe that relationships best develop when those involved can address informally to one another. Another thing that cultural patterns prescribe are the social interactions people have between them. In the Puerto Rican culture we have African heritage so it’s no surprise when both our cultures prefer indirectness in conversations with other people of our country but do not require an intermediary to do so. Generally, people in Puerto Rico will â€Å"sugar coat† demands or favors in conversations as a way to ask for something but in a indirect approach so the person won’t perceive us as rude or ill mannered. The self-orientation of cultural patterns describes how people’s identities are formed, whether the culture views the self as changeable, what motivates individual actions, and the kinds people who are valued and respected. Puerto Ricans can easily associate with each other, as our individual self-definition is very similar. On the contrary of the European American culture, Puerto Ricans make decisions for their children based on traditions, values and what they believe to be best for them. Although individuals make their own decisions as they mature and grow up when we evaluate from a group perspective it can be said that there is a heightened sense of interdependence and what happens to the group happens to the person. An example of this can be shown in cultural linguistic tendencies, as individuals modify their usual language others do so as well; also the fact that when national catastrophes occur everyone feels identified with the loss or the pain of the others. Because Puerto Rico is such a small island it is almost predictable that individuals can associate their identity with others from the same country even if there is a social status, age, town etc. aspect that differs between them. One of the most interesting dimensions is the world orientation, which tells people how to allocate themselves in relation to the spiritual world, nature and other living things. As we know Puerto Rico has different heritages because of the cultures that have influenced us trough the colonizing process, so it is not strange that our spirituality relates mostly to the European American beliefs. The general belief in our culture is that human beings can prevent, postpone or overcome natural events such as earthquakes by making buildings stronger, finding cures for illnesses and prolonging the time of death of a sick person. As technology constantly â€Å"improves† individuals believe they have the power to control nature instead of nature controlling them. Despite the fact that we are most influenced by this belief we still have the Latino influence which leads us to believe that we will be measured by our actions in the spiritual world where our souls will rest. The final approach of these cultural patterns is the time orientation, which can be defined as the way individuals conceptualize time. The cultural frame to which the Puerto Ricans relate is the Latino; even though we do not think time is endless we don’t take time as seriously. That is the reason why people are constantly late for everything, from a birthday party to work and even to Sunday mass. Time is mostly seen as ongoing and useful to maintain order, but not of the utmost importance. Analyzing these cultural patterns one can have a more accurate sense of how culture determines the identity of a country and how things like the importance of work and social time can influence so deeply the way a whole culture behaves. Also it gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast with other countries and learn how other people can have a completely different share of values and see life in such a contrasting way. Most importantly I believe that by studying these cultural patterns one can be more sensible to other people’s needs and have more respect for their culture instead of wanting to impose ours.

A Project-Based Learning

A project-based learning approach is extended in which knowledge acquired in water resources engineering lessons is utilized to devise a storm-water management scheme. The goal of the project is to accentuate the significance of assessing design skills attained in the coursework. The students are expected to apply an understanding of material they learned from their lessons in water resources engineering and environmental engineering; which led them to develop a solution for storm-water management scheme. Also, the project aims to introduce students to the power of internet resources and computer technology and quickly carry out the many iterative analyses often required at the detailed stages of design. Considering the importance of project-based design work in enabling proficiency attainment and understanding fundamental natural resources along with engineering concepts are discussed with an approach proposed for facilitating the assimilation of design teaching within water resources engineering course. Approach presented seeks to exploit student enthusiasm for engineering project work in order to enhance an understanding for water resources engineering. The design project considers a â€Å"real† problem, i.e. storm-water management system. It is argued that reality plays an important role in maintaining student commitment, which is essential for effective learning. This paper provides an overview of how design teaching can provide an integrating theme within a water resource-engineering course. The emphasis of the current approach on student-centered active learning rather than the traditional passive learning methods is also discussed. Finally an assessment is made of the project-based approach to design teaching and its ability to develop an understanding of engineering principles, to develop skills in various software packages, and to maintain student enthusiasm using active learning techniques. Design teaching is seen as important, both in itself and as an integrated theme running throughout environmental degree courses. One of the prime objectives is to demonstrate the requirement for integrating the material covered in traditional environmental engineering courses within a design context. In this way, the importance relevance and application of water resources and environmental engineering courses can be emphasized. In addition to this, it is recognized that project-based work is important in developing student enthusiasm for engineering and can therefore provide a mechanism for maintaining the required levels of interest throughout the course. Design projects are very often carried out with the students working in groups, which can be applied to develop teamwork and effective communication. One of the major advantages of project-based design work over traditional, formal lectures is that it is student-centered, requiring active learning rather than the passive acquisition of information through lectures. Although the amount of material that is possible to cover within a single design project is demanding in terms of both student and faculty time, it is argued that project-based work may be a more effective method for acquiring knowledge and developing understanding. The importance of reality in effective design teaching has been highlighted by other authors who argue that the production of the artifact or system designed is an essential part of the educational process. Project-based design teaching often provides the opportunity assessing an existing design through an audit or for producing a new prototype, which would not normally be possible within a conventional lecture coarse. Project-based teaching, therefore, offers the additional advantage to students of dealing with real problems and it is arguably more tangible than other teaching techniques. Although formal lectures provide an important means for acquiring knowledge, it is suggested that students often have more difficulty in understanding the material and seeing the relevance in course material when it is delivered in this way alone. The educational objective of project-based design teaching within water resources and environmental engineering degree courses are not always fully appreciated. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to discuss a range of objectives and show how they may be achieved within the context of a particular stormwater management design project. A shelter belt system along with a stormwater transfer management system was analyzed using EPANET2 and EPANET2 at SWMM5 design software packages. The shelter belt technology is a proven technology being used in Germany and the Netherlands for controlling stormwater. It was combined with the most-advanced Japanese water transfer technology. A group of students worked on the software packages to simulate the experience while another group of students worked on stormwater management using rainwater gardens and calculated various parameters. Students were encouraged to search for the information on the internet and other sources. Required information and guidance were provided by the instructor. The projects aim to demonstrate the importance of integrating water resources and environmental engineering in the design process as well as to develop team work and communication skills. In addition, it is student-centered, requiring active learning. The project-based development, which enables the advantages discussed above to be achieved, is recommended as one that could readily be adopted within environmental and water resources engineering courses. In the following sections, an outline of the project specifications is first given. The educational objectives are then presented in detail and the educational value of project based design teaching is discussed. However, before discussing the detailed aspects of the design projects, it is helpful to consider the present projects in the context of an overall design model (a range of design models is discussed). The design process may be considered to comprise the following well-established phases: project specifications, common conceptualization, manifestation, and detail. This process pertains largely to original designs, but aspects of the overall process are also relevant to variant design into which category the current design projects in general fall. In variant design, an existing design solution is adopted and modified. Therefore, the present design projects identify a case study in variant design. The generation of design solutions requires some consideration of the original design process discussed above. But the majority of the project is concerned with the detailed design phase.Specification of design projects: The following projects were conceived based on the interest of various groups of students:Using shelter by technology for effective stormwater management.  Use of rainwater garden for stormwater management.Designing stormwater management for rural areas.Applying SWMM5 for real life data from Toledo, New Orleans, and Flint.The students were required to choose their topic in the beginning of the semester and were expected to carry out a litereature review, which was part of their final report.In addition, students were allowed to explore all the internet resources and EPA software, such as SWMM5. Objectives: The ultimate aim for the students is to establish a strategy for dealing with stormwater due to hurricanes (e.g. Katrina, Harvey).The aim is achieved by ensuring the following specific objectives are met: ? To use rainfall data.? To estimate runoff based on the current features for a particular site.? To explore possible solution for the problem.? To employ SWMM for modeling purposes.? To calculate various parameters manually.? To use EPMNET2 for finding the water transfer.The design projects are structured in this way to ensure that particular educational objectives are achieved, and these are discussed for each of the above items in a later section. Methods: The design project is carried out over a period of 12 weeks with a total of 10 hours allocated for the project. Students were encouraged to utilize Blackboard for communicating with the instructor and among themselves. During the first session, students came up with their interested project topic selection. If for any reason students were unable to come up with a topic, the instructor helped them by suggesting alternative topics. Students were given specifications and guidelines on a weekly basis depending on the progress they made on their projects. Students using the software were given a step-by-step procedure for utilizing the software package. Some exercises were also prepared for the students, which were directly related to the project. The first session concludes with a discussion of the project specification between the project supervisor and the students enabling any initial problems to be overcome.At the beginning of the second session, it is expected that students will generate a conceptual diagram along with data and tables, which can be utilized towards laying out the flow of the project. Students utilizing the software were expected to learn the software. In the second session, students are expected to identify all the necessary specifications and to comment on their effect on the success of their projects. This is carried out by means of discussions during the second session with the project supervisor. By the start of the third and final sessions, students are required to present their findings in the class and critique by other groups. In the fourth session, they were required to write the final report, whichreceived comments by the project supervisor. Assessment/feedback: The work of the students is assessed by a group project report that shows details of all the hand calculations and details of the proposed design. A project report rubric was provided by the project supervisor to the students in the beginning of the semester when students came up with the project topics. Their final presentation was also assessed according to a presentation rubric, which was also posted in the same manner. Assessment is carried out in particular to identify the following: ? The ability to generate a simple model for a complex stormwater problem to enable realistic operating conditions to be calculated.? The ability to employ environmental and water resources engineering concepts.? The ability to interpret the results obtained.? The ability to produce a well-structured technical report in which arguments are put forward cogently and design decisions are justified.Feedback to the students takes place throughout the course of the project through discussions with the project supervisors and detailed comments relating directly to the students' reports. Educational objectives:Use of design, knowledge, and making simplified assumptions.Manual calculations.Discussion/conclusions: The design projects discussed in this paper had been run for six months, with some modifications as feedback became available. It is argued that the projects are successful in demonstrating the importance of environmental and water resources engineering within a design context. Furthermore, it provides an integrated approach combining computer software, environmental and water engineering, and design for the consideration of a real design problem. In this way, it is suggested that it is possible to maintain the students' interest and enthusiasm for environmental and water resource engineering through the use of project work. At the same time, this develops students' understanding of the required engineering and design principle. In addition, it develops students' skills in the use of computer software. Environmental and water resources engineering degree courses have been discussed in terms of the need for knowledge acquisition, the acquisition of skills, and the development of understanding. The projects described in this paper requiresknowledge acquisition, the accumulation of actual information, and the developing understanding of computer skills. The approach presented is effective for the development of understanding because it is student-centered, requiring active learning. It requires the students to express their understanding of concepts and discuss them, and to get rapid feedback during the discussion. The process of carrying out design projects in this way is closer. Therefore, to a tutorial approach to teaching and learning than to a lecturing approach and therefore has many advantages. The disadvantage of the project-based approach largely relates to instructor and student time requirements. In addition, it is argued that within given design projects, only a limited domain of environmental and water resources engineering can be considered. The project based approach to student learning, therefore, needs to be run in parallel with more traditional methods but cannot replace them. The projects discussed in this paper are highly suitable. It is argued for inclusion within conventional, environmental, and water resources engineering courses. This would then fulfill the purposes of both reinforcing the understanding of environmental and water resources engineering principles in a way that maintains the students' interest and enables the environment and water resources engineering courses to be run in an integrated way with the design teaching. The importance of design as an integrating theme running throughout environmental and water resources degree courses has not been established. There is growing concern among industrialists and employers of graduate environmental and water resources engineers of the way in which computer software packages and applying knowledge to real world problems are used. These design projects discussed in this paper address this issue directly and it is suggested that a more questioning attitude among students in the use of software packages achieved with a more integrated approach to engineering and design teaching. The importance of reality in teaching engineering design has been discussed by several authors since it is found that much greater impact and lasting effect on memory may be achieved if these students can see the necessity for what they are doing for the real world. The present design projects considered a stormwater management problem and the students applied their knowledge obtained through several sources.

Free Essays on What is real

What is real? What gives life meaning? What happens when we die? These three questions are very common in today’s society. Everyone has different beliefs and their answers to these world view questions are different. Greek Philosopher’s, Aristotle and Plato (Socrates) had very different views and answers to these questions. What is real? Aristotle believed that for something to be real it had to have a substance and a form or a body and a soul. Our senses are also reality. Now Plato (Socrates) on the other hand believed that reality is permanent and our senses can’t be trusted. He also believed immortal things are more real than the mortal. For example, Greek gods, immortal souls, and universals are more real than humans, animals, and plants that are considered mortal. What gives life meaning? According to Aristotle achieving the highest possible potential with our talents, to reason with our emotions and the â€Å"golden mean† which is everything in moderation gives life meaning. Now Plato believed that education through a forty-four year program gives life meaning. Plato (Socrates) thought that everybody’s goal in life is, â€Å"We learned but forgot.† What happens when we die? Aristotle believed nothing happens when we die because to even exist you have to have a body and a soul. So if you die and your body leaves then you don’t exist because you don’t have both a body and a soul. Plato believed that when we die we are recycled. It is kind of like reincarnation but not quite. When you die you’re reborn but have lost all of your previous knowledge due to the trauma birth causes. This is where Plato’s goal in life ties in. We learned but our soul forgot when we are reborn. Aristotle’s Notion of Virtue According to Aristotle, virtue primarily involves rationality and the use of a person's rationality. Rationality and happiness are activities of the soul, and virtue is the excellence of these activities. Humans are... Free Essays on What is real Free Essays on What is real What is real? What gives life meaning? What happens when we die? These three questions are very common in today’s society. Everyone has different beliefs and their answers to these world view questions are different. Greek Philosopher’s, Aristotle and Plato (Socrates) had very different views and answers to these questions. What is real? Aristotle believed that for something to be real it had to have a substance and a form or a body and a soul. Our senses are also reality. Now Plato (Socrates) on the other hand believed that reality is permanent and our senses can’t be trusted. He also believed immortal things are more real than the mortal. For example, Greek gods, immortal souls, and universals are more real than humans, animals, and plants that are considered mortal. What gives life meaning? According to Aristotle achieving the highest possible potential with our talents, to reason with our emotions and the â€Å"golden mean† which is everything in moderation gives life meaning. Now Plato believed that education through a forty-four year program gives life meaning. Plato (Socrates) thought that everybody’s goal in life is, â€Å"We learned but forgot.† What happens when we die? Aristotle believed nothing happens when we die because to even exist you have to have a body and a soul. So if you die and your body leaves then you don’t exist because you don’t have both a body and a soul. Plato believed that when we die we are recycled. It is kind of like reincarnation but not quite. When you die you’re reborn but have lost all of your previous knowledge due to the trauma birth causes. This is where Plato’s goal in life ties in. We learned but our soul forgot when we are reborn. Aristotle’s Notion of Virtue According to Aristotle, virtue primarily involves rationality and the use of a person's rationality. Rationality and happiness are activities of the soul, and virtue is the excellence of these activities. Humans are...

Dating and Marriage Vocabulary in English

Dating and Marriage Vocabulary in English This dating and marriage vocabulary guide provides common expressions used in English to speak about romance, going out and getting married including the verbs, nouns, and idioms used with these expressions. These are often similar to those used when ​​speaking about romantic relationships. Before Marriage Verbs to ask someone out - to ask someone to go on a date Alan asked Susan out last week. She still hasnt given him an answer.   to date - to see someone repeatedly in a romantic sense They dated for two years before they decided to get married. to fall in love - to find someone that you love They fell in love while on a hike through Peru. to go out - to date once, to go out repeatedly (often used in the present perfect continuous form) Were going out next Friday. Weve been going out for a few months now.   to court - to try to date someone (older English, not often used in modern, everyday English) The young man courted his love by sending her flowers every day. to go steady - to date regularly over a long period of time Tim and I are going steady.   to have a boyfriend/girlfriend - to have a continuing relationship with one person Do you have a boyfriend? - Thats none of your business! to arrange a marriage - to find marriage partners for other people   In the US most people find a partner by dating. However, its common to arrange marriages in a number of cultures around the world.   to woo someone - to try to go out or date someone How long have you been wooing Anna? Have you asked her out yet? Nouns speed dating - modern technique to find someone to date, people speak to each other quickly one after the other in order to find someone to date Speed dating might seem strange to some, but it certainly helps people find others quickly. online dating - sites that help arrange relationships by meeting possible romantic partners online As many as one in three marriages start with online dating these days. courtship - a period of time during which a man tries to convince a woman to marry him (not generally used in modern English, but common in English literate) The courtship lasted for six months, after which the couple married.   relationship - when two people have a committed attachment to each other Im in a relationship at the moment. Idioms a match made in heaven - two people who are perfect for each other Bob and Kim are a match made in heaven. Im sure theyll have a happy and healthy marriage.   love at first sight - what happens when someone falls in love the first time they see someone I feel in love with my wife at first sight. Im not sure it was the same for her. love affair - a romantic relationship Their love affair lasted for more than two years. blind date - to go out with someone you have never seen before, blind dates are often arranged by friends She was surprised at how much fun she had on her blind date last week. Becoming Engaged Verbs to propose - to ask someone to marry you   Im going to propose to Alan next week. to ask someone to marry you - to ask someone to be your spouse Have you asked her to marry you yet? to ask for someones hand in marriage - to ask someone to marry you Peter arranged a romantic dinner and asked Susans hand in marriage. Nouns proposal - the question made when asking someone to marry   He made his proposal when they brought out the champagne. engagement - the state of being engaged, making the promise to marry each other They announced their engagement at the Christmas party last week. fiance - the person to whom you are engaged My fiance works in education. betrothal - a literary term synonymous with engagement (not commonly used in modern English) The couples betrothal was approved by the king. Idioms to pop the question - to ask someone to marry you When are you going to pop the question? Marrying Verbs to get married - the action of becoming husband and wife They got married in a historic church in the countryside.   to marry - to get married They are going to wed next June. to wed - to get married We wed twenty years ago on this day. to say I do - the agree to marry the other person at a wedding The bride and groom said I do after their vows. Nouns anniversary - the day of your wedding, celebrated by married couples Our anniversary is coming up next week. What should I get her? marriage - the state of being married Their marriage is very good. Theyve been married for twenty years. wedding - the ceremony during which people get married The wedding was lovely. I couldnt help crying a little. matrimony - the state of being married (used less commonly than marriage) The matrimony withheld the test of time.   wedlock - the state of being married (used less commonly than marriage) Weve been in wedlock since 1964.   vow - the promise made between two people during a wedding We exchanged our vows in front of our family and friends.   bride - the woman who marries The bride was so beautiful. They looked so happy together. groom - the man who marries The groom looked arrived twenty minutes late for the wedding. Everyone was very nervous!

Writing a Statistical Report Recommendations

Writing a Statistical Report Recommendations A Statistical Report: How to Write It Easily? Communicative skills have a crucial role in modern society, and there are plenty of areas where you need to master them. One of such areas is a statistical report. In can be useful in both educational and professional purposes. How to write it properly? The answer to this question will be complex. To develop your statistical report writing skills you need to have a decent level of subject insight, reading, and research as well as writing skills, of course. In our article, you will learn some useful recommendations on how to become a master of statistical analysis report writing. You also have an opportunity to skip the whole learning process by ordering your homework done by our academic writers who are experts in any possible academic field to help you. But we will share some writing tips with you anyway. The Term Before any special writing task, you need to make sure you understand the term correctly. It is a well-known truth that Statistics is a very complex subject that requires skills in calculations and data interpretation. You need to know how to explain the numbers you receive during calculations. This is real science. And there are plenty of areas where statistics allows a deeper understanding of the things. We will discuss the process of writing statistical reports starting with its structure and organization of this academic or business writing task. Examples of How to Write a Statistical Data Analysis Report The best way to start your paper is to write an abstract with 200 words. This part of the paper will include the basic info the whole paper, pointing out main points, goals and the target readers. Then you should move gradually to the introductory part where you need to explain why you have chosen this particular topic. The structure of the body will have some unique features comparing to other writing assignments. In this part, you should specify what research methods you have chosen and why as well as mention what finding did you get after analyzing the received data. This can be challenging as you need to more efforts and time to arrange the paragraphs and arguments along the text. Then you need to provide a logical conclusion. Here are some examples of topics that can be used for writing statistical reports: Researches that prove that Norway is on the top place in Europe considering prosperity. We need more time to develop the anti-cancer vaccine – data, provided by one of the respectable Healthcare Organization in the USA. The newest biotechnological invention is not effective. What tools allow fixing the problem of the slow Windows performance in comparison with similar tools for Mac OS X. The effect of depression on kids 13-17 years old. To write such papers, you will need to use facts and statistical data. One more thing you need to realize after the statistical report term is the importance of the proper formatting. So the next chapter will be about this aspect. The Importance of Formatting of a Statistical Analysis Report Let’s take a closer look at the formatting issue. Usually, students have a list of the following formatting styles: ACS; APA; ASA; Chicago; Harvard; IEEE. The choice usually depends on the study area. For instance, the teachers of Psychology require using APA format while writing an essay on their subject, while Sociology teachers prefer ASA. All the manuals on the required styles can be easily found online. In case you did not write a statistical report before, we advise you to find some good examples of various papers of this type and use them as samples to develop your own paper eventually. In fact, students have to use various templates and examples to learn how to create a decent paper, especially when it comes to the statistical report writing. Just pay attention to the format you need and the one you should use for your paper. Apart from online sources of information, you can get benefits from the college or university libraries. As a rule, they store numerous papers on various topics and styles that were approved in particular educational institutions. This is the way the best students provide help to the next generations. But you need to realize that those examples are only for educational purposes and you cannot simply copy the data from them, because it will be considered as plagiarism. Below you can find out what format is used more often and what its specifications are. Make one-inch spaces from each side of the page. From the left side leave 1.5-inch space in case your paper will be placed into the folder with other works. Check the sizes of attached charts, tables and graphs as well. You do not have to use double-spacing in this type of academic paper though. Pay attention to the header of each page. Include to it the number of the page, short version of the title, the name of the writer and other details that will reflect the material the person reads. As soon as we now know how to format your paper correctly, let’s take a look at some typical mistakes that students make while working on their statistical report projects. Typical Mistakes You Should Avoid While working on Your Statistical Report You know how to make you a statistical report paper worth the best grade. But the most important thing is to check the paper when it is done. This will help you to detect some mistakes that could spoil the impression of the paper and fix them when you still can. Remember, even the minor issues could have a serious impact on the general â€Å"reputation† of your paper. Check your report on the following issues: punctuation mistakes; improper grammar and spelling; wrong font/paragraph marks/lines/etc.; missing words or phrases; a wrong number of attachments. Does your paper contain any of these mistakes? Even if you know for sure that your paper is technically correct, you still need to revise it in order to check whether you have used the proper approaches and provide all the required explanations. As soon as you get the final draft, leave it for a few days if you have time and get back to it later. This method will help you to take a fresh look at your work. Remember, that you are working on the writing task that is of the academic level, so you need to use all your skills and knowledge and improve them if needed to provide the best result. Sources of the Examples of the Statistical Analysis Reports After reading this article properly, you have a general understanding of what your report should look like considering content and the formatting. You can enhance your insight into academic writing by using available online sources of examples and guides. You also can save time and order the original statistical report on your topic. This may help you to master your skills in your next writing assignments

Robert Walpole's political style stabilized Great Britain in the 18th Essay

Robert Walpole's political style stabilized Great Britain in the 18th Century - Essay Example Walpole started his political career in the year 1701, winning the General Election from Castle Rising. Soon he left Castle Rising and moved to the crucial borough of King’s Lynn, where he enjoyed victory consecutively for forty years. Robert Walpole was an enthusiastic member of Whig Party (which was stronger than the opposing Tory Party, then). Walpole became a part of Council of Lord High Admiral in 1705, the Council which took care of the Naval matters. He had excellent administrative skills and was promoted as the Secretary at War (1708) by Lord Godolphin. He managed the post of Navy Treasurer also. These experiences helped him to become an advisor of Duke of Marlborough. Robert Walpole very soon became an important member in the Cabinet. In spite of having such an influence, he could not prevent Lord Godolphin and the Whigs from forcing the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, who popularized anti-Whig ideas. This attempt was very unpopular and resulted in the fall of Whig Party and Duke of Marlborough in the 1710 Election. The new rule under Tory Robert Harley no longer allowed Walpole to be the Secretary at War, but permitted him to continue as the Treasurer of Navy. Harley’s attempt to influence Walpole to make him join the Tories did not succeed. Walpole denied the offer and played an important role in Whig Opposition as its most outspoken member. He spoke for Lord Godolphin in Parliamentary debates as well as in press, defending him from Troy attacks. Tories were not happy with him and wanted to discredit both him and the Duke of Marlborough. They came up with a wrong allegation that he had done corruption during his tenure as Secretary at War. The origin of this blame was nothing but political hatred. He had to undergo impeachment in the House of Commons, and the House of the Lords also charged him. He had to suffer six months imprisonment (in the Tower of London) and was banished from the Parliament. But the

Article response Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response - Article Example These include the European Language Portfolio or ELP, American Lingua Folio, and Global Language Portfolio (GLP). The researchers on the portfolio assessment have been building on the work of Dewey (1933), which is titled, â€Å"We Thing: A restatement of relation of reflective thinking to education process.† He built basic premises, which are still evident in both ELP and GLP, and involves reflecting on and summarizing what has already done. The article provides an overview on how the EPs can be used to learn, teach and assess in the United States and Europe based on ELP, CEFR, GLP and American I.F. The EPs function is based on the national standards and ACTFL proficiency scale. There are several advantages that EPs has over paper based portfolio. The functionality of EPs allows the learner, teacher and program coordinator to track the progress of the program throughout the course duration. It allows the learner to share data with both the teacher and the institution. It improves motivation and evaluation of learners’ outcomes. Through the cooperation of scholars from Europe, North America and other parts the world, the effectiveness of EPs for language acquisition will be realized. As the transatlantic partnership grows and higher learning institutions do joint programs, the three-part EPs will be a common technology in Europe and North America. Advancement in technology will facilitate information sharing among international institutions and their joint programs. The Electronic Portfolio (EP) is a digitized collection of artifacts, which include demonstrations, resources and accomplishments representing an individual, group, organization, institution or community. According to Lorenzo & Ittelson (2005, p. 2), these collections can comprise of text-based documents, graphics, and multimedia features archived on websites or other electronic media such as CD-ROM or DVD. The above features make Electronic Portfolio to be the best in

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Management - Essay Example authorize their employees; also, the results are reliable with the possibility perspective in that the achievement of leader-influence approaches depends on the association among manager and employee. Leaders are anticipated to influence their employees to be vigorous and skillful in the quest of organizational objectives. Leadership researchers have focused on identifying the strategies that managers can use to persuade, convince, and control subordinates successfully. Although research in leadership influence has important implications, there has been a lack of progress in the development of consistent knowledge linking influence strategies with employee compliance and effective work (Davis & Luthans, 1994, 237). A less recognized fact is that the nature of the manager-employee relationship can affect the success of influence attempts. This study was an examination of how the cooperative or competitive relationship between managers and employees affects the kind of influence used and its effectiveness. The findings of recent studies suggest that the attitudes of employees toward their manager affect his or her influence attempts (Graen & Schiemann, 1997, 210). How employees believe their goals are related to their manager may affect their receptiveness to influence. According to Deutsch (2000, Press), influence and interaction more generally can be examined in terms of perceived goal interdependence. In cooperation, people believe their goals are positively linked so that as one moves toward goal attainment, others move toward reaching their goals; they can be successful together. In competition, people believe that their goals are negatively related so that ones success interferes with others. With independent goals, people consider their interests unrelated so that ones goal attainment neither helps nor hinders others goal attainment. In past hypotheses, goal interdependence was thought to affect trust and openness. In cooperation, people expect mutual

Structure and meaning in literary discourse Essay - 1

Structure and meaning in literary discourse - Essay Example As Robert E. Longacre declares, "a discourse revolution of some sort is shaping up in response to the demand for context and for greater explanatory power." (Longacre, 1) It is also relatable here that the current use of the term 'discourse' incorporates two areas of linguistic concern such as the analysis of dialogue and the analysis of monologue. Significantly, a workable discourse incorporates prominence and cohesion or coherence. In cohesion as well as coherence two basic components are included and they are surface structure cohesive devices and semantic and lexical coherence. The pre-eminence of a plot as a coherence device in a narrative has been generally recognised. Plot may be comprehended as notional structure of narrative discourse and there is correspondence between notional structural features and the surface structure. Embedded discourse has been a significant tool used in the plot and peak pf a literary piece in order to encode the inciting moments and developing conf licts in the notional structure as surface structure episodes. Charles Dickens' celebrated novel A Tale of two Cities has significantly several examples of embedded discourses and the novel marks the climax as well as the denigration as peak in its surface structure. ... both the climax and the denouncement as peak and peak' in its surface structure." (Longacre, 38-39) Therefore, there are several examples of embedded discourses in A Tale of two Cities and they relate to each other and integrate into the entire novel. The marking of surface structure peak has great implication in the literary discourse and it is important to recognise peak when embedded discourse is existent. There are several methods of embedded discourse like rhetoric underlining, concentration of participants, heightened vividness, change of pace etc. In rhetorical underlining, the narrator uses extra words when he wishes to keep the important pint of the story. Parallelism, paraphrase, and tautologies are some of the tools employed. The crowded stage has been recognised as the feature of peak. The notional structure climax or peak can be evidently found out in the novel A Tale of two Cities in the second trial of Charles Darnay. Heightened vividness is a major method which results from a nominal-verbal balance by way of tense shift. In the novel A Tale of two Cities one clearly finds a tense shift in one of the most important moments of the story. Thus, there is a tense shift to present tense in the novel following the trial a nd arrest of Sidney Carton instead of Charles Darney. The shift of the tense has importance in the story's development. The tense shift "adds vividness and excitement andmarks a peak' which encodes part of the notional structure denouncement of the story." (Longacre 40-1) Therefore, one may distinguish peak or climax from peak' or denouncement in the surface structure of the novel A Tale of two Cities. Change of pace is another method used by the literary discourse and its main devices are difference in the constructions and difference in

Organisational begaviour management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organisational begaviour management - Essay Example By gaining a deeper understanding of individual differences an organisation will be able to proactively address organisational issues (Pearn 2002). In times when individual differences produce tension and conflict in an organization, the most viable solution entails the identification of a common ground where in spite of the differences, there is a possibility of a compromise. Therefore, performing a thorough analysis is the key ingredient in finding this common ground. The main argument of this paper is that individual differences bring about a variety of behaviours in the organization. Hence, managing organizational behaviour would require synergy of a plethora of concepts and principles to generate potent strategies towards organizational effectiveness. In order to identify the common ground among individuals in an organization, the following key points condensed from the theme of the researches included in the annotated bibliography should serve both as a guide in this discussion : (1) positive organizational behaviours should be cultivated; (2) organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours; (3) moods, emotions, and diversity are significant factors influencing organizational behaviour; (4) organizations can benefit from recognizing emotional intelligence as scaffolds in forging healthy relationships in an organization; and (5) researchers need to sustain their exploits in discovering how the management of organizational behaviour can enhance the effectiveness of organizations. Positive behaviours should be cultivated in an organization. Youssef and Luthans (2007) revealed that hope, optimism, and resilience share a positive relationship with job performance, job satisfaction, work happiness, and organizational commitment. Optimism is a key factor in attaining occupational success. Optimists are observed to be: motivated to work harder; more satisfied; experience high levels of morale and aspiration; persistent in the face of obst acles and difficulties; views personal setbacks as temporary and not as personal inadequacy; and more likely to feel good and invigorated. Meanwhile, hope provides individuals with willpower and waypower. On the other hand, resiliency allows individuals to bounce back from stressful situations (Hoffmann, Farrell, Lilford, Ellis & Cant 2007). Meanwhile, Giachetti and So (2009) posited that: (1) the impact of positive organizational behaviours on strategy implementation may be mediated by organizational culture and leadership strategy articulation; and (2) positive management impacts organizational strategy and performance through collaborative management. In addition, the authors suggested the evaluation of the relationship between employee behaviour and capabilities on implementation of organizational strategies by managers on future researches. Luthans and Youssef (2007) emphasized the need for employees to capitalize on their strengths and improving on their weakness. Though signi ficant progress has been observed in the research and practice of positive organizational behaviour, the authors suggested further research on enhancing POB understanding and utilization with the aim of affecting work performance. Organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours. Based on the analysis of LePine, Erez, and Johnson (2002) a strong association was uncovered among most of the dimensions of

Witnessign to Jehovah's Witnesses on the Issues of Life and Death Research Paper

Witnessign to Jehovah's Witnesses on the Issues of Life and Death Decisions - Research Paper Example Modern civilization now puts its emphasis on the respect for individuals and this includes the ideas, beliefs and ideologies of a person. For a better world to exist, this would be an ideal notion that everyone might agree with and even advocate. However, there is also the fact to be considered that there are differences among individuals that usually make it difficult for an ideal world to be had. Individuals in a family have different perspectives which usually cause misunderstandings. Likewise, individuals in organizations, fraternities or even churches have this similar problem. No matter how similar people’s beliefs are, there are always points of differences where contradictions among members occur and these should be understood and respected to achieve the old adage, ‘Live and let live.’ This paper will look into the situation of a couple who are faced with a decision considering the medical condition of the young woman as dictated by their beliefs. The wom an suffers from severe pain and abdominal cramps and is found to have ectopic pregnancy. The doctor explains the situation and the remedy and warns the couple that if the woman does not undergo the operation, blood transfusion and other procedures needed to be done, she would die. Being members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the couple believe that the entire procedure is entirely against their beliefs. So, the question of whether they will push through with the procedure to save the young wife’s life or not receive medical attention at all and face the sting of death, is upon their shoulders. The following discussion will offer the possible result of this decision-making the couple is to make. Blood transfusion is one of the major concerns of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs and in fact to this day, the most debated among its beliefs. It is believed by critiques that such belief reflects their rejection of modern science and the extreme literalism of their exegesis (Horton, 2006). Witnesses prohibit members from receiving blood transfusions based on Acts 15:20 (Schmidt, 1993) so that in this view, the couple would most likely decline the idea of the operation to save the life of the woman. Spiritual beliefs could be difficult to debate about when such circumstances occur so that the medical team should be as well versed with different belief systems as they are with the technicalities of their profession. With such a weapon, they can try to convince patients to concede to whatever is needed to make an operation successful however; they should also know their limitations and boundaries so as not to desecrate what patients consider important for them. Most physicians with their educational training would desire to save a life and in the aforementioned situation, would like to save the life of the wife. A medical practitioner could probably try to convince the couple by looking closely at their basis for their belief found in Leviticus 1 7:11-14. It can be noted that the scripture prohibits men to eat blood and blood transfusion is not the same as eating. It is the desire of a loving God for His people to live in health and wellness and therefore would want the woman to live healthy and well. The same scripture claims that blood is life (NIV, 2005) that is why blood transfusion is a means of giving life to the patient. In addition, according to James Sire, the Witnesses’ argument about Acts 1520 is based on a false analogy. He agrees that blood transfusion is not the same as eating blood. He even claims that it is far different from intravenous feeding because the blood goes straight to the blood vessels and does not undergo the process food does, passing through the stomach to be processed before being distributed to the different parts of the body through the blood (Schmidt, 1993). One of the reasons that Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusion is the fact that there have been those who underwen t blood transfusion

Organisational begaviour management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organisational begaviour management - Essay Example By gaining a deeper understanding of individual differences an organisation will be able to proactively address organisational issues (Pearn 2002). In times when individual differences produce tension and conflict in an organization, the most viable solution entails the identification of a common ground where in spite of the differences, there is a possibility of a compromise. Therefore, performing a thorough analysis is the key ingredient in finding this common ground. The main argument of this paper is that individual differences bring about a variety of behaviours in the organization. Hence, managing organizational behaviour would require synergy of a plethora of concepts and principles to generate potent strategies towards organizational effectiveness. In order to identify the common ground among individuals in an organization, the following key points condensed from the theme of the researches included in the annotated bibliography should serve both as a guide in this discussion : (1) positive organizational behaviours should be cultivated; (2) organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours; (3) moods, emotions, and diversity are significant factors influencing organizational behaviour; (4) organizations can benefit from recognizing emotional intelligence as scaffolds in forging healthy relationships in an organization; and (5) researchers need to sustain their exploits in discovering how the management of organizational behaviour can enhance the effectiveness of organizations. Positive behaviours should be cultivated in an organization. Youssef and Luthans (2007) revealed that hope, optimism, and resilience share a positive relationship with job performance, job satisfaction, work happiness, and organizational commitment. Optimism is a key factor in attaining occupational success. Optimists are observed to be: motivated to work harder; more satisfied; experience high levels of morale and aspiration; persistent in the face of obst acles and difficulties; views personal setbacks as temporary and not as personal inadequacy; and more likely to feel good and invigorated. Meanwhile, hope provides individuals with willpower and waypower. On the other hand, resiliency allows individuals to bounce back from stressful situations (Hoffmann, Farrell, Lilford, Ellis & Cant 2007). Meanwhile, Giachetti and So (2009) posited that: (1) the impact of positive organizational behaviours on strategy implementation may be mediated by organizational culture and leadership strategy articulation; and (2) positive management impacts organizational strategy and performance through collaborative management. In addition, the authors suggested the evaluation of the relationship between employee behaviour and capabilities on implementation of organizational strategies by managers on future researches. Luthans and Youssef (2007) emphasized the need for employees to capitalize on their strengths and improving on their weakness. Though signi ficant progress has been observed in the research and practice of positive organizational behaviour, the authors suggested further research on enhancing POB understanding and utilization with the aim of affecting work performance. Organizational citizenship complements positive organizational behaviours. Based on the analysis of LePine, Erez, and Johnson (2002) a strong association was uncovered among most of the dimensions of

Report to the presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report to the presentation - Essay Example From the two aspects, success is assured for your presentation (Tolley & Wood 2011). This paper, therefore, seeks to compare two group’s case studies for their presentations. For case study six presentations, the presentation is about the role of the government while case study seven, talks about Ethics and globalization. The paper seeks to compare case studies’ six and seven. For a well written report presentation, it is essential that the group members do a thorough research on the subject matter. The group members should, therefore, read lots of sources to gather information concerning the subject. The reason for this is because having the ability to present a subject area with confidence affects the audience directly. In turn, this gives the audience an impression that will capture their attention. For instance, for case study six, the topic the role of government is clear and readers can easily tell what the presentation is all about. Similarly, case study seven’s topic is also clear and easily communicates the information to its audience. For this reason, both groups have shown strength in explicitly making the subject matter of their presentations simple for the audience to have an idea of what is to be presented. Both case studies discuss ethical issues and leaves questions on h ow to solve the ethical issues. The aspect of researching for a simple and easily understandable subject is essential in capturing the audience’s attention. For both presentations, the members did a lot of research, and this could only be achieved through teamwork and a high level of cooperation (Tolley & Wood 2011). Teamwork and cooperation are vital components that ensure successful presentations, and this is portrayed in case studies one and seven. Another similarity between the case study six and seven is that they leave the reader with an open mind of making an ethical decision in solving the problem at hand. However, both case studies

Management Essay Example for Free

Management Essay 1) What forces for change are evident at the Oconomo plant? (5) The forces for change that are evident at the Oconomo plant are the callenges dealing with high labor cost. As a result Lamprey is deciding to lower wages from $16 to $1.60 per hour. Also the union and Oconomo are disagreeing with this new change taking place with the wages. 2) Which of the forces in force-field analysis do you think would be more powerful than the other in this situation? Between the two forces I think the Driving Force would be more powerful than the other in this situation. The greatest force that drives the company to expect change is that it’s operating at a high cost and instead of giving returns it’s giving out loses. As a result, the aim of the company is to make changes so that it can appreciate profits in the future. In additional to there being high cost the thing that needs to be understood is that in order for the company to meet its operations it must realize some of the returns from what it has invested. Having invested in the company the managers and shareholders should expect that the company is going to provide sufficient returns which will be shared and at the same time enable the company to stay in the market. There also exist the risks of the competitors who are in the market currently. For the company to make it in the market, it must change its working conditions so that they fit with the current market situation. Another problem is the workers point of refusing to cooperate. The company is planning to reduce the amount of pay it’s going to provide to its workers with a significant drop. This is a great problem which workers are not ready to accept the desired change of the company. Another force for change is that competitors are in the market and of late they have threatened the company from the services and products that they are providing to the society. Quality is one thing that the company should look at so as to retain its market segment else the upcoming companies will outperform the company. 3) What is the primary type of change needed – changing â€Å"things† or changing the â€Å"people and culture†? The primary change that is appropriate at the moment is changing the people and their culture. The reason as to why changing people and culture is of importance to the company is that having changed people all other things will work accordingly. People’s culture is of importance in the way the company operates simply because if the culture or people fit in the objectives of the company then all other things will be in place. People are the main target of any given business set up. This means that in changing anything that is in respect to the company’s operations then the people and their culture is the initial thing that should be taken into consideration. Another thing is that having changed people’s perception competitors will have no say because you would have drove the attentions of the market to your operations. 4) What do you think is the underlying cause of the union leaders’ resistance to change? Union leaders are resistant to change due to a single reason which the company is reluctant to handle. The reason as to the resistance is that Oconomo plant has plans to provide workers with less wages which they feel they cant live within that budget. Looking at some companies which are emerging, union leaders are not ready to accept the change simply because those companies are giving out wages which are high and the quality of services and products that they have is almost outdoing the one Oconomo plant is providing. Jim has a hard time of convincing union leaders on what should be done. What he is supposed to do is to give union leaders the risk behind getting a new job if they lose the one they have. There are so many people in the town who are looking for job. Also, he should convince them to work as the negotiation is being carried out for a better change. There are benefits that workers get from the company and if they resign, such as medical and insurance benefits, then they will no longer get until they get another job.

Statement of Purpose Engineering Example

Statement of Purpose Engineering Example Statement of Purpose I believe that keeping an explorative attitude and inquisitive mind is key to a constant learning process. In wish to attain quintessential level of education I aspire to pursue my graduate studies at your esteem university. This would grant me access to highly qualified and reputed professors and practical knowledge. I come from a family of business background and it has always been my desire to join it. We are in business of manufacturing plastic printing and converting machineries, a bachelors degree in engineering has provided me knowledge of technology and skills for innovation, but one needs business knowledge to expand it and commercialise the product. A degree in ______(course) would extend my knowledge to accentuate my business skills and provide me ability to take the business at new heights and standards. Over the past years everything I have encountered has built me into person that I am today, a proactive man with integrity and competency. I believe one of my most distinguishing characteristics is the diversity of experience I possess. I am a science student with a flair for the business, a man with technical aptitude and an interest in management. I did my schooling from citys renowned institute S.N. Kansagra School. My zest towards business always made me curious to learn more about it. Consequently, I opted for couple business subjects like- commercial application and business studies to embrace passion. It provided me profound understanding and strengthen my knowledge in business. In addition to my work in the classroom, I was an active member of the campus. Perhaps the most prominent of all was my participation in the robotics club, I developed many small robots, such as line following, pick and place, colour ball sorting, etc. Prior to my undergraduate studies, I interned at couple of companies, which helped in my personal upgrowth and building up awareness of professional codes of behaviour. During my internship at Human Resource department of Balaji Multi Flex Pvt. Ltd, I gained practicality in dealing with people and ability to empathise with them. My Engineering degree has given a solid foundation to my analytical skills and technical aptitude. Apart from academics I have taken ardent interest in co-curriculum activities like Globerina Quiz where I was second runner up and had participated in many tech fest and was rewarded third price at technical competition, Robo-Hustle. I also organised and managed technical competition at yearly held tech fest. Further I am enrolled into different clubs such as Intelligent Instrumentation and GTU innovative council which focus on advancement of new technology and sharing and implementing creative ideas and thoughts etc. I also channelized my interest for business in club of Entrepreneurship development cell. I have an intrigue and independent mind; this trait gave me good leadership and management ability. For instance, I lead a team in design engineering course which presented product canvas on floor and street cleaning machine and developed an equivalent model to propose it. Currently, in my final semester I am leading another team for my final year project, where I designed and programmed Multi axis drilling machine equipped with 3 servo drives, a VFD and HMI for data acquisition. My undergraduate study scheduled from early morning to noon created opportunity for me to make headway to my career, I got formally inducted into the family firm Pelican Rotoflex Pvt. Ltd. on a part-time basis at the age of 18 and since then I am adding on to my professional journey. I initially focused on understanding flexible packaging industry and its different processes. Further, I observed and learned the operation of different departments of the company such as design, production, automation, marketing, etc. This provided me with profound knowledge in my field of study as well as provided me business world experience. Afterwards, I began working in administrative and marketing, while working I learnt core values of focus, empathy and perseverance. I got acquainted with market leaders in the industry. Apart from these I also worked on Exhibition fairs like PlastIndia and K trade fair. Last October I accompanied my firm in participation at international market fair for plastic i ndustry K-2016, Dusseldorf, Germany. Apart from providing global exposure, it bought me closer to industrys global market. These four years of experience aspired me to become a valued player in the marketplace, empowered with the technical aptitude and professional acumen required to make critical business decisions. I choose UK, as it is a breeding ground for intellectuals. Given the importance of globalisation in development, an education that does not fully address the international and multicultural realities of the modern world is incomplete; UK offers diversity and multiculturalism of corporate world unlike any other country. UK is also one of the oldest and possess worlds most renowned education system which boasts of some of the best universities. UK would provide me the unique combination of accelerated growth and the flexibility to pursue this career path as it is the epicentre of the world economy. An atmosphere as eclectic as your campus where I get to meet students from diverse backgrounds is a rich ground for me to expand my knowledge about globalization. I aim to follow my fathers footsteps but only after I gain considerable experience and knowledge at a global level. A graduate education from ____ would provide me with the perfect steppingstone to achieve my career goal of creating unprecedented progress for my family business. My grandfather, who started from scratch, laid the foundation for our company; it was consolidated by my father who brought about management, efficiency and profitability to our company. In my endeavour to expand my company to new height and standards, I see no better college than _____ to help me realize these goals.

Essay --

Cognitive Psychology and its influence on Everyday Behaviour Throughout the ages, humans have had an inherent interest in studying the complex area of human behaviour, even before psychology was established as a science. Because the study of behaviour is so broad and multifaceted, its scientific study poses particular challenges. Therefore, it can be beneficial to approach the scientific study of human behaviour from the perspective of cognitive psychology. This is the study of cognition, the mental processes that underlie human behaviour (Ling & Cattling, 2012). This paper will explore the extent to which cognitive psychology can explain and predict everyday behaviour by critically examining a number of cognitive theories, and demonstrating their application in real world settings. For the purposes of this essay, I have decided to pick three everyday behaviours which tend to be common in the lives of university students, and approach the analysis from this angle. The essay begins by exploring the area of multitasking behaviours, and cognitive theories surrounding the area of divided attention and its effects on daily life. From here, the phenomenon of binge drinking among college students is discussed, in particular the effect it has upon remembering in an everyday context. Finally, the tendency of college students to spend large amounts of time listening to music is evaluated, with a particular focus on why it is that music can make individuals feel a particular way, tapping into the area of cognition and emotion. This essay will discuss in detail the contribution of cognitive psychology to our understanding of these behaviours. College students in the 21st century are a part of the so-called digital generation. Technology has... ...tion regulation is a crucial motivator for listening to music (Lonsdale & North, 2011). As such, cognitive theories are able to predict that listening to music has the ability to evoke an emotional response in student listeners. This essay explores the ability of cognitive psychology to explain and predict everyday behaviours. It explores three entirely different behaviours common in the everyday life of a student, multitasking, binge drinking and listening to music. For each of these behaviours, a general background is given to explain the behaviour. This is followed in each case by an analysis of some of the key cognitive theories which explain these behaviours. Finally, examples of the behaviour being carried out in the daily life of the college student are discussed, thus displaying the ability of cognitive psychology to successfully predict everyday behaviour.

Organizational development Essay

Although the main reasons people resist change is the fear of the unknown, breaking routines and incongruent team dynamics, organizational change is necessary if the organization is to remain competitive. Change is a combination of action orientation and research orientation†¦ but most importantly, every organization, whether large or small requires one or more change agents. Organizational development is a set of behavioral science based theories, values, strategies and technologies aimed at planned change of the organizational work setting for the purpose of enhancing individual development and improving organizational performance through the alteration of organizational members on the job behaviors† (Jex, & Britt, 2007. ) Organizational change is necessary if the organization is to remain competitive. Social Psychologist, Kurt Lewin, developed the force field analysis model to help us understand how the change process works. One side of the force field model represents the driving forces that push organizations toward a new state of affairs. â€Å"There are driving forces in the external environment such as globalization, virtual work and a changing workforce. Within these external forces, corporate leaders create driving forces within the organization so the organization anticipates the external factors. Internal originated forces are difficult to apply because they lack external justifications, so effective transformational leadership as well as structural change mechanisms are necessary to legitimate and support internal driving forces†. The other side of Lewins model represents the restraining forces that maintain the status quo. Restraining forces are commonly called â€Å"resistance to change† (McShane & VonGlinlow, 2008), because they appear as employee behaviors that block the change process. Stability will occur when these two forces are equal with each other but in opposite directions. The main reasons people resist change is fear of the unknown, breaking routines and incongruent team dynamics. According to Lewins force field analysis model â€Å"effective change occurs by unfreezing the current situation, moving to a desired condition and then refreezing the system so it remains in this desired state. Unfreezing occurs when the driving forces are stronger than the restraining forces. This happens by making the driving forces stronger, weakening or removing the restraining forces, or a combination of both† (McShane & VonGlinlow, 2008) Creating urgency, which represent the driving forces for change, will push employees out of their comfort zones. Many of top management leaders will buffer their employees from external factors and the result is the employees do not understand the need for change and will resist. â€Å"Employees need to feel an urgency to change; which occurs by informing them about competitors, changing consumer trends, impending government regulations and other driving forces† (McShane & VonGlinlow, 2008) Another way to fuel the urgency to change is by putting employees in direct contact with customers. Dissatisfied customers are a compelling driving force for change because of adverse consequences for the organizations survival and success. Exposing employees to external forces can also strengthen the urgency for change, but a leader needs to begin the change process before problems come knocking. â€Å"Creating an urgency for change when an organization is riding high requires a lot of persuasion and influence that helps employees visualize future competitive threats and environmental shifts† (McShane & VonGlinlow, 2008) Effective change requires more than making employees aware of the driving forces. It involves reducing or removing the restraining forces. There are six ways to overcome employee resistance, communication, learning, employee involvement and stress management. American Industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said â€Å"take away my people and soon grass will grow on the factory floor, take away my factories but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory. †( Library of Congress, 2009) Organizations are not buildings, machinery or financial assets; they are the people in them. Organizations are human entities, full of life, sometimes fragile, always exciting.

American Exceptionalism

The term American Exceptionalism has many definitions to many different people. In general it refers to the idea that the United States of America holds the special title of worldwide peace keeper and bringer of justice and democracy as they are the land of the free. American Conservatives; such as the Tea Party, also pair the phrase up with the idea of superiority; whereas liberals would much more prefer Americans to see their country as ‘ordinary’ and so dislike the term. To them ordinary means things like American does not always assume its place as the world’s super power but simple acts as an international negotiator in times of need. The terminology was coined in 1831 by Alexis de Tocqueville as to explain a positive outward effect of America’s democracy. In 1929 the phrase was used adversely by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, when opposing the idea of the growth of capitalism in the states. In theory, American Exceptionalism works because of four key principles: divine right, resources, just beliefs and diversity. Many believe that the United States was chosen by God to lead the world and so they have the divine power to act in such a way over other countries. Although, others feel that the sheer wealth and resources the country has- such as the most powerful armed forces in the world gives them this power. Some consider the strong ideas and principles that the country was founded on as to the reason they have a greater say; whereas others argue that it is the mix of heritage and cultures, which makes America a kind of highbred of the best of the world, allowing for it to have this exceptional place in the world today. An odd and contradicting feature of the concept is that as an America knows best; they may over power their own legal system, other countries and conduct various types of secret activities if to protect the democratic system and state interests. America knows best: we must invade Iraq to free the people there from the dictatorship they live in, and then as a secondary thought because, they may have weapons of mass destruction (and oil that could be a lot of use to us). The idea that hacking people’s internet history and phone calls is just and fine, because the government can act beyond its means, as in the end they are protecting people from themselves- since they know best! The idea of Exceptionalism has allowed America to involve itself in many conflicts since the Mexican- American War of1846; where the Americans refused to accept that Mexico did not want to be a part of the United States and felt it was their mission to spread ‘freedom’ to the people of Mexico, right through to the Iraq war. During the Cold War the power of American Exceptionalism was used to display the American way of life as the right way and to try and crush the rising power of Communism. Ronald Reagan famously said that America had a duty to be â€Å"shining city on the hill† that the rest of the world would look up to. There are many positives and yet, many negatives of American Exceptionalism, and it is the principles of the term itself have brought about its demise. The waters have been muddied and so there are now many variations of the meaning of the words, which depend on the people using them. There is a spectrum of opinion: to some America is the almighty bringer of justice, and may do this by any means as long as they reach their end target of a freer and fair world. By contrast, others feel that Exceptionalism is simply used as a cover for the falling giant to do whatever it wants; from the invasions of lesser off countries, to spying on the day to day lives of millions of Americans. The use of Exceptionalism in foreign policy is often questioned; is it just a front the country can hide behind when actually working for personal gains rather than the good of the people? The expression is often used today in questioning America’s place as a super power. At a press conference in 2009 Obama was asked about his belief in American Exceptionalism he said: â€Å"I believe in American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British Exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism†. In 2013 Mitt Romney used this comment to attack Obama, stating that he did not believe in the power of the United States as a power, yet them comment had little power as the term has been lost somewhat. The majority of the countries have democracy, or have made a greater step towards it over the last century, leaving America with a much lesser role as the bringer of social equality. American Exceptionalism has shaped the world we live today, without it both America and Britain would not be looked to as a role model of strong democratic systems and equality. The idea has brought the same concepts to many other countries and helped to advance areas such as industry and the role of women. However, in recent years the power of American Exceptionalism has faded and the flaws have become more visible. The positive effects of American Exceptionalism are now much gentler, and the goal is more to help countries create justice, rather than impose America’s view. American Exceptionalism The term American Exceptionalism has many definitions to many different people. In general it refers to the idea that the United States of America holds the special title of worldwide peace keeper and bringer of justice and democracy as they are the land of the free. American Conservatives; such as the Tea Party, also pair the phrase up with the idea of superiority; whereas liberals would much more prefer Americans to see their country as ‘ordinary’ and so dislike the term. To them ordinary means things like American does not always assume its place as the world’s super power but simple acts as an international negotiator in times of need. The terminology was coined in 1831 by Alexis de Tocqueville as to explain a positive outward effect of America’s democracy. In 1929 the phrase was used adversely by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, when opposing the idea of the growth of capitalism in the states. In theory, American Exceptionalism works because of four key principles: divine right, resources, just beliefs and diversity. Many believe that the United States was chosen by God to lead the world and so they have the divine power to act in such a way over other countries. Although, others feel that the sheer wealth and resources the country has- such as the most powerful armed forces in the world gives them this power. Some consider the strong ideas and principles that the country was founded on as to the reason they have a greater say; whereas others argue that it is the mix of heritage and cultures, which makes America a kind of highbred of the best of the world, allowing for it to have this exceptional place in the world today. An odd and contradicting feature of the concept is that as an America knows best; they may over power their own legal system, other countries and conduct various types of secret activities if to protect the democratic system and state interests. America knows best: we must invade Iraq to free the people there from the dictatorship they live in, and then as a secondary thought because, they may have weapons of mass destruction (and oil that could be a lot of use to us). The idea that hacking people’s internet history and phone calls is just and fine, because the government can act beyond its means, as in the end they are protecting people from themselves- since they know best! The idea of Exceptionalism has allowed America to involve itself in many conflicts since the Mexican- American War of1846; where the Americans refused to accept that Mexico did not want to be a part of the United States and felt it was their mission to spread ‘freedom’ to the people of Mexico, right through to the Iraq war. During the Cold War the power of American Exceptionalism was used to display the American way of life as the right way and to try and crush the rising power of Communism. Ronald Reagan famously said that America had a duty to be â€Å"shining city on the hill† that the rest of the world would look up to. There are many positives and yet, many negatives of American Exceptionalism, and it is the principles of the term itself have brought about its demise. The waters have been muddied and so there are now many variations of the meaning of the words, which depend on the people using them. There is a spectrum of opinion: to some America is the almighty bringer of justice, and may do this by any means as long as they reach their end target of a freer and fair world. By contrast, others feel that Exceptionalism is simply used as a cover for the falling giant to do whatever it wants; from the invasions of lesser off countries, to spying on the day to day lives of millions of Americans. The use of Exceptionalism in foreign policy is often questioned; is it just a front the country can hide behind when actually working for personal gains rather than the good of the people? The expression is often used today in questioning America’s place as a super power. At a press conference in 2009 Obama was asked about his belief in American Exceptionalism he said: â€Å"I believe in American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British Exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism†. In 2013 Mitt Romney used this comment to attack Obama, stating that he did not believe in the power of the United States as a power, yet them comment had little power as the term has been lost somewhat. The majority of the countries have democracy, or have made a greater step towards it over the last century, leaving America with a much lesser role as the bringer of social equality. American Exceptionalism has shaped the world we live today, without it both America and Britain would not be looked to as a role model of strong democratic systems and equality. The idea has brought the same concepts to many other countries and helped to advance areas such as industry and the role of women. However, in recent years the power of American Exceptionalism has faded and the flaws have become more visible. The positive effects of American Exceptionalism are now much gentler, and the goal is more to help countries create justice, rather than impose America’s view.

Basic Steps in Strategic Planning Process Essay

Strategic Planning Model Many books and articles describe how best to do strategic planning, and many go to much greater lengths than this planning response sheet, but our purpose here is to present the fundamental steps that must be taken in the strategic planning process. Below is a brief description of the five steps in the process. These steps are a recommendation, but not the only recipe for creating a strategic plan; other sources may recommend entirely different steps or variations of these steps. However, the steps outlined below describe the basic work that needs to be done and the typical products of the process. Thoughtful and creative planners will add spice to the mix or elegance to the presentation in order to develop a strategic plan that best suits their organization! Step One – Getting Ready To get ready for strategic planning, an organization must first assess if it is ready. While a number of issues must be addressed in assessing readiness, the determination essentially comes down to whether an organization’s leaders are truly committed to the effort, and whether they are able to devote the necessary attention to the â€Å"big picture†. For example, if a funding crisis looms, the founder is about to depart, or the environment is turbulent, then it does not make sense to take time out for strategic planning effort at that time. An organization that determines it is indeed ready to begin strategic planning must perform five tasks to pave the way for an organized process: identify specific issues or choices that the planning process should address clarify roles (who does what in the process) create a Planning Committee develop an organizational profile identify the information that must be collected to help make sound decisions. The product developed at the end of the Step One is a Workplan. Step Two – Articulating Mission and Vision A mission statement is like an introductory paragraph: it lets the reader know where the writer is going, and it also shows that the writer knows where he or she is going. Likewise, a mission statement must communicates the essence of an organization to the reader. An organization’s ability to articulate its mission indicates its focus and purposefulness. A mission statement typically describes an organization in terms of its: Purpose – why the organization exists, and what it seeks to accomplish Business – the main method or activity through which the organization tries it fulfill this purpose Values – the principles or beliefs that guide an organization’s members as they pursue the organization’s purpose Whereas the mission statement summarizes the what, how, and why of an organization’s work, a vision statement presents an image of what success will look like. For example, the mission statement of the Support Centers of America is as follows: The mission of the Support Centers of America is to increase the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector by providing management consulting, training and research. Our guiding principles are: promote client independence, expand cultural proficiency, collaborate with others, ensure our own competence, act as one organization. We envision an ever increasing global movement to restore and revitalize the quality of life in local communities. The Support Centers of America will be  a recognized contributor and leader in that movement. With mission and vision statements in hand, an organization has taken an important step towards creating a shared, coherent idea of what it is strategically planning for. At the end of Step Two, a draft mission statement and a draft vision statement is developed. Step Three – Assessing the Situation Once an organization has committed to why it exists and what it does, it must take a clear-eyed look at its current situation. Remember, that part of strategic planning, thinking, and management is an awareness of resources and an eye to the future environment, so that an organization can successfully respond to changes in the environment. Situation assessment, therefore, means obtaining current information about the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, and performance – information that will highlight the critical issues that the organization faces and that its strategic plan must address. These could include a variety of primary concerns, such as funding issues, new program opportunities, changing regulations or changing needs in the client population, and so on. The point is to choose the most important issues to address. The Planning Committee should agree on no more than five to ten critical issues around which to organize the strategic plan. The products of Step Three include: a data base of quality information that can be used to make decisions; and a list of critical issues which demand a response from the organization – the most important issues the organization needs to deal with. Step Four – Developing Strategies, Goals, and Objectives Once an organization’s mission has been affirmed and its critical issues identified, it is time to figure out what to do about them: the broad approaches to be taken (strategies), and the general and specific results to be sought (the goals and objectives). Strategies, goals, and objectives may come from individual inspiration, group discussion, formal decision-making  techniques, and so on – but the bottom line is that, in the end, the leadership agrees on how to address the critical issues. This can take considerable time and flexibility: discussions at this stage frequently will require additional information or a reevaluation of conclusions reached during the situation assessment. It is even possible that new insights will emerge which change the thrust of the mission statement. It is important that planners are not afraid to go back to an earlier step in the process and take advantage of available information to create the best possible plan. The product of Step Four is an outline of the organization’s strategic directions – the general strategies, long-range goals, and specific objectives of its response to critical issues. Step Five – Completing the Written Plan The mission has been articulated, the critical issues identified, and the goals and strategies agreed upon. This step essentially involves putting all that down on paper. Usually one member of the Planning Committee, the executive director, or even a planning consultant will draft a final planning document and submit it for review to all key decision makers (usually the board and senior staff). This is also the time to consult with senior staff to determine whether the document can be translated into operating plans (the subsequent detailed action plans for accomplishing the goals proposed by the strategic plan) and to ensure that the plan answers key questions about priorities and directions in sufficient detail to serve as a guide. Revisions should not be dragged out for months, but action should be taken to answer any important questions that are raised at this step. It would certainly be a mistake to bury conflict at this step just to wrap up the process more quickly, because the conflict, if serious, will inevitably undermine the potency of the strategic directions chosen by the planning committee. The product of Step Five is a strategic plan! 2 What’s in a vision statement? [From http://www.allianceonline.org/faqs.html] Martin Luther King, Jr. said, â€Å"I have a dream,† and what followed was a vision that changed a nation. That famous speech is a dramatic example of the power that can be generated by a person who communicates a compelling vision of the future. Management author Tom Peters identified a clear vision of the desired future state of the organization as an essential component of high performance. Widely-read organizational development author Warren Bennis identified a handful of traits that made great leaders great. Among them is the ability to create a vision. So, What Is a Vision and How Do I Get One? A vision is a guiding image of success formed in terms of a contribution to society. If a strategic plan is the â€Å"blueprint† for an organization’s work, then the vision is the â€Å"artist’s rendering† of the achievement of that plan. It is a description in words that conjures up a similar picture for each member of the group of the destination of the group’s work together. There is one universal rule of planning: You will never be greater than the vision that guides you. No Olympic athlete ever got to the Olympics by mistake; a compelling vision of his or her stellar performance inevitably guides all the sweat and tears for many years. The vision statement should require the organization’s members to stretch their expectations, aspirations, and performance. Without that powerful, attractive, valuable vision, why bother? How a Vision is Used John Bryson, the author of Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, states that typically, a vision is â€Å"more important as a guide to implementing strategy than it is to formulating it.† This is because the development of strategy is driven by what you are trying to accomplish, your  organization’s purposes. A mission statement answers the questions: Why does our organization exist? What business are we in? What values will guide us? A vision, however, is more encompassing. It answers the question, â€Å"What will success look like?† It is the pursuit of this image of success that really motivates people to work together. A vision statement should be realistic and credible, well articulated and easily understood, appropriate, ambitious, and responsive to change. It should orient the group’s energies and serve as a guide to action. It should be consistent with the organization’s values. In short, a vision should challenge and inspire the group to achieve its mission. The Impact of Vision John F. Kennedy did not live to see the achievement of his vision for NASA, but he set it in motion when he said, â€Å"By the end of the decade, we will put a man on the moon.† That night, when the moon came out, we could all look out the window and imagine†¦ And when it came time to appropriate the enormous funds necessary to accomplish this vision, Congress did not hesitate. Why? Because this vision spoke powerfully to values Americans held dear: America as a pioneer and America as world leader. In an amazing longitudinal study on goal setting, Yale University surveyed the graduating class of 1953 on commencement day, to determine if they had written goals for what they wanted their lives to become. Only three percent had such a vision. In 1973, the surviving members of the class of 1953 were surveyed again. The three percent who had a vision for what they wished their lives would become had accumulated greater wealth than the other 97 percent combined. Great wealth, a man on the moon, brother and sisterhood among the races of the globe†¦ what is your organization’s vision? Shared Vision To a leader, the genesis of the dream is unimportant. The great leader is the servant of the dream, the bearer of the myth, the story teller. â€Å"It is the  idea (vision) that unites people in the common effort, not the charisma of the leader,† writes Robert Greenleaf in Leadership Crisis. He goes on to write: Optimal performance rests on the existence of a powerful shared vision that evolves through wide participation to which the key leader contributes, but which the use of authority cannot shape†¦. The test of greatness of a dream is that it has the energy to lift people out of their moribund ways to a level of being and relating from which the future can be faced with more hope than most of us can summon today. The Process for Creating a Vision Like much of strategic planning, creating a vision begins with and relies heavily on intuition and dreaming. As part of the process, you may brainstorm with your staff or your board what you would like to accomplish in the future. Talk about and write down the values that you share in pursuing that vision. Different ideas do not have to be a problem. People can spur each other on to more daring and valuable dreams and visions — dreams of changing the world that they are willing to work hard for. The vision may evolve throughout a strategic planning process. Or, it may form in one person’s head in the shower one morning! The important point is that members of an organization without a vision may toil, but they cannot possibly be creative in finding new and better ways to get closer to a vision without that vision formally in place. Nonprofit organizations, with many of their staff and board members actively looking for ways to achieve a vision, have a powerful competitive and strategic advantage over organizations that operate without a vision. Perceptions of Ideal Futures: An Exercise in Forming Vision This section outlines an exercise you may employ to assist your organization in defining its own vision. By using this exercise to develop your organizational vision, you may be better assured that the vision statement that is developed is a shared vision. At a retreat, or even at a board meeting or staff meeting, take an hour to explore your vision. Breaking into small groups helps increase participation and generate creativity. Agree on a rough time frame, say five to ten years. Ask people to think about the following questions: How do you want your community to be different? What role do you want your organization to play in your community? What will success look like? Then ask each group to come up with a metaphor for your organization, and to draw a picture of success: â€Å"Our organization is like †¦ a mariachi band – all playing the same music together, or like a train – pulling important cargo and laying the track as we go, or †¦.† The value of metaphors is that people get to stretch their minds and experiment with different ways of thinking about what success means to them. Finally, have all the groups share their pictures of success with each other. One person should facilitate the discussion and help the group discuss what they mean and what they hope for. Look for areas of agreement, as well as different ideas that emerge. The goal is to find language and imagery that your organization’s members can relate to as their vision for success. Caution: Do not try to write a vision statement with a group. (Groups are great for many things, but writing is not one of them!). Ask one or two people to try drafting a vision statement based on the group’s discussion, bring it back to the group, and revise it until you have something that your members can agree on and that your leaders share with enthusiasm. 3 What’s in a mission statement? [From http://www.allianceonline.org/faqs.html] In just a few sentences a mission statement needs to communicate the essence of your organization to your stakeholders and to the public. For example: At the Developmental Studies Center we develop, evaluate, and disseminate programs that foster children’s ethical, social, and intellectual development. While nurturing children’s capacity to think skillfully and critically, we also strive to deepen children’s commitment to prosocial  values such as kindness, helpfulness, personal responsibility, and respect for others – qualities we believe are essential to leading humane and productive lives in a democratic society. Often, however, organizations want to say more about who they are, what they are doing, and why they are doing it. Therefore, another example of a mission statement format is illustrated by the mission statement developed by the Forest Service. After a brief statement, the Forest Service uses three pages to elaborate its mission, vision, and guiding principles. Excerpts from the expanded statement include: The phrase, â€Å"caring for the land and serving the people,† captures the Forest Service mission. As set forth in law, the mission is to achieve quality land management under the sustainable multiple-use management concept to meet the diverse needs of people. It includes advocating a conservation ethic†¦ Vision: We are recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in caring for the land and service people†¦ Guiding Principles: To realize our mission and vision, we follow 13 guiding principles †¦ Neither approach is necessarily the â€Å"right† one for your organization. What is important about your mission statement is that one guiding set of ideas is articulated, understood and supported by the organization’s stakeholders, board, staff, volunteers, donors, clients, and collaborators. The Need for a Mission Statement In Profiles of Excellence, the Independent Sector lists a clear, agreed upon mission statement first among the four primary characteristics of successful nonprofit organizations. Specifically, the four primary characteristics include: a clear, agreed-upon mission statement a strong, competent executive director a dynamic board of directors an organization-wide commitment to fundraising. The primary importance of the mission statement means that failure to clearly state and communicate your organization’s mission can have harmful consequences, including: organization members can waste time â€Å"barking up the wrong tree† the organization may not think broadly enough about different possibilities if its mission statement is unclear or overly narrow the organization may not realize when it is time to go out of business Finally, the importance of mission statements is summarized quite eloquently by Lewis Caroll through the words of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, â€Å"If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which way you go.† Indeed! What Should Be in a Mission Statement? The following concepts are critical in defining â€Å"who† your organization is: The Purpose Statement The purpose statement clearly states what your organization seeks to accomplish: Why does your organization exist? What is the ultimate result of your work? Purpose statements usually include two phrases: an infinitive that indicates a change in status, such as to increase, to decrease, to prevent, to eliminate an identification of the problem or condition to be changed. An example of a purpose statement is â€Å"to eliminate homelessness.† In defining purpose, it is essential to focus on outcomes and results rather than methods: How is the world going to be different? What is going to change? Thus, the purpose of a mental health counseling agency would never be simply â€Å"to provide counseling services,† for that is describing a method rather than a result. Rather, the purpose might be â€Å"to improve the quality of life† for its clients. The Business Statement This statement outlines the â€Å"business(es)† (i.e., activities or programs) your organization chooses in order to pursue its purpose. Specifically, you must answer, â€Å"What activity are we going to do to accomplish our purpose?† For example, there are many ways to work on the problem of homelessness: to construct housing for homeless individuals to educate the public and advocate for public policy changes to provide job training to homeless individuals. Each of these are different businesses, but they may be different means of achieving the same purpose. Business statements often include the verb â€Å"to provide† or link a purpose statement with the words â€Å"by† or â€Å"through.† For example: â€Å"To eliminate homelessness by providing job training to homeless individuals.† A cautionary note: If the word â€Å"and† is in your purpose or business statement, ask yourselves, â€Å"Are we really committed to both ideas connected by the word† and, â€Å"or have we simply not been able to accept that one idea is more important?† Values Values are beliefs which your organization’s members hold in common and endeavor to put into practice. The values guide your organization’s members in performing their work. Specifically, you should ask, â€Å"What are the basic beliefs that we share as an organization?† Examples of values include: a commitment to excellent services, innovation, diversity, creativity, honesty, integrity, and so on. Values may include beliefs such as: â€Å"Eating vegetables is more economically efficient and ecologically responsible than eating beef.† (Vegetarian Association) Marvin Weisbord writes in Productive Workplaces that values come alive only when people are involved in doing important tasks. Ideally, an individual’s personal values will align with the spoken and unspoken values of the organization. By developing a written statement of the values of the organization, group members have a chance to contribute to the articulation of these values, as well as to evaluate how well their personal values and motivation match those of the organization. The example of a mission statement cited at the beginning of this response sheet includes all three elements of what should be included in a mission statement. To review: At the Developmental Studies Center we develop, evaluate, and disseminate programs [business] that foster children’s ethical, social, and intellectual development [purpose]. While nurturing children’s capacity to think skillfully and critically, we also strive to deepen children’s commitment to prosocial values such as kindness, helpfulness, personal responsibility, and respect for others – qualities we believe are essential to leading humane and productive lives in a democratic society [values]. Below is another example of a mission statement which includes all three elements: The YMCA of San Francisco, based in Judeo-Christian heritage [values], seeks to enhance the lives of all people [purpose] through programs designed to develop spirit, mind and body [business]. In addition to the th ree elements discussed above, you may want to address the following questions in developing your organization’s mission statement: What is the problem or need your organization is trying to address? What makes your organization unique? Who are the beneficiaries of your work? Clearly, the answers to the these questions could be included in the mission statement or added as elaboration of the mission statement. How To Write a Mission Statement There is no formula for finding the wording that best expresses the collective intention of your organization. It can be drafted by one person alone or after input gathered at leadership retreat. The most important issue is that there is consensus on the answers to the questions used in developing the mission statement. One approach is to use time at a board retreat to discuss these questions and find out where the areas of consensus are and where there are differences. There is a â€Å"process† benefit to hashing over an organization’s mission statement as well. In the course of discussion and debate, new members are  introduced to nuances of an organization’s mission and changes in the environment, and old members refresh their understanding of both. As a result, the group will have confidence that the mission statement which emerges (whether it is a new statement or a rededication to the old mission statement) is genuinely an articulation of commonly held ideas. Groups are good at many things, but one of them is not writing. Have group discussions about big ideas and concepts and then let one or two individuals draft and redraft the wording before submitting a reworked version for the group to respond to. It is important to circulate the draft mission statement a few times to board, staff, and other stakeholders. Some consultants advise organizations to also seek an outside opinion from someone unfamiliar with the organization to see how easily the mission statement can be understood. Mix with passion, humanity and an eye on the big picture, and keep refining the mission statement until you have a version that people can actively support. 4 Applying this to the Garfield High School Foundation We need to spend the face time (as suggested in the â€Å"Strategic Planning† section above) to construct the Mission and Vision for the Foundation. In the meantime, here are the Mission and Vision Statements for the school. Garfield High School Mission Statement (from http://www.ghs.seattleschools.org/aboutus.php) To provide a comprehensive and effective educational experience for all students, with opportunities for achievement that encourage skill development, self-confidence and an appreciation of cultural diversity. The school staff will use a variety of approaches in motivating students to: Gain knowledge through critical thinking, exploration, and discovery Contribute their knowledge, compassion, and leadership to society Meet the technological challenges of 21st Century Take responsibility for their personal and educational development Garfield High School Vision Statement: (from http://www.ghs.seattleschools.org/aboutus.php) The vision of Garfield High School is to educate and prepare all students to become successful in class, socially, and in their future