Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Might Makes Right essays

Might Makes Right essays The focus of realism is based on war and conflict. Its belief adheres to common human nature. Society in general is governed by laws that have their roots in human nature. The natural state of humans is warfare. Realists have a dark view on human nature, and are very pessimistic. This view lets them believe that it is necessary to become immoral when thinking about the national interest. There is little or no place for morality in foreign policy. They believe that this is just the way it is, and we have to deal with it. We may not like how the world is and our nature, but we must do what we can to protect ourselves. Realism has been the primary tradition in international politics ever since the Peloponnesian war. The main problem of international politics, the realist feels, is war and the use of force, and the main actors are states. This is a third-image view based not on individuals, but large-scale states. The realist despises interaction and feels that the end of international politics is the states intervention with other states. Realism was shown during the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides, the father of realism, observed that the strategic interaction of states followed an apparent pattern. Within a given system of states, a certain hierarchy among the states determined the pattern of their relations. While a change in the hierarchy of weaker states did not ultimately affect a given system, a disturbance in the hierarchy of states would upset the equilibrium of the system. War was the result of a systematic change, brought by the increasing power of the Athenian state, which tried to exceed the power of the state of Sparta. This was one of the first examples of the security dilemma. In order to strengthen one countrys defenses, that country would put more emphasis on their defenses. In response to this, the other country as well would increase their defenses. The one country is not doing anything to initially pr...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Mark Twain Quotes About Death

Mark Twain Quotes About Death Mark Twain  died on April 21, 1910, but he had plenty to say on the subject while he was still alive. Death may be a morbid topic for many. However, Mark Twain chose to make light of the subject. He often joked about how dreadful the world would be if we were to continue to live forever.   Mark Twain Quotes About Death You can develop a new perspective on death through Mark Twains death quotes. Here, you will find Mark Twain embracing the concept of death with his famous wry sense of humor. We never become really and genuinely our entire and honest selves until we are dead and not then until we have been dead years and years. People ought to start dead and then they would be honest so much earlier.Let us endeavor to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Adam, the first great benefactor of the human race: he brought death into the world.All say, How hard it is that we have to die a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered either by themselves or by others.Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Monetary Policy Responds to Stock Market Movements Dissertation

Monetary Policy Responds to Stock Market Movements - Dissertation Example According to Bernanke and Gertler (2001) changes in asset prices (including stock prices) should only impact monetary policies to the extent that they affect the central banks forecast of inflation. Therefore, the target of monetary policy is inflation and not specifically stock prices. Hayford and Malliaris (2002) used different methodologies to determine whether monetary policy has influenced the stock market since it crashed on October 19, 1987. The results indicate that, rather than using the Federal Funds rate policy to offset increases in the value of the stock market above estimates of fundamentals, Federal Fund policy has on average accommodated what is considered to be overvaluation of the stock market. Hayward and Malliaris (2002) found evidence in the FOMC minutes which is consistent with Taylor (1993). Taylor’s (1993) rule suggests that Federal Funds rate target has largely been st in response to inflation and measures of excess demand and therefore is not solely a response to offset potential stock market valuations. Rigobon and Sack (2003) employed an identification technique based on the heteroskedasticity of stock market returns in order to determine the response of monetary policy to stock market movements. Using daily and weekly movements in interest rates and stock prices between 1985 and 1999 Rigobon and Sack (2003) found that the response of monetary policy to stock market movements was significant. The results showed a 5% rise (fall) in the Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500.... reases in the value of the stock market above estimates of fundamentals, Federal Fund policy has on average accommodated what is considered to be overvaluation of the stock market. Hayward and Malliaris (2002) found evidence in the FOMC minutes which is consistent with Taylor (1993). Taylor’s (1993) rule suggests that Federal Funds rate target has largely been st in response to inflation and measures of excess demand and therefore is not solely a response to offset potential stock market valuations. Rigobon and Sack (2003) employed an identification technique based on the heteroskedasticity of stock market returns in order to determine the response of monetary policy to stock market movements. Using daily and weekly movements in interest rates and stock prices between 1985 and 1999 Rigobon and Sack (2003) found that the response of monetary policy to stock market movements was significant. The results showed a 5% rise (fall) in the Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index, i ncreasing the possibility of a 25 basis point tightening (easing) by about one half. These results suggest that stock market movements have a significant impact on short term interest rates, driving them in the direction as the change in stock prices. This Rigobon and Sack (2003) attribute to the anticipated reaction of monetary policy to stock market increases. Fuhrer and Tootell (2004) focused on the fact that methods used in earlier literature fail to adequately separate what they describe as the observational equivalence problem. In addition Fuhrer and Tootell (2004) showed that after controlling for the information that that enters the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC’s) decision making process stock market prices have had no independent effect on monetary policy. Cassala and Morena

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Small War In The Context Of Law Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Small War In The Context Of Law Empire - Essay Example The small war also comprises of campaigns aimed to subdue the existing guerrillas’ warfare and rebellions in different parts of the universe. In these areas, several soldiers and other defense forces have been deployed to fight back the militants or rebels who are cowards and do not have the courage to battle with militaries in open ground or field. Therefore, small war can be said to involve operations that are extremely unreliable and unpredictable as far as their scope and conditions are concerned. In the real sense, small war can be termed as a civil war in a nation or a civil wrong resulting from feuds and conflicts that prevail in a group or between groups in the society. Most of the people perceive small war as a turning point in the establishment of societal values and concepts. The scope of a small war entails organization of soldiers for irregular warfare information that is very valuable and important in defeating the enemy. The military logistics arrangements are e xhaustively dealt with and in detail. These logistic arrangements include communication lines, transport, and the supply system. In respect to strategies and tactics in place, a sketch of the rules, practice and the principles of a small war is established which will govern the conducts of armies while in war operations against the enemies. In small wars, it very significant to learn the varying hostile mode of war to a certain extent and get conversant with the possible war circumstances to prevail in the course of the battle. The military records have proven that the hostile mode of small wars differs from one battle to another. Therefore, a prior war study will help to come up with suitable strategies and tactics that will assume all forms of war. In a small war, the warring sides tend to have contentious issues that range from economic issues to social issues.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Pearl River Piano Company Essay Example for Free

Pearl River Piano Company Essay Pearl River Piano Group (PRPG) was established in 1956 by bringing together six small piano shops in Guangzhou. The group of 100 employees produced only 13 pianos that year. After many attempts, Guangzhou technicians were finally satisfied with the tone color and quality of its first manufactured piano, and in a short time it was sold in Hong Kong. It would be twenty years before the factory was able to prove its potential. As a State -owned enterprise PRPG is accountable to the Guangzhou municipal government. Investments from both Yamaha and Steinway Sons have played a key role in the expansion of their production. In addition, PRPG has bought the German piano brand Ritmuller and will be expanding in the European market. Guangzhou, located at the north of the Pearl River delta, is an important trading center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guandong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 million. Guangzhou is also one of the most important centers of foreign commerce in South China. There are a lot of interesting legends concerning its past. One of the beautiful stories which gives the city its name Goat Town says that five gods riding on five goats brought the first grain to the city. In 1959 PRPG consisted of a shed on the side of the street to repair pianos. Later a shelter was built to process the wood. At that time the pianos were carried in a cart with men walking barefoot to the port. During the tumultuous of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, few Chinese dared to buy a piano, which symbolized the Wests decadent and bourgeois society. Learning the piano was frowned upon at that time. The factory didnt stop making pianos. However, they were lucky if they sold more than one hundred pianos a year. In the meantime Chinas one-child policy has created a culture where parents invest heavily in their childrens education. Parents like to spend money to improve their childrens education and culture and this has paid off for PRPG. Nearly 80%of their pianos are sold in China. Pianos have caught on in China. PRPGs domestic shipments climbed even throughout Asias financial crisis. During the1960s companies such as Yamaha took advantage of low labor costs to enter the global and domestic market. They were quietly followed my South Korea. For years the musical instrument business was dominated by U.S. and European companies. But this has been changing now for decades. In 1992 Tong Zhi Cheng took control of the company. He had worked for only one company during his adult life, the state-owned PRPG. When Tong took over pianos were fairly common in households in Europe and the U.S. for nearly two centuries, but in China they have been a luxury. In 1995 PRPG and Yamaha Pianos of Japan forged a $10 million joint venture. They set up a company called Yamaha-Pearl River. This company was set up to make certain Eterna models that are exported to Europe and the USA. Unlike Chinas typically backward state-owned companies, PRPG is savvy about brands and looks for new products to sell. Tong bought a mature German brand Ritmà ¼ller in 1999. In addition he has struck a deal with Steinway Sons to produce their Essex line of pianos. Today, PRPG consists of a factory spanning 2 million square feetthe worlds biggest piano plantcranks out 250 pianos every day. White-smocked workers steer computer-driven kilns that bake oak planks en masse. Individual piano keys are hand-checked for precision and balance. Five pairs of ears listen to each pianos tuning, speeding another instrument out the doorand into Americas living rooms. Just two years after Pearl River set up a U.S. sales arm, its high- quality, low-priced pianos have snared 10% of the market, and the company vows to capture a 25% share by 2005. It already has won the hearts and minds of some U.S. consumers.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Batik Essay -- essays research papers

Batik   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elaborately decorated fabrics and patterns can be seen almost everywhere in the world today. Batiking is a type of decorated fabric, which usually depicts motifs of flowers, birds, butterflies and other natural objects, or simple geometric forms. These designs are rich in symbolic heritage and variety; to date there are over three thousand recorded batik patterns. To perform the art of batiking, one must know a little about its origin, the necessary materials, and the method of creating a batik.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The technique of â€Å"batik† itself is Indonesian in origin; the word â€Å"batik† is an Indonesian-Malay word that means â€Å"to dot.† The art of batiking is more than a millennium old. There are evidences that cloth decorated through a form of resistant technique was used early AD in West African, Middle-Eastern, and Asian communities. Over the past two or three centuries, batik has become one of the best means of expression, spiritually and culturally, in the values of Southeast Asia. This means of coloring and decorating textiles has even reached a higher degree of excellence in the island of Java. From Java, batik cloth has been exported to many other islands, spreading the batiking art around, which is how it is so well known, as are most of the items used to create it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A number of different materials are used when creating a batik. The primary requirements are cloth, wax, various colored dyes a...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Upholding Ethical Values Helps an Organisation

HOW UPHOLDING ETHICAL VALUES HELPS AN ORGANIZATION THAT USES INFORMATION SYSTEMS? INTRODUCTION In order to understand the role of ethical values and the related ethical codes of conduct with regard to information systems in organization performance, there is need to put the, whole affair in a broad context as to the rise of ethical issues and dilemmas in the management of systems for organizational performance and development.Information systems has been defined as â€Å"a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, retrieve and distribute data or/information in an organization referred to above facilitates decision making and control in an organization† The data or information referred to above facilitates decision making and control in an organisation and hence being crucial to organizational management and performance.It can therefore be said that the system of managing the collection, processing, storage, retrieval and distribution of data and information is what is termed as Management Information Systems. Infact Management Information Systems is about the relationship between management and the operations of an organization. When you think about this assertion, three things stand out; How IT or information systems improves the management of an organization How IT or information systems helps in the improvement of organizational performance How IT contributes to organizational developmentThe fact of the matter is that the rapid growth of Information Technology and hence the use of information system has contributed significantly to organizational management, improvement in organizational performance and organizational development in general. The rapid advancement in IT has led to creation of INTERNET and the rise of the DIGITAL FIRM. While significant achievements in social progress have been recorded, at the same time, it has led to social costs for other users, and the rise of computer crimes.Infect the rapid advancement of IT and the attendant use of information systems has created ethical issues and this is due to the following; I. T changes the distribution of decision making rights, power and other resources. For example IT makes it possible for millions of people to download video files weakening the exclusive rights of movie studios to control distribution for their own profit. IT creates new opportunities to commit crimes. For example e-mail creates conditions for extensive â€Å"Phishing† or online con games designed to defraud ordinary citizens.In this era if IT and the expansion of computer usage, ethical values for good management information system can be looked at in relation to the following ethical moral dimensions. Information rights and obligation – this is about ourselves as human beings and organizations Property rights and obligation – this is the protection of intellectual property rights Accountability and control – this pertains to who will be held accountab le in case harm is done. Systems quality – standards of data and systems quality.Quality of life – this is in connection with in the preservation of values and culture WHAT IS ETHICS Ethics refers to the principle of right and wrong which people use to make choices to guide their behavior and actions in the operations for organizational performance It is necessary here to reflect on some key technological trends which have led to ethical issues in information systems; Computing power doubles every 18 months. Almost everything is computerized. The over dependence on computers us giving rise to errors.As computer usage increases its use if being abused Rapidly declining data storage costs. Modern computer techniques have led to the creation of multiple databases. Software’s have become cheap and this led to some people to store phonographic material. Data making advances – the use of high speed search engines has led to things like harking. It has led to va luated access to information and hence interfering with people’s privacy and the confidentiality of organizational information and data is at stake. Advances in networking including the INTERNET – This has led to increased computer crime.Thus, as we witness increased technological advancement and the increased use of information systems, concern must be put on the attendant rise of computer crime and other ethical issues, ethical concerns and dilemmas in this era of globalization. Therefore organizations using information systems must concern themselves with the need to put in place ethical codes of conduct and enforce them with emphasis on inculcating into the minds of their employees the use of ethical values in their day to day work for the proposer management of their organizations and managementHOW THE USE OF ETHICAL VALUES CAN HELP AN ORGANISATION WHICH IS USING INFORMATION SYSTEMS Upholding ethical values in an organization using information systems is of benefi t to both within and outside stakeholders. That is To outside stakeholders, the organization gives assurance to its clients of security and confidentiality of their data. Hence the integrity of the organization is reaffirmed. Ethical values are used to assure people of fair and free judgment thus transparency in operation. Ethical values emphasize law and order which affect the behavior of employees in a desired direction.For example workers of an ethical upright organization would not spend working time moonlighting since they are aware of illegality involved in using organization resources for private work. Ethics controls dilemmas. For example it is not certain if software fits in intellectual property law since it is a code created by mathematical texts (Severson 1997 p. 33). Hence in such incidences the law would work best with morality. Ethics is used for consistent decision making at all levels of management in the organization because everyone would be aware of what is accep ted or not.For example someone from an ethically upright organization was asked to steal funds using the electronic fund transfer would immediately say no because he or she would know is wrong without putting too much thought on the benefits of stealing. Through upholding ethical values, trust among employees is established since they are assured of confidentiality. This in turn brings a sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. By ensuring ethical values, the security is made certain since the organization ensures that the hacking is illegal and punishable especially in incidences of uncertainty.Fair presentation ensures honesty and fairness in the market to avoid law suits despite the pressure to succeed. This encourages whistle blowing in order to avoid negative publicity that may tarnish the image of the organization in the public eye. For† example it is unethical for an organization to bribe a worker from a competitor company to be their informer on the compe titor’s plans. Ethical values act as a driving force to achieving organization goals and objectives thus increasing productivity.That is ethics provides basic guidelines on which behavior is more likely to achieve the best results in the wrong run instead of mixing wrong and right. An organization upholding ethical values controls misuse of organization resources. For example if the organization considers download if internet material like movies, music for personal gain as un ethical, then its workers may not do that and this would minimize wastage of internet data. Upholding ethical values would create a conducive working environment which would create team work and sense of belonging for the workers.This reduces chances of corruption and malice as everyone would look out for each other from bottom to top and top to bottom. This also reduces supervision of workers thus providing opportunities for innovation. For example in an ethically upright organization, the manager may enjoy leave away from work without worrying about decline of profits in his absence. REFERENCES C. A Raiborn&D. PayneCorporate codes of conduct: A collective conscience and continuum. Journal of Business ethics. 9:879-889, 1990.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Tram Accident and Driver Vision Enhancement

As a university student, you will need to continue your education by reading informative texts often and carefully. To practice this skill your homework assignment is to choose an article from a reputable source and read it. Your research reports should be completed on topics or themes related to your research topic somehow. You will need to print or make a copy of your article and attach it to this report.After reading an article of your choice from either: Newsweek Magazine, Time Magazine, Reader's Digest, or National Geographic Magazine answer the questions low. Do not write the title as an answer to any of the questions below other than number 1. Do not copy from the article. All answers should be in your own words. Proofread your writing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. 1. Title: a printed copy also): 2. Author: 3. Source (Include 4. Date Published: 5. Why did the author write this article? Use a complete sentence. Points) Brian Dads wrote this article to explain the new technologies that help to reduce car crashes. Also, he represents the number of death, injured or disabled around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1. Million people worldwide die every year as a result of car crashes. This figure represents an average of 3242 people dying every day around the world. In addition to these deaths, between 20 million and 50 million people globally are estimated to be injured or disabled every year.Use correct punctuation (Points). Explain in two or three sentences what it meant to you and why you like/dislike this quote (Points). Use the space provided. The article titled † New Technologies to Reduce Road Accidents † reported that technology will significantly reduce the number of people killed in car accidents, currently more than 1. 2 million people per year worldwide.. The author wrote, † If drivers won't act to reduce road deaths, maybe technology will do the Job â€Å"(Dads 2010 ). T his quote is useful because it has shown that 150 points possible

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Essay On Leadership and Strategy Evaluation Essays

Essay On Leadership and Strategy Evaluation Essays Essay On Leadership and Strategy Evaluation Essay Essay On Leadership and Strategy Evaluation Essay Definition Of a Leadership It is widely accepted that leaders play a critical role in organizations and communities. However, the definition of a leader has been controversial. According to Locke (2009), leadership is defined as a process that involves inducing others so that they can take action whose end is the achievement of a common goal. To Locke and Sadler (2003), leadership incorporates three elements: a relational concept, a process, and an action. Leadership does not exist except when one is talking about the relation with followers. The absence of followers implies the absence of leadership. When defined in relational concept, effective leaders have been described as those who are good in inspiring and relating to their followers. Leadership has also been defined regarding a process in that for one to be described as a leader, he/she must do something. To proponents of this theory, leadership involves more than just holding a title or any other position of authority. However, although a formalized po sition of authority can exist to facilitate a leadership process, Locke argued that simply occupying such a position is not enough to make one a leader. A leader is also required to induce others to take some form of action, and a leader can employ various approaches to induce their followers to take some action toward a common goal. Some of the approaches leaders can employ to induce his followers to take action include modeling by setting an example, organizational restructuring, communicating a vision, legitimate authority, team building, goal setting, and rewarding and punishing (Locke, 1999). It has been argued that the way leaders implement plans, provide direction to their followers, and motivate their people to varying from one leader to another thereby resulting in various leadership styles. Some of the leadership styles include autocratic, Laissez-Faire, participative, transactional, and transformational (Johnson, 2017; Northouse, 2012). Johnson (2017) described participative leader as one who employs a democratic style of leadership. Such leaders value input from peers and team members. However, the responsibility of making the final decisions rely on the leader. On the other hand, transactional leaders provide either rewards or punishments to peers or team members according to their performance results. Transformational leaders, however, rely on a high level of communication to their team members to meet their goals. Such leaders motivate their followers or employees and enhance efficiency and productivity through a combination of high visibility and communication. A transformational style of leadership requires that the management is highly involved in the achievement of the organizational goals. Leaders who employ transformational leadership style focus on the big organizational picture and delegate smaller assignments or tasks to the team members to accomplish so that they can achieve the overall organizational goal (Johnson, 2017). Northouse (2012) added that transformational leadership involves a process where the leader engages with followers and creates a connection that boosts not only the level of morality but also the level of motivation for both the follower and the leader. He further pointed out that transformational leaders are attentive to the needs as well as motives of their followers and strive to make sure that their followers reach their fullest potential. In the case of Booker and Newark residents (Cohen, 2014; Russakoff, 2014), Booker strived to ensure that the people of Newark access the best education system in the coun try. He wanted to make Newark public school system to be a model of how best public schools should be run in the country. Bookers idea was to transform one of the worst performing public education systems to be the best it can be in the whole country. His chances of success in this endeavor were going to be influenced by many factors. Organizational Performance Improvement Leaders not only have a potential to improve organizational performance but also a failure of organizations to achieve their performance goals. A study of leadership styles suggests that leaders can influence their organizations in various ways. Choudhary, Akhtar, and Zaheer (2013) examined the influence of two comparative leadership styles on the outcomes of organizational performance. Their findings suggest that transformational leadership has more influence on organizational learning than servant leadership. The researchers further found out that a higher level of organizational learning is responsible for a higher organizational performance. The authors then suggested that leaders can choose a style of leadership that can help them to achieve what they want to achieve in their organizations. Their results are similar to those of Noruzy et al. (2013) who also found out that transformational leadership has a strong influence on the organizational learning as well as knowledge manag ement. Transformational leadership style also has a huge impact on the innovation within an organization. Overall, the researchers findings revealed that transformational leadership has an influence on the organizational performance. Leaders who wish to enhance their organizational performance can, therefore, opt to choose transformational leadership style. Although a lot has been studied on how leadership can influence organizational performance, Peterson, Smith, Martorana, Owens (2003) argued that leaders are also responsible for the failure of their organizations. According to the authors, leadership personality is one of the factors that can determine organizational success and organizational failure. They pointed out that if the top leadership personality is bad, the organization can increase the chances of organizational failure. However, if the personality of the top leaders in an organization is appropriate, the organization has an increased chance of succeeding in its miss ion. Newark schools had been performing poorly for a very long time. Booker had noted declining performance and had yearned for a time when he can intervene. His time to transform the poor education system of Newark came after his election as a mayor for Newark. The Newark education system was in a crisis. In situations of crisis, leaders emerge. Leadership involves motivating others toward a common goal. In the context of Newark education system, the common goal was to improve the declining academic standards and create a national model on how to overhaul an entire school district. As a leader, Booker believed that he was the much-needed leader to lead the Newark out of the education crisis. Booker had a vision of turning Newark education system to be the best in the country. Booker noted that to succeed in turning his vision into reality, one of the most critical resources was funding. Consequently, as a determined leader, he sought funds from philanthropists to help him achieve his vis ion. After communicating his vision for Newark, many philanthropists donated their money to help Booker realize his vision. One of the people who was attracted by Bookers vision was Mark Zuckerberg who donated his $100 million to help in the transformation of the Newark education system (Russakoff, 2014). After obtaining sufficient funds, it was time to implement his vision to bring an overhaul of the education system. Although Booker had demonstrated exemplary leadership skills and transformative ideas about the Newark education system, he failed to realize that implementation of a vision requires the cooperation of more people than financiers. At some point, Booker was reminded by Zuckerberg to choose a competent leader who can become the Superintendent. As a good leader, Booker need not be reminded about the need recruit a person to lead the change or the characteristics of a person who could help transform the failing education system of the Newark. Zuckerberg idea to Booker was that he should choose a transformational leader as an assurance that the vision of transforming the Newark education system was going to be successful. Booker had spent a lot of time looking for the funds, but he dedicated little time in investing in proper leadership structures. For example, he should develop a sound leadership structure that was going to work with him to implement the vision. A sound leadership struct ure would have helped him to plan how the funds would be obtained and how it would be spent. Furthermore, the leadership structure would have devised better ways in which the funds obtained was going to be effectively utilized. Booker had a very weak leadership structure. He only managed to appoint Superintendent in a hurry. Although Anderson, the superintendent, demonstrated that she was up to the task, still there was a lot of weakness in the overall leadership structure. Anderson manner of engagement won the hearts of many people suggesting that she had good leadership skills. However, Anderson came without an agenda but a clear vision. According to her, the most important thing was to define success, and she found it as something simple. This is a further indication of poor leadership in the transformation process. This was demonstrated in the manner in which the decisions were made. From the given information, there was poor decision making in matters pertaining the education s ystem of Newark. Booker and Anderson made key decisions without making a second thought to find out if they were going to work or they were going to face some challenges. Throughout the, there is no evidence of the presence of a sound leadership structure. Newark Education System The promise of $100 million gifts was made by Zuckerberg. However, several months later, Booker, the Senator, and Christie, the governor had neither a good transformational leader not a reform plan for the education system. This demonstrates a leadership ineptitude since both would have nominated people they were going together early so that they can prepare reform plan as a team. In fact, it was not until Zuckerberg send a mail to Booker that he began to search for competent superintend. Although Booker had sold the vision to the people, people only realized that the plan to overhaul the Newark education system was just good only on paper. According to the critics of the transformation plan, the solutions were poorly thought out, and they could make negligible positive impacts on the education system. The education programs that were going with the new education system had not been developed while transportation was not even fully tackled. Further, things that were initially promise d were never realized. Bookers idea of educational transformation in Newark failed because of lack of clear strategy. There was too much focus on securing financial assets but little time was devoted to organizing a strong team that was going to draft a working strategy. Not only did Booker and Anderson failed in the development of a sound leadership structure but also in their approach. Booker and Andersons approach suggest that their ideas were final. They believe that the ideas they had were the one people had been waiting for. The two leaders forget the importance of involving those whom the change was going to affect: stakeholders. Following the lack of the major stakeholders, there was weak support from the public. The best approach would have been to make the people of Newark also own the process of transformation by giving them a chance to contribute toward the transformation process. For example, there was a need to inform the people about the need for the change, how the change could be brought about, and who were going to be affected by the change. The strategy employed by Booker and Christie was a top-down approach where there was minimum interaction with the members of the public. And when the public was involved, it was later in the stages of the implementation. For example, a community advisory committee which was to help in the implementation of the N ewark transformation plan was created two years after the money had been released when most of the money had been spent on teacher contracts and charter schools. This implies they were created at a time their contribution to the effective management of the funds were no longer important.; The case of addressing Newark;s school;s problems give an excellent case on leadership practices, traits, team leadership, and organizational elements that were responsible for the overall outcome of the process. Through their practices, leaders can shape the outcome of the organizational goals. For example, Booker had a good vision of transforming Newark poorly performing public schools to charters. He believed that by converting a public school to run charters independently, the performance would improve. According to the Leadership Challenge (2017), five practices of exemplary leadership include modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging others to act. Booker modeled the way by coming up with an idea of transforming Newark schools. He identified the problems facing public schools and the advantages that can be gained by changing public schools to charters. He also identified the challenges of running chartered scho ols. One of the great obstacles was funding. Through his practice of shared vision, Booker sold his idea to many people especially the corporate philanthropists who were willing to make a change in Newark. Booker;s inspired others by selling his vision, and in the process, several philanthropists including Zuckerberg contributed the necessary finances that were needed to achieve the vision of education excellence in Newark. Booker knew that transforming the public schools to charters was not an easy process because not all people share the same idea. However, he went ahead to challenge the process and introduce the changes anyway. This is where he went wrong. Instead of seeking the participation of many stakeholders including the members of the public, Booker seemed to push the idea on the people through Anderson. Consequently, he receives little public support during the implementation of his strategy. He would have succeeded if he had sought public support before introducing the c hanges. The people need to understand why the changes were necessary and how the changes could benefit them. Further, they would have also felt proud by owning the process of change. One of the practices of exemplary leaders is also their willingness to enable others to act. To implement his ideas, Booker knew that he needed people to help him. As a result, he appointed Anderson and gave her all the necessary support to ensure that the plans were implemented successfully.; Newark School System Leaders possess various traits which characterize them which include emotional stability, dominance, enthusiasm, conscientiousness, social boldness, tough-mindedness, self-assurance, and compulsiveness. Other traits include high energy, intuitiveness, maturity, team orientation, empathy, and charisma.; ;In the case of Newark school systems transformation, leaders involved in the transformation process demonstrated some of these traits.; For example, Zuckerberg and other philanthropists like Bill Gates were so emphatic about the school children in Newark that they offered their monetary help to transform the situation. However, in his approach to the transformation process, Booker demonstrated poor intuitiveness. He failed to evaluate all the factors that were necessary to make the plan successful and also factors that were going to be barriers toward the realization of his vision. High energy is a trait of a good leader. Booker had high energy, and he spent a lot of time persuading, traveling, and selling his vision of the transformation of the education system in Newark until he attracted a lot of attention. Dominance is another trait that can be observed from Booker and Anderson. Both demonstrated the ability to be assertive in their thinking styles and also in their attitude in which they dealt with others. Zuckerberg, Booker, Christie, and Anderson (Cohen, 2014) demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm in the education transformation in Newark. All the four were expressive, energetic, and active in ensuring that the change process was implemented. On the trait of tough-mindedness, Booker showed that he was tough-mind when he chose to proceed with the reform process while he knew that some people were not comfortable with the process. Both Anderson and Booker also demonstrated that they were self-assured leaders. They exhibited self-confidence and resilience in their actions. For example, when the first plan failed to produce positive changes, Anderson came up with the second plan that was known as One Newark (Moss, 2014) which she believed it could work. During the transformation, the leaders exhibited a lot of teamwork. They worked for hand in hand to draft plans and supervise the implementation. They also worked together to overcome obstacles that were standing in the way of the reform process. The reform process, however, became a failure despite billions spent on the consultancy and implementation of the recommendations suggested by the consultants. Opponents of the reform process argue that the failure was caused by several assumptions (Kamenetz, 2011). The Booker;s team ought to have included the participation of many stakeholders so that they could also contribute towards the success of the plan.; It has been shown that successful leaders possess certain traits (Kirkpatrick ; Locke, 1991; Zaccaro, Kemp, ; Bader, 2004). Alternatively, leaders who are not successful do not possess traits that are common among successful leaders. According to Kreitner (2008), modern leaders ought to be emotionally intelligent. Goleman in Kreitner (2008) pointed out that emotionally intelligent leaders ought to possess traits such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. Courage has also been identified as an appropriate leadership trait and includes the elements of purpose, will, rigor, candor, and risks (Kreitner, 2008). Other characteristics that have been identified to be common among successful leaders include empathy, consistency, honesty, direction, communication, flexibility, and conviction. According to Tracy (n.d.), the seven characteristics of highly effective leaders are a vision, cooperation, courage, integrity, focus, humility, and strategic planning.; Booker and his team will have been successful if they possess all these traits. They would have managed to transform the Newark education system into the nation;;s best as they had visualized initially.;

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU!

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU! As an ex-full-time greeting card writer for the once third largest greeting card company in America Norcross (Hallmark being #1 and American Greeting #2), I thought I’d pass on some info on this market from my years in the â€Å"humor† department. It was fun being paid to sit and fold white paper from 9-5 everyday and come up with clever (and nice) ways to wish people happiness and well-being. Even though Norcross is now defunct, the rules for writing greeting cards haven’t altered much through the years. Yes, more risquà © humor has entered the market, as well as controversial subjects (such as divorce cards) but the basics haven’t changed. The most important basic is to keep it conversational: write as if talking to a friend. Never invert words or force a rhyme. Some companies still buy rhymes, but greeting card verse is NOT poetry since it is always conversational in style. Rhyming can work when it’s used with familiar figures of speech that are popular in everyday language. However, the main ingredient in a card is a wish, a greeting, a compliment or an expression of appreciation. Always keep the message informal. i.e. don’t say: Just like flowers, our friendship blooms†¦ rather say: It means a lot to have you as a friend†¦ The more natural the verse, the more marketable the card, so if you wouldn’t speak it out loud, don’t write it. Keep it sounding genuine. A good idea before attempting greeting cards is to read and study the market (just like in any other market). Once you become familiar with what’s published (without borrowing anything you see), jot down some of today’s popular expressions. You can pick these up from TV, conversations, or hit songs. Then, think about what you would want to say to a friend or loved one on his birthday, anniversary or when they’re ill. The ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes is a successful tactic in writing a greeting card wish. Of course, you’ll find it easier to be funny and nasty than funny and nice! But most companies are looking for a pleasant wish to pass along. In submitting ideas, try to limit the number to no more than 10 at one time. Nowadays, depending on the company, you either submit one idea per page with SASE or type your ideas in the body of an email (no attachments allowed). Set up the card like this popular onc I once wrote for Norcross: The very best thing about the Old Days is†¦Inside: They were the YOUNG Days!Happy Birthday! Or this rhyming verse for â€Å"Our Anniversary†I always knew that we would shareA happiness beyond compareThrough ups and downs, through thick and thinInside: I’m with you Ba Though both these verses have been around awhile, they are still viable for today’s market because the sentiment is sincere and the language colloquial. Also, while greeting cards are sent mostly to celebrate an important sentimental or emotional occasion, don’t get too sappy or you could embarrass the one receiving it. And lastly, do limit the personal pronouns (me, I, we) because their usage could limit sales (of course, that does not include Special Title cards for Wife, Husband, Sister/Brother or Sweetheart). In closing may I say: May your verse be sweet and funny And bring you lots of extra money! Seven Current Greeting Card Markets Avanti Press Blue Mountain Pays well, sometimes asks to test market first Designer Greeting Moonlighting Cards Pays $25. Looking for â€Å"love† cards Oatmeal Studios – Looking for humor CaddylackGraffix– funny and sarcastic cards

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Social Media Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Media Ethics - Essay Example This essay declares that the use of social media sites posed little danger to personal confidential information. However, as the world of social media became popular, social media sites like twitter and Facebook raised the availability of its products opening ways to new members and networks. The emergence of social media invited an ethical response that view technology as a monolithic power with different vector of impact and influence, one that can either impoverish or constrain human experience of actual world in particular manner. This paper discusses that in the current information age we live in, people have found social media networks to be an indispensable tool for connecting and communicating with each other. It is morally permissible for a person to disseminate information obtained via social media networks with the intention of creating a character profile because through social networks, public forums, media sharing websites and blogs that we are able to create interactive dialogues with others to share experiences and any important information. Despite this, some people argued that it is unethical to share information obtained from social media networks because they believe that social media would slowly fade away in turn exposing their information to dangerous people who might use the information to harm others. Social media continues to grow not just, because it allows people to connect quickly with others but also it provides users with the options of choosing when to connect, whom to connect with and what to share. The networks and ever-connected devices give the answer on the ‘how’ to share information. People on the other hand provide the answer to the question of ‘why’ they share (Wilkins and Patterson 2010, 56-59). Currently, social media serves various purposes among them blogging, collaborative and group interactions, product and service reviews, job interviews, entertainment, selling and buying, advertising and professional networking, to name but a few. From a business perspective, social media has offered businesses of all sizes a â€Å"large variety of opportunities to promote their products, services, and brands.   Ã‚  2The advent of social media such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Youtube has seen millions of people from all over the globe connect, create, and share content like never before (Wilkins and Patterson 71-74). The numerous videos, news, status updates, video views, and comments clearly reflect the enormous participatio n of people in such social networking sites. It is not bad for people especially businesses to use social media for marketing purposes since the essence of marketing is getting the information to reach as many people as possible (Wilkins and Patterson 2010, 79). From a utilitarian perspective, what is of most value and importance is happiness and pleasure. Pain and unhappiness are the things most sought to be avoided. An act is good to the extent that it promotes happiness and bad to the extent that it promotes unhappiness. The way that this is applied as a moral theory guiding one’s actions is that the morally right action is the one, which produces the most happiness, taking into account everyone who will be affected. Another way to say this is that the right action is t

Friday, November 1, 2019

Engagement and Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Engagement and Motivation - Assignment Example It shall first discuss the concepts of engagement and motivation and then go on to discuss the relationship between engagement and motivation as it relates to literacy during early childhood. It shall also discuss the policy implications based on what is established in the discussion on early childhood. Practice implications shall also be established based on what is established in the discussion on early childhood. This paper is being conducted in order to establish a clear understanding of engagement and motivation as it applies to literacy during specific stages of human development. Engagement is about energy in action or the connection between person and activity (Russell, as cited by Ainley, 2004). It is about setting into motion activities which would help accomplish one’s goals. Cambourne (as cited by Kamil, Pearson, Barr, & Mosenthal, 2000, p. 403) discusses that engagement â€Å"entails holding a purpose, seeking to understand, believing in one’s own capability, and taking responsibility for learning†. There is an emotional and physical connection between the thought and the action in engagement and this engagement helps to ensure that a person has more self confidence in carrying out certain activities like reading and writing. Motivation is â€Å"about energy and direction, the reasons for behavior, why we do what we do† (Russell as cited by Ainley, 2004). It is the ultimate underlying reason for one’s activities and one’s engagement in a certain goal. Motivation may be intrinsic or extrinsic and as an intrinsic goal it may refer to a person’s reasons for doing an activity without any purpose other than the fact that one enjoys the activity. This may be related to the concept of reading for reading’s sake (Kamil, Pearson, Barr & Mosenthal, 2000). Motivation often inspires a deeper and a more profound engagement in an activity. It helps sustain