Saturday, October 5, 2019
English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15
English - Essay Example On the surface, Troy Maxson – as a symbol- is Wilson’s way of telling people that African American men are not irresponsible, absentee fathers they were portrayed to be because the figure was clearly depicted as someone who has an overwhelming sense of duty and responsibility to his family. Troy, for example, confessed to Rose the guilt he feels over taking Gabe’s money just so he could renovate his home. He said: â€Å"Man go over there and fight the war†¦ and they give him a lousy three thousand dollars. And I have to swoop on that.†(28) But as the play narrated the life of Troy Maxson, there emerged a deeper and darker truth to what he represented. In Troy’s struggles, the plight of the Black community in America during the period became evident. The chronicle of Maxson life - his psychology and, certainly, his physical emancipation from poverty, paternal neglect and abuse, from physical incarceration, his suppressed dreams of major-league baseball, from workplace frustrations and alienation within his home to complete spiritual and mental freedom – they demonstrated the collective experiences of the African Americans as they deal with the economic and social challenges of the period. Early on, a description has been aptly given: â€Å"Together with his blackness, his largeness informs his sensibilities and the choices he has made in life.†(1) As with most Blacks in the period, Troy was poor and this drove him to commit crime. Then, his dreams were dashed, first, by racism and, then a string of unfair employment practices. All his life had been a struggle. In Troy, there was the expected victimization by and resentment of the forces of social and economic oppression that were experienced by Blacks in modern America. Rightly so, his reaction to his plight demonstrated much of the disappointment, frustration, resentment and anger of African Americans. This reaction was aptly
Friday, October 4, 2019
The Role of the Environment Agency in the Improvement of UK Essay
The Role of the Environment Agency in the Improvement of UK Air-Quality - Essay Example Its mission, as outlined in its Corporate Plan 2011-2015, is to protect and improve the environment and make it a better place for people and wildlife. Specific goals include: 1. to reduce the risks to people and properties from flooding; 2. ensure adequate supply of water; 3. protect air, land and water quality and apply environmental standards within which industry can operate; 4. reduce climate change; and, 5. help people and wildlife to adapt to its consequences (EA, 2011, p.2). As cited in the above mission and goals, one of the tasks of the Environment Agency is to ensure air quality in the country. This is the main focus of this research. This paper will examine whether the Environment Agency is effective in achieving its objectives in terms of the air quality standards in the United Kingdom. The Role of the Environment Agency According to Hopwood, Unerman and Fries (2010, p.22), the Environment Agency is one body that can exert pressure on central government on issues of sust ainability. This is also evident in the breadth of jurisdiction as well as the strength of authority given to the agency in addressing environmental issues. ... According to Wolf (2010, p.28), these tasks include: a) the bureaucratic task of processing paperwork relating to the issue of licences/permits to pollute and notices to take action regarding pollution problem identified by the regulator; and, b) policing compliance with the relevant licences/permits, notices and other regulatory control, which involves the regulator in monitoring and enforcement roles. These requirements were satisfied with the creation of the Environment Agency, tasked to oversee the protection of the environment as a whole and unified the regulatory powers that cover the air, land, and water. Based on the above factors, one can assume that the agency has the power to make meaningful changes in areas within its scope. Air Quality Objectives In order to evaluate the performance of the Environment Agency specific to air pollution, it is important to outline the objectives it has been working to achieve in this area. These objectives are contained in the larger Air Qu ality Strategy, mandated by The Environment Act of the 1995, which created the Environment agency. The strategy was finally drafted and adopted in 1997 and it contained standards, objectives and measures for improving ambient air quality (DEFRA, 2007, p.9). The strategy has undergone several modifications such as those introduced in 2003, which tightened several of its objectives and added newer ones. The most updated was the strategy released in 2007, which outlined the following objectives: the government will ensure that all citizens have access to outdoor air without significant risk to their health; the standards for setting objectives are set purely with regard to scientific and medical evidence
Thursday, October 3, 2019
18th Century English Poetry Essay Example for Free
18th Century English Poetry Essay Eighteenth century poetry consisted of several types of literature including ode, elegy, epistle, verse tale, hymn, song ballad and epigram. This period is frowned upon by critics who compare the context of this era to that of another. They claim Eighteenth century poetry is considered frivolous because often times the content lacked a true essence that poetry upheld for many centuries. Perhaps this is true, for the times of this period were changing and people were facing greater hardships in their daily lives. Melancholy plagued those who were greatly concerned with social ills which may explain the presence of abstract and satiric themes that were heavily prevalent. Perspectives evolved from the Renaissance period into Neoclassicism where individuals became secondary and a greater emphasis on the straight forward mechanics of poetry existed ( Rowles). Although there were many artist noted among this genre of poetry, William Blake established himself as a simple yet dramatic writer who used irony, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve subjects, and traditional ballad structure to baffle the many readers to come( Norton p. 2264). William Blake wrote The Chimney Sweeper of Songs of Innocence in 1789. This poem is about young children who whose families were unable to care for them financially, therefore sent to work in English mines during the 18th century. These boys were often sold to master sweepers and in turn were treated inhumanely ( Arp and Johnson p.117). Blake took this harsh treatment of human life to reveal serous social criticism of his European society. Their heads were shaved bare to prevent black soot from soiling their hair and often suffered from serious diseases. Now, one can understand why Blakes work was frowned upon by aristocracies and often viewed as insane as he strongly disapproved and openly dissented the social welfare programs in his country (Norton p.2268). There is no identifiable audience except for those that hear the third line of the first stanza, weep! weep! weep! weep! in the streets of England. This is interpreted as a childs attempt to sing Sweep! Sweep!, which was the chimney sweepers street cry. There are two ideas which evolve throughout the Chimney Sweeper. Depending on ones outlook, the first possibility is that Blake is stating no matter how detrimental life becomes, no matter how bad the church (government/law) is; one will be with God after death. Sadly children are celebrating the morality of this concept. The idea is if these children continue to work hard, eventually life will resume in the peaceful heavens. This is revealed through a dream the little boy had when, an Angel who had a bright keyopened the coffins and set them all free. The last stanza completes this thought by stating, Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm, so if all do their duty they need not fear harm. The other possibility is a negative-toned belief that children are conned into accepting their lives as slaves for adults. Either way, these boys are mocked by their naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve states (Arp 117). Blakes use of dramatic irony is shining bright as he deliberately creates a cheerful sound for six stanzas while simultaneously developing a drastically different meaning. Ironically, this poem shows that children succumb to a positive perspective on life and do not fear death for they are too young to understand the realm of the situation. In the first two lines, Blake gives us an image of a child in a state of agony or even in a state of corruption as he is left all alone with no parents. However, after a night full of merry dreams the boy wakes up feeling happy and warm. This leads the reader to believe life continues with no worries instead of completing the story with a boy whose future is bleak and laborious. Perhaps, although I doubt, Blake would desire the reader to believe that anyone has the ability to be content with a depleted life so long as his/her dreams fulfill that empty space. Blake uses the image of two colors to represent the simplicity of this picture. The color black which holds significant importance as it is used to represent death and corruption. Black is the color of the boys coffins in the little boys dream. The color black is also referenced to the soot which is filth that covers the boys as they perform their daily chores. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the color white represents purity and angelic-like spirit. The eighth line, Toms hair is white before his head is shaved. At this point, Tom is compared to feeble lamb, a symbol of the ultimate sacrificial animal, as he cries when his head becomes bare. And similar to biblical stories, Tom is naked and white when the angels carry him off to heaven where God will be his father. Blake creates an allusion by giving the reader a peace of mind while using God as a symbol for safety and care (Norton p. 2268). There is no discernible meter for the poem, the beats jump anywhere from eight to twelve, with no repetition or pattern found. The Chimney Sweeper tone sounds very much like a nursery rhyme. Similar to Rock-A-Bye-Baby, the sounds are sweet an innocent, but if you read the words, when the bow break, the cradle will fall the words are quite disturbing. Like the dramatic irony established in this poem, tone presents itself as two-dimensional, sounding soft but actually disheartening. Williams Blake writes an excellent poem in my opinion; he used terms and ideas that we have studied in this course such as irony, symbolism and allusion. Although his language is simple rather than manipulating complicated words that Shakespeare prefers, I find his style easier to evaluate. Please do not get the wrong idea, by easy I mean a better understanding. Old world writers are fascinating, but often times are too difficult to comprehend, much less interpret. Not only did I learn about 18th century poetry, I also gained knowledge of Europe social ills of the time. Woks Cited Arp, Thomas, and Greg Johnson. Sound and Sense: An introduction to Poetry. 10th Ed. Heinle Heinle: Boston, MA, 2002 Hugo, Howard, and Patricia M. Spacks. Revolution and Romanticism in Europe and America. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynoard Mack. New York City, NY: W.W. Norton Co. 1997. 2264 2268. Rowles, Kelly. Overview of 18th Century Poetry. New Jersey, 2004. Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Aug. 2004 http://caxton.stockton.edu/pom/stories/storyReader$6
Organisational Strategy, Culture and Leadership
Organisational Strategy, Culture and Leadership Introduction Future challenges for business organisation will vary in so many ways compared to the past. Organisations in this 21st century are working on different ways of doing things to stay in the competition or beat it. In this fast moving and fluctuating economic environment, finding market opportunities and developing a competitive edge for any organisation is critical and it involves lots of executive time and effort. To ensure sustainable growth for any company, the leaders of any organisation should plan strategically and tactically to meet the needs and wants of the customer in the long run and increase the shareholder value. In this context, leadership in modern organisations is a challenge in this dynamic social and cultural environment. As Elkin(2007) describes, strategies for organisational wellbeing is their ability to understand what should be done today and tomorrow to live up to customer expectations and prosper in the long run. Jonson et al (2008) argue that historical and cultural perspectives of an organisation are vital to understand the opportunities and the threats in the business environment. So, it is clear that the culture of an organisation is the central thesis of organisational strategy and implementation. To ensure successful Strategy formulation, implementation and the evaluation/measurement, need right talent within the organisation. This is where leadership of the organisation comes handy. Giving employees a purpose, directing them willingly to it and creating a feeling of importance and ownership is very important to drive the organisation towards the super ordinate goal. Therefore, it is evident that leadership in an organisation is vital in organisational development and change to achieve strategic objectives. Strategic leadership is the ability to shape the organisations decisions and deliver high value overtime, not only personally but also inspiring and managing others in the organisation. Lynch R (2009: 9) Lynchs clearly state about delivering high value or increasing shareholder value, ensuring individual and team performance in a stressed atmosphere where the change is the name of the game plan. Therefore, the author of this paper attempts to understand the concepts of organisational strategy, leadership and culture and how each of these concepts and theories can be applied in a practical scenario. Specifically, the author attempts to understand and clarify how organisational culture influence leaders in forming and performing organisational strategies. Organisational Strategy Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations Johnson et al (2008: pg 3) In simple term literature describes strategy as a long term plan, a course of action to achieve competitive advantage, a path to get from where they are to where they want to be. Elkin (2007) describes strategy as a process of positioning an organisation in its environment to achieve and sustain competitive advantage profitably. Whereas, McGee et al (2005) in their chapter on the concept of strategy, discussing Chandlers (1963) definition on strategy concludes that it as the determination of basic long -term goal and objectives, and the action plan and the allocation of resources to achieve them. Mintzberg (1994) defines strategy as a set of interrelated decisions to achieve articulated results and Appelbaum (1991:pg.41) definition characterises strategy: As a coherent grouping of actions intended to gain distinct advantage over competition Why strategy To achieve business stability and growth in this competitive business environment, even a sole trade organisation cannot do things on an adhoc basis. The Pereto Principle (80 20 rule) applies to products, customers and markets as well. Therefore, the leaders should plan to invest in 20% value adding markets. This requires logical and creative thinking in place and some extra effort from leaders. According to Jonson et al (2008), Elkin (2007) and Juran (1994), to ensure sustainable growth and to enhance shareholder value, todays organisation should have a long term direction, and a course of action to bridge the competition. Companies who make occasional improvements at a pedestrian pace cannot possibly hope to keep up with their competitors; they need to set ambitious goals Juran (1994.pg 48) Saying this Juran (1994) further emphasises the need for set goals to keep up with their competitors. Lafley ( 2009), chairman Procter & Gamble (P & G) says that they are purpose driven and values and principle led, he further state that is why they could navigate through two world wars, regional, local wars, periodic panics and recessions. Having formulated five main strategies (Product, Operations, social responsibility, employees, stakeholders www.pg.com) for P&G, they emphasis the need for a long term direction for survival and sustainable growth and is a living example for a strategy driven organisation. Basic Dynamics of Strategy Every organisation has to manage its strategies in main three areas; The organisations internal resources; The external environment within which the organisation operates; The organisations ability to add value to what it does. Lynch R ( 2009:52) And further, he describes five key elements of strategy which are needed for value addition and create the competitive edge over competitors; those are sustainability, process, competitive advantage, the exploitation of linkages between the organisation and the environment, vision. McGee et al (2005) introduces main three factors that control organisational plans, decisions and actions. In his model of basic dynamics in strategy, he explains that goals are derived considering external environment [PESTEL, Five forces Model (Porter, 1980)] and resources that an organisation has. Strategy formulation, execution and evaluation are highly integrated with organisations external and internal environments. Johnson et al (2008) also takes kind of similar approach and believes them as basic dynamic of organisational strategy. Leadership Leadership is fundamental aspect of strategic management and paramount in strategy implementation Sherman .et al (2007:pg.167) Leadership is the ability to influence, motivate individuals and teams to get the contribution towards organisational strategy willingly. (House et al, 1997; Blanchard, 2007). These are the qualities that Nelson Mandela got even after being in the jail for 28 years (www.anc.org.za, New York Times, 1990), Mother Theresa was another example with a great passion to motivate and persuade people for the end state (nobelprice.org). Hughes and Beatty (2005) state that individuals and teams become strategic as they think, act, influence towards sustainable competitive advantage and he further emphasis that Strategic thinking, Strategic acting and strategic influencing are key skills for a leader. As an example, Martin Luther Kings I have a Dream changed the Americas direction as a country in terms of culture, strategy as well as leadership. It is his acumen as a leader, ability to shape decisions to deliver high value which created this atmosphere (Lynch, 2009). When looking at great leaders in the past and the future, it is clear that the self belief, confidence, courage, integrity and being yourself, with skills (Goffee and Jones, 2000) have guaranteed the sustainability as a nation or any formal or informal organisation. Why leadership In most of the organisations in todays business context, interest of employees and employers are not aligned. As success highly depends on human capital readiness, it is leaders responsibility and the ability to get the right commitment from all in the ship. Doz and Thanheiser (2000) say that Inventing a creative recipe and cooking a perfect dish still require much talent from leaders. So, it is leaders responsibility to formulate strategy and create a strategic intent to drive the organisation for results. In any organisation existing structure is very important for employees as they are comfortable with the existing power bases, rewards and recognitions as well as the job security. Appelbaum (1991) emphasises that success of any strategic change is highly depend on the key people. So, adjusting the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities would be the challenge and leaders have to apply different types of leadership styles depending on employees educational, cultural, religious and social background as well as the organisational values and beliefs. Leadership Styles Leadership literature emphasises that there is no single effective style of leadership (Goffee and Jones, 2000; Gill, 2001; Higgs and Rowland, 2003). But Sherman et al (2007) points out that transformational leadership has been successful in getting the work done willingly while giving people a sense ownership. He further states that transformational leaders are change agents and cheer leaders in organisations. Sherman continues saying that transactional leaders enhance organisational performance by providing support and guidance to accomplish specific tasks or functions. Yukl (2006) calls transformational leadership as relationship oriented and transactional as task oriented where he points out that the appropriate mix of both depending on circumstances as situational leadership. Servant leadership takes place when leaders assume the position of servant in their relationship says Russell Stone (2002). Autocratic route is rarely an acceptable option even in sole trader organisations , Nolan et al (2007). It is very clear that different authors argue in various ways and has come up with a range of suggestions for leading styles. For example, Jack Welch approach to turn around GE is a prime example of varying leadership styles depending on the situation and the long existed organisational and the social climate. At the initial stage as a senior leader, he creates a vision and strategy to re-organise and drive GE towards success where he had to dismiss people, sell under performing units etc. During this time, he uses his positional power and authority and acted as an autocratic leader most of the time as a result he was nick named as Neutron Jack. Once he made GE lean and a flexible organisation without boundaries his approach was more democratic. Fujio Mitarai at Canon is also renowned for taking a similar kind of approach where as Paul Kennedy a fictional HBR leader is renowned as a soft negotiator who is not willing to push for best deal, critics called him as a Laissez -faire leader. But nobody justifies his approach was wrong and is totally Laissez-faire approach (Strategic Direction, 2006) as Laissez-f aire style is associated with dissatisfaction, unproductiveness and ineffectiveness. Though Jack Welch was earlier called as a neutron, later he was recognised as a transformational leader who turns around GE as the most recognised and valuable organisation in the world. He proved that the right mix with all styles drives organisation towards success. Goffee and Jones (2000) state that being your self, with skills is important as a leader, so it is clear that successful leaders represent this argument introducing their own way of doing things. Prime example is Finnish mobile manufacturer Nokia, Jorma Ollila, who is a silent CEO but with high-performance. It is believed that he take servant to transformational style as and when required. Organisational Culture Deshpande and Webster (1989), define culture as a set of tacitly understood rules and procedures which guide employees behaviours depending on the situation where as Williams at el. (1993) describes it as common and stable beliefs, values and attitudes . Schein (2004) and Johnson et al (2008) share their view stating culture as a shared basic assumptions that has worked well in the past, so they are forced to think and feel same when it comes to same kind of situations and Johnson put this into his words; Organisational culture is the basic assumptions and belief that are shared by members of an organisation that operate unconsciously and define in basic taken for grated fashion an organisations view of it and its environment. (Johnson et al, 2008: pg 189) Therefore, in general culture can be defined as norms, values and belief or assumptions people in an organisation shares commonly and be guided by. For example, Fujio cho, the president Toyota says that their business practices are based on core principles created values, beliefs and business methods and he further states those have become competitive edge over the years. So, for Toyota, culture is more important and they drive organisation benefiting from their strong homogeneous culture (Liker, 2004) Johnson, et al (2008) emphasis that individuals are surrounded by four different cultures, namely national/regional, organisational field, organisational and functional/divisional and he further states that the importance of understanding all four frames of culture in order to be successful in the business environment. McDonalds approach to enter and operate in India is a prime example for this. McDonalds menus in India do not contain pork or beef. Vegetarian and non vegetarian food products are kept separate throughout the sourcing, supply chain, cooking and serving process, (cordthinking.wordpress.com). They have been successful in achieving their strategic objectives with the thorough understanding the all forms of cultures that Jonson explains. Burt et al (1994) and Burt (2000), say that in some sectors corporate culture does not have say on performance but in others culture play a pivotal role in creating completive edge. Toyota, PG are prime example for organisations which take edge from their strong cultures. He continues stating that understanding cultures contingent value is important as it says when and when not to consider about culture in strategy formulation and leadership. Composition of culture Literature describes culture is a composite of values, belief, behaviours and norms which has been existence and accepted for a certain period of time (Schein, 2004; Liker, 2004; Burt, 2000). Where as Johnson, et al (2008) points out that paradigm is the base for culture and he explain in his below model that behaviours, belief and values are guided by this paradigm. Types of cultures Sherman et al (2007) introduces three different types cultures in organisations; Homogenous characterised by consistency, consider organisation as one and they react to changes as a unit. Toyotas culture is prime example for it as all employees values, behaviours and belief are guided by the culture. Differentiated there are majority and minority subculture but the majority runs the organisation. Fragmented small units maintain their unique cultural identities; a subculture will dominate only due to organizational necessity. It is not clear that which culture runs the firm. Trade unions and other formal and informal groups also have a say and influence on organisational decisions. Royal Mail trade union dispute and current organisational issue have been created through these cultural norms as they do not have a strong organisational consensus. Strategy, Culture and Leadership Schein E.H (2004) sees culture and leadership as two sides of same coin and he further says that leaders first create cultures and then groups and organisations. The culture often determines the degree of co-operation and commitment among the staff as well as the organisations strength of purpose and the CEO is usually responsible for setting this tone Appelbaum (1991:pg.50) Therefore, strength of organisational purpose, employee commitment and co -operation are highly depending on organisational culture. As Appelbaum (1991) says, leader is the creator of it. To achieve sound business performance while exploring unprecedented business opportunities with highest risk ever, business managers plan strategically. PGs connect develop, GEs work out are transformational strategies from which they turn around their organisations. According to Appelbaum (1991), Leaders can ignore the culture, fit culture to strategy or fit the strategy to culture compromising performance. In GEs and PGs case, strategic leaders were not ready to compromise on results they really cared about value addition in terms of customers, shareholders and for the society as whole. For example PGs A.G. Lafley has created a homogeneous culture which supports their strategy. Understanding the importance of culture for organisational well being he as the leader lives with it talks it all the ti me, in almost all reports such as sustainability, annual reports etc makes sure that they communicate their values, beliefs and the organisational purpose to all stakeholders and in that leadership creates the culture which supports to organisations end state. Schein (2004) says understanding culture is desirable for all but is a must for leaders. So, it is evident that Welch and Lafley live with this argument when driven their organisations to greatest states ever. The Work-Out in essence turned the company upside down says Welch so that the workers told the bosses what to do. That forever changed the way people behaved at the company (www.1000ventures.com). Formulating sound organisational strategy, giving sense of ownership and creating the right cultural environment have been the key to winning leaders success at GE. In contrast to GE and PG, Toyota takes a different approach as they have a strong culture in built to the organisation. They train their leaders from inception to live with their values, and belief and to get the commitment from shop flow level to the board for their culture driven strategy. (Like, 2004; Appelbaum ,1991) further talks about the need of a right mix stating leadership is responsible for creating comprehensive aspirations and goals for all emphasising the need to blend aspirations with values to get the commitment to the organisational strategy. Sherma.et al (2007) emphasises that creating the right culture to support strategy does not guarantee performance. According to him it is all about creating an organisational profile which consists of organisational culture, competitive method, market approach, leadership style and the structure. Jack Welch at GE has taken this into consideration creating different profiles at different stages of the strategy execution at GE changing his styles of leading from Autocratic, transformational to servant changing organisational structure from hierarchical to a more flexible boundary less organisation. Practitioners argue that organizations can have sound strategies in place and well documented policies and procedures. But the success relies on how competent an organisation is to implement it. Many strategies fail due to poor implementation Mcdonald (1998.pg 458) It is highly recognised that managing the knowledge workforce in this 21st century is critical and retention is a challenge with the unprecedented opportunities around. As McGee et al (2005) state in his basic dynamic of strategy it is very important to know what we have within (human capital, competencies, and other resources). In this context social and emotional intelligence of leaders come into handy. GE Welch accepts that this aspect of his leadership has been poor though he has been successful. Therefore, it is still in debate what leadership style is best suit for organisational success and what strategy is best or how culture should be changed to support organisational strategy. But it is very clear, if a leader does not want to compromise on where they want to be, the organisations should formulate strategy and demand a cultural change. This is all about taking the challenge to deliver results. From formulation of strategy, implementation and to measurement of success leadership of any organisation pay a pivotal role. Any organisation capable of placing drivers in the right seats will ensure organisational success in the long run as those drivers are capable of creating the right profile for the organisation creating the right balance among leadership, culture and strategy. Conclusion Energy stems from a genuine belief from both leadership and self and focus, innovation and growth derived from organisational strategy, (Kipp, 2005). To ensure sustainable growth in this fast moving unpredictable business environment, it is vital to have these all elements in place. But the success depends on how competent the organisation in implementing their well defined plans (McDonald, 1998). In this context, organisational culture can act as a barrier or as a strong favourable factor for positive organisational changes. According to Drago (1996), culture can be used to focus on resources and activities for the set direction as IBMs cultural emphasis is exceptional customer service, which organisation as a whole are driven and lived with. Therefore, it is pivotal for any leader to have a cultural awareness in formulation, exaction and evaluation of strategy process for any organisation irrespective of their purpose of existence. Ultimately it is leaders ability to strike the right balance between Strategy, leadership and culture to realise organisational vision ethically, Kaplan and Norton (2001). References Appelbaum (1991), the strategic Management Model: A prescription (Rx) for the CEO, international Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 41-57. MCB University Press. Blanchard, K.2007, Leading at a higher level, Blanchard leadership on high performing organisations, Prentice Hall, financial times. Burt, R.S (2000) financial times, mastering the strategy, the complete MBA companion in strategy When is corporate culture a competitive asset? Pearson Education Limited. Burt, R.S., Gabbay, S.M., Holt,G. and Morgan,P.(1994), Contingent organisation as a network theory, the culture performance contingent function, Acta Socioloica, no. 37, pp. 345 70. Drago W.A (1996), Strategic plan intensity and competitive strategy, Management research news, Vol.19.No.11,pp.13 25 Doz, Y. and Thanheiser, H. (2000) financial times, mastering the strategy, the complete MBA companion in strategy The art and science of corporate renewal Pearson Education Limited. Deshpande, R. and Webster, F.E (1989), Organizational Culture and Marketing: Defining the Research Agenda, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, pp. 3-15. Elkin P. M (2007), Mastering Business planning and strategy, The power and application of strategic thinking, 2nd edition, Thorogood Publishing. Goffee, R. and Jones, G. (2000), Why should anyone be led by you?, Harvard Business Review, September-October, pp. 63-70. Gill, R. (2001), Towards and integrated theory of leadership, paper presented at EIASM leadership conference, Oxfords. House, R.J., Wright, N.S., and Aditya, R.N (1997), Cross cultural research on organisational leadership: critical analysis and proposed theory, In P.C. Early and M.Erez (Eds.), New perspectives on international/organisational psychology; San Francisco: New Lexington Press, pp. 535 625 Higgs, M.J. and Rowland, D. (2003), Is change changing? 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Lafley, A.G ( 2009), Business, A force for growth.. and a force for good, Speech transcript, committee for economic development, business statementship awards. http://pg.com/news/pdf/AGL_CED.pdf (accessed on 1st November 2009, 20.05) McDonald (1998), Stop Strategic Planning..and create shareholder value, Management Decision, MCB university press, pp.456 459 McGee, J., Thomas, H., Wilson, D (2005) Strategy analysis and Practice, McGraw Hill Education. Mintzberg, H. (1994), The Rise and fall of strategic Planning, free Press, New York. New York Times (1990), http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/11/world/south-africa-s-new-era-mandela-go-free-today-de-klerk-proclaims-ending-chapter.html Nobelprize.org, http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-bio.html Nolan, E., Robertson, P., Rothwell, S. (2007), Spiritual leadership: a changing management paradigm, in Singh-Sengupta, S., Fields, D. (Eds),Integrating Spirituality and Organisational Leadership, Macmillan, New Delhi Russell, R.F Stone, A.G (2002), A review of servant leadership attributes: developing a practical model, leadership and organisational development journal, 23/3, pp. 145 157. Sherman, H., Daniel, J., Rowley and Armandi, B.R (2007), Developing a strategic profile: the pre-planning phase of the strategic management, Business Strategy series, vol.8, no. 3, pp. 162 171. Schein E.H (2004) Organisational culture and leadership, 3rd edition, Jossey- Bass Strategic direction (2006), Leadership Styles at GE and Cannon, Jack Welch and Fujio Mitarais differing approaches, vol.22, no.11, pp. 15-18. Williams A., Dobson P., Walters M ( 1993), Changing Culture, New organisational approach, 2nd edition, Cromwell Press. Yukl, G. (2006), Leadership in organisations, 7th edition, Pearson education, Inc.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Alien Leader in the English Civil War: Examining Paradise Lost and The Blazing World :: Paradise lost Blazing World
The Alien Leader in the English Civil War: Examining Paradise Lost and The Blazing World Throughout history, many great conquerors and powerful leaders were aliens in their communities. Examples are Alexander the Great, who was Macedonian and led the Greeks, Josef Stalin, who was Georgian and later became dictator of the U.S.S.R., Adolf Hitler, the Austrian Fuhrer of Germany, and Napoleon Bonaparte, the Corsican nationalist conqueror in France. In two primary works of seventeenth century British literature, Paradise Lost and The Blazing World, John Milton and Margaret Cavendish both employ the device of the alien leader, but they employ these devices in different ways; which belie their thoughts on alien-ness and leadership, Milton being a Roundhead and Cavendish a Cavalier during the course of the English Civil War, however, while the historical and contemporary applications are fascinating, the textual analysis provides a strong basis in and of itself to theorize on their applications of the alien leader. Milton’s Satan is a leader of a familiar population in an alien place. Milton’s God[1] is a leader of a created population in a created place, but the population and the leader are wholly new to one another, thus making the leader alien to the people. Cavendish’s Empress, on the other hand, is an alien leader to a population familiar with their surroundings. When we examine these similarities and differences, we find two specific and important questions emerge: first, is the leader a more effective leader because he/she is alien? Second. does the leader like his/her alien state? To be an effective leader, obviously, one must first be a leader. One cannot be an effective or successful teacher if one has no students, nor can one be an effective communicator if no audience exists. In much the same way, a leader requires both a sphereâ€â€a king without a kingdom is no king--and followers. This may seem to be overly simple, but this understanding is often neglected when considering leadership, whether alien or familiar. Satan’s sphere was altered to enable him to lead. God had to create humans so he could lead them. The Empress was, like Satan, subjected to circumstances beyond her control which placed her into a different sphere with radically unusual followers. When Satan and his followers fall from heaven and descend into hell in Paradise Lost, Satan becomes the prince of Hell by default, as he was the wartime leader of the angels.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Price of Gasoline :: essays research papers
ANALYZING THE PRICE OF GASOLINE The assignment this week presents a problem where the American Automobile Association (AA) generates a report on gasoline prices that it distributes to newspapers throughout the state. It further states that on February 18, 1999, the AAA called a random sample of fifty-one stations to determine that day’s price of unleaded gasoline. The following data (in dollars) was given in this report: Table 1 - Prices of Unleaded Gasoline at 51 Stations 1.07     1.31     1.18     1.01     1.23     1.09     1.29     1.10     1.16     1.08 0.96     1.66     1.21     1.09     1.02     1.04     1.01     1.03     1.09     1.11 1.11     1.17     1.04     1.09     1.05     0.96     1.32     1.09     1.26     1.11 1.03     1.20     1.21     1.05     1.10     1.04     0.97     1.21     1.07     1.17 0.98     1.10     1.04     1.03     1.12     1.10     1.03     1.18     1.11     1.09 1.06                                             Create a data array with the gasoline price data A data array is defined as â€Å"data that have been sorted in ascending or descending order†(Shannon, Groebner, Fry, & Smith, 2002, 72). The following section presents the data presented in Table 1 as a data array. Data Array 0.96, 0.96, 0.97, 0.98, 1.01, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.03, 1.03, 1.03, 1.04, 1.04, 1.04, 1.04, 1.05, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.07, 1.08, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.10, 1.10, 1.10, 1.10, 1.11, 1.11, 1.11, 1.11, 1.12, 1.16, 1.17, 1.17, 1.18, 1.18, 1.20, 1.21, 1.21, 1.21, 1.23, 1.26, 1.29, 1.31, 1.32, 1.66 Data Analysis Given the data presented in the previous sections, the next few sections use two histograms to estimate the number of prices that are at least $1.15. The first histogram presents the data using five classes and the second uses fifteen. Histogram #1 Data Used in Histogram #1 (5 classes) Range     0.70                    # of Classes     5                    Class Width     0.1400                                             Bin #     Classes     Frequency     Relative Frequency     Cumulative Frequency     Cumulative Relative Frequency 1     0.9600 < 1.1000     27     0.53     27     0.53 2     1.1000 < 1.2400     19     0.37     46     0.90 3     1.2400 < 1.3800     4     0.08     50     0.98 4     1.3800 < 1.5200     0     0.00     50     0.98 5     1.5200 < 1.6601     1     0.02     51     1.00 Histogram #1 (using 5 Classes) Estimate of the Number of Prices that are at least $1.15 Using the histogram presented in the previous section, the estimate of the number of prices that are at least $1.15 is five. This is because the only values that can be counted fall into bins three, four, and five. Even though bin two may contain values that are above the $1.15 threshold, they can not be counted as they are not guaranteed to be above the stated value. Therefore the formula for the estimate is: Estimate = B3 + B4 + B5, where B3=4, B4=0 and B5=1. Histogram #2 Data Used in Histogram #2 (15 classes) Range     0.70                    # of Classes     15                    Class Width     0.0467                                             Bin #     Classes     Frequency     Relative Frequency     Cumulative Frequency     Cumulative Relative Frequency 1     0.9600 < 1.0067     4     0.08     4     0.08 2     1.0067 < 1.0534     13     0.25     17     0.33 3     1.0534 < 1.1001     14     0.27     31     0.61 4     1.1001 < 1.1468     5     0.10     36     0.71 5     1.1468 < 1.1935     5     0.10     41     0.80 6     1.1935 < 1.2402     5     0.10     46     0.90 7     1.2402 < 1.2869     1     0.02     47     0.92 8     1.2869 < 1.3336     3     0.06     50     0.98 9     1.3336 < 1.3803     0     0.00     50     0.98 10     1.3803 < 1.4270     0     0.00     50     0.98 11     1.4270 < 1.4737     0     0.00     50     0.98 12     1.4737 < 1.5204     0     0.00     50     0.98 13     1.5204 < 1.5671     0     0.00     50     0.98 14     1.5671 < 1.6138     0     0.00     50     0.98 15     1.6138 < 1.6601     1     0.02     51     1.00 Histogram #2 (using 15 Classes) Estimate of the Number of Prices that are at least $1.15 Using the histogram presented in the previous section, the estimate of the number of prices that are at least $1.
Dramatic Monologue Essay
The Dramatic Monologue is a type of a lyric poem. It was developed in the Victorian period. Robert Browning is said to have perfected the Dramatic Monologue, with poems such as My Last Duchess, and Soliloquy of a Spanish Cloister. As its name states, it is a monologue, hence it is a speech uttered by a single person. In its fullest form, the dramatic monologue has three salient features Firstly, a single person who is patently not the poet, utters the speech that makes up the whole of a poem, in a specific situation at a critical moment. The dramatic monologue must occur at a critical moment, as it is this feature that distinguishes the dramatic monologue from a monologue. It also gives a dramatic effect, as it gives the reader the feeling that the something has happened before which has led to the utterance of the dramatic monologue. For instance, in the poem, The Forsaken Merman by Matthew Arnold, the Mermans human wife has abandoned him and their children in order to go pray in a church. The Merman utters the poem at the time when he realizes that that his wife will never come back. Secondly, this person addresses and interacts with one or more other people, but we know of the auditors presence only from clues in the discourse of the single speaker. The auditor never speaks, but we know of what he or she says and does when the speaker tells us. For instance, in the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot, the implied auditor is Prufrocks lover. We know of her presence when Prufrock addresses her, for example Let us go then, you and I. This first line of the poem tells us then that the poem is addressed to a specific person. Another instance is Oh, do not ask, What is it? This line tells us that the auditor, that is the lover does interact with the speaker, Prufrock, but we know about these interactions only through what the speaker says. Thirdly, the main principle controlling the poets formulation of what the lyric speaker says is to reveal to the reader, in a way that enhances its interest, the speakers temperament and character. This focus on self revelation is what distinguishes the dramatic monologue from its near relation, the dramatic lyric, which is also a monologue at an identifiable moment but it does not reveal any new facts. For example, in the poem Porphyrias lover by Robert Browning, the lover who is the speaker, through the course of the poem reveals his insanity. He reveals that though Porphyria was beautiful and loved him, he was still dissatisfied until the point of time that he realizes that Porphyria worships him. It is at this point of time that he reveals his insanity, when unable to contain his emotions on realizing the extent of Porphyrias devotion, he wound her hair Three times her little throat around | And strangled her. Thus, such revelations are characteristic of a Dramatic Monologue. A Dramatic Monologue may or may not have all three characteristics. For instance, the poem â€Å"Dover Beach†by Matthew Arnold does not take place at a critical moment. Yet, it is considered a dramatic monologue as it is uttered by a single speaker, and it has an implied auditor, the speaker’s love, whom he addresses in the last stanza â€Å"Ah, love, let us be true†. Thus the dramatic monologue is flexible as a poetic style. Bibliography : â€Å"A Glossary of Literary Terms†-M.H. Abrams, 7th EditionPersonal notes from lecturesPoems :†The Forsaken Merman†– Matthew Arnold†The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†– T. S. Eliot†Porphyria’s Lover†– Robert Browning
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