Leadership in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership in Nursing - Essay Example In relation to this essay, leadership has great influence in the field of nursing (Malloch 2013). Leadership in nursing remains unquestionable. It involves critical thinking, advocacy, and all that takes place in nursing practice. It plays a central role in lives of nurses affecting the entire health care organizations. Furthermore, nursing leaders expect credibility, courageousness, and inspiration in innovation and increasing nursing practices (Sullivan 2013). Nursing leadership therefore, is about being competent and engage practices of nurses to provide better care around the legal scope and boundaries of their ethics (Malloch 2013). In addition, leadership in nursing entails innovation and visionary administration from junior to senior nurse officials. Thus, these leaders should understand themselves to help nurses offer services safely, timely and easily to patients. From above arguments, leadership has both positive and negative impacts in nursing. Just to mention but a few, some of the positive impacts include provision of healthful work environment for nurses. There is also development of opportunities due to good leadership. Moreover, leadership in nursing tends to promote good practice environment and safe health facilities (Rigolosi 2013). Although nurses may tend to make judgments of their own to deliver patient’s care, they always operate within a given team framework of a hospital. Leadership that is well developed encourages nurses to prove quality care which enhances outcomes for patients Nursing leaders can also guide conversation for best interest in case there is rise in different opinions. Moreover, leadership provides integration opportunities like skills, which ensure that nursing remains responsive to individual’s requirements on daily basis. In spite of many advantages, leadership also has negative impacts in nursing. Some of which include; nurse

Leadership Process Essay Example for Free

Leadership Process Essay First Section Leadership is a process by which one person influences the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of others. Leaders set a direction for the rest of us; they help us see what lies ahead; they help us visualize what we might achieve; they encourage us and inspire us. Level 5 leadership refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities that we identified during our research. Leaders at the other four levels in the hierarchy can produce high degrees of success but not enough to elevate companies from mediocrity to sustained excellence. And while Level 5 leadership is not the only requirement for transforming a good company into a great one—other factors include getting the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and creating a culture of discipline—our research shows it to be essential. Good-to-great transformations don’t happen without Level 5 leaders at the helm. They just don’t. (Traylor, 2001) The Level 5 leader sits on top of a hierarchy of capabilities and is, according to our research, a necessary requirement for transforming an organization from good to great. But what lies beneath? Four other layers, each one appropriate in its own right but none with the power of Level 5. Individuals do not need to proceed sequentially through each level of the hierarchy to reach the top, but to be a full-fledged Level 5 requires the capabilities of all the lower levels, plus the special characteristics of Level 5. (HBR, 2001) It differs from other leadership styles as the leaders come from the grass root of the organization. Meaning, it is the leader who has grown and developed from the ground level of the organization and has gradually escalated towards the top most level. This allows an employee to go through all phases and nurture to the top level of the organization i.e. CEO level. A few years ago in Strategy Leadership, Michael Raynor debunked the premises on which the shareholder-first model rests, and a few months ago Michael Porter criticized the current belief that looking beyond the business is bad for business. In the January/February Harvard Business Review he argues that companies should be considering other stakeholders, and so generates economic value by creating societal value. These respected thinkers offer another answer to the question about the purpose of a business: the firm should see itself as an interdependent part of a community that consists of multiple stakeholders whose interests are integral to business success. In this view, an enterprise can be seen as a system of long-term cooperative relationships between affected parties. (Collins, 2001) These include the firm’s managers and employees, customers and clients, investors, suppliers, the towns, states and nations where the firm is located or sells goods and services and even future generations of stakeholders. In such a system, stakeholder influence generates pressure for the organization to behave in ethical and environmentally and socially responsible ways, and in turn, this interdependency helps the firm be sustainable and resilient. This alternative approach to leadership is variously referred to as ‘‘sustainable,’’ ‘‘Rhineland’’ or ‘‘honeybee’’ leadership. By sustainable we don’t just mean a firm is being green and socially responsible. Research and observations in over 50 firms around the world, including in many listed corporations, suggest that sustainable leadership requires taking a long-term perspective in making decisions; fostering systemic innovation aimed at increasing customer value; developing a skilled, loyal and highly engaged workforce; and offering quality products, services and solutions. (Caroselli, 2003) Second Section In 2005, Lee Scott, ex-CEO and President of Wal-Mart Stores and now Chairman of its Executive Committee, announced that the company would essentially adopt sustainable leadership principles going forward, although he did not use that term. Financial performance was solid, but the company was the target of many complainants – employees, local communities, suppliers, and environmentalists. Scott decreed that Wal-Mart, one of largest Fortune 500 corporations, would become more ethical, and more socially and environmentally responsible. The company would use its political might to benefit ordinary Americans in healthcare and energy savings, and make people’s lives better. Scott even advocated paying more for products from ethical suppliers – an extraordinary reversal by an enterprise built around a low-cost strategy. In the years since, Wal-Mart has experimented with environmentally-friendly stores and other socially-responsible measures. Interestingly, its bottom line has not suffered during this process, posting net sales increases for the past five years, according to Wal-Mart’s 2009 annual report. In recent months, in a move to improve the healthiness of its products, the firm announced plans to reduce the fat and salt in its house brand groceries and cut prices on fresh produce. (Shaw, 2005) A considerable body of evidence shows that sustainable practices are more likely to enhance business performance than the shareholder-first approach. First, various writers have examined and compared the Anglo/US system with its Rhineland counterpart, concluding that Rhineland principles are more sustainable and lead to better outcomes than the shareholder-first approach. Second, Avery and Bergsteiner have gathered extensive evidence for each of the individual practices in their pyramid model, showing how they are more likely to contribute to positive business outcomes than their counterparts under the shareholder-first model. For example, a major difference between shareholder-first and sustainable practices lies in whether they retain people or lay them off when times get difficult. Staff retention is regarded as a foundation element in the pyramid because conditions aimed at keeping staff can be initiated at any time. However, retaining staff supports various higher order outcomes in the pyramid; it allows knowledge to be retained, and supports quality, trust, and innovation, for example, and enhances financial performance, as well as staff and customer satisfaction. Similar cases can be made for the other 22 elements. (Cooke, 2008) What senior executive would reject these as legitimate goals for an enterprise seeking to both thrive and endure? To some cynics, sustainable leadership – a management approach aimed at delivering better and more sustainable returns, reducing unwanted employee turnover and accelerating innovation – sounds too good to be true. They dismiss it as just another form of humanistic management, merely good management practices, or as following old-fashioned values. There is some truth in each of these characterizations. Certainly, sustainable leadership embraces aspects of humanistic management in that it includes valuing people and considering the firm as a contributor to social well being. The individual practices of sustainable leadership are not new: B Warren Bennis advocated recruiting, training, and employing an effective top leadership team rather than just relying on the heroic CEO. He also proposed that firms become financially transparent as a step to becoming more ethical. B Peter Drucker wanted managers to promote change and allow innovations to come from all over the organization, thereby enabling ordinary people to make extraordinary things happen. B Stephen Covey urged using the knowledge and engagement of a firm’s employees. What is new is the understanding that these practices form a self-reinforcing leadership system that enhances the performance of a business and its prospects for survival. What is also significant is that sustainable leadership practices are diametrically opposed to the typical shareholder-first approach, which business schools, management journals, the media, and many practitioners continue to promote. (Branson, 2010) Sustainable leadership in practice Sustainably-led organizations have been identified across different sectors, countries, institutional contexts, and markets. Examples of successful enterprises that consistently embrace sustainable leadership principles abound, particularly among privately-held firms and SMEs. Unlisted companies displaying virtually all of the 23 characteristics of a sustainable enterprise include: in the USA, WL Gore Associates (Goretexw and other products) and SAS (software); in Germany, Giesecke Devrient (bank notes and securities) and Ka ¨rcher (cleaning solutions); and in Switzerland, Endress Hauser (flow technologies) and Migros (retail conglomerate). However, it is likely to be more difficult for listed corporations or private equity groups to operate on sustainable principles because of the pressures on them to achieve short-term performance goals. Yet numerous listed enterprises manage to operate sustainably, if necessary by standing up to or managing their relationships with the financial markets. Well-known examples include Germany’s Munich Re from the finance industry; Colgate (consumer goods) based in the USA; Britain’s BT Group (telecommunications); the Thai construction corporation, Siam Cement Group, and its competitor from Switzerland, Holcim. (Streshly Gray, 2010) Third Section There are many obstacles in changing to sustainable leadership. First, sticking with conventional wisdom is comfortable and easy – it’s business as usual. Second, change is disruptive and initially creates both financial and intangible costs, although as the Wal-Mart case shows these may not slow growth and profits. Third, most people disregard hard evidence and make their decisions on the basis of ideological beliefs. Managers are no exception to this human foible despite their training and experience in decision making. Fourth, major change involves risks, bringing with it the chance of a drop in short-term performance, so stakeholders need to be prepared to focus on the long term. Finally, radical change can take a long time to embed and then maintain. A major Australian bank converted from a shareholder-first strategy to a sustainable leadership model. The change took a decade to take hold, with outstanding results, but unraveled in only a few years to under a new CEO with a different agenda. The choice to adopt a more sustainable strategy, one that research and practice show leads to higher resilience and performance over the long term, remains in the hands of each executive team. Unfortunately, executives remunerated on a short-term basis may have no incentive for seriously pursuing long-term change, to the detriment of shareholders and other stakeholders. This is where the fundamental short-term focus of the shareholder-first or business-as-usual model begins to destroy shareholder value and endanger a firm’s very survival. (Brown, 2005) References Branson, D. M. (2010). The last male bastion: gender and the CEO suite in Americas public companies. Taylor Francis. Brown, M. T. (2005). Corporate integrity: rethinking organizational ethics, and leadership. Cambridge University Press. Caroselli, M. (2003). The business ethics activity book: 50 exercises for promoting integrity at work. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Collins, J. C. ( 2001). Good to great: why some companies make the leapand others dont. Harper Business. Cooke, P. (2008). Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Non-Profits Make a Difference and Others Dont. Gospel Light. Shaw, K. A. (2005). The intentional leader. Syracuse University Press. Streshly, W. A., Gray, S. P. (2010). Leading Good Schools to Greatness: Mastering What Great Principals Do Well. Corwin Press. Traylor, P. S. (2001). IT Takes Two. CIO Magazine , Vol.15, No.4, November 15

The Case for the Redistribution of Ecotourism Gains in Kenya. Essay

The Case for the Redistribution of Ecotourism Gains in Kenya. Introduction Ecotourism, also known as â€Å"responsible tourism†, is defined as â€Å"responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people† . Ecotourism has become the fastest growing sub-sector of the tourist industry: in the Third World, it is growing at a rate of 6% per year . Bordering the Indian Ocean and located in Eastern Africa, Kenya reaps substantial benefits from ecotourism activities. Kenya’s rich biodiversity and natural resources allow it to earn as much as 1/3 of its total foreign exchange revenues from ecotourism . A recent study of game farming in Kenya has shown that wildlife tourism was fifty times more lucrative than cattle grazing and that an elephant herd was valued at $610,000 annually . Ecotourism will therefore play a predominant role in the country’s economic development. In order to assess the equity implications of ecotourism in Kenya, this paper will attempt to assess th e distributional impacts of the policies local authorities have undertaken in Kenya to foster ecotourism and to propose suggested reforms and recommendations to help groups, who have traditionally been marginalized such as the Maasai. Background Kenya was a protectorate and a British colony from the late 1890s to December 1963, when the country gained its independence. Although Kenya is a relatively stable country, it has only been governed by 3 Presidents (from only 2 political parties) since independence. With a population of 31.3 million people , Kenya is a multi-ethnic country, whose administrative arrangements closely parallel ethnic boundaries . With a GNI/ capita of $360 , Kenya is still a ... ...ashington, D.C.: Island Press. http://www.stpt.usf.edu/~jsokolov/211maasai.htm, The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, Survival 1998 http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=160, World Heritage Convention, UNESCO Kamuaro, O. â€Å"Ecotourism: Suicide or Development?†. Available from www.unsystem.org/ngls/documents/publications.en/voices.africa/number6/vfa6.12.htm United States Agency for International Development. 1996. Mid-Term Evaluation. Washington D.C.: United States Agency for International Development. World Bank, http:/devdata.worldbank.org/external/CPProfile.asp?CCODE=KEN&PTYPE=CP, Country profile Table, The World Bank Group. World Bank, http://www.worldbank.org/ke/ke_ctry_brief.htm, Country Brief, The World Bank Group in Kenya. Zecchini, A. â€Å"Clash of Interests in Maasai Country- Kenya’s Battle for Biodiversity†, Le Monde Diplomatique, November 2000

Ben & Jerry’s Company Analysis †Short Essay

Companies like Ben & Jerry’s could definitely be affected by high inflation because of the consumer spending. When the consumers are forced to pay higher prices for products or services that are a necessity, they cut back on products or services that are a luxury. Luxuries that are not a necessity to live like gasoline for vehicles or gas to heat homes or even food will not be bought. Any company that sells a luxury item that is not a necessity to live can be affected by high inflation. With inflation, the price of everything goes up. With that said, the price for companies to buy supplies goes up, meaning that in order to cover their overhead, they will need to find a way to make that money back which could mean layoffs or raising the price of their goods or products. In a recession, companies like Ben & Jerry’s could also face the possibility of being negatively affected because of the demand of consumers. Very much like inflation, recession has the same effect; the consumers do not want to spend their money on luxury items. With the recession, there are more people unemployed who are just barely getting by, therefore, will refuse to spend any money on something that does not decide whether they have a home or not, which includes a luxury item like ice cream. Ben & Jerry’s could also be affected because of their stock prices. During a recession, the price of stock usually declines. So, their revenue would be affected as well as their stock, which would result in bad overall performance of the company. Speaking from personal experience, any luxury item that I absolutely do not need, I do not buy. I simply cannot put myself in a position to not pay a bill because I want to â€Å"treat† myself. With all this said, Ben & Jerry’s provides a reasonably priced luxury item that I would consider a â€Å"feel-good† luxury item. Everyone loves ice cream, young and old. Consumers still need to have a quality of life with the changing economic conditions and if buying an affordable luxury item gives them that, they are going to splurge and buy it. Unlike other luxury items, such as getting clothing and spa appointments, the consumer still gets to feel good and not go broke. Ben & Jerry’s makes a one of a kind product, their flavored ice cream, which makes it an easy buying decision for the consumer. The text book also explains that McDonald’s is not hit as sensitive to the economic conditions for the same reason. Their food is reasonably priced and the consumer still gets to feel like they are â€Å"treating† themselves to restaurant food without breaking the bank. Ben & Jerry’s has social, product and economic condition missions that make them popular in their industry. Not only do they care about making a profit, but they care about their people, environment and planet. They have mission statements for each of these and they follow through. As a consumer, I would rather buy my luxury item from a company that cares about something other than making a buck like their competitors. They make their ice cream to support causes like the recent Imagine Whirled Peace flavor that hosted a competition and donated money to them to support their peace cause. They also have a foundation that gives grants to non-profit organizations that are working for progressive social change. They hold fund-raisers and rally days. They provide hope, awareness and celebration. They also use naturally and humanly produced ingredients as part of one of their missions as well, which is something that would usually increase the price of any products, but with this company, it is just part of their offering. All in all, they provide more than just ice cream to the consumers which makes them less vulnerable to the economic shocks.

Moral Reflection

Everyday in our lives we are forced into making moral decisions about anything under the sun. There are situations that make such process difficult, and there are situations where the answer appears to be just right in front of our faces. I believe it would be difficult for anyone to decide on any ethical dilemma if he has no clear idea of morality.Personally, I am aware that of at least two ethical principles that guide me in my everyday ethical decision-making. These are utilitarianism and Kantian moral philosophy. utilitarianism holds that a person’s action would be considered morally right if it tends to promote happiness for the greatest number of people. Thus, utilitarianism as a moral philosophy places emphasis on the consequences of human action, rather than on the motives behind such action (West).On the other hand, Kantian moral philosophy, or more popularly known as the categorical imperative, is based on notions of obligation, necessity and reason. Kant believed th at morality consists in the choosing and doing proper conduct, and the proper action is dictated solely by rational considerations. Thus, Kant holds that subjective considerations, including emotions, should not be considered in moral decision-making (The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy).I believe in both these theories and I use them both when I decide everyday ethical dilemmas. There are times when. I believe purely rational considerations should prevail, but there are times that I also consider subjective factors like emotions. I believe that both theories guide my actions and decisions, and both allow me to weigh various considerations in my mind.Nevertheless, I believe that Kant’s method in determining the right conduct is a better decision-making process, because Kant provded clear criteria for choosing. Kant provided this rule, thus:â€Å"So act, that the rule on which thou actest would admit of being adopted as a law   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   by all rational b eings. (Kant).†This rule is easier to follow since it does not fluctuate depending on my mood or subjective predilection, which could change in any day. It serves as a â€Å"true north,† which teaches all men how to think and decide moral dilemmas.One moral issue that deeply concerns me is euthanasia, or mercy killing. Euthanasia is defined as an act characterized by â€Å"the intentional ending of a patient's life by a physician, usually by lethal injection (Religion Facts).†Ã‚   Euthanasia is always being raised as an option where a person is with a terminal illness and slim chances of recovering. It is an important issue for me because I could easily imagine myself in the position of the sick person’s family, and I could imagine subjective feelings that would dictate either euthanasia or maintaining life support. In these kinds of situations, utilitarianism could support either position, as the decision would depend on the consequences of an action. On the other hand, Kantian philosophy could provide a more definitive answer, but such answer would definitely not consider emotions, because these are subjective factors that are not based on reason.Works CitedKant, I. The Metaphysics of Ethics. 1886.MacDonald, Chris. â€Å"Moral Decision Making — An Analysis.† 2002. 14 Feb. 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .Religion Facts. â€Å"Facts and Statistics on Euthanasia.† 14 Feb. 2008.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ;http://www.religionfacts.com/euthanasia/stats.htm;.The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. â€Å"The Categorical Imperative.† 2001. 14 Feb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008.;http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/categorical-imperative.html;.West, Henry R. â€Å"Utilitarianism.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 14 Feb. 2008.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ;http://www.utilitarianism.com/utilitarianism.html;.

Dropping out of college. Common practice

Dropping out of college. Common practice Top 6 reasons why students drop out of college Have you ever wondered why a tendency like dropping out has grown to become a national problem? Here, we try to analyze the reasons behind leaving college and the psychology of students, who prefer a well-paid job to overcrowded lecture halls. Either way, dropping out can be referred to as a sad practice. You are not ready for academic responsibility. Most of us expect a drastic change in our everyday routine once we go into college, but the reality is more prosaic: piles of papers that clutter our desk and endless hours of learning. Students realize that promises they’ve given to themselves cannot be kept without burning out and severe stress, so they decide to leave rather than climb an academic ladder. On the one hand, this behavioral model is quite understandable, as the pressure in college can be high, but if we take a look from a different angle, we might find out that leaving your university is a serious loss for students and teachers alike. You suffer from financial stress. Tuition fees may be hard to cover, so there are students who would like to run their own business instead of making regular donations to the university’s treasury. This is both disturbing and common: as we pay off our loans in college, we invest in the future education and a career at the working place. Those, who do not realize the importance of this far-reaching strategy, though, claim that financial expectations are nothing more than a clever-minded tactics to bring more money to the country’s educational sector, and they do not want to contribute to the economy in such a way. You want to live the party life. You may be a party animal to the point where your decisions are determined by your weekend plans, and not the college schedule. Some of us claim to be a little less sociable than the others, but most students expect university to look like some kind of magic place, where you can make up for the slack and chaos that you caused in a few simple steps. The truth, however, is far from that: you cannot give in to social pleasures and stay best in class, as sleepless nights do not encourage healthy studying routine. To avoid this, we recommend to treat university life with moderation. You can enjoy the party vibes once the semester is over, but you are certainly expected to pay your full and undivided attention to academia once you are in college. You want to go home. Some of us miss home so much that we are ready to abandon our studies once given an opportunity. Climate change, noisy roommates and overall atmosphere are the main reasons we drop out of college. Homesickness becomes our regular companion, and we will give anything to find ourselves in our own neighborhood again. Do not think that this is unrealistic, though: many students have relinquished their studies because they felt nostalgia was too overwhelming. You do not want to do that much writing. If you are not used to making notes and your handwriting is something you would prefer to forget about, this aspect of college life will certainly stress you out. Of course, you are not required to write your term paper by hand, but there is a certain amount of writing that is anticipated from you to continue education. Digital technologies may take over the reins, but if you have perfect handwriting, many of your problems in college are solved. You want guidance. Back in high school, you thrived on your teacher’s attention and valued guidance above all, and now they tell you to take care of your own life and make independent decisions. Some of us just can’t handle the pressure – we need an instructor who is going to tell us exactly what to do and help us overcome the stress of our first years in college. If there is no such person around or we haven’t found the right role model, we drop out to seek inspiration elsewhere.

Crafting the perfect elevator pitch

Crafting the perfect elevator pitch In our increasingly digital world, cold-calling has become something of a lost art. But newer isn’t always better. Warmilu founder and CEO Grace Hsia explains why entrepreneurs should embrace phone calls, and gives some tips for crafting a perfect pitch. [Source: Daily Fuel]

Sophists Definition and Observations

Sophists Definition and Observations Professional teachers of rhetoric (as well as other subjects) in  ancient Greece are known as Sophists. Major figures included Gorgias, Hippias, Protagoras, and Antiphon. This term comes from the Greek, to become wise. Examples Recent scholarship (for example, Edward Schiappas The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece, 1999) has challenged conventional views that rhetoric was born with the democratization of Syracuse, developed by the Sophists in a somewhat shallow way, criticized by Plato in a somewhat impractical way, and rescued by Aristotle, whose Rhetoric found the mean between Sophistic relativism and Platonic idealism. The Sophists were, in fact, a rather disparate group of teachers, some of whom may have been opportunistic hucksters while others (such as Isocrates) were closer in spirit and method to Aristotle and other philosophers.The development of rhetoric in 5th-century B.C. certainly corresponded to the rise of the new legal system that accompanied the democratic government (that is, the several hundred men who were defined as Athenian citizens) in parts of ancient Greece. (Keep in mind that before the invention of lawyers, citizens represented themselves in the Assemblyusually i n front of sizable juries.) It is believed that the Sophists generally taught by example rather than precept; that is, they prepared and delivered specimen speeches for their students to imitate.In any case, as Thomas Cole has noted, its difficult to identify anything like a common set of Sophistic rhetorical principles (The Origins of Rhetoric in Ancient Greece, 1991). We do know a couple of things for certain: (1) that in the 4th century B.C. Aristotle assembled the rhetorical handbooks that were then available into a collection called the Synagoge Techne (now, unfortunately, lost); and (2) that his Rhetoric (which is actually a set of lecture notes) is the earliest extant example of a complete theory, or art, of rhetoric. Platos Criticism of the Sophists The Sophists formed part of the intellectual culture of classical Greece during the second half of the fifth century BCE. Best known as professional educators in the Hellenic world, they were regarded in their time as polymaths, men of varied and great learning. . . . Their doctrines and practices were instrumental in shifting attention from the cosmological speculations of the pre-Socratics to anthropological investigations with a decidedly practical nature. . . . [In the Gorgias and elsewhere] Plato critiques the Sophists for privileging appearances over reality, making the weaker argument appear the stronger, preferring the pleasant over the good, favoring opinions over the truth and probability over certainty, and choosing rhetoric over philosophy. In recent times, this unflattering portrayal has been countered with a more sympathetic appraisal of the Sophists status in antiquity as well as their ideas for modernity.(John Poulakos, Sophists. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) The Sophists as Educators [R]hetorical education offered its students mastery of the skills of language necessary to participating in political life and succeeding in financial ventures. The Sophists education in rhetoric, then, opened a new doorway to success for many Greek citizens.(James Herrick, History and Theory of Rhetoric. Allyn Bacon, 2001) [T]he sophists were most concerned with the civic world, most specifically the functioning of the democracy, for which the participants in sophistic education were preparing themselves.(Susan Jarratt, Rereading the Sophists. Southern Illinois University Press, 1991) Isocrates, Against the Sophists When the layman . . . observes that the teachers of wisdom and dispensers of happiness are themselves in great want but exact only a small fee from their students, that they are on the watch for contradictions in words but are blind to inconsistencies in deeds, and that, furthermore, they pretend to have knowledge of the future but are incapable either of saying anything pertinent or of giving any counsel regarding the present, . . . then he has, I think, good reason to condemn such studies and regard them as stuff and nonsense, and not as a true discipline of the soul. . . . [L]et no one suppose that I claim that just living can be taught; for, in a word, I hold that there does not exist an art of the kind which can implant sobriety and justice in depraved natures. Nevertheless, I do think that the study of political discourse can help more than any other thing to stimulate and form such qualities of character.(Isocrates, Against the Sophists, c. 382 BC. Translated by George Norlin)

Summary paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary paper - Essay Example The article further explains the way of life in the Akan society beginning with the process of creating a village, which then grows into a town. An Akan village has a head while a town in Akan has a stool of power and a chief as the center of the power. The article entitled The Akan people by Adu-Amankwah provides basic information about the Akan people. The article explains that the live in central Ghana and speak the Akan language which is a collection of various dialects. The dialects they speak influence their identity since the people are often categorized in such groups. Among the existing groups based on the variety of dialects, include Wassa, Asante, Fante, Bono, Akyem, Kwahu and Akuapem. The author of the article cites several historians as he provides a detailed of the Akan people. He explains that the lived in independent kingdoms founded by refugees from Kumbu, a kingdom that consisted of twenty-seven states and was destroyed by Songhay in 1470. The economic activities of the Akan people include hunting, farming and fishing. The article, Akan kinship terms, provides a detailed analysis of kinship in the Akan society. In doing this, the article explains that the Akan people believe in extended family system. The system is material in nature. With such an exciting yet informative introduction, the article proceeds to provide translations of some basic kinship names to English despite admitting that most of such names have no direct equivalent in English. Such terms include papa for father but the term Agya may refer to father too. Maame is for mother while Eno /Awo is an equivalent for affection though not directly transplanted as such. Nua is for sibling, kunu refers to a husband and yere for wife. A child is a significant individual in a society and the Akan refer to a child as ba. Greetings on the other hand is an article that discuses the type of greetings in the Akan society. The article begins by acknowledging that greeting is a personal

ISLAM. Shi'i and Sunni Muslims Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ISLAM. Shi'i and Sunni Muslims - Research Paper Example Islam is articulated by the divine book, Holy Quran, and is a monotheistic religion. Quran is the text, which is regarded as the perfect word of God by its Muslim followers and by the teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH). Muhammad (PBUH) is the last Prophet of Allah and the seal on all the prophets and marks the finality of the prophethood. An adherent, or a follower, of Islam is known as the Muslim. The Muslims, without doubt, believe that there is only One and Incomparable God and the purpose of the existence of entire humanity is to serve and love the Almighty Power. They are also of the firm belief that Islam is a full universal adaptation of the primitive faith which was sent at various places and times through Moses, Abraham, and Jesus, who were the prophets of God before the arrival of Holy Prophet (PBUH) (Raana, 2010). Majority of the Muslims in Islam are the Sunni followers these days. According to the etymology of the word Sunni, it is a very broad terms which has been derived from the word Sunnah, which means a ‘normal practice’ or ‘habit’. Sunnis exist from the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and are generally considered as the orthodox, or conventional, form of the religion. They are considered to be the followers of one of the four schools of thoughts: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii, and Hanbali. These schools differ from each other in the methodologies of interpreting and practicing the Islamic laws (Marranci, 2007). The formation of Sunni sect was the outcome of the election of Abu Bakar as the first successor of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Ali had already got the candidature for the caliph but when the community chose the closest companion of Holy Prophet, the entire community got divided into two sects over this dispute. Those, who accepted and respected the legality and authority of Abu Bakar’s caliphate composed the majority of Muslims, were later called as â€Å"Sunni,† which means the â€Å"followers of [the Prophet’s] customs [sunna].† The

Financial Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Statement - Essay Example They are found in the Asset part of the balance sheet. These equipment purchases are regarded as long-term and are documented for many years (Kieso, Weygandt & Warfield, 2014). The financing activities on the other hand refer to the cash flow that is affected by the decreases or increases to equity. It simply means the quantity of cash flow affected by securing a loan or by paying down debt from a lending institution or an owner. Such activities are in the Equity and liability section of the balance sheet. Here, decreases and increases can be a bit deceiving if viewed at a bad or good perspective. This is the most important activity of the cash flow as it keeps the business going and informs the executive on what should be done on avoided for the continuity of the business. Disclosures to financial statements are vital as lenders use a variety of them from a private initiative statement when they need to determine whether the entity ought to get a loan; distinctive financial statements basing on the new overall accepted Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE) may possibly meet those requirements. However, as financial statements are prepared for private enterprises, they must be in a way that they maintain the confidence and trust of lenders, thus additional disclosures may be advantageous in getting financing (Benjamin & Stanga,

The TED Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The TED Assignment - Research Paper Example In this essay I will discuss a few of the videos and how they believe one should lead their lives. The first video I saw was by Amy Purdy who lost her legs due to bacterial meningitis. At that time, she was devastated and wondered how she was going to fulfil her dream of traveling the world and of snowboarding. But then she realized that she had an option to take her life in the direction she wanted to take. So she accepted the fact that she doesn’t have real legs anymore and will have to bear with the artificial ones. She imagined herself to keep walking, helping people and snowboarding again. And this is the life she chose. She became creative about the artificial legs and customized them according to her needs. She failed, slipped, fell many times, but she would not let go of hope that easily. This was when she understood one of the most important life’s lessons: Obstacles do only two things to you-make you stop or force you to be creative. (Purdy, 2011) Her story tells you that one has two options when faced by a real tragedy: you can whine, be depressed, let go of hope and life or look right into the eyes of the world and follow your dreams irrespective of how many obstacles lay in front of you. These obstacles might stop you from doing something the way normally people do, but they also help you to imagine and discover new ways of following your dreams, living life to the fullest and being happy. Another speaker at Ted, Shawn Achor, a researcher and teacher of positive psychology talks about the formula of happiness. He argues that we always talk about what average people think, believe and do. We research on people and we generalize them as average people. He believes that â€Å"if we study what is merely average, we will remain average†. Furthermore he talks about the general perception of life and happiness. He argues that our happiness is mostly characterized by

Typographer Matthew Carter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Typographer Matthew Carter - Essay Example Although the process followed in the above type foundry was considered to be anachronistic, this activity helped Carter to create his own style in typography design (a sector that became soon the centre of Carter’s work in typography). During his visit in New York approximately in 1960 Carter had the chance to study the work of Herb Lubalin and Milton Glaser. It was the work of these two typographic designers that caused the transition of Carter from a ‘type-maker to a type designer’ [1]. It should be noticed that in New York Carter ‘joined Mergenthaler Linotype and began developing fonts that would exploit the new photo-typesetting technologies’ [2]. It was there that Carter’s skills in ‘calligraphic and script renderings’ [2] were revealed. In this context, the skills of Carter in typography could be considered as formulated mostly under the influence of typography trends existed in 1960’s in New York (of course his work n ear his father was an important factor for the development of Carter’s skills in typography). Carter has been based primarily on earlier designer’s work adding his own style. The value of the work of earlier designers on the development of Carter’s skills can be identified in the case of Galliard, ‘designed for Mergenthaler Linotype in 1978 and based on Robert Granjon’s forms of the mid-16th century, discovered during Carter’s research at the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp in the 1950s’ [1]. Generally, it could be stated that ‘Carter’s outstanding knowledge of type and its history has not led him to be fastidious or conservative in his attitude towards the democratisation and instability of type in the digital environment’ [1]. In fact, Carter managed to combine the style of earlier typography designers with his own personal style in order to create a series of fonts that are considered to be unique in terms of t he style and the method used for their production. Moreover, Carter has

The TED Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The TED Assignment - Research Paper Example In this essay I will discuss a few of the videos and how they believe one should lead their lives. The first video I saw was by Amy Purdy who lost her legs due to bacterial meningitis. At that time, she was devastated and wondered how she was going to fulfil her dream of traveling the world and of snowboarding. But then she realized that she had an option to take her life in the direction she wanted to take. So she accepted the fact that she doesn’t have real legs anymore and will have to bear with the artificial ones. She imagined herself to keep walking, helping people and snowboarding again. And this is the life she chose. She became creative about the artificial legs and customized them according to her needs. She failed, slipped, fell many times, but she would not let go of hope that easily. This was when she understood one of the most important life’s lessons: Obstacles do only two things to you-make you stop or force you to be creative. (Purdy, 2011) Her story tells you that one has two options when faced by a real tragedy: you can whine, be depressed, let go of hope and life or look right into the eyes of the world and follow your dreams irrespective of how many obstacles lay in front of you. These obstacles might stop you from doing something the way normally people do, but they also help you to imagine and discover new ways of following your dreams, living life to the fullest and being happy. Another speaker at Ted, Shawn Achor, a researcher and teacher of positive psychology talks about the formula of happiness. He argues that we always talk about what average people think, believe and do. We research on people and we generalize them as average people. He believes that â€Å"if we study what is merely average, we will remain average†. Furthermore he talks about the general perception of life and happiness. He argues that our happiness is mostly characterized by

Geography in the middle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geography in the middle east - Essay Example upport that Christian Zionists and Jews received from such powers as the United States shows the general aim of their empowerment and motivation towards the liberation. The United States, for example, recognized rights of Soviet Jews to their traditional beliefs and elevated Zionists and Jews to political posts (Class Notes, n.d., Slide 97). Statements that key leaders made, in relation to the events also identifies the need for liberation as reason for the unity and violence as the approach to the liberty. While Soviet restrained Jews movements, Sharansky acknowledged that the Jews Movement was significant to the fall of the Soviet (Class Notes, Slide 100). The key indicator of the role of violence in the liberation is the role of the United States in empowering Al Qaeda for violent attacks on the Soviet and Brzezinski and Clinton admits to America’s role in creation of Al Qaeda (Class Notes, Slide 98, 99). Shultz, however, established the plight of the Soviet Jews to America ’s government to facilitate the nation’s influence on the fight (Class Notes, Slide

Toyota Strategy Essay Example for Free

Toyota Strategy Essay Seventy four years since its founding, Toyota Motor is almost at the pinnacle of the global auto industry, having overtaken Ford Motor and General Motors in vehicle sales. Toyota was established in 1937 in Japan. Toyota has grown from being a small Japanese carmaker in the 1960s to the biggest carmaker in 2007, outranking General Motors. The founding principles for this success were embodies by the â€Å"Toyota Way† – a respect for learning, truth, trust, team-work, challenge and continuous improvement. First time it introduced its product Corona in the US in 1965. By the 70’s, Toyota was the best-selling import brand in the US. During the 80’s, it started manufacturing vehicles in the US. In 2006, it had globally become the second largest car seller and third largest car sellers in the US having more than fifteen percent market share. It is estimated that by 2008 it is going to be the number one car producer and seller both in the US and across the world. This profound success of Toyota is associated with its most proficient market strategy. The case of Toyota notably proves that how important is market strategy in the life of a company to be a market leader. Toyota Company has so many successes in its production history. Toyota even in Japan and in worldwide is one of most important and successful multinational companies. One of the most important reasons for success of a company is its marketing strategy. In continue I will try to peruse Toyotas success reasons and good planning for achievement in international market around the world. The reasons for achievement of a company in international markets is belong to variety elements such as good production and assembly system, good strategy both in local and international markets, good planning and managing and so on. In practice this innovation means that line workers not only have the right, but are obliged to take the time which is necessary in order to carry out the tasks necessary to ensure the maintenance of the highest quality standards at each stage of production, even while production is taking place. Just-In-Time This system is a method of production programming involves a series of innovation in the production and the preparation of the work more generally in the logistics of production and in the management of the flows and stocks of intermediate and semi-finished goods. These innovations take together constitute a system of production with much reduced stocks, made possible a system of information processing unique and unprecedented in the history of work organization. Supply Chain Management Supply chain or value chain management is composed of the operational or tactical activities and can be defined as ‘managing the entire chain of raw material supply, manufacture, assembly and distribution to the end consumer (Jones 1989 cited in Lowson 2002). Christopher (1998) defines supply chain management as the management of upstream and downstream relationships with the suppliers and customers to deliver superior consumers value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole. Toyota has a great supply chain management. This system helps Toyota to deliver its needed parts to all around the world without any problem in least time, so we can say that this system has great role in success of Toyota corporation. Lean Manufacturing The goal of lean manufacturing is to create a manufacturing environment that is driven by demand and that holds only a small amount of inventory and product at any given time (Bacheldor 2004 cited in Ndahi 2006). Lean Manufacturing is a unified, comprehensive set of philosophies, rules, guidelines, tools, and techniques for improving and optimizing discrete processes. â€Å"Toyota Motor Corporations vehicle production system is a way of making things that is sometimes referred to as a lean manufacturing system or a Just-in-Time (JIT) system, and has come to be well known and studied worldwide. †3 The above reasons are just a summary of simple rules that helps Toyota to build its brand and market share in the world. But the most important reason that Toyota uses it for building its brand as a international brand is marketing strategy. Toyota as a Japanese company could operate good strategy for acting around the world. In continue I will try to write about Toyota’s international marketing strategy that helps Toyota to become today’s Toyota. Toyota International Marketing Strategies As it has from its humble beginnings in 1937, Toyota continues to win success by blending smart business with social, cultural and environmental awareness. Toyota’s marketing material and news releases consistently stress social awareness and responsibility as strongly as profitability to measure corporation’s success. For example, Toyota’s mission statement calls for â€Å"stable long-term growth, while striving for harmony with people, society and the environment,† while their website repeatedly describe their social contributions and efforts to be a â€Å"good corporate citizen† (Toyota website, 2005). This approach is key to Toyota’s global success from a marketing standpoint. Toyota has a special way for promoting its products. In fact Toyota with using its smart business tried to build its brand in so many countries. Unlike many other auto manufacturers, Toyota has gone beyond promoting the product itself in the creation of their brand. By extending manufacturing operations into their target markets, Toyota makes their brand socially and politically more acceptable. Americans can buy Toyotas and still â€Å"buy American. † Europeans can spend their Euros at home. 4 In fact Toyota makes its brand as a local brand in every country and by this work Toyota can find loyal customers. Toyota use one of principles of international marketing to build its brand and increase its market share. This strategy helps Toyota to have a good growth strategy in U. S. and Europe market. But beyond this strategy Toyota uses so many other factors to have successful international markets. Among others, three distinctive competencies of Toyota are remarkable. These distinctive competencies appeal the consumers, build trust with them, and make them satisfied. These competencies are as follows: Popular Economy Car Toyota is best known for ‘popular economy car’. It has successfully branded the concept of ‘popular economy car’, by producing cars matching to the concept. It has garnered its success by selling the concept to the consumer. It has also become profoundly successful in segmenting, targeting, and positioning. As a result, based on the pricing reports generated by over ten million visitors, out of top ten cars, three are Toyotas – Toyota Camry (No. 2), Toyota Corolla (No. 4), and Toyota Avalon (No. 8). (Kelly Blue Book, 2007) It produces eight varieties of cars. Among them, the prices for the four varieties cars range 10,000. 0 US $, three varieties range 15,000. 00 US $, and one variety ranges slightly over 20,000. 00 US $. Cutting-edge Technology Toyota simply did not stop to the concept of ‘popular economy car’. This concept could have easily turned into product maturity and decline. But Toyota continuously engaged in improving technology – design, looks, comfort, fuel efficiency, environmen tal friendliness, and other technical improvements. For example, Toyota Corolla was first introduced in Japan in 1966 and in the US in 1968 as a first generation Toyota Corolla. Since then roughly in every three years it is being developed and marketed in a new model. By 2006, tenth generation of Toyota Corolla was already launched with significant technological improvements. Toyota’s hybrid cars can be taken as another example. It started producing hybrid cars in 1995 however till 1999 Japan was 2 the only market for its hybrid cars. Coming to 2005, it became successful to capture a large chunk of US market. Today, it is selling almost seventy five percent of its hybrid cars alone in the US market. Low Operating Cost Why consumers purchase Toyota? The simple answer is that Toyota’s cars are distinctive with the properties of low operating cost. For example, a survey carried out by Toplin Strategy Group in 2007 has revealed that 73% of Prius owners had bought Toyota Prius because of financial incentive to purchase the vehicle such as lower sticker price or lower operating cost than other choices. (Marketing Green, 2007) Similarly, based on 45% highway driving and 55% city driving with annual 15,000 miles Toyota Prius has been proved to be the most fuel efficient car than any of its competitors such as Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Lexus GS 450. Fuel Economy, 2008). Toyota enjoys much lower labor costs in the United States and benefits from an undervalued yen for cars made in Japan. In the United States, this comes to about $2500 per vehicle. The entry level and middle level market segments are very sensitive to price and vehicle durability. Toyota has been able to translate its cost advantage into vehicles with higher, more attractive content and longer life than General Motors. Toyota is constantly looking for ways to lower costs and improve products. It translates most of the additional profits it earns, over GM, into better product design and additional capacity. At GM, the Executives vote themselves bonuses and the union demands more benefits and featherbedding at the first sign of profits. From the perspective of marketing strategy, Toyota can be taken as a company that has successfully achieved its mission statement, successfully branded its distinctive competencies, and profoundly achieved its organizational objectives.

Identifying Leadership Theories And Applying Reflection Nursing Essay

Identifying Leadership Theories And Applying Reflection Nursing Essay There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept ( Stodill, 1974:p.259).   Dubrin (2000) states that there 35,000 definitions of leadership in academic literature (Pye, 2005: p.32). Leadership is an art a performing art and the instrument is the self.   The mastery of the art of leadership comes from the mastery of the self .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jim Kouzes Gary Yukl in his sixth edition of Leadership In Organizations hope that, his book has seeded many ideas and questions, which will grow in the classroom , but more importantly, will find fuller meaning and come to life when the reader is engaged in the practice of leadership at work. When thinking about leadership styles one thing to consider is what defines a good leader.   Hood (2010) suggests that an effective leader influences and encourages others to achieve goal setting and goal attainment.   A good leader recognizes that there is always something new to learn.   Effective leaders set direction, build commitment and confront challenges through clear communication and soliciting staff feedback (http://www.oppaper.com/Leadership-Roles-In-Nursing).   Carroll (2005) proposed the following six most important attributes for nursing leaders: personal integrity, strategic vision and personal survival attributes,, management and technical competencies, people skills team-building and communication skills , and. action orientation It is clear so far that the definition of leadership depends on whom you ask.   Houser Player ( 2004 ) concluded in their study, amoung a dozen of nurse leaders as, nurse leaders did share common characteristics such as thoughtful, responsive, committed, creative, resilient, visionary, scholarly, courageous and innovative.   Tan (2006) means the idea of leadership as, influencing followers to do what is necessary to achieve organizational and societal goals. Two types of leadership are particularly relevant for nurse leaders.   Transformational leadership authentic leadership (Clark, 2009, p.17).   In transformal leadership mainly three elements contribute to help nurse leaders to create a tone and standard of practice for healthy work environment are Effective communication, collaborative relationships and shared decision making among nurses (Heath, Johanson et al, 2004).   American Association of Critical-care Nurses (2005) made a commitment to promote healthy work environment in the bias of authentic leadership are safe, healing, humane and respectful for patient, their families and nurses.   They concluded in their study as it is not too easy to become an authentic leader, moreover, it needs higher levels of organizational support. Perhaps It is identified in their study that authentic leadership as one of the six standards that are crucial to creating and sustaining healthy work environment. Among health care professionals, nurses are especially aware of the importance of reflective practice (Duffy, 2007; Manthey, 2001 et al).   Just as important is the practice of reflective leadership (Deutsch Sherwood, 2008).   By Oestreich (2009) reflective leaders are critically aware of how they connect with others, where they are in the progress of their own and organizational goals and how they are opening paths for clear Communication and goal fulfillment.   Drucker (1996, p.9) states that, great leaders have to walk alone sometimes. such aloneness can facilitate reflection.   Qualitative researchers speak of participant observation as a method of more distant reflection. Reflection benefits the individual leader, but more than that, can become spread with in the organization. Transformal leadership has been evidenced to be positively associated with followers commitment to improvement and change (Herold, Fedor et al., 2008).One of the important characteristics of a transformal leader is reflection (Marshall Coughlin,2010). Reflective Practice was introduced by Donald Schon in his book The Reflective Practitioner in 1983.   There are different models of reflection in practice.   In that I would like to discuss about the two models of reflection Gibbs model, 1988 Johns model, 1995.      GIBBS MODEL OF REFLECTION 1988 Gibbs model is a cyclic process of reflection, in that a practitioner describes the experience and must evaluate and analysis of how they were feeling during the experience.   By the evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation give the practitioner a chance to understand the situation and come to a conclusion of what else could be done, or what other options could have been taken.   Most importantly,in Gibbs model of reflection the final stage is the formulation of action plan, that give an idea about what actions would be taken if the situation happened again (W http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice). JOHNS MODEL It is a structured mode of reflection that provides a practitioner with a guide to gain greater understanding.   In this model of reflection, reflection carried out through the act of sharing of emotions with colleague or a mentor and it provides a faster rate of learning than reflection alone.   In order to achieve reflection looking in on ones thoughts and emotions and looking out at the situation experienced are important steps in this model of reflection.   Mainly five patterns of learning are included in to the guided reflection, that are the practitioners analysis about the aesthetic, personal, ethical, empirical, and the reflexive elements experienced through the situation. REASONS TO PREFER JOHNS MODEL OVER GIBBS MODEL I recommend Johns model of reflection is better than that of Gibbs model because, in Johns model practitioner get an opportunity to share with a colleague or mentor, about their thoughts and emotions of their own and about the situation experienced.   It seems to me that by the sharing of emotions definitely, we will get a clear cut idea about the feelings of the self and about the situation in a faster rate. Looking in and looking out become easier when the structured questions shared between a colleague or an experienced person.   But in Gibbs model of reflection, importance is for the evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation experienced and there is no sharing of ideas or emotions with anybody.   I feel that with out the sharing of emotions reflection occurs in a slower rate. LEADERSHIP THEORIES Historical development of leadership theories (1900-Present) P.37 The Great man Theory / Trait Theories (1900-1940) Researchers give importance to certain characteristics or personality traits of some people and assume that these traits make them better leaders than others. Moreover the effect of followers and the impact of the situation were ignored. Behavioural   Theories (1940-1980) During human relations era , researchers moved away from studying about the traits of a leader and give importance to their styles of leadership.   A major breakthrough occurred when Lewin(1951) and White and Lippitt (1960) isolated common leadership styles. Later, these styles came to be called authorisation, democratic and laissez-faire. Authorisation which is when the leader takes full control, Democratic is when the leader involves a team approach ; and Laissez-faire where the leader provides little to no direction (Hood, 2010). Situational and Contingency Leadership Theories (1950-1980)   In according to this theory leadership style should vary according to the situation or the individual involved. Authoritarian leadership results in well-defined group actions that are usually predictable, reducing frustration in the work group and giving members a feeling of security.   Productivity is usually high, but creativity, self motivation, and autonomy are reduced.   Authoritarian leadership, useful in crisis situations.  Ã‚   At the same time Democratic leadership, appropriate for groups who work together for extended periods, promotes autonomy and growth in individual workers.   This type of leadership is particularly effective when coordination between groups is necessary.   The Laissez-fair leadership is non directed leadership, the laissez- fair style can be frustrating; group apathy and disinterest can occur. Interactional Leadership Theories (1970-Present) The basic premise of interactional theory is that leadership behaviour is generally determined by the relationship between the leaders personality and the specific situation. To be successful, the leader must diagnose the situation and select appropriate strategies from a large repertoire of skills.   Leadership effectiveness, according to Hollander, requires the ability to use the problem solving process;   maintain group effectiveness; communicate well; demonstrate leader fairness, competence, dependability, and creativity; and develop group identification. Transactional and Transformational Leadership The transactional leader sets goals, give directions, and uses rewards to reinforce employee behaviours associated with meeting or exceeding established goals (Mc Guire and Kennerly,2006, p.180).   Transformational leaders have a view of   the future that will excite and convert potential followers (changingminds.org,2002-2006, para 3). Transformational leadership is defined as, One   who inspires and empowers everyone with the vision of what could be possible (Hood,2010, p 460).  Ã‚   Although transformational qualities are highly desirable, they must be coupled with the more traditional qualities of the day-to-day managerial role.   Both sets of characteristics need to be present in the same person in different degrees.   According to Bass and colleagues, the transformational leader will fail without traditional management skills.   Johns (2004) maintains that transactional traditional leadership is a deliberate process of seeking insight in self and practice in orde r to create conditions that foster the realization of desirable practice.

Software Patents and Copyright Laws Destroy Free Competition Essay

Software Patents and Copyright Laws Destroy Free Competition Introduction If Haydn had patented "a symphony, characterized by that sound is produced [ in extended sonata form ]", Mozart would have been in trouble. Patent - a writing securing to an inventor for a term of years the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention; or it may be the monopoly or right so granted[i]. The traditional rationale for patents is that protection of inventions will spur innovation and aid in the dissemination of information about technical advances. By prohibiting others from copying an invention, patents allow inventors to recoup their investment in development while at the same time revealing the workings of the new invention to the public. Absolute Monopoly - this is what it means! The people who have come up with the idea of protecting the innovation and so called rewards to the innovators never thought that what it may mean to the corporations and how it will kill the innovation in the software industry. As Stallman said â€Å"Software patents are a danger that affects all programmers and all computer users. I found out about them of course in working on Free Software because they are a danger to my project as well as to every other software project in the world.[ii]† I truly agree with Stallman’s view of the Patent. Now a day the number of patents is growing exponentially and due to open trade (software specially) internationally the patent law of one country is influencing the law in the other. Country like India where the software industry is growing at a tremendous pace and the US companies generate most of the business, people in India may advocate a law similar to US. Right now the state of the law is much stricter th... ... [i] Merriam-Webster online dictionary [ii] Stallman’s speech at Model Engineering College : The Danger of Software Patents [iii] Software Patent in US, Japan and Europe. [iv] Questions on software patentability in US and Europe. [v] NewsFactor Network (04/15/03); Brockmeier, Joe [vi] Sequential Innovation, Patents and Imitation [vii] New York Times, Sunday, December 14, 2003 [viii] NASSCOM, India. [ix] PCT Newsletter [x] Software Patent in India. [xi] MANUAL OF PATENT PRACTICE & PROCEDURE [xii] Salient Features of The Indian Patents [xiii] Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council [xiv] Linux Today – Boycott Amazon! [xv] Forbes [xvi] GNU – About Free Software [xvii] Software Patents [xviii] http://swpat.ffii.org/news/03/intel1211/index.en.html [xix] http://lpf.ai.mit.edu/Patents/knuth-to-pto.txt

Critical evaluation †John Steinbeck-Of Mice and Men and Robert Ludlum-The Bourne Identity Essay

Through the history of man; mathematicians, philosophers, teachers, and scientists have molded and shaped our world. These men and women, young and old, are responsible for the continually growing knowledge in today’s youth. Upon studying the most influential educators, it was proven that writers and authors sustain every element of the society we live; love, passion, romance, adventure, drama, science fiction, and non-fiction. All of these categories exist for only one purpose, to entertain the minds who absorb the material. Entertaining authors make an exceptional story and none other than Robert Ludlum and John Steinbeck accomplish this feat better. In order to further understand these authors thirst to provide edge-of-the-seat entertainment, their past and present must be explored. Although these authors lived in two diverse locations, their driving desire for knowledge appears the same. Ludlum and Steinbeck attended college after high school, majoring in English. After graduating from Salinas High School in 1919, Steinbeck attended Stanford University from 1920-1925. Two years after Steinbeck left to pursue his writing career in New York, Robert Ludlum was born on May 25, 1927. Ludlum was educated privately and at the Chesire Academy, Connecticut. After appearing is school theatricals, he acted in the comedy Junior Miss on Broadway at the age of sixteen. His degree includes: B.A., Wesleyan University, Middletown, 1951. Having never graduated from Stanford University, Steinbeck’s life for the most part was low profile even after the publishing of his first books, â€Å"Cup of Gold† (1929), â€Å"The Pastures of Heaven† and â€Å"To a God Unknown†, which were all inadequately acknowledged by the literary world. â€Å"Tortilla Flat† (1935) was the noticeable turning point in Steinbeck’s literary career receiving the California Commonwealth Club’s Gold Medal for best novel. Steinbeck continued writing, and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) won him the Pulitzer Prize. The Nobel Prize was awarded to John Steinbeck for Literature in 1962 â€Å"†¦for his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and a keen social perception.† 1 Twenty-nine Academy Award nominations and four Academy Awards were given for revision of John Steinbeck’s stories. Literature lost one of its most accomplished and distinguished writers on December 20, 1968, in New York City; John Steinbeck died at the age of 66. However, on a more positive note, New York City was also the place where literature bore Robert Ludlum. Ludlum can be described as a modern day author. He is a well-known author writing twenty-one novels and selling over 290 million books in thirty-two different languages. Ludlum started his literary career relatively late because he was working in 1. Mobel Lectures; literature 1901-4967 the theatre as an actor and producer. One of the primary reasons Ludlum is such a suspenseful writer is due to the fact that he was born in an age where movies grabbed the attention of the public eye. In the 1950s, Ludlum worked as a stage and television actor. After producing 300 stage productions for New York and regional theatre, Ludlum wrote his first novel, â€Å"The Scarlatti Inheritance† (1971). Few writers are able to grasp global attention using unbelievable plots that spin into engrossing tales. John Steinbeck and Robert Ludlum are comparable writers. These two authors are very accomplished and their novels reputations speak for themselves. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity are the focus of this evaluation. Their works signify literary techniques that contribute to theme. The central theme in Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck: human fates are constantly controlled by outside forces. The techniques he uses for example: repetition and symbolism are extremely successful in getting across his very cynical views on this theme. Similar techniques are used in Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. Uniquely writing; many of Ludlum’s techniques are present in his writing, but the reader is too engrossed in the story to recognize them. However, Ludlum writes meticulously in his story plots. When evaluated, the reader can distinguish that repetition and symbolism are also used as literary techniques that contribut e to theme. Steinbeck and Ludlum use the technique of repetition to effectively build up the climax of the tragedy. In Of Mice and Men, Lennie unintentionally killed his mouse when petting it. This situation repeats itself further in the novel when Slim gives Lennie a puppy. When playing with the animal, Lennie gave the puppy a disciplining thump for biting him and he killed it. An incident, such as this, will be the downfall of George and Lennie. Near the end of the novel, Lennie strokes Curley’s wife’s hair. He holds too tightly and she gets frightened. â€Å"Lennie was in a panic.† 2 Climaxing, he attempts to quiet her, â€Å"Don’t you go yellin’, he said, and he shook her, and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.† 2 The repetition of unintentional death foreshadows a negative outcome for Lennie, his sealed fate. This action brought upon his own murder by George who shot him in the back of the head out of mercy for everything else that was weak and helpless. In this act of violence, George would not be considered a murderer, in fact, quite the opposite. George, instead, would be deemed a savor because he did Lennie a favor. 2. Steinbeck; 91 The Bourne Identity uses repetition in a similar fashion. The central character Jason Bourne faces memory loss, crippling him from discovering his true identity. His instincts and intelligence help guide him. The quote: â€Å"You are not helpless. You will find your way.† 3 is repeated on several occasions, which foreshadows success on Jason’s behalf. Jason’s rhetorical behavior when faced with stressful and difficult situations ends in same violent manner. â€Å"Bourne grabbed the Frenchman in front of him now, his left arm around the man’s throat, his right hand tearing at the man’s left ear.† 4 Without thinking, Jason reacts to the situation with poise and precision. Jason’s rhetorical skills evoke his memory enough to enable him to think and act on his own to avoid death or capture. â€Å"Whenever you observe a stress-and you have the time-do your damndest to project into it. Associate as freely as you can; let words and images fi ll your mind. In them you may find clues.† 5 This quote is nearly repeated again, â€Å"Whenever you’re in a stress situation-and there’s time, of course-do exactly as you would when you project yourself into one you’re observing. Let your mind fall free, let whatever thoughts and images that surface come cleanly. Try not to exercise any mental discipline. Be a sponge; concentrate on everything and nothing. Specifics may come to you, certain repressed conduits electricity prodded into functioning.† 6 except there is added tactics, which suggests that Jason is constantly learning. Through repetition Jason persistently advances his skills to obtain his past by varying his appearance, â€Å"Change your hair†¦you change your face.† 7 Soon after his skills advanced, Jason learned that his real name is David Webb who turns out as a young Far East scholar. Webb received a new identity from the Central intelligence (CIA) as Jason Bourne, a black ops agent. His primary objective was to kill Carlos, another far more advanced assassin, but was betrayed. As the plot twists, the CIA has given Jason quite a few hoops to jump through for his own survival. The climax builds to this particular moment in the novel, when Jason reverses the situation and uses the training the CIA gave him to kill the assassin Carlos. The climax appears to have truth because not only has Jason stopped being on the defensive side of this ‘live or die’ game, but also his proficient skills have drawn him to his past profession to kill or be killed; fate. The interfering CIA has lost control of Bourne; however he is drawn back to his past line of work, which could result in death, so he ultimately loses. It could be said that Jason Bou rne was born to be a professional assassin under anyone’s control. 3. Ludlum; 39, 43, 83 4. Ludlum; 64 5. Ludlum; 50 6. Ludlum; 82 7. Ludlum; 116, 161 Another technique that demonstrates John Steinbeck’s view of fate is the symbolism. Near the end of the novel, â€Å"A watersnake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side, and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.† 8 The heron, stationary and patient, symbolizes fate, while the watersnake, vulnerable and unaware, its victim. The watersnake would most likely symbolize George. Not only does the Heron symbolize fate, it also symbolizes Lennie the burden to their dream. Steinbeck illustrates his view on fate once more by word choice. Words like ‘lanced’, ‘plucked’, and ‘waiting’ suggest that Steinbeck believes that fate strikes assertively and specifically. Similarly, Robert Ludlum uses symbolism to project the same idea. Symbolism appears not as evident as repetition; however, present nonetheless. The CIA seems to be the entity or government corporation that symbolizes fate. Every element in the novel can be drawn back to something that the CIA has caused. Ludlum and Steinbeck believe fate to be all the same. In Ludlum’s case, the CIA’s intricate plans and organized operations parallel Steinbeck’s idea that fate acts in the same manner, assertively and specifically. Of Mice and Men and The Bourne Identity are literally written in identical fashions. Steinbeck and Ludlum use character driven dialogue to tell the story. The point-of-views transpose between first person (the main characters) and third person (the narrator). The first person prospective uniquely projects to the reader each of the character thoughts and actions. The first person prospective gives a clear understanding of what exactly will happen, without all of the excess narration. However, the narration does an excellent job in describing the setting among other elements, such as flow between events. The ‘events’ or chapters are present in both novels. Ludlum uses three books within his novel along with thirty five chapters because The Bourne Identity is far longer than the six chapters Of Mice and Men. This technique is apparent for the sole purpose of changing locations in the story with ease; in The Bourne Identity Jason and his companion travel to different countries, and in Of Mice and Men the only change of location appears within the town and ranch. These two books were written very similarly. Both switched between first and third person depending on what the best way to tell the story was. By changing point of views, Ludlum and Steinbeck were able to develop their themes more thoroughly. The technique of changing perspectives allowed the reader to identify with the main characters, but at the same time, know vital information that would be needed to understand the story. 8. Steinbeck; 99 Robert Ludlum and John Steinbeck are exceptional authors. There novels: The Bourne Identity and Of Mice and Men, respectively, have Robert Latta’s praise. Woohoo, right? There are more positive, than negative, statements to be discussed. Particularly, Ludlum’s story is far more intriguing than Steinbeck’s. The plot and characters all are attention getters. The idea that a man with no memory has instincts that are above any normal man, and has answers to every question, except his name, is fascinating. The only downfall to Ludlum’s work appears to be the length of his novel, five hundred some odd pages, that turns out to be a lot of reading time. Steinbeck’s novel length; however, fits the taste well, only one hundred some pages. The ‘olden story’ in Steinbeck’s novel, gets negative feedback because its entire plot stimulated nothing more than closing eye lids. Praising the literary device of repetition, this gave some indication that what was being read over again would prove useful in assembling a critical evaluation essay. The repetition also forces the information into your brain, meaning it holds significance. Moreover, the theme portrayed among these two novels had some relevance with our current lives, which also served another purpose to reading them Overall, the novels ended up balancing one another. A positive recommendation can be made for both these novels because something can be learned. WORKS CITED Lectures, Mobel. â€Å"The Nobel Prize in Literature 1962.† [online] http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1962/press.html Ludlum, Robert. The Bourne Identity. New York: Richard Marek, 1975 Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1978

Is USA a True Democracy? Essay

United States of America is undoubtedly being praised for standing firmly for democracy in the field of political system. Likewise, in political history, America is regarded as the only country having a strong democratic form of government. Throughout history, America has always played an important role in spreading democracy around the world. Several communist countries have also been converted to democracy through the efforts of America. The obvious reason for adopting democracy within a system of governance is to uphold majority rights rather than of the few. In addition, the power is concentrated in the hands of the people and not on the few groups of people. Aside from these, the features of democracy guarantee freedom and human rights which are not guaranteed in other forms of government. In the real scenery of a democratic country, the freedom exercised by every citizen is overflowing. In the American setting, several rights were established as new social developments are being experienced. Through case laws, the civil liberties afforded to citizens have been broadened and several classes of people finally enjoyed their rights. Through time, democracy has been strengthened over the land. However, recently, through issues on national security, terrorism, and other predicaments faced by the country, the spirit of democracy started to diminish. Furthermore, with the strengthening power of the government against its citizens, the essence of democracy has begun to vanish. Hence, despite adherence to the democratic form of government, in real essence, the country is not acting like it is a democratic country. Democracy Democracy, in its political definition refers to â€Å"a political system based on the participation of the people. It foresees, among others, the separation of powers among the judiciary, the legislative and the executive authorities, as well as free and regular elections† (Spring 91). In its cultural definition: Democracy is a way of living together and an expression of respect for other people; it must be rooted in a genuine democratic culture, a culture of debate and dialogue. A critical attitude should therefore be developed in children and young people towards the institutions that govern a State or regulate life in a given society. (Spring 91) In its political sense, the main feature of democracy is the direct participation of the people in governing the citizens and the country through election. Aside from this, it reiterates the principle of checks and balances or the existence of independent three fundamental branches of the government namely, the executive, legislative, and judiciary. From its political definition, the political system is only established; however, it is lacking of the rights or benefits guaranteed to the citizens. Hence, political architects have inculcated human rights protection by adding a cultural definition of democracy. Meanwhile, democracy has primarily rooted from the ancient Greeks. The word democracy was coined from the Greek word â€Å"demokratia† (Cartledge n. p. ). The â€Å"demos† means â€Å"people† while â€Å"kratos† means â€Å"strength† or â€Å"rule† (Cartledge n. p. ).. Hence, the word demokratia literally means â€Å"people power† (Cartledge n. p. ). The literal definition of the democracy is in consonant with the definition of government propounded by Abraham Lincoln in his popular statement, â€Å"government of the people, by the people, and for the people† (â€Å"The Gettysburg Address†). Development in the Concept of Democracy Through time, the concept of democracy has developed. Aside from being a political concept, democracy has also become a moral concept. As a political concept, democracy provides standard of societal management; while as a moral concept, democracy provides moral principles that should govern the conduct of the citizens as well as the government and its agencies (Kelly, 103). The moral concept of democracy does not stem out from any religious belief or governmental pronouncement; instead, it rooted from the concept of democracy alone (Kelly, 104). Among the guarantees of democracy in its moral concept includes â€Å"respect for freedom† of every individual in the society (Kelly, 104). It also demands equal treatment of every citizen and encourages them to openly participate in the government either by engaging in governmental affairs, evaluating government actions or taking part in forming public policies. This clearly correlates in the modern understanding that freedom is strictly linked in the democracy. Hence, a democratic country that has no respect on freedom is not democratic at all. Factors that Diminishes Democracy in the Country After the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack, the threat on democracy began to emerge. The threat to national security has become the license of the government in enacting and adopting laws and policies that have adverse effects on the democracy being enjoyed by the citizens. Through the 9/11 attack, the government has acquired power in order to implement rules and regulations beyond its legal duties. On the part of the government, its acts are justified by the need of the county and the citizens to be safe from further attacks and to fully eliminate any shadows of terrorism. However, as an effect, civil liberties are compromised. The exercise of freedom has gradually been regulated and limited. Furthermore, several fundamental freedoms exercised in a democratic country have been curtailed. These drastic changes in the lives of the American citizens have been perceived to be incompatible with the democratic principle adhered to by the country. It was reiterated that the laws and governmental systems being implemented today are a clear proof that United States is no longer a democratic country. It is noteworthy that the government quickly responded to the 9/11 terrorist attack through the enactment of the â€Å"Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001† or the USA Patriot Act (Scheppler 5). Through the Patriot Act, many remarkable non-democratic government actions and regulations have been imposed. This in turn, is an obvious disrespect to the cultural and moral concept of democracy that has been prevalent in the country throughout the years. Primarily, the USA Patriot Act aims to provide the law enforcement and intelligence community with tools and legal grounds to eliminate terrorism (O’Neal). Through the USA Patriot Act, the federal government has been empowered to intrude into the privacy of a citizen suspected to be a terrorist or corroborating with terrorists. The intrusion to privacy that the Act allows takes in many forms. Title II of the USA Patriot Act laid down the enhancement of the surveillance capabilities of the federal law enforcers. By virtue of the Act, communications, wire, oral and electronic, can be intercepted by the authorities (â€Å"USA Patriot Act of 2001†). In intercepting communication, the authorities are empowered to trespass into the communication tools of the target or suspect beyond legal boundaries. For example, the authorities can wiretap the phones of a target individual. Through the advancement in technology, roving wiretapping has been allowed by the Act. Traditionally, authorities are required to obtain first a court order to tap the phone (O’Neal). However, in roving wiretapping, the authorities can now tap a person or organization by monitoring the calls made and received by the target (O’Neal). In here, it can be observed that the extent of wiretapping that has originally been approved by law has expanded because all calls can be allowed to be monitored. In addition, the â€Å"pen register† and â€Å"trap-and-trace device† have allowed the authorities to collect telephone numbers dialed to and from the communication device used by the suspected terrorist (O’Neal). Remarkably, e-mail communications are also covered by the pen/trap provision of the Act because e-mail has been considered today as the most effective and fastest tool being used by the terrorists. Through these devices, the authorities can look into the Website and IP addresses visited and used by the target. Furthermore, the libraries and other public and private establishments visited by the target can also be intruded by the authorities in order to gather information about the activities done by the former. Through these extended power of the federal government in surveillances in communication, the privacy of the target is put at stake. The Act also enhanced the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which was focused on foreign investigations (Bidgoli 225). Through the expanded meaning of terrorism, an alien has been denounced of his constitutional rights as he is considered as an agent of foreign power (Bidgoli 225). Hence, an alien is subjected to the provisions of the USA Patriot Acts. This system also means that information obtained through surveillance can be shared between agencies for further investigation of the target. The surveillance capability of the authorities under the USA Patriot Act also extends to information gathering. Notably, through the Act, the authorities can make searches and seizure against the dwelling place and objects of the target. The authorities can secretly make searches through the house or office of the target through a search warrant which is secretly obtained from the court. The Fourth Amendment has laid down the requirements of a valid search warrant. Through the precedents, it can be observed that the requirement for probable cause is strict. But the USA Patriot Act has limited such requirement by considering only a significant reason in obtaining a warrant. It is also noteworthy that the proper serving of a warrant is disregarded by the Act. According to the valid warrant procedure, the person against whom the warrant has been issued should be notified and be present during the search. This is to ensure that the things and areas specified in the warrant are correctly searched and seized. However, in the procedure adopted by the Act, such essential procedure has been denied and clearly violated. Another focus of the Act is the enhancement of the money laundering law. The Act has laid down effective measures in preventing, deterring and prosecuting money laundering. It is believed that the financial needs of terrorists have been backed by money laundering activities. Few of the measures include monitoring of suspicious bank transactions, seizing illicit funds in foreign banks, and issuing regulations to be adopted by banks in recording account owners and receivers. In addition, the Act also required financial institutions to use networks to facilitate communication between them and the authorities with regard to illicit and suspicious transactions or accounts (â€Å"USA Patriot Act†). These activities have been made possible through the Act requiring the national and international financial institution to cooperate and comply with the policies. However, such activity has been criticized because of violation of the confidentiality of the bank records of account owners. In addition, immigrants are also covered by the Act because stricter policies have been implemented in airports and in immigration offices. Immigrants are also treated differently as they are scrutinized stringently. Aside from that, the Asians and Arabs are usually subjected to discrimination because they are primarily linked to terrorism because of their racial affiliations. In accordance with the expanded power of the federal authorities, many fear that such power may be used in focusing in monitoring, harassment, and intimidation of political dissidents and thousands of harmless immigrants rather than concentrating on curtailing terrorism (Etzioni 9). Many civil societies are also alarmed by the government’s curtailment on the citizen’s civil liberties. Meanwhile, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described the government as having an â€Å"insatiable appetite† due to its secrecy, lack of transparency, disregard of equality under the law, and â€Å"disdain and outright removal of checks and balances† (Etzioni 9). All of these changes in the government system after the 9/11 terrorist attack have only led in the diminishing spirit of democracy in the country. The political concept of democracy has also been endangered in the country through the USA Patriot Act. As has been said, one fundamental feature of democracy is the checks and balances. Meanwhile, the principle of checks and balances is understood as the separation of the three branches of the government namely; the executive, legislative, and judiciary. Each of the three branches is bestowed with unique duties and responsibilities. Having unique duties and separate jurisdiction, the three department works independently from each other. However, each serves as a watchdog for any act of encroachment or violation of the principle committed by any of the branches. In the present setting, the principle of checks and balances is clearly violated by the executive branch, particularly during the administration of George W. Bush. Remarkably, right after the 9/11, America initiated the global war against terrorism which has led to war against Iraq and Afghanistan. It can be remembered that several human rights violations have been recorded due to the wars. Civilians have suffered the pain more than the real enemies. Although America has been a firm supporter of human rights, the Bush administration refused to be bound by human rights standards (Weiss, Crahan, and Goering 113). During the height of war against terrorism, President Bush had been acting beyond legal constraints as he used the countries foreign policies and executive power to adopt policies that are perceived to require the approval of Congress. Apart from that, the government wanted to create an international order that places no limits to its actions despite the Constitutional checks and balances premise (Weiss, Crahan, and Goering 113). It has been clear that human rights have been compromised in place of fighting terrorism. The government was seemed so paranoid about the security that it almost forgot that is operated within a democratic country. Clearly, the activities and changes in the country have considerably limited the meaning of freedom. In addition, security has been used as a license in imposing policies that clearly violate the principle of checks and balances. Having violated both the cultural, moral and political concepts of democracy, it is clear that democracy has been diminishing in the country. Conclusion Generally, democracy is understood as a system of government where citizens have freedom and human rights. In its strictest concept, it is a political system where people have direct participation in the government and checks and balances is observed. The meaning of democracy was further strengthened by inculcating the freedom and rights of the citizens. As mentioned, democracy means power of the people. Hence, it would be useless of people have power but lack the freedom to enjoy and use such power in a way that the majority will benefit from it. It is also undeniable that since the early days, America has played an important role in spreading democracy and in fighting for human rights. America also initiated the adoption of various laws protecting human rights. However, because of the threat against its national security, its views about democracy have drastically changed. The imposition of the USA Patriot Act has remarkably limited the freedom enjoyed by the citizens. At the same time, the Act has significantly intervened with the fundamental rights of the citizens. The intrusion into the private dwellings of the citizens has eliminated the legal boundaries that separate the rights of the citizens and of the state. With the remarkable changes in the society and the massive violation of civil liberties, it is clear that democracy has also been gradually diminished in the country. Works cited Bidgoli, Hossein. The Internet Encyclopedia. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2004. Cartledge, Paul. â€Å"The Democratic Experiment.† 01 January 2001. BBC. 16 April 2009 . Etzioni, Amitai. How Patriotic Is the Patriot Act? Freedom versus Security in the Age of Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 2004.

India and Future of Asia Essay

Introduction- As the world increasingly acknowledges India’s rising power status, India is adapting its foreign policy to meet the international challenges of the 21st century and to increase its global influence and status. For many years, India took pride in its role as leader of the Non-Aligned Movement and viewed itself as the primary defender of the rights of the less developed countries. In the past few years, New Delhi has expanded its strategic vision, most noticeably in Asia, and has broadened the definition of its security interests. While India has focused special attention on cultivating ties to the United States since 2000, the overall thrust of its foreign policy has been to seek geopolitical partnerships in multiple directions to serve its national interests. It has pursued special relationships with the U.S., Russia, China, and key European countries. In June 2006, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee (the current foreign minister) described India’s foreign policy: â€Å"Premised on the twin policies of no extra-territorial ambition and no export of ideology, India seeks the peaceful resolution of all disputes.† He went on to say that â€Å"[s]imultaneous improvement in ties with the U.S., EU, and Russia and Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and China demonstrates that for the first time in its diplomatic history, India is forging significant strategic ties with both West and East Asia.† Broadening Indian engagement across the globe, especially in Asia, is in the U.S. interest and should be further encouraged. Washington’s and New Delhi’s strategic perceptions are increasingly converging, and there is tremendous opportunity to cooperate and coordinate in this dynamic region. Because India is a fellow democracy without hegemonic interests and with a propensity to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts, its increased economic and political involvement in Asia will help to further overall U.S. goals in the region. India’s involvement in Asia will help both to ensure that one country does not dominate the area and to encourage stability in a region that will take center st age in the 21st century. The period since India adopted the new economic paradigm and the LEP has witnessed substantial transformation of its global relations, including with the rest of Asia. This has primarily been due to the recognition of India’s increasing capacities to address its developmental challenges, and the potential of its soon to be USD 1000 billion economy to provide substantial commercial opportunities. India has grown at an annual rate of nearly 6 % per annum since 1980. Contrary to perceptions, India has been able to sustain high levels of growth without significantly increasing income inequality8. India has no parallel in managing relatively peaceful and democratic transfer of political and economic power among different social classes. It thus appears that India’s growth experience has been inclusive, though there is no room for complacency. Compared to East Asia, India’s growth strategy has relied relatively more on domestic markets, consumption rather than investments, decentralized entrepreneurial rather than state-led development9, and on financial and capital market intermediation in allocation of savings10 (Das, 2006; Huang, 2006, Morgan Stanley, 2006). India’s de-facto growth strategy is consistent with bottoms-up diagnostic approach to reforms advocated by Rodrik. However as India begins to pursue policies leading to higher savings and investments,11 and as the role of external sector increases12, differences in India’s growth characteristics on the one hand and those of East Asia may narrow13. India is also attempting to develop a robust diversified manufacturing base14 (Bradsher, 2006); and modernize its agricultural and plantation sectors. The emphasis is thus on creating a more balanced and resilient economy, and increasing India’s share in the world economy. India’s growth strategy and trajectory thus provide an avenue for global risk diversification for businesses and investors from around the world. India ranked 43rd on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) moving up two places from last year. India scored well in indicators relating to innovation and sophistication of firm operations as well as in adoption of technologies from abroad. However weaknesses remain in the large budget deficit, (about 9 per cent of GDP), inadequate infrastructure investments, low level of efficiency in delivery of governance services, and a need for wider access to and improvements in quality of health and educational services. India in the changing scenario- So many things is changing in India. The launching of the manufacturing industry, the new importance given agriculture, the good, even excellent, level of scientific training, openings in the financial sector†¦ all generate optimism and international interest in a country with the possibility of achieving the highest growth rate in the coming 50 years. India enjoys this potential despite problems like monumental bureaucracy and lack of infrastructure. Meanwhile, democracies and a smoother path of development than China’s appear to be holding possible social agitation at bay. The novelty is not so much the policy of the new government of the Congress party: in power for just a year, it has hardly had the time to implement any real changes. The rampant India which emerged from the rule of defeated Nationalist party, Janata, has certainly not disappeared; thanks to use of English, this India focused on the services sector, primarily computers and also international de-localization of computerization and call centers. However, such a model is no longer viewed as an end goal to reach in the future. Even in India, euphoria and riches even excesses generated by the so-called new economy for a few to enjoy, have given way to a realization that the â€Å"old† economy is still relevant after all. International trends especially the lack of energy and increase in prices of petroleum and other raw materials have in fact revealed how the famous â€Å"light† development, based primarily on factory chimneys, is limited in its incomes evanescence saving on, and at the end of the day, it is immaterial. This new awareness has led to an overall change of direction. This means a new emphasis on: manufacturing industries, like textile industries; primary sources, like energy; exportation of certain raw materials, like iron minerals. And certainly not least in importance, agriculture has today become once again the focus of attention, that old Cinderella of the Indian economy, neglected and portrayed as the legacy of an archaic society, although a large proportion of the population still depends on it. Today, it has been recast as a strong point of some export industries like the textile sector, which can make the most of local availability of cotton to successfully counter the near-monopoly China enjoys in this market. In this overall change in direction, the government, for its part, is seeking to regain lost ground in comparison with Asian giants, China and Japan at least one year in guaranteeing energy sources for the industrial sector. In these very weeks, a diplomatic offensive is under way to ensure resources of petrolium and other raw materials wherever possible, not only in traditional and logical choices of Indian territory, but also in places both geographically and culturally distant, like Latin America. Re-orientation towards the manufacturing industry is certainly a consequence of changing trends at international level, but it also falls within the strategy of the Congress Party currently in power, which still enjoys a strong working-class base. Anyhow, the traditional style of industry, typical of a socialist and working class party, holds several winning cards. The new stimulus in the manufacturing industry is a key factor in determining the future of all societal structures. On the one hand, it provides more interesting and better paid jobs, on the other it calls for more qualified human resources, for training, ongoing commitment and improved tuition in economics, maths and computers. All this requires secondary and tertiary education systems which ensure proper scientific and technological teaching. So there is more than low salaries behind the meteoric growth spurt of India and China. The secret probably lies in the swift upgrading of training and tough selection, based on merit, of students. This is confirmed by the preference shown by American enterprises and research institutes for graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology. Indian excellence in mathematics has always been well known the numbers of the decimal system used for calculation are of Indian origin and more recently, Indians have now been shining at physics too. In view of all this, few would imagine that the expansion of manufacturing in India would be limited to the textile and computer industries alone. Already today, India is promoting itself, with high hopes of success, as a base for the de-localization of strategic industries like aerospace. In this sector, India can count on the importance of avionics, that is, of electronic control systems. India could exploit its dominance in the computer sector, as well as the low cost of a workforce which is highly qualified in science and engineering. Development opportunities are considerable even in the telecommunications sector, in the automobile industry especially in the spare parts sector, after foreign participation of up to 100% of investment was liberalized in 2002 and in pharmaceutical che mistry, as well as food industry. Indian economic growth is not due to external factors, a consequence of general Asia-wide expansion. Rather it is a gradual process over a long period, even if not everyone is involved. Dalits, that is pariahs, are still marginalized. The growth rate of India before this global slowdown was nearly 8%. With such growth rates, in 2022, the overall size of the Indian economy will surpass that of the UK, its former colonial master. According to research undertaken by Deutsche Bank, in 2020 India and China would have left Japan behind at fourth place, while the US would still take first place as the largest economy. Compared to China, India’s economic growth rate, although considerable, has not flourished so much in recent years, and it is inferior by around 20%. However, India and Malaysia will surpass China in terms of economic expansion rates within the next 15 years, most of all thanks to demographic expansion, to the increased size of the population’s working-age bracket. While the China’s average growth rate will be around 5.2% per year, that of India will be 5 .5% and that of Malaysia, 5.4%. So China will soon have to pay in economic terms for its one-child policy. According to Goldman Sachs, India’s economic growth will beat China’s from 2015 onwards. Dominic Wilson of Goldman Sachs said: â€Å"India has the potential to produce the highest growth rate in the next 50 years with an average of 5% per year over that entire period. The growth of China is predicted to fall below 5% around 2020.† However, India is meeting obstacles along the road towards growth. First because large sectors of the population, not only dalits but also peasants, are cut out And in the long term, development along two tracks of very different speeds is not sustainable: the risk is that profound and endemic social exclusion from new-found wellbeing will take root in unmanageable massive cities, a situation which would have clearly explosive potential. Another tough obstacle in the way of development is the imposing fiscal deficit of the public sector, both central and local. According to the International Monetary Fund, this deficit, at around 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) puts economic development at risk both because of insufficient fiscal collection as well as increased public debt, a carryover from previous decades. This constitutes a real risk because the financial system, and especially banks, are naturally obliged to favor investment in public debt stocks, which are considered, rightly or wrongly, to be more secure. This even if lessons could have been learnt from Argentina, although there were differences between that case and India’s. The end result is that savings are not pumped into productive activities and the capital market then lacks liquid cash. The state of the Indian stock exchange has so far been determined by decisions of big foreign institutional investors, the funds of specialized stocks investment in emergent countries. Certainly the 26 October decision of the Central Bank to keep the discount rate at 6%, the lowes t since 1973, is a positive one for industrial development. Also positive was the recent government decision to allow, in the near future, investment in shares of up to 5% of the value of the patrimony of private pension funds. However, these measures are insufficient to maintain sustainable development in the long-term. Besides, the current debts of India’s pension system constitute a hidden risk, although, as in Europe, they are about to be shared, not accumulated, meaning that future generations will be called upon to square the bills of those who work today. But, as in Europe, if demographic growth is stalled, the commitments, or better the lies, of the past will eventually impact on all society. Faced with estimates which foresee that future pension commitments will be increased by around 40% of the GDP, measures which the Indian government apparently intends to propose are too timid. Yet another obstacle standing in the path of Indian economic development is an endemic lack of infrastructure: roads and highways, bridges, airports and ports require important investment, but they are not completely compatible with the current state of public finances. Other urgent and hefty investments regard energy production and distribution plants. In these infrastructures, as well as for oil refineries, it would be possible to resort to private and foreign investment. However, complications caused by electricity tariffs established for political reasons have not permitted such a solution so far. The unresolved problem is guarantees of remuneration of capital , Enron, which went bankrupt some years ago. Such incidents are proof of the intricate web of powers and the widespread rivalry between local authorities and central government, which has a paralytical impact on global finance which deals in such transactions. Not least in this list of woes are health and education problems in rural areas. Contradicting aspects are inherent in India’s health system. On the one hand, it offers pockets of excellence in some private sectors, which have served to draw patients from all over the region to Indian clinics. In such structures, it is possible to conduct operations comparable to those in western countries and at a vastly inferior price. On the other hand, however, the total cost of health spending does not exceed 0.9% of the GDP, much less, even half what other countries at a similar stage of development would spend. It is this aspect which best illustrates the contradiction between optimism engendered by economic market growth and a group of significant social indicators. The bottom line is that although India’s development process is certainly more smooth than China’s its income redistribution curve is evolving in a more uniform manner and the middle classes are increasing in size and also in income per capita much remains to be done so that the marginalized are not excluded from the country’s growth. Two factors certainly confirm the initial optimism about India’s future and they guide estimates on its economic growth. One initial reason for optimism comes from the existence of valid internal financial markets, more because of their structures and regulations based on British standards than for their size. According to Richard Batty of Standard Life Investments, the balance of economic global power will change radically in the next 50 years and the stock market could provide an average annual yield of 10% in this period. The second reason for optimism is to be found in Indian political institutions, which although far from perfect, are nonetheless able to allow for changes in power. This offers a precious guarantee of stability which China, for example, cannot offer. Despite their limitations, especially at local level, Indian political institutions appear better able than their Chinese counterparts to better reconcile various sectors of the population. Triangle of India, China and Pakistan- Indian policy-makers have been facing a great challenge today to construct a peace-oriented but pragmatic long-term policy framework in an atmosphere where its neighbour Pakistan is hell bent for MAD (mutual assured destruction) persuasions and China is modernizing itself fast with DF-31 and DF-41 missile programmes along with MIRV (multiple independent re-entry vehicle) potentials. The shadow of the ghost of cold war days are still moving around and the principles of real politik are significantly being included in inter-national agenda. Recently held International Defence Exhibition And Seminar (IDEAS 2000 Pakistan) between 14th to 17th November at Karachi with its theme â€Å"Arms For Peace† and China as a significant participant could be perceived as catalytic to the rise of arms race in the South Asian region. On 17th November, Sonmiani Tactical Firing Range in Pakistan witnessed an unprecedented show of arms and ammunitions in its f ull range. Air Officer Commanding of the Southern Air Command Air Marshal Parvez Iqbal Mirza, while boasting the might of Pakistan defence, said to the attending guests that â€Å"all Pakistan-made weapons and ammunitions, which was of NATO standard, could not be displayed at the demonstration and only selective weapons would be shown off†. Few remarkable demonstrations at the exhibition were – Super Mashshak Trainer (produced at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kaura), Karakoram-8 advanced jet trainer (co-produced by Pakistan and China), MirageIIIs, mobility display of Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar main battle tank (a joint venture of Pakistan, China and Ukraine), T-59 IIM tanks, T-85-2APS, Anza MK-11 missiles, Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. Even the Pakistani sources confirm that never before Pakistan had put on display its full range of military might. And unlike any other initiative of Pakistan in the past, these military demonstrations were wedded to â€Å"show of strength† configured against India. Also, it was a psychological display of Pakistan’s claim for military self-confidence in the wake of mounting international pressure on Pakistan, especially from the U.S, to go slow on military hardware and to stop abetting the terrorist groups. In such upcoming adverse condition, Pakistan while on the one hand has been trying to reinforce its confidence amongst the Islamic states, on the other hand, apart from the clandestine supports from China, it has been pressing for new strategic and military partnerships. Ever since its coming into existence, the fundamental goal of Pakistan’s foreign and defence policies has been of â€Å"defiance† of international norms and values and to co-opt the tools that destabilise India’s territorial integrity and domestic tranquility. Defiance of international norms means violating the principles of non-interference in other country’s domestic affairs, or for that matter to launch attack on other’s territory. The nature of Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan during and after the cold war has always been a subject of international criticism and condemnation. Further, Pakistani statesmen and academia for the reasons only known to them are still justifying al l previous five misadventures of Pakistan against India. More so, Pakistan is being labeled as supporter to several terrorist outfits round the globe, and considered as a hot pursuant of weapons of mass destruction. Pakistan’s missile and nuclear development programmes are being increasingly encouraged by the Chinese politics towards the regional strategic triangle involving Pakistan, India and China. Subsequently, the regional adversaries not separately but jointly against India are raising the prospect of an arms race breaking out between India and China. Of course Pakistan has been acting and responding in a manner that definitely exceeds its strategic defence requirements. Hence, it is imperative to the Indian policy-makers to comprehensively understand, analyse and foresee the complexities and contours of Chinese international and regional behaviours. Evoking a sense of â€Å"mystery and fear† in international relations has long been a significant foreign policy characteristic of China. Historically, it is an aggressive and expansionist state. And in the post cold-war world, with regard to South Asian security environment China is likely to take moves on two basic premises – one related to the Sino-U.S relations, and the other directly linked to India. First, while advocating for multi-polar world order, China desires to become a potential alternative centre of power in any given international system. For this reason, despite glaring limitations in technological advancements in China, they inadvertently find the clash of interests with America at almost all the present and prospective conflict areas of the world. South Asia is definitely not any exception to it. The recent improvements in U.S-India ties and the increasing gulf between the U.S and Pakistan are being seen as direct threat to the Chinese predominance in this region. Subsequently the mutual distrust and misperceptions between China and the U.S.A, on the one hand, directly affect the Sino-U.S relations and, on the other hand, indirectly but substantially it would affect the South Asian regional security configurations. It may further provide scope for Pakistan to take more strides towards misadventures against India. Second, China desires to remain the sole â€Å"power† state in the Asian region. The rapid growth in Indian economy, especially its IT sector, together with the convincing progress in Indian defence advancements pose direct threat to the Chinese dominance in the region. Whether India is being referred directly or not in the Chinese world propositions, it is a fact today that India matters a lot to the Chinese strategic thinkers. Now, it is understandable by several means that Beijing could face considerable, if not devastating, reaction if anything done undesirable or against the vital interest of New Delhi. After all, future possibility of ‘engagement’ or ‘containment’ depends mainly in the development of India’s strategic build-ups. Chinese moves to contain the Indian strength are based on its policy of â€Å"encirclement of India†. Long back in 1983 U.S intelligence agencies had reported that China had transferred a complete nuclear weapon design of 25 KT nuclear bomb to Pakistan and had been helping to Pakistani centrifuge programme. Again in 1986, it was revealed that China sold Tritium (that is used to achieve fusion in a nuclear device) to Pakistan and Chinese scientists assisted Pakistan with the production of weapons-grade fissile material (Uranium) at A.Q.Khan laboratory, Kahuta. Further, in 1991, Wall Street Journal reported that Pakistan was buying nuclear-capable M-11 missiles from China. In addition, apart from the controversial Chinese sale of 5000 ring magnets, China has also been involved in transferring M-9 missiles to Pakistan. Thus, China has long been recklessly providing Pakistan with nuclear technology, conventional weaponry and missile systems to keep Pakistan’s ambitions high against Indian defence preparedness. Subsequently, by keeping the Pakistan-India hostility alive, China acts on the two-pronged foreign policy towards India. Further, towards its policy of â€Å"encirclement of India†, China has also established a radar base in Coco island (belonging to Myanmar) that is only a gunshot away from the Indian Andmand and Nicobar islands. More so, recently the Indian Coast Guards that raised apprehensions across the Indian line of defence interrupted a Chinese trawler fitted with modern electronic surveillance equipments off the Indian shores. In addition, it has been widely reported of Chinese move of deployment of nuclear forces in Tibet and other bordering provinces and the advancements towards Chinese DG-25 missiles are being specially planned as counter move to Indian development of Agni II and III missiles. It has also been reported that a further upgrade of Hong Niano-3 (HN-3) is now being developed with range increased to 2.500Km for ship, submarine and aircraft launch. India’s motivation towards its strategic defence build-up flies in the face of conventional wisdom with recently achieve d vigour of deterring the Chinese threat of â€Å"encirclement of India†. And the proclamation of the Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes just after the launch of Agni II that â€Å"with this launch, no one, from anywhere, will dare to threaten us from now†, wisely stages India at a considerable level across the spectrum of rivaling strengths in the South Asian region. Although Indian moves for weaponisation programmes are primarily driven by the combined hostile attitudes of its neighbours, this may further lead Pakistan to more destructive engagements against India. The present environment of this region is so complicated, that even after a decade since the end of cold war, the western and Indian scholars have been facing difficulty in coming out with any definitive future trend in the South Asian strategic arrangements. In such volatile circumstances, the Standing Committee on Defence in its Report projects the level of Indian defence readiness as â€Å"The Kargil conflict of 1999 has been referred as wake-up call†. It includes the long -term vision and planning for enhancing the defence capabilities. No doubt, the real and immediate need for India today is a solid back up of conventional hardware. Priorities are to be delimited for the speedy acquisition of defence equipment and technologies. Overestimation of indigenous potential in a given period of time may lead to further delays and might cost wastage of valuable resources. Areas of strengths and weaknesses are to be carefully drawn and closely monitored for effective conventional warfare in time of need. No doubt, it is proud to hold ‘minimum credible nuclear deterrence’, but at the same time ‘ignorance’ or ‘negligence’ on its ‘command and control’ mechanism part may prove fatal for the nation. Only an effective inter-linkage within C-3I (Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence) could really boost the inner strength in holding the â€Å"nuclear button†, and to maintain some level of ascertained minimum deterrence capability. As far as dealing with international environment is concerned, tough task ahead for India is to maintain and build better India-U.S relations and to re-strengthen the hands of cooperation with Russia. It is always preferable for India to go for constructive engagement with China along with other interested partners than to seek Pakistani engagement only due to domestic compulsions. Last but not least, at first, to have a healthy relationship with China, India needs to break the mental blockade of its past experience. After all, now onwards India is a declared nuclear weapon power state with an emerging strong economy.