Saturday, August 31, 2019

Islam Religion Dbq

3/4/11 Islam DBQPer: 4 Islam was a fast spreading religion in a time when Christianity and other religions had already established themselves. Islam gained a reputation as a violent religion when it attacked and conquered areas, and made violent threats. Islam also presented itself as a religion of reward, equality, and protection. Once Islam had established itself in so many areas, it used other techniques to keep their reign. The Muslims way of spreading and keeping their empire was what made it one of the most studied empires in history.Violent attacks and threats are a part of the history of Islam. One of the main reasons Islam even got its foot was the attack on Mecca that Muhammad led. Threats were sometimes used as a strategy to convert people, such as when Muhammad told the leader of the Christian Arab tribe: â€Å"Obey the Lord and his Apostle, and he will defend you†¦ But if ye oppose and displease them†¦ I will fight against you and take captive your little ones and slay the elder†. (Doc 1) There often did end up being battles between Muslims and the Non-Muslims.An excerpt from â€Å"History Today† said: â€Å"Koranic revelation commanded them to â€Å"Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not be the aggressors† (Doc5). The Islamic power was rapidly rising as it continued the conquests. With so much power, many people may have converted out of fear of them. The strong force the Muslims presented was enough to convert many people. Sir Edward Crecy describes the Battle of Tours â€Å"everything gave way to their [swords]†¦ all the nations of the Franks trembled at that terrible army†¦ attacked Tours†¦ nd the fury and cruelty of the Moslems towards the inhabitants of the city were like the fury and cruelty of raging tigers. †(Doc 4). Like any other religion, Islam promised rewards for obeying its laws and believing. The Qur’an says â€Å"whoever shall obey God and His Apostle, he shall bring him into the gardens of [Paradise]. †(Doc 2) Other religions at this time also had some form of heaven, but this seemed much simpler than a Karma cycle, and was very appealing. A life after death has always been a fascinating mystery to many of mankind, and the idea of the paradise is often mentioned in Islam.Other rewards, like money, were what motivated many conquests in the first place. In the History of the Arabs, it says â€Å"the objective in most cases being [riches] and not the gaining of a permanent foothold† (Doc 7). Money was a definite and quick reward, unlike the promise of Paradise. Islam also promised protection and equality in the faith. The idea that men and women of any social class would be considered equal through their faith is cited in the History of the Arabs: â€Å"Their leader is like one of them: the low cannot be distinguished from the high, nor the master from the slave.And when prayer time comes, all wash their hands and feet and humbly pray. † (Doc 3) This kind of equality within a religion was introduced within Christianity as well. The two religions have many similarities, and a document on how the Christians and other faiths reacted to the new spread of Muslim power would have been useful. To fully understand the effects of the Islam Empire, the way people reacted or did not react to the new power is necessary. These original ideas of the Islam faith were what started the movement that became the vast empire.Islam gained its original followers not from force, but from the appeal of the religion. The ideology and beliefs are what makes Islam the second most popular religion in the world today. By 750 C. E the Islam Empire had spread all the way from Arabia through Africa to Spain. (Doc 8) They had gotten this far by violence and persuasion. Once they had established themselves, they had to find ways to keep their empire without protest. The reasons this was an empire were the conquests and power the Muslims had over Non-Muslims.Being a Muslim at this time meant protection, status, and security. The Non- Muslims were given rules they had to follow to secure their protection. A Muslim writer, Syed Ameer Ali writes â€Å"The Moslems, on the other hand, required from others a simple guarantee of peace, tribute in return for protection, or perfect equality- on condition of the acceptance of Islam†(Doc 6) Non-Muslims weren’t treated like some other empires had treated the conquered peoples.They were tolerant, and while they did try and convert many people, they allowed other monotheistic religions to remain. J. J. Saunders in â€Å"History Today† says â€Å"Mohammed respected the older monotheistic faiths†¦ he called them â€Å"People of the Book†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ they were not forced into Islam but were allowed to retain their ancestral religion on payment of tribute† (Doc 5) The Islam empire was unlike any other empire because it was not a country that was taking over but a religion.Therefore it had more potential to succeed because of their tolerance and belief. The spread of the Islam Empire was caused by many factors. Their violent conquests were what initially spread the empire. The rewards and appeal of the religion is what gave it its foothold and converted many people. The tolerance and belief is what kept the empire from crumbling for many years. The Muslims had cracked the code of empires. They knew how to spread and keep an empire quickly. The Islam Empire set its mark on history, and its effect is still seen today.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Shedding Light in the Shadow of Misconceptions

With a sad heart, I answer the aforementioned question with yes.   Islam is viewed unfavorably by many people in this globalized world.   Sometimes, it is often dubbed as the religion espoused by the terrorists o extremists. But not all Muslims are terrorists and not all terrorists are Muslims. The media magnified and somewhat vilified the image of Islam more after the September 11 event. But are these accusations and perceptions all true? Misconceptions about the religion continue to generate fear, resentment and judgment among uninformed minds. This paper aims to shed a little light on the three common misconceptions about Islam involving women, Jesus Christ, and the alleged use of sword in spreading the religion. It aims to convey the message to the country’s non-Muslim population. Firstly, non-Muslims thought that Islam degrades women by classifying them as properties or as second-class citizens. The notion is wrong. The Qur’an upholds and esteems women; they are not regarded as evil temptress. Women’s rights were guaranteed by the Islamic Law over 1,400 years ago. Islam allows women to own properties, operate a business and receive equal pay for work.   History tells us that about 50 years ago, women in both England and America were not allowed to acquire any property without the consent and signature of their husbands or father. Likewise, Islam women can’t be forced to marry against their will. Islam women are not confined under the veil, as many see it. The clothes serve as protection against any malicious intention stemming from a man’s sight. Flaunting a body invites rape and harassment; it is therefore logical for a Muslim woman to wrap herself with cover.   Many Muslim women around the world are in top positions.   Consider the late Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. Isn’t she the embodiment of Muslim woman empowerment? Women are highly-valued, cared for and esteemed in Islamic society.   In addition, Islam stopped the ancient Arab practice of killing newborn daughters.   Such is the premium given by Islam on women or young girls. Under Islam, both sexes are treated fairly. Secondly, other people view Islam as against Jesus Christ. But to a Muslim, Jesus Christ is a great prophet. Muslims respect and love Jesus. Muslims call him as Nabi Isa – the Arabic term for Prophet Jesus. The Qur’an speaks about him and admonishes Muslim to believe in his virgin birth and miracles. It must be remembered that Muslims are not attacking Jesus Christ when they speak against the Bible or Christianity. Muslims are just criticizing some claims of Christians.   However, Muslims reject the idea of Trinity and the theology of Incarnation.   In a Muslim’s heart, Jesus Christ remains the great prophet who performed good deeds and miracles to many people. Lastly, non-Muslims were taught that Islam spread through the use of sword. It must be noted that Muslims are educated by the Qur’an on non-compulsion in religion.   If Islam was spread by the sword, then most of India, China and even more than half of the world should be under Islam by now.   India remains a predominantly Hindu country and China, a communist republic. Islamic traders went through different places to bring business but did not kill or force people to be converted to Islam. The people were impressed by the traders’ life that they adopted the religion which they have.   In contrast, history attests to the violence and brutal killings by other religions, such as the Crusades, in vain attempt to convert people. Furthermore, according to the Reader’s Digest, for a period of 50 years, from 1944 to 1984, more people converted to Islam than in any other faith. Now, were they threatened to be killed or forced to be converted?   Islam means submission and those who chose to be a Muslim, did so volitionally, out of their free will. The above-mentioned are just a few among the many misconceptions about Islam. Still, much of the world’s humanity has animosity towards the religion or its followers. For someone to understand Islam, one has to open his or eyes. Judgment must be suspended first to see that Islam is more than a religion, but a way of life. It is a life of submission to the will of God. Muslims are not enemies. Like us, they are also humans in need of acceptance and belonging. Like any other religions, Islam must be respected, too.   If one would take the time to study and understand its teachings, only then will he o she would be able to correct the misconceptions on the religion.            

Thursday, August 29, 2019

E-Commerce Insider Threats Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Commerce Insider Threats - Research Paper Example In addition, a major element of the problem appears from poor systems engineering of networks and software. However, to effectively deal with these imprecision and ambiguities in the business information system there is need to minimize the system loop holes and problems regarding the effective management and operational handling. Furthermore, the management of the business information security and operations has turned out to be a main task in business. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the current state of insider threats to computer systems and infrastructure in terms of numbers, costs and potential problems. The main intention of this research is offer a comprehensive overview of the different insider threats to computer systems for E-Commerce. Shaw, Ruby, & M. (1998) outlined that the ideal business information systems protection besides all outer and inner threats is not possible. The main difficulty of monitoring against the business information security threats has been an important aspect of the literature, and business information system development (Shaw, Ruby, & M., 1998). However, the main problem is the inherent complexity of the business systems. Thus, here are problems in terms of some recognized techniques offering business impressions that are not practical solutions. In this case more and more challenges are coming out in form of virus and worms (Graham, 2005). Cho, Chang, Kim, & Choi (2003) stated that in this new age of information corporations are completely dependent upon the complex information systems. In addition, these systems are in a greater danger in terms of vulnerability of systems to computer information security and crime attacks. Thus, the high-tech environment and technological experts are n eeded to develop, manage, and maintain these business information systems (Cho, Chang, Kim, & Choi, 2003). According to (Shaw,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Explain about this picture using roland barthes Essay

Explain about this picture using roland barthes - Essay Example The coastal background of the picture is ideal; tourist can have a cool breeze at the coastline of any ocean or sea. In addition, human beings can manifest the world through pictures, not just through photojournalism (Watson, 2012). Our snaps are a perfect example of how human beings can view the world as a social construct or our personal, individual life. The picture’s relevance can be drawn from the context in which it was taken. Denotative quality of the photograph is portrayed by the human being and the coastal objects contained in the photograph and their relationship with the human being. Denotatively, human beings can find coastline settings ideal for holidays and tourism activities. Tourism is also important for economic growth as well as contributing to employment opportunities. The content of the photograph’s message shows the literal reality of how human beings enjoy nature. The scene is real and not imaginary (Noth, 1995). A photograph is a proof that the holiday adventure occurred in reality. The picture may be distorted; however, there is some evidence that something occurred, which resembles the picture. The notion of style in the picture is evident because it represents reality. The object (human being and the coastline) are objects from reality. The pose in the picture represents how human beings can enjoy the sunshine at the coast. In addition a relaxed pose shows how holiday experiencing can be fulfilling. Stress levels can be reduced when human beings find time to relax and be away from work. Holiday activities rejuvenate strength lost during work. After leisure or holiday, more effort can be achieved at work. Use of communication technologies such as phones helps to get in touch with families and friends. The picture’s background also shows how human beings should relate with the environment. The coastal background is clean and free from waste. Waste disposal to the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Assignment 2 - Essay Example ng, investigating and comprehending concepts for the main objective of concept advancement, description, contrasting, explanation, classification, modification and substantiation. Conceptual analysis is further a course of investigation that delves into concepts for their stage of advancement as portrayed by their interior framework, applications and interaction to other concepts. In fact, conceptual analysis outlines the center for supplying definitions of abstract concepts. It has varied standing in learning. From the time when it was introduced in learning, it was clear that it is a fundamental tool for advancement of theory. However, it is clear that conceptual analysis is complicated. It is evident that it does not provide clear means to contribute to further theoretical knowledge (Sowa, 2006). Conceptual analysis does not provide significant theoretical foundation of learning. In reference to Sowa (2006), it is a random and an informal process that constrains the development of science. It can lead to huge worry and anxiety for the reason that there are no strict rules on how to conduct the process of conceptual analysis. This means that researchers can fail to determine the best way to carry out the whole process that includes going through large mass of literature. Due to the fact that conceptual analysis has an easy attribute, the work at the end of the process is associated with poor quality. It is clear that conceptual analysis requires a lot of thorough work, patience and elevated levels of cognitive abilities which many researchers lack, thereby lowering the quality of the end result. Conceptual analysis may lead to a value attachment, thereby moralising the concept in analysis in case there are any values attached. This may bar the analytic process and destroy the entire research. On the other hand, concept critical thinking lacks a moral feature and value attachment turns out to be useless in the current analysis. There is a desire to increase

Monday, August 26, 2019

Presptus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Presptus - Essay Example With these improvements, many developed nations in the West have tapped into the Third World market because of the cheaper labor cost. In some Middle East nations, especially the OECD member countries, there have been increased rates in migration due to â€Å"regional conflict, the restrictions placed on other immigration channels, asylum seekers and family reunion† (Chalamwong, 2004, p. 3). In order to meet the work demands in these nations, some of these OECD nations have opened their doors to the entry of skilled and the highly skilled laborers, most especially those who have expertise in information and communication technology. With the contribution of these workers, the competitiveness of the nations in the world market has been maintained. As more nations have also taken advantage of this cheap labor market, the inevitability of a multi-cultural work place has come into fruition. In these labor markets, many opposing and essentially different cultures can often be found in the same workplace. The challenge that this workplace has created is on how management can merge various cultures into one cohesive and dynamic work force. In order to achieve a productive, dynamic, and even peaceful work environment, the manager has to come up with ways to blend these cultures while still maintaining perspective and while respecting each culture’s unique attributes. The changes that the manager has to implement will eventually decide the success of any project or any business in the current global economy. Despite the trends in globalization, unemployment has still been persistent in many parts of the world. The pressures of migration have increased because of these unemployment ratings. Moreover, most developing countries suffer from high unemployment rates and these rates are continuing to climb. For the OECD member nations, there is a

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Liabilities and Remedies of Parties in a Contract Essay

Liabilities and Remedies of Parties in a Contract - Essay Example As the paper discusses  there are two contracts existing between the parties. The first contract is between Military Supply Ltd and the British Ministry of Defense while the second contract is between the Military Supply Ltd and Motor Parts plc. The contract between Military Supply Ltd and the British Ministry of Defense is for the purchase and delivery of 500 vehicles which will be used by the Ministry of Defense in its field operations. The second contract on the other hand is a contract of service between Military Supply Ltd and Motor Parts Ltd where the former hire the services of the latter to manufacture the 500 vehicles for the client of Military Supply Ltd which is the British Ministry of Defense. The relationships of the parties are defined and limited by the contracts that they entered into.From the report it is clear that the obligations of the parties in this case vary according to their participation in the transaction. In the case of British Ministry of Defense, its o bligation is towards Military Supply ltd. As buyer of the vehicles, the Ministry of Defense is obliged to deliver payments when the provisions and the objects specified under the contract are satisfied. On the part of Military Supply Ltd, its obligations are towards the Ministry of Defense as well as to Motor Parts. In the case of the Ministry, Military Supply Ltd is bound to deliver the 500 vehicles as per the specifications of the ministry in a timely manner.  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The IEP Process, IEPS and 504 Plans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The IEP Process, IEPS and 504 Plans - Assignment Example Effective pedagogy entails building on the students learning locations and corresponding home practices. Effective pedagogy aids in the facilitation of shared learning activities and conversations among the students with inclusion of the family members and populace within the broader community (Wilmshurst & Alan, pp123-167). Learning conversations and learning partnerships is normally encouraged. Learn new learning within a variety of concepts aids in covering greater depth. Vision entail connecting association among the students coupled with efficient user of communications tools. Principles link high expectations, community commitment, and the inclusion (Wolraich, pp189-213). There are five misconceptions of information in the IEPs for disability children within this module. The misconceptions that the student’s teacher is acquainted with what is within the child’s IEP is common among the parents (Wolraich, pp189-213). Parents ought to meet with the teacher particularly when there is a change within the classroom teachers at the semester break, when a new teacher is employed, and when the school starts New Year. Misconceptions that the school technically is demanded to offer the services and assistance as stipulated within an IEP since it is a legal contract. Moreover, it affects the child’s performance thus; parents ought to monitor the child’s homework, exam progress and attitude regarding school (Wilmshurst & Alan, pp123-167). There is also a misconception that each child that struggles possesses an IEP. Certain children normally struggle with the reading and writing but do not have a disability. Moreover, particular children diagnosed with disabilities might not necessarily qualify for an IEP and might be suitable for a 504 plan. There is also a misconception that IEP continues beyond high school is not true as IDEA services do not extend into the college and workplace. Parents normally assume that their

Friday, August 23, 2019

Entrepreneurship Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurship Theory - Essay Example 3). Theoretically, an entrepreneur is one who must exhibit certain enterprising attributes and specific characteristics of behaviour and thinking perhaps attained innately or from education, training and experiences (Gibb, 2007, p. 5). This piece of research work critically evaluates the theoretical underpinnings of entrepreneurial behaviours and explains what triggers to the behaviour of an entrepreneur based on relevant literatures Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurs are those who use their ability, talent, skills and personality to perform and carry out new combinations to successfully implement a change. Joseph A Schumpeter, famously known as father of entrepreneurship, viewed entrepreneurship as all about innovation (Carsrud and Brannback , 2007, p. 7) and entrepreneur as a distinct individual in the society as he discovers a dynamic business opportunity, seizes the opportunity to convert the idea in to a reality to deliver new product or service and thus to create a new marketable c ontribution to the economy (McDaniel, 2002, p. 57). Some literatures argued that entrepreneur is not only an innovator or a distinct person to transform opportunity to business reality, but also that he is characterized with many of managerial skills and abilities such as direction, organizing, supervision, risk bearing, control etc (Brockhaus, 1987, p. 1). With the idea of establishing a business enterprise, entrepreneur mentally prepares to take risks of financial well being, career opportunities, family relations, and psychic ell being as well (Brockhaus, 1980, p. 511). As and when the business contexts become more complex and markets turn to be highly vulnerable to rigorous competition, entrepreneurs must be able to take very strategic steps to introduce innovative ideas with their creative thinking. Based on various views, Cunningham and Lischeron (1991, p. 46) defined six schools of thoughts to describe various qualities of entrepreneurs. These schools are 1) the great person school of thought, 2) psychological characteristic school, 3) classical school of entrepreneurship, 4) the management school, 5) the leadership school and 6) the intrapreneurship school of entrepreneurship. There are large numbers of explanations for what triggers to the behaviour of an entrepreneur, but most of these literatures reached to a consensus that some of the most important characteristics generally and are found universally important are innovation, risk taking, creative thinking etc. Some authors have also found some other components or dimensions of entrepreneurship such as new venture formation, pro-activeness, renewal, strategic vision, international and domestic venturing, competitive aggressiveness etc (Lau, Shaffer, Chan and Man, 2012, p. 675). Entrepreneurial behaviour Entrepreneurial behaviour, as defined by Mair (2005, p. 51) refers to a set of activities and practices by which individuals at varying levels generate and utilize innovative resource combination to discover and pursue opportunities.

The history of Canadian hockey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The history of Canadian hockey - Essay Example Historians have argued for the past 2 centuries about the origins of hockey. It is generally agreed that hockey was an evolution of the game hurley that had been adapted to playing on ice. The name hockey is believed to have come from the French word "hoquet" meaning shepard's stick ("Origins and Roots"). While British historians have tried to lay claim to the game, Canadian experts flatly disagree. British historian Ian Gordon wrote in 1937 that the game of hockey was first played at Windsor Castle in 1853 by members of the Royal Family (qtd. in McFarlane 1). Still others place the origin in Europe as early as the 16th century. A painting titled "Hunters in the Snow" by Pietr Bruegel from 1565 depicts skaters carrying sticks that resemble modern hockey sticks. One of the figures is about to strike a small round object ("The Origins of Hockey"). Canadian researchers however are quick to point out that the painting does not show the skates required to be called hockey. Researchers can also date Canadian hockey earlier than the 1853 date cited by Gordon. . Hockey historian Howard Dill places the birthplace of hockey at Long Pond in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1810 (McFarlane 1). This is supported by Dr. Sandy Young's book, Beyond Heroes: A Sport History of Nova Scotia. Dr. Young refers to a quote by Thomas Chandler Halliburton who graduated from Kings-Edgehill School in Windsor in 1810. He recounts playing "[...] hurley on the long pond on the ice" (qtd. in McFarlane 2). Another anonymous student wrote of his experience at the same school and says they "used to skate in winter on moonlit nights [...] his front teeth knocked out with a hurley" (qtd. in McFarlane 2). The first documented and verified incidents of hockey seem to have been played at the beginning of the 1800s in Nova Scotia. Wherever it was originally played, it probably evolved in several places over a period of years and was spread by immigrants and migrant workers. However, there is little debate about modern hockey. The first rules to hockey were laid down in 1879 by a group of Students at McGill in Montreal (McFarlane 2). This laid the foundation for organized college games and set the stage for the future of professional hockey. The National Hockey League (NHL) was formed in Canada in 1917 (McFarlane 15). Leagues such as the Western Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Hockey League came into existence and passed as suddenly as they came. By the end of the 1920s, six man hockey had been standardized, the forward pass was allowed in all zones, and the Stanley Cup became the exclusive right of the NHL (McFarlane 15). Hockey continued to expand during the 1930s through the 1960s attracting fans all across North America. Dominated by the Canadian teams of Montreal and the Toronto Maple Leaves, it was also successful in northern American cities such as Detroit, Boston, and Chicago. World War II impacted hockey as it did other major league sports. Transportation became a problem and many players were drafted or enlisted in the armed services. However, by 1970 professional hockey was seeing major expansion by the addition of teams all over North America. The league had operated as a six-team unit for 50 years, but had added 10 teams to their ranks in the years 1967-1972 (McFarlane 117). Teams in southern cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles were taking advantage of hockey's

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Two People Who Have Great Influence in My Life Essay Example for Free

Two People Who Have Great Influence in My Life Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am what I am. Who I am today was the result of my past experiences in life; hence, experiences that are worth remembering for. I am a person of good value and virtue because of these two great people who have influenced and touched my life in a very significant ways. They are the one who really sacrifice a lot just to give me a better future. They molded me as a person of good morals and dignity as well as a person who love and fear God. These two people that have touched my life are my beloved parents, my dad and mom. I owe my life to them and I will not stop thanking God for giving me such wonderful and loving parents. The intents of this paper are: (1) to figure out how my dad and mom influenced my life in different and similar ways and; (2) know deeper what are their contributions in my life. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My dad is an ideal father to me. When I will have my own family, I would like to be like him. He is a very responsible man. He is very loving and a generous father. He supplies our daily needs and not only that, he always find time to spend quality time with us in spite of his hectic schedules from his work. Every time he got from his work, he frequently brought us presents; they may be small or big but it has great impact in my life because it is not how expensive or cheap the present is but it is the thought that counts. I always hear my father saying â€Å"I love you† to my mother and to us as well. He really shows that we, his family, are very important to him. He treats us every time he receives his salary. I never experience that my father has shouted nor spanked me because of what I did. He disciples my siblings and I in a manner that we will not retaliate because of what he does to us. If I have done something wrong, he just calls me to go to his bedroom so that we can have a talk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My mom is the most wonderful mother in the whole world. Truly, she is the light in our home. She is a kind of mother that disciplines us firmly yet gentle. She is just like my father because when my siblings and I have done something wrong, she also calls us to go to her bedroom, if ever my dad is not around to disciplines us, and have a short talk. She is a kind of mom who always consoles us if ever we have something that troubles us. She is a good cook too. She sees to it that we have a good and nutritious meal. She never complains in raising us but indeed she finds it a delight, seeing us feed with her love and care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My mom and dad have brought great impact in my life. My father taught me how to be like a man. He taught me how to play sports, working out and stuff like that. We always have a man to man talk and he told me that when I have my own family in the future, I should care my future family the way he takes care of us. And I am pretty sure that I can be like him because that is the kind of family where I am brought up. Well, if others cannot easily get along with their mom because they are boys, I can sincerely say that I can easily approach and get along with my mom. She always tells me that I should love my neighbors as myself and never take advantage on the weaknesses of others. She also reminds me to be a one woman man in the future, just like my father did. Though they teach me in different ways but they have one common denominator and that is to raise me as a person of good value and dignity. III. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To have a very loving father and mother is such a great blessing from God; a blessing that cannot be exchanged with the wealth of this world. These two people are very precious to me and I am not what I am today without their unending love, support and fair discipline.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Interview Selection Methods

Interview Selection Methods Introduction Selection is the process of discovering the prerequisite and specifications of the job candidate in additional establish likely suitably for the work position. Selection have seven process to choose best person and qualified them for the job, actually selection needs a methodical come up to the problem of finding the good matched person for the work position. First selection method is interview, In hiring process last steps and the most important process is interview. It offers an idea about the company and actually interview is way to exchange information and approach to tentative conclusions about hiring one another. In interview can describe your experience and your skills and get some information an idea about what is happening with the company. important thing is an employer get some additional information about you that is not provided in your resume or in your cover letter, they looking for what motivates you and how u communicate with others if you are a manager or follower. Interviewee start evaluate the employer after while interviewer evaluates interviewee. interviewee must preparing before interview. This is best way to combat the interview nerves. Interviewee must know who you are meeting with and which format interview will be follow . Interviewers have many choice to choose from dissimilar style and methods of interviewing and they try to find out many information about a candidate , actually they want to find out the reaction of them in to the different situation . if candidate have extra information about company that could be have an effect on the result of the interview . we have many type of interview but important type of interview is Telephone interview Personal interview Behavioral interview Group or panel interview Video conference interview Normally company choose the telephone interview or personal interview and some time using behavioral interview. OneStop Bank Bhd use interview for select person for job position but selection method have different type of that can be useful for the onestop bank company , the important type of selection is Interview Psychometric testing Ability and aptitude tests Personality References In this case another than interview , Psychometric testing and Personality is useful for the onestop bank . also they can use this two kind of selection to qualified them for the work position. 1. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Interviews Interview have many different type but normally must of the company using three kind of interviewing. First one is telephone interview , employer call to eliminate applicants based on necessary criteria , they call u without an appointment . Second is behavioral interview , they will ask question , interviewee must describe how he/she has handled work related situations , this show to them your behavior , skills and personality. last one is personal interview or face to face interview , they will ask you about yourself and your experience . 1.1. Telephone Interview Telephone interview is very popular interview in the world, most of company using this interview because of low cost and very fast , company use telephone for most screening interview , telephone interview will also used for geographic obstacles ,or some time the candidates lives in another country or city . The fact is telephone interview is the formal method of interviewing , if candidate`s ability to sense delicate non verbal cues that can be challenging telephone interview . the important thing is interviewee must focused to tones of interviewer`s voice , also they must have pen and notepad to write important things or question . the three important advantages for interview is , first usually be contacted faster over the telephone than other method actually if they use computer for net telephone interview ,they can check the result twenty minutes after completing the interview. The second one is time and cost effective ,telephone interview most last about 15 to 20 min and also th e interviewer can test your communication skills and telephone technique. last one is interviewee don't need to dress up femoral or smarten up and also no need to spend time and money to go for interview.(Ben 2008) Telephone interview also have disadvantage , the first is interviewee can't see the reaction of interviewer actually they can't see interviewer to gauge their response . second one is , telephone interview is fast and they ask question very fast and interviewee don't have time to probably think about a question , and most of people are nervure of using telephone for interview , actually they are terrified when they using telephone for interview. (Jury and Kevin 2007) 1.2 Personal interview (face to face ) the most common interview method is personal interview, when interviewer in private office ask question face to face with the interviewee this called personal interview . personal interview is your opportunity to shine and you must show to employer why they must hair you . In this interview your dress up is important and also u must show your communication skills and your appearance is very important in personal interview . personal interview have three important advantage for interviewee and also for interviewer , first advantage is they can see your ability actually interviewer can feel your ability in different situation .(Mark Atrikson 2002) the second one is interview will be longer than phone interview because they can explain skills and ability with action and some people willing to talk longer in personal interview and last one is they can have ability to find the target population and also very expedient for the respondent. (Mark Atrikson 2002) Personal interview also have disadvantage ,first is usually cost more than other methods for them and actually also take time more than phone interview . second one is sometime stage fright for both of them i mean interviewer and also interviewee , because of that sometime change the subject to another subject is very hard for interviewer.(Cono .v,2006 december13) 1.3 Behavioral interview Behavioral interview focus on performance and experiences, actually a person`s specific past performances is very important in this interview. Interviewer ask for past behaviors and actins to draw conclusions about how they would perform in a similar situation in their organization, this kind of interview is very better than traditional interviewing format that just ask candidates concerning hypothetical. this type of interview stat with action or task/situation that will be useful for answering question . in this interview four point is very important they what to rate your experience so they looking for someone who`s creative , optimistic and leader and also a team player . In this interview u must remember your resume and must share your successful work experience with them .advantage of this interview is your accomplishment and past experiences is effect to the result and also in behavioral interview interviewers are trained to use what they can understand about candidates. behav ioral interview the candidate will do the work with more accurate.(Adam 2010) In behavioral interview sometime candidates lie to employer about behavioral and some past experience , they lie just because they know behavioral and past experience will effect to the result.(Adam 2010) 2. Other Selection Methods 2.1. Psychometric Testing Tests are a standard and scientific method used to gauge individuals mental capabilities and behavioral style, psychometric tests made for gauge candidates appropriateness for a role based on the require personality characteristic and ability actually psychometric use to measure of your knowledge , abilities , attitude or personality traits and they used psychometric test in commercial , academic and educational setting for centuries and their famous has go on to increase . In a worker selection setting, psychometric tests give the eventual insight into a applicants potential, providing a significant and highly valid prediction of that applicants skills, knowledge, and also ability and other characteristics of high-quality job performance. the majority psychometric tests are conducted online and sometime tests allow you to keep your answers and come back to complete the test at later stage. psychometric tests are extremely effective analyst of work performance in all position and pro cess and applicants come from all work levels, they are form entry level to chief executives . psychometric tests is one way to gather the information (ability , performance , skills .) from candidates, information and article looking at result of psychometric test and also what they gauge , and how employee can help you in both recruiting staff and developing you career. 2.2 Personality Profiling personality test is way to selection of measure the personality characteristic of candidates that are related to future work performance and an individual`s can affect their appropriateness for some position . personality tests usually measure of five dimension, first is emotional stability and also extraversion , agreeableness , openness to experience and conscientiousness. personality test don't have answer same like right or wrong and person may sifted through identifying particular behaviors that are better suited the work than other person . the important thing is the selection process clear on the characteristic requisite to do well in the work . the advantage is can reveal more information about candidate`s skills, performance and also ability , other point is they can identify interpersonal characteristic that may be needed for certain works. But applicant`s experience may have greater impact on work skills no in to the personality and also have cost for test and interpr etation of results . 2.3 Ability And Aptitude Tests Ability and aptitude test method is for testing your abilities, actually ability and aptitude test may cover a eight areas such as general intelligence , verbal ability , numerical ability , spatial ability , clerical ability , diagrammatical ability , mechanical ability , sensory and motor abilities . this test rating your ability and show your skills and performance is suitable for which position , normally this test may come with action or task . the good point of this test is u can show your specific ability and skills directly to employer . But this kind of test take cost time and money . the important thing in ability test is the applicants must mange time and also control a stress, because must of people a stress pressure them when they do the test . 3. Analysis 3.1.Analysis Of Interview As you know we have many kind of interview but 3 popular interview is telephone interview , personal interview ( face to face), and behavioral interview . telephone interview is popular interview other than personal interview and behavioral interview , now a day's most company in USA and UK and also Canada using the telephone interview because of low cost and time other than telephone interview and behavioral interview (most of big country use telephone interview because maybe applicants stay in different state and traveling cost will be high ) telephone interview compare to personal interview just have two good point cost time and money but personal interview can show the communication skill of interviewer clear than telephone interview because is face to face and actually sometime is better for interviewee to see who ask question and he/she can check reaction of interviewer when he/she answer the question or describe his/her ability and skills . But telephone interviewing have another unique advantage compare to face to face interview as well the possibility of computer driven questionnaire presentation and also don't have obvious disadvantages but comparing to behavioral interview . Behavioral interview is very useful than telephone interview and personal interview if they need the someone have past experience and performance, because of that company use this method when they need specialist. behavioral interview comparing to personal interview , take more time and cost . In the behavioral interview ask for specific same like past behavior or action because is related to your past performance and interviewer will rating your performance . normally company using personal interview if cost and time is very important for them they will use telephone interview and also if they want applicants with experience and past performance they will use behavioral interview . 3.2. Analysis of selection method In this case we have three selection method to analysis , for the first point ability and aptitude test focus in general intelligence and special ability but in personal profiling they force on your experience and your skills and ability test cover a ranges of area more than personality test , but in the personal test the more fuses on personal profile and your resume , your past experience . they use personal test for find special person for suitable of some post . different between personality test and ability test is they used personality test they want to find good person for right position and is related to your characteristic not in your ability , actually ability is important but they aren't focus on ability but in other hand psychometric test is mental measure test and actually psychometric test covers ability test and personal testing and psychometric test is more complete than the others , it cover ability and characteristic but some people believes psychometric test i s not very good because tests are statistically examined . But psychometric test is useful in a commercial , academic and educational. 4. Recommendations My idea as Human Resource Manager of Onestop bank Bhd is they must use personal interview (face to face ) because is more useful to find person with good skills for each job position , the reason is personal interview show us ability and commendation skills of applicants and also it will be useful for know about Appearance of them , actually we can see reaction of them when employer ask question and also responds action . this good because we can give them more time and they can explain about performance and skills of they can provide to us . In the selection method we can use ability test or personal test but I think personal test is better for onestop bank because bank need some employee with good skills , they can chose right person for each position because personal test focusing on characteristic and the bank can hair them for exactly suitable position. the personality test is fast and not higher cost .because of this things I think personality test is very good method onestop bank. 5. Conclusions

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Impact Of Leadership Styles

Impact Of Leadership Styles Leadership styles Transactional leadership and transformational leadership have gained attention over a period of last few decades (Bass, 1988; 1990; Bass and Avolio, 1993; Hartog, et al., 1997). According to Kirkpatrick Locke (1996), Transformational Leadership and Transactional Leadership both are directly related with numerous workplace outcomes such as job satisfaction, group performance, employees performance, and organizational commitment. These results have also been tested in different research settings (Al-Dmour Awamleh, 2002).In spite of this, the effects of managerial leadership styles from transformational and transactional perspectives have not been validated in IT firms. A key objective of this study is to fill this knowledge gap. This study will assess the effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on employees performance in IT firms in India. According to Lewis et al (1998), In the 21st century, managers and leaders are expected to cope with a rapidly changing world of work. Hooper Potter (2000) suggests that managers will have to be competent leaders in order to transform their people to achieve the required company outcomes. Ryback (1998) describes a 21st century leader as having the ability to demonstrate a greater empathy and concern for people issues than his/her earlier counterparts. Managing projects in the information technology domain remains challenging, since various global trends contribute to rising complexities. Software development projects account for a very large portion of the overall IT outsourcing market. According to Dibbern et al. (2008), prior information technology research has provided a list of possible reasons why IT offshore outsourcing projects fail to meet the initial goals and expectations of both client and vendor. However, research is still limited dealing with leadership and management of Information technology projects (Lee 2008; Mao et al. 2008). Carson et al. (2007) states that one of the most important issues within project management is leadership. However, research about the crucial leadership styles focusing on IT projects is still limited. IT projects experience high failure rates since many years. The Standish Group reported significant time and cost overruns, add to by not fully meeting quality expectations of the project sponsors (Xia and Lee 2004). The primary reason, however, are not technological, but rather managerial issues (Scott and Vessey, 2002). Sumner et al. (2005) states that to successfully implement technical projects, strong project leaders with superior leadership skills are essential which will offers the potential to contribute to IT project success. Durham et al. (1997) states that research has proved the importance of leadership behaviour for team effectiveness, and for employees performance. According to Sumner (2000), lack of leadership or ineffective leadership is among the top hindering factors for IT project success. IT leaders of ten lack interpersonal leadership skills, because technical employees get promoted to become project leaders due to their technical knowledge, not for their people management capabilities (Rosenbaum 1991). The effect of transactional and transformational leadership style on employees performance have been validated on Health, Retail, Education and manufacturing sectors. There is a limited knowledge or research conducted on the leadership style of the project leader/team leader in the IT sector and how it affects the employees performance. This research aims to investigate the relationship between the effective team leader/Project manager leadership style and subordinates performance. The literature review discusses the link between Transformational leadership and employee performance and also the link between transactional leadership styles and employees performance. Objective of the Research This study investigates the impact of transformational leadership and transactional leadership style on employees performance. The objectives of this research are: Evaluation of the employees performance in relation to the transformational and transactional leadership styles. Assessing the employees preference over transformational and transactional leadership style. Finding the recommendations to improve employees performance with the help of transformational and transactional leadership style. Literature review Leadership and performance Yukl (1994) defined leadership as a social influence process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person over other people to structure the activities and relationships in a group or organization. Max Weber is one of the major contributor of leadership and theorists to observe the parallel between the industry mechanization and bureaucratic forms of organization (Morgan, 1998).According to (Bass, 1990 Morgan, 1998) , the classical theorists such as Henri Fayol and F. W. Mooney, loyal advocates of bureaucratization in contrast to Weber, identified methods through which this kind of organizational structure could be achieved. These classical theorists set the basis for many modern management techniques. Webers concern about bureaucracy, however, did not affect theorists who set the stage for what is now known as classical management theory and scientific management (Stone et al., 2005).Scientific managers focused on the systematic management of individual jobs while the Classical theorists focused on the design of the total organization (Stone et al., 2005).Scientific management, an approach introduced by Frederick Taylor, was technological in nature (Hersey, Blanchard, Johnso n, 1996). Taylor initiated time-and-motion studies to analyse work tasks to improve worker productivity in an attempt to achieve the highest level of efficiency possible. He has also been accused of viewing people as instruments or machines to be manipulated by their leaders. Under scientific management theory the function of a leader was to establish and enforce performance criteria to meet organizational goals; therefore, the focus of a leader was not on the individual worker but was on the needs of the organization. Emerging theorists encouraged leaders to recognize that humans were not machines and could not be treated as such. During mid-1940s, a post bureaucratic shift moved everyone taking responsibility for the organizations success or failure (HeckscherDonnellon, 1994). Researchers started to examine the relationship between the leader behaviour and the other outcomes such as follower satisfaction level, organizational productivity and profitability. According to Griffin and Moorhead (2011),two of the first behavioural approaches to leadership were the Michigan and Ohio state studies which were conducted during 1940s and 1950s.The results of the Michigan studies suggested that there are two fundamental types of leader behaviour, job -centered and employee-centered which were presumed to be at opposite ends of a single continuum. The Ohio State studies also found two similar kinds of leadership behaviour consideration and initiating structure but this research suggested that these two types of behaviour were actually independent dimensions. These characteristics could be either high or low and were independent of one another. A new theory of organizations and leadership began to emerge based on the idea that individuals operate most effectively when their needs are satisfied (Stone et al. 2005). Maslows (1959) Hierarchy of Needs says that once a workers physiological, security, and social (intrinsic) needs were met, productivity would only be possible if the employees ego and self-actualizing (extrinsic) needs were also met. During 1950s and 1960s, the behavioural theories came into existence. According to Bass (1990), Theorists began to consider behavioural concepts in their analysis of organizational leadership and focused to understand the relationship between a leaders actions and the followers satisfaction and productivity. Barnard was involved in including behavioural components and his work focused on the behavioural components analysis of organizational leadership.Barnard claimed that leadership involves accomplishing goals with and through people (Bass, 1990). Subsequently, the goal of effective leadership was evolving and was moving away from classical and scientific management theories that treated workers as machines. According to (Johnson et al, 1996, p. 100), the real power centers within an organization were the interpersonal relationships that developed among working groups. Based on the idea that individuals operate most effectively when their needs are satisfied, a new theory of leadership began to emerge. McGregor (1960) work was closely linked to behavioural theorists, providing a foundation for the future emergence of transformational leadership. McGregor Theory Y says that individuals do not essentially dislike work and, under certain conditions, work could actually be a source of great satisfaction (Pugh Hickson, 1993). Theory Y assumed that individuals would employ self-direction and self-control, accepting and seeking responsibility (Pugh Hickson, 1993).During 1960s, researchers acknowledged that leaders did more than simply act they often had to react to specific situations, and thus, the situational/contingency theory of leadership evolved (Stone et al., 2005). However, in an appa rent return to the one best way of leadership, recent studies on leadership have contrasted transactional leadership with transformational leadership. According to Cummings and Schwab (1973), Leadership is perhaps the most investigated organisational variable that has a potential impact on employee performance. For the strength of an organization job satisfaction plays a vital role which has significant effect on employee performance.Walumba Hartnell (2011) suggests that the word performance is used to pass on the individual aptitude to be inspired, stirring, pioneering and to determinant to achieving the goals on an organization. Bass (1990) and Burns (1978) suggest that strong leaders outperform weak leaders, and that transformational leadership generates higher performance than transactional leadership. The researcher aim is to discuss whether the transformational leadership does really stimulate the employees for higher performance. From this we can conclude that transformational leadership stimulate higher performance. Cummings and Schwab (1973) suggest that in order for an organisation to perform an individual must set aside his personal goals, at least in part, to strive for the collective goals of the organisation. Employees are of paramount importance to the achievement of any organisation and hence effective leadership enables greater participation of the entire workforce, and can also influence both individual and organisational performance (Bass, 1997; Mullins, 1999). For an effective organisation, there must be effective and stimulating relations between the people involved in the organisation (Paulus et al. 1996). It is generally accepted that the effectiveness of people is largely dependent on the quality of its leadership and hence effective leader behaviour facilitates the attainment of the followers desires, which results in effective performance (Fiedler and House, 1988).Previous study results shows that there is a positive relation between satisfied employees and organization, as the performance of the satisfied employees are more productive for the organization then less satisfied employees (Ostroff,1992).Leadership is connected with employee performance (Ogbonna Harris 2000). The main idea of every organization is to enhance employee performance. Howell, Merenda (1999) Goodwin (2001) suggested that transformational leadership plays an imperative role in increasing job satisfaction as well as role play to achieve organizations goal and employees acts. Transformational leadership correlated with subordinate skills with work worth to assess employees performance as stated by Walumbwa, Avolio Zhu (2008). According to Ozaralli (2002), Organisations increase employees performance by giving empowerment to their team members. Researchers have studied that the employee performance is increased under the extraverted leadership when employees are passive and the result will be opposite if employees are proactive (Grant, Gino Hofmann, 2011). Researchers have also studied the employees performance with variety of variables. Opren (1986) observed that, satisfied employees not only be the cause of increasing employee performance but also they dont think to leave organization. Su, Baird and Blair (2009) feels, the level of productivity will be high when the employees are satisfied. According to Biswas (2009), the supporting style of manager also plays incredible role for increasing employees performance. Transformational leadership originated from charismatic leadership. House (1977) suggests that the personal characteristics of the charismatic leader include a high degree of self-confidence, strong moral convictions, and a tendency to influence others as well as engaging in impression management behaviours to boost trust and confidence in the leader. Furthermore, the articulation of a mission, setting challenging goals, and arousing motives are also important. Burns (1978) was the first person who identified the concept of transformational leadership. He suggested that transformational leadership is observed when leaders encourage followers to boost up the level of their motivation, morals, beliefs, perceptions, and coalition with the objectives of the organization. Bass (1985) proposed a new theory of transformational leadership and outlined its components. Transformational leadership engages followers by appealing to their upper level needs and ideas that yield higher levels of fo llower satisfaction and performance (Bass, 1985; Bryman, 1992).According to Schepers et al. (2005), transformational leaders allow employees to think creatively and analyse the problem from numerous angles and explore new and better solutions of the problem. Gill et al. (2006) suggested that organizations can reduce job stress and burn out by applying transformational leadership. Transformational leadership focuses on more sensitive side of organizational interactions like vision, culture, values, development, teamwork, and service (Fairholm, 2001).Bass (1998) claims that by emphasizing the symbolic and expressive aspects of task goal efforts and the important values involved, the transformational leader makes the difference. There are three mechanisms in Transformational Leadership: Leaders give values to their subordinates, motivate their subordinates and persuade in mounting or varying followers needs (William, Richards, Steers James, 1995).Transformational leadership is comprised of four central components. Bass (1985) suggests that Charisma is the key component of transformational leadership and it generates profound emotional connection between the leader and follower. According to Bass Avolio (1990) Charisma is operational through vision where the charismatic leader earns the respect and trust of followers, which leads to the acceptance of challengin g goals. The second transformational component is inspiration where leaders provides followers with challenges and meaning for engaging in shared goals and undertakings (Bass Avolio, 1990).Another major component of transformational leadership is individualized consideration, the leader first identifies the individual needs and abilities of followers and then mentors and coaches them, and also uses delegation (Bass Avolio, 1990). The final transformational component is intellectual stimulation, the leader helps followers to think on their own and analyse problems from their personal perspectives, encourages creativity, innovation, and challenge conventional wisdom (Bass Avolio, 1990). Most of the researchers had associated transformational leadership with employees performance and job satisfaction and argued that transformational leadership can be the best predictor of employee performance (Raja Palanichamy,2011).Transformational culture boosts both the organization and the employees performance without enforcing extra burden (Schlotz, 2009). Prior researcher has demonstrated that followers who work under transformational leaders are motivated and committed which facilitates their satisfaction with jobs (Givens, 2008). Masi cook (2000) believed that transformational leadership style is only the factor of increasing employee productivity.However,Parry Thomson ( 2002) claimed that it is important to adopt the appropriate leadership style for the success of an organization and examining, praising and assessing a leader do not truly assures the followers honesty in this case transformational leadership becomes inapplicable. According to Kuhnert Lewis (1987), transactional leadership is an exchange between followers and leaders desired outcomes by fulfilling the leaders interest and followers expectations, which involves promises or commitments embedded by respect and trust. Bass (2000) suggested that effective leaders accommodate the interests of their subordinates by giving contingent incentives, honour and promises for those who auspiciously succeeded in fulfilling the commitments of the leaders or the organization. On the other hand, Bryman (1992) argues that transactional leadership behaviours do not even qualify for a true leadership label because of the fact that the leader and follower agree, explicitly or implicitly, that desired follower behaviours will be rewarded, while undesirable behaviours will draw out punishment. He states that since it is based on exchange, transactional leadership does not seek to motivate followers. Bass (1985) and Burns (1978) suggest that total reliance on this lea dership style may cause performance and satisfaction to suffer. As modelled by Bass, transactional leadership is comprised of two fundamental dimensions: contingent reward and management-by-exception. Contingent reward takes place when the leader provides rewards if followers perform in accordance with the contractor expend the necessary effort. In Management-by-Exception, the leader takes action only when major deviations from plans are evident. Unlike Burns (1978), Bass (1985) insists that, to be effective, leaders need to demonstrate features of both transactional and transformational leadership. HowellMerenda (1999) conducted their research on transactional and leadership in forecasting employees performance and concluded that transactional leadership style is a positive predictor of followers performance. Gadot (2007) claimed that the transactional leadership style is weakly associated with performance. Ponce et al. (2006) Indicated that there is a dominance of the transactional leadership style over transformational style. Halpin et al (2006) suggested that leadership behaviours and team performance outcomes revealed that transactional leadership behaviour is significantly related to team performance. According to Jung et al. (1999), to make transactional leadership more effective, appropriate usage of contingent reward is an important feedback to assemble expectations with followers in term of their performance. Janssen Yperen (2004) acknowledged that transactional leadership assists the efficiency by enhancing innovative job performance and job satisfaction. From this we can conclude that some authors believe that transactional leadership stimulates higher performance and some believe that it is weakly associated with performance. Empirical evidence tends to support the view that leaders will maximize their effectiveness when they exhibit both transformational and transactional behaviours (Avolio et al, 1988; Bass Yammarino, 1989).Bass and Avolio (1994) and Ristow (1998) conducted research in different environments and found that transformational leadership has a positive influence on employee performance, and therefore organisational performance. Research conducted by Pruijn and Boucher (1994) showed that transformational leadership is an extension of transactional leadership (Bass, 1997).Bass and Avolio (1994) stated that the difference between these two models is that followers of transformational leadership exhibit performance which is beyond expectations, while transactional leadership, at best, leads to expected performance .Ristow (1998) suggested that transactional leaders were effective in markets which were continually growing and where there was little or no competition, but this is not the case in the markets of today, where competition is fierce and resources are scarce. Brand et al. (2000) has clearly shown that transformational leaders are more effective than transactional leaders. Brand et al. (2000) showed the evidence gathered in South African retail and manufacturing sectors, and also in the armed forces of the United States, Canada and Germany, points towards the marginal impact transactional leaders have on the performance of their followers in contrast to the strong, positive effects of transformational leaders .This research has been further supported by research conducted by Ristow, et al. (1999), according to which there was a positive relationship between certain styles of leadership and organisational effectiveness within the administration of South Africa cricket. Bass and Avolio (1997) conducted research on the topic of transformational and transactional leadership, an appropriate instrument was identified, called the MLQ(Multi factor leadership questionnaire ).The questionnaire contains statements that identify and measure the key aspects of leadership behaviour, and each statement in the questionnaire relates to either transactional, transformational or non-transactional leadership factors. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Type of Research Design The type of research design that will be used in this study is quantitative research design, survey method. The present study is quantitative in nature because I will use quantitative data which is collected through questionnaire. Then the first step of my study will be to make worth by the validity by as its focus using positivism approach. Positivism paradigm will be used in this study is on understanding the ideology of multiple participants in their locations and work place. The survey design is chosen because it provides a quantitative description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. So that, it can best show the level of relation between leadership styles and employees performance. Sampling technique and measures The level of leadership qualities possessed by project managers/team leaders and the subordinates in XXXXX Company will be determined by the questionnaires distributed to a random sample of employees. Hence project managers/team leaders as well as their subordinates will be the participants of the study. Questionnaires will be distributed to a sample population of 50.All the questions are close-ended and are measured using Likerts Five Point scaling ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). The advantage of using close ended questions is that the results can be presented in the form of statistics and answers can be pre-coded so that the responses can be fed into a computer. Pilot survey has been conducted to check if there any problem in the questionnaire before the real investigation and the final version of the questionnaire has been set up. The transformational leadership is measured by the following components Idealized attributes, idealized behaviour, intellectual simulation, confi dence, individual consideration and inspirational motivation. The transactional leadership is measured by the following components contingent reward and management by exception (active). The performances measured that are included in this study are extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction. Data Collection Instruments, Variables and Materials As a primary data collection instrument questionnaires will be distributed to a random sample of employees. The questionnaire is adapted from Multi factor Leadership Questionnaire; commonly called MLQ, developed by Bass Avolio (1990). The study will also make use of secondary sources of data such as relevant books in leadership and related areas. The data will be analysed with the help of descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis to find out the most relevant leadership styles and relationship of these leadership styles with the selected outcomes such as extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction. According to my opinion, the MLQ holds well in studying leadership behaviour. Previous research shows that to study the leadership behaviours most of the researchers have adopted MLQ.The MLQ is valid and reliable and has been used extensively worldwide (Bass and Avolio, 1997; Whitelaw, 2001). It has proven to be a strong predictor of leader performance across a broad range of organisations (Bass and Avolio, 1997).The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (self-rated) is used to get evaluation of leadership behaviour and organizational effectiveness (Bass and Avolio, 2000). The MLQ is a questionnaire describing behaviour and employees performance outcomes, each rated on 5 point scale. It measure transformational, transactional leadership and employees performance outcomes like satisfaction, effectiveness and extra effort. The previous researchers have used MLQ which consists of two versions, one for the leader to complete, and one for the raters of the leaders to complete. The leaders complete a questionnaire describing their own leadership style, whilst the raters complete a questionnaire regarding the leadership style of their specific leader. These two versions consist of exactly the same statements, except that they are written from different perspectives. These two versions are known as the leader version and rater version respectively. I would be following the same approach. Reliability and validity are the statistical criteria used to assess whether the research provides a good measure (Whitelaw, 2001).The MLQ has been tested for reliability and validity in a number of settings (Pruijnand Boucher, 1994). The MLQ (Bass Avolio 2000) is one of the widely primary instruments used and accepted to measure transformational and transactional leadership styles.MLQ has gone through many revisions to strengthen its reliability and validity. Also more than 200 doctoral dissertations and master thesis have used the MLQ (Bass Avolio 2000). After collecting the data from the participants then SPSS software will be used for the data analysis. After recording the data into SPSS software, Descriptive statistic will be used to get the overall summary of the variables. In the table of descriptive statistic, the values of mean, Standard deviation and also the maximum and minimum values are obtained for leadership and performance variables which would define the response rate of the respondent. Descriptive statistical analyses will be performed to measure general demographic characteristics of the sample including age, gender, and years of tenure with the company. These analyses are unrelated to research questions or hypotheses but they are discretionary and exploratory in nature. The researcher believes that some of this demographic information may be useful and if any of the data proves interesting or significant in any way it may be an area for future research but it is not the focus of this study. Secondly, total scores wi ll be analyzed. Finally to test the hypotheses framed for the relationship between dependent and independent variables and to check the value that how much change comes in dependent variable due to independent variable, multiple regression analysis will be used.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Creation and Destruction in A Clockwork Orange Essays -- Clockwork Ora

Creation and Destruction in A Clockwork Orange In the novel A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess shows his readers a society in which pure destruction seems to reign supreme. The lead character, Alex, and most members of his generation, spend their evenings recreationally beating passersby, having small but brutal gang fights, and generally destroying both property and people. Yet these images and instances of destruction constantly interact with images of art, of things created, usually thought to be the diametric opposite of such violence. Indeed, over the course of the novel, creation and destruction become almost indistinguishable. The motivations for creation and destruction are more important to the novel than the distinctions between the two. Alex and his three droogs, Pete, Georgie and Dim, commit many acts of violence in the first five chapters, vivid and graphic enough that even Burgess admits in his introduction that "my intention in writing the work was to titillate the nastier propensities of my readers" (Burgess ix).1 The crimes are always committed with a certain theatricality, giving Alex’s narration the tone of an artist’s pride. The "maskies" that the four wear are not only "real horrorshow disguises," but also provide dramatic effect (153). It is ars gratia artis (art that comes purely out of a desire to create art), as Alex does not cite any motivation for his violence besides the fact that he derives pleasure from it, and these four perpetrators consider their violence art. Alex’s repetition of "O my brothers," particularly in the more grueling scenes, gives the novel the feel of one of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories,2 a creation myth. Both the manner of telling the tales a nd the tales themse... ... Alex eventually grows up. Violence, at the end of the novel, ceases to be his most desired form of creativity. Alex is ready to put his energies elsewhere. "At eighteen old Wolfgang Amadeus had written concertos and symphonies and operas and oratorios and all that cal, no, not cal, heavenly music" (189). The Ludovico technique that would have destroyed Alex would not have been something he could outgrow. A Clockwork Orange blurs the lines between creation and destruction, to the point where distinctions between the two become almost irrelevant. What is important to Burgess is the motivation behind each, and the ability of characters doing either, or both, to change their ways. Works Cited 1) Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1986). 2) Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1974).

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Ghost Story of Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington The story I was told concerns the Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, in Washington State. The myth surrounding the castle is the usual belief that the castle is haunted. People go to the castle just to hear the cries and feel the tingles of staying there over night. People have also reported that when they have taken pictures while they stay there, they will be surrounded by glowing orbs in the background. The story pertaining to this castle I first heard in a coffee house on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, Washington. Capitol Hill is known for being the stomping grounds of a wide variety of people. There are bohemians, hippies, homeless people, drag queens, and lots of college students due to the fact that there are five colleges in the city of Seattle alone. It is also not so full of tourists, who spend more of their time at Pikes Place Market (also said to be haunted) and the Center. I spoke to the storyteller around two in the afternoon on Friday, March 23rd during my spring break. She works at a local hospital and is finishing up medical school. She is recently married, twenty-four years old, and she grew up in West Seattle. Her mom is Ukrainian and is the principal of an elementary school. She knows of the story after hearing it from fellow students at the University of Washington, where she went for her undergraduate studies. The story was told during a regular hangout, by a girl from a town near Port Townsend. The person I heard the story from doesn't really pay the myth and "ghost story" idea any attention because of its common presence in that area. Washington state is a region known as the "Haunted North West." Capitol Hill has so many "ghosts" that companies offer ghost tours year round. [During the telling of the story there were no meaningful gestures, just pauses when the storyteller couldn't remember certain details, or when she wanted to take more sips of her macchiato. The storyteller did not relate the story with intonation or pitch changes, nor did her rate change. It was more like the stating of facts she knew.] Hmm, one that is still going strong is about†¦ well I don't remember the name but it's this castle in Port Townsend, overlooking the bay.

Critique of The Darling Essay -- essays research papers

For centuries, women have turned and have entrusted in men for advice to fulfill their lives with romance. Some women, even though they had difficulty establishing a satisfactory bond with their spouse, still had a tendency to have a dependency on the male spouse for identity. For a woman to become a "wife" was a defining role in women's lives back then, especially within the eastern European cultures. Sadly, marriage is not always shown to be flowery and romantic as expected. Although Anton Chekov portrays his protagonist character Olga as kind hearted and attractive and favored, she often longs for â€Å"love† from the male gender, and serves as the embodiment of female disempowerment. From Olga’s perspective as the story is told, â€Å"she cannot exist without being love† (Literature and its Writers, 109) and her life only takes on a meaning through a relationship to the men she attaches herself to. In this story â€Å"The Darling,† Olga explores and molds herself into many personalities and interests of the men in her life. For instance, After her father’s death, Olga is left with only material wealth, and again there is an absence of â€Å"love,† that Olga wants. So, Olga first marries a theater owner-Kukin. When married to him, she thinks and speaks only of the theater and â€Å"repeating Kukin’s words to the actors and theater† (Literature and its Writers, 110) also saying â€Å"theater is the most important thing in life.† Her parroting of her husband’s wo...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Deception Point Page 26

Like a hot knife through a frozen stick of butter. Norah motioned to the NASA men on the winches. â€Å"The generators can't handle this kind of strain, so I'm using manpower to lift.† â€Å"That's crap!† one of the workers interjected. â€Å"She's using manpower because she likes to see us sweat!† â€Å"Relax,† Norah fired back. â€Å"You girls have been bitching for two days that you're cold. I cured that. Now keep pulling.† The workers laughed. â€Å"What are the pylons for?† Rachel asked, pointing to several orange highway cones positioned around the tower at what appeared to be random locations. Rachel had seen similar cones dispersed around the dome. â€Å"Critical glaciology tool,† Norah said. â€Å"We call them SHABAs. That's short for ‘step here and break ankle.'† She picked up one of the pylons to reveal a circular bore hole that plunged like a bottomless well into the depths of the glacier. â€Å"Bad place to step.† She replaced the pylon. â€Å"We drilled holes all over the glacier for a structural continuity check. As in normal archeology, the number of years an object has been buried is indicated by how deep beneath the surface it's found. The farther down one finds it, the longer it's been there. So when an object is discovered under the ice, we can date that object's arrival by how much ice has accumulated on top of it. To make sure our core dating measurements are accurate, we check multiple areas of the ice sheet to confirm that the area is one solid slab and hasn't been disrupted by earthquake, fissuring, avalanche, what have you.† â€Å"So how does this glacier look?† â€Å"Flawless,† Norah said. â€Å"A perfect, solid slab. No fault lines or glacial turnover. This meteorite is what we call a ‘static fall.' It's been in the ice untouched and unaffected since it landed in 1716.† Rachel did a double take. â€Å"You know the exact year it fell?† Norah looked surprised by the question. â€Å"Hell, yes. That's why they called me in. I read ice.† She motioned to a nearby pile of cylindrical tubes of ice. Each looked like a translucent telephone pole and was marked with a bright orange tag. â€Å"Those ice cores are a frozen geologic record.† She led Rachel over to the tubes. â€Å"If you look closely you can see individual layers in the ice.† Rachel crouched down and could indeed see that the tube was made up of what appeared to be strata of ice with subtle differences in luminosity and clarity. The layers varied between paper thin to about a quarter of an inch thick. â€Å"Each winter brings a heavy snowfall to the ice shelf,† Norah said, â€Å"and each spring brings a partial thaw. So we see a new compression layer every season. We simply start at the top-the most recent winter-and count backward.† â€Å"Like counting rings on a tree.† â€Å"It's not quite that simple, Ms. Sexton. Remember, we're measuring hundreds of feet of layerings. We need to read climatological markers to benchmark our work-precipitation records, airborne pollutants, that sort of thing.† Tolland and the others joined them now. Tolland smiled at Rachel. â€Å"She knows a lot about ice, doesn't she?† Rachel felt oddly happy to see him. â€Å"Yeah, she's amazing.† â€Å"And for the record,† Tolland nodded, â€Å"Dr. Mangor's 1716 date is right on. NASA came up with the exact same year of impact well before we even got here. Dr. Mangor drilled her own cores, ran her own tests, and confirmed NASA's work.† Rachel was impressed. â€Å"And coincidentally,† Norah said, â€Å"1716 is the exact year early explorers claimed to have seen a bright fire-ball in the sky over northern Canada. The meteor became known as the Jungersol Fall, after the name of the exploration's leader.† â€Å"So,† Corky added, â€Å"the fact that the core dates and the historic record match is virtual proof that we're looking at a fragment of the same meteorite that Jungersol recorded seeing in 1716.† â€Å"Dr. Mangor!† one of the NASA workers called out â€Å"Leader hasps are starting to show!† â€Å"Tour's over, folks,† Norah said. â€Å"Moment of truth.† She grabbed a folding chair, climbed up onto it, and shouted out at the top of her lungs. â€Å"Surfacing in five minutes, everyone!† All around the dome, like Pavlovian dogs responding to a dinner bell, the scientists dropped what they were doing and hurried toward the extraction zone. Norah Mangor put her hands on her hips and surveyed her domain. â€Å"Okay, let's raise the Titanic.† 28 â€Å"Step aside!† Norah hollered, moving through the growing crowd. The workers scattered. Norah took control, making a show of checking the cable tensions and alignments. â€Å"Heave!† one of the NASA men yelled. The men tightened their winches, and the cables ascended another six inches out of the hole. As the cables continued to move upward, Rachel felt the crowd inching forward in anticipation. Corky and Tolland were nearby, looking like kids at Christmas. On the far side of the hole, the hulking frame of NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom arrived, taking a position to watch the extraction. â€Å"Hasps!† one of the NASA men yelled. â€Å"Leaders are showing!† The steel cables rising through the boreholes changed from silver braid to yellow leader chains. â€Å"Six more feet! Keep it steady!† The group around the scaffolding fell into a rapt silence, like onlookers at a seance awaiting the appearance of some divine specter-everyone straining for the first glimpse. Then Rachel saw it. Emerging from the thinning layer of ice, the hazy form of the meteorite began to show itself. The shadow was oblong and dark, blurry at first, but getting clearer every moment as it melted its way upward. â€Å"Tighter!† a technician yelled. The men tightened the winches, and the scaffolding creaked. â€Å"Five more feet! Keep the tension even!† Rachel could now see the ice above the stone beginning to bulge upward like a pregnant beast about to give birth. Atop the hump, surrounding the laser's point of entry, a small circle of surface ice began to give way, melting, dissolving into a widening hole. â€Å"Cervix is dilated!† someone shouted. â€Å"Nine hundred centimeters!† A tense laughter broke the silence. â€Å"Okay, kill the laser!† Someone threw a switch, and the beam disappeared. And then it happened. Like the fiery arrival of some paleolithic god, the huge rock broke the surface with a hiss of steam. Through the swirling fog, the hulking shape rose out of the ice. The men manning the winches strained harder until finally the entire stone broke free of the frozen restraints and swung, hot and dripping, over an open shaft of simmering water. Rachel felt mesmerized. Dangling there on its cables, dripping wet, the meteorite's rugged surface glistened in the fluorescent lights, charred and rippled with the appearance of an enormous petrified prune. The rock was smooth and rounded on one end, this section apparently blasted away by friction as it streaked through the atmosphere. Looking at the charred fusion crust, Rachel could almost see the meteor rocketing earthward in a furious ball of flames. Incredibly, that was centuries ago. Now, the captured beast hung there on its cables, water dripping from its body. The hunt was over. Not until this moment had the drama of this event truly struck Rachel. The object hanging before her was from another world, millions of miles away. And trapped within it was evidence-no, proof-that man was not alone in the universe. The euphoria of the moment seemed to grip everyone at the same instant, and the crowd broke into spontaneous hoots and applause. Even the administrator seemed caught up in it. He clapped his men and women on the back, congratulating them. Looking on, Rachel felt a sudden joy for NASA. They'd had some tough luck in the past. Finally things were changing. They deserved this moment.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Technology Forecast

Technology forecasting is considered to be vital in today’s business environment. There have been many success stories as well as failures. Forecasting technology impacts many aspects from acquiring a new technology to developing a new technology. The course will start with reviewing several methodologies and then will analyze those impacts and how to make them beneficial for the organizations through many case studies, professional and research articles. Case Studies are selected from Harvard Business School Case Studies. Articles are selected from journals such as Technology Forecasting and Social Change. GRADING AND DELIVERABLES Specific Deliverable Cases (team – in class)30%Presentations Project (team)40%Paper + Presentation Readings (individual)30%2 article discussions ———————————————————————————– TOTAL100% GUIDELINES FOR DELIVERABLES CASES – Cases will be analyzed and presented in class by teams. You should read and get yourself familiar with the case before the class, READINGS – You will be assigned 2 articles to discuss in class. PROJECT – Identify an emerging technology as a team and develop a forecast using Technology Forecasting Tools. Examples of such projects will be provided. Your team is required to present the progress and results of your project during the scheduled times in class. Progress presentations should not exceed 20 minutes and the final presentation will be limited to 45 minutes. You also will need to submit a report which should follow TFSC journal guidelines for a journal paper. Your report should include a literature search justifying the topic and methods used. CASES 1. Strategic Planning at United Parcel Service, David A. Garvin, Lynne C. Levesque, Product#: 306002 2. Forecasting the Adoption of a New Product, Elie Ofek, Product#: 505062 – AND – Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books, Elie Ofek, Peter Wickersham, Product Number: 9-505-063 3. Illinois Superconductor Corp. : Forecasting Demand for Superconducting Filters, Mohanbir Sawhney, Lisa Damkroger, Greg McGuirk, Julie Milbratz, John Rountree, Product#: KEL096 READINGS Introduction to Technology Forecasting 1. Linstone, H. A. , TFSC: 1969-1999. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 1-8. 2. Ayres, R. U. What have we learned? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 9-12. 3. Martino, J. P. , Thirty years of change and stability. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 13-18. 4. Porter, A. L. , Tech forecasting an empirical perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-Septem ber 1999, Pages 19-28. 5. Linstone, H. A. , The 21st century: Everyman as Faust – technology, terrorism, and the multiple perspectives approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 3, March 2003, Pages 283-296. Technology Forecasting Techniques 6. Mishra, Somnath, S. G Deshmukh and Prem Vrat, Matching of technological forecasting technique to a technology , Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 69, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 1-27. 7. Technology Futures Analysis Methods Working Group, Technology futures analysis: Toward integration of the field and new methods, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 71, Issue 3, March 2004, Pages 287-303. 8. Silberglitt, R. , Hove, A. , and Shulman, P. Analysis of US energy scenarios: Meta-scenarios, pathways, and policy implications. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 4, May 2003, Pages 297-315. 9. Rowe, G. and G. Wright, The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: Issues and analysis, International Journal of Forecasting, Volume 15, Issue 4, October 1999, Pages 353-375. 10. Lena Borjeson, Mattias Hojer, Karl-He nrik Dreborg, Tomas Ekvall and Goran Finnveden, Scenario types and techniques: Towards a user's guide, Futures, Volume 38, Issue 7, September 2006, Pages 723-739. 11. Winebrake, J. J. , and Creswick, B. P. The future of hydrogen fueling systems for transportation: An application of perspective-based scenario analysis using the analytic hierarchy process, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 4, May 2003, Pages 359-384. 12. Sager, B. , Scenarios on the Future of Biotechnology. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 68, Issue 2, October 2001, Pages 109-129. 13. Modis, T. , Technological forecasting at the stock market. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issue 3, November 1999, Pages 173-202. 14. Devezas, Tessaleno C. , Harold A. Linstone and Humberto J. S. Santos, The growth dynamics of the Internet and the long wave theory, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 72, Issue 8, October 2005, Pages 913-935. 15. Ilonen, Jarmo, Joni-Kristian Kamarainen, Kaisu Puumalainen, Sanna Sundqvist and Heikki Kalviainen, Toward automatic forecasts for diffusion of innovations, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 2, February 2006, Pages 182-198. 16. Martino, Joseph P. , A comparison of two composite measures of technology , Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 44, Issue 2, September 1993, Pages 147-159. Emerging Technology Forecasting Techniques 17. Inman, Oliver Lane, Timothy R. Anderson and Robert R. Harmon, Predicting U. S. jet fighter aircraft introductions from 1944 to 1982: A dogfight between regression and TFDEA, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 9, November 2006, Pages 1178-1187. 18. Anderson, Timothy, Rolf Fare, Shawna Grosskopf, Lane Inman and Xiaoyu Song, Further examination of Moore's law with data envelopment analysis, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 69, Issue 5, June 2002, Pages 465-477. 19. Barley, S. R. , What Can We Learn from the History of Technology. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, Volume 15, Issue 4, September 1998, Pages 237-255. 20. Bowonder, B. , T. Miyake, and B. Muralidharan, Predicting the future: Lessons from evolutionary theory, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, August-September 1999, Pages 51-62. 21. Guice, J. , Designing the Future: The Culture of New Trends in Science and Technology. Research Policy, Volume 28, Issue 1, January 1999, Pages 81-98. 22. Phaal, R. , Farrukh, C. J. P. , and Probert, D. R. , Technology Roadmapping – A Planning Framework for Evolution and Revolution. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 71, Issues 1-2, January-February 2004, Pages 5-26. 23. Kayal, A. , Measuring the Pace of Technological Process: Implication for Technological Forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 60, Issue 3, March 1999, Pages 237-245. 24. T. U. Daim, G. Rueda, H. Martin, and P. Gerdsri, Forecasting Emerging Technologies: Use of Bibliometrics and Patent Analysis, Technology Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 73, Issue 8, October 2006, Pages 981-1012. 25. Watts, R. J. and A. L. Porter, Innovation Forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 56, Issue 1, September 1997, Pages 25-47. SCHEDULE Subjects to be CoveredAssignment/Readings 1/4 †¢Teams Formed 1/11 †¢Introduction to Technology Forecasting †¢Technology Planning †¢Case Study 1: Strategic Planning at United Parcel Service †¢Case Preparation and Presentations †¢Article Discussion Articles 1-5 1/18UNIVERSITY CLOSED 1/25 †¢Extrapolation by Regression – Guest Speaker: Jisun Kim †¢Project Proposal Presentations 2/1 †¢Delphi, Analogy, Scenarios, Environment Monitoring, Growth Curves †¢In Class Exercise: Cable TV Diffusion Article Discussion ?Articles 6-16 2/8 †¢Case Study 2: Forecasting the Adoption of a New Product †¢Case Preparation and Presentations †¢Project Progress Presentations 2/15 †¢Emerging Technology Forecasting Methods: TFDEA – Guest Speaker – Tim Anderson 2/22 ?Emerging Technology Forecasting Methods: Bibliometrics, Pa tent Searches, †¢Article Discussion? ?Articles 17-25 3/1 †¢Project Results Presentations 3/8 †¢Case Study 3: Illinois Superconductor Corp. : Forecasting Demand for Superconducting Filters †¢Case Preparation and Presentations 3/15 †¢Final Reports

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Has Our Political System Succeeded Essay

The political system began with the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1776. After that document the Articles of Confederation came out, which were adopted in 1777. The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt to set up a government in the US. Then our Constitution came out in 1787,it was made into three plans: the Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, and then the Connecticut compromise. Four things our Constitution accomplished were indirect democracy, limited government, checks and majority rule, and an outline of what the different branches of government do. The US two main parties are Republican and Democrat. The Democratic Party was founded in 1828, and the Republican party was founded in 1854. Our political system has succeeded in many forms. One form would be our checks and balances within the federal government and on a local level. Provisions have been improved over the years to regulate proper placement of funds and equal rights to citizens. The origin of our political system begins with congress. The main responsibilities of congress are making laws, overseeing the FBI and CIA, casework, representing their districts, setting an agenda, and conflict resolution. Our society has relied upon a bicameral system, where there have been a House of Representatives and a Senate. Some of the responsibilities of the House of Representatives include reviewing bills and beginning the impeachment process. The Senate’s duties include giving advice and consenting on treaties, conducting impeachment trials, and appointing upper-level judicial officers. Where I feel our political system has not done so well is with bureaucrats. Bureaucracy has some positive aspects like specialization, making sure rules and regulations are carried out, and neutrality. There are two types of bureaucrats. The first one is a civil servant who is hired based on merit, and the second one is a political appointee who is selected based on whom they know. It is a common issue that bureaucrats are given too much power and that they abuse those powers, which causes flaws in our political system. It does, however, seem that bureaucrats are vital for the functioning of any political system; they are generally not well liked, though. Several attempts to reform bureaucracy have been made, such as the Sunshine laws, which are laws that dictated that agencies have to be conducted in the public eye. Privatization is another reform where the government turns over more jobs to private sectors. A good change for our society was when the Government Performance and Results Act of 1997 were introduced. This sought to improve governmental efficiency by making agencies describe their goals and create mechanisms for evaluating their goals. Overall, our political system has proven to be stable and has succeeded. Of course, there are going to be positive and negative aspects, but, at the end, for what our nation has had to deal with in the past 228 years, we have done far better than any other country.