Trade Secrets: How to Procure a Passport

People often take a great deal for granted while dismissing so much of what goes on around them. This is especially true when what people fail to see involves the plight of illegal immigrants and low-level workers. These unnoticed persons are the very individuals around whom the plot of director Stephen Frears’s Dirty Pretty Secrets revolves. They are the people like lead character Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who describes himself and his friends as â€Å"The people you do not see [.. . ] the ones who drive your cabs, clean your rooms, and suck your cocks† (Dirty Pretty Secrets). Generally, the transparency of their existence works against their success; occasionally, the anonymity of these unseen people provides the perfect cover for their entrance into mainstream society—provided that they can tolerate what must be done along the way.The storyline of Dirty Pretty Secrets which is set in London, England, revolves primarily around three people: Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofo r), a cabbie by day and a desk clerk at the Baltic Hotel by night; Senay (Audrey Tautou), a friend of Okwe’s, who is a maid at the Baltic Hotel; and Sneaky (Sergi Là ³pez), the head clerk at the Baltic who uses the motel as a distribution center for anything that will net him money—most notably, human organs.The complex relationships that surround these three characters are further developed by two supporting actors: Sophie Okonedo, who plays Juliette, the Baltic’s resident hooker; and Benedict Wong, who plays Guo Yi, a morgue employee and friend of Okwe’s. As the film progresses, the audience learns that Okwe is an illegal immigrant who was forced to flee his home in Lagos, Nigeria after being falsely accused of his wife’s murder. Okwe was working as a pathologist when a Nigerian Government official was shot, and when Okwe refused to destroy evidence of the crime, his home was firebombed—with his wife inside.The Nigerian police accused Okw e of the crime, so he fled. Senay is an immigrant from Turkey, and while she is not an illegal, she is forced to violate the immigration policies of London to survive. Specifically, she is not allowed to work during the six-month period during which her case is being reviewed; therefore, to survive, she works illegally. Sneaky is living and working in London legally, so he is in a position to take advantage of both Okwe and Senay, and the degree to which he is willing to exploit their secrets leads to the story’s pivotal scene.The most prevalent themes in Dirty Pretty Things are human integrity coupled with how the need to remain secretive can result in personal compromise and leave one open to mistreatment, but the sub-theme is how the people who go unnoticed often band together to survive and support one another against their foes. Okwe is a sympathetic character, and as the plot progresses, the audience begins to see that he must make escalating choices that challenge his sense of right and wrong. Because he is a fugitive from justice, he is eventually coerced by Sneaky to participate in his organ-trading scheme.Senay is also very likable, especially after the audience sees that the secrecy and prudishness she initially displays are due to her immigrant status and her being Muslim. Once the Immigration Enforcement Directors begin to hunt her down, she is forced to seek alternate employment and is immediately made a sex toy by her sweat-shop boss. Senay becomes the final piece in Sneaky’s ploy to force Okwe to become the Baltic’s organ doctor when she, in an act of desperation, agrees to give up a kidney in exchange for a passport: Okwe agrees to perform the surgery to ensure that Senay is not butchered.Like Okwe, Senay is forced to compromise more and more of herself in order to survive. The juxtaposing of Okwe with Guo and Senay with Juliette adds even greater depth to this movie: where most of the people Okwe and Senay associate with take advantage of their situations and exploit them, Guo and Juliette—a morgue worker and a hooker—help the main characters survive and persevere: it is a banding together of those whom society fails to acknowledge. Dirty Pretty Things is an excellent film on a variety of levels and should appeal to a wide-range of viewers.The plot is timely and gritty, the acting is superb, and the turning of the tables at the end of the movie—when Okwe and Senay exploit Sneaky’s greed and end up taking his kidney—make one want to stand up and cheer for the justice that is served and the underdogs who dish it out. Anyone who has felt inferior and has been forced to make choices dictated by that feeling of inferiority will likely enjoy this movie, and certainly, those open to reevaluating their prejudice against illegal immigrants will be forced to think again about their postion.

Kerzner Office Equipment

Critique Briggs’ management of the first meeting. What, if anything, should she have done differently? The approach employed by Amber Briggs in the first meeting of the Kerzner Anniversary Task Force can be described as traditional. Firstly, Briggs, the head, prepared the agenda, which mainly consisted of the activities to be done within the one-hour meeting, followed by the members’ introduction of themselves wherein they stated the different departments they are connected with and lastly, the head reminded them to solicit information from their department colleagues on how the anniversary celebration should be done.In my analysis, there’s actually nothing wrong with the way Briggs handled the first meeting, but considering that the purpose is to prepare for an upcoming event that is special and grandiose, she could have handled it a little differently than the conventional way. I understand that this event would really call for commitment and teamwork so she co uld have awakened the interest and stirred the creative minds of the task force’ members by brainstorming on the appropriate theme for the event. This would serve as the guide of all the committee heads (task force members) in coming-up with the plan for their respective committee assignments. The meeting could have been more fruitful.Since the group members are coming from different departments, Briggs should have done better by explaining to the members the main purpose of the task force’s creation so that each one will know their vital role, the presentation of the budget they will be working on so that they will have an idea of how much the management is willing to spend in order to make the event successful and the presentation of the committees. The members, being the committee leaders, will now pick the committee they are willing to handle, which is supposedly prepared by Briggs prior to the first meeting’s schedule.Sample committees with specified tasks that will help realize the goal of the celebration could be: a) promotions to take charge of the intra-company advertisement (e.g. bulletin boards update, flyers, etc) and gimmicks prior to the actual celebration in order the set the pace for the much awaited activity; program to take charge of the entire flow of activities, program layout, invitation, and selection of the program hosts or emcees; games and awards to take care of the fun games to serve as fillers for the lull moments and the identification and preparation of awards to be given (e.g. per department to acknowledge their contribution for recovering and staying in the business despite the national recession).Food to select the caterer and menu; decoration to plan and supervise the decoration of the venue in accordance with the theme or concept of the event; physical arrangement/lights/sounds to take charge of the layout of the venue, the lights needed to make it livelier and the sound system, which would include the sel ection of the music to be played throughout the activity; and documentation committee to capture every moment for everyone to cherish including the preparation of an article on the event to be published in the company’s newsletter.Before ending the meeting, rather than merely reminding them to solicit information from their colleagues, each member should have been reminded to prepare a plan with the proposed individual committee members and estimated budget, which will be presented in the next meeting. All the task force’s members will then give their comments and suggestions to improve the prepared plan.It would have been better also if the actual date of the next meeting was decided upon. Briggs, as the head, could propose a schedule before adjourning the meeting so everyone can give their comments. Once schedule has been agreed, the members should ensure that if they could not attend due to operational concerns or unforeseen circumstances, a capable and committed re presentative, who has been briefed of his or her role, will be present to attend the meeting and give updates.What barriers is she likely to encounter in completing this project? What can she do to overcome these barriers? Note: Answers to q. # 3 is imbedded (italicized) in the answers to q. # 2The major barrier that is likely to be encountered in completing this project is the availability of the task force members. It would have been better, if after the discussion of the objectives, the members were asked on how interested and committed they were to be part of the team. As mentioned in the case, most of the members were assigned rather than volunteered so a very pertinent issue involved here would be commitment. It’s also possible that because the company is composed of 1,100 employees, not all of them know each other personally.This is very essential to encourage teamwork. Briggs, being in the HR department, should ensure that this group would have a chance to meet each o ther more frequently in other company engagements or activities. It would also be good if they could work in pairs in their assigned committees. Briggs could also allot 5 minutes every time the task force meets for group dynamic activities to promote teamwork. For a start, a getting-t- know-you activity would be nice.What should she do between now and the next meeting?After the meeting, she could send an email to all the members on the minutes (what has been discussed) including their specific committee assignments and the things expected of them in the next meeting. She could also send a separate email to the two absent members to update them on what has been discussed. She could ask them too if they are available and would commit to the future undertakings of the group. As stated above, a five-minute group dynamic activity could strengthen the group’s teamwork. This would also make the meeting more interesting. Briggs should also acknowledge the team’s progress to en courage more their participation.Park Manor Condominium: Analysis of social and psychological market factorsCase written by Prof. John M. Hess, University of ColoradoPark Manor, a condominium apartment community located twenty five minutes from downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is troubled by a significant decline in sales in recent months. The developers Herbert Klein, Hilton Howard and Lloyd Franklin, analyzed the different strategies employed by the condominium in attracting customers and debated whether they have reduced the market too severely by their age and no-children barriers. Howard believes that they have already exhausted the over-forty market and should therefore lower the minimum age limit.On the other hand, Franklin said that they have barely touched the market by focusing too much on the retired individuals instead of the working people and those whose children have left home and no longer desire for a large house. Klein also thinks that they have taken the wrong track by limiting their efforts on the local area. It would have been better if they have attracted retirees from a regional or national market. He specifically identified Chicago, which has approximately 200,000 eligible retirees with an additional 20,000 persons retiring each year (cited in Stanton, 1978).To provide the right solution to the problem, they conducted a market study, which revealed some public misconceptions and prejudices that probably aroused from shifts in promotional emphasis. A summary statement of the report reads: a) age – most respondents view Park manor as an old-people’s home; b) income – majority of the respondents identify Park Manor as an expensive, high income and high cost place to live; c) institutionalization – people fee that they will loose their freedom if they move to the place; d) not quite respectable   – many perceive as not being quite respectable   and e) apartment living – homeowners do not like to l ive in an apartment and apartment dwellers don’t wish to invest or tie up funds in their residence (cited in Stanton, 1978).As a result, the development company has learned that buying a home and moving are emotion-laden activities and that each type of the market has different reasons for changing residences, which is often at cross purposes, thus appeals to one may alienate the others. Park Manor also feels that they have to identify and select the most compatible market elements (cited in Stanton, 1978).CVS/Pharmacy: Market Expertise Is Key to SuccessCVS/Pharmacy, one of the largest retailers in the US, wanted to launch their new camcorders with the aid of market experts to ensure success. They believe in the power of PR and they have sought the help of the best agencies for their unique PR programs. For the photo division, they wanted an agency with solid media connections and with an understanding of the imaging market. Furthermore, they wanted an agency with the ability to generate results instantly, thus they hired Matter Communications (http://www.matternow.com/CaseStudies/case_cvs.htm).This agency is known for its unparalleled knowledge of the imaging market, with a philosophy to directly align PR programs to business goals. When the agency launched their new product, it was a success, which was even applauded by the national news outlets including Wall Street Journal and Time. With the successful outcome, they engaged Matter Communications to build an ongoing and sustainable PR machine with the goal of driving local consumers directly into local stores for its one-time-use digital camcorder.Matter, aiming to become CVS long-term partner, in turn developed a media program that focused on product placement, reviews and feature stories across the country. 200 articles, television segments and radio spots featured CVS’ camcorder in just five months. It was also included in regional holiday gift guides, â€Å"Best of 2005† round-ups a nd targeting syndicated writers paid off wherein one article yielded 34 articles. Results matter for Matters Communications. This was evidenced by their success in launching CVS’ new product. In December alone, Matter helped reached more than 107 million readers/viewers. (http://www.matternow.com/CaseStudies/case_cvs.htm).ReferencesMatter Communications. CVS/pharmacy: Market Expertise Is Key to Success. Retrieved December 28, 2007Stanton, William J. (5th Ed.). (1978). Fundamentals of Marketing. United States: McGraw-Hill Book Company

Epistemology †Sense Essay

The issue of knowledge is definitely an essential part in philosophy. It forces us to question whether we are certain of the things we think we know, and whether we can justify the things we know are actually true. This theory or study of knowledge can be referred to as epistemology. All these views on knowledge can vary depending on how we view the world itself. We are able to perceive the world through the application of our senses, however, our senses alone can be very deceiving. We can never really be definite of what we know just by looking at the world the way it is. We are able to make opinions and assumptions about what we see, smell, taste, and hear, but can never really be absolute. In order to claim knowledge, it requires certainty that something is true. If we were to claim knowledge without certainty, we would be disregarding Descartes’ conception of knowledge and certainty. Descartes clarifies doubt as the contrast to certainty. As certainty increases, doubt decreases; conversely, as doubt increases certainty decreases. The world would not be as challenging as it is if we could just accept anything as knowledge. We would be able to simply opinionate, assume, and estimate whatever we would like and claim that all is true. However, as good as it sounds, it is not practical. It is as what it sounds to be like a make believe world. Basically, if we based knowledge off of ideas we are not certain of and just accepted them as true, we would never be able to continue on to the next levels of knowledge. Somewhere along the lines of this uncertain knowledge, we would find that things do not correlate, or make sense. We would find ourselves questioning the reason for things and only finding out that our knowledge is inaccurate. All in all, fictitious knowledge is not beneficial in the long run without certainty.

StilSim Personnel Strategy Formulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

StilSim Personnel Strategy Formulation - Essay Example By staying in the business of staffing solutions, they are trying to match a demand supply gap for employment that exists from time to time within the economy (StilSim Personnel, 2007). SWOT Analysis Strengths StilSim Personnel has been in the staffing solutions for over 25 years. So naturally, it can be estimated that at least as of current scenario they still have some faithful and loyal customers in the market. StilSim Personnel boasts of a strong customer service, which helps them in maintaining in steady flow of returning customers. Weakness Decline in profits and monthly performance statements affecting the company’s top line growth and overall performance of the company as compared to others in the market Fighting within employees, cold tensions existing among employees thereby leading to low employee morale and affecting company motivation A strong sense of over confidence exists with the Customer Service, which the company provides to its customers Opportunities In th e age of today’s fast changing business environments, big corporations are increasingly looking for temporary staffing of their variable demands. They don’t want to retain employees for the long run, when the demand for manpower is low and so is very much in favor of temporary staffing. As of today’s date, 90 % of the corporations and enterprises, big or small are looking into temporary staffing to fill up their variable short time manpower needs. Though, StilSim Personnel has a division to deal with temporary staffing, but taking the business on the internet and integrating the temporary staffing division on the worldwide web will help the company to meet the demands of big corporations, while being able to show an impressive performance in the monthly... StilSim Personnel has been in the staffing solutions for over 25 years. So naturally, it can be estimated that at least as of current scenario they still have some faithful and loyal customers in the market. StilSim Personnel boasts of a strong customer service, which helps them in maintaining in steady flow of returning customers. Decline in profits and monthly performance statements affecting the company’s top line growth and overall performance of the company as compared to others in the market Fighting within employees, cold tensions existing among employees thereby leading to low employee morale and affecting company motivation A strong sense of over confidence exists with the Customer Service, which the company provides to its customers In the age of today’s fast changing business environments, big corporations are increasingly looking for temporary staffing of their variable demands. They don’t want to retain employees for the long run, when the demand for manpower is low and so is very much in favor of temporary staffing. As of today’s date, 90 % of the corporations and enterprises, big or small are looking into temporary staffing to fill up their variable short time manpower needs. Though, StilSim Personnel has a division to deal with temporary staffing, but taking the business on the internet and integrating the temporary staffing division on the worldwide web will help the company to meet the demands of big corporations, while being able to show an impressive performance in the monthly performance statements.

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My nursing ethics as a nurse - Essay Example Man in his supreme mental capacity has made life in a more survival state but the question of ethical and moral acceptability has been raised since man intervened with life’s natural process. Nurses and other health care professionals are the ones in the frontline of bridging man’s full health potential thus making life even longer. On a personal point of view, the degree of respect to life as a health care professional is at its utmost. The scope of nursing as well as medical practice has opened ideal views of life in its respect to health that is catered to all individuals regardless of gender, color and race, thus no life is to be spared (The President’s Council on Bioethics, 2003; US National Library of Medicine, 2012 ). Ethically and morally, the figure of a nurse upholds life’s dignity but differences in beliefs, morals and character brings out different stories. Practice in the scope of nursing is complex but the complexities did not stop nurses fro m being true advocates of health. Instead the healthcare world developed codes to clearly define the scope of acceptable practice, thus no one will be placed neither above nor below it. As a nurse, The Code of Ethics for Nurses, have personally shaped me into becoming the ideal nurse as an advocate of life and health. It provides nurses with a framework to use in ethical analysis and decision making. Hence it establishes the ethical standard for the practice of nursing defining what is acceptable in the ethical views that does not favor any group, religion or status but only favors the value of life and service (American Nurses Association, 2010). Personally the values that have greatly influenced my view and philosophy of nursing are respect for human life, compassion, professionalism, social responsibility and dedication. All these values were not inherent but were rather acquired during the nursing degree. Respect for human life has always been there and the joy it brings when sa ving someone’s life out of danger and potential harm by means of service and compassion is priceless. Social responsibility is a very important value to be an effective nurse. It is being an advocate of one another stating that responsibility does not end with one person alone but extends to the whole society and one must act accordingly to contribute for the greater good. This distinguishes a nurse who does work over time because service is needed from the nurse who does over time work because monetary value is considered. Nursing is a vocation rather than a profession, to be an effective nurse is to understand that your service is no longer yours nor to the workplace you work for but is to the people in need. How many have you been called in the neighborhood for an emergency? Yes, the bother can be something but the feeling of saving someone’s life is more than anything. Ethics and values are significant words in the world of nursing for it greatly affect how nursing services are delivered by a nurse. Ethics defines actions acceptable if it is done in ways which are consistent with one’s beliefs (Navran, 2010). Nursing practice is composed of many concepts that sometimes promote, adhere or contrasts with another. That is why nurses are sometimes caught in the dilemma brought about by clash of ideas. Ethical dilemmas such as DNR consent or advance directives can greatly affect the way nurses give care to patients. DNR for example can come in

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Case study - Assignment Example In nutshell, Burger King’s quirky advertising has enabled it shed its old boring image, stand out and position itself as a joint for fun loving people. The company has witnessed an increase in revenue, thanks to the advertising campaigns that had the potency to surprise customers. The purpose of advertising may be information dissemination, persuasion or brand building. Advertising is said to be effective if it achieves the stated objectives. Burger King has been able to attract the 18- to 34-year-old males even though it has alienated others. In essence, the company has not contravened any legal requirement and has used legitimate advertising to reach the desired demographic profile. Ethics refer to an individual’s moral judgment about right and wrong. They emanate from the norms and beliefs prevalent in the society. Ethics is a subjective term. The opinion on whether a particular action or decision is ethical or unethical may vary from person to person. Burger King’s advertising strategy may be regarded as unethical in parts. In some campaigns, Burger King’s advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky used visuals that were demeaning to women. Critics alleged that fast food retailer was relying on sex to promote its products. Some pictures posted on the company’s website with the caption â€Å"Groupies love the Coq† were also inappropriate for children viewing. The fast-food giant’s ‘Whopper Virgins’ campaign wherein three separate people groups underwent blind taste tests was racially demeaning and thus unethical. These advertisements depicted people from regions of Iceland, Thailand, and Transylvania and were stated to have no exposure of any of the leading fast food giants. In 2005, Burger King adopted the faux metal band called ‘Coq Roq’ to promote its new Chicken Fries. The company’s Coq Roq Web site featured a photo gallery of young women. These pictures along with the

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Reacting to Change - Research Paper Example Denial is the principal driving force behind the habit to refuse a change or to deny seeing its importance. Anger or stubbornness is also a driving force which makes many students refuse to give up accustomed ways and welcome something new. Adaptation is also a force behind the reaction when students are convinced to acknowledge the importance of a change and in a response, they try to adjust with the change. Â   Teachers must know how the students react to change. Many teachers are exasperated at the reactions of their students towards different teaching techniques which is why they need to encourage the students to develop a welcoming attitude towards any changes introduced in the classroom. Students cannot modify their antagonistic reactions on their own and teachers’ relentless efforts and consistent support should continue forever. Effective coping mechanisms should be engineered by students and teachers together to modify their reaction to change.

Millennials in higher education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Millennials in higher education - Research Paper Example 1). Millennial students possess different personalities in comparison to generation X students, as found on the parameters of standard personality test. Testing them on 16 factors millennial students have distinct traits on 10 factors. They are comparatively welcoming, follow logic behind things, are emotionally ripe, responsible, socially advanced and risk taking, are concerned, indulge more in self-inspection, ready to transform, and more coordinated and self governing but less lonely and dependent on others (Sweeney, â€Å"Millennial Behaviors and Higher Education,† par. 2). Millennial students prefer to learn by experience. They don’t follow the given guidance, in stead they prefer to learn by speaking with others. They get their learning experiences from their surrounding environment, by playing such games where there are a number of players, through computer simulations, and social networking, which are a few of their preferable surroundings. They go on making mis takes and improving them without suffering any penalty in the environment stated above. Class lectures on an average bore them. Experiential learning provides them the opportunity to interact with a good number of people who provide them crucial inputs on what should be done and what not should be done (Sweeney, â€Å"Millennial Behaviors and Higher Education,† par. 6). ... Same is their reaction on shopping; they would change the brand for another equally reputed brand for the reason that the second brand is supporting a social cause. They are the major reason of getting competitive advantage to companies by serving the interests of millennial students. They are the residents of â€Å"The Long Tail† phenomena. Traditional marketing media don’t impress them. On the contrary they are easily moved by their social network, i.e. viral marketing (Sweeney, â€Å"Millennial Behaviors and Higher Education,† par. 3). Millennial students have low tolerance level. They prefer quick feedback on their progress. This intolerance has become a way of their lives whether they are in a queue or in an uncreative process. They want things done speedier and effectively better. This has become a way of life with them (Sweeney, â€Å"Millennial Behaviors and Higher Education,† par. 5). Although millennial students are not averse to the face-to-face learning environment wherein teachers help them in resolving all of their problems but they prefer learning through fast, easy to use, comfortable and powerful digital tools. Again, they want choices as in the study environment; they want both choices of learning, face-to-face as well online medium so that later on they may select any one of the given choices. For gaining growth in career they prefer merit system to others such as seniority (Sweeney, â€Å"Millennial Behaviors and Higher Education,† par. 7). Another trait of millennial students is their love for gaming that helps them increasing their emotional stimuli, which helps them in learning also. In gaming continuous

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Juvenile Justice-Child Abuse - Assignment Example Instead, the increase is as a result of inadequate funding from the government. Many states have insufficient finances to carry out effective protection of child rights. The increase of child abuse cases since 2007 can be attributed to the 2008 economic crisis (Spencer, 2009). Child abuse cases are under recorded in the United States because of the federal government’s definition of abuse deaths. The federal government treats fatal cases of child abuse as negligence of the caregiver rather than maltreatment. Most cases, which involve the abuse of children, go unrecorded in government statistics due to this technicality. The undercounting of the abused children is another clear indication that cases of child abuse are rising in America (ECM 2010). In the United States, there are restrictive confidentiality laws. These laws have shielded access to information on child abuse cases. Elected officials or journalists cannot access or cover the stories of particular child abuses because of the restrictive laws. These restrictive laws were initially meant to protect the privacy of abused children. These laws have, therefore, contributed significantly to the under recording of child abuse cases (ECM

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay Example for Free

Community Service as a Graduation Requirement Essay A wise person once said, â€Å"If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. † This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self. Each student has his own reason for volunteering. Many volunteer for the joy of helping others, and some volunteer to seek career opportunities. Simply volunteering at a place that is related to the career one is interested in will help him determine whether that career is suited for him. Bill Jensen, Superintendent of Curriculum for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, agrees with community service being connected to career choices and provides examples. â€Å"We’ve seen students that have gone in to help at the hospital and all of a sudden see that the job is something they are really passionate about. Then we see some students that volunteer at the animal shelter and they find that they would never be able to euthanize an animal, so they have to consider finding a different career† (Jensen). Selecting a career is challenging enough, let alone discovering that the career one chose was not the best and having to choose another. Volunteering provides teens with opportunities outside of finding a career that gives them the necessary skills to help them survive the real world. Students will gain knowledge from volunteering that will lead to increasing their communication and interpersonal skills (Keeler). It can also help with the confidence of stretching ones wings at work, because he or she has already been taught the necessary skills for that job. (____). Community service would be in the best interest for the students that are seniors in high school, so that they have time to commit to a career before going to college and spending time and money on classes that are not necessary. Meeting new people while participating in community service can help students build a network of individuals who could be valuable resources when deciding a future career. The greater number of people one comes in contact with will increase the possibilities of making a productive contact. In order to meet new people, one must step out of his comfort zone. â€Å"Anytime you step out of your comfort zone, you are going to grow as an individual,† says Mark Newell, Principal of Columbus East High School (Newell). While some people are naturally outgoing, others have a hard time meeting new people. Meeting with people on a regular basis that posses the same interests can help with developing social skills(_____). Finding the confidence within oneself to reach out to different groups will allow a better understanding of the numerous cultures that are present in the community. The diversity in American communities impacts Americans’ perception of the world. Americans can observe the countless actions of people from different cultures that differentiate them from the American culture. Since each and every person is unique, Americans are taught at a young age not to judge others. Not one person is the same, whether it is the customs between cultures, or just simply looks and personalities. Each culture has a different way of communicating, and community service can help a person develop the skills to be able to communicate with someone outside of his culture. Finding ways to interpret language into a relatively easy way of understanding is difficult, but it also challenges critical thinking and problem solving skills. People often tend to only think deeply about the issues that involve them, are important to them, or that they are interested in. This is why Americans have such a difficult time learning about other ethnic backgrounds. If the culture and traditions are far different from their own, they will refuse to accept any others because Americans were raised to believe certain things and choose not to adopt anything new. In some studies, it has been shown that there are multiple academic and personal development benefits in socializing with other races (Chang). Volunteering is a great way to interact with people from other cultures. By volunteering, individuals learn to appreciate other cultures’ initiative and hard work that they put into helping the community as well as teaching the volunteer more about the world, and the people that surround him each and every day. Less fortunate people in various places attempt to reach out for help all the time. The minute people take time out of their busy schedules to assist an individual will be the moment in which they open their eyes to the world outside of their own. To help the less fortunate is to demonstrate a concern for the welfare without judging them or blaming them for their circumstances. Compassion does not blame a victim, but seeks to offer assistance no matter what the situation (____). Many people lack the resources that some others have, and possessing necessary items and being successful in life cannot be controlled. The desire to obtain the necessary items is not always present, but who is to say that they are not trying? The failures in succeeding lead to negative attitudes towards continuing to give effort. Some people object to offering help because they believe it may cause dependency, or they believe that leaving them alone will teach them some personal responsibility. What is not understood is the difference between offering assistance, and creating a co-dependent relationship (___). Instead of pushing someone everyday to change their life around, one can give something small and still make a big difference. Community service gives support and relieves the negative energy directed to the less fortunate from society, while attempting to develop better habits for a better life. The process of transforming an unknown human being into a person with importance is time consuming. â€Å"The time it takes to help someone else in a small way is not wasted when it improves someone else’s well-being† (Brannagan). Once the volunteer feels as though he has improved the life of another person and there is evidence to show that the other person is no longer living in disadvantaged conditions, then the frequency of giving and the amount given from the volunteer is increased. To witness the improvement is a priceless matter and should give the volunteer the feeling of unconditional giving. Making a difference in someone’s life gives personal satisfaction and helps teens develop a better appreciation for the little things in life (Keeler). Community service is the voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. It should never be mistaken with a paid job or a guaranteed career. Volunteers can help communities save money by allowing them to spend the money on local improvements rather than using the funds to hire help. Studies show that communities with high rates of participation apply for and receive more funding than those with less participation. In addition, participating communities achieve greater citizen satisfaction with their community (Reid). There are a variety of opportunities given for students to volunteer. Examples of volunteer work include babysitting, house chores for the elderly, tutoring, mentoring, park clean-ups, coaching a little league sports team, or collecting cans for food banks to help feed the hungry, all of which are just a few compared to the millions not listed. The choice of service to which the volunteer devotes his time depends upon his personal interests or experiences. If someone has an interest in dancing, he or she might teach young girls ballet twice a week. If someone grew up in an abusive home, then he or she might volunteer his time towards helping others that have been abused seek help. The only ones among you who will be truly happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve† (Heim). The strength of the community becomes persistent when there are many volunteers to contribute to the everyday duties that need to be fulfilled. Requiring community service of students, either as a course or graduation requirement, will continue their engagement with community service organizations beyond their mandatory completion. It is very common for students to become emotionally connected to the communities that they serve while performing required service and for the students to want to maintain their connection with those communities (Khanna). The connection between the student and the community reveals how much the student truly cares about giving. Community service will show him the functions of the world and the people around him on a daily basis. Once he is involved, he will soon realize that there is more work to be done than there are people willing to voluntarily help out. The volunteers that have assisted many people have most likely experienced good karma. What goes around comes around, and one act of kindness can expose this proverb. This saying connects to the saying that I originally was inspired by that told of how lighting a lamp for someone can help with finding one’s own way. Making community service as a graduation requirement shows students how it benefits them as well as the community in many different ways.

Analysis Of Indira Gandhis Leadership Style Politics Essay

Analysis Of Indira Gandhis Leadership Style Politics Essay Indira Gandhi-one of the first female prime ministers in the world (preceded only by Sirimavo Bandaranaike who became prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960), as well as the longest serving prime minister of India, the most populous democracy in the world-was an ideal candidate for this assignment. An exceedingly complex individual, Indira Gandhi was frequently perceived as a shy, aloof young woman. And yet her behavior as Prime Minister was engaged and aggressive, climaxing in her declaration of a State of Emergency in 1975. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Leadership Style: A New Synthesis While every scholar seems to have his or her own definition of leadership style, the underlying concepts appear to be similar-how the leader carries out the responsibilities of his or her office; more specifically, the leaders work habits, and how they relate to those around them. After reviewing various studies of presidential leadership style Hermann and Preston (1994) distilled five common leadership style variables involvement in the policymaking process, willingness to tolerate conflict, motivation for leading, and preferred strategies for resolving conflict. Kaarbo (1997, pp. 561-563) adopted and modified these five variables and added two variables from the literature on organizational leadership style-relations with members of the cabinet and task orientation. This study adapted five of the variables (motivation for leading, task orien- tation, cabinet management strategy, information management strategy, and rela- tions with the party) developed by Hermann and Preston (1980) and Kaarbo (1997, pp. 561-563), and added another five variables that examine the prime ministers relations with personnel, opposition parties, the media, and the public, and his/her investment in job performance. These have been grouped into three spheres of activity: first, the leader and his/her motivation, task orientation, and investment in job performance; second, the leader and the executive-cabinet and information management strategies; and third, the leader and relations with other personnel, caucus, the party, the opposition, and the media. Leadership Style of Indira Gandhi This section examines the empirical evidence of Gandhis leadership style: motivation for leading; task orientation; investment in job performance; management style, both with the cabinet and in the realm of information gathering; and her interpersonal relations with her associates, the caucus, the extra-parliamentary party, the opposition, the media, and the public. Results showed that she was motivated primarily by pragmatism and power, focusing on goals rather than process. With her cabinet, she functioned largely as an advocate for her goals and preferred to rely on independent sources of information. In her dealings with personnel, the party caucus, the extra-parliamentary party organization and the opposition parties, she was largely demanding, domineering, competitive, controlling, and oppositional. She was capable of being both accessible and friendly to the media as well as being hostile and closed, depending on the time period. It was only with the public that Indira demonst rated a consistent pattern or openness and warmth. Motivation The first leadership style variable centers around the question of a prime ministers motivation for leading. A survey of the literature has suggested that a variety of needs and incentives induce individuals to assume leadership positions in politics (see Kaarbo Hermann, 1998, pp. 251-252). The leader may be motivated by pragmatism (a belief in an obligation to the party to shape government policies along incremental lines); by personal validation (the wish to be popular and to be accepted); by an ideological agenda (a coherent system of political beliefs that shapes government policy); or a desire for power (dominance and control). In the area of motivation, it can be observed that notwithstanding a brief flirtation with socialism, Indira Gandhi was a decidedly non-ideological leader. Investment in Job Performance The amount of energy and time that a prime minister brings to the office is another variable of leadership style (Barber, 1972/1992). It demonstrates whether the leader places limits on the extent of the commitment to the office or whether there is a tireless outpouring of energy. Prime ministers may be interested primarily in the process of government, the building of concurrence, and the development of good relations among the members of cabinet, or they may be more goal oriented, focusing on specific ends and their implementation. Indira Gandhi was heavily involved in her role as Prime Minister. Politics took over her life as she travelled extensively crisscrossing India with extraordinary energy (Gupte, 1992, p. 331). A 16-hour or longer working day was the norm with very little time for family, friends, or relaxation (Frank, 2001, p. 355). Task Orientation The way in which the prime minister organizes the composition of and manages the decision-making process within the cabinet is another facet of leadership style. How are policy dilemmas resolved? To what extent is there involvement in the policy process? Who becomes part of the locus of decision making is also something the prime minister decides. In these activities, the prime ministers style may run the gamut from being largely uninvolved, to a consensus builder, to an arbitrator, and finally, to a strong advocate The empirical evidence indicates that Indira Gandhi was overwhelmingly concerned about task implementation and little concerned with the issue of building concurrence among her cabinet. Rather, she treated many of her cabinet colleagues as potential challengers, and if any grew too powerful, she saw to it that their powers were curbed, even if it meant dismissing capable individuals. Cabinet Management Although information in a cabinet setting is usually channelled through the various ministries, prime ministers will differ as to how they choose to review such information and how they relate to their close advisers. The same, of course, is true for presidents in a presidential system (George, 1980, 1988; George George, 1998; Hermann, 1978, 1987; Hermann Preston, 1995; Kaarbo, 1997). They may want all the facts about the problem or situation and do the interpretation themselves, or they may only be interested in seeing summaries and policy options. Of interest here is how much input the prime minister wants into the way problems and issues are framed and get onto the agenda. Strategy Indira Gandhis dealings with her cabinet demonstrated overwhelmingly that her preferred role was to act as an advocate, rather than a consensus builder, or arbitrator between various government ministers. But advocacy only partly captures the extent to which she dominated her colleagues; she dismissed those who might have challenged her and placed her favourites in senior government posts. Her advocacy was, in fact, an authoritative, peremptory exercise of power. Information Management Strategy In managing the flow of information that comes to the office, does the prime minister use a system of individuals to filter information and minimize direct involvement, or is close scrutiny more likely? Closely related is the question on which the prime minister relies for information. Does the prime minister prefer to receive policy relevant data from his cabinet and senior civil servants, or is there a reliance on other sources? As part of her overall activist stance as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi demonstrated a high degree of involvement in the management of information, prefer- ring to search out what she wanted to know, rather than waiting for it to be presented to her. Relations with Personnel The final cluster of leadership style variables focuses on the prime ministers interpersonal relations with those with whom he/she works, i.e., state-level., governmental officials, members of the judiciary, etc., with his or her own party, with the opposition, the media, and the public. The prime minister interacts with a number of individuals on a daily basis. The extent of the involvement may be high or low; stylistically it may encompass patterns ranging from solicitous, to polite, attention seeking, demanding, and even exploitative. With both the caucus and the extra-parliamentary party organization, the prime minister may behave cooperatively or be competitive or combative and overbearing. Since conflict is a very pervasive element in cabinet life, especially in highly factional single party cabinets and in coalition cabinets (see t Hart, 1994), the management of party relations by a prime minister is extremely important. Indira Gandhis dealings with her aides, advisers, and members of other branches of government were coded for the degree of involvement and the type of behavior exhibited. Relations with other stakeholders Analysts have also focused on how the leader carries out or implements decisions, the way in which the leader mobilizes, orchestrates, and consolidates support for his or her policy decisions (Renshon, 1996a, 1996b). Does the prime minister attempt to sell policies by going beyond the party and parliament to appeal to the public at large? Does he or she try to educate or manipulate the public? Or does the leader display little direct engagement with the public, preferring government officials to articulate and defend government policy? Those prime ministers who focus on policy achievements are more likely to use the office of the prime minister as a bully pulpit, while those who stress the policy process will be less inclined to try to generate additional support among the attendant public. I . Party Caucus and Extra-Parliamentary Party Organization Indira Gandhis relationship with the party caucus-and more particularly her cabinet colleagues-was overwhelmingly contentious from 1966 until 1970. From 1970 on, as power shifted from the Cabinet to the Prime Ministers Secretariat, her relations with the party caucus became manipulative/exploitative. Later, power would shift even more to the Prime Ministers house next door (Frank, 2001, p. 354). The party caucus and the cabinet increasingly assumed a rubber stamp function and the cabinet no longer operated as a center of policy making. Indiras relations with the party organization largely mirrored those with the party caucus. Given the nature of her competitive and controlling relationships with both her caucus and the Congress party organization, it is hardly surprising that Gandhi would manifest the same type of behavior with the various opposition parties. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. II. Media and Public Lastly, in relations with the media, the prime minister may be accessible and informative or inaccessible and hostile. Prime ministers who emphasize the implementation of significant policy changes are more likely to generate greater opposition, which in turn will be reflected in some parts of the media, than those who are more concerned with maintaining the political process with incremental changes. In the face of hostility on the part of the media, the Prime Minister is more likely to become less accessible and more hostile. Gandhis relations with the media vacillated between being accessible, informative, and friendly to being uninformative, inaccessible, and unfriendly after the imposition of Emergency Rule in 1975. However, in her relations with the public, Indira Gandhis leadership style was extremely open. The Indian crowds seemed to energize her, and she felt a special bond with the Indian masses who loved the combination of her aristocratic background and her simple down-to-earth manner. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Conclusion Analysis shows Indira Gandhi as strongly goal-oriented, tireless in the exercise of her job, an advocate within her cabinet with a preference for receiving information from independent sources. As well, the type of involvement she exhibited with associates, the caucus, the party organization, and the opposition, which was largely competitive and controlling, also fitted expectations for the Ambitious, Controlling, and Contentious leader. Indira Gandhis leadership behavior in the selected categories revealed that her leadership style patterns strongly indicate toward her Ambitious, Dominant, and Contentious personality as well as Reticent, Retiring, and Aggrieved personality patterns. Although, Indira Gandhi demonstrated some Reticent personality traits when she assumed the office of the Prime Minister, the demands of the job and the initial hostility she encountered from the Congress elites-the Syndicate-seem to have galvanized the Ambitious, Dominant, and Contentious dimensions of her personality into action. Compensatory narcissism allowed Indira to appeal over the heads of the Syndicate and establish a strongly personal and very effective relationship with the masses that bolstered her self-esteem and fueled this aspect of her personality.

How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader Politics Essay

How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader Politics Essay Introduction Before starting this essay I feel it is important to define the term Leadership. Leadership is the relationship among leaders and their followers or supporters who intend to make real changes that reflect their shared purposes. Leadership is much more than the management of an individual or a team it is also the ability to make the team or company as successful as possible. As the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was widely renowned for his leadership skills. Through out his two terms in office Reagan used these skills to full effect. These skills where largely acquired during his early acting years when he was involved in the Screen Actors Guild. During Reagans first term in office, Reagan created new economic and political initiatives which were often referred to as Reaganomics, he brought about de-regulation and he also implemented substantial tax cuts in 1980s. During this first term Reagan survived an assassination attempt on his life. In the 1984 presidential election Reagan won in an out right victory to earn a second term in office. During this term Reagan was largely focused on foreign policy which was top of his agenda. Ending of the cold war with the Soviet Union which Reagan referred to as an evil empire was his top priority. The negotiations that followed with Soviet Union resulted in a decrease of both countries nuclear w eapons. This was hailed as a huge triumph. Reagan is widely known today as one of the greatest ever leaders that ever lead America. Leadership Skills Communications The art of been able to communicate is vital in any management or leadership role. Been able to communicate plays a very important role for an engineer, on a daily basis an engineer will be in constant communication with various different groups from architects to labours. Been able to get your point across is very important in ensuring the success of the project. To be an effective leader one must have an effective communication skill. This was one of Reagans most talented leadership skills. Reagan had a great ability to been able to communicate with his followers i.e. the people. Reagan was such good communicator that he earned the nickname The Great communicator. Once Reagan had a vision what he thought should be done he would then convey it to the people. Often he would use visual aids such as charts to convey his message. Been able to communicate your visions of what you think needs to be done with your followers is crucial for any leader. Any ordinary leader can have a vision of what he thinks will work but it takes a good leader to be able to communicate it with his followers. Reagan was able to take any complex matter such as his economic initiatives which he proposed and dilute it down to simple terms so the ordinary person would be able to understand it. There are many examples of where Reagan would take complex matters such as his economic initiatives which he proposed to help Americas economy to grow and turn into a non complex matter by doing so the people understood what to be done to help America recover. Once the people understood the matter on hand they would back him. Reagans economy initiatives were of huge success, with the economy growing over a third in size and with every group in society benefited the poor grew rich while the rich grew richer. Another example where we see Reagan making use of his communications skills is where he proposed the Strategic Defence Initiatives a defence system which was capable of shooting down enemies missiles. Reagan explained to the nation why there was a need for such a costly defence system. Even though the media termed it stars wars Reagan pressed ahead with the idea as he knew the people understood. Reagan often used simple charts to convey his message. Reagan said there was a need to able to defend ourselves. Reagan thrived on been able to communicate and building relationships with his people. Often he made people feel that he had a connection with them building these relationships with his people is one many reasons for his success and popularity among the people. Negotiations and conflict resolutions The skill of been able to resolve resolutions and been able to negotiate is a very important factor in the characteristic of a good leader. Reagan clearly had this skill in abundance they are many examples where Reagan used this skill to his advantage. The art of negotiation plays an important role of that of an engineer, on a daily basis engineers deals with new clients, contractors and various other professions. Been able to negotiate will play an important role in determining how good of an engineer you will be. The engineer will also on a daily basis have to settle disputes. Throughout the book DSouza illustrates many examples where we see Reagan negotiating and solving conflicts with other leaders. For example during the cold war period a time of intense hostile between the democratic Americans and the communism Russians, Russia started to build up a large amount of weaponry and for the first time its army size surpassed that of the United States, Reagan knew that he had to negotiate with Russia to ensure the safety of his country. Reagan began to encourage Gorbachev the Soviet Leader on an arms reduction treaty STARTS, Strategic Arms reduction talks. The two leaders agreed on a treaty to reduce its arsenal of weaponry. Getting the soviets to agree on this treaty was an astonishing achievement on Reagans part as at this time the two nations where on the brink of a war. Here we seen the negotiations skills that Reagan possessed in managing to pull off such a feat. On coming to office the main goal of Reagan was to prevent the spread of communism. Reagan hoped of to end Communism and its control around the world. Reagan began a process of negotiations with the Soviet Leader; from the start Reagan knew that it was going to be a challenge. Reagan persisted and in the end brought about an end to the cold war. Gorbachev was stated as saying, He was a man who was instrumental in bringing about the end of the Cold War. Here we can learn a lot from a great leader, in his pursue of his goal. Reagan set out to end communism which he manage to so by employing all his leadership skills which was mainly his negotiations skills. Leadership Styles There are many different types of leadership styles some of these styles include directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented leadership. Directive leadership is where the leader provides guidance of what should be done. Supportive leadership is showing concerns for the needs of the employees while be approachable. Participative leadership: consulting with employees and seriously considering their ideas when making decisions. Achievement-oriented leadership is where the leader encourages the employees to perform at their highest possible level he/she does this by setting challenging goals and also by demonstrating a significant confidence in their employee abilities. Throughout this book DSouza makes it very clear that Reagans leadership style was that he was both a supportive and a participative leader. Reagan was very supportive of the various aides and advisers that he had around him. Reagan would always listen to their concerns on various matters; he would sometimes leave his advisers debate the topic on hand without intervening in either side till both sides were finished. Reagan would seriously listen to both sides before then making the final decision on the matter on hand. Reagan did this as he felt if he gave his opinion at the start it would influences the debates, as he felt some times his advisers picked the side of the president. DSouza also it makes it very clear that he and other advisers never had any trouble approaching Reagan on any matter and that he was always friendly. A truly great leader is approachable at all times, a person who employees do not fear of going to or are not afraid to give their opinions on matters which are of concern to them. Motivation According to Burke motivation is an inner force that causes or induces someone to be inspired to do something (Burke, 2007). It is important to note that what inspires one person may or may not inspire someone else. It is up the manager to influence this working environment which encourages the individual in question to motivate them in such a way that they achieve the project goals set out. DSouza highlights many situations where the staffs working for Reagan were motivated to work. Such examples where we see how the staff where motivated include Reagan handing over many sections of the running of the country to his advisers and aides. By giving his staff more responsibility for the running of the country they were motivated to work as it gave them a sense of achievement. Reagan also encouraged his staff to lead a balanced life, come 5 O Clock he would often he would go into the various offices in the white office telling his workers to go home. This motivated them as they felt the president cared for them and their families as he wanted them to lead a balance life style between work and at home. One of Reagan famous quotes dealing with issue of hard work its true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? .This quotation is typically of Reagan showing his humorous side and his take on work. Working with stakeholders Stakeholders are people who are either actively involved in the project in hand or who are effected by the project being implemented. It is the leaders job to identify all the stakeholders and to determine their expectations. These expectations should be managed to determine its success (Burke, 2007). In How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader we see that Reagans stakeholders were the general public. It is the people who are affected by every decision that Reagan makes. To work with his stakeholders Reagan did his best to communicate with them. Reagan would call press conferences in which he would inform the nation in the most simplicity way that he could the topic that was on hand. Reagan believed it was best telling the public in the simplicity of ways as it gave them of a clear picture of what needs to be done. The other stakeholders working with Reagan were his advisers and aides, Reagan would always encourage them to contribute their skills and knowledge on the topic on hand as he believed it was vital for the success of the project. Optimism Throughout the book with can see that Reagan was always optimism. DSouza gives many quotes from Reagan through out the book showing his optimism such quotes include To believe that together we can and will, with Gods help, resolve the problems that now confront us.   Which Reagan gave in his first inaugural address Reagan was trying to be optimistic telling the nation that better times were ahead. Having optimism is very important when been a leader as it offers hope to your followers . Accountability Another important trait that Reagan held is that Reagan was not afraid to hold people accountability we see an example of this is when on August 1981 workers in the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization walked went on strike in an organized strike they demands been a reduce working week to 32 hour week. When the striking air traffic controllers refused to return to work, Reagan fired them and banned each of the members from federal service for life. Ronald Reagan the air traffic control workers accountable. This is action of a good leader as he shows he willingly hold people responsibility while also being strong. Likeable To be a good leader you must be likeable. The more likeable a leader is the more people will follow him as people tend not to follow people they dislike. Reagan was vey much a likeable man, throughout the book we see that he was described by people who worked for him as a kind and a decent person. A lot of the time Reagan would use humour which people enjoyed if they werent on the receiving end. Reagan would often use humour to avoid answers from the press or to win crucial arguments in public debates. Admit Mistakes A key component to any good leader is to been able to admit to your own mistakes. This is very important as through your life time you will make mistakes, and a good leader will put his hand up and admit that he is wrong, he will the move on. An example of this we see when Reagan admits that he is wrong through the intervention in Lebanon. One of Reagan policies was to intervene in other countries policies in order to preserve democracy but this had devastating consequences when in Lebanon an attack on an army barks killed 240 American soldiers. Reagan was quick to realise his mistake and quickly withdrew from the area. Being able to recognise your mistakes is a key element in becoming a good leader. Conclusion From reading this book we learn some important lessons on leadership. We learn how one man Ronald Reagan used the different leadership skills to achieve so much while in office. We learn the importance of been able to communicate and how important it is to be able to communicate your visions with your followers. One of the most important lessons we learn is how importance is it to reduce your visions to the simplest terms so that your followers will be able to understand them. We learn how to deal with conflicts and how to resolve them as through out the book we see how Reagan resolved various conflicts. On the bigger picture we learn about the different leadership skills and how important that they are in order to be an effective leader. By reading this book the reader will quickly learn how important it is to know the key requires of being a good leader. Reason why you choose this book One of the main reasons why I choose this book Ronald Regan How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh, is that I feel that it would be very beneficial to a young graduate engineer entering the workforce. This book gives us an insight into the life of possible one of the worlds greatest ever leaders Ronald Reagan the 40th president of America. From this book we learn about the different leadership skills that Reagan possessed. I feel it is truly amazing how a man who came from such an ordinary background managed to be elected as the most powerful person in the world. Reagan came from a working class background whose father was an Irish emigrant. Through out his education period Regan was an average achiever he obtained a grade C in his finals, yet he still managed to become president of United States of America. Not only did Reagan manage to become president, but he also accomplished many achievements that will never be forgotten in history. From reading this book t he reader will learn about the different traits that a good leader must have. The achievements that Reagan managed to accomplish through out his terms in office are truly inspiring. Some of his most noticeable achievements include: introducing new economic initiatives to help America recover from the 1980s recession, introducing policies to help with the energy crisis that was happening at the time, introducing substantial tax cuts in 1981, one of his greatest achievements that Reagan will always be remember was the part he played in ending the cold war, as Margaret Thatcher the British prime minister later recalled He ended the cold war without firing a bullet. I feel that a lot can be learnt from reading this book as the reader learns how Reagan used his leadership skills to guide America through a difficult period in their history. We see many of his leadership skills that he possessed been deployed through this book. Achieving the above achievements as mentioning above takes a special kind of leader, a leader that has all the known leadership skills, this enforced my reason for the selection of this book. How is this relevant to graduate engineers? I feel that this book would be of huge benefit to a graduate engineer going into the workforce as it demonstrates how such an ordinary man became such an inspiring leader. Throughout the book we can see the characteristics of Ronald Reagan that made him such a great leader. As an engineer you are expected to lead large groups with such a diversity of talents on a range of different and complex jobs, even though the groups you will be leading wont be as large as the groups Ronald Reagan had to the lead, the basic traits of a good leader are the same. These traits that Reagan used are highlighted by DSouza throughout the book. By reading this book we see how Reagan managed individuals and groups such as his advisers on various matters, we see his negotiations skills in action also. Such examples include: when he is negotiating with Gorbachev the Soviet leader in various arms treaties. We see how he communicated with his followers; we see how he resolved conflicts, such as avoiding a nuclear war with Russia during the cold war. We see how he used motivation to encourage the productivity of his staff, such as handing over more responsibility to his staff they felt that had a personal achievement if they got the task done. Throughout the career of an engineer he/she will have to put to the test their management skills, negotiations and conflict skills communication and motivation skills this book will help in understanding theses key skills and how an ordinary man managed to mobilise them to great effect. As engineer you will be faced with a varied of different challenges that will test your leadership skills by reading this book the reader will understand the concepts of a good leader. I feel that many of the techniques that Reagan used during his time in office to lead the nation, are very applicable to us engineers.

A Class Called Peer Listening :: Personal Narrative Education Essays

A Class Called Peer Listening Walking into a class called "Peer Listening" can certainly give a high school student a unique impression. It was my senior year of high school and all I wanted to do was take easy classes to finish off the year, and that's all I had heard about this class, no homework, it's easy, a "blow off class", so naturally it seemed to be the perfect class. Mr. Bihl I had known for a year and I found him to be a genuinely interesting, understanding person. I walked in the classroom and took the nearest seat to the window side of the room and waited to see who else was in my class. Bill walked in the door, he was a hockey player, jock and all around high achiever. Then came Lauren who was in the same "crowd" as Bill, but with those who liked to live a little more dangerously. Many of them have been into drugs in the past. Next Michelle, who I have heard a lot of rumors about, she is only sixteen and living with her boyfriend in their own apartment. After a minute or two, another kid named Bill strode through the door, he was an all around guy, he could fit into a group of people and manage to entertain them. Just as the bell rang, a girl named Nicole sat in the seat next to me. No one liked Nicole and I never really understood why. There were others that had come in, but most I didn't know. Once the bell had rung and I knew that none of my good friends were going to be in the class, the wave of dread washed over me. A whole semester of people I hardly knew. What a way to spend my senior year of high school! Once the class had started, there were only seventeen people. It was a very small class, compared to the rest of my classes, which topped thirty students. The classroom itself was located just inside the main hall leading to the entrance of the school. Room number 205. Inside, the classroom looked just like every other classroom in Clarkston High School, gray industrial carpeting speckled with burgundy, forest green, and an array of other colors. The walls were cinderblocks painted a hideous shade of off white, and lacked decorations. A gray Formica counter top lined one side of the classroom, complete with cabinets above and below.

Symbollism in Goodman Brown Essay -- Essays Papers

Symbollism in Goodman Brown The Symbolism in Nathan Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" begins before the story starts. The first sign of symbolism is in the title of the story. The word "young" is used in saying that Mr. Brown is young in his marriage and in his maturity. The next word "Goodman" was a term used in Hawthorne's day as a man under a gentleman. This fits Mr. Brown because he is no one special, only to his friends and family. Symbolism is strewn throughout the story in what seems like every word. In the beginning of the story, the phrase "Faith, as the wife was so aptly named" shows that the word "Faith" is not only his wife's name, rather it is also the "Faith" one must have to believe in religion. Mr. Brown's faith is tested in this story to determine wether or not he is good or evil. Secondly, when he is leaving and his wife is begging that he stay. This is awful close the situation later in the story where his mothers ghost is trying to hold him back. Yet, Mr. Brown tells his wife that "My journey, as thoust call it, forth and back again must be done ‘twixt now and sunrise." Taking a journey as she calls it like his father and his grandfather had when they were young. Once again, later in the story when his mother tells him to stay back, the ghost of his father is the one who tells him to go on. When Mr. Brown enters the forest he says that "There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree" (which will be discussed later) and "W...

Econ Macroeconomics

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course The philosophy underpinning this course and its Teaching and Learning Strategies are based on â€Å"Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching at NUNS†. These guidelines may be viewed at: www. Straightforwardness. Nuns. Du. AU. The specific approach to teaching and learning in Macroeconomics 1 is to engage students in the analysis of macroeconomic models and their applications in a relevant and interesting manner. The lectures, tutorials and assessment tasks have been designed to appropriately challenge students and support the achievement of the desired learning outcomes.A climate of inquiry and dialogue is encouraged between students and teachers and among students (in and out of class). The lecturers and tutors aim to provide meaningful and timely feedback to students to improve learning outcomes. With appropriate guidance, students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. 4 3. 2 Learning Activities and T eaching Strategies The examinable content of the course is defined by the content of the lectures, the designated reading from the textbook (and any other required readings) and the content of the Tutorial Program.Lectures The purpose of lectures is to provide a social structure for the topics that make up the course; to emphasize the important concepts, models and methods of each topic, and to provide relevant examples to which the concepts and methods are applied. Not all examinable material can be covered in lectures. Lecture material is supplemented by required reading of the appropriate parts of the textbook and the material covered in the tutorial program. Tutorials The purpose of tutorials is to provide an opportunity for small group discussion of the issues to which economic concepts and methods developed in the lectures can be applied.Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. The Tutorial Program contains problems and questions that review and build on the lecture material. Th e economic concepts and models introduced in lectures. Students should attempt the set of weekly exercises before each tutorial and be prepared to contribute to tutorial discussion. Solutions to the problem and review questions will be posted on the course website at the end of each week. The Tutorial Program will be available on the course website. On-Line Multiple Choice Quizzes There will be a number of informal on-line quizzes provided for you to attempt during the session.This will give you the chance to acquire feedback on your progress and understanding of important concepts. There will be no grade attached to these quizzes. The quizzes can be accessed via the course website from the end of Week 3. The purpose of the quizzes is to allow ongoing review of the material covered and provide continuous feedback on your performance. Out-of-Class Study While students may have preferred individual learning strategies, it is important to note that most learning will be achieved outsid e of class time. Lectures can only provide a structure to assist your study, and tutorial time is limited.An â€Å"ideal† strategy (on which the provision of the course materials is based) might include: 5 Reading of the relevant chapter(s) of the text and any readings before the lecture. This will give you a general idea of the topic area. Attendance at lectures. Here the context of the topic in the course and the important elements of the topic are identified. The relevance of the topic should be explained. Attending the tutorials and attempting the tutorial questions prior to the tutorial. This will also provide a self-test of your understanding, and identify those parts of the topic with which you have problems.ASSESSMENT 4. 1 Formal Requirements To be eligible for a passing grade in this course, students must: ; achieve a composite mark of at least 50 out of 100; AND ; make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks. This means attendance at 80% of tutorials and a ma rk of 40% in all assessments items. AND ; Achieve a satisfactory level of performance in the final exam. This usually means a minimum mark of 46 per cent. Any student having an overall mark of 50 or more but less than 46 per cent in the final examination will be given an IF grade (unsatisfactory fail). . 2 Assessment Details Weighting 10% 5% 20% 65% 100% Length As required As required 30 miss 2 hours University Exam Period Assessment Task Hand in Tutorial Questions Chart Book Submission In-Tutorial Test Final Exam Total 4. 3 Tutorial Participation No marks will be awarded for tutorial attendance. However a record of attendance at tutorial will be kept. Students should note that 80% attendance is required by NUNS and ASP rules. Attendance at 8 out 10 tutorials will be deemed as meeting the requirement.In certain circumstances, such as where a request for special consideration is made in relation to an assessment item, tutorial attendance will be oaken into account in determining your final assessment or whether special consideration is granted. 6 4. 4 Hand in Tutorial Questions Each week students are required to submit to their tutorial a written answer to one of the tutorial questions for that week. The questions for which a written answer is required will be indicated in the Tutorial Program. Answers must be submitted at the beginning of the tutorial and attendance at the entire tutorial is required.During the semester FOUR of the submitted answers (selected at random) will be graded and given a mark out of five. Each of the graded tutorials will have a weight of 2. 5% awards the overall assessment. 4. 5 Chart Book Submission In preparation to the guest lecture in Week 10, an assignment will be handed out (to be available online on Blackboard) where students will be asked to find various macroeconomic variables from the Reserve Bank of Australia or Australian Bureau of Statistics website, plot their time-series using Excel and Powering, and provide a one-page summary/analysis.Students will be asked to submit their findings online through Turning. Com as well as submit the hardcopy to the Assignment Box. More details will be announced close to the guest lecture in Week 10. In-Tutorial Test One short-answer test (the test has a weight of 20 percent) will be held during tutorials in the following week: ; Tutorial Test Week 8 (16-20 September) Students will have 30 minutes to complete each test. No notes, lecture or course material will be permitted to be used during the in tutorial test. The question must be answered on the answer sheet provided by your tutor.A list of potential questions the test will be provided on the course website (one week prior to the test). Questions asked in the tutorial test will be based on those posted on the website. However there may be some slight differences in the actual test questions, e. . Numbers could be changed for questions that involve calculations. Students must sit the tutorial test in the tutoria l group to which they have been allocated. There will be NO supplementary tests offered for the in tutorial test. You should make every effort to take the in tutorial test.Students who fail to attend the test will need to apply for Special Consideration. In cases of serious illness, students will need full and convincing documentation of that illness. Students who are found genuinely to be too ill to have attended an in tutorial test will have their mark on the final exam re sighted to include the mark reserved for the missing test. In all other cases on non- attendance by students will receive a grade of zero. Employment obligations or holiday plans of any kind are not acceptable reasons for absence from any test/ examination.Application for special consideration must be lodged through nylons with 3 working days of the assessment. (Log into mynas and go to My Student Profile 7 tab > My Student Services channel > Online Services > Special Consideration). Then submit the originals or certified copies of your completed Professional Authority form PDF – download here) and any supporting documentation to Student Central). 4. 7 Final exam The purpose of the final exam is to assess understanding of the macroeconomic concepts and models introduced in the course and to test the ability to use these to interpret and analyses real world situations.

Health Care System of Taiwan and the United States

Health Care Systems of Taiwan and the United States Health care is one of the most essential foundations for any citizenship in any country since whether it is effective or not, it definitely affects the standard of living and the life expectancy of a country. According to Johnson and Stoskopf (2009), â€Å"A health system as described by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the sum total of all the organizations, institutions, and resources whose primary purpose is to improve health,† (p. 3). Therefore, to positively improve a nation, having an effective ealth care system is crucial.Being recognized as one of the powerful countries in the world, the United States has a great shape of health care programs; however, sometimes it is inaccessible to some of the citizens. On the contrary, as a small country, Taiwan is famous for its health care system although there are still defective parts existing in the current system. To compare the differences of health care systems in Tai wan and the United States, we can observe the three major aspects: ownership, cost, and quality. First of all, Taiwan and the United States have different types of ownership in the health care systems.Thus, Taiwan owns a single-payer system, which is run by the government, forcing everyone to Join it and pay. Because of this policy, the coverage of health care is close to 99 percent (Underwood, 2009). In this country, the government-run system covers prevention, primary care, hospitalization, Chinese massage, acupuncture, traditional herbal medicine, mental health care, dental, vision, and long-term care. Unlike Taiwan, the United States possesses several types of ublic and private funding systems: Medicare and Medicaid are the two main public funded plans for Americans.There is also abundance of private insurance companies for people to choose, but they usually have a long list of pre-existing conditions, which restricts many patients since they are unable to receive health care in surance. Although the United States contains public and private programs, nearly 15. 6 percent of Americans had no health insurance in 2003, (Samuel D. , 2010). Secondly, the cost of health care for Taiwanese and Americans is divergent. Thus, Taiwan spends approximately 6 percent of G. D. P. on health care while the United State spends about 16 percent of G.D. P. (Seth B. , 2009, p. 1). Moreover, in Taiwan, people merely have to pay small amount of money set by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) for each medical service received, and the BNHI will cover the rest of the payment (Taiwan Health Care Reform Foundation, 2010). As a result, no one in Taiwan goes bankrupt due to the medical bill. Unlike Taiwanese, a lot of Americans undergo bankruptcy since they cannot afford their medical bills. Finally, the quality of health care in Taiwan is not the same as that in the United to turn to.Moreover, there is no waiting time for patients which highly enhances the effectiveness o f health care. The competition between public and private hospitals improves the quality. Furthermore, every Taiwanese who is under the coverage has a Smart Card: an electronic health record, which is required for patient to bring along when seeing a doctor. The nurses would scan the card and all the medical record of that patient would appear clearly. It is a paperless system that improves treatment nd reduces redundant process of paperwork.Different from Taiwan, the insurance companies in the United States limit the patients in what doctors and hospitals they can go to, and it is necessary to set up an appointment in advance. In conclusion, it should be underscored that the ownership of health care systems plays an important role for a country because it might affect the entire system. The cost determines whether or not the citizens of the country are able to pay for the bills. The overall quality is a critical aspect of health care system since it ight either directly or indirect ly influence a patient's well-being.It is quite difficult for me to conclude which one of the health care systems is more effective due to the fact that Taiwan and the United States are distinctive in many ways, such as population and country size. Nevertheless, there are still several aspects that the United States can learn from Taiwan: for instance, studying other nations' health care system. Before deciding on a health care system, the experts in Taiwan carried out research on several successful countries' programs and eventually established its wn in 1995.

Reconstruction After the American Civil War Essay

The civil war is considered by many the most important war that our country has endured. During the 5 year Civil War, not only did 620,000 men die, but our nation was left in ruins. It was necessary that our country be rebuilt from bottom up. Abraham Lincoln, said to be the brightest president of his time, had plans and ideas for reconstruction. Unfortunately, these plans were failed to be put in place due to the fact of his assassination on April 14, 1865. Throughout some of the most politically tough years our nation has experienced (1865-1877) lousy presidents were elected, plans and bills failed and succeeded, and struggles with civil rights were prominent everywhere. The United State’s hopeful plans for reconstructing and reuniting slowly faded until it was all gone The most important part of reconstruction would probably have to be the beginning, or where it all started. Reconstruction of our nation began unofficially in 1863 with Lincoln’s 10% plan. Because Lincoln wanted a reunited nation as easily and quickly as possible, he entailed that only 10% of the confederates in each state would have to swear allegiance in order for the state to be accepted back into the union. Because of the small number of confederates needed to swear allegiance, the radical republicans in congress were angered and proposed the Wade-Davis Bill. The Wade-Davis bill was intended to make congress responsible for reconstruction rather than the president, and also stated that the majority (not 10%) would have to swear allegiance in each state to be re-accepted into the union. For the good of the united states, not for selfish reasons, Lincoln vetoed (or declined) the bill. Because Lincoln was assassinated, the rest of his plans and hopes for reconstruction were n ever put to use, and his vice-president, Andrew Johnson, took the Presidential role. As reconstruction continued on, it brought many major achievements that greatly benefited our country. One of the greatest accomplishments of reconstruction was the Fifteenth Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment stated that everyone has a right to vote no matter what â€Å"race, color, or previous condition of servitude† was. Because many whites didn’t like this, they wouldn’t cooperate with the amendment and would go as far as using violence to make blacks not vote. Because of this congress used the Enforcement Act of 1870 which entailed that federal governments would be able to punish those that were causing problems for the African Americans. Going along with the fifteenth amendment, reconstruction brought another achievement, a new life and society for former slaves. Supported by the government, former slaves were able to create new lives for themselves. Although it took hard work and dedication, African Americans were able to create schooling systems, churches and volunteer groups and fight against segregation. Former slaves were able to reunite with their families, and blacks were even finally allowed a spot in politics. The final greatest achievement of reconstruction was reuniting our country. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the other four states all re-entered the union by 1870. By originally initiating reconstruction, this is what Lincoln was shooting for. Although they still had political and economic differences, they were once again a reunited nation. With every great movement and political plan, lasting effects come along with it. During reconstruction many things were accomplished, which means that our nation was faced with many positive and negative effects. Some of the positive effects included new opportunities for the common public and former slaves. For example, the common public was presented with its first public school system, new roads and railroads, as well as orphanages for children and institutions for the mentally ill. One of the negative effects of the war was the physically and economically drained south. After the war, the south was in extremely poor physical condition and most everything had to be either rebuilt or restored. This was going to cost sufficient amounts of money that the south did not have. To get the money, the taxes rose and the wages lowered. Many people were without family members that died in the civil war, and the south’s population had decreased drastically. Another lasting effect that reconstruction left on our nation was a dent on the farms and plantations in the south. Many farms and plantations in the south had been ruined. Poor whites and African Americans were at disagreement with rich whites on what the farm land should be used as. Rich whites wanted to restore the plantation system and poor whites and African Americans wanted to create small farms and subsistence farming. Labor was also down. With many men dying in the war, not as many people were left to work on the farms. When the plantations were reopened, many African Americans and poor whites worked on the plantations in exchange for housing, food, clothing, etc. Many good and bad effects were left on our nation from reconstruction. Although reconstruction was a good recovery point for our nation, it was slowly ended in 1877 for a collection of reasons. One of the largest problems was whites inflicting violence on African Americans to prevent them from exercising their rights. During reconstruction, Americans struggled with anti-black radicals such as the Ku Klux Klan. They destroyed buildings, personal property, harmed the African Americans, and even went as far as killing them. The goal of the Ku Klux Klan was to restore white supremacy. By 1880 terrorist groups had restored white supremacy in the south. Along with terrorist groups, political troubles were also in the nation’s way. General Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1872. Because Grant was inexperienced, he brought his friends into high positions and many scandals resulted. Because of all of the scandals, many people became irritated and more conflict arose. Last but not least, the United States was experiencing economic turmoil. The panic of 1873 was one of the main reasons that focus was turned away from reconstruction. A man named Jay Cooke invested a grand amount of money in railroads and not enough investors bought shares, causing Cooke to spiral into debt. Because of this Cooke’s banking firm (largest in the nation) went bankrupt. Many small banks and businesses closed and the stock market closed. Millions lost their jobs. Because of this five year depression, the focus of the country was turned away from reconstruction. Reconstruction lasted a solid 13 years that were filled with many great improvements and countless lasting effects on our country. While enduring many severe losses and challenges brought on by the Civil War, the United States pushed through and reunited. We will always be affected by this era in our country’s history. Throughout many failed presidencies, failed and passed bills and movements, and continuous struggles with civil rights, America became the country it is tod ay. From the achievements to the collapse of reconstruction, I believe it was completely necessary and left many lasting effects, good and bad, on our country.