Thursday, October 31, 2019

A Doll's House initial thoughts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Doll's House initial thoughts - Essay Example Torvald. She is deeply concerned about the future of her children and their well being. The sacrificial nature of women in a marriage relationship is clearly illustrated by Mrs. Linde and Nora Helmer which offers a good lesson to women. Nora had to commit a very serious crime of forging her father’s signature so as to provide money to take her ailing husband to Italy so that he would recover. Mrs Linde had to be married to a man she didn’t love in her bid to generate funds in order to support her family which puts her at crossroads with Mr. Krogstad whom she truly loved. Submission in marriage is portrayed by Nora who seems totally submitted to her husband. However it is evident that there is a thin line between submissions and to be taken advantage of and therefore the story calls for caution in approaching such issues in marriage. It is worth noting that there are some mistakes that women need to be aware of in a marriage set up so that they do not cause disharmony in the family. Nora decides to keep the crime she committed as a top secret that her husband was not to be made aware of. In the long run, he decision to disclose the matter to Mrs. Linde leads her into serious problems when her husband gets to know the truth. Through this incident, women in a literature class are able to learn the pit holes that should be avoided so as to have harmonious relationships in the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Wages v. Wages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wages v. Wages - Essay Example The couple moved with their two children. In light of the decision to move to Kentucky, the mother went to court again requesting a change of custody. She argued that the move to relocate was based on her strong belief that it would be disadvantageous to their child. In her motion, she requested that she did not want to end the relationship between her daughter and her former husband. The father responded by accusing her former wife as a woman who lacked motherliness prior to their divorce. He also pointed out that the mother’s current husband had left her twice and that she had two different jobs and was not in a position to cater for their child appropriately. He wanted to be granted full custody or be relieved from paying child support (Sharp, W. and Antoon, 2005, P.73). He also wanted to stop paying for the child’s hospital insurance unless the court granted him full custody of the child. While the mothers intention to move to Kentucky and leave the child with her former husband was with good intention, it was perceived that it would result in a significant change of circumstances. She was also not best suited to have custody of the child as the former husband had more people whom would help him raise the child much better than the mother would. There was no significant evidence found by the court that moving the child to Kentucky would result in a great change in circumstances. The father was not granted custody. (Sharp, W. and Antoon, 2005, P. 73) The second ruling was made based on the present facts. Custody was not granted to the father as the mother’s motion to change custody was denied. The reversal of the earlier judgment was as a result of the mother’s failure to show the court that she was better suited to have custody. An appropriate visitation schedule was deemed to be better than changing custody basing on the facts present at that

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Good And Effective Leadership Manifestation

Good And Effective Leadership Manifestation INTRODUCTION Leadership is exhibited in almost all stages of life. Everybody in one stage of his or her life has been faced with situations where leadership skills had to be demonstrated. Right from individual families and homes to organisations, institutions and governmental bodies, leadership skills are very much demonstrated. Irrespective of whether one possesses substantial leadership traits or not, there is an inherent need to succeed in a given task. Good leadership is not based on just leading people but it also comes along with different responsibilities and based on how its handled, justifies one as being either a good leader or a bad leader. Effective leadership skills can never be practiced without followers; they are the people who are led to either a success or failure in a particular project. Attitudes of followers are greatly subjected to leadership traits displayed by the leaders and this is backed by the statement made by Hackman and Johnson (2004) that followers prosper under ef fective leaders and suffers under ineffective leaders. (Hackman Johnson, 2000) 2.0. CASE STUDY 1 2.1. Case Summary Joey was previously involved in aviation and believes that, his narration is in a similar fashion to what course aims to achieve by better equipping us for the life of engineers in our chosen industries. Evidence of this has been during the 10th week of course when we discussed CRM (Crew Resource Management). Even though he was not personally involved in this scenario, he believes its an excellent situation to analyse. His case is a classic example of how leadership/teamwork manifestation by the pilots, cabin crew and air traffic controllers and use of teamwork to execute a safe outcome for all concerned when a US Airbus A320 in flight had issues with both of its engines in January last year. As the routine flight was climbing out of the New York area, one by one a flock of birds flew into the path of the aircraft and stopped both the jet engines on the aircraft. The captain (the leader of the aircraft) calmly analysed the situation and he knew that he only had a short time to take a concrete decision. The initial decision taken by the leader was to go back to the airport they came from to try and land there with no engines at all, upon a conversation with his co-pilot (subordinate) it was decided that this would be a very unlikely outcome for success. A further discussion with his other worker gave the suggestion of the possibility of landing in a sighted river close to their spot. 2.2 Leadership manifestation The leadership skill in this situation was demonstrated considering the amount of pressure that the crews were under when the crisis started. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New Yorks LaGuardia airport for Charlotte, North Carolina. Shortly after takeoff, the plane went through a flock of geese at 3,000 feet and both engines were knocked out. Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger later said that he felt an adrenaline rush right to his core. As his heart rate increased, he forced himself to ignore the physical symptoms and face the situation. (Cross, 2009) This situation was well handled by the crew following these 6 steps that they received during training to try and resolve a crisis. Step 1: The best defense is a good offence (Cross, 2009): Establish training exercises for the possible crisis, US airways had done this with the crew and so they would have been well prepared for the crisis. The commanding pilot was also a very knowledgeable person on crisis management and knew how to formulate a backup plan in stressful situations as evidence by this statement from him in a post accident interview; One way of looking at this might be that, for 42 years, Ive been making small regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training, said US Airways Capt. Chesley Sully Sullenberger. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal. (Couric K 2009) Step 2: Tell me now (Cross, 2009): Communicate to known company a protocol that is what the cockpit crew did when they had the failure. Even though the emergency happened at a low altitude they still had to rigidly follow companys procedures to try and evaluation the aircraft systems and the situation itself Step 3: Rally the team (Cross, 2009): Communicate with the other team members on both the best and worst possible outcomes for the situation. The US air 1549 flight crew discussed all possible alternatives in the approach they would take to try and solve the problem Step 4: Isolate and contain the problem (Cross, 2009): Once the crew identified their plan of attack, they isolated the problem by using the best known knowledge at the time and went through checklists to try and remedy the situation and start the engines so they might be able to get out of the situation. US Airways also focused on the ABCs Assess what the situation is and/or threats are, Balance available barriers using policies, procedures and flows, checklists, automation, external resources, human factors, and knowledge of aircraft handling, Communicate effectively and understand callouts, and Standard operating procedures. (Sullenberger C, 2009) Step 5: Fix it (Cross, 2009): After the accident, the industry and airlines are trying to remedy the situation of bird strikes for the future and also better crew training for water ditching Step 6: Train all team members (Cross, 2009): Remedial action after the accident and the subsequent findings have suggested better precautions and training to try and prevent an occurrence like this happening again. Comparing of the learnt theories to the case study 1 The theories learnt in this course are very relevant to this accident. High risk industries have been littered with tragedies from poor management systems in the past. A good starter for this is the review of CRM from lecture 10 in our course it states that; CRM is a system to achieve safe and efficient flight operations by optimizing the use of all available resources such as equipments, procedures and people. CRM training focuses on mastering knowledge, skills and attitudes related to communications, situational awareness, problem solving, decision making, and teamwork (Ljubo V. and Sutherland B, 2010). The paragraphs below outline how the CRM was successfully implemented in the accident; 2.3.1 Leadership: The captain of the aircraft displayed great composure and guidance during the crisis, he used his previous training to avoid the situation from becoming worse. A classic example of great leadership manifestation was when the aircraft was on the water, he checked inside the aircraft to see if there were any stranded people left on the aircraft after every one had left before he left the aircraft. He also directed the rescue crews to approach and rescue people on the wings first before the people on the life rafts. The third positive leadership trait displayed by the co-pilot was when he went back into the sinking aircraft and located more life jackets for the passengers who had none. 2.3.2 Interpersonal communication: This can be broken down further for this section to include; Communication errors, barriers, cultural influences, listening, coordination (Ljubo V. and Sutherland B, 2010). The above mentioned traits were performed to a high standard in each area this in my opinion was the reason why the outcome of the flight was so successful. 2.3.3 Decision-making: This area of the accident can be further examined with the following factors; Risk assessment, risk management techniques, loss of judgement, deviations (Ljubo V. and Sutherland B, 2010) The aircraft crew did an excellent job in these areas, for example in the risk of assessment the crew were thinking about what was going to be the least risk, landing in the river or the airport they came from? Which ties into risk management they have made a decision so now they must manage the risk of this decision with the appropriate tools to make the outcome successful. Lessons learnt from the course We have learnt that the crew in what could be described as an almost hopeless situation pulled off a miracle to save the crippled aircraft. Kellys Followership Model in CRM mentioned in the slides makes reference to the Exemplary Followers: Assertive and not afraid to challenge; essential to safe efficient ops (Ljubo V. and Sutherland B, 2010), these are the techniques employed by the crew on the aircraft at all times to ensure a successful outcome to the situation. We have also learnt that a calm head and excellent teamwork are essential to solving any impending crisis. It was an integral part of this scenario. We didnt have time to consult all the written guidance, we didnt have time to complete the appropriate checklist, so Jeff Skiles and I had to work almost intuitively in a very close-knit fashion, without having a chance to verbalize every decision, every part of the situation. By observing each others actions and hearing our transmissions and our reports to others, we were a ble to quickly be on the same page, know what needed to be done and begin to do it. (Sullenberger C, 2009) The captain of the aircraft exhibited the big 5 important factors under the personality traits of leadership. The above qualities exhibited by the leader and complimented by the crews superb CRM was the major factor for the successful outcome. Lets further break these points down into a more detailed analysis of the situation; 2.4.1 Neuroticism (emotional stability): The captain of the flight had no time to channel his energies into anxiety; he said he had to mentally control his emotions so he could use his thoughts to fly the plane instead 2.4.2 Extraversion (sociability): Sullenberger used his teamwork skills to communicate the problem with his co-pilot as to what the best action would be to ensure a safe outcome for the flight 2.4.3 Openness to experience (creative, curious): Sullenbergers past history as a aviation accident consultant, a glider pilot and a instructor in human dynamics in aviation all helped him to make the right decision needed for a safe outcome. 2.3.4 Agreeableness (trusting nurturing): This was demonstrated by the fact he let his co-pilot run through the engine relight checklist so he could try and attempt to restore engine power, so in the worst case he would be able to fly the aircraft back to the airport on one engine if they got it restarted. 2.3.5 Conscientiousness (organised dependable): He demonstrated this due to his past employment as a instructor pilot in US airways, which consisted of duties such as testing pilots skills in the simulator and in the aircraft. He was also widely recognised by his peers as an excellent pilot and faithful servant of the aviation industry. Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile. (Ljubo V. and Sutherland, 2010) The successful outcome was achieved by the actions of many. Lives were saved due to the experience of a well trained crew (Sullenberger C, 2009). The above two quotes sum up perfectly the Captain and crew of US air flight 1549 in a nutshell. Improvements to Case Study 1 based on learnt theories In light of the accident on the Hudson River, the industry has learnt that they must keep up to date with aircrew training and cabin crew training and the training must be based on one of the most impressive training improvements, Recommendations for new engine certification procedures, emergency checklists, aircraft equipage and pilot training (Croft J 2010). From a leadership point of view the US Government regulator for aviation (FAA) and Airbus, were each criticized for not mandating ditching training in the flight simulator, tougher engine bird strike certification, proper pilot checklists. From a cabin crew point of view deficiencies existed in briefing of passengers and also lack of standardization of equipment in the US airways fleet (some aircraft had life rafts some did not) at the time FAA did not mandate use of life raft on non overwater flights. Apart from the Government leadership issues one of the positives from a leadership point of view was that, the captain turned on the mini jet engine so he could maintain control over the aircraft in the final minutes of the flight. However the negatives of the leadership where he failed to press the ditching button to close the valves so water would not flood the aircraft (but this is a limitation of the human mind in reaction to a rare and stressful situation). Another finding is the fact that, the industry was ill prepared to know how to ditch in water. From a communication and leadership point of view, the question asks What should be done differently as a result of this learning. In my research and opinion from this accident backed up with our theory from the course, they perform a magnificent job of handling the situation from a classic leadership and communication text book point of view and could in the future be a excellent case to study for future generations of leaders in the World. 3.0. CASE STUDY 2 3.1. Case summary: The second case study is of Awais Safder who led his team to complete a task in limited time by convincing the labor force to work over time during winter. This was very crucial for the reputation of the company he worked for since the client requested the project be built on a tighter time schedule. In order successfully meet the target; he placed leadership responsibilities on his sub-ordinates. They did not have to complete it for themselves but for the sake of company. Saving of time was of course saving of money. He did not just finish it on limited time but also saved on cost. Leaders are people who can create significant change in both followers and organisation which they are associated. (Iain Hay,2010) In a project, whoever is the leader must possess a number of characteristics to guarantee progress. To handle such pressure at an early stage of his career was mentally challenging. He was the sole structural site engineer on the building site. He did not only show inspirational skills in propelling the labor force to achieve this task, but also exhibited excellent leadership. 3.2. Leadership Manifestation The leadership manifested in this case was transformational leadership. The leadership traits Awais adopted in that case was focusing on being analytical, devoted, diligent, interactive and sincere, factors that a successful leader must adapt to if he anticipates progressive results. Sometimes however, depending upon the diversity of situations, there may be trade-on and trade-off characteristics in the need for each of the traits. He exhibited sound emotional stability in dealing with problems contemplatively towards the outcome of the project. Leadership skills perceived in solving the problems occurred during the execution of the task. He considered all ideas in addition to further improve his relationship with the followers and having sufficient skill to persuade followers even in case of disagreement. He made them realise that they had to complete this task for the sake of their companys reputation. He listened to their issues, noted their problems and promised them extra remune ration for their extended hours on the site. He also invited supervisors and foremen with whom he initially discussed the procedure of executing the activities and idea of extended hours at work for them. He then discussed the whole situation with Project Manager and explained to him how he was going to complete each activity and assured him of prompt progress on the project. He assured him that if these extra hours of construction were agreed upon, he would negotiate with the steel fixers to help boost moral on the construction site. 3.3. Comparing the learnt theories to the case study The under listed paragraphs gives a vivid illustration on how Awais leadership approaches were analyzed based on the theories learnt in class 3.3.1. Transformational Approach: Standing on the statement made by Hackman and Johnsons, The new leader is one who commits people to action, who converts followers into leaders, and who may convert leaders into agents of change (Hackman Johnson, 2009). His leadership skills was highly portrayed on how he encouraged his followers on the construction site to become leaders is a typical examples. A further example of this can be viewed from the following notes on transformational leadership. The transformational leadership characteristics from his case of study are as follows. 3.3.1.1. Creative: He exhibited creativity at different levels of the task. Since he was the sole engineer at the construction site, he had to come up with different alternatives to execute the given task at a specified time with the steel fixers especially during the winter when at night the temperature fell to -4 ° C. 3.3.1.2. Interactive: He took into account the fact that manpower plays a vital role in the progress of any task. In order to achieve the required goals from them, he was very concerned about their personal issues. He used to go on construction site, watched steel fixers, appreciated their hard work, stayed with them and made some jokes to make their working environment friendlier. Whenever I told them how the company had always taken care of them and provided them with many facilities in the past, they always gave a strong and positive response. To them, it was a give and take affair that is, once their basic needs are attended to, they on their part will do their best in achieving the companys goal. This is also a classic example of how McGregors theory Y is put into play. 3.3.1.3. Visionary: He was issued with the task of completing the project in 13 days. However, he was required by the client to complete it in seven days. He knew this requirement would stretch his time management skills but he employed excellent delegation skills to make sure the project would be completed on time and almost 30% below budget cost. An example of this is a quote from Hackman and Johnson that A vision is a concise statement or description of the direction in which an individual, group, or organisation is headed (Hackman Johnson, 2009). 3.3.1.4. Empowering: During this process he felt it was necessary to give his subordinates the feeling of being on equal footing as himself. He thought that if he treated his workers on the same level as himself he would get a great return from the worker, they will be more motivated and the company would get a great return from the workers. This was evident by the fact that the project was finished in seven days instead of the proposed 13 days. The comment by Hackman and Johnson enforces this great display of leadership, that is, Transformational Leaders know how to give power away and how to make others feel powerful (Hackman Johnson, 2009). 3.3.1.5. Passionate: He worked long hours for the completion of the task allocated to him and to excel his followers too. He believed that his display of immense love and passion towards his work was essential to serve as a motivational factor for his subordinates. This contributed a lot since it encouraged all the followers to put in a similar amount of passion or even more to achieve the set goals. He made funny jokes with his subordinates gave him the chance to get along with them. This in turn increased work production on site because he made his sub-ordinates felt valued. The statement below links him well with the passion component of transformational leadership. Transformational Leaders love their jobs have a great deal of affection for their fellow-workers. (Hackman Johnson, 2009) 3.4. Lessons learnt from the course The lesson learnt from the course further equipped him with better tools to manage a situation like this in a more comprehensive approach in the future. Looking at the course we can use many outstanding theories to better equip us for greater management skills in the future. A further examination of the strategies to his scenario on the construction site are done using Wallas four steps for creative problem solving 3.4.1 Preparation: In his scenario, he acknowledged the problem and tried to weight up the problems with the possible solutions. The best solution he came up with was able to satisfy both the management and employees. 3.4.2 Incubation: After reviewing the situation, his team sat down and deliberated on other alternative solutions to the problem at hand. 3.4.3 Illumination: After the two meeting with his followers, he made it a point to personally deliberate on the issue and the proposed solutions to see the possibly of coming up with a whole different approach based on his knowledge and expertise in that particular issue. 3.4.4 Verification: He would go back to the original people he had a meeting with and discuss again the problems and solutions of the construction site and then finalise with his team on the best solution they should opt for. 3.5. Improvements to Case Study 2 based on learnt theories From the study of this course, we realised that his leadership at the time was sufficient but he could personally improve on it now based on the theories hes learnt from the course. The productive engineer should possess abilities skillful enough to express, recognize problems and understand cultures and atmosphere. Leadership attributes can be further developed by more knowledge and experience. Based on the theories, characteristics of a good engineering leader must comprise of intuitiveness, inspiration, effective communication, individual prosperity and contemplation to function in multi cultural and multi disciplinary teamwork. By following these traits, we can portray our organisation as one with essential technical particulars and leadership dexterities. Even though the target of the project was met, they virtually worked under pressure which will results in the followers strength and capabilities being over stretched and in turn affected productivity. Working under pressure in that adverse weather conditions did not really portray good leadership concern and care for subordinates. Increasing the human resources so that work will be completed in due time with more hands would be a better option than to unnecessarily pressurise the workers with loads of remunerations. Casual workers can thus be hired if the companys resources were not enough to permanent employees. 4.0. CASE STUDY 3 4.1. Case Summary The third case is a task of sensitising all employees of a mine to acquire ISO 14001 EMS Certification. ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is the outcome of a successful assessment of a company by an independent third party to ensure that working operations are carried out in an environmentally friendly manner such that there is a minimum impact on the environment. The ISO 14001 certification for AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mines Environmental Management System was carried out as evidence to stakeholders of the companys compliance with the national and international environmental management standards. In this regard, the management of the mine had an essential role to play in developing organisational awareness creation, sensitisation and education by explaining the concepts ISO 14001 to the entire staff and demonstrating their commitments to it before an internal audit by a independent external certification body takes place. The project was a collaborative effort by the entire staff of the mine, but the responsibility of training, awareness creation and sensitisation section of the project was duly handled over to Matilda to adequately manage all resources and logistics to ensure that all employees on the mine are satisfactorily sensitised on the concepts and procedures involved in the certification process. The attainment of the certification to a large extend depended on the understanding of the employees on the concepts of ISO 14001. It was a delicate task involving a whole complex situation considering the capacity of employees and size of the mine with a workforce of over seven thousand employees. It was a great input into her career and her leadership potentials. 4.2. Leadership Manifestation Leading the team on this project was a very bold step in her career as an environmental officer and the challenges faced toughened her for greater works ahead in her life. She manifested a good leadership skill by not ruling her team, but co-ordinating with them to embark on the project. She encouraged her subordinates to make concrete decisions and sorted their opinions on how the sensitisation program was to be run in their respective departments. She decided to train her immediate followers on how to properly organise their department. She believed in the fact that, training them will increase their competence level and make them more responsible. She agreed with the philosophy of John D. Rockefeller quoted in Hackman and Johnson, 2000 as Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people (Hackman Johnson, 2000). The training needs of the followers were based on their level of experience and responsibilities. All training materials, methods and means of evaluation took into account their abilities, literacy, nature of risk associated with their operations and their individual responsibilities. After having decided on the best methods of sensitisation with her followers, she deduced some objectives to get them started and to keep them in the right framework. These were to maintain ISO14001 EMSs Standard in the training Program, to develop better employee education and training on the importance of ISO 14001, Improve communication with stakeholders/interested parties and to verify the conformance of the training efforts to regulatory or organisational requirements A great Leadership skill was manifested in solving the problems faced during the execution of the projects. Her ability to adapt to immediate corrective actions in solving them and getting the task completed made her very competent. Her display of good emotional stability in addressing the issues and taking into consideration the different characters and levels of intelligence contributed immensely to the success of the project. Coming down to the social levels of the followers and making them comfortable despite their social standings was a factor that took all inferiority out of the followers and eliminated all barriers to her position as a the youngest female leader. The challenge of working out of office hours to duly complete the task within the set time before the internal audit added so much to her credibility as a leader since she was perceived as a leader who leads by example and was very passionate with her duties. 4.3 Comparing the learnt theories to case study 3 A critical analysis of the case study based on the theories leant reflects the leadership skills manifested in Matildas case as a combination of most of the leadership approaches. An illustration on how her approaches was analysed based on the theories are discussed below 4.3.1 Trait Approach 4.3.1.1. Interpersonal Factors She was not limited by her gender or age but maintained a good composure and displayed extreme confidence in leading followers who were much older than her with some having higher academic attainments and work experiences than she had. 4.3.1.2. Cognitive Factors Her approaches to handling the challenges and solving problems associated with the project displayed her level of intelligence in her field of study and career. She tactfully handled the issues with due consideration to the followers view points and not unnecessarily discriminating. This attribute was greatly admired by her followers. 4.3.1.3. Personality: Neuroticism (Emotional Stability) Preparation of the training materials with due considerations to the competence and intelligence levels of the followers by eliminating all inferiorities and superiorities was a great way of displaying emotional stability which was a key factor in the program. Extraversion (Sociability): Her socialising approaches with the followers in meeting at clubs or restaurants after office hours, discussing other family and personal life issues broke every tension and gave the followers the edge of contributing their entire quota without feeling intimidated. Openness to experience (Creativity): The different sensitising training materials and approaches such as the use of videos, seminars, gift vouchers, floats, debates and awards of certificates of competence etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was a very creative approach which helped to adequately send the message across without necessarily bombarding them with endless boring literature. Agreeableness (Trusting): She trusted her followers as being competent enough to lead their respective departments and this was based on the fact that they were adequately trained in all the systems and procedures involved and equally up to the task. Conscientiousness (Organised): The outlined objective established by the leader to keep them in the right framework and to ensure their program followed a guided path displayed her skills as being a well organised leader. Project charters were also used to evaluate the progress of the program. 4.3.2. Situational Approach: The situational approach was duly adopted by Matilda considering the fact that contextual intelligence was very much implemented. The impact of past environmental practices were considered leading to the adaptation of current trends in making concrete commitments to the future trends. The situational approach also recognised and adapted two factors under the Fiedlers contingency model. That is the task structure and team relationship (Hackman Johnson, 2000). The task structure in her case was based on the fact that, all the sensitisation program was subjected to specific procedures, agreed upon outcomes and a comprehensive evaluation of the processes and outcomes. The interpersonal relationship among the team can be classified as a good one as there was harmony in the decision making process and the avoidance of all personal issues that had the potential of marring the established relationship. 4.3.3. Transformational Approach: The leaders interactive nature of communicating with the followers on every detail that needed to be done and on the progress is a proper demonstration of the transformational leadership approach. The act of empowering the followers by adequately training them to become highly competent and encouraging them to participate and be involve in the decision making was an approach that greatly paid off in the project. With due consideration of the workforce of over 7000 people to be sensitised, there was no way of accomplishing the goal if followers were not trained to take up the responsibilities of sensitising the workers and contractors in their respective departments Lessons learnt from the course This course clarifies the fact that every leaders competence and skills are greatly based on the attitude of the followers and the outcome of the specific task being handled. Irrespective of the fact that most people are of the opinions that great leaders are born, this case of leadership skill is a proper demonstration of the fact that leaders are made and not born. This is supported with the statement made by Vince Lombardi in Hackman and Johnson, (2000) that, Leaders are made, not born. They a

Friday, October 25, 2019

Angry and Ignorant: Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College Essay

â€Å"Ignorance is bliss†. The line from Thomas Gray’s poem, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, published in 1747, has lasted throughout the ages due to its omnipresent applicableness. This is especially seen in the public’s view on war before World War II. Before pictures and news reports from the World Wars were publicized, the United States home front did not see a problem with going to war. All they had heard from the war was propagandize success. However, some people, like poets Carl Sandburg and Nan Braymer, knew the true brutality of war. In Buttons and Five Day Requiem for Vietnam, Sandburg and Braymer both use aggressive diction and imagery to portray different themes; Buttons creates a theme that people are often ignorant to things that are unpleasant, and Five Day Requiem for Vietnam creates a theme that loss of control can lead to anger. The aggressive diction in Buttons reflects the attitude towards war during World War I. In this time, pictures and information about the brutality of war were just getting out to the public, but most did not pay attention. Sandburg says the buttons, which represented the soldiers, were â€Å"shoved† around the map, showing that people were ignorant to the trials of war. If the people at home knew what the soldiers were going through for them, they would be more considerate to the buttons. Even the way the map was â€Å"slammed† up onto the board outside the newspaper stand was not showing it the recognition and respect it deserves. Because the people did not understand the unpleasant happenings of World War I, they did not show proper respect to the map and the buttons. Likewise, Braymer uses aggressive diction in Five Day Requiem for Vietnam to express the anger that the fighting soldie... ... devices of imagery and aggressive diction, Sandburg and Braymer both create different themes. Sandburg uses the devices to convey that people are often ignorant to that which is unpleasant to hear, and Braymer conveys the theme that loss of control can lead to anger. Even though the poems were written about World War I and Vietnam, the themes created are still seen in human nature today. There is always a problem that people choose to ignore instead of working to improve, and there will always be people lashing out due to manipulation. This reveals how, even with societal developments, human nature will never really change. Works Cited "Carl Sandburg Poems - Buttons." Carl Sandburg Poems - Buttons. Andyy Barr Productions, 1998. Web. 04 Nov. 2013. "Voices Education Project." Nan Braymer: Five Day Requiem for Vietnam. Marilyn Turkovich, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

How to quite smoking Essay

The smoking problem has become quite prevalent in our society. Several governments have had problems dealing with a huge health care burden due to diseases and conditions brought about by smoking. At the same time, individuals suffer several addictive and health issues due to smoking. While this information may be apparent to most of the smokers, studies have found that quitting a smoking habit is quite a challenge. The reason behind such challenge is attributed to Nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance naturally occurring in Tobacco. Nicotine, just like any other addictive substance creates a new feeling to the user. It creates feeling associated with drug such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Therefore, an attempt to stop quit is usually a difficult undertaking due to the emotional, mental and physical attachment to the nicotine. This paper will provide a step by step process that would assist a smoker to quit. The first step in quitting smoking is by making a vital decision that there is need to quit the practice. It is upon the smoker to make individual effort and get to the point of conceding to the position that smoking is both repugnant and unhealthy. Smoking is one of the greatest health risk known to humanity. There are several health conditions and diseases that can directly or indirectly be associated with smoking.One of the greatest health concerns for smoking is cancer. It is common knowledge, almost known to everyone, that smoking is a leading cause for lung cancer. Other cancers that have attributed to smoking include cancer of the throat (pharynx), mouth, blabber, nose, kidney, pancreas, stomach, colon and acute myeloid leukemia.Health conditions relating to smoking do not end there. Long time  smoking has been associated with heart attacks, blood vessel diseases and stroke. It may also lead to blindness, tooth loss, bad breath, gum diseases and poor personal hygiene. Moreover, smoking has serious repercussion on women and babies. Older women who smoke and use birth control pills tremendously increase their susceptibility to cancer and blood clots in the blood vessels (American Lung Association, 2011). Finally, quitting smoking will increase the life of an individual and this perhaps one of the most important reasons to quit smoking. Therefore, the first step in quitting smoking is making the decision to quit. Once the decision to quit smoking has been arrived at, the next important step is to set a date that the quitting starts. It is advisable to pick a quitting date that is within the month. This is due to the fact that taking too long to start the quit process will provide enough time to rationalize smoking and thus reverse the decision the quit. At the same time, one should take time to make a quit strategy in order to review all angles to evade failure. Thus, an individual could take about two to three weeks to properly plan the quit.This time should also be used to develop and identify physical and emotional activities that will replace the role of nicotine. In most cases, smoking is a routine performed along with other activities such watching TV, drinking, breaks at work or drinking coffee. One should identify these activities in order to replace the smoking with something else. For instance, if free hours were spent drinking and watching TV while smoking, such free time should be used in other activities say going to the gym, swimming, cycling or taking extra working hours. The emphasis is physical and mental involvement taking the mind and body off smoking. A successful quit is proved by a total avoidance of nicotine in all its variations. A quitting smoker who is around other smokers is very likely to revert to smoking. Either, going to locations where there smokers exposes the individual to secondary smoke which still contains nicotine and the psychological effects may be as smoking. Therefore, a quitting smoker should try as possible to keep off heavy smoking locations as well as friends.On the other hand, a quitting smoker should try and gain new behavior. If during smoking, the quitting individual was used to coffee and alcohol, it  advisable to switch to other drinks such juice and water. There are other things used to occupy the mouth such sugarless gum, carrot sticks or just hard candy. Smoke quitters may not be able be cope with a complete quit due to a high physical dependence on nicotine. While this may be case, studies have found medication that assist quitters cope with lack of nicotine. There are several nicotine replacement therapies that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some of the most common replacement therapies include patch, lozenges, gum, inhalers and nasal sprays. These replacement therapies contain a predetermined dosage of nicotine. The idea is to provide the body with a diminishing amount of nicotine so that the physical shock to the body is mitigated. However, any replacement therapy should not be administered by the patient. A quitting smoker needs to consult a physician in order to establish the extent and type of therapy to use. Either, the dosage used should be such that weaning off should be steady in order to record results. Therefore, it is important to have a personal physician who will provide guidance through out the quitting process. Smoking is a habit, usually easy to pick up but extremely difficult to let go. Several youths in their prime find smoking a â€Å"cool† indulgence and in most cases do not draw any direct pleasure from it. With time though, they become addicted to the nicotine and in the process grow as older smoking. With it come the health risks such as cancer, lung disease, stroke, heart attack, gum disease among others. Other undesirable outcomes have long been associated with smoking. In retrospect, it is of vital importance that individuals should quit smoking. It begins by the individual admitting that the practice is dangerous, health-wise and therefore must quit. The next step is draw a plan on when and how to stop smoking. The individual should develop activities that would replace time spent during smoking. Either, a change of character will be paramount for the individual to do away with things that remind them of the smoky past. Finally, quitters who need additional pharmaceutical therapy may seek such therapy with the assistance of qualified physicians. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2008 ). _Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and economic costs – United States, 2000-2004 MMWR._ . Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.cdc.gov: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm American Cancer Society. (2012 , October 18 ). _Guide to Quitting Smoking._ Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.cancer.org. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002971-pdf.pdf American Lung Association. (2011). _Trends in Tobacco Use._Retrieved November 21, 2012 , from www.lungusa.org: www.lungusa.org/finding-cures/our-research/trend-reports/Tobacco-Trend-Report.pdf

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The many different works of Edgar Allan Poe all aim to do one thing. Strike fear into the heart of the reader. Simple, yet effective, he expresses fear through these many different themes and motifs. At full length, Poe’s stories all acquire a distinct theme or motif that moves the story forward. Whether you know it or not, many of his stories rely on themes and motifs to make the story more appealing to the reader. Time, duality, and dreams all play key roles in Poe’s short stories. They descriptively provide all of the necessary information in order to produce the whole concept of fear. Without them, these stories wouldn’t push you to the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Time plays a major role in providing the story with the crucial data it needs to make the story frightening and suspenseful. It presents the story with a visual that makes the mood of the story transition into a very adverse setting. Dusk is probably the most common time of day in many of Poe’s stories. He chooses dusk because, during that time of day, it is very difficult to see. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator begins to describe how it is very difficult to see while he is making his way towards his child hood friend’s mansion. When choosing the time of day that produces little or no light, Poe tries to make the setting as dark as possible. Light represents happiness and positivity, so Poe tries to eliminate anything that represents prosperity. By assembling negative forces, the story will generate fear into the reader. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator stalks his pray for seven days, but on the eighth night the narrator commits the horrible deed. The number eight is used frequently with Poe and his stories; in this case, it represents what day the narrator will kill the old man. With â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, time represents life. It represents life because once a person is infected with the red death; the infected person has only 30 minutes to live. The ebony clock also represents life, because after every hour the clock will ring, reminding the people that time is running out. This theme is very necessary for producing fear, because if Poe doesn’t clarify what time of day it is, the story loses suspense. So it’s apparent that time is a key necessity in conveying fear into readers. The narrator often produces dreams themselves. Frequently, it presents a distortion of reality for the narrator and the reader. Dreams in Poe’s stories draw the line between reality and fantasy. Many unexplainable things would occur and the narrator would instantly assume it would be his imagination or that he would be dreaming. Providing dreams will make the reader build curiosity into whether or not these bizarre things are real or just images of the narrators eccentric imagination. In â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, a huge party is thrown, to isolate the people from the disease. In the party, the guests have a great time by dressing up and having a â€Å"perfect† time, until the ebony clock rings. Once the clock rings, the party guests snap back into reality for a short moment. For that short moment, the reader realizes the severity of the situation. That short moment of severity produces fear. During his trip to Rederick’s mansion in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, the narrator feels like the trip is a dream because the environment of the mansion is so surreal. Alcohol provides the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† with a distortion of reality, because after he hangs the black cat, he comes across a cat that is identical to the one he hangs after he leaves the bar. The narrator is completely shocked by the resemblance to his previous cat. This similarity conveys fear into the reader, because you can’t tell if it’s the same cat or a different one. The distortion of reality in dreams really help produce fear due to the doubtful events that keep occurring. These events help generate fear and build up the suspense in the reader for a few moments. Duality in the characters conveys the most fear towards the reader. By having a dual persona, the character is able to build up that suspense by having a â€Å"good† side and a â€Å"bad† side. As an animal lover, the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† would always love to take care of animals, until he becomes â€Å"consumed by the imp of the perverse† which exposes his negative side. This negativity leads him to killing his cat and his wife. The insanity of having a dual persona helps transmit true fear into the reader. As a young caretaker, the narrator in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† has nothing against the old man he is looking after; the old man has done nothing wrong to deserve any negative treatment. During the day the narrator would go about his business taking care of the old man, until night came upon. At night, the narrator would be consumed by the old man’s eye. His â€Å"evil eye† leads the narrator to kill his wife and their pet. The duality in both of the these characters are very similar due to them being consumed by some object that leads them into killing their loved ones and pets. All of these themes help produce the backbone of Poe’s stories. Without these themes and motifs, these stories wouldn’t be as suspenseful as they are today. These stories rely on the descriptiveness and the intensity of these themes to carry the suspense and to convey fear into the readers. Today, as people still learn about Poe’s stories, they will still be able to consume the fear that they read due to these themes and motifs.