Monday, September 30, 2019

Rawls Trawls’ Theory of Justice, Hayeks Theory of Freedom

Friedrich Hayek was a British philosopher who wrote from his experiences of World War one in which he served. It is known that based on Hayek’s experience in the war and his desire to help avoid the mistakes that had orchestrated to the war; he was led to this career in which he developed the theory of freedom. Hayek argues that there are many definitions for the term freedom; however he refers to this as â€Å"freedom without coercion. Hayek also speaks to individual and personal freedom in which he argues that a man is either free or not free. Being free he says is acting on one’s own will and not the will of another and emphasises the idea that there are two types of freedom; freedom to and freedom from. When Hayek speaks to freedom, he makes mention of Political, Personal/Inner as well as Economic freedom. John Rawls on the other hand was an American philosopher who wrote from his experiences of World War two. Rawls developed the theory of Justice. Justice is a concept of moral relevance based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, equity or fairness. Rawls refers to â€Å"justice as fairness† and from the theory of justice, the liberty and difference principle was derived. Rawls argues that â€Å"Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as information is of preparations of thought. † From the theory of justice the original position and the veil of ignorance were also developed. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper   These concepts will be explained further. The aim of this essay is to outline and formulate major distinctions between the two theories listed above by stating the similarities as well as the differences that tells them apart and evaluate both theories, subsequently justifying which of the two provides a better explanation. As was mentioned before, Hayek’s theory of freedom refers to freedom from coercion. The term coercion refers to the act of compelling by force or authority. In Hayek’s words â€Å"coercion can be explained as control of a person's environment or circumstances such that â€Å"he is forced to act not according to a coherent plan of his own but to serve the ends of another,† and so â€Å"unable to use either his own intelligence or knowledge or to follow his own aims. † Hayek went on to say that coercion means having control for the environment so that he/she acts in the interest of the person rather than the interest of their own. Coercion he argues is will, because it removes or eliminates the individual as a thinking person that should be valued and asserts that the only way to prevent coercion is through the threat of coercion. The coerced lacks the ability of using his knowledge for his own purposes, since the effective use of aptitude requires that one be able to predict to an extent the conditions that exist in one’s environment and adhere to an arrangement of action. â€Å"But if the facts which determine our plans are under the sole control of another, our actions will be similarly controlled. † p. 34 For Hayek coercion means doing the will of another and not his own and he gives an example of this, â€Å"Even if the threat of starvation to me and perhaps to my family impels me to accept a distasteful job at a very low wage, I am not coerced by him or anybody else. So long as the act that has placed me in my predicament is not aimed at making me do or not do specific things, so long as t he intent of the act that harms me is not to make me serve another person's ends, its effect on my freedom is not different from that of any natural calamity a fire or a Rood that destroys my house or an accident that harms my health. p. 137 However, what may seem to be coercion to some may not be coercion to others, hence, Hayek outlines that the following conditions must be satisfied in order to say that a person has been coerced; The coerced person's environment must be controlled by another so that, while he does choose, he is made to choose what will serve the ends of another rather than his own ends, The coercer must threaten to inflict harm with the intention, thereby, to bring about certain ends, That which the coercer denies to me must be crucial to my existence or to what I most value, That the act of the coercer must be directed at me. Upon careful examination, it will become apparent that Hayek's definition of coercion is radically defective, primarily because it provides no objective and clear cut standard of what is a coercive act but rather leaves it to individual judgment (with reference to what the individual most values) the determination of when a coercive action has been committed. Hayek speaks also about personal freedom and this he explains as â€Å"inner freedom† which he explains as metaphysical or subject freedom which is the extent to which a person guides his actions by his/her own will, reasons and lasting conviction as opposed to momentarily impulses or circumstances. Economic freedom, which refers to freedom from enterprise or state control and Political freedom which refers to freedom from arbitrary rule or arrest and the opportunities people have to determine who should govern and by what principles. To Hayek, the existence of government is not only permissible but also desirable and he considers, as most classical liberals did, that defence, police, and the administration of justice are indispensable functions of government. He asserts that these governmental activities are not hindrances to a free society, but its guarantees and he argues that the only interference in freedom government should have is preventing one from coercing another. For Hayek freedom means the rejection of direct control over individuals’ efforts and he argues that knowledge must be available, free, unrestricted or controlled and that our faith in freedom should rest on the belief that it will create forces of good rather than evil and that the benefits we derive from freedom depends heavily on how others use it, however, he argues also that we cannot achieve certainty in human affairs so we best make use of the knowledge we have. Thus we should stick to the rules of experience which best serves our way of thinking, although we don’t know the consequences of using this knowledge. He believes civilization is progress and progress is civilization. Hayek also speaks about liberty and stresses that the true meaning of liberty is liberty under the rule of law, rather than unlimited liberty. It follows that freedom of economic activity means ‘freedom under the law, not the absence of all government action’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 220). Rawls on the other hand speaks about the theory of justice, from this the liberty and difference theory was derived and the â€Å"original/initial position† as well as the â€Å"veil of ignorance†. Rawls argued that two principles serve to organize society; the â€Å"liberty principle† which is the first principle of justice that speaks to the fact that person is to have an equal right to the most freedom compatible with everyone else having that same amount of freedom and the â€Å"difference principle† which is the second principle which is an egalitarian conception that unless there is a distribution that makes both parties better off an equal distribution is to be preferred and speaks to the fact that social economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage and attached to the position and offices open to all. Primary Goods is a term used by Rawls to cover all the things that the Two Principles of Justice are going to divide up. They are things like rights, opportunities, incomes, power etcetera. Rawls He rooted the original position in and extended the concept of â€Å"social contract† previously advocated by Hobbes, Rousseau, and Locke which made the principles of justice the object of the contract binding members of society together. The original position as that which representatives with limited information about the interests that they represent attempt to agree as to how society should be ordered and the veil of ignorance is the state of not knowing or having all knowledge or information for the alternatives but arriving at a position. This deal with the initial/original position which sets up a fair procedure that any principle agreed will be just. Rawls also speak of social justice which he states ‘is to be regarded as providing in the first instance a standard whereby the distributive aspects of the basic structure of society are to be assessed’; therefore, ‘they may not elucidate the justice†¦of voluntary cooperative arrangements or procedures for making contractual agreements’ (Rawls, 1999, pp. 7-8). For both theories, it can so far be seen that although both theories are different they also have similarities. The first similarity is that Rawls and Hayek both worked from the same tradition-liberalism in which they argued that individuals should to be free to pursue their own idea of the good life and that the state's role is as an enabler. Secondly, they both agree on â€Å"the essential point,† which is that principles of justice apply to the rules of institutions and social practices, but not to distributions of particular things across specific persons. Thirdly, the government is important and that the government exists to serve the people; the people do not exist to serve the government. Finally, they both argue agreed on the idea that the handicaps should be provided for. The differences as it relates to both theories are that; firstly, Hayek is from an economic standpoint while Rawls is more rationale and social. The main difference between both is their attitude to equality as Rawls believed in egalitarian and social justice which are two concepts that Hayek rejected as Rawls believe that each individual has different skill, talents and understanding hence they cannot be equal. Hayek argues that †Whether he is free or not does not depend on the range of choice but on whether he can expect to shape his course of action in accordance with his present intentions, or whether somebody else has power o to manipulate the conditions as to make him act according to that person’s will rather than his own. (Hayek, 1960, p. 13) His view is that one should work in order to achieve what they want and with this point of view, Hayek argues that ‘we may be free and yet miserable’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 18). In relation to Rawls’ definition of liberty, Hayek stresses that the true meaning of liberty is liberty under the rule of law, rather than unlimited liberty. It follows that freedom of economic activity means ‘freedom under the law, not the absence of all government action’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 220). Also, Hayek equates social justice with distributive justice and dismisses both of them. He claims that ‘liberalism aims at commutative justice and socialism at distributive justice’ and that ‘distributive justice is irreconcilable with freedom in the choice of one’s activities’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 440). In conclusion, I believe that Rawls theory of justice gives a better explanation as it is more accurate, I see this theory as the more applicable of the two to our society rather than that of Hayek’s as his notion of freedom and liberty is too wide and far-fetched for our developing societies. His notion on inequality and giving credit to the countries which are ahead is quite debatable, Rawls however believes in equal distribution of wealth. Rawls believes that if each individual is given the same opportunity then society will be just. Hayek on the other hand believes that each individual’s ability, skills and talent is different thus equality is impossible; this is to some extent true but distribution of state goods should be just and fair. Each individual should have equal opportunity regardless of social class or position. For Hayek an individual should be free to do as he so desires. How applicable would this be to our society? He argues that the government’s role should only to be implement sanctions for an individual’s action if they so believe that this individual has infringed on another’s right. Hayek further makes vague arguments that that the government should recognize and protect private domain and in doing so and that private persons will be given rules as to what the government will do in different types of situation. Again- inequality protruding.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Organic Foods in India Essay

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumers’ decision-making process for purchase of organically produced foods in India Design/methodology/approach – Using already existing research model and scale, forming hypothesis, and testing its validity in Indian context. Using convenient sampling (Tier 1, 2 B school Graduates) to gather data for factor loading. Type of Research – Descriptive Research Introduction Organic production system is a system that produces organic foods in harmony with nature and the environment. In other words, this is a unique system which ensures that the â€Å"best practices† in the area of production are utilized to ensure that the output is a healthy and safe apart from having a positive symbiotic effect with the environment. Thus, one can say in lay man’s terms that an organic food product is one that has been produced using only natural agents in the production process. For the vast majority of human history, food has been produced organically. It was only during the 20th century that new synthetic chemicals were introduced to the food supply. Under organic production process, the use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is heavily regulated. In the case of livestock, they are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Scenario in India Organic foods are fast changing from a fad to a serious proposition in India. Today, the reach of organic foods is expanding to gradually find its way into the average Indian household. An indicative reason for the same is the rising health consciousness among Indian consumers. Pegged at Rupees 6. 5 billion in 2010, the organic food market is witnessing the shift from being an elitist to a healthy product. Although production and consumption figures for organic food in India are way behind the world average, the market is now showing signs of a strong growth trend. Slowly the deterrent of high price is being out-weighed by nutrition, quality and a chance to shape a safe environment. The organic food products market has been continuously facing the issue of absence of recognizable brands, small range of products, high prices and faulty government policies and a general lack of retail presence which has translated to low demand in the domestic market. In spite of this industry players are optimistic about the future prospects, as they are of the opinion that this industry holds a lot of promise. The export industry remains undeveloped with most producers being either small or marginal farmers, small cooperatives or trade fair companies. The small farmers, scattered across the country, offer an incomplete product range that are mostly available as a local brand. This is especially an issue in developed countries where the shelves of an average supermarket is stocked with a large range of certified organic foods. Problem Statement The question on everyone’s mind is where exactly is the organic food industry falling short? What are the main factors that influence a consumer’s decision to purchase organic foods? The fact of the matter is that this area has suffered from lack of interest/attention and a very low level of research. Thus, our Problem Statement is as follows â€Å"What influences the decision to buy organic food products in India? † Research objective The purpose of this assignment is to understand the primary influencers that motivate our target study group of individuals belonging to the upper middle-class category in their decision to buy organic foods products in India. Since the students of the top B-Schools either belong to or will be a part of the aforementioned category and will be starting new families, they are part of core prospective customer segment for this market. Hence, we have decided to focus our research on them. Literature Review Scope This research study focuses on understanding the primary influencers motivate our subjects (individuals from the upper middle class category) to buy organic foods. Students of B-Schools are from diverse backgrounds and origins. Most belong to the upper middle class category and we can safely assume that those that aren’t will be a part after they graduate. Moreover, they are also in that stage of life where they start a family of their own and assume additional personal responsibilities. This makes them appropriate subjects for this study. This study will analyse their responses with respect to knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to the health and environmental benefits associated with it. Sources and their Details: Honkanen, P. (2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 The paper tries to investigate the role of ethical motives in consumers’ choice of organic food. The relation between ethical food choice motives, attitudes and intention to consume organic food was studied by estimating a structural equation model. We were able to comprehend ethical motives better and were thus able to incorporate it under environmental Consciousness. Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 The paper tries to examine Irish perception of organic meat. It identified three consumer groups. Beliefs and purchase intentions of consumers and non-consumers were differentiated. Proposed factors leading to purchase intention were Health Consciousness, Perceived value, Income and environmental concern. After validation checks they had had to make the constructs less abstracts due to low values. Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 It uses theliterature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption. This is the ? rst paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market. Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap betweenattitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do notbuyorganic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Its results show that most consumers associate organic at ? rst with vegetables and fruit and a healthy diet with organic products. Fruit and vegetables are also the ? rst and in many cases only experience with buying organic product. The decision-making process is complex and the importance of motives and barriers may vary between product categories. The motives and barriers provided herein helped us in adapting the survey questionnaire. Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No.8, pp. 995-1012. This study explores the reasons why the behaviour of consumers in the UK and Germany has been so divergent despite both groups of consumers holding similar attitudes about organic foods. This was done by investigating the underlying values driving food choice behaviour using means-end theory and Laddermap 5. 4 software. The dominant means-end hierarchies were uncovered and the cognitive process mapped. {draw:frame} Makatouni, A. (2002), â€Å"What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? , Results from a quantitative study† , British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 345-352 Its main objectives are to identify beliefs, with respect to organic food, of parents who buy and do not buy organic food; the positive as well as negative attitudes towards organic food of those who buy and do not buy organic food; the impact of those attitudes on food choice for parents who buy and do not buy organic food; and to model the food choice behaviour of parents with respect to organic food. It employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper also uses the means-end chain approach. The key idea is that product attributes are a means for consumers to obtain desired ends. It provides a very detailed means end chain which helped us finalize some aspects of our questionnaire. Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Its findings provide more evidence on consumers’ underlying motivations to buy organic food to the already existing evidence in Europe to evaluate the future implementation of the Regulation (EC) no. 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products. In addition to this the empirical results would help local policy makers to establish appropriate market strategies to develop the future demand for these products. It indicates that consumer’ attitudes towards organic food, in particular towards the health attribute and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. It has been found that larger information on the organic food market, which drives to a higher consumers’ organic food knowledge, is important because it positively in?uences consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products. It also that consumer who try to follow a healthy diet and balanced life are likely to have more positive attitudes towards organic food products and towards the environment, inducing a more likely intention to purchase organic foods. This paper provided with the adequate Structural equation model. It also possessed the relevant constructs and variables which could be easily adapted to Indian requirements. Since for the target segment of our paper income is not an issue, it proved easy to adapt to the theoretical model according to our needs. The questionnaire has been validated, which has been duly adapted by us. Outcome Through this study we hope to drawing links between knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to its health and environmental benefits and the decision to buy it. Also, we can gauge as to which are the primary contributors to the purchase decision. This can go a long way in helping a player in the organic food industry understand the market and position himself appropriately to achieve success. Research framework and hypothesis specification A study on the food choice is a complex phenomenon that represents one of the most important parts of human behavior, where several cognitive and behavioral factors can vary sharply between individuals. In other words, whether the consumers intent or decide to purchase organic foods is a difficult task because it depends on many factors that cannot be directly observed. Thus based on the above mentioned paper by Magistris, T. , Gracia, A.(2008), it can be conclude that the more favorable health and environmental attitudes consumers have, the more likely they will buy organic food product. In accordance with this, the first hypothesis of the proposed model is defined as follows: Hypothesis1: When consumer’s attitudes towards organic food (H1-a) and towards the environment (H1-b) are positive, consumers’ intention to buy organic food products will also be more likely to be positive. Hypothesis 2: When a consumer has higher organic food knowledge, he/she will be more likely to have positive attitudes towards organic food products. Hypothesis 3: Consumers’ lifestyles related to healthy diet and balanced life influence internal factors of consumers, such as, attitudes towards organic foods (H3a) and attitudes towards the environment (H3b) during the decision process to buy organic food products. Proposed Research Model {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Explanation of factors and observed variables Intention to purchase organic foods Intention is the cognitive representation of a person’s readiness to perform a given behaviour, and it is considered the immediate antecedent of behaviour. Findings from many studies reveal that consumers’ attitudes towards different organic food attributes (human health, safety, etc. ) and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. Organic knowledge Knowledge It indicated the knowledge the consumer possesses about organic food Definition Does the consumer know that, â€Å"_Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti? cial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge_†? Healthy diet and balanced life Exercise Processed food. Fruits and vegetables Red meat Additive free Health check ups Balanced life The observed variables are self-explanatory Environmental attitudes Pollution Belief that the current developmental path and consumeristic culture will end up destroying the environment Damage It quantifies the feeling that unless we do something the damage to the environment will be irreversible. Conservation Describes whether one performs conservatory tasks. Recycled Preference for consuming recycled products Recycling Whether one partakes in recycling of products Attitudes towards organic food products. Health Does on believe that organic products are healthier? Quality Do organic products have superior quality? Taste Are organic products are more tasty? Research Methodology Data will be collected from a survey conducted across the top B-Schools of the country. It is our opinion that the budding managers from these institutions are (or will be) part of our target group of affluent customers for organic food products. The ? nal sample will include 200 students selected through convenience sampling. This method has a reputation of being less reliable but it is the best suited due to its convenience and low cost. Moreover, it is known to work with a sample that contains students. A questionnaire will be designed to analyze the knowledge of organic food, attitudes towards organic foods and purchase behavior of the selected students. The ? rst question was related to their knowledge on organic food products. The second set of questions comprised of those related to organic food consumption (consumption level, intention) purchase, frequency of purchase, perceived quality, place of purchase, etc.). The third and final question includes several questions on consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products and environmental aspects. The questionnaire also contains questions on socio-demographic characteristics (i. e. sex, family size and composition, age, education, income and lifestyles). The questionnaire format will be validated using a small pilot survey before being administered to the students. Questionnaire Would I buy organic food products? How will you rate your knowledge on organic food products? What is your opinion on â€Å"Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti?cial fertilizers, humanwaste, or sewage sludge â€Å"? I do exercise regularly I avoid eating processed food I often eat fruit and vegetables I avoid eating food products with additives I take regular health check-ups I try to have an organized and methodical lifestyle Is the current development path is destroying the environment? Unless we do something, environmental damage will be irreversible I practice environmental conservation tasks I prefer consuming recycled products I partake in product recycling Organic products are healthier Organic products have superior quality Organic products are more tasty Activity and time based plan Data Analysis/ The Data analysis will be carried out on the valid survey responses obtained from the respondent pool to which the survey is administered to. We will be using SPPS 17. 0 to carry out various correlation tests to figure out what factors affect the ‘intention to buy organic foods’ and also what sub-factors affect them. This will also allow us to point out which all factors show strong correlations and which all show less correlations. Bibliography Honkanen, P.(2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp. 995-1012 Makatouni, A. (2002), â€Å"What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? , Results from a quantitative study† , British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 345-352 Zanoli, R. and Naspetti, S.(2002), â€Å"Consumer motivations in the purchase of organic food: a means-end approach†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 8, pp. 643-53. Yiridoe, E. K. , Bonti-Ankomah, S. and Martin, R. C. (2005), â€Å"Comparison of consumer’s perception towards organic versus conventionally produced foods: a review and update of the literature†, Renewable Agriculture and Food System, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 193-205. 10. Soler, F. , Gil, J. M. and Sanchez, M. (2002), â€Å"Consumer’s acceptability of organic food in Spain: results from an experimental action market†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 8,pp. 670-87. 11. Connor, R., Douglas, L. (2001), â€Å"Consumer attitudes to organic foods†, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31, Issue: 5 12. Grunert, S. C. and Juhl, H. J. (1995), â€Å"Values, environmental attitudes, and buying of organic foods†, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp. 39-62. 13. Chinnici, G. , D’Amico, M. and Pecorino, B. (2002), â€Å"A multivariate statistical analysis of the consumers of organic products†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 Nos 3/4/5, pp. 187-99. 14. Shepherd, R. , Magnusson, M. and Sjoden, P. O. (2005), â€Å"Determinants of consumer behaviour related to organic foods†, Ambio, Vol. 34 Nos 4-5, pp. 352-9.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Decision Making Essay

Managers are constantly called upon to make decisions in order to solve problems. Decision making and problem solving are ongoing processes of evaluating situations or problems, considering alternatives, making choices, and following them up with the necessary actions. Sometimes the decision-making process is extremely short, and mental reflection is essentially instantaneous. In other situations, the process can drag on for weeks or even months. The entire decision-making process is dependent upon the right information being available to the right people at the right times. The decision-making process involves the following steps: 1. Identifying the problems 2. Identify decision criteria 3. Allocating weights to criteria 4. Develop alternatives. 5. Analyze the alternatives. 6. Select the best alternative. 7. Implement the decision. 8. Establish a control and evaluation system. 1. Identifying the problems In this step, the problem is thoroughly analysed. There are a couple of questions one should ask when it comes to identifying the purpose of the decision. * What exactly is the problem? * Why the problem should be solved? Who are the affected parties of the problem? * Does the problem have a deadline or a specific time-line? 2. Identifying decision criteria The most obviously troubling situations found in an organization can usually be identified as decision crietria of underlying problems (Table 1). These citeria all indicate that something is wrong with an organization, but they don’t identify root causes. A successful manager doesn’t ju st attack the decision criteria but he works to uncover the factors that cause. TABLE 1| Identifying Decision Criteria| Criteria | Underlying Problem| Low profits and/or declining sales| Poor market research| High costs| Poor design process; poorly trained employees| Low morale| Lack of communication between management and subordinates| High employee turnover| Rate of pay too low; job design not suitable| High rate of absenteeism| Employees believe that they are not valued| | 3. Allocating weights to criteria Assigning a weight to each item places the items in the correct priority order of their importance in the decision-making process. 4. Developing alternatives Time pressures frequently cause a manager to move forward after considering only the first or most obvious answers. However, successful problem solving requires thorough examination of the challenge, and a quick answer may not result in a permanent solution. Thus, a manager should think through and investigate several alternative solutions to a single problem before making a quick decision. One of the best known methods for developing alternatives is throughbrainstorming,  where a group works together to generate ideas and alternative solutions. The assumption behind brainstorming is that the group dynamic stimulates thinking — one person’s ideas, no matter how outrageous, can generate ideas from the others in the group. Ideally, this spawning of ideas is contagious, and before long, lots of suggestions and ideas flow. Brainstorming usually requires 30 minutes to an hour. The following specific rules should be followed during brainstorming sessions: * Concentrate on the problem at hand. This rule keeps the discussion very specific and avoids the group’s tendency to address the events leading up to the current problem. * Entertain all ideas. In fact, the more ideas that comes up, the better. In other words, there are no bad ideas. Encouragement of the group to freely offer all thoughts on the subject is important. Participants should be encouraged to present ideas no matter how ridiculous they seem, because such ideas may spark a creative thought on the part of someone else. * Refrain from allowing members to evaluate others’ ideas on the spot. All judgments should be deferred until all thoughts are presented, and the group concurs on the best ideas. Although brainstorming is the most common technique to develop alternative solutions, managers can use several other ways to help develop solutions for example: * Nominal group technique. This method involves the use of a highly structured meeting, complete with an agenda, and restricts discussion or interpersonal communication during the decision-making process. This technique is useful because it ensures that every group member has equal  input in the decision-making process. It also avoids some of the pitfalls, such as pressure to conform, group dominance, hostility, and conflict, that can plague a more interactive, spontaneous, unstructured forum such as brainstorming. 5. Analyzing alternatives The purpose of this step is to decide the relative merits of each idea. Managers must identify the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative solution before making a final decision. Evaluating the alternatives can be done in numerous ways. Here are a few possibilities: * Determine the pros and cons of each alternative. * Perform a cost-benefit analysis for each alternative. * Weight each factor important in the decision, ranking each alternative relative to its ability to meet each factor, and then multiply by a probability factor to provide a final value for each alternative. Regardless of the method used, a manager needs to evaluate each alternative in terms of its * Feasibility  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Can it be done? Effectiveness  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ How well does it resolve the problem situation? * Consequences  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ What will be its costs (financial and nonfinancial) to the organization? 6. Selecting an alternatives After a manager has analyzed all the alternatives, she must decide on the best one. The best alternative is the one that produces the most adv antages and the fewest serious disadvantages. Sometimes, the selection process can be fairly straightforward, such as the alternative with the most pros and fewest cons. Other times, the optimal solution is a combination of several alternatives. Sometimes, though, the best alternative may not be obvious. That’s when a manager must decide which alternative is the most feasible and effective, coupled with which carries the lowest costs to the organization. (See the preceding section. ) Probability estimates, where analysis of each alternative’s chances of success takes place, often come into play at this point in the decision-making process. In those cases, a manager simply selects the alternative with the highest probability of success. 7. Implementing the alternative Managers are paid to make decisions, but they are also paid to get results from these decisions. Positive results must follow decisions. Everyone involved with the decision must know his or her role in ensuring a successful outcome. To make certain that employees understand their roles, managers must thoughtfully devise programs, procedures, rules, or policies to help aid them in the problem-solving process. 8. Evaluating decision effectiveness Even the most experienced business owners can learn from their mistakes. Always monitor the results of strategic decisions you make as a small business owner; be ready to adapt your plan as necessary, or to switch to another potential solution if your chosen solution does not work out the way you expected. Conclusion When it comes to making decisions, one should always weigh the positive and negative business consequences and should favour the positive outcomes. This avoids the possible losses to the organization and keeps the company running with a sustained growth. Sometimes, avoiding decision-making seems easier; specially, when we get into a lot of confrontation after making the tough decision. But, making the decisions and accepting its consequences is the only way to stay in control of our corporate life and time.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Does knowledge affect attitudes and perceived risks of HIV infection Essay

Does knowledge affect attitudes and perceived risks of HIV infection among young adults influencing consistent condom use - Essay Example ost of these adolescents were typical of those all over the world, having a mixture of correct and incorrect knowledge about HIV transmission and sexually transmitted infections. It was seen that more males than females accounted that they have had sex, having used condoms. They also exhibited an inconsistent use of condoms. Some of the sexual attitudes definitely conformed to machismo ideology; but there were others that provises a scope for interventions and preventions. In many cases it was seen that the stigma attached to HIV was high and it was also seen that many of the adolescents disapproved of same sex relations. Intervention is particularly vital that some intercession is sought against homosexuality-related stigma because it may result in a concentrated HIV epidemic. The surveys showed that personal religious thoughts and beliefs were not a barrier to use of condoms. The multivariate model showed that, being out of school could be significantly correlated to having had sex as well as of insufficient HIV/AIDS-related knowledge. This necessitates that HIV prevention interventions must not be limited to only school going adolescents. For a successful result what is needed is a multi-component approach to prevention. This must include community-based programmes as well as programmes in schools, the mass media and health facilities. HIV infection is a disease that is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This virus slowly destroys the immune system and as a result, the antibodies within the body find it harder to fight off the infections. There is no cure for HIV infection, precaution being the only way of keeping away from this fatal disease. There has been a rising concern regarding HIV/AIDS infection among young adults globally. The most common way this virus is transmitted from one person to the other is through unprotected sexual intercourse. The statistics on the impact made by HIV/AIDS is overwhelming. According to the estimates made by

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Principles of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Essay

Business Principles of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Essay Example Even though the economic impact of the festival remains a major concern, there was an agreement with the major stakeholders that it was vital to look into other aspects of the festival. The Edinburgh festival attracts all kinds of performers ranging from regular school boys to star actors. With more than 260 performance venues, such as dim vaults, giant theatres, and moving buses the event has the capacity to hold thousands of actors. All the venues available manage to hold more than 2,000shows in the 25 day long festival. The establishment of the Scottish parliament has to a large extent altered the political landscape. Edinburgh is considered as the standard –bearer for Scotland and a very vital in promoting and strengthening the pride of the Scottish people and their identity as a whole. However, there has been a very great concern by most people and even politicians in Scotland that Edinburgh is not getting the recognition it deserves as a cultural ambassador. This is with due to the numerous festivals that Edinburgh has organized and hosted with very limited resources. In that aspect parliament has come up with certain legislations to help boost the cultural events in their quest to promote the Scottish culture. Nationally Edinburgh is faced with numerous challenges. Whereas there are some people who are of the opinion that a lot of resources is being allocated to the capital, there are some who are of the opinion that Edinburgh festivals may play a very crucial role in promoting the national economy through cultural tourism (British Association of Social Workers 1976, 87). Certainly the Edinburgh’s economic position can be termed as healthy due to some various factors such as low unemployment rates and projected growth in job opportunities. In a research carried out in Scotland in respect to the highest revenue earners for the country. In the year 2010, tourism accounted for about 1.5bn pounds of expenditure by

Priory Dental Surgery Appointment Booking System Coursework

Priory Dental Surgery Appointment Booking System - Coursework Example The actors in this case were the Dentists, Patients, Receptionist and the Manager. The second step in this task was to identify the use cases, these are the actions done by the actors. They are identified with the phrases that start with verbs or those that indicate actions being performed by actors. It was observed that one actor can have one or more use cases depending on their role with the PDS. A phrase such as â€Å"arrange patients’ booking† is identified as a use case. From this exercise it was observed that it is important to match the actors with their uses case while design the use case diagram. Associations of actors and use cases is therefore important. Use cases also have extended relationship where one use case depends on the other use case within the system. Tutorial two : Use Case Descriptions The second task was to describe the use case. This entails providing steps and responses between the system and the actor. What does an actor require to have in or der to accomplish a given task? The description also shows the main steps the actor will take in doing a given action (use case). The task in step 2 demonstrated how one can describe a use case using a table. The task involved how a receptionist could change a given appointment. The receptionist must be able to check into the system the previous appointment allocation then see if there is a time slot in the next proposed time by the patient. In checking the next free slot, factors such as the availability of the Dentist is important if he is available is it the same time as one proposed by the patient? If this conditions are not met the receptionist fails to book appointment for the patient and such feedback is given by the system. Otherwise, the receptionist will print the appointment confirmation or email it to the patient. Unlike making appointment where there are extensions, changing of the appointment does not have any extensions or views. Views means checking other use cases t o see if the action you are performing is valid or viable. For instance the receptionist must view patient to ensure that that patient does not have another appointment. Tutorial three: Analysis/Conceptual Class Diagram A class in system design is something that the system needs to store information about. In any scenario they are or case study such as PDS classes are known by identifying nouns. A class diagram is a rectangular shape that contains the name of the class, the operations and methods used by the system to retrieve or store information about the class. It was learnt that class names are in singular forms and only nouns are used not verbs. In exercise one, I was able to identify classes as; Appointment, Dentist and Patient. Exercise two required attributes and operations of the identified classes. Attributes can be said to be characteristics or information that the system will store about the class. Appointment could have the time and date of appointment as attributes whi le operations are the activities or actions that the system will perform to access or store information about the use case such as checking the free time for appointment. I learnt that attributes are written below the case name with a minus sign(-) at the beginning of the attribute while a plus sign (+)for operations that come below attributes in a class diagram. Exercise five combined all the classes to show how there are associated and their dependencies outlined. It shows that a system is a single unit with many

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

School leadership. Is transformational leadership really effective in Essay

School leadership. Is transformational leadership really effective in schools - Essay Example While the former is predominantly an â€Å"instructional† style of leadership while a transformational approach tends to be more team based. In applying different models of leaders and various approaches to leadership, there has been a general consensus that school leadership differs from organizational leadership, hence a team based approach may be more suitable. School leadership essentially needs to combine leadership and management capabilities. Everard and Morris(1990) have laid out five stages of management, wherein setting goals, planning and organizing resources for the achievement of goals and implementing control and corrective procedures are important in achieving the desired objectives. In the context of transformational leadership styles, Bolman and Deal (1997) are of the view that â€Å"Poorly managed organizations with strong, charismatic leaders may soar temporarily only to crash shortly thereafter.† (Bolman and Deal,1997: xiii-xiv). In the international context, cultural implications may also need to be taken into consideration in determining what kind of leadership style would be relevant. On the basis of the above, the research question examined in this study is whether a transformational leadership style is really effective in schools?

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The UK Economy and International Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 12

The UK Economy and International Trade - Essay Example This essay declares that monopolistic competition is clearly seen in industries such as banking, electronics, fashion and garments, food manufacturing, fast food retail, and almost all personal and professional service industries like hair styling and grooming. For these industries, there are many suppliers whose products are easily substituted for each other; and although differentiation is created in the mind of the buyer, the difference is not so insurmountable that another brand more conveniently accessible could not substitute for the other, first choice. In contrast, an oligopoly exists where only few competitors operate. Unlike in monopolistic competition, wherein the actions of competitors do not influence the others, in oligopoly, output decisions of individual firms have a decisive influence on the course of action the other firms decide to take. In an oligopoly, the following elements are present: A good example of an oligopoly is the market for diamonds, which is dominate d by De Beers, which corners 60% of the market, and other, relatively recently established, diamond firms in Canada, Russia and Australia. De Beers had once monopolized the diamond trade by buying out all its competitors and controlling the price. As more diamond deposits were discovered, De Beers was compelled to try a new tact, veering away from the diamond cartel, and instead embarking on brand strategy. Other oligopolies exist in the industries that produce automobile, cigarettes, cruise ships, and aluminum.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Personal Experience Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personal Experience Essays - Essay Example I have always considered luck to be a luxury among few people who either have lost hope or prefer receiving free things. During the family vacation in Africa, I had a chance of visiting Maasai Mara national park in Kenya. At first I was reluctant to make the trip; however, after my parents convinced me that it will be a memorable experience, I decided to give it a try. Previously, I preferred visiting playgrounds, friends and making a good use of my bicycle; however, I gave up this opportunity for the memorable experience. Our journey to Kenya was interesting considering that we had many stopovers. It was not my first time to board a plane; however, I felt new and encouraged to work hard and reach the highest level of education. Arguably, this would allow me exploit-varied fields of development while also quenching my thirst for adventure. Consecutively, the opportunity allowed me to have an aerial view of different towns ranging from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Upon our arrival in the city, we received tour guides at the airport, which had earlier been booked by my parents. The first day involved having a taste of the variety foods prepared by the many cultures. The opportunity gave me a first-hand experience to taste what felt like food and others that that I found limited interest in having a bite. Nevertheless, my parents were receptive to the diverse cultures hence an encouragement. Day two was the day to remember that confirmed my worst fears while at the same time changing my view of the entire world. This was a day to take a view of the beautiful wildlife and nature, which has been admired by many people. It was a day to have a personal encounter the lion, Giraffes, baboons, monkeys, and other exciting sceneries only common to many in pictures and national geographic programs. Contrary to other days, I was happy; however, the excitement was laced with

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Waterways to freedom Essay Example for Free

The Waterways to freedom Essay As human beings, we ought to be endowed with the freedom of choice for we are naturally striving for channels of free will. We have a propensity to perceive life in an individualistic manner as we are all distinct entities. The art of entrapment we see from time to time deprives and suffocates our very being as individuals. However, the struggles we overcome are not always resolved by our own involuntary response to problems, but at times our very survival depends on the help of others to conquer a period of difficulty. Homers The Odyssey is a primary example of the idea of mans reliance on oneself and the occasional need for the assistance of others. Under Calypsos power, Odysseus is entrapped in her possession and loses all hope to escape on his own. After seven lengthy years of Odysseuss imprisonment, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is sent by the gods to Calypsos island to order the release of Odysseus so that he can continue on with his voyage home. At times throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus did not consider the consequences of his actions and depended on guidance from the gods to steer him in the right direction. This particular passage describes Odysseus as a lowly mortal and reinforces his need of the aid of higher beings to help him surmount his struggles. Homer employs the act of the will to survive with the additional help of the immortals using diction, imagery, and structure to establish an apparent passage that focuses directly on mans struggle for freedom and the belief that man cannot escape his fate. One time or another, everyone has yearned for the comfort of having someone nearby, someone that leaves you feeling reassured and intact. For this need for companionship, the beautiful seductive magical (36) nymph Calypso seizes Odysseus and compels him to live a sensual yet vegetative existence where he wastes seven years of his ten year journey home on the lavish, luxurious island of Ogygia. For ten years, surrounded by men, Odysseus lives out the male heroic ideal image of a warrior and then spends several years further testing himself against life-threatening obstacles. In the process, he loses all of his followers, and has nothing left but the little that remains of himself. Here on Calypsos island, he lives in majestic paradise: A deep wood grew outside, with summer leaves of alder and black poplar, pungent cypress. Ornate birds rested there stretched wing horned owls, falcons, cormorants long-tongued beachcombing birds, and followers of the sea (22-26). With the use of diction Calypsos diatribe on Odysseus can be seen as a reaction to the reality of her life where she is a crooking vine (27) holding purple clusters under ply of green (28). The purple clusters effectively signifies Odysseus identity of a heroic leader, as the color purple represents royalty, who is twisted and detained under Calypsos crooking vine of power. Homer employs the use of his selected words to also establish Odysseus ongoing journey where he took channels here and there (30). Odysseus waterways of home shifts through beds of violets and tender parsley (31), indicating his temptations of sexual relationships with various women, including Calypso, throughout his voyage home. Violet is an enticing color which Homer utilizes to suggest Calypsos love and desire for Odysseus where he is entrapped on her island surrounded by the violet ocean (14). Through Homers establishment of words, he guides us to identify with Odysseus search for freedom under constraints of those who hold him back. Emancipated nature imagery displays the contrast between Odysseus suppressed captivity with the vast open world around him. The images of wild animals and plant life, alder and black poplar, pungent cypress (23) and ornate birds (24), denote Odysseus loss of hope of escape which contrasts with the serene tranquility of the environment around him. The image of birds is constantly utilized in the epic as omens that rely on the perception of Odysseus as an aggressive, predatory creature. With their stretched wings (24) the birds in this passage implies Odysseus stretched capability as a war hero in search of his homeland but is kept back by obstacles, just like the birds are kept from flying further because of their need to rest (24). The comparison of Hermes and Odysseus is evident in the beginning of the passage where it is seen through the imagery of Hermes movement. Whilst Odysseus is racked in confinement with his own heart groaning (42), Hermes is swiftly carried over water and over endless land in a swish of the wind (4). The high-speed action imagery of Hermes is illustrated to imply the higher being of an immortal and the never-ending limits of his freedom as he paced into the air (7), shot down to sea level (8), and veered to skim the swell (9). Odysseus and Hermes, who is wearing ambrosial, golden (3) sandals, which signifies his divine godly position, both possess brilliant godlike features, but differ in that Odysseus is a man of the mortal world while Hermes is immortal. However, although Odysseus and Hermes share common characteristics, in this passage, Odysseus is portrayed as a pitiable human with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea (42) who is in need of help from a higher being. The image of Hermes rescuing Odysseus is painted with the accompaniment of the seas and personified as the gull patrolling between the wave crests of the desolate sea (9-10). The desolate, barren sea suggests Odysseus loss of hope, loss of perseverance, and loss of will to survive, where the gull, Hermes, swoops down and douse his wings (11) to set Odysseus back on track along his journey home. All of this imagery imparts not only an in-depth depiction of the relationship between the lowly mortal of Odysseus and the glorified immortal being of Hermes, but also reinforces the deepness of his tragedy and depth of his sorrow. With the arrangement of structure, an understanding of the central idea can be communicated where both repetitions of common sounds are used and the order of the passage is recognized to grasp the fundamental concept of Odysseus survival. The repetitive use of s sounds is displayed within every line of the passage and as the poem is being spoken aloud, the s sounds transmits the serenity of the language but at the same time uncertainty of his undetermined fate. Each line is comprised of at least one s sound and can go to as many as four, for instance, scented the farthest shore with cedar smoke (18). The use of s sounds not only bestows the calmness of the atmosphere and the indecisiveness of what is yet to come, but also conveys Odysseus situation of captivity of being held back from his freedom against his own will as a thousand times before (40). The structure of mood within the passage enhances the extremity of Odysseus need for guidance from the gods. With the help of s sounds, the mood is displayed as tranquil and peaceful throughout the beginning of the passage but transitions into a sorrowful mood when Odysseus who sat apart racked with his own heart groaning and with eyes wet, is mentioned. The order of the mood change establishes the atmosphere to the central idea of freedom and Odysseus need for the assistance of a higher being for the outcome of his future. Homer successfully led us to develop a certain predetermined picture of Odysseus journey with the excessive amount of pain and sorrow he endured throughout his voyage home. One of the major themes of The Odyssey is the belief that man cannot escape the destiny which has been fated for him by the gods. Destiny plays an imperative role in the survival of Odysseus throughout his adventures. Finally, after seven years of languishing in Calypsos island, with the help of Hermes, Odysseus continues on with his journey and follows his fate the gods bestowed upon him. Through diction, structure, nature and contrasting imagery, as well as the relationship between mortal and immortals, the theme of mans act of will to survive and the struggle for freedom with the additional help of others is visibly recognized. Some people believe they can make it through life on their own two feet, but at times, the waterway in the course of life needs the assistance of a strong current to push us along and guide us to surpass the slow, immobile areas along the channels to our destination.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Bio-based Polymers and Their Future Trends: Article Review

Bio-based Polymers and Their Future Trends: Article Review The selected article, Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends[1], provides insight into the present tendencies, technological advancements, and the prospective utilisation of bio-based polymers obtained with renewable means. A wide domain of bio-based polymers are analysed in this article specifically focusing on its production, its characteristics and its potential in commercialisation. The review also measures the subsequent challenges whilst introducing these polymers for appliance. Consequently, the analysis of the review article pertains generally to specialists such as scientists possessing a background knowledge of bio-based polymers, to entrepreneurs who intend to commercialise these bio-based polymers due to their increase in allure as a renewable and environmentally friendly product and perhaps to enthusiasts. Part of this reasoning is due to the extensive use of chemical jargon and its passive and scientific articulation. Subsequently, the review art icle was difficult to comprehend as a scientifically sound reader. The discipline ideally suited for the review article is a combination of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry. Organic chemistry and polymer chemistry are both a chemistry subdiscipline where the former deals with the study of organic materials[2], matter formed with carbon atoms, and where the latter deals with the study of synthetic polymers[3]. The article examines the bio-based polymers, hence falling into the categories of organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. Additional disciplines can be related to this article but may seem ambiguous such as materials science which briefly covers the study of polymers[4] and industrial engineering[5] which examines the cost effectiveness of the production of these bio-based polymers. Therefore, article should be categorised as a discipline of organic chemistry as it focuses on bio-based polymers. The association concerning the discipline of organic chemistry and the review article from the journal Progress in Biomaterials relates thoroughly within. As stated in the description[6], this journal examines the preparation and characteristics of biomaterials in vitro and in vivo and assesses its compatibility in areas such as tissue engineering, drug delivery and implants and regenerative medicine. The editorial board regarding this journal is of an international standard where people from universities universally gather in order to publish and review this journal. Hence this journal is open accessed and peer reviewed published under the SpringerOpen brand and also approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, obtaining a high credible standard[7]. The journal, published by one of the many leading academic services[8], is therefore associated with the discipline of organic and polymer chemistry. The purpose of the review is to assess a variety of bio-based polymers of their production, characteristics, their effective future applications in our society and its difficulties. The review article investigates and assesses as much as ten bio-based polymers, each with diverse scrutinies, and therefore cellulose[9] will be briefly discussed as an example of what is reported as it is also associated with the primary article[10] that will be compared from the review articled. In this review article, cellulose, reported to be one of the largest bio-based polymer produced[11], is attained through the two methods: sulfite and pre-hydrolysis kraft pulping and has a ninety seven percent purity rate[12]. Cellulose is a rigid polymer and is highly tensile relative to other bio-based polymers. This causes processing problems and therefore is plasticised, mixing itself with other polymers, to soften itself for ease of use[13]. Subsequently, there are three main branches of which cellulosoic p olymers are classified under after chemical modification for applications: cellulose esters, cellulose ethers and regenerated cellulose. Each of these have difference uses: cellulose esters are mainly utilised for film and fiber, cellulose ethers are used in food and personal care and regenerated cellulose are used for disposables, textiles and fabrics[14]. The main drawback to the production of this renewable source is the low yields compared to its high expense.[15] The immense amount of professional research expressed into this review article accounts for the 159 references. Many of these references are primary articles which are peer reviewed whilst there are also some that are also review articles. Most of these references are linked to reputable academic services such as Oxford Academic and Science Direct. The sources of the review article are generally recent as most of them are from the 21st Century. The selected primary article, Cellulose Extraction from Palm Kernel Cake Using Liquid Phase Oxidation[16], is an experimental report that investigates the production of cellulose via its extraction from palm kernel cake with the method of liquid phase oxidation. Specifically this primary article highlights the optimization of this process where the yield of cellulose would increase as a variable changed such as the ration of hydrogen peroxide and the hot water treatment. As a result a theoretical optimal point was discovered. The investigations of this primary article is significant to the review article as it contributes through the production of cellulose, one of the many bio-based polymers discussed in the review article. This helps the audience to understand how cellulose is produced, providing insight on its benefits and drawbacks. While both articles relate to cellulose, the nature and purpose can be distinguishable. The primary article contains experimental data and methods which aimed to optimise the yield of cellulose whereas the review article aimed to provide information to an audience, gathering its data from a variety of sources. Reference List Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. Babu et al.: Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends. Progress in Biomaterials 2013 2:8, accessed 22 March 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2194-0517-2-8> Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono. Cellulose Extraction from Palm Kernel Cake Using Liquid Phase Oxidation. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology 2009, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan_yan_Farm/publication/49593921_Cellulose_extraction_from_palm_kernel_cake_using_liquid_phase_oxidation/links/57bc0e4e08aefea8f0f5f46e.pdf> [1] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 [2] ACS, Chemistry for Life, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/organic-chemistry.html [3] ACS, Chemistry for Life, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/polymer-chemistry.html [4] Merriam-Webster, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/materials%20science [5] Oregon state University, accessed 25 March 2017, http://mime.oregonstate.edu/what-do-industrial-engineers-do [6] Springer Link, accessed 25 March 2017, https://link.springer.com/journal/40204 [7] Springer, accessed 25 March 2017, http://www.springer.com/materials/biomaterials/journal/40204?detailsPage=editorialBoard [8] Springer, accessed 25 March 2017http://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer [9] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 [10] Journal of Engineerring Science and Technology, accessed 25 March 2017 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan_yan_Farm/publication/49593921_Cellulose_extraction_from_palm_kernel_cake_using_liquid_phase_oxidation/links/57bc0e4e08aefea8f0f5f46e.pdf [11] Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono. 2009. Sec. 1 Para. 1 [12] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para.1 [13] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para 2 [14] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para 3 [15] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 10 Para 1 [16] Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono Sec.4 Para.1

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Use of Punctuation in the Writing of Libyan Students Essay

Punctuation in English Parkes (1992), in his invaluable study of the history of punctuation, states: "Punctuation was developed by stages which coincided with changing patterns of literacy, whereby new generations of readers in different historical situations imposed new demands on the written medium itself' (p. 2). Punctuation is not a static model and even if we confine the discussion to early modern and modern English, it has changed quite considerably across time (Numberg, 1999). The uses of punctuation are conventional; they change over time and vary from language to language. There have been to be conventions or rules, for without these, punctuation would be wholly idiosyncratic and the possibilities of using it to facilitate effective communication would be either lost of severely hindered (Beard & et al., 2009). Some rules of punctuation are mandatory: if we violate them, we have made mistakes in punctuation. Others are optional: our choice is basing on the effect and emphasis we desire to deliver. To that extent, Greenbaum and Nelson (2002: 183) say â€Å"punctuation is an art.† There was a considerable debate between two schools: one believed punctuation should be based on elocution (how a sentence is spoken when it is read out aloud) and the other believed punctuation should be based on the grammar (Petit: 2003; Curtis, 2007; Hall and Robinson, 1996; Parkes, 1992). The latter (the syntactic-based approach) is the one we use today, which means the debate was won by grammar school. Recently, Dawkins (2003 and 1995) has come out with a new believe: teaching punctuation should be based on the meaning (the semantic- based approach). Dawkins (2003) assumes that writers have an intuitive sense of the independent claus... ..., p. 349). Moreover, Chiang (1999) claims that in EFL writing, the sentence(s) may appear to be appropriate order, but in incongruent places due to inappropriate use or non use of punctuation. Using the premise that students often have weak language skills, Warner (1979) surveyed 431 postsecondary students using four tools: student’s scores on an objective test, an in-class writing sample, an editing exercise, and a questionnaire about background in English and attitude toward grammar and writing. She found that the largest number of errors in the writing occurred in punctuation. She came out with: The high error rate in punctuation resulted from 1) the students not knowing the rules of punctuation, 2) knowing the rules but not being able to apply them to their own writing, or 3) constructing such poor sentences that correct punctuation was impossible (p.18).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

How Should We Respond to Global Warming? Essay -- Climate Change, Gree

How Should We Respond to Global Warming? Â   A few days ago, while basking in the warmth of winter, a friend asked me about Global Warming and what exactly the problems were with a rise in temperature. He seemed to have no problem with a 75 degree day in the middle of March and wanted to know what all the fuss is about. I tried to answer his question by concisely summing up the evidence for global warming and the potential hazards of an increase in global temperature–surprisingly, I could not think of a decent response. You see, I didn’t quite know how to respond to my friend’s forthright inquiry about the state of the Earth’s weather systems, because I really don’t have a clue what is happening or is going to happen. By studying the concepts of global climate, I have been introduced to a conundrum of interacting variables that appear impossible to decipher. So, after stammering out a few potential threats: sea-level change, drought, floods, loss of biomass, and heatstroke, I plunged back into science books and journals vowing to prepare myself for the next time someone posed a similar question (I am still looking for Klutz’s The Idiots Guide to: Global Warming--let me know if you have a copy). Unfortunately, further research revealed more questions and variables to puzzle over and a much more confounding dilemma than I had anticipated. Initially, I hoped to find specific information which answered the questions of global climate variations and mankind’s influence upon climate systems. Yet, in digesting several different views, variables, data, satellite data, and proxy data, I only found that my discombobulation had lots of company. It seems nobody definitively knows, or can agree on, where long-run climate change is head... ...tm 9. IPCC, Summary. 10. Bluemle, John P. "Global Warming: A Geological Perspective." The Professional Geologist 37 (2000): 3-6. 11. American Petroleum Institute, Global Climate The Big Picture, Online. API. 11 Nov. 1999. Available: www.api.org/globalclimate/thescience.htm. 12. Vogel, "Warming Begun?" 33. 13. Vogel, "Warming Begun?" 34. 14. Bluemle, "Geological Perspective" 4. 15. Houghton, John. Global Warming The Complete Briefing. (London: Cambridge UP, 1997) 56. 16. Bluemle, "Geological Perspective" 5. 17. Mann, Michael E.,Raymond S. Bradley & Malcolm K. Hughes. "Northern Hemisphere Temperatures of the Last Six Centuries." Nature. 392. NOAA Online. Available: www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/references.html. 18. Mann, Bradley & Malcolm, "Northern Temperatures." 19. Vogel, "Warming Begun?" 34. 20. American Petroleum Institute, The Big Picture.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Essay -- Biography Biographies Bio

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28th, 1929 in East Hampton, Long Island. Jacqueline’s mother was Janet Lee Bouvier, a highly ambitious horseback rider. Jacqueline was nicknamed "Jackie" after her father, Jack Bouvier. Young Jackie’s parents were a very well off coupled. Her father had an estimated fortune of 7 million dollars and Janet came from a wealthy family also, her father had been chairman of the board of Chase National Bank. Asides for the Bouviers wealth, the other thing they were most noted for was their beauty, Jack in particular. His slim nose, wide set blue eyes, shiny black hair and muscular build earned him the description as "drippingly handsome". Jack’s cutting edge instincts, swarthiness, and love for beautiful young women earned him the nick name " Black Jack". Janet, who was sixteen years younger than Jack was not as beautiful as he was handsome. Janet did not possess a showgirl prettiness but she was said to have possessed an interesting look. She was petite and had a somewhat animated look to her. Her nose and chin were long and pointed. When Jackie was born it was happily noted that Jackie looked like Jack Bouvier. (Birmingham) Though Janet Lee’s family was well off, they were not members of the esteemed highest social caste as were the Bouviers. Janet lived her life with a constant sense of unease because of this difference in lineage.(Birmingham) Because Black Jack was known for having erratic financial history, James Lee, Janet’s father, offered to allow Janet and Jack to live rent free in a building he owned. This offer came under one condition. Jack would have to cut back on his flamboyant lifestyle. (Heymann) On March 3rd 1933, the Bouvier family was completed by the birth of Jackie’s sister, Lee. When Lee was born, Jackie was no longer the baby of the family.She spent most of her time tending and riding her horse. Jackie also excelled in school. She was so intelligent that she found all her elementary grade work as boring. Janet had once stated that, "Jackie’s intellectual ambition ran ahead of her chronological age." (Heymann) Soon problems began occurring between Black Jack and Janet. Jackie has never spoken about her parent’s marriage issues but they are thought to have arisen because of money. At the time Black Jack was und... ...e style. The low profile lifestyle was very hard to obtain. The press was constantly inquiring if Jackie had any new love interests. Then on October 20th 1968, Jackie married Aristotle Onassis on the Greek island Scorpios. Aristotle was not only her sister’s ex boyfriend, but he was also the richest man in the world. Their relationship was short lived. The couple had different tastes and their relationship had been condemned from the beginning. In march 1975, Aristotle was planning on divorcing Jackie, before he could do so he died. After his death, Jackie became very wealthy. She needed something to occupy herself with so she became an editor with Viking Press. Two years later she moved over to Doubleday Press. In December on 1993, Jackie was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was treated for the disease with chemotherapy until May of 1994. In may she declared that she wanted to return to her home to die. On May 19, 1994, at 10:15 a.m., Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died surrounded by her friends and family. Her funeral took place at St. Ignatious Loyola church, the same church where she was baptized. She was later buried in Arlington cemetery next to John Kennedy.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Transformational Leadership

A lot of research has gone into the subject of leadership skills as seen from a number of several different perspectives. As a matter of fact, from the early years of 1900 onwards, analysis on the types of leadership and their models have been going on, and initially the point of concentration was on the leader, and his followers. Researchers of the time, however, came to the conclusion that no single characteristic or trait could be taken as being fully explanatory of any particular leader's abilities and his capacity, and thereafter researchers began the process of analyzing and examining the situation and its influences on a leader and his abilities, and also made several attempts to try to distinguish effective from non-effective leaders. The purpose of such analysis was actually to determine which leadership behaviors were exactly exemplified by effective leaders, and which were not. (History of leadership Research) Therefore, in order to better understand why some people were effective leaders and some were not, researchers used the so-called ‘contingency model' in order to analyze and to conclude the various connections that must exist between personal traits, situational variables, and the effectiveness of a leader. In later years, especially during the 1970's and the 1980's, the point of concentration for studying effective leadership qualities in an individual shifted to the individual characteristics of a leader which served to make him a better leader, and which brought his company immense profits. The research more often than not concluded that leaders and leadership are important and in fact crucial and vital components of any organization. (History of leadership Research) In fact, the basic notion of leadership and its influence process has been a very important one through the years, especially when taken in the context of human relations and public relations within an organization. This is the framework, then, upon which much research on the various models of leadership have been carried out through the years and it is often considered to be the more useful one upon which to conduct analyses. This is because of the widely acknowledged fact that the very social process through which one individual tries to exert his own influence on others in his own way is actually demonstrated in a large number of inter personal relationships between a number of people anywhere in the world. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Some examples of these are the relationship between the ‘superior and his subordinate', the staff with the line, the salesman with his customer, the consultant with his client, a teacher with his student, the husband with his wife, a parent with his child, and so on and so forth. These are the normal relationships that always occur in the context of groups, and within organizations, and also within a set of cultures, and are in turn influenced by the organizations and cultures themselves. Therefore, it can be stated that when one desires to understand leadership better, then one would have to try to gain a deep insight into the very nature and character of a personality or of a group or of an organization. Thereafter, one must attempt to analyze the various cultural variables that would invariably be present in any one group of several different individuals, and then analyze the various interrelationships between them and the variables that are seen in a system of influence of this particular kind. The two most important elements in such a framework of leadership analyses are, primarily, the so called ‘social sensitivity' or what is also known as 'empathy', and ‘action flexibility', or what is also known as ‘behavioral flexibility'. Both these variables are of extreme importance when analyzing leadership, and its effectiveness and its causes. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) It must be noted that the word ‘leadership' as such is a very widely used word indeed, and social workers, political activists, orators and scholars and of course numerous others all utilize it in their speech and in their writing. However, what must also be noted is the fact that not everyone agrees about its actual and true meaning; among the social scientists, leadership has come to represent something that will always constantly shift and change, and transform its primary focus first on one thing and then another. There is a lot more work to be carried out before it can be truly stated that there is indeed a systematic and a basic theory for leadership, and a full fledged framework developed upon which to accurately measure effective leadership. When taken through history, leadership studies have been effectively showing the shifting focus on theoretical orientation of leadership studies; whereas early studies concentrated on the study of the leader as a person, to the exclusion of various other variables, later studies laid emphasis on isolating the physical and the psychological characteristics of the leader, and these were considered to be traits which were in fact differentiating the leader from all the other members of the group. (Tannenbaum; Weschler; Massarik, 1961) Likewise, the concept of spirituality in leadership is a relatively newer idea, and one that researchers have started to analyze only recently, having been ignored as a concept for the past hundreds of years before today. However, one must not forget that throughout our social history, man has been able to identify his own inner moral as well as spiritual standards, and seen them for the influence they tend to cast upon human actions in general. In fact, it can even be stated that it is man's inner sense of spiritual wholeness that defines mankind as such, and also determines man's inner values, his sense of morality and justice, and therefore tends to direct man's actions and the various decisions that he makes in his daily life and also in his working life. (Fairholm, 1997) Therefore, it must be remembered that spirituality plays a very important role in a leader's various actions and in his process of decisions making, as well as in the followers' lives. Every single individual has an innate sense of who he is, what he is doing, and where he is going, and all these various concepts are guided by his inner spirituality. As a matter of fact, it can be stated that it is this true inner self that actually guides man in general and a leader as well. Spirit is therefore an inseparable part of the leadership of an individual, and it is this that guides him in his various actions. In today's fast paced world, the workplace in fact becomes a central part of one's life, and this means that one would have to relate one's own personal spiritual values with his workplace vales, and this in turn becomes the most important and central part of leadership. (Fairholm, 1997) There are, to date, numerous models of leadership, that have been found to be effective after intensive research conducted through many years, and the interest in what exactly makes a good and effective and efficient leader is still an extremely interesting topic. Some of the better leadership models are, according to research, the following: the participative styles of leadership, which, according to studies conducted by Hawthorne and Kurt Lewin and Likert, invariably lead to an enhanced job satisfaction, and also to a better performance. Another is the ‘contingency theory', which argues that the proper or the right or the most effective leadership style is something that constantly changing accord to the present context. One example of this model is that explained by Blake and Mouton's managerial Grid, according to which organization developmental practices can be easily analyzed. (Leadership Theories, 1) Another is the ‘instrumental theory', according to which a lot of stress is placed on the task, as well as on the person oriented behavioral patterns, like, for example, delegation, and participation on the part of the leader in order to gain better effectiveness from the others in his team. Inspirational leadership theories are based on the fact that a single individual, with his inspiring personality and way of life and method of thinking, be able to influence his team into better performances. These leaders are, more often than not, inspirational persons, and they are at times called transformational leaders too. This type of leader would appeal to the inherent value and visions of the team of followers around him, upon whom he would be able to cast a great influence. He would not only be able to inspire and instill confidence among them, but also be able to motivate them to change wherever and whenever necessary for the progress of the organization. (Leadership Theories, 1) The ‘informal leader' is the person who has not exactly been appointed to leadership, but would be able to, in general, assume leadership in manifold other ways. Another leadership theory is the so-called ‘path goal theory', according to which the expectancy theory of motivations comes to the fore, wherein a leader is responsible for motivating his team well, and into giving better performances in general. This theory draws on the following four different styles of leadership: supportive, directive, participative, and finally, direction oriented. The actual choice of style finally depends on the task to be performed, and the individual who is expected to perform the task. For example, a routine task would need a more supportive style of leadership, while a complex and tough task would need a directive type of leadership. (Leadership Theories, 1) Compare and Contrast Leadership Models: It is now quite evident that one of the predominant themes as far as management studies is concerned is the most important role that an effective and an efficient leader would play in the effective running of an organization, of any kind, and, as a matter of fact, the position of the leader has been elevated to someone of heroic proportions, and he is termed as someone who is the prime determinant of his organization's success or of its failure. The model leader is, therefore, an individual who is in possession of a set of known and researched set of behaviors and patterns, as acknowledged by researchers all over the world, and who would be able to effectively motivate his team of members in such a way that they would be able to give their optimum bets performances for the benefit of their organization. These are some of the better known and accepted leadership models, which some of the very bets leaders in the industry have been known to follow and emulate for the betterment of the firm. One model is the ‘Contingency Theory'. (Chapter 12, Leadership) It must be stated here that for as long as there have been research on leadership, there has been a widely acknowledged claim that for every different situation there is, a different leader and a different leadership style would be suitable. Weber, for example, in the year 1946, in his research on the bases of legitimate authority in the state as such, has managed to identify three entirely different types of leaders: one type is an individual who would base his authority on tradition, another who would base his authority on rationality, and a third who would base his authority on exerting his own charismatic influence onto others in his team. Each leader would achieve success in one type of situation, and not in others, thus showing that one type of leadership would not suffice for all kinds of diverse situations. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Fiedler, in the year 1996, has identified some of the more important aspects of the contingent view of a leader. First and foremost, the relevant literature does not offer any clue about the existence of certain universal traits, or behavioral patterns, or characteristics that can be associated with a good leader and effective leadership qualities. Secondly, it has been stated that the effectiveness of the leader depends on how well and how quickly he would be able to match the situation in which he is expected to operate. Thirdly, the most important mediating factor between a leaders traits and the situation in which he operates is the way in which the leader is able to cope with stress within the situation. Equally important is what exactly the leader thinks is a stressful situation, according to him, and how he is able to motivate and engage his team into coping and facing the stress in a positive manner so that the organization does not get affected in any manner whatsoever. Furthermore, it has often been noticed that most organizations generally tend to adapt and become more internally complex so that they may be better bale to respond to the external complexities, according to Lawrence and Lorsch in research conducted in the year 1967. According to Galbraith, in 1994, the best way in which an organization would be able to effectively deal with stress both outside and within the organization is to organize the entire effort around the team of members. This would also mean that the team would be responsible for conducting and carrying out the basic work of the organization, and since teams are more often than not staffed with differing levels of permanence, they are often responsible for bridging historic line organizations. The contingency theory also stresses on the fact that different periods of either planned or unintended organizational change would most definitely need effective leaders with particular attributes and characteristics, so that he may be able to help the organization to handle the difficult change process effectively. (Chapter 12, Leadership) Situational Leadership is another style of leadership which is a widely acknowledged and recognized leadership model. When taken in simple terms, a situational leader is an individual who would be able to quickly adapt his thinking and his methods of leadership to the present situation at hand, and can even change his style wherever and whenever necessary. Ken Blanchard, the well known ‘Management Guru', and the author of the ‘One Minute Manager Series', along with Paul Hersey, created a model for situational leadership during the 1960's. This model would allow the leader to analyze the needs of the situation that he is at present involved in, and then adopt what he thinks and knows would be the very best and effective management and leadership style to solve it. This is a leadership model put in a simple square grid, that has retained its basic popularity over the years, because of the fact that it is very simple to comprehend, and also because it can easily be used in the most difficult of situations. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) According to the model, the ‘directing leaders' are the individuals who define the tasks and roles of their followers, and also supervise them very closely. All the major decisions to be taken would be declared by the leader, and this means that communication would generally be one-way. ‘Coaching leaders' on the other hand, would define roles and tasks, in the same way as the directing leaders would, but would look out for any suggestions or ideas form his followers, while a ‘supporting leader' would more often than not typically pass on the several day to day decisions within the organization, like for example, task allocation, and processes, to his followers. Here, although the leader does indeed take part in the decision making processes, most of the control remains with the followers. A ‘delegating leader' would remain involved in the major decisions and in the problem solving processes within the firm, but he would be involved only upon the discretion of the follower; it is the follower who decides when and how the leader would have to become involved. An effective leader would have to have the capacity and ability to be able to move around the simple grid easily, according to the needs of the situation, and thus become a situational leader. (Famous Models: Situational Leadership) Yet another leadership model is Bruce Tuckman's ‘Forming Storming Norming Performing leadership model'. According to this model, it is as the team within an organization begins to develop maturity and ability that they would be better able to establish relationships with each other, and because of this, a leader would be able to change his style as the team grows and matures. This type of leader would at the outset start with a directing style, after which he would move on to a coaching style, after which he would adopt the participating, and then the delegating and finishing styles, and finally on to the almost detached style. At this particular point, the team may be able to produce a successor leader, and the previous leader can move on to another team. Therefore, the progression of the leader from one stage to the next, according to Bruce Tuckman, would be from forming to storming, and then to norming, and finally, to performing. (Bruce Tuckman's 1965 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development Model) The Effectiveness of Leadership Models: The effectiveness of any particular model depends on the leader himself, and on the various traits and the charisma that he is in possession of. A leader, in general, tends to be identified by position, as they belong to a virtual hierarchy. They are the people to whom the team in the organization looks to for help or for answers, and the leader, with his vision and his efficiency and his ability, would be able to provide the answers wherever necessary. They are also people who have certain special qualities and traits that tend to set them apart form others, and this is very useful because it defines the gap essential between a leader and his followers. This is a view of leadership that is generally taken as being the best explanation of a leader, and it is followed not only in businesses but also by the government and by the armed forces. A leader may be participative or directional or transformational, but he still would have his own style, and it must always be remembered that a leader is a man who would possess a great amount of power, and one must be careful that there is no misuse of this power. (Classical Leadership) Evaluate the supporting research contributing to development of leadership Models It is during the past few decades that a lot more attention has been given to the concept of analyzing various leadership styles and finding the bets one, which would be able to improve the leadership style of an individual within an organization, so that the leader would be able to lead his tem better, and goad them into giving better performances. Theories about transformational leadership, in particular, have become even more important today than they were yesterday, and more and more evidence of these theories have been amassed for all the different levels of the organization. (Bass, 1993) Transformational leadership, it can be stated, has today become almost an obsession with researchers on leadership styles, and why the model is so very appealing is because it is the actual antecedent of a true hero. He is an individual who seems to have circumvented all his weaknesses, and he is also a person who holds great promise of bringing about great organizational changes. Bernard Bass is a very active campaigner for the cause of a transformational leader, and he is of the opinion that research on the subject had literally boomed in the past few decades. In fact, a transformational leader is today, an individual who makes up the ‘New leadership' types of the modern world. Transformational leadership is so very popular because of the fact that it effectively overcomes every shortcoming that a hero of yesteryears may have possessed, and even though they do have their own flaws, they seem to be better leaders than any others. Typically, a transformational leader seems to tempt his followers with the ‘carrot and stick' approach, wherein he can control them with a positive approach. (Gronn, 1995) A transformational leader can also put a lot of passion and energy into everything that he does, and he is able to inspire others with his development of a vision and a view of the future that will inspire his numerous followers. He has to be able to create trust in his followers, and this then will inspire them to follow him. He is a leader who will seek to transform, and he can eventually become a person who would have been personally responsible for saving his organization form ruin. (Transformational Leadership: www.changingminds.org) He is a leader, who is able to recognize as well as exploit a certain need in his followers, analyze their various motives, and engage the complete person of the followers. Some examples of transformational leaders through the years are: Rousseau, Madison, reformers like Alexander and Grey, revolutionaries like Lenin, Castro, Luther, Mao, heroes like Kennedy, Joan of Arc, and Muhammad. (Boje, 2000) Evaluate the impact of environmental factors on transformational leadership: A transformational leader would through his charisma and his vision for the future can inspire his followers into transcending their own self-interests so that they may work for the betterment and for the profit of their organization. He is an individual who uses with regularity, contingent rewards to positively impact and influence his followers, and he at times takes the initiative himself only if he feels that there are problems, and things are not progressing as well as he thought they were. A transformational leader today is extremely important and relevant in today's workplace because of the traits that he possesses, which are that he is flexible, and he is original and innovative. In fact, a transformational leader is one individual who can be said to be the essence of creating, developing, and ultimately maintaining the so important competitive edge in his organization. (Leading: Management Modern BMGT 1301DCCCD) According to Jan Carlzon, in 1987, an individual who was a very effective transformational leader for SAS Airlines, a leader must be able to both encourage and also to facilitate the formulation of an organizational vision, wherein the numerous stakeholders of the organization may feel that they have participated in. He must also be able to create and maintain an environment in which the employees of the organization may feel able to accept and execute all their various duties and responsibilities with a certain ease and confidence. The leader must be able to communicate what he wants to these employees, and teach them the company's vision, and ask them for inputs about how to turn the vision into reality. He must be able to inspire his followers with his vision, and this is the essence of a transformational leader. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership) Visions may be either positive or negative, and when the vision is indeed positive, then it would also be an idealized design, which would in turn impact the environment. The operational viability of this positive design must be therefore designed in such a way that it would be able to survive if it came into existence in the present environment. Therefore, since a transformational leader is driven by visions and ideas, and not by others' expectations of him, he will be able to effectively beat the system and the environment, and not surrender to it in any way, and this in essence is what a transformational leader is all about. (A Systemic View of Transformational Leadership)